Recruiting culprits get prison sentences

A former Adidas executive and two others who paid families to persuade top recruits to play for schools sponsored by the shoe brand were sentenced to prison Tuesday by a judge who said he wanted to send a “great big warning light to the basketball world.”

U.S. District Judge Lewis A. Kaplan said he had to balance the need for a stern message with the realization that others who did similar crimes were not prosecuted in a recruiting scandal that has tainted two dozen schools.

Former Adidas executive James Gatto, business manager Christian Dawkins and Merl Code, a former Adidas consultant, were convicted in October of conspiracy to commit wire fraud for funneling illegal payments to families of recruits to Louisville, Kansas and North Carolina State.

Gatto, 48, of Wilsonville, Ore., got nine months in prison; Dawkins, 26, of Atlanta, and Code, 45, of Greer, S.C., got six months each. Code and Dawkins were each also ordered to pay $28,261 in restitution to the University of Louisville.

The judge said each can remain free until a federal appeals court decides whether to uphold their convictions.

Prosecutors say coaches teamed with Gatto and others to trade hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes to influence star athletes’ choice of schools, shoe sponsors and agents.

NCAA President Mark Emmert has said an independent enforcement body to adjudicate major infractions cases could be in place by August.

Williamson still out:

Duke freshman Zion Williamson will miss his fourth straight game because of a right knee sprain.

The school made the announcement four hours before the fourth-ranked Blue Devils took on Wake Forest in their home finale.

Williamson was hurt in the opening minute of an 88-72 loss to North Carolina on Feb. 20 when planted his foot while dribbling and his left shoe tore apart.

Duke is 2-1 in full games without him, beating Syracuse and Miami but losing at Virginia Tech.