I am thinking about giving D-1 a shot.  I would appreciate the opinions that anyone might have about their experience in D1.  Any hints about how things will be different from D-2 and D-3, especially in regards to recruiting would be much appreciated.  Also, any thoughts on the type of team/conference to look for.  Thanks.

D1 is still newish for me, but I think it's a lot of fun. Recruiting is really different from D2 and D3 in that the worthwhile talent gets picked over very quickly. At the lower levels, you could skip the first two days and build an NT-quality team doing all your work after signings. Don't think there's any way that would work in D1. There is also a lot more money, which allows a lot more scouting (at low D1) and battles (at high D1). Prestige also means a lot more, so if you're starting at a low prestige school, there are some battles you just can't win, even if you have six openings and a conference that makes bank. 

As far as teams/conferences, postseason bonus cash has an outsized effect in D1, so if you can immediately qualify for a major conference school, it's good to be in a successful conference. If you don't qualify for a major conference, then it becomes a question of what you're after. Do you want to just get to a major conference job ASAP? If so, pick up a team in a terrible conference. You should be able to take them to the NT every year, and maybe even pick up an NT win or two in the really good years. Do that for a few seasons in a row, and you should be able to pick up a major conference job. Of course, conference play will be boring. If you think you might like to stay at the mid-major game longer, find a more competitive conference, especially a competitive conference where the teams are somewhat spread geographically (this makes for a much higher ceiling, or at least it seems like it to me). In that case, you're worried about the same things as at D2 and D3--how many recruits are generated in the area, and how many human-coached teams are going to be there fighting you (especially low-BCS and other mid-majors--you're probably not fighting the A+ prestige schools anyways). 

D1 is tougher, for sure. You need a successful, to say the least, DII run, to even be considered by big 6 conférences teams. So it's better to shoot for CUSA or any base prestige C teams, to start up. Once you reach a good prestige, the recruiting becomes hell, you need money and patience to battle these big 6 conférences teams. But at D or D+, you pick after everyone so you can build a good team that won't have a shot at a run in the NT but could be good in its conference and against weaker competition.

Check out this link.

http://www.whatifsports.com/forums/Posts.aspx?TopicID=437533

You can think of this game as having 4 "levels": High D1, low D1, D2 & D3.  Below a "B" prestige in D1, you will still need to pulldown some recruits (lower than that and you will often get a flat "no").  However, since prestige (and even conference prestige) impact the value of effort at D1, far more than D2 & D3, you really have to anticipate that some A prestige school is going to jump in on the day of signings.

Baseline prestige is only really useful to think about for the effects of bonus cash and conference prestige.  Here's the link from above.  It boils down to the Big 6 and Mountain West (due to geographic isolation and baseline prestige of many schools) being the ideal spots.  There is a second tier of A10, CUSA, Horizon & WCC that can be strong conferences, but usually aren't top to bottom.  Due to the budget impacts of bonus cash, it is tough to stay at any other conference and be able to battle successfully.   

The perverse effect of EE's on everyone else (as much as the A+ schools *****) is that, say, a Syracuse or UCLA often has 6 open scholarships, and A+ prestige and a boatload of bonus cash and carryover.  Unless you notice they are battling another A+ whale, then they just win and you get to pick up the scraps.  The reason there are so many late "poaches" is the practical matter of having to show that you have enough cash to sign a recruit to prevent getting into a battle or being poached yourself.   When I first got to Penn State, I flushed ~$180k down the toilet losing battles to Syracuse in my first 2 seasons...2 battles.  One was stupid and the other, well, I thought Syracuse was in a battle with Maryland or BC or UConn and I would have a chance...not so much.   This is the same skill you develop at D2, but there never is that tremendous dropdown that you are waiting for. 

I think the thing to look for is a team operating well below their baseline.  So, if your were eligible for Gonzaga, Marquette, UNLV, Xavier or some Big 6 team that has been horrible for a few seasons, then I'd take it.  Granted, the hardest thing to do in this game is to rebuild a bad Big 6 team.   So, the non-big 6 decent baseline teams in a conference with a few others, might be the best way to go.  At least you have some hope of building it up into something.

That is really helpful, thanks guys.  

Some advice I've posted about low D1 before:

1) You should rarely (if ever) fill all your scholarships.  Go big or go home, that's the only way you're going to improve.  Don't just take a guy because you don't want to come away with nothing.  Most of the time, nothing is better than a crappy big man because that big man is on campus the next four years and a walk-on is only there for 1. 

2) You shouldn't ever come away with a well rounded recruit because that probably means he's not good enough anywhere to be effective.  Find guys with extreme strengths and try to set off their weaknesses.   

