There was no hesitation when Bruce Weber was asked last week if he had ever scouted players in the seventh grade. Yes, he has taken side trips to attend tournaments for middle school players in Chicago while in town specifically to watch older recruits.

This is not unusual in the cut-throat world of recruiting and I don’t think this is part of Weber’s usual routine. But in the future, coaches will be held accountable for attending such events because the NCAA  ruled last week that seventh and eighth graders officially are considered prospects. The previous cutoff was ninth grade.

“In the past, when it was ninth grade, if you watched seventh and eighth graders it wouldn’t count against your evaluation days,” Weber said. “Now, if we go and watch a seventh or eighth grader we have to count it. It’s the same rules as high school kids.”

This wont impact every coach, but it would seem that under Weber’s recruiting philosophy, Illinois might have to make decisions on watching pre-high schoolers. I say that  because Weber has been clear that he wants to establish early relationships with recruits and their families and not have to worry about players committing as freshmen and sophomores and changing their minds before signing day rolls around when they’re seniors.

Establishing a relationship with a seventh or eighth grader and his family is not so far fetched. Remember, Weber gained a committment from Jereme Richmond when he was a freshman, having played one high school basketball game. Crandall Head committed as a sophomore in January 2008 as did Tracy Abrams during the current season.

A major reason for the NCAA rule change is that coaches had been taking advantage of the previous guideline by working at private elite camps for middle-school players. The NCAA lacked oversight in those cases and some coaches complained of others gaining an unfair advantage.

“It came about because more and more coaches are going out and seeing younger kids,” Weber said. “We’ve had an eighth grader commit to a school. Camps for seventh and eighth graders caused a lot of stir among the (coaches) association.”

Weber said coaches no longer will be allowed to watch those younger kids play in open gym settings or in church leagues or the like. It will have to be as part of their official school team.