Coaching Roundtable
At the beginning of the basketball season I purchased a men’s college basketball preview magazine, and while I was thumbing through it a month or so ago, I saw an article in which they asked several evaluators on the men’s side a series of questions. I thought it might be a good idea to ask a handful of college coaches a series of questions to get their opinions and then relay those answers to the parents and players who follow Prep Girls Hoops Indiana. However, I have also decided to make this article FREE for the general public, so feel free to pass along the link for this article to anyone you feel it could benefit.
All of these coaches are real, but they will remain anonymous at their request. I’m guessing based on an answer or two you can probably figure out who they are, but they are all successful NAIA coaches who have coached in the national tournament on multiple occasions at schools that have been ranked in the NAIA Top-25 in most seasons.
DISCLAIMER: It is against NCAA rules for any of their coaches (Division-I, II, or III) to do any such interview, so that is why I stuck with NAIA coaches. Their association does not prohibit them from participating in this.
Karissa McLaughlin
Q1: Who is the best prospect you have ever seen or evaluated at the high school level and why?
Coach #1: For my level (NAIA) it would be Natalie Young from Adams Central H.S. (2004) and Bethel College (2008). She was being recruited by several NCAA Division-I schools but wanted to go to a small Christian college. She was a 3-time NAIA All-American and holds ten individual records at Bethel. Overall, I would have to say Abby Prohaska of Lakota West H.S. (2018) in Ohio. She is currently a Freshman at the University of Notre Dame. Both ladies play with passion at both ends of the floor and are team players.
Coach #2: Even though we had zero chance of getting her, I always enjoy watching Karissa McLaughlin from Homestead H.S. (2017) and Purdue University play. She does so many things on the floor, but I just love watching her shoot, plus she plays with such composure and confidence.
Coach #3: Haley Cavinder of Gilbert H.S. (2019) in Arizona, and a Fresno State University commit, has a tremendous feel, great intensity, and her ability to make split-second decisions is better than any high school girl I’ve seen. That mix of intangibles with her strong base and quickness/athleticism, in addition to her ability to handle and shoot from all levels, make her such a weapon.
Q2: Who is a prospect you evaluated (whether they played for you or someone else) who you felt was a “sleeper”…someone who you liked a lot who wasn’t ranked high or recruited heavily, but who turned out to be really good?
Coach #1: Abby Noll of Fort Wayne’s Carroll H.S. (2003) and Bethel College (2007). She was just a 5’2 combo guard, but at Bethel she ended up being a 2000-point scorer and having her jersey retired immediately after her playing career concluded.
Coach #2: Darby Maggard of Fort Wayne’s Canterbury School (2015) and Belmont University (2019) is pretty special. She is probably considered undersized by several people, but she has such a great presence. She dictates so much action on the floor, and she is fun to watch because she has a motor that doesn’t quit. Every time she shoots the ball, I think it is going in. She has had a great career at Belmont.
Coach #3: Abby O’Connor of South Bend’s Saint Joseph H.S. (2017) and Loyola University in Chicago. Abby wasn’t considered the best prospect on either her high school or grassroots teams, she wasn’t heavily recruited, yet she continued to improve and get stronger, and this year as a college Sophomore was named to the Missouri Valley Conference’s First Team and All-Defensive Team.
Q3A: What is the most important skill you look for when evaluating point guard prospects?
Coach #1: GRIT – They need to have confidence in taking control of the floor.
Coach #2: COURT-VISION – So much of the game is played in transition and dependent upon spacing. We want point guards who see everything going on. We want them to throw the ball ahead, understand how the defense is playing us, and be able to deliver the ball where it needs to go. There are a lot of point guards who can dribble the ball and complete passes. We want point guards who know why they are passing it and to dribble with a purpose based on what they see.
Court #3: FEEL – Having a point guard who understands the game and understands how to make the people around her better is paramount when it comes to having a successful team/system.
Natalie Young
Q3B: What is the most important skill you look for when evaluating wing prospects?
Coach #1: ENDURANCE – Our wings need to be able to play for lengths of time, plus they are usually on top of our full-court press and our match-up zone.
Coach #2: MULTI-DIMENSIONAL – We want our wings to be able to do a lot of things. It’s nice if they have a particular skill, like shooting, but I would take a slightly lesser shooter if they could also put the ball on the floor, make smart passes, and defend every position.
