AAU-Fundamentals and Basketball Today, etc

[jimotis4heisman]

NBA Draft: AAU Helps American Kids Flunk Basketball 101 - WSJ.com

At Thursday?s NBA draft, some of America?s budding basketball superstars will learn where they will launch their careers. Four months later, when the season begins, many will learn something else: They don?t know how to play basketball.
One system that prepares young American players for the pros, the Amateur Athletic Union, is, by most accounts, broken. Without a rigid minor-league system like baseball?s or the extra seasoning football players get in college, America?s basketball gems increasingly get their training from teams affiliated with the Amateur Athletic Union, a vast national youth-basketball circuit that has groomed many of the sport?s top stars.

...

[naptownbuck]

Thx for posting. AAU is a beast..that's for sure. Overall I don't like it, but in this system it is all about this $$$. I do like some aspects like the exposure it gives a kid, and the potential big name match ups. However, it's way too much coverage now imo. And I really don't like rating services putting a bunch of stock into these AAU games. And I REALLY don't like the idea of covering these kids at age 15/16 either.

Our last player to depart for the NBA is a clear example of what is wrong in my opinion. He pretty much shot up the charts based off a couple good summer's of AAU ball (A seven footer dunking between his legs really impresses people I guess) Yet the 'number one player' out of highschool looks fairly pedestrian in college and falls to pick 24..I think there is a disconnect there. Same thing happened with Crater. He built his rep off AAU at the age of 16. Later in his high school career he slid, but by that time it was too late. His camp already had big heads about who/what he was. I'd rather them not rate 16 year old kids 5 stars, but I follow anyway.

Last week Draft Express had a great interview with the director of USA Basketball Jerry Colangelo in Colorado (site of the U19 USA practices, Turner), on the same subject.

http://www.draftexpress.com/article/...langelo--3271/

[jimotis4heisman]

Originally Posted by naptownbuck

Thx for posting. AAU is a beast..that's for sure. Overall I don't like it, but in this system it is all about this $$$. I do like some aspects like the exposure it gives a kid, and the potential big name match ups. However, it's way too much coverage now imo. And I really don't like rating services putting a bunch of stock into these AAU games. And I REALLY don't like the idea of covering these kids at age 15/16 either.

Our last player to depart for the NBA is a clear example of what is wrong in my opinion. He pretty much shot up the charts based off a couple good summer's of AAU ball (A seven footer dunking between his legs really impresses people I guess) Yet the 'number one player' out of highschool looks fairly pedestrian in college and falls to pick 24..I think there is a disconnect there. Same thing happened with Crater. He built his rep off AAU at the age of 16. Later in his high school career he slid, but by that time it was too late. His camp already had big heads about who/what he was. I'd rather them not rate 16 year old kids 5 stars, but I follow anyway.

Last week Draft Express had a great interview with the director of USA Basketball Jerry Colangelo in Colorado (site of the U19 USA practices, Turner), on the same subject.

DraftExpress: Taking Stock of USA Basketball with Jerry Colangelo

my issue is it fails to develop players. its as bad or worse than streetball. its showing up in multiple sports at the highest level the lack of fundamentals by american kids.