Eric Gay / AP

Memphis will be forced to vacate the record 38 victories from its Final Four season of 2007-08, when John Calipari was coach.

The sort of egregious violations that have occurred under Calipari’s watch start at the top. It’s never with a direct order, but rather with an attitude. In Calipari’s case, the attitude is: “Get me that kid.”

It’s expressed to the sort of employees who check their morals — if they ever had any — at the door to the athletic department. If you’re the sort of person who would respond to Calipari by saying, “I don’t know, coach. That kid can’t spell ‘cat’ if you spot him the ‘c’ and the ‘t’,” you’re not going to get a job with him. He doesn’t want to hear what can’t be done.

Calipari talks about being interested in education and graduation rates and character and all the rest of the things we tell him he’s supposed to be dedicated to. And he might be, in an intellectual way. But at the gut level, all Calipari wants to do is win, and he doesn’t really care what others do to make that possible, just as long as they don’t tell him.

So it becomes inevitable that if Calipari is left to his own devices, the sort of toadies he hires and the atmosphere he creates is going to lead to trouble. Players are going to get money and have favors done for them. Kids who couldn’t pass the entrance exam to a preschool are going to be handed college scholarships. Their brothers and pals are going to get favors done for them.

Kentucky’s president and athletic director both say they totally trust Calipari. If they really believe that, they had better temper their trust with a huge dose of caution. Leaving him alone to run the basketball team is like leaving a wolf alone to guard a pork loin.

So if Kentucky is going to stay with him, which the school undoubtedly will — he does win a lot of basketball games, after all — the school had better create an independent oversight board.

That board should look at every recruit with an electron microscope. Dig into their high school transcripts. Triple-check anyone who puts up an SAT score that looks even slightly suspicious. Rally the big-bucks boosters and read them the riot act about performing “favors” for athletes.

And above all, go in with the assumption that everyone is suspect. If it comes down to Calipari’s word on a player against the word of a psychotic weasel, go with the weasel. With guys like Calipari, it’s the only way.

And even then, you may get burned.

More news

Terry Gilliam / AP

Spartans take big step forward

Arc's five up, five down: After No. 11 Michigan State's 58-48 upset of No. 3 Ohio State, you'd be a fool to discount the Spartans' national title chances now.

Carlos Osorio / AP

No. 22 Michigan beats Illinois

Tim Hardaway Jr. scored 15 points and Evan Smotrycz added 13, helping No. 22 Michigan remain unbeaten at home with a 70-61 win over Illinois on Sunday.

Headlines

• Label

Seton Hall beats Pittsburgh

Calipari on birthday: 2 years were vacated, I'm 51

Judge: Laurie Fine's past not relevant in suit

Faster, stronger: Metamorphosis of the big man

Arc: History doesn't bode well for Murray State

Gillispie OK with 0-11 Big 12 record; likes effort

Sun Devils add ex-Memphis coach Porter to staff

Younger Singler content with role at Oregon