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Kansas' Darrell Arthur Faces Allegations of Improper Academic Assistance

Dallas/Ft. Worth television WFAA is reporting that Kansas University forward Darrell Arthur had grades changed while at South Oak Cliff High School.
But transcripts obtained by News 8 raise questions about whether he was actually making the grade in the classroom during his junior season, specifically in math.

His transcripts show he received no grades at all his fall semester. His final grade was changed to a 70 in September of 2005 with no explanation of why.

If in fact Arthur had failed math that fall, he would not have been eligible to play basketball, and many of his team's victories in that championship season might have to be forfeited according to University Interscholastic League standards.


According to the report, math teacher Winford Ashemore notified the principal and basketball coach that Arthur was not only failing miserably, but not even giving an effort to try. When told that Arthur would receive a failing grade, he was abruptly dropped from Ashemore's class and given a grade of 70 ... which was passing.

It is also reported that the principal signed off on another changed grade in the spring of 2003.

Kansas Lands a Late Addition

After Tom Crean left for Indiana, he wasn't able to keep players like Terrell Holloway and Devin Ebanks to stay interested in attending Indiana. Crean's old school didn't fair much better with the top player from its recruiting class, Tyshawn Taylor.

While Marquette hired assistant Buzz Williams in part with the hope of preserving the recruiting class, ultimately they acquiesced to Taylor's demands to be released from his Letter of Intent. Taylor looked at Georgia Tech and Kansas. Ultimately, Taylor went with the national champs.
Taylor said he's looking forward to the opportunity to contribute next year, something he was worried about at Marquette with its logjam of guards.

"I'm going to have to compete for minutes. They see me playing like a Russell Robinson-type of player. I can defend bigger guards. I can also handle the ball or play off the ball when Sherron Collins is at the point."
The Jayhawks now have a recruiting class with 5 players in it -- 4 are from New Jersey schools. They will be over their scholarship limit if Mario Chalmers and Darrell Arthur return. Which means the Kansas coaches are rather certain both will be staying in the draft.

UNC's Roy Williams Picture Moved From Kansas Bathroom

There has been much said about UNC coach Roy Williams wearing a Kansas sticker on his shirt last Monday night (for more on that story and my take on it, click here). One thing it has done is help end a lot of the animosity between he and KU fans.

Well, that plus the Jayhawks spanking the Heels and going on to win the National Championship.

Still, Ol' Roy isn't as hated as he used to be. The much ballyhooed Kansas barber who moved Roy's picture to the men's room has now dusted it off and put it back in plain view.

Instead of facing the urinal in the back of the building, the man who coached Kansas to nine conference championships is facing customers out front. His smiling countenance is nestled between photographs of former Jayhawks greats Clyde Lovellette and Wilt Chamberlain.

"The hatchet is buried," shop owner Jon Amyx said. "I think most people would tell you that now."

"I was surprised to see that," Amyx said. "A lot of people were. It was neat to see him sitting there with that on his chest. People wanted to beat Roy more than they wanted to beat North Carolina, and we did. Now I think next time we play them, we'll just want to beat North Carolina."

He even mentioned that it's time to remember all the good things Williams did at Kansas. Quite an about-face for many fans who had been waiting for the day to face their former coach.

Bill Self Turns Down Oklahoma State Money, Will Stay at Kansas

The deep pockets of T. Boone Pickens and the desire to return to his alma mater weren't enough to convince Bill Self to leave the school where he's won the national championship.

Self, whose Kansas Jayhawks won the national championship on Monday, has announced he will not go to Oklahoma State and will be back at Kansas next season.

Ordinarily, it wouldn't even be an issue: Kansas just won the national championship and is a better program than Oklahoma State. Why would Self even think of leaving? But Oklahoma State is no ordinary school.

For one thing, it's the school that Self and his wife attended, and it's closer to his family than Kansas. There could have been personal reasons for him to head to Stillwater. And perhaps more importantly, there's Pickens, the billionaire who practically owns the Oklahoma State athletic department and opens up his wallet any time he thinks he can improve it. He would have made Self by far the highest-paid coach in college basketball history.

As it is, Self will turn down a few million but still be highly paid with a new contract and a pay raise at Kansas. Jayhawks Athletic Director Lew Perkins says the details of a new contract for Self "will be finalized in the next few weeks."

Said Self at his news conference today, "I don't know what the big deal is. ... There was never serious interest in leaving the University of Kansas. " Well, coach, the big deal is that you're the most sought-after coach in college basketball, and you're staying put.

