Guides
How college basketball recruiting works, in plain English, with our data where it helps.
To compete at an NCAA Division I or II school, your player must complete a set number of core courses in specific subjects and earn a qualifying core-course GPA; standardized test scores are no longer required by the NCAA for either division.
These four terms have specific NCAA definitions that affect what a school can pay for, what promises are binding, and what roster spot your child actually holds.
When a college player notifies their school that they want to transfer, the school enters the player's name in the NCAA's centralized transfer portal database, which signals their availability and allows coaches at other schools to make contact — but entering the portal does not guarantee landing at a new school.
Division I men's basketball has four named recruiting periods — recruiting, evaluation, quiet, and dead — and each one sets different limits on when and how a coach may make in-person contact with your player.