Anonymous
Post 08/13/2025 18:44     Subject: What do you need to get recruited to play basketball
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:You need to be able to touch the net.


With one hand or two?

I don't think there's a lot of leeway academically for basketball players at WashU or CMU. This is not Duke or Michigan. They'll be bright kids who were good players in high school, but not D1 standouts. And there's a million good students and basketball players who didn't grow up to be 6'7. So I would expect WashU and CMU players to be pretty smart - certainly enough to handle the normal course work. CMU and WashU are not in significant conferences, so with the way things are going, it's more like club sports. And would pursue accordingly. No dumbass is playing there. But it's a definite boost on an app.

Would reach out to the coaches if this a good student with some demonstrable skills.


This is an example of how you say that you know nothing about college sports and recruiting with directly saying that you know nothing about D3 sports or recruiting in general.

The UAA is one of the most competitive D3 conferences in the country (along with the NESCAC.) and the level of athletic talent is high. There will be some D1 caliber athletes on every team. Every player isn't D1 caliber but you find plenty of kids who were targeting Ivies but didn't quite make it and fell back to high academic D3 rather than lower academic mid-major D1 schools.


I’m confused what you mean “fell back to D3 than lower academic mid-major D1”.

The sport is basketball…if a kid isn’t getting recruited for an Ivy they also aren’t getting recruited for a mid-major D1 program which will likely be a better conference on average for basketball compared to the Ivy League.

Especially because those conferences can offer scholarships and NIL money.
Anonymous
Post 08/13/2025 18:42     Subject: What do you need to get recruited to play basketball
Anonymous wrote:For Carnegie Mellon or WashU? In terms of academic requirements. Thanks

How good is your kid?
Anonymous
Post 08/13/2025 18:41     Subject: What do you need to get recruited to play basketball
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:You can look up the bios of the players for those schools and similarly situated Division III schools (e.g. Johns Hopkins, UChicago, etc.).

Being great enough at basketball to be recruited is going to be the hard part. Even at these schools, the players were generally All-State-level high school basketball players or competed with them in AAU programs. These aren’t just “smart kids who happen to play basketball on the side”. They are “elite basketball players that are also smart.” You can say that about recruited athletes in virtually any sport at the high academic Division III schools.


Wouldn't call D3 basketball players "elite"


We are D3 made it to the TBT championship this year and the majority of the players actually play Pro ball in Europe. They may not be Top 25 level players but pretty Elite overall.
Anonymous
Post 08/13/2025 18:34     Subject: What do you need to get recruited to play basketball
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:You need to be able to touch the net.


With one hand or two?

I don't think there's a lot of leeway academically for basketball players at WashU or CMU. This is not Duke or Michigan. They'll be bright kids who were good players in high school, but not D1 standouts. And there's a million good students and basketball players who didn't grow up to be 6'7. So I would expect WashU and CMU players to be pretty smart - certainly enough to handle the normal course work. CMU and WashU are not in significant conferences, so with the way things are going, it's more like club sports. And would pursue accordingly. No dumbass is playing there. But it's a definite boost on an app.

Would reach out to the coaches if this a good student with some demonstrable skills.


This is an example of how you say that you know nothing about college sports and recruiting with directly saying that you know nothing about D3 sports or recruiting in general.

The UAA is one of the most competitive D3 conferences in the country (along with the NESCAC.) and the level of athletic talent is high. There will be some D1 caliber athletes on every team. Every player isn't D1 caliber but you find plenty of kids who were targeting Ivies but didn't quite make it and fell back to high academic D3 rather than lower academic mid-major D1 schools.
Anonymous
Post 08/13/2025 18:33     Subject: What do you need to get recruited to play basketball
You can't teach height, so for really tall kids (probably 6-9 and up) there might be a bit more flexibility. But as others have said, most of them are just slightly below averages, not dramatically below. I'm assuming these schools are like Ivies where they might get one or two slots for weaker candidates (who still aren't awful) and the rest of the team has to be relatively close.

