Rectuiting high level D 1 Topic

Ok I have an enormous amount of $ this year for recruiting.  My conference dominated last year & I have 7 openings.  Problem is I am rebuilding a team I just took over & I have a C+ prestige.

A few ?'s what should my strategy be?
On average How much does it cost to get a High level D - 1 recruit (35K?)

Any help would be apprecaited rebuilding is a lot harder than I thought!
12/2/2011 8:19 AM
Well, I'll chime in FWIW.  I took over Texas Tech in Allen a few seasons back, similar situation (not as many openings, but same conference & prestige).  I had been gone a while from HD and looking back I made some mistakes that may end up costing me my job this season...  I've never coached Nebraska, but I have coached also Iowa State and Kansas in Crum (under l_eustachy) so I'm pretty familiar with the area and conference.  Not knowing what else is around you in Knight (that's a 2 a day world correct?), I'm going to assume you have teams as good or better coached by humans on 3 sides of you (Colorado, Kansas, Iowa State/Iowa).  Locals will be tough to get if that is true--if any of these directions has teams listed not filled by humans you may be a bit more aggressive.

I think you will also find that at C+ top recruits (rated say around 10 or higher at position) will take your calls but will probably give you the back-up message, so you'll need to essentially pull them down with evals--anticipate this.  That will make it harder and take longer for you to get considered, making it more likely you will have a battle.  Even 3-star recruits may give you the back-up message, as I've seen at texas Tech.

My recommendation--with my recent mistakes fresh in mind--is first as always decide what you want your team to be.  With 7 open you have many options, but to some extent you must get viable Big 12 players in, even if you don't fill all your ships.  If it were me I'd do the scouting and look for kids with 2-stars or less (unless you have some higher ranked kids within 200 miles--a bit further out if you have some neighbors who are not human coached), with great WE and lots of potential.  I'd be trying to sign 5, with 2-3 of them being viewed for offense and maybe the others as solid role players.  Not every kid needs to be a stud, and if you battle for 5 studs you may get lucky but will probably end up with a bunch of walk-ons.  You may want to even emphasize defense and rebounding over all else--go for a slow-down defensive squad and look for scores down the road?

Also, don't be afraid to look at Juco's (I find they are often better than rated).

Cost is hard to gage, as it depends on who wants to battle; given your situation if you find a decent player everyone will probably be willing to battle.  I think you'll find $35k is a decent estimate to start; way too high for most but too little for a few.

Hope that is some help.
12/2/2011 10:21 AM
You should expect to spend $15-20K but be prepared to spend $80K.  That's generally the case at Oklahoma State for me.
12/2/2011 10:27 AM
There's really no "on average" -- this is where luck enters into the picture. Two similar players could go for vastly different sums -- literally one guy could go for $5-10K, and the other could go for $75K. It just depends if anyone else pursues them (and if they're down to battle).
12/2/2011 10:46 AM
my advice was going to be almost exactly what groomsie said, just in not so many words and not as well explained.  Basically I think you'll be making a mistake going for 4 and 5-star recruits.  I'd hone in on the ~650-700 rated kids more than the 725+ kids.  Also take a look at those higher prestige schools around you and see what their needs and openings are.  If you shoot too high with a C+, you're setting yourself up for failure.  If you get in a battle with an A/A+ school, you could spend $60k on a kid and still lose out.  Then you're really behind the 8-ball.  If you do it right this season, in 4 seasons, you can be a B or better and then you'd have a better shot at the top-ranked kids.  And don't be afraid to hold off on making many recruiting moves until the second or third day when you can better assess the situation and who the top prestige teams are chasing.  A few teams may have gotten in too many battles and that could leave an opening for you with a lesser-ranked kid they're also chasing.  I'd definitely make the under 200 miles kids a priority early though if they're in that 650-700 range.  You're in the Goldilocks and the 3 Bears situation -- you shouldn't chase too high kids b/c your C+ will be a big hindrance and you could blow a lot of coin and still end up with nothing, but you don't want to settle for crap kids either...you need to be right in the middle imo.
12/2/2011 10:53 AM
I wouldn't go for more then two really good players (current ratings) with a focus on 0-2 star players with lots of potential. Those guys will be really good for you their Junior and Senior years. The two, more or less, studs up front will give you some guys to help you right away. Focus on those two being within 300 miles and spend a good chunk up front to let everyone know your serious about them. Like jdno said I would make sure an A+ wasn't on them after a few cycles before making your move.
12/2/2011 3:31 PM
I don't think you'll get 650-700 rated kids unless you dump all your cash into only a few recruits. I'd say find as many local guys with very good potential as you can. Don't pressure yourself to fill up all 7 schollies; taking one or two walk-ons isn't as bad as taking one or two players that will be wasted scholarships down the road. 
12/2/2011 5:34 PM
Rectuiting high level D 1 Topic

Search Criteria

Terms of Use Customer Support Privacy Statement

© 1999-2026 WhatIfSports.com, Inc. All rights reserved. WhatIfSports is a trademark of WhatIfSports.com, Inc. SimLeague, SimMatchup and iSimNow are trademarks or registered trademarks of Electronic Arts, Inc. Used under license. The names of actual companies and products mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners.