Posted by hgq2112 on 4/3/2013 1:24:00 PM (view original):
Ok, here is a quick recap to give depth to my question. So, I selected a team in shambles...on purpose. Record was 12-17 last year, horrible RPI, the whole thing. They were rated a B-, figured they would drop to C+...C at worst. They dropped to C-. Then, in all my wisdom, I decided to violate my own draft principles and take a few gambles. Lol...not a good idea. So, lousy draft to boot, all on me. Team record right now is 4-5. Could easily be 0-9. We've won ugly, stealing a few close games due largely to player match ups. If I am lucky, I can steer this team to somewhere near .500 ball. So, as I approach the next recruiting class, likely as a C- again, and I chuck any ideas of "recruiting gambles", what is the reasonable maximum player rating that I should be pursuing to have a chance at landing the recruit, for my realistic sad situation. I know there are exceptions. I know I could "luck out" and get a desperate drop down. Let's just say that after the last recruiting debacle, I am going to play the percentages this time. Anyone have a "magic number" they'd like to throw my way, above which I am likely just wasting time and $$$$$?
At the end of the season, after school prestiges have changed for the upcoming year (the day after the national championship game is played), go to your search screen, uncheck the JUCO and Transfer boxes so that you're searching only for high school kids. Take note of the highest-rated high school kid that shows on the list (don't worry how good he is/isn't...all you care about at this stage is his total rating.
-- Add 10 points to that rating...that's the max rating for any player you'll be able to successfully pull down or have drop to you, EXCEPT...
-- Add 25 points to the rating of the kid in your search...sometimes in-state kids and kids within your 300-mile circle (usually your 70-mile circle) will fit in this range and you can pull them down/get them to drop). Expect a lot of rejections of your initial contacts, but the occasional stud you get as a result pays off for it.
I have yet to land a player that's above the max rating +25 demographic, but I always nibble at the edges in the hope of being proven wrong someday.
Keep in mind that your "magic number" will change each season, so you'll want to repeat this process at the start of every recruiting period.