WASHINGTON - National Basketball Association officials together with shoe manufacturers and college leaders have reportedly discussed creating a national academy for elite high school players.

Sonny Vaccaro, director of grass-roots basketball for Reebok and a long-time fixture in recruiting for shoe companies, outlined his plan for an academy to US college officials in a conference call in the past week, the Washington Post said Saturday.

Vaccaro said he had spoken about his plan with NBA commissioner David Stern, USA Basketball managing director Jerry Colangelo, and Kevin Lennon, National Collegiate Athletic Association ( NCAA) vice president for membership services.

The plan would create a structured system to give talented young basketball players an education in academics and sport, just as NBA and NCAA officials have studied questionable academic practices at high schools.

Vaccaro's plan, the Post said, would create an elite training facility where several dozen ninth- to 12th-grade players would eat, sleep and train with buses taking teens to nearby high schools to ensure top academic training.

Graduates would still have one year to play in college or overseas before they would be eligible for the NBA Draft. Players would be selected by a committee and could flunk out but not be dropped for athletic failure.

Two teams from the academy would play a US nationwide schedule during the season with some games on television. Individuals and corporate sponsors would foot the bill for the training academy.

When schools are out in the summer months, Vaccaro proposes a two-month camp in Colorado Springs, Colorado, governed by USA Basketball and providing some training with international rules, which could help US teams in global events.

Camps and tournaments sponsored by shoe companies would no longer feature such elite players, although Vaccaro would want scouts to attend the USA Basketball sessions.

Vaccaro suggested the shoe companies rotate backing the camp rather than compete with each other for exclusive rights, working together to help athletes rather than competing and dividing resources and effort.