NCAA hits Ga. Tech with postseason ban, probation
ATLANTA (FOX 5 Atlanta) - The NCAA has announced sanctions of the Georgia Tech men's basketball program after a panel decided that two of the school's boosters "provided impermissible benefits" to the team.
According to the Division I Committee on Infractions, the first infraction involved a former assistant coach, identified as Darryl LaBarrie, arranging a meeting between a highly-touted prospect on campus for a visit, and a booster, described as a former Georgia Tech basketball player who at the time played for the Atlanta Hawks.
According to the committee, the booster took the prospective player to his home, a strip club, and a lounge owned by a member of the Hawks. During the trip, the booster got the prospect into the club without paying the cover and then gave him and his student-athlete host $300 each to spend at the club, the committee found.
During the investigation, the committee says LaBarrie did not cooperate with the investigation and originally denied any involvement in the activity.
After the prospect's visit, the committee says Ron Bell, who was with a friend of the head coach Josh Pastner, began interacting with the men's basketball players.
Despite being cautioned by the head coach to not provide anything to the athletes, the committee says Bell gave two athletes and another potential transfer $2,424 in shoes, clothes, meals, transportation, and lodging. Bell also told the athletes to not tell the coach about the gifts, the committee said.
According to the committee, Bell also texted and called the potential transfer student-athlete, who he had a personal friendship with him. Though Bell made the head coach aware of the communication, the head coach didn't report it because, the committee said, "he did not believe his friend triggered booster status."
After their findings, the committee has punished the team with a ban from the 2019-20 postseason, four years probation, and a $5,000 fine plus 2 percent of the program's budget. The team will also have one less scholarship during each year of probation.
The committee also penalized the team with recruitment restrictions during each year of probation that included:
- An eight-week ban on unofficial visits.
- A three-visit reduction from the permissible number of official visits.
- An eight-week ban on recruiting communications.
- A reduction of 19 recruiting-person days from the permissible number.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.