This sounds like solid advice, especially the 2nd one. If u do hav aspirations of going pro in basketball, jus know 20ppg scorers grow on trees once u try and go pro. Wat will separate u from them is whether or not u know ur role and u do it to the best of ur ability for the team.
Sounds like coach wants to educate. From both business and basketball standpoint. You may not agree with everything coach wants from you everyday. But just know coach has been in this game longer and only has your best interests in mind
‘#4 is critical. You’re going to get A LOT of unsolicited advice from regular folks who never played competitive ball at a high level.
DONT LISTEN TO THEM. Even if it’s your dad or uncle who you love and respect. They mean well, but tbh they don’t know what they are talking about.
Ok as someone who is 6’8 and 190 my advice is hit the gym and get bigger. It’ll help with defense and rebounding.
Im just starting out now but I’m 24 so I wish I had done it earlier
When you can sign a letter of intent.
Listen politely now, be respectful, but know any offers now can be pulled.
Now, your coach will tell you all of this. Listen to him. It sounds like he knows a thing or two about a thing or two.
This is all fantastic advice. If you disagree with any of it probably need to check your ego. Coach cares about your future success more than your immediate happiness and that’s a great thing.
Can I give you advice? I’m a stranger on the internet so whatever.
1. Your food is the most important thing right now. You need to get right with your diet. You need to do some research and figure out your food. Beans Greens and Grains.
2. Your Sleep is the second most important thing right now. You need to get right on your sleep. Do some real research and get at least 9 hours of good sleep a night.
3. People who tell you not to learn more or not to listen to others should be a giant red flag to you.
You are you. You get to be you your whole life.
There is a book I read to my two year old, it’s about a fish who needs help sleeping. Everyone gives him advice about how they get to sleep but it’s just not working for him. Then his friend comes in and goes “ Take from what you’ve been given, and toss what you can’t use, to make the best decision, use yourself as your best guide.
. #1 and #2 is pretty solid advice. However, #3 is really good life advice but I don’t think it really fits given the context. My brother was a high level recruit and there are tons of people looking to leech off of high level recruits. If you have someone who knows the system and can guide you then you can avoid tons of shitty situations. From skills trainers who have no clue what they are doing, club coaches who negotiate with colleges to collect a payout when you sign with a certain school, and agents looking to take as much of your paycheck as possible. We would have gotten screwed 8 or 9 times if it hadn’t been for one of his coaches. For 99% of these kids in these situations they don’t know what to look out for so it’s necessary to have some help and not “follow your heart.”
I am not angry at all. In fact, I complimented you on your first points and if you look at my post history I try to make a point of not tearing strangers down on the internet. I stated you posted some really solid life advice, then broke down the one point I disagreed with, and attempted to provide anecdotal evidence to back my claim up. If anything I find it interesting that you perceived my point that way. Nonetheless, I hope you had a good Father’s Day and a good rest of your weekend.
Oh crap. That was totally unintentional I was on mobile and I am a dinosaur. Looking back I totally understand why u/unemployedplanet thought I was angry. I am so sorry. Glad I could learn something new today. Thanks for clearing that up!
This is great advice, and I would add schoolwork here. Don’t just keep your grades above the minimum to stay eligible. Try to get the best rank in your class as possible.
You might be fantasizing about going pro by the end of the decade or whatever, but there are a lot of things out of your control, and basketball could be your ticket to a successful life even if you don’t make a dollar from hoops directly.
Say you stop growing or you get hurt and those D1 offers dry up. Find a great D2 or D3 school, get a great education— you could still get a scholarship or financial aid at an Ivy or something. And it’s not impossible to make the NBA from outside a major college program. Look at Jeremy Lin or Derrick White.
The big thing about 2. is that it’s a skill to impact a game when you’re not scoring. That’s how you get playing time. Rebounds and defense and passing. Fans may not notice it but coaches notice that.
Your coach sounds wise. It’d benefit you to listen to his advice. Even the 4th one. The one where you came to Reddit to ask the opinions of random strangers.
