Basketball Recruiting in April Big for College Coaches and High School Prospects

Basketball recruiting in April is big, if not enormous, for college coaches and high school prospects.

Two crucial weekends

Two weekends, in particular, present outstanding opportunities. From April 21-23 and 28-30, special individual and team showcase events happen across the United States. Consequently, that is when things get serious in basketball recruiting. Coaches see large numbers of prospects competing for their attention.  Practically every good high school basketball player in their respective regions attend. Still, finding athletes that fit their recruiting needs a year, two or three down the pike is challenging. Meanwhile, prospects put their skills on full view. It is a true example of show and tell.

Questions coaches ask

These showcases put on by independent organizations coincide with the open windows of NCAA evaluation periods.  Not until July will this same scenario be repeated. Therefore, a sense of urgency is prevalent as key questions must be addressed:

• Are the tallest kids agile, strong and competitively driven enough to rough it up down low and finish? Are their screens formidable?
• Perimeter twos, can they hit the three and defend against ones, twos and threes?  Do they hit the open man in space?
• Can point guards break full-court presses, penetrate and dish, nail the open three, and extol teammates?
• Fours, can they crash the boards and make outlet passes quickly enough for breaks to start?  Can they step out and hit the 12-footer?
• How do players respond to their coaches, adversity, and officiating?
• Is a player constantly working hard or taking plays off?

In the end, it is all there for coaches to evaluate. Athletes that perform well stand a chance to land on white boards.  As a result, coaches waste no time in finding ways to reach out to those they like.

Those that don’t make a good enough impression? They go back to working on their games with the hopes of getting another shot. And hearing nothing from coaches makes that an obvious conclusion.

Basketball recruiting is simple

The essence of basketball recruiting is coaches evaluating prospects. Hence, it really is as simple as that. But simple does not mean easy. There are no easy paths. Players earn their opportunities right there on the court. Post-season accolades mean squat. It is what they prove in front of coaches that matters at these showcases. Win coaches’ attention and advance.  Lose their interest and go home.

Note:  National Scouting Report has college scouts on the ground across the U.S. and in foreign nations.  Contact the one near you for advice on how to prepare for these basketball recruiting events.