Blog
Is it a True Offer if a Player Doesn’t Hear it from the Head College Basketball Coach?
If you go to a prep school open gym, or see a high school basketball showcase event, you will usually see a program or info sheet that shows where a player has signed or who has offered them. A couple of times in the past I saw offers by player’s names and reached...
Is It Better to Transfer to a Prep School in 9th – 12th Grade and Reclass? Or Graduate and Do a Post-Grad Year?
80% of my clients are post-grads. They play out their high school career in their hometown yet still need a post-grad year for all the benefits that it provides. But is it better to do this or to transfer out of a high school before graduation to spend time at a...
A Guide for Choosing the Right Athletic Prep School
There are over three hundred prep schools in the United States. Over one hundred offer a post-grad year. With so many options out there how do players ensure they choose the right one? If they are savvy they hire PREP Athletics to ensure they do find the right...
How to Get the Most Out of a Prep School Experience
Players that reach out to PREP Athletics are looking at prep school as a way to enhance their athletic potential. This is the reason I chose to do a post-grad year at a prep school. While going to a prep school will absolutely help develop a player’s game, there are...
The Benefits of Visiting Prep Schools Before Committing to One
In 1994, I traveled with my father to the East Coast to visit four campuses. The Naval Academy, Navy Prep, The US Military Academy (West Point) and the US Military Academy Prep School were all part of our trip. It was October and on our rental car’s radio we heard...
How Prep Schools Help Future College Athletes Academically?
Prep schools help athletes get ready for college in multiple ways. In this article we will discuss seven academic benefits that can be gained by attending a prep school. 1) Raise Standardized Test Scores – Pre-Covid, standardized tests were required by universities. ...
What is the Process in Which Prep Schools Recruit Athletes?
Prep schools recruit players in different ways. In this article we will discuss the top three. 1) Direct Recruiting – Some very established prep schools can sit back and build a roster based on the players and coaches that reach out to them directly. This is a...
What Are The Benefits of An Athletic Prep School?
I talk to parents, players, and coaches on a daily basis about the benefits of going to a prep school. All of my clients are athletes looking to get an edge in the classroom and on the court. During these conversations, I mention the four benefits of going to a prep...
Success Stories: Filip Rebraca – From Post-Grad To Playing in The Big Ten
Filip Rebraca is the son of former NBA player Zeljko Rebraca. Filip grew up in Sombor, Serbia before coming to the US for his senior year of high school. Filip had a unique high school career, as it took place in two countries over the course of six years. Why six...
Prep School Alums Drafted in the 2022 NBA Draft
Round 1 Keegan Murray – DME Academy Jaden Ivey – La Lumiere Shaedon Sharpe – Sunrise Christian Jeremy Sochan – La Lumiere Jalen Duren – Montverde Mark Williams – IMG Round 2 Andrew Nembhard – Montverde Caleb Houstan – Montverde Kennedy Chandler – Sunrise Christian...
Success Stories: Quinten Elrod – From Not Playing As A Senior to Getting A Full Ride
In the summer of 2021, I received a call from Jeff Mohlman, an AAU coach in Dayton Ohio. Jeff had a player named Quinten Elrod. Although Quinten was 6’8”, he hadn’t played many minutes on his high school team. This was puzzling because few public high school teams...
Success Stories: Nevin Zink – Adversity Led to a D1 Scholarship
In this feature we are going to highlight prep school success stories. The first article in this series focuses on 6’9’ Nevin Zink from Newtown, Connecticut. Nevin played AAU for DTX, which was founded by my college coach at Air Force, Dave Taylor. In August 2016, I...
Why Playing D1 Basketball Isn’t All That It’s Cracked Up To Be
It is a dream that players have had for the longest time. Play D1 basketball, compete in March Madness, and ideally win a national title. If not a title, maybe pull an upset or two. March Madness is the best sporting event in the world so who can blame players for...
Top 5 Mistakes to Avoid When Choosing a Prep School for Athletics
Choosing a prep school can be a very stressful time for players and their families. I have been involved with many families in their decision making and here are some mistakes one wants to avoid when choosing a prep school. 1) Choosing based on only tuition – Prep...
