Iowa State assistant men’s basketball coach Gar Forman has been accused of academic fraud while he was an assistant at New Mexico State University.

A report released Friday by New Mexico State said a seven-month internal review found that Forman and Chris Nordquist, also a former Aggie assistant, were involved in arranging fraudulent academic credit for correspondence courses for several perspective junior college transfer players.

The report alleges that Forman and Nordquist supplied answers to homework, open book exams and final examinations, completed homework and signed false signatures of proctors and perspective student-athletes on final examination request forms.

If an NCAA probe, expected to begin this month, finds Forman guilty of academic fraud, ISU could be hurt. Sanctions would not be directly imposed on the university, but Forman’s recruiting activities could be limited by the NCAA, for example.

Nordquist has acknowledged his involvement in the scheme and resigned. Forman, however, denies participation.

“This is New Mexico State doing a pretty good imitation of an ostrich,” said Jim Darnell, Forman’s lawyer. “Everything they found, they found because Gar Forman provided the information. We have had nothing to hide.”

Darnell said Forman has been included in the investigation because Nordquist claims his actions were ordered by Forman.

“That just isn’t true,” Darnell said. “This whole thing is a bunch of baloney.” Forman served as New Mexico State’s recruiting coordinator from 1988-94, before becoming an assistant to ISU head coach Tim Floyd last year. Nordquist reported to Forman.

The internal review, conducted concurrently with a preliminary NCAA inquiry, focused primarily on credits awarded by Southeastern College of the Assemblies of God in Lakeland, Fla., during the summers of 1992 and 1993. The transfer students in question all needed the credits to meet eligibility requirements, the report said.

One of the players, Paul Jarrett, said last spring that Forman helped him set up course work at Southeastern College. Jarrett told The Albuquerque Journal: “Gar set it up so they were cheaper. I paid for them. It would have been a violation if they had paid.”

But NCAA officials have said schools can “only help identify” courses that may help perspective players meet eligibility requirements.

New Mexico State President J. Michael Orenduff imposed the following sanctions on the men’s basketball program:

*Probation for two years.

*Head Coach Neil McCarthy will receive a written letter of reprimand for failing to exercise sufficient oversight over the program.

*During the period of probation, off-campus recruiting will be allowed by only one coach in 1995-96 and by only two coaches in 1996-97.

*The number of official visits for prospective recruits will be reduced by two during the 1995-96 year and by one in the 1996-97 year.

*NMSU will accept no revenue from televised games scheduled for the 1995-96 year.

*NMSU will not participate in postseason play for the 1995-96 season.

“These sanctions were chosen primarily because they address the two key underlying issues: program control and recruiting,” Orenduff said.

“Since no current members of the men’s basketball team were involved in the violations investigated, and since the two coaches involved are no longer at NMSU, my goals are to establish stricter controls, to send a clear message that we have zero tolerance for violations. . .,” Orenduff added.

Southeastern College was the focus of an investigation into Baylor University’s men’s basketball program last spring. That investigation reportedly cast a suspicious light on up to 50 Division I schools that used the Florida college to help players gain correspondence credit.

Former Baylor Head Coach Darrel Johnson and three of his assistants were indicted by a Texas grand jury for federal wire and mail fraud as a result of the investigation.

“I recognize that further actions may be taken by local law enforcement officials, state officials, federal officials and/or the NCAA,” Orenduff said. “We have cooperated fully with each of these entities, including sending them a copy of the preliminary report and this response to it.”

Paul Tanaka, director of legal services for ISU, said Sunday that university officials haven’t yet seen a copy of the New Mexico State review. Tanaka said ISU will also want to examine closely the pending NCAA report.

“We will review those findings with interest,” he said. Tanaka added that the university is aware of the situation, but cannot comment further until all the facts are in.

—The Associated Press contributed to this report.