Two popular college basketball summer leagues are dealing with rules changes as they get set to begin. Ryan Westerkamp helps run the YMCA Capital City League in West Des Moines and says new NCAA rules say only two players from as school can play on the same team. He says they used to be able to have two current players and an incoming freshman or transfer on one team.
The league begins on Sunday night at Valley Southwoods school and Westerkamp says it continues to grow in popularity. “With the recent success of Iowa State especially, that definitely draws a crowd,” Westerkamp says. “And then the incoming players that Drake has recruited, there’s a lot of buzz about them.”
Over in Iowa City the Prime Time League is set to begin next Thursday and Commissioner Randy Larson says they have added two teams this year to deal with the rule change. He says with the number of returning players they had to make the adjustment to six teams.
Larson says because college teams can spend more time with their coaches in the summer they are cutting back to one night a week and will play on Thursday nights. He says the NCAA allows 2 hours a week with the coaches present, and many of the teams have gone to a half hour with the coaches present and then the rest of the practice with just the trainers present to make a 2 hour overall workout.
Larson says that gets to be a lot of time commitment for the players. The league will hold its tryouts this weekend.