Recruiting is just around the bend for my D-III team, and I only have one scholarship to fill. I'm looking for a point guard (only have one, and he's a senior -- although I have a shooting guard who I am comfortable putting at PG). I've found an awesome recruit who would probably be the best pick-up of my career.

However, I see one thing that worries me with this guy. His other rating are spectacular, but his defense rating is just two and I run a full court press. Can I do this?

Yes.

I've never run a FCP, but it seems to me that if his other ratings are truly spectacular, i.e. he will be a top scoring threat and he's got great speed and stamina, then his other attributes should serve to mitigate the awful defensive rating. It makes it even better if he has high potential in defense because then at least you can work it up to a halfway respectable number by the time he's a junior.

Great, he excels in so many areas that there is no way I can't go after this guy. I just read something earlier today that defense was VERY IMPORTANT in the full court press and it had me worried a little bit. Thanks for the help.

Defense is a nice supplement in an FCP.  Signing one player with poor defense, especially at DIII, will not hinder your team.  I've run FCP with every DIII team I've ever coached and some of my top defensive players had defense ratings under 20.  High ATH/SPD/STA in a full court press defense at DIII can be enough for a player to wrack up a lot of steals. 

sol_phenom: have you still found that to be the case after the engine was changed?  i run FB/FCP in D3 as well and would say that since the engine change, DEF has become much more important.

on a semi-related note, does a low DEF rating also mean an increased likelihood of getting in foul trouble?

Posted by ejectgoose on 12/12/2010 10:54:00 PM (view original):
sol_phenom: have you still found that to be the case after the engine was changed?  i run FB/FCP in D3 as well and would say that since the engine change, DEF has become much more important.

on a semi-related note, does a low DEF rating also mean an increased likelihood of getting in foul trouble?

i agree, def is much more important in the new engine for the press. i would say bad def absolutely leads to more fouls.

Under the new engine I've had one press team at DIII and I found that high ATH/SPD/STA and a high defensive IQ can at least somewhat make up for a low defensive rating. I never had a player with a defense under 20 at DIII though at an FCP team under the new engine.

Defense is especially more prominent in the new engine, but depending on the player the risk may be worth it.  Two things to consider.

1) How good is the rest of the players around him in DEF?  If he is surrounded by other good players then that will certainly help.
2) Will the boost in the other areas (I am assuming offensively) be great enough to significantly improve the team inspite of his poor defense?  (and fouls)

I had a player two years ago (Sisk, you can look at my team records to confirm this) that became my top scorer and leader in steals in school history.  He was also the CPOY defensively and the NPOY defensively.  He had a defensive rating of 9 in the press.  However, he was a 99 in ATH and a 97 in SPD.  So, depending on the other ratings the gamble may be worth it.   

Well, I put a decent amount of practice time in footwork for all my players. Also, I put 20 minutes into FCP.