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	Sunday, November 5 Sonny calls foul on summer certification
	By Andy Katz ESPN.com Adidas basketball czar Sonny Vaccaro has two words for the latest attempt by the NCAA -- this time the Basketball Issues Committee -- to clean up summer recruiting. "It's illegal," Vaccaro said. On Monday, the 16-member newly formed committee, which includes five active head coaches -- Duke's Mike Krzyzewski, Kentucky's Tubby Smith, Saint Louis' Lorenzo Romar, San Francisco's Phil Mathews and Oregon's Ernie Kent -- looked at a proposal for tighter certification for summer tournaments. The committee wants to audit the tournaments and see how their money is being spent, check on salaries of coaches, and how and why players are leaving their regions. If the tournaments don't meet the certification process then the NCAA won't allow its coaches to watch the tournaments in 2002 and beyond. If the NCAA can't certify enough tournaments then it will look at funding its own. "They have no right to look at the books," Vaccaro said. "Why can't we look at their books? It's gotten to a point where they think they're bigger than life. Who is going to certify the NCAA? The problem is deeper than this." Vaccaro said he will hold his events, regardless of whether or not Division I coaches can attend. Nike has said the same thing. The bigger issue Vaccaro is hinting at is the potential for agents to start running their own summer camps instead of the shoe companies. But, if that occurs, the players who attend the camps would likely be committing eligibility suicide in the NCAA. But the shift is beginning at all levels with the emphasis more on the individuals than on the colleges. Colleges are bracing for the days when the shoe companies pull their deals with the school and simply get in with an individual player. For example, adidas can make more off having a Kobe Bryant sneaker than having all of the University of Tennessee be adidas. The day will come when only a few selected college coaches receive sneaker money, but summer coaches continue to get their share. Already, Converse pulled its sneaker money away from its coaches in an effort to cut costs. "That day is coming and we'll let the NCAA pay the bills for shoes and gear," Vaccaro said. "Look, Vince Carter just got $30 million from Nike. I don't need the schools in Florida when I have Trace McGrady to wrap up the whole state. If you have Gerald Wallace at Alabama, you don't need the other 11 players." The players already give the sneaker companies free advertisement in magazines when they wear either a Nike or adidas shirt at the respective summer camp. Those photos are used whenever the player signs. But it's not always a given the player will ultimately be a Nike or adidas player in the NBA. Adidas didn't sign Atlanta's DerMarr Johnson after he was an "adidas" player throughout high school. Utah's DeShawn Stevenson had to pull teeth to get adidas to pick him up, according to his summer coach Darren Matsubara, even though Stevenson was an "adidas" player in high school. But, if there was one thing Vaccaro did agree with the NCAA on, it was eliminating September evaluation. "It's the same guys who run the summer tournaments, taking the kids out of school," Vaccaro said. "I'm for that." Exempted tournaments plotting next move Reps from Coaches vs. Cancer, the NIT, Puerto Rico and the University of Hawaii are expected to get on a conference call Sunday to discuss a response to the NCAA Management Council's decision last week to send out for comment a controversial proposal eliminating exempted non-conference tournaments. Despite assurances that conferences like the Atlantic 10 and the WAC were against the proposal, both representatives voted for the measure. In fact, in voting tabulations, everyone but a rep from the America East, Colonial Athletic, Midwestern Collegiate, Ohio Valley, two of three from the Pac-10, and the Trans American voted for the proposal. If the proposal gets approved by the management council in April 2001, exempted tournaments would lose their special status that states only one game in these tournaments counts against the maximum 28 in a team's schedule. Schools would be allowed 29 games, including one for a conference tournament. Exhibitions would cease to exist with only one allowed against either a non-Division I team or a Division I school in a controlled scrimmage The management council was voting on two proposals last week. First, the idea should go out for the comment, and second, whether or not the NCAA should honor television contracts with the tournaments. The NIT has one with ESPN until 2010. "I think there was a lot of confusion as to what they were voting for," NIT executive director Jack Powers said. "We're trying to contact as many