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Most critical HGL Pre-Season tasks have been accomplished now.

I first made sure no "illegal" transfers had taken place since Season 2 beginning.

Then already couple of days ago finished checking teams´own box score posts, just didn't update this post at that time: (328546.16) (but now it's been updated).

Now also Season 3 Regular Season schedule creation/editing is finished, starting from this post and followed by another schedule post: (328547.5).
If someone wants to make a second check (for faulty links/information), one may do that (and of course I'd be thankful of that), but having said that, I don't expect anyone to do this project. I've tried to do also schedule related things as carefully as possible (and boy, did it take time once again... I'm trying to figure out ways to automate some of the tasks, but it's challenging in this "all-manual league"), so I'm pretty confident everything should be correct.

So with this, while I have plenty of background tasks to finalize (of which not all will be completely finished before Season 3 starts, but they do not prevent Season from starting), we're almost ready to go for Season 3.
Spela and SventraCanestri, please correct your box score posts before Season starts, thank you. :)

Does anyone feel like writing some predictions/preview on HGL Season 3?
LennuK. (BC Eos) once again provided us (well, so far only to me, as the intention is to make similar kind of comparative post as was published during Season 2) some great salary, age and "team strength" information (which I still didn't have time to compile into a post), so that developmet information of course would be helpful in such preview, but I'm not sure if I have time to do that prior to season as there are still more essential tasks to finalize (and I don't have tons of time to use for BB currently).

Last edited by Wagner at 10/20/2025 5:18:08 AM

Season 3 is just behind the corner as there's approximately 24 hours to go before season starts!

Most preparations for Season 3 by me have been completed, and those that have not (and will be completed later) won't prevent Round 1 to be played.

Top8 players' average salaries and ages have now been updated to both Official Threads (to "Total of 16 teams will take part to Season 3 of HGL"-posts).

LennuK. (from BC Eos) has once again done a big favor by providing me (and therefore us) some fresh salary and age information, which I used in aforementioned posts, and will use in my later posts during Season 3 (later I'll create similar comparison table as during Season 2, so that it's easily comparable from season to season).

If you visit one of those two (similar) "participating teams" post, you´ll see that some interesting changes have taken place, in terms of salary and age.

Changes, which would be even more apparent when viewing top- and comparison tables made by LennuK. I sent him a BBMail today to ask for his permission to publish those, and if his answer is positive, I'll publish them (almost) as is/as they've been provided, to get even clearer idea of recent changes. Also, LennuK. has provided us an interesting new comparison category, team "power"/"value", which I might also publish if he grants me permission to do so in this case (or if not, he may of course publish it himself).
(All aforementioned info have been sent by BBMail, so I want to respect and wait LennuK.'s opinion on this before publishing them).

Anyway, what kind of goals do you guys have for HGL Season 3?

Last edited by Wagner at 10/20/2025 5:18:24 AM

Hello Wagner !

i'll try to do the same -> 9-10 wins and playoffs.
Then, who knows.

i saw last season, that the levels tend to be more similar. I'm not sure that it will be an advantage for my team, especially because my 2 best players have turned 35...
BUT, my two future stars have turned 25, and I have to train them at a very highler level than my two actual stars... It should be better and bitter this season for my team.

Hello Wagner !

i'll try to do the same -> 9-10 wins and playoffs.
Then, who knows.

i saw last season, that the levels tend to be more similar. I'm not sure that it will be an advantage for my team, especially because my 2 best players have turned 35...
BUT, my two future stars have turned 25, and I have to train them at a very highler level than my two actual stars... It should be better and bitter this season for my team.

