Texas has released a statement in response to a story published by The Chronicle of Higher Education on Wednesday morning.
According to the report, three Longhorn basketball players in the last nine years have received improper academic help. Current Phoenix Sun P.J. Tucker, J’Covan Brown and Martez Walker, who has since transferred to Oakland, were all alleged to have differing degrees of academic aid that went beyond what is legal. Walker is accused of having cheated on a test in a class that he later passed while a freshman, while Tucker and Brown both were alleged to have received help writing a paper.
Brown and another men’s basketball player were also earlier reported to have been involved in a scheme that involved high school students and fake online classes in an effort to be eligible at the NCAA level.
“We determined that the university had no knowledge of two former student-athletes allegedly receiving improper help with high school coursework before they enrolled,” the University said in a release, adding that they have already submitted the information to the NCAA. “We now are reviewing three other cases purported to have occurred over a nine-year period since 2006 to determine if any university or NCAA rules were violated and if any action is needed.”
“The university has no information that suggests former Men’s Basketball Coach Rick Barnes knew of or was involved in any academic improprieties,” they added.