If you know anything about how this shit works, there’s some easy crumbs to put together.
Example....a highly sought after foreign kid shows up to campus with somebody that’s his “mentor”. absolutely no geographic connections from player or Sensai yet after the visit a segment of the alumni/donor network knows months in advance he’s a “done deal” despite a particular school not having anything close to a history of suggesting a player like this would ever be a “done deal” to that school until he says it
I’ve said this a bunch of times in here...when they visit look for 1) what’s the shoe logo of the AAU team and 2) who is with him on the visit
There are certainly ways to get money directed to people and spread around without the university or staff being part of the transactions.
That is why when you see things like head coaches being involved in direct phone calls it is just sloppy and arrogant.
The simple fact that AAU clubs are nonprofits is an easy place to start. I have made donations myself to local inner city clubs for basic equipment when needed and to fix gym floors that were in need of repair. There is a good intent, but it creates a door for lots of other uses.
I also always marvel at the prep schools which are sometimes not even real campuses, and the tuition they charge is not cheap.
Somebody is paying those tuitions. LaLu is $50,400 a year.
Findlay Prep was started by a car dealer. No campus.
And, of course, as you note the shoe companies are huge players for the top kids.
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