How to Prepare for Basketball Recruiting

For college basketball coaches, recruiting good players is the lifeblood of the program. Good basketball coaches take a very organized approach to recruiting with the knowledge that making a mistake on a player or players could cost you your job. The best recruiters plan their work well ahead of time so that when the time comes to start recruiting, they already have a proper plan of attack. If a coach recruits the wrong kind of players, it will be directly reflected on his team's won-loss record.

Instructions

    • 1

      Identify your team's needs. Spend your time recruiting players for the positions that you need filled within your team. For example, if you have six guards and three post players on your team, you will need to invest more of your time recruiting post players. A team's needs change as the year goes on because of injuries, players quitting and academic ineligibility. Make sure that you are prepared to be flexible with your recruiting efforts.

    • 2

      Develop a list of players for the positions that you have identified by contacting high school coaches, attending high school games and attending summer camps and leagues. Always have your list with you and be ready to add to it in anticipation of seeing a player who may fit your future needs. The list should include the player's name, size, and a place for notes. In addition, it is important to get the player's phone number from the coach so that you can make contact when the time comes.

    • 3

      Rank the players on your list in order of importance. This will allow you to contact them when the recruiting period starts in a way that emphasizes your top prospects. Having your list made in this way can help you concentrate on landing the very best players and the very best fits for your program.