In the quiet emptiness that is McKale Center these days, some new writing was just scribbled on the walls.
When the NCAA slapped Oklahoma State with a one-year postseason ban and numerous recruiting-related penalties Friday, it set a precedent that — barring successful appeals — suggests the Wildcats likely will someday face at least a similar penalty.
Because while all sides remain quiet about the NCAA’s ongoing investigation into Arizona, the Wildcats’ case has a key parallel to that of Oklahoma State.
That is, Oklahoma State was penalized largely for one reason: Former assistant coach Lamont Evans admitted in federal court to taking $22,000 in bribes in exchange for steering Cowboys players to an agent.
As a result of the same FBI investigation, former Arizona coach Book Richardson admitted in federal court that he took $20,000 in bribes in exchange for steering Wildcats to an agent.
Same situation, nearly the same dollar amount. Both admitted to in a federal court, and both incorporated into NCAA investigations.
The Wildcats also may face several other allegations that surfaced from the initial 2017 federal complaint, the two ensuing federal trials, attorney Michael Avenatti’s Nike-related claims, and possibly even the March HBO documentary “The Scheme,” which detailed the investigation largely through the point of view of aspiring agent Christian Dawkins.
Publicly available evidence from the federal proceedings has been imported into multiple NCAA investigations. In May 2019, the UA confirmed an NCAA investigation was underway. But the school and coach Sean Miller have otherwise kept quiet.
“It’s a university policy for none of us to comment on any investigation,” Miller said last week, when asked if the unknowns of the investigation have affected recruiting.
The UA has not acknowledged receiving an NCAA notice of allegations, suggesting it may be at least several months behind Oklahoma State in the enforcement process.
After a school receives a notice of allegations (NOA) from the NCAA, it has 90 days to respond. The NCAA then issues its response before an infractions hearing is held. A school can also enter a summary disposition process before the NOA arrives if it agrees with the facts that the investigation has uncovered.
A number of other schools implicated in federal proceedings are at varying stages with the NCAA enforcement process. But an NCAA official told the Star that “due to member rules, we cannot comment on current, pending or potential cases.”
So for now, watching closely what happens elsewhere may be the only way to judge what could be coming next for the Wildcats.
Here’s where things currently stand:
Oklahoma State
The case: The NCAA issued a Level I violation for the school and a Level I aggravated penalty for Evans, noting that he agreed to take approximately $2,000 a month from advisors in exchange for steering Cowboys players to later hire them.
Evans pleaded guilty to taking $22,000 in bribes and the NCAA referred to the federal investigation when it noted that “the conduct at issue in this case was related to a broader scheme that involved money and influence at the intersection of college and professional basketball.”
The penalties: The NCAA booted the Cowboys from the 2021 NCAA Tournament, placed them on three years probation and added considerably to their self-sanctioned penalties. The NCAA also fined Oklahoma State $10,000 plus 1% of its men’s basketball budget.
Recruiting sanctions include a total of three fewer scholarships through the 2022-23 academic year, reductions in official and unofficial visits, and a ban on unofficial visits for five total weeks in both 2020 and 2021.
The NCAA also gave Evans a 10-year show-cause penalty, meaning no NCAA school can employ him unless it can show why the restriction should not apply.
School response: Oklahoma State says it will appeal the NCAA’s penalties, arguing that Evans’ actions were motivated solely to benefit himself and not the program. The school said it fired Evans within 72 hours after learning of allegations and cooperated with the NCAA — although the NCAA said Evans violated its ethical conduct rules when he refused to cooperate with its investigation.
“The University is stunned by the severity of the penalties and strongly disagrees with them,” OSU said in a statement.
What’s next: The school has until June 20 to file its appeal, which will be heard by the NCAA’s Infractions Appeal Committee.
Louisville
The case: The NCAA issued a notice of allegations on May 4, including a Level 1 charge regarding improper recruiting of Brian Bowen and the coach of another recruit. It also issued three Level II violations, one involving head coach responsibility regarding former head coach Rick Pitino.
