Bribery Scandal - FBI Probe - Book Richardson Involved

[Postmaster]

Man I'll be happy when this thread stops drawing posts.

You don’t like cow toes?

[Longhorned]

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[azgreg]

[Jefe]

Still pending...

https://www.si.com/college/2022/03/26/p ... llegations

Report: Penny Hardaway, Memphis Men’s Basketball Face Seven NCAA Violations

Penny Hardaway and the University of Memphis men’s basketball program are facing four Level I and two Level II violations amid a notice of allegations sent to the school by the NCAA last July, according to a report from The Commercial Appeal. The notice of allegations lists seven separate violations in total, per the report.

The violations within the notice of allegations include clauses related to lack of institutional control, head coach responsibility and failure to monitor.

The notice of allegations stated that Hardaway “failed to demonstrate that he promoted an atmosphere of compliance within the men’s basketball program.”

In addition, the amended notice alleges that data from a computer hard drive belonging to former assistant Mike Miller was not preserved.

“A subsequent forensic examination revealed that the former assistant men’s basketball coach’s computer hard drive was formatted on June 5, 2020, and as a result, the data on the computer was deleted. [Memphis] failed to conduct an adequate investigation into why the computer’s hard drive was not preserved,” the notice stated.

The investigation began with a review of the eligibility status of former player James Wiseman, who now plays in the NBA for the Warriors. The scope of the investigation expanded into other areas of the Memphis basketball program.

The university responded to the amended notice of allegations, saying, “The University of Memphis is not permitted to comment due to the ongoing [Independent Accountability Resolution Process].”

[Spaceman Spiff]

It's funny that after falsely reporting Miller directly paid Ayton, Wade was paying from his and his wife's joint account.

Book was stupid, but not that stupid.

[UAEebs86]

Death penalty!

Oh wait, $EC. Nevermind...

[TheCat]

I think one of the allegations is suspect. Penny 2 years before he became coach gave 14K to a players family to move and the player went to Memphis. He was determined to be a booster.

[YoDeFoe]

I think one of the allegations is suspect. Penny 2 years before he became coach gave 14K to a players family to move and the player went to Memphis. He was determined to be a booster.

Did he have a history of giving to or promoting Memphis athletics?

https://www.bizjournals.com/memphis/sto ... ily31.html

Booster.

[UAEebs86]

[YoDeFoe]

A bit silly to legislate this except that there clearly needs to be a change in how quickly these cases are addressed and I don't know how else it will be forced upon the NCAA (who is seemingly oblivious to how deeply they undermine the sport by failing to promptly address allegations of wrongdoing).

I'd like to believe that ADs would take it upon themselves to collectively throw their weight at the NCAA.

[Chicat]

Oh, is investigating for the better part of a decade and then punishing a bunch of people who were never involved not ideal?

[Irish27]

[Siempre Verde]

I write better when I’m drunk AF. This is BS.

[JMarkJohns]

A bit silly to legislate this except that there clearly needs to be a change in how quickly these cases are addressed and I don't know how else it will be forced upon the NCAA (who is seemingly oblivious to how deeply they undermine the sport by failing to promptly address allegations of wrongdoing).

I'd like to believe that ADs would take it upon themselves to collectively throw their weight at the NCAA.

The best part of this isn’t the timing aspect, but the fact it requires the NCAA to name its sources of information. No more anonymous sources that can be used to accuse, verify, or condemn a program.

You should be able to confront accuser, like in courts, but even more important, simply put, transparency of process, decisions and consistency of punishment must become the norm.

Arizona has multiple L1’s accused of it where there’s literally no proof of wrongdoing.

This bill would prevent an unnamed source from being the evidence that condemns.

[EastCoastCat]

[Spaceman Spiff]

Live look at Congress accusing the NCAA of being incompetent, corrupt and ridiculously slow:

[RondaeShimmy]

[PHXCATS]

Anything interesting in the article? I refuse to give thise people clicks or money anymore

[pc in NM]

Anything interesting in the article? I refuse to give thise people clicks or money anymore

I thought it was an excellent article, and profile of Book R. - very revealing personally...

