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How to Make a Basketball Highlight Video for Men’s Basketball
In a perfect world, basketball coaches would be able to evaluate all their top recruits in person. But unfortunately, they just don’t have the time or budget to see every prospect this way. Cue: basketball highlight videos. A well-crafted highlight video can put a recruit on a coach’s radar and secure them a second in-person evaluation. Follow these guidelines to create a video that stands out.
Quick Links
The importance of video in college basketball recruiting
How to make a basketball skills video
College basketball recruiting video tips
What do coaches look for in a basketball highlight video?
What are some good basketball highlight video songs?
How long should a basketball highlight video be?
Center highlight video
Point guard highlight video
Power forward highlight video
Shooting guard highlight video
Small forward highlight video
How to make a basketball highlight video on hudl
Basketball recruiting video services
The importance of a college basketball recruiting video
Here’s the hard hitting truth—most coaches don’t simply “discover” recruits.![]()
They don’t have the budget or time to see every prospect play in-person. And with high school and college basketball games being more staggered throughout the week compared to other sports, traveling is nearly impossible when coaches are in season. That’s why highlight videos have become essential in the basketball recruiting process. In a matter of minutes, they can garner coach interest and help student-athletes get an in-depth, second evaluation. Think of it as the first step toward getting on a coach’s radar and securing an opportunity to be evaluated in person later.
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How to make a basketball skills video
One of the best parts of shooting a men’s basketball skills video is that you don’t need all the bells and whistles of a traditional highlight video.
Whether you miss a shot or don’t have the best angle, your basketball skills video doesn’t have to be perfect—it’s more important to go game speed at all times and showcase your athleticism and technical abilities.
In the video below, former D1 and pro basketball player Eric Vierneisel explains that coaches want to see multiple reps of drills that showcase your skills, including:
- Ball handling and shooting drills
- Change of speed and direction
- Jumping and leaping
- Strength training and conditioning workouts, like box jumps and speed ladder work
- Shooting range and consistency
College basketball recruiting video tips
For some student-athletes, a basketball highlight video might be the reason they secure an in-person evaluation. Creating a highlight film is not as complicated as it sounds. Follow these straight-forward tips to create a video that truly stands out:
- Before you set out to film, ask your high school coach if they have footage already available.
Online video services for high school coaches, like Hudl, are popular resources. - Choose games against your best competition, such as varsity level, high-level AAU games or any nationwide tournaments. College coaches want to see how you stack up against top talent. Typically clips from two or three games is enough, but you can use more if needed.
- Focus the camera from mid-court while making sure the student-athlete is easily recognizable. The camera view shouldn’t be obstructed by the crowd, other players on the court or people walking by.
- Use a tripod to avoid a shaky camera.
- Don’t zoom in and out.
- Make sure the person filming the match isn’t cheering. If there is excessive and distracting background noise, mute the video completely. Don’t add music to the video either.
- Put a title card at the front of your basketball highlight video that includes your name and graduation year, such as “John Doe Basketball Recruiting Video Class of 2021.
” - Stack your best clips first. Typically, you’ll start your video by highlighting your shooting ability.
- Focus on your three or four strongest strengths and organize your clips to highlight them. For example, if you’re an excellent three-point shooter, showcasing six straight threes is much more effective than one three-pointer, a pass, then a free throw, and then maybe another three, etc.
- Cap your video at 20 to 30 clips and keep it under four minutes.
- Send college coaches your highlight video, as well as one unedited full game video. If they’re interested in a recruit after watching their highlight film, they will want to evaluate the full game next.
What do college coaches look for in a basketball highlight video?
A well-edited highlight video gives student-athletes a chance to show college coaches their strongest skills, athleticism, versatility and basketball IQ—all in just a few minutes. Coaches look for recruits who have the right technique and can execute on the fundamentals.
They want to see footage against high-level competition where the recruit was truly tested—think varsity high school games, national tournaments, showcases and elite camps. If the highlight video does its job and captures the coach’s attention, then the coach will also want to evaluate performance from an unedited full game, which provides further insight into the recruit’s basketball IQ and game awareness. That’s why we always recommend sending a brief and impactful highlight film, as well as one full game.
What are some good basketball highlight video songs?
