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How to get d1 scholarships for basketball


Basketball Scholarships | How to Get a Basketball Scholarship

Most college basketball players currently on scholarship got started with the recruiting process very early. Basketball players should begin the recruiting process by the time they are in the 9th grade and should be continually checking-in with coaches throughout high school so that coaches can watch their development. Learn more about the steps to take to get a basketball scholarship.

QUICK LINKS

How to Get a Basketball Scholarship How Tall Do I Need to Be to Play College Basketball
How Many Basketball Scholarships are Offered How to Get Recruited for Basketball
NCAA Basketball Scholarships College Basketball Academic Requirements
How to Get Scouted for Basketball College Basketball Camps and Showcases
How Many College Basketball Programs are There When is National Signing Day for Basketball

 

How to Get a Basketball Scholarship

Here are some quick tips on how to get a basketball scholarship:

  1. Start the process early
  2. Practice talking with college coaches
  3. Have a great video to share
  4. Visit as many schools as you can
  5. Research the schools you want to attend
  6. Improve your grades
  7. Provide multiple references
  8. Don’t miss deadlines

There are over 1 million men’s and women’s high school basketball players in the USA and thousands more internationally.

 

Can You Get a Basketball Scholarship from AAU?

AAU basketball teams should be treated as a required ‘step’ toward that direction (much like taking advantage of the benefits a recruiting service can provide). It’s no secret, college scouts do follow high school athletes playing AAU basketball showcases so being a part of this process can assist you in getting noticed.

There are different levels of AAU teams to consider. Those basketball teams which focus on traveling nationwide for several summer tournaments will require you pay more than those teams which focus on a more local or regional AAU tournament schedule. In addition to you paying a fee to cover the cost of team uniforms, warm-ups and practice court costs, you and your parents should also budget for the cost of gasoline, meals and lodging related to any out-of-town games/tournaments.

 

Can You Play Basketball Without a Scholarship?

If you are thinking of playing college basketball for a powerhouse team in NCAA Division 1 without being offered an athletic scholarship by college recruiters the chances are very slim. From time to time big schools such as these will have a tradition of having ‘tryouts’ for 1-2 walk-ons, but you must understand if you would become such a walk-on there is a chance you would never see any actual playing time.

NCAA Division 2 and NAIA colleges and universities offer partial scholarships and are more readily acceptable to bringing in walk-ons to compete for roster spots. Also, as a walk-on you could work your way into gaining partial scholarships (partial tuition payment, books or meals, e.g.) the next year as these scholarship awards are reviewed by the college coaches and recruiters on a yearly basis. You may also decide to play at a NCAA Division 3 school, which under NCAA guidelines are not permitted to offer athletic scholarships.

 

How Many Basketball Scholarships Are Given Each Year?

If you have a desire to have a college basketball recruiter offer you a scholarship to play NCAA Division 1 basketball, you’re not alone. Nearly 4,500 players are on scholarship at the Division 1 men’s level while there are over 5,000 women basketball players with full rides to play college hoops.

 

NCAA Basketball Scholarships Limits

The NCAA requires universities and colleges at the D1 level to offer only ‘full’ scholarships in men’s and women’s basketball. Men’s programs are restricted to 13 scholarships while women’s program rosters have 15 full scholarship players. An interesting point for you to know about full scholarship awards at the NJCAA (Junior College) D1 level is the total offering includes transportation costs one time per year to and from the college by direct route. NCAA D2 and NAIA may offer full or partial scholarship monies to college basketball recruits. While NCAA Division 3 schools are not permitted to offer athletic scholarships you can also benefit from earning academic and merit scholarships available to all students registering to attend those institutions.

# of Scholarships Limit per Team Avg. Amount of Scholarship
Division Men’s Women’s Men’s Women’s
NCAA I 13 15 $16,154 $17,114
NCAA II 10 10 $6,329 $7,650
NCAA III* N/A N/A N/A N/A
NAIA 11 11 $7,329 $7,762
NJCAA 15 15 $2,479 $3,002

The table above shows college basketball scholarships offered at the NCAA Division 1, NCAA Division 2, NJCAA, and NAIA levels.

 

Basketball Scouting: What do college basketball scouts look for in a player?

You must be aware there are several factors which college basketball recruiters consider before thinking of offering a student-athlete a basketball scholarship. Believe it or not, it all starts on the ability to find you. There are many ways to locate a potential basketball scholarship player:

  • Getting players listed and profiled by recruiting services.
  • Receiving recommendations from high school or club coaches.
  • Searching Twitter for players of interest to competing colleges.
  • Attending AAU Showcases & University-run camps.

