Arizona basketball accused of five Level I violations by NCAA

Arizona was accused of nine counts of misconduct, including five Level I violations, in a Notice of Allegations sent by the NCAA last week, a person familiar with the situation told The Associated Press.

The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the violations have not been publicly released.

The Athletic first reported the violations Sunday, citing a letter sent to the NCAA by Arizona's outside counsel, Paul Kelly. Kelly also requested the school's case be referred to the new Independent Accountability Resolution Process.

The violations include a lack of institutional control and failure to monitor by the university, and lack of head coach control by basketball coach Sean Miller.

Women's swimming and diving coach Augie Busch also was accused of lack of head coach control.

Arizona had been in the NCAA's crosshairs since 2017, when assistant coach Emanuel Richardson was among 10 people arrested as part of a federal corruption investigation into college basketball.

Richardson was fired by the university and later pleaded guilty to accepting $20,000 in bribes from aspiring business manager Christian Dawkins. He was sentenced to a three-month prison sentence in 2019.

"I'm not going to comment on anything that is around any investigation. That's what I'm called to do as a member of our athletic departments, so I'm unable to comment," he said on Thursday.

Miller sat out a game in 2018 after ESPN reported he was heard on an FBI wiretap discussing a $100,000 payment to future No. 1 overall NBA pick Deandre Ayton. Miller vehemently denied the report and university President Robert C. Robbins announced a few days later that Miller would remain the Wildcats' coach.

Oklahoma State was the first school to be punished by the NCAA in the wake of the federal probe. In early June, the Cowboys were banned from the 2021 postseason and received numerous other penalties after the NCAA infractions committee found former Oklahoma State assistant coach Lamont Evans accepted up to $22,000 in bribes to steer athletes to certain financial advisers.

The NCAA issued charges against Kansas last September. That case, involving five Level I violations, was accepted in July into the new Independent Accountability Resolution Process. Cases involving North Carolina State and LSU have also been recommended to the IARP.

Louisville responded to NCAA allegations last month and Southern California, TCU and South Carolina have been charged with violations stemming from the FBI investigation.

Arizona had one of its lowest-rated recruiting classes in 2018 and the Wildcats went on to miss the NCAA Tournament for the first time in seven years. Arizona rebounded last season with another top-10 recruiting class and was in position to return to the NCAA Tournament before the season was canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic.