As college basketball recruiting skews younger, coaches are forced to pay attention to players who may not have even started their growth spurt. Kentucky and USC made news two years ago when they offered scholarships to eighth-graders.

Michigan basketball coach John Beilein has no plans to watch eighth-graders.

“Definitely, we’re not doing anything in that area,” Beilein said. “Ninth-graders, the Class of 2013, we will go to evaluate. We won’t be offering scholarships to anybody at that age but we would sometimes, if you have an open date and you know he’s there, they seem to remember the first people that saw them play more than they may when you come in their senior year.

“It’s all moved up so fast and the decisions are so early that more mistakes are going to be made because of that.”

Beilein adheres by the National Association of Basketball Coaches recommendation that scholarships are not offered until June 15 after a player’s sophomore year of high school.

By then, there is more information about a prospect both from physical and academic standpoints.

“We’ve followed that, although it’s not a rule,” Beilein said. “But I think it’s a pretty safe bet that you’d like to see two years of grades confirmed before you offer scholarships.”

Michael Rothstein covers University of Michigan basketball for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached at (734) 623-2558, by e-mail at michaelrothstein@annarbor.com or follow along on Twitter @mikerothstein.