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Playing college basketball is an opportunity afforded to a very small number of people in the world. Players and families are not always sure of how to get recruited by college coaches. To increase your chances of being actively recruited to play college basketball, we have compiled a list of ways to ensure your success.
WHAT ARE YOUR CHANCES
There are over 500,000 high school men’s basketball players, not including the number of international athletes of the same age group. Less than 20,000 (4%) of these players compete in the NCAA.
NCAA Division I - 353 Teams (<1% of High School players)
NCAA Division II - 282 Teams (1% of High School Players)
NCAA Division III - 403 Teams (>1% of High School Players)
NAIA schools have 255 Teams that are filled with less than 1% of High School players, in addition to the 560 NJCAA teams that take another less than 1%.
Basketball Scholarship Limits
Division I universities and colleges are required to offer only full scholarships for Men’s College Basketball. The amount of scholarships is limited to 13. Division II and NAIA schools are able to offer full or partial scholarships to college basketball players. Scholarship athletes are capped at 10 for Division II, and 11 for NAIA. JuCo schools are allowed to offer full scholarships, that are limited to 15 players.
10 WAYS TO GET RECRUITED
As the aforementioned information indicates, playing college basketball is a difficult task. This is even more reason to be prepared in your recruitment process, by following the ways listed below.
AAU and Club Teams
AAU stands for Amateur Athletic Union. In the United States independent teams form to compete in AAU tournaments. At the more competitive levels, AAU tournaments often attract college scouts, giving athletes additional opportunities to showcase their skills in front of recruiters. Depending on the level of the AAU team, players could travel nationally and exponentially increase their recruitment exposure in the process. If you have not joined an AAU organization, we suggest you research teams in your area and find one that works for you.
International basketball players are normally part of Club Teams. Every country is different, but most nations have different tiers of competition and the best teams normally compete against each other in the top tier. Joining a team that is considered a top tier competition will increase the chances of an international athlete being able to show their film to college coaches with credibility attached.
Basketball Camps & Showcases
Basketball Camps & Showcases are great opportunities to be seen by college coaches in person. A combination of attending both events is the best way to be successful in your recruitment efforts.
BASKETBALL CAMPS
Basketball Camps are summer camps organized by colleges, and coached by the university’s coaching staff. This is a great way to show your skills to coaches who might not have heard of you before. By attending a camp at a bigger Division I university, the exposure is even larger, as most times those schools will hire D2, D3, and/or NAIA coaches to assist them. By attending one Division I camp, you could potentially be seen by 20-plus college coaches!!
There are also other networking opportunities presented at these camps. Interacting with other athletes attending the camp could result in finding a better AAU team to play with, or you could gain insight from another athlete's recruiting experience.
BASKETBALL SHOWCASES
Basketball Showcases are organized specifically to allow players to display their talents in front of college recruiters. Many of these events result in players receiving regional and national rankings. Normally held in the summer, these showcases normally have the best competition available
in specific regions. Sometimes these showcases can be invited only, to ensure that the best players & teams are available to be on display. If you are fortunate enough to participate in these types of tournaments, the experience could be life-changing for your recruitment process. You will definitively figure out what level your game is on, and where you compare to your peers & possible recruitment competition.
Research and Contact Schools
Do your research & decide which schools will fit your academic, athletic, and personal preferences. Be sure to consider the Five College Factors:
College Profile
Cost & Scholarship
Academic History
Recruitment Probability
Gut Feeling
CONTACT COACHES
After thorough research and building a list of target colleges, you are ready to begin contacting coaches. Make sure you have a school list of safety, target, and dream schools. Contact position coaches, recruiters, and assistant coaches from each school. You are not guaranteed to receive a response from coaches, so contact as many as possible.
Visit Schools
Take as many official & unofficial visits as you are allowed. This will allow you to get an accurate assessment of the school vibe on campus. This is also an additional opportunity to speak to coaches & future teammates.
Make Good Grades
Academics are the most important aspect of your recruitment process. Don’t let your grades be a factor in why a school wouldn’t recruit you, instead make sure that when school’s see your GPA and test scores, they are impressed. Make sure you are meeting , and exceeding the NCAA Eligibility Requirements.
Get on the Recruiting Scene
GET YOUR NAME OUT THERE!! No, do not get on Instagram & Twitter and start bragging to the world. Instead, get proactive and begin messaging & emailing coaches, LOTS of coaches. You are not guaranteed to get a response from anyone, so increase your chances by contacting as many coaches, on as many levels as possible. Maintain a positive relationship with the coaches who do respond, whether you are interested in their program or not, they could potentially play an important role in your recruitment process. You will find out during the process that when coaches change jobs, their recruitment connections stay in contact.
Make a Great Highlight Video
EVERYONE has a highlight tape, and colleges receive hundreds of them on a daily basis. You want to make sure that your highlight video stands out. The best way to ensure that wow factor is to purchase a Podyum Preps Highlight package and allow us to help you shine in front of scouts all over the country.
Get your Coaches Involved
Coaches trust coaches. No matter how well you present yourself to a college coach, your AAU/High School/Club coach will be able to make a huge difference as a reference. Make sure to include them in the process when contacting coaches, whether it’s listing their information, or having them contact college coaches directly.
Be a Winner
WINNING ATTRACTS ATTENTION. Being on a winning team will place you against great competition, and by default in a pool of the best players around. That pool is where college recruiters will be swimming. To make their recruitment efforts more efficient, college scouts will attend events & games that have the best playing the best in chances of seeing more talent per trip. As an athlete, you want to be seen during these trips. BE A WINNER!
Be Persistent
Everything mentioned above could seem like a LOT of work, because it is. What is even more work, is continuing to do all these things over & over until your recruitment process is over. If it seems like too much work, please refer to the beginning of this article and remember that you want to be in the exclusive 4% club of players in NCAA basketball.
NEXT STEPS
Now that you understand the 10 ways to increase your recruitment Efforts, you should Schedule a Free Assessment to begin your recruiting process.
If you have already begun the recruiting process, be sure to increase your efforts through our Recruitment Services.
