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NCAA official: 6 basketball teams will soon get violations stemming from corruption trial

CHAMPAIGN, IL - APRIL 19: A NCAA logo is displayed on the floor during the NCAA Men's Gymnastics Championship on April 19, 2019, at the State Farm Center in Champaign, Illinois. (Photo by Michael Allio/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Six schools could soon be hearing from the NCAA regarding possible violations stemming from the college basketball corruption trial. (Getty Images)

Six college basketball programs involved in the FBI’s investigation into the sport will be hearing from the NCAA about alleged violations this summer.

NCAA vice president Stan Wilcox didn’t name schools when he talked to CBS Sports on Wednesday but said that the Southern District of New York’s legal cases would be a good starting point for who will be targeted regarding potential eligibility violations.

"I would just say that it's clear when you look at the number of cases that were listed by the Southern District of New York, those numbers are more than likely be reflected in the number of cases that are going to be moving forward," said Wilcox, a former Florida State athletic director and Notre Dame basketball player.

Three men found guilty in October

Former Adidas exec James Gatto, former Adidas consultant Merl Code and basketball middleman Christian Dawkins were found guilty of wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud in October after the federal trial. The main charges in the case stemmed from a $100,000 payment to the family of Louisville recruit Brian Bowen, while Gatto was also found guilty on a charge relating to the University of Kansas.

In addition to Louisville and KU, LSU, USC, Auburn, and Arizona could be among the six schools. They’ve all been mentioned, among others, in the federal trials surrounding college basketball corruption. Former assistants from USC, Oklahoma State, Auburn and Arizona all pled guilty as part of the investigation.

LSU coach Will Wade was reinstated in April after the school suspended him. Wade was caught on an FBI wiretap mentioning a “strong ass offer” for a recruit. Yahoo Sports has also previously reported that Arizona was a target of NCAA investigators. Coach Sean Miller has denied that he’s paid recruits.

CBS reported in March that NCAA investigators had been looking at Kansas. Federal wiretaps recorded Kansas assistant Kurtis Townsend inquiring about what it would take for Zion Williamson to go to the school, while Adidas representative T.J. Gassnola testified at the early 2019 trial that he had paid money to the guardian of forward Silvio de Sousa.

De Sousa was banned by the NCAA in February but reinstated for the 2019-20 season after Kansas appealed.

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Nick Bromberg is a writer for Yahoo Sports.

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