Thanks for your response, demars!
That's very well and interestingly said - better and bitter - maybe I should quote you later on, by using that in RL situations, as it's a spot on comment (that I've never heard before) for some situations. :D

HGL team levels are pretty high (in terms of top8-salary), and nothing is guaranteed when you fight for those better higher or lower mid-table positions. For instance while my team has improved from Season 2 in salaries, I'm still only 12th in top8 HGL salaries, but my goal is of course to finish higher than that, as past has proven it's possible to exceed "probabilities".
I also share the same problematics with your team in terms of most of my best players getting old (and being one of the oldest teams in HGL), so I definitely see your point. It'd dreadful to see players declining, while simultaneously not being able to train new players with similar speed ((or having as much potential than the older players, that they´re supposed to replace later in the opening lineup, which effectively restricts A) the overall level of the future team compared to current one, and/or B) due to potential limitations it at least restricts the player types that you´re able to train/make of them)).

For example we´re almost at the same level in wages, but whenever I meet your team, it feels as though you are bit of a favorite in that match. Having said that, and having set the favorite position to your team, I hope to find a way to victory in our meeting this season... ;)

Anyway, good luck for the season for you demars (and of course to all other managers as well), and I hope you have enough nitros ready waiting in the counter besides you, given that you're going to have as many nailbiter matches on Season 3 as you had on Season 2!

Less than 3 hours to the start of HGL Season 3, and now it's time to publish some comparison data/tables from Season 3 teams!

Like was the case on Season 2, also now on Season 3 LennuK. from BC Eos has done us a big favor and calculated average salary and age information from HGL teams' Top8-players.
On Season 2 I made these comparison tables (here: (327516.63)) based on data provided by LennuK.
I plan to make similar tables during Season 3 when I have more time, so that data remains as easy to as possible to compare from Season to Season.

However, now that Season beginning is closing in, and as I got a permission from LennuK. to use this data and ready made comparison tables he provided to me (and therefore, to all of us), I'll publish them in this post.

In other words, all of this new Season 3 data and tables are created by him (and I'll copy them here "as is", apart from new "power"/"value" rankings of which explanation section I'll edit slightly), so again, big thanks to LennuK. from behalf of whole HGL community!

In this first table, teams are at the typical order based on "participating teams"-post (available on both Official Threads).

Team: Salary S2 -> Salary S3 (in 1000 $) | Salary change (%) | Age S2 -> Age S3 (y) | Age change (y)

Wagner College (WAG): 284 -> 316 | +11,3% | 29,4 -> 30,4 | +1,0
Les Gueux du Marais (LGM): 243 -> 266 | +9,5% | 27,1 -> 28,1 | +1,0
Elan Demars (ED): 306 -> 335 | +9,5% | 28,1 -> 28,3 | +0,2
BC Eos (EOS): 249 -> 391 | +57,0% | 23,3 -> 23,6 | +0,3
Vilniaus „Vilkai“ (VIV): 370 -> 409 | +10,5 | 24,3 -> 25,3 | +1,0
Madrid Chotis (D): 236 -> 269 | +14,0% | 26,0 -> 27,0 | +1,0
WiMaOlca (WMO): 324 -> 347 | +7,1% | 27,9 -> 28,9 | +1,0
Rajdersi (RAJ): 342 -> 376 | +9,9% | 25,9 -> 26,5 | +0,6
Freccia Azzurra (FRE): 237 -> 262 | +10,5% | 25,1 -> 25,5 | +0,4
Hårdboll (HB): 477 -> 460 | -3.6% | 32,0 -> 31,1 | -0,9
Lielupes Melnās Sirdis (LMS): 254 -> 368 | +44,9% | 22,6 -> 23,6 | +1,0
Suuret Muinaiset (SUM): 435 -> 453 | +4,1% | 26,0 -> 27,0 | +1,0
Virtus Portici (VPO): 473 -> 490 | +3,6% | 31,5 -> 30,0 | -1,5
Svätý Jur Snakers (HAD): 742 -> 845 | +13,9% | 30,0 -> 31,0 | +1,0
KK Stihija (KKS): 525 -> 567 | +8,0% | 25,5 -> 26,4 | +1,0
Club Trouville (TRO): 244 -> 275 | +12,7% | 27,4 -> 27,6 | +0,2

