UPDATE: Arizona Charged w/ FIVE Level I Violations. 2 Yrs Ago was thought that Sean Miller Was Likely Done where He Would Have Walked w/ $10.3M

[Franisdaman]

April 7, 2021 Update:





March 5 UPDATE (2 YEARS after Orig Post):


Arizona Wildcats men's basketball faces allegations of FIVE Level I rules violations

• Mark Schlabach
• ESPN Senior Writer
• March 5, 2021

Link to story:

Arizona hoops accused of five Level I violations

Arizona's men's basketball program faces allegations of five Level I rules violations, including two alleged instances of academic misconduct.

www.espn.com

ORIGINAL POST (March 9, 2019):

Miller's contract provides that even if he is fired with cause, the university would have to pay him $10.3 million.

From ESPN:

Arizona coach Sean Miller on Saturday sounded like someone whose days on the job are numbered.

Miller, one of the game's big names ensnared in the federal investigation into college basketball corruption, grew emotional in a speech to fans following his team's 72-64 home loss to rival Arizona State.

"The fan bases that we're often compared to, the giants of the college basketball game -- Kentucky in Rupp Arena, Phog Allen Fieldhouse with Kansas, you can fill in the blanks of the other places -- but there's no place that's more magical," he said to cheers from the McKale Center crowd.

"There's no fans in the world that are more loyal. And it has been an amazing honor to coach in McKale Center for the last 10 years," he said. "Thank you for everything."

ESPN, citing sources familiar with the government's evidence, reported in February that FBI wiretaps intercepted telephone conversations between Miller and Christian Dawkins, a key figure in the corruption investigation. In those calls, Miller discussed paying $100,000 to ensure former star freshman Deandre Ayton signed with the Wildcats, the sources said.

According to people with knowledge of the FBI investigation, Miller and Dawkins, a runner working for ASM Sports agent Andy Miller, had multiple conversations about Ayton. When Dawkins asked Sean Miller if he should work with assistant coach Emanuel "Book" Richardson to finalize their agreement, Miller told Dawkins he should deal directly with him when it came to money, the sources said.

Richardson, who was accused of accepting $20,000 in bribes to steer Arizona players to certain managers and financial advisers once they turned pro, pleaded guilty to one felony count of conspiracy to commit bribery. He could face 18 to 24 months in prison at his sentencing in U.S. District Court in New York on April 24.

After Richardson was arrested in late September, Arizona president Robert C. Robbins announced that the university had hired two law firms to conduct independent investigations into the matter.

Robbins has stood by a statement he first made in October, when he said in part, "Based on the facts that we know at this time, we support Coach Miller."

Miller's contract provides that even if he is fired with cause, the university would have to pay his base salary. The contract defines his base salary as his salary plus his peripheral salary. That adds up to roughly $10.3 million through May 2022. The only part that Miller wouldn't be entitled to is $1.7 million from Nike and IMG that is due to him if he completes his contract.

The Wildcats (17-14, 8-10 Pac-12) have struggled throughout the season, leaving them in need of a strong run in next week's Pac-12 tournament just to get a bid to the NIT


LINK: http://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/26212890/thank-everything

 

[BBHawk]

I hope that any school stupid enough to give that kind of contract would suffer consequences...

 

[Franisdaman]

I hope that any school stupid enough to give that kind of contract would suffer consequences...

Do you think the FBI has enough on Miller to charge him? After all, they charged his assistant.

 

[LarryMullenJr.]

Barta has a brother?

 

[Franisdaman]

Barta has a brother?

Would Fran walk with the $9 million if he were fired with cause? Hopefully not!

My gawd, the Arizona AD must be a bigger moran than Barta!!! LOL

 

[HaydenHawk8]

Would Fran walk with the $9 million if he were fired with cause? Hopefully not!

My gawd, the Arizona AD must be a bigger moran than Barta!!! LOL

Nope Barta is in a league of his own in terms of stupidity.

 

[hawkeyeguy69]

Do you think the FBI has enough on Miller to charge him? After all, they charged his assistant.

He should have been fired immediately, regardless. That said, Miller is caught red-handed. He is on the frickin tape.... Yet AZ fans are as blind as LSU fans. They think it is crazy that he could be fired.

Not sure what this world is coming to. You get caught with proof that you are doing something illegal, yet you get to keep your job?!?

As for the bogus contract, suspend him indefinitely. See if he has any dignity and quits, like he should.

 

[Run&Blade]

G-League has lots of coaching candidates.

 

[Franisdaman]

He should have been fired immediately, regardless. That said, Miller is caught red-handed. He is on the frickin tape.... Yet AZ fans are as blind as LSU fans. They think it is crazy that he could be fired.

