Semi-OT: L'Ville Basketball and Escorts for Players

[gwhuskyfan]

 

[ctchamps]

And the ACC keeps hitting new lows.

 

[Fishy]

MERRY CHRISTMAS, BONEYARD!

This is awesome.

 

[UConnTrumbull]

If you can't get laid as a D1 ball player, you got issues

 

[tcf15]

Maybe that's why Jalen Adams was waiting on the Louisville offer.

 

[pj]

Hey. Who are we to object if Mrs. Pitino wants to pick up a little extra income?

 

[OkaForPrez]

duck Yahoo exclusives.

 

[NYUConn]

I cannot wait to see what absurd slap on the wrist penalty the NCAA gives Louisville if this turns out to be true.

 

[8893]

The University of Louisville is reportedly looking into salacious allegations in a new book that say a former Cards basketball staffer paid escorts to have sexual relations with both players and recruits, Yahoo! Sports reported Friday.

The book in question is one that is apparently set to be released as soon as Saturday by Indianapolis-based IBJ Book Publishing LLC, the Indianapolis Business Journal reported.

It alleges that a former director of basketball operations "paid an escort service for four years to provide sex to teenage recruits to help woo the players to join the Cardinals team."

This story will be updated.

U of L has released a statement in response to the allegations:

"The University of Louisville first learned of these allegations when the Indianapolis Business Journal contacted the University’s sports information department seeking comment in late August.

The University was shocked to hear of the allegations. The University’s athletics compliance department was immediately notified. Chuck Smrt of the Compliance Group was retained to conduct a thorough, objective review of this information. Mr. Smrt is an outside expert who has 34 years of NCAA regulatory experience, including over 17 years with the NCAA enforcement staff.

In coordination with the University’s legal counsel and faculty athletics representative, Mr. Smrt’s review was quickly launched to assess the validity of the information and the potential for any NCAA rules violations. The University, on its own initiative, notified the NCAA Enforcement Staff regarding this matter and has been in regular communication with them.

The University of Louisville will continue its review in full cooperation and coordination with the NCAA and if warranted, take any appropriate action. The allegations have been taken very seriously. In no way would anyone at this institution condone the alleged activities. To preserve the integrity of the review process, the University will withhold comment on any details until the review is concluded."

http://www.courier-journal.com/stor...t-u-l-looking-into-book-allegations/73228518/

 

[Rico444]

The investigator's name is Chuck Smrt? Really?

Can I buy a vowel?

 

[NYUConn]

Apparently this covers their 2013 National Title team...this should be interesting.

 

[Kembacity]

"Move along guys, nothing to see here"

-Mark Emmert

 

[Huskies4ever]

The investigator's name is Chuck Smrt? Really?

Can I buy a vowel?

Reminds me of Homer Simpson: "I am so smart, s-m-r-t------I mean s-m-a-r-t."

 

[8893]

The University of Louisville is investigating explosive allegations in a new book that claims a basketball staff member paid escorts to dance for and have sex with players and recruits, Yahoo Sports has learned.


The book, “Breaking Cardinal Rules: Basketball and the Escort Queen,” is being published by IBJ Book Publishing of Indianapolis. The book is written by Louisville resident Katina Powell – the self-described madam who allegedly provided women to the University of Louisville team – and Indianapolis-based journalist Dick Cady.

An advance copy of the book was obtained Friday afternoon by Yahoo Sports.

Louisville officials did not immediately return phone messages from Yahoo Sports on Friday.

In the book’s final chapter, it quotes a statement it says it received from the university in response to a request for comment on the allegation: "The University of Louisville has retained an outside expert to investigate allegations evidently contained in a book that IBJ Book Publishing, LLC has been asked to publish. The outside expert is aggressively reviewing this situation in full cooperation with relevant authorities, including the NCAA. The university notes that the publisher has provided sparse detail to date and repeats its request for additional detail in order to further the thoroughness of the investigation. If the investigation uncovers any misconduct by University employees, the university will deal with it swiftly and severely."

Powell identifies former Louisville staffer Andre McGee as the point man who paid her for her staff’s services. A former player for the Cardinals, McGee was a graduate assistant under Rick Pitino from 2010-12 and director of basketball operations from 2012-14. He spent last year as an assistant coach at Missouri-Kansas City, working under former Pitino assistant Kareem Richardson.

The book alleges that over a four-year period, Powell brought women into Billy Minardi Hall – the basketball dormitory on the Louisville campus that is named after Pitino’s late brother-in-law – through a side door to entertain players and recruits. Powell also says her dancers – which included her daughters – also entertained Louisville players at other locations off-campus. After the women danced for the players for an agreed-upon sum, Powell alleges that she would negotiate a second payment for the women to have sex with the athletes.

