CJBL - Oklahoma State Cowboys [Archive] - Front Office Football Central

Emmett13

11-23-2022, 03:07 PM

We bring back just 6 scholarship players and a handful of walk-ons. So eventually we'll need to add quite a few guys either through the transfer portal or from the high school ranks.

We'll do this by class:

F Ismail Adams, 6'6", 207, Junior, Middleton, Tennessee
https://i.postimg.cc/tgSMwCYM/Adams-stats.png

Adams primarily played the 4 last year, and I just don't think he fits there. He's a solid defender on the perimeter and the post, but doesn't rebound well enough to get away with 25+ minutes at the 4. He's unbelievably passive offensively. He had an 8.9% usage rate last season, and since his offensive ratings look solid enough, that certainly needs to be higher. Right now, the plan is to start him at the 3, where his defense and three point shot as well as some finagling with some setting will turn him into a decent 3 and D wing this season. If nothing else, his defensive chops will get him some court time, but 29 mpg again probably won't happen.

G Joe Beachem, 6'6", 183, Junior, Dallas, Texas
https://i.postimg.cc/QtFy3G7x/Beachem-Stats.png

Long, lanky guard who has played everywhere on the perimeter in his three years. Played primarily at the point this past season and did a solid job. Looks to use his length to get to the rim where he does most of his damage. Passes the ball pretty well, and will certainly be serviceable there this season. He probably shot too many threes last year, and I'm going to try to get him to concentrate on getting to the paint and the line and hopefully dishing off 4 or 5 assists a game too.

G Justas Davis, 6'0", 204, Junior, Baton Rouge, Louisiana
https://i.postimg.cc/L8mQsZPW/Davis-stats.png

Another experienced perimeter player. This one is undersized and had a poor season shooting the ball last season. He's a very strong perimeter defender despite his size limitations at the 2, and I definitely think he's a better three point shooter than he showed in his junior year. I don't want him starting again, but given his defensive chops, his experience and his ability to shoot the three he will be in the rotation next season, but likely around 10-15 minutes.

G/F Jacob El Darwich, 6'5, 226, Sophomore, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
https://i.postimg.cc/7ZXsJYMZ/El-Darwich-stats.png

El Darwich was a 4 star recruit, ranked #59, a couple of years ago and my scouts seem to think he still has a lot of room to improve. He's a strong athlete with a nice shooting touch and really just a solid all around offensive game. He's primarily played at the 3 the last two years, but I think he has the handles to be fine at the 2, which is where I think he'll start next season. I'm banking on El Darwich and Beachem being a pretty salty backcourt duo next season.

G Zach Cochran, 6'4, 194, Sophomore, Rayville, Louisiana

A walk on who has received a little playing time the last two years, but one of the rules of the CJBL is that a walk on can only be on the team for two years before they need to be cut or granted a scholarship. Cochran will be the former.

C Khadeem Carlisle, 6'7", 236, Freshman, Silsbee, Texas

Another walk on, although Carlisle received zero playing time last season. He doesn't have much promise, so he's likely to get cut as well and see if we can improve our walk-on quality.

F/C Randy Sibert, 6'8", 205, Freshman, Missouri City, Texas
https://i.postimg.cc/0NQtYRcd/Sibert-stats.png

A 3 star recruit ranked #372. He started getting some playing time at the end of the season, but I've got high hopes for him. He's got a really strong basketball IQ and has great defensive instincts. He's got a bit of an offensive game, but he's never going to be a go-to guy. But, given his intangibles an his ability to rebound he seems like a great glue guy for a grit and grind team. Since I consider Adams a perimeter player, Sibert is our only returning scholarship post. Obviously, I have no idea who else will be on the team over the next few weeks, but I like his odds to see some minutes this upcoming season.

G/F Tyrik Straih, 6'6", 200, Freshman, Katy, Texas

Another walk-on who didn't play, but this one has me intrigued. He's a very solid athlete with some real defensive chops. He struggles offensively, but his ability to play defense is very attractive in a grit and grind system where you have room for defensive stars. It'll be tough to find playing time for him this season, but it's not going to be easy to cut him this time next season.

G Michael Thomas, 6'1", 193, Freshman, Killeen, Texas

https://i.postimg.cc/8PStyrZC/Thomas-stats.png

The other scholarship freshman. He was a 2*, unranked freshman who flew under the radar last recruiting cycle. He's undersized and is certainly a combo guard and not a true point. But, he's a good athlete who defends well and can at least pull off an okay point guard for a few minutes at a time. But, true to his tweener profile, could have a hard time carving out a legit role in the rotation.

Emmett13

11-27-2022, 01:16 AM

There were 12 players on scholarship this past season, one fewer than the limit, and 6 of them are graduating. Some quick finger counting gets us to 7 available scholarships going into the offseason.

Unfortunately, it looks like it has the potential to go up to 8. Soon to be sophomore post Randy Sibert is not happy with how his freshman year has gone and there is a decent possibility that he's going to want to transfer. We'll certainly try to convince him to come back, but if he leaves it'll be a major blow. He's a solid look prospect that I think didn't get the playing time he deserved last season and he's literally the only returning post player on the roster. So, if he leaves, we will be completely rebuilding the front line.

Depth Chart:

C: ??? - ???

PF: Randy Sibert (maybe) - ???

SF: Ismail Adams

SG: Jacob El Darwich - Justas Davis

PG: Joe Beachem - Michael Thomas

At least 4 post players are needed and 5 if Sibert bails. I don't want to play Ismail Adams at the 4 at all, but at least I know he can if times get desperate enough. I can't imagine not getting at least one post from the portal, as I have no interest in trying to figure out who to play out of 4 of 5 freshman posts.

Perimeter wise, I'd like to add at least one. Either a true point guard to backup Beachem or a 3 and D wing to act as a true SF and challenge Adams for minutes. Thomas has a lot of talent, but might not be able to handle the point, and I'd like to sign a good enough lead guard to slide Beachem over to the 2 some.

Emmett13

12-23-2022, 10:48 PM

Quite a few things to update the Oklahoma State faithful on.

The first. We fired assistant Rex Gregory, who was a solid assistant (has proven by his immediate hiring at Washington). But, he was more offensive minded than I was wanting, so he got the boot.

In his place, we hire former Colorado assistant Tyrese Priddy.

https://i.postimg.cc/Z0tmzL1K/Priddy-skills.png

Clearly, you can see what I'm going for here. A very good defensive mind who does some of the other things I'm going for right now (leadership/culture). I'm trying to "role play" a little right now, and I'm certainly going to lean into a defensive minded, strong program "culture".

Good luck to the new coach!

Emmett13

12-23-2022, 11:12 PM

The first big update is that I gave sophomore Tyrik Straih a scholarship, despite him not playing a single minute last year for the previous AD/AI. Straih is an incredible defensive players with some very impressive intangibles and I really think he has a shot at getting some decent minutes this year as I'm starting to like him more and senior Ismail Adams a little less.

The next big update:

I had failed to mention (or notice) that our one returning post player, Randy Sibert, was not happy with his lack of playing time last season. He was disgruntled and was thinking about transferring. And when the transfer portal came roaring through the CJBL, we were unable to prevent Sibert from bailing on us. So, we go from one post player returning to zero.

Sibert goes off to UC-Santa Barbara, and while I liked him and would have preferred he stayed, the level of school he ended up with sort of shows he wasn't someone who is irreplaceable.

So we look to take revenge on the portal and snag a few players of our own. As I previously mentioned, we had quite a few scholarships to hand out and certainly would be active in the portal.

I'm looking to add one lead guard and a multitude of post players, so I was aiming to add at least two post players in this cycle, and that's exactly what we did:

The first:

Jermont Williams, 6'9", 231, Senior, Exton, Pennsylvania
https://i.postimg.cc/TwB1hgZB/jermot-williams-stats.png

Williams played the last three seasons at Eastern Illinois, which to be certain has been an unsuccessful program, but he put up decent numbers on passable percentages. I knew I wanted to grab one guy purely for depth, just in case this recruiting cycle was just a disaster, and I'm hoping Jermont is that guy.

Essentially, he's a big body that is competent defensively and will be competitive on the glass. I'm hoping he's the last post off the bench (i.e. out of the rotation) all season, but if he has to plug in a few minutes, it won't be the end of the world. If he's getting 10+ minutes a game, we're probably in trouble.

The other much more exciting addition is:

Hans Gabriel, 6'9", 219, Sophomore, Des Moines, Iowa
https://i.postimg.cc/jd0Cb667/gabriel-stats.png

Gabriel was a 3*, ranked #254 last season and was a very productive freshman big man off the bench for a very solid Ohio State squad that made it to the 2nd round of the CJBL tournament last season.

He's a strong defensive player who does a strong, if unspectacular job on the glass. But, what is really exciting about him is it seems like he's a strong finisher around the basket, who might be a major cog to the offense as soon as this season. He was 70% on shots right at the rim, gets to the line and knocks them down at a decent clip, and has some strong post moves to boot. You never know what recruiting will look like, but I'm pretty confident the guy will start at the 4 for us this year.

The negative is that the reason he left Ohio State was for his inability to get along with his teammates. I'm hoping if he gets 24-28 minutes in a starting role, and the rest of our staff and players have high culture/leadership ratings, that they'll be able to keep Gabriel in check and he can be a very productive post in the Big 12.

Recruiting high school players won't kick in until after Christmas, but our needs are clear. We probably are going to add three freshmen bigs, and one of them is very likely to start. And I'd like to add a lead guard, preferably someone who can jump right into a starting spot, and slide Beachem and El Darwich down to the 2 and 3 respectively. But at the minimum someone to play some solid minutes as the backup point guard.

Emmett13

01-14-2023, 01:30 AM

Recruiting is effectively over and all together I think it has to be seen as success.

Let's start with the good news: We signed 3 well regarded post players, all of which I think can contribute immediately. They all play defense at an extremely high level which is what I was looking for, and each of them are unique enough to play different roles offensively.

Let's start with the highest ranked and go from there.

Khadre Thurman, 6'7", 227, Pearland, Texas, 4*, #98
https://i.postimg.cc/Gmhbz6TF/Thurman-picture.png
https://i.postimg.cc/YSvMBg3j/Thurman-stats.png

Players have photos now! Only the incoming guys have photos, so they will remain faceless, but a pretty awesome touch.

Thurman is undersized and his offensive game isn't much at all as you can see from his underwhelming stats. But, he's a defensive whiz in the post. An extremely hard worker (which is a priority) and tremendous defensive awareness. I'm a little worried is subpar offensive game will limit his potential, but there's always use for guys who play hard and play great defense in a grit and grind system.

Troy Moss, 6'9", 230, Coppell, Texas, 4*, #102
https://i.postimg.cc/q7W0JRbw/Moss-picture.png
https://i.postimg.cc/nz7xCJNJ/Moss-statistics.png

Moss is a very athletic big man who we promised a starting spot during recruiting. Like Thurman he looks tremendous in the post defensively and is a solid rebounder and I think we will see a lot of double doubles in his future. In addition to his athleticism and defense, he's got great intangibles and has a strong looking three point shot. I like all three posts we signed, but Moss is definitely the one I think that will be the most impactful both short term and long term.

Christian Hannah, 6'9", 234, Denton, Texas, 4*, #153

https://i.postimg.cc/x83S3P0p/Hannah-picture.png
https://i.postimg.cc/jqHKTRz6/Hannah-statistics.png

Only has one year of high school stats, but Hannah had a really productive season and is very skilled for a big man, with his ability to shoot the three and pass the ball. He's very strong, but I'm a little concerned his lack of athleticism could hurt him in the Big XII. He's noticeably less athletic than the other freshmen and the transfer post Gabriel. But, he uses his strength and freakish 7'4" wingspan to guard the rim and play excellent defense. I think he'll be a great role player for four years.

Rene Ross, 6'1", 187, Midlothian, Texas, 1*, NR
https://i.postimg.cc/J4KLyKYG/Ross-picture.png
https://i.postimg.cc/FHRQ0cwG/Ross-statistics.png

Ross was a bit of a panic take and in hindsight if I'd been more patient I think I could have signed a higher quality player. But, I mismanaged some early resources and put all my eggs in one basket, going after a PG who was ranked #30. I almost grabbed him, but lost him to La Tech. It was pretty late in the recruiting game, so I went into desperation mode and landed on a guy ranked 10,000+ (really). That's not truly indicative how good he is (I hope), because there are some hidden gems scattered in the depths of the recruiting pool.

Anyways, Ross. He's a decent athlete that plays really strong perimeter defense, and uses his quickness to pester guards on the perimeter and generate some turnovers. His offensive game is pretty basic, but I think he could handle the point for a few minutes at a time as a freshman. He's smaller than I'd like, and could be a candidate to be encouraged to move on after just one year. But, this team is really lacking a lead guard. Beachem and Thomas are both listed as point guards, but both guys are probably better suited to be off the ball. I don't anticipate Ross playing at all, but I needed a third point guard.

I also missed out on a 3* center from Oklahoma City, he was 7'1" with some decent game, but I think he would have been buried on the bench for the foreseeable future, so I'm not too upset.

All four signees are hard workers, which fits with the defensive, grit and grind system I'm employing. I think this core of posts will be make us pretty competitive in the paint the next few years, even if this season could be a struggle with 3 freshmen and a sophomore soaking up all the post minutes.

Not signing a strong lead guard, puts a ton of pressure on next year's class as we lose 3 perimeter players, and outside of El Darwich the other returners aren't exactly all-conference types.

We will add 3 walk on players and will be off to training camp in the next few days. I'll likely prioritize defense for about every player, as I'm RPG'ing it some and really leaning into this defensive identity. I'm going to attempt to make this the best defensive team in the country and a team that just grinds their opponents into dust by the end of the game.

PilotMan

01-14-2023, 08:48 AM

Nice work Emmett! Finally we get a CJBL Dynasty!

kingfc22

01-14-2023, 04:04 PM

Oh nice. A CJBL dynasty. I’ll be following along

skrath

01-14-2023, 04:53 PM

This is awesome Emmett! Amazing work.

Young Drachma

01-14-2023, 08:55 PM

Following along.

Emmett13

01-22-2023, 09:17 PM

Thanks for all the kind words everyone. Join up if you haven't, it's a blast.

Emmett13

03-10-2023, 12:23 PM

The 2038 season is in the books! Well, for Oklahoma State anyways, the national tournament is still plugging away. But, everyone in this thread is in here for one reason and one reason only. To find out how the Oklahoma State Cowboys did.

AND

We did pretty okay! 26-14 on the season and a berth in the national CJBL tournament as an 11 seed. Coming off such a (mainly AI induced) poor season last year, I would have been quite happy if you had told me before the season started that I'd be able to get this team to the tournament. We were competitive (and even beat a few!) with most of the top level teams we played this season, but just did not have the top level talent to get over the hump in most of them.

Let's look at some team stats:

https://i.postimg.cc/vTqJdR0g/2038-pg-stats.png
https://i.postimg.cc/BbQryZBf/2038-advanced-stats.png

We played an extremely slow pace and put major efforts (mostly successful) into trying to get as many offensive rebounds and put backs as possible, while trying to pound the ball into the paint and draw fouls. I was surprised that we were as good as we were taking care of the ball. Hopefully that can continue in the future. With as slow of a pace that we played, definitely can't afford to turn the ball over at a high rate.

Our defense was as good as anyone in the conference, and there were a handful of games where we legitimately stifled teams. I think we had some size limitations in the back court and athletic bigs caused us some problems, but hopefully we can shore some of those problems up.

Let's look at some season results

https://i.postimg.cc/DfjH0Tcm/2038-results-1.png
https://i.postimg.cc/VvVVVqNX/2038-results-2.png
https://i.postimg.cc/26TJ4RRc/2038-results-3.png

The best win of the season was definitely was the second game of the season when we sprung USC for the upset in LA. We won our first 8 games and 12 of the first 13, before scuffling against better competition at the end of non-conference and then getting a reality check in a power 5 conference. We did manage to beat BYU in a double OT home win, and we played Kansas and Cincinnati close multiple times, but never could get cinch the victory.

The only 'bad' loss we had was the second conference game, when we lost on the road to a cellar dwelling West Virginia squad.

Our CJBL tournament game was a rematch with Arkansas and we managed to lose them both.

Let's look at some player stats:

https://i.postimg.cc/90Mkb8cW/2038-player-pg.png

We'll go one by one for a quick review of the returning players. Seniors will get their own ode. We'll skip walk-ons, Sebastian Adams, Joe Floyd and Jake Rumel, as all three are unlikely to return next season.

Junior G/F Jacob El Darwich - 16.6 ppg, 3.7 rpg, 2.3 apg, 37.3 FG%, 31.5 3FG%, 87.9 FT%

Our best offensive threat from the perimeter. He got off to a strong start in non-conference. Hitting a high volume of threes, and helping us to get off to the aforementioned good start. Then, I made the mistake of trying to give him even more opportunities and running the offense through him and he responded with horrendous games. Even after I switched the offensive strategy up some, he was still prone for some real duds. Here's a collection of the worst El Darwich performances in conference. *cue orchestral music*

(all from the field), 7-20, 4-18, 2-16, 4-20, 5-18, 6-22, 1-7, 4-14, 5-17, 1-14, 2-16. He did have a handful of strong performances, but we had success despite El Darwich in a handful of games.

Going forward, I know he's going to start at either the 2 or the 3 next year. I'm hopeful I've wizened up and can use him where he can be more efficient, and hopefully we can add a perimeter player that is enough of a threat it will take some pressure off of him.

Sophomore PF/C Hans Gabriel - 12.2 ppg, 6.0 rpg, 1.2 bpg, 66.3 FG%, 64.2 FT%

Transfer from Ohio State, who had a really strong sophomore season. If I didn't have the strategy settings set to running the offense through El Darwich, I had it running through Gabriel. He's extremely effective around the basket and had some absolutely dominating games. (23 and 11 against Kansas State on 10-12 shooting, and 5 or 6 other similar games.) But, he also found himself in foul trouble a lot, including in our CJBL tournament game.

I like Gabriel a lot, despite his disruptive attitude, but his biggest flaw is I think he struggles some defensively at the 4, especially when we face teams that have a stretch 4 (which is most). I think these are the teams that can really get him in foul trouble while he's trying to chase them around. Nonetheless, he's probably going to start at the 4 again and be very efficient and foul prone again.

Freshman PF/C Christian Hannah - 5.3 ppg, 3.1 rpg, 1.1 apg, .75 bpg, 44.3 FG%, 31.7 3PT%, 75% FT%

Skilled big man who started off hot, including 18 in our road win over USC. He never scored higher than 13 in any other game. I like that he has the ability to shoot and is a strong passer, but I don't think he's got the athleticism to play the 4. He's an objectively bad athlete by CJBL standards, let alone Big 12 standards, so he probably needs to be a full time 5. But, I'm hoping he can continue to develop his offensive skill and be a needed scoring punch off the bench.

Freshman C Troy Moss - 9.2 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 1.4 bpg, 58.4% FG%

Really came on strong in conference play. Scoring in double figures in 11 of our last 12 games. Really good athlete who converts around the basket and does a good job on the glass. I started trying to give him more offensive opportunities as the season progressed and he did a good job. He shot a handful of threes and made 44% of them, I'd like him to expand that in the coming years. Very likely to start at center again as a sophomore.

Freshman PG Rene Ross - 1.8 ppg, 1.5 apg, 43.8 FG%

A 1 star desperation recruit, Ross ended up replacing Michael Thomas in the rotation as the year progressed. Mainly because he almost never turned the ball over and he was a little more adept at creating for others and running some offense when he was spelling Beachem. Ross is undersized but a very hard worker and really good defender. I absolutely have to have a couple of point guards this offseason, and in a perfect world I can relegate Ross to the deep bench, where he'll just make for a great teammate and emergency 3rd PG.

Sophomore G Tyrik Straih - 4.0 ppg, 2.3 rpg, 1.1 apg, 1.45 spg, 43.3 FG%, 30.0 3PT%

Former walk-on and locker room gem, who defends like crazy and who I gave extremely limited offensive opportunities too. I do think he's capable of a bit more offensively, but I'm perfectly happy to have a guy just concentrate on defending in my system. He started the majority of games last year, and I think he could again next season.

Sophomore G Michael Thomas - 2.6 ppg, 1.3 apg, 39.5 FG%

The guy who lost his spot to Ross. More of a combo guard than a true point, and the same size as Ross. I thought he was shooting too much and just didn't like the lineups when he was in. His intangibles weren't nearly as good as Ross's either, which helped me make the change. I'll likely try to encourage him to leave this offseason, as I think I can upgrade that scholarship spot. I think he'd be a solid player for a low-major team.

Freshman F Khadre Thurman - 1.3 ppg, 2.1 rpg, .55 bpg, 38.5 FG%

Really good defender and intangibles guy, even if he is undersized at 6'7". Really was poor offensively, and was just unable to finish around the basket. His whole niche is going to be as a hustle/energy defender who can hopefully develop into a nuisance on the offensive glass. He and Hannah will be continually battling it out for playing time, and who can be the 3rd post off the bench. If we could combine them into one guy, we'd have a heck of a player.

Emmett13

03-10-2023, 12:36 PM

We graduate 4 this year. Only one (Beachem) is a guy who I consider any kind of big loss. So, I feel confident we will be able to upgrade our talent level this offseason.

Ismail Adams, 6'6", 207, Middleton, TN
https://i.postimg.cc/sfk87JtR/2038-Adams.png

The guy played a lot of minutes as a SO and JR, and primarily was a PF in his junior season. He came in and out of the lineup for me, as I tried to turn him into a 3 and D guy, but he just wouldn't ever shoot the ball, even with finagling with some strategy settings, I couldn't get him to shoot more than a couple of threes a game. He hit them at a solid rate, and in a grit and grind system, there is room for guys who know their roles and can knock down shots at decent efficiency.

Joe Beachem, 6'6", 183, Dallas, TX
https://i.postimg.cc/NG9SKnC4/2038-Beachem.png

Ended up having a really good season after a horrendous start. His first game that he shot over 50% from the field was 8 games in, and he was the only guy outside of El Darwich who could create his own offense from the perimeter. He had a great game in our CJBL appearance, with 17 points, 15 assists and 4 steals, and a perfect 8-8 from the line. He was a decent enough defender, but I would like to have a real ball hawk at the position going forward.

Justas Davis, 6'0", 204, Baton Rouge, LA
https://i.postimg.cc/cCnbPKtj/2038-David.png

A bowling ball of a guard, who by all accounts should have been a really good outside shooter, but just couldn't convert on them the last few years. Grit and Grind definitely wasn't for him, and a 6'0" SG is something I never want to see again. But, he had shot the ball well as an underclassman, and he has good defensive reports, and I also had no other real options so he got 10 minutes each game. I'm excited to have other options next year.

Jermont Williams, 6'9", 231, Exton, PA
https://i.postimg.cc/pT7S0Qrz/2038-Williams.png

Transfer from Eastern Illinois, who was taken as an insurance policy during the transfer period. I was returning zero post players (besides Adams, who was going to play the 3 for me), and I didn't want to strike out in HS recruiting and not have at least one competent veteran. Unfortunately for Williams, we grabbed 3 solid HS post recruits and he ended up as the 5th post on the depth chart all season. He was a solid rebounder who held his own defensively and he performed well in the handful of minutes he received for us.

Emmett13

03-10-2023, 12:40 PM

The season won't end for a little while, and then coach hiring comes around (I'm planning on retaining my coaching staff) and then after that we get into new player acquisition, transfers and recruiting.

We are losing a C, SF, SG and PG. I'm also looking into cutting Michael Thomas or Rene Ross, or even both, which would open up at least one more PG spot. I'm not super desperate to add another HS post, so I might look in having a repeat of Jermont Thomas, a senior who can fill in during an emergency. I'd like to add one transfer PG as well if there are any I like, but I know if there are there will be major competition for them.

So, I would expect to add a minimum of three HS perimeter players and I really need one of each. I'd love a defensive minded lead point guard, a two that defend and score a little bit to take some pressure of El Darwich, and I'd love a 3 and D wing who can shoot the three. So, we'll see what I end up with. I'll report back when I find out.

skrath

03-12-2023, 09:49 PM

Nice work on the season Emmett (and great writeup), I think you exceeded some expectations there. Will be interesting to see what you can do with another offseason and training camp under your belt.

Emmett13

04-03-2023, 11:35 PM

A decent amount of player movement this transfer season, some of it good, some bad.

We'll start with the bad. Hans Gabriel, who was probably our best player last year, bailed on us and is on the way to serve in the Air Force and play basketball in Colorado Springs. He was a disruptive presence in the locker room and it was a pretty 'leadery' group, so I could see he how he wouldn't get along. I tried to bring him back, but he was convinced. He averaged 12 and 6 for us last year, played good defense and converted at a very high percentage around the basket.

I also decided to cut both Rene Ross and Michael Thomas, to open a couple of more point guard spots. Michael Thomas is off to Long Island U. Rene Ross is just out of college basketball, which probably goes to show I shouldn't have signed him to begin with.

Ross had replaced Thomas as the backup point guard by the end of the season, but neither had the size I'm wanting in a point guard, and obviously I considered both expendable.

We added one player, and it's one I'm happy about:

Brandon Vanderwal, 6'2", 175, Senior, Newark, New Jersey
https://i.postimg.cc/Vsn58wYp/Vanderwal-stats.png

Vanderwal is a former 4 star, top 50 recruit who was over recruited at Villanova last season and hardly got off the bench. He's a bit slight for my tastes, and isn't strong at all, but he's a tremendous athlete everywhere else and has intangibles out of the roof. So, even if recruiting doesn't go well for me and I don't sign a standout point guard, I feel pretty good about him starting for me this year.

Recruiting Plan

With Gabriel gone, suddenly I need to sign another prep big man, which I hadn't really planned on worrying about much. I 100% need at least one more point guard, and probably 2, and then the other 4 or 5 spots are going to go to wings.

I'm looking for big, beefy wings that are strong and can contribute on the glass. Obviously shooting and other offensive skills would be nice, but they are certainly secondary. The first phase of recruiting has begun, and I've identified quite a few guys I'm interested in. I'm hoping to snag a few.

Emmett13

04-11-2023, 08:33 PM

The early phase has ended and with 7 scholarships we were pretty darn active and put out a lot of visits, calls and offers to make sure we get some guards (and one post player).

We missed out on who I wanted the most, #125 Joe Crawford who brought the size and rebounding I so desperately want from a wing, but he instead went to BYU.

But, we did get a couple of decent consolation prices. That leaves us with 5 left over. We for sure need at least one post player and a point guard (I feel pretty confident a 3* is going to recruit soon). That would get us to 10/13, then probably a 5th post and one last perimeter player. The engine mandates that you can only have 12 active players for each game. So, if you use all 13 scholarships for players, you automatically have one inactive. So, essentially, what's the point of having that 13th guy?

Anyways...

Our two commitments:

Brandan Wimberly, #181, 6'7", 198, Kingfisher, Oklahoma
https://i.postimg.cc/3JyqR7LC/Wimberly-picture.png
https://i.postimg.cc/DwLYr63S/Wimberly-hs-stats.png

Wimberly is a home state guy and Mr. Basketball in the state of Oklahoma, which is always a bonus. He's an elite athlete and one heck of a defender. As you can probably guess that means he's lacking offensive abilities. But, he's not useless. A little bit of a three point shot, and can shoot off the dribble. But, he definitely has a defensive profile. He also rebounds some from the perimeter, which I always love to have.

and

Aaron O'Neal, #72, 6'7", 196, Deer Park, Texas
https://i.postimg.cc/9XgSCzBQ/Oneal-picture.png
https://i.postimg.cc/3JPc06VM/Oneal-hs-stats.png

Another big wing that can rebound and plays good defense (though less than Wimberly). What makes him exciting to me is that he has some real ball skills and looks like he'll generate some assists, and I even think could get away with time at PG in a really big lineup. The big issue with O'Neal is that he's got a bad attitude and has some worrisome intangibles. He's not complete nutcase like some ours, and he's got a few redeeming qualities, but altogether is definitely not a safe bet to stick around for four years. But, I am excited to see him in action.

Emmett13

04-29-2023, 06:33 PM

Due to time constraints, this is coming pretty late (the season is a little over a week old), but better than never. I sign 4 more guys, and they've all played some and have seen their more accurate scouting reports, so it'll be hard to not to have that tint the descriptions. I'll do my best though.

In descending order:

Jack Amoke, 6'4", 186, Waco, Texas, 3*, #337
https://i.postimg.cc/D0D21yqr/Amoke-picture.png
https://i.postimg.cc/ZKGbRnYZ/Amoke-hs-stats.png

A little smaller than I like for a wing, but plays solid defense, rebounds and knocks down some threes. His HS stats make him to really lack aggressiveness offensively. But, that's probably fine for a role player. Hopefully he can handle lack of playing time this year and develop into a useful 3 & D guy.

Cameron Stutz, 6'1", 182, Tulsa, Oklahoma 3*, #340
https://i.postimg.cc/SsgQNGRt/Stutz-picture.png
https://i.postimg.cc/VsHsx43J/Stuts-stats.png

Another guy who is smaller than I'd like, but is 100% an upgrade over Rene Ross. Pesky defensively due to some high level quickness. A strong three point shooter. He's a steady hand at the point, but isn't super dynamic. Will fight for backup point minutes with Aaron O'Neal, but another guy I hope can handle a lack of minutes this year and step into a rotation spot next season.

Josh Armstrong, 7'1", 248, Shelbyville, Texas, 2*
https://i.postimg.cc/Fz1rfJJF/Armstrong-picture.png
https://i.postimg.cc/BQLZ4H0M/Armstrong-stats.png

Finally, the size I'm looking for. But, as you can guess the skill level doesn't quite match the mass he has. Big and strong and defends well, but is just adequate on the glass. Offensively, he's decent around the basket and uses his size effectively. Not as worried if this guy can't handle the low playing time and leaves.

Travis Tomic, 6'11', 218, Frisco, Texas, 2*
https://i.postimg.cc/TPqYBx6x/Tomic-picture.png
https://i.postimg.cc/ZRbKSQbd/Tomic-hs-stats.png

Insane wingspan at 7'6", so he'll block some shots. Is skinny and is more of a stretch big type offensively with a nice shooting touch. Plays solid defense inside, but his lack of strength probably makes him a 4 defensively.

The starting lineup the first two games of the season was:

G Brandon Vanderwal
G Tyrik Straih
F Jacob El Darwich
F Christian Hannah
C Troy Moss

(spoiler alert)

After the 5th game it had morphed into

G Brandon Vanderwal
G Aaron ONeal
F Jacob El Darwich
F Khadre Thurman
C Troy Moss

The trio of Moss, Thurman and Hannah are quite a bit better than the two freshman posts, and Armstrong and Tomic have only come in during garbage time or foul trouble. They both could develop into something good but it will be a couple of more seasons, so at least one of them will probably be encouraged to leave.

See you in a a month or so for how the 2039 season goes for Oklahoma State.

Emmett13

03-21-2024, 12:52 AM

Well, that month has turned into nearly a year. The CJBL (and JBL) have continued to chug along even when my writing has not. Pretty incredible updates to provide. I'm going to use the next few posts to somewhat quickly recap what has happened the last few seasons.

The 2042 season just ended, which means I need to update the Cowboy faithful on what happened in the 2039, 2040, 2041 and 2042 seasons.

So off we go. As a reminder, the 2038 season ended with a first round loss to Arkansas in the national tournament.

Emmett13

03-21-2024, 01:42 AM

I did manage to get the preview in there and referenced how poorly we started when I talked about an immediate lineup change.

Here's how the regular season/conference tournament turned out:

https://i.postimg.cc/KcrFpt45/39-reg-season.jpg

I'm having to recollect a decent amount here, but it started off obviously with two losses, including a disastrous first sim that gave us two quick losses. We recovered and found a decent stride with the highlight being two home wins against KU and Cincy, who are always at the top of the conference. We were knocked out in the quarterfinals of the conference tournament by BYU, who gave us three losses.

We did manage to sneak into the national tournament as a 12 seed in the play in game. And here's how that went.

https://i.postimg.cc/XYXbvhL2/postseason-39.jpg

If you don't feel like counting up the rounds, don't worry, I'll do it for you: The win over Fresno State was the play in game, which means all of those wins got us to the Elite Eight before Stanford dashed our hopes. But, a truly great run. A few seasons later (remember it's 2042 now), the league will do away with the play-in game. The recruiting boost I got from this run, that will pay major dividends down the line is in large part due to this season.

Washington was a 5 seed, UNC a 4 seed, LSU the 9 seed and Stanford the 2.

Our offensive rating ended up #92, and our defensive rating was #130, which gave us a net rating of 101.

The starting lineup by the end of the year:

PG Brandon Vanderwal SR - 32.3 mpg, 13.1 ppg, 3.8 apg, 2.4 rpg, 1.31 spg, 1.64 topg, 47.5% FG, 46.2 3P%

Truly the reason we had the success we did. Ended up being drafted in the 2nd round and has seen a handful of minutes in the pros. Excellent three point shooter and was definitely the MVP that season.

SG Aaron ONeal FR - 30.5 mpg, 10.4 ppg, 4.8 apg, 3.0 rpg, 1.58 spg, 1.58 topg, 49.7 FG%, 35.7 3P%

A big guard who had a really solid freshman year. Played a lot of backup point, which gave me the idea he could be the full time point as a sophomore. It sort of worked. This would be the best year for him shooting the three.

SF Jack Amoke FR - 16.4 mpg, 4.2 ppg, 2.0 rpg, 1.1 apg, .91 spg, 46.2 FG% 46 3P%

Ended up starting the last 20 games including all of the postseason contests. Was solely used as a spot up shooter on offense and a solid wing defender. Did not shoot many threes, but when he did they were typically on target.

PF Khadre Thurman SO - 26.0 mpg, 5.2 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 1.1 apg, 1.49 bpg, 49.2 FG%

Got into the starting lineup a few games into his sophomore year and will pretty much never leave it. 110% a role player, in that I just wanted him to be a defender and be active on the offensive glass, while shooting as little as possible. He did the job and it allowed me to get my better players more shots.

C Troy Moss SO - 28.7 mpg, 11.5 ppg, 7.0 rpg, .8 apg, 1.36 bpg, 53.9 FG%

Started every game as a freshman and sophomore and will maintain that all the way through. Just a really solid big guy who scored enough to be a threat and was a strong defensive anchor, even though he was a tad bit undersized at 6'9".

Rotation (played every game):

PF/C Christian Hannah SO - 22.7 mpg, 6.5 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 2.1 apg, 42.5 FG% 18.3 3FG%

Hannah turned into a pretty frustrating player. He started the first 5 games of the season, which did not go well. He settled into being the main post off the bench all season. He never shot the ball as well as I hoped, but this was the season he received the most minutes. 2.1 assists for a bench post shows he had some skill. His highlight: 24 points and 9 boards against Washington in the 1st round of the National tournament.

SF/SG Jacob El Darwich SR - 24.2 mpg, 11.4 ppg, 2.7 rpg, 1.8 apg, 1.51 spg, 40.9 FG% 34.8 3FG%

An extremely hot and cold player. There were games where he was nailing threes and was a very solid wing, but there were more games where he was a complete bomb. He ended up moving to the bench and led that unit and did a pretty good job, and if I remember right I had him closing games instead of Amoke. Will I go back and look? No.

SG/SF Brandan Wimberly FR - 13.2 mpg, 3.6 ppg, 1.3 rpg, 1 apg, .84 spg, 50.4 FG%

Athletic, big wing that could really defend. Had some really good games and showed up in the postseason.

Sporadic time:

SG Tyrik Straih JR - 18 G, 2 GS, 9.7 mpg, 1.7 ppg, 0.9 rpg, 40.0 FG%

He started most of his sophomore season because of his excellent defense. After the team started off horribly, I decided to blame it all on him and he hardly played the rest of the season. I was probably premature in doing that in hindsight. Not too worried about it though!

C Josh Armstrong FR - 23 G, 5.0 mpg, 1.2 ppg, 1.1 rpg, .23 bpg, 47.4 FG%

A huge (7'1", 252) freshman who was taken along with another 2* freshman when we swung and missed on numerous post options trying to fill some deep depth options. With foul trouble issues sporadically popping up, Armstrong got into quite a few games and played every single game of the postseason run.

PG Cameron Stutz FR - 8 G, 4.5 mpg, 2.4 ppg, .6 apg

Didn't play much at all with fellow freshman ONeal taking up all of the backup point minutes. But he showed promise shooting the ball.

C/PF Travis Tomic FR - 8 G, 3.0 mpg, .5 ppg, .5 rpg

Huge (7'6") wingspan. But it was decided early that Armstrong would be the emergency depth at the 5 and that about wrapped it up.

Walk-ons

Jack Stone, Jordan Taylor, and Parker Harding were the three walk-ons this season and they would all be cut the following season.

