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Posted at 2:12 p.m., Saturday, December 20, 2008

NBA: Gordon meets with Sampson

Associated Press

MILWAUKEE — Three days after Eric Gordon said several Indiana University players used illegal drugs last season, the Los Angeles Clippers rookie met today with former Hoosiers coach Kelvin Sampson — now a Milwaukee assistant.

Sampson generally has publicly declined to discuss his tenure at Indiana, and Gordon said they avoided talking about Indiana before Milwaukee faced the Clippers.

"It's all in the past," Gordon said.

Indiana started 17-1 last season, but collapsed as allegations surfaced about a recruiting scandal involving Sampson. The Hoosiers lost their first game of the Big Ten tournament and were eliminated in the first round of the NCAA tournament.

Gordon declined to identify the players using drugs, but said none of the offenders still were on the team this year. He said Sampson tried to curtail the drug use, but struggled to stop it as he focused on helping the Hoosiers win.

The school bought out Sampson's contract in February. Last month, the NCAA put Indiana on three years' probation for recruiting violations.

The NCAA slapped Sampson with penalties that prevent him from any recruiting activities from 2008-11 and drastically limits any contact he could have with high school players in 2012 and 2013.

"He got five years' probation," Gordon said. "He's pretty much over it, too."

Gordon said he and Sampson remain on good terms.

"It was good to see him," Gordon said.