8 Tips for Playing College Basketball
By Alan Stein·
Learning Center > Basketball > 8 Tips for Playing College Basketball
Playing college basketball is like a giant game of Musical Chairs – there are a lot more people (aspiring high school age players) than there are chairs (spots on college rosters)! We encourage players to find ways to separate themselves to increase their chances of getting a ‘chair.’ We challenge them to join the 1% Club (develop the positive habits that 99% of people don’t have).
The first step to playing college basketball is working on your craft. It’s being relentless in your development. It’s about becoming the best player you are capable of. You accomplish this by building your game like a pyramid, from the ground up… brick by brick. Playing college basketball is an outcome goal. To get there, you need to focus on the process.
Here is some advice for aspiring college basketball players:
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Use basketball. Don't let basketball use you. If you are smart, you can use basketball to have fun, develop friendships, stay in great shape, travel the world, play in front of your community and possibly earn a college education. Regardless of your level, use basketball as a vehicle for the rest of your life. Per the bench warmer comment above, I was an above average player (as in, I got to play in college), but I certainly wasn’t The Chosen One and no one ever called me King Stein. However, I’ve been able to parlay my love for the game into my dream job and that orange ball has provided me a laundry list of amazing life experiences.
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Don't chase success. Pursue excellence and success will eventually follow. Too many players chase player rankings instead of working on their game. Players (and parents) are quick to complain about these rankings or complain about playing time and blame their coaches or ‘politics.’ The reality is, they aren’t a very good player (yet). Early infatuation with exposure leads to exposing all of the holes in your game. If you focus on development and building your game brick by brick, success (of varying levels) will find you. Don’t worry about exposure. Trust me, in 2014, if you can play… they will find you.
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Keep a small inner circle. Stay insulated. Don’t have an entourage. Make sure you surround yourself with people that truly love you. How do you know? They tell you the things you need to hear… not the things you want to hear. That is a powerful distinction and the sign of a good friend and a good coach. You need a small boat full of people that are all helping you paddle towards your dreams. You don't need people poking holes in your boat.
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It's not where you start; it's where you finish! We had a player at DeMatha that barely made the freshman team as a 9th grader. Then he was a role player on JV as a sophomore. He played varsity as a Junior, but didn’t start every game. He developed into a sound player as a Senior. Fast forward a few years and he was the #2 pick in the 2013 NBA Draft (Victor Oladipo). Victor embraced the process, didn’t get caught up in rankings and continued to work on his game. He still does that to this day!
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Someone is always watching. I mean always. Everything you do matters. On the court and off the court. Online and offline. Hold yourself to the highest standard in everything you do and always put your ‘best foot forward.’
Here is some advice for picking a school if you develop into a potential college level player:
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Play at a level that is appropriate for you. Don’t have the ‘Division I or bust’ mentality. If a D2 or D3 school is more suitable for you to have an impactful career… embrace it. College basketball is college basketball and the level required to play at any college is extremely high.
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Choose a school that you'd be happy with if you got injured and could no longer play. Love the campus, love the people, love the academic program, etc. Pick a school that you would still enjoy attending if basketball weren't involved.
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Make sure you are truly comfortable with the players and coaches. That is who you will be spending 90% of your time with. They will become your second family. You can’t choose your first family, but you can choose this one!
I hope you found this helpful and I wish you the absolute best as you pursue your goal of playing college basketball.
Alan Stein