CBSSports.com recently surveyed nearly 100 college coaches, getting their thoughts on some of college basketball’s current issues. One question asked was, “Who is perceived by college coaches to be the biggest cheater in the sport?”
The coaches answered—anonymously, of course—and Kentucky’s John Calipari took home the inglorious crown, receiving 36 percent of the vote, followed by Baylor’s Scott Drew, who received 34 percent of the vote.
Here is the complete breakdown of the poll, followed by some quotes, all courtesy of CBSSports.com:
1. John Calipari (Kentucky): 36 percent
2. Scott Drew (Baylor): 34 percent
3. Ben Howland (UCLA): 12 percent
4. Jim Calhoun (Connecticut): 7 percent
5. Tom Crean (Indiana): 3 percent
6. Dave Rice (UNLV): 3 percent
On John Calipari: “Cal probably doesn’t have to cheat now as much as he used to, but he’s still the standard. The rest of us can’t even deal in his league. He’s the best.”
On Scott Drew: “I don’t even have to blink when I say the answer. He’s despised by a lot of people because he comes off holier than God. Meanwhile, everyone knows he’s had to cheat big-time to get the program to where it’s at. If it wasn’t for the God stuff he wouldn’t rub people the wrong way as much.”
On Ben Howland: “I’ve had many conversations with other coaches about [what’s believed to be going on at UCLA]. And this is from me, someone not even recruiting the West Coast.”
On Jim Calhoun: “You ever been to Storrs? It’s miserable. But Calhoun, somehow, has recruited pros there for decades. Hell, he’s one of the guys who actually got caught cheating [with Nate Miles]. He’s the obvious answer.”
On Dave Rice: “They’ve gotta be doing something at UNLV.”
On high-major coaches in general: “They all [expletive] cheat. Every high-level coach cheats.”
