Can't get the picture to display--  imgur.com/6cilxV9

If you could pick THREE of the five recruits above, who would you choose? I don't have any specific needs by position. Assume that all of the "high potentials" are just normal - not tremendous - because that appears to be the case. I run a FB/FCP.

I am currently leaning towards #2, #3, and #4.

#1 is playable, I would pass on the rest.

If you're going FB/FCP  you want your ATH/SPD/DEF to be better.   Shoot for a combined 180 in the three categories.  

I've always recruited poorly - you want suggest they should peak at 180 combined, right?

I think I gotta say 1, 2 and 5

Instead of saying "180 or bust" I'd say just find the players with the top projected ATH+SPD+DEF that you can find

Posted by jetwildcat on 11/26/2013 3:16:00 PM (view original):
I think I gotta say 1, 2 and 5

Instead of saying "180 or bust" I'd say just find the players with the top projected ATH+SPD+DEF that you can find

180 is a benchmark, if you aren't near it, keep lookin.

If you sign #5 and cart out a 30/60/45 SG you're gonna lose.

Thanks jetwildcat, those are the the three I had decided on as well. Glad to get some validation, haha.

It looks like I'm just gonna have to make do with these three and see what happens! I don't have the budget to start from scratch. And honestly, I felt like they were some of the best options within 400 miles. I don't know how some of the top DIII coaches pull some of the players they do!

I knew ATH/SP were important, but I was thinking maybe DEF could be overlooked since I'm pressing? Maybe it's the opposite.

More advice on recruiting from other users would be great - like I said, it's consistently a weak point.

Do you know about pull downs and drop downs?
The longer you wait, the more players that become available.

Yeah, I actually am pulling at least one or two of those recruits from DII. In your opinion, how late is best to wait? Last day of signings? After the signing period starts?

If this is D3, number one only.  I would pass on all if this is not D3.  The "How to recruit at D2 and D3" forum post is a must read for you.  It will change how you recruit, and how well you perform.

Ironically, I read that thread and tried to use it as a guide but apparently it didn't set in!

I'm not thrilled with any of these recruits. I'm a pretty experienced coach in this system, check out my Rutgers, Newark team in Wooden to see what kind of players you might want to recruit in a FB/FCP. It's taken me a while to get it right, but I think we have a pretty good rotation of players. Or better yet, check out Jdno's Montclair St. team in the same conference  in Wooden(New Jersey)....he's had great success for a while running this. 

That being said, I would go #1, #2, and #5 in that order if you had to pick 3. I agree with rednu, #2 is a huge gamble., however If that PER/BH/PAS is High/High, you've got yourself a pretty good DIII player. 

I wouldn't touch #3 or #4 with a 50 foot pole. You can't win in this game without Athleticism, and those guys have none of it. 

None of these guys are top-notch recruits. #1 is decent. and could start eventually, but that low WE hurts.  #2 is very boom or bust. #5 might be a pretty good reserve for you down the road once that LP and STA improves. He will probably be worthless for you until halfway through Jr. season due to his low stamina and low work ethic. Even as a Jr. or a Sr., he will be nothing more than a role player in that system. None of them will be studs, unless #2 has huge potential in those blue categories. 

ATH/SPD/STA is very big in FB/FCP. Player #3 and #4 are terrible options for this system. #4 should never see the court in any system. 

Also....you do want to run a 12 man rotation without redshirts in this system in my opinion - so the freshmen you choose should probably have one redeeming quality that would allow them to play now and not kill your team. 

I also don't believe in staunchly holding to the 180 rule, but if my guy is not near 180 in those 3 categories, I make for damn sure that he's a MAJOR difference maker in other core areas. (like RB, LP, PER, or PASS). Look at my starting center William Degregorio as an example of this - he only hits 130 in this combination which is pretty poor, but has elite skills in LP, BLK, REB, very good STA, and can actually hit a few 3's for a big man.

you guys can't possibly mean 180 should be a benchmark for ALL players, can you? i would guess TJ just meant for guards, maybe small forwards. ath/spd/def are cores at the 1-3, but spd is not a core for bigs, which pretty severely throws things off. nothing wrong with centers with 1 speed! pretty tough to hit 180 with 1 speed :) at least in d3, that is