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NCAA bans Texas Southern from 2012-13 postseason following investigation

Tony B. Harvey

Texas Southern head coach Tony B. Harvey reacts as he watches his team play during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game against Northwestern in Evanston, Ill., on Thursday, Dec. 15, 2011. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)

AP

The men’s basketball team at Texas Southern University has been banned from the 2012-13 postseason, following an NCAA investigation that revealed “recruiting violations, academic improprieties, the use of ineligible athletes and exceeding scholarship limits,” the Associated Press is reporting.

Violations cited by the NCAA cover 13 sports, including the school’s football program.

The TSU men’s basketball program, which is entering its first season under interim head coach Mike Davis, recently parted ways with coach Tony Harvey (pictured at right), who stepped down in July.

The NCAA Division I Infractions Committee named Texas Southern a “double repeat violator,” meaning that the school had on-campus violations or been on probation for 16 of the past 20 seasons.

According to the NCAA’s report, self-imposed sanctions that were to be administered by the school did not take place, worsening the new sanctions handed down this week.

''That’s a unique circumstance,’' Greg Sankey, a member of the infractions committee and the chief operating officer of the Southeastern Conference, told the AP. ''That may be the most notable piece of the institution’s past circumstances.’'

Of the violations noted by the committee, some of the more serious infractions took place in the basketball program. Among them were the actions of the former coach, Harvey, who offered two scholarships that were unavailable because of failure to meet academic standards and “provided false or misleading information during the investigation.”

Harvey and Texas Southern also “did not adhere to restrictions on practice time, which were imposed after the team fell short on its academic progress report,” according to the AP.

TSU finished last season with an overall record of 15-18, including 12-6 in the SWAC. The team begins its first season under Davis on Nov. 11 against Boise State.

Daniel Martin is a writer and editor at JohnnyJungle.com, covering St. John’s. You can find him on Twitter:@DanielJMartin_