Dick Weiss on College Basketball
SANTA CRUZ, Calif.– College basketball’s massive corruption scandal claimed another victim here last night.
Arizona coach Sean Miller was caught on multiple FBI wiretaps talking about offering a recruit $100,000 to commit to Arizona. The conversations between Miller and Christian Dawkins, an runner for Andy Miller’s ASM Sports, involved 7-1 star freshman center De’Andre Ayton, who could be the first pick in the upcoming NBA draft.
Sources told ESPN that on the recordings, Miller and Dawkins has several discussions about Ayton. Miller told Dawkins the agency should speak directly to him, not anyone else on his staff regarding payments for Ayton. Ayton, who was born in the Bahamas and signed with the Wildcats over Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland and San Diego State, is considered the best prospect in the Pac-12. He is averaging 19.6 points and 10.9 rebounds for the 14th ranked Wildcats, who have a game and a half lead in the conference.
Miller still has on a $12 million on a contract that runs through 2022.
But his job security is in jeopardy. The university can terminate Miller if he breaks NCAA rules and he must pay the school $300,000 in damages in the case. Miller has a clause written into his contract that will pay him 85 percent of his remaining contract– $10 million– if terminated for any reason.
If Arizona’s new AD Dan Heeke, who has already fired football coach Rich Rodriguez over sexual harassment charges and has made a huge statement about “doing things the right way” is serious about cleaning up this mess, he may have no choice but to put Miller on administrative leave with intent to dismiss and rule Ayton ineligible if the facts bare fruit and maybe even pull the Cats from the NCAA tournament.
We’ll see.
It’s hard. A lot of these coaches like Rick Pitino and Sean Miller have been long time friends. I’ll bet they never thought their careers would go up in flames right this.
This massive college corruption scandal has grabbed the sport by the neck and isn’t about to let go. Every day brings new revelations. It may be too big to control now, too big to fix. The NCAA has no real power unless they are handed evidence by a third party.
This has been a tough year for Arizona basketball, which has been a perennial Final Four contender. Earlier this season, assistant Book Richardson was indicted in the federal investigation after being accused of accepting $20,000 in bribes and paying a recruit to sign with the Wildcats. In exchange for the money, Richardson agreed to influence players to sign with Dawkins and financial advisor Munish Sood, who was arrested by FBI agents. Arizona fired Richardson Jan. 11.
Richardson has been charged with six felonies—conspiracy to commit bribery solicitation of bribes by an agent of a federal funded organization, conspiracy to commit honest services fraud, wire fraud conspiracy and travel act conspiracy. He had pleaded not guilty and faces up to 60 years in prison if convicted.
Then, earlier this week, star guard Allonzo Trier was declared ineligible after he tested positive a second time. for using a banned substance.
The university is appealing the ruling.
Trier, who missed the first 19 games of last season after testing positive for a performance enhancing substance, is averaging 19.6 points. He participated in a student athlete drug screening last month. The results released Tuesday revealed he had a trace of the same banned substance.