Emmett13

03-21-2024, 01:52 AM

After the season was over, our prestige jumped up to High from Above Average which was a major boon, but we did lose a few important players.

Brandon Vanderwal, 6'2", 175, Newark, New Jersey

https://i.postimg.cc/DZPD6d5J/Vanderwal-career-stats.png

Like I said in the previous post, ended up being the MVP of the team and the only reason we even qualified to make the tournament before we got hot and made a nice run. Was able to play off the ball quite a bit with the emergence of ONeal and shot the lights out. Really became a prototype for me for a point guard.

Jacob El Darwich "the Darwich", 6'5", 226, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
https://i.postimg.cc/Gt3f58SM/el-darwich-career-stats.jpg

Highly ranked out of high school and had some really strong offensive games, but was just very hot and cold and not to be depended on. Low efficiency players are nobody's favorite.

And one surprise transfer:

Brandan Wimberly, 6'7", 198, Kingfisher, Oklahoma
https://i.postimg.cc/m2Dq399k/Wimberly-career.jpg

I don't remember the circumstances, I'm pretty sure I kept my minutes promise to him, but one way or the other he left. I was disappointed that he took off, because he had the makings of a very strong defensive wing. But, he couldn't shoot, didn't finish around the rim, and wasn't creative off the dribble. So, no great loss. He ended up at conference foe WVU and did okay.

Travis Tomic was also cut at the end of the year freeing up another scholarship. He didn't transfer to another school and that was the end of his D1 experience.

Emmett13

03-21-2024, 02:17 AM

With two graduated, one cut, and one transferring out that meant we had 4 spots to fill and were in dire need of a scoring wing and a few guards to compete for minutes at the 1.

Here's who we ended up with:

First, a transfer from Arizona:

https://postimg.cc/4mw7w0K2
Sophomore Wallace Power, 6'8", 206, Glendale, AZ - 40 G, 14 GS, 20.0 mpg, 8.4 ppg, 3.2 rpg, 2.2 apg, .75 apg, 48.1 FG% 28.6 3FG%

Great last name. a 4*, ranked #89 out of high school. Really big guard with a bad attitude, but I was willing to overlook it with his skillset. Scores inside, rebounds well, creative with the ball, and could really defend. I was willing to roll the dice that his attitude might cause problems.

The Freshmen:

https://i.postimg.cc/vmQ59r1S/Wayne-Brown-photo.png
SF Wayne Brown, 6'7", 212, Wright City, Oklahoma, 5*, #22

There were three 5* freshmen in the state of Oklahoma that season, and we were able to take advantage of our tourney run and snag one of them. Brown didn't quite fit the profile I was looking for, as his defensive left some room to be desired. But, he looked so effective offensively, I didn't see how I had a choice. He was promised the moon and was going to slot right into the 3.

https://i.postimg.cc/cL7Qr9Jn/Weisman-photo.png
SF/SG Sam Weisman, 6'6", 190, Dallas, Texas, 4*, #132

Sharpshooting wing who has potential as a rebounder and passer. He would never be excellent at it, the strength to play in the post some and be decent switching. Was a surprise pull as I didn't offer much of a role, but got lucky.

https://i.postimg.cc/kXbNdX3w/Mimms-photo.jpg
Soufiyane Mimms, 6'3", 176, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, 3*, #263

Guard who picked us over Washington. Has major intangibles with his leadership and pick and roll abilities. I honed in on him fairly early, knowing I needed a point guard bad in this cycle. Either he or Aaron ONeal seemed the favorites to play point, with Cameron Stutz a bit of an afterthought.

Emmett13

03-21-2024, 03:38 PM

Just like the last recap, a lot of this from memory so there are probably some incorrect memories here. This season was a frustrating one, primarily because I created a starting lineup with hardly any shooters. My starting lineup for the year had one guy who shot any threes with volume, Wayne Brown, but he really struggled. As a team we were #328 out of 362 in 3P% at 30.7 and #341 in 3PTs made. A huge difference from last year's team which was very dependent on the shooting of Vanderwal and El Darwich.

Nonethless, we still had a decent season with what we had, which was a team that could get to the paint and did damage inside, still managing to be one of the 66 teams to shoot over 50% from the field overall.

Regular season results:

https://i.postimg.cc/dQmJ1gPF/40-regular-season.png

We pretty well held serve against the teams we were supposed to beat, with no really bad losses all year, but we struggled to take care of the best teams. We ended up 4-11 in quad one games, which wasn't great. But it was good enough to get us back into the play in game as the 12 seed. But unlike last year where we were able to use that to spring us into the Elite Eight, this time:

https://i.postimg.cc/yd0s0bDF/40-post-season.png

Florida ate us up and put an end to the season. It still extended our post season success to Oklahoma State to 3/3.

This season we ended up #106 offensively and #69 defensively which earned us a #76 net rating.

Let's look at the starting lineup by the end of the year:

PG Aaron ONeal SO - 30.8 mpg, 8.9 ppg, 2.6 rpg, 6.8 apg, 1.7 spg, 1.58 tpg, 45.5 FG%, 22.9 3FG%

He primarily played at the point all season long and did a solid job distributing the ball. His three point shot (2.7 3PA) never got going, but he did a good job getting to the rim and on pull ups. His biggest issue I think was that he was just too big at 6'8" to guard opposing point guards. In our play in loss to Florida, their sub 6 foot point guard absolutely torched us. But this year made me want to get him to the 2 full time.

SG Wallace Power SO - 30.1 mpg, 13.6 ppg, 3.1 rpg, 2.4 apg, 1.48 spg, 2.03 tpg, 55.8 FG%

Another guy that can't shoot. Was 10-36 from three all year, but like ONeal, did his damage at the basket and from mid range. Had a really strong year, but definitely was part of bogging up our offense at time with his inability to shoot.

SF Wayne Brown FR - 30.4 mpg, 13.9 ppg, 2.5 rpg, 2.2 apg, 1.53 spg, 1.58 tpg, 46.2 FG%, 26.6 3FG%

Put up 4.3 3PA's a game and was our most prolific outside shooter which is pretty sad given his percentages. But outside of that he had a really solid freshman year. Led our team in scoring, was effective getting to the basket and really looked like a super star in our national tournament loss, where he scored 30 points on 11/18 shooting.

PF Khadre Thurman JR - 27.6 mpg, 4.4 ppg, 3.7 rpg, 1.1 apg, 1.35 bpg, 59.5 FG%

Yet again played his role excellently. Hardly shot the ball and when he did it typically went in. 4.1 FGA per 36 minutes is just what I was looking for. I wish he rebounded better, but I'm happy with what he does well. Play hard defense and stay out of the way on offense.

C Troy Moss JR - 28.7 mpg, 12.1 ppg, 8.8 rpg, 1.1 apg, 1.25 bpg, 53.8 FG%

Another solid, steady year for Moss who continued to average close to a double double every game on solid percentages. Not much to say about him outside of that. Super consistent.

Rotation (played every game)

PF/C Christian Hannah JR - 19.8 mpg, 6.2 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 1.6 apg, 52.9 FG%

Didn't shoot nearly as many threes this year, but he provided what he normally does. Some offensive punch, some strong passing and poor athleticism defensively.

SG/SF Sam Weisman FR - 9.2 mpg, 3.1 ppg, 0.8 rpg, .7 apg, 51.1 FG%, 59.5 3FG%

Shot the lights outs from three (25-42) but definitely established himself as a low volume shooter. As bad as we were shooting the ball all season, he was certainly an outlier. But a promising season for sure, even if he struggled to get a high volume of minutes.

Sporadic Time

PG Soufiyane Mimms FR - 32 G, 10.6 mpg, 2.8 ppg, 1.5 apg, 34.0 FG%

Started off as the backup PG, and I was hoping that he would force my hand and take the starting spot, but he just stunk pretty much from the word go. Shots the ball poorly, and didn't do much to demand him staying in that position, so ended up getting benched for Stutz by the end of the year.

Cameron Stutz SO - 27 G, 7.9 mpg, 3.1 ppg, 1.4 apg, 51.8 FG%, 40.5 3FG%

With how poorly Mimms played and how desperate we were for shooting, Stutz ended up becoming the backup point guard. He shot the ball well (15-37 from three) and an absolutely absurd 38:2 A/TO ratio. His play at the end of the year convinced me to make a major lineup change for the next season.

SG/SF Jack Amoke SO 27 G, 7.9 mpg, 2.4 ppg, .8 rpg, 39.7 FG%, 35.1 3FG%

Ended up in the starting lineup as a freshman, but never really carved out a role as a sophomore. His shooting percentages fell a bit, which is tough when he was pretty much solely a perimeter shooter. Still a good athlete and plays strong defense.

SG/SF Tyrik Straih SR - 18 G, 6.2 mpg, 1.9 ppg, .7 rpg, 61.9 FG%

I never really figured out how to handle Straih, Weisman and Amoke, because there were some major similarities with the three of them. I started giving him a little more playing time at the end of the season, including some time at the 4. I do wonder with his excellent defensive chops how he would have done full time in the starting lineup.

C Josh Armstrong SO 26 G, 5.6 mpg, 1.0 ppg, 1.5 rpg, 43.5 FG%

Still giant (7'1") and still just used in emergencies. There were times he'd get 4 predetermined minutes, but otherwise pretty much just there for foul trouble. Where his job was to be big and not worry about fouling.

Walkons

Much like last season, we had three walk ons and all three (Marvin Miles, Ambrose McCloud, and Bryan Anderson) were cut after the season. Miles did end up playing at Maryland-Eastern Shore.

skrath

03-21-2024, 05:00 PM

The conclusion is worth waiting for :D :popcorn:

Emmett13

03-21-2024, 05:41 PM

The conclusion is worth waiting for :D :popcorn:

:devil: :devil: :devil:

Emmett13

03-21-2024, 05:47 PM

One graduate:

SG Tyrik Straih, 6'6", 204, Katy, Texas
https://i.postimg.cc/v8RmDW4r/Straih-final-stats.png

Defensive stud on the wing, and will always have his sophomore year where he was a starter, but he fell out of the rotation as I got new, more intriguing recruits.

and one surprise transfer

Sam Weisman, 6'6", 190, Dallas, Texas
https://i.postimg.cc/wqRv6Wjx/Weisman-final-stats.png

Similar to Wimberly the year before, I'm pretty sure I met my promises to him, but he decided he wanted more playing time and I wasn't going to promise much more than he received. So off to UNC Greensboro he went. He'll be a senior this season, and is coming off a strong junior year.

Emmett13

03-21-2024, 05:56 PM

Had 3 scholarships to offer. We brought back essentially everyone besides a handful of backup guard minutes, and since we already had guys I felt comfortable about in house, I decided to go after a couple of posts to prepare for losing the trio of Moss, Hannah, and Thurman after this next season.

I looked for a PG but I didn't make progress on anyone who I knew would take a starting spot, and I lost out to a highly ranked guy who ended up at Alabama.

The plan became moving Stutz to the starting PG, moving ONeal to the 2 and Wallace Power to the bench. We still had Mimms and Amoke on the roster as well, and I just didn't see a lot of perimeter minutes out there.

We didn't add any transfers and signed two prep post recruits:

https://i.postimg.cc/XvpzMB3q/Rushin-photo.png
PF AJ Rushin, 6'9", 253, Katy, Texas, 4*, #50

Definitely the jewel of the class. A legit offensive threat in the post with a nice jump shot all the way out to three, he's a strong passer form the post as well. Isn't quite the defender I'm normally looking for and is just adequate on the glass. But, he gives us a real offensive force at the 4, which is something we've not had since I've been at Oklahoma State.

https://i.postimg.cc/43qFX4N5/Zenga-photo.png
Eros Zenga, 6'8", 231, Cologne, Germany, 3*, #339

My first foreign recruit. Zenga is a very skilled big man, who like Rushin can shoot the ball and is even better passing than Rushin. The issue is that he's pretty rough defensively. He does compete on the glass, but we'll have to find out if his pros outweigh his cons at the Big XII level.

Emmett13

03-21-2024, 11:46 PM

We made a major breakthrough this season, finally breaking out of the drama of being squarely on the bubble every season. This year we brought back 90% or so of our production, decided to ramp up our non-conference schedule and it paid off. We had by far our best year from beginning to end.

https://i.postimg.cc/nVvwtJ84/41-regular-season.png

It resulted in a 6 seed, and just like 2039 we made a nifty, little run.

https://i.postimg.cc/sx9nPpP6/41-post-season.png

3 wins makes for our second Elite Eight appearance in 3 years. We take down the 11 seed, 3 seed and 2 seed before falling to the 1 seed.

Our offense took a major jump, making it up to #21, our defense was at #135, giving us a net rating that settled in at 16th.

Our starting lineup

PG Cameron Stutz JR - 28.1 mpg, 8.3 ppg, 3.3 apg, 1.9 rpg, 1.55 spg, 42.2 FG%, 33.3 3FG%

I knew I needed more shooting in the lineup to open things up offensively. He didn't shoot the ball as well as I hoped, but he acted as a poor man's Vanderwal, in that he was a competent lead guard that could operate off the ball and allow ONeal to run the offense.

SG Aaron ONeal JR - 31.8 mpg, 10.5 ppg, 3.1 rpg, 5.3 apg, 1.64 spg, 52.2 FG%, 24.1 3FG%

Another year, another impressive season. He earned 2nd team all Big XII for the second consecutive season, and continued to operate efficiently in the mid range. He shot way less threes this season and never really got going there.

SF Wayne Brown SO - 30.3 mpg, 17.2 ppg, 2.9 rpg, 1.3 apg, 1.05 spg, 47.3 FG%, 31.7 3FG%

Took a nice step his sophomore year. Shot the ball a little better from long range, and was a tad better at getting to the line. What was really promising was his performance in the big dance, averaging 26.5 ppg a game in the 4 tourney games.

PF Khadre Thurman SR - 44 G 41 GS, 15.0 mpg, 2.1 ppg, 2.3 rpg, .43 bpg, 50.8 FG%

The addition of the freshman didn't result in Thurman losing his starting spot, but he did lose a lot of minutes. He started games and ended them, but the time in between was typically Rushin's.

C Troy Moss SR - 28.3 mpg, 11.9 ppg, 8.0 rpg, .8 apg, 1.05 bpg, 55.1 FG%

Wrapped up an excellent career with a season that was pretty much identical to the last two. Solid, consistent scorer inside who held his own on the glass. Had 16 and 12 in his last college game against the eventual #1 overall pick.

Rotation

PF AJ Rushin FR - 45 G 3 GS, 23.1 mpg, 8.8 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 1.8 apg, .69 bpg, 50.5 FG%, 34.7 3FG%

Had a really solid freshman year, and at times was excellent on offense and dominated. Showed some ability passing the ball too. I toyed with him in the starting lineup, but figured it worked better when he could be a focal point of the offense with the second team. Very impactful freshman.

SG/SF Wallace Power JR - 44 G 3 GS 20.3 mpg, 7.2 ppg, 2.6 rpg, 1.7 apg

Lost his starting spot when Stutz moved into the starting lineup. Still got to play quite a bit, and it was much of the same. Solid from mid-range and around the basket, and did a good job as a scoring punch off the bench. Always expect a guy with a bad attitude like him to potentially take off after the season.

C/PF Christian Hannah SR - 12.1 mpg, 4.8 ppg, 2.9 rpg, 0.8 apg, .56 bpg, 55.9 FG%

Rushin really took his minutes away at the 4, and Hannah essentially was just the backup 5 this season. His offense got a shot in the arm, as he was much better in the paint and at drawing fouls than he had in the past. Still didn't have a great +/- when he was on the court.

SG/SF Jack Amoke JR - 9.8 mpg, 2.5 ppg, .8 rpg, .4 apg, 48.8 FG%, 47.3 3FG%

Settled into a decent role off the bench getting 10 minutes a game and putting up a 3 or so a game and playing solid defense on the wing. If he shot a higher volume of threes he'd probably get more playing time.

Sporadic Minutes

PG Soufiyane Mimms SO - 12 g, 6.5 mpg, 1.3 ppg, .6 apg, 27.3 FG%

Aaron ONeal received all of the backup point guard minutes, and his only extensive playing time was 3 games that Wayne Brown missed due to injury, and he was able to squeeze his way in for a few minutes. Just doesn't hit shots when he gets chances to play. Expect him to transfer.

PF Eros Zenga FR - 8 g, 4.7 mpg, 1.8 ppg, .5 rpg, .5 apg, 47.2 FG%

With three seniors already established and the addition of Rushin, there just weren't many minutes for him. He's got some real offensive skill, but it was always going to be a season or two before he got any playing time, hopefully he doesn't leave before then.

C Josh Armstrong JR - 4 g, 4.9 mpg, 1.0 ppg, 2.3 rpg, 50.0 FG%

Rushin destroyed his minutes too and we didn't have many blowout lineups get in this season. At this point I might as well have him graduate, as you don't want to tell a 7'1" human that he is losing his scholarship.

Walkons

Another year with 3 one and done walk-ons as Twan Okoro, Linton Isiani, and Parrish Dickson all get the boot.

Emmett13

03-22-2024, 01:42 PM

This was the end of my first recruiting class at Oklahoma State, and it ended up being an important one that played a lot of minutes. Three posts and a pg named Rene Ross that was cut after the first year.

Our graduates

https://i.postimg.cc/q7W0JRbw/Moss-picture.png
Troy Moss, 6'9", 230, Coppell, Texas
https://i.postimg.cc/4X4vZFYR/Moss-final-stats.png

An excellent career, he was steady every season. His main flaw was that he was a bit undersized and wasn't exactly a great defensive anchor under the basket. I thought his athleticism might get him a look in the pros, but it doesn't seem like that will be the case.

https://i.postimg.cc/x83S3P0p/Hannah-picture.png
Christian Hannah, 6'9", 236, Denton, Texas
https://i.postimg.cc/Tf6qNPGw/Hannah-final-stats.png

I had higher hopes for him when he signed on, thinking he was going to be a strong outside shooter and have the ability to pass the ball. I think he was just too poor of an athlete at this level, and his shooting never came around. Did provide a decent offensive punch off the bench.

https://i.postimg.cc/Gmhbz6TF/Thurman-picture.png
Khadre Thurman, 6'7", 227, Pearland, Texas
https://i.postimg.cc/2zV4LbdH/Thurman-Final-Stats.png

Probably lucked out with getting a starting spot for us. Didn't score, didn't rebound much, but he had great defensive ratings, and I was happy to have a low volume guy fill in at the 4. But, it probably isn't a coincidence that the less he played the better we did.

And an unexpected transfer

https://i.postimg.cc/9XgSCzBQ/Oneal-picture.png
Aaron ONeal, 6'8", 196, Deer Park, Texas
https://i.postimg.cc/QdVW7w7B/Oneal-final-stats.png

3 year starter, 2 time all-conference member, Aaron ONeal decided he didn't like his teammates and he wanted to move on. He was a really solid guard, but he had some flaws. He would have been a starter yet again, but his decision to move on really didn't end up hurting at all. He went on to St. John's who is a lower level Big East school and he struggled mightily in a new system.

Emmett13

03-22-2024, 11:08 PM

Losing 3 post players and our starting SG gave us 5 scholarships going into the offseason cycle and we ended up signing 4 guys and adding zero transfers. It was definitely the best class we've been able to come up with so far. Going into it, I knew I needed at least a couple of posts, and I was hoping to upgrade at PG. I had two guys with extensive starting experience in Power and Amoke ready to take ONeal's spot, but I was looking for an upgrade at SG if at all possible.

Here's what I got:

PF Marquese Henshaw, 6'11", 241, Terry, Mississippi, 4*, #43
https://i.postimg.cc/vTLRhG1G/Henshaw-photo.png

Our highest ranked recruit, Henshaw has great size, plays great defense and has a high basketball IQ. He's just extremely confident with no great weaknesses. He doesn't have much range to his game, so I think he's likely stuck as a 5, but has the defense abilities to switch some and play some 4, which is listed position.

Garth Ludwig, 6'9", 245, New Orleans, Louisiana, 4* #59
https://i.postimg.cc/5tTMN7dW/Ludwig-photo.png

Another highly rated post. I didn't promise Ludwig many minutes, and I was a bit surprised to see he signed with us. I had promised big roles to some top 25 post recruits, but they both chose to go to Kentucky. Getting a top 60 player as a consolation is pretty sweet. Ludwig has a 6'10" wing span at 6'9", so he's never going to be dominant above the rim, but he's thick and strong and does a good job rebounding and like Henshaw has a high IQ. But, he can't shoot, and can't pass and doesn't offer much outside of the paint. If I can keep him as a backup center the next four years I think I'll be doing great, if he has to start, he has some limitations which will limit us.

Tevin Ridder, 6'2", 205, Chaska, Minnesota, 4*, #70
https://i.postimg.cc/tJHQFs4r/Ridder-photo.png

Pretty well signed up with zero competition which was nice. Basically looks like a stronger version of last year's point guard Stutz. A really good defender, and shoots the three pointer really well, but doesn't take a high volume of them. Not going to be any kind of 7 assist guy, but should be a steady PG. Ideally, he can play with another guard that can create some.

Mekel Duell, 6'4", 198, Bossier City, Louisiana, 3*, #235
https://i.postimg.cc/85vgFRNJ/Duell-Photo.png

It's not often you find guards who prefer Grit and Grind has their style of play, so when we saw Duell we jumped all over him. He's a very strong, athletic guard who can get to the basket and finish in the paint as well as a strong mid range game. He also has a nice handle and can create and initiate offense. Even his defense is solid. His three point shot is inconsistent at best, but if it wasn't he'd be a top 25 recruit. Very under ranked.

Emmett13

04-09-2024, 12:20 AM

A coaching change before the season start, as our assistant the last 4 seasons, Tyrese Priddy left to take the head coaching position at Bowling Green. We wish him luck!

His replacement ends up being Ben Green. Green spent the last 4 years at Rutgers, which is where he started his CJBL coaching career. Priddy was a defensive oriented coach, and this time we decided to go after a more balanced approach. He's just solid pretty much across the board, and I'm hoping his general competency will benefit us.

https://i.postimg.cc/HnwBLmGj/Green-Coaching.png

Emmett13

04-10-2024, 10:50 PM

I won't try to create too much suspense for the results of this season because, frankly, besides just a couple (literally two) hiccups, we flat out dominated and pretty much gave the CJBL the business from the opening tip to the season's final buzzer.

So, yes, if that was too clunky of a sentence; we won the whole CJBL last season with an incredible 45-2 record, a Big XII regular-season championship, a Big XII tournament championship, and most importantly, a CJBL championship to hang in the fake Oklahoma State rafters for fake eternity.

I'm honestly still not 100% sure on how I was able to do it. Not sure what was so special about the combination of players I had to win so many games, but I undoubtedly will be trying to recreate that for as long as I'm in the CJBL.

Let's first take a look at team stats:

https://i.postimg.cc/yNjTWv3V/2042-team-stats.png
https://i.postimg.cc/MTst3dzs/Screenshot-2024-04-03-205708.png

We ended up being just so deadly and efficient on offense. We played an incredibly slow pace, finished at the rim, were tough on the offensive glass, and got the foul like a lot. Teams essentially had to match us bucket for bucket, and very few could keep up with us. Our defense struggled early on but really started to tighten up when it mattered. It was never great, but certainly good enough.

Let's look at some season results:

https://i.postimg.cc/4xCP0KTT/Schedule-2043-part-1.png
https://i.postimg.cc/VL044qpR/Screenshot-2024-04-03-205924.png

We had two games, @BYU and @Houston, where we just got shellacked, but besides that, we won every game. And even the two teams we lost to, we beat twice and three times respectively.

We had a game-winning three-pointer against BYU in the conference tournament semi-finals from Wayne Brown that was a particular highlight.

Let's look at some player stats:

https://i.postimg.cc/MHv5CVTz/2042-stats.png

Our Starting Lineup by the end of the year:

PG Tevin Ridder FR - 27 mpg, 7.6 ppg, 4.6 apg, 1.3 rpg, 48.9 FG%, 37.7 3FG%

Was this close to being the scapegoat for losing the national championship game with his horrific performance in regulation, but salvaged his reputation by hitting multiple big shots in the overtime. But, he was just what we needed at the point. Played very strong defense, knocked down some shots and did a better job than expected passing the ball. Planning on him being the starter for the next three years.

SG Mekel Duell FR - 22 GS, 24.9 mpg, 14.2 ppg, 2.0 apg, 1.7 rpg, 62.3 FG%

Holy hell. I hit the jackpot with this guy. After spending about half the season coming off the bench and leading the second team, I just couldn't deny him any longer. He was so efficient, he forced his way into the starting lineup and the rest was history. We were undefeated after he began starting at the 2, and in the national tournament he was virtually unstoppable.

His 6 tournament games: 10-13, 13-19, 7-10, 15-22, 8-11, 5-11. He struggled a little bit in the championship game, but his ability to score was incredible, and it earned him the tournament MVP award. Not too bad for a 3* recruit.

SF Wayne Brown SR - 31.5 mpg, 15.5 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 1.6 apg, 1.81 spg, 50 FG%, 38.6 3PT%

With Duell having such a ridiculous second half, Brown got overshadowed a bit. His scoring numbers went down from last year since he had to share the ball more, but his efficiency took a huge step forward. He also did a great job generating steals, including 5 in the national championship game. A great season for the former 5* and current team captain.

PF AJ Rushin SO - 29.9 pg, 10.6 ppg, 5.3 ppg, 2.6 apg, 54.9 FG%, 38.7 3PT%
Another guy that took a step forward. He made big strides on the glass and was a consistent offensive threat from all three levels. His passing was also a big part of our offense, and I'm hoping that continues to grow the next two years.

C Marquese Henshaw FR - 27.6 mpg, 8.9 ppg, 7.1 rpg, 1.8 apg, 1.26 bpg, 54.3 FG%

He dealt with some foul trouble and had a few clunkers over the course of the year, but overall had a great season. Strong on the glass and defensively, and also showed some offensive chops with his passing and ability to get to the free-throw line. All season long he was ranked around 40 in the JBL draft rankings, so definitely a concern of him going pro.

Rotation (played every game)

SG/SF Wallace Power SR - 14 GS, 15.7 mpg, 5.5 ppg, 2.3 rpg, 1.1 apg, 54.4 FG%

Started the first 14 games of the season. Offensively, he was essentially a poor man's version of Duell. Good at getting to the rim and in the mid-range. Eventually, Amoke replaced him for a while, but unlike Amoke, Power was able to stay in the rotation all year long.

PG Cameron Stutz SR - 2 GS 13.2 mpg, 3.6 ppg, 1.9 apg, 43.7 FG%, 39.3 3PT%

Was relegated to the bench after the signing of Ridder. And he did a pretty darn good job. Had a couple of starts when Ridder missed a couple of games due to injury. Knocked down some threes and took care of the ball, a very competent, experienced backup point guard.

C Garth Ludwig FR - 18.0 mpg, 4.9 ppg, 5.8 rpg, 51.6 FG%

Started off with a 13 and 9 performance in game 1 on the road at Missouri. But never quite reached those heights again. Both of those numbers ended up being season highs. But, he was a solid backup. Active on the glass and scored the ball okay around the rim. He has some athletic limitations, so I'm hoping he'll be satisfied with being a backup his whole career. His intangibles are tremendous, so I definitely want him to stick around.

Sporadic Time

SG Jack Amoke SR - 34 G 11 GS, 10.7 mpg, 2.3 ppg, .8 rpg, 44.3 FG%, 40.9 3FG%

I jerked Amoke around his whole career. In and out of the starting lineup, in and out of the rotation. He had a stretch midseason where he was starting and playing 10-15 minutes a game. He had a tremendous +/- there for a while, which gave me the idea to plug him in the lineup. He played strong defense and spaced the floor well. But when push came to shove, he just wasn't shooting the ball enough to justify giving him minutes in lieu of Duell and Power.

PF Eros Zenga SO - 22 G 7.0 mpg, 2.0 ppg, 1.5 rpg, .7 apg, 47.2 FG%
Was part of the rotation the first 11 games, but he was the first casualty as I shortened my post-rotation down to 3. He has a lot of offensive skill, and is a strong rebounder. The concern with him is just that his defense is too big of a liability to play much. Showed his versatility against Akron when he had 4 points, 7 boards, and 4 assists in just 11 minutes.

C Josh Armstrong SR - 16 G, 4.1 mpg, 0.0 ppg, 1.5 rpg

The big man somehow managed to stick around all 4 years. And even with 60+ minutes on the court, managed to not score a basket. But he provided solid depth and I didn't worry too much if he had to play 5 minutes at center.

PG Soufiyane Mimms JR - 10 G, 5.3 mpg, 1.3 ppg, 0.9 apg

One more year of collecting dust. His ratings still look solid, but his performance on the court over the last 3 years has not been pretty.

Walk-ons

Lachlan Troost, J.W. Poynter, and Avis Sestina were the walk-ons this season and they hardly played and each will be cut at the end of the season to try a new batch.

Emmett13

04-11-2024, 12:06 AM

Quite a few guys are moving on after our tremendous season. Four seniors graduated and we also ended up losing two non-seniors to the JBL, with one in particular being a heartbreaker. But, we can get over about anything with a championship trophy in our possession.

The seniors (in alphabetical order)

https://i.postimg.cc/D0D21yqr/Amoke-picture.png
Jack Amoke, 6'4", 192, Waco, Texas
https://i.postimg.cc/nhyLBJ72/Amoke-final-stats.png

As I said in the previous post, I probably gave Amoke whiplash from how often he was in and out of the rotation. At the end of the day, he just wasn't aggressive enough to force me to play him. His ratings and athleticism made him look like a solid wing defender, but that's so hard to quantify in a text sim. Repeated 0-1 games from three made it easy to bench him, even when his percentages still turned out solid.

https://i.postimg.cc/Fz1rfJJF/Armstrong-picture.png
Josh Armstrong, 7'1", 252, Shelbyville, Texas
https://i.postimg.cc/mgzDPDch/Armstrong-final-stats.png

Came in with another huge center, Travis Tomic. Tomic was cut immediately after his first season, but somehow Armstrong stuck around. He essentially was the 3rd string, emergency center his whole career. And his play time completely relied on the guys in front of him getting in foul trouble. He did have a few spurts over the years where I briefly gave him a few minutes in the rotation.

https://i.postimg.cc/wjYXx89z/Wallace-power-photo.jpg
Wallace Power, 6'8", 206, Glendale, Arizona
https://i.postimg.cc/V6Rsx0hZ/Power-final-stats.png

A guy with a troublesome attitude that I'm surprised handled his benching as well as he did. He started as a sophomore after transferring in, and had a solid season even if it was on a pretty flawed team. Has great size, defends and is efficient around the rim and in his mid-range game. Just couldn't shoot threes, and it limited him, and me when figuring out lineup combinations. But, did a great job in the national tournament, going 10/12 from the field across 6 games, and a 4-4 performance in the championship game.

https://i.postimg.cc/SsgQNGRt/Stutz-picture.png
Cameron Stutz, 6'1", 182, Tulsa, Oklahoma
https://i.postimg.cc/s25gJN4r/Stutz-final-stats.png

Local guy who toughed out limited playing time as an underclassman as well as getting sent back to the bench his senior year. He was solid as a starter (replacing Power) bringing us better spacing and more playmaking ability in the backcourt. But, he was ideal as a backup point guard. Rarely made mistakes, hit a decent percentage of threes, and then sat the other 30 minutes of the game.

And the guys who declared with eligibility left:

https://i.postimg.cc/vmQ59r1S/Wayne-Brown-photo.png
Wayne Brown, 6'7", 212, Wright City, Oklahoma
https://i.postimg.cc/c4J6NT0R/Brown-final-stats.png

Despite his unimpressive JBL prospects, Brown just didn't have much left to prove. The former 5 star was efficient on the wing, was our best three point shooter by volume, and was just a consistent stud pretty much the entire year. Including in the championship game where he had 5 steals and the game winning block. If we hadn't won the championship I think he probably comes back, but again, it's hard to complain. He was also the captain of the team this year, so we have some major, major shoes to fill.

https://i.postimg.cc/85vgFRNJ/Duell-Photo.png

Mekel Duell, 6'4", 198, Bossier City, Louisiana
https://i.postimg.cc/wMwvmRcR/Duell-final-stats.png

This was the stunner. I had already accepted the awesome future of having him for four years, because I just didn't see him going pro. He doesn't have great size at the 2, doesn't shoot the three well (to be fair, I didn't let him), and is just a solid athlete, nothing insane. But, the guy can get to the basket and works the mid-range game like nobody's business. He was the MVP of the tournament, and like Brown, really didn't have a ton left to prove at this level, so off he goes. I definitely think he'll get drafted, unlike Brown who I think is 50/50. I had visions of him being the top dog for the next 3 seasons, but instead I'm looking at rebuilding my entire wing rotation, with Power, Amoke, Brown and Duell all off to other things.

Edit- Looks like when I uploaded photos to the hosting site, I was not consistent in the size that I uploaded them in. Duell deserved the largest photo anyways.

Emmett13

04-11-2024, 12:14 AM

Going into the next season as defending champions is definitely a different dynamic than we are used to. We also have quite a bit of talent to replace. Fortunately we did get to keep Marquese Henshaw, who ironically was who I was anticipating leaving early since he was a frequent sight on the JBL prospect list. None of our returning guys transferred, even Mimms, the seldom used reserve point guard.

So going into the transfer season and HS recruiting here is our scholarship break down:

PG: Tevin Ridder (SO), Soufiyane Mimms (SR)
SG:
SF:
PF: AJ Rushin (JR), Eros Zenga (JR)
C: Marquese Henshaw (SO), Garth Ludwig (SO)

Clearly you can see what our needs are. With 7 scholarships to give, I'd love to have a couple used up in the transfer session. I'd like to sign a senior big man to replace Armstrong. I really like the trio of Rushin, Henshaw and Ludwig, and I'm not really looking to upgrade there next year, unless there just happens to be some monster of a post that falls into my lap. I also don't really want to try to convince a decent HS recruit to come and sit on the bench as the 4th or 5th post. So, ideally I can find a senior to fill that role for one season, get a few minutes, have a few laughs and hit the road.

As far as wings go, who knows. I'd like a better backup point guard than Mimms, or at the minimum have a better option. I'd love a SG that slide down to the 1 and effectively be the backup point guard. A SF that could also play the 4 would be dreamy as well, but those guys are hard to find.

I probably need 4 perimeter players at the minimum this cycle, and one of them needs to play PG. Same with trying to find a senior post, ideally we could fill one of those slots with a solid transfer, so I don't have to have 4 or 5 freshmen wings.

Interesting to see how our new "extremely high" prestige rating and our shiny 2042 national championship trophy benefit us on the recruiting trail. I'm very cognizant of trying not to go star chasing, and keep going after guys that I think fit what our high culture, grit and grind program.

Emmett13

04-11-2024, 12:23 AM

There is still a phase or two left, and we're effectively finished. This was a pretty light portal season as far as talent goes. We did go after a veteran wing, who I would have really liked to have, but I was definitely not aggressive enough in my offer and he went elsewhere.

On the bright side, I found an ideal target at center and was able to snag him with promising him zero minutes, which is the absolute dream.

https://i.postimg.cc/wjgzpjhS/Kusmierz-photo.png
Kazimierz Kusmierz, 7'0", 263, Senior, Brodnica, Poland
https://i.postimg.cc/4xPgNRPn/Kusmierz-stats.png

This guy checked all the boxes. A senior, can play the 5, solid enough defensively and competitive on the glass. He played the last two season at AI ran Texas A&M Corpus Christi, and he played in a horrendous conference in the Southland. But he cleaned up on the glass and earned a 3rd team all-Southland nod.

I think he's an upgrade over Armstrong, who essentially he is replacing. Much like Armstrong I don't think he'll get much playing time outside of foul trouble games, but I might try to pepper him in during the non-conference slate to see what he can do at this level....probably not, though.

Emmett13

04-22-2024, 11:21 PM

The first big recruiting phase is over and with 6 open spots, and desperately needing to fill minutes (all 80!) at SG and SF, we took some mighty swings at some of the top talent in the nation, offering top 30 recruits from coast to coast. We missed out on our crown jewel, who went to Villanova, but we did hit big on two extremely talented high school players. I promised them both major minutes, and they are almost guaranteed to start at the 2 and 3 for us.

Starting with the lower ranked recruit (just barely):

https://i.postimg.cc/Jh7V3StS/Green-photo.png
#14 SF Ismael Green, 6'7", 203, Roseville, California, 5*
https://i.postimg.cc/d3yztYSZ/green-hs-stats.png

Chose us over NC State.

