Back in June, it was reported that NCAA violations were on the way for some college basketball programs by the end of summer. Today, those violations came to fruition for the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, who were banned from the postseason in the 2019-20 season according to Dan Wolken.
BREAKING: Georgia Tech basketball banned from the postseason in 2019-20
— Dan Wolken (@DanWolken) September 26, 2019
The ban came as a result of “impermissible benefits” provided by former Georgia Tech assistant coach Darryl LaBarrie and a Ron Bell, a friend of head coach Josh Pastner. The sanctions, according to UGAWire of USA Today, come with four years of probation for the program, a fine of 2% of the basketball budget, a loss of a scholarship for four years, an eight-week ban on unofficial recruiting visits, a reduction of three official visits, and a loss of 19 recruiting days.
This is a big blow to a Georgia Tech program that may have been poised for a breakthrough year. With former top-50 recruit Gabe DeVoe entering his sophomore year, senior big man James Banks III coming off of a strong season, point guard Jose Alvarado leading the way, and USC transfer Jordan Usher in the fold, if the Yellow Jackets were going to make a run at the tournament, it would have been this year. Now, they can’t even play in the ACC tournament in March.
Georgia Tech was on the less severe end of the spectrum when it came to NCAA infractions, so we may see harsher penalties hit programs like Kansas and Arizona. For now, it will be interesting to see whether Josh Pastner – who possesses a 48-53 record in three years with the Yellow Jackets – will remain the head coach through the NCAA infractions.
