Criminal Trial to Cap Off Tumultuous Year in NCAA Basketball

Three face charges of trying to bribe the families of top high-school basketball recruits to sign with top schools

By
Rebecca Davis O’Brien

Sept. 27, 2018 5:30 a.m. ET

The first of three criminal trials stemming from a sprawling probe of alleged corruption in college basketball is set to begin next week, a critical test for an investigation that rattled the sport with charges of bribery at some of the country’s most-storied basketball programs.

The trial, in Manhattan federal court, centers on alleged schemes—involving an aspiring sports agent, an Adidas AG executive and an Adidas consultant—to bribe the families of top high-school basketball recruits. Prosecutors say the payments were designed to induce the players to sign with schools sponsored by Adidas, including the University of Louisville and the University of Kansas.

Adidas hasn’t been accused of wrongdoing. The company said it had “cooperated fully” with authorities and would continue to do so. “We’ve put the individual charged on administrative leave and have terminated any consulting relationships related to the allegations.”

Neither Louisville nor Kansas were accused of wrongdoing, and no coaches were charged in this case.

At trial, prosecutors are expected to present evidence that purports to expose a seamy side of the billion-dollar industry of Division I college basketball and has prompted calls for sweeping overhauls. The yearslong probe involved wiretaps of multiple phones, recorded meetings in Las Vegas hotel rooms and a cooperating witness who worked for months alongside undercover agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, court filings show.


Lawyers for the three defendants—Adidas executive James Gatto, consultant Merl Code and aspiring agent Christian Dawkins—have argued in filings and court hearings that making payments to college athletes is a widespread practice that may go against NCAA rules, but doesn’t amount to a federal crime.

“It is not against the law to offer a financial incentive to a family to persuade them to send their son or daughter to a particular college,” lawyers wrote in a December motion to dismiss the charges. “After expending enormous resources, the Government has strained to find any legal theory…to transform NCAA rule violations into a conspiracy to commit federal wire fraud.”

A central argument of the prosecution is that the schools themselves were victims of the alleged schemes. But the defendants’ lawyers say the aim was to assist—not defraud—the universities by drawing top talent to their basketball teams.

In September 2017, prosecutors unsealed charges against 10 people, including Mr. Gatto, former National Basketball Association star Chuck Person, and assistant coaches at top-tier college basketball programs, in three separate alleged schemes.

Mr. Person, who was charged with accepting bribes in his capacity as an assistant coach at Auburn University, has pleaded not guilty and is set to go to trial next year. Auburn wasn’t accused of wrongdoing, and fired Mr. Person after his arrest last year.

In the weeks after the arrests, star college players were sidelined amid concerns about their NCAA eligibility, FBI agents raided a major sports agency and prosecutors subpoenaed schools across the country.

The NCAA set up a commission, headed by former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, to study corrupting influences in college basketball. The NCAA has adopted some of the commission’s recommendations, including stricter requirements for nonscholastic summer basketball leagues, allowing college players to be represented by agents as they consider going pro, and requiring coaches and athletics staff to report athletics-related outside income.

Among the more high-profile casualties of the case was Louisville’s Hall of Fame coach, Rick Pitino, who was effectively fired last fall after being identified in one of the alleged schemes.

It is the alleged scheme involving Mr. Pitino that is headed to trial next week. Prosecutors allege that the three defendants worked with others to funnel tens of thousands of dollars to the families of high-school recruits to induce them to attend Adidas-sponsored schools, then sign with Mr. Dawkins when they went pro.

Prosecutors allege that Mr. Pitino—identified as “Coach-2” in the initial criminal complaint last fall—was aware of efforts to secure more Adidas money for a top recruit. Mr. Pitino has denied wrongdoing, and hasn’t been charged in the matter.

Messrs. Dawkins, Code and Gatto have pleaded not guilty to the charges connected to Louisville of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and wire fraud. Mr. Gatto has also pleaded not guilty to a third count, wire fraud connected to the alleged scheme at Kansas. Prosecutors also allege the men conspired to bribe players to attend the University of Miami and North Carolina State University. Neither university has been accused of wrongdoing, and no coaches there have been charged.

