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NEW YORK (AP) – Judge Lewis A. Kaplan on Tuesday denied repeated attempts by defense lawyers to highlight the kind of phone intercepts intercepted by the FBI featuring basketball coaches. Prominent ball that had aroused the public interest for the trial for basketball fraud organized by a federal college.
These were supposed to be among the brightest fireworks in the business. Instead, they always remain under seal, Kaplan having mainly ruled that they were not relevant to the ongoing case.
However, the details of at least two of these conversations were introduced into the public domain during the lawyers' debates.
Both could cause significant problems to the NCAA for the coaches involved – LSU head coach Will Wade and Kansas assistant, Kurtis Townsend – and perhaps even a player, the young rookie of Duke Zion Williamson.
During a September phone call between Townsend and Adidas Group's Merl Code, the discussion focused on KU's recruitment of Williamson, one of South Carolina's top five national recruits. Mark Moore, one of the code's lawyers, read a transcript of the appeal.
Code: "Hey, but between you and me, you know, he asked questions. You know? And I said, "Well, we'll talk about it, you decide" … I know what he's asking. He asks for opportunities from a professional point of view, he asks for money in his pocket and he asks for housing for him and his family. "
Townsend: "I just have to try to work and find a way, because if that's what is needed to keep him here for 10 months, we'll have to do it somehow."
Whether the "he" referred to in the Code is Williamson or a family member was a little uncertain – the player would probably not look for "professional opportunities". By refusing to allow the jury to do so, Justice Kaplan prevented the entire context from being heard and even pleaded by the lawyers. Who knows when more details might come out.
The defense asked for it to be on file as it showed that the college coaches had asked for recruitment assistance, including the NCAA rule violation, from the Code, Gatto and his agent defendants and intermediate, Christian Dawkins.
The three men are charged with fraud and conspiracy to commit fraud against four universities (Kansas, Louisville, Miami and North Carolina State). Everyone argues that he was trying to help, not hurt, schools by offering talented recruits the coveted schools. The prosecution and the defense rested on Tuesday. The pleadings begin Wednesday afternoon.
Kaplan noted that everything concerning Williamson was irrelevant to the charges laid in this trial and that the conversation, which had taken place at the end of September, had taken place after the crimes for which Code was accused.
Williamson made a recruiting visit to Kansas, but eventually signed with Duke for Kentucky, South Carolina and Clemson.
As for Wade, the LSU head coach is in phone conversation with Dawkins to discuss the possible recruitment of Balsa Koprivica, a center that plays in Florida and is one of the best players in the 2019 promotion.
"[Wade] informs Christian Dawkins that he can provide him with what he needs, namely money, if a Florida player, Balsa Koprivica, agrees to play for LSU, "said Casey Donnelly, l & 39; one of Gatto's lawyers. Donnelly then read part of the transcript of the call.
"Do you want balsa?" Dawkins asked.
"Oh, the big child?" Replied Wade.
Dawkins confirms.
"OK, but there are others [expletive] "Wait, I have to close the door … I can get you what you need but it must work."
Kurtis Townsend, right, has been part of Bill Self's Kansas coach since 2004. (Getty)
There was also an exchange of text between Louisville Head Coach Rick Pitino and his assistant Kenny Johnson, who was not allowed to be used as evidence. In this one, Johnson sent a text message to Pitino: "Coach, DePaul is trying to pay [Brian “Tugs”] Bowen $ 200,000 to go. Crazy world. Oregon, DePaul … desperate times.
"Yes," Pitino replied. "We will be fine."
What Pitino meant by that, is what everyone guesses, but the $ 200,000 payoff announced by DePaul is the largest number heard during the trial for a player.
Whether the NCAA is pursuing any of these pieces of information or taking a close interest in the debates being held here in Lower Manhattan remains unknown.
For many college programs, the conclusion of testimony Tuesday brought a sigh of considerable relief.
Arizona, Oregon, DePaul, Creighton, the state of Oklahoma and others were beaten throughout the trial by allegations of wrongdoing, but the final evidence of NCAA violations never materialized. Despite the existence of several hours of recorded conversations, no coaching voices (from all schools) were heard. There have been exchanges of texts, but even many of them could be defended as nebulous.
There was a lot of smoke and even fire during the eight and a half days of testimony. Currency exchanges of up to $ 40,000 were discussed. The recruits were traded pretty much like goods on Wall Street. College coaches have courted and encouraged the help, unspecified but nonetheless, of basketball characters operating on the sidelines, such as the so-called "man-bag" Adidas, T.J. Gassnola.
Tuesday even included approval of a payment of $ 1,200 to Markelle Fultz's manager on August 12, 2016, then to the University of Washington, and the future first choice in the NBA project. However, it has not been explored in detail. This was the case: huge claims and allegations were presented and then forgotten.
Other elements have shown that sometimes college basketball could remain relatively pure. Well, somehow. Brian Bowen Sr. testified that the state of Michigan had never offered him or his son, Tugs, to sign there. Even in mid-May, Bowen Sr. was in favor of signing the tugs with the Spartans.
"I'm for MSU," wrote Bowen Sr. Dawkins, but added that it was his son's choice and "… he does not feel it."
It was mid-May. A few weeks later, the tugs signed with Louisville and Dawkins gave Adidas Bowen Sr. $ 100,000 in exchange. If the Bowen tugs had just followed Jason Richardson and Draymond Green from Saginaw to MSU, there might not even be a lawsuit.
It is unclear whether recorded conversations become public. They were sealed by the judge. It is possible that the NCAA may have access to it and may use it to prosecute dozens of programs mentioned. What was presented at trial is probably only some of the available evidence, as it was not necessary to prove that various schools had committed NCAA offenses.
There are also two more tests – one this winter and one in the spring, where additional evidence is expected and where eminent coaches may be called to testify.
Nobody in college basketball should feel too good about anything at this point.
After all, Monday, Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski said he did not really follow the trial and that did not affect his program. Less than a day later, the name of a high-ranking player rang in the courtroom.
Maybe there is something there. Or perhaps, as in many cases, there are only fragments in the federal law and procedure that clash with the interests of a public always thirsty for scandals.
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