Was Tennessee Basketball Coach Rick Barnes Involved In Academic Fraud?

Did Tennessee make another hiring mistake when they hired Rick Barnes? Perhaps. Once again the Tennessee athletic department finds themselves in another coaching fire storm courtesy of their new head basketball coach

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The Chronicle of Higher Education published a report Wednesday accusing the University of Texas basketball program of academic fraud under Barnes.

This is what part of the report says according to GoVols.com:

"Two former Texas academic advisers told the Chronicle that a math instructor caught former Texas basketball player Martez Walker taking photos of test questions and seeking help on his phone during a final in the fall of 2013. The instructor informed the athletic department, but Walker went on to pass the class, make the Big 12 Commissioner’s Honor Roll and help lead the Longhorns to the NCAA tournament.A former academic mentor in the athletic department told the Chronicle that he helped write papers for former Texas basketball player J’Covan Brown, who played for Barnes from 2009-12.And a tutor told the Chronicle that former Texas player P.J. Tucker, who played for Barnes from 2003-06, received impermissible academic assistance while he was preparing for the NBA draft."

The report did not say that Barnes had known or had anything to do with this report, but here is the problem: it’s another black eye to Tennessee. How many times is this going to happen to the Vols? If Barnes had any involvement in this, they might have to replace yet another basketball coach.