Recruiting 101, part I

It's July - the biggest high school recruiting month of the year, and college coaches are scouring club ball tournaments around the country looking for good fits for their programs.

With so much talent on display, how do coaches know whom and what to look for? I asked a few coaches to break it down for us, and today Tulane University assistant Doshia Woods weighs in. She has had 13 years experience in the field, and she had this to say:

Basics:

For our staff, we always make a point to watch the kids who correspond with us during this time.

During the school year (which begins Sept. 1) we make a focus list. We send out information and try to prioritize who we like the best. Once they start corresponding back, we moved them to another list.

When we go to tournaments this summer, we are comparing the players we like by position. For the younger kids, we look for improvement if we have seen them already.

We try to follow up with those who have called, emailed, or sent film. But these days that's harder to do because some tourneys are so watered down!

We try to develop a relationship with the player, and sell them on Tulane.

During July we are looking for that player who makes a difference on the court - one that if you don't know her name, you want to know it!

As an assistant for Lisa Stockton at Tulane, I try to identify who can play for her in skills, and who can achieve academically. Then it's my job to make sure my boss sees them. Now this step makes me mad sometimes because we know girls can be temperamental. Well, if they pick that ONE game to play lazily, it could be their one chance to play for the boss!

Unfortunately, we don't care too much (or I don't at least) who wins which tourney, but I do look for those players who continue to play hard, play smart, and make a difference despite the score.