Tyler Davis is on the cusp of being among the Class of 2015’s best big men. The native of Plano, Texas had a strong showing this July and in a class that is filled with five-star front-court players, Davis is sitting right in the next tier of players.
But after multiple big games at Peach Jam, Davis might be in the discussion thanks to his soft hands, developing post game and a good feel for the game. It also doesn’t hurt that the 6-foot-10 big man has put in a tremendous amount of work re-shaping his body with trainers from his Texas Titans grassroots program.
“I’ve lost about 70 pounds. We’ve got a great trainer on the Titans. And he just got on me and got my eating habits right and helped me put in a workout plan and get in the gym a lot more and work out every day,” Davis told NBCSports.com. “Spending more time in the gym obviously is going to help your play. So that’s helped me raise my level of play. The Titans, they have great coaches all around so they help me a lot.”
The work that Davis has put into the gym has definitely paid off. Elite schools from across the country are reaching out to Davis and right now he’s honing in on some visits that he would like to take. Davis mentioned, however, that with July being a focus for him that recruiting would come more into focus this month.
“I’ve been really focused on my game. I’ve had the Peach Jam and LeBron James Academy and Big Man Academy, so I haven’t really had time to talk it over with my family with what’s going on, but after July I’ll be sure to take the time to get that done,” Davis said. “My two biggest [offers] are Kansas and Arizona but I have Baylor, SMU; I’m open to everybody right now. I’ll focus on the recruiting stuff in August.”
Davis mentioned to NBCSports.com that Arizona and Kansas would likely receive official visits from him and he likes the way both programs use their big men. With both programs having recent pro-level talents playing in the front court, it’s easy to see why.
“Just the way they use their bigs. The high-low, obviously [at Kansas.] At Arizona, their bigs do everything, they have a complete offense, so that intrigues me,” Davis said. “College this year I watched Joel Embiid a lot. I watched how they worked with him. That was one big thing.”
Besides monitoring how certain programs use their big men, Davis is also focusing on some other factors in his recruitment as he has a couple of other things he’s looking for.
“Development, a great coaching staff and I want to have a good relationship with the coaches that are there,” Davis said. “And also, win. I want to win some games in college and possibly move on to the next level.”
Currently a four-star prospect, Davis said that he doesn’t pay too much attention to rankings, although he’s confident in his game and doesn’t shy away from playing big-name players. Rivals currently has Davis as the No. 35 overall player in the Class of 2015.
“Rankings, to me, don’t really mean anything. Whoever they think is up there, that’s fine. As long as I play my game and work hard. I think I can go somewhere,” Davis said. “I think I’m one of the best bigs in the country. So I just keep playing and if I play one of them, we’re going to go at it.”
LOUISVILLE — One of the most intriguing stories during the July live evaluation period was the rise of 2015 forward Raymond Spalding and his commitment to Louisville.
The 6-foot-9 Spalding doesn’t play on a shoe company team, so he didn’t get as much attention as the average top 100 high school player did in July, but make no mistake about it, the Louisville native is a good grab with some upside for head coach Rick Pitino. Spalding currently checks in as the No. 69 player in Rivals’ 2015 class, but he will probably rise in the rankings after a strong month of July.
“I’m very excited. I feel like I’ve proved a lot and I also feel like I’ve improved a lot in July,” Spalding said to NBCSports.com last week in Louisville.
One longtime high school basketball scout compared Spalding favorably to former Florida wing and NBA veteran Corey Brewer, and with Raymond’s size, ability to pass and good overall floor game, it’s easy to see why. Although Spalding said he prefers to model his game after Rudy Gay and Kevin Durant — “I just like how smooth they play and I try to play like them,” he said — his upside is certainly intriguing as he enters his senior season of high school.
But some interesting pressure faces Spalding at the next level. Not only does Spalding have to deal with a rabid Louisville fan base when he enters college, but he also has to handle the pressure of being the hometown kid that committed to play for the Cardinals.