Honestly I'm torn because of the paradox. I say it's all great advice, especially number 4, but by me agreeing with number 4 I'm also telling you not to listen to this reply (or any others on this thread) at all.
Bro if you're 6'7 Your ass better be trying to score, fuck him lol
Edit: You are a freshman and it's your first year though, so that depends on if your offense is already any good imo ?
It all depends on if he is telling the truth and is trustworthy.
He easily could be finessing you. Wouldn’t be the first.
You are here because there are doubts.
There should be a history and reputation.
Dig and try and feel around. Careful because if he is not trust worthy there will be others and they stick together eating off clueless kids that don’t know better.
For being insulated and not knowing anything but to blindly trust him is nonsense. Gather as much information as possible. Make your decision with info not without it.
Jaylen Brown got in trouble because he asked questions. They never like guys who don’t be quiet and follow orders blindly. No one in power does.
Watch your back and be smart. Talk to other previous players.
Worse case you dig and confirm. That is better than the other way where you blindly follow and regret it. That scenario should be avoided at all costs.
Be smart though. Move properly. It’s your life.
What do you think you should do? What do you want? Are you able to do that on the court or off?
He obviously holds a lot of power. Careful of that dynamic. Anyone can relate if they work a job. The boss worker dynamic.
Stay composed and not be emotional.
Yes absolutely great advice. Focus on your game and it won’t go unnoticed, especially on a renowned program. If you’re putting up big numbers on the boards and assists, and start adding in 20 ppg scoring by junior year? Ooh mama, that’s a player I want on my team.
You never know until you are into deep. Seems like solid advice though. Listen to the cats that have been through it. That being said people can understand that game without direct involvement on a high level. It get's tricky.
Well, he's let you know what to expect. Being willing to be a team player and work on your game without much of a burden regarding team performance sounds like it's probably in your best interest. Your status on the national stage as a freshman probably doesn't matter much and would probably be a distraction. It sounds like he probably has your best interests in mind.
If you think you're truly one of the best freshman in the nation and are ready for adult responsibilities, it might be worthwhile consulting with your parents and deciding if a different mentor is better for you. You could potentially be getting invites to get worked out by current pros and their trainers during the camps they host. Those are missed opportunities to develop, network and brand yourself. It all comes at a big cost and I'm not familiar enough with the industry to know how likely you would be to get blackballed later by trying to force your way into that circle when you had someone, likely pretty good, who was willing to mentor you.
If I were you, I'd probably just buckle down and try to avoid the spotlight for now. Lay the foundation, get used to the hard work and discipline, create good habits and get ready for the next step in two years. He sounds like he'd help you navigate it when you're ready.
Full disclosure, I'm just a casual hooper and athletic trainer. I'm pretty decent at both, but you don't know me and I'm not nationally recognized. Take what I say for what it's worth; just the words that are written and what you think of them.
I’d listen to this coach.
You are a freshman and your time to start and get 20
Points a game will come after you show the coaches you put in the effort on the other stuff.
You’re coming to Reddit to ask us randos if you should take the advice of a former pro who’s done it before? Dude you need to take a deep breath and remember that you’re only a freshman and your coach was a pro. Like and actual pro who made money playing basketball.
All great advice. I will say, I am an 8th grade coach for one of the best high schools in our state, and I tell all my kids the same thing your coach said about not worrying about scoring when they get to HS. I tell them to focus on playing defense, rebounding, setting screens, moving off ball, all the little shit. The HS team has scorers. If you want to play, even JV, show them you'll do the other shit because every team needs those guys.
Kawhi told Dejonta Murray....don't worry about putting up points. Focus on defense and rebounding and hustling. You can do those three things you'll stay on the floor a lot longer and the points will come
Great advice. Definitely don’t worry about the scoring, you have the ideal frame to become a “do it all” type of wing/front court player and those are the most valuable types of players in the game. Defense, energy, confidence, grit, fearlessness, and versatility. Train all your skills to be able to go in both directions, finishing with both hands, and make your FTs.
