NCAA Recruiting Period Begins Today
The NCAA recruiting period begins today and runs through the better part of the next two months until November 9th.
A recruiting period, sometimes referred to as a contact period, means it is the time of the calendar year when virtually all forms of permissible contact are permitted. Additionally, coaches are also allowed to come watch a perspective student athlete play - so long as it is at a students' high school and only with other perspective student athletes from that school - and for New England that means that open gym season is officially here.
"Open gyms" have long been a staple of prep school recruiting and slowly most state associations are gradually starting to following suit and at least permit this type of activity in the public schools. An open gym or "open run" is really nothing more than kids getting together to play pick-up. Coaches are not permitted to coach (NEPSAC coaches are permitted to work with their players in small groups but not the full team) and typically there aren't any drills involved unless they are led by the team's seniors or captains.
Division I college coaches aren't permitted to attend any non-scholastic events during the fall (in other words they can't go to AAU events or showcases) and so open gyms are really the only means of being evaluated by coaches before the high school season actually begins.
Putnam Science Academy goes tonight as Hamidou Diallo is expected to have both Kentucky and UConn on hand while Northfield Mount Hermon, Commonwealth Academy, MacDuffie School, Worcester Academy and others are also expected to be in action. Vermont Academy was likely the first school to host college this fall after their 6am workout this morning.
Virtually all prep schools will be up and running with their full fall schedules by next week and the New England Recruiting Report will once again be traveling through the region to preview the various rosters.
Hamidou Diallo