Here is an updated 2020 NBA mock draft. Who are the best 2020 NBA Draft prospects?

This mock draft, however, is going to be slightly different than some of the past mock drafts that we have run here at NBC Sports.

I joined forces with Pro Basketball Talk’s Kurt Helin over the weekend to go through the first round of the 2020 NBA Draft pick by pick. I know the players. Kurt knows the teams. We recorded the entire conversation and published them as a pair of podcasts. The first ten picks ran in the College Basketball Talk feed, which can be found here. Picks 11-30 can be found in the Pro Basketball Talk feed, which is here.

This is how the breakdowns are going to work: I’m going to embed the CBT podcast at the top, complete with timestamps for when each pick is actually discussed. I’ll embed the PBT podcast after the top ten picks with the timestamps for the final 20 picks listed as well. The breakdown of why each player fits on each team can be found in the podcasts. In the body of this post will be breakdowns of the actual prospects themselves.

One programming note: We simply used the order that teams finished for the order of selection. We’ll be repeating this exercise a couple of more times before the draft itself takes place using different draft orders. This year, more than years past, the order at the top of the draft is going to impact what the top five looks like.

CBT’S 2020 MOCK DRAFT PODCAST

1. Golden State Warriors: (11:22)
2. Cleveland Cavaliers: (19:03)
3. Minnesota Timberwolves: (23:25)
4. Atlanta Hawks: 27:53)
5. Detroit Pistons: (31:58)
6. New York Knicks: (37:40)
7. Chicago Bulls: (43:15)
8. Charlotte Hornets: (47:57)
9. Washington Wizards: (55:23)
10. Phoenix Suns: (58:30)

Preseason Top 25 | Mock Draft 2.0 | Early Entry Tracker

1. Golden State Warriors: JAMES WISEMAN, Memphis

Details: 19 years old, 7-foot-1, 240 pounds
Key Stats: 19.7 ppg, 10.7 rpg, 3.0 bpg

Wiseman has all the physical tools that you want out of a five in the modern NBA. He’s 7-foot-1 with a 7-foot-6 wingspan, an exceptional athlete that can really get up and down the floor and finish above the rim. He has all the tools to be a rim protector that can guard in ball-screens and switch on the perimeter if needed. He’s not Dirk Nowitzki but he’s not Clint Capela, either — he’s shown some flashes of being capable on the perimeter.

The red flags with Wiseman are two-fold. For starters, his competitiveness has been questioned throughout his career. He hasn’t always controlled games the way someone his size should be able to. He isn’t as tough or as physical as some would like, and he seems to have a habit of trying to prove that he can play away from the basket instead of overpowering anyone that gets between him and the rim. None of these concerns were helped by his decision to quit on his Memphis team in December, halfway through a suspension for break (admittedly silly) NCAA rules.

My gut feeling on Wiseman is that if he decided he wanted to be, say, the next Myles Turner, he could end up one of the eight-to-ten best centers in the NBA. If he decides that he wants to be the next Giannis, I don’t think it will go as well.

2. Cleveland Cavaliers: ANTHONY EDWARDS, Georgia

Details: 18 years old, 6-foot-4, 225 lbs
Key Stats: 19.1 ppg, 5.2 rpg, 2.8 apg, 40% FG, 29% 3PT

Edwards is the best scorer in this 2020 NBA Mock Draft. At 6-foot-4 with a 6-foot-8 wingspan and explosive athleticism, he’s proven himself to be a dangerous three-level bucket-getter that can get hot and do things like score 33 points in a half. Ask Michigan State. He also has the physical profile of a guard that can defend two or three different positions in the NBA. It’s all there.

But Edwards is still learning how to play and how to be consistent. Far too often he settled for deep, contested threes. They looked great when he hit a couple in a row, but he shot 29 percent from three as a freshman. That speaks for itself, although part of that inefficiency absolutely stems from the load he was asked to carry. Edwards was not getting too many easy looks created for him.

There are also too many stretches where he looks disengaged in the game, whether it’s due to his lack of focus on the defensive end of his passivity offensively. He’s developed a reputation dating all the way back to his high school days for being a guy that starts slow and puts up huge second half numbers in a losing effort.

3. Minnesota Timberwolves: OBI TOPPIN, Dayton

Details: 22 years old, 6-foot-9, 220 lbs
Key Stats: 20.0 ppg, 7.5 rpg, 2.2 apg, 1.2 bpg, 1.0 bpg, 63% FG, 39% 3PT

Toppin is one of three guys in this draft that, if I were an NBA GM, I would want to definitively be higher than the field on, and the reason for that is two-fold: On the one hand, Toppin is one of just a handful of players in this 2020 NBA Mock Draft that I believe can make a significant impact in the NBA as a rookie, and given that the top of this draft class is made up of players that are going to be drafted on their potential without having the upside of being a franchise-changing talent, I think there is value in drafting a guy with a rock-solid floor.

The reason that Toppin’s floor is so high is because of how well he fits as a role player at the next level. Anthony Grant’s offense at Dayton was as close to a modern NBA scheme as you are going to find in the college game, and the reason he is able to play that way has everything to do with Toppin’s skill set. At 6-foot-9, he’s an explosive leaper that is versatile offensively — he can hit a three, he can score off the bounce, he has a pretty good feel for the game, he’s a capable and willing passer. He also has the size and physical tools where it is conceivable that he can play the four or the five in small-ball lineups, although he’ll need some development here; he has high hips and a slender waist which casts some doubt on how well he’ll be able to put on weight and how well he can sit in a stance and guard on the perimeter. And while there is some value in being capable of guarding fours or fives, there are some valid questions about whether or not he’ll be above average guarding either.

I do think that will come with time spent in the right NBA strength and conditioning program, and the fact that he’s a late-bloomer that was just 6-foot-2 as a high school junior is relevant here as well.

I broke down why Toppin is such a good fit for Dayton’s offense last month, and all of that applies to why he’ll be such a good fit at the next level as well:

4. Atlanta Hawks: ISAAC OKORO, Auburn

Details: 19 years old, 6-foot-6, 225 lbs
Key Stats: 12.9 ppg, 4.4 rpg, 2.0 apg, 29% 3PT

Okoro is another guy that I would want to be higher than consensus on, because I think he has a chance to be a really good starter on an NBA team for the next 12 years. I’m not sure there is anything more valuable in the modern NBA than a wing that is a multi-positional defender, that can guard in space and that is capable of creating against a close out or in isolation, but I am sure that there is no one in this 2020 NBA Mock Draft that better fits that role than Okoro.

I don’t think it’s crazy to say that Okoro was the best perimeter defender in college basketball this season. He can guard up, he can guard down, he can move his feet, he’s already built like a pro, he’s shown the ability to block shots as a help-side defender. It’s what he hangs his hat on. But he’s also proven to be particularly adept off the dribble, where he’s a nightmare to stop once he gets a step. He can finish above the rim, but perhaps his most underrated skill is his ability to read defenses and pass the ball. He definitely is a capable and willing playmaker.

The one question mark is the shooting, but in conversations I’ve had with people that know Isaac, both at the collegiate and high school levels, the consensus is that he’s a worker. He’ll put in the hours that he needs to in order to make himself a threat from three.

Here’s a breakdown from January:

5. Detroit Pistons: LAMELO BALL, Australia

Details: 18 years old, 6-foot-7, 180 lbs
Key Stats: 17 ppg, 7 apg, 7.5 rpg
Full Scouting Report

I know what you’re going to think when you hear LaMelo Ball’s name. The reaction is going to be you thinking back to the little 5-foot-11 kid with braces and a blonde mohawk launching shots from halfcourt and cherry-picking against overmatched competition to try and get to 100 points in a game. You’re going to immediately think of all the things you hated about Lavar Ball, and I get it.

