KNOXVILLE – One of Tennessee men’s basketball coach Bruce Pearl’s self-described “mistakes” in providing “incorrect and misleading information” to NCAA investigators included details of illegal visits that recruits made to his home in the fall of 2008, according to a Tuesday report from Gary Parrish of CBSSports.com.
Citing anonymous sources, Parrish reported that at least two (and maybe three) high school juniors visited Pearl’s home that fall. NCAA rules forbid high school juniors from engaging coaches away from campus.
The report said Ohio State freshman guard Aaron Craft and Kansas freshman guard Josh Selby – both onetime UT commitments – made separate visits to Pearl’s home that year. It said Selby might have made the trip with another prospect as well.
Parrish’s report claimed Pearl told NCAA assistant director of enforcement Kristen Martha that Craft had never visited his home. The NCAA had photographic evidence of the encounter when questioning Pearl, though, according to Parrish’s sources.
“It’s unclear who took the picture or how the NCAA obtained it,” the report stated.
Attempts to contact the Craft family Tuesday night were unsuccessful. Craft’s father, John Craft, told CBSSports.com that Ohio State compliance personnel had spoken with his son, but NCAA personnel had not. He said he had never seen the alleged picture of Pearl with his son.
UT spokesperson Jimmy Stanton said Tuesday night that Friday’s news conference was the only time anyone in the department was authorized to speak publicly about the NCAA’s investigation into the entire athletic department. Stanton said the department wouldn’t comment until UT received an official notice of allegations. The news conference coincided with UT’s reception of a letter of inquiry.
Pearl and his staff already have been penalized – including salary reductions and extended off-campus recruiting embargoes – but the NCAA ultimately could add to those sanctions.
Contact Wes Rucker at wrucker@timesfreepress.com, www.twitter.com/wesrucker or www.facebook.com/tfpvolsbeat.