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In search of an edge, elite basketball prospects are repeating a grade — in middle school

By By Samantha Pell, Washington Post, 05/14/19, 9:00AM EDT

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When Melanie Williams was first approached about the possibility of having her son repeat a grade in middle school to improve his chances of earning a college basketball scholarship, she opposed the idea. Her son, Terrance Williams, was doing well in school and on the court, and having him repeat a grade seemed unnecessary. She didn’t want her son to be teased for going through the same grade a second time or have trouble adjusting to a new set of peers.

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