Dyami Starks Basketball

One AAU Live Period left this summer. Here's the mindset I'd bring into this weekend:

𝟏. 𝐃𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮'𝐯𝐞 𝐠𝐨𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐧 𝐛𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫.⁣
⁣⁣⁣⁣This is what the summer was for. Show up with something new — a decision made faster, a skill sharpened, a habit built. Coaches notice growth.

𝟐. 𝐑𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐜𝐤𝐥𝐲 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐬.⁣
⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣One bad play doesn't define your weekend. Your response to it does. Short memory is a trainable skill — and coaches are watching for it in real time.

𝟑. 𝐔𝐬𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐯𝐨𝐢𝐜𝐞.⁣
⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣Call for the ball. Talk on defense. Be a player coaches can hear. Communication is non-negotiable at the next level.

Go show what you've got.

𝐍𝐞𝐞𝐝 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐜𝐤 𝐚𝐝𝐯𝐢𝐜𝐞? 𝐒𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐭 𝐦𝐞 𝐚 𝐃𝐌. 𝐈𝐭'𝐬 𝐚 𝐛𝐮𝐬𝐲 𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐤𝐞𝐧𝐝, 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐈'𝐥𝐥 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞!⁣
⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣

NEW! MINN Starks Weekend Workouts 🏀

This event is open to all! Attendees do not have to try out for a MINN Starks team to attend, we just want kids to spend time in the gym!

These workouts will also serve as our evaluations for 2027 rosters! So, if you are trying out, we highly recommend attending both dates to maximize your evaluation and development!

Programs and Training | Dyami Starks Basketball Learn more about Dyami Starks Basketball’s training and programs: private and small group workouts, film study sessions, camps and clinics, recruiting support and online programming.

100% of the college coaches I surveyed agreed on the top skill they are looking for in a high school recruit. Not physical skill. Not athleticism. Not IQ or instincts.

Those are all ranked lower — yet these are the things parents invest in, but they're not what separates recruited players.

Now we're at the top of our list.

#𝟐 — 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐢𝐛𝐥𝐞𝐬⁣
Leadership. Body language. How a player treats her teammates. How she responds when the call doesn't go her way. These are the things you can't put in a box score — and coaches are watching all of it.

I don't blame parents and players for not knowing what coaches actually value — the hoop culture most often rewards scoring and highlights, not the intangibles that quietly make teams win.

Intangibles are the difference between a player who makes their team better and one who just makes themselves look good.

#𝟏 — 𝐌𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐂𝐚𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐢𝐭𝐲⁣
Every coach I surveyed ranked Mental Capacity at #1.

During this weekend's AAU Live Periods, most players will think they need to make shots. While that's a plus, coaches are actually watching for how a player responds when things go wrong.

✔️Do they hang their head after a turnover?
✔️Do they stop competing when the calls don't go their way?
✔️Do they communicate and push through?

That's mental capacity. The ability to have a short memory, handle adversity and keep competing.

Most elite players coming out of high school have never had to play a supporting role in basketball — they've always been the star. But in college, the transition from star to role player is one of the most difficult mental adjustments a player will ever make — plus add classes, living away from home, and fending for yourself as added stressors.

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐠𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐧𝐞𝐰𝐬: 𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐜𝐚𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞.⁣

It has always been the foundation of what we build inside The Ascension Lab — and it's why our players are ready when the time comes to commit.

Save this post or share it with a player or parent who may need to hear it.

Most training programs are built around basketball skills and IQ. Parents spend thousands of dollars and kids spend thousands of hours on these two things.

They are important, but college coaches don't rank them at the top of their list of skills they look for in a recruit. How could that be?

I recently surveyed coaches from D3-D1 and ranked the skills they consider most important when recruiting players out of high school.

The least important, which we previously discussed, were #𝟔 — 𝐈𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐭𝐬 ⁣and #𝟓 — 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐭𝐡 & 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠

#𝟒 — 𝐁𝐚𝐬𝐤𝐞𝐭𝐛𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐈𝐐⁣
Basketball IQ is the difference between a player who reacts and a player who anticipates.

Coaches want players who understand the game, not just play it — that means pattern recognition, reading the defense, knowing where to be before the play develops.

You can have all the skill in the world, but if you can't process what's happening in real time, it doesn't matter.

#𝟑 — 𝐏𝐡𝐲𝐬𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐒𝐤𝐢𝐥𝐥⁣
There's a baseline level of skill required at every level — whether you're looking at D3, D2, or D1.

But skill training has exploded over the last 15-20 years. Every serious recruit has the skills; however, what separates players is the intensity and consistency applied to simple skills over time. Watch Caitlin Clark — everything she does is mastered, but simple.

Skill and IQ complement each other. You can't fully have one without the other.

We'll work our way up to #1 before this week's AAU Live Period.
----
We focus on all of these skills in The Ascension Lab, and while the top two are not what most people think, they have always been some of our biggest priorities.

I'm happy to talk through these — shoot me a DM, and let's talk.