October 2012

NC Phenom 150 Fall 2012

By Justin Byerly, Marcus Shockley and Justin Shockley

Winston-Salem, NC – The largest attendance ever at the Fall NC Phenom 150 brought in 200 players to try and get some open run in front of college coaches and scouts, and with a new crop of players coming into the varsity ranks – namely, 2015 and 2016 – we were able to not only catch up on some of the players we’ve been tracking but also added a few new names to keep an eye on in this coming high school season. Here are our combined notes on players we caught in this year’s event. With so many players in attendance, it’s truly impossible to see every player, but here goes:

Deshawn Corprew (SG/SF, 6’5, 2016) Phoebus HS (VA) one of the two best overall prospects at the event, and being a 2016 player, possibly will have the most upside. Corprew already has good height and is a true wing, and he looks like he’s going to be able to add quite a bit of muscle by the time he gets to college. Corprew has tons of natural talent and looked like he might have only needed to go half speed to thoroughly dominate at times. He can shoot from deep with net-stripping accuracy; has a high release and can handle the ball like a true wing. Explosive going to the basket and seems to be a step faster than everyone on the floor. Projecting as a high major, national prospect.

Gary Clark (SF/PF, 6’6, 2014) Clayton HS (NC) Long, versatile athlete and possibly the most well known name coming into the event, Clark is now showing he can effectively play the SF spot and we are now classifying him as a wing after this weekend. Clark is explosive and has great timing, being an excellent shot blocker and rebounder. His strength is slashing and using his length to finish, but his recovery on shot blocking is superb. He can block a shot, land, and bounce back up to block it again if the offensive player tries to get off another shot. In one exchange, he garnered three blocks off of two offensive players in quick succession; note that one of the players was a 6’7 PF. Clark is a MM/HM prospect and already holds several offers; he also now has interest from Clemson.

Cody Hylton (SG, 6’3″, 2013) Northwest Guilford HS (NC) Hylton is a lethal deep shooter with the quickest release seen in some time. Excels at rolling off of a screen, catching and scorching teams. Very confident in his shot and can shoot even when defended. Moves well without the ball to get himself those shots and doesn’t just pick a spot on the perimeter and wait – he actively makes sure he’s an open target for teammates. Hylton is under-recruited – would be a steal for a DII and could definitely play at a low major DI. We scouted Hylton over the summer in the State games and during last year’s high school season and he’s proven his consistency.

Zach Hartle (SF/PF, 6’5″, 2015) West Stokes HS (NC) excellent passing forward and can play multiple positions. Solid shooter and active, has good length and will continue to develop into a pure SF. Has good size and awareness and runs the floor well in transition – had an explosive dunk in transition.

Tristan Reese (PG, 5’8″, 2016) Durham Southern HS (NC) nifty point guard with a great hesitation dribble and good first step. Needs to add strength to be able to finish once he gets in the lane but plays eyes-up and has natural playmaking ability. We will be continuing to track Reese for sure this season.

Jameal Robinson (SG, 6’3″, 2013) Greer HS (SC) A solid shooting guard with big time bounce, Robinson displayed a rock solid shooting form as well as an ability to finish in contact. Active and athletic, Robinson is another player who is under-recruited and plays a very poised game. Definitely a collegiate prospect who plays alongside LaBrian Shiflet in Greer, SC.

Emmett Tilley (PG/SG, 6′, 2016) Northern Durham HS (NC) A really promising prospect with a great build already and a flawless shooting form. Tilley is a versatile combo guard – can handle the ball, shoot from deep or mid range and is athletic with a lot of upside. Tracking as a college prospect already.

Caleb Davis (PG, 6’1″, 2013) Vance HS (NC) Strong bodied guard with great body control and can play on or off of the ball. Plays hard on D, which is rare in these types of events. Tough-minded and aggressive with the ball, plays under control but plays with focus and effort. Needs to improve change of speed with the ball and is undersized at the off guard. A combo guard at this point but a player to track during the coming high school season. Great pull up and squares up on the move.

Justice Cuthbertson (PG/SG, 6’3″, 2014) Westchester Day School (NC) Cuthbertson has always been known as a physically strong guard who could hit the deep shot but has developed into much more of a true combo guard. Cuthberton continues to impress with the speed dribble but shows a much improved passing ability. Good first step, plays with his head up and is unselfish on the break. Solid ball handler with the ability to knock down the open shot. Despite being a good shooter, sometimes has poor shot selection at times in half-court offense. Focus needs to be on being under control and not rushing things. Has the athletic ability to be a very good defender but needs to work on footwork; plays good help defense.

