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Baylor’s Jones suspended for improper benefits? No shock

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According to numerous reports, Baylor freshman Perry Jones has been suspended for tonight’s game against Oklahoma, and possibly longer.

A TV station in Dallas is reporting -- and Jason King is confirming -- that the suspension could be the result of Jones receiving impermissible benefits. According to King, Jones will be suspended for the rest of the season. It may not make much of a difference, as the Bears are currently sitting on the wrong side of the bubble and Jones had a foot out the door all season.

If you following college hoops at all, this shouldn’t surprise you.

Baylor, somehow, has managed to turn themselves into a behemoth in the recruiting world, competing with the Kentucky’s and the Louisville’s and the Duke’s of the world for the country’s top prospects. Perry Jones was arguably the top big man in the class of 2010 and could be the No. 1 pick in the 2011 NBA draft. Isaiah Austin, a top five recruit in the class of 2012, is currently committed to the Bears. They landed Quincy Miller, who is a top five talent in the class of 2011.

All this coming from a program that, seven years ago, dealt with a coach trying to cover up facts in a murder of one of his players by another one of his players. Baylor wasn’t even on the map when Scott Drew took the program over.

Keep in mind the Bear’s recruitment of John Wall. If you remember, Baylor hired Dwon Clifton, one of Wall’s AAU coaches, back in June of 2008 to a newly created position, a ploy only a fool would believe wasn’t an attempt to bring Wall to Waco. I say only a fool would believe it because Clifton has since left Baylor.

To become an adviser for the now professional John Wall.

Since Clifton’s hiring, the NCAA has changed their rule on package deals like this.

Back in October, Baylor was investigated for text message violations regarding Indiana commit Hanner Parea, and there were reports earlier this year that Baylor was pursuing an 11 year old.

I am sure of one thing -- there won’t be many coaches in the Big 12 upset over Drew getting getting caught.

Rob Dauster is the editor of the college basketball website Ballin’ is a Habit. You can find him on twitter @ballinisahabit.