http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/news/story?id=423…

It's a filthy game, and regrettably, IU doesn't have a pristine reputation to fall back upon anymore.

If the fans want championships, forget the past and jump in the muck. That's the only way it'll happen.

During Cals time in this city his players drove cars better than my father owns, missed more classes than they attended, and started fights and riots in bars and night clubs all while beating their girlfriends. Nothing was ever done about any of this shennanigans and it was so hard to watch but Karma is alive and well.

Kentucky has chosen to swin with the sharks and when they get bitten it'll be all the sweeter. They may have the bnest recruiting class money can buy but how sweet will it be when Crean takes control of this rivalry and does it the right way

Second, most of the posts thus far have hit the major points except this one: the dumb, indefensible age requirement rule that kids cannot go to the NBA right out of high school. It has the perverse effect of making the NCAA a farm system for kids who can play basketball but cannot read (e.g. Derrick Rose, who might be a nice guy, but c'mon…. eligible for college? capable of doing the most basic college work? really? really?). The age requirement that David Stern and the NBA have promulgated is a huge part of this problem, there's no way Rose would have bothered with a year at Memphis – and really, why should he have to do so? Because other kids at 18 decide they would rather declare for the draft than go to college but fail? Um, that's life. People do dumb things all the time, including overestimating their abilities and qualifications for a job, like being a pro hoop player. But instead of acknowledging that reality, the NBA has made this a college problem.
So now you have a system where a kid who should never be in college, suddenly is and combine that with a quality individual like John Calipari – a guy who is actively and shamelessly gaming that system – and you have this situation.
You also magnify this problem when you have an “institution” who decides that, after 2 “lackluster” seasons, a coach they looked at 2 years ago and for unknown reasons “shyed away” from, they then decide he's their man (while putting on blinders, holding their nose and putting in ear plugs). He's perfect for that “school” and their fan base. Enjoy him UK

The other peculiarity of Memphis's case is that Duke ran into a similar issue about 5 – 6 years ago with Corey Maggette. He was ruled ineligible due to having taken money from a booster, and yet Duke's run to the Final Four was not vacated. Perhaps their generally pristine reputation allowed for some leniency, but who really knows.

That being said, anyone trying to argue that the Derrick Rose case was more the NCAA's fault for clearing him initially is misguided. According to the case records, the NCAA cleared him with a caveat – they thought he was OK, but there were some peculiarities with his sudden ability to become eligible. The NCAA maintains that although an athlete is cleared, it is by no means the same as having your day in court. The NCAA can both giveth and taketh away at their discretion.

This is where John Calipari's M.O. gets him and his employers in trouble. Instead of erring on the side of caution, he seizes sketchy opportunities like Rick Pitino in a vacated restaurant. Every chance is worth taking, given the immediate rewards. It was worth it to him to play Rose, because it got him back to the Final Four, and in consideration for employment at Kentucky, who didn't even bother to call him back when they hired Billy Gillispie. The only problem now is Cal's only escape hatch is the NBA, and he's already bombed there once.

I think the big take away here, is that the Worldwide Wide Wes connection absolutely needs to be investigated.

This guy is as dirty as it gets, or as dirty as denim shirt but he keeps getting away with it.

PS…Mr. M. Teague
Do you see the news coming out of the Kentucky schools? It's Indiana kid, you have to know that