Christian Adams (PG, 6’3″, 2015) A promising big guard with great strength already and an ability to absorb contact. Strong ability to slash and get into the paint when the defense is out of position and take advantage. Size for position is a great asset and has excellent footspeed. Definitely a college prospect already with a high upside.

Cory Hanes (SF, 6’5″, 2015) Great strength and power at the SF spot and the speed to play in a high octane offense and will be able to get even stronger. Can play above the rim and plays through contact. Can get frustrated at times and despite having a high motor, can drift if he gets down on his own play. Hanes has made the transition from post player to wing effectively and can play the 3 at the college level. Now tracking as a LM Division I prospect and has been trending upward on scouting reports consistently over the past year.

Nick Sherrod (SF, 6’5″, 2016) St. Christopher (VA)- Sherrod is still a little raw but has a lot of good athletic tools to build on. Needs to get stronger but already looks bigger than some of the older players.

Lepreece Lynch (SG, 6’4″, 2013) The blistering scoring of Lynch really gets a spotlight in high-octane events. Lynch continues to show his downhill scoring style works against all levels of competition; there is no doubt that Lynch is a buckets machine and will be at the collegiate level. Needs to get stronger and still has a tendency to be out of position on defense, but after a stellar AAU summer is poised to really make a name for himself during this high school season. Tracking at the LM/MM level.

Jon Elmore (SG 6’3″ 2014)- While Elmore is not a bulky kid, he plays very strong and is very adept at initiating contact with the ability to finish consistently. Is not afraid of taller defenders and has some quick post moves that work well. Plays very hard on both ends and runs the floor well. Elmore is a pesky defender that plays with good footwork and plays passing lanes well. Must work on ball handling and long range shot consistency.

Ty’Quan Bitting (C, 6’8″, 2013) Athletic player with good length and a soft touch around the basket. Gets lost in the mix at times on defense and must play with more intensity on a consistent basis. Jumps off the floor quickly and will dunk on defenders if given the opportunity. Biting must improve shooting ability and overall strength. He has the potential to be a very good rebounder and defender if he sets his mind to it.

Gejuan “Nate” Long (SF, 6’5″, 2013) Long has good length and is a versatile wing who can also defend the 4 spot. A college prospect that should have a solid season.

Trey Weston (PF, 6’7″, 2014) long but slender forward who runs the floor decently well but desperately needs to add strength to make an impact. Length allows him to bother shots and works hard in the post.

Zane Waterman (SF/PF, 6’7″, 2014) The knock on Waterman has always been his demeanor and his tendency to settle for perimeter shots. None of that was evident during this event as he turned in a rock-solid effort without sulking or reacting to the refs. Had several big time impact plays including one slash from the perimeter and posterizing dunk. Athletic, long wing player that had an impressive day overall. Uses length well on defense and had several good blocks during help defense. Can handle the ball on the break and take slower defenders off the dribble. Plays with a lot of confidence and can knock down open shots from mid-range and long distance. Can get out of control at times, but overall very good potential for this wing player.

Austin Hatfield (PG/SG, 6’1″, 2014) Davie HS (NC) Deceptively quick guard with a nice outside shooting touch. Hatfield hit at least seven threes in one of his games and helped his team pull away in the second half. The lefty does not shy away from contact at the rim and has the ability to finish in traffic. Hatfield plays under control and does not get rattled after a mistake. Has a good basketball IQ and is unselfish but needs to work on passing and on ball defense. Moves well without the ball.

Adrian Rich (PG/SG, 6’2″, 2014) Village Christian Academy (NC) Good athlete overall and very quick feet defensively but just a couple of correctable habits – tends to watch the ball instead of the stomach of the player he’s defending and still is able to cut off the offensive player, which shows his speed. Quick release on offense but drops his hands on follow through. Quick reflexes.

Colton Bishop (PG, 6’1″, 2014) Forsyth Country Day (NC) eyes-up point guard who is always on the attack and likes to push the ball. Always looking to make something happen but can score as well. Has really improved in his ability to finish with contact. Athletic point guard with the ability to adapt well to any situation his team needs. Sometimes he was a great orchestrator of the offense and got others involved but when he needed to would score with ease with the ability to break down defenders with the dribble or knock down a three. Solid upside for this young point guard. Consistently has trended upward on our scouting reports over the past year and now is considered a solid Division I guard.

