Tennessee head basketball coach Donnie Tyndall yells to his players in Knoxville.KNOXVILLE - New Tennessee basketball coach Donnie Tyndall's old program may be under an NCAA investigation for potential rules violations that occurred under his watch.
According to a report from Jason King of Bleacher Report, the NCAA is investigating Southern Mississippi's basketball program for possible infractions regarding how the tuition, living expenses and other fees were paid for players that were academically ineligible and thus not on scholarship or a part of the program.
Tyndall opened his previously scheduled meeting with the media on Thursday afternoon by addressing the report.
"All I'm going to say and can say is if I'm asked to cooperate, I will cooperate 100 percent," he said before the Volunteers practiced ahead of Saturday night's second exhibition game against Division II Lenoir-Rhyne.
"That's all I will say or can say about it at this time."
Tennessee's first-year coach, hired to replace the departed Cuonzo Martin in April, would neither confirm nor deny that Southern Miss in under investigation and said he's not been contacted by anyone at the NCAA.
Tyndall also was unsure how he would address the potential distraction with his team.
"I haven't given that much thought, to be honest with you," he said. "I guess I've got a few minutes to make that decision. But it is what it is."
The center of the investigation, according to the report, is Proposition 48, or "Prop 48," players, who signed with the Golden Eagles out of high school or junior college, but were academically ineligible.
Those players still could enroll in classes and live in off-campus housing while spending a year earning credit to become eligible to play. In addition to the financial support those players may have received being under investigation, the report, which sites an anonymous source, said the NCAA is looking into the players' academic records.
The NCAA enforcement staff sent members to Hattiesburg last week, according to the report.
Tyndall spent just two seasons at Southern Miss after a longer stint at Morehead State and was 56-17 with two National Invitation Tournament appearances.
Tennessee fired the popular and successful Bruce Pearl in 2011 after an NCAA investigation that stemmed from recruiting violations and the ensuing lies to the NCAA from Pearl and his staff.