A RECRUITING LESSON FOR THE COMING WEEKS📚 …. TRUTH AND FACTS🤫🏀👀

Now today your going to get a recruiting lesson. Now it’s your choice to listen or not. That is a personal choice each parent and player must make. There are always folks who want to be educated and led by those with a successful track record. Then there are those who choose to do things there own way. Just understand everyone in the end has to live with there decisions, regardless of the outcome.

I have long said it, you can take my advice or not. But just remember when you don’t… ”YOU WILL HAVE THEM(whoever that may be) TO SHOW YOU THE WAY”.….. so here is some things you better understand in the coming weeks. What you are going to hear is truth and how you handle it is totally up to you. You may not like everything your about to hear… but its truth and facts!

Now let me very clear about what I’m about to say. I’m giving you truth regarding where you play; so you can understand what to expect. If you go to RBC… SJV… SADDLE RIVER or Rutgers Prep for example. You get and got tons of Exposure, competition and scholarships offers up to this point. If you play, lets say in Ocean County for example and that’s where you train and play AAU. Good for you, if that makes you happy. But you are probably finding getting recruited is hard as hell. Because I bet less than 10 college coaches in total watched a game in Ocean County last season. That’s because Ocean County is not a basketball county. If a kid wants to excel, be seen or compete they must do as Destiny Adams, Jenna Paul, Justine Pissott, Nina Emnace and others did.. seek outside competition and get out of their comfort zone… this is a fact for 99% of kids in Communities just like Ocean and newsflash its not changing. But for those who like home… you knows maybe you can always be the next Kristina Donza. I just wouldn’t bet on it. Another issue is getting prepared for college. Does playing and training in counties such as Ocean prepare you for college? Not exactly even if a kid somehow finds there way to a college program, they are up against it. A kid in non basketball communities if they are serious most likely have to travel many miles and understand there road will not be easy, regardless of the level they hope to play at one day.. like it or not there road is more difficult most…. TRUTH!

If your from South Jersey for example, you must understand you don’t live in area known for basketball. You must expand your horizons and find competitve visible basketball environments. You can’t expect the action to come to you… you have to go to the action this time of year. if your on a non visible AAU TEAM DON’T EXPECT MUCH RECRUITING… real talk.

If you played at a weak or low visible high school? Well you better be on a competitive and highly visible AAU TEAM. Because maybe 2-3 college coaches watched your team this past season. AAU is all you got. That and Elite Camps that is… But you have to deal in reality this time of year… or accept your faith whatever that may be. But understand your not tricking these coaches… birds of a feather flock together… meaning ballers run with ballers! DEM BE FACTS and you have to go play against some ballers🏀💪

I do not know how many spots are still available for the NBS CAMP. I just know every kid should attend this camp. I tell you this, not for personal gain. I tell you this because it’s the truth. I believe it’s good for a kid to be in a highly competitive environment before the live recruiting period. Nothing a kid will do will prepare them more for the July Live Period than NBS CAMP. That not talk, it’s a fact. There is no place a player can go and raise there profile more, before the live period; again these are facts. How do I know this? Check the track record of those trying to loop around NBS vs those who jumped in with both feet and let the chips fall where they may. If you currently do not have a offer or want to compete at a high level of basketball… go to the NBS camp. But understand its risk reward. Everything is based on performance and not everyone gets a trophy or T SHIRT… FACTS💪

Go to College Elite Camps this time of year. Attend as many as you can afford. But choose your Elite Camps wisely. You must know the status of a teams roster. Do there have scholarships available? Do they have a need for your position? What is the class breakdown of the roster? You must speak to someone on that staff before you go to any Elite camp. Do not be afraid to call and ask hard questions. Just be prepared to hear some responses you may not like… its called truth🙏

You better know what college coaches are saying about your spring AAU performances. Like if your not getting enough touches on offense; it makes it hard for them to evaluate your game. Like if your not getting enough extended mins; that puts serious doubt in college coaches heads. You see, right now you better make a real sound decision regarding your AAU status. That because your last chance to fix things and get it right is RIGHT NOW!
I don’t care what anyone tells you. The spring told you where you stand with your team. If you only get minutes in blowouts or when you team has leads, newsflash it not changing in the July Live period. More importantly don’t expect to be recruited… I tell you this, not to scare you. I tell you this because its a fact👏

