NBC News: "The FBI Has Arrested Several NCAA Assistant Basketball Coaches"

[rrshock]

Arizona may have offered Nassir Little $150,000. Little is believed to be "Player 12."

http://tucson.com/sports/arizonawildcats/basketball/pascoe/adidas-rep-said-arizona-offered-top-recruit-according-to-another/article_a2ffdb62-a419-11e7-9223-03832afa359e.html

We were recruiting Little for a hot minute. http://shockernet.net/forum/showthre...F-2018-Offered

Guess we didn't have Nike/Adidas money.

Im guessing the FBI just booked trips to Littles top 5.

[Stickboy46]

Person may be too involved but my guess is that these first four coaches indictment was a strategy to try and pressure to "proffer" with Federal Prosecuters. Feels like a tip of the iceberg and Feds are eyeing a bigger prize!

These first coaches were the ones that were caught in the sting operation where they have audio and video evidence. Now it's to do the thorough investigation now that they have leads and potential ways to get warrants for probable cause.

[Stickboy46]

The Louisville board is delusional. First it was Brad Stevens leaving an NBA Championship contender to be the new coach of Louisville, now its Gregg Marshall. LOL! Some of these guys are seriously delusional. Like any coach wants to leave any program, especially a possible Final Four program, for a program on the verge of the death penalty. Good read. http://scout.com/college/louisville/...The-Yum-103990

On top of that, there is a good chunk of people that still swear it wasn't Louisville coaches or the RP was clean. "Until they name the coaches, I can't see our coaches doing that". "The assistant coaches should step up and say that RP made them follow all the rules and they just went rogue"

When you have a 5* Top10 prospect decide out of the blue to just commit on an UNOFFICIAL visit ... you might want to question some things.

[Cdizzle]

I can prove you wrong with one simple fact. The NCAA tournament since 2010 and through 2032 will pay out on average 890 million a year. https://www.sbnation.com/college-bas...out-cbs-turner Let's say we take out 25% for administrative costs(professional leagues do roughly a 50-50 split but the teams are seeking profit), that leaves 667.5 million, and again remember these are all non-profits so taxes don't enter the equation then. That would leave $149,262($99,508 in a 50-50 professional model) per scholarship player in all of division 1 basketball. I'd say that's more than a single year's cost of attendance. That's also before a single ticket is sold, someone buys some nachos or a tshirt, and even university/conference level TV and apparel deals.

If amateurism is gone, why are they still non-profits? You aren't proving anything. I don't think people are thinking through why people go to these games and care about these teams. Independent League baseball attendance and salaries are dreadful.

[1972Shocker]

Why do we assume the Power 5 wants to pay its players? The same programs land the best recruits year in and year out.

If the ability existed to pay players with a spending cap, what would change for the power 5? They are still going to land the top recruits because of history, tradition, conference affiliation, location, TV exposure, facilities etc. Now it would just cost them more money.

Yes, schools are already paying some players under the table, but that's because it creates an advantage to do so. Cheating always does. Setting spending caps and paying players won't change the cheating. Teams will still cheat in an attempt to gain an advantage.

Has someone made that assumption? I am sure they would prefer not to pay their players just as your employer would prefer not to pay you if he could get away from it. But if they have the werewithal they would be willing to pay their players if that is what it takes to maintain their big money machines and their power.

[ShockCrazy]

If amateurism is gone, why are they still non-profits? You aren't proving anything. I don't think people are thinking through why people go to these games and care about these teams. Independent League baseball attendance and salaries are dreadful.

You really think that suddenly these kids getting money is going to stop people from going to the games? That's absolutely crazy. People go because of the communities that are built around the teams, the affinity they have to something local, or even participated in by going to the school. Independent baseball sucks because the quality of play is bad, not because they are getting paid, independent baseball features high A to AA talent with no potential of development due to advanced age. Unless the talent of college athletics is suddenly going to go somewhere else because the players are getting paid, I have no idea what would change. I find the notion that people only go/care because these kids are "amateurs" laughable.

