by Alan Stein 03-08-2009 03:00 AM
This blog piggy backs on my last post about “evaluations” and having you and your coach evaluate whether or not you can play at the next level. From junior high to high school, high school to college, and then college to the pros, real players want to climb the proverbial ladder and prove they have what it takes to excel at the highest level possible. Players all over the world work on their strength, quickness, agility, hops, and overall conditioning level, as well as hone their ball handling and shooting with hopes of playing at a prestigious high school or obtaining a coveted college scholarship or professional contract. And the competition to play at each of those levels is fierce and gets exponentially more difficult the higher you go.
As a former player, as well as a professional basketball-specific strength & conditioning coach, I have been around the game, at every level, for most of my life. I have had hundreds of lengthy conversations with the best high school, college, and professional coaches, scouts, and evaluators in the nation. While we usually discuss a variety of topics, the conversation, in some shape or form, usually comes back to what it takes for a player to elevate to the next level. Can he play D-I? Is he a mid-major player? Can he handle the ACC? Where will he go in this year’s NBA draft? Can he play in the league? Overseas?
When talking about a specific player, after we offer our thoughts on the formal checklist described in the "Evaluations" blog, they all say the same thing: to get to the next level, you have to do the little things. If you are a gifted athlete with some serious bounce, it is certainly possible you can have a stellar high school career without developing your off hand or working on your mid-range game. You simply overpower your opponents and take the ball to the cup with authority and have no problem averaging 25 a game. I have seen several All-American caliber players have glaring weaknesses like these in their game. But those weaknesses hold them back at the next level. Even if you are lucky enough to earn a scholarship to play at Duke or Georgetown, do you think Coach K or JT III is going to play you if you can’t go left? Or hit an open 17 footer? Hell no. And if you somehow manage to go through college without improving these deficiencies, you can forget about playing pro and making the big bucks. This reiterates the importance of evaluating your weaknesses and improving them!
And when I talk about doing the little things, I don’t mean just skills and physical attributes. Competent coaches, scouts, and evaluators look at much more when deciding if you can play at the next level. I had the pleasure of going to a big time college game a year ago with a good friend of mine who is an NBA scout for the Chicago Bulls. This gentleman has coached basketball at every level (high school – NBA) and has a brilliant basketball mind. He is integral in helping the Bulls decide which players they should draft. The homework he does on a potential draftee, like last year’s #1 pick Derrick Rose, is astounding. We met for this Big East conference game because he had a several players he needed to watch and evaluate as possible draft picks. We got to the arena two hours before tip-off. Why? So he could watch how the players he was scouting prepared for the game. He wanted to see if they were focused, what they did in order to get ready to play, and if they stretched and warmed up properly. During the game he watched for their overall attitude, their body language, and how they interacted with their coach and teammates. And he was watching college All-Americans! This goes to show that someone is always watching.
In January, I had the pleasure of driving to Charlotte to watch my alma mater (Elon University) play at Davidson and the nation’s leading scorer, Stephen Curry. I have known Stephen for several years and have had the honor and pleasure of working with him at the Nike Summer Skills Academies. He represents everything that is right with college basketball. While I enjoyed watching the game as a whole, I put most of my focus on Curry and watched him no matter where he was on the court…with the ball, without the ball and even when he was on the bench! You know what I saw?
When he had the ball, he was always a threat. He was a threat to score and a threat to pass. He kept his head up and saw the entire court, he has great court vision. He played under control, never frantic, even when he was double and triple teamed. He didn’t try to be flashy; he was very efficient with everything he did. He wasn’t at all worried about looking “cool.” When he didn’t have the ball, he was still a serious threat. He set perfectly placed screens to get his teammates open and he moved without the ball as well as any college player in recent memory. His cuts were sharp and his footwork was flawless. Most of Curry’s shots were made before he got the ball, because his footwork and shot preparation were incredible. He set his feet and his hands before he got the ball. He ended up with 39, but could have easily had 50 if he wasn’t such an unselfish player.
But my favorite part of Steph’s game is the fact that he is a remarkable teammate and a distinguished leader. While he certainly plays with intensity and passion, he doesn’t let emotion negatively affect his game. Whether he hits a pro-range 3 pointer or makes a bad pass, his face doesn’t change. He never gets rattled. Steph doesn’t come out of the game very often, but when he does, he is just as supportive of his teammates as they are for him. He is “into the game” even from the sideline. Stephen Curry will be able to play at the next level because of the focus and effort he puts on even the smallest details.
With Montrose Christian being such a renowned program, we are fortunate enough to have major college coaches coming through to recruit all of the time. When they ask me about a player, do you think they ask me what he bench presses or how high is vertical is? Never. They ask if he works hard, if he is on time, if he pushes his teammates to get better, and if he listens to directions. That’s the stuff they really want to know. They want to know about the little things.
I recently read an article in Basketball Times about Coach Bob McKillop of Davidson, who is without question, one of the top coaches in college basketball. He reiterated my sentiments 100%:
“When I am recruiting a young man to play at Davidson, I look at what he does when he comes out of the game. Does he walk to the bench or run? Does he mope or high five his teammates? When he is in the game, does he want to take big shots? Does he dive on the floor for loose balls? How is his body language when being coached? Is he an eye roller? Is he a shoulder shrugger?”
Long story short, if you want to get to the next level, whether that is college or the NBA, you need to do the little things. Doing the little things add up to a big deal! And remember, someone is always watching.
If you would like to contact me about this blog, my training and/or camps and clinics, please email me at Alan@StrongerTeam.com. I will respond as quickly as possible!
Train hard. Train smart.
Alan Stein
Published 03-08-2009 © 2026 Access Athletes, LLC
Disclaimer:
Access Athletes, LLC owns the exclusive copyright to all information contained within the articles posted on The Real Athlete blog. All information is for the End user's use only and may not be sold, redistributed, or otherwise used for commercial purposes without the expressed consent of Access Athletes, LLC. The information is an educational aid only and it is not intended as and nor shall it be construed as legal, medical, financial, psychological or other professional advice or treatment for individual situations, conditions, or predicaments. The information provided in The Real Athlete blog articles shall not constitute an attorney-client, doctor-patient, psychologist-patient relationship or any other professional-client relationship for that matter. The End user shall seek the advice or treatment of his or her own qualified licensed professional(s) and the End user shall not rely on the information contained herein as such. End users who leave comments on the blog articles or email the contributors personally shall have no expectation of privilege or confidentiality. Additionally, we strongly recommend that you consult your doctor, nurse, nutritionist or pharmacist before following any of our workout or nutrition regimens to ensure that it is safe and effective for you.
Access Athletes, LLC makes no representation or warranties as to the information, opinions, or other services or data you may access, download or use as a result of accessing The Real Athlete blog. All implied warranties of merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose or use are hereby excluded. Access Athletes, LLC does not assume any responsibility for your use of or reliance on any of the information provided by The Real Athlete blog.