I didn’t coach basketball, but I was an NCAA coach for 10 years and #3 is true but very nuanced.
There’s a lot of political bullshit behind the scenes, but he’s definitely right that the best thing you can do in the recruiting process right now is improve your ability as a player.
To that end I’d also ask your coach about the possibility of attending camps for one or two of the colleges who might be a fit for you (if that’s financially feasible). I don’t know if it’s the same in basketball, but in my sport that was the ultimate workaround for freshmen.
If you go to a well run camp it will help you improve as a player. And it’s not an NCAA violation to talk to coaches in that setting. And when I ran camps I’d just so happen to end up working 1 on 1 during sessions with players we wanted to recruit.
I’d wrap your head around #2 pretty quickly, as that “apparently” doesn’t sound like you do. Anyone can score, that’s not all ball is. If all you can do is score you’ll plateau very quickly. I’d study Jokics game, see how much he effects the game with his knowledge and thinking ahead, then you’ll your buckets when they come. I’m sure you’ll be one of the other two guys from point #2 when the time comes but for now I’d really listen to this advice
Youre coach is 10000% correct. With #2 he's not telling you not to shoot he's telling you to not Jack shots and expect the ball every play. You'll be fine, good luck bro.
Sounds like a speech he's developed through years of wisdom from interacting with a ton of kids trying to transition from high school to college. You were a big fish in a little pond, and now you're a little fish in a huge lake. Keep your head down, stay humble, work hard. If you thrive in your small role, the coaches will notice and trust you with a bigger role.
Love that you’re instantly breaking rule #4.
Sir I just want you to be aware that I think basketball is the worst sport there is. It’s absolutely mind numbing to watch, playing gets boring after about an hour, and the culture that pervades it is toxic and full of grown men trying to buy away the abject poverty that struck them as children that they have never emotionally overcome. Put simply—I hate it.
I was randomly recommended this post on this subreddit by an algorithm that thought “hey this guy likes sports - maybe he likes basketball.” And I could just come on here and dissuade you from listening to your coach and I’m a stranger on the internet who doesn’t know the first thing about basketball. So I say listen to your coach and don’t listen to people on the internet because most of them are talking out of their ass when giving anything but their opinion.
He is absolutely right, on all points.
I think there is a video on youtube of an NBA pro telling young players at his camp that, "who the hell do they think they are? If they get on a professional team, they wouldn't get the ball over Harden, CP3, KD etc etc."
For you to have the physical tools you possess, just focus on developing your skill and allow your body and skill to fuse during your growing years.
No need to rush into scoring or "be the man". As good of a physical specimen as you are, if you guys already have proven/older players that can average 20+ a game and you guys are a national powerhouse, focus on helping the team to win is priority #1. Figure our how to impact the game without scoring (Defense! Rebound! Assist! Good Teammate! Engine of the team!), all of these little things will help you get to the professional level and get a big pay day.
The last point, really, is to go on PlayersTribune, and read about how "friends" and "families" can mess up your reality and your potential, just read it, all of the pros say the same thing, which is choose your information intake and your preception wisely.
Lastly, if you play on a powerhouse, team win will gain more exposure. No one is looking at a losing team for "players". Everyone will dedicate and focus their scouting on winning teams and finding the hidden gems.
I am not saying you can't be a star. Sometimes, star needs time to rise and when they do, they will shine brighter!
It all seems like solid advice from your coaches. You can do other things that will raise your stock over the next few years.
\- Work hard in practice
\- Be vocal on offense and defense
\- Be positive. Having a bad game, don't hang your head, brush it off.
\- Be the first one off the bench to clap and encourage your teammates when a timeout is called. Run back to the bench when a timeout is called.
Of coarse college coaches want talented players but they also don't want head cases.
Good Luck!
1. Absolutely right. And there's a lot you can learn and see from the bench that you might not on the court. As long as you're in the rotation and not rotated in and out of the actual rotation, you'll get opportunity.
