The FBI has given the NCAA permission to investigate potential rules violations by schools mentioned in the federal court case of corruption in college basketball.
According to a report by ESPN, two Kentucky men’s basketball players were named in the documents.
Former UK player Jarred Vanderbilt and current player Ashton Hagans were named in a business plan that Christian Dawkins presented to his business partners in 2017.
Here’s an excerpt:
According to the email, Dawkins planned to give Vanderbilt’s family $30,000 in travel expenses to watch him play for the Wildcats last season, plus his father was going to get a $25,000 signing bonus when his son turned pro.
“Brother Jamal and dad will also be a part of the deal, and receive 25% of our income on all sides,” Dawkins wrote.
Dawkins proposed giving Vanderbilt a $100,000 line of credit and $25,000 advance on his marketing revenue if he was projected as a lottery pick at the end of the 2017-18 season.
Vanderbilt played in only 14 games for the Wildcats because of a foot injury and was a second-round pick of the Magic.
Here’s an excerpt about Hagans, who is currently a freshman at UK:
Dawkins also planned to recruit 2019 point guard prospect Ashton Hagans of Cartersville, Georgia, who reclassified to the 2018 class and is a freshman at Kentucky. According to the email, Dawkins wanted to pay Hagans $2,000 per month from October 2017 to October 2018, then $3,000 monthly through April 2020.
Matt Jones of KSR points out that there is no evidence the two Kentucky players mentioned ever received any money:
Of the 19 players FBI evidence says Christian Dawkins had plans to pay, there is no evidence that the two UK players (unlike some of the other players) ever agreed to, or received, any moneyhttps://t.co/4NNlVHHOBy
— Matt Jones (@KySportsRadio) November 8, 2018
