The Recruiting Guy

Father-son moments numerous for Arkansas recruit

Courtney Ramey, left, and Terrell Ramey pose for a photo in Las Vegas.

LAS VEGAS -- Junior guard Courtney Ramey, a target of Arkansas' men's basketball team, has been coached by his father, Terrell, since the third grade, and while it's a rewarding experience, it does have challenges.

"I think it's unfair personally, because I'm going to criticize everything he does -- from blinking, breathing, not running hard enough," Terrell Ramey said, "every little thing that some coaches probably wouldn't be as passionate about because I can because that's my son."

Courtney Ramey, 6-2, 170 pounds, of St. Louis Webster Groves, is closing in on 20 scholarship offers, including ones from Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, Kansas State, Texas, Ohio State and Iowa. In the spring and summer, he plays for Team Ramey, a program his father started 20 years ago.

The younger Ramey said he knows his father's constructive criticism is out of love.

"The good thing is he knows it's coming from a good place," Terrell Ramey said. "All coaches care about kids, but dads care about them a little bit more. It's good balance, but it's struggle sometimes."

Some may think his father may cut him some slack, but that's not true, Courtney said.

"He pushes me harder than the rest of them, but he wants me to be great and I appreciate that because I want to be great myself," Courtney said.

Team Ramey has produced about 200 athletes who have earned scholarships to colleges at all levels. Some of the more notable alumni are Kansas City Chiefs receiver Jeremy Maclin, center Meyers Leonard of the Portland Trailblazers and former Arkansas guard B.J. Young.

The Rameys are familiar with Razorbacks Coach Mike Anderson and his staff. They also know Courtney Ramey is high on the Hogs' recruiting board.

"They made him a priority," Terrell said. "I know that staff when they were at [Missouri]. So that's a good relationship there."

Courtney averaged 17.7 points, 8.5 rebounds, 4.7 assists, 2.6 steals per game while shooting 49.4 percent from the field and 38.3 percent from beyond the three-point line in high school this season.

Members of Arkansas' staff saw Courtney and Team Ramey play at the Adidas Summer Championships last week. Assistant coach Scotty Thurman, Ramey's lead recruiter at Arkansas, attended multiple games while associate head coach Melvin Watkins watched at least one.

"I like the pace they play and they like to play defense, which I like to do there's a good amount of interest," Courtney said of the Hogs.

Courtney visited Arkansas last summer for a team camp and called the environment great. Thurman's crucial three-pointer that helped defeat Duke 76-72 in the 1994 national championship game has been brought up.

"I looked it up myself because he said he was a fine ball player himself," Courtney said. "He seemed like he had a good stroke and was a good ball player."

He and Thurman spoke of a 1-on-1 contest.

"He thinks he can beat me in 1-on-1, but I told him he's too old," Courtney said.

Terrell has seen his son grow into one of the most coveted 2018 prospects in the nation.

"It's blessing is what it is," Terrell said. "When you see a kid just work so hard his whole life and get the reaps of it. I'm just proud of him and he knows there's still a lot of work to do. This is his dream."

For Courtney, winning a national championship in the fourth grade is his favorite father-son moment.

"We have a couple pictures in our basement," he said. "Every time we play pool, we mention it and talk about it all the time."

E-mail Richard Davenport at rdavenport@arkansasonline.com

Sports on 07/26/2016