Pac-10 Probing Harrick Friends

Pacific 10 Conference investigators are looking into the activities of two associates of Jim Harrick, former UCLA basketball coach, according to Bruin Athletic Director Peter T. Dalis.

Under investigation, among other things, is whether the purchase of a car by Pat Barrett, a friend of Harrick and an area youth league coach, for recruit Olujimi Mann in September 1994 influenced Mann’s decision to orally commit to UCLA.

Mann, a prep All-American guard from Santa Ana Valley High who made the commitment as a junior in March 1995, never enrolled at UCLA because of academic problems and recently dropped out of Cerritos College. He was either given the car by Barrett or bought it from Barrett at less than half price.

Pac-10 investigators, who arrived at UCLA on Thursday, were also examining the link between Barrett and prominent UCLA booster Frank Pritt, a boyhood friend of Harrick in Charleston, W.Va. Pritt, 54, is the owner of a Bellevue, Wash., computer firm called Attachmate Corp. He has residences in Bellevue and Newport Beach.

They are also looking at the link between Barrett and Pritt, which goes back to 1993, when Barrett started Orange County Hoops, a nonprofit organization, and Pritt became his biggest donor. The donations were confirmed by Robert Shaw, Pritt’s accountant.

NCAA penalties against UCLA are possible if investigators determine that Pritt donated to Barrett’s organization for the sole purpose of providing Mann with a car. Barrett denied that was the case.

Repeated attempts to reach Pritt were unsuccessful.

Harrick, fired by UCLA Nov. 6 for filing a fraudulent expense report and then lying to school officials about it, denied any wrongdoing in the Mann matter.

“This is all innuendo and speculation,” he said. “I didn’t know anything about a car for Olujimi or anyone else. It has nothing to do with me.”

Shortly before he was fired, a Pac-10 investigation cleared Harrick of wrongdoing in the sale of a Chevrolet Blazer that he owned to Lisa Hodoh, the sister of UCLA recruit Baron Davis.

In the Mann situation, Department of Motor Vehicle records show that Barrett paid $13,265 for a 1991 Honda Accord in September 1994. Four months later, records show, he turned over the car’s insurance liability to Mann, who had played on one of his all-star teams.

Barrett said he bought the car for Olujimi’s father, Richard Mann, who needed a car to get to work.

“[Richard’s] name is on all the documents,” Barrett said.

In fact, Richard Mann’s name does not appear on DMV transaction records.

Richard and Olujimi Mann said that Barrett bought the car specifically for Olujimi. Richard Mann said he reimbursed Barrett $5,000 over a 12-month period. When asked why Barrett would take an $8,265 loss, and not charge the Manns interest, Richard said: “I don’t know. We never talked about it.”

According to DMV records, Olujimi Mann signed a document June 28, 1996, saying the car, valued at $10,000, was a gift from Barrett.

Barrett, who said he has been close to the player since Olujimi Mann was in the eighth grade, denied any impropriety.

“I want to go out and buy a $10,000 car and sell it to you for $5,000, who says I can’t?” Barrett said earlier this month. “It’s my car. I’m not affiliated with any high school or college and not under any NCAA rule. I can tell a kid to go to X university and then take him up there all the time; there is nothing wrong with that. . . . College rules have nothing to do with me.”

Olujimi Mann said in a September interview that Barrett has been “like a second father.”

“He didn’t offer me anything to go to UCLA,” Olujimi Mann said. “I know Pat knows Mr. Harrick, but he never gave me anything to go to UCLA. Pat has given me money--but not to play--just for food with the team. Our relationship has never been about business.”

Times staff writers Jason Reid and George Dohrmann and researcher Paul Singleton contributed to this story.