coaches and ADs as we can." The comment period lasts 60 days, until the NCAA convention in January. The Coaches vs. Cancer organizers are expected to hold a news conference with Kansas coach Roy Williams, St. John's coach Mike Jarvis, UCLA's Steve Lavin and Kentucky's Tubby Smith to sound off on the issue before next week's games Thursday and Friday at Madison Square Garden. Meanwhile, Powers isn't worried about the newly approved Spring Break Tournament, which is in competition with the 32-team postseason NIT. The tournament was approved to compete against the NIT for schools that don't get invited. The 16-team tournament is scheduled to be held in Orlando, Fla. "I don't see where they're going to get the funding and the people to go to the games," Powers said. "Who is going to pay expenses? Will there be a television contract. If it's for the mid-majors, how can they keep another team out that doesn't go (to the NCAA or NIT)." Unique call in Corvallis Phillip Ricci has been tearing up Oregon State's practices, but that's ended for the time being. According to Oregon State coach Ritchie McKay, Ricci was beating teammates to rebounds and finishing strong. Apparently, if you had stumbled into practice before Thursday when Ricci underwent arthroscopic knee surgery, you would have thought he was the impact player who was supposed to push the Beavers into the top five of the Pac-10. It won't happen this season, however. With the blessing of McKay, Ricci will redshirt. Ricci said he agonized over the decision, but simply couldn't see himself going if he weren't 100 percent. Suddenly, everyone's "it" team is out. "He ices every day and he doesn't think he'll be up to his potential," said McKay of the 6-foot-8 transfer from Delta Junior College in California. "Phillip Ricci's don't come around every day. I'm sure Jason Heide and Brian Jackson can get us by. We're still pretty good." But Ricci would have taken the Beavers from good to being a contender. Ricci gives the Beavers a power player, allowing the more finesse Heide, A 6-10 a senior, and 6-9 Jackson to play facing the basket. In fact, had Ricci been able to play this season, then Jackson probably would have played small forward, akin to Keith Van Horn when he was at Utah. Jackson is trying to live up to his all-Oregon hype out of high school with 35 in a scrimmage this week after averaging 12.5 as a freshman last season. But senior point Deaundra Tanner is the main reason the Beavers can be a factor in the Pac-10. The underrated point averaged 14.2 points and 5.1 assists for the Beavers. "We'll still have Brian and Phillip together for two years, but they won't have an experienced point guard with them," McKay said. "We still didn't have someone who could guard a 3-man with Heide, Jackson and Ricci. This could backfire on us, but Phillip will benefit with the extra year." McKay is banking on De La Salle (Concord, Calif.) High point Joe See taking over for Tanner next season. The Beavers are also anticipating that Floyd North (St. Augustine High, San Diego) and J.S. Nash (Rancho Verde High, Moreno Valley, Calif.) can fill the void at shooting guard to give the Beavers the necessary balance in 2001-02. All three have committed and are expected to sign next week. But the Beavers better rely on Tanner, Jackson, Heide and senior shooting guard Josh Steinthal this season after losing reserve sophomore guard Emonte Jernigan for six weeks with a broken toe, and sophomore guard Jimmie Haywood with a sprained ankle. Freshman center Derek Potter hasn't practiced because of a stress fracture in his left foot, leaving the Beavers down to nine players in practice. "Everyone felt like we were the trendy pick," said McKay, who is in his first year at Oregon State after a successful two-year run at Colorado State. "That's all over now. But we still have a system of playing tough defensively and aggressive offensively that we believe in. Just don't forget about us." What to do with Bryant Missouri should watch a tape of Fresno State's game against Minnesota on Dec. 20, 1997. During the game, Jerry Tarkanian put Winfred Walton on the floor the day he became eligible. Walton wasn't allowed to practice with the team, or the coaches, for the first semester after transferring from Syracuse. As a result, he looked lost and hurt the Bulldogs defensively, let alone in trying to do too much offensively. The Tigers could have a similar situation if they try and play McDonald's All-American Travon Bryant against Illinois on Dec. 21 in St. Louis. Bryant earned a qualifying test score last week and will be eligible Dec. 20 after first semester exams end. But Bryant is at Maine Central Institute and has had no contact with the Missouri coaching staff. He hasn't been in conditioning, let alone playing pickup with the players