The Michigan Wolverines came out fighting this fall with a set of talented maize-clad freshmen and
a young, energetic coach ready to clean up the program and win some games. While an army of
former players marched before a federal grand jury, and the Ed Martin scandal lingered in the
background, the young Wolverine squad won their first six games. Then the honeymoon ended, as
the NCAA began a seemingly endless investigation of Jamal Crawford, that kid with the screaming
yellow headband and the deadly jump shot.
After looking into Crawford's relationship with Seattle communications mogul Barry Henthorn, a
"family friend" who housed, fed and bought gifts for the talented young hoopster, the NCAA slapped
Crawford with a six-game suspension for violating rules on amateurism and extra benefits.
Henthorn claims his relationship with Crawford was strictly legit. But since the investigation
began, Seattle and Detroit newspapers have uncovered some questionable details. Most troubling
are reports of an unsigned scholarship agreement granting Crawford money in exchange for
promoting the Academic Assistance Foundation, an unregistered non-profit organization tied to
Henthorn.
From there, things just went downhill for the Wolverines. Michigan athletic director Tom Goss was
forced out of his job after he failed to inform university president Lee Bollinger of the NCAA
investigation. And just when it looked like the Wolverines would get their top scorer back, the
NCAA tacked on eight more games to Crawford's suspension due to his ill-fated attempt to enter
the NBA draft straight out of high school.
The Wolverine basketball team responded to the Miseducation of Jamal Crawford by dropping nine of
their last twelve games, including a season-ending 75-65 loss to Notre Dame in the first round of the
NIT. Meantime, Coach Brian Ellerbe went on the defensive, trying to keep the press out of practice.
Who could blame him? He, too, had plenty of reason to hide, after allegedly asking a student to keep
quiet about a player suspected of stealing her valuables.
Michigan's reputation may only get dragged through more mud, thanks to Ed Martin and the FBI. Martin,
the banned booster accused of running an illegal gambling ring in local auto plants, reportedly
entered a plea bargain agreement with federal officials. The deal: he'll tell all on his dealings
with the UM basketball program in exchange for pleading guilty to gambling and tax evasion charges.
So far, the Wolverines have escaped with only minor sanctions for rules violations connected to
Martin, whose influence on the program dates back at least to the days of the Fab Five. But if new
testimony supports whispers of cash payments to more recent players, such as former star Louis
Bullock, the Michigan program may find itself in hot water with the NCAA again next season.
