The South Carolina men’s basketball program was formally punished by the NCAA on Thursday for its role in the college basketball bribery scandal. The Infractions Committee issued a decision that included a two-year probation period and other recruitment restrictions. The decision was made after a lengthy investigation, which determined that former technical assistant Lamont Evans, who as part of the decision received a 10-year penalty for cause, accepted approximately $ 3,300 and $ 5,800 in bribes from someone associated with an agent.
Evans was also hit with a 10-year penalty for the show’s cause last summer for taking bribes ranging from $ 18,150 to $ 22,000 as a technical assistant in the state of Oklahoma, so it’s not clear whether that show’s cause will happen simultaneously or whether it will be added to the one he is already serving. Oklahoma has been punished with a post-season ban, but is appealing the decision.
“In exchange for paying the bribe, the coach agreed to set up meetings with a student athlete from South Carolina and his family and influence them to hire the agent’s services,” said the IOC decision. “Although the assistant coach did not actually organize any meetings between the agent’s associate and student athletes during his time in South Carolina, the committee noted that his conduct violated NCAA rules and seriously undermined the integrity of college sports.”
Evans was one of 10 men accused in September 2017 in the federal government’s investigation of college corruption. He served three months in prison in 2019 after pleading guilty to a federal charge of bribery for conspiracy.
In both the case of South Carolina and the case of the state of Oklahoma, Evans refused to cooperate with NCAA investigators, who “violated the NCAA’s rules of ethical conduct,” the NCAA said. The final classification of misconduct found by the committee was Level I aggravated for Evans and Level I mitigated for the school.
In total, the Gamecocks program was relatively clear compared to the state of Oklahoma, a surprise, given the very similar cases. South Carolina avoided a post-season ban; obtained two years probation instead of three; agreed to pay a $ 5,000 fine as opposed to $ 10,000 plus 1% of the basketball budget; and did not lose any future scholarship. The main sanctions are two-year probation and minor recruitment restrictions.