Recruiting helps lead to winning program

By Tom Dodge
sportsenews@bellsouth.net

Recruiting is as important to a college coach as is the timeout in the closing seconds to set up the winning shot.
“Number one if you don’t have good kids you are not going to win,” LSUE head basketball coach Michael Bari said. “And if you don’t have a good facility or you are spending half of time raising money for your facility that is difficult too.”
But Bari said once a prospect walks into the gym or tours the campus, the recruiting process gets much easier.
“If you have the resources you can get good players to come. A nice campus, good academic programs and the LSU intentity behind us makes it a lot easier.”
While it is difficult for a junior college to go head-to-head against the four-year programs, Bari said he is still pleased with the quality of athletes that choose to wear the Lady Bengal uniform.
“It has become somewhat easier now,” Bari said as he heads into his fifth season as the head basketball coach.
“We have had success, so that makes it a lot easier. If we had come in losing, it would have been a struggle to get the kids you want and you are fighting an uphill battle.”
While the team is mainly players from Louisiana, the Lady Bengals will add a player from Georgia.
“This is the first season we have someone from out of state coming in.
“When you recruit out of state it takes more effort because you can’t see them play and you have to rely on tape.”
Bari said while the high school season corresponds with the college schedule, they are able to go see talent within an hour’s drive of Eunice.
“We head down to New Orleans over Christmas for the “Rumble on the River” tournament,” he explained.
“There are around 60 teams with most of them from Louisiana so we can see a few kids there.”
“We go to the state tournament, summer camps and try to visit the local schools when we can.”
It is easy to see the star kid,” he said. “But it is also that second and third kid that can also really play.”
Bari said he also depends on word of mouth to hear about available talent.
“The local coaches have been very supportive of what we are doing.”
While LSUE may not be able to go head-to-head against LSU, Louisiana-Lafayette or most four- year programs in the state, Bari said he fells the talent pool is deep enough for the Lady Bengals to land some quality players.
“Our academics are pretty strong here so we can’t go out and get regular junior college-type talent that may be an exceptional athlete but not a good student.
“We look for a kid that has a high ACT score, that is smart and can play basketball,” he said.
“We let the big schools grab all the big-name players,” Bari said. “Then we go for that next level player. It has worked pretty well for us.”
Grabbing the local players can also help with increasing the fan base, according to the coach.
“When we had Renotta Edwards and Jamien Arvie the Ville Platte people packed this place,” he reflected.
“We are hoping the Iota fans do the same thing.”
The recruiting also involves helping Lady Bengals move on to the next level including recent stars Kayla Armstrong (NcNeese State University) and Jessica Pipkins (Southern Arkansas).
“Chelsie Guillory could have played anywhere, but she is really interested in becoming a dietician and is heading to UL – Lafayette. She may still walk on there, I don’t know.”
Natalie Ingram is interested in LSU dental school, according to Bari.
“We want players who want to go to school, have a good backgroud from a social standpoint and want to play basketball.”
The national championships on the baseball field have helped on the basketball court, bringing attention to the entire school population and athletics in particular.
“You can’t really be a successful junior college program if you don’t have players who want to go on and play at a Division I or Division II school,” he said. “But I want don’t kids who will flunk out and we replace them after just one season.
“We piggy-back off their success and that is a positive for the school as well as it draws more students in.”
Recruiting against the larger schools is difficult because LSUE can only offer tuition and books, while other schools can give their players a full scholarship.
“We can’t really draw the big names in here because they are going to want a full scholarship.
“It is hard to balance athletics and academics when we travel as much as we have to travel,” the coach said of the responsibilites put upon the student-athletes.
“They miss classes and it is tough to study when you are tired after a game or a road trip. But you have to do it.”
Bari said credit is due Dr. Kathy Barlow who helped start the Lady Bengal program and laid the foundation of the future seasons.
“She really built a good foundation for the program as she had the huge undertaking of getting the gym ready to play and gettinmg players to be a part of the start.
“It was easy for me to come in a bump it up a little bit.”