Not sure what this world is coming to. You get caught with proof that you are doing something illegal, yet you get to keep your job?!? What, does Miller think he is the president??

As for the bogus contract, suspend him indefinitely. See if he has any dignity and quits, like he should.

Sean Miller is a liar and a control freak. I don't think he quits, either. He wants that $10.3 Million going away present

The control freak says he never knew what his assistant was doing. What a bunch of BS. And like you said, he was caught on an FBI wiretap discussing paying recruits.

How bad of a coach is Miller in that he is paying $100's of thousands for these 5 star recruits and he never came close to winning a national championship. I wonder what Lute Olson thinks about him.

Also, it makes you wonder if Archie is on the up and up or did he learn a thing or 2 from his brother?

I think the same thing about Little Dick Pitino; they say the apple does not fall far from the tree, after all.

It is crazy, isn't it. Iowa fans deserted Alford during the Pierre Pierce fiasco.

LSU & Arizona fans, however, continue to support their head coaches. For those 2 fan bases it appears that winning is all that matters

 

[LuteHawk]

Lute Olson put Arizona on the map for college hoops.
Sean Miller just took them off the map.

 

[hwks4ever]

All sports are quickly becoming, or already are, a cesspool. I'm getting fed up with all these coaches and players who skirt the rules, sit out games and seasons to force trades, "shut it down" when it doesnt benefit them financially , ect. Its getting ridiculous . Maybe its having grown up in a different time when these things were not so commonplace but its quickly turning me off from sports. Surprised more people dont feel the same. Its all about the almighty $ and there is no loyalty nor any values left anymore....

 

[anon_i8nzeu2gbf0ba]

Yah, if you think crime doesn't pay--in sports and politics--just look around.

 

[Run&Blade]

All sports are quickly becoming, or already are, a cesspool. I'm getting fed up with all these coaches and players who skirt the rules, sit out games and seasons to force trades, "shut it down" when it doesnt benefit them financially , ect. Its getting ridiculous . Maybe its having grown up in a different time when these things were not so commonplace but its quickly turning me off from sports. Surprised more people dont feel the same. Its all about the almighty $ and there is no loyalty nor any values left anymore....

These teams caught on tape should get 5 year death penalty. That would fix it. Let the players transfer without sitting out.

I would also award whistle blowers that get confirmed audio evidence $1 million dollars.

Problem solved damn quick.

 

[JRingo]

Last week XM84 radio was fawning all over SEC basketball. A few years ago they were having trouble getting multiple NCAA bids. Now, there is "excellence throughout the league". How did they do it so quickly? What was the secret? The Full Ride hosts and the SEC shill said it was a combination of several things... hiring better coaches, the conference making basketball a bigger priority, and old fashioned hard work.

Or... they could have just mentioned that they rounded up a few million dollars and started writing checks to recruits' families. The SEC has no shame, but they aren't alone. Greed and ego are huge motivators. Even the Big Ten has a couple pretty good suspects, if you can believe it. And, like Arizona, when you buy top rated talent and still can't win, perhaps you are not the coaching genius the experts on XM84 tell me you are.

 

[Obviously Oblivious]

These teams caught on tape should get 5 year death penalty. That would fix it. Let the players transfer without sitting out.

I would also award whistle blowers that get confirmed audio evidence $1 million dollars.

Problem solved damn quick.

I agree the NCAA should bring the hammer to programs caught paying players, but I also think players implicated in these scandals should be banned from D1 basketball. They knew what they were doing when they shopped around junior and enriched themselves. They’re all a piece of the same cheating quagmire.

 

[mthawkeyes]

I would think that the University of Arizona will sue Miller for damages. It could be argued that his illegal behavior will have negatively impacted revenues and the reputation of the university.

 

[Franisdaman]

More smoke.

From ESPN.com:

Video: Dawkins boasted of ties to Sean Miller, others
Apr 25, 2019
http://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/26597436/dawkins-boasted-ties-miller-others

• 
  
  Paula LavigneESPN Staff Writer

NEW YORK -- A video recording of a conversation about paying college coaches and athletes that was played Wednesday in the college basketball corruption trial featured aspiring sports agent Christian Dawkins promoting his connections to top coaches, including Arizona's Sean Miller.

At one point in the June 6, 2017, recording, Dawkins -- who is on trial for having allegedly bribed college coaches -- talks about incoming Arizona player Deandre Ayton and says Miller told him, "I'm taking care of everything myself. I wanna bring you in. I'll turn everything over to you."

The recording played while prosecutors questioned former financial adviser Marty Blazer, who was present for the conversation and said the reference was about Miller "taking care" of payments for Ayton.

