MARCH MADNESS 2000 FAQ/GUIDE
                            For the Sony PlayStation
                                 Version 1.00
                          By Dennis L. "Fox" Doucette
                                 June 14, 2000
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|=================|
|TABLE OF CONTENTS|
|=================|
1. Revision History
2. My Cheat Code Policy for Sports Games
3. Game Modes
 A. Quickstart
 B. Exhibition
 C. Tournament
 D. Dynasty
 E. Women's Sweet 16
4. Basic Strategy
 A. Offense
 B. Defense
5. Slightly More Advanced Strategy
 A. Mixing Up the Offensive Plays
 B. Getting Lots of Steals
 C. Getting to the Line
6. Mastering the Dynasty Mode
 A. Get Thee To the Dance
 B. Recruiting a Monster Team and Keeping It That Way
 C. Player Creation and Development
7. Coming Soon
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|===================|
|1. REVISION HISTORY|
|===================|

Version 1.0 (6/14/00)--My fifth FAQ, these are becoming easier and easier to
write as my "Sports Game" writing style falls neatly into place...as long as
EA keeps making these mucho addictive games, I'll keep writing about them.

STILL TO DO: Nothing.  I've gone to great lengths to ensure that this guide is
complete.  However, don't be surprised if I put in Roster Guides as an assist
to those of you who like to advance scout your opponents.
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|========================================|
|2. MY CHEAT CODE POLICY FOR SPORTS GAMES|
|========================================|

If you read these FAQs, you'll notice that I don't include any cheat codes in
them.  There's a reason for this.  I don't believe in them.  Any idiot can go
out, find a code that gives your players the strength of Magnus ver Magnusson
and the speed of Michael Johnson and pummel on the computer until their egos
are inflated to the size of Macy's Thanksgiving Parade balloons.  Sadly, these
are the same people who, when their friends come over, proceed to lose by 75
points because they haven't got a clue how to play the game without cheating.
If you want cheat codes that badly, then go to http://sages.ign.com and get
them your own damn self.  I refuse to aid and abet cheaters.
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|=============|
|3. GAME MODES|
|=============|

This game has the pretty standard array of game modes...the one squawk I have
is that they didn't include a single Season mode...if you want to play a full
30-game season before the Tournament, you have to use the Dynasty mode...I'd
rather have seen them do this the way they did it in NCAA Football 2000, in
which Season and Dynasty were separate entities unto themselves.  I'd also
have liked to see roster compatibility with NBA Live, but beggars can't be
choosers, I guess.

|==============|
|3A. QUICKSTART|
|==============|

Does as its name implies.  Simply pick which side you'd like to play as and
let 'er rip.  This mode is useful if you're playing against young children,
because it's simple, no-muss, no-fuss, and you don't have to wait all damn
day for them to pick their team, because the teams are preselected.

|==============|
|3B. EXHIBITION|
|==============|

This is roughly the same as Quick Start, except you get to choose which team
you'd like to play as.  If you'd like to play in Rival Mode, simply press the
circle button and you'll be instantly paired up with the arch-rival of your
selected school.  I'm not going to list them all here...if you have a favorite
team you're probably pretty sure who their arch-rival is.  Just press Circle.

|==============|
|3C. TOURNAMENT|
|==============|

Here's your invite to the Big Dance...you're going to have to make the most of
it.  You can customize the teams invited (so you can re-create almost any year
from college history if you still have your old office pool brackets), or you
can just go with what the game gives you...and no fair cupcaking the other 63
teams in the tournament so you're playing all your games against conference
slappy patrols.  Six games, six wins, and you'll be cutting down the nets.

|===========|
|3D. DYNASTY|
|===========|

This is the only actual "Season Mode" in the entire game.  If you want to earn
your way to the Dance, this is the way to do it.  Choose a team to coach, and
you'll be with them for better or for worse.  If you do well in a 30-game
season, you'll get an at-large bid.  If you go 0-30 and win your conference
tournament, you'll get an automatic bid.  Just remember that the game cranks
the difficulty all the way to Senior whenever you play a team ranked in the
top 25 (this includes games in the tournament, which is nearly all of them
after the second round), so you won't be able to cheese your way through the
game.

