Karl Mooney, director of academic services for student-athletes
University of Central Florida
Monterey County (Florida) Herald

Discussing potential grade inflation at the high-school level given new Division I eligibility standards that reduce reliance on standardized test scores:

"Coaches catch on quick. At least with the minimum test score, you had a measurement that was the same for every student. Every high school is different, and there is no independent way to judge how accurate their grading system is. ...

"Schools need to insulate academic-support folks from being the scapegoats. Somebody is going to have to come up with some answers if kids are flunking out."

Basketball recruiting

Gene Keady, head men's basketball coach
Purdue University
Fort Wayne (Indiana) News Sentinel

Discussing current restrictions in the basketball recruiting calendar:

"The way it is now, there isn't enough (evaluation) time. You don't know about their character. You don't know whether they're really interested in your school. Do they really play defense? How are they in close games? Can they make last-second shots to win games? Can they make free throws under pressure? You can't see them enough times to feel all that out. ...

"I'd rather have it where you deal with the coach and the families and the players year-round. Do it the right way. I like it the way it was in the '60s and '70s, when you could recruit when you wanted to. You could talk to the high-school coaches, talk about your camp. You were never rushed.

"The hard workers got the recruits. You could outwork people. Now, the people with the best facilities, the ones who are on national television the most, get the recruits. You still work hard, but it's not like it used to be where you could out-work people. ...

"Let's open it up. This is America. They didn't develop America on restrictions. If you could watch kids in the spring and the summer and the fall, you'd get a better idea.

"The NCAA controls everything. It makes it pretty easy now because all you have to do is count. It's like we're all idiots and we don't have common sense ... Well, some guys didn't. That's why the rule book is so thick."