Each of Spalding’s games with his grassroots team, The Ville, was crowded with red gear at AAU Nationals and most of his games during his senior season at Trinity High will probably feel the same way this winter. Spalding takes the local attention — and pressure — in stride and it doesn’t seem to be a major concern for him at this point.
“There’s no pressure for me. I’m just focused on getting better and making my family proud,” Spalding said. “[My family] was pumped. They were really excited for me. They love that I’m able to stay home and spend more time with them.
“Being a local kid, I mean, that’s huge. Hometown star, that means being able to see your family and your friends each and every day while still being able to stay on campus. It’s just great, it’s a blessing to be able to do that.”
It’s hard to say how Spalding’s senior season will play out in front of Louisville fans during the high school season, but he’s just focused on improving before he gets to the ACC.
“The only thing that motivates me is to get better as a basketball player each and every day,” Spalding said. “[I’m trying] to get better in practice and individual workouts and just keep improving.”
LAS VEGAS — For high school players the summer months aren’t solely about making a name for one’s self. Those times are also about improving upon their individual skill sets and building on a (hopefully) successful high school season. That was the case for versatile 6-foot-8 forward Braxton Blackwell, who was coming off of a highly successful sophomore season at Christ Presbyterian Academy in Nashville, Tennessee. Last season Blackwell posted averages of 19.4 points, 12.1 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game on a team that finished with a 34-3 record and reached the semifinals of Tennessee’s Division I Class II state tournament.
For his efforts Blackwell was named Tennessee’s Mr. Basketball, extending an impressive streak for the CPA program to three consecutive Mr. Basketball selections. With his ability to affect games in a variety of ways, Blackwell has been on the receiving end of some of the nation’s top college programs. Being a “point forward” capable of initiating the offense tends to have that kind of effect on a player’s recruitment.
“Being versatile,” Blackwell said at the adidas Super 64 last week when asked about his strengths. “I can get a rebound and go, [playing] kind of a point forward position, passing the basketball and defending well.”
As a sophomore Blackwell also averaged more than two blocks and two steals per game, and in Las Vegas his ability to be in the right place at the right time defensively was another asset on display. Playing on a team that featured fellow 2016 prospect Kobi Simmons, it was just as likely that Blackwell was the player with the basketball in his hands looking to make a play for his teammates. That freed up Simmons, a point guard more likely to score at this stage in his development, to do more scoring for the Atlanta Celtics, and Blackwell’s understanding of the game is something that can benefit future teammates at the college level as well.
When asked what he’s looking to improve upon this summer, Blackwell’s answer was direct and to the point.
“Shooting and being more aggressive offensively,” Blackwell stated, and for the role he hopes to have at the college level those are obviously important tools to strengthen. Having a consistent jump shot can open things up from a spacing standpoint for a player serving as his team’s point forward. And there’s also the need to properly balance finding looks for oneself and making sure teammates are getting looks in the areas where they’ll be most successful as well.
Among the schools mentioned by Blackwell when asked about his recruitment were “Providence, Florida, Indiana, Tennessee, Memphis, Vanderbilt and a lot of other programs.” And being from Nashville, Blackwell’s bound to attract a lot of attention from Vanderbilt head coach Kevin Stallings. How much attention? During one of Blackwell’s games in Las Vegas, the entire Vanderbilt coaching staff was in attendance, taking in the action from the front row of the coaches section. And as is the case with many recruits, that kind of effort doesn’t go unnoticed.
“That just shows that I’m probably one of the priorities in their class,” Blackwell said. “It’s pretty cool to see all four coaches there.”
As Blackwell continues to sharpen the tools that have made him one of the better recruits in the Class of 2016, programs will intensify their pursuit of his signature on a National Letter of Intent. And for the versatile Blackwell, who spoke of studying journalism in college, his ability to do a variety of things on the basketball court has resulted in his having multiple options when it comes to picking a school.
