Senior Year
You are now entering your final year of the recruiting process and will need to make final decisions on which school is your best fit. If you have been proactive in the recruiting process then you should have a good understanding of what is ahead of you over the next year. You have options available and are now engaged in active discussions with target schools to determine your best option/fit. If you don’t have more than a handful of schools actively recruiting you then you should try to get the attention of schools that you are interested in. It can never hurt to have more schools available to
you in the recruiting process.
If you are just entering the recruiting process then you need to be proactive during your final year of high school. Most large conferences have already offered or received commitments from the high school senior class, so you need to get in contact with as many programs as possible. Realistically, list schools that you are interested in and contact them to see if they are still recruiting. If they are, make sure you send out your information as soon as possible. If you aren’t happy with the list of schools that are recruiting you, then broaden your search and reach out to more schools.
The early signing period for Division 1 programs start in early November. If you reach this time and you don’t have anyone actively recruiting you,
then you need to start thinking about other options such as lower divisions or junior college. There is a late signing period, but most schools have either given away their scholarships already or are waiting on one or two players. Waiting for this time period can be dangerous if you don’t have other options available. The late signing period ends in the spring before the college season begins.
The final option for those who haven’t found a school or program yet is to find somewhere you can get into academically and try to walk on. While almost all schools hold open tryouts, some schools are more competitive than others.
Once you have selected a school, make sure you keep your grades up and keep working hard in the gym. After you sign your letter of intent to play for a college, you are done with the recruiting process. That being said, it’s important to realize that this is only the beginning of your college career.
Your college coach will continue to follow up with you and watch your development. You are now working to become the best possible college player you can be.