Looking for a high school with amazing boys basketball coaching and academics

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Bullis has a current McDonald's All American on their girls team. She is former Clarksburg High athlete, UMD recruit, and of course plays AAU.

And came to Bullis in senior year! Why?

[Anonymous]

How would you compare the quality of coaching at Sidwell versus Gonzaga?

Was hoping to escape the AAU grind at some point, but maybe it’s not possible if he wants to play for a well-coached high school team.

[Anonymous]

St. John’s. Btw, even if not in scholars program, students can take plenty of honors level and AP classes.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:DeMatha

Sports yes, academics no.

Are DeMatha academics subpar or simply not as good as the other schools mentioned here? Not OP but curious for DS looking for similar opportunities.

DeMatha academics are very good if they are honors/AP level

+1 and also SAES.

Dematha and St. Andrew's are not strong academically.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DeMatha

Sports yes, academics no.

Are DeMatha academics subpar or simply not as good as the other schools mentioned here? Not OP but curious for DS looking for similar opportunities.

DeMatha academics are very good if they are honors/AP level

+1 and also SAES.

Dematha and St. Andrew's are not strong academically.

Both send kids to great schools

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Anyone good enough to ply at the schools with good academics and basketball and coaching WILL be playing AAU. Some of the asst coaches at the schools are also coaching AAU.

My opinion:
Sidwell
Maret
Potomac
Landon
Georgetown Prep
Gonzaga
St Johns Honor program?
Bullis (unsure of academics but they seem good to me)

Every single one of the boys on these teams (ones that get playing time) also play AAU. Mostly Melo, Durant, New World, Takeover, DC Premier, DNA Elite

Potomac and Maret are not very good at basketball. But both are excellent academic schools. I would add SSSAS to the mix, although their basketball team took a decided step back this year after their coaches left to take over the Dematha program.

Sidwell is the top school in the DMV when you weigh academics as well as their current basketball success. Coach Singletary is an excellent coach. If your child can get into Sidwell, and can make their varsity team, he might find his place. Just know Sidwell plays a very defensive game and they don't use a big bench. Some players might not thrive in that environment.

PVI is by far the best team in the DMV and one of the best teams in the nation. Their recruiting encompasses Charles County through Anne Arundel County in Maryland, and it goes as far west as Shenandoah County in Virginia. Glen Farello is perhaps the current dean of DMV basketball coaches. Unless he's recruiting you to his team, you probably won't be on the team.

Just about all of the players who get meaningful minutes on any of these teams will also be playing AAU.

Maret has a very good basketball program with a former D1 basketball coach. I wouldn’t measure a team necessarily just on wins or losses but I bet they’ll be competing a lot in the next 1-2. They have like 40 boys per grade, they do a great job with what they have and the good players tend to go D1. They have a promising young squad.

I would say similar things about Potomac as well. Great coaching.

At the end of the day, it doesn’t really matter. If OP’s son is good enough to play at any of these schools, he will still have to play AAU.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How old is your kid? If your kid is older than 8th grade then they would have been picked for Demantha, PVI or St. Johns and will likely go to a D1 college.

Height is another factor obviously. Some private schools are very committed to height. For example, O’Connell doesn’t have any starters (even shooting guard) under 6’5.

GDS is NOT known for basketball but obviously great academic school.

Sidwell, Flint Hill (their coach is very respected in the basketball community) but their academics are not as good but better than public, Bishop Ireton (also not as good)

Then you have guards at Sidwell and SJC that aren’t even 6 feet.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DeMatha

Sports yes, academics no.

Are DeMatha academics subpar or simply not as good as the other schools mentioned here? Not OP but curious for DS looking for similar opportunities.

DeMatha academics are very good if they are honors/AP level

+1 and also SAES.

Dematha and St. Andrew's are not strong academically.

It is unfair to label schools as “not strong academically” because they have diverse learners. If they have diverse learners who are successful in college and beyond, I would say they have very strong academics. What would you consider strong academics? A HS like St. Albans that is a pressure cooker, but they’ve already weeded out the diverse learners? So how strong can the academics really be with kids who are already preselected for their academic performance and potential.

[Anonymous]

If your kid is good enough these schools would be looking for them not the other way around.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If your kid is good enough these schools would be looking for them not the other way around.

This. And they’d be looking for him at AAU games.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:St Albans

This is a joke or someone who’s not an STA parent. The basketball program at STA is unbelievably bad. The last few years, we’ve had varsity players walk off the team in protest because the coaching was so pitiful. Recruited players left the school. We haven’t won an IAC championship in basketball since 2004. There is deep pain around the basketball program, dog.

Wow. That’s surprising. I didn’t know all this but I am aware of really good players in the younger years who are going to want a stronger basketball program. I wonder what they can do to make their program better. It’s a clear indication if recruited players are leaving!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How would you compare the quality of coaching at Sidwell versus Gonzaga?

Was hoping to escape the AAU grind at some point, but maybe it’s not possible if he wants to play for a well-coached high school team.

Is he really a top player?

Gonzaga recruits tops players and has boosters paying the tuition.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:St Albans

This is a joke or someone who’s not an STA parent. The basketball program at STA is unbelievably bad. The last few years, we’ve had varsity players walk off the team in protest because the coaching was so pitiful. Recruited players left the school. We haven’t won an IAC championship in basketball since 2004. There is deep pain around the basketball program, dog.

Wow. That’s surprising. I didn’t know all this but I am aware of really good players in the younger years who are going to want a stronger basketball program. I wonder what they can do to make their program better. It’s a clear indication if recruited players are leaving!

This will change in the next couple years. STA is bringing in some of these players in the area.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:St Albans

This is a joke or someone who’s not an STA parent. The basketball program at STA is unbelievably bad. The last few years, we’ve had varsity players walk off the team in protest because the coaching was so pitiful. Recruited players left the school. We haven’t won an IAC championship in basketball since 2004. There is deep pain around the basketball program, dog.

Wow. That’s surprising. I didn’t know all this but I am aware of really good players in the younger years who are going to want a stronger basketball program. I wonder what they can do to make their program better. It’s a clear indication if recruited players are leaving!

This will change in the next couple years. STA is bringing in some of these players in the area.

Will they be able to handle the academic pressure though? And will they stay and not want to transfer to a school with a more successful basketball program?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:St Albans

This is a joke or someone who’s not an STA parent. The basketball program at STA is unbelievably bad. The last few years, we’ve had varsity players walk off the team in protest because the coaching was so pitiful. Recruited players left the school. We haven’t won an IAC championship in basketball since 2004. There is deep pain around the basketball program, dog.

Wow. That’s surprising. I didn’t know all this but I am aware of really good players in the younger years who are going to want a stronger basketball program. I wonder what they can do to make their program better. It’s a clear indication if recruited players are leaving!

If STA had all the kids who could be on the varsity team this year, including the ones who recently transferred out to places like Bullis, as well as the really good players who quit to focus on other sports, they would be really legitimate. Instead, players, coaches, ex-players etc are all grumbling. It really is sad.