But Melo grew up. He’s not just the baby brother anymore. He’s now a 6-foot-7 lead guard that has all of the tools that would lead you to believe that he can be a star feature guard in the NBA. He’s a terrific passer that can make every read you want a point guard to make out of ball-screens with either hand, and he has the size to see those passes over the defense. His feel for the game and basketball IQ are elite. He’s been an inconsistent and inefficient shooter throughout his career, but he’s always been a good free throw shooter and while he certainly needs to tweak his mechanics, some of those low percentages can be explained away by the degree of difficulty of the shots he is taking.

Which leads me to what may be the most important point here: Not only is Melo one of the youngest players in this draft, he is also a late-bloomer. He’s still growing into his frame, and while I doubt he’s ever be on par with someone like Russell Westbrook, he’s definitely going to get stronger and more athletic as he matures physically and gets into an NBA strength training program. When that happens, it should help his explosiveness and ability to handle physicality. There are risks here, but I don’t think it’s crazy to say he has the highest ceiling of anyone in this draft class.

The bigger issue is the off-the-court stuff. He has a reputation, fairly or unfairly, of being a lazy defender with a lacking work ethic. Teams picking at the top of the draft will have to do their due diligence. He may have a high ceiling, but there’s also some bust potential at play. If it all works out, he could end up being the second-coming of Luka Doncic.

6. New York Knicks: KILLIAN HAYES, Ratiopharm Ulm

Details: 18 years old, 6-foot-5, 200 lbs
Key Stats: 11.6 ppg, 5.4 apg, 29.4% 3PT

Hayes is a flat-out terrific passer out of ball-screens, and the coaches at Ulm this past season knew as much. To put this into perspective, Hayes played 33 games for Ulm this past season and, according to Synergy’s video logs, ended a possession by using a ball-screen 428 times. That’s an averaged of 13 ball-screens per game. He played 25 minutes per game. Do the math, and Hayes played out of a ball-screen once every two minutes for the course of an entire season, and that only counts the possessions where those actions resulted in a shot or a turnover.

That’s insane.

And given the direction the NBA is heading, the success that Hayes had in that kind of action is notable. As I mentioned, he is a terrific passer that can makes all of the reads when he is going to his dominant left hand. He can get to the rim, his floater is solid and he has the size (6-foot-5) to be able to see over defenses. Where he struggles a bit is when he is forced to go to his right. He also was an inconsistent three-point shooter, hitting just 29 percent while attempting more than three threes per game. The stroke doesn’t look bad, and he has terrific feet and handle, creating all kinds of space for himself to get step-back jumpers off.

The key is his jumper. If that comes around, if he develops into a guy that can play on or off the ball, he’ll be a great pick up at No. 6. But that is a big ‘if’.

7. Chicago Bulls: DENI AVDIJA, Maccabi Tel-Aviv

Details: 19 years old, 6-foot-9, 218 lbs
Key Stats: 12.3 ppg, 5.9 rpg, 2.4 apg, 37.5% 3PT

The intrigue with Avdija is the shooting and playmaking that he provides as a 6-foot-9 power forward type. At the lower levels of international basketball, he played as something of a point forward, and while he’s someone that profiles more as a complimentary players that a full Luka Doncic, his ability to pass and operate in pick-and-rolls at his size is going to make him a useful player down the road.

The key for Avdija long-term is two-fold: What does he turn into defensively, and how well can he shoot the ball? He’s never consistently shot it at a high percentage from beyond the arc, and that’s concerning given the fact that he has consistently been a sub-70 percent FT shooter throughout his time in the youth ranks. But passing translates, size translates and shooting can be taught. If he continues to improve defensively, he’s got a chance to be a good starter in the league for a long time.

8. Charlotte Hornets: ONYEKA OKONGWU, USC

Details: 19 years old, 6-foot-9, 245 lbs
Key Stats: 16.2 ppg, 8.6 rpg, 2.7 bpg, 1.2 spg, 72% FT
Full Scouting Report

For me, the intrigue with Okongwu is pretty simple. He is a 6-foot-9 five that is an explosive athlete with an already-sturdy frame. He produced at the college level, both as a scorer, a rebounder and a rim protector, and has shown some pretty solid post moves for a 19-year old. He can defend the rim. He’s athletic enough that being a switchable five seems like his floor. He has a soft touch around the basket, and while he’s shooting just 15-for-35 on jumpers this season, according to Synergy, he’s 9-for-19 on jumpers inside 17 feet and shooting 72 percent from the free throw line on 143 free throws.

Worst-case scenario, Okongwu turns into an off-the-bench big that provides energy, rebounding and defense. If the jumper — and, especially, the passing — comes along, he can be much more than that.

9. Washington Wizards: TYRESE HALIBURTON, Iowa State

Details: 20 years old, 6-foot-5, 175 lbs
Key Stats: 15.2 ppg, 6.5 apg, 5.9 rpg, 41.9% 3PT
Full Scouting Report

Haliburton’s numbers jump off the page. At 6-foot-5, he’s a lead guard with terrific vision that can throw every pass a point guard is going to be asked to make. He’s an excellent three-point shooter that has positional size and has shown himself to be, at the very least, adequate as an on- and off-ball defender. He was the best player on the floor for Team USA at the U-19 World Championships over the summer. All of that adds up.

If there is a concern with Haliburton, it’s his physical tools. He’s not an explosive athlete and, at 175 pounds, there are valid concerns about how well he is going to handle the rigors of getting to the rim in the NBA. He also has a slow, funky release on his jumper — think Shawn Marion. Will he be able to get that shot off at the next level?

I’m high on Haliburton because, after seeing the way that elite passers like Luka Doncic, Ja Morant and Trae Young have thrived early in their NBA career, I’m willing to take the risk on a 6-foot-5 point guard that can make those passes in a year where the opportunity of rolling the dice at the top is relatively low.

10. Phoenix Suns: DEVIN VASSELL, Florida State

Details: 19 years old, 6-foot-6, 180 lbs
Key Stats: 12.7 ppg, 1.4 spg, 1.0 bpg, 42% 3PT

Vassell was one of the breakout stars of the ACC, leading a good Florida State team in scoring and doubles as their best three-point shooter. He’s got the size and the length to be a good defender at the NBA level, and he’s proven to be a playmaker on that end of the floor — he averaged 1.4 steals and 1.0 blocks. Playing for Leonard Hamilton, you can be sure he got plenty of reps switching defensively and guarding bigger and smaller players. He’s not much of a playmaker on the offensive end, and at 180 pounds, he definitely needs to add some weight to his frame. But he’s precisely what you look for as a 3-and-D wing. In a 2020 NBA Mock Draft where it’s hard to find sure things, Vassell, on paper, seems to be as close to a known quantity as you are going to get in this range.

PBT’S 2020 MOCK DRAFT PODCAST

11. San Antonio Spurs: (Open)
12. Sacramento Kings: (5:52)
13. New Orleans Pelicans: (8:58)
14. Portland Trail Blazers: (13:50)
15. Orlando Magic: (19:01)
16. Minnesota Timberwolves (via Brooklyn Nets): (21:32)
17. Boston Celtics (via Memphis Grizzlies): (25:53)
18. Dallas Mavericks: (28:10)
19. Milwaukee Bucks (via Indiana Pacers): (30:30)
20. Brooklyn Nets (via Philadelphia 76ers): (36:54)
21. Denver Nuggets (via Houston Rockets): (40:34)
22. Philadelphia 76ers (via Oklahoma City Thunder): (44:27)
23. Miami Heat: (46:10)
24. Utah Jazz: (49:07)
25. Oklahoma City Thunder (via Denver Nuggets): (51:20)
26. Boston Celtics: (53:02)
27. New York Knicks (via Los Angeles Clippers): (56:34)
28. Toronto Raptors: (58:24)
29. Los Angeles Lakers: (1:00:12)
30. Boston Celtics (via Milwaukee Bucks): (1:03:46)

11. San Antonio Spurs: PRECIOUS ACHIUWA, Memphis

Details: 20 years old, 6-foot-9, 225 lbs
Key Stats: 15.8 ppg, 10.8 rpg, 1.9 bpg, 1.1 spg, 33% 3PT

The biggest question mark for me when it comes to Achiuwa is whether or not he is going embrace what he actually is. For my money, he’s something of a poor man’s Bam Adebayo, a big man that can be used at the four and, ideally, as a small-ball five. He plays hard, he has a 7-foot-2 wingspan and he’s proven himself as a rebounder. He also has some perimeter skill, and he did make some threes this season. There’s a market for that in the NBA, and it’s a role Achiuwa should be able to thrive in.

