Alex Popp of Winchendon School Talks NEPSAC Basketball, Player Development, and College Recruitment

Cory welcomes back Coach Alex Popp, one of prep basketball’s most respected voices, now the new head coach at The Winchendon School in Massachusetts. With a background that includes leading Vermont Academy, five years at powerhouse IMG Academy, and a post-grad playing year at Northfield Mount Hermon, Coach Popp brings unmatched perspective on what it takes for players to thrive in the NEPSAC and beyond. In this candid conversation, Alex breaks down the real factors families must weigh: Should your child chase playing time on a less talented team, or compete for minutes on a stacked roster? How do you find the right academic and athletic fit? And what does true college placement strategy look like in today’s transfer portal and NIL era? Coach Popp shares actionable advice on maximizing summer exposure events, the importance of honest self-assessment, and why relationships—not hype—drive recruitment. 

💡Key Topics:

📌 Choosing the right prep school for basketball and academics (prep school basketball, NEPSAC, player development)
📌 Honest advice on playing time, roster spots, and maximizing college exposure (playing time, college basketball recruitment, exposure events)
📌 How NEPSAC prepares athletes for high-level college basketball (NEPSAC, college readiness, competitive scheduling)
📌 Building relationships and realistic recruiting strategies for families (recruitment, college placement, family guidance)
📌 Innovative player development and balancing academics (player development, strength and conditioning, academic-athletic balance)

🏀 About Alex Popp:

Coach Alex Popp is the head boys’ basketball coach at The Winchendon School, bringing a wealth of experience from his time leading Vermont Academy and five years at IMG Academy, one of the nation’s top basketball programs. A former NEPSAC post-grad player and McDonald’s All-American nominee, Popp is known for his direct, relationship-driven approach to player development and college placement. His track record includes coaching future D1 and NBA athletes and building programs that prioritize both athletic and academic growth.

🔗 Connect with Alex Popp:

Email | apopp@winchendon.org
X | https://x.com/coachalexpopp?lang=en
Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/teamalexpopp/
X | https://x.com/winchhoops?lang=en
Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/winchendon_bvbb/

🔗 Connect with Cory:

Website | https://www.prepathletics.com
Twitter | https://twitter.com/PREP_Athletics
Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/prep.athletics/
Facebook | https://www.facebook.com/PrepAthletics
Email | coryheitz@gmail.com
Phone | 859-317-1166

🔖 Subscribe to the PREP Athletics Podcast:

iTunes | https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/prep-athletics-podcast/id1546265809?uo=4
Spotify | https://open.spotify.com/show/6CAKbXFiIOhoHinzsReYbJ
Amazon | https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/3c37179d-3371-47f9-9d97-fd569e8802a7/prep-athletics-basketball-podcast #AmazonMusic

Chapters

• 0:00 Intro: Cory welcomes Coach Alex Popp, new head coach at The Winchendon School, and previews the episode’s key topics
• 1:25 Why Alex left IMG Academy for Winchendon and returning to NEPSAC
• 2:23 The Winchendon School’s academic and athletic environment
• 3:18 Lessons from IMG Academy and how they’ll shape Winchendon’s program
• 4:44 Vision for building Winchendon’s basketball program and maintaining high standards
• 5:39 What Coach Popp looks for in players and families: relationships, fit, and campus contribution
• 6:47 Changes in NEPSAC and college basketball since COVID, the transfer portal, and NIL
• 9:29 Why top players should consider NEPSAC over new academies or pro leagues
• 11:39 Does NEPSAC class (AAA, AA, A, etc.) matter for player development and exposure?
• 13:42 Playing time: how it’s earned, analytics, and the art/science of rotation decisions
• 15:59 Placement strategy: how Winchendon helps players get recruited and placed in college
• 17:28 Honest recruiting conversations: matching player goals with realistic opportunities
• 20:31 The importance of relationships and networking in college recruitment
• 22:12 Value of summer showcases and open gym periods for exposure
• 24:12 How college coaches network and help each other with player placement
• 26:26 Player development at Winchendon: gym access, strength training, and accountability
• 30:09 Customizing development: balancing gym work, academics, and athlete needs
• 31:26 Playing time vs. team strength: what’s best for player growth?
• 35:08 Academic options for post-grads at Winchendon, including AP and college credit
• 36:45 The future of prep school basketball: changes coming to NEPSAC and the landscape
• 37:54 Final thoughts, gratitude, and closing remarks

