How would a coach know if his players ever got paid?
The festering FBI investigation into alleged bribery in college basketball looks like it could have long-ranging effects on the game. Ten assistant coaches, agents and shoe company employees have already been arrested, and the Feds promise that more indictments are coming.
Louisville’s Rick Pitino, a Hall of Fame coach and one of the most respected in the game, appears to be knee-deep into certain high school players getting paid to attend certain schools and some college players being bribed to sign with certain shoe companies. Louisville has fired Pitino over it.
But how do coaches who were never involved know for sure their players did not get paid something by somebody before they ever arrived on campus? It is a very murky state of affairs, since shoe companies funding AAU teams and paying their coaches is perfectly legal. But somewhere a line has been crossed, and it could result in further arrests and players being suspended throughout the coming and future seasons.
Almost 20 years ago, when he was in high school, former Duke player Corey Maggette received money from an AAU coach who later went to prison. Duke claims it never knew Maggette was paid, and over the years no evidence of such has ever surfaced. But the FBI probe is showing signs that many of the 5-star college recruits are still getting paid by someone.
UNC is getting ready to sign highly touted 6-6 forward Nassir Little, who issued a sworn statement along with his father that neither of them has received money from the University of Miami, one of the schools implicated so far, or anyone else. Little did say he backed away from Miami and Arizona because assistants at each program were among the first wave of coaches arrested.
Roy Williams said long ago he almost left college coaching at Kansas because recruiting was getting so dirty and he wanted no part of it. Apparently it is still going on. While other schools may be implicated, the Littles’ sworn statement goes a long way toward assuring that no further controversy is ahead for UNC athletics as the new season gets under way.
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This has been a long time coming. College athletics as it stands needs to change. Understanding that there is likely no perfect solution, as there will probably always be a shady side, it can not continue the way it is.
A big part of this isn’t even the NCAA’s fault. Things really took a turn when the NBA implemented the “one-year” rule. Funny how they put that rule in place because they didn’t think that players coming out of high school were ready, but they are the very ones drafting them. STOP DRAFTING PLAYERS IF YOU THINK THEY ARE NOT READY! That will then trickle down. Player eventually will learn that they NEED to stay in college and develop. Then classes will matter. Grades will matter. Problem largely solved.