#1 High-Quality Basketball
The quality of basketball at the D2 level is very HIGH. Sometimes, it’s even better than D1 basketball depending on the program and game. Many D2 players go on to transfer to play D1 or transferred from a D1 to play D2.
In fact, D2 schools beat D1 schools in pre-season games every year. Once again, I’ll highlight Queens University here in Charlotte, NC. They have had. a number of great seasons recently. They have beat a few D1 programs like Howard and just narrowly losing to George Mason by just one point,.
They nearly beat a D1 team twice in one tournament.
Moreover, the scoring is actually higher than at Division 1 schools and the shooting is a little better too.
Last year Gonzaga averaged 87.4 points per game, according to Synergy Sports. That’s a lot of points, right? Well, 12!!! Division 2 teams scored more than that last season.
Also, Division 2 programs can be very nice and have very up to date gyms and weight-rooms. Just check out this D2 Facility!
#2 Scholarships Are Available
A big misperception of D2 is that there’s no scholarships available.
While there are less available than Division 1, there are still 10 total full scholarships per D2 team compared to 13 for Division 1.
It is also worth noting that there are more than just athletic scholarships, if students focusing on their academics they can go on to play college basketball for free and it not be solely because of their athletic scholarship.
#3 Not Everyone Can Play D2 Basketball
Just because a player isn’t getting recruited by D1 schools doesn’t automatically mean that they can then go play D2.
Some players think or say, “If I don’t go D1, I’ll just go play D2.” Well that’s not necessarily the way it works.
You have to be good enough to play D2! Don’t believe me?
Go see a high-level Division 2 game like Queens, Lincoln Memorial, Augusta University or USC-Aiken and honestly examine if and where you would fit in those games (if at all)!
There are a ton of great highschool basketball players. Actually there are over 1 million high school boys and girls basketball players. Only 1% of those players go on to play D1. That leaves a ton of still great players to filter down to D2 and D3. The competition is still extremely stiff.
#4 You Can Still Go Pro
You can go pro out of Division 2 schools, whether that is the NBA, D-League or Overseas.
In fact, players such as Scottie Pippen, Dennis Rodman, andBen Wallace played at D2 schools.
One of my favorite teammates of all-time overseas was a point guard named . (Shout out to Zach!)
In many overseas leagues Division 2 players have long fruitful careers because they are used to the high shot volume, carrying the scoring loads, and being relied on in pressure moments just as they were in college.
If your goal is truly to go pro overseas or even higher. D2 can be the perfect fit to allow you to truly show off your game as opposed to riding the bench at a major D1 just to wear a cool jersey.
#5 Hundreds of D1 Players Transfer to D2 Every Year
Division 2 schools don’t take ALL transfers, but there are a ton of D1 basketball players that transfer to D2 programs every year.
Most Division 2 schools have a blend of high school, D1 and Juco transfers to suit their roster needs, but every single year there are 700-800 Division 1 transfers. This number is only rising.
This is because most D1 teams have 13 scholarship players and only play somewhere between 7-9 guys, which leaves many players unhappy. This is also often because these players thought they were better than they were instead of really analyzing which school is the best fit for them to play and showcase their talent.
Instead of transferring to another D1 school, nearly a quarter of D1 transfers go to a D2 school.
Ultimately, this goes back to the high quality of basketball at the D2 level…with so many D1 transfers, including high-major D1 players, the brand of basketball at the Division 2 level is really good!
Conclusion
High school players and parents need to do their research and go check out some Division 2 programs and games before making any sort of rash judgments or decisions.
D2 basketball is a great option for many players, but not for everyone. D3 is also a great option for many players too as we discussed in a previous article.
At the end of the day, however, playing basketball in college is not easy at any of the 3 levels.
It demands high-level skills, athleticism, basketball IQ, and most of all, dedication and hard work.
If a player is lucky enough to have the opportunity to play Division 2 basketball, they should count their blessings and think long and hard before dismissing it as not being good enough because, as we just talked about, the majority of the time, they’re wrong!
