Waco, Texas ? Baylor appointed a panel Friday to investigate whether coaches made improper payments to Patrick Dennehy, the basketball player who disappeared last month and is presumed dead.

The committee, composed of three Baylor Law School professors, hired former Austin mayor Kirk Watson as an outside counsel to help determine if NCAA rules were broken.

Dennehy’s family traveled to Waco this week to tour the campus, collect belongings from his apartment and meet with police who have been searching for the 21-year-old player.

The family left Waco on Friday after meeting with police for about three hours. His mother and stepfather, Valorie and Brian Brabazon, said the meeting went well, but they would not discuss specifics about the investigation into the 6-foot-10 center’s disappearance in mid-June.

“We still have hope that our son is out there alive,” Valorie Brabazon said. “We are not going to give up hope ever.”

Former teammate Carlton Dotson was charged with murder and is in a Maryland jail awaiting an extradition hearing. Police have said Dotson admitted to the killing.

Concerns over rules violations in Baylor’s basketball program stem from reports that a coach told Dennehy his education and living expenses would be paid if he gave up his scholarship.

One of the committee members was involved in a 1993-94 investigation of the team about coaches illegally doing correspondence course work for players. The investigation led to an FBI inquiry in which three assistant coaches were convicted of mail and wire fraud.

Baylor basketball coach Dave Bliss has denied that coaches made improper payments to Dennehy.