Dave Q
Years ago

Question re: College recruitment?

Had a quick look at the schools that all of the current D1 players from NSW went to. I was a little shocked to see that there were no kids from a public school (sports high schools and AIS notwithstanding). Private schools or heading over to the US to places such as Monteverde seem to be the pathway, at least for the last 4 years.

I guess my question is, why is that? Is the quality of coaching better at these institutions? Increased training load over time? Competition? What is it?

My findings for those interested:

Name School AU School
Cameron HEALY Albany Scots College (Monteverde)
Adam LULKA Albany The Kings School
Josh GREEN Arizona IMG Academy
Riley ABERCROMBIE Boise State Illawarra Sports High School (graduated US High School)
Reed NOTTAGE Cal Baptist Newington
Grant ANTICEVICH California Newington
Giir RING Coppin State Orlando Christian
Noah THOMAS Drake Oak Hill Academy
Lachlan ANDERSON Eastern Kentucky St Gregorys
Gorjok GAK Florida Victory Rock Prep
Junior MADUT Hawaii DME Academy
Hal HUGHES Hofstra Sydney Grammar
Chier MAKER Idaho State Newington
Myles CHERRY Lafayette St Francis Xavier's College (Choate Rosemary Hall)
Deng GAK Miami Blair Academy
Makuach MALUACH New Mexico Newington
Hunter GOODRICK South Dakota St Jospehs College Hunters Hill
Isaiah LEE UC Irvine St Augustine's College
Dragan ELKAZ UC Riverside Westfield Sports High School
Jay GREEN UNLV Hillcrest
Ben FAKIRA Utah State Barker College
Kyle ZUNIC Winthrop Illawarra Sports High School (AIS)
Ramon SINGH Xavier La Lumiere

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Reality
Years ago

College benefits some guys and the situation around coaching/roster is key.

Some many things can happen over the 4 years that help or hinder a player developing.

Lots of guys head to college with big wraps they'll be NBL level and it takes them a few years to even make an impact at NBL1 level

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Anonymous
Years ago

Most public schools don't have many basketball programs so not many players go through to college from public schools. Not many div one colleges will give full 100% full scholarships unless you are very good so quiet often parents have to throw in money which helps the wealthier end of town. Imo players don’t develop that good over there and not many come back as nbl players or even nbl1 players but if that’s not your plan it doesn’t matter as you have had a great experience and a degree and no hex fees when you get back. If you are any good and you want basketball career you are better trying to start as a dp at an nbl club though there isn’t that many available. Former dp players Adnam, Cadee, Grida and others have done well.

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Anonymous
Years ago

Tom Puoavac Winthorpe with Zunic went to Belmont High public in Geelong.

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Anonymous
Years ago

Pupavac

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Red84
Years ago

The availability of resources, and how this shapes the attitude of management of schools is - I think - critical.

Public school principals often feel harried by constant demands placed on them and struggle to plan beyond the next term.

They are subject to instability brought about by limited, or poor quality resources and little control over their enrollments. This breeds a management culture in public schools of coping, of being resilient and devising work arounds.

From my experience, a familiar refrain i got from public HS principals and teachers is that they are busy enough trying to give their kids an education and that spending time and energy on a basketball program is a luxury they cannot afford, On reflection if such activities coincided with a decline in a school's NAPLAN scores - they will lose their jobs.

In NSW successful basketball programs exist because private school management had at some stage engaged in long term planning and could call on resources to give that plan a strong chance of succeeding.

I would not be surprised if many of the kids you listed, started in a public school and - once their talent in basketball was evident - transferred to a private school in - say year 8 or 9.

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Anonymous
Years ago

That's a bit unfair, div 1 colleges not giving a full scholarship if you're not very good, blatant discrimination against the chumps. And college worked out shit for guys like Bogut, Simmons, Mills, Delly, Landale etc. Idiots should have stayed home. And the other guys getting free education, better going to UniSa fellas and having to pay that HECS debt back while you get paid stuff all as development players.

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Anonymous
Years ago

You name five players out of thousands that have gone through college. Go back and read what was said.

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Anonymous
Years ago

Still don't get your point, full scholarship at div 1 schools, scholarships to other divisions as well, mostly not full but sometimes better chance to play. Have a great experience playing game you love in big crowds a lot of the time rather some cold gym in nbl1 in front of 100s and getting chicken feed in chance of making it as dp. Agree times are changing with next stars attracting locals like Giddey who could have gone to top program like Green, but majority won't make Nbl just by lack of opportunity anyway.
So people like Sapwell, Rillie, Rogers and Worthington that pioneered going to college must really be unhappy with decision. How many dp never go on to make full rosters, all they are is training fodder and scout teams. Adnam, Cadee, Grida and others are hardly prime examples. Cadee only well paid out of the lot and that's mainly because of his name. Hell of a lot more kids coming back getting looked at 1st by nbl, just look at Sixers with Drmic, McVeigh, Mudronja, Froling. Harris and others might hit floor in home game blowouts but they train just as much for little value.

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Hoops

Question re: College recruitment?

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