Wow, what a debate. One note, Fucci is playing with Indiana Elite One in Vegas this week and will probably turn a few heads. He is playing with Zeller, Plumlee and the likes.

 

The KY Ice head to AAU Nationals this weekend and look to have a good showing.

 

Not sure who the WKY Elite will have as of their 8 players at state, 3 were seniors-to-be and dropped out of the state tournament.

 

Are we talking about the WKY Elite that Forrest played for?

[/b]

 

Are we talking about the WKY Elite that Forrest played for?

 

If I am not mistaken, this was the team that played as The Truth and not WKY Elite. Someone correct me if I am wrong.

I agree. This would be a great idea.

 

Someone call Clevanger, set this up,

I agree. This would be a great idea.

 

I think the fact that AAU teams frequently change rosters proves that AAU basketball is more about individual players and exposure than teams, not just putting all-star teams together and seeing who can get the better group of all-stars and who can beat who. Sure, coaches want the best team they can get, but players want to play on any team that they can at the time to get into the best events.

 

School teams are more often true "teams."

 

The primary goal of AAU high school basketball is to get exposure to college coaches, no matter what team you are on or who you are playing with. College coaches follow/watch players more than they do teams. The team needs to be decent, but they don't have to be the top team.

I think the fact that AAU teams frequently change rosters proves that AAU basketball is more about individual players and exposure than teams, not just putting all-star teams together and seeing who can get the better group of all-stars and who can beat who. Sure, coaches want the best team they can get, but players want to play on any team that they can at the time to get into the best events.

 

School teams are more often true "teams."

 

The primary goal of AAU high school basketball is to get exposure to college coaches, no matter what team you are on or who you are playing with. College coaches follow/watch players more than they do teams. The team needs to be decent, but they don't have to be the top team.

 

Agree.

 

I speak to a good number of college coaches every year about this topic and they would disagree with you. Unless you are an elite player (Darius Miller, OJ Mayo, Bill Walker, etc.) you have to play in games that the college coaches are interested in seeing. If you have been to the NCAA sanctioned tournaments in July go visit the games in the 3rd and 4th place brackets of the tournament. See how many college coaches are watching those games. I had one college coach tell me "If a players is good enough to play Division I basketball his team will not be in the bottom bracket."

 

That doesn't mean that a kid can't be recruited or be noticed but it is a big advantage to play with a team that attracts attention. You do that by playing in the NCAA events and make runs at championships.

 

I bet that some of the players on the Derek Smith team are really benefiting from playing with Fant. There are a lot of college coaches that want to see him play. In turn other players get to play in front of coaches that may not have watched them otherwise.

 

I assume you also assume that an organization such as Derek Smith and Shining Star Sports does not give a player advantage but it does. I can't tell you how many of the Shining Star 15 and 16u players I get to talk to a college coach about because they are calling about one of the 17u kids they are recruiting. These orginizations have a huge advantage because of the relationships that they have built with college coaches that have current players playing for them and because of the number of calls they receive about other players.

 

For example the Shining Star Sports-McFarland team has 10 players on their roster that are being recruited on the daily basis. This allows us to market and discuss other players throughout the program every time a college coach calls about one of those kids. That is a HUGE advantage for us. Almost every call I take the coach is going to ask me what other kids we have that would be a good fit for their program.

 

I know this debate has been discussed in this forum already. I don't want to take away from what other teams are doing because that is not the point. But I feel very strongly about this because I know what the truth is. I have done a lot of research on this topic and feel very strongly about what I have discovered.

 

This may be something that you are able to do within an organization. But, isnt this something that anyone could do. I actually new a kid that played football here in NKY for a local school and his parents sent out film and stat sheets to some mid-level D-1 schools. Those same schools then in turn contacted school coaches and his parents to get more information. So to your point, anyone can get in touch with a coach or athletic program if they want to. This same kid was getting some pretty solid D-1 looks, but for his benefit he decided to stay local.

 

Anyway, as a guy who seems to know a lot about and support the Shining Stars organization... what are the biggest schools that a Shining Stars player has gone to or played for?

I wish there could be a tourney with just KY teams after the July tourney period, maybe the second weekend of August, and they play with the team/players that played with them the last few weeks of July. Many teams pick up players even until the end, so the games/tourneys early on can be a little misleading, even the State AAU in mid May. I know we picked up some players lately, and we are a totaly different team than the end of May.

 

Now this would be great to see. I'd pay the price of admission! Good idea.

I think the fact that AAU teams frequently change rosters proves that AAU basketball is more about individual players and exposure than teams, not just putting all-star teams together and seeing who can get the better group of all-stars and who can beat who. Sure, coaches want the best team they can get, but players want to play on any team that they can at the time to get into the best events.

 

School teams are more often true "teams."

 

The primary goal of AAU high school basketball is to get exposure to college coaches, no matter what team you are on or who you are playing with. College coaches follow/watch players more than they do teams. The team needs to be decent, but they don't have to be the top team.

 

I agree with you here. It's about the player a college coach is recruiting, not the team. College coaches dont recruit teams. I also agree that it does have to be a decent team because any decent team will likely have good players that coaches are looking at.

 

Case in point, take Josh Forrest off WKY Elite and they are likely not as well off as a team (The same if you take any teams best player). However, Mr. Forrest is getting some really good looks.

Ice have Martin, Barnette, Kiesling, Purvis, Dunagan (Wayne Co), Shearer (Wayne Co), Kellen Smith (Scott) and George Carpenter (Winchester Christian). Talk about a different team than state! They have 3 of the same guys. Lots of conflicts and lack of desire. Fucci had a great opportunity but has lots of disappointed coaches in Orlando. He was feeling sick after Vegas so he didn't make the trip to Orl. He played about 14 minutes a game with Zeller, Plumlee and others. They lost in sweet 16 I believe.

Ice have Martin, Barnette, Kiesling, Purvis, Dunagan (Wayne Co), Shearer (Wayne Co), Kellen Smith (Scott) and George Carpenter (Winchester Christian). Talk about a different team than state! They have 3 of the same guys. Lots of conflicts and lack of desire. Fucci had a great opportunity but has lots of disappointed coaches in Orlando. He was feeling sick after Vegas so he didn't make the trip to Orl. He played about 14 minutes a game with Zeller, Plumlee and others. They lost in sweet 16 I believe.

 

Is Purvis playing? Was he released by his Dr?

Anyone know how Zollo and his team played in Vegas?

Is Purvis playing? Was he released by his Dr?

 

Don't think he was officially released by his doc but trainer, PT, Humphrey, and parents were all in on this. He has played limited minutes and looks fine.

Anyone know how Zollo and his team played in Vegas?

 

They made it to the finals and then had to leave due to flights and a game time change. So, they got 2nd.