FBI College Basketball Corruption Investigation
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Mike
C-U Townie
You may be right that the NCAA now has real pressure on them.
The FBI yesterday was mentioning NCAA rules which I thought was kind of odd coming from the FBI.
NEIlliniFan
- No longer in New England
Ya gotta love this sequence of tweets -
https://twitter.com/coachbrucepearl/status/912419363503984642
followed by
https://twitter.com/JamesCrepea/status/913069101790220288
https://twitter.com/coachbrucepearl/status/912419363503984642
followed by
https://twitter.com/JamesCrepea/status/913069101790220288
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Fighter of the Nightman
- Chicago, IL
If (and this is a massive if) Underwood ends up getting in some trouble, I would think we would be okay. We'd fire him and say we had no idea, and we'd move on. We'd be back to "rebuilding," but our program's reputation probably wouldn't take anywhere near as much of a hit as IU after Sampson, for example. Maybe wishful thinking, but that's how I see it.
With that said, I still say we come out 110% fine.
With that said, I still say we come out 110% fine.
How many times do we have to go over this? The FBI has NOTHING on BU. The main concern should be from the NCAA enacting "Head coach is responsible for everything" rule. There are other much more clear cut cases that are still on going into the FIFTH year. Nothign will happen and the only thing you need to be concerned about at this point is brand image. We'll be fine.
That's not how it works. The pocket money is just peanuts compared to the overall benefits. The agents/companies steer recruits to specific schools/coaches in exchange for them steering them back to them. It is just insurance for the agents/companies, and these small gifts of cash are really nothing.
The biggest benefit is that these coaches get those recruits on their team, it improves their teams (and associated schools), it improves their visibility, their reputations as coaches/recruiters, they become successful, which in turn translates to huge financial, career, and other benefits.
It would be the same as asking why would Calipari risk his multiple dream jobs and salaries at his many stops. Coaches risk because these dream jobs and associated financial benefits depend on them becoming, and remaining, successful. And for that, they need the players, more than the pocket money and small tokens of appreciation.
RichBradIllini
- Peoria
Read the detail analysis of Evan's actions and tell me how confident you are about Underwood being off the hook.
I feel ill.
http://www.tulsaworld.com/sportsext...cle_2bbc9699-67c2-5059-8676-b7597537e6ba.html
I'm not concerned about Illinois' exposure - I don't think there is any.
I'm concerned that Underwood might have some exposure and that we might have to fire a guy who looks like he can make Illinois great again. I'd like to think the risk of this is small, but who knows (apart from Evans and Underwood).
sbillini
- st petersburg, fl
It's like talking to a wall, but I guess I'll keep doing it....
Just because the FBI doesn't indict someone doesn't mean they don't have anything on someone. They just don't have enough to indict...that's it. That's all you can reasonably conclude. The risk is (albeit a small one) that BU was Evans' boss, and before then, his colleague, and now they're gonna turn up the heat on Evans to talk. That MAY give them enough to indict *IF* there's anything there. This is standard operating procedure for cases like this..Again, I still don't think they're going to find much, but to categorically say that they have NOTHING on him is short-sighted.
But agree with you on the NCAA side.
That's been my major enjoyment from all this. That slimeball has beat the reaper long enough.
All I see is "Evans"..... "Evans set this meeting up"... "Evans met at this restaurant" ... "Evans evans evans evans.
Deleted member 10676
D
Guest
Even if that is true at this moment, there is no way to think this will be true going forward. Evans just turned himself in. Staring 80 years in the pen in the face, who knows what he knows and will tell?
He's worked with and under BU long enough that there's just no way to automatically assume Underwood is totally ignorant of what was going on.
As for Illinois itself, we're probably good but I wouldn't swear that on a stack of bibles -- or korans or anything else. This day 1 of an ongoing federal investigation. No way to tell what lies ahead.