Green is like the prototypical SF for me. He's a tremendous perimeter defender who can switch onto a post without a problem. Shoots the ball pretty well from three, but isn't excellent. Great basketball IQ and intangibles. Could probably slide down and play the 2 with few issues with his ball handling ability. He's not super aggressive and he is going to be a 3rd option offensively probably. But, he's got pro written all over him. I expect him to start at SF and to go pro after the season.

the other recruit:

https://i.postimg.cc/T3JvDT2r/Timmerman-photo.png
#10 Temple Timmerman, 6'5", 203, Oshkosh, Wisconsin
https://i.postimg.cc/sX8krXKR/Timmerman-hs-stats.png

Chose us over Arkansas.

Both Green and Timmerman were not my initial desires in recruiting, but they both had such immediate interest in me, and neither really had a ton of heavy competition throughout recruiting. So, I don't want to say they fell to me, but they kind of did, especially when I could be so aggressive with my offers to SG and SF's.

But this is about Timmerman, who has an excellent name, by the way. Timmerman to me is just a much better version of Aaron ONeal who we had a few years ago. He's not as big as ONeal, but he provides the same combination of defense, playmaking and rebounding out of the guard position. Timmerman is a much, much better offensive player and shooter than ONeal was though. He looks like a lead guard all day and another guy who might be a one and done candidate. He does seem to have some turnover problems, which worries me in a slow paced system. But, I've got other guys I can run the offense through, so I'm not too worried about it. I promised them both very big roles and a lot of minutes, and both of them look so good that we now have our starting lineup going into the season:

PG: Tevin Ridder SO, Soufiyane Mimms SR
SG: Temple Timmerman FR
SF: Ishmael Green FR
PF: AJ Rushin JR, Eros Zenga JR
C: Marquese Henshaw SO, Garth Ludwig SO, Kazimierz Kusmierz SR

Still have 4 scholarships to give. Now really only have backup minutes to offer, we have 4 offers out currently and have some other backup plans cooking if need be.

Emmett13

04-27-2024, 01:33 AM

Another major phase has come and gone in recruiting, and we're a tad bit disappointed. With our starting lineup established, it was going to be rough going convincing high level recruits to come be reserves here, but I thought we had a chance at Basil Sanchonius, a 6'6" point guard who I offered a 6th man role too. But, he went off to North Carolina instead. I'll be eager to see if he starts for them.

We didn't completely strike out though:

https://i.postimg.cc/FzX3yvp4/Paulos-photo.png
SG/PG Roger Paulos, 6'3", 199, St. Louis, Missouri, 4*, #117
https://i.postimg.cc/4dgxwxDB/Paulos-hs-stats.png

Paulos looks like our backup PG for this season. He's a very good defender that puts pressure on the ball and is going to generate some turnovers. He has shot the ball extremely well in high school from distance and has a solid floor game and can run an offense. He's really just about what the doctor ordered. He'll get his 8 minutes at backup PG, and won't be completely out of place off the ball with his ability to shoot and his adequate size.

Depending on how the rest of recruiting, goes he could potentially see a lot of minutes at the 2 this year. I do think he and Ridder as a defensive backcourt would cause some havoc, even they would be a little undersized.

We still have 3 scholarship to offer, we have 2 currently offered. I 100% need at least one more wing that can play the 3/2 role. Roster as of right now:

PG: Tevin Ridder SO, Soufiyane Mimms SR
SG: Temple Timmerman FR, Roger Paulos FR
SF: Ishmael Green FR
PF: AJ Rushin JR, Eros Zenga JR
C: Marquese Henshaw SO, Garth Ludwig SO, Kazimierz Kusmierz SR

Emmett13

05-19-2024, 03:58 PM

The rest of recruiting ended up being a major bust as we struck out on multiple targets and ended up having to take two emergency 1* recruits who don't even deserve their own little capsule. I'll preview them in the general post.

Bringing back 3 starters and your entire front court from a National Championship team is definitely a big deal. If the two highly lauded 5* freshmen come in and perform well in the 60 minutes they'll get between them, I think we will be very good yet again. The pressing issue is the almost complete lack of wing depth.

Last season almost seemed like a glitch or something on how they kept winning, so I can't pretend I know what to do to make them play that way again. I have quite a bit of experience on the team, and everyone has a high basketball IQ which I have to assume is good. The big question is how the new engine this season will play out. I can't articulate exactly what that means, but I imagine it will change the way I can funnel my team to certain actions and tendencies.

But, I have good players and a good coaching staff so I feel like we'll manage.

The starting lineup for game 1 (opponent to be determined):

PG: Tevin Ridder, 6'2", 205, Sophomore, Chaska, Minnesota
https://i.postimg.cc/QNmczt5X/Ridder-43-stats.png

The buffoon turned hero in the CJBL championship game. Ridder is a super tough defensive guard who is a steady, if unaggressive three point shooter. Even though he did have a few games where he'd pop off and take control of the offense and shoot a dozen times. I'd love for him to shoot more threes and keep that percentage the same or better this year. But, I'm still mainly relying on him to spearhead the defense.

SG: Temple Timmerman, 6'5", 203, Freshman, Oshkosh, Wisconsin

Top rated freshman who really has a similar game to last year's Mekel Duell. He's super quick and a much better passer than Duell ever was, but he has the same limitations shooting the ball. He could be turnover prone, but he has all the makings of a stud guard who will be the lead option in a lot of sets. I'm really very interested to see how he translates to the grit and grind system, as it isn't a natural fit for him, and this could really dictate how I recruit going forward if Timmerman is a bust.

SF: Ismael Green, 6'7", 203, Freshman, Roseville, California

My favorite recruit, just because he looks like a ready made, high-level 3 and D player right from the get-go. His three point shot didn't translate like I was hoping, but it should still be strong enough. Everything else did though. Super high IQ, rangy defensively with nice size and athleticism. Gets on the glass, moves the ball well. He's really going to get about as many minutes as I can think he handle.

PF: AJ Rushin, 6'10", 254, Junior, Katy, Texas
https://i.postimg.cc/503QD7XP/Rushin-stats-43.png

With Wayne Brown's departure, AJ Rushin steps into the captain's role. He still isn't much on defense. But offensively, he's very skilled. Shoots the ball well from three, converts at a solid clip inside. His rebounding continues to improve fairly rapidly, as does his passing. 2.6 assists a game from your PF in the pace we run is a pretty solid number and I could see trying to run the offense through him some. Even more so than Green, Rushin is a guy that we will be trying to get 34 minutes a game in conference play.

C: Marquese Henshaw, 6'11", 241, Sophomore, Terry, Mississippi
https://i.postimg.cc/cCLtWRYd/Henshaw-stats-43.png

All season long he was the one guy I felt like was going to go pro, and instead he stuck around and we're very glad he did. Supreme defensive post who really had a good training camp. He's scored at an efficient rate last year, and is another very high IQ player in our starting lineup. Rebounded well last year. I think he could score a solid amount of points if he was given the opportunity. With Rushin and Henshaw, I think we have the ability to bully some teams in the paint this year.

Bench

Garth Ludwig, 6'9", 245, Sophomore, New Orleans, Louisiana
https://i.postimg.cc/Jhjk54MC/Ludwig-stats-43.png

I was very happy with his season as the main post off of the bench. He's a little limited size wise and athletically, but he's a smart defender who is competitive and productive on the glass. He'll see similar minutes to last year and be a great replacement if either of our starting posts get hurt. I'm a little worried his ambition isn't going to allow him to stay on the bench too much longer. If Henshaw goes pro, Ludwig would step right into that role.

Roger Paulos, 6'3", 199, Freshman, St. Louis, Missouri

I'm going to need Paulos to be ready to go as a freshman. After missing out on multiple prep wing recruits, suddenly Paulos is going to be relied on to fill a lot of minutes at the 2 this year. I'm optimistic that is jack of all trades type game will perform well. He'll be the 4th or 5th option any time he's on the court, so I'm hoping he's able to contribute. He doesn't have a real weakness to his game, though he's definitely a combo guard more than a true point.

Soufiyane Mimms, 6'3", 176, Senior, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
https://i.postimg.cc/SsqzTFx2/Mimms-43-stats.png

He came back for his 4th season, and it looks like he's going to get some real PT this year. He had a great training camp, and ratings wise he looks excellent. He's a true point, with the floor general tag, and he's going to get every opportunity to take Paulos' minutes off the ball. To start, he'll be Ridder's backup and then as the season progresses, one of he or Paulos will be the first guard off the bench.

If neither Mimms or Paulos are ready, it could be a major issue in Stillwater.

Eros Zenga, 6'8", 231, Junior, Cologne, Germany
https://i.postimg.cc/2SsW-WBpx/Zenga-43-stats.png

Zenga is an interesting player that is still searching for a role. He passes the ball extremely well, is a strong rebounder with a legit three point shot. But, he's a shit show defensively which limits how many minutes he can get. I'll give him some run in the non-conference to see how he performs, much like I did last year. But, just like last year, I expect those minutes to disappear once we get to conference play.

Kazimierz Kusmierz, 7'0", 263, Senior, Brodnica, Poland
https://i.postimg.cc/4xPgNRPn/Kusmierz-stats.png

Our lone transfer from Texas A&M-Corpus Christi. Kusmierz was 3rd team all Southland last year (which is one of the worst conferences with the fewest number of teams), and the rebounding numbers he put up are no fluke. He has major size inside and provides a good defensive anchor down low. He's at least competent offensively and will draw fouls if nothing else. I'll try to find him some scheduled minutes in non-con, but he looks like he won't see much playing time his senior year barring injury.

Dominez Akhile, 6'5", 206, Freshman, Houston, Texas

The first of two emergency takes after we struck out on multiple wing targets during recruiting. Akhile didn't even start for his high school team (but did his Junior year!), but we liked his defensive capabilities on the wing and he can't shoot it even if he's unaggressive. Frankly, he's almost a guarantee to be cut at the end of the year to free that scholarship back up.

Onorio Mezzalira, 6'8", 218, Sophomore, Laveno-Mombello, Italy

Mezzalira is a bit more intriguing than Akhile and is more likely to stick around. He provides solid size on the wing, and is a solid defender who provides a little bit of switching ability into the post. He shoots the ball at a decent clip and helps out on the glass. I doubt he sticks around for all 4 years, but he'll get wing minutes over Akhile if it comes to it. I wouldn't mind peppering him in during non-conference to see if he shows any life.

Our three walkons this year are SG LaDamien Strong, SF Ari Weitzman and SF Lacedrick Yee-Stephens. None are any threat to get a scholarship, but all 3 are better than our usual walkons and at least one of them will probably stick around for another year.

While I wish we had more wing depth (have I said that enough?), we look like we are primed for another strong season. I'm pretty obsessed with our coach Aucoin, and bring back enough talent from last year's run to give us a lot of optimism. If Green and Timmerman are plug and play we could contend for a championship again. If they aren't I think we're probably fighting for 3rd or 4th in conference.

Emmett13

07-17-2024, 12:40 PM

30-10 (16-6) - Sweet Sixteen

It's not easy following up a season when you win the national championship, as nearly every single possible outcome is going to pale in comparison to the previous season. So, while it's hard to call a 3rd place conference finish and sweet 16 appearance a disappointment, but it kind of is.

We had a really strong squad, that could play and beat just about anyone, but we struggled periodically from the free throw line all season long which cost us a couple of games, and the turnover bug bit us something awful in the national tournament in our loss to Kentucky in the Sweet 16.

I do think our recruiting issues bit us pretty good at times this season. We lacked some wing depth and it limited how aggressive we could be defensively, since foul trouble would be so detrimental. I plan to be a little more active during the transfer portal to try to ensure I get some solid reserve options.

Let's look at the team stats:
https://i.postimg.cc/B6dGhKC3/23-team-stats.png
https://i.postimg.cc/s2Hzh8Qv/23-advanced-team-stats.png

Our offense was solid, but wasn't close to how good we were last season with Duell and Brown on the wings. There was an engine and tendency change in the sim this season, so it was interesting to see how that changed what I try to do. We definitely didn't get to the free throw line as much, which I want to change.

Let's look at some season results

https://i.postimg.cc/ZYdmWwT5/43-final-results.png

Didn't even know this page existed on the website! That's much clearer. Even though I think it be might be a little small on the page. We beat some very good teams, Kansas, (conference champ) BYU, and Marquette being the highlights. We were swept by Houston, and struggled without Henshaw who missed the 2nd and 3rd games of the year, which were both losses.

Let's look at some player stats
https://i.postimg.cc/Fz3XwHPL/2043-player-stats.png

We will take a look at each returning player, and save our seniors for a later post.

Starters:

Junior F AJ Rushin - 10.6 ppg, 6.6 rpg, 1.6 apg, 52.3 FG%, 35.5 FG%, 65.1 FT%

At first I was a little disappointed in his junior season. His percentages got just a tad worse, he wasn't as assertive as I thought he might be. But, I think it's more that Timmerman absorbed a lot of shots and Rushin saw his usage decline. He was the team captain this season, and is almost certain to return and start at the 4 his senior year.

Sophomore C Marquese Henshaw - 10.8 ppg, 9.4 rpg, 1.15 bpg, 52.3 FG%, 82.1 FT%

A really impactful big man, who had games where he utterly dominated the glass. Inconsistent offensively, with a few games where he'd do something like 3-11 from the field. He finished well around the basket, and was very good at the line, he just shot too many from 6-12 feet. Henshaw is almost certainly going pro this year. There aren't a ton of high level big men in the draft this season, and he has a decent shot at being a lottery choice. If he declares I'll make a separate post.

Sophomore G Tevin Ridder - 12.1 ppg, 4.8 apg, 1.58 spg, 51.4 FG%, 42.4 3FG%, 62.7 FT%

Had the most surprising improvement. Really became more active in the offense, taking more than double the amount of threes that he did the year before. He's like the perfect PG for what I want to do. Plays really good defense, takes care of the ball, knocks down some threes and let's a playmaking SG carry a lot of the load. His free throw shooting is a problem, and might be something I spend training camp time on next season. Glad I'll most likely have him the next two years. He has a decent chance of being the team captain the next two seasons.

Freshman G/F Temple Timmerman - 17.5 ppg, 3.7 rpg, 2.9 apg, 1.78 spg, 51.7 FG%, 87.6 FT%

Started off a little rough, but pretty much right when conference play started he kicked it into another gear and was dynamite. Ended up the second high scorer in conference during conference play with about 21 a game. Great at getting to the basket, and in the mid range. I limited his three point range, as he was just too aggressive with them. Helped out on the glass, and created for others as a secondary playmaker. Did have turnover issues that reared their head at times.

He's on the draft boards fairly high, but there are a ton of wings in this next draft potentially, so I'm holding out a little hope he comes back. If he does, he could be a dominate player next season. But I'd put it at 80/20 he's gone.

Freshman F Ismael Green - 10.6 ppg, 2.9 rpg, 2.0 apg, 1.5 spg, 50.0 FG%, 33.8 3PT%, 69.4 FT%

The other highly touted freshman. He doesn't have the offensive aggression that Timmerman has, so his stats look disappointing in comparison. But, he still had a very solid year. His 1-5 FT performance in the sweet sixteen might have cost us the game, but we'll look at the big picture. He's ranked below Timmerman on the draft boards, but is also a possibility to come back and I think the odds are quite a bit higher for him to return. If he does, I think he could have an awesome sophomore year, especially if he figures out his three point shot.

Bench players

Sophomore C Garth Ludwig - 3.9 ppg, 4.2 rpg, .33 bpg, 51.6 FG%, 46.2 FT%

Had an identical FG% to last year. Ludwig is a short-armed, strong rebounding center that cost us a game last year with his poor free throw shooting. But, he is strong and holds his own in the post and is a splendid backup center to have. He seems to have ambitions of being a starter and a focal point of a team, so I think there's a possibility he enters the transfer portal. If he does, I won't offer him starter or up to stay as I think I can get a better freshman option. But, I'd love for him to come back and play another 15 minutes off the bench.

Freshman G Roger Paulos - 2.1 ppg, .5 apg, 35.4 FG%, 25.6 3PT%

Very unproductive in his limited minutes, and it resulted him falling out of the rotation as we became a 7 man rotation by postseason time. It was a combination of his natural lack of aggressiveness as well as me putting him pretty far down the offensive hierarchy no matter who he was on the court with. He played solely off the ball this year, but I think his best chance for playing time is as a backup PG. My plan is to try to turn him into the best defender I can, and hope that his shooting percentages were a fluke.

Freshman Guards Dominez Akhile and Onorio Mezzalira

They both got into a handful of games, and they both hit the only three they shot and they both are going to get cut when the season is over to open up two more scholarships.

Emmett13

07-17-2024, 12:48 PM

Small senior class this year with Mimms being the only 4 year survivor of our Mimms, Brown, Weisman class.

So...

G Soufiyane Mimms, 6'3", 176, Oklahoma City, OK
https://i.postimg.cc/kXbNdX3w/Mimms-photo.jpg
https://i.postimg.cc/TPVMYrp1/Mimms-Final-Stats.png

Toiled on the bench for three years being unproductive at every opportunity. With Paulos being so ineffective and our complete lack of solid wing depth, Mimms was thrust into being the 6th man and playing the majority of his minutes off the bench. He cooled off as the year goes on, but he shot the hell out of the ball to start the year. I think he struggled playing defense at the 2 in the Big XII, but I really couldn't have asked for much more for his senior year, given the poor play the previous 3 years.

Kazimierz Kusmierz, 7'0", 263, Brodnica, Poland
https://i.postimg.cc/wjgzpjhS/Kusmierz-photo.png
https://i.postimg.cc/hPfk7FfH/Kusmierz-final-stats.png

Big time rebounder at TAMU-CC, who probably would have rebounded very well at the Big XII level too, but he never got much of a chance to prove it. I guess I potentially could have given him some regular minutes early in the season to find out, but I couldn't justify playing him over Ludwig or Henshaw. Better than Jermont Williams (deep cut if you're a follower).

Emmett13

07-21-2024, 10:27 PM

The season is over, with Kansas taking the National Championship and the 2044 season has officially begun.

Like always roughly 25ish players declare early and we get hit (like last year) with two early defections. Sophomore big man Marquese Henshaw and freshman wing Temple Timmerman will both try their luck in the JBL, and they both look like 1st round picks, with Henshaw looking like a potential top 10 guy.

Marquese Henshaw
https://i.postimg.cc/vTLRhG1G/Henshaw-photo.png
https://i.postimg.cc/JhyTgb14/Henshaw-final-stats.png

Probably got a little lucky with him coming back for his Sophomore year. Extremely smart player who played really good defense, was very impactful on the glass and knocked down a great percentage of free throws for a post. He's going to leave a big hole in the center of our defense. He was also our "marquee player", which is the biggest recruiting chit you can have, so if there's a big time center recruit with some initial interest in me, I plan on throwing the max recruiting offer at them.

2042 - 3rd team All-Big XII
2043 - 2nd team All-Big XII

Temple Timmerman
https://i.postimg.cc/T3JvDT2r/Timmerman-photo.png
https://i.postimg.cc/hPzfXvPQ/Timmerman-final-stats.png

He took a little bit to get going, but once he did, I think he was as good as just about any wing in the conference. Really good at getting to the basket and in the mid range, shot great percentages from the free throw line. Helped out a little on the glass, could pass, played solid D. I didn't let him shoot threes, so I'm not quite sure how effective he would have been there. He's a bit undersized, and hasn't proven he can shoot yet, so I see him as probably a late 1st round pick, early 2nd round guy. There are a lot of wings in this draft, so I was a little surprised he went out.

2043 - All-Big XII 2nd team

Emmett13

07-21-2024, 10:38 PM

With the season flipping over, it allowed us to cut any players, and we went all out. We cut our two desperate takes from last year, Dominez Akhile and Onorio Mezzalira. Thankfully, neither were depended on for any real minutes all season, and neither had any hope of being a rotation piece for me, so I decided to cut bait and open up those scholarships for next year.

We also cut all 3 of our walk-ons, and we'll look to grab a new batch next season.

We bring back head coach Travell Aucoin who still has two more years on his contract. Assistant coach Ben Green's 2 year contract expired this year, he was on our national championship winning staff, so I'll offer him to come back, but I think there's a decent chance he takes a head job somewhere.

With two seniors graduating, two players leaving to play professionally, two scholarship freshmen being cut and having one vacant scholarships that leaves us with 7 scholarships heading into the offseason.

PG: Tevin Ridder
SG: Roger Paulos
SF: Ismael Green
PF: AJ Rushin, Eros Zenga
C: Garth Ludwig

Ludwig wasn't happy this past season with being a backup getting 15 or so minutes a game. He sees himself as someone who deserves a bigger role. If we can't find a stud center, he's a shoe-in to start at center for us. Where he'll be steady and provide great intangibles. I think the odds our in our favor for him sticking around, but I think there's a chance he bolts and gives us 8 scholarships to give.

So, with a minimum of 7 scholarships to play with, I'd like to use at least 2 of them in the transfer portal. I'm going to really prioritize going after a wing who I feel confident that can play in the rotation. And one of (maybe both) a backup point guard and a post player. It's not going to be easy to get a stud point guard with Ridder entrenched the next two years, but I think we could pick up a senior who could provide a steady 6-10 minutes off the bench. And as I've proven twice already, I always enjoy a senior backup post who can play those emergency minutes.

Transfer season will start in a week or so.

Emmett13

08-02-2024, 12:19 AM

I was worried that Garth Ludwig was going to transfer, as he seemed to have higher expectations than maybe I'm willing to give him. But, he stayed! So, that's definitely good news. He's played a lot of minutes, and even if he's not a dynamic future pro like Henshaw, I certainly wanted to keep him.

The shocker was that freshman guard Roger Paulos decided he's had enough of Stillwater and he's ready to move on. The 4 star (ranked #117) really was pretty ineffective in his playing time for us this year. By the very end of the season he was out of the rotation, as he was just so unproductive in those few minutes he was given, and with poor shooting percentages to boot.

I did want to keep him, as he was a really good athlete with some solid defensive chops. He only played off the ball this year, which I don't think was the best spot for him. I had tentatively planned on him being the backup PG this year, which would have been a better role for him. But, I feel pretty confident I can find a guy in the transfer portal to replace him so I'm not too broken up about it.

The transfer cycle will be over in a handful of days, and I anticipate adding 2 if not 3 players.

I'm mainly looking for:

A backup PG.
Some wing depth, so I don't have to rely on numerous freshmen.
And some deep post depth.

We'll find out what I get in a few days.

Our roster as of right now:

PG: Tevin Ridder, JR
SG: ?
SF: Ismael Green, SO
PF: AJ Rushin, SR
C: Garth Ludwig, JR

Emmett13

08-04-2024, 11:01 AM

The first big wave of player movement is over, and we put out 3 offers and we ended up snagging one of them.

Our former guard Roger Paulos went off to Vanderbilt, and it will be interesting to see how he does going forward.

I went after options at backup PG (missed), a backup post (missed), but I did secure the commitment of a wing option that I really like:

Marquez Ahart, 6'5", 182, Senior, Jackson, Mississippi
https://i.postimg.cc/pr46QpLb/Arhart-photo.png
https://i.postimg.cc/c4tjxMFs/Arhart-stats.png

Ahart was stuck in the SWAC the last 3 years, and played for Jackson State who had really, really bad seasons the last two years as a team. But, as his stats show, he's proven the ability to score at the D-1 level. It's his freshman year in particular that gives me hope, since it's also the year they went 17-5 in conference which is far better than the last two seasons. I'm not sure what happened to JSU, but I'm glad he made is way here.

Ahart has decent size and is a solid and strong athlete on the wing. His three point shot isn't much, but he attacks the basket and gets to the foul line. Most importantly though he provides a really good defensive presence on the wing and I'll be very comfortable with him defensively.

I'm 100% trying to find a better option to be my starting SG this year in the prep ranks, but if everything goes to shit and I have to start Ahart at the 2, I won't be too upset.

I'm still trying to sign options at PG and post, but with most of the solid players already committed elsewhere, I'm looking at deep bench depth and doubt I'll get anyone who will contribute.

So, with a few more transfer phases to run through, here is how our 2044 team is shaping up.

PG: Tevin Ridder, JR
SG: Marquez Ahart, SR
SF: Ismael Green, SO
PF: AJ Rushin, SR, Eros Zenga, SR
C: Garth Ludwig, JR

Winrar

08-04-2024, 02:52 PM

Following, loving the details you put in. I'm FAU and Boston U in CJBL. You are helping me figure out what I need to do by reading your stuff.

Emmett13

08-05-2024, 12:12 AM

Following, loving the details you put in. I'm FAU and Boston U in CJBL. You are helping me figure out what I need to do by reading your stuff.

Awesome! Thanks for reading hopefully it helps.

Emmett13

08-05-2024, 12:29 AM

And we were able to accomplish our goal and snag a couple of more seniors for depth purposes.

First:

Tykei Lipp, 6'4", 186, Senior, Kaukauna, Wisconsin
https://i.postimg.cc/YqTYhBGD/Lipp-photo.png
https://i.postimg.cc/R0BtL1Tc/Lipp-stats.png

Lipp is a former 2* who has bounced around the MAC so far in his college career. Clearly, Lipp's offensive game seems limited, and I'm hoping he's not our backup PG this year, but I do really like his size, athleticism and his really strong defensive chops. He generates turnovers, and according to his scouting report can really lock down some guys.

His passing ratings don't seem like much, but his assist rates in college has been great, as has his ability to limit turnovers.

But, I'm really happy to have this guy as the fall back option in case I can't find a more dynamic prep option to be the backup PG next year.

The other new player:

Naje Masters, 7'0", 245, Senior, Carmichael, California
https://i.postimg.cc/02z7kyQJ/Masters-photo.png
https://i.postimg.cc/t4PP6vFq/Masters-stats-43.png

Yet again, we angle to snag a senior post who we can encase in glass and use him just for emergencies. Masters has received steady playing time his entire career, but has had some pretty wild variance, at least from the FG%. He has great size and is a solid defender in the paint. I do think last year's senior post Kusmierz was better, but hopefully that's just academic and Masters only ends up in a dozen games.

We're definitely done with transfers after this and we'll get ready for HS recruiting where we'll look to pick up a few more studs to the roster.

As it stands:

PG: Tevin Ridder JR, Tykei Lipp SR
SG: Marquez Ahart SR
SF: Ismael Green SO
PF: AJ Rushin SR, Eros Zenga, SR
C: Garth Ludwig JR, Naje Masters, SR

That leaves us with 5 scholarships to offer and with the way the role system works in this game, I think I'll be able to offer some pretty good minutes and roles which should give me a pretty good chance to get at least a couple of good players.

I'm mainly looking for:

A dynamic, dominating center. I like Ludwig, but he definitely has limits. I'd like to throw a max offer at a stud post who can step right in and be one and done. If I can't get one, I'll look to add a freshman (hopefully of quality) to the post stable, even if they can't get much playing time.

I'd like someone to push Ahart at SG, and pushes him to the bench. Specifically someone who can really defend and hopefully knock down a solid number of threes.

A combo guard. With Paulos leaving and Lipp being a senior, I need to add another ball handler to be at the minimum be the 3rd point guard
.

Emmett13

08-12-2024, 11:55 PM

The first wave of decisions has been been made by the prep recruits and we had three guys deciding. We made some fairly weak offers to some 6'4" shooting guards, who both took other options and while I was disappointed in not getting at least one of them, I was very happy with who we did secure:

Isaac Lopez, 6'11", 245, The Woodlands, Texas, 5*, #3
https://i.postimg.cc/yYQgV914/Lopez-photo.png
https://i.postimg.cc/W1dDt3zD/Lopez-HS-stats.png

Lopez looks to slot right into the 5 spot vacated by Henshaw. Like Henshaw he is listed as a PF, and like Henshaw it seems to make way more sense having him at the C position. He looks like a defensive whiz who is going to finish at a very high percentage around the basket, and make a very high percentage of free throws where he stands to be a lot with his foul drawing ability. He doesn't have much of an outside shot, and I almost certainly won't let him shoot threes if I can help it. He's also just a solid rebounder.

All in all, very excited to get the 4th 5* in my run with Oklahoma State, as well as the highest ranked one.

Roster update:

PG: Tevin Ridder JR, Tykei Lipp SR
SG: Marquez Ahart SR
SF: Ismael Green SO
PF: AJ Rushin SR, Eros Zenga, SR
C: Garth Ludwig JR, Naje Masters, SR, Isaac Lopez, FR

We have a very aggressive offer out on a top 100 SG/SF with size that I really like, and two more on some guards ranked in the 100-200 range who have some skills I really like, even if I see them as bench players going forward.

Will hopefully have a few guards to update you on soon.

Emmett13

08-15-2024, 11:59 PM

We sign three more during the middle phase in recruiting, and unless we pull one more guy with a really weak offer, we've got our squad for the 2044 season.

In addition to #3 ranked Isaac Lopez, we've also signed:

SG Johni Tusha, 6'7", 190, Deer Park, Texas, 4*, #69 ;)
https://i.postimg.cc/L8tYBFvT/Tusha-photo.png
https://i.postimg.cc/Dz7WxpMK/Tusha-HS-stats.png

I never made any real headway with some of the really high level SG recruits, or they had such immediate heavy competition I just never really engaged. I was fortunate to get Tusha over Northwestern State (LA) who is coming off a final four run, and Baylor who was replacing one of the better players in the CJBL last year.

He's a really intriguing player that does a lot of things that I really value. He's going to provide really nice size on the perimeter, and play really good defense. He gets steals, and is really impactful on the offensive glass, which is a unique trait for a SG.

And what's even better, is on top of that, he shoots the hell out of the ball and really spaces the floor offensively. He also draws fouls really well, which I'm hoping translates into him getting fouled on three pointers at times.

His only weaknesses are that he's not any kind of playmaker, and is looking like a guy who will primarily operate as a catch and shoot option. I made him a pretty hefty offer, 'Important Player' and 28+ minutes a game. So, he'll slot right into the 2 spot for us from day one, and hopefully lives up to his ratings.

SG Jahmel Goodlet, 6'3", 200, Orem, Utah, 4*, #145
https://i.postimg.cc/n9HC7LPT/Goodlett-photo.png
https://i.postimg.cc/kMRx6zrj/Goodlett-hs-stats.png

Chose us over BYU, who has an excellent class with a couple of wings already in it. So I don't think he had much of an offer from them.

Goodlet was kind of a surprise get. He wasn't someone I was looking at super hard, until I bailed on a lot of SG recruits and then missed out on my two early options. But, snagging him is a pretty great alternative. If it wasn't for being slightly undersized, he's about as intriguing as Tusha.

He's a really good three point shooter, but I don't think has nearly the range as Tusha. He's a very strong defender, and as his rebounding numbers indicate is a fantastic rebounder for a guard, and I'll be interested to see how that translates to the Big XII. He could probably play the point in an emergency, but he's definitely better off ball.

The really crazy thing about him is he has a 6'2" wingspan on his short frame, which I imagine will impact his defense and some other things, but it certainly didn't seem to impact his rebounding.

I promised him 6th man and 12 minutes, which shouldn't be a problem to find for him.

Sinan Falls, 6'5", 204, Hampton, Virginia, 4*, #157
https://i.postimg.cc/BL5jXFMX/Falls-photo.png
https://i.postimg.cc/02g7pnP9/Falls-hs-stats.png

Picked us over Florida.

Like Goodlett, another guy that kind of snuck up on me. I had my eyes set on a PG from Texas ranked in the low 200's, and was going to make him the priority. But, as I scouted Falls and saw he didn't have much competition, I jumped on him, and I started to sour on my other option because he was so similar to Ridder.

Falls is an extremely good athlete with excellent size at the PG position. He has great work ethic and already has very solid defensive skills and I think with some focus in training camp could turn into an absolute defensive monster.

Offensively, he plays a solid PG even if he isn't the most dynamic playmaker especially since he struggles with the pick and roll. But, he shoots the ball very well and will keep defenses honest and I think he would do just fine if he had to play off the ball. He's definitely going to get any minutes that Ridder doesn't at the point, and if he plays well he might see time at the 2. I promised him 12 minutes as well, so I'll have to find him some time.

We do have one more offer out that we are in the top 3 on, but I only offered him 4 minutes and frankly I'd be surprised if we get him. But, if we do, it'll add one more wing to the stable.

So, most likely, here is our roster going into the season. We'll add walk-ons as well, but I'm sure they will be shit.

PG: Tevin Ridder JR, Sinan Falls FR, Tykei Lipp SR
SG: Johni Tusha FR, Jahmel Goodlet FR
SF: Ismael Green SO, Marquez Ahart SR
PF: AJ Rushin SR, Eros Zenga SR
C: Isaac Lopez FR, Garth Ludwig JR, Naje Masters SR

We have way more depth than we did last year and with the quality of perimeter defenders we seem to have, I'm very much into trying an extremely high pressure, pressing defense. I think we can handle the foul trouble and I want to get all of these perimeter players opportunities to play so I can really have a good idea of how to pare it down come conference time.

I think this is a good looking squad.

Coffee Warlord

08-19-2024, 10:10 PM

2043, Day 3. Northern Colorado 71, OK State 60.

That's all anyone need know. :)

Emmett13

08-21-2024, 11:26 PM

That is definitely about 10% payback for the beating you took in the CJBL tournament. ;)

Emmett13

08-27-2024, 07:26 PM

The next season starts in the next day or two, so it's time to get my team preview and my initial thoughts on the squad before we sim the games.

We'll start with my starting lineup for day 1, which is going to be a home game against UNLV.

PG: Tevin Ridder, 6'2", 205, Junior, Chaska, Minnesota
https://i.postimg.cc/tJHQFs4r/Ridder-photo.png
https://i.postimg.cc/fRxt2JfL/Ridder-44-stats.png

Super happy he's my point guard. Had to play a ton of minutes last year since we were stretched so thin with guard depth, so I certainly see him closer to 28-30 this year. But, he's an absolute top notch defender, as good as any defender in the nation at the point. He shot the ball very well from three last year, and rarely turns it over even if he's not the best passing PG. When it comes to CJBL tourney time, he's probably looking at a return to 32-34 minutes a game.

SG: Johni Tusha, 6'7", 190, Freshman, Deer Park, Texas
https://i.postimg.cc/L8tYBFvT/Tusha-photo.png

I was a little disappointed in Tusha after training camp, but I really shouldn't be since he does what I want him to do, very well. He's long, and a really solid defender. He's a lefty who can really shoot the three and should really space the floor for us. I promised him 28 mpg, and I aim to get him that. He'll probably see some time at the 3 as well.

SF: Ismael Green, 6'7", 205, Sophomore, Roseville, California
https://i.postimg.cc/Jh7V3StS/Green-photo.png
https://i.postimg.cc/cC2gj3zK/Green-44-stats.png

For his pedigree (#14 ranked HS recruit) he had an underwhelming season. He also was the 3rd or 4th option on the court in most lineups. I was underwhelmed by his progression, and he didn't improve in shooting like I was hoping he would. But, he's still a very valuable player for us. He's a good defender, will hopefully shoot a few points higher this year, and where I think he'll really be valuable for us, is I see him getting some time at the 4. It would allow us to be pretty switchy, and I think he could really be a floor spacer. He's a likely 30 mpg guy, and will probably go pro after the year is over.

PF: AJ Rushin, 6'10", 254, Senior, Katy, Texas
https://i.postimg.cc/XvpzMB3q/Rushin-photo.png
https://i.postimg.cc/DwV4PqsH/Rushin-stats-44.png

Our team captain is back and ready for his senior year. He's the same player he's been the last few years. He's a below average defender in the post, but is above average at just about every other aspect of basketball. He can shoot it, he's impactful on the glass and he's a really good passer for a big man. I played around with him initiating the offense from the high post, and it had mixed results. I'm sure I'll play with it again.

C: Isaac Lopez, 6'11", 245, Freshman, Woodlands, Texas
https://i.postimg.cc/yYQgV914/Lopez-photo.png

Lopez was the #3 recruit in last year's class, and he looks to step right into the large shoes of Marquese Henshaw. Lopez doesn't have the same game as Henshaw, who was a defensive oriented player. Lopez looks to be a major threat around the basket, and what I'm most excited about is his potential at drawing fouls and knocking down 85% or so of his free throws. He's a good defender, but not a great one. His rebounding is solid enough, but he's definitely more of a threat on the offensive glass than defensive. Early on, I plan to really feed him the ball and let him be the main guy and obviously I'll pivot away from that if it's too much for him.

Now our reserves:

I'm doing this by roughly who I think will play the most off the bench:

Garth Ludwig, 6'9", 245, Junior, New Orleans, Louisiana
https://i.postimg.cc/5tTMN7dW/Ludwig-photo.png
https://i.postimg.cc/fWr9J4bw/Ludwig-44-stats.png

Ludwig was really seeing himself as a marquee guy, and I thought there was a chance he'd transfer, but I'm super stoked to bring him back. He's just such a steady backup center to have. He's a really strong defender, who does good work on the glass despite his t-rexy wingspan. He's gotten better at finishing around the basket, which he has opportunities to do with his offensive rebounding abilities.

