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The FBI investigation into corruption in college basketball has been going on for at least two years. Early Friday morning, a Yahoo Sports report released some of the most specific and damaging details so far in the case.
What Happened?
Everything started to unravel once the investigation honed in on the prominent former NBA agent Andy Miller, his former associate Christian Dawkins and his agency, ASM Sports. The FBI obtained expenditures from Miller’s agency, which 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.
The details of the years-long investigation included hundreds of pages that monitored multiple targets and intercepted more than 4,000 calls across 330 days. This could all result in NCAA rules violations – both current and past – for at least 20 Division I basketball programs and more than 25 players.
Most Notable Teams And Players Involved
Schools identified by Yahoo! as having players who possibly violated NCAA rules include Duke, North Carolina, Texas, Kentucky, Michigan State, LSU, Maryland, South Carolina, Southern California, Louisville, Utah, Xavier, Wichita State, Clemson, Alabama, and Kansas. At least 25 players are linked to impermissible benefits, including Michigan State’s Miles Bridges, Alabama’s Collin Sexton and Duke’s Wendell Carter.
At least six players were identified in the documents as receiving payments exceeding $10,000. They include Dallas Mavericks point guard Dennis Smith Jr., who received $73,500 in loans from ASM before he played for NC State; Brooklyn Nets shooting guard Isaiah Whitehead, who received more than $37,000 around the time he was a freshman at Seton Hall; and 2017 No. 1 NBA draft pick Markelle Fultz, who received $10,000.
Previous Allegations From This FBI Investigation
These aren’t the first allegations in the FBI’s probe of NCAA basketball recruiting. Previous reports of corruption include…
Last week, a federal judge in New York declined to dismiss criminal indictments against Adidas executives James Gatto and Merl Code, as well as Christian Dawkins, a runner who worked for Miller’s ASM Sports. The men are among 10 people who were charged with wire fraud in September after the government accused them of funneling money from Adidas to the families of high-profile recruits. Their trial is scheduled to begin Oct. 1.
Also last week, the U.S. Attorney’s Office in New York dropped federal charges against Jonathan Brad Augustine, a former AAU director in Orlando, Florida, who had been accused of conspiring with the others to persuade two high school players to sign with Louisville and one with Miami.