The Huskies' story, cont'd

SPORTING GOODS

Here's the first of what could be many shoes to drop in the NCAA's investigation of the UConn men's basketball program:

The University of Connecticut athletic department announced Friday morning it has received a notice of allegations from the NCAA with regards to recruiting violations within the men's basketball program and will immediately begin the process of imposing sanctions in order to avoid further punishment by the organization ...

UConn's first steps toward appeasing the NCAA came Thursday night when it was revealed assistant coaches Beau Archibald and Pat Sellers resigned from their positions ...

Sellers, 41, recently completed his third year as an assistant coach at UConn after spending four years as the director of operations. Archibald, 33, a former player in 1999-2000, was in his third season as the director of operations.

The AP is also reporting that

The University of Connecticut says the NCAA has found eight violations in the school's men's basketball program.

The alleged violations include improper phone calls and text messages to recruits, and giving recruits improper benefits. Coach Jim Calhoun was cited Friday for failing to "promote an atmosphere of compliance."

UConn was 18-16 last season. Calhoun took a medical leave of absence in January, missing seven games with an undisclosed condition.

Two things about the last two paragraphs: First, it's really not surprising that St. Jim would be reluctant to "promote an atmosphere of compliance" during the investigation. He's thought he's bigger than the university for years; to have him think that he's bigger than the NCAA is of a piece.

Second, that 23-day long "medical leave of absence" story remains problematic. Rumors have emerged that Calhoun was actually suspended by the university for conduct unbecoming one of its representatives. That possibility, too, isn't inconsistent with many of the coach's previous episodes.

(And in other sports news: Unfortunately, the real Dice-K showed up last night.)