(05-15-2026, 01:13 PM)OCcardinal Wrote: I'm friends with a (former) team parent. I didn't want to reveal anything said in confidence to me, but now that the fuller story is public, I can at least confirm that those shocking quotes in the article were not made up by the reporter.
The saddest part of the situation to me is that there are transfers who really wanted to get their Stanford degrees. More than the impact on the team's competitiveness, it guts me that the situation has impacted the trajectory of their lives in that way.
One surprise from the article - that Talana Lepolo "left the team" in January. I'm really curious what the story is with that. I thought she was just injured. Not having her senior leadership seemed to have a big negative impact this season.
Based on a few things I heard (but not the whole story) my brain made links that made me think it was a chronic health condition (not injury). And I really thought that that must have been what brought this team together. While that may or may not be true (or my imagination), this team was close in spite of--er, and/or because of--KP's abusive behavior.
(05-15-2026, 01:21 PM)Goose Wrote: From the uastoday article
Quote:Three people also told the Standard that Paye is allegedly working to implement a system that would prevent players from taking classes in the summer and larger-than-normal course loads so they can’t graduate early.If this is really true Paye has to go now, without any doubt. One of the "big" disputes on this board is the degree to which academic accomplishment should be compromised in the name of athletic success. Any coach who attempts to actually prevent a student taking a heavy course load and/or summer classes is clearly subverting the academic purpose of the University as well as potentially damaging the students academic career. There is a reason the student wants to take a heavy load and/or take classes during the summer. The coach has no business impeding that academic progress.
I can see a coach suggesting that a lighter course load during the season in order to foster better athletic performance. However, if the student chooses not to do so, the coach must instead look for ways to facilitate athletic success subject to the students actual course load. The rest of the time, the coach needs to just stay out of the students academic program. That is ostensibly why the student is in school in the first place.
It is even more inadmissible to attempt to stymie a students academic career because the coach wants to deny the student the ability to grad transfer. Said student may not be able to get in to a Stanford graduate program, or simply may not want to do so. Denying the student the opportunity to get a year of graduate tuition paid for by an athletic scholarship elsewhere just because they would then have to stay at Stanford is totally inadmissible. If that was even seriously considered all involved should be fired for cause.
Freshman year, HS: "We'd love to have you at Stanford. Here, take these AP courses. Study hard. We like that you value education and are a hard-working over-achiever."
Freshman year, Stanford: "Don't take too many classes. Maybe consider not graduating until after your professional basketball career, if you are good enough to have one. I'll be the judge of that."