Bribery Scandal - FBI Probe - Book Richardson Involved

[97cats]

I don't know you, but I think I may love you for this stuff.

That does line up with the idea that Book was the one working the Adidas angle solo while the rest of the staff was concentrated on Nike and its pipeline.

and are you naïve to think that wasn't by design????

[Olsondogg]

should I crack a beer? start an "I'm in the mood..." thread

just like the good ol days!!!

97Cats with a throwback to the legendary Friday night beer threads. This takes me back, thank you 97cats for all the information and being one of the most generous and best Wildcat fans and posters since the GoAzCats days.

Favorite recruit we lost or finished 2nd for and why we got 2nd?

Josh Jackson -- AZ cuts the nets if he plays at AZ

Even with PJC at point?

(Sorry. Had to go there)

this is so flippin awesome

if Jackson is on the team, Cartwright barely plays -- sorry had to go there

You buy me a beer when we win this year. I buy you one when it’s vacated.

[Longhorned]

Good evening.

So wait... Are you saying the FBI told Miller they were investigating Book? Did I read something wrong? Because that definitely doesn't sound right. Why would they discuss an ongoing investigation with someone who at that point may even turn out to be an accomplice once the full investigation is over, especially considering that Book only comes into play this past spring. Doesn't seem like enough time to clear anyone associated with the Program.

Or maybe I'm just spinning all of this in my head too much.

Coach Miller was approached cause the FBI saw what Book was doing as an independent motive, remember Sean wasn't tagged in any of this yesterday, and they continued as the university and the program/kids as the victim, Miller and the high ups were made aware to assist in the matter.

Why then the reports that SM's house raid was unfriendly? I mean if they are on the same team? Also, I assume the university president is privy to everything you are reporting tonight. Right? If not, how could that be?

I know for a fact they showed up at 6am to have a meeting at Sean's house yesterday and were let in and served coffee -- if that's a raid so be it.

Auburn president Steven Leath told ESPN that he received a call Monday night and was advised that an FBI agent wanted to meet with Leath the next morning, without any indication of what the meeting was about. Leath said he wasn't worried, because he assumed it had to do with his security clearance related to certain projects and research work on campus -- not about athletics.

An FBI agent arrived shortly before 8 a.m. on Tuesday. "They told me that as a result of a long, complex investigation, they were going to make arrests and make charges related to NCAA basketball. In fact, they had already arrested one of our assistant coaches earlier that morning," Leath said.

Sean Miller wouldn't have been the only innocent higher-up with need-to-know visited at home at 6 AM MST by the FBI. These visits happened simultaneously.

http://www.espn.com/mens-college-basket ... corruption" target="_blank

[97cats]

Yeah the "on-going bidding war" for Nassir Little and his preference for Arizona still scares and puzzles me.

Well, look at it this way. IF the Feds had any proof that Arizona was really offering that then it makes the CSM cooperation angle harder to swallow.

But maybe that was just thrown out there by someone looking to get more money from adidas, know what I mean? There is always the chance that it is a negotiating ploy. Or not. But if the Feds don't have proof, it may as well not exist.

the FEDS have nothing on Miller, if they did we all would be talking about that right MEOW!

[NYCat]

should I crack a beer? start an "I'm in the mood..." thread

just like the good ol days!!!

97Cats with a throwback to the legendary Friday night beer threads. This takes me back, thank you 97cats for all the information and being one of the most generous and best Wildcat fans and posters since the GoAzCats days.

Favorite recruit we lost or finished 2nd for and why we got 2nd?

Josh Jackson -- AZ cuts the nets if he plays at AZ

Even with PJC at point?

(Sorry. Had to go there)

this is so flippin awesome

if Jackson is on the team, Cartwright barely plays -- sorry had to go there

Who the hell plays PG on that team, Trier?. Or Arizona picks up someone else

[UofAlum05]

Was ASU bribing kids with cans of food?

Please tell me they were paying for that crap!

ASU is the beneficiary of this being caught now. They had hired an Adidas employee in the off-season as an asst. coach. and were going to start getting players funneled to them via Compton Magic due to UCLA signing with Under Armour.

[97cats]

Here is one thing that maybe you can clear up for me 97 as the Manhattan Beach gossip train doesn't meet as regularly as we used too.

