Basketball recruiting and the importance of the spring evaluation period

As I have talked about many times in the past, playing AAU basketball is a key to getting a scholarship. Yes, there are athletes that do not play who get scholarships but going against top notch competition and getting seen by coaches will help you during the basketball recruiting process.

In talking with a Division II coach recently, one thing really stuck out to me about what he said. He mentioned that he had seen a player this spring and liked the way he played. While the athlete has Division I aspirations, this coach said he evaluated him as a Division II player. This coach will continue recruiting him throughout the recruiting process.

But what stood out to me is the evaluation he made. Coaches have a limited amount of time during the recruiting process to see athletes. With the rising prices in travel both through the air and by car, budgets will be stretched thin trying to see athletes play. So as a basketball player, you may only get one shot to impress a college coach.

This coach had a chance to see this athlete at an AAU tournament because there is an open period during the spring where college coaches can see these athletes live. But if the player had struggled and not played to his ability, the college coach likely would have moved on. Is that fair? Probably not but it is how basketball recruiting does.

If the athlete had scholarship offers from other Division II rivals, the coach would probably take a longer look at the athlete. Scholarship offers breed more scholarship offers and I will continue to stand by that statement. But with no offers in hand and a lot of letters, the coach made a quick evaluation and moved on to watching other athletes.

The good thing for the player is that he will get a chance on the AAU circuit to showcase his skills in front of many coaches over the next few months. There may end up being a Division I coach who sees him and loves his ability. That could help him reach his goal to play Division I basketball. But players need to realize that they must play every game on the circuit as if it is their last. Because really, it may just end up being that way.

By this time of year, college coaches have a good feel for the players on their recruiting lists. Yes, others could surprise them but most schools have done enough research that they know what players they want to evaluate during the summer open period. And again, because the colleges can only see so many teams and so many players during the year, first impressions are a must. That is why the spring evaluation period is essential to getting a college scholarship.

I have seen two players over the last five years end up blowing up because they played well early on. One ended up getting a Division I offer. Many knew the player was talented but questioned that he had the ability to play at that level. Because he just shined for one tournament, he eventually left the school because he could not be that consistently good.

Another was on a top AAU team and was a 6-foot-7 wing who could shoot the three. When he was on his game, he was a load to stop. But when he wasn’t, he was a liability on the court. This transitional Division I program saw him play on his best day and extended the scholarship. He went there but last time I checked, he has barely seen the floor.

This just shows that because of the nature of basketball recruiting on the AAU circuit, you need to play consistently well. It is the most important thing for you if you want a scholarship for college.