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Dante’s Hoops Inferno – a College Hoops 2K7 Dynasty
Dante’s Hoops Inferno – a College Hoops 2K7 Dynasty
I’ve been itching to start another dynasty report lately, but a couple of things have been holding me back. For starters, I was all excited to try a dynasty report with my first next-gen system, the Xbox 360, but was then sorely disappointed to learn that neither Madden or NCAA Football for the 360 featured a proper coach mode. This put a damper on things, as my dynasties are always coach-mode dynasties (I don’t want how well I mash buttons to have any impact on how my teams perform). I’ve also been somewhat concerned about my inability to follow-through on dynasties. I was especially disappointed with my ‘Making Grandpa Proud’ dynasty, which I wanted to re-create with the 360, until I ran into the aforementioned coach mode issues. So I’ve decided that perhaps a change in sport is required. I’ve always been a college hoops fan ( What follows is the (hopefully) long and illustrious career of Dante King, a former sparkplug-style walk-on guard who eventually embarked on a head coaching career in the college ranks. Similar to my aborted ‘Making Grandpa Proud’ dynasty, this report will focus, long-term, on the coach rather than on one specific team. As you will see, Dante will be starting on the very lowest rung of Division I Men’s Basketball, but hopes to someday aspire to a Bob Knight-style legend status. The following house-rules and guidelines will be followed in this dynasty report:
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Current Season Schedule
Current Season: 2006-07 Code:
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 Dante King Named Head Basketball Coach at April 14th, 2006 Athletic Director Brian Hutchinson seemed most optimistic about the hiring of a relative unknown in King. “We understand there may be some questions about Mr. King. Some may consider him too inexperienced, and other too brash for a head-coaching job, but those are exactly some of the reasons that Dante was hired. We need some new blood, especially after last season’s dismal performance.” Dismal is an understatement when talking about the Eagles’ performance during the 2005-6 season. The team suffered through a 4-23 season, including 3-17 in Ohio Valley Conference play. The team’s performance prompted then-head coach Kyle Macy to resign. Our reporting would be remiss if we did not mention that there were some, including unidentified elements in At 26 years old, King becomes the 12th head coach in the history of the By all accounts, King is a solid recruiter and defensive coach, but some claim he can be a bit “rough around the edges.” During his playing days, Self once described King as “one of the most tenacious, annoying, and foul-mouthed players I’ve ever encountered.” Self went on to say that he was “a pleasure to have on my bench during games, but a headache waiting to happen during practice.” |
Morehead State University
-Location: Morehead, KY -Resident Population: 5,914 -Enrollment: 6,750 -Athletic Conference: Ohio Valley -Stadium: Johnson Arena (seats 6,500) -Attendance (2005-2006 Average: 1,170 - 18%) Coaching Staff Head Coach: Dante King -Age: 26 -Overall: C -Offense: C- -Defense: C- -Teaching: C- -Scouting: C+ -Charisma: B- -Discipline: C- Given how late in the year it was before I was hired, I'm pretty pleased with what I was able to arrange in the way of assistants for the coming season. Granted, both of these guys have expressed interest in head coaching positions of their own, and may very well be on some other small schools' short lists, but we'll have decent support for the 2006-07 campaign at least. Assistant Coach: Manuel Cobb -Age: 30 -Overall: C- -Offense: C -Defense: D -Teaching: C- -Scouting: C -Charisma: C- -Discipline: D -Ambition: A I've named Manuel as chief scout for the coming season. He will be responsible for scouting potential recruits, and will be charged with helping me to get some actual basketball players to come to Morehead (as opposed to the useless piles of dog-turd that are currently on the roster). Cobb may also be of some help teaching our current kids how to maybe, every once in a while, make a shot or two. Assistant Coach: Rhet Iguodala -Age: 35 -Overall: C -Offense: C- -Defense: C+ -Teaching: C -Scouting: C- -Charisma: D -Discipline: C- -Ambition: A Rhet is a coach after my own heart; defense first and foremost. You can shoot the rock all the live-long day, but if you can't at least occasionally stop the other team's scorers, you're never going to win a game. That's my take on it, anyhow, and Rhet agrees with me. He'll be my right-hand man during games and will run the team's practices when I'm on the road recruiting. Up Next: A look at the talent :rolleyes: that is available to the Morehead State Eagles in 2006-07. |
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2006-07 Morehead State Eagles Basketball Team Point Guards #11 Brandon Callahan -Height: 6'0" -Weight: 155 lbs. -Class: Junior -Hometown: Dumas, AR -Overall: 66 -Potential: C Brandon will be our starting point guard for the next two seasons, barring some sort of disaster. He has the best on-court awareness of any of our point guards, and is the best pure shooter on the team as well. Trust me when I say that is not a good thing. #5 Nikola Stojakovic -Height: 6'2" -Weight: 200 lbs. -Class: Junior -Hometown: Belgrade, Serbia -Overall: 57 -Potential: D Nikola features the best pure passing ability and the quickest hands on the entire team. Unfortunately he can't shoot worth a damn for a perimeter player (surprising given his European background). Still, we'll be looking to Nikola to spell Callahan on occasion. #4 Cecil Brown -Height: 5'11" -Weight: 175 lbs. -Class: Freshman -Hometown: Grand Rapids, MI -Overall: 56 -Potential: C Cecil shows potential both as a passer and on defense, and could actually provide us with some nice point guard play in the future if he develops. All the same, at the moment he's way too raw to play at the collegiate level, and good depth at this position gives us the luxury of redshirting Cecil for the coming season. #10 Chase Denson -Height: 6'1" -Weight: 180 lbs. -Class: Freshman (walk-on) -Hometown: Paducah, KY -Overall: 52 -Potential: D Strictly a depth player for us, but I really can't complain about Chase's possible contributions to the team. He's actually an OK spot-up shooter and has halfway decent hands. May see playing time in blowouts and under special circumstances. Shooting Guards #2 Quentin Pryor -Height: 6'4" -Weight: 170 lbs. -Class: Senior (redshirt) -Hometown: Eupora, MS -Overall: 67 -Potential: C- Quentin will be our starting 2-guard for the coming season, due primarily to his awareness and presence on the court. He does a number of things moderately well, and is rarely caught out of