Music can set an energetic tone, but it shouldn’t take away from an athlete’s performance. For that reason, we typically don’t recommend including music in a basketball highlight video. And to be honest, coaches don’t care too much about the frills; they just want to evaluate the recruit. In fact, if there’s excessive background noise, like yelling, it’s best to mute the sound completely.
How long should a basketball highlight video be?
Student-athletes need to quickly capture a coach’s attention—with an emphasis on quickly.
Basketball highlight videos should be under four minutes with 20-30 great plays that demonstrate the athlete’s strongest skills. In addition to a brief highlight film, student-athletes should separately provide full game film. If the coach is interested after watching the highlight reel, they’ll want to evaluate the recruit in one unedited game.
Center highlight video
College coaches want to evaluate the strongest parts of a center’s game. They look for technique and the ability to overpower players. Height and wingspan are key physical tools that will stand out, as well.
- Shooting ability (range) and ability to finish around the rim
- Ability to score against traditional post defense
- Rebounding
- Shot blocking and defensive ability to disrupt flow and passes (even when not blocking shots)
- Successfully guard multiple positions
- Quickness and footwork
- Properly executed pick and roll plays and defensive stops
- Game awareness—ability to process in game time and make the right decisions
In the video below, Team Edition Coordinator John Pugliese—a former NCAA Division 1, 2 and 3 college coach who’s watched hundreds of highlight/skills videos—breaks down what college coaches want to see from potential men’s basketball recruits competing for a center roster spot.
Point guard highlight video
Scoring and shooting ability is the most important aspect for perimeter players. Point guards who can take control, possess leadership skills and have a take-charge attitude will stand out.
- Shooting ability (range) and scoring
- Ability to penetrate and finish at the rim
- Ball handling and passing (making the right pass, knowing when to pass—and when not to)
- Court vision and controlling pace of the game
- Good decisions in transition
- Quickness
- Defense rotations and ability to guard bigger players and multiple positions
- Game awareness—ability to process in game time and make the right decisions
There are a few key skills student-athletes should include in their point guard highlight videos. In the video below, former NCAA D1, D2 and D3 college coach John Pugliese says potential recruits should make sure their video shows that they’re a great leader, highlights how they respond to and perform under pressure and showcases their ability to process and make decisions during games.
Power forward highlight video
Power forwards need to have a dynamic skill set and be able to demonstrate their ability to shoot, especially at mid-range.
- Shooting ability (range) and ability to finish around the rim
- Rebounding
- Shot blocking and defensive ability to disrupt flow of the game (even when not blocking shots)
- Successfully guard multiple positions
- Quickness and footwork
- Game awareness—ability to process in game time and make the right decisions
College coaches expect a lot from power forwards, and potential recruits interested in landing a men’s basketball roster spot should be prepared to showcase that they’re a jack-of-all-trades. Coaches want student-athletes to display their strength on the court, from rebounding, running, and transitioning the ball to their ability to guard, block jump shots and adapt to the opposing team.
Shooting guard highlight video
Coaches obviously want to evaluate a shooting guard’s ability to score, and they’re also looking at their technique and whether they can execute the fundamentals.
- Shooting ability and range
- Ability to make shots when moving off the dribble (catch and shoot movement)
- Defensive ability to stop penetration
- Active hands and touches on the ball
- Ball handling—this is a must for shooting guards
- Court vision
- Quickness
- Defense rotations and ability to guard bigger players and multiple positions, as well as help defense when opponent is driving by
- Game awareness—ability to process in game time and make the right decisions
In the video below, former men’s basketball coach John Pugliese breaks down what shooting guards should include in their highlight videos. Recruits interested in competing at the next level need to display more than their shooting and scoring abilities to land a roster spot—they also need to show college coaches what separates them from their competition.
Small forward highlight video
Versatility is important among small forwards. Similar to shooting guards, small forwards need to be exceptional shooters, especially at the short-to mid-range scoring area.
