Bobby Hill (left) and Johnny Hill
(DILIP VISHWANAT) |
Colleges in Missouri and Illinois are now launching their own inquiries into a St. Louis high school recruiting scandal.
Athletics directors from two universities and one junior college are reacting to an admission by former basketball coach Floyd Irons that he paid to house, clothe and feed two Illinois brothers so they could play for Vashon High School, a basketball powerhouse.
As a consequence, Bobby and Johnny Hill, of Alton, could be banned from playing college basketball, the directors said.
Johnny is in his third year at Southeast Missouri State University, in Cape Girardeau. Bobby was a freshman at Illinois State University, in Normal, Ill., last school year. He transferred to Lincoln College, a two-year school in Lincoln, Ill., for academic reasons this year, and is set to return to ISU next school year.
Both got scholarships to play basketball after graduating from Vashon. The Hills could not be reached for comment.
The issue, said the athletics directors, is whether the Hills remain amateurs. By NCAA and junior college rules, players paid — directly or indirectly — for playing basketball stand to lose their eligibility.
A spokeswoman for the National Collegiate Athletic Association said officials there would need more information before commenting.
The college athletics directors said they just learned of the possible infractions from media accounts and are not jumping to any conclusions.
Even if the Hills are found to have accepted improper gifts from Irons, punishments vary greatly. They could be ruled permanently ineligible, said Jayson Santos, Southeast Missouri State's assistant athletics director in charge of eligibility. Or they may just have to sit out a game or two, he said.
"But I have a bad feeling, I'll tell you that much," Santos said.
Santos said he plans to recommend that Johnny sit the next game out, just to be safe.
In a November meeting with the Missouri State High School Activities Association, Irons admitted renting an apartment for the Hills from 2002 through 2006. He bought them beds and a TV, food and clothing, and even asked a housekeeper to clean and cook for the boys.
The state association is now investigating the high school eligibility of at least 15 Vashon players spanning nine school years, from 1998 to 2007, according to documents obtained by the Post-Dispatch.
If players are found to have been ineligible, Vashon stands to forfeit as many as five of the 10 state titles won under Irons over 33 years. He was removed as coach in 2006 after an audit found mismanagement of money in the basketball program.
Then, in September, he pleaded guilty to federal charges of mail and wire fraud in a real estate scheme meant to kick back thousands of dollars to him and a partner, prosecutors said.
As part of his plea agreement, Irons was required to tell the state athletic association everything he knew about eligibility and recruiting violations at Vashon.
Irons could not be reached for comment Monday. But at the November meeting, he said that he rented the apartment to remove the Hills from a cramped living situation in Alton and that he cared for the boys like sons.
Irons' lawyer, Rick Sindel, said Monday that it would devastate the coach if the Hills lost their eligibility.
At least one coach couldn't believe a high school housing issue would affect the boys in college.
"I think there have been any number of kids in this country who've needed a place to live — kids on scholarships all over this country at boarding schools — and they're not pros," said B.J. McCullum, the basketball coach at Lincoln, where Bobby is the team's leading scorer and averages almost 18 points a game.
Bobby was sent to Lincoln to gain more credits and improve specific academic skills before returning to ISU next school year, leaders at both schools said.
At Lincoln, he is in smaller classes and gets more individual attention, McCullum said.
And Bobby's doing well academically, McCullum said. He's on track to graduate with an associate's degree in May.
"I've been coaching junior college basketball for 17 years," he said. "Bobby Hill is genuinely one of the finest people I've ever coached."
Ruling he's ineligible now, McCullum said, would be a shame.
dhunn@post-dispatch.com | 314-340-8411
