Over the course of the past couple of years there has been a huge push to get college athletes "paid" or to increase what they are already getting. Most people don't understand what many of them are already getting. I am arguing against paying college athletes and strictly against whatever Jay Bilas says in regards this.
For football and basketball players at the division one level they are on a full scholarship. A full "ride" pays for tuition, room and board, as well as books. What most people don't understand is that all of these athletes get a check from the institution for each month. The checks will vary in amount based off if the athlete lives on or off campus. That range is $150 (roughly, that's coming from a Minnesota football player) to $950 (that's from the checks we use to hand out to the basketball players at West Virginia). This money is supposed to be used for food ($150) for the month and if it's the higher amount, it's supposed to be for housing and food.
If you want to do simple math. Housing will cost anywhere from $350 to $600 a month. Food will cost at the very most, $200 a month. That number should be much lower now that the NCAA allowed schools to give "unlimited snacks" to their athletes. Thanks Shabazz Napier. Even with that, if you are off campus you have $150 to yourself per month to do what you want with.
If the program provides "training table," which is a catered buffet for the team, then the money it costs for each meal is then taken out of their scholarship check for the month. For example, I believe eight dollars was taken out of each players' scholarship check for each meal. The basketball players at WVU would get meals four days a week. So, $32 dollars per week was taken out. $128 was taken out per month, so the check would be reduced from $950 to $822. If there was a game day meal (at home or on the road) the meal wouldn't be charged and the guys would get that $8 credited to their check.
After proper saving, the players should have, at a minimum, $150 per month for themselves. That's about $1,800 per year. The players are doing alright for themselves unless they are buying a bunch of crap they don't need including but not limited to fresh Jordan's, jewelry, and tattoos.
Now, most people don't know that many of these athletes qualify for some type of Pell Grant from the government. Not all, but many of these athletes qualify for a full Pell Grant which would give them $5,500 for the year to be able to use for their schooling. So, on top of the scholarship covering everything, they are getting an additional $5,500 (could be less for some based off of family's taxes). Between their scholarship checks and the Pell Grant these athletes should have $7,000 to save at the end of the year.
But wait, there's more...
Each major conference (not sure about mid-major conferences) has a fund set up for athletes to receive a clothing allotment of $500 in order to get a few things (like a winter coat, winter hat, gloves, etc). Not everyone is eligible for the allotment and it's similar to the Pell Grant as far as how it is given out.
On top of this I haven't mentioned the amount of gear and the crazy amount of travel these guys have. Here is the potential list of gear that an average high major D1 basketball player gets.
6 pairs of basketball shoes - $140 each - $840
4 sets of sweatsuits - $100 each - $400
2 sets of practice gear - $90 each - $180
10 pairs of socks - $15 each (Nike Elite socks are expensive) - $150
1 pair of training/running shoes - $85
4 sets of workout gear - roughly $120 total
That's $1,800 at a minimum for gear that the guys get per year. And I think I'm on the very low end for most of that gear in amount and in price.
Many top D1 programs also charter to every single away game as well as stay in extremely nice hotels. By chartering each player probably gets about $500 (minimum again) in travel. They travel at ten times a year, $5,000 per player per year. Here is an example of the hotel that many teams stay at while traveling. Average room cost at that particular hotel is $250 per room. Two players per room, let's just say $100 per player per night. Teams travel ten times per year, so $1,000. I still haven't mentioned conference tournament lodging and potential postseason lodging. Let's say that's another $500 per player. I won't even mention food. While at WVU, we had a $45 per plate BREAKFAST while in NYC for the Big East Tournament. Roughly, $6,500 is spent per athlete during a basketball season just on lodging and probably another $1,000 for food.
Most schools almost always have academic advisors, as well, team nutritionists, team psychologists, athletic trainers, doctors, and media training. These are all free to these athletes. I can't even put a number on that.
In ending, free schooling, free sports training, at a minimum $1,800 in gear, $7,500 in travel and food, free access to many things that the average college student doesn't have. And to top it all, NO STUDENT LOANS. Tell me a better gig than this.
Friday, July 11, 2014
Monday, July 7, 2014
AAU - The Bad and The Ugly
AAU - The Good and now The Bad and The Ugly
As most people know AAU gets a bad rap a lot because of the people that are in it for all the wrong reasons. Most of those reasons involve attention and money. Due to these @tchoopsczar has created #AAUBingo, seen below
Tweets about "aaubingo"
I was fortunate enough to land on one of the first editions of aaubingo as I called a timeout to show them where to get the ball vs. 2-3 zone. Pretty embarrassing for us all.
THE BAD
There is a lot of bad basketball in AAU. Why? The system that has been created makes it borderline impossible to have as many practices as games. High school programs are usually have two practices for every game throughout the season. College programs generally have three practices to every game. Typically, AAU teams will have will two practices a week and then have anywhere from 4-7 games in a weekend. There just isn't enough time to really get the team to where it should be (same thing happens for some HS and college programs as well).
