Defense Attorney Claims Kansas coach Bill Self requested payment for Silvio De Sousa

Kansas coach Bill Self
Kansas basketball coach Bill Self. Tom Pennington/Getty Images

Kansas coach Bill Self reportedly requested an improper payment for freshman forward Silvio De Sousa, according to a defense attorney representing one of the three men accused of a pay-for-play scheme to sway top high school prospects toward signing with Adidas-sponsored schools during a trial on Thursday.

Michael Schacter, who represents Adidas executive James Gotto, alleged that his client approved a $20,000 payment to De Sousa's guardian, Fenny Falmagne, by request from Self and Kansas assistant Kurtis Townsend through former Adidas consultant T.J. Gassnola during his closing arguments, ESPN reported.

"The evidence, I submit, shows that Kansas' head coach knew of and asked for a payment to be made to Silvio De Sousa's handler," Schachter said. "More than that, Coach Self requested just the kind of help that Mr. Gassnola arranged as a condition for Coach Self to permit Adidas to continue their sponsorship agreement with the University of Kansas."

Gatto, former Adidas consultant Merl Code and Christian Dawkins, who had previously worked as a runner for NBA agent Andy Miller, face accusations of funneling money from Adidas to the families of prospects recruited by Louisville, Miami and NC State, all of whom have exclusive sponsorship deals with the brand.

The three men face felony charges of wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud for their alleged involvement. Gatto alone is being charged in a pay-for-play scheme that involves Kansas recruits.

All three men pleaded not guilty to their respective allegations.

U.S. Disctrict Court Judge Lewis A. Kaplan is overseeing the trial and plans to give jury instructions on Monday morning, which will begin their deliberations.

Gatto is accused of facilitating a $90,000 payment alongside Gassnola from Adidas to former Kansas and current Cleveland Cavaliers forward Billy Preston's mother, as well as agreeing to pay Falmagne $20,000 in order to help "get out from under" a pay-for-play agreement in which De Sousa would attend Maryland, which has a sponsorship agreement with Under Armour.

Kansas agreed to a 12-year contract extension with Adidas worth $191 million in September 2017, although the deal had not officially been signed as of last spring amid news of a pay-for-play scandal facing the university.

Attorneys representing the University of Kansas were present nearly every day during the trial's three-week span.

Gassnola, who previously worked as an AAU director in Springfield, Massachussetts, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud for his involvement in the alleged incident last April, testifying as part of a cooperation agreement with the government. He currently faces 20 years in prison.

On Monday, defense attorneys presented text messages between Gassnola, Self and Townsend to the jury in order to prove that the coach at least had knowledge of Gassnola's meddling into the Jayhawks' recruitment of De Sousa.

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