CJBL: A web-based, FM-style multiplayer College Basketball League has openings

[RedKingGold]

About 18 months ago, I posted here about the JBL, a pro-basketball web-based multiplayer league. (http://https://forums.operationsports.com/fofc/showthread.php?t=95361). The JBL community has become stronger since then, and the sim developer and owner has expanded and built upon the college model and opened it up for human owners.

If you like FBCB, DDSCB or any similar college basketball sim, you will find interest within the CJBL. The league is still a bit in “beta” mode, so there are tweaks and adjustments that are and will be made but the core of the game is quite solid and built off the JBL engine.

The CJBL mirrors the NCAA, so you will find all of the usual college programs and conferences. Athletic directors will compete against each other to recruit from US high schools and international prospects. Set your offensive team style and recruit players who fit how you want to play. Want to run Villanova’s 4-guard offense? Maybe West Virginia’s press defense or Virginia’s lockdown defense? You can mimic these styles with the offensive and defensive settings.

The CJBL already has many members who are part of the FOFC community, including jcomey, MrBug, Izulde and others you will recognize. The JBL/CJBL community is very active. We have podcasts for both the JBL and CJBL and we also have an owner who is able to produce and create merchandise for your team.

I have also posted some screenshots to give you a sense of some of the options when running a team:

http://jblfl.com/cjbl/screenshots/1.png
http://jblfl.com/cjbl/screenshots/2.png
http://jblfl.com/cjbl/screenshots/3.png
http://jblfl.com/cjbl/screenshots/4.jpg
http://jblfl.com/cjbl/screenshots/5.jpg
http://jblfl.com/cjbl/screenshots/6.jpg

[RedKingGold]

My screenshots are not showing up, will try to fix.

EDIT: Screenshots working, but super big so they are in the spoiler tag.

[Groundhog]

Can confirm, it's pretty great.

[kingfc22]

Come join the party!

[Radii]

What's the time commitment?

[skrath]

What's the time commitment?

Pretty low at this stage. We sim 4 days every real day 7 days a week, so there's usually one game of your team per sim. So probably only 5-10 minutes a day to check out boxscores and adjust depth charts/rotations.

Recruiting is about to begin for the next season. Other ADs have suggested that the first few recruiting phases take about half an hour (to highlight players you're after), and from that only 5 minutes per phase. We plan to run the phases approximately one per real life week. Recruiting is completed throughout the season and also in the offseason (late recruiting to fill in spots for players drafted into the pro league).

Our Slack is incredibly active with about 40-50 members on daily, and there's plenty to go down the rabbit hole if you want to. The aim is to get at least 100 college ADs.

[LastWhiteSoxFanStanding]

I would say the league combines the ease of FBCB with the depth of the actual NCAA. The game is browser based, lightning quick and everything is one click away.

The stat tracking is mind boggling. Everything and anything you can imagine is tracked from a league level to a team level, to a lineup level, to a player level.

Plus podcasts! These friggin guys put out a weekly podcast and are actually interesting to listen to. I would take them over Bill Simmons any day. (high praise!)

And to reiterate. It doesn't take long to find things and to put together game plans.

The best part? It is FREE.

What are you waiting for? Come join!

[murrayyyyy]

What's the time commitment?

No where near as long as FBCB.:)

[murrayyyyy]

cjbl - Google Drive (https://drive.google.com/open?id=1S32BWFVV0QHsH8PA_wpfWL2oJwn6bkRM)

Hopefully, the link works, it's some screenshots I grabbed and put on my drive to give people a preview from my leagues.

[Thomkal]

Is there a link to the website?

[Cap Ologist]

Link?

[Silver Owl]

I have a team in JBL but not college and I will say that this is like a cult ... once you are in you don't want to leave. A simply amazing game.

[RedKingGold]

A link to the site can be found here: JBL | Login (http://jblfl.com/cjbl/home)

I had it in the initial post but took it out because there was conflicting information about whether those without accounts can view the page.

If interested, you may want to PM skrath here at FOFC, as he is the sim developer/owner and can get you as to how to sign up and what teams are available.

[DavidCorperial]

I'd also be interested in joining back in at the College level.

[Izulde]

Two things worth noting:

1. I hate Slack. This league makes it actually fun to be on.

2. This is a league absent toxic personalities, which makes for a great experience.

[skrath]

Unfortunately all of the main pages are hidden behind a login (as everything is run through a scouting "fog of war") so you won't be able to see them without an account. The screenshots above do a good job of showing the interface. However, if you'd like to see what teams are available, you can access this page without a login:

CJBL | Schools (http://jblfl.com/cjbl/schools)

Human teams have a user icon next to them.

Anyone who would like to sign up - just PM me your email so I can invite you to our Slack and send you the signup link.

Other links that are relevant as a general guide (aimed at the pro league, JBL):
http://jblfl.com/about
http://jblfl.com/guide

[henry296]

A couple of questions

1. Can humans get offered jobs from other teams.
2. Are the different academic requirements for recruits like in the Ivy?

[skrath]

A couple of questions

1. Can humans get offered jobs from other teams.
2. Are the different academic requirements for recruits like in the Ivy?

1. Not currently. It is a multi-player universe and while we don't really encourage swapping of teams (to maintain consistency), you could always switch teams if it's approved and the team is available.

We allow control of one high prestige team and one lower prestige team in different conferences.

2. Yes: 3.0 minimum GPA for Ivy is the recruiting limit for that conference.

[henry296]

One more question. Do coaches have ratings that would impact the difficulty between two prestige schools like ability to recruit or offense vs defense ability. Trying to compare to other games where you could build up your skills to get a better job or should I start in a big conference if I want to try to win it all.

[skrath]

As you are the AD, you are in control of your own destiny rather than the skill of your head coach. Recruits value differing aspects that your program may have (academics, prestige, desire to stay close to home etc) and will indicate their interest in your program. Recruits are grouped by rough regions which dictates the cost of recruiting actions (coach visit, campus visit etc).

It's definitely harder to recruit as a lower prestige program given budgetary pressures, so lower prestige schools tend to primarily look at in region/in state recruits.

Jump in with a big program to learn the ropes and then you can take over a smaller program after a season as well for an additional challenge. The Pac-12 and Big Ten are almost full, and the ACC is getting there.

[Comey]

Note: 40ish Minutes of Hell, the Most Comprehensive Podcast About the CJBL (that can be talked about in 40ish minutes) debuted last week. It will be produced on Tuesdays (with the potential for other episodes if time allows during the week, probably solo by me). So there's one other bit of immersion to add.

I couldn't recommend this enough. The JBL is a rather amazing and unique experience; the CJBL is,f ro now, more JBL-lite, as things across the board are evolving. However, sooner than later, the CJBL will rival JBL in terms of immersion and experience.

For any real old heads here that were part of Gridiron Glory, CJBL has that kind of potential. In some ways, it's already there. As some things get fleshed out, it's going to be even more remarkable. I recommend getting in now, and growing with the league.

[Comey]

One more question. Do coaches have ratings that would impact the difficulty between two prestige schools like ability to recruit or offense vs defense ability. Trying to compare to other games where you could build up your skills to get a better job or should I start in a big conference if I want to try to win it all.

I coach at UConn and Fairfield. UConn is a national power that can recruit anywhere...but there are several variables that make it difficult. My recruiting class last year was ranked top ten, but I don't think it was that good. And I'm going to have to deal with a top-five freshman leaving after this season, and having to replace him (I'm hoping it isn't two of them).

Fairfield...I thought I would have a good opportunity to poach some higher-prestige players by going after them earlier. That didn't quite come out as I hoped, and my class was pretty bad. That said, the already-existing pieces have resulted in the best season in school history (21-8, first regular season MAAC title). I'm hoping we can parlay that into a better recruiting experience and a real chance at growth.

We'll see where it goes. But it's a very unique and fun experience.

[Thomkal]

I guess my question here would be: How knowledgeable of basketball do I have to be to play this sim? I don't have any in offenses/defenses etc, can you let your assistants handle that or is it something that I will have to pay attention to/micro manage?

[Groundhog]

I guess my question here would be: How knowledgeable of basketball do I have to be to play this sim? I don't have any in offenses/defenses etc, can you let your assistants handle that or is it something that I will have to pay attention to/micro manage?

Easiest thing to do would be to stick with what your school currently runs and adjust as games progress. This is what I did while learning the ropes with both my schools. You have advanced stats that give you insight into what sort of plays on offense are working or not working for individual players, and you can adjust tendencies to try and get guys to play to their strengths and avoid the things they don't do so well. And if you're giving up too many points, tweak the D and see what works.

[MrBug708]

I guess my question here would be: How knowledgeable of basketball do I have to be to play this sim? I don't have any in offenses/defenses etc, can you let your assistants handle that or is it something that I will have to pay attention to/micro manage?

Basketball strategy is not my forte by any stretch, but it's pretty basic where if you know anything about basketball, you should be good to go. Here is an example.

Seven Seconds:
Description: High octane offense that uses transition as well as heavy pick and rolls to get early shots before the defense can get set. Offensive players spread the floor and the primary ballhandler creates opportunities to get wide open shots.

Player focus: Requires good ballhandlers, athletic/quick players, rim runners and fearless shooters.

[skrath]

Bump as recruiting is open for 2028! Recruiting takes place over an approximately two week real life period, after which we the regular season will start. We have over 70 teams controlled currently - if you're interested in taking one over, you can see who is available here: CJBL | Schools (http://jblfl.com/cjbl/schools)

Some quick screenshots of the main recruiting screens

http://jblfl.com/images/screenshots/recruiting1.png

http://jblfl.com/images/screenshots/recruiting2.png

[Thomkal]

I think North Carolina needs to stay out of Kansas :)

[skrath]

It's almost March Madness...and the CJBL is starting our 2028 season shortly! We now have 100 teams running out of 356 teams and it's growing rapidly every day. If anyone is interested in taking over a school, please DM me. We have some unique challenges with teams joining Division I: California Baptist, Tarleton State, Dixie State, North Alabama, Bellarmine and Merrimack, if someone is interested in starting from the absolute bottom!

It's becoming quite an FOFC league as well :)

List of schools (taken teams are indicated by the user icon): CJBL | Schools (http://jblfl.com/cjbl/schools)

[Thomkal]

We already have enough competition for recruits thank you very much :)

[Groundhog]

Yes, and our coaches. Thanks very much, we're good. ;)

[Ramzavail]

Somebody take a team in the NEC!

[skrath]

Nearly 130 user controlled teams and still growing! If you're missing college hoops and are interested in taking over a school, hit me up for an invite. We're into conference play and haven't started recruiting for next season, so still a chance to build your program and make the dance.

