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SoCal High School & Prep Report

Some Updated Recruiting & Hoops Links--(March 31, 1998)

Since the spring signing season is almost upon us (it starts April 8, 1998), it's only fitting that we let everyone know about some relatively new or at least relatively unknown sites which feature both quality and quantity, i.e., good, useful and plentiful information on high school hoops and recruiting, some nationally, and some regional. As most of our readers know, we've featured links to other sites and will continue to do so. We've recently updated our Recruiting page links, and here are a few selections of what we consider to be the best:

By now, everyone knows about Michael Miller's West Coast Hoops. We just can't say enough good things about this site. Best regional message board on the net for recruiting and high school hoops news, rumors and factoids (is that something like a fact which is causes painful itching?). We'll be the first to admit that our own SoCalHoops' message board software, provided by our webhost, flat-out sucks. . . we're told that "Matt's Script Archive", because it's a "cgi executable" creates a security hole about as wide as the Straits of Gibralter, and therefore our web hosting company, Webcom, won't allow us to use it. . . but we've figured another way around the problem: We're going to putting SoCalHoops' own message board on a different server so as not to compromise security. For now, WCH's is really the best. Really. We wouldn't kid you.

Midwest Basketball: This site has gone through a continuing metamorphasis. First called "Oklahoma Hoops" through most of last year, it was then changed late last year to "Midwest Hoops". We don't know why, but now it's called "Midwest Basketball." It's sponsored by Converse and developed by Greg Swaim, a fairly well-known recruiting analyst, tournament organizer and McDonald's All-American H.S. Game Committee Selector. If you want to know what's going on in the midwest and southwest, then check here first. A fine selection of links to other sites and resources (including SoCalHoops), lots of tournament information on the Converse Midwest Shoot-out organized by Swaim and many, many other regional tournaments. You can't go wrong with this site for up-to-date information.

New York City & New Jersey Hoops-- a new site, or at least recently discovered by us here at SoCalHoops. Bills itself as the "unofficial web site of New York City and New Jersey high school basketball", not affiliated with any school or sanctioning body. Appears to be updated daily with news on teams, players and recruiting. Some pretty good information on most of the top players in New York & Jersey.

Hoop Scoop-- Clark Francis' own site; partially pay and partially free. It's really a subscription membership service, and you can't blame Clark for charging for his information: He makes his living doing what he does, so someone should pay him for it. The free area is updated daily with recruiting information which is national in scope. There's also news of upcoming "national" prep tournaments, and a new section featuring selected links to other sites, and even though Clark has so far ignored us here at SoCalHoops, he does have links to ESPN (for whom he writes a column), Five Star Basketball Camps, Recruiting Beat, and to other sites.

College Hoops Insider-- This is a very complete site, with in depth recruiting information from all regions of the country, player ratings, news, and tons of information on the current college players, teams, conferences and coaches. Some of the best columnists on the net, all joined in one place.

The Recruiting Beat-- By Patrick Jira-- If this site looks somewhat like Michael Miller's West Coast Hoops, there's a reason: Rich Meyer (of Rich Meyer's Pac-10 and UCLA fame) did the design work for both. Features daily articles on mostly southern states and east coast recruiting news, players from the Florida and south, a fine message board, and like all good things in life, it's free.

Elverson Sports: Basketball Database-- We've told you about this site before, but it bears some repeating here. Not really about recruiting, but if you want to know a team's won-loss record, and the relative strength of it's schedule, then this is the place to go. Truly national in scope, and if you know of stats or scores that are missing, just tell the guys who maintain the site, and they'll gladly update it.

There now, at least you've got the minimal tools to keep up with the recruiting game, from the West Coast, to the Midwest, to the East, and the South, when things start to get a bit crazy next week.