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. — The third and final five-day July live evaluation period ended on Sunday afternoon on ESPNU. It was a live broadcast of a doubleheader from the adidas Super 64 in Las Vegas, the city where elite recruits, celebrity head coaches and media members alike annually end their travels during the busiest month on the recruiting calendar.
That’s the glamorous side of this month. Top prospects playing in front of a national audience with high-major coaches scattered throughout the stands. It’s a much different live period than the one Trevon Mollison, a point guard from Brampton, Ontario, experienced.
He didn’t travel by plane to his tournaments. Several weeks ago, Mollison, his coach, Jason Fowler, and five of his teammates packed into a gray, 2006 Pontiac Montana — borrowed from Mollison’s mother — as they made the seven-hour drive from the home of Anthony Bennett and Tyler Ennis to the birthplace of basketball, Springfield, Massachusetts, for the Hall of Fame National Invitational Tournament.
Forget sponsored uniforms provided by the likes of Nike, adidas or Under Armour. Mollison’s team, Venom Elite, didn’t even have matching shorts, and only some of them wore the same black-and-white, reversible, mesh jerseys.
Still, it was a first-class tournament put on by BasketBull with four full-size courts placed in a rented out exhibition hall. One of the courts was shipped up from Hartford, the same floor the national champion UConn Huskies play on. It didn’t matter what court Mollison was on or what jersey he wore, just as long as someone watched him.
That was the second weekend of the July live period, and Trevon Mollison is a 2014 point guard still in search of that elusive Division I scholarship offer. The live period can take its toll on any recruit, as they are making life-changing decisions at 17 and 18 years old. It’s a little more stressful when your hopes of playing Division I basketball in the United States hang in the balance.
“I know that this is one shot that I might not get again, so I have to leave it all out on the table,” Mollison told NBCSports.com on July 19 after going for 12 points (off 3-of-4 shooting from three), four assists and two steals in a win.
The 6-foot Mollison entered the tournament relatively unknown. He doesn’t have a recruiting page on Rivals, nor ESPN, nor Scout. Mollison also wasn’t with one of Canada’s premier grassroots teams. Spending five years playing high school ball in Canada while the nation’s top prospects bolted for schools in the U.S. hasn’t helped his recruitment either.
He did, however, hit the summer with a head of steam.
In March, Mollison led Notre Dame Catholic Secondary School to an unlikely Cinderella postseason run in the Ontario Federation of School Athletic Associations (OFSAA) tournament, which included an upset win over the top-ranked team, and ended with a bronze medal. He led the OFSAA in points (24.7 PPG), assists (8.3 APG) and steals (4.1 SPG) during that run. The next month, he was named Mr. Peel Basketball, the region’s most valuable player.
“Trevon was kind of an afterthought this year,” said Mark Bairos, a scout for HoopsHype Canada. “He had the odds against him, and he had one of the more jaw-dropping seasons. He was unbelievable during the season and the playoff stretch. He kind of put it all together, took what he had and made the most of it.”
The postseason performance helped build up his stock as a college prospect, but the July live period has come and gone, and his future remains uncertain. The time is ticking for Mollison’s Division I hopes. He’s a member of the Class of 2014, looking to enroll in college next fall not a prep school like the other Division I hopefuls that fall short of that offer.
Classes at most schools will begin in less than a month.
Ryan Peterson decided this spring to do a postgraduate year. He returned to the Hall of Fame National Invitational Tournament again this summer. Last year, he had latched on to the right team for July, the Connecticut Basketball Club (CBC), typically the strongest AAU program that state has to offer.
At the same tournament in 2013, a host of Division I coaches sat in to watch CBC play. Providence head coach Ed Cooley was there with multiple assistants, the sign that a program is serious about a recruit. Most, if not all of those coaches, were locked in on Peterson’s teammate, 7-foot-2 center Paschal Chukwu, who eventually committed to the Friars.