before practice started. The Missouri staff is considering using him in spot time, but isn't promising him a minute in the Illinois game. Bryant will be way behind in his skill development and conditioning. He may have five fouls to give inside, but he would be a liability the longer he's on the floor the first few weeks he's eligible. The good news is the Tigers have only two games between Dec. 21 and the Big 12 opener Jan. 7 against Nebraska. But the Tigers are thin in the interior and do need help. Senior Tajudeen Soyoye, a 6-9 power forward, and 6-6 sophomore Johnnie Parker are the only two returning contributing forwards. The Tigers will lean heavily early on 6-9 freshman Arthur Johnson and seldom used 6-11 junior Pat Schumacher. The biggest help for the Tigers overall is having Bryant count on this year's recruiting class. Had he not made his test score than Bryant would have been part of the class of 2001 and been one of the maximum five players in one year, no more than eight in two years. The Tigers already have three commitments -- Duane John (Berkshire H.S./Homestead, Fla.), Robert Whaley (Benton Harbor H.S./Mich.) and Jeffrey Ferguson (Benton Harbor H.S./Mich) -- and an expected fourth from Najeeb Echols of Chicago's Whitney Young. The Tigers are down to their final scholarship and are trying to get College of Southern Idaho forward Uche Okafor, who originally signed with Miami (Fla.). Should Hines redshirt? Rico Hines' knee injury has put Steve Lavin in an interesting position. He already suspended Hines for the first regular-season game of the season against Kansas because of his involvement in a fight with teammate Matt Barnes in the offseason. But the knee injury might make Lavin look at redshirting Hines for the season to give the Bruins more depth in their classes. An injury to Josiah Johnson, a freshman forward, could force him to redshirt as well. "If we redshirt Rico, then we would have three experienced guys coming back with Rico, Matt Barnes and Ray Young next year," Lavin said. "We're set at point this year with three players who once started for a Division I school in Earl Watson (UCLA), Jason Flowers (UC Irvine) and Moose Bailey (Penn State)." Hines is due back in December, but Lavin will redshirt him if the Bruins aren't struggling. The same would be true with Johnson. He entered the season needing more time to develop than fellow freshman T.J. Cummings. The Bruins already have Princeton big guard Spencer Gloger redshirting. Baylor's secure with Bliss Dave Bliss is done moving. Signing an extension, believed to be one more year on his salary to push him to five more at Baylor, will likely be it for the 57-year-old Bliss. Bliss also got financial improvements for his assistants, commeasurable with other Big 12 assistants. "It's definitely a secure feeling," said Bliss, who was at New Mexico for 11 years before leaving for Baylor last year. "I love the school and recruiting is going very well. I can't imagine retirement. Coaches always yearn for it until they're close to it." The Bears have picked up key commitments with 6-8 Lawrence Roberts of Houston's Lamar High, 6-3 Dallas Kimball High scorer Dandrick Jones, and another area star in 6-3 shooter Kenny Taylor (Willowridge H.S./Sugarland, Texas). The newcomer class next year will include New Mexico transfers R.T. Guinn and Kevin Henry. SMU transfer Chad Elsey is eligible in mid-December. Weekly Chatter NCAA spokesperson Jane Jankowski said the organization's headquarters has received one more admission of extra benefits for educational expenses under the new amateurism rule. That makes a total of eight, thus far. New Mexico's Zeke Johnson was the first, and as a result, will sit the first three games of the season. The new rule, to combat widespread investigations, states that an incoming player has a one-time exemption to admit that he received extra benefits for educational expenses prior to college. The player has a 30-day window to admit it after he signs his student-athlete statement, which is usually done either when the player arrives on campus or before the first game. Once a player admits he took benefits, he would sit 10 percent of the games and wouldn't have to pay any money back. But if he doesn't admit it and the NCAA pursues the case then the penalty could be severe. Connecticut should know in two days if and, or when, freshman Caron Butler has to serve a suspension for the amateurism issue for any help he received going to Maine Central Institute. The Huskies have met on the subject all week. But they learned they lost their right to pick the games if Butler has to sit. Butler signed his statement when he got on campus in August, and the NCAA rule states that if the 30 days pass then the player has to sit the first three games of the season. If Butler