Truth & Rumors > NCAAB

Teams recruiting 15-year-old prospect

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At 15, Tyler Lewis is used to being the youngest and smallest player on the court. He's already in his third season starting for a high school varsity basketball team even though he's just a ninth-grader and 5-foot-10, 145 pounds. But he has exceptional passing ability and a dead-on jump shot from 22 feet at Forsyth Country Day. And he already has coaches with the Charlotte 49ers, Auburn and Virginia Tech telling him they will pay his tuition, room and board if he will play basketball for them. "At first I thought it was a joke," Tyler said of his first offer, from Virginia Tech, which came this summer. NCAA, the governing body of college sports, has no rule preventing coaches from offering and securing non-binding oral agreements from players of any age. But the National Association of Basketball Coaches' board of directors in June asked coaches not to offer scholarships or accept commitments from players before June 15 following their sophomore year of high school. Before then, some coaches say, it's difficult to predict a player's athletic and academic potential. The NABC doesn't have power to enforce its principles beyond perhaps withholding Final Four tickets from coaches who don't follow them. But the NABC is working with conference officials to push legislation to curb early recruiting.

Charlotte Observer

Jeff Lebo, Auburn coach, AP Jeff Lebo, Auburn coach, AP
December 15, 2008  07:42 AM ET

I would have to say by reading this I almost feel it's a joke. Seriously, offering him a scholarship at age 15? You've gotta be kidding me

December 15, 2008  08:20 AM ET

The joke part is that he is only a freshman but has played high school ball for 3 years?????

December 15, 2008  09:16 AM ET
QUOTE(#2):

The joke part is that he is only a freshman but has played high school ball for 3 years?????

It must be one of those grade 7 to 12 schools. Anyway, 15 is way too early.

December 15, 2008  10:14 AM ET

Can't believe Billy G at Kentucky didn't offer him first.

December 15, 2008  11:25 AM ET
QUOTE(#3):

It must be one of those grade 7 to 12 schools. Anyway, 15 is way too early.

Good point I forgot about those types of school systems

December 15, 2008  12:38 PM ET

in most state you can play varsity basketball and track because they are none contact sports. This has nothing to do with the school it is a state high school league rule.

December 15, 2008  02:20 PM ET
QUOTE(#6):

in most state you can play varsity basketball and track because they are none contact sports. This has nothing to do with the school it is a state high school league rule.

Thanks for claring that up. I live in New York so I know HS is 9-12 grade. I just knew that some states had 7-12 so I naturally assumed.

I didnt know that some states allowed kids to play varsity sports in high school, ahead of time.

December 15, 2008  03:15 PM ET

Forsyth Country Day is a private school - why he is able to play early. Would not be surprised to see him transfer to a public (or higher level private) school to raise the level of his competition and his offers.

December 15, 2008  04:17 PM ET

is this not prohibited?

December 15, 2008  10:54 PM ET

I could see recruiting this guy if he was 6'6 at 15 like Lebron was, but 5'10 145, gimme a break.

December 16, 2008  12:30 PM ET

I have coached for 30 years and I have seen great player at 15 who really peeked at that time but as there teammates got older caught up with them. I hope he continues to improve but all this attention can bring his game down if he is not mature enough to handle it.

December 16, 2008  11:35 PM ET

Absurd. People need to get a grip. Has college ball really become so obsessively focused on winning and on profits that coaches are starting to suck up to 15 year-olds? And if so, do we as fans have some responsibility? Just think about the times you've listened to sports radio and agreed with someone who was ranting about the inability of 20 year olds to play consistently; or you've actually called in and ranted; or you've had your whole weekend (week?) ruined because your team lost; or you otherwise showed that you weren't capable of understanding that college ball is a game, played by students (technically, but that's a related issue). To the extent that we are obsessive about our team winning, and to the extent that we communicate that obsession on the airwaves, over the internet and in newspapers, we are contributing to the problem. Let's get real lives, cheer our teams on, revel in their victories and commiserate in their defeats, but NOT go off the freakin' deep end!

December 17, 2008  09:27 AM ET

If he can play and has the grades let him play. I have always questioned why younger players that can play can't play Varsity. It does him or the kids he is playing against no good if he is scoring 50 points a game, and also this frees up spots on the teams for players that would not have got to play

December 17, 2008  01:38 PM ET

Nic wise committed to AZ in 2003. He was class of 2006 at kingwood HS.
That is working out well.

 
December 18, 2008  11:35 AM ET

wasnt oj mayo offered a scholarship when he was in 7th or 8th grade?

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