WAC says no to Fresno State playing in tournament

FRESNO, Calif. (AP) _ Fresno State will not be allowed to participate in next week's Western Athletic Conference men's basketball tournament after school officials pulled the team from other possible

Wednesday, March 5th 2003, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

FRESNO, Calif. (AP) _ Fresno State will not be allowed to participate in next week's Western Athletic Conference men's basketball tournament after school officials pulled the team from other possible postseason play amid allegations of academic fraud.

The WAC board of directors met by teleconference Tuesday and decided to disqualify the Bulldogs from the league tournament.

The board adopted a new resolution that prohibits a member school from playing in a conference championship tournament if the school is also ineligible for NCAA postseason play in the same sport.

The policy became effective immediately.

Fresno State President John D. Welty announced Monday the men's basketball team will not be eligible for postseason competition this year after school officials confirmed instances of academic fraud.

The self-imposed penalty means the Bulldogs (20-6, 13-3 WAC) will not compete in the NCAA tournament or the NIT. They are set to play the Golden Hurricane on Wednesday in Tulsa.

Tuesday's decision officially ends this year's postseason play for the Bulldogs, who clinched the WAC regular-season title and the No. 1 seed in the postseason tournament with their victory over Nevada on March 1.

The WAC tournament begins March 11.

Fresno State spokesman Tom Uribes said even if the team were to have competed in the WAC tournament and win, the Bulldogs would not have been allowed to advance.

School officials called the WAC's decision ``a major disappointment.''

``We will abide by the decision of the WAC,'' the school said in a statement. ``In doing so however, we acknowledge the WAC's declaration of support for stringent action when a university is in violation of NCAA rules and presume that it will hold every WAC member to this standard.''

Fresno State fans who purchased tickets to the WAC tournament are being offered a full refund.

In a February article, The Fresno Bee reported that former basketball team statistician Stephen Mintz said he was enlisted during the 1999-2000 season to take part in a scheme to write papers for three members of the school's basketball team in exchange for cash. The coach then was Jerry Tarkanian.

Welty said Monday that most of the allegations were true.

Mintz said he wrote and delivered 17 pieces of course work in 2000 for three players _ Courtney Alexander, Terrance Roberson and Dennis Nathan _ and was paid $1,500 for his work.

Alexander, who now plays for the New Orleans Hornets, denied in a faxed statement last month to a Fresno television station that Mintz ever wrote papers for him. In an earlier interview with The Bee, Alexander said he had never heard of Mintz.

University spokesman Mark Aydelotte said the school would not release specific details about which allegations were true or who participated in the alleged fraud until the NCAA's investigation is complete.

Alexander was unavailable for comment Tuesday.

The joint school-NCAA investigation into alleged academic fraud has been ongoing for several years after allegations were made privately by several people, Aydelotte said.

He said Mintz was the first person to go public with the charges.

The NCAA has the option of imposing even more severe penalties once its investigation is complete.

In December, Fresno State put its basketball team and athletics department on probation for two years for numerous NCAA rules violations that included payments from agents to players.

The NCAA has not released its findings yet in that investigation.