|====================|
|3E. WOMEN'S SWEET 16|
|====================|

The foul stench of feminism makes its way into the EA Sports world as 16 of
the best women's teams match up in a four-round tournament.  I don't recommend
this mode, not because I don't believe in equality but because EA did a REALLY
lousy job with this game mode.  Besides the fact that nobody can dunk, you've
also got no commentary, no defense, and you can't put a men's team against a
women's one because they adjust the stats for the women, kind of like passing
a rule that nobody was allowed to guard your sister closer than three feet and
in, so that it's an apples-and-oranges comparison.  Let the women have their
OWN EA game...at least that way the field would be level.
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|=================|
|4. BASIC STRATEGY|
|=================|

There's more to basketball than simply throwing that orange sphere into the
hoop like it's a trained seal.  You've got to prevent your opponent from doing
it, and you've got to prevent your opponent from preventing you from doing it.
Make sense?

Seriously, mastering the intricacies of offense and defense not only allows
you to win a lot of games when the game cranks the difficulty level up in the
Dynasty Mode, it allows you to prevent a human opponent from playing Super
Cheese if he has a good three-point shooter, because you'll know how to rotate
out on D and shut that guy down, leaving your opponent wondering how he'll
EVER score on you.

|===========|
|4A. OFFENSE|
|===========|

Offensive control in this game is quite simple.  Against the computer, call a
1-4 High offense, down-screen PF.  Run the ball up the floor with your point
guard and wait for the offense to set up.  The small forward will cut toward
the basket, and when he gets to the lane, use one-button mode to throw him a
pass.  If your PG's pass rating is greater than 60, and your SF's Dunk rating
is greater than 60 (and he's at least 6-foot-7), you'll have a near guaranteed
slam dunk.  You can use this against the computer, as it's the ultimate in
Robo-Cheese play.

If you want a simple solution to taking on a computer opponent cleanly, or a
strategy that works against human opponents too smart to fall for such a dumb
parlor trick, try moving the ball around.  Be sure that your passing lanes are
open, find the open man, and don't be afraid to fire off a midrange jumper,
since this game allows for alarmingly high shooting percentages from the
floor.  Motion is the key, as is not falling into a pattern whereby your moves
become too predictable.  Don't be afraid to involve every player in the action
since ego is not an issue here...cyber-athletes don't complain that you're
holding down their scoring average.

Another worthwhile point is to remember that if your guy is quick enough, he
can dribble around a slower computer opponent, driving the lane for an easy
bucket...and also to remember that once you master One-button Passing mode,
the motion game becomes absolutely easy as pie.

|===========|
|4B. DEFENSE|
|===========|

Defense is simpler than it sounds initially.  The best defense I've found is
to line up in a Box and One, taking control of the point guard on defense and
using him as a roving man-to-man defender, following the ball.  The other four
guys will make a lot of steals as they hold their positions well down low and
occasionally come out to clog the passing lanes, and the alley-oop can be well
prevented by moving the PG down low in the center of the lane and blocking off
the route to the basket so that the cutting player must pass directly in front
of your guy rather than escaping behind him for the open jam.

Another effective defensive method is to do this same thing, except set up in
a zone package with the center blocking the lane (i.e. 2-3 Zone or 1-3-1 Zone)
so that the low-post defensive slot is always occupied...if your center is
tall and athletic (a collegiate Shaq), he will block a lot of shots and become
a defensive force...on my Portland team (yes, Portland of the West Coast
Conference...I live on Portland Street and wanted a cruddy team for a little
extra challenge), I recruited a guy who's 7-1, and even though he can't shoot
worth beans, he takes away enough points from the opponent to justify his
hideous lack of offense.
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|==================================|
|5. SLIGHTLY MORE ADVANCED STRATEGY|
|==================================|

