Point Shaving in the WCC

by wrv Mon Apr 11, 2011 12:14 pm

Well, the Torreroes are not having a good day publicity wise:

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/news/story?id=6330566

An interesting comment on corruption in college basketball, in a hallowed league that all of us would like to believe is free of corruption.

If one game is known or even admitted to have been "fixed," one has to wonder whether there were more?

by onetouchfutbol Mon Apr 11, 2011 2:33 pm

Is there any more information about the game that he bet on? Was USD playing against UC Riverside? It seems like even USD would win that match up pretty easily most seasons...

by **PilotNut** Mon Apr 11, 2011 2:43 pm

Wow.... this is really disappointing if true... and there must be a lot of evidence to support the charges if they were indicted. It is noted that USD did not play UC-Riverside in the 2010-11 season.

Here is a Yahoo! article with more detail: LINK

3 ex-USD figures in sports bribery indictment

SAN DIEGO (AP)—A former University of San Diego assistant basketball coach and two former players are among 10 people indicted in an alleged conspiracy to affect the outcome of games, federal authorities revealed Monday.

A federal grand jury handed up the indictments on April 8 against former assistant coach Thaddeus Brown, 32, of El Cajon, Calif., who coached at USD during the 2006-07 season, and former players Brandon Johnson and Brandon Dowdy.

The indictment alleges that Johnson took a bribe to influence the result of a game in February 2010 and solicited someone else in January 2011 to affect the outcome of USD basketball games.

The indictment alleges that this February, Brown and Dowdy solicited someone to affect the outcome of a game at the University of California, Riverside.

Dowdy, 22, of San Diego, played for USD in the 2006-07 season and for Riverside from 2008-10.

Authorities said at a news conference that the extent of the alleged gambling operation was uncertain. They also did not reveal whether the alleged conspiracy actually affected the outcome of any games.

The sports-betting investigation evolved from a probe the FBI began a year ago into a marijuana distribution operation, officials said.

Authorities said USD was fully cooperating and was not accused of any wrongdoing.

U.S. Attorney Laura Duffy and Keith Slotter, head of the FBI’s San Diego office, said they met Monday with USD officials.

“They are rightly concerned,” Duffy said. “They were very responsive and cooperative and it was a good meeting.”

The 10 people charged are accused of conspiracy to commit sports bribery, conduct an illegal gambling business and to distribute marijuana. If convicted, they each face up to five years in prison and $250,000 fines.

Nine of the 10 were arrested, including Johnson, 24, who was taken into custody Saturday in Houston. Seven other arrests were made Monday in the San Diego area. One person remained at large.

by Stonehouse Mon Apr 11, 2011 3:35 pm

This story is about way more than just Brandon Johnson, though it does say he threw a game in February 2010 (doesn't say which game).

It also implies that current players are involved, including fixing a game this February.

You can read the indictment here:

http://media.signonsandiego.com/news/documents/2011/04/11/Indictment.pdf

Reading throug the indictment, it says:

"On Feb. 23, 2011, Steve Warda Goria, Richard Francis Garmo, and Lilian Goria provided money to Paul Joseph Thweni to wager, in part, on a USD basketball game they believed to be 'fixed.'"

On Feb. 24, 2011, San Diego hosted Portland and lost 65-61. (USD was an 8-point dog, so they beat the spread.)

On Feb. 26, 2011, San Diego hosted Gonzaga and lost 68-31. (USD was an 18-point dog, and did not beat the spread.)

Given their inspired effort against the Pilots (I remember that game, and we barely squeeked by) and their absolute no-show against the Zags, you'd have to assume that the game being referred to is the Feb. 26 game.

In a lot of ways, it makes sense... last game of an awful season, no impact to tournament seeding, most likely going to get blown out anyway... if there were a game where a player might be willing to shave points, that's a pretty good recipe for it.

