Sophomore Jimmy Kodet Getting Attention with NSR’s Help

2013 Grad from Michigan Playing at a High Level

Coach Rodney Palmer knew he had a special kid when he first saw the 6’6″  Jimmy Kodet enter the gym.  The lanky forward tried out for the Williamston High (Mich) varsity squad, but because Coach Palmer had a senior-laden squad, he was unsure if Jimmy would see sufficient playing time to help him improve significantly.  Jimmy showed brief signs of being a contributor, but his play was inconsistent.  Still, the coach determined that playing against seniors each day in practice and having the chance to coach Jimmy up might pay off in the end for both the team and the inexperienced sophomore. 

By the end of the 2010-2011 season, one which saw the team advance deep into the state playoffs, Jimmy had become the first reserve off the bench and had even earned a starting role in several key contests.  Although the stat sheet failed to adequately reflect Jimmy’s contributions, Coach Palmer was convinced then, as he is now, that the young Mr. Kodet had a very bright future. 

Hearing that Coach Palmer was also an NSR Area Director, Jimmy’s parents, Jeff and Robin, approached the coach about the possibility of enrolling their son with National Scouting Report.   A brief, but casual conversation after the season ended led to an in-home appointment where  Coach Palmer put on his NSR hat and interviewed Jimmy in depth about his athletic and academic accomplishments as well as his dreams for the future.  An accomplished high jumper on the Williamston track team, Coach Palmer wanted to determine where Jimmy’s true love rested.  It was basketball, so the Kodets made the commitment to put Jimmy in NSR’s Elite Program.

When we interviewed the Kodet’s for this story, Jeff Kodet said that as busy parents with no experience in college recruiting, they knew that they needed professional help in getting their son’s profile and tape into the hands given the tremendous scholarship competition Jimmy was already facing as a sophomore.  Describing their son as a outgoing, friendly, kindhearted kid, Jeff said all that changes when Jimmy hits the basketball floor when he turns into a beast of a basketball player.  Seeing his potential but unsure of where to turn, Jeff said, “My wife and I are avid believers in hiring the right people to do the right job.  After talking to Coach Palmer, it was clear to us that NSR was the right company to promote Jimmy to college coaches.” 

After only a few weeks of Jimmy being on the NSR Program, Jeff and Robin knew they had made the correct decision for their son.  So much so, in fact, that Jeff went to the coaches of Jimmy’s travel team, the Michigan Mustangs, an Adidas-sponsored, premier AAU team, and suggested that they invite Coach Palmer to conduct a recruiting seminar for the club’s parents and players. 

“We liken NSR’s involvement as Jimmy having an agent in high school,” explained Jeff.  Although technically the NCAA differentiates scouting services like NSR from professional sports agents, Jeff’s made his point.  By continuously promoting Jimmy through his 10-page Web site available to college coaches 24/7, monthly emails to basketball coaches nationwide, matching him academically with regional colleges, and annually distributing four-color brochures to targeted colleges and universities, Jimmy and his parents are secure in the thought that he is being promoted aggressively to coaches from the time of enrollment until he makes a college commitment.  And, he will have his personal, on-the-ground NSR scout, Rodney Palmer as a close advisor.