Mitch to NBA
According to Yahoo Sport's Dan Wetzel Mitch to the NBA after testing positive for marijuana which netted him a YEAR LONG BAN from the NCAA
EDIT: Because some people aren't reading the article:
- Mitch failed an NCAA administered test during the tournament - schools test during the year
- The NCAA has harsher policies than schools do. Had Mitch failed a Michigan adminstered test it would have been 1-2 week suspension
- Mitch dressing did not affect his test. Had Mitch been in street clothes or in AA he could have been tested by the NCAA during the tournament
- Mitch passed 8 tests during his 2 years at Michigan, this was his only failure
http://sports.yahoo.com/news/mitch-mcgary-heading-to-nba-after-positive…
Mitch McGary took a deep breath. He wanted to tell the story of why he smoked marijuana one night in March, why the NCAA suspended him for a year because of it and why the confluence of those events is helping lead him to declare for June's NBA draft. It wasn't easy, so he started at the beginning. For months, McGary had struggled to come to terms with the back injury that limited him to just eight games for the University of Michigan this season, none after mid-December.
EDIT 2: Quotes from Mitch and Beilien from mgoblue.com:
http://www.mgoblue.com/sports/m-baskbl/spec-rel/042514aaa.html
"My family and I want to thank everyone for giving us privacy and the time to make this decision," said McGary. "As you know, it was important for us to weigh all the factors that go into something like this. With that being said, I am ready to move on to the next stage in my life and enter the NBA Draft. "Being a part of a program that values integrity, it is important to let everyone know of a poor decision I recently made. I tested positive for marijuana during the NCAA Tournament. We were notified of that result after the Final Four. I regret thoroughly disappointing my family, coaches and administration. Despite all of this they have been understanding and helpful over the last couple of weeks. "I take full responsibility for this poor choice and want to apologize to everyone, especially those I have grown close to during my fabulous two years at the University of Michigan. "I love the University of Michigan and all it has allowed me to do. I have had my ups and downs, especially with my injury this season. I want to thank all the fans for embracing me. This has been the best two years of my life and I have some unbelievable memories. I know that I will be a Wolverine forever. Go Blue."
Year ban for weed is ludarcris.
You're spelling my name wrong.
April 25th, 2014 at 10:24 AM ^
For those passing judgment, if I had a nickel for every time I saw a certain Fab Fiver light it up across the hall from my dorm room with a certain defensive star of the football team.... I'd have paid off my college debt by now. Sad to see Mitch go under such crappy circumstances.
Seriously, a 1 year suspension for pot, for a kid that had passed 8 previous drug tests? Thanks NCAA and your joke of a regulation system for forcing Mitch into leaving for the NBA. The NCAA is the most broken, bullshit, ridiculous system.
I wonder if he has cause to sue the NCAA for lost wages from the NBA since he wouldn't be able to stick around another year and improve his draft stock?
As to Mitch, I loved watching you play for us and you had such great passion and enthusiasm. You will be missed by all Michigan fans and I know I'm not alone in wishing you the best of luck in the future!
So sick of the NCAA going crazy on the stuff that is "easy" to regulate (weed, stretching times) and giving the cold shoulder to actual, serious matters like recruiting violations or academic fraud.
The NCAA and Mark Emmert are just all kinds of incompetent and stupid, even when an organization like Yahoo does all of the research for them like on the Miami scandal, and then they still drop the ball.
The more I think of the injustice of this year long ban, the more pissed I get.
April 25th, 2014 at 11:22 AM ^
I am seriously starting to consider whether watching any NCAA sport is a good idea. Why give this archaic, money-grubbing, shitty organization money???
FUCK YOU, NCAA
What the fuck??? A one year ban is completely ridiculous for a first time offender. I don't blame Mitch for leaving over this stupid shit, what a joke! Marijuana is LEGAL in two states, it's 2014, and someone can be suspended for a fucking year for this??? I don't even know what to say...
Mr. Yost, no one cares you've never smoked. No one.
Great start to this fucking weekend. Fuck the world. Now there are no sports to look forward to, football team blows, basketball team's gonna suck. FUCK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I'll settle for that at the very least, though.
Huh.
i guess a good healthy weed habit is good training for the NBA
This can't be real. Of all the insanely insane idiotic NCAA edicts, and there are some seriously insanely insane iditotic NCAA edicts, this one is the most insane. In my mind, the shark has been officially jumped.
So ... let me guess this straight ... virtually the entire 2008 Florida Gator Football Team can be as high as a kite, but because the university conducted the positive tests, the penalties are minimal. BUT ... if the NCAA, though, in all of its faux glory conducts the tests, and a positive test results, the National Guard is called in. And if that isn't enough, the insanely insane idiotic robots running the NCAA, don't have a "discretion" switch they can flip that allows their brainless heads to realize that no performance was being enhanced in this case.