But is that what he wants to be? Or does he think that he’s a three? The potential is there for Achiuwa to be effective as a face-up forward against bigger, slower centers. I’m not sure the same can be said for him as a three. Remember, Achiuwa will turn 21 years old before he plays in his first NBA game. He was a freshman this season and he is just two months younger than Kaleb Wesson, who was a junior. If Achiuwa embraces who he is, he has a long and profitable basketball career in front of him.

12. Sacramento Kings: AARON NESMITH, Vanderbilt

Details: 20 years old, 6-foot-6, 213 lbs
Key Stats: 23 ppg, 4.9 rpg, 52.2% 3PT, 8.2 3PAs

Again, this one is pretty simple for me. Nesmith is a 6-foot-6 wing with a 6-foot-10 wingspan that was shooting a ridiculous 52.2% from three while taking more than eight threes per game before suffering a foot injury that ended his season. He’s not the most explosive athlete, but he was one of the most improved players in the country before he got hurt. I’m willing to take a bet on a guard with those measureables when he’s a hard enough worker to go from 33.7 percent shooting as a freshman to this. That’s the kind of leap that Buddy Hield made heading into his senior season. Nesmith is just a sophomore.

That said, Hield won at a significantly higher clip than Nesmith did, and Hield did it against Big 12 competition. Nesmith’s season was cut short before he really got into the teeth of SEC play. But I’d be willing to roll the dice on his shooting carrying him to a role in the league.

13. New Orleans Pelicans: COLE ANTHONY, North Carolina

Details: 19 years old, 6-foot-3, 190 lbs
Key Stats: 18.5 ppg, 5.7 rpg, 4.0 apg, 35% 3PT

I’m torn on Cole as a prospect. On the one hand, I love everything about the way he is wired. He’s tough, confident and competitive, the ultimate alpha. He’s a worker that will put in the hours in the gym. Given the way he grew up, he’s not going to be intimidated by anything. In an era where draft prospects are quitting their teams, what they call “shutting it down”, midseason once they’ve earned a spot near the top of the lottery, Cole fought back from a knee injury that required surgery to get back on the court and fight with his team despite the fact that they really don’t have much left to play for during the season.

I respect that. If I’m an NBA GM, I want players wired that way.

The problem with Cole is the way that he plays. He’s tough and athletic, but given his average height and length, he’s more or less going to have to guard point guards at the next level. I’m not sure he’s quite good enough to be the guy in the NBA that he has been throughout his career. He plays like Russell Westbrook, a hyper-kinetic athlete that is a streaky, sometimes inefficient shooter with a limited passing range that has a habit of dribbling the air out of the ball and shooting his team out of games on off nights. He’ll be 20 years old by the time he’s drafted. How much more room is there for him to change?

What I will say is this: Anthony did become a better passer later in the season, as he gained more confidence in his teammates and after he went through a stretch where he was shooting the Tar Heels out of games. That’s a good sign, but I still have my doubts.

NBA DRAFT PROSPECT PROFILES

14. Portland Trail Blazers: SADDIQ BEY, Villanova

Details: 20 years old, 6-foot-8, 216 lbs
Key Stats: 16.1 ppg, 4.7 rpg, 2.4 apg, 45% 3PT
Full Scouting Report

Saddiq Bey is the third guy that I would want to be higher than anyone on, because I think that he has a chance to be one of the best players to come out of this 2020 NBA Mock Draft. Bey is something of a late-bloomer. He’s was a 6-foot-1 guard when he was a sophomore, and according to the Villanova coaching staff, he has actually grown an inch or two since he arrived on campus. He’s listed at 6-foot-8 and may be closer to 6-foot-9 by the time it’s all said and done.

Bey’s shooting ability speaks for itself. He hit 45 percent of his threes while shooting more than five per game, and he finished in the 98th percentile nationally in spot-up shooting, according to Synergy. He has shown some playmaking ability, and while he’s not much of an off-the-dribble shooter at this point in his development, he is capable of playing as the handler in ball-screen actions. Most importantly, as we have seen with the wings that have come out of the Villanova program of late, they just know how to play. You won’t see the floor there if you don’t, and given the fact that Bey was asked to be the do-it-all point guard on his high school team, he has experience being more than just a scorer.

But the thing that has really stood out about Bey since he arrived on the Main Line is his ability to defend. He’s the best defender in the program, and while Villanova has not always been known for how they guard, they were the second-best defensive team in the Big East behind Seton Hall, who was a top-eight defense nationally. They’ve put him on lightening quick point guards like Devon Dotson and Kamar Baldwin, and Villanova’s tendency to switch means that Bey has spent plenty of time guarding bigs as well.

So what we have here is a multi-positional defender that shoots the cover off the ball and can be a playmaker off the bounce. I think he’s just as good of a prospect as Mikal Bridges, Donte DiVincenzo, Eric Paschall and Josh Hart, and all four of those guys have turned into players that will last in the NBA for a while. Bey is next in line.

15. Orlando Magic: TYRESE MAXEY, Kentucky

Details: 19 years old, 6-foot-3, 198 pounds
Key Stats: 14.0 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 3.2 apg, 29% 3PT

Taking a risk on Maxey this high in the 2020 NBA Mock Draft means betting on the fact that his 29 percent three-point shooting as a freshman has more to do with adjusting to the college level than it does his actual shooting ability. Coming through high school, Maxey had the reputation for being a big-time scorer because of his ability to make deep jumpers off the bounce and because of the way that he can finish around the rim with a variety of floaters and layups.

And while he would show flashes of being the dominant scorer Kentucky needed him to be, the Wildcats late-season surge was a direct result of Immanuel Quickley’s improvement, not Maxey finding consistency. We spent the entire season saying “just wait until Maxey finds his stroke” and he never really did. He needs to be able to make that shot because the rest of his game is somewhat limited. He’s not a natural creator, he’s wired to score more than anything else, and he certainly isn’t an elite athlete by NBA combo-guard standards, although he is a pretty good on-ball defender. He’s also a worker, and by all accounts a great kid and competitor. I think there’s a real chance his ceiling is as a second-unit scorer, but if it all comes together I can see him putting together a career on par with Lou Williams.

16. Minnesota Timberwolves (via Brooklyn Nets): JOSH GREEN, Arizona

Details: 19 years old, 6-foot-6, 210 lbs
Key Stats: 12.0 ppg, 4.6 rpg, 36% 3PT

Green is a consistent jumper away from being a guy that can stick in the league as a role player for a decade. He’s really athletic, he’s terrific in transition and he’s a willing defender that gives effort. He can be coached up on that end. But he was limited as a scorer in the half court — 1.19 PPP in transition vs. 0.825 in the half court — and part of that is due to the fact that he shot just 33.3 percent on jumpers in half court offense.

