CHICAGO — The NCAA's first reaction to the mess surrounding summer basketball recruiting was to get out of it altogether.

But that doesn't do anything to fix the problem, said Syracuse chancellor Kenneth "Buzz" Shaw, chairman of the subcommittee on Division I Men's Basketball Issues. In fact, it might just make it worse.

Concerned over the increasing number of violations related to players accepting money from "middle men," the NCAA board voted in April to reduce the number of summer evaluation days from 24 to 14 for 2001, and then eliminate summer recruiting beginning in 2002.

Under the subcommittee's proposals, which will be presented for initial discussion at the NCAA convention next month, there would be a 20-day evaluation period beginning in 2002. College coaches could evaluate, but they wouldn't be allowed to contact prospects.

Any traveling team, tournament or camp would have to be certified by the NCAA and open its books, allowing the NCAA to know exactly who is sponsoring the programs and where the money is going.

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Part of what prompted the NCAA to look at recruiting was the case of Myron Piggie, the coach of a Kansas City-based summer AAU team who pleaded guilty in May to conspiracy for paying five high school players. Piggie admitted paying the players on his team — including former Duke standout Corey Maggette and UCLA's JaRon Rush — $35,500 from 1996-98. It also recommends increasing NCAA oversight at summer events to make sure college coaches are evaluating, nothing else.

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