Search Results: college

• Gene Therapy: You Gotta Travel!

  May 17, 2022 Gene Clemons 0 Comments

  

   

  by: Gene Clemons

   

  The high school basketball season is interesting. You go to offseason workouts, play in summer leagues, and train; all for the opportunity to try and win a region, conference, district state title. A high school basketball player will average getting home at around seven at night if they are lucky and get the early after school gym time. If they are unlucky, they either wait until later to practice and don’t get home until around nine or they must wake up at five in the morning to practice before school begins. They travel sometimes over an hour away for games during the school week and don’t crash into bed until midnight or later. Many of these student athletes do this because they want to earn an opportunity to play in college. But, for all the hard work they do, most college basketball coaches are not even paying them any attention. The college basketball season starts before the high schoolers get started and ends after high schools have already crowned a state champion. So, when would a college coach have time to leave their program in the middle of a season to go see about any players that are not local? The answer is almost never. I am sure college coaches try to slip in some time when they are on the road or maybe have a few days in between games but the majority of that time is being spent on getting the current team better. So, for all of that sweat and effort most high school seasons go relatively unnoticed by the decision makers in college basketball. So how are these young men getting recruited?

   

  If you are a basketball player and you are not traveling in the offseason with a team, then there is a good chance you will fly under the radar and be missed by potential programs who may be interested in you. Travel ball has become so popular because it is where the college coaches can actually get out and evaluate players in real game situations. Unlike football where all of the camps, combines, clinics, workshops, and 7 on 7 tournaments can’t really give a coach the understanding of what a player can do in-game, travel basketball tournaments provide a live evaluation of players participating in the same game they will play when they go to college. Football mega camps have become popular because of how many college coaches attend but in many cases, you never  see the head coaches of the bigger programs there. When you go to the sites of elite travel basketball camps, it is not shocking to see Bill Self sitting next to Juwan Howard waving at (insert famous coach’s name here). That is the normal; and it is not just a couple there, they are there in droves. Hundreds of decision makers decked out in their polo and khaki shorts or their athletics warmups with the various logos of their universities prominently displayed for everyone to see.

   

  Another reason why the travel circuit has completely replaced the high school season as the major recruiting ground is that you get to see talented players go against similarly talented competition. Everyone knows that high school is broken into the haves and have nots. Teams that are stacked with talent going up against teams who are simply fielding a team for recreational purposes. If you remember what the opposition Zion Williamson’s high school team looked like, those games were a joke most of the time. That is simply not the case in travel ball. Whether you play on a team at a specific age group or you are playing on an elite team. You are placed in groups where you are competing against teams with similar talent. This gives evaluators an even better chance to see how you compare to your contemporaries. It is something that high schools simply can not compete with. Even at tournaments that are meant to bring some of the best high school teams together, there is usually someone on the court who is not at the level of others or the teams are brought in because they have one or two elite players on them.

   

  The result is that the high school season has a true duality to it. It is the opportunity to play basketball for those who may not be at the elite level in the state or nationally. A way to represent your school, stay active during the football offseason or take a break from baseball. That’s a valuable thing. After all, high school is still about creating lifelong memories and forming bonds that could never be broken. The high school season still serves that purpose. But for the players who have aspirations of hooping in college, the high school season is nothing more than live practice reps. It is the place where you work on your game and get it polished up to showcase when the basketball live periods occur in the spring and summertime. You see big men work on their jump shot and handles. You see guards try to finish better at the rim and polish their step back three pointer. The high school season is where you see them incorporate new moves and develop different skills. That used to be reserved for AAU or YBOA 20 years ago. But now big travel ball circuits are the real season for these elite hoopers.

   

  It is a reality that most high school coaches have either embraced, or are trying to fight a losing battle. The toothpaste is out of the tube and there is no way to ever get it back. The fact that most states have still not instituted a shot clock or a college three point line means that they can’t even properly prepare these young men and women for the type of world they are going to experience when they go to college. The college game is night and day from the high school game and until they begin to make the changes necessary to implement college rules and gameplay in high school, you will never see it regain the luster it once had. The best thing for high school coaches to do is to work on developing the best student athletes possible so that they will have a chance to showcase their skills to college coaches when they start traveling.

   

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  Gene Clemons is a Sports Analyst and Contributor to CWN Sports. His weekly column and podcast - Gene Therapy focuses on Sports, Politics and Social/Urban issues.

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• Gene Therapy: March is My Type of Madness!

  Mar 20, 2022 Gene Clemons 0 Comments

  I love football. As a player, coach, and writer, football has always meant so much to me. It has opened doors that I never knew were there. I am forever grateful and indebted to the game. But, anyone who really knows me, they know that I am in love with basketball. As a kid growing up in inner city Chicago, the court was the sanctuary from all of the chaos (mostly). Throughout the years, basketball has remained a constant in my life. I grew up a Carolina Tar Heels fan. I wore #15 because of Reidel Anthony in football and Vince Carter in basketball. For anyone who loves hoop, the NCAA tournament is Christmas. It's the most wonderful time of the year. The tournament encapsulates everything great about sports. It's the convergence of all classes and all abilities where the outcome is simply based on what happens between the lines. We have seen impossible comebacks and massive upsets. Anything is possible during the madness of March. So what makes it great? 

