Illinois Banned From ’91 NCAA Tournament

The Illinois basketball team was banned Wednesday from postseason play in 1991 by the NCAA, placed on three years of probation and limited to two new scholarships in each of the next two years for violating NCAA regulations.

The school, however, missed the “death penalty” when it was cleared of the most serious charges--offering cash and cars to top recruits, including prep star Deon Thomas. It was the 1989 recruitment of Thomas that prompted the 16-month investigation.

“If the most serious violations had been found, then . . . the so-called death penalty . . . would have been imposed,” said David Berst, the NCAA’s assistant executive director for enforcement.

The death penalty, which bans a school from competition in a sport for a period up to two years, can be imposed after a school is sanctioned twice within a five-year period for major NCAA infractions. This is Illinois’ third penalty since 1984--the other two involved football and basketball.

Illinois will be banned from off-campus basketball recruiting and from paying for visits by recruits to its campus in the first year. TV coverage will not be restricted.