What Are Your Chances
There are over 500,000 high school mens basketball players, not including the number of international athletes of the same age group. Less than 20,000 of these players compete in the NCAA.
NCAA Division I – 353 Teams
NCAA Division II – 282 Teams
NCAA Division III – 403 Teams
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%.
Ask Your High School Or Travel Coach To Send A Video Of You
Also ask them to put in a good word about you to college coaches that you are interested in. Be aware that your coach will be honest with college coaches.;
Having your coach lie or inflate your game in order to impress college coaches wont work and they will lose credibility in the end.
;A college coach can see within a few games what type of player you are. If they over exaggerate your talent, and you are not at their level of play, the college coach will never trust your high school or travel coach again.
Can I Tryout For College Basketball
Only Division I mens basketball is allowed to hold tryouts. Those tryouts are limited to prospective student-athletes who are seniors in high school, junior college transfers or four-year transfers who have completed their basketball season. They also must be on an official or unofficial visit to the campus.
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How To Get Recruited To Play Womens College Basketball
Recruiting isnt a linear, clear-cut process. You could be nearing the end of your recruiting journey with one coach while simultaneously just beginning it with another. But knowing what steps you can take to create a communication strategy and market yourself will help you secure a scholarship offer.
Using Athletics To Gain Admission At An Elite School
Many Ivy League schools and many elite colleges with Division III athletics purport not to grant admissions favor or any edge in scholarship consideration to student-athletes. However, in our experience, an edge on the gridiron, diamond, hardwood, field, track, etc. is an edge in the admissions process at many prestigious schools. In fact, studies suggest that status as a coveted athlete is worth roughly 200 SAT points. For more on this topic check out our YouTube tutorial on the subjectPlaying your way into an elite college.
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What Is A Basketball Walk On
A basketball walk-on is a player allowed to join the team without a scholarship. That means you will have no financial aid from the school and have to pay the tuition like most students.
Unlike scholarship athletes, the walk-ons path is often more difficult. College basketball programs are committed to their scholarship players and may just use walk-ons to push the underperforming ones. Of course, if you are really good and the coach wants to win, you will be provided with the opportunity to play.;
Some NBA players that were walk-ons are Andre Drummond;, Mario West at Georgia Tech, Jeff Hornacek at Iowa State, and Scottie Pippen;for Central Arkansas. In Pippens case, he was not a walk-on player when he began, but as a walk-on equipment manager, which is even lower status.
What Do College Basketball Scouts Look For In Recruits
College coaches consider a few factors when determining an athletes ability.;
- Physical characteristicsheight and body frame, athleticism and strength. In NCAA Division 1 mens basketball, the average height of a college basketball player was just under 65 and the most common height listed was 67.
- Technical skills. Coaches want to recruit student-athletes who have mastered the fundamentals.
- Basketball IQ. Can the student-athlete process information in real time during a game and make the right decisions?
- Academics. College coaches look for recruits who excel in the classroom. They know that student-athletes with a solid GPA and test scores will more likely be admitted into their university and have an easier college transition. Plus, a good GPA also tells coaches that the recruit is responsible and disciplinedtraits they highly value.;
Of course, what coaches look for also depends on their programs specific needs. Connecting with a college coach is the best way to understand what kind of recruit they need. Another quick way is to visit the teams website and analyze their roster.;
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How Important Is Club Basketball In The College Basketball Recruiting Process
AAU, which stands for the Amateur Athletic Union, can be a valuable tool in gaining exposure to college coaches. It allows recruits to compete against top tier athletes and offers coaches an extended look into their abilities. Elite Division 1 basketball players are often recognized in middle school through their AAU experience. But even though AAU provides several competitive opportunities, it isnt a requirement to obtain a college basketball scholarship. Several prospects have foregone the AAU circuit and moved on to successful college and professional careers.
Does Height Matter In Womens Basketball Recruiting
While physical characteristics, like height, matter to college coaches, they arent the only consideration. The average height of womens college basketball players changes slightly from division to division.;
Keep in mind that this should be used as a helpful guideline and not something set in stone. Players who dont fall within these ranges are recruited every year by college coaches. The best way to understand a coachs recruiting needs is to establish a relationship with them early on and analyze their current team roster.
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Begin Reaching Out To College Coaches
Now that youve completed some of the college basketball recruiting essentials you can begin reaching out to college coaches. Keep in mind that coaches receive lots of messages, mail, and texts daily. It is important to stand out from the crowd if you want to get noticed.
Heres a solid guide filled with tips and strategies to help you get started:
- Dont be discouraged or nervous to send an email; if you dont try youll never know what could have been.
- If you arent sure who to reach out to at a larger program, start with the recruiting coordinator. Granted theres no recruiting coordinator, contact the position coach, then the assistant coach, and finally the head coach.
- Send an introductory email that includes your updated highlight tape, any key statistics or awards, and your GPA if it is above a 3.0. Make sure there arent any grammar or spelling mistakes before sending.
- You now need to respond to everything coaches send you, including recruiting letters, emails, social media direct messages, and more.
- Continue to follow up with the coaches, sending them updated highlight tapes and new statistics/awards you garnered.
- Feel free to invite coaches to one of your games. Dont over do it, but the more times your name comes across their desk, the better off you will be.
Optimizing Twitter For College Recruiting
Athletes in high school must set their intention, follow it, and be creative with using Twitter to draw attention from college recruiters.
First, build a presence on the platform that aligns with your core beliefs and values.
Dont let Twitter consume too much time; it should be a tool, not a project.
