THE CORDIA CONTROVERSY:

Are All Basketball Transfers Equal?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Could this group contain members of your 2013-2014 KHSAA State Champions?

Photo Credit: Cordia Team Member's Twitter, AllKYHoops.com

 

 

 

BACKGROUND:

 

Whether or not you’ve seen them play, no matter what area of the state you reside in, and wherever you fall in the public/private and transfer debates, there’s probably one thing that unites all BluegrassPreps readers, and that’s that you’ve probably heard about the Cordia Lions. You probably have an opinion on it too, which is great. The purpose of our message board is to share dialogue and content with our readers and allow them to speak their minds on topics just like this—we just ask that you do it within the rules that are established to keep BluegrassPreps.com as your premier source for discussion of Kentucky High School Athletics.

 

With that out of the way, let’s drill down to what we know about Cordia, the Lions’ basketball program, and their coach, former Kentucky Wildcat Roderick Rhodes.

 

Cordia High School is located in Lotts Creek, Kentucky. They are a part of the Knott County School System, even though they have a Hazard address and zip code. Caney Creek native and Ohio State graduate Alice H. Slone founded the Cordia school in 1933 as a “residential settlement school”, with the vision of servicing the rural community with quality education. Much more information about the school’s founder and history can be found through this link.

 

As a residential settlement school, the Cordia school also features dorms, which differentiate it from most other Kentucky High Schools in regards to the rules governing transfers (at least for kids who live in the dorms). If you are unfamiliar, “dorms” are these crazy things that kids live in during college, so maybe it’s preparing them for college more than their previous situation, but maybe it isn’t and high school isn’t really the place for that kind of thing-- it’s fine, reasonable minds can differ, and this is the place where you can share your feelings on the issue. Nonetheless, the fact is, these dorms can nullify a number of questions that have already been posed in regards to the transfers, which are: “But what about the parents? Why would they move to Cordia? Where are they employed?”

 

While the school has featured dormitories throughout its’ history, the controversy surrounding them now involves, as you have probably inferred, the arrival of Rhodes and the subsequent enrollment of a number of talented basketball players who live in them. We’ll revisit this later, but for now, just know that the rules for dorms are an important concept.

 

 

THE FACTS:

While I personally don’t know the situation of any of the kids at Cordia, nor do I want to know, as their personal matters are their own private business and not any business of mine so long as they are being properly cared for, a look at the KHSAA rules might allow us to infer some facts about the situation that can clear up some misconceptions about what may or may not be occurring. Because of the dorm situation, we don't know that the parents moved. They certainly didn't have to. For all we know, the parents may not even be in their lives. At the age some of those kids are, they could be emancipated and/or legal adults and the situation wouldn't even apply as far as the parents were concerned.

 

Another thing I’ll say: If it's a situation where it is proven that the kids who are coming in are allowed to miss all kinds of class and never learn anything, despite their being capable of it, then yes, I would say that it's a messed up situation. In addition to playing basketball, I hope that these kids are receiving a quality education that will prepare them both for college and life beyond basketball.

 

Corida’s Head Coach, Rodrick Rhodes, is a name familiar to many Kentuckians. Rhodes came through the high school scene as a ballyhooed New Jersey prep star, rising to fame and the public spotlight during his time the nationally renowned St. Anthony, where he played for Bob Hurley Sr. One of the top recruits in the nation, Rhodes went on to commit to Coach Rick Pitino (heard of him?) and the University of Kentucky Wildcats (heard of them?) in the early 90’s. He would later transfer to Southern California, before he wound up being taken with the 24th pick in the 1997 NBA Draft by the Houston Rockets. He played for them, the Vancouver Grizzlies and Dallas Mavericks during his three-year stint in the NBA, and also played professionally in a number of countries before exiting and entering the coaching ranks. Rhodes has been an assistant at the University of Texas Pan-American, the University of Massachusetts, an administrative assistant coach at Seton Hall University, St. Edward’s College (Austin, Texas), and Idaho State University. Before Rodrick Rhodes landed at Cordia, he interviewed at a number of Kentucky high schools that chose not to hire him.

