My dad, Wentreal Holland, has been watching basketball since 1987: he went from watching it, to eventually playing in high school, then going to play Junior College basketball after high school in 2001. He never imagined he would be coaching high school basketball, then going on to become a national scout, so he and I sat down for an exclusive interview about what motivated him to become a scout, his advice for people wanting to get into scouting, and his favorite thing about scouting.

For my dad, just playing basketball and watching it all the time – really, since he was five – was the biggest motivator to becoming a coach, then a scout. “It was something I’ve done all the way through high school, grade school, and middle school up into college so for me the next logical step was to become a basketball coach and scout,” he said.

After those early experiences, he realized he had an eye for identifying talent and seeing how determined players are, as well as what kind of player they are on and off the court.

And he still loves the job. The best part, he said, was being exposed to all of the different people and playing styles across the country.

“My favorite thing about scouting, I would say, is just something I’m going out seeing so many different players from all over the country. I’ve been lucky enough to travel and go out and explore different playing styles and see new players, different tendencies, different strengths, and different weaknesses so being able to see something different is something I favor.”

And what about people who love the game and want to scout themselves? Coach Treal had some sage-like advice.

Making sure you have the passion for the sport you have an affiliation with and understanding the process of the sport you’re scouting is crucial, along with understanding what you’re looking for, he said. That also means that not every player is going to be a Derrick Rose-level player when you see him for the first time. You might like him or hate him, and many factors play into the evaluation, like if he stays healthy and if he has potential for college and maybe the pros.

Coach Treal closed by adding that patience is the key: you still have to understand that some players develop a lot later so you have to make an effort, too, checking off a lot of different boxes when you watch certain guys because everybody develops at a different pace. For the scout, to grind to go to games even if you’re tired or it’s a bad team, you going to that game makes you better at your job by scouting everything and everybody to find those guys, he added.