The Basic Strategy will give you all the tools you need to defeat the computer
on a consistent basis, even enough to win year after year in the Big Dance.
But if you're looking for a couple of more tricks to give you the competitive
edge on a human opponent, then you've come to the right place.  Read on for
some ideas that have helped me as I've attempted to dominate the pretenders to
my throne of video supremacy.

|=================================|
|5A. MIXING UP THE OFFENSIVE PLAYS|
|=================================|

Don't be afraid to use the Coaching Screen to your team's advantage.  Against
the computer, you can turn the Play Notify on to practice on-the-fly playcalls
so that you'll know how your team reacts when you press the L2 button to use
this mode.

In a game situation against a human opponent, with Play Notify turned off, you
can get a strong advantage because your team will run like a well-oiled
machine while the squeals, pings, and knocks of your opponent's engine will be
a sign that this enemy is putty in your hands...or if your opponent has the
same level of practice, you can effectively counter his moves and keep his
team from gaining the upper hand.

You know the best plays from the previous section.  Try out a few more
offenses and defenses so that you'll have the full five for use against your
human foes when they come around.  Five is usually enough to keep your enemy
guessing (consider that in baseball games you only need three or four pitches,
then think about five plays).  In addition, if you've got four other plays to
fall back on, you might be able to sneak an SF alley-oop past your opponent at
just the moment when you need a quick deuce to swing the momentum.

|==========================|
|5B. GETTING LOTS OF STEALS|
|==========================|

Back in the winter of 1994, I saw this tip on NBC Sports' NBA coverage, and
when I incorporated it into my own game, I became ten times the defender I had
been and started to hold my own at the playground.  I also noticed that when I
used it in most video games (starting with NBA Live 95), I was able to bring
up my defensive skills on those games as well.

The tip is this:  When you can anticipate where the pass is going, you can
step into the passing lane within a split second of the ball leaving the hand
of the offensive player.  As you cut off the ball in mid-flight, you are also
left in perfect position to fast break for a very easy dunk or layup at the
other end.

I've got a point guard in March Madness 2000 who is the unquestioned lord and
master of this technique.  He led the nation in steals (7 per game), triple-
doubles (19 in a 30-game season), and was 5th in scoring average (21.4 ppg,
third on the team).  This is a POWERFUL technique, especially against a human
opponent who tends to run a predictable offensive scheme and always moves to
the same side...you can make a poor prison slappy out of someone like that.

Incidentally, it was Nate McMillan of the Sonics who demonstrated the method
used in this tip...always a favorite player of mine back in those days.

|=======================|
|5C. GETTING TO THE LINE|
|=======================|

This falls under the category of "dirty tricks" and is usually better used
against the computer.

Post up down low, drawing a defender, then shoot as you're moving towards the
basket.  If the computer player is practically reaching up your player's shirt
as you do this, he will surely be called for a foul...this technique is so
effective once you master it that you can even take advantage of tightly
covered players in three-point land, leaning in, drawing fouls, and getting a
LOT of four-point plays when the treys fall.

Again, this works best if the computer's in some form of tight man-to-man
coverage on defense, and if his player is too close to yours (you'll be able
to tell after some trial and error how close is too close), you can exploit
him and get him to foul out of the game...very effective for neutralizing an
opponent's hot scorer, it's like "Hack-a-Shaq" in reverse.
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|=============================|
|6. MASTERING THE DYNASTY MODE|
|=============================|

As I mentioned earlier, you're not going to be able to cheese your way through
the Dynasty mode.  You'll be up against the top schools in the nation sooner
or later, so even if you choose a Robo-Cheese conference like the West Coast
or Southern conferences, you'll eventually be forced to take on the likes of
Michigan State and Duke...and it won't be pretty if you're not prepared.

|=========================|
|6A. GET THEE TO THE DANCE|
|=========================|

There are two good ways to reach the tournament.  The easy way is to pick a
strong team in a weak conference (Gonzaga in the West Coast, Davidson in the
Southern, or Utah in the Mountain West, for example) and play the season with
an eye towards winning enough games to qualify for an at-large bid (you can
make this ten times easier by choosing a "cake" schedule).