"Sean Miller has to know everything that's going on. I can call Sean and have a conversation ... like this is what is needing to be done," Dawkins said on the video. He said that Miller is, "talking on the phone about stuff he shouldn't be talking on the phone about."

U.S. District Court Judge Edgardo Ramos ruled Friday that defense attorneys could not subpoena Miller and LSU's Will Wade to testify during the federal bribery trial. Steven Haney, Dawkins' lead attorney, said he was going to file a motion Thursday morning asking the judge to reconsider his decision about Miller.

"We are aware of the reports of the testimony today by a Government witness. We will continue to monitor the proceedings," the University of Arizona said in a statement. "As has been stated previously, the University of Arizona is committed to the highest standards of integrity and ethical conduct in all of our athletic programs and our commitment to those principles is unwavering."

The recording played Wednesday was of a meeting on a yacht docked in Manhattan, where Dawkins met with Blazer, his business partner Munish Sood and -- unbeknownst to Dawkins and Sood at the time -- two undercover FBI agents posing as potential investors in Dawkins' and Sood's new athlete financial services agency.

Dawkins and ex-Adidas consultant Merl Code are facing a series of bribery-related charges in connection with the alleged payments made to assistant basketball coaches in exchange for the coaches' persuading their top players to sign with Dawkins' new agency when they turned pro.

In August, Sood pleaded guilty to felony conspiracy to commit bribery, along with other charges, and he has been a witness for the government. Blazer began cooperating with the government in 2014, as part of an arranged plea deal after he was caught in an investment fraud scheme for which he pleaded guilty in September 2017.

In October 2018, a jury convicted Code, Dawkins and former Adidas executive James Gatto of conspiracy and fraud charges in the first federal case involving a pay-for-play scheme to send top recruits to Adidas-sponsored schools, including Kansas, Louisville and NC State. A judge sentenced Code and Dawkins to six months and Gatto to nine months in federal prison.

Much of the testimony and playback of phone calls and videos Wednesday included several references Dawkins made to the influence college coaches had on players and his connections. Blazer testified that part of the plan was to pay college coaches to gain early access to their top NBA-bound players, so they could gain influence and form relationships before the players knew their true worth.

Prosecutors showed a screenshot of a text message that Blazer said was Dawkins' list of coaches he planned to target. At the top, it said, "These are my main guys," and it included several names of schools and coaches, including six head coaches at the time: Michigan State's Tom Izzo, LSU's Wade, UNLV's Marvin Menzies, Louisville's Rick Pitino, North Carolina State's Kevin Keatts and Arizona's Miller, whose name was listed first. Pitino and Menzies have since been fired.

Some of the other schools on the list, along with names of assistant coaches, were Alabama, Arizona State, Cleveland State, Creighton, DePaul, Miami, Michigan, Oregon, Texas, Texas A&M and USC. The list did not indicate any payments to coaches, nor whether those coaches were contacted.

Blazer also testified that he met with the following assistant coaches: Yasir Rosemond from Alabama, Anthony Coleman from Arizona State and Amir Abdur-Rahim from Texas A&M (now Kennesaw State's head coach), but he did not provide any further details Wednesday of his meetings with those coaches. He said he met with USC's Bland, as well as Creighton assistant coach Preston Murphy, who Blazer said took $6,000 at the meeting and arranged to be set up on a monthly retainer.

In the video taken aboard the yacht, Dawkins also talks about his relationship with former Arizona assistant Emanuel "Book" Richardson, whom Dawkins said was worth paying $4,000 a month because Arizona would have top-10 picks every year.

Richardson, along with fellow ex-coaches Tony Bland (USC) and Lamont Evans (South Carolina and Oklahoma State) have already pleaded guilty to bribery conspiracy charges and are awaiting sentencing in their connection with the pay-to-play scheme.

Richardson admitted to accepting $20,000 in bribes. Richardson said he planned to use $15,000 to entice a high-profile prospect to sign with the Wildcats.

A fourth ex-assistant coach -- Chuck Person of Auburn -- has pleaded guilty to bribery conspiracy and is awaiting sentencing. He had been scheduled to go to trial in June, along with Rashan Michel, a former college and NBA referee who ran a successful custom-suit business in Atlanta and is still under indictment.

Defense attorneys said in their opening statements Tuesday that Dawkins and Code were opposed to paying coaches, saying it was a "waste of money," and that the undercover FBI agents were the ones pushing that plan.

But in testimony Wednesday, Blazer said Dawkins had already been making payments to Evans, then at South Carolina, and Blazer ended up taking over those payments.