Transcript

Cory Heitz (00:00)
Welcome to this week's episode of the prep athletics podcast. I'm proud to have on returning coach Alex Popp. Now Alex Popp used to be a Vermont Academy and then he was spent the past five years at IMG Academy down in Florida. And just recently he got hired to be the new head coach at the Winchendon school in Massachusetts, which is in the NEPSAC. So we do a lot of catching up and we talk about his program at Winchendon.

the benefit of summer exposure events and open gyms, how he does development, what the academic load is like during a post-grad year at Winchendon. He discusses playing time. ⁓ Should you be on a team that's really good and not play as much or should you be on a team not as talented to get minutes? All this kind of stuff that families are asking me on a daily basis we really dive into and it's good to have Alex back on to share how excited he is to be back in his home state of Massachusetts.

Thanks for tuning in and enjoy this week's episode of the Prepethlyrics

Cory Heitz (01:21)
Welcome to the podcast.

Alex Popp (01:23)
Thanks for having me, Cory. Let's go.

Cory Heitz (01:25)
Yeah, good to see you again and we're having you on now because you left IMG after being there for five years and you're now at the Winchendon School and just talk us through what led you to making this decision.

Alex Popp (01:36)
That's right. Back in the NEPF sat Cory. ⁓ large part of the decision was based on becoming a new dad and wanting to be closer to our in-laws. And then, ⁓ the other dynamic was this opportunity presenting itself and feeling like a perfect fit, right? And the timing of it, ⁓ you know, where I am in my career felt like I've never been more ready for this.

And, you know, deep down, I've always, as you know, had an affinity for NepSAC basketball. So it feels good to be back.

Cory Heitz (02:16)
Yeah, now give us your pitch on Winchendon as a school and then what you're going to have there as far as a basketball program goes.

Alex Popp (02:23)
Right. Wichita School, you know, intimate, awesome community, 60 miles from Boston and kind of in the center of the Nepstack universe is kind of the way I describe it. Our proximity to our opponents could not be more ideal. And, you know, it's intimate community, a little under 300 students, and we have successful athletic programs across the board, know, ice hockey, baseball.

Both boys and girls basketball had a tremendous amount of success. classrooms are eight to ten ⁓ students. So yeah, it's a pretty intimate environment and there's a lot to sell, a lot to sell there.

Cory Heitz (03:10)
Yeah, love it. Now, what are you bringing from your five years at IMG? What are you bringing from that experience that you're going to incorporate now into Winchendon?

Alex Popp (03:18)
Great question. So I think that my experience at IMG is going to serve me in this new opportunity, Cory, just based on the experience and the wisdom that I was able to kind of pick up along the way from being around the likes of Brian Nash and Mike Gillian and Mike Kelly and Kevin Sutton. And I could go on and on and on and on. I think all the experienced coaches and mentors that I had down there.

is really going to serve me now, based on finding a way to make people around you better. I think that's the best way I can describe it. That's the role. That's the responsibility. We would always say teamwork makes the dream work down there. ⁓ now I'm a firm believer of that. Whereas maybe before my experience at IMG, ⁓

based on where I was in life and where I was professionally, I definitely felt like I was a little bit more of a maverick.

Cory Heitz (04:24)
Now, when you get to Vermont Academy, you took that program in the next level very quickly. You had a lot of talent in those teams. You won right away. What's your approach going to be at Winchendon now? Do you want to follow that same trajectory? you trying to ease into things? What's your vision right now?

