Anonymous
Post 01/12/2026 21:57     Subject: General curiosity - Basketball Private School related
Go to a school that values strong academics. (Sidwell, St. Albans etc)

If your son is good enough, the D1 coaches will find you through the AAU circuit.

Anonymous
Post 01/12/2026 21:49     Subject: General curiosity - Basketball Private School related
Different take and possibly a different situation but we had a kid who is a good player and we ended up selecting a HS where he could actually be on the team. Basketball so popular and there are some incredibly talented children. Our son was really very good (did AAU etc) but we all agreed he would not be able to get onto a team at these top sports schools. The most important thing for him was to be able to play. So we picked the school that balanced the sports with the academics and gave him the best shot of getting on a team.
Anonymous
Post 01/12/2026 21:18     Subject: General curiosity - Basketball Private School related
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:How did St Albans get on that list??
They recruit. They have a 6’8 freshman from China on varsity.
STA does not recruit for any sports. You have no idea what you’re talking about.


Yes, they do. I know plenty of kids who have been recruited there, including my son. They aren't going to beg you or constantly call you, as some of the other schools might, but they do find a way to let it be known that they are interested in your kid for their particular sport.


For us the first step was the St Alban's parents and alums that knew our sons were strong athletes. Some had sons that played on the same youth teams or on opposing ones.

Some of these people sounded out the coaches and then if the coach seemed positive they suggested to us that the school would be interested. Their purpose was to get us to make the "first contact" that's required before any coaches could be involved. It's possible that coaches spoke to the parents first and encouraged them to talk to us. (That may have happened.)

There's nothing technically illegal about this and the "boosters" of all these schools do it. The other parents were legitimately trying to help both the school and us.

This idea of "We don't recruit" always tickles me. It depends on what you mean by "recruit".


GDS does not recruit in any sport.


Now that I believe.
Anonymous
Post 01/12/2026 18:38     Subject: General curiosity - Basketball Private School related
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:How did St Albans get on that list??
They recruit. They have a 6’8 freshman from China on varsity.
STA does not recruit for any sports. You have no idea what you’re talking about.


Yes, they do. I know plenty of kids who have been recruited there, including my son. They aren't going to beg you or constantly call you, as some of the other schools might, but they do find a way to let it be known that they are interested in your kid for their particular sport.


For us the first step was the St Alban's parents and alums that knew our sons were strong athletes. Some had sons that played on the same youth teams or on opposing ones.

Some of these people sounded out the coaches and then if the coach seemed positive they suggested to us that the school would be interested. Their purpose was to get us to make the "first contact" that's required before any coaches could be involved. It's possible that coaches spoke to the parents first and encouraged them to talk to us. (That may have happened.)

There's nothing technically illegal about this and the "boosters" of all these schools do it. The other parents were legitimately trying to help both the school and us.

This idea of "We don't recruit" always tickles me. It depends on what you mean by "recruit".


GDS does not recruit in any sport.
Anonymous
Post 01/12/2026 18:34     Subject: General curiosity - Basketball Private School related
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:How did St Albans get on that list??
They recruit. They have a 6’8 freshman from China on varsity.
STA does not recruit for any sports. You have no idea what you’re talking about.

They bend the rules for sure. They have a pattern of having incoming athletes repeat 8th grade even as they play on the high school JV team.