recruiting help?

[Suntan Superman]

Can anybody confirm that winning helps in recruiting? I recruit DC/Balt area pretty heavy & last season even in-conference teams I thrashed won recruits over me in my area. I wanted to know if there was something like how "wants to play for a big program" is, "wants to play for a winner" ever play a factor?

Yes it matters. I'll give a full breakdown once I'm done with work.

[acolbert]

Re: recruiting help?

Yes it matters. I'll give a full breakdown once I'm done with work.

No rush, Im at work myself!

[Suntan Superman]

Re: recruiting help?

Alright, so basically, "Wants to play for a winner" also has other effects. Based on the other two priorities. Winning always matters, if one of them is "Wants to play for Big Program" then winning against Big Programs will make a bigger improvement. If that's not one of them, then just winning against smaller programs will be fine.

[Bryan1245]

Re: recruiting help?

There's no hope for me i guess. The way that I've always done it is to get the best players possible and play balanced. That gets me to an okay school eventually and i might get a championship, maybe two. I've read through this forum and tried most of the tips the best i can and i just keep getting fired after 3 or 4 seasons. I don't know what else to do. I don't mind being patient and building but i just get fired. If i get the best available, they usually don't fit my style, if i get players that fit my style, they usually aren't very good.

[instant000]

Re: recruiting help?

The first thing to realize is that PLAYING TIME is the single biggest overall draw for a recruit, regardless of if it is emphasized, or not.

Knowing that, here's a legit tactic to get recruits:

- Only recruit certain positions certain years.
That is, one year, you only recruit SG and PF. Then, in off years, you only recruit different positions. The idea is that players will mature, and you'll have need at different positions on different years. So, one year, your SG and PF will be seniors, and then you can recruit better for those positions in that year. The next year, PG and C will be seniors, and you can then recruit those positions better.

Here's a cheesy tactic to get recruits:

- See what recruits you want, and then change your player positions, to create a deficit at their position on your roster. That is, if you see a SG and PF that you really want to get, then change your player positions, so that there are zero SG and PF on your roster. Then, all the SG and PF recruits will be VERY interested in coming to your school.

The second thing that I realized is that you have to figure out if you're going to be a sim player, or an actual-game player. If you're going to be a sim player, then you have to be very careful to how you set your coaching sliders, and also with the type of players you recruit.

If you sim a lot, then it makes sense to get players with a high tendency of shooting inside, and a low tendency of shooting three pointers. Also, use a conservative coaching slider set, that concentrates on getting back on defense. Also, you should prefer bringing it up slow, versus fast breaking.

This way, you minimize your three point shot attempts, which can throw off the consistency of your simming results a lot. (Three pointers are feast or famine in this game.)

The reason behind concentrating on getting back on defense is that crashing the boards leads to giving up fast break points on the other side.

You want to have a slower versus fast pace, because fast pace leads to more turnovers.

The sim engine is pretty decent, in how it balances these things. Sure, a more aggresive coaching slider set might lead to more stats (if you're trying to win awards for your players), but a more conservative set will provide more consistent simming results. Don't forget to get players with tendencies that lead to success, and you should be in great shape.

If you play a lot, then you need to prioritize on height, shooting ability, speed and athleticism. Height equals major shot blocking, having shooters helps your offense have something to battle zone defenses, speed helps you get back on defense or run fast breaks, and athleticism helps you dunk.

Having a very tall big man (who may only be 2-Star) can make your team into a strong contender overnight. Having a couple shooters who can nail those wing threes can keep the opponent out of zone defenses (or else punish them).

You can recruit for cheap shooters, and they can be an asset. If you have difficulty with local talent, search for bombers from Lithuania. With bigs, its nice to get the higher rated ones, but height reigns supreme during in-game situations when you need to defend the paint. If you have a tall enough big, the opponent will only score inside on break opportunities.

If you play, especially prioritize a big men who can dunk over one who cannot. It makes a difference, when you can depend on a big man to dunk it down low in traffic. Consistent points down low will make your team hard to defend against, and will open up so much more of the offense.

See here (videos are from 2K7, but the concept is the same).

http://www.angelfire.com/ms/ll3/CH2K7_Dunk_Videos.html

Hope this helps.

[Heatles]

Re: recruiting help?

I say winning does have an impact on recruiting. I play as Samford Bulldogs and we won a tournament early in the year, beating GT and UNLV. It was the first time I was able to get good signings in the signing week early in season. Got a 3* SG who was in top 100 of position.

I don't play any of the ABL, but I pick my 15 targets and get S many games as possible I those 15. I always go after 3-4 3* guys who have high interest, the rest and 2* who are high, and at positions of requirement. I agree height is so important when playing. Good teams get a heap of oBoards, so nice having a 7 footer to clean the mess, he trains at rebounding and strength all year too.

God this is a fun game. Play it 2 months religiously each March/April.. And a bit during year too haha

[EvanHarpell]

Re: recruiting help?

