Memphis Indiscretion May Lead to Kentucky Headache

More on cheating from ESPN. I like the trend. Anyway, this is in no way a shocker to the folks that were paying attention. John Calipari, neck tats, and entrance test shenanigans go together like peanut butter and jelly. Throw in the cess pool that has always been Memphis basketball, and an NCAA investigation was a matter of when and not if.

As for vacating wins, that is merely a flesh wound to outlaw programs like Memphis, Oklahoma, UNLV, etc. If you want to hit them where it hurts, take away scholarships, TV appearances, and money in general. Am I naive enough to think that will happen in this case? No. But there is precedent of an NCAA investigative cloud following a coach from one program to another. Someone get Kelvin Sampson on the horn. Collect, if possible.

I'll be interested to see if the same happens here because the two situations are eerily similar. A rather successful, yet slimey coach leaves a mess at a stepping stone school to go coach the creme de la creme of traditional basketball powerhouses. Both Sampson and Calipari were/are charged with bringing said powerhouse back from the dead. Both coaches have ridiculous recruiting classes for their new school. You can take this to its logical conclusion.

A Second Time Would Be Unforgiveable.

The one difference is that Indiana had zero history of cheating in its basketball program. Kentucky's ethical resume on this front, is, well, checkered to say the least. Remember the Eddie Sutton and assistant Dwayne Casey recruiting scandal centered around cash payments to Chris Mills?

The investigation and resulting probation gutted Kentucky's talent base causing players such as Chris Mills, Sean Sutton, Rex Chapman, LeRon Ellis, Eric Manuel and Shawn Kemp to leave the program over a two year period. Additonally, the team was banned from television appearances or post season play and the team had its scholarships reduced. Enter Rick Pitino and the four holdovers, or Unforgettables, that helped resurrect the program with the help of Jamal Mashburn.

I have a hard time seeing John Wall, Demarcus Cousins, Daniel Orton, and Eric Bledsoe sticking around for more than a year even if Calipari is Pete Carril clean. What happens if the Scantrons Hit the Fan? If rumors of Calipari recruiting/grade fixing transgressions are validated by NCAA gumshoes showing up at Rupp arena, who knows how fast this recruiting class starts looking for an exit strategy. A strategy rolling on $20,000 rims in all probability.

Will something happen to the Wildcats this year? I doubt it. But the blue grass version of the Fab Five better have been recruited squeaky clean. Their grades better not be Balogunned. And if I'm Coach Cal, I get rid of the pinky ring for appearance sake. We'll see.

Mills landed at Arizona where Josh Pastner got his start. How's that for full circle?