17. Boston Celtics (via Memphis Grizzlies): PATRICK WILLIAMS, Florida State

Details: 18 years old, 6-foot-8, 225 lbs
Key Stats: 9.2 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 32% 3PT

The numbers look fairly pedestrian, admittedly, but putting them in context is important: Williams was coming off the bench for a Florida State team that goes 11 deep and gives everyone pretty equal minutes. No one ever puts up huge numbers in a Leonard Hamilton program. What they do is incubate players that project as role guys in the league. At 6-foot-8, Williams is a terrific athlete and a burgeoning defender and that can protect the rim and guard out on the perimeter when needed. And while the shooting stroke was somewhat inconsistent this past season, the potential is there — he did shoot 84 percent from three this year.

18. Dallas Mavericks: R.J HAMPTON, New Zealand

Details: 19 years old, 6-foot-5, 188 lbs
Key Stats: 9.5 ppg, 2.5 apg, 1.3 spg, 31.7% 3PT

Hampton is a kid that has quite a bit of potential, but he’ll need time to develop at the next level. He’s a 6-foot-5 guard that can play on or off the ball, but needs to continue to develop his ball-handling and his perimeter jumper to be able to do either at the NBA level. He has the length, quickness and athleticism to be able to defend either backcourt spot in time, but he is something of a late-bloomer that needs to put on some weight and strength. He’ll try defensively, too, but he needs to be coached up. Again, that will come with time.

The biggest concern I have with Hampton — who played this past season in Australia — is that I’m not sure if he has an elite skill yet.

19. Milwaukee Bucks (via Indiana Pacers): JADEN MCDANIELS, Washington

Details: 19 years old, 6-foot-10, 200 lbs
Key Stats: 13.0 ppg, 5.8 rpg, 2.1 apg, 1.4 bpg, 34% 3PT

On the one hand, it is very easy to see why McDaniels is such a tantalizing prospect. Players with his size and his length aren’t supposed to be able to do the things that he does on the perimeter. He has impressive handle, he can knock down tough perimeter jumpers and every once in a while he will do something during a game that will make it to the House of Highlights page. His ‘wow’ moments pop.

On the other hand, McDaniels is 200 pounds soaking wet with slender shoulders and skinny legs. He hasn’t handled contact all that well this season, and he is not all that explosive of an athlete. And during Pac-12 play, all of the red flags came to the forefront. Emotional outbursts led to far too many technical fouls. He led the Pac-12 in fouls and turnovers. He averaged just 11 points during conference play. He was benched for the last ten games, and Washington wasn’t definitively better with him on the floor.

He’s the lottery ticket in this 2020 NBA mock draft.

20. Brooklyn Nets (via Philadelphia 76ers): TYLER BEY, Colorado

Details: 22 years old, 6-foot-7, 218 lbs
Key Stats: 13.8 ppg, 9.0 apg, 1.5 spg, 1.2 bpg, 41.9% 3PT

Bey is one of the most underrated players in this year’s draft class. At 6-foot-7, he’s an exceptionally springy athlete that has proven himself to be an impact rebounder at the collegiate level throughout his career. He’s also proven himself to be a playmaker defensive – averaging more than a block and a steal per game as a redshirt junior – while hitting 42 percent of his threes this past season. The consistency of his jumper may end up being what determines whether he sticks in the NBA for good. He profiles as a versatile forward at the next level in a draft where, in the late-first and early-second, there aren’t many of those available.

21. Denver Nuggets (via Houston Rockets): TRE JONES, Duke

Details: 20 years old, 6-foot-3, 185 lbs
Key Stats: 16.2 ppg, 6.4 apg, 1.8 spg, 36.1% 3PT

Jones is a really good passer, a terrific defender and the kind of point guard that checks all the cliche boxes about being a winner, a leader and a facilitator. He was the ACC Player of the Year and the ACC Defensive Player of the Year. His box score numbers were impressive, and his impact on basketball games goes well beyond the box score.

But more importantly, his jump shot showed real, tangible improvement. Jones made 36 percent of his threes and shot four of them per night. In catch-and-shoot situations, he made 40 percent of his jumpers and hit them at a 1.18 points-per-possession clip (or a 59% eFG, which was in the 82nd percentile nationally). His pull-up game isn’t there yet, but if he went from being a guy that teams flat-out did not guard beyond 12 feet as a freshman to a 36 percent shooter as a sophomore, whose to say his pull-up game won’t be next?

If Jones never gets any better, if this is who he is for the rest of his basketball career, he’s a backup point guard in the league until he doesn’t want to play anymore. If he continues to develop his shot, however, he could end up being a starting point guard. I find it hard to believe this kid isn’t going to keep getting better. In a draft like this, that’s great value this late.

22. Philadelphia 76ers (via Oklahoma City Thunder): JAHMI’US RAMSEY, Texas Tech

Details: 18 years old, 6-foot-4, 195 lbs
Key Stats: 15.0 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 43% 3PT

I’ve gone through stages with Ramsey. I loved him in high school. I was frustrated by him early on in his college career, as Texas Tech worked through figuring out what the best way to use him is. What they’ve settled on is as a scorer and an elite shot-maker. The big red flag for me is that I expected Ramsey to play the Jarrett Culver-Keenan Evans role for Texas Tech, but he’s not that guy because he is not on their level at creating out of ball-screens or as a passer. Since he is only 6-foot-4, that’s something to monitor in the longterm.

But he’s a bouncy athlete that can play in transition, shoots the cover off of the ball and should be able to attack closeouts. The two major question marks are on the defensive end of the floor and shooting off of the dribble, but those are things that can be improved with time. He’s not the player that I thought he would be, but he’s still good enough that using a top 25 pick on him makes sense.

23. Miami Heat: XAVIER TILLMAN, Michigan State

Details: 21 years old, 6-foot-8, 245 lbs
Key Stats: 13.7 ppg, 10.3 rpg, 3.0 apg, 2.1 bpg, 1.2 spg

I may be out on a limb here, but I truly believe that Tillman is worth a first round pick, especially in this year’s draft class. There’s really two reasons for this: For starters, he is a terrific passer. No one in college basketball is better than making the right play in a 4-on-3 scenario when the defense traps a pick-and-roll ball-handler than Tillman. But he is also an excellent defender that can really read the game. Talk to people around the Michigan State program and they’ll tell you he ran everything defensively. It was his voice that teammates heard. Now, the major question mark is his size. At just 6-foot-8, can he defend fives? Is he quick enough to play the four? If we knew for a fact that the answer to both of those questions would be ‘yes, and he can do it very well,’ I would have him slotted as a top 20 pick.

The first clip here shows how effective he can be as the fulcrum of an offense. The second? Men his size aren’t supposed to be able to avoid a charge like that. pic.twitter.com/5EUGu4EUql

— Rob Dauster (@RobDauster) January 4, 2020

24. Utah Jazz: KIRA LEWIS, Alabama

Details: 18 years old, 6-foot-3, 165 lbs
Key Stats: 18.5 ppg, 5.2 apg, 4.8 rpg, 1.7 spg, 37% 3PT

Lewis checks a lot of boxes. He’s young for a sophomore — he enrolled at Alabama as a 17-year old and won’t turn 19 until April — and he put up huge numbers for an Alabama team that is built to run, run, run and shoot nothing but threes and layups. He also shot 37 percent from three for the second consecutive season. He’s slender, he’s turnover prone and part of the reason he produced as much as he did this season was because of the pace that Alabama played at. He’s worth a first round pick, especially considering his age.

25. Oklahoma City Thunder (via Denver Nuggets): THEO MALEDON, ASVEL

Details: 18 years old, 6-foot-4, 185 lbs
Key Stats: 7.3 ppg, 2.7 apg

Maledon is an interesting prospect in a couple of different senses. On the one hand, he was 16 years old when he started getting senior minutes for an ASVEL club that make it back to the Euroleague this year. He’s trained with the French senior national team. He started 23 of the 46 games that he played in. But his role fluctuated throughout the season, his consistency waned and he battled a shoulder injury throughout the season. But he is a 6-foot-4 guard that can play on or off the ball that has shown the ability to play at a high level throughout his career.

