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Morning Rumble: Texas investigating academic misconduct, NJIT moving to the Atlantic Sun

Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

Next in the Morning Rumble, a new scandal has hit college basketball, NJIT is moving to the A-Sun, Providence adds a big man and Rico Gathers turned himself in for theft.

Another academic scandal is taking over college basketball and this time it's at Texas where the allegations came under now Tennessee head coach Rick Barnes.

Three former Longhorns, P.J. Tucker, Martez Walker and J'Covan Brown, are facing an investigation by the University as they were alleged to be apart of academic misconduct that has been prevalent since 2006.

Walker, who has transferred to Oakland, was found cheating on a test. He was not punished and instead went on to make the Big 12 Honor Roll with a GPA over 3.0. Tucker, who was dealing with NBA Draft business at the time, had an unknown person write his paper for him while he was not on campus. Brown received help on his essay's from an academic advisor.

The lone independent Division I college basketball school in nation has finally found a new home. NJIT announced on Thursday that the program will move to the Atlantic Sun Conference after Northern Kentucky dashed for the Horizon League (leaving the A-Sun with just seven teams).

The Highlanders supported a 51 game losing streak but Jim Engles' squad earned 21 wins last year, including an upset win at Michigan and competitive games against Villanova and Marquette. NJIT will make $100 million facility upgrades, which will include a new basketball court.

On to the Big East, as Ed Cooley and his staff came through with a critical late addition to their 2015 recruiting class. IMG Academy's 6'8" Quadree Smith will be on scholarship for the Providence Friars and may play a big time role in year one considering the multiple front court departures.

Even with the addition on Smith, who is a bruiser in the paint, the Friars don't have a single player on their roster that will stand taller than 6'8". That could be a major disadvantage, but it can also create mismatches, especially with Ben Bentil's ability to step out and shoot jumpers.

Good thing the Friars still have Kris Dunn, who is projected to be one of the best players in the country next season.

Very nice gesture from Shannon Freeman-Frogge, who added Lauren Hill's name on a brick in the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame. Freeman-Frogge, who played her high school basketball in the state of Indiana and now lives in Utah, has never even met Hill, but this just shows how much of an impact Hill has had on others across the country.

Rico Gathers, who chose Baylor over St. John's during his recruiting process, turned himself in for allegedly stealing more than $100 worth of items from Walmart. A store employee saw Gathers put two pillows, a tote bag, a water dispenser and a trash can on a shopping cart and failed to pay for the items.

Gathers led the Big 12 with a dominate 16 double-doubles, but the Bears are still evaluating his status moving forward.

Ex-Tennessee coach Donnie Tyndall, who was fired due to NCAA violations as a former head coach at Southern Mississippi, is making his pro wrestling (yes, wrestling) debut this weekend.

The real question is: is Steve Lavin next?