March 3, 2008

Harvard Coach Accused of Cutting Corners in Recruiting for Men's Basketball Team

Harvard University is ramping up its recruiting in men’s basketball under a new coach, Tommy Amaker, and some of those efforts may raise ethical concerns or even violate National Collegiate Athletic Association rules, The New York Times reports.

Possible violations include visits to potential recruits by Kenny Blakeney just before he was hired as an assistant coach. Those visits exceeded the contact allowed between a college’s representatives and recruits during that period. In another incident, Mr. Amaker spoke to a potential recruit and his parents during a period when the NCAA limits contact between coaches and possible players.

Another questionable aspect of Harvard’s recruiting involves academic standards. Like other Ivy League colleges, Harvard uses an academic index comprising grade-point average, SAT score, and class rank. A score of 171 on the index allows an athlete to compete in the league, but two former Harvard coaches told the Times that the Crimson had a team minimum of 202 under the previous leadership. That policy, they said, precluded them from courting students with scores below 195. Some players recruited by Mr. Amaker, but not yet admitted since decisions are still pending, do not meet those standards.

Harvard, which has never won an Ivy League title in basketball, said it had determined that Mr. Amaker’s speaking to a potential recruit and his family was not a rules violation. The university’s athletics director is looking into the alleged contact involving Mr. Blakeney. The assistant coach has pointed out that he was not affiliated with Harvard at the time of the visits. Mr. Amaker, who came to Harvard from coaching stints in the Big Ten and Big East Conferences, released a statement saying, “individuals who know our staff understand the high principles under which we operate.” —Beckie Supiano

Comments

1. Finally a piece that succinctly gives a list of the issues and the explanations in a matter-of-fact way.

   That whole piece by the Times was filled with holes and without any substance.

   The most troubling piece is the academic part but not in the way it is being written. The Ivy league developed a “floor” for what constitutes an Ivy student. This bottom level is far higher than even the highest standard for any other league. That should be applauded.

   If Harvard, in the past, has had a significantly higer mark than that floor, well then congratulations again to them.

   The problem in all this is saying that, kids who get admitted to Harvard are below standards if they do not reach the previous marks. That is laughable. If they meet Ivy criteria for being a legitimate student-athlete, there should be no problem. To assert otherwise says that Ivy school “A” can have that kid but somehow Harvard can’t. That is silly.

   — Finally    Mar 3, 05:17 PM    #

2. Except that some of the commitments that Harvard has received are from student-athletes who, under Ivy League rules, are not admissible to ANY Ivy League institution.

   If the recruits ultimately get the mix of board scores and grades necessary to conform to Ivy League rules, good for them. But if they don’t, and they miss out on opportunities to secure scholarships at other schools because of their early commitment to Harvard, then Harvard will have done them a real disservice by suggesting that they were admissible when they in fact were not.

   — Ivy Grad    Mar 3, 05:51 PM    #

3. This article is written because of one word: Harvard. I taught for thirty years in Georgia, whose flagship universities routinely admitted students who never even took the SAT (went the junior or community college route), never graduated from an accredited high school (went to “prep” schools consisting of a basketball court or football field, a coach, and a classroom), never took a college course for credit (enrolled in remedial 099 courses for two or three years), and left for jobs with alums’ companies.

   — princeton67    Mar 3, 09:16 PM    #

4. Wow.. A Dukie cutting the rule-book? I’m shocked. Totally shocked. My-ron.. Pig-gie. Clap clap clap-clap-clap.

   — Stosh    Mar 3, 09:47 PM    #

5. At least there is one other coach besides Kelvin Sampson committing recruiting violations, no matter what they are, at another school besides Indiana University. Guess where Tommy Amaker came from before he started coaching at Harvard??? Can you say Michigan???

   — Cindy    Mar 4, 08:02 AM    #

6. Well it’s nice to know Harvard had higher quantitative standards than most. Seems like all the other colleges use the CBC (criminal background check) Scale: Less than 5 misdemeanors—eligible; less than 2 felonies—eligible; any weapons charges—academic probation; current indictments—redshirt pending charges; murder,rape or molestation conviction—eligible but only with high SAT’s and a good essay.

   — marci    Mar 4, 12:25 PM    #

7. What’s the significance of the Michigan reference? Amaker by all account ran a clean program there. I believe that’s why he was retained so long despite not having a well-ranked team.

   As others have said, the Ivy League has set a standard and that’s what coaches must meet. If earlier coaches exceeded it, that’s laudable but doesn’t mean that subsequent coaches must follow.

   — Confused    Mar 4, 05:13 PM    #

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