The hard way requires a bit more skill, but if you master it, you'll be well
on your way to winning national titles year in and year out.  Pick a team in
a strong conference (weak team, strong team, doesn't matter).  You could play
as Michigan State and you'd STILL get a great workout for your skills because
the Big Ten is one of the best, if not THE best, conference in the nation.  If
you REALLY want a test, play as a team like South Carolina (a disgracefully
bad team in a power conference) and select a Brutal schedule.  By the time you
get the chance to do some recruiting, absolutely NO ONE will be able to stand
in your way as you march like a horde of barbarians through each season.

As far as winning games is concerned, remember that the game cranks the
difficulty level all the way to Senior when you're playing a top 25 team, so
to win these tough games, be sure that you have a VERY firm grasp on basic
strategy and you should be fine.  It's no different than playing 30 exhibition
games in a row, you're just being graded by the machine.

|=====================================================|
|6B. RECRUITING A MONSTER TEAM AND KEEPING IT THAT WAY|
|=====================================================|

Now this is the meat of the action.  Recruiting a monster ballclub requires
that you keep pen and paper handy.  Write down your team's anticipated needs
(remember, seniors graduate, though thankfully nobody defects to the NBA early
in this game!)...then aggressively issue invites to the kind of players that
fit your team's offensive style and game.  If you're using the strategies in
this guide, you know that Dunk rating and height are pure 24-karat gold traits
in a small forward, and you could even find a Key Contributor (rather than a
Blue Chip) who fit those needs...freeing up a Head Coach visit to secure a
dominant point guard or 2-guard, who between them would provide the defense,
passing, and 3-point shooting in a total package in the backcourt.  Centers
who can block shots are always a big plus, as are power forwards who can grab
offensive and defensive rebounds.  Find a style of play that works, and find
recruits who fit your style, otherwise you're going to have a LOT of square
pegs on your team...and your game will suffer.  This is THE KEY to success,
since in Year Five of your tenure, your roster will be made up completely of
guys whom you've selected in the Recruit "draft" after each season.

|===================================|
|6C. PLAYER CREATION AND DEVELOPMENT|
|===================================|

You could go a slightly different route and create players to use in battle.
If you do this, remember that the game is TIGHT when it comes to preventing
you from manipulating the numbers (unlike in NCAA Football where you could use
a glitch in the program to get 15 extra attribute points for each guy).  You
get 600 points for a Freshman, 700 for a soph, 800 for a junior, and 900 for a
senior to distribute any way you see fit.

I recommend creating a freshman, giving him balanced stats (literally:  Divvy
up the points EXACTLY evenly between each offensive category, and then adjust
the numbers up and/or down to better customize, but making sure no stat dips
below 66 (it becomes counterproductive).  Redshirt him his first year, then
watch him develop and play him in games.  By his senior season, you'll likely
have a guy with several (if not all) major ratings well above 85 or even (with
a little bit of luck) 95.  You'll have a future NBA MVP to build your college
squad around...always a VERY good thing.
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|==============|
|7. COMING SOON|
|==============|

This FAQ is pretty much complete as-is, but I'm thinking about doing some
Triple Play 2001-style Team Guides...I'm just not sure I want to do them for
the over 150 teams in this game...if I get some email asking for them I'll do
them, but other than that I'll probably leave this as is.  This is kind of a
short FAQ, but there's not much to say about this game that doesn't involve
restating something from the manual or providing something that's easily
available if you just take the time to read the screen.

As for what's next, I haven't really thought about it, but if you keep your
eyes on the GameFAQs "What's New" Page, you'll be able to see what I'm up to.

I'm on the GameFAQs message boards as "SimuLord", and my email address is
[email protected].

This concludes this FAQ.  Thank you, and drive through.
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