Kentucky Investigating Allegation of Payment Involving L.A. Prep Star

David Roselle, president of the University of Kentucky, said that the school has begun an investigation into the allegation of a possible violation of a National Collegiate Athletic Assn. rule by its basketball program.

The investigation is the result of a story by the Los Angeles Daily News, which reported in today’s editions that it learned of a cash payment involving the school and Claud Mills, the father of Fairfax High School star Chris Mills, who signed a letter of intent Nov. 11 to accept a basketball scholarship to the university.

The player, his father and university officials denied any knowledge of the money, the newspaper reported.

Roselle said: “We first heard about the matter last Friday evening as a result of a telephone inquiry by a reporter from the newspaper. He gave us only enough information to indicate the possibility of a serious rule infraction. We immediately began an investigation and in very short order, informed the NCAA enforcement staff.”

Last month, the NCAA Committee on Infractions publicly reprimanded the university for not fully cooperating with an earlier NCAA investigation and ordered it to monitor athletic expenditures and report its results to the NCAA for the next three years.

The paper said an NCAA investigator was in Los Angeles this week to determine whether a violation had occurred. The official declined comment.