All of the responses have been so good!
I know it's been talked about before, but what has been your best moment in HD?
For me, it was finally getting to my alma mater, Oklahoma State. Talk about a grind. I started playing in Wooden and was really bad. I didn't know anyone to tell me what I should be looking for or what I should be doing. I think I won fewer than ten games combined my first two seasons. From day one, I had my eye on OSU. They had a coach at that time in Wooden, and I was just hoping he wouldn't stay there forever. He didn't. He was gone about the time I was just finding my feet in DII. I still wasn't good, but I was falling into a few more wins. But I still need a lot more time before I qualified. I checked every job period to make sure no one had taken them. And every year they stayed SIM, I knew I still had a chance. Fast forward a handful of seasons and I'm at DI, from what I can tell, within a season or two of qualifying for OSU. Another coach takes them. I'm absolutely gutted. I actually sent him a nice, respectful message (which might've been frowned upon, but I didn't care) asking if he saw himself being there long term because it was my dream job and yada, yada, yada. He said he wasn't sure.
So I knew Wooden was out, at least for a little while. I had already gotten a second team in Iba. I was starting off MUCH better, both with picking good teams and recruiting good players. That OSU was open. I was have good-but-not-great seasons at low-DI with Southern, still checking every job period to see if I'd need to send another message to another coach who was crushing my dream. For two seasons, I thought I had done just enough to qualify, only to find out I didn't. That meant six more weeks of waiting and another job period hoping they stayed open. The next year I knew I needed to make the NT. If I made the NT, I figured they were mine. I lost in the conference championship game and was 1-seed in the PI. I was sure the game was ******* with me. Anyway, the next season I got to the second round of the NT with Southern and qualified for my dream job. The 23-hour wait period was tough. I made a pot of coffee, stayed up just to see my name there. And it popped immediately at 1 a.m. I had made it home to Stillwater, in the Iba world no less.
I might've cried a little. I had spent so many seasons so close, between the two worlds, and now I was there. I could rebuild them. I could win games for them. It has been every bit as enjoyable as I dreamed it would be day one in Wooden.
I love this game so much. I've spent more time on it than I care to admit. And like beachhouse, I've probably spent money on it I didn't really have. But I would do it all again. All the heartbreaking losses, all the frustrating recruiting seasons. Everything has been worth it. I had pretty significant ankle surgery a couple years back. I was stuck on the couch, not putting any weight on my ankle, for four months. This game kept me sane. The messages with the friends I've made here kept me sane. I know it's not perfect. We all know the scars. But the truth is, even with all its brokenness, HD is still the best out there.
I've gotten my dad, my brother, and two friends into the game. Working on a third now. They all love it and the majority of them aren't even huge college basketball fans. The product is good and marketable. I have no doubts. I wish WIS had a plan of attack at the very least.
9/26/2019 2:58 AM (edited)