defensive position. Such positioning isn't my highest priority for the shooting guard position, but we have to make do with what we have available this year. Despite his shortcomings, Quentin is one of the three best players on the team (with PG Brandon Callahan and PF Shaun Williams). #14 Jamyron Steward -Height: 6'3" -Weight: 185 lbs. -Class: Junior -Hometown: Buena Vista, GA -Overall: 60 -Potential: C- Of our four shooting guards (8 guards total on the roster...I know...Macy was an idiot), Jamyron has the best explosiveness and "verticality." As a result, he will actually be splitting time with freshman Vincent Crutcher at the small forward position. Steward will probably start under most circumstances, but will have to share minutes with the freshman. #21 Cordaryl Ballard -Height: 6'3" -Weight: 185 lbs. -Class: Sophomore -Hometown: Westerville, OH -Overall: 60 -Potential: C Cordaryl benefits from being the best pure defender on the team (though not by much). He has one significant weakness, which is a lack of an even semi-consistent three-point shot. Until he develops one of those, I'm going to have a hard time giving him much playing time. #1 Maze Stallworth -Height: 6'4" -Weight: 185 lbs. -Class: Freshman -Hometown: Elizabethtown, KY -Overall: 56 -Potential: C- The one benefit to having all of these guards on the roster is that it means we have good depth in the backcourt (not as important as frontcourt depth, but I'll address that once I get recruiting underway). This gives us the ability to stick the redshirt on Maze. Small Forwards #34 Vincent Crutcher -Height: 6'4" -Weight: 205 lbs. -Class: Freshman -Hometown: Louisville, KY -Overall: 59 -Potential: C Vincent will see significant playing time as a freshman, splitting with Jamyron Steward, by virtue of being the only true small forward on the roster. He is raw, but there is definite potential here, especially in his legs. He is the best pure leaper on the team, and regularly dunks over taller players in practice. Power Forward #15 Shaun Williams -Height: 6'6" -Weight: 216 lbs. -Class: Senior -Hometown: Irvington, NJ -Overall: 71 -Potential: C The most talented player on the squad as well as the unanimous team captain, Shaun provides us with a low-post presence that we're going to sorely need this season. He is by far the best low-post player, both offensively and defensively, that we have, and also possesses our best close-range scoring touch. The one thing he is really missing is good leaping ability, and rarely blocks shots. #41 Dan Penick -Height: 6'8" -Weight: 240 lbs. -Class: Freshman -Hometown: Ludlow, KY -Overall: 56 -Potential: D After Shaun, our talent and experience levels in the frontcourt take a complete nosedive. The only two things that Dan has going for him are serviceable rebounding skills and the ability to occasionally make a free throw or a close range shot. We'll be asking him to play out of position this season and split time with center Clinton Reisz. #22 Ryan Allen -Height: 6'7" -Weight: 215 lbs. -Class: Junior -Hometown: Columbus, OH -Overall: 56 -Potential: D Ryan is all-around mediocre at best. We're going to take advantage of his mediocrity and redshirt him this season. The thinking is that he's not talented enough to warrant a scholarship anywhere else should he decide to transfer, and he will at the very least provide us with some experienced depth next season after Williams graduates. #12 Andreas Coleman -Height: 6'6" -Weight: 190 lbs. -Class: Freshman -Hometown: Danville, IL -Overall: 55 -Potential: D Andreas is an OK rebounder for his size, but that's about where his contribution to the team ends. Another talentless, zero potential freshman. It's entirely possible that I'll be cutting some of these losers free in a year or two, but for now I need Andreas as a body to throw into the mix when Williams needs a blow. Centers #53 Clinton Reisz -Height: 6'10" -Weight: 235 lbs. -Class: Sophomore -Hometown: Whitesville, KY -Overall: 56 -Potential: C- At first glance, Clinton doesn't look like much, but he could very well end up being a life-saver for us this season. I'm well aware that small schools have a hard time recruiting big men. When they do get big players, more often than not those players have zero ability, and just end up taking up space. Clinton has actually shown me the ability to make close-range shots as often as not, and to have enough lift in his legs to block the occasional shot. He is not completely without promise. He'll be our starting center, but we'll probably end up needing to use a committee approach and platoon him with Dan Penick. #45 Bill Davis -Height: 6'10" -Weight: 305 lbs. -Class: Freshman (walk-on) -Hometown: Harrodsburg, KY -Overall: 46 -Potential: D What did I just say about "taking up space?" Case in point. Bill is a mammoth individual that looks like he should be wearing shoulder pads, not basketball shorts. Still, we're not wasting a scholarship on him so we're glad to have him (assuming, of course, I don't have to dip into my miniscule recruiting budget in order to feed him). Depth Chart I expect our depth chart to look something like this (though things will certainly change at least a little bit once the season gets rolling): Starters PG - #11 Brandon Callahan (JR - 6'0") SG - #2 Quentin Pryor (SR - 6'4") SF - #14 Jamyron Steward (JR - 6'3") PF - #15 Shaun Williams (SR - 6'6") C - #53 Clinton Reisz (SO - 6'10") Bench PG - #5 Nikola Stojakovic (JR - 6'2") SG - #21 Cordaryl Ballard (SO - 6'3") SF - #34 Vincent Crutcher (FR - 6'4") PF - #12 Andreas Coleman (FR - 6'6") C - #41 Dan Penick (FR - 6'8") Reserves PG - #10 Chase Denson (FR - 6'1") C - #45 Bill Davis (FR - 6'10") Expect Crutcher and Penick to be the only two bench players to see significant minutes. Recruiting Priorities We only have two scholarships to work with, as Williams and Pryor are the only two players scheduled to graduate. Our priorities on the recruiting front for the coming year are as follows: #1 Center: I deperately want to develop some low post depth on this team, as I plan on running a motion offense that works through the power forward and center positions. I know we'll be weak at the power forward spot next year, but a legitimate big man to work with Reisz down low would more than make up for our other shortcomings. And as far as the power forward goes, at least we'll be able to rotate three guys (Penick, Coleman, and Allen). #2 Small Forward: With the pending graduation of Quentin Pryor, we're going to need to move Jamyron Steward back to his natural shooting guard spot next year (possibly as the starter). That will leave only Vincent Crutcher to play the 3-spot. Hopefully we can land someone with a better shooting touch that Crutcher. Up Next: A look at the upcoming 2006-07 season schedule. |
Nice start, DK. I'll be following this. Good luck on the journey through the coaching ranks.
