etnhoops

Guys no one is forcing these kids or parents to play. It is a blast and if you don't get noticed you still have a great time. I do not make money off coaching my team but we have talent. And your right div 2 NAIA juco they all come. Listen if you are good there is no point in playing in a local tourney with not very good talent. Playing in these exposure events is fun and a way to get noticed. Quite a few girls have gotten noticed from my team where they wouldn't have any other way.

And to note... The flight are my enemy.. Meaning I respect them. But I want to play them..they rule most of the state because they have a lot of talent. But you have to play the top dogs to really get noticed. Losing to them by 18 is better than besting a bad team by 20 if your team looks good in losing... Colleges will find talent.

Guys.... Listen yes there 1000s of players going to these events. But not all or most of them could play college ball. But it is the only viable. Place to be seen. There are different tiers or levels of play. The higher levels get much more college exposure. They may have 60 courts in 1 building. If you are playing on court 54 there may be a few colleges who come and watch but they have a tip or are following a player. Some of you think that every kid wants or is trying g to play college ball. There are some teams that are good but may have 1 elite player. As a team they are decent but will never come close beating the elite. So they drop down and play more even competition but it also lets that elite player play in front of coaches. The experience alone is a blast for the girls. They are for the love of the game and to play against good teams from around the country. You guys think that every parent or kid thinks they will get offered. No... But there is a possibility even if small that they may get noticed and have a chance. Especially the gifted players who don't play on elite teams. The Middle Tennessee Flight teams you refer too... Are already loaded with the best girls from around the state. Yes they promote their players well... And yes they make money. But they get their players college exposure... But a lot of their kids are already good and colleges would find them. It helps the colleges evaluate them better because of the talent they are playing. But if you want to play competitive ball and play in a great atmosphere and possibly in front of colleges then these events are where to go... It doesn't matter 8th grade or not.

1 more thing... A highschool coach can promote a kid all they want... But no college is going to pay 1000 dollars traveling to see 1 kid unless she is well known throughout the landscape. They will ask what AAU team does she at for and they contact the coach of that organization and get a schedule. These college coaches can spend the same amount of money to watch thousands of girls at a exposure event as it would to travel and watch 1 highschool game.

OK...... The exposure events are 99% the only way for your kid to get seen by colleges. I coach a pretty Elite AAU team that are Juniors now. College coaches go to these NCAA certified events to watch the girls play. Playing in the upper tiers will definitely get girls noticed if they can play. Hundreds of college coaches walk and sit down to watch the games. They have detailed books on each team and each kid. How the process works is they usually watch sophomores and up with a few exceptions on the elite freshman teams in the country. They find sophomores who they are interested in and begin having a player relationship to get to know the kid. If they like the kid this is where they may travel to watch them in highschool. Period. No college coach travels to a high school unless she is top 100 or they get some tip of how amazing she is on a whim. Exposure basketball now a days is a huge recruiting tool and yes it's expensive but it's the only viable way to have a kid seen. The only other way is to go to a colleges camp. But again they want to watch you play in an AAU event. When you play at the higher tiers in these events you are going against the best athletes... The best coaches... And the college coach can see what abilities each kid has. MartianMan you may not like it but I'm. Telling you it the only way. Not only are these tournament directors making money off the parents and the teams. College coaches pay 700-1000 dollars for the team books!! Which as an AAU coach I have to enter all the detailed info about my team and each girl into the NCAA website. The tournament directors are responsible for printing this information for the teams they have plus the schedules. Another thing... You can get noticed by smaller schools playing in middle tiers because there are some assistants that watch games all day and travel down the path of courts. It only takes 1 good or great game by a kid to get noticed... It takes several to be on the recruiting list... And if they continue to impress they get offers. They will come to high school games but more as a show of how much they are interested in you and to make you believe you should go there. There are times where they may have a kid on the fence and they watch a highschool game to see if they want to Pursue more unless she is a senior. Then it's usually to make an offer. These exposure events are crucial and basically the only way a girl gets noticed unless she is dominating high school and is under the radar.