Available teams: CJBL | Schools (http://jblfl.com/cjbl/schools)

[Subby]

I can't say enough about how much fun this is. The platform that skrath has created is really impressive. There's depth to the engine, to the players, to the interface. Slack ties it all together in a way that finally makes me understand how powerful and useful of a communication tool it can be. Being in a league with so many owners keeps it fresh (like produce fresh, not necessarily doug e.).

I think I am most excited about what this could *potentially* be. There's a whole universe where some of these dudes go to the pro league and continue their lives. Even if you don't have a team in the JBL, it's cool to follow alums that make it to the big time. Personalities, philosophies, history - all super cool.

Definitely give it a try!

[Butter]

So, E rating is between D & F? I have lots of questions, probably already all answered, I imagine.

Edit: I found the rules, so never mind.

[kingfc22]

Welcome to the jungle Butter.

[Butter]

When I saw the Flyers were available... let's just say I thought this might be a nice way to cope with a massive real life disappointment.

[Subby]

When I saw the Flyers were available... let's just say I thought this might be a nice way to cope with a massive real life disappointment.
My alma mater (william & mary) is one of 4 or 5 D1 schools to never make it to the NCAA tourney, so I thought it would be cool to continue that tradition on the world wide web.

[Comey]

My alma mater (william & mary) is one of 4 or 5 D1 schools to never make it to the NCAA tourney, so I thought it would be cool to continue that tradition on the world wide web.

Or, as I called them in last night's Quad, The Royalty.

[Huckleberry]

Crap I wish I'd never seen this thread.

[skrath]

Crap I wish I'd never seen this thread.

Welcome ;) It's a great time to join as we're about to start recruiting for the upcoming season. 157 (44.7%) of CJBL teams are human controlled.

If anyone out there is ready to take on the challenge hit me up!

[Thomkal]

So should we start a list of what FOFC'ers are playing in this game, so we know who to concentrate on beating? :) You can set up the non-conference part of your schedule so might be fun to get some of your fellow FOFC (and/or FOBL'ers) on the schedule:

I was Kansas State for the just completed season, but I have moved over to my old friend Coastal Carolina for this next season.

[Butter]

Dayton / Wright St. / Houston Baptist. Different scheduling needs based on the different levels of these teams.

[Comey]

I have UConn and Fairfield for now. May look back to my PA roots for another small school.

[BishopMVP]

Charlotte / TCU. Charlotte is probably the better team right now despite the massive conference disparity... I grabbed TCU as they were about the last power conference team on the board - looking forward to how recruiting plays out, but even if I were good at this it would take a lot to dig them out of their hole. Definitely down to schedule anyone as TCU, might have to be a little more particular with Charlotte - SoS & RPI was brutal with the horrible conference last year, need to schedule high majors or good mid majors in order to have any hope of an at large bid. Butter what about Dayton for a home & home? I assume you'll be a top tier A10 team again?

[Butter]

Dayton didn't lose any starters, so should be battling for top of A-10 again. Not planning on firing coaches or anything. I would do a home-and-home with Charlotte.

I would also do a road game to TCU with Houston Baptist, if that interested you. Really don't know how they'll look next season, they lost a good bit going into the offseason from a 5th place Southland team.

[BishopMVP]

Sold on both!

[kingfc22]

I've got Stanford, Harvard and SE Louisiana

[laser]

I have Kentucky and Florida Gulf Coast.

[MrBug708]

Arizona, Houston, Cal Poly!

[DavidCorperial]

Hartford

[Chief Rum]

So should we start a list of what FOFC'ers are playing in this game, so we know who to concentrate on beating? :) You can set up the non-conference part of your schedule so might be fun to get some of your fellow FOFC (and/or FOBL'ers) on the schedule:

I was Kansas State for the just completed season, but I have moved over to my old friend Coastal Carolina for this next season.

I was and am still surprised you didn't just choose to run both.

[Chief Rum]

I have Indiana, UC Santa Barbara and UNC Wilmington

[tyketime]

After leading the NJIT Highlanders to the Front Door of the Big Dance with a First Four play-in game, I've moved onto the SEC taking over the reins of the South Carolina Gamecocks.


It really is a very well detailed simulation that does pull you in!

[henry296]

I'm the Pitt and Penn AD.

[muns]

Navy and Georgia here

[ntndeacon]

Wake Forest here

[PineTar]

Marquette / Rice

[illinifan999]

Illinois

[Ramzavail]

Hofstra and Bryant. My alma maters.

[Thomkal]

I was and am still surprised you didn't just choose to run both.

CR,

I did consider it but two things led me to Coastal Carolina other than being a fan of course.

1) Recruiting/transfers were just too big in number for me to want to do it twice. I like to "dig in" and look at a lot of recruits/transfers and the thought of doing that twice was too much for me. As it turns out Coastal might end up with five transfers/recruits this "season." Kansas State was in a much better situation, but didn't want to lose interest in the game because I was overwhelming by coaching two teams. Who knows, as I become more comfortable with the game, I might move back to 2 teams.

2) I just like the small school "challenge" better than a big school. It was pretty easy to get what I needed at Kansas State, and didn't have to do much adjusting with them roster/strategy etc. With Coastal I'm thinking I will have to do a lot of tinkering to find what works best for them.

[BillyNYC]

Both my alma maters (Cornell/Florida) taken, sooooo....

Took over Kansas State (thanks Thomkal for the work already done. Great foundation for me)

And Manhattan...because I like that Kansas St. being in Manhattan, KS. Total opposite team. Only 7 players on roster now, of which only 2 are better than 0.5* overall. Feels like an old school "empty cupboard challenge"

[pbot]

Lafayette and Wyoming for me.

[Thomkal]

Both my alma maters (Cornell/Florida) taken, sooooo....

Took over Kansas State (thanks Thomkal for the work already done. Great foundation for me)

And Manhattan...because I like that Kansas St. being in Manhattan, KS. Total opposite team. Only 7 players on roster now, of which only 2 are better than 0.5* overall. Feels like an old school "empty cupboard challenge"

Glad to see Kansas State taken by a FOFC'er Bill-good luck with them!

[murrayyyyy]

Arkansas
UC-San Diego
and minty fresh High Point.

[BishopMVP]

Both my alma maters (Cornell/Florida) taken, sooooo....

Took over Kansas State (thanks Thomkal for the work already done. Great foundation for me)No question that Senior class is loaded... gonna have to do some 'crootin these next two offseasons though!

Also I'm really looking forward to recruiting. Hoping I can get 1 PG, maybe even one of the reaches I offered in the transfer period so I'm not at risk of completely bungling it. :D

[RedKingGold]

Villanova and Drexel here.

[Sublime 2]

Just joined.

Boston University & Nevada!

[Groundhog]

Utah and Northwestern State for me (to continue where I left off in FBCB2). Also picked up Columbia late last season mainly just to have some fun with the academic recruiting restrictions.

[Izulde]

UNLV, obvs.

[Autumn]

Great league, great ADs. I know little about college basketball, but managed to get Maryland to the Final Four, and Northeastern came in 2nd in our conference tournament.

[Chief Rum]

In case anyone out there is on the fence, now is the time to join. We're in the new offseason and recruits are about to be released.

[BishopMVP]

In case anyone out there is on the fence, now is the time to join. We're in the new offseason and recruits are about to be released.I'll +2 the recommendation here. Phase 1 of recruiting (just scouting/no offers) will happen in 8.5 hours, and if you take a team in one of the mid-low conferences that isn't filled with humans one good recruiting class should put you in the upper half of a conference. Skrath is constantly adding features, and it seems very realistic and intuitive why certain combinations of skills for players work (or don't).

[weegeebored]

Crap I wish I'd never seen this thread.I know what you mean. With all of the positives being written about the league it is very tempting to join in on the fun.

[Comey]

There are also a lot of writers in the league, helping to bring it to life. Stuff from all over the nation. It's pretty fantastic.

[skrath]

I know what you mean. With all of the positives being written about the league it is very tempting to join in on the fun.

Now's the time to join! Just the start of recruiting with a few high prestige teams left (Louisville, LSU).

[weegeebored]

Now's the time to join! Just the start of recruiting with a few high prestige teams left (Louisville, LSU).If I get league approval I will take Louisville and bring them back to championship glory!!! Oh...is that too much, too soon? ;)

[Chief Rum]

If I get league approval I will take Louisville and bring them back to championship glory!!! Oh...is that too much, too soon? ;)

If you're serious about joining, Louisville is open.

[weegeebored]

If you're serious about joining, Louisville is open.Yep, I am set up as Louisville and working on figuring out how things work. Should be a lot of fun. I just don't want to finish last.

[NoSkillz]

I know next to nothing about college ball but I couldn't resist - just signed up to lead the UB Bulls in the MAC.

Looks like I have lots to learn in very little time...

[dawgfan]

Starting my 2nd season with Washington.

[BishopMVP]

Yep, I am set up as Louisville and working on figuring out how things work. Should be a lot of fun. I just don't want to finish last.You're pretty well set up this season to at least be .500 & a bubble team again - 3.5 starters back & the returning backup PG Williams outplayed your starter who somehow got worse every season & basically started shaving points SR year http://jblfl.com/cjbl/players.php?pid=21042
I know next to nothing about college ball but I couldn't resist - just signed up to lead the UB Bulls in the MAC.

Looks like I have lots to learn in very little time...
4/5 starters back from a top MAC team there (and they're young!), though unfortunately the one you lost was an all-around monster at that level http://jblfl.com/cjbl/players.php?pid=21362

I've actually got you as an OOC game this year (with Charlotte traveling to Buffalo) - when the CPU was controlling it I figured they'd still be at least near the top of the MAC & it'd be one of those solid RPI wins if I could pull it out.


Good luck with recruiting to both of you!

[ntndeacon]

I just decided to start a second program...
Samford Bulldogs

[BishopMVP]

Butter nice snag in Montreal McLaughlin, he was going to be my fallback for TCU LoL. The E in BBIQ/D+ Outside Shooting combo made me wary, but if you can prevent him from jacking up bad shots the rest of his skills should make him great at that level! Thomkal I see you grabbed Dalton Lumpkin, I think he's better off as an SG than a SF but he should be a great wing. Same to you Muns with Dalen Beciri - I wanted to keep the local kids in Charlotte but I backed off when I saw the Georgia offer. We'll see if I get either of the 2 4* SF on Wednesday before the 5*'s come off the board & the big schools come back in haha. Not sure if I missed others schools - hard to keep track of everyone now!

Closed out 2/3 spots for TCU, only 1/5 for Charlotte and of course it was the one Big I'm recruiting not the perimeter players I need more haha, but overall better than I expected going in so far & hoping Thursday morning turns out well too!

[Butter]

Butter nice snag in Montreal McLaughlin, he was going to be my fallback for TCU LoL. The E in BBIQ/D+ Outside Shooting combo made me wary, but if you can prevent him from jacking up bad shots the rest of his skills should make him great at that level!

