FBI College Basketball Corruption Investigation

[FeelYourPaign]

What good coach would want to coach Louisville to right now, unless Louisville would offer an absolutely massive contract? They are at huge risk of crippling NCAA sanctions and many high profile commits are now fleeing.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I'm thinking that Bruce Pearl might soon be available

 

[AttentionDeficit]

I personally found a some comedy in this consideration of Louisville options (from Matt Norlander). Yes Crean is clean now, but Indiana is an Adidas school and after what Adidas has done for Louisville already, that would make me cautious if i were them. Groce and Matta mentioned too.

 

[Illini Resurgence]

I do think the FBI investigation will put pressure on the NCAA to actually do something in regards to UNC. They look like huge enablers at the moment that are unable to effectively police their own house.

 

[KrushCow31]

This had been going on for a long time. What years did the documents say stuff was going on at South Carolina? Because a lot of people probably forget that Underwood and Evans were also both assistant coaches at South Carolina together., but that was in 2012-2013. If I had to guess what player it would have been at South Carolina, I would guess PJ Dozier who was a Freshman 2015-2016 who was a 5 star recruit, but he was from Columbia, SC, so it's also possible he just wanted to go there. However, Sindarius Thornwell was a 4 star who made it to the NBA and played at Oak Hill(I'd consider that a red flag), and his recruitment aligned with Evans and Underwood both at South Carolina. At this time, it seems it was only in Evan's last year at South Carolina that this all went down according to what I've read.

Obviously nobody at Stephen F Austin was paying underhand for 2 and 3 star athletes, and I doubt in the 1 year at South Carolina and 1 year at OSU he would get caught up in all of that after being disconnected for 3 years at SFA.

 

[kcib8130]

I do think the FBI investigation will put pressure on the NCAA to actually do something in regards to UNC. They look like huge enablers at the moment that are unable to effectively police their own house.

Separate instances. FBI doesn't care about UNC, they didn't break the law.

 

[illinihawk16]

Personally, my read on this situation is the following:

• This will overall be a really good thing for NCAA basketball when all the dust finally settles. Recruiting is a filthy business, and it's not good for the kids or the fans. It does benefit some coaches and schools and the shoe companies, but they generally aren't the people who need the help here. I think it would be great if it all gets cleaned up.
  
• Brad Underwood is obviously connected to Evans and hired him, but it stands to reason that none of these agents or shoe companies would go out of their way to involved multiple people at a program, nor would Evans want to let Underwood (or any other head coach) in on the scheme. The larger the circle gets, the more likely it is that somebody talks. In that sense, I think Underwood probably didn't know about it (or at worst, didn't know the details and turned a blind eye). To me, that means he is most likely safe from the criminal investigation.
  
• The NCAA rules do say that head coaches can be held accountable for their assistants, even if they weren't directly involved in an infraction. In my mind, that means that Underwood is not safe from any future NCAA investigations.
  
• By the time this is all said and done, there will probably be so many people caught up in it that I kind of think it is doubtful that the NCAA will hang the head coaches out to dry unless they were directly involved. Otherwise there may not be many coaches left. In that sense, I think Underwood is probably fairly safe from any major sanctions, assuming he actually is clean here.
  
• Even if Underwood is sanctioned, I think the University of Illinois is pretty safe. None of this allegedly occurred while here (Groce never landed any of the big fish, after all, and Underwood hasn't really landed anyone yet, other than Smith). Worst case scenario seems to be having to let Underwood go, and this whole thing is just a speed bump on the way to rebuilding.
  
• I love watching Pitino take the fall.

Okay, back to work.

I agree with all of this! My only addition would be some sort of comment on OA. I don't think it would be shocking at all to find out that he is linked to similar practices as the assistants that were named yesterday. Again, nothing has happened while at UI (hopefully) so we're likely in the clear, but could lead to an opening for a new assistant.

 

[westvilleillini]

Separate instances. FBI doesn't care about UNC, they didn't break the law.

I don't think that's the point they were making. NCAA has been embarrassed and is going to want to save face. Coming down on UNC, one of its darling schools, is the perfect opportunity to show the world that they're serious about cleaning up and legitimizing their sport.

 

[Illini-Rule]

I don't think that's the point they were making. NCAA has been embarrassed and is going to want to save face. Coming down on UNC, one of its darling schools, is the perfect opportunity to show the world that they're serious about cleaning up and legitimizing their sport.

