Recruit at center of Louisville scandal might be reinstated
Nov 3, 2017 - 2:27 AM Brian Bowen, whose recruitment resulted in the University of Louisville firing basketball coach Rick Pitino and athletic director Tom Jurich, may get a chance at being reinstated.According the Louisville Courier-Journal, Bowen's attorney, Jason Setchen, said Thursday that federal authorities told the school it can investigate and consider reinstating Bowen. Authorities said Bowen is clear of "investigative impediments" previously placed by the FBI and the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York.
"Brian and I are excited with this development and look forward to working with the university and the NCAA to clarify any concerns or issues that they have in furtherance of Brian's prompt return to competition," Setchen told the Courier-Journal.
Louisville fired Pitino and Jurich after the school was implicated in a "pay-to-play" scheme.
According to the charges, Pitino included payments of $100,000 to the family of an unnamed recruit, which was believed to Bowen, a McDonald's All-American forward from Michigan.
Bowen committed to Louisville on June 3.
Bowen was suspended indefinitely when the FBI announced its findings in September as part of a wider probe that also targeted assistant coaches at Auburn, Oklahoma State, USC and Arizona.
A school spokesman told the Courier-Journal that Bowen remains enrolled at Louisville. The spokesman declined further comment because of the federal investigation.
The school has not clarified if Bowen was suspended on a precautionary basis or declared ineligible. If Bowen is declared ineligible, his reinstatement would be subject to NCAA approval.
Bowen's father was implicated in a telephone sting operation by the FBI. A sworn deposition described a phone conversation with sports agent Christian Dawkins and a man thought to be Bowen's father arranging a payment of $19,500 on July 13.
Louisville opens its regular season under interim coach David Padgett on Nov. 12 against George Mason.
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