The book alleges: “At the peak of the dormitory and off-campus entertainment more than $10,000 cash changed hands to Katina for supplying the women. This does not include the hundreds of one dollar bills thrown at the dancers at each party by McGee, the recruits and players. Nor does it include the money paid to the women who had sex with the recruits afterward. So frequent were the escapades that Katina would later say, especially after the Cardinals won the 2012-2013 NCAA championship: I felt like I was part of the recruitment team. A lot of them players went to Louisville because of me.”

The book cites Powell’s diaries and journals as sources for much of the information. It also contains a handwritten page from one journal listing 19 parties for Louisville basketball and/or former Louisville star Terrance Williams.

In a release from IBJ to Yahoo Sports, the publisher says Powell “has hundreds of text exchanges with [McGee] to set up her services as well as pictures of her girls with players and recruits.”

The actions described in the book would appear to be both illegal and in violation of school and NCAA rules. If, as Powell alleges, players who were members of Louisville’s championship team received impermissible benefits that were provided by a staff member, the Cardinals’ title would seemingly be in jeopardy.

The book does not make any allegation that Pitino – who weathered a sex-related extortion attempt in 2008 – knew of McGee’s activities or had knowledge of the women being provided to the players.

NCAA spokeswoman Emily James declined comment on the allegations, citing the NCAA's policy not to discuss any current, pending or potential investigations.

“This story needs to be told,” publisher Patricia Keiffner said in the IBJ release, which goes on to say, “Powell does not present a sympathetic character. Her life is full of contradictions. She has no remorse for her life or the choices she has made. Her story is true, and Breaking Cardinal Rules goes into firsthand and graphic detail.”

Keiffner said Powell was reticent to seek out a publisher in Louisville, so she found IBJ Book Publishing through an Internet search of Indianapolis-area publishers. “And I answered the phone,” Keiffern said.

Yahoo Sports’ attempts to contact Powell were unsuccessful Friday afternoon

https://sports.yahoo.com/news/new-b...nvolving-louisville-basketball-202333537.html

 

[Kembacity]

Apparently this covers their 2013 National Title team...this should be interesting.

I don't know... this definitely seems like it should be a recruiting violation, not necessarily a 'strip a national title' violation. If the kids were eligible, taking classes, etc. I think they can keep their ring, but they should lose a few schollies a year for a bit

 

[The Viking]

Well if there's going to be a school where improper sexual relations occurred, isn't Louisville going to be ranked #1 considering the coaches it currently employs throughout it's athletic department?

 

[Kitaman]

This is non-news really.

I used to travel with my older brother on recruiting trips (he senior, me junior) and man was that fun! The ladies knew he was on campus and the parties were the best part. I had no restrictions so I had more fun than him.

Saturday nights are free time and coaches are home sleeping. Quite honestly its stupid to pay for strippers or pros.

It may not be a formal thing (university wise) but the players know how to welcome a recruit and show him a good time.

 

[mauconnfan]

Pretty ironic name for the publishing company huh?

"iBJ"

 

[brasssbonanzaa]

This is non-news really.

I used to travel with my older brother on recruiting trips (he senior, me junior) and man was that fun! The ladies knew he was on campus and the parties were the best part. I had no restrictions so I had more fun than him.

Saturday nights are free time and coaches are home sleeping. Quite honestly its stupid to pay for strippers or pros.

It may not be a formal thing (university wise) but the players know how to welcome a recruit and show him a good time.

Difference here is money changed hands at the behest of a UL basketball staffer. Enormous difference. Not to mention, this includes money being paid for escorts for, at the time, current roster players.

 

[DaveHuskiesFan]

Man I never got this kind of treatment for D3 soccer. I'm pissed.

 

[NYUConn]

Difference here is money changed hands at the behest of a UL basketball staffer. Enormous difference. Not to mention, this includes money being paid for escorts for, at the time, current roster players.

Not to mention the money was being exchanged for illegal services.

 

[The Viking]

What was the recruit we lost out to Louisville, BJ King? I forget the name.

 

[8893]

not necessarily a 'strip a national title' violation.

Sounds like that's exactly what it was, no?

 

[Stainmaster]

Jeff Goodman just revealed that one of the (ex) recruits the NCAA is looking into is Antonio Blakeney, currently enrolled at LSU.

 

[James]

what kind of college hooper needs to buy *****, f is going on in Louisville ... must be slim pickings