College basketball’s 30 biggest cheaters that tainted the game

17. BYU boosters pay Nick Emery

When your college basketball program is linked to “extra benefits”, it’s almost never a good thing. That was certainly the case for BYU, which saw boosters get caught offering said benefits to guard Nick Emery.

Emery arrived in Provo and made an immediate impact for the Cougars, averaging 16.3 points per game as a freshman. BYU won 25 games that year and got to the semifinals of the NIT, but it turned out that Emery was getting significant support from boosters.

Four boosters paid Emery nearly $12,000 in benefits over his first two years at BYU, which included everything from meals to free rounds of golf and use of a car. The allegations were clear violations of NCAA rules, and Emery publicly apologized for accepting the benefits.

BYU moved to self impose two penalties, a fine and a one scholarship reduction, but the NCAA took matters a step further. Besides adding two years of probation and further scholarship restrictions, the NCAA ordered that BYU vacate 47 wins that Emery participated in during his first two years at the school.

Emery sat out his third year of play after the violations but returned to the Cougars’ starting lineup this past season. In 23 games for BYU, Emery averaged just 6.1 points per game and shot 39% from the floor.