05-18-2005, 03:15 PM
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Ne Obliviscaris
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http://www.daytondailynews.com/sport...0518osubb.html
Quote:
Possible sanctions not scaring away top OSU recruits
By Doug Harris
Dayton Daily News
COLUMBUS | Ohio State officials may have some jitters about the sanctions the NCAA could impose on their basketball program, but the uncertainty doesn't appear to be scaring away any high-profile recruits.
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Dunbar's Daequan Cook and David Lighty of Cleveland, who are ranked among the top 20 juniors nationally, reaffirmed their commitment to OSU on Tuesday. And the school remains an appealing option for two of Cook's prized AAU teammates, according to their coach.
Mike Conley Sr. said his son, Mike Jr., and seven-footer Greg Oden — who have led Lawrence North High School in Indianapolis to two straight state titles — won't let numerous NCAA violations committed during previous coach Jim O'Brien's regime sour them on the Buckeyes.
"Obviously, this is about a past administration," Conley Sr. said. "It has nothing to do with the reason why the boys want to go to Ohio State. ... It's still high on their list."
Oden is considered the top overall prospect in the class of 2006, and Conley Jr. is rated by Scout.com as the nation's second-best point guard.
Both list OSU as their co-leader with Wake Forest, although Oden still intends to make a visit to
Indiana.
"We knew about the potential sanctions when they started this process," Conley Sr. said. "The focus was on how the sanctions were going to potentially impact them in '06. ... With what's out there so far, we just feel that it won't."
OSU athletic director Gene Smith certainly is counting on that. The Buckeyes already suffered through a one-year
postseason ban, and he's willing to give up past Big Ten titles and take down the 1999 Final Four banner if it would spare the current team of further penalties.
"We need to do everything we can to protect the future of this program and the kids," he said. "That will be our mantra going into the NCAA (hearing). Whether we win or not, I don't know."
Smith's strategy won't be helped by allegations that have surfaced since the NCAA completed its investigation.
Mike Sierawski, a Serbian church official in Columbus, acknowledged in a court deposition that he gave $500 to former OSU basketball player Boban Savovic. When school officials asked Savovic for the money to repay the gift, Sierawski said he slipped the player another $500.
Sierawski also said he provided cash and clothing to 7-foot-3 recruit Aleksandar Radojevic.
Smith said the new charges will be lumped in with the others.
"We've already had a conversation with the NCAA about those allegations," he said. "They'll assess the credibility of them and see if something else needs to be done."
Cook and Lighty consider all of the charges irrelevant since they occurred before coach Thad Matta and his staff arrived.
"It's not really their fault," Lighty said. "They didn't do anything — it was coach O'Brien.
"They're heading in the right path. They're making the program upscale. This probably will be only a little setback."
Contact Doug Harris at 225-2125.
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