Prime prep update

[refereedoc]

11-3A DEC rules 3 Grace Prep-to-Prime Prep boys hoops transfers ineligible (updates from meeting)
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By SportsDayDFW sports
websports@dallasnews.com
10:48 pm on October 9, 2012 | Permalink

Three boys basketball players who transferred from Arlington Grace Prep to Prime Prep were ruled ineligible for the 2012-13 season by the 11-3A district executive committee on Wednesday.

Two of the three players ruled ineligible are big-name, high-profile recruits — junior Emmanuel Mudiay (scholarship offers from Kentucky and Kansas) and senior Karviar Shepherd (TCU pledge). Another high-profile player from Grace Prep — senior Jordan Mickey (LSU pledge) — was ruled eligible.

See below for updates from the meeting:

@corbettsmithDMN (11:43 a.m.): D.L. Wallace said he understood that he could appeal to the state DEC. “Absolutely, we will do that.”

@DavidSchechter (WFAA, 11:41 a.m.): INELIGIBLE: Athletics board strikes down 3 of 4 star hoops players for improper transfer to @deionsanders’ #PrimePrep.

@corbettsmithDMN (11:40 a.m.) : Grace Prep xfer Karviar Shepherd voted down, 3-1 on addy issues; @DeionSanders pleas “why are we pretending that it doesn’t take a village”

@mattwixon (11:36 a.m.): I’m not sure how Jordan Mickey was different than the other #PrimePrep players. But I’m not privy to the paperwork. He passed. #txhshoops

@corbettsmithDMN (11:29 a.m.): Mickey surprisingly passes! 3-2, with Wilmer-Hutchins, Irving North Hills and Roosevelt voting yes. Jordan Mickey is a 6-7 senior, committed to LSU.

@mattwixon (11:27 a.m.): Not looking good for these players to get approved. Biggest recruit Mudiay just got voted down 4-1. #PrimePrep

@corbettsmithDMN (11:25 a.m.): First #PrimePrep transfer from Grace Prep voted down, 0-5. Looks certain that Mudiay, Mickey and Shepherd will be voted down … First national recruit at #PrimePrep voted down by DEC with little discussion. #txhshoops

@corbettsmithDMN (11:22 a.m.): D.L. Wallace gets a chance to plead his case for virtues of #PrimePrep , to deaf ears I think.

@corbettsmithDMN (11:20 a.m.): Irving North Hills asks a good question: did Grace Prep xfers look at any other charters (five or six mentioned by him) as alternative?

@corbettsmithDMN (11:19 a.m.): Four PAPFs from Grace Prep up.

@mattwixon (11:14 a.m.): Still no Grace Prep players considered. #PrimePrep #txhshoops

@corbettsmithDMN (11:11 a.m.): 3 Denton Ryan transfers rejected by committee. One was a good Bball player on Ryan’s 4A semifinalists last year. Now ineligible for varsity

@corbettsmithDMN (11:07 a.m.): @DeionSanders asks Ferris’ Emeyabbi about tuition as reason for Grace Prep xfers. Chair shouts down talk, trying to stay on task

@mattwixon (11:05 a.m.): #PrimePrep cofounder DL Wallace questions right of exec committee to reject PAPFs that look clean. #txhshoops

@corbettsmithDMN (11:01 a.m.): Heated back and forth between #PrimePrep founder Wallace and Ferris administrators about how they justify rejecting clean PAPF

@mattwixon (10:55 a.m.): Haven’t got to Grace Prep basketball players yet. But from talk about other transfers, it’s clear Ferris coach will vote no. #txhshoops

@corbettsmithDMN (10:40 a.m.): Lincoln transfer held up until next meeting. DEC chair wants clarification on his transfer from Skyline to Lincoln last year.

@corbettsmithDMN (10:36 a.m.): Nothing yet denying #PrimePrep transfers, but no Grace Prep kids up so far. First D1 kid up (Lincoln transfer).

@mattwixon (10:32 a.m.): Yes, there are lots of PAPFs for #PrimePrep. None of the big names for hoops yet. #txhshoops

@corbettsmithDMN (10:21 a.m.): First three PAPFs pass with little fanfare. But….D.L. Wallace essentially taunting DEC chairwoman by reading parent letter from Madison transfer. Wow. Willard (Madison prin.) visibly angry.

@corbettsmithDMN (10:11 a.m.): Willard pulling out the UIL manual. Ruh roh. It’s getting parliamentary.

@corbettsmithDMN (10:07 a.m.): Mistaken that Forsett is here. It’s Andre Johnson, who’s affiliated with PrimePrep how? Self identified “concerned citizen”

@mattwixon (10:02 a.m.): #PrimePrep athletes need majority vote of DEC members. Other members are Madison, Ferris, Wilmer Hutchins, Roosevelt, North Hills.

@corbettsmithDMN (9:59 a.m.): Nope, @DeionSanders is here. Meeting should start shortly.

@corbettsmithDMN (9:58 a.m.): D.L. Wallace and Ray Forsett here for #PrimePrep , no @DeionSanders as of yet.