Prep Schools Vs. Basketball Academies: What are the Differences and Why Does It Matter?
One of the most common misconceptions I deal with in the basketball world is that basketball academies and brick and mortar prep schools are the same; they are not. They are vastly different and this article will give players and their families a breakdown on what...
Basketball Alternatives to a Post Grad Year at a Prep School
Every day I have players reach out wanting to go to a prep school to play a sport. Unfortunately, since there are only so many roster spots and so much financial aid available, not everyone who reaches out will be able to attend one of these institutions. All of...
Questions to Ask Prep School Basketball Coaches
When a player talks to a prep school coach for the first time, it is a good idea to ask them questions that you are interested in getting the answers to. After talking to a few coaches and comparing their answers to the same questions, you will have a better...
What are the 5 Things a High School Basketball Player Should Include on Their Highlight Tape?
Let’s start this article by defining what a highlight tape is: It is an edited video that shows a player making plays. Think of it as an on court, resume. That sounds easy enough. But the key is to make one that will actually get a coach’s attention and then...
3 Habits I Wish I Would Have Incorporated as a High School Basketball Player
I am 44 years old and have learned a lot since my high school days. While I was a decent high school player that ended up playing in a Division 1 basketball program, I look back now at that age and think of all the things I could have done differently. I know this...
Questions You Need to Ask Before Going to a Basketball Academy
There has been quite a few basketball academies formed in the past few years. Some are good and some are criminal. The biggest problem I have seen is parents and players not doing their due diligence and asking coaches of these programs some tough questions. If...
Why Transferring High Schools Might Be The Smartest Decision You Ever Make
Transfers are all the rage right now. The NCAA Transfer Portal for D1 basketball had over two thousand transfers enter it once the 2020-21 season ended. There is a lot of talk about how this is hurting the game of college basketball. I don’t disagree with this. ...
Top 5 Reasons to Hire PREP Athletics to Help You Find The Right Fitting Prep School for Basketball
I have been placing players into prep schools around the country since 2008. During that time, I have learned a great deal about the prep school basketball world and my ultimate goal is to help connect players to the right schools. Often, families are uncomfortable...
Top 5 Ways For Post Grad Basketball Players to Click on Campus (Guest Post)
HEY POST GRADS! HERE ARE FIVE GREAT WAYS TO CLICK ON CAMPUS! by Ronald Mangravite Let’s say you have been accepted as a Post Grad basketball player and student at a boarding school. Congratulations! But…what is this experience going to be like, socially? You will...
Advice from Prep School Admission Directors
The prep school world is in flux. The pandemic has affected the landscape for many schools and each one is handling it differently. Some schools are having record amounts of kids applying while others are struggling to keep the doors open. What does this mean for...
If You Are A Guard, READ THIS NOW! – Suggestions For Succeeding As A Guard
Guards, in basketball, are everywhere. Every team has plenty of them. Some teams only have guards. Bigs, however, are less available and more in demand. There are less people in the world that grow taller than 6’6.” It is the basic economics principle of supply...
Recruiting Challenges for the Class of 2021
It is a tough time to be a high school senior in the age of Covid. The end of last season was cancelled, you didn’t get to play spring or summer AAU games in front of college coaches during live periods, and you are unsure if you are going to have a season this...
How to Choose a Prep School During Covid-19?
2020 has been an unprecedented year across every industry on the planet. The prep school world has not been immune to its effects. But the virus has not stopped the consumer demand for prep schools. In fact, boarding schools might look more attractive now than ever...
The Covid-19 College Conundrum for The Class of 2020 | To Go? To Gap Year? To Prep School?
With the Covid-19 virus impeding graduations, college visits, summer recruiting, vacations, you name it, it’d be easy for the senior class of 2020 to feel stuck. But there are several different paths forward toward a promising future, and all should be carefully...
Top 5 Questions You Should Ask Prep School Coaches – COVID-19 Edition (May 2020)
1) Will there be an open gym period? As of now no one is sure. Schools are coming up with contingency plans for when their schools open up either on schedule, in October, after Thanksgiving or next January. Not knowing makes it hard for a coach or adminstrator to...
