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Player Development
Articles about becoming a better person, better player and being better prepared for college.
The Dad posted on December 14, 2011 09:38
Did you know that receiving non-athletic scholarship and/or grant monies can actually improve your chamces of lamding a collegiate basketball ros...
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The Dad posted on May 16, 2011 09:24
 So, you aran unsigned senior and you KNOW that you can play at the next level. But, What is the next level to you? If your answer is high D1 schools like Arkansas, Texas, Baylor, Pitt, or Florida, forget it! Get over it! For whatever reason, those schools did not discover you and recruit you. So, what are you doing about it? You should be working hard to acquire a roster spot on somebody’s college squad; and Junior College is NOT a bad word but it represents an opportunity. D2, D3, NAIA and/or JC should be your focus now. There ARE roster spots out there for those who will put in some work.
I know that many of you are discouraged, but you have to get up off of your “discouragement” and DO some things right now!. You and your family have to do some prep work and then bang on some doors. If you can get help from your HS or SB coach that is great, however, do not leave all of your chips on that table! YOU must take control and ensure that what needs to be done ACTUALLY gets done! No one will help you more than those who love you and have proven that over the years.
You should have a solid concise resume ready to send college coaches. You should have video of your play (highlights AND continuous game footage). No one will recruit you based on words printed on paper. You should have a strategy for contacting schools that fit your playing ability. You should find places to play where coaches can see you live or on video after the event. Ensure that the event operator will send out post-event reports to lots of college coaches. I know that for Unsigned Seniors these events are difficult to locate and vary in quality. You have to find the event, research its history for quality and even question the operator before signing up! Nothing worthwhile comes without some hard work! So, in the words of Sherman Klump, “Let’s get busy”! The worst thing you can do is sit around on your butt waiting for a miracle.
I have been talking with a parent over the past few weeks about a player who had college coaches interested but zero offers. This family participated in an unsigned senior event near Dallas and was disappointed With the quality of the event. This “showcase” was not managed well, the team’s coaches were scarce, no college coaches were there and the promised video was shot by kids with dubious video experience. My advice to this anxious family was DON’T QUIT Keep looking and keep working This family purchased a BBC Membership for their son, and registered for our Recruiting Combine (on May 21).
Hard Work Pays Off!
The most important thing that they did was to shake off the discouragement and continue to work hard. They carefully populated their player’s BBC Portfolio with video, article links, photos and player data. They sent me emails concerning the schools that contacted them. They received advice about responding to inquiries, which schools could and could not offer scholarships, campus visits and more. They asked questions and did not pretend to know it all. Most importantly, the work is beginning to pay off. I spoke with a college coach who is interested in signing this kid and will be watching when he plays at our combine. Just yesterday, I heard from another coach who is also interested.
The message here is that you MUST DO SOMETHING! This kid has no guarantees, but his chances of getting one of those available roster spots are much much better than those that are sitting around on their butts! You NEED to market yourself! If money is an issue, call or email me, I will try to help. However, I will not do your work for you. I can give advice but you (and your family) must be willing to work.
There are hundreds of college capable players in the Greater Houston area. Sadly, many of them will never play college ball; although they can do the class work and they can play!
Help is available. College opportunities are still available. But, it is getting late in the evening for HS seniors. If you can play and you are willing to work and you need some help, send me an email and explain your situation and your desire. Send the email to INeedHelp@bbcplayers.com! Note that this email address will only exist for the next couple of weeks.
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The Dad posted on April 18, 2011 21:03
Justin Handy (North Shore HS 2009) shined like new money at the Gatorade 3V3 Bracket Town event held at Houston’s George R. Brown Convention Center, April 1-2, in conjunction with other NCAA Final Four festivities. Justin’s 3-Man Team, called “Qamah” (pictured above) won the 17-25 Division 3V3 championship and Justin also won the individual Shootout Competition with a record setting performance.
Justin Handy’s 3-point shooting prowess led his team, Qamah, out of danger in the 3-on-3 semi-final matchup versus the reigning 2010 championship team. Buoyed by four threes and a layup from Justin, Qamah rebounded from an 8-2 deficit to a 16-13 victory. In the championship game, Qamah had to defeat their semi-final opponent one more time as this event was double elimination. Justin and company proved that the first victory was no fluke and they took home a huge trophy and prizes with a 16-12 win..
In the 3v3 Bracket-Town Shootout event, Justin’s 3-point accuracy awed the crowd as he set a 3V3 all-time record by shattering the old record of 33 points. Justin’s 42 points represented an amazing 27% improvement over the old record! All in all, it was a grand weekend for Justin and Qamah.
