Is it a real high school where learning takes place and who funded it? Trying to figure out why all these Mokan guys would want to live in Branson. Just like Sunrise Christian?
What is Link Academy?
- Thread starter quadzilla200
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It's an institution of higher learning, it's mission is to advance new ideas and promote enduring knowledge with biblical teachings...........oh, and they play basketball.
It ain't all that new, one or more of their teams have been playing 3Rivers and other jucos for years now. Now they have 3 teams, from really good to not so good. I guess maybe the "Academy" part is relatively new but Link Year Prep has been around for a while.
I'm more of a Starvin Marvin's guy. Think I got sick on the frog legs last time.
They are a basketball prep school. Here's what an article from the News Leader says, "Link Academy will play a national schedule with its sights on being invited to play in the GEICO Nationals — an end-of-season invitational tournament for the top high school basketball teams in the country." "Link Academy also has a MSHSAA affiliation and hopes to play local schools in the Ozarks."
Link lost to Montverde in the Championship game of the Geiko National Tournament. It is a way for HS kids to re classify without using a year of eligibilty. A red shirt year with playing. Some colleges steer kids that way they want, but are not ready (physically and some times mentally) ready to play at the D-1 level. Personally, I think a prep schools should be divided into 2 divisions, Post hs grad should compete with JUCO programs and kids use a year of eligibilty. HS kids that want to play for Geico Tournament and on national circuit, do so. Just my thoughts.
That’s what it already is. Post grad play other post grads and Jucos—
Link Year Prep is a post grad. Link Year Academy is a HS. All the Link Year Academy kids are in normal HS graduation schedule. Link Year Prep kids are reclassified without using a year of eligibility. For example, the Ruffin kid is at Link Year Prep next year. He won’t face any HS teams. He had to either go Juco route, or prep route. Juco route starts your clock. Prep doesn’t.
Yes. He re-classified. Had no real offers. Colleges, unless you are a top 150 guy in country, dont want 18 year olds. The Covid year has destroyed recruiting for classes in 2021, 2022 and 2023. May clear up by 2024.
Agree. It’s a loophole that has to be closed. As long as they are part time students (no more than 6 credits a semester) the clock doesn’t start.
Also, the transfer portal compounds the problem. Good AAU coaches are flat out telling their guys to take D2 offers. I feel bad for all the seniors last year and this year. Basketball and volleyball don't have the roster size to support this seismic shift.
The big AAU teams are taking plenty of re classified kids to compete on the major circuits
There are too many players in the collegiate arena for basketball including high school seniors, juco players, transfer players and the biggest issue is probably the extra year of eligibility all the players in college received last year/2 years ago. There is not the normal entering and leaving of college plus the movement of hundreds of players from school to school. It has put high school seniors from last year and this year at a great disadvantage.
Post-graduate prep school has been an option for a while but it's becoming an increasingly popular option now. For some kids it's gives them time to get in a better place academically, physically, skill wise, visibility wise or a combination of any of those. It's not really hurting anyone for them to have that year of development without costing them a year of eligibility or starting the clock on their time in college. I don't see any reason why going that route should cost them a year of college.
My only issue is the money. It is costing players/parents money to take that extra year in actual costs but also the money/tuition/room/board/classses they would get if they went to college on a scholarship. It's basically saves the colleges money/scholarships because someone else is footing the cost and time to develop players for an additional year.
Post-graduate prep school has been an option for a while but it's becoming an increasingly popular option now. For some kids it's gives them time to get in a better place academically, physically, skill wise, visibility wise or a combination of any of those. It's not really hurting anyone for them to have that year of development without costing them a year of eligibility or starting the clock on their time in college. I don't see any reason why going that route should cost them a year of college.
My only issue is the money. It is costing players/parents money to take that extra year in actual costs but also the money/tuition/room/board/classses they would get if they went to college on a scholarship. It's basically saves the colleges money/scholarships because someone else is footing the cost and time to develop players for an additional year.
True if it was just the Post grad kids going there. You are seeing more and more underclassmen going that route which is not good for the game. I think it goes back to too many people influencing the kids on how they are D-1 and pro material. Used to be D-1 schools would steer kids toward major juco programs and then on to college after a year or 2. With the back log the way it is, HS kids (unless 5star kids) will be forced to go the prep school route from here on. Again, it all goes back to gets being told how good they are and when no offers are there, you just need a year of prep to get to that level. On going cycle that will not stop until the portal stops.
It would be interesting to see how many players who go to a prep school end up playing at a higher level of college than they likely would have without attending the prep school. My negative attitude towards them lead me to think probably not many. But I could be wrong.
As mentioned above the NCAA decision to give everyone an extra year has likely cost some players a college spot. I assume that will end in 2023 or 24. College programs should have more spots open then. That was a silly decision in my opinion.
As mentioned above the NCAA decision to give everyone an extra year has likely cost some players a college spot. I assume that will end in 2023 or 24. College programs should have more spots open then. That was a silly decision in my opinion.
The extra covid year players could still be playing through through the 2024-2025 season if they use all of their eligibility. So 2025 graduating high school class will be be the 1st one not affected.
I believe there are quite a few kids that go the Prep school route, whether for high school or post high school, that end up playing at a higher level. Some of the prep schools take the player development very seriously and have the connections to get the players offers they might not have had originally. I'm not saying they end up at schools or levels where they belong or not. Not saying whether the whole process is right or wrong.
It does hurt regular high school programs though. But, some of the prep schools are fielding teams with players that are on par with the top players in the country and they compete against each other. Some prep schools sell that dream when in reality kids are buying into it that are not the elite.
I believe there are quite a few kids that go the Prep school route, whether for high school or post high school, that end up playing at a higher level. Some of the prep schools take the player development very seriously and have the connections to get the players offers they might not have had originally. I'm not saying they end up at schools or levels where they belong or not. Not saying whether the whole process is right or wrong.
It does hurt regular high school programs though. But, some of the prep schools are fielding teams with players that are on par with the top players in the country and they compete against each other. Some prep schools sell that dream when in reality kids are buying into it that are not the elite.
Are they paying for these prep schools or are they all on scholarship?
Wish kids realized how good DII is in Missouri and Kansas. They don't realize they are as big or bigger than a lot of private D1s. Get your education at least partially paid for and their are just as many girls wanting to hang out with the athletes. All is good.
Wish kids realized how good DII is in Missouri and Kansas. They don't realize they are as big or bigger than a lot of private D1s. Get your education at least partially paid for and their are just as many girls wanting to hang out with the athletes. All is good.
There’s no point to for LA to play local MSHSAA Schools- I’d say to do would hurt their ranking. Unfortunately- they will be playing in the next TOC and Kickapoo has no chance in that tourney. The Chiefs will be over their heads and eating dipping dots watching the championship game.
Ruffin is a senior this year. He is reclassifying to 2023 and going to Link Prep to play on their PG team.
Some prep schools offer full or partial scholarships. Some kids are on scholarship, some are paying for prep school. I don't know about the Midwest but out East some of the prep schools run 40K, 50K and up.
Some prep schools offer full or partial scholarships. Some kids are on scholarship, some are paying for prep school. I don't know about the Midwest but out East some of the prep schools run 40K, 50K and up.
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