Columnist Dean Juipe: Does NCAA have UNLV in its sights?

Dean Juipe

Wednesday, May 10, 2000 | 9:53 a.m.

Dean Juipe's column appears Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday. His boxing notebook appears Thursday. Reach him at juipe@lasvegassun.com or 259-4084.

Lunch was on George Maloof and the conversation was as good as the meal.

The setting, inside his Fiesta hotel-casino, lent itself to casual discussions on a number of sports topics, not the least of which was Maloof's Sacramento Kings. But with a handful of the city's sports media present, talk eventually worked its way toward another point of common interest: UNLV's ongoing investigation into alleged improprieties involving basketball coach Bill Bayno and one or more of his former recruits.

Specifically, what did the school gain by asking for an extension from the NCAA?

And, just how penalizing is the penalty going to be once the NCAA hears the case in August?

Obviously, the opinions were nothing more than conjecture. But the interesting aspect of them was their diversity; some felt nothing more than a wrist slapping was in store, while others believe the NCAA will deliver a knockout punch.

At the core of the NCAA allegations is money given by a local dentist, David Chapman, to a Bayno recruit, Lamar Odom, who never actually played at UNLV. But Odom was in school and living in Las Vegas for a while, during which time Chapman allegedly favored him with $5,600 in cash and gifts.

The NCAA took 12 months to complete its investigation, which it presented to UNLV on March 14.

Rather than meet the NCAA's initial deadline of May 2, UNLV asked for and received an extension to June 10. The NCAA will rule on the matter Aug. 11-13 in Beaver Creek, Colo.

It is, of course, potentially devastating to Bayno and his program if the NCAA metes out its own peculiar brand of tough justice. Anything more than the loss of a scholarship or two and the impact on the coach and his team could be substantial, if not grave.

Maybe the Rebels get off easy, maybe not.

Associate athletic director Jerry Koloskie is handling UNLV's investigation and only his superiors know what he has found. He has a month to pull in the loose ends, although Odom is steadfastly refusing to cooperate.

As for the school requesting an extension from the NCAA, the two sides of this coin are clearly visible: UNLV wants to show it is leaving no stone unturned, yet the delay keeps the very negative issue of possible NCAA sanctions hovering over the program.

Items such as recruiting and ticket sales run the risk of being affected.

There is also the fear that by lengthening the investigation the possibility exists that additional improprieties -- perhaps ones not even covered in the NCAA's parallel investigation -- could surface. Only Koloskie knows if that has occurred.

This much is a certainty: UNLV personnel were uncomfortable with the extension and are anxious to get this matter behind them. While they're grateful the penalty phase will be addressed before the next school year begins, they're distressed that it has yet to be resolved.

Personally, it's easy to see the school getting off with a fairly light sentence that will be perceived as livable. But when colleagues say "expect the worst" it makes you wonder.

Could this thing really turn out that bad?