The Younger the Better: College Coaches go to Middle School

A recent ESPN The Magazine article delved into the world of a most disturbing trend: the recruitment of an increasing number of players before they even get to high school. The story highlighted an assitant coach from Illinois who fought off coaches from other big-name schools to get a prime seat at an AAU game. To watch a 13-year-old kid. This is not your father's recruiting process.

There are a number of reasons why colleges look to prepubescent kids for talent these days. The increased influence of the Internet has made access to young kids easier and easier. Now, there are databases, lists and ranking systems for basketball players as young as ten. In addition, the pressure-cooker environment created by talk-show radio, blogs and the like have put immense pressure on college coaches to win consistently. From a coach's point of view, it's easy to see why you would want to recruit more, and therefore, younger kids.

The problem, of course, is that this is a disturbingly negative development, and not just for the players. I think it's obvious that very few 13 and 14 year olds can handle the pressure that comes with being recruited by major college basketball programs. Friends you never knew you had come out of nowhere. Agents want to talk to you. Girls want to date you. Opponents target you. All this coming at a kid who is still a year or two away from his learner's permit. One youngster who committed to USC as a 14-year-old, Ryan Boatright of Illinois, reported feeling undo pressure to perform at a high level. What kid wants that?

But the often overlooked aspect of this trend is that it can seriously hurt a program. The fact that a 13-year-old kid is dominating the competition he sees certainly does not mean he will continue to do so as he gets older. Some kids stop growing. Some stop improving. Some simply decide to do things other than play basketball. Committing time and resources to recruiting a kid that is such a gamble is dangerous enough, but what happens when that player commits to a school? While high school players can't formally sign to play at a school until much later, programs that get verbal commitments are taking scholarships off the table. What happens if a much-hyped 8th grader doesn't pan out? What happens if, God forbid, he decides he wants to have a normal childhood and not play basketball? Not only does the university lose that player, but they lose the chance to recruit scores of others who might help the team.

The NCAA and the NBA have already teamed up to set an age limit for when players can enter the NBA draft. The NCAA should do the same for when college coaches can begin to recruit prospective players. I know it is tempting to scout the youngest, most promising talent, but coaches should be forced to wait until the kids are old enough to understand the responsibility that comes with choosing a college. I remember being completely overwhelmed while choosing what college to attend at 17-years-old. How then, is it deemed fair or wise to let a 14-year-old to make the same decision? A recruitment age limit would benefit the development of amateur basketball players around the country. And in many cases, the college programs as well.