West Liberty Hilltopper Basketball

[Columbuseer]

Re: West Liberty Hilltopper Basketball

Cost is $400 to $4000 per summer per player not including travel, meals, lodging etc.
https://qctimes.com/sports/high-scho...1d00aedb5.html

[Columbuseer]

Re: West Liberty Hilltopper Basketball

I hear you. Hard to come up with a definitive figure because programs (and boosters) are all over the place.

I'm kind of talking about someone taking a look at the costs to the players family (cost of video highlight clip, cost of "elite" camps, etc) AND a deep dive on the more unseemly underbelly like what it costs for a player to play for an AAU team that has a "history" of putting players in D1 programs vice the cost of playing for an AAU team that puts few or none in D1...how much does it cost to for players to attend the various "showcases" and "elite camps"...How much does it cost to get a "recruiting service" known to put a lot of players into D1 to "recommend" a player vice ones that maybe don't have such a "record of D1 success." While I can't put a dollar figure on any of this, I do know it ain't cheep and certainly far beyond what many families can afford. Sooooooo...How are families of limited means funding this? How are any the more "boutique" services/showcases funded? Is it JUST from the money provided by participants or are there behind the scene investors?

I speculate that doing that deep dive would tell a story that some people don't really want to know about!

[boatcapt]

Re: West Liberty Hilltopper Basketball

Tricky part of it is the school usually has no trace to the money trail -- and knows 'nothing about it' ... lol.

You get the whales at the big schools. The money doesn't mean a thing to them. They just want their team to beat their buddy's team. They take care of the loopholes.

I hear you. Hard to come up with a definitive figure because programs (and boosters) are all over the place.

I'm kind of talking about someone taking a look at the costs to the players family (cost of video highlight clip, cost of "elite" camps, etc) AND a deep dive on the more unseemly underbelly like what it costs for a player to play for an AAU team that has a "history" of putting players in D1 programs vice the cost of playing for an AAU team that puts few or none in D1...how much does it cost to for players to attend the various "showcases" and "elite camps"...How much does it cost to get a "recruiting service" known to put a lot of players into D1 to "recommend" a player vice ones that maybe don't have such a "record of D1 success." While I can't put a dollar figure on any of this, I do know it ain't cheep and certainly far beyond what many families can afford. Sooooooo...How are families of limited means funding this? How are any the more "boutique" services/showcases funded? Is it JUST from the money provided by participants or are there behind the scene investors?

I speculate that doing that deep dive would tell a story that some people don't really want to know about!

[Columbuseer]

Re: West Liberty Hilltopper Basketball

Tricky part of it is the school usually has no trace to the money trail -- and knows 'nothing about it' ... lol.

You get the whales at the big schools. The money doesn't mean a thing to them. They just want their team to beat their buddy's team. They take care of the loopholes.

So true. In appreciation, The whales probably get a guest lecturer gig at the school on business ethics! LOL

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Re: West Liberty Hilltopper Basketball

It would be interesting for a newspaper to do a story on the "cost behind athletic recruiting." Got to be a billion dollar business!!! Hummmmmm...maybe I need to get back into it now that I have more free time and am much more social media savvy??!!

Tricky part of it is the school usually has no trace to the money trail -- and knows 'nothing about it' ... lol.

You get the whales at the big schools. The money doesn't mean a thing to them. They just want their team to beat their buddy's team. They take care of the loopholes.

[boatcapt]

Re: West Liberty Hilltopper Basketball

A lot of those jabronies run 'elite' camps in the summer. The more D1 players they are (loosely) affiliated with ... they can likely charge much more at the camps.

And, of course, there is the 'legal' side of recruiting and then the 'reality' side of it. Basketball recruiting is as dirty as it gets.

It was easy in the 90s when Ricky Roe's dad just wanted a new John Deere and a bag of cash.

It would be interesting for a newspaper to do a story on the "cost behind athletic recruiting." Got to be a billion dollar business!!! Hummmmmm...maybe I need to get back into it now that I have more free time and am much more social media savvy??!!

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Re: West Liberty Hilltopper Basketball

Speaking of another one I suspect got bad advice ... I haven't seen a thing on Jair Rodgers.