Several members of the alleged scheme have pleaded guilty since last fall, and could testify at the trial. In August, Munish Sood—a New Jersey financial adviser who had planned to work with Mr. Dawkins—pleaded guilty to bribing college basketball coaches, as well as counts of wire-fraud conspiracy and conspiracy to commit bribery, honest-services fraud and travel act offenses. Lawyers for Mr. Sood didn’t respond to requests for comment.

This year, a former director of an Adidas-sponsored travel basketball team for high-school students pleaded guilty to wire fraud in connection with a scheme to defraud the universities. He is expected to be called as a government witness, prosecutors said in court filings.

In February, the government dismissed charges against Jonathan Brad Augustine, the director of another amateur youth-basketball program, who was originally charged in the Adidas scheme. He could be called as a witness at trial. A lawyer for Mr. Augustine declined to comment.

The trial could also shed light on a scandal related to the investigation itself. One of the undercover FBI agents central to the probe was accused of misappropriating government money and spending it on gambling, food and beverages during the investigation.

The Justice Department’s Inspector General’s office was investigating the matter, the Journal reported this year. The results of that inquiry haven’t been made public. A spokesman for the Inspector General’s office declined to comment.

Defense lawyers have for months sought disclosure of information related to the FBI agent’s conduct. It isn’t clear if prosecutors will ask the agent to testify at trial.

Write to Rebecca Davis O’Brien at Rebecca.OBrien@wsj.com

Appeared in the September 28, 2018, print edition as 'Trial to Cap Tumultuous Year for NCAA.'

Zip I used to have your email address. Can you text it too me? Do you still have my contact info?

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I know there is anger towards Tom for the contract extension. Two things to point out: The original buyout started at $10M then reduced $1.5M each year after '17. Current buyout is reportedly $12M this year and next, then reduces each year after '19. Point is when we're talking that much money, $8.5M, which would have been the buyout this year compared to $12M, $3.5M isn't that big of a deal, all things considered. But, all of this is moot, because of this specific contract language regarding the buyout:

Said amount shall be paid within twenty-one (21) days of Employee's final day of employment. Each of the amounts set forth above (8.3(i)-(iv) shall be reduced by 50% if at the time payment is due, Tom Jurich is not the Athletic Director of the University.

So you know those rankings of Universities across the nation? The ones that pit the University of Louisville so low. Well, I've got to ask:

How is the University that is responsible for discovering stem cells could be derived from alternative sources (than fetal tissue), developing the HPV vaccine (which is practically mandatory for pre-adolescent girls nationwide) and now the feature institution for another medical breakthrough (go to Google News and the Health section for reference), ranked so poorly??

Some pretty darned important advancements coming out of UofL in the last 10 years. Funny how it's such a mid-level research institution by some people's standards.

Great story about Austin Peay’s Head Coach. Pretty interesting approach.


What’s made Healy, now 33, successful is the most intriguing part. His style focuses on energy, encouragement and engagement, a sharp contrast to the generations of coaches who’ve subsided on berating, yelling and intimidating.

What’s different? There are cameras at practice solely focused on players’ body language. There’s mandatory exuberance after big plays captured by an end zone celebration camera. And overall, there’s a coaching philosophy more focused on the person than the player, as Healy preaches etiquette more than execution. Healy is such a stickler for manners that he makes his 3-year-old son, Eli, say please to the family’s Amazon Alexa device. “I don’t mind being different,” Healy said. “I think we hold our players accountable, but you don’t have to cuss ’em up one leg and down the other to do it.”

Austin Peay - Will Healy

College Football Today 2018 Biletnikoff Award Watch List

College Football Today 2018 Bednarik Award Watch List Top 10 Released

Heisman Trophy College FB Today 2018 Watch List Was Updated

2018 College FB Today Maxwell Award Watch List was updated

The Walter Payton Award College Football Today Watch-List now has the nations leading rusher!

We release our FBS Top 25 the night before the AP & Coaches Poll Come out! They make many of the same moves!

