Auburn Forfeits 16 Basketball Wins

AUBURN, Ala. - Auburn's men's basketball program has again been cited by the NCAA for rules violations, but its quick response to the latest case saved it from being dealt with as a repeat offender.

School officials said yesterday the program is giving up two scholarships, forfeiting its 16 victories from the 1994-95 season and imposing a one-year ban on recruitment of junior-college players because of NCAA rules violations in the signing of Moochie Norris and Chris Davis.

A letter from the NCAA, released by the university, said violations included improper help by an assistant coach in getting the two players enrolled in a junior college and arranging for housing, transportation and tutorial assistance.

But the NCAA commended Auburn for its response to the case and determined the violations to be "secondary in nature," allowing the program to escape more serious penalties as a repeat offender.

"A major violation would've meant the basketball program would have been subject to the death penalty," Auburn Athletic Director David Housel said.

The NCAA placed the Auburn men's basketball team on two years' probation in 1991 for recruiting violations, including falsifying the date on a national letter of intent. The team was banned from postseason play and hit with minor recruiting restrictions.

"When Auburn went before the Infractions Committee in 1993 (at the end of its probation), it promised to operate its athletic program in an appropriate manner," Housel said. "The NCAA's decision in this matter is an affirmation of our efforts in that direction and the way the university handled this situation."

Norris and Davis were stars in Auburn's surprising 1994-95 season under new coach Cliff Ellis. The Tigers went 16-13 and made the NIT, quite a turnaround following an 11-17 record the previous season.

The 16 victories were forfeited under the penalties proposed by Auburn and accepted by the NCAA.