Recruiting Tips: 5 Ways to Help Your Recruitment in 2026

A new year should mean exactly that—a new year. Not a repeat of old habits, not another cycle of doing what you've always done and expecting different results. This is a time to reflect honestly on what worked, what didn't, and what needs to change. As I share this message with parents, players, and coaches, I'm holding myself to that same standard. Growth applies to everyone.

With that in mind, I'll be sharing recruiting guidance quarterly with Prep Hoops subscribers, with one clear goal: helping more prospects reach the college level with clarity, confidence, and preparation. Recruiting doesn't reward randomness—it rewards intention.

Below are five foundational areas every prospect should prioritize moving forward.

Your information exists—but is it organized?

Too many athletes are underutilizing their Prep Hoops profiles and digital footprint. Start by ensuring everything is accurate and current: height, school, AAU program, class year, and contact information. This should be consistent across your Prep Hoops profile and all social platforms.

Beyond recruiting info, organization should extend into your daily life. Map out a typical day and evaluate how you're allocating time. Are you budgeting properly for schoolwork, training, film study, rest, and recovery? Where are you wasting time, and where can you be more efficient?

Organization isn't just a recruiting tool—it's a life skill. The most successful athletes are rarely the most chaotic ones. Structure creates consistency, and consistency creates opportunity.

Your brand should work for you, not against you.

Use your full name and graduation year as your username whenever possible. If scouts struggle to find you online, college coaches will struggle too. Being “overlooked” is often less about ability and more about visibility.

Your profile photo should clearly show your face. Your bio should be clean, simple, and informative. A strong format looks like this:

6'5” | Guard | 2026 | 3.8 GPA
School | AAU Program

That's it. Clear. Professional. Efficient.

Post intentionally. Share upcoming games, recent performances, and milestones. You control your brand—so take ownership of it.

A lot of players go to the gym. Far fewer actually train.

Training at half speed produces half-speed habits. Whether you're working on ball-handling, shooting, or defense, your reps must reflect game pace. Muscle memory doesn't lie—it develops at the speed you practice.

The goal of training isn't to be good at something. It's to be great. High-level repetition, intensity, and focus separate average players from recruited ones. Mastery creates separation. Separation creates opportunity.

Train with intent, or don't be surprised when the results fall short.

Your film should tell the truth about your game.

Social media clips are fine for engagement, but they do not get you recruited. Coaches want to see spacing, decision-making, defensive positioning, and how you operate within real actions. That requires traditional, full-court film.

Your highlights are the trailer. Your full-game film is the movie.

Use landscape format (1920 x 1080), ensure the quality is clear, and organize your film logically. YouTube is still the preferred platform for college coaches. Make it easy for them to evaluate you without guessing who you are or where you are on the floor.

Rest and recovery aren't optional—especially for athletes with long-term goals.

Recovery doesn't involve scrolling on your phone. Pre- and post-training recovery habits matter just as much as the workout itself, yet they're often overlooked. Sleep quality, hydration, nutrition, mobility work, and mental decompression all play a role in durability and performance.

You can't train at a high level if your body never fully resets. Longevity favors athletes who respect recovery as part of the process—not an afterthought.

Recruiting doesn't reward noise—it rewards preparation.

Get organized. Build a clear brand. Train with purpose. Present your game honestly. Take care of your body. Do those things consistently, and the process becomes clearer—not easier, but clearer.

New year. New standard.