LOS ANGELES (AP) - The NCAA placed California State University, Northridge on probation for three years Tuesday for ethical and academic violations in its men's basketball program - the second time in four years the school has been slapped for misconduct in athletics.

A report by the NCAA's infractions committee detailed the efforts of an assistant coach to protect the eligibility of a player during the 2002-03 season by persuading one instructor to give the student an "A" in a course he never attended and for trying to persuade others to fabricate grades.

The committee credited the school with uncovering and reporting the problems. But in ordering probation, the NCAA found there were "serious deficiencies in the university's compliance system with regard to oversight of student-athlete academic performance."

In addition to probation, the school will also lose one of its basketball scholarships through the 2005-06 season and must file a series of reports with the NCAA outlining its efforts to maintain academic integrity.

In 2000, the NCAA placed the school on three years probation for recruiting and other violations in its football program. The team was banned from postseason play in 2000. Because the latest violations fell within five years of the 2000 case, the school could have faced stiffer penalties as a repeat violator. Those were not imposed, however, because the violations involved a different sport and the school discovered the problems and reported them promptly.

"The institution did discover this through their own efforts," said committee chairman Thomas Yeager. It was an example of "how to track these things down," he said.

University spokesman John Chandler said the school was satisfied with the outcome of the NCAA review. "We identified a problem we had. We see that as a good thing, and a sign of progress," he said.

The assistant coach, who was terminated last year, was not named in the report or by the university. For a 10-year period, he could face restrictions on his employment if he seeks another job in athletics at an NCAA-member school.

An instructor was also terminated last year. The report said the assistant basketball coach persuaded that instructor to give him an advance copy of a final exam for the player and another student's answer sheet.

The player was declared ineligible by the school.

The men's head basketball coach, Bobby Braswell, was reprimanded by the school for failing to provide proper oversight. Yeager said while it was known the player had academic problems, there was no evidence that suggested Braswell was aware of the efforts to falsify grades.