Southern Mississippi will self-impose a postseason ban on its basketball program for the second straight season in 2016 as part of an ongoing NCAA investigation.
Last season's ban came on Jan. 20. That was 2 1/2 months after word first spread that the NCAA was looking into former coach Donnie Tyndall's tenure with the school. Tyndall, who left Southern Miss in 2014 to coach at Tennessee, was fired in Knoxville for allegations of NCAA violations and illegal benefits for players while he was with USM.
"I am very disappointed for the current members of our men's basketball team and coaching staff, none of whom were involved in any alleged violation of NCAA rules," Southern Miss AD Bill McGillis said via written statement. "While excruciating due to the impact on the young men in our program today, the decision to withhold our team from postseason competition following the 2015-16 season is appropriate given the findings of the recent university and NCAA review of our program."
Southern Miss won 56 games in Tyndall's two seasons on campus. Last year, under new coach Doc Sadler, the Golden Eagles went 9-20. In July, Southern Miss was handed a formal Notice of Allegations by the NCAA. Academic fraud, impermissible financial aid and obstruction of the NCAA's case in the matter are all part of the charges handed down on the school and Tyndall.
