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Back on the witness stand Tuesday morning, Brian Bowen Sr. confirmed testimony from last week which alleged that former Louisville assistant Kenny Johnson paid him $1,300 in cash.
Brian Bowen Sr. tells jury that ex-Louisville asst coach Kenny Johnson handed him $1,300 cash in summer 2017 to help Bowen family make rent after they relocated to city to watch son. "He made it pretty clear that this was like a one-time deal for him," Bowen Sr. says #HoopsTrial
— Pete Brush (@PeteBrush) October 9, 2018
Bowen Sr. told the jury that Kenny Johnson was initially "flabbergasted" when Bowen approached him for money in late June of 2017. But, according to Bowen Sr., the ex-assistant later agreed to make a single payment #HoopsTrial
— Pete Brush (@PeteBrush) October 9, 2018
Louisville’s current NCAA probation related to the Katina Powell scandal, it should be noted, began on June 15, 2017. Assuming that “late June” means after the 15th, it’s safe to assume then that this payment was made while U of L was already on probation.
Sure, Johnson was fired by Louisville (might be time to make a comment, La Salle), and sure, the player in question never wound up playing for the Cardinals, but this is still a U of L assistant directly paying the father of a recruit just days after the program he represents was placed on probation following one of the most embarrassing scandals in recent college sports history. I have no idea what the NCAA does with that, but I’m terrified that they have the power to do something.
How brazenly idiotic can you be?
As for taking cash from Adidas, the good news — if you want to call it that — is that Bowen Sr. claims that Louisville wasn’t involved in that process at all, and had no knowledge that it was going on.
Brian Bowen Sr. testifies he said "nothing" to his son and his son's mother about taking cash under the table from Adidas and did not tell the University of Louisville. "I wouldn't want him to be involved in something that's wrong," he told the jury #HoopsTrial
— Pete Brush (@PeteBrush) October 9, 2018
So there’s that.