That mantra took over men’s college basketball more than five years ago and, with ever-changing rules about eligibility and player movement, it continues. Most fifth-year players who took added eligibility due to COVID-19 are now (mostly) off college rosters. But now, due to a court ruling, former junior college players can play a fifth season, too.

High-major programs first want to recruit the best high- and mid-major Division I players. Mid-major coaches often look for high-major players who want more playing time or Division II stars. Those groups also want the best junior college players. Division II and even some junior college coaches are looking first at Division I drop-downs.

So it’s tough out there for high school stars — even for the best players on teams that win state championships in big, traditionally talent-rich states.

“Division I was one of my main goals coming out of high school but just to play college basketball would be great,” said Oakland Tech senior ArDarius Grayson, likely summarizing sentiments of high school hoopers across the country. “I think I’m good enough to play Division I basketball for sure; I knew I was going to get my opportunity one way or another.”

In late February, Weber State made Grayson’s path to Division I much more linear with a scholarship offer. Four weeks later, with a few more DI coaches starting to come around, the point guard committed to WSU.

“You wait on something your whole life and then it comes, it’s just a really big relief off your shoulders,” Grayson said.

The guard doesn’t exactly have the profile of a hidden gem, though now most high school players beyond five- and four-star recruits kind of feel that way.

As a junior, Grayson averaged 19.8 points, 6.6 rebounds, 5.4 assists, 2.4 steals and 1.6 blocks per game. Oakland Tech took a No. 2 seed into California’s Division II high school playoffs and Grayson led the Bulldogs into the semifinals to face their more established rivals and No. 9 seed Oakland High.

Grayson had a 30-piece going and Tech led High by one basket in the final minute. The guard would finish with 34 points, six rebounds and six assists but it was his one block that reverberated. Grayson missed a mid-range jumper that would’ve put his team up four and the rebound started a fastbreak on a pass ahead for Oakland High.

Grayson wasn’t about to let his miss change the game like that. He chased the play coming across the court from the wing to the opposite paint and crushed the Wildcats’ game-tying layup attempt off the glass with 38 seconds left. His teammates won the ensuing scramble for the ball and Tech advanced 73-66.

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Oh my block!!! Wow what a play by OT with just about 30 seconds left with them up 67-65. pic.twitter.com/fGy16433nm

— West Coast Preps (@westcoastpreps_) March 6, 2024

At 6-foot tall, 5-foot-11 by some listings, it’s indicative of the type of player he feels he has to be.

“Smaller guys know they have to work like twice as hard as somebody like a lot bigger than them,” he said. “It gives you a competitive edge. … Being an undersized guard, you’ve got to work hard and prove that you’re better.

“I’ve played against a lot of really good competition, guys with lots of scholarship offers, in my high school career … I’ve succeeded in games against players who are more recruited than me. I feel like it proves a lot.”

Oakland Tech went on to smack No. 7 Centennial to finish 30-5 and take the state championship; Grayson had 20 points, 12 rebounds and six assists in the final.

On the opposing bench to see Grayson’s chase-down block? None other than Damian Lillard, sitting with his alma mater.

“He’s probably one of my biggest supporters for Weber,” Grayson said. “It shows how much he cares for his community, cares for Oakland.”

He says Lillard, Chris Paul and CJ McCollum are who he tries to emulate from the NBA.

The Bulldogs fell a few games short of the final in this season’s campaign, moving up to Division I and, as a No. 8 seed, losing to No. 5 San Ramon Valley by three points in the quarterfinals. That decision kept Grayson from dueling with No. 3 Lincoln and fellow Weber State commit Anthony Moore in the semifinals.

One of his Division I skills is his effort.

“He outworks any and everybody,” Karega Hart, his high school head coach, told The Athletic. “The kid will not quit. Wins every drill — on the track, on the court. His work ethic is pro-like.”

Grayson thinks his playmaking will shine more in college, too, where he hopes to study kinesiology or sports medicine. He pushed his assist average to 7.3 per game as a senior and, in a game against North Community from Minneapolis, tallied a triple-double with 28 points, 13 rebounds and 12 assists.

“I was known more as a scorer … but in college, I think I’ll be a good facilitator because you have really good teammates around you,” he said. “And being a good leader, that’s one thing I really wanted to get better at as a senior … and prove that your size has nothing to do with the way you play.”

RECRUITING UPDATES

Grayson is the fourth freshman expected to join Weber State next season.

The aforementioned Moore led Lincoln (Stockton) to a 31-5 record and to California’s DI state championship game where it lost 58-53 to Sierra Canyon. Moore, a 6-foot-5 guard, led the Trojans with 17.8 points per game, adding 5.5 rebounds and 2.9 assists while shooting 50% from the field. Moore had more than 10 Division-I offers and chose WSU over finalists Columbia, UC San Diego and Cal Poly.

Duce Paschal, a 6-foot-4 guard, played alongside Wake Forest signee Isaac Carr for a Central Catholic (Portland, Oregon) team that went 21-7 before two losses in the 6A state tournament. The Rams won the 6A title in his junior year. As a senior, he averaged 15 points, six rebounds, two assists and three steals per game on shooting splits of 55% overall, 42% from 3 and 86% at the foul line to earn all-conference first-team honors.

Bourgeois Tshilobo, a 6-foot-8 paint player, starred for Bishop Alemany in Mission Hills, California. He previously reported offers from St. John’s, UT-Arlington and Morgan State. As a senior, he averaged 9.0 points, 10.6 rebounds and 2.2 blocks per game while shooting 62%.

Weber State will also aim for stars in the transfer portal. With five seniors departed, as of this writing, two others have entered their names in transfer portal: sophomore forward Marko Sarenac and his cousin, redshirt freshman shooting guard Nemanja Sarenac. (Ogden High alum Niyol Hauet and his fellow walk-ons Logan Kilbert and Andrew Younan are also transferring out.)

Current difference-makers expected to return include sharpshooting redshirt forward David Hansen and the presumed return of shooting guard Trevor Hennig, the latter who averaged 10.1 points per game against Big Sky teams as a freshman. Viljami Vartiainen returns as a junior, the No. 4 3-point shooter in the Big Sky (40.7%) among those averaging three or more attempts per game.