- Shooting ability and range
- Ability to make shots when moving off the dribble (catch and shoot movement)
- Defensive ability to stop penetration
- Active hands and touches on the ball
- Ball handling
- Court vision
- Quickness
- Defense rotations and ability to guard bigger players and multiple positions, as well as help defense when opponent is driving by
- Game awareness—ability to process in game time and make the right decisions
Student-athletes interested in landing a small forward roster spot should highlight that they have a variety of skills on the basketball court. College coaches look for recruits who can use their size and strength to guard and defend multiple positions, are multi-level scorers and can play defense, finish and transition.
How to make a basketball highlight video on hudl
Online video services for high school coaches, like Hudl, are becoming more popular in basketball. Student-athletes should follow the standard guidelines when creating a highlight video using Hudl:
- Choose games against your best competition, such as varsity level, high-level AAU games or any nationwide tournaments.
College coaches want to see how you stack up against top talent. Typically clips from two or three games is enough, but you can use more if needed. - Make sure the student-athlete is easily recognizable and the camera view isn’t obstructed by the crowd, other players on the court or people walking by.
- Don’t zoom in and out.
- Make sure the person filming the match isn’t cheering. If there is excessive and distracting background noise, mute the video completely. Don’t add music to the video either.
- Put a title card at the front of your basketball highlight video that includes your name and graduation year, such as “John Doe Basketball Recruiting Video Class of 2021.”
- Stack your best clips first. Typically you’ll start your video by highlighting your shooting ability. Post players should include: shooting ability, ability to finish around the rim, rebounding, shot blocking, footwork, and defensive abilities (guarding multiple positions). Perimeter players should include: scoring ability, ability to penetrate and finish at the rim, ball handling, court vision, and defensive abilities (guard bigger players and multiple positions).
- Focus on your three or four strongest strengths and organize your clips to highlight them. For example, if you’re an excellent three-point shooter, showcasing six straight threes is much more effective than one three-pointer, a pass, then a free throw, and then maybe another three, etc.
- Cap your video at 20 to 30 clips and keep it under four minutes.
- Send college coaches your highlight video, as well as one unedited full game video. If they’re interested in a recruit after watching their highlight film, they will want to evaluate the full game next.
Basketball recruiting video services
While coaches generally prefer simple, no-frills editing, a professional videographer can quickly turn disorganized raw footage into a cohesive sequence of highlights. Plus, they know exactly which plays to showcase first. That’s why many families choose to call in help when creating their highlight video.
As part of NCSA’s recruiting service for student-athletes, our full-service video editing team offers professionally edited video.
In fact, they edit more than 40,000 highlight videos each year. And, depending on the membership level, they’ll produce multiple highlight videos for the athlete and help them identify the best schools to send it to. If you’re interested in learning more about NCSA’s video offerings, call our Video Team at 866-495-5172.
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How to Make a Basketball Highlight Video
Having a solid basketball recruiting video is essential if you want to play in college. Coaches receive dozens of highlight tapes everyday and if yours doesn’t stand out from the rest you probably won’t receive a response back. On top of that, coaches don’t have the time to see every recruit play in person making it of the utmost importance to have a strong highlight video.
The nice thing is they aren’t difficult to make and this guide will help you understand exactly what coaches are looking for. Let’s get to it!
Before we start: If you want a professionally-made highlight tape click here as we can help.
The college recruiting process can be complicated at times. There are so many things to know about and do correctly. A solid highlight tape is certainly one of those things. After reading this post I’m 100% positive you’ll know what your basketball highlight video should look like.
Whether you decide to make it yourself or have us create it, you’ll be a step ahead in the recruiting process.
The main use of a highlight video
Your basketball highlight video is an all-in-one recruiting package that shows a coach what you are about as a player. When you are contacting coaches the first thing you should be providing them with is your highlight video.
Hundreds of kids every year receive offers from coaches who have only watched their tape.
That is why having a well put together highlight video is so important in the college basketball recruiting process.
If a coach likes what he sees from your tape then he will most likely request more clips, a full game footage, or find a time to come see you play in person. At the very least, it will encourage the coach to strike up a conversation with you so he can learn more about you as a recruit and a person.
Highlight videos aren’t just for flash, but a real tool to help boost your recruiting and catch the attention of college coaches.
What footage should a basketball player use in their highlight video?
All good basketball highlight videos have the same types of footage per position. You are going to want to use clips from real games. Varsity games are what coaches want to see, but if you are a younger player, then JV highlights will be fine for now.
