How good do you have to be to play d3 Basketball?

[sludge]

Wher do you think i have a better chance of playing at?...Im a 5'6 Point guard with great court vision,A decent jumpshot and a hardworker.I also have good dribbling skills.

Do you enjoy lifting weights?  Can you drive the lane?  Are you good shooting free throws?

Lynchburg College has interesting academic scholarship opportunities and might be looking.  Guilford is graduating a point guard this year.

[JJKCHS23]

Yes i really enjoy lifting weights actually...I shoot about 80 percent from the line and im good at driving to the basketball...and dishing it out especially...do u have connections at lynchburg?

[broke_ya_ankles]

you're getting some great advice here, i highly encourage you to really pick a school where you will feel comfortable, not playing college basketball isnt the end of the world and its a lot of hard work, 6am captains practices before the season begins, 8am classes, trying to manage a social life, its really overwhelming for a lot of freshmen and often times putting in the time for bball isnt as rewarding for people who were their high schools star and then come to college and ride the pine. 

but if basketball really is your #1 priority than I recommend you do this if you arent being recruited the way you would like:
1) make a highlight/video tape
2) do your own research for schools within the areas you're interested in, find out who might have an opening for a 3rd string point guard- avoid the top 25 schools as most of them likely recruit for all 15 roster spots meaning you'd have a tough task ahead of you as others already have a leg up
3) once you find schools you are interested in, visit, and while you're there set up a time to meet with the coach, find out more about the program, playing style, and what kind of opportunity you might have in terms of making the team since you werent recruited. 
4) dont get discouraged, college basketball and high school basketball are two completely different games, if you are able to find a school that works for you and you choose to go there and for whatever reason and don't make the team, dont give up, keep working, become a gym rat, be seen at every pick up game, coaches notice these things more than you might think, coaches are always looking for practice players are willing to treat every practice like a game and push the starters when theyre slacking.

being 5'6 you have a lot stacked against you already, but the 120 lbs thing is really an issue, you need to get on a hardcore weight lifting routine and adjust your diet properly to allow yourself to gain needed weight, do it the healthy way though.  and as a player you know what your strengths and weaknesses are, you know you cant improve your physical disadvantage so to make up for it enhance your strengths even more, become even faster, a better dribbler, better passer, those sort of things.

best of luck to you and just remember you go to college for an education, athletics is just a perk

[JJKCHS23]

thanks for the much needed advice....to every1

[with age comes?]

This post may be too late to offer any useful advice, but I can say DO NOT BE afraid to contact any d-3 school you are interested in at least by e-mail or questionaire.  Most coaches like a full game tape rather than a highlight film. Many coaches have recruiting goals and may help you get in even if you don't make the team so don't hesitate.  On a personal note I have the highest repsect for Brian Miller, Head Coach at D'Youngville in Buffalo.  He is a honest man who will rebuild a struggling program in the years to come.  (he left to be a d-1 asst for a couple of years and has sinced returned).  He has always had a Maryland area connection.  He has 2 guys on his roster from Warrenton Va and a third from DC.  They also have a sports & fitness program that might fit you academic needs. One guy on his roster is listed at 5'8" 165 lbs but i don't believe that is exact so I think he would give you a fair shot. Best of luck in your search.

[pabegg]

OK, the mention of short, slight point guards reminds me of one of my favorite basketball stories, about how sometimes heart is the most important part of a basketball player.

There was a kid two years behind me in high school who fit the description above completely. To add to his lack of size, he had no outstanding talent on the court. He just loved the game, worked very hard, and was a smart basketball player. He was a mixed blessing for the coaches, as they knew he knew what to do on the court, there was just no guarantee that he could do it.

If I recall, he didn't make varsity his junior year (after I graduated) and so played only one year of varsity ball. Fortunately, he was smart enough to realize that his basketball career wasn't going anywhere, and he used his grades and intelligence to get into Georgetown. In the fall of 1984.