There is one big difference between minor league sports and college athletics, the significant difference is that while the quality of play is lower than the professional leagues, it's that players are independent of a parent club they could or should be playing for. There's no devaluing of wins because some player got called up or could be playing for the higher level club. As long as college athletics remain independent of professional teams people will care because the teams are competing on a similar footing to WIN, not to develop talent for another club.

[Cdizzle]

You really think that suddenly these kids getting money is going to stop people from going to the games?

Maybe not suddenly, but yes, absolutely.

[1972Shocker]

I guess oen of the big question is will the Feds/FBI be successful in cleaning up College Basketball where the NCAA has failed miserably. Hard to say but the Feds certainly have more resources, more tools and a much, much bigger stick to swing.

Another would be how long will this investigation go on. Apparently, it has taken 3 years to get to this point.

[Stickboy46]

Maybe not suddenly, but yes, absolutely.

As soon as i start to see playing proactively bidding between big programs and the associated increase in cost .. .I'd be out.

One of the best part of WSU basketball is the fact that players are playing because they want to be here ... not because it was the biggest check.

[Stickboy46]

I guess the big question is will the Feds/FBI be successful in cleaning up College Basketball where the NCAA has failed miserably. Hard to say but the Feds certainly have more resources, more tools and a much, much bigger stick to swing.

These 60 to 80 year prison sentences that are being thrown out there are definitely going to deter a few.

[1979Shocker]

The federal investigation that sent shock waves through college athletics and the sports apparel industry this week began in late 2014, when a little-known financial adviser to a few professional athletes in Pittsburgh became an FBI informant.

That November, according to court documents unsealed Tuesday in New York, Marty Blazer agreed to help the FBI investigate the black market surrounding major college sports. Since 2000, Blazer later would admit, he had paid college athletes if they agreed to become his clients when they turned pro, and he could introduce FBI agents to others he had met along the way.

Read more here: https://www.washingtonpost.com/sport...=.24359db29ee2

[RoyalShock]

These 60 to 80 year prison sentences that are being thrown out there are definitely going to deter a few.

From what I've read, the sentencing guidelines were written to deal with situations where a LOT more money is involved, and none of these infractions are expected to rise anywhere close to the level where more than a few years would be served.

[1972Shocker]

These 60 to 80 year prison sentences that are being thrown out there are definitely going to deter a few.

No doubt although I seriously doubt anyone will be actually receive anywhere near that kind of sentence. But it does get your attention. But it doesn't even have to be 60 or 80 years. 3 to 5 Years in the pokie is more than enough time to discourage this but the bigger impact may be that careers are going down the toilet.

[ShockCrazy]

Maybe not suddenly, but yes, absolutely.

On what basis? Why?

Let's be honest about why people care about college athletics, the reason it's so popular is due to it's large flat structure it gives even small and medium markets someone to root for locally who can compete nationally without being beholden to a parent club. Winning MiLB championships don't mean anything even though the quality of play is pretty good, and it's because the players don't belong to the team and most of the players on the team won't be there the following season. There's no reason to form a real bond over a player unless you are a fan of the parent club. The players in MiLB aren't competing to truly WIN and not really for the communities, they are there mostly to develop for the parent club. But in the NCAA Wichita can have Ron Baker, FVV, Cle, LS, and MM and while all of them have or will play at the highest level(potentially even capable while in school), but while they are here, they aren't owned by anyone else. They are ours, we can form a bond because they will be here for more than a year. They are competing to WIN for Wichita and WSU. That's why college sports are popular, not because they don't get paid.

[ShockCrazy]

As soon as i start to see playing proactively bidding between big programs and the associated increase in cost .. .I'd be out.

One of the best part of WSU basketball is the fact that players are playing because they want to be here ... not because it was the biggest check.

If you have salary caps and controls it negates the biggest check premise. Lebron didn't go back to Cleveland because it was the biggest check, everyone could offer him the same, he went because he WANTED to play there. KD didn't sign with the Warriors because it was the biggest pay check, OKC could offer more, he went because he WANTED to play there. Hell Carmelo isn't in OKC because the pay check is higher, his contract is guaranteed and he has a NTC, he is there because he WANTED to be there.