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Kentucky, Duke, UNC, Michigan State named in FBI's NCAA probe

By Alex Butler
Former Kentucky Wildcats freshman Bam Adebayo out jumps Missouri Tigers' Russell Woods to start the game in 2017 at the Mizzou Arena in Columbia, Miss, Photo by Bill Greenblatt/UPI
Former Kentucky Wildcats freshman Bam Adebayo out jumps Missouri Tigers' Russell Woods to start the game in 2017 at the Mizzou Arena in Columbia, Miss, Photo by Bill Greenblatt/UPI | License Photo

Feb. 23 (UPI) -- The college basketball programs at Kentucky, Duke, Michigan State and North Carolina are among several identified for possibly violating NCAA rules, stemming from an FBI investigation.

Yahoo Sports obtained documents and bank records detailing work done by former agent Andy Miller and ASM Sports. The documents showed the agency listing cash advances and other expenses to college prospects and their families.

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Southern California, Maryland, Xavier, North Carolina State, Louisville, Texas, Alabama, Seton Hall, Utah, LSU, Clemson, Washington, South Carolina, Kansas and at least 25 players are also linked to the impermissible benefits.

The FBI's year-long investigation had authorities intercepting more than 4,000 calls over 330 days, according to the report. The documents also link college basketball stars Miles Bridges, Collin Sexton and Wendell Carter to "specific extra benefits" for themselves or their families, according to Yahoo. The report states that a balance sheet from ASM listed several players who were in high school or college getting payments of four and five figures from the agency. Those players listed under "loan to players," include Dennis Smith, Isaiah Whitehead, Tim Quarterman, Diamond Stone, Bam Adebayo and Markelle Fultz.

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Abebayo and Fultz did not sign with ASM.

The benefits range from meals to tens of thousands of dollars, according to the report.

ESPN reported last week that as many as 36 Division I programs could face NCAA sanctions after the FBI releases information obtained during its investigation.

"These allegations, if true, point to systematic failures that must be fixed and fixed now if we want college sports in America," NCAA president Mark Emmert said in a statement Friday morning.

"Simply put, people who engage in this kind of behavior have no place in college sports. They are an affront to all those who play by the rules. Following the Southern District of New York's indictments last year, the NCAA Board of Governors and I formed the independent Commission on College Basketball, chaired by Condoleezza Rice, to provide recommendations on how to clean up the sport. With these latest allegations, it's clear this work is more important now than ever. The Board and I are completely committed to making transformational changes to the game and ensuring all involved in college basketball do so with integrity. We also will continue to cooperate with the efforts of federal prosecutors to identify and punish the unscrupulous parties seeking to exploit the system through criminal acts."

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