 

 

THE DOWNRIGHT UGLY:

Since we’re dealing with the facts, there’s no arguing something I’m just going to go ahead and get out of the way. For those of us who might not have been paying attention, Cordia has seen an influx of African-American (a.k.a. “black”) kids. They’ve also received a lot of negative publicity. I’m not saying there’s a direct correlation between the two, but, for some, this probably doesn’t sit well. I definitely don’t think there is an issue with this for a large number of people there, as there would be backlash no matter the kids’ race just because they were winning games that others were used to winning, but there’s no denying that there have also been some very ugly incidents where race was at issue. If you aren’t convinced, see allegations that Knott County were students posting

. Yea... definitely not cool whoever posted that. Nonetheless, Canadians Emmanuel Owootoah and teammate Marlon King took the high road in an interview with WYMT, speaking highly of their time in Eastern Kentucky and thanking the Cordia fans that supported them through the year.

 

IF race really isn’t an issue with you, then that’s fine, and this paragraph really doesn’t speak to you, but there’s no denying that some ugly moments have occurred, and the worst are widely attributed to students from area schools whose student populations are made up of “local” kids. These have been even been attempted to be justified with what I would consider fairly weak explanations from the Knott County Central administration by their saying "it goes both ways" (see the WYMT link). Regardless of how you feel about the situation, there’s no excusing that type of behavior.

 

 

THE KIDS:

 

Chris Hudson was one of the first, for lack of a better word, “basketball talents” who transferred to Cordia; as of today, Chris is a standout on the gridiron and hardwood... in a Hazard Bulldogs uniform. Though I cannot verify it personally, it is accepted as common knowledge within the Eastern Kentucky basketball community that Hudson came from the Houston, Texas area.

 

The best player on last year’s team was the aforementioned Emmanuel Owootoah, who is now playing collegiately at Fresno State University. Owootoah’s bio lists his hometown as Toronto, Canada. International exchange students are governed under KHSAA Bylaw 8.

 

Christian Cunningham sent shockwaves through the BGP community when he transferred from Henry Clay to Cordia, but maybe that was due to his playing at Scott County and Sayre at one time as well.

 

Also on this year’s edition of the Lions is Malik Hines, a 6’9 power forward from Jackson, Mississippi, whose talent prompted UK Assistants Orlando Antigua and John Robic to make a trip to Cordia to take in a practice. According to the Kentucky Sports Radio link provided, Hines has offers from UNLV, UConn, Mississippi State, and Ole Miss, as well as interest from Ohio State and Syracuse.

 

There’s also Anthony “A.J.” Tagaloa, a point guard that Cat’s Pause rated as the 9th best player in the 14th Region.

 

There was also this picture tweeted by a Cordia player, which shows what appears to be a number of players who’ve transferred in to be a part of the program. One BGP user who’s familiar with Cordia (Wireman) noted that the kid in the back is supposedly a legitimate 7 footer who’s only in the 8th grade.

 

 

Editor's Note: If anyone has more information about the kids pictured in the tweet and/or more information about some of the kids that you would like to share it in the comments section, your help would be greatly appreciated, but again, we ask that you do so within the rules established.

 

After further research, it appears that one of the kids in the picture is Oumar Keita. More information on him can be found here.

 

SO WHY WOULD SOMEONE WANT TO TRANSFER TO CORDIA? WHAT COULD BE GOING ON?

Well, a couple of things make Cordia attractive to a potential student, one primary reason being that they offer a prep school type experience for a fraction of the cost. There’s also the chance to be coached by someone who had the experience of being a prep phenom and went through the rigors of the recruiting process himself. Additionally, that same coach has first-hand, personal knowledge of what it’s like to play at both a big time college program and in the NBA. If that weren’t enough, he also has experience coaching at the college level. That’s quite the package for a high school coach.

 

Some skeptics have knocked the academics at Cordia, but according to the school’s website, they send ¾ of their graduates to college or other advanced training, and in 2006, the school boasted a 100% transition rate, meaning that all of the students in their senior class went on to pursue higher education.

 

If basketball is the ticket for a future college scholarship for you, it makes sense why you’d be attracted to the idea of playing for Rhodes. There’s also the opportunity to get out of one environment, like say a city filled with distractions, and into a quaint, secluded environment where you could focus on honing both your grades and basketball skills to prepare for the next level.