Alex Popp (04:44)
to as good as we possibly can in a way that makes sense for the student athletes that we're serving right now. ⁓ We're gonna have opportunities to have, you know, a tremendous amount of talent on both the boys and girls side, but keeping two hands on the steering wheel, you know, 10 and two, and making sure that we get, that we don't compromise with character, discipline, know, ⁓ academics.

and passion, right? So if that takes us a little bit more time because we're not willing to compromise on those dynamics, you know, we're comfortable with that. And, you know, we're going to be opportunistic. You know that, Cory.

Cory Heitz (05:28)
Yeah, so tell me this, what are you looking for in a player? So families that are in coaches that are watching this right now, like what is your ideal player for your team?

Alex Popp (05:39)
I would say a family and a student athlete who does not shy away from, you know, building up the relationship the right way. And that looks like a lot of conversation, communication. looks like, you know, film study, ⁓ kind of nitpicking transcripts and really just spending time with the family and kind of, ⁓ understanding if there's going to be, ⁓ you know, if it will be a good marriage, right? Because

joining a prep school campus, regardless of how talented or how high character you are, it is a transition for young people, right? So just being able to know that the circle of support is going to be available for communication and then also knowing that the kid

is going to be a contributor to the campus in more ways than just on the basketball court. You tie all that together and I think it gives you confidence to go after it.

Cory Heitz (06:47)
Yeah, love it. Now you left Napsack right when COVID was happening and now you're back five years later, right? And the world has changed in five years and our, you know, the college basketball ranks and placing kids, portal, NIL, the game getting older stuff everyone talks about in this podcast. we talk about

offline and where do you see NepSec now? Like is it as strong as it was five years ago? Is it, you know, do we need to make adjustments based on how the college landscape is now? Like now that you're back in NepSec, you're to be breathing it, living it, competing in it. What are your thoughts on it now?

Alex Popp (07:26)
I think it's definitely case by case, Cory. Now it's not going to be the same as 2016 or 2020. I get that. And I think all of us are a little romantic about the way college basketball used to be, especially us older coaches. You know, I'm 40 now. I consider myself one of the older coaches. But while we can, you know,

feel nostalgic about the way things were, it is our responsibility to attack kind of what we can control. while a high major division one recruit ⁓ might have to, you know, deal with mid-major recruitment in this era, ⁓ or division two player might have to, you know, look stronger or strongly at division three.

I think case by case, you want to remain in that space where you're controlling what you can and going from there. I always tell the families that we're working with that ⁓ bird in the hand is better than two in the bush. opportunities at the next level are precious. ⁓ given the circumstances, think that college placement, college matriculation,

is definitely gonna look different, but what won't be compromised is kind of how much work goes into it and building relationships. Those are the two most important things.

Cory Heitz (09:06)
Yeah, now I'm making you the mouthpiece for Nepsec here and I know you're just fresh back in it. So forgive me on this, but

Cory Heitz (09:12)
if you're a top 100 or 200 player in the country and you've got the options such as going to NEPSAC or going to Overtime Elite or some of these academies that are popping up and getting national attention, what are the benefits now in 2025 for one these players to go to a NEPSAC school?

Alex Popp (09:29)
Great question, Cory. So I think I wouldn't be wearing Winchendon Green if I didn't believe in the conference, in the NEPSAC, right? And I think where we separate ourselves is the depth of our schedule. And what I mean by that is if you're looking at what it takes to be successful in conference play at the Division I level, SEC, ACC,

you know, Big 10 basketball, ⁓ it takes a lot of preparation. And I think because of the depth of the rosters in Nepzak and the talent of the coaches, the experience of the coaches, it forces you to prepare differently, prepare like you will at the next level, whether it's college or pro. And I think that

In comparison with other top conferences around the country for high school, prep school basketball, ⁓ there are no off nights. There's no cupcakes on Winchendon school basketball schedule. And that forces the young people to prioritize the coaching, prioritize the preparation, the scouts ⁓ in a way that is so consistent. ⁓

gets them ready for the next level. So I think that's our big separator, is Knapsack basketball forces you to prepare with more consistency than anywhere else in the country.