In a recording of a meeting Blazer had with Evans, Sood and Dawkins in March 2016, Evans and Dawkins talk frequently about the influence Evans -- or coaches in general -- have on players, specifically on whom they choose to work with when they turn pro.

In a recording of a conversation Dawkins had with Blazer and Sood in the car after meeting with Evans, Dawkins said Evans was "going to bring you, give you access to the situation, the parents, whatever." At one point, Dawkins says to them, "you can never get caught up," which, Blazer testified, meant that the coach would get in trouble -- possibly fired -- if his payments were discovered.

Blazer said Dawkins told him that he had been going to South Carolina once a month to pay Evans $2,500 in cash so there would be no paper trail. Blazer testified that after he took over the payments, he traveled all over the country delivering them in person or sending them via wire transfers. When Evans pleaded guilty in January, he admitted to accepting $22,000 in bribes for influencing players at South Carolina and Oklahoma State.

 

[BBHawk]

Cleveland State! I knew it! They are going down hard!

 

[moondog24]

Sean Miller is a liar and a control freak. I don't think he quits, either. He wants that $10.3 Million going away present

The control freak says he never knew what his assistant was doing. What a bunch of BS. And like you said, he was caught on an FBI wiretap discussing paying recruits.

How bad of a coach is Miller in that he is paying $100's of thousands for these 5 star recruits and he never came close to winning a national championship. I wonder what Lute Olson thinks about him.

Also, it makes you wonder if Archie is on the up and up or did he learn a thing or 2 from his brother?

I think the same thing about Little Dick Pitino; they say the apple does not fall far from the tree, after all.

It is crazy, isn't it. Iowa fans deserted Alford during the Pierre Pierce fiasco.

LSU & Arizona fans, however, continue to support their head coaches. For those 2 fan bases it appears that winning is all that matters

Arizona has a very rabid fan base, but they don't have their head in the sand. Having relocated to the Tucson area I have seen first hand, a shift in the support for Miller. Long time Wildcat supporters are disgusted with what has happened to the program that Lute built. Donors are withholding money until they get the mess straightened out. Three years ago, Miller's face was all over billboards and TV spots doing commercials and promotions -- today you don't see any. Do they believe Miller is telling the truth when he says he has never paid any players? Some do and some don't -- he continues in his position because the powers that be don't have clear cut proof that he lied. Is he a good coach -- not so much -- he can recruit but his actual game coaching and handling of players leaves a lot to be desired. He is better than the two guys that followed Lute and while his winning percentage is .741 in the Pac 12, the luster has worn off. Financially the athletic department near the bottom in the Pac 12, Basketball has been the flagship sport for the Wildcats since Lute took over but if the donors continue to abandon ship, Miller's days will be numbered.

 

[The Deplorable Sleeping Dog]

All sports are quickly becoming, or already are, a cesspool. I'm getting fed up with all these coaches and players who skirt the rules, sit out games and seasons to force trades, "shut it down" when it doesnt benefit them financially , ect. Its getting ridiculous . Maybe its having grown up in a different time when these things were not so commonplace but its quickly turning me off from sports. Surprised more people dont feel the same. Its all about the almighty $ and there is no loyalty nor any values left anymore....

Spot on as both a critique of college sports and more general our failing culture. History teaches us that corruption hits almost every human endeavor. The people that run the campuses and pro franchises could do something about it but they won't, because they too are enriched by increasingly corrupt sports institutions.

My God, Joe Paterno, always the clean Gene of college sports, was keeping the biggest and worst secret in the history of college sports rather than damage the institution to which he'd given his entire adult life. In the end it killed him. Prestigious schools are taking bribes to admit non athletic students. Massive corruption in federal grants to colleges and universities (e.g. Bernie Sanders wife).

Yet, some people think that the idea that officials would cheat is preposterous. The coaches cheat for money; the players cheat for money so why not the officials? Let's say you've got a cousin, or HS buddy, or just a more routine criminal conspirator to place the wagers. You take Michigan State -8.5 over Iowa. You don't get stupid and keep your wager around $10K-enough to make a difference but not enough to draw attention. Maybe throw in 2 or 3 smaller bets to create disinformation and disguise the pattern. Then you make or refrain from making calls to produce that result. Since Sparty was supposed to win anyway no one around the country sees anything but the expected score. You do that 20 times a year and split the dough with your confederate and you've just made $100K in tax free income. I don't mean they do it to Iowa 20 times a year, just 20 of the games a given official works.

The conferences and NCAA don't care as long as that system produces the golden goose (television/internet paid media). To mix metaphors, they aren't looking the gift horse in the mouth. No one is going to do anything to fix any of the problems as long as the results produce the necessary institutional financial objectives.

