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Report: Tom Izzo refused to pay former 5-star basketball recruit to pick Michigan State
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The college basketball bribery scandal that rocked the sport has revealed some interesting information over the last few weeks, as those testifying have mentioned some of the biggest names in coaching.
One of the names mentioned on Wednesday was Michigan State head coach Tom Izzo, but for all the right reasons. The testimony of Christian Dawkins shed a pretty clean light on the Spartans’ leader.
According to Adam Zagoria of the New York Times, Dawkins testified in court on Wednesday, mentioning Izzo’s name. Dawkins said he wanted former five-star basketball recruit Brian Bowen to attend Michigan State, but that Izzo refused to offer up any money for a commitment.
“I wanted [Brian Bowen] to go to Michigan State,” Dawkins said, according to Zagoria. “Tom Izzo told me flat out they weren’t going to pay him.”
In a sport that has seen some of the top names in coaching get dragged through the mud for the bribery scandal, it was a little refreshing to here that one of the game’s most prominent figures refused to offer any pay for a commitment.
Bowen’s recruitment was mentioned in the corruption scandal that eventually cost Louisville head coach Rick Pitino his job. He did not practice or play for the Cardinals because of the scandal.
Dustin grew up in the heart of Big Ten country and has been in sports media since 2010. He has been covering Big Ten football since 2014. You can follow him on Twitter: @SchutteCFB