FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) — Young athletes had the chance to make an impression on the Fresno State women’s basketball coach this past weekend.
The team hosted its “elite camp” for high school players from across the country and here in the Valley.
“We have to get our best local kids here on campus, in our gym, around our players and coaches so it’s huge and this is a really good opportunity for them,” Fresno State women’s basketball head coach Ryan McCarthy said.
McCarthy says that throughout the team’s camps, about 120 players came to campus. The high school students ran through drills and games.
Staff also talked with them about NIL and recruiting within the NCAA.
“It’s new, but it’s good for kids to learn as they move up. Social media can work one of two ways and we want to make sure that they’re at least educated on that space as they get to college,” McCarthy said.
The players were also able to see all of the branding throughout the gym and locker room, including what coach says is the team’s motto this season: “Winners migrate to the Valley.”
“It’s in our hallways. It’s outside our locker room. I explained to them what a winner is and what that looks like, the habits that they have, so only winners are allowed to come inside that locker room,” McCarthy said. “You know when you come down the hallway into the offices, that’s what people see, our recruiting station area. Fresno State’ about the valley and the Valley’s all about Fresno State and we want to make sure that we’re filling this place with winners on and off the court so that the valley can be proud of them.”
We are still several months out from the season but this will be McCarthy’s first as head coach for the Bulldogs.
He was most recently the head coach at Alaska-Anchorage for over a decade.
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