"Inconclusive Evidence"

Published June 4, 2009 at 11:00 a.m.

The University of Memphis will tell the NCAA on Saturday that itcould not have known that basketball player Derrick Rose was ineligiblein the 2007-2008 season for faking an entrance exam.

"Certainly, the University of Memphis should not suffer a financialpenalty or vacation of records for the 2008 NCAA tournament as a resultof this allegation," the university says, in records it released to themedia Tuesday morning.

The meeting in Indianapolis Saturday will include U of M presidentShirley Raines, athletic director R.C. Johnson, legal counsel, and— via teleconference — former head coach John Calipari.Rose and current head coach Josh Pastner will not attend. Universitylegal counsel Sheri Lipman said it could be six to eight weeks beforethere is a decision. In the worst case, Memphis would forfeit games inwhich Rose appeared.

The 63-page "Response to NCAA Notice of Allegations" doesn't clearup the mystery of Rose and the SAT entrance exam. In fact, only about afourth of it deals with Rose; half of it is about women's golf coachJenny Bruun, who was fired for giving illegal gifts to studentathletes. The university also admits to an "administrative error" inallowing a friend of Rose to travel with the team without paying somebills.

The report says there were rumors about Rose getting someone to takehis ACT or SAT test in 2007, but the unnamed female accuser changed herstory. Another rumor that Rose got a grade changed in one course wasalso investigated by the Chicago schools and the University of Memphisbut was deemed irrelevant to his admission.

The ACT and SAT — Rose apparently took both — isrelevant. The NCAA, relying on a forensic document examiner as well asallegations, concluded that Rose probably did not take his own SAT, butthe university did not know that while Rose was playing ball.

Rose, according to the report, said he did take his own tests whenhe was asked about that before the 2008 NCAA tournament, but he "hasdeclined to participate further in the investigation of hisineligibility." He now plays for the Chicago Bulls of the NBA.

Calipari's name appears only twice in the report — once inregard to Rose and once in regard to games passes for Calipari's"friend" William Wesley. The university investigated and concludedthere wasn't sufficient evidence of an NCAA violation on the gamespasses.

The U of M says Calipari was told to cooperate in the Rosematter.

"The consistent response received by the university is that [Rose]took the test at issue [and] has answered questions about this alreadyin the fall of 2007 interview with the university."

The university interviewed Rose about possible grade changes andtest fakery in 2007. The basketball coaches didn't know when he tookthe tests or what his scores were.

"In fact, [Rose] testified that his mother would not even tell himwhat his scores were after he took the test, but instead would only saywhether he passed it or needed to take it again. He took thestandardized test several times," the report says.

The evidence on the SAT test on which Rose was admitted wasconsidered insufficient to keep him out of school. He led the team to a38-2 record and second place in the NCAA tournament in April 2008.Meanwhile, he was either dodging or not receiving query letters fromtesting organizations about possible problems. In May 2008, the U of Mand the NCAA got a letter from Educational Testing Service saying thatRose's test score had been invalidated. The season was already over, aswas Rose's life as a student athlete.

The bottom line:

"The university does not have sufficient information to concludethat [redacted] engaged in unethical conduct in regard to[redacted] taking of the SAT. Specifically, the university hasno knowledge that [Rose] did not complete the SAT. Accordingly, theuniversity does not know whether the information included in theallegation is substantially correct and is unable to conclude whether aviolation of the cited NCAA regulations has occurred."

The university got a notice of allegations on January 16, 2009, butdid not disclose it until a Commercial Appeal reporter forced itto last week.

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