Getting recruited is a skill. Most athletes will never figure that out.
We teach you to recruit yourself. The Database, the Process, the Outreach, the follow-up. A system built to close, pointed at coaches.
Cohort
Talent isn't the bottleneck. Not having a process is.
Every year, thousands of kids who can play college basketball don't. Not because they weren't good enough — because nobody told them how any of this actually works.
They post highlights and wait. They email six schools that were never realistic. They send one message, hear nothing, and decide they weren't wanted. They have no list, no plan, no follow-up, and no idea that a coach's silence usually means he never saw it — not no.
Meanwhile the kid down the road with less game and a better process is on a roster.
Coaches can't recruit athletes they don't know exist.
Recruiting IS Sales
That's the real product. The offer is a byproduct.
The Process, step by step
We watch your film and give you our take on what level suits you best. Are you D1 ready now, or could you benefit from a couple of years at a JUCO or NAIA before taking that leap? The step everyone else skips.
Film cut and current. Socials rebuilt so a coach takes you seriously. Written templates. You have one first impression per program. Don't waste it.
Coaches do write kids off over a first email. We've read the ones that got ignored.
The Database: every program D1 through JUCO. We help you build a list of schools within your real range to help dial in the process and build your pipeline.
Intro emails go out. Follow-ups go out on schedule. You track every school, every response, every next step. When a coach replies, you know what to say.
Monthly meetings with other 345th Collective athletes. Track touchpoints, share successes, and build a network and connections that can last a lifetime.
We've done this ourselves.
Two generations of the Stafford family have played collegiate basketball. Now they are trying to inspire the next generation to do the same. They've sat in the recruiting process from both sides. As the kid who nobody was calling, and as the guy who figured out how to make schools call.
“I’m a 5’6 PG from a 1A school in Wyoming. Ricky not only helped me improve at basketball but he also taught me how to be seen. I ended my high school career receiving interest from Division 2 programs, something that I never thought was possible.”
Ricky Stafford
As a player, Ricky experienced nearly every side of the recruiting journey. By the end of his senior year he had received zero college offers. Rather than continuing to wait for an opportunity, he went out and created one, ultimately earning the chance to play at the collegiate level before fulfilling his lifelong dream of playing professionally in Germany.
Those experiences taught him something most families never hear:
Recruiting isn't just about talent. It's about understanding how to position yourself for opportunity.
Over the last several years, Ricky has worked with high school athletes across the country while dedicating hundreds of hours to understanding how college coaches actually recruit. He has built relationships with college coaches at every level through countless conversations at AAU events and personal interviews, giving him firsthand insight into how recruiting decisions are actually made. Those experiences became the foundation of 345th Collective.
Today, Ricky works directly with athletes and parents to improve the parts of recruiting that athletes struggle with most: positioning, coach outreach, and recruiting strategy.
His goal isn't simply to help athletes earn college offers. It's to give families clarity, confidence, and a proven roadmap so they never have to wonder if they did everything they could to help their athlete succeed.
Straight answers
Are you an agency? Do you contact coaches for me?
No. We teach YOU to do it, and that is on purpose. The kid who learns the process and puts in the work keeps the skill long after recruiting is over. We'll be beside you the whole way, but you're the one communicating with and reaching out to coaches.
What if I'm not a D1 player?
Then we'll tell you that, and get to work on helping you find the highest level where you can succeed today, while building a plan to reach the next one tomorrow.
When should I start?
Earlier than you think. The kids who start young have time to build relationships, get to camps, and let coaches watch them develop. If you're already a senior, it's not too late, but you need to get to work fast!
What if I do everything and don't get an offer?
Then you'll have done everything, which is more than almost anyone does — and you'll walk away knowing how to research, target, pitch, and follow up on anything you ever want in your life. We can't promise a scholarship. Nobody honest can.
Do my parents need to be involved?
Yes. They don't have to do the work. But they need to know what the work is.
Stop hoping you get found.
Book a call, send us your film, and we'll tell you what's actually possible.
Pick a slot that works for you and your family. Have your film link ready — Hudl or YouTube — so we can watch before we talk.
Apply for an Evaluation