'Report' Alleges Kentucky Paid for Davis; Durand Johnson Announces Top Six | Zagsblog
Recent Posts
About ZagsBlog
Adam Zagoria covers basketball at all levels. He is the author of two books and an award-winning journalist whose articles have appeared in ESPN The Magazine, SLAM, Sheridan Hoops, Sports Illustrated, Basketball Times and in newspapers nationwide.
Follow Zags on Twitter
Couldn't connect with Twitter
Contact Zags
Connect with Zags:
Saturday / November 23.

‘Report’ Alleges Kentucky Paid for Davis; Durand Johnson Announces Top Six

A completely unsubstantiated report from the Chicago Sun-Times alleges that Kentucky paid $200,000 to get Anthony Davis, a 6-foot-10 rising senior from Chicago Perspectives Charter.

“We haven’t asked anyone for anything and no one has offered us anything,” Anthony Davis Sr. told the paper.

Davis Sr. did not answer a phonecall or text message Wednesday afternoon.

Jevon Maymon, Davis”s AAU coach, said by text, “I don’t know anything about this.”

The Sun-Times offered no concrete evidence or proof that Kentucky paid for Davis, who burst onto the national scene this spring and summer after growing eight inches in the last year.

The paper cited “rumors/sources” on its Website, offering no evidence of the payment.

“It’s a little unfair for a kid to have to listen to those type of rumors if they aren’t true,” recruiting analyst Joe Henricksen told the Sun-Times.

No kidding.

Davis Sr. said his son has chosen a school, but will not disclose which one.

The Sun-Times and a Kentucky blog cite unnamed sources saying he has chosen Kentucky.

Davis said at the Peach Jam that his final three were Kentucky, Ohio State and Syracuse. He has visited the first two, but not Syracuse.

He also visited DePaul unofficially Monday, but it remains unclear if the Blue Demons are in the mix.

“Yes, it’s the LeBron wait and see time,” the father said Tuesday night by text, indicating that everyone must wait and see what his son announces.

DURAND JOHNSON ANNOUNCES TOP SIX

Durand Johnson, a 6-6 small forward from Baltimore, said he will transfer to Brewster (N.H.) Academy and also announced a top six, according to Alex Kline of The Recruit Scoop.

“My top six is Marquette, Pittsburgh, St. John’s, Louisville, Seton Hall and UNC Wilmington,” Johnson told Kline.

At Brewster, Johnson will join a loaded team that includes Naadir Tharpe, Elijah Carter, Markus Kennedy, Max Hooper and Deonte Burton.

LEGENDS CLASSIC SET

Syracuse, Michigan, Georgia Tech, and UTEP host Regional sites in the Legends Classic. The semis & finals are set for Nov. 26-7 in Atlantic City.

(Photo courtesy Chicago Sun-Times)

Follow Adam Zagoria on Twitter

Latest comments

  • And to think journalist in the print media mock blogs and call them unprofessional rumor mongers.

  • Well that’s two bogus reports that must really be threaten by Big Blue Basketball,The NY Times and now the Chicago Sun-Times….Keep the hate alive with no hard facts…Hahahaha

  • *they must(typo)

  • sad that some bitter fans out there who are about to lose a recruit feel the need to do this just to make themselves feel better.

  • I’m sorry but every journalism school should make All The President’s Men required reading. The fact that these “journalists” now post things as fact without proper sourcing is just pathetic. This is one Jayhawk who hopes this “story” has no legs and if it doesn’t, I’d love to see UK attorneys sue the $hit out of these guys!

  • That makes THREE reports of Kensucky wrong doings.

    Are we a few weeks away from an NCAA announcement.

    This time, it will not be like last year….ncaa making a deal with UK.

    I hope they replaced those fools from last year… new NCAA blood was well needed.

    WIll they give Kentucky the Death Penality for all those violations?
    The NCAA would be JUST for giving them the DP.

    More reports should come out sooooonnnnnnnnnnnnn

  • All those with a man-crush on Cali should not be alarmed.

    Cali has a way out.
    He always does with WWW, on his side.

    The school will endure the punishment.

    The Lamb’s should of talked to the school already.
    With Cali having a way out …Do the recruits have a way out?
    The smart and pro-active parents which do not settle for lip service….will have a nice way out of kentucky.
    But, the parents must be smart….

  • AZ,

    Almost 90% of the stuff written about the illegal activities associated with Little Blue Nation are TRUE.

    So, we are hearing alot of little blues CRYING…
    CRYING…
    They want evidence of the $200k.
    They only ask because …they believe it is nearly impossible to prove.

    Or is it….How difficult is it to prove that there was a PAY OFF.

    a) YOU look at the Davis income.
    The income is fix.

    b)The ncaa will ask for tax records, for the last 3 years.

    c) They will look at the Davis mortgage payment and/or higher debt items.

    d)Does income > Debt.
    or is Debt >> income….but, they still make payments.

    e)The ncaa will ask for at least seven BLUE Booster’s income and business entitities. The payment came from the business entities.
    The NCAA will ask UK to provide these documents (from its boosters or indirect boosters).

    It is very easy,..if UK fails to provide the documents;then, they are guilty.
    Remember , this is not a court of law.
    This maybe enough to enforce the death penality.

    Note-
    I am sure a number of your followers have more tricks on ID the fokls who did the payout.

  • Jessie has been banned on basically every message board there is. this is the only place he is allowed to post. says a lot really.

  • Jessie, I guess you haven’t been keeping up with current events. It was your Arizona Wildcats that were hit with probation. Enjoy the reduction in official visits and scholarships.

  • Jessie – If its vigilanty justice you want, then every writer should slander a top program and then the whole NCAA would come crashing down.

    It is ironic that you speak of this while your program was actually found guilty of violations and is currently serving NCAA probation.

  • Yeah,UK is in such dire need of recruits that they need to pay to land them,I guess putting 5 players in the NBA has really hurt their chances in recruiting…

    I feel bad for the Davis family being accused of taking the cash for their son to play for UK…

    The media haters will keep writing bad things(or made up things) about Kentucky just to get hits or to sell newspapers.

  • Go get them coach Cal. UK sent a letter and wants a retraction or they are going to get sued and UK will get $200,000!!!!
    http://kentuckysportsradio.com/?p=57533

    Come on Zag…I am disappointed that you even put this on your site. You are better…

  • Wow. So how disturbed is Jessie?

    The rumor doesn’t make sense on its face. Davis said he wants to play one year and jump to the NBA. And right now, for good or bad, there’s no program better known for one-and-dones than Kentucky. So why would Kentucky have to pay him anything to go there? They’ve got exactly what he wants.

    Jesus, I can’t believe we’re expending the energy to discuss this. Let’s move on to something substantive.

  • Why do you people egg Jessie on?? None of us Arizona fans take him seriously, I ignore most of what he says. This story is too weak to discuss. Let’s discuss how Arizona has a good shot at the Rose Bowl this season.

leave a comment

  • X