Dad: Schools offered money to select them

N E W YOR K » The father of a toprated college basketball prospect testified Thursday that his son was offered thousands of dollars on the sly to play at major programs before a corruption scandal derailed the promising player’s collegiate career.

At a federal trial over allegations about dirty money in college hoops, Brian Bowen Sr. said that an aspiring agent, Christian Dawkins, told the father he could pocket $50,000 if his son played at the University of Arizona, $150,000 at Oklahoma State or $100,000 at Creighton. Bowen said there was some interest from Oregon but didn’t recall cash offer.

Bowen told a Manhattan jury it was his understanding the offers were being made by assistant coaches at the schools, though he never spoke to them. He said the Oklahoma offer, which included an additional $8,000 for a car, came from thenassistant coach Lamont Evans, a defendant in the investigation who’s pleaded not guilty.

Dawkins, former amateur coach Merle Code and former Adidas executive James Gatto, have pleaded not guilty to committing fraud by secretly funneling money from Adidas to families of prospects to get them to attend colleges sponsored by the athletic wear company. The son, Brian Bowen Jr., eventually landed at Louisville, an Adidas school, after the defendants engineered a promise of $100,000 for his family.