Possible reason So. Miss' AD wants to come here...

[achiever1911]

NCAA infractions alleged at Southern Mississippi

By Timothy R. Brown, The Associated Press

JACKSON, Miss.  The father of a former Southern Mississippi player says documents he has given to an attorney show the school's men's basketball program blatantly violated NCAA rules, including making alleged payments to players.

James Pattman Sr., the father of former USM guard James Pattman Jr., told The Associated Press he obtained handwritten statements from players on the 2002-2003 team, some detailing alleged payments and claims of verbal and physical abuse by USM coaches.

A former player confirmed to the AP that he attended the 2003 meeting, during which the elder Pattman received the statements. The player, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the closed-door meeting addressed what some players thought was harsh treatment by coaches.

New USM coach Larry Eustachy and university officials have refused to comment on the allegations. Lee Gore, the attorney for the university, also declined to answer questions about a lawsuit filed by one of the former players.

Southern Miss compliance director Don Oberhelman, who also would not go into detail about the claims, said last week the school was investigating. He said Southern Miss has not reported any violations to the NCAA, but has made the governing body aware of the internal investigation.

Pattman said he met with the players last year after a meeting to discuss his concerns with athletic director Richard Giannini. Pattman said he became concerned about the program after watching several athletes leave Southern Miss while James Green was coach.

Green resigned March 5 after eight seasons and was replaced by Eustachy, the former Iowa State coach, last week. Green did not immediately return calls placed to his cell phone Thursday.

Pattman said he started asking his son and other players how they were treated by Green's staff. After hearing their answers, he documented the statements to relay the players' concerns to Giannini and Green in a follow-up meeting.

"I told all the players that felt (that) what was going on was wrong, to meet with us in my hotel. And they all did. Every one of them," said Pattman. He said he gave the statements to an attorney representing former player Ben Lambert, who has a suit pending against the university.

"There were some stories that were just ridiculous," he said "They wrote statements telling me all the kinds of things."

Pattman said the statements were presented to Green and Giannini during a March 24, 2003, meeting in Giannini's office and all parties agreed "to move forward and accept coach Green's statements that he would attempt to change his inappropriate conduct."

The player statements include an allegation that Green lost his temper in the locker room and slapped a player at halftime of a game against Tulane on Feb. 2, 2002, Pattman said.

Pattman also alleges that Lambert was given $970 in cash for rent, about $600 to pay for summer school and his school work in an online correspondence class was done by a member of the coaching staff.

Pattman said in a letter to school officials that Lambert had alleged the coaching staff routinely adjusted transcripts, paid junior college players money until they were accepted into the university and completed correspondence courses for transfer athletes. School officials confirmed they had received the letter.

Last year, USM declared two transfers from Lee College in Baytown, Texas, ineligible after a transcript for one of them was found to have been falsified. Green was cleared in the ensuing investigation, but assistant coach Luster Godwin was fired for his involvement.

USM reported last year's violations to the NCAA as secondary in nature, saying the transcript was allegedly changed by someone at Lee College and that the players were no longer enrolled at Southern Mississippi.

In Lambert's lawsuit, he claims he left school in January 2003 because he suffered verbal abuse and hazing by the school's coaching staff, including Green.

Lambert's attorney, John R. Reeves of Jackson, said that while he couldn't comment on any evidence in the case, "we believe he can prove his allegations. He tried to settle the matter before filing suit and we continue to hold out hope the matter can be settled."

Lambert is seeking reinstatement of his scholarship and a return to the team.

The 6-foot-9, 230-pound center from Prichard, Ala., averaged 2.4 points and 2.2 rebounds per game before leaving school 12 games into his senior season.

In June 2003, guard James Pattman Jr. was dismissed from the team after Green said a crowded backcourt would have limited his contributions. Pattman's father immediately accused the coach of wrongly dismissing his son from the squad.

Pattman Jr. has since transferred to Florida A&M. He appeared in all 29 of USM's games during the 2002-2003 season and averaged 1.4 points a game.

[bullwark]

Uh Ho, doesn't sound good for S. Miss, when will some coaches learn?

[Velcro]

pretty bad when paying your bball players results in being one of the 3 worst teams in the conference

[smazza]

why would eustachey comment?

he wasn't there

we need an AD from big east conference