June 19, 2008

Kansas City, Mo. - The Board of Directors of the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) announced that it strongly opposes 10th grade students and younger from making commitments to collegiate institutions for the purpose of playing men's basketball. Furthermore, the Board asks men's basketball coaches to refrain from offering or encouraging these young people to make such commitments.

The Board of Directors' opposition is based on the fact that these students have not yet displayed sufficient academic credentials or, in the vast majority of cases, basketball maturity to accurately project them as admissible students to the institution or impact players on the basketball team.

The Board of Directors asks coaches to not offer scholarships or accept commitments from students earlier than June 15 following the conclusion of the sophomore year, which is the first date of permissible contact with prospective student-athletes according to NCAA regulations.

"If the current rules state that coaches cannot offer scholarships or accept commitments from students earlier than June 15 following the conclusion of the sophomore year, it certainly makes sense that this should apply to anyone in lower grades," said NABC president Tubby Smith, the head coach at the University of Minnesota. "The academic and athletic profiles of these younger students are still very much works in progress. Coaches and athletes need to respect the process and allow development to occur in both areas prior to making commitments."

About the National Association of Basketball Coaches

Located in Kansas City, Missouri, the NABC was founded in 1927 by Forrest "Phog" Allen, the legendary basketball coach at the University of Kansas. Allen, a student of James Naismith, the inventor of basketball, organized coaches into this collective group to serve as Guardians of the Game. The NABC currently claims nearly 5,000 members consisting primarily of university and college men's basketball coaches. All members of the NABC are expected to uphold the core values of being a Guardian of the Game by bringing attention to the positive aspects of the sport of basketball and the role coaches play in the academic and athletic lives of today's student-athletes. The four core values of being a Guardian of the Game are advocacy, leadership, service and education. Additional information about the NABC, its programs and membership, can be found at www.nabc.com.