In the current era of social media, misinformation is rampant, particularly on Elon Musk’s Twitter platform, known as X. With the transfer portal open, the NCAA Tournament in progress, and the coaching carousel spinning, college basketball has become particularly vulnerable to the spread of false information. This seems to be unfolding thanks to a new troll account that is giving A Darn Schefter a serious challenge in disseminating fake news.
Meet Rob Reinhart, who operates an X account with just 4,500 followers. His bio states, “Husband. Father. Marine Corps vet. Covering all-things sports for the Herald. Auburn alum. All opinions are my own. Have a news tip? DM me!” Interestingly, over the past two days, “Rob Reinhart” has reported two allegedly huge college basketball stories that went viral. The first was an explosion of a “report” on Monday claiming that Raleigh police had initiated an investigation into threats from a UConn staffer to a North Carolina reporter, following a tirade by Dan Hurley after UConn’s second-round loss to Florida. Reinhart stated that the NCAA considered a postseason ban and local law enforcement was investigating since making threats is illegal in North Carolina.
#BREAKING: The NCAA and Raleigh police have launched an investigation into UConn’s athletic department, per source.
Following the Huskies loss to Florida, Dan Hurley went on an expletive-filled rant that was caught on video by a member of the media. UConn’s Director of Men’s… pic.twitter.com/qJhH4NrJlF
— Rob Reinhart (@RealRobReinhart) March 24, 2025
While noting that the police might investigate a communications staffer attempting to intimidate a reporter is one thing, can anyone seriously believe that the NCAA operates with such speed? A postseason ban and scholarship losses in 24 hours? Ridiculous! The NCAA hasn’t even resolved the Connor Stalions situation, which has lingered for nearly two years!
The second story came on Tuesday, alleging that Richard Pitino would be leaving New Mexico to become Villanova’s next head coach.
#BREAKING: Villanova will hire New Mexico’s Richard Pitino as its next head coach, per source.
I’m told that former Lobos PG and top transfer portal target Donovan Dent is likely to follow Pitino, but that is yet to be confirmed. pic.twitter.com/zx7cyVjD6T
— Rob Reinhart (@RealRobReinhart) March 25, 2025
As of late Tuesday night, the Hurley tweet amassed over 6 million views, while the Pitino tweet garnered over 1 million views. They were extensively shared by legitimate social media accounts as credible news, exacerbating the misinformation spread. Neither claim was verified by any authentic sources. Comically, actual reporter Jon Rothstein later clarified that Richard Pitino had signed with Xavier, not Villanova.
Sources: Xavier will hire New Mexico’s Richard Pitino as its next head basketball coach.
— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) March 26, 2025
Throughout this episode, the college basketball community has been ensnared in these falsehoods, and this isn’t the first instance of misinformation from the Rob Reinhart account this season. Previously, false reports surfaced about Ed Cooley leaving Georgetown for the University of Virginia, drawing significant attention. Our own Andrew Bucholtz investigated Reinhart at that time and identified all the signs of a troll account.
However, the Reinhart account raises many questions. Its bio claims to cover all-things sports for the Herald since 2024, yet the linked “Herald” is a site that uses the name and header of the historical New York Herald (1835-1924) which evolved through merger into the New York Herald-Tribune until 1966.
At first glance, it appears to be a legitimate news site with a range of stories in categories from “U.S.” to “World” and “Sports,” authored by Reinhart. However, the site lacks any ‘about’ or contact information, and its articles require a subscription to access, restricting readers from verifying the content without payment.
Despite being a conduit for misinformation, the dubious nature of the Reinhart account hasn’t deterred some media outlets like Sports Illustrated and Yahoo from treating his reports as credible news.
Troll accounts have existed on social media since its inception, but today’s dynamic allows misinformation to spread faster than ever. This instance serves as just another bizarre example of that phenomenon.
