TTech Just A Little Bit Over!

[50's PONY]

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Posted on Thu, Apr. 14, 2005



Signings leave Tech over limit

By Troy Phillips
Star-Telegram Staff Writer

Texas Tech added two players Wednesday to an already bulging men's basketball recruiting class, and it is unclear how the Red Raiders plan to meet the NCAA maximum of 13 scholarship players per season.

L.D. Bell guard Alan Voskuil and forward John Plefka from Santa Fe Community College in Palatka, Fla., signed letters of intent to play for Tech, giving the class eight players. As of Wednesday afternoon, Houston Westbury Christian forward Jeremy Barr had a scholarship offer from Tech but was also considering Southern California and Colorado.

Tech has six returning scholarship players, and Randy Farley, spokesman for Tech coach Bob Knight, said he has not been told any are planning to transfer or leave the program.

Tech associate head coach Pat Knight did not return several phone calls. Farley said Bob Knight was out of town and unavailable.

Even without Barr, Tech would be one over the 13-scholarship limit for next season. Calls to all eight current signees or their coaches revealed that seven have qualified academically. One, Denver (Colo.) East forward Dazzmond Thornton, has at least partially qualified.

To fully qualify, Thornton needs one more point on the ACT (from an 18 to a 19), which he took again Saturday. With A's or B's in all of his classes this spring, Thornton is on track to qualify with or without the ACT score, East coach Rudy Carey said.

"Dazz is going to make his [qualifications]," Carey said. "I'll tell you right now, he'll be at Tech in the fall. He will qualify. There's no problem there."

None of Tech's signees are walk-ons masquerading as scholarship players; all eight signed official letters of intent.

Tech's class signals a major overhaul to a program that's coming off a fourth consecutive 20-win season and an appearance in this year's Sweet 16. Tech has no seniors on next year's roster. Eight or nine new players will make Tech that much younger.

"They've had at least one guy leave every year since coach Knight's been there," said former Tech guard Josh Washington, who transferred to Texas A&M-Corpus Christi after the 2003-04 season. "You have to find yourself and where you fit within the system there."

Washington said he made the wrong college choice out of high school, rushing to sign with Tech without looking at other options. He said he wasn't forced to leave but understands that his scholarship eventually could have been taken away. NCAA scholarships are renewed annually.

"We're not going to take anyone's scholarship [for a better recruited player]," Baylor coach Scott Drew said, speaking in general terms and not specifically about another school. "You do tell a player if he's not going to get playing time. It's his option if he wants to stay [on scholarship] or transfer to another school."

Chances are Tech needs one of its returning scholarship players -- possibly two -- to leave after this semester. How that occurs is unclear, whether because of academics or some other reason, but Tech has signed more players than it had scholarships to give.

"That can come back to bite you later," Rivals.com recruiting analyst Bob Gibbons said. "My guess is they thought some of these guys weren't going to qualify."

Plefka's coach at Santa Fe, Chris Mowry, said he heard that one or two of Tech's freshman recruits were going to a fifth-year prep school before attending Tech. None, though, has stated such plans.

As of this week, all six of Tech's returning scholarship players resumed unsupervised strength-and-conditioning workouts. Farley said he doesn't know if the Knights have had any meetings with any players about their scholarship status.


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ONLINE:www.texastech.com
Troy Phillips, (817) 390-7760 tphillips@star-telegram.com





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© 2005 Star-Telegram and wire service sources. All Rights Reserved.
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[Hoss]

Since we have one more to give, and if Hudson and the NY kid don't end up at SMU, might our coaches be standing down below when one of the Tech players falls overboard?

I suppose that depends on who it is, of course.

[The XtC]

Tech is going to have to withhdraw their offer to Barr. It doesnt neccessarily mean we can get in on him (Very good player, strong power forward with huge wingspan) because he has alot of offers, but this late in the recruiting season alot of schools have already filled their classses, and may not have room for him. It will be interesting to see what happens.

[EastStang]

Any current Tech roster players we would want. If a player's scholarship is not renewed, isn't he kind of a free agent and automatically can play the next year at a Div. 1 school.

[DiamondM75]

No.

If a player transfers, even if it is because his scholarship was revolked, he still has to sit out one year.