[boatcapt]

Re: West Liberty Hilltopper Basketball

I see him playing d2 in a large metro area. I would think that once June comes the d1 openings will have largely evaporated. I would guess that his 150 lb frame is not worth a d1 school having him sit a year. He may learn that at his age there are no mulligans on bad decisions. There are consequences.

Life can be a hard teacher sometimes. Of course, the little bugs that whispered D1 nothings in Hills ear will be nowhere to be found come June when Hills is trying to get a late walk-on from bad DII or D3 programs. They will have moved on to the next DII player they can fill with "you're D1 caliber" garbage and probably won't even remember Hills name.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Re: West Liberty Hilltopper Basketball

A lot of those jabronies run 'elite' camps in the summer. The more D1 players they are (loosely) affiliated with ... they can likely charge much more at the camps.

And, of course, there is the 'legal' side of recruiting and then the 'reality' side of it. Basketball recruiting is as dirty as it gets.

It was easy in the 90s when Ricky Roe's dad just wanted a new John Deere and a bag of cash.

[boatcapt]

Re: West Liberty Hilltopper Basketball

https://www.google.com/amp/s/thinkpr...fae6c4a7e/amp/


Hey Duquesne, how does it feel to be on the other end? At least Williams did not break his word like carry did ( scholarships only valid for 1 year). Maybe your coaches need to beef up on theology classes lol!

My years have taught me that almost everything in life has a financial motive. There are a few things that people do just because they care, but very few. It's possible that these "services" could do what they do just because they love the game but the reality is that they are probably doing it for the Benjamins. We may not know exactly how they have "monetized" their service but your first two examples are very plausible and I think likely...particularly #2.

[Columbuseer]

Re: West Liberty Hilltopper Basketball

Had Humphrey's not listened to his handlers, AAU "coaches" and Twitter Recruiting Service "experts", he would be entering his Sr year at West Liberty and possibly be one of the leading players in the nation...but he didn't and is now hoping for one big year on his third team!!

Someone will pick Hills up. Even though he is not really a D1 caliber player, he has proven in his one year at WLU that he is a very good DII player and will get someone at that level to throw him a lifeline.

I see him playing d2 in a large metro area. I would think that once June comes the d1 openings will have largely evaporated. I would guess that his 150 lb frame is not worth a d1 school having him sit a year. He may learn that at his age there are no mulligans on bad decisions. There are consequences.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Re: West Liberty Hilltopper Basketball

IUP has tried to play Duquesne for years and years. They want nothing to do with Joe.

That's why Calipari took a shot at them after IUP played at Rupp this year.

[Columbuseer]

Re: West Liberty Hilltopper Basketball

That's a good question. Don't really know. I would imagine there is some sort of financial incentive somewhere but in this Social Media age, it could be as simple as getting more "followers." In the case of the cat I pointed out and his "service," there appears to be no actual company, web site or any way to access the company except I guess through the guy and his friend's Twitter page.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/thinkpr...fae6c4a7e/amp/


Hey Duquesne, how does it feel to be on the other end? At least Williams did not break his word like carry did ( scholarships only valid for 1 year). Maybe your coaches need to beef up on theology classes lol!

[boatcapt]

Re: West Liberty Hilltopper Basketball

What is in it for the recruiting pirates?

That's a good question. Don't really know. I would imagine there is some sort of financial incentive somewhere but in this Social Media age, it could be as simple as getting more "followers." In the case of the cat I pointed out and his "service," there appears to be no actual company, web site or any way to access the company except I guess through the guy and his friend's Twitter page.

[Runnin' Cat]

Re: West Liberty Hilltopper Basketball

It does, but the handlers contribute. It also includes self titled "Scouting Services" that hit the kid the second he mentions that he is committing to name DII's and tells them that they are "can't miss" D1 players...You couple what the handlers are whispering in their ear, what these unsolicited recruiting "experts" are reinforcing and the belief in every player that he just needs a shot to PROVE that all his hard work has really made him one of the best players in the nation and BAM...You get a player decommitting from one of the best programs in the nation to go JUCO to Polk State (Humphreys), or to accept a low tier D1 offer (Carry), or have to accept a lifeline offer from a DII (Dennis), or are sitting out in limbo after no D1 came calling (Hills). And these Twitter recruiting pirates are on to the next fish whispering in his ear that he REALLY is a D1 talent!!

What is in it for the recruiting pirates?