The NCAA:
I'm the last guy to make escuses for a college scholarship athlete doing stupid things, certainly because I believe that Rules are Rules and that the scholarship and playing in the program is a privilege, not a right.....but this is ridiculous. A college kid smoked weed....and it nets a 1 year ban? The mist hypocritical organization in sports.
Man...I feel like we are all being Punk'd right now.
Wow...I....this was going to be such a good Friday.
The sooner the NCAA in its current form is abolished, the better.
This type of ridiculous rule (and knowing the NCAA rule book, there are probably dozens of similarly stupid ones) is exactly why it's a good idea for players unionize, or at least to seriously discuss it.
- Driving while intoxicated, where you put yourself and other's lives at risk? No biggie, maybe miss a game or two.
- Smoke some dope on your own time, risking the lives of exactly zero people? Out for a year.
The sooner the NCAA gets blown up, the better.
A year for weed!?
I suppose we'll find out soon if this affected his decision to come back. If he was going to come back and got a year long ban for smoking weed one time which caused him to go to the NBA I am going to be very angry
if the current head of the NCAA wasn't an oblivious thunder turd, would it be so bad? Like, if they could make the occasional concession, or, you know, get out a head of a story for once. Of course, the difficult question is how someone get a position like Emmerts without being an oblivious thunder turd.
Horford probably now wishes he would've stayed.
I did not see this coming.
Horford probably knew. This had to have been in the works for a while with the appeal, etc.
Horford hasn't transferred anywhere yet, has he?
April 25th, 2014 at 10:15 AM ^
Horford DID know.
His family convinced him after four years that Beilein was holding him back. So he turns down huge starting minutes in this offense to go fulfill his family's wishes.
April 25th, 2014 at 10:21 AM ^
Actually, just the opposite. Think about it, Mitch found out weeks ago; he was just waiting for the appeal. Horford knew Mitch's decision, which means that he knew what was going on. He knew there was about a 95% chance McGary was screwed. He decided to transfer anyway.
Horford is transferring because he's pissed about his usage and playing time. He is extending his middle finger at the coaches, there is no way he is coming back. Too bad, he could have had a JMo rebirth this season without McGary around.
April 25th, 2014 at 10:30 AM ^
Horford is soft, quit on the team, and frankly isn't good. I'll take a young guy with no experience that can get better, not a guy who leaves because he doesn't get any PT rather than working to get better. I know I won't miss watching him and his hands like feet whiff on rebounds, passes, and brick from 2 feet away.
Michigan pissed off some cosmic power in the universe when we embarrassed Tim Tebow in the Capital One Bowl in 2008. Our athletics program hasn't been quite the same since. Can't have one year without some really bad vibes around either the football or basketball program.
April 25th, 2014 at 11:59 AM ^
Donnal? I feel like that will be underutilizing his talents like GRIII was at the 4 this year. Sucks to lose all 3 of your best 5's in the span of about a month. Now we effectively don't have a 5 on the roster (Bielfeldt yes...but seriously you guys)
Donnal and Doyle will probably get the bulk of the minutes. I don't think either would have redshirted regardless but this probably guarantees Doyle and Wilson will play next year. I still think this will be one of the more talented teams in the Big Ten and a top 3 finish in the conference is certainly possible.
The power conferences need to split apart from the NCAA. All major football and basketball teams need to unionize. Compensation and insurance (in the case of pro prospects) needs to be increased greatly or added in the first place.
The NCAA is bullshit
the NCAA must be bulldozed.
We have a graduating offensive takle who allegedly likes to imbibe too much too often and he will be a top five draft pick in the NFL draft in two weeks.
We also have a center on our basketball team who got baked one night and that will cost him a year and essentially the rest of his college career.
How much sense does this all make?
Third world dictatorships show more leniency than the NCAA.
I'm truly disappointed like many here.
But I think this is a classy interview and a classy response by Mitch. To say, "I don't agree with it, but I accept responsibility" is the best possible way he could handle this.
And the point made in the article is a really good one: How many times has this happened where a guy "decided to go pro" but didn't own up to his mistake? Mitch could have been silent on the topic. Instead he owned what he did and apologized to Michigan and Michigan fans.
No apology necessary Mitch. I loved every minute you were on the court or the bench. Thanks for all you did to help elevate Michigan Basketball to where it is today.
Derrick Nix gets pulled over high as a kite with drugs in the car and gets suspended from the team for a week. Mitch McGary tests positive one time and the NCAA suspends him for a year. Seems fair.
Mitch is busted for pot. And we're looking to replace him with a kid named Huff...
I just... I got nothing.
BURN DOWN THE NCAA