Unless you have access to an Arizona men’s basketball media guide, you would probably never know that the school’s 2007-08 team is officially listed with an 0-14 record, which is doubly confusing because the team, coached by Kevin O’Neill, played 34 games.
An asterisk supplies this explanation: “Results vacated due to NCAA infractions under a previous head coach.”
That UA team, which went 19-14 and lost an NCAA Tournament first-round game against West Virginia, was forgotten faster than O’Neill, who was invited to leave the basketball program after one bumpy season.
Arizona’s crime? In 2006 and 2007, Lute Olson and his staff essentially helped a promoter stage a high school all-star basketball tournament in Tucson. After a two-year investigation, the NCAA said Arizona was guilty of “improper recruiting inducements and tryouts.”
Pretty dramatic stuff, right? (Just kidding).
Beginning next year, Arizona’s basketball media guide will put an asterisk to use again. Under the Independent Accountability Resolution Process' direction, the UA must vacate its victories of the 2016-17 and 2017-18 seasons for using a player, Rawle Alkins, who allegedly accepted improper inducements.
Sean Miller’s 2017 Pac-12 Tournament championship team will go from 32-5 to 0-5. Arizona’s disappointing first-round flameout and loss to Buffalo at the 2018 NCAA Tournament will forever be listed not as a 27-8 club, but as an 9-8 team, reflecting the 23 games Alkins played in.
I’m guessing future Xavier men’s basketball media guides will not subtract those 50 victories from Miller’s career record.
In the 1,904 days since the FBI raided and searched the homes of Miller and assistant coach Book Richardson, a combined investigation of the UA basketball program by the FBI, the NCAA and the IARP has finally given Arizona’s basketball program a knuckle-tap and basically said “you’re good.”
The UA will pay a $5,000 fine and 1% of its annual basketball budget of about $13.5 million, or roughly $135.000.
That’s peanuts to an elite college basketball program, which probably spends 10 times that much to travel in private jets to all of its road games each season.
Can you imagine the money the NCAA and FBI spent to investigate the UA basketball program? It wouldn’t be a surprise if it exceeded several million dollars in attorney fees alone.
Was it worth it? What a waste of money, time and resources.
Richardson and fellow UA assistant coach Mark Phelps lost their jobs and have been reduced to coaching at basketball academies for teenagers. The UA compliance staff will now be required to attend a regional rules seminar for the next three years.
New coach Tommy Lloyd and his staff will work with one less scholarship and some reduced recruiting days, but that’s about it.
UA president Robert C. Robbins, left, and athletic director Dave Heeke say were proactive in placing the Wildcats on a self-imposed postseason ban in the 2020-21 season.
Arizona athletic director Dave Heeke and president Robert C. Robbins were wisely proactive during the long investigation, placing the men’s basketball program on a self-imposed postseason ban for the 2020-21 season, which was the one penalty the school and its fans feared most.
That’s why every basketball fan in Tucson exhaled Wednesday when the IARP basically said that Arizona was being released for time served, for firing Richardson and Phelps and neutering the 2020-21 season.
The IARP issued a “public reprimand and censure” of Arizona, which has about as much impact as vacating a few now-meaningless victories in a media guide.
The loser?
Even though the IARP did not charge him with any violations, Miller’s reputation has been stained. His career trajectory took a steep downturn, from a Top 25 program at Arizona to Xavier. At 54, he has enough time to move past four messy seasons at Arizona and demonstrate that he indeed promotes an atmosphere of compliance.
To its credit, the IARP didn’t punish the wrong people, as has been its long and head-shaking history in investigative situations. Lloyd and Azuolas Tubelis and Oumar Ballo won’t be punished for what Miller’s staff did six or seven years ago.
Wednesday’s ruling won’t affect the 2022-23 Wildcats, who are ranked No. 9 nationally.
In the spring of 1983, the NCAA placed Arizona’s football program on a two-year postseason ban, and also barred the Wildcats from playing on TV for two seasons. But it punished the wrong people. It punished coach Larry Smith and his star players, Chuck Cecil, David Adams and Byron Evans, instead of the coaches and administrators working under coach Tony Mason and athletic director Dave Strack from 1977-79. The previous administration was ruled to have engaged in supplying improper financial aid and breaking recruiting rules.
This time the IARP got it right, even though it took about four years too long.
Since the NCAA created an infractions committee in 1950, it has officially investigated and punished Pac-12 programs 63 times. In 33 of those cases, it implemented postseason bans of two or more years.
In 1971, the NCAA placed Cal’s track team on indefinite probation for abuses of academic eligibility rules. That probation turned out to be four years, officially the most ever in the Pac-12.
Unofficially, Arizona’s basketball program served longer: five years and two months under suspicion, subject to public ridicule and doubt. You can’t fix that negative perception with a simple asterisk.
