Arizona Wildcats Basketball

Arizona Wildcats men’s basketball coach Sean Miller allegedly "fronted" a deal that would steer Deandre Ayton to his program when the Phoenix Suns big man was a highly regarded recruit. 

On Monday, Mark Schlabach of ESPN.com reported jurors in the federal criminal trial regarding college basketball corruption heard a wiretap revealing as much.

Defendant Christian Dawkins—who was a former runner for former NBA agent Andy Miller—told business partner Munish Sood that Sean Miller "fronted" the deal involving Ayton on a telephone call that FBI wiretaps intercepted in June 2017.

Ayton was a 5-star recruit and the No. 4 overall player in the class of 2017, per 247Sports’ composite rankings. He played one season at Arizona and averaged 20.1 points, 11.6 rebounds and 1.9 blocks per game while earning Pac-12 Player of the Year, Pac-12 tournament MVP and consensus All-American honors.

Phoenix selected him with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2018 NBA draft.

Schlabach explained Dawkins and Sood were talking about the cost of signing Ayton as a client with their sports management company following his collegiate career on the intercepted call.

"It's going to be more money than what they, what Book said, I mean because I talked to Sean," Dawkins said. "Sean's the one that fronted that deal. So it's going to be some money, but I mean we'll figure that out."

The "Book" he referenced was former Arizona associate head coach Emanuel "Book" Richardson, who Sood testified accepted payments to steer Wildcats players toward their sports management company if they helped recruit them as prospects.

This comes after Schlabach reported in February 2018 the FBI intercepted a call between Dawkins and Sean Miller that featured the head coach talking about a $100,000 payment during Ayton’s recruitment. Miller denied the report and paying for recruits.

The recruitment of former Arizona Wildcats star Deandre Ayton was a topic of discussion in secret FBI recordings tied to the investigation into corruption in college basketball. 

According to Yahoo Sports' Dan Wetzel, the FBI captured Christian Dawkins speaking with informant Marty Blazer. In the recording, Dawkins indicated he had spoken with Arizona head coach Sean Miller, and Miller let him know he was "taking care of everything myself" when it came to recruiting Ayton:

In October, a jury found Dawkins and two others guilty on felony charges of wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud. The three were alleged to have paid the families of prospective recruits in order to secure their commitments to Adidas-affiliated schools.

Former Arizona assistant Emanuel "Book" Richardson struck a deal with prosecutors in connection to the case as well. According to ESPN.com's Mark Schlabach, Richardson was accused of receiving at least $20,000 to "steer players toward certain financial advisers and business managers once they turned pro."

CBSSports.com's Matt Norlander provided more context from the conversation between Dawkins and Blazer:

Schlabach reported in February the FBI had wiretaps that caught Miller and Dawkins talking about "paying $100,000 to ensure [Ayton] signed with the Wildcats." Dawkins also asked about contacting Richardson during the recruiting process, to which Miller "told Dawkins he should deal directly with him when it came to money."

Miller denied the allegations.

A U.S. District Court judge ruled last week that Miller wouldn't have to take the stand during the trial. Wetzel reported Wednesday that Dawkins' attorney plans to file a motion asking the judge to "reconsider" his decision.

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Sean Miller has spent the last decade as the coach of the Arizona Wildcats, and after the conclusion of Saturday's regular-season finale, he took a moment to thank the McKale Center crowd for its support through the years.

"Thank you for everything," Miller told the crowd, per Matt Moreno of GOAZCATS.com.

ESPN.com's Mark Schlabach published a report in February 2018 that said FBI wiretaps had recorded Miller discussing a $100,000 payment in order to land prized recruit Deandre Ayton, who eventually went one-and-done at Arizona. Miller denied those allegations, and Sports Illustrated's Michael McCann cited a source who said the details of the ESPN report were inaccurate.

Pat Forde, Pete Thamel and Dan Wetzel of Yahoo Sports reported last month that Miller's future in Tucson beyond this season is unclear amid an NCAA investigation.

Miller declined to comment on if his postgame speech had anything to do with his future as Arizona's head coach, per Moreno.

Arizona finished the regular season 17-14 following Saturday's 72-64 loss to rival Arizona State.

Arizona Wildcats head coach Sean Miller declined to discuss a Monday report that he'll be subpoenaed as part of the federal trial into corruption in college basketball.

According to Yahoo Sports' Pat Forde, Pete Thamel and Dan Wetzel, both Miller and LSU Tigers head coach Will Wade will be compelled to testify in court. Mike Pelton of ABC15 in Phoenix asked Miller about the story Tuesday and received a curt response:

Forde, Thamel and Wetzel explained why the subpoenas could have wide-ranging effects for their respective schools and college basketball in general:

"It creates the potential of two high-profile head coaches testifying in federal court about the granular detail of the recruiting underworld – something that never manifested in the initial federal trial last fall. It raises thorny questions for the public universities that employ them, as both the optics of potentially testifying in federal court about basketball recruiting and potential answers that could be given under oath will be a likely cause of consternation for Arizona and LSU administrators."

