Marcaccini Brothers Face Potential NCAA Scrutiny : Basketball: Players’ ties to professional team in Italy could pose eligibility problems.

G.C. and Monte Marcaccini, brothers who starred in basketball for Notre Dame High, might still have a few hoops to jump through before they play hoops for the colleges of their choice.

G.C., 21, said Tuesday he has accepted a scholarship offer from George Mason (Va.) University. Monte, 19, signed with Pepperdine last week. But both players had ties to a professional basketball team in Treviso, Italy--posing potential eligibility problems, according to the NCAA.

Monte, a 6-foot-6 swingman, averaged 25 points a game last season for the Benetton United Colors’ junior team, an amateur contingent that competes one rung below the professionals.

G.C., whose size and skills are similar to that of his brother, said he practiced both with Benetton’s junior team and the professional squad, but played for neither.

NCAA regulations prohibit athletes who have competed for professional teams--even for no pay--from gaining intercollegiate eligibility in that sport.

Given the general scenario of the Marcaccinis’ cases, Steve Mallonee, a director in the NCAA’s department of legislative services, said Tuesday that “some issues need to be resolved before eligibility can be determined.”

The obligation for confirming eligibility rests with the universities that signed the players, Mallonee said, adding, “There appears to be enough reason to be concerned.”

Alicia Marcaccini, the mother of both players, said the family went to great lengths--including several preemptive calls in the spring of 1993 to NCAA administrative offices in Overland Park, Kan.--before arrangements were made for the brothers to spend a season in Italy.

Along with his letter of intent, G.C. said, he is mailing George Mason Coach Paul Westhead a letter from Benetton officials explaining that he was not paid for his services and is under no contractual agreement with the club.

“It is my assumption and understanding that (Marcaccini) did not play professional basketball,” said Westhead, the former Lakers coach.

Said G.C.: “We don’t pose a problem for the NCAA.”

However, G.C. also said he held an option on a $900,000 contract with Benetton for next season. He said his agreement with the club was that at the end of one season he would decide whether to stay with the club or return to the United States.

In a 1993 Times story, Alicia Marcaccini described G.C.’s agreement with Benetton as “very lucrative.”

Mallonee, interpreting legislation from the NCAA manual, said G.C.’s status as a non-paid member of the Benetton organization still might place him in jeopardy. “If you sign a contract with a pro team, then you’ve signed with a pro team,” he said.

Monte Marcaccini’s situation also might be scrutinized, Mallonee said, if the NCAA learns that the Benetton amateur team is funded by the professional unit.

“If the pro team is sponsoring or supporting the other team then by our definition it, too, is a professional team,” Mallonee said.

Monte Marcaccini averaged 19.7 points and 11.4 rebounds while leading Notre Dame High to the Southern Section Division III-A championship in 1993.

He spurned a scholarship offer from Indiana Coach Bob Knight to play in Italy.

G.C. Marcaccini spent his freshman year as a redshirt at UC Santa Barbara before transferring to College of the Canyons, where he averaged 20.7 points and 8.2 rebounds in 1992-93.

Both players spent last season in Italy to establish residence--so they would be considered Italian players by the native professional league. Pro teams in Italy are allowed only two U.S. players on their rosters.

G.C. said he chose to come home to be closer to his family, refine his skills and also improve his bargaining power should he choose to return to Italy.

Mike Hiserman is a staff writer and Bryan Rodgers is a special correspondent.