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2006-07 Morehead State Eagles Basketball Schedule Code:
Date Opponent A quick look at our schedule reveals something different than most college basketball programs...Damn we play a lot of conference games!!! With 11 teams in the Ohio Valley Conference, we play each team home and away, which means 20 conference games and a conference schedule that starts in early December, a full month prior to most other conferences. At least we know we're on a level playing field, schedule-wise. To tell the truth, I think this may be a good thing for us though, at least short term. Assuming we can be competitive within our own conference, then the more games the better. That being said, I did add the home games against Savannah State and Hartford after I arrived on campus. Sure, they're cupcakes, but it's not like we're going to be trying to impress any selection committee members or anything. No doubt we're considered "cupcakes" ourselves. Up Next: Let's get this party started! Penn State is the first team that gets the honor of smacking us around like red-headed step-children. Stay tuned! |
Tellistto: I have a reader?!?! Woohoo! :cool: Glad you're enjoying it.
Expect to see results from the first few games up in the next day or two. |
2006-07 Pre-Season Rankings 1. Florida
2. Arizona 3. Kansas :D 4. North Carolina 5. Syracuse 6. Wisconsin 7. Villanova 8. Duke 9. LSU 10. Nevada 11. Pitt 12. Boston College 13. Memphis 14. Michigan 15. Kentucky 16. Gonzaga 17. UCLA 18. Alabama 19. Tennessee 20. Ohio State 21. Maryland 22. Illinois 23. Texas A&M 24. UConn 25. Louisville |
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More than one! GOOD LUCK! |
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 MOREHEAD STATE EAGLES (0-0)at  PENN STATE NITTANY LIONS (0-0)Rookie Coach King Nearly Pulls Upset in 2 OT Thriller, Eagles Fall 87-85. November 10th, 2006 UNIVERSITY PARK, PA - Morehead State basketball coach Dante King got just about everything he could ask for in his collegiate coaching debut; a back-and-forth ballgame, a ten-point lead early in the second half, a rambunctious crowd, joy, pain, tears, and even last-minute buzzer-beaters (two of those). In fact, there's only one more thing that coach King could have asked for; a victory. Things started out well enough for coach Dante King and his Morehead State Eagles. Early on was a back-and-forth affair with the heavily-favored Nittany Lions, and the teams found themselves in a 7-7 tie with 15:36 left in the first half. At the 13:18 mark, however, the Eagles faced their first real test when team captain Shaun Williams was tagged with his 2nd personal foul. King took the conservative approach and benched his best player for the remainder of the first half. Freshman forward Andreas Coleman filled in admirably, putting in yeoman's work on the defensive end of the floor, and helping to defend against Penn State forward Geary Claxton. The Eagles' guard tandem of Brandon Callahan and Quentin Pryor helped to keep things under control, and at the 3:40 mark of the first half Morehead State only trailed by four, 24-28. With an unexpected surge late in the half, highlighted by a nice layup score and one for Pryor, the Eagles marched into the locker room with a 36-32 lead. An unexpected switch from a 2-3 zone to man-to-man defense at the start of the 2nd half sparked the Eagles to a 48-38 lead, the largest either team would enjoy for the entire evening. Penn State never showed any signs of panic, however, and gradually whittled away at the Eagles' lead behind the play of seniors Claxton and guard David Jackson. Finally, with only 2:54 remaining a runner in the lane by Claxton allowed the Nittany Lions to retake the lead, 61-60. But the Eagles fought back, and with under 30 seconds remaining and the shot clock about to expire, senior guard Quentin Pryor drained a three-pointer that sent the game into overtime. Penn State jumped out to an quick six point lead, 72-66, early in the first overtime frame, but Coach King's boys battled back for a second time. With 1:30 remaining, point guard Brandon Callahan stole the ball from Ben Luber and layed it in, cutting the Penn State lead to two. Later, with only fifteen seconds remaining on the clock, junior Jamyron Steward stepped up big, knocking down another three-point shot and sending the game into a second overtime tilt. The Eagles actually took an early lead as the second overtime got underway behind another big three-pointer by Steward, but that would be the last of the highlights for Morehead State on this night. The Eagles finally ran aground as two key layups by David Jackson sealed the game for Penn State. Code:
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I noticed your return a few weeks ago, but didn't see the dynasty thread till now. I'll be reading.
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Sublime 2, ardent anthusiast: Glad to have you both on board. Thanks for reading.
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 SAVANNAH STATE TIGERS (1-0)at MOREHEAD STATE EAGLES (0-1)Coach King Earns 1st Career Victory, Eagles Trounce Tigers 75-44.
November 13th, 2006 MOREHEAD, KY - Head coach Dante King might have been concerned going into today's game that his Morehead State Eagles would suffer a let-down after losing their season-opener in heartbreaking fashion to the Penn State Nittany Lions. If Coach King was entertaining such concerns, then he was doing so in error, as his Eagles thumped the visiting Savannah State Tigers, 75-44, and gave King his first victory as a collegiate head coach. Things started out slowly for both teams, and the Eagles were hampered due to two early personal fouls on starting center Clinton Reisz. The Eagles also showed early difficulty finding good looks against the Tigers' 1-3-1 zone defense, while Savannah State suffered from poor all-around shooting. Just when the Eagles appeared to be finally solving the zone, however, Savannah State got hot and went on a 7-0 run, taking the lead 17-16 at the 9:08 mark. Things seemed to go from bad to worse for Morehead State. Late in the first half point guard Nikola Stojakovic, subbing in for Brandon Callahan, turned his ankle while driving the lane and did not return. But seeing one of their own go down seemed to be just, and the Eagles ended the half on a 7-0 run, taking the lead 33-25. Savannah State offered little resistance in the 2nd half, and the Eagles never looked back. At the 11:57 mark their lead had ballooned to 18 points, 51-33. Senior guard Quentin Pryor was particularly dominant, and was responsible for much of the team's 2nd half production. Coach King emptied the bench in the last five minutes of the game, and all twelve players who suited up saw the court. After the victory, Morehead State AD Hutchinson presented Coach King with the game ball to commemorate his first victory, hoping that this was the "first of many." Code:
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Morehead State Player StatisticsInjury Note: Bad news for Nikola Stojakovic. He has a high ankle sprain and is expected to miss about 3 weeks. We hope to have him back before Ohio Valley Conference play begins December 7th. |
MOREHEAD STATE EAGLES (1-1)at  SOUTH ALABAMA JAGUARS (2-1)Morehead State Loses Defensive Slugfest to South Alabama, 49-46.