“I think when I went out there, I did do some good things. But I had joined the team late, as well,” Peterson said. “It’s a little nerve-racking with all the D-I coaches on the sidelines, but it was exciting, too.”
Peterson was hoping he’d be the one to garner Division I attention during this live period. The 6-foot-6 wing played with the CT Roughriders, an AAU team he’s played for since the fall. The personnel on the roster, as opposed to his high school, allowed him to play out on the perimeter, where he is more comfortable.
Terrence Payne/NBC Sports
Peterson’s size forced him, at times, to match up with opposing team’s big men during his time at Wethersfield High. It became a double-edged sword. On one hand, he was a mismatch with his ability to stretch the floor with his 3-point shooting, complimented by his knack for making the occasional fancy pass. It wouldn’t be wrong to label him a “tweener”, having to defend post players with the skill set of a wing.
“That’s what people think,” he said, “that I’m in between a post and a wing or a guard.”
The only Division I interest he received coming out of high school was a preferred walk-on spot from Central Connecticut State with additional looks from Sacred Heart. Peterson is off to the St. Thomas More School in Oakdale, Connecticut, this fall. He’ll be playing under Jere Quinn, who coached Andre Drummond, and will have another team in 2014-2015 filled with Division I talent.
For Peterson, the July live period was a chance for him to add some college interest before the season starts, hoping that it will carry over to next season, where he will continue to play out on the perimeter for one of the top prep school teams in the northeast.
“The coaches said there are five, six D-I players on the roster,” Peterson said. “So I’m just going to have to work my way up.”
Another Connecticut 2014 prospect, Isaac Vann, is taking the prep school route, as well, although he’s doing so with multiple Division I scholarship offers. After the first week of July, Iona and Wagner both offered the athletic, 6-foot-5 wing. He had previously been offered by Canisius and Sacred Heart.
It’s the second summer in a row he’s excelled in front of Division I coaches. In 2013, he led his AAU team, United Sons and Daughters (USAD), to the 17u title with 33 points in the BasketBull Summer Championships title game. USAD defeated Isaiah Whitehead and the Juice All-Stars in the semifinals.
“I think I’ve just been playing hard in front of coaches, showing I can be a versatile player on offense and defense, and showing I can help my team win,” Vann said. “I definitely improved my jump shot. I’ve been shooting a lot better, and I think coaches have noticed that.”
He will attend Coastal Academy (New Jersey) this fall, a school which describes itself as “a premier basketball academy with a college-level training program that is designed to help our student-athletes succeed.” Despite the concerns that come with being associated with a basketball-centric prep school, Coastal Academy has lived up to its mission statement, sending players to schools in the Big East, American, Mountain West, MAC and MAAC.
Vann will need to commit to the weight room if he wants attract more schools, but this summer has already been a positive one. He’s boosted his recruitment. Like Peterson, Vann played with the luxury of knowing he has another year of prep basketball ahead of him with several opportunities to play in front of college coaches this winter at various showcases and tournaments.
Mollison has done all he can do. He’s been to Hoop Group and Five-Star camps. Fowler has sent emails to countless coaches on his behalf. There are also multiple recruiting videos of him on YouTube. On top of all that, he played well during the live period, drawing interest from a Division II program in Michigan.
In the three-day tournament in Springfield, Mollison looked like a recruit trying to land a late scholarship offer. He was playing hard on every possession, but it was clear he was pressing at times.
“This is the most coaches he’s played in front of,” Fowler told NBCSports.com on July 19.
Mollison is quick with the ball in his hands. He’s a solid defender and a gifted passer. At times he is too fast, losing control of the ball while trying to beat his man off the dribble. Defensively, he had the tendency to gamble. Overall, he was a dynamic lead guard. He started off one game with two 3-pointers despite an odd shooting form. After his team gave up a double-digit lead, he rallied for five straight points, swinging momentum, as Venom Elite advanced to the second round.
