CHAPEL HILL – North Carolina coach Roy Williams said this morning that his basketball players have not had contact with the tutor who is being investigated for possible academic misconduct with football players.
In an interview with The News & Observer, Williams said no one can ever be 100 percent sure that the school’s academic investigation won’t carry over to other programs.
“But I have, since the news has been out there, checked with our people to see if we had anybody involved with that specific tutor; is this something that I’m going to get a call about in the middle of the night?” he said. “And I’ve been assured that it’s not going to be a call I’m going get in the middle of the night, and I’ve been assured that there has not been any contact with that particular tutor. That’s as far as I can go; that’s as far as they want me to ask. They want me to keep my nose out of it, and I’m trying to do that – and gladly doing that, to be honest with you.”
The football program is currently mired in two investigations. The NCAA, since early July, has been looking into the Tar Heels’ possible improper contact with agents. Last week, the school also launched a probe into whether a tutor – who formerly worked for both UNC, and head football coach Butch Davis – gave improper help to football players with papers written for class.
Athletics director Dick Baddour said the school’s investigative team has been working around the clock to try to come to as much resolution for as many football players as possible before the No. 18 Tar Heels open the season in Atlanta on Saturday against No. 21 LSU. Asked Wednesday if the un-named tutor had worked with other athletes besides football players, Baddour said: "I can't tell you that. That is still part of our own review, and until I'm in a position to have an opportunity to examine that in a thorough way, I think it's best that I not identify any other team."
Williams, whose team begins basketball practice next month, called the investigations “a very sad day for us in North Carolina athletics, North Carolina fans – there’s no question about that."
“But Dick Baddour and Chancellor [Holden] Thorp, I think they’ve been great,’’ he added. “I think they’re researching everything with as much due diligence as you can possibly do, and I just feel very strongly about the leadership of the University, and we’re going to come out of this as positively as it can possibly be done – knowing that it’s not going to be great. But I do believe that the integrity, and the academic integrity, especially, that this University has stood for a long time, is being questioned right now, and I think everyone is taking it very seriously.”
Does he worry that if the reputation of another UNC program is tarnished, that it will carry over to his program?
“Well, everybody’s worried about our football program right now, because they’re the one under the gun,’’ Williams said. “Everybody’s concerned about what the perception might be, but there’s nothing we can do about it except let Chancellor Thorp and Dickie go through the process. They’re both extremely bright and love this University, and at the end, we’re not going to be happy by any means. But at the end, I think we’ll be very proud about the way they conducted things.”
Robbi Pickeral has covered ACC sports for The News & Observer since 2003. She can be reached at 
Comments
Where is the Third Party Investigation?
Fri, 09/03/2010 - 09:09 — jefutrellThis whole investigation into academics has come off as too private for my liking. I'd like to see the NCAA investigate thoroughly, and I agree with keihin in that the whole system of tutors and all teams should be under the microscope. Until I hear the all clear from a disinterested third party, I think a cloud of uncertainty will continue to hover over all athletic teams at UNC, and justice will not have been rendered. Bad apples have a way of spoiling the entire bunch.
hypocrisy
Thu, 09/02/2010 - 13:31 — izzykareemGalling i tell ya.
As others have stated, maybe some of you UNC-CH fans JUST became fans or something or you are transplants from other areas of the country/planet and you picked UNC-CH as your team, i don't know what it is, but if you are a long time fan, who grew up in the state of NC, you knew that every morning you went to school, if your team lost or your team won, you were either going to be on the receiving end or the giving end of serious smack talk. And it was all in good fun, part of the rivalry. As I stated previously, i lived thru the Jimmy V dismissal. I had to hear UNC-CH fans constantly bark about that. And after all these years, they are still brining up Charles Shackleford and "amphibious". And believe me, we State fans knew, as soon as those words were uttered, that #1 they were incorrect and #2 we'd have to hear about it ad infinitum. This is why we were happy the school cleaned up the athletics dept. We just didn't win anything for eons and still haven't really.
Now the shoe is on the other foot. It's called "lumps" UNC-CH fans, and you have to take'em like the rest of us. And "what if it happens to your school?", well guess what, that's why we don't want it to happen to our school/team because we know we'll have to hear about it. But we're gonna get while the gettin's good.
izzy
Thu, 09/02/2010 - 21:56 — gvillegatrwhy doesn't anyone bring up the pt shaving ncsu (led by Schackelford) performed abck in the mid to late 80's?
want to talk about some crooks!! somebody get Uncle Gatr a drink!! ...
At least Shackleford knows...
