Kentucky says it has found no eligibility issues or rules violations with current players and staff after a report listed Wildcats freshman Kevin Knox among several players having had a meal or contact with a former agent.
Knox and former Wildcats Bam Adebayo and Nerlens Noel were mentioned in Friday's Yahoo! Sports report. The school said in a statement Saturday it reviewed the matter and determined there were no issues or violations "based on the available information."
Kentucky added that it will continue working with the NCAA and Southeastern Conference.
Knox is Kentucky's leading scorer, averaging 15.4 points per game. Coach John Calipari said Friday the forward would play in Saturday's SEC game against Missouri.
Yahoo sports has combed through hundreds of pages of documents and bank records obtained during the federal investigation into college basketball. They detail the expenditures of prominent former NBA agent Andy Miller, his former associate Christian Dawkins and his agency, ASM Sports. Money appears to have gone to three UK players
They show expense reports showing cash advances, entertainment, meal and travel expenses paid for high school and college prospects and their families. They also reveal the extent of the potential NCAA ramifications from the case. The documents show an underground recruiting operation that could create NCAA rules issues for at least 20 Division I basketball programs and more than 25 players over the past several years. Many of the items listed are NCAA violations and could cause eligibility issues.
Yahoo reports that current Kentucky Wildcats' leading scorer Kevin Knox and former forwards Bam Adebayo and Nerlens Noel were among those linked to ASM Sports.
- Adebayo averaged 13 points and eight rebounds as a Kentucky freshman last season. He was selected No. 14 overall in the NBA draft by the Miami Heat in June.
- Knox, the freshman forward who is averaging 15.4 points and 5.6 rebounds, was listed among players as meeting with or having meals with Christian Dawkins, an associate of Miller. Knox's father has told media outlets neither his son or anyone in the family has ever met with Dawkins.
- Noel, who played one season at Kentucky from 2012-13, was listed as receiving a loan totaling $4,350. However, the date on the spreadsheet shows the payment was made once Noel had left UK.
Current and former players from Duke, North Carolina, Texas, Michigan State, USC, Alabama and a host of other schools are also listed on financial spread sheets. The documents link some of the sport’s biggest current stars to specific potential extra benefits for either the athletes or their family members. The amounts tied to players in the case range from basic meals to tens of thousands of dollars.
UK officials have released the following statements.
Statement from President Eli Capilouto:
“As I said to our Board of Trustees this morning, we learned late last night of a report from Yahoo Sports that provides more details regarding documents related to the federal investigation of potential NCAA violations. We began immediately to conduct our due diligence, and we will cooperate fully with any appropriate authorities. That is our commitment as a university to our Board of Trustees and to the Commonwealth. I will keep you informed of any developments should they arise in this matter.”
Statement from Mitch Barnhart, Athletics:
“We are aware of the report today by Yahoo! Sports. We have not been contacted by the FBI or the NCAA, but since learning of the report, we have reached out to both the NCAA and our league office. We will be conducting an internal review. At this time, we have no further comment.”
Statement from Coach John Calipari:
“I have no relationship with Andy Miller or any of his associates. Neither my staff nor I utilized any agent, including Andy Miller or any of his associates, to provide any financial benefits to a current or former Kentucky student-athlete. We will cooperate fully with the appropriate authorities.”