Timeline: Wildcats' 5-year drama began with federal raid, ends with IARP ruling
Sept. 26, 2017
Updated
Book Richardson was arrested in 2017.
Sept. 26, 2017: Following an early-morning visit from federal agents, University of Arizona assistant coach Emanuel "Book" Richardson is arrested on charges of conspiracy to commit bribery, solicitation of bribes by an agent of a federally funded organization, conspiracy to commit honest services fraud, wire fraud conspiracy and travel act conspiracy. Three other college assistant coaches — USC’s Tony Bland, Auburn’s Chuck Person and Oklahoma State’s Lamont Evans — are also indicted following a long-running investigation into college basketball.
Charging documents say Richardson asked for and received $20,000 in bribes from would-be sports agent Christian Dawkins and financial advisor Munish Sood. In exchange, documents say, Richardson paid a recruit to come to Arizona and promised to steer NBA-bound Wildcats to Dawkins for representation. Richardson would later tell a reporter that he spent some of the money on a trip to Spain; he planned to use the rest to fly UA recruit Jahvon Quinerly's family to Tucson for "Midnight Madness" in McKale Center but was arrested before it happened.
The UA announces Richardson has been "immediately suspended and relieved of all duties."
Oct. 3, 2017
Updated
Sean Miller in 2016.
Oct. 3, 2017: UA head coach Sean Miller issues a statement saying he is "devastated" to learn of the allegations made against 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. 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."
Oct. 5, 2017
Updated
UA coach Sean Miller at media day in 2014.
Oct. 5, 2017: Miller reads from a prepared statement saying he fully supports investigations into the allegations against Richardson, his longest-tenured assistant coach.
"As that investigation proceeds, I’ll continue to work hard and enforce a culture of compliance in our organization, just like I have for the last eight years," he says.
March 1, 2018
Updated
During a March 1, 2018 news conference in McKale Center, Arizona coach Sean Miller said he engaged in no wrongdoing amid a report that he allegedly discussed payment to a recruit.
March 1, 2018: Miller addresses an ESPN report that he discussed a $100,000 payment to top prospect Deandre Ayton. Reading from a statement, a defiant Miller says he is "sickened that we are in the spotlight for all the wrong reasons," and calls the ESPN report "inaccurate and completely false."
"Contrary to what has been written this past week, we do our very best to run a clean program at the University of Arizona. I have done that since the first day I stepped on this campus. Compliance with NCAA rules is extremely important to us and we work hard to create, maintain and monitor a culture of compliance within our program," he says.
"I have never knowingly violated NCAA rules while serving as head coach of this great program. I have never paid a recruit or prospect or their family or representative to come to Arizona. I never have and I never will. I have never arranged or directed payment or improper benefits to a recruit or prospect or family or representative and I never will. …
"Let me be very, very clear: I have never discussed with Christian Dawkins paying Deandre Ayton to attend the University of Arizona."
April 6, 2018
UpdatedApril 6, 2018: The Arizona Board of Regents approves amendments to Miller's contract that add a $1 million penalty for wrongdoing and tighter Title IX language.
Miller stands to lose $1 million of his longevity fund shares if he is charged with a crime or found to have committed a Level I (major) NCAA violation.
Jan. 22, 2019
Updated
Emanuel “Book” Richardson was arrested Sept. 26, 2017 as part of a federal investigation into college basketball.
Jan. 22, 2019: Telling a judge that he "knew this conduct this conduct was wrong," Richardson pleads guilty to one count of federal funds bribery, saying he accepted $20,000 in exchange for a promise to steer Wildcats to Dawkins.
Feb. 6, 2019
Updated
Arizona assistant coaches Mark Phelps, right, and Book Richardson laugh and slap hands after a play during the 2015 Red-Blue Game in McKale Center.
Feb. 6, 2019: Arizona assistant coach Mark Phelps is removed from the bench after ESPN reports he was involved in an NCAA issue regarding the academic records of former UA commit Shareef O’Neal. Rather than fire him, Arizona allows Phelps’ contract to run out.
May 3, 2019
Updated
Old Main on campus of the University of Arizona.
May 3, 2019: The University of Arizona confirms it is being investigated by the NCAA.
May 8, 2019
Updated
Christian Dawkins stands outside federal court Wednesday, May 8, 2019, in New York. Dawkins and youth basketball coach Merl Code were convicted on a conspiracy count, but acquitted of some other charges.
May 8, 2019: A jury finds Dawkins guilty of bribery and conspiracy to commit bribery. He is found not guilty on four charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud and violations of the travel act
Outside the courthouse, Dawkins says he believes players should be paid, that some coaches pay their players, and says he "never had conversations" with Miller about delivering Ayton to Arizona.