3 Ways the COVID-19 Virus Could Affect Prep Schools and their Players?
We are in unprecedented times. With everyone on lockdown and not knowing what the future holds, I wanted to discuss three ways in which the prep school world could be affected by this COVID-19 pandemic. 1) Harder for coaches to recruit players without campus visits:...
How a Post Grad Year Can Help Determine If A Player Is D1, D2, or D3. Part 5 of 5
This is the fifth and final post in a series which will address the reasons why a basketball player should consider attending a prep school for a post graduate year. The goal of these articles is to provide information which will help players better understand their...
The Top Five Ways in Which a Student Will Emotionally Mature at a Prep School. Part 4 of 5.
The Top Five Ways in Which a Student Will Emotionally Mature at a Prep School. Part 4 of 5. This is the fourth post in a series which will address the reasons why a basketball player should consider attending a prep school for a post graduate year. The goal of these...
The Benefits of Coaching and Competition at the Prep School Level Part 3 of 5
Why should a basketball player attend a prep school for a post grad year? This is the third post in a series which will address the reasons why a basketball player should consider attending a prep school. The goal of these articles is to provide information which will...
Top 5 academic reasons a basketball player should attend a prep school for a post grad year Part 2 of 5
Why should a basketball player attend a prep school for a post grad year? This is the second post in a series which will address the reasons why a basketball player should consider attending a prep school. My last article discussed the physical benefits of a post...
Why should a basketball player attend a prep school for a post grad year? Part 1
This is the first post in a series which will address the reasons why a basketball player should consider attending a prep school. I’ve decided to write on this issue due to the fact that taking part in a post grad year is not as common as one might think. As...
Eight Things I Learned By Running My First Marathon
This past October I finished my first ever marathon at the age of 41. It was my main goal for 2018. My brother-in-law, Charles, inspired me to run one after I watched him complete an Iron Man Race in Lake Placid, New York. Charles, my sister Jordan, and wife Josie...
How Louis Tang went from speaking no English to getting a D1 basketball scholarship
In 2015 I met Louis Tang at the Nike All Taiwan Camp. He was the youngest camper there and from the Southern city of Kaohsiung. My friend Jerry Ho who has been instrumental in helping place Taiwanese players in the US wanted Louis to attend high school in the...
Basketball Parents: Important Questions to Ask Prep Schools
It is that time of year when students are packing up their bags and heading out to their respective prep schools. Some are returning upper classmen and others are showing up for the first time. To avoid any surprises and have a smooth transition on arrival for both...
5 Takeaways from my 2018 Trip to Taiwan
In July I returned from my fourth visit to Taiwan. The trip lasted fourteen days and I was accompanied once again by Coach Dave Taylor. During this trip we ran three camps. One for high schoolers, one for college all-stars, and one for some of the best junior high...
Prep Schools, Trump’s Travel Ban, and Guns
For over a year I’ve had conversations with parents that were unexpected, but not surprising. The first was with a European family. They signed a contract last summer with a prep school and became very concerned about the travel ban that President Trump declared. ...
Tax Benefits for Prep School Tuition | The New 529
The new tax bill was signed into law on December 22nd. While it has been a subject of national debate, there is a provision that came from it that will help some families pay tuition for private school. According to The New York Times, starting in 2018, $10,000 from...
Former Prep School Players on NCAA Top 10 Teams
Prep School players on current Top 10 Rosters Villanova Eric Paschall – St Thomas More Omari Spellman – St Thomas More Jermaine Samuels – The Rivers School Tim Delaney – Blair Academy Michigan State Tum Tum Nairn Jr – Sunrise Christian Academy Miles...
4 Health Lessons I Learned from Laird Hamilton and Gabby Reese and How They Relate to Basketball
This May, I had the privilege of spending three days in Malibu California at Extreme Performance Training (XPT) led by surf legend Laird Hamilton, beach volleyball legend Gabby Reece and Crossfit Endurance founder Brian Mackenzie. This was a 40th birthday gift and I...
