What Does D2 Look Like?

Motivation   Before I started at Prep Girls Hoops in August of 2023, my understanding of college Divisions was like a step ladder in descending order of D1, D2, D3, JUCO, while NAIA was completely foreign to me. The complexity of understanding college Divisions and Ltyevels seemed to click during a conversation I had with a college coach during the high school quarterfinals last year. I realized that the Divisions overlap, intersect, and college programs within each Division also vary in their competitive abilities. From then on, I was determined to see every Division of college basketball to increase my understanding of where high school basketball prospects should be recruited to play. I've shared some of these observations and resources on Twitter over the past few months.   Analyzing College Divisions and Levels   When looking at the 2025 rankings, only 10% of girls hold an offer from a D1 or D2 program. What became exceedingly interesting to me throughout my time attending various games and practices to learn more about D1, D2, D3, NAIA, and JUCO basketball the past year is how EVERY division of basketball is divided into subsequent competitive levels. For example, a college may be classified as Division 1, 2, or 3 based on their campus/enrollment size, but that does not mean they meet the competitive requirements necessary to succeed against opponents in their division.   If a college program finishes last in their conference and does not compete or win against college programs in their conference, there is reason to believe they may qualify as Division 1, 2, 3, NAIA, and JUCO due to campus size, enrollment, athletic resources, membership, but not based on their competitive ability.   There are D2 teams in the state who could compete/defeat D1 teams in the state. There are D3/NAIA teams in the state who could compete/defeat D2 teams in the state. There are JUCO teams in the state who could compete/defeat D2/D3/NAIA teams in the state. Therefore, when evaluating college programs, it's important to realize the Division classification of the school (D1, D2, D3, NAIA, JUCO) is only the tip of the iceberg. To see the complete picture, it's important to analyze the competitive results for each program.   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2025/03/PXL_20250314_162904059.MP_-crop-3024x1986-1742243523.jpg?w=800" alt="" class="wp-image-1218138" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Northern Michigan vs. Hillsdale, NCAA D2 Midwest Regional Tournament, March 14th, 2025, GVSU.</figcaption></figure>   NCAA D2 Midwest Regional Tournament at GVSU   On Friday, I traveled to Grand Valley State University for the Midwest Regional Quarterfinals. Four games featuring top teams from the GLIAC, GMAC, and GLVC conferences took place in what turned out to be an exciting day of basketball. I noticed five or six high school players attending throughout the day but was expecting to see more high school coaches, students, and members of the girls/women's basketball community in the stands. Nevertheless, I found the experience extremely valuable for understanding what high-level Division 2 basketball players look like and how the game is played on both sides of the court. Here are a few observations that I hope will provide insight into the physical measurables, fundamental skills, and schematic qualities demonstrated on the court of a Division 2 basketball game.   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Athletic Profile/Measurables</h2>   58 of 82 guards (70%) were either 5"8, 5"9, or 5"10   12 of 82 guards (15%) were either 5"6 or 5"7   8 of 82 guards (10%) were 5"11 or taller   4 of 82 guards (5%) were either 5"4 or 5"5   No guards were under 5"4   27 of 51 forwards (53%) were either 5"11 or 6"0   17 of 51 forwards (33%) were either 6"1, 6"2, or 6"3   6 of 51 forwards (12%) were either 5"8, 5"9, or 5"10   1 forward was 6"5   No forwards were under 5"8   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">D2 Game Observations</h2>   Absorbing contact from defenders inside and finishing without flailing, flopping, or foul begging, using quality footwork and shoulder to create enough separation to finish against contesting defender with good position. The muscular build, athleticism, and speed of the players are noticeably advanced compared to high school prospects.   Finishing with both hands effectively with a floater, scoop layups, veer finishing under the defenders arm, push shots, using every inch of the backboard. Split double-teams with a double-tap low crossover dribble.   Running through the pass, show shot/pause on the catch (NO Shot-Fakes/ball-fakes, slow and ineffective), dribble both hands confidently, drop-steps, step-throughs, score through contact.   Quick and decisive reactionary movements playing off the ball, moving to keep wide spacing from teammates. Confidence and capability to make baseline hammer passes off the dribble with both hands, ability to make quick decisions and strong skip passes as the defense shifts.   Rebounding requires a determined pursuit of the ball in the air and on the floor, not holding a box-out seal.   Finishing off two feet and one foot, using footwork/pivots to win 1v1 battles, catching and shooting the ball off of two feet (the hop), nobody shoots with a 1-2 step (too slow). Every player and position needs to be a perimeter scoring threat from 3-point distance, the size/speed of athletes congests the spacing on the floor.   Everyone hustles and goes into a dead sprint to eliminate transition offense, players recover quickly on defense out of a press and have the IQ to change between man and zone defenses without a timeout. Players have the IQ to make back-cut and slip screens off the ball, can run continuity offenses, or transition into sets without a coach timeout. Everyone talks on defense and is accountable for fulfilling their defensive assignment.   Most teams play eight in a game and the bench is active, engaged, and loud whether they're playing or not.   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Final Scores</h2>   Grand Valley State defeated Quincy 108-72, Northern Michigan defeated Hillsdale 61-56, Wayne State defeated Lewis 77-57, and Ashland defeated Ferris State 62-50.

Motivation