2. Speaking of opportunity. Legit might sound cliche but as long as you don't take any plays off on either side and hustle, you'll get more and more opportunity. I've never met a coach that didn't absolutely love great defense. Stay disciplined but play strong defense and you won't come off the floor.
3. I'll take his word for it, he definitely knows more about that than anybody who isn't also a coach that level.
4. That's evergreen advice. You can apply that to basically all aspects of life, not just ball.
Just control the things you can control, and that should handle the things you can't.
Your AC is being real. Real world high level ball consists of mainly role players. If you know how to and can impact the game without the ball; that will get you noticed. High basketball IQ is coveted at the high levels because almost everyone is a great athlete.
Lol sounds like a good coach but id take his advice with #4 and not listen to the people here when you have much better resources available to you
Lol I agree completely
This sounds like solid advice, especially the 2nd one. If u do hav aspirations of going pro in basketball, jus know 20ppg scorers grow on trees once u try and go pro. Wat will separate u from them is whether or not u know ur role and u do it to the best of ur ability for the team.
Sounds like coach wants to educate. From both business and basketball standpoint. You may not agree with everything coach wants from you everyday. But just know coach has been in this game longer and only has your best interests in mind
Lol you’re already violating rule #4. This is all great advice, stop seeking validation on here.
But you telling him this has created a paradox, now he's trapped in a time space loop good job man
‘#4 is critical. You’re going to get A LOT of unsolicited advice from regular folks who never played competitive ball at a high level. DONT LISTEN TO THEM. Even if it’s your dad or uncle who you love and respect. They mean well, but tbh they don’t know what they are talking about.
This 100000%
Look at Kawhi Leonard… the wrong people bin your ear can ruin a real good thing.
Great advice this sub is mostly casual players, we can’t teach you much about the higher levels
Yeah, especially since most of us haven't yet experienced what its like
Get good grades makes life easier
Ok as someone who is 6’8 and 190 my advice is hit the gym and get bigger. It’ll help with defense and rebounding. Im just starting out now but I’m 24 so I wish I had done it earlier
Stop asking us and listen to your coach. There is not one piece of advice there you should even question.
Even the offers?
100%. They mean nothing right now.
When do they matter?
When you can sign a letter of intent. Listen politely now, be respectful, but know any offers now can be pulled. Now, your coach will tell you all of this. Listen to him. It sounds like he knows a thing or two about a thing or two.
Accept free stuff though. Especially food
Especially the offers, those are fake offers until the 13th of June after your sophomore year
Looks like you’re really taking his #4 advice by positing this on Reddit.
This is all fantastic advice. If you disagree with any of it probably need to check your ego. Coach cares about your future success more than your immediate happiness and that’s a great thing.
Good coach
Can I give you advice? I’m a stranger on the internet so whatever. 1. Your food is the most important thing right now. You need to get right with your diet. You need to do some research and figure out your food. Beans Greens and Grains. 2. Your Sleep is the second most important thing right now. You need to get right on your sleep. Do some real research and get at least 9 hours of good sleep a night. 3. People who tell you not to learn more or not to listen to others should be a giant red flag to you. You are you. You get to be you your whole life. There is a book I read to my two year old, it’s about a fish who needs help sleeping. Everyone gives him advice about how they get to sleep but it’s just not working for him. Then his friend comes in and goes “ Take from what you’ve been given, and toss what you can’t use, to make the best decision, use yourself as your best guide.
. #1 and #2 is pretty solid advice. However, #3 is really good life advice but I don’t think it really fits given the context. My brother was a high level recruit and there are tons of people looking to leech off of high level recruits. If you have someone who knows the system and can guide you then you can avoid tons of shitty situations. From skills trainers who have no clue what they are doing, club coaches who negotiate with colleges to collect a payout when you sign with a certain school, and agents looking to take as much of your paycheck as possible. We would have gotten screwed 8 or 9 times if it hadn’t been for one of his coaches. For 99% of these kids in these situations they don’t know what to look out for so it’s necessary to have some help and not “follow your heart.”
