From : http://buckeyeprep.blogspot.com/2010/01/another-blow-to-grassroots-basketball.html
That’s right, mega tournaments like Bob Gibbons Tournament of Champions (Duke, North Carolina and NC State), Pittsburgh Jam Fest (University of Pittsburgh), It Takes 5ive Classic (University of Cincinnati), King James Classic (University of Akron and Kent State University), Real Deal on the Rock/Hill (University of Arkansas), Wallace Prather (Georgia Tech) will all have to find new homes. It’s not just tournaments, but elite camps such as the Lebron James Skills Academy (University of Akron & Cleveland State), Reebok U (Philadelphia University) and other high profile camps will have to relocate. It’s not just the big guys, but smaller more local and regional events will also have to find new court space. Don’t forget the McDonald’s All-American Game (Ohio State University this year) which could also be impacted. In addition, events like Clay Dade’s Jr. All-American Camp, which was held at the University of Kentucky this past summer, will be forced to move.
Why is the NCAA taking such drastic steps? Some people close to the game feel that the NCAA is trying to reduce the influence of grassroots/AAU basketball, while returning the power and influence currently enjoyed by travel team coaches and program directors, to high school basketball coaches. Critics will also point to earlier NCAA legislation, which limited “open periods” for college coaches to a few weeks in July as a way of discouraging AAU coaches and players from traveling to elite tournaments around the country, as more evidence of the NCAA’s bad intentions. The general rule of thought is, if college coaches were not present at these tournaments, travel teams would pass on the big boys and choose instead, to attend smaller, more local and regional events. As we all know, the rule changes did not achieve their intended goals, as travel teams continued to attend these big time tournaments. Now, instead of following the college coaches, the teams and players follow the scouting services and continue to take advantage of the opportunity to take what amounted to unofficial visits on these college campuses. Other NCAA initiatives such as the popular iHoops program-also known as First Team-are seen as more intrusion into grassroots basketball.
It’s not just the NCAA who is pushing this legislation, which will take effect immediately, just in time for AAU season, but many college coaches support the changes because of the perceived advantages these large tournaments provide to their colleagues. Think about it, you are a big time recruit who has the chance to tour the facilities and campuses at North Carolina, Duke and NC State while spending a weekend at the Bob Gibbons TOC. Chances are, you are going to be influenced by the experience. Coaches from colleges who do not host such events feel these schools have an unfair advantage by hosting these types of events. It’s also important to note that although coaches on those host campuses are prohibited from watching the actual games going on their campuses, they always seem to be around at the end of the event to greet prospective recruits and their families as they depart the tournaments.
College presidents have endorsed Proposal No. 2009-100 as well, despite the fact that their universities are currently suffering during this poor economy, and will lose revenue streams from these summer events. Talk about panicking, what about the major tournament organizers like the Hoop Group, who hosts huge tournaments at the University of Pittsburgh, West Virginia and Providence? Without the facility space these universities offer, not to mention the allure of playing on college campuses, these tournaments could suffer a significant financial impact.
The reality is, the big tournaments will find away to adjust to the new rules, and will continue to generate big profits; it’s the players and their families who will miss the opportunity to play at storied venues such as Cameron Indoor Stadium or the Dean Dome. It’s the players who will not get to experience the thrill of playing on the floor of their favorite program and hanging out on various college campuses around the country. Instead of playing on the floor of UC Arena in Cincinnati during the first week of July, players will likely be playing in dimly lit recreation centers, on small middle school courts and older high school gymnasiums around the country. Thanks NCAA for diminishing the experience of grassroots basketball.