26. Boston Celtics: ISAIAH STEWART, Washington

Details: 18 years old, 6-foot-9, 250 lbs
Key Stats: 17.0 ppg, 8.8 rpg, 2.1 bpg, 77% FT 

What you see is what you get with Stewart. He’s a tireless rebounder that, at 250 pounds of solid muscle, is ready to compete in the paint against NBA bigs right now. He’s a good post scorer that has shown some glimpses of being able to make threes — the Washington staff will tell you he’s lights out in practice. That’s the good. The bad is that he is an undersized center at 6-foot-9 that doesn’t have the length or explosiveness to be able to protect the rim at the NBA level, and while he’ll put in the effort to guard on the perimeter, he has never really shown that ability. Playing in that Washington zone hasn’t helped quell those concerns, either. He’s tough, he has a motor, he’s really good at the things that he does well, but if he’s not going to protect the rim or guard on the perimeter, where does he fit in the modern NBA?

I also think Stewart is the kind of guy that will be hurt by the fact that there won’t be any workouts. He’s an impressive interview that could show off his shooting and, at least in theory, prove what he can do defensively.

27. New York Knicks (via Los Angeles Clippers): JALEN SMITH, Maryland

Details: 20 years old, 6-foot-10, 225 lbs
Key Stats: 15.5 ppg, 10.5 rpg, 2.4 bpg, 37 3PT%

Stix Smith was one of the best players in college basketball over the course of the last month. He’s a pogo-stick athletically that stsrted to make threes on a consistent basis. I’m worried about his frame — he checks in at 225 pounds, but looks like he’s closer to 200 pounds — and I’m not sure how much of a weapon he is offensively beyond being a spot-up shooter. Defensively, he can protect the rim, but will that translate to the NBA, where every five he goes up against will have 20 pounds on him? And while he is a terrific athlete, he plays stiff and upright. I’m not sure how well he will use that athleticism without a runway for takeoff.

All that said, over the course of the last eight weeks of the season, Smith’s potential turned into production. It was the biggest reason Maryland looked like one of the best teams in the country down the stretch. I’m willing to bet on him at the back end of the first round.

28. Toronto Raptors: DANIEL OTURU, Minnesota

Details: 20 years old, 6-foot-10, 240 lbs
Key Stats: 20.1 ppg, 11.3 rpg, 2.5 bpg, 37% 3PT

In a league where seemingly every team had a dominant interior player, Daniel Oturu has been arguably the best two-way center in the Big Ten. The numbers that he put up speak for themselves. He was one of the most improved players in the country. He doesn’t have the greatest feel for the game, and he’s something of a blackhole when he does get the ball in his hands, but he has shown off a bit of three-point range and is actually able to put the ball on the floor and make things happen off the bounce. I think his fit as a five in the NBA is better than some of the bigs slotted in front of him.

29. Los Angeles Lakers: CASSIUS WINSTON, Michigan State

Details: 22 years old, 6-foot-1, 185 lbs
Key Stats: 18.6 ppg, 5.9 apg, 43% 3PT

Winston did not have the season many of us expected him to have as a senior — understandably, given the death of his brother in November — but he still put up All-American numbers for a team that won a share of the Big Ten regular season title. He was playing his best basketball down the stretch, and he still have the highest basketball IQ of anyone in this 2020 NBA mock draft. He’s an elite passer and shooter that thrives in ball-screens. Yes, the defense and athleticism are concerns, but we said the same thing about numerous point guards that have made careers out of being backup point guards. Winston is the next in that pipeline.

30. Boston Celtics (via Milwaukee Bucks): NICO MANNION, Arizona

Details: 19 years old, 6-foot-3, 190 lbs
Key Stats: 14.0 ppg, 5.3 apg, 33% 3PT

I’m not sure whether or not Mannion will actually get drafted this high, but I’m willing to rank him this high because of what his floor is in a draft where there are a number of prospects that could end up being total busts. To me, Mannion has the same kind of prospect profile as the likes of Jalen Brunson, or Fred VanVleet, or T.J. McConnell, or Ryan Arcidiacono. He’s a guy that, at worst, will spend a decade playing in the NBA as a backup point guard because of his basketball IQ, his ability to makes shots and the fact that he can operate in a pick-and-roll.

My concern with drafting him this high is that he doesn’t really have an NBA skill. He’s a good athlete but not a great athlete, and that isn’t helped by the fact that his wingspan is reportedly 6-foot-2.5. He’s not great at beating defenders off the dribble in the halfcourt, which is a problem for an NBA point guard. He’s a good shooter but he’s not a great shooter. He’s a high-level passer but he’s not Trae Young or Luka Doncic. He tries defensively but he just doesn’t have the physical tools to be a lockdown defender. I’m just not sure what he does that truly sets him apart, and the fact that he was the leader of an Arizona team that kept losing games they shouldn’t lose is concerning.

Louisville received a notice of allegations from the NCAA on Monday, including one Level I allegation involving improper recruiting offers for former signee Brian Bowen II and the coach of another prospect and three Level II allegations, including one against former basketball coach Rick Pitino.

Louisville also is accused of failing to adequately monitor the recruitment of an incoming, high-profile student-athlete.

The NCAA alleges that Pitino, who recently was hired at Iona, did not satisfy his head coach responsibility when he failed to promote an atmosphere of compliance. Former assistant coaches Kenny Johnson and Jordan Fair are accused of providing impermissible benefits and transportation and having impermissible contact with a recruit.

Louisville is the seventh program to receive an NCAA Notice of Allegations stemming from the FBI investigation into college basketball. Kansas, NC State, Oklahoma State and South Carolina were all accused of Level I violations. USC and TCU did not publicly release their notices or the allegations they were facing.

• 

Sources previously told ESPN that NCAA enforcement staff members also were investigating Arizona, Auburn, Creighton, LSU and possibly other programs.

Louisville officials and the former coaches have 90 days to respond to the NCAA. Athletic director Vince Tyra said during a teleconference with reporters Monday that the university could elect to adjudicate the case through the NCAA’s newly created Independent Accountability Resolution Process (IARP), which includes investigators and hearing officers with no direct ties to the NCAA or its member schools. The IARP is handling a similar case involving NC State. Its decisions are final, and there are no appeals.

In a joint statement from Louisville president Neeli Bendapudi and Tyra, the university said it is reviewing the notice of allegations and will begin formulating a response to the charges.

“It is important to remember that these are allegations — not facts — and the University will diligently prepare a full and comprehensive response and, absent an unforeseen development, submit it within the prescribed ninety-day period,” the Louisville statement said. “For those allegations that are proven to be factual, the University will take responsibility, as accountability is one of our core Cardinal Principles.

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Jeff Borzello reports on the latest round of allegations Louisville is facing from the NCAA.

“However, we will not hesitate to push back where the evidence does not support the NCAA’s interpretations or allegations of charges. U of L has a right and a responsibility to stand up for itself when faced with unfair or unfounded charges and will always act in the best interests of the institution. Our legal team has begun the process of reviewing the Notice and will prepare a thorough response on behalf of the University.”

Iona said it is “aware of the report.”

“Prior to hiring Coach Pitino, we conducted extensive due diligence. We support Coach Pitino and expect him to respond within the process,” the school said in a statement.

Pitino also responded to the allegation against him.

“I firmly disagree with this allegation and will follow the protocols in addressing this allegation through the administrative process. Due to NCAA bylaws on public disclosure on enforcement issues, I will have no further comment on this matter until it is resolved.”

Much like in the NCAA compliance cases involving Kansas and NC State, the NCAA enforcement staff has alleged that Adidas and Adidas employees and associates were boosters and agents of Louisville during the period of the alleged violations and therefore acting on its behalf when they allegedly engaged in violations of NCAA bylaws.

