CINCINNATI -- Cincinnati coach Bob Huggins did not know about a letter sent to a high school recruit that attacked Temple's basketball program, a Cincinnati assistant said.

"I regret that the perception of this incident shows Cincinnati in any bad light," assistant Andy Kennedy said. His initials were on a fax sent Nov. 5 to 6-foot-11 recruit Keith Butler, who had planned to visit Cincinnati and had not yet committed to Temple.

Huggins declined to comment Friday about the fax, saying he had talked privately with Temple coach John Chaney about it.

Chaney said the fax was sent three days before Butler signed a national letter of intent with Temple. Chaney called the fax "despicable," saying it criticized the Philadelphia school's basketball program.

The Philadelphia Daily News reported that the fax raised questions about the 69-year-old Chaney's age and how much longer he would coach the Owls. It also questioned the number of former Temple players who had made it to the NBA, the newspaper reported.

Chaney said Friday that Huggins apologized in a telephone conversation. He said Huggins told him that he would "deal with it."

"OK, fine, you deal with it and I'll leave it alone," Chaney said he told Huggins.

Chaney had indicated Wednesday that he planned to send a copy of the fax to the NCAA and the National Association of Basketball coaches with a note of his own, saying: "This type of recruiting is beyond negative. It is scandalous. It is a testament to a program and a university that is out of control and out of touch with ethical behavior."

The incident has added to an already strained relationship between the two schools that developed from Cincinnati's cancelation of a game with Temple last season because of an overbooked schedule.

Temple billed Cincinnati $85,000 for losses suffered from the cancellation. Cincinnati paid the bill but canceled a makeup game this season and a future return visit to Philadelphia.