Recruiting the
Right Fit
By Ron Everhart, Duquesne
There are so many key
elements involved in the recruiting of a student athlete.
Whether or not he can play at the next level is obviously among
the most important questions to be answered, but it certainly
extends well beyond just talent.
One thing that I have always looked for is personality. You
often hear coaches talk about character as it relates to the
success or failure of a team. I don’t think there is any
question that the type of person you are goes a long ways in
determining the type of player you will become.
When I was at Northeastern we were interested a 6-foot-9 kid
that wasn’t being highly recruited. At the time it was evident
that he had a lot of potential, but it might take time for him
to develop into a good player. Ultimately it came down to the
fact that we really liked him as a person. He had a contagious
personality and was just a really good kid.
That kid we signed is Shawn James who had two great seasons at
Northeastern and will play his final two seasons here at
Duquesne. At the end of the day his talent on the court is
exceeded only by Shawn James the person. And that is as much of
a factor in why he has developed into such a nice player.
Somebody did say that nice guys finish last so it is important
to combine that with talent and a good work ethic. In short,
your most talented player should also be your hardest working
player. You can’t teach height and you cannot teach desire.
Identifying that in the recruiting process has always been a
high priority for my staff and me. When you combine some talent
with hard work and desire you have the makings of good things.
Another key element is whether or not an individual will be a
good teammate. You can have an abundance of talent, but there is
a long list of guys that scored a lot of points on bad teams.
Furthermore, a lot of players are diligent in their work ethic
as it relates to their personal game, and not necessarily the
team concept.
Take a quick look at the professional ranks of any sport and you
will find athletes that work extremely hard, but are ultimately
only interested in their own success. Working hard as it relates
to “the team” is essential.
Being a good teammate also extends beyond the court. Assists on
game night are one thing, but will the player assist his
teammate off the court. And perhaps most important, will that
person be a good role model on and off the court? As a coach
with young children this is especially important to me because
my kids will be growing up around the players.
Still so much comes down to dumb luck. Had others known how
immediate of an impact Shawn was going to make, they undoubtedly
would have pursued him much harder. Then there is the case of
Juan Barea, who just finished a remarkable four-year career at
Northeastern.
Like Shawn, Juan was not highly recruited. Many felt he was not
big enough or physical enough, but most never really had an
opportunity to see him play. The fact that he never participated
in AAU events was much to our advantage. All of the above
applied to him, in terms of personality and work ethic, but it
really came down to being a little lucky. Had he gotten more
exposure, it would have been much more difficult for us to
recruit him.
So much goes into the evaluation process, but I have always felt
good that my best players have also been hard workers and
personable kids. Sure you have to put talent on the floor, but
the personality and character combined with work ethic really
super seeds all in the recruiting process.
