NEW YORK – It didn’t take long for college basketball’s dirty laundry – or at least accusations of it – to begin getting aired out at the sport’s federal corruption trial here in Lower Manhattan.

During opening statements Tuesday morning, a defense attorney for Adidas executive Jim Gatto acknowledged that her client had committed numerous NCAA violations, specifically in agreeing to send $100,000 to the family of top recruit Brian Bowen in exchange for him attending the University of Louisville.

However, Gatto only did it, she argued, because he was asked by Louisville assistant coaches to “level the playing field” in a recruiting battle for the Saginaw, Michigan forward with the Nike-supported University of Oregon.

“Oregon, a Nike school, offered [Bowen] an astronomical amount of money if he’d go to Oregon,” attorney Casey Donnelly said.

That allegation was backed up by the attorney for Adidas consultant Merl Code.

“Oregon was going to pay Mr. Bowen money to go to Oregon,” Code’s attorney Mark Moore acknowledged.

This was the first direct implication against the Oregon program since the FBI-led scandal broke just over one year ago.

“The university is aware of the claim made by a defense attorney in New York’s U.S. District Court as part of opening statements in a criminal trial related to college basketball recruiting,” the school said in a statement. “To date, the University of Oregon has not been contacted by the federal government or any other party involved in these proceedings. We take the claim seriously and will monitor the court proceedings closely for any further details.”

The trial on college hoops corruption had another layer added to it with opening statements on Tuesday. (Yahoo Sports illustration) More

It is unlikely to be the last bombshell to emerge from the closely watched wire fraud trial of Gatto, fellow Adidas employee Merl Code, and budding business manager Christian Dawkins.

All three men are charged with one count of wire fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud involving the recruitment of Bowen, who was ruled ineligible by the NCAA and never played at Louisville before turning pro. Gatto also faces a second wire-fraud count involving players at the University of Kansas.

Here at the Daniel Patrick Moynihan federal courthouse in Lower Manhattan, the government is trying to paint a picture of the three men conspiring to defraud Louisville, Kansas, North Carolina State and Miami by doling out payments to recruits and their families that violate NCAA statutes. As such, any school playing such a player is now at risk of NCAA sanctions.

“When you lie, cheat and deceive, that is a crime,” assistant U.S. attorney Edward Diskant said.

Donnelly, however, countered by arguing that Gatto was helping the schools by delivering top talent that made the institutions millions and the NCAA billions. She also promised evidence that would show Gatto was doing so with the knowledge and even at the request of highly paid basketball coaches.

“Jim Gatto broke NCAA rules,” Donnelly said. “NCAA rules are not laws.”

Attorneys for both Code and Dawkins also conceded their clients were involved in NCAA violations but echoed the idea that it was in an effort to bolster the fortune of the schools, not to harm, cheat or defraud them.

“We agree Merl Code helped facilitate payment to the family of [Brian] Bowen in order for him to go to the University of Louisville,” Code’s attorney Mark Moore said. “Breaking NCAA rules to help [an Adidas] flagship school is a far cry from conspiracy.”

“Rule breaking does not constitute law breaking,” Dawkins’ attorney Steve Haney said.

Donnelly did not specifically say that Gatto was working at the behest of Rick Pitino, the then-Louisville coach. She repeatedly stated that Gatto acted at the wishes of coaches, in general.

Donnelly also acknowledged that Gatto provided a $20,000 payment to recruit Silvio De Sousa, who attends Kansas, which is sponsored by Adidas. He did so, however, only after “Under Armour had paid for De Sousa to [commit] to the University of Maryland.”

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