UNC Scandal: Little, Quinn, and Austin finished at UNC

[Acymetric]

Greg Little and Robert Quinn ruled inegligible by the NCAA, Marvin Austin has been dismissed from the team by the University, reported by Joe Schad.

Quinn and Little apparently received money and benefits (including jewelry) in addition to travel. No details on Austin yet, but presumably more of the same. Pretty big news...I think this is a small preview of what is to come., thought this might belong in a new thread at least for a while but feel free to merge.

UNC AD: "They made serious mistakes in judgement in accepting extra benefits and then not being truthful..."

Edit: Could a mod fix the title for me...Accidentally bumped the "post" button before I finished typing...

[roywhite]

Greg Little and Robert Quinn ruled inegligible by the NCAA, Marvin Austin has been dismissed from the team by the University, reported by Joe Schad.

Quinn and Little apparently received money and benefits (including jewelry) in addition to travel. No details on Austin yet, but presumably more of the same. Pretty big news...I think this is a small preview of what is to come...

The lying to NCAA investigators does not go over well.

[JasonEvans]

Here is the ESPN story on this.

North Carolina announced it had dismissed Austin from the team, while the NCAA said Little and Quinn have been ruled permanently ineligible by its student-athlete reinstatement staff. All three were implicated in an agent scandal for accepting impermissible benefits, and Little and Quinn were additionally cited for lying to investigators.

Davis and Baddour have a newser today and will talk more about it then.

--Jason "three very good players see their college careers go poof" Evans

[roywhite]

I've seen NFL draft projections that have Quinn as a likely 1st round pick, Austin as a 1st or 2nd round pick, and Little as high as the 3rd round.

What I really don't get is why these guys decided to come back to play their senior year when their draft projections looked so favorable to turn pro this past spring. All of this travel and contact with agents was geared toward their pro football future. They wanted the material benefits that come with playing in the NFL, but couldn't be honest enough just to declare and get started on their pro careers?

[JasonEvans]

I've seen NFL draft projections that have Quinn as a likely 1st round pick, Austin as a 1st or 2nd round pick, and Little as high as the 3rd round.

What I really don't get is why these guys decided to come back to play their senior year when their draft projections looked so favorable to turn pro this past spring. All of this travel and contact with agents was geared toward their pro football future. They wanted the material benefits that come with playing in the NFL, but couldn't be honest enough just to declare and get started on their pro careers?

They, like many folks, expected this to be a banner year for Carolina. It was not at all outrageous to think that Carolina could make a BCS bowl this year as the class of the ACC. I think these players figured they had put plenty of time into the program and wanted to reap the rewards of a great final season. I know that Austin and Little could have left last year, I am not sure if Quinn had put in his 3 years in the program yet so the draft may not have been an option for him.

Also worth noting that where they are projected this year and where they would have gone if they had come out last year could be very different. A guy who is projected as a first rounder in this coming draft might have been a 3rd rounder in the last draft. There is a biiiig money difference there.

--Jason "these guys got bad advice though, because the rules are going to change under the new CBA and rookie contracts are going to be much smaller starting next season" Evans

[JasonEvans]

Here is a bit more detail from the News Observer--

In a news release, UNC stated that the total value of benefits received was $4,952 for Little and $5,642 for Quinn, according to information submitted to the NCAA by the university.

Little was found to have accepted diamond earrings and travel accommodations to the Bahamas, Washington, D.C., and two trips to Miami, among other benefits. Quinn’s benefits were found to include two black diamond watches, a pair of matching earrings and travel to Miami.

The university also found that Little and Quinn were not truthful during three separate interviews with UNC and NCAA enforcement staff members. According to UNC, Little and Quinn only provided more accurate information when presented with evidence contrary to their assertions.

--Jason "diamond earrings... really?" Evans

[roywhite]

They, like many folks, expected this to be a banner year for Carolina. It was not at all outrageous to think that Carolina could make a BCS bowl this year as the class of the ACC. I think these players figured they had put plenty of time into the program and wanted to reap the rewards of a great final season. I know that Austin and Little could have left last year, I am not sure if Quinn had put in his 3 years in the program yet so the draft may not have been an option for him.

Also worth noting that where they are projected this year and where they would have gone if they had come out last year could be very different. A guy who is projected as a first rounder in this coming draft might have been a 3rd rounder in the last draft. There is a biiiig money difference there.

--Jason "these guys got bad advice though, because the rules are going to change under the new CBA and rookie contracts are going to be much smaller starting next season" Evans

You are correct about Quinn; he is (would have been) a 3rd year junior this season, and eligible for the 2011 draft, but not the 2010 draft.

I'm not sure what Baddour and Butch Davis can say at this point. It would seem they have about run out of room to spin things. At least one, or maybe both, is a "dead man walking".

[Kedsy]

I saw a headline about Austin and Quinn and I couldn't understand what those two 2011 recruits had to do with UNC football...

[sandinmyshoes]

From what I understand, UNC folks, both adminstrative and fans, has figured Austin and Little gone since the scandal broke. Quinn was considered almost certainly gone. So this news seems more confirmation than any great surprise. They're also considered the three worst cases, so I am not sure this is really the first of more to come, at least in terms of severity.

