Recruiting Takeaways from the Road w/ B Fi$h

We are now through two live periods and I've noticed some trends in today's world of travel basketball. I'll touch on some player habits, the recruiting process, and give some tips that I wish I knew when I was in high school. Here are some questions to ask yourself as a player, a parent, and a coach:

Are YOU working on your game outside of these tournaments? This is a big one. Playing in tournaments every other weekend isn't going to do much for your game. The majority of players aren't getting offers until their last year or two of high school, so make sure your focus on exposure isn't at such a young age. Only the elite players in the country will get recognition like that before their junior season, so what are you doing to get ready for your moment? Are you doing skills training, playing 3 on 3, lifting weights, working on agility, getting a set number of shots up per day, working on your conditioning, etc.? If your parents have to beg you to put in the work - basketball may not be for you!

Who can you DEFEND? You know the saying - "You're only as good as you can guard." This is something that most players and coaches don't put enough emphasis on, but college coaches are absolutely looking at this. I've had people dislike their player ranking, but defense is typically the #1 reason why someone is lower than they'd like to be. And there are too many players that take unnecessary risks in passing lanes and leave their teammates compromised or in a scramble situation every possession - that will not fly at the next level just because it does against poor teams you've played locally. Pride yourself on the defensive end!

Can you play off of TWO feet? Your game has so much more control when you can get to two feet. Get to your jump stop, shot/pass fake, attack the rim with power, or turn and kick to one of your shooters. I've seen so many wild, missed layups in transition with absolutely no control off of one foot. Refs are not going to bail you out on those plays!

Are you taking GUCCI shots? There are some players out there that have awful shot selection and are black holes when they touch the rock. You must take good AKA gucci shots if you want to get recruited. Make the extra pass, work the ball, and be a facilitator for your team without having to always get your own. It's more important to take and miss good shots than making bad, forced shots. Be aware of the score, time on the game clock and shot clock, and situation of the game when shooting the ball too. Also, practice those free throws!

Do you know how many POINTS you scored? You shouldn't. No one cares during the spring/summer, honestly. Coaches want to see you make winning plays and play winning basketball instead of focusing on scoring points. Everyone can score in college!

Are you LOUD? You have to be able to communicate if you want to play at the next level. Call out screens, echo play calls, and own your mistakes. These don't all have to be verbal either. Slap a high five to a teammate who made a mistake, give your coach eye contact when they are teaching you, and hustle to the bench for a timeout or when you get subbed out. Be loud on the bench and be invested in your team's success!

What are you BEST at? If you're a great point guard - facilitate the offense, make it go, and rack up those assists. If you're a great rebounder - crash those boards and be the best rebounder on the floor. If you're a great defender - prove it by locking up the opposing team's best player. Don't try to reinvent your own wheel during this part of the process. Not everyone can be the leading scorer nor do coaches only want those players. College coaches need players to fill needs and be players who excel in their role!

Are you running your OWN race? It is hard to not compare your journey to others. Your recruitment is different from everyone else though, so you have to stay in your lane and be realistic. Certain positions or players that are smaller or lack upside may get recruited very late in the process. Your journey is your journey!

Is your coach ADVOCATING for you? It is very difficult in today's game to be going through this process with just yourself, your parents, and social media. You need people in your corner who are going to advocate and market you with their connections, experience, and expertise. Does your coach or director have a proven track record of successfully helping kids get to the college level? It's very obvious to those in the know about which coaches are working their tails off to get you looks and are asking coaches to come check out one of your games. Those college coaches will listen to those travel ball coaches or directors they trust as well. Build your circle with the right people!

Do you NEED to be playing during a live period? Not everyone needs to be playing during Division 1 live periods. Unfortunately, it seems like this is the norm so non-D1 coaches are still out during these D1 eval periods. It's very obvious that most coaches are bunching up between a small number of the courts, so the other ~90% of players probably won't get found at these live events since it will primarily be D1 coaches that have larger recruiting budgets. Instead of playing in 10 events over the summer as a 7th grader, you could save some money and use that towards skill work with a legitimate trainer to get more bang for your buck. Travel Ball will create some of the best memories for your youth & it is fun to see other parts of your region or the country, so I'm not saying I'm opposed to playing or trying to get exposure. Don't go to a live event just because it's a live event, though!