November 17th, 2006 MOBILE, AL - Tonight's game between the Morehead State Eagles and South Alabama Jaguars was the epitomy of ugly basketball. Neither team could shoot even 35% from the field, and both clubs had nearly has many turnovers as field goals. Some might say that excellent defense was on display, while others probably spent a lot of time with their heads in their hands. But the end result, as is often the case in ugly games like this, was a victory for the home team, by virtue of stinking up the joint just a little bit less than the other guy. The first nine minutes of the game was a nip-and-tuck affair, featuring two ties and 6 lead changes despite a spectacular lack of offense. The Eagles did manage to hold a narrow lead (never more than three points) until the 5:04 mark, when the Jaguars reclaimed it. Morehead State did lead once more before the end of the half, due to strong post-play by Shaun Williams, but trailed by two at the half, 25-23. Early in the second half was more of the same as the teams traded buckets and the lead. But Morehead State soon found trouble as point guard Brandon Callahan picked up an early 3rd personal foul and had to ride the pine for a bit. With the recent injury to Nikola Stojakovic, Coach King had to hand the reigns over to freshman walk-on Chase Denson. What little offense the Eagles had been managing to this point completely disappeared with Denson on the court, and South Alabama was able to gradually push their lead out to 36-29 at the 11:17 mark. From there on out Morehead State was trying to play catchup but never quite could, even with Callahan back in the game. They whittled the Jaguar lead down to 1 point, 38-37 with 6:07 left to play, but couldn't get any closer. Things did remain close, however, until junior guard Daon Merritt drained two clutch free throws with six seconds remaining, extending the Jaguars lead to 49-43. Four seconds later Quentin Pryor was fouled while attempting a three-pointer and made all three free throws, but not enough time remained for any last-second heroics. Code:
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Off to a great start..I will also be following along :)
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dj_morton: I don't know that I'd call 1-2 a "great start" :) but thanks for reading all the same.
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I'm also on board now. :)
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gotta start somewhere!
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 EAST TENNESSEE STATE BUCCANEERS (2-1)at MOREHEAD STATE EAGLES (1-2)Visiting Buccaneers Shoot Lights Out at Johnson Arena, Hand Eagles 79-62 Drubbing.
November 21st, 2006 MOREHEAD, KY - The Morehead State Eagles came into Johnson Arena tonight confident in their ability to get their second win of the season on their home court. After the pounding they gave to Savannah State a week prior, Coach King and the Eagles figured home court would be enough to push them past the East Tennessee State Buccaneers' outside shooters and high-pressure defense. They were sorely mistaken. 41 seconds into the game saw the Eagles with a 4-0 lead after a Quentin Pryor layup and a pair of free throws, but that was as far as good fortune would take the home team this night. At the 18:26 mark, East Tennessee State had taken a 5-4 lead thanks to a pair of field goals by senior Travis Strong. It was a lead that the Buccaneers would never relenquish. Morehead State's difficulties were compounded when senior forward Shaun Williams got himself in early foul trouble, a disturbing trend that has developed of late. Without Williams' low-post presence and with the visiting team seeming to hit every one of their perimeter shots, the deficit grew in a hurry. At the 11:37 mark the Bucs' lead grew to double-digits, 18-7, on sophomore Courtney Pigram's long two-pointer. A couple of Eagle players, notably junior point guard Brandon Callahan and freshman forward Dan Penick fought bravely, but still the East Tennessee State lead swelled. The margin reached 16 at the 4:42 mark. At halftime, the Bucs led 44-32, despite 13 first-half turnovers, shooting a blistering 57% from the field and 6-of-9 from beyond the arc. By the 16:20 mark of the first half, the lead had swelled back to 16, 53-37. But the Eagles, backed by a few faithful fans still in their seats, went on an impressive 14-0 run over the next five minutes. The run was led by senior guard Quentin Pryor who drained a pair of three-pointers as well as two free throws during the stretch. But 53-51 was as close as the Eagles would get to victory. A 9-1 run late in the half extended the East Tennessee State lead back to double-digits, and from there they cruised to an easy victory. A rather ugly moment occurred late in the game when Shaun Williams fouled out of the game with 0:11 seconds remaining. Fuming at his senior leader's lazy post defense and lack of production during the game, coach King gave Williams an earful as he sat on the bench. The details of King's tirade is ill suited for polite company. "I'm mad as hell at Shaun [Williams]," stated coach King after the game. "A leader doesn't just lead when things are going well. He's out there leading the way even when you're getting your guts stomped out. That's what happened to us tonight, and Shaun was nowhere to be found." It appears safe to say that the honeymoon is over in Morehead. Code:
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Eaglesfan27: But will you respect me in the morning (or when I move on to a team not named the Eagles)? :cool:
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 MARSHALL THUNDERING HERD (0-3)at MOREHEAD STATE EAGLES (1-3)We...Are...Morehead! Eagles Take Down Thundering Herd, 80-70.
