Haters will hate. I wouldn’t call Arizona or Nevada’s coaches ‘Club Coaches’. Also, if it’s referring to Vaughn Compton your referring to one of the best skill trainers in country. I coach HS hoops but am just as confused as you about AAU and the youth system. I grew up playing basketball my entire life but at age 34 that was pick up games on playground and going to camps. AAU was just getting started and was mostly the Lebron’s of the world. That is non existent now bc parents want to organize everything. Plus they don’t want kids playing with random adults at a playground that they don’t know which is understandable. Long story short I missed AAU basketball and have gained a much better understanding of it from listening to your podcast. I also think it’s awesome your taking interest in what makes your son happy. You had a question about whether to go to Showcase or regular game. You gotta play for your school and am certain you made the right call. Any college coach I’ve ever talked to agrees with the decision your son ultimately made. Even if your son tears up in a showcase, it’s to get looks from a college. If that college does digging (which they do) and finds out you skipped a game with your team to go to Showcase it’ll have negative effects on his recruiting, instead of positive. Chase Harler plays at WVU and was a big debate on staff whether to give him a scholarship based on talent alone. Especially bc the last big in state recruit blew up in there face and was off the team in less than a week. Once they met him and then talked to WV high school coaches who coached him and against him there was no question about the scholarship. And if your sons clearly a D1 talent he will be found. Also best showcases are in summer. Colleges are busy with own season and guys on staff who are focused on recruiting are watching recruits play for high schools or doing work overseas, not going to showcases. The National showcases during summer are good and going to a school you are already interested in’s showcase is also a good idea. Ex. Son gets a letter from Robert Morris University so you send him to there showcase and hopefully he will play well and impress the coaches over a few day span... Best Bball Films - Hoop Dreams, Rebound, Unguarded, Requiem for the Big East, Winning Time: Reggie Miller vs Knicks, and The Fab Five.
