Georgia Tech coach Josh Pastner was receptive to the rules changes brought forth Wednesday by the NCAA in response to the FBI investigation into corruption in college basketball.
Among the changes are a rule that permits players who are invited to the NBA draft combine but go undrafted to return to their college teams and another that will allow elite high-school prospects and college players to be represented by NCAA-certified agents.
“No opinion to it, we’ll adjust,” Pastner told the AJC. “Whatever the rules say, we’ll adjust to it.”
By the new rules, players can be represented by an agent after a season in which they have requested an evaluation from the NBA Undergraduate Advisory Committee, but have to end the relationship if they return to school. Prospects must be identified as an “elite senior prospect” by USA Basketball in order to be allowed to have representation, a change made with the expectation that the NBA and players union will lower the minimum age for draft entry to 18.
Prospects can also take more official visits (visits paid for by the schools) and start taking them earlier. It is an attempt to limit the influence of third parties, such as AAU teams and the shoe companies that sponsor them, that would pay for travel for unofficial visits.
The NCAA also changed the recruiting calendar, putting restrictions on events not sponsored by high schools (as opposed to shoe companies) and opening opportunities for coaches to attend events organized by high schools or high-school coaching associations.
Tech president G.P. “Bud” Peterson helped oversee the rule changes, as he chairs the NCAA Board of Governors which approved the rules changes on Wednesday. On a conference call with media, Peterson said he believes the changes will have a positive impact on college basketball and its players.
One of the new rules will directly involve him and his colleagues. University presidents and chancellors will be personally accountable for NCAA rules compliance at their schools’ athletic departments.
“Very pleased with where we are with the progress that we’ve made thus far,” Peterson said. “We’ve got a lot of work to do still.”