My opinion is that the NCAA doesn't want to cleanup college sports. Its their cash cow and the blue bloods are the main tit. They will sanction smaller less important schools to look like they are doing their job, in reality they are just as bad as what is going on behind the scenes at the big boy schools.

 

[IlliniMed]

I agree with all of this! My only addition would be some sort of comment on OA. I don't think it would be shocking at all to find out that he is linked to similar practices as the assistants that were named yesterday. Again, nothing has happened while at UI (hopefully) so we're likely in the clear, but could lead to an opening for a new assistant.

You can literally link 75% of coaches to these practices in Power conferences. Its a known commodity that has been looked away at. The NCAA will want this to go away as quickly as possible. Those already named will be the scape goats and the universities specifically mentioned will take the fall. Be happy for once we arent in the middle of the scandal and enjoy the ride with a bucket of popcorn

 

[SescIllini]

I'm pretty confident there's nothing to implicate Underwood.

The agent kickbacks aren't going to come back to the school or head coach.

With respect to recruiting violations, Evans worked for Underwood for one year - a year where no high profile recruits were signed. As such, I'm fairly confident Underwood's staff wasn't paying a bunch of players to come to OSU.

Exactly, the highest rated recruit was like a top 150 player. BU has a connection to KState and FMartin. Evans is from the FMartin coaching tree like BU. Worked for BU for less than a year. So NCAA should play 6 degrees of separation from every coach that has worked with the 4 asst. coaches and Pitino according to the dumb logic. Still need evidence.

 

[Illini Resurgence]

My opinion is that the NCAA doesn't want to cleanup college sports. Its their cash cow and the blue bloods are the main tit. They will sanction smaller less important schools to look like they are doing their job, in reality they are just as bad as what is going on behind the scenes at the big boy schools.

Even if the NCAA doesn't want to clean up college sports and/or is afraid to come down hard on blue bloods there is going to be huge pressure on them to throw the book at UNC due to this FBI investigation showing there really is corruption to be found and prosecuted. There will be massive criticism if they don't.

 

[IlliniMed]

Interesting take as well about the charges and disconnect from the HC/University to the accused. http://www.espn.com/video/clip?id=20825779

 

[basementcheetos]

Most ridiculous statement of the day belongs to Dan Dakich just now on ESPN 1000: "The only program I know for a fact is clean is Michigan because my son plays there so I know." Unreal, now I want Michigan to get caught up in this so badly. Like Dakich would know, I'm sure his kid would just run to daddy if he ever saw anything shady going on, because that's what college athletes do in those situations. Then he went on to brag that he got Bowling Green into the top 30 3 separate times without cheating "so I could do it at a high level without cheating". He then went on to say that the reason he was fired by Indiana because he refused to play ball with the cheating and dirty system. Hinted he could have won a national championship at Indiana had he played along. What an unbelievable clown. Cannot believe what he is saying right now. Can somebody else who is hearing this confirm with me so I know I'm not crazy?

Comes off so happy and hopeful that coaches will lose their jobs. Comes off like a jealous, grudge-harboring moron because he failed as a coach and wants to see his former counterparts fired.

 

[sacraig]

I agree with all of this! My only addition would be some sort of comment on OA. I don't think it would be shocking at all to find out that he is linked to similar practices as the assistants that were named yesterday. Again, nothing has happened while at UI (hopefully) so we're likely in the clear, but could lead to an opening for a new assistant.

I'll admit that OA and his previous UK ace recruiter affiliation have me a tad worried with regard to this investigation. Time will tell.

 

[South Farms]

did BU likely have an idea or knowledge that there was money changing hands in the world of college basketball, namely between handlers, agents and shoe companies and parents , players and coaches ? I'm sure

did he know Lamont Evans was in on it ? I doubt it.

was he in on it ? I doubt it.

If the NCAA is going to hold EVERY head coach accountable for the actions of their assistants in this scandal , there will be about 150 head oaching openings.

While there is a lot to see here in the shady world of "college" sports, I don't think it will change anything in C-U at all.

I'm not worried at all .

 

[IlliniJim20]

.

I sincerely hope that the FBI comes down on the NCAA as a whole, not just individual coaches. They're totally complicate in this. They know what's happening. They know the influence shoe companies have. They just have no incentive to do anything about it.

So, can the FBI charge the NCAA with lack of institutional control?

