RECRUITING • NIL • PATHWAYS
The right fit.The right people.The next level.
SASG guides basketball players and their families through college recruiting and NIL. We pair nearly four decades of relationships across college basketball with modern tools that do the homework first, so every conversation with a coach starts in the right place.
Coach Ro Russell's record
WHY NOW
Recruiting changed. Most advice didn't.
Since 2025, college basketball works more like a professional market. Families may now be weighing school payments, NIL, roster depth and eligibility all at once, often with less time to decide.
Schools now pay players
An offer is no longer just a scholarship. Understanding what a package is really worth, and how it compares, may matter as much as the offer itself.
The portal competes for spots
High school prospects are measured against proven transfers. Knowing where a roster will have room next season can help a player aim at the right programs.
Canadians face extra questions
Transcripts, eligibility and student visa rules can affect what an international player is able to accept. These are easy to miss from a US-only playbook.
WHAT WE DO
Services built around fit, not volume
Mass emails to hundreds of coaches are easy to send and easy to ignore. We focus on the programs where a player may genuinely belong.
Roster-fit targeting
We study rosters, remaining eligibility, transfer activity and positional needs to build a focused shortlist of programs where a player may fit next season. Coach Ro reviews every list before it reaches a family.
Offer comparison
Scholarship, school payments, NIL potential, cost of attendance and projected role, side by side. For international players, we also flag what student visa rules may allow.
Eligibility navigator
We map Canadian and international transcripts against NCAA core-course requirements early, flag gaps while there is still time to close them, and compare NCAA, U SPORTS and NAIA routes.
NIL guidance
What a deal may be worth, what to sign and what to walk away from. Clear terms, agreed in writing before anything begins.
HOW IT WORKS
Four steps to the right program
Evaluate
A conversation with Coach Ro, a film review and an academic check, so we start from an honest picture of the player.
Target
A shortlist of programs built from roster data and reviewed against what Coach Ro hears from staffs directly.
Connect
Personal introductions where they make sense, and preparation for every coach call and visit.
Decide
Offers compared side by side, NIL questions answered, and support that continues once the player is on campus.
THE PATHWAY
From first gym to first season
What we focus on at each stage. Families can join at any point.
Foundation
Course planning for eligibility, a development plan and the first honest evaluation.
Exposure
Film, the right events, a shortlist and the first conversations with coaches.
Decision
Visits, offers compared side by side and a choice the family feels good about.
Extra year
Whether an extra year may help, and how it could affect eligibility.
Beyond
NIL guidance, transfer questions and support through a college career.
OUR APPROACH
Technology does the homework. People make the calls.
We use modern tools to research faster and more thoroughly than a person could alone. The relationships, the judgment and the recommendations stay human.
Every shortlist is reviewed by Coach Ro
Data narrows the field. Experience decides what goes in front of a family.
No automated messages to coaches in our name
When we reach out, it is personal, and it is because the fit is real.
Family information stays private
Nothing about a player is shared without written consent from the player, and a parent or guardian for minors.
Facts are checked by a person
Rosters, eligibility and rules change often. We verify before a family relies on anything.
MEET COACH RO RUSSELL
Nearly four decades of opening doors
Coach Ro Russell founded Canada's first AAU basketball program in 1989 and helped establish prep school basketball in Canada in 2000. Since then he has coached hundreds of NCAA Division I athletes and built recruiting relationships with programs across college basketball.
WHO WE SERVE
Every stage of the pathway
High school players
Grades 9 to 12, plus prep and postgraduate years. The earlier we start, the more options stay open.
Parents and guardians
Plain answers to complicated questions, and a clear view of every step, so you are never guessing.
Canadian and international
Based in Toronto, with experience guiding players from outside the US through eligibility and the move south.
College players
Players weighing a transfer, or moving from U SPORTS or junior college to the NCAA.
QUESTIONS
What families ask first
Something else on your mind? Ask us directly.
No. SASG is a recruiting and NIL consultancy. We are not a licensed athlete agency, we do not negotiate professional playing contracts, and we do not recruit on behalf of any school.
Clear about what we are. SASG is a recruiting and NIL consultancy. We are not a licensed athlete agency, we do not negotiate professional playing contracts, and we do not recruit on behalf of any school. Fees and terms are always agreed in writing before any work begins.
GET STARTED
Start with a conversation
Tell us a little about the player. We will follow up to book a consultation with Coach Ro.