November 29th, 2006 MOREHEAD, KY - It had been over a week since the Morehead State Eagles last took the floor, suffering a 79-62 pounding on their home court at the hands of the East Tennessee State Buccaneers. However, the time off seems to have done the team some good. A much more relaxed and focused basketball team took the floor tonight. Behind a career shooting night by junior Jamyron Steward, the Eagles defeated the visiting Thundering Herd of Marshall, 80-70. Things were close for much of the first half. Though they weren't able to pull away from the Herd, Morehead State held the lead for nearly all of the half. Thanks largely to stellar play by Jamyron "Jam" Steward, who had a whopping 20 points at the half, the Eagles did not relenquish the lead until the 1:53 mark, when Marshall grabbed a brief 35-34 lead. Less than a minute later, Morehead State would regain the lead on a Quentin Pryor layup, and took a 39-37 lead with them into the locker room at halftime. The Thundering Herd kept hanging around for much of the second half, and while they never managed to regain the lead, refused to let the Eagles out of reach and even tied the game briefly at 47-47 with 13:40 to go. But senior forward Shaun Williams and the rest of the Eagles displayed offensive consistency for the first time all year, and kept the lead in the 3 to 7 point range. The floodgates finally opened for Morehead with 4:48 to play, when the Eagles went on a 8-0 blitz over a 50 second period, due largely to back-to-back steals and layups by junior point guard Brandon Callahan. The resulting 72-59 lead would be too much for Marshall to overcome. Freshman forward Dan Penick was injured midway through the first half when he banged knees with Herd guard Taurean Marshall and did not return. The injury is minor, and he is only expected to miss Saturday's game against Western Illinois. Code:
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MOREHEAD STATE EAGLES (2-3)at  WESTERN ILLINOIS LEATHERNECKS (1-2)Morehead State Defeats Western Illinois in Free Throw Shooting Contest, 83-63. December 2nd, 2006 MACOMB, IL - A confident Morehead State Eagles basketball team came into John Q. Hammons arena tonight, flush off of their victory over Marshall earlier in the week and looking for their first road win of the year. They found exactly what they were looking for, and routed the Western Illinois Leathernecks by virtue of a good shooting percentage, stingy defense, and a lot of trips to the free throw line. Things were tight between the two teams for the first eight minutes or so, with a 10-10 tie being the result at the 12:24 mark. However, runs by the Morehead State Eagles of 8-0 and 11-2 gave them an eleven point lead at halftime, 36-25. The referees were calling a tight game throughout, and the Eagles in particular made a number of trips to the line in the 2nd portion of the first half. The tight calls by the officials continued into the second half, much to the chagrin of the home crowd. These calls certainly worked to the detriment of the home team, as it prevented them from gaining any real sort of momentum to make a run at the Eagles, and also placed starters Sammy Hunter and Louis Johnson in early foul trouble. But it was Morehead State freshman Vincent Crutcher who was the one to truly bury the Leathernecks, not the officiating. Crutcher accounted for 10 of the Eagles' 16 points during a 16-2 run over a 4 minute period in the middle of the second half. With Crutcher's jumpers finding nothing but net and starting forward William Bishop joining the other Western Illinois starters in foul trouble, the home team's chances of mounting a comeback were minimal. Morehead State cruised to an 83-63 victory. "The rim just got real big for me, y'know?" stated Crutcher after the game. "I think [Head] Coach [Dante King] was a little worried about me firing away at first, but after the first couple dropped I could hear him yelling from the sidelines to let her rip, so I did." Morehead State opens its Ohio Valley Conference schedule this Thursday, December 7th, when they host the Governors of Austin Peay. Code:
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A quick note to state that I've tweaked the recruiting rules. A number of teams in my own tiny conference have already landed a few 3-star recruits, and a few mid-major schools have landed 4-stars. So I've tweaked the recruiting rules to allow 3-stars at the Small Conference level and 4-stars at the Mid-Major level. It's too late to switch gears this season (I'm already working on some 2-star guys), but I'll have more leeway starting in season two.
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 AUSTIN PEAY GOVERNORS (1-3, 1-0)at MOREHEAD STATE EAGLES (3-3, 0-0)Governors Spoil Coach King's Ohio Valley Conference Debut, Defeat Eagles 69-61.
December 7th, 2006 MOREHEAD, KY - The Morehead State Eagles came into tonight's conference play opener on an upnote. After dropping three of their first four games under Coach King, things were looking up for the Eagles who had won two in a row, including an impressive road victory over the Western Illinois Leathernecks. But the Eagles' brief winning streak was about to be snapped, as Austin Peay took advantage of poor defense and poor shot selection to claim a 69-61 victory. Things started out well for Morehead State, who jumped out to a 14-7 lead in the first 7 minutes of the game thanks to strong post play from senior forward Shaun Williams and sophomore center Clinton Reisz. But the Austin Peay defense clamped down after that, and remained a quandry to which the Eagles could not find a solution for the remainder of the half. In perhaps the teams' most embarrassing stretch of the young season, Morehead State was outscored 29-11 and found themselves in an 11-point deficit as they headed towards the locker room amidst boos and jeers from the crowd. To their credit, the Eagles did not give up, and fought back early in the second half. Coach King had apparently found a solution to the Governors' defense, and a comeback was sparked by a 9-0 Morehead State run early in the half. By the 9:24 mark Morehead State, by virtue of a Jamyron Steward put-back, had cut the deficit to two, 49-47. But it seemed as though the team used up all of their legs just getting things that close, and were unable to close the deal. Austin Peay soon pushed their lead back out to six, and the Eagles appeared powerless to respond. "We've come close in situations like this on more than one occasion," stated an obviously peeved Coach King after the game. "Now this team needs to learn how to finish a run. I can show them the way, but I can't very well shoot the baskets for them, now can I?" Conference play continues for the Eagles on Saturday when they host the Racers of Murray State University. Code:
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 MURRAY STATE RACERS (1-7, 0-2)at MOREHEAD STATE EAGLES (3-4, 0-1)Windex Warriors! Eagles Dominant on Glass, Defeat Murray State 76-67.
December 9th, 2006 MOREHEAD, KY - The Murray State Racers have been a huge disappointment early in the Ohio Valley Conference season, and this afternoon the Morehead State Eagles showed why. Despite being ranked 2nd or 3rd in most pre-season conference polls, being laden with seniors, and having one of the most talented players in the conference in forward Shawn Witherspoon, the Racers have only one win in nine attempts, and none thus far in league play. Morehead State perceived a weakness in the post play of Murray State and took advantage, dominating the glass on their way to a 76-67 victory. Murray State appeared early on to be aware of their perceived weakness down low, with starting center Rob Kennedy going so far as to blatantly goaltend on a short-range shot from Eagles' forward Shaun Williams. But the Eagles would not be intimidated, and used steals by Williams and point guard Brandon Callahan to spark an early 18-5 lead. Racers' guard Bruce Carter provided some spark for his own team later on in the half, sparking a small 8-0 run and bringing Murray State within 4, but that is as close as the Racers would get for the entire afternoon. Brandon Callahan was particularly brilliant for the Eagles with 17 first half points, leading the way to a 47-35 halftime lead. The game proved sloppy at times, especially in the second half as the Racers tried to push the tempo in order to catch up. The teams combined for a staggering 35 turnovers over the course of the game. At times Morehead State appeared willing to run with the Racers, and matched them bucket-for-bucket. And when they were able to slow matters down, Clinton Reisz and Shaun Williams (who had his first double-double of the season) proved truly dominant on the glass. Those two players alone matched the entire Murray State squad in rebounds. Murray State point guard Kevin Thomas got the deficit as low as 61-53 with 11:19 remaining, but a 7-0 run by the Eagles shortly thereafter salted things away for the home team. Morehead State cruised to a 76-67 victory without having connected on a single 3-point shot for the entire contest. "I've seen prettier performances at the local YMCA," stated head coach Dante King after the game, "but I guess I can't complain too much. If it smells like a win, and sounds like a win, then it's good enough for me." Code:
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Wow, long time, no see DK.
