It was a dark day for college basketball as details of the FBI probe on college basketball implicated mid-majors to blue blood basketball programs. You can read the full report from Yahoo sports.
What does this mean for arguably for the historically top basketball conference in the country… the ACC.
Here are the ACC schools named in the probe.
- Dennis Smith, who would go on to play at North Carolina State in 2016-17, received $43,500 according to the documents. Another document headed “Pina,” for ASM agent Stephen Pina, says Smith received a total of $73,500 in loans, and includes notes about “options to recoup the money” when Smith did not sign with ASM.
- Former Clemson player Jaron Blossomgame received a payment by Venmo while in school for $1,100 according to the documents.
- The case has also cost Louisville coach Rick Pitino his job, as the school parted ways with the Hall of Famer soon after the details of the program’s involvement in a six-figure agreement to sign five-star recruit Brian Bowen went public
Among the players and/or families who are listed as meeting with or having meals with Dawkins:
- Former North Carolina player Tony Bradley.
- Current Duke player Wendell Carter.
- Former Virginia player Malcolm Brogdon.
- Former Notre Dame player Demetrius Jackson.
Don’t expect a rash of suspension and sanctions from the NCAA. Here’s why… From this Washington Post article about the NCAA tournament.
The men’s basketball tournament basically funds the NCAA’s existence. Between television revenue and ticket sales, the tournament annually produces more than $700 million. The NCAA keeps about 40 percent and distributes the remaining 60 percent to schools; the basketball fund is the largest piece of that distribution.
The NCAA can speak integrity, but the NCAA isn’t going to cripple it’s cash cow with sweeping sanctions. There might be policy changes and new rules, but NCAA isn’t making Duke, Kentucky, Michigan State and North Carolina illegible for the post-season
If we’re just talking a few meals like in the UNC, Duke, Virginia, Notre Dame I expect almost no punishment if any at all. The $1100 for Jaron Blossomgame will barely raise an eyebrow. That leaves NC State. What I think the NCAA is going to do is go after a handful of the biggest offenders. At the moment NC State has the highest monetary value to their potential violation.
With that said, if what NC State AD Debbie Yow is accurate…
“We learned of the report this morning and it is the first we’ve heard about this information,” North Carolina State director of athletics Debbie Yow responded Friday when contacted by Yahoo Sports. “The report involves an agent N.C. State disassociated with in 2012. Of course, we will fully cooperate with any investigations or inquiries.”
Good luck with trying to retro-actively punish NC State for that.
Louisville has already been hit hard by the NCAA, and my guess is Arizona will be next if this is true.
Breaking: Sources say FBI wiretaps intercepted Sean Miller and Christian Dawkins discussing a payment of $100,000 to ensure star freshman DeAndre Ayton signed with Arizona. pic.twitter.com/TUajew2ouu
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) February 24, 2018
The rest – just wait you’ll see little no action done. It’s just too widespread and could be too crippling for the NCAA tournament. Fair or not Louisville, possibly Arizona, and 1 or 2 other schools will be the ones that bear the brunt of this probe.
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