Everything you need to know about “The Bag Video game,” a
7:57 AM ET ESPN personnel In 2017, Billy Preston was a luxury hire by University of
Kansas basketball, poised to be a one-and-done. He prepared to spend a season beginning for the Jayhawks, then head to the NBA. But before he ever played a regular-season game, a minor cars and truck accident set Preston on a various course.He got benched due to the fact that of NCAA eligibility questions– initially associated to his automobile– that would expose his mommy had actually been taking cash from an Adidas agent who had ties to Kansas coach Costs Self. Preston quickly found his name and recruitment story conjured up in a sprawling federal lawsuit that became the greatest pay-to-play scandal ever in college basketball.Federal prosecutors won convictions in their case by developing that Kansas was a”victim.” The plan led the school to unknowingly
award scholarships to players whose households had actually taken money from Adidas, that made Kansas vulnerable to NCAA punishments and fines.But in the four-part series”The Bag Game,”investigative press reporter Paula Lavigne talks to Preston and his mother, Nichole Player, who reveal the heavy toll the case took on Preston’s profession and their lives in general, and differ with whom the case actually hurt.Editor’s Picks 2 Related” They ain’t no victim. They knew what was going on too, “Preston stated.” They put the whole thing together. Like they set it up like, KU was the whole reason we even fulfilled.
“”If anyone was
a victim,
it was the household that Adidas victimized. … We left the school and weathered the storm and never ever one time did I come out and state, ‘We’re victims?’ “Player stated.”
When the reality is, if any person is a victim here, we’re victims of a corrupt system.”Based upon more than 5 years of reporting with ESPN’s Mark Schlabach, “The Bag Game” likewise unwinds the complicated 2018 federal court case that brought criminal charges versus assistant coaches, apparel executives, a hopeful sports business supervisor and more. For the very first time, prosecutors go on the record to detail their method in the cases that rocked the college sports world with the pronouncement, “We have your playbook.” 3 defendants were convicted at trial of computing to pay young players such as Preston or their families. Yet no head coaches were even contacted us to testify, consisting of Preston’s coaches at Kansas. What did the cases reveal about the system? What, if anything, changed? And how did the burden fall on the shoulders of players like Preston?The NCAA has actually run its own examination into Kansas hiring offenses given that 2018, and after the school’s hearing previously this month prior to the association’s independent review panel, KU is anticipated to understand the outcomes– and possible penalty– in the coming months. Episode 1:” The Making of Billy Preston”Billy Preston was a luxury hire set to begin for his dream school, Kansas, and then head straight to the NBA.
But a minor accident with his Dodge
Charger altered the course of Preston’s life. He unconsciously contravened of a sprawling federal examination that rocked college basketball– one that Paula Lavigne has spent five years untangling. Our story starts with the battles and accomplishments that put Preston on the map, and sent talent scouts swarming as part of the”bag game.” Episode 2: “Nichole and the Bag Man”Preston’s mommy, Nichole Player, and her partner T.K. walk around the nation so Preston can bet elite high school groups. To remain qualified for college, Preston and his family can’t accept any cash. However players in the”bag game”deal to circumvent those guidelines. Preston gets his top college pick, while Gamer makes a connection that could secure the household’s finances. However Preston’s dream is short-term. And Player’s negotiations get attention from federal investigators.Episode 3:” The Sting”Hear from a big-time Florida youth coach who courted financing for his team from major athletic wear companies. He made big promises in return. However, he didn’t understand he was being taped by undercover agents. The”
bag game”game deciphers, as the feds’secret examination– the one that led Kansas to bench Preston– concerns light.Episode 4: “Plausible Deniability “Federal prosecutors make their case public. They tell the college sports world: “We have your playbook.”Details come out on secret payments. Who made them and who understood? Who got the cash and to whose benefit? Who was the victim of pay-to-play and what, exactly, was the criminal activity? After a stint playing overseas, Preston returns for the NBA draft. His name and the Kansas program have been swept into the case. Sentences come down for accuseds. Preston and Player experience the fallout.About 30 for 30 Podcasts 30 for 30 Podcasts, from ESPN Films and ESPN Audio, are original audio documentaries from the makers of the acclaimed 30 for 30 movie series. Telling sports stories like you’ve never heard previously, through a mix of initial reporting and archival sound, 30 for 30 Podcasts
surpasses the field to explore how sports, competitors, athleticism and experience affect our lives and our world. The series has actually been acknowledged by the NYF International Radio Awards, the Webby Awards and the RTDNA Kaleidoscope Awards; as well as inclusion on various”best-of”lists from press outlets such as The Atlantic, Vulture, Time and Entertainment Weekly. Episodes have actually been featured on NPR,”99%Unnoticeable” and Slate Podcasts, and have actually been developed for scripted tv. For more, see 30for30podcasts. com.