 

Kids talk. They see LeBron going to the Heat instead of playing for Cleveland. It’s a new generation of athletes and is reflective of our culture at large. When one or two kids decide they are going to make the jump and transfer in to a school, they probably talk about it in passing with their AAU teammates. Another kid decides on his own that he wants to join. Before you know it, the snowball is rolling and gathering momentum.

 

As someone who lives and works in a major metropolitan area (San Antonio is the 7th most populous city in the U.S.), I can tell you that the situations facing a number of kids in some inner-city schools is outright dire and drastic when you get down to it. The “system” in place at many of these schools can be quite unforgiving to those who slip through the cracks, and if this is the primary motivation for a kid to “get out” and have a chance at “breaking the cycle”, then I won’t judge them until I’ve walked a mile in their shoes. I think this especially rings true for a kid in a place like Toronto (the 5th most populous city in North America), where hockey reigns supreme and football is the next largest sport while basketball, especially collegiate basketball, is more of an after-thought.

 

Think about yourself at the age many of these kids are at. Now think about what it would have taken you to leave your hometown and go to a foreign place where you’d undoubtedly experience some culture shock, homesickness, and the like. Again, not knowing or wanting to pry into the personal lives of any of these kids, I’d just say that maybe if this was something that was an easy, obvious decision for them, then maybe that’s commentary more-so on the circumstances that they’ve left behind and isn’t something I’d really fault them for. That’s just me though, and again, reasonable minds can differ.

 

 

THE BYLAWS:

In most discussions on BluegrassPreps, it is inevitable that someone points to KHSAA Bylaw 16, Section 2, which states: “Recruiting is defined as an act, on behalf of or for the benefit of, a school, which attempts to influence a student to transfer to a member school for the purpose of participating in athletics".

 

But what does this really mean? Reading this, I think that the bylaw is worded very broadly, and ultimately gives the KHSAA a lot of discretion in determining whether or not actions subject an athlete or school to this bylaw.

 

Wouldn't you say that a program like Lexington Catholic or Trinity might use their high college admission rates "to influence a student to transfer to their school for the purpose of participating in athletics?” You can't deny that there's an appeal there especially since all kids at private schools are 'recruited' (i.e., open houses, mentions in the parochial systems, etc., even for the recruitment of students who don't even participate in any extra-curricular activities). Of course that's part of the appeal that helps sell students to come to their school, and some of those students are good athletes who are basing their decision primarily on athletics, but it seems somewhat absurd to complain about that as a "recruiting tool" or "competitive advantage".

 

My main argument to this line of thinking is this: if these were kids who were enrolling at a magnet program at a prestigious school like DuPont Manual because it helped them gain a college scholarship and/or further their career in science, we would not only fail to complain, we would applaud them (as we should). We certainly wouldn’t want to punish schools for having strong academic reputations, but couldn’t things like this be considered factors that influence a student to transfer in for the purpose of participating in athletics?

 

Let’s be honest with ourselves. If you are an athlete capable of earning a Division 1 scholarship, don’t you think you’d evaluate your high school’s athletics program before enrolling? I’m not even talking about transfers here, consider that it could be someone who is in 8th grade and getting ready to enter high school, etc. To say that the sports program at a school shouldn’t be a part of the decision making process for someone who could potentially earn a scholarship is both shortsighted and unfair.

 

KHSAA Bylaw 8 covers transfer rules for ‘non-exchange foreign students’, which is basically a term of art for non-domestic students who don’t enter high school as part of a foreign exchange program. After reading the bylaw, I wouldn’t think that it applies to a great number of the students in this case for a variety of reasons. Out of respect for the player’s privacy, I won’t delve too far into this. Just know that the general rule is that the players who fall into this categorization are generally deemed ineligible for one year of competition, and are then eligible thereafter, however, there are discretionary waivers that can be granted which allow for immediate eligibility. These waivers may be granted if, for example, the player has refugee status or in cases where the entire family unit moves.

