Bill Self latest coach named in NCAA payment scandal

Kansas head coach Bill Self talks to his team from the bench in the second half against Villanova during an NCAA Tournament national semifinal on Saturday, March 31, 2018, at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas. Villanova advanced, 95-79. (Rich Sugg/Kansas City Star/TNS via Getty Images) /

The FBI investigation into college basketball’s payment scandal promised to name some big names, and Kansas head coach Bill Self is the latest.

The nearly three-week trial of three defendants attached to college basketball’s pay-for-play scandal advanced to closing arguments on Thursday. The attorney for one of those defendants named a big name, alleging that Kansas coach Bill Self was aware of a payment to at least one Jayhawks recruit.

Michael Schacter, an attorney for Adidas executive James Gatto, told the jury Gatto approved a $20,000 payment to the guardian of current Jayhawks sophomore forward Silvio De Sousa, but only after Self and Kansas assistant Kurtis Townsend requested it through former Adidas consultant T.J. Gassnola.

Kansas has been tied to payments to the families of Billy Preston and Deandre Ayton. Most recently this week, during the trial, a wiretapped call between Townsend and Merl Code (one of the other defendants) regarding money attached to the recruitment of Zion Williamson was introduced.

The alleged texts from Self regarding the payment to De Sousa’s guardian are as damning as they could be deemed vague or not incriminating in a certain light. But Adidas is a big part of this scandal, and Kansas has a relationship with the company.

In September of 2017, Kansas announced a 12-year contract extension with Adidas worth $191 million. Self’s text exchange with Glassnola acknowledged that lucrative relationship.

"In my mind, it’s KU, Bill Self. Everyone else fall into line. Too (expletive) bad,” Gassnola replied. “That’s what’s right for Adidas basketball. And I know I’m right. The more you have lottery picks and you happy. That’s how it should work in my mind.”“That’s how ur (sic) works. At UNC and Duke,” Self replied.Gassnola answered by saying Kentucky as well.“I promise you I got this,” Gassnola texted. “I have never let you down. Except (Deandre). Lol. We will get it right."

Glassnola was essentially promising help in delivering top prospects to Kansas, as what benefits the Jayhawks also benefits Adidas. Self’s reply of “that’s how (it) works” elsewhere shows an acknowledgment of having to compete with other top programs on the same shady level, and as much as context can be read into a text message some level of resignation in having to pay up.

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This FBI investigation is sure to bring down some big names in college basketball by the time it’s over. Self may or not be found specifically or directly guilty of anything, but he’s firmly in the crosshairs of the pay-for-play scandal.