UNLV disputes Odom charges

Steve Addy

Tuesday, June 13, 2000 | 9:31 a.m.

UNLV has officially passed the ball back to the NCAA, admitting to secondary rule violations by the men's basketball program, but disagreeing with the most serious allegations about money paid to former star recruit Lamar Odom.

NCAA sanctions surely will be forthcoming because of UNLV's admissions on Monday. But the severity will depend on whether the NCAA Committee on Infractions believes the university or Odom, whose accounts conflict, and if the NCAA feels UNLV's voluntary measures have cleansed the program.

UNLV must appear before the Committee on Infractions on Aug. 11-13 in Beaver Creek, Colo., with penalties to be announced about six weeks thereafter.

In its 122-page response to the NCAA letter of inquiry received in March, UNLV said a series of minor infractions occurred since 1997, including improper contact with recruits, transportation provided for players, and various noncash benefits for players.

However, the university strongly maintained that the central allegations are false, mainly that Odom was given up to $5,600 in cash and services by Rebels booster Dr. David Chapman while Odom was enrolled at UNLV in summer 1997.

UNLV does not dispute that Chapman gave Odom money, clothes and various benefits, but it agrees with Chapman's account that he provided them after the university released Odom from his letter of intent and canceled his enrollment on July 24, 1997. Odom told the NCAA he started receiving money from Chapman as soon as he arrived in Las Vegas in June 1997, however.

Athletic director Charlie Cavagnaro said, "We do not want any (violations) at all, to be quite honest. But the evidence is also clear that this doesn't rise to the level of major violations. We think a fair reading of the whole (Odom) scenario will prevent serious facts that say the university has acted appropriately throughout."

"My stance has been that we've never knowingly or willingly committed any NCAA violations, and that hasn't changed," coach Bill Bayno said. "The violations we're talking about are minor. I think if you look at almost any program in the country, you will find some minor violations.

"But we've taken corrective action to make sure these things don't happen again."

UNLV also disagreed with the NCAA's allegation that Bayno did not adequately monitor his program for violations regarding the Odom-Chapman relationship and that Rebels player Chris Richardson lied to NCAA investigators about a free bed set arranged by previous assistant coach Greg Vetrone.

Richardson was held out of UNLV's first-round NCAA tournament loss to Tulsa because of the charges, the report revealed. At the time, Richardson said he had injured his knee the previous day, but he was benched on orders by Cavagnaro. Counsel has been retained to defend Richardson, Cavagnaro said.

UNLV was unable make a determination on another NCAA assertion, that Rebels booster Steve Stein gave money to Odom and former player Desmond Herod totaling at least $400. Odom, who refused to talk to UNLV investigators, told the NCAA that Stein gave him a "$100 handshake" in a July 1997 meeting at Stein's law office in Las Vegas. Stein called the charges "absurd" and denied them.

Because the admitted violations and other alleged violations took place within five years after UNLV's probation over the recruitment of Lloyd Daniels, the program is subject to the so-called NCAA repeat violator rule, which could yield harsher penalties, including ineligibility for the postseason, loss of scholarships and restrictions on TV appearances.

But Cavagnaro says the assertions don't meet the spirit of the repeat-violator rule because the Rebels didn't gain a competitive advantage from the alleged violations. He says UNLV's decision to release Odom, the top prep recruit of 1997, present a "telling mitigating circumstance." That will be a big part of UNLV's defense when it appears before the Committee on Infractions.

Also, Cavagnaro feels the university has already taken sufficient steps to clean up the program and ensure rules compliance. Vetrone, named in six secondary violations, was not rehired when his contract expired in 1999, and director of basketball operations Barry Rohrssen was let go as well. Also, Bayno was required in 1998 to attended a four-day NCAA compliance seminar.

Various smaller measures have been taken, including more detailed phone logs to prevent coaches from inadvertantly calling the same recruit twice within a week, which accounted for two violations. Also, Chapman and Stein have been suspended from associating with the program.

In all, as many as 12 secondary violations were committed, but Cavagnaro acknowledged that they are secondary only in UNLV's opinion at this time. The NCAA will make the official distinction.

Among UNLV's admissions:

University president Dr. Carol Harter didn't appear at Monday's press conference, but said in a statement, "We will use the process as a learning experience that will serve as the impetus to further strengthen our commitment to the rules."

Harter will be part of UNLV's team at the Beaver Creek convention, as will Cavagnaro, Bayno and associate AD Jerry Koloskie. The university will be represented by the Overland Park, Kan., law firm of Bond, Schoeneck and King, which specializes in defending colleges in NCAA cases.

The NCAA office in Indianapolis had no comment on Monday's announcement. Spokesman Wally Renfro said he could not confirm that the NCAA had received UNLV's response.

"We simply don't comment on ongoing investigations," Renfro said.