Several Division I coaches took in his games, but it’s tough to determine their interest level. One low-major assistant coach watched for a half, but his team, which finished last in its conference this past season, is looking to replace its leading scorer. Other coaches appeared to float from court to court throughout the day.
Mollison left Springfield disappointed, but not defeated. His still clinging to the hopes of Division I basketball, but realizes he might need to utilize his backup plan whether it be Division II, JuCo, prep school, or accepting a partial scholarship at one of the universities in Canada pursuing him. Or maybe Mollison, with a recent history of long-shot victories, can pull off another one and score that coveted offer.
“I didn’t know if any coaches saw me play, or if they were impressed with me,” Mollison said. “I don’t know if anyone spoke to Jason. I’m still in the blind. Still in the same situation I came in with. I went into that tournament, played and still left with nothing.
“I’m just hoping and praying that I can get that one call, or get that one letter in the mail from a school, saying they’ve seen my talent and my potential.”
He did what he said, he left it all out on the table, now he waits to see if anyone noticed.
LOUISVILLE — The last week of the July live evaluation period ended on Sunday as the Amateur Athletic Union hosted its 10th and 11th grade Division I national championships to go along with a Super Showcase for each grade, as well.
With 18 courts under one roof at the Kentucky Expo Center, it was an ideal setup for college coaches and media to see a lot of basketball action in one week.
1. The Amateur Athletic Union and Kentucky Expo Center is ripping people off: Between the $600-plus entry fee for teams to play in AAU Nationals and the $450-plus Division I college coaches had to spend on coaches’ packets — among the highest prices in July for both — the Amateur Athletic Union was ripping off a lot of people. And that doesn’t include the Kentucky Expo Center charging an $8 (no re-entry) daily parking pass that everyone had to pay each day, the outrageous wi-fi prices and the marked up food prices in the Kentucky Expo Center. Multiple food stands in the expo center had their prices taped over and marked up as people were forced to stay in the building with steep parking prices and a no return policy and pay $3.50 for a 20-ounce soda or $5-plus for a slice of pizza. College coaches, AAU coaches, media and fans all complained about the high prices for an extremely disorganized and poorly run event.
2. “In-home visits” were rampant at Nationals: Generally when a college coach illegally meets with parents or AAU coaches during the July evaluation period — in the gym or at places like restaurants or hotels — it is jokingly referred to by many in the recruiting industry as an “in-home visit.” This kind of face-to-face contact is not permitted during July between college coaches and parents and AAU coaches but with AAU Nationals being so poorly organized, fans were allowed to sit and stand near college coaches with little-to-no action being done by tournament officials. NBCSports.com saw at least a dozen instances of illegal contact between parents and college coaches inside the Kentucky Expo Center, sometimes in upwards of 30 minutes, as the NCAA couldn’t police 18 courts going on at the same time with boundaries being so poorly set. This sort of thing happens at other events, such as Rivals‘ recruiting analyst Eric Bossi mentioning the Las Vegas airport, but this sort of cheating has never been this obvious at the gym the event was taking place at.
3. The talent is way down at AAU Nationals: While USA Basketball had a hand in taking away some of the best players from the AAU events in Louisville, the event also didn’t pack a lot of punch in terms of overall quality of teams. The Las Vegas events have clearly dominated the scene in the final week for a long time now, but it seems like there were very few teams west of the Mississippi River that choose to make the trip to Louisville. And two Nike EYBL teams that didn’t even make it to Peach Jam, Expressions Elite and Alabama Challenge, found themselves in the final four of the more loaded field of the 17U AAU Super Showcase. There was still plenty of Division I talent in attendance, but the lack of high-major talent — and high-major coaches — was noticeable.
(Scott Phillips/NBC Sports)
4. The Louisville Cardinals are winners of the July evaluation period: With July commitments coming from wing guard Deng Adel and wing forward Raymond Spalding, Louisville and head coach Rick Pitino are the clear winners of the July live evaluation period. Other programs will see the benefits of July recruiting and evaluating down the line, but the Cardinals were able to lock up two top-50 talents during the three-week evaluation period in the 6-foot-7 Adel and 6-foot-9 Spalding. Both of them appear to be on the underrated side based on their July play when looking at Rivals‘ rankings and Pitino has two more long and athletic wings that have upside and can really move.
