Fansided

30 biggest college basketball scandals of all time

By Mike Phillips

Coll. Basketball: W. Regionals. Michigan's Jimmy King #24 hugging Chris Webber #4 after game vs Temple. (Photo by Harley Soltes/The LIFE Images Collection via Getty Images/Getty Images)
Coll. Basketball: W. Regionals. Michigan's Jimmy King #24 hugging Chris Webber #4 after game vs Temple. (Photo by Harley Soltes/The LIFE Images Collection via Getty Images/Getty Images) /
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TUCSON, ARIZONA – FEBRUARY 07: Head coach Sean Miller of the Arizona Wildcats reacts during the NCAAB game against the Washington Huskies at McKale Center on February 07, 2019 in Tucson, Arizona. The Huskies defeated the Wildcats 67-60. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
TUCSON, ARIZONA – FEBRUARY 07: Head coach Sean Miller of the Arizona Wildcats reacts during the NCAAB game against the Washington Huskies at McKale Center on February 07, 2019 in Tucson, Arizona. The Huskies defeated the Wildcats 67-60. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) /

26. Sean Miller’s 100 Grand Moment

The college basketball probe took center stage late in the 2018 season when former Arizona assistant coach Emmanuel “Book” Richardson was among a group of coaches arrested for taking bribes from agent Christian Dawkins. Richardson reportedly received $5,000 to steer a player to Dawkins’ agency and paid other players money to go to Arizona, so naturally, scrutiny shifted to Richardson’s boss, head coach Sean Miller.

Miller found himself in severe hot water in February of 2018, when reports surfaced that he had been caught by an FBI wiretap discussing a payment of $100,000 to get DeAndre Ayton to commit to Arizona. Ayton’s arrival in Tucson had been a major surprise, with most of the prominent recruiting services predicting he would sign with Kansas before the commitment to Arizona.

In the immediate aftermath of the report, Miller was suspended for a week, but he vehemently denied paying Ayton to come to the school. Ayton, who was allowed to play while the school investigated the allegations, backed up Miller’s account and indicated he wasn’t paid to attend Arizona.

The Wildcats let Miller return to the sidelines and finish out the season, but Arizona got eliminated in the first round of the NCAA Tournament and Ayton bolted to the pros. The scandal had a severe impact on Arizona’s 2018-2019 season, with several prominent recruits decommitting after news of the investigation leaked out.

The fall out from this situation is still ongoing, as Miller may be clear of paying Ayton but Arizona is still a reported target of the FBI’s probe. It wouldn’t be surprising to see Arizona be one of the six schools found guilty of committing Level I rules violations in the coming months.