NCAA schedules third interview with UT freshman Williams

With Texas bearing down on its final exhibition game Monday and the season-opener Friday, the NCAA isn't ready to rule on the eligibility of freshman forward Mike Williams.

Williams' attorney, Donald Jackson, told SportsLine.com on Saturday night that the NCAA has requested a third interview with Williams and his family.

Jackson said he didn't know when the interview would take place, or where. In the past, an NCAA investigator has met with the Williams family at Jackson's office in Montgomery, Ala. Doing so again, Jackson said, would require Williams to miss classes and his parents to miss work.

"It's getting to the point of harassment," Jackson said. "We've had between 12 and 14 hours of conversations with the NCAA, and from what I can tell, they're going to ask about the same topics again. The answers aren't going to change."

The NCAA has accused Williams' former summer coach, Huntsville's Mark Komara, of buying plane tickets for Williams' parents. Jackson said Komara was reimbursed with cash because Williams' parents don't have a checking account or credit cards.

The NCAA does not comment on ongoing investigations.

Jackson said this case is looking more and more like the NCAA investigation that cost Louisville's Marvin Stone three games during the 2002-03 season. Stone also played for Komara, a target of multiple NCAA investigations. The NCAA didn't find violations regarding Stone and Komara, Jackson said.

"That became a de facto suspension, just like this," Jackson said. "My biggest concern is that these are questions that could have been asked two, three months ago. These are actually questions that were asked in April or May."

At the advice of the NCAA, Texas sat Williams for the Longhorns' first exhibition game Tuesday against Lenoir-Rhyne. With another interview still to go, a resolution doesn't appear likely before Texas' second exhibition Monday against Tarleton State.

Texas' season opener is Friday against Texas State. Williams' absence means more minutes for fellow freshman LaMarcus Aldridge, as well as senior Jason Klotz and junior Brad Buckman. With Texas coach Rick Barnes likely to redshirt 6-foot-9 freshmen Connor Atchley, the Longhorns' fourth big man appears to be 6-6 junior Chris Price until Williams is cleared.