Reprint from Eric Bossi and Corey Evans
Rivals.com
On Wednesday, the
Commission on College Basketball issued its much anticipated report and
suggestions for change. There were some good ideas and there were some bad
ideas. Included in the report was some discussion of changing "non
scholastic" aka grassroots or AAU basketball.
With that in mind,
Rivals.com national basketball analysts Eric Bossi and Corey Evans discuss
changes they would make and as usual they have Rival Views.
MORE: Five takeaways from the Commission on College Basketball
report
BOSSI'S
VIEW: MOVE A JULY LIVE PERIOD TO JUNE
Each college program has a
total of 130 days that it can use toward evaluating prospects. That can be
going to a practice, a game or attending one of the "live" weekends
in April when coaches can watch grassroots tournaments around the country.
However, during July's three live evaluation periods, there are no such
restrictions.
I'm not sure that there is
a good way to limit the number of days that a staff can be out during July, so
I don't think opening up the entire month and essentially saying "go for
it" - with a limited number of days available - is the plan, so instead I
would focus on switching up those live periods.
One of the biggest
complaints about summer ball and the importance of it is that it has lessened
the role of high school coaches in recruiting. So, I would take one of the
three July live periods and move it to the latter part of June. For that June
period, I would require that in order for coaches to watch a player they have
to either be practicing with or playing in an event with their high school
team.
It doesn't take away days
from coaches to scout, it theoretically gives some influence back to the high
school coaches that people seem to feel are so clean in all of this and we'd
find out real quick if state organizations and high school coaches are willing
to be part of the solution.
Meanwhile, shoe companies
and independent event operators would still be able to run their events, charge
coaches for packets and potentially turn themselves a nice profit while kids
get exposure to college coaches.
EVANS'
VIEW: OVERSIGHT FROM A GOVERNING BODY
For all of the criticism
that Condoleezza Rice and the Commission on College Basketball directed toward
grassroots basketball, most involved - outside of the former coaches - have
likely never set foot into a gym on a hot July afternoon. That's important to
note.
True, there are some
issues pertaining to spring and summer basketball. Yes, as in almost every
realm, there are some people involved in travel basketball that are not in it
for the right reasons. But let's be clear here: The grassroots industry is not
broken. For all of its supposed faults, it is also the reason why high school
prospects across the country are able to secure college scholarship offers that
they would have had a hard time securing were it not for the exposure of travel
basketball.
Reworking the travel
period schedules is a start, but we could go further. The sport would also
benefit from some sort of governing body that is more hands-on with the ground
floor of the industry.
USA Basketball has been
suggested as a potential "official" governing body for future events,
although they already certify the coaches and run background checks. That would
be a start but don’t forget that Nike sponsors USA Basketball. Sure, you could
push Nike, Under Armour and adidas away but is the NCAA willing to say goodbye
to all of the money that the shoe companies are investing into the sport? It’s
put up or shut up time.
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