5. Notre Dame is another winner this July: The Cardinals weren’t the only ACC program to get two commitments during July. That honor also went to Notre Dame and head coach Mike Brey, as they locked up Albany City Rocks teammates Matt Ryan and Elijah Burns in the 2015 class. Ryan and Burns don’t have the national reputation that the Louisville duo has earned, but both of them should be nice system fits for Brey’s offense and both have their best basketball ahead of them. The 6-foot-5 Ryan is finally getting healthy after two hip surgeries and the 6-foot-8 Burns has a lot of upside as multiple college coaches told NBCSports.com that they believed Burns was a solid get for the Irish after a good week in Louisville.
6. 2016’s guard play is superior to 2015: It’s been mentioned before by me and others at CBT that the 2016 class looks better than the 2015 class, but this becomes abundantly clear when looking at the guards of both classes. While 2015 has a lot of elite big men in the top 50, it is sorely lacking on guards, specifically point guards. The more and more I saw 2016 guards in the last three weeks, the more it became clear that this group was way better than 2015. Four-star guard Bruce Brown had another good week for BABC and another four-star 2016 guard, Trent Forrest, was very good in multiple outings for the Alabama Challenge. When you consider those guys are currently in the 40-60 range in most rankings for their class, it seems the guards in ’16 are significantly better as a whole than ’15.
7. The 2017 class has some emerging wing talent: Two of the more fun-to-watch players in Louisville were Howard Pulley guard Gary Trent, Jr. and KC Run GMC southpaw wing Mitchell Ballock. Both players already have a bit of a national reputation and both players shined in certain moments playing up on the 16U level at the AAU events. Trent, Jr. has good bloodlines as the son of former MAC star Gary Trent and the 6-foot-3 guard is confident with the ball in his hands as a scorer or passer. The 6-foot-4 Ballock has a smooth-looking lefty shot on the perimeter and also is a very good leaper in transition. Obviously a long way to go in this class, but they were two guys to watch.
The final week of the July evaluation period is one that, for many teams, means a trip to Las Vegas for one of three large tournaments (adidas Super 64, Las Vegas Fab 48 and the Las Vegas Classic), with Chris Paul’s The 8 being held there as well. And for coaches who may be looking for a more seasoned prospect, there’s also JucoRecruiting.com’s All-American JUCO Showcase Elite 80 West to attend. Below are a few thoughts on last week’s action, and one suggestion that could help lesser-known players who are looking to make a name for themselves in these events.
1. Regardless of what Skal Labissiere decides to do, his work to get stronger will be of great importance.
Labissiere enjoyed a very good week in Las Vegas, playing well on both ends of the floor. And he’s also been the focus of conversation with regards to what he’ll do next summer: enroll at the college he chooses, or take a shot at going overseas and playing professionally. Yet regardless of which path he chooses, Labissiere will need to continue to get stronger (especially if he goes pro). In speaking with Labissiere he stated that he’d dropped down to 206 this summer, and his goal is to get to 225. Of course adding weight isn’t solely about increasing the number, but also being sure that through good workout and dietary habits the weight gained is “positive.” That’s something else Labissiere noted, so it’s good to see he has a clear understanding of that.
2. Vance Jackson has the look of a player poised to put together a standout junior season.
The 6-foot-8 forward can score both off the dribble and from beyond the arc, and he was very productive this past weekend for Belmont Shore. Jackson, who’s in the Class of 2016, scored 33 points in an overtime loss to the NJ Playaz Friday night and continued to be a solid scoring option alongside Tyler Dorsey throughout the weekend. The key for Jackson is remaining confident in his skill set, because when he is Jackson is an assertive player who can be tough to slow down. Regardless of what ranking service you prefer, don’t be surprised to see Jackson’s name rise up the list when those updates occur.
