Williams reiterates: Academic scandal doesn't reach basketball

Roy Williams responded Wednesday to questions about the recent academic investigation at the university.

Posted 11:00 p.m. Aug 15, 2012 — Updated 2:48 a.m. Aug 16, 2012

Erin Summers

North Carolina head basketball coach Roy Williams faced questions about the on-going academic scandal at the Chapel Hill university Wednesday when he played in the Pro-Am during the Wyndham Golf Championship at Sedgefield Golf Course in Greensboro.

He reiterated his opinion that any academic malfeasance did not reach into the basketball program.

"It's a bunch of ... you can fill in the blanks. I feel extremely good, extremely good and if you want to add in any more than that about everything that's been done academically in the nine years that we've been there and anybody that wants to take exception to that can do whatever they please," said Williams.

UNC leaders said Tuesday they are investigating how an apparent student-athlete’s transcript ended up on the school's website. UNC will not confirm or deny the transcript is that of former football and basketball player Julius Peppers, but the transcript raises questions about whether the current academic scandal dates back 10 years or more.

In May, an internal investigation at UNC revealed unauthorized grades, forged signatures and other irregularities in 54 courses in the Department of African and Afro-American Studies. Many of the students enrolled in the 54 courses in question – which spanned a period from the start of the summer session in 2007 to the end of the summer session in 2011 – were student-athletes.

The probe started in September 2011 following published reports that claimed plagiarism and other discrepancies on a course paper written by former Tar Heels football player Michael McAdoo. The paper, submitted to professor Julius Nyang’oro, was revealed to be largely reproduced from other sources.

Suggest A Correction