In the notice of allegations, the NCAA enforcement staff alleges that Fair “was knowingly involved” in providing between $11,800 and $13,500 in impermissible benefits to Brad Augustine, an Orlando, Florida-based grassroots director, to influence a player to sign with the Cardinals. Former Louisville recruit Balsa Koprivica, now at Florida State, was a player in Augustine’s program at the time.

Johnson, now an assistant coach at La Salle, is accused of “knowingly” providing a $1,300 extra benefit to Bowen. The NCAA alleges that Pitino, whom Louisville fired in October 2017, “violated head coach responsibility legislation when he failed to promote an atmosphere of compliance within the men’s basketball program.”

“Specifically, the Adidas corporation (Adidas), a representative of the institution’s athletics interests, and its employee, James Gatto (Gatto), then director of global sports marketing for basketball, informed Pitino that he would assist in the recruitment of then men’s basketball student-athlete (Bowen),” the notice of allegations said. “Despite (Bowen’s) belated interest in the institution, Pitino’s knowledge of another institution’s alleged cash offer for (Bowen’s) commitment and Gatto possessing inside knowledge of the institution’s interest in and recruitment of (Bowen), Pitino failed to conduct an additional inquiry as to Gatto’s type or level of assistance, which included a $100,000 impermissible offer and $25,000 extra benefit.”

Under NCAA rules, Pitino can receive a show-cause order and be suspended for up to half a season for Level II violations. The length of the suspension is determined by the committee on infractions and depends on the “severity of the violation(s) committed, the level of the coach’s involvement and any other aggravating or mitigating factors.”

The NCAA enforcement staff noted in the notice of allegations that at the time Pitino allegedly failed to promote compliance in his program regarding Bowen’s recruitment, “he was awaiting a decision from the Committee on Infractions and subsequently subject to a show-cause order as a result of the decision, a Level I head coach responsibility infraction.”

Among the other aggravating factors cited by the enforcement staff in the notice of allegations are Louisville’s history of rules noncompliance (the Cardinals have been placed on NCAA probation three times since 1996); that the violations were premeditated, deliberate or committed after substantial planning; that one or more violations caused significant ineligibility to a student-athlete; and intentional, willful or blatant disregard for NCAA constitution and bylaws.

In September 2017, Louisville officials ruled Bowen ineligible after an FBI investigation uncovered that an Adidas employee and others conspired to pay his father $100,000 for him to sign with the Cardinals. After Bowen transferred to South Carolina, the NCAA ruled him ineligible for the 2018-19 season.

Bowen, 21, never played a game in college and wasn’t selected in the 2019 NBA draft. He signed a two-way contract with the Indiana Pacers in July 2019. He played in five games for the Pacers in the 2019-20 season.

Louisville’s recruitment of Bowen, a former five-star recruit from Saginaw, Michigan, was at the center of the federal government’s investigation into bribes and other corruption in the sport.

Gatto, former consultant Merl Code and aspiring business manager Christian Dawkins were convicted in October 2018 for their roles in pay-for-play schemes to steer recruits to Adidas-sponsored schools. The three men are appealing their convictions.

In the spring of 2017, Louisville was not involved in Bowen’s recruitment, and he had never been to campus. He favored Arizona, according to his father, Brian Bowen Sr., but they were worried about more experienced players being ahead of him.

“Louisville offered him a scholarship as a freshman, but they’d been off the radar,” Bowen Sr. testified during the federal criminal trial. “We hadn’t really talked to them.”

After Allonzo Trier and Rawle Alkins returned to Arizona for the 2017-18 season and Donovan Mitchell left Louisville for the NBA, Bowen Sr. said Dawkins approached him about the possibility of Bowen II playing for the Cardinals.

Federal prosecutor Ted Diskant showed the jury text messages between Bowen Sr. and Pitino on May 24, 2017, with Bowen Sr. asking Pitino to talk to his son.

The government also played a voicemail that Gatto left for Pitino on May 27, 2017.

“I just got a call about a player I want to discuss with you,” Gatto said.

On May 29, 2017, Bowen II, his mother, his father, a friend and Dawkins took an unofficial visit to Louisville. Bowen Sr. told the jury that Dawkins paid for the visit.

On June 1, 2017, Bowen II committed to Louisville and signed a financial aid agreement with the school. Shortly thereafter, Gatto left another voicemail for Pitino, according to the government.

“Coach, Gatto,” he said. “Hope all is well. Checking in. Heard the good news, um, and it’s going to be good, and I’m excited for you guys.”

After Adidas officials made an initial offer of $60,000 to $80,000, according to Dawkins, Bowen Sr. said the offer to attend Louisville went up to $100,000 because Dawkins alleged that Billy Preston, who had chosen to play at Kansas, received $100,000 from Adidas for his commitment. The money was to be paid in four installments of $25,000.

John Carns, Louisville’s senior associate athletic director for compliance, told the jury that he was unaware of the payments at the time.

In an interview with ESPN in 2017, Pitino reiterated that he had “no knowledge” of any payment to Bowen’s family, citing a lie detector test that he took in October of that year.

Pitino said of Bowen: “He fell into our lap in recruiting. Obviously, now with the circumstances behind it, there’s more to it than meets the eye. But I believe Brian Bowen chose the University of Louisville because he loved the visit, he loved his future teammates, and he wanted to play for me. I don’t think he’s involved in this in any way. Now, am I being naive? I don’t know. I just believe in that young man.”

The NCAA placed Louisville on probation for four years in June 2017, following a two-year investigation into allegations that a former Louisville staff member arranged for striptease dances and sex acts for players and recruits during parties at an on-campus dormitory from 2011 to 2015. The Cardinals were also forced to vacate their 2013 national championship and 2012 Final Four appearance, and they self-imposed a postseason ban for the 2015-16 season.

That scandal stemmed from allegations made by former escort Katina Powell, who wrote in a book, “Breaking Cardinal Rules: Basketball and the Escort Queen,” that former Louisville staffer Andre McGee paid her $10,000 for 22 shows at the Cardinals’ dormitory from 2010 to 2014.

Pitino denied knowledge of McGee’s actions, but the NCAA ruled that he violated NCAA head coach responsibility rules by failing to monitor McGee. Pitino received a five-game ACC suspension, and McGee was given a 10-year show cause.

“Since arriving at Louisville, I have seen up close the incredible changes that have taken place under the leadership of President Bendapudi and Director of Athletics Vince Tyra in our university and in our athletics department. The shared values and commitment to integrity is evident in their actions and has always been demanded in the programs that my staff and I have led,” current Louisville coach Chris Mack said in a statement.

“While I understand the allegations brought today, I am confident that the University will do what is right, which includes fighting back on those charges that we simply do not agree with, and for which the facts do not substantiate. The future is bright for Cardinal Basketball. Our focus will continue to be on our tremendous student-athletes.”

When federal prosecutors announced last September the arrests of 10 men as part of an FBI investigation into the college basketball black market, one of the central figures was Brad Augustine, an Orlando, Florida-area youth basketball program director accused of negotiating deals to steer his best players to preferred colleges, for a price.

Augustine agreed to send one player to Louisville, prosecutors alleged in a criminal complaint, after an undercover FBI agent handed him an envelope full of cash meant for the player’s mother. Augustine helped broker a deal to send another player to Miami, as long as an Adidas executive agreed to pay the player’s family $150,000, according to prosecutors, who alleged a coach at Miami later identified as Jim Larranaga had knowledge of the negotiations.

A 32-year-old whose previous legal troubles consisted of traffic tickets and toll violations, Augustine faced a potential prison sentence of up to 80 years on charges including wire fraud and wire fraud conspiracy.

But in February, prosecutors dropped all charges against Augustine, without explanation. Two weeks ago, in a court hearing in New York City, one of the lawyers on the case offered a possible reason why: After his arrest, Augustine apparently told federal prosecutors he never intended to pay the players and their families and had kept the little money actually paid out in these deals for himself.

