5-8 rule change leaves coaches smiling

Count Gary Garner among the multitude of men's college basketball coaches who were elated when the NCAA Division I Board of Directors rescinded the controversial 5-8 rule last week.

"There's not a coach in the country who is not extremely happy about the rule change," Southeast Missouri State University's Garner said.

The so-called 5-8 rule, which went into affect several years ago, limited schools to awarding no more than five scholarships in one year or eight scholarships in a two-year period.

Because of the rule, many men's basketball programs across the country have played the last few years with under the maximum of 13 scholarship players allowed by the NCAA. And quite a few of those programs have played with far fewer than 13 scholarships.

"It just wasn't very well thought out when that rule was put in," Garner said. "It didn't take into account that most programs generally lose quite a few players every year, whether through graduation, injuries, transfers. And with that rule, you were never able to replace all of those players.

"Now, theoretically, you can sign 13 players in one year as long as you're never over 13 scholarships at one time. Say you do have a big senior class one year, then you also have some injuries and transfers, it doesn't set you back."

Part of the problem

Garner admits the 5-8 rule was something of a sore subject with him because he believes it is one of the reasons the Indians' program plummeted as quickly and sharply as it did three years ago.

Coming off a three-year run that featured a 62-28 record -- and the program's first Ohio Valley Conference title and NCAA Division I tournament berth -- the Indians not only were faced with major graduation losses, they also saw two key players dismissed from school for legal issues.

The result was that the Indians competed in the 2001-2002 season with just 10 scholarship players and went 6-22. The following season, they had only eight healthy scholarship players and went 11-19. This past season, Southeast had 11 scholarship players and were 11-16.

"The rule is one of the things that really hurt us," Garner said. "If it wasn't for that rule, I don't know how good we'd have been the last few years, but we would never have gotten so far down."

Ironically, the Indians won't benefit from the rule change this year. After losing just two seniors, the Indians will likely sign four or five players -- which they would have been allowed to do anyway -- and be up to the maximum 13 scholarships next season for the first time in a while.

"We don't really need the rule change right now, but we will eventually," Garner said. "All schools will, and most of them need it right now."

Every OVC men's basketball team played with less than 13 scholarships this past season and very few have been at the maximum since the 5-8 rule was put in place.

"I think last year Arizona had something like seven or eight scholarship players," Garner said. "The rule hit everybody hard, not just programs on our level but also the major programs, especially ones who lose players early to the NBA."

Garner said the 5-8 rule was originally put in because the NCAA believed certain coaches were running players off every year if they weren't meeting expectations. Women's basketball has never had the 5-8 rule. NCAA Division I women's programs are allowed 15 scholarships and have been able to sign as many players as they like as long as they never have more than 15 on scholarship at one time.

"I knew all along that sooner or later the rule would be rescinded," Garner said. "I just didn't know how long it would take."