3) Find the low-rated guys with high-high potentials because taking a big man with 20 LP but  high-high is a lot better than taking a big man with 45 LP and low-high potential because only one of them has a chance at being an elite scorer.  Low D1 in all about high-high potential because that is where your studs come from.   

4) GO INTERNATIONAL!!!!!!  These guys are the high-risk high-reward players and that's exactly what you need.  The bigger schools don't want to deal with most unranked and seemingly untalented international guys because it's a risk they can't really afford to take.  They can find these same types of lowly ranked guys locally, except they know the local guys have great potential and so they take them.  As a lowly ranked D1 school, it's very hard to get a local guy with a bunch of high potentials, but it is SO MUCH EASIER if you go overseas.  Yea, most international guys you scout are going to be ****, but once in a while you find a guy that has high-high potential EVERYWHERE.  Normally, this guy would go to a big 6 school, but since they have no idea of his potentials, you can scoop up this international gem and dominate your conference.

Another thing that depends on your plans, if you plan on moving up to a better job such as a Big 6 or like a Gonzaga type job, try and see if you can find a 6-6 set up.  With my laffeyette team I got they had 7 seniors and 5 open spots and I cut 1 and grabbed 6 new guys and next season I will grab 6 guys so soon I can help make a better run come tourney time once I hit 6 sr 6 jr.

Also I found it much easier recruiting with a ton of money too as it was much easier in my opinion.

Another thing I'm not sure how good of an idea this is but I once I find a guys I like I maybe send 3/4 ST to the recruits I'm debating on to find those high/highs and see which player is actually going to end up the best.

Posted by tkimble on 6/1/2015 6:13:00 PM (view original):
Some advice I've posted about low D1 before:

1) You should rarely (if ever) fill all your scholarships.  Go big or go home, that's the only way you're going to improve.  Don't just take a guy because you don't want to come away with nothing.  Most of the time, nothing is better than a crappy big man because that big man is on campus the next four years and a walk-on is only there for 1. 

2) You shouldn't ever come away with a well rounded recruit because that probably means he's not good enough anywhere to be effective.  Find guys with extreme strengths and try to set off their weaknesses.   

3) Find the low-rated guys with high-high potentials because taking a big man with 20 LP but  high-high is a lot better than taking a big man with 45 LP and low-high potential because only one of them has a chance at being an elite scorer.  Low D1 in all about high-high potential because that is where your studs come from.   

4) GO INTERNATIONAL!!!!!!  These guys are the high-risk high-reward players and that's exactly what you need.  The bigger schools don't want to deal with most unranked and seemingly untalented international guys because it's a risk they can't really afford to take.  They can find these same types of lowly ranked guys locally, except they know the local guys have great potential and so they take them.  As a lowly ranked D1 school, it's very hard to get a local guy with a bunch of high potentials, but it is SO MUCH EASIER if you go overseas.  Yea, most international guys you scout are going to be ****, but once in a while you find a guy that has high-high potential EVERYWHERE.  Normally, this guy would go to a big 6 school, but since they have no idea of his potentials, you can scoop up this international gem and dominate your conference.

I couldn't disagree more with #1 and #2...that sounds like a guy that hasn't been at a Low D1 in a while...

I agree with number 2. I filled everything on my low D1 and we are going in the right direction. But if I get to C+ or B-, I will do as he says and battle on top players. I guess it applies to C- and over prestige teams, but not to D- to D+, since you are picking up players after everyone else.

colonels- I actually just recruited two low D1 classes last week (for the first time in a long time, to be fair, but I wrote the tips when I was having quite a bit of success at a mid-major), one with this username and one with the firm (at D- and C-).  Zorzii is right that this info is probably applies more to D+ and over teams, but I really think it applies, to a degree, to even the D and D- teams.  The first bullet should read more like "shoot for the stars and if you don't get the guy, don't be afraid to take a walk-on."  I stand by #2 wholeheartedly, I'll take a guy with an elite skill or two and some holes over a guy who doesn't have holes but has no elite skills.  

Also, I disagree with zorzii that D- to D+ is just waiting to pick up the pieces after all the big boys are done recruiting.  I guess that goes back to #1- go big or go home.  That's how you'll win NT games from a low D1 perspective.  

When you first take over a team, cut the crappy players that are not seniors. The seniors will go away anyway, the next year. I have taken over couple of teams where I have cut numerous players and pulled in some guys with huge potential. It helped the rebuild go much faster. For example, at Mercer, I inherited a team with 7 sophomores, and one open recruit. I cut 4 players and recruited 5 players with the cash for one scholarship. The first year we were 9-19, but the freshmen played a lot. By the second year, we went 20-6 in the regular season. In the 3rd year, we were 21-3 (I am looking back at an old thread).