has to sit, he will be out for two of the three Maui Invitational games. The Huskies open against Quinnipiac before Maui. The NCAA also determined that a player who signs, but doesn't enroll (and goes to the NBA for an example) wouldn't count against a school's maximum of five players in a recruiting class. As for Mormon Church missionaries who go on a mission, but don't enroll, Jankowski said "subsequent to the mission and upon fulltime enrollment and receipt of aid, the individual would be an initial counter." BYU has been waiting for an interpretation on this rule. LSU coach John Brady can't catch a break. LSU is down six scholarship players after Brad Bridgewater blew his ACL out Tuesday. To replace Bridgewater, the Tigers got a 6-7 walk-on off campus, Pete Bozek. Bozek is the seventh LSU walk-on. "He's pretty good after one work out," LSU assistant Kermit Davis said. The Tigers could go small or go bigger with Trinity Valley forward Jason Wilson, who is paying is own way to not count against the Tigers' scholarship. Wilson is from Louisiana. Wilson is a back to the basket player who plays hard. Realistically, the Tigers will go with 6-8 senior Brian Beshara, 6-6 sophomore Ronald Dupree, 6-4 sophomore Torris Bright, 6-4 senior Lamont Roland and 6-6 sophomore Collis Temple III or 6-6 junior Jermaine Williams. Brady has adapted the offense with four out, and one in, for a perimeter-oriented team. The Tigers have to limit their fouls and be smart defensively. Stanford sophomore center Curtis Borchardt, recovering from a lengthy stress fracture, is only doing five-on-zero drills the last couple of days, but no physical contact yet. But he's encouraged that he's at least out there doing running drills with the team. The timetable is still uncertain for his return. He's still not in basketball condition. Meanwhile, redshirt freshman Justin Davis is practicing full after being slowed by a slight Achilles tendon stretch. Stanford is hoping to have him as a factor by the time the Cardinal are in Puerto Rico at Thanksgiving. Well-traveled prep point guard star Jonathan Hargett has reportedly transferred from the now defunct Emmanuel Christian High in Durham, N.C., to National Christian High in Virginia. A report is out that he committed to West Virginia, but Hargett needs to be eligible after all this swapping schools, making it still a possibility that he could try his luck in the NBA draft. Keep some of these facts in mind when trying to send Boston Celtics coach Rick Pitino back to college: Coaching colleagues insist his family doesn't want to go back to a college town; and schools in cities, especially ones that can offer him a substantial salary and a chance at winning, are the only options. Another factor to remember is he won't simply quit the Celtics like everyone else assumes. His friends in college are adamant that he won't walk away from his contract unless a settlement can be reached. Dates to remember: Buffalo began practice Wednesday after a self-imposed, two-week ban on practice due to violations under former coach Tim Cohane. Beginning next Wednesday, and through Nov. 15, is the early-signing period. The next meeting of the Basketball Issues Committee is No. 7. The day to be watching the news out of the NCAA convention in Orlando is Jan. 8 when the issue of amateurism is discussed. The word in the America East is Delaware continues to be the No. 1 target for expansion from the Colonial Athletic Association. Towson, located in Maryland, is next for the CAA, which desperately needs to increase its membership from six to eight in 2002 and beyond for scheduling purposes. Drexel and Hofstra would be the next two, but might not be as much of a fit logistically in Philadelphia and Long Island, N.Y. Meanwhile, if the America East loses anyone, Division I independents Albany (N.Y.) and Stony Brook (N.Y.) are waiting. Both are considered natural fits, because of location, city size and arenas. The America East would lose stature if Delaware or Hofstra ever departed, but the league is always likely a one-bid conference, and adding Albany and Stony Brook isn't going to change that fact. Penn coach Fran Dunphy isn't getting carried away with being the overwhelming Ivy favorite. To reach the expectations, he's got to get forward Ugonna Onyekwe thinking like a go-to player. Dunphy said he can make up for any fundamental deficiencies with his athleticism, but the Quakers are still searching in practice for a player who can consistently make shots from the perimeter. Penn lost its backcourt of Michael Jordan and Matt Langel off last year's NCAA Tournament team. Andy Katz is a senior writer at ESPN.com. His Weekly Word on college basketball is updated Thursdays/Fridays throughout the year.		ALSO SEE Have a question for the Weekly Word? Missed the Word?