Tough day for Iowa State Basketball.

[arrowheadnation]

I think any "magic" they claimed to have is all but dead now. Stinson and Blaylock are forgoing their senior seasons, and the coach is in some hot water over a misuse of funds. 2 articles below.


Stinson and Blalock To Forgo Their Senior Seasons
Iowa State Not Invited To Postseason; Looking Forward To Next Year

March 15, 2006

AMES, Iowa - Iowa State all-Big 12 guards Curtis Stinson and Will Blalock have announced their intentions for the 2006-07 season. Stinson, a junior from the Bronx, N.Y., and Blalock, a junior from Boston, Mass., will forgo their senior seasons and make themselves available for the NBA Draft.

"I want to thank Coach Morgan, my teammates and the fans for everything they have done for me," Stinson said. "My family is extremely important to me and I want to make sure that my Mom is taken care of. It has been a great ride and I will never forget everybody who has helped me out. Coach Morgan gave me this opportunity. I was not recruited very heavily out of high school. He was always there for me and was loyal to me. I can't thank him enough for that."

Stinson earned all-Big 12 honors for the third-consecutive season in 2005-06, ranking in the top-35 nationally in scoring (19.4 ppg), assists (5.6 apg) and steals (2.4 spg). Stinson ranks 11th on ISU's career scoring charts (1,651 points), fourth on the career steal charts (200) and sixth on the career assist charts (448).

"I want to thank the fans, the students at Iowa State and everybody who has stood by me for these three years," Blalock said. "I also want to thank Coach Morgan for all his help and assistance. I feel like I have played against some of the best players in the nation while competing in the Big 12 and I am ready to test my game at the next level."

Blalock earned third-team all-Big 12 honors this past season after ranking second in the Big 12 and 12th nationally in assists (6.1 apg). Blalock, who has 1,078 career points, ranks fifth all-time on ISU's career assist chart with 464 and is tied for sixth in career steals (177).

"It is immeasurable what these two young men have done for this program and to me personally," Morgan said. "Any success we have had as a team or I have had as a head coach at Iowa State, they are directly responsible for. It is without question that they are both great players and will have success at the next level. Myself, my family and our fans will always have great memories of what Will and Curtis have done for ISU."


Operation disturbs school, NCAA officials; coaches 'in jeopardy'
March 15, 2006
By Gregg Doyel
CBS SportsLine.com Senior Writer

An elaborate recruiting operation that has steered more than $100,000 to a Los Angeles business founded by a prominent junior college coach has stunned the NCAA, the NABC and athletics directors at some of the Division I schools involved.

"I think (any involved) coach would be putting his job in jeopardy," said Jim Haney, president of the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC).

"This is a concern," said Iowa State athletics director Jamie Pollard.

"I don't want to get into this conversation," said Iona athletics director Pat Lyons.

"I'd imagine we'd be looking into that," said an NCAA official who asked not to be named.

"Oh my Lord," said Mountain State coach Bob Bolen. "Where did all that money go?"

Bolen's question, ultimately, is at the heart of CBS SportsLine.com's investigation into a nationwide system that delivers junior college players to Division I schools. Those schools then play each other in paid "guarantee" games, with a tidy profit going to the company that arranged those games -- a company co-founded by Los Angeles City College coach Mike Miller.

The company is called D1 Scheduling.

According to corporation records filed with the state of California, Miller and Bruce B. Herman founded D1 Scheduling on Aug. 19, 2004. When first asked about D1 Scheduling, Miller told CBS SportsLine.com, "You need to call them." Miller later conceded that D1 Scheduling had been his brainchild, but said he's no longer involved.

Schools connected to D1 Scheduling and LACC include Iowa State, Iona, Louisiana Tech, Tennessee State, Howard and Norfolk State. All have signed players from LACC. All have scheduled games between themselves through D1 Scheduling. And though few teams nationwide use outside help to schedule games, D1 Scheduling has turned a business without a market into a profit of at least $150,000 since August 2004.

"I can't imagine an athletics director would want a third party doing the scheduling," said the NABC's Haney.

