Throwing this open for discussion -- is the current pool of available transfer/JUCO players too small?
I present Exhibit A...my C-prestige Division III program in Tark can currently see 45 D3 T/J's, 82 D2 T/J's and 51 D1 T/J's without applying any filters beyond asking for players with fewer than 4 years of eligibility .Those numbers might rise slightly as coaches continue to switch positions and possibly cut players from their new roster, but if they change it won't be by much.
My biggest concern here is the low number of T/J's available at D3 as these seem to be the rosters most frequently in a state of extreme unbalance due to years of SImAI coaching/recruiting. If a new player takes over a team that has 7+ scholarship openings (a not-uncommon thing given SimAI's love for walk-ons and superclasses since the new engine came about) and wants to balance out their class distribution, they're at an extreme disadvantage not having a transfer/JUCO pool to work with.
It just seems for how quickly programs become out of whack when SimAI has been in charge for a few years that the game is making it harder than necessary to restore balance to a program. Clearly the vast majority of players that aren't recruited are being discarded and not sent to JUCO ball to return in the following year's recruiting pool.
Wondering what others think here or if I'm alone in my concerns.
[Edit: Exhibit B would be Naismith, which is mid-season but currently showing 28/142/76 for D3/D2/D1 in a search for next season]
5/4/2011 7:18 PM (edited)