March 3, 2011 - 4:16pm
Beilein: Izzo's violation was inadvertent
BY LUKE PASCH
Last Friday, Michigan State coach Tom Izzo was dealt a one-game suspension for a secondary violation of NCAA rules. School officials announced one employee hired for a Michigan State-sponsored summer basketball camp had relations with a potential recruit.
Although Izzo took full responsibility, he did claim that the violation was unintentional. And on Wednesday, Michigan coach John Beilein empathized with his rival’s situation.
“We have to be on it all the time because all the time the rules change,” Beilein said. “And like I said, it’s a positive change many times. But sometimes it’s just hard to get your arms around everything and when you have so many things going on.”
In this case, Beilein was referring to a rule implemented in October 2009 that discourages the employment of individuals associated with prospective recruits. That practice is better known as “employment-for-access”.
According to Beilein, all of his employees at Michigan summer basketball camps have to endure very rigorous background checks.
Connecticut Impresses: On Tuesday, the Connecticut women’s basketball team beat No. 22 Florida State, 93-62, breaking the NCAA all-time win streak record of 88, previously held by the UCLA men’s basketball team (1971-74).
On Wednesday, Beilein talked about the 89th win and coach Geno Auriemma’s achievements.
“It’s a tremendous accomplishment just because you have to go on the road, they’re winning national championships with it (and) they’re playing top-ranked teams,” Beilein said. “It’s quite an accomplishment. Geno (Auriemma) is really a class (act). Everytime we’ve ever played UConn there, he always comes by to say hello, and he’s just really a classy guy through this whole thing.
“And … the Connecticut newspapers follow Connecticut pretty passionately, and he’s been able to do it with such class through the whole time. It’s really a great mark.”
No Hard Feelings On Monday, Michigan sophomore point guard Darius Morris was not included in the Bob Cousy Award watchlist, but Beilein nor Morris himself dwelled on it much.
In fact, Beilein claims he wasn’t aware an award watchlist was announced on Monday.
Morris joked that assistant coach Bacari Alexander actually cared a lot more than he did.
“I didn’t even know about it — I don’t follow that stuff,” Morris said. “(Alexander) made a little joke about it and said it was a popular topic on Twitter.
“If it’s not a team award, it doesn’t mean (anything) to me.”
Currently, Morris is fifth in the nation in assist per game (7.1) and leads the Wolverines with 14.9 points per game.
