NCAA finds AU men’s basketball guilty of academic misconduct

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) - The Augusta University men’s basketball team was found guilty of violating NCAA academic misconduct rules, according to Division II Committee on Infractions.

In a news release distributed by the NCAA media center, the head coach and a former assistant coach provided academic assistance to a student-athlete on the men’s basketball team.

According to the news release, the investigation found the an academic coordinator witnessed the head coach editing and adding information to a paper the student wrote for an English class.

It was also stated that on a second occasion, the academic coordinator observed the former assistant coach sitting with the student-athlete as he was taking a virtual exam. Video showed the student submitting answers without his hands on the keyboard and impermissibly using his phone during the exam.

During an investigative interview, the student admitted that the former assistant coach gave him answers during the exam.

The NCAA says, as a result, the student-athlete was able to participate in 16 contests and received actual and necessary expenses while ineligible, and says the program further committed violations by failing to withhold the ineligible student-athlete from competing.

The NCAA says the former assistant coach first denied involvement but later admitted to the violations. The head coach also admitted to the misconduct violations.

According to the news release, the Jaguar program will receive the following penalties:

Three years of probation.
A reduction of two financial aid awards in the men’s basketball program, one during the 2022-23 academic year and one during the 2023-24 academic year.
A fine of $5,000 (self-imposed).
A vacation of individual, regular-season and conference tournament records in which the student-athlete participated while ineligible (self-imposed).
A suspension of two scrimmages and three regular-season contests for the head coach (self-imposed; completed during the 2021-22 academic year).
A two-year show-cause order for the head coach. Any member school employing the head coach during this period must complete the following:
Suspend the head coach from all coaching duties and activities for the first five conference games of the 2022-23 season.
The head coach must attend NCAA Regional Rules Seminars, with at least one session focused on academic integrity.
The head coach must attend monthly meetings with the school’s senior compliance administrator for rules education. At least one meeting must be focused on academic integrity.
The head coach must collaborate with academic services to develop and implement a “best practices” guide related to student-athlete academics.
The head coach must participate in ethics training during the second year of the show-cause period.
A two-year show-cause order for the assistant coach. Any member school employing the assistant coach during this period must restrict him from all athletically related activities.
The director of athletics, compliance director and faculty athletics representative must attend NCAA Regional Rules Seminars in 2022 and 2023.