So what’s going to happen come the July recruiting period? Nobody knows and that’s just a fact. What I do know is this, regardless of when basketball starts up again, it will be different in every way. Recruiting will never be the same. The model has completely changed for a number of reasons.
When we get back to basketball everyone will need to change and get with the times. Everyone must understand that scholarship money will be reduced. Schools will be dropping programs and reducing staff sizes. Travel budgets will be slashed. Coaches recruiting budgets will take a major hit. All this adds up to less exposure and less kids getting a free education. You will see kids in college not going to summer school for example. Why? There is no money for kids unless it’s for eligibility reasons. We are living in different times and everyone better learn the landscape NOW.
The new transfer rule allowing players to transfer and play right away is a serious game changer. The transfer portal has around 600 kids right now. When the new rule goes into effect and it will, that number will grow substantially. More importantly many schools will use the portal to build there rosters. Make no mistake college now will be building teams year to year now. Make no mistake coaches will try to run kids out of there program who are not productive. Make no mistake the number of scholarships at every level for high school kids will be reduced dramatically. Why would anyone recruit a high school kid these days unless they can make an immediate contribution. These are the new rules of the game and if you don’t understand them, you are in trouble.
I had a conversation with a parent recently. There daughter was planning on attending a low visible high school that plays a weak schedule. I told that parent, don’t plan on any coaches setting foot in that gym. She mentioned they were building a program. I told her that was great but you need to know …nobody is showing up. The reality of things is this, if you are at a low visible high school you are taking a almost impossible path to a basketball scholarship and D1 is simply a pipe dream. These are facts folks. Not fair but the way it is. I had a parent say AAU will get there child the exposure they are looking for. It was a clear indication they do not understand the recruiting process. Getting exposure is not going to be easy now. College coaches will not be roaming the country. So schools like RBC… SJV.. St Rose .. Rutgers Prep and TCA will corner the market on talent, trust me on that one. Those kids going to schools to get immediate playing time-are going to find themselves lost and not relative. They are n0w going to be forced to compete in order to move on to the next level. These are facts like it or not.
What does all this mean? It’s a wake up call to everyone. Now kids, coaches and parents will need to educate themselves. The days of waiting around for better offers are over. When a kid gets offered by a school, if they like that school they better not play games. How do I know this? 7 kids this spring with D1 offers have been told that offer is no longer there, why? The transfer portal and scholarship reductions. So my advice to all, do not do business the way you have in the past. Don’t expect coaches to come knocking on your door, you will need to be proactive and understand it’s a new era! in recruiting for all... and it’s a fact not a guess.