The Pack Line (DDS: CB)

[NarratorC]

The dynasty report writing bug has bitten me hard.

I am still enjoying the Football Manager story I'm creating, with my daughter Zoe's help. There are times when I'm playing the game more and writing less, and I thought it might be fun to have another project going at the same time, based on a different game.

I became a Virginia basketball fan when I was in the third grade. A family visit to Thomas Jefferson's home and to the university he founded sealed my fate. My undergraduate and graduate alma maters play Division III basketball, so I could maintain my loyalty to the Cavaliers through my own student days. And I live in Virginia now, so it's even more natural to follow my adopted team. I've turned my daughter into a Hoos fan too, much to the amusement of her mom.

That's the motivation for the story I'm going to try to tell here.

I'll be playing Draft Day Sports: College Basketball 19 (the most current version of the game I own). I don't think many DDS:CB stories have been told here, and it might be fun to give one a try.

My character will base his coaching philosophies on those of Coaches Dick and Tony Bennett. He'll begin his career at age 35, the newly hired head coach at Green Bay. That's where the elder Bennett first coached at the Division I level. My goal is to one day coach at Virginia, where his son is currently adding to the family legacy. My coach's path along the way might take varied twists and turns, but Charlottesville will be his dream destination.

The Bennetts are known for their tenacious Pack Line defense. Father created it, and son won a national championship with it. I'll be running a man-to-man defense with my teams, the closest I can come to recreating the Pack Line in DDS:CB. They'll primarily run a motion offense; the blocker-mover offense the Bennetts have employed is that type of offense.

I will also recruit players who are good students. I'm a teacher, so a focus on academics comes naturally to me. I'll look to improve the academic standing of Green Bay's program. If I ever make it to UVA, that emphasis will be a non-negotiable part of my job requirement.

I'm excited about seeing how this will turn out. Hopefully some of you will enjoy the story, too.

[NarratorC]

Spring 2018

The story begins in Green Bay, where Ryan Bellamy has just been named as the Phoenix' head coach. (Thanks to my favorite name generator for suggesting Coach Bellamy's name, and to daughter Zoe for making the final choice.)

My first impression: It's going to take some time to make this project work, and I might get fired before it happens.



I'm expected to put a winning team on the court while I remake it in my own image. I hope the athletic director will be lenient with me, because doing both these tasks won't be easy.

Coach Bellamy won't be handling this task alone.



There's a bit of a philosophical difference regarding the importance of academics within the Green Bay staff, isn't there? Unfortunately, I don't think there's a way for me to discover how high a priority a coach puts on academics when I'm deciding whether or not to hire him, unless I start fooling around with the database. I'm not inclined to do that. I wonder how much my assistants' priorities will affect my plans?

Otherwise, they look pretty decent. Only two or three teams in the Horizon League have staffs of equal talent.

Here are the players I'll be coaching this year:



The Phoenix haven't been spreading their recruiting net too widely. Kareem Progin, the only player from out of state, comes from a town about 25 miles south of the Wisconsin border.

None of them are particularly distinguished academically, either. Sophomore center Calvin Wright is the most accomplished student on the team, and he's a C+ student.

Since we've established they are not outstanding students, shall we see what kind of basketball talent they possess?



Mike McDonald and David Martin are the most talented players on the roster. Martin, a center, was the team's prize recruit last season. Unfortunately, it looks like he's just about as good as he'll ever be. McDonald, a senior, is our most polished player. He's very athletic and he's a good shooter, but he doesn't seem to look to score very much.

It appears that a few of the players are aware of the fact that basketball players should play defense when the other team has the ball. Creating a formidable defense will be a long-term project.

Junior Roy Davis is, without a doubt, the Phoenix player who takes his defensive responsibilities most seriously. After looking at his ratings, it's hard for me to see how he's only a 0.5/0.5 player. He looks better than that. Progin has the potential to develop into a good defender, too.

I'll be focusing on recruiting in my story, as I try to put together the team I want.

[NarratorC]

Here are the offensive and defensive strategies I'm going to use as I bring the Pack Line back to Green Bay.




Obviously we're going to play a lot of man-to-man defense. Tony Bennett has said he mixes in a bit of zone, but I honestly don't remember seeing it. Very simply put, the Pack Line calls for one defender to pressure the ballhandler while the other four remain inside the "pack line," an area just inside the 3-point arc. That's why I picked a 1-2-2 for the rare occasions when the Phoenix will play a zone defense.

I like the 2-2-1 Half Court Trap for this team, so we'll use it as our primary pressing defense, with some Full Court Man-to-Man mixed in.




My predecessor apparently ran a Flex offense, with Princeton as their second choice. They barely ran Motion at all, so the players are almost completely unfamiliar with it.

As they learn Motion, I'm leaving some Flex and Princeton in place. Hopefully that will keep our offense from being too disjointed and ugly.

[NarratorC]

August 7, 2018

Coach Bellamy has been busy recruiting for the past six weeks or so. I'm concentrating my efforts on the Great Lakes region, especially our home state of Wisconsin.

We have two scholarships available for this recruiting cycle. The departing players are a point guard and a small forward, so ideally, we're looking for players at those positions. We have three power forwards on scholarship, and none is older than a sophomore; we probably wouldn't bring another PF in, unless he projected to make an immediate impact.

