With the Bend Hoops Premier spring teams in full force and playing in NCAA sanctioned recruiting events where college coaches are in attendance, it got me thinking about the ‘recruiting process’ and the many twists and turns it can take. If you’re lucky enough to play basketball at the collegiate level you will have most likely gotten recruited with phone calls, letters, emails, and campus visits. Some of this might sound familiar. And if you are hoping to play college basketball, here are some questions and things that should be thought about and brought up during the recruiting process.
General thoughts:
- Is location important? Close to home or far away? What kind of weather do I prefer?
- Would I prefer to go to a big school or little school? (40,000 students vs. 5,000 students)
From an academic standpoint:
- Do I know what I might like to study in college?
- Do they offer those programs and majors?
- Is there tutoring available? Are study tables required? What are the team GPA requirements?
- What is the program’s graduation rate?
- Are they offering any academic aid?
From an athletic standpoint:
- Can I play right away or do they have other players at my position? What about redshirting?
- Do I like the coaching staff? Do I think they can help me grow on and off the court?
- How long has the head coach been there? Record?
- How do you like your future teammates?
- Is the direction of the program on the rise or the decline? What is their record the last 5 years?
- Do they have nice facilities? Do they get good community and student support?
- Are they offering any athletic aid? Full scholarship or partial scholarship?