June 6, 2019
Updated
Former Arizona assistant coach Book Richardson leaves Manhattan federal court in New York after being was sentenced on a bribery conspiracy charge in the college basketball recruiting scandal.
June 6, 2019: Richardson is sentenced to three months in prison and two years of probation. He must also forfeit $20,000 he accepted in payments.
Richardson is asked outside the courthouse if Miller knew whether players were being paid.
"You gotta ask him that," Richardson tells reporters. "He’s not on trial, I was on trial."
Richardson later issues a statement via direct message to a Star correspondent that reads: "I have no knowledge of Sean Miller paying players or attempting to pay them … I was on trial no one else. Again, I apologize to the University of Arizona, (UA) President (Robert C.) Robbins and the kind and great people of Tucson for this. Thank you Tucson and all the Wildcats across the world!"
Sept. 11, 2019
Updated
Christian Dawkins and Book Richardson
Sept. 11, 2019: Yahoo reports that Richardson discussed paying $40,000 to get former Wildcat Rawle Alkins academically eligible to play in college.
Yahoo’s story cites a 1,500-word transcript of a July 2017 conversation that included Richardson, Dawkins and three other people — two of whom were undercover FBI agents. The transcript, which is public record, was not used as evidence in the basketball corruption trial.
Oct. 15, 2019
UpdatedOct. 15, 2019: Richardson is released from federal prison in Otisville, New York, two days ahead of schedule.
March 31, 2020
Updated
March 31, 2020: "The Scheme," a two-hour HBO documentary about Dawkins and the ongoing investigation into college basketball, is released. In it, Dawkins reverses course from his previous statement, saying "there's no way you can separate Sean" from any belief that Richardson is a cheater.
"The thing with Arizona is, like, Sean Miller has to know everything that's going on," Dawkins says in the movie. "Book was loyal to Sean. Arizona was definitely more open to getting some (expletive) done."
"The Scheme" features a conversation between Miller and Dawkins in which Dawkins says handlers of five-star recruit Nassir Little, who was believed to be choosing between Miami and Arizona at the time, "definitely wanted to get some (expletive) for themselves."
Miller replies: "Miami doesn’t have an advantage over us in that area, do they?"
Dawkins also says Miller was lying when he made his March 1, 2018 statement that he had never paid a player to attend Arizona.
"I mean, Sean should have his own movie agent or some (expletive) or manager, like, he should be an actor,” Dawkins says. “That was really high-level. I was convinced, honestly.”
April 1, 2020
Updated
Christian Dawkins stands outside federal court Wednesday, May 8, 2019, in New York. Dawkins and youth basketball coach Merl Code were convicted on a conspiracy count, but acquitted of some other charges.
April 1, 2020: The UA issues a statement that reads: "The HBO documentary which aired last night does not change our approach to allegations surrounding our men’s basketball program. We have cooperated fully with the FBI investigation and continue to cooperate with the ongoing NCAA investigation. We look forward to the conclusion of the process."
Oct. 23, 2020
Updated
Oct. 23, 2020: Arizona requests that its case be moved to the Independent Accountability Resolution Process. In the new process, lawyers, investigators and others outside of Division I sports take over the work of NCAA enforcement staff.
Oct. 25, 2020
Updated
Oct. 25, 2020: Arizona is charged with nine rules violations by the NCAA, five of which are Level I violations.
Miller is charged with a Level I violation for a lack of head coach control and failing to monitor two assistant coaches accused of academic misconduct and improper recruiting inducements. Arizona receives a fifth Level I charge for overall institutional lack of control.
"Two of Miller's three assistant coaches committed intentional violations involving fraudulent academic transcripts, receipt of cash bribes, facilitating a meeting with an aspiring agent, impermissible inducements and recruiting violations all within an 18-month period," the NCAA writes in the Notice of Allegations. "The ultimate responsibility for the integrity of the men's basketball program rested with Miller and his staff's actions reflect on Miller as the head coach."
The NCAA also hands the UA swimming and diving program two Level II charges and, in a list of potential aggravating factors by the school, says the conduct of both Robbins and athletic director Dave Heeke "compromised the integrity of the investigation."
The NOA is not released to the public until the following March.
Dec. 17, 2020
UpdatedDec. 17, 2020: The NCAA’s Infractions Referral Committee refers Arizona’s case to the IARP.
Dec. 18, 2020
UpdatedDec. 18, 2020: The IARP’s Complex Case Unit (CCU) and Independent Resolution panel appoints members to Arizona’s case.
Dec. 29, 2020
Updated
Arizona coach Sean Miller strongly gestures towards the offense during the first half of the Wildcats' Dec. 28, 2020 game.
Dec. 29, 2020: Acknowledging that NCAA investigators found former Arizona men's basketball staffers displayed "serious lapses in judgment," the UA announces it has self-imposed a one-year postseason ban.
