Best Regions for Basketball Talent

[Celtic Truth]

What part of the country has the best basketball talent? There are a lot of recruiting hotbeds in the country that are loaded with quality players. In regards to MU, which regions/cities are important for us, where should we focus on to get our recruits? What can WOJO do to recruit nationally to bring the best possible players in?

[ThatDude]

Chicago. Texas a close second.

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

What city has the best talent and what city we should be concentrating on are two different things. We should concentrate on Chicago first and Wisconsin 2nd. But the three best talent pools are Indiana, New York, and California.

Also, why are Maryland and Baltimore both options?

[Celtic Truth]

What city has the best talent and what city we should be concentrating on are two different things. We should concentrate on Chicago first and Wisconsin 2nd. But the three best talent pools are Indiana, New York, and California.

Also, why are Maryland and Baltimore both options?

The DMV refers to the Washington DC metropolitan area that stretches into northern Virginia and southern Maryland. This area is separate from Baltimore city. Both are hotbeds for basketball talent, and maybe with Wojo being from southern Maryland(DMV) we can get in on some of these recruits.

[ChitownSpaceForRent]

What city has the best talent and what city we should be concentrating on are two different things. We should concentrate on Chicago first and Wisconsin 2nd. But the three best talent pools are Indiana, New York, and California.

Also, why are Maryland and Baltimore both options?

I disagree, I think Chicago and Illinois in general has surpassed Indiana in basketball talent.

[keefe]

The DMV refers to the Washington DC metropolitan area that stretches into northern Virginia and southern Maryland. This area is separate from Baltimore city. Both are hotbeds for basketball talent, and maybe with Wojo being from southern Maryland(DMV) we can get in on some of these recruits.

Not sure that Balmer and DC are separate basketball markets. Those schools play each other all the time. Not a big deal in any event.

[Sunbelt15]

VA/NC area produces the best talent.

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

I disagree, I think Chicago and Illinois in general has surpassed Indiana in basketball talent.

Illinois beats Indiana in pure numbers but Indiana wins per capita, by a significant margin. The average star level of players from Indiana is also higher.

[Dawson Rental]

nm

[Dawson Rental]

What part of the country has the best basketball talent? There are a lot of recruiting hotbeds in the country that are loaded with quality players. In regards to MU, which regions/cities are important for us, where should we focus on to get our recruits? What can WOJO do to recruit nationally to bring the best possible players in?

Win, and get players to the NBA.  Everything else that he needs is in place except great weather and a sick athletic dorm, neither of which is under his control.

[Lennys Tap]

Win, and get players to the NBA.  Everything else that he needs is in place except great weather and a sick athletic dorm, neither of which is under his control.

Dennis Gates (Whitney Young HS teammate of Quentin Richardson and Cordell Henry) used to work for a guy who traded in the same pit as me at the CBOE. "Q" and Cordell came to the trading floor often to visit and we talked a lot about colleges. Richardson eventually chose DePaul, but looked hard at MU - and told me he loved the dorm situation at Humphrey, much nicer than the living conditions at the other schools he was considering. Sixteen years later most of our competitors have improved their housing for athletes and we have moved our freshmen and sophomores to Carpenter. A plus has turned into a minus.

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

Dennis Gates (Whitney Young HS teammate of Quentin Richardson and Cordell Henry) used to work for a guy who traded in the same pit as me at the CBOE. "Q" and Cordell came to the trading floor often to visit and we talked a lot about colleges. Richardson eventually chose DePaul, but looked hard at MU - and told me he loved the dorm situation at Humphrey, much nicer than the living conditions at the other schools he was considering. Sixteen years later most of our competitors have improved their housing for athletes and we have moved our freshmen and sophomores to Carpenter. A plus has turned into a minus.

From what I've heard, I think they will be moving from carpenter soon

[Galway Eagle]

Why do you guys keep talking about DMVs? Unless were talking about renewing licenses the term I believe you're looking for Is DMA...

In terms of region though I think that Chicago and WI should be our priorities.  WI is definitely on the upswing in terms of instate talent and we need to lock it down before it really goes national.  Chicago is just a given. 

[ttheisen]

From last summer:

http://deadspin.com/infographics-where-do-pro-basketball-players-come-from-513261549

Granted, this is answering a different question, though looking at players who made the NBA is a decent indicator of where the best talent is.

Breaks down by state:
State = California #1
Per capita = Indiana #1

Towards the bottom, looks at metro area = New York City #1

[Galway Eagle]

From last summer:

http://deadspin.com/infographics-where-do-pro-basketball-players-come-from-513261549

Granted, this is answering a different question, though looking at players who made the NBA is a decent indicator of where the best talent is.

Breaks down by state:
State = California #1
Per capita = Indiana #1

Towards the bottom, looks at metro area = New York City #1

This map is a little incorrect.  No Wade on south Side Chi or Shumpert in Oak Park.  It's incomplete. 