Justin Re-opens His Recruitment
Justin, a 6’ 2”shooting guard, led North Shore HS in scoring during 2008-09. He attended Ranger JC for one year (red-shirt BB player) and attended San Jacinto JC last year, but did not play. Justin who has been working with trainer Walter Paris to improve his strength, speed and quickness, has reopened his recruitment. If his performance in the eve event is indicative of his progress, some coach will find a hidden jewel this summer. Justin can be seen at the BBC Spring Recruiting Combine in Houston on May 21 and at other JUCO showcase events. Fans and coaches can view Justin’s schedule and follow his progress on his BBC Portfolio.
Hard work pays off and The BBC congratulates Justin for continuing to develop his skill and athleticism. It is obvious from watching Justin that his strength and basketball skills are vastly improved from is high school days. So, The BBC decided to acquire some workout footage. Fans and coaches can check out the video here.
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The Dad posted on March 07, 2011 10:37
 In December 2010, during the holiday break, “The Dad” noticed an announcement on RCS Sports. Triple Threat Training invited high school basketball players out to the gym in Humble, Texas for a few days of personal training, workouts and open gym. The cost was advertised at $10 per day. By any standard, this was a super deal; especially considering that the Triple Threat folks are qualified, experienced and have a good reputation in Greater Houston. If you live in Greater Houston and you were not aware of this event, you should pay closer attention to www.rcssports.com; Jim Hicks and company cover Houston like a blanket! Players who are serious about playing ball in college should always be on the lookout for opportunities to get better; and remember, you never know WHO is going to be in the gym paying attention!
The Dad wondered who would recognize this opportunity and choose to sacrifice some time with friends at the mall or give up some Xbox/PS2 time during the holiday break. With The BBC camera crew in tow, The Dad headed off to the Gym to check out the goings on,
To make a long story short, The BBC selected four players and decided to give them a complimentary BBC membership and some exposure on www.BBCPlayers.come. All four players (2 guys and 2 girls) are serious about getting ready for college and appear to have what it takes to get there and make a splash!. You can view some of our workout footage and also follow their progress here on The BBC website (see the links below).
We have posted evaluation notes from the Triple Threat trainers on the BBC Portfolio wall for each of these players. Normally,, this type of data is posted in a private area for college coaches only. You can monitor their Portfolios for new data and media over the next few years as they continue to develop and prepare for recruitment and college. In addition, BBC members can “follow” these players and receive text messages or email with game updates, game stats and alerts when new info is added to their Portfolios.
Enjoy the video and laugh with us as you view the trailer which is entitled, “Meet four Future NBA TV Stars!”. Here are the Players along with links to their Portfolios and the workout video.
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The Dad posted on March 03, 2011 14:41
The BBC is proud to introduce our initial recruiting combine which will be held on Saturday, April 16, 2011 in Houston, Texas. This combine is the product of over five years of research, interviews and experience with the process of collegiate basketball recruiting. Our goal is to ensure that players and parents have the information, direction, exposure opportunities, web tools and resources that they need to take their recruiting project to the next level!
The Synergy of Web Tools and BBC Combines
In conjunction with the combine, we are also releasing new tools for players, coaches and to support the combine skill metrics. We are merging the latest technology and focused basketball combines to produce products that meet the recruiting needs of players, parents and coaches. The idea is to collect essential basketball data, skill metrics and competition electronically and empower players and parents to place it all at the fingertips of college coaches. We help players to effectively expose themselves to the world and then show them how to motivate coaches, scouts and fans to “follow” their progress. Welcome to 21st century recruiting!
Several new and updated recruiting tools for players will be unveiled at the combine. These include a College Locater, a Core Course Tracking System, BBC Social Link, and the latest updates to the See Me Play tool. New tools for college coaches will enable easy player location, research and tracking.
Bringing Value To the Recruiting Process
We do not stutter when we say that BBC membership and combines are simply the best values in recruiting! Our core staff consists of parents who are driven to help other parents and players. Our mission is to help players elevate their exposure, prepare for college and get recruited! We have been there! We understand the challenges and stress of the recruiting process!
We have designed these combines so that after one focused day players will have what they need to take control and manage a successful recruiting project. Families could spend hundreds or much more, to have a professional recruiting service do this, or they can attend a BBC Combine and learn the secrets, get the tools, and take control of the process with confidence.
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The Dad posted on January 23, 2011 21:02
 The NCAA has been trying to get under-handed practices of some summer-ball programs under control for some time now with limited success. However, the NCAA is not giving up. The rule passed to eliminate the spring evaluation period for Division I men basketball coaches rocked the landscape of non-scholastic events held in the Spring. The summer evaluation period (July) will be next on the chopping block. Does this mean that D1 coaches will no longer evaluate players in the spring and summer? Well, coaches would not stand for that so the NCAA has a plan. It’s called “iHoops”!
