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The first of three highly anticipated federal trials tied to the FBI’s investigation into nefarious recruiting tactics in college basketball began in earnest Tuesday in downtown Manhattan.
It didn’t take long for the trial to make headlines and send up flares around the sport.
Casey Donnelly, attorney for defendant James Gatto, a former high-ranking Adidas executive who’s been charged with two counts of wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud, said in her opening statement that Gatto’s orchestration of a $100,000 payment to send five-star prospect Brian Bowen to Louisville was a way to “level the playing field,” according to reporters on the scene at the courthouse.
After Bowen’s illicit commitment to Louisville became known due to the federal probe, longtime Cardinals coach Rick Pitino was fired.
Gatto’s legal team brought a new school into scope and did so with a bombshell accusation. Oregon has now been roped into this story in a significant way.
The University of Oregon, famously one of the most prosperous Nike schools in college athletics, was not the only program put forth by the defense in its opening remarks. The defense said on Tuesday that Under Armour put up $20,000 to push former elite recruit Silvio De Sousa to Maryland, while Arizona was involved to the amount of $150,000 to land Nassir Little, a projected 2019 lottery pick who’s expected to star for North Carolina this season. De Sousa is at Kansas; his eligibility for the upcoming season remains uncertain.
Gatto’s attorneys are aiming to show college basketball’s recruiting ground as dirty — potentially necessarily dirty — at the high-major level. They’re also seeking to establish a clear difference between breaking the NCAA rulebook and violating the law.
The prosecution is alleging Gatto, his Adidas associate Merl Code and a basketball runner/middleman Christian Dawkins coordinated illegal benefits to high school prospects and/or their families and representatives. In doing so, the Department of Justice alleges the universities were defrauded. Because money was conspired to be delivered across state lines, the crimes are federal in nature.
With hundreds of hours of federal wiretaps at their disposal, some of which could be used as evidence in this trial, the prosecution is prepared to show the defendants as willing rule-breakers out to play the schools against themselves, even if unwittingly in some cases.
With wiretap — and even video — evidence, Gatto’s defense team is not pushing back on what did or did not happen.
Witnesses in the case will be called in the coming days, including Brian Bowen Sr., the father of Louisville’s former prized recruit. (Bowen could not earn eligibility at the college level in the wake of the investigation. He’s currently playing professionally for a team in Australia.) Bowen’s father made a deal, which gives him immunity from being prosecuted. His testimony will be among the most anticipated in this trial, which is expected to last 3-4 weeks.
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