2024-2027 Player Rankings Update: What To Know
The Player Rankings Update is something that happens 3/4 times a year at Prep Network on both the men’s and women’s side of most sports. How a lead scout ranks the players for their perspective state really comes down to…
Access all of Prep Girls Hoops
Continue reading this article and more.
Continue ReadingThe Player Rankings Update is something that happens 3/4 times a year at Prep Network on both the men’s and women’s side of most sports. How a lead scout ranks the players for their perspective state really comes down to that specific scout. Most of us have a system in place on how a player is ranked but sometimes there are underlying factors that do pop up, mixing things up for everyone here and there.
Below I am going to cover how this next Player Rankings Update for the state of Iowa will take place over this next month, as well as going over SOME of the things that I take into consideration when scouting a prospect at any level.
October 2023 – Iowa Player Rankings Update Release Schedule:
- October 3rd – 2027 Player Rankings Update Release – 50 players will be listed. Everyone will have a “WL” next to their name until our next update in December. I wanted to Rank this class 1-25 at the least in this Update but I would like to see the prospects perform on the High School floor prior to that.
- October 10th – 2026 Player Rankings Update Release – 100 players will be listed. 1-50 will be ranked accordingly. 51-100 will be “WL”, until the next Update in December occurs.
- October 17th – 2025 Player Rankings Update Release – 150 Players will be listed, 1-75 will be ranked accordingly. 76-150 will be “WL”, until the next Update in December occurs.
- October 24th – 2024 Player Rankings Update Release – 200 players will be listed. 1-100 will be ranked accordingly. 101-200 will be “WL”, like previously before.
Ranking Procedures
Like I mentioned above, how everyone is ranked according to their specific state can be a little bit different but in general, the underlying factors are the same. In no particular order, some of those factors are:
- “Feel” for the game: This is something that comes from game experience over time. If a player has a good “feel” for the game is my biggest deciding factor when looking at potential recruits. Some like to call it “using the eye test”, or “do they pass the eye test?” If there are two players being recruited, that are similar in every aspect on the court, in the class room, and as individuals in general, my suggestion would be the player that displays a better overall “feel” for the game.
- Skill-set: What is the players actual skill-set? What college level does it translate to currently? Has she or he gotten better since the last time I watched them compete? How does that skill-set fit into a successful basketball system? Is that skill-set only going 1 direction or with 1 dominate hand? How is that skill-set in comparison to others around the player with similar skill-sets? What’s the competition level like? Is this player putting up big numbers cause their competition is terrible?
- Who can you defend? Your position is who you can defend. If you have a super high offensive skill-set but weak defensive motivation, you can’t play at the college level, anywhere. If you do, it won’t be with a successful program.
- Coachability: Are you coachable? Do you have the ability to listen to others, take direction, and create a positive outcome because of it? When things get tough, do you come together with your team or force your way out?
- Attitude: What is your attitude like on a regular basis? When things get hard, does your attitude change? If so, for the better or the worse? Do you pick up your teammates when they are down? Do you bring positive energy to your team on a consistent basis? How do you react to bad calls on the floor? Do you complain or do you accept it and move on?
There are several other little details that go into this process of rankings individuals but in general, what I have above is a good guideline to understanding how someone watches a prospect perform out on the floor.
Other Things To Remember
- When looking at the Rankings, understanding that it’s not all about right now is important. Someone may think that an individual is better right now in high school, therefore they should be ranked higher. That’s not exactly how it works. Rankings are a projection of a college level athlete. So in this case, there could be another player who isn’t putting up as big of numbers right now on the high school court but in college, they will see the floor more and become more productive in the long term.
- Rankings aren’t permanent. They are opinions, that change more and more as you grow-up in the game of basketball. Take them in a positive/motivational way or move on. It’s never something personal or mean’t to be.