The arrest of ten men, including a number of assistant coaches at some high profile colleges, has sent shockwaves across the bow of NCAA basketball in the past week, but Arkansas head coach Mike Anderson says he doesn’t expect the scandal to touch his program.
“I have not talked to them and I don’t intend to talk to them,” Anderson said on Tuesday at the SEC media days. “I’m hearing what you guys are hearing, to be honest with you. It’s out there. For me to try to sit up here and answer questions about that, I can’t. I’m sure the FBI, the investigators, they’re going to get to the bottom of it.”
Louisville head coach Rick Pitino has already fired as the result of the investigation. Assistant coaches from Auburn, Arizona, Oklahoma State and USC have been arrested for taking bribes in exchange for influencing players.Louisville also fired athletic director Tom Jurich and Alabama director of basketball operations Kobie Baker resigned last week.
Anderson addressed the topic at his team’s annual media day Tuesday by saying he doesn’t anticipate the Razorbacks being involved in the scandal that rocked college basketball a week ago.
“One of the things that we always have been is in compliance (with the NCAA) and I stated from day one – even as an assistant coach – we are doing things the right way,” said Anderson.
Anderson did indicated that he felt like Arkansas had probably lost recruits as a result of the tactics being revealed in the wake of the FBI investigation and specifically cited the loss of five-star forward Reggie Perry of Thomasville, Georgia, a class of 2018 commitment since 2016 that switched his allegiance to Mississippi State in July as an example.
“I can sleep at night knowing that we do things the right way,” said Anderson.