Of note here:

• Richardson admitted to breaking NCAA rules, including violations that were previously undisclosed - he refuses to discuss details, except to acknowledge that there were several occasions in which he broke NCAA rules regarding impermissible benefits for recruits and their families during unofficial campus visits.
  • He had one meeting with the NCAA’s enforcement staff two months after his arrest
  • He is refusing to meet with NCAA's complex case unit
  • He discusses being frozen out by CSM

[PHXCATS]

Fuck him for saying that shit now

[Merkin]

• He discusses being frozen out by CSM

CSM should have done that after Book was caught feeding insider info to Ace.

[pc in NM]

Fuck him for saying that shit now

There was not a single detail that could be used by anyone against the university...

A couple of paragraphs from the article

He repeatedly expressed deep regret and profound remorse. But he is also frustrated. Arizona fired his former boss, Sean Miller, last year, but in March, Miller was hired to be the head coach at Xavier. Richardson can’t help but wonder when it will be his turn for a rebirth. “I don’t sit next to you as the victim. I’m flawed,” he says. “I’ve asked for forgiveness from God. I’ve asked for forgiveness from the people who I may have hurt. I didn’t just get fired. I was ostracized. I have a scarlet letter. I have a felony. I did my 90 days and my two years probation. I just want to have an opportunity to move on with my life.”

Richardson acknowledges that there were several occasions in which he broke NCAA rules regarding impermissible benefits for recruits and their families during unofficial campus visits. “If someone came on campus and they were hungry, yeah,” he says. “Am I going to put some gas in your tank? I’m going to fill you up. You need a hotel room? I got it. I’ll take care of your airline tickets. Is that illegal (with respect to NCAA rules)? One hundred percent, it’s illegal. I was wrong. And I own that.” Richardson says he dipped into his own pocket to cover these expenses – “The way I looked at it, I was re-investing in my own career” – but he declines to say which players benefited from his largesse. “The last thing I would want to do is put a kid into this,” he says. “A lot of times, the kid didn’t know.”

Richardson still gets regular emails from the NCAA’s complex case unit requesting an interview. He doesn’t bother answering. “I can’t afford representation anymore,” he says. “Everyone still wants me to tell on Arizona. I’m like, guys, what do you want me to tell? None of the coaches are there, none of the kids are there.” At some point, presumably, the panel will consider the pair of Level I violations that were levied against Richardson in the Notice of Allegations that the NCAA sent to Arizona in October 2020. The first was for taking the $20,000 from Dawkins and Sood, which he has admitted. The second was for arranging or knowing about the $40,000 payment to falsify Alkins’ transcript, which Richardson denies. Whatever the NCAA decides, Richardson knows it will be a long time before he gets another chance to coach in college, if that chance comes at all. “There have been worse atrocities committed against the college landscape, and those people have gotten second and third opportunities,” Antigua [Orlando Antigua, Richardson’s close friend and former St. Raymond’s teammate who is now an assistant at Kentucky] says. “I don’t know in what form that comes for Book, but I’ll be there cheering him on and rooting for him when it does happen.”

[pc in NM]

• He discusses being frozen out by CSM

CSM should have done that after Book was caught feeding insider info to Ace.

Miller should have disciplined or removed him - but totally cutting ties with a guy you've worked closely with for 10 years is another story, IMNSHO....

[EastCoastCat]

I have no sympathy for Book. Nor do I feel that Miller doesn't deserve blame for keeping him around (Heeke & Robbins actions are a different matter).

You reap what you sow...

[AzCatFan2]

Most of the stuff Book mentioned are lower Level 2 or Level 3 violations, that schools often report once a year. Minor stuff that nobody cares about. I remember at the Bobbi Olson memorial service in McKale, one of the players talked about how Bobbi ran into his parents at the hotel cafe and insisted on paying for breakfast. Because she was Bobbi, and that's what she did. Technically a violation that ran maybe $10 for coffee and croissants, but an impermissible benefit nonetheless. A tank of gas or paying for a meal of a kid, in many cases coming from poverty, one-time deal, is not the stuff that gets school in trouble.

As for Book, I understand his frustration. The head coaches bounce back. Look at Rick Pitino. Compare him and Book, and who deserves greater punishment? Yet Pitino is head man at Iona and Book? Unemployed and a basketball pariah. It's not fair, and Book has an understandable complaint. Book did his time, and maybe someone out there in the basketball world will give him a second-chance lifeline. Would be a good, possible redemption story.

