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Utah hit with two years of probation for recruiting violations

Utah v Arizona

TUCSON, AZ - JANUARY 05: Head coach Larry Krystkowiak of Utah Utes reacts during the first half of the college basketball game against the Arizona Wildcats at McKale Center on January 5, 2017 in Tucson, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

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The Utah men’s basketball program was hit with two years of probation and associate head coach Tommy Connor was given a one-year show-cause penalty as a result of recruiting violations that were committed in the spring of 2018.

The NCAA’s Division I Committee on Infractions found that the program committed two Level II violations and a Level III violation. In addition to the probation and Connor’s show-cause, Utah self-imposed a handful of recruiting restrictions that have already taken effect.

According to the release sent out by the NCAA, an assistant coach evaluated a JuCo recruit and visited a high school prospect during a quiet period in April of 2018. The committee also determined that Connor coordinated with a local JuCo coach to get the high school prospect on the university’s campus for a visit. The JuCo paid for the prospect’s trip, which not only classified the JuCo’s head coach as a booster - making his contact with the prospect a violation - but it meant that Utah exceeded the number of allowable official visits - another violation.

The entire coaching staff received a Level II violation for the recruiting violations, while head coach Larry Krystkowiak received a separate Level II violation due to the head coach responsibility bylaws. The Level III violation came as a result of the coaching staff watching Krystkowiak’s son “observed the head coach’s prospect-aged son participating with members of the men’s basketball team in a practice activity.”