After consulting with Director of Athletics Tom Jurich, we made the decision to withhold the men’s basketball program from all conference and NCAA postseason competition following the 2015-16 men’s basketball season.
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The Louisville Courier-Journal and other media sources report that the school informed the team’s players in a meeting early Friday afternoon.
University President James Ramsey said Friday at a press conference that an investigation being conducted by the athletic department has uncovered some violations.
The coaches told the players they only had nine games left, another source said, which is the remainder of the regular season. Fifth-year transfers Damion Lee and Trey Lewis cried after hearing the news, the two transferred to Louisville with hopes of playing in the NCAA tournament for the first time in their careers. The ban comes after an explosive recruiting scandal, in which a woman claimed she was paid to arrange strippers and sex parties for players and high school recruits.
The ban applies to the NCAA Tournament and the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament.
Reached Friday, Lee’s mother, Michelle Riddick, declined to comment.
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“We found out yesterday that we had a problem”, Jurich said. She said in December that there’s “nothing we can do about” the ongoing investigations.