 

This is where this article gets important. Since it’s unlikely that Bylaw 8 applies given what we know about it, it’s more likely that Bylaw 6 is the applicable provision. Bylaw 6 governs the transfer rules for citizens of the U.S. or U.S. Territories. However, this title can be somewhat misleading, as Section 2 of this Bylaw is titled “DISCRETIONARY EXCEPTIONS FOR WAIVER”, and the provisions included in Subsection E concerns ‘Boarding Schools’ and states: “The period of ineligibility may be waived on a one-time basis for students entering or returning from a boarding school on a full time basis as a boarding school student”.

 

Granted, Section 1, Subsection B of Bylaw 6 states: “The Ruling Officer and Commissioner have discretion (hence, they can decide, but are not required to decide) to waive the period of ineligibility set forth above if one or more of the following exception in Section 2 has been met. “Determinations of whether a student shall be granted a waiver pursuant to this rule shall be based on the circumstances existing as of the date of enrollment at the new school”.

 

Nonetheless, for all of the talk about “the rules” and abiding by them, it seems that Cordia has a pretty good chance at satisfying the criteria to meet the exception for a discretionary waiver based on their status as a boarding school.

 

 

BUT SHOULDN’T THEY BE A “PREP” SCHOOL? :

For those who would argue that Cordia should secede from the KHSAA and operate as a prep school who played a comparable schedule, I would reply that, while this is something that might be a possibility at some point in time should things continue to progress in the manner that they have since Rhodes took the helm, it is nonetheless something that, for a variety of reasons, is neither viable option nor a sustainable plan at this point in time. For one, the barriers to entry for this sort of thing are extremely challenging and would present Cordia with hurdles that are likely insurmountable. The financial difficulties of playing this type of schedule alone would likely be too great for a small, and by their own admission, financially struggling program like Cordia to undertake.

 

First and foremost, they’d likely need an infusion of capital that simply isn’t currently available to the small mountain school. Relatedly, Cordia would need the to evaluate and successfully implement a number of changes in order to establish and maintain policies needed for them to be compliant with a different (and more complex) set of rules to ensure that their athletes would be eligible for NCAA competition. These rules are a huge deal for a number of “prep schools” and “basketball academies” like Oak Hill and Findlay, and are some of the major reasons that there is a vast number of these schools which pop-up only to fail and close their doors shortly thereafter.

 

Just to be clear, the difference in a “prep school” and a “regular”, or four-year high school, is that under NCAA rules, players who wish to be eligible can only attend a prep school for one year and only to make up NCAA core-classes. Schools like Oak Hill and Findlay are not truly “prep schools” because they are affiliated with four-year high schools while schools like Brewster Academy and South Kent are “true prep schools”. Obviously, the true “prep school” would require a high roster turnover, the funds for which would be much more than whatever Cordia incurs now based on the sheer volume of new students that would be required to fill out the roster each year.

 

Frankly, for Cordia to enter the “prep school” or “basketball academy” realm (where expensive private schools basically hand-pick elite talent) and have any chance at being competitive, they’d most likely first need to build success at the KHSAA level first, then piggyback off of the recognition brought by that type of success. For Cordia, it’s all about economies of scale and scope.

 

Also, consider that at Findlay Prep, the 11-12 players live in a home that was purchased for nearly half a million dollars and go to a school whose tuition alone costs $40,000. Despite this, and the fact that the players attend the posh and prestigious Henderson International School for classes, the NCAA has deemed Findlay a ‘non-scholastic entity’, which essentially bars coaches from “in-person recruiting”. As mentioned by the New York Times, one of the motivations for the NCAA reaching such a conclusion was that the school was not a member of it’s own state governing bodies (i.e., the equivalent of which for Cordia is the KHSAA). In plain words and from the New York Times article linked above:

 

"According to an email obtained by YahooSports! from Jamie Israel, associate director of the NCAA’s academic and membership affairs (AMA) department, Findlay and Huntington Prep were in breach of an NCAA bylaw, which says that “a team that is affiliated with a scholastic institution, but not subject to the rules and regulations of a scholastic governing body would be considered a nonscholastic team.”

 

Further, consider that Prime Prep, a school founded and bankrolled by none other than Deion Sanders, has had the collegiate eligibility of two recent graduates called into question because a single course in their curriculum there was deemed insufficient to meet the NCAA’s definition of a ‘core course’. Currently, the two players, Kaviar Sheperd and Jordan Mickey are at the schools they committed to (TCU and LSU, respectively), but neither is allowed to receive scholarship money.

