The Arizona Republic

Jeff Schneider of Phoenix makes these notes on Trevor Browne High School senior forward Ty Morrison:

"He changes the game defensively more than anything. He has the ability to block shots, to take away baskets, to change shots, to steal the ball from you with his length. ... A lot of his points are 15 feet and in, but I don't think there's a question he's the best defender in our state."

Schneider sends these notes to about 100 universities, which pay about $500 a year for his high school basketball scouting service.

He is one of hundreds of people tapping into a business that makes the college coach's job easier with the NCAA's ever-tightening recruiting restrictions.

There are only 20 summer days that college coaches are allowed by NCAA rules to survey the expansive basketball landscape. The small window means coaches must trust others' eyes, hoping not to be led on to a kid by a guy with a Web site and an agenda.

Not everybody is honest. Not everybody has an eye for talent.

Schneider is one of the few whom coaches such as Mike Krzyzewski, Lute Olson and Tubby Smith trust. Schneider has 18 years of college basketball coaching experience and six years as a head coach at Cal Poly.

"I have a phrase we always use: 'Evaluate the evaluator,' "Schneider said. "What happens if you overrate or underrate? The next time they come around, you don't feel good about their evaluation."

Anthony Ray works as a bank manager. In his spare time, he runs the Arizona Magic AAU team and writes about prospects on his Web site, ArizonaPreps.com.

Competitors dispute his analysis. They believe he hypes a kid in his program and ignores those on the outside.

Most major colleges subscribe to several scouting services, including Schneider's. They cross-check with the big boys, such as Bob Gibbons, Clark Francis, Dave Telep and Van Coleman.

Gibbons, who has been evaluating talent since 1977, feels Internet analysts are giving his business a "black mark."

"The worst thing right now is you got guys who coach teams during the summer who sort of intimidate," Gibbons said. "The college coaches feel pressured. If you want to recruit their kids, you'd better subscribe to their services. It's a total rip-off. Who do they see but their own players? They'll rank them more favorably. There is no objectivity."