He's a poor passer, poor free throw shooter, and has no range to his game whatsoever. I do see the potential of a Ludwig/Lopez duo in the post being effective. Lopez isn't ideal at the 4, but he's got a little foot speed and probably handle it some.

Jahmel Goodlett, 6'3", 200, Freshman, Orem, Utah
https://i.postimg.cc/rs4WB0C6/Goodlett-photo.png

Goodlett is an odd player. Undersized for a SG, especially with his 6'2" wing span, but he seems to have all the skills of being a rough and tumble grit and grind guard. He defends, he's a legitimate rebounder, and it looks like he can shoot the ball well. Right now, he just needs to defend, catch and shoot threes and help out on the glass. And I think he'll be in lineups where he just has to be a role player and could perform well.

Marquez Ahart, 6'5", 182, Senior, Jackson, Mississippi
https://i.postimg.cc/pr46QpLb/Arhart-photo.png
https://i.postimg.cc/c4tjxMFs/Arhart-stats.png

I think Ahart is a wild card to really get a lot of minutes this year. He's probably the only other true SF on the roster besides Green. He defends very well, has some ball skills, and like Goodlett will be a producer on the glass. His size would be an obvious issue, but he has the skillset to handle some time at the 4 in a small lineup if need be. I really want to pressure the basketball this year, and a guy like Ahart should be able to go all out for 4-6 minute blocks of time.

Sinan Falls, 6'5", 204, Freshman, Hampton, Virginia
https://i.postimg.cc/gJQ8tqhq/Falls-photo.png

Falls is looking like the guy who will get the majority of the backup PG minutes, at least to start the season. He's rangy and defends, and looks like he'll be an adequate offensive PG. He's a strong athlete and just doesn't have too many weaknesses to the game, but no real standout strengths. I promised him 12 minutes, and that's going to be tough to reach I think, unless I toss him a few minutes at the 2 every once in a while.

Tykei Lipp, 6'4", 186, Senior, Kaukauna, Wisconsin
https://i.postimg.cc/YqTYhBGD/Lipp-photo.png
https://i.postimg.cc/R0BtL1Tc/Lipp-stats.png

Lipp has had an odd career, walk-on turned transfer turned MAC journeyman. For a 10th or 11th guy, I'm pretty thrilled. Even though his ratings didn't back it up, his assist rate last year was incredible. But what I'm crazy about is that he's almost as good of a defender as Ridder, but is longer and a better athlete. Like Ahart, I'm really excited to have him as depth as it hopefully allows me to play very aggressively and to bring a guy like him when we are in foul trouble or something like that is a heck of a luxury. I think there's a world he steals the backup PG job from Falls.

Eros Zenga, 6'8", 231, Senior, Cologne, Germany
https://i.postimg.cc/43qFX4N5/Zenga-photo.png
https://i.postimg.cc/5NQFzPH8/Zenga-44-stats.png

Zenga's probably had a frustrating time in Stillwater. He's gotten bench minutes in the non-conference games the last two years, and really played just fine and even had a few games where he was extremely productive in limited minutes. But, he just keeps getting passed up by recruits. He can guard the perimeter and the post, but pretty average at both. Rebounds, can shoot it, and passes it really well. I don't see him getting a ton of playing time, but if we are getting smoked on the glass consistently or something, he has the ability to play and be productive.

Naje Masters, 7'0", 245, Senior, Carmichael, California
https://i.postimg.cc/02z7kyQJ/Masters-photo.png
https://i.postimg.cc/t4PP6vFq/Masters-stats-43.png

My emergency senior post transfer for the '44 season. Masters isn't much. He's a legit defender but it goes down hill after that. Solid enough on the glass, but his offensive game is very limited. Worst of all is that he brings poor intangibles to the locker room, which is not advisable for a guy who won't play. Hopefully the other players and Aucoin's culture will keep him in check.

We have 3 walk ons, yet again, Jakoby Broadway, Marquis Evanochko, Jaret Fredricks. They won't play, they will be released after the season. I won't even tell you what position they play.

I'm really optimistic about this team. We have so much playable depth and I'm really interested to experiment with some extremely high pressure, aggressive defense and be confident when the inevitable foul trouble hits that we have a lot of really solid depth who play defense just as well as the guys they replace.

Emmett13

10-16-2024, 11:51 PM

33-11 (16-6) - Elite Eight - 4 seed.

Another season in the bucket...or some vessel anyways. To put it bluntly, I am spoiled. Winning the championship a couple of seasons ago has turned me into a real complainasaurus. We had another season that all but 7 other teams would be jealous of, though.

As I'll detail throughout the post, this was just a flawed team with weak post defense that probably did do about as well as I could have hoped.

Let's look at some season results:
https://i.postimg.cc/QtNhMjFP/2044-final-Schedule.png

We ended up one game behind Kansas in the regular season, which was a heartbreaker. We led the standings for the majority of the conference season. Our road loss to Kansas State and home loss to BYU are killers in particular. If we win either one of those, we win the regular season championship, since we held the tiebreaker with Kansas.

We had some injury issues at the guard position late in non-conference which played no small part in our struggles right before conference play kicked in. We had some absolutely tremendous wins throughout the season and just ran into a buzzsaw in North Carolina who made a great run as a #7 seed.

Let's look at some team stats:
https://i.postimg.cc/d0YJz2wJ/2044-team-stats.png
https://i.postimg.cc/0ym8WWgt/team-advance-stats-44.png

Like I said earlier, we just weren't good on defense. At times I ramped up the pressure, and I did have good success turning teams over, but I think my main issue all year long was how lackluster my post defense was. I tried to get away with playing our stud Freshman Lopez at the 5 all year, and he was competent but probably out of position. It didn't help that his partner in the paint, AJ Rushin, just isn't a good defender and never has been. Even their primary backup, Garth Ludwig, is more of a stationary post defender with his short arms.

So, I think we just got hammered around the basket all year long. Especially against tough teams with strong front lines. Lopez was incredible, but I do think I need to quit playing PF's at C. Especially if I'm sticking with grit and grind. I got away with it for two seasons with Henshaw, because I think he was just so good defensively he could adapt. Lopez is a really good defender, but he just didn't have the chops or physical strength that Henshaw did.

Let's look at someplayer stats

https://i.postimg.cc/1zryP83w/2044-player-stats.png

Let's take a quick look at each player:

Starters

PG JR Tevin Ridder - 30.9 mpg, 12.1 ppg, 5.7 apg, 1.75 spg, 51.5 FG%, 46 3FG%

Another year and another extremely solid performance from Ridder. He was lights out shooting the ball. He took a step forward in assists, and by all accounts is a tremendous defender. His nearly two steals a game led the team. He doesn't seem to be any kind of threat to go pro, and I see no reason he would transfer, and he's an absolute lock to come back and start his 4th and final year. With Rushin graduating, he seems the most likely candidate to take his spot as team captain.

SG FR Johni Tusha - 30.7 mpg, 11.6 ppg, 2.5 rpg, 1.22 spg, 42.7 FG%, 38.1 3FG%

Tusha was a bit all over the place, but ultimately had a solid season. He had a game winning put back in the 2nd round against Mississippi State, and several games where he was hot from three. But, as freshman are, he was pretty inconsistent. He did show out in the CJBL tournament, shooting 11-20 from 3 in 4 tourney games, and that includes an 0-4 egg in our elite 8 loss. I assume he'll return, and he'll head right back to his starting spot as his combination of shooting and length is too good not to play. He's got a 20 (out of 20) in work ethic, and I'm optimistic he'll have a great offseason.

SF SO Ismael Green - 32.1 mpg, 13.4 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 1.8 apg, 1.55 spg, 49.5 FG%, 45.3 3FG%

I'll keep this one short, as I'm fairly sure he's going to go pro. I was a bit disappointed in his offseason, but he just went out and improved in just about every aspect. Shot the ball really well, helped out on the glass some, created a little bit. He's borderline to go pro, but I'd wager on him leaving. If we can bring him back, we should have an absolutely nasty back court.

PF SR AJ Rushin - 30.4 mpg, 9.7 pgg, 6.5 rpg, 3.2 apg, 46.2 FG%, 35.5 3FG%

I'll keep this shorter, since he'll get his own post later. Really skilled player, who never really popped like I thought he would. I was really happy with his passing this year, he was the 2nd leading assist man this year.

C FR Isaac Lopez - 28.8 mpg, 16.7 ppg, 7.9 rpg, 1.27 bpg, 55.8 FG%

An absolute stud and worthy of his lofty HS ranking. I probably played him out of position, but his scoring chops did just fine at the 5. Nice touch around the basket, and an absolutely tremendous free throw shooter at 86.2 % in 5.6 attempts a game. He's a shoe-in to go pro, and I think he'll be a top 10 pick, which would give us two in a row.

Bench

JR C Garth Ludwig - 17.8 mpg, 5.2 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 53.5 FG%

He's just steady and I dread if he's ever my starting center. He's been on the verge of transferring two years in a row, and he seems to have lofty expectations for his playing time and role. I think he could easily leave, but I hope that he doesn't. His intangibles are through the roof, and he's a strong rebounder who plays great position defense. He just doesn't have the physical size I'm looking for in a 5. I could do much worse for a backup center. But, I will be aggressively looking for a starter to keep him out of the starting lineup.

FR G Jahmel Goodlett - 14.2 mpg, 5.1 ppg, 1.0 rpg, .8 apg, 47.3 3FG%

Pretty happy with his freshman year. His shooting dropped off quite a bit in conference play, which shows how insane his start was shooting the ball. I was a little underwhelmed with his periphery stats, but I didn't let him do much more than shoot 3's anyway. His rebounding ratings are great for a guard, even if he's undersized with short arms, so I'm hoping as he matures that starts to show up some, because he was a complete non-factor on the glass this year. I promised him 12 minutes and he got 14, so he should come back.

SR G/F Marquez Ahart - 25 G, 7 GS, 12.7 ppg, 4.4 ppg, 1.9 rpg, 53.6 FG%

I'll detail him more in his senior post, but he was jerked in and out of the rotation, and even started at the 2 while Tusha was injured. He was solid when he played and had earned a spot back in the rotation by the time postseason came around, but he got hurt in the 1st round game and it knocked him out for the next games.

FR G Sinan Falls - 11.8 mpg, 3.1 ppg, 1.9 apg, 50.7 FG%, 28.6 3FG%

Promised him 12 minutes a game and ended up with 11.8. He had a late season injury, that kept him out until the 2nd round of the CJBL tournament, and I plugged him back into the rotation, and it's actually the reason he fell below 12.0 mpg.

Anyways, Falls showed a lot of potential as a playmaker and lead guard, and did a good job attacking the rim even if his three point shot never got going. I expect him to return and I think he'll make for a salty backup point guard who might see some time at the 2 with his size.

SR Tykei Lipp - 20 G, 6.4 mpg, 1.4 ppg, .7 apg

Got to play in a CJBL tournament game, if nothing else. I was very intrigued by him, but he just didn't get much of a chance. Will detail more.

SR PF Eros Zenga - 18 G, 5.4 mpg, 1.2 ppg, 1.2 rpg

The German import stuck around for 4 years and basically had the same season in 3 of them. Solid offensive player who could rebound, but just wasn't good enough defensively to get run. Will detail more.

SR C Naje Masters - 10 G, 2.6 mpg, 0.4 ppg, 0.7 rpg

My annual senior post. He wasn't much. Will detail more.

Emmett13

10-20-2024, 10:50 PM

Large senior class this year, with 5 graduating this go-around.

https://i.postimg.cc/XvpzMB3q/Rushin-photo.png
AJ Rushin, Katy, Texas
https://i.postimg.cc/jSK39Y6H/Rushin-final-stats.png

Ranked #50 out of high school, AJ Rushin got a lot of run for me. I knew it going in that he was a bad defender, but I hoped that his offensive ability and at least being competitive on the glass would outweigh his deficiencies. And I think for the most part they did. He could shoot it a little, scored inside, a really good passer for a big man as well. He was the polar opposite of his predecessor at PF, Khadre Thurman, who was all defense with very little offensive skill. We'll have to find his replacement in the off season,and I'm leaning more towards a Thurman type.

After 20+ years of CJBL, Rushin finishes:

5th all time in points
2nd all time in rebounds
10th all time in assists

https://i.postimg.cc/43qFX4N5/Zenga-photo.png
Eros Zenga, Cologne, Germany
https://i.postimg.cc/c4f5XL31/Zenga-final-stats.png

Just never got a real chance in the rotation past non-conference play. In hindsight, it is odd that I took he and Rushin in the same class since they are very similar players with Zenga being just a tad bit worse at most things. He was a better rebounder and had better passing ratings. In fact, I'm now regretting not playing him more as his defense wasn't too much worse than Rushin's, but Zenga was a decent amount switchier. Oh well!

https://i.postimg.cc/pr46QpLb/Arhart-photo.png
Marquez Ahart, Jackson, Mississippi
https://i.postimg.cc/9X6nd7rN/Ahart-final-stats.png

Had really impressive numbers at Jackson State, and he had some really impactful games for us as well. He actually got the starts at the 2 when Tusha got hurt, but we lost a few games and I got grumpy and he got sent to the deep bench. By the end of the season though, he was back in the rotation. He got hurt in the 1st round of the CJBL tournament which was a bummer. But, even though he couldn't shoot, he played good defense, helped on the glass and could get to the basket. A very good senior transfer.

https://i.postimg.cc/YqTYhBGD/Lipp-photo.png
Tykei Lipp, Kaukauna, Wisconsin
https://i.postimg.cc/ry0HRJFr/Lipp-final-stats.png

Never was given a ton of playing time, and didn't do anything to blow me out of the water when he did play. Most of his value certainly came on defense and some other un-quantifiable things, and it wasn't like he was horrendous at other things. But, probably over his head in the Big XII.

https://i.postimg.cc/02z7kyQJ/Masters-photo.png
Naje Masters, Carmichael, California
https://i.postimg.cc/j27kVskX/Masters-final-stats.png

A 'break in case of emergency' take in the transfer portal. Masters had great size and held his own defensively, even if the other parts of his game were atrocious. He did end up getting 9 minutes in our 2nd round CJBL win. So he'll always have that.

Emmett13

10-20-2024, 10:56 PM

Since our move into the upper echelon of CJBL, a fact that we have to confront every season now is that we're going to lose guys to the JBL. 2 more go pro this season, which makes this the 3rd season in a row we've had two guys declare early.

https://i.postimg.cc/yYQgV914/Lopez-photo.png
Isaac Lopez, The Woodlands, Texas
https://i.postimg.cc/NMVPPybF/Lopez-finals-tats.png

Lopez was a stud from the word go. Solid scorer inside, gets fouled a lot and is a tremendous free throw shooter for a big man. This is probably the 4th time I've said this now, but I certainly did him a disservice playing him at the 5 so much. It caused him some foul issues, and I don't think he has the physicality to do that full time. Regardless, he was part of a really solid season and I anticipate him being a top 10 pick. Maybe even top 5, depending on what teams are needing.

https://i.postimg.cc/Jh7V3StS/Green-photo.png
Ismael Green, Roseville, California
https://i.postimg.cc/rmzPJG17/Green-final-stats.png

I was really, really hoping he'd come back for one more season. Was just so efficient this year, shot the ball extremely well, and just really has no flaws to his game. He's ranked in the 30ish range, and there are always tons of talented wings in the draft, so I had some hope that he'd stick around for one more year. I think he'll be a mid to late 2nd round pick unless his combine pops off.

Emmett13

10-20-2024, 11:04 PM

Just like the last few seasons, we'll have a lot of spots to fill.

Our roster going into the offseason looks like:

C: Garth Ludwig
PF: ???
SF: ???
SG: Johni Tusha, Jahmel Goodlett
PG: Tevin Ridder, Sinan Falls

I also cut the 3 walk-ons from last year and will go with a whole new group.

Our needs are obvious. Multiple post players, and hopefully brand new starters at the 4 and 5. I really don't like Ludwig as a 30 minute a game guy, but if it comes to that, I think the senior will be serviceable. There is a chance he transfers, since he's wanted to be a focal point for a while.

I do think potentially if we just strike out horribly in recruiting, I could move Tusha to the 3, and try Goodlett at the 2. But, I'd definitely prefer to get a true 3 that can do a lot of the things Green did for us.

With 8 spots to give, here are my top 5 hopes:

1. A stud anchor center to really improve our team defense.

2. A Khadre Thurman+ type at PF. I got away from a defensive identity, and I'd love to have a defensive oriented guy step into the 4 spot and give more shots to better offensive players.

3. A new SF. Hopefully one that provides great size and perimeter defense. If they can knock down a league average number of their three point attempts, even better.

4. My mythical 4/3 combo forward. Every year I look for a guy who can play both positions, but predictably everyone wants one of them and the competition for them is always off the charts. But, one of these years I'll get one. If I could find an Ismael Green who could truly play the 4 for 25 minutes a game, I'd be thrilled.

5. A Ridder replacement. I'm not sold on Falls being the PG of the future here, and I also don't like the idea of starting a true Freshman at PG if I can help it. Although Ridder was a true freshman when we won the championship...

Emmett13

11-05-2024, 04:35 PM

Transfer season is underway, and we were fortunate enough not to lose anyone. I thought Ludwig might bail for his senior year, and there's always a chance some reserve who wants greener pastures. So no losses, and so far two additions.

We took a couple of big swings at some high level transfers, but missed out. So the two that we did get:

Colten Denton, 6'9", 214, Senior, Roland, Texas
https://i.postimg.cc/XqC07qbP/Denton-photo.png
https://i.postimg.cc/RC63nTCk/Denton-stats.png

An Oklahoma kid who was a 2* out of high school, that didn't get any kind of look from us. But, after 3 years at Houston Baptist, he's going to get a homecoming of sorts. Denton is a wing with some major size, who provides some legit defensive chops. He uses his size effectively on the perimeter and to hold his own in the paint. Unfortunately, he doesn't rebound well enough to get away with playing the 4 for he however.

Offensively, he's limited to mid-range and in. Doesn't shoot the three, and shot too many long two pointers at HBU. Here, he will be far down the offensive pecking order and hopefully is limited to finishing drives and in transition close to the basket. He seems to be a good finisher and will draw some fouls and be a 75%ish free throw shooter.

He's pretty darn similar to Ahart from last year. Obviously, I don't want him as my starting 3, and I'm going to big for a 3 in the HS ranks, but if he gets 10 minutes off the bench, I think he'll do a good job. He was 2nd team all-conference as a sophomore.

and

Akol Bento, 7'0", 252, Senior, Williamsville, New York
https://i.postimg.cc/KzV22LdL/Bento-photos.png
https://i.postimg.cc/fkQQ3sW-R/Bento-stats.png

3 years running we've taken a senior center to provide emergency depth. Bento provides major size and some legit defensive anchor ability. He rebounded well at Canisius, even though his rebounding ratings aren't great.

Predictably, his offense is garbage, and his athletic ability is bottom of the barrel too. But, from sheer size and defensive smarts, he at least wouldn't be an embarrassment on the court. But, like his predecessors, the hope he plays nothing but mop up minutes all year.

I'm still looking at some guys. I wouldn't mind picking up a 3rd PG, and made an offer to a guy. But, like Bento, this would be a guy who just wouldn't be likely to see much time.

The roster as of right now:

PG: Tevin Ridder SR, Sinan Falls SO
SG: Johni Tusha SO, Jahmel Goodlett SO
SF: Colten Denton SR
PF: ?
C: Garth Ludwig SR, Akol Bento SR

Emmett13

11-19-2024, 05:38 PM

The first major phase of deciding has just wrapped up, and we were aggressive with 5 offers to posts who were deciding in this early phase. We got 2 out of the 5, and frankly it was the two I was least expecting to get. I thought we were a shoe-in for the #4 and #96 recruit, but lost out. Instead we have to "settle" for #11 and #51.

From the bottom up:

Kreg Dunkley, 6'8", 228, Lehigh Acres, Florida, 4*, #51
https://i.postimg.cc/zXcwHGt8/Dunkley-photo.png
https://i.postimg.cc/bwSxxfWb/Dunkley-hs-stats.png

I don't think we've had a player like Dunkley since I've been at Ok. State. He's a tough, strong, hustling rebounder who really excels at finishing around the basket. His defense awareness is pretty spotty, which isn't great, but he plays excellent position defense, which hopefully will shore up some of those issues.

He's quick for a big man, and his offensive game seems to consist of a lot of iso and trying to get to the basket. I'm a bit skittish about his defensive capabilities, when that's what I'm trying to shore up, but I think he's going to productive in the counting stats when he's on the court, which is hard to complain about.

I promised him starter/18 minutes. At the last second, I bumped up his promise. He's definitely going to get those minutes, but I'm not 100% he's going to be starting at the 4, despite the promised status based on the other recruit I had commit.

And he is:

Antoine Hanks, 6'10", 228, Missouri City, Texas, 5*, #11
https://i.postimg.cc/4Ndb391W/Hanks-photo.png
https://i.postimg.cc/W4RMSfcy/Hanks-hs-stats.png

Finding a comparison to Hanks isn't hard at all. He's basically AJ Rushin, but just better at about everything. He's not as strong, but he has the athleticism and quickness to guard a little bit out on the perimeter and still uses his length to be effective against stronger players.

Like Rushin, he has legit three point range and will hopefully put up 2-3 attempts a game for us. He's also a legit passer, which is always excellent to have as a PF. I offered him important/28, and he's going to start at one of the post spots.

The conundrum I have now is that the 5 guys I offered were two centers, two power forwards and a 3/4 hybrid guy. And I got the commitments of the two power forwards. I was really wanting a true anchor big, and I thought I had him, but now I'm faced with the prospect of starting these two as my front line and that's definitely not what I was wanting.

I still have Ludwig of course, and he would be a decent starter. But, he's no post anchor. So, we'll still be looking at centers, but missing out on the #4 recruit, and the best HS center is a real bummer, as anyone else we potentially get will pale in comparison.

Our roster now:

PG: Tevin Ridder SR, Sinan Falls SO
SG: Johni Tusha SO, Jahmel Goodlett SO
SF: Colten Denton SR
PF: Antoine Hanks FR, Kreg Dunkley FR
C: Garth Ludwig SR, Akol Bento SR

Still wanting one more center. I am after the #2 recruit, who is a SG from Oklahoma. I've offered him the whole enchilada, and he would of course start at the 2 if we get him, sliding Tusha over to the 3. He'll decide in a couple of days.

Emmett13

11-22-2024, 08:39 AM

The next big phase has run, and we picked up just one more commitment, but it was a big one:

Cole Starkweather, 6'5", 204, Oklahoma City, OK, 5*, #2
https://i.postimg.cc/rdwpDqjV/Starkweather-Photo.png
https://i.postimg.cc/JnMHwLbd/Starkweather-hs-stats.png

If it wasn't for an incredible foreign recruit who got the #1 spot, we'd be bringing in the #1 guy, and I guess we are bringing in the #1 domestic recruit.

And even though I wasn't particularly looking for a shooting guard, he's so stinking good, I'll happily take him and slide Tusha over to the 3 for this season. Starkweather is just literally good at everything. He scores at all 3 levels, he can really, really defend. He's got PG skills to the point, that I think it makes more sense that his listed position should be PG instead of SG, and he even puts his nose in there and rebounds some.

If he has weaknesses, it is probably that he's not a great free throw shooter, and doesn't look to get to the line much. And that's about it. He's got great endurance and is a very good athlete, so I'm going to try to give him as many minutes as I can at the 2 and the 1. I think he and Ridder as a backcourt could really be something. Especially if lets Ridder play off the ball and space the floor more.

This is kind of a season changing recruit. After missing out on the center prospect I really, really wanted, I wasn't sure how good we were going to be (a tourney team for sure!), I think we had limits on what he could accomplish. But, now adding a stud like Starkweather potentially makes us as solid as any team in the nation.

Our roster as of right now:

PG: Tevin Ridder SR, Sinan Falls SO
SG: Cole Starkweather FR, Jahmel Goodlett SO
SF: Johni Tusha SO, Colten Denton SR
PF: Antoine Hanks FR, Kreg Dunkley FR
C: Garth Ludwig SR, Akol Bento SR

That gets us to 10 scholarship players, and 3 spots left.

I feel really confident that we are about to get a commitment from a 2* post from Australia, who I think might scrap for a couple of minutes off the bench periodically. We do have one more top 50 recruit on our radar, a center, but I'm not sure how high I want to take his offer. Hanks has a 28 minute promise, Dunkley has 18. Ludwig, even though I feel like I only talk negatively about him, is still a good player who is on pace to start and play 18-24 minutes a game.

The roster is definitely shaping up, and I'm eager to see the team in action.

Emmett13

11-22-2024, 03:46 PM

As saged in my last post, we got the big man recruit I figured we would.

Auryn Williamson, 6'11", 254, Canberra, Australia, 2*, #631
https://i.postimg.cc/FRt86x7F/Williamson-photo.png
https://i.postimg.cc/TwrFvWDV/Williamson-HS-stats.png

Pleasantly surprised with how his his ranking is. I'm pretty excited to snag Williamson, as he does a lot of things that I like out of an emergency center. He's obviously got solid size, but he also is a really good defender who will hold his own on the glass. Offensively, he's got a mid-range game and finishes around the basket, but I don't anticipate him ever getting the opportunity to develop his offensive game with us. Hopefully, I can just have him concentrate on defense every year and I can turn him into a decent emergency 3rd center for the next 4 years. It would save me from having to recruit some random transfer senior each season.

Roster as of right now:

PG: Tevin Ridder SR, Sinan Falls SO
SG: Cole Starkweather FR, Jahmel Goodlett SO
SF: Johni Tusha SO, Colten Denton SR
PF: Antoine Hanks FR, Kreg Dunkley FR
C: Garth Ludwig SR, Akol Bento SR, Auryn Williamson FR

Still in the running for a high level C recruit, but I don't think we'll get him. There's another foreign center that I'm going after, but if neither of those guys pan out, this might be the roster right here.

Emmett13

11-25-2024, 12:03 AM

Against my better judgement, I rolled some dice and decided to add one more player to get us to 12 scholarships. The real question is going to be if he makes it past this season.

Milan Widemann, 6'3", 191, Leimen, Germany
https://i.postimg.cc/rmKZWGyx/Widemann-photo.png
https://i.postimg.cc/FKPn7Cvh/Widemann-hs-stats.png

Widemann is listed as a SG/SF, but I envision him as a PG with his ability to create. He's got a shitty attitude, which is bad luck, since I offered him before I had fully scouted him. So, I think that makes the odds higher that I'll just cut him at the end of the season.

But, as far as what he brings. He's a strong athlete that I think can develop some legit point guard skills. His ability to shoot is there, it's just his defense looks just okay. But, he'll provide me depth, and maybe take a few minutes in blowouts. The stats are bad which can't be a good omen.

So, this will the roster for 2045. We will add 3 walk-ons. I'm probably aiming for a PF, PG, and SF.

PG: Tevin Ridder SR, Sinan Falls SO, Milan Widemann FR
SG: Cole Starkweather FR, Jahmel Goodlett SO
SF: Johni Tusha SO, Colten Denton SR
PF: Antoine Hanks FR, Kreg Dunkley FR
C: Garth Ludwig SR, Akol Bento SR, Auryn Williamson FR

We'll have a general season preview once we get through training camp.

Emmett13

11-28-2024, 02:01 AM

Training Camp has run, the schedule is all set and we're ready for another season of CJBL Oklahoma State basketball.

We'll do what we normally do, go through the predicted lineup then the rotation pieces.

Starting lineup for game 1:

PG: Tevin Ridder, 6'2", 205, Senior, Chaska, Minnesota
https://i.postimg.cc/ZKmDMgZq/Screenshot-2024-11-28-020220.png
https://i.postimg.cc/253Th7wr/Ridder-45-stats.png

Back for his 4th year starting at PG, Ridder is a stud. He's a tremendous defender with a really nice three point shot. He's not the most impactful passer, but has done well with assists the last few years. I'm hoping that Starkweather is going to be able to shoulder a lot of the load when it comes to creating for the offense and I think it could mean that Ridder could be the recipient of a lot of open shots. I could see him being a tad under 30 minutes this year, but I do think when we get to conference play he'll be a 32-34 minute guy.

SG: Cole Starkweather, 6'6", 204, Freshman, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
https://i.postimg.cc/NMz4d9dm/Starkweather-college-photo.png

A real sharp eye might notice that he grew an inch. Starkweather, at least ratings wise, looks like an absolute stud. There's really not many flaws to his game. He's going to score it, score at every level, his passing looks off the charts, and he defends at an extremely high level too. Heck, he might even grab 3 or 4 rebounds a game this year. His main flaw is that his free throw shooting is pretty average.

But, I'm going to give him the keys to the offense from day one, and prove to me he can't do it before I let Ridder be the main guy again.

SF: Johni Tusha, 6'7", 190, Deer Park, Texas
https://i.postimg.cc/7Z3KqLLr/Tusha-college-photos.png
https://i.postimg.cc/jS08Vfth/Tusha-stats-45.png

With Starkweather coming in, Tusha slides over to the 3. He spent about 20% of his court time there last year, so it's not a completely new transition. Tusha has a very similar body type to Starkweather and it will provide us two pretty rangy guys defensively.

Offensively, Tusha has a really nice three point shot, although he was really inconsistent with it. He provides major spacing, and has the ability to be a pest on the offensive glass, and even had a game winning put back in the CJBL tournament last year. I'm hoping that he'll get a lot of open 3's this season.

PF: Antoine Hanks, 6'10", 228, Freshman, Missouri City, Texas
https://i.postimg.cc/nzz2KYGn/Hanks-college-photo.png

For being the #11 overall recruit, I'm a little underwhelmed. He's just not the athlete I'm looking for in a 4 in a grit and grind system. I think he will be a competent defender and does a solid job on the glass. But, I worry about his lack of athleticism in the Big XII. He does look like a really skilled offensive player with a nice shot out to 3 and the ability to pass the ball which I always covet. I'm hoping his high basketball IQ and general skill will reign for him though and he has a productive season for us. I think he could see some time at the 5 this year, especially with me having to get him 28 minutes and Dunkley 18.

C: Garth Ludwig, 6'9", 245, Senior, New Orleans, Louisiana
https://i.postimg.cc/SsNTTpkF/Ludwig-college-photo.png
https://i.postimg.cc/gj1g2XRm/Ludwig-45-stats.png

My greatest fear has happened. I have to start Garth Ludwig at center. I really thought I was about to have the #4 recruit who is a nightmare of a defensive center but instead I get short-armed Ludwig. To be fair, he's a good defender and will really clean up the glass. If he gets 25 minutes, I'll be interested to see how many rebounds he ends up averaging. His intangibles are off the charts and since he's going to start for us, he's also going to be our team captain this season.

Bench:

Kreg Dunkley, 6'8", 228, Freshman, Lehigh Acres, Florida
https://i.postimg.cc/HL337P5S/Dunkley-college-photo.png

The aforementioned Dunkley is an interesting player, and I'm curious to see how he produces. His rebounding didn't translate quite how I was hoping, but he's a strong, hustling post who finishes around the rim. His defensive awareness is definitely lower than I typically tolerate, but I'm hoping he'll be productive as a freshman. I promised him 18 minutes, and I'll aim to get him there. Even though that could mean some Hanks/Dunkley duos which doesn't excite me.

Jahmel Goodlett, 6'3", 200, Sophomore, Orem, Utah
https://i.postimg.cc/B6YhRwn8/Goodlett-college-photo.png
https://i.postimg.cc/cCvDWMvF/Goodlett-stats-45.png

Goodlett is 6'3" with a 6'2" wing span and can really, really shoot it. I'm trying to develop his ball skills so I can play him at point guard and frankly it's working a little bit as he had some nice improvements in training camp. I'm not sure who is going to see less playing time between him and Falls yet. But, a tough defending guard who can shoot the ball will see the court for sure.

Sinan Falls, 6'5", 204, Sophomore, Hampton, Virginia
https://i.postimg.cc/XNPH8hPm/Falls-college-photo.png
https://i.postimg.cc/c48D5hyH/Falls-45-stats.png

Falls is a super athletic guard who really had a nice offseason defensively. With his size and athletic ability he just might be our best overall defender on the perimeter. He's not a great shooter, but seems to be able to get to the basket some. His playing time this year just comes down to if I let Starkweather play most of the backup PG minutes or if I let Falls do it. I wouldn't be surprised if one of Falls or Goodlett is out of the rotation by the end of the season.

Colten Denton, 6'9", 214, Senior, Roland, Oklahoma
https://i.postimg.cc/XqC07qbP/Denton-photo.png
https://i.postimg.cc/RC63nTCk/Denton-stats.png

Denton is really the only true SF we probably have on the squad. Real, legit size at the 3 and he's a really good perimeter defender with some definite switchy ability. I tried to have him work on his rebounding this training camp and it helped a bit. It wouldn't be ideal but he could certainly play the 4 if need be. He won't shoot 3's and mainly just looks to drive and I'm hoping he doesn't too much more but finish in transition and at the rim for us. I don't know how much playing time he'll find, but being the only real SF we have will probably result in some PT.

Auryn Williamson, 6'11", 254, Canberra, Australia
https://i.postimg.cc/ZnvL2bQg/Williamson-college-photo.png

Pleasantly surprised with how Williamson came in and as long as he doesn't have delusions of grandeur with playing time, I'll be happy to have him as my emergency center for the next few years. He looks like a legit defender and is very strong. His rebounding has a little work to do and will never be great. His personality isn't great, but hopefully he's such a low role guy it never rears its head.

I'll give him some minutes for sure in the non-conference and we'll see how the post rotation shakes out this year.

Akol Bento, 7'0", 252, Senior, Williamsville, New York
https://i.postimg.cc/KzV22LdL/Bento-photos.png
https://i.postimg.cc/fkQQ3sW-R/Bento-stats.png

Bento is very intriguing, because his defensive ratings are sky high. But, he's such a weak athlete and a zero offensively it's hard to imagine me ever giving him much run. It seems pretty simple that if we are having a hard time defensively inside, I'll give him a crack at some minutes and see how it goes. But, if not, he's probably just an emergency guy as I'll prioritize getting Williamson minutes for developmental purposes.

Milan Widemann, 6'3", 191, Freshman, Leimen, Germany
https://i.postimg.cc/yN7vxzJg/Widemann-college-photo.png

Not totally sure why I offered him and I feel pretty confident he's getting cut after the year. But, he can play all 3 positions on the perimeter and will provide some shooting when he's on the court. If he does stick around multiple seasons (he won't), I could see trying to make him into a PG where his size and skill set might work.

I have 3 walk-ons. They aren't bad. I just don't see any way I give any of them a scholarship so I won't take time.

Overall, I think we will be a really good team, with potentially an elite offense. Just like last year, I worry that our defensive interior isn't going to be able to stand up to certain teams or styles. But, on the other hand, I think the Ridder/Starkweather/Tusha back court can put a lot of scoreboard pressure on some teams, and I think it will result in another 30ish win season and hopefully a prolonged run in the tournament.

Emmett13

01-25-2025, 12:59 PM

31-9 (15-7) - 2nd round of the CJBL tournament

8th season in the books, and it's another very competent season but with our worst tournament performance since 2040. We had some very good players and had some really strong wins, and at times could be a legit top 5 team, but I had a very oddly constructed team, that kind of did well in spite of itself. Our defense was really, really good and Garth Ludwig ended up being a legit defensive 5, and was a big improvement over our last few centers who were probably playing out of position.

But, our issues were that we were way over reliant on jump shooters, and we weren't great at scoring around the basket or making free throws, so if we were missing jump shots our offense could really grind down.

Let's look at some season results:
https://i.postimg.cc/j5LScwCp/2045-final-results.png

BYU was obviously a thorn in our sides as they ran the conference pretty ragged. But, we had some really good wins and we've established ourselves as a program that's going to be in the top 20 year in and year out.

Let's look at team stats:

https://i.postimg.cc/nLVzsw-xc/2045-team-stats.png
https://i.postimg.cc/nhGrhf6P/2045-advanced-stats.png

Like I said above, we were a really talented team that played a fairly unpredictable style of basketball. Unlike last year, we were just awful at the free throw line and it cost us in a couple of games, including our CJBL tournament loss to UCONN. With the crazy slow pace we play, and I would like to continue to play that way, I really need to get back to some guys who can draw free throws and knock them down. I've definitely fallen into a bit of a trap of chasing big time stars. Starkweather is awesome, but he definitely was not a grit and grind guard, and we built the whole offense around him.

Let's look at player stats:
https://i.postimg.cc/Zqfq6FYP/2045-player-stats.png

Starkweather, Ridder and Tusha are some really good shooting perimeter, but they weren't nearly as successful at doing grit and grindy things on the offensive end. Our rotation really tightened up by the end of the year, and our post depth caused us a few issues at times.