 

Considering the state of flux that these academies are in and the considerable barriers to entry that are staring down Cordia at this point in time, the idea of competing on either the “prep” or “basketball academy” level is nothing more than a pipe dream for Cordia. Even if Cordia had access to the type of funding needed to maintain the housing, educational needs, and travel expenses associated with this type of schedule, the entire purpose of the school’s mission is to prepare kids for the collegiate level, which is essentially nullified if schools with the resources of Findlay and Prime Prep are currently being considered ‘non scholastic entities’ and/or are having their curriculum called into question and the advantages offered to most Division I prospects such as “in-person recruiting” and the receipt of scholarship money are not allowed.

 

It is certainly a noble concept that at some point, Cordia can evolve into a high quality prep school that prepares their students for the academic and athletic rigors that they will face at the next level in the same way that an Oak Hill or Montverde Academy currently does, but nonetheless, it is just not very realistic as things stand today.

 

 

THE IRONY:

I find it somewhat odd that, for the near century that Cordia’s dorms have been in existence and that the school has been playing basketball with the rest of the state, that the cries about an unfair advantage have only begun once good basketball players started living in them. I don't know how many basketball players from past teams lived in the dorms, but I would imagine that even when some were living there, this wasn't an issue with other schools when they were beating Cordia. If it were prodigious musical talents, Mathletes & science geeks, or something similar, would there be nearly as much of an outcry? Maybe this rhetorical question says something about our culture and the sports culture at large, but deep down, I think there’s some resonance in it.

 

For me, though, the question becomes: Why Cordia? What differentiates them from the (not-so-small) number of schools across the state? What differentiates the proportion of those schools that also just happen to get transfers who are good athletes?

 

I understand what I will call the “Numbers Argument" to some degree, but I don’t really agree with it completely on all levels. The Numbers Argument follows this formula: take the volume of transfers they receive, those transfers’ contributions on the hardwood as compared to their peers, and/or the number of miles they have traveled in their lives to get to this point, and when you multiply those your product is just too high. Valid point, but I diverge when trying to say exactly what this amount is.

 

Another rhetorical question I’d ask: if other schools throughout the state, especially those in the region and/or same geographical area, were given access to the resources that Rhodes and Cordia possess, would they not be doing the same?

 

I’m sure that some people who’ve posted here who would have rather not seen Trinity take home the Sweet 16 in 2012 or Lexington Catholic do the same in 2002. Fair enough, because you’ve maintained a seemingly consistent position throughout the past decade plus, and even though you may be arguing a point that is more parallel to “how things ought to be” instead of the reality of “how things are”, you've nonetheless been consistent.

 

My rebuttal here would be this: Kentucky is one of the few states who still has a “one-for-all” tournament featuring no divisions or classes, and the lowest attended final in recent memory was the 1992 tilt between Lexington Catholic and University Heights. See a pattern? Throw in the attendance numbers from the 2012 final where Trinity beat Scott County in a tournament they rolled through. Still missing the pattern if you hadn’t already gotten it? It’s dollars and sense.

 

Based on the Rose Hill situation, I would think that if Cordia turns into an unstoppable force who churns out state championships at a rate that no longer makes the Sweet 16 the commercially appealing event that it is, then we may see a change in attitudes toward the ‘discretionary’ waivers (even though those may or may not have been the bylaw that grants/have granted some of the players their eligibility). But a powerhouse Cordia team who obliterates the competition just hasn’t happened yet. As a matter of fact, Cordia didn’t even win their own regional tournament, or even their own regional title in the All-A Classic for that matter.

 

If you still aren’t seeing a pattern with the attendance arguments, try looking at things from a different perspective. Take the number of transfers at other 14th region schools since the 1970’s. Multiply that number by the number of state titles that the 14th has won since the 1970’s (and just going back 40+ years is still being generous to the region). There’s another numbers argument for you if you’re worrying about kid’s opportunities being taken.

Edited October 25, 201312 yr by JokersWild24

Kid grows up in Louisville and appears to be a QB prodigy coming out of middle school, lives in Shawnee area. Decides to apply for one of the magnet schools (with better football teams) or enrolls at T or X...is that really much different than what has happened at Cordia? Rose Hill? isn't what happened there about the same?

