University of Kentucky basketball Coach Eddie Sutton...

University of Kentucky basketball Coach Eddie Sutton “may have wanted a high school basketball coach ‘to give false and misleading information to the NCAA,’ ” the Louisville Courier-Journal reported.

The newspaper quoted from the university’s response to 18 National Collegiate Athletic Assn. allegations of wrongdoing in the men’s basketball program.

The newpaper said Kentucky’s response, which has not been made public, acknowledges as “substantially correct” an allegation involving the potentially false and misleading information that was given the NCAA in regard to the transportation of two recruits to a college-entrance exam.

The coach could not be reached at his home for comment Sunday.

The newspaper reported that the NCAA said recruits Eric Manuel and Sean Sutton, the coach’s son, first told investigators the younger Sutton took Manuel to the test. Casey said he told Manuel “to catch a ride” with Sean Sutton, the newspaper said.

Casey and the recruits later admitted both stories were false when Lafayette High School Coach Donnie Harville told the NCAA that he had driven the two students to the test. The Kentucky response said Casey later stated that he forgot the arrangement with Harville to take Manuel to the test site.

Noting that its investigators got conflicting information from Casey and Eddie Sutton, Kentucky’s response to the NCAA said, in part:

“If true, Coach Casey’s statement suggests that Coach Sutton wanted Coach Harville to give false and misleading information to the NCAA in order to cover up erroneous statements.”