Coach Pac-12: the misdeeds mentioned in the federal trial "have existed for a long time" | Arizona Wildcats Basketball

This week, Adidas consultant and shoe repairer T. J. Gassnola said that he had given a total of $ 90,000 to a five-star player. Some $ 40,000 to another.

And a sum of $ 15,000 to a handler of former UA star Deandre Ayton. Ayton, Phoenix Suns' # 1 choice, said Friday at Phoenix's 12News channel that he had "no idea what it was, I do not know why my name is in it."

There were also other allegations. He continued again and again. And that will also continue when the trial resumes on Monday.

But although Krystkowiak said it was "worth a look" at all the news from time to time, he never really raised an eyebrow.

He had already heard this kind of stories. They were just underground.

"I do not think it's a big secret," said Krystkowiak at Pac-12 press day on Thursday. "It does not take anyone away. It's public for the first time. I think there is a lot of understanding of things that are going on for a long time. "

Krystkowiak, of course, is the same coach who said a year ago that he and his staff had "not slept" during the ongoing investigation. Tad Boyle of Colorado and he said they pulled back the recruits if they felt they or their coaches were looking for an extra advantage.

Since then, five Pac-12 schools – including Utah – have been involved in one way or another in the federal investigation. Tony Bland, assistant USC, and Book Richardson, Arizona's assistant, were arrested and then fired, while Washington and Utah were peripherally linked by another report. In February, Yahoo Sports announced that Fultz had received $ 10,000 from an agency and that an associate of Utah star Kyle Kuzma had received $ 9,500.

The "astronomical" claim also trapped Oregon, although Bowen's father later testified that he did not remember such an offer.

For Commissioner Larry Scott, he is not convinced that the Pac-12 has a systemic compliance problem, but said that the conference and its schools were dealing very seriously with the allegations that had been made at the end of the trial.

"As in any process like this, there are allegations and there is a process to prove or disprove them," Scott said. "So I think we'll hold our judgment until the process is over and we'll see what happens.

"Each of our schools has made statements about its position. We have leadership in our universities. They take the integrity of the competition, the behavior of their leaders and coaches very seriously, and I think that at this point we are watching very closely and waiting for the process to unfold, and we will see what the truth is. . emerges. "

Utah issued a statement last week in which it said it "took the charges very seriously" after financial adviser Munish Sood said he had worked with another sports agency to provide money to Kuzma's partner hoping to build relationships.

But the Utes were not named directly in this allegation and Krystkowiak dismissed a question about what the school was doing in response to a "silly question".

Several other coaches during the Pac-12 Media Day also had tense exchanges.

Sean Miller of Arizona answered eight questions about the investigation and the trial by referring to his March statement that he had never knowingly broken an NCAA rule. He also did not want to comment on the possibility that the Wildcats' post-season victories and earnings for 2017-18 could be released if the NCAA discovered that Ayton was ineligible because he was receiving an added benefit, even though It had nothing to do with it.

Oregon coach Dana Altman has trusted his assistants and the school's compliance department. On Bowen Sr.'s testimony that he did not know of an astronomical offer for Oregon, Altman said he had no reaction because "I knew it was not true".

Bowen Sr. also testified that he did not remember an alleged payment of $ 3,000 from Oregon assistant Tony Stubblefield.

"Well, I have a lot of confidence in my staff and Tony, so I was not surprised," said Altman about Bowen Sr.'s testimony. "Tony did a great job of me and, as I said, I have complete confidence in my staff. "

Altman said his compliance office had not discussed Stubblefield's allegation with him, but had reviewed his program in September 2017 and October 2017, as well as last week.

As Andy Enfield, coach of the USC, warns, Trojans have a particularly tough hammer in their compliance office.

USC suspended standout goalkeeper De'Anthony Melton last season after the school looked into an allegation in the federal government's complaint that a family friend had received a $ 5,000 payment from an agent .

"We have more compliance specialists at USC than probably any school in the country, and they're great," Enfield said. "They travel with us and we have a great working relationship with them. It's been like that since I was at USC, and this is our sixth season. "

USC has not been mentioned in the ongoing lawsuit involving a former Adidas representative, a former Adidas executive and future Adidas agent, Christian Dawkins, and Enfield said: " I really am not as close as you might think. "

But it is also inevitable, hovering above, even if practices continue.

"I have assistants who tell me what is written and I do not have enough time to track everything," Altman said. "I think everyone follows him a little, yes."

• Arizona has agreed to a two-year series with Illinois that will begin November 10 at the McKale Center and will end at the Illinois State Farm Center on December 12, 2020. Ryan ReynoldsThe director of operations at UA said Illinois would play at the Grand Canyon on November 8 and was invited to play at UC McKale Center on the same trip. The house-and-house evolved from there.
• The Wildcats announced that tickets for Sunday's red-blue match were exhausted. The annual preseason celebration of the AU has sold for eight consecutive seasons, sometimes in a few days. The first tickets went on sale on August 18th.
• As usual, the red-blue game weekend is crucial to Arizona's recruitment efforts. Wildcats welcome committed five-star guards Nico Mannion and Josh Green, and are programmed to host the five-star front Jeremiah Robinson-Earl and before four stars Zeke Nnaji.