Let's take a quick look at each player:

Starters:All played and started all 40 regular season games

PG SR Tevin Ridder - 28.8 mpg, 11.5 ppg, 5.4 apg, 1.35 spg, 52.3 FG%, 50.3% 3PT%

Like always, seniors will get a larger ode in a later post. So, briefly, Ridder had one more tremendous season to cap off a really excellent career. Steady with the ball, shot it tremendously, especially early in the season. Wll be missed.

SG FR Cole Starkweather - 30.9 mpg, 15.5 ppg, 2.5 rpg, 3.7 apg, 1.18, 46 FG%, 40.2 3PT%

He's basically 100% to go pro, so he'll get treated like Ridder when that day comes. I already kind of spoiled by bit with him, but he's crazy talented and going to be a top 5 JBL pick, and was a really, really good player, he just didn't fit the grit and grind system, and our offense became very jump shot heavy, since that's the type of player he is.

SF SO Johni Tusha - 29.8 mpg, 10.7 ppg, 2.6 rpg, 1.4 apg, 1.23 spg, 44.1 FG%, 40.8 3PT%

If there's one guy I feel nearly positive is coming back, it's Tusha. His usage fell a decent amount with Starkweather coming in, but he still had a strong season and was more efficient than last year. He knocked down a nice percentage of his three pointers and he's a good defender. I would like to get him back to SG though.

PF FR Antoine Hanks - 28.6 mpg, 10.3 ppg, 8.0 rpg, 2.6 apg, 1.10 bpg, 51.9 FG%, 32.4 3PT%

I came around on Hanks. I was underwhelmed by him early on, and his first few games were not great. But, eventually, he turned it on and turned into a pretty productive player. The highlight being an absurd 23 rebound game on the road against Dayton. He's currently top 10 on the JBL prospect list, so he's another guy that's almost certainly one and done.

C SR Garth Ludwig - 26.4 mpg, 7.7 ppg, 9.1 rpg, 1.23 bpg

I dreaded the prospect of starting him, the entire time he was here, thinking he was just too boring, but he got a crack at it and did great. Senior leadership (he was the captain) and really good defense. Will talk more later!

Rotation:

SF SR Colten Denton - 40 G, 15.1 mpg, 5.6 ppg, 1.5 rpg, 1 spg, .55 pbg, 57.6 FG%

Transfer from Houston Baptist who really found a role right away. Scored inside well, and reminded me that it's not the end of the world to have a SF who doesn't shoot threes at all, if they can do other things well.

PF FR Kreg Dunkley - 39 G, 16.1 mpg, 4.7 ppg, 2.8 rpg, .82 bpg, 59.3 FG%

Ended up 2 minutes shy of his 18 minute promise, so easily could be transferring. I was surprised I got him to begin with, as I kind of offered as a whim backup plan. He's kind of an odd player. Scored the ball well, and was one of our few solid free throw shooters. I definitely want him back, but I'd lean towards him hitting the portal.

SG SO Jahmel Goodlett - 40 G, 11.1 mpg, 4.3 ppg, 1.3 rpg, .8 apg, 44 FG%, 35.9 3PT%

Fell off a bit, but he shot so well as a freshman, this season was kind of destined to be a disappointment. Received less minutes with Starkweather sopping up so many, and Denton sliding Tusha to the 2 pretty frequently. Sometimes when guys see a decline in minutes they can bolt even if they are relatively happy with their role. I do think he's coming back, and I think he's an awesome depth piece to have, even if he's undersized.

C FR Auryn Williamson - 38 G, 8.2 mpg, 1.9 ppg, 2.0 rpg, 48.3 FG%

I made the choice early on to give Williamson playing time over Bento, hoping that I could eventually develop Williamson into a competent Big 12 post down the line. He really didn't do half bad, but predictably was worse in conference play. I'm going to try to max him out as a defensive/rebounding post, but will have zero qualms about overrecruiting him down the line. His attitude sucks, which means there's a chance he could transfer. But, he's not getting a better situation than this.

PG FR Sinan Falls - 25 G, 7.4 mpg, 2.4 ppg, 1.0 apg, 38.1 FG%, 13 3PT%

Really struggled offensively, and fell right out of the rotation, which in hindsight, might have been a poor decision. Still really like his size and ability to defend, but he started shooting more threes than usual, and really, really struggled. Could definitely transfer after seeing so much less playing time.

C SR Akol Bento - 5 G, 8.0 mpg, 1.4 ppg, 2.4 rpg

Senior transfer who I never gave a fair shake. A really good defender, but he was so awful everyone where else I didn't want to play him, and like I said I decided to invest a little into Williamson.

SG FR Milan Widemann - 3 G, 3.8 mpg, 0.0 ppg, 1.3 apg

Panic take last year to fill in some depth. We were virtually injury free this year besides a one game injury to Dunkley, so he never got much time at all. He's for sure getting cut.

And some walkons who didn't see a single second

Emmett13

01-25-2025, 11:17 PM

Akol Bento, 7'0", 252, Williamsville, New York
https://i.postimg.cc/KzV22LdL/Bento-photos.png
https://i.postimg.cc/8P9MBQ45/Bento-final-stats.png

Not a whole lot to say about him. My defense held up pretty well, so I never felt compelled to put him in at center, and I just chose to give Williamson minutes, and he never played so poorly to make me change my mind. This marks the 3rd year in a row I've taken a senior transfer center, and I'm hoping Williamson makes me not have to do that the next few years.

Colten Denton, Roland, Oklahoma
https://i.postimg.cc/XqC07qbP/Denton-photo.png
https://i.postimg.cc/KvRtMvnw/Denton-final-stats.png

Really pretty pleased with his year for us. He was a really impactful defender who did a good job of converting around the basket. He got a little time at PF in one game when Dunkley was injured and we played extremely well, and I probably should have given him some more run there this year with his length and ability to switch. Like I said in the earlier post, he reminded me that it's okay to have a perimeter player who can't shoot if there good at quite a few things. Especially with how 'national' my recruiting has become, it's pretty cool that an Oklahoma player got to come back to the state for his senior year and was a contributor to the rotation.

Garth Ludwig, New Orleans, Louisiana
https://i.postimg.cc/SsNTTpkF/Ludwig-college-photo.png
https://i.postimg.cc/KjsLHdy0/Ludwig-final-stats.png

Had a really, really strong senior year. He was never some super efficient guy in the paint, but he held his own and provided a really good defensive base for us and was quite effective on the glass as well. He has fantastic intangibles and was our captain this season, so he'll missed in a number of ways. Despite only starting his senior year, he finishes 2nd all time in rebounds at Oklahoma State with 1,021.

The league is only about 25 seasons old, so it's not quite as impressive as it sounds at first glance, but still notable nonetheless. Our former center and one of my first recruits Troy Moss is still at the top.

Tevin Ridder, Chaska, Minnesota
https://i.postimg.cc/ZKmDMgZq/Screenshot-2024-11-28-020220.png
https://i.postimg.cc/d30rnJg7/Ridder-final-stats.png

Ridder and Ludwig are the last remnants of the 2042 championship squad, so it's definitely weird to see them gone. Ridder was a 4 year starter and an absolute stud to have for 4 years. Took great care of the ball, passed it well, played strong defense and typically shot it great from three. He'll always be remembered for almost single handedly shooting us out of the national championship game, before hitting what eventually became the game winning three pointer with 17 seconds left.

Also, in 15 tournament games he shot 53% on 45 three point attempts.

He was a tremendous player to have and his name is all over the OKST leaderboards. He finishes:

1st in assists, 2nd in steals, 3rd in 3PM and 5th in points.

Between transfers and early declarations, we still have more players to lose and that will come in the next post in a week or so.

Emmett13

01-29-2025, 12:08 AM

As expected our two highly ranked freshman decide to forgo their last 3 years of eligibility.

Cole Starkweather, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
https://i.postimg.cc/NMz4d9dm/Starkweather-college-photo.png
https://i.postimg.cc/tgPRjyYS/Starkweather-college-stats.png

Starkweather was the #2 recruit in the nation coming out of high school, and I've already beaten this dead horse, but he just wasn't a grit and grind guy. Supremely talented and I think he'll be a very high pick and have a great JBL career. I'm never going to be in a position where I feel good about passing up on the #2 recruit when he's a guy from Oklahoma. His season high was 26 which he hit in his first collegiate game against Gonzaga, so in a way it was literally down hill from there. But to be certain, he was awesome, and I'd love to have a guy like him every year, but it's made me acutely aware on what kind of guards I should go after.

Antoine Hanks, Missouri City, Texas
https://i.postimg.cc/nzz2KYGn/Hanks-college-photo.png
https://i.postimg.cc/BnRZktQP/Hanks-final-stats.png

One more guy that didn't really fit what we were trying to do. He ended up impressing me with his ability to rebound and I think he and Ludwig made for a pretty salty post duo on defense. But, he could knock down a three, help out on the glass and was a good passer and was effective at scoring the basket, but was more of a finesse guy than a get in the paint and bully guys.

He was the #11 recruit out of high school, so it's not unexpected that he left early, but I am surprised that he ranks so highly on the JBL lists. So, I'll be interested to see where he ends up being drafted.

Emmett13

01-29-2025, 12:12 AM

Both of our coaches, Travell Aucoin and Ben Green are up for contract renewal. I'm definitely trying to bring Aucoin back, and I expect for him to return. I'm still on the fence about Green, who is a jack of of all trades and master of none type coach. He was on staff for our championship team, so it's hard to bail on him, but I potentially could change it up.

I've also cut the freshman from Germany Milan Widemann. He wasn't ever going to play and wasn't even a good locker room guy, so he had to go and I assume I'll upgrade that scholarship spot.

So going into transfer season, here's what we're looking at:

PG: Sinan Falls, JR
SG: Jahmel Goodlett, JR
SF: Johni Tusha, JR
PF: Kreg Dunkley, SO
C: Auryn Williamson, SO

So, we basically have a starting lineup and nothing else. I think there's a pretty high chance we could see Dunkley leave, and definitely a non-zero chance that Falls and Goodlett could bail. Even Williamson has a mercurial enough attitude that he could bail for whatever reason. So, I think there's a slim chance at Tusha being the only guy to return.

Even if all 5 of those guys stick around, that's still 8 scholarships available and we probably are looking at at least 2 guys to add to the roster.

Emmett13

02-05-2025, 07:44 PM

First thing is we bring back the same coaching staff in Travell Aucoin at HC and Ben Green as AC. I almost made a move for a new AC, but decided I'd rather keep the same staff for the consistency and cohesion of it all.

Much to my surprise, we didn't lose anyone at all to the transfer portal, which means we brought back 5 guys and had 8 scholarships to give. When the transfer portal open, we did strike out on our main targets which was frustrating, but it's also a thing where mid-level and lower teams typically make huge promises and teams in my echelon typically won't go that high for them. Even some of our targets with far less competition went another direction. But, we did grab one guy:

Roshown Salnave, 6'7", 201, Senior, Radnor, Pennsylvania
https://i.postimg.cc/FFgZR5pP/Salnave-stats.png

No photo for Salnave which is a rare occurrence. Salnave played at Army, so we'll pretend he was honorably discharged. He's a former 3* recruit and was ranked #482 out of high school, which is a pretty good snag for us with us promising him basically no playing time. He's a really good defender with nice size and can even play some 4 in a pinch. He can't shoot, but has some ability to get to the basket. He's really pretty similar to Denton, who was one of our senior transfer last year. I'm hoping he doesn't play much, but he's a decent piece.

I'm trying to get two more deep bench players still, but going into this last phase of transfers our team looks like:

PG: Sinan Falls JR
SG: Jahmel Goodlett JR
SF: Johni Tusha JR, Roshown Salnave SR
PF: Kreg Dunkley SO
C: Auryn Williamson

Emmett13

02-16-2025, 01:50 AM

It happened more than a week ago, but I've had a lot going on in real life that slowed me down from making this update. We're almost to the first major deciding phase in HS recruiting, and things are looking good on that front and hopefully we have a very positive update to add about 24 hours from now.

But, we did pick up just one more transfer:

Viorel Torromino, 6'7", 235, Sophomore, Aci Sant'Antonio, Italy
https://i.postimg.cc/MpdGvvDY/Torromino-pic.jpg
https://i.postimg.cc/VkY6fjj6/Torromino-stats.png

Torromino was at Gonzaga last year and clearly didn't get many opportunities before being unceremoniously let go. In hindsight, seeing how good the HS class looks, I sort of regret taking him, but for a guy who will be a deep bench post (hopefully) the next few years, he's not bad. He defends well inside and is a little bit switchy, though he's not going to be locking anyone down on the perimeter or anything. He is a contributor on the glass, and is role will definitely be as a defensive, scrapping rebounder when and if he gets to play. He has strong intangibles which is always nice to add. There's a decent possibility I end up cutting him next year, but you never know!

Our roster going into recruiting:

PG: Sinan Falls JR
SG: Jahmel Goodlett JR
SF: Johni Tusha JR, Roshown Salnave SR
PF: Kreg Dunkley SO, Viorel Torromino SO
C: Auryn Williamson SO

Emmett13

02-17-2025, 12:55 AM

The early phase has some and gone, and we had a pretty successful session, though we missed out on both our center prospects and a SG I really, really wanted, it is hard to complain too much and there are teams who were far worse off than we were.

In reverse order:

Rhamel Knorr, 6'8", 209, Fort Worth, Texas, #434

https://i.postimg.cc/L6LqfZN1/Knorr-HS-photo.png
https://i.postimg.cc/Cx4zrpyM/Knorr-hs-stats.png

Knorr was a guy who was an Oklahoma State "dreamer" that he was already predisposed to wanting to come here, and I liked his profile and I think other teams stayed away once they saw us on him. He's a SF with some very nice size and is a pretty solid athlete. He's not the defender I normally would want on the perimeter, but I really like his offensive game. He shoots it from three fairly well, but what I really like about him is his ability to drive to the rim and finish. He also is excellent at drawing fouls which was something I was really wanting to improve on. I only promised him 4 minutes a game, which I should manage. Right now we kind of have a hole at SF, so he might sneak in some playing time if he proves he can score.

Sam Hibbler, 6'2", 175, Allen, Texas, #25
https://i.postimg.cc/qB9hzGXr/Hibbler-photo.png
https://i.postimg.cc/dVFh9txS/Hibbler-HS-stats.png

The #1 ranked PG in the nation, which is obviously a huge boon and a big time replacement for Tevin Ridder. Hibbler is a really strong defender and athlete which I love to be the head of the defense. He's a big time iso player that can get to the rim at will, and is very creative in getting the ball to the basket. Like Knorr is really, really good at drawing fouls and I'm hoping he's going to spend a lot of time there this year. He's not great at the pick and roll, and isn't the best at improvising playmaking, but he looks like a stud from day one.

Elijah Worthing, 6'8", 213, Cibolo, Texas, #1
https://i.postimg.cc/rpFzvZc1/Worthing-hs-photo.png
https://i.postimg.cc/tXy6320C/Worthing-HS-stats.png

That's right! A year after getting the #2 player in the nation in Cole Starkweather, we go and pull #1. The way players were ranked this year was a little different, so I don't know he truly is the best HS player in the nation, but he's damn good and we're lucky to have him. He's a great defender and rebounder, and an extremely smart player. He's not the most amazing offensive player, but is very, very efficient scorer when he does shoot. But, what really sets him apart is how skilled he is with the ball. He can handle it like a guard, really passes it well and is probably going to be where a lot of the offense will be initiated this season. I could see a lot of letting him operate from the high post and letting him pick apart defenses.

The roster as of now:

PG: Sinan Falls JR, Sam Hibbler, FR
SG: Johni Tusha JR, Jahmel Goodlett JR
SF: Roshown Salnave SR, Rhamel Knorr FR
PF: Kreg Dunkley SO, Elijah Worthing FR, Viorel Torromino SO
C: Auryn Williamson SO

Really taking shape and looks pretty strong. I'd really like to add a starting center, and those aren't easy to find, but I have a few options. If we don't find him, I could see a lot of Dunkley/Worthing lineups, which might not be the best.

I'd also like one more guard, particularly a solid SG, with maybe some PG skills. But, that's definitely a secondary need to a legit center.

Another week or so of recruiting, so we'll update soon. Hopefully with a center in tow.

Emmett13

02-19-2025, 12:23 PM

A couple more commitments to add to our class. Frankly, I kind of mismanaged some resources here, offered guys I should have held off on and missed a chance at getting a much better guard than I did. Regardless, I think both of these guys are capable and will help out, but I can definitely see a world where at least one of these guys gets cut before they graduate.

Let us take a look!

Gyasi Sidney, 6'8", 241, Sumter, South Carolina, #388
https://i.postimg.cc/xTV5NP6m/Sidney-Hs-photo.png
https://i.postimg.cc/139KJ3h5/Sidney-HS-stats.png

After missing out on two center prospects, and my next option being a late decider, I panicked a little bit by jumping in and snagging this guy. But, really, he's not half bad and his HS ranking is decent as well. He's listed as a PF/C, and is a bit smaller than I'd like at the 5, but that's where he seems most likely to get some PT. He has the looks of a very good defender, even if his rebounding isn't much. Offensively, he's got a decent touch out to 15 or so, but his primary benefit on offense is that he's a strong passer, which is always something I like out of a post. His 'toughness' and 'hustle' are very lacking, which is the opposite of what I want out of a post, but hopefully he's just fighting for backup post minutes, and we land the center we want in this late phase.

Duby Behr, 6'7", 196, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, #1011
https://i.postimg.cc/CMqJK2sY/Behr-hs-photo.png
https://i.postimg.cc/9FPpdqkn/Behr-HS-stats.png

Here is where I messed up, I was his only offer and could have easily held off for a phase or two, and thrown my hat in for a more accomplished HS recruit, even if that recruit wasn't exactly what I was looking for. I do like Behr, but he's kind of redundant with some of the wings we have. He looks like he could turn into a pretty solid 3 and D wing. He shoots the ball pretty well, and seems like he's going to be a pretty solid defensive wing with some nice athletic ability. I don't see a lot of playing time for him this year, and he could easily be expendable this offseason.

We're up to 12/13 scholarships, and we have our last one out for a center, who likely would be our starting 5, if he signs on.

Roster as of now:

PG: Sinan Falls JR, Sam Hibbler, FR
SG: Johni Tusha JR, Jahmel Goodlett JR, Duby Behr FR
SF: Roshown Salnave SR, Rhamel Knorr FR
PF: Kreg Dunkley SO, Elijah Worthing FR, Viorel Torromino SO
C: Auryn Williamson SO, Gyasi Sidney, FR

Emmett13

02-26-2025, 01:03 PM

Another CJBL season is about to start in the next handful of days, and ready or not, we've got our squad ready to go. We missed out on our last center prospect, which was a real bummer, and it creates a pretty big hole for us at the 5, but I'm hopeful that the guys I have will be able to hold their own by committee.

But, let's take a look at our squad, starting with who (I think) will start on day one.

Sorry for the inconsistent sizes on the screencaps, I coulllld go and fix it, but I won't, I don't get the sense that is what is keeping people from reading this.

PG: Sam Hibbler, 6'2", 175, Freshman, Allen, Texas
https://i.postimg.cc/qB9hzGXr/Hibbler-photo.png

I went all in on getting him, he was the highest ranked HS point guard, and I'm definitely glad I got him, but I am slightly underwhelmed by his ratings after training camp. He's got solid defensive chops, and will distribute the ball well, and the thing I really like about him is that he's going to drive the ball to the basket and finish and create contact and knock down a huge percentage of his free throws. He's not the best shooter, though I think he'll keep teams honest, and he's a very good athlete.

I do think there's a chance he comes back next year and I don't think he's a one and done type guy, which is a silver lining to him being slightly underwhelming. But, I think he'll have a strong season.

SG: Johni Tusha, 6'7", 190, Sophomore, Deer Park, Texas
https://i.postimg.cc/7Z3KqLLr/Tusha-college-photos.png
https://i.postimg.cc/RhXZpcKm/Tusha-46-stats.png

This is a big year for Tusha. He'll be relied on to hit a lot of threes and to really space the floor for our guys who can drive the basketball. He's got really good size and doesn't turn the ball over much, and I'm hoping with Hibbler and Worthing orchestrating the offense he'll find himself open on the wing a lot. He's still an excellent defender who is a nuisance on the offensive glass. I'm hoping to see his usage go up a bit and I'd like 13-15 points out of him this year.

SF: Roshown Salnave, 6'7", 201, Senior, Radnor, Pennsylvania
https://i.postimg.cc/FFgZR5pP/Salnave-stats.png

No photo for Salnave. Salnave had an absolute beast of a training camp, and much to my surprise is going to start the season as our starting SF, although that is definitely subject to change. He's a really good defender, although he might struggle athletically at this level. He has the ability to switch down into the paint as well, which is nice, and he actually spent the majority of his time playing the 4 last year for Army. He won't be doing that at all for us, however.

But, he's creative with the ball, and runs the pick and roll very well. I'm hoping he doesn't shoot too often, and he's mainly there for defensive purposes. But, I think he's a good glue guy for our lineup right now, and I like that he keeps Tusha at the 2. But, Goodlett or Falls could jump right into the starting lineup very quickly.

PF: Elijah Worthing, 6'8", 213, Freshman, Cibolo, Texas

https://i.postimg.cc/rpFzvZc1/Worthing-hs-photo.png

The #1 recruit in the nation got knocked around pretty hard in training camp, which isn't abnormal. But, even after the dust settled he still looks pretty dang good. Defends really well, with great awareness, and will be competitive on the glass right away. A strong athlete with really good intangibles, he might be forced to play some 5 this year, which concerns me some with his 6'8", 213 frame. But, what really is exciting is how good of a passer he is. I'll be running a lot of offense through the high post with him, and letting him initiate the offense which I think could potentially work very well. Like Hibbler, I don't think he's 100% a guarantee to go pro, so potentially I think he could come back, which is not something I've said about my other recent 5* guys.

C: Auryn Williamson, 6'11", 254, Sophomore, Canberra, Australia
https://i.postimg.cc/ZnvL2bQg/Williamson-college-photo.png
https://i.postimg.cc/bJfrZYp7/Williamson-46-stats.png

With missing out on so many centers, suddenly the big Aussie is looking like he's going to start the year in the the starting lineup. He had a really nice training camp, and really beefed up his defensive abilities which is why he's going to start. Offensively, he's not much at all, besides being a solid finisher around the basket which is all I really need him to do anyways. Like Salnave, there is every possibility he loses his starting spot, but I'm trying to lean into defense to start the season and hope our offense is good enough to get the job done.

Our bench players in rough order of how much playing time I think they will get:

Kreg Dunkley, 6'8", 228, Sophomore, Lehigh Acres, Florida
https://i.postimg.cc/HL337P5S/Dunkley-college-photo.png
https://i.postimg.cc/pVZrdt7S/Dunkley-46-stats.png

Dunkley is going to get a lot of playing time this season, and I think there is a real chance he starts at the 4 with Worthing at the 5 before too long. He's strong and very capable around the basket and should rebound at a decent clip. He has zero range to his offensive game, and he's limited as a rim protector, but he should be productive in his 18-24 minutes a game he's going to see.

Jahmel Goodlett, 6'3", 200, Junior, Orem, Utah
https://i.postimg.cc/B6YhRwn8/Goodlett-college-photo.png
https://i.postimg.cc/LXkXLdsn/Goodlett-46-stats.png

Goodlett fell off a bit last year, but his freshmen year percentages were probably unsustainable. He's undersized with a negative wingspan, but he's a strong defender who can rebound a little bit. He's slowly developing some ball skills and is our 3rd PG if the need arises. He can really shoot the ball and helps spacing, and I could see him taking Salnave's spot really quickly if our offense is struggling.

Sinan Falls, 6'5", 204, Junior, Hampton, Virginia
https://i.postimg.cc/XNPH8hPm/Falls-college-photo.png
https://i.postimg.cc/KjZY59KQ/Falls-46-stats.png

He fell out of the rotation last year and I was a bit surprised to see him come back. He's an elite athlete and our best overall perimeter defender and will be at the minimum the backup point guard this year. His shooting isn't quite as bad as last year made it look, and I think there's the possibility he sees a lot of playing time at the 2 in addition to his backup PG role.

Gyasi Sidney, 6'8", 241, Freshman, Sumter, South Carolina
https://i.postimg.cc/xTV5NP6m/Sidney-Hs-photo.png

Sidney and Torromino are going to battle it out for the 4th post spot. Sidney is a solid passer and really good defender but an underwhelming rebounder, which is something I think we might struggle with as a team. He lacks some toughness that I'd like and defensively is really just stuck at the 5 despite being slightly undersized. But, I like his defensive chops and his ability to move the ball.

Rhamel Knorr, 6'8", 209, Freshman, Fort Worth, Texas
https://i.postimg.cc/L6LqfZN1/Knorr-HS-photo.png

Really nice size as a freshman who held onto his ratings pretty well through training camp. Really good at driving to the basket and finishing around the rim and drawing contact. Has enough of a three point shot to keep teams honest, and even his defense didn't fall apart too bad. He can even get spot minutes at the 4 in a worst case scenario. I like his offensive potential, so I'm going to try to get him a few minutes each game, at least to start the year.

Viorel Torromino, 6'7", 235, Sophomore, Aci Sant'Antonio, Italy
https://i.postimg.cc/MpdGvvDY/Torromino-pic.jpg
https://i.postimg.cc/VkY6fjj6/Torromino-stats.png

Undersized and not that athletic, but at least a little versatile defensively in that he can guard on the perimeter a little bit. Rebounds well, but his offensive game is almost non-existent. I don't see both he and Sidney surviving offseason cuts. A questionable transfer take on my end.

Duby Behr, 6'7", 196, Freshman, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
https://i.postimg.cc/CMqJK2sY/Behr-hs-photo.png

Behr actually looks better than I anticipated. He's got nice size and looks like a legit defender from day one. I think he's going to be a solid catch and shoot guy from 3, and hopefully in a season or two he's a legit 3 and D guy that can earn some playing time. I don't see him and Knorr both getting playing time, but Behr's physicals and defensive abilities might have him leap frog Knorr.

We did bring back a walk-on from last year, PG Akoy de Laveaga, who didn't play last year, but has enough skills that I brought him back for emergency purposes, but he'll be cut after this season as I either have to cut him or offer him a scholarship. We also snagged a 3* walk-on ranked in the 600s named Damon Sekunda who we recruited a little bit, but was never close to offering. He's 6'11" and a local kid who can shoot a bit and has nice size even if he doesn't do much with it. There's about a 5% chance he stays past his sophomore year.

All in all, I have some reservations about this team. We don't have the post depth I'd like, and I'd really love to have one more scoring guard. But, I think we'll still be a solid team who will make the CJBL tournament, but I see us potentially being at a 7-10 seed.

Emmett13

04-24-2025, 12:29 AM

27-13 (14-8) - Lost in the 2nd round of the CJBL tournament.

The last line in my 2046 preview was: "But, I think we'll still be a solid team who will make the CJBL tournament, but I see us potentially being at a 7-10 seed."

And that's what we were, we grabbed a 7 seed in the tournament and finished 3rd in a really tough Big 12. I think we were a little underseeded, but 12 losses going into the tournament is quite a few.

But, in context, I'm pretty happy with the season. It was not a good recruiting cycle for us, missing out on multiple center recruits and not really having much of a perimeter threat didn't help either. But, we still had some good players and did some good things. But, making the 2nd round saved me from the possible catastrophe that I saw as a distinct possibility. Being an Extremely High prestige team and missing the tournament would have been a nightmare. A 2nd round exit isn't ideal, but it definitely isn't a nightmare.

Let's look at some season results:

https://i.postimg.cc/c0y6T5Tf/2046-schedule.png

Some really good wins, with the best being the road win at Kansas. We lost to them in OT at home. We led the majority of the game against Houston in the conference tournament, before falling apart near the end. If we had a few more bounces our way, I think we could have been a 3 or 4 seed really easily.

Let's look at some team stats:

https://i.postimg.cc/QM2DyyTf/2046-team-stats.png

We definitely were able to play more how I envision, compared to last year which was really, really jump shot heavy. We didn't shoot as many threes, did a way better job at getting to the line and definitely had a more defensive identity. Adjusted for strength of schedule, we actually were slightly better defensively this year, though we definitely weren't as good offensively without the outside shooting of Ridder and Starkweather that we had in '45.

Let's look at player stats:

https://i.postimg.cc/Bnw4x6Q9/Screenshot-2025-04-18-221933.png

We'll take a look at our players on an individual basis:

Compared to last year where the same 5 guys started all 40 games, this year only two players Hibbler and Worthing started every game, I shuffled up the starting lineup more than I ever have at Oklahoma State, and frankly second place is light years away.

The following order is the starting lineup the last handful of games of the season:

PG FR Sam Hibbler: 42 G, 42 GS, 30.3 mpg, 11.8 ppg, 5.2 apg, 1.24 spg, 45.8 FG%, 24.4 3FG%

Fell off some in conference play and had a few duds, but he also had some games where he was the best player on the court, getting to the rim, drawing a lot of fouls and doing damage at the line. I think he's about to be a 4 year player, and I'm thrilled with that. He's too eager to shoot the three, and I'm hoping I can help that out one way or the other, but if he sticks to his strengths I think he's an excellent grit and grind point guard.

SG JR Jahmel Goodlett: 42 G, 24 GS, 22.2 mpg, 10.0 ppg, 2.2 rpg, 1.1 apg, .86 spg, 51.9 FG%, 50.3 3FG%

Shot the heck out of the ball, and I was hoping he and Tusha would go along way to spacing the floor for our other guys, but I'm not sure how successful it was. Undersized for a 2, but plays good defense and has some toughness. His point guard skill have developed to being passable, and I think it's going to allow me to not have to take a point guard this cycle, assuming everyone comes back. Hibbler, Falls and Goodlett should have the position covered. I do hope he's back on the bench next season.

SF JR Johni Tusha: 40 G, 31 GS, 28.1 mpg, 9.6 ppg, 2.5 rpg, 1.3 apg, 1.18 spg, 37.1 FG%, 36.4 3FG%

A maddeningly inconsistent player. He completely tanked from inside the arc, but at least salvaged his three point shot. It seems like he just goes 2-6 every game. But, he's so supremely talented ratings wise, I'm almost certainly going to start him again. I'd like to find a big time SF, to keep him at the 2, as I don't think he's done well when he's at the 3. If he has another similar season to his previous three, he should be the schools all time leading three point shooter.

PF SO Kreg Dunkley - 42 G, 25 GS, 26.2 mpg, 7.8 ppg, 6.0 rpg, .76 bpg

Pretty steady presence all year, but I think struggled at times with the top level teams. He's got zero range to his game, but gets to the line and does convert around the basket at a decent rate. His rebounding consistently improved as the season went along, and I'd be fine with running him back as the starter at the 4.

C FR Elijah Worthing - 42 G, 42 GS, 30.4 mpg, 11.5 ppg, 8.0 rpg, 3.1 apg, 1 bpg, .69 spg

Declared for the draft, so I'll detail him more later. A really skilled solid player I forced to play out of position at center. If I could have surrounded him with better players I think he really could have had more of an impact. But, he scored consistently, though his three point shot fell apart in conference play, and did a great job at the line and could really pass it.

Bench:

SR Roshawn Salnave - 42 G, 23 GS, 19.6 mpg, 8.5 ppg, 1.7 rpg, .8 apg, 1 spg, 50.9 FG%

Senior, so I'll talk more about him later, but really had a surprisingly good season and was effective most of the season.

JR Sinan Falls - 42 G, 6 GS, 15.1 mpg, 4.6 ppg, 2.2 apg, 49.3 FG%, 29.8 3FG%

Started the season off the ball, and then settled into a 10 mpg pattern spelling Hibbler. But really our best lineups were with him on the court. He's a great defender and athlete with some great size, and his offensive game was much better this season, even if he's not that aggressive shooting the ball. Hopefully he sticks around for his senior year, as he's a great backup option to have at point guard, even though I'm sticking with Hibbler due to the potential.

SO Auryn Williamson - 42 G, 17 GS, 15.6 mpg, 3.4 ppg, 4.2 rpg, .9 bpg, 50.4 FG%

Williamson was just too much of a zero offensively to stay in the starting lineup, and even saw his playing time get taken away from the freshman Sidney as the season went along. He's the only true center we have on the roster right now, and will be a guy who gets some playing time just because his size and defensive chops.

FR Gyasi Sidney 35 G, 7.6 mpg, 2.2 ppg, 1.8 rpg, 54.7 FG%

Had some real highlights where he was scoring the ball, and even grabbed a few rebounds. He's just not big enough play long minutes at the 5 and I don't think he's athletic enough to play the 4. But, he's a good defender and good passer who I'll keep around as a backup option.

FR Duby Behr - 32 G, 6.6 mpg, 2.4 ppg, .8 rpg, 54.9 FG%, 44.4 3FG% (18 3PA)

Ended up getting into the rotation and even played in the CJBL tourney games. I think he's going to be a really strong 3 and D guy as he develops. He's a guy that I hope never starts, but it's a luxury to have a guy like him who will stick around for 4 years and be a guy I can trust to be in the rotation if need be.

SO Viorrel Torromino - 15 G, 6 mpg, .4 ppg, 1.7 rpg, 3-10 FG

Small sample size, but the offense just doesn't exist and I already struggle enough offensively to deal with guys like that. Is almost certainly getting cut.

FR Rhamel Knorr - 14 G, 6.3 mpg, 1.7 ppg, .6 rpg, 32.1 FG%, 1-10 3PM/A

I thought he had an outside of chance of being an offensive punch off the bench, but in his playing time in non-conference he just really, really stunk. And then since he's an average at best defender and useless on the glass, he got replaced by Behr pretty quick. I still like his offensive capabilities, but I just don't know if I want to keep him and Behr for the next 4 years, so he might be on the chopping block.

Emmett13

04-24-2025, 12:33 AM

Roshown Salnave, 6'7", 201, Radnor Pennyslvania
https://i.postimg.cc/0jq8bB5z/Salnave-photo.png
https://i.postimg.cc/FFjr2NG3/Screenshot-2025-04-18-222402.png

He got a picture right before he graduated! The former member of the armed services had an awesome training camp going into his senior year, and I was really pleased with how he played. He wasn't a perimeter threat at all, but was able to work with some success in the mid range and near the rim. I also think it helped that he played at the 3 all year after getting a lot of time at 4 his junior year at Army. We've been fortunate to have solid back to back senior transfers in Salnave and Denton. I think I might have liked Salnave slightly more.

Emmett13

04-24-2025, 12:37 AM

Elijah Worthing, 6'8", 213, Cibolo, Texas
https://i.postimg.cc/rpFzvZc1/Worthing-hs-photo.png
https://i.postimg.cc/0PTCBQ85/Worthing-final-stats.png

A really, really skilled player who was probably over extended with being the #1 option. But, I ran the offense through him, and 3 assists is no joke for a PF. He also was a really solid rebounder who got the line at at a decent clip. Was forced to play a lot at the 5, and I don't think he and Dunkley were the best dudes to pair up in the post with both being 6'8". He's an undersized 4 with a iffy jumpshot in the pros, but I'll really interested to see where he gets drafted. He's listed as a top 10 pick right now.

Emmett13

04-24-2025, 12:44 AM

With one senior graduating and Worthing declaring and one vacant spot we have 3 openings, I went ahead and cut Torromino which gets us to 4. Now the question is do I cut Knorr. I'm going to wait a bit to think about that one.

Our roster going into transfer season:

PG: SO Sam Hibbler, SR Sinan Falls
SG: SR Johni Tusha, SR Jahmel Goodlett
SF: SO Duby Behr, SO Rhamel Knorr
PF: JR Kreg Dunkley
C: JR Auryn Williamson, SO Gyasi Sidney

The main things I want are a stud center and small forward. I'd love to have Tusha at the 2 and a ball handling, creative guy at the 3. I've been looking for a center recruit for a long time and have swung and missed quite a bit. But, I don't want to start Auryn Williamson again, so a repeat of last year would be tough to handle recruiting wise.

Emmett13

05-04-2025, 02:46 AM

We didn't lose anyone to the portal, and we gained one guy. I also cut Rhamel Knorr, who didn't get picked up by anyone which surprised me. I made one fairly big offer to a center and some middling offers to some other guys and didn't get any of them, but I was really trying to snag a backup PF, but I'm actually half way happy with this guy.

Rayjon McCuthison, 6'8", 220, Junior, Hershey, Pennsylvania
https://i.postimg.cc/GmsW-GM5s/Mc-Cuthison-photo.png
https://i.postimg.cc/ZRqjFn5D/Mc-Cuthison-stats-47.png

Clemson is one of the worst major programs in all of college basketball, but at least he has some power conference experience. Played a decent amount his freshman year before falling out of the rotation completely. Rumor is the commissioner might make it so guys who didn't play get a redshirt year, so it's possible he starts next year as a sophomore.

