Report says UM redacted from indictment in FBI trial
The University of Miami has been redacted from the indictment in the ongoing FBI college basketball trial involving adidas, according to The News & Observer.
“Both sides in the case agreed on a complete redaction of Miami from the indictment,” the report said.
The Hurricanes men’s basketball team would not comment on the report.
“We are aware of the reports but the University of Miami has no additional comment,” a spokesperson said.
The initial indictment listed UM as one of four “victim schools” in the case in which a jury is deciding whether three defendants — adidas executive Jim Gatto, former adidas consultant Merl Code and would-be agent Christian Dawkins — are guilty of wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud. The other three schools are Louisville, Kansas and N.C. State.
After about four hours of deliberating on Monday, the jury did not reached a decision. It will reconvene at 11:15 a.m. Tuesday, according to the report, in the Moynihan United States Courthouse in New York.
In April, a new indictment was released that softened the language against UM in the probe. Gatto and others with adidas were alleged to have funneled money to the families of high school basketball players that were considering playing for college programs “sponsored by the same major athletic apparel company.”
Last fall, Hurricanes men’s basketball coach Jim Larrañaga emphatically denied any wrongdoing after he and UM were first linked to the probe as “University-7” and “Coach-3.”
With the Hurricanes apparently in the clear, they can get back to effectively recruiting after they didn’t bring in a single prospect from high school in 2018 with the findings of the investigation looming.
UM already has two players committed for the 2019 class — guard Isaiah Wong from Pennsylvania’s Monsignor Bonner and forward Anthony Walker from Brewster Academy in New Hampshire. Wong, a four-star prospect according to 247 Sports, committed on Sept. 26 and Walker, a three-star, on Saturday.
Among others the Hurricanes are targeting are University School power forward Vernon Carey Jr., the son of the former UM and Miami Dolphins offensive tackle by the same name. Carey Jr. is a fivestar prospect and the nation’s No. 2 prospect overall, according to 247. He has Miami in his top five along with Duke, North Carolina, Kentucky and Michigan State.
The Hurricanes lost three major contributors — guards Lonnie Walker IV and Bruce Brown to the NBA draft and senior Ja’Quan Newton — from last year’s team that made the NCAA Tournament and was a No. 6 seed. UM was ousted in the first round by Cinderella story Loyola-Chicago.
While not picking up high school recruits, the team added transfers to complement a core that will be led by 6-foot-11 forward/center Dewan Hernandez (formerly Dewan Huell), who was named to the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Watch List for the nation’s top center on Friday. Incoming are former Oklahoma guard Kameron McGusty, a junior, and redshirt senior Zach Johnson from FGCU, a Miami Norland grad, like Hernandez.
The redaction allows the team to focus on basketball with an exhibition against Barry a week from Tuesday. The Hurricanes open the regular season against Lehigh at the Watsco Center on Nov. 9.