I am a huge sports fan but the degree to which the coaches have gained power at these schools is ridiculous. 20+ years ago the coaches at these schools had virtually no pull. Now they do pre-reads and push for athletes.
Anonymous
Post 08/13/2025 18:30     Subject: What do you need to get recruited to play basketball
Anonymous wrote:You can look up the bios of the players for those schools and similarly situated Division III schools (e.g. Johns Hopkins, UChicago, etc.).

Being great enough at basketball to be recruited is going to be the hard part. Even at these schools, the players were generally All-State-level high school basketball players or competed with them in AAU programs. These aren’t just “smart kids who happen to play basketball on the side”. They are “elite basketball players that are also smart.” You can say that about recruited athletes in virtually any sport at the high academic Division III schools.


Wouldn't call D3 basketball players "elite"
Anonymous
Post 08/13/2025 18:28     Subject: What do you need to get recruited to play basketball
Anonymous wrote:For Carnegie Mellon or WashU? In terms of academic requirements. Thanks


It's D3. Email the coach and introduce yourself. Send Hudl video clips.
Anonymous
Post 08/13/2025 18:23     Subject: What do you need to get recruited to play basketball
Anonymous wrote:For Carnegie Mellon or WashU? In terms of academic requirements. Thanks


My DD was recruited for a sport at multiple UAA schools including WashU and CMU. She was a top recruit and offered by both schools. There wasn't much if any relief in academic standards at either school. I would assume that the 25th pct is necessary and that 50th pct is your target.
Anonymous
Post 08/13/2025 17:09     Subject: What do you need to get recruited to play basketball
You can look up the bios of the players for those schools and similarly situated Division III schools (e.g. Johns Hopkins, UChicago, etc.).

Being great enough at basketball to be recruited is going to be the hard part. Even at these schools, the players were generally All-State-level high school basketball players or competed with them in AAU programs. These aren’t just “smart kids who happen to play basketball on the side”. They are “elite basketball players that are also smart.” You can say that about recruited athletes in virtually any sport at the high academic Division III schools.
Anonymous
Post 08/13/2025 16:50     Subject: What do you need to get recruited to play basketball
Anonymous wrote:You need to be able to touch the net.


With one hand or two?

I don't think there's a lot of leeway academically for basketball players at WashU or CMU. This is not Duke or Michigan. They'll be bright kids who were good players in high school, but not D1 standouts. And there's a million good students and basketball players who didn't grow up to be 6'7. So I would expect WashU and CMU players to be pretty smart - certainly enough to handle the normal course work. CMU and WashU are not in significant conferences, so with the way things are going, it's more like club sports. And would pursue accordingly. No dumbass is playing there. But it's a definite boost on an app.

Would reach out to the coaches if this a good student with some demonstrable skills.
Anonymous
Post 08/13/2025 16:36     Subject: What do you need to get recruited to play basketball
So funny just saw that my friend's son is playing for CM. He's listed as having a 3.9.
Anonymous
Post 08/13/2025 16:36     Subject: What do you need to get recruited to play basketball
I don't know about CMU, but for WashU probably at least 1350 SAT if you are submitting. They want a strong transcript (rigor and good grades) which will take you far.

There is always a different standard if you are the #1 recruit vs. say the #4/5 recruit (not sure how many kids they recruit for basketball each year).

I bet if you are applying for business at CMU then the 1350 is likely valid as well.
Anonymous
Post 08/13/2025 16:33     Subject: What do you need to get recruited to play basketball
You need to be able to touch the net.
Anonymous
Post 08/13/2025 16:29     Subject: What do you need to get recruited to play basketball
Anonymous wrote:For Carnegie Mellon or WashU? In terms of academic requirements. Thanks

I don't know about basketball specifically, but I don't believe CMU's requirements are really lowered for athletes. I believe Wash U is more flexible.
Anonymous
Post 08/13/2025 15:45     Subject: What do you need to get recruited to play basketball
For Carnegie Mellon or WashU? In terms of academic requirements. Thanks