Will key pieces of NCAA recruiting-related legislation, due to be voted on for the men's game, set a precedent for the women's side? If the adjacent-state rule, which is up for a vote on the women's side this week, is any indicator, the answer is yes as legislation implemented for the men is later put in force for the women.
Some argue the two are altogether different sports and the legislative link is not valid.
"Well, girls' [basketball] is different than boys'," said Boo Williams who operates Nike-affiliated teams that are powers in both girls' and boys' basketball. "It's two different animals. You can't compare the girls and boys."
Williams said the adjacent-state rule, adopted by the NCAA for the boys in 2003, changed things "a little," but for the most part the good teams were still good, with or without the rule, because there are more impact players to go around in the boys' game.
If implemented this week on the girls' side, many expect a bigger impact, with more teams having only one or two good players and fewer having a concentration of elite athletes. Some say the new rule will water down the summer circuit while others believe the geographic boundaries are a natural part of youth sports.
Much like the boys' game, Williams sees the girls' game adjusting and moving on. But he sees several other NCAA proposals specific to the boys having a bigger impact on the girls.
NCAA Legislative Proposals 2009-99, 2009-100, and 2009-101 (see Men's Proposals) could significantly impact the structure of non-scholastic boys' basketball and the results could be a preview of things to come on girls' side, which is why the WBCA regularly surveys its coaches on their opinions of current men's specific proposals.
Proposal 2009-99 will prohibit schools from hiring any individual who has a connection or affiliation with a prospective student-athlete within two years of the prospects' enrollment or two years after the student-athlete graduates or leaves school.
Opposition to this proposal stems from limiting professional growth into the sporting world from outside the current crop of NCAA coaching ranks. Some will also say it's a restriction of trade to not allow a high school or club coach the opportunity to coach at the collegiate level unless he or she quits a current post for two years.
The supporters of the proposal see it curbing the financing of individuals with influence over prospective student-athletes and the perceived funneling of kids to programs for a career or monetary return. As one former college coach said, "What's the point of hiring them if they don't have relationships in recruiting?"
How would the women's game be affected? It could curb the current trend of club coaches moving into the college ranks, such as Cal's Kevin Morrison, Kentucky's Matt Insell -- originally hired by Louisiana Tech in a non-coaching roll -- or West Virginia's George Porcha -- originally hired by Virginia Tech. It's been some time since a high-profile prospect has had a parent hired to a coaching staff at the Division I level (Tasha Humphrey's mother, Brenda Hill, went to Georgia in the year before she enrolled, in 2003). This could greatly limit the ability of new coaches to break into the collegiate ranks.
Proposal 2009-100 will prohibit Division I schools from hosting, sponsoring or conducting non-scholastic events on its campus or in any of its facilities.
Opposition to this is likely to be fierce. Similar legislation was proposed for both boys' and girls' basketball in the 1990s and was shot down in federal court in 1993. Part of the argument is that there are very few places with facilities to host events with 100-300 teams and restricting these sites would have a financial impact on event operators running non-scholastic events and thus restrict their trade.
Support for the proposal comes from those wanting to put an end to the recruiting advantage of having thousands of prospective student athletes on a competitor's campus.
The impact on the women's game would be identical to that of the men's. Events such as the Deep South Classic, a spring-certified event that is hosted on the campuses of Duke University and North Carolina State University, as well as the Arizona Elite Spring Classic, also a spring certified event, which is hosted on the campus of Arizona State University, would feel the impact. In the summer, events such as Basketball on the Bayou, the Hoosier Classic, US Junior Nationals and many others would need to find new homes.
Blue Chip Basketball runs a host of events, its two biggest the Preseason Challenge in April on the campuses of Virginia Commonwealth and the University of Richmond and the USA Invitational at Penn State University in July.
"I'd have to find other places," Bill McDonough, owner of Blue Chip said of the impact should the rule make it to the girls' game, "and when you go into Division II or III, nobody has facilities like Penn State or Richmond."
The schools often push for the event operators to sign multi-year contracts for the facility. Blue Chip currently has a 10-year contract with Penn State and a five-year contract with Richmond.
In the Northeast, big multi-court facilities are scarce. The South and Midwest regions have more of these facilities for events of 100 teams or more.
Peach State Basketball has numerous non-scholastic events in the Southeast. Owner Brandon Clay estimated that one quarter of his events are on a Division I campus and the rest are based at the Suwanee Sports Academy which has seven NBA-sized full courts.
"Georgia Tech has a $40 million facility," Clay said. "It would be a shame not to use it and it's not like the kids are hanging out with [Georgia Tech head coach] MaChelle Joseph."
Convention centers can also be looked at for future venues should the ruling pass. McDonough said finding courts is not the trouble in using convention centers, but the actual basketball goals are hard to come by.
"[The proposal] is potentially catastrophic," McDonough said.
Proposal 2009-101 will allow Division I coaches to actively recruit prospective student athletes and engage in meaningful and direct exchanges of information during camps and clinics.
This proposal is meeting very little resistance because the recruiting is already going on and creating paperwork for compliance staff members. Similar to the men's side of the sport the impact on the women's game would be minimal.
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Chris Hansen is the national director of prospects for ESPN HoopGurlz and covers girls' basketball and women's college basketball prospects nationally for ESPN.com. A graduate of the University of Washington with a communications degree, he has been involved in the women's basketball community since 1998 as a high school and club coach, trainer, evaluator and reporter. Hansen can be reached at chris.hansen@espn3.com.