Reclassing up; a mistake – DJ Burns

Posted on April 7, 2024 by MichaelAndersonStone

I’ve been saying for a long time that there’s no hurry to get to college and graduating early is a bad decision. Here’s the latest example supporting that. DJ Burns. He went to Tennessee early. He didn’t survive and was gone in a year because, by his parents’ admission, he wasn’t ready to handle college. He then transferred home to a smaller school.

Burns had taken enough classes to graduate from high school a year early. His family formulated a plan with Tennessee and decided Burns could handle the academic rigor a year ahead of schedule. And he did. It was the lifestyle he wasn’t ready for.

“Maturity-wise, he was not ready,” Takela said. “He needed to be back home to grow and mature. After you go to the University of Tennessee as one of their star athletes, whether you redshirt, you got access to everything and every party. He had fun.”

Washington Post April 5th 2024 Adam Kilgore

https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2024/04/05/dj-burns-nc-state/

Email of the Day: Communicating with College Coaches

Posted on May 29, 2021 by MichaelAndersonStone

Most parents are uncomfortable trying to initiate recruiting communication with college coaches. Few do it well. Here’s a good example of an appropriate inquiry from parents and a well-written, honest, no BS response from a D1 coach. (If you’re curious, the coach responded in two days, which is more than appropriate.)

Dear Coach Smith,

Our daughter is Ophelia Harris and she would like to play for you. She is a rising junior at West High School located here in Monroe Tennessee. We are naïve to the process so we are soliciting you directly for guidance, direction and interest on how we might possibly move forward. My wife and I hope this is not inappropriate.

Brief background: Ophelia is attending West HS because of academics. For 2020 US News and World Report currently ranks West at 13 ^th in National Rankings. She currently is carrying at or near a 4.0 GPA. Humbly, she is very athletic. Her formal basketball training is very new compared to her peers. Her early athletic pursuits were focused on figure skating and have since transitioned to basketball. Her basketball pursuit is currently represented by individual personal training, High School team and AAU teams.

We have attached a brief ‘Hudl Video’ from some of her high school games from the abbreviated 2020-2021 season which all are in agreement was a very challenging COVID season for all.

Again, my wife and I are attempting to drive a process we are unfamiliar with so reaching-out to you directly. We are for certain you are very busy. As your schedule permits, if you would be so kind to provide your feedback it would be most welcomed as deemed appropriate.

Thank you in advance for your generous response.

With kindest regards,

George & Astelle Harris

Mr. Harris,

Thank you for reaching out, and thanks for your patience in my response. According to NCAA rule, I am not allowed to engage with prospects or their parents via email once they enter high school up until September 1st entering their Junior year. However, I understand how difficult this process is, and I want to help you with as much information as I can without commenting specifically on Ophelia’s talent as it relates to Eastern State University (trying to stay as compliant as possible). Anyway, I truly commend you to wanting to help your daughter and for seeking help in that regard.

For some background, I’ve coached at the DI, DII and DIII levels. They are all very different. Right now, is the perfect time to begin to think about Ophelia’s recruitment as mid-major DIs and lower are just now developing their lists for her age group. As she is still a sophomore, this will be a big spring and summer for her where she will begin being evaluated and eventually recruited. Right now, though, the goal is to just get her on programs’ radars. I’d start by compiling a highlight tape, which you’ve done. I’d then have a link to a full game film that you think most appropriately shows her skill set. Lastly, I’d get her season statistics from her high school head coach. After that, I’d target programs of interest and I’d shoot them emails, attaching my summer schedule and contact numbers for the high school and/or AAU coach. I’d also encourage you to ask Ophelia’s high school and AAU coach to essentially do the same things. Tip: address each coach individually and send one email per recipient, it makes it feel more authentic and often is a separator for prospects. In addition to those things, I do think it helps to go to the Elite Camps of the programs that she is interested in. Unfortunately, due to COVID, I’m not sure how many of those opportunities there will be this year.

As far as evaluating Ophelia, from her highlight tape I can tell that her motor seems very high, she seems to play very hard and is very athletic. Based on her skill, size and athleticism that I was able to see in the highlight tape, she seems best suited for a DII level program as a quick/slashing small forward or power forward. I’ll be quite transparent, at this age, most prospects are at that DII level, so please do not take that as a slight. This summer, I’d encourage her to work on her ball skill (vision) as well as continuing to work on shooting the ball. I couldn’t tell much defensively from the highlight tape, but I could tell that she seems to be an impressive rebounder with good instincts for the ball. Based on her athleticism, I’d assume she is a solid defender, but I’d challenge her to be exceptional with those instincts and length and try to be as disruptive as possible. I haven’t seen full game film or anything, so please take this all with a grain of salt, but that’s what I could access through the tape.

Again, you all are taking good steps at the right time as far as reaching out. Ophelia is tracking as she should be talent wise. Last thing is for her to get ready and have a great summer!

Hope this helps!

Laurel Smith
Head Women’s Basketball Coach
Eastern State University

Rome Before the Fall: Deion and College Sports

Posted on April 19, 2021 by MichaelAndersonStone

A recent USA Today article stated that Deion Sanders has found “his calling” as a college coach and leader of young men. God help us. This is a guy who has always been about himself first and whose previous involvement with education at Prime Prep was at best a disaster, at worst illegal. His hiring is also a poor reflection on the college and athletic director, whose choice smacks of desperation. Like too many others, he seems to be blinded by Deion’s BS. In this case, he somehow overlooked the Prime Prep history. It’s a sad commentary on the state of D1 college sports and our society today.

Today’s Quiz: Current Ivy AI Minimum?

Posted on March 4, 2021 by MichaelAndersonStone

Question: What’s the current minimum number required to meet the Ivy League Academic Index (AI)?

