NYSSWA: New York State Sportswriters Association

NYSSWA rankings are updated weekly.
See the latest plus the earlier weeks'
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Leading off today: For the time being it's only a proposal for men's college basketball -- and it's one that wouldn't take effect until the 2008-09 season.

But it's hard to imagine that the three-point line in boys and girls high school basketball won't be getting moved back in the not too distant future -- if for no other reason than to avoid having a ridiculous rainbow of three-point lines painted onto courts that are used for multiple levels of play.

The discussion will have to start now that the college men's basketball rules committee has approved a proposal that would move the three-point line back one foot to 20 feet, 9 inches.

The proposal has to be approved on May 25 by the NCAA playing rules oversight committee in order to take effect in 2008. It would mark the first major change to the three-point shot since its introduction in 1986-87. The proposed new line is in the vicinity of the international distance (20-6) but short of the NBA standard of 22 feet at the baseline and 23-9 above the top of the key.

For now, the college women's committee and the National Federation of State High School Associations are sticking with the traditional 19-9 line. Spokesmen for both say the organizations haven't met to consider the change. Something has to give if the NCAA men make the change in three weeks.

Courts from Madison Square Garden down to junior colleges across the country can conceivably play host to pro (including minor leagues), college and high school games on consecutive nights. Three sets of lines so close to each other will make for difficult officiating and aesthetic anarchy.

My opinion is that both the NCAA women and all high school basketball should follow suit and move the line back in the men's committee approves the change. It would make the transition from high school senior to college freshman that much easier for the thousands of players who make that jump each year, and it wouldn't hurt my eyes when I'm trying to watch a ballgame in person or on TV.

Health and safety: The New York State Public High School Athletic Association is about to wrap up a six-month tour of the state to do workshops related to concussion management.

NYSPHSAA Assistant Director Lloyd Mott will be leading sessions in Section 9 on Tuesday and then Section 2 on Thursday to complete a tour of New York that began in mid-November.

The goal of the training is to remind administrators, coaches and athletic trainers of the minimum standards they should be following -- relying upon objective benchmarks rather than subjective observations -- in order to be sure that athletes safely return to the field after suffering blows to the head.

The NYSPHSAA and the New York State Athletic Administrators Association have embraced the University of Pittsburgh's ImPACT Program, which begins with online testing of athletes during the preseason. If an athlete in the program suffers a concussion during the season, he/she can then be re-tested and have the results measured against the baseline evaluation.

When used in conjunction with proper post-injury treatment by the athlete's physician and as part of the school's overall process for dealing with injuries, it helps prevent athletes from returning to the lineup prematurely.

The Pitt medical team says most athletes can recover completely from a concussion after sitting out anywhere from one to 10 days of contact sports. But a second injury during the recovery period can make the brain vulnerable to more severe or permanent injury.

Twenty-four NFL teams, 16 Major League Baseball teams and many of the country's major auto racing organizations make use of the ImPACT testing program.

All in the family: If it's not a record, then it's got to at least be close. The Poughkeepsie Journal reports that the Hyde Park FDR crew program includes 15 sets of siblings this spring.

Extra points: Senior Steve McQuail pitched a perfect game with 13 strikeouts for MacArthur, ranked seventh in Class AA by the NYSSWA, in a 9-0 win over Bellmore JFK on Wednesday. Newsday says this is McQuail's first season on the mound. . . . Abby Harpp added a seven-inning no-hitter to her previous five-inning perfect game so far this season as Pine Plains beat Millbrook in softball, 1-0. Harpp, who struck out nine and walked one, also shared another five-inning perfect game this spring.

We've received a couple reports of huge recent hitting performances in the aftermath of Thursday's blog item on grand slams. We'll try to catch up on them tomorrow. . . . McQuaid coach Bill Bowe won his 300th career game Thursday as the Knights defeated School of the Arts, 15-2. Bowe, in his 17th season overall, won his first 240 games in 14 seasons at Canandaigua.

11/27/24: Column: Crisis in Sec. 5 small-school football

11/24/24: PSAL cracks down, imposes hoops forfeits

11/22/24: Bayport-Blue Point football extends streaks

11/19/24: Some thoughts following the playoffs weekend

11/15/24: Plainedge football pulls off last-play win

11/8/24: Court restores Syracuse ITC to grid playoffs

11/6/24: West Islip girls soccer advances on PKs

11/5/24: Newburgh forfeits sectional football opener

11/2/24: Top-ranked 'D' football team's season over

10/31/24: Herricks' Walia wins state tennis singles title

10/28/24: S-WR senior making the grade in 2 sports

10/27/24: Copiague football ends its record losing streak

10/26/24: Herkimer gridders claw way back to .500

10/25/24: Girls lacrosse schedule proposal nixed

10/22/24: NYSPHSAA Exec Committee meeting preview

10/19/24: Albany CBA wins Sec. 2 football showdown

10/18/24: Baldwinsville cracks 'USAT' eSports rankings

10/16/24: Wisc. hits schools hard for paperwork glitch

10/14/24: Bethlehem girls, Macchia win Eastern States

10/13/24: Iona Prep slips past Hayes in 'AA" showdown

10/11/24: La. QB throws for 817 yards in overtime loss

10/10/24: Report: N.Y. girls to join transgender protest

10/7/24: More eight-man teams left stranded in Week 5

10/5/24: 18 ranked N.Y. football teams fall in Friday action

10/4/24: Longest U.S. football futility streak continues

10/3/24: Syracuse.com's twist on fantasy football

9/30/24: M-E edges Waverly in battle of No. 1 teams

9/27/24: Report: Sec. 3 athletes flock to NIL Club

9/25/24: Ex-Kellenberg QB sets off an NIL drama

9/23/24: NYSPHSAA warns about potential NIL isssue

9/21/24: South Park's Nunes shatters N.Y. rushing record

9/20/24: Storytelling in H.S. sports is alive and well

9/19/24: Longtime SWR coach Paul Koretzki, 84, dies

9/17/24: Western N.Y. teams embracing Guardian Caps

9/15/24: N.J. shows us N.Y. football has a ways to go

9/14/24: Another UPrep game, another fan incident

9/13/24: Ohio wrestles with aftermath of shootings

9/11/24: Mass. school forfeits over male opponent

9/10/24: Regents table vote on expanding mixed competition

9/9/24: Shot clock experiment will change lacrosse

9/7/24: Garden City sets L.I. football record

9/6/24: Lawsuit takes aim at N.C.'s NIL ban

9/5/24: New York's Week 0 football intrigue

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