Though his name appeared in a Yahoo report that dropped this past Friday, which detailed the FBI's investigation into corruption within college basketball, Michigan State sophomore forward Miles Bridges was reinstated in time to take part in the Spartans' victory over Wisconsin by Sunday. A day later, the school has clarified how Bridges was able to cut through the frequently plodding bureaucracy at lightning speed to participate in the win that helped MSU clinch the regular season Big 10 title.
In fact, according to The Athletic's Brendan F. Quinn, the school claims that the Yahoo report allegations against Bridges were inaccurate, but that a violation did occur. In order to rectify the situation, Bridges had to pay 40 bucks (repeat, 40 bucks), which he did. As Quinn wrote:
Quinn also provided specifics on what "being cleared by the NCAA" means in this particular situation:
As pointed out by Bleacher Report, a runner for agent Andy Miller (named Christian Dawkins) reportedly pulled $400 from an ATM to give to Bridges' mother, according to documents combed through by Yahoo.
On Sunday, Bridges told ESPN: "I haven't [taken any money]. My mom hasn't. It's as simple as that."
The standout had averages of 16.8 points and 6.9 rebounds per game this season, and is expected to be a lottery pick in this summer's NBA Draft.