"I understand and fully support the university’s decision to self-impose a one-year postseason ban on our men’s basketball program," Miller says in a statement.
March 8, 2021
Updated
UA athletic director Dave Heeke and president Robert C. Robbins (center of third row from bottom) blend in with cardboard cutouts of former players during a men's basketball game against Cal State Bakersfield in December.
March 8, 2021: A week after Arizona's season ends and with the team banned from the postseason, Robbins says he expects Miller back for the 2021-2022 season.
"He’s out there recruiting," Robbins says of Miller. "I think signing day is coming up soon. We’ve got a really good team. They’re young, but good. And we’re eager to move forward and get the final chapter of this now-almost four-year saga over. But Coach Miller is our coach."
April 7, 2021
Updated
Arizona coach Sean Miller gestures during the first half of the team's NCAA college basketball game against Colorado on Saturday, Feb. 6, 2021, in Boulder, Colo. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
April 7, 2021: Arizona fires Miller with one year left on his contract, agreeing to pay the coach $1.42 million — or 50% of what the school would have paid him through the end of his contract in May 2022.
Says Robbins: "It has become clear that our men’s basketball program — and our university — needs to write a new chapter in our history, and that begins with a change of leadership. Arizona basketball means so much to so many and, as stewards of the program, we must always act in the best interests of the university."
April 14, 2021
Updated
New UA men’s basketball coach Tommy Lloyd, center, is the 57th head coach hired by the UA in the modern era.
April 14, 2021: Arizona hires Gonzaga assistant Tommy Lloyd as Miller’s permanent replacement.
Aug. 19, 2021
UpdatedAug. 19, 2021: The IARP’s supplemental investigation is completed.
Aug. 26, 2021
UpdatedAug. 26, 2021: The CCU team changes.
Sept. 13, 2021
UpdatedSept. 13, 2021: The CCU requests an extension.
Oct. 4, 2021
UpdatedOct. 4, 2021: The CCU issues an amended Notice of Allegations to the UA. The UA is facing the same five Level I charges.
Feb. 17, 2022
Updated
Sean Miller, appearing on a podcast, talked about his time at Arizona and when he thinks the IARP will rule on Arizona's infractions case.
Feb. 17, 2022: Asked about a timeline for the NCAA infractions case while on a podcast, Miller predicts that "things this offseason will 100% come to a conclusion."
Feb. 18, 2022
UpdatedFeb. 18, 2022: All parties’ responses to the amended Notice of Allegations are submitted.
March 19, 2022
Updated
Xavier head coach Sean Miller reacts during the second half of the team’s Nov. 22 game against Gonzaga.
March 19, 2022: Miller is named the new head coach at Xavier, where he receives a six-year contract. Two of his former UA staffers, Ryan Reynolds and David Miller, follow him to Cincinnati.
May 7, 2022
UpdatedMay 7, 2022: The UA seeks clarification from a chief panel member over a hearing.
May 19, 2022
UpdatedMay 19, 2022: The IARP’s Complex Case Unit submits a written reply.
June 15, 2022
Updated
Book Richardson, right, in 2019.
June 15, 2022: Richardson tells The Athletic he broke NCAA rules on "several occasions" by providing impermissible benefits to UA targets during unofficial recruiting visits, actions that are not included in the NCAA infractions case.
However, Richardson says one allegation leveled by the NCAA against Arizona — that he paid $40,000 to obtain fraudulent academic credits for a player — never happened.
He says he has stopped communicating with the CCU.
"Everyone still wants me to tell on Arizona. I’m like, guys, what do you want me to tell?," he says to The Athletic. "None of the coaches are there, none of the kids are there."
Aug. 31, 2022
UpdatedAug. 31, 2022: The NCAA's Division I board of directors announces it will dissolve the IARP once its five remaining cases, including one involving the Arizona men's basketball program, are settled.
Dec. 14, 2022
UpdatedDec. 14, 2022: The IARP rules that Arizona will not have to serve an additional postseason ban.
The IARP hands a 10-year show-cause order to Richardson and a two-year show-cause for Phelps but does not penalize Miller.
The IARP accepts all of UA's self-imposed sanctions, adding only a seven-week ban on recruiting communication for current UA coaches during the 2022-23 academic year.
The IARP rules that Arizona will have to vacate all regular-season and Pac-12 Tournament wins from the 2016-17 and 2017-18 seasons in which former UA guard Rawle Alkins participated, as well as all the regular-season and Pac-12 Tournament wins — plus the two preseason exhibition games in the Bahamas — in which former UA forward Keanu Pinder played.
Arizona Wildcats dismissed Sean Miller has head coach on Wednesday after 12 seasons at the helm. Miller led the Wildcats to 302 victories, five Pac-12 championships and three Elite Eight appearances.