Follow these instructions:
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Do It Yourself Recruiting Strategy
1. Set the Foundation
The #1 factor for the college selection process must be fit. As you consider what schools would be the best fit for you, remember these three questions:
2. Research, Research, Research
Google is your best friend and has all the information you need. Go to google and search list of college athletic programs in Heres an example for Arizona. Look at the Wikipedia page which includes every NCAA, D1, D2, D3, NAIA, Junior College, and NCCAA institution in that state.
3. Create aA List of 10 Schools
Scroll through the list of schools in your desired states. If you find one that youre interested in, study the schools website and basketball page. Does it pique your interest? Does it get you excited? If so, add it to your list. Move on. Repeat this process until you have 10.
4. Rank Order
Once you have your list, rank your choices. Put your dream school #1, your fall back option #10, and rank the others that piqued your interest two through nine.
5. Study the Current Team
What year are the players on the team who play your position? Whats the schools win / loss record in the past 5 years? How long has the coach been there? Do you know anyone whos played for that coach you can speak with?
6. Send an Email
Navigate to the schools basketball website to find the assistant coachs email address, then send a personalized email that includes:
7. Follow-up Phone Call
What Percentage Of High School Basketball Players Play In College
There are 551,373 high school mens basketball players. Of that number, 18,540 or 3.4 percentgo on to compete in the NCAA and less than one percent move on to the NAIA. Just less than one percent compete in NCAA Division 1 where there are 353 teams; one percent compete at the NCAA Division 2 level, which has 313 programs; and 1.4 percent compete at NCAA Division 3 with 109 teams. There are 430 JUCO programs rostering 6,352 basketball players.;
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How To Get Recruited To Play Mens College Basketball
Recruiting isnt a linear, clear-cut process. You could be nearing the end of your conversations with one coach, while simultaneously just beginning with another. But knowing what steps you can take to create a communication strategy and market yourself will help you secure a scholarship offer.
What Coaches Are Looking For
College coaches are looking for specific attributes in prospective recruits that fit the needs of their program. Regardless of the position of a player, coaches look for similar attributes when determining the appropriate college competition level for a recruit. These levels can vary from NCAADivision I to programs. Knowing which level fits your individual attributes will help you create a realistic list of target schools, and improve your chances of being successfully recruited by those programs and their rivals. Below are the primary attributes college coaches look for in prospective student-athletes.
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Choosing Schools And Preparing Materials
Will I Get A Scholarship For Playing Diii Or Naia Sports
As mentioned in the opening paragraph, NAIA athletes do receive scholarships, albeit not typically for the same substantial amounts as those awarded to NCAA DI athletes. On the other hand, NCAA Division III institutions are not allowed to dole out athletic scholarships. However, 75% of DIII athletes do receive some type of financial aid, even if it cannot be officially label an athletic scholarship. Instead, money is offered in the form of need-based aid, merit-based aid, or grants in a related area like leadership.
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How Do I Get Recruited
9 Essential Steps to Getting Recruited
Supervising Your College Basketball Recruiting Process
The college basketball recruiting process can be very frustrating and confusing. You might feel stuck or unsure of what the next step is for you.
This time period is one of the main reasons we created College Athlete Insight. We want you to keep moving forward and worry more about improving your game rather than all the recruiting stuff.
Heres what you need to be doing during this time phase:
- Keep communicating with college coaches especially the ones showing you the most interest.
- Feel free to add new schools to your list that might have contacted you. Make sure to remove schools as you move on as well.
- Update your highlight videos and continue to send them out to college coaches and third parties that will distribute them.
- Take the ACT and SAT. Have an idea what scores you will need for all the schools on your list.
- Go on unofficial visits as well as official visits. At this point your list should be getting narrower with a decision to be made in the near future.
- Stay on top of your grades and academic requirements.
- Check on deadlines whether for financial aid or the eligibility center.
- Be sure to update everything so if a coach ever asks you will have all your most recent tapes, stats, and grades.
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How Tall Are Mens College Basketball Players
The height of mens college basketball players vary slightly from division to division. Generally, mens basketball players are between 59 and 69. Keep in mind that this should be used as a helpful guideline and not something set in stone. Players who dont fall within these ranges are recruited every year by college coaches. The best way to understand a coachs recruiting needs is to establish a relationship with them early on and analyze their current team roster.
The Impact Of Redshirting And How It Works
College basketball redshirts the second most amount of athletes behind only football. A redshirt year is especially important in basketball to help put on strength, learn the system, and get use to the college grind.
You wont be able to play in games, but will be a full participant in practice, lifting, and school. A redshirt year is beneficial to many athletes.
You can ask coaches if they are big on redshirting or typically stay away from it.
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Register With The Ncaa Eligibility Center
It is critical not to ignore the student half of student-athlete. Anyone who wants to get recruited into an NCAA Division I or Division II school has to begin by registering for a Certification Account with the NCAA Eligibility Center, an organization that looks solely at academic eligibility. It is important to note that registering does NOT help you with the recruiting process; the singular purpose of this organization is to determine ones academic eligibility.
When do I need to register with the NCAA Eligibility Center?
There are two possibilitiesa) you are a junior who is pretty sure you will be recruited to a DI or DII program or b) a coach is recruiting you and asks you to register. You can register as early as freshman year of high school and you should wait no longer than the conclusion of junior year in order to allow sufficient time for processing.
How much does it cost to register?
For citizens of the United States and Canada it costs $90; students from other countries pay $150.
What will I need in hand before registering?
- an email address
- a record of your educational history
- a record of your history of sports participation
How long will it take to register?
To create a Certification Account expect to spend 30-45 minutes.
Step-by-step guide to registering with NCAA Eligibility Center