DEVELOPING: Did 2 UGA Athletes Get Improper Benefits...?

((HT: Columbus Ledger-Enquirer/Bitter))

Andy Bitter's work in the Ledger-Enquirer yields some important questions involving the eligibility of footballer Jarvis Jones and hoopster Kentavious Caldwell-Pope.

The director, and the number two, of a Columbus-based, city-funded AAU basketball team that had both of the college athletes on their roster at one point is purported to have paid for travel of Jones to and from Los Angeles during his time when he was enrolled at USC.

Here's what USC thought they were getting before Jones got injured...
((HT: DawgPost))


Jones' mother gave power of attorney to a Parks and Rec Department employee, Shelley Stephens, who under questioning during an investigation into the department said that Adams used a Porter city-sanctioned credit card for the flights.

Georgia Blazers director Tony Adams and Herman Porter are also linked to the payment of a cellphone bill tied to the mother of Caldwell-Pope.

In July of 2009, Porter's card was allegedly used to square an account that was Rhonda Caldwell's. Four cell phone numbers were listed on the account itself, and one was linked to Kentavious.

From Bitter:

Porter’s attorney, Manny Arora, said, “I think the government investigated into every aspect and if there were other issues, I’m sure they would have come up, as contentious as the case was. But we really just want to put everything behind us. We’re on misdemeanor probation for a little while and we just want to get it over with and move on.”

The University of Georgia seems not to be aware of the allegations and investigation. Caldwell-Pope was contacted for an interview as part of the investigation, but he allegedly hung up when they investigators wanted to firm up a time for questioning.

Here's what Mark Fox thinks he's getting in Caldwell-Pope...
((HT: rtmcgruder))


Remember, the NCAA came down hard and quickly in other cases last year around the basketball and football communities. It will be interesting to see if the folks in Indianapolis drop the hammer quickly on two key pieces of Athens athletics that haven't even taken the field yet...

HQ's conventional wisdom and Magic 8-Ball says "Signs Point To Yes..."

More when we know more...