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Team Statistics
Austin Peay Morehead State 69 Points 61 23 Field Goals Made 20 49 Field Goals Attempted 64 0.469 Field Goal % 0.313 6 3 Pointers Made 3 15 3 Pointers Attempted 13 0.400 3 Pointers % 0.231 17 Free Throws Made 18 22 Free Throws Attempted 22 0.773 Free Throw % 0.818 13 Assists 10 10 Turnovers 6 12 Team Fouls 15 32 Total Rebounds 40 2 Offensive Rebounds 14 30 Defensive Rebounds 26 5 Steals 10 1 Blocks 1 22 Points in the Paint 20 8 Bench Points 26 2 Second Chance Points 12 12 Fast Break Points 0 You dominated this game statwise except for FG %! Maybe you should focus your "coaching" more on shooting, offense, or post play. Just a idea! |
GoldenEagle: Rumors of my death have been greatly exaggerated. :)
dj_morton: The formatting on that quote is killin' me man. ;) Anyhow, shooting and defense are my focus at the moment. We definitely need a higher percentage, especially from 3-point land, but I'm a defensive guy first and foremost. The more I play, the more I'm leaning towards a high-pressure defense and easy transition buckets off of turnovers. |
Is that better? :) Although it looks like crap lol.
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Monday, December 18th, 2006
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Ohio Valley Conference StandingsGames This Week: Monday: at Tennessee-Martin Wednesday: at Eastern Illinois Saturday: vs Hartford (non-conference) |
MOREHEAD STATE EAGLES (4-4, 1-1)at  TENNESSEE-MARTIN SKYHAWKS (4-6, 2-0)Shaun Williams Ties Career High in Losing Effort, Eagles Fall to Skyhawks 82-70.
December 18th, 2006 MARTIN, TN - Everyone on the Morehead State Eagles basketball team would just prefer to forget that tonight's game every happened save one; Shaun Williams. The senior forward tied a career high, scoring 32 points as the team captain did everything in his power to keep his teammates in the game, but unfortunately no help was forthcoming from anyone else in an Eagles uniform. Even the referees seemed to be aligned against the Eagles this night, much to the consternation of head coach Dante King. Williams was the only Eagle to manager a point in the first four minutes of the game, and the Tennessee-Martin Skyhawks jumped out to an early 10-2 lead. Matters only got worse as Williams continued throughout the half (and the entire game) to be the only Eagles player who could consistently find the basket. Meanwhile, the foul count was rapidly stacking upo against Morehead State, who seemed to be whistled every other time down the court. At one point late in the half, with his team being buried 42-20 and without a single foul having been called on the Skyhawks, Coach King got into the grill of one of the officials, earning a technical foul and very nearly getting himself ejected. "It was the most lop-sided, home-cooked officiating job I've ever witnessed," exclaimed King after the game. "The league can fine me if they want to, but this was bull(beep)!" While the outburst was uncalled for, Eagles fans are quick to note that, in the first half of the game, not a single foul was called on the Skyhawks. Desperate to find a way to overcome their 47-26 deficit and get some defensive stops without having their entire team foul out, Morehead State switched to a matchup 2-3 zone at halftime. It appeared to work, at least to a limited degree, as the rain of Skyhawk baskets and foul line trips slowed. An 11-2 run by the Eagles got them within 11, 58-47, with 13:14 to go in the game, but key foul calls on Shawn Williams and center Clinton Reisz killed the Eagles' momentum. Morehead State resorted to a desperate pressing defense late in the game, but could get no closer than 74-68 after a steal and layup by junior point guard Brandon Callahan. Skyhawks center Cleve Woodfork salted away the Skyhawks victory with close-range buckets on successive possessions, leading to the 82-70 final. Code:
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MOREHEAD STATE EAGLES (4-5, 1-2)at  EASTERN ILLINOIS PANTHERS (4-6, 2-2)Strong 2nd Half Leads Morehead State Past Eastern Illinois, 75-62. December 20th, 2006 CHARLESTON, IL - The Morehead State Eagles continued their up-and-down performances this evening, relying on a strong start to the 2nd half of the game to give them a 75-62 victory over the Eastern Illinois Panthers and to move their overall and conference records back up to the .500 mark. Junior point guard Brandon Callahan led the team with 18 points, including 10 of 11 from the charity stripe. The first half of the game was a back-and-forth affair, with neither club able to gain a serious advantage. After six ties and seven lead changes, the Panthers did manage to push their way to a small 4-point lead at the halftime break, 28-24. Eagles forward Shaun Williams got himself in early foul trouble and had to sit for the last 13 minutes of the half, but freshman Andreas Coleman did yeoman's work filling in. Brandon Callahan then took the team on his back at the beginning of the second half, leading the Eagles on a 16-3 run that gave them a healthy 40-31 lead at the 12:52 mark. But when sophomore center Clinton Reisz and freshman forward Vincent Crutcher got themselves in foul trouble, Head Coach Dante King resorted to a more conservative game approach and attempted to kill as much clock as possible on each possession. Using this approach the Eagles managed to hold their lead around the 10-point mark until there were less than 4 minutes remaining in the game. But then the home team put on an 8-2 run of their own, leaving Morehead State with a slender 66-62 lead and prompting Coach King to call a timeout with 1:30 to play. Whatever play Coach King drew up in the huddle, it certainly wasn't the shot that Morehead State ended up taking on their next trip down the court. With scarcely any time off the shot clock at all, senior Quentin Pryor jacked up a long-range 3-pointer, and hit nothing but nylon. "I knew Coach [King] would have my ass if I missed," stated Pryor after the game, "but what can I say? I was feeling it, you know? It's just like the rim got real big all of a sudden." The ill-advised shot by Pryor proved to be the knife in Eastern Illinois' back, as all of the wind was taken out of their sails after that. Brandon Callahan scored the last 6 points of the game, 4 of them from the free throw line. Code:
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 HARTFORD HAWKS (5-6)at MOREHEAD STATE EAGLES (5-5)Stingy Late-Game Defense Key in Morehead State Victory Over Hartford, 56-43.
