COVID and the transfer portal have done a number on high school basketball players. College coaches are looking for older players. And can you blame them? Let’s talk about a few reasons you must get older to play basketball in college.
College Coaches Want Older Recruits
College coaches at a new school usually start out with a three-year contract. That means they need to turnaround a team that most likely wasn’t winning in the first place. How does one do that quickly? College staffs go to the transfer portal or junior colleges to get players who have already played at this level. These players have been away from home, learned how to play/compete, trained at a high level, all while doing their college courses. This new coach has to win in three years or his contract will not be renewed. He will have to upend his family and look for another job. The pressure is on, which means this coach will want to bring in players who will help him keep his job.
The top 200 high school basketball players in the country will be fine. They will have D1 programs offering them scholarships and NIL deals. After that it is more of a tossup. Does a college coach want to take a high school player with promise and develop them? Maybe. There are programs that still utilize this culture. It is usually where the coaches have job security. Also, if the player is a big, they have more opportunities to get a roster spot.
How to Respond
The fact is that since the college game has gotten older, and if you want to play basketball in college need to be older. How do you do this? There are some new ideas out there about high schoolers graduating and going overseas to train, and then coming back as 21-year-old freshman. This way they are ready to come in and contribute to a team and make more on the NIL front. While this is not yet a path, it could be coming. But this is a lot to ask of an 18-year-old. A few potential lottery picks have done this in the past to include Lamelo Ball, Brandon Jennings, and Emmanuel Mudiay. But these are the exception.
The easiest way to get older is to go the prep school route. You knew we were going to suggest that, right? The two options are to reclassify or do a post-grad year. You can learn more about reclassifying here and more about a post-grad year here. Either way, a player will get one year older which will make a big difference.
College coaches know that they will have a more developed player physically and mentally than a player straight out of high school. Plus, prep school coaches have to place their final year players in colleges. It is what families are investing in. These coaches do not exaggerate a player’s abilities as they have to do this each year. Players more often than not end up at the right level. Get older. It’s imperative!!
Looking to Take Your Game to the Next Level?
If you want to play basketball in college, 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 YouTube or our podcast to dive deeper.