Cory Heitz (11:05)
Yeah, because some of these bigger time programs out there that are not in NEPSEC, you know, they might have a lot of games in their schedule where they're winning by 40 or 50 points. ⁓ and just, there's not as much parity there, right? As you have in the NEPSEC on a nightly basis, right? So think that's important, but tell me this, right? So when you're at Vermont Academy, you went from AA to AAA, right? And now when you're at AA, tell me this, does it matter as a player, what class you're in, whether AAA, AA, single A, BC, like walk me through this. Cause it's a big question we

get from families quite a bit.

Alex Popp (11:39)
Yeah, I don't think you can go wrong with AAA, AA or single A. And I think that each coach has a little bit different of a philosophy with scheduling. And I think that, you know, the two pillars of a successful prep school program, Cory, kind of recruiting and scheduling. So aligning kind of the student athletes fit with the scheduling and the recruiting like the rest of the roster.

I think is most pertinent and it's case by case. I think some kids will flourish best in a roster where they can have a high usage rate and they can be a player that anticipates 35 minutes a game, whereas other players might flourish better competing for a rotation spot. And then, ⁓

the scheduling part depends on where you are, right? I think you're going to be challenged at any NEP SAC program for scheduling, but you know, some programs are, ⁓ you know, like Winchett in school, like we want all the smoke, right, Cory? ⁓ so I think it depends on, you know, the coach more so than the class. And ultimately we're all trying to win, you know, the NEP SAC conference tournament, but

Cory Heitz (12:54)
Right.

Alex Popp (13:06)
you know, there's national exposure events outside of that. So I think kind of zooming out of class A, B or C, double A, triple A, and looking at the programs for their roster and their overall schedule, not just their class schedule, I think that helps add context.

Cory Heitz (13:27)
Yeah, thanks for sharing that. answer me this, we're going to go through some heavy hitters here of questions that parents ask me just like that one. Playing time. When a family asks you about playing time, how do you answer that?

Alex Popp (13:42)
that because of the nature of Nepstack basketball, there's a decent amount of turnover every year. Like we're gonna take a few post-grads. We're gonna take several repeat sophomores, repeat juniors. However, there's gonna be turnover every year. So the idea of us having the same rotation from November to March is unlikely. Now, I think if...

You're on a team that returns everybody from the roster and you won 30 games the year before. Um, sometimes those rotations kind of are more set in stone, the way that, you know, basketball is in today's world, think, you know, playing time is earned and playing time, you know, is something that the coaches can examine with the players in terms of, um, you know, analytics and, you know, role allocation, watching film.

You know, it doesn't have to be the coaching staff versus the player. It can be, Hey, we're in this together. And the more efficient you are with your analytics and the more you're impacting winning for your five player unit, when you're on the court, you know, the bigger your role is going to be. And I'll add Cory that, ⁓ in addition to that, ⁓ you know, developing these young men and women as people, as basketball players and getting them, you know,

appropriate college placement ⁓ is at the forefront of everything that we do in addition to trying to win games. So I think that it is an art and a science. And unless you're there every day, it's kind of one of those things where you have to give trust to the coaching staff and to the administrators at that school.

Cory Heitz (15:35)
Yeah, I love it. Now to piggyback on that, you mentioned recruiting placement strategy. What is your placement strategy, Alex? Like I commit to Winch and then I, you know, commit to you put on social media, pay the deposit, sign the contract. What is then my role as a family and player with you on getting me to the collegiate level? Like walk me through your process.

Alex Popp (15:59)
So when I was at IMG Academy, we kind of came up with this concept, Cory, that I'm going to steal and use for what we're doing here at Winchinet School. it's, know, our job is not to do the actual evaluation. Our job is to help the college coaches do the evaluation because ultimately they have to decide, you know, what their roster is going to look like ⁓ so they can keep their jobs, right? And so they can

put food on the table for their families. And I think that kind of takes the heaviness out of the equation because we're all in this together. We ⁓ wanna be realistic, we don't wanna waste people's time, but if you wanna target blue blood schools, we can at least pick up the phone and ask those schools what their needs are and if they're willing to watch film. ⁓

But I think just like anything else, it's gonna be case by case. It's gonna be based on a lot of hard work and relationship building.