3. Pound for pound, there may not be a tougher player in 2015 than Isaiah Briscoe.
Whether it was at the Fab 48 or The 8, Briscoe’s refusal to be denied was evident during his time on the floor. With the ball in his hands Briscoe is a very good creator, whether it’s to get himself to the rim or to set up one of his teammates. And when defenders sag off Briscoe can knock down perimeter shots at a solid clip as well. But what stood out watching him play was the toughness, and the belief of “I’m the best player out here” that was impossible to ignore. Arizona, Rutgers, St. John’s and UConn are among the seven schools on the list Briscoe released in late June, and the battle for his commitment will be fierce.
4. Jaylen Brown’s ability to score from anywhere on the court makes him one of the toughest matchups regardless of class.
Already considered to be one of the best players in 2015, there are some who believe that Brown is the closest competitor to Ben Simmons when it comes to who the top player in the class is. Why? His ability to score both inside and out, combined with a physical build that allows Brown to not only absorb contact but finish through it with authority. And while Brown led the way for Game Elite offensively, that expectation didn’t result in Brown playing in a selfish manner. While in-state programs Georgia and Georgia Tech are among the programs looking to land Brown so are Kentucky and UCLA (just to name two), with Brown stating that he’ll take an unofficial visit to UCLA following adidas Nations (which begins Friday in southern California).
5. It will be fun to watch the Class of 2017 develop.
This happens every summer in all honesty. You’ve been watching the current crop of rising seniors for a couple years, so naturally the question of “who’s next?” gets asked. And in Las Vegas there were some very talented 2017 prospects on display. Two of the best front court players in the class are on the west coast in DeAndre Ayton and Billy Preston, with both putting together solid performances in their respective events, and guards Troy Brown and Trevon Duval also merit attention for their play. One point on Duval: with Isaiah Briscoe moving on to college next year, he should have a bigger role for the NJ Playaz next summer alongside 2016 guard Temple Gibbs. It’ll be fun to see how Duval adjusts, with the upcoming high school season setting the stage for that, and the same can be said for the other three rising sophomores mentioned above.
6. Intangibles are just as valuable as the stats when it comes to showcase events.
Saturday provided the opportunity to make a stop at the JucoRecruiting.com event for a couple hours, and in these settings participants may feel that putting up numbers is the only way to catch the attention of the Division I coaches in attendance. That can lead to ragged play, something that does a lot more harm than good for all involved. So in these events the intangibles, such as a willingness to share the basketball and being a good communicator, can set a player apart from the rest of the crowd. This can also be said for the high school players, even though in most cases they have familiarity with their grassroots teammates. Numbers are great, but that alone doesn’t win championships and that’s the goal of every college coach looking to add players to his program.
7. There should be some kind of in-game penalty for teams whose coaches submit incomplete/inaccurate rosters.
For all the criticism some heap upon grassroots basketball, the fact of the matter is that it can be a great avenue for young players to gain exposure. Not all players get to play in highly regarded leagues during the high school season, so these events are of high value to prospects whose schools aren’t the focus of national (or even regional) attention. While it can be said that rosters are a “fluid situation” during the summer, those unheralded prospects are why teams should do their best to provide the event organizers with a complete (and accurate) roster. Why not make it as easy as possible for the players to get their names out there?
An incomplete roster may not seem like a big deal (coaches/media can go to the scorer’s table to check numbers at the half or at the end of games), but why not avoid this situation to begin with? So in order to do this, event organizers should come up with an in-game penalty for teams whose coaches can’t submit proper rosters. Ultimately these events should be about helping the kids reach their goals, whether it’s to move one step closer to the pros or to earn a college education their family would struggle to finance without help in the form of an athletic scholarship. Not making sure their information is both readily available and accurate doesn’t help the kids (or their families) at all.
