Lies?

IU men’s basketball coach Kelvin Sampson lied to University and NCAA investigators about his role in recruiting violations, according to an NCAA report IU released Wednesday. IU Director of Athletics Rick Greenspan did not confirm or deny whether there had been any discussion to terminate Sampson’s contract.\nSampson denied Wednesday he lied to investigators.\nAfter investigating illegal recruiting phone calls Sampson and his staff made, the NCAA alleged they committed five “major violations.”\nGreenspan said Sampson, whose contract with IU has a clause that allows the University to fire him if there are NCAA-related improprieties, will continue to coach into the foreseeable future. \n“We have work to do,” Greenspan said during a press conference Wednesday. “While we’re going to be expedient, which I think is what is expected of us, we’re also not going to rush to judgment and have a faulty conclusion.” \nThe NCAA levied a major violations tag on Sampson because it reported the coach was not truthful with investigators regarding his role in IU’s recruiting violations.\n“Sampson ... (provided) the institution and the NCAA enforcement staff false or misleading information,” the report reads. The NCAA specifically alleges Sampson lied when he told investigators he did not know he was participating in impermissible three-way recruiting phone calls. \nAfter IU’s 68-66 loss to Wisconsin on Wednesday night, Sampson said he did not “intentionally” lie to investigators. \n“The allegations that I knowingly acted contrary to the sanctions ... are not true,” Sampson said, reading from a prepared statement. “I have never intentionally provided false or misleading information to the NCAA.”\nSampson refused to answer any questions regarding the NCAA allegations, including one whether he had considered resigning. \nGreenspan declined to comment on whether he thought Sampson lied.\n“I am personally and professionally and profoundly disappointed that there is even a hint of inappropriate behavior,” Greenspan said.\nThree-way phone calls are permitted by NCAA rules, but Sampson and his staff were prohibited from making them. The NCAA sanctioned Sampson and his staff for excessive phone calls made while he coached at Oklahoma.\nThe University and Indianapolis-based law firm Ice Miller had previously characterized the three-way phone call violations as “secondary,” or less serious.\n“Obviously, there were details that were included in the NCAA’s report that was (sic) beyond the scope of what our findings were,” Greenspan said. \nGreenspan said he wanted to wait to review the report further before saying whether he thought the violations should have been classified as major and not secondary. \n“The experts in that area will have to make that determination,” he said. \nSampson is responsible for two major violations allegations, one because of his role in the impermissible phone calls and another because he “failed to deport himself in accordance with the generally recognized high standard of honesty normally associated with the conduct and administration of intercollegiate athletics,” according to the report. \nThe University has until May 8 to submit its response, which might challenge or refute the NCAA’s findings. The NCAA Committee on Infractions will hold a meeting on June 14 in Seattle and has requested that Sampson, Greenspan and IU President Michael McRobbie attend.\nA ruling on the matter is expected about 30 days after the Infractions Committee’s meeting, said IU Associate Athletics Director of Compliance Grace Calhoun.\nIU spokesman Larry MacIntyre said McRobbie would not comment on the matter at this time. \nIn addition to Sampson’s violations, the NCAA alleges the IU men’s basketball staff committed three other “major” violations. \n– The NCAA alleges that assistant coach Jerry Meyer and former assistant coach Rob Senderoff made at least 25 impermissible phone calls to nine different recruits. IU previously classified the calls as secondary violations.\n– Like Sampson, Senderoff acted “contrary to the NCAA principles of ethical conduct” by engaging Sampson in three-way phone calls.\n– Meyer and Sampson impermissibly recruited high school player Derek Elston, who has verbally committed to IU, during a summer camp, and Meyer gave Elston two impermissible gifts – an IU T-shirt and a drawstring backpack. \nIn October, IU self-reported recruiting violations it uncovered during a routine audit in the summer. The report outlined 10 three-way phone calls, which violated the staff’s sanctions. In the report, Sampson said he was unaware he was involved in three-way calls with recruits, though one recruit and the mother of a different recruit said they recalled Sampson and Senderoff speaking at the same time. \nDuring a news conference Nov. 1, Sampson denied allegations that he lied about his role in the violations. \n“I know what I know, and that’s all I need to say on that,” Sampson said. “What I said ... was the right answer.”\nThe University self-imposed a series of sanctions as a result of the violations, including a limit in the number of recruiting phone calls the men’s basketball staff can make. \nSampson voluntarily forfeited a scheduled $500,000 raise, and Senderoff was prohibited from traveling off campus for recruiting visits and making recruiting phone calls. \nSenderoff resigned his position in October. His sanctions apply to Dan Dakich, who replaced Senderoff.\nGreenspan said Sampson addressed the team Wednesday morning to discuss the allegations. Sampson declined to elaborate on what he told his players. \n“Nothing outside’s affecting this team,” IU senior forward and team co-captain D.J. White said after the game. “We’re a family. We stick together through whatever.”\nIU Student Association President W.T. Wright said in the coming days and weeks IUSA plans to meet with members of the athletics department, gauge the reaction of the campus and find out more information about the case.\n“IUSA will take a stance on this,” he said. “It’s our job to explain what the campus is thinking.”\nStudent trustee A.D. King said he would not comment on the specifics of the allegations, but warned that negative coverage of the program’s turmoil could hurt the player’s performance. \n“I just want to remind current students, alumni and fans that negative media or an overzealous reaction would be a distraction to the players and really interfere with them being successful student athletes,” he said. “People need to be supportive as possible to the team as this situation unfolds.”\nStaff writer Trevor Brown contributed to this report.