   

  Cinderella

   

  The most obvious reason the tournament is beloved by hard core basketball fans and novice is because is the Cinderella factor. The team who is winning despite not having the same resources or talent of other schools. 11, 12, and 13 seeds have been the prime seeds to upset an opponent seeded higher. In that process we learn so much about the team, the players, the coach and the community. Many of these teams come from conferences with a single NCAA bid. So if they don't win their conference tournament, they won't receive an at large bid (an invitation to join the tournament without an automatic bid). There are teams in these mid major conferences that will have a fantastic season where they only lose a few games, get to their conference tournament and get upset by a team with a .500 record.  Their dreams of making it on the big stage extinguished with one loss. 

   

  But for the ones that do make it in, this is their chance. Maybe that higher seeded team underestimated their abilities. Maybe a big time player was in foul trouble or having a bad day. Maybe a player on that underdog chooses that day to turn in the performance of his life. The ball bounces funny ways and when both teams look up, that double digit underdog is tied up on leading. Then the pressure begins to build for the favourites. They are supposed to win, so the victory celebration would be minimal, but if they lose, they become a cautionary tale, a meme, and their dream of cutting down the nets is over. 

   

  That underdog has nothing to lose, nobody picked them to win and in most cases, they are expected to get blown out. When they begin to make their move, we learn about the quirky details about their school. The hurdles they've overcome just to be there. We are introduced to families and shown rituals that only make us invest in that lower seed's outcome emotionally. When they win one game, it's a cool story but they have to prepare for another game in less than 48 hours but if they win the second game, if they make the Sweet 16, they get their chance to be celebrated for an entire week and we get to take that ride with them. Even when it comes to an end, and unfortunately it always does, we are sad for the team but appreciative of the journey they allowed us to sit shotgun on. 

   

  Breakout Stars

   

  The NCAA tournament has launched the careers of countless amounts of players. When you get the chance on the big stage you must take advantage. Everyone in and out of the basketball world is watching. This becomes the opportunity for players to show they can perform when the lights are shining the brightest. It was on the NCAA stage back in 2008 that a skinny kid from North Carolina made his presence known at Davidson. Steph Curry was overlooked by all the major colleges and universities because of his lack of size but his game was huge and in the tournament, he was a one man wrecking crew as people were amazed at his confidence and assassin-like accuracy. He became a household name and a top 10 pick in the NBA draft. The rest of history. Carmelo Anthony was the top recruit in the nation when he went to Syracuse. He led the Orange to the 2003 NCAA Championship his freshmen year where he was named the Most Outstanding Player. and his performance on the NCAA tournament stage had people questioning whether they should take him over Lebron James. Mateen Cleaves in 2000, Mario Chalmers in 2008, Kemba Walker in 2011, Anthony Davis in 2012 and countless others have exploded on the scene thanks to the NCAA tournament stage. 

   

  The Brackets

   

  The biggest draw of the NCAA tournament has become the fascination with filling out brackets. The gambling aspect has always been a draw in sports. It is the reason why fantasy sports are so popular in the United States. What started as office building fun and turned into a billion dollar business. Whether people are into basketball or not, the brackets become a bonding experience and an opportunity for bragging rights. ESPN reported that they had 17.3 million brackets submitted for this year's tournament. Following your bracket is just another way engagement is built and people become personally invested in the outcome of these games. A bracket challenge could be as large as what ESPN, FOX Sports, or CBS sports put on, or it could be as intimate as a few of your good friends throwing a couple dollars into a hat. The range is endless and therefore the engagement is endless. Today, even when you have a horrible first weekend with your picks, there are secondary brackets that give people a second chance to pick their winners. That way people are engaged all the way through the tournament. 

   

  Some of my favorite sports memories come from the NCAA tournament. The dominance of the early 90's UNLV Runnin' Rebels, the Fab Five phenomenon, the rise of Villanova, and my love affair with the Tar Heels are all memories that I have been fortunate enough to experience in my time. I've watched Gonzaga become a power and Georgetown become an afterthought.  Who will be the next team to rise? What player will put themselves on the map? What memory will we take from this year's version of Madness? I anxiously await and welcome all outcomes.

  Read more

• Gene Therapy: March is My Type of Madness!

