The National Prep Tournament Blog

Practical, honest advice for prep basketball coaches. From a guy who's been on both sides of the scorebook.

Pillar Guides

The 2027 Prep Basketball Tournament Buyer's Guide

A 7-point evaluation framework for choosing tournaments worth your $500 entry. Honest tradeoffs included — including ours.

How College Coaches Actually Recruit From Prep Tournaments

What D1, D2, and JUCO scouts look for in a 3-game sample. Includes Kenny Anderson's take on what's changed.

Prep Tournament Travel Cost Breakdown: Per-Player Budget

Line-by-line: entry fee, hotel, flights vs van, food, gear. With realistic numbers for driving + flying.

Why We Built the National Prep Tournament

The honest version of why this tournament exists, the seven design decisions we made differently, and what we're not.

Tournament Roundups

Florida High School Basketball Tournaments 2026-2027

An honest review of the major Florida HS tournaments — dates, locations, what each one is good for.

Christmas Basketball Tournaments: The Coach's Guide

Major Christmas and holiday-week basketball tournaments. Pre vs post-Christmas windows, what to budget, what to expect.

Holiday Basketball Tournaments in the Southeast

The regional holiday tournament circuit across Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, and beyond.

March Basketball Tournaments in the Southeast 2027

What's worth entering in March — state championships, prep showcases, AAU openers. Honest fit analysis.

Practical How-Tos

9 Red Flags That Tell You a Tournament Isn't Worth Entering

Nine specific warning signs to spot before you wire the entry fee. Save your $500 and your weekend.

The 24-Hour Recruiting Email That Actually Gets Coaches to Watch

Copy-paste template plus the strategy for the recruiting email you send Monday morning after a great game.

D1 vs D2 vs JUCO vs NAIA: What Each Level Actually Recruits

An honest breakdown of how each college level recruits at prep tournaments — and what your player's realistic options actually look like.

10 Questions to Ask a Tournament Director Before You Commit

The 10 specific questions every coach should ask on the phone — with what good vs bad answers actually sound like.