BASKETBALL OVERLOAD
What’s it like in July for a college recruiter? Tag along with Tigers assistant Kirby and a tale of long days, shifting locales and lots of hoops
smithjas@commercialappeal.com
AIKEN, S.C. — University of Memphis assistant coach Robert Kirby’s second day on the recruiting trail begins with a breakfast of strawberries, a danish and a cup of coffee.
By 8 a.m. Friday, he’s at the University of South Carolina-Aiken Convocation Center to watch the Atlanta Xpress play the South Carolina Raptors Elite in the Peach State Summer Showcase’s 17-and-under tournament.
It’s the start of a 15-hour work day in which he’ll go without lunch — “What break for lunch?” he says — and bounce back and forth between three Amateur Athletic Union tournaments going on simultaneously in Aiken, North Augusta, S.C., and Augusta, Ga.
This, Kirby explains, is what life is like for a Division 1 college coach in July.
As Kirby arrives at USC Aiken’s Convocation Center, he frowns when he sees a reporter there to meet him in a seat near the baseline.
“Bad seat, man,” he says, and points to two open chairs over on the sideline. Going into his 29th year as a Division 1 college assistant, Kirby knows all too well
there’s less chance of taking a ball to the face in smaller gyms when you’re sitting on the sideline.
Though he’s agreed to share what a typical day for him on the summer recruiting trail is like, he is there to evaluate Atlanta Xpress 2014 prospects Temarcus Blanton, a 6- 4 guard, and Jabari McGhee, a 6-7 small forward, and rarely takes his eyes off them.
After that, he heads to the building’s main gym, where Memphis-based Team Thad has a 9:15 a.m. game against the Georgia Tornadoes.
Kirby is recruiting White Station High senior forward Leron Black, and he wants to make sure Black is fully aware of Memphis’ interest in him by making himself seen.
Although this is the first of three July evaluation periods, much of a college coach’s job at this time of year is to be seen by recruits, which explains why the coaches at this week’s events, including Kirby, fellow Memphis assistant Aki Collins and head coach Josh Pastner, wear gear that clearly displays what schools they’re from.
At noon, Kirby heads over to Paine College in Augusta, where he makes a stop at the Elite Youth Invitational. By 2 p.m., he’s back at USC’s Aiken Convocation Center for 2:15 p.m., 3:30 p.m. and 4:45 p.m. games.
Although he won’t stop to eat, Kirby says it’s important to pick up Gatorade or water along the way, especially on hot July days. “You grab something to drink during the day to help carry you through,” he says.
As the day turns to night, Kirby will drive over to the Nike Elite Youth Basketball League Finals at the Peach Jam in North Augusta, where he’s been assigned to evaluate players in 6 p.m., 7:30 p.m. and 9 p.m. games. Memphis’ coaches had met for an 11 p.m. dinner Thursday to organize their strategy and put together Friday’s game plan, with the idea to cover as much ground and see as many players as possible.
“You gotta grind it, and everybody does it, then we’re up and ready to go at the 8 a.m. game,” Pastner said. “It’s like that every day — a continuous cycle morning, noon and night.”
But the night isn’t done for Kirby, who still has to make one more stop at Aiken College for a 9:45 p.m. game.
After that, well, “then you can eat,” he says.