One reason the UM investigation has stretched 18 months is the NCAA continues to try to corroborate Nevin Shapiro’s allegations against 114 players, at least six coaches and others. Now, several people are disputing additional claims that Shapiro has made to the NCAA. The claims are not new but had not previously come to light. Among them:
### Shapiro, serving a 20-year sentence for running a Ponzi scheme, told the NCAA that then-UM coach Frank Haith asked Shapiro, who had contacts in the Miami Beach police department, to intervene when Jack McClinton was charged with DUI in Miami Beach before his senior season. Shapiro maintains he intervened on Haith’s behalf.
But McClinton’s attorney on the case, Dan Lurvey, said he had no interaction with Shapiro and never met him. He said the DUI charge was dropped “and I’m certain Nevin Shapiro was not involved” in achieving that.
### Shapiro alleged unspecified improprieties involving UM’s recruitment of basketball star John Wall, who played one year at Kentucky before turning pro. Shapiro claimed he met with UM coaches and Wall’s mentor and former AAU coach, Brian Clifton, at Shapiro’s home.
Clifton told us then-UM assistant coach Jake Morton introduced him to Shapiro during a visit to Miami – before Wall took his official visit to UM - and that Clifton and Morton went to Shapiro’s home. But Clifton said Shapiro “was not involved in John’s recruitment nor did he ever meet John.”
Clifton said UM was in the running for Wall, the nation’s top recruit in 2009, partly because of Clifton’s relationship with Morton – “Jake is a close friend” – and because “it’s not tough to sell South Beach to an 18-year-old. [But] John wanted to play for [Kentucky coach] John Calipari.”
Asked if UM committed any violations in recruiting Wall, Clifton said, “As far as I’m concerned, absolutely not.”
Asked if the NCAA has contacted him about UM’s recruitment of Wall, Clifton said, “I don’t know. Not sure. If they asked us a question, it wasn’t a major investigation.”
Clifton said, “We were supposed to be on the take and looking for money. John’s recruiting process was about as clean as anyone has ever been recruited. We didn’t talk to Miami or Kentucky about getting anything for John.”
Clifton said Morton “introduced me to Nevin because he happened to be around. It was a chance encounter on South Beach. Nevin name-dropped. He was portrayed as a mover and shaker, a guy with a lot of money with some influential friends.”
Clifton said he went inside Shapiro’s home with Morton – “we gained access to the house, saw the view from the balcony,” – but doesn’t remember if Shapiro was there.
“Nevin doesn’t feel like people came to his aid, and he’s trying to hurt guys who didn’t help him,” Clifton said.
Haith, now at Missouri, declined to comment on Shapiro’s claims about the McClinton case or Wall.
### Shapiro, who is not doing media interviews, alleged to the NCAA that two other UM boosters committed violations involving players. Shapiro alleged minor violations by Miami Beach attorney Matthew Krieger, who said he has done nothing wrong and that the NCAA has not contacted him.
The NCAA has poked around on this, but a close associate of Shapiro claimed no knowledge of wrongdoings by Krieger. The identity of the other booster is unknown.
"I would never buy anything for athletes,” Krieger said. “I was very aware of the rules. On a small number of occasions, I would be with Nevin. We ran in similar circles of friends.”
UM declined to comment on these allegations because the investigation is ongoing.
Make no mistake: The NCAA is very cognizant of Shapiro’s motives to damage UM and won’t punish UM for allegations that it has not corroborated. Some obviously have been, but some clearly have not been. And the investigation drags on, still many months from UM receiving its punishment.
CHATTER
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