Why haven't most of the big names signed? It's academic

Sporting News, The, Jan 1, 1996 by Mike DeCourcy

We may be coming a little late to pick through this early recruiting period business, but then again, what did we miss? Anybody know where Kobe Bryant is going to play? Tim Thomas? Lester Earl? Perhaps none will even bother.

For more than a decade, high school players wishing to pledge allegiance to a college before the start of their senior seasons have been offered a one-week November window to sign letters-of-intent. This time, that window was just about sealed shut.

The Sporting News 1995-96 College Basketball Yearbook fisted a group of 100 "Prime Prospects," a consensus reached by combining the ratings of five respected recruiting an alysts. Of that group of 100 high school prospects, nine members of the top 10 ignored the early signing period.

That includes the nation's three top seniors: Bryant a 6-foot-6 guard from suburban Philadelphia being compared to Anfernee Hardaway; Thomas, a versatile 6-10 power forward from Paterson, NJ.; and Earl, a 6-9 center/rebounding machine from Baton Rouge, La. It also includes 6-3 Ronnie Fields, a high-leaping shooting guard from Chicago who recently made at least his third reported oral commitment to DePaul.

Among the Top 100 players as rated by Bob Gibbons of All-Star Scouting in Lenoir, N.C., only 69 signed early, down from 87 in 1991. Van Coleman of Futurestars, based in Rochester, Mich., says 114 of his Top 200 players signed, the lowest ever.

There is nothing magical about the November signing period. With the letter-of-intent being harder to break than a marriage contract, it is probably not in the athletes' best interests to commit so profoundly to situations that are inherently unstable. But the decline in its popularity is indicative of some significant trends.

Enhanced academic restrictions, in the recruiting process and for freshman eligibility, make it difficult for colleges to sign players early. Without a qualifying test score, recruits are not permitted to make official visits before the early signing date. Some visited campuses on their own. Anthony Dent, a 6-9 forward from Edison, Ga., signed at Kentucky without a visit.

I think it really fostered more regional recruiting," Gibbons says. "If you can't make a paid Visit, you go at your own expense to a program closer to your home."

Coleman believes these rules negate the original intent of the early signing period, which was to get the process out of the way so a kid can have a good academic year as a senior. Everything is a contradiction."

Ron Briscoe of the Southern-flavored Regional Scouting Service in Lafayette, La., contends such players as Thomas, Earl and Bryant are enjoying the recruiting process and the renown they are receiving. None of those players, however, has openly scoffed at questions about following Kevin Garnett in his preps-to-pros odyssey.

"That's something that you don't know how serious it might be," Gibbons says. "There are agents ... who are getting to kids and implanting that thought: "Hey, you're better than Garnett. You can make it without college."

Given all that some schools were able to take advantage of the early period to guarantee an infusion of talent next season.

The big winner was Arizona. If you think the Wildcats' early season success began with their run through the Preseason NIT, you should see Mike Bibby, the wity 6.1 point guard at Shadow Mountain High in Phoenix and son of former UCIA All-American Henry Bibby. He has an explosive first step, shoots and passes well and plays-bigger than his height would indicate. Coach Lute Olson got a second Top 15 player in 6.8 forward Stephen Jackson of Virginia's Oak Hill Academy.

The rest of the top five:

2. Syracuse. Brick Oettinger of the Prep Stars Recruiter's Handbook in Chapel Hill, N.C., says beefy 6-3 shooting guard Ramel Lloyd of Cardinal Hayes in the Bronx is among the most improved and underrated players in his class. The Orangemen also will get backcourt help from 6-2 guard Jason Hart of Los Angeles and 6-10 center Denick Thomas of Tulsa. But if Oettinger is overrating Lloyd and 6-10 power forward Winfred Walton of Detroit signs elsewhere in the spring, Syracuse will enter 1996-97 lacking a star-quality for the first time in years.

3. Purdue. After years of winning with players rejected or ignored by others, Coach Gene Keady is starting to win in recruiting, too. His Top 15 recruit is 6-6 forward Michael Robinson of Richwoods High in Peoria, Ill. Point guard Mosi Barnes of Ritter High in Indianapolis and 6-3 shooting guard Jaraan Cornell of Clay High in South Bend, Ind., also are elite players.

4. Auburn. In two seasons, not many schools will have a better bickcourt than the Tigers with 6-2 guard Michael Spruell of Okaloosa-Walton Junior College in Florida and 6-2 point guard Julius Robinson of Selma, Ala.

5. Oklahoma State. Desmond Mason, a 6-6 forward from Waxahachie, Tex., is the big catch in a five-player class that adds size and backcourt depth. If everybody wants to run, how come the Cowboys keep walking their way to great recruiting years?