--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Sometimes the best recruits are the ones…" description: "\"Sometimes the best recruits are the ones you don't get.\" — Don Meyer" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3fb/don-meyer-7312_basketball_sometimes-the-best-recruits-are-the-ones_170445.png" --- # Sometimes the best recruits are the ones you don't get. ![“Sometimes the best recruits are the ones you don't get.” quote by Don Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3fb/don-meyer-7312_basketball_sometimes-the-best-recruits-are-the-ones_170445.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3fb/don-meyer-7312_basketball_sometimes-the-best-recruits-are-the-ones_170445.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3fb/don-meyer-7312_basketball_sometimes-the-best-recruits-are-the-ones_170445.png) > “Sometimes the best recruits are the ones you don't get.” [Don Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-meyer/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The best recruits may be those who never apply, highlighting missed opportunities and hidden talent. **In simple terms:** Great talent can be hidden among those who don’t apply. Key Takeaway Seek talent beyond obvious applicants. Themes recruitment talent opportunity assessment potential Mood strategic optimistic Type practical motivational When to use this quote - HR strategy - team building - talent scouting - career counseling Key Concepts hidden potential bias selection processes Questions to Reflect On - How can you discover talent that isn’t actively seeking? - What systems can reveal hidden abilities? A Different Perspective Relying on visible candidates may overlook diversity. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Basketball](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/basketball/) [Best Recruits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/best-recruits-1846600/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [NBA](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nba/) [Ones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ones/) [Ones Don](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ones-don-1846603/) [Recruit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/recruit/) [Recruits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/recruits-1846602/) [Recruits Ones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/recruits-ones-1846601/) [Sometimes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sometimes/) ## Related quotes > [So the whole of war, when you look at it is probably run by professional soldiers, and the rest of them are just recruits,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerald-scarfe/so-the-whole-of-war-when-you-look-at-it-is-probably-run-by/) [Gerald Scarfe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerald-scarfe/) > [A nation recruits men more easily than it can retrieve its honour.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-bonaparte/a-nation-recruits-men-more-easily-than-it-can-retrieve-its-honour/) [Napoleon Bonaparte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-bonaparte/) > [All of us recruits are equal in the eyes of the Army: low as you can go.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garth-nix/all-of-us-recruits-are-equal-in-the-eyes-of-the-army-low-as-you-can-go/) [Garth Nix](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garth-nix/) > [It's always the ones who don't know you that you end up falling for](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saturncharm/it-s-always-the-ones-who-don-t-know-you-that-you-end-up-falling-for/) [Saturncharm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saturncharm/) > [Sometimes your best investments are the ones you don't make.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/sometimes-your-best-investments-are-the-ones-you-don-t-make/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [The ones who don't do anything are always the ones who try to pull you down.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-rollins/the-ones-who-don-t-do-anything-are-always-the-ones-who-try-to-pull/) [Henry Rollins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-rollins/) > [“The lucky ones are the ones who don’t come back.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-harmon/the-lucky-ones-are-the-ones-who-don-t-come-back/) [Amy Harmon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-harmon/) > [ah, you always go for the ones who don't really want you](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-kerouac/ah-you-always-go-for-the-ones-who-don-t-really-want-you/) [Jack Kerouac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kerouac/) > [The great ones don't come cheap.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-holmgren/the-great-ones-don-t-come-cheap/) [Mike Holmgren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-holmgren/) > [“Weale had joined the Scouts from the regular army within a few weeks of it being formed. The regiment’s ethos was inspired by the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-duns/weale-had-joined-the-scouts-from-the-regular-army-within-a-few-weeks/) [Jeremy Duns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-duns/) > [“Between five and ten recruits fall to every old hand.