By GERARD WELLBROCK
Hays Post
Normally at this time of the year, the Fort Hays State basketball programs would have begun their off-season workouts and coaches out on the recruiting trail. Like so many things, they have both taken on a different look due to the COVID-19 shutdown.
Shortly after canceling the spring sports season and all sports activity, the NCAA banned in-person recruiting until mid-April. That ban has since been extended until the end of May.
Fort Hays State men’s basketball coach Mark Johnson had already signed several high school seniors but was looking to fill several more spots on next season’s roster.
“I think our biggest selling point at Fort Hays State is our facilities and not being able to get these prospects on campus, into our arena and see Gross Coliseum makes this a challenge." Johnson said.
And while recruiting this spring has been unlike any other of his previous 19 years as a head coach, he did admit some good has come of it. “I think one of the strengths of this is that maybe you’re developing better relationships with potential recruits just because the only thing you can do is have constant communication with them via phone, email and things like that.”
Johnson says the inability for recruits to make on-campus visits has put them in a tough position.
“A lot of these kids are starting to understand that they’re going to have to make tough decisions without taking visits.” Johnson said. “I think the thing that alarms us is with our population we have to go farther away at times. You’re concerned that with the unknown, the easier decision is to stay close to home. That’s something we’re trying to battle and show these players what we have.”
The Fort Hays State women’s team was in Warrensburg, Missouri awaiting the start of their third straight NCAA Tournament appearance when the tournament and all activities were canceled. Head coach Tony Hobson and his staff had already signed five high school seniors for next season and had a sixth commit earlier this month. And while his roster for the 2020-21 season is pretty well set, it’s the next season’s class that has him concerned.
“The players that will be seniors, we usually bring in this time of year for a spring visit and then we watch them through the summer and try to get our kids in line to sign early in the fall.” Hobson said. “It’s just going to be riskier. You’re libel to miss on a kid but then, maybe, your libel to pick up a kid you were not going to get otherwise because they’re not going to be able visit someplace else.”
“There’s a higher risk when you can’t bring a player in and meet their whole family and maybe even see them play against your kids.” Hobson added. “It’s just more of a risk. You’re more likely to make a recruiting mistake.”
One area Hobson feels Fort Hays State has the advantage is virtual learning. When college campuses were shut down across the country, it meant all school work went online for the remainder of the semester. Hobson said FHSU was positioned well for that change.
“We are so proficient with the virtual college and the online classes that I think we made that transition easier than some places.” Hobson said. “The main thing right now is to stay healthy and stay out of harm’s way as much as possible and then get the classwork done that you need to do.”
Johnson said most of his players have taken some form of online classes, so the transition to all course going virtual was not a problem. On the other hand, the ability to find a suitable place to work out has.
“This is a big deal. A lot of our guys, whether it be Hadley Gillum, Brady Werth, Jared Vitztum as of late, have really benefited from these postseason workouts.” Johnson said. “Most of our guys have no way to get into a gym and try to work on their game. They can’t get into a weight room. I think that’s been a big frustration of our players.”
Hobson says it’s been challenge for his team as well.
“You’ve got a driveway that’s slanting away from the house. It’s kind of hard to do anything.” Hobson said. “The main thing is to not let your conditioning to get so far out of hand that it’s going to take you a month to get back in shape. You want to keep your conditioning to a point that once this clears up – which it eventual will - you can get right back in with a running start with the basketball stuff.”