Hargrave Military Academy head coach Ben Veshi joins Cory to give a straight, inside look at prep school basketball, player development, and college placement in 2025. Veshi explains Hargrave’s structured, military-style environment, why it accelerates maturity and on-court performance, and how the program’s two-a-days, weight room cadence, and ~50-game schedule prepare athletes for college intensity. He breaks down today’s recruiting reality—why the summer evaluation period and a program’s reputation/relationships now drive offers more than fall open gyms, how the transfer portal and NIL changed timelines, and when a D2 full ride can be the smartest path to a future D1. Finally, Veshi details what it actually takes to be a Division I guard right now: tight handle, credible shooting, physical defense, and floor leadership. If you’re a parent, player, or coach weighing NEPSAC vs Elite Prep League, post-grad options, or the best route to college basketball, this conversation cuts through the noise and gives you a clear plan to follow.

💡Key Topics

• 📌 Military-style structure → on-court gains (prep school basketball, player maturity, accountability)
• 📌 Summer recruiting > fall open gyms (transfer portal era, NIL, coach relationships)
• 📌 Hargrave development model (two-a-days, weight room, ~50 games, elite skill work)
• 📌 Placement strategy (right-fit D1/D2, scholarship math, reputation & events)
• 📌 D1 guard requirements (tight handle, shooting credibility, defensive physicality, leadership)

🏀 About Ben Veshi

Head Coach, Hargrave Military Academy (Post-Grad). A Marianapolis Prep alum and former Catawba player/coach, Veshi has a decade at Hargrave and leads one of the country’s most demanding prep environments, producing college-ready athletes through structure, skill development, and high-level competition.

🔗 Connect with Ben Veshi

Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/hargravebasketball/
Facebook | https://www.facebook.com/ben.veshi/
Twitter | https://x.com/HMAVBB
Twitter | https://x.com/HargraveHoops
Emai | [email protected]
Website | https://hargrave.edu/

🔗 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 | [email protected]
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