Do YOU Fit the College Basketball Recruiter’s Player Traits?

Basketball scholarship monies are carefully handed out by college recruiters so each will carefully weigh numerous aspects involving you play. Are you tall your position at the college level? Are you finished growing? Is your body frame able to add more weight through college basketball conditioning programs? These are all ‘physically-related’ questions basketball recruiters are thinking about when they come to see you play or start watching the video your recruiting service has provided them.

To answer on-court questions, basketball recruiters and coaches will create a checklist regarding your skills. For each part of the checklist, college coaches/recruiters will score you as being Strong, Fair, or Weak. You will be rated for: Boxing Out, Offensive Rebounder, Ball Handling, 1-on-1 Offense, Penetrator, Passing Skills, Quickness, Defense (on the ball), Defense (Away from ball), Spot Shooter, Free Throw Shooter, Aggressiveness, Leadership and Attitude.

Don’t forget your grades – including Overall Grade Point Average and ACT/SAT scores. Be sure you take the college entrance tests, and re-take them if you score poorly. The NCAA Eligibility Center guidelines are for prospective D1 and D2 student-athletes to follow. Strong grades are also important for D3 schools as academic scholarships are available for incoming athletes meeting the award criteria.

When Does Recruiting Begin?

Top collegiate programs will start sending basketball recruiters to watch you as early as when you are in middle school – IF YOU ARE A TOP-TIER TALENT.

 

How Many College Basketball Teams Are There?

Here is the total number of basketball programs at each division level.

Men’s Basketball Programs

There are approximately 1,844 men’s basketball teams in total.

  • There are 344 NCAA division 1 teams in men’s basketball.
  • There are 282 NCAA division 2 teams in men’s basketball.
  • There are 403 NCAA division 3 teams in men’s basketball.
  • There are 255 NAIA teams in men’s basketball.
  • There are 560 NJCAA teams in men’s basketball.

Women’s Basketball Programs

There are approximately 1,834 women’s basketball teams in total.

  • There are 335 NCAA division 1 teams in women’s basketball.
  • There are 298 NCAA division 2 teams in women’s basketball.
  • There are 426 NCAA division 3 teams in women’s basketball.
  • There are 256 NAIA teams in women’s basketball.
  • There are 519 NJCAA teams in women’s basketball.

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The Average Height of College Basketball Players

These are the general guidelines for size requirements coaches look for in a basketball player. If you fall outside of these marks it doesn’t mean you can’t play at that level only that it might be more difficult.

Men’s Basketball

NCAA D1 NCAA D2 NCAA D3/NAIA NJCAA
Point Guard 6’1+ 6’0+ 5’10+ 5’9+
Shooting Guard 6’3+ 6’2+ 6’0+ 5’10+
Small Forward 6’5+ 6’4+ 6’3+ 6’3+
Power Forward 6’7+ 6’6+ 6’5+ 6’4+
Center 6’9+ 6’8+ 6’7+ 6’6+

The average height of a men’s basketball player is 6’3”.

Women’s Basketball

NCAA D1 NCAA D2 NCAA D3/NAIA NJCAA
Point Guard 5’8”+ 5’6”+ 5’5”+ 5’6”+
Shooting Guard 5’10”+ 5’8”+ 5’6”+ 5’8”+
Small Forward 5’11”+ 5’10”+ 5’8”+ 5’9”+
Power Forward 6’0+ 5’11”+ 5’9”+ 5’10”+
Center 6’2”+ 6’0”+ 5’11”+ 5’11”+

The average height of a women’s basketball player is 5’6’”.

 

College Basketball Camps and Showcases

Do you know the difference between a basketball camp and a basketball showcase?

Basketball camps are summer camps run by colleges at all levels which have a basketball program. If you are serious about playing for a specific team, it is a great idea to attend one or more of these summer camps. Here’s why:

  • You will be learning the game of basketball from established college coaches. These coaches may teach you something you haven’t learned from your high school or AAU coaches.
  • Exposure – You get the opportunity to show you basketball skills to coaches who may not have heard of you. This exposure is not just to the coaches from the college where the camp is being held. Many times, especially with larger universities, outside coaches (from NCAA D2, D3 or NAIA, e.g.) will be hired to assist as camp coaches due to the sheer number of campers in attendance.
  • Athlete interaction – You will get to talk with athletes from other high schools or AAU teams. It could result in moving onto a better summer league team or gaining insight about recruiting experiences.