Many players want to put highlights from AAU games, but I recommend not putting that in your high school video.
Be sure to have separate basketball highlight videos for high school and AAU.
Most college coaches are going to prefer to see your high school highlight video anyway. If they want to see more of you then they will most likely come see you play at an AAU tournament.
The angle of your film should be from high up in the bleachers, using a wide angle so you can see at least half the court in the same shot. Sometimes, behind the hoop footage is used as well. Both types of film are acceptable as long as they are clear, well focused, and accurately show your abilities.
Checklist:
- Legitimate game, preferably varsity
- Limit clips from scrimmages, only include if they are spectacular
- Bleacher view primarily, some under the hoop clips are fine
- No AAU clips, unless its a play that could make SportsCenter
How long should a basketball highlight video be?
An ideal basketball highlight video should be about 3-5 minutes long.
Many athletes make the mistake of having a super long video that spreads out their best plays. Keep it short and sweet with your best plays at the beginning.
Be sure to show off all your different skillsets and athletic abilities. The more versatile you are, the more recruitable you are.
How to edit a basketball highlight video
Once you have gathered all of your film you will need to edit it down to your best offensive and defensive plays. If you need help deciding which plays to use and the order they should be in then feel free to send us a message.
The guide below will break down each position and what coaches want to see in the film so that should be helpful as well.
At the beginning of your highlight video you should have a real quick segment that includes:
- Full first and last name
- Height/Weight
- Position(s) you play
- Phone number/Email address
- Cumulative GPA
- ACT and/or SAT scores if you have them
- Your head coach’s name
- Head coach’s phone and email address
On each play make sure to show the initial setup and have a drop down arrow to identify where you are.
You want the arrow before the play so the coach can watch the whole segment in full speed.
Stay away from special effects, the speed of the film, and disrupting music. Make sure to put your best plays first and show the coach what you’re made of!
The College Recruiting Guidebook
The college recruiting guidebook is the ultimate manual to earning an athletic scholarship for student-athletes and parents.
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Inside the guidebook you’ll have access to:
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Parents will pay $20 just for admission in to their kids game.
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Where should you upload your basketball highlight video?
You should upload your highlight video to as many places as possible. The more eyes it reaches the better off you will be. Here are the top places to upload your video:
- Hudl
- YouTube
- Vimeo
- MaxPreps
- Exposure Sites
Hudl will be your go-to option so be sure to learn how to use the platform effectively (drop shadows, arrows, cutting down plays, etc). After uploading your highlight video you can then take the link and share it on your other social media platforms.
You should have the link on your Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and any other social media websites you use. Tell your family and friends to pass the link along as well.
What a highlight video for point guards should look like
Point guards should show off the skills that most represent their game.
Are you a pass-first player that gets your teammates shots? Are you a scoring PG?
No matter what type of point guard you are there are still certain things coaches will be watching for:
- Ability to handle pressure
- Get shots for teammates
- Create opportunities for yourself
- Finish in the paint
- Defend and cause havoc to other PG’s
The point guard is the extended coach on the floor. It is an extremely important position and one coaches will critique more than the others. Make sure your highlight video represents this.
How a shooting guards highlights should be set up
There are different types of players at the shooting guard/wing position so make sure that is clear in your highlights. Are you a knock down shooter? An athletic slasher? A combo guard?
College coaches are going to want to see your ability to score first and foremost. If you aren’t an elite scorer at the high school level then getting buckets in college is going to be a struggle for you.
Make sure you show off your athleticism whether it’s through some blocks, dunks, or transition opportunities. The college game is full of elite athletes. No matter how good of a shooter you are you still need to be able to defend and get yourself open.
Center most of your clips around your best offensive ability, but also show some versatility and all the different ways you can score.
Forwards/Centers and how their highlights should look
The game of basketball is changing so coaches look for different things in forwards these days. It’s not just about being a good post-scorer. They love bigs that can stretch the floor and knock down some three-pointers.
Your highlights at this position should have a few main things:
- Finishing around the rim
- Shot-blocking
- Ability to catch passes and lobs
- Shooting (whether 3’s or mid-range)
- Running the floor in transition
Don’t overcomplicate your highlights at this position.