Even more HGL Season 3 data, calculated and these comparison tables made by LennuK. (BC Eos):

Top 5 teams of top-8 players’ salaries in Season 3:
1. Svätý Jur Snakers (845K)
2. KK Stihija (567K)
3. Virtus Portici (490K)
4. Hårdboll (460K)
5. Suuret Muinaiset (453K)

Top 5 of oldest teams (based on top-8 average ages) in Season 3:
1. Hårdboll (31,1 y)
2. Svätý Jur Snakers (31,0 y)
3. Wagner College (30,4 y)
4. Virtus Portici (30,0 y)
5. WiMaOlca (28,9 y)

Top 5 of youngest teams (based on top-8 average ages) in Season 3:
1./2. Lielupes Melnās Sirdis & BC Eos (23,6 y)
3. Vilniaus „Vilkai“ (25,3 y)
4. Freccia Azzurra (25,5 y)
5. KK Stihija (26,4 y)

Top 5 of teams that increased the top-8 players’ salary most between Season 2 and Season 3 in absolute salary:
1. BC Eos (142K/57,0%)
2. Lielupes Melnās Sirdis (114K/44,9%)
3. Svätý Jur Snakers (103K/13,9%)
4. KK Stihija (42K/8,0%)
5. Vilniaus „Vilkai“ (39K/10,5%)

Top 5 of teams that increased the top-8 players’ salary most between Season 2 and Season 3 in relative salary:
1. BC Eos (57,0%/142K)
2. Lielupes Melnās Sirdis (44,9%/114K)
3. Madrid Chotis (14,0%/33K)
4. Svätý Jur Snakers (13,9%/103K)
5. Club Trouville (12,7%/31K)

Top 5 of teams getting younger (or less old, based on top-8 average ages) between Season 2 and Season 3:
1. Virtus Portici (-1,5 y)
2. Hårdboll (-0,9 y)
3./4. Elan Demars & Club Trouville (+0,2 y)
5. BC Eos (+0,3 y)


New-to-HGL statistical category, Team "power"/"value":

1. Svätý Jur Snakers (HAD): 27,3 [K & per y]
2. KK Stihija (KKS): 21,5
3. Suuret Muinaiset (SUM): 16,8
4. BC Eos (EOS): 16,6
5. Virtus Portici (VPO): 16,3
6. Vilniaus „Vilkai“ (VIV): 16,2
7. Lielupes Melnās Sirdis (LMS): 15,6
8. Hårdboll (HB): 14,8
9. Rajdersi (RAJ): 14,2
10. WiMaOlca (WMO): 12,0
11. Elan Demars (ED): 11,8
12. Wagner College (WAG): 10,4
13. Freccia Azzurra (FRE): 10,3
14. Club Trouville (TRO): 10,0 (higher in later decimal places than D)
15. Madrid Chotis (D): 10,0 (lower in later decimal places than TRO)
16. Les Gueux du Marais (LGM): 9,5

This is all-new category (yes, this also has been created and calculated by LennuK.) so it needs explanation. As he and I think, it'd be interesting to hear what you guys think of this new category; do you find it interesting and useful, and would you like to see this incorporated into a season to season stats gathering (and stats comparison) routine?

LennuK. wrote like this (permission for publication has been granted by him) about the "power/value" statistics:

I tried to think of other interesting parameters other than just salary and age, which would be interesting to monitor over the seasons. So, I looked into the relationship between the ages and salaries directly [...]
So, I looked at the parameter of top-8 salary sum divided by the top-8 average age to get a general parameter or a “power” ranking showing the salary to age ratio (in 1000$ per year of the average age), which could probably even be termed “value” of the players on the roster of a specific team. This by no means determines the actual value of the players in the top-8 of different teams, but is interesting to look at, when considering that a high salary and a young age are associated with a player that is actually valuable; hence the higher the described ratio is, the higher the “value” of a player would/should be. If you think such information could be interesting too, here comes the list of the HGL teams in Season 3 in the order of more to less “valuable” players in the top-8 considering their salary to age ratio.

