What Ray Tanner said about NCAA notice of allegations
Less than 24 hours after news broke that South Carolina men’s basketball received an NCAA notice of allegations, Gamecocks athletics director Ray Tanner sounded optimistic the school would not have to vacate any wins from the 2016-17 Final Four season.
Tanner said USC received the notice less than two weeks ago and aims to defend the school in the upcoming NCAA process. The school has completed its own internal investigation.
“We feel we know exactly what occurred,” Tanner said, adding that — based on the internal information gathered — he did not expect any games to be vacated.
The notice alleged that former Gamecocks assistant coach Lamont Evans took money in the form of bribes in exchange for trying to sway former USC point guard P.J. Dozier and influence him to sign with a specific agency when he turned pro. It did not allege any wrongdoing by the school, head coach Frank Martin or any present staff.
There’s at least a chance the NCAA could force USC to vacate wins from games in which Dozier played, which includes the Final Four season. However, the notice from the NCAA does not allege that Dozier received any money or benefits. It only says that Evans “knowingly solicited and received benefits in order to influence a student-athlete and his family to meet with and retain ASM Sports, a professional athlete agency. Specifically, Evans accepted approximately $5,856 of supplemental pay in the form of bribes from Christian Dawkins, a runner for ASM Sports, in exchange for Evans’ agreement to arrange meetings with then men’s basketball student-athlete P.J. Dozier and his family and influence them to retain ASM Sports.”
After his appearance on the weekly Carolina Calls call-in show Thursday night, Martin said: “It’s real simple. It has nothing to do with my staff, with our players, present and past, with Ray Tanner, with the university. We don’t cheat. It’s all based on one individual and that person doesn’t work here.”
Evans coached at South Carolina under head coach Frank Martin from 2012 to 2016 before leaving for Oklahoma State. While with the Gamecocks, he was cited as a key figure in the recruitment of Dozier, a McDonald’s All-American, and Sindarius Thornwell, who went on to become SEC Player of the Year.
Evans was at Oklahoma State under former Gamecocks assistant Brad Underwood until he was arrested in 2017 as part of the FBI’s probe into corruption in college basketball. He was one of four assistant coaches and 10 total people who were arrested in the scandal, with the coaches accused of taking bribes to guide players to certain managers and advisors.
In 2019, Evans pleaded guilty to charges of bribery and was sentenced to three months in prison.
Oklahoma State previously received a Notice of Allegations from the NCAA, also alleging a Level 1 violation. It has appealed.
Dozier played two seasons for South Carolina, starting the majority of both. As a sophomore, he averaged 13.9 points, 4.8 rebounds and 2.8 assists in 28.7 minutes a game and helped lead the Gamecocks to their first Final Four.
He is currently a member of the Denver Nuggets. Across 15 games, he has averaged 5.5 points in 14.7 minutes.
The notice of allegations
A look at the language in the notice via the NCAA:
“Based on the information contained within the following allegation, the NCAA enforcement staff believes this case should be reviewed by a hearing panel of the NCAA Division I Committee on Infractions pursuant to procedures applicable to a severe breach of conduct (Level I violation).”
Allegation: “It is alleged that from at least August 2015 through March 2016, Lamont Evans (Evans), then assistant men’s basketball coach and lead recruiter, violated the NCAA principles of ethical conduct when he knowingly solicited and received benefits in order to influence a student-athlete and his family to meet with and retain ASM Sports, a professional athlete agency. Specifically, Evans accepted approximately $5,856 of supplemental pay in the form of bribes from Christian Dawkins (Dawkins), a runner for ASM Sports, in exchange for Evans’ agreement to arrange meetings with then men’s basketball student-athlete P.J. Dozier (Dozier) and his family and influence them to retain ASM Sports.”
Level of Allegation No. 1: “The enforcement staff believes a hearing panel could conclude that Allegation No. 1 is a severe breach of conduct (Level I) because the violations (a) provided or were intended to provide a substantial or extensive impermissible benefit to a staff member, (b) involved unethical conduct, (c) were intentional or showed reckless indifference to the NCAA constitiution and bylaws, (d) seriously undermined or threatened the integrity of the NCAA Collegiate Model and (e) demonstrated egregious conduct inconsistent with the affirmative responsibility and behavioral expectations of college coaches. [NCAA Bylaws 19.01.5,19.1.1, 19.1.1-(d) and 19.1.1-(h) (2019-20)]”
Involved Individual: “The enforcement staff believes a hearing panel could enter a show-cause order pursuant to NCAA Bylaw 19.9.5.4 regarding Evans’ involvement in Allegation No. 1.”
This story was originally published February 14, 2020 at 10:57 AM.
