West Liberty Hilltopper Basketball

[boatcapt]

Re: West Liberty Hilltopper Basketball

Looks like Collins is playing in some kind of event this weekend, maybe trying to get some last minute looks before he signs somewhere?

Players trying to drum up interest at this point are WAY behind and are basically in desperation mode. Looking for ANY D1 offer and there are VERY few left. There is also a very small window right at the start of the fall semester were there is a chance that an offered player decides not to show for college. Collins is playing a dangerous game and may end up at a pretty bad D1 or DII if he doesn't come to his senses.

[Layton]

Re: West Liberty Hilltopper Basketball

Looks like Collins is playing in some kind of event this weekend, maybe trying to get some last minute looks before he signs somewhere?

[Columbuseer]

Re: West Liberty Hilltopper Basketball

Funny...First guy that Tweeted that Collins was a D1 can't miss, I tweeted back at him that Collins would get beaten badly at a D1 and should go DII to hone his skills. Guy Tweeted back that he felt the SAME way!!

Doesn't appear that he has signed or has any offers as he is being touted by himself , his family and strap hangers as the BEST unsigned player!

Always wonder about guys like this...If he was sooo good and a sure D1 quality player, why doesn't he at least have a bunch of low level D1 offers? He'a spent considerable time on the AAU circuit playing in a bunch of showcase tourneys so one would presume quite a few coaches from D1's have seen him play and collectively said, no, we'll pass. Wonder what they see that we don't??

Ha Ha Ha. Great job in tweeting back. So the guy who tweeted D1 doesn't really believe what he tweeted? If so, what integrity! And parents really want pay these guys $? I guess that is why courts require testimony under oath and have perjury penalties!
LOL

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Re: West Liberty Hilltopper Basketball

"If he's such a good hitter, why doesn't he hit better?"

Billy Beane
Moneyball

[boatcapt]

Re: West Liberty Hilltopper Basketball

Funny...First guy that Tweeted that Collins was a D1 can't miss, I tweeted back at him that Collins would get beaten badly at a D1 and should go DII to hone his skills. Guy Tweeted back that he felt the SAME way!!

Doesn't appear that he has signed or has any offers as he is being touted by himself , his family and strap hangers as the BEST unsigned player!

Always wonder about guys like this...If he was sooo good and a sure D1 quality player, why doesn't he at least have a bunch of low level D1 offers? He'a spent considerable time on the AAU circuit playing in a bunch of showcase tourneys so one would presume quite a few coaches from D1's have seen him play and collectively said, no, we'll pass. Wonder what they see that we don't??

[boatcapt]

Re: West Liberty Hilltopper Basketball

I don't know but there has to be something for the major shoe guys like Nike Adidas and UA to sponsor multiple teams and also to sponsor big tournaments. They also have there own circuit of tournaments for example Nike has a series of tournaments called the EYBL and adidas or UA has the Gauntlet. Teams have to meet certain criteria to compete in these tournaments like you have to have wins at certain high level tournaments and have so many top 100 players on your team. I don't pretend to know too much but just enough to know there is a lot of money behind some of the national level teams.

A lot of money generally! Someone has to play the Washington Generals (the forever "opponent" to the Harlem Globetrotters). Difference is the players on these other AAU teams have to pay for the pleasure of being beat by the teams with the shoe sponsorship.

[Layton]

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Re: West Liberty Hilltopper Basketball

I don't know but there has to be something for the major shoe guys like Nike Adidas and UA to sponsor multiple teams and also to sponsor big tournaments. They also have there own circuit of tournaments for example Nike has a series of tournaments called the EYBL and adidas or UA has the Gauntlet. Teams have to meet certain criteria to compete in these tournaments like you have to have wins at certain high level tournaments and have so many top 100 players on your team. I don't pretend to know too much but just enough to know there is a lot of money behind some of the national level teams.

Keep in mind at that level of AAU ... those are future NBA guys. Those are the one-and-done's, etc. In many ways this is the shoe companies' first 'somewhat' legal access to these kids. Nike, Adidas, etc., all want to find and cozy up to the next Zion just as much as Duke and Kentucky does.

[Dirtybird]

Re: West Liberty Hilltopper Basketball

I don't know but there has to be something for the major shoe guys like Nike Adidas and UA to sponsor multiple teams and also to sponsor big tournaments. They also have there own circuit of tournaments for example Nike has a series of tournaments called the EYBL and adidas or UA has the Gauntlet. Teams have to meet certain criteria to compete in these tournaments like you have to have wins at certain high level tournaments and have so many top 100 players on your team. I don't pretend to know too much but just enough to know there is a lot of money behind some of the national level teams.

[boatcapt]

Re: West Liberty Hilltopper Basketball

I used to do some VERY low level scouting of football players in Germany. Germany doesn't use a traditional HS based system instead opting for clubs. I know a couple of club players lost their Amateur eligibility because the "benefits" of being on a particular club were sufficient that the NCAA saw them as monetary compensation for playing football for that particular team. If the players are deriving a thing of value and that thing (or collection of things) is significant (say...a sponsor spending thousands of dollars on registration fees, gear, travel and room and board), the NCAA could rule players ineligible.

[Columbuseer]

Re: West Liberty Hilltopper Basketball

Interesting articles I'm sure. Just saying with exposure to this in the last 5 years that the top players and the top teams have sponsorship and their players recruited for those teams, the families do not have to pay anything for their child to play. No travel or food expenses, no lodging, no uniform cost, even shoes and backpacks are provided.

Now for the entire family to go across the country to watch, then sure there is cost for the family. But for the players on the elite AAU teams they are covered.

[Dirtybird]

Re: West Liberty Hilltopper Basketball

Interesting articles I'm sure. Just saying with exposure to this in the last 5 years that the top players and the top teams have sponsorship and their players recruited for those teams, the families do not have to pay anything for their child to play. No travel or food expenses, no lodging, no uniform cost, even shoes and backpacks are provided.

Now for the entire family to go across the country to watch, then sure there is cost for the family. But for the players on the elite AAU teams they are covered.

[boatcapt]

Re: West Liberty Hilltopper Basketball

The teams those coaches are watching, their players pay nothing. At that level of AAU the teams are "fully funded".

So if only certain teams are being watched, why are the other teams there? Why are the other teams and players being charged to participate?

Very few teams are "free" and the ones that are are HIGHLY competitive to join. Here are a couple of article that lays out what the costs truly are:

https://news.medill.northwestern.edu...at-high-price/

https://defpen.com/the-true-cost-of-aau-basketball/

[Dirtybird]

Re: West Liberty Hilltopper Basketball

The teams those coaches are watching, their players pay nothing. At that level of AAU the teams are "fully funded".

[boatcapt]

Re: West Liberty Hilltopper Basketball

Where else are they going to see the top HS kids play all at the same time at the same place? I have witnessed gyms with Bill Self, Bob Huggins, Tom Izzo, and many others all there at the same time in the same gym watching certain AAU games. Big money operations.

Yep...It makes a "class" system were the only players that can hope to get noticed are those who have parents who can pay the $ to get their kid on a good AAU team and then pay to get them into the "right" "tournaments." If you happen to be a kid who's family is scraping by, well, too bad for you!!!

And the people making money are the "owners" of the AAU teams and the owners of these so called "showcase" tournaments.