Back to the Arizona Wildcats Newsfeed

Report: Arizona coach Sean Miller discussed making payment for Deandre Ayton to play

Arizona basketball coach Sean Miller talked about making a $100,000 payment for Deandre Ayton to play for the Wildcats, according to government sources cited in an ESPN report published Friday night.

Miller was caught having the discussion in a recorded conversation with a runner for a sports agent, ESPN reported.

The conversation is evidence in the FBI's ongoing probe into NCAA basketball recruiting, which has already ensnared former Arizona assistant Emanuel 'Book' Richardson.

FBI wiretaps intercepted telephone conversations between Arizona coach Sean Miller and Christian Dawkins, a key figure in the FBI's investigation into college basketball corruption, in which Miller discussed paying $100,000 to ensure star freshman Deandre Ayton signed with the Wildcats, sources familiar with the government's evidence told ESPN.