Absolutely unreal.

by **DaTruRochin** Mon Apr 11, 2011 3:47 pm

Wow. Just wow. I mean I kind of always got the feeling that there was something toxic surrounding the USD program given the talent they've had, but never did I suspect something like this! I always thought there was something funny about B. Johnson's senior season, he being one of the most talented in the league and just never putting it together, at the time i figured he was hurt (at least thats what they told us too). I wonder if this had anything to do with the defections of players like Rob Jones, etc as well. USD may come out clean institutionally on this one, but this doesn't speak well about Billy Grier at all... and I thought them losing was bad enough...

by wrv Mon Apr 11, 2011 5:11 pm

I am wondering how rare this really is? Gamblers and their money are so ubquitous, I find it improbable that incidents like the USD scandal are not more frequent than we know--there is simply no incentive for anyone involved to come clean--the players, the gamblers, or for that matter, the staff, even assuming they are not involved, as they apparently were in the USD case. Note that this fixing/point shaving scandal came to the surface through an investigation of a marijuana distribution ring--otherwise it too would be known to but a few.

Scary possibililties . . .college basketball is big money--Brandon Johnson is unlikely to be an isolated example.

by Geezaldinho Mon Apr 11, 2011 5:42 pm

Well, for this to make it through the courts, prosecutors will have to name the schools eventually.

The Feb 2010 game probably wasn't us, unless prosecutors allege he sat as part of the scheme.

"Weenie" and "slick Rick"?

by **DaTruRochin** Mon Apr 11, 2011 6:00 pm

How could you leave out "Shazy" and "Bird"?

by Geezaldinho Mon Apr 11, 2011 6:58 pm

BJ: "Coach, I'd like to introduce you to my good friends Weenie, Shazy, and Slick Rick. They'll be watching the game with great interest tonight.

Coach TB: Good to meet you, Richard. Can I call you Slick? What are you studying here?

RJ: Umm... Coach I was thinking I need to be closer to home. Maybe SMC?

by PurplePrideTrumpet Mon Apr 11, 2011 8:09 pm

Purplegeezer wrote:
"Weenie" and "slick Rick"?

Do they sling for Stringer and Barksdale, or are they Marlo's crew?

The Wire was such a great show.

by Geezaldinho Mon Apr 11, 2011 8:30 pm

On ToreroNation:

On the bright side, I haven't seen us get confused with SDSU or UCSD in any of these articles...

Funny, but sad.

Also, a poster on TN thinks THIS GAME is the UC Riverside game in question.

by **DaTruRochin** Mon Apr 11, 2011 8:54 pm

Welp the top assistant coach just left:

http://basketball.victorysportsnetwork.com/article.php?articleID=14100

Combined with everything else surrounding the program like the Trumaine Johnson situation, etc., I could see this getting really really ugly...

by Geezaldinho Mon Apr 11, 2011 9:02 pm

It looks like Bill will earn his pay.

Trumain's suit looks to be dismissed next month. The judge allowed his lawyer to get off the case because T won't respond to him (her?) or pay her and gave Trumain one month to respond to the court or he'll throw the case out. Also, Trumain left school at Houston for "unspecified reasons", which won't help his cred.

but man! I don't wish this on anyone.

by **Rob's Jacket** Mon Apr 11, 2011 9:23 pm

This is beyond bizarre.

by Geezaldinho Tue Apr 12, 2011 2:22 am

Great...

Now the NY Times has the story, with saber rattling from the NCAA president

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/12/sports/ncaabasketball/12bribe.html?_r=1&ref=sports

USD isn't Ohio St. or Auburn. A perfect chance to show what an enforcer the NCAA is.

by VillaGorilla Tue Apr 12, 2011 6:46 am

Purplegeezer wrote:USD isn't Ohio St. or Auburn. A perfect chance to show what an enforcer the NCAA is.

[cringe]

by **PilotNut** Tue Apr 12, 2011 9:04 am

Mark Emmert, the N.C.A.A. president, said, “There is nothing more threatening to the integrity of sports anywhere” than a points-shaving scheme. He added, “This scheme is especially disturbing because efforts to compromise game outcomes extended over more than one season, involved individuals on more than one team and was successful, according to the indictment.”

