*By Gregg Doyel < l>*
*CBS SportsLine.com Senior Writer
**June 3, 12:47 p.m.*
Beware of Tarkanian
As we speak, the book college basketball doesn’t want you to read is
being written: Jerry Tarkanian’s tell-all.
And according to author Dan Wetzel, Tarkanian does tell all. After years
of fighting the NCAA and being accused of every recruiting violation
under the sun, Tarkanian has lots to say. Lots to admit, too.
“He’s got stories you wouldn’t believe,” Wetzel says. “He’s out of
coaching. So what does he care?”
No release date has been set, but don’t worry. When the book comes out,
you’ll know it. How? Because people all over the college basketball
landscape will be ducking for cover.
Here’s one excerpt about a high school star who infatuated Tarkanian.
The player’s name and the identity of the opposing school are in the
book, but for now they’ve been left blank by me, because suspense is
better. Use your imagination:
“At one point (the player) wanted me to take his entire high school
team, give them all scholarships just to get him,” Tarkanian says. “As a
compromise I took one player from his high school, (name here), who was
a good student and a good player. I even got (the star’s) girlfriend
into Long Beach State, just one more reason he didn’t ever have to leave
campus.”
Tark learned, though, that his star recruit had been cheating on him
with another college.
“The story was (the player) got a new Corvette. That’s it. (The other
school) gave (him) a new Corvette and was taking all of his high school
buddies. They signed the whole team. … (That team’s coach) cashed in
his teacher’s retirement to get (the player) the Corvette.”
Wow.