NCAA president Mark Emmert released a statement on Friday morning in response to the allegations that were made in a bombshell report from Yahoo Sports.
Yahoo obtained documents detailing the recruitment methods that former NBA agent Andy Miller and an employee, Christian Dawkins, used to chase potential clients. Payments as high as $73,000 are detailed and current athletes like Duke’s Wendell Carter, Michigan State’s Miles Bridges, Kentucky’s Kevin Knox and Alabama’s Collin Sexton are all listed in those documents.
“These allegations, if true, point to systematic failures that must be fixed and fixed now if we want college sports in America,” Emmert’s statement read. “Simply put, people who engage in this kind of behavior have no place in college sports. They are an affront to all those who play by the rules.”
“Following the Southern District of New York’s indictments last year, the NCAA Board of Governors and I formed the independent Commission on College Basketball, chaired by Condoleezza Rice, to provide recommendations on how to clean up the sport. With these latest allegations, it’s clear this work is more important now than ever. The Board and I are completely committed to making transformational changes to the game and ensuring all involved in college basketball do so with integrity.”
“We also will continue to cooperate with the efforts of federal prosecutors to identify and punish the unscrupulous parties seeking to exploit the system through criminal acts.”
On Monday, North Carolina passed Michigan State and Purdue on the Seed List (UNC is No. 7 overall). Wednesday, the Tar Heels backed up their route of Louisville by winning another road game at Syracuse. That’s six straight ACC victories – all but two of which are against teams in today’s bracket. Carolina now has 10 Quadrant 1 wins, which ties the Tar Heels with Kansas for the most in that category (by a two-win margin). Which brings us to this question: How high can Carolina climb?
The answer, of course, depends on these next two weeks. But given their strong schedule and depth of quality wins, a No. 1 seed isn’t out of the question if the Tar Heels beat Duke (again) to close the regular season and/or win the ACC tournament.
Overall, several ACC teams benefitted today by the confusing state of the SEC. The middle of the bracket is littered with SEC teams who ebb and flow like the tides of the ocean. These next two weeks will be important for them, too.
With another full weekend ahead, here’s where we stand …
UPDATED: February 23, 2018
FIRST FOUR PAIRINGS – Dayton (First Round)
- Baylor vs. Washington | Midwest Region
- Texas vs. LSU | West Region
- SOUTHERN vs. SAVANNAH ST | South Region
- FL GULF COAST vs. NICHOLLS | East Region
BRACKET PROJECTION
| SOUTH – Atlanta | EAST – Boston | |
| Charlotte | Pittsburgh | |
| 1) VIRGINIA | 1) VILLANOVA | |
| 16) SOUTHERN / SAVANNAH ST | 16) FL GULF CST / NICHOLLS | |
| 8) Alabama | 8) Miami-FL | |
| 9) Creighton | 9) Florida | |
| San Diego | Boise | |
| 5) Ohio State | 5) Kentucky | |
| 12) LOUISIANA | 12) St. Bonaventure | |
| 4) West Virginia | 4) GONZAGA | |
| 13) E. TENNESSEE ST | 13) VERMONT | |
| Dallas | Wichita | |
| 6) Florida State | 6) Virginia Tech | |
| 11) Saint Mary’s | 11) MIDDLE TENNESSEE | |
| 3) Texas Tech | 3) CINCINNATI | |
| 14) CHARLESTON | 14) BUCKNELL | |
| Detroit | Nashville | |
| 7) Arizona State | 7) Butler | |
| 10) Providence | 10) Kansas State | |
| 2) MICHIGAN STATE | 2) North Carolina | |