Personally I find this very interesting statistics.
While no one stats category for which creation only 2 parameters have been used will reveal team "power/value" in itself completely, I really like this kind of initiative and work done to create content that´s genuinely informative (as LennuK. pointed, young age and high salary is a desirable combination).

Last edited by Wagner at 10/20/2025 6:07:37 AM

Speaking of stats, as we can see there are plenty of major changes that have taken place since Season 2, in terms of age but especially in terms of salaries.

Moving into Season 3, biggest salary winners (in relative salary) by far are BC Eos (57,0% increase) and Lielupes Melnās Sirdis (44,9% increase).

In these previous comparison tables (into which I refer to), teams that have made transfers during Season 2 have not been marked with asterisk or by other means so those transfers of course can have a significant effect on such percentages - this case, however, transfers have increased team salary value to some extent, but not massively. (I'll try to remember adding * after team names in my later team age and salary comparison tables, so that we could see if that change in either has been affected by transfers or has it taken place only "organically" through training).

As for those "salary winners", Monēta from LMS has been warning us for seasons, that his team will be very competitive soon, and I'm sure most would agree that Lielupes Melnās Sirdis will improve his records of 4W-11L from Season 2 and 3W-12L from Season 1, and also that BC Eos will improve his Season 2 record of 3 wins and 12 losses.

In terms of actual salary, Svätý Jur Snakers is getting closer and closer to that weekly 1 million mark (845K currently) in salaries - quite a daunting number for most of us his opponents, and I have no doubt they´re going after a medal once again on Season 3.

Despite being lower on top8 salaries, I think Virtus Portici (490K salaries) will likely give HAD a strong opponent on this season as well.

And if we compare top8-salaries alone, as you can see from above table, there are many high quality teams even above and just behind aforementioned teams in salaries: KK Stihija (567K), Hårdboll (460K), Suuret Muinaiset (453K), Vilniaus „Vilkai“ (409K), BC Eos (391K) and a defending Bronze medalist from Season 2, Rajdersi (376K).

So very interesting season ahead I think, and there will be a big fight for those top4-positions, which will guarantee a free ticket for team on Second Round of Playoffs.

On Season 3, there aren´t any teams that would be way, way back in salaries, so fight for last Playoff places could be a very tight one and decided at the end of the season. As for salaries, my team Wagner College holds "the last Playoff spot" with 316K salaries, but difference to lowest HGL salary team Freccia Azzurra (262K) isn't huge by any means.


As we were talking about stats, there in my opinion are several other stats categories that I can think of (but all of them I can't recall just now), that would be interesting to compare on season-to-season basis.
For instance average salary of:
- given seasons' all HGL teams
- top 4 teams
- teams ranked from 5th to 8th
- teams ranked from 9th to 12th
- teams ranked from 13th to 16th.

Also, if comparison in graph format would be available, such previous comparison could look neat in a graph.

As for graph-style comparison tables, it would be interesting to see team Regular Season winning-% (in that sense better than actual wins, if number of played matches will differ in forthcoming seasons) and salary development of team compared from season-to-season (we could have different colors for different teams - however, that might end up being a messy table given how many parameters it tries to represent, so being able to select and unselect teams in such table, or restrict number of teams in one given table would likely be necessary to make it more easily readable). Theoretically of course it'd be possible to create a separate graph table for each team (which would be very clear to follow), but it'd be plenty of work.

If not such graph table would be made available, then separate tables for salary development and league positions could partly fill that demand (of long term team following in terms of salary development and season-to-season team success).

I agree that such graph-based statistics over the seasons would look nice. If I have some spare time, I might look into it and try to create some of these. Though, I'm not sure, how we could distribute these stats to all of the HGL managers, I don't think, we would be able to send such graphs through the BB forum.

