lets talk about middle school basketball prospects being held back to destroy highschool competition

[cash money 1999]

staying back to get ahead: high school basketball players are repeating grades to get an edge

http://www.nj.com/hssports/blog/boy..._staying_back_in_middle_school_to_get_an.html

 

[mr marcus]

 

[cash money 1999]

nerlens and wiggins both did it also but they reclassified in high school

 

[shorty doo wop]

Most prospects are a year older than the competition

 

[tigerintherain]

This is nothing new.  Its actually becoming the norm now like the article said.  Before it was just coaches kids or really serious parents holding their kids back. Now its alot of parents getting that information late and trying to get the upperhand.

The sad thing is unless your kid is really good it won't matter.  Just like how every kid plays AAU now.  There's AAU teams with no D-1 or D-2 prospects but they go travel and play games...why? Because the parents are uninformed and think its helping. 

It used to be lift weights.  Then it was play AAU. Now its hold your kid back a grade. Next it might be taking PEDs......

 

[jaysbboy]

Oj Mayo was almost 20 when he graduated highschool so we all knew he got held back

 

[wballz]

It has been going on for a long time now. FWIW, Lebron was held back. I think it was more prevalent for the HS prospects when the NBA still allowed for HS-only graduates to be drafted. But now, it looks like everyone does it.

 

[johnnyredstorm]

that's so corny. i rather my kid be put up a grade and be the underdog. eff that held back noise. let my boy play against men and get better that way. this is wore than those parents that want their kids to get arm surgeries so they throw harder.

 

[tigerintherain]

It literally pays off if your kid gets a free education tho...this isn't even about pro sports in the big scheme

 

[jayjones89]

Do they let people get away with this to gain an academic advantage too?

I'm sure chillin an extra year in middle school would have made me smarter when I took my SATS....and then I could have just "reclassified" back in with my homies right after

 

[johnnyredstorm]

your kid should be able to get a scholly playing against kids his age if he's good enough. if not or his grades are bad, then you prep school him.

 

[MIKE LOWERY]

They intentionally reclassify and hold kids back in elementary school now. ***** disgusting

 

[jjs07]

I see nothing wrong w/ it. Common practice in prep school...either reclassifying or doing a PG year. Most of the guys in my graduating class were over 18 1/2 or turning 20 that summer.

 

[Deleted member 38182]

This automatically makes me think of OJ Mayo and Bill Walker

 

[tigerintherain]

your kid should be able to get a scholly playing against kids his age if he's good enough. if not or his grades are bad, then you prep school him.

This is basically the newer version of prep school.  MANY players go to prep schools to improve their bodies and skills not because of poor grades. 

 

[tigerintherain]

This guy just got drafted...

If his parents held him back he probably goes to a better school than Lehigh.  But it worked out anyways.