Book claims Louisville arranged for prostitutes for basketball recruits

LOUISVILLE — The University of Louisville is looking into salacious allegations in a new book that say a former Cardinals men's basketball staffer paid escorts thousands of dollars to have sexual relations with both players and recruits during his time at the university.

The book in question was released Friday night by Indianapolis-based IBJ Book Publishing LLC.

It alleges that a former director of basketball operations, Andre McGee "paid an escort service for four years to provide sex to teenage recruits to help woo the players to join the Cardinals team." McGee, who played at Louisville from 2005-09, was on the Louisville staff for four years from 2010-13 before joining former Louisville assistant Kareem Richardson's coaching staff at the University of Missouri-Kansas City.

Louisville, in response to the upcoming book, put out a statement on Friday afternoon announcing that the school had hired Chuck Smrt, a private investigator from the Compliance Group, to conduct a "thorough, objective review" of the book's information.

Book claims U of L arranged for prostitutes

The statement also said the school learned of the book and its allegations in late August and immediately launched its investigation with Smrt and notified the NCAA enforcement staff. Louisville and the NCAA, the statement said, have been "in regular communication."

"The University of Louisville will continue its review in full cooperation and coordination with the NCAA and, if warranted, take any appropriate action," the statement concluded. "The allegations have been taken very seriously. In no way would anyone at this institution condone the alleged activities. To preserve the integrity of the review process, the university will withhold comment on any details until the review is concluded."

Louisville-based attorney Scott Cox is counseling McGee, according to University of Louisville athletics spokesman Kenny Klein.

McGee, who has told his lawyers he is not guilty, was placed on administrative leave by UMKC late Friday. "Andre McGee has told us that he is not guilty of these allegations, that he has never supplied a prostitute or escort to a player or recruit at the University of Louisville," Cox said.

Cox said he and his staff hired their own investigator to look into the allegations of the book, or at least the accusations that have been released ahead of the full book. "We haven't seen anything yet to corroborate the things that will be published in this book," Cox said.

Cox did say McGee knew Katina Powell, the author of the book and a self-admitted escort in Louisville. "There was certainly nothing nefarious or inappropriate at all (when McGee met Powell)," Cox said.

"Andre McGee has cooperated at every stage of this investigation. He loves the University of Louisville and would not do anything to hurt the image of the university," Cox said.

Louisville athletic director Tom Jurich, during a live teleconference with reporters on Friday, said he was disappointed and surprised by the allegations of the book. He refused to answer a question asking if his Indiana "turned" Louisville in to the NCAA.

"I would be very shocked if" director of basketball operations Andre McGee, named in the book, was involved, Jurich said.

Jurich said the NCAA is working with Louisville's private investigator to look into the allegations. He also said he doesn't have enough information yet to know if there's any validity to the allegations.

He also said all the log-in and log-out record books kept at Minardi Hall, Louisville basketball's dormitory for players, have been turned over to Smrt, the private investigator, and the NCAA.

Jurich isn't sure if Smrt and the NCAA have reached out to former recruits, but he did say they've interviewed former players.

Jurich was asked why, if the allegations are untrue, someone would write a book like this. "Follow the money," Jurich said. He also said he won't comment on if Louisville was approached about a payout of some kind in exchange for the book's publication.

Jurich said he found out about the case through an Indiana University associate AD, who approached him after finding out a top booster for IU was looking for information about a picture.

IU: We're not involved in Louisville escort scandal

Reached by phone Friday afternoon, several former Louisville players who played in recent years expressed shock at the allegations in the book, saying it was the first they'd heard of the accusations.

The book, written by Katina Powell with investigative reporter and former Pulitzer Prize winner Dick Cady, is titled, "Breaking Cardinal Rules: Basketball and the Escort Queen," according to a release from the Indianapolis Business Journal.

In it, Powell, an escort, says she kept five journals logging her "escort escapades, sexual encounters, murdered relatives and activities at the University of Louisville," the release says. Most of the Louisville services she provided took place in the men's dormitory where basketball players reside (Minardi Hall), according to Powell.

Her main contact was McGee.

"She has hundreds of text exchanges with him to set up her services, as well as pictures of her girls with players and recruits," the release says.

Yahoo Sports reported more than $10,000 was exchanged between Powell and Louisville.

Louisville coach Rick Pitino, during a press conference on Friday, said he has contacted 15 or more current and former staffers about the allegations and, "to a person," they all said they had no idea about the book's allegations. He said he was disheartened. "It really, really has gotten to me," he said.

"I'll probably leave it in the hands of the NCAA, the investigators, our compliance people," he said.

Pitino says he spoke to McGee and, "at no time, did he own up to what's being printed." McGee, he said, denied the allegations.

Pitino says he has not seen the alleged text messages or photos involving his former recruits or players. He spoke to former player Kyle Kuric before Louisville's compliance office told him to stop making calls and looking into the allegations.

Pitino: "I can't say what's true and what's not true." He reiterated that he has no denied these allegations, because he can't say for sure. He clarified that he was "heartbroken" by what these allegations mean for the people he's worked with and coached.

Louisville is the fourth men's basketball program coached by an active Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame member to currently be under NCAA investigation or to be serving an NCAA probationary penalty. The others are Syracuse coached by Jim Boeheim, SMU coached by Larry Brown and North Carolina coach Roy Williams.

Jeff Greer covers University of Louisville athletics for the Louisville Courier-Journal, a Gannett company.