Yeah, thanks. My philosophy with them is, I'm not gonna get the skill guys, so I need to try to out-athlete everyone, if possible. He'll fit in with that philosophy quite well. Though I was planning for him to be my backup for my #1 PG target, who looks like he's gonna get poached by A&M.

Same philosophy in going after Tyler Metu, who looks like he'll probably sign with TCU if offered. Basically just trying to stay in-state with HBU, and get some athletes. The current roster is sad.

[BishopMVP]

Yeah, thanks. My philosophy with them is, I'm not gonna get the skill guys, so I need to try to out-athlete everyone, if possible. He'll fit in with that philosophy quite well. Though I was planning for him to be my backup for my #1 PG target, who looks like he's gonna get poached by A&M.

Same philosophy in going after Tyler Metu, who looks like he'll probably sign with TCU if offered. Basically just trying to stay in-state with HBU, and get some athletes. The current roster is sad.
I almost certainly won't be offering Metu. Only one spot open & I'll use it on a big unless all of them commit elsewhere & Metu is still available.

[Thomkal]

Butter nice snag in Montreal McLaughlin, he was going to be my fallback for TCU LoL. The E in BBIQ/D+ Outside Shooting combo made me wary, but if you can prevent him from jacking up bad shots the rest of his skills should make him great at that level! Thomkal I see you grabbed Dalton Lumpkin, I think he's better off as an SG than a SF but he should be a great wing. Same to you Muns with Dalen Beciri - I wanted to keep the local kids in Charlotte but I backed off when I saw the Georgia offer. We'll see if I get either of the 2 4* SF on Wednesday before the 5*'s come off the board & the big schools come back in haha. Not sure if I missed others schools - hard to keep track of everyone now!

Closed out 2/3 spots for TCU, only 1/5 for Charlotte and of course it was the one Big I'm recruiting not the perimeter players I need more haha, but overall better than I expected going in so far & hoping Thursday morning turns out well too!

I was surprised there wasn't more interest in Lumpkin, I used my major pitch on him so that probably helped get him. I had one guy with almost zero other coaches looking at him and no schollies but mine, totally reject me. :( Still have a lot of options out there for my other 2 schollies, including still a certain New Hampshire recruit, who's interest in Coastal somehow went up even though I ignored him this phase.

Edit: I was going to try Lumpkin at both spots just to see what he does

[henry296]

Ntndeacon and I have two good battles for 4* guards between Wake and Pitt. Did you make Aube an offer this phase?

[BishopMVP]

I was surprised there wasn't more interest in Lumpkin, I used my major pitch on him so that probably helped get him. I had one guy with almost zero other coaches looking at him and no schollies but mine, totally reject me. :( Still have a lot of options out there for my other 2 schollies, including still a certain New Hampshire recruit, who's interest in Coastal somehow went up even though I ignored him this phase.

Edit: I was going to try Lumpkin at both spots just to see what he doesYeah I guess he's worth trying at both, the Perimeter D vs Post D just seemed to pigeonhole him into SG, but with his length maybe he's better on D in the lane than I'd think.

It's definitely working to our advantage as smaller schools to have this many 3/4* players commit before the 5*'s do & big schools pivot. Maybe some of these guys would still commit to a smaller school that showed them early love & fits their desires rather than just grabbing any high major offer, but it really does seem like even the elite schools are better off only going after a couple 5*'s instead of tying up all their spots. We'll see what happens with the next 2 sims though - I have 2 4* guys that have Kansas & NC State lurking respectively, we'll see if they still commit before those schools can offer them (if that's the reason for no offer.)

[britrock88]

I have somehow missed this but am very interested.

[britrock88]

A small public service. Compiling all teams listed here through post 89:

Autumn: Maryland, Northeastern
BillyNYC: Kansas State, Manhattan
BishopMVP: Charlotte, TCU
Butter: Dayton, Houston Baptist, Wright St.
Chief Rum: Indiana, UC Santa Barbara, UNC Wilmington
Comey: Fairfield, UConn
DavidCorperial: Hartford
dawgfan: Washington
Groundhog: Columbia, Utah, Northwestern St.
henry296: Penn, Pitt
illinifan999: Illinois
Izulde: UNLV
kingfc22: Harvard, SE Louisiana, Stanford
laser: Florida Gulf Coast, Kentucky
MrBug708: Arizona, Cal Poly, Houston
muns: Georgia, Navy
murrayyyyy: Arkansas, High Point, UC San Diego
NoSkillz: Buffalo
ntndeacon: Samford, Wake Forest
pbot: Lafayette, Wyoming
PineTar: Marquette, Rice
Ramzavail: Bryant, Hofstra
RedKingGold: Drexel, Villanova
Subby: William & Mary
Sublime 2: Boston U., Nevada
Thomkal: Coastal Carolina
tyketime: South Carolina
weegeebored: Louisville

[britrock88]

And a conference census, because I would pull this together any when the time comes to choose a team or three.

Atlantic 10: Dayton
American: Houston
ACC: Louisville, Pitt, Wake Forest (3)
America East: Hartford
Atlantic Sun: Florida Gulf Coast
Big Ten: Illinois, Indiana, Maryland (3)
Big 12: Kansas St., TCU (2)
Big East: Marquette, UConn, Villanova (3)
Big South: High Point
Big West: Cal Poly, UC San Diego, UC Santa Barbara (3)
Colonial: Drexel, Hofstra, Northeastern, UNC Wilmington, William & Mary (5)
Conference USA: Charlotte, Rice (2)
Horizon: Wright St.
Ivy: Columbia, Harvard, Penn (3)
MAAC: Fairfield, Manhattan (2)
MAC: Buffalo
Mountain West: Nevada, UNLV, Wyoming (3)
Northeast: Bryant
Pac-12: Arizona, Stanford, Utah, Washington (4)
Patriot: Boston U, Lafayette, Navy (3)
Sun Belt: Coastal Carolina
SEC: Arkansas, Georgia, Kentucky, South Carolina (4)
Southland: Houston Baptist, Northwestern St., SE Louisiana (3)
SoCon: Samford

[Butter]

britrock, plenty of teams available. You should join up, now is a great time, still early enough in recruiting to do some things.

[Radii]

I run NC State, Delaware, and Campbell.

Currently the only available ACC school is Boston College - which was a top NIT seed last year so they're not bad and britrock you should definitely take them ;) . Most of the power conferences are close to full/full, its a really great league!

[Butter]

Atlantic 10 had 6 teams in the postseason last year, so plug for them. It would be great to get some more humans in there.

[NoSkillz]

I'm enjoying this immensely...and I don't even have my first commitment yet!

As the AD of a mid-major (Buffalo), and one that came into the process just prior to phase three of recruiting, I'm hopelessly behind most of the other teams right now in the scouting process. Lack of funds is another hindrance but I'm making due. I hope to have one or two of my key targets commit soon...

Question for Skrath: I'm going to definitely contribute more articles and press releases on the site but are you opposed to me writing a dynasty about my team here at FOFC?

Might be a fun exercise, especially with so many FOFC members having teams in the CJBL...and it might entice a few more to join us.

[ntndeacon]

Ntndeacon and I have two good battles for 4* guards between Wake and Pitt. Did you make Aube an offer this phase?

It'll probably be next phase. I got so flustered with losing so many on my call list, I may have gone a little crazy.

[ntndeacon]

I need to send some OOC game requests for Samford. I'll be trying to get some folks from here to Accept. Already sent one to NW ST.

[Comey]

I have somehow missed this but am very interested.

This league is your wheelhouse. I tried to point you towards it in posts before, but I should have PM'd you.

[ntndeacon]

Ntndeacon and I have two good battles for 4* guards between Wake and Pitt. Did you make Aube an offer this phase?

Wake got its two PGs , so I won't be offering Aube.

[henry296]

Wake got its two PGs , so I won't be offering Aube.

That's ok, I'm probalby not getting him either. Duke and UConn have both joined the party although they haven't offered yet.

[Comey]

I offered Aube this morning. We'll see what happens.

[Butter]

I almost certainly won't be offering Metu. Only one spot open & I'll use it on a big unless all of them commit elsewhere & Metu is still available.

Metu committed after Phase 4. It's all coming together for the HB Huskies. Not the UConn Huskies, with their mildly superior dog logo.

[Thomkal]

Coastal got its second recruit. Not a major loss if we don't get a third as the ones I''ve looked at so far have some major drawbacks. We'll see

[BillyNYC]

K State still in holding pattern. Only 2 schollies left tied up by the low 5* SG (at least got into hat day) and the high 4* Russian big.

Latter will be an interesting little bit of a case study. Offered scholarship 2 phases earlier than anyone (alas didn't have money to do a visit that round). And offered visit a round earlier also...and visit was accepted a round before anyone, but he didn't commit.

So you have K State with very high interest, due to getting in early.

And 4 other schools under consideration...all with only average interest. Alas, those schools happen to be Duke, UNC, Indiana and Kansas. *gulp* All except Indiana are already in hat ceremony for 5* bigs, although not sure how much that matters. Will be interesting if KSU hangs on. And he better not go to f'in KU...

[Thomkal]

K State still in holding pattern. Only 2 schollies left tied up by the low 5* SG (at least got into hat day) and the high 4* Russian big.

Latter will be an interesting little bit of a case study. Offered scholarship 2 phases earlier than anyone (alas didn't have money to do a visit that round). And offered visit a round earlier also...and visit was accepted a round before anyone, but he didn't commit.

So you have K State with very high interest, due to getting in early.

And 4 other schools under consideration...all with only average interest. Alas, those schools happen to be Duke, UNC, Indiana and Kansas. *gulp* All except Indiana are already in hat ceremony for 5* bigs, although not sure how much that matters. Will be interesting if KSU hangs on. And he better not go to f'in KU...

K-State must have a Moscow campus, because I went after a Russian early when I was controlling them. I was almost alone on him for the first 2 or 3 phases then I think Michigan State swooped him up out of nowhere.

And then he transferred (I think) out of there this season.

[BillyNYC]

K-State must have a Moscow campus, because I went after a Russian early when I was controlling them. I was almost alone on him for the first 2 or 3 phases then I think Michigan State swooped him up out of nowhere.

And then he transferred (I think) out of there this season.

Right, I'd expect similar. He'd get a lot more playing time at KSU. But I can't complain too much...it's realistic enough. Some guys would rather sit on the bench at Duke than start at Kansas State. At least initially.

If I get both guys, will be thrilled. 1/2, I'd be OK but disappointed as have been leading on both. 0/2...well, not so pleased.

[ntndeacon]

Samford got its first recruit. A 6'8" SG ** . We still got a few 3* still waiting to come down to Alabama!