A great example from above is that when I coached, I learned quickly that I couldn't put in a team defense because I had kids from about seven different high school programs. On top of that, I only had three practices before we played in our first tournament. Needless to say, our first tournament didn't go very well. We did get better as the season progressed but we couldn't completely install everything I would've liked because I wanted to make sure each player got better individually as well.
One thing that is much different than high school programs is that each AAU organization doesn't have a specific style that would fit it. Each coach within each AAU organization has a specific system that they want to run. Most HS program have a specific style which include a base offense, base defense, and similar quick hitters from a the youth levels to the varsity level. I just don't see that in AAU.
I am not completely sure of numbers but a majority of AAU organizations charge anywhere between $500 to $2000 per player for the spring and summer season. Put everything together the costs go to gym time, scholarships, uniforms, and tournament entry fees. For some organizations there is quite a bit of profit headed to the director's way. That is why they add teams every year. More money in their pocket.
Last thing in the bad category goes to the organizations/coaches that will push their players to scholarship schools (even for little or no money) to make sure that their program produces nothing but scholarship level talent. I understand it's a great sell to parents to make their child's education paid for but when they could actually get more financial aid/academic scholarship from a D3 school than they could from a D2. Please help your players fit the best fit for them academically (biggest priority) and athletically.
THE UGLY
There are tournament directors that charge $400-$600 for a tournament throughout the spring and summer. Imagine if there are 100 teams (low end at the major tourneys). That also means they are charging anywhere from $7-$10 per day for admissions for at least 1,000 people per day. That's a lot of money heading to someone's pockets. Then they will say they need to pay for insurance, gym rentals, referees, athletic trainers, and misc. workers. So, these directors say they don't make nearly as much as money as everyone thinks they do. Please read below.
We can't forget that these tournaments charge anywhere from $100-$300 for college coaches' packets. So, instead of making sure college coaches come to their event to see players, they not only charge the kids and their parents but the college coaches to see them as well. If the tournament is during the live period there could be 200-300 coaches there. That's $20,000-$30,000 for selling paper at the low end. And that paper has a lot of mistakes.
There are deadlines that these tournaments have for AAU coaches turning in their roster to be printed. Deadline is followed by many but some don't think the rules apply to them. So...college coaches are getting information from the tournament via the AAU coaches that is wrong. Wrong uniform numbers, wrong names, wrong heights, wrong contact information, or even no roster at all. This can't happen. These kids and their families are generally paying a significant amount of money in hopes of having a college see them and then the wrong contact information is in the packet college coaches get.
After one tournament that I attended while coaching college we figured that one tournament we went to cleared at the very minimum $100,000 (it wasn't a local tourney). I understand there is a market for this but isn't this exploiting kids more than any college coach ever has.
There are some really shady characters that tend to hover around big time AAU tourneys. Some of these characters include family members that are getting "paid," some are "handlers," and some are wannabe "handlers." People think that having that one player is a one way ticket out of the life they currently have. And the sneaker companies certainly don't help the problems.
You go to a big time tournament and you notice a 30 person entourage for certain teams. Each person has all the Nike/Adidas/Under Armour gear. Their flights are hotels are covered and that's one of the reasons why some of the kids are playing for that certain organization.
Parent: "My son will play for you, how will you take care of our family?"
Director: "What exactly do you need?"
Parent: "We are behind on our car payments."
Director: "Done."
I certainly haven't witnessed anything like that but I do know stuff like that goes on. There have been rumors recently about a significant cash payment to a player's family and a different player's family had most of their expenses taken care of. It's scary to think that things like this happen.
The last thing I will talk about is the biggest issue involving AAU at the highest levels. At the highest levels there is cash exchanged to get the players to attend certain colleges. The cash comes from a booster, the head coach, or an assistant coach. The cash is then given to a handler, an AAU coach, and/or family members. The expectation for many assistant coaches is that they will use part of their salary in order to secure commitments. It happens at the mid-major level and I couldn't imagine the amount of money thrown around to the potential high majors recruits and their families.
And here is Robert Horry's take on AAU. Very interesting http://m.thepostgame.com/blog/daily-take/201406/robert-horry-hate-aau-basketball-youth-coach
As most people know AAU gets a bad rap a lot because of the people that are in it for all the wrong reasons. Most of those reasons involve attention and money. Due to these @tchoopsczar has created #AAUBingo, seen below
Tweets about "aaubingo"
I was fortunate enough to land on one of the first editions of aaubingo as I called a timeout to show them where to get the ball vs. 2-3 zone. Pretty embarrassing for us all.
THE BAD
There is a lot of bad basketball in AAU. Why? The system that has been created makes it borderline impossible to have as many practices as games. High school programs are usually have two practices for every game throughout the season. College programs generally have three practices to every game. Typically, AAU teams will have will two practices a week and then have anywhere from 4-7 games in a weekend. There just isn't enough time to really get the team to where it should be (same thing happens for some HS and college programs as well).
