Federal documents detail sweeping potential NCAA violations involving high-profile players

[edjr 5,547]

https://www.yahoo.com/sports/exclusive-federal-documents-detail-sweeping-potential-ncaa-violations-involving-high-profile-players-schools-103338484.html

 

 

 

Documents and bank records obtained in discovery during the federal investigation into the underbelly of college basketball detail in meticulous fashion the expenditures of prominent former NBA agent Andy Miller, his former associate Christian Dawkins and his agency, ASM Sports. They include expense reports and balance sheets that list cash advances, as well as entertainment and travel expenses for high school and college prospects and their families.

Yahoo Sports viewed hundreds of pages of documents from the years-long probe that had federal authorities monitoring multiple targets and intercepting more than 4,000 calls across 330 days, providing a clear-eyed view into the pervasive nature of the game’s underground economy.

While three criminal cases tied to the investigation may take years to play out, the documents viewed by Yahoo revealed the extent of the potential NCAA ramifications from the case. The documents show an underground recruiting operation that could create NCAA rules issues – both current and retroactive – for at least 20 Division I basketball programs and more than 25 players.

The documents tie some of the biggest names and programs in the sport to activity that appears to violate the NCAA’s amateurism rules. This could end up casting a pall over the NCAA tournament because of eligibility issues. (NCAA officials declined a request for comment.) There’s potential impermissible benefits and preferential treatment for players and families of players at Duke, North Carolina, Texas, Kentucky, Michigan State, USC, Alabama and a host of other schools. The documents link some of the sport’s biggest current stars – Michigan State’s Miles Bridges, Alabama’s Collin Sexton and Duke’s Wendell Carter – to specific potential extra benefits for either the athletes or their family members. The amounts tied to players in the case range from basic meals to tens of thousands of dollars.

An ASM balance sheet in the hands of federal investigators shows accounts through Dec. 31, 2015, with the subheading, “Loan to Players.” It listed several who were in high school or college as receiving four-figure and five-figure payments from ASM Sports. Among the largest listed loans:

Dennis Smith, who would go on to play at North Carolina State in 2016-17, received $43,500 according to the documents. Another document headed “Pina,” for ASM agent Stephen Pina, says Smith received a total of $73,500 in loans, and includes notes about “options to recoup the money” when Smith did not sign with ASM.

Isaiah Whitehead, at the time a freshman at Seton Hall, received $26,136 according to the documents. The “Pina” document says Whitehead received $37,657 and was “setting up payment plan.” Whitehead signed with ASM but later left the agency for Roc Nation.

Tim Quarterman, at the time a junior at LSU, received at least $16,000 according to the balance sheet.

Diamond Stone, at the time a freshman at Maryland, received $14,303 according to the documents.

A listing that refers to “BAM” for $12,000 is later identified in the documents as Edrice “Bam” Adebayo, who would go on to play at Kentucky in 2016-17. He did not sign with ASM. There’s a later reference to Adebayo that says he received $36,500. “Bad loan,” reads the document.

Markelle Fultz, who would go on to play at Washington and become the No. 1 pick in the 2017 draft, received $10,000 according to the documents. He did not sign with ASM.

Yahoo Sports reached out to officials at N.C. State, Seton Hall, Maryland, Kentucky and Washington. They all declined comment or did not return correspondence.

n addition, Dawkins filed expense reports seeking reimbursement for thousands of dollars that he reported as being paid to college and high school players and their families. Several players, families of players or handlers received more than $1,000 in payments from ASM Sports before turning professional:

Current USC player Bennie Boatwright and/or his father, Bennie Sr. (According to documents, they received at least $2,000.)

Current USC player Chimezie Metu and/or adviser, Johnnie Parker. (According to documents, they received $2,000.)

Current Texas player Eric Davis. (According to documents, he received $1,500.)