Troy Warren (C, 6’8″, 2013) Really nice big man prospect who runs the floor well and has some solid post offense. Had a couple of big time interior moves but most impressive was a rundown on defense and fingertip swat off of the backboard without fouling. High motor and when matched up with another true big really got after it. Battle between he and Tyler Creammer was a solid match up.

Derrick Bass (SF, 6’5″, 2014) Person HS (NC) Solid athlete with a good physique and an ability to hit the mid range jumper. Can be explosive and a player who should be on a lot of college radars. Active and can play inside or outside but would be most effective at the 3 with the ability to also play at the 4. Definitely a player we are tracking as a college prospect.

TJ Evans (PG, ) Super fast guard with tons of potential. Good strength and dynamic player. Definitely tracking.

Tate Small (PF, 6’5″, 2013) Ardrey Kell HS (NC) High motor big man who is somewhat undersized but does not take plays off and has the strength to play in the paint. Would be most effective at the four spot. Also moves well without the ball.

Patrell Rogers (PG/SG, 6’3″, 2013) Wilson HS (SC) really impressed with his fearless shot and showed that he could shoot with defenders in his face and even was hitting when being knocked to the floor.

Malik Gaffney (PG/SG 5’11″, 2013)- Undersized combo guard with the ability to really light it up offensively, was hitting shots from all over the floor with confidence. Plays hard and looks for open teammates but if he is given a chance can stroke it or take it in. Good upside despite size.

Cameron Gottried (SG 6’3″, 2014)- Solid player with a high basketball IQ that plays under control. Plays unselfishly and plays good help defense. Has the ability to knock down the open jumper or take it to the rim and had a couple of nice dunks on the fastbreak as well. Absorbs contact well while handling the ball and plays through fouls without complaining. This lefty has good potential.

Daryl Roby (SF 6’4″ 2013)-While not super athletic, Roby plays well for and undersized forward but plays mostly below the rim. Roby is very strong and can finish with contact and has some good power moves in the post. Can take bigger defenders off the dribble and has a strong first step.

Roderick Howell (SF 6’6″, 2013) -Howell has a solid jump shot that he relies especially from midrange. Crashes the offensive glass with consistency and plays hard on defense. Howell is strong but must use his strength better in the post as he could be pushed out by some players. Must work on ball handling and help defense.

Tyler Creammer (PF/C, 6’8″, 2015) Creammer is improving by leaps and bounds – plays hard, runs the floor hard and is a big-bodied post player. Has a lot to build on in the post and looks like he’s been putting in work. Doesn’t foul much in the post and uses his size effectively. Not an elite athlete but a smart post player with good footwork already.

Varun Piplani (SF/PF, 6’7″, 2016) a long shooter who can knock down the mid range or deep shot, has a high release that is consistent and solid. Needs to bulk up – length allows him to bother shots but isn’t a banger at this point and will be best served by working on explosiveness, ballhandling to make the move to be a true wing. High ceiling and a lot of room to grow.

Dalen Dotson (PG, 5’10”, 2015) Charlotte Christian (NC) Dotson is a quick ballhandler with an efficient game – a lot of coaches lament guards who ‘overdribble’ and that’s not an issue with Dotson. Still needs to take ownership role of offense and be a bit more of a floor general but speed and ballhandling make him one of the prospects we are actively tracking.

Carlee Clemons (PG/SG 6’1, 2014)- Clemons is actually closer to 5’10 or 5’11 rather than his listed height which makes his jumping ability even more impressive. Clemons had several break away dunks during the day, one of which was a two handed jam in traffic which garnered a thunderous reaction from the crowd. While Clemons is more of a shooting guard in a point guard’s body, his attributes include a great first step, the ability to finish with contact, and quick feet. Clemons has a soft touch and his mid-range shot is consistent but needs to work on his outside range overall. He is unselfish on the break and shows good court vision. Crashes offensive glass with consistency and is a solid ball handler. Sometimes tries to be too flashy and can be demonstrative after big plays. Good potential, low to mid major possibility with height a possible limiting factor.

Tucker Thompson (C, 6’9″ 2014)- Tucker has good footwork in the post but his foot speed is slow. Tucker needs to get stronger as he was pushed out easily by stronger defenders. Good finesse moves with a soft touch and the ability to hit shots with both hands. Needs to improve jumper from 15-17 feet and must be stronger with the ball, good rebounder and plays hard.