Answer: 184

AI calculations are different this year as a result of the pandemic and optional test scores, so this may change again when (if?) things get back to normal. Still, it’s good to know what the minimum is, even if the calculations are more convoluted than ever.

Quote of the Day: Money Over Fit

Posted on November 17, 2020 by MichaelAndersonStone

Too many golfers, especially girls, are choosing full rides over schools that offer partial scholarships but are a better fit. It’s a big part of why we’re seeing so many transfers recently.

This came out in a recent conversation I had with a Big XII women’s golf coach talking about how families are deciding which college to choose. It’s indicative of two things. One, the financial pressure families are feeling to pay for college. Two, most families don’t know how to make a good college choice.

Today’s Quiz: Covid, Test Scores and the Ivy AI

Posted on October 7, 2020 by MichaelAndersonStone

Question: Given that the Ivy League is test-optional for applicants this year, is the league still requiring test scores for athletes as part of the Academic Index?

Answer: No, they are not required for athletes as part of the AI.

On the surface, this appears to make it easier for some students to be admitted who wouldn’t have been admitted if a test score were required. (The case for removing what is generally perceived as a socio-economic barrier.) There’s certainly some truth to that. However, as a result of removing the test scores, transcripts, classes, etc. are getting closer scrutiny, so the reverse could also be true. While meeting the AI minimum was never an automatic pass, if you hit the numbers, your chances were very, very good. You didn’t have much else to prove. Without the test score, it seems to be more subjective. Therefore, it’s possible that it won’t be any easier, and may even be harder, for athletes, especially low band, borderline ones, to be admitted.

Bonus Question: If you have a test score, can your AI be calculated using the test score? In other words, can it be calculated the old way?

Answer: Yes, and the higher of the two AI calculations (with and without the test score) will be used to make the determination.

Smart College Recruitment

Posted on October 11, 2019 by MichaelAndersonStone

The email below is my response to a parent who called asking for help with college recruitment. Her daughter, a junior who just reclassified, already has 3 full D2 offers. Mom is getting contacted regularly by colleges and has no idea how to respond. She was never an athlete herself and by her own admission has no understanding of the college recruiting process (a better place to start than many of you think). The starting point here is zero.

Hi Tamara,

Thanks for calling yesterday to talk about making a list of colleges that we should be looking at for Shanise. Here are some quick thoughts/guidelines to use as we go through Shanise’s recruitment over the next 1-2 years.

Education. This should be the most important factor. We don’t want to sacrifice on education if at all possible. We shouldn’t have to, if we do it right. You’d be stunned and disappointed at how many families say it’s most important but make decisions and choices that prove it’s really not. Let’s get the best education we can for Shanise. We’ll need to use basketball to do that. She can get admitted to a better college by leveraging her basketball than she could based on just her academic profile.

Cost. She’s already been offered some full D2 scholarships, so we know we can get a college education for free. Most families would give anything for that. At the right D3 school it may be worth it to pay a few thousand dollars per year instead of accepting a D2 or D1 full scholarship. That might sound crazy, but we should consider paying a little if the difference in level of education is very large and if we know the payback (lifetime earnings difference) is more than worth it.

D1. This would be great if we can get it. We’re not there yet. She may never get to that level. If she does, ideally she’d end up at a Patriot League school, Ivy League school or schools like Bryant, SUNY Binghamton, Vermont, William & Mary etc. that offer an excellent education.

D2. There are very few D2 schools that offer the high level of education we want and should be able to get. None of the D2 offers she currently has provide that level of education. The short list of the best academic D2 schools includes: (listed by academic rank and then alphabetically)

• Hillsdale College – Highly+ Competitive
• Bentley University – Highly Competitive

• Stonehill College – Very+ Competitive
• Assumption College – Very
• Grand Valley St. University – Very
• Le Moyne College – Very
• Mich. Tech University – Very
• Northern Michigan University – Very
• New York Institute of Technology – Very
• Pace University – Very
• St. Michael’s College – Very
• University of the Sciences – Very

D3. There are many excellent D3 academic schools/leagues. The best are the UAA and NESCAC. If she does well on her SAT/ACT we should focus on those and similar leagues. The UAA and NESCAC are the best D3 educations in the US and they are the best D3 women’s basketball leagues in the US. Outside of those leagues, let’s start by looking at SUNY Geneseo. I think they’ll be all over her, she can get admitted, and it could be a great choice. The education is excellent (Highly +), they play great D3 ball (they go to the NCAA tournament virtually every year), it’s close to home, the price should be right and I think it could fit her personality very well.

We should start the process from the ground up. That means starting with D3 schools. Yes, I know, everybody wants to play at the highest level and get a scholarship. You’ve already got D2 offers, so you might be thinking I’m nuts for saying we should be considering D3 schools. Smart families have the highest level as their goal, but start from the D3 level and work their way up.

I’m sure you’ll have lots of questions. Let me know when you do.

Thanks.

Mike

Today’s Quiz: MLB Draft – College and HS %s

Posted on June 23, 2019 by MichaelAndersonStone

Question: What were the %s (approximate) of college and HS baseball players taken in the first 10 rounds of the MLB draft this year?

Answer: 75% college, 25% HS

Bonus Questions: What were the %s (approximate) 10 years ago? 20 years ago?

Answers: 65% College, 35% HS; 50% college, 50% HS

What’s driving this? Statistical analysis (Moneyball) and $.

Here’s a link to a good Baseball America article containing that data and more.

https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories/draft-system-has-pushed-teams-to-pick-more-college-players/?fbclid=IwAR0GnVVgtAJ0tm7iKdYVW25_vwtwi7DQ7PsGGkdrUe8CBv8ynEHrdxMoumQ

Parents of Athletes

Guiding Families Through the Club, High School, College and Professional Athletic Process

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