A good place to start would be making the schools responsible for the actions of their dishonest coaches and make the coaches responsible to the universities. Rather than getting $10M for getting fired for cause Miller should have to pay the university $10M plus all his back wages.

Then modify the death penalty. A school should still have to honor its contractual obligations to the rest of its league, the NCAA and all of the ancillary people like vendors, security workers and janitors that make their livings in sports but they should have to do it for five years without scholarship players; and every player on scholly when the school gets caught is immediately ineligible to play for that school (e.g. every scholly player has to quit their sport or transfer). Those two changes alone would significantly alter the cost & risk benefit equation when first the coach sits down with the "AAU coordinator" or apparel executive and talks best price for the player.

 

[JRingo]

Greed is a powerful motivator. This is a byproduct of paying guys $92 million for coaching games. It's the only place they can make that kind of money, so they will do almost anything to keep those jobs. It's much easier to be a coaching genius if you buy the best talent. John Wooden was the master.

 

[CanadaHawk]

I hope that any school stupid enough to give that kind of contract would suffer consequences...

I’m actually mildly surprised that it’s legal to issue a contract that would pay out to a coach fired with cause if that cause was illegal activities.

But I’ve become convinced that the only real cure to college basketball corruption is to expand the G-league to minor league baseball proportions. This would, unfortunately, bring college basketball popularity down to that of college baseball due to watering down the talent level. But as fan discontent continues to rise, that’s likely the ‘sooner or later’ future.

 

[mtdew_fever]

Poor Sean Miller. I am sure it was all just a simple misunderstanding. Haha

 

[WildIowaCat]

Going to be a lot of egg on face from this thread lol.
As far as Miller being in trouble, the FBI is clearly in his corner as evidenced by the the prosecution blocking the defenses motions and not having Miller or the LSU coach testify.
As far as support for Miller in Tucson, the boosters and fan base are firmly behind him.

I’m going to say this once, and many here know that I have good information when it comes to UofA.

Christian Dawkins was scammed by Book Richardson while both participated in these activities. When Dawkins tried to involve Miller in this he shut down Dawkins and humiliated him ( that’s rumored to be what’s on the tape) and the previously close relationship of Miller to Richardson was destroyed. Miller has cooperated with the FBI from the moment he was approached and THAT is why Dawkins and his attorney and all of asshats at espn are targeting him. ( snitches get stitches).

Ask yourself this, why would a network (espn) get so rabid and publish several unverified accounts that needed to be modified 4 times over for inaccurate details ( normally would be withdrawn with apology) and yet in the same breath tirelessly defend those such as Pitino who are so obviously involved? Why aren’t they covering Duke’s more recent allegations with any fervor? Espn’s sources are Dawkin’s attorneys...they are trying to manipulate the trial.

Go ahead and speculate all you like, I’ll just leave this information here in case anyone would like to question the status-quo.

 

[BBHawk]

Going to be a lot of egg on face from this thread lol.
As far as Miller being in trouble, the FBI is clearly in his corner as evidenced by the the prosecution blocking the defenses motions and not having Miller or the LSU coach testify.
As far as support for Miller in Tucson, the boosters and fan base are firmly behind him.

I’m going to say this once, and many here know that I have good information when it comes to UofA.

Christian Dawkins was scammed by Book Richardson while both participated in these activities. When Dawkins tried to involve Miller in this he shut down Dawkins and humiliated him ( that’s rumored to be what’s on the tape) and the previously close relationship of Miller to Richardson was destroyed. Miller has cooperated with the FBI from the moment he was approached and THAT is why Dawkins and his attorney and all of asshats at espn are targeting him. ( snitches get stitches).

Ask yourself this, why would a network (espn) get so rabid and publish several unverified accounts that needed to be modified 4 times over for inaccurate details ( normally would be withdrawn with apology) and yet in the same breath tirelessly defend those such as Pitino who are so obviously involved? Why aren’t they covering Duke’s more recent allegations with any fervor? Espn’s sources are Dawkin’s attorneys...they are trying to manipulate the trial.

Go ahead and speculate all you like, I’ll just leave this information here in case anyone would like to question the status-quo.

Even if all of what you say is true, why in the hell would ANY self-respecting D1 school write that type of contract? Firing for just cause should never include incentives like this - it is like saying "Go ahead and do what you can, including cheating, we will still pay you regardless but we won't accept blame when you get caught for it." What a bunch of crap!

 

[WildIowaCat]

Even if all of what you say is true, why in the hell would ANY self-respecting D1 school write that type of contract? Firing for just cause should never include incentives like this - it is like saying "Go ahead and do what you can, including cheating, we will still pay you regardless but we won't accept blame when you get caught for it." What a bunch of crap!

