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COLUMN: Recruitment can hinge on tangible numbers
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Published: January 31, 2010
A few different thoughts while examining the sports scene …
One of the most interesting parts of the college football season, to me at least, is the recruiting process.
That's also one of the most subjective areas of the game, at least according to popular belief.
Certainly, there are subjective aspects - like a quarterback who is being recruited as an athlete, or if a defensive lineman in high school is projected to move to tight end. Because there is no tape of these players at different positions, it is solely up to the coaches to project what sort of players they might become.
Despite the general level of recruiting hoopla that's taken over – especially since ESPN has gotten involved - there exists a fantastic lesson for high school athletes.
You have to put in a tremendous amount of effort in some of the recruiting basics, like running well and lifting weights. And those things take a strong dedication.
Most people think college coaches put too much stock into how fast a 40-yard dash a prospect runs, or how many times he can bench press 185 or 225 pounds. There's a reason for that, though.
Colleges have hundreds or even thousands of prospects they study on tape. They get recommendations from coaches, who talk about how good of a kid their guy is, and scour report cards.
But it's impossible to project how good a prospect will be on a college campus, no matter how well behaved he was in high school.
It is not something that can be tangibly measured.
How fast a prospect can run a 40, or how much he can bench press, can be quantified. Coaches can write it down on a sheet of paper – in ink – and compare that to prospects with similar tape and grades.
If high school athletes don't work for 18 months to try and shave 0.2 seconds from their 40 time and don't have a strict weightlifting program, they will miss out on opportunities.
That may seem slightly unfair, but sometimes it's the one measurable, tangible thing that can separate a scholarship athlete from an invited walk-on.
New chant needed
It's something you hear at almost any high school or college basketball game when the home team beats a ranked opponent.
Over-rated (clap, clap, clap-clap-clap).
I'm guilty of chanting that myself a few times up at Appalachian State — what can I say, I was young and impressionable — but it's time for this one to go the way of the dinosaur.
Think about it.
A highly-ranked team comes into your gym. The home team plays fantastic basketball in front of a roaring crowd and pulls the upset.
Naturally, as the game winds down, the home fans begin the overrated chant.
Think for just a second about what that is saying: Hey, your team is ranked pretty high. But because we beat you, you must not be as good as most people think.
What a backhanded insult to your own team.
There has to be something more creative out there. I'll keep my ears open.
Bedeviled
What's up with the ACC this year?
Yeah, it's still early in conference play, but the league entered the weekend with Maryland atop the standings and North Carolina at No. 10.
It's an incredibly jumbled league that lacks legit horsepower. The Big East and Big 12 are both better, top to bottom.
But who comes out on top once the ACC season is over?
Hard to pick against Duke. The Devils — and Jon Scheyer individually — are better than I expected.
They should win the ACC title.
Don't worry, though, Duke haters.
You'll still get to celebrate when the Devils are bounced early in the NCAA tournament.
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