By Adam Zagoria | Special to the Arizona Daily Star
Day 1 of the college basketball bribery trial began Monday at the Daniel Patrick Moynihan United States Courthouse, and the Arizona Wildcats are already figuring into the proceedings.
Federal prosecutors listed UA basketball coach Sean Miller, former assistant coach Emanuel “Book” Richardson and Deandre Ayton, the former Arizona star who was the No. 1 pick in the NBA Draft this year, as part of a who’s-who of basketball figures that the jury is likely to hear about in the upcoming weeks.
Other names that may come up include Kyle Kuzma of the Los Angeles Lakers, Dennis Smith Jr. of the Dallas Mavericks, Markelle Fultz of the Philadelphia 76ers, Duke freshman sensation Zion Williamson, Indiana freshman star Romeo Langford, North Carolina freshman Nassir Little and former Louisville wing Brian Bowen, who was at the center of an alleged pay-for-play scandal that led to the firing of former Louisville coach Rick Pitino.
Miller and Pitino aren’t the only prominent head coaches who could be mentioned, prosecutors said. Kansas’ Bill Self, Miami’s Jim Larranaga and LSU’s Will Wade could also figure into what’s likely to be a three-to-four-week trial.
Jury selection began Monday in the case known as “U.S. v. Gatto et al.” before Judge Lewis A. Kaplan of the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York.
