NCAA should expedite investigations

NCAA should expedite investigations

By dickie v espn

The NCAA has had problems determining several athletic-eligibility cases throughout the years. The time needed to determine whether there was a scandal or wrongdoing was simply too long. It was humiliating for the organization.

Now, something tells me the future of the organization's decision-making process will be different. I do not know new president Mark Emmert, but I have a feeling that he will jump on this situation and make the necessary adjustments.

Any time you do an investigation, such as the Reggie Bush scenario at USC, it will take a while. What bothers me is when an investigation keeps a player ineligible and twisting in the wind, waiting to hear his fate. Some of these situations have been ludicrous.

I often think about the way the Derrick Rose situation was handled at Memphis. The NCAA Eligibility Center had declared Rose eligible. He then led the Tigers to the national championship game. Not a school in America would have sat Rose down when he was cleared! But after other information surfaced, the NCAA asked the school to vacate that Final Four appearance.

Give me a break! You have to pay the price as well. The NCAA has to look in the mirror and question its handling of the Rose situation. After declaring him eligible, how does it turn around and reverse that decision? The act should have been handled with a financial punishment, in my opinion.

Now we have the Kentucky issue over Enes Kanter's eligibility. When he played in Turkey, was he given expense money or dollars as a pro athlete? I understand that due process means spending time analyzing details and information in the case. But get it done. In fairness to the student-athlete involved as well as the institution, the NCAA has to make a ruling in a reasonable amount of time.

Procrastinating is not the right way to handle a situation in any business.

Look at what happened at Mississippi State last season with Renardo Sidney. The school had him sit out until a ruling came out, and that took months. I feel confident after reading about Emmert and his ideas that he will work on academic issues and the one-and-done situation. Student-athletes deserve a break.

I believe that Emmert will try to get the NBA to understand that the one-and-done is not good for college basketball or the pros. Players should be allowed to go from high school to the pros if they are really ready. If not, they should go to college. But I feel they should go under the same standard as college baseball, staying in school for at least three years.

Here's hoping Emmert can set the tone with his people on the investigative staff. The process should move in a quicker fashion.

Any news on Kanter?

Waiting on this is driving me nuts!