Kid grows up in Louisville and appears to be a QB prodigy coming out of middle school, lives in Shawnee area. Decides to apply for one of the magnet schools (with better football teams) or enrolls at T or X...is that really much different than what has happened at Cordia? Rose Hill? isn't what happened there about the same?

 

 

 

Going across town is "about the same" as moving from halfway across the country or from another country?

Going across town is "about the same" as moving from halfway across the country or from another country?

 

HDE, you are a 13th Region guy. Oneida Baptist Institute gets tons of international kids and no one cares. They don't care because they are usually beating them.

Going across town is "about the same" as moving from halfway across the country or from another country?

 

Or in some cases in Louisville coming from another state.

HDE, you are a 13th Region guy. Oneida Baptist Institute gets tons of international kids and no one cares. They don't care because they are usually beating them.

 

 

 

Very true.

The difference is they are truly there to be students, not hand picked for basketball.

Very true.

The difference is they are truly there to be students, not hand picked for basketball.

 

That's fair. But how many kids at a school like Trinity, Lexington Catholic, University Heights, etc. could you say the same for?

 

And how many schools wouldn't do the same as Cordia if they had the resources and connections?

 

Perry Central is rumored to have a kid from Philadelphia. Montgomery County is rumored to have a transfer from Illinois.

Joker, you talk about Cordia not being able to be a "prep school" because of the extreme cost of travel, they are a poor school etc. so they can't play a prep school schedule. That's regardless of the fact; IF what they are doing is out of line with the KHSAA and they would have to be considered a prep school and play as such, then what it might cost them to do that would have no bearing on the facts. You can't have it both ways. A school can't "recruit" athletes, essentially be a prep school, claim they don't have the money to play as a prep school and play in the KHSAA, it doesn't work that way. It's one or the other. Play within the rules and be eligible for KHSAA inclusion, don't play by the rules and do something else.

Joker, you talk about Cordia not being able to be a "prep school" because of the extreme cost of travel, they are a poor school etc. so they can't play a prep school schedule. That's regardless of the fact; IF what they are doing is out of line with the KHSAA and they would have to be considered a prep school and play as such, then what it might cost them to do that would have no bearing on the facts. You can't have it both ways. A school can't "recruit" athletes, essentially be a prep school, claim they don't have the money to play as a prep school and play in the KHSAA, it doesn't work that way. It's one or the other. Play within the rules and be eligible for KHSAA inclusion, don't play by the rules and do something else.

 

If they were a prep school, then they'd no longer be able to play in the KHSAA. The cost of travel, lodging on trips, etc. would definitely grow exponentially.

 

I think they're playing with the same set of "rules" that many other schools are. They just do it bigger and better.

That's fair. But how many kids at a school like Trinity, Lexington Catholic, University Heights, etc. could you say the same for?

 

And how many schools wouldn't do the same as Cordia if they had the resources and connections?

 

Perry Central is rumored to have a kid from Philadelphia. Montgomery County is rumored to have a transfer from Illinois.

 

Joker, that may very well be true, but you can't keep handpicking and using INDIVDUAL examples of what may very well be above board legitimate transfers to compare to what seems to be a systemic situation at Cordia.

 

There are probably dozens or more LEGIT transfers in KY every year. Heck, some of the Cordia transfers may be legit, all of them may be, none of them may be, I guess that's the ultimate question that needs answering. I don't think anyone on this board is arguing or taking the stand that there aren't legitimate transfers. I, and several others just believe the situation should be looked at and either cleared or, if some kind of shenanigans or going on, then a stop put to it. At the very least it should be looked in to.

I saw on theroadtorupp.com that there are accusations of some local schools blocking paperwork on the Cordia kids. How does that work? Why are other schools involved?

Or in some cases in Louisville coming from another state.

