NCAA Waives 100-Mile Rule For This Player
As we reported earlier, the NCAA enacted a rule effective April 2002 that limited which AAU/club teams players could compete with during the summer evaluation period.
The rule states, "... participants on nonscholastic teams must reside either within the state in which the team is located or within 100 miles of the team if the participant is not a resident of the same state." In the limited publicity about this new rule, the NCAA neglected to mention that a waiver could be applied for. That became known when a suit was filed on behalf of Tyler Keonig from Fargo, ND, and Eric Henkel of Missoula, Montana.
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Last week, the NCAA granted a waiver to Keonig who normally plays with the Dakota Schoolers, a Sioux Falls, SD team and who had been prevented from competing with DS during the July 8-17th evaluation period. He'll be at this week's Big Time Tournament.
So far we haven't heard whether or not other players who filed similar waivers including Henkel, an all-state first teamer who was Montana's leading scorer with 22.6 points per game. He normally plays with the Eastern Washington Elite team from Spokane, WA. Nor have we seen a report about Honolulu-native Bobby Nash or any other youth who may have filed a request once the NCAA published the waiver process.
Note: The procedure as outlined in the NCAA by-laws calls for a "member institution" to file the request, something that is clearly against other NCAA recruiting rules. The process where players can submit a request to the Basketball Issues Committee was set up after the suit was filed.Koenig averaged 16 points and 11 boards for the undefeated state champion Fargo North this past season. Earlier reports indicated he is being recruited by Kansas, Iowa State, Minnesota, Northern Iowa, Wisconsin, Texas A&M and Nebraska in basketball and by Notre Dame, Nebraska, Wisconsin and Minnesota in football. He indicated to Lawrence Journal-World's Gary Bedore in April that he would only play one sport and was leaning toward hoops.