The school that former Sacramento High School basketball star Josiah Turner transferred to midway through this past season is being watched closely by the NCAA.
The New York Daily News reported Sunday that there may be questions about the academic standing of some of the standout players at Quality Education Academy in Winston-Salem, N.C.
Daily News reporter Kevin Armstrong noted that the NCAA is scrutinizing Quality's academics "in light of red flags being raised about course work and an atypical student body."
"At stake is the eligibility of players who have committed to Arizona, Wake Forest, DePaul and Wyoming as well as a clarification of a glaring question: Is the school a legitimate educational institution or a basketball factory posing as a safe house," Armstrong wrote in the 1841-word story.
One high-profile player, Dwight Meikle, was released from his letter of intent by St. John's last week.
There was no mention of Turner's academic situation, although an NCAA official is quoted as saying that each athlete's academic record is being looked at "on a case-by-case basis."
Turner, one of the nation's top recruits and an NBA prospect, has signed with Arizona.
The 6-foot-3 point guard was removed from the Sacramento High team by no-guff coach Derek Swafford in January for violating team rules.
Turner then enrolled at Quality Education Academy and was immediately eligible to play at a school that Armstrong reports has 75 students, including 13 that are basketball players from eight different states and two countries.
With Turner around for the final third of the season, Quality Education Academy won its third straight National Christian School Athletic Association title March 12 with a 55-48 triumph over La Lumiere of LaPorte, Ind.
Turner hit a layup at the buzzer to lift the South team to a 93-91 victory over the North at the inaugural All-American Championship game April 2 in Houston. He finished with 13 points, seven assists and six steals in the win.
-Bill Paterson
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