Clemson coach, AD release statement on Blossomgame allegations

Former Clemson star Jaron Blossomgame was one of several current and former college basketball players linked to a Yahoo Sports report on documents obtained in the federal investigation of college basketball Friday morning.

According to the report, Blossomgame was sent $1,100 by the mobile payment vendor Venmo.

Blossomgame is currently playing in the NBA G League after being drafted by the Spurs in the second round of the 2017 NBA draft.

Clemson Director of Athletics Dan Radakovich released a statement on the allegations late Friday morning.

“Clemson was made aware of an issue regarding a former student-athlete through this morning’s media reports. We received no inquiries or prior notice from anyone, and we’re in the process of reviewing the matter,” Radakovich said.

Tigers coach Brad Brownell, who was named a semifinalist for the Naismith Coach of the Year award on Friday, also released a statement.

“I’ve been in college basketball for over 25 years and I’ve always tried to conduct myself within the rules and have held my staff and players to the same standard,” Brownell said. “Because I do not have any personal knowledge about the current investigation, I won’t comment or speculate about that matter. We’ll cooperate with any agency looking into the issue if they contact us.”

Brownell spoke at a press conference later on Friday but declined to offer any other details about Blossomgame’s case or Clemson’s possible involvement.

"I don't have anything to comment on about the story this morning other than my comment that we put out. I'm not going to get into those details or any of that kind of stuff,” he said.

Clemson forward Donte Grantham, who is out for the year with a torn ACL, went through the pre-draft process last year before deciding to return to school. The senior offered his thoughts on the potential scandal and how he will go about hiring an agent when that time comes.

“Even before this, you've always got to be cautious of who you trust and who you let in your circle," Grantham said. "For me, the older I get, the smaller my circle gets. So we're just being extra cautious and how we've been carrying ourselves."

This story was originally published February 23, 2018 at 12:01 PM with the headline "Clemson coach, AD release statement on Blossomgame allegations."