San Diego players charged with point-shaving, begin Blue Chips references

Two players, one the all-time leading scorer, who apparently should have been scoring a few more points, indicted, along with a former assistant. The people were still trying to recruit people for the scheme this year.

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/news/story?id=6330566

See, marijuana is a gateway drug to nastier things. Bill Bennett tried warning us.

 

"...because the ONLY time the alumni EVER jerk off is when we win!"

 

"Look at him, looking at the clock..."

 

Wow, of all the schools to have this happen at, USD would have been way down on my list of possibilities.

But, maybe that's what the principals involved counted on: smaller school and lesser-known program, much easier to fly under the radar.

And though he probably had nothing to do with it, I wonder if this could come around to cost head coach Bill Grier his job. He is coming off a 6-24 season after all.

 

I have always thought some of these smaller conferences on the Vegas boards, like MAC schools or teams in the Horizon League, would be easy targets for the fixers. I imagine they have to be really dilligent in these schools' athletic departments to make sure to keep their noses clean.

 

Bill shoulda cashed in on the UConn upset.

 

You bet a USD-UC Riverside game you deserve to lose. You try and make a big score on that game by shaving points and the boys in Vegas might take you on a long drive and hand you a shovel.
And yet - I don't know why the NCAA frowns on point-shaving or consorting with gamblers. Why not have the sports books underwrite college athletics? They get a product to take bets on, the NCAA does the policing to keep things on the up and up. It's like a company producing a new slot machine and just giving it away to casinos, while paying all the costs associated with upkeep and making sure the machine's integrity remains above reproach.
Let the players hang out with gamblers. Let them shave points. You put money in the pockets of the players, maybe the school has inside information and won't have to go begging to fat-cat donors or begging for state or federal money.
You would inject some drama into the countless mismatches during a season and the boosters would suddenly realize there is no point in ponying up a six-figure package for a game-changing player if that same player is so pivotal to a team's success, he could easily change the outcome of the game, fall down, fumble, miss a dunk at a crucial time.
Maybe I'm only half-serious, but the fact remains - while the NCAA makes an effort to keep an eye out for gambling activity and keep things on the up and up - that effort helps create the market for betting on college sports since everyone believes its on the up and up. About the only check on players now is their desire to play in the NBA or NFL - if a player realizes those chances are remote - or that they would make more shaving points than they could hope to as a pro...

 

Is USD basketball non-scholarship or is that just football?

 

Right about now, Steve Fisher is frantically telling recruits, "No. This isn't us."

 

In other words....

"We owe these players the money, coach...We OWE it to 'em!!"

 

Yeah, I remember them. Had the Rev. Jim Jones' grandson on the team.

I just recalled how everyone made a big deal out of the job Jim Harbaugh did there with no scholarships in football and was wondering if that also applied to hoops.