Michael White (PG, 6’1″, 2015) Charlotte Country Day (NC) quick handed guard who impresses with his ability to play under control at full speed. Decent athlete and good awareness and high basketball IQ.

Torin Dorn (SG/SF 6’4″, 2014)- Athletic wing player with a good jump shot and the ability to run the break with ease. Can knock down the open three or mid-range jumper and is a solid ball handler. His length helps him on defense but he also showed some good footwork on his on-ball defense.

Jalen Gaddy (SG, 6’3″, 2015) Aggressive scorer who continues to improve in transition and has a high motor. Has good size and athleticism for the 2G and excels at slashing from the wing.

Ricky Council (SG, 6’4″, 2014) Northern Durham HS (NC) had the dunk of the day with a Tomahawk slam and impressed with his overall athleticism. Pushed the ball relentlessly and showed he has an incredibly high motor. Was able to knock down long threes when left open.

Additional players of note –

Caron Corpening (PG, 5’9″, 2016) St. Stephens HS (NC)
Jame’z Rogers (SG, 6’3″, 2016) Wando HS (SC)
Thaxter Spruill (PF/C, 6’8″, 2014) Clinton HS (NC)
Jimmy Marshall (SG, 6’7″, 2013) Douglas Freeman (VA)
Daniel Bridges (SF/PF, 6’7″, 2013) Landrum HS (SC)
Taylor Hatfield (SG, 6′, 2014) Davie HS (NC)
Spencer Scott (PG/SG, 6’2″, 2014) Charlotte Christian (NC)
Solomon Hawkins (PG/SG, 6’2″, 2014) Kings Mountain (NC)
Zach Cottrell (SG, 6’4″, 2016) Hayesville (NC)
Devin Cooper (PG, 6′, 2015) Walnut Grove HS
Justice Kithcart (PG, 6’1″, 2016) Kestrel Heights HS (NC)

All of these players are being tracked in our Basketball Elite Player Database, which uses the Scouting Confidence Rating System™ to accurately track prospects over time and weighs in age, reclassifying and potential. The Basketball Elite Player Database is approved by the NCAA and is used by colleges at the Division I, Division II and Division III level ranging from the ACC, SEC and Big South to the Peach Belt and NAIA conferences.

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You can follow our scouts on Twitter: Marcus Shockley, Justin Byerly and Justin Shockley

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Want even more reports? Check out Corey Pegram’s write up here or Paul Biancardi’s write up here.

Fans booing

By Marcus Shockley

Back in 1995, before anyone really had heard of actor Giovanni Ribisi, he broke through with a stellar performance on ‘The X-Files’, where he portrayed a teenager who develops the ability to control electricity. Ribisi doesn’t use his newfound abilities to fight crime or change the world, however; he uses it to turn stoplights green at the same time just so he can see car accidents and giggle. Ribisi’s portrayal of the ‘pulling wings off of flies’ personality launched his career and probably resonated because of it’s accuracy in displaying the type of idiocy that we are all too familiar with.

Unfortunately, the world has far too many knuckleheads like Ribisi’s character.

On Sunday, Kansas City Chiefs QB Matt Cassel was knocked out of the game against the Ravens with a concussion. As Cassel regained consciousness and was aided off of the field, some of the fans – home field fans of the Chiefs – gleefully cheered Cassel’s injury:

Cassel remained on his back for several minutes while fans began to cheer. He eventually got to his feet with some help and walked off the field under his own power.

This type of behavior by adults – or anyone, for that matter – is not acceptable. I actually heard people defending this by saying they ‘pay their money’ for tickets and they ‘can do whatever they want’. No, they can’t. There’s nothing on a ticket that says buying one gives you freedom that isn’t allowed in normal society. I was in 100% agreements with the articulate comments of Kansas City Chief tackle Eric Winston, who leveled criticism at the booing fans:

“…when you cheer somebody getting knocked out, I don’t care who it is, and it just so happened to be Matt Cassel — it’s sickening. It’s 100 percent sickening. I’ve been in some rough times on some rough teams, I’ve never been more embarrassed in my life to play football than in that moment right there.”

While several media members applauded Winston’s comments, I was a little bothered by them repeatedly saying that fans were claiming to be “justified” in their actions. The annoyance I have is with the word “justify”. These fans are not justified in the actions under any circumstances. What they are doing is rationalizing their behavior.