Thu, 09/02/2010 - 14:28 — peetiepup... such a word as amphibious exists. He merely confused it with ambidextrous.
Maybe the UNC tutors can teach those words to the football and basketball players. They seem to need to learn something useful.
There are no geniusus in college football. But Charles apparently has a larger vocabulary than most jocks at other schools I can think of.
Greg Little was part of the
Thu, 09/02/2010 - 12:51 — TDiddytGreg Little was part of the basketball team, what, in 2007 and/or 2008?... But really, w/o direct evidence indicating otherwise, I think the basketball program should get a pass.
To be thorough, the investigators need to do a preliminary 'once over' of the program. Nothing more, nothing less. I'm sure Roy won't like it, but to do otherwise, would not be a 'complete' investigation.
Ditto...BPPACK
Thu, 09/02/2010 - 12:16 — PACK_MIKE77And they wonder where the "whine and cheese" comes from!
Even Agent_Pierce is curling up into the fetal position with is comment about 1983.
Not Euphoric ???
Thu, 09/02/2010 - 19:19 — AgentPierceSo P_M, am I wrong that State fans (the ones who post here) are euphoric? Would UNCers be similar .... "maybe" but not as much built up emotion from so many years of perceived second fiddle status. Note I said "perceived"?
How would you compare this to '83 ??? I totally get all the hootin' hollerin'. We've handed you the gloat gift of a lifetime no question and, as Pudd notes, this joins Amphibious, et al for the next 20+ years.
Actually, in a parallel universe in another cyber galaxy, I'm getting a great deal of mileage out of all this myself. :>)
If you think Agent is bad off...
Thu, 09/02/2010 - 14:16 — peetiepupRodney Dangerfield: "The situation is so serious, I saw a heel fan curling up in the fecal position."
if you read some of the
Thu, 09/02/2010 - 11:46 — bppackif you read some of the reactions of unc-ch fans, you will understand why State fans are posting here. striking a nerve is enjoyable. especially when the nerve belongs to those who have been as pretentious and unduly arrogant for as long as unc-ch fans have been.
Agree
Thu, 09/02/2010 - 12:13 — SurferIt is understandable how some State fans need to find something enjoyable in FB, other than beating UNC for three straight years, oooooooo.
Well, the last three victories were enjoyable (especially 41-10)
Thu, 09/02/2010 - 12:38 — PuddentainBut it's the 20 years of having to listen to
blah blah blah blah JimmyV
blah blah blah blah Amphibious
blah blah blah blah Washburn
That's why we're here. Now you'll have to listen to
blah blah blah blah Marvin Cupcake
blah blah blah blah Black Santa
blah blah blah blah non compliance
for a while
Continue on
Thu, 09/02/2010 - 14:15 — SurferNo problem here. Keep it coming, it is actually quite comical and entertaining.
How come the NCSU fans aren't posting on their own articles?
Thu, 09/02/2010 - 11:16 — SFPNCNativeThis paper has published as many positive articles on State as they have published about the dubious actions in football at UNC these days. But it's curious to me why so-called State fans making obnoxious remarks about the situation have made NO comments on those articles. It's a sad state of affairs in sports when fans cannot make positive comments on their own teams, because they are so busy behaving like immature school boys with "we're better than you" attitude in a third grade football game against the other team.
UNC WILL survive; it will learn from this, and its fans will still bleed true blue. But if I were a NCSU rabid fan writing some of these idiotic remarks, I would be careful of casting stones. What if the next one in the coming years falls in your camp?
unc-cheat
Thu, 09/02/2010 - 19:27 — hdog007Nothing like a University of No Class fan to talk smack as his program falls off the deep end.
I've lived all over the country and not met a fan base as lame as the UNCCH fans. They are the epitome of fair-weather fans. They talk smack and act all pompous, but the truth is, their school is easily dirtier than most. They should do us all a favor and move to the SEC.
question
Thu, 09/02/2010 - 21:39 — gvillegatrand i'll tread lighty b/c i'm ASSuming you are military.
but you call us Heel fans the epitome of fair weather and back it up with this ... "They talk smack and act all pompous, but the truth is, their school is easily dirtier than most."
it simply doesn't make any sense.
care to share?
Investigate Whole UNC System
Thu, 09/02/2010 - 10:43 — jakob3Why stop at UNC-Chapel Hil??
Legally, the whole UNC system is one entity.
The University system president should look into the Academic Compliance of
EVERY UNC System University--including N.C. State!!
teflon-roy!!
