Are East Coast players tougher than their West Coast counterparts?

It's a generalization -- meaning it could be accurate, accurate to a degree or an old wive's tale -- but the consensus in national recruiting circles is that East Coast prep basketball talents are tougher than their West Coast counterparts.

It seems impossible to compile an all-encompassing working definition of tough. Just what is tougher? What is softer? Is it a physical level of play? A mental state of mind?  A combination? To what degree?

But let's plow forward anyway.

In an article about former Valley Christian sharpshooter Max Hooper, who later moved on to Mater Dei in southern California and then spent a prep season at Brewster Academy in New Hampshire, the perceived basketball divide between the two coasts is offered:

"At Brewster, Hooper got his opportunity to play with Kansas recruit Naadir Tharpe, Villanova signee Markus Kennedy, Pittsburgh-bound Durand Johnson and St. John's recruit and prep school roommate Jakarr Sampson, a move that high school recruiting expert Tom Konchalski believes helped elevate Hooper's all-around game.

"Mater Dei is a storied program," said Konchalski. "But the knock against West Coast players is they are known to be soft. Max got his nose calcified on the East Coast..."

Nose calcified? That's a new but good one. So to Konchalski it wasn't just a matter of Hooper elevating his game due to being surrounded by excellent competition but also developing a greater competitive toughness.

So, NCP posed Konchalski's viewpoint to a local community college coach, a player who spent a season back east at a prep school after high school and a local high school and club team coach with basketball experience all across America.

Here is what each had to say about the thesis.

Merritt College Coach Keenan McMiller offered: "Northern California basketball each year consistently has talented athletes who have the potential to be good student athletes at the D-1, D-2 and other levels of college basketball. I feel that a good percentage lack the heart, tenacity and toughness needed tin order o be successful post high school . Behind this feeling is the culture in the Bay Area that allows players prima donna-hood throughout their elementary, secondary and high school years. The northern California community accepts this below-to-average work ethic mentality for talented young athletes who are "gamers." The by-product of this mentality is the unrealistic belief of athletes that they will make it to next level without putting in the utmost hard work, determination, grit and perseverance in the classroom and on the court. My definition of hard work on the court is performing well in games, but that comes as a by-product of athletes putting in the endless practice hours on personal skill and mental development on the court and the classroom when the bright lights aren't on and no one is watching. Any student athletes lacking these aspects consequently effects their potential to elevate their mental and physical toughness and becoming the best student-athlete they can be. Since athletes in northern California lack mental and physical toughness and the environment that they live in allows this as acceptable behavior, it is challenging for student-athletes to be prepared to perform consistent at the higher level in classroom and on the court."

Travis Souza, formerly of Turlock High and the Bay Area Hoosiers, said this: "I really don't see a major difference talent-wise or toughness between the east coast and the west coast and I've played against plenty of talented and tough players on both coasts. The biggest difference I thought was how [geographically] close talented players were to each other. In California, it seems the players are much more spread apart. Also, playing in the NEPSAC (New England Preparatory School Athletic Council) like I did, you play against super high competition day in and day out, so that makes it seems like the talents is more closely located. Going to New Hampton [in New Hampshire] certainly made me a better player, but I think it was due more to the fact that it was in the NEPSAC conference than due to the fact is was on the East coast."

Randy Bessolo, coach of the Bay Area Warriors and a California native who played at Columbia in New York City and later coached in Chicago, also weighed in: "NorCal does have some tough players, but the culture of urban ballers in New York City and Chicago is all about toughness and as a result they produce more tough players. Frankly, if you are not tough, you will not be a player for long in either of those basketball meccas. Toughness can be taught to a certain extent but it is in large part a product of the environment and constantly having to overcome challenges. In Chicago for example, there is a lot of concentrated poverty (23% of the city lives below the poverty line), bitterly cold weather in the winter, festering heat in the summer and intense competition everywhere (64 teams in the Chicago public league plus a very tough 12 team Catholic league). In spite of the challenges, the kids there never complain about anything, they just deal with it or fight it out. All of this makes them tougher and generally fearless.  Also, the whole community is very basketball focused with lots of media coverage and many neighborhood role models going on to play in college and the League. Recent Chicago products Dwyane Wade and Derrick Rose are good examples of the type of tough competitive spirit that is the norm in Chi-City.


Without the intense basketball culture to push them, Norcal players need to be very self-driven. Given the more liberal culture out here though they should have more freedom to be cerebral and creative players. Plus they have more gym time alone to work on their skills and shots in particular.  Where you are from should never be an excuse to not pursue and achieve success.  If you have some talent and want to be a player, you can with a plan and a lot of hard work."