The NCAA is probing New Mexico State basketball centers on possible academic fraud involving transfer credits from correspondence courses, according to an NCAA letter obtained by the Albuquerque Journal.
The newspaper also reported Wednesday that a Texas-El Paso athlete also has been questioned about transfer credits from the same college involved in the Aggie probe.The Journal said it has learned the investigation focuses on four former Aggie players, a former Aggie assistant coach and a current Aggie assistant coach, although those six weren't identified.
"At this time, the possible violations include academic fraud regarding credit for various correspondence classes awarded from a junior college in the summer of 1993 to four men's basketball prospective student-athletes who enrolled at New Mexico State University in the fall of 1993," says the March 8 letter to NMSU president William Conroy.
"These correspondence courses were then used to obtain a degree from other two-year colleges that the university later relied upon to certify the prospective student-athletes as eligible," the letter says.
The newspaper said it obtained a copy of the letter Tuesday from the university.
"It is the present intention of the enforcement staff to complete this investigation by the summer of 1995," the letter says.
The transfer credits came from Southeastern College of the Assemblies of God.
The newspaper said it has learned Texas-El Paso basketball player George Banks was questioned about his transfer credits from the same college two weeks ago and was cleared by the NCAA to play.
The Journal reported the NCAA tested some athletes's handwriting to see if they match handwriting on examinations submitted by players to Southeastern College.
Three of the ex-Aggies in question include Paul Jarrett, Lance Jackson and Keith Johnson, the paper said.
It said it has confirmed that former Aggie D.J. Jackson also took correspondence courses from Southeastern College in summer 1992, a year before the period under investigation by the National Collegiate Athletic Association.
The newspaper said it spoke with Jarrett in Ilwaco, Wash., early this month. Jarrett said that to attend NMSU, he needed 16 extra credit-hours.