Many have raised eyebrows at the nature of his contract for different reasons. But you can’t seriously believe the Board of Regents actually approved outright cheating in the language of his contract. That’s ridiculous to suggest. In Arizona all contracts from the various state schools must be run through a diversely populated ( many different alumni) Board of Regents.

I will grant you that the contract is poorly constructed and needs to be completely revamped. That contract has been criticized ad-nauseum for many many reasons.

 

[WildIowaCat]

One thing you do have to love is Coach Miller has all the scrutiny in the world on him and the program, zero breathing room. So what does he do.... goes out and secures the best class in the nation.
Not very likely to be paying anyone with this kind of spotlight I’d say.

 

[BBHawk]

One thing you do have to love is Coach Miller has all the scrutiny in the world on him and the program, zero breathing room. So what does he do.... goes out and secures the best class in the nation.
Not very likely to be paying anyone with this kind of spotlight I’d say.

He has nothing to fear with that contract.

 

[WildIowaCat]

He has nothing to fear with that contract.

Not seeing it. There would be plenty to lose. He made a huge statement securing that class, anyone saying otherwise is just hating.

 

[Run&Blade]

Miller’s agent should win an award.

 

[BBHawk]

Not seeing it. There would be plenty to lose. He made a huge statement securing that class, anyone saying otherwise is just hating.

LOL!

 

[kceasthawk]

Nope Barta is in a league of his own in terms of stupidity.

Evidently not.

 

[Franisdaman]

More evidence that Sean Miller knew what was going on.

More evidence that Sean Miller made payments himself.

Remember that ESPN reported in Feb. 2018 that Miller discussed with Dawkins paying Ayton $100,000 to play for the Wildcats, a report which Miller, of course, denied six days later.

How many days does Sean Miller have left?

Check this out:


Sean Miller 'fronted' deal to get Deandre Ayton to Arizona Wildcats

Bruce Pascoe
14 hrs ago
https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/nc...ldcats/ar-AAAIf0t?li=BBnba9I&ocid=mailsignout

In a phone call played during the college basketball corruption trial Monday, agent-runner Christian Dawkins told partner Munish Sood that Arizona basketball coach Sean Miller "fronted" a deal to land a player believed to be Deandre Ayton.

The player initially was not named. CBS' Matt Norlander and Yahoo's Dan Wetzel later tweeted that the player was Ayton.

"I mean, because I talk to Sean. Sean's the one who fronted that deal," Dawkins said in a phone call to Sood, according to CBS. "So it's gonna be some money but I mean, we'll figure it out."

In another call, Dawkins tells Sood: "I gotta talk to him about this shit with Book because Book needs to get some money up front to try to get this shit done for the recruit. ... Book needs 15 grand, but what he's saying is, that's going to close the deal for him."

In a meeting in which it was testified Richardson took $5,000 to undercover agents, according to CBS, Richardson said: "You're gonna get Rawle. That's a fact. There's like, you're gonna get Rawle Alkins, he's gonna be a first rounder."

ESPN reported in Feb. 2018 that Miller discussed with Dawkins paying Ayton $100,000 to play for the Wildcats, a report which Miller vehemently denied six days later. Miller's statement included an assertion that he had never paid a player or his family member or a representative to attend Arizona, and that he never will.

Before Ayton played a game for Arizona, Richardson and the others were discussing his future representation. Richardson said in an Aug. 2017 meeting, held at a Tucson restaurant, that Ayton's mother was "loyal to someone else" when it came to picking an agent. (Ayton turned pro after one season at Arizona, signed with agent Nima Namakian and was taken No. 1 overall by the Phoenix Suns in the 2018 NBA draft).

Monday was the first day of the second week of the trial in U.S. District Court in New York, and Sood's second day on the witness stand.

During Monday's proceedings, a video played showed Richardson telling a financial advisor and an undercover FBI agent that he would try to direct three Wildcats standouts to them, according to tweets from Daily Star correspondent Adam Zagoria and CBS Sports' Matt Norlander.

Richardson said the men were "going to get Rawle Alkins," who the coach described as a first-round draft pick.

"You're going to get Rawle Alkins, he's going to be a first rounder. Allonzo Trier, you should get him. Deandre Ayton, we're working on him," Richardson said in a video tape to Sood and two undercover FBI agents on June 20, 2017, according to the Daily Star.

The meeting took place on June 20, 2017, the day that Richardson first took $5,000 from the two men. Richardson took another $15,000 in July; co-conspirator Sood, a financial advisor, testified Monday that Richardson said he needed the money to land a recruit for Arizona.