A great example from above is that when I coached, I learned quickly that I couldn't put in a team defense because I had kids from about seven different high school programs. On top of that, I only had three practices before we played in our first tournament. Needless to say, our first tournament didn't go very well. We did get better as the season progressed but we couldn't completely install everything I would've liked because I wanted to make sure each player got better individually as well.
One thing that is much different than high school programs is that each AAU organization doesn't have a specific style that would fit it. Each coach within each AAU organization has a specific system that they want to run. Most HS program have a specific style which include a base offense, base defense, and similar quick hitters from a the youth levels to the varsity level. I just don't see that in AAU.
I am not completely sure of numbers but a majority of AAU organizations charge anywhere between $500 to $2000 per player for the spring and summer season. Put everything together the costs go to gym time, scholarships, uniforms, and tournament entry fees. For some organizations there is quite a bit of profit headed to the director's way. That is why they add teams every year. More money in their pocket.
Last thing in the bad category goes to the organizations/coaches that will push their players to scholarship schools (even for little or no money) to make sure that their program produces nothing but scholarship level talent. I understand it's a great sell to parents to make their child's education paid for but when they could actually get more financial aid/academic scholarship from a D3 school than they could from a D2. Please help your players fit the best fit for them academically (biggest priority) and athletically.
THE UGLY
There are tournament directors that charge $400-$600 for a tournament throughout the spring and summer. Imagine if there are 100 teams (low end at the major tourneys). That also means they are charging anywhere from $7-$10 per day for admissions for at least 1,000 people per day. That's a lot of money heading to someone's pockets. Then they will say they need to pay for insurance, gym rentals, referees, athletic trainers, and misc. workers. So, these directors say they don't make nearly as much as money as everyone thinks they do. Please read below.
We can't forget that these tournaments charge anywhere from $100-$300 for college coaches' packets. So, instead of making sure college coaches come to their event to see players, they not only charge the kids and their parents but the college coaches to see them as well. If the tournament is during the live period there could be 200-300 coaches there. That's $20,000-$30,000 for selling paper at the low end. And that paper has a lot of mistakes.
There are deadlines that these tournaments have for AAU coaches turning in their roster to be printed. Deadline is followed by many but some don't think the rules apply to them. So...college coaches are getting information from the tournament via the AAU coaches that is wrong. Wrong uniform numbers, wrong names, wrong heights, wrong contact information, or even no roster at all. This can't happen. These kids and their families are generally paying a significant amount of money in hopes of having a college see them and then the wrong contact information is in the packet college coaches get.
After one tournament that I attended while coaching college we figured that one tournament we went to cleared at the very minimum $100,000 (it wasn't a local tourney). I understand there is a market for this but isn't this exploiting kids more than any college coach ever has.
There are some really shady characters that tend to hover around big time AAU tourneys. Some of these characters include family members that are getting "paid," some are "handlers," and some are wannabe "handlers." People think that having that one player is a one way ticket out of the life they currently have. And the sneaker companies certainly don't help the problems.
You go to a big time tournament and you notice a 30 person entourage for certain teams. Each person has all the Nike/Adidas/Under Armour gear. Their flights are hotels are covered and that's one of the reasons why some of the kids are playing for that certain organization.
Parent: "My son will play for you, how will you take care of our family?"
Director: "What exactly do you need?"
Parent: "We are behind on our car payments."
Director: "Done."
I certainly haven't witnessed anything like that but I do know stuff like that goes on. There have been rumors recently about a significant cash payment to a player's family and a different player's family had most of their expenses taken care of. It's scary to think that things like this happen.
The last thing I will talk about is the biggest issue involving AAU at the highest levels. At the highest levels there is cash exchanged to get the players to attend certain colleges. The cash comes from a booster, the head coach, or an assistant coach. The cash is then given to a handler, an AAU coach, and/or family members. The expectation for many assistant coaches is that they will use part of their salary in order to secure commitments. It happens at the mid-major level and I couldn't imagine the amount of money thrown around to the potential high majors recruits and their families.
And here is Robert Horry's take on AAU. Very interesting http://m.thepostgame.com/blog/daily-take/201406/robert-horry-hate-aau-basketball-youth-coach
Sunday, July 6, 2014
AAU - The Good
I've been around AAU (it's still travel team because everyone isn't AAU sanctioned) for the better part of 16 years. That includes playing in it, reffing it, recruiting it, and coaching it. I think everyone at some point has a great experience and has had an absolutely terrifying experience. I'll try to lump everything together to get some points across.
THE GOOD
For any player AAU can be a good thing. Whether you want to get a scholarship, play college ball, start for your high school team, get minutes for your high school team, or even be on your high school team, practicing and playing more can be really good for your game. No matter what anyone says, the more you play, the chances of you becoming better increase (although practicing is better). Also, if you play consistently against better players, you will be forced to adjust your game to keep up. Again, making you better.