December 23rd, 2006 MOREHEAD, KY - The Morehead State Eagles pushed their record above the .500 line for the first time all season with a non-conference victory today over the Hartford Hawks, 56-43. Despite having home-court advantage and more experience than a Hartford team that started four underclassmen, it still took a late-game defensive stand and some clutch shooting from one of the Eagles' own underclassman to seal the victory. Both teams proved to be quite inept on the offensive end early in the game, with each team only managing a single bucket in the first five minutes of play. Morehead State had difficulty with the unfamiliar 1-1-3 zone defense of Hartford, and the young Hawks team had difficulty solving the Eagles' high-pressure 2-3 zone. Morehead State did manage to gain a slim lead that never exceeded 6 points, but by the 6:15 mark Hartford had tied the game, 15-15. The Eagles went cold until halftime, resulting in a 23-17 lead for the Hawks. Morehead State shot a miserable 20% from the field in the first 20 minutes. The Eagles' offensive woes continued early in the second half, and the Hawks' lead soon ballooned to 31-20, thanks in particular to a pair of close-range baskets by freshman center Vincent Aldevinge. But Morehead State ratcheted up their defense and crawled their way back into the game as their offense finally woke up. The Eagles took the lead for the first time in the half on an old-fashioned 3-point play by senior guard Quentin Pryor with 5:33 left to play, 38-37. The teams then exchanged leads for the next 2 minutes of play, and Vincent Aldevinge had an old-fashioned 3-point play of his own with 3:09 to go to tie the game at 42-42, but that would be the last field goal Hartford would manage. The finishing blow came when freshman forward Vincent Crutcher drained a 3-pointer as the shot clock expired, putting the Eagles up 49-42 with only 1:22 to go. Code:
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Monday, December 25th, 2006
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Ohio Valley Conference StandingsGames This Week Saturday: vs. Central Michigan (non-conference) |
 CENTRAL MICHIGAN CHIPPEWAS (1-9)at MOREHEAD STATE EAGLES (6-5)Eagles Thump Woeful Chippewas on Way to 3rd Straight Win, 66-38.
December 30th, 2006 MOREHEAD, KY - Perhaps the Morehead State Eagles have started to buy into Head Coach Dante King's defensive philosophy. Perhaps the Central Michigan Chippewas are one of the most poorly-executing and poorly-coached teams in all of college basketball. Perhaps it's a little bit of both. Whatever the reasons may be, one thing is beyond question; the Eagles took the Chippewas "behind the woodshed" in this afternoon's game, 66-38. The Chippewas began the game ice-cold from the floor and experienced obvious problems with the Eagles' high-pressure 2-3 zone defense. Morehead State, on the other hand, proceeded to shred the matchup zone of Central Michigan from the word go, and by the 12:43 mark had jumped out to a 16-2 lead. Later in the half, trailing 22-11, Central Michigan went with an extremely big lineup, with no player on the floor under 6'6" tall. But without a true ball-handler running the offense, the visitors were completely incapable of taking advantage of their superior size. Morehead State buried them with buckets, going on a 17-0 run that bled over into the 2nd half. The halftime score was 34-11! After shooting 17% from the field in the first half, things couldn't get much worse for Central Michigan in the 2nd half, but things wouldn't get much better either. The Chippewas even went so far as to try a box-and-1 defense, which Morehead State was still able to score upon with some regularity. Senior Sefton Barrett (regarded as one of the best players in teh MAC), was the one visiting player able to generate at least a tiny bit of offense, but not enough. At the 15:52 mark with an overwhelming 49-16 lead, Coach King called off the dogs and sat most of his starters for the remainder of the game. Code:
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Monday, January 1st, 2007
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Ohio Valley Conference StandingsGames This Week Tuesday vs. Tennessee State Saturday vs. Tennessee Tech |
 TENNESSEE STATE TIGERS (5-6, 0-2)at MOREHEAD STATE EAGLES (7-5, 2-2)Eagles Fall Short in Comeback Bid, Lose to Tigers 86-75.
January 2nd, 2007 MOREHEAD, KY - Generally regarded as the most talented team in the Ohio Valley Conference, and the pre-season selection by most to win the conference, the Tennessee State Tigers have been a disappointment thus far this season. But the Tigers apparently made a New Year's resolution to stop sucking. Junior guard Bruce Price (2nd in the conference in scoring) and senior forward Clarence Matthews (1st in the conference in rebounding) led the way with 20 and 19 points, respectively, in the Tigers' 86-75 victory over Morehead State. But the undermanned Eagles did not go quietly on their home court, and made things interesting in the closing minutes. The opening minutes of the game were dominated by Tigers' center Larry Turner, giving Tennessee State an early 9-2 lead and forcing the Eagles to give sophomore Clinton Reisz some defensive help in the paint. Junior guard Jamyron Steward gave the Eagles a lift on subsequent possessions with a pair of 3-pointers, and the Tigers' lead was quickly dashed to 9-8. This set the tone for the entire first half. The Tigers would stretch their lead out to the 6-8 point range, then the Eagles would counterpunch and narrow the gap. Both Larry Turner and Eagles' senior forward Shaun Williams got themselves in early foul trouble, and had to sit for the last 10 minutes of the half. At the break Tennessee State led 44-38. Disaster struck for the Eagles at the beginning of the second half, however. For over six minutes to start the half Morehead State failed to score a single point, and for the players it felt as though someone had placed a lid over the rim on their end of the floor. Even layups and point-blank opportunities (of which the Eagles had their share) rattled off the rim. This was coupled with a complete defensive breakdown on the other end (the Morehead State defense hadn't been that good in the 1st half either). By the time Dan Penick finally broke the Eagles' field goal drout at the 13:05 mark with a putback score, Tennessee State had gone on a ridiculous 20-3 run and had already begun mass substitutions. To their credit, Morehead State and their head coach Dante King did not throw in the towel. With solid play and a lot of hustle from junior guard Nikola Stojakovic and the starters the Eagles scratched and clawed their way back into the game, overcoming much of the 20-point deficit and closing the gap to 78-72 with scarcely over a minute to play. But at that point Clarence Matthews made his presence felt with a pair of steals and trips to the free throw line that sealed the game for the Tigers. "This team has to learn how to finish the deal," stated Eagles' coach Dante King after the game. "We've pretended to make comebacks on more than occasion, but we haven't figured out how to finish it off yet. Someday these kids will figure it out, then we'll be a force to be reckoned with in this league." Code:
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 TENNESSEE TECH GOLDEN EAGLES (5-6, 2-3)at MOREHEAD STATE EAGLES (7-6, 2-3)Unlikely Contributors and 30 points from Callahan lead Morehead State past Tennessee Tech, 89-80.
