In the mid 1980s SMU football received the NCAA death penalty for a string of major violations, which crippled the program. Now, SMU basketball is under the microscope and Keith Frazier had no idea.
SMU Mustangs Guard Keith Frazier had no idea that a former basketball administrator was taking an online course for him so that he was able to play for the team.
Frazier said:
“I didn’t even know what was going on,” Frazier said. “I didn’t know she was doing that class for me. I wasn’t aware of that. I know it looks that way on the outside looking in, but I didn’t know.”
This comes in wake of the one year postseason ban and nine game suspension of head coach Larry Brown that was handed down by the NCAA on Tuesday, because SMU had committed academic fraud and participated in unethical conduct.
The NCAA also concluded that Larry Brown lacked control over his team and their practices, which led to Brown’s nine game suspension and the NCAA handed down a three year probation, loss of scholarships, recruiting restrictions and vacating of victories.
Now, in the case of Frazier, it was found that after Frazier had enrolled into the online course his login information and password were obtained by a team administrator who then took the class for Frazier, which the guard claims no recollection of.
Frazier said:
“The team has to go through all this and I’m in the middle of it. I feel for those guys. They had nothing to do with this. I feel for them and how it’s affecting their lives.”
Shortly after news broke that Frazier was the main criminal in the case he said
“I wanted to let them know how I felt. How bad I felt about all of this. Not all of them showed up, but most of them did. I just told them that hopefully we can all move forward. I’ve dealt with so much adversity that I’m numb to the pain,” he added. “The only pain I feel is to my teammates.”
Given the situation, it is highly unlikely that a team administrator accessed his account and then took the class for him without him knowing. It just doesn’t seem like a legitimate excuse. Frazier should have at least known that when work was turned in for his course and he didn’t do it, somebody else must have. It should have raised some red flags.
Until new information is released, this is a case of apathy for the SMU Guard, with a fitting punishment.