For me, playing AAU was a great experience. I got to play with the area's better players and get a chance to play against some very good players. Twice a week, at least five other guys would pile into my parent's minivan and head to practice. The drive for practice could be ten minutes or it could be an hour and a half. We wanted to make sure at some point during the spring the guys and their families didn't have to drive crazy amounts to get to practice. I think the least amount of guys we EVER had for practice was seven.
We got to travel all over the Northeast to tournaments and the group of guys became very close. We were all seen by a lot of college coaches and more importantly for our own games, we were exposed. Other players and other teams found our weaknesses and we were forced to adjust. We played against some of the best players and teams in the country. I even got a double technical with Chevy Troutman (former Pitt Panther) at our home tournament.
Now, onto what I've seen as a coach. There are many AAU coaches that do an unbelievable job of communicating with college coaches in regards to recruiting. Many coaches send out emails about their team to colleges throughout the area to order for coaches to have information going forward. Every college coach appreciates that.
AAU is also a place where college coaches can see a ton of college prospects in one setting. The coaches will see how their recruits match up with each other and/or against better players. They'll also see them get exposed and then how they handle it. You'll usually see this more during AAU than during the high school season. Coaches will also see new prospects on a consistent basis that are potentially matched up with some they came to see.
As a former AAU coach I learned a lot over the four months I coached. I learned all about making adjustments. I learned how to use timeouts correctly. I learned that April stinks for you and July can be awesome. I saw another side of parents.
There are plenty more positives to AAU that I and others have experienced. Next up, AAU - The Bad
THE GOOD
For any player AAU can be a good thing. Whether you want to get a scholarship, play college ball, start for your high school team, get minutes for your high school team, or even be on your high school team, practicing and playing more can be really good for your game. No matter what anyone says, the more you play, the chances of you becoming better increase (although practicing is better). Also, if you play consistently against better players, you will be forced to adjust your game to keep up. Again, making you better.
For me, playing AAU was a great experience. I got to play with the area's better players and get a chance to play against some very good players. Twice a week, at least five other guys would pile into my parent's minivan and head to practice. The drive for practice could be ten minutes or it could be an hour and a half. We wanted to make sure at some point during the spring the guys and their families didn't have to drive crazy amounts to get to practice. I think the least amount of guys we EVER had for practice was seven.
We got to travel all over the Northeast to tournaments and the group of guys became very close. We were all seen by a lot of college coaches and more importantly for our own games, we were exposed. Other players and other teams found our weaknesses and we were forced to adjust. We played against some of the best players and teams in the country. I even got a double technical with Chevy Troutman (former Pitt Panther) at our home tournament.
Now, onto what I've seen as a coach. There are many AAU coaches that do an unbelievable job of communicating with college coaches in regards to recruiting. Many coaches send out emails about their team to colleges throughout the area to order for coaches to have information going forward. Every college coach appreciates that.
AAU is also a place where college coaches can see a ton of college prospects in one setting. The coaches will see how their recruits match up with each other and/or against better players. They'll also see them get exposed and then how they handle it. You'll usually see this more during AAU than during the high school season. Coaches will also see new prospects on a consistent basis that are potentially matched up with some they came to see.
As a former AAU coach I learned a lot over the four months I coached. I learned all about making adjustments. I learned how to use timeouts correctly. I learned that April stinks for you and July can be awesome. I saw another side of parents.
There are plenty more positives to AAU that I and others have experienced. Next up, AAU - The Bad
Saturday, July 5, 2014
How to Fix Youth Basketball
Notice how the title didn't say, "How to fix AAU or High School basketball?" I believe the issues that many people have with the "less skilled and lower IQ" basketball player start at the very bottom of the youth levels. Those same issues continue throughout their players later teens. How do we fix it?
Let Them Play
Most people will read that and completely disregard everything I am about to write, but hear me out. Kids in the US don't "know how to play." I'm not just talking about basketball either. How many times do you see kids at the local park just "playing?" I would say, very few or never. Kids can't figure things out for themselves because they aren't allowed to by their parents. Every disagreement has to be figured out by an adult, there is zero problem solving, there is zero give and take, and there are only winners (9th place trophies).
At a certain point we, as adults, have to let them figure it out. Will there be disagreements? Will there be fights? Will there be a bad foul call on game point? Will there be one basketball for all the people playing and then the one person with the ball has to leave? The answer to all of these questions is YES. And what happens? You figure out a way to make things work.
Now let's talk basketball. I personally feel these ideas would help solve some issues with the lack of understanding and skill of our youth players. Small sided games. What I mean by this is have the kids play a lot of 3 on 3 and 4 on 4 in the half court. By doing this, it teaches the kids proper spacing, how to get open, and how to set/read screens. And to throw a wrench into the mix by not letting them dribble. I think the first instinct youth players (and adult players for that matter) have is to dribble the ball after the catch. The players are forced to share the ball, rely on teammates, and "think the game" rather than rely on athleticism all the time. These type of small sided games force the kids to learn "how to play" because if they don't, they don't win.