McCuthison really looks halfway solid to me. Decent defender who contributes on the glass, finished around the rim at a high rate his freshman year, and will draw fouls at a high rate, all things we like. He's got a bit of mid range to him, and potentially could shoot threes, but almost certainly never will in my system. He can also pass it a little bit, which I always like out of a 4 when I can get it. He's definitely not better than Dunkley, but I could see him carving out a handful of minutes off the bench as his backup this season.

High school recruiting is starting soon, and this is what we're looking at roster-wise:

PG: SO Sam Hibbler, SR Sinan Falls
SG: SR Johni Tusha, SR Jahmel Goodlett
SF: SO Duby Behr
PF: JR Kreg Dunkley, JR Rayjon McCuthison
C: JR Auryn Williamson, SO Gyasi Sidney

The must haves this recruiting cycle are a starting SF, or I suppose a SG that would slide Tusha to the 3, but I'd rather do the former, and then a stud center to be the anchor defensively and keep me from starting Williamson again.

Emmett13

05-14-2025, 12:19 AM

We're a little past halfway in the recruiting phase in the game, and we've had surprising results. I was really hoping to land one stud post and one stud wing, but instead we've landed two stud posts and zero stud wings.

The two guys we got:

Khadeem Wills, 6'11", 263, Oak Hill, West Virginia, #69
https://i.postimg.cc/SNP4sMg6/Wills-HS-photo.png
https://i.postimg.cc/DFdzQpWG/Wills-HS-stats.png

Wills is a physical monster, with fantastic looking defensive chops. He's got the ability to switch defensively some and can easily get away with playing the 4 and will have to with the other prospect we brought in. He rebounds at a nice rate, and looks like he will draw a lot of fouls and knock down a nice percentage of his foul shots. His finishing rating isn't great, and I don't think he's going to hit double figures average wise, but we won't need him to. Really excited about him.

Jadakiss Hollywood, 6'11", 250, Pearland, Texas, #2
https://i.postimg.cc/6pGXGpPD/Hollywood-h-S-photo.png
https://i.postimg.cc/1y45Q9v0/Hollywood-HS-stats.png

Clearly the name is the main draw. But the other attraction is looks like a legit anchor big man with incredible defensive awareness and ability to clean the glass. I think he's going to the more offensive minded of he and Wills. He's not nearly the athlete that Wills is, but few are. But, he'll have to be the 5 man, despite his listing as a PF/C. Which is what Wills is as well. (that's a tongue twister).

I had just kind of assumed Dunkley was going to start at the 4, and I was totally fine with that, but suddenly we have two tremendous looking post prospects who each pretty much do everything better than Dunkley, so now we have a really, really good 3rd option in the post.

Roster as of right now:

PG: SO Sam Hibbler, SR Sinan Falls
SG: SR Johni Tusha, SR Jahmel Goodlett
SF: SO Duby Behr
PF: FR Khadeem Wills FR, JR Kreg Dunkley, JR Rayjon McCuthison
C: C Jadakiss Hollywood, JR Auryn Williamson, SO Gyasi Sidney

Suddenly we have tremendous post depth. I envision Dunkley getting a lot of minutes off the bench and having Wills slide down to the 5 in certain lineups. Don't forget about Williamson either, he also has major size and strong defensive chops. He's not the rebounder that the other guys are, but I think Williamson can be a solid big for 4-6 minute stretches. Sidney and McCuthison are going to have a hard time finding playing time this year, but I think they both provide solid depth.

I really didn't anticipate striking out on the elite wings the way I did. I made some big offers to some guys and specifically missed on 3 top level guys, each of whom I would have been thrilled to add. I still have two scholarships open, and I'm feeling pretty confident on which two guys I'm going to be adding, but neither of them are at the level of the previous guys I've missed on.

Will update when/if those two guys sign.

Emmett13

05-14-2025, 08:23 PM

One more commitment, and a pretty nice talent:

Tariq McCrory, 6'8", 231, Highland, Utah, #153
https://i.postimg.cc/5XNLrvB9/Mc-Crory-hs-photo.png
https://i.postimg.cc/N0Y4T2rz/Mc-Crory-hs-stats.png[

I like McCrory a lot, and I'll explain why in a bit, but I screwed up a bit in my offer for him. I was pretty confident, overly apparently, that I was going to get one of the wings I was going after, and so when I was recruiting McCrory as a backup option, I gave him a pretty solid promise. 24 minutes and a starter role, and I turned out to pretty much have no competition to get him, so I've got a pretty over promised player.

But...he actually might get close to those kind of minutes. He's a kind of player I haven't really had before. He's a true 3/4 combo that can play down in the post and hold his own, even though he's not strong enough to do it full time. He rebounds well, and as a 3 man will really make us a tough rebounding squad. Has a little bit of a three point shot, but not one I think I can count on. Does finish and draw fouls at a high level which I always like.

I'll probably let him start at the 3, and give him some legit minutes at the beginning of the season and see if he's legit. I'm glad I got him, I just wish I wasn't hamstrung a little bit by this minutes promise.

We have one more spot to fill and an offer out trying to fill it with a 6'1" combo guard who has some skills I really like. If that falls through, we're probably done and will take the open scholarship into the season.

Our roster as of right now:

PG: SO Sam Hibbler, SR Sinan Falls
SG: SR Johni Tusha, SR Jahmel Goodlett
SF: FR Tariq McCrory, SO Duby Behr
PF: FR Khadeem Wills FR, JR Kreg Dunkley, JR Rayjon McCuthison
C: C Jadakiss Hollywood, JR Auryn Williamson, SO Gyasi Sidney

Emmett13

05-17-2025, 01:16 AM

We snag one more to complete a HS class of 4, and we have a complete roster. I think this might be the first time we've ever had all 13 scholarships filled, and really I like just about everyone of them. Let's see the final guy:

D'Wayne Israelson, 6'1", 196, Spencer, Oklahoma, #473
https://i.postimg.cc/qq9mjsC3/Israelson-hs-photo.png
https://i.postimg.cc/59Gk4Vk2/Israelson-hs-stats.png

He's listed as a SG, but he will be a PG for me from day one. Israelson looks like a really dynamic offensive guard that can get to the basket at will, draw fouls, run the pick and roll and get after it defensively with his 6'8" wing span. Predictably, given his ranking he has to have some flaws to his game. The main one is that he's just a so-so shooter, and he's not great at finishing around the basket when he gets there. But, he should be able to defend day one and he definitely has the chops to play the point, just have to hope he has the foot speed to defend there. I'll probably give him some playing time in the non-conference to see if I have a little bit of a jewel here.

Our roster going into training camp:

PG: SO Sam Hibbler, SR Sinan Falls, FR D'Wayne Israelson
SG: SR Johni Tusha, SR Jahmel Goodlett
SF: FR Tariq McCrory, SO Duby Behr
PF: FR Khadeem Wills FR, JR Kreg Dunkley, JR Rayjon McCuthison
C: FR Jadakiss Hollywood, JR Auryn Williamson, SO Gyasi Sidney

Emmett13

05-20-2025, 11:14 PM

Training camp is all wrapped up and the season should kick off in a couple of days. Our rotation and depth chart is locked and loaded and ready for our first game, with Wichita State visiting us in which would be a tough first match up. Here's what the team looks like heading into the season:

Not sure why the pictures are all different sizes, can't say I'm going to take the time to fix it!

PG: Sam Hibbler, 6'2", 175, Sophomore, Allen, Texas
https://i.postimg.cc/qB9hzGXr/Hibbler-photo.png
https://i.postimg.cc/BvrSjhNr/Hibbler-47-stats.png

I've really hitched my wagon to him. He's my marquee player, and had some major highlights as a freshman but there was some major inconsistency that marked his entire campaign. He had a solid offseason, improving quite a bit defensively which always helps. I tried to get him to drive more to the basket. He's a tremendous finisher at the rim and is adept at getting to the foul line. I'm hoping for better defense and more efficient version of what he was last year. I'm going to let him operate with the ball a lot to start the season and I'm hoping for 15 or so a game out him.

SG: Johni Tusha, 6'8", 190, Senior, Deer Park, Texas
https://i.postimg.cc/7Z3KqLLr/Tusha-college-photos.png
https://i.postimg.cc/YSG2qcNN/Tusha-47-stats.png

A true enigma (who grew an inch!) It doesn't seem to matter if he's open or not, he's seemingly gotten worse as his career's gone on. But, he's 100% going to start the season back in the lineup after his little foray onto the bench last season. I'm hoping to play him more at the 2, where I think he's better suited. But he has tremendous length and defensive chops that keep him in the lineup, but if he could ever hit 40% of his threes, we'd really have something.

SF: Tariq McCrory, 6'8", 231, Freshman, Highland, Utah
https://i.postimg.cc/5XNLrvB9/Mc-Crory-hs-photo.png

I don't know how long it will last, but I'm going to give him a shot to start the season. I did promise him a starting role, stupidly, so I'm going to play him with the top dogs and see how he looks. He does have some upside to him. He's my switchiest defender and guards the perimeter pretty well and will do just fine if he gets switched down low. He looks like a legit rebounder who should make for a pretty salty rebounding frontline with the other two freshmen. His three point shot is okay and he finishes around the rim and gets to the line. The issues are he's not a great athlete, his ball handling is mediocre and he's just not a high intangible guy. But, I like having Tusha at the 2, and I think his rebounding and defensive versatility (and the promise) get him the first crack at the starting lineup.

PF: Khadeem Willis, 6'11", 263, Freshman, Oak Hill, West Virginia
https://i.postimg.cc/SNP4sMg6/Wills-HS-photo.png

Willis is looking like a defensive monster. Major physical attributes, will be as athletic as any player on the court, no matter who we play. Major, major defensive chops who should do a heck of a job protecting the rim. Strong rebounder, with good hs stats, but doesn't have elite ratings there. Struggles finishing around the rim, but does get to the foul line where he's solid.

I'd have been thrilled to land him and just have him at center, but since I got Hollywood as well, it means Wills will start at the 4, where he looks tailor made defensively. He's got actual on ball ability and should be able to handle perimeter oriented 4 guys, and I wonder how well they'll be able to handle him in return. Very excited to see how his season looks. I won't be asking him to do a ton offensively, but I'm hoping he's the part of some nasty defensive lineups.

C: Jadakiss Hollywood, 6'11", 251, Freshman Pearland, Texas
https://i.postimg.cc/6pGXGpPD/Hollywood-h-S-photo.png

Obviously his name was the first draw, but he's also an elite defensive center prospect. Same height and wingspan as Wills (7'3"), but is more of a anchor big man that Wills. Very good defensive center who looks like he'll really clean up on the glass as well. I'm hoping he and Wills cause major issues for teams on the offensive glass this season. More offensive oriented than Wills, and he might get fed the ball somewhat regularly to see if he can handle being a 2nd or 3rd option offensively. Off the charts intangibles, and he might end up being our captain over Dunkley. Unlike Wills who I think will go pro this season, I'm not sure about Hollywood. If he can stick around for a few seasons, it'd be a major boon.

Bench:

G Jahmel Goodlett, 6'3", 200, Senior, Orem, Utah
https://i.postimg.cc/B6YhRwn8/Goodlett-college-photo.png
https://i.postimg.cc/Hn2dPTHm/Goodlett-47-stats.png

If McCrory struggles, Goodlett likely will get the next crack at the starting lineup. Had an amazing year last year shooting the ball, and that is definitely his bet attribute, his ability to stretch the floor. He's undersized at the 2, especially with his 6'2" wingspan, but he's a pesky defender who will gram some steals and isn't easy to shake, even if he is easier to shoot over. He played quite a bit last year, and his shooting is hard to bench, so he's still slated for 20-22 minutes a game right now and hopefully has success against a lot of second units.

PF Kreg Dunkley, 6'8", 228, Junior, Lehigh Acres, Florida
https://i.postimg.cc/HL337P5S/Dunkley-college-photo.png
https://i.postimg.cc/hjVST95f/Dunkley-47-stats.png

I had just assumed Dunkley would be starting at the 4, and really I was pretty happy with that. Instead we get the two stud freshman big men and suddenly Dunkley is the 3rd post, and really it's a luxury, because Dunkley is pretty dang good. He's solid, if unspectacular defensively, and doesn't have the ability to guard on the perimeter, but he scores around the basket is strong on the glass and is developing a bit of playmaking. With Wills having limited endurance, Dunkley is going to see a lot of time at the 4, and I think 18-20 minutes will happen easy, if not more.

PG Sinan Falls, 6'5", 204, Senior, Hampton, Virginia

https://i.postimg.cc/XNPH8hPm/Falls-college-photo.png
https://i.postimg.cc/HW4YL9MN/Falls-47-stats.png

Ended up with quite a bit better +/- stats than Hibbler last year, but I, again, have a lot invested in Hibbler. Falls is a great defender with tremendous length for the position, and he had his best season offensively for us last year. His three point shot is still shaky, but he's a solid point guard who takes really good care of the ball, every once in a while he shows some burst and gets to the rim. If Falls continues to shine +/- wise and Hibbler struggles, I'll make the move at that point, a year and half of data is all I need to realize Hibbler's not the guy.

C Auryn Williamson, 6'11", 254, Junior, Canberra, Australia
https://i.postimg.cc/ZnvL2bQg/Williamson-college-photo.png
https://i.postimg.cc/MpGKNfvF/Williams-47-stats.png

Another guy who started some last year. He's really going to get buried on the bench this year, but I still plan on trying to get him into every game. Williamson is a similar size to Wills and Hollywood and just like them provides a legit defensive presence in the paint. Williamson's offense is really limited to dump offs and put backs. But, he's actually turned into a legit defensive post and his rebounding is slowly approaching above average. He has high expectations for himself, so after a season of 6 or so minutes a game, I could see him transferring.

SF Duby Behr, 6'7", 196, Sophomore, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
https://i.postimg.cc/CMqJK2sY/Behr-hs-photo.png
https://i.postimg.cc/SK7T9RGm/Screenshot-2025-05-20-231049.png

I really think he's a dark horse to start this year. He had a tremendous off season defensively and is now a wing with good size and very good defensive ratings with high level athleticism. He shoots the three well, but is just very passive on the court, which is kind of why I think he might fit into the starter role, where he can just play solid defense for 20ish minutes and maybe go 2-3 from beyond the arc every once in a while. But, he's going to start off in the rotation and see if he can take advantage of 8 or so minutes to start off the season.

C/F Gyasi Sidney, 6'8", 241, Sophomore, Sumter, South Carolina
https://i.postimg.cc/xTV5NP6m/Sidney-Hs-photo.png
https://i.postimg.cc/VkHL8stL/Sidney-47-stats.png

Now we're really talking about guys being buried. Sidney had a few bright spots last year, and I think he's an alright player. Another really good defender, though he's just average on the glass. Has some skills with the ball and can pass it pretty well, and is just pretty skilled in general. But, he just really has no stand out skill so he's just kind of a boring option who might be at risk of being cut this offseason. But a very nice deep bench option.

F Rayjon McCuthison, 6'8", 220, Junior, Hershey, Pennsylvania
https://i.postimg.cc/GmsW-GM5s/Mc-Cuthison-photo.png
https://i.postimg.cc/ZRqjFn5D/Mc-Cuthison-stats-47.png

The Clemson transfer really actually had a pretty solid training camp and it probably put him above Sidney in the post pecking order. He didn't play last year after being in the rotation for a bad Clemson program as a freshman. He's a pretty solid defender, but the worst one on the team. A better rebounder than Sidney, and definitely has more ability to put the ball in the basket. I took him before I grabbed the two freshmen post, and if I had known I would have grabbed both of them, I wouldn't have taken McCuthison. It does seem inevitable that I'll pick between him and Sidney next offseason.

G D'Wayne Israelson, 6'1", 196, Freshman, Spencer, Oklahoma
https://i.postimg.cc/qq9mjsC3/Israelson-hs-photo.png

Didn't expect to take a 6'1" combo guard when recruiting started. Israelson has a 6'8" wingspan to make up for his height deficiency. He's got decent ball skills that I'll look to develop more in the future. Offensively he just looks like an attack dog type who will try to get the rim over and over and get to the line, and I think he'll be pretty good at it. He runs the pick and roll very well, which is a great attribute for your backup PG. I'm going to try to pepper playing time in for him this year when I can, but I really think I'd be happy if he's my backup PG next year.

With the post defenders we have and the range and stealing ability we have on the perimeter, I might dial up the pressure and see what kind of havoc we can cause on defense and try to generate more turnovers than your average grit and grind team might normally be aiming for. I wish we had one stud wing to tie the team together, but I'm pretty happy with the squad and hope to take advantage of our depth this year. I definitely think we have a better team than last years.

Emmett13

07-20-2025, 12:29 AM

33-8 (17-3), Regular season Big 12 Champs, lost in the 2nd Round, #2 seed.

A really awesome season, and our first regular season championship since 2042. However, an intensely disappointing finish to the season, losing in the 2nd round to 7 seed Indiana.

This is now our 3rd straight round of 32 exit, which is not idea and it has resulted in a drop from 'extremely high' prestige to the very tip top of 'very high' prestige, so if we can finally make a run in the tournament again next year we should be right back among the giants.

Let's look at some season results:

Unfortunately, I forgot to grab the screenshot of the schedule I've been using before the season ticked over. Oh, well, lesson learned.

https://i.postimg.cc/yY023cR7/2047-results.png

Some team stats:

https://i.postimg.cc/CxYXG5Ck/2047-team-stats.png

Balanced for strength of schedule, we end up 5th in offense and 10th in defense.

We were really a solid team all the way through and had very few weaknesses. We were strong on the offensive glass, got to the line and knocked them down and we knocked our threes down at an efficient clip, but we got beat by some excellent free throw shooting in the 2nd round of CJBL tournament and that was the end of that.

Let's look at some player stats:

https://i.postimg.cc/HWqfLBVS/2047-player-stats.png

We got lucky with injuries and this was our starting 5 all season long.

PG SO Sam Hibbler: 30.2 mpg, 15.6 ppg, 2.4 rpg, 5.8 apg, 1.63 spg, 52 FG%, 29.5 3FG%

The absolute key to our team offensively. Got the rim at will and had a few games where he just dominated. He was 1st team all-conference as well as conference POTY, and it's looking like he's going to return for his junior year which is an absolute boon for us. I wish I could get him to shoot it better, so that might be a project this offseason, but come conference play next year he's getting every minute he can handle.

SG SR Johni Tusha 28.7 mpg, 13.6 ppg, 2.1 rpg, 1.3 spg, 46 FG%, 42.5 3FG%

Seniors will get their own profile later, but Tusha really had a solid senior season after a disappointing junior one. He's all over the Oklahoma State record books and was a huge part of our offense this season with his three point shooting.

SF FR Tariq McCrory: 25.5 mpg, 8.7 ppg, 3.1 rpg, 1.16 spg, .77 bpg, 52.5 FG%, 37.3 3FG%

Had a crazy good start to the season with multiple double digit efforts, he came down to earth and became a solid player. He provides legit versatility for us on defense and his offensive game is solid, if not spectacular. If a crazy good 3 falls into our laps I'll take him, but I'd be happy with this guy starting for the next three years, even if I wish he were a better athlete.

PF FR Khadeem Wills 25.7 mpg, 7.6 ppg, 5.5 rpg, .88 bpg, 51.2 FG%

The uber-athletic big man was a bit of a disappointment numbers wise, but I think his defense made up for it. He had a handful of really strong games, and I'm excited to see what an offseason will do him. I still think he can be a monster, and is a shoe-in to start at the 4 or 5 next year based on how recruiting goes.

C FR Jadakiss Hollywood 27.7 mpg, 7.2 ppg, 8.7 rpg, 1.16 bpg

Going pro, so I'll spend more time on him later. But, very solid defensive piece who was just okay offensively.

Bench:

JR Kreg Dunkley 18.6 mpg, 5.8 ppg, 4.4 rpg, 49.2 FG%

Went back to his bench role and I'm interested to see if he handles it okay and will stick around for his senior year. Just a solid post who plays strong defense and is fairly productive inside. I'd be fine with him starting at the 4 next year, but won't be completely ignoring prep posts this recruiting cycle.

SR Jahmel Goodlett 15.9 mpg, 8.0 ppg, 2 rpg, 1.1 apg, 48.9 FG%, 45.7 3FG%

A senior, so he'll get his own capsule. Another efficient season shooting the ball under his belt.

SR Sinan Falls 9.2 mpg, 4.3 ppg, 1.6 apg, 45.3 FG%, 41.3 3FG%

Finally broke out a little bit, but not enough to overcome Hibbler's breakout. Another senior who will get more later.

SO Duby Behr 8.7 mpg, 2.3 ppg, 1.1 rpg, 40.7 FG%, 28.6 3FG%

Recovered from a 2-25 start from the field, which means he was 54% after that point. When he's hitting some shots, he's a solid wing with real size and defensive chops. I wouldn't mind upgrading him, but I think he's good for 8 or so minutes if I can surround him with some solid guys.

JR Auryn Williamson 30 G, 7.4 mpg, 1.8 ppg, 1.8 rpg, 38.6 FG%

A really, really good defensive center who struggled finishing around the rim in a small sample size. Definitely will bring him back for his last year, where I still think he is a valuable bench addition. Didn't play him in the postseason.

SO Gyasi Sidney: 16 G 6.3 mpg, 1.2 ppg, 1.4 rpg

Battled with Williamson for the 4th post spot, but Williamson won out for the most part. He's a bit undersized and just doesn't rebound very well. He might get cut.

FR D'Wayne Israelson: 12 G, 6.2 mpg, 2.0 ppg, 1 rpg, 1 apg, 47.1 FG%

Barely got to play, but has a real chance to be the backup point guard next year. Showed an ability to fill a box score in his limited minutes.

JR Rayjon McCuthison: 5 G, 3.8 mpg, 1.4 ppg

He REALLY didn't play. I don't see how a world where I keep Sidney and McCuthison. Sidney is a little more versatile defensively while McCuthison is an okay offensive player.

Emmett13

07-28-2025, 10:01 PM

3 seniors graduate this year and we'll hit them in alphabetical order.

Sinan Falls, 6'5", 204, Hampton, Virginia

https://i.postimg.cc/XNPH8hPm/Falls-college-photo.png
https://i.postimg.cc/5t1DFZvV/Falls-final-stats.png

Finished with his best performance from beyond the arc after a career of struggling from there. Provided really nice size and defensive chops at the point guard position, dabbled with him playing off the ball some in his career and it never really worked. Solid backup who was pretty solid except for his blip of a sophomore year.

Jahmel Goodlett, 6'3", 200, Orem, Utah
https://i.postimg.cc/B6YhRwn8/Goodlett-college-photo.png
https://i.postimg.cc/Zqc2PVFy/Goodlett-final-stats.png

Short armed (6'2" wingspan) guard who could really, really shoot the three. Don't know how much his wingspan impacted his defense over the years, but he was a good guy to bring off the bench because he would pop off and go 2-3 every other game from three. Slowly rounded into a more skilled offensive player and started to help out on the glass some his last year. A really solid depth piece for four years. Check that 50.3 3FG% performance his junior year, and 46% overall.

His three point total of 214 is good for 6th in school history.

Johni Tusha, 6'8", 190, Deer Park, Texas
https://i.postimg.cc/7Z3KqLLr/Tusha-college-photos.png
https://i.postimg.cc/Jzj901sx/tusha-final-stats.png

After a really rough junior year, Tusha bounced back and had his best season of his career. Shot more threes this year and made more of them and was a sorely needed offensive punch from the perimeter. He was never more than a catch and shoot and run off screen guy, and I wish he had been able to play with a better SF during his career, he finally got to play next to a legit one with McCrory and his freshman year as well with Green.

Finishes 1st all time in three point makes in Oklahoma State history.
Finishes 6th in points in Oklahoma State history, just about 40 points behind Tevin Ridder.

All together a really impactful recruiting class on the perimeter, and we have some real work to do to replace about 60 minutes of playing time.

Emmett13

07-28-2025, 10:08 PM

Jadakiss Hollywood, 6'11", 251, Pearland, Texas

https://i.postimg.cc/6pGXGpPD/Hollywood-h-S-photo.png
https://i.postimg.cc/jdppRWSC/Hollywood-final-stats.png

A big time recruit with a big time name, who I expected to declare early in the season, but kind of toiled in the late 20's and early 30's in the draft lists all year long before rocketing up to the top 15 late in the year.

Extremely impressive looking defensive center with high production on the glass. My frustration with him this year was his inability to finish around the rim off of offensive rebounds. He could have scored 3-4 more points a game if his finishing had been better. But a really good defensive anchor for us this year, and yet another big man who is going to join the JBL ranks.

Emmett13

07-28-2025, 10:18 PM

Ben Green, who had been an assistant for us since 2042, and was part of the championship winning squad that year, had his contract run out and we decided it was time to switch things up. Three straight 2nd round exits has got to get something churning, and it's Green who moves on. He quickly found his footing by snagging a job as the assistant for a good UMASS program. We wish him luck.

The coach we signed to replace him comes with a ton of head coaching experience, if not much success, but has some really solid defensive knowledge he's bringing to the team.

Vitaly Vilarino

https://i.postimg.cc/kgw26yxD/Vilarino-coaching-record.png
https://i.postimg.cc/HLs7BNpQ/Vilarino-ratings.png

Green was a solid all around coach who could do a little of everything, but Vilarino is definitely more defensive minded and hopefully we'll see some dividends.

Emmett13

07-28-2025, 10:21 PM

We decided to cut Rayjon McCuthison, and we are lucky enough to not lose anyone else, so we go into transfer season with 5 scholarships to give.

Our current roster:

PG: JR Sam Hibbler, SO D'Wayne Israelson
SG:
SF: SO Tariq McCrory, JR Duby Behr
PF: SR Kreg Dunkley, SO Khadeem Wills
C: SR Auryn Williamson, JR Gyasi Sidney

If the season started, Wills would start at the 5 and Dunkley at the 4, and I think that is most likely going to be the front court next year, as I don't see us grabbing a post that I know will be better than a senior Dunkley next year.

Otherwise, it's pretty clear we need some shooting guards. Israelson is probably better suited off the ball, but we're going to force him to be a point guard in our system.

I'd like to add a senior 3rd point guard as a just in case, if Isreaelson doesn't work out, and I'd like one more post. But, the main concern is grabbing at least two guys who can play the 2, and hopefully one of them is a stud who can step right into a major role.

Emmett13

07-29-2025, 09:04 PM

And likely the only part, as I don't see myself using one of my last 3 scholarships these next few phases.

Went after a handful of guys in the transfer portal, snagging two of them, both perimeter players.

Garland Klemm, 6'7", 197, Senior, Holland, Pennsylvania
https://i.postimg.cc/vZWnvWTV/Klemm-photo.png
https://i.postimg.cc/KYfg6xnc/Klemm-stats.png

Klemm is the one I'm most excited for and if recruiting ends up being a bust, he's got a decent chance at starting at the 2 for us next year. He was ranked #233 out of HS and has improved each season and had a really solid all around junior year last year in the A-10. St. Joe's was not good last year and I really don't know what kind of help he did or didn't have last year, but I like his skill set.

He's a solid athlete with some nice size to him, shot the ball pretty well last year, and has some nice defensive abilities, including some switchiness that allows him to hold his own on the block. He also rebounds quite well for a wing. He's not much of a creator, which I'd like to have at the 2. If nothing else, he'll get 12 - 16 minutes off the bench.

Westley Medley, 6'0", 191, Senior, Mount Desert, Maine
https://i.postimg.cc/52cvvP4J/Medley-photo.png
https://i.postimg.cc/4d3hZq56/Medley-stats.png

I didn't want to go into the season with all my eggs in the D'Wayne Israelson bucket for our backup PG, so I decided to try add a senior who could hold his own as the backup if Israelson falters, and I think I got the guy. A former 2* recruit, he fell out of the starting lineup last year, but had a solid sophomore year for Merrimack, scoring the ball, passing it some and topping 2 steals a game, which is pretty tough.

He just looks like a competent, all around point guard who if he has to play 6-8 minutes a game as Hibbler's backup he's going to be all right.

Like I said earlier, I doubt I add anyone else in transfers. But I'll certainly comb through and see if anyone piques my interest.

Roster as of right now:

PG: JR Sam Hibbler, SO D'Wayne Israelson, SR Westley Medley
SG: SR Garland Klemm
SF: SO Tariq McCrory, JR Duby Behr
PF: SR Kreg Dunkley, JR Gyasi Sidney
C: SO Khadeem Wills, SR Auryn Williamson

Roster as of right now

Emmett13

08-09-2025, 10:37 PM

This will be a short and sweet recruiting update:

We had 3 scholarships to play with going into the offseason, and we were hoping to get two shooting guards and a post and that's just what we did. We locked in on 3 targets, and hit on all 3 of them, and that means we'll have nothing to do the next week or so as recruiting wraps up. In reverse ranking order:

Wilbert Cann, 6'4", 192, San Antonio, Texas, 3*, #379
https://i.postimg.cc/v8KykYfn/Cann-photo.png
https://i.postimg.cc/cLRNvfj7/Cann-hs-stats.png

The lowest ranked guy is Cann, who is a 3 star recruit I got real into, real quick. He looks like a tremendous depth piece that could hold his own if he ever had to get real playing time. He's a solid athlete with major intangibles and toughness. Finishes at the rim, plays excellent on ball defense, even if his defensive awareness struggles. Shoots the ball well, has some ball skills.

Just will be a solid guy to have. I promised him 4 minutes, and I'll try to find him pockets of time as the season goes on.

Ibrahim Vang, 6'11", 245, Edmond, Oklahoma, 4*, #64
https://i.postimg.cc/c48WNpBb/Vang-photo.png
https://i.postimg.cc/Mp2SZ9sK/Vang-hs-stats.png

Localish recruit from an OKC suburb. Vang is big and long, and switchy in his defensive abilities. He's got a big more of an offensive punch than I've had from my last few big guys and the trade off is he's not quite the rim protector that the others are. But, he should be very playable from day one. I probably over promised him some. Future starter/18 minutes. I think I can find those minutes for him pretty easily, but its a major downer for the playing time of Williamson and Sidney as I see Vang soaking up a lot of playing time as I get him ready for next year.

Chuck Tiedeman, 6'4", 203, Camden, New Jersey, 5*, #17
https://postimg.cc/9DgkjXfb
https://i.postimg.cc/nLTbkpnC/Tiedeman-HS-stats.png

The big recruit for this cycle. We really need a strong replacement for Tusha and we went all the way to New Jersey to get him. I offered him marquee/28, which means I'll have to move Hibbler down to important, which hopefully doesn't bite me.

Tiedeman is a little smaller than I'd like, and a bit slight. But he's got major skills. Tremendous ball skills, can run the pick and roll tremendously and has the ability to score at every level. Really good defender, helps out on the glass some. Great intangibles as well. I'm probably sipping the kool-aid but I feel like he and Hibbler could make for a really tough back court.

So, that's our 13 guys. We'll have a general preseason preview here in about 10 days.

Our roster, and projected depth chart:

PG: Sam Hibbler JR, D'Wayne Israelson SO, Westley Medley SR
SG: Chuck Tiedeman FR, Wilbert Cann FR
SF: Tariq McCrory SO, Garland Klemm SR, Duby Behr JR
PF: Kreg Dunkley SR, Gyasi Sidney JR
C: Khadeem Wills SO, Ibrahim Vang FR, Auryn Williamson SR

Emmett13

08-25-2025, 10:38 PM

The season starts tomorrow, so I need to knock this preview out and get cranking on the next season.

I don't know if we're going to repeat as regular season champs, but I think we're going to have a very solid squad and hopefully we can finally break this second round exit streak we're on.

Starting lineup going into the season:

PG: Sam Hibbler, 6'2", 179, Junior, Allen, Texas
https://i.postimg.cc/qB9hzGXr/Hibbler-photo.png
https://i.postimg.cc/5NYKX69T/Hibbler-48-stats.png

The reigning Big XII player of the year. This is his his team and he's got the keys on offense. There is a new engine afoot in the league, and it's a bit of a mystery how guards will be impacted. But, last year he was tremendous. He can get to the rim, creates well, solid defender. He doesn't shoot the three well and I had him really work on it in training camp with not much success. I could see him not having quite the year he did last year, but he's definitely "the" guy this year.

SG: Chuck Tiedeman, 6'4", 203, Freshman, Camden, New Jersey
https://i.postimg.cc/GpbnGHwW/Tiedeman-photo.png

High level freshman who looks like will be a great secondary ball handler and creator for us this year. I'd like to make sure I have either him or Hibbler on the court 100% of the time, that way I've always got someone who can go get a bucket. I think he's a pretty solid shooter, but no Tusha, but he should have way more of a bag than Tusha. I do think with the guys we have on the roster and our grit and grind style, his numbers might not really pop. He rebounds a little bit too, so I'm hoping he can be a 13/3/4 kind of guy.

SF: Tariq McCrory, 6'8", 234, Sophomore, Highland, Utah
https://i.postimg.cc/5XNLrvB9/Mc-Crory-hs-photo.png
https://i.postimg.cc/3NWSCwXy/Mc-Crory-48-stats.png

Was surprisingly efficient last year offensively. Shot the three well when he put them up and was solid around the basket. He's not elite anywhere defensively, but he can do a little of everything and is a great glue guy on the defensive end. I'm hoping his rebound takes a step forward this year. I'm worried he played over his head offensively last year, and if stinks it up, or the team does, I could see Klemm sliding right in.

PF: Kreg Dunkley, 6'8", 228, Senior, Lehigh Acres, Florida
https://i.postimg.cc/HL337P5S/Dunkley-college-photo.png
https://i.postimg.cc/8zLyb96b/Dunkley-48-stats.png

He's had an odd career, really since he joined the team as a guy I didn't necessarily prioritize. He's had flashes where he's really strong offensively, but is also capable of some real clunkers. He's smart on the court and very strong and should put up some really good rebounding numbers if he really gets 25 minutes a game this year. Hoping he has a strong senior season.

C: Khadeem Wills, 6'11", 263, Sophomore, Oak Hill, West Virginia
https://i.postimg.cc/SNP4sMg6/Wills-HS-photo.png
https://i.postimg.cc/MT6rH5Xm/Wills-48-stats.png

Wills is who I'm hoping is about to blow up. He's about as athletic as any big in the nation, and is a defensive monster. And I think the new engine is going to really beef him up, and I think he could be an absolute terror on the offensive glass. The issue is if he'll be able to finish anything with his poor finishing rating. But, he's going to get as many minutes he can handle at either the 4 or 5 this year and I'm hoping he averages close to a double double.

Bench (by projected playing time):

Garland Klemm, 6'7", 197, Senior, Holland Pennsylvania

https://i.postimg.cc/vZWnvWTV/Klemm-photo.png
https://i.postimg.cc/KYfg6xnc/Klemm-stats.png

I really think Klemm is going to be to prove a tremendous pickup and maybe one of the better transfers we've ever picked up. He can defend and has some switchiness to him and is another wing like McCrory who can get on the glass. His handles are a little shaky and I'm not thrilled about playing him at the 2 very often. But, he's probably our best option there. He can shoot it pretty well, finishes around the basket, gets to the free throw line. A solid, if unspectacular offensive wing, who I think should be more efficient as a 3rd or 4th option here. If McCrory struggles, I really don't think I'll hesitate to put Klemm in the starting lineup.

Ibrahim Vang, 6'11", 248, Freshman, Edmond, Oklahoma

https://i.postimg.cc/c48WNpBb/Vang-photo.png

Vang is an athletic, offensively skilled big man who maybe doesn't fit the grit and grind profile perfectly, but he was a local skilled big man and it's hard not to take a guy like that if you have a chance. He can guard on the perimeter a little bit plus his aforementioned athleticism will get him a little time at the 4 in a few lineups. I gave him a future starter promise, and I'll be losing Dunkley for sure and likely Wills, so hopefully he can perform well this year and give me faith that he can be a starter next season.

D'Wayne Israelson, 6'1", 200, Sophomore, Spencer, Oklahoma
https://i.postimg.cc/qq9mjsC3/Israelson-hs-photo.png
https://i.postimg.cc/kMhhMxCW/Israelson-48-stats.png

Going to get the first crack at the backup point guard spot. I really think he's going to be a microwave type guy off the bench. He's great on the pick and roll, can drive and dish with the best of them and will get the foul line. He struggles to finish at the basket, and isn't much of a shooter though. He rebounds with his 6'8" wing span and uses those same long arms to be a menace on defense. I do have the senior transfer Medley in the wings if Israelson can't hack it, but I think he's going to have some solid numbers in the 10 minutes he plays a game.

Auryn Williamson, 6'11", 254, Senior, Canberra, Australia
https://i.postimg.cc/ZnvL2bQg/Williamson-college-photo.png
https://i.postimg.cc/D0DCCK6x/Williamson-48-stats.png

The big Aussie is back for his senior year and he'll probably a similar role to last year 4-8 minutes off the bench where he provides excellent rim protection, a solid rebounding presence and virtually nothing offensively. He's big and strong and I'd be interested to see how the new engine impacts him, but I'll have an issue finding him playing time with the promises I made to Vang.