Current South Carolina player Brian Bowen, who was ensnared in the initial federal investigation and started his career at Louisville last fall until the school withheld him from competition. His father, Brian Sr., also received money, according to the documents. (Dawkins’ expense reports also list more than $1,500 in plane tickets for Bowen, his father and his mother. He and his family received at least $7,000 in benefits, according to the documents.)

Former Utah star Kyle Kuzma received at least $9,500 while in school, according to the documents.

Former South Carolina player P.J. Dozier received at least $6,115 while in school, according to the documents.

Former Xavier player Edmond Sumner and/or his father, Ernest. Documents show they received at least $7,000 in advances while Edmond was in school.

Former Wichita State player Fred VanVleet. Documents show he received at least $1,000.

Former Clemson player Jaron Blossomgame received a payment by Venmo while in school for $1,100 according to the documents.

Apples Jones, the mother of former Kansas player Josh Jackson, received $2,700 according to documents.

Among those receiving hundreds of dollars in advances, according to Dawkins’ expense reports:

The mother of current Michigan State player Miles Bridges.

Additional Dawkins expense reports list meals and meetings with players or their families while in college or high school, and before they turned pro. While small amounts, these could be categorized as extra benefits under NCAA rules. It appears Dawkins paid for the meals, which could be an important distinction.

“There’s nothing wrong with meeting with an agent,” said Atlanta-based lawyer Stu Brown, a veteran of representing schools and coaches in NCAA compliance cases. “But then it becomes a question of who pays for the meal.”

Among the players and/or families who are listed as meeting with or having meals with Dawkins:

Current Alabama player Collin Sexton.

Current Duke player Wendell Carter.

Current Kentucky player Kevin Knox.

Former North Carolina player Tony Bradley.

Former Creighton player Justin Patton.

Former Texas player Prince Ibeh.

Former Notre Dame player Demetrius Jackson.

Former Vanderbilt player Wade Baldwin.

Former Virginia player Malcolm Brogdon.

Former Iowa State player Monte Morris.

The breadth of names, schools and current players could offer a vexing test for both university compliance offices and the NCAA’s enforcement division. The sheer number of potential cases and varying degrees of potential violations are vast. There’s also an overriding factor of the ongoing criminal investigations. A complicating facet to it will be the NCAA’s potential inability to view key documents related to this case, because those details not in the criminal complaints are sealed under protective order. In terms of eligibility, the NCAA and the institution may be prohibited from interviewing people associated with the case because of the parallel criminal cases. (The initial onus to decide is almost always on the school in an eligibility case.)

No one is certain how the NCAA enforcement office would potentially handle the cases. The NCAA has been in constant contact with the feds but so far has had minimal direct involvement with the case, as they’ve been careful to respect the boundaries of the criminal investigations. The likely scenario, according to Brown, would be for the schools to assess the credibility of what’s in the documents and the severity of the potential violations.

“There’s potential for chaos, as it depends on the number of cases and the amount of information that’s released,” Brown said. “There could be inconsistency as a subset of chaos, as different schools may very validly assess the credibility of [the cases] differently.”

Yahoo did not view all of the documents in the three criminal cases tied to the investigation, but the records show an uncommon amount of detail for activities that have come under federal scrutiny.

For example, the expense reports have hundreds of lines like:

Feb. 10, 2016: “Flight for Brian Bowen mom. Flight for Brian Bowen. Flight for Brian Bowen dad.” They totaled more than $1,500.

Feb. 1, 2016: “Advance to Apples Jones (Josh Jackson) $1,700.”

Jan. 13, 2016: “ATM withdrawl: Advance to Fred Van Vleet $483.”

May 3, 2016: “Redwood Lodge. Lunch w/Miles Bridges Parents. $70.05.”

May 3, 2016: “ATM Withdrawl: Miles Bridges mom advance. $400”

According to the documents, Dawkins has dinners listed with plenty of boldface names in the sport – Tom Izzo, “Villanova coaches,” Fultz and the family of wayward five-star prospect Mitchell Robinson.

