March 16, 2000 SportsLine.com wire reports

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Indiana officials, unaware of the details of Neil Reed's accusation that coach Bob Knight choked him three years ago, will investigate the matter again.

	Related Links: Knight says he can't recall choking player Report: Former Indiana player says Knight choked him Forum: Should Indiana revisit a three-year-old incident?
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After Reed left the team in 1997, he claimed he was physically and mentally abused by Knight but offered no specifics. In a story broadcast by CNN/SI this week, he said Knight choked him at one practice.

Knight said Wednesday he might have grabbed Reed around the neck, but didn't recall choking him.

"Maybe I grabbed Neil Reed by the shoulder, maybe I took him by the back of the neck, I don't know. I don't remember everything I've done in practice," Knight told Indianapolis TV station WTHR.

"I have used a lot of different things for motivational purposes. I've always tried to act that part of my coaching is to move you where you're supposed to be," Knight said.

The university investigated and rejected Reed's claims three years ago. Now, athletic director Clarence Doninger says the matter will be looked into anew.

"Whenever something like this comes up, obviously the university is under an obligation to check things out," Doninger said.

Doninger said Reed refused to elaborate at the time of the alleged incident.

"He said something to the effect that he wasn't going to talk about his allegations on the advice of counsel. So I respected that," Doninger said.

Doninger said that within days of that conversation, he spoke to all of the Indiana players and every coach except Knight, to whom he had already spoken.

"Basically, nobody had anything to say," Doninger said.