Do you think that is the focus of the staff involved to get them there or do they have other plans?

What about the impact of the Emus? Do you think some players are more focussed on making that team before going to college or possibly giving up the college option to chase the college dream?

How would they give up the college option to chase a college dream?

Goals should depend on their ability and preferences.

Colleges will pick up players if they're good enough. I'd be interested in seeing how many capable players need to bother with some sort of service to put them in front of college scouts.

AFL.

Its different for every person, depends how good you are and if you want to play pro basketball or not. Not everyone chooses to make a career from basketball.

If you didn't want a career why would you go to the AIS to begin with???

Obviously meant to say give up college for the Emu dream.

Isaac your using prior knowledge knowing that I do recruitment in your response. I was trying to keep what I do out of it.

In this discussion I'm more interested in seeing what people think about what the stepping stones are for when these players graduate from the AIS.

I read the college post about players in colleges for 12/13 and was surprised by how many there are but noticed a lot of guys from AIS squads were not on the list, hence my interest in that particular group.

It's not about the actual recruitment process or what colleges should be doing, but more what the athletes should be aiming for and identifying what options they Hbe if they are not directly recruited by colleges, nbl or other teams in other countries.

These are supposedly the best players in their age group in the country, I'd expect to see them playing somewhere?

Also let's not be bias, no mention of the NBL or SEABL in your response Isaac.

Let's not just focus on what I do.

I think it's a bit of a silly question though. Obviously the answer will depend on the ability/ceiling for each player and what they're interested in. It may be different for every player.

It's like asking what high school graduates should aim for next: university, TAFE, apprenticeship, unemployment queues, masses of money, etc. Is the correct answer they should all aim to immediately start businesses that take over the world and make millions? Or should it take into account different interests, ability/aptitude/etc?

Players might not know that until they've completed their AIS stint. They might also not get the duration they hoped for and be released without renewal.

What they do next may also depend on offers and interest they get. There is no one true path.

I mentioned college specifically because of your inference that maybe the AIS wasn't pushing athletes down the college route (covered on Hoops many times before) and, yes, because I know you have a particular interest in athletes taking that college road.

The question about college vs Emus (if they are exclusive) is better, or a question about the best path between AIS and NBA, or asking about the percentage of AIS players that end up in each different league.

Of a few of the players that were at AIS with my brother, I think it's roughly like this (might've forgotten someone):

Schenscher - College, NBA, NBL
Mottram - NBL, lower Euro leagues
Carter - NBL, Sweden, NBL, Sweden
Crosswhite - kicked out of college, then NBL
Forman - NBL
Holmes - NBL
Cameron - SEABL (can't remember if he played college or any NBL beyond tryouts)
Thompson - Div 2 college maybe, possibly some QBL after?
Wright - NBL briefly, not sure what else
Caporn - NBL, coaching in college? Might've played some WA ABL?
Tatulli - don't think he played pro anywhere; I remember being surprised
Philip - NBL benches and ABL for a bit

How many of those guys played for Boomers?

Very few actually get an AIS scholarship, so is this only about those athletes, or should we include the athletes who make AIS development camps and play juniors for Australia?

The skill level and potential of these athletes is just as good, there numbers are higher and you may get more of an idea of where they are likely to want to go....

The post seems to be too exclusive, maybe?

Wasn't trying to be exclusive. I'm aware many good players in Aust don't get scholarships for various reasons.

Was mainly interested in what people think the graduation process is and where we see those specific athletes going.

I think there are limits in opportunities here compared to the years Isaacs brother graduated with the smaller NBL. That's less pro contracts out there making it a far more competitive market.

So what does an athlete at that level do?

You could include those outside the AIS if you like its just as important an issue for them.

Sure mate, no drama here, I think it isn't an easy decision for Aussie kids at that level because there are quite a few distractions out there.

Other codes always look to poach, by offering bigger $$$'s and a lifestyle here in this country makes for an attractive alternative.

Going overseas is of course the big dream of many, who can afford college these days without a scholarship? Not many, so hoops is a great vehicle and at the end you could have a degree, so young players are attracted to this option.

I agree though, this is subjective and so many variants come into it, such as the level of talent, desire to live in another country, ability to cope overseas or interstate for that matter...

I love hearing stories about AIS level basketballers staying in the sport, no matter where they end up, the sad thing is when we lose them to AFL etc...

That being said, the pathways are posted on line in various web sites and can lead a player in several directions. NBL is one direction, but positions are very few and far between.

Anything below NBL in this country is lacking the $$$'s to attract our best AIS athletes, so there is your answer. They will go to where they see the best opportunities, whether that is money, competition or education!

Depends how you define Boomers? Boomers only at Olympics or World Champs? Commonwealth Games too? Qualifying games? Tours in off years when big-name players were missing?

Those who've played for some form of Boomers team would be Schenscher, Forman, Holmes (pretty sure). Not sure about Crosswhite, Mottram and Carter. Wonder if Mottram made a team under Smyth or if that was Wheeler or someone else. Hell, Nash made a Boomers team under Smyth.

Some excellent points Bear.

$$$ is always a big issue. I read a report a while ago that claimed sports like rugby league and afl are draining the talent for sports like athletics because of the attraction to the sport for $$$ etc.

I didn't realise many basketballers were switching to the code that late in their lives

Being from nsw AFL is not as big a focus so I guess not being exposed to it as much would explain that.

Would like to see athletes who get to that far have something to go onto, no matter what sport they are from.

Would love to see some more money get injected into basketball to boost the national comp to what it used to be.
We need some Billionaires to buy teams so they don't go bankrupt.

If there were 12teams in the nbl it would make career options a bit easier I think.

I was just thinking Boomers in general but your right depends on what year you look at it.

How about World Champs or Olympics???

Obviously, Emus and College is not mutually exclusive, because by the time players go to College they are too old for Emus anyway.

They are hugely related however, and dare I say it being part of the Emus helps players get scholarsip opportunities.

Look at the 2010 bunch of Emus. A lot of them went to some nice colleges.

They wouldn't have got some of those offers BUT for representing the Emus.

In 2010, the Emus went to the AST (Huge event with scouts everywhere), A China tour (against USA, Serbia etc.), The WC's in Latvia.

Great opportunities for exposure

Perhaps flip the question and ask how many past and present Boomers members of Olympic and World Champs teams were AIS graduates ( working back from the first AIS graduating class).

I can only think of a handful of players but I can't be certain that they weren't (i.e. M Cattalini, A Gibson, D. Andersen, D.Barlow, C. Anstey, S. Heal, P. Crawford). Can anyone confirm these guys didn't go to the AIS or add names to this list?