Cory Heitz (17:09)
But when this family signs up and they say, like, I want to play D1 and they're a D3 player, how do you figure, like, do you walk through with the families? Like, do you want to be on the East Coast, West Coast, big school, small school? Like, you walk me through that conversation with the families on, like, how you figure out which schools you're going to even reach out to?

Alex Popp (17:28)
I think casting a wide net's important anyways, right? And we're gonna have a roster of 11 to 12 student athletes on the boys side that are gonna be future college basketball players. So the more conversations, the more relationships you're building, the better anyways. And then I think it's pretty difficult to sincerely forecast without spending a lot of time with.

around the young person, right? A prime example I can give is a young man named Travis Evie up in Vermont Academy, 5'11", below the rim, ⁓ not like the quickest player in NEPSAC. And a lot of people were saying he's a Division III player. But then over, you know, the first two months of school, I saw his approach. ⁓

his work ethic, his efficiency, his character, ⁓ the ⁓ way he approached his relationships with his teammates. And I'm like, this guy's got a chance to play at a higher level than people are saying. So I think scenarios like that play out. Conversely, there could be top 100 guys, or I've worked with McDonald's All-Americans before.

And sometimes you get around those guys and they look, ⁓ you know, incredible in film, incredible in their AAU setting. But, you know, are they an everyday guy? I think so. I don't like to rush to conclusions. And I think that, you know, it should be under construction. ⁓ And that's part of the exciting part of, you know, prep school basketball is like you get to a campus and you get to kind of earn, you know, who you are.

Cory Heitz (19:09)
Mm-hmm.

Alex Popp (19:26)
And I'll say that, you know who you are some of the time becomes who you are all the time like the guys that I've coached and I you know, I think I get it right more often than not in the recruiting process that we do our best to you know, attract high character passionate players, but the guys that make excuses or get distracted in prep school. ⁓ Or complain about their coaches.

Right? ⁓ When they get to college, those same things surface, right? So it really becomes kind of a microcosm of the rest of their career, which I think is fascinating. ⁓ But again, going back to your original question and the recruiting process, like, and when you kind of start working with families, I think having an open mind and like sincerely ⁓ casting a wide net, I think is a really good start. And I think families appreciate that too.

Cory Heitz (20:19)
Yeah, are you doing that via email via social media? Are you picking up the phone and calling like your buddies first? Like walk me through that. And what do you find most efficient in 2025?

Alex Popp (20:31)
Most efficient, I think, is when your roster has ⁓ players where the schools are reaching out to you.

Cory Heitz (20:43)
Yeah, of course. That's the best, right? ⁓

Alex Popp (20:44)
And

those are typically the coaches too that are well connected. So they might be recruiting your six, eight, ⁓ versatile forward ⁓ who just reclassified as a junior and they're in your gym a couple of times as a result or they see you play three or four times in the June showcase weekends.

And then they start helping you with other players on your roster. think like in terms of efficiency, that certainly helps. think. And then I think you want to be a lighthouse, Cory. I think the best prep school coaches in knapsack ⁓ and there's so many of them do a good job at, you know, being a lighthouse where there's, know, they're seen and they're being seen. I'm sorry. They're seen and they're seeing everybody else. Right. So I think getting to the right events.

⁓ doing networking, think that all helps if you get FaceTime with people, naturally, you know, you're building a relationship better than email or phone. But I think, you know, the approach is very much a seven days a week commitment. And the approach is, you know, you use all the platforms you have.