| 15) WRIGHT STATE | 15) WAGNER | |
| WEST – Los Angeles | MIDWEST – Omaha | |
| Wichita | Detroit | |
| 1) KANSAS | 1) Xavier | |
| 16) PENNSYLVANIA | 16) UNC-ASHEVILLE | |
| 8) Seton Hall | 8) Arkansas | |
| 9) Texas AM | 9) TCU | |
| Boise | Dallas | |
| 5) Clemson | 5) Michigan | |
| 12) NEW MEXICO ST | 12) LOYOLA (CHI) | |
| 4) Wichita State | 4) Tennessee | |
| 13) SOUTH DAKOTA ST | 13) MURRAY STATE | |
| San Diego | Pittsburgh | |
| 6) Houston | 6) RHODE ISLAND | |
| 11) LSU / Texas | 11) Baylor / Washington | |
| 3) ARIZONA | 3) Purdue | |
| 14) RIDER | 14) BUFFALO | |
| Nashville | Charlotte | |
| 7) NC State | 7) Missouri | |
| 10) NEVADA | 10) Oklahoma | |
| 2) AUBURN | 2) Duke | |
| 15) UC-IRVINE | 15) MONTANA |
NOTES on the BRACKET: Virginia is the No. 1 overall seed – followed by Villanova, Xavier, and Kansas
Last Four Byes (at large): Kansas State, Providence, Saint Mary’s, St. Bonaventure
Last Four IN (at large): Baylor, Texas, LSU, Washington
First Four OUT (at large): Marquette, Syracuse, USC, Utah
Next four teams OUT (at large): UCLA, Mississippi State, Louisville, Georgia
Breakdown by Conference …
SEC (9): AUBURN, Tennessee, Kentucky, Missouri, Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Texas AM, LSU
ACC (8): VIRGINIA, Duke, North Carolina, Clemson, Florida State, Miami-FL, Virginia Tech, NC State
BIG 12 (8): TEXAS TECH, Kansas, West Virginia, Oklahoma, TCU, Kansas State, Baylor, Texas
Big East (6): VILLANOVA, Xavier, Butler, Seton Hall, Creighton, Providence
Big 10 (4): MICHIGAN STATE, Purdue, Ohio State, Michigan
Pac 12 (3): ARIZONA, Arizona State, Washington
American (3): CINCINNATI, Wichita State, Houston
Atlantic 10 (2): RHODE ISLAND, St. Bonaventure
West Coast (2): GONZAGA, Saint Mary’s
Mountain West (1): NEVADA
ONE BID LEAGUES: Loyola-Chicago (MVC), Rider (MAAC), Middle Tennessee (C-USA), Louisiana (SBELT), Pennsylvania (IVY), Montana (BSKY), Wright State (HORIZON), Nicholls (SLND), East Tennessee State (STHN), UC-Santa Barbara (BWEST), Buffalo (MAC), Florida Gulf Coast (ASUN), Murray State (OVC), Charleston (CAA), UNC-Asheville (BSO), Savannah State (MEAC), South Dakota State (SUM), New Mexico State (WAC), Vermont (AEAST), Bucknell (PAT), Wagner (NEC), Southern (SWAC)
Bracketing principles: read them for yourself at http://www.ncaa.com.
Michael Porter, Jr. came to an antiquated situation in a very modern way.
The 6-foot-11 phenom signed up to play for his father at his hometown university.
And Missouri really is more than just the hometown university for Porter — it’s home. His aunt has coached two of his sisters on the Tigers’ women’s team. His younger brother, one of his seven siblings, is also on the roster. After hitting rock-bottom in the Kim Anderson era, Missouri was getting its prodigal son and savior all in the same package.
Nevermind it came after his family moved to Seattle as his father was hired as an assistant by Lorenzo Romar in Washington, no doubt in part because of the long-standing relationship between the two men but also because Porter, Jr. is possibly a generational talent. And forget that his father’s next job came from Cuonzo Martin at Missouri.
In the end, Porter, Jr. began the season playing for his father and with his brother, a five-star center who reclassified in order to join the Tigers, undoubtedly envisioning a magical season alongside his family in his hometown in the pursuit of a national championship.
It’s not Hoosiers, but it ain’t far off.