[skrath]

I'm enjoying this immensely...and I don't even have my first commitment yet!

As the AD of a mid-major (Buffalo), and one that came into the process just prior to phase three of recruiting, I'm hopelessly behind most of the other teams right now in the scouting process. Lack of funds is another hindrance but I'm making due. I hope to have one or two of my key targets commit soon...

Question for Skrath: I'm going to definitely contribute more articles and press releases on the site but are you opposed to me writing a dynasty about my team here at FOFC?

Might be a fun exercise, especially with so many FOFC members having teams in the CJBL...and it might entice a few more to join us.

Would love if you did a dynasty here! Definitely keen to hear your perspective on how it all shakes out in your first recruiting.

We just hit 179 teams (50%) being human controlled which is a nice milestone to reach. Imagine how competitive recruiting will be if we manage to get to 75-100%...

[Comey]

Metu committed after Phase 4. It's all coming together for the HB Huskies. Not the UConn Huskies, with their mildly superior dog logo.

I really miss the old logo.

[weegeebored]

We just hit 179 teams (50%) being human controlled which is a nice milestone to reach. Imagine how competitive recruiting will be if we manage to get to 75-100%...Congratulations on the number of human players. But if any new ADs are like me there really won't be any extra competition for recruits. Oh boy do I need a do-over. :)

[henry296]

I offered Aube this morning. We'll see what happens.

Do you recall his interest before you made your visits? Was he on your call list prior to Phase 4?

[BishopMVP]

Oh wow, things worked out pretty close to perfect for me. TCU grabbed #35 (thanks partially to the state of Kansas having 3 5* this year haha), and Charlotte locked up our (major pitched) #200 PG & a "sleeper" 2* SF who was offered by 3 schools haha. "Lost out" on one of our two reach SF's to NC State, but we're still in play for one & now have a scholarship to play with!

Just can't wait to fire TCU's "Run N Gun" coaches & replace them with either a Post-Centric or Grit N Grind one, then turn the pace down to negative 11 LoL

[PilotMan]

This looks very similar to a college game I played back in the early aughts. Except with a whole lot more and pumped on steroids. I haven't done an online league in years (for any sport) but I think I'm down to give it another go. Is there a list of currently available teams?

[weegeebored]

Try this link PilotMan: CJBL Schools (http://jblfl.com/cjbl/schools) Click the "Available" button. It's an older list but close enough; there's about 5 or so human-controlled teams on it. As long as the school doesn't have the person icon you should be fine. I will say that I was always interested in a game like this but I have never played any multiplayer before, save for small LAN parties back in the day. I play games against the AI because I can stop when I want and don't have to worry about a deadline. But CJBL is damn fun -- an active community, annoying ADs (see Duke :)), and a labor of love by the developer. Yesterday was "hat day", a live reveal of 5* commits. I went all-in on one recruit and lost out, so be prepared for some disappointment as well.:D Hope to see you there!

[Thomkal]

Coastal missed a recruiting phase, but didn't seem to change the few I was looking at for our last scholarship. I decided to make one offer to a big so I have some extra bodies there next season when 4 of them graduate.

[NoSkillz]

So far, so good for Buffalo - we've received three commitments so far, all from *** recruits so they will all play a large role as freshmen.

We've still got three more scholarships available but I plan on holding one (or even two) back in hopes of balancing things out a bit (ie: save a scholarship for next year's class) while also having one available in case there is a good transfer candidate next offseason.

Interestingly enough, I've got a **** recruit visiting our campus right now in a surprising development. I don't expect to sign him but it's nice to see that our little mid-major is starting to gain some respect from the better recruits.

What a fun experience so far...and I haven't even seen our team play yet. High recommendation to anyone out there looking to join...

[PilotMan]

I put in. Just waiting on the official ok.

[Thomkal]

Welcome PM, what school are you taking?

[PilotMan]

My plan is to grab NDSU and NKU both. No need to mix it up with the big boys. They both need a little love.

[BishopMVP]

Ooh awesome, snagged both my 4* SF & the top 150 Australian PG I liked more than my initial PG signee. That gives Charlotte 4 players in the top 218 :) The 4* will be an interesting study in how positions matter - jblfl.com/cjbl/players-hs.php?pid=32798 is 6'5 205 with a D in Rebounding & Strength... I have no idea why he lists himself as a SF/PF instead of an SF/SG, and I'll see if there's a penalty on court or he gets mad at me if I try to play him at SG. (Worst case I can get away defensively with him at the 3 surrounded by longer players who are good rebounders for their positions, and let him go on offense.)

Now let's get recruiting finalized, activate coach hiring, and get to next season so I can see if they're actually good in action! :)

[henry296]

Ooh awesome, snagged both my 4* SF & the top 150 Australian PG I liked more than my initial PG signee. That gives Charlotte 4 players in the top 218 :) The 4* will be an interesting study in how positions matter - jblfl.com/cjbl/players-hs.php?pid=32798 is 6'5 205 with a D in Rebounding & Strength... I have no idea why he lists himself as a SF/PF instead of an SF/SG, and I'll see if there's a penalty on court or he gets mad at me if I try to play him at SG. (Worst case I can get away defensively with him at the 3 surrounded by longer players who are good rebounders for their positions, and let him go on offense.)

Now let's get recruiting finalized, activate coach hiring, and get to next season so I can see if they're actually good in action! :)

I was in on him as well. Never pulled the trigger primarily because of the size and skill combination. Wasn’t sure what he was and I’m pretty good at small forward for this year.

[Thomkal]

Coach hiring stages have started

[BillyNYC]

K State made 3 offers, got 3 signings. Some level of luck involved, but all 3 make enough sense as to why:
*5 SG: Got in as soon as possible. Offered major pitch/starter/minutes.
*4 Big: International. Offered schollie 2 rounds before anyone else. Visits 1 round before. Offered starter. By time big(ger) guys got in, he was already at very high interest and held on.
*3 PG: Got in early. From Wyoming and only real competition was...Wyoming (sorry for taking him away...). Committed to KSU before anyone else of any prestige saw him.

None of the 3 are even decent at Pick and Roll, which seems ultra important. So trying to figure that out.

The 4* big I'm going to have fun trying to figure out how to best fit in. Text scouting says these 4 things back-to-back:
"Incredibly thin for his height...Needs to pack on the pounds to play at pro level...Incredibly strong...Can overpower a defender with pure strength"

He's 6'11 209. But he's A+ strength, so maybe doesn't need to be "bigger".

Also "One of the best shot blockers the league has ever seen" is fun. (5.5 BPG were most of ANY high schooler this year.)

[collegesportsfanms]

I'm interested! Where do I sign up?

[Thomkal]

Coastal did end up signing a third recruit, he of the 4.0 GPA. So that leaves us with:

SF/SG Dalton Lumpkin #348
C Caesar Conti #373
PF Ahmaad Wright JR #463

Of the three I think Lumpkin will turn out to be the best but we shall see.

How'd you guys do?

[skrath]

I'm interested! Where do I sign up?

You and anyone else who is interested can use this link to our Slack: Create Account | Slack (https://join.slack.com/t/jblfl/shared_invite/zt-e8rhhyjp-oFyNDwwuBsUnFMAUlkF17Q)

The link will expire eventually -- if it's expired, PM me for a new link.

Once you get into our Slack I can set you up with an account and assign your team. Pick an available team from here: CJBL | Schools (http://jblfl.com/cjbl/schools) (Available tab)

Recruiting is basically over and the season will start next week. As a few teams have struggled during recruiting (somewhat due to the huge influx of new users throwing out the delicate ecosystem), I am completely overhauling it with help from the community to be more of a mix of the current system and other recruiting games like NCAA 2014 with more RPG-like player interactions. Jump in now if you want to help test through the season!

We're starting the backend work for the rest of the world, so you'll be able to control any Tier 1 team around the world in a few seasons.

[weegeebored]

Coastal did end up signing a third recruit, he of the 4.0 GPA. So that leaves us with:

SF/SG Dalton Lumpkin #348
C Caesar Conti #373
PF Ahmaad Wright JR #463

Of the three I think Lumpkin will turn out to be the best but we shall see.

How'd you guys do?Not very well, but I learned a lot about recruiting. Of course, it's all going to change but that's ok. I have only signed one recruit: Jeremy Havens SF #38. I missed out on other 4*s and even 3*s, which is pretty embarrassing for Louisville. I need an SG and it wouldn't hurt to have a 3rd PG so I am scrounging around in the 2* realm. It won't bother me not to get either as long as my current guards/wings don't get injured. I also think I am going to lose a really good assistant coach, too. Such is (virtual gaming) life.

[NoSkillz]

We've stalled somewhat after scooping up three *** recruits by Hat Day but I'm thrilled to add those three to Buffalo:

PG Benjamin Cokley *** (176th in Nation)
PF/C Shaun Rakocevic *** (145th in Nation)
PF Matt Cristiano *** (243rd in Nation)

Those were our three biggest holes. My scouts think Cokley is a 3.5 star player so we'll see once we get through training camp. Cristiano is a pure scorer while Rakocevic is more of a versatile big man who is likely best suited to a defensive role.

I've struck out in the last three stages and I need one more big man to provide cover for Rakocevic, Cristiano and last year's freshman sensation Jordan Gailey.

I think I'll probably get one or two of the last three scholarships filled in this stage and if so, I'll be happy to head into the season with 13 or 14 players.

I also just had to fire my head coach - someone from the pro JBL league was going after my superstar assistant so I had to promote him in order to keep him. It will likely mean a philosophy change is coming (moving from balanced to perimeter-centric) but I think it's worth it. We seemingly have the horses to adapt well to this stylistic change.

I'm also "running" Chicago State but in actuality, my son is making the decisions on that team while under my guidance. He's a basketball loving (and dad loving) 11 year old (turning 30...haha) and I thought this game could provide some additional bonding time.

It's provided that in spades. Thanks again to Skrath - what an amazing game!

[Groundhog]

How'd you guys do?

Mixed bag for me across my 3 schools:

Utah: Didn't experience some of the issues other big schools did this year, but that was with only 3 scholarships on offer and not really having many needs with 5 returning starters. I swung for the fences on some 5* and 4* guys, surprisingly landed a top 10 5* recruit C and another top 75 4* big. However promised both of them starting roles, and return two starters in the frontcourt from last season, so probably going to piss at least someone off and I'll lose a player or two to transfers next offseason.

Columbia: Coming off 5 wins and a fairly empty cupboard as far as talent goes. Landed my top overall target in PG Kris Poster (3* #143), and another key target in PF Devon Willis (3* #343), but after those guys it was a couple of 3rd or 4th options at PG/SF/C after missing out on guys. The Ivy League 3.0 GPA restriction is fun but brutal, as so many Ivy teams were all in on the same guys. I targeted one-dimensional scorers basically (Poster and Willis aside) as they tended to have less heat on them than the more rounded guys as you'd expect. Don't know if it will lead to wins, but I think Columbia was my most successful school as far as exceeding the expectations I had going in.