Fear The FCS Article Can be found HERE & the FCS-Top 25 by clicking image below.

Top College FB Today Elite JuCo Recruits Can Be found by clicking below.

College FB Today's 2019 Top 300 Recruits Can Be Found By Clicking Image of Elite APB Seth Johnson Below!

2020 Top 100 FB Recruits by College FB Today
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Additional game times and television designations have been added to complete the 2018-19 University of Louisville men's basketball schedule.


Since the release of the full schedule on Sept. 13, nine game times for non-conference matchups have been added and television designations determined. The Cardinals' Dec. 29 game against in-state rival Kentucky in the KFC Yum! Center will start at 2 p.m. in an event televised by ESPN2.


A pair of home games were selected to be televised by the ACC's group of regional sports networks (RSN), including Dec. 12 vs. Lipscomb at 7 p.m. and Dec. 15 vs. Kent State at 4 p.m. The ACC’s regional sports networks includes selected telecasts on FOX Sports South, FOX Sports Florida, FOX Sports Sun, Fox Sports Midwest, FOX Sports Indiana, NESN, YES Network, NBC Sports Washington and AT&T Sportnet Pittsburgh..


Game times were established for five UofL home games that will be televised on ACC Network Extra, which is available to authenticated subscribers of ESPN online at ESPN.com/watch or through the WatchESPN and ESPN app. Those weekday home games, which will each start at 7 p.m., include Nov. 8 vs. Nicholls State, Nov. 13 vs. Southern, Nov. 16 vs. Vermont, Dec. 5 vs. Central Arkansas and Dec. 21 vs. Robert Morris.


UofL's two exhibition games will also air on ACC Network Extra, including Oct. 28 vs. Bellarmine at 2 p.m. and Nov. 3 vs. Simmons. The time for the Simmons game will be set after the kickoff time for the Cardinals' football game at Clemson on the same day is established, so the starts for the two events do not conflict.


Season ticket packages for UofL Basketball guarantee access to all 20 home games at the KFC Yum! Center, including such highly-anticipated matchups against Michigan State, Duke, North Carolina, Kentucky and Virginia. Season tickets may be purchased by calling (502) 851-5151, connecting online at www.GoCards.com/mbbtickets, or by visiting the UofL Ticket Office, located near Gate 2 of Cardinal Stadium at 2800 South Floyd Street, on weekdays from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m.


Prior to the season, fans can get check out the Cardinals in a Red-White intrasquad scrimmage in the KFC Yum! Center on Oct. 21 at 2 p.m.


Tickets for the scrimmage, priced at $10 each, are on sale at the UofL Ticket Office or by visiting Ticketmaster online at www.Ticketmaster.com, calling 1-800-745-3000 or by visiting any Ticketmaster Ticket Center. Convenience fees are applied with Ticketmaster orders. Tickets are available for UofL students to each scrimmage at no charge. Students may obtain up to two tickets with a valid student ID in advance of the game at the UofL ticket office.


The complete schedule is available at this link: http://gocards.com/schedule.aspx?path=mbball&


This information may be found online at this link: https://uofl.me/2DBuYLN

Despite the disappointing performance in Louisville's first conference game this past Saturday, the Cardinals have a big game coming up this week as they prepare to take on the Florida State Seminoles. All year this game has been planned as being a big recruiting weekend for Louisville so we will keep updating this list as more players are confirmed to be in attendance. I would expect a fairly impressive group before it's all said and done.

