October 4, 2006

About halfway through the NCAA manual are a couple of interesting rules that affect college basketball coaches.

"Team conditioning and physical fitness activities supervised by coaching staff members my be conducted on or off-court but shall not begin prior to the beginning of the institution's academic year. Such activities shall be limited to eight hours per week."

There is also a revised rule that allowed coaches to observe some basketball activities for student-athletes, but it is really limited in my opinion.

It is time to reconsider these. Look at what is happened overseas in international competition. Our college athletes should have the opportunity to get the best coaching possible in an effort to improve.

There are basketball academies in Europe where players can work on different aspects of their game and improve.

There are so many great teachers in college basketball today. Guys like Jim Boeheim, Jim Calhoun and Tubby Smith should be allowed to go out there and work with their players. Our kids should not be punished by rules that don't allow them to maximize their potential with good instruction from coaches capable of getting the most from their kids.

Time constraints should be reconsidered in the future. I know some feel that better coaches will have an advantage, but I see it as giving kids an opportunity to learn and improve. Why not make the athletes better? It would help the game I love.

Dick Vitale coached the Pistons and the University of Detroit before broadcasting ESPN's first college basketball game in 1979. Send a question for Vitale for possible use on ESPNEWS.