There a literally thousands of kids who feel they have a legitimate shot at playing pro basketball and there are thousands of events that supposedly help kids along this journey. The more you know about the recruiting process the better chance you’ll have for a positive recruiting experience. Photo: Chris Hall
It’s the dream of nearly every varsity high school basketball player to earn a scholarship and play at the “next level,” but the reality is many of the few who actually have a chance are not properly equipped to make an informed decision. A new book by hoopscooponline.com Editor and long-time McDonald’s All-American voter Clark Francis aids student-athletes and parents through the cutthroat recruiting process and explains its pitfalls.
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Now that the summer evaluation season is over and student-athletes are back in school, the dream of earning a college scholarship comes into focus. As preparation begins for the upcoming basketball season, young players wonder if they have done enough to catch the eye of college recruiters, while parents wonder if they’ve done enough to help the process.
A new book published by veteran McDonald’s All-American voter Clark Francis titled “How To Get Recruited” is a valuable resource for parents and a powerful tool to help players of various ability navigate through the cutthroat world of college basketball recruiting.
Consider These Facts:
*Less than three percent of high school basketball players earn a Division I scholarship.
*The transfer rate in college basketball is 40 percent over four years or in the 10 percent range per year for the last 10 years.
*The college basketball transfer rate is double that of college football and triple that of college baseball.
*There are approximately 225 players per year that get full scholarships to the 75 “high major” level programs.
*Student-athletes are guaranteed a scholarship and room and board for only one academic year and that scholarship is renewable at the discretion of the college on an annual basis.
Since there are thousands of players trying to earn scholarships each year, Francis utilized his expertise (he’s ranked high school players and published a recruiting newsletter since the summer of 1983) to take an inside look at how the student-athlete should approach the recruiting process.
In 100 pages (order book here), he broke down the process in four sections:
Understanding the Recruiting Process
*He explains why it’s important for student-athletes to do their homework and figure out what they are trying to achieve because choosing a college is one of the most important life decisions a student-athlete will make.
*Francis explains how a relationship between a coach and the player is the single biggest reason why a player picks a particular school.
*In this section, he also talks about the National Letter of Intent, reclassifying, goes over the probability of playing in the NBA and gives examples of wasted potential.
What Does the Scout/Coach Look For In a Player?
*Francis breaks down the two most often asked questions in recruiting: “What does a scout look for in a player” and “How does a player get ranked?”
*He explains why the ranking of sixth and seventh graders is not overly important, but is a great tool to be even more accurate with player rankings once a player is being seriously recruited by colleges.
*Francis gives detailed examples of players with great work ethic and describes work ethic and the willingness to do whatever it takes to become a great player as the single biggest factor that separates good and great players.
*In this section, he illustrates how the state of the game is corrupting both the kid and the parent at an earlier stage.
NCAA Eligibility Standards and Academic Challenges
*Francis breaks down current NCAA eligibility standards and what is scheduled to take place with them in the future.
*In this section he also breaks down the exact questions the student-athlete is asked by the NCAA Eligibility Center, the importance of a college program’s APR (Academic Progress Rate) and how team success helps encourage alumni support of the school.
Recruiting Is All About Building Relationships
*In Francis’ opinion, building relationships is the most important factor in the recruiting process and it makes sense for student-athletes to recruit the schools they like best to fit the criteria of what they want from a school athletically, academically and socially.
*Francis illustrates why it’s important to watch the team at the school you’re considering play as much as possible (live), explains the informal and formal unofficial visit, and why it’s important for parents to inform college recruiters of student athlete plans (events/camps attending, etc.).
*For those without the knowledge or comfort level to build relationships with college recruiters, Francis offers some excellent alternatives in this section.
*He breaks down why attending a Jr. Phenom Camp or John Lucas’ camps is a great place to get the process started and breaks down other camps and tournaments that are good places to build valuable relationships.
Why is Clark Francis’ credible and why should I pick up this book?
The Editor and Publisher of the Hoop Scoop (a StudentSportsBasketball.com partner) since 1983, Francis is widely recognized as one of the foremost authorities on high school basketball in the United States. He graduated from Indiana University with a degree in Journalism and has written a recruiting column for Basketball Times for over 20 years. He’s also had his work published by USA Today and the Sporting News and offers a unique perspective about grassroots basketball since he’s only missed two elite, oriented shoe company basketball camps since 1983.
To order “How To Get Recruited” CLICK HERE
It’s a must-read for anyone interested in the college basketball recruiting process or those who want to help someone they know or love make a wise college decision.
Ronnie Flores is the managing editor of CalHiSports.com. He can be reached at ronlocc1977@yahoo.com. Don’t forget to follow him on Twitter: @RonMFlores