Money, Recruiting and Sharks
OK, let’s put all the cards on the table. NCAA Division I Basketball is BIG business. We are talking multi-millions of dollars. If you want to make a high 6 or7-digit salary as a collegiate basketball coach, you’ve got to win consistently at the highest level. To win at the highest level, you HAVE TO recruit the best college-eligible players and convince them to sign and play at your school. In order to keep or acquire such salaries along with notoriety, product endorsements, movie deals and other perks, some coaches will shell out lots of cash to get the big fish. Where there is money flowing, the sharks will smell it and pursue it aggressively.
This may be over simplified, but money IS flowing, rules are being broken, and principles are people who run somebody’s school. The NCAA does not like it so it intends to have coaches only evaluate at scholastic events AND at events that THEY control!
It is more than likely, in my opinion, that this July will be the last NCAA evaluation period for non-scholastic events that Division I men basketball coaches can attend! If you can read the tea leaves, you will recognize that this is a done deal. Here is what the NCAA has written (January 2011) to event operators who seek MCAA sanction for their events. [Read more...]
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The Dad posted on January 07, 2011 13:51
The Basketball Connection (The BBC) is proud to welcome James Giles, a 6’ 9”, senior center from Arkansas Tech University (ATU )to our family of ‘Campus Life’ writers! James graduated from ATU in December 2010, and is continuing to play basketball while pursuing his Master’s degree. James is a native of New Brunswick, New Jersey.
In December, I traveled to Arkansas and one of my goals was to locate a NCAA Division II player that could be a solid contributor to “Campus Life”. I found that player at a party thrown for some ATU grads... While putting down some serious Razorback Bar-B-Q, I ‘found’ James! At the time, Mr. Giles was thanking people who helped him to make it ‘through ‘at Tech. The thanks included the presentation of a certificate (from James) to a local pastor who “made a stranger feel at home’. How many young men do you know who would take the time and effort to do that? My only thought was, “will he do it?” Well, this article answers that question.
BBC Recruiting Principle #1: Surround your player with the BEST people possible
This principle applies to our Campus Life writers. Good character helps to build bridges that will support you later in life. James played ball at Allen Technical College (ATC) before arriving at Arkansas Tech. Here is a character test; what DO the ATC people HAVE TO saY about James? The Dad wanted to know. Well, here is what I found at www.atc.edu/p393.aspx:
Former ATC Knight James Giles, who helped lead ATC to the national tournament in 2007, is now leading another team to success on the court. Currently attending Arkansas Tech University, Giles is helping his new teammates to an impressive 25-0 record. The ATU Wonder Boys are, at press time, currently ranked at number one in the NABC Coaches Poll, Division II, and have been for six consecutive weeks.
ATC Head Coach Bruce Capers said, "I have never played with or coached a man who had such a work ethic. It is not a surprise to me that he is a leader on an undefeated team." Coach added that Giles, a 6'9", 265-lb. center, has had inquiries to play professional basketball in Spain. [Read entire article]
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The Dad posted on January 03, 2011 06:54
 The BBC has released a redesigned basketball game chart. The new design now features a portrait layout, a legend area and can be created with a “College’ or ‘High School/Middle School’ court diagram. The charts are also pre-aligned for printing on 3-hole punch paper stock. Game charts are now produced in the PDF format, and can be instantly emailed to you or directly to the person who will be charting your game (if necessary).
The BBC is excited about releasing these improved charts for our member players as we continue to find new ways to help you to elevate your exposure, prepare for college and get recruited. Watch for the release of other new features of See Me Play over the next couple of weeks!
To learn more about how and why basketball players should be charted, see this article.
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The Dad posted on December 19, 2010 04:13
 Here is an opportunity to sharpen your skills with professional help from Dec. 20 thru Dec 23, Don't miss it!
Presenting
Basketball Academy &
3TBasketball Training
aT The Gym
Dec 20 - Dec 23
[Click here for details]
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The Dad posted on December 12, 2010 20:22
 If you want to give Jr. (my term for your BB player) an edge in recruiting, you need to utilize player development resources and effectively market Jr. to college coaches. "Charting" used with "See Me Play!" (SMP) from The BBC is a cost-effective and easy way to do both. Charting a game allows you to quickly gather stats, provide your player with a development resource and also helps keep official scorers honest. Totals from a game chart can be added to SMP and published to the world in seconds!
In this article I will share how easy it is to “chart” a player by reviewing a game chart that I made for Carl Culberson (St. Pius X HS, Class of 2012, Houston, TX) for his St. Pius vs. St. John’s game on December 7, 2010. So, let's get started with some charting basics.
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The Dad's Basketball Blog
This weblog focuses on topics of interest to basketball fans and especially to parents of players who expect to play basketball in college. Player development, college preparation, and recruiting are topucs you will find discussed here. You will also find info about The BBC's products, services and mission. You can comment and ask questions about recruiting and The BBC.
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