Now here’s one that Kentucky fans will automatically dismiss while everyone else automatically accepts it.
http://www.localmemphis.com/story/d/story/pierre-henderson-niles-in-middle-of-pay-for-play-a/29375/kP58VWv2rkexWQxp2rl4Pw
The uncle/guardian of former Memphis basketball player Pierre Henderson-Niles has sent a note to the NCAA alleging that his nephew was paid as part of a pay-for-play system run by then-Tiger coach John Calipari and his assistant Derek Kellogg. Calipari is, of course, the head coach at Kentucky while Kellogg is now the head man at UMass.
Before all the non-UK fans rejoice too much, file away the fact that the uncle — Stephen Saine — is a convicted drug dealer who is reportedly trying to publish a book about the big turnaround he’s made in his life. Saine is now a pastor. Also know that current Memphis coach Josh Pastner inherited Henderson-Niles for one season and he said last week that he had no knowledge of the allegations nor did he believe them. Henderson-Niles told The Memphis Commercial Appeal this weekend that he has “no involvement” in the allegations made by his uncle.
OK. Now on with the allegations themselves.
According to LocalMemphis.com, the memo sent by Saine to the NCAA says the following:
“I share this not to bring dishonor to the University of Memphis or the men’s basketball program, but to: 1) do the right thing and 2) help make sure what happened then is no longer prevalent not only at the UofM but in college athletics in general.
When Jartavious Pierre Henderson-Niles played basketball at the UofM he did so with a pay-for-play arrangement with the UofM men’s basketball coaching staff.
I received regular payments from one of John Calipari’s assistant coaches (Derek Kellogg) starting Pierre’s senior year of high school through his junior year at the University of Memphis.
This is an issue I would have addressed with the UofM and members of their former coaching staff but as you can imagine, I felt it would have falled on deaf ears.”
Saine provided more details to the NCAA during a 45-minute interview session.
Could the accusations of a man once called “Pink Chevy” be true? You bet. And you can also bet that UK officials have already spoken with Calipari and have prepared a response for if/when the NCAA comes a’calling.
You can also be certain that the NCAA will — at some level — investigate this issue. We’re not big on conspiracy theories around here, but there’s no doubt the NCAA has for years viewed Calipari as its great white whale. They keep hitting his ex-programs, but they can’t pin a thing on him.
You might recall that in 2011 the NCAA even pooh-poohed a UK celebration of its coach’s 500th victory because some of his wins had been vacated.Unfortunately for the NCAA, John Clay of The Lexington Herald-Leader — one of the SEC’s best writers, by the way — did a little research of his own and found that the NCAA hadn’t said a peep about other schools’ listing their coaches’ vacated wins. Hmmm.
So it’s a guarantee the NCAA will follow-up on this one. Post-Miami and with the O’Bannon case and a major autonomy vote on its current plate the NCAA might not have the same bloodlust for Calipari that it once had, but allegations like these require some amount of due diligence. Even if they’re coming from a convicted drug dealer named Pink Chevy who’s looking for a book deal.
As for those of us at MrSEC.com, we’ll reserve judgement. It’s unusual for someone to say, “I took money.” More often it’s someone else saying, “He took money.” So that part is intriguing. But there are so many question marks surrounding the man who’s suddenly decided to come clean that it’s impossible to accept his tale wholeheartedly.
Unless, of course, you’re a fan of any of the 13 SEC schools not named Kentucky.
Before all the non-UK fans rejoice too much, file away the fact that the uncle — Stephen Saine — is a convicted drug dealer who is reportedly trying to publish a book about the big turnaround he’s made in his life. Saine is now a pastor. Also know that current Memphis coach Josh Pastner inherited Henderson-Niles for one season and he said last week that he had no knowledge of the allegations nor did he believe them. Henderson-Niles told The Memphis Commercial Appeal this weekend that he has “no involvement” in the allegations made by his uncle.
OK. Now on with the allegations themselves.
According to LocalMemphis.com, the memo sent by Saine to the NCAA says the following:
“I share this not to bring dishonor to the University of Memphis or the men’s basketball program, but to: 1) do the right thing and 2) help make sure what happened then is no longer prevalent not only at the UofM but in college athletics in general.
When Jartavious Pierre Henderson-Niles played basketball at the UofM he did so with a pay-for-play arrangement with the UofM men’s basketball coaching staff.
I received regular payments from one of John Calipari’s assistant coaches (Derek Kellogg) starting Pierre’s senior year of high school through his junior year at the University of Memphis.
This is an issue I would have addressed with the UofM and members of their former coaching staff but as you can imagine, I felt it would have falled on deaf ears.”
Saine provided more details to the NCAA during a 45-minute interview session.
Could the accusations of a man once called “Pink Chevy” be true? You bet. And you can also bet that UK officials have already spoken with Calipari and have prepared a response for if/when the NCAA comes a’calling.
You can also be certain that the NCAA will — at some level — investigate this issue. We’re not big on conspiracy theories around here, but there’s no doubt the NCAA has for years viewed Calipari as its great white whale. They keep hitting his ex-programs, but they can’t pin a thing on him.
You might recall that in 2011 the NCAA even pooh-poohed a UK celebration of its coach’s 500th victory because some of his wins had been vacated.Unfortunately for the NCAA, John Clay of The Lexington Herald-Leader — one of the SEC’s best writers, by the way — did a little research of his own and found that the NCAA hadn’t said a peep about other schools’ listing their coaches’ vacated wins. Hmmm.
So it’s a guarantee the NCAA will follow-up on this one. Post-Miami and with the O’Bannon case and a major autonomy vote on its current plate the NCAA might not have the same bloodlust for Calipari that it once had, but allegations like these require some amount of due diligence. Even if they’re coming from a convicted drug dealer named Pink Chevy who’s looking for a book deal.
As for those of us at MrSEC.com, we’ll reserve judgement. It’s unusual for someone to say, “I took money.” More often it’s someone else saying, “He took money.” So that part is intriguing. But there are so many question marks surrounding the man who’s suddenly decided to come clean that it’s impossible to accept his tale wholeheartedly.
Unless, of course, you’re a fan of any of the 13 SEC schools not named Kentucky.
http://www.localmemphis.com/story/d/story/pierre-henderson-niles-in-middle-of-pay-for-play-a/29375/kP58VWv2rkexWQxp2rl4Pw
