crenshaw investigates players

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SoCalHoops High School News

Crenshaw & LA City CIF Investigate Possible
Use Of Ineligible Player(s)--(Feb. 12, 2002)

According to sources at the LA City Section CIF office, paperwork has been forwarded to administrators at Crenshaw which questions the continued eligibility of one or more players who are on the current Crenshaw boys' basketball team. Our sources confirmed that the issue which is being investigated concerns whether one or more players may have exhuasted the CIF's eligibility requirements by exceeding the maximum period of 8-semesters of continuous eligibility.

In other words, the issue being investigated is whether one or more players is a "5th year" player. Under the CIF Bylaws, players only only have 8 consecutive semesters of eligibility, whether they use them or not. Bylaw 202 provides:

202. EIGHT SEMESTERS

1. A student who first enters the ninth grade of any school following the student's completion of the eighth grade in any school may be eligible for athletic competition during a maximum period of time that is not to exceed eight consecutive semesters following the initial enrollment in the ninth grade of any school, and said eligibility must be used during the student's first eight consecutive semesters of enrollment at that school or any other school.

Other bylaws which might also come into play would be the age-limitation, which provides that a player cannot turn 19 on or before June 14th of his junior season (Bylaw 201). Both bylaws provide for exceptions for "hardships" and depending upon the results of the investigation, the City Section may or may not determine to apply one of the several exceptions to the rules.

Officials at Crenshaw were unavailable and could not be reached for comment. More as this story develops.