Show what you do best and that you have room to grow as a player. Coaches love players with potential, you’ll hear them say that all the time.
My Experience:
Having a good highlight tape is critical in the college basketball recruiting process.
I made my highlight tapes on Hudl, but also uploaded them to YouTube.
From there I would post it everywhere including Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.
So many of my opportunities (even some offers) came purely off my highlights.
Conclusion
I hope this guide helped you understand what your highlight video should look like, how to make it, and where to upload it.
It was meant to be fairly straightforward so you can start to take action.
Tagged Getting Recruited
AND 1 - Kings of Street Basketball
The famous Rucker Park has long served as the battlefield of street players in New York. Future NBA stars lit up on this piece of asphalt in downtown Harlem. This is where the basketball teams of rap stars Jay-Z and Fat Joe met to the death.
..
What do you think is the best-selling sports DVD today? Champions League Final, NHL All-Star Game, or maybe Tyson's greatest fights? Nothing happened. And 1 mixtapes confidently occupy the leading position: tricks of street basketball stars to the beats of the hottest hip-hop hits of the season. AND 1 Mixtape Vol.5 has been certified double platinum, AND 1 Mixtape Vol.6 is approaching that mark. The seventh mixtape featuring music from Beastie Boys, Mobb Deep, Masta Killa and Beatnuts went on sale on August 31st.
AND 1 is a world famous team of street players. These are the recognized kings of the asphalt courts, whose tricks, clinging to the TV screen, are carefully studied by millions of beginner basketball players around the world. In Russia, AND 1 cassettes went from hand to hand, copying to a fundamentally unwatchable state. I'm sure something similar happened in the States: the very first mixtape was a household videotape...
The famous Rucker Park has long served as a battlefield for street players in New York.
Future NBA stars Allen Iverson, Vince Carter, Elton Brand and Ron Artest lit up on this piece of asphalt in downtown Harlem. Here, teams of rap stars Jay-Z and Fat Joe met in basketball battles to the death. And once there was a thin guy Rafer Alston (Rafer Alston), included in the school team of Cardoza High School. Alston did unimaginable things with the ball. The orange sphere flew between the legs of the opponents, suddenly appeared behind their backs or behind their heads, and after some fantastic blind pass performed by Alston, fell into the ring. The sports result faded into the background - it was important to fool the opponent, to do a trick that he could not repeat under any circumstances. Nicknamed Skip To My Lou, Alston quickly became one of the venue's main attractions. If he came to the site, the park quickly filled with spectators.
To capture these truly circus numbers, Alston's coach began to take a video camera with him. In 1998, a cut of the best moments got into the young company AND 1, which was engaged in the production of sports ammunition and was looking for its niche in an extremely saturated market.
Called AND 1 Mix Tape Vol.1, the cassette was given away for free to anyone who decided to try on AND 1 sneakers. In two weeks, 200,000 copies of the cassette were sold, most of which went to children who had never heard of Skip To My Lou before. All they knew was that this guy was doing crazy things on set.
AND 1 quickly realized that the key to their success was the unrecognized geniuses of street basketball. Not limited to New York, they combed the east coast areas with a fine seine. That's how they found Phillip "Hot Sauce" Champion ( a suggestive last name - approx. Rap.Ru ) from Atlanta and Allen "AO" Owens from Philadelphia, one of the most popular street players in America. What these guys did was just a shock. No one has done such things before them. AND1 immediately signs a contract with them and releases AND1 Mixtape Vol.3, which mainly featured these two players. It was a revolution in the basketball world, it was after this cassette that AND1 was talked about all over the world.
All the street players suddenly wanted to have clothes from this company. And from now on, all the time of training was devoted to dribbling.
AND 1 turned streetball from a street game into a multi-million dollar enterprise. Their business, which began selling tees with idiotic captions like "Your Game is as Ugly as Your Girl" ("Your game is as ugly as your chick" ), was valued at $175 million in 2003. ESPN airs Streetball show covering the massive AND 1 Tour. The breeders of professional clubs are seriously looking at the guys from the street. Rafer "Skip To My Lou" Alston, who started this story, is now on a 6-year contract with the NBA's Toronto Raptors on 29million dollars. The latest mixtapes have featured NBA stars such as NBA top point guard Stephon Marbury, power forward Jason "White Chocolate" Williams and NBA champion center Ben Wallace.
