Details are emerging in the FBI’s probe into college basketball – specifically how former NBA agent Andy Miller distributed money (through college coaches) to players, i.e., potential clients.
Pat Forde and Pete Thamel of Yahoo Sports:An ASM balance sheet in the hands of federal investigators shows accounts through Dec. 31, 2015, with the subheading, “Loan to Players.” It listed several who were in high school or college as receiving four-figure and five-figure payments from ASM Sports. Among the largest listed loans:
- Dennis Smith, who would go on to play at North Carolina State in 2016-17, received $43,500 according to the documents. Another document headed “Pina,” for ASM agent Stephen Pina, says Smith received a total of $73,500 in loans, and includes notes about “options to recoup the money” when Smith did not sign with ASM.
- Isaiah Whitehead, at the time a freshman at Seton Hall, received $26,136 according to the documents. The “Pina” document says Whitehead received $37,657 and was “setting up payment plan.” Whitehead signed with ASM but later left the agency for Roc Nation.
- Tim Quarterman, at the time a junior at LSU, received at least $16,000 according to the balance sheet.
- Diamond Stone, at the time a freshman at Maryland, received $14,303 according to the documents.
- A listing that refers to “BAM” for $12,000 is later identified in the documents as Edrice “Bam” Adebayo, who would go on to play at Kentucky in 2016-17. He did not sign with ASM. There’s a later reference to Adebayo that says he received $36,500. “Bad loan,” reads the document.
- Markelle Fultz, who would go on to play at Washington and become the No. 1 pick in the 2017 draft, received $10,000 according to the documents. He did not sign with ASM.
Former Utah star Kyle Kuzma received at least $9,500 while in school, according to the documents.
Former Wichita State player Fred VanVleet. Documents show he received at least $1,000.
Apples Jones, the mother of former Kansas player Josh Jackson, received $2,700 according to documents.
Images attached to the article also show more NBA players, dating quite far back.
My simple reaction: Good for these players. They have a marketable skill, and they deserved to be compensated by the open market for it. It’s a shame the NCAA’s cartel system prevented that.
As Kevin Pelton of ESPN put so well:
The college basketball scandal is not that players got money, which is only a bad thing according to the NCAA's hypocritical rules. The real scandal is coaches being paid to give players bad advice about financial managers.
— Kevin Pelton (@kpelton) February 23, 2018