[Galway Eagle]

Chicago DMA has accounted for 5% of all recruits since 2010

Wisconsin has accounted for 2.5% of recruits

IN (non north west as it's technically Chicago DMA) is 4.4%. 

Personally I'd choose to lock up Chicago area as it'd be wayyy more efficient for traveling as opposed to going all over Indiana for different recruits. 

[ttheisen]

This map is a little incorrect.  No Wade on south Side Chi or Shumpert in Oak Park.  It's incomplete. 

Data is from Basketballreference.com

I see Shumpert - when you click on the little brown dot on Oak Park, you get Corey Maggette but he is #1 of 4 results.  You can click through the other 3 players at the bottom of that pop up box.

Wade's birth city is Chicago, where there are 118 results, I assume he is one of them, couldn't be bothered to click through.  The map rendering isn't that easy to work with.

[ttheisen]

Data is from Basketballreference.com

I see Shumpert - when you click on the little brown dot on Oak Park, you get Corey Maggette but he is #1 of 4 results.  You can click through the other 3 players at the bottom of that pop up box.

Wade's birth city is Chicago, where there are 118 results, I assume he is one of them, couldn't be bothered to click through.  The map rendering isn't that easy to work with.

Found - Wade he is #2 of 3 for Oak Lawn, IL.

[Galway Eagle]

Data is from Basketballreference.com

I see Shumpert - when you click on the little brown dot on Oak Park, you get Corey Maggette but he is #1 of 4 results.  You can click through the other 3 players at the bottom of that pop up box.

Wade's birth city is Chicago, where there are 118 results, I assume he is one of them, couldn't be bothered to click through.  The map rendering isn't that easy to work with.

Oh didn't see the click through option I see.

[Celtic Truth]

Here's a sampling of where some players from the espn 100 class if 2014 are from:

California-8
Texas-8
NYC area-6
Chicago-6
Florida-6
Carolina's-5
DMV-5
Boston-4
Indiana-4
Wisconsin-3
Minnesota-3
Philadelphia-2
Baltimore-2

Clearly a lot of talent around Marquette. If Wojo can get a third of the players from Chicago and Wisconsin that's 3 top 100 guys a year usually. And if he can get anything from our midwest neighbors in indiana and Minnesota. Also try to get our brand out there nationally and attract players from all over. Best of luck to him
The Truth

[Avenue Commons]

Here's a sampling of where some players from the espn 100 class if 2014 are from:

California-8
Texas-8
NYC area-6
Chicago-6
Florida-6
Carolina's-5
DMV-5
Boston-4
Indiana-4
Wisconsin-3
Minnesota-3
Philadelphia-2
Baltimore-2

Clearly a lot of talent around Marquette. If Wojo can get a third of the players from Chicago and Wisconsin that's 3 top 100 guys a year usually. And if he can get anything from our midwest neighbors in indiana and Minnesota. Also try to get our brand out there nationally and attract players from all over. Best of luck to him
The Truth

Illinois as a whole has produced great players. Don't forget East St. Louis (Darius Miles) and Springfield (Andre Igoudala) and Peoria and Rockford, etc. the state is loaded outside of Chicago as well.

[brandx]

I can only guess that the close proximity and number of grads from Chicago are responsible for so many votes.

While there have been many outstanding players, it is lacking as far as quantity.

[Celtic Truth]

I can only guess that the close proximity and number of grads from Chicago are responsible for so many votes.

While there have been many outstanding players, it is lacking as far as quantity.

I'd agree, there definitely is some bias. But there is no clear cut region with the best talent. I voted for the New York area which produces a ton of D1 players and has a lot of legends(Cousy, Dr J, Kareem, Shaq, Chris Mullin, Connie Hawkins)

[MUDPT]

I'm biased growing up in Indiana, but I feel the high school coaching there is really, really good.  Nothing like spending the first hour of your summer basketball at the local HS, learning how to shoot a free throw, the proper way.

[Galway Eagle]

I can only guess that the close proximity and number of grads from Chicago are responsible for so many votes.

While there have been many outstanding players, it is lacking as far as quantity.

In all fairness it could be considered a down year.  In 2011 the Chicago DMA had 10 top 100 players via ESPN (I didn't include the rest of Illinois). Of Course in 2010 the Chicago DMA had 3.  So it fluctuates.  But averaging out the percent of players from Chi DMA out of 560 (Super 60 2015 and going back to 2010) they make up for 5% of all recruits which considering how small the Chicago area is, compared to say the entire state of indiana or texas, isn't too shaby.  It's also highly efficient to use your recruiting resources down there.  In 2011 one weekend you could be no more than 45 minutes from scouting/meeting with 10 different top 100 players as opposed to making loooonnnnngggg drives all across indiana to see their 9 top 100 players in 2012.