I was under the impression that Adidas paid/sponsored AAU programs who in turn steered players to Adidas sponsored schools. So why did the leader of the Compton Magic have such access to the Arizona program for so long and in turn it was Gabe York's PT, not Nike...that turned them off to Arizona so much? And why did they still get in bed with Grace/UCLA even after York was given the starting spot over Rondae?

if you remember when AZ worked its way into the Magic Miller was the new kid in town and Howland has just about burned very bridge in California -- Miller took advantage an bucked the trend, as you saw, it didn't last long.

[Olsondogg]

The only thing asu will be the beneficiary of is STDs

[CalStateTempe]

I want blue blood blood.

Lol. This made me laugh and I concur.

For the record Bowen has been suspended from all team activities at Louisville

[Spaceman Spiff]

This seems so fucking true.

Totally true IMO

Duke is cyclical. They had a few subpar years in the mid 90's. Then K loosens it up and Maggette, Brand, Bsttier, Williams, Boozer, Duhon and that load of talent comes through. Late 00's, the subpar years return. K loosens it up and Parker, Okafor, Winslow, Ingram, Giles, etc. come through.

Coincidence?

I think not

It's hard to believe that K just happens to fire up into a recruiting juggernaut whenever there's a little grumbling that he may have lost the edge. He took some flak after the season he basically missed in the 90's, then snaps into the dominant classes packed with guys who weren't in college for too long. He takes some flak for the string of early exits in the late 00's, and now it's one and done heaven.

It's all slang from the same game. It's not like you can't respect it, though. It's not like no one else was ready to lay it out for Marvin Bagley.

[97cats]

Who the hell plays PG on that team, Trier?. Or Arizona picks up someone else

the same guy that started last year, Allen -- and in a pinch, Jackson or Trier and Cartwright in his rightful place, spot backup duties.

[Spaceman Spiff]

I don't know you, but I think I may love you for this stuff.

That does line up with the idea that Book was the one working the Adidas angle solo while the rest of the staff was concentrated on Nike and its pipeline.

and are you naïve to think that wasn't by design????

I certainly want to believe.

[midnightx]

97, thank you for opening up your vault! Curious about your perspective on the present recruiting class, not withstanding Quin's recruitment no longer being viable. Does O'Neil decommit? Do we lose traction with Bol? It would seem that major players will want to distance themselves from a potentially toxic situation.

[JW_in_Boston]

Even I appreciate the info from 97cats...

this thread now truly has it ALL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I do what I can in my own special way.

You all are welcome. I tried to quit this fucking place. Fail

I'm glad your back Odogg, I learn so much about a program I love from you and many others here. Sorry for letting my emotions get the best of me during the Spain incident; it is one of my faults around here, I know.

Thanks. I don’t hold hard feelings, and I don’t put any stock personally to what is said around here. I talk more shit than most.

With all that’s going on in my life and elsewhere I got tired of spending hours here.

Then Armageddon came.

Ditto...

[Spaceman Spiff]

I want blue blood blood.

Lol. This made me laugh and I concur.

For the record Bowen has been suspended from all team activities at Louisville

With or without pay?

[RichardCranium]

K-Swiss FTW?

Converse? Oh... never mind.

[zonagrad]

Good evening.

So wait... Are you saying the FBI told Miller they were investigating Book? Did I read something wrong? Because that definitely doesn't sound right. Why would they discuss an ongoing investigation with someone who at that point may even turn out to be an accomplice once the full investigation is over, especially considering that Book only comes into play this past spring. Doesn't seem like enough time to clear anyone associated with the Program.

Or maybe I'm just spinning all of this in my head too much.

Coach Miller was approached cause the FBI saw what Book was doing as an independent motive, remember Sean wasn't tagged in any of this yesterday, and they continued as the university and the program/kids as the victim, Miller and the high ups were made aware to assist in the matter.

This is comforting, if true, to know that Miller was not aware. Nor involved. It also demolishes the foolish NCAA rule that holds the head coach accountable when one employee runs afoul of the rules. If the FBI did indeed inform Miller and Arizona, then I think that can be used as a defense against possible NCAA sanctions. Still a lot of meat left on this bone.

[YoDeFoe]

I want blue blood blood.

Lol. This made me laugh and I concur.

For the record Bowen has been suspended from all team activities at Louisville

With or without pay?

