The Exodus to Prep Schools

The exodus of Milwaukee City high school kids to prep schools, as referred to by wishoops.net Mark Miller, is easily the second biggest prior to the start of the high school basketball season. Within a two week period approximately seven or eight players from Milwaukee transferred to prep schools. These players were highlights by Quevyn Winters from Milwaukee Washington and Darnel Harris and Charles Lee from Milwaukee Hamiliton. This was a huge hit to both teams as both could of made state runs with these players returning for their senior season. A couple of those players actually went to the prep schools for just a few weeks and then ended up back in Milwaukee, obviously the prep school wasn't what they were looking for but, the state still had a big lose losing a handful of the top players to the "basketball factory" prep schools.

Reason to go to prep schools
There are many reasons for players to transfer to prep schools and they may be slightly different for everyone. A player may feel like their getting the opportunity to get the looks from the bigger colleges so they decide to go to the schools where they know that the scouts will be watching the games and you will get the opportunity to show your true potential in front of scouts and against the best competition. Another big reason is a player may not have the grades to get into the particular school that is recruiting them so, they go the prep route in order to focus more on school and get their grades up so they can get into the college that is looking at them. Many times a parent will be behind the push to a prep school to keep their kids out of trouble. So many times kids have the offers to go to a school and then make some kind of mistake and cost themselves the chance to move on to bigger and better things.

My thoughts
As far as the reasons that these particular kids have gone to prep schools, no one knows the real answers other then themselves and their parents but, everyone has their assumptions and speculations of the situation. Most of what I have heard may only be rumors but, this is my judgement of the situation. Both Harris and Lee seemed to have basically locked up their college situation and appear to be transferring to keep themselves out of trouble and prepare themselves for the college life. In Winters case I've merely heard rumors but, grades may of been the issue with him and he's hoping to get his grades up so that he is able to get into Baylor who appears to be his college he is planning to go to next fall. As far as the other transfers they were more then likely going to get the looks and the opportunity to play a the colleges and get the chance to better themselves in the long run.

Personally if a kid is going for the reason to better their grades or keep themselves out of trouble I am all for it. Like I had stated earlier too many kids, particularly in the Milwaukee area, have the opportunity to play a high level of college ball and end up with legal issues or don't have the grades and end up going the JUCO route and not going anywhere to play ball. I really don't believe that going to the prep school is really going to help a kid get noticed that much more. Unless its a top level prep school those same scouts will come to your local high school to watch you play or see you in AAU basketball. Kids moving away from home may have a tough time adapting to those changes and their grades and play may suffer and they may end up coming back home anyway. If you could enough to get a chance to play at the high level prep schools you are probably good enough to get the big time colleges to come watch you play up in Wisconsin particularly as of late. Roy Williams or his assistants have been up to Wisconsin numerous times to watch kids play in Milwaukee and even Lacrosse as of recently.

Well that is the end of my prep school rant and coming in the near future will be my preseason previews which will focus on the Big Eight conference and top 10 in each division.