The season hasn’t exactly worked out that way, and after Porter, Jr. found himself in a nostalgic role by following a contemporary path, in order to live out that he’ll have to turn his back on current-day — somewhat cynical — common sense logic to get one last chance at it.
After sitting out the whole season due to a back injury and with a week left in the regular season, Porter, Jr. has been cleared to return to basketball activities, seemingly setting up the decision on whether to give college basketball one last chance or simply sit out to preserve his best chance to make the most money in the NBA.
Essentially, it boils down to this: Is the added risk to the potential of hundreds of millions of dollars Porter, Jr. could make in the NBA worth the reward of an NCAA tournament run playing alongside his brother with his father on the bench at the university that in some ways has defined his family?
How much is that one chance of collegiate glory worth?
The simple answer for most in 2018 is not enough to justify playing.
Porter, Jr. probably can’t move the needle on his draft stock by playing. Could he possibly be good enough in just a couple weeks after months on the shelf to move ahead of Deandre Ayton? Luka Doncic? Mo Bamba or Marvin Bagley III? Maybe, but is going first or second that much of a difference than going fifth or sixth when the real money comes on his second and third contracts? Or his shoe deal?
Were he to injure himself — especially if it was an aggravation of the back injury or a foot issue — teams might have memories of Greg Oden flash before their eyes. Is there a team willing to risk a Joel Embiid-like injury profile in the first seven slots of a draft this strong?
On the other hand, Porter, Jr. is going to be drafted no matter what potentially happens after his potential return. I can’t imagine even in the most catastrophic of scenarios where he slips outside the top-half of the first round. He’ll make millions of dollars, and that’s the worst-case scenario. Playing, if he’s fully healthy, only adds some risk.
Is that added percent — or two or five or 15 — acceptable when weighed against the unique opportunity that generations of basketball players have dreamed of and never even been given chance to fulfill?
Charging headlong into a chance to win a title — and Missouri very well could be a title contender in a year like this year with a healthy Porter, Jr. — for your school, community and family has to be a tantalizingly tempting choice. Even if it doesn’t come with a paycheck.
It’s chasing a storybook ending over limiting future financial risk.
How to adjudicate those two choices is up to Porter, Jr.
It’s a choice he gets to make. Does he try to have it all or play it safe? Is the lure of shared family success stronger than that of financial security and better long-term viability?
Playing for free has a cost. Is Porter, Jr. willing to pay it?
Yahoo Sports released a devastating report on Friday morning detailing some of the exact expenditures and impermissible benefits provided listed on records that were obtained by the FBI from the offices of former agent Andy Miller.
Among them?
Michigan State’s Miles Bridges, Duke’s Wendell Carter, Alabama’s Collin Sexton and Kentucky’s Kevin Knox, just to name a few. Past college stars like Dennis Smith Jr., Bam Adebayo and Markelle Fultz are also listed in the spreadsheets and documents obtained by Yahoo.
The report — and I encourage you to read it — details the elaborate payment, loan and recruitment strategy by Andy Miller’s agency, which includes outright payments to players, cash advances to parents, dinners that were paid for and plane tickets and travel that was provided to players and families.
Here’s the catch: What was provided to the biggest names currently in college is not all that great. Bridges’ mom allegedly received $400, according to an expense report filed by Dawkins, while Bridges’ parents had a meal with Dawkins listed at $70.05. Carter, Knox and Sexton are all tied to this by meals that families members had with Dawkins that the former Miller associate paid for.
Whether or not the players will be deemed ineligible is yet to be determine. The dollar value of the benefits listed in these documents is small enough that paying the money back might be enough to get their eligibility restored now even if it does mean that games they’ve played in previously will end up vacated.
There is also the argument that can be made that Dawkins is lying in these expense reports. In a business with as much cash flying around as this, is it too much of a stretch to assume that Dawkins had dinner with some friends or a girlfriend and passed the receipt off as a work expense?
