Reports of academic fraud. Allegations of improprieties. Denials of any wrongdoing.

Scandals seemed to be breaking on a daily basis last week and spilling into headlines this week. One unfortunate story, however, came to a head Tuesday afternoon. That's when St. Bonaventure decided to end its season two games short of completition.

And the news that really disturbed me was not out of Athens, Ga., or Fresno, Calif. It was that story out of Olean, N.Y.

Sadly, it does not surprise me that there are those who skirt the rules from time to time. And I do not wish to diminish the importance or gravity of the allegations of improper benefits and academic misconduct at Georgia and Fresno State. Those are serious issues that need to be addressed fairly and honestly. We have seen allegations like these before, and will again in the future. Fresno State put itself on a postseason ban, and if the NCAA finds alleged misconduct at Georgia to be true, I am confident that it will be brought to light and dealt with in the proper fashion.

But, the news that really disappointed me Tuesday was St. Bonaventure's decision to forfeit its final two games of the season. Talk about a surprise.

After forfeiting six Atlantic 10 victories and being denied the opportunity to play in the A-10 tournament because of an ineligible player, the St. Bonaventure players -- out of hurt and anger -- voted to end the season in protest. As a result, the Bonnies declined to play the final two games against UMass and Dayton.

To compound this unreasonable action, the coaches and administrators at St. Bonaventure effectively supported the players' decision to end their season prematurely by not ordering them to suit up and play Wednesday night.

The players quit.

And St. Bonaventure, through its submission, consented to the players' quitting.

The chain of events at St. Bonaventure rocked me. And, as a result, I'm a bit unsettled about the state of the college game.

Don't get me wrong here. I understand fully the seriousness and solemnity of the allegations and facts at Georgia and Fresno State, but I see the situations as being very different. No reasonable person has supported, or would support the alleged actions at Georgia. And if proven true, no reasonable person would argue that there should not be fair punishment for the rules having been broken.

In the St. Bonaventure case, however, there is an issue that goes right to the heart of the game, the lessons it teaches, and the reason we play the games.

College basketball is a significant part of the education process and valuable lessons are learned daily by participating in athletic competition. Players learn to pursue excellence, to work hard with others and sacrifice together. Players learn the true meaning of responsibility.

College basketball is not just about winning and losing, it is about competing with dignity, honor and pride. College basketball is also about commitment, which may be its most important lesson.

Players make a commitment to each other, to their coaches, and to their university community. They also make a commitment to their conference and to the game itself. When a player accepts a scholarship to play at a school, that player makes a commitment to play and compete to the best of his ability -- and not just when he feels like it.

A player shouldn't just play hard or with passion when championships are at stake. He should play that way all of the time, or at least strive to play that way each time he takes the court.

It is not just about winning, it is about striving to win.

It is not just about the end result, it is about the journey.

You just don't quit in the middle of a journey. And you don't just stand by and let players quit right in front of you.

I understand the anger and frustration that must have been felt by the St. Bonaventure players. Their postseason hopes were dashed not by losing on the court, but because the administration allowed the use of an ineligible player. However, that is no excuse to quit.

Quitting, especially as a group, is an unacceptable response in the face of adversity. There is far more at stake than just the short-term feelings of the players. The credibility and integrity of the players, its coaches, the university, the league, and of the game itself, are all on the line.

The players were wrong to quit. But the university was just as much at fault for letting the players quit, and essentially supporting their decision by allowing it to happen.

If I were in charge at St. Bonaventure, I would have gathered the players together and told them, in no uncertain terms, that while everyone is disappointed, St. Bonaventure would play its final two games, and play to win. I would invite the players to reconsider, and caution each one of them that if he did not come to practice that day ready to compete to the best of their ability, he would renounce his scholarship, be dismissed from the team, and would never be reinstated at St. Bonaventure.

My belief is the players would have come to their senses. But if they did not, the university would not be complicit in enabling them in making an unacceptable decision.

If the players remained resolute and didn't return, I would have held open tryouts at the university to field a team that wanted to represent St. Bonaventure in the final two A-10 games. If this happened on my watch at St. Bonaventure, the Bonnies would have fielded a team Wednesday night and competed with honor -- whether the scholarship players chose to participate or not.

I would not allow my university to teach a lesson that quitting is an acceptable response to hardship or misfortune.

Look at the chaos that has followed the university's decision to allow its team to forfeit its final two games. The conference tournament has been affected, as Temple no longer receives a first-round bye and Rhode Island gets one because of the forfeit. UMass and Dayton are denied the opportunity to compete fairly and honestly in the last week of the season as they prepare to compete for a championship. The university community has been let down, and the game itself will suffer.

Nothing good comes out of quitting. Giving up is not an appropriate response to hard times. College is about lessons and this lesson sends the wrong message.

Everyone associated with St. Bonaventure should be ashamed of its school's behavior.

I think we can all agree that it is wrong to cheat I regret the fact that St. Bonaventure does not consider it wrong to quit. The players at St. Bonaventure will regret this action for the rest of their lives. So will the coaches and administrators.

And, they should.

Q & A with Jay Bilas

Send in college basketball questions to ESPN's Jay Bilas, who will answer a few each week as the season continues.

Jay Bilas is a college basketball analyst at ESPN and a regular contributor to ESPN.com.