[YoDeFoe]

• He discusses being frozen out by CSM

CSM should have done that after Book was caught feeding insider info to Ace.

Miller should have disciplined or removed him - but totally cutting ties with a guy you've worked closely with for 10 years is another story, IMNSHO....

Book is still being asked for interviews by the complex case unit. Miller and Book both are awaiting an IARP decision that will determine whether they can be employed in college basketball.

Book has to know that there is nothing Miller can say right now. They are effectively co-defendants in a conspiracy case - getting together for a chat is way off limits.

[TheCat]

Book lied which caused ESPN to write a bogus story that altered Millers life, got him fired from his job, made him a joke in the coaching world and basically could have destroyed him and his family. So here is what I think. Book is a piece of shit, should die alone and penniless and then be buried in a paupers grave. Hopefully his new girlfriend will wise up and dump him before he fucks her over.

[Siempre Verde]

I have zero sympathy for Book.

[Jefe]

He's shocked Miller doesn't want him back LOL

[97cats]

Book lied which caused ESPN to write a bogus story that altered Millers life, got him fired from his job, made him a joke in the coaching world and basically could have destroyed him and his family. So here is what I think. Book is a piece of shit, should die alone and penniless and then be buried in a paupers grave. Hopefully his new girlfriend will wise up and dump him before he fucks her over.

wow

[RondaeShimmy]

Book lied which caused ESPN to write a bogus story that altered Millers life, got him fired from his job, made him a joke in the coaching world and basically could have destroyed him and his family. So here is what I think. Book is a piece of shit, should die alone and penniless and then be buried in a paupers grave. Hopefully his new girlfriend will wise up and dump him before he fucks her over.

Are you talking about the ayton story? Book had nothing to do with that story, only that allegedly Miller told Dawkins to deal with Miller directly instead of Book.

[azgreg]

Book lied which caused ESPN to write a bogus story that altered Millers life, got him fired from his job, made him a joke in the coaching world and basically could have destroyed him and his family. So here is what I think. Book is a piece of shit, should die alone and penniless and then be buried in a paupers grave. Hopefully his new girlfriend will wise up and dump him before he fucks her over.

[TheCat]

Book lied which caused ESPN to write a bogus story that altered Millers life, got him fired from his job, made him a joke in the coaching world and basically could have destroyed him and his family. So here is what I think. Book is a piece of shit, should die alone and penniless and then be buried in a paupers grave. Hopefully his new girlfriend will wise up and dump him before he fucks her over.

Are you talking about the ayton story? Book had nothing to do with that story, only that allegedly Miller told Dawkins to deal with Miller directly instead of Book.

I guess you didn't read the article. He said he made up the 10K per month about Ayton. That to me is "had something to do with it"

[Postmaster]

I surmise he was trying to get more cash from Dawkins and trying to explain what he had no sway with Ayton regarding funneling him to Dawkins agency.

[ChooChooCat]

Book is an idiot, but yeesh man.

[TheCat]

He is more than an idiot. He tarnished the Universities reputation and all members of the coaching staff. He was a loser that struck it rich but that was not enough. He had to have more. Absolutely no risk/reward sense. A real piece of shit.

[SabinoDrifter]

He is more than an idiot. He tarnished the Universities reputation and all members of the coaching staff. He was a loser that struck it rich but that was not enough. He had to have more. Absolutely no risk/reward sense. A real piece of shit.

He went to prison and Sean Miller is the head coach at Xavier. Not sure that's no risk / no reward.

[PHXCATS]

He is more than an idiot. He tarnished the Universities reputation and all members of the coaching staff. He was a loser that struck it rich but that was not enough. He had to have more. Absolutely no risk/reward sense. A real piece of shit.

He went to prison and Sean Miller is the head coach at Xavier. Not sure that's no risk / no reward.

He said sense

Meaning the risks of dealing with incredibly shady people is far higher than 20-50k Book was trying to get out of Dawkins when Book was in the position he was in at the time

[97cats]

you can not talk about Book Richardson in the manor he is being talked about above and not include Miller in that same conversation, for different reasons of course.

in the face of repeated pleading and begging (not just for days or weeks or months but YEARS...yes YEARS) by dozens of prominent boosters, staff, administration both at the university level and inside the basketball program, handles, advisors, AAU coaches, AAU organizations, and YES players and their families themselves to get rid of the one thing that could bring him down - that "him" being Sean Miller and that "one thing" being Book Richardson.

