Arizona releases NCAA report: Nothing new on Miller, the school’s big whiff, preparing for Thor’s hammer
It required a court order, but Arizona finally released the NCAA’s Notice of Allegations.
The 22-page document was made public Friday evening. It includes five Level One violations (the most serious), of which four were connected to the basketball program.
We read the NOA, we read the media reports about it, and we spoke to trusted industry sources about it.
Five reactions:
1. It’s bad.
The NCAA found serious, multi-level corruption within the basketball program over an 18-month stretch.
Not only did former assistant Book Richardson violate federal law by accepting bribes, but he and another ex-assistant, Mark Phelps, were accused of academic fraud.
And coach Sean Miller was charged with failing to promote an atmosphere of compliance.
Academic fraud, bribery, ethical misconduct, lack of oversight — that’s the quadruple whammy, folks.
Prior to the release of the NOA, the Hotline believed Arizona’s self-imposed NCAA tournament ban this season would be the extent of the postseason penalties.
Now, we aren’t so sure: The Wildcats could very well get hit with a second NCAA ban given the number and severity of transgressions.
Whether all the charges hold up through the Independent Accountability Resolution Process (IARP), we won’t speculate. But Thor’s hammer is clearly visible in the sky above McKale Center.
Oh, and be mindful of the motivation in Indianapolis:
The NCAA is under immense political pressure from its membership to clean up college basketball, and it’s making an aggressive case against Arizona — as it has with Kansas.
This isn’t a sexual assault scandal (Baylor).
This isn’t a university-wide academic fraud case (North Carolina).
This is wheelhouse stuff — player procurement — for the association.
That the process has taken three-and-a-half years (and counting) is deeply unfortunate for the schools, but it’s secondary to the evidence presented.
2. The Notice of Allegations does not offer additional information, beyond what is publicly known, of Miller’s involvement in rules violations.
However, the NCAA is clear on his culpability for failing to promote an atmosphere of compliance:
“Specifically, two of Miller’s three assistant coaches committed intentional violations involving fraudulent academic transcripts, receipt of cash bribes, facilitating a meeting with an aspiring agent, impermissible inducements and recruiting violations, all within an 18-month period. The ultimate responsibility for the integrity of the men’s basketball program rested with Miller and his staff’s actions reflect on Miller as the head coach.”
As the Wildcats decide whether to retain Miller for next season and beyond, they should assume a lengthy suspension is coming — perhaps 15 or 20 games — for what the NCAA called “a severe breach of conduct.”
After this long slog, does it want another season to be tarnished by the scandal?
3. Some of the evidence is hogwash:
• The recitation of previous “major violations” by the Wildcats, dating back decades.
• The failure to notify the NCAA of an internal interview conducted with Richardson.
• The use of “talking points” by athletic director Dave Heeke that the NCAA claims “compromised the integrity” of the investigation.
Please.
You know what really compromised the integrity of the process? Taking three years to deliver the NOA.
4. Still no clarity into what the Hotline considers the most important question of all.
It’s not part of the NOA, and it won’t impact the severity of sanctions forthcoming from the IARP. But it matters most when judging the depths of Miller’s involvement in the underworld.
What did he mean during the following exchange with would-be agent Christian Dawkins, regarding recruit Nassir Little:
Dawkins: “(The AAU coaches) definitely want to get some (bleep) for themselves because they have been taking care of this kid.”
Miller: “Miami doesn’t have an advantage over us in that area, do they?”
Dawkins: “Well, I’ll say this, what Miami does have is Adidas.”
Miller: “Right.”
Until the public has reason to believe Miller was referring to something other than a cash “advantage” — Could it have been sunblock or Cuban food? — the university has no moral or ethical ground on which to stand.
5. As mentioned above, the Wildcats received the NOA in the fall but refused to disclose it, presumably on the advice of the general counsel’s office.
Not until the Arizona Superior Court ruled in ESPN’s favor early last week did the university make the document public — on Friday evening.
In that regard, Arizona blew it.
While damning, the NOA does not contain additional evidence on the only issue that really matters: Miller’s direct involvement in rules violations.
That’s a positive development. Why not blast it throughout the college basketball media ecosystem?
But instead of embarking on a PR blitz in defense of its coach immediately upon receipt of the NOA in October, the university did the opposite:
It let him wallow in the ongoing speculation — speculation that received additional fuel when the school announced the postseason ban in early January.
Instead of doing everything in its power to clear the skies about McKale, the university allowed the low-pressure center to remain, filling with gloom and doom.
It did Miller a disservice; it did the players a disservice; and it did the fans a disservice.
And it’s not the first time the university has whiffed on opportunities to take a proactive approach to messaging over the past five years with regard to the athletic department.
Its strategy is straight outta 1975.
You do not retreat under the cone of silence when the public narrative is partly or completely wrong.
You take a proactive approach, gain control of the story and anticipate the next turn of events.
Whether the scandal involves Orlando Bradford or Rich Rodriguez or Miller, the current realities are different than the initial narrative.
And yet, from our vantage point, the athletic department has repeatedly been left dangling.
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