1950s Basketball Recruiting Controversy

James B. Hunt, Jr. reflects on what he learned from the chancellor and other faculty leaders during the 1950s basketball recruiting controversy.

Interview on 2012-05-29 00:00:00 -0400

Transcript

00:00:00.000 But I learned a lot too from the adult leadership at the university.
00:00:08.179 As student body president I met every week with the chancellor, the president of the faculty senate, and myself, three of us,
00:00:20.699 and I learned a lot about the issues that the university was facing, why they tried to do certain things, why they couldn't do certain things that we students wanted.
00:00:33.622 I learned about team leadership, how you have to work together to get things done.
00:00:40.858 I recall being student body president when NC State was put on probation by the NCAA for basketball recruiting violations.
00:00:54.056 That was one of the toughest times in the history of the university.
00:00:57.959 We recruited a student named Jackie Moreland from Louisiana who was a great basketball player.
00:01:04.232 Unfortunately we also offered a scholarship to his girlfriend
00:01:11.027 that we were going to pay for, not exactly within the rules.
00:01:15.933 Another occasion, I think another year, perhaps the year before that, and for that violation they almost threatened to kick us out of the NCAA.
00:01:26.280 Not just put us on probation, throw us out.
00:01:30.123 I think it was the year before that that we had recruiting violations, and I think all five players that we recruited, probably all from Indiana,
00:01:40.042 they told us we couldn't take any of them because we'd violated the rules of recruiting. It was tough. State was maybe the best basketball program in America,
00:01:48.288 but boy, we were aggressive in trying to get the best players and we violated plenty of rules. Now we have maybe the cleanest program. [Laughs]