CBS SportsLine.com's investigation shows Iowa State as the operation's centerpiece. Under coach Wayne Morgan, ISU has used D1 Scheduling to arrange guarantee games only when they involve other schools who recruit LACC players. Iowa State has one LACC product, Anthony Davis.

Pollard, who came to Iowa State from Wisconsin in September, inherited those contracts from Morgan and the previous administration. Pollard said he didn't know about the link between Iowa State, D1 Scheduling and LACC until it was laid out by CBS SportsLine.com.

"Iowa State is above this," Pollard said. "Other than the Anthony Davis piece, I don't think (Iowa State) did anything wrong. But the fact that we're associated with something that certainly has the appearance that is less than desirable ... that's a concern."

Through freedom of information requests, CBS SportsLine.com obtained game contracts from the public schools involved. This is how Iowa State has helped funnel money to D1 Scheduling:


Last season, Iowa State paid D1 Scheduling $40,000 for a home game against Tennessee State. D1 Scheduling paid Tennessee State $10,000. Considering the going rate for such games is at least $40,000, why would TSU sacrifice 75 percent to D1 Scheduling? Perhaps because three of its best players -- Wayne Arnold, Clarence Matthews and Kareem Grant -- came from LACC. Tennessee State AD Teresa Phillips didn't respond to multiple interview requests. Pollard said he's uncomfortable with Iowa State's connection.

"We're associated because we're on the other side of the contact, but if I called Tennessee State (for a game) right now, it would cost me $50,000 or $60,000," he said. "What you're indicating here is (some ISU opponents) were taking far less money than I'd thought ... for another reason that's not a good situation. They're taking nearly $50,000 below market. That's a scary thought isn't it? What it sounds like they're getting is an influx of players."

This season, Iowa State played host to a four-team Thanksgiving tournament. Records show Iowa State paid D1 Scheduling $125,000 to provide Iona, Howard and Portland State. Howard received $13,000, Portland State $15,000. Iona, a private school, declined to divulge its guarantee. If Iona's guarantee was anything like those received by Howard and Portland State, D1 Scheduling would have kept more than $80,000 of Iowa State's $125,000 check. While Iona has no LACC players on roster this season, Gaels coach Jeff Ruland received a commitment from at least five players from LACC since 1999 (Kenya Carruthers, Leland Matthews, Jermaine Small, Norman Simmons and Julian Sensley). Howard also recruited Simmons, who never got eligible there, while Portland State has recruited LACC players in recent years but never landed one. Ruland ignored multiple interview requests by SportsLine.com. Howard and Portland State have changed coaches since those games were arranged. Current Howard coach Gil Jackson said he inherited that $13,000 game at Iowa State for No. 25, 2005, and couldn't believe it.

"Guarantees at that level start at $40,000 and upward," Jackson said. "Now that I'm here, we won't be playing any more games like that."

Also this season, Iowa State played host to an exhibition with Division II Bemidji State of Minnesota, and a regular-season game with NAIA Mountain State of West Virginia. Iowa State used D1 Scheduling for both, sending D1 Scheduling checks totaling $50,000. D1 Scheduling then sent checks totaling $9,000 to Bemidji State and Mountain State, clearing $41,000 for itself. Why would Bemidji and Mountain agree to such a deal? Perhaps because each program has had an LACC player in the last year, Rodney Williams (Bemidji) and Tony Key (Mountain). Mountain's Bolen said he had no idea D1 Scheduling was profiting so much. "I feel stupid," he said. "I wish I got more of it."

For next season, Iowa State is planning another four-team tournament. Pollard said ISU will pay D1 Scheduling $150,000 to find three teams, including Louisiana Tech. Tech athletics director Jim Oakes said his school's cut would be $35,000, meaning a $15,000 profit for D1 Scheduling. Asked why his program -- which includes forwards Chad McKenzie and Michael Wilds from LACC -- was using D1 Scheduling, Oakes deferred comment until speaking with coach Keith Richard.

