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Shawn Grant commits to the University of Maryland Baltimore County
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The recruiting process was an ordeal of ups and downs for Shawn Grant, the 6-4 athletic wingman in the class of 2009 from St. Francis High School in Mountain View, California.
It was a process that basketball prospects from the Northern California region and beyond can learn from. Last summer, going into his senior year, Grant was a mildly recruited prospect who was starting to see mailing at his house pick up based on his play over the summer with Bobby Bramlett’s West Valley Basketball Club. It was during this time Bramlett mentioned that, “Shawn is going to have a breakout year as he has been in the gym getting better.”
Bramlett’s words would be prophetic looking at Grant’s senior year for the Lancers. He averaged 18 points and 6 rebounds a game, helped lead the Lancers to a 30-3 record, a WCAL playoff championship, a Division II Central Coast Section Championship and the Division II Northern California Championships, were the Lancers lost a close game to Rocklin High School.
Grant was named co-MVP of the West Catholic Athletic League, one of the toughest basketball leagues in Northern California and all state and his name began buzzing amongst college coaches. As Grant's play improved from game to game, his Lancers were winning and he started to see interest from schools such as USF, Santa Clara, San Diego, Montana, Montana State, Portland State, Fullerton, Bucknell, Northridge, UAB, Howard and Colorado.
“I was getting a lot of interest from schools and calls,” said Grant. “Coaches were like we are coming to your games to see you.”
Various schools began to show up on the Mountain View campus at Grant’s games and practices in droves. But for some reason, things did not materialize the way Grant wanted them to.
“Coaches were like, we really like your game, and we want to keep in touch and or you are our number one priority” continued Grant. “But no one was like here are the scholarship paper’s, so come to my school to play basketball.”
Some of it was bad timing. Right after the Final Four at various schools, assistant coaches recruiting Grant from various programs left their schools for promotions at other schools. At other schools, the scholarship situation had dried up. According to his Vernon Grant, Shawn’s father various west coast schools showed interest only to back out unexpectedly without even calling.
“A lot of schools on the west coast were playing with him saying they wanted him but then backing off at the last minute,” said Vernon Grant.
While other schools in the East and Midwest didn’t believe Grant wanted to leave the west coast. The University of Toledo offered Grant a scholarship and he went on an official visit to the school in May. But he was not entirely sold on the program. He decided to go back on the basketball circuit and play for a scholarship or even possibly attend a prep school and reclassify himself, to get his basketball recruitment jump started.
Various schools that were previously recruiting him mildly were very interested in this. In fact, four schools told him that offers were on the table for him if he went to prep school for year. Grant was intrigued by this so he decided he was going to go back to play club basketball in the summer. But a during a basketball workout, he severely twisted his ankle, thus sidelining him for a main part of the summer.
Just as he was getting ready to plan to leave for prep school this month, the University of Maryland at Baltimore County Retrievers contacted Grant. They asked him if he would be interested in coming to UMBC for a visit. With nothing to loose, Grant went on the official visit and ended up liking the school and the situation. He decided to forgo the prep school option and commit to the Retrievers for this upcoming school year.
“This was a school that offered me a scholarship and an opportunity to play,” said Grant. “I like the situation there and it’s a school that I believe can get me to the level I want my basketball game to get to.”
The UMBC Retrievers, http://www.umbcretrievers.com/sports/mbball/ play in the American East Conference. They lost in the American East finals last year to go to the NCAA tournament. During the 2007/2008 year the Retrievers made the NCAA tournament. Vernon Grant, Shawn’s father is happy that things worked out for his son.
“It glad it was a good decision for Shawn,” said Vernon Grant. “It’s a mid major school in a league I believe Shawn will do well in. I am just happy it happened for him.”
The on again off again saga of Grant’s basketball recruitment was something that opened up the basketball prospects eyes to the entire process. He has advice for the various other basketball prospects coming along, as they try to determine who is authentic and who is just wasting your time.
“During the process, I talked to a lot of coaches who tell you this and that, but you have to really find out who is serious and who isn’t" said Grant. "But, it really doesn’t matter until you talk to the head coach and when they start saying they will bring you on a visit. Even then you have to realize that nothing is for sure in this business.”
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