Showcases are events held, mostly during the summer, where you can play with other prospective college basketball recruits and display your court talents to college recruiters in attendance. While pricey this may be considered an investment for your desire to play basketball at the collegiate level. Most of these events will offer video of your games to assist in your recruiting process. Aside from possibly playing in front of college basketball recruiters, you will also get a better handle on your overall skills as you may be facing better competition than you do during your high school season.

Get more information about College Basketball Camps.

Choosing a college basketball camp can be a little difficult for you at first, but here are some tips to think about before making a final decision. You have to ask yourself the reason you want to attend a basketball camp.

 

When is National Signing Day for Basketball?

National Letter of Intent, or National Signing Day as it’s more commonly called, is the specific time when you as student-athlete will decide which scholarship offer you will accept from a college basketball recruiter. For NCAA D1 schools, the next signing day is April 17, 2019 through May 15, 2019. The next period is November 13-20. If you are offered a ‘letter of intent’ you will have seven days to sign and return it to the university’s basketball department. The signed agreement means you will commit to playing for that college for at least one year. The college must also let you know each year if the scholarship has been extended. Even if you sign the letter of intent, you must also be able to meet all of the admissions requirements of the school before actually attending classes. Before signing, you need to be certain this is the school you want to attend. If you request a release from the agreement it may or may not be approved by the university.

 

Athnet is here to help you in your desire to play basketball at the collegiate level.

Through our many resources – including our website, free online profiles and various partnerships – we will provide you, the college recruit, as well as your family, easy-to-understand advice and subsequent resources to catch the attention from college recruiters. Recruiting and scholarship advice comes to you from our knowledgeable company representatives as each of them carries the experience of a former college coach or player. Your online presence is really a great way to start your recruiting experience. Did you know the vast majority (90%) of college recruiters start the process with an online search of student-athletes?

Build your free recruiting profile today!

420 thousand coaches are in our network of college recruiters and they will be looking at your latest video and statistics included in your profile. Don’t miss out on your chance to get the ‘early’ looks from college recruiters.

 

How women’s basketball started

Basketball history

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Men’s Basketball Scholarships | How to Get a Basketball Scholarship

Less than one percent of high school athletes will go on to play NCAA Division 1 men’s basketball—but we already knew the competition was tough. Even though the odds of landing a scholarship are slim, it isn’t impossible. There are several competitive opportunities, from NCAA Division 1 to JUCO programs, where athletic scholarships are available. Division 1 college coaches offer headcount scholarships, meaning each player gets a full ride. NCAA Division 2, NAIA and JUCO programs, on the other hand, award equivalency scholarships. Coaches at these levels have a pool of athletic aid and they can distribute it to as many athletes as they want, so student-athletes could get partial scholarships. And while Division 3 college coaches can’t offer athletic scholarships, they still provide appealing financial packages that can cover a bulk of college costs.        

Quick Links

NCAA basketball scholarships by division level

How to get a basketball scholarship

What are the odds of getting a basketball scholarship?

Can you play college basketball without a scholarship?

How many scholarships are available for men’s D1 basketball?

How to get a Division 1 basketball scholarship

Division 2 men’s basketball scholarships

Division 3 men’s basketball scholarships

NAIA men’s basketball scholarships

JUCO men’s basketball scholarships

Basketball scholarship requirements

Best colleges for basketball scholarships

How many full ride scholarships for basketball?

NCAA basketball scholarships by division level

Division LevelNumber of TeamsTotal AthletesAverage Team SizeScholarships Limit Per TeamScholarship Limit Type
NCAA D13535,5221613Headcount
NCAA D23135,2511710Equivalency
NCAA D34467,76718–N/A
NAIA D1931,8642011Equivalency
NAIA D21372,752216Equivalency
Other 4 year921,39415–N/A
JUCO4306,3521515Equivalency
Other 2 year1451,98814–N/A
Totals2,00932,89017  

When it comes to basketball scholarships, it’s important to understand the difference between a headcount scholarship and an equivalency scholarship. In NCAA Division 1, student-athletes receive headcount scholarships, which are full rides. In other words, coaches award exactly 13 full ride scholarships to 13 athletes, and they can’t distribute that money any other way. At the Division 2, NAIA and JUCO levels, college coaches offer equivalency scholarships. Coaches are given a pool of scholarship funds and they can distribute it to as many athletes as they want. Therefore, depending on the program, some athletes will receive partial scholarships at these levels. 