During the first federal trial in October 2018, Bowen’s father testified that Dawkins told him Adidas would pay $100,000 if he went to Louisville. A defense attorney for Adidas executive Jim Gatto said the $100,000 figure was meant to compete with an “astronomical” offer from Oregon.
Bowen Sr. also testified that Dawkins said Arizona offered $50,000 for his son and Creighton offered $50,000 plus the placement of Bowen Sr. into a “good job,” according to the Louisville Courier-Journal. In addition, Bowen Sr. said former Louisville assistant Kenny Johnson gave him $1,300.
Prosecutors said Louisville assistant Jordan Fair gave $900 to an unspecified recruit, while government witness Marty Blazer said Fair arranged for club-ball director Brad Augustine to receive $11,700 in hopes of landing recruit Balsa Koprivica.
The latest: Louisville fired Fair and Johnson shortly after the federal investigation became public. Athletic director Tom Jurich was also fired but later reached a settlement in which the school said it was done so without cause. Upon announcing the NCAA’s NOA, Louisville president Neeli Bendapudi said the school has “worked hard to become a model of compliance and ethical conduct.” Now at Iona, Pitino said he “firmly disagreed” with the allegations against him.
What’s next: Louisville has until August to make a formal reply. It was already under probation at the time of the allegations because of four prior Level 1 violations, meaning it could face more severe penalties as a repeat offender.
NC State
The case: The NCAA issued a notice of allegations in July, saying that former NC State star Dennis Smith Jr., and those associated with him, received a total of about $46,700 in impermissible benefits between September 2014 and March 2017 via former assistant coach Orlando Early. It said former NC State coach Mark Gottfried did not demonstrate he monitored Early’s dealings with Adidas rep TJ Gassnola and Shawn Farmer, an associate of Smith’s.
The latest: NC State submitted a 66-page response to the allegations on Dec. 9 in which it questioned the evidence of a $40,000 payment from Gassnola to Smith, and the veracity of Gassnola’s testimony during the first federal college basketball trial in Oct. 2108, according to the Raleigh News and Observer. The school suggested self-imposed sanctions that include the loss of a scholarship for the 2021 recruiting class, reductions in 2019-20 recruiting visits and a $5,000 fine.
The NCAA then issued a 38-page response detailing the NCAA enforcement staff’s belief that there is enough evidence to conclude the $40,000 payment happened. The NCAA issued a Level I charge for the payment and another against Gottfried for a failure to monitor, according to ESPN.
What’s next: On May 18, the NCAA granted a request to move the case to the new Independent Accountability Resolution Process, an outside group that was formed to review complex infractions cases.
Gottfried’s attorneys said in a statement that they “look forward to presenting our positions at the upcoming hearing on this matter.”
Kansas says it supports coach Bill Self despite the school receiving an official notice of allegations in September. KU has said it disagrees with the NCAA’s ruling “on the key issue of responsibility.”
Kansas
The case: The NCAA issued five Level I charges in September, saying that coach Bill Self and assistant Kurtis Townsend “intentionally and willfully engaged in NCAA violations and blatantly disregarded the NCAA constitution and bylaws” along with Adidas representatives, according to the Kansas City Star. The NCAA said Gatto and Adidas associate Gassnola offered impermissible benefits to Kansas recruit Billy Preston, and that Townsend and Adidas personnel engaged in violations while recruiting Kansas player Silvio De Sousa.
The latest: Kansas has been outspoken in defending itself throughout the process. The NCAA issued an amended NOA on Jan. 30 and Kansas responded on March 5, with the NCAA then responding on May 6.
Kansas released the NCAA’s response, which noted that the school did not dispute that Adidas and Gassnola provided “at least $100,000” to the families of prospective recruits. But KU disagreed with the NCAA enforcement staff “on the key issue of responsibility.”
Kansas also argued against any head coach responsibility penalty for Self, saying he “had no knowledge of any NCAA rules violations or illicit conduct exhibited by Adidas, its employees or its consultants.”
What’s next: A hearing in front of the NCAA’s Committee on Infractions, during which Kansas can present its case before an NCAA ruling is issued.