If your a senior currently with no offers. Let me give you a few facts. There are going to be a lot of folks advising you. They will be well meaning folks. But you better understand; 95% of the people who will be advising you… DON’T KNOW WHAT THE HELL THEY ARE TALKING ABOUT. Here is a fact; I can count on one hand the number of people who know how to navigate the recruiting process and have the ability and the know how to open doors for you. Next understand there are going to be coaches, friends and outsiders telling you what level of player you are. All I can tell you is this, 99% never coached or recruited for a college a day in there life. There experience is limited to watching and listening to the recruiting process of a kid that they may have known or coached before you. Something that doesn’t have a dam thing to do with your process. Because each recruiting process is different and if you don’t currently have a offer; your recruiting process just got different.. REALLY DIFFERENT RIGHT NOW. So here are a few things you seniors without offers better understand🌈🏀

1. The odds of you playing D1 at this point are slim and slim has one foot out the door. You must understand this and you must understand if you want to work around this problem. Your advocate better have serious juice with college coaches and you better play outstanding in July and that doesn’t mean in one game. You better bring your A GAME ALL SUMMER… this is a fact and anyone telling you different is not being truthful to you. How hard you work the next 6 weeks will let you know how bad you want it. Don’t bullshit yourself, the truth is in your actions and there is real pressure on you shoulders.

2. If you think you can play bad AAU competition and get D1 recruitment. The only one your fooling is yourself. There is a reason you don’t have a D1 offer and this is always one of the leading reasons why. This is a fact and you probably already know this… but you refuse to deal with the issue. Well that ball is in your court for the last time. You need to understand, you cannot trick these coaches

3. You better stop listening to the wrong people. There is a reason your in the situation your in to begin with. That’s because your inner circle are doing a lot of talking and not delivering… here is a little something to think about..”AT THE END OF THE DAY; more is said and less is done”

Now if your a senior who is a good student. Have no fear; your in the drivers seat. Most D2/D3 recruiting doesn’t heat up until the summer. You got plenty of time to prepare and get ready … so do this. Go to Elite Camps of academic type schools. Thats because coaches from other academic type schools go watch each others Elite camps. This time of year do one thing if your in this situation. …BUILD YOUR NAME RECOGNITION and live in the gym… again start with NBS CAMP

Let me give you the best advice you will get. Do not take anything for granted. That’s because your entire basketball career can change on a dime. That’s because a few bad weeks in the summer. May force a coach to believe your not ready and jump into the portal. Now its rare for a coach to take away a offer. But it’s not rare for them to know a mistake has been made and to try and fix it …BEFORE YOU ARRIVE. It’s why I say to kids who have committed, stay in the gym and create a reputation as a worker. It will always filter back to your future coach… just like if your not working. You must understand these are facts …NOT WORDS👀

To all the 2026’s (yes they already have offers) 2025’s and 2024’s who have received D1 offers. You need to know unless you accept that offer its not worth a nickel. That’s because by the time your ready to commit that school may have a player already in uniform balling out and no longer have a need for you. By the time your ready to commit the portal may have 50 grown ass women that school can get and coaches rather have experienced older players ALWAYS. Finally you may not develop and there is nothing new about players not developing. Your offers are nice but understand don’t amount to a hill of beans unless you are considering committing… guess who else know this? COLLEGE COACHES … TRUTH!

These days everyone is in the gym. Well I always laugh at that one. I can tell you who is in the gym and who is not. I guess if you not training with me your not in the gym… WRONG! It’s how you play that lets me know who is in the gym, who is shooting everyday. I have no idea why a kid who trains 90 mins three days a week, practices twice a week and plays on the weekend, thinks there going to be ready for six hour basketball days in college. It’s beyond silly to me. As a D1 head coach said to me. “I WILL NEVER RECRUIT A KID WITH A TAN”… I laughed until I realized she was dead serious. There are kids from every level of basketball in the portal. Many are there for a number of reasons, like they never really liked to train or be in competitive environments. What happen was they were able to trick a few people. They wanted a free education in some cases and got it . But then they realized the price at the next level was to high to pay and the competition was just what they feared all along… RELENTLESS so they head for the door! There are too many mental health issues surrounding kids today. I believe a kid either likes being in the gym or not. You can’t make them do it and they shouldn’t feel they have to do it. But I know this, if you want to play in college. Being in the gym is part of the deal. Not everyone is down with that!… and that’s as real as it gets!

Everyone going to do what they please. Everyone has their inner circle they lean on. But the best thing a kid or parent can do is gain knowledge regarding the recruiting process. Once you gain knowledge… INFORMATION IS KING!

HERE NOW THE LESSON ENDS📚