AND 1 performances are not a basketball circus according to the Harlem Globetrotters formula, where the “opponents” know in advance where they need to stand so that the “opponent” can hit the ring without any obstacles.
Rivals of AND 1 in their world tour (and these are, as a rule, the stars of local venues gathered in one team) go out of their way to show what they are worth. The best of them have a chance to get into the AND 1 lineup, as happened with Tony "Go Get It" Jones. In the game against AND 1, he made a lot of dizzying flights to the ring, hammering a dozen of the most beautiful slam dunks to the streetball stars. So, when one of the main contestants of the show, Main Event, known for his throws from above, broke his leg in a car accident, Tony's candidacy - Go Get It was not even discussed. The guy adequately replaced one of the main stars of AND 1 on the tour, and since then he has been in the team. Stories like this make AND 1's rivals even more excited, so their matches are always filled with the spirit of the fight.
Similarly, Oregon native, one of the main stars of the latest mixtape, 20-year-old Grayson "Professor" Boucher, made his way to AND 1. He is the only white player on this team, a short-haired 175 cm guy in long, almost ankle-length shorts and a gothic White Boy tattoo on the knuckles.
In less than two years in AND 1, he has become a tidbit for scouts of professional clubs.
When AND 1 comes to town, tens of thousands of street basketball fans gather in the city's main arenas. The last tour was a real expedition to 30 American cities plus European London, Milan, Frankfurt, Barcelona and Paris, where the AND 1 team was waiting for a truly royal welcome. Today, AND 1 management is seriously thinking about visiting Asia and South America.
“What can this snowball do?” History of the legendary Professor / Student Basketball Association
The path from the street platform to his media empire.
Grayson Bucher is an American streetball player better known as The Professor, a true street basketball legend and one of the best 1x1 players in the world.
Butcher was born and raised in a small town in Oregon, was the star of his high school basketball team, but he never received an athletic scholarship offer from anyone.
After graduating from high school, Grayson briefly studied at Chemeketa Community College, where he played on the basketball team without much success.
Bucher's star was lit in 2003 in Portland, where one of the performances of the iconic AND1 Mixtape Tour team took place.
The AND1 Mixtape Tour promoted the AND1 clothing brand, traveled from city to city and challenged local talent teams.
The abundance of spectacular tricks and acrobatic tricks has always aroused genuine interest in the team of basketball tightrope walkers. The tour was televised in half-hour segments on ESPN2 and sold as mixtapes on DVD.
As part of this show, local players had the opportunity to pass the casting and get a place in the AND1 team. So 18-year-old Grayson announced himself (watch from 13:25), signed a contract at the end of the season and became the only white member of the AND1 Mixtape Tour.
Over the next five years Grayson Bucher earned the honorary pseudonym The Professor and a huge army of fans, traveled half the world and even starred in several films (for example, the film "Semi-Pro" with Will Ferrell and by Woody Harrelson ).
It should be added that in the same period, Bucher played several successful seasons in 5x5 basketball - for Salem Stampede in the semi-professional International Basketball League (IBL) and for Atlanta Krunk in the professional Continental Basketball Association (CBA).
In 2008, the contract between AND1 and ESP ended, and the Professor was left without performances and money. For several years, Grayson sold his T-shirts on eBay and "interrupted" with rare participation in various shows.
In 2011, Bucher became one of the main stars of the Ball Up Tour team - a tour of the United States, exhibitions around the world, a contract with Fox Sports ...
technical - with a crazy speed of arms and legs - Grayson Butcher made a splash in any place where he appeared.
With the advent of YouTube (yes, the Professor was still in the pre-YouTube period), Bucher got another platform to demonstrate his talents.
In 2013, Grayson posted on his Youtube channel the first video (42 million views) of the cycle in which he, in the Spider-Man costume, plays one-on-one basketball with random opponents on city playgrounds.
Now Grayson Bucher is 36 years old but still good at 1v1.
Butcher and his media team are active on Instagram (3.3 million followers) and YouTube (5.1 million followers), where Grayson regularly shares his craft with followers and delights everyone with heart-pounding crossovers.