Play Multiple Sports
Too many kids these days (yep, I sound old) are focusing on just one sport at a very early age. This eventually leads to burnout and also overuse injuries. Kids need to play multiple sports. Why? It forces your body to adjust to different things (believe it or not, this happens all the time in basketball), you use different muscles, and you get to experience different people and coaches.
There are a lot of sports that have very similar concepts and/or movements that will help with basketball performance. Some of these sports include ALL OF THEM. Hockey, soccer, and lacrosse all have relatively similar games. Tennis and soccer would be great for footwork. Swimming is great to take the stress off your joints. Track and Field is great for speed, endurance, and explosiveness (my wife would kill me if I didn't include it). I could go on and on.
One thing parents need to think about is that college coaches LOVE having guys or girls that have played multiple sports at the youth/high school level. Why? They know that your best basketball (or any other sport) is ahead of you. Focusing on a sport at age 12 is a lot different for development than focusing on one at 18.
Too Many Games Not Enough Practice
You can look at the structure of youth basketball (travel level) and AAU as a very similar system. Teams will practice (maybe) twice a week and then play four to six games a weekend. Do the kids learn a lot from the games? Absolutely, but there isn't enough time to truly teach them in practice.
Imagine if you flipped those numbers around. Kids would hate it until it became the norm. Coaches should love it because now they actually get to teach and get to throw their kids into different situations at practice. I do understand that some coaches are "gamers" just like their kids are and the practice over play concept wouldn't work. Those are the coaches that don't need to be involved in any program.
One thing to keep in mind in MN is that HS coaches generally have two weeks to work with their players before their first game for the high school season. That's not enough time to instill many basic principles that each coach wants to install, especially if you got hired after July. I know my Dad has about a month before his first game in NY. Huge difference from state to state.
I know there are more issues to fix, but let's start with these in hopes of making basketball better.
Let Them Play
Most people will read that and completely disregard everything I am about to write, but hear me out. Kids in the US don't "know how to play." I'm not just talking about basketball either. How many times do you see kids at the local park just "playing?" I would say, very few or never. Kids can't figure things out for themselves because they aren't allowed to by their parents. Every disagreement has to be figured out by an adult, there is zero problem solving, there is zero give and take, and there are only winners (9th place trophies).
At a certain point we, as adults, have to let them figure it out. Will there be disagreements? Will there be fights? Will there be a bad foul call on game point? Will there be one basketball for all the people playing and then the one person with the ball has to leave? The answer to all of these questions is YES. And what happens? You figure out a way to make things work.
Now let's talk basketball. I personally feel these ideas would help solve some issues with the lack of understanding and skill of our youth players. Small sided games. What I mean by this is have the kids play a lot of 3 on 3 and 4 on 4 in the half court. By doing this, it teaches the kids proper spacing, how to get open, and how to set/read screens. And to throw a wrench into the mix by not letting them dribble. I think the first instinct youth players (and adult players for that matter) have is to dribble the ball after the catch. The players are forced to share the ball, rely on teammates, and "think the game" rather than rely on athleticism all the time. These type of small sided games force the kids to learn "how to play" because if they don't, they don't win.
Play Multiple Sports
Too many kids these days (yep, I sound old) are focusing on just one sport at a very early age. This eventually leads to burnout and also overuse injuries. Kids need to play multiple sports. Why? It forces your body to adjust to different things (believe it or not, this happens all the time in basketball), you use different muscles, and you get to experience different people and coaches.
There are a lot of sports that have very similar concepts and/or movements that will help with basketball performance. Some of these sports include ALL OF THEM. Hockey, soccer, and lacrosse all have relatively similar games. Tennis and soccer would be great for footwork. Swimming is great to take the stress off your joints. Track and Field is great for speed, endurance, and explosiveness (my wife would kill me if I didn't include it). I could go on and on.
One thing parents need to think about is that college coaches LOVE having guys or girls that have played multiple sports at the youth/high school level. Why? They know that your best basketball (or any other sport) is ahead of you. Focusing on a sport at age 12 is a lot different for development than focusing on one at 18.
Too Many Games Not Enough Practice
You can look at the structure of youth basketball (travel level) and AAU as a very similar system. Teams will practice (maybe) twice a week and then play four to six games a weekend. Do the kids learn a lot from the games? Absolutely, but there isn't enough time to truly teach them in practice.
Imagine if you flipped those numbers around. Kids would hate it until it became the norm. Coaches should love it because now they actually get to teach and get to throw their kids into different situations at practice. I do understand that some coaches are "gamers" just like their kids are and the practice over play concept wouldn't work. Those are the coaches that don't need to be involved in any program.
