A federal investigation into the world of NCAA basketball has turned up what appears to be hundreds of pages of documents detailing impermissible payments to student athletes.
Former NBA agent Andy Miller, his former associate Christian Dawkins and his agency, ASM Sports, lie at the center of the FBI’s findings that implicates 20 Division 1 schools and more than 25 athletes, Yahoo! Sports reported on Friday.
Transactions included on former agent Miller’s balance sheets, that span years, include things like cash advances, and entertainment and travel expenses for high school and college prospects and their families.
These types of payments to college athletes, if proven, are clear violations of NCAA rules that could result in loss of amateur status, and ultimately eligibility for the players and teams involved.
Throughout the course of the investigation, more than 4,000 phone calls were monitored, amounting to 3,000 hours of conversation taking place over a period of 330 days.
Former agent Miller relinquished his agency certification in December.
Former agent Andy Miller (left) is seen here with then-client Kyle Lowry as he signed a contract extension with the Toronto Raptors at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto, Canada in July 2014
One wiretap produced from the investigation appeared to include Arizona head basketball coach Sean Miller discussing a $100,000 payout in order to lock in highly-sought after freshman recruite Deandre Ayton.
Ayton, age 19, who is originally from the Bahamas, did eventually sign with the Wildcats and has been putting up impressive numbers.
But this is expected to be his only year of college play, as ESPN analyst Jonathan Givony projects the star athlete as the second pick in this year’s NBA draft.
The discovery document from the FBI’s work that has currently produced three criminal cases includes allegations against some of the best of the best, in terms of college basketball teams that make NCAA March Madness worth watching.
One wiretap produced from the investigation appeared to include Arizona head basketball coach Sean Miller (pictured) discussing a $100,000 payout in order to lock in highly-sought after freshman recruite Deandre Ayton; Miller has denied any knowledge of bribery
Tyler Rawson #21 of the Utah Utes defends Deandre Ayton #13 (center) of the Arizona Wildcats during the first half of the college basketball game at McKale Center on January 27 in Tucson
Duke, North Carolina, Texas, Kentucky, Michigan State, USC, and Alabama are just the biggest names of the 20 Division I schools involved in some way with the investigation.
Some of college basketball’s biggest current draws in terms of the athletes, themselves, are also named in documents.
Michigan State’s Miles Bridges, Alabama’s Collin Sexton and Duke’s Wendell Carter have been potentially linked to receiving potentially impermissible fringe benefits for either themselves or their families.
Miles Bridges #22 of the Michigan State Spartans brings the ball up court during a game against the Illinois Fighting Illini at Breslin Center on February 20 in East Lansing, Michigan
Collin Sexton #2 of the Alabama Crimson Tide during their game against the Oklahoma Sooners at Coleman Coliseum on January 27 in Tuscaloosa, Alabama
Wendell Carter, Jr. #34 (right) of the Duke Blue Devils reaches for the ball against Amar Alibegovic #10 of the St. John’s Red Storm at Madison Square Garden on February 3 in New YOrk City
The amounts at issue that could affect amateur status vary greatly, as well, ranging form having basic meals covered to being in receipt of tens of thousands of dollars.
NCAA president Mark Emmert released a statement on Friday, related to the FBI’s case.
‘These allegations, if true, point to systematic failures that must be fixed and fixed now if we want college sports in America. Simply put, people who engage in this kind of behavior have no place in college sports. They are an affront to all those who play by the rules,’ the statement read.
‘Following the Southern District of New York’s indictments last year, the NCAA Board of Governors and I formed the independent Commission on College Basketball, chaired by Condoleezza Rice, to provide recommendations on how to clean up the sport. With these latest allegations, it’s clear this work is more important now than ever. The Board and I are completely committed to making transformational changes to the game and ensuring all involved in college basketball do so with integrity. We also will continue to cooperate with the efforts of federal prosecutors to identify and punish the unscrupulous parties seeking to exploit the system through criminal acts.’
Then-Los Angeles Lakers assistant coach Chuck Person reacts as his team plays against the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game Four of the Western Conference Semifinals during the 2012 NBA Playoffs at Staples Center on May 19, 2012 in Los Angeles
Former Referee Rashan Michel is seen here as The University of North Carolina Tar Heels hosted the Carson-Newman University Lady Eagles at Carmichael Arena in Chapel Hill, North Carolina in a 2016-17 NCAA Women’s Basketball exhibition game in November 2016
Emanuel Richardson exits the Federal Courthouse in Manhattan on October 10 in New York
Arizona assistant coach Emanuel ‘Book’ Richardson was one of four assistant coaches arrested and charged as a result of the FBI operation. The others were Oklahoma State’s Lamont Evans, Auburn’s Chuck Person and USC’s Tony Bland.
Adidas executives James Gatto and Merl Code, along with former NBA referee Rashan Michel were also charged.
Former agent Miller’s associate, Dawkins, was also charged in September, with wire fraud.
ashan Michel exits the Federal Courthouse in Manhattan on October 10 in New York
Anthony Bland (center) exits the Federal Courthouse in Manhattan on October 10 in New York
Merl Code Jr (center) exits the Federal Courthouse in Manhattan on October 10 in New York
Despite the evidence that allegedly shows Arizona coach Miller discussing a six-figure payout to sign Ayton, he has denied knowledge of any bribery activity by Richardson.
‘As the head basketball coach at the University of Arizona, I recognize my responsibility is not only to establish a culture of success on the basketball court and in the classroom, but as important, to promote and reinforce a culture of compliance,’ Miller said in a statement released in September.
‘To the best of my ability, I have worked to demonstrate this over the past eight years and will continue to do so as we move forward.’
Then-South Carolina Gamecocks assistant coach Lamont Evans reacts to action on the court during the first half against the Alabama Crimson Tide at Coleman Coliseum in Tuscaloosa, Alabama on February 24, 2015
Head coach Sean Miller of the Arizona Wildcats watches the action during the first half of the college basketball game against the Connecticut Huskies at McKale Center on December 21 in Tucson, Arizona