SDSU Basketball Recruit Will Attend Junior College

One of San Diego State’s top basketball recruits said Wednesday that he had failed to meet NCAA freshman eligibility requirements and instead will attend an Arizona community college this fall.

Kevin Rembert, a Times All-Orange County guard from Mater Dei High School in Santa Ana, said he failed to earn the necessary standardized test score and, rather than sit out his freshman season at SDSU, will attend Arizona Western College in Yuma.

The decision to attend Arizona Western was reached about a week ago in consultation with the SDSU basketball coaching staff, Rembert said.

“We discussed that it wouldn’t be good for me school-wise to go (to SDSU) and not be eligible,” Rembert said. “College is a big adjustment, and not being able to play basketball would just be another burden. We decided it would be best for me to go somewhere where I could play and go to school.”

Rembert said he plans to transfer to SDSU to finish his college basketball career after he completes his schoolwork at Arizona Western.

“I haven’t had any change of mind,” Rembert said. “I told them when I signed that even if I didn’t pass my test, I’m still with San Diego State.”

Under the NCAA rule commonly known as Proposition 48, athletes must have a C average in a group of academic high-school subjects and must score at least 700 on the Scholastic Attitude Test or at least 15 on the American College Test to be eligible to play as freshmen. Those who do not meet the requirement may enroll at the four-year college but must sit out their freshman year and lose one of four seasons of athletic eligibility.

Rembert said he had the required grade-point average but failed to score high enough on either test.

“It is disappointing, because this (playing at SDSU) was something I was really looking forward to,” Rembert said. “I’ll just have to postpone it for a while.”

Rembert, who is 6-feet 4-inches tall and weighs 195 pounds, averaged 15.5 points and 9 rebounds last season in helping Mater Dei win its fourth consecutive Southern Section 5-A championship.

SDSU Coach Jim Brandenburg was on a recruiting trip and could not be reached for comment.