Baylor’s Own Action Saves Added Penalties For Hoops Program

Baylor’s basketball team was cleared for postseason play Tuesday after the NCAA determined the school had taken sufficient steps to discipline itself.

The university had helped uncover schemes by former coaches to provide players with phony academic credit.

Because of the school’s aggressiveness in addressing infractions, the NCAA granted a request from Baylor that the original two-year probation on postseason play be cut to one year. The ban was served last season.

The NCAA deplored “significant, intentional and egregious” violations under former coach Darrel Johnson, but said Baylor’s self-imposed sanctions were enough. Johnson was cited for lack of control over the program.

The school replaced the entire coaching staff, reduced scholarships and imposed the two-year ban on postseason play and a ban on television appearances for the 1994-95 season.

“Baylor has served as a benchmark … for fellow institutions when such a case arises,” said Roy Kramer, commissioner of the Southeastern Conference and acting chair of the NCAA Committee on Infractions.

“Had the former coaches involved in the case still been employed at Baylor, the university could have been subjected to additional penalties.”

The committee placed further restrictions on Johnson and former assistants Gary Thomas, Troy Drummond and Kevin Gray. If any of them wants to work at an NCAA school for at least five years, he and the school must show cause why sanctions imposed upon Baylor should not also be imposed on the school to which the coach has gone.