Arizona Daily Star
FBI wiretaps recorded Arizona Wildcats coach Sean Miller and a sports agent discussing the price of landing star Deandre Ayton, according to an ESPN report published late Friday night.
FBI sources told ESPN that Miller, 49, and agent Christian Dawkins discussed a $100,000 payment to land Ayton, now a UA freshman and once one of the nation’s top high school players. The story did not say whether Ayton received any money, but the 7-foot-1-inch Bahamian ended up choosing Arizona over Kentucky and Kansas. Players from both those schools were named in a Yahoo Sports report about bribery earlier Friday.
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ESPN reported that Miller, Dawkins and former UA assistant coach Emanuel “Book” Richardson were all involved in dialogue regarding what it would take to land Ayton. Miller told the agent to deal with him directly on money matters, according to ESPN.
Richardson was arrested on federal bribery and fraud charges on Sept. 26, when the federal investigation into college basketball became public. The UA fired him last month.
