``I'm a jockey. I like to win,'' he said. ``I don't know any jockeys who win races. Horses win races. I went and got me some horses.'' With those horses, he hoped to become a player in the national prep basketball stakes, like Roman and Public League giant Simon Gratz, which are invited to play in tournaments all across the country.
Several of his thoroughbreds received need-based financial aid, a common practice when public school players transfer to Catholic League Schools. ``It was all taken care of so I could go there to play basketball, just like it was college,'' said ex-Roman star Kyle Locke, describing the arrangement accompanying his transfer from GAMP.
But now, following a season that also saw a lawsuit against La Salle High School over the recruiting and transfer of power forward Jim Reeves and the resignation of one basketball coach disgusted by the growing ``meat market'' atmosphere of schools competing for prospective players, the Catholic League is cracking down.
Today, the league's principals are scheduled to vote on whether to give final approval to a more uniform transfer policy for the coming school year. They hope it will discourage recruiting of established players from high school teams outside of the league. New transfers would have to sit out a year, just as players transferring between league schools must do. The proposed change was approved by about 80 percent of the league's athletic directors earlier this month.
There are still loopholes - transfers from foreign countries and athletes who show proof that they have moved - can gain immediate eligibility. Exceptional cases would still be considered.
``It should only affect a few teams,'' said Archbishop Wood athletic director John Sharp, chairman of the AD board. ``The playing field will be leveled.'' While the rule change was precipitated by basketball, it affects all sports.
