SYRACUSE -- As the Syracuse men's basketball team heads into tournament time, the program may be under fire again.
In an article published late Monday afternoon, Yahoo! Sports reported allegations that the program did not adhere to its own drug policies. According to the article, at least 10 players tested positive for banned substances since 2001. Authors Charles Robinson and Pat Forde say the school did not follow its own drug policy and allowed the players to continue to play despite the positive tests.
The article cites four sources, but all of them are anonymous.
"I was shocked," said SU Student Matthew Guilder. "You just have to let it run it's course, just have to hope it's not true."
"In accordance with NCAA regulations, it is the University's practice to self-report possible violations to the NCAA. We self-reported issues with drug testing to the NCAA, and there is currently an ongoing inquiry. The inquiry does not involve any current SU student-athletes. To ensure the integrity of the ongoing process, we are unable to comment further at this time," said Kevin Quinn, Senior VP for Public Affairs, Syracuse University.
During the CBS5 News at 6:00, Michael Benny sat down with "On the Block" host Brent Axe to discuss the allegations. Axe spoke with Pat Forde, one of the authors of the article.
You can see the interview with Brent Axe by clicking here.
Axe says stories like this do happen in college basketball but he thinks SU will bounce back. "It's surprising," he said. "But I don't think it's going to affect this team whatsoever in the coming weeks and days."
Right now, the 2nd ranked Orange is preparing for the Big East tournament.
Stay with CNY Central for more details as they become available. What do you think of the allegations? Do you think the NCAA should/will bring sanctions if the allegations are true?
