Yesterday we started to take a look at exposure. Exposure is one of the most often heard buzzwords in high school recruiting, but what does it really mean' While a lot of people say it, we are taking a look at actually backing up the word. Our main point is exposure is not about being in front of the most people or the most prestigious people…Exposure is all about being in front of the RIGHT people.
In part one of the series, yesterday, we looked at the location of the event. To recap, there are a combined 81 D1 and D2 schools in North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia alone. Greensboro, North Carolina is within a 4 hour drive of EVERY one of these schools, that are able to give student athletes full scholarships.
In this second part we are going to urge you to take a look at the people (or organization) throwing the event and the media coverage of the event. While these two are very different, we feel they are a very important pieces. We also feel that it is an advantage that Phenom Hoops are able to provide both quality event planning and a high level of event coverage, in house.
It is very important that you choose an event where the right people see you. Not every court of every event will have a college coach sitting there, especially with the live period being so short, the event pool being watered down, and coaches’ time being at a premium. When you look through events, you need to see the amount of coverage each event holds. Along with the amount of coaches that attend, also it is smart to look at Social Media followers, website page views, staff coverage of the event, and college report subscribers, all matter.
First off, Phenom Hoops is an NCAA certified college report. Our report is sent out to over 125 schools across the nation. We have JUCO, D3, D2, and D1 schools that subscribe. Schools from every D1 conference across the country take our service. What this means to the participating team is that if college coaches are not at your court in person, when you come to our events the college coaches are still getting your information and reports.
At each of our tournaments, we have multiple staff at each gym so that every player gets coverage. We send out our reports promptly after the event and the player’s recruiting process begins.
Next let’s look at the draw of our website, which is one of our biggest, under-the-radar, features. In 2014 picked up over two million (2,000,000) page views. That is around 5,500 page views per day. This year, as our coverage and name have grown, we are averaging right at 10,000 page views per day. Our information is becoming the most sought after and trusted in the Mid-Atlantic region.
Analyst Dain Ervin of BI Reports states, “…The Phenom Hoops franchise has quickly become the most popular brand of basketball in the North Carolina. Rick, Jamie, and their remarkable staff put together the best events with the top talent and marquee match-ups everyone wants to see…”
Next, let’s look at the running the event. Phenom Hoops started 13 years ago, when Rick Lewis wanted to run a camp that not only taught skill development, but also provided exposure to prospects. It was then that we hosted the very first NC Phenom 150 Camp, and Phenom Hoops was started. In those thirteen (13) years since, not only has Phenom Hoops become a nationally known and respected brand, but it has also helped launch the careers of many prospects.
National Analyst Clark Francis, who is on the NBPA Top 100 board and McDonald’s selection committee, stated, “Phenom Hoops provides us (national scouts) with the opportunity to both get a head start on future and get an early look many of the top players in their own back yard.”
ESPN Analyst, and former Duke Blue Devil and Team USA Forward, Jay Bilas has sent his son to a number of NC Phenom 150 camps, he stated, “Rick, Jamie, and their staff run a great skills camp. My son attended the camp, and has received intense individual skill instruction that was the value of playing an entire season of team basketball. He is not only a better player, he is a more confident one having completed Rick’s curriculum. I would highly recommend Phenom Hoop’s Skills Camp.”
It is this reputation that we have built through consistency and professionalism. Our alums span far a wide in their careers. We have 3 current NBA players, thousands of D1 players, and countless other D2 and D3 players to have walked through our doors. Just in 2015 alone, we hosted five (5) McDonald’s All Americans. In the current 2016 class 16 of the Rivals Top 100 and 24 of the Rivals Top 150 have come through our doors.
Two years ago, Phenom Hoops expanded our portfolio and started running AAU tournaments, hosting the prestigous Top 80 exposure camps, and having high school showcases. The media exposure has taken off. In 2014 calendar year alone we had over 50 media outlets cover our events. We hosted analysts from the biggest outlets in the world, USA Today, ESPN, Rivals.com, 247Sports.com, Scout.com, Slam Magazine and many others, cover multiple events. We proudly have ample outlets cover all of our events as it is known that we will not only uncover new talent, but also see the talent everyone knows about.
Youtube videos from our events in the 2014 calendar year have reached over five million (5,000,000) views including some of the most viewed highlights mixes of the year. We had multiple clips listed on the 2014 Best of Ballislife Year-End Review and even featured on ESPN.
Jason Jordan, former ESPN Analyst and current USA Today high school reporter stated, “I cover tournaments all over the country every year and the Phenom Camps are among some of the best that I come across. The talent is always top notch and the staff displays a professionalism that’s refreshing. It’s always a must-stop for me on the circuit every year.”
Naturally the most direct form of exposure is college coaches. In 2014, Phenom Hoops hosted two (2) Live Period AAU events and three (3) Live High School Showcases, in those five (5) events we had over two hundred (200) scholarship carrying college coaches show up. Coaches from the JUCO, D3, D2, and D1 ranks, including head coaches from every major BCS D1 conference. In 2015 Phenom Hoops hosted two (2) Live Period events, and in those events we hosted over one hundred twenty-five (125) coaches.
After being seen at our Grassroots Tip Off Classic, we had five (5) players to commit to full basketball scholarships and countless other players earn full scholarships from these events.
National Analyst Corey Evans, of the Roundball Report and East Coast Contributing Editor NY2LA said, “When it comes to serving the needs of the mid-Atlantic corridor, no one gives their due diligence better than Phenom Hoops. They consistently showcase what the region exhibits on the basketball forefront.”
When choosing events, you should take a deep look at the exposure the event provides your kids. As we have maintained throughout, it is not about being seen by the most people or the most prestigious people…Exposure is all about being seen by the right people.