Arizona’s Miller sits out game
Arizona's Sean Miller announced he would not coach against Oregon on Saturday night, a day after ESPN reported through anonymous sources that he was heard on an FBI wiretap discussing a $100,000 payment to current Wildcats freshman Deandre Ayton.
The school said Ayton would be eligible to play against the Ducks and associate head coach Lorenzo Romar would lead the No. 14 Wildcats. Arizona also was without preseason All-American guard Allonzo Trier, who tested positive for the same banned substance that cost him 19 games last season. Trier and Ayton are Arizona's top two scorers.
"I believe it is in the best interest of our team that I not coach the game tonight," Miller said in a statement. "I continue to fully support the University's efforts to fully investigate this matter and am confident that I will be vindicated. For now, my thoughts are with our team. They are a great group of young men that will support each other and continue their pursuit of winning a Pac-12 championship."
The school did not specify why Miller wouldn't coach against Oregon or if he will sit out any other games.
ESPN reported Friday night, citing sources familiar with government evidence, that Miller was heard on a wiretap discussing a $100,000 payment to Ayton to sign with the school. ESPN did not say its reporter heard the audio directly.
Shaquille O'Neal's son, Shareef, announced Saturday on Twitter that he is opening up his recruitment, citing the problems at Arizona. O'Neal is one of the nation's top high school recruits and had committed to Arizona.
Michigan State's Miles Bridges was cleared Saturday to play by the NCAA. A Yahoo Sports report said the star forward might have improperly accepted benefits from an agency implicated in the federal investigation involving college basketball corruption.
"After learning of the allegations in yesterday's Yahoo! Sports article, our compliance office conducted a thorough internal review," Michigan State interim athletic director Bill Beekman said in a statement Saturday. "Michigan State presented its findings to the NCAA, and Miles Bridges has been cleared for competition moving forward, beginning Sunday at Wisconsin."
The Spartans (27-3, 15-2 Big Ten) close their regular season against the Badgers (14-16, 7-10) on Sunday with a shot to win the Big Ten title outright.
Yahoo published expense reports listing a $400 cash advance to Bridges' mother as well as a $70 lunch with the player's parents.
Maryland coach Mark Turgeon said that the school is conducting an internal review of the men's program in the wake of a report Friday linking former Terrapins center Diamond Stone to the FBI probe.
University President Wallace D. Loh, along with interim athletic director Damon Evans, are leading the internal review along with the school's compliance office.
The university's investigation centers on allegations that Stone was paid more than $14,000 by an agent during the 2015-16 season, his only one at Maryland, and is not focused on any current players, according to school spokesman Zack Bolno.