USC
The case: USC acknowledged receiving an NCAA notice of allegations on Dec. 13 “related to a former coach in the men’s basketball program” but declined to offer specifics (as a private university, it is not subject to public records requests).
The coach is believed to be former assistant coach Tony Bland, who pleaded guilty to receiving $4,100 in bribes and received two years’ probation but no jail time.
The latest: USC had until March to formally respond but has not acknowledged any subsequent responses.
What’s next: USC said last December that it “looks forward to an expeditious resolution of this matter.”
TCU
The case: The NCAA issued TCU an NOA on Jan. 8, 2020. The school didn’t release the notice nor detail specific allegations but said they involved former men’s basketball coach Corey Barker. Federal prosecutors alleged that Barker accepted $6,000 in bribes from Dawkins, though he was never charged with a crime.
The latest: Also a private school, TCU has not released any subsequent responses by it or the NCAA.
What’s next: Unknown.
South Carolina
The case: Evans is also tied into this one, having worked for the Gamecocks in 2015-16, when he was alleged to have taken at least $5,865 in bribes from Dawkins in exchange for trying to steer Gamecocks guard P.J. Dozier to an agency Dawkins was working for. Sports Illustrated said South Carolina released an NOA dated Jan. 31 charging the school with a Level I violation regarding Evans’ actions.
The latest: South Carolina’s response to the NOA was due on May 1 but was delayed because of the coronavirus pandemic.
What’s next: Uncertain.
Arizona
The case: Richardson pleaded guilty to taking $20,000 in bribes and was imprisoned for three months, while several other allegations surfaced during the second federal trial in April and May. Included were a recorded phone call in which Dawkins said Miller “bought” star Deandre Ayton for $10,000 a month and a recording in which Richardson said he paid the cousin of former UA guard Rawle Alkins $2,000 a month.
The latest: The Star has filed multiple public records requests seeking communication between the NCAA and the UA regarding the investigation or a possible NOA, but all have returned no records, including one filed on Monday.
What’s next: Because allegations were raised throughout the federal proceedings, the UA may be one of the last schools involved to receive a notice of allegations. In a victim impact statement before Richardson was sentenced, UA general counsel Laura Todd Johnson said the school is “facing the prospect of potentially significant sanctions and penalties from the NCAA flowing from the unlawful actions involved in this case.”
Auburn
The case: Former assistant coach Chuck Person admitted to taking $91,500 in bribes. Before he was sentenced to 200 hours of community service in July, Auburn said in a victim impact statement that it expected to receive notice of allegations in the coming months but has since not acknowledged receiving one.
The latest: Auburn coach Bruce Pearl said last October that he was “confident in the process.”
What’s next: Uncertain.
Creighton
The case: Government prosecutors alleged that then-Creighton assistant coach Preston Murphy accepted a $6,000 bribe from Dawkins in July 2017.
The latest: Creighton AD Bruce Rasmussen told the Omaha World-Herald in October that he expected to hear from the NCAA “in the next month or two,” but the school has not confirmed or denied having received a notice of allegations
What’s next: Unknown.
LSU added a clause to coach Will Wade’s contract that makes it easier for the school to fire him for cause if the NCAA hits him with either Level I or Level II violations.
LSU
The case: The NCAA has not issued an NOA but could be looking into a conversation between LSU coach Will Wade and Dawkins in which Wade referred to a “strong-ass offer” for then-recruit Javonte Smart, first reported by Yahoo and later presented in audio during “The Scheme.” Among other federal evidence, Richardson was shown on video during the second trial saying that Wade told him he had a $300,000 deal for five-star recruit Naz Reid, and that he told Wade he could land Reid for “half that.”
The latest: LSU suspended Wade on March 8, 2019 after he refused to meet with NCAA and LSU officials, but was reinstated on April 14. According to the Baton Rouge Advocate, Wade agreed to forfeit $250,000 in incentive pay for the 2018-19 season, and to a clause in his contract that makes it easier for LSU to fire him for cause if LSU receives a notice of allegations for either a Level 1 or Level II violation.
What’s next: LSU is still awaiting its NOA.