Northwestern State: This has been brutal. Last two seasons I've fed on mid-tier 3* guys or hidden gem 2* players that scout as 2.5/3.5 stars, but with the growth of human ADs these guys were swarmed with offers early on. I've ended up with almost entirely 4th/5th/6th options across all positions except one very undersized PF/C, and did a late veer towards the one-dimensional offensive players ala Columbia just to snag some signings. I'll still be riding heavily on the underclassmen I've recruited over the last two seasons so it's not the end of the world, but I'm going to take a different approach with my Very Low prestige school next recruiting phase.

[Butter]

Coming into the offseason, all 3 of my teams needed point guards.

The homerun team of my 3 is Houston Baptist, an Extremely Low prestige team. Signed two top-300 players including a PG. 5 of the 6 players are from Texas, and all are 2* or higher. My strategy there was basically to just hit the home state very hard, and it generally worked, even though I lost my major pitch PG by Phase 5. Couldn't be happier with that group (unless my MP had worked).

Wright State, I have a PG on the roster who has good ratings but was a disaster on the court. Was able to pick up a top-200 OVR PG, and a couple of flexible and high upside 2* players who are combo players that can cover any of the remaining 4 spots on the floor. Still trying to fill one more scholarship to improve the overall talent level.

Dayton: A little disappointed here, as I couldn't gain traction with any highly rated recruits. After I struck out on everyone above #200, I used my major pitch on #226 PG DJ Uhlar. I only promised him 14 minutes a game, so no problems there though he did take a while to finally commit. Even after the early issues, I ended up with four top-300 players, and the #457 OVR PG who will be a spot duty type of guy. PG was the big hole on this team last year despite making it to the 2nd round of the CJBL tournament. High hopes for this team if the PG spot performs.

[collegesportsfanms]

You and anyone else who is interested can use this link to our Slack: Create Account | Slack (https://join.slack.com/t/jblfl/shared_invite/zt-e8rhhyjp-oFyNDwwuBsUnFMAUlkF17Q)

The link will expire eventually -- if it's expired, PM me for a new link.

Once you get into our Slack I can set you up with an account and assign your team. Pick an available team from here: CJBL | Schools (http://jblfl.com/cjbl/schools) (Available tab)

Recruiting is basically over and the season will start next week. As a few teams have struggled during recruiting (somewhat due to the huge influx of new users throwing out the delicate ecosystem), I am completely overhauling it with help from the community to be more of a mix of the current system and other recruiting games like NCAA 2014 with more RPG-like player interactions. Jump in now if you want to help test through the season!

We're starting the backend work for the rest of the world, so you'll be able to control any Tier 1 team around the world in a few seasons.

I just signed up for my slack account, but I haven't really done anything with it. What now?

[henry296]

I just signed up for my slack account, but I haven't really done anything with it. What now?

Wait until this evening (US) when commish wakes up (he's in Australia) and he can setup your account on the site and you can pick your team.

[collegesportsfanms]

Wait until this evening (US) when commish wakes up (he's in Australia) and he can setup your account on the site and you can pick your team.

Thanks

[Groundhog]

The homerun team of my 3 is Houston Baptist, an Extremely Low prestige team. Signed two top-300 players including a PG. 5 of the 6 players are from Texas, and all are 2* or higher. My strategy there was basically to just hit the home state very hard, and it generally worked, even though I lost my major pitch PG by Phase 5. Couldn't be happier with that group (unless my MP had worked).


Yeah you knocked it out of the park with Houston Baptist, top 100 ranked class to boot! With your class and the emergence of SFA last season, my Demons have some competition in the Southland!

[ntndeacon]

I'm looking forward to the regular season starting this evening!
Go Deacs!
Go Bulldogs!

[PilotMan]

Yep, I am really excited too.

Go Bison! Go Norse!

I really hope it looks like I made some improvements not awful failures in the offseason.

[Comey]

The preseason Quad went up, and will be pasted in the dynasty forum.

[Izulde]

Pressure is rightfully on us at UNLV. Two straight conference championships (both regular season and conference) with second round Big Dance exits. Only important guy we lost to graduation was a reserve/part-time big man.

Our star player (#10 overall recruit) PG, Kendall Houston Jr, opted to come back for his sophomore season, and we landed the #2 overall recruit in Quinn Oakley. The combination has everyone picking us to not only threepeat in the Mountain West, but finally break through to the second weekend and beyond. Sweet 16 is the minimum expectation, the Quad has us Elite 8, and at least one other person has us as a Final Four sleeper.

[ntndeacon]

Samford got some much needed quality 3*s so i was pleased with their recruiting.
Wake was second a lot in recruiting. But we got a decent point guard. That will help.

[skrath]

The 2029 season has started! After a tough recruiting period, Duke has started off strong. OSU gained the #1 prospect in Darius Moncrief and is also off to a flyer.

http://jblfl.com/cjbl/screenshots/2029_Day_17_Polls.png

Over 52% of the league (187 teams) are human controlled. Baylor, Virginia Tech, Boston College among the higher prestige teams still available.

[PilotMan]

Yep, I am really excited too.

Go Bison! Go Norse!

I really hope it looks like I made some improvements not awful failures in the offseason.


You can call me CHAMP/CHAMP baaaaaay-beeeee!

[BishopMVP]

You can call me CHAMP/CHAMP baaaaaay-beeeee!Congrats PM! And I'd say it was a fairly successful year across the board for FOFC members. Lot of conference champs & going to be a lot of NCAA tourney teams represented from here!

[ntndeacon]

Just took a third team!
Cal St. Northridge

[PilotMan]

I did to by grabbing George Mason at the end of the year. I'm looking forward to getting to do full recruiting for my teams this year, instead of just getting the dregs and cast offs from everyone else's leavings last year. Thankfully, that still worked out for us.

[Sublime 2]

Our lone real bright spot between Nevada and Boston University is BU freshman PF Darren Suggs leading the country in scoring at 25.1ppg on fairly efficient shooting. He's got significant holes in his game, but the kid can put the ball in the basket.

[Young Drachma]

I think Subby, et. al. have convinced me to sign up for this league because I've got a hankering to play online again. How does one get registered?

[britrock88]

Unfortunately all of the main pages are hidden behind a login (as everything is run through a scouting "fog of war") so you won't be able to see them without an account. The screenshots above do a good job of showing the interface. However, if you'd like to see what teams are available, you can access this page without a login:

CJBL | Schools (http://jblfl.com/cjbl/schools)

Human teams have a user icon next to them.

Anyone who would like to sign up - just PM me your email so I can invite you to our Slack and send you the signup link.

Other links that are relevant as a general guide (aimed at the pro league, JBL):
JBL | Rules (http://jblfl.com/about)
JBL | Rules (http://jblfl.com/guide)

I think Subby, et. al. have convinced me to sign up for this league because I've got a hankering to play online again. How does one get registered?

PM skrath--see the quoted post above.

[britrock88]

Interesting learning curve in my first season at the helm.

Mississippi State couldn't notch 10 wins. Bright spot was senior PG Bjorn Fuller who posted an insane assist/turnover ratio of 6.8:0.4.

Loyola Marymount notched an upset over Gonzaga, but was middling in the WCC.

Dartmouth actually finished with a winning record at 13-12, but missed the selective Ivy tournament.

[weegeebored]

Congrats to PM; he obviously did a great job. This is a fun league, and the more human-controlled teams the better. I took a second team after the games had already started. I did not have the same results as PM as Air Force only had 9 wins. In my defense the roster is pretty bad. Big ACC conference tourney game for my other team, Louisville. Facing Syracuse tonight, a team that I beat fairly easily on my home court but got dominated by them in NY. I probably need to get to the conference finals to get a CJBL tournament bid. No pressure. :)

[BishopMVP]

Just took a third team!
Cal St. Northridge
Oh god, we lost another one to the #BigBest cult

If the guy running UMass does have to step away in the offseason due to time crunches I'll try and take over that, at least as a placeholder until he wants it back.

I think Charlotte is safely in, and all the pods talk about the S.o.S. but end up at the same conclusion I do - 30/31-3 with 8/9 Quad 1/2 wins & 3 losses all to Quad 1 teams would make it. Big two games for seeding though - I could see anywhere from a 6/7 if I win both to a 12 & possibly even a play-in game if I lose tonight to Skynet LaTech. Gonna beef up the schedule even more next season after rematches with Dayton & Buffalo - if any Power teams want to play LMK, I'm willing to travel ;)

TCU blows, but I guess we did improve from RPI 297 to 161, so we're up to run of the mill bad. Defense actually got worse, though I recruited more for talent than system fit (star FR post isn't great on D, my only PG is short & not a great athlete) so I'll either need to focus on system fits now that I have enough competent talent coming back or give up on trying to be the GnG of the Big XII, even though I think that's TCU's best shot at being a contender since they can't recruit vs the top 5 teams.

[Thomkal]

Coastal Carolina recovered from a pretty mediocre season before i took over to its best ever 21 win season and tied with the other human owner Texas State for the Conference title. Coastal won the tiebreaker though. We've made it to the semifinals where the only CPU team to beat us this season (by 20) is looking for a repeat of that.

[PilotMan]

I think that the A10 is a sleeper group. Nice banter and Butter does a really nice job of posting about it. There are a few more openings if anyone wants to jump in on the next power conference.

[Butter]

A10! St. Louis is kind of a disaster but has good prestige. St. Bonaventure has low prestige, but could be top-half with some decent guard play. One guy had Fordham for like a week and they improved a bit. They have high academics.

The Southland and the Horizon league I am also in are quite competitive and under the radar. Abilene Christian in the Southland is setup for success. Milwaukee in the Horizon is as well.

[BishopMVP]

C-USA had 4 of the top 7 mid-major teams, 2 more solid ones in Marshall & Huck's UTSA, and a marshmallow soft bottom half we all beat up on. LaTech is the best AI run team in the game somehow and returns everyone next year, and UTEP has some solid Freshmen.

Big XII can't seem to hold onto owners. Texas Tech has 2 good FR guards & a Soph PF to build around, OK State has high prestige but pretty much only one good young player, and Baylor can go die in a fire for all I care. But that's a chance to get in on a high major conference that isn't as intimidating as the Pac-12 or the ACC, where BC is available and the laughingstock of the CJBL.

[kingfc22]

Come join the Southland!

