THE RECRUITING GUY

Summer basketball programs offer opportunities

— Spring and summer basketball programs usually draw more attention when they feature high-profile recruits, but it’s the opportunities that creates for other team members that often motivate the coaches involved in the programs.

That type of exposure benefits many athletes who might not otherwise have an opportunity to go to college.

“There’s a lot of kids that are mid-major, that’s Division II, low-major, Division III,” said Bill Ingram, chairman of the Arkansas Hawks organization.

Tournaments like the Real Deal in the Rock allow smaller colleges with limited recruiting budgets to see an abundance of talent at one event.

“They have to go to these larger tournaments because they can see all these kids play four or five games in a course of three or four days,” said Ingram, who is also the executive director of Real Deal in the Rock. “They don’t have the planes to fly around the country, so many of those kids get scholarships and get an opportunity to live their lifelong dream, which is to play college basketball and receive a free education.”

Arkansas Wings assistant coach Marcus McCarroll said over the past few years quite a few players from his organization have gone on to college because of opportunities presented by spring and summer basketball programs.

“I could name numerous kids where college wasn’t even on their radar,” McCarroll said. “Basketball helps a kid get to college and helps a kid want to go to college. Without that, sometimes there isn’t a drive to go to college.”

Ingram recalled one player who took advantage of his opportunity with the Hawks while overcoming several challenges in his life.

“The home situation was pretty tough and he received a scholarship to Arkansas-Fort Smith,” Ingram said. “He’s the only kid in his family that has gone to college.

‘It’s a great story. The kid wants to do great things in life, and this opportunity wouldn’t be around if he didn’t have the chance to play summer basketball.”

Ingram said every program probably has players with similar stories .

“They also have two or three stories where they know kids who didn’t get an opportunity to play summer basketball, and who could play college basketball, but didn’t get a chance to play for whatever reason and they’re walking the street,” Ingram said.

McCarroll said the Wings try to help athletes understand the game better while also focusing on personal growth and helping them realize that going to college is a possibility.

“Basketball is a big business, and some kids don’t understand that and don’t take full advantage of the opportunities they’re given,” McCarroll said. “We’ve had several kids on our team change their whole lives from the spring to the summer.”

Ingram said he can recall numerous players who have gone on to college and become successful .

“If they didn’t get a chance play summer basketball ... who knows what would’ve happened?” Ingram said. “No one could predict, but their chances to be in college would be slim to none.”

E-mail Richard Davenport at

[email protected]

Sports, Pages 33 on 10/28/2012

Upcoming Events