This week in compliance: Arizona basketball announces that it has received NOA

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Bruce Feldman
@BruceFeldmanCFB

The University of Arizona announces that it has received a Notice of Allegations (NOA) issued by the NCAA enforcement staff: "However, in order to protect the integrity of the ongoing enforcement process, the University is not releasing the NOA at this time."

2:15 PM · Oct 23, 2020

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Of the 12 schools that have been investigated by the NCAA in the wake of the federal probe of corruption in college basketball, Arizona’s case has been considered one of the most significant. That’s due to the profile of the program and the potential for a wide swath of major allegations, some of which could be aimed at the head coach. Federal wiretaps, court testimony and Arizona’s own personnel actions indicate that the school could be facing a host of problems.

Arizona has been under the microscope since Sept. 26, 2017, when the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York announced its investigation. Among the four college assistant coaches arrested and charged was then-Wildcats staffer Emanuel “Book” Richardson, who pleaded guilty to accepting $20,000 in bribes in exchange for steering Arizona players to aspiring agent Christian Dawkins and financial manager Munish Sood. Richardson spent three months in federal prison.

Federal wiretap transcripts show that Richardson said he paid $40,000 to “a high school coach” to help ensure the academic eligibility of former Wildcats guard Rawle Alkins, plus “two grand” a month to Alkins’ cousin after he moved to Tucson from New York City. Richardson did not say where he got the money. He cited the payment as an example of the difficulty handling the demands of recruits, their families and those around them.

“So, again, is it something different each year?” Richardson said. “It is. Like I said, $40,000 to do that was totally extreme. If I had the chance to do it all over again, I would not do it. I'd try to barter something. I'd give blood. I'd give semen, something.”

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