Notebook: NCAA investigation into USF men’s basketball ends

USF former men's basketball assistant Oliver Antigua (right) — younger brother of former head coach Orlando Antigua (left)— resigned after news broke of USF being under an NCAA investigation. ORACLE FILE PHOTO/ADAM MATHIEU

After a 10-month investigation, the NCAA determined Tuesday that former assistant coach Oliver Antigua knowingly violated NCAA rules by providing permissible housing, transportation and meals to potential basketball recruits, only to deny his involvement.

There were no added penalties to USF other than those that were self-imposed last year, which included: A reduction of one men’s basketball scholarship during the 2016-17 year, a 50 day recruiting ban in the summer of 2016 and a $5,000 fine.

As for Antigua, who resigned July of 2016 after news of the investigation broke, a show-cause penalty from Sept. 19, 2017 to Sept. 18, 2019 has been put into place.

During that time, any NCAA school that employs Antigua must prohibit him from all coaching activities and require him to receive regular rules education.

Former Bulls coach Orlando Antigua, Oliver’s older brother, was fired in January and has been replaced by Brian Gregory.

USF will open its season at home against Florida Atlantic on Nov. 10.

 

Men’s golf and Cristian DiMarco dominate Jim Rivers Collegiate

 

Playing against 16 other schools, USF men’s golf won its first fall tournament since 2015 on Tuesday in comfortable fashion.

Taking a 10-stroke lead into the final round of the Jim Rivers Collegiate in Choudrant — about half an hour from Monroe, LA — USF won the tournament with second place coming 13 strokes behind the Bulls.

USF’s Cristian DiMarco won the individual title — the first of his collegiate career — shooting eight under par.

"Cristian is just playing really solid golf right now,” coach Steve Bradley said. “I think he left some shots out there, but it just shows how far he's come as a player."

The Bulls will play their second tournament of the 2017-2018 season from Oct. 1-3 at the Erin Hills Collegiate tournament in Hartford, Wisconsin.

 

Two USF coaches honored by their alma maters

 

USF volleyball assistant coach Benavia Jenkins and women's tennis head coach Cristina Moros are both being honored by their alma maters for their past athletic excellence.

Jenkins, a University of Florida alumna, was inducted into the 2017 Hall of Fame class over the weekend. In her four years as a Gator, she made two trips to the Final Four and ended her senior year with a national championship appearance. She set the school record for blocks (601) and was the first Gator to post 1,000 career kills.

"She was a phenomenal player and the kids that are currently in our program really look up to her,” USF volleyball head coach Courtney Draper said about Jenkins. “They strive to be like Benavia on a daily basis. She has really made a difference in our program since her arrival."

Moros, who won the national championship as a player with Texas in 1995, is one of 15 student-athletes to be inducted into the University of Texas Women's Athletics Hall of Honor in October.