Round Up: Petty Wars & Why I'm Not Mad about Arizona’s NCAA Violations

Some new and old Oregon enemies, and a frank conversation about why it's weird for anyone to be upset about Arizona's (or anyone else's) improper benefits violations.

With Jon Wilner and Andy Enfield fuming over some perceived Pac-12 favoritism of Oregon Athletics, Sean Miller and Arizona receiving their first round of NCAA violations, and March in full-swing, there sure is a whole lot going on in the world of Men’s basketball.

Jon Wilner (of the Wilner Hotline) and USC Head Coach, Andy Enfield, have both made their share of statements/Pepe Silvia connections about Oregon’s title opportunities in both Football and Men’s basketball due to COVID.

Here’s Average Andy:

He thinks we don’t deserve a shot at the regular season basketball title because we didn’t play a game against UCLA in an empty Pauley Pavilion. Got it.

And here’s the Hotline (at least, here’s the Clickbait):

Wilner ends up concluding that he thinks we do deserve the basketball title chance, but he just wanted clicks from Duck fans—like me—by once again writing that Oregon didn’t really deserve to be in the Pac-12 title game in football. He’s not entirely wrong, but the Ducks won it anyway, so he can find another thing to cry about. And he can thank me for my click.

Dana’s record on the month of March will speak for itself, surely.

Sean Miller and U of A were also served some basic NCAA violations this week. Mostly of the “lack of institutional control” variety.

I tried to read and understand the whole issue, but it’s so convoluted. All you need to know is: some assistant coaches paid some high school coaches and/or AAU coaches and/or family members of recruits, and then those guys all got recorded by the FBI and/or snitched on, and Miller is implicated because he’s at the top and presumably knows the whole operation.

This is why we have bagmen, folks. Always let someone else handle the cash.

At the end of the day, Miller ain’t going anywhere, and college basketball ain’t changing any time soon. And I’m fine with that.

I’ve essentially made it a Ditch Rich policy not to dunk on NCAA violations as they relate to paying players. If Nike, or Adidas, or the schools, or crooked sports agents feel like funneling money directly to players and their families, go for it!

I personally believe that us Duck fans should be honest with ourselves and acknowledge that we live in a glass house. Don’t even get me started on the Nike Hoop Summit-to-Oregon Pipeline.

Of all the morally wrong things college coaches do, paying eighteen year olds under the table to play these massive sports is the least morally wrong thing any of them do.*

*Just so it’s clear what my range is here, the most morally wrong thing they do is losing a Sweet Sixteen game and then whispering in the ear of the best player on the opposing team with something weird like: “You’re too good of a player to be showing off like that.” And then that player has to spend the coming days consumed with the media attention of being in a feud with a legendary coach, rather than being able to focus on his upcoming Elite Eight game.

If any of them get caught tossing a few bags, including anyone involved with Oregon, then that’s just the literal price of doing business. So I’m just choosing not to throw any stones. Of course, I’ll still call John Wooden a cheater, but that’s mostly to bother the sports purists.

Let’s just win basketball games while we can. Let’s let some talented kids cash in while they can. And we’ll all look away and be happy.

That’s your bonus Sunday reading.

Go Ducks.