Official Visits
An NCAA Division I and II Official Visit includes paid for transportation and expenses
while visiting. NAIA and NCAA Division III schools usually do not pay for transportation, but
pay for expenses during the visit. The NCAA only allows recruits to take a maximum of five
Division I and II "Official Visits." NAIA and Division III don?t limit the number of official visits.
A recruit can make an unlimited number of "Unofficial Visits." This is defined as the
recruit paying for all of his own expenses. Make an appointment with the coach before you visit
Different levels of play
Here?s a brief,
generalized description of the various levels:
NCAA Division 1: Offer the most scholarships, all full.
NCAA Division II: Offer 50-67% of the scholarships Dl offers per sport.
NCAA Division III: No scholarships. Will help with grants and financial aid.
NAIA: Offer full and partial scholarships, and will help with grants and financial aid.
Level of competition ranges between NCAA D II and D III.
BRAINSTORM
Develop a list of colleges you are interested in. Meet with your counselor and your basketball coach to discuss you academic and athletic potential. Try to trim your list to 4-6 colleges by the
start of your senior year. Make a list of schools that fit into three categories:
1) Ideal colleges
2)Realistic colleges
3) Back-up colleges
RED SHIRTS
Most programs will have a Red-Shirt program. This means the athlete practices with the team, but doesn?t participate in any games. After the year is over the athlete will still have four years of Athletic Eligibility remaining. You may want to red-shirt your freshman year to increase your chances of playing the next season, without losing any eligibility.
Videotapes
When sending a videotape to colleges you want to highlight your positive attributes. Coaches do not want to see just highlights, but rather continuous action of you playing. Believe it or not , some coaches also view parts of a tape when you are not in the game to evaluate your "body language" on the bench in hopes that it can help them assess your attitude.
A good format might be:
1)Thirty seconds to a minute of highlights with either a voice over or graphics introducing yourself, some pertinent academic and athletic statistics, what number you are and what the following games might be.
2)At least three(3)or four(4) continuous halves. Pick your best halves that display a variety of things that you do (shooting, passing, defense, rebounding, etc)
3) Optional: Maybe finish with another thirty seconds containing another voice over regarding you collegiate goals.
Know Your Level
It is important that you are realistic during the recruiting process. Know the level that you can play at in college. Coaches and scouting services can be of great value.
Choosing the right program
When choosing your college, understand that very few college players end up playing professionally. Choose the school as much for the education that you will receive as for the basketball.
Asking questions
Don?t be afraid to ask a lot of questions during the recruiting process. You may also want to ask questions that you already know the answers to. You can gage the integrity and trustworthiness of those recruiting you by the answers they give.
DISPLAY A GOOD ATTITUDE
When coaches go to game, they don?t only watch you to
see if you make any great plays. They also watch to see how you interact with your coach, teammates,
opponents, and the officials. Always hustle on and off the court, and NEVER display any negative
emotion. Even when you are on the bench, a coach may be watching. Sit by the coach and pay
attention, cheer for your teammates , and hustle to the table to check back in, and then communicate
with the player coming off the floor.
SCOUTING SERVICES
SCOUTING SERVICES are an option to help you get some attention. Some college coaches use them, others throw
the hundreds they receive into the circular file. They usually cost around $500 and can be useful.
You can choose to use a scouting service, or bypass the service and contact colleges on your own
with the help of your parents, coaches, and counselors.
WALK ONS
All levels have walk-ons on their roster or non-scholarship players who earn a spot on the
team (either pre-arranged or earned at try-outs), pay their own expenses, but are treated as regular players in every other way. This may give you an opportunity to be on a team, even if you are not recruited.
YOU KNOW YOU ARE A SERIOUS RECRUIT WHEN ...
YOU KNOW YOU ARE A SERIOUS RECRUIT WHEN the college coach
offers you a visit. Coaches begin the recruiting process by sending out tons of letters. Each coach
on the staff then may make phone calls to dozens of players Until then, the coach is constantly
checking what recruits are interested. When they narrow their list down to their top prospects they
start offering "Official Recruiting Visits."In NCAA Divisions I and II these are limited, so the
coaches only use them on their top recruits.
PLAY AND EXCEL AT HIGH SCHOOL AND CLUB BASKETBALL.
The college coaches will do a majority of their scouting at summer camps, and high school and
club tournaments (especially in July) where they can see numerous players play in one location,
at one time. They usually use the Camp and Club season to do initial evaluations, and then use
the high school season to do some final evaluation and tracking.
BE COACHABLE
The second question recruiters usually ask is, "Is he/she coachable? "The first
place recruiters will go for more information on you is to your high school and club coaches.
Recruiters are looking for leaders/impact players. Be a leader and positive influence on your team!