Question about Rowan

[Monroevillefan]

Why did this kid defer so long to play College. I understand holding out for one year but two?

Was it grades or was it basketball?

How many times can he take the same Algebra class?

And as far as basketball he isn't going to get taller or faster.

Seems crazy to me either way.

 

[Pittbaseball11]

My guess is when his dad made these decisions he probably wasn't thinking Rowan would blow up like he has. Was probably more hoping for a free education and maybe a small career overseas. Now he's needing to scramble to try to get him into a somewhat more age appropriate situation.

 

[Piranha]

Basketball

 

[wbrpanther]

I believe he was held back in 7th or 8th grade with the hopes of being more mature in high school. Then he blew up so they are trying to get him reclassified back to where he should be.

 

[Harve74]

The kid was VERY skinny and with a late July birthday, the decision was pretty easy.

It's not like this is so uncommon.. Curtis Aiken did the same with his son, who is small and hasn't come into his growth yet. It's done a lot in the South, particularly in football.

My brother should have done it with his son. He had a late August birthday. He played WR and S as a SR at about 175# and was Back of the Year in his Single A conference. He had a few offers, mostly D-2 although the Hoopies wanted him as a preferred walk-on. He went D-3 where they promised him a job as co-starter at WR. He got to Fall practice just a few days before his 18th birthday at 210# and ended up a 235# hybrid WR/TE as a SR.

Before his SR year, the defensive coach, who had played 10 or 12 years in the NFL, wanted him to switch to OLB, where he said he could get him into an NFL camp. The HC wouldn't allow the switch.

If he had been 210 as a HS senior, he'd have been a D-1 scholarship kid.

 

[Piranha]

He was held back twice.

 

[recruitsreadtheseboards]

Originally posted by Piranha:
He was held back twice.

Much like a lot of people on these boards.

 

[thebadby2]

I was one of the youngest kids in my class. I went to a MAC school as a 17 year old, 205 pound preferred walk-on ILB. Didn't turn 18 until Thanksgiving of my freshman year. The following fall I was 18 , weighed 235 and was considerably stronger. One year makes a really big physical difference

I'm still pissed at my parents for that.

 

[Sean Miller Fan]

Originally posted by Monroevillefan:
Why did this kid defer so long to play College. I understand holding out for one year but two?

Was it grades or was it basketball?

How many times can he take the same Algebra class?

And as far as basketball he isn't going to get taller or faster.

Seems crazy to me either way.

Summer birthday so instead of starting school when he just turned 5 and being one of the youngest kids in his class, they started him a year late, something that a lot of parents do.

So, not only was he one of the oldest kids in his class, they had to hold him back in 8th grade because he was playing for the 9th grade team. Nobody at the time realized it, but once you start playing HS basketball (and the 9th grade team counts), you only get to play for 4 years. So, since he played for the 9th grade team in 8th grade, he wouldn't have been able to play HS ball as a senior. There was a way around this and by repeating 8th grade, his "clock" restarted and he got to play 4 years of HS ball, though this was probably not necessary in hindsight especially given what's happened since but nobody knew that at the time.

 

[Piranha]

Doesn't everyone gain weight their Fr. year whether they are 17, 18, or 19. The phrase Fr. 15 rings a bell.

 

[Hailpitt]

He was held back twice. A deliberate choice by his dad.

 

[HonestPitt]

I think it is obvious, which is sad because basketball is not that great in WPA.

 

[Harve74]

Supposedly, one year was by choice and a second year resulted from the timing of a transfer. Regardless, it resulted in him now being a mature, physically talented recruit sought by many top programs, so clearly the plan was successful.

 

[King Of All Message Boards]

@LvilleSprtsLive: @ITVHughes tells us that Maverick Rowan is on track to reclassify & that UofL is the likely destination if he becomes a member of '15 class.

 

[King Of All Message Boards]

From what I've been able to gather the obstacle in reclassifying is getting 2 required classes completed. It's unprecedented at his school and his old man said they're not exactly being helpful.

 

[Piranha]

All signs point towards 'Ville. Adidas school, they play a system he likes, Pitino has publicly stated he needs shooters for next year, and they lost a couple guards recently.

 

[King Of All Message Boards]

I know nothing but the Adidas thing is interesting. He switched AAU teams and is now on one that is Nike Sponsored.

 

[Sean Miller Fan]

Originally posted by King Of All Message Boards:
I know nothing but the Adidas thing is interesting. He switched AAU teams and is now on one that is Nike Sponsored.

He switched again. If he DOESN'T reclassify, he's playing for the Ohio Basketball Club, which is an Adidas team.

 

[Harve74]

Originally posted by King Of All Message Boards:
I know nothing but the Adidas thing is interesting. He switched AAU teams and is now on one that is Nike Sponsored.

Lots of very interesting and contradictory stuff going around about Rowan.

He has been rumored to be on a couple different AAU teams, one Adidas, one Nike. Some have said the Adidas/Nike thing is no longer the determining issue.

If he is really trying to reclassify, it is surprising that he is, really, WASTING time with playing AAU. It's not like he has to raise his exposure and his ranking. He already has offers from virtually everybody. If he has to make up several required classes, you would think he would be working hard academically to make up those courses.

I don't know the details involved with reclassifying from an NCAA eligibility standpoint. It is said above he has to make up TWO classes. Two makes a HUGE difference under NORMAL NCAA rules, compared to one. I'm pretty sure that if he is trying to be designated as a 2015 graduate, he can't just go make up two classes in Summer school and be eligible in September. The NCAA has worked diligently to close as many loopholes as possible to minimize academic fraud. In Rowan's case, there is no problem with making up failed or missed courses, but the same rules generally apply.

A prospective athlete is only permitted to make up ONE class after his class graduates. His new, 2015 class would graduate in late May or June. If his high school is not cooperating to let him make up at least one course before graduation, he may have no choice but continue academically as a 2016 graduate, somewhere.

There may be special exemptions or categories for kids trying to reclassify. Even many college compliance offices don't know everything. Different states may have different rules on high school eligibility. I think it was posted before that had he stayed in the Beaver Valley, he could have played this coming Winter at Lincoln Park as a senior.

If he goes back to high school or prep school somewhere, in another season, rosters, teams and coaches will change. He will clearly still be an attractive recruit but Louisville for example, will have played a season with different guards and might not have the same need.

There may well be other academic options, high schools that would let him make up those two courses in the Fall semester and finish as an early 2016 graduate in December. That might be a very viable option.

Who knows? It will be an interesting situation to watch.