Prep Rosters Heavy with International Talent
International players have been a staple of prep school basketball for quite a few years now. But this year there seems to be a sharp increase in the number of foreign talents who will be lining the rosters of some of the best prep school programs in the nation.
Lee Academy’s Nate Tomlinson is likely the best returning international talent in the region. The 6’3” point guard, originally from Australia, will be returning to Lee Academy for his second and final year after heading back to his homeland during the summer months.
So why are international players so attractive to prep school coaches all of a sudden? While we don’t know for sure we can offer an educated guess…academics and appreciation.
Earlier this year the NCAA passed new legislation dealing with all student athletes who exceed four years of high school. The new rule stated that any player who has been in high school for more than four years is only allowed to count one more core class per year to his core grade point average. The core grade point average is the academic average that the NCAA Clearinghouse takes into consideration (along with standardized test scores) when it determines if a player has met all requirements for eligibility.
Thanks to this new rule many players who previously saw prep school as a way to get eligible after completing high school with a poor academic record, are finding themselves without options. Similarly, very few prep school coaches are going to take a chance on admitting a student who won’t be able to qualify. The result of all of this is that prep school coaches have more roster spots to fill with a smaller pool of qualified candidates than ever before. This new landscape has created a high demand for international students who can both compete at a high level athleticially while also meeting the academics demands of the NCAA clearinghouse.
If that weren’t enough, many international players have a refreshing attitude towards being a student athlete. While many American players are now products of the “AAU generation” where they all seem to carry around their own sense of entitlement, many international players appear to be very grateful to have the opportunity to play and learn in American schools. They are appreciative not only for the opportunity to go to school and play basketball, but some times even for the food, shelter, and safety that prep schools provide.
When put in those terms it is easy to see why prep school coaches may be more inclined to bring in more and more players from overseas. Consider a player like Tomlinson. Not only does he play the game with a passion and style that is very rare, but he is also likely to be Lee Academy’s most highly recruited player. Already schools like Tennessee, UNLV, and Colorado are lining up to come see him play, and you can bet that list would have been a lot longer had any coaches been able to see him play during the July live period.
Tomlinson is one of 6 international players at Lee Academy, while South Kent also has 6, and Winchendon will be home to 7. Other schools with large international contingents include MCI with 5, Brewster Academy with 3, Proctor Academy with 3, and Marianapolis Prep with 3. Addtionally, Worcester Academy, St. Thomas More, Tilton, Phillips Exeter Academy, Notre Dame Prep, and Bridgton Academy all feature at least one player on the roster who hails from outside the United States.
Nate Tomlinson