NCAA basketball scandal

[paul253]

Looks like a who’s who of NCAA basketball programs has been implented by the FBI as violating rules by having recruits and players receive impermissible payments. Duke. North Carolina. Arizona. Michigan St. Alabama. USC. Etc. I always knew the NCAA is about as corrupt as they come but this just proves it. UNC has been previously accused of essentially creating fake classes for its players to “attend”. Louisville of course hired strippers, or was it prostitutes, to attend parties with recruits. Former Alabama football players have admitted to receiving benefits. And so on.

 

I am a huge college sports fan but this is getting to be nothing but a joke. “Students athletes” who don’t go to school and receive payments and the NCAA is powerless to do much about it and gutless when they can. Something major needs to change, maybe even just ending the NCAA.

[CheeseheadInQC]

I will say that unless there is corroborating evidence on some of the dinners, I don't see how those will lead to anything as I'd imagine even if they split the check the agent or agency employee would expense his or her half. Now those "loans" on the other hand ...

 

Unless someone from the school is found to have played a role in facilitating the payments, I doubt this latest round of info takes down any coaches either. The bigger scandal would be if more info linking schools, shoe companies and payments to recruits comes out. That has a chance to cause a legitimate shakeup. This current batch of documents just seems like a minor ripple compared to the tidal wave that has been hinted at.

[Samurai Bucky]

I heard on Golic and Wingo (fka Mike and Mike) yesterday how there may be a push to allow these kids to hire agents before going to college. Sorry, but that would be a bad idea.

 

I have an idea that "agents" or "AAU Coaches" have agreements with these top-tier schools. The reason -- Duke, Kentucky, etc. will be able to get you to the NBA via the one-and-done rule. I have a relationship with , so go to that school. Just remember me when you get to the NBA, ok?

[paul253]

Yeah I think at the very least they need to change rule back to allowing these kids to go pro after HS. I hated them doing that before because most of the ones that did it had no business in the NBA but honestly they have no business in college either. Most of his kids who turn pro after a year are a disgrace to the term “student” anyway. Now that then NBA has this Gleague jist let them go pro and they can play in Oshkosh and these other minor league cities.

[superfly]

Now we know why Diamond Stone went to Maryland over here in hindsight, since he was one of the ones "taking checks."

[bjkrautk]

Now we know why Diamond Stone went to Maryland over here in hindsight, since he was one of the ones "taking checks."

 

Was about to post something similar, with a link to the JS Online story.

[jerichoholicninja]

I'd love to see the NCAA burn to the ground with all their high and mightiness about "student"-athletes, amateurism, coaches who preach loyalty and then bolt whenever a school offers them $1 more, and all that crap.

[paul253]

Agreed. The NCAA is the most corrupt money driven organization out there. The schools don’t play on an even playing field. The athletes are used by the NCAA while simultaneously using the school. The idea of “student athletes” is a farce, as North Carolina so generally proved for us.

 

I realize that most athletes don’t go on to play pro and actually need a degree. So get all the ones who are only playing for the pros out of there. Let HS athletes turn pro if they want. Make anyone who does do to school but leaves to go pro before three years repay the entirety of their scholarship. Penalize schools if they too many players who leave earl to

 

Also make the NCAA in charge of the refs and the rules, not the conferences. Have them assign their own officials to each school to monitor possible violations as opposed to essentially counting on the school to do it. Also try to find some way, any way, to compel athletes and school officials to cooperate in investigations.

 

I think this would START to make things better though none of it will ever happen.

[NeedMoreFans]

Well, this may be getting bigger quickly. Sean Miller was caught on a wire tap discussing a $100,000 payment for a player...

 

http://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/22559284/sean-miller-arizona-christian-dawkins-discussed-payment-ensure-deandre-ayton-signing-according-fbi-investigation

[young guns]

Man, if sanctions come quick enough we may end up in the ncaa tourney yet!

[burnzy24]

Well, this may be getting bigger quickly. Sean Miller was caught on a wire tap discussing a $100,000 payment for a player...

 

http://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/22559284/sean-miller-arizona-christian-dawkins-discussed-payment-ensure-deandre-ayton-signing-according-fbi-investigation

 

So if Miller was directing agents to pay recruits so they would go to AZ, then Miller must likely also be telling those kids to sign with that agency once they turn pro. I wonder if there is a pattern of kids from certain schools signing with one agency or if it depends more on the individual player. Apparently there's 3000 hours of wiretapped phone calls that the FBI collected so it's highly unlikely that Miller was the only one they have incriminating info on. If it took $100K for Ayton then the other top schools were bidding too.

[jerichoholicninja]

Like all NCAA scandals it seems like this extends well beyond campus. And also like all NCAA scandals most of the "adults" involved will get a slap on the wrist or a timeout for a year or two.

[monkeyman343434]

Now we know why Diamond Stone went to Maryland over here in hindsight, since he was one of the ones "taking checks."

