U of Illinois question for Clarkmeister

[marbles]

This could become one of the most interesting subtexts of the tournament, so I want to make sure I have my facts straight... I'll give you what I know, and what I need confirmation on:

What I know:
-Illinois was put on probation many years ago for flagrant recruiting violations by Lou Henson.
-The nail-in-the-coffin was a taped conversation between a recruit and an Iowa assistant where the recruit claimed that Illinois was paying him $80k in a paper bag.

What I need confirmation on:
-The recruit in the aforementioned conversation was Deon Thomas.
-The Iowa assistant was Bruce Pearl, now UWM head coach.

I know this story seems like ancient history, but it will almost certainly resurface if Pearl's Panthers meet the Illini in the second round (a very likely possibility). IIRC, there was a time when there was a ton of bad blood between the Illini and Iowa, and if my facts are right, Pearl was pretty much the center of the whole thing.

So, Clark (or any other Illini alums)... How's your memory? Does that story sound right to you? If it's correct, will the media be sharp enough to pick up on it?