The Importance of Star Ratings in Basketball
You put in extra effort during the off-season. You spent more time in the gym and on the court than usual. When it's game time, you're always one of the first ones there, as well as one of the last ones to go. You feel that you are one of your team's finest players. However, when college recruiters come calling, they scarcely give you a second glance. What's going on? It's because you're only a 2-star prospect.
A player's star rating can have a huge effect on their college career. In general, 5-stars are considered to be surefire prospects, 4-stars have the potential to be all-stars, 3-stars are good players with an outside chance at making it big, and 2-stars are projects who may or may not work out.
The Number One Factor College Coaches Consider is Your Star Rating
Your star rating is based on several criteria, including how well you perform against other top prospects in your class, your physical attributes, and how your project at the next level. To play Division I basketball, you must be a 5-star recruit. That's just the way it works.
There will always be exceptions to the rule—two-star recruits that develop into All-Americans and three-star recruits that turn into NBA superstars—but, in general, your star rating tells a good deal about how excellent you are as a player.
Your Star Rating Can Affect Which Colleges Recruit You.
If you're a 5-star recruit, you'll be able to choose from any college in the country. Kentucky, Duke, UCLA, and Kansas are all likely to compete for your talents. However, if you're a 2-star player, there's a chance that none of those institutions will even consider you.
If you get recruited by a big school, sometimes you might have to fight for playing time against other 2- and 3-star recruits. In some cases, being recruited by a big school can hurt your development as a player because you never get an opportunity to show what you can do on the court.
It's not fair, it makes no sense, but that's just the way things are. Your star rating influences which colleges seek you out and how they evaluate your potential as a player.
Conclusion
Your star rating is a significant factor in determining which colleges recruit you and how they perceive your potential as an athlete. Generally, if you want to play Division I basketball, you need to be a 5-star recruit. Although there are always going to be exceptions—2-star recruits who become All-Americans or 3 - star recruits who become NBA superstars—for the most part, your star rating gives coaches a pretty accurate idea of your skill level. Therefore, if playing at the Division I level is something you're striving for, start working hard now so that you can improve your ranking. College coaches will take notice.