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How to get a basketball scholarship 

Every coach has a specific set of criteria they look for when recruiting student-athletes. Here are the most important aspects you should keep in mind as you search for scholarships:

  1. Compete at the highest level possible: To accurately assess a recruit’s ability to compete in college, coaches want to see them play against high-ranked recruits from across the country. That’s why AAU is so popular among top-tier programs—it provides recruits with a chance to play at the national level. However, this level of AAU is the most expensive as recruits are often required to travel to several tournaments. While club basketball can help, it isn’t a necessary requirement to securing a scholarship. Varsity high school teams can also offer great competitive opportunities.
  2. Compete in the summer during live periods: Scheduling conflicts make it difficult for college coaches to watch recruits play in-person during the regular season. So, they turn to live periods. These stretches in the offseason allow coaches to hit the road and scout several players at once. Bottom line: playing in front of college coaches in the summer is essential.
  3. Attend elite camps: In addition to tournaments, college coaches also evaluate recruits at elite camps. These events, which can be invitation only, attract top talent and college coaches from across the country. There’s one caveat—camps at a Division 1 school tend to invite Division 2 or 3 coaches to attend, as well, but more likely than not, no other Division 1 programs will be in attendance. Make sure to attend camps at schools that are at the top of the target list.
  4. Excel academically. Grades and test scores matter to college coaches. First, for divisions that offer equivalency scholarships, academic aid can ease the burden on the coach to provide athletic aid. More importantly, it speaks to a recruit’s character. Coaches know that students who work hard in the classroom are responsible, independent and will have a smoother college transition than those who don’t. 
  5. Create a highlight film. The best way to secure an in-depth and in-person evaluation is by sending coaches highlight and game film. Highlight film acts as a first impression—it’s a quick way to show coaches a snapshot of the recruit’s skill set.
  6. Be proactive. Despite what families may think, coaches don’t simply discover recruits. Unless they’re one of the very best players in the country, recruits need to do some work to get noticed by college coaches. This is especially important in basketball where student-athletes are still allowed to talk to coaches via phone when they’re the ones initiating the contact. Don’t sit around: research, email and call coaches.
  7. Know your best college fit. Lastly, don’t forget to visit the college roster for every team on your target list. The last thing families want to do is waste their time emailing coaches at schools that aren’t a good fit. Here are a few things student-athletes should look at: the players who are in their position (are they seniors who are graduating?), athletic stats (how do they measure up?) and backgrounds (does the coach recruit from a particular region or tournament?)

What are the odds of getting a basketball scholarship?

In short: It isn’t easy, but it isn’t impossible either. From NCAA Division 1 to JUCO, there are 32,890 men’s basketball athletes across 2,009 programs. The odds of a high school basketball player making a Division 1 basketball roster is 105:1, and the odds of a high school basketball player making any college roster is 18:1.

Division 1 basketball is a headcount sport—so coaches have exactly 13 full-ride scholarships that they can award to 13 players. Division 2 is an equivalency sport, so coaches can award full scholarships or divide their funds and offer partial scholarships across athletes. If we break it down to these two NCAA divisions, it comes out to 10,773 athletes competing for 7,719 scholarships. From an NAIA perspective, we’re talking 4,616 athletes competing for 1,845 basketball scholarships. JUCO offers the most opportunity as these programs can award a maximum of 15 scholarships per team and the average team size is 15 players.

Can you play college basketball without a scholarship? 

Yes, but it is very unlikely. Basketball players on NCAA Division 1 teams who aren’t on a scholarship are called walk-ons. Some Division 1 schools hold tryouts where they bring on one to two walk-ons. But these players typically never see any actual playing time. Plus, recruits could be competing against an athlete who already has an established relationship with the college coach—some coaches will recruit walk-ons for their team, known as a “preferred walk-on.”

NCAA Division 2, NAIA programs and JUCO colleges are more willing to allow walk-ons to compete for roster spots—and even earn a scholarship. For example, a student-athlete could walk on to a Division 2 program their freshman year and then earn a scholarship the next year and year after as these coaches award partial scholarships and renew them on a yearly basis.

How many scholarships are available for men’s D1 basketball?

  • Division 1 men’s basketball scholarships per team: 13
  • Total # of men’s basketball teams: 353
  • Avg. team size: 16 

NCAA Division 1 scholarships are hard to come by. Less than one percent of high school athletes will compete at this level. Each Division 1 men’s basketball program can award 13 full athletic scholarships. These scholarships, called headcount scholarships, cover all college costs, including tuition, housing, books, etc. After the 13 scholarships have been handed out, additional athletes can walk on to the team, but aren’t eligible for athletic aid.