Miller has been under the microscope since at least November 2017, when now-former assistant coach Emanuel "Book" Richardson was indicted as part of the FBI investigation. In January, Richardson pleaded guilty to a felony charge of conspiracy to commit bribery.

Investigators had said Richardson received money from Christian Dawkins and Munish Sood for the purpose of advising recruits to hire Dawkins and Sood.

ESPN.com's Mark Schlabach also reported in February 2018 the FBI had wiretaps in which Miller was allegedly on record talking with Dawkins about a $100,000 payment toward securing the commitment of Deandre Ayton. Miller subsequently issued a statement to deny that allegation.

Based on how the story has unfolded, Pelton's question to Miller was more than fair, and it's unlikely to be the last time a reporter asks Miller for a comment on the record.

Former Arizona Wildcats and Iowa Hawkeyes head basketball coach Lute Olson has suffered a "minor stroke" and has been hospitalized. 

Arizona Athletics announced the news, adding "our thoughts are with Coach Olson, his family and loved ones during this time."

Olson, 84, coached the Wildcats for 24 seasons from 1983 through 2007. He coached the Hawkeyes for the nine seasons before accepting the Arizona job and was the head coach at Long Beach State during the 1973-74 campaign.

According to Sam Radwany of KGUN in Tucson, Arizona, a news release from Banner University Medical Center said the coach is in good condition and expected to fully recover with rehabilitation.

Radwany noted this wasn't Olson's first stroke, as doctors informed him in 2008 he suffered an undiagnosed stroke.

Olson made a Final Four during his time with the Hawkeyes, but he is best known for his accomplishments at Arizona.

He finished with a 587-190 record at the Pac-12 program, won the national championship in 1997, made four Final Fours, won 11 regular-season conference crowns and captured four conference tournament titles.

Arizona Wildcats assistant coach Mark Phelps has been placed on administrative leave.

Alabama attorney Donald Maurice Jackson announced the news on Facebook on Wednesday:

"University of Arizona Assistant Men's Basketball Coach Mark Phelps was placed on administrative leave on February 5, 2019 based upon an unresolved NCAA matter. Coach Phelps has performed his duties in strict compliance with NCAA and University policies. In correspondence dated January 22, 2019, Counsel for Coach Phelps was advised of the following by the NCAA Director of Enforcement: 'At this point, the enforcement staff has made no determinations regarding potential violations involving Coach Phelps as we are still in the process of collecting information and conducting interviews.' Although Coach Phelps is disappointed with the decision to place him on leave, he will continue to fully cooperate with both University investigators and NCAA staff. He is confident that he will be fully exonerated and allowed to resume his coaching career."

The university issued a statement on the matter, via ESPN's Jeff Borzello, saying that it has "initiated the process" to terminate Phelps:

According to Borzello, Phelps is being accused of a violation in regard to the transcripts of Shareef O'Neal, the son of Pro Basketball Hall of Famer Shaquille O'Neal. O'Neal, who was rated a 4-star recruit in the class of 2018 by 247Sports, initially committed to Arizona before signing with UCLA amid an FBI investigation into the Wildcats.

Jackson denied any wrongdoing by Phelps.

"Mark Phelps has done absolutely nothing in violation of NCAA rules," Jackson said, per Borzello. "He has been fully cooperative with the NCAA. He has been in daily contact with the compliance staff. This is a direct response to a published story [about alleged NCAA rules violations at Arizona], and they're trying to entrap a coach in something he had no involvement in."

A source told Borzello that this is just a "circular attempt to go after [head coach] Sean Miller."

Phelps is in his fourth season in Tucson after joining Sean Miller's coaching staff in 2015. He has previously spent time as an assistant at NC State, Arizona State, Missouri and Marquette.

He also went 77-86 as the head coach at Drake from 2008 to 2013, making two appearances in the CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament.

Miller's future with the program has come into question, as the Wildcats are one of the teams being investigated by the NCAA, according to Yahoo Sports' Pat Forde, Pete Thamel and Dan Wetzel. WildcatAuthority.com's Jason Scheer writes that Phelps' suspension is not related to the FBI investigation.

Miller and Phelps' relationship dates back to their days on the NC State coaching staff, where they were together from 1996 to 2001.

Arizona Wildcats men's basketball head coach Sean Miller is reportedly facing a cloudy future.

According to a report from Pat Forde, Pete Thamel and Dan Wetzel of Yahoo Sports, Arizona is one of the schools under formal NCAA inquiry following the FBI's investigation into college basketball corruption. The report noted there is "a confluence of complications that cast a shroud over Miller's future" as a result.

