Goucher, D3 Tark


9 juniors who are pretty solid IQ with the zone, and 3 frosh who don't know nuthin about nuthin for any defense.

In the press IQs, there's a D and a D-, the rest are C's and C-. If I practiced press 25 minutes (and zone 0), but kept playing the for a while, would they learn the press well enough to use it this season?

Of course, the other part of the equation is ratings. As I understand it (and I don't), the keys for the press are SPD, ATH, and STM, trying to exploit opponents BH, P, and STM.

My bigs are slow and probably won't improve, but overall it looks like I'll have an advantage in SPD over a lot of opponents. In my first two teams (please don't look them up...) I've noticed that pumping practice into conditioning seems pretty good, as it improves ATH, SPD, and STM, and (seemingly) a bit faster than other categories.

Lastly, in all the threads I've read I think a majority of people think that running the HC press/Zone (or HC/M2M) doesn't really pay off, both in game action and IQ increase. Is this correct?

Thanks for any advice. Don't be too helpful though, or I'll unleash all the other questions I have saved up. :)

Good luck with Goucher, it's nice seeing them have a coach again, although I was never very helpful to them.

I'm not sure enough about the impact of different ratings to help you there, but I think that if you're going to be switching to the press, using the combo defense (Press/Zone) would pay off in the short term in that you're getting some experience in playing the new defense but also playing a defense you have good IQs in. Once you have good press IQs, though, I think the combo D is less effective than a full press.

Quote: Originally posted by mkv5981 on 4/26/2010Good luck with Goucher, it's nice seeing them have a coach again, although I was never very helpful to them.

Hey, looks good to me. CoY, the FF in the PI the next year, and you took a deserved promotion. You had crap in the cupboard waiting when you came on, too.

Quote: I'm not sure enough about the impact of different ratings to help you there, but I think that if you're going to be switching to the press, using the combo defense (Press/Zone) would pay off in the short term in that you're getting some experience in playing the new defense but also playing a defense you have good IQs in. Once you have good press IQs, though, I think the combo D is less effective than a full press.

That's what my gut wanted to do - it just makes more sense. Am I correct about the SPD, ATH, and STM being the biggest factors in the press? How much will slow stiffs in the 4 and 5 hurt me? And finally, how important is DEF in the FC press? I'd think that would be the cause of the increased turnovers, but I think I've read that it takes a distant 3rd to ATH and SPD.

I'm way too into this game - I've got 3 teams (that stink), the first hasn't even finished conference play, and I spend half my workday reading threads from 2007. And it's a blast.

Welcome to the addiction. I would stay away from the combo and go for straight Press. I would wait till your guys are in the "B" range before making the switch. You should make that this season easily.

Speed and Athleticism are without a doubt the keys to success in the Press (and all other Ds as well). I try never to go below 20 speed for my bigs, 30-35 for SF and SG, and 40 for PG. Sometimes you have to compromise but that's the goal.

Defensive skill is always important but it is about middle of the pack for the Press. Don't go single digits though.

Good Luck and bring on the rest of those questions.

The combo FCP-zone has worked very well for me for a year or two as a transition to the full FCP.

I transitioned Iowa in Phelan to the press in one season. 30 min practice time on the press, virtually no time spent on the M2M. Midway through conference play I switched from M2M to a combo Man/Press and finished that season fairly strong with several upsets. By the next season I ditched M2M and went strictly press. Check out LM2s thread, but in my limited experience speed and athleticism are VERY important in the press. A slow guy in the 5 will NOT kill you, but you can collect a lot of steals from a fast, athletic C (I had a couple at LSU who were steal machines, even more-so than the guards). Hope this helps.

Thanks everyone. I'm going to pump the practice minutes into press, but run the combo - the upperclassmen are just too good at zone to completely switch until the press improves. If I run into a gimme game, like Armstrong Atlantic or something, I'll try the FCP and see if the difference in fouls, fatigue, etc is too prohibitive.

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