@corbettsmithDMN (9:53 a.m.): DEC chair Willard told me yesterday that she got corrected PAPFs from#PrimePrep late Tuesday afternoon. She’d asked for them ASAP last Wed.

@corbettsmithDMN (9:44 a.m.): DEC chairwoman Marian Willard putting out placards, put Ferris and #PrimePrep next to each other. When she noticed, she quickly charged it.

@corbettsmithDMN (8:45 a.m.): Expect fireworks at this morning’s 11-3A DEC mtg., looking at #PrimePrep transfers. I’ll be live tweeting for those interested: starts 10am … Will not be surprised if top 100 recruits Emmanuel Mudiay, Jordan Mickey and Karviar Shepherd are all voted down (& ineligible this season) … #PrimePrep Mudiay, Mickey and Shepherd would appeal to state DEC, but the vibe I’m getting from the UIL is not in their favor.

Background on today’s meeting:
With boys basketball practice beginning in two weeks, the slow dance between the 11-3A District Executive Committee and Deion Sanders’ Prime Prep Academy should quicken Wednesday.

The committee will gather for an emergency meeting, attempting to tackle questions regarding the eligibility of several of the charter school’s boys athletes, including three nationally ranked basketball players who transferred from TAPPS champions Arlington Grace Prep.

To become eligible, the players will have to show residency in the charter’s home attendance zone, identical to Dallas ISD’s borders, and that they did not transfer to Prime Prep for athletic purposes.

[rholl]

Good Prime Prep is as shady as it gets!!! This debacle is what the UIL gets for a bungled decision.

[raider red 2000]

what a shame

[Txbroadcaster]

Good Prime Prep is as shady as it gets!!! This debacle is what the UIL gets for a bungled decision.

I honestly dont think the school is shady, I just think Sanders had no clue what needed to be done and hired people that have no clue on the rules of the UIL

[toddg]

I honestly dont think the school is shady, I just think Sanders had no clue what needed to be done and hired people that have no clue on the rules of the UIL

not shady..just ignorant, lazy, and embarrassingly inept...coupled with arrogence...they didnt do their homework and now there is a big chunk of their arse missing..not a good beginning..for the kids sake, i hope they get their head right with ball!

[Old Tiger]

I honestly dont think the school is shady, I just think Sanders had no clue what needed to be done and hired people that have no clue on the rules of the UILYup....I see it as people just disliking Deion for being polarizing and think he's shady and anything he does is.

[regaleagle]

Oh, they are shady allright. Wallace and Sanders are not stupid, just pushy. They want and expect the UIL and the member schools to accomodate them in their new enterprise in the name of education and offering better opportunities for the student athletes. They are attempting to use every tactic possible, even pleading with the board if necessary, to get their way. I am totally against this whole ordeal they baked up, and the way in which they have attempted to become accredited this season using these high-profile D1 recruits as coersion to become approved. It's totally underhanded, and I'm happy to see the UIL standing its ground. They knew they were putting these kids in a predicament when they accepted the tranfers, and did it anyway. I doubt if the parents totally understood what the requirements were, and the consequences if those were not met.

[Matthew328]

This basketball deal is a LOT shaddier than the football...4 STUD D1 kids all of a sudden up and transfer from a prestigious private school to Prime Prep ALONG with the coach who has long been rumored to be a recruiter....plus the 2nd best player from Denton Ryan and Dallas Lincoln's best player??? A lot to wonder about

[Ville]

Good for Prime Prep.

[NTFan]

Good Prime Prep is as shady as it gets!!! This debacle is what the UIL gets for a bungled decision.


I agree, Prime Prep was never taken seriously by other coaches, or admins. But, it is a very very DANGEROUS situation. As far as the "bungled decision" by UIL, understand this........the UIL had NO CHOICE BUT TO ACCEPT THEM. If you want to point fingers at someone and put blame on them, that would go to the TEA. They are the one's who approved the charter for the school. Once they were approved, the UIL has no choice but to accept them. They then become a state school, operated by state tax payer funds. The UIL can't pick and choose who they take and don't take. If they are a state school, receiving state funds, they are in the UIL.

Now, this will continue to be a threat until the school shuts down. As long as Deion's arrogance allows him to believe that he can do anything he wants, this will continue to be a threat. He doesn't care about these kids. If he did, he would never have jeopardized their last year of high school ball, and allowed them to transfer. He would have never went and hired such a controversial coach in Forsett. If he truly cared about the kids, he would have hired a certified teacher, that also happens to coach basketball. He knew what he was doing from the beginning. My fear is, he will continue to push the envelope. And if they have success, this problem will multiply 10-fold in the future. It makes me thrown up in my mouth to see him getting face time as the lead story on WFAA. That's exactly what he loves. He loves the spot light. Bad, good, indifferent.

This charter school is nothing more than a "hobby" for Deion. He wanted to see if he could build a powerhouse athletic school and garner all the presses attention at the same time. He has achieved half of his goal. Let's just hope he never gets to see the other half.