HoopDirt Daily News - 12/8/17

Almost two weeks after being placed on paid administrative leave (HoopDirt story HERE), the status of Georgia Tech assistant coach Darryl LaBarrie is still up in the air. According to a report by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, the NCAA, with Tech’s assistance, is continuing an investigation into the allegation, with no set end point. LaBarrie has been told not to contact anyone with the team, and Tech players, coaches and staff are under the same restrictions with him. The AJC is also reporting that the investigation stems from an incident involving a prospect on an official visit who did not sign with the school. Georgia Tech head coach Josh Pastner has elevated compliance and recruiting director Julian Swartz to fill LaBarrie’s role in the interim. The complete story from the AJC can be found HERE.

Oregon basketball coach Dana Altman knew more about a rape allegation against one of his players than he or the school previously acknowledged, according to a report from Sports Illustrated. The allegation surrounds Kavell Bigby-Williams, a transfer power forward from Gillette (Wyo.) College, who was under criminal investigation in Wyoming for an alleged sexual assault that occurred while he was a student at Oregon. SI obtained Altman’s cell phone records under the Freedom of Information Act, which apparently reveal the coach was enmeshed in Bigby-Williams’s case from the beginning. The full report can be read HERE.

From today’s Louisville Courier Journal…Apparently former Louisville head coach Rick Pitino was “very humiliated, very hurt” by the way he was treated by the Papa John’s guy in a UL board of trustees meeting back in June, and felt at that point that he was no longer wanted at Louisville (nearly 4 months before he was fired). Pitino recalled Papa John participating in the meeting via video conference, claiming the NCAA had charged Pitino’s basketball program with 17 Level 1 violations and mocking him for being present at the meeting. The complete story can be found HERE. Side note: we’re talking about the Papa John’s guy who’s company lost $70 million in less that 24 hour back in November after he bashed NFL. Interesting.

BONUS DIRT: I can confirm that NJCAA D1 Northern Oklahoma Enid head coach Greg Shamburg will not return next year, but will finish out this season. The veteran coach has been at Enid for the past 15 seasons. His job was officially posted HERE yesterday.

REMINDER: To nominate a head coach for the HoopDirt.com Coach of the Week presented by Just Play Solutions, please email your submission to [email protected]. Nominations will be accepted through Sunday evening. Last week’s winners can be found HERE.

HoopDirt Daily News – 12/8/17