EDITOR’S NOTE: This is the conclusion of a four-part series on the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on college sports recruiting.
Drew Williams was supposed to be entering this AAU season – perhaps the most important of his young career – with the goal of having the type of spring and summer that would put him on the radar of major colleges across the country.
That may still be the case, but as of now all of that is on hold.
The sport most directly affected by the recent coronavirus pandemic has been basketball, with postseasons on hold and schools in limbo about their next steps. The summer is huge for every sport’s recruiting, but as of now, basketball is the only sport that has had events either canceled or postponed. It’s very possible that every sport could lose its summer seasons, which has become the biggest source of recruiting regardless of sport, with club softball and soccer, USTA tennis and travel baseball teams all potentially being affected.
Staff photo by Patrick MacCoon / Bradley Central sophomore Quante Berry drives to the basket during the 2019-20 Region 3-AAA championship game against visiting Cleveland.On March 13, the Nike EYBL circuit announced it was canceling its spring live period. The Adidas Gauntlet and Under Armour circuits followed soon after, and on Wednesday AAU president Roger J. Goudy announced that it would extend the temporary suspension of licensed AAU events through April 15, which affects area programs such as Chattanooga Elite and Tennessee Tigers.