[Groundhog]

Southland is a lot of fun, especially with more human ADs. I expect it to be very competitive over the next couple of seasons now that recruiting has becomes more difficult by orders of magnitude. I went from all 3* rated recruits in year 1 and 2, to dumpster diving 2* and 1* dudes last offseason (none of the ones I ended up with were initial targets, outside of one very undersized 3* big), which I think is more indicative of how it will be for low prestige schools going forward, outside of the odd steal. I'm leaning heavy on those first 2 classes still, so once they graduate it's going to get interesting.

My other school Utah have made it out of the meat grinder and into the Pac-12 Tourney final. Didn't expect it, and the recruiting struggles of some of the other top schools obviously helped. We also didn't graduate anyone of note and added a solid recruiting class. Hoping for a #2 seed and maybe a long shot at a #1 seed if we can win the Pac-12 final versus underdog Oregon State, but our foul struggles and inability to keep other teams off the offensive glass puts a ceiling on us I think, as much as we try to slow the game down to hide that. :D

Also picked up Columbia in the Ivy league late last season, and took them from the bottom to 3rd place which I'm happy about. We picked up a couple of solid recruits, in particular our #1 target PG Kris Poster. He led us in scoring at 13.7 PPG on a ridiculous .522 shooting from 2, and .489 from 3. I bumped up his primacy as the season went on and it barely affected his efficency, so I expect he's going to be a major contributor throughout his career... assuming he doesn't transfer to a bigger school. :D

[Thomkal]

Coastal Carolina recovered from a pretty mediocre season before i took over to its best ever 21 win season and tied with the other human owner Texas State for the Conference title. Coastal won the tiebreaker though. We've made it to the semifinals where the only CPU team to beat us this season (by 20) is looking for a repeat of that.

We managed to beat the CPU team but at a big cost. Lost our best player for probably the rest of the season. :( Have to decide who to replace him with but the likely suspects aren't looking too good at the moment.

[PilotMan]

I've heard that NKU is all the rage in the Horizon. We knock out Butter and Wright St tonight to advance in a sad duel.

[henry296]

Southland is a lot of fun, especially with more human ADs. I expect it to be very competitive over the next couple of seasons now that recruiting has becomes more difficult by orders of magnitude. I went from all 3* rated recruits in year 1 and 2, to dumpster diving 2* and 1* dudes last offseason (none of the ones I ended up with were initial targets, outside of one very undersized 3* big), which I think is more indicative of how it will be for low prestige schools going forward, outside of the odd steal. I'm leaning heavy on those first 2 classes still, so once they graduate it's going to get interesting.

My other school Utah have made it out of the meat grinder and into the Pac-12 Tourney final. Didn't expect it, and the recruiting struggles of some of the other top schools obviously helped. We also didn't graduate anyone of note and added a solid recruiting class. Hoping for a #2 seed and maybe a long shot at a #1 seed if we can win the Pac-12 final versus underdog Oregon State, but our foul struggles and inability to keep other teams off the offensive glass puts a ceiling on us I think, as much as we try to slow the game down to hide that. :D

Also picked up Columbia in the Ivy league late last season, and took them from the bottom to 3rd place which I'm happy about. We picked up a couple of solid recruits, in particular our #1 target PG Kris Poster. He led us in scoring at 13.7 PPG on a ridiculous .522 shooting from 2, and .489 from 3. I bumped up his primacy as the season went on and it barely affected his efficency, so I expect he's going to be a major contributor throughout his career... assuming he doesn't transfer to a bigger school. :D

Excited for the Poster / Glasco rivalry for the next three years.

[tarcone]

I would like a shot at Saint Louis.

How do I join?

[PilotMan]

YES!

http://jblfl.com/signup

Jason is in Australia, so he gets up around 6pm, but he should be up if you're on overnight. Good time to get in.

[skrath]

I think Subby, et. al. have convinced me to sign up for this league because I've got a hankering to play online again. How does one get registered?

Sent you a PM!

Interesting learning curve in my first season at the helm.

Mississippi State couldn't notch 10 wins. Bright spot was senior PG Bjorn Fuller who posted an insane assist/turnover ratio of 6.8:0.4.

Loyola Marymount notched an upset over Gonzaga, but was middling in the WCC.

Dartmouth actually finished with a winning record at 13-12, but missed the selective Ivy tournament.

You started with three really tough teams and I think you've done pretty well. I think there's a good base there though, and supplemented through a good recruiting period you'll be a lot better next year.

I would like a shot at Saint Louis.

How do I join?

Sent you a PM!

For all new users, we're about to head into the National Tournament, and then we'll have the offseason, where recruiting for the upcoming season occurs. The reason it occurs in the offseason is due to the requirement that the pro league and college are synchronised for the draft, and to give college users more activity during the pro offseason.

This year is a big change for the recruiting engine (total rewrite), so we're running a few beta/test runs first of recruiting before the real thing. It will take a few weeks of the offseason at least. So, if you're a new user and want to hold off until that beta testing is complete, I understand.

However, if you're willing to put up with a bit of dev, it will allow you to have a few runs through without any consequences and then start the new season with proper recruiting, which will benefit you greatly as a newer user.


As an aside, Groundhog and murrayyyy are helping me with the league set up for the rest of the world (Europe and beyond). It's still a few months away, but that'll be an exciting move where you can take on control of any professional team in the world -- tier one to start.

[Chief Rum]

Our lone real bright spot between Nevada and Boston University is BU freshman PF Darren Suggs leading the country in scoring at 25.1ppg on fairly efficient shooting. He's got significant holes in his game, but the kid can put the ball in the basket.

I didn't realize that was you, Sublime. I'm Matt Stars over there (Indiana, others).

[Chief Rum]

Congrats to PM; he obviously did a great job. This is a fun league, and the more human-controlled teams the better. I took a second team after the games had already started. I did not have the same results as PM as Air Force only had 9 wins. In my defense the roster is pretty bad. Big ACC conference tourney game for my other team, Louisville. Facing Syracuse tonight, a team that I beat fairly easily on my home court but got dominated by them in NY. I probably need to get to the conference finals to get a CJBL tournament bid. No pressure. :)

And you're Brian W over there. Cool.

Lol... we all should have signed up with our FOFC names.

[Butter]

Lol... we all should have signed up with our FOFC names.

Me, PilotMan, Subby, Izulde, Comey, and ntndeacon are all ahead of the curve. Other than that, I know many others are members but don't remember who's who. It doesn't matter that much, but it would be nice to keep everyone straight. I believe there is a post on Page 3 that is a partial list, but there has been a lot of movement and addition this season.

And Radii, forgot him.

[weegeebored]

And you're Brian W over there. Cool.

Lol... we all should have signed up with our FOFC names.Yes I am. I probably should have used weegeebored but I wasn't sure how legit names had to be when I signed up.


Edit: Changed my Slack name to Brian W(eegeebored), kind of a compromise between the original and FOFC name.

[henry296]

i changed my display name to match my FOFC name.

[Sublime 2]

i changed my display name to match my FOFC name.

Ditto.

[tarcone]

Ditto.

Double ditto

[britrock88]

You started with three really tough teams and I think you've done pretty well. I think there's a good base there though, and supplemented through a good recruiting period you'll be a lot better next year.

Thanks for the confidence boost. I was rather pleased with what I was able to get out of Dartmouth and LMU. I knew Miss. State would be tough--mainly, I was disappointed that I couldn't get anything out of the one quality upperclassman on the roster.

I have patience enough to give myself a full cycle at each school (unless I make hay at one of the lower-level ones and decide I deserve to move up). I am looking forward to firing myself if I have to, though! :D

[DavidCorperial]

I'm in with Hartford, don't talk much here but am there.

[Comey]

Me, PilotMan, Subby, Izulde, Comey, and ntndeacon are all ahead of the curve. Other than that, I know many others are members but don't remember who's who. It doesn't matter that much, but it would be nice to keep everyone straight. I believe there is a post on Page 3 that is a partial list, but there has been a lot of movement and addition this season.

I'm super ahead of the curve, since Comey's just my name. ;)

[Comey]

Just a heads up...we'll be podding tonight, starting around 9pm EST, with conference tournament talk and updates. We're starting to look at the tournament (Murray, Muns and I comprise the CJBL Tournament Selection Committee), and this year has provided us with some giant headaches.

The Tournament Selection Show will be on Sunday evening, probably around 8pm EST. I imagine I'll make it an audio/visual show like last year, since I have the template for the bracket that I made last season). It is the most fun college pod of the year (though I think we'll have a more concrete schedule next year).

Anyway, I know we'll be podding at the same time as the JBL pod, but I'll post the link in Slack for any CJBL ADs who want to listen live tonight.

[ntndeacon]

Remember there is a list of FOFC folks with teams on post 91 thanks to britrock. It hasn't been updated, but it has the folks that were there at that point.

[Izulde]

We've captured 3 straight regular season Mountain West crowns (well 4, but one was AI), and are gunning for our third straight conference tournament title to boot in tonight's sim.

5* recruits Kendall Houston Jr and Quinn Oakley are pretty much certainties to head to the JBL after this season, so unless I can keep my recruiting magic going, the streak will likely end next year.

[BishopMVP]

Just a heads up...we'll be podding tonight, starting around 9pm EST, with conference tournament talk and updates. We're starting to look at the tournament (Murray, Muns and I comprise the CJBL Tournament Selection Committee), and this year has provided us with some giant headaches.

The Tournament Selection Show will be on Sunday evening, probably around 8pm EST. I imagine I'll make it an audio/visual show like last year, since I have the template for the bracket that I made last season). It is the most fun college pod of the year (though I think we'll have a more concrete schedule next year).

Anyway, I know we'll be podding at the same time as the JBL pod, but I'll post the link in Slack for any CJBL ADs who want to listen live tonight.
Not sure I'll be at a computer around 9pm, but I'll definitely be listening and seeing how it matches up with my thoughts so far... seems like a weak bubble where no teams who miss can feel aggrieved, and a couple who wouldn't make it in a normal year will end up in - some schools like UVa & Gonzaga who seemed like they could fall onto the bubble are still comfortably in once you dig in. But seeding from 6-11/12? Good luck :eek: Even teams like Cincy & VCU who probably are that good don't have the resumes to back it up (with the AAC falling off the map this year). Pitt's solid, but why are they #24 while NC State is #36? Are any of the SEC teams other than Kentucky actually good? (And how is Florida 10th?) I don't care where Charlotte is as long as we're in (and not matched up against the best team in the country again in Round 1! ;) ), but I thought for sure I'd be in the 10-12 range even a week ago, but looking at it now if I win at Western Kentucky there's a real argument for us being a 6 seed.

It's largely due to Coronavirus timing, but somehow I both know & care more about this league than actual NCAA bball this year ;)

[dawgfan]

Just hoping Washington can get through the first round without Lopez as I'm pretty sure he'd be back for a second round game. I'll be curious to see if our flameout in the Pac-12 Tourney without Lopez will drop us out of #1 seed contention...

