New NCAA Rule Will Help Junior Colleges

When Ryan Swanson, the men's basketball coach at Hutchinson Community College in Kansas, recruits a player, he routinely begins by asking, "Why aren't you going to prep school?" If the player suggests prep school is an option, Swanson has typically stopped pursuing him because he knows he doesn't stand a chance.

That approach likely will change because of a new NCAA rule that will prohibit players from attending prep schools for a year to correct deficiencies in their academic transcripts following four years of high school.

"It's big," said Jeff Kidder, the coach of Indian Hills Community College in Ottumwa, Iowa. "Everyone is aware of it. It's a whole different ballgame in recruiting. These kids can't automatically say, 'I'm going to prep school.' "

Kidder said two players who seemed destined for prep school a month ago are reconsidering his school.

Several other junior college coaches said they are quickly disseminating information to high school and AAU coaches to educate players on the new legislation because some expect a "feeding frenzy" late this summer over unsigned players.

Junior college, once a popular two-year destination for talented players who lacked the academic credentials to be eligible to compete immediately at four-year universities, was a stop for future NBA standouts such as Steve Francis, Shawn Marion and J.R. Rider. But over the past decade, the proliferation of prep schools -- some legitimate institutions, some fraudulent entities known as diploma mills -- has drained junior colleges of talent. One year at a prep school left players with four years of athletic eligibility at a four-year university, as opposed to two years of eligibility after two years at a junior college.

The NCAA's new rule states that upon entering ninth grade, athletes have four years to meet the eligibility standards in core academic courses to participate in college athletics; following those four years, they may take only one additional core course at any high school recognized by the NCAA. And beginning in 2008, recruits also will need to complete 16 core courses instead of 14, which will make it harder for players to become academically eligible after four years of high school.

"When you combine those two rules, you are going to see a different landscape for a few years while high school students adjust to that," said Brian Hoberecht, the coach at Dodge City (Kan.) Community College.

"It is going to help the junior colleges," said Syracuse Coach Jim Boeheim, the president of the National Association of Basketball Coaches. Yet he called the rule "one of the worst ever passed" because if players fall behind during their freshman year in high school, there is not enough time to catch up within a four-year window. Boeheim added that the rule could have the unintended consequence of eliminating "the poor kid who is not a good student," which is why Boeheim is working with other Division I coaches to push for an amendment.

Several junior college coaches praised the NCAA's attempt to eliminate fraudulent prep schools, though they also said the majority of prep schools were legitimate. But many junior college coaches acknowledged they will benefit personally from the legislation because better players likely will attend junior colleges.

Dennis Helms, the Odessa (Tex.) College coach whose former players include 1991 No. 1 draft pick Larry Johnson, was blunt, saying: "We would not complain a bit if they somehow come up with a rule that figures out how Kevin Durant would come play for you. That would be okay."

In the past, coaches at four-year colleges often steered recruits with troubled academics to junior colleges to boost their credentials. Once prep schools became more popular, some coaches at four-year schools helped push players to specific prep schools so the players could improve their academics and preserve their four years of college eligibility.