Among those complications is the upcoming trial of Christian Dawkins—a former runner for agent Andy Miller—as well as "potential NCAA fallout from the recent felony plea in federal court by former Arizona assistant coach Emanuel 'Book' Richardson, which amplifies the question of how the NCAA will handle Miller's responsibility for the actions in his program."

In October 2018, Dawkins, James Gatto and Merl Code were found guilty of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Gatto and Code previously worked for Adidas, and all were accused of providing recruits benefits against NCAA rules in an effort to steer them toward Adidas programs.

Mark Schlabach of ESPN.com reported in February 2018 that FBI wiretaps caught Miller discussing a $100,000 payment to then recruit Deandre Ayton with Dawkins. Ayton went on to be the No. 1 pick in the 2018 NBA draft after playing at Arizona.

It should be noted the Yahoo report called ESPN's report on the subject "controversial" and pointed out Miller denied paying prospects after it came out.

Forde, Thamel and Wetzel noted Dawkins' next trial is scheduled for April, and his lawyer, Steve Haney, said they do not plan on entering a plea deal. That means Miller could be subpoenaed as the defense puts forth an effort to show Dawkins wasn't bribing coaches.

The Yahoo report cited sources who said Miller, Richardson and former Arizona assistant Joe Pasternack communicated with Dawkins on a regular basis. Dawkins even said he went to so many practices it was "like I'm on the team."

As a result of the FBI's probe, Arizona hired outside legal help to investigate Miller, per Yahoo. The report explained the school may have to proactively move on from Miller before anything particularly incriminating against the program comes out during the trial.

That is especially the case with NCAA rule 11.1.1.1 serving as a backdrop, which states "a head coach is presumed to be responsible for the actions of all staff members who report, directly or indirectly, to the head coach. The head coach will be held accountable for violations in the program unless he or she can rebut the presumption of responsibility."

Forde, Thamel and Wetzel even pointed to current Los Angeles Lakers head coach Luke Walton as a potential replacement for Miller should Arizona fire him in the wake of the FBI's investigation.

As for Richardson, he pleaded guilty to a federal bribery charge after working for Miller. Previous federal court testimony also included reports of Pasternack offering $50,000 for recruit Brian Bowen to play for Arizona, as well as connections to former players Rawle Alkins and Ayton and former commit Jahvon Quinerly.

On the court, the Wildcats have struggled with inconsistency on the way to a 14-8 record this season. However, the decision on Miller's future could be complicated by an impressive 2019 recruiting class, which 247Sports' composite rankings lists as the best in the country.

Former Arizona assistant basketball coach Emanuel "Book" Richardson pled guilty to one count of federal funds bribery Monday in connection to the college basketball fraud scandal, according to Pat Forde, Pete Thamel and Dan Wetzel of Yahoo Sports. 

Richardson originally faced up to 60 years in prison for his charges, but will now face a sentence of 18-24 months. 

"Book Richardson has positively affected the lives of young men and encouraged them to reach their potential for 25 years," attorney Craig Mordoch said. "While he will be judged for his actions in this case, this is something he did. It is not who he is."

The former coach was accused of taking $20,000 in bribes from Christian Dawkins to help steer players toward his agency when they left for the NBA.

Dawkins was found guilty of wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud in October, along with Adidas executives Jim Gatto and Merl Code. All three of them facing sentencing in March.

Meanwhile, former USC assistant Tony Bland pled guilty to bribery earlier this month and will reportedly now face probation instead of prison time. He admitted to taking $4,100 in bribes.

Former Oklahoma State assistant Lamont Evans and former Auburn assistant Chuck Person are also facing trials in 2019 and have not yet agreed to a plea deal.

This entire situation centers around the FBI's investigation into corruption in college basketball, including "pay-for-play" tactics to get recruits to commit to specific schools.

Prized point guard Nico Mannion is off the market after committing to play basketball at the University of Arizona. 

Mannion announced his decision to join the Wildcats on Twitter:

The Phoenix native tweeted last week that he had narrowed down his choices to Arizona and Marquette. He was one of the most sought-after recruits in the 2019 class, receiving offers from defending national champion Villanova, Duke and UCLA. 

A 5-star recruit, Mannion is ranked as the nation's top point guard and No. 13 overall prospect in next year's recruiting class by 247Sports. 

Mannion told Wildcat Authority's Jason Scheer last month that part of Arizona's recruiting pitch was to build style of play around his strengths. 

"Arizona’s pitch is to have the ball in my hands and let me play my game,” Mannion said. “They really want to change their style of play because in the past seasons they have had bigs. He wants to get more guards and play faster, which is kind of my style in play.”

Wildcats head coach Sean Miller and his staff are off to a great early start on the 2019 recruiting trail. The program is the class of the Pac-12 with four regular-season conference titles and three conference tournament titles since 2014. 

Arizona has won at least 25 games in each of the past six seasons. Mannion's arrival will go a long way toward keeping the Wildcats at that level in the future.