Personnel director: Summer camps invaluable until players get ‘cooked’

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — With two June camps completed and two more slated for late July, West Virginia’s 7-on-7 tournament Thursday and Friday marks the midpoint of summer recruiting.

This has evolved into the season where players typically make or break their reputations, even exceeding how they perform during games in the fall. Likewise, summer camps have become the crucial period where college programs assemble their recruiting classes.

Ryan Dorchester, West Virginia’s director of player personnel, chats about which positions are essential for the 2016 class.

With West Virginia in the heat of its summer rush, Ryan Dorchester, director of player personnel, appeared on MetroNews “Sportsline” to chat about recruiting.

“It’s really your only opportunity to get these kids on campus and work them out before you’re getting ready to sign them,” he said. “To be able to work with these guys and make your own on-site evaluations with your own coaching staff, it’s incredibly valuable.”

Then again, those up-close evaluations don’t tell the accurate story. Even some elite prospects arrive drained and sluggish after making rounds on the extended camp circuit.

“Some kids they hit seven, eight or nine schools in a two-week span,” Dorchester said. “You can get them and they’ve been to five camps in six days and they’re kind of cooked.

“Everybody needs a break after a while and they don’t have any gas left in the tank. You’re trying to figure out if this kid’s really a good enough player or if he’s just tired and you got him at a bad time.”

When running back Wendell Smallwood camped at WVU in the summer of 2012, he was on the back end of a long tour, Dorchester said.

“You could see he was pretty talented, but I think he only worked out for maybe 30 minutes or so before he was wore out.”

Many instate schools will be participating in Thursday and Friday’s 7-on-7 tournament in Morgantown.

Watch Dorchester’s complete “Sportsline” interview to hear his take on junior college prospects and which positions the Mountaineers continue emphasizing for 2016.

 





More High School Sports

High School Sports
Class A Girls Basketball All-State List
Cameron's Ashlynn Van Tassell chosen captain, joined by teammate Kenzie Clutter on firs team.
March 19, 2024 - 1:12 am
High School Sports
Odds and ends: Free-throw shooting, experience major factors in Charleston; shot clock discussion surfaces again
A look back at some key figures and memorable soundbites over the course of two state tournaments that featured 56 games in 10 days.
March 18, 2024 - 5:53 pm
High School Sports
Perseverance pays off: Irish break through late, claim Class AA state championship with 42-39 win over Bluefield
Charleston Catholic trailed for more than 27 minutes against the Beavers, but delivered late to finish on top one year after coming up just short.
March 16, 2024 - 11:10 pm
High School Sports
Better late than never: Elia's only basket helps Tug Valley top Tucker County 35-32 in Class A title game
Bryson Elia scored only two points, but accounted for the game-winning basket to help the Panthers claim their fourth state championship.
March 16, 2024 - 8:46 pm