New Mexico State tries to transfer the blame

Sporting News, The, August 21, 1995 by Gene Wojciechowski

You need wading boots to explore the transfer-credits scandal at New Mexico State. Allegations are flying back and forth, which, come to think of it, is apparently what happened with certain NCAA rules.

You knew something like this might happen at a program long known as a transfer's best friend. According to the allegations, Aggies players didn't always do their own work on correspondence-course exams from Southeastern College of the Assemblies of God, which is located in Lakeland, Fla. (the college, not God).

Gar Forman, a former Aggies assistant who moved to Iowa State eight months ago, is being blamed. But Forman's attorney says his client didn't have a clue that exam-cheating took place. "Lord, no," attorney Jim Darnell told The Associated Press. Considering we're talking about the Southeastern College of the Assemblies of God, the response seems fitting enough.

Darnell is a big fan of the conspiracy theory. He says if Forman had stayed at New Mexico State, school officials would have kept his name out of the scandal.

Former part-time assistant coach Chris Nordquist, who resigned when the NCAA investigation began, took the correspondence exams, the Las Cruces Sun-News reported. The question is: Who knew about the alleged cheating -- Forman and Nordquist? Or just Nordquist?

As the finger-pointing continues, New Mexico State braces itself for NCAA sanctions. The school has launched an in-house investigation and is expected to make its findings available within weeks, which is about the same time the NCAA is supposed to complete its inquiry.

In a meeting with the editors of the Albuquerque Journal, J. Michael Orenduff, who has been president of the school for a month, issued a blunt assessment of a student-athlete's role: "The reason they're in college is to play ball. It's up to them as individuals whether they do the work necessary to graduate." When questioned about New Mexico State's graduation rates for its players, Orenduff said, "I guess I don't care, basically."

He added: "What I care about is, point one, that the students in the athletic program meet the mininum requirements (for admission). Point two is that they meet the requirements to stay eligible. If they don't, they flunk out."

Orenduff had better learn to care about those rates. Last spring, not a single Aggies men's basketball player earned a degree.

Questions for Cal

Since 6-foot-9 forward Shareef Abdur-Rahim, one of the country's most sought-after high school players, signed with California, there have been whispers of wrongdoing in the recruitment process. Now the NCAA has scheduled a hearing September 29 so Cal officials can answer some questions about it.

The NCAA wants to know if Cal graduate student Hashim Ali Alauddeen worked on behalf of the athletic department during the recruitment of Abdur-Rahim. It was Alauddeen who introduced the Marietta, Ga., high school star to Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf, the Denver Nuggets guard who financed a visit to the Cal-Berkeley campus nearly a year ago.

If there was a link between Alauddeen and the athletic department, Cal would have some serious explaining to do. The same goes if Abdul-Rauf paid for the recruiting visit based on Abdur-Rahim's potential as an athlete.

Not to worry, Cal Athletic Director John Kasser says. Instead, Cal officials insist that the only link among Abdur-Rahim, Abdul-Rauf and Alauddeen are deep ties with the Muslim religion.

Set shots

As expected, 6-7 swingman Rodrick Rhodes has transferred from Kentucky to Southern California. He can practice with the Trojans but won't play until the 1996-97 season. ... UCLA has torn up Coach Jim Harrick's original deal, which had two years remaining on it, and instead given him a deal that runs through 2000. Harrick then added Greg White to the Bruins coaching staff. White was the head coach at Division II Charleston (W.Va.) University. ... Makhtar Ndiaye, who signed with Wake Forest and transferred to Michigan, is on the move again. Ndiaye, a 6-9 forward, has visited Kentucky, Providence and North Carolina. He also might make a trip to Cincinnati.