CHAPEL HILL, N.C. ? North Carolina will report a secondary recruiting violation to the NCAA after an assistant basketball coach spoke to a high school player this month.

Matt Doherty, coach of the No. 22 Tar Heels, said his staff would be careful not to repeat the mistake, one that is not likely to result in a serious penalty.

Assistant Fred Quartlebaum spoke briefly to Justin Bohlander of Winston-Salem Reynolds after the recruit’s Dec. 14 game. The conversation came during a period in which contact with players is not allowed.

North Carolina is trying to land Bohlander as a walk-on.

Quartlebaum went toward the locker room after the game to talk to Reynolds coach Howard West, and Bohlander approached him.

Bohlander then walked away while West and Quartlebaum talked for about 10 more minutes, West said.

“I understand the rule,” Doherty told The Herald-Sun of Durham. “But I think if those violations were turned in everywhere throughout the country, the NCAA would change the rules because that’s all they would have to handle.”

One of Bohlander’s teammates, 6-foot-7 Reyshawn Terry, already has signed with Carolina. Bohlander always has been a UNC fan, Reynolds coach Howard West said, and Bohlander approached Quartlebaum after the Demons’ game Dec. 14 against West Charlotte.

The Reynolds locker room is downstairs from the court at Bryson Gym, and Quartlebaum went down those stairs after the game ended.

“(Bohlander) walked right over to him because he knew he was a coach for North Carolina,” West said. “What’s (Quartlebaum) going to do, turn his back? (Quartlebaum) says, ‘Hey, big man, I can’t talk to you, but you played great.”’

At that point, West said, Bohlander walked away while West and Quartlebaum talked for about 10 more minutes.

If it’s a violation, West said, he’s seen a lot of violations. “I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen that occur,” West said.