The revelation is the latest sign that some of the allegations that attracted the most public attention last September, when a U.S. Attorney and a top FBI official touted the results of the ongoing probe in a news conference, may be based on recorded conversations of men who falsely represented relationships to top coaches and star recruits in order to get money from Adidas officials. It also demonstrates the central role NCAA rules regarding amateurism play in many of the criminal charges produced from a now two-plus year investigation that has drawn criticism from some legal experts as a waste of federal law enforcement resources.

Earlier this year, federal prosecutors sent a letter to the remaining defendants summarizing some of things Augustine, former director of the Orlando-area 1Family basketball program, told them before they dropped the charges against him. The letter is part of discovery evidence in the case, and is filed under a protective order, barred from public release.

During a March 22 hearing, however, a lawyer representing Jim Gatto — an Adidas executive accused of agreeing to pay $150,000 if Augustine convinced 1Family star Nassir Little to commit to Miami — discussed the letter in open court.

“Mr. Augustine’s statement as summarized by the government . . . directly contradicts the allegations of the indictment . . . with respect to Mr. Little, Mr. Augustine had no intention of taking any money and handing it to Mr. Little,” said attorney Michael Schachter, according to a transcript.

“Mr. Augustine says that, in fact, he was not in on the scheme. In fact, there was not going to be any payment that was going to be made to Mr. Little. But effectively he was in his own scheme to rip off Mr. Gatto,” said Schachter, who was arguing the judge should force prosecutors to turn over transcripts or FBI agent notes of discussions with Augustine, because they may contain evidence favorable to Gatto and the other defendants.

Federal prosecutors — who disputed other statements made by defense lawyers during the hearing, a transcript shows — did not disagree with how Schachter described their summary of Augustine’s testimony. Schachter declined to comment for this story, as did a spokesman for the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Southern District of New York. Augustine and his attorney both declined to comment.

The evidence against Augustine included a sting operation in Las Vegas last July, court documents allege, and wiretapped phone conversations of Gatto, another Adidas official, and an aspiring NBA agent.

Last July, the FBI alleged, Augustine took part in a meeting in a Las Vegas hotel, ostensibly to hash out business deals with aspiring NBA agent Christian Dawkins and two men claiming to be investors in Dawkins’ fledgling sports agency. The men posing as investors were actually an undercover FBI agent and a government informant, and the room was wired with video cameras and recording devices.

During the meeting, a complaint alleged, Augustine took an envelope containing $12,700 cash from the undercover agent, as part of a deal in which Augustine would ensure 1Family star Balsa Koprivica — a 7-foot, 17-year-old Serbian considered one of the top recruits in the 2019 class — committed to Louisville. Augustine also agreed to advise Koprivica and his family to hire Dawkins if he became a professional basketball player, prosecutors alleged.

A few weeks later, on Aug. 9, Dawkins was recorded on a wiretapped phone call with Adidas independent contractor Merl Code discussing a deal involving Augustine and another 1Family player. The player was Little, and this time, the school was Miami, an FBI agent alleged. During the call, Dawkins said Augustine had told him Larranaga “knows everything” about the deal, according to a criminal complaint.

A few days later, on another wiretapped call, Code relayed this information to Gatto, his boss at Adidas. Gatto said he already had spoken to Larranaga about the recruit, according to an FBI agent. During another phone conversation later that day, a complaint alleges, Code told Gatto another school sponsored by a rival apparel company was offering $150,000 to get Little. Gatto said he couldn’t afford $150,000 in 2017, an FBI agent wrote, but potentially could spend that much in 2018. Gatto asked Code to see if he could negotiate a lower price for Little.

No money ever changed hands on this deal. The next month, the FBI arrested Gatto, Code, Dawkins and Augustine.

Larranaga, Little, and Little’s father publicly have denied involvement in any of the negotiations described in court documents. Little ultimately committed to the University of North Carolina.

1Family, in a statement, said Augustine was no longer involved with the team and also denied Koprivica or his mother had any knowledge of anyone negotiating backroom deals for his college commitment on their behalf.

Larranaga has acknowledged talking to Gatto last summer about Little, because he was one of the top players in the Adidas grassroots circuit, but said the conversations were innocuous. Larranaga said he never asked Gatto or anyone at Adidas to pay Little to commit to Miami.

Federal prosecutors have yet to charge any coaches at Louisville or Miami with a crime in connection with allegations that have produced wire fraud charges against the two Adidas officials and Dawkins, the aspiring agent.

Rick Pitino, who lost his job at Louisville days after the arrests last September, also has maintained he had no knowledge of payments for recruits.

Attorneys for both coaches have suggested Augustine and Dawkins falsely boasted of relationships with Pitino and Larranaga, and federal prosecutors printed these claims in court documents without verification or a proper dose of skepticism.

“We’ve done everything we can to convince the U.S. Attorneys that coach Larranaga is not involved,” said Larranaga’s attorney, Stuart Grossman. “It falls on deaf ears. We know we weren’t involved in any criminal activity whatsoever, and they won’t give us the courtesy of admitting they were wrong.”

That federal prosecutors apparently decided to drop charges against Augustine after he told them he hadn’t been brokering deals to steer recruits to specific college programs, but instead had kept money for himself, is a reminder of the unusual legal theory at the core of much of the criminal charges produced so far in the FBI probe.

Fraud is a crime that requires a victim. When Augustine was charged with wire fraud, the alleged victims were Miami and Louisville, prosecutors allege, as the schools could have been sanctioned by the NCAA, and sustained financial penalties, if it had come to light some of their players were profiting from their talents.

“So if the money doesn’t go to the athlete, the FBI and prosecutors are fine with it?” said Andy Schwarz, an economist and outspoken critic of the NCAA’s amateurism rules. “How does that make any sense?”

The FBI also probed payments to college athletes in the ’80s. It didn’t end well. »

Adidas has gotten a Boost »

Defiant Rick Pitino insists he did nothing wrong — and wants back in »

When federal prosecutors announced last September the arrests of 10 men as part of an FBI investigation into the college basketball black market, one of the central figures was Brad Augustine, an Orlando-area youth basketball program director accused of negotiating deals to steer his best players to preferred colleges, for a price.

Augustine agreed to send one player to Louisville, prosecutors alleged in a criminal complaint, after an undercover FBI agent handed him an envelope full of cash meant for the player’s mother. Augustine helped broker a deal to send another player to Miami, as long as an Adidas executive agreed to pay the player’s family $150,000, according to prosecutors, who alleged a coach at Miami later identified as Jim Larranaga had knowledge of the negotiations.

A 32-year-old whose previous legal troubles consisted of traffic tickets and toll violations, Augustine faced a potential prison sentence of up to 80 years on charges including wire fraud and wire fraud conspiracy.

But in February, prosecutors dropped all charges against Augustine, without explanation. Two weeks ago, in a court hearing in New York City, one of the lawyers on the case offered a possible reason why: After his arrest, Augustine apparently told federal prosecutors he never intended to pay the players and their families, and had kept the little money actually paid out in these deals for himself.

The revelation is the latest sign that some of the allegations that attracted the most public attention last September, when a U.S. Attorney and a top FBI official touted the results of the ongoing probe in a news conference, may be based on recorded conversations of men who falsely represented relationships to top coaches and star recruits in order to get money from Adidas officials. It also demonstrates the central role NCAA rules regarding amateurism play in many of the criminal charges produced from a now two-plus year investigation that has drawn criticism from some legal experts as a waste of federal law enforcement resources.

[The FBI also probed payments to college athletes in the ’80s. It didn’t end well.]

Earlier this year, federal prosecutors sent a letter to the remaining defendants summarizing some of things Augustine, former director of the Orlando-area 1Family basketball program, told them before they dropped the charges against him. The letter is part of discovery evidence in the case, and is filed under a protective order, barred from public release.

