Arizona Wildcats freshman Deandre Ayton is deemed eligible following the ESPN report, in part because the UA โ or at least an outside counsel hired to investigate the basketball program โ believes he did not take a bribe to play at Arizona.ย
Attorney Paul Kelly issues a statement to the Star and other media saying that the reports of Ayton involved in a pay-for-play scheme are "false and unfounded." Ayton has been interviewed by the UA, NCAA, FBI, Pac-12 and the independent counsel of Steptoe and Johnson, Kelly said.
"In each of these interviews, Mr. Ayton has credibly and consistently that neither he nor any member of his family, nor any representative thereof, received any money or extra benefit to influence his decision to attend the University of Arizona," Kelly sasys. "Not a shred of evidence has been adduced suggesting otherwise, which federal investigators and the NCAA officials have acknowledged."ย
The Ayton family's attorney issues a similar statement.