Duby Behr, 6'7", 196, Junior, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
https://i.postimg.cc/CMqJK2sY/Behr-hs-photo.png
https://i.postimg.cc/4NDLVsmd/Behr-48-stats.png

Survived a horrific start to the season to round into an below average offensive wing. Defends well, spaces the floor because he's an okay catch and shoot guy. But his handle sucks, and he's stuck at the 3. Klemm has soaked up most of his minutes, and Behr is likely looking at a substantial drop in playing time this year.

Wilbert Cann, 6'4", 192, Freshman, San Antonio, Texas
https://i.postimg.cc/v8KykYfn/Cann-photo.png

Cann's got major defensive chops even as a freshman. Has some nice ball skills and can knock down a three and has intangibles out of this world. It's going to be hard to find him playing time, but I could see him carving his way into some back up SG minutes, since all my other candidates are really more SF's or they are busy backing up PG. I think Cann will have a major rotation role in the next two seasons, but he'll need to bide his time a little right now.

Gyasi Sidney, 6'8", 241, Junior, Sumter, South Carolina
https://i.postimg.cc/xTV5NP6m/Sidney-Hs-photo.png
https://i.postimg.cc/85ZX6v6Q/Sidney-48-stats.png

Oddly enough we didn't lose a single game that he played in last year. Maybe I should have noticed that earlier. Sidney's a weird player. Great post defender, poor rebounder. Solid passer, can't really score. Undersized for a center and slow for a 4. But, he can get away with playing both and it's hard to cut decent post depth. So, he'll probably just see garbage time this year. I don't think I'll ever cut him at this point.

Westley Medley, 6'0", 191, Senior, Mount Desert, Maine
https://i.postimg.cc/52cvvP4J/Medley-photo.png
https://i.postimg.cc/4d3hZq56/Medley-stats.png

Unless Israelson shits the bed, Medley is probably going to rot his senior year. He's really not bad. Defends okay, can run the show, can score a little bit as evidenced by his career at Merimack. But, I want to develop Israelson as a lead guard, and he'll need to put together some rough stretches before Medley takes that role.

I also have a walk on PG named Tayvion Archambault who is 5'11", 203 from Oklahoma City. And he's the best walk on I've had in years. Really solid defensively. Not a great lead guard, and if he has to play we're in major trouble. But there is a non-zero chance that he doesn't get a scholarship after his sophomore year, which is more than I can say about pretty much every other walk on we've had.

I think we'll be good, and I think the new engine could pay major dividends for us this year as I think we've got a solid front line with some real rebounding abilities. I think our season kind of hinges on how well Hibbler adapts to the new engine as well as if Tiedeman is truly a top level Big 12 player from the jump or not.

I think we'll finish 2nd or 3rd, with a chance to repeat. But, the main thing is I really need to get past the second round this year. Three straight 2nd round exits is not going to cut it.

Emmett13

10-27-2025, 09:24 PM

30-10 (14-8), 4 seed, lost in the 2nd round

That's right, a 4th straight season bowing out in the 2nd round of the tournament, which has becoming a frustrating habit for us. We were yet again, a really good team, and had a tremendous start to the season, but we were prone to bad games, and weren't able to make a run in the postseason despite having the squad to do it.

season results

https://i.postimg.cc/SsCh8ryN/2048-Season-results.png

We got off to an awesome start, with some really tremendous victories, but even in the non-conference we had a random stinker to Morehead State, who is a solid low-major program in this universe, but nothing special.

Then in conference we were dominated by Iowa State both at home and away, lost to Texas Tech, and this isn't to say those programs aren't solid, but with the talent we had and the level of teams we were beating in the non-conference, it was frustrating to say the least.

team stats

https://i.postimg.cc/FR34cZ9h/2048-advanced-stats.png

Really good offensive team, great on the offensive glass, very good at getting to the line and we had a team full of good free throw shooters, so it won us a lot of games. The loss to Arkansas in the 2nd round of the tournament was a rough one because we only managed 5 free throws, and weren't able to do what had gotten us so far.

The defense continues to be a work in progress, I'm still tied into the defensive settings and levers you can pull in this game, but I do know we're always solid but unspectacular on defense. Losing Wills (spoiler alert) will be tough to recover from, as I think he's probably the best rated defender, when you take into consideration his athletic ability, that I've ever had.

player stats

https://i.postimg.cc/KzB2LNZb/2048-player-stats.png

Hibbler and Wills were a great combo, even though I just could not get Hibbler to shoot more, which was very frustrating. Not a lot of passing on this team, a lot of iso ball and trying to get to the basket, and a lot of that stems from the type of point guard Hibbler is.

We had another season without injury and we were able to play the same 5 all season long:

JR Sam Hibbler - 30.8 mpg, 15 ppg, 2.3 rpg, 4.7 apg, 1.8 spg, 53.5 FG%, 35.3 3FG%

Got cheated in the awards, and didn't even get a 3rd team all-conference nod, but he had another excellent season, very efficient, does a lot of great things, shot the ball better. Wish he would attack more. He did declare for the JBL draft which was unfortunate, but we have the ability to ask guys to come back now with our "bags" that are also available in transfers as well as HS recruiting. He's ranked in the low 40's, which makes me think I have a good chance. If he ends up staying in the draft, I'll give him a farewell.

FR Chuck Tiedeman - 28.0 mpg, 9.7 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 3.4 apg, 1.1 spg, 43.8 FG%, 38.8 3FG%

Slightly disappointed in his year, mainly just because he wasn't all that aggressive, I guess. He also wilted a bit down the stretch and didn't really come up big in big games. That said, he still filled a box score very well, and has a ton of potential and work ethic, and he's coming back next season, which is a major boon. I look for an excellent training camp from him, and regardless of Hibbler being his backcourt mate next season, I think Tiedeman will be in for a really nice sophomore year.

SO Tariq McCrory - 25.9 mpg, 8.5 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 1.55 spg, 46.4 FG%, 44 3FG%

McCrory's calling card is his versatility defensively, and he's becoming a solid offensive option as well. He's never going to shoot high volumes, but he's become a legit three point shooter, he had a horrendous start to the year, but bounced back to be a steady 8-12 point guy down the stretch. I wish he'd rebound better given his size and ratings, but I'm hoping another year of experience will see another improvement.

SR Kreg Dunkley - 25.8 mpg, 9.5 ppg, 5.7 rpg, .95 bpg, 47.1 FG%

Frankly, I was just kind of ready for him to move on. Will detail in his senior profile.

SO Khadeem Wills - 28.0 mpg, 14.0 ppg, 8.7 rpg, 1.45 bpg, 50.1 FG%

Had a fantastic sophomore year, and has declared for the draft, and I know there is no chance of him coming back, so he'll get his own profile later.

Bench:

Garland Klemm - 21.3 mpg, 9.9 ppg, 2.5 rpg, 1.2 spg, 47.4 FG%, 42.7 3FG%

Great senior transfer who was steady all year long. Will detail more later.

Ibrahim Vang - 17.4 mpg, 6.2 ppg, 3.4 rpg, 49.3 FG%

Definitely had his offensive moments, and the ability to score the ball is real. His defensive chops leave some to be desired, but I promised him a future starter role and I'm looking at starting him at either the 4 or the 5 depending on who I can get in the offseason. If I can snag two legit post players, I'll surely break the promise to him though.

D'Wayne Israelson - 41 G, 8.9 mpg, 2.6 ppg, 1.3 apg, 44.7 FG%

Just not sure what to make of him. He has gotten enough burn to really evaluate him, but the lineups with him on the court weren't great. But, he has a lot of skills that I really like in a lead guard. I'm satisfied if he's the backup, but if Hibbler stays in the draft, I'll have to find a new starting point guard.

Auryn Williamson - 8.0 mpg, 1.8 ppg, 2.0 rpg, 48.4 FG%

The big Aussie is finally graduating, he'll get a profile later.

Wilbert Cann - 22 G, 5.4 mpg, 1.6 ppg, 48.1 FG%, 40 3FG%

I really like Cann, and hope he doesn't transfer, which the locker room situation is implying he might. He's got some talent and great intangibles and I can definitely see him having an actual rotation role next year.

Duby Behr - 17 G 5.8 mpg, 2.5 ppg, 61.5 FG%

Probably should have played him more, but he was so similar to Klemm, and I definitely feel like Klemm was the better player of the two. I think there's a decent chance he transfers, and if he does, I think he'll be a pretty popular target as he's a great looking 3 and D guy. Hopefully he comes back next year and can compete for some minutes, he's great depth to have.

Gyasi Sidney - 12 G 4.6 mpg, 1.8 ppg, .8 rpg

Similar story to Behr, decent chance he transfers. He's just too much of a tweener with not good enough intangibles for me to trust to play big minutes. I'm not going to cut him as he's certainly competent post depth, but I won't be too upset if he runs off.

Westley Medley - 4 G 4.7 mpg, 1.8 ppg

Took as an emergency just in case Israelson was horrendous. He never got a fair crack at anything, and I think he probably could have done just as well if not better than Israelson if given a shot. Will get a senior profile.

Emmett13

11-03-2025, 11:03 PM

4 person class this year.

In alphabetical order:

Kreg Dunkley, 6'8", Lehigh Acres, Florida
https://i.postimg.cc/HL337P5S/Dunkley-college-photo.png
https://i.postimg.cc/W3gvrn2c/Dunkley-final-stats.png

Always just a strange player to me, he was a highly ranked player who I offered during a season I was trying to sign multiple posts. I didn't plan on getting him, but he ended up on the roster and staying all 4 years. Not great posting up, and did quite a lot of it his senior year. Good at getting to the line and shot it well there.

Just don't know if he was cut out to be on a grit and grind roster. But he was fairly productive, but I think we can upgrade, or at least, find a better fit for this current system we run.

Garland Klemm, 6'7", Holland, Pennyslvania
https://i.postimg.cc/vZWnvWTV/Klemm-photo.png
https://i.postimg.cc/zBKrWjqs/Klemm-final-stats.png

Probably my best transfer snag since...Brandon Vanderwal? Wallace Power was pretty good. Anyways, he had a great season with us. Was a solid offensive option off the bench, and held his own defensively. Shot the ball really well.

Westley Medley, 6'0", Mount Desert, Maine
https://i.postimg.cc/52cvvP4J/Medley-photo.png
https://i.postimg.cc/MTVSRDWk/Medley-final-stats.png

Was never given much of a chance, did get a crack in one game, just to see if he had any juice. It was on the road at Morehead State and we lost that game. So, that was pretty much it for him. Think he would have been okay, but like I said above, more about investing in Israelson as a legit backup guard.

Auryn Willamson, 6'11", Canberra, Australia
https://i.postimg.cc/ZnvL2bQg/Williamson-college-photo.png
https://i.postimg.cc/qRyTnLp9/Williamson-final-stats.png

Surprised that he stuck around all 4 years with his malcontent attitude but on the other hand he was in the rotation on a high level team. Never reached the heights of his sophomore year where he started 17 games (seems like a fever dream).

He had good defensive ratings, and didn't embarrass himself offensively and was a solid enough rebounder. Won't be hard to replace.

and one early entrant that stayed in the draft:

Khadeem Wills, 6'11", Oak Hill, West Virginia
https://i.postimg.cc/SNP4sMg6/Wills-HS-photo.png
https://i.postimg.cc/mZdzMWkf/Wills-Final-stats.pngz

Wills, will be, hard to replace however. He was ranked too high to even try to convince to come back and probably for good reason, I think he's a shoe-in to get drafted very high. His athletic profile and his defensive chops alone will be too much for a team to turn down. I don't think he'll score much in the pros, but I think he'll stick around for a long, long time as a solid defensive minded big.

And...that's it. Which does mean Sam Hibbler is returning for his senior year. I did have to use a 'bag' to keep him (you get two a year, a major pitch to a player you're trying to retain/recruit) but it was a no-brainer. He's too good, and there's no way I bring in a better PG than him in the off season.

With him and Tiedeman back, I'm starting with a very dangerous backcourt.

Emmett13

11-03-2025, 11:17 PM

I was expecting one or both of Sidney or Behr to jump ship, but the culture is just too damn strong, and both are sticking around for their senior years. I'm happy with both, Behr in particular. I'd be just fine if I can bury Sidney for one more year, but I think Behr could be a really useful 12 minute a game player, and am not really looking to upgrade at the SF position, unless there's someone I just can't turn down.

So, nobody out, and we did add one:

Praise Dixon-Waters, 6'11", 229, Mayfield, Kentucky
https://i.postimg.cc/hvqX4KPr/Dixon-Waters-photo.png
https://i.postimg.cc/kGd2M7Xy/Dixon-Waters-stats-49.png

I took some pretty big swings at some transfers, but held back my other pitch, and I didn't get either of the two that I REALLY went after. But in the second round of transfers, I ended up snagging a guy that I'm pretty happy with.

PDW (as he'll be known from here on out) has some really nice size with a 7'3" wing span. Played decent in a solid conference in the AAC as a freshman, albeit with a bad UAB squad. He's strong, but not much of an athlete, which isn't great for the Big 12. But he's savvy and gets to the line and is solid around the rim. Defensively and on the glass he's slightly above average, but I think he could turn into a much better defensive player in a few years. He has at least a little versatility that he can play some 4, so it's nice he isn't confined to the 5 like a guy like Williamson was. This is a depth/development grab for sure, and I'd be fine if he ended up seeing 6-8 regular minutes this year.

Going into recruiting the squad looks like this:

PG: SR Sam Hibbler, JR D'Wayne Israelson
SG: SO Chuck Tiedeman, SO Wilbert Cann
SF: JR Tariq McCrory, SR Duby Behr
PF: SR Gyasi Sidney
C: SO Ibrahim Vang, SO Praise Dixon-Waters

All 3 of the posts we have right now are a mushy mix of a 4 and 5. So, with the 4 scholarships we have, I'd like to get some guys who are a little more clearly defined in their skill set.

I have to add at least two posts, and I'd love to add an elite talent either at the 4 or the 5, I think Vang can handle either position. I'm sure I'll identify a target to throw my bag out, and then hopefully I can grab a depth post that I like, which is easier said than done.

Frankly, I'm happy with my perimeter players and might just stand pat, I could use a 3rd point guard, I guess, but Tiedeman and even Cann could probably get away with minutes, and I've got an okay walk-on point guard in Archambault if things really go to shit.

If an elite SF is all about us, I might go after him. I like McCrory, but there's definitely some limitations to his game. But some major post talent is the priority.

Emmett13

11-03-2025, 11:22 PM

We got one year out of Vitaliy Vilarino, he went and got the head job at Southern in the SWAC, which is a pretty solid program in this league.

To replace him, we got a guy who is pretty darn similar in J. Alcindor. He's 66, so he's probably on the tail end of his career. He's actually the head coach I hired my one year at Oregon State in 2037, and the next AD quickly fired him. But, he's had success in a lot of places and is a good defensive coach who, like our head coach Aucoin has major leadership and culture attributes.

https://i.postimg.cc/Pr05dt36/Alcindor-ratings.png
https://i.postimg.cc/NfZjQgJC/Alcindor-coaching-history.png

Emmett13

11-18-2025, 12:52 AM

Went into the recruiting cycle mainly just looking at posts. If I could add some stud talent at both the 4 and 5 and relegate to Vang to the bench, even better. I took a big swing at an elite perimeter player to replace McCrory, but it didn't work out. I did snag a couple of really solid look post prospects and one decent depth piece.

Jarekious Gruden, 6'10", 243, Arlington, Texas, #8
https://i.postimg.cc/nzq4LDpd/Gruden-hs-photo.png
https://i.postimg.cc/0Q7YNwPX/Gruden-hs-stats.png

Went all in with a marquee offer, which means Tiedeman will have to get busted down, and as I'll detail down the line, I've put myself in a bit of a pickle when it comes to giving roles out. But, I'll talk about that later, this is for the recruits:

Gruden looks like really solid. Strong and fairly athletic, he's a solid all around defender who will be very active on the glass, even if he's slightly undersized and doesn't provide elite rim protection. Offensively, he's exactly what I love to have, a foul drawing machine who knocks them down at a pretty steady clip. He got a lot of usage in high school, but his ratings don't seem to scream that he'll be dominating the ball, but he's got all the attributes I want in a post and he'll be the starting center.

Dezman Marentez, 6'8", 232, Alexandria, Louisiana, #37
https://i.postimg.cc/k4WQ5bqy/Marentez-hs-photo.png
https://i.postimg.cc/3R2XwvY9/Marentez-hs-stats.png

I ended up over promising Marentez too, but worth it to get a player of his caliber. Even though I lamented about Dunkley and said I was ready for him to leave, I've essentially got an improved version of Dunkley with Marentez. Undersized at 6'8", but huge wingspan at 7'2". Great position defender, though is lacking a bit in team defense and is just an okay rim protector.

Offensively he's a foul drawing machine and excellent finisher around the rim. Very competent offensive player who really run the pick and roll and do just about everything. He's not very athletic, but his work ethic and leadership are through the roof.

He'll get a lot of minutes, but might come off the bench in order to fulfill a starter promise to Vang. See, I'm already getting into the web I've tangled myself in.

But, I'm optimistic that the freshmen duo of Gruden and Marentez is going to get to the foul line a lot this season.

Xavius Rike, 6'8", 221, Harrison, Arkansas, #567
https://i.postimg.cc/g0CydDF5/Rike-hs-photo.png
https://i.postimg.cc/R0k19R5D/Rike-hs-stats.png

I didn't get some of the early phase targets I was looking at, or really make tons of headway there, and since most of my targets were mid and late, I really needed to snag a guy for depth, if nothing else, and Rike is who I ended up with. 7'3" wing span, which allows him to play the 5 despite his height. Does not have the foot speed for the 4, and I just won't be able to play him there. But he's a really good defender, strong on the glass, hardly demands the ball on offense and is just there to provide defense and rebounding. Does have an extremely high foul drawing ratio and had a pretty great free throw rate in high school, so a nice little bonus.

He's very similar to the current senior Gyasi Sidney in a lot of ways, and will probably slot above Sidney in the depth chart, banishing Sidney to the deep bench for his senior year.

I still have an open 13th scholarship and will just take it to next season, and hope my 6 perimeter players and one competent walk on can get me through the year.

Roster going into the season and probable depth chart:

C: FR Jarekious Gruden, SO Praise Dixon-Waters, FR Xavius Rike, SR Gyasi Sidney
PF: FR Dezman Marentez, SO Ibrahim Vang
SF: JR Tariq McCrory, SR Duby Behr
SG: SO Chuck Tiedeman, SO Wilbert Cann
PG: SR Sam Hibbler, JR D'Wayne Israelson, SO Tayvion Archambault*

*walk on

Emmett13

11-25-2025, 03:26 AM

Season starts very soon and I'm up late and here we go:

We bring back an excellent backcourt and a whole lot of question marks after that. Our perimeter depth is very untested and we don't have tons of options. Our posts have high amateur accolades, but I'm not exactly sure how they are going to pan out just yet. But, here's our projected starting lineup and bench:

PG: Sam Hibbler, 6'2", 179, Senior, Allen, Texas
https://i.postimg.cc/qB9hzGXr/Hibbler-photo.png
https://i.postimg.cc/W1jkHjRh/Hibbler-49-stats.png

A season saving decision on his part to come back for his senior season. The only negative he had last year was that he just didn't shoot enough. I'd love for him to be in the 13-15 FGA range this year and will do what I can to get him there. Team captain. Will get as many minutes as I can give him. If he stays healthy, he should lead in a lot of categories in school history. Hoping for a monster season. I keep having him work on his jump shot, and it keeps improving a bit each season.

SG: Chuck Tiedeman, 6'4", 203, Sophomore, Camden, New Jersey
https://i.postimg.cc/GpbnGHwW/Tiedeman-photo.png
https://i.postimg.cc/3x7vc7MK/Tiedeman-49-stats.png

Very, very talented, and I think could be up for a really nice season, even if our pace holds his numbers down. Handled the ball a lot last year but didn't shoot it much. I'd love for him and Hibbler to just dominate the ball this year and let the chips fall where they may. Really good defender, but a big undersized and has a very nice jumper. I'd love for him to settle in at about 12 a game.

SF: Tariq McCrory, 6'8", 234, Junior, Highland, Utah
https://i.postimg.cc/5XNLrvB9/Mc-Crory-hs-photo.png
https://i.postimg.cc/13PqjPxR/Mc-Crory-49-stats.png

The glue that holds it all together. McCrory is a strong, versatile defender who does a good job in knocking down open threes and is near perfect from the free throw line. He can't create for himself or others, but is a good catch and shoot guy and can finish around the rim. I had him work on getting stronger this offseason, and it seemed to have helped a little bit. But, I'd love for him to contribute on the defensive glass more than he has, he seems to have the ratings for it.

PF: Dezman Marentez, 6'8", 232, Freshman, Alexandria, Louisiana
https://i.postimg.cc/k4WQ5bqy/Marentez-hs-photo.png

Ended up getting him uncontested, and gave him an 'important player' promise, which has set up some complications with shuffling roles around. So, I could have saved myself a lot of problems if I had just been patient. Anyways, Marentez is an interesting looking player and I'm eager to get him on the court. Solid defender who contributes on the glass, but with major offensive skills around the basket and running the pick and roll. He's not very athletic at all, which I'm hoping won't matter as much in my slow system. He draws a lot of fouls which I love, and I'm hoping he can just be a guy who can grab some offensive rebounds and get cheap points at the line. I'm worried his defense will be a problem, and Vang could step into his spot very quickly, promise be damned.

C: Jarekious Gruden, 6'10", 237, Freshman, Arlington, Texas
https://i.postimg.cc/nzq4LDpd/Gruden-hs-photo.png

I'm less worried about Gruden. His defensive chops are a lot stronger, and he's a better athlete to boot. Like Marentez has nice ability around the basket and the tendency to get fouled. Gruden is not an aggressive offensive player at all, so I'll be interested to see how his offensive game shapes up and how much usage he gets.

Bench:

Ibrahim Vang, 6'11", 251, Sophomore, Edmond, Oklahoma
https://i.postimg.cc/c48WNpBb/Vang-photo.png
https://i.postimg.cc/NfRXDFn5/Vang-49-stats.png

Vang is going to get a lot of minutes off the bench at both the 4 and the 5. He's athletic enough to play both, improved his rebounding a bit, and has some offensive juice to his game. He's not ideal for the grit and grind, but he is a really nice post to bring off the bench. I wish he could rebound better however.

D'Wayne Israelson, 6'1", 200, Junior, Spencer, Oklahoma
https://i.postimg.cc/qq9mjsC3/Israelson-hs-photo.png
https://i.postimg.cc/x1Yz4Yr8/Israelson-49-stats.png

He looks like he should be pretty damn good. Really long arms, active defensively, very creative offensively. But, he was pretty average in his stint as the backup to Hibbler last year. He's probably not meant to be a point guard, and I'm going to give him a few early cracks at playing some at the 2 next to Hibbler. As a guy who can get to the foul line and generate some points, I think he's got a lot of of potential as a productive backup, and I'd like to see him pop a bit more this year.

Duby Behr, 6'7", 196, Senior, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
https://i.postimg.cc/CMqJK2sY/Behr-hs-photo.png
https://i.postimg.cc/7ZD2WDv2/Behr-49-stats.png

Garland Klemm ruined his junior season, and I probably should have found ways to get him on the court more anyways. He's been pretty steady his whole career. Strong athlete who can really defend and he's turned into a pretty reliable catch and shoot three point shooter. I wasn't able to bring in another wing during recruiting, which means Behr will get whatever minutes McCrory doesn't at the 3. I think he could end up getting 12 minutes easy as I'll try to use Behr to spread the floor in certain lineups. I'm optimistic he'll do well, and we really don't have any other options if he doesn't.

Praise Dixon-Waters, 6'11", 229, Sophomore, Mayfield, Kentucky
https://i.postimg.cc/kGd2M7Xy/Dixon-Waters-stats-49.png

Transfer from UAB. Underathletic, but strong and big and knows how to play defense and will compete on the glass. Looking at getting a handful of rotation minutes a game right now, and will be competing with Rike and Sidney for those. Right now his pedigree and size give him the leg up on the competition.

Wilbert Cann, 6'4", 192, Sophomore, San Antonio, Texas
https://i.postimg.cc/v8KykYfn/Cann-photo.png
https://i.postimg.cc/y8BZbBqW/Cann-49-stats.png

Cann really could kind of make or break this season. He's the only other real shooting guard on the team besides Tiedeman, which is a failing of mine in recruiting. He's a solid athlete who can really defend on the ball, has a nice jump shot and has some nice ball skills. If he can give me 10 or so minutes a game where he's pretty solid or better, it would take a big load off of our bench.

Xavius Rike, 6'8", 221, Freshman, Harrison, Arkansas
https://i.postimg.cc/g0CydDF5/Rike-hs-photo.png

7'3" wing span and is maybe the best rebounder on the team right now. Good at drawing fouls, but definitely limited offensively. I am intrigued by him and will find some time for him in non-conference games, I'm always looking for a stud rebounder to throw in for a few minutes.

Gyasi Sidney, 6'8", 241, Senior, Sumter, South Carolina
https://i.postimg.cc/xTV5NP6m/Sidney-Hs-photo.png
https://i.postimg.cc/FHmLBmtr/Sidney-49-stats.png

His minutes have literally halved each season. Just kind of a tweener. Not athletic or skilled enough to play the 4 and too small for the 5. He's got real defensive chops and if he has to play I'm not worried at all. If the other guys really stink, I'll absolutely toss him in a few games. But, as a senior, I definitely want to try to develop those younger guys if I can.

Tayvion Archambault, 5'11", 203, Sophomore, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
https://i.postimg.cc/pLxF6xN8/Archambault-pic.png
https://i.postimg.cc/P5hwRhGD/Archambault-49-stats.png

For the first time maybe ever, a walk on gets a preview. Given the lack of perimeter depth there is at least a small chance he gets into some games, especially if there is an injury. :redface:

He's small, but plays strong defense and knock down a three. Won't be able to create at this level, but won't destroy the offense while he's out there. There's a non-zero chance I give him a scholarship at the end of the season. It's not much above zero, but it is there.

I'm really not sure how this season will go. Hibbler and Tiedeman might be the best backcourt I've ever had, but after that there are a lot of what ifs. My two high school posts have strong rankings, but I'm not sure how they will transition to college. I wish I had another perimeter weapon, like Klemm last year, and if Hibbler and Tiedeman aren't doing it, I'm not sure who will. I really need one of Behr, Israelson and Cann to step up and be the dominant perimeter player off the bench and play 18 minutes.

My official prediction:

5 seed.

Emmett13

01-28-2026, 03:00 AM

29-11 (16-4), 4 Seed, lost in the Sweet Sixteen

Ultimately a very bittersweet season. Great success and some very nice wins, but a home loss to BYU on the last game of the regular season cost us the Big XII regular season championship, and then we turned around and lost to them by 1 in the conference tournament. Then, we break our 4 year streak of losing in the 2nd round and then get steamrolled by an 8 seed that was destined for the Final Four.

On the bright side, it bumped us back up to Extremely High in the prestige bands, and unless transfers throw us for a loop, we bring back a very nice core of players going into the offseason.

season results

https://i.postimg.cc/63X3rp5y/2049-final-schedule-results.png

A really bad loss at home to rival Oklahoma which was a shocker, and we recovered from a rocky start to really become a solid team. As I mentioned we blew it at the end of the season, and cost us being 2/3 champions of the conference.

We swept Kansas which is always a nice perk, and our losses to BYU also hurt because it snapped a 9 game winning streak we had over them.

team stats
https://i.postimg.cc/zfWvHg5R/2049-team-stats.png

Once again we thrived on getting to the line and knocking them down at a very high rate. Our defense was solid enough, and we settled down some early turnover issues, and also recovered from a horrendous start from Chuck Tiedeman to become a solid offensive team by the end of the season. Despite our grit and grind philosophy, I like to pressure the ball, but I just don't have the clientele for it right now.

player stats
https://i.postimg.cc/s2SxGhyG/49-player-stats.png

Marentez was the pleasant surprise for sure. I thought he'd score, but he was very efficient and had some dominating games. Gruden, on the other hand, was the disappointment. Hibbler fell off, I think there was some changes to the sim engine that didn't benefit him much, and Tiedeman recovered after a disastrous start to be a very good offensive player in conference.

But let's not spoil it.

SR Sam Hibbler - 43 GS, 31.8 mpg, 13.7 ppg, 5.5 apg, 47.5 FG%, 32.2 3FG%, 1.58 spg

Senior. Will detail later.

SO Chuck Tiedeman - 43 GS 29.1 mpg, 11.8 ppg, 3.1 rpg, 3.7 apg, 41.6 FG%, 40.6 3FG %

He was on the draft boards all season, but he fell off at the end and barring transfer is coming back, which is a huge boon. Said it a few times already, but he had just a nightmare of a start to the season before bouncing back to be a very good player in conference play. He's not super aggressive, but might get way more opportunities without Hibbler next year, and I'm going to run him and Marentez in the pick and roll as much as I can. Just a super talented guard and I'm hoping he can have a great junior year.

JR Tariq McCrory - 43 GS 25.4 mpg, 6.3 ppg, 2.9 rpg, 1.2 apg, 1.4 spg, 1.05 bpg, 44.7 FG%, 31.6 3FG%

On the verge of being a 4 year starter, I'm not actively seeking to replace him, but if any of the top level high school 3 and D wings take a liking to me, I'll take a swing. He's just a glue guy. Didn't shoot well on his low volume of threes this year. Plays good switchy defense, helps on the glass and spaces the floor a little. I'm fine with him being my 5th option, swiss army knife defender, although his offense has trended down each season.

FR Dezman Marentez - 43 GS 27.8 mpg, 14.6 ppg, 5.3 rpg, 59.9 FG%

Really happy with the season he had. I don't know if he fits the Grit and Grind defensively. He's weak, and not some paint prowler, but I think he works great offensively. He gets to the rim, finishes at a high rate, runs the pick and roll very well and is a foul demon. I really think his lack of athleticism and perimeter game will keep here for 4 years, and I'm very happy about it.

FR Jarekious Gruden - 43 GS, 25.9 mpg, 8.9 ppg, 8.3 4pg, 1.47 bpg, 46.8 FG%

Gruden was a disappointment offensively. I thought he'd finish better around the basket, and his overall FG% isn't what I want out of my 5. He was a good rebounder, but we played better when the backup Vang was on the court, which gives me something to think about going into next year given Gruden's lofty role on the team.

Bench:

SO Ibrahim Vang- 43 G, 18.6 mpg, 5.9 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 52.4 FG%

Speaking of the Vangel. Vang had a solid year and was very strong in the postseason. Talented offensively, and athletic enough to be very disruptive in the paint, his main weakness is that he's a below average rebounder. But, as I said, as a team we did better with the Vang/Marentez combo in the paint, and if that's the case next year I'll certainly play it more.

SR Duby Behr - 43 G 15.7 mpg, 4.2 ppg, 1.6 rpg, 52.5 FG%, 51.4 3FG%

The 2 star local recruit capped off his career with a great season. Will detail later.

JR D'Wayne Israelson - 43 G 12 mpg, 3.5 ppg, 1.6 rpg, 2.5 apg, .8 spg, 48.7 FG%

Big improvement from a lackluster sophomore year. Really ended up being a stat sheet filler. I'm going to go after point guards very, very hard this recruiting cycle to replace Hibbler, but if he ends up being the starter I don't think it's the end of the world, though it would be getting a bit apocalyptic.

SO Praise Dixon-Waters = 39 G, 2.0 ppg, 2.3 rpg, 47.1 FG%

Only played the 4 at UAB and only played the 5 for me. He's a big plodding guy who is solid on the glass and draws a lots of fouls. And I think the defense is just fine if he's anchoring it for 4 or so minutes at a time. With all of our post production returning (as of now), there's not a lot of room for more minutes for him, but I think he's a very good backup center to have. But if he ever starts, it's bad.

SO Wilbert Cann - 34 G 8 mpg, 2.3 ppg, 48.1 FG% 42.9 3FG%

Fell out of the rotation by the end of the year, but did make it further than he did last season! High intangible guy, who played pretty well when he got a chance, knocked down his jumpers, but he just got squeezed out in playing time by Behr and Israelson, who were both more impactful than him as the season went along.

FR Xavius Rike - 5 G 7.5 mpg, 1.0 ppg, 1.8 rpg, 66.7 FG%

Got a few games in place of PDW as the backup 5, and grabbed a few rebounds while doing it. He's an undersized 5 with really long arms that really might be our best rebounder at this point, but it's going to be hard to carve playing time out for him.

SR Gyasi Sidney - 1 G 1.7 mpg
A disappointing senior year no doubt, with an equally disappointing senior salute to come.

Emmett13

01-28-2026, 03:13 AM

Duby Behr
https://i.postimg.cc/CMqJK2sY/Behr-hs-photo.png
https://i.postimg.cc/5tvyQC16/Behr-final-stats.png

I'm almost positive I was the only team that really recruited him back in the day, and I also remember regretting offering him because it locked me out of another guy I liked better. Anyways, it all ended up working out because Behr had a nice, little career at Oklahoma State and a tremendous senior year. He never used up much usage at all, but he shot the hell out of the ball, did an okay job of finishing in transition when he had the chance. He got more and more playing time as the season went on and by the postseason he was basically halving time with McCrory. Probably should have played him more, ended up being a very nice 3 and D guy with real defensive chops.

Sam Hibbler
https://i.postimg.cc/qB9hzGXr/Hibbler-photo.png
https://i.postimg.cc/kG57s6ry/Hibbler-graduating-stats.png

The top point guard in his HS class and the successor to Tevin Ridder. Hibbler ended up with a great career, and is all over the Oklahoma State record books. Had moments his sophomore year where he looked like the best player in the nation, and had moments in other seasons where I could hardly get him to be aggressive offensively. Regardless he was a tremendous player and excellent point guard to have for 4 years. Hopefully I have another 4 year stud to follow Ridder and Hibbler. Clearly I need to be looking for some guy named Biggster or something.

Finishes:

1st all time in points
2nd all time in assists (907 to 899 to Ridder)
1st all time in steals
1st in WS

Gyasi Sidney
https://i.postimg.cc/xTV5NP6m/Sidney-Hs-photo.png
https://i.postimg.cc/TPm15DGh/Sidney-final-stats.png

After getting into a lot of games freshman year, the playing time just trickled away to nothing. I wish he could redshirt and transfer and go play somewhere else as I think he's an interesting player who could help out some teams on a lower level.

So going into the transfer season we are looking at:

PG: SR D'Wayne Israelson
SG: JR Chuck Tiedeman, JR Wilbert Cann
SF: SR Tariq McCrory
PF: SO Dezman Marentez, JR Ibrahim Vang
C: SO Jakerious Gruden, JR Praise Dixon-Waters, So Xavius Rike

If we don't lose any transfers, I really don't see a reason to add a post, especially when McCrory can play the 4 easily in a pinch.

I'd like a stud point guard of course, and I'd like a replacement for Behr one way or another. Either as a guy who can come off the bench or if I get lucky a stud 3 and D guy that banishes McCrory to 10 minutes a game his senior year.

Emmett13

02-01-2026, 10:46 PM

With 4 scholarships to play and really only looking for perimeter players we took a couple of decent swings on two interesting players and hit on one of them.

Harper Gruninger, 6'8", 208, Sophomore, Houston, Texas
https://i.postimg.cc/jd7N975f/Gruninger-photo.png
https://i.postimg.cc/tCxPfxTx/Gruninger-stats.png

At first glance, it doesn't look promising. He did not do well in his role early on in the season and then was benched by conference play on a really good Oral Roberts team. His high school pedigree had him ranked 54th, and his skills make him look the part. He's a high level catch and shoot three point shooter with excellent size and with a 7'1" wing span. His ball skills are decent, but he's not looking to create. He's a top notch athlete who can defend at a pretty high level with the ability to switch on a post if need be. He also should be helpful on the glass.

He got a really large offer from me, and the obvious spot for him is to replace McCrory. I promised him 24 minutes a game, and I'll aim to get him that, but I still think you'll see McCrory start to begin the year and see if Gruninger can carve out a role as the 6th man or if he's better with the starting group.

Definitely a potential play, but having a guy who can truly shoot and space the floor is such a tremendous asset and hopefully it pays off.

We now have 3 scholarships left, I might add a backup option at point guard if I can find a senior worth taking. But I doubt it at this point.

PG: SR D'Wayne Israelson
SG: JR Chuck Tiedeman, JR Wilbert Cann
SF: SR Tariq McCrory, SO Harper Gruninger
PF: SO Dezman Marentez, JR Ibrahim Vang
C: SO Jarekious Gruden, JR Praise Dixon-Waters, SO Xavius Rike

Obviously the main thing we need is a couple of point guards, and having the flexibility of 3 offers for HS recruiting might be more valuable than whatever not so great option I can bring in now the portal has been picked through once.

