A Yahoo Sports story detailing the expenses of an ensnared sports agency briefly referenced former Creighton player Justin Patton, but the actual extent of the implications remains unclear.
The report published Friday — which summarized the financial records of agent Andy Miller and his company, ASM Sports — does include specific documentation of four- and five-figure payments to multiple college basketball players, their families and their handlers. ASM is at the center of the FBI’s ongoing investigation of bribery within the sport.
But the information published Friday was rather ambiguous as it related to Patton, the former Omaha North standout who starred in his lone season at Creighton last year.
The story stated that ASM employee Christian Dawkins, who’s facing multiple federal charges in relation to the FBI probe, may have bought dinner for Patton and/or his family. It does not indicate when or where this meal might have taken place. Patton was not cited within the portions of the Dawkins expense reports released Friday in conjunction with the Yahoo report.
Patton did ultimately sign with ASM, but he fired Miller once the FBI initially released its findings back in September. A message left for Patton was not returned Friday.
Creighton coach Greg McDermott said Friday before CU’s practice that he hadn’t yet spoken to Patton, but there was no reason to believe that anything nefarious occurred regarding ASM’s pursuit of Patton.
“I’m just not sure that may-or-may-not-have is news,” McDermott said. “He may have a meeting and he may have had a meal? I can verify that he had a meeting — because I was there. It’s not illegal.”
The NCAA certainly does allow for college basketball players to have contact with agents.
But players who intend to retain their eligibility must pay for their own transportation or dinner expenses. If an impermissible benefit valued at less than $200 is discovered, NCAA rules state that the eligibility of the athlete is not in question — provided that he or she subsequently pays an equivalent amount to charity.
McDermott said in multiple interviews last year that he established parameters where he alone interacted with sports agents on Patton’s behalf during the season. McDermott added Friday that Creighton even hired security personnel at the Big East and NCAA tournaments to keep uninvited parties away from players.
It wasn’t until the season ended that Patton and his family met with three separate agencies in McDermott’s office, McDermott previously told The World-Herald.
Two weeks after his final game with the Jays, Patton announced he was declaring for the NBA draft. He was selected as the No. 16 overall pick.
“I’m confident that we followed the rules like we have with every other guy,” McDermott said. “Certainly we’ll go back and look to make sure there wasn’t anything done that we shouldn’t have done. But I’m not too concerned about it.”
More than 30 current and former players were named in Friday’s Yahoo report — but there were just 10, including Patton, who were referenced only as possible recipients of a free meal from Dawkins.
Among those 10, former Iowa State player Monte Morris, former Virginia player Malcolm Brogdon, Kentucky’s Kevin Knox and former North Carolina player Tony Bradley reportedly denied the allegations through their parents Friday. Duke’s Wendell Carter, also among the 10, is still on the Blue Devils’ roster and the school announced Friday his eligibility will not be affected. Alabama’s Collin Sexton is also expected to play Saturday. Former Vanderbilt player Wade Baldwin said in a statement that he never had a meal with Dawkins.