Cory Heitz (22:04)
Yeah, yeah. I love it. And you would, you would confirm that it's all about relationships in this game. Yeah. Okay. ⁓ tell me the benefit of the summer showcases, the scholastic showcase, and then the open gym period. Obviously it's changed, but there's still benefit. Talk, talk families through what they're getting when they sign up for a prep school and get to take advantage of those two, two periods.

Alex Popp (22:12)
That's right.

I mean, there's no guarantees, Cory, with what comes of those ⁓ platforms, but there is a guarantee that you're gonna be seen by the most desirable coaches in all of college basketball. ⁓ you can't beat the volume of coaches that roll through the NEPSAC. ⁓

June's Glastic Live Weekends, you can't beat that. And then because there's so many prep schools in a highly concentrated area here in Massachusetts, ⁓ you get a lot of organic traffic in the fall that I think ⁓ is really exciting, right? Like if, know, Syracuse or Stanford or, you know, Florida or your dream schools will, you know, come to Winton in school.

you're going to be seen by those schools and ⁓ it's more than likely that you're gonna be seen by the head coaches of those programs at least once, right? So I think that that's really exciting and invigorating for athletes who are new to the space.

Cory Heitz (23:45)
Yeah. And go back to what you said earlier about like coaches talking to other coaches about players. Like if I'm at an open gym and I'm a player and I've got three high majors, but I'm not a high major player, but I have a killer performance. These coaches talk to each other. Right. And I think, I don't know if families realize that or know that, but can you explain how like the college coaches like help each other out and how they network and how they communicate with each other on players?

Alex Popp (24:12)
Absolutely. I think a large part of it is because a lot of Division III assistants want to network with Division II programs, And a lot of, you know, low major, mid major Division I programs are networking with high major coaches, right? And it's just kind of like, that's the food chain. And so, and everyone's trying to help one another out. ⁓ So, you know, there's coaching trees in college basketball, as we know, Cory.

And you know, you can kind of just follow those coaching trees and see kind of who wants to help who. And sometimes it helps them with their top target. ⁓ You know, there's people doing favors for one another. And I think that it's a lot of fun when a program is, you know, coming in to watch one kid and before they get out of your gym, they say, you know, wow, that, you know,

His teammate must have had the most impressive rebounding night or went eight for 11 from three. He's not what we're looking for right now, but you know what? ⁓ We could kind of make a couple phone calls for him. That stuff happens all the time.

Cory Heitz (25:34)
Why are college coaches doing that? that just good karma? You putting it out there so hopefully it comes back to you? Or are people doing that to get favors, potentially bump up a job level? Like, what's their motivation?

Alex Popp (25:46)
Both, right? All of the above. yeah, I think it comes back around. It's good basketball karma. I've already had a couple of prep school coaches ⁓ call me, and say, you know, our admissions calendar ⁓ is done. You know, can you squeeze one or two more players on your roster? Will your admissions office?

Cory Heitz (25:47)
Okay.

Gotcha.

Alex Popp (26:14)
⁓ role with that because we have a guy and you know, maybe it's a nepsack single a program or a prep school in the mid Atlantic area. So I think that happens even at our level.

Cory Heitz (26:26)
Yeah, it does. Absolutely does. All right. Another huge question families ask is development and time in the gym, right? And it's like an arms race now. Like, at this school, I can get in the gym two hours a day. This school, four hours, this basketball Academy, I can be in the gym 20 hours, right? What do you tell families when they ask you about how are you at Winchendon and you coach Popp going to help me get better? Like what's the schedule look like? What are you going to do? Do you have assistance? You have trainers, like talk me through your development at Winchendon.

