[Stardust]

HOUSTON — University of Kentucky President Lee T. Todd Jr. downplayed the importance of a FoxSports.com report Friday night that said a former UK basketball staffer broke rules by making impermissible telephone calls to recruits.

Speaking at the Final Four on Saturday, Todd also questioned the timing of the report.

"If it had merit, and I don't think it does, they can do it next week," Todd said.

Todd said he had spoken to UK's chief compliance officer, Sandy Bell, about the report.

Bilal Batley abruptly resigned as UK's assistant director of basketball operations/manager after he violated NCAA rules by rebounding for a player during a workout in July 2009. UK self-reported the secondary violation and sent Batley a letter of admonishment.

Batley's job did not allow him to have on-court interaction with players. When he resigned after barely four months on the job, a team spokesman said an illness in his family was the reason.
Batley, who worked for UK Coach John Calipari at Memphis, broke NCAA rules by making repeated impermissible telephone calls to recruits while working for Memphis and then Kentucky, FoxSports.com said.

Todd said he was hesitant to talk about the report because it came on the eve of the national semifinals.

"For some reason, people want to drag up something negative," said Todd, who is retiring as UK president at the end of June. "It's a part of journalism I'm glad I don't have to put up with much longer."


Read more: http://www.kentucky.com/2011/04/03/16943...z1IVgeLHNe