Hoops

Boti's article about College Basketball

I've never posted anywhere under that name.

...huh? I was quoting that to correct Ricey, whom I quoted immediately before that.

As for the Anonymous above that trying to argue that college basketball can't possibly be a bad option because it's widely available on TV...what the hell?

"First of all, senior night isn't the last game, it's the last home game. Well done Boti on getting that wrong already."
"Senior Night - the last home game at every college - is huge for the players involved."

As @Very Old has pointed out ... situations can vary significantly ... and be affected by the annual coaching round about.

Not great to be recruited by one coach but then find that coach has left by the time your start ... but not an uncommon occurrence.

I think the three key things are:
1. Do your research (parent & child)
2. Timing is everything in being recruited - if you know the system you can find the best opportunities
3. As with the game itself, you just need a little bit of luck to end up in a positive environment

And final comment for anyone interested - do not discount NCAA Div II, it's still great basketball and the schools still have great facilities. My child was happy to settle for Div II but get more court time and couldn't be happier. Don't let the bright lights of Div I dazzle you unless you a really that good.

And many Div II schools tend to be much smaller so it's much more of a community/family atmosphere within the college. For many Oz kids away from friends and family back here, that helps.

so an "anonymous" wants to know who I am !!!??? - - If you have to ask - while posting anonymously yourself - then I would suggest you need more from me than even I could provide to lift you from being a little bit "clueless".

That may well be a little bit harsh - bluntly it not really important to me what opinion an anonymous poster has on any forum. by the way , there's a number 7 and 8 players from my old club going to the US soon. One I actually never really coached in the older juniors ( 5 seasons in u/10s don't really count) and is going over to a prep high school but the stronger kid is going straight to College.

Lute used to bring his Arizona teams out here almost every 2 years ( was then the max OS trips allowed by the NCAA rules) and he did have a good reputation as a players coach over here - used to do "coaches clinics" at the AIS using the AIS boys - good way to avoid the NCAA recruiting restrictions. Did not know Martin had a less than great time with him -

As I said - Boti is fairly spot on in his article.

Ok I've placed 6 of my players into the college/high school system in the last 10 years , all the HS players got recruited to College. They played in colleges ranging from a 8000 average crowd in D1, to a less than 200 in D2. 2 did not end up playing for their recruiting head coach as they moved on before year 1 started. 2 were redshirted, 2 changed colleges to get out of unbelievable situations, 1 absolutely should have but did not, 5 out of 6 ended up as starters by their junior year. All graduated.

I have less close experience of some 4 others who were not coached by me here in OZ, but whose experiences I knew of through their parents approaching me for advice re what their children were experiencing in the US.

I'd say I have more first hand experience that Boti and I have to say that Boti is absolutely right.

Anon #910

Most of the NBL players I can think of who regularly get tagged as being 'lazy' went to college. Which players were you referring to in particular?

^Anon above - huh did you even read the article dude ?

I repeat - as a parent of a child just into the college system this year, everything Boti observes is pretty much spot on.

He is not criticising the system at all - just observing that parents and kids need to be aware of what is expected.

The training every day of the week is a reality, pretty much at any level of the NCAA and NAIA. If you don't like that sort of workload, you won't last.

A potential recruit pretty much needs to be a basketball tragic and workaholic to survive in the college system - and those that do have a ball (pun intended) and reap some fabulous rewards - lifelong friends, new experiences, travel to many US states, in general positive personal development etc etc.

I repeat again - do your research, go into it eyes wide open.

as a person who spent 3 years at a small div 2 school and coming up through the ranks in australia i wasnt warned of what to expect.
yes the coach is god, but if your not strong enough go home.
parents and students pick the right school, make sure the coach whom recruited you is there when you arrive as mine wasn't.
i would recommend the you kids step outside there comfort zone and play seniors in local comps with different groups to learn some life experince before heading over there only being around the same people your whole junior playing lives.

^^Correct observation $Grov

As the parent of a child in freshman year at a D2 school in the mid US, this is a perfectly reasonable article with some general observations about the college system.

In particular the "Coach is God" part of it is both a strength and weakness of the system ... coaches are paid professionals dependant on their record, whereas the kids are amateurs trying to study for a degree at the same time. This by definition introduces tensions that are not always positive ... personal observation is that the college system also allows coach behaviours that would not be tolerated in our system.

Having recently visited the US for the first time to see things first hand, everything Boti says is pretty much spot on.

It ain't for everyone, but many kids get a fabulous and rewarding experience (no I don't know the positive/negative ratio either).

In short - just make sure you (and your child) go into it eyes wide open.

I appreciate the fact that he has expressed his own family's college experience and I am always keen to read about others too.

Good, bad or indifferent, no matter what you do in life you can end up in situations you regret or enjoy.

Due diligence and care always needs to be considered first, I think the message is that if it all works for the kid going overseas they can benefit greatly, sometimes it isn't that way!

That's life...

I found ,that as very much one mans opinion.
To say 1 in 2 have a terrible experience is just guessing with no real evidence to back it up.
Airing his dirty laundry as usual.