Ex-Seton Hall star Isaiah Whitehead given loan by agents, bombshell college hoops report says

Former Seton Hall star Isaiah Whitehead is said to have received thousands of dollars in "loans" from an agency, according to a bombshell Yahoo Sports report which cites documents and bank records from the discovery process of the wide-ranging federal probe into college basketball recruiting practices.

The report raises questions about Seton Hall's 2016 Big East championship with Whitehead as its focal point, as well as NCAA Tournament appearances during his time at the school. The loan, which is listed at roughly $27,000 and $37,000 in various parts of the documents according to the report, would be impermissible under NCAA regulations and could lead to retroactive punishment against Seton Hall.

In addition to the Whitehead loan, an image of a balance sheet published by Yahoo lists former Seton Hall assistant coach Tiny Morton as having received a $9500 loan.

Whitehead currently plays for the Nets. Seton Hall did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the Yahoo report. The initial report indicated Seton Hall either declined comment or did not respond to a Yahoo request.

From the report:

An ASM (Sports, the agency) 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.

James Kratch may be reached at jkratch@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JamesKratch. Find NJ.com Rutgers Football on Facebook.

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