COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo.—USA Basketball put together its best mini-camp ever here this week, bringing 54 elite players to the U.S. Olympic training center to try out for the U17 world championships and the annual Nike Hoop Summit.
But some of the 18 seniors here have been touched by the fallout the week-long FBI fueled investigation into recruiting that has affected players, coaches, assistants, shoe companies and agents and financial advisors.
Five-star point guard Jahvon Quinerly of Hudson Catholic-who is here to compete for a spot on the U.S. team that will compete in next spring’s Nike Hoop Summit, has been linked to the probe, in regards to Arizona. Quinerly committed to the Pac-12 Wildcats over Villanova last summer. His family has since hired a lawyer even though they have yet to be contacted by the FBI.
Arizona assistant “Book” Richardson was one of four prominent assistants arrested in the wake of the investigation. Court documents allege that Richardson took a total of $22,000 in to steer players to a specific agent and used $15,000 to bribe a “top point guard who committed to Arizona on or about August 9. The only player who fits that description is Quinerly.
When the 17-year old Quinerly, who was not explicated named in documents, was approached by ESPN as to whether he had received money, he told the reporter, “I can’t comment on that’’ instead of directing him to talk to his father or a lawyer. His answer set off alarm bells. Quinerly has spoken with head coach Sean Miller but has not had any conversations with Richardson, who is set for a court appearance Tuesday.
He said for now, he still plans for Arizona.
But another of Arizona’s prime prospects—7-2 Bol Bol of Mater Dei High School in Santa Ana, Calif.—has taken a pass on Arizona as well as USC, and will concentrate on Kentucky and Oregon, indicating he wanted to stay away from schools that are being investigated.
Bol Bol isn’t the only prospect here scrambling to find a new campus. Guard Anfernee Simons of IMG, Fla. Academy, who committed to Louisville; 7-1 Moses Brown of NYC Archbishop Molloy, who was leaning toward Louisville’ and guard Romeo Langford of New Albany, Ind., who was considering the Cardinals have all dropped the ACC school after FBI documents indicated coaches from the Ville had conspired with Adidas executive Jim Gatto, Christopher Dawkins, an employee of a financially advising company; and Munish Sood, a money manager; to allegedly pay the family of McDonald’s All America selection Brian Bowen $100,000 to attend the Adidas program. Hall of Fame coach Rick Pitino and AD Tom Jurich have already been placed on unpaid leave with intent to terminate for cause. Two assistants — Kenny Johnson and Jordan Fair—have been suspended from team duties.
Brown is concentrating on UCLA and Maryland. Simons is looking closely at Florida but is being romanced by numerous others. Langford’s list includes Kansas, Indiana, UCLA, North Carolina and Vanderbilt.
Another elite prospect at the camp, 6-6 Nasir Little of Orlando Christian Prep, apparently found a new destination when he committed to North Carolina just eight days removed from the FBI announcement of a wide ranging investigation in college basketball recruiting violations that led to the arrest of Little’s travel team coach Jonathan Brad Augustine, who coaches Adidas sponsored I Family, who was charged after wiretaps showed with trying to steer Little to Miami, an Adidas program or Arizona, a Nike school.
The feds have charged Augustine, two Adidas executives Jim Gatto and Merl Code and former NBA agent Christian Dawkins with scheming to move $150,000 to help the recruitment of Player 12, who was described as a high-profile recruit in the class of 2018. Augustine’s only player recruited by Miami and Arizona was Little.
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Here is a list of senior prospects who participated in the camp and the schools they have either selected or predictions where they will surface:
— Zion Williamson, 6-7 f, Spartanburg, S.C. Day: Late November decision, predicting Duke, Kentucky or Kansas.
— Cameron Reddish, 6-7 forward, Westtown, Pa. School: Duke.
— Darius Bazley, 6-9 forward, Cincinnati Princeton: Syracuse
— Jahvon Quinerly, 6-3 guard, Hudson, NJ, Catholic: Arizona
— Tre Jones, 6-2 guard, Apple Valley, Minn.: Duke.
— Moses Brown, 7-1 center, NYC Archbishop Molloy: predicting Maryland
— Bol Bol, 7-2 center, Santa Ana, Calif. Mater Dei: Oregon, Kentucky.
— Tyler Herro, 6-4 guard, Whitenall Wis. HS: Wisconsin.
— Darius Bazley, 6-9 forward, Cincinnati Princeton: Syracuse
— Nasir Little, 6-6 f, Orlando Christian: North Carolina.
— Reggie Perry, 6-9, Thomasville, Ga. HS: Mississippi State.
— Immanuel Quickly, 6-3 guard, Bel Aire, Md. John Carroll: Kentucky.
— Anfernee Simons, 6-4 guard, IMG Academy: undecided, predicting Florida.
— Emmitt Williams, 6-8 forward, Lehigh Acres, Fla. Oakridge: predicting LSU, Florida State, Florida, Oregon.
— Jordan Brown, 6-10 center, Napa, Calif. Prolific Prep: predicting California.
— Darius Garland, 6-2 guard, Brentwood, Tenn Academy: predicting Vanderbilt.
— Quentin Grimes, 6-4 guard, The Woodlands, Tex. College Park: predicting Kansas.
— Keldon Johnson, 6-5 wing forward, Oak Hill, Va. Academy: predicting Texas.
— Romeo Langford, 6-5, New Albany, Ind: predicting Indiana or Kansas.