Arizona Basketball: What does the federal sentencing mean for Arizona and Sean Miller?
By Mark Barrera
The three main defendants in the FBI college basketball case were sentenced Tuesday morning. Another trial is set for April with college coaches being subpoenaed to testify in Dawkins’ trial.
Tuesday morning, all three defendants in the FBI case, which was looking into the dark world of college basketball, were handed out sentences. Former Adidas executive Jim Gatto was given nine months in a minimum security prison, the longest of the three. Christian Dawkins and former Adidas consultant Merl Code were each given six months.
As you recall, all three were found guilty back in October 2018 of wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud. It was just the beginning of the FBI looking to into college basketball, but it’s far from the end.
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Arizona head coach Sean Miller and LSU head coach Will Wade were recently subpoenaed to testify in Dawkins’ trial in April. As of now, even though Dawkins and Code were sentenced today, the bribery trial is still on schedule. But with the news breaking today on prison sentences, which all three will appeal, things could change before April 22nd.
It’s been well documented, even though at times with false information, how Arizona and men’s basketball head coach Sean Miller are targets in this case. Understandably so, Dawkins and his lawyer want to drag as many people through the mud they can get their hands on.
When asked about how many coaches they’re going to go after to stand trial in April, Haney (Dawkins’ lawyer) was very blunt. “As many as I can get in the courtroom. In the second trial, we’re going to pull back the curtain.”
Here’s where we need to slow things down a bit. First, being subpoenaed doesn’t mean you’re guilty of anything. It literally means you’ve been asked to testify at someone else’s trial and answer questions by the defense or prosecutors. That’s it. It does not mean you are guilty or being put on trial yourself.
Second, the biggest question with trying to bring head coaches in for the April trial is simple: What’s the point? Dawkins and Code are defendants trying to make the case they’re innocent. If you’re trying to prove your innocence, why would you bring in coaches who only could hurt your case?
People need to remember something very important. The trial in April is being held for additional bribery charges, against Dawkins and Code, for giving money to assistants to steer players to specific agents and advisers. Most of these assistants, including former Arizona assistant Book Richardson, have already taken plea deals.
So again the question “what’s the point?” comes into play. Assistant coaches who were arrested have taken guilty pleas, therefore acknowledging they accepted money from Dawkins and Code, aka bribery, which is exactly what they’re being charged with.
Last and but not least, Christian Dawkins had this to say outside of the court, after receiving his sentence:
"“I realize now more than ever that none of this was worth it. In my quest to get ahead I broke rules and made some really bad decisions. No one forced me to do either.”"
Lastly, common sense is not common. No better example than what Dawkins said earlier today. Not only did Dawkins admit to the public he is guilty, but he also admitted he did these things freely! No one held his hand to the fire, shined a light in his eye, and forced him to commit fraud and bribe people.
When you add all of this up from today with the assistants who took plea deals, why would a judge allow Dawkins’ team to put on a circus in the courtroom? Bringing in coaches to stand trial for the defense doesn’t help in any way. Especially when the trial is for bribery charges paying assistants to steer players, who were ALREADY ON THE TEAM, to sign with certain agents and advisers!
The actions being taken by Dawkins and his lawyer make sense, let’s give them that. If your client is facing prison time, you’re not doing your job as a lawyer if you don’t try to show everyone is dirty. But as a judge, it makes zero sense to allow that type of circus to go on. The head coaches aren’t part of the charges, aren’t part of the case, and having them testify is a waste of time and money.
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The next trial is a month away. That leaves plenty of time for plea deals to be made, which wouldn’t be surprising. All Arizona and coach Sean Miller need to do is what they have been doing for over a year: keep going on with regular activities, regroup as one normally does when new information is brought to light, and remain tight until it’s all over.