[ntndeacon]

I'm just waiting to see who Wake and Samford play in their post season tourneys...Wake in JIT and (hopefully) Samford in the main dance

[Groundhog]

Just hoping Washington can get through the first round without Lopez as I'm pretty sure he'd be back for a second round game. I'll be curious to see if our flameout in the Pac-12 Tourney without Lopez will drop us out of #1 seed contention...

I'm hoping that a Utah win over Oregon State is enough to bump me up to a #1, but I doubt it given your body of work over the course of the season. Think best I can do is a #2 with a win, and maybe as low as #3 with a loss.

[dawgfan]

I'm hoping that a Utah win over Oregon State is enough to bump me up to a #1, but I doubt it given your body of work over the course of the season. Think best I can do is a #2 with a win, and maybe as low as #3 with a loss.
Looks like the Oregon State loss gives me a 2nd Quad 2 loss. The 8 teams below me in the current poll have 1 or no Quad 2 losses, so I'm concerned. On the other hand our 15-3 in Quad 1 is behind only Iowa State in percentage and tied for the most overall Quad 1 wins, so maybe that balances out the Quad 2 mark of 4-2.

[MrBug708]

Looks like the Oregon State loss gives me a 2nd Quad 2 loss. The 8 teams below me in the current poll have 1 or no Quad 2 losses, so I'm concerned. On the other hand our 15-3 in Quad 1 is behind only Iowa State in percentage and tied for the most overall Quad 1 wins, so maybe that balances out the Quad 2 mark of 4-2.
I have no Quad 2, 3, or 4 losses (Arizona). I'm not so good in Quad 1 %

[BillyNYC]

I have no Quad 2, 3, or 4 losses (Arizona). I'm not so good in Quad 1 %

You and I (Kansas State) have remarkably similar resumes.

Record/Q1/Q2/Q3/Q4:
K State: 21-10 / 2-10 / 8-0 / 7-0 / 4-0
Arizona: 22-11 / 4-11 / 7-0 / 8-0 / 3-0

RPI/SOS/TVI/ in-game ranking (whatever it's called)
K State: .616 / .595 / .129 / #32
Arizona: .614 / .596 / .136 / #34

Best win/worst loss
K State: #11 Texas / @ #46 Michigan
Arizona: #4 Colorado / @ #40 Stanford

Common opponents: Both beat LSU and New Mexico

Would be a fun 8/9 game I think, but my vibe is that I'm more a 10. We'll see!

[Thomkal]

We managed to beat the CPU team but at a big cost. Lost our best player for probably the rest of the season. :( Have to decide who to replace him with but the likely suspects aren't looking too good at the moment.

Well the replacement was the leading scorer somehow and Coastal takes the Sun Belt!

[ntndeacon]

Samford takes the SoCon

[PilotMan]

NKY laid an egg tonight, but will get an invite to the JIT, despite that.

[tarcone]

Just a heads up. My lap top crashed. I’m taking it to a shop tomorrow.

[Thomkal]

NKY laid an egg tonight, but will get an invite to the JIT, despite that.

Sorry PM!

[Izulde]

Quinn Oakley got limited to 8 points, 10 rebounds, and a block, but Kendall Houston Jr carries us with 10 points, 10 assists, 4 steals, and 3 rebounds to beat New Mexico. Props also to Las Vegas negative Tyreek Beans, who was 5/9, 2/4 for 12 points to lead us in scoring along with Aleem Marshall. The freshman Beans is a player I rate highly, and he beat out two-year starter Cayne Springer at the SG spot, and then Springer lost the backup minutes early in the season to another freshman, undersized combo guard Antwoine Warech, who plays better than his recruit/star rankings suggestion.

On to the Big Dance. IIRC we were a 7 seed the last two years. This year, despite having two of the best players in the country in KHJ and Oakley? We might get hosed with a 6-7 seed again (I personally think we're a 4-5 seed). But we'll see. Despite being a Top 15 team in a lot of polls and this being considered a wide-open field, no one thinks we have a shot at more than a Sweet 16 appearance.

[skrath]

National Tournament time. Good luck everyone!

http://jblfl.com/images/2029_CJBL_Tournament.png

[Thomkal]

If Coastal Carolina loses by 10 or less against Villanova, I'll consider it a victory. :)

[dawgfan]

Happy that Washington is at full strength. At least that way if we bounce early we have no excuses and no "what ifs?"

[Butter]

Just a heads up. My lap top crashed. I’m taking it to a shop tomorrow.

Luckily for you, unless you are AD of a tournament team, there isn't much to do right now.

[skrath]

Luckily for you, unless you are AD of a tournament team, there isn't much to do right now.

Next season I'm adding the CBI and possibly another tournament below to ensure that most human ADs get a post season tournament at least. It's tough as you don't want to devalue the tournament experience, but want to make sure everyone has something to look forward to (other than recruiting).

[Subby]

Great time to take a team - Sweet 16 happening tonight, so you have time to get a feel for your team before recruiting and the rest of the off-season kicks off.

We have three teams - Georgetown, William & Mary, Cal State Bakersfield

Extremely deep sim, very active slack channel(s).

[PilotMan]

Next season I'm adding the CBI and possibly another tournament below to ensure that most human ADs get a post season tournament at least. It's tough as you don't want to devalue the tournament experience, but want to make sure everyone has something to look forward to (other than recruiting).

I think that the Junkyard is a perfect name for the bottom tourney.

[HerRealName]

Great time to take a team - Sweet 16 happening tonight, so you have time to get a feel for your team before recruiting and the rest of the off-season kicks off.

We have three teams - Georgetown, William & Mary, Cal State Bakersfield

Extremely deep sim, very active slack channel(s).

I'll take a team if there's still one available. Any team is fine with me.

[kingfc22]

I'll take a team if there's still one available. Any team is fine with me.

You can view jblfl.com/cjbl/schools and any school without a person icon next to the school name is available.

You can also sort by Prestige. Texas Tech, VA Tech and Baylor are the highest available.

[PilotMan]

Or you can come to the Summit, which is full of available teams, so you can curbstomp the AI in oblivion!

[HerRealName]

Or you can come to the Summit, which is full of available teams, so you can curbstomp the AI in oblivion!

The Mastodons are just sitting there waiting to be taken?

I'll go with Texas Tech. I've been sending them all my money for the last 2 years and I have to make the terrible drive to Lubbock again in a couple of weeks. Maybe this league will take my hatred and turn into a mild dislike for the school :)

[Groundhog]

Utah are through to the Elite Eight in less than convincing fashion with yet another come back win, this time over Syracuse and top JBL prospect Kobe Thomas. We've trailed all opponents at the half, including 1st round #16 seed Bryant, by an average of 10.6 points. We're then going to outscore teams 16.3 in the 2nd half, but probably not the best strategy to lean on if we want to make it past the next round.

We've got Subby's #2 seed Georgetown and their star studded backcourt up next who, along with Colorado, would probably have the best case to argue that we stole their rightful seeding.

[dawgfan]

The Final Four is a very FOFC affair with me, Subby, RedKingGold and Butter advancing. Butter's Dayton team has to be the story of the Tournament so far as the 5th seeded Flyers have taken out the 4th, 1st and 2nd seeds in the Midwest bracket.

[PilotMan]

The Final Four is a very FOFC affair with me, Subby, RedKingGold and Butter advancing. Butter's Dayton team has to be the story of the Tournament so far as the 5th seeded Flyers have taken out the 4th, 1st and 2nd seeds in the Midwest bracket.

HEY! They also took out the 12th seed NDSU Bison, who put up a fair fight, and were predicted by some to cause problems (and possibly upset). I DO feel better about not getting steamrolled for sure! Love to the 12 SEED!

[dawgfan]

HEY! They also took out the 12th seed NDSU Bison, who put up a fair fight, and were predicted by some to cause problems (and possibly upset). I DO feel better about not getting steamrolled for sure! Love to the 12 SEED!
Sorry, should have listed that too. I was focused on the upsets of higher seeds, but fair point on NDSU.

[Chief Rum]

Really, only the top seed was an upset because Dayton was actually a two seed.

:p

[PilotMan]

Sorry, should have listed that too. I was focused on the upsets of higher seeds, but fair point on NDSU.

I was just teasing and being silly. We're inconsequential!

[Izulde]

Yeah, Dayton's tournament run has been amazing - especially since there were some who had them pegged to go out in the first round to PM's Bison.

Meanwhile, SSDY for UNLV. Win the first round, fall in the second by single digits.

Quinn Oakley's choker butt and Kendall Houston Jr. both declared for the draft as expected, though KHJ seriously contemplated coming back to get us to the Sweet 16.

Instead, it's going to be a rebuilding year next season - I don't trust Joshua Feaster as the lead point guard and Antwoine Warech is a combo guard. Gabe Klines has been a starter before, but there's no other depth at big man to speak of, as Oakley left and Stanford transfer Dakota Trimble leaves after two seasons as a solid backup.

The only set positions are SG/SF where Tyreek Beans got better as his freshman year went on, Aleem Marshall is our third-best player who finally found his shooting stroke in his junior year, and Troy Reese made strides in his sophomore season.

[Thomkal]

<---schedule's Dayton for next season if its going to be a rebuild :)

[Butter]

Not a rebuild. Sorry!

We need to get a shooting guard in for one senior, but otherwise will be able to hopefully just recruit for the best available with interest.

[muns]

Really, only the top seed was an upset because Dayton was actually a two seed.

:p

I'd be willing to say Dayton was under seeded, but they weren't a 2 seed resume wise. Butter did a hell of a job with them and had them peeking at the right time.

[NoSkillz]

I just want to reiterate that many on here have said - if you aren't in this league but have been on the fence, join ASAP.

Super deep sim, amazing commish/owner/game designer, equally amazing community of team A.D.'s and a ridiculously vibrant Slack channel.

I took my Buffalo Bulls to the National Tournament after a conference regular season and tournament winning year and then find out after a close first round loss to highly ranked UNLV that my prized freshman has declared for the pro JBL draft! He was one of the top ranked scorers in the nation but FFS...we're Buffalo! Who declares as a freshman out of the MAC? :)

Anyways, I'm taking it as the ultimate compliment that we did something right with the team and the kid.

What a great game. Get in while you can!

[Butter]

I'd be willing to say Dayton was under seeded, but they weren't a 2 seed resume wise. Butter did a hell of a job with them and had them peeking at the right time.

Even if we had been a 4 and MSU a 5, it wouldn't have changed anything really.

And I don't think we had the resume to be a 3 at all.

[BishopMVP]

Congrats to Dawgfan on his win, Butter on his Dayton run(and thanks for the PM! ;) ), and every other FOFC'er on our general domination of the AI ;)

[jct32]

I'm the Tulsa team. Anyone want to smack me around in a non-conference game for my first season?