Along the way, a portrait emerges of the inner-workings of the office of Miller, who relinquished his NBA Players Association agent certification in the wake of the probe. Miller has yet to be charged in the case, and it’s widely believed he’s cooperating with the government. Dawkins’ lawyer, Steve Haney, told Yahoo Sports earlier in the week it was “utter hypocrisy” that an underling like Dawkins and the four assistant coaches were charged in the case and their superiors have gone unscathed. Haney added on Thursday night in an email statement: “These are college eligibility issues and agent licensing issues, not matters of national security that deserve this level of FBI involvement and taxpayer resources…..it has reached a degree of being ridiculous.”

Dawkins, the 24-year-old former business associate, was arrested on Sept. 26 and faces felony charges of wire fraud and bribery in two of the three criminal cases tied to the investigation. He ended up on federal wiretaps and, soon after the case broke in late September, his rise became a cautionary tale for how vulnerable top coaches and programs are to the agent world.

Yahoo Sports reached out to a dozen programs tied to the documents late Thursday. Only Xavier coach Chris Mack elected to release a statement. He said: “I have no relationship with Andy Miller or any of his associates. He plays no role in the recruitment of potential student athletes on Xavier’s behalf. Beyond that, our staff has never created a path for him to foster a relationship with any of our student-athletes while enrolled at Xavier. Any suggestion that I or anyone on my staff utilized Andy Miller to provide even the slightest of financial benefits to a Xavier student-athlete is grossly misinformed. We are prepared to cooperate with any and all investigations at any level.”

With an ongoing investigation, the chance looms there could be more charges and arrests. So far, four former assistant college basketball coaches have been arrested: Tony Bland of USC, Chuck Person of Auburn, Emanuel Richardson of Arizona and Lamont Evans of Oklahoma State. Six other assorted participants in the basketball underworld also have been arrested: Dawkins; former sneaker executives James Gatto and Merl Code; financial adviser Munish Sood; clothier and former referee Rashan Michel; and Florida AAU coach Brad Augustine. Charges against Augustine earlier were dismissed without explanation.

The case has also cost Louisville coach Rick Pitino his job, as the school parted ways with the Hall of Famer soon after the details of the program’s involvement in a six-figure agreement to sign five-star recruit Brian Bowen went public. Louisville athletic director Tom Jurich also was dismissed. At Auburn, two players and two members of the basketball support staff have been suspended. USC is withholding star point guard De’Anthony Melton from competition this season as well.

 

 

 

BURN IT DOWN!

[edjr 5,547]

Kay Es Bee

[Mike Honcho 4,010]

Going to make this year's tourney fun. We can count up the teams before the first tip that we know if they win will end up vacating the title. Maybe they should put them all in one region, so they knock each other out.

[SenatorRock 708]

Among the players and/or families who are listed as meeting with or having meals with Dawkins:

Current Alabama player Collin Sexton.

Current Duke player Wendell Carter.

Current Kentucky player Kevin Knox.

Former North Carolina player Tony Bradley.

Former Creighton player Justin Patton.

Former Texas player Prince Ibeh.

Former Notre Dame player Demetrius Jackson.

Former Vanderbilt player Wade Baldwin.

Former Virginia player Malcolm Brogdon.

Former Iowa State player Monte Morris.

 

 

 

So meeting with an agent to discuss your future and the agent paying the lunch bill is a violation?

[Bier Meister 1,512]

this is right there with baseball's PEDs. we know it's widespread, but can only prove a handful.

[Mike Honcho 4,010]

As soon as Duke loses it's 2015 basketball title, I'm buying Wisconsin championship swag!

[Strike 3,950]

 

 

So meeting with an agent to discuss your future and the agent paying the lunch bill is a violation?

