Build the recruiting brief from the evidence outward.

A recruiting board is most useful when every claim has a source, a date and a clear boundary. Start with what a publisher actually recorded, then decide what still needs a coach's confirmation.

The recruiting file keeps school announcements, later availability statements and source-listed roster observations in separate layers. The NCAA player card keeps season production, shooting, roster fields and impact in the NCAA source-ID namespace. Those layers can inform one another without turning a name match into a verified transfer or eligibility record.

Begin with the exact source row

Record the player label, source ID, season, program ID and publisher URL before interpreting a number. A roster row is an observation of a release. It is not proof that the player is currently eligible, enrolled, healthy or available for the next game. A missing row is equally limited: it does not prove departure.

NCAA rows and ESPN-derived rows use different identity systems. The site keeps them separate and links between them as search handoffs when useful. Do not merge two people because their names look similar, and do not treat a shared school label as a crosswalk.

Put production beside the announcement

Prior minutes and rates describe recorded college work. Use games and minutes to qualify a rate, then inspect the denominator: true shooting needs field-goal and free-throw attempts, while three-point accuracy needs three-point attempts. A blank value means the source did not provide the required field or sample; it is not a zero.

For a broader screen, the role-fit board ranks source-listed candidates by transparent prior-production percentiles. Treat the result as a review order. It does not predict a new-school role, establish a commitment or replace film.

Keep the dates in the timeline

A school announcement and a later availability statement answer different questions. Keep both events, with their publisher and publication date, so a later statement updates the timeline without erasing the original report. The official NCAA transfer rules remain the reference for eligibility; a school post or roster listing cannot substitute for an official ruling.

Finish with a staff question

A useful brief ends with what still needs confirmation: Is the player available? Which role is expected? Does the shot profile fit the lineup? Can the film explain the gap between box-score production and lineup impact? The game-plan workbench and roster workload lab turn those questions into preparation context while keeping the primary forecast reproducible.

A defensible recruiting report says what was published, what was measured, what remains unknown and what the staff should check next. That structure is more durable than a single ranking or an unverified portal label.

Data attribution: SportsDataverse, CC BY 4.0. See the source receipts and model notebook.