College basketball: Five consequences of FBI investigation

NEW YORK, NY - SEPTEMBER 26: Acting U.S. Attorney Joon H. Kim speaks during a press conference at the U.S. Attorneyâs Office, Southern District of New York, on September 26, 2017 in New York, New York. announce charges of fraud and corruption in college basketball. The acting U.S. Attorney announced Federal criminal charges against ten people, including four college basketball coaches, as well as managers, financial advisors, and representatives of a major international sportswear company. (Photo by Kevin Hagen/Getty Images) /

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BARCELONA, SPAIN – AUGUST 16: Head Coach Sean Miller of the Arizona Wildcats gestures during the Arizona In Espana Foreign Tour game between Mataro All-Stars and Arizona on August 16, 2017 in Barcelona, Spain. (Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images) /

Impact on West Coast recruiting

With both Arizona and USC having assistant coaches who had to bail themselves out of jail (potentially with the bribe money), both schools are now in a state of flux. As of right now, there are five quality programs in the west; the four PAC 12 schools (Arizona, Oregon, USC, and UCLA) and the national runner-up in Gonzaga from the West Coast Conference.

The Zags haven’t usually had recruiting battles with the top teams in the West, as they’ve built their rosters on the backs of transfers and foreigners. But three years in a row of nothing worse than the Sweet Sixteen combined with the program’s first Final Four appearances, and now another top dog is now in the mix for the best West Coast players.

While Dana Altman hasn’t had the greatest record of player conduct, he too has become an exceptional recruiter. With a top 15 class coming, he’s also a finalist for the top player in RJ Barrett. Coming off the first Final Four appearance in nearly a decade for the conference, Oregon is here to stay.

And of course, UCLA continues to add bricks to the house that John Wooden built, making them a constant threat to snag the best players.

USC is just entering the picture and Arizona has yet to reach a final four under Sean Miller. If the impending punishments put these schools behind the eight ball in future recruiting battles, then some western teams stand to benefit greatly from this.

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