Several hours later, Oakes said: "Coach Richard assured me he scheduled the tournament at Iowa State in order to play three games, two of which would be on a neutral court. There was certainly no quid pro quo involved in the recruitment of any junior college player."
NCAA spokesman Kent Barrett said his organization doesn't comment on potential recruiting violations at specific schools, but a ranking NCAA official contacted by CBS SportsLine.com said the NCAA would look into the link between its member schools, D1 Scheduling and LACC.

Violations could be found, the NCAA official said, if Miller is determined to be a "booster" of Iowa State, Louisiana Tech, etc., due to his assistance in scheduling. A school booster cannot be involved in recruiting.

Miller and Herman were pleasant in interviews with CBS SportsLine.com and said D1 Scheduling is not in cahoots with Iowa State or other schools to arrange paid games in exchange for LACC players. They noted LACC has sent players to other schools -- including its best player in years, Sensley, to Hawaii -- that haven't used D1 Scheduling. And they noted Davis first committed to Morgan when he was coaching Long Beach State, which was before Davis attended LACC.

"If the angle you're going at is there's some kind of quid pro quo -- there isn't," Miller said. "Business is business, and people are allowed to make money. Looks can be deceiving, because there's no quid pro quo here."

When asked to name a school that has used D1 Scheduling but has no ties to LACC, Herman named three: Kentucky, Nevada and Fresno State. Within 10 minutes, CBS SportsLine.com was able to find connections to LACC:

Kentucky: For $55,000, D1 Scheduling arranged Kentucky's Dec. 23 game with Iona, which has recruited LACC players for years. Iona wouldn't say how much of the $55,000 it received. Kentucky executive associate athletics director Rob Mullens said his school was struggling to find a game on that specific date but heard Iona was available. When he called Iona, Mullens said, he was told the Gaels would play the game -- if Kentucky would go through D1 Scheduling.

"We'd never heard of D1 Scheduling," Mullens said. "If D1 Scheduling is doing something inappropriate, we'd never knowingly enter into that kind of arrangement."

Fresno State: For $45,000, D1 Scheduling arranged Fresno State's Jan. 3 game with Iona. Iona won't say how much it received.

Nevada: For $60,000, D1 Scheduling arranged Nevada's Dec. 27 game with Norfolk State, which signed LACC's Casey Gordon in May. As of Wednesday, Norfolk State hadn't provided its contract information. Nevada coach Mark Fox said he was looking in October for a game.

"I don't know how we got connected with Norfolk," Fox said. "I do know Norfolk sent us a contract from D1 Scheduling to finalize details. I'd never heard of them."

Told of those connections, Herman said: "You've got to understand, Miller's got a great program. He has two state championships out of LACC, and his (players) are desirable."

Herman described himself and Miller as "businessmen (who have) owned lots of businesses together. He's a longtime friend of mine, probably 26 years. We used to wheel and deal, trying to make money, going through school."

Another way Miller once made money was through exhibition games.

He said he helped found the L.A. Stars, which played Iowa State in 2003 for $15,000. From 2000-03, the L.A. Stars played San Diego State, which in 2000 signed the best player ever to play for Miller at LACC, future NBA forward Randy Holcomb.

Because of scenarios like that -- Division I schools paying exhibition teams, then signing players connected to those exhibition teams -- the NCAA legislated out such exhibitions in the summer of 2004. Two months later, Miller created D1 Scheduling.

NABC president Haney said his organization champions the cause of coaches -- but couldn't defend a coach who has participated in this particular operation.

"To me, it sounds like one could make the case that (a Division I coach is) paying the intermediary -- which in this scenario we're talking about a junior college coach -- money to get you a player," Haney said. "In essence, you're putting money into the hands of a third party that is involved in recruiting. That's the way it looks, and on the surface it would appear to be problematic at best.

"I think the NCAA staff is smart enough to figure that out. And again, I think it definitely creates problems. If you're an athletics director and you find out this is how you're doing your scheduling, I think the coach would be putting his (job) in jeopardy."

Iowa State's Pollard said he would be speaking with Morgan about D1 Scheduling, LACC and Anthony Davis.

"We'll have a big discussion about it," Pollard said. "And my guess is there will be other discussions around the country after you write your story."

[Eleazar]