Quarterback

Aidan Robbins - 3 star (Commit)
AJ Hopkins - 3 star
Alan Wright
Anthony Adkins - 2 star (Commit)
Antonio Stevens - 3 star
Antwan Roberts
Austin Gentle
Bailey Parsons
BJ Harris
Briceson Rodgers
Cayden Baker
Chancellor Bright - 4 star
Chaz Burks
Christian Fitzpatrick - 3 star
CJ Ware
Cole Hussung
Dajeun Gibson - 3 star
Dallas Walker - 3 star
David Afari
De'Arre McDonald - 3 star
Donovan Anthony
Elijah Downing - 2 star
Ethan Swinford
Gabriel Rubio
Gage Keys
Garnett Hollis - 3 star
Hosea Knifeley
Isaiah Rubio
Isiah Downing
Izayah Cummings - 3 star
Jacoby Leatherwood
Jaden Hardy
Jaden Johnson - 3 star (Commit)
Jaheem Joseph
Jakai Clark - 3 star
Jake Rulz
Jake Selbert
Jakob James - 3 star
Jamari Williams - 3 star (Commit)
Jamond Gordon - 3 star
Jashon Watkins - 3 star
Jeremiah Belton
Jeremiah Pruitte - 3 star (Commit)
Jevon Banks - 3 star
JJ Weaver - 4 star
John Bivens - 3 star
John Young - 4 star
Jordan Clark - 4 star
Jordan Watkins - 3 star
Josh Brown - 3 star
Josh Fryar - 3 star
Josh Minkins - 3 star
Junious Johnson
Justin Oden - 2 star
Justin Sistrunk
Keyshawn Greene - 4 star (FSU commit)
Kiyaunta Goodwin
KJ Murden
Kristian Varner - 3 star (Commit)
Lavell Wright
Lester Shaw
Loren Mondy - transfer from Arizona St.
Manny Allen - 3 star (Commit)
Marcus Bosley
Marcus Dumervil - 4 star
Mike Wright - 3 star
Miles Tillman
Milton Wright - 4 star
Octavious Oxendine - 3 star
Polluxson Dumervil
Quentin Williams - 2 star
Randy Cochran
Reese Smith - 3 star
Ricky White
Romelle Grier
Sam Snyder - 3 star (Commit)
Sammy Anderson - 3 star
Shawnkel Knight-Goff - 3 star
Tee Hodge - 3 star
Travis Tillman
Ty Murray - 3 star
Tyler Fletcher - 3 star
Zach Williamson - 2 star (Commit)
Yukari Blanchard - 3 star

Chris Mack was visiting Quinn Slazinski today and word has it the visit went great.

Louisville Football players had a players' only meeting Sunday night.

Louisville's Assoc. Head Coach Lorenzo Ward says he has seen a difference this week in practice.

Section 302. $40 each, $80 total.

The owner's number is 502-599-5524 (Steve).

Section 302. $40 each, $80 total.

The owner's number is 502-599-5524 (Steve).

Good morning! I will be making the trip next week for the GT-Louisville game. I wanted to check in with you guys to see where the best place to sit is in the stadium. I tend to enjoy sitting in the end zones.

Could anyone provide info as to the seating in sections 438 and 446 in the new expansion area?

Would it be better to pay just a little bit more to sit in the corners of the other end zone?

Ramani Parker is in town for her official visit.

Here is her interview from when she committed.

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47-10. Larry Fedora is not going to survive this season 1-3, so far. Next coach needs to be able to sign his name and write a longer paragraph.

or Pass again! Horrible. Never thought I’d see Petrino field a team this bad.

Louisville Live Features Three-Point, Dunk Contests for Live Telecast


LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The University of Louisville will stage the "Louisville Live" basketball event on Friday, Sept. 28 from 7-9 p.m. at Fourth Street Live! in downtown Louisville. The free, outdoor event will include team activities on a portable court placed on the covered area of the street, surrounded by fan viewing opportunities of the stage, court and video screens.


The final hour of the event from 8-9 p.m. will be televised live on ACC Network Extra, which is available to authenticated subscribers of ESPN through the WatchESPN app. A direct link to watch the live telecast is here: http://www.espn.com/watch/_/id/3438868/louisville-live


The two-hour event will include an abundance of fan giveaways, interactive challenges, and fun basketball contests. Fans will have the opportunity cheer on their favorite men’s players as they compete in a three-point contest and high-flying dunk competition, which will be evaluated by an impressive panel of judges. The three-point contest will feature Christen Cunningham, Ryan McMahon, Jordan Nwora and Malik Williams, while the dunk competition will include Steven Enoch, Khwan Fore, V.J. King, Darius Perry.


