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The Honolulu Advertiser
Updated at 11:29 a.m., Sunday, March 15, 2009

CBKB: NCAA examining Arkansas basketball program

Associated Press

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — The NCAA is investigating Arkansas' basketball program over possible recruiting violations involving student athletes in Mississippi, a newspaper reported Sunday.

The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, relying on records obtained through a state Freedom of Information Act request, said the NCAA wrote the university in December asking for information related to recruiting for the men's program. The letter by LuAnn Humphrey, the associate director of enforcement with the NCAA, said the governing body received information "that the men's basketball coaching staff may have engaged in recruiting violations involving prospective student athlete(s) in Mississippi."

The NCAA asked for paperwork including copies of phone records for the men's coaching staff, a list of all prospects from Mississippi recruited by Arkansas since March 2008, copies of contacts and evaluations and copies of expense reports submitted by the coaching staff for travel near Jackson, Miss., area between Sept. 9, 2008, and Oct. 5, 2008.

The request also asked for a list of scouting service subscriptions, a list of all men's basketball camps conducted in the summers of 2007 and 2008 and the names of all individuals who were employed to work or speak at those camps.

"We are requesting that you not disclose to anyone on the men's basketball staff that this request has been made or ask any questions of the staff about this matter at this time," Humphrey asked.

Arkansas Athletic Director Jeff Long told the newspaper Saturday that there have been no allegations of wrongdoing.

"I think that the best I can tell they’re in a fact-finding mode," Long said. "I don’t know if we’re the only school that they’re interested in looking at our recruiting practices."

Coach John Pelphrey, who is on the road recruiting, could not be reached by the newspaper.

Arkansas is a double-repeat violator from the NCAA's standpoint. Sanctions in men's track and field, which included vacating two NCAA championships and three years probation in men's athletics, were given on Oct. 25, 2007, coming after the football program's violations earlier this decade.

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Information from: Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, http://www.arkansasonline.com