UConn basketball accused of eight major infractions

Connecticut's basketball team and its coach, Jim Calhoun, have been accused of eight major NCAA infractions, with investigators citing hundreds of improper calls and texts from UConn staff to recruits.

The school released a notice from the NCAA yesterday that lays out the allegations against the Hall of Fame coach, his staff and the school. Besides the calls and texts, the accusations include giving recruits improper benefits and improperly distributing free tickets to high school coaches and others. Calhoun is cited for failing to promote an atmosphere of compliance.

"It's not exactly, certainly anywhere near the high point of my career, as a matter of fact it's certainly one of the lowest points at any time that you are accused of doing something," said Calhoun, who has led the Huskies since 1986 and taken them to the Final Four three times. "It's a very serious matter."

The allegations come at the end of a 15-month investigation into the recruiting of former player Nate Miles, who was expelled from UConn in October 2008 without ever playing a game for the Huskies. He was charged with violating a restraining order in a case involving a woman who claimed he assaulted her.

The NCAA alleges 160 impermissible telephone calls and at least 191 impermissible text messages between recruits and coaches, including assistants.

Among the allegations against UConn is that assistants Beau Archibald and Patrick Sellers provided false and misleading information to NCAA investigators. Sellers and Archibald, who served as director of basketball operations, resigned in recent days to devote their full attention to the allegations against them.

UConn as an institution was cited for not adequately monitoring "the conduct and administration of the men's basketball staff in the areas of: telephone records, representatives of the institution's athletics interests; and, complimentary admissions or discretionary tickets."

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