The national champs are back in the spotlight during the offseason for a reason Dabo Swinney wants nothing to do with.
In federal court on Thursday in New York City, prosecutors in the college basketball corruption scandal played an FBI video wiretap involving Clemson hoops assistant Steve Smith. While much of the conversation is centered on top prospects in basketball like Zion Williamson and what the Tigers could do to lure them to campus, somewhat surprisingly the topic of football came up.
Via CBSSports.com’s Matt Norlander:
Clemson football was also discussed via wiretap by Clemson basketball asst coach Steve Smith like this, in relation to Zion hoops recruitment: "That's why football is so successful, is if you do it and use resources at Clemson, like you can really keep everything tight."
— Matt Norlander (@MattNorlander) April 25, 2019
More on Clemson FB, via Steve Smith on wiretap: “It’s a small college town. … You can come to a game one night, after the game you see a dude out there in a nice looking suit, you like, wait a minute now.”
— Matt Norlander (@MattNorlander) April 25, 2019
Blazer: "I understood that to mean boosters would give certain things."
The Blazer in question above is Marty Blazer, a financial advisor from Pittsburgh who was on the stand. He’s the same witness who claimed a few days ago that he paid football players from Alabama, Notre Dame, Penn State and several other schools.
“We are aware of the developments in federal court today involving one of our men’s basketball assistant coaches,” Clemson said in a statement issued later on Thursday. “We take this matter seriously and will immediately conduct a review.”
While only a handful of folks can claim to be surprised that the federal hoops trial spilled over into football, it certainly raises further questions about the Tigers that they will have to deal with over the coming weeks. These are just the words of one witness and one assistant on a wiretap but something says the folks in Indianapolis are already wondering whether or not they need to expand a potential infractions probe that much wider in the wake of the testimony.
