NCAA cancels College Basketball Academy

POSTED: May 12, 2020 -- 8:16 p.m. CT

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, both sessions of the NCAA College Basketball Academy scheduled July 20-26 have been canceled.

"Every attempt was made to conduct the Academy for the benefit of the prospective student-athletes and college basketball coaches, who attend for evaluation purposes, but the current circumstances could not ensure health and safety for those attending," said Dan Gavitt, NCAA senior vice president for basketball.

The 2020 version of the event was to take place at four regional sites:
• University of Utah (West).
• Winthrop University (South).
• Wichita State University (Midwest).
• University of Connecticut (East).

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The NCAA College Basketball Academy, which debuted in the summer of 2019, is a developmental boys basketball event for prospective student-athletes in the classes of 2021, 2022 and 2023.

"The NCAA's collaboration with organizations like the NABC and other important stakeholders in the game was successful not only in developing the players who participated but also providing them with life skills," said Gavitt. "While the academies have only been in place for a year, there's still going to be a void from not being able to conduct them this summer. However, our commitment to the academies is firm, and we look forward to staging them again in 2021."

The Academy was created in response to recommendations from the Commission on College Basketball chaired by former U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. With input from the National Association of Basketball Coaches, the academy is designed to give prospective student-athletes a sample of the college basketball experience.

As many as 1,600 players were to be selected for the Academy, with up to 400 assigned to each region during two sessions. Each selected participant was to be able to benefit from an athletic assessment, skill development, games and life skills sessions.

Considering the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the board of directors for the National Association of Basketball Coaches and the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association executive committee have recommended an extension of the current recruiting dead period through July 31.

The current temporary period extends through May 31, and the Division I Council later this month will review the recommendation from the NABC and WBCA and consider possible further adjustments to the recruiting calendar.

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