This Blog of the Day post is courtesy of the GT Sports Blog, improving the world through Georgia tech sports.
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Being a top national recruit
basketball can be fun, stressful, invigorating, pressure-packed and
rewarding - all at the same time. Navigating the winding road to find the
right college is not easy. We had an opportunity to discuss the recruiting
game with a top national prospect from the state of Georgia, Jodie Meeks,
as well as his father, Orestes Meeks. In case you don't know, Jodie is
6'4", 190lb PG/SG from Norcross High School. He is from the class of 2006,
so he will be a senior this fall. He currently plays for the AAU Georgia
Hurricanes, a fairly new team sponsored by Reebok. He was formerly with
the Georgia Stars. Rivals ranked Jodie as the 9th best SG in the nation,
and the 38th best prospect overall. Justin Young, a top recruiting analyst
at Rivals.com, lists Meeks as the 6th best prospect in the state of
Georgia.
What about his game? Jodie has primarily played the PG spot in high
school, but is very athletic and a scorer, which gives him the flexibility
to play the 2-spot also. In fact, some of the recruiting services list him
as a SG. He attacks the basket, plays above the rim, has a nice mid-range
jump shot and is an excellent defender. He led his high school team in
assists last season and carried much of the scoring load. He is a guy who
likes to shoot the big baskets in the clutch, often taking over towards
the end of a game.
What does Jodie think are his strengths? "I have a pretty good handle
and can shoot the ball pretty well. I love to play defense. I also
recognize situations pretty well." Jodie is an excellent athlete,
excelling in baseball as well, but gave it up to focus on hoops fulltime.
When looking for a college, Jodie is looking for a combination of strong
academics and strong athletic program. "The first thing is what type
of school is it academically. I would like to play early. I really look at
who they have and who they recruit. My dad has watched how a school
recruits and if they over recruit. My dad also said when I visit the
campus, I'll know. I am also interested in having a positive relationship
with the head coach. I wouldn't go play for a school if I didn't know and
feel comfortable with the head coach."
As far as academic interests, the sciences and math are strong
attractions, says Jodie. "I like history. I loved math until I took
Trig this year...whew! I got an A the first term and B the second, but it
was tough. I also like some of the sciences. I have not decided on what I
will major in."
What about the draw of a big city versus a cozy small-town atmosphere.
Jodie feels he could adapt, based on his background. "I could go to
either. My dad is from a big city (Chicago), and my mom is from a small
town in Tenn (Petersburg). I just want to go to a place where the students
are important, and basketball is fun."
When it comes to the recruiting game, things have been heating up for
Jodie. When asked about the stress, it didn't seem to be an issue.
"No, I still like it a lot. The rules and the coaches keep it fun. I think
my high school and AAU coaches have a much tougher time than me. They get
all the calls." As to how many letters he gets - "Hundreds. The
ones that stand out are the personalized cards or handwritten comments."
Jodie's father has tried to help him focus on the details of recruiting,
how coaches express interest and body language, subtle or otherwise.
"I have tried to prepare Jodie for the recruiting process by discussing
what's important to him as a person. We talk about how the different
schools have different needs and perspectives on players. We also
discussed that those teams/coaches that are really serious about him will
take the time to get to know him as a person. We usually get invited to
games by the schools that are interested. On one occasion the coach spent
5 hours showing us around the campus and talking to us about the school
and why they fit him as a person. On another occasion we were invited to a
basketball game and Jodie's first impression of the coach was the coach
reaching over Jodie to shake the hand of another perspective player, and
telling that player that he would come to his next game. Which school
would you choose?"
Right now some of the schools involved with Jodie have a strong SEC and
ACC flavor, including Wake Forest, Alabama, Arkansas, S.Carolina, Florida,
Georgia, Auburn, Maryland, FSU, Miami and VaTech. He currently has offers
from Alabama, Auburn, Clemson, Colorado and South Carolina. UCONN and
Illinois are making sure they have kept contact as well. Jodie and his
father recently visited the campus over at Florida and came away
impressed. Georgia Tech is actually somewhere on that list as well. Jodie
was not ready to reveal a favorite, although he does have one.
How will Jodie narrow down his list? "I am focusing on who I know, the
campus, and who they are recruiting. I always try to see myself playing at
the school."
As to a timetable, Jodie gave us this schedule - "I plan to sign in
the first signing period in November. I will cut my choices to 4-5 schools
by the end of the summer season. I can see committing in late September
early October. I want to make sure, since this is a very important
decision for me I will take my time."
Read the rest of the interview with Jodie Meeks at GT Sports Blog.
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If you would like your college basketball blog to be included in the list of blogs that CHN visits each morning to choose their Blog of the Day, email Shawn at collegehoopsnet@aol.com