How does everyone have mcminn central ahead of William Blount. William Blount best them head to head on a nuetral court. Also Oak Ridge hasn't played the schedule William Blount has. Which should help William Blount tonight

That isn't even close to a good statement. Bearden. William Blount. Oakridge all can hang with those teams if scheme is right. Sub state here could be Morristown West. William Blount. Bearden. All 3 could make a run

It's not really. They are loaded with talent And young talent. The key is if they play well. They can beat anyone in the state ....they only trailed Blackman by 6 with 2 minutes left in 3rd qtr and trailed by 1 at half. A couple little tweaks here and there which I think are slowly being implemented down the stretch and we will be very hard to beat. Remember 10 of these girls on an AAU team that beat the Flight and were runner up in AAU State Championship. Against teams mixed with the best from the top teams in the area.

Like I said. William blount. Underestimated all year. Beat Bearden Tuesday. We are district champs regular season. Automatic top 2 in district

I love how the folks around here underestimated william blount. Easily top 2 teams in east tennessee. Beat maryville again.

Well we could too. And yes they play defense the problem is they over press. They sun very minute or two and press a lot. But when teams can handle it they don't get out of it quick enough but that is changing a little. We outscored Bearden in the 2nd half playing conventional basketball and we can best Bearden. Wait till we play them again. Tonight we throttled a good Maryville team and held them to 22 points which shows we can play defense. Didn't press as much and played more controlled. William Blount goes 14 deep but really 9 should play most of the game. They consist of the 2 middle school teams to come 2nd in state and 1st in state. So they are loaded with good ball players. And they will be loaded next 2 years. Their top 9 out of 11 are juniors, sophomores and freshman

Well we are really good but ask them around there or you may have heard but 10 of the 14 William Blount girls are East Tennessee Air AAU team. And they have beaten the flight

Well as I said. William Blount is easy top 5. And good job prep xtra last night for all picking and talking about Maryville beating us. We just win 39-22. William Blount 2nd in district. We didn't press as much and condensed the roster down a little. We are loaded and it showed.

The loss to bearden is a set back but my hope is the rotation gets trimmed and the press is used less. The 2nd half of the game was much more even in fact William Blount outscored them. They pressed in first half and that wasn't the way to attack them. They handle the ball very well. Lets see this Friday against Maryville and next time against Bearden. But William Blount is loaded and their best years are next 2 for sure.

The guy who listed the top 5 teams in his 3a category is not even close. William Blount is easy top 3. They have wins over farragut and McMinn Central. Only loses are against teams from out of the state (Chicago and Washington DC) plus Blackmon. If the best players played more of the game we would be easy top 1 or 2. The system is good at times but we are loaded with talented juniors And sophomores who can score with anyone.

If William Blount plays anything like they did in the first half against Loudon. they have a great shot at making a run at state. They still left quite a few points on the floor and they scored 53 at the half!! And that is with many missed layups 😕.

William Blount has the opportunity to really shine next weekend and Monday. They play Heritage Friday and Maryville Monday.

Yes I just did see that. William Blount is going to be really tough for next couple of years too. I might be Biased though...Daughter plays and is only a freshman...and I coach almost all of the underclassman in AAU.

Ok...I think all of you forgot about William Blount. Already beat Gatlinburg Pittman, Webb and Oliver Springs....and Tonight Hardin Valley. Only loss....Blackman!

Thanks...I appreciate the help. I didn't know ACAHoops charged now...that makes sense why the drop off. Where can you find a tournament listing now? I know about the Panther tourney. I am trying to find one as a tune up at the end of February. The kickoff state qualifier is a week before the Panther tourney.

Trying to find a place that shows tournaments for Tennessee since ACAHoops charges to list.

This is the list for this year as of Feb 4th, 2012 http://www.acahoops.com/aca-tournaments-girls-tn.asp This is the list last year http://www.acahoops.com/aca-tournaments-girls-tn-past.asp That is a HUGE difference. Look how many tournaments were from Jan 31- to March 1st alone!! I am trying to find a tourney in the Knoxville area before the Kickoff state qualifier in Pigeon Forge and it seems impossible. Does anyone know why there is such a big drop off?