Andrew Pace
The Georgia Tech basketball team has been involved in several controversies and sanctions in recent years, leading to questions about their current status. In 2017, Georgia Tech suspended basketball players Tadric Jackson and Josh Okogie indefinitely after they were found to have received impermissible benefits. In 2019, the NCAA banned the men's basketball team from participating in postseason play and placed them on four years of probation for recruiting violations. The team faced penalties such as a reduction of scholarships, recruiting restrictions, and a fine. With these incidents in mind, it is reasonable for people to inquire about the current status of the Georgia Tech basketball team and whether any further suspensions or sanctions have been imposed.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Year | 2019 |
| Team | Men's basketball team |
| Status | Banned from the postseason |
| Reason | Recruiting violations |
| Violations | Improper benefits, impermissible contact, providing misleading information |
| People Involved | Darryl LaBarrie, Ron Bell, Josh Pastner, Tadric Jackson, Josh Okogie, Wendell Carter |
| Consequences | Four years probation, loss of scholarships, recruiting restrictions, fines, immediate transfers |
| Self-imposed sanctions | Three-year disassociation of LaBarrie and a former student-athlete/booster |
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What You'll Learn
- Georgia Tech basketball players Tadric Jackson and Josh Okogie were suspended indefinitely in 2017
- The NCAA banned the team from the 2019-20 postseason
- The NCAA handed down four years of probation
- The NCAA gave a three-year show-cause order to LaBarrie, a suspension from coaching
- Georgia Tech self-reported rules violations to the NCAA
Georgia Tech basketball players Tadric Jackson and Josh Okogie were suspended indefinitely in 2017
The university's internal investigation, launched on October 2, 2017, found that both players had violated NCAA rules. As a result, Jackson and Okogie did not accompany the team to China for the season opener against UCLA on November 10, 2017. The length of the suspensions was to be determined by the NCAA, though head coach Josh Pastner expressed his hope to have the starters back early in the season.
Athletic director Todd Stansbury applauded Pastner and the compliance staff for taking immediate action and emphasized the university's commitment to compliance with NCAA rules. Pastner also acknowledged the importance of maintaining an atmosphere of compliance within the program.
In addition to the suspensions, Georgia Tech's basketball team faced further penalties from the NCAA due to recruiting violations. The team was placed on four years of probation, banned from postseason tournaments, and subjected to recruiting restrictions and scholarship reductions. These penalties were a result of violations committed by former assistant coach LaBarrie and a former friend of Pastner's, Ron Bell, who was deemed a booster.
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The NCAA banned the team from the 2019-20 postseason
The Georgia Tech basketball team was banned by the NCAA from participating in postseason play in 2019-20 and was placed on four years of probation for multiple recruitment violations. The NCAA infractions committee banned the Yellow Jackets from the postseason following an investigation into recruiting improprieties committed by former assistant coach Darryl LaBarrie and Ron Bell, a former friend of head coach Josh Pastner's, whom the NCAA classified as a booster.
LaBarrie was sanctioned for facilitating impermissible contact with a recruit and the distribution of impermissible benefits, and then providing false or misleading information about the violations to NCAA investigators. He was given a three-year show-cause order by the NCAA, which effectively serves as a suspension from coaching at the college level for that span. LaBarrie acknowledged taking the recruit and a team member to a strip club and arranging a meeting with Jack, but said that he was unaware that Jack provided money to the recruit. He also admitted to lying to the NCAA, claiming it was a result of panicking during the meeting with investigators.
Bell, who was deemed a representative of Tech's interest, was found to have provided impermissible benefits to then-Tech basketball players Tadric Jackson and Josh Okogie. He gave a recruit shoes and clothes and paid for a trip to his home in Arizona, actions labeled by the NCAA as Level II violations. The NCAA committee found the actions of Georgia Tech Athletics representatives to be especially egregious, stating that it is "particularly abhorrent in the recruiting process where coaches and others in a position of trust are responsible for the well-being of high school students visiting their campus".
In addition to the postseason ban and four years of probation, Georgia Tech will also face a reduction of one scholarship for each year of probation, significant recruiting restrictions for the length of the probation, and a $5,000 fine in addition to 2% of the team’s budget. The infractions committee also recommended that team members be permitted to transfer and play immediately at their new schools.
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The NCAA handed down four years of probation
The Georgia Tech basketball team was banned from participating in postseason play in 2019-20 and placed on four years of probation for multiple recruitment violations. The NCAA infractions committee banned the Yellow Jackets from the postseason following an investigation into recruiting improprieties committed by former assistant coach Darryl LaBarrie and Ron Bell, a former friend of coach Josh Pastner's, whom the NCAA classified as a booster.