One thing to keep in mind in MN is that HS coaches generally have two weeks to work with their players before their first game for the high school season. That's not enough time to instill many basic principles that each coach wants to install, especially if you got hired after July. I know my Dad has about a month before his first game in NY. Huge difference from state to state.
I know there are more issues to fix, but let's start with these in hopes of making basketball better.
Wednesday, July 2, 2014
To Prep or Not to Prep...
Over the past two years two of the highest ranked players in Minnesota have decided to take the prep school route for their senior year in high school. Many people have given them crap because they don't think it's in the best interest of the kid to spend their last year in high school out of the state of Minnesota. Naturally, this set up a huge debate on the twitter land. Both players chose to go to a "prep" school for their senior year.
Let's just go over some facts about "prep" schools. There are legit ones and essentially basketball factories. The legit ones have been established for an extended period of time and kids attend an actual school. They usually have college style dorms on campus that the kids stay in. There are other students on campus besides the basketball players. Examples of these type of schools are Brewster Academy (where Alex Illikanien is heading), Oak Hill, and New Hampton (where DJ Peterson, formerly of Hopkins, attended). There are many more including all of them that compete in the NEPSAC.
At the not so legit ones the kids only take "online classes" to help increase their test scores. All the players live in a house with one of the coaches where food can sometimes be limited. There is never a time when the players interact with other students in a school setting. HERE and HERE is a perfect example of these "schools" are all about.
There are also "schools" that kids attend a school they aren't playing for. So, they actually attend school with other students but do not compete on the same team (if they have basketball) as the other students in the school. They live in a house or with host families. The two biggest examples of this type of school is Findlay Prep (where Rashad Vaughn went) and Huntington Prep (where Andrew Wiggins went). At both of these "schools" the kids attend a private school (The Henderson School for Findlay and Huntington St. Joseph's for Huntington) during the day and then come together for workouts/practices once school ends.
Now, lets go over the perceived negatives to going to prep school. Kids will miss their family, they will miss their friends, they will miss their teachers. They will probably miss having family see them play. They will probably miss their prom. These are certainly a lot of things that some 17 and 18 year olds will have a tough time handling.
The positives for someone going to prep school go as follows. The kid(s) grow up because they have to, Mom and Dad can't get them out of situations because they are too far away. They get outside their comfort zone. They are exposed to many things including have a roommate from a completely different ethnic or socioeconomic background. One thing that gets overlooked is that after a year at a prep school then can figure out if they want to be close to home for college or that they can handle being away for four years.
The positives are very significant on the basketball side of things as well. They get to practice every day next to players just as good if not better than them. In games they play against players just as good if not better than them on a consistent basis. They are challenged every day. That isn't always going to happen to them at the high school level (there are exceptions to this).
I think every family has to make a decision based off of realistic expectations of their son's ability (hard to figure out sometimes). Is it all worth it? You never know until you try it. Locally, if you ask Jordair Jett (formerly of St. Bernard's then Notre Dame Prep and St. Louis), DJ Peterson (LaSalle), Zach Lofton (formerly of Columbia Heights and then Quakerdale Prep in IA, UMN via Illinois State), Kyle Washington (formerly of Benilde-SM and then Brewster Academy, NC State), Eric Robertson (formerly of Wayzata and then IMG Academy, South Dakota), and Rashad Vaughn (UNLV) to see if it was worth, I'm sure they would all say yes.
Let's just go over some facts about "prep" schools. There are legit ones and essentially basketball factories. The legit ones have been established for an extended period of time and kids attend an actual school. They usually have college style dorms on campus that the kids stay in. There are other students on campus besides the basketball players. Examples of these type of schools are Brewster Academy (where Alex Illikanien is heading), Oak Hill, and New Hampton (where DJ Peterson, formerly of Hopkins, attended). There are many more including all of them that compete in the NEPSAC.
At the not so legit ones the kids only take "online classes" to help increase their test scores. All the players live in a house with one of the coaches where food can sometimes be limited. There is never a time when the players interact with other students in a school setting. HERE and HERE is a perfect example of these "schools" are all about.
There are also "schools" that kids attend a school they aren't playing for. So, they actually attend school with other students but do not compete on the same team (if they have basketball) as the other students in the school. They live in a house or with host families. The two biggest examples of this type of school is Findlay Prep (where Rashad Vaughn went) and Huntington Prep (where Andrew Wiggins went). At both of these "schools" the kids attend a private school (The Henderson School for Findlay and Huntington St. Joseph's for Huntington) during the day and then come together for workouts/practices once school ends.
Now, lets go over the perceived negatives to going to prep school. Kids will miss their family, they will miss their friends, they will miss their teachers. They will probably miss having family see them play. They will probably miss their prom. These are certainly a lot of things that some 17 and 18 year olds will have a tough time handling.
