By Bill Koch
The Cincinnati Enquirer

The University of Cincinnati is working with the NCAA to determine if forward James White violated any NCAA rules when he played in an exhibition basketball event last week.

White, a transfer from Florida who will become eligible to play at UC after fall quarter in mid-December, played last Wednesday in the AND 1 Mix Tape Tour event at U.S. Bank Arena.

The following morning, the UC coaching staff alerted athletic director Bob Goin that White had participated in the event.

"We've been in contact with the NCAA since the morning after the game, when we became aware of it," said Brian Mand, a UC senior associate athletic director in charge of compliance.

"We'll work together with the NCAA and AND 1 and try to bring a resolution to this."

The AND 1 Mix Tape Tour is in the midst of a 33-city exhibition tour featuring playground players displaying skills to a hip-hop music format.

The players who travel on the tour are paid, but UC officials said White was not paid.

Mand said White, who's known for his acrobatic dunks, did not attend the event with the intention of participating.

"James knew one of the players on the AND 1 team," Mand said. "He went down to see it and one thing led to another."

Mand said the school is still in the process of gathering information in cooperation with the NCAA.

"We're hoping to finish our report by the end of the week," he said. "We want to make sure we get it right."

---

E-mail bkoch@enquirer.com