NEW YORK β Aspiring sports agent Christian Dawkins testified Thursday that audio played in court included a discussion about UA coach Sean Miller paying players β before objections and the judgeβs subsequent rulings kept him from answering further questions.
Dawkins testified that he had a βpretty good relationshipβ with Miller, whom Dawkins has said was paying players.
The defense rested following Dawkinsβ second day of testimony. Closing arguments in the federal bribery trial against Dawkins and former Adidas rep Merl Code are scheduled for Friday.
Prosecutors say Dawkins bribed assistant basketball coaches, who then promised to steer their best players to a company β LOYD, Inc. β co-owned by Dawkins, financial planner Munish Sood and an undercover FBI agent posing as an investor.
Over two daysβ worth of testimony, Dawkins stated repeatedly that he believed players should be paid. He testified Wednesday that bribing coaches, whether they were head coaches or assistants, was bad business because most high school stars are coming into college with agents.
βThis idea that itβs an amateur world is not real,β he said.
During cross examination on Thursday, defense attorney Mark C. Moore asked Dawkins about Miller.
βYou never paid the head coach a dime, did you?β Moore asked.
βNever,β Dawkins said.
βBecause the head coach was a friend of yours, correct?β Moore asked.
βWe had a pretty good relationship, yes,β Dawkins said.
βOK. And I know you might not want to say this, but you knew the head coach was paying players themselves, right?β Moore asked.
The prosecution then objected, and it was upheld by U.S. District Judge Edgardo Ramos. Ramos ruled two weeks ago that Miller and LSU coach Will Wade did not have to testify in the trial because their actions were irrelevant to the charges facing Dawkins and Code. Neither coach has been charged with a crime.
Moore, the defense attorney, then continued.
βIβll rephrase and ask a very specific question, and if youβd answer yes or no β¦β he said.
βOn this call, yes, DX7β β referring to defense exhibit 7, a wiretapped phone call between Dawkins and Code on June 28, 2017 β βthere is a discussion about Sean Miller and him paying players. Is that correct, Mr. Dawkins?β Moore asked.
βYes,β Dawkins said.
Later, Dawkins testified that he didnβt think paying players was wrong.
βYou canβt defraud a school,β Dawkins said. βI donβt even know how thatβs possible by players getting money. The schoolβs getting money. Itβs ridiculous.β
βAnd Mr. Miller at Arizona, he knew what was going on, correct?β Moore asked.
The prosecution objected again, and it was upheld again by the judge.
Throughout the trial, jurors have watched secretly recorded videos and heard audio in which Dawkins boasted about his relationship with Miller.
On a video shown to jurors last week, Dawkins said Miller told him he was βtaking careβ of star center Deandre Ayton himself, but wanted to turn things over to the aspiring agent. Government witness Marty Blazer testified that he believed βtaking careβ meant βtaking care of payments.β
On Wednesday, prosecutors introduced a June 2017 wiretap in which former UA assistant coach Book Richardson said Miller was paying Ayton a monthly fee.
βWhat (did) he do?β Dawkins said.
βI told you, 10,β Richardson said.
βHeβs putting up some real money for them (N-words),β Dawkins said. βHe told me heβs getting killed.β
βBut thatβs his fault,β Richardson said.
On another phone call, Dawkins said Miller was βtaking care of Rawle (Alkins) and them,β referring to the former UA wing.
The UA issued a statement Wednesday night saying it βtakes the information presented in court today very seriously and remains committed to the highest standards of integrity and ethical conduct which includes competing within the rules of the NCAA and the Pac-12 Conference.β
βWe will continue to cooperate fully with the NCAA and with other ongoing investigations into this matter in the best interest of the university and the menβs basketball program,β it read.
