I'm taking over C- prestige Oklahoma State in the Big 12, which is the first time I've ever been in a full conference.

The Cowboys are B prestige, so I'll be able to build a really solid program here, but my division is very, very strong (specifically, Oklahoma, Texas, and TAMU.)

So I'm going to track my attempt to build up a bad program in a great division of a good conference... here.

It was going so well... and then I missed the 5 PM cycle on signing day. Which meant that Jack Walling, the perfect PG that I wanted more than any other (gettable) player, the Oklahoman that had been considering me from the second cycle....
...is playing college hoops for Memphis.

That is the toughest cycle to miss.

Yep. I had about 8K , plus I hadn't made any promises and I was perfectly willing to start-and-twenty him. If I had made it to a computer, I would've had Walling (he'll get drafted, his potentials are ridiculous in the STs) instead of having to try and poach sinatra's New Mexican dude.

I was a bit more successful at PF, where I got, for $10K, a three-star Oklahoman who, if he improves at REB, will be great for me. The high SPD/ATH/DEF/STAM at the cost of cores is something I'm trying out here in Stillwater.



WOOD, Dennis - 6'9", 244 lbs. Power Forward from Arapaho HS, Arapaho, OK. 3-star recruit, #48 PF, #148 overall.

ATH: 62 high ("dramatically improve")
SPD: 60 med ("can improve")
REB: 67 high ("HUGE improvement")
DEF: 50 high ("massive improvement")
BLK: 80 high ("decent upside")
LP: 80 high ("will improve")
PER: 1 med
BH: 19 low
PASS: 18 med ("some improvement")
WE: 45
ST: 61 high ("dramatic change")

OVR: 599

IQ: F/F
FT: B medium ("not much improvement")
HS GPA: 2.65

So that was my two schollies filled. I did, however, have two awful sophomores on the roster, so I cut them and filled their spots with a couple of JuCo-3s. I currently have 10 upperclassmen... but that'll have to change, I think, because Kansas has 9 and Oklahoma has 8. If I want to be able to flex the muscle of having extra schollies, I need to have a class structure OPPOSED to that of those two schools, not synced with them.

My first JuCo (ever, actually):

DAVIS, John - 6'1", 179 lbs. Shooting Guard from Clarendon College, Clarendon, TX. 1-star recruit, #64 SG.


ATH: 62 high
SPD: 70 high ("massive improvement")
REB: 15 med
DEF: 58 high ("massive improvement")
BLK: 22 med
LP: 12 low
PER: 63 high ("significantly better")
BH: 76 high ("big upside")
PASS: 79 high ("fairly significant improvement")
WE: 36
ST: 70 high ("dramatic change")

OVR: 587

IQ: B/B+
FT: B medium
GPA: 2.8

Got'm for 6K. He's already the most experience player on my squad when it comes to the press, so I consider this to be a good signing.

The potentials were good enough that I thought about a redshirt, but having a zero-scholly class could be fun now that I'm in a conference that actually gets postseason money. Recruiting 2 (Wood and Warf's replacements) with $70,000 could be great, especially if I'm up to a B- or a B by then.

My second JuCo sucks compared to Davis and doesn't know my offense, but I decided that he could contribute much more than that sophomore that I cut - and that there's no reason to take a walkon when a decent player is available. Besides, he'll be gone in two years.

CHANDLER, Bernard - 6'11", 224 lbs. Center from Ranger College, Ranger, TX. 2-star recruit, #57 C, #269 overall.

ATH: 55 med
SPD: 30 low
REB: 88 med
DEF: 50 med
BLK: 78 high
LP: 90 med
PER: 4 med
BH: 9 med
PASS: 50 med
WE: 21
ST: 69 high

OVR: 578

IQ: F/B-
FT: C- medium
GPA: 2.5

Oh, and he can pass, too. So not a bad deal for just $2K.

Overall, I'd give myself a C+ or B- for my first shot at recruiting from a power conference. I would've rather signed Walling and Warf than Warf and Chandler, but it's my own damn fault for missing a cycle.

I learned some lessons, and next year, with about $100K, I'll get to be aggressive and fight for some top-notch recruits.

Next year is gonna be crazy, though - I'll be looking to sign five, but Oklahoma and Kansas will be taking a total of nine.

We at Wichita State are not really looking forward to this next period. I think with my carryover + NT money + 2 scholarships open I might have enough to get 1 player. ($45,000-$50,000) Sad.

cornfused....i think OU and KU looking for nine players is your best case scenario....we both could potentially have two leave early as well, depending on how successful our seasons are. i'm almost banking on the notion that Morris and Winkleman are gone after this year.....on the bright side (again for you) i'm going to be terrible next season....

Two tough losses - though Warf nearly beat Navy for me - before I got my first win at OKSt: a 58-37 defensive shutdown of noted sucky Sim team St. Peters.

Next is an interesting matchup against #21 Boston College - they're playing 8 deep (4 walkons) and I'm playing 12 deep, but I'm still overmatched and expect a loss.

Wa-HEY!

I am now 1-0 against ranked opponents at OK State.

The recipe: watch your opp get screwed over in recruiting in his first season in the ACC, then tire out his (4-walkon) roster and rebound strangely well while they miss almost twice as many FTs as you take. That's not exactly a repeatable formula, but hey, it was the only loss of the night for the 40-8 ACC, and just because it's lucky doesn't mean it's bad.

Also, I need to find a way to find Taylor and Fisher (my third string) involved in close games. I guess I have to change my depth chart somehow, 'cause depth isn't really a good trait if you don't use it, and they're both good players. I guess the problem is that usually, you wouldn't be starting your new recruits over your seasoned veterans.

Hey Corn, your Big 12 buddies better pick it up or you would have been better off joining the MVC with me. We'll get at least 3 into the NT, you guys have Kansas and Oklahoma and ???