Two Auburn basketball players and an assistant coach were interviewed by the NCAA regarding alleged recruiting violations. Jim Elworth of the NCAA’s enforcement staff met with sophomores Marco Killingsworth and Brandon Robinson on Tuesday at an Auburn hotel. He also questioned assistant coach Charlton Young at a different location.
The NCAA is reportedly looking into the academic eligibility of at least one Auburn player, as well as the relationships of Huntsville-based AAU coach Mark Komara with Auburn and some of his former players, including Robinson and high school senior Jackie Butler.
Butler has committed to play at Mississippi State.
Elworth interviewed Killingsworth and Robinson separately for about 90 minutes each. All three refused comment after the meetings.
Huntsville attorney Behoruz K. Rahmati, who represented Robinson, would only say that his client’s meeting “went well.” Rahmati also represents Komara, but said the NCAA hasn’t contacted the AAU coach, a Huntsville businessman.
Birmingham attorney William King represented Auburn in both of the player interviews. The school has not received a letter of preliminary inquiry from the NCAA.
The investigation has also included a June interview with Cincinnati freshman Chadd Moore. Moore played at Lee High School in Huntsville and for Komara’s AAU team.
Auburn has been looking into allegations made more than five months ago to athletic director David Housel by Michael Walker, a self-described sports consultant from McComb, Miss.
Walker came to Auburn with Butler on an unofficial visit in March 2001. The player never made an official visit to the campus.
The university’s internal investigation has found several secondary violations, at least one of which is unrelated to the NCAA investigation.