AMHERST — When the FBI’s investigation into college basketball became public in September, athletic director Ryan Bamford said he didn’t know enough to be certain whether UMass might be touched by the investigation.
But he pledged to investigate his department to make sure. Bamford said Friday that process hadn’t turned up anything, but in the wake of an exhaustive
Yahoo had access to some of the documents that helped fuel the FBI’s investigation. Its story alleges payments by the ASM Sports agency run by prominent former NBA agent Andy Miller to current and former college players who were likely to be NBA draft picks which would be a violation of NCAA rules. Currant and past players at several prominent programs, including Michigan State, Duke, Kentucky and Kansas, have been implicated.
“Today there’s more information than there’s been in the last 150 days. We found nothing when we went back through our records,” Bamford said. “Like everyone, we’re looking back to see if there’s any correlation or any connection to determine if we’re involved in this at all.”
The text of Yahoo’s story didn’t mention anything about UMass. However, it published a Dec. 31, 2015, balance sheet that included an entry under a list of “Loan to Players” to former Minuteman Chaz Williams for $3,600. Williams graduated in 2014 and is currently playing professionally in Iceland. He is a client of ASM. A loan from an agency to its player isn’t uncommon. There are several players, like Williams, playing professionally overseas who are on the list, in addition to players who are currently or were in college when they allegedly received payments. Loan payments range from $71.39 to Carlos Delfino to former LSU forward Jarell Martin, who reportedly received $52,472.72.
Bamford planned to speak to Williams to be certain the loan came after his college career was over.
“The one balance sheet doesn’t say when he was paid, but it says Dec. 31, 2015. You’d assume it’s that year. We’re hoping he didn’t get paid while he was still participating on our team. Unfortunately we don’t know that yet,” Bamford said. “We’ll have a conversation with Chaz soon to determine from his perspective if there’s any liability.”
The same balance sheet had another western Massachusetts connection. T.J. Gassnola (misspelled as T.J. Grazznola on the balance sheet), the director of the Springfield-based New England Playaz AAU team, also appears of the balance sheet under the heading of “Advance.”
Gassnola said Friday he wasn’t positive what the payment of $17,300 he was listed to have received was for. He said he never gave money to players and speculated that the payment was for expenses related to helping a player workout and prepare for the NBA draft.
“Andy and I go way back. I’ve been wracking my brain this morning. Honestly I don’t know what that’s for. It’s years ago. I have a hunch that it’s for workout stuff for a kid who came out for the draft,” Gassnola said. “I honestly don’t know. But there was nothing where I was taking money and paying kids. Nothing like that.”
His relationship with Miller has come under fire before. Gassnola and a handful of AAU coaches weren’t allowed by the NCAA to participate in events during the July 2012 recruiting period because of their ties to Miller.
Matt Vautour can be reached at mvautour@gazettenet.com. Get UMass coverage delivered in your Facebook news feed at www.facebook.com/GazetteUMassCoverage