Net Prospect: The Courting Process of Women's College Basketball Recruiting [Paperback]

Lisa Liberty Becker (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 2002

Net Prospect provides an analysis of women's basketball recruiting from those who know it best. From the high school athlete and her family, to her high school and/or AAU coaches, to the college coach, to recruiting, rankings and evaluation experts, Net Prospect offers every perspective on the recruiting process in women's basketball. These "experts" reflect on how the recruiting game is played, rules and who really knows them, and how to successfully navigate the rocky waters of the process. Girls who want to play college basketball, as well as their families and current school and club coaches, need to read Net Prospect. In addition, college coaches will benefit from reading the perspectives of those they are trying to recruit.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Women's college basketball recruiting hasn't yet become the cesspool of corruption that exists in the men's game, but as the money comes so will the temptations. Becker, a senior writer for Women's Basketball magazine, interviewed more than 80 players and coaches for her examination of a system that is increasingly pressurized as coaches develop their careers and universities attempt to stay ahead of the pack so that when the big bucks do appear, they have a leg up on the field. She begins by laying out the basic recruiting guidelines for NCAA Divisions I, II, and III as well as for junior colleges and the NAIA (National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics). She then examines the roles of parents, high-school coaches, recruiting camps, the nascent "street agent" scene, and the ubiquitous scouting reports. Becker's book is both a clear-eyed examination of where the women's recruiting process is today and a cautionary tale of where it may be headed. This will be of value to parents, athletes, coaches, and fans. Wes Lukowsky
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

About the Author

Lisa Liberty Becker is a senior writer for Women's Basketball magazine and a contributor for Sports Illustrated for Women and SportsFan magazine. She covers high school, collegiate, international, and professional women's sports. She earned a bachelor's degree while playing basketball and soccer at Tufts University and a master's degree from Boston University. A former high school English teacher, she has also coached high school and college basketball. She is a Maine native and lives in Waltham, Mass. Net Prospect is her first book.

Product Details

• Paperback: 272 pages
• Publisher: Wish Publishing (September 1, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1930546564
• ISBN-13: 978-1930546561
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.5 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,712,485 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars More for players than fans, February 5, 2003

By 

Dr Cathy Goodwin (Seattle, WA USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Net Prospect: The Courting Process of Women's College Basketball Recruiting (Paperback)

I enjoyed reading this book -- but it wasn't directed to me. Becker wants to help high school seniors and their parents as they make choices that could impact them for a lifetime. She ably explains the differences among Divisions I, II and III, as well as other leagues. She explains the process and gives us an idea of the complex, arcane and (some would say) outdated NCAA rules.

The best part of this book: Anecdotes about players I recognized. For instance, Ruth Bolton's sister played for Auburn, so the Assistant Coaches felt obliged to go through the motions with Ruth. Trouble was, Ruth ignored their hints ("Wouldn't you be happier at a lesser school?") and insisted on coming to Auburn. She led the Auburn team to many victories, became a 2-time Olympian and now plays for the WNBA!

Young women grow up fast when faced with these decisions. Many non-athletic high schoolers are not called on to demonstrate this degree of maturity -- to visit a place and say, "I belong here," or, "This is not for me." Playing basketball, the book seems to say, contributes to maturity, and ultimately to success.

You have to be a pretty dedicated fan to read this book - and since there's a dearth of books about women's hoops, I was glad to get it. Good writing and some choice anecdotes -- more detail
than the average fan needs or wants, but worth skipping over to get to the juicier parts.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Great info - weak organization, January 20, 2003

By 

hilary41 "hilary41" (Maryland (USA)) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Net Prospect: The Courting Process of Women's College Basketball Recruiting (Paperback)

Ms. Becker's book contains wonderful insight to the recruiting process of women's college basketball. She talked to many, many coaches, players, and others involved in the process. Unfortunately, I found reading her book similar to walking around at a cocktail party and having conversations with interviewees. The input from the interviews is high in content, just poorly organized. Very good source of information, but be ready to have to keep notes to get it all organized.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars a good read..., April 15, 2003

By 

"klyss" (Contoocook, NH United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Net Prospect: The Courting Process of Women's College Basketball Recruiting (Paperback)

As an occasional-but-not-fanatic college hoops fan, I found this book gave great insight into a little-seen aspect of the game, and was pretty engaging. I expected to have only a passing interest in the book, but found myself drawn in by the way the author personalizes (and humanizes) the recruiting process. I guess the greatest endorsement I can give it is that I passed it on to friends and family, and ordered a copy for a friend who plays high school ball. It's a surprisingly general-interest-appealing book despite its seemingly limited focus; a good read.