Wow, this thread has died. I hope someone will see this.

I just got 2k8 a few weeks back (I know, I know) as I was stuck on NCAA March Madness and 2k7. Anyway, the question is, once I move up to a bigger school in legacy, I cannot seem to change the amount of points my coach spends each week on practice/recruiting/etc. In 2k7 there was a daily view with the ability to adjust it there. Am I just missing something?

[andrewmertig]

Re: recruiting help?

My tips

Targeting ABL Prospects in your Geographical Area

1. At the start of the ABL right before the new season starts, make sure you are targeting all 15 prospects. I like to do three of each position that I'm interested in. I make sure that I'm targeting Mun/Loc/Reg prospects from my school's geographical area. For example, in my UWGB legacy, I target 15 prospects from Midwest ABL teams. Before you play or simulate the games, you can change which games you watch/play. I select the games in which I'll have the most targets playing in. The reason to target 15 ABL prospects is at the conclusion, you'll be able to see all of their attribute grades. This paints a vivid picture on how good the player is. As you become familiar with what the grade equates to for that position, you have a good idea. For instance, if a SG has a 3PT rating of B- or better, that's going to be 80 or higher. I used to not utilize the ABL at all, I'd just skip over it. Now I find it to be a vital component of recruiting. Targeting prospects in your geographical area goes hand-in-hand with what others have said about pursuing local prospects.

Adjusting Tendencies

2. While this isn't recruiting-related per se, I have to mention it. Every year when I'm cutting walk ons and setting up my roster for the season, I manually adjust all of my players' tendencies. The reason is that they get out of control every season. There's no reason why a Center should have a tendency to shoot 3PT 80/99. I don't think it's cheating because in real life if I was the coach and I had a 3PT shooter, I'd tell him to shoot more. Conversely, if I had a PF or C that couldn't shoot from MID or 3PT, I'd tell him to tone it down a bit. I don't alter FOUL tendency. **Side Note: If you want to get the achievement for Player of the Year or 2K Player of the Year, tweak the tendencies. It's easier to do with a good Center who has a high CLOSE rating. Jack up the tendency ratings very high for your best player. Make the rest of your team have very low tendency ratings. you can have a guy score 30-40 points a game easy and thus get the achievement.

Offer Scholarship Right After Red Shirt Deadline

3. Self-explanatory. Offer players that you really want a scholarship sooner than later. The best day to do it is the next day after Red Shirts are due (Indicated by the shirt on the calendar). Beat other teams to the punch. It doesn't always work, but sometimes.

Strategically Scheduling Games

4. I use my phone calendar to go back to 2007, 08, 09, etc. and I don't schedule any Sunday games. I also try not to schedule more than 2 games in a given week. Your recruiting points are impacted by how many games you have. If you schedule Sunday games, it really messes with your points and what you can offer on that day. You might get lucky and be able to Invite Recruit to Campus on a game Sunday, but stay away from Sunday games!

Recruiting Local and Points

5. I've noticed that when I recruit MUN or LOC players, even with a small school I get more bang for my buck. I'm able to do three Home Visits in a week. This is yet another reason to schedule local.

Recruiting Jr., So. and Fr. Players

6. People have different thoughts about this. If I can sign all of my players before the initial signing period, then I fill my target list with Juniors. Otherwise, I don't add any players. I just focus on the Seniors that I'm going after. I don't mess with Freshmen and Sophomores because their ratings can fluctuate a lot before Senior year. Putting Jr., So. and Fr. players in your target list and recruiting them early does help you boost the player's interest in you.

Playing Time and Having Too Many at One Position

7. This is a huge tip. Are you trying to get a good Center, but you already have two good ones on your team? Good luck! If you want a high school prospect and you have other good players on your team at that same position that aren't seniors, try changing their positions. You'll see the player's interest in your skyrocket! This is somewhat cheating, but not really. I know D3 coaches who list their guys at smaller heights and tweak their positions for recruiting purposes. I've had it before where right before the recruiting deadline I was in 2nd place to land the recruit. Then I changed the positions on my team and magically moved to the number 1 spot for that recruit. This is huge. Whether or not it's a priority, all recruits want playing time!

8. Assessing Player Interest in You

If you are a small school that hasn't won NCAA championships, you're probably not going to be able to land 5* All Americans. Gauge what types of players that you'll actually be able to land. Sometimes it's good to try for a reach, but it's OK to settle for a top 200 3* player, don't waste your time on a 4* that you're just going to lose out on in the end. Also, if you take a look at the bar graphs, you can see what other teams the player is interested in. I look for guys who have relatively low interests. You'll get better at figuring out which players you have a realistic chance with over time. As your team dominates and does better, you can go after 4* and 5* players--especially if they'll get major playing time and don't have any competition with your current guys.

