Leading off today: The New York State Sportswriters Association has selected Jonny Flynn of Niagara Falls and Michael Coburn of Mount Vernon as its Class AA co-players of the year in boys basketball.

   Coburn averaged 22.9 points per game and Flynn checked in at 26.7. Both are seniors.

   The other player of the year selections are:

• Class A: Peekskill junior Mookie Jones.
• Class B: Malverne seniors Craig Wilson and Greg Lott.
• Class C: Sidney senior Andy Foote.
• Class D: C.G. Finney senior Andy Marchand.

   The complete 2007 NYSSWA all-star team is now available online.

   NCAA closes big loophole: The NCAA has passed significant legislation that should put more of the shadiest "diploma mills" out of business in a hurry but could also hurt legitimate prep schools and students.

   The rules will now limit high school students to one core course that would count toward college eligibility after a student’s four-year high school graduation date. It addresses the scam in which athletes avoid high school graduation in order to pad their grade point average in a fifth year, often at a "school" with questionable academic standards.

   But the rule will be kicking in at the same time that the NCAA increases the number of required core courses from 14 to 16 in 2008. Students who struggle as high school freshmen could be looking at a steady diet of summer school over the next three years just to catch up, then might still need to go the junior-college route rather than attend prep school or a four-year college.

   But the JuCo option will cost players seasons of eligibility

once they enroll at four-year schools. On the other hand, their transcripts upon entering Division I programs are likely to be relatively clean and credible.

   "In theory, this thing is probably the right idea," Bill Barton, the coach at Notre Dame Prep in Fitchburg, Mass., told The New York Times. "But the reality is that you’re hurting a wide spectrum of kids that come from different backgrounds, but most are minority kids from the inner city. There has to be a lawsuit in here somewhere."

   It's 97 in a row: The most amazing streak in New York high school sports remains intact as Corning East defeated Corning West, 13-4, in a boys lacrosse game Tuesday. It was East's 97th consecutive victory in the series.

   Carter Bloor won 13 of 14 faceoffs and scored three second-quarter goals to snuff out a West rally.

   On the move: Niagara University is adding two Big East transfers while St. Bonaventure is losing a pair of significant men's basketball players.

   UConn guard Rob Garrison from Niagara Falls and Villanova guard Bilal Benn will be eligible to play at Niagara in the 2008-09 season. Garrison was All-Western New York in 2005 as part of the Paul Harris-led Niagara Falls team that won the Federation championship.

   Bonnies sophomore guard A.J. Hawkins and freshman forward Jourdan Morris are exiting just as new coach Mark Schmidt arrives. Hawkins started 28 of 29 games last season and averaged 12.2 points. Morris averaged 2.9 points.

   Extra points: Colonie girls basketball coach Karen Bonitatibus is taking a one year leave of absence from the sport. She is 268-82 in 18 seasons, including 24-2 with a trip to the state semifinals last winter. . . . Fairport edged previously undefeated Irondequoit, 8-7, in overtime in a key Section 5 boys lacrosse game Tuesday.

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