College Basketball

Former Pittsburgh assistant basketball coach John Sarandrea has emerged as the central figure in an NCAA investigation into allegations a middleman helped the school recruit former New York City high school star Jamal Faulkner in 1989.

The NCAA charged in a letter of inquiry to the university that Sarandrea, now the basketball coach at New Castle (Pa.) High, had Sam Albano pay a part of Faulkner’s high school tuition at a private school. Faulkner committed to Pitt, but never played at the school.