A group of fans in attendance will have the chance to shoot side-by-side with the reigning ACC champion UofL women’s basketball team in a team knockout competition. One lucky UofL student with also be selected for a three-point contest and the chance to win $10,000. Over 200 Louisville adidas items will be given away, including hats, T-shirts, and shoes.


Please note that Fourth Street Live! does not allow backpacks or purses larger than 12 x 18 inches.


Admission begins at 6 p.m. for limited bleacher seating and standing room at the street and second floor levels of Fourth Street Live! on a first-come, first served basis. Interested parties may reserve indoor and outdoor seating by calling 502-417-7640 or 502-568-3457.

Greg Schiano Covers Up Child Sex Abuse At Penn State


The Ohio State "Brotherhood" Is What Allowed Domestic Violence.

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Wilson puts wins over his players' well-being everywhere he goes. The true "next man up" mentality.


https://www.collegefootballtoday.org/collegefbnews/the-ohio-state-buckeye-brotherhood-schiano-wilson-have-dark-pasts

Penn State vs Ohio State (Game Preview link below)

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Ohio State Administration rewards covering up child sex abuse with a $750,000 raise for Coach Schiano.




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Manual's Robbins out for the rest of the season

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Louisville’s Etheridge Ready for Return This Weekend Versus Florida State
The sophomore missed the last two games with an ankle injury.


LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Dorian Etheridge is used to being on the field.

As a true freshman last season, the Charleston, W. Va., native played in all 13 games, and was the first rookie in school history to lead the team in tackles.

Starting all 13 games in 2017, Etheridge recorded 83 tackles and earned Freshman All-American accolades. He totaled five games with eight or more tackles, including a personal best of 14 stops in a loss to Boston College.

After recording eight tackles in the first two games, the linebacker was out of the lineup with an injury in the last two games, and being on the sidelines was a tough adjustment.

“Playing all year last year, this was like my first two games not being out there,” Etheridge said. “I was seeing everything, talking to them out there, and trying to be a good teammate, but it’s nothing like being out on the field. That really got to me, and that’s why I needed to get out there better than ever.”

In the loss to Virginia last week, Etheridge tried to give it a go, but the training staff thought he wasn’t quite ready, which was frustrating to the 6-foot-3 linebacker.

"(The ankle) wasn't all the way there yet," Etheridge said. "The risk wasn't worth it."

The defense will get a big lift this weekend against Florida State when Etheridge is expected to return to the lineup for the first time since the Indiana State game on Sept. 15.

Etheridge is probably the most critical piece on Louisville's defense as he’s the team’s main communicator, and is responsible for getting his young defense lined up.

"I was Coach Dorian when I was out," Etheridge said. "They just get the feedback. Every time I come out there, I'm in their face. Every time they came to the sideline, they were probably getting tired of me. But they knew I was trying to help them."

Despite losing their losing tackler from a year ago, the inexperienced defense has demonstrated signs of improvement this season, and the return on their leader could provide a spark against a solid Florida State squad, which enters the games at 2-2, but 0-2 in the league.

"I'm 19 years old and I'm one of the leaders on the team," Etheridge said. "As long as I got my guys around me, we got each other's backs. It don't really matter, the other stuff."

With Etheridge out, freshman Robert Hicks started one game and redshirt freshman Nick Okeke the other. Hicks, a rookie out of Miami, led the Cardinals with 11 tackles against Western Kentucky, while Okeke totaled seven stops in his first career start.

“Robert is a young guy who has a lot of athletic ability,” Etheridge said. He played well, but he just has to learn the ropes of the game.”

Etheridge totaled five tackles last season in Louisville’s 31-28 win over the Seminoles in Tallahassee, and knows to beat FSU for the third-straight time, the Cardinals must stop the run.

“The running backs are definitely their strength,” Etheridge said. “They focus their offense around their two backs. They have two outstanding backs and a good quarterback, so we just have to contain them.”

The Cardinals and Seminoles will kick off at 3:30 p.m. Saturday, with both teams looking for their first conference wins.


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