Thu, 09/02/2010 - 16:02 — bluecat69bluecat69do u TARHOLE-FANS remember what happened to kansas when OL-ROY was the coach?? how about 3 years probation!usually where there is smoke , you probably have a fire. looks like the ncaa may have him again. go duke- champs!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Right on
Thu, 09/02/2010 - 19:32 — hdog007Amen.
Has surpassed 1983
Thu, 09/02/2010 - 10:18 — AgentPierce"This" has officially surpassed the 1983 Basketball Championship as THE GREATEST EXPERIENCE in the lives of "some" NC State fans. Not "all" but some.
I "get it". It is a big deal. Certainly wherever this leads and to what extent it may damage the reputation of UNC, it is indeed a "where were you when you heard" experience for ABCers. Also interesting that no statement by any UNC official is taken at face value by ABCers. Everything is tied to a great labyrinthian conspiracy. YIKES !!! :>)
Amid my concern for my alma mater, I do find humor in the above.
oh, you wish
Thu, 09/02/2010 - 19:33 — hdog007seriously, you have 10 cars backed up at the drive-thru. Go back to work before your boss finds out you're on the internet..
Did i miss something.....
Thu, 09/02/2010 - 16:25 — TheMambaSTRIKES........or are we talking about Toilet Bowl, at best, Tobacco Road football here? It is irrelevant, boys and girls...outside the state of NC.........!!!!!!!!
UNC Williams Hoops not involved.
Thu, 09/02/2010 - 10:13 — henryeUNC seems to be the tip of the ice berg in College and University Sports . In so much..
as the quest for winning teams.. It seems that many others have been propping up School grades to accomplish the same thing..These Schools have a duty to academics. and are not supposed to compete with the Pros...Just look at the players who switch over.
so they REALLY think it was
Thu, 09/02/2010 - 09:42 — bppackso they REALLY think it was just one tutor? or is that just what they hope everyone else believes.
Maybe they will go into
Thu, 09/02/2010 - 09:08 — ezuncMaybe they will go into Roy's program and find out how all of his players families go to EVERY game and how many parents get jobs working at UNC. The tutors have always taken care of the basketball players education so maybe if they go deep enough the Championships will be disallowed. IT WILL NEVER HAPPEN but it should be investigated.
If it'll never happen ...
Thu, 09/02/2010 - 19:09 — gvillegatrwhy bother?
Coach K and Coach Williams
Thu, 09/02/2010 - 09:05 — bilgewaterThe most important men in UNC history after 1960 were Bill Friday and Coach Smith.Other states envied these dynamic partners who made a good university,an exceptional one in the eyes of Americans(outside the state).UNC graduates were intelligent professionals,financial leaders,civil rights advocates and most importantly honorable men and women,a testament to the honor code.Their generosity helped UNC,and their respect and support of these two men was constant.
Now when the reputation of Duke and Carolina fell apart on the shoulders of a few athletes,the university leadership had to call in the basketball coaches to restore a tarnished image,and save the shreds of funding a generous alumni now withheld.
In this weird world of today,basketball, football,and other coaches and their scholarship athletes can wreck universities.One example should suffice,OJ Simpson and USC.The solid contributions of USC graduates is put under a microscope and demolished because a single jerk can tempt the media.
haha
Thu, 09/02/2010 - 09:01 — izzykareemol'roy, having to answer dadgum questions, this is soooooo priceless. All rollercoasters come to an end at some point, but the ride, as excruciating as its been for UNC-CH, has been tons-o-fun for the peanut gallery; we don't want it to end.
Options
Thu, 09/02/2010 - 11:16 — SurferUnderstandably, not may options for you guys "at the amusement park".
chapel hill
Thu, 09/02/2010 - 13:18 — izzykareemright now, looks like one big amusement park, and half your team has took it for a ride. keep your head in the sand though
Construction
Thu, 09/02/2010 - 14:12 — SurferGranted, there is a lot of construction in Chapel Hill and on campus these days. Oh and the team does not leave until tomorrow. When did I ever say that I had my head in the sand?
Any Tutor That Helped UNC Athletes Cheat
Thu, 09/02/2010 - 08:44 — keihinIt's not really about "that particular tutor". At this point, it's about any tutor that might have provided disqualifying academic favors to UNC athletes. If the UNC oversight doesn't look just as deeply into the academic affairs of all it's athletes and all of it's tutors, then it would be impossible to declare that this sort of academic cheating wasn't occurring in the other programs. The facts as they are now known call the whole UNC oversight system into question. And they won't be able to clear that reputation without being very thorough and forthright with any investigation.
Facts?
Thu, 09/02/2010 - 11:20 — SurferWhat "facts ... are now known"? Please share and list references.
Thanks