Projo College Hoops

The University of Connecticut violated NCAA rules by knowing about but not preventing a professional sports agent who once worked for UConn from providing lodging, transportation, restaurant meals and representation to a men's basketball player between 2006 and 2008, according to a report by Adrian Wojnarowski and Dan Wetzel of Yahoo! Sports.

Head coach Jim Calhoun, who is preparing his team to play against Purdue in the Sweet 16 tomorrow night, declined to comment to Yahoo!, as did UConn athletic director Jeff Hathaway.

The Yahoo! report cites multiple sources, including former UConn assistant coach Tom Moore (now the head coach at Quinnipiac University), as well as phone records obtained through the Freedom of Information Act, in laying out the relationship between former UConn guard Nate Miles and Josh Nochimson, a pro sports agent and former UConn student manager.

Because of his status as an alumnus of the university and a former associate of the men's basketball program, Nochimson was barred by NCAA rules from having contact with Miles and from providing him anything of value, Yahoo! reports.

In an unrelated development, Nochimson has been accused by a former client, Detroit Pistons player and former UConn All-American Richard Hamilton, of stealing $1 million. Nochimson has since filed paperwork with the NBA players union seeking to have himself decertified as an agent.

The Yahoo! report is part of a larger investigation by the web site of the role sports agents are playing in college basketball. The site says that "agents aren't just recruiting players from college programs, they are recruiting players for them."

In the case of Nochimson and UConn, Yahoo! reports that five different Huskies coaches, including Calhoun, traded at least 1,565 phone calls and text communications with Nochimson during two years leading up to and following Miles' recruitment.

Yahoo! reports that Nochimson played an "integral role" in Miles' life, helping him along until Miles was expelled from UConn this past October for violating a restraining order brought by a female student. Miles is now playing JUCO ball at the College of Southern Idaho.

Nochimson would not comment to Yahoo! Miles at first denied knowing Nochimson, then gave what the report described as a series of conflicting statements over two separate interviews about their relationship.

The Yahoo! report states that UConn may have committed major recruiting violations by exceeding limits on phone calls to Miles and his inner circle during the recruiting process.

 Tags  Jim Calhoun Josh Nochimson NCAA UConn

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