Posted by poncho2799 on 11/23/2021 11:59:00 AM (view original):
Like Shoe said, the link he provided is a little more D1 specific. The 2 I'm posting below are stickied in the forums, but should be useful.
This one is probably best for understanding your team building, especially at the lower levels, but it's outdated for recruiting due to updates. Reading this thread was a turning point for me and I've won 4 titles (nothing amazing, but noteworthy) at the lower levels using this as my foundation.
How to win at D2 and D3 - Hoops Dynasty | WhatIfSports.com
This is more geared to HD 3.0 which may help with current day recruiting more (aejones thread was HD 2.0, prior to the recruiting overhaul).
Guide to the New HD 3.0 release - Hoops Dynasty | WhatIfSports.com
I agree with this. The AEJONES guide is where to start. It’s succinct and focuses on the areas most important to building a base knowledge of the game. The flaw is it was written prior to the last major change of the game (commonly referred to as 2.0 to 3.0). That change overhauled recruiting and scouting (IMO for the significant betterment of D1 and D2 and at the extreme detriment of D3). Therefore, I’d recommend the AEJones guide but replace the “logistics” section with Chapels 3.0 guide.
I also agree with Shoe that my guide has a lot of topics that are very applicable to D2/D3. The problem is it’s going to be difficult for a new player to know what is and what isn’t. The biggest differences are in recruiting which is the most important part of the game. I gave myself one “reserved” spot in my thread where I have intended to add a D2/D3 addendum which unsurprisingly has been the most common question I’ve received via sitemail. I’ll get around to that eventually but probably need to play a bit more D2/D3 before I start sending out advice. Very high level, the defense, scouting, roster construction and game plan sections are all very applicable with almost no changes. The player evaluation section is applicable if you significantly scale back the minimums. The recruiting strategies is honestly pretty different.
between the various guides, I’ve now recommended probably 20,000 words of reading. Frankly, a new player isn’t going to do that and if they did it’s not a great way to enjoy a new game. So a better answer is to replace all of this with a mentor or 2. People like to help so it’s great to ask. I’d recommend that first and then add the guides as a player wants to get better.