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

[ShockingButTrue]

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.

If they're not paying them money, and most certainly are (this probe hasn't focused on any Valley teams I know of), they'll do the next best thing which is alter transcripts (plus $$$). See roy williams. See D. Arthur, or Diallo, or Alexander, etc. etc.

[im4wsu]

For the five years from 2013-2017, there have been 70 players in the 14 lottery picks. Nine of these were from foreign countries and therefore not in any college at the time of selection. The remaining 61 came from these schools.

University of Kentucky	10
Duke University	6
University of Kansas	4
Gonzaga University	3
Indiana University	3
University of Arizona	3
University of California, Los Angeles	3
North Carolina State University	2
University of Michigan	2
University of Washington	2
Baylor University	1
Creighton University	1
Florida State University	1
Georgetown University	1
Lehigh University	1
Louisiana State University	1
Michigan State University	1
Murray State University	1
Ohio State University	1
Oklahoma State University	1
Providence College	1
Syracuse University	1
University of Georgia	1
University of Louisiana at Lafayette	1
University of Louisville	1
University of Maryland	1
University of Nevada, Las Vegas	1
University of Oklahoma	1
University of Pittsburgh	1
University of Texas at Austin	1
University of Utah	1
University of Wisconsin	1

[Shoxthemonkey]

Looking at that list made me chuckle to think that maybe Wookie had to pay son of wookie to attend CU.

[WstateU]

I can't keep up with everyone's takes. I just scan for the hyperlinks.

Likewise! What an absolutely crazy time for college sports... and for the 'FEDS' to drop this bomb right before the basketball season.

[jdshock]

For the five years from 2013-2017, there have been 70 players in the 14 lottery picks. Nine of these were from foreign countries and therefore not in any college at the time of selection. The remaining 61 came from these schools.

What I really want to see is this same list with a couple more columns: the brand the kid was with in high school, the brand of the college, and the brand they signed with in the NBA.

[RoyalShock]

The first 16 seed over a 1 seed. But you know division 1 is too big when it includes the Florida Basketweaving Institute.

[wheathead]

Likewise! What an absolutely crazy time for college sports... and for the 'FEDS' to drop this bomb right before the basketball season.

OFF-TOPIC: @WstateU:, if I was going to write a children's book, you would have to be my illustrator.

[Shocker_Power]

The first 16 seed over a 1 seed. But you know division 1 is too big when it includes the Florida Basketweaving Institute.

I'm sorry but, the FBI along with the IRS would have to be 1 seeds!

[shock]

[ShockerPhi]

I'm sorry but, the FBI along with the IRS would have to be 1 seeds!

They really got screwed by the committee.

[Ricardo del Rio]

Whatever my doctor charges to keep me alive.

You got that so right. Tomorrow will be test number four.

[OregonShocker]

If someone believes this won't spread to KU, this article' stats should make them nervous.
http://www2.kusports.com/weblogs/tal...ORTS+HEADLINES

[OregonShocker]

Too funny not to post...
https://twitter.com/MrsTylerKSR/stat...uld-be-next%2F

[wichshock65]

https://twitter.com/br_CBB/status/913482563796324353

FBI Bribery Scandal Reveals Rick Pitino Wasn't Just a Hall of Famer, but a Phony.

Rick Pitino was essentially fired by Louisville on Wednesday, and it's safe to say most of his colleagues in the coaching profession didn't shed a tear. For years now they've known what the rest of the world is beginning to realize about Pitino.

He's a phony.

A hypocrite.

Or, in basketball terms...a bust.

Even Pitino's sycophants—the suck-ups and yes-men he's charmed and brainwashed the past few years—have to admit as much now.

A federal bribery investigation released Tuesday alleges that an executive from Adidas, which sponsors Louisville, agreed to funnel $100,000 to the family of 5-star recruit Brian Bowen in exchange for Bowen's signature with the Cardinals, according to a report in the Courier-Journal. In a report from CBS News, Pitino was identified in documents related to the investigation as "Coach-2", a person who allegedly played a role in navigating the money to Bowen.
Pitino, of course, pleaded ignorance to the situation, and his lawyer has proclaimed Pitino's innocence. It's a claim that makes other coaches laugh—just like they did two years ago, when Pitino said he didn't know that one of his assistants was hiring prostitutes and strippers to entertain recruits on official visits.

Yeah, Rick. Sure you didn't.

No longer can Pitino play the victim. Even the most charitable spectator would have to criticize how he let these improprieties happen under his leadership. Really, he's out of second chances and benefits of the doubt. Folks are sick of his shtick, which is probably why Louisville effectively canned Pitino on Wednesday morning.

Some would say that Pitino is the same as all of the other high-major coaches who are cheating, that he's simply moving along with the flow of traffic. But at least one Power Five coach on Wednesday disagreed.

"The difference," he said, "is that Louisville is driving the pace car."

[Eric]

I will be glad when the final nail in this thing has been driven, and WSU hasn't been named.