During a March 22 hearing, however, a lawyer representing Jim Gatto — an Adidas executive accused of agreeing to pay $150,000 if Augustine convinced 1Family star Nassir Little to commit to Miami — discussed the letter in open court.

“Mr. Augustine’s statement as summarized by the government . . . directly contradicts the allegations of the indictment . . . with respect to Mr. Little, Mr. Augustine had no intention of taking any money and handing it to Mr. Little,” said attorney Michael Schachter, according to a transcript.

“Mr. Augustine says that, in fact, he was not in on the scheme. In fact, there was not going to be any payment that was going to be made to Mr. Little. But effectively he was in his own scheme to rip off Mr. Gatto,” said Schachter, who was arguing the judge should force prosecutors to turn over transcripts or FBI agent notes of discussions with Augustine, because they may contain evidence favorable to Gatto and the other defendants.

Federal prosecutors — who disputed other statements made by defense lawyers during the hearing, a transcript shows — did not disagree with how Schachter described their summary of Augustine’s testimony. Schachter declined to comment for this story, as did a spokesman for the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Southern District of New York. Augustine and his attorney both declined to comment.

The evidence against Augustine included a sting operation in Las Vegas last July, court documents allege, and wiretapped phone conversations of Gatto, another Adidas official, and an aspiring NBA agent.

Last July, the FBI alleged, Augustine took part in a meeting in a Las Vegas hotel, ostensibly to hash out business deals with aspiring NBA agent Christian Dawkins and two men claiming to be investors in Dawkins’s fledgling sports agency. The men posing as investors were actually an undercover FBI agent and a government informant, and the room was wired with video cameras and recording devices.

[Defiant and wounded, Rick Pitino insists he did nothing wrong — and wants back in]

During the meeting, a complaint alleged, Augustine took an envelope containing $12,700 cash from the undercover agent, as part of a deal in which Augustine would ensure 1Family star Balsa Koprivica — a 7-foot, 17-year-old Serbian considered one of the top recruits in the 2019 class — committed to Louisville. Augustine also agreed to advise Koprivica and his family to hire Dawkins if he became a professional basketball player, prosecutors alleged.

A few weeks later, on Aug. 9, Dawkins was recorded on a wiretapped phone call with Adidas independent contractor Merl Code discussing a deal involving Augustine and another 1Family player. The player was Little, and this time, the school was Miami, an FBI agent alleged. During the call, Dawkins said Augustine had told him Larranaga “knows everything” about the deal, according to a criminal complaint.

A few days later, on another wiretapped call, Code relayed this information to Gatto, his boss at Adidas. Gatto said he already had spoken to Larranaga about the recruit, according to an FBI agent. During another phone conversation later that day, a complaint alleges, Code told Gatto another school sponsored by a rival apparel company was offering $150,000 to get Little. Gatto said he couldn’t afford $150,000 in 2017, an FBI agent wrote, but potentially could spend that much in 2018. Gatto asked Code to see if he could negotiate a lower price for Little.

No money ever changed hands on this deal. The next month, the FBI arrested Gatto, Code, Dawkins and Augustine.

Larranaga, Little, and Little’s father publicly have denied involvement in any of the negotiations described in court documents. Little ultimately committed to the University of North Carolina.

1Family, in a statement, said Augustine was no longer involved with the team, and also denied Koprivica or his mother had any knowledge of anyone negotiating backroom deals for his college commitment on their behalf.

[Is the FBI cleaning up college basketball or wasting its time?]

Larranaga has acknowledged talking to Gatto last summer about Little, because he was one of the top players in the Adidas grassroots circuit, but said the conversations were innocuous. Larranaga said he never asked Gatto or anyone at Adidas to pay Little to commit to Miami.

Federal prosecutors have yet to charge any coaches at Louisville or Miami with a crime in connection with allegations that have produced wire fraud charges against the two Adidas officials and Dawkins, the aspiring agent.

Rick Pitino, who lost his job at Louisville days after the arrests last September, also has maintained he had no knowledge of payments for recruits.

Attorneys for both coaches have suggested Augustine and Dawkins falsely boasted of relationships with Pitino and Larranaga, and federal prosecutors printed these claims in court documents without verification or a proper dose of skepticism.

“We’ve done everything we can to convince the U.S. Attorneys that Coach Larranaga is not involved,” said Larranaga’s attorney, Stuart Z. Grossman. “It falls on deaf ears. We know we weren’t involved in any criminal activity whatsoever, and they won’t give us the courtesy of admitting they were wrong.”

That federal prosecutors apparently decided to drop charges against Augustine after he told them he hadn’t been brokering deals to steer recruits to specific college programs, but instead had kept money for himself, is a reminder of the unusual legal theory at the core of much of the criminal charges produced so far in the FBI probe.

Fraud is a crime that requires a victim. When Augustine was charged with wire fraud, the alleged victims were Miami and Louisville, prosecutors allege, as the schools could have been sanctioned by the NCAA, and sustained financial penalties, if it had come to light some of their players were profiting from their talents.

“So if the money doesn’t go to the athlete, the FBI and prosecutors are fine with it?” said Andy Schwarz, an economist and outspoken critic of the NCAA’s amateurism rules. “How does that make any sense?”

by PETE IACOBELLI, AP Sports Writer

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — 

Suspended Louisville freshman Brian Bowen Jr. has signed to play with South Carolina.

Bowen was held out of practices and games after Louisville announced it was being investigated as part of a federal corruption probe of bribery in college basketball that led to the firing of coach Rick Pitino.

The 6-foot-7 forward enrolled at South Carolina this week. He will sit out the next two semesters before hitting the court, due to NCAA transfer rules.

“Brian deserves a fresh start,” Gamecocks coach Frank Martin said in a statement Wednesday.

Ten people, including four assistant coaches and Adidas executive James Gatto, were initially charged in the investigation. One of the coaches was Oklahoma State assistant Lamont Evans, who was a member of Martin’s South Carolina staff from 2012-16.

Martin consulted with the university president, the board of trustees and athletic director Ray Tanner before getting the OK for Bowen to join the Gamecocks.

Bowen must be reinstated by the NCAA before he will be allowed to play. Tanner said the school’s compliance office will work with the governing body over the next few months to ensure Bowen’s eligibility to make it to the court.

Bowen was suspended by Louisville after news of an alleged payment involving the Cardinals and his father to get him to join that school. The federal complaint stated that Gatto and others attempted to funnel $100,000 to a recruit’s family to gain his commitment to play for Louisville. Bowen was not named in documents, but details made clear that investigators were referring to the freshman.

Bowen signed with Louisville last June and was expected to lead one of the Cardinals’ best recruiting classes in years.

Louisville announced in November that Bowen would not play for the Cardinals but added that it would honor his scholarship. He remained enrolled through the fall semester. University spokesman John Karman said Wednesday via text that Bowen did not enroll for the spring semester.

A call and email sent to Bowen’s attorney, Jason Setchen, from The Associated Press were not immediately returned.

The investigation resulted in the October firings of Louisville coach Rick Pitino and athletic director Tom Jurich. Pitino has repeatedly said he did not participate in or know about payments to a recruit’s family.

Bowen would certainly add a boost to the Gamecocks should he return to action.

South Carolina (10-5, 1-2 Southeastern Conference), which made the Final Four last season, is struggling through the early SEC season.

“Brian is an exceptional young man and a basketball player with a very high IQ for the game,” Martin said. “He brings a high-level skill set to the court and will make an immediate impact on our team with him joining us on the practice courts this week.”

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AP Sports Writer Gary Graves in Lexington, Kentucky, contributed to this story.

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For more AP college basketball coverage: http://collegebasketball.ap.org and http://twitter.com/AP_Top25