January 6th, 2007 MOREHEAD, KY - Head Coach Dante King and his Morehead State Eagles team came into today's game looking for a victory and to get back to .500 in conference play, but knew it would be a difficult task. For the second consecutive game they would face one of the Ohio Valley Conference's best scorers, this time Tennessee Tech senior guard Belton Rivers. But a very strong game from junior guard Brandon Callahan (30 pts, 15-for-15 free throws) and strong contributions from freshman forward Dan Penick (starting in place of Clinton Reisz) and sophomore guard Cordaryl Ballard (with clutch defense late in the game) lifted the Eagles over Tennessee Tech, 89-80. Overall the first half was a back-and-forth affair, with neither team able to establish dominance. Dan Penick, starting in place of the injured Clinton Reisz (Reisz saw only limited minutes due to a sprained ankle), scored 7 of Morehead State's first 9 points, and Coach King's Eagles jumped out early 11-5. But strong play from Belton Rivers brought Tech back into it, and an 8-0 run by the Golden Eagles gave Tech a 25-17 lead with 7:57 to go in the half. After that, Callahan began to take over for Morehead State, sparking a 10-0 run to end the half. Morehead State led at the break, 37-34, but Belton Rivers led all scorers with 14 first half points. The first 11 minutes of the second half was more of the same see-saw affair. Brandon Callahan drained Morehead State's only 3-pointer of the contest on a set-piece play coming out of an early timeout, but Tennessee Tech kept things even. By the 8:50 mark the 2nd half had seen two ties and 11 lead changes, as the teams went back and forth down the court. At that point, the damn finally broke and Morehead State went on a 20-3 run over the next 5 minutes. Key defensive plays during this stretch were attributed to Cordaryl Ballard, usually little more than a role-player for the Eagles, who had a total of five steals in the game. Brandon Callahan then sealed the game for Morehead State with a perfect performance from the charity stripe down the stretch. Code:
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Monday, January 8th, 2007
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Ohio Valley Conference StandingsGames This Week Thursday (1/11/07) at Eastern Kentucky Saturday (1/13/07) vs Tennessee-Martin |
MOREHEAD STATE EAGLES (8-6, 3-3)at  EASTERN KENTUCKY COLONELS (4-8, 3-3)Late-Game Surge Allows Eagles to Soar Past Colonels, 57-48.
January 11th, 2007 RICHMOND, KY - The Morehead State Eagles came into Richmond tonight looking to take advantage of a reeling Eastern Kentucky Colonels squad, losers of their last three conference games and four overall. Despite falling behind early by as much as ten points, the Eagles did what they had yet to prove that they were capable of; coming back from behind on the road. Taking advantage of the charity stripe to offset poor shooting and a timely run late in the game, Morehead extended the Colonels' streak of misery, 57-48. Both teams started out relatively slowly, intent upon feeling one another out first. Morehead State suffered an early loss, as freshman forward Vincent Crutcher was fouled hard across the arm while driving the lane (he would return for limited minutes later in the game, but was never a factor). Senior forward Shaun Williams accounted for the Eagles first 5 points of the game, but it was the Colonels' freshman point-guard Adam Leonard who was the hero of the 1st half. Despite his inexperience, Leonard led all scorers with 10 first-half points, and his 3-pointer with 2:03 remaining in the half gave Eastern Kentucky their largest lead of the game (10 points). At the break, the Colonels led 27-20. The Eagles rallied back early in the 2nd half, thanks in large part to strong inside play that repeatedly got them to the foul line. An old-fashioned 3-point play by "Jam" Steward gave Morehead State a 32-29 lead with 15:26 remaining. The next 8 minutes saw the two teams battle back and forth, with neither able to gain much of an advantage. Finally, the war of attrition down low began to take it's toll on the Colonels, as starting forwards Jamall Douglas and Darnell Dialls both found themselves in foul trouble. The Eagles saw their opportunity and struck hard with a 14-0 run over the next 5 and a half minutes that sealed Eastern Kentucky's fate. Code:
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TENNESSEE-MARTIN SKYHAWKS (9-8, 6-2)at MOREHEAD STATE EAGLES (9-6, 4-3)Bloody Vengeance! Eagles Avenge Earlier Loss to Skyhawks, 76-64.
January 13th, 2007 MOREHEAD, KY - Head Coach Dante King had his players' collective sights set on vengeance this afternoon, as the Morehead State Eagles looked to avenge their 82-70 defeat at the hands of the Tennessee-Martin Skyhawks on December 18th. From early on, the Eagles were all business, dominating play from one end of the court to the other. The final score of 76-64 does not do justice to the Eagles' dominant performance, and the game was never that close. Both teams started the game absolutely ice-cold from the field, and neither team could buy a field goal. The Eagles seemed to just be unlucky as a number of early shots rattled in-and-out, but the Skyhawks couldn't even get decent shots off. They appeared taken completely by surprise by the Eagles' extensive use of man-to-man defense (the Eagles rely heavily on a 2-3 zone), and early foul trouble for George Pruitt, the team's best outside shooter, made matters even worse. Brandon Callahan finally broke through with the Eagles' first field goal at the 11:34 mark, and this opened the floodgates. Over the next six minutes Morehead State couldn't miss, going on an 18-2 run and burying Tennessee-Martin with a 25-10 lead. By halftime, the Skyhawks had only whittled the lead down by one, 34-20. The Eagles kept the lead around the 15-point mark early in the second half, but then a secondary 8-0 run keyed by senior guard Quentin Pryor vaulted their lead to 54-33, effectively sealing the deal. Heavy use of substitutions by Coach King (presumably to protect his starters from the risk of injury) permitted Tennessee-Martin to get as close as 12 points, but the end result was no longer in doubt. Code:
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How exactly are you habndling in-game coaching? I play coach mode too, and if I don't call plays each posession it seems like my team just gets bogged down. If you're not calling plays, how do you get your team to do anything?
Are you doing manual subs? Basically, what are all the tings you control during the game, and what do you let the CPU handle? |
I'm new to this game, and love it so far. The in-game part of it is really starting to drain the enjoyment, though. I'd appreciate any advice you have.
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My Eagles get bogged down sometimes as well, so I'll call a set play if I feel like they aren't executing as well as I'd like. Sometimes even if the set play doesn't result in a basket that time down the floor, it wakes your guys up and they perform better on future possessions. Also, the motion offense is one that by it's nature doesn't rely on set plays as much as, say, a high post offense.
I do use manual substitutions. I also play a switching 2-3 zone/man-to-man defense that seems to help keep the other team guessing, and any good team (IMHO) gets a good portion of it's offense off of it's defense. Let me know if you have any other questions. |
Let me see if I understand. You basically set all your team style stuff in that one screen where you can change the tendancy sliders for your coaches. Then, you just try and let your team play to those tendancies.
Is that about right? Also, I rarely see any penetration. Do you ever have geys get to the rack if it's not a breakaway or a post-up? |
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