The positives for someone going to prep school go as follows. The kid(s) grow up because they have to, Mom and Dad can't get them out of situations because they are too far away. They get outside their comfort zone. They are exposed to many things including have a roommate from a completely different ethnic or socioeconomic background. One thing that gets overlooked is that after a year at a prep school then can figure out if they want to be close to home for college or that they can handle being away for four years.
The positives are very significant on the basketball side of things as well. They get to practice every day next to players just as good if not better than them. In games they play against players just as good if not better than them on a consistent basis. They are challenged every day. That isn't always going to happen to them at the high school level (there are exceptions to this).
I think every family has to make a decision based off of realistic expectations of their son's ability (hard to figure out sometimes). Is it all worth it? You never know until you try it. Locally, if you ask Jordair Jett (formerly of St. Bernard's then Notre Dame Prep and St. Louis), DJ Peterson (LaSalle), Zach Lofton (formerly of Columbia Heights and then Quakerdale Prep in IA, UMN via Illinois State), Kyle Washington (formerly of Benilde-SM and then Brewster Academy, NC State), Eric Robertson (formerly of Wayzata and then IMG Academy, South Dakota), and Rashad Vaughn (UNLV) to see if it was worth, I'm sure they would all say yes.
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.
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.
Tuesday, July 1, 2014
College Recruiting
Over the course of my time in Minnesota I've seen some crazy things in regards to college recruiting. These are some of the misconceptions that people have regarding the college recruiting process.
Interest:
Many prospects throughout the state of Minnesota are getting interest from many Division 1 colleges and universities. This generally means that you are getting letters from each. In the grand scheme of things, letters truly mean nothing except that you are on the school's recruiting list. (Ex. I received letters from at least 12 D1 schools while in HS but never got a phone call from any and I was an average D3 player.) According to NCAA rules, college coaches can not directly contact you as a high school athlete until June 15th of your Junior year, so 2016's can be contacted directly. If you are younger, the only thing they can send you is a questionnaire and a camp brochure.
D1 Schools that do a good job in MN and usually put themselves out there with letters to athletes are NDSU, SDSU, UNI, North Dakota, South Dakota, Drake, Eastern Kentucky, Bucknell, Wofford, Loyola (MD), and Lafayette. I'm sure there are a few others that I'm not aware of as well. If you are a talented player, chances are you will get a letter/information from these schools at some point during your high school career.
Colleges' recruiting lists are generally very big for younger prospects (most 2016 lists are MUCH bigger than their 2015 lists). Some 2016 players will get contacted by D1 schools right now and then never play D1 basketball. And there are many 2016 prospects that haven't been contacted by D1 coaches that will play D1. There are also many 2015 prospects that are getting consistently contacted by D1s but will never play D1 because of limited scholarships, lack of development, and/or grades.
Offers:
There are many misconceptions about scholarship offers in regards to recruiting. Some kids think an offer is when they get a letter. A true scholarship comes directly from the head coach of that college. If it comes from an assistant, chances are, it means very little. If you hear from directly from a head coach or you get a letter with a "we are offering you a full basketball scholarship" from so and so school, then you have an offer. And "we want you" in a text message is different than "we are offering you a scholarship."
If you hear about a younger player (2017 and 2018 this year) getting a scholarship offer, chances are it doesn't mean much unless they are at the level that Tyus Jones was at. Many times, schools will offer a younger prospect in the hopes of breaking into a certain high school program, AAU organization, and/or state and "offering" will break the ice. Does this offer really mean anything? Like I said above, no. There are exceptions to this but most of the exceptions are for the really high major player.
Military academies scholarship offers are different. Why? Each year, they probably "offer" more athletes than "regular" schools because they have a system that is entirely different. Army (West Point), Navy, and Air Force all have prep schools that they run. They will send most of their incoming freshmen there. When I most, I mean that 12 of the incoming 16 players will be sent to prep school. There aren't many athletes that go directly to the initial school that recruited them. I believe (I could be completely off base on this) that once you complete their individual prep school that you are automatically admitted into their service academy. Players can also use the prep school as a "prep" year and decide that military route is not what they want and then head elsewhere. The Citadel and VMI (Virginia Military Institute)are different and you will go there right away.
Parents and prospects must remember that schools don't have unlimited scholarships. Schools are limited to 13 scholarship at the D1 level for their roster. That usually means that the school will have three to four scholarships per year. Sometimes it's one scholarship and sometimes it's seven. Meaning, you can't take a legitimate scholarship offer for granted.
Roles of Coaches:
There are generally two coaches involved in the recruiting process. The high school coach and the travel team coach. Sometimes, they HS coach runs the recruitment and sometimes it's the travel team coach. Usually, it's an effort from both because the college coaches are contacting both on a consistent basis.
Having a prospect from HS or AAU program does nothing but help programs. For some HS programs having a D1 player will increase the "profile" of the program and will help the younger generation in the program as well as help bring in the occasional or numerous transfer(s) to the school. For the AAU program, it brings a notoriety to the program that will help with future players as well as brings in more money into the program. "We've had this many D1 players, you could be the next." That's a great sell for a program.
