The National Association of Basketball Coaches has called for a mandatory meeting of all Division I men's basketball coaches to be held on Oct. 15 in Chicago to discuss a recent wave of scandals at the collegiate level.
While Penn basketball coach Fran Dunphy expressed his unhappiness with being forced to go to such a summit, other Ivy League coaches have different thoughts on the matter.
Columbia coach Joseph Jones is a newcomer to the Ancient Eight, yet he comes to Morningside Heights from Villanova, a program that has recently faced a scandal of its own.
Due to his experience with the Wildcats, Jones is well aware of the potential for problems at the Division I level.
"You have to take responsibility for all that goes on in your program," he said. "You're the boss. It's a tough job."
Jones is quite happy with the NABC's attempts to crack down on ethical misconduct among its members.
"I think any steps that are taken is a good thing," he said. "This isn't going to stop everyone who's doing it from doing it, but I hope this can start."
The events of the past few months have caused Cornell coach Steve Donahue -- a former Penn assistant -- to think more about the ethical conduct of coaches.
"I think we need to take notice that this is an issue, because college basketball is so much in the public eye," he said. "Every business in the world has problems like we're having."
Coaches across the Ivy League who weighed in on this issue with The Daily Pennsylvanian -- Dunphy, Jones, Donahue and Jones' brother, Yale coach James Jones -- all agree that the single best way to prevent misconduct in the program is by recruiting the right kids.
"By the time you get a player in your program and you're concerned, then you did a bad job recruiting," Donahue said. "With the way the NCAA limits your hours, it's very, very different to change guys now."
Donahue is quite optimistic about the NABC meeting.
"If it gets everyone to stay in check, then I have no problem with it," he said.
Dartmouth coach Dave Faucher and Harvard coach Frank Sullivan could not be reached for comment, as they were on recruiting trips. Princeton coach John Thompson could not be reached for comment despite numerous phone calls.
Joseph Jones, who helped recruit what many considered one of the top classes in the nation last year at Villanova, says he looks for one important thing in recruits.
"You look for kids who share the same values that you share," he said.
James Jones and Donahue believe that the Ivy League filters out athletes who would cause problems with its tough admissions standards.
"Your typical Ivy League athlete is a bit more focused," Donahue said.
Columbia's Jones isn't sure if this is true.
"Does a better student mean he's a better person?" he pondered.
Donahue is quick to note that it is only a very few programs that act unethically.
"Ninety to 99 percent of these coaches are great and in control," he said. "But that doesn't get reported."