Has Evans told them all he knows though. Evans is going to be trying to get his sentence reduced. Evans has worked for or with BU at multiple jobs.
Fine for Illinois sure, fine for BU and then as a result Illinois rebuilding effort? Depends on what Evans claims BU knew, or did.
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.
Whether the FBI has anything on BU (e.g., leads, etc.) nobody currently knows. What we do know, is that BU has NOT been currently implicated in any official documents. As this case progresses, there is the possibility that the defendants accuse/bring down other associates and coaches in exchange for more lenient treatment. So BU may or may not have some personal criminal exposure.
Now, the UI has no criminal exposure. These events took place in previous years, so unless new information comes up that UI/Coaches are currently involved in fraud/crime, there is no concern. To be honest, even if coaches (at whatever school) were still involved in fraud/crime, that activity will likely cease/subside as a result of the FBI investigation in the next months.
As far as the NCAA, even if the rule of head coaching responsibility gets applied, there is still no UI exposure based on the fact that these crimes/inappropriateness were conducted not at UI, but while at OSU, SoCarolina, etc. The worst that can happen for UI, even in the case that penalties (criminal or NCAA) are brought up against BU, is that UI will have to fire him, which will set us back.
But unless things get uncovered on previous UI coaches, or current coaches at UI, the school has no criminal or NCAA exposure.
RedRocksIllini
- Morrison, CO
Not to pick on your quote, but it seems to me the real concern here is how much Gatto and some of the other money providers will talk. Evans may be of concern to Underwood, but this could be much, much bigger than what might happen to our coach. If they get Gatto, Dawkins or Sood to talk, there will be a lot of Rick Pitino walk-of-shames.
Deleted member 10676
D
Guest
Chris Sutter @chrissutter 7m7 minutes ago
WDRB UPDATE: Pitino on unpaid leave. Jurich on paid leave. One student athlete barred from NCAA activities.
WDRB NewsVerified account @WDRBNews 3m3 minutes ago
Louisville will name interim basketball coach and AD in next 24-to-48 hours. A list of possibilities by @rickbozich
http://www.wdrb.com/story/36465319/bozich-whats-next-for-louisville-basketball-and-ad
WDRB UPDATE: Pitino on unpaid leave. Jurich on paid leave. One student athlete barred from NCAA activities.
WDRB NewsVerified account @WDRBNews 3m3 minutes ago
Louisville will name interim basketball coach and AD in next 24-to-48 hours. A list of possibilities by @rickbozich
http://www.wdrb.com/story/36465319/bozich-whats-next-for-louisville-basketball-and-ad
Read the whole thing. I see nothing, perhaps you have the flu.
Some fans reaching for nothing.
It's almost as if they want Illinois basketball in trouble.
Innocent until proven guilty just don't work nowadays.
It's almost as if they want Illinois basketball in trouble.
Innocent until proven guilty just don't work nowadays.
mhuml32
- Cincinnati, OH
The court of public opinion has no such standards. It's not hard to connect the dots that there could be exposure for Illinois basketball through Brad Underwood. At this point, we have no idea if there is any exposure, time will tell.
Deleted member 10676
D
Guest
Tugs' 247 profile changed from 'Hard Commit' to 'Enrolled'.
http://247sports.com/Player/Brian-Bowen-37000
http://247sports.com/Player/Brian-Bowen-37000
Before reading the Tulsa article, I was under the impression that Evans only crime/violation was accepting bribes to steer current OSU players to certain agents/advisers. That makes Evans a scumbag, but it does not give OSU a competitive advantage.
This article suggests that Evans is on tape with an FBI informant asking for cash to pay recruits and confirming the receipt of headphones that were either given, or to be given, to a recruit.
So to me, this article just put OSU in the NCAA crosshairs of recruiting violations. As has been stated here, the head coach is accountable for the actions of the assistant.
It's not Pitino level damaging, but it's not good for BU.
That's my read. I would be ecstatic for someone to tell me why I'm wrong.
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