NC State basketball receives probation and scholarship penalties for NCAA violations, but avoids postseason ban

Hark! The herald angels sing, there shall be no postseason ban for NC State men’s basketball stemming from NCAA violations related to the recruitment of Dennis Smith Jr. The Independent Accountability Resolution Process finally processed its resolution this afternoon, and the Wolfpack avoided the worst possible sanctions.

You can read the entire ruling as it was ruled through the process of independent processing at this link.

Former head coach Mark Gottfried and former assistant Orlando Early received show-cause penalties for their respective roles in the violations, while the school was put on a year’s probation and fined $5,000. The substantive penalties for NC State really are not bad, all things considered. NC State faces a loss of one scholarship for 2021-22 and 2022-23 and must vacate all of its wins from the 2016-17 season, which was Dennis Smith’s lone year with the team.

Now, I’m not saying that this should be treated as an occasion worthy of ice cream and that Kevin Keatts should go buy himself and the team some ice cream, but then again ... maybe he should.

This infractions review by the NCAA/IARP predates Keatts’ tenure and has just been hanging over his head the entire time. Finally, NC State has closure on the matter and can move on. Keatts no longer has to try to answer questions about this damned case for recruits or anyone else. This mess is over.

NC State athletics director Boo Corrigan released a statement following the ruling, as did Keatts.