[Butter]

Houston Baptist or Wright State has openings. One of them would play Tulsa or just about anyone else.

[jct32]

Houston Baptist or Wright State has openings. One of them would play Tulsa or just about anyone else.


Thanks! Requests sent!

[Izulde]

Our failure to make the Sweet 16 cost us dearly. Although we increased our prestige, New Mexico (which now has a new AD after the previous one got hired by Virginia) and San Diego State have both now jumped us and are High prestige. So we're now third in the conference prestigewise.

Oakley declared as expected, and after mulling over it, KHJ ultimately declared as well. Great for our future prestige (Oakley is almost certainly a Top 2 pick lock; KHJ expected to go in the first round), but man... it's going to be ugly next season. Huge holes and now behind the 8 ball prestige wise for recruiting.

[ntndeacon]

Wake at least made the Final 4 in the JIT :)

[Thomkal]

Commish has "flipped the switch" to next season, so while he is taking a short "hiatus" while working on recruiting, you can do things like fire your coaches (only time you can fire your head coach), put in requests for your out of conference games, and you can see what tournament you are in and who you will play in your rivalry game. Prestige for some teams has changed, and probably a couple other things I'm forgetting.

[RedKingGold]

It’s fun to read back in this thread and see how many people are now in the Slack channel and hooked to the crackpipe.

[skrath]

It’s fun to read back in this thread and see how many people are now in the Slack channel and hooked to the crackpipe.

202 (56.4%) teams are human controlled :D

[Chief Rum]

Commish has "flipped the switch" to next season, so while he is taking a short "hiatus" while working on recruiting, you can do things like fire your coaches (only time you can fire your head coach), put in requests for your out of conference games, and you can see what tournament you are in and who you will play in your rivalry game. Prestige for some teams has changed, and probably a couple other things I'm forgetting.

Transfers probably gonna happen, too, I think.

[tarcone]

Okay, I am back up and running and have time tonight. I will get back into page and learnt the game.

[BishopMVP]

Commish has "flipped the switch" to next season, so while he is taking a short "hiatus" while working on recruiting, you can do things like fire your coaches (only time you can fire your head coach), put in requests for your out of conference games, and you can see what tournament you are in and who you will play in your rivalry game. Prestige for some teams has changed, and probably a couple other things I'm forgetting.
Oh I'm pretty sure you can always fire your head coach. Even if skrath thinks he's turned that button off someone will click it enough to find a way :lol:

[Thomkal]

Oh I'm pretty sure you can always fire your head coach. Even if skrath thinks he's turned that button off someone will click it enough to find a way :lol:

Hehe, likely true.

[Butter]

Okay, I am back up and running and have time tonight. I will get back into page and learnt the game.

Still on board? We're eagerly awaiting your arrival... about to start some recruiting trials, so a great time to get in there.

[PilotMan]

yeah tarcone, you need to claim your stake in those nasty Billikens. This is a great time to get acquainted with your team.

[PilotMan]

Gonna bump this again as we've had our break and coach hiring has started. Off season in full effect, great time to get in.

[weegeebored]

To add to what PM posted, there are three above average prestige teams now available: Temple, Butler, Florida State. The others available would be Average prestige and below, but there a plenty of those for the taking. Come join the frustration..er..fun! :D

[CraigSca]

I had to drop due to lack of free time, but I highly recommend this. Very well put together and very active ownership. You cannot go wrong.

[ntndeacon]

Someone is trying to steal my Samford coach! Boo-urns to them!

[Thomkal]

Just a reminder that the Transfer stage has started. It's a bit different this season-for the 1st stage you can only respond to your players who are on the transfer list right now-you might be able to convince them to stay. Then we move on to the regular transfer stages after that.

[britrock88]

Had a pretty good brain fart by forgetting that recruiting doesn't lag by a year (and overinvesting in the transfer pool as a result). Not that it's a huge deal to only have 1 scholarship with a high-major bottom-feeder like Mississippi State.

[skrath]

Getting very close to the end of the new recruiting module development. Doing a full run-through of recruiting and then we'll be starting the real thing next week! If you haven't yet, please jump in and test as there are several important new features (calling players, conditional scholarships and much more) to get some experience with.

http://jblfl.com/images/screenshots/recruiting3.png
http://jblfl.com/images/screenshots/recruiting4.png
http://jblfl.com/images/screenshots/recruiting5.png
http://jblfl.com/images/screenshots/recruiting6.png

[Thomkal]

Just in case you haven't been checking in regularly. the newfangled recruting system starts tonight (for real!). First stage is more scouting then later stages visits and scholarship offer. Things have changed a bit since last season. There is a FAQ somewhere on the site if you need help/have questions.

[kingfc22]

Get in now. You won’t regret it.

[BishopMVP]

Yep, loving the new recruiting. Adds much more personality to the players, and the fog of war mechanic that shows where you are in relation to other schools but doesn't reveal them yet is a great compromise. Phases 3-5 are gonna be an absolute bloodbath with broken hearts everywhere... we'll all have our version of Kobe Thomas soon ;)

[PilotMan]

The work that has been put into this game is incredible. Any sim sports nerd should be checking this out.

[Izulde]

New recruiting overhaul is great, and that's with my favorite tactic (the mega pitch giant bag o'money) kicked to the wayside for now. Way better than old recruiting.

[Thomkal]

Phase 2 of recruiting has started and will last about 2 days. Tissues are available at the door.

[RedKingGold]

... we'll all have our version of Kobe Thomas soon ;)

Fuck that guy.

[BishopMVP]

Phase 2 of recruiting has started and will last about 2 days. Tissues are available at the door.
No tissues yet, that won't be until the end of 3/4 - now's the time to get hopes up!

Still sitting top 3 on #16 Sean Dunham, just ahead of ntndeacon's Wake. Good chance it's Duke & UNC that are in the 1/2 spots but haven't offered campus visits yet, though Guard is the only position Duke has anybody returning at & UNC might just run the offense through Damani Snyder who they're leading on. Plus wow just saw Duke gave one of its first 3 visits to 4* PG stud Trent Britt - we're all rooting for ya there Radii!

2nd on 4* Buovac, again to Unknown team, hoping he's a fall back option for a big program I can steal first.

Likely gonna cut bait on 5* Garrick Pope, though we'll see how the landscape looks after I get L5 scouts & calls/campus visit offers for the other options. A couple guys I really like aren't looking to commit until Late so maybe I'll take my long shot on Pope then pivot immediately to them since the scholarship would open up at the start of round 5 before they enter deciding.

[Groundhog]

Utah had more 5 star guys with above average interest in us than in previous years and so we aimed higher than usual. Too high probably! Technically we are still in with a shot at a couple of 5 star dudes, but in reality I think we'll miss out and end up with a decent 4 star guy at PG and then go dumpster diving for a swingman.

[PilotMan]

Gonna bump this back to the top and say that if you love very high level games like OOTP, FM, FOF, and love a fantastic real world set up with some insane, as in, some of the very best gaming of ANY sports sim, then this is the thing for you.

I am so addicted to this right now that nearly all other gaming has ceased and I don't even like basketball that much. As a game goes, it's top tier, bar none. While top tier college programs are mostly filled, there are a few here and there, like Western KY, who have just had their AD's leave and they left strong programs.

It's not easy, it's rough, and the nightly excitement for games is palpable. The game is still in beta, but it's like beta on crack. New features and tests are rolled out. The new recruiting system is crazy. It's hard to believe that one man has programmed all this.

The pro game lets college guys move on, and it more seasoned. There is progress being made on new Euro leagues which will open up even more opportunity for players and GM/AD's alike. With over 100 human manager, multiple weekly podcasts, it is like nothing else we've seen in here, ever.

[Thomkal]

Gonna bump this back to the top and say that if you love very high level games like OOTP, FM, FOF, and love a fantastic real world set up with some insane, as in, some of the very best gaming of ANY sports sim, then this is the thing for you.

I am so addicted to this right now that nearly all other gaming has ceased and I don't even like basketball that much. As a game goes, it's top tier, bar none. While top tier college programs are mostly filled, there are a few here and there, like Western KY, who have just had their AD's leave and they left strong programs.

It's not easy, it's rough, and the nightly excitement for games is palpable. The game is still in beta, but it's like beta on crack. New features and tests are rolled out. The new recruiting system is crazy. It's hard to believe that one man has programmed all this.

The pro game lets college guys move on, and it more seasoned. There is progress being made on new Euro leagues which will open up even more opportunity for players and GM/AD's alike. With over 100 human manager, multiple weekly podcasts, it is like nothing else we've seen in here, ever.

Like PM I'm more of a casual basketball fan. I don't know that much about offensive/defensive setups, skills to look for in recruits/players, etc. Most of the settings have default settings that you can leave as is, or play with a little to see what they do to your team or micromanage as much as you want if you know everything to know about basketball. Something for everybody.

Sadly though its going to make enemies out of each other here. Take for instance, PilotMan here who's George Mason just beat my Coastal Carolina. I now must hate him. :devil:

[Izulde]

Rough start for UNLV this year. 0-3. UW-Green Bay, who I took over this offseason and is supposed to be way worse, had almost as good a recruiting class despite bringing in a completely new coaching staff and system, and is 1-2 on the year.

[ntndeacon]

Samford had gone to the crap house and sits 0-4 after killing it last year in the Southern, and bringing everyone back. Wake looks better but sits at 2-2 but the losses are bothe to top 25 teams.(Iowa St. and Purdue) Cal St. Northridge is 2-1 .

[PilotMan]

Samford had gone to the crap house and sits 0-4 after killing it last year in the Southern, and bringing everyone back. Wake looks better but sits at 2-2 but the losses are bothe to top 25 teams.(Iowa St. and Purdue) Cal St. Northridge is 2-1 .

And you've got my NKU and NDSU teams left to play for Samford as well. We need those W's now. A loss to an 0-4 team won't go over well with the selection committee.

[skrath]

We've reached the end of the 2030 season - well done to RedKingGold who led Villanova to the title over Colorado.

As it's now the offseason and we have a week or so break of no activity, it's a perfect time to jump in and get acclimatised before recruiting starts. While we have over 200 human controlled teams, some bigger name programs like San Diego State, Oklahoma, Western Kentucky, Wisconsin, and Florida State are available.

Hit me up if you're interested!

[Thomkal]

Congrats again RKG! This really is the best time in the season to join the sim, so don't be shy. Pretty soon you'll want a second team. A few of us crazies joined the Wacky WAC with their second or third team, so we could revisit our FOBL days. Plenty of other conferences out there with FoXL'ers in them, so you won't feel alone if you join now.

[Thomkal]

Early Season Tournaments and Conference challenge games are available to look at now and Out of Conference scheduling has started and games going quickly, so check in and check them out!