Frequently Asked Questions

What makes The Scoring Factory’s AAU program better than the competition?

We care about basketball education and long-term growth. We know that at a certain age players need to play in front of college coaches. We want to provide that platform. We have high level experienced coaches that care about teaching and creating an enriching environment in which players are taught, while playing against high level competition.

When is The Scoring Factory Elite season?

The AAU season is roughly March through July.

Does the fee for the Elite team include The Academy?

Yes, the fee for our Elite teams includes access to The Academy practices and tournaments.

When are Tryouts and how many are there?

Tryouts will be announced via email and social media in advance. We will hold several tryout opportunities for players before the High School season. Feedback and/or offers to join the team(s) will be sent out roughly a week after the completion of Tryouts.

Do we have to pay each time for Tryouts?

Tryouts are always free for Members of The Scoring Factory. Non-members have to sign up and pay for each tryout.

When and where are practices?

Teams will practice 1-2x per week according to the plans of their coaching staff and it may change from week to week depending on when tournaments take place. Most practices will take place at The Scoring Factory in Emsworth. *There will also be practices through The Academy to enhance technical and tactical skills.

How many weekend tournaments are there?

Depending on the age division (17U, 16U, 15U) teams will play in 3-6 tournaments outside of Pittsburgh. Our Elite teams also play in The Academy tournaments in Pittsburgh whenever they aren’t scheduled in an outside tournament.

Is there a lot of travel involved for the tournaments?

The tournament schedule will be shared after teams are finalized. Teams can expect to play in tournaments local to Pittsburgh as well as outside of Southwestern PA (depending on the team and level). Our elite teams typically play in places like Ohio, Philadelphia and DC.

Is membership to The Scoring Factory required?

Yes, our AAU program is only open to Members of The Scoring Factory.

How does this differ from The Academy?

We’re building a true club structure with a built-in support system encompassing all aspects of player development. Through 2 practices and competitive games, The Academy focuses on skill development, hard-nosed defense and the construction of a broad basketball IQ in our own local tournaments. The Scoring Factory AAU teams will also travel to compete in tournaments outside of Pittsburgh.

Will there be teams for younger grade levels?

We offer The Academy for younger players. Girls AAU teams are offered for 8th-11th graders, and Boys AAU teams for 9th-11th graders.

When will Teams be announced?

Final rosters for AAU Teams will be announced in the Spring after Tryouts are completed, although we will build the team throughout the year.

How many players will be on a team?

In a perfect world, everybody gets to play equally. In the AAU world, we’re in an environment where we’re balancing the overall development of each individual player while trying to win as many games as possible and showcasing our players in front of college coaches and scouts. Teams will typically have in the range of 10 players so we can practice properly, while taking into consideration that some weekends we’ll miss a player or two for a variety of reasons. So, our expected core will consist of 7-9 players depending on the team.