We are halfway through the first part of the NCAA D1 observation and this summer sucks in terms of excitement, talent, events and drama. It is so quiet that it borders on mundane. This is NOT a negative but a reflection on how good the women’s basketball and travel basketball community has had it over the past two years.
For those in the lime light this summer, that would sound like a negative but it is now. It is just the difference in the 2014 and 2015 talent playing now. The other big factor is USA Basketball and the FIBA u19 World Championships going on now in Lithuania where three of the biggest and highest rated players are competing now. They missed the first half of the NCAA recruiting calendar.
What’s missing is the hype, names and buildup from the summer of two years ago when the travel teams, especially the Nike Teams, were loaded with major D1 talent besides those missing and playing at the u18s in 2011. Those players came back and made some noise at the Nike Nationals in late July despite missing the longer early recruiting period. There was still plenty of high level talent to make their departure not so apparent.
The change in the NCAA recruiting calendar and the expanse of Travel Team events plus more spread out teams, even the traditional events are looking nice but without the luster of previous events. The change has also eliminated 6 days (3 at each end) for teams to compete and for coaches to evaluate. The top college teams don’t need the summer to recruit as top players are pressured to commit early prior to the summer and forego summer and fall recruiting and leaving the rest of their peers hunt and fish for what’s left. Totally understandable if you’re at the top, totally horrible if you’re a mid-major trying to lock down talent to move you up from the middle.
The shortened summer recruiting period has pushed players and teams plus some events into re-thinking their future recruiting process and setup. The push by the top programs to get key freshman and sophomores on campus either through calls to the HS or Travel coach and asking them to forward their phone number to the young recruit’s parents to call them – then afterwards inviting them to their elite camp and/or unofficial visit – has changed the game forever. Remember to re-read what was just written. This is the new process and most parents-recruits don’t want 2-3 years of unrelenting recruiting. Add into this the new rule about unlimited contact and we’ve just crushed any HS elite player getting to their rising senior fall without the desire to verbal and get it over with earlier.
The other issue is timely change in the NCAA recruiting calendar on a down cycle of talent in the High School ranks. Most all experts agree on the fact that the 2010 and more the 2011 classes were loaded with high level players. They just competed at a higher plain than this year’s group. This could be possible because that depth allowed on the best underclassman – todays’ older elite players – to gain their own notoriety and name. The outlook for this year is great at the top, as always, but a drop off after you start to move past the Top 10.
If there is a class worth talking about it’s the 2015 class which just got done making their names at the USAB trials back in May and with their play down in Cancun as they grabbed gold at the FIBA u16 Americas Championships. There were more than enough players here and in Colorado Springs in May to count at least 15-20 players of impact.
While these players will be out this summer a trio of Class of 2014 stars in Brianna Turner, Gabby Green and A’ja Wilson are in Lithuania with the u19 team and missing the NCAA recruiting onslaught.
So, if sucks is relative, then this is an ok year compared to the past but leads all of us to believe that the summer of 2014 should be great with loads of upcoming talent, including the rising freshman class of 2017s and even some 2018s.