 

Why does Stone taking checks from an agency, that wanted to sign him to become a client of theirs once he went pro, have anything to do with him deciding Maryland over Wisconsin?

[trwi7]

Now we know why Diamond Stone went to Maryland over here in hindsight, since he was one of the ones "taking checks."

 

Why does Stone taking checks from an agency, that wanted to sign him to become a client of theirs once he went pro, have anything to do with him deciding Maryland over Wisconsin?

 

I don't know the situation with stone but some agents and AAU coaches steer kids toward certain schools with certain apparel deals. Now Maryland and Wisconsin are both Under Armour schools so I doubt that was the reason in Stone's case bit it probably happened for at least some players.

[stoutdude04]

Now we know why Diamond Stone went to Maryland over here in hindsight, since he was one of the ones "taking checks."

 

Why does Stone taking checks from an agency, that wanted to sign him to become a client of theirs once he went pro, have anything to do with him deciding Maryland over Wisconsin?

 

I don't know the situation with stone but some agents and AAU coaches steer kids toward certain schools with certain apparel deals. Now Maryland and Wisconsin are both Under Armour schools so I doubt that was the reason in Stone's case bit it probably happened for at least some players.

 

If I remember correctly, at the time, Wisconsin wasn't an UA school. Could be wrong and a quick Google search could probably tell me, but I don't feel like looking it up.

[PeaveyFury]

If I remember correctly, at the time, Wisconsin wasn't an UA school. Could be wrong and a quick Google search could probably tell me, but I don't feel like looking it up.

 

That is correct. They only switched to UA last year, the year after Stone played at MD.

[LouisEly]

Now we know why Diamond Stone went to Maryland over here in hindsight, since he was one of the ones "taking checks."

 

Why does Stone taking checks from an agency, that wanted to sign him to become a client of theirs once he went pro, have anything to do with him deciding Maryland over Wisconsin?

Because the agency is the middle man. The coach or shoe company (who has the deal with the school) sends the money to the agency who turns around and offers a "loan" to the kid prior to turning pro in exchange for signing with the agency when he does turn pro and going to that school.

 

If the coach or shoe company gives the money to the kid they are toast, but if the agency gives the money to the kid the coach/shoe company can wash their hands of it and say it was the agency. In return, the agency double-dips; up-front from the coach/shoe company, and on the back-end when the kid signs (if the kid makes it to the pros and doesn't flame out).

[paul253]

It’s interesting that some of the schools are taking this seriously and suspending their players while others are not. And why not? The NCAA has shown themselves to be utterly incompetent in investigation these things and punishing the violators. What’s going to happen? Ten years from now they tell Arizona and Michigan St. that some of their wins this year don’t count? Big deal.

[Samurai Bucky]

I had thought about the following idea, but I think Colin Cowherd articulates it better than I do... https://www.foxsports.com/watch/the-herd-with-colin-cowherd/video/1168754755982

 

The teams would be responsible for the secondary education of the student. Those who are in impoverished areas can get their "standard" education, get money or opportunities from the clubs. The kids don't have to go to college. I saw the story of Lionel Messi and how Barcelona was able to help him with hormonal treatments that he wouldn't have been able to afford. At age 13, Messi went to Barcelona (https://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2014/oct/15/lionel-messi-barcelona-decade).

 

I don't know if it will work, but it is certainly an idea.

[nodakfan17]

I can’t stand the attitude of ‘so what, these kids deserve to get paid’ because it detracts from the issue of fairness. Suppose that your favorite team is one of the few that follows the rules. You’ve basically have had no shot at a national title for the last 20 years because your school doesn’t field a team of professionals.

[nodakfan17]

I can’t stand the attitude of ‘so what, these kids deserve to get paid’ because it detracts from the issue of fairness. Suppose that your favorite team is one of the few that follows the rules. You’ve basically have had no shot at a national title for the last 20 years because your school doesn’t field a team of professionals.

[jerichoholicninja]

I can’t stand the attitude of ‘so what, these kids deserve to get paid’ because it detracts from the issue of fairness. Suppose that your favorite team is one of the few that follows the rules. You’ve basically have had no shot at a national title for the last 20 years because your school doesn’t field a team of professionals.

 

The rules are so loosely and haphazardly enforced, they aren't even rules and you're a fool if you actually try to follow them.

[BrewCrew02]

I've seen several people recommend it but why not just let the players make money off their name/image? Colleges don't need to pay the players but the players can do paid autograph signings, appearances, etc.

[wallus]

I've seen several people recommend it but why not just let the players make money off their name/image? Colleges don't need to pay the players but the players can do paid autograph signings, appearances, etc.

 

Sure, until some booster pays $100,000 for an autograph of an elite recruit.

[paul253]

How about college kids can play for college teams for up to four years and get a standard payment (say $75000 a year) but they don’t have to go to school, nor do they get to live in student housing or enjoy anything student related (access to university buildings, food plans etc). They don’t receive scholarships either. Anything that they need they have to pay for on their own. If they want to attend classes and get meal plans they can pay for them out of their annual payment.