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Does anyone have a sense of what players do in the summer? I've heard there are various leagues out there, but are they organized through the colleges or are the players on their own to join and play?

Are the coaches allowed to have any contact with the players through the summer? Do they work with players before the school year ends to give them some kind of summer program?

I've just always been kind of curious about this, especially since it seems many players take a big leap forward from their freshman to sophomore years, so thanks for any info.

NCAA allows 1 sanctioned league per summer. Usually some pretty good leagues around the city.

In the spring, I believe coaches have 2 hours with players on the court per week. Used to be 3 45 minute individual sessions with 3-4 guys but now can be as many as they want. I think then there are 6 or 8 hours per week available with strength coach. They'll play open gym 3-4 days per week.

In summers we used to work out as a team 4 mornings a week before work or summer school, then come back and do skills in the PM on our own. Again playing open gym 3-4 days, those would be fun because a lot of guys would be back in Chi for the summer and come play. Also would do a couple of positional practices every week led by upper classmen.

I think now the coaches get 10 contact days to run practice in summer, which is new from when I played. We only did that the summer we went to Central America.

That's cool. So, do guys generally stay in Chicago for the summer?

Yeah, most guys will be around for at least half, attending one of the summer school sessions. Older guys tend to stick around the full summer. Incoming freshmen/transfers usually are in for half the summer as well, getting a head start on classes and getting accustomed to workouts.

Cool, thanks for the info!

Kind of an aside, but I do not like that the NCAA is giving coaches 2 weeks of practice in the summer, or that they are starting the season two weeks early. It's already an incredibly long season, relative to other sports. I fail to see a benefit of starting even earlier. Close to an extra full month of practice they've added. Just don't get it.

08rambler wrote:Kind of an aside, but I do not like that the NCAA is giving coaches 2 weeks of practice in the summer, or that they are starting the season two weeks early. It's already an incredibly long season, relative to other sports. I fail to see a benefit of starting even earlier. Close to an extra full month of practice they've added. Just don't get it.

Yea...that sucks! I think the NCAA forgets that (the majority) of these young adults are students first. But I guess the some of the new rules and schedules nowadays are constructed to help the few elite who participate in sports with the intention of going pro...