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An FBI investigation into NCAA College Basketball tied to corruption and bribery is already having a major impact on some teams – most notably the Louisville Cardinals with head coach Rick Pitino placed on indefinite leave. Fears of sanctions being imposed have some regional bookies on edge.
In this wide spanning case, some College Basketball coaches have been accused of taking bribes by the FBI in exchange for steering players toward certain agents.
Louisville – One of the most celebrated College Basketball programs on the planet, The FBI is alleging the school agreed to pay a recruit $100,000 that was paid through Adidas and also discussed a payment to another future recruit to secure his commitment.
Already there is talk that this scandal could decimate the Cardinals program, at least in the short term. Louisville had been at 35/1 odds of winning the 2018 NCAA Men’s College Basketball Championship before books started taking down the odds in wake of the scandal.
Regional bookies here rely heavily on College Basketball to carry them through the late winter months.
Arizona – The Wildcats had the 3rd shortest odds of winning the NCAA College Basketball Championship game in 2018.
There's little doubt the federal indictment against (assistant coach) Book Richardson could have potentially seismic implications for the Arizona Wildcats, AZCentral suggests.
Jahvon Quinerly is unlikely to play for Arizona as a result of the probe.
According to AZCentral.com, Quinerly appears to be the player given money from agents through Richardson and if the NCAA finds he took it, Quinerly could be suspended for part or all of his freshman season (though it may be more likely at this point he doesn't play college ball at all, and just plays professionally overseas before joining the 2019 NBA Draft).
As with the Louisville area, bookies in Arizona rely heavily on College Basketball wagering to drive profits, especially during the January through early April period.
Miami – From the Miami Herald:
None of the Hurricanes coaches have been charged, but the school and an unnamed Miami coach are implicated in the indictment as “University-7” and “Coach-3” in a section detailing wire-tapped discussions between an agent, an AAU coach and Adidas representatives who scheme, with the consent of the UM coach, they say, to solicit $150,000 from Adidas marketing director Jim Gatto to help secure a highly coveted recruit — believed to be Orlando’s Nassir Little.
Larrañaga’s attorney, Stuart Grossman, said his client had “zero involvement in any allegations of any impropriety.”
Bookies in the region also prosper from the amount of wagers coming in on the Hurricanes during the College Basketball season.
As of this week, the Canes were listed at respectable 50/1 odds of winning the Championship.
USC – Another of the teams affected. They were among the top 10 teams with the shortest odds of winning a Championship.
USC assistant Tony Bland: Bland allegedly took $13,000 in bribes from Dawkins and Sood. He also allegedly had Dawkins and Sood pay $9,000 to the families of two athletes at USC. He was placed on immediate administrative leave by the university.
- Don Shaprio, Gambling911.com
