In the final installment, Coach Randall will share how tough it is to bring in the right players into a college program. It is an exciting look behind the curtain at the recruiting process and thoughts of a coach operating a college program. He will provide examples of the do’s and don’t of players and parents during the process ((McKay Chess Library: Best Lessons of a Chess Coach by …. https://www.ebay.com/p/376810)).
Division II Recruiting
According to Lance, college recruiting is hard. With all of the time and effort that his program puts into going out and finding the best players, he admits that mistakes are going to happen ((HOME | Cuhere. https://jenistyyy.wixsite.com/cuhere)). He added, “Just think of all the millions of dollars put into the NFL or NBA drafts. How often are they wrong?” There were 198 players drafted before Tom Brady. Finding the right players is not an exact science.
There were over 900 players that transferred last year in college basketball. This shows how difficult it is to get it right. Many of these kids simply chose the wrong school or did not “gut out” a tough situation. Besides, the player’s priorities change, and many will continue to grow when they get to college. One of the most significant intangible in the process is the mental make up of the player. Lance stated that “you just can’t know the heart and desire of the kid. This can transcend talent level.” His first two All-Americans came to his program after transferring from Division III programs. How many coaches missed on them?
The differences between the divisions of college basketball are not as significant as you may think. Sure, the size of the players is different. He does not see the 6’8″ point guard or teams that have multiple 7-foot players on the roster at the Division II level, but he emphasizes that basketball is still basketball. Lance coached a Division II team that went to Division I Miami and beat them. They played Florida State and lost only by nine points. Most recently, his team missed a shot at the buzzer to just lose to Marquette by just two points. The basketball skills and athleticism are the same at any level.
He stresses that if you are a scholarship player, the coaches will find and see you play. There are, however, many cases where a bit of luck plays into the process. He told a story of a player from the northeast who traveled to Florida to help his sister move into college. When he visited her campus, he thought to himself that it was pretty awesome, so he sought out the basketball coach and expressed interest. This player, who had a couple of offers at low-level Division II schools up north, decided to come to this school in Florida and ended up being the conference player of the year. Crazy things can happen.
Lance stated that it is merely a perception issue between Division II schools and mid-major division one programs. The talent level is relatively equal. They draw similar sized fan bases. They both can offer the coveted “full-ride” scholarship packages. He urges parents not to discount Division II programs without taking a look.
Many colleges have been focusing in the spring on recruiting transfers and junior college players. The focus is on these players because they can make an immediate impact on a program. This newer development creates even more competition for the incoming high school athlete.
Parent/Player Behavior Impacting Recruiting
College coaches do come to evaluate your basketball skills in a game environment. Still, Coach Randall made it clear that he is just as interested in behaviors that reveal insights into the player’s character. Parents are a direct extension of the player and are also under scrutiny. I asked him directly if he had ever stopped recruiting a player based on the player’s parent. He replied, “100%. I have stopped because of the parents. Negative parental conduct is a major red flag for our program. Whether a dad is obnoxious in the stands or a mom throwing her child’s teammates under the bus, these actions do not fit our culture.”
“There have been times that when I had to tell a parent to back off once their kid gets into our program.” He says he will not have a conversation about playing time with a parent. It is time for their son to grow up and take control of those crucial conversations. He did admit that sometimes the parents matter less if the player that they are recruiting lives far away from campus.
On the other hand, the parent’s actions could turn the table for a young player. He is looking for parents that are genuine and altruistic. He hopes they taught their child to understand the concept of the team and to be part of something bigger than themself. He hopes that they are there to support their child, but have the foresight to let them struggle and fight for their goals as a player when there is adversity.
Figuring out whether or not the player is talented is the easy part. The tough part is finding the traits that turn a good player into a great player. He is looking for hard-nosed unselfish players that are fighters. He is also looking for young men who are raised to be caring and compassionate young men. This represents the x-factor that he is looking for in the recruiting process.
We are a culture of mental and physical toughness. I want guys who understand that winning is a result of giving yourself up for the greater good of the team. It requires getting to the other side of “hard.” We want confident, talented players, but we need a locker room of selfless winners who are over themselves. That is the secret sauce.
Coach Lance Randall
Campus Visits
My absolute favorite part of my conversation with Lance was the story that he told me about one of his recruits who came for a campus visit. “I was looking at a kid who was an elite athlete and student. His high school coach loved him. He checked all the boxes.” Coach Randall and his staff were very excited for the young man to come and visit. When he arrived on campus, several red flags started to be revealed. He spent much of the tour on his phone constantly texting. He had poor eye contact with him and his coaching staff. Lance overheard him being disrespectful to his father. The player ended up taking the front seat in the van that they were using to tour. He did not allow his mother to have it. To make matters worse, the family was 20 minutes late to their breakfast meeting the following morning. This was it. He was done with this prospect. Be forewarned. All of your actions are being studied during the visit to campus.
We expect a lot of our student-athletes. They are not allowed any tardies or unexcused absences. They have to sit in the first two rows in all of the classes that they attend. Best effort and best attitude is the expectation. I hate entitlement and excuses. We expect more because we care deeply about each of them. I care deeply about our responsibility to develop each player’s accountability and maturity much more than just basketball.
Coach Lance Randall
Lance said that he likes to have recruits spend time with all of the players in the program. He encourages them to ask any questions that they want to have answered. Nothing is off of the table. The coaching staff will then talk to the players. They are told to provide honest feelings about the recruit. The positive or negative feedback is readily factored into deciding to present an offer to the player.
Making a Decision
The easiest phone call to make is the one that you make to the college whose offer you are accepting. Lance did, however, stress the importance of the player contacting any coach that they built a relationship with during the recruiting process with a phone call to tell them they are not accepting the offer. This is an excellent way of teaching the young player gratitude and respect. He feels that it is good for the kids.
The vast majority of the college coaches will handle a turn down call positively. It is just apart of their profession. There will be a few that will get upset and treat the player disrespectfully ((Of course, there will be a few that will get dropped on …. http://www.meadvisors.com/of-course-there-will-be-a-few-that-will-get-dropped-on-the/)). As a coach who has been on that side of that phone call numerous times, Coach Randall takes it in stride. He does admit there are times when he is tempted to scream through the phone that they are making a terrible decision, but he knows he can’t say it. “It is just a part of the life of a coach,” he mused.
Scholarships
The majority of colleges that provide scholarships do it on a partial scholarship model. The athletic scholarship money can be stacked with financial aid or academic scholarships. “The vast majority of players in the better leagues receive full or almost full rides,” Coach Randall commented. In today’s world, scholarships are for one year and must be renewed annually. This is very common across Division I and Division II schools.
Conclusion
I hoped that you enjoyed this in-depth look at Coach Randall and his thoughts on the game that he loves. I hope to bring more of these interviews to you in the future. Thank you for reading this post. I hope that you will subscribe below for notification of future posts and special events.