Former Baylor coach Dave Bliss is expected to meet with the university's investigative committee Monday to explain where the illegal partial payments for two players' tuitions originated, multiple Baylor sources have told ESPN.com.

		Having known Dave Bliss a long time, his heart has always been in the right place. From when he was on one of the great staffs in college basketball at Indiana, during his days at Cornell and over the years at places like New Mexico and Baylor, there is no doubt in my mind that he holds his athletes close to his heart. But the bottom line is, nobody could blame Baylor president Robert Sloan for asking for the resignations of Bliss and athletic director Tom Stanton. Think about this: How in the world could Bliss or his staff walk into a student-athlete's home in a recruiting situation now? More...

Sources said a Baylor booster -- and not Bliss -- paid for part of the two players' tuitions, which constitutes a major violation of NCAA rules. It was these violations that ultimately led to Bliss' resignation Friday.

Bliss is expected to divulge that he had knowledge of how the tuition was paid, but he did not directly pay the remaining balance after the two players qualified for financial aid.

One of the players whose tuition was paid for was the late Patrick Dennehy. The other player, according to multiple Baylor sources, was freshman Corey Herring. A source close to Herring's family told ESPN.com that Bliss didn't pay for Herring to go to school. Multiple sources said Bliss told Baylor president Robert Sloan that he acknowledged that he knew about the illegal payments for their tuitions last Friday but didn't directly contribute to the fund.

Baylor investigators met earlier in the week with Dennehy's girlfriend Jessica De La Rosa in Albuquerque before Dennehy's funeral in San Jose, Calif., to tell her of the violations.

Sources said the violations occurred because Bliss was reacting to the five-eight scholarship rule. Bliss didn't have scholarships available to give to Dennehy and Herring during the 2002-03 season; Dennehy was a transfer from New Mexico and had to sit out a season, Herring was a freshman from Buffalo, N.Y.

Bliss had already given out five newcomer scholarships for the 2002-03 season. The NCAA rule states that a school cannot give more than five in one season and no more than eight in two seasons. Baylor had only 11 players on scholarship entering last season but couldn't go to the maximum 13 because of the five-eight rule. Bliss gave a 12th scholarship to then senior walk-on Andre White, who was already in the program and didn't count as a newcomer.

Herring was a seldom-used reserve who played in 18 games, averaging 6.2 minutes, 0.2 points and 0.9 rebounds. Baylor found itself in a predicament of being short players when Wendell Greenleaf was dismissed from the team in August 2002 for violations of team rules and Logan Kosmalski transferred to Davidson.

Bliss told ESPN.com that he made some bad decisions and this extreme reaction to the five-eight rule shows that the NCAA could end up checking how each player who is not on scholarship paid for school.

There are other violations still to be dissected as to whether they were major or secondary. The investigators are looking to see if the program provided financial help for a girlfriend's car ride to the Dallas Fort-Worth airport or help on Dennehy's down payment for a vehicle.

Meanwhile, Bliss told ESPN.com that he will continue to be cooperative with the inquiry and wants to help keep the team together for next season. Bliss plans on staying in Waco encouraging the university to finish the inquiry, help with the transition and get a coach within the next week.

"A case can be made for the players staying,'' Bliss said. "They can still have a good season and get a good coach. That's very important for Baylor.''

Baylor players and some members of their families are expected to meet with Baylor president Robert Sloan and the outgoing coaching staff Monday. Bliss resigned, so too did associate head coach Doug Ash, pending the arrival of the next coach. Baylor officials and a source close to assistant Rodney Belcher said he hasn't officially resigned but is expecting to be fired. Belcher, who was linked to some financial violations involving Dennehy according to a number of sources, has retained an attorney, but is expected to show up for work Monday in Waco.

"Thus far, I have no knowledge of any booster money being involved in improper payments. ... I know of absolutely no evidence of a slush fund,'' Sloan told the Associated Press.

Baylor's Web site lists only Ash and John Marczak, the director of basketball operations, as the coaches of the team. Bliss' and Belcher's name were removed from the roster on the Web site.

Sloan has given permission for the players to transfer with a full release. Sloan did this after he put the school on two year's probation, including a postseason ban for the 2003-04 season. The three seniors -- Matt Sayman, Terrance Thomas and R.T. Guinn -- are the only players who could transfer without a penalty under NCAA rules. The NCAA allows players to transfer without sitting out a year if the postseason ban is equal to their remaining seasons of eligibility. But none of the three are expected to leave.

The other returning players -- Ellis Kidd, Jr., John Lucas, preseason Wooden All-American Lawrence Roberts, Kenny Taylor, Tommy Swanson -- are expected to return. Newcomer Harvey Thomas is also supposed to stay at Baylor. Freshman Tyrone Nelson has asked for a release from his national letter of intent and freshman Carl Marshall might bolt as well.

The players who do leave must go to a school that has a scholarship available or face the same scrutiny of how they would pay for college without the financial assistance from the university.

The populist choice at Baylor to replace Bliss is Lucas' father, former NBA coach John Lucas. But he wouldn't have NCAA coaching experience and knowledge of the rules. Other coaches have expressed interest in the position through intermediate sources like Samford's Jimmy Tillette, Sam Houston State's Bob Marlin, Southwest Missouri State's Barry Hinson and Texas-Pan American's Bob Hoffman. Baylor is expected to organize a committee to make the hire with the resignation of athletic director Tom Stanton.

Andy Katz is a senior editor at ESPN.com.