1/26/2019 basketball Edit

One-on-one with KP: Players dish on new NCAA summer travel changes

Krysten Peek • Basketball Recruiting

Staff

Krysten is a former DII basketball player but sometimes tells top recruits she played at UConn to see the look on their face. She's also completed a marathon on every continent (yes, even Antarctica).

RANKINGS: 2019 Rivals150 | 2020 Rivals150 | 2019 Team Rankings

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SPRINGLFIELD, Mass. - There are plenty of players off the board and committed in the 2019 class and with that, a huge weight is lifted with the demands of the recruiting process. Most of the top prospects were being sought after by numerous big-time programs and it's now time to hear some more of the unique and humorous side of a player's recruitment.

Today's question: The NCAA is changing up the spring and summer travel calendar. Is it beneficial for players? Why or why not?

"I see both sides of it honestly. On one hand, it helps with rest and limits injury and I can see that being beneficial for us as players. On the other hand, AAU basketball was one of the best times of my life. Just being around my teammates, playing a ton of games and traveling around the country was amazing and I would hate to miss out on that as a player."

"I don’t necessarily like the camp idea as a player. When you’re a player you want to play and get better with the guys you practice with each week so in a camp setting it’s more of a everyone-for-themself. As a post player, we’ll all struggle because the guards will just want to shoot every possession."

"I think it harms us as players. It just gives coaches less opportunities to see us play and we want to play in front of these coaches."

"I mean, in July I was dead. My legs were dead and I know I wasn’t the only player feeling that way. It sounds bad but a little more rest would be kind of nice. That way you’re fresh when it’s time to play in front of the coaches and not feeling like you have to when you’re dog-tired."

"I don’t think it’s beneficial at all. Some kids like Collin (Sexton) wouldn’t have been Collin because he wouldn’t have the summer to play in front of all those coaches."

"I don’t think it matters either way. If you’re a tough basketball player, you’ll go out whenever and wherever you can and ball out. If the NCAA wants to limit the live periods, find a way to play ball and compete and get better. That’s what we’re all trying to do anyways as ball players."

"I don’t think it’s really a beneficial because a lot of the inner city kids won’t be going to those camps and the AAU circuit gave them more opportunity to be seen by coaches. I know for me personally if it wasn’t for the live periods and having so many of them and so many chances, I wouldn’t be going to Xavier or any other school like that. We’re high school players and our game is still developing. You might not be playing well one live period but then the next one you’re on your game and we just need as many chances playing games as possible. In a camp setting you’re not going to get that same drive and competition that coaches need to see since there’s a lot of one-on-one type settings and not actual games."