Miller, in the face of it all, time after time, year after year, did the most Sean Miller thing ever with regards to Book, almost unthinkable and unfathomable to anyone around him, he backed his guy...not once. not twice. not three times.....you get the idea.

again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again

every single year Miller would not let go, even when he had cause. even when Book was a drunk bubbling buffoon at high profile booster events, or acting inappropriate with women on the road, or getting lit in Vegas in between games.

there is a reason, the reason goes beyond Ayton or Dawkins or Alkins or the F.B.I - Book and paper bag 'Crazy Joe' participated in some F*CKED UP shit during that very loose period of time...i supported it. i bought it. and id do it again.

look, Book is an idiot, that much is without question. a 100% moronic idiot who cant be trusted. he is an attention whore with diarrhea of the mouth, its impossible for him not to act like an immature child, especially when alcohol was involved.

inside the program he had the nickname 'The Clown' for a reason, but he was Miller's clown, and one Miller died on the vine for.

and when Miller finally knew he was f*cked, when he got the tip that the F.B.I would be kicking his home door down shortly, it was too late, the damage was done, he hung on way too long and would not survive and he knew it.

worst decision of Miller's career at Arizona right in front of recruiting and sticking with PJC.

[pc in NM]

you can not talk about Book Richardson in the manor he is being talked about above and not include Miller in that same conversation, for different reasons of course.

in the face of repeated pleading and begging (not just for days or weeks or months but YEARS...yes YEARS) by dozens of prominent boosters, staff, administration both at the university level and inside the basketball program, handles, advisors, AAU coaches, AAU organizations, and YES players and their families themselves to get rid of the one thing that could bring him down - that "him" being Sean Miller and that "one thing" being Book Richardson.

Miller, in the face of it all, time after time, year after year, did the most Sean Miller thing ever with regards to Book, almost unthinkable and unfathomable to anyone around him, he backed his guy...not once. not twice. not three times.....you get the idea.

again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again

every single year Miller would not let go, even when he had cause. even when Book was a drunk bubbling buffoon at high profile booster events, or acting inappropriate with women on the road, or getting lit in Vegas in between games.

there is a reason, the reason goes beyond Ayton or Dawkins or Alkins or the F.B.I - Book and paper bag 'Crazy Joe' participated in some F*CKED UP shit during that very loose period of time...i supported it. i bought it. and id do it again.

look, Book is an idiot, that much is without question. a 100% moronic idiot who cant be trusted. he is an attention whore with diarrhea of the mouth, its impossible for him not to act like an immature child, especially when alcohol was involved.

inside the program he had the nickname 'The Clown' for a reason, but he was Miller's clown, and one Miller died on the vine for.

and when Miller finally knew he was f*cked, when he got the tip that the F.B.I would be kicking his home door down shortly, it was too late, the damage was done, he hung on way too long and would not survive and he knew it.

worst decision of Miller's career at Arizona right in front of recruiting and sticking with PJC.

LOL!!! When you added PJC, I KNEW this was totally serious!!!!

It had to be said - and I appreciate it.

[AzCatFan2]

Book was the perfect candidate for con men looking for an in into college basketball. Yes, Book was making decent coin, but he wasn't making anywhere near what Miller was making. No way Book could afford a house in Miller's neighborhood. At the same time, Book was making enough cash that a $20k to $40k infusion of spending money wouldn't raise anyone's eyebrows. There was a study done some time ago, and it asked one question. How much money do you need to make a year to live comfortably. While the answers all varied, everyone's answer had one constant between them. Everyone needed to make more than what they were currently making.

Book might have been a buffoon, but the life of an assistant coach isn't easy. If you're lucky, you stick with a head guy for a long time and don't have to continue moving around. If you're really lucky, you get a head gig yourself and start making generational money. Meanwhile, you're stuck doing all the dirty work, and never get the glory. And your name only gets in the press if you are a candidate for an open position, or you do something really bad. And again, you're not starving, but you're working your butt off and aren't making anywhere near what the head guy is making, who makes 10X your salary before any promotional money.