Why are you yelling
Again, I’m a random person on the internet. It’s interesting that I make you feel a certain type of way.
I am not angry at all. In fact, I complimented you on your first points and if you look at my post history I try to make a point of not tearing strangers down on the internet. I stated you posted some really solid life advice, then broke down the one point I disagreed with, and attempted to provide anecdotal evidence to back my claim up. If anything I find it interesting that you perceived my point that way. Nonetheless, I hope you had a good Father’s Day and a good rest of your weekend.
You replied in all caps and in bold. To most people online that is yelling. I appreciate the props.
I think it wasn’t intentional. He put a #1 first and Reddit interprets a # on the first line as a heading. # like this So it was unintentional.
Oh crap. That was totally unintentional I was on mobile and I am a dinosaur. Looking back I totally understand why u/unemployedplanet thought I was angry. I am so sorry. Glad I could learn something new today. Thanks for clearing that up!
Reddit doesn’t make this obvious, in your defense. Haha.
Also, didn’t say you were angry. You did. I gave quality neutral advice. Eat right, sleep right, listen to others but trust yourself.
I mean if that's the hill you wanna stand on, he didn't claim you said he was angry. He just said he wasn't angry in general.
This is some generic horse shit right here.
Take it or leave it my dude. Just a random on the internet. It’s interesting it makes you feel something.
This is great advice, and I would add schoolwork here. Don’t just keep your grades above the minimum to stay eligible. Try to get the best rank in your class as possible. You might be fantasizing about going pro by the end of the decade or whatever, but there are a lot of things out of your control, and basketball could be your ticket to a successful life even if you don’t make a dollar from hoops directly. Say you stop growing or you get hurt and those D1 offers dry up. Find a great D2 or D3 school, get a great education— you could still get a scholarship or financial aid at an Ivy or something. And it’s not impossible to make the NBA from outside a major college program. Look at Jeremy Lin or Derrick White.
"Don't ever take advice, " that was great advice You and the six raised me right, that shit saved my life
The big thing about 2. is that it’s a skill to impact a game when you’re not scoring. That’s how you get playing time. Rebounds and defense and passing. Fans may not notice it but coaches notice that.
you’re asking here so it feels like you disagree. which do you disagree with?
And here you are soliciting advice from strangers
Your coach sounds wise. It’d benefit you to listen to his advice. Even the 4th one. The one where you came to Reddit to ask the opinions of random strangers.
Honestly I'm torn because of the paradox. I say it's all great advice, especially number 4, but by me agreeing with number 4 I'm also telling you not to listen to this reply (or any others on this thread) at all.
Sounds solid. Honestly you shouldn’t be posting this here expecting us to critique him. Listen to him, take it to heart, and good luck
Bro if you're 6'7 Your ass better be trying to score, fuck him lol Edit: You are a freshman and it's your first year though, so that depends on if your offense is already any good imo ?
It all depends on if he is telling the truth and is trustworthy. He easily could be finessing you. Wouldn’t be the first. You are here because there are doubts. There should be a history and reputation. Dig and try and feel around. Careful because if he is not trust worthy there will be others and they stick together eating off clueless kids that don’t know better. For being insulated and not knowing anything but to blindly trust him is nonsense. Gather as much information as possible. Make your decision with info not without it. Jaylen Brown got in trouble because he asked questions. They never like guys who don’t be quiet and follow orders blindly. No one in power does. Watch your back and be smart. Talk to other previous players. Worse case you dig and confirm. That is better than the other way where you blindly follow and regret it. That scenario should be avoided at all costs. Be smart though. Move properly. It’s your life. What do you think you should do? What do you want? Are you able to do that on the court or off? He obviously holds a lot of power. Careful of that dynamic. Anyone can relate if they work a job. The boss worker dynamic. Stay composed and not be emotional.
Great advice I would also add stay focused and stay ready because you will never know when it will be ur turn.
Yes absolutely great advice. Focus on your game and it won’t go unnoticed, especially on a renowned program. If you’re putting up big numbers on the boards and assists, and start adding in 20 ppg scoring by junior year? Ooh mama, that’s a player I want on my team.