[NYCat]

97, Do big transfers get paid when they come here?

[YoDeFoe]

This is comforting, if true, to know that Miller was not aware. Nor involved. It also demolishes the foolish NCAA rule that holds the head coach accountable when one employee runs afoul of the rules. If the FBI did indeed inform Miller and Arizona, then I think that can be used as a defense against possible NCAA sanctions. Still a lot of meat left on this bone.

Emphasis mine. Hoping that argument holds up.

[LBdCactus]

I want blue blood blood.

Lol. This made me laugh and I concur.

For the record Bowen has been suspended from all team activities at Louisville

With or without pay?

Haha thanks for the chuckle.

[Olsondogg]

Good evening.

So wait... Are you saying the FBI told Miller they were investigating Book? Did I read something wrong? Because that definitely doesn't sound right. Why would they discuss an ongoing investigation with someone who at that point may even turn out to be an accomplice once the full investigation is over, especially considering that Book only comes into play this past spring. Doesn't seem like enough time to clear anyone associated with the Program.

Or maybe I'm just spinning all of this in my head too much.

Coach Miller was approached cause the FBI saw what Book was doing as an independent motive, remember Sean wasn't tagged in any of this yesterday, and they continued as the university and the program/kids as the victim, Miller and the high ups were made aware to assist in the matter.

This is comforting, if true, to know that Miller was not aware. Nor involved. It also demolishes the foolish NCAA rule that holds the head coach accountable when one employee runs afoul of the rules. If the FBI did indeed inform Miller and Arizona, then I think that can be used as a defense against possible NCAA sanctions. Still a lot of meat left on this bone.

Or maybe he knew but cut off the foot with gangrene to save the leg...

[ChooChooCat]

When will recruiting go back to normal? 2020?

[97cats]

97, Do big transfers get paid when they come here?

not that I'm aware of

[SportsMind]

Miller intentionally missed on Bowen and Walker cause at that time he was already contacted by the FBI and knew the prob and watch was on, he wanted to try and show that Arizona doesn't pay for its players and subsequently backed off and let the other programs (Miami and Louisville) pay and land their guy.

I might be missing something obvious and if so, I apologize but...

Book wasn't named until a February 2017 phone call where SOOD and CW-1 talked about going to Vegas in March to meet with Book.

Walker committed in Nov 2016

That timeline doesn't matchup if we are to believe that Miller intentionally missed on them because he was already contacted by the FBI.

Everything else matches up outside of that. Thanks for helping us clear our minds a bit!

[LBdCactus]

Sean Miller wouldn't have been the only innocent higher-up with need-to-know visited at home at 6 AM MST by the FBI. These visits happened simultaneously.

http://www.espn.com/mens-college-basket ... corruption" target="_blank

Thanks for posting this. And thanks 97 for the info.

[LBdCactus]

Miller intentionally missed on Bowen and Walker cause at that time he was already contacted by the FBI and knew the prob and watch was on, he wanted to try and show that Arizona doesn't pay for its players and subsequently backed off and let the other programs (Miami and Louisville) pay and land their guy.

I might be missing something obvious and if so, I apologize but...

Book wasn't named until a February 2017 phone call where SOOD and CW-1 talked about going to Vegas in March to meet with Book.

Walker committed in Nov 2016

That timeline doesn't matchup if we are to believe that Miller intentionally missed on them because he was already contacted by the FBI.

Everything else matches up outside of that. Thanks for helping us clear our minds a bit!

Isn't the undercover FBI guy on that call, in which case maybe that's how they knew to target Book?

[CalStateTempe]

Man this thread went fast, I was stuck at the 8min mark for a few pages and didn't have any commercial breaks to speed through to get caught up.

[Olsondogg]

[CalStateTempe]

Once miller knew the program was under surviellece I'm curious how he got word out to the folks on the periphery not to offer "the standard" and I wonder if in this high stakes game of poker or the FBI asked him to "ante up" Miami during the little recruitment.

[97cats]

When will recruiting go back to normal? 2020?

I honestly don't think ever -- whatever normal is, normal is gonna be re-written.

[Spaceman Spiff]

Sean Miller wouldn't have been the only innocent higher-up with need-to-know visited at home at 6 AM MST by the FBI. These visits happened simultaneously.

http://www.espn.com/mens-college-basket ... corruption" target="_blank

Thanks for posting this. And thanks 97 for the info.

