Kansas basketball bracing for potentially major NCAA sanctions

The NCAA has been hinting that several programs would face significant discipline as a result of the findings from the FBI probe into college basketball recruiting, and Kansas may be about to get hammered for several major rules violations.

The FBI’s probe into college basketball recruiting has hung like an anvil over the NCAA this summer, with word leaking a few months ago that several major programs would get hit with severe sanctions for major rules violations. It looks like the first school to see the hammer come down is a big one, one of the bluest blue bloods of all, the University of Kansas.

Kansas is expected to receive an official notification of the violations from the NCAA soon, although school officials haven’t been contacted yet. This could definitely cast a black cloud over college basketball since the Jayhawks enter the year as one of the nation’s top teams, with several early top 25 polls putting them close to the top spot.

It’s not clear yet what types of penalties Kansas could be facing, but severe cases in the past have seen schools receive scholarship reductions, vacate victories, or even face bans from postseason play. The Jayhawks have been to the NCAA Tournament 30 straight years, which is the longest active streak in college basketball, so that could be in jeopardy if Kansas faces a postseason ban.

This news could also have an effect on the future of head coach Bill Self, who has been one of the country’s top coaches since landing the Kansas job back in 2003. Even though Self is revered in Lawrence for the dominant run he has led since taking over for Roy Williams, major rules violations have taken down coaches before, like Rick Pitino at Louisville.

We are still in the dark while we await official word on the penalties Kansas may be facing, but the Jayhawks’ faithful will be sweating bullets until they know how it affects the team’s upcoming season.