WHERE YOU STAND IN THE RECRUITING PROCESS? DO YOU REALLY KNOW?

Today, I will try and educate you about your recruiting status. Understand KNOWLEDGE IS KING! I will try and paint a picture for those kids who hope to play at the next level. Like everything else when it comes to the recruiting process you must be willing to listen.

One of the biggest problems in the recruiting process is that parents, coaches and AAU organizations have not come to grips with the changes in the recruiting process. Most say they understand but are doing business as usual. This is the biggest mistake of all. The process is not the same anymore and nothing about it is like before. Once kids and parents understand this, they can figure out where they stand in the process. So let me give you a few examples.

You may be a player who had fake D1 offers last year. Meaning a school offered you a scholarship and no longer calling and actively showing real interest. You may be a player who was interested in a school and that school had a real interest in you. But coach got fired or took a job at a higher level. Finally you may be a kid who has no offers and programs are showing little interest. What you need to know is that you are all in the same boat, regardless of your ability or status in the eyes of your peers or the public. You are all basically starting from ground zero and must understand you need to think differently.

Players must understand the recruiting calendar and what it means. For example you must understand the transfer portal officially opens April 4. This is important because college coaches focus will be there Now the question is what should high school kids be doing? I can tell you tweeting and sending videos will not help your case at this point. Those are things you should have done in January (many of you didn’t listen). What each high school kid should be doing is playing in a controlled competitive environment. That is not pickup as many kids do not understand the difference. It’s not bragging about playing against boys and getting sped up. I strongly urge kids to sign up for NBS. Next I strongly urge kids to understand you must get your shooting game up. Your trainer better have a history of elevating games NOT STARS! Your social media page is not going to create interest at this point. Your coach calling college coaches will not create interest or move the needle at this point. That ship has passed FOR NOW. But it will return at a later date. I will get to that later. Not understanding the recruiting calendar and how it affects you is the biggest change that coaches, players and AAU organizations have yet to understand and accept. They simply believe if a kid plays well a offer will come. Well those days are as gone just like the “if your good enough they will find you” days.

Next many AAU Coaches, Parents and kids are focused on the APRIL LIVE PERIOD. This is 100% more proof many don’t understand how the process has changed. Most head coaches will be on campus during this LIVE period entertaining transfers that weekend. Most coaches will be recruiting their own kids at home on campus. Many asst coaches and 3rd assts will come out. But the truth is they have very little juice. Many coaches will stay home and save the money in their budget. The April period has value for the mega recruits not for the recruits hoping to gain an offer or be seen. What most high school kids don’t understand is the April period is a time for them to try and learn to play with teammates and get to know them. To understand how their coach will use them and where they stand in the pecking . There AAU coach, friends and family will try to hype it up and tell them different as to why they’re there in APRIL. They’re wrong and living in the past. The April recruiting period is so that you can take stock of your game. NOT TO GET A OFFER. Understanding how to play with teammates. If you don’t or are not willing to understand this you’re in deep trouble. Use this period wisely and figure things out, that can make you showcase better down the road, when it really counts

Now the old “TRICK A COACH” routine is dead and never coming back. You are no longer going to play well in one game and get an offer. Your high school or AAU coach is not talking a school into offering you. Your game must be on point and more importantly you need information. You must know why you are not getting real serious offers. Now nobody talks to more coaches on a daily basis than me. So here are the many reasons kids do not have offers

We had her on campus last summer and her mother had to much to say. It caught us all off guard( not me I know the mother). We moved on
We like her but she just can’t score. Her shot just hasn’t improved
She is interesting, her body scares me.
She has no idea how to play. Just putting up numbers. We offered early but she hasn’t gotten any better( there right)
She is a good kid, but too worried about hype
She got “fools around her”
I don’t believe one thing her AAU coach says about her. Every kid is a D1 player

These are conversations that take place everyday and most people do not understand this and do not take them seriously. Well they better.

The MAY recruiting period has real value because it should be used to set up your JUNE SCHOLASTIC, recruiting period and JULY LIVE PERIOD. Now understand, this is when social media can drive coaches to your games. The portal is drying up. The number of weekend visits with transferrers by college coaches have slowed down. Now is when a kid can truly change their recruiting fortunes. But before this, it really comes down to the work put in between March and the scholastic period. What that kid did will determine their future right here. If a kid doesn’t have real serious interest after this point, understand they got serious problems and the truth is most will not tell them this. Why? Because they are living in the past and think AAU during the live period will save a kid. It won’t and every kid sure as hell better understand this.

Where you stand in the recruiting process right now is based on what you’ve done up till today. It’s not changing until June. Then in June your inner circle, advocate and YOUR work ethic, long before June better kick in. Now I have given you facts not bullshit. Now how you choose to use it is your choice

NEXT WEEK SPRING BREAK CLINC