Austin and Quinn anchored what was probably a top five defensive line. In fact, UNC had a top five in the nation type defense. The question mark was the offense. So far this season it looks as if the offense would have been okay, top 25 material. Combined with that defense UNC could probably have been a top ten team.

And, fwiw, I keep hearing that so far, Davis is safe. But if anything new is revealed, you have to think that will change in a hurry. Of course, I'm hearing it from booster types, admins, especially on the academic side, might have a different view.

What's going to really irritate me is if they get a majority of their currently suspended players back just in time for our game.

[striker219]

Can't say that any of this is especially surprising, but what I really came here to say was this:

When I saw this headline, for the split second before I actually read it, all my brain saw was "Austin" "Quinn" "scandal" "UNC" and I almost choked on my lunch. Am I alone here? Am I (more) crazy (than I tell my wife I am)?

I really need basketball season to start.

[striker219]

I saw a headline about Austin and Quinn and I couldn't understand what those two 2011 recruits had to do with UNC football...

Huh, I read the thread and somehow missed this post. Well, it's good to know that I'm not the only one.

[Devil in the Blue Dress]

You are correct about Quinn; he is (would have been) a 3rd year junior this season, and eligible for the 2011 draft, but not the 2010 draft.

I'm not sure what Baddour and Butch Davis can say at this point. It would seem they have about run out of room to spin things. At least one, or maybe both, is a "dead man walking".

Believe it or not, there's a Support Butch Davis group on Facebook with growing numbers of those who "like." Just seems like a real life version of that Youtube cartoon going round. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yHTdlxDnEEk

[Acymetric]

From what I understand, UNC folks, both adminstrative and fans, has figured Austin and Little gone since the scandal broke. Quinn was considered almost certainly gone. So this news seems more confirmation than any great surprise. They're also considered the three worst cases, so I am not sure this is really the first of more to come, at least in terms of severity.

Austin and Quinn anchored what was probably a top five defensive line. In fact, UNC had a top five in the nation type defense. The question mark was the offense. So far this season it looks as if the offense would have been okay, top 25 material. Combined with that defense UNC could probably have been a top ten team.

And, fwiw, I keep hearing that so far, Davis is safe. But if anything new is revealed, you have to think that will change in a hurry. Of course, I'm hearing it from booster types, admins, especially on the academic side, might have a different view.

What's going to really irritate me is if they get a majority of their currently suspended players back just in time for our game.

If you want some really wild theories/rumors about the "more to come" side of things go over the the Pack Pride Scout board...there are 1 or 2 guys who seem to be really well sourced, having correctly predicted specific details way in advance. Some of the things, of course, are pretty far fetched...but some of it seems plausible. It'll be interesting to watch this continue to develop.

Oh, and did anyone notice in the presser that Dick Baddour actually had to address the idea of "lack of institutional control?" He said they would fight it, but that he even had to say that means that he is admitting it is a possibility. Ish gets deeper.

[JasonEvans]

If you want some really wild theories/rumors about the "more to come" side of things go over the the Pack Pride Scout board...there are 1 or 2 guys who seem to be really well sourced, having correctly predicted specific details way in advance. Some of the things, of course, are pretty far fetched...but some of it seems plausible.

For those of us who do not read Pack Pride, can you provide some synopsis?

-Jason "I can smell the panic in the streets of Chapel Hill" Evans

[jimsumner]

And, fwiw, I keep hearing that so far, Davis is safe. But if anything new is revealed, you have to think that will change in a hurry. Of course, I'm hearing it from booster types, admins, especially on the academic side, might have a different view.

Perhaps. But "so far" is a pretty significant qualifier.

[JasonEvans]

Baddour says Little did not start taking money/valuables from agents until after he was off the UNC basketball team. Link to the article.

North Carolina wide receiver Greg Little’s NCAA violations – which resulted in the senior being dubbed permanently ineligible this morning – occurred after his stint as a walk-on for North Carolina’s basketball team during the 2008-09 national championship season, athletic director Dick Baddour said today.

The article talks about some other stuff, including the fact that Austin got between $10-$13,000 in extra benefits from the agents -- not small stuff!

--Jason "if Carolina had to vacate the 2009 title for a walk-on who did not play at all that would have made this to most vicious scandal EVER!" Evans

[77devil]

Baddour says Little did not start taking money/valuables from agents until after he was off the UNC basketball team. Link to the article.

But is he being truthful. Linkage to the BB team might be enough to precipitate a cover up. I'm not making an accusation, just sayin'. Keep following the money.

[CameronBornAndBred]

Someone clear something up for me. What's the difference between being kicked off the team and "permanently ineligible"?

[airowe]

Someone clear something up for me. What's the difference between being kicked off the team and "permanently ineligible"?

Austin was kicked off the team by UNC. Quinn and Little were declared permanently ineligible by the NCAA.

[pfrduke]

Someone clear something up for me. What's the difference between being kicked off the team and "permanently ineligible"?

Probably transfer related. Normally, players kicked off a team but with remaining eligibility can transfer to another school and play out that eligibility. Permanent ineligibility, I would guess, means no more NCAA athletics for you, any sport, any school.