HS Basketball--bench players

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:But also remember, most varsity coaches won’t take a player and waste a spot on someone they never envision playing. So either she’s got potential for this year or next year to play some amount. This is where she should tune in to the coach’s development plan and work hard in the areas advised.

The opposite can also be true (and was true at our FCPS HS) -- V coach will take juniors and seniors for the end of the bench, getting only garbage time, have freshman and sophomores starting/playing significant minutes on JV to continue their development.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How much playing time do bench players expect to get on a public HS basketball team? Is it possible to make it off the rotation in the same season? DD is anticipating being a bench player.

As previous posters have said the rotation is usually 3-4 deep, meaning most coaches will only play 8-9 players in competitive games. Your DD has the entire Summer to work on her game. She needs to arrive at Fall workouts ready to show why she deserves to be in the rotation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Are coaches recruiting at public HS? I know it happens at Privates

I don't know about the girls side. For sure, lots of "transfers" for mysterious reasons in boys public.

My son’s public brought in 4 transfers to play varsity his freshman year and 2 his sophomore year. I have no idea how they convinced those kids to come. One moved back to his home state (he had been staying with an assistant coach) mid season because he wasn’t getting playing time.

[Anonymous]

In competitive games, coaches generally want their starters getting 75-80% of available minutes (depending on specific game needs).

The first three guys off the bench will generally get the lion’s share of what is left. After that, guys are waiting for blowouts or one-off chances.

If your son is a rising sophomore projected to be a bench player on varsity, ask if possible to roster him on both teams where he’ll mostly play with JV and not much with varsity.

If your son is a rising junior and being placed on JV, he has to swallow his pride and take it. The coaches are signaling that they are willing to give him one more developmental year.

[Anonymous]

Sorry, didn’t catch it is a DD. But all applicable to her.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:In competitive games, coaches generally want their starters getting 75-80% of available minutes (depending on specific game needs).

The first three guys off the bench will generally get the lion’s share of what is left. After that, guys are waiting for blowouts or one-off chances.

If your son is a rising sophomore projected to be a bench player on varsity, ask if possible to roster him on both teams where he’ll mostly play with JV and not much with varsity.

If your son is a rising junior and being placed on JV, he has to swallow his pride and take it. The coaches are signaling that they are willing to give him one more developmental year.

This is a signal that they like the kid personally, he's a good team player who raises morale, and they are willing to give him a spot on the Varsity bench as a senior. Not that they expect him to develop from 11th to 12th into a varsity starter. Honestly, its a compliment to a kid's character that they don't want to cut him.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
This is a signal that they like the kid personally, he's a good team player who raises morale, and they are willing to give him a spot on the Varsity bench as a senior. Not that they expect him to develop from 11th to 12th into a varsity starter. Honestly, its a compliment to a kid's character that they don't want to cut him.

This is also applicable to late bloomers (late puberty) like my son and my nephews who didn't get their major growth spurts until well into high school. My son has been playing AAU or travel year-round since 3rd grade so he has the talent and skills for high school but not the height yet. DH and his brothers all over 6 feet, and hopefully my son will be too as he is still growing (my side also above average).

[Anonymous]

Is it permissible to be rostered on JV and Varsity? That seems unethical.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In competitive games, coaches generally want their starters getting 75-80% of available minutes (depending on specific game needs).

The first three guys off the bench will generally get the lion’s share of what is left. After that, guys are waiting for blowouts or one-off chances.

If your son is a rising sophomore projected to be a bench player on varsity, ask if possible to roster him on both teams where he’ll mostly play with JV and not much with varsity.

If your son is a rising junior and being placed on JV, he has to swallow his pride and take it. The coaches are signaling that they are willing to give him one more developmental year.

This is a signal that they like the kid personally, he's a good team player who raises morale, and they are willing to give him a spot on the Varsity bench as a senior. Not that they expect him to develop from 11th to 12th into a varsity starter. Honestly, its a compliment to a kid's character that they don't want to cut him.

It could be a variety of things. Your explanation is one plausible option. Coaches will also do it when they have a senior heavy varsity team and the junior would be buried on the bench and the playing reps are important. I’ve seen it done for a kid who was good but really needed to fix his shot and he came back ready to start as a senior. That JV spot comes at the cost of someone else’s development. So it is not without cost.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Is it permissible to be rostered on JV and Varsity? That seems unethical.

Permissible in most places and under most league/conference rules. Nothing unethical about it. In basketball, it usually happens with big post players and with exceptional guards. The in between guys usually don’t get it.

Custom is to not do it with a junior. Rather use it for Freshmen and Sophomores who are talented enough to be exposed to varsity practice that young, but not quite good enough to crack major minutes with the varsity. Those freshmen/sophomores come back to varsity in subsequent years and hit the ground running. They typically project as multi-year varsity starters.

[Anonymous]

Every player is in his/her own unique situation. The best way to know the answer to this question is to ask the coaches how they see the players role.