282 shares share tweet sms send email Hillcrest Prep’s Antonio Bruno shoots during practice Tuesday, Dec 1, 2015 in Phoenix, Ariz. Hillcrest Prep suddenly became megagiant and put under national microscope, partnering with Starshine Academy in Phoenix. (Photo: David Kadlubowski/azcentral sports) Phoenix Hillcrest Prep basketball program director Matt Allen said he switched the high school players’ academics in November from Starshine Academy to Arizona Connections Academy to avoid having course work denied by the NCAA. The NCAA came to Starshine Academy in October to check on the educational status of the new national basketball prep academy that is housed on its campus in Phoenix. In the high school portal in the NCAA Eligibility Center website, under Starshine Academy, it reads, “Coursework from this school/program does not meet NCAA nontraditional core-course legislation.” “When all of this was going on, they said they’d send a letter in two weeks and never did,” Allen said. “Therewas no communication since they came in. It was taking too long. I didn’t get an answer. So I had to fix the problem. “When it got late in the semester, I wasn’t going to put my kids in a bind. They still do classes online. All of that is accredited and approved.” RELATED: Allen said he had all of the high school players transfer to Arizona Connections Academy, a K-12 online public school that is tuition free and based in Gilbert. The NCAA Eligibility Center website says Arizona Connections’ coursework meets NCAA nontraditional core-course legislation. Allen said it is the same program that former Tempe Corona del Sol star Marvin Bagley III went to after the NCAA came through and the family didn’t want to take an academic risk. The red flag Starshine Academy received from the NCAA was partly why Bagley left Hillcrest. He is now enrolled at Chatsworth (Calif.) Sierra Canyon, where he is hoping to be cleared to play by the California Interscholastic Federation. Allen said he wrote apositive letter on Bagley’s behalf to the CIF. RELATED: Keri Wright, principal of Arizona Connections, said in an email that she couldn’t confirm information about enrollment of specific students, but added, “I can confirm that Arizona Connections Academy is NCAA accredited and in good standing.” Allen said that first semester reports have been completed. “As of right now, we’re good,” Allen said. Only guard Jaden Lee, a sophomore who came over from Gilbert Christian, is no longer on the team, Allen said. Hillcrest remains a tenant with Starshine Academy, which, Allen said, takes 70 percent of the profits that come in via tuition to play for Hillcrest. Starshine provides housing and a gym for players to train. There are a total of 30 players on campus between the high school players and post-grad players. The costs for living on the campus, food, basketball, classes comes out to $35,000 a year, Allen said. But he added that, when you factor in scholarships, the average cost of the 30players comes out to about $12,000. “We’re using their facility, and doing the academics through Arizona Connections,” Allen said. “We do have our SAT prep, those types of things. That’s more through Hillcrest rather than through Starshine.” Hillcrest is 12-2 in its first year, led by 7-foot-1 junior DeAndre Ayton, who is averaging 27.7 points, 18.3 rebounds, 4.4 assists and 3.2 blocks. Ayton is considered the top player in the nation in the 2017 class. Allen said more impressive is Ayton’s first semester grade-point average of 3.5. , , , , 282 shares share tweet sms send email Related News 1 comments Follow Post comment Link | 5pts I’ve been struggling on a great deal and its not been easy and then I found Emini S&P Trading Secret, this trading business gives me hope that my dreams do come true .
