Nothing quite like July recruiting period in college hoops

The July live period -- two periods spanning a total of 20 days during the month -- is the only time college coaches are allowed to watch prospective recruits on the AAU circuit. There used to be another evaluation phase during April, but the NCAA has since eliminated that period.

As a result, every college coach -- and his assistants -- are out in full force during July, attending tournaments held in hotspots such as Las Vegas, Orlando and Los Angeles, as well as non-vacation destinations like Akron, Ohio, Reading, Pa., and Springfield, Mass.

Jeff Goodman, Gary Parrish and Jeff Borzello