I'd missed that article in the flood of info. It is a really good one, and also one that gives me hope by hitting on just how low level Book's involvement was.

[NYCat]

Probe Into NCAA Basketball Relies on Unusual Legal Theories

https://www.wsj.com/amp/articles/probe- ... 1506553296" target="_blank

Gabe Feldman, a sports law professor at Tulane University Law School, said it was fair to question whether prosecutors were overreaching in trying “to turn what might be an NCAA violation into a criminal violation.”

Could always be found guilty in district Court and overturned in the 2nd Circuit.

Of course they're probably after the big fish (shoe companies) and don't really care about the Book's of the world

[Irish27]

Should UCLA and other Pac-12 schools be worried?

[JMarkJohns]

Can someone tell me how to feel? Because I'm depressed as stepped on shit.

[CalStateTempe]

The FBI raids on Tuesday were like the baptism scene in godfather I taking place across the country at the exact same time.

[UofAlum05]

Should UCLA and other Pac-12 schools be worried?

According to the LA News Bland-USC is spilling all the beans. That can't be good for UCLA. With Nike getting raided today I can't imagine that is good for Oregon.

[97cats]

Should UCLA and other Pac-12 schools be worried?

every program in the mix should be worried -- the paper and electronic trail will not be that hard to follow once the resources and time is committed to just scratching the surface.

[Olsondogg]

College basketball twitter pointing to tomorrow as the beginning of the bloodletting

[MrBug708]

Should UCLA and other Pac-12 schools be worried?

According to the LA News Bland-USC is spilling all the beans. That can't be good for UCLA. With Nike getting raided today I can't imagine that is good for Oregon.

Bland spilling doesn't really affect ucla. The Adidas guys spilling is bad for ucla

[UofAlum05]

Can someone tell me how to feel? Because I'm depressed as stepped on shit.

Not loving the independent investigation from UofA?

[97cats]

Should UCLA and other Pac-12 schools be worried?

According to the LA News Bland-USC is spilling all the beans. That can't be good for UCLA. With Nike getting raided today I can't imagine that is good for Oregon.

Bland spilling doesn't really affect ucla. The Adidas guys spilling is bad for ucla

this is all bad for everyone in the mix, period

[MrBug708]

Was ASU bribing kids with cans of food?

Please tell me they were paying for that crap!

ASU is the beneficiary of this being caught now. They had hired an Adidas employee in the off-season as an asst. coach. and were going to start getting players funneled to them via Compton Magic due to UCLA signing with Under Armour.

Ucla would still be getting Compton Magic players if there were players to funnel into ucla, but they've kinda hit a lull and it's why ucla's class looks so bad

[UofAlum05]

Should UCLA and other Pac-12 schools be worried?

According to the LA News Bland-USC is spilling all the beans. That can't be good for UCLA. With Nike getting raided today I can't imagine that is good for Oregon.

Bland spilling doesn't really affect ucla. The Adidas guys spilling is bad for ucla

As much as the Arizona Coaching Staff and the USC coaching staff dislike each other....the one thing they are united on is their dislike of Grace/UCLA & The Compton Magic.

[MrBug708]

I like how Sonny Vacarro is the go to guy about this all of a sudden

[MrBug708]

Should UCLA and other Pac-12 schools be worried?

According to the LA News Bland-USC is spilling all the beans. That can't be good for UCLA. With Nike getting raided today I can't imagine that is good for Oregon.

Bland spilling doesn't really affect ucla. The Adidas guys spilling is bad for ucla

As much as the Arizona Coaching Staff and the USC coaching staff dislike each other....the one thing they are united on is their dislike of Grace/UCLA & The Compton Magic.

Which is funny because they hated Ben Howland

[NYCat]

Did we have a chance w Bagley if he didn't reclassify?

Thanks for info 97, great stuff

[Alieberman]

Is this going to get to football as well?

[LBdCactus]

I like how Sonny Vacarro is the go to guy about this all of a sudden

Why wouldn't he be? He is the highest profile person to be pretty honest about the whole game.

[97cats]

Did we have a chance w Bagley if he didn't reclassify?

yes, a very good one

Thanks for info 97, great stuff

youre welcome