Find a JUCO for Academics and Balling

here’s a suggested action plan, assuming JUCO

figure out 2-3 degree program(s) you’d like to consider; you don’t need to commit to any particular major/degree/program just yet, and your upfront choices may not end up as the thing you do. It’s OK! Just get some momentum on this!
search for schools that provide that course of study

California provides umbrella searches using location and keywords for course of study (must enter a Cali location), based on specific programs, keywords or school (scroll down for this), and this one based on location and program (scroll down); they have over 100 schools with basketball, located all over the state. That first search is good for seeing where in California you’d be, and the other two are very good for finding a specific program.
Colorado has only a handful options that include balling; you’ll have to look at each one individually and consider the trade offs

use the wikipedia page with a list of all conferences and schools to make sure the school does basketball!
if you want to be on a stronger team, look at the CCCAA rankings page to find the schools that have solid win-loss records

what programs/degrees are offered - this is the first thing you should look into: if you can’t study what you want, it can’t work for you
what is the culture, the stated mission, how does it feel
consider how much you’d like the location, being part of a small/medium/large school, etc
research the city: what’s the demographic, the political climate, access to quality health care
research the city: how would you spend your spare time; e.g. is a small town right for you?
visit the schools you think might work
confirm the credits from their two-year programs will transfer to a 4-year school - you want to have this option both for your academic trajectory and the opportunity to level-up to NCAA ball - this is actually a thing you can do!

narrow down the list of schools you’d be willing to attend, to probably 8-10 schools (??)
apply to that short list of target schools
consider taking a gap year if that makes sense and you can keep yourself on track

any schools that accepted you for admission will (usually, as I understand) save that spot for you, for the duration of one gap year
gap years can be very productive, including make time for building thru strength work, and finally having the time for visiting target schools, exploring the school locale, and establishing the 1-year residency requirement for Cali schools

contact the AD or coach and express an interest in being a walk-on once you’re enrolled and attending classes, if you haven’t already established an on-ramp for a specific school

you can contact athletic departments ahead of time, and/or make a name for yourself at elite showcases while still in high school
you’ll probably want a highlight reel and online resume in place before making contact

you may not need to declare the major until your 2nd year of school
check each school of interest for the specifics of this
keep in mind that students change their major all the time, so if your first choice wasn’t the right fit, you can reset. Some or all of the credits already earned can likely be transferred to the new major.

consider the transfer portal if you want to change schools, whether the reason is academics or athletic opportunities

for connor