The Cincinnati Bearcats played basketball Saturday without two starters - leading scorer D'Juan Baker and center Kenyon Martin - as they began three-game suspensions for making impermissible telephone calls.
The calls were made using UC coach Bob Huggins' long-distance access code. Huggins said he did not know how the players got the code.
''If I did, it wouldn't have gotten out,'' he said.
Athletic director Bob Goin said the two players came forward and admitted making calls following a team meeting to explore the issue. The situation developed when forward Ruben Patterson admitted making long-distance calls during the investigation into his eligibility. Three games of the 14-game suspension Patterson is serving were for making unauthorized calls - the maximum penalty the NCAA enforces for such violations.
Goin said it is possible other players could be penalized, but, ''I don't anticipate it.'' He said other players have admitted making calls that are expected to be worth less than $25 each. Goin said the NCAA permits athletes to pay no other penalty but restitution at that level. UC will issue a report to the NCAA after it completes an investigation of its phone records.
Calls made by Baker and Martin were worth a combined $235. The players have been ordered to pay back that money to UC. They missed Saturday's game, in which UC was led by Melvin Levett's school-record 10 three-pointers and career-high 42 points and defeated Eastern Kentucky, 106-53.
Baker and Martin will miss next Saturday's game against Massachusetts in the Rock 'n Roll Shootout at Cleveland's Gund Arena and the Dec. 30 game against Winthrop.
Goin has issued new long-distance access numbers to athletic department personnel. He said one reason this problem developed was the numbers apparently had not been changed in the past nine years.
''I don't think there is any culpability by our coaches,'' Goin said.''I think there has been a flaw in the system. What I'm doing is trying to clear it up and start fresh.''
UC had the option of choosing what three-game stretch it wanted Baker and Martin to miss. But Goin said UC did not delay the investigation so games against EKU and Winthrop would be included. He said the players could have been sidelined for games against Morehead State, Alcorn State and Wright State earlier this month.
UC 106, Eastern Ky. 53
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