The Virginia Tech Hokies may get a big boost inside next season if verbal recruit, J.T. Thompson, can finish his final core class this summer. J.T. has completed 13 of the required 14 core classes, according to this espn.com article. He must complete 14 currently to be eligible to enroll at VT, but a rule change might affect this going forward.
Beginning with the 2008 academic year (ie: the year after this coming one), recruits must have completed 16 core classes to be eligible their freshman with only one being completed at a postgraduate school. J.T. was planning to enter Hargrave’s postgraduate school next season (the same school Jeff Allen and Dorenzo Hudson attended this past season). Since Thompson could have only counted one core class at Hargrave, he would have only had 14 official core classes after next season. This might have forced him to go to a Junior College before entering VT.
J.T. is now looking into completing his final core class this summer and entering VT next year before the core class amount is raised from 14 to 16.Â
J.T., like Jeff Allen, is somewhat short for a NCAA power forward at 6’6″, but is very highly regarded. He is ranked the #58 player overall in the 2008 class by scout.com and the #71 player overall by rivals.com. He would fill a big hole for the Hokies next year inside if VT can get him on campus, considering the fact VT lost big men Coleman Collins, Robert Krabbendam, and Chris Tucker, as well as highly touted recruit Gus Gilchrist who is prepping next year and may not re-sign with Virginia Tech. However, J.T. has not signed a letter of intent yet to play at VT. He is just a verbal commit right now.
For more on the new rule and its impact:
“The new NCAA rule states that upon entering ninth grade, athletes have four years to meet the eligibility standards in core academic courses to participate in college athletics; following those four years, they may take only one additional core course at any high school recognized by the NCAA. Beginning in 2008, recruits also will need to complete 16 core courses instead of 14, which will make it harder for players to become academically eligible after four years of high school.”
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