CAIRO'S NESBY SUBJECT OF NCAA INVESTIGATION

LAS VEGAS -- The NCAA made it official Tuesday, telling UNLV its basketball program is once again under investigation for possible recruiting and other violations.

A visit by investigators to the UNLV campus last week led to a letter from the NCAA notifying UNLV officials that it will launch a preliminary inquiry into several allegations surrounding coach Bill Bayno's program.

Bayno said he was apprehensive about the probe, but believes his program has not violated any NCAA regulations.

"I've never knowingly, willingly, violated any rules," Bayno said. "I look forward to the truth coming out."

The investigation will take up to six months and could uncover violations other than the ones that sparked the probe, according to a letter from NCAA investigative chief David Price to UNLV president Carol Harter.

Harter said the university, which had a checkered relationship with the NCAA under former coach Jerry Tarkanian, would cooperate fully in the probe.

The probe comes after a former student manager for the team claimed that cash payments were made on behalf of former player Tyrone Nesby of Cairo, Ill., to an auto leasing company. Mike Viellion claimed that he was given money from associate head coach Glenn Cyprien to make the payments.

Viellion also claimed Cyprien let center Kaspars Kambala use Viellion's car to run some errands while Viellion was out of town. Kambala wrecked and totaled the car, and Viellion feels he was never compensated properly for it.

Both Bayno and Cyprien have denied the charges.