  Mar 20, 2022 Gene Clemons 0 Comments

  

   

  by Gene Clemons

   

  I love football. As a player, coach, and writer, football has always meant so much to me. It has opened doors that I never knew were there. I am forever grateful and indebted to the game. But anyone who really knows me, they know that I am in love with basketball. As a kid growing up in inner city Chicago, the court was the sanctuary from all of the chaos (mostly). Throughout the years, basketball has remained a constant in my life. I grew up a Carolina Tar Heels fan. I wore #15 because of Reidel Anthony in football and Vince Carter in basketball. For anyone who loves hoop, the NCAA tournament is Christmas. It's the most wonderful time of the year. The tournament encapsulates everything great about sports. It's the convergence of all classes and all abilities where the outcome is simply based on what happens between the lines. We have seen impossible comebacks and massive upsets. Anything is possible during the madness of March. So, what makes it great?

   

  The Cinderella Factor

   

  The most obvious reason the tournament is beloved by hard core basketball fans and novice is because is the Cinderella factor. The team who is winning despite not having the same resources or talent of other schools. 11, 12, and 13 seeds have been the prime seeds to upset an opponent seeded higher. In that process we learn so much about the team, the players, the coach and the community. Many of these teams come from conferences with a single NCAA bid. So, if they don't win their conference tournament, they won't receive an at large bid (an invitation to join the tournament without an automatic bid). There are teams in these mid major conferences that will have a fantastic season where they only lose a few games, get to their conference tournament and get upset by a team with a .500 record.  Their dreams of making it on the big stage extinguished with one loss.

   

  But for the ones that do make it in, this is their chance. Maybe that higher seeded team underestimated their abilities. Maybe a big-time player was in foul trouble or having a bad day. Maybe a player on that underdog chooses that day to turn in the performance of his life. The ball bounces funny ways and when both teams look up, that double digit underdog is tied up on leading. Then the pressure begins to build for the favorites. They are supposed to win, so the victory celebration would be minimal, but if they lose, they become a cautionary tale, a meme, and their dream of cutting down the nets is over.

   

  That underdog has nothing to lose, nobody picked them to win, and, in most cases, they are expected to get blown out. When they begin to make their move, we learn about the quirky details about their school. The hurdles they've overcome just to be there. We are introduced to families and shown rituals that only make us invest in that lower seed's outcome emotionally. When they win one game, it's a cool story but they have to prepare for another game in less than 48 hours but if they win the second game, if they make the Sweet 16, they get their chance to be celebrated for an entire week and we get to take that ride with them. Even when it comes to an end, and unfortunately it always does, we are sad for the team but appreciative of the journey they allowed us to sit shotgun on.

   

  Breakout Stars

   

  The NCAA tournament has launched the careers of countless amounts of players. When you get the chance on the big stage you must take advantage. Everyone in and out of the basketball world is watching. This becomes the opportunity for players to show they can perform when the lights are shining the brightest. It was on the NCAA stage back in 2008 that a skinny kid from North Carolina made his presence known at Davidson. Steph Curry was overlooked by all the major colleges and universities because of his lack of size but his game was huge, and, in the tournament, he was a one-man wrecking crew as people were amazed at his confidence and assassin-like accuracy. He became a household name and a top 10 pick in the NBA draft. The rest of history. Carmelo Anthony was the top recruit in the nation when he went to Syracuse. He led the Orange to the 2003 NCAA Championship his freshmen year where he was named the Most Outstanding Player. and his performance on the NCAA tournament stage had people questioning whether they should take him over Lebron James. Mateen Cleaves in 2000, Mario Chalmers in 2008, Kemba Walker in 2011, Anthony Davis in 2012 and countless others have exploded on the scene thanks to the NCAA tournament stage.

   

  The Brackets

   

  The biggest draw of the NCAA tournament has become the fascination with filling out brackets. The gambling aspect has always been a draw in sports. It is the reason why fantasy sports are so popular in the United States. What started as office building fun and turned into a billion-dollar business. Whether people are into basketball or not, the brackets become a bonding experience and an opportunity for bragging rights. ESPN reported that they had 17.3 million brackets submitted for this year's tournament. Following your bracket is just another way engagement is built and people become personally invested in the outcome of these games. A bracket challenge could be as large as what ESPN, FOX Sports, or CBS sports put on, or it could be as intimate as a few of your good friends throwing a couple dollars into a hat. The range is endless and therefore the engagement is endless. Today, even when you have a horrible first weekend with your picks, there are secondary brackets that give people a second chance to pick their winners. That way people are engaged all the way through the tournament.

   

  Some of my favorite sports memories come from the NCAA tournament. The dominance of the early 90's UNLV Runnin' Rebels, the Fab Five phenomenon, the rise of Villanova, and my love affair with the Tar Heels are all memories that I have been fortunate enough to experience in my time. I've watched Gonzaga become a power and Georgetown become an afterthought.  Who will be the next team to rise? What player will put themselves on the map? What memory will we take from this year's version of Madness? I anxiously await and welcome all outcomes.

   

  ###

   

   

   

  Gene Clemons is a Sports Analyst and Contributor to CWN Sports. His weekly column and podcast - Gene Therapy focuses on Sports, Politics and Social/Urban issues.

  Read more