LaBarrie was sanctioned for two severe breaches of conduct, the NCAA's highest level of violations. These included facilitating impermissible contact with a recruit and the distribution of impermissible benefits, as well as providing false or misleading information about the violations to NCAA investigators. LaBarrie acknowledged taking the recruit, identified as Wendell Carter Jr., to a strip club and arranging a meeting with former Tech star Jarrett Jack. Bell was also found to have provided impermissible benefits to then-Tech basketball players Tadric Jackson and Josh Okogie, which was assessed as a significant breach of conduct, the second-highest level of misconduct.
In addition to the four years of probation, Georgia Tech faced further penalties, including a postseason ban for the 2019-20 season, a reduction of one scholarship for each year of probation, significant recruiting restrictions, a $5,000 fine, and the recommendation that team members be permitted to transfer and play immediately at their new schools. LaBarrie received a three-year show-cause order, effectively suspending him from coaching at the college level for that period.
While Georgia Tech expressed regret for the violations and appreciated the NCAA's work, they were disappointed by the severity of the penalties, stating that they would unfairly impact current student-athletes. The university also self-imposed a three-year disassociation from LaBarrie and Bell, acknowledging that the violations did not align with their values and commitment to compliance.
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The NCAA gave a three-year show-cause order to LaBarrie, a suspension from coaching
The Georgia Tech basketball team was banned from the NCAA Tournament and other postseason tournaments in 2019. The NCAA infractions committee also banned the Yellow Jackets from the postseason in the wake of an investigation into recruiting improprieties committed by former assistant coach Darryl LaBarrie and Ron Bell, a former friend of coach Josh Pastner's whom the NCAA classified as a booster.
LaBarrie was given a three-year show-cause order, which is effectively a suspension from coaching at the college level for that duration. The NCAA handed down this penalty because LaBarrie failed to cooperate with the investigation and committed two severe breaches of conduct, the NCAA's highest level of violations.
A show-cause penalty is the most severe punishment a coach can receive for violating NCAA rules. It prevents coaches penalized by the NCAA from joining another school to escape sanctions. If a school hires a coach under a show-cause order, the school is also penalized unless it can appeal to the NCAA's Committee on Infractions and "show cause" for why it should not be penalized.
Several other coaches have received show-cause orders from the NCAA for various infractions, including Bruce Pearl, Kelvin Sampson, and Andre McGee. These orders can range from three to fifteen years in length, and they often hinder a coach's ability to find comparable employment after the order expires.
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Georgia Tech self-reported rules violations to the NCAA
In 2017, Georgia Tech self-reported NCAA rules violations following an internal investigation into extra benefits received by senior Tadric Jackson and sophomore Josh Okogie of the men's basketball team. Jackson and Okogie were suspended indefinitely, pending the NCAA's resolution.
Athletic director Todd Stansbury acknowledged his embarrassment, stating that the violations "do not align with our values of putting student-athletes first and playing by the rules." He added that the school took swift action when they learned of the rules violations and cooperated fully with the NCAA investigation.
In 2019, the NCAA notified Georgia Tech of additional alleged recruiting violations by former assistant basketball coach Darryl LaBarrie and Ron Bell, a former friend of head coach Josh Pastner. LaBarrie was accused of facilitating impermissible contact with a recruit, distributing impermissible benefits, and providing false or misleading information to NCAA investigators. Bell was accused of providing impermissible benefits to then-Tech basketball players Tadric Jackson and Josh Okogie.
As a result of these violations, the NCAA placed the Georgia Tech men's basketball team on four years of probation and banned them from the postseason in 2019-20. The team also faced significant recruiting restrictions, a reduction of scholarships, and a fine.
In 2021, the NCAA Division I Committee on Infractions found the Georgia Institute of Technology women's basketball program responsible for committing violations related to impermissible countable athletically related activities (CARA) and coaching limitation violations. The former head coach was found to have required student-athletes to practice in excess of permissible limitations and permitted graduate student managers to provide impermissible instruction. As a result, the program was placed on three years of probation and fined.
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Frequently asked questions
No, but in 2019, the NCAA banned Georgia Tech's men's basketball team from participating in postseason play and placed them on four years of probation for multiple recruitment violations.
The ban was the result of an investigation into recruiting improprieties committed by former assistant coach Darryl LaBarrie and Ron Bell, a former friend of coach Josh Pastner's, who the NCAA classified as a booster.
The team was banned from the postseason in 2019-2020, put on four years of probation, faced a reduction of one scholarship for each year of probation, significant recruiting restrictions, and a $5,000 fine in addition to 2% of the team's budget.
Yes, LaBarrie was given a three-year show-cause order, effectively suspending him from coaching at the college level for that period. Bell, who was deemed a representative of Tech's interest, received a lesser violation charge.
Yes, in 2017, Georgia Tech suspended basketball players Tadric Jackson and Josh Okogie indefinitely after they accepted impermissible benefits in violation of NCAA rules.