 

[TeamworkOrange]

The last thing Illinois needs is for Brad Underwood to be blindsided at a normal media event with a bunch of probing questions about this -- where his every word, facial expression, tone of voice will be scrutinized. The AD took the proper approach by issuing a general statement with which our coaching staff can reference when the press asks "gotcha" type questions. The press can still ask their crazy questions but now the staff can say the university previously addressed the issue, there are no updates to it (assuming BU isn't implicated in any way) and for the press to focus on the media event at hand.

I'm not an attorney, but I would guess that more folks who are innocent come off sounding guilty than those who are actually guilty. The intelligent guilty person knows they are guilty, so they typically have thought how they are are going to handle things and have a more polished response. When a person is innocent and is accused by the media, it's not easy to strike a good balance of defending one's self without coming across looking guilty. I assume this is one reason why in court cases attorneys try to keep the defendant off the stand as the outcome is unpredictable.

Had BU issued a statement himself it would it would have been taken as him being defensive and possibly guilty, but because the AD issued it then it is taken as just information being disseminated to the fan base to address those who are overly concerned, and who may be bombarding the department with calls and questions.

In my opinion, this was the proper approach, as it shows that we are on top of things and not ignoring the elephant in the room.

 

[sacraig]

So, can the FBI charge the NCAA with lack of institutional control?

I've honestly wondered about this in a less humorous way. If they find evidence showing the NCAA set rules and then was demonstrably corrupt enough to skirt its own rules for financial gain, can that result in actual criminal charges? I would think so, actually, especially given the interstate nature of its business and the vast economic implications of its behavior.

 

[ChiefIllini]

Most ridiculous statement of the day belongs to Dan Dakich just now on ESPN 1000:

He's up there with Bernstien as people I avoid at all costs.

Dakich does sometimes have good points, but he is so opinionated and self serving it makes me sick and disgusted.

 

[TownieMatt]

So, can the FBI charge the NCAA with lack of institutional control?

No idea. But they should.

 

[mhuml32]

Excerpt pulled from the complaints regarding wiretap from Evans and the (lack of) involvement of the head coach:

http://www.chronicle.com/blogs/ticker/files/2017/09/asst.-coaches.jpg

 

[wettsten]

Most ridiculous statement of the day belongs to Dan Dakich just now on ESPN 1000: "The only program I know for a fact is clean is Michigan because my son plays there so I know." Unreal, now I want Michigan to get caught up in this so badly. Like Dakich would know, I'm sure his kid would just run to daddy if he ever saw anything shady going on, because that's what college athletes do in those situations. Then he went on to brag that he got Bowling Green into the top 30 3 separate times without cheating "so I could do it at a high level without cheating". He then went on to say that the reason he was fired by Indiana because he refused to play ball with the cheating and dirty system. Hinted he could have won a national championship at Indiana had he played along. What an unbelievable clown. Cannot believe what he is saying right now. Can somebody else who is hearing this confirm with me so I know I'm not crazy?

Comes off so happy and hopeful that coaches will lose their jobs. Comes off like a jealous, grudge-harboring moron because he failed as a coach and wants to see his former counterparts fired.

isn't everything that dan dakich says considered the most ridiculous statement ever?

i used to hate it when he called games but now i kind of enjoy it for the stupidly ridiculous claims he makes.

 

[BirdDog9048]

He's up there with Bernstien as people I avoid at all costs.

Dakich does sometimes have good points, but he is so opinionated and self serving it makes me sick and disgusted.

He's tolerable during games, because he generally has some decent insights when analyzing plays, but outside of that, total nimwit.

 

[sdfidaho]

did BU likely have an idea or knowledge that there was money changing hands in the world of college basketball, namely between handlers, agents and shoe companies and parents , players and coaches ? I'm sure

did he know Lamont Evans was in on it ? I doubt it.

was he in on it ? I doubt it.

If the NCAA is going to hold EVERY head coach accountable for the actions of their assistants in this scandal , there will be about 150 head oaching openings.

While there is a lot to see here in the shady world of "college" sports, I don't think it will change anything in C-U at all.

I'm not worried at all .

Pretty much sums it up for me

 

[Ransom Stoddard]

isn't everything that dan dakich says considered the most ridiculous statement ever?

i used to hate it when he called games but now i kind of enjoy it for the stupidly ridiculous claims he makes.

Not to go off topic, but his son graduated and transferred to Ohio State. So they *must* be squeaky clean as well.