Good First Impression

[nafsder2007]

In my career mode with Grambling State in ESPN that I started this afternoon I earned a whopping 8 attribute points for my coach. That's got to be a record for me. (I simmed all the games...that's how I finished in one day). I got five points during the season: Lead a team to an improved record, Lead a team to a winning record, be named conference coach of the year, win a conference championship, and make the NCAA tournament. I then had three during the recruiting process (which sadly was after I added my first five). I recruited all foriegn born guys (a tip Jami shared) and it worked. I secured two five star players (one attribute point for getting a five star player and one for getting a world recruit) from Lithuiania and one four star guy from Ireland. And then I got a point for being a top 20 recruiting class. Pretty good first year ifyou aks me.

[Jami]

Wow..nice job. I can't take all the credit for the foreign player strategy, though..I found it on the GameFAQs message board. I'll try to find that post again and post it here.

[Gophers]

Wow that cool. Maybe I should try that.

[smsbears]

I also started with Grambling last night and jumped out to a 3-1 start. They have pretty decent talent at the guard position. The guards are quick and two of the players are rated an 80 from 3. If you like big post players though this probably isn't your team though, they don't have a single true center. I play small forwards at the power forward spot, SG at the small forward spot, and power forwards at the center position. The post players are pretty inconsistent, but usually 1 of three plays pretty well in a given game. Granted my three wins weren't against the toughest opponents, but they were close games and pulled them out. I almost won at Houston, but blew a 17 point first half lead. I think this game is pretty cool. I can't ever just simulate my seasons, gotta play em.

[detroitbasketball]

Here's what Jami had for the tips:

First of all, dont recruit ANYBODY except four or five star world players until two weeks after the in-season signing period. World recruits dont take any points and wont sign until after the season, so they are safe, but you'll waste points recruiting big time players before hand. You dont get to see many attributes for world players, but they are often the easiest guys to pick up. Ok, here is where it gets fun...two weeks after the in-season recruiting, every player that wasnt signed previously by another team will either be offered a scholarship by a big school, or they wont be offered a scholarship at all until after the season. So...go through the list of players still unsigned, just scroll through all of the recruits, sorting them by star level, any player who has not been offered a scholarship that you feel like can help you, go after them. There should be plenty of four and five star guys that havent been offered scholarships. Take your pick and offer them a scholarship when you decide who you want, remember that if you have a five star world player and a five star american player the world player will be more likely to come to your school. Send any player you go after 5 emials a week, and call them every week. Visit them as much as you can. If they get enough interest to invite to campus, do so.

By the time the recruiting process has ended a couple of weeks before the conference tourneys, you should have offered all of your scholarships and gone hard after the guys you wanted. in the post season recruiting, go after your scholarship offered players HARD, visits, five emails, phone calls, everything you can do. Just email the rest of your contacts, just in case you need them, but odds are you wont. By doing this, you should get plenty of four and five star players, especially world players if you call and email them all season every week. At albany my first recruiting class was two five stars both world, and two four stars, both national

Remember, emails dont have an effect rating, so always email with your weakest recruiter whenever possible. Phone and visit with you best recruiter, which should be you, because I recommed putting all your points into recruiting and scouting until they are maxed. Some will say that it is better to go in another area because some recruits want good coaching, but you are gonna be regarded as a bad coach until your overall gets high anyway, so max out recruiting and scouting first. The scouting rating will give you more info about your recruit quicker.

At bigger schools, be selective. visit players that look great, and if it suits you, wait until you get their potential grade before offering them a scholarship. I have had a rule at all major and power schools, no scholarships to anyone under a B potential unless I dont have another choice. By doing this, you end up with a team of badasses. Every team I have left as had a rating over 95, and only Albany wasnt a 100 ovr.

[smsbears]

Wow...now I have lost three of my last five. I got beaten pretty good by Rice and Louisiana Lafeyette, and barely squeaked one out against Stephen F Austin on a last second shot. One thing I have noticed about the game that I don't like is that there seems to be this point in games against tough teams where the computer just decides it is time for them to win and they will inevitably go on a huge run, where all the sudden it is impossible for you to score. Against ULL they went on an 18-2 run out of nowhere to take the lead and pull it away, and the same thing has happened in all three losses. It is what I like to call "unstoppable mode".

[Cubbyfan99]

smsbears said:

Wow...now I have lost three of my last five. I got beaten pretty good by Rice and Louisiana Lafeyette, and barely squeaked one out against Stephen F Austin on a last second shot. One thing I have noticed about the game that I don't like is that there seems to be this point in games against tough teams where the computer just decides it is time for them to win and they will inevitably go on a huge run, where all the sudden it is impossible for you to score. Against ULL they went on an 18-2 run out of nowhere to take the lead and pull it away, and the same thing has happened in all three losses. It is what I like to call "unstoppable mode".

Thats what ESPN calls 'Clutch Factor' I turn it off if they pull ahead by alot, Clutch is the end points of both periods or thats when it kicks in.