Font ResizeIt's one of the newest NCAA recruiting rulings and, in some ways, it's become the biggest elephant in the men's basketball recruiting room.
In January, the NCAA ruled -- in men's basketball only -- that seventh-graders are officially classified as prospects, two years younger than before. The move was made to keep college coaches from working at private, elite camps for middle schoolers and gaining an advantage in recruiting up-and-coming players.
Seventh- and eighth-graders are now lumped into the same category as ninth- and tenth-graders, meaning colleges can't talk to them until June 15 after the athlete's sophomore year.
It can't be talked about but that doesn't mean that college staffs around the country don't know who to watch out for and who the next great talent could be.
The staffs at Brigham Young University and the University of Utah say they weren't too affected by the new ruling because those programs didn't recruit middle schoolers. But Dave Rice, BYU associate head coach, says the school certainly has kept an eye on the younger classes in the state.
"It doesn't change the fact that we know who the good players are," Rice said. "We're well aware of who all those great players are."
They just can't talk about it.
Technology ahead of the game
It would be hard not to know what's going on with players at the younger levels. Hoop Scoop Inc., which is located in
It isn't the only place they can look. The Web site www.texasbasketballinc.com is a place college coaches can go to find out about players' performances at camp and receive in-depth analysis.
Locally, the names Jordan Darger and Nick Emery will pop up on message boards and blogs. Darger and Emery are both incoming freshmen and have received some regional attention. Some of it is because expectations are high -- their older brothers are collegiate players. Joe Darger plays at UNLV and Jackson Emery is at BYU. But most of the attention is because they're players with a lot of promise.
"It feels good [to know my name is out there]," Darger said. "I just try not to think about it and work on what needs to be worked on."
Emery admits, though, receiving attention at a young age is weird at times and heading into his freshman year -- he will play basketball at Lone Peak -- he knows that this is only the beginning.
In two years, those coaches will be calling. For now, they'll have to stick to the Web.
Pros and cons
The NCAA ruling has the effect of leveling the playing field, Utah coaches say. Where once top-tier schools could work out top-tier seventh- and eighth-grade players, now all coaches are on the sidelines.
"It doesn't affect us because we don't offer kid that young anyway. But it's a good thing because it puts everybody in the same category," Utah assistant coach Jeff Smith said. "Now it's clear cut, there's no confusion. They're considered prospects."
The new rules are intended to keep elite middle-school players from being bombarded by letters and phone calls from colleges.
While Golden Holt, coach of Emery and Darger's club team, is happy to see the NCAA put regulations at the younger level, he knows that to keep up with the recruiting trends, it may be necessary to make relationships with the colleges at a younger age.
"It's a challenge because you just get sucked into it," Holt said. "If these boys and any parents with aspirations for their boy hitting expectations, you have to do it young because everyone is doing it. It's happening and it exists."
Holt wishes that weren't the case. He wishes his kids didn't have to play 80 to 100 games a year all over the country. He wishes they had more time to be kids but he knows that's not the reality.
It's a must of if you want to keep up.
"In order to compete, they have to travel and [get] recruited so young," Holt said. "I wish we could just let them be kids."
Letting kids be kids
With the new rules set in place, Holt could get his wish. This rule protects a small group of athletes -- the elite of the elite young players like Ryan Boatright, who committed to USC before knowing what high school he was going to, and Michael Avery, who committed to Kentucky as an eighth-grader.
At, the moment, there aren't any Boatrights or Averys playing in the state of Utah but many agree that the NCAA regulating contact between colleges and middle-schoolers should allow kids to be kids.
"Kids grow up quickly enough and get recruited soon enough. This allows them to grow and takes some of the pressure off," Rice said. "When they get to [high school], there's going to be plenty of recruiting."
So for those ninth-graders like Emery and Darger, they can just focus on improving and the only expectations they'll shoulder are their own.
For Darger, it's to earn a spot on the Jordan varsity team. He's working hard this summer. He's been to numerous camps and is traveling and playing with his club team.
When the school year starts, he plans on getting up at 5 a.m. and making 500 shots -- free throws, jumpers, three-pointers -- before going to class. And when he does that, the only voice in his head pushing him will be his own.
Prospect-age reduction » The NCAA ruled in January that seventh-grade boys' basketball players are officially classified as prospects, two years younger than before. The ruling is designed to keep college coaches from taking advantage of recruiting players while working at private, elite basketball camps.
Local reaction » BYU and Utah men's basketball coaching staffs say the new ruling doesn't impact how they recruit, but it does help level the playing field between top and mid-level basketball schools.