If you are a coach and you are pushing kids to a level to make sure your program (I'm talking HS and AAU programs) produces nothing but D1 and/or D2 prospects then you are doing the prospect and their parents a disservice. The goal is to help your athletes get to a school that is the best "fit" for the prospect. When I say "fit" I mean what is the best situation for the prospects academically (most important), athletically, and socially. There are many times that a prospect will pick a D3 school over a D1 or D2 because of "fit." Sometimes the D1 is a better fit than a D2 or D3.
In conclusion, help the kids out. Be honest with them and support them through the process.
I hope this was helpful and excuse my poor writing.
Interest:
Many prospects throughout the state of Minnesota are getting interest from many Division 1 colleges and universities. This generally means that you are getting letters from each. In the grand scheme of things, letters truly mean nothing except that you are on the school's recruiting list. (Ex. I received letters from at least 12 D1 schools while in HS but never got a phone call from any and I was an average D3 player.) According to NCAA rules, college coaches can not directly contact you as a high school athlete until June 15th of your Junior year, so 2016's can be contacted directly. If you are younger, the only thing they can send you is a questionnaire and a camp brochure.
D1 Schools that do a good job in MN and usually put themselves out there with letters to athletes are NDSU, SDSU, UNI, North Dakota, South Dakota, Drake, Eastern Kentucky, Bucknell, Wofford, Loyola (MD), and Lafayette. I'm sure there are a few others that I'm not aware of as well. If you are a talented player, chances are you will get a letter/information from these schools at some point during your high school career.
Colleges' recruiting lists are generally very big for younger prospects (most 2016 lists are MUCH bigger than their 2015 lists). Some 2016 players will get contacted by D1 schools right now and then never play D1 basketball. And there are many 2016 prospects that haven't been contacted by D1 coaches that will play D1. There are also many 2015 prospects that are getting consistently contacted by D1s but will never play D1 because of limited scholarships, lack of development, and/or grades.
Offers:
There are many misconceptions about scholarship offers in regards to recruiting. Some kids think an offer is when they get a letter. A true scholarship comes directly from the head coach of that college. If it comes from an assistant, chances are, it means very little. If you hear from directly from a head coach or you get a letter with a "we are offering you a full basketball scholarship" from so and so school, then you have an offer. And "we want you" in a text message is different than "we are offering you a scholarship."
If you hear about a younger player (2017 and 2018 this year) getting a scholarship offer, chances are it doesn't mean much unless they are at the level that Tyus Jones was at. Many times, schools will offer a younger prospect in the hopes of breaking into a certain high school program, AAU organization, and/or state and "offering" will break the ice. Does this offer really mean anything? Like I said above, no. There are exceptions to this but most of the exceptions are for the really high major player.
Military academies scholarship offers are different. Why? Each year, they probably "offer" more athletes than "regular" schools because they have a system that is entirely different. Army (West Point), Navy, and Air Force all have prep schools that they run. They will send most of their incoming freshmen there. When I most, I mean that 12 of the incoming 16 players will be sent to prep school. There aren't many athletes that go directly to the initial school that recruited them. I believe (I could be completely off base on this) that once you complete their individual prep school that you are automatically admitted into their service academy. Players can also use the prep school as a "prep" year and decide that military route is not what they want and then head elsewhere. The Citadel and VMI (Virginia Military Institute)are different and you will go there right away.
Parents and prospects must remember that schools don't have unlimited scholarships. Schools are limited to 13 scholarship at the D1 level for their roster. That usually means that the school will have three to four scholarships per year. Sometimes it's one scholarship and sometimes it's seven. Meaning, you can't take a legitimate scholarship offer for granted.
Roles of Coaches:
There are generally two coaches involved in the recruiting process. The high school coach and the travel team coach. Sometimes, they HS coach runs the recruitment and sometimes it's the travel team coach. Usually, it's an effort from both because the college coaches are contacting both on a consistent basis.
Having a prospect from HS or AAU program does nothing but help programs. For some HS programs having a D1 player will increase the "profile" of the program and will help the younger generation in the program as well as help bring in the occasional or numerous transfer(s) to the school. For the AAU program, it brings a notoriety to the program that will help with future players as well as brings in more money into the program. "We've had this many D1 players, you could be the next." That's a great sell for a program.
If you are a coach and you are pushing kids to a level to make sure your program (I'm talking HS and AAU programs) produces nothing but D1 and/or D2 prospects then you are doing the prospect and their parents a disservice. The goal is to help your athletes get to a school that is the best "fit" for the prospect. When I say "fit" I mean what is the best situation for the prospects academically (most important), athletically, and socially. There are many times that a prospect will pick a D3 school over a D1 or D2 because of "fit." Sometimes the D1 is a better fit than a D2 or D3.
In conclusion, help the kids out. Be honest with them and support them through the process.
I hope this was helpful and excuse my poor writing.
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