 

That's what I was thinking when I read that article. Also not sure how you find a program in violation if a student has lunch with an agent. Unless the school had something to do with the interaction of the student and agent, which appears to have been the case with Louisville, this seems like a case where you go after the agent but the school is off the hook.

[Cdub100 3,370]

 

 

So meeting with an agent to discuss your future and the agent paying the lunch bill is a violation?

 

Can't be having your slaves meeting with people about their future.

[crackattack 513]

Sean Miller about to get the perma-ban!! cheating azzholes. Teams constantly in or around the top 10 year after year are cheating. SHOCKED I say SHOCKED!

 

Duke

Kentucky

Kansas

Michigan State

North Carolina

Arizona

Etc etc

 

Focking death penalty these cheating focks. Especially that whiny dickk Izzo. If nothing else, hit them all with loss of institutional control and start removing scholarships.

 

[Reality 2,710]

It's going to get real ugly, I'd be very careful to throw stones though.

[listen2me 23 1,537]

So the corrupt NCAA is going to dole out punishment because they are greedy focks who make millions off these players.

 

Got it.

[Cdub100 3,370]

So the corrupt NCAA is going to dole out punishment because they are greedy focks who make millions off these players.

 

Got it.

 

Can't be having parents getting free lunches at Redwood lodge. Can you imagine the anarchy?

[crackattack 513]

So the corrupt NCAA is going to dole out punishment because they are greedy focks who make millions off these players.

 

Got it.

These players and coaches knew the rules of accepting money from boosters and agents, right? These players don't have to attend college, right? The one and dones can go overseas for a season, right? Nobody is forcing these individuals to knowingly cheat, right? If they don't like the rules, then fight to change it. Not liking a rule is no reason not to follow them. It ruins the integrity of the game.

[crackattack 513]

It's going to get real ugly, I'd be very careful to throw stones though.

I'm not throwing stones. If Purdue and Painter are cheating the same, perma-ban him and death penalty the program.

[Reality 2,710]

I'm not throwing stones. If Purdue and Painter are cheating the same, perma-ban him and death penalty the program.

 

Agreed.

[Strike 3,950]

I'm not throwing stones. If Purdue and Painter are cheating the same, perma-ban him and death penalty the program.

 

Uh, so far the only allegation I've seen against Duke is that Wendell Carter MAY have had lunch with an agent and there are questions over who paid for lunch. Yet you're calling for the death penalty for that program. They've never been implicated in anything related to paying players or other improprieties regarding their recruitment process. I'd call that throwing stones.

[Cdub100 3,370]

 

Uh, so far the only allegation I've seen against Duke is that Wendell Carter MAY have had lunch with an agent and there are questions over who paid for lunch. Yet you're calling for the death penalty for that program. They've never been implicated in anything related to paying players or other improprieties regarding their recruitment process. I'd call that throwing stones.

 

No offense, but you don't seem to know what the phrase "People who live in glass houses should not throw stones"

 

That being said I do agree with you that calling for the DP is ridiculous.

[crackattack 513]

 

Uh, so far the only allegation I've seen against Duke is that Wendell Carter MAY have had lunch with an agent and there are questions over who paid for lunch. Yet you're calling for the death penalty for that program. They've never been implicated in anything related to paying players or other improprieties regarding their recruitment process. I'd call that throwing stones.

Ok, you're right. I should've been more clear. If teams/coaches are doing what Sean Miller is caught on tape doing, or are knowledgeable of payments/cheating, then perma-ban them and death penalty the program.

[Frozenbeernuts 1,652]

Interesting. When the subject of college athletes getting paid nothing while those above profited off them, there was a lot more - They should just be happy they are getting an education - talk

[drobeski 3,061]

I'm glad the fbi is busy with important stuff

[Hardcore troubadour 12,596]

What a joke. Most of these illiterate morons don't belong anywhere near a campus with normal kids. Let them go play in Spain or wherever until the NBA calls.