Now that was Patrick Ewing's senior year, and that was a monster team that went 35-3 and lost to Villanova in the NCAA final. But they had one problem. Thompson had always relied on JUCO transfers to fill out his roster along with the big recruits. Something went wrong that year, probably on the eligibility front, and Thompson started practice in the fall with only 8 players. Now you can play D1 games with only 8 players, but you can't practice with that, especially some of the high-pressure defenses that Thompson ran.

So what did Thompson do? Open tryouts, of course. You see where this is going. After running the potential practice players through all the drills he could find, the skinny, short point guard was still there. So he made the team. He spent the whole year on the bench, although I think Thompson may have given his practice players some actual game time (at 35-3, Georgetown had a lot of garbage time). And he went to the Final Four.

In the off-season, Thompson brought his roster up to normal, and that was it for the bench warmers of 1985. But what a story.

[TigerOldSchool]

The 120 might be an issue...  I played D3 over 20 years ago and I came in at 5'10/140 shooting guard.  At 140, I was skiiiiiny and since there was no 3-pt line then, it was tough to battle even the upperclassmen  point guards.  I played JV my freshman year and in my soph year I got into 4 games (and two were against a 0 win team) and was at about 150lbs.  Some of the guards on my team wente 6'2 and 210, so you get the idea.  Try to gain some weight, get on a JV team your first year then show the coaches what you can do to move up in your soph. 

[wizbegs1304]

I would say as long as you have some talent, played a good four years in high school, have potential and heart, you got a spot

[Knightstalker]

A few years ago Ramapo had a point guard named Tennyson Whitted who was about your size.  He is one of the best true point guards I have seen in the NJAC at any time.  He could break ankles and was a great defender and passer.  He was wiry, quick and tough and nobody ever really got a chance to put their bodies on him.  One year in the NCAA tournament he entered with a bad ankle and that is the only time I remember teams really being able to get to him.

[Ralph Turner]

A few years ago Ramapo had a point guard named Tennyson Whitted who was about your size.  He is one of the best true point guards I have seen in the NJAC at any time.  He could break ankles and was a great defender and passer.  He was wiry, quick and tough and nobody ever really got a chance to put their bodies on him.  One year in the NCAA tournament he entered with a bad ankle and that is the only time I remember teams really being able to get to him.

Tennyson Whitted is the D3 all-time career leader in steals.

(Former McMurry player Daniel Martinez (1996-2000) is third on the all-time list with 380, because his 93 steals in 22 games in his freshman year, while McMurry was still in provisional status, do not count towards the NCAA.  )

[with age comes?]

I love it when Knightstalker posts, his comments are always dead spot on and I LOVE  seeing Phoebe!!

[Knightstalker]

A few years ago Ramapo had a point guard named Tennyson Whitted who was about your size.  He is one of the best true point guards I have seen in the NJAC at any time.  He could break ankles and was a great defender and passer.  He was wiry, quick and tough and nobody ever really got a chance to put their bodies on him.  One year in the NCAA tournament he entered with a bad ankle and that is the only time I remember teams really being able to get to him.

Tennyson Whitted is the D3 all-time career leader in steals.

(Former McMurry player Daniel Martinez (1996-2000) is third on the all-time list with 380, because his 93 steals in 22 games in his freshman year, while McMurry was still in provisional status, do not count towards the NCAA.  )

Whitted came into the NJAC playing great defense.  I have yet to see a player that was coached in HS by Bobby Hurley that could not play good D.  At St. Anthony's if you can't play D you don't play much.

[ILive4This]

I mean you are talking about the number 2 high school bball team in the country, and well perhaps the greatest high school coach ever.

[YeAhItSmE303]

Really just go for it, if you love the game, playing time wont be a huge factor, and i dont see you getting a lot of that at 5'6 120. I love that u have a passion for the game and do want you to make it and hopefully get some playing time. I'm hopeful the guys on the team will be your kind of people and the worse case scenario is you make some friend's, have fun and play a little basketball(im sure you'll make a team). Best of luck.

Go LU-Heck Of a season

[luke12]

Hi Guys,
Im a 6 ft 7 forward from new zealand. Was wondering if there are any ways to be noticed/scouted/recruited all the way out here?