#RealTalk Archives
Over the course of the last two years our #RealTalk series has aimed to provide some candid insights on a recruiting world that can be extremely difficult for players and families to navigate because of the amount of misinformation and "noise" filling gyms and the internet alike.
This year, with the pandemic's impact on the recruiting world, many of these lessons are even more applicable now than they were then.
Consequently, we are looking back on the series in hopes that it can provide a dose of reality for those families that are just trying to handle this process and these times as best as they can.
On Rankings and Evaluating Prospects...
After 12 years of evaluating high school prospects (at the time the piece was written), we got real about what the process really means, what we're looking for, and why there is often a vast difference between the popular decision in the moment, and the ultimate truth, which can only be known years down the road. Click here to read the full story.
An Audit of Past Evaluations...
We looked back on our rankings, which often correlate to how a prospect is recruited, to see if there were any commonalities among prospects who end up being better, or worse, than initially projected. It turns out there were, in fact, some trends, many of which have only been further solidified two years later. Click here to read the full story.
What is a Scholarship Offer?
A sequel to a piece initially written for ESPN, we break down how scholarship offers are not as tangible as they are presented to be on social media, and sometimes can be either favors or just not true. The validity and duration of offers were discussed along with an examination of the topic from the perspective of a college coach. Click here to read the full story.
On Stats versus Wins...
We used to tweet out notable performances, recognizing players with great individual games, during the high school season. But when we noticed how many people were either misrepresenting stats or valuing individual numbers over the team's success, it was time to provide some context about what high school stats, even accurate ones, really means in the long run, especially if you're not winning the game. Click here to read the full story.
College Coaches Evaluate Parents Too...
Well-intentioned parents are often advocating for their kids, but many can take it too far. In the recruiting world, no college coach wants a problematic parent and they spend more time evaluating and assessing that factor than most parents would ever imagine. To put it plainly, some parents do their kids more harm than good in this process. Click here to read the full story.
A Warning for Those Worried About Level...
Of all the Real Talk pieces we've written in the last two years, this is the one that is most important right now, given the pandemic's impact on the recruiting process. Those tied to reaching a certain "level" in the recruiting process are setting themselves up for failure, and potentially missing opportunities that won't come back around, especially now. Click here to read the full story.
How Do College Coaches Really Use Video and Scouting Services?
Another topic that is especially relevant now, given coaches' inability to see prospects in person. We detail why all live streams, video products, and scouting services are not the same and provide a list of questions players and parents can ask to help them assess how valuable those products really are. Click here to read the full story.
Reaching the NBA is a lot Harder than Social Media Makes it Look...
Every year, the amount of players who actually make it to the NBA is misrepresented on social media. The day those players get cut, often right before the season, there isn't a tweet or post in sight. The reality is that too many kids are led to believe that the NBA is a certainty, when it is anything but, even for the most talented young prospects. Click here to read the full story.