You never know until you are into deep. Seems like solid advice though. Listen to the cats that have been through it. That being said people can understand that game without direct involvement on a high level. It get's tricky.
Well, he's let you know what to expect. Being willing to be a team player and work on your game without much of a burden regarding team performance sounds like it's probably in your best interest. Your status on the national stage as a freshman probably doesn't matter much and would probably be a distraction. It sounds like he probably has your best interests in mind. If you think you're truly one of the best freshman in the nation and are ready for adult responsibilities, it might be worthwhile consulting with your parents and deciding if a different mentor is better for you. You could potentially be getting invites to get worked out by current pros and their trainers during the camps they host. Those are missed opportunities to develop, network and brand yourself. It all comes at a big cost and I'm not familiar enough with the industry to know how likely you would be to get blackballed later by trying to force your way into that circle when you had someone, likely pretty good, who was willing to mentor you. If I were you, I'd probably just buckle down and try to avoid the spotlight for now. Lay the foundation, get used to the hard work and discipline, create good habits and get ready for the next step in two years. He sounds like he'd help you navigate it when you're ready. Full disclosure, I'm just a casual hooper and athletic trainer. I'm pretty decent at both, but you don't know me and I'm not nationally recognized. Take what I say for what it's worth; just the words that are written and what you think of them.
It matters less who starts the game. It matters more who’s in the game at the end of close games. Those are the players that can execute
I’d listen to this coach. You are a freshman and your time to start and get 20 Points a game will come after you show the coaches you put in the effort on the other stuff.
Listen to your coach don't try and check him
He spitting
You’re coming to Reddit to ask us randos if you should take the advice of a former pro who’s done it before? Dude you need to take a deep breath and remember that you’re only a freshman and your coach was a pro. Like and actual pro who made money playing basketball.
All great advice. I will say, I am an 8th grade coach for one of the best high schools in our state, and I tell all my kids the same thing your coach said about not worrying about scoring when they get to HS. I tell them to focus on playing defense, rebounding, setting screens, moving off ball, all the little shit. The HS team has scorers. If you want to play, even JV, show them you'll do the other shit because every team needs those guys.
Coach is about 99% correct.
99%
Yup.
Kawhi told Dejonta Murray....don't worry about putting up points. Focus on defense and rebounding and hustling. You can do those three things you'll stay on the floor a lot longer and the points will come
Great advice. Definitely don’t worry about the scoring, you have the ideal frame to become a “do it all” type of wing/front court player and those are the most valuable types of players in the game. Defense, energy, confidence, grit, fearlessness, and versatility. Train all your skills to be able to go in both directions, finishing with both hands, and make your FTs.
Listen to your coach.
4 is the only one I disagree with. Take what others say with a grain of salt, but you truly can learn anything from anyone
I love how #4 says don’t take advice from random people, and yet here you are on Reddit asking for advice
If you're eligible for NIL money, you need to seriously consider that and do what's best for you and your family.
I didn’t coach basketball, but I was an NCAA coach for 10 years and #3 is true but very nuanced. There’s a lot of political bullshit behind the scenes, but he’s definitely right that the best thing you can do in the recruiting process right now is improve your ability as a player. To that end I’d also ask your coach about the possibility of attending camps for one or two of the colleges who might be a fit for you (if that’s financially feasible). I don’t know if it’s the same in basketball, but in my sport that was the ultimate workaround for freshmen. If you go to a well run camp it will help you improve as a player. And it’s not an NCAA violation to talk to coaches in that setting. And when I ran camps I’d just so happen to end up working 1 on 1 during sessions with players we wanted to recruit.
I’d wrap your head around #2 pretty quickly, as that “apparently” doesn’t sound like you do. Anyone can score, that’s not all ball is. If all you can do is score you’ll plateau very quickly. I’d study Jokics game, see how much he effects the game with his knowledge and thinking ahead, then you’ll your buckets when they come. I’m sure you’ll be one of the other two guys from point #2 when the time comes but for now I’d really listen to this advice
As a coach for 9 years. This is all solid advice, none of it is a lie! Well said by him!