When the NCAA president says this.... pale

by Woodless! Tue Apr 12, 2011 9:13 am

PurplePrideTrumpet wrote:
Purplegeezer wrote:
"Weenie" and "slick Rick"?
Do they sling for Stringer and Barksdale, or are they Marlo's crew?

The Wire was such a great show.

Nah, da sling for Prop Joe.

by **DaTruRochin** Tue Apr 12, 2011 12:57 pm

Updates on this article show a little more into the whole scheme:
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2011/apr/11/ten-indicted-college-basketball-points-fixing-sche/

Apparently the assistant leaving WAS pure coincidence timing wise.

AND the whole thing started as a way to make payments on rent, cue the violin someone!

U.S. Attorney Laura Duffy said Johnson was “intricately” involved in the gambling and game-fixing portion of the operation

Being intricately involved cannot be good. While it seems the bookmakers/marijuana distributors are definitely the focus of the investigation, BJ's strong involvement (and CONTINUED involvement) lead me to believe that even with full cooperation, he will be hard pressed to escape without spending some time with some lovely federally funded accommodations...

It should also be noted that there is no indication thus far that the players actually took up Johnson's solicitation, but the fact that bets WERE placed with thoughts the game was fixed, it doesn't look good.

by **DaTruRochin** Tue Apr 12, 2011 1:49 pm

Now that I think about it, I seem to recall either my soph or junior year USD having a situation where a handful of players were dismissed for various reasons. It was so bad that they had to have open tryouts a month into the season just to field a full team, even recruiting a QB from the football team (who went to my HS). Prior to that they made a tourney appearance on the back of Jason Keep, who came to the program for a year after being dismissed from Oklahoma State (For a charge that is kind of ironic considering Eddie Sutton's record...). Toss in the defections of key players, allegations of racist treatment, etc in the following years... and now this??

Something is rotten in the state of Denmark...

by Geezaldinho Tue Apr 12, 2011 1:54 pm

DaTruRochin wrote:
Something is rotten in the state of Denmark...

Jeez.

First Genesis, now Shakespeare...

I'm not going to have time for anything else!

by Geezaldinho Tue Apr 12, 2011 5:50 pm

yup, the NCAA is going to use this as an example. they already have articles, studies and stong words up on the NCAA.org site

http://www.ncaa.org/wps/wcm/connect/public/ncaa/resources/latest+news/2011/april/ncaa+point+shaving+threatens+college+sports

I pretty much agree with all they say there, I'm also wondering where they were on the paid football players, signing bonuses, etc.

its pretty easy to pick on a small school. they would show their true colors when it was a BCS powerhouse.

by PurplePrideTrumpet Tue Apr 12, 2011 5:58 pm

DaTruRochin wrote:Prior to that they made a tourney appearance on the back of Jason Keep, who came to the program for a year after being dismissed from Oklahoma State (For a charge that is kind of ironic considering Eddie Sutton's record...).

I recall USD won at Portland and Keep was not pleased with what you were chanting that game... Laughing

Emmert and the NCAA are right, of course. You start fixing games in any sport and it becomes the WWE. Like the Geezer says, though, USD isn't THE Ohio State and Grier isn't Jim "I don't know how they paid for that new stuff" Tressel.

by Geezaldinho Tue Apr 12, 2011 6:35 pm

Is it just me?
Or is anybody else having second thoughts about a Vegas tournament?

by **DaTruRochin** Tue Apr 12, 2011 8:14 pm

PurplePrideTrumpet wrote:
I recall USD won at Portland and Keep was not pleased with what you were chanting that game...

In retrospect angering that large of a man is probably not good for one's survival... But I contend he earned it. His family sitting across the way was giving us the one finger salute repeatedly throughout the game, and Jason joined in the fun after they beat us. (Unfortunately they counted a really obvious Keep goaltend at the end of the first half on a Pooh Jeter layup and ended up winning by 1 at the end... But that was pretty much the way things went with Holton era hoops.)

But yeah, I'd say the hammer is gonna drop pretty damn hard from the NCAA, unfortunately. And yeah, yeesh as much as I like the neutral court concept, it does seem a little inappropriate given the circumstances.

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