Recruit Me: Players Show Off Skills & Scores

More than 80 college coaches descended on Deerfield this week for  sixth annual Academic All-American Showcase. The event showcases top quality basketball players from around the world, who have also demonstrated their ability to excel in school.

"We've got about 200 kids who are great in the classroom and also great on the floor," Joy of the Game owner said. "We have kids from 17 different states as well as players from Dubai and Ireland. So it's pretty far reaching."

The average ACT score of players invited to the showcase is 27, which helps explain why it draws college coaches from the Ivy League and Patriot League every year.

"It's a great event because it hosts really high quality players who can qualify academically to play right away," said Elmhurst College Head Basketball Coach Mark Scherer. "So we see good players that can help us win games, but they're also great students who can receive academic scholarships, which can help out with tuition when you're at a small school."

Glenbrook North shooting guard was a part of the showcase for the third time. The current Spartan plans to play at the collegiate level and is using this week to gain some recruiting leverage.

"Just the fact that I'm eligible to play in this is a real honor," Chick said. "It's a great opportunity for college coaches to look at you from every aspect. They're not just looking at you on the court. They're looking at you off the court as well. If you're a good student and worked hard in the classroom, it's going to pay off."

This year, the turnout is as large as it's ever been, with close to 200 players, 100 of them coming from Illinois and 25 from the North Shore.

Patch also caught up with one student from Ireland who hopes to play college basketball somewhere in the United States. To hear what he had to say about the showcase, click on the video link above.

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