How to get a D1 basketball scholarship

The first thing you need to know about NCAA Division 1 scholarships is that coaches recruit early. And we mean early—in some cases middle school. So, if a student-athlete is looking to land a Division 1 scholarship, they need to be on a coach’s radar before their junior year. Then, obviously, they need to be good. These are the best collegiate basketball players across the country and coaches are extremely selective when offering athletic scholarships. Elite Division 1 athletes rank nationally, such as making the ESPN Top 150 list. Less than one percent of high school athletes go on to play Division 1 basketball. 

Division 1 coaches typically find top recruits through AAU club teams as they roster top talent and compete nationally. But AAU ball is by no means the required path to competing in college outside of Division 1. Playing in tournaments over the summer is an important way to getting coach exposure. Another option is to attend an elite camp hosted by the college. In this case, families want to make sure they’re picking camps where the student-athlete is a good fit athletically and academically to maximize their chances of being evaluated. Remember that academics do matter to college coaches. The higher a recruit’s GPA and test scores, the more doors that will open for them. 

Most importantly, student-athletes need to be proactive. They should create a highlight film, obtain game film and create an online profile showcasing their stats and academic information. Then—and we can’t reiterate this enough—they need to contact college coaches. Send them an introductory email, follow up when it’s relevant and let coaches know when they’ll be calling. Basketball is unique in that student-athletes and coaches can talk via phone when the recruit initiates the contact. So, coaches aren’t allowed to call recruits, but if the student-athlete puts the work in and reaches out to them by phone, coaches can talk to them. If student-athletes aren’t hearing back, they might be reaching out to programs that aren’t an athletic fit. This is when families can lean on their high school or club coach to help them build a list of realistic target schools.

How many Division 2 men’s basketball scholarships are there?

  • Maximum scholarships available per team: 10
  • Total # of D2 men’s basketball teams: 313
  • Avg. team size: 17

NCAA Division 2 coaches are allowed to award a maximum of 10 men’s basketball scholarships per team. Unlike NCAA Division 1, these are equivalency scholarships: college coaches receive a pool of athletic aid and they decide how many athletes receive athletic scholarships. Therefore, some players will be offered partial scholarships instead of full rides.

Division 3 men’s basketball scholarships

  • Maximum scholarships available per team: 0
  • Total # of D3 men’s basketball teams: 446
  • Avg. team size: 18

It’s true that NCAA Division 3 schools can’t offer athletic scholarships. However, they do leverage other types of aid the recruit might qualify for, such as academic scholarships, merit-based aid and grants, to create a competitive scholarship package. Division 3 is mostly made up of small private schools, so they tend to have these kinds of funds readily available. In fact, 82 percent of all Division 3 athletes receive some form of aid. Student-athletes with high test scores and a strong GPA will benefit the most from Division 3 scholarships.    

NAIA basketball scholarships

Division 1

  • Maximum scholarships available per team: 11
  • Total # of NAIA D1 men’s basketball teams: 93
  • Avg. team size: 20 

Division 2

  • Maximum scholarships available per team: 6
  • Total # of NAIA D2 men’s basketball teams: 137
  • Avg. team size: 21

There are currently two basketball divisions within NAIA and they each award their own maximum number of scholarships. NAIA Division 1 offers 11 scholarships per team, while NAIA Division 2 offers six per team. However, the NAIA is set to combine these two divisions beginning with the 2020-21 school year, and at this time, each team can award up to eight scholarships. Furthermore, the NAIA will continue using the equivalency model where coaches receive athletic funds and decide how to distribute scholarships among athletes. Typically, to make the most of their recruiting efforts, coaches award multiple athletes on their team with partial scholarships. That does mean, however, that some student-athletes need to supplement with other types of aid, such as academic scholarships and need-based aid.

JUCO men’s basketball scholarships

  • Maximum scholarships available per team: 15
  • Total # of NJCAA men’s basketball teams: 430
  • Avg. team size: 15

Junior college is not as cut and dry when it comes to men’s basketball scholarships. First, it depends on the division. There are three divisions within the NJCAA, and only Division 1 and 2 can offer athletic scholarships to basketball players. Even more, Division 1 is the only division that can offer a full ride. Division 2 is allowed to cover tuition, fees and books, but they can’t pay for housing. In addition to an athletic scholarship, both divisions will pay for an athlete’s transportation costs to and from the college by direct route once per year.  

