Sports

Report: Former Pitt star Sean Miller's wiretaps involved in NCAA federal probe

Head coach Sean Miller of the Arizona Wildcats gestures during the first half of the college basketball game against the USC Trojans at McKale Center on February 10, 2018 in Tucson, Arizona. (Photo by Chris Coduto/Getty Images)

According to ESPN, former Pitt basketball star and current Arizona coach Sean Miller is part of the federal probe into college basketball.

The report says that FBI wiretaps intercepted phone conversations between Miller and Christian Dawkins.  ESPN reports the conversations included Miller discussing paying $100,000 to make sure Deandre Ayton joined the Wildcats.

According to ESPN, Ayton committed to Arizona in September, 2016 after considering offers from Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland and San Diego State.  Arizona said in an earlier statement that Miller has not been charged with nor accused of any misconduct.

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Miller graduated from Blackhawk High School in 1987 and attended Pitt from 1987 to 1992.  He also served as an assistant coach at Pitt in 1995-96.

The federal probe into college basketball has reportedly uncovered a wide range of impermissible payments from agents to at least two dozen players or their relatives.

NCAA president Mark Emmert says in a statement Friday the allegations "if true, point to systematic failures that must be fixed and fixed now if we want college sports in America."