The ongoing FBI investigation into the underbelly of college basketball has taken a new turn, as Yahoo Sports has obtained and published a list of high-profile players who have allegedly accepted money during their collegiate career.
Yahoo Sports obtained documents, bank records and ledgers from the FBI probe, and it specifies individuals who have received money from ASM Sports, an agency for professional and collegiate athletes.
NBA players that were named in the document include but are not limited to Kyle Kuzma, Dennis Smith Jr., Markelle Fultz, Bam Adebayo and Josh Jackson. All five of these players were drafted in the first round of the 2017 NBA Draft.
This could have potential ramifications for those who are currently still in college because it could make certain players ineligible for the remainder of the season. Those current college basketball players named include Miles Bridges from Michigan State, Collin Sexton from Alabama, and Wendell Carter Jr. from Duke. All three of these players are expected to declare for the NBA Draft following the conclusion of this season, and this could expedite that decision.
Six athletes listed in the documents supposedly received $10,000 or more. Smith Jr. allegedly received the most, a total of $73,500.
The report itself lists more than 25 athletes from more than 20 universities throughout the nation.
Universities that were listed in the documents include those listed above as well as North Carolina, Kentucky, USC and Texas.
ESPN reached out to NCAA president Mark Emmert who said, “These allegations, if true, point to systematic failures that must be fixed and fixed now if we want college sports in America. Simply put, people who engage in this kind of behavior have no place in college sports. They are an affront to all those who play by the rules.”
Andy Miller and Christian Dawkins worked for ASM Sports. Miller was an agent for NBA players like Kyle Lowry, Nerlens Noel and Kyle O’Quinn before relinquishing his rights to be an agent through the NBA players association following this ongoing scandal.
All of this circles back around to the larger FBI probe. So far, Miller’s underling Dawkins has been arrested. Four assistant basketball coaches were also charged alongside Dawkins. Two Adidas associates were also charged back in September. This is also one of the many scandals that resulted in Hall Of Fame coach Rick Pitino getting fired from the University of Louisville.
It’s unclear what legal ramifications this will have at this point. It’s also still unknown how the NCAA will handle these allegations and if the current college basketball players will face discipline of their own.
