Have you guys actually noticed a difference when you change strategies? Maybe I’m crazy but I Am starting to think, no change I make matters. Haha who has had a solid season in a mid or lower tier conference? I think the best I’ve had is a 15-12 season in the total of 25 seasons or so... most in the 12/13 win range.

After my last post a week ago... I decided to hop back on and try out some of the tips provided from my fellow college basketball junkies... I am in my 10th attempt and I just can’t lead a solid team to victory. Recently I took over the Southern Texas squad and managed to finish 1 game above .500. I decided to keep with the strategy already in place from previous coach. Managed to have 2 (4 star) players and the rest were 3 star. Ran a higher tempo, lots of board crashing and focusing on outside shooting... it just seems like all these games are just 50-50... I managed to beat Stanford by 15 and then lose to a bunch of bottom of the barrel schools.

I decided to stick with the man to man defense after trying to implement a zone defense in my 3 prior attempts with Vermont, Rhode Island, and St Mary’s... all teams were quickly murdered and hung around a .400. All teams I stuck with for two seasons each. Managed to do a respectable job at recruiting but other than that I’m lost.

I’ve tried a run and gun high tempo. Zone defense and accept my team will suck at man on man. Low tempo and focus on rebounding. I’ve tried staying with previous coach strategy and toyed with doin my own thing. Can somebody give me something that will help me not break my laptop???

Haha I feel ya Drewdaddy. I’m absolutely loving the game and it seems like it is so deep and there is a steep learning curve. I suck though and can’t seem to win consistently either but I keep learning something new every time I play and just remember that it will take time to build a squad to your system and you have to recruit the right pieces too.

Have you tried one just using the default Strategies the game produces for your new team? If not I recommend trying that and see if you are just choosing a bad strategy for the players you have on the roster.
And yes I've had success at a lower school in that I finish higher than predicted in my conference the first year and after 2 years winning my conference and go to the big dance but then the big boys put me back in my place. It was still exciting to get there. Hopefully my third year I can win a NCAA tourny game.

At a lower prestige school it just could be you aren't giving it enough time (2 seasons). If you are recruiting well, then it takes more than 2 seasons to create a team that is truly "yours" and allow time for your recruits to mature and produce. Recruiting is a big challenge, particularly when you have a limited budget, but is the key to success.

Keep working at it!

Yes to those saying it's a long, deep learning curve, and yes, it takes longer than two seasons. Hang in and keep trying things.

Isn't the zone defense supposed to hide your teams inability to defend? Im currently allowing 85 pts a game...based on this logic, if I go man to man, ill average 100 against me haha
Even though my players are now much more proficient in zone than man

also if my best player at SF is just not taking enough shots in a game. How can I encourage the ball to go through him more. He is head and shoulders better scorer and passer than everyone else...don't know what I can do

1. I recruit guys with a "C" or better defensive rating. Almost never take a "D" and never ever take an F.

2. Call your SF. Tell him to shoot more jumpers and to post up less. You may need to call a few times over a few weeks.

What does a C translate to when he joins your team? A 4-5 defense? Also I have been using a triangle offense with a flex thrown in occasionally. 80% offensive sets. Even though my SF proficiency in the offensive strategy, could those particular sets be devaluing a SF? Or I just need to call him a bunch and get him to quit being lazy? Haha

I was thinking for a lower level school, having a team with all 3s for Defense wasn’t bad. Just surprised at the abysmal 86 pmts per game allowed and almost 50% opp fg %. Maybe just chalk it up as, it was the first year together doing 100% zone defense? I made my coach’s defensive rating much higher than all other stats, hoping that manifests somewhere in the eventual improvement

It doesn't always directly translate, but you'll usually do well defensively with C and above Def. guys.

The most effective offenses here, for most people, are Motion, Princeton, and Triangle. I go with 2 of those 3, practice one for 20 min./week, the other for 15.