The NCAA’s probe of St. John’s continues at a break-neck pace. Where and when it will end is anyone’s guess.
But if you’re a St. John’s player, coach or fan, you should be hoping the NCAA doesn’t uncover any violations before April 3, the day the national championship game is played in Indianapolis.
The NCAA tournament begins March 16, but that won’t prevent the governing body of intercollegiate sports from ruling a Red Storm player ineligible, if it deems that player has committed a violation.
“We have a responsibility to our member institutions to act when we have information,” NCAA spokesman Jane Jankowski told The Post.
Translation, assuming St. John’s (17-6 overall, 8-3 in the Big East), which plays Syracuse tomorrow night in The Garden, receives a berth in the big dance in March, the NCAA could face a gut-wrenching decision, one more agonizing than it did Feb. 5 when it was forced to declare Erick Barkley ineligible for the Boston College game.
If the NCAA finds a violation and declares a player ineligible, St. John’s would have to decide between using the player in an NCAA Tournament game and hope the NCAA’s ineligibilty ruling is overturned on appeal or play him and risk having to forfeit the games, monies earned and further punishment for failure to demonstrate institutional control.
The only other option is for the player to seek a court injunction to retain his eligibilty. That could lead to a major court battle.
Issues concerning player eligibility usually are decided much more quickly than institutional control matters. First, the NCAA must find a player violated a bylaw, making him ineligible. Than the NCAA would have to determine if the player’s university, in this case St. John’s, knew of the violations and did not act. Institutional control violations can carry penalties including the loss of television appearances, scholarships and post-season play.
St. John’s confirmed a report in yesterday’s Post that the university has retained the Overland Park, Kansas, law firm of Bond, Schoeneck and King, who’s expertise is in NCAA matters.
“This is the first time that St. John’s has had to deal with issues of this nature with the NCAA,” athletic director Ed Manetta Jr. said in a statement. “Therefore, we would seek the necessary expertise as we go through this process. That’s what the firm would provide.”