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erich-maria-remarque/between-five-and-ten-recruits-fall-to-every-old-hand/) [Erich Maria Remarque](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erich-maria-remarque/) > [The Iranians excel at identifying potential recruits for terrorist attacks, and then recruiting and training them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-ledeen/the-iranians-excel-at-identifying-potential-recruits-for-terrorist/) [Michael Ledeen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-ledeen/) > [“I may be drunk by morning but that will not do any good. I shall take the train to Paris anyway. The train will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-baldwin/i-may-be-drunk-by-morning-but-that-will-not-do-any-good-i-shall-take/) [James Baldwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-baldwin/) > [I love being around the recruits. I like seeing them in the office. I like having the 1-on-1 conversations with them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mack-brown/i-love-being-around-the-recruits-i-like-seeing-them-in-the-office-i/) [Mack Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mack-brown/) > [You see far more swings and misses on can't-miss football recruits than basketball blue chips.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/skip-bayless/you-see-far-more-swings-and-misses-on-can-t-miss-football-recruits/) [Skip Bayless](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/skip-bayless/) ## More by Don Meyer > [Every day you teach attitude.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-meyer/every-day-you-teach-attitude/) [Don Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-meyer/) > [Proper prior planning prevents pitiful poor performance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-meyer/proper-prior-planning-prevents-pitiful-poor-performance/) [Don Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-meyer/) > [It doesn't matter where you coach, it matters why you coach.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-meyer/it-doesn-t-matter-where-you-coach-it-matters-why-you-coach/) [Don Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-meyer/) > [You never realize the value of coaching until your children play for a coach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-meyer/you-never-realize-the-value-of-coaching-until-your-children-play-for/) [Don Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-meyer/) > [Discover your gift, develop your gift and then give it away every day.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-meyer/discover-your-gift-develop-your-gift-and-then-give-it-away-every-day/) [Don Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-meyer/) > [When the legs go, the heart and the head follow quickly behind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-meyer/when-the-legs-go-the-heart-and-the-head-follow-quickly-behind/) [Don Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-meyer/) > [Your program must have an overriding purpose which is clearly visible and which teaches lessons beyond winning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-meyer/your-program-must-have-an-overriding-purpose-which-is-clearly-visible/) [Don Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-meyer/) > [If you are a good team, your offense is born on the defensive end.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-meyer/if-you-are-a-good-team-your-offense-is-born-on-the-defensive-end/) [Don Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-meyer/) > [Habits are critical for players. They cannot think and play well at the same time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-meyer/habits-are-critical-for-players-they-cannot-think-and-play-well-at/) [Don Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-meyer/) > [When I go in for heart surgery, I want a full-time surgeon. I don't want some guy who just does it part-time between rounds…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-meyer/when-i-go-in-for-heart-surgery-i-want-a-full-time-surgeon-i-don-t/) [Don Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-meyer/) > [If you want to thank me, go do something for somebody else](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-meyer/if-you-want-to-thank-me-go-do-something-for-somebody-else/) [Don Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-meyer/) > [Parents would rather have their son get all-state than his team win the state championship.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-meyer/parents-would-rather-have-their-son-get-all-state-than-his-team-win/) [Don Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-meyer/) > [Quickness more than anything else should determine your amount of pressure on the ball.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-meyer/quickness-more-than-anything-else-should-determine-your-amount-of/) [Don Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-meyer/) > [If you have to 'try hard' to 'try hard, you are already beaten.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-meyer/if-you-have-to-try-hard-to-try-hard-you-are-already-beaten/) [Don Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-meyer/) > [We painted a beautiful picture, but we just didn't finish it. Finishing is the difference between a beautiful picture and a masterpiece.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-meyer/we-painted-a-beautiful-picture-but-we-just-didn-t-finish-it-finishing/) [Don Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-meyer/) [Explore all 92 Don Meyer quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-meyer/) ## More Basketball quotes > [We love playing together and we love adversity. You know, back-to-back, the two best teams in the East.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-nash/we-love-playing-together-and-we-love-adversity-you-know-back-to-back/) [Steve Nash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-nash/) > [I don't look at myself as a basketball coach. I look at myself as a leader who happens to coach basketball.