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Taylor blames NCAA `crooks'
Ex-Wolverine has no regrets
By JONATHAN FEIGEN
Copyright 2002 Houston Chronicle
http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/story.hts/sports/1653171
On the day Michigan slapped itself silly with sanctions for NCAA rules violations, Rockets forward Maurice Taylor, one of the central figures in the case, said he does not regret accepting gifts as a Michigan basketball player and that his school has overreacted.
Taylor has admitted taking money from booster Ed Martin and said he testified before a grand jury that accused former Michigan star Chris Webber of perjury and obstructing justice in Martin's case. Thursday, Taylor blamed the NCAA for its "hypocrisy" and called its members "crooks."
"It's unfortunate that it happened, but it's not the first time and it's not going to be the last," Taylor said. "There are a lot of worse things that went on in college basketball than went on at Michigan. There are a lot of things the NCAA does that players (and) student-athletes don't think are right. I hate that it happened to the school I went to. As far as me feeling any type of emotions toward it, I don't, because the NCAA, they use kids all the time.
"They're crooks. How can you have people come to your colleges and make money off them, and you don't give them money for anything? But the minute they take some money or something else from somebody, their whole career is over. It's definitely a hypocritical situation."
Michigan on Thursday made itself ineligible for the 2003 postseason, put itself on probation for two years and forfeited 113 victories from the 1993 Final Four and five seasons in which Taylor, Webber, Robert Traylor and Louis Bullock Jr. played. Michigan will remove banners from Crisler Arena for the 1992 and 1993 Final Four appearances, the 1997 National Invitation Tournament title and the 1998 Big Ten tournament title.
The NCAA is expected to rule in six to eight weeks on whether it will accept the penalties or issue other sanctions.
Martin pleaded guilty in May to conspiracy to launder money. He has said he took gambling winnings and other money and loaned it to former Michigan players and their families. Federal investigators said Martin gave $105,000 to Taylor, now 26, who played for the Wolverines from 1994-97 and was taken by the Clippers with the 14th overall pick in the 1997 draft.
In all, the four players received $616,000, authorities alleged.
Martin's involvement with basketball players became public when Taylor lost control of his car while driving future Michigan State point guard Mateen Cleaves to a party while on a 1998 recruiting visit to Michigan. School officials discovered after the accident that Cleaves' trip had included a visit to Martin's house.
Webber, now with the Sacramento Kings, has blamed Martin, saying the former Ford Motor Co. electrician preyed on young players' "naivet?." Taylor disagrees.
"I don't have any ill will toward Ed Martin," Taylor said. "He never did anything wrong to me. As far as what I know about him personally, he's a good guy. As far as everything he had going on outside what I know about ... I would never call him a criminal or anything like that. He was nice and cordial toward me. Me taking something from him, I can't call him a criminal. It was a chapter in my life that was closed."
Taylor said that because Martin's interest was in players, rather than a particular team, Michigan should not have been so harsh with itself.
"It's not like a guy was paying guys to go to his school," Taylor said. "It wasn't a guy influencing what went on at Michigan. With him not having influence, I can't see how they can impose that harsh of penalties. I could see if he said, `I want you to go here.' That wasn't going on. He wasn't worried about what school you were going to. He was worried about what potential you had.
"I did think those were harsh because no one knew. (Then-Michigan coach) Steve Fisher didn't know about the guy."
Taylor's crash and the related investigations led to Fisher's firing. Separately, Taylor is currently serving a five-game suspension from the Rockets for violating the NBA's drug policy.
Rockets forward Glen Rice, who led Michigan to the 1989 championship, was not involved in the Martin case. He said the stigma of violations might hurt as much as the sanctions.
"It's sad," Rice said. "It scars the university a little bit.
"It's not good to hear things like that. But there were things done wrong. You have to live with the penalties. I wasn't around. I wasn't really paying attention with what went on at that time. But it was not a lure to try to get them to go to the university. You have friends all the time. They will say, `Hey, here's a few dollars.'
"My deal with the University of Michigan was (legitimate). We did everything straight up. We got our job done the right way. We took care of business (and) won a championship."
Taylor said he is not embarrassed by the notoriety attached with the Martin case.
"I don't have any regrets," Taylor said. "For me to say that I regret something I have done would be like me taking the fall for the whole situation. Personally, I don't feel I have anything to regret, because I feel I did what any guy would do in my situation.
"I can go anywhere with my head held high, anywhere."
SANCTIONS
? Michigan will be prohibited from playing in the NCAA Tournament or the National Invitation Tournament after the upcoming season.
? The school will forfeit victories from five seasons, as well as the 1992 Final Four appearance.
? Four banners will be taken down at Crisler Arena -- for the 1992 and 1993 Final Fours, the 1997 NIT title and the 1998 Big Ten tournament title (above).
? Michigan will return to the NCAA $450,000 -- money it earned for appearing in the postseason -- and go on probation for two years.
