Preps get OK to try NBA

April 26, 2002

The NCAA relaxed its eligibility rules Thursday, allowing high school athletes to enter the NBA draft but still go to college as long as they don't sign with a team or an agent.

The board of directors, however, tabled a measure that would have allowed top athletes to borrow $20,000.

The board also tabled a measure that would have allowed high schoolers to play up to one year professionally while retaining college eligibility. That measure will not be debated again until at least August.

The new eligibility rule will become effective starting with this year's NBA draft.

The new rules match the rules governing college underclassmen that were in effect before 1997.

The NCAA is in the process of trying to redefine "amateur" in the wake of an increasing amount of college athletes who are turning pro early and high school athletes who are skipping college altogether.

- Memphis released 21 pages detailing who owns the vehicles driven by members of the Tigers' basketball team.

- Tod Kowalczyk, 35, an assistant at Marquette the last two seasons, was hired as head basketball coach at Wisconsin-Green Bay.

- Kelly Baraka, who sat out his freshman season with Michigan after being arrested for marijuana possession, was dismissed from the football team for undisclosed reasons.