Basketball Factories
 

Does anyone else have these types of "schools?" We seem to have a lot of private "Christian" schools popping up with numerous D-I and D-II prospects?

Worked a game in a tournament today with a few such schools. AAU super teams. Coaches in my game felt that any level of contact should be allowed, palming and traveling shouldn't be called, subs didn't have to go to the table,....IOW, the rules really didn't apply to their teams.

Guess what? We don't roll that way.

In the first half, we blew 30+ fouls, numerous palmings and traveling calls for illegal jump stops, a T for dunking a dead ball, a couple of subs sent back to the table, warned both coaches to stay in their box...you get the pic.

In the second half, the fouls were 5-4 with a minute left in the game, coaches stayed in their boxes...and we continued to call palming and traveling. :D

That says it all right there. They aren't schools, per se. Their sole function is selling kids. The states that won't permit these basketball factories to participate in state playdowns have the right idea imo. Let 'em set up leagues composed solely of these super-teams(sponsored by NIKE, etc.) and leave the high school game to the regular high schools. Let 'em use NBA rules if they want to also. They can travel/palm etc. all they want then.

The NCHSAA kicked out one such factory a few years back.

The Board of Directors brought the headmaster in to ask him a few questions. One such question was "Who furnishes your officials?" The NCHSAA requires state registered officials for obvious reasons. He stated that our local booking agent did. Problem was, the booking agent was sitting at the table and had never received a request for officials. WHACK! GET OUT!

Another "school" applied for admission. When they were investigated, it was discovered they didn't even have a building and all the players lived at the coach's house.

They come and they go. They're not about education; they're about basketball only. And as long as the ESPN's and NIKE's of the world glamorize them, they'll make money for the people that run them.

Sumthin' like the SEC...... :D

Amare Stoudamire (sp??) is the product of this type of school. Down in Florida, school was a dilapidated building.

There is a school in FL that is NOT a member of the FHSAA. And I believe that FHSAA schools are not sanctioned to play any games versus this school. There was a question among the officials in the local association who did their games as to whether or not they were allowed to even wear their patched shirts for those games. Not sure how that all got resolved, but probably this school might be one that showed up where Tony was located.

Interesting; I'm trying to figure if I have a problem with this. I don't think I do, particularly if the states are stepping up and telling them they aren't competing with real schools for championships.

Consider this as well. In 2006, the NCAA stopped accepting core courses, grades and graduation from the Laurinburg Institute that I mentioned earlier. The sad part that this school was oldest of only four remaining historically black-owned and operated boarding schools in the country. Opening in 1904, at one time, it's academics as well as athletics were unquestioned.

Now, the coach and all his players who left LI when the basketball program was dissolved has moved to another private institution that has long been respected as one of the best private schools in the state. The enrollment has now been split and many life long supporters have left because this school is now turning into a basketball factory. Incidentally, this is the school that hosted the toruney I word in yesterday. I wonder if it's just a matter of time before the NCAA stops accepting academics from this school.

We had another private school locally that hasn't been opened long, hire a basketball coach that started recruiting players from Croatia. Two students showed up at the door two years ago, wanting to know where they would be living while attending the school. Needless to say, he was gone a week later.

Finally, I don't know if others are seeing it in their area but as for here, it won't be long before the best ball will be played at private schools. Parents are getting their kids involved in AAU at an early age, moving into areas so they can play for specific coaches, etc. But with privates that have no district boundaries, they can pick/choose a coach/school without having to move.

Born Again ...
 

Got one in our local assigning area. Many kids seem to be on "scholarship" from the Greater New York City area. Great basketball. I usually get more action above the rim in a few of these games than I do the rest of the season with all my other games. This school does not participate in either the state tournament, or the prep school tournament. They usually host their own end of the year tournament, that they usually win. Had a kid a few years ago that went on to the Big East.

Every Year Saint (Fill In The Blank) Wins The State Championship ...
 

We have the same problem here with our Catholic high schools, and our new magnet, and charter, high schools. No district boundaries. These schools do belong to our state interscholastic athletic association and do participate in our state tournament. They aren't allowed to recruit based on athletic ability (wink, wink). Every year someone suggests that they have their own tournament division, outside the normal divisions based on school population. This suggestion never seems to go any where.

Exactly. The kids I saw yesterday are probably better than any combination of kids I'll see the rest of the year.

And I bet the traditional public high schools "unofficially" complain about them recruiting and having no boundaries all the time.

We have had several over the years in this neck of the woods. I have no problem with them participating in State tournaments, if they follow the same rules as the other schools. Most of them don't. Back when IN had a REAL HS tournament several private schools participated. But these schools did not give 'scholarships" or actively recruit. They followed the rules like everyone else. Here in VA we have 2 state wide private school associations along with the venerable VHSL. There is a broo ha ha b/c private schools aren't allowed to compete in the state tournaments with the VHSL. Also, some districts won't schedule the private schools b/c of their recruiting practices. Gotta love politics!!
The best solution that I have seen is from when one private conference split into "recruiting schools" and "non recruiting schools" So those schools that acively traveled the globe and country for players played in one division and the more "traditional" christian schools played in the other. It was a nice compromise, while it lasted.

Part of the issue with the private school association in NC is that they allow kids to "reclass." For example, three local stars from public high schools are now attending a local private school and have re-classed as 5th year seniors. So understandably, the local school system have no interest in playing them and won't allow schools to play them.

These places are almost impossible here. Or at least they cannot play in the state association. All IHSA members have to be a member of the state education board so it would be difficult to have a terrible to have such a "school" playing.

Peace

Montverde Academy near Orlando? No FHSAA schools can contract with them, thus no FHSAA sanctioned officials can work those games with a patch on their shirt. St. Thomas Aquinas in Ft. Lauderdale is another factory, but more so for football and they ARE an FHSAA member.