Coach #3: VERSATILITY – Having wings who can shoot, drive, and handle the ball is important. Also, wings who can defend 1 through 4 are valuable.
Q3C: What is the most important skill you look for when evaluating frontline prospects?
Coach #1: FOOTWORK – Posts need to have lateral movement and skilled footwork in making post moves.
Coach #2: REFINED – At our level, size is not as important as skill. While it would be nice to get someone who is 6-4 with great hands, we are more likely to get an undersized post who does something especially well. Our best player is a 5-11 post who can shoot, drive, and has creativity around the basket. The best post player in our conference is 5-9 but has a great mid-range jumper. Our conference had five frontline players make up the All-Conference 1st Team, and none of them are over 6-1, but all of them are highly skilled.
Coach #3: MOTOR – If you have a post who plays harder than the opposing post, you will have an advantage on the glass and in transition.
Q4A: What is the most important physical trait you look for when evaluating point guard prospects?
Coach #1: BALL SKILL – Strength in handling the ball against pressure, and I also like to see how fast they handle it in transition.
Coach #2: QUICKNESS – They don’t necessarily need to be fast, like running a 100-yard dash, but quickness is important. They need to be able to get by people so we want them to be able to move quickly. How quickly they can get from 0-60 MPH is more important than if they can eventually get to 100 MPH.
Coach #3: STRONG CORE – Guards with a strong core have a burst to go by people as well as have the ability to play through contact when they’re facing bigger, stronger defenders.
Abby O’Connor
Q4B: What is the most important physical trait you look for when evaluating wing prospects?
Coach #1: ATHLETICISM – Our wings need to be athletic and willing to slash on offense and rebound at both ends of the floor.
Coach #2: LENGTH – We like our wings to be around 5-9 or taller, but we really want a long wingspan. Long arms shoot over smaller defenders, rebound better, and defensively can disrupt another team’s offense.
Coach #3: LENGTH – Versatility at both ends is important for our wings. Being interchangeable defensively is also important for us. I believe length helps accomplish that, plus it helps being able to post smaller defenders because it plays a part in our offense.
Q4C: What is the most important physical trait you look for when evaluating frontline prospects?
Coach #1: LEVERAGE – Our posts can’t be pushed around down low. They have to stand their ground when rebounding and playing post defense.
Coach #2: ATHLETICISM – We like our posts to also have length, but we need them to be able to run and jump. So much of what we do is dependent upon how we defend. On occasion, our posts have to be able to defend point guards and girls who can shoot it. If they are slow or can’t move, it takes us out of what we want to do. Athletic posts give us a better chance at transition baskets as well.
Coach #3: QUICKNESS – In a game where versatility seems to trump power a lot of the time, I look for posts who can defend a 5 but also has the ability to switch onto a guard in ball-screen coverage.
Q5: What are the three most important “intangible” traits you look for when evaluating any prospect?
Coach #1: I call it the three Cs…(1) Coachable, (2) Confident, (3) Consistent.
Coach #2: (1) Coachable, (2) Positive Attitude, (3) A Love For The Game. These are non-negotiable for us. Our season begins in September and finishes in March. That’s around 100 practices and over 30 games. I don’t want to have to worry if a player is going to fade on us. Players who have these traits always practice hard and want to keep getting better. The season is hard enough, so we have no time to constantly coach a girl up to care.
Coach #3: (1) Motor, (2) Toughness, (3) Feel.
Abby Noll
Q6: If you evaluate the same prospect in both the grassroots and high school seasons, are you looking for something different out of them based on the different environments?
Coach #1: No, I’m just looking for consistency in effort and attitude.
Coach #2: We use the evaluation time with their grassroots team to see what their talent and skillset looks like against comparable players. We evaluate their play with their high school team to see how they play in a more structured environment.
Coach #3: Obviously there are basketball skills we are looking for in both settings, but the traits I’ve found translate consistently to both settings, even crossing over between sports sometimes, are the intangible traits. Motor, toughness, feel, and awareness are traits that make the people around you better no matter the setting. Those are the players we want to fill our program.
Q7: Other than playing well/performing in front of college coaches, what is something of a couple of things prospects and their families should take upon themselves to do more often away from the gym to help their recruiting?
