Odom set to turn pro

Steve Carp

Tuesday, May 18, 1999 | 10:24 a.m.

He is no longer in college, but Lamar Odom could have a lasting impact at UNLV, a school where he never played a single minute of basketball.

Odom, the 6-foot-10 star forward, announced Monday what had been expected all along -- that he is leaving Rhode Island for the NBA draft. He did the same thing a year ago while sitting out after failing to meet academic standards for eligibility, but opted to pull his name back the week before the draft.

Don't expect a repeat scenario next month. Odom's gone and he will likely be the top overall selection June 30 at the MCI Center.

It also means the NCAA and UNLV are unlikely to receive Odom's cooperation as the enforcement staff probes his 1996-97 recruitment by the Rebels. Odom's recruitment is part of the NCAA's initial inquiry into Bill Bayno's program.

It's a similar situation with former Rebels Shawn Marion and Kevin Simmons. The NCAA would like to speak to both players, but because they no longer are part of the UNLV program, they are under no obligation to talk.

It puts UNLV in an awkward position. Obviously, the school wants to cooperate with the NCAA. But because neither the NCAA nor UNLV has subpoena power, and the fact that players who left school are no longer bound by either the school's or the NCAA's jurisdiction, the players have no legal obligation to cooperate.

"It's where the whole process becomes convoluted," UNLV associate athletic director Jerry Koloskie said. "Any time a kid leaves college, it becomes a matter of us asking the kid to cooperate. If the individual chooses not to, there's nothing we can do about it.

"If the kid says no, we communicate that to the NCAA."

Dirk Taitt, the enforcement staff member who is heading up the UNLV inquiry for the NCAA, did not return calls seeking comment. But the NCAA did try to talk to Odom a few weeks ago about his recruitment to UNLV, and Odom told those close to him he wasn't too happy about it.

It's possible the NCAA's questioning may have played a part in his decision over the weekend to leave school and turn pro. Back in July 1997, he opted not to cooperate with UNLV officials who had been asked by the NCAA to look into Odom's ACT standardized test scores.

Odom was told at the time that if he failed to cooperate, UNLV would have no choice but to withdraw its scholarship offer. At that point, Odom asked for and received a release from his national letter of intent.

His ACT score subsequently was found to be invalid and Odom was not able to achieve a passing mark. He transferred to Rhode Island, sat out the 1997-98 season, then played this past year.

He put up big numbers, leading the Rams in scoring and rebounding, averaging 17.6 points and 9.4 rebounds as URI posted a 20-13 record and earned a berth in the NCAA Tournament after winning the Atlantic 10 postseason tournament.

Recently, the NCAA contacted Odom again, seeking information. Again, Odom did not cooperate.

By declaring for the draft, Odom has put himself in position to be one of the top players taken, if not the No. 1 overall pick. He stands to make $12 million as a result.

He also has found a way to not deal with the NCAA without putting his basketball career in jeopardy.

Meanwhile, Koloskie has sent written requests to Marion and Simmons as well as former Rebels Greedy Daniels and Desmond Herod, asking them to cooperate in any future dealings the university will have with the NCAA.

"That's our job," Koloskie said. "We ask, in writing, for the players to cooperate and communicate through me. But it's ultimately their choice."

With his decision, Odom has apparently made his choice when it comes to dealing with the NCAA. Where that leaves UNLV down the road is anyone's guess.