Jan 15, 2010 7:02:00 AM

ATLANTA – U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan told a packed opening business session at the NCAA Convention on Thursday to be proud of the enterprise but to guard against "a tiny minority" that threatens to taint it.

In his keynote address at the Association's 104th annual gathering, Duncan − who co-captained Harvard's basketball team in his playing days − praised the vast majority of NCAA members who adhere to the educational values of intercollegiate athletics. But he also asked, "Why do we allow the enterprise to be stained by the actions of a few? How do we get rid of that tiny minority?"

Duncan answered that with three suggestions, the first of which was, "Slow down."

"The pace has gotten out of control. We have universities (recruiting) eighth graders to college," he said.

He also urged the NCAA to tie postseason access to graduation rates, to hold coaches accountable for academic transgressions and to work with the NBA to find an alternative to the "one and done" phenomenon.

The NCAA already is taking steps with the first two and has little influence on the third. Current academic-reform policies in Division I impose postseason bans for teams that underperform academically over time. The division also is rolling out an Academic Progress Rate for coaches that would help secure the accountability Duncan suggests.

However, the NCAA has no authority to change the rule regarding when players are eligible for the NBA draft.

Duncan also proposed a concept that an NCAA group already is considering. The education secretary said to give basketball coaches who run "clean" programs more access to student-athletes in the off-season, an idea the Division I Basketball Academic Enhancement Group already has discussed. That and other basketball-reform ideas will be reviewed at Friday's Division I issues forum.

Mostly, though, Duncan was effusive in his praise for athletics participation as a way to develop leadership and character – something he noticed as a youth in Chicago playing pick-up games with players who would go on to college and others who didn't.

"When the ball stopped bouncing, they had very few opportunities in life," Duncan said. "The dividing line (for success) is a college education.

"There's no better way to give students a chance to fulfill their leadership potential. The lessons I try and live by every day were taught because of your culture," he said to delegates.

Duncan was co-captain of Harvard's basketball team and was named a first-team Academic All-American (he played professional basketball in Australia from 1987-91). He graduated magna cum laude with a degree in sociology. In his official bio, Duncan credited his collegiate basketball experience for his "team-oriented and highly disciplined work ethic."