They rationalize because deep down, they know, just as we all know, what they did was wrong. There’s no excuse; save it, I don’t want to hear it. We all know that if you cheered for a player injury, you shouldn’t have done it and you have no right to do it. You can’t look yourself in the mirror and honestly tell yourself that you think that’s how someone should behave.

Now, in the basketball recruiting world, scouts and coaches are constantly telling kids about ‘character’. While that can fall into an ambiguous description, we expect potential college basketball players to be decent individuals. Scouts, media and coaches will rave to each other about players who are intelligent and get good grades. They will tweet about staying focused and putting in work. All of this is coming from adults trying to combat the very real underbelly of recruiting and sports in general; also, it is an attempt to offer encouragement to young people who don’t know how hard work really will pay off and might otherwise become discouraged.

So when adults pull stunts like they did on Sunday, it flies in the face of all of that ‘character’ talk. It also shows that there are many people – in this case thousands – who will join in on unacceptable behavior when given the chance. Mob mentality is a very real thing, but some people don’t need a mob to feel entitled to do horrible things – they just need an excuse. It’s despicable and it also means that they are teaching their own kids to do the same thing.

That’s why we have to stand up as a society and not coddle these people. They shouldn’t be allowed to rationalize their behavior. We should be calling them out for what they are.

It’s wrong to cheer because someone gets injured. Don’t do it.

Don’t throw bottles on the court or the field.

Don’t drink yourself silly and then brawl with other people in the stands.

You didn’t know that? Well you do know. It’s wrong. Don’t claim no one ever spelled it out for you.

Don’t be a knucklehead.

NBA Flop

By Marcus Shockley

The NBA has instituted fines for ‘flopping’, which is when a player fakes taking an offensive foul. This is an excellent move by the NBA, and the best move the NBA has made since it instituted the age limit. It’s one of the top issues that needed be addressed in order to not only return consistency to the game but to start eliminating the overriding attitude that NBA games are ‘fixed’ for some teams.

The concept of flopping as it exists today in the NBA actually started at the college level. Coaches with less athletic defenders would teach their players to take the charge instead of going for the block and fouling. This, by itself, is not a bad strategy. By definition, a ‘charge’ is an offensive foul, meaning, the player on offense has taken an unfair physical advantage in the game. Technically, a player banging in the post shoving his defender to the floor is also guilty of an offensive foul. However, what we’ve become used to is when a player has the ball and is pushing to the basket, and the defender stands his ground, gets knocked to the floor, and an offensive foul is called.

Pretty simple, right?

Well, there’s that little bit about whether the offensive player actually got an advantage or whether the defensive player stepped in and cut off his path to the basket with a trip. That’s when the replays start trying to show whether the defender ‘moved his feet’ or whether he ‘got there in time’. The reality was that it was extremely difficult to take a charge unless a defender had clearly established position well in advance.

And that’s when things got ugly.

Some coaches at the college level took advantage of this; even if it seemed obvious that their player was late to take a charge, they would berate the officials until some calls started going the other way. Eventually, the concept of a ‘block or a charge’ became almost entirely a judgement call – no longer a clear cut choice where the offensive player had the benefit of the doubt. Some players would be called for offensive fouls simply because they were not national names, while others had much more free reign because of the name on the front of their jersey. The players who grew up in this system learned to make this an art form – flailing their arms emphatically or yelling out to attract attention as they threw themselves to the floor.

It shouldn’t be part of the game. It’s something that basketball fans have always hated, and when someone like Lebron James obviously flops, sports fans can only shake their heads in disgust. It’s seen as cheating because the actual rules define the play much differently than it is called.

So the NBA has implemented two solid changes which will continue to improve their product on the floor. Now if they would just raise that age limit at least one more year and shorten the season, they could actually see ratings that would allow more of their teams to turn a profit.

With so many players dropping off of the board over the past few weeks, players in the class of 2013 who can play at the college level are disappearing fast. Here’s eight names for college coaches in the Southeast that haven’t committed and can definitely play at the Division I level.

Trey Mitchell (SG, 6’5″, 2013) Olympic HS (Charlotte, NC) Mitchell is a big shooting guard who can scorch it from deep while also having the bounce to play above the rim. Mitchell will see a ton of action this year at Olympic, with Allerik Freeman departing for Findlay Prep, and his high school team is a perennial power who should also challenge for the state title. Best thing about Mitchell’s game is his demeanor – he’s tough but plays with his emotions in check.

