I agree with Mr. James on this one. I've seen more interest generated in kids during the AAU season than high school. Many of the top AAU programs are closer to the college coaches across the country and have better relationships than most high school coaches.

 

This new "improvement" seems to elevate AAU play at the expense of the high school game. Is this really a positive thing?

 

If you have a kid with the talent to play in college (D1,D2, NAIA, etc.), then it is a positive thing. The more opportunity to get in from of the college recruiters the better. Isn't it more realistic to evaluate talent against the top talent out there versus against a high school team with only a couple of good players on it?

 

As my old college history prof said: "Two things are certain, continuity and change." It certainly rings true in this case. The new reality is that AAU ball has tipped the scales, and it's definitely at the expense of high school basketball. No, I don't think this is better, but it is the new reality, so live with it we must. But based on your statement, one might gather that kids with the talent to play D1, D2, NAIA etc. has not been happening previously, which is definitely not the case. It's just meant harder work for the recruiters to find them - now we have the hoops buffet. How much money is being coughed up by countless parents seeking the holy grail of "the scholarship." The percentage of scholarship athletes is not high compared to the number of participants. So who is winding up with the money?

 

What is now going on is for the benefit of college recruiting and AAU folks, which IS the bottom line - and this is going to grow and grow. The irony is that, even though this is not an apples to apples comparison, it has keen similarities to the way that men's college basketball has been negatively impacted the the NBA. Although it's not likely that there will ever be a "one and done" entry into college and skip high school (not unless athletes' GPAs and test scores skyrocket with intelligence enhancing drugs), the landscape of men's college basketball has forever changed, and high school basketball has begun to undergo a major change, too.

 

This is the new reality. Some may like it, some may not, but it is what it is. (This topic should become a new thread.)

The scope of AAU on the girls side will change drastically this coming year. There are some things happening that will leave smaller AAU programs( and their kids) out in the cold unless you are under a certain BIG shoe company. Bottom line is the almighty dollar rules again. College programs cannot or will not recruit out of high school games, their job is on the line. Two years ago there were over 70 division one coach openings. Most of those were from firings. This year over 50, with probably 40 coming from firing and the rest from other coaches moving and taking the open jobs. Coaches cannot afford to miss on kids and the only way to properly see them in the closest thing to college is the 17U Top level of AAU. This is where the major BCS level players are. There are many different brackets in AAU and tourneys, but the college coaches know the best tourneys and where the top talent will be playing against each other and thats where the coaches will be.