Two years ago, Eric Bledsoe was a star point guard without the grades to meet the N.C.A.A.’s minimum standards and needing to find a new high school. He solved both problems by moving to A. H. Parker High School and now, after one season at the University of Kentucky, he is awaiting a lucrative payday in next month’s N.B.A. draft.

 

The dramatic changes in Bledsoe’s academic and athletic prospects have attracted the attention of the N.C.A.A., which has sent investigators to at least three places in Alabama to ask about him. The N.C.A.A. does not talk about its investigations so the scope of this one is not known.

 

But Bledsoe’s academic makeover and extra benefits he apparently received could be another blow to John Calipari, the celebrated coach at Kentucky who previously led teams at Massachusetts and Memphis that had their records and Final Four appearances expunged after rules violations were found under his watch.

 

Interviews with those connected with Bledsoe’s life in Birmingham revealed potential violations:

 

Brenda Axle, the landlord for the house where Bledsoe and his mother moved for his senior year of high school, said that Bledsoe’s high school coach paid her at least three months’ rent, or $1,200. By moving there, Bledsoe was eligible to play for Parker, which he led to the Alabama Class 5A title game. Maurice Ford, the coach, denied paying the money.

 

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/29/sports/ncaabasketball/29recruit.html

Potentially not good for UK. Another mistake by the clearinghouse though. They make someone eligible because they didn't find anything now they are looking into it. Dumb!

I've been saying for over a year his grades were doctored his SR year. Plain and simple, C/D students don't bust out straight As right in the nick of time like what happened here...

Meh, not too concerned. Even if you take away the wins, you can never take away my memories from last season.

Two years ago, Eric Bledsoe was a star point guard without the grades to meet the N.C.A.A.’s minimum standards and needing to find a new high school. He solved both problems by moving to A. H. Parker High School and now, after one season at the University of Kentucky, he is awaiting a lucrative payday in next month’s N.B.A. draft.

 

The dramatic changes in Bledsoe’s academic and athletic prospects have attracted the attention of the N.C.A.A., which has sent investigators to at least three places in Alabama to ask about him. The N.C.A.A. does not talk about its investigations so the scope of this one is not known.

 

But Bledsoe’s academic makeover and extra benefits he apparently received could be another blow to John Calipari, the celebrated coach at Kentucky who previously led teams at Massachusetts and Memphis that had their records and Final Four appearances expunged after rules violations were found under his watch.

 

Interviews with those connected with Bledsoe’s life in Birmingham revealed potential violations:

 

Brenda Axle, the landlord for the house where Bledsoe and his mother moved for his senior year of high school, said that Bledsoe’s high school coach paid her at least three months’ rent, or $1,200. By moving there, Bledsoe was eligible to play for Parker, which he led to the Alabama Class 5A title game. Maurice Ford, the coach, denied paying the money.

 

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/29/sports/ncaabasketball/29recruit.html

 

Wouldn't this be of more interest to the Alabama High School Athletics Association, (or whatever it is called)? There have been tons of kids ruled inelgible in high school without it effecting NCAA eligibility. If grades were doctored then again that would be a state issue, wouldn't it? I know the NCAA clearinghouse is supposed to check these things out but I can't understand how an University can be held liable for playing a player that the NCAA clears. Unless it is proved that the University or someone on their behalf was involved in fixing the grades.

I've been saying for over a year his grades were doctored his SR year. Plain and simple, C/D students don't bust out straight As right in the nick of time like what happened here...

I would say that you are right 90% of the time, but I have seen a student who was making C/D's and then pulling out A/B's on finals to save the day at the last minute. Also Senior year is in almost all cases the easiest year of high school, if you want it to be. Skip AP classes and the rest of the general education classes are pretty routine your senior year.

 

Is there something funny going on in Alabama, could be, but turn arounds can be made.

Meh, not too concerned. Even if you take away the wins, you can never take away my memories from last season.

 

That's the spirit. I don't see the NCAA doing much to UK, they are too lucrative to the NBA to penalize heavily for something like this IMO.

I would say that you are right 90% of the time, but I have seen a student who was making C/D's and then pulling out A/B's on finals to save the day at the last minute. Also Senior year is in almost all cases the easiest year of high school, if you want it to be. Skip AP classes and the rest of the general education classes are pretty routine your senior year.

 

Is there something funny going on in Alabama, could be, but turn arounds can be made.

 

I will just say I worked the Bledsoe recruitment very closely, and something very shady went on in Birmingham. I like Bledsoe, and there is no doubt he is a good kid, butif the NCAA really puts the heat on this situation there will be a lot of fire behind the smoke...

From the coach:

 

“I never paid his mom’s rent,” Ford said. “I never paid no rent at no house.”

 

 

Can we assume he didn't teach English?

That's the spirit. I don't see the NCAA doing much to UK, they are too lucrative to the NBA to penalize heavily for something like this IMO.

 

There isn't much they could do to UK even if they wanted to because almost all of this went down before UK got even remotely involved...

Haven't similar situations happened to Jamal Crawford and Darrell Arthur?

How do you have an ACT score of 69?

There isn't much they could do to UK even if they wanted to because almost all of this went down before UK got even remotely involved...

 

Good to know, I didn't know if they could do anything or not. :thumb:

From the coach:

 

“I never paid his mom’s rent,” Ford said. “I never paid no rent at no house.”

 

 

Can we assume he didn't teach English?

 

The two worst interview subjects I've ever encountered were Bledsoe and Ford. You had a better chance trying to transcribe in real time because going to the tape recorder was pretty much useless...

There isn't much they could do to UK even if they wanted to because almost all of this went down before UK got even remotely involved...

 

That's what I'm wondering. Everyone outside of Kentucky will be pointing fingers at Cal, but is there really anything implicating him or Kentucky?