Alex Popp (26:56)
Well, I think Nepsak basketball is, you know, very much aware of the fact that, you know, the Cooper flags and the AJs of the region, you know, went elsewhere for their prep school experience. So while Nepsak has, you know, guidelines and rules, you know, I think us coaches are as, are being as creative as possible, you know, to

Maximize player development. ⁓ and you know, the most creative ways possible because it's a necessity. Right? Like prep school athletics have evolved. They've changed, here at Wichita school. Some of the adjustments that we're in the process of making is, you know, having strength and conditioning as a class during the academic day. So, you know, you have.

a 90 minute window where traditionally, you went and did some homework, you got some help, those are all great things. You snuck in a nap, right? Those are all great things. Now you can bake into your academic schedule, strength and conditioning, right? It knocks it out. And so you don't have to do it at five in the morning. And then in terms of like off season skill development, we are...

going to hold our athletes to a high standard because that's part of why they're coming here. So accountability with charting the actual work in the gym and holding guys accountable with analytics. I try to say that, I don't try, I do. I'm very much, excuse me, Cory, I'm very much a believer of the 30 % buffer. If you're in an empty gym,

and you're on the shooting gun or you're getting put through the paces with an assistant coach, you should be going seven out of 10 on every single cut or shot that you're taking. You should be shooting close to 70%. Excuse me. And why that is is because in an actual game with defense, with fatigue, with movement, the stakes are higher.

there's gonna be a 30 % buffer, right? So if you're 70 % in an empty gym, you're gonna be closer to 40 % when it's go time. And if you're 40 % on game day, you are a college recruitable shooter.

Cory Heitz (29:40)
Gotta give up those camera lights. Gotta give us some those camera lights up, man.

Alex Popp (29:40)
Hopefully you can edit some of that out.

That's funny.

⁓ No, I blame daycare with a one year old. ⁓ Our girl Junie comes home with something different every week, Anyways, what's that? That's right. That's right. So ⁓ more player development stuff, think. ⁓

Cory Heitz (29:52)
⁓ yes.

It's helping your immune system too, you know that? It's boosting your immune system too, so just think positively with it. Yeah.

Alex Popp (30:09)
We gotta make it case by case. ⁓ There's some athletes that want more and they can do more and it doesn't wear them down. ⁓ There's gonna be other athletes that might be repeat sophomore, repeat junior, need to put on 15 pounds of muscle and getting in the gym too much wears them down. I think. ⁓

being conscious of every athlete's gonna be case by case, but the best shooters, the most skilled players are the ones that work on it the most. And we are gonna pride ourselves ⁓ in being gym rats as a coaching staff, right? So ⁓ if the student athlete is as passionate or close to as passionate about basketball as we are, they are gonna spend a lot of time in the gym. Another wrinkle.

that I can brag about, Cory, at Wichita School, I wish we had this when I was a post-grad, you know, 25 years ago, is during study hall, if you're in good academic standing, two or three times a week, you can get in the gym and get extra work from 8.30 to 9.30. And I think that's a separator.

Cory Heitz (31:26)
Great.

Cool. Now here's a, while you're your cough on, here's our, here's a question too. This is a, this is a chicken or the egg question, right? And I'm going to ask this to you. There are teams where kids can get a lot of playing time, but the talent's not as good. And there's teams where there's a lot of talent, but you might not get as much playing time, right? You, Alex Popp.

Which one do you think's more beneficial to a kid? And I know it's a case by case basis, but we're talking middle line kid who's probably going to be, you know, between eight and 12 on the roster, right? For a really talented team or be the man on a team that's not as talented, right? What do you see as, you know, the ideal path for a kid? Because some, some coaches say you got to get on the court. Others say, Hey, you're only on the court 30 games, right? All the development happens in practice against these better players. So.

Where do you, where, philosophically, what do you think is more ideal for a kid?

Alex Popp (32:27)
Truthfully, I experience the best teacher. And I've seen guys do red shirt years, you know, back when you had to sit out for transferring. ⁓ And I think practice is just not even close to what games are like, even if you're in the most competitive environments. ⁓ Time score, the bright lights, you know.

the way the game's officiated, the execution of the strategy. I firmly believe that playing time is the premium. Now, being the best player on a team that doesn't have great culture or doesn't make the playoffs and doesn't have a lot of tradition, I'm not sure that's what we're talking about, but.

