DETROIT - The floodgates have opened wide on the Michigan basketball program.

Ed Martin, who is known throughout southeastern Michigan as a "basketball junkie," confirmed Tuesday that he was involved in a conspiracy that made money from an illegal gambling conspiracy and laundered it to former Michigan basketball players Chris Webber, Robert Traylor, Maurice Taylor and Louis Bullock to conceal substantial amounts of cash. The loans were kept secret by the players and their families.

Although Martin admitted the bulk of the loans were from illegal sources, Martin did say that some of the money was legitimately earned.

Attorney Gregory Fisher Lord, who represented Martin's wife, Hilda, said that a third party, now deceased, also gave Ed Martin money to loan the players. Lord said that the third party had no affiliation with the University and was just interested in helping out Ed Martin. Both Martin and the third party were expecting the players to pay them back once they made it to the NBA.

Traylor's attorney, Steven Fishman, said that his client began to pay Martin back in increments, but once the federal investigation began, Fishman advised Traylor not to pay anymore money back.

"Under the government's theory, we were aware that Martin's money came from illegal activity, and (Traylor) could be viewed as a conspirator to money laundering," Fishman said.

Fishman added that Bullock, who is also his client, did not have the money to pay Martin back until he signed his pro contract to play in Europe, which was after the investigation had already begun.

Lord said that just one of the four players held up his end of the deal, attempting to pay back the loan, but he would not disclose which player.

"He put food on (the players') table, clothing on their backs," Lord said. "We're going to find out that these kids turned their back on him. Shame on them. When he needed food on his table, three of four turned their back."

"He doesn't have enough money to buy food through the month of May. The money from the illegal gambling business was never used for his benefit," he added.

Martin confirmed the allegation that from 1988 to 1993, he gave Webber, the star of the "Fab Five," and his family approximately $280,000. The 68-year-old said he paid for Webber's rent while at the University, hotel rooms, food and "things along that line." Webber, who now plays a starring role for the NBA's Sacramento Kings, told The Sacramento Bee earlier this month that $200,000 was a "crazy" amount.

Martin also admitted that he gave similar gifts to the other three players and confirmed the alleged totals given to the other players - $160,000 to Traylor, $105,000 to Taylor and $71,000 to Bullock.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Rick Convertino did not comment on whether or not the players would have charges filed against them.

When asked if he had a message to relay to the University, Ed Martin responded with a simple "Go Blue."

"I love the University of Michigan," Martin said. "They did nothing wrong."

Lord and Martin's attorney, William Mitchell, indicated that there are probably many more kids in the Detroit area that Martin helped in the same way as the Michigan players.

"(He may have helped) even thousands," Mitchell said. "If there was a kid who didn't have shoes, he'd give them shoes. He'd sacrifice his own family for the kids."