[ZeroTolerance 582]

Bridges appears to have been cleared (which for the moment keeps MSU off that hot seat along with Duke...of course, the OTHER hot seat they are still on)

[porkbutt 860]

I'm glad the fbi is busy with important stuff

first thing i thought. wtf

[KSB2424 3,082]

Focking death penalty these cheating focks.

 

Surly you don't think a Player, unbeknownst to the University that has lunch with some Agent and the Agent picks up the tab for the chicken wings versus like a Sean Miller straight up paying a player 100k to come to school there and play ball are equal.

 

Because if you read the Yahoo! story most of these things were a lunch expense or something rather trivial if you ask me. There were only a handful of large dollar paying players. The latter deserves most scrutiny.

 

It's sort of silly to give a school the "Death Penalty" for some agent picking up the Outback tab.

 

The ones' that need scrutiny are the paying money to the player or their parents, and the Sean Miller situation.

[edjr 5,547]

 

Surly you don't think a Player, unbeknownst to the University that has lunch with some Agent and the Agent picks up the tab for the chicken wings

 

Why are they even allowed agents before they are pro

[vuduchile 1,940]

 

Why are they even allowed agents before they are pro

1. USA

 

2. Capitalism

 

3. Theyre entertainers. Even child stars have agents.

[edjr 5,547]

1. USA

 

2. Capitalism

 

3. Theyre UNPAID entertainers. Even child stars have agents.

 

Fixed that for ya.

[cyclone24 1,805]

It's hard to say. Like with Monte Morris the story has come out that they happened to have lunch at the same place and interacted afterward but that Morris paid for his food.

We have had players come through Iowa state that it wouldn't Shock Me if some did things illegal and I know we have paid players but he's about the last guy that would probably do it.

[Hardcore troubadour 12,596]

The schools and the people making money off of this don't want to share any of it with the players. It's that simple. Giving a free education costs them personally nothing. Paying players comes out of the profit, less for them to whack up.

[listen2me 23 1,537]

The NCAA is bascially the mob. But I do have to say they have a choice. Get more and more players playing in Spain for a year. It will hurt the NCAA product a little.

[cyclone24 1,805]

The schools and the people making money off of this don't want to share any of it with the players. It's that simple. Giving a free education costs them personally nothing. Paying players comes out of the profit, less for them to whack up.

Well and like I've mentioned before good luck not paying them all equally.... And then good luck after you have figured out how much each player should make equally not paying that to the girls tennis team.

 

Title IX is the big killer here.

[Hardcore troubadour 12,596]

Well and like I've mentioned before good luck not paying them all equally.... And then good luck after you have figured out how much each player should make equally not paying that to the girls tennis team.

 

Title IX is the big killer here.

Yeah. It's a big convoluted system, which keeps things the way the ones getting paid like it.

[crackattack 513]

 

Surly you don't think a Player, unbeknownst to the University that has lunch with some Agent and the Agent picks up the tab for the chicken wings versus like a Sean Miller straight up paying a player 100k to come to school there and play ball are equal.

 

Because if you read the Yahoo! story most of these things were a lunch expense or something rather trivial if you ask me. There were only a handful of large dollar paying players. The latter deserves most scrutiny.

 

It's sort of silly to give a school the "Death Penalty" for some agent picking up the Outback tab.

 

The ones' that need scrutiny are the paying money to the player or their parents, and the Sean Miller situation.

I corrected what I meant. The Sean Miller's need perma-bans. Players knowingly cheating need suspended. They should know if they paid for their meal or not. It's called accountability. Paying family members and picking up travel/food expenses, while might seem "trivial", but it can sway opinions of recruits.

 

Those players need/should be suspended. Doesn't have to be forever, maybe a few games, maybe a year . Accepting monetary "donations" is a big deal. Schools playing by the rules won't land recruits who are getting their meals paid for, or if their momma/pappa is getting 500 bucks or travel expenses picked up. Either way, it's cheating. Are they the same, obviously not.