A report from Yahoo Sports released late Friday evening mentioned former IU men’s basketball assistant coach Chuck Martin in relation to the FBI’s investigation into college basketball corruption.
According to emails from July 2016 obtained by Yahoo from Christian Dawkins, an associate at sports agency ASM, Dawkins reached out to Martin about encouraging OG Anunoby and Thomas Bryant to sign with the agency when they left IU for the NBA. In return, Dawkins seemed to suggest he would push 2017 high school recruit Brian Bowen toward IU.
The entry in Dawkins’ email to his boss Andy Miller read as follows, according to Yahoo:
“Chuck Martin – Trying to close the deal on Brian Bowen for Indiana. I told him if we can work together and if he can push for us to get (Hoosiers) Thomas Bryant and OG Anunoby two projected first rounders from IU this year we can work something out.”
In that same email, Dawkins also mentioned working out Michigan State as a possible landing spot for Bowen, who ultimately committed to Louisville but was reported to have been paid $100,000 to choose the school. Bowen left Louisville and is now enrolled at South Carolina.
Neither Anunoby nor Bryant signed with ASM for representation when they declared for the NBA draft one year later in 2017.
Yahoo’s report from Friday night is the first time IU or a former IU staffer has been specifically mentioned in connection to the FBI investigation that first came to light in September. Earlier on Friday, additional reports from Yahoo Sports and ESPN linked Duke, Michigan State, Alabama and Arizona, among other schools, to the federal investigation.
IU Coach Archie Miller’s brother, Sean, was implicated in an ESPN report for having knowledge of a $100,000 payment directed toward forward DeAndre Ayton.
Ayton was a top 2017 recruit and is a leading candidate for National Player of the Year this season.
Jake Thomer
