Over the last week, I lived the life of a college basketball coach, taking in three events during the live recruiting period, going to Reading, Pa., and King of Prussia Pa., for Hoop Group’s Elite Camp, Team Camp and Summer Classic East.
I judged, I evaluated, I analyzed. The only thing missing was a polo shirt that read NYPost.com. That may have to get taken care by the second live period.
I rose early and went to bed late, games starting as early as 9 a.m. and running until 10 p.m. I battled through mental and physical fatigue, a head cold and severe cough. I slept little, ate worse and fought off writer’s block.
I’ve always respected college coaches for their ability to mold boys into young men, as much off the court as on it. But that may be the easy part of the profession, compared to the July live recruiting period anyway.
For 20 days, they are all on the road, watching thousands of prospects at dozens of venues in different cities from away from home. They somehow pick out players from all of these teams and games. I, by contrast, only needed to focus on the New York players. It’s a difficult job I wouldn’t want.
It was an eventful seven days, a week I wouldn’t give back. There were times I felt bi-polar, debating what made me schedule such long days on such a long trip. Then another great story came my way or a kid played a big-time game, forcing another interview out of me, or a college coach sat down next to me, needing an opinion on a local player and it reinvigorated me.
There was a certain energy you got from the gyms, the whiff of competition, but also hint of desperation and need for these talented kids to be at their best.
I’ve always felt the most pressure exists in high school basketball, playing for friends and classmates with a city title on the line. July, though, has more pressure. Certain kids are shooting for their future, in front of coaches for the first time. All it takes is that one look to get a free education, or in some cases, lose out.
I would be remiss not to mention the outstanding job the Hoop Group does, from Elite Camp director Chad Babel to Summer Classic East direction Rob Engemann and their media team of Dan Martin and Dave Krupinski. The latter two are truly adept at these videos they create in such a short period of time. Too bad they’re not on The Post’s payroll. The ones on Melvin Johnson and Kyle Anderson are fantastic, if you haven’t seen them. Even more impressive, the two dealt with my constant sneezing, sniffling and coughing with aplomb, not tossing me out of the press box at Albright College like I’m sure they would have liked.
One of my favorite moments came Tuesday as I fought off fatigue. I sat down on the baseline to catch another game when I noticed coaches switching seats like they were playing a game of magical chairs. Suddenly, two seats opened up next to one guy not representing a school. He was holding a fake microphone to his mouth and doing play-by-play. Hofstra assistant Steve DeMeo basically forced me to switch seats. I found the guy entertaining – he was into it, like he was broadcasting the NBA Finals. Heck, he was better than a lot of the guys you see on television, from Kevin Harlan to Ian Eagle.
I feel Babel is really onto something with his Team Camp, which features elite East Coast programs from several states, such as Brooklyn’s South Shore and tournament champion St. Anthony of Jersey City. For evaluation purposes, to me it’s the best to gauge a player’s ability. He is playing with familiar faces, which offers the best chance for success, not lumped with some random kids he now must work well with to impress college coaches.
By the time I got home late Tuesday night, I was glad it was over. I was tired of tweeting and asking for college lists. Yet, by early Wednesday, I was already missing it, searching through my Twitter feed for the latest information, wishing there was a tournament nearby. I even looked up local bus fare to West Virginia for Hoop Group’s Jam Fest. I missed hanging out and bouncing players off my favorites coaches, from Demeo to Rutgers’ Mike Rice and Van Macon; Iowa State’s Fred Hoiberg and Matt Abdelmassih; St. Peter’s Marlon Guild; Dayton’s Allen Griffin; LIU’s Jim Ferry; David Duke and Tom Pecora of Fordham; Mo Cassara from Hofstra; St. John’s Tony Chiles and so many others.
I’m not saying I’m ready for a similar such week right now – I needed a full day of sleep on Wednesday to recover – but I plan on repeating the feat next year.
Wait, the Super Showcase and AAU Nationals are coming up in Orlando?
I’ll be back on the recruiting trail in no time.