ESPN's Dick Vitale believes Arizona coach Sean Miller should be fired following evidence of him discussing a $100,000 payment to ensure freshman Denadre Ayton signed with the Wildcats being brought to light.
Vitale shared a series of tweets on Saturday calling for the disgraced coach's job, as well as during ESPN's broadcast of the Duke-Syracuse game.
"Sean Miller should be fired. Fired immediately." -- Dick Vitale, on the Duke/Cuse broadcast.
— Troy Machir (@TroyMachir) February 24, 2018
Just asking / How can @APlayersProgram coach SEAN MILLER survive as Arizona coach? @jasonterry31 @NBA ex Cats star says Wildcats MUST CLEAN house & get back to the class & pride of Lute Olson’s era! https://t.co/Yvm2uhLuRW
— Dick Vitale (@DickieV) February 24, 2018
Mark / how does Sean Miller possibly Survive : the sleaze taking place has really put a damper on March Madness / gets worse by the hour ! https://t.co/8HVp6S2JM7
— Dick Vitale (@DickieV) February 24, 2018
If u r a coach & u have had contact over the past few yrs with CHRISTIAN DAWKINS / u r not sleeping like a baby but probably crying like a baby / do u hear me @APlayersProgram Coach SEAN MILLER? Sorry Sean time to start packing the bags!
— Dick Vitale (@DickieV) February 24, 2018
Agree with columnist @ghansen711 that Sean Miller must not be on the sidelne for @APlayersProgram ! I am so surprised as I was under the belief he did things the right way / give me a BIG TURNOVER Baby ! https://t.co/MLylrzB9Hi
— Dick Vitale (@DickieV) February 24, 2018
The guys on @CollegeGameDay @jaybilas & co 100% right @Aplayersprogram Coach Sean Miller should be FIRED NOW ! He has ruined his career . https://t.co/7ZUJZLj3Lw
— Dick Vitale (@DickieV) February 24, 2018
This certainly is NO SHOCK / Arizona Must clean house starting with Sean Miller / no place for making efforts to buy players ! Cats MUST be banned from @marchmadness IF Deandre Ayton took the alleged cash mentioned in FBI report . https://t.co/1NZrP58cRw
— Dick Vitale (@DickieV) February 24, 2018
FBI wiretaps picked up a telephone conversation between Miller and Christian Dawkins — who the organization was investigating due to alleged basketball corruption — discussing the payment to Ayton, sources with the government's evidence confirmed to ESPN on Friday.
According to the sources, Miller had multiple conversations with Dawkins — who worked as a runner for ASM Sports agent Andy Miller — regarding Ayton prior to him joining the Wildcats.
Per ESPN:
"According to people with knowledge of the FBI investigation, Miller and Dawkins, a runner working for ASM Sports agent Andy Miller, had multiple conversations about Ayton. When Dawkins asked Miller if he should work with assistant coach Emanuel "Book" Richardson to finalize their agreement, Miller told Dawkins he should deal directly with him when it came to money, the sources said.
"The telephone calls between Miller and Dawkins were among 3,000 hours of conversations intercepted from Dawkins' phone by the FBI."
Ayton, a former 5-star prospect, is a serious contender for the Naismith College Player of the Year award and is projected as a potential No. 1 overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft, according to NBADraft.net.
The 7-foot-1 Bahaman center is averaging 19.6 points and 10.9 rebounds per game, leading the Wildcats to a No. 14 overall ranking and the top ranking in the Pac-12 standings with three games remaining.
Richardson, who has worked alongside Miller for the last 10 seasons at both Xavier and Arizona, was among the four assistant coaches arrested on Sept. 27 following a two-year FBI investigation into bribery and corruption in NCAA basketball.
The assistant is accused of accepting $20,000 in bribes, as well as paying prospects to sign with Arizona. Additionally, Richardson — who was formally fired by the university on Jan. 11 — would influence Wildcats players to sign with Dawkins and financial adviser Munish Sood — who was also arrested by the FBI following the investigation — in exchange for the money financed by Dawkins.
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