Written by John Feinstein in 2013, Foul Trouble is a young adult sports novel that examines the corruption in college athletics by depicting one star player’s experiences with morally ambiguous deals and backroom meetings. The novel was praised by Kirkus Reviews for its fast-paced descriptions of basketball and its realism in tackling the corruption and scandals in college athletics.

John Feinstein is a bestselling American author, sportswriter, and sportscaster who has written over 40 books, including other YA novels like as Last Shot. Feinstein attended Duke University and went on to write for the Washington Post, Sports Illustrated, and Golf Digest in addition to penning novels. Feinstein was inducted into The Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame, The National Sportswriters and Sportscasters Hall of Fame, and the US Basketball Writers Association (UBWA) Hall of Fame, among others.

This guide refers to the 2013 Penguin Random House first edition of Foul Trouble.

Plot Summary

Rising high school seniors Terrell Jamerson and Danny Wilcox attend a week-long, tournament-style basketball camp along with the best high school players in the country. While Terrell is confident in his skills, Danny feels that he is only included because his dad is the coach. His self-doubt increases when the boys arrive at camp, because a gaggle of media personalities, brand representatives, and recruiters gush over Terrell while ignoring Danny. Similarly, Danny gets little respect from his other teammates and is left bitter and angry. His dad warns him to get over it because Terrell will need all the help he can get against the people who will try to deceive him for their own gain.

As the week progresses, Danny finds his performance on the court improving, and the other students give him more respect. As a result, Danny loses some of his anger, though he remains steadfastly dedicated to confronting anyone who wants to use Terrell for their own agenda. When Terrell and Danny unintentionally find themselves at a lunch with an unscrupulous friend of another team’s coach, the boys are almost accused of breaking NCAA rules. Danny is at the highest risk in such situations; because he isn’t a star player, the NCAA will think nothing of pinning Terrell’s perceived wrongdoings on Danny to spare Terrell’s reputation.

One of the players sustains an injury that paralyzes him from the waist down. With this in mind, Danny and Terrell return home to start the school year. Even now, though, the media pursues Terrell. Most reporters seek fodder for a scandalous story, but one man wants Danny and Terrell’s help with an article about the behind-the-scenes corruption of college athletics. Because Terrell is being heavily recruited, he is in the perfect position to offer evidence of such rule-breaking.

After meeting with representatives from his top college choices, Terrell thinks that he has finally decided his course of action, but some people close to him talk him out of his choice and encourage him to visit other schools. Terrell later learns that these people have taken bribes to deliver Terrell to a specific school and to the brand that wants to acquire Terrell as their representative. Through it all, Danny and his dad remain Terrell’s most trusted friends. Still, while he appreciates their advice, Terrell is haunted by the student who was severely injured, and he wonders how a similar injury would change his own life.

As tensions arise between Danny and those trying to exploit Terrell, Danny finds himself defending Terrell from threats both physical and psychological. When Terrell sustains a mild concussion in a fight, he is barred from playing basketball for a month. During this time, two schools intensify their recruitment tactics. One of them offers insurance for Terrell if he should be injured while playing for them. This benefit combines with several others to convince Terrell to choose that school because doing so will allow him to provide for his mom, who has worked so hard to support him and his dreams. One night, while attending a fancy party, Terrell tells Danny about his intention to sign with this particular school. Angry, Danny leaves, feeling like he has lost his best friend. In the wake of this disagreement, Terrell cannot bring himself to sell out, so he runs to find Danny and reaffirms the boys’ friendship. At the end of the novel, Terrell chooses the same school that Danny does even though it is not a prominent basketball school. Terrell has learned that his friends are more important than money, gifts, or any benefits that a questionable business deal might offer him.