In another case, I took over a St. Louis team with 10 returning players and a 566 rating. So, I had 2 scholarships. I cut 6 players, and ended up getting 6 freshmen, one sophomore and one junior. By the time I was done recruiting, my new team had a 588 rating, so it improved by 22 points in recruiting. And just about every player had high potential in multiple areas. The first year we went 6-21, second year 12-16, 3rd year 24-5 and 4th year 28-3 and ended up ranked #19.

But wait to cut the players until after recruiting starts, or you run the risk of a good player quitting the team.

Posted by colonels19 on 6/1/2015 9:10:00 PM (view original):

Posted by tkimble on 6/1/2015 6:13:00 PM (view original):
Some advice I've posted about low D1 before:

1) You should rarely (if ever) fill all your scholarships.  Go big or go home, that's the only way you're going to improve.  Don't just take a guy because you don't want to come away with nothing.  Most of the time, nothing is better than a crappy big man because that big man is on campus the next four years and a walk-on is only there for 1. 

2) You shouldn't ever come away with a well rounded recruit because that probably means he's not good enough anywhere to be effective.  Find guys with extreme strengths and try to set off their weaknesses.   

3) Find the low-rated guys with high-high potentials because taking a big man with 20 LP but  high-high is a lot better than taking a big man with 45 LP and low-high potential because only one of them has a chance at being an elite scorer.  Low D1 in all about high-high potential because that is where your studs come from.   

4) GO INTERNATIONAL!!!!!!  These guys are the high-risk high-reward players and that's exactly what you need.  The bigger schools don't want to deal with most unranked and seemingly untalented international guys because it's a risk they can't really afford to take.  They can find these same types of lowly ranked guys locally, except they know the local guys have great potential and so they take them.  As a lowly ranked D1 school, it's very hard to get a local guy with a bunch of high potentials, but it is SO MUCH EASIER if you go overseas.  Yea, most international guys you scout are going to be ****, but once in a while you find a guy that has high-high potential EVERYWHERE.  Normally, this guy would go to a big 6 school, but since they have no idea of his potentials, you can scoop up this international gem and dominate your conference.

I couldn't disagree more with #1 and #2...that sounds like a guy that hasn't been at a Low D1 in a while...

i couldnt disagree more with you disagreeing with #1 and #2 :)

tkimble isn't talking about the ONLY way to do it. if you are a press based team, you have to play things much differently at the low d1 level - in which case you may want to heavily go against #1. but for man/zone teams, #1 and #2 are about the two best guidelines you can follow. (in #1 assume he means most of the time nothing is worse than a crappy big man :)

#2 is pretty much THE fundamental strategic pillar of the entire game... but especially for low d1, even more than d3.

Look at my new Orleans team

I have been playing D1 for about 1 year now and have 2 teams (one with this ID).  I have found it fun, and I think I am getting used to it.  The main drawback I see is the cost.  I did pretty well at D3 and D2 so that I earned free seasons often.  Learning the ropes at D1 means not doing well it the post season, hence no rewards.

My advice - it takes some time getting used to recruiting.  It is much more competitive at D1 and expect to be "poached" late in the process.  You need thick skin at D1 because the recruiting is cut throat.  It is very common to get challenged right before signings or after signings.  I have had guys that I was "tight" with only to see a higher prestige school come in and grab them just before signings.  There is very little you can do about if the prestige disparity is too great, especially when the higher prestige schools often also have more conference recruiting dollars. 

I have also been in battles with other similar prestige schools and if the fight drags on until after signings, higher prestige schools lurking around for another player may jump in and both schools end up losing the battle.

Anyhow, thick skin is a must.

I have found that there are several sub-levels of D1.  I think of it like this:  high-level, elite schools (high prestige - A range and up, lots of conference recruiting money); high-level D1 (lots of conference recruiting $, but lower prestige schools in the big 6); mid level (prestige in B range, but in 1-2 bid conferences so little conference recruiting $); low level (C or worse prestige, 1 bid conference, very low recruiting $).

I still have had very limited success in D1 - it's definitely a different kind of challenge than DII (where I have 6 titles) and DIII (where I have no titles, but have made deep tourney runs a bit.

Like brian said, thick skin is a must....especially when on Day 3 of recruiting, a B or A prestige school (maybe even a conference mate) jacks one of your top recruits just before signings. I've been super ****** at how some of my D1 recruiting went, and wanted to lash out at other coaches, only to realize that they legitimately got the best of me, and "it's just a game". 

That being said, the challenge makes it worthwhile if you're patient enough.