The first season I started with a win.. I think the goal for the season could be 50% wins. This season I will practice rebounding, I'm just afraid of what will happen to the salary.

I agree that such graph-based statistics over the seasons would look nice. If I have some spare time, I might look into it and try to create some of these. Though, I'm not sure, how we could distribute these stats to all of the HGL managers, I don't think, we would be able to send such graphs through the BB forum.

Alright, thanks very much! Yes, that's definitely a good question (distribution), as BB forums do not allow graphs.
Personally I've been reluctant to require using of cloud service links if one wants to access (any) HGL content, and that view still stands on my part.

One of the best long term solutions could be to create an own website for HGL, which would guarantee much more freedom anyway in terms of, well, everything, and make navigation even easier than nowadays.

But that's still on the very early drawing board, and thinking cap must be set deeper onto the head.

As far as I've searched so far, it's not totally simple to find ((and especially compare such services, in terms of finding best service provider given the low (or rather free) price requirements)) a great all-round solution (preferably with so called drag and drop-kind of UI, that doesn't require any coding) that would provide best possible user experience in terms of, well, many things.
Such as user experience, site usability in mobile mode (should there be lots of differences among service providers), UI and usability and reliability and security and price point (preferably free, but not the only important thing) from the "web page owner" standpoint, whether or not web page creator actually owns the page or not, domain availability/purchasing and price and it's connection to service provider (example: hgl.com or something else almost like that, or hgl.serviceprovidersnamehere.com) and so on.

I noticed some managers for instance have made team websites using Weebly, but as far as I searched, it hasn't only received positive feedback from users, so I might prefer to keep on looking for more optimal solution (having said that, I have no user experience from Weebly).

Season 3 has started, and league table posts have been updated for the first time this season (on both Official Threads)!

While only 2 matches were really tight on Round 1, some interesting box score facts can be found from other matches as well. And in terms of those 2 aforementioned matches, VIV recorded their first ever HGL win in an important match against SUM - a high quality opponent supposedly fighting for similar league positions (at the end of the Regular Season), so as we all likely remember, now that SUM is at 0 wins and 1 loss, they must find two more wins compared to VIV during rest of the Regular Season to surpass VIV at the ORSR (Official Regular Season Rankings, that are used to determine who will face who in Playoffs).

As you could predict from scoreboard, in box score teams (SUM and VIV) were fairly even. Per Bernhardsson from SUM was shooting the lights out especially beyond the arc (8 of 13, total of 42 points), but SUM left 8 points at the free throw line shooting only at 60% - shooting at least with 75% accuracy would've forced game to overtime.

LMS, as Moneta mentioned, opened their HGL with a win for the first time ever, by beating D by 6. Again, many things in box score were very even, but LMS were more proficient behind the 3-point arc with 7 made threes (.368 accuracy), while D's drive to the basket-strategy possibly limited their success rate from beyond the arc at 14,3% (only two made threes).

From other matches, I could pick many box scores to write about, but let´s choose WMO-HB this time:
Despite match being played in France (neutral court so no need to worry - and yes, I'm aware it doesn't affect anything but it's just an interesting exception), and despite WMO choosing quite optimal defense strategy compared to HB's offensive strategy, HB won by 13 at the end. Teams' box scores, however, weren't mirror images of themselves; WMO shot 22(!) more times than HB while also executing at much higher accuracy beyond the arc (WMO .407 and HB .231).
Why was the difference with FG attempts so big (to favor WMO by 22)?
HB was shooting from the charity stripe ridiculous 47 times - I can't recall many times when I've seen numbers like that in BB. As usual, HB was very strong (last season they shot FT's with 88,9% accuracy in their regular BB league) from the charity stripe, nailing 40 out of 47 attempts (.851 accuracy), and if nothing else, that sealed the deal for them.

As mentioned, many interesting details available on other box scores, but as time's limited, please check them yout yourself and please comment if you find some interesting statistics to write about. :)


Last edited by Wagner at 10/21/2025 7:35:56 AM