<p>What is the best way to get some recognition from the IVY League schools for basketball. I play on the top team for my age group in the 6th best AAU team in the nation. But I'm technically only a freshman this year. I'm doing a repeat yr at a boarding, but the schools not that great at basketball (they're average).</p>
<p>SAT's and GPA won't be a problem. I filled out a few of those prospective athlete forms (the one's I could find), the only response I got was a letter from uPenn to attend one of their open basketball camps. I figure now that I can't play AAU, it will help that I get to play in New England.</p>
<p>I figure that I would just try my best, but then have monster games against the big teams in the class with highly recruited players. Ill be a sophomore but I doubt those guards can be that much better than me. I figure by the end of the year I will have a few standout things that may help get a coaches initial reaction. Then pretty much a bunch of camps/camp tryouts over the summer going into junior year.</p>
<p>I just need some advice on the whole recruitment process from someone who knows what they're talking about.</p>
<p>I think you need to still play AAU. Why can’t you? I know most of the boys on my son’s school team do. It’s during the summer, right? A lot of them have tournaments on w/e’s as well. </p>
<p>To answer your question, it’s like any recruiting. Like you said…go online and fill out the questionairres. Then, take it a step further. Write to the individual coaches, sending them a profile of yourself as a player. Send coach recommendations. Send film of your games. They can’t (legally) write back to you until you are a junior, but they can speak to you if you call them and they can also speak to you if you are on their campus. </p>
<p>I don’t know which school you are attending (was it SPS?) and I don’t know who they play in basketball, but believe me some of the prep school basketball teams are nothing short of amazing. Everyone is 6’3" to 7’ tall. (My son’s friend is 6’2" and I always thought he was short, because he looked short next to the rest of the team.) They all play lots and lots of ball.</p>
<p>Yea I realize that, I’m a point guard though and have played with lots of kids from aau teams up north in national tournaments (New england playaz, BABC). I can hold my own, but basketball AAU starts in March. I play for a competitive team, I can’t just miss half the AAU season and practices then show up. My spot will be gone. Educations more important obviously or I wouldn’t even be going, but it’s worth a shot no matter where I am I guess.</p>
<p>How long have you been with your AAU team? My son’s soccer team allows him to play without going to practices. How far do you live? We bring him to his games…most are far away; some w/flight. It can be done. One of my son’s classmates does the same w/AAU basketball. I guess if you live half the country away it will be difficult, but if your parents are within an hour or two of the school, it can be done. You are correct that education is important, but if you are good enough to play DI, there is no reason to just toss it out the window if you can find a way to work it all out. Explore your options.</p>
<p>It is still a little early for you to know where you fit in the recruiting world, but I have some conventional and unconventional advice.</p>
<p>The conventional advice is to find someone who really knows college basketball and will give you the unvarnished truth about where you stand in the hierarchy of players, not someone who will blow smoke up your butt. Then,have your prep school coach and AAU coach contact the relevant college coaches and follow with 8-10 minute game tapes (NOT highlight tapes). </p>
<p>The unconventional advice is to limit your play in tournaments and camps during the open period. Play the first week, get back in the gym and work real hard on your game for two weeks, and then play the last week. By that time, everyone else will be tired of playing games constantly and you should have a chance to shine.</p>
<p>I forgot to add that you should include a letter introducing yourself with the game tapes. Personal phone calls to the coaches during your junior year couldn’t hurt either.</p>
<p>Keyleme: There is no way in the world my spot will be there when I get back…that’s not even an option. I think there is reason to toss it out lol, there’s no point on me staying where I am, going to a no name D1 college or D2 that’s not great educational wise in my opinion. I think that would just be wasting my time, especially when I’m smart enough to go where I want educationally. O yea, and I would be 6-7 states away from my AAU team.</p>
<p>EMM1: Lol, you want me to not play the majority of the live period and just show up at the end? I need all the exposure I can get up north I would think…</p>
<p>As I said, the advice is unconventional (I came at this with entirely fresh eyes) but here’s the theory. It is not how much you play, it is whether you play well when a college coach is watching. My observation from my son’s experience (he did NOT take my advice) is that by the end of July everyone is pretty much worn down both physically and mentally from playing tournaments and camps for at least four consecutive weeks. Moreover, you don’t get better doing that; you get better by working in the gym. So if at the end of July you come in sharp and have any rep at all with coaches of the schools you are interested in (so that they will come and see you) you have a good chance of standing out and making a strong impression.</p>