Kentucky Offers Eighth Grader Four Year Basketball Scholarship

Rivals.com ^ | 5-1-08 | Jeff Drummond

[JZelle]

To hear Howard Avery describe it, Kentucky coach Billy Gillispie knew nothing of his son when their paths happened to cross at a recent AAU basketball event.

As fate would have it, though, that chance encounter led to a scholarship offer from the Wildcats and perhaps the earliest verbal commitment in the history of college basketball's winningest program.

Michael Avery, a 6-foot-4 eighth-grader from Lake Sherwood, Calif., says he will play for the Cats. Now on with the business of finding a high school.

"That's the funny thing," Howard Avery said with laugh. "We've got our college. Now we need our high school."

"The second game we played, Gillispie was there watching a couple other players that he may have had an interest in," Avery said. "There was a 7-footer from Africa, a 6-10 player and a 6-8 player, so there were a lot of talented players at that game. I don't even think he was aware of Michael before this game.

"Michael came off the bench each half and had a good game against some really good competition. From what I understand, he displayed a total skill set and the basketball IQ to know when and where to use that skill set within the context of the game. I think that's what really impressed coach Gillispie."

Rules prohibit college coaches from initiating contact with prospects and their families at events like the King James tournament, but word was later filtered through the Indiana Elite staff that Gillispie was very impressed with Avery.

"We talked for a while and he said, 'I like your son. In fact, I like him so much I want to offer him a scholarship here at Kentucky.' I was like, 'You're joking, right?' He said, 'Nope. I'm serious. I really love the way he plays."

[JZelle]

Good for the kid!

[GSWarrior]

This is just a verbal commitment....not the same as a letter of intent.

[Philly Nomad]

Kid would be better off going to Europe when he turns 16.

[mtbopfuyn]

If there are rules against this sort of thing, then why is the coach breaking those rules? Oh, never mind, with coaches it’s all about the ME! factor and rules don’t apply to them. Approach the kid when he’s older and knows if he even wants to attend college or if his grades even hold up to that. Ach, forgot for a moment there that athlete GPAs are different than other bright prospective students. Oh well, sign him already.

[subterfuge]

I doubt Billy G will even be at KY when the kid graduates from HS.

[rod1]

I agree with that.

[damper99]

The coach didn’t inititate nor return the call. To do so is a violation. The parent initiated the call. Read the full article for what occurred.

As far as “rules don’t apply”, are you aware that Indana recently cut loose Coach Kelvin Sampson for inappropriate phone contacts with prospects? So, the rules do apply and Gillespie is smart enough to not get caught in a violation by returning the call.

[Eurale]

This is an NCAA rules violation. In addition, the kid is not signed up with the NCAA Clearinghouse - and Kentucky is a NCAA Division IA institution.

[TruBluKentuckian]

What rule was violated?

[Eurale]

Coaches are not to engage in scholarship conversations with prospective athletes until the end of their junior high school year (after which they can be signed at the early signing period), and they have met the eligibility requirements of the NCAA Clearinghouse, which he hasn’t because: 1) he has no high school transcript; 2) he has not met any of the eligibility core requirements; and, 3) he has no high school GPA.

It might be that because the coach just said that he wanted him to come to Kentucky (sans and scholarship offer), this might get past the NCAA. But, I wouldn’t want to be Kentucky’s NCAA Compliance Officer.

[TruBluKentuckian]

Then according to you, NO prospective student-athlete could be recruited until after his junior year, which you know is not the case. Sophomores and juniors commit to colleges all the time. Since transcripts/grades are not sent to the clearinghouse until after their junior year, under your interpretation of the rule, no commitment could be accepted except from seniors and seniors to be.

The truth is this isn't the first time it's happened. Southern California has 2 players committed to them that committed as eigth graders, and the NCAA hasn't done a thing about it. We're only hearing about this situation because it is Kentucky.

This isn't unprecedented and it's not a violation.

[meandog]

Doesn’t surprise me...Wildcat basketball is a cult religion at UK. Take the case of Paul Bear Bryant, who was the UK football coach in the early 50s and took the team to its first SEC championship and the Sugar Bowl where they handed their opponents their heads. Later, at a Wildcat sports banquet, Bear Bryant got a zippo lighter for his achievement—WHILE UK BASKETBALL COACH ADOLPH RUPP WAS GIVEN A CADILLAC (despite losing in the NCAA tourney)!

[r9etb]

F***ing sick.

[TruBluKentuckian]

While I understand the argument that it’s too early and maybe the kid is too young to really know where he wants to go to college (and believe me, I’m not excited about it, much can happen between now and when he steps on Rupp Arena floor) I don’t understand why people think this is “sick”.

It’s not like Gillispie has asked him to the prom.

[MissouriConservative]

Sorry to tell you, but he is right about it being a violation.

According to the NCAA website it states:

"13.1.1.1 High School Prospective Student-Athletes.

Off-campus recruiting contacts shall not be made with a prospective student-athlete or the prospective student-athlete's relatives or legal guardians before July 1 following the prospective student-athlete's completion of the junior year in high school (July 15 in women's gymnastics). U.S. service academy exceptions to this provision are set forth in Bylaw 13.16.1. (Revised: 1/10/91 effective 7/1/91, 1/11/94 effective 3/15/94, 1/10/95, 1/14/97 effective 5/1/97, 10/28/97, 4/26/01 effective 8/1/01, 4/29/04 effective 8/1/04, 4/28/05, 1/9/06, 2/26/07)"

LINK

There is a small exception for men's basketball, but Kentucky would still be in violation of it.

"13.1.3.1.2 Exception -- Men's Basketball.

In men's basketball, an institution is permitted to make one telephone call per month to a prospective student-athlete (or the prospective student-athlete's relatives or legal guardians) on or after June 15 of the prospective student-athlete's sophomore year in high school through July 31 of the prospective student-athlete's junior year in high school. An institution is permitted to make two telephone calls per week to a prospective student-athlete (or the prospective student-athlete's relatives or legal guardians) beginning August 1 prior to the prospective student-athlete's senior year in high school. An institution is permitted to make one telephone call per week to a two-year or four-year college prospective student-athlete (or the prospective student-athlete's relatives or legal guardians). (Adopted: 11/1/01 effective 4/1/02, 4/29/04 effective 8/1/04, 4/28/05 effective 8/1/05, Revised: 1/9/06)

LINK

The kids is not even IN high school yet, so, yes, Kentucky would be in violation of NCAA rules.

[TruBluKentuckian]

Not so fast. In the exception (which renders the main rule moot for this argument/discussion) for men's basketball you highlighted a part that actually doesn't pertain to this situation. I'll highlight the important part:

In men's basketball, an institution is permitted to make one telephone call per month to a prospective student-athlete (or the prospective student-athlete's relatives or legal guardians) on or after June 15 of the prospective student-athlete's sophomore year in high school through July 31 of the prospective student-athlete's junior year in high school.

If you read the original article you'll see that Gillispie did not make the phone call, Avery's father did. This is the only place where a violation could have occurred... if Gillispie made the call himself. In fact, there's nothing in this rule that was violated at all.

[r9etb]

I don’t understand why people think this is “sick”.

No, I suppose you don't.

[TruBluKentuckian]

Then please, enlighten me.