I have stated this before and think it would solve all these problems. No student should be allowed to participate in KHSAA sports unless they are a legitimate citizen of the state of Kentucky. Period. No exceptions. Kids can still attend Kentucky schools from other states if they feel the education offered by that shool offers opportunities not present where they live. There is a lot to be said for kids getting away from the "bad elements" where they live and learning in an atmosphere such as Cordia offers. But for a team to have players from various states participate against schools comprised of all "local" kids just isn't right. There will always be transfers within an area of the state, but expanding this to a national level crosses the line. I'm not arguing the current "rules" as they seem so ambiguous you could argue either side and seem to be right. But I seriously doubt any of the out of state players at Cordia came there because of the educational opportunities. As far as private schools having open houses to attract students, that is exactly what they do. But I doubt serioisly Cordia had an open house and kids from Canada, Miss., etc just dropped in to see what they had to offer. These kids were "recruited" for their basketball ability, just as colleges recruit players. That is a big difference.

]If they were a prep school' date=' then they'd no longer be able to play in the KHSAA[/b']. The cost of travel, lodging on trips, etc. would definitely grow exponentially.

 

I think they're playing with the same set of "rules" that many other schools are. They just do it bigger and better.

 

Again, that's the whole issue. What they are doing with their basketball is starting to reek of a prep school type program. As of right now they are not considered that, and no matter what Cordia ever did, they might not ever consider themselves a prep school. However, should the KHSAA step in and find these kids ineligible because of violations, then for them to play they would either have to play a prep school schedule, or they wouldn't be allowed to play at all within the KHSAA.

Going across town is "about the same" as moving from halfway across the country or from another country?

 

 

Another point I'd like to add on that thought:

 

Schools like Trinity, Ballard, Lexington Catholic, Scott County, etc. are near larger population centers, so it's easy to say, well, they only get transfers from the Louisville or Lexington area. They don't have to go so far out of necessity. If they were in Cordia's shoes, then it could very well be a different ballgame.

Joker, that may very well be true, but you can't keep handpicking and using INDIVDUAL examples of what may very well be above board legitimate transfers to compare to what seems to be a systemic situation at Cordia.

 

There are probably dozens or more LEGIT transfers in KY every year. Heck, some of the Cordia transfers may be legit, all of them may be, none of them may be, I guess that's the ultimate question that needs answering. I don't think anyone on this board is arguing or taking the stand that there aren't legitimate transfers. I, and several others just believe the situation should be looked at and either cleared or, if some kind of shenanigans or going on, then a stop put to it. At the very least it should be looked in to.

 

 

My biggest contention with this is that it's analogous to saying, well, Person X is less of a criminal than Person Y. Person X murdered one person. Person Y murdered thirteen people.

 

One thing that I will definitely give you is that, throughout the debate on transfers, you have maintained a consistent point that any and all transfers who are subject to a violation of the rules should be declared ineligible.

 

I just diverge from that point because I think that, at the end of the day, you do more harm than good taking such a hardline stance. I definitely respect your point and do not mean for that to come off as you intend to do cause harm to the kids or anything like that, in fact, I think just the opposite. We just have a different idea and conception of what causes the most 'harm'.

 

 

As for the 'systematic' point you make, I look at it like this. Over the past 25 years, Cordia has probably gotten just as many transfers who are "difference makers in athletics" as some of the other schools in their region. They just happened to get them in a 1-2 year span while the other schools got 1-2 over the course of 2-3 years. Why should they be denied a turn? They took a chance and hired Rhodes when other schools didn't because they saw the writing on the wall.

 

 

If a kid is getting a chance to better themselves by going to Cordia and learning under Rhodes, then more to them, especially if it's their ticket to a free education. Being a Division I basketball player can set you for life if you have a good head on your shoulders. Even if you don't earn a degree, if you are personable and have a decent work ethic, you'll have lots of doors opened to you working in marketing, sales, or coaching. That's just how it is, and what having the chance to seize that opportunity probably means to some should not be underestimated.

 

 

This part is NOT directed toward you at all, but is just my general feeling, but I find it funny that so many times, we hear about a kid going to a school like Trinity, Lexington Catholic, or somewhere similar and posters talking about how they'll receive a quality education, etc. However, when it's a "have not" like Cordia in the hills of Eastern Kentucky, it's just a different story for some reason. It seems very ethnocentric to think that a kid should be denied an opportunity to better themselves because they aren't American or aren't "local" enough for people's liking. It doesn't seem to be in line with the most fundamental principles of humanitarianism to say, "this person deserves a better opportunity than that person because this person was born domestically and that person wasn't, even though the person that wasn't is dying to come here".