Is Division I The Only Game

CORAOPOLIS, PENNSYLVANIA -- In an earlier story, we reported that the MVP of the Five Star Pitt IV NBA All-Star game was Pat Doherty (right), a 5-10, 153 pound rising junior point guard from Scranton Prep (PA) High School. That award was given out last Thursday after the all-star game at the Charles L. Sewall Center on Robert Morris University's campus.

Doherty made his mark throughout the week. During an award ceremony Friday afternoon, Doherty was honored as the Best Playmaker, the Most Promising Prospect and one of three Mr. Station 13. Station 13 is an optional training session where players choose to learn a basketball skill instead of using this 'free' time in another manner.

Doherty told us he had received recruiting interest from Holy Cross, Boston College, Lehigh and Division II Adelphi in New York. His recruiting will undoubtedly expand. The skills he showed at Five Star are extraordianary as the awards noted above demonstrate. If there is a limit, it appears at this point to be his size. But he is still growing and we all remember what an undersized guard like Muggsy Bogues, or from my generation Willie Somerset or Calvin Murray, was able to accomplish in college and the pros.

But for other kids, what issues might be involved? A clue may have been presented by Five Star V.

Today was the first full day of the Pitt V camp. The scheduled speaker was Florida head coach Billy Donovan; but because of travel problems he was unable to make Pittsburgh. Five Star quickly made arrangements for Monday's speaker, Tobin Anderson, the head coach of Division III Clarkson University in Potsdam, NY, to address the campers on Sunday. (Hopefully, Donovan will be able to get to the camp later in the week.)

Sunday's evening speaker was Brandan Brown, the advance scout for the NBA Miami Grizzlies and son of NBA television analyst Hubie Brown.

One piece of guidance was offered by both men -- the college level (Div. I, II, III, NAIA) is less important than the young man getting into the best situation.

Division I seems to be the name of the game for college basketball, just as I-A gets the ink for college football. This is as true at RivalsHoops.com as it is at ESPN, The Sporting News or The Washington Post. That makes a lot of sense for media seeking to reach the largest and most interested market.

But there's a different way of looking at this issue; that's from the standpoint of a young man and his parents who need to make a crucial decision that will greatly affect the player's future. (The same obviously applies to young women.)

As Anderson (left) pointed out by naming some well-know NBA players who attended non-Division I programs, there are good players at any level of basketball. Division I tends to have the better teams, but all 300+ schools do not necessarily have better teams than Division II, III or NAIA programs.

One college rating service, The Dunkel Index, ranks 1,324 schools. In Dunkel's final 2002 rating, Division II Metropolitan State College of Denver was ranked 43rd, right after Villanova and before Arkansas. They were not relegated to the first slot after the last Division I team. While there are qualifications with any rating service, Dunkel illustrates how a system can compare programs from more than one class of school.

The quality of the instruction provided by Anderson showed that excellent basketball comes in many flavors. His biography at Clarkson notes, "... a lecturer; teacher and coach at the 5-Star Basketball Camp, regarded as the nation’s most prestigious summer basketball camp." Anderson demonstrated seven game skills, with six college players who are counselors at the camp, from foul shooting, to the pick & roll, to 'the Reggie Miller fake and drive to the hoop,' etc. While this reporter is by no means a hoops expert, it was clear to me that these were some really good lessons. The audience of campers, coaches, et al. reacted similarily.

And this is consistent with Five-Star's philosophy. The camps are open to any skill level; what is needed to succeed is a willingness to work hard. Doing that will enable the player to get the most out of the week.

A player who has a choice between a Division I college, where he may not see much playing time over four years, or a non-Division I program where he can learn and use his skills, probably needs to seriously weigh all the factors that are important to him. Of course, in addition to sports, folks will look at academics, size of school, location, etc.

Many high school players we interview say they are looking for the best college situation for them. In some cases, that can include non-Division I programs.