Basketball scholarship requirements

Every potential NCAA Division 1 and Division 2 college-athlete is required to register with the NCAA Eligibility Center and submit their transcripts and SAT/ACT test scores and answer questions pertaining to their amateur status. In order to secure a roster spot and athletic scholarship, student-athletes must meet the academic requirements and be cleared by the Eligibility Center.

While the requirements differ slightly between Division 1 and Division 2, the overall method for determining eligibility is the same: student-athletes must pass 16 core courses throughout high school, maintain a minimum GPA in these core courses and pass the NCAA Sliding Scale. Learn more about the specific Eligibility Center requirements to better understand the GPA and test scores you need to qualify. 

What are the best colleges for basketball scholarships?

The key to securing a basketball scholarship is finding college programs that are the best athletic fit. Think about it this way—coaches are going to prioritize scholarships to their strongest players, so student-athletes need to find programs where they can make an impact right away. If a recruit’s athletic ability doesn’t quite match up, the coach is less inclined to offer a scholarship opportunity.  

To help you in your search, we’ve compiled a list of the best colleges for basketball scholarships across all the division levels. Recruits interested in these programs should visit the team’s roster to determine if they’re an athletic fit and learn more about the coach’s recruiting method, such as which areas they recruit in. Here’s a look into the best colleges within each level:

  • Top men’s basketball colleges: University of North Carolina, UCLA, Stanford University, University of Michigan, University of Florida, University of Virginia, Princeton University, Duke University, University of California, Harvard University.
  • Top D1 men’s basketball colleges: University of North Carolina, UCLA, Stanford University, University of Michigan, University of Florida, University of Virginia, Princeton University, Duke University, University of California, Harvard University.
  • Top D2 men’s basketball colleges: University of California—San Diego, Bentley University, Point Loma Nazarene University, California State Polytechnic University—Pomona, Rollins College, Bellarmine University, California State University—Chico, Western Washington University, Truman State University, Grand Valley State University.
  • Top D3 men’s basketball colleges: John Hopkins University, Emory University, Amherst College, University of California—Santa Cruz, California Institute of Technology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Hamilton College, Pomona-Pitzer College, University of Chicago, Trinity University—Texas.
  • NAIA: Asbury University, University of Michigan—Dearborn, Concordia University—Nebraska, St. Ambrose University, Bethel University—Indiana, Aquinas College—Michigan, College of the Ozarks, Loyola University New Orleans, Taylor University, Indiana Wesleyan University.
  • JUCO (according to the NJCAA): Florida SouthWestern State (FL), Vincennes (IN), Coffeyville (KS), Ranger (TX), John A. Logan (IL), Casper (WY), Odessa (TX), Northwest Florida State (FL), Chipola (FL), South Plains (TX) 

How many full ride scholarships for basketball are there? 

In NCAA Division 1 basketball, coaches can offer a maximum of 13 scholarships per team. These are called headcount scholarships, also known as full-ride scholarships. The average NCAA Division 1 team rosters 16 athletes, so there might be three players on the team who walked on and don’t qualify for athletic aid.

At the Division 2, NAIA and JUCO levels, college coaches award equivalency scholarships. This means they can distribute their allocated athletic aid to as many players as they wish. Therefore, you’ll often find student-athletes on partial scholarships, especially at the D2 and NAIA levels. Even though JUCO programs offer equivalency scholarships, they receive a maximum 15 per team, which usually means athletes receive close to full-ride scholarships here.

However, not all college basketball programs are fully funded. For example, a Division 2 coach is allowed to offer a maximum of 10 scholarships per team, but their budget may only allow for seven. So the best way to fully understand your financial aid package opportunities is to connect directly with a college coach at a program you’re interested in—and the same goes for Division 3. Even though D3 coaches can’t award athletic scholarships, they can still work with the admissions department to create appealing aid packages for student-athletes.

Sports and studies in the USA or how can an athlete get to America (sports scholarship in the USA)? - How to become professional basketball players overseas

In this post I will tell you what to do if you are an athlete and want to get to America, but are not ready to pay for your education $30.000-$40.000 in the year .

In other words, I will write about how to get sports scholarship to study in America.

(Sports scholarship - money that an educational institution allocates to pay for education, accommodation and meals for an athlete during his studies)

Back when I was just starting to play basketball, my father had a dream that one day his son would be able to get to America thanks to sports and he would have the opportunity to combine education with basketball.