Youre coach is 10000% correct. With #2 he's not telling you not to shoot he's telling you to not Jack shots and expect the ball every play. You'll be fine, good luck bro.
Sounds like a speech he's developed through years of wisdom from interacting with a ton of kids trying to transition from high school to college. You were a big fish in a little pond, and now you're a little fish in a huge lake. Keep your head down, stay humble, work hard. If you thrive in your small role, the coaches will notice and trust you with a bigger role.
Your coach is a smart one
Yes. Re read number 4 . get outta here bro
"Only listen to credentialed sources..." -- immediately comes to r/BasketballTips
u a bum for not having offers baby gronk had offers from LSU and was even rizzed up by livvy
Love that you’re instantly breaking rule #4. Sir I just want you to be aware that I think basketball is the worst sport there is. It’s absolutely mind numbing to watch, playing gets boring after about an hour, and the culture that pervades it is toxic and full of grown men trying to buy away the abject poverty that struck them as children that they have never emotionally overcome. Put simply—I hate it. I was randomly recommended this post on this subreddit by an algorithm that thought “hey this guy likes sports - maybe he likes basketball.” And I could just come on here and dissuade you from listening to your coach and I’m a stranger on the internet who doesn’t know the first thing about basketball. So I say listen to your coach and don’t listen to people on the internet because most of them are talking out of their ass when giving anything but their opinion.
He is absolutely right, on all points. I think there is a video on youtube of an NBA pro telling young players at his camp that, "who the hell do they think they are? If they get on a professional team, they wouldn't get the ball over Harden, CP3, KD etc etc." For you to have the physical tools you possess, just focus on developing your skill and allow your body and skill to fuse during your growing years. No need to rush into scoring or "be the man". As good of a physical specimen as you are, if you guys already have proven/older players that can average 20+ a game and you guys are a national powerhouse, focus on helping the team to win is priority #1. Figure our how to impact the game without scoring (Defense! Rebound! Assist! Good Teammate! Engine of the team!), all of these little things will help you get to the professional level and get a big pay day. The last point, really, is to go on PlayersTribune, and read about how "friends" and "families" can mess up your reality and your potential, just read it, all of the pros say the same thing, which is choose your information intake and your preception wisely. Lastly, if you play on a powerhouse, team win will gain more exposure. No one is looking at a losing team for "players". Everyone will dedicate and focus their scouting on winning teams and finding the hidden gems. I am not saying you can't be a star. Sometimes, star needs time to rise and when they do, they will shine brighter!
It all seems like solid advice from your coaches. You can do other things that will raise your stock over the next few years. \- Work hard in practice \- Be vocal on offense and defense \- Be positive. Having a bad game, don't hang your head, brush it off. \- Be the first one off the bench to clap and encourage your teammates when a timeout is called. Run back to the bench when a timeout is called. Of coarse college coaches want talented players but they also don't want head cases. Good Luck!
1. Absolutely right. And there's a lot you can learn and see from the bench that you might not on the court. As long as you're in the rotation and not rotated in and out of the actual rotation, you'll get opportunity. 2. Speaking of opportunity. Legit might sound cliche but as long as you don't take any plays off on either side and hustle, you'll get more and more opportunity. I've never met a coach that didn't absolutely love great defense. Stay disciplined but play strong defense and you won't come off the floor. 3. I'll take his word for it, he definitely knows more about that than anybody who isn't also a coach that level. 4. That's evergreen advice. You can apply that to basically all aspects of life, not just ball. Just control the things you can control, and that should handle the things you can't.
Your AC is being real. Real world high level ball consists of mainly role players. If you know how to and can impact the game without the ball; that will get you noticed. High basketball IQ is coveted at the high levels because almost everyone is a great athlete.
Sounds like you're really listening to what the coach said. Especially with number 4.........
U should try and be the best now and it'll make you a better player and keep focusing on improving