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First year with this team (and in D2). In the process of switching the offense and defense, but I still feel like I'm underachieving this season. The more I read around here the more I realize I have a lot to learn about the games nuances. I already know I need the roster to get more athletic and I need to keep a better eye on work ethic. 

Thanks!

If you already understand the need for ath thats good, remember for D2 you want 60+ team average as well as 60+ in defense.  Personally I wouldn't have recruited any of the same players due to no ath/spd/def.  Just a heads up, I've done this too, but your freshmen class has no guards.  When I have 4 scholly's I like to get at least 1 PG, 1 C and then maybe another guard and big men, maybe switch a SF for a guard, as at the moment going forward you won't have a PG.  You can get  away with low WE, especially during rebuilds if you start them immediately.  I'm not the best D2 player but here is what I'd aim for, probably giving you a 1st/2nd round exit team.

For a flex I'd try 3 guards as a personal preference.  All 3 guards at least 50 ath 75 speed 50 def 60 bh 50 pass.
For PF 60 ath 30 spd 60 reb 50 def
C 60 ath 20 sd 80 reb 50 def

Again thats probably just a 1st/2nd round exit team right there.

If you want examples of who to recruit look at the top teams in D2 in your world and you'll notice almost every team is 60/60 in ath/def

Make sure you utilize FSS to get potentials, as recruiting someone with 40 ath can be okay if they have blue potential meaning they will at least end up around 60 ath.

I think for recruiting I was adhering to "need" as I was inheriting a team that had no Cs and 1 senior SF, so 4 of my 5 commits went there (1 JUCO to start balancing classes). The 5th guy McMonigle was simply the best prospect I was in on regardless of position. I'm losing two guards and a wing this year so there will be at least two in the upcoming class, but I do get what you're saying as well.

My recruiting efforts last season were driven by blue numbers, the guys I brought in have a lot of 'em but are currently lacking in key areas. Jason is a perfect example of this, he has high potential in every single key category, but he's low in athleticism right now and his work ethic is 16. I'm starting him to try to minimize that hit, but he's been (predictably for most of you) tougher to develop than I expected coming in.

Is there any good info out there for gameplanning? I see good tidbits of info here and there as I read along but I was wondering if there's anything more comprehensive. I feel like I'm losing to teams I shouldn't be with this roster.

Thank you for the info!

Enjoy the fun undietaker. I had the most trouble with press teams. I am starting to be good, but it took me time to accept you need to run 10-12 deep to be efficient. It took me time to acknowledge that, while athleticism is important, speed is probably more important. I had to figure that my teams where stuck to be pretenders because I lack passing and ballhandling. One struggles because of rebounding too. Raise your reputation, be patient and build strategically.

I went 24-5 on a press team this year (lost in the first round of NT), I am ranked #12 overall right now on another one but I know I won't be winning the NT anytime soon. I am raising my prestige patiently and I will recruit a little bit differently so I can win. They are both in DII so you can compare yours to mine.

I should point out, since the grades are probably ambiguous, that I am transitioning the program from a triangle/press team to a flex/man-to-man team. I probably won't change the actual in-game offense this season because the main guys in the rotation have As in triangle, but I've experimented with both press and halfcourt press/man-to-man lately.

Posted by undietaker on 4/18/2015 5:40:00 PM (view original):
I think for recruiting I was adhering to "need" as I was inheriting a team that had no Cs and 1 senior SF, so 4 of my 5 commits went there (1 JUCO to start balancing classes). The 5th guy McMonigle was simply the best prospect I was in on regardless of position. I'm losing two guards and a wing this year so there will be at least two in the upcoming class, but I do get what you're saying as well.

My recruiting efforts last season were driven by blue numbers, the guys I brought in have a lot of 'em but are currently lacking in key areas. Jason is a perfect example of this, he has high potential in every single key category, but he's low in athleticism right now and his work ethic is 16. I'm starting him to try to minimize that hit, but he's been (predictably for most of you) tougher to develop than I expected coming in.

Is there any good info out there for gameplanning? I see good tidbits of info here and there as I read along but I was wondering if there's anything more comprehensive. I feel like I'm losing to teams I shouldn't be with this roster.

Thank you for the info!

a tip of advice for someone whose been doing a lot of rebuilds, again dont recruit for what you need now during a rebuild becuse even if you get freshmen in positions you need, its most likely the returning players you have suck that are sim recruits and when you get your own recruits to upperclassmen you will be missing guards again.

Good to hear you go for blues, a tip is againn its better to get players with better ath/spd/def potential than red/black in ath/spd/def while havig blues in every category elsewhere the lack of ath/spd/def will negate any good non-core categories.  So even if the recruit red in ath and blue in LP gets to 100 LP with 20 or 30 ath it really itsn't going to matter.  Personally and most people i believe would take a 40/60/40 blue/blue/blue with only 10 LP and 30 PER and red over a guy with 30 ath (red) 50 spd (black) 50(def black but 60(blue) PER as even though he will get 80+ PER the other guard would end up at least 60/80/60 ath/spd/def compared to 30/60/60 and 80+ per and be able to negate guard #2 as well as probably score better due to his higher ath/spd.  It's important to note players can still score with low LP?PER if they have great ath/spd, not as much at D3, but a 30-50 range LP or PER guy can still score if he ha enough ah/spd advantage.  To go far you will need scoreers, but they will also need great ath/spd.

For gameplanning what are you wondering about, I'm not the greatest, but I can get you started on the basics if you have certain questions.

I also bumped ajeone's "how to win at D2/D3" guide which is very good to read, and will probably answer a lot of questions and be pretty in depth.

Flex emphasizes Per more. Ath you need for press or man. I don't agree you need more sp in press. My teams running press always high in ath. Sp is better suited for zone and more so in man than press.

Posted by terps21234 on 4/18/2015 6:30:00 PM (view original):
Flex emphasizes Per more. Ath you need for press or man. I don't agree you need more sp in press. My teams running press always high in ath. Sp is better suited for zone and more so in man than press.

Disagreed. You definitiely need more speed in press, that's where speed is most needed.  Zone needs less speed.

Posted by michgoblue2 on 4/18/2015 7:05:00 PM (view original):

Posted by terps21234 on 4/18/2015 6:30:00 PM (view original):
Flex emphasizes Per more. Ath you need for press or man. I don't agree you need more sp in press. My teams running press always high in ath. Sp is better suited for zone and more so in man than press.

Disagreed. You definitiely need more speed in press, that's where speed is most needed.  Zone needs less speed.

This may be true in RL, but in this game I believe terps is correct. I

From all the forums and sitemail from experience coaches this is what the majority thinks. I've done tons of research and questions and in zone you need sp on defense to be quick enough to cover area and prevent penetration. Press you need athletic guards to cause havoc and turnovers. You can be fast all you want, that just means you can run down the court faster than the other team. That does no good. Ath means you can jump, move, spin, cut, etc.. That's what you need for press ath guards. I use to run a 4.4 40, but I was not ath. I had sp. That didme no good in basketball

Just for conversation purpose I think real life ath press teams as Jerry T. UNLV, Nolan R. Arkansas team, VCU. I consider these teams more ath than sp. Granted look at Syracuse and they are ath zone. I think sp is more utilized on the offensive end. Just my opinion