Let me try to tease this apart, as there are many here who cannot understand the issues we are really trying to discuss.
Overarching issue:
Several on this thread and most in the media keep trying to make this more about McCants and less about UNC.
The evidence is that UNC is a sham of an institution. They fundamentally turned their African American Studies Department into a conduit for athletes to take sham courses (the academic equivalent of a "no-show" job in state government), so they could offset 's they earned in actual courses, and retain eligibility
In the estimation of most of the folks on this thread, this overarching issue is a damnation of UNC and the NCAA.
Issue 2:
In the case at hand, a former athlete (a known headcase) has come out and slammed the institution for this practice. He cites his own college experience as evidence, and he says that the practice was both widespread in the athletic department and well known by those at the very top of the food chain. His transcript bears out much of what he claims.
In my estimation, this is quite damning and it has the ring of truth.
Issue 3:
Rashad McCants was an active and willing participant in this charade.
This gets into a separate issue, somewhat analogous to an alcoholic who has a bunch of people lecturing him about how he needs to quit drinking, all the while buying him drinks, so as to hold his attention during their lectures about sober behavior. Sure, he needs to quit drinking, and no one can make him stop if he doesn't stop on his own. And at the same time he is surrounded by enablers, who are contributing to his problem
At that level, there are no good guys, only bad guys. The kid (and he was a kid at the time) needed to take advantage of the opportunity he was given and come away from UNC with a valuable degree. At the same time, every time he ran up against a "logical consequence" for his poor choices, the University presented him with an off ramp without consequences.
So, yeah, he maybe should have done better for himself, but he did receive an education. UNC taught him that those consequences were never really consequences.....
In the end, this travesty rests squarely on UNC and they need to suffer some serious consequences, starting at the very top.
This doesn't actually fit a definition of "lack of institutional control" (in as much as the institution was very much in control of this process). It does, however, fit the precise definition of academic fraud. And as much as anyone might wish to see Roy Williams get hung for this (and he should), I somehow feel that there is a University President (or two), and possibly some Department Chairs, who need to be hung, first.
As for the NCAA's claims about these courses being available for other students, not just athletes....I feel I need to see some evidence that there was ever, in the history of that institution, a non-athlete who went from flunking out to deans list in one semester. Until they can djinn up that evidence....the NCAA's kabuki theater nonsense doesn't wash. And, thus, Emert and others at the NCAA need to hang, too.
As for McCants....he is, now, living the consequences of his actions.....