It’s too early to tell what exactly will result from all of this.
But remember how we tried to tell you in September that this thing goes deep?
Well, here you go.
1. DREXEL COMPLETED THE BIGGEST COMEBACK IN DIVISION I HISTORY
Drexel trailed Delaware 53-19 late in the first half on Thursday night.
They won 85-83.
Both of those things are 100 percent true and 100 percent happened.
2. ARIZONA WON WITHOUT ALLONZO TRIER … BARELY
No. 14 Arizona was forced to play without Allonzo Trier on Thursday night at Oregon State after Trier tested positive for a banned substance again. The Wildcats led by 12 points in the first half, but Wayne Tinkle’s club slowly but surely chipped away at the lead. They were ahead with less than a minute left with OSU missed two wide-open threes on the same possession before a pair of Rawle Alkins free throws forced overtime.
Alkins — who finished with 16 points on the night — took over in the extra frame, but if there is anything that we learned in the 45 minutes that Arizona played without Trier available on Thursday, it’s that they are going to struggle to win games if they do not have their second-leading scorer available.
3. TUBBY SMITH FINALLY BEAT A RANKED TEAM
Tubby Smith has been crushed throughout his tenure with Memphis, and deservedly so. The Tigers are not selling tickets and are not competing at a level that is expected of that program in the post-John Calipari era. That said, they aren’t terrible. On Thursday night, Memphis beat No. 23 Houston in FedEd Forum — Smith’s first win over a ranked opponent since he took over the job — to alleviate some of the heat that has been directed his way this season.
Houston, on the other hand, is probably pretty safe when it comes to inclusion into the NCAA tournament at this point, but they sure have had a weird seven days. It started with a win over Cincinnati, then turned into a 21-point win at Temple and concluded with a loss to Memphis. Such is life in the AAC, I guess.
MORAGA, Calif. (AP) — Jordan Ford had 18 points and a career-high 10 rebounds, and No. 22 Saint Mary’s rolled to a 75-61 victory over Pepperdine on Thursday night.
Calvin Hermanson scored 14 points and Tanner Krebs added 12 for the Gaels (26-4, 15-2 West Coast Conference). Jock Landale scored 10 points and grabbed six rebounds.
Ford shot 7 for 11 from the field and 4 for 6 from 3-point range and fell two points short of tying his career scoring high.
Saint Mary’s remained one game behind Gonzaga (26-4, 16-1), a 77-72 winner at San Diego, in the WCC with one regular-season game to play. The Gaels can earn a share of the WCC regular-season title with a victory at home against Santa Clara and a Gonzaga loss at BYU on Saturday.
Saint Mary’s point guard Emmett Naar, who injured his left ankle late in the first half against Portland on Saturday, started and had three points and six assists in 14 minutes, most of those in the first half.
Trae Berhow and Knox Hellums each scored 13 points for Pepperdine (4-25, 1-16).
Ford had 14 points and six rebounds in the first half, when Saint Mary’s built a 46-26 lead.
Pepperdine guard Eric Cooper Jr., who averages 13.2 points, did not make the trip because of a shoulder injury. Udenyi Amadi started in his place.
BIG PICTURE
Pepperdine: The Waves lost their eighth straight game and are locked into sole possession of last place in the WCC. Pepperdine will be the No. 10 seed in the upcoming conference tournament.
Saint Mary’s: The Gaels won their second straight after losing back-to-back games to Gonzaga on Feb. 10 and San Francisco on Feb. 15. Saint Mary’s had won a school-record 19 straight games before falling to Gonzaga.
UP NEXT
Pepperdine hosts Portland on Saturday in its WCC regular-season finale. The Waves fell 85-76 in overtime at Portland on Feb. 1.
Saint Mary’s hosts Santa Clara on Saturday in its final WCC regular-season game. The Gaels beat the Broncos 81-57 on Jan. 11 at Santa Clara.
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