Alkins spent two seasons at Arizona and turned pro following the 2017-18 season. At the time, Richardson promised to deliver Alkins to Dawkins and Sood, the wing was one month removed from announcing plans to return to school for his sophomore season. Alkins is now a part of the Chicago Bulls' organization.

Sood testified that Richardson asked for an additional $15,000 in July 2017 to land a specific recruit.

"I needed clarity for what the money ($5,000) was for, whereas the $15,000 was for a recruit," Sood testified.

The initial federal complaints, filed in Sept. 2017, made note of the conversations between Richardson and the men.

Also Monday, Richardson was quoted discussing the recruitment of Jahvon Quinerly and the logistics involved with his mother.

Richardson said he paid the Quinerlys $10,000 out of his own pocket, and that he told Quinerly he'd give him $5,000 if he committed to Arizona.

Richardson is also quoted on tape saying LSU coach Will Wade offered him a job. He said Wade told him he made a deal for $300,000 to land Naz Reid and that Richardson told him he could make sure Reid went there for half as much. (Reid was also a UA recruiting target in 2017).

Richardson also said on tape that paying players was putting financial pressure on him and that he was "broke" despite making almost $250,000 a year, Yahoo! Sports reported.

MORE: Sean Miller, Wildcats back in spotlight at college basketball corruption trial

 

[hawkitd]

Greed is a powerful motivator. This is a byproduct of paying guys $92 million for coaching games. It's the only place they can make that kind of money, so they will do almost anything to keep those jobs. It's much easier to be a coaching genius if you buy the best talent. John Wooden was the master.

WTF? If they are paid $92 million, they are still greedy? Is that what you are saying?

 

[JRingo]

What I'm saying is a bit more subtle. There are not a lot of "walking around jobs" out there paying the money that these coaches are getting. And, since most of them aren't qualified for other high paying jobs, they will do almost anything to keep the major college basketball (or football) job they have. "Almost anything" may include illegal or unethical activity to secure the talent that would help them retain said job.

 

[WildIowaCat]

More evidence that Sean Miller knew what was going on.

More evidence that Sean Miller made payments himself.

Remember that ESPN reported in Feb. 2018 that Miller discussed with Dawkins paying Ayton $100,000 to play for the Wildcats, a report which Miller, of course, denied six days later.

How many days does Sean Miller have left?

Check this out:


Sean Miller 'fronted' deal to get Deandre Ayton to Arizona Wildcats

Bruce Pascoe
14 hrs ago
https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/nc...ldcats/ar-AAAIf0t?li=BBnba9I&ocid=mailsignout

In a phone call played during the college basketball corruption trial Monday, agent-runner Christian Dawkins told partner Munish Sood that Arizona basketball coach Sean Miller "fronted" a deal to land a player believed to be Deandre Ayton.

The player initially was not named. CBS' Matt Norlander and Yahoo's Dan Wetzel later tweeted that the player was Ayton.

"I mean, because I talk to Sean. Sean's the one who fronted that deal," Dawkins said in a phone call to Sood, according to CBS. "So it's gonna be some money but I mean, we'll figure it out."

In another call, Dawkins tells Sood: "I gotta talk to him about this shit with Book because Book needs to get some money up front to try to get this shit done for the recruit. ... Book needs 15 grand, but what he's saying is, that's going to close the deal for him."

In a meeting in which it was testified Richardson took $5,000 to undercover agents, according to CBS, Richardson said: "You're gonna get Rawle. That's a fact. There's like, you're gonna get Rawle Alkins, he's gonna be a first rounder."

ESPN reported in Feb. 2018 that Miller discussed with Dawkins paying Ayton $100,000 to play for the Wildcats, a report which Miller vehemently denied six days later. Miller's statement included an assertion that he had never paid a player or his family member or a representative to attend Arizona, and that he never will.

Before Ayton played a game for Arizona, Richardson and the others were discussing his future representation. Richardson said in an Aug. 2017 meeting, held at a Tucson restaurant, that Ayton's mother was "loyal to someone else" when it came to picking an agent. (Ayton turned pro after one season at Arizona, signed with agent Nima Namakian and was taken No. 1 overall by the Phoenix Suns in the 2018 NBA draft).

Monday was the first day of the second week of the trial in U.S. District Court in New York, and Sood's second day on the witness stand.

During Monday's proceedings, a video played showed Richardson telling a financial advisor and an undercover FBI agent that he would try to direct three Wildcats standouts to them, according to tweets from Daily Star correspondent Adam Zagoria and CBS Sports' Matt Norlander.

Richardson said the men were "going to get Rawle Alkins," who the coach described as a first-round draft pick.

