How to Get Discovered by NBA and Collegiate Scouts

The most competitive basketball players all have hoop dreams of playing in college or in the NBA. The NBA requires that a player must be out of high school for at least one year, and a minimum age of 19. Only the most rare of basketball stars join the NBA without first playing college ball. Hundreds of universities offer scholarships to players each year. At Division I level schools, these scholarships are a free, full-ride ticket to an education. Even though colleges may actively scout and recruits players, a high school ball player must put forth the effort to earn their attention.

Instructions

    • 1

      Play varsity basketball in high school. Perform at the highest level of your ability for as many years as you are on the team. Earn performance accolades, such as being named all-city or all-state.

    • 2

      Join a "club" or "travel ball" basketball team in addition to your high school team. Club teams often compete at a high level of competition on a more consistent basis than high school teams. There are registration costs and expenses associated with travel, but the increased exposure are often worth it.

    • 3

      Visit the athletic website of the universities you are interested in attending. Go to the page dedicated specifically to men's basketball. Find the recruiting questionnaire and fill it out and submit it. Every athletic department has one of these and it is the first step in getting on the radar of a basketball program.

    • 4

      Tell your coach to talk to the coach at your college of choice about you. Universities take the recommendations of well-regarded youth coaches seriously.

    • 5

      Make a highlight reel of your best games and performances. Keep the tape short; three to six minutes in length, and include only your best moments. Send this reel to the recruiting coordinator or head coach at whatever colleges you are interested in attending.

    • 6

      Market your self. Setup a personal website dedicated to your achievements. Feature your reel on the website and list all athletic awards and academic accolades. Also, post your reel on Youtube and direct viewers to your personal website.

    • 7

      Attend a basketball camp at a university you are interested in attending. The staff and players in the university's basketball program run the camps. Playing in front of these coaches every day for a week is another way to show off your talents.

    • 8

      Play in a national all-star game, such as the McDonald's All-American game, if you have the talent to do so. College coaches, as well as NBA scouts, pay close attention to future basketball stars in these games.

    • 9

      Play in summer Amateur Athletic Union, or AAU, tournaments. Many players of high school, college and adult age play in these leagues with hopes of getting noticed by the NBA.

    • 10

      Attend an NBA Development League (D-League) national tryout if you want to skip college. You must meet the same minimum age requirement as the regular NBA. Just because the D-League isn't the NBA doesn't mean there aren't professional players playing. Some athletes have already been drafted by NBA teams and are just being groomed in this league.