It's not a surprise the FBI caught 4 assistant coaches, but couldn't snare a head coach. The risk is too high for the head guy. But it's not hard to convince an assistant to take some extra cash for all their hard work.

And yes, it was a mistake. Huge one. But Book has paid his debt to society, did time in jail, and is now a pariah in the basketball world. Does he really deserve all the continued vitriol towards him?

[pc in NM]

Book was the perfect candidate for con men looking for an in into college basketball. Yes, Book was making decent coin, but he wasn't making anywhere near what Miller was making. No way Book could afford a house in Miller's neighborhood. At the same time, Book was making enough cash that a $20k to $40k infusion of spending money wouldn't raise anyone's eyebrows. There was a study done some time ago, and it asked one question. How much money do you need to make a year to live comfortably. While the answers all varied, everyone's answer had one constant between them. Everyone needed to make more than what they were currently making.

Book might have been a buffoon, but the life of an assistant coach isn't easy. If you're lucky, you stick with a head guy for a long time and don't have to continue moving around. If you're really lucky, you get a head gig yourself and start making generational money. Meanwhile, you're stuck doing all the dirty work, and never get the glory. And your name only gets in the press if you are a candidate for an open position, or you do something really bad. And again, you're not starving, but you're working your butt off and aren't making anywhere near what the head guy is making, who makes 10X your salary before any promotional money.

It's not a surprise the FBI caught 4 assistant coaches, but couldn't snare a head coach. The risk is too high for the head guy. But it's not hard to convince an assistant to take some extra cash for all their hard work.

And yes, it was a mistake. Huge one. But Book has paid his debt to society, did time in jail, and is now a pariah in the basketball world. Does he really deserve all the continued vitriol towards him?

A couple of thoughts:

1) College basketball is, and has been, full of corruption.

2) Any head coach who claims to be ignorant of any corruptions in his program is lying.

3) "Plausible Deniability" is the head coach's only concern.

4) At least one assistant coach is there to facilitate the corruption and insure the deniability.

5) 95% of fans are more than happy to look the other way, if/when the program is thriving.

I have empathy for Book, and recognize that, while he truly fucked up, he deserves a break and, eventually, an opportunity to be a part of basketball again. (And, he's doing good things with the Gauchos now!)

[97cats]

AzCatFan2 - 100% no he does not

Book was like hundreds of his peers who participated in the exact same activity same thing, he just got clipped.

Richardson represents many who walked the same path he has over the years, willingly engaging in the same nefarious activity because it was and is the culture of college basketball for the last 50 years. punishing something that was enabled and even nurtured is the irony in all of this but thats for another topic.

man paid the price. man did his time.

[azgreg]

The the fact that we're still under this cloud is pure horseshit.

[EastCoastCat]

I'm more upset with Miller than I am with Book...

[PHXCATS]

AzCatFan2 - 100% no he does not

Book was like hundreds of his peers who participated in the exact same activity same thing, he just got clipped.

Richardson represents many who walked the same path he has over the years, willingly engaging in the same nefarious activity because it was and is the culture of college basketball for the last 50 years. punishing something that was enabled and even nurtured is the irony in all of this but thats for another topic.

man paid the price. man did his time.

Hundreds of assistant coaches are being paid by management companies to steer their players post playing days to that management company?

[97cats]

no, hundreds of assistants, if not thousands of assistants, have paid for and/or received money, and/or bribed someone, and/or offered impermissible benefits, and/or benefited in some way financially as an assistant coach in college basketball over the last 50 years from nefarious recruiting practices.

the rub, every head coach and AD knows about it (as i mentioned previously) as it was and still is to a certain extent an accepted practice in college basketball.

[EastCoastCat]

I knew of some of Wooden ‘s assistants. One lived in Bel-Air….

[Jefe]

https://www.wdrb.com/sports/timeline-lo ... 4fbae.html

Full Louisville timeline in the link, latest:

June 3, 2022: Heird is named permanent athletics director at Louisville.

June 17, 2022: Louisville's hearing in front of a five-member panel of the IARP board reportedly begins in Los Angeles.

[Postmaster]

I’d have more sympathy for Book if he was in trouble for something that benefitted the school or even some players. But this stuff was purely to benefit Book. And his BS put the school in a mess. Heck, it cost a bunch of guys a post season.