It should first be noted this game is a rather deep simulation. College Hoops is not a title you can expect an easy fast break or clean shot on every possession—in fact, it’s the opposite in execution. What you’ll soon realize when playing the game is that you will be covered from the start of possession, every time. You will be forced to make the right decisions to win. This will probably turn off a few that don’t give the game a chance, although the ones who get into the game will appreciate the thought involved in coaching a team to victory.

Fundamentals are the base of the game here, with little emphasis on glitz and flash. Shooting is reduced to a single button press with a certain rhythm to make shots. Even in the free throw mode, you’re supposed to depend on rhythm and in-game clues. Instead of a bar, watching the character animation to determine the right time to let the ball go to the hoop and come out successful. Understanding the feel of the shot is more important than anything else here.

Legacy mode, the career mode of this title, also emphasizes fundamentals. You’re a new coach with the job of helping an ailing university to greatness. You have to pick the best assistant coaches you can and use all of the limited skills you share to build and coach a team from a lowly loser to cutting the net from the rim. It’s a hard job, but rewarding if you can pull it off. Of course, you can also opt to play in an open mode with all of the game’s numerous teams to run your favorite school to the Final Four.

Thankfully, the lack of glitz and flash doesn’t translate to the overall presentation of College Hoops. Character models look great, and animate quite well. Even the cheerleaders and coaches, the first circle of periphery characters look quite nice. It’s only in the audience that you start seeing the less desirable graphics—crowd members look about a generation and a half behind the rest of the game, which is a minor distraction sometimes.

ESPN’s announcing team does a decent job overall, with Mike Patrick and Jay Bilas manning the table. Their commentary keeps up with the events of the game fairly well. The pacing and frequency of the comments are also kept at a decent level, keeping a happy balance without becoming too annoying. They’re accompanied by arena noise, which includes screams, chants, and the pep band playing a few different tunes per game. Combined with the graphics, the sound helps to give every arena of play a unique feeling.

Online play is standard fare, with a handful of options and modes to explore. Tournaments, leaderboards, instant messaging, and ranked matches online make College Hoops a no-frills title when it comes to online, but a fundamentally sound one nonetheless.

Every great title has to have a drawback or two, though, and ESPN College Hoops 2K5 is no exception. Certain AI auto-settings tend to hurt you in the long run, which can lead to annoying playmaking errors happening here and there. Thankfully, you can turn them off easily through the pause menu. Also, the learning curve is rather short but steep. Admittedly, it’s a bit hard to grasp the feel of the game tempo and play.

Aside from the short drawbacks, though, ESPN College Hoops 2K5 is fundamentally sound in every category. A true workhorse, it does everything strongly and efficient, and doesn’t have any real weaknesses that can’t be overlooked over a short bit of experience with the title. Combine the great gameplay and efficient workings of this title with the budget price, and ESPN College Hoops 2K5 goes from a great title to an excellent value that no basketball gamer should turn down. If you’re looking for a game that will be rewarding to play in the long run, look no further. It’s here.