1/28/2019 basketball Edit

One-on-one with KP: Prospects discuss awkward moments with coaches

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

SPRINGFIELD, 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: What's the most awkward interaction you've ever had with a coach recruiting you? You don't have to name who or what school it was.

MORE: Unique recruiting strategies | Second-choice schools | Toughest opponents

"I used to get 10 phone calls from the same coach every single day. It was pretty awkward. He would just ask me what I was doing, saying he was just checking in, like every other hour. And I would be like, ‘I just talked to you an hour ago, Nothing’s changed.’"

"It was right when coaches were able to call and talk to us, so around sophomore year. One of the coaches FaceTimed me while he was in bed with a wifebeater on and was having a conversation with me like it was totally normal to be calling me while he’s in bed. That was the weirdest one for sure."

"There was once a coach who started talking to me about recruiting in the bathroom. I was like, ‘Bruh, really? You want to talk about this right now?’"

"I went on one visit and a coach was talking about his players bodies and that was pretty awkward for me."

"I think it was either my sophomore or junior year when Duke offered. Coach K called me when he was the beach with his family and I was like, ‘I really appreciate the call and the offer but go hang out with your family.’ It’s not like it was weird or anything I just remember thinking, ‘Wow, ball is really life for Coach K...even at the beach with his family.’"

"I once had a coach ask me who my first girlfriend was and I was like, ‘man, that was a real long time ago. Why are you asking me that?’ Nah, it was cool though."

"Alabama was texting me and I was in a group text with some friends trying to send a gif that was, you know, just for my friends. I accidentally sent it to the Alabama coach and was like, ‘What?’ and then I realized what happened and it was pretty embarrassing. He was cool about it but yeah, that was a little awkward."

"Probably just like trying to decide if we’re hand shaking or dapping when we see each other. If you go for one and they’ve already committed to the other, it’s pretty awkward for a second."

"Once I committed to Xavier, there were a few coaches still reaching out and I was dodging them. One time I answered on accident because I thought it was Coach (Travis) Steele and that was awkward just to sit on the phone and listen to him. He was just saying stuff like, ‘Ah man I thought you really enjoyed your visit here and I thought we were cool,’ so just a really uncomfortable conversation to have."