National Collegiate Athletic Association

The NCAA News Digest

February 1, 1999

Division I midseason basketball trends

Division I basketball field-goal percentages for both men and women are low at the midpoint of the 1999 season, but at least they do not appear to be falling significantly from recent years.

At the midpoint of the 1998-99 season, Division I men are shooting 43.7 percent from the field. The figure for last year was 43.9 percent. The figure has not deviated more than .7 percent since 1994.

Three-point field-goal shooting for men, 34.2 percent, also is down slightly from last season's year-end figures. It is, however, a bit higher than the all-time low of 34.1 established in 1997. Although three-point shooting is well below the all-time high of 38.4 percent established in 1987, it has varied by only .4 percent since 1994.

Men's free-throw shooting is flirting with a new low. The midseason percentage of 67.1 percent matches the modern low set in 1994.

The story is somewhat the same in Division I women's basketball.

Overall field-goal shooting stands at 41.5 percent, almost identical to last year's final figure of 41.6 percent. The all-time high is 44.2 percent (1986), and the record low is 41.2 percent (1997).

The women currently are shooting 31.0 percent from three-point range, which is near the all-time low of 30.8 percent established in 1996. Free throws are being made at a rate of 66.8 percent, which is nearer the all-time high than the record low.

The average number of points per team in a men's game this season is 70.5, which is notably lower than last year's 71.4 (it also was 71.4 at midseason last year).

Women's points per game are at 68.1, about the same as last year.

INITIAL ELIGIBILITY

National video conference scheduled for February 23

The NCAA membership services staff will conduct a video conference from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Central time February 23 for high-school administrators and coaches.

The video conference will address issues high-school administrators face when assisting prospective student-athletes in the recruiting process. That includes issues related to initial eligibility and the NCAA Initial-Eligibility Clearinghouse process. A discussion also will take place on the process high-school counselors may follow when assisting students with disabilities. The topic of agents on high-school campuses also will be addressed.

The satellite coordinates for the video conference are C Band Telstar 5 Transponder 17. The video conference can be accessed only by a steerable or moveable satellite dish, not DSS Primestar, USSB, Channel One, cable, DirecTV, Whittle Communications or other such services.

During the telecast, the call-in number for questions is 800/289-0437. Those who require assistance with satellite transmission may call the trouble-shoot numbers at 816/753-0020 or 816/753-6217.

Staff contact: Carolayne A. Henry.

INITIAL ELIGIBILITY

Core-course review material mailed to 24,000 high schools

The latest version of NCAA core-course review materials has been sent to designated recipients at 24,000 high schools nationwide.

The NCAA's "1999 Update" incorporates changes gleaned from suggestions from several national high-school organizations, counselors and principals to make the materials as informative as possible.

Staff contact: Diane Dickman.

ALCOHOL EDUCATION

Application solicited for CHOICES grants

The NCAA is offering a three-year, $30,000 grant to assist member institutions with their alcohol-education efforts.

Part of the NCAA's commitment to student-athlete welfare involves addressing the use of alcohol by college students who are under the legal drinking age and the misuse of alcohol by those students for whom alcohol is a legal substance.

All alcohol-education programs that have developed through CHOICES have used athletics events, athletes or related events to deliver the educational program to the entire cam-

pus. Many of these programs target the student body rather than providing programs solely for student-athletes.

Complete guidelines for the program can be obtained through NCAA Sports Sciences on the World Wide Web at ncaa.org/sports_sciences/education.

Those who are interested in the program can gain more information by calling 913/339-1906.

The deadline for submissions is February 19. Grants will be awarded May 7.

Staff contacts: Beth Binkley.