This is bad. (obviously) http://www.espn.com/mens-college-ba...sed-improper-benefits-recruit-transcript-says
This aint gonna end well. NEW YORK -- Attorneys for the defendants in a federal criminal case involving pay-for-play schemes and other corruption in college basketball attempted on Tuesday to introduce into evidence wiretap recordings that, according to the attorneys, suggested LSU coach Will Wade and Kansas assistant Kurtis Townsend were prepared to offer improper benefits to high-profile recruits and their families. In a Tuesday morning hearing with U.S. District Court Judge Lewis A. Kaplan, Mark Moore, one of defendant Merl Code's attorneys, unsuccessfully tried to introduce a recording of a telephone conversation between Townsend and Code. Moore told Kaplan that Zion Williamson of Spartanburg, South Carolina, the No. 2 player in the 2018 ESPN 100, was the subject of the call. Also on Tuesday, Casey Donnelly, one of Adidas executive Jim Gatto's attorneys, tried to introduce a wiretap recording of a telephone call between Wade and defendant Christian Dawkins, a former runner for NBA agent Andy Miller. Donnelly did not provide a date of the call; the FBI monitored one of Dawkins' cellphones between June 19, 2017, and Sept. 15, 2017, according to court records. According to the transcript that Donnelly read, Dawkins called Wade and inquired about LSU's interest in 2019 recruit Balsa Koprivica, a 7-foot center from Montverde, Florida. "So you said to me in Atlanta there was a 2019 kid I wanted to recruit, they can get him to LSU, you would have funded," Dawkins told Wade, according to Donnelly. "Would you want Balsa?" "Oh, the big kid?" Wade asked. "Yeah," Dawkins confirmed. "OK. But there's other (expletive) involved in it," Wade said. "I have got to shut my door ... Here's my thing: I can get you what you need, but it's got to work." On June 21, 2017, Koprivica tweeted: "Blessed to say I have received an offer from LSU."
Anything to instigate sniffing around by the NCAA isn’t good, but without other evidence this doesn’t seem to prove much. Prosecutor had to explain, in other words “x” means paying for a player. Defense could say “x” means offering a scholarship and making sure there are positions available on the team. This wasn’t admitted as evidence which probably means they don’t have anything solid on WW, but I imagine there is a pattern where they have additional damning evidence on other coaches that would lead one to believe cheating is going on. I hope WW is sufficiently clean to not warrant NCAA penalties; anything up to the line not breaking rules is probably smart and fair game. But if not, I don’t know if I can keep caring about NCAA basketball. It already feels unwholesome as a mf, and of deteriorating quality.
Big difference between talking on the phone and doing something. Obviously Wade DID nothing ergo the not allowing it as evidence. If thoughtcrime were the law of the land ee would likely all be in the big house
I’ve pretty much wrote off college basketball over the last few years. It no longer has a college feel to it, more like a NBA lite which turns me off. I know every sport has cheating and each is about money and future careers but at least baseball and football still resemble college athletics. The shoe & apparel companies, along with the one and done mercenaries have ruined it for me.
Sorry to bust your bubble, but the reason it wasn't allowed into evidence was because it had nothing to do with this case. That doesn't mean Wade did anything wrong, but we can draw no conclusions to it not being admitted in this case.