Coach #1: Communication during the high school season. Maybe update us on their play throughout the season or if they are reaching milestones.
Coach #2: Prospects and families should start by deciding what they want. If their goal is to play professionally, there are a lot of schools they can mark off their list. If they want a good education and a good playing experience, they should start with deciding what they want to study and see who is the best at delivering that. After they decide that, there are a lot of ways to help themselves. I’d start with contacting the coach through email, filling out the recruiting questionnaire, and/or attending camps. However the contact happens, it is most effective coming from the prospect and NOT the parents. Playing travel ball is helpful, but sending game footage through a high school coach is also welcomed. There are a lot of recruiting sites out there, but simply putting your information online isn’t enough. You need to find a way to deliver that information to the specific coaches you want evaluating you.
Coach #3: One thing we feel from recruits we have NOT offered yet is they want to know what needs to be done in order to earn an offer. Being willing and able to ask THAT question (what they need to do to earn an offer) provides great clarity for both sides. Having an understanding of what colleges/programs want from a prospect is an important detail so they know how they can pursue growth and ultimately determine if that school is a place they want to work towards. I think the answer is very different for every player AND college.
Q8: What do you think is the top question you get asked by prospects you are recruiting? Why do you think that is?
Coach #1: “Will you be here all four years?” I think that is a legitimate question by the prospects and families because they want that stability in their lives.
Coach #2: “How much do you travel?” I think the reason WE get that question, is because most of our players are good students and they don’t want to fall behind academically. They don’t want to miss a lot of classes.
Coach #3: “Do you give athletic scholarships?” People on the whole aren’t terribly familiar with the different levels of college basketball, and oftentimes don’t remember or understand what is permissible at each level.
Darby Maggard
Q9: What do you think SHOULD be the top question asked by prospects? Is it asked? Why do you think it isn’t asked more?
Coach #1: “What do you think my timeline will be to make an impact in your program?” OR “If I was on the team right now, what would be my role?” I’m not sure they really want to know the answers to these questions, so they don’t ask them.
Coach #2: “Do you have my major?” I’d say I get asked this by about 25% of our recruits. I don’t think we get asked this enough because prospects start with what they want to get out of basketball not school. They want to know how good our team is, how much they’ll play, what our players are like, and what I’m like as a coach. Northing is more frustrating than building a relationship with a player, only to find out they want to study something we don’t offer, or they changed what they want to study during the process and didn’t inform us.
Coach #3: “What kinds of opportunities and success will joining your program set me up for upon graduation from your institution?” Unfortunately, it seems like our basketball culture today tells kids they need to pursue their “highest” offer as opposed to finding the best fit for them. If they had a “graduation day” focus instead of a “signing day” focus, the transfer rate would be much lower, and the joy/freedom players experience would be much greater.
Q10: What is a thing or two you think prospects or their families are most scared to ask about, especially if you have extended an offer, that you would be more than happy to discuss with them?
Coach #1: I think my answer for Question-9 applies here as well.
Coach #2: I think prospects and their families are afraid to ask financial questions because they don’t want to appear like they don’t understand, or they don’t want to appear as though they can’t afford something. It can be humbling but it shouldn’t be. College is expensive and you should want to know everything. This would include asking what all the offer covers. Does the offer cover books, housing, or summer school classes? Are there other fees we have to pay? Are there other ways I can earn money, like work-study? If I get injured or decide to quit playing, what happens to my scholarship money? If I don’t play well, will anything happen to my scholarship money? If I do play well, can my scholarship money be increased? These should all be asked.
Coach #3: Prospects and families are hesitant to ask about scholarship money. This is very much a circumstantial question, as not everyone at our level receives a full scholarship. I would assume most families are curious about how much money they’ll receive, but it doesn’t come up enough.
Thank you to the three coaches who participated with this article, and I again hope it at least helps prospects and families a little to understand what college coaches are specifically looking at and dealing with on a regular basis when it comes to recruiting for their programs.
Header photo of a version of King Arthur’s famous Round Table and Knights; photo courtesy of www.chairry.net. Photo of Karissa McLaughlin courtesy of Homestead High School’s Hudl.com account. Photos of Natalie Young & Abby Noll courtesy of bethelcollegepilots.com. Photo of Abby O’Connor courtesy of loyolaramblers.com. Photo of Darby Maggard courtesy of belmontbruins.com.