Ex-Wolverine has no regrets
By JONATHAN FEIGEN
Copyright 2002 Houston Chronicle
http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/story.hts/sports/1653171
On the day Michigan slapped itself silly with sanctions for NCAA rules violations, Rockets forward Maurice Taylor, one of the central figures in the case, said he does not regret accepting gifts as a Michigan basketball player and that his school has overreacted.
Taylor has admitted taking money from booster Ed Martin and said he testified before a grand jury that accused former Michigan star Chris Webber of perjury and obstructing justice in Martin's case. Thursday, Taylor blamed the NCAA for its "hypocrisy" and called its members "crooks."
"It's unfortunate that it happened, but it's not the first time and it's not going to be the last," Taylor said. "There are a lot of worse things that went on in college basketball than went on at Michigan. There are a lot of things the NCAA does that players (and) student-athletes don't think are right. I hate that it happened to the school I went to. As far as me feeling any type of emotions toward it, I don't, because the NCAA, they use kids all the time.
"They're crooks. How can you have people come to your colleges and make money off them, and you don't give them money for anything? But the minute they take some money or something else from somebody, their whole career is over. It's definitely a hypocritical situation."
Michigan on Thursday made itself ineligible for the 2003 postseason, put itself on probation for two years and forfeited 113 victories from the 1993 Final Four and five seasons in which Taylor, Webber, Robert Traylor and Louis Bullock Jr. played. Michigan will remove banners from Crisler Arena for the 1992 and 1993 Final Four appearances, the 1997 National Invitation Tournament title and the 1998 Big Ten tournament title.
The NCAA is expected to rule in six to eight weeks on whether it will accept the penalties or issue other sanctions.
Martin pleaded guilty in May to conspiracy to launder money. He has said he took gambling winnings and other money and loaned it to former Michigan players and their families. Federal investigators said Martin gave $105,000 to Taylor, now 26, who played for the Wolverines from 1994-97 and was taken by the Clippers with the 14th overall pick in the 1997 draft.
In all, the four players received $616,000, authorities alleged.
Martin's involvement with basketball players became public when Taylor lost control of his car while driving future Michigan State point guard Mateen Cleaves to a party while on a 1998 recruiting visit to Michigan. School officials discovered after the accident that Cleaves' trip had included a visit to Martin's house.
Webber, now with the Sacramento Kings, has blamed Martin, saying the former Ford Motor Co. electrician preyed on young players' "naivet?." Taylor disagrees.
"I don't have any ill will toward Ed Martin," Taylor said. "He never did anything wrong to me. As far as what I know about him personally, he's a good guy. As far as everything he had going on outside what I know about ... I would never call him a criminal or anything like that. He was nice and cordial toward me. Me taking something from him, I can't call him a criminal. It was a chapter in my life that was closed."
Taylor said that because Martin's interest was in players, rather than a particular team, Michigan should not have been so harsh with itself.
"It's not like a guy was paying guys to go to his school," Taylor said. "It wasn't a guy influencing what went on at Michigan. With him not having influence, I can't see how they can impose that harsh of penalties. I could see if he said, `I want you to go here.' That wasn't going on. He wasn't worried about what school you were going to. He was worried about what potential you had.
"I did think those were harsh because no one knew. (Then-Michigan coach) Steve Fisher didn't know about the guy."
Taylor's crash and the related investigations led to Fisher's firing. Separately, Taylor is currently serving a five-game suspension from the Rockets for violating the NBA's drug policy.
Rockets forward Glen Rice, who led Michigan to the 1989 championship, was not involved in the Martin case. He said the stigma of violations might hurt as much as the sanctions.
"It's sad," Rice said. "It scars the university a little bit.
"It's not good to hear things like that. But there were things done wrong. You have to live with the penalties. I wasn't around. I wasn't really paying attention with what went on at that time. But it was not a lure to try to get them to go to the university. You have friends all the time. They will say, `Hey, here's a few dollars.'
"My deal with the University of Michigan was (legitimate). We did everything straight up. We got our job done the right way. We took care of business (and) won a championship."
Taylor said he is not embarrassed by the notoriety attached with the Martin case.
"I don't have any regrets," Taylor said. "For me to say that I regret something I have done would be like me taking the fall for the whole situation. Personally, I don't feel I have anything to regret, because I feel I did what any guy would do in my situation.
"I can go anywhere with my head held high, anywhere."
SANCTIONS
? Michigan will be prohibited from playing in the NCAA Tournament or the National Invitation Tournament after the upcoming season.
? The school will forfeit victories from five seasons, as well as the 1992 Final Four appearance.
? Four banners will be taken down at Crisler Arena -- for the 1992 and 1993 Final Fours, the 1997 NIT title and the 1998 Big Ten tournament title (above).
? Michigan will return to the NCAA $450,000 -- money it earned for appearing in the postseason -- and go on probation for two years.
