Hey guys,
Does Penn have a policy of being able to walk on to the men’s basketball team? I thought most schools would have that option but I have recently learned that Princeton, for example, doesn’t have any walk-on option.
Thanks!
Pretty tough to walk on D1 athletics.
UPenn use to have a junior varsity basketball team but that seems to have disbanded and searching they don’t seem to have a Men’s Club Basketball team. IM might be your only hope.
@nhparent9 yeah haha I know, but I’m pretty determined to put in the work.
@Dolemite Ah, disappointing… Thanks!
I’m pretty sure you can be a walk on the Men’s basketball team … a quick search under the athletics website shows several stories about walk on players …http://www.pennathletics.com/news/mens_basketball_rolls_past_marist_59_42_2016_06_27
“Sophomore Matt Poplawski, a walk-on from the men’s soccer team, played eight minutes; that matches the total minutes he had played in his career prior to tonight … Senior Matt Hanessian, a walk-on who played the last three years on the JV program, scored his first varsity points tonight on a first-half basket.”
I think even many top 20 team have tryouts for walk-ons. I am surprised if some don’t. Some years they don’t take anyone, but other years, they do.
Most athletes who would have a good chance to make it would know it, and were probably recruited by other schools.
@runswimyoga ah, thanks. I had not considered looking up stories. Will follow that approach for other unis too.
I have e-mailed the Penn and assistant coach about this (no reply). The Princeton assistant coach says they don’t have walk ons though, so it’s all up in the air right now.
@Much2learn yup I completely understand that aspect of it, but I don’t live in the US so being recruited isn’t an option. Personally I feel I can match the players there in skill, but definitely not in athleticism (something I’ll have to work on haha)
@samc24 College club teams can be very good, you may want to check on that too. I have seen some amazing players in club.
@Much2learn yup, which was why I also wanted to know about the sports atmosphere and participation in top schools like Penn
( see : talk.collegeconfidential.com/university-pennsylvania/1930370-penn-basketball-atmosphere-and-abundance.html#latest)
@samc24 Pottruck has 3 courts, so you’ll have a place to play basically whenever you want. If you really are good enough to be on the team, someone will see you at Pottruck, and you’ll get noticed that way. That said, our current team has 19 players, only 2 of whom are seniors, so there isn’t going to be much of a need for walk-on players next year. You should tryout for club next year (JV isn’t a thing anymore).
@WhartonPenn2017 thanks! Just checked out clubs, so I guess I’ll have to try to get noticed from there!