Kansas City businessman Tom Grant told The Kansas City Star in a story published Thursday that the NCAA had made the decision to suspend Andre Williams over $20,000 in prep-school tuition payments Grant made on the youth's behalf.

Grant told The Star that Williams, who played basketball at Schlagle High School in Kansas City, Kan., would be required to pay back the $20,000. The money came from Grant's foundation and was paid to Maine Central Institute in Pittsfield.

Grant, in a statement made late Wednesday, defended helping Williams, and said the foundation had helped other students who never played college sports.

"Andre is a fine young man, and is a victim of an arbitrary and capricious decision by the NCAA, which I sincerely hope they will reconsider since their stated goals are to help student-athletes receive an education," Grant said. "I guess I don't understand why it's always necessary that everyone thinks you have an agenda when you help another human being."

Williams has been suspended from the Oklahoma State program since Dec. 18 after federal investigators visited the Stillwater campus in regard to allegations concerning his summer-league coach, Myron Piggie.

NCAA and Oklahoma State officials declined to comment to The Star regarding Williams. An NCAA spokesman, however, took issue with Grant's characterization of its process.

"Decisions made at both the staff and appeal levels are done based on precedent," said Wally Renfro, the NCAA's director of public relations. "It's difficult to label a process like that as either capricious or arbitrary."

Grant told The Star that the university was appealing the preliminary ruling.

Rick Allen, associate athletic director at Oklahoma State, said the school was examining tuition payments to Maine Central. He added that the process was more complicated than officials originally thought.

Williams would be the second player with ties to Piggie and Grant to be suspended this season by the NCAA. Missouri freshman Kareem Rush is serving an NCAA suspension for payments he received from Piggie.

Rush's older brother JaRon, has been suspended indefinitely by UCLA for reportedly receiving improper payments from a Los Angeles sports agent. That agent, Jerome Stanley, has denied making such payments.

Grant also paid tuition for JaRon Rush to attend Pembroke Hill in Kansas City, provided him with a leased car and gave him a room in his Johnson County home. But because Grant had known JaRon Rush since he was a child, the NCAA allowed the arrangement, citing a "pre-existing relationship."