KHSAA rule won’t allow Ky. high school basketball stars to play in flood-relief fundraiser

The KHSAA on Wednesday appeared to squash the planned participation of two Kentucky high school basketball stars in a charity fundraiser game in Lexington that would both raise funds for Eastern Kentucky flood relief and bring together a plethora of prep hoops talent.

The Midwest Charity Classic was created as a nationally televised game hosted by ESPN college basketball analyst Seth Greenberg at 8 p.m. on Aug. 27 at Frederick Douglass High School in Lexington, with a highly touted list of high school stars committed to the event.

Among those who pledged to take part were class of 2023 UK commits Robert Dillingham and Reed Sheppard, along with several other top 2023 and 2024 recruits such as Xavier Booker (Michigan State commit), Kaleb Glenn (Louisville commit), and Travis Perry, a point guard from Lyon County with a scholarship offer from the Cats.

Proceeds from the game were to go toward the Kentucky Flood Relief fund of the American Red Cross, with tickets available starting at $25.

A statement released Wednesday morning on social media accounts operated by the KHSAA said the organization is aware of plans for the charity basketball game at Frederick Douglass, but cited a KHSAA bylaw concerning preseason restrictions on high school basketball players in Kentucky in the ninth grade and above who have already represented a school.

Dating back decades, the bylaw restricts basketball participants from playing in certain outside competitions during the school year, prior to the end of their competitive seasons.

The bylaw prevents Kentucky high school students who have enrolled in the ninth grade, have played basketball at a school at any level and have eligibility remaining in basketball from participating on any non-school sponsored basketball team or in any all-star game from the first day of the school year onward, among other restrictions.

Players are still allowed to participate in NCAA or NAIA camps with college coaches in attendance and one-day recruiting exposure events starting with the first day of the NCAA recruiting period and through Oct. 14.

These restrictions end following a high school team’s final game of the season.

In September 2021, a proposal to amend this bylaw by removing several of these restrictions and changing the time frame of their enforcement overwhelmingly failed during the KHSAA’s annual meeting of member schools.

Of the 204 delegates who voted on amending the bylaw at the September 2021 KHSAA meeting, 50 voted yes, 145 voted no and nine others were present.

“For this reason, it is clear that the wish of the membership is to have that rule enforced and accordingly, no waivers will be given,” the KHSAA’s Wednesday morning statement said.

This means Kentucky-based players set to play in the event (like Perry and Sheppard) will not receive waivers from the KHSAA and won’t be able to participate.

As of Wednesday morning, the Midwest Charity Classic website was still active and tickets to the event could still be purchased.

According to the website, the event policy includes no exchanges or refunds.