At about the age of 15, I also got excited about the idea of ​​​​moving to the States, and having no connections in America and not knowing anything about the children's basketball system in this country, I began to collect information bit by bit from various sources.

As a result, at the age of 19 I managed to move to America (before that I had played a year at the Italian Basketball Academy).

During this time, I have accumulated a huge amount of knowledge about how sports work in America at the school and university level, and now I see that getting there is not so difficult when you have the necessary information.

In this article, I want to describe the steps by which you can get in touch with American coaches and try to get an athletic scholarship.

I will write on the example of basketball, but the same methods are similar for obtaining a sports scholarship (tuition, accommodation, meals, etc. at the expense of an educational institution) for any sport that can be funded in America.

1. Decide where you need to go .

It is advisable to have basic information about American educational institutions, namely, to read what High School, Prep School, Post Graduate School, Junior College and Universities in the USA are.

I will write more detailed information on educational institutions in the next entry, because there are many nuances.

For example, if we take school education, then American schools study for 12 years, plus, you can still take an additional 13 year of school (Post Graduate Year), respectively, in America they finish school later, schoolchildren can be found there even at 20 and 21 years old.

There are also many interesting points about colleges and universities, for example, many foreign athletes do not first go to universities, but to Junior College (2-year college), because entrance exams (SAT, TOEFL) are not needed there and there are much more chances to get a sports scholarship to college , because the level of basketball there is slightly lower than at universities.

2. Prepare your game video, make a short story about yourself (your achievements in studies and sports).

First of all, you need to make your own basketball video so that you can present yourself to the American coaches.

It is advisable to make a video in the form of Highlights - i.e. cuts of your best gaming moments from games and practices.

https://youtu.be/NuddfGjbF9k

A good example of a basketball video made by my Serbian teammate.

Next, write a short summary. Indicate in it your date of birth, height, weight, position on the site.

Describe your main achievements in sports (example: champion of Russia among youths born in 1995, member of the Moscow Region basketball team, etc.)

Achievements in studies are also quite important, and they will be a plus to your resume. Coaches in America pay great attention to the academic performance of athletes.

3. 1 Start communicating with schools/colleges.

The most banal, but at the same time the most difficult way to get in touch with American coaches is to write them directly to their mail.

It is not difficult to find the contacts of a coach, go to the website of any school / college, select the basketball section and usually the contacts of the coach are in a prominent place there.

However, players' emails from coaches are not often answered because coaches receive dozens of emails a day and they may simply miss your email.

Let's say you want to go to High school in Florida

Enter High Schools in Florida in the search engine and Wikipedia will immediately give you a list of all schools in Florida ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_high_schools_in_Florida )

Find a trainer's contact and send him your video and resume.

In fact, this method is the most dreary. From my own experience, I will say that only 30-35% of coaches will answer you, and if you are not a very promising player, then there is little chance that you will be offered a lot of funding.

However, the method is working, at one time I sent about 300 letters to various schools and there were several adequate proposals from them. However, if you do not play at a high level at home, it will not be easy to interest coaches in this way, and you will spend a lot of time.

3.2 Contact people who have already left for America and ask them for advice.

I think that this is the most effective way, because you will be able to talk to a person who knows this kitchen from the inside.

For all questions about obtaining a sports scholarship, finding a school / college, necessary documents, etc. you can always write to me.

I will explain to you the admission system in more detail and I will be able to assess your chances of receiving a sports scholarship.

You can also find contacts of other guys who now live and play in the USA.

A person who went through all the difficulties of admission himself, like no one else, will be able to answer your questions and tell you how to go to America with minimal financial costs.

3.3 Go to a basketball camp in America or Europe.

In the USA and Europe, many camps / gatherings are constantly organized, where you can not only improve your level of play, but you will also have a great opportunity to communicate with guys from all over the world, expand your horizons of knowledge and make useful contacts.

Let's say that once you go to a basketball camp in the USA, you can see American basketball with your own eyes, show yourself to local coaches and talk to them.

Also in the summer, Exposure Camps are organized in America - this is something like a show, where many coaches from colleges and schools come to look after their players for the next season.

If someone is interested in options with training camps, write, I can tell you more

Let's summarize . If you are sure that coaches in the USA will be able to see you as a promising athlete, then do not hesitate to send letters to the coaches, your video and let them know about yourself in every possible way.

However, if you try to get into an American educational institution without the help of knowledgeable people, then this process may be delayed.

I advise you to contact people who have gone through all this on their own experience and will be able to share their baggage of knowledge.