Being a rotation player or even a starter ⁓ in a program that has great culture and that has a good amount of success, I think that's kind of what athletes and what their families should be aiming for if the goal is to maximize progression. Right now, there are programs

both grassroots and AAU and prep school that are so good at college placement, right? That you might have a better chance at that division one scholarship ⁓ if you're 11 or 12 on that roster versus two or three or the top guy on another roster. But at the end of the day, like,

you're going to have to perform when you get to college regardless. So if a AU program or a prep school program is just, you know, so good at college placement that that that program gives you a better chance at division one. I think reminding families that you want to stay long term greedy is important. So, yeah, I fully believe that being a rotation player, you know, is the best path for

You know, getting better, it's also the most fulfilling path.

Cory Heitz (34:56)
Got it. Thanks for sharing that opinion because it's varied, right? Walk me through this. If I'm a post-grad coming to Winchendon, what are my options academically?

Alex Popp (35:08)
You're a normal student like everybody else on campus, know, ⁓ you know, you're not going to be taking a class that you already took. You're not going to be, you know, stuck in a classroom with, you know, freshmen and sophomores, but, ⁓ you know, you will be challenged academically. There's options for AP courses. You know, there's a lot of different ways we can approach it. ⁓ Like I said,

know, strength and conditioning can be baked into the schedule. If you're good academic standing, which all of our student athletes with hoops are going to be, you know, there's flexibility to shoot during study hall. But academically, ⁓ you will take a full course load.

Cory Heitz (35:55)
Okay. And you guys offer college credit options or APs? That option.

Alex Popp (36:01)
Yeah, you'd have to score right higher than three ⁓ on your AP exam to have it transfer over to college. haven't seen that play out too many times in my 10 plus years at this level, Cory. ⁓ making sure that the student athletes are in courses that are interesting to them and

kind of keep them on pace. So the routine, you know, helps get them ready for the next level. I think that's the priority.

Cory Heitz (36:39)
Gotcha. Last big question. What's what does prep school basketball look like in five years?

Alex Popp (36:45)
Good question, Cory. think prep school basketball changes up here in New England the next five years, maybe more than it did in the previous 20. And I think a big part of that is, you know, knowing that we need to continue to evolve ⁓ to make ourselves as attractive as possible. So the homegrown talent want to stay here. And so the

you know the best players in the country and the world. ⁓ You know know that NEP SAC is the place to be and how that looks. I think will be more creative than maybe you know you and I can imagine right now, but I do anticipate a lot of change. In the upcoming, you know 5 to 10 years with NEP SAC basketball.

Cory Heitz (37:37)
Yeah, yeah, and maybe that means NIL in some some form or fashion too. So is there anything Alex we didn't touch on that you want to mention before we get off here?

Alex Popp (37:54)
No, I think we covered a lot, Cory. I really appreciate you having me on. Hopefully we can continue to have these stimulating conversations. I always really appreciate ⁓ our dialogue. And I think what you're doing has been really great for Nepstack basketball. So on behalf of the region, we appreciate the awareness that you're creating for us coaches that are in the trenches. ⁓

doing what we love and we appreciate you believing in us.

Cory Heitz (38:28)
Well, look, man, I did a post-grad year changed my life. You did a post-grad year changed your life. So we're just speaking about our experiences and trying to share with as many people that listen that this is an option and, know, Winston and you are actually going to be a new option now with you back in the, in the region. So me and a lot of people are excited to see what you guys are going to do up there. So, ⁓ Alex, you're the first coach to show up, ⁓ the second time on the podcast. So good to have you back, my man.

Go Wapiti. Well guys, if you enjoyed this podcast with coach Alex Popp, be sure to subscribe and all the major podcasting platforms. Go to YouTube and subscribe there as well as we have bonus content and go to prepathletics.com. If you're interested in learning more about prep school, reach out to me. I get back to everyone. We've got free assessments on there to see if prep school is right for you. Join our newsletter where every month we give you the latest insights into what's going on in the prep school basketball world. Until next time. Thanks so much for tuning in. Take care.