Is it time to take action??

bballdad
Sun, 08 Aug 2010 20:43:36 +0000

Keylyme is right about the benefit of getting positioned in a school that attracts regular visitation from college coaches during the fall and spring. The prominent NE prep she is referring to attracted over 55 schools last fall. One sophomore who saw very imited playing due the number of seniors and PGs on the team last year attracted and Ivy offer this summer based on his performance in open gyms at this school. Another sophomore that played more has attracted several offers.

My advice to you:


Keep you eye on the ball academically.
Maximize your performance on your school and team and train hard to build your skills.
In the spring, put together an athletic resume featuring head shot, contact info for you, your family, your school and AAU coaches, guidance counselor, academic stats (GPA and SAT or PSAT), and basketball stats.
Based on your prior comments, put together your hit list of Ivies, NESCACs, UAA, Centenary League, and high academic mid majors and D3s. 10 - 15 tops. Send the assistant coach at each school the resume and follow up with a phone call. State your interest and ask them about elite camps they offer or camps they might be working.
Register for the top 4-5 Ivy League elite camps. Harvard, Princeton, Penn, Yale, etc. You not only get in front of these coaching staffs, but most of these camps use the coaches from high academic D3s as their coaches/counselors at the camps. At the Harvard and Princeton camps, there was a wide range of NESCAC and UAA coaches working or in attendence.
Get your AAU schedule and exposure camp for the July open period and forward it your hit list of coaches in early June.
Register for high academic exposure camps. Hoop Mountain All Academic Camp and Hoop Group Academic Elite Camp are both good. The Ivies, NESCAC, etc are in attendance.
June 15 before your junior year is the first date that college coaches can contact basketball players directly by phone. The level of attention you get in mid to late June is a good indicator of where you stand prior to the July open period.
Play well during exposure camps and the AAU open period.
If you made an impression during the elite camps, the exposure camps, and the AAU season, you will begin to get attention in late summer to early fall.


Take this plan, adapt to your needs and discuss it with your school and AAU coach. Get their support. They will get the calls from the schools that start to follow you. Keep them informed of any contact you receive. Have a post summer debrief to assess where you stand with your target schools. Remember, they have to fall in love with you before you can fall in love with them. Be realistic and listen to your coaches.

Also, even if you are the best player in the world, many will not show strong interest until they receive a mid junior year transcript and SATs to see if you are even in their ballpark.

If you do all of this between now and next August, you will have done all you can reasonably do to initiate relationships with your target schools, get them to take a look at you and determine their level of interest, and position yourself for a good junior year.

Good Luck!!!