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-krzyzewski/i-don-t-look-at-myself-as-a-basketball-coach-i-look-at-myself-as-a/) [Mike Krzyzewski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-krzyzewski/) > [There is no doubt in my mind and I know in my time, there will be a Canadian basketball player playing for Toronto Raptors, 100%](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/masai-ujiri/there-is-no-doubt-in-my-mind-and-i-know-in-my-time-there-will-be-a/) [Masai Ujiri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/masai-ujiri/) > [I learned so much from Sue about the Xs and Os of the game of basketball.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-summitt/i-learned-so-much-from-sue-about-the-xs-and-os-of-the-game-of/) [Pat Summitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-summitt/) > [ I failed, I think, seven \[or\] eight times before I finally got my first \[championship\]. It was just, you know, just about me growing… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shaquille-o-neal/i-failed-i-think-seven-or-eight-times-before-i-finally-got-my-first/) [Shaquille O'Neal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shaquille-o-neal/) > [It's not how big you are, it's how big you play](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-wooden/it-s-not-how-big-you-are-it-s-how-big-you-play/) [John Wooden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-wooden/) > [Basketball isn't just a sport to me ; it's my ecstasy !](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamira-robinson/basketball-isn-t-just-a-sport-to-me-it-s-my-ecstasy/) [Jamira Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamira-robinson/) > [It's similar to basketball: when you go to different gyms and win or lose, you learn something new. So when kids get out of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-iguodala/it-s-similar-to-basketball-when-you-go-to-different-gyms-and-win-or/) [Andre Iguodala](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-iguodala/) > [If a Coach is determined to stay in the coaching profession, he will develop from year to year. This much is true, no coach…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adolph-rupp/if-a-coach-is-determined-to-stay-in-the-coaching-profession-he-will/) [Adolph Rupp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adolph-rupp/) > [And I want to do it the right way, like everybody else, not just a famous figurehead that gets a job because he is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shaquille-o-neal/and-i-want-to-do-it-the-right-way-like-everybody-else-not-just-a/) [Shaquille O'Neal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shaquille-o-neal/) > [Well, you can certainly teach free-throwing. And you can teach the boys to pass at angles and run in curves. - University of Kansas…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darryl-dawkins/well-you-can-certainly-teach-free-throwing-and-you-can-teach-the-boys/) [Darryl Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/darryl-dawkins/) > [Practice to beat the best.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-bennett/practice-to-beat-the-best/) [Dick Bennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-bennett/) > [I'm a competitive person. I love the game of basketball. I'm a gym rat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-pierce/i-m-a-competitive-person-i-love-the-game-of-basketball-i-m-a-gym-rat/) [Paul Pierce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-pierce/) > [I am both humbled and honored to receive the Honda Sports Award for women's basketball.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brittney-griner/i-am-both-humbled-and-honored-to-receive-the-honda-sports-award-for/) [Brittney Griner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brittney-griner/) > [What I've talked about the entire series and throughout this playoffs is about intensity and effort, desire and will of our players.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-laimbeer/what-i-ve-talked-about-the-entire-series-and-throughout-this-playoffs/) [Bill Laimbeer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-laimbeer/) [Browse all 5,387 Basketball quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/basketball/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Sometimes the best recruits are the ones you don't get.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Don Meyer" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-meyer/sometimes-the-best-recruits-are-the-ones-you-don-t-get/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Basketball" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-meyer/sometimes-the-best-recruits-are-the-ones-you-don-t-get/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3fb/don-meyer-7312_basketball_sometimes-the-best-recruits-are-the-ones_170445.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3fb/don-meyer-7312_basketball_sometimes-the-best-recruits-are-the-ones_170445.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3fb/don-meyer-7312_basketball_sometimes-the-best-recruits-are-the-ones_170445.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Sometimes the best recruits are the ones you don't get.” — Don Meyer", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Don Meyer", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-meyer/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Sometimes the best recruits are the...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-meyer/sometimes-the-best-recruits-are-the-ones-you-don-t-get/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-meyer/sometimes-the-best-recruits-are-the-ones-you-don-t-get/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```