BY TIM SULLIVAN
The Cincinnati Enquirer

Bob Huggins' attorney said Friday he thinks University of Cincinnati Athletic Director Gerald O'Dell is out to get the UC basketball coach, and several sources suggested O'Dell might be using extreme methods.

Speaking on condition of anonymity, two UC officials said members of O'Dell's staff surreptitiously searched the offices of UC assistant basketball coaches and support staff while the team was participating in the NCAA Tournament in Auburn Hills, Mich.

Huggins declined to comment Friday. O'Dell declined to respond to specific questions concerning the alleged office searches, or to his relationship with Huggins.

''I'm not going to respond to questions like that,'' O'Dell said. ''I'm going to give you one response: I've been advised not to discuss any specific issues involving this case until the internal review (on UC player Charles Williams' eligibility) is completed. That's all I'm going to say.''

Williams' suspension from the team is a sore point between Huggins and O'Dell.

George Wolterman, formerly UC's senior associate athletic director, said Friday he has obtained a legal opinion that supports an employer's right to search an employee's office on company property.

Wolterman said he sought the legal opinion on his own initiative after hearing some offices were allegedly searched.

Wolterman resigned in January 1995 after UC agreed to pay him more than $60,000 to drop an age discrimination suit. Wolterman said at the time that he ran into trouble when he refused to go along with what appeared to be discriminatory personnel policies adopted by O'Dell, and his duties were given to a younger man.

The Huggins matter has raised privacy and ethical concerns that have contributed to a climate of distrust on the Clifton campus.

''I find that stuff very disturbing,'' said one senior member of the athletic department. ''Does that mean your phone lines are tapped? We (nearly) impeached a president for this.''

Ron Grinker, Huggins' attorney, said the coach was no longer comfortable using his office telephone for fear it was bugged.

''Maybe Gerald wants to get his own guy in there,'' Grinker said. ''He won't be the first guy to challenge Bob and lose. I think Bob's too strong for Gerald.''

The relationship between Huggins and O'Dell has been strained almost since the start, but the breach has grown bigger since the university suspended guard Charles Williams from competition, pending an investigation of his eligibility, on Feb. 26.

When the Bearcats subsequently lost to Marquette in the Conference-USA Tournament in St. Louis, with Williams unavailable to play, Huggins and O'Dell clashed at Kiel Center.

According to two sources, Huggins angrily ordered O'Dell out of the team's dressing room after the defeat.

''I know and my kids know that you're not for us,'' Huggins told O'Dell, according to witnesses. ''And we want people in here who are for us.''

Later, in a hallway of the Kiel Center, an Enquirer reporter watched Huggins rebuff Mr. O'Dell again.

''I want people who are on my side,'' Huggins told O'Dell.

Several sources said Huggins' alienation from his supervisor stems from the aggressive approach O'Dell took examining questions concerning Williams' eligibility, specifically in engaging the Kansas law firm of Bond, Schoeneck & King to investigate possible irregularities. The firm is based in Overland Park, headquarters city of the National Collegiate Athletic Association.

Sources said the attorneys met Friday afternoon with O'Dell and University President Dr. Joseph Steger to discuss the progress of their investigation.

Sources close to the investigation say it may be concluded, and the results could be revealed early next week.

Between the internal investigation and the scrutiny of the NCAA's Chuck Smrt, some apparent violations have been uncovered. Wolterman said a UC faculty member purchased a plane ticket so Williams could go home to Los Angeles during Christmas break.

The faculty member, Wolterman emphasized, is neither a member of the UCATS booster organization nor a season-ticket holder for Bearcat basketball.

In assessing the severity of violations, the NCAA typically looks at the relationship of the individual to the ''university's athletic interests.'' Mr. Grinker said he was sure ''nothing of magnitude'' had been uncovered that implicated Mr. Huggins.

''Is Gerald after Huggins?'' Mr. Wolterman said. ''Absolutely. I think he turned the investigation into a 'Get Bob Huggins' hunt. Bob has been there eight years, and I'm not aware of any violation the man's ever had. Bob Huggins is not going to give a kid an airline ticket and risk an $800,000-a-year job. He's not going to do that for the best high school player in the country.''

Dr. O'Dell Owens, a member of the university's Board of Trustees, referred questions to Steger Friday. Attempts to reach Steger were unsuccessful.

Disputes between coaches and athletic directors are common in intercollegiate athletics, particularly when both parties have strong personalities. Former UC Athletic Director Rick Taylor left the school for Northwestern following a protracted power struggle with Huggins.

''But there's a big difference here,'' Grinker said. ''Whatever differences they had, Bob thought Rick did a very good job. They respected each other. I don't think there's much respect over there now.''

O'Dell, formerly the athletic director at Northern Illinois, replaced Taylor on March 30, 1994. His original three-year contract was extended last year through June 2000.

Enquirer reporter Mike DeCourcy contributed to this story.

Postseason

BLIZZARD PICKS UMASS OVER UC April 25, 1997
NORTH IDAHO GUARD TO SIGD April 21, 1997
UC GETS SPRING VISITS FROM BLIZZARD, JONES April 19, 1997
UC LOSES OUSLEY TO MEMPHIS April 15, 1997
JUCO PAIR COMMITS TO UC April 14, 1997
BRANNEN: NO FOOTBALL THIS YEAR April 11, 1997
KAMBALA PICKS UNLV OVER UC April 10, 1997
PREP STAR NARROWS LIST TO 3 April 7, 1997
WILLIAMS SAYS HE'S RETURNING April 5, 1997
BRANNEN WALKS ON FOOTBALL SQUAD April 4, 1997
FORTSON: 'I KNOW I CAN PLAY' April 2, 1997
RECRUITING TAKES ON URGENCY April 2, 1997
WOODEN SELECTORS SPURN FORTSON April 2, 1997
FORTSON LEAPS TO NBA April 1, 1997
BEST GUESS: FORTSON'S GONE, AND HUGGINS COULD GO, TOO March 17, 1997

NCAA Tournament stories

MARCH 16, 1997
IOWA STATE 67, UC 66
UC LOSS NOT ALL SURPRISING Daugherty column
BRANNEN BECOMES SCORER

MARCH 15, 1997
IDENTITY CHECK FOR UC
IOWA STATE GETS ASSISTS FROM HOLLOWAY

MARCH 14, 1997
UC 80, BUTLER 69
IOWA STATE IS TALL ORDER
20 MINUTES ENOUGH FOR UC THIS TIME Daugherty column

MARCH 13, 1997
UC'S FORTUNES HINGE ON FORTSON
NCAA LETTER LED TO WILLIAMS INQUIRY
WILLIAMS PUNISHED BEFORE TRIAL Daugherty column
HUGGINS TO OSU? A COMMON QUERY

MARCH 12,1997
GUARD PROBLEMS PLAGUE BEARCATS
HUGGINS QUOTES GILLEN ON OSU JOB

MARCH 11, 1997
FORTSON ALL-AMERICAN
WILLIAMS PREPARES TO START
MARSHALL HAS THE MUSCLE TO CHECK FORTSON

MARCH 10, 1997
UC, XU ON COLLISION COURSE IN SWEET 16
LET FORTSON PLAY, REFS - IT'S HIS TIME Daugherty column
OPPONENT DOESN'T MATTER TO BEARCATS
BUTLER ROSTER HAS LOCAL FLAVOR