The University of Missouri self imposed harsh sanctions on its men's basketball program in hopes that the NCAA would add no additional punishment.
The sanctions are also an indication the school is fully owning up to violations committed under former head coach Frank Haith, whose last season was in 2013-2014. UM banned its men's basketball team from the postseason this year and vacated all its wins from the 2013-2014 season, ESPN reported.
Its investigation ongoing, the NCAA first notified UM of its inquiry concerning Haith in April 2014. The Tigers' former coach left his job for the Tulsa men's basketball program shortly there after.
Halfway into his second season, Kim Anderson has lead the Tigers to a disappointing 17-23 mark punctuated by a 94-61 loss to Arkansas, the worst in 11 years at the Mizzou Arena. Anderson claimed he was unaware of the investigation when he was hired, ESPN reported, and the school also stated the new coach had nothing to do with the violations as well.
"Every kid's goal is to go the NCAA tournament, so obviously when that's taken away there's disappointment," Anderson told reporters Wednesday. "I think we did the right thing. We felt like it was best to do it now and then move forward and put it behind us."
Haith is accused of providing players with impermissible benefits, along with other violations of NCAA policy. Haith was also said to be involved with the University of Miami booster Nevin Shapiro, paying him $10,000 to keep allegations of improper contact with high school recruits under wraps.
Shapiro is currently in prison for organizing a massive Ponzi scheme, but beforehand was implicated for providing a litany of impermissible benefits to Miami football players. Haith was suspended for the first five games of the 2013-2014 season for that, but the rest of the allegations go beyond.
UM Chancellor Hank Foley said in a statement, "It is clear from our collaborative investigation with the NCAA that a former member of our athletics staff and members of our donor community violated NCAA bylaws, and we take those actions seriously."
