| | Operation Sports:ESPN College Hoops 2K5: Above & Beyond By Shawn Drotar, Managing Editor, OperationSports.com Now that you've hit the hardwood with ESPN College Hoops 2K5, you might be wondering how to take your game to the next level. After all, ESPN College Hoops 2K5 can be played online over Xbox Live®, and if you want to hang with the best online ballers the world has to offer, you've got to step up.
Xbox.com and Operation Sports are here to help. Last week, we gave you some tips on how to stop the ball from going through the hoop. This week, we'll show you how to slam it through more often. Keep these in mind as you play ESPN College Hoops 2K5, and you'll be a better player before you know it. 
Is that a high-five?
A good game plan and a consistent offense are critical to your success. After all, you can't win if you can't score …
Work from the Inside Out
Needless to say, the closer you are to the basket, the easier the shot will be to make. It becomes even more important to set up easier shots in college basketball because of the wide difference in talent levels between teams—and even between teammates. Since you won't always be shooting with your best player, it's important to make each shot for your team as easy as possible. First and foremost, get the ball down low. Whether it's to your center or power forward, it's critical to make certain that every possession gets the ball into the paint at least once. This forces the defense to collapse towards the basket, and you'll likely see double-teams form quickly in the key. When this happens, someone on your team will be wide open for a jumper. If the defense doesn’t collapse on you, then it opens the door for a dunk or easy lay-up. By getting the ball inside, you dictate the pace and actions of the defense, and that's always the best option. 
Driving in to the paint.
"Swing" It—and Find the Open Man
There's nothing more important in a college basketball offense than passing the ball. Teams are adept at the zone defense, and, as such, isolating a single player with the ball is asking for trouble. To combat this effectively, it's very important to "swing" the ball—that is, kick it around the perimeter, and get it into the paint at least once. The defense will have to move to keep up with the ball, and a moving defense is a weak defense. If you never give the opposing players time to plant themselves in a solid defensive position, then they'll have a very difficult time stopping you. Keep them on their toes by using brisk, crisp passes, and, eventually, you'll find you have an open shot or a lane to the hoop for the easy deuce.
Hit Your Free Throws
This sounds simple enough, but you'd be amazed at how many games are won and lost at the charity stripe. ESPN College Hoops 2K5 uses an innovative and intuitive free throw shooting system that injects fun and drama into the penalty proceedings. There are no meters or targets anymore. Instead, you must properly time your button press and release with the player's shot animation. It's a better way of doing things, but it won't come easily at first. Take advantage of the Free Throw Practice mode whenever possible, and get to work. It'll make you a much better shooter, and then you'll be well-prepared to deal with those tense, one-point games during crunch time. 
All eyes on the prize!
Learn Your Plays
ESPN College Hoops 2K5 has a large playbook to choose from, replete with post plays, pick-and-rolls, and the tried-and-true Princeton offense. It can seem daunting at first, but get into Practice mode and learn as many of these plays as you can. The game diagrams them for you to make things easier, and once you get a feel for executing them, you'll never run a "playground" offense again. Once you find a few personal favorites, add them to your own playbook. A well-executed play at the right time can get you the buckets you'll need to win. Just be sure to change them up from time to time, because no matter how well you may run them, plays can be easily thwarted when the defense knows they're coming. Become a better coach by thinking like one, and you'll be on the right track.
ESPN College Hoops 2K5 rewards the savvy offensive player with a myriad of different ways to score. Lightning-quick reflexes on the game pad are great, but a solid strategy is even better, and the team who executes that strategy best usually wins the game. You've probably heard coaches say that, as well, and in ESPN College Hoops 2K5 it means something—because this is as real as it gets without lacing up those sneakers.
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