9. Creating Players

It's always frustrating when you create a player and another school steals him. (I get mad and change all of his tendencies to 0). You might want to try creating him as a World prospect or from your Municipal Area.

10. Pursuing the Right Number of Players

If you're a small school, you can't aggressively pursue 15 players. You can go hard after two, maybe three. If you're a power school, you have enough points each week to go after five players pretty hard. I like to focus on just a few players and pursue them with everything I have. It's good to have a couple players targeted as "backup plans" too.

11. Check Scholarship Offers Right Before Conference Tourney

If you simulate all the way to the last recruiting day before the conference tourneys start, double check your targeted recruits to see if other teams have offered them scholarships. If they're significantly ahead of you, and you don't have a chance, bail on them and offer scholarships to other players you have a chance with.

12. Impacts of Recruiting Actions

Invite Recruit to Campus has a huge impact and can boost a recruit's interest quite a bit. The next best is Visiting that Recruit at Home. Then Scouting a Game. The less impactful actions are asking for a Tape, Calling and Emailing. Every little bit helps. The higher your Charisma rating is, the more impactful the action will be.

13. Meeting with Angry Players (Or Not)

I used to placate my players when I got the message that they were unhappy. Now I just let them go. Especially if I want to open up a roster spot. If a player leaves and transfers, that will open up a scholarship for you to use in the off season signing period.

14. Getting More Recruiting Points

I think if you actually play the ABL games it will give you more recruiting points to use. In my opinion this just isn't worth it. It takes too long and you don't get to keep those points for following years.

15. Offering Scholarships to Multiple Players at One Position

This is a NO NO unless you're a great team or have 0 players at this position on your roster or unless they are at different star levels. If you try going after two or three Centers, offering them all scholarships, that's going to hurt your chance at all three. Or you're going to sign one and turn off the other two. It's very tough to offer scholarships at the same position.
16. Summary

- Target 15 MUN/LOC ABL prospects and play/watch the games that has the most targets playing in; this will reveal all of their attribute grades

- Offer scholarships the day after the Red Shirts are due

- Target players you have a realistic chance at landing; don't target too many at once; target local

- Prospects want playing time: Either go after players you have a need for or tweak the positions of your current players to make room for recruits

- In your first few weeks before the first signing deadline, don't schedule too many games; no more than two games per week and no Sunday games

- Don't offer multiple players at the same position scholarships

[thunder09]

Re: recruiting help?

How do you recruit the Freshmen and Sophomores? All I am able to do is request a tape and after that I can't take any more actions. Is there something that I am missing or does having these recruits in your target list help increase interest?

[Brock]

Re: recruiting help?

How do you recruit the Freshmen and Sophomores? All I am able to do is request a tape and after that I can't take any more actions. Is there something that I am missing or does having these recruits in your target list help increase interest?

Watching game tape (not sure if you can do it both their Fr and Soph season, or just one) and watching/playing their ABL games. I'm pretty sure coaching/playing their abl game increases their interest.

[jbrew2411]

Re: recruiting help?

Watching game tape (not sure if you can do it both their Fr and Soph season, or just one) and watching/playing their ABL games. I'm pretty sure coaching/playing their abl game increases their interest.

The only recruiting action you can take for Freshman and Sophomores is requesting game tape. Like you said playing the ABL games is a great way to gain interest. I try to always target 2-3 freshman and 3-5 Soph during the ABL to get a start on future classes. I do the same with juniors as well. If you want to build a program on this game you better be targeting underclass men in the ABL, keep them on your list, and by junior year invest points each week in them.

[thunder09]

Re: recruiting help?

So do you gain more interest by actually playing the ABL games or do you gain just as much interest if you sim them as long as you have their game highlighted? I sim the ABL games just because I like to play every game so playing them would make each season last forever. I do make sure to highlight different targets' games though.

[jbrew2411]

Re: recruiting help?

So do you gain more interest by actually playing the ABL games or do you gain just as much interest if you sim them as long as you have their game highlighted? I sim the ABL games just because I like to play every game so playing them would make each season last forever. I do make sure to highlight different targets' games though.

With smaller schools where I need the points I play about 10 games, all 2 minutes per half. I schedule other recruits games in the ones I sim. Like you I play every game so adding the ABL games would take me a year to finish a season. I think you gain interest even simming the games since you unlock info on each recruit playing in that game like when you play the games. I always seem to have a chance at singing the guys I target so I think simming is the same as playing other then the extra weekly recruiting points. Those points allow me to target under classmen to start building a program.

[thunder09]

Re: recruiting help?

Ok, that makes a lot of sense. I may have to try playing a few games with like 2 or 3 minute halves as well. That will probably help me see which recruits I like more. Thanks for your help!

[jbrew2411]

Re: recruiting help?

Ok, that makes a lot of sense. I may have to try playing a few games with like 2 or 3 minute halves as well. That will probably help me see which recruits I like more. Thanks for your help!

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