By Nicole Auerbach, USA TODAY

Some of Texas Tech men’s basketball players met with athletic director Kirby Hocutt this week, associate athletics director Blayne Beal, who is in charge of communications, confirmed to USA TODAY Sports Friday afternoon.

The meeting was about players’ concerns about the way they are being treated by second-year coach Billy Gillispie, according to an ESPN.com report.

Beal also confirmed to USA TODAY Sports that Gillispie was hospitalized in Lubbock for an undisclosed reason.

The players first met with members of the compliance department about the number of hours they were being asked to practice, ESPN.com said, and that meeting led to another meeting — with Hocutt.

ESPN.com also quoted anonymous players discussing the possibility of some players leaving the program if Gillispie stays, although the players said that they didn’t explicitly talk about transferring during the meeting with Hocutt.

Gillispie, who was hired in March 2011, posted an 8-23 overall record (1-17 in the Big 12) in his first season at Texas Tech. He previously held the same position at Kentucky, Texas A&M and Texas-El Paso.

There have been rumblings and some reports of Gillispie mistreating players throughout his career. When Gillispie was fired after just two years with the Wildcats, Kentucky athletic director Mitch Barnhart said the coach “wasn’t the right fit” for the program.

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