When Arizona hastily called a news conference on Thursday afternoon, it appeared Coach Sean Miller’s tenure in Tucson could be coming to an end.

Instead, the coach vehemently denied a report claiming he discussed a six-figure payment to a recruit. Less than three hours later, the school president announced Miller will remain as coach of the 19th-ranked Wildcats.

“We have no reason to believe Miller violated NCAA rules or the law,” university President Robert C. Robbins said after an Arizona Board of Regents meeting Thursday afternoon. “We will continue to pursue every avenue of inquiry available to us during this active and federal investigation to fully understand the facts.”

ESPN reported last Friday, using anonymous sources, that the FBI had Miller on a wiretap discussing a $100,000 payment to Wildcats freshman Deandre Ayton to attend the school. Miller made a statement to the media inside Arizona’s McKale Center on Thursday, denying the report and saying he looked forward to shifting his focus back to basketball.

Robbins said he and Athletic Director Dave Heeke decided to keep Miller after having face-to-face discussions with the coach and going over investigations conducted by the school and federal authorities.

NORTH CAROLINA: The attorney for suspended guard Jalek Felton says the freshman has withdrawn from school and won’t return to the Tar Heels.

Kerry Sutton says Felton has received his release to talk with other schools, though he’d have to sit out the 2018-19 season due to NCAA transfer rules.

UNC announced in January that Felton was suspended and ineligible to participate in any university activities. It didn’t release the reason for the suspension or its duration due to federal privacy laws.

Felton isn’t facing criminal charges and doesn’t have a pending case listed in an online search of state court records.

(1) VIRGINIA 67, LOUISVILLE 66: De’Andre Hunter’s 3-pointer as time expired gave the Cavaliers (27-2, 16-1 ACC) a win over the Cardinals (19-11, 9-8) .

The Cavaliers are the first Atlantic Coast Conference team to go 9-0 on the road in league play.

(15) MICHIGAN 77, IOWA 71: Duncan Robinson made Michigan’s only field goal in overtime, a go-ahead 3-pointer with 2:15 left, and the Wolverines (25-7) survived foul trouble and poor shooting to beat the Hawkeyes (14-19) in New York to advance to the Big Ten tournament quarterfinals.

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

(15) TEXAS A&M 82, ARKANSAS 52: Danni Williams scored 22 points with four 3-pointers, Chennedy Carter had 19 points, five rebounds and eight assists and the Aggies (23-8) beat the Razorbacks (13-18) in the second round of the Southeastern Conference tournament at Nashville, Tennessee.