Solomon Mangham (SG/SF, 6’7″, 2013) Woodward Academy (Atlanta, GA) Hard not to like a 6’7″ wing with a great build and versatile game. Mangham has interest from dozens of schools and offers in hand but still would be considered under-the-radar for his ability. Coaches take note: Mangham is an excellent student.

Raekwon Harney (PG, 5’10” , 2013) Winston-Salem Prep (NC) Harney has some of the best handles in the country and is still on the board. He needs to improve his shooting but he’s rock solid as a ballhandler and already has offers.

LaBrian Shiflet (SG, 6’3″, 2013) Greer HS (Greer, SC) – Shiflet is one of the better shooters we’ve seen in the Southeast and has great athleticism – timing is solid and gets a ton of blocks/rebounds as a guard. Has DI offers but someone that hasn’t gotten the exposure that he should. Plays with another solid guard in Jameal Robinson (SG, 6’3″, 2013) at Greer so coaches should be able to see two prospects at once if they drop by a game.

Quinton Ray (PG, 6′, 2013) Middle Creek HS (Raleigh, NC) Ray is a force of nature on the court, he’s quick and has the speed of a defensive back. His first step is deadly but what really sets Ray apart is that he never slows down – he has a “Ray Lewis” engine. Already has a solid build and can handle the ball, run the team, and lock down on D.

Craig Hinton (SF, 6’6″, 2013) East Forsyth HS (Kernersville, NC) I don’t say this lightly; Hinton is one of the best dunkers in the nation. His explosiveness is off of the charts and he has high major athleticism. He’s still working on consistency – he can be a streaky shooter and still needs to show intensity during the entire game. But there’s no doubt he’s a collegiate athlete and has offers as well.

Patrick Wallace (PG, 6′, 2013) Brewster Academy (NH) Wallace has offers but is under-recruited. He plays eyes-up at all times, can shoot from deep and has a very quick release. A bit undersized as a combo guard but a good athlete who is versatile.

Lepreece Lynch (SG, 6’4″, 2013) Mt. Tabor HS (Winston-Salem, NC)
Lynch is possibly the most prolific scorer in the state of North Carolina and is one of the better scorers in the Southeast – at times he can be impossible to guard – he’s a scorer who is always going downhill and fears no defense. He can score from inside, slashing, or from deep. There is no mistake that Lynch will add offense to a college lineup. The knock on Lynch thus far has been his defense – during his junior year he landed in foul trouble at times by being out of position. This season should see Lynch and his Mt. Tabor team – combined with other serious prospects Ty’Quan Bitting (C, 6’8″, 2013), Matt Madigan (PG/SG, 6’4″, 2013) and Deion Robinson (PF, 6’4″, 2013) – make a run at the state title.


Photo Source: AAUNews.org

By Marcus Shockley

Negative recruiting isn’t a new phenomenon. It’s been happening as long as recruiting has existed. However, it’s reached new heights with social media. Players now are bombarded by fans of various schools not only begging them to choose their team, but often trashing the other schools that a player is reportedly considering.

Sports Illustrated recently ran a story about how much negative recruiting players have to wade through today, especially high profile players like Julius Randle:

“I don’t really like hearing about why I shouldn’t go to certain schools too much,” said Julius Randle, a rising senior forward at Prestonwood Christian (Plano, Texas). “It happens all the time, but, for me, I just don’t like when coaches do that.”

First and foremost, fans should know that engaging in this type of behavior is an NCAA violation for boosters of athletic programs, and that doesn’t just mean people who give money to a program. A booster pretty much includes anyone who supports a team.

But not only that, it’s incredibly stupid and childish behavior, usually exhibited by 30, 40 and 50 year old adults constantly bombarding 16 and 17 year old players.

Then there’s an entire layer of negative recruiting that comes from insiders, people posing as media, and most damaging of all, coaches. It should go without saying that a coach that will say negative things about another program will do the same to you when you are not around (that’s just true in life, not only sports), but considering that many adults never figure that out, it’s hard to imagine that it doesn’t work on at least some recruits.

Wayne Selden talks about how negative recruiting turns him off of schools, as it should:

“It makes me pay more attention to the fact that you’re steadily talking about this other school,” said Selden, a shooting guard at Tilton (Tilton, N.H.) who recently reclassified from 2014 to 2013. “That’s not cool. Just talk about why I should come to your school. I don’t want to hear all that negativity.”

Parents seem more susceptible to negative recruiting than players in many cases. That’s probably because parents are more worried about making a long-term mistake, while players are just thinking about where they might like to play ball.