"You're going to get Rawle Alkins, he's going to be a first rounder. Allonzo Trier, you should get him. Deandre Ayton, we're working on him," Richardson said in a video tape to Sood and two undercover FBI agents on June 20, 2017, according to the Daily Star.

The meeting took place on June 20, 2017, the day that Richardson first took $5,000 from the two men. Richardson took another $15,000 in July; co-conspirator Sood, a financial advisor, testified Monday that Richardson said he needed the money to land a recruit for Arizona.

Alkins spent two seasons at Arizona and turned pro following the 2017-18 season. At the time, Richardson promised to deliver Alkins to Dawkins and Sood, the wing was one month removed from announcing plans to return to school for his sophomore season. Alkins is now a part of the Chicago Bulls' organization.

Sood testified that Richardson asked for an additional $15,000 in July 2017 to land a specific recruit.

"I needed clarity for what the money ($5,000) was for, whereas the $15,000 was for a recruit," Sood testified.

The initial federal complaints, filed in Sept. 2017, made note of the conversations between Richardson and the men.

Also Monday, Richardson was quoted discussing the recruitment of Jahvon Quinerly and the logistics involved with his mother.

Richardson said he paid the Quinerlys $10,000 out of his own pocket, and that he told Quinerly he'd give him $5,000 if he committed to Arizona.

Richardson is also quoted on tape saying LSU coach Will Wade offered him a job. He said Wade told him he made a deal for $300,000 to land Naz Reid and that Richardson told him he could make sure Reid went there for half as much. (Reid was also a UA recruiting target in 2017).

Richardson also said on tape that paying players was putting financial pressure on him and that he was "broke" despite making almost $250,000 a year, Yahoo! Sports reported.

MORE: Sean Miller, Wildcats back in spotlight at college basketball corruption trial

Literally none of that is what is defined as proof of Miller doing anything. It’s definitely a huge array of hearsay and boasting by a number of blowhard convicted frauds and proven liars. It’s simply amazing anyone considers this proof.
A) Quinnerly was cleared of any wrongdoing.
B) Ayton was cleared of any wrongdoing. The dates of the discussions about “ getting” Ayton was over a year after Ayton had already committed and he was already on campus... was this over representation? Most likely, and as I mentioned before it’s rumored that as soon as Miller got wind of this he shut the whole thing and Dawkins down and in the process humiliated Dawkins verbally.
C) None of the players listed above were disqualified or represented by these “agents”.
You have scumbag Dawkins who was eating up everything Richardson was feeding him, meanwhile scumbag Richardson seems to have pocketed all of the money for himself. Cons being conned.
One thing is sure, Miller will face consequences for Richardson’s antics as he bears some responsibility for having the guy around.

There’s no doubt the Richardson behavior is terrible and it’s extremely embarrassing. But I have yet to see a shred of “proof” of any wrongdoing by the Head coach and it’s fairly obvious he’s been singled out by local Arizona media and select national media for less than virtuous reasons despite being there being a huge pool of people actually involved in this mess that they could be speculating about as well.

If there was any evidence at all, even the tiniest amount, Miller would have been arrested, indicted, and on trial.

 

[Franisdaman]

 

[WildIowaCat]

Dick Vitale is about as credible as Christian Dawkins. I mean this is the guy that has repeatedly cried out defending Rick Pitino adamantly. He is slinging this crap to double down on the terribly inaccurate reports that he and his other espn slime balls hurried to publish without verification.

He has absolutely zero contacts at UofA and knows nothing about anything in the AD there.

 

[WildIowaCat]

In fact this is from Arizona special counsel Paul Kelly who was present today.

"I am aware of media reports and public relations suggesting that University of Arizona Men's Basketball student-athlete DeAndre Ayton should not be deemed eligible to compete due to a perception that he or his family received money or other benefits in connection with his recruitment at Arizona. These reports are false and unfounded," Kelly said in a statement Sunday.

"Over the past several months, Mr. Ayton has voluntarily submitted to several interviews, by federal prosecutors and the FBI, by University and PAC-12 compliance officials, by representatives of the NCAA, and by Steptoe & Johnson, the independent law firm engaged by the University to review these matters. In each of these interviews, Mr. Ayton has credibly and consistently maintained that neither he nor any member of his family, not any representative thereof, received any money or extra benefit to influence his decision to attend the University of Arizona. Not a shred of evidence has been adduced suggesting otherwise, which federal investigators and NCAA officials have acknowledged."

 

[BBHawk]

Hmm...what do you expect an AZ U rep to say? Is ANYONE outside of AZ U's most rabid fans and reps defending them?