D1 vs. D2 vs. D3

Might as well get into the recruiting mode. Today I'll go over the plusses and minuses of each level of the NCAA.

D1: High-major - Almost every kid in the country wants to go to Kentucky, North Carolina, Duke, UCLA, and Florida. For most kids those schools are completely unrealistic. The dream still lives on because they got a letter from one of these high majors in their sophomore year after playing well in an AAU tournament. "They want me." No they don't.

The guys you see at the highest levels are physical "freaks." Locally, you look at a guys like Reid Travis and Rashad Vaughn. These aren't your typical high school players. These guys are super athletic and look like men. Reid dwarfs his older brother Jonah, who is at Harvard, and that is generally the difference.

Kids will say, "Tyus Jones isn't a freak." Yes he is, but not the way Travis and Vaughn are. Tyus knows when to turn it on and off. And his off switch still puts him at a higher level than anyone else in the state of Minnesota (and most of the country for that matter). He also has a feel for the game on par with NBA players.

Mid-major - Like I said yesterday, many of these mid-major schools will have "interest" in many players in MN. What people fail to realize is that the mid-major level is still pretty darn good. There are many prospects in MN that are considered "high-major" players but would be much more successful at a "mid-major" level.  Remember, the Missouri Valley with teams like Wichita State and formerly Creighton is considered "mid-major."

This level is also a level that many MN kids go to and then realize how much work they have to put in to even get a little time on the court. You are forced to go to the weight room. Forced to go to study hall.  And then Mom and Dad can brag to all their friends about seeing you with your warmups on after watching you play Sunday night on ESPNU.

Low-major - These are mostly academic schools (Ivy and Patriot League) as well as some local schools (UND, USD, NDSU, and SDSU). These are really good fits for a lot of guys. You can't go wrong with an Ivy or Patriot league education. Jonah Travis (Harvard) and Seth Hinrichs (Lafayette) are two great examples of finding the correct fit and making it work for them. Nate Wolters is a great example of finding the right fit and then playing at the next level. CJ McCollum is a also another player that is similar to Nate. He played at Lehigh and now is with the Blazers.

Some kids and parents will say "My son is just as good as these guys. They've put up better numbers against the same competition in HS and AAU. He should be at least a mid-major recruit."

Please read this. Your kid isn't considered a D1 player until they are offered a scholarship at that level. Could they play at one of these levels? Maybe...but college coaches don't think so, and they are the ONLY opinion that matters.

D2: In this area there is a great D2 league. Some of these schools would be a great opportunity to get some or all of your child's education paid for. There are a few schools locally that have made runs into the D2 national tournament including Winona State, which has won a National Championship. This is the level that many mid to low major players will come back to and play for the reminder of their careers. Just because they are a D1 transfer doesn't make them a star player at the D2 level. Could they be a star? Maybe, but if they think they can just walk on campus and be "the guy" then they have a huge rude awakening coming their way.

One misconception at this level is that every school has the same amount of scholarships. Some schools have a full allotment of ten scholarships and some have one or two. This is a good question to ask during the recruiting process, "Are you fully funded in scholarships?" Some schools could offer you 50% scholarship and that could mean the same as a full scholarship elsewhere. One question you don't ask is, "How much $ is your leading scorer getting or How much did you offer another recruit?" That's none of your business, worry about your son.

There are some ways D2s can maneuver the athletic scholarship money with academic scholarships to make everything work for a family financially. This will happen more at private institutions than public institutions (generally).

Please read this. You aren't considered a D2 prospect until you are offered a scholarship from a D2 school.

D3: I'm extremely bias to D3. My Dad coached at this level, I played at that level and coached at that level. I think it's a great level for kids. There is a great balance of academics and athletics. There are ZERO athletic scholarships given at this level. Now, schools can and will get creative with how they give out money.

An example of this would be giving out more money to kids from certain areas or from certain ethnic backgrounds. Some schools are even able to give out "need based" scholarships. As in, they "need" you and you will get more money because of it. It's not an athletic scholarship though. This is how some of the same schools are always in or near the top 25. Not all schools will or can do this.

So, as a kid or parent don't ask "Can you guys do anything more for my son? Isn't there more money out there for him?"

All coaches have to say is, "There is more money out there and it isn't at this school."

There are over 400 D3 schools and most schools can't do what I talked about above. Now, if a coach brings it up then it's fair game. And it's also a NCAA violation.

"But my kid is better than D3."

I doubt it. If you are an incoming high school senior, please go visit a D3 open gym. I can almost guarantee it will be a humbling experience for your son. These guys are really good. Some of best D3 players can easily compete with D1 and D2 players. There are times when D3 guys will compete with European pros on a consistent basis.

Just remember this, every year there are D3 teams that will beat both D1 and D2 teams. During my junior year in college we competed in a tournament with three D2 schools. We won the tournament. The team that I played on that year was the worst (record wise) of my four years playing.  If I remember correctly, we won 16 games and lost in the semifinals of our conference tournament (We made it to at least the Sweet 16 in the other three seasons). The first team we beat eventually made it to the Sweet 16 of the D2 national tournament.

When D2 Winona State went undefeated and won the National Championship, they lost to D3 St. Thomas in an exhibition game. I'm certainly not saying all D3 teams will beat the eventual national champ or go undefeated vs. D2 opponents but there are times when high level D3 teams can consistently beat low level D1 schools or D2 schools.

If you are able to go to a quality D3 school, it's a no brainer. If you are still searching for that  scholarship when it's June or July and college starts in a couple of months, you might want to give D3 a hard look.

Last thing for parents, if you think your son is a college basketball player then he probably is. Now, it's a matter of finding a place for him. That could cost you A LOT of money in order to find that place. Don't think that because your son plays for a certain HS or AAU program that college coaches will come crawling on their hands and knees to get your son. If your son is a player, they will find him.

If a college coach contacts your son, make sure your son contacts that college coach, even it's to tell them they aren't interested. The best thing for college coaches to hear is "Yes" and the second best is "No." The earlier they hear it, the better.

It's a honor to be recruited and you want to make sure you leave no stone unturned to find the correct fit.