12/9/2019 basketball Edit

NC State athletics responds to NCAA Notice of Allegations

Matt Carter • TheWolfpackCentral

Editor

NC State athletics officially responded to the NCAA’s Notice of Allegations surrounding the recruitment of former basketball player Dennis Smith Jr.

Link to the full response

"When this process started, we promised accountability where appropriate and vigorous defense where necessary, and our response does exactly that," Chancellor Randy Woodson said in a provided statement. "We look forward to a thorough and accurate review by the panel of the committee on infractions and a fair resolution of this case for the university and the NCAA.”

Former NC State Wolfpack basketball star Dennis Smith Jr. — Former NC State star Dennis Smith Jr.'s recruitment is at the center of the allegations. (Ken Martin)

“NC State strenuously disputes and is contesting the NCAA’s most serious Level I allegation based on a lack of evidence of a recruiting violation, combined with the improper use of information from a criminal trial,” Fred Demarest, a senior associate athletic director, added in a statement. “As a result, we assert that this infractions case should be viewed as, at most, a potential Level II case.”

The NCAA charged four allegations for former head coach Mark Gottfried, former assistant Orlando Early and the Wolfpack basketball program, the most serious being an alleged $40,000 payment from Early through Shawn Farmer, Smith’s personal trainer and the alleged go-between with Smith’s family.

The accusation stems from testimony by former Adidas grassroots coach T.J. Gassnola during an FBI trial, but NC State is disputing that there is proof money was exchanged while also questioning Gassnola’s credibility.

In the response, the school noted: “There is no evidence in the trial record, including Gassnola’s testimony, nor evidence developed by the NCAA enforcement staff, that: Early provided the money to Farmer or that Farmer provided the money to the Smith family.”

There were also lesser violations involving complimentary basketball tickets.

NC State is proposing self-imposed sanctions of a $5,000 fine, loss of a scholarship for the 2021-22 season, a reduction in official recruiting visits for the 2019-20 academic calendar and banning unofficial visits for two weeks in that year as well.

The NCAA has 60 days to respond before a hearing in front of the NCAA’s Committee on Infractions is heard.