Bringing the Next Jeremy Lin to the US
http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/18592407/what-benson-lin-called-next-jeremy-lin Recently ESPN completed a profile on Benson Lin, a junior at Wesley Christian Academy in Allen City, Kentucky. Benson has played in the Jordan Brand International Game, in the 16U...
5 Lessons Learned from the 2017 National Prep School Invitational
Last weekend was the annual National Prep School Invitational in Providence Rhode Island. This was my second year attending. These four days are an excellent opportunity to watch the players I have placed in prep schools, see all the participating teams in action,...
My All Time Top 10 Books
My top 10 books of all time. -Long Walk to Freedom - Nelson Mandela | This book is the book I gift the most. I was initially daunted by its size, but once I started reading it I couldn’t put it down. It read like an adventure. This autobiography had me in awe with...
5 Things an Elite Camp Director Looks For When Assessing Talent
When I coached at Gonzaga College High School, we had an up and comer of a coach in the program. Austin Kelley was a glue guy who showed passion for our players and the game. If you needed something done, Austin was your guy. He has since moved onto the Hoop Group...
From D1 Assistant to D3 Head Coach: Similarities and Differences in Recruiting
Due to NCAA rules the provider of this information has to remain anonymous. This information was provided by a good friend of mine who coached at numerous D1 programs. A few years back he took over a D3 program as the head coach. He waskind enough to share his...
Top 5 reasons why you need to build a website for your college recruiting
Before I start consulting with a player they have to build their own recruiting website. It can be very simple or very complex. The most important part is that the player has done it themselves and that it includes all the information a college coach needs. Here...
Guest Post: Coach Alex Popp of Vermont Academy
Cory Heitz is one of the consultants who I always make time for. He has a great reputation because he is trustworthy and knowledgeable about the prep school world. Therefore, when he asked me to blog for him, it was an easy decision. Hopefully this blog post will...
My First AAU Tournament Experience: SoCal Edition
So this isn’t actually my first AAU experience. I went to an event in 2009 to watch one of my players. AAU is not a world where I have much interest. Avoiding it keeps me sane. When parents ask me what AAU team their kid should play on, I say I have no idea. ...
Guest Post: Coach Dan Sullivan of Worcester Academy
I have visited a lot of prep schools since I have been placing players. One of my first calls is always to the staff at Worcester Academy. In this business it comes down to relationships. Simple traits such as good communication and honesty go a long way. See the...
My 2016 Trip to Taiwan
This past May I traveled to Taiwan to work the Be Heroes Camp and the Nike All Taiwan Camp. It was a return trip with my coach from the Air Force Academy, Dave Taylor. Dave is the best coach I have ever played for or been around. You can visit his site here: ...
So Many Camps to Choose From!
A lot of parents ask me which camps their child should attend. This is a great question because there are so many out there. A lot of them claim that they will rank you and college coaches will show up. But who is ranking you and who values those rankings besides...
Caution: Social Media Ahead
I recently staying in a nice hotel in downtown Cleveland. Everything is great about the room except the walls are thin, and I can hear what my neighbors are saying with clarity. One morning I actually heard a stern conversation coming through the wall from a father...
Top 5 Questions You Should Ask Prep School Coaches
When a prep school coach shows interest he will reach out to you and your parents. He will give his school’s pitch and tell you about the advantages of attending his school. Academics, opportunities, exposure, skill development, etc. After giving his pitch he will...
Coaching Kris Jenkins
Kris Jenkins has entered himself into the history books with his shot that won the 2016 NCAA Championship for Villanova. I had the privilege to coach Kris during his Junior and Senior years at Gonzaga College High School in Washington DC. Kris has a welcoming...
Why Grades and Test Scores Matter
The first topic I cover when addressing players is to work hard in the classroom. Having good grades and test scores will actually put money in your pocket. Not right away, but in the long run. Let me explain. Visualize two players of equal size and talent. One...
What do you want?
This is the first question I ask a high schooler and their family that has come to me for advice. Do you want to be the man on a D3 team or sit the bench on a D1 roster? How important are academics? (It should be important) Are you ok playing on the other side of the...