Prep School Basketball Recruiting: What Every Athlete and Family Needs to Know

The path to Division 1 basketball is crowded with talent, but only a few breakthroughs. Success requires more than skill—it demands total commitment and the right mindset.

We explored this in an interview with Coach Steve Smith of Oak Hill Academy, one of the most respected figures in prep basketball. With nine national titles and 34 NBA players developed under his leadership, Coach Smith brings unmatched experience and clarity for athletes, families, and coaches navigating the D1 recruiting journey.

Work Ethic: The One Trait Every D1 Player Must Have

Cory: You were around guys who did play in the NBA. What I’m curious about—because the code I’m trying to crack and haven’t been successful yet—is: are these guys born with something? Or is it how they work? What is it that they have that others don’t?

Coach Smith: “The top-level guys definitely have a work ethic that’s second to none. I’ve had very few kids with that ability who didn’t work hard.”

Coach Smith: “Obviously they came to Oak Hill for a reason. You don’t come to Oak Hill just to come. You come there for basketball and for the academics, but you come there to spend more time in the gym than you normally do.”

Coach Smith: “Those guys wanted to do that, and they had the desire to do that. I think all great players have that desire to want to be great. The ones that are really talented and don’t make it are the guys that don’t work as hard.”

Training Year-Round: The Modern Athlete’s Reality

Coach Smith: “It’s an everyday thing. You know how it is nowadays—it’s almost a 365-day-a-year situation with a sport.”

Coach Smith: “You used to play two or three sports, but now these kids—last 20, 25 years—they concentrated on one sport, didn’t want to take a day off, and had trainers and coaches and people that worked with them every day.”

Coach Smith: “They had a desire and a drive. I think of guys like Carmelo and Stackhouse, Ron Mercer—those guys were all very similar in their work ethic.”

Talent Matters—But So Do the Details

Coach Smith: “You gotta be talented, obviously, and you gotta be gifted and have the athletic ability to play at the highest level.”

Coach Smith: “All kids want to play in the NBA. That’s their dream. It’s not a reality for everybody.”

Coach Smith: “I tried to always get my players, when I coached them, to reach their full potential. Some of them I thought could get to that level. Some of them I didn’t think.”

Coach Smith: “I didn’t always tell them that, because you don’t want to burst their dream. I hate to tell a kid ‘never’—because I’ve had guys make it I thought wouldn’t. And I’ve had others I thought were locks that didn’t do it, for various reasons.”

More Than Gym Time: What Separates D1 Prospects

Coach Smith: “You’ve got to spend the time—not just in the gym, but in the weight room and the film room. You gotta do a lot of things to get to the level that some of these guys get to.”

Coach Smith: “You still have to have the fundamentals like you did in the ’80s. I know people don’t think you do as much, but you still do.”

What College Coaches Want in a Guard

Cory: What’s it take for a guard to play at the D1 level?

Coach Smith: “You’ve got to be able to defend, shoot it, and rebound it. You’ve got to do two of those three skills.”

Coach Smith: “Now, if you’re a guard, you don’t necessarily have to be a good rebounder. But I think you’ve got to be able to understand the game, have a feel for the game, and be a pretty good shooter.”

Coach Smith: “If you’re a point guard, it’s obviously different than a shooting guard. But you’ve got to have a skill set—handle the ball, pass it, understand the game, and know how to play.”

Basketball IQ Can Beat Athleticism

Coach Smith: “I’ve seen guys go on that weren’t that athletic and have great careers because they were smart players and knew how to play.”

Coach Smith: “They had a good feel and understood concepts of how to play. That’s just as important as the physical part of it.”

Coach Smith: “You may look like the best player on the floor, but you end up not being the best player and not being good enough because you don’t have the skill set.”

Why Shooting Will Always Get You Minutes

Coach Smith: “If you can shoot and you can’t do anything else, you’ll still find a place to play. The object of the game is to keep score.”

Coach Smith: “I don’t know any coach, if you’ve got a kid that’s a three-point shooter or a good shooter, who’s not going to play him.”

Coach Smith: “That’s a skill. If you just work at it and practice, there’s no reason you can’t be a guy that can make free throws at least. And you should be a good shooter if you spend time at it.”

Closing Thoughts: D1 Dreams Start with the Right Habits

There’s no shortcut. Players who make it to D1 consistently check two boxes: talent and commitment. From gym time to grades, the smallest details matter.

Coach Smith reminded us that shooting, defense, and decision-making often outweigh flash. If your goal is D1, then align your habits now—and don’t wait until it’s too late.

If you’re looking into prep school, reach out to us at PREP Athletics. We’re here to help you explore your potential and make choices that align with your athletic and academic future. We’ve also got a long list of resources to get you started in the right direction, so check out our latest prep basketball updates on YouTube or our podcast to dive deeper.