Kansas Shouldn't Fight Too Hard to Keep Bill Self on Their Bench

If there was a dark lining to the silver cloud that's parked over Lawrence, Kansas this week, it's the possibility that Bill Self could take a massive offer from another Big 12 school and leave the Jayhawks. If rumors are true, Oklahoma State wants to make him a fabulously wealthy man as opposed to merely the wealthy man he is today. He's an OSU alum and money is money so it wouldn't be a surprise if he jumped ship.

After saying a move could happen in a postgame interview Monday, Self addressed the situation again yesterday. He said he was "positively not interested" in the Oklahoma State job but then turned around and said that he was sure he'd be meeting with Kansas soon to "iron things out." He's certainly mastered playing both sides of the fence and even managed to make it seem like the money didn't matter.
"What I'd like to have is like everybody'd like to have. I'd like to have some security. I don't know what even Kansas would remotely be talking (about). We haven't even talked about that. When I say security, I mean years, so hopefully that'll happen."

Here's the thing, Kansas gave him a five-year extension before this season. That's an awful lot of security.

Kansas Fans React To Chalmers Shot

If you couldn't be in the Alamo Dome on Monday night, Allen Field House was the place to be. The venerable old building has seen many great moments in it's history, and as you can see in this homemade video it was pandemonium last night when "Super Mario" hit the game tying 3 pointer.

Long After East Coast Viewers Went to Sleep, CBS Showed 'One Shining Moment'

There's a very good chance that you missed the annual CBS "One Shining Moment" last night, seeing as in the Eastern time zone, it was actually shown this morning, at 12:16 a.m. to be exact. So if you missed it, here it is:

I have two problems with "One Shining Moment." The first is that, as I mentioned, 12:16 a.m. is just way too late. The game didn't tip off until close to 9:30 p.m. Eastern, and CBS and the NCAA really ought to start these games earlier for people in the Eastern time zone who have to be at work or school Tuesday morning.

The second is that "One Shining Moment" is a saccharine and cloying song, and CBS accompanies it with overproduced highlights. I'm consistently amazed at how many people consider "One Shining Moment" a moving coda to the NCAA Tournament. Now that I think about it, maybe 12:16 a.m. is the right time for "One Shining Moment."

Would You Pay $275 for This Seat?


Brooks of Sports by Brooks has been on the scene at the Final Four, and this might be the most stunning thing I've seen coming out of San Antonio.

That's the actual view (click here for a larger picture) from a seat in section 330 at the Alamodome. The cost of that ticket? $275.

I'm having a hard time understanding how anyone could possibly want to spend $275 to watch the game from there. Wouldn't you rather go out and buy a 15-inch LCD TV and watch the game on that? The cost would be about the same. And, you know, afterwards you've still got the TV.

My favorite thing about it is the way the seat is described on the ticket: Under "Section," it says "Upper Level Distant." You can't say they didn't warn you.

Bob Knight's Advice to Bill Self: Lie

Bob Knight has been great on ESPN. Not because he's lost his cool at any point on the ESPN set. (darn). No, he's been great because he has been refreshingly candid about things. On the day of the NCAA Tournament Championship, the rumors of Oklahoma State pursuing Bill Self were everywhere. The discussion turned to how it should be handled.

Bob Knight compared it to the situation in the 1996 Superbowl with Bill Parcells, the New England Patriots and the New York Jets job. He had the simple and effective suggestion. Lie about it. (Plus, I just get a kick out of Knight calling the Patriots, "Pay-tree-aughts.")



There is no good way to handle it. If he admitted he would listen, it would just be a mess in Lawrence. If he turned Oklahoma State down, cold; he loses bargaining leverage with Kansas on his raise. Plus, no one knows just how interested he is in the job or not.

ESPN Classic to Replay Kansas-Memphis



Did you miss Monday night's National Championship game? Were you a disgusted Kansas fan that turned the channel thinking your team was done and miss the comeback? Do you want to see where Memphis let it get away and stew about those "if we just" moments?

Hell ... do you want to see a great basketball game? Well, you can.

ESPN Classic is going to replay the Kansas-Memphis game on Tuesday night at 11:00pm EDT. It will be shown following the conclusion of the women's National Championship game pitting Tennessee and Stanford (that will be on ESPN).

See the first overtime title game since 1997. The first championship for Kansas since 1988. The (seemingly) only good game in the entire NCAA tournament this year.

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