Memphis basketball acknowledges anonymous letter alleging major NCAA violations

Another domino strikes in what’s been a tumultuous week for Penny Hardaway and Co.

The University of Memphis has acknowledged an anonymous letter alleging numerous potential NCAA violations in its men’s basketball program, sources confirmed to Bluff City Media Wednesday night. The letter, which Bluff City Media obtained a copy of, has officially been turned over to the NCAA.

Memphis basketball officials did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Hardaway announced the departures of assistant coaches Rick Stansbury, Faragi Phillips and Jamie Rosser, as well as special advisor Demetrius Dyson, in a statement on Wednesday morning. No reasons were given for their dismissals, and it’s currently unclear if they’re related to the letter.

The letter alleges Hardaway’s personal involvement in major recruiting violations—a $30,000 payment to former Tiger DeAndre Williams for his commitment to Memphis in 2020 and a $60,000 payment along with apartment arrangements for then-Boise State-transfer Emmanuel Akot for his commitment to Memphis in 2022. Akot, though he signed with Memphis, never enrolled at the school and instead played for Western Kentucky in 2022-23.

The letter also alleges the academic fraud violations involving former Tiger Malcolm Dandridge that took place during the 2023-24 season, which Bluff City Media reported on Feb. 23. Dandridge was suspended for Memphis’ final five games of the campaign once his alleged involvement in the scandal became apparent.

Memphis also fired former athletic academic advisor Leslie Brooks shortly after it began investigating the allegations. The letter claims that she and her sister were paid to complete academic work for Dandridge and three other players.

Memphis self-reported its findings from the investigation to the NCAA in April. The NCAA has since visited Memphis’ campus in May to further investigate the case. Memphis now awaits the NCAA’s ruling and potential punishments regarding the matter.

Hardaway’s program has already been involved in two other NCAA investigations in his six-year tenure. The first was in 2019 when Memphis played 5-star freshman James Wiseman despite being advised not to by the NCAA due to eligibility concerns. This triggered an investigation of the entire program, which was later charged with four Level I violations in March 2022, including a Lack of Institutional Control charge against Hardaway. The now-defunct Independent Accountability Resolution Process (IARP), however, opted to soften Memphis’ penalties in October 2022. The Tigers ultimately received three years of probation and no postseason ban.

But the program earned a fourth year of probation after Hardaway was suspended for three games last season season due to a recruiting violation, which was triggered after he and a former assistant illegally visited a Texas high school recruit in 2022.

Memphis has experienced even more turnover besides Wednesday’s firings this offseason. Recruiting director Jeremy Kipness, strength coach Darby Rich, assistant coach Andy Borman and others have either been dismissed or left to take other jobs. The Tigers, who tip-off Hardaway’s seventh season on Nov. 4, also return just one scholarship player in senior forward Nick Jourdain.

This all comes just six weeks after new athletic director Ed Scott began his duties on July 22.