Report: SMU receives NCAA notice of allegations

The NCAA sent a notice of allegations to SMU and its basketbal program, according to a report Friday.

SMU, coached by 74-year-old Larry Brown, is accused of academic improprieties and likely will be called before the NCAA’s Committee of Infractions sometime this year, ESPN reported.

The school will be given the opportunity to respond to the allegations. University representatives have yet to comment.

One allegation against the basketball program stems from an academic issue with sophomore Keith Frazier and his attempts to gain his eligibility before landing at SMU, according to ESPN.

The report indicated that there were questions surrounding the involvment of assistant coach Ulric Maligi before Frazier enrolled in school. SMU announced Jan. 13 that Maligi took a leave of absence for personal reasons.

Frazier had trouble coming out of high school in Dallas obtaining his NCAA eligibility.

It’s expected that the 6-foot-5 Frazier will be ruled ineligible for the remainder of this season. He is averaging 10.5 points and 4.0 rebounds per game for the Mustangs.

“This is about his eligibility in school,” Brown told ESPN.com on Friday. “We appealed it, and we are waiting to hear. That’s what this is about. … This is all about what he did academically. It’s a GPA issue. That’s the thing. It’s his grade-point average. We have an appeal. That’s it.”

Brown is no stranger to NCAA investigations. After he coached Kansas to the 1988 NCAA title, the Jawhawks were barred from postseason tournaments the following season and placed on three years’ probation for recruiting violations.