Emmett13

02-11-2026, 11:20 PM

And potentially this could be the only one.

We had 3 scholarships to give, and our only real need on the roster was at PG, so it made for a very straight forward recruiting cycle with really just needing to line up some PG options for each phase and take some swings with our EH stick.

And we made contact on a couple.

From lowest ranked to highest:

Travarus Bova, 5'9", 170, Fort Worth, Texas, #475
https://i.postimg.cc/0j75LfgK/Bova-photo.png
https://i.postimg.cc/gj3cfD9Z/Bova-hs-stats.png

Easily the tiniest guard I've ever offered a scholarship, and I'm pretty sure the first sub 6 footer we've had. Of course, he's got to have some skills for me to go after him at that size, and he does. The main one is he is a tremendous pest defensively who will generate turnovers and be a great head to an aggressive defense. He's got a solid shot from outside, though it dipped his last year of high school, and he can run the offense decently.

I only promised him 4 minutes, which won't be a problem to meet, since I'll toss him in a few non conference soup cans to get him minutes. But he looks like a great guy to be able to have at the end of the bench and his work ethic is maxed out, which I'm hoping means he can develop some more skills and see real rotation minutes as an upperclassman.

Arion Pearman, 6'6", 172, Prosper, Texas, #5
https://i.postimg.cc/Xq9NT8MF/Pearman-hs-photo.png
https://i.postimg.cc/MH1ZhDky/Pearman-hs-stats.png

The guy who got our max offer. Obviously the size jumps out at you and the wingspan at 7'1" is a nice touch. Really, has a pretty similar game to Hibbler. Gets to to the rim, lives at the foul line, and has just a competent three point shot.

Defensively he uses his length to great effect, gets turnovers and is a really strong athlete. The intangibles are just okay, but he can really run the pick and roll which I like, and I think he might be able to thrive some as the 3rd or 4th option in the offense, as I hope to let everything just kind of center around Tiedeman and Marentez pick and rolls. I'll also be interested to see where he lands on the pro prospects list to start, as I think there might a chance he sticks around for a year or two.

We have one more scholarship, and we're taking a pretty interesting, out of character offer out on a guy, but we have virtually no minutes to give and between Pearman, Israelson and Bova, I've got plenty of guys to soak up the PG minutes. That being said, if a guy looks solid, I'll add one more, we just don't have much to offer to be competitive at this point. If we did add someone, it'd be someone who can play the 2.

Roster:

PG: FR Arion Pearman, SR D'Wayne Israelson, FR Travarus Bova
SG: JR Chuck Tiedeman, JR Wilbert Cann
SF: SR Tariq McCrory, SO Harper Gruninger
PF: SO Dezman Marentez, JR Ibrahim Vang
C: SO Jarekious Gruden, JR Praise Dixon-Waters, SO Xavius Rike

I'm very optimistic about this roster at this point. Talent at every position, solid depth. Perimeter scorers and post scorers. Gruninger being a dead eye shooter could put us on an elite level. Trying not to get too excited.

Emmett13

02-22-2026, 09:46 PM

The season is ready to kick off here in a few days which means it's time for my yearly rundown. We ended up not adding anyone else in recruiting, nothing came of the handful of guys we knocked around, which means we have 12/13 scholarships filled this season. Always slightly risky, but I was happy with the walk-on crop we got if everything goes to hell injury wise.

Starting lineup to begin the season: (I can not and will not explain the difference in size of headshots)

PG: Arion Pearman, 6'6", 172, Freshman, Propser, Texas
https://i.postimg.cc/c4Gm87b6/Pearman-photo.png

Top 5 recruit, with an insane 7'1" wing span. I was a bit underwhelmed with his ratings, and I do not think he's a top 5 recruit, but the facts are his defense and fantastic size for the position is going to make him a pretty good player. Really his profile is similar to Hibbler with maybe a better three point shot. Obviously that is lofty praise, but I was underwhelmed by Hibbler when he came in as well. He's not going to be a top option offensively, that's Tiedeman and Marentez to start the season anyways, so I'm hoping he'll be a solid secondary creator and will play great point of attack defense.

SG: Chuck Tiedeman, 6'4", 203, Junior, Camden, New Jersey
https://i.postimg.cc/GpbnGHwW/Tiedeman-photo.png
https://i.postimg.cc/FsXZJbBh/Tiedeman-50-stats.png

At just sheer ratings, he's probably the best player I've ever had. He just does everything really well, truly, I don't know what his weakness is. He has a low steals ratings but he still performed pretty well there last year. His shooting percentages have not been great, but his three point shot was excellent after the first 10 games last year. I didn't anticipate getting 3 years out of him, and now with Hibbler gone, I'm going to try to make Tiedeman the star of the show and see how far he can take us.

SF: Tariq McCrory, 6'8", 234, Senior, Highland, Utah
https://i.postimg.cc/5XNLrvB9/Mc-Crory-hs-photo.png
https://i.postimg.cc/qMHLCc5J/Mc-Crory-50-stats.png

Will begin the season as a starter, but there's a real chance he gets replace by Gruninger as the season goes on. But, McCrory is what he is always is, and he just gets incrementally better each season. Our glue defender who can do it all, get steals, protect the rim, guard in and out. His three point shot is solid, but he only gets off a couple a game so the variance year to year has been striking. But I think he's a solid 37%ish type guy. I wish he would rebound better, but I think that's also a bit of an engine thing? If we're winning he'll stay in the starting lineup, but he's sure to see less minutes as I have a minutes promise to keep with Gruninger.

PF: Dezman Marentez, 6'8", 232, Sophomore, Alexandria, Louisiana
https://i.postimg.cc/k4WQ5bqy/Marentez-hs-photo.png
https://i.postimg.cc/zXYjRwcD/Marentez-50-stats.png

Had a tremendous freshman season and far outstripped my expectations. And even though he's very unathletic relative to Big 12 competition, he just gets buckets. He scores with ease inside and gets to the free throw line at a high rate and knocks them down. He's just okay defensively, and is definitely not a rim protector, but you just kind of have to hide him there. He's going to get steady work running pick and rolls with Tiedeman all season and I think it's going to result in a lot of points for us.

C: Jarekious Gruden, 6'10", 237, Sophomore, Arlington, Texas
https://i.postimg.cc/nzq4LDpd/Gruden-hs-photo.png
https://i.postimg.cc/rF2JtGPp/Gruden-50-stats.png

Didn't have the offensive chops I was expecting, and then Marentez really took some shine off of him. I tried to bully teams with Marentez and Gruden last year and I think it only partially worked as Gruden struggles with the pick and roll and was only kind of efficient on post ups. This year, I'm going to attempt to move him down the hierarchy some and hopefully just let him work off of dump offs and put backs, which should help out the field goal percentage. He's a really strong defender and solid on the glass, though like Marentez isn't a dynamic athlete. I'm sure that limits us some defensively. But, I definitely like him and am glad he's my center.

Bench (projected by playing time)

SG/SG Harper Gruninger, 6'8", 208, Sophomore, Houston, Texas
https://i.postimg.cc/jd7N975f/Gruninger-photo.png
https://i.postimg.cc/tCxPfxTx/Gruninger-stats.png

Definitely took a home run swing with this guy and gave him a hefty promise of 24 minutes. Potentially I think he could be a player that puts on another level offensively if he can really shoot and space the floor like his ratings say he can. His Oral Roberts experience was not much and his ratings didn't present themselves, but clearly I'm taking the risk that was just bad luck. He's going to get heavy minutes right off the bat both at the 2 and 3, and he'll get a long time to prove himself.

C/PF Ibrahim Vang, 6'11", 251, Junior, Edmond, Oklahoma
https://i.postimg.cc/c48WNpBb/Vang-photo.png
https://i.postimg.cc/Prn48bRT/Vang-50-stats.png

By far our most athletic post, and we actually played better when he was on the court than with Gruden, and I'm not as reluctant to explore that this year without promises burdening me as much. He'd probably fit better in another system, but Vang is a solid offensive post and some nice defensive chops even if his rebounding isn't much. But, he might get in more lineups with the starters as the year goes on and I might invert some of his and Gruden's minutes.

G D'Wayne Israelson, 6'1", 200, Senior, Spencer, Oklahoma
https://i.postimg.cc/qq9mjsC3/Israelson-hs-photo.png
https://i.postimg.cc/Hs1270hk/Israelson-50-stats.png

Really has become an interesting player. Has a 6'8" wing span, and really started to become a box score filler in his limited time, and he even started getting some minutes off the ball. I don't know if those minutes are there this year for him, but I think he'll be a great backup point guard yet again his senior year. He can score a little bit, pass a little bit, grab a rebound or two and maybe a couple of steals. A good bench player to have.

C Praise Dixon-Waters, 6'11", 229, Junior, Mayfield, Kentucky
https://i.postimg.cc/hvqX4KPr/Dixon-Waters-photo.png
https://i.postimg.cc/VLPRb9V6/Dixon-waters-stats-50.png

Had to see his minutes shrink in a major way from his last school. Dixon-Waters is probably the one true center we have, despite his PF/C designation by the game. He's got real size, is very strong and does a solid job defensively. He draws fouls at a very high rate, so when he's in there is always the chance he can get a few free throws. I typically sprinkle these kind of guys in for a couple of 4 minute blocks per game, but most likely when we get to the tournament games he's sitting.

SG Wilbert Cann, 6'4", 192, San Antonio, Texas
https://i.postimg.cc/v8KykYfn/Cann-photo.png
https://i.postimg.cc/FsXZJbBz/Cann-50-stats.png

Kind of like Dixon-Waters, a really solid player who will do well in his handful of minutes I try to squeeze in for him, but will probably be culled by conference tournament season. He's really just kind of a worse Tiedeman. He's got ball skills, can shoot, is a really good defender. But he's the same size as Tiedeman and really can't get away with playing another position. So, he's kind of doomed to just sop up a handful of SG minutes this year.

PG Travarus Bova, 5'9", 177, Freshman, Fort Worth, Texas
https://i.postimg.cc/0j75LfgK/Bova-photo.png

Bova is really interesting. He's obviously really small, but he's got great intangibles already as a freshman and is a super pesky, quick defender that can really disrupt an offense. I think he's going to be a great backup point guard as soon as next year, and I'll try to get him some playing time when I can, but I don't see him pushing Israelson out this year.

PF/C Xavius Rike, 6'8", 221, Sophomore, Harrison, Arkansas
https://i.postimg.cc/g0CydDF5/Rike-hs-photo.png
https://i.postimg.cc/gkbD6yTY/Rike-50-stats.png

By virtue of our slow pace, we don't get a lot of blowouts and he really never got much opportunity besides one or two planned 4 minute blocks. He's got really long arms for his size, I think he's a legitimately very good rebounder but his offensive game is so underbaked, I don't know if he's ever going to be a viable guy for me. But he has such great locker room intangibles it's hard to cut guys like that. I'll try to get him a few minutes here and there in the non conference and see if he gives me a spark that he can play.

There's a new scrimmage feature that allows us to simulate some games between our roster, they generate some unpredictable results, but they are fun to look at and over time, I assume I can parse information from them. So, I'm able to add that wrinkle as the season goes on, as opposed to trying to squeeze out info in a very small sample of non conference games.

As far as my overall prediction: I think we're going to be really, really good. I think if Gruninger can do what he's capable of and our returning guys improve even just incrementally we can be an awesome offensive team. So, I think we're going to be challenging for the conference championship and will get a....2 seed.

Wish us luck!

Emmett13

05-15-2026, 10:46 PM

28-13 (14-6), 5 seed conference tournament champions, sweet sixteen.

That was definitely the most up and down season we've had. Started it off with a home loss to NC State, then lost Tiedeman for a decent chunk of the season and racked up quite a few losses on the way. Recovered to be a really good team that ran through the conference tournament to hoist the trophy for the first time since 2042. We were able to get revenge for our opening season loss by beating NC State in the second round to make it to the Sweet Sixteen for the second season in a row. Given our talent I was hoping for a bit more, but contextually within the season it's hard to complain about it.

The website had a pretty substantial update, so we're dealing with new graphics and layouts and things. The website works great and is super quick, but the commissioner didn't even bother to ask me if it would mess up the flow of my graveyard online basketball dynasty thread.

Season Results
https://i.postimg.cc/ydf8hxmy/50-regular-season.png
https://i.postimg.cc/MTsp0H7c/50-tournament.png

Ran into a really good 1 seed in Auburn. I think if this season was simmed 10 times and I Tiedeman was healthy all season, we could have made it past the sweet sixteen in...5 of them. Bold, I know.

Tiedeman missed games 6-23.

Team Stats

https://i.postimg.cc/W391mzG7/2050-team-stats.png

We were another solid version of what we've been trying to be the last decade or so, a good offensive rebound, foul drawing, solid defensive team. The nature of Tiedeman's game, kind of like Starkweather back in the day, is such that he doesn't really do the things I really, really like well, but he's so talented you have to play him 32 minutes. But, he's going to be much more effective in the pros in a more open, up tempo game. But, I'd like for Orb% and FTR to be higher. And I don't know who will replace Tiedeman yet, but hopefully they are a foul merchant type guy.

Player Stats
https://i.postimg.cc/1tW30XGn/2050-player-stats.png

PG FR Arion Pearman - 44 GS, 29 mpg, 9 ppg, 5.7 apg, 1.4 spg, 44.3 FG%, 36.7 3FG%

Was just...pretty solid all year long. Popped off a couple of time for big games, but otherwise was consistently solid, knocking down a three, making good passes, generating a steal or two. His height and length is so tremendous, and he has a great work ethic, so I'm hoping for a really nice offseason. I'd love if I could make him the most dominating defensive point guard in CJBL. He's coming back!

SG JR Chuck Tiedeman - 28 GS, 27.7 mpg, 15.9 ppg, 3.0 rpg, 3.5 apg, 43.5 FG%, 42.3 3FG%

He's going pro! Will talk about later.

SF SO Harper Gruninger - 43 G 28 GS - 25.8 mpg, 9.8 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 1.6 spg, 49.7 FG%, 44.4 3FG%

Took the starting job from McCrory quickly, and I should have pulled the trigger earlier. Was really good, a floor spacer who shot a solid amount of three pointers and shot really nice percentages. By all account was a solid defender with really nice size. Excited to see what a full season in the starting lineup will do for him. He's coming back!

PF SO Dezman Marentez - 41 GS, 28.5 mpg, 14.4 ppg, 5.9 rpg, 57.5 FG%

Another really good year. He scores inside, gets to the foul line, contributes on the glass and tries hard on defense. He's the team captain and is a very consistent player. Earned 2nd team all-conference. He's coming back!

C SO Jarekious Gruden - 43 GS, 27.2 mpg, 8.1 ppg, 8.0 rpg, 1.4 bpg, 53.4 FG%

Had a nice jump up season percentages wise. A really good defender who is our best rebounder. I've come to terms he isn't going to be some offensive dynamo, so I might as well lean into making him the best defensive center I can. Like Marentez he is limited athletically, which I wonder how that limits us at times. He's coming back!

Bench:

SR F Tariq McCrory - 44 G, 16 GS, 20.4 mpg, 4.6 ppg, 2.4 rpg, 38.2 FG%, 25.6 3FG%

Senior!

JR C Ibrahim Vang - 44 G, 4 GS, 18.9 mpg, 6.6 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 51.5 FG%

Has been a really consistent player all three years. Scores it fairly well, okay on the glass, and is athletic on defense. The lineup with him at PF are bad, but I still think he has the foot speed to do it. Totally fine with him being the 3rd post for the third straight year. He's coming back!

SR G D'Wayne Israelson - 43 G 12 GS, 18.2 mpg, 7.8 ppg, 2.4 rpg, 2.8 apg, 49.2 FG%

Senior!

JR G Wilbert Cann - 42 G, 4 GS, 10.3 mpg, 3.4 ppg, 48.1 FG%, 42.9 3FG %

Got a few starts with Tiedeman out, but he struggled. Recovered to shoot the ball well on the season. Provides a real defensive punch and can knock down a three. I'm definitely trying to get a new player to replace Tiedeman, but it's not the end of the world if he's the SG, but it is certainly pre-apocalyptic. He's coming back!

JR C Praise Dixon-Waters - 36 G, 6.1 mpg, 1.9 ppg, 1.8 rpg, 42.0 FG%

Saw less time than the year before. But did what he did the year before. Play solid D, grab some rebounds and get to the line. He was aggressive offensively when he played. He was also aggressive in wanting to leave. He's transferring, headed to Dartmouth!

SO F Xavius Rike - 20 G, 4.4 mpg, 0.6 ppg, .8 rpg

Tried to give him some more time, because he's an interesting player, but with Vang sucking up all the reserve post minutes, there just wasn't much for him, and he didn't care for that. He's transferring, headed to San Jose State!

FR G Travarus Bova - 10 G, 3.6 mpg

He REALLY got no playing time. Shot 2-9 from the field, but he's got all sorts of intangibles and is a very pesky defender, even though he's very undersized. I'll be looking at point guards in the offseason, but I am intrigued to see him as the backup point guard.

Emmett13

05-15-2026, 11:04 PM

D'Wayne Israelson
https://i.postimg.cc/hjCt8vLG/Israelson-player-card.png
https://i.postimg.cc/C1vxC5GL/Israelson-final-stats.png

Cool new playing cards!

Isrealson had a steady trajectory in playing time, if nothing else. Turned into a pretty solid backup guard, who held his own when he got to get more than a handful of starts with the Tiedeman injury. Wasn't a good shooter, or at least I never let him, but had crazy long arms and provided some nice punch off the bench. A good player with a satisfying career arc.

Tariq McCrory
https://i.postimg.cc/63HpVqry/Mc-Crory-final-stats.png
https://i.postimg.cc/9MxQP0dz/Mc-Crory-player-card.png

Had a really bad senior year, and got taken out of his 3 year starter spot because of it. Couldn't shoot it, and the offensive game just fell apart. He did get a handful of minutes at the 4 this year for the first time in his career.

He was a very effective defensive player though, finishes tied for 5th in career steals and 10th in blocks, which is really a heck of a combo. But, for a guy who played as many games and as many minutes he did, I won't miss him him much.

Chuck Tiedeman
https://i.postimg.cc/sXngPxYs/Tiedeman-final-stats.png
https://i.postimg.cc/3RLxjNXR/Tiedeman-player-card.png

Just an absurdly talented offensive player in virtually every way. He was very inconsistent at times, and he had a few horrific stretches in his career, but he also had games where he was the best player on the court, bar none. I think he'll have a very solid JBL career, and I think in a more open offensive scheme he could really fill a box score. A great player to have, but as I said earlier, kind of like Cole Starkweather didn't exactly fit the mold I'm looking for with the current grit and grind coach, at least as far as a star, usage heavy guard goes.

Emmett13

05-15-2026, 11:18 PM

As already mentioned, transfer season bit us for the first time in a while, and bit us twice as both of our reserve posts Praise Dixon-Waters and Xavius Rike left looking for more playing time than we had to offer. I liked both of them and happily would have taken them both back for the depth they provided, but they aren't going to be too difficult to replace and while we took a huge swing at a wing that we didn't get, we did manage to find one post replacement.

Reece Hughey, 6'11", 256, Senior, Woodbridge, Connecticut
https://i.postimg.cc/ncZ5jzCT/Hughey-Photo.png
https://i.postimg.cc/wTHPyv7W/Hughey-Stats.png

There was a stretch there where grabbing a senior post was a given. Hughey is one of the more accomplished 4th year guys I've snagged. He played quite a bit on two pretty solid Hartford teams, before transferring to play a lot for a really rough North Alabama program.

He'll slide right into Dixon-Waters spot, and might even be a tad bit better. He's a better shot blocker and defender, for sure. He's not a strong of a rebounder, and probably is less impactful offensively. He does have legit playmaking skills, which haven't really shown themselves in substantial minutes.

Depending on what my recruiting looks like, Hughey could be the 4th post, which would mean he probably plays every game. If he's a 6-8 minute guy, I think he can anchor a defense okay, and hopefully have enough offensive weapons on the court to hide him.

Roster going into high school recruiting:

PG: SO Arion Pearman, SO Travarus Bova
SG: SR Wilbert Cann
SF: JR Harper Gruninger
PF: JR Dezman Marentez, SR Ibrahim Vang
C: JR Jarekious Gruden, SR Reece Hughey

Obviously need some perimeter players, at least two, a combo guard would be nice if nothing else to give us a 3rd option at the point. I'll look at adding a high school post, but don't know how much playing time I have to offer. If I can't find one, probably need a wing that can play the 4 in a pinch. Still don't really have a great backup 4 option, unless Vang can figure it out.

Emmett13

05-21-2026, 11:25 PM

Assistant coach J. Alcindor was a two year wonder, as he got hired away by The Citadel to be their head coach. They are coming off of a 5-32 season, so he's got his work cut out for him. So good luck!

To replace him, we just went and brought back the guy before Alcindor in Vitaliy Vilarino. Vilarino was our assistant coach for one season in 2048, where he helped us to a 30-10 record. He spent the last two seasons as the head coach for Southern, which is a very solid low major team in this universe. He did pretty well, but they went a different direction, so he's back with us as Aucoin's grit and grind assistant. No ratings changes in the last few years. Still a really good defensive coach who helps players develop.

https://i.postimg.cc/HLs7BNpQ/Vilarino-ratings.png

Emmett13

05-22-2026, 12:30 AM

It's been a bit of a strange recruiting phase, but a fairly productive one and even if we don't add anyone else (and I certainly think we will), we've filled some gaps and we can at least roll out a full squad right now with 11 scholarship players.

The three we got:

D.K. DiLauro, 6'11", 249, Tyler, Texas, #128
https://i.postimg.cc/MKnSwV4k/Di-Laurio-photo.png
https://i.postimg.cc/3JkThmqs/Di-Laurio-HS-Stats.png

Kind of got him by mistake, honestly I was going after a guy with the first name D.D. and used a campus visit (a precious commodity) on this guy on accident. He's not what I was looking for in a post addition, but no other teams really went after him and I could get a fairly high ranked post basically uncontested with zero minutes promised to him. He's listed as a PF, but he seems a true center to me. Has nice size, good intangibles, plays strong defense and gets on the glass. Definitely a defensive minded post. Shooting percentage in HS are all out of wack right now I think, so not much to glean from those, but it does look he'll shoot the three. Will try to pepper him into some non-conference games, but his best bet will be blow out lineups this year and can actually compete for a real rotation spot as a sophomore if he'll stick around.

Daviyon Hupmann, 6'8", 200, Cecil, Alabama, #86
https://i.postimg.cc/dthYFrfX/Hupmann-photo.png
https://i.postimg.cc/658XKnPm/Hupmann-stats.png

Horrible, horrible stats even in the depressed HS environment. Another guy that just didn't have much competition and I was able to get with a pretty weak offer, which is always nice. Hupmann has really, really nice size for a wing with some legit high level athleticism. Guards well, has real ball skills and can create, but his three point shot is limited, and his intangibles (besides his maxed out leadership?) He reminds me of Aaron O'Neal back in the early days, who I mistakenly played a lot at PG back in the day. I won't have that issue with Hupmann, but I think he's an interesting player whose playing time as a freshman is really dependent on who we can pick up with these next two scholarships. But, he's potentially tremendous value as a reserve if he can handle bench minutes his whole career.

Jacco Higgenbotham, 6'8", 227, Silverton, Oregon, #55
https://i.postimg.cc/gkxWp877/Higganbotham-photo.png
https://i.postimg.cc/WbdvVgyx/Higgenbotham-hs-stats.png

The guy I went after the hardest and promised a marquee role too and gave my last major pitch too. Looks like a defensive whiz who is going to fly all over the court and disrupt passing lanes and switch extremely effectively. He's not the strongest guy but he is very competitive on the glass. He's not a shooter, but it looks like he'll put them up, so I might have to prepare for it. But, he can pass some and act as a hub and should be able to contribute on offense in addition to what is hopefully tremendous defense. He's basically a souped up version of McCrory, who really had pretty middling ratings, he was just extremely versatile defensively. But given what I promised him he'll start at the 3 which will have Gruninger (unless I hit on someone big) at the 2. He'll also see a decent amount of time at the 4 I imagine.

Roster as of right now:

PG: SO Arion Pearman, SO Travarus Bova
SG: SR Wilbert Cann, JR Harper Gruninger
SF: FR Jacco Higgenbotham, FR Daviyon Hupmann
PF: JR Dezman Marentez, SR Ibrahim Vang
C: JR Jarekious Gruden, SR Reece Hughey, FR D.K. DiLario

11 scholarships right now. Have to have another perimeter player of some sort. I'd like another option at PG and have a lot of different possibilities going. I'd like one more shooter as well as neither Hupmann or Higgenbotham are ever going to be much of a threat. Will update!

Emmett13

05-23-2026, 08:10 PM

One player to add real quick, and it's a very intriguing one:

Kamaka Goodlow, 6'7", 196, Golden, Colorado, #447
https://i.postimg.cc/jjGGZxvs/Goodlow-pic.png
https://i.postimg.cc/yNwwv1nK/Goodlow-hs-stats.png

I'll get the main thing out of the way, he's got a 7'3" wing span which is elite for any player let alone a wing. His skills are solid, but he has no standout skill. He's a solid shooter, solid defender, handles the ball a little, you get the point. It's completely his high level athleticism and absurd length. I was able to bring him in with zero minutes promised, and I imagine he'll get buried once we get past training camp. But, he'll definitely be in my blowout lineup, and I'll see if I can get him some minutes here or there. Because if he can get some development, he could be a really solid wing to have. He's very low ball dominance and really prefers catch and shoot, so I'll just try to make him the longest armed 3 and D guy I can.

One spot left.

PG: SO Arion Pearman, SO Travarus Bova
SG: SR Wilbert Cann, JR Harper Gruninger, FR Kamaka Goodlow
SF: FR Jacco Higgenbotham, FR Daviyon Hupmann
PF: JR Dezman Marentez, SR Ibrahim Vang
C: JR Jarekious Gruden, SR Reece Hughey, FR D.K. DiLario

I'm going hard after a combo guard with some major defensive chops and if I get him, he's probably looking at being the backup PG. If I don't get him, we might be barrel scraping.

Emmett13

05-25-2026, 08:00 PM

13th and final scholarship is filled:

Travante DeLaurier, 6'3", 179, Houston, Texas, #181
https://i.postimg.cc/KcsmDPTk/Delaurier-photo.png
https://i.postimg.cc/TPYRcCt3/Delaurier-hs-stats.png

Lengthy combo guard who can really get after it defensively. Had a huge offensive load his senior year of high school and managed it pretty darn well. From his size and length he probably has the leg up on Bova as far as the backup point guard goes, but he has some versatility in that I think he could be decent off the ball if need be. Doesn't have the most aggressive ratings but gets to the line well and finishes around the basket. Isn't going to be a traditional point guard, but if I can play him another creator I think he'll do fine. Excited about the addition.

Going into the beginning of the season our roster looks like:

PG: SO Arion Pearman, SO Travarus Bova, FR Travante DeLaurier
SG: SR Wilbert Cann, JR Harper Gruninger, FR Kamaka Goodlow
SF: FR Jacco Higgenbotham, FR Daviyon Hupmann
PF: JR Dezman Marentez, SR Ibrahim Vang
C: JR Jarekious Gruden, SR Reece Hughey, FR D.K. DiLario

With Higgenbotham's ability to play the 4, I really think we have as much depth and versatility to our lineups that we've ever had. Interested to see scrimmage results and get some stats going.

Emmett13

06-04-2026, 12:14 AM

Heading into the season I feel like we have about as much depth as I've ever had. I wish I had a guy who was a little more a true 4 to come off the bench and I'm a little wary about back up PG, but besides that it's a solid looking roster.

I'm a little late in typing this up, as we're two games into the season already (2-0!) so I have a little bit of foresight when putting this together.

We'll start with the starting lineup:

PG: Arion Pearman, 6'6", 172, Sophomore, Prosper, Texas
https://i.postimg.cc/c4Gm87b6/Pearman-photo.png
https://i.postimg.cc/FsmhqD2s/Pearman-51-stats.png

It's obviously all about the length and elite size he provides at the head of the defense. He had a solid floor game last year, good passing numbers, solid enough shooting percentages, but without Tiedeman in the backcourt with him, he's going to have the ball a lot more and will have to carry a heavy load on both sides of of the ball. He can run the pick and roll and will do that all day long with Marentez, hoping for a very strong year out of him.

Harper Gruninger, 6'8", 208, Junior, Houston, Texas
https://i.postimg.cc/jd7N975f/Gruninger-photo.png
https://i.postimg.cc/m2RTq80r/Gruninger-51-stats.png

Definitely our best athlete, definitely our best outside shooter, one of our most versatile defenders, excellent size for a wing, competes on the glass, gets steals. He's just a stud. Between the two and the three, he's going to be a shoe-in for 30-34 minutes a game come conference play, our spacing really takes a hit when he's on the bench. Frankly, I'm worried his skill set is going to get him to the JBL before I get one more year out of eligibility out of him.

Jacco Higgenbotham, 6'8", 227, Freshman, Silverton, Oregon
https://i.postimg.cc/gkxWp877/Higganbotham-photo.png

Our big fish recruit. Higgenbotham is definitely a defense first player. He can guard in and out, gets on the glass, does most of his offensive damage from mid-range in, but will put a three up every once in a while. Really he profiles as a better version of Tariq McCrory. If I can keep the offensive pieces around him and he can just be a general defensive boost to us when he's on the court, and I'll take it. Has the ability, but not the strength to play the 4, and I will experiment with him there though.

Dezman Marentez, 6'8", 232, Junior, Alexandria, Louisiana
https://i.postimg.cc/k4WQ5bqy/Marentez-hs-photo.png
https://i.postimg.cc/jdKR9ZG5/Marentez-51-stats.png

Mr. Consistent is back for more. I'd love to get him 12ish shot a game this year and let him run pick and rolls all day long. He does have defensive limitations and just has zero range to his offensive game at all which clogs up the lane quite a bit, but his ability to score is undeniable and like Pearman, when it comes down to big games, he'll get 30+ minutes.

Jarekious Gruden, 6'10", 237, Junior, Arlington, Texas

https://i.postimg.cc/nzq4LDpd/Gruden-hs-photo.png
https://i.postimg.cc/SNqm5Dwn/Gruden-51-stats.png

Had a much better sophomore year while taking less usage. His offensive game is probably never going to get a chance to flourish, and I've leaned into him just being the best defensive anchor I can make him, and frankly, he's a pretty good one. Maybe a tad big smaller than I'd like, but he's strong on the glass and is a really good defensive center.

Bench (in rough order of projected playing time)

Wilbert Cann, 6'4", 192, Senior, San Antonio, Texas
https://i.postimg.cc/v8KykYfn/Cann-photo.png
https://i.postimg.cc/WbjsKXQz/Cann-51-stats.png

Each year has slowly afforded Cann a little bit more playing time, and this year will be no different. Cann is looking like the top perimeter player off of the bench this year. Has his stats (that consistency!) prove he's a competent player who does a little bit of everything, he's just been squeezed out in the past, and he's really limited to playing just the 2, so he doesn't offer much versatility. But, he's probably the second best shooter on the team, is a great defender, and increased his ball skills quite a bit that he could play some point in an absolute emergency. And really if both of our backup PG options crap the bed, he might anyways. But, he's got great intangibles, solid skills, and I think he'll have a productive senior year.

Ibrahim Vang, 6'11", 251, Senior, Edmond, Oklahoma
https://i.postimg.cc/c48WNpBb/Vang-photo.png
https://i.postimg.cc/zX5qM09G/Vang-51-stats.png

Vang has received very consistent playing time all three seasons and has performed pretty identically as well. Vang has nice size, is a great athlete and provides probably the closest thing we have to a post that can guard on the perimeter a little bit. In the past he's essentially been the 3rd post and sopped up all the minutes that Marentez and Gruden didn't get, with Higgenbotham potentially getting more run at the 4, Vang might see his minutes limited. He's a good center, and I've had plenty of success with him playing the 4, so I think Higganbotham's lack of strength will probably keep Vang with those minutes.

Daviyon Hupmann, 6'8", 200, Freshman, Cecil Alabama
https://i.postimg.cc/dthYFrfX/Hupmann-photo.png

Could make for an interesting player, solid athlete with great size for a wing, but what makes him interesting is that he has a really nice handle package. Can create, get to the rim, can create and act as a hub, he just doesn't shoot it well. Besides that he doesn't really have any weaknesses, and to start the season anyways he'll get some decent minutes off the bench, especially for as long as Jacco gets minutes at the 4.

Travante DeLaurier, 6'3", 179, Freshman, Houston, Texas
https://i.postimg.cc/KcsmDPTk/Delaurier-photo.png

He's probably the guy I'm having the hardest time figuring out what to do with. I really like his size and defensive profile for a PG, but his point guard skills are pretty underdeveloped, but he has the innate knack to get to the rim and score the ball. So, at first glance I think DeLaurier has the most potential as the backup PG, but I think depending on the lineups he's in with could really stall out the offense. He does have the profile to be able to play off the ball some, and I think he could be impactful there.

Travarus Bova, 5'9", 284, Sophomore, Forth Worth, Texas
https://i.postimg.cc/0j75LfgK/Bova-photo.png
https://i.postimg.cc/BQsJyMdt/Bova-51-stats.png

I want him to be good, so bad. He's undersized, but is so pesky defensively, has great intangibles, and definitely can probably run an offense better than DeLaurier. But, he's 5'9", is only an okay shooter, and isn't lightning bug quick despite his size. But, like I said, his intangibles are as good as it gets, and for a backup PG, that sure seems like something you try to take advantage of. I just think it will end up being a lot of back and forth all year with those two guys as far as who gets Pearman's off-minutes.

Kamaka Goodlow, 6'7", 196, Freshman, Golden, Colorado
https://i.postimg.cc/jjGGZxvs/Goodlow-pic.png

Not sure how this will work out. Besides blowout lineups and maybe a bit of actual time in some of my easier non-conference games I don't see how he's going to get much playing time, and I didn't promise him any to begin with, and for some reason that feels like it will result in him wanting to transfer.

But I hope he doesn't because if he can stick around and develop he could be a super interesting player. A 7'3" wing span which is absolutely absurd and it comes with above average athleticism and developing skills. He's not a pure shooter and probably never will be, and actually has some solid creation skills and would be interesting as a secondary hub. But, I think the only way he gets playing time on this team in the future is if I can make him as much of a 3 and D guy as I can. So that's the goal right now. He's further along defensively than offensively right now. I hope he stays all 4 years, and I wish we were able to redshirt our own guys.

D.K. DiLauro, 6'11", 249, Freshman, Tyler, Texas
https://i.postimg.cc/MKnSwV4k/Di-Laurio-photo.png

Frankly, didn't mean to get this guy. I wanted a guy named D.D. Faried who went to Texas Tech, and mistakenly offered DiLauro a campus visit really early on in recruiting, which is a really valuable resource in that aspect of the game. Rather than chalk it up to oh well, I decided to stay on the positive side and realized he's highly ranked and has a solid base of skills. He's a true 5, but is pretty weak and limited athletically, but he competes and knows how to play defense, and is a clever offensive player who draws fouls and knows to play offense. I also promised him zero minutes, and I don't necessarily want him to leave, but I will not be disappointed if he transfers and I would have rather have had D.D. Faried.

Reece Hughey, 6'11", 256, Senior, Woodbridge, Connecticut
https://i.postimg.cc/ncZ5jzCT/Hughey-Photo.png
https://i.postimg.cc/wTHPyv7W/Hughey-Stats.png

It's going to be tough get Hughey minutes, even though I think he would be productive if given the chance. A good athlete who is really solid defensively even though he's not the best rebounder. Offensively, he's proven to be competent at his previous stops, but it was probably no coincidence when his amount of shots increased at North Alabama, his efficiency went down. I'll try to get him into blowout lineups, but hard to imagine me giving him much of a chance at anything baring injury. He might end up being a guy who gets to play a 5th year somewhere else with the new redshirt rule the game has.

So, really a ton of depth. A lot of perimeter guys with nice size and the ability to play strong perimeter defense and turns guys over. Gruden and Marentez are solid defensive players, but they are both limited athletically and neither are huge for their position. So right now my strategy defensively is more to really pressure the perimeter, force turnovers, hopefully bad shots, and then just hope Gruden and Marentez are solid enough to hold their own. Not sure if it will work (it has so far!), or if better teams are going to be able to exploit that too often.

I think our biggest weaknesses are going to be lack of outside shooting, and potentially no real useful PG on the team outside of Pearman, but I truly think we will be really good.

I'm going big on my prediction. 1 seed, conference champs.