____________________________________________________________________________________________

If you have any questions, I am always ready to answer them and give my advice:

VK: vk.com/alexskryagin

My public: vk.com/public77518496

US Athletic Scholarships - GetInUni.com

Continuing a university career in the United States is the only way to combine sports with higher education.

One of the most important factors in deciding to study in the United States is the availability of athletic and academic scholarships to help cover the cost of these studies.

The United States University System is the only system in the world that provides such a large number of athletic scholarships. Sometimes the size of sports scholarships can reach up to 60,000 dollars a year.

Why do American colleges and universities offer athletic scholarships?

It is impossible to imagine a university system without sports. Athletes are a key element of this system and receive excellent support.

In order to achieve the best athletic performance among their students, universities try to recruit the best players for their team by recruiting players from the United States and countries around the world through athletic scholarships that help these student-athletes meet their university expenses. Student athletes are treated like professionals and can earn an excellent reputation at their university.

There are about 200 sports scholarships on the market each year for student-athletes. These scholarships may be full or partial.

These scholarships are awarded to student athletes who are part of one of the university's sports teams. Scholarships tend to be different for each student-athlete and cover a certain percentage of university expenses - even all expenses in some cases.

Scholarship expenses include: tuition and fees, books, accommodation, food and medical insurance.

In addition, all student athletes receive the following free of charge: training and competition, sports equipment, team travel, academic tutoring, sports medicine and coaching.

If a student-athlete receives a full athletic scholarship, all costs mentioned above will be covered. For partial scholarships, a certain percentage of the total costs mentioned above will be covered.

Athletic scholarships are provided by university coaches and determine the percentage of the scholarship that a student-athlete will receive.

University organizations that offer athletic scholarships in the US
NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association)

This is the largest organization in American universities. This organization provides the largest number of scholarships each year, and usually for a large number of sports. The NCAA has three divisions, each with its own characteristics and level of athletic achievement.

NCAA Division I : Most prestigious universities belong to this division. These are universities of large size and with a wide variety of sports. NCAA Division I has the largest budget for hiring athletes, which is why they offer the most scholarships.

NCAA Division II : This division is formed by universities of very high athletic and academic excellence. Many NCAA Division 2 universities compete at a higher level than some universities in the NCAA Division 1. But as a rule, a smaller number of students with slightly less modest athletic achievements fall into this division, so they fall into the NCAA Division 2 category.

NCAA Division III : This division does not offer athletic scholarships. But thanks to this unit, you can get an academic scholarship or financial assistance based on family income.

NAIA (National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics)

The NAIA is made up of universities that are generally smaller than NCAA Division I universities but still have high academic and athletic performance among students.

NJCAA (National Junior College Athletic Association)

NJCAA consists of 2-year universities. They offer the first 2 years of general education, after which the student must transfer to a university of a certain profile in order to then receive a bachelor's degree. The NJCAA is commonly used as a platform for students to attend a university in the United States, after which they can use their impressive grades and athletic performance to transfer to a larger university.

How to get a sports scholarship?

More than a thousand US colleges and universities offer talented students the opportunity to play on a college team as a means of paying for their education.

The key to success in finding sports scholarships is to carefully study your options and find the right opportunities. Some things to consider when starting your search:

  • Start preparing early. The application process is competitive and requires careful planning. Begin your study approximately 18-24 months before the date you plan to attend university in the United States.
  • Find your country in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) International Standards for Student Athletes.
  • See the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Sports List to find the exact US universities that offer scholarships for the sport of interest.

List of the following sports associations offering sports scholarships and grants.

  • National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA)
  • National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA)
  • beRecruited
  • Athletic Scholarships

You can also consider writing a sports summary that includes your sporting achievements and videos of your workouts. Start thinking about letters of recommendation from your coaches and other mentors to help them express their opinion about your potential to succeed and receive an athletic scholarship.

What do I need to do to get a sports scholarship?

Create a profile on one of the sports association websites to maximize your chances of going to college and receiving an athletic scholarship so that you can be seen by as many university sports representatives as possible. Usually, this is all the student can do at this stage. Further, the decision depends on the coaches browsing specific databases on these sites in order to find talented athletes.

But here are some tips to increase your chances.

  1. Having an online profile on one of the association websites is the best way to get in touch with college coaches and let them know about you. College coaches from NCAA Division 1, Division 2, Division 3 schools every day look for talented athletes and award athletic scholarships.
  2. Don't be afraid to contact college coaches. At the same time, be sure to ask questions and show the coach that you are really interested in their sports program.

    Learn more
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