As the last opportunities to retake standardized tests pass, non-qualifiers for Division I play are beginning to explore alternatives. A few recruits Purdue looked at will take the junior college route. Look for Illini recruit Marcus Griffin to enroll at Southeastern Iowa Junior College in Burlington, Iowa, rather than Parkland Junior College in Champaign. Illinois and Southeastern Iowa come close to making a "trade", as Southeastern Iowa sends 6-7 forward Leighton Nash to play in Champaign for the Illini this fall.
Antoine Broxsie may follow in the footsteps of Boiler guard Tony Mayfield. He has been recruited to play at Tyler Junior College if he does not academically qualify to play for the Gophers this fall. It has been speculated by the Minnesota media that Broxsie may spend two years in junior college rather than sit one year as a partial qualifier in Division I. There has been ongoing speculation that he is also not fully confident that his compromise choice of Minnesota was the correct decision.
With all three of Purdue's fall recruits entering the summer as non-qualifiers, the fall of 1998 class of Allison, Smith, and Lewis is a welcome relief. All three are good students and have been ranked in various top 100 lists. Some may speculate that it might be premature for Purdue to fill all of its available scholarships so early, especially with the state of Illinois having one of the most talented rising senior classes in the nation. But as of this summer, only Corey Maggette and Quentin Richardson are academic qualifiers among Illinois top 10 rising seniors.
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