My first priority is finding players with the desire and ability to play outstanding defense. After I watch some film and evaluate their game, if they grade out as a D or an F for defense, I eliminate them from consideration (for now).

I was left with some B and C defenders who showed at least minimal interest in playing for us.

Then, I looked at their grades. If they're making better grades than the current Phoenix players, I kept them on the short list.

Eight players, all Wisconsin products, have come to campus for visits. (If I don't include the state when I mention a player's home town, assume he's a Wisconsin guy.)

I was most excited about Donta Massiah, a point guard from Juneau. He's a grade B defender with decent passing and ball-handling ability, and he has a 3.7 GPA. Donta wasn't terribly impressed with us when he visited, however, so I decided not to offer him a scholarship.

Jules Alloway, a powerful center from Reedsville, impressed me, too. But, like Massiah, he didn't show much interest in us recruiting him. I'm keeping an eye on him, but he's not a priority recruit anymore.

Brad Murray is a shooting guard, and because we have a freshman and a sophomore at those positions already, that position isn't an immediate need for us. And one of those players, Nick McTyer, is a highly regarded recruit with the potential to develop into an offensive force. Brad would be battling for playing time, and that is something that is important to him.

I kept looking back at Murray, though. I like his well-rounded game. He's a good enough defender (C), and he's a 3.0 student whose coach praises his work ethic. Brad is the kind of kid I want at Green Bay. I decided to offer him a scholarship.

I also offered a scholarship to Delawn Jackson, a 6'8" small forward from Gresham. When he visited us in late June, he wasn't considered one of the top 100 players in the Midwest. Since then, his stock has risen considerably. He's now the #17 player at his position regionally, and his national rank has jumped to #393.

Delawn makes good grades (3.1 GPA). He's a hard worker, and he'd like to play close to home. His C grade for defense is acceptable, too. Landing him might be a stretch, since his stock is increasing. I'm looking forward to seeing if his interest level goes up from "++" to "+++" now that he has an offer in his hand.

We're entering a quiet period, when we can call recruits, watch game film, or bring them to campus for visits. Beginning on September 11, I can hit the road and visit players, and hopefully I'll return to Green Bay with some good news.

[NarratorC]

September 25, 2018

Our recruiting efforts continued through the month of August with very little change. Both players we had offered, Brad Murray and Delawn Jackson, listed Green Bay in their top three choices. Murray had us at #2, and Jackson at #3.

Two other players were showing definite (+++) interest in our program.

Lou Wallace was the more interesting player. A 6'3" guard from Grantsburg, he was considered a Top 500 talent nationally. He is a deft passer and a deadly outside shooter, and a very good passer who could run the team's offense or feature as a shooting guard. His C rating for defense looks good enough, and his 2.8 GPA isn't terrible.

Small forward Aaron Riley is a 6'6" athlete from Eagle River. My staff and I think he has the potential to be a bigger scorer than he's been in high school, where he's averaging just under 14 points per game. His D for defense and his 2.3 GPA keep him from the top of our list.

The crucial fall contact period began on September 11. I visited Murray and Jackson, the two players whom we'd offered, and also Wallace and Riley. Each player, and/or his parents, had indicated that playing close to home was an important factor in their decision, so I emphasized our school's location to all four players.

All four responded positively to my visit, but neither Brad nor Delawn gave us a verbal commitment. Aaron was the most enthusiastic; he, along with Brad and Lou, announced we were their first choices. Delawn continued to consider us his second pick. I wondered who his first choice would be?

A week later, I repeated the same routine, visiting the same four players with the same emphasis on playing close to home. None of the four boys mentioned anything else as being especially important except, in Delawn's case, academics. I didn't think our Grade C academic ranking was a big point in our favor. (I'm going to work on raising that ranking, too).

Brad Murray sent us the email no coach wants to receive: the one that says "I just can't see myself playing for you." It was a shame, because I think he'd be a perfect fit for our program.

I wasted no time pulling his offer and giving it to Lou Wallace instead.

We got better news from Delawn. He became the first recruiting commitment of Coach Bellamy's career!



Good news, hopefully: The experts who do the national rankings don't seem to have a clue about how good Delawn is. He'd dropped from the high 300s down to #1007 at one point, but now his stock is rising again. If he's really that good, he is the most highly regarded player who's committed to a Horizon League program so far.

Bad news, possibly: Despite his overall ranking, it appears that our staff downgraded his defense to a D. I hope that's not an accurate evaluation.

[NarratorC]

October 2, 2018

With Delawn Jackson on board, I focused my recruiting efforts on landing Lou Wallace. I visited Aaron Riley again, just in case.

Lou must have been waiting for our offer, because he pounced as soon as we showed up at his home. Welcome to the Phoenix, Lou!



His ballhandling could use some work, but otherwise, Lou is a very well-rounded player who can assume varied roles in our program.



Unlike Brad Murray, Lou isn't insisting on playing as soon as he arrives on campus. Neither does Nick McTyer, so the fact that he and Wallace are only a class apart shouldn't cause too much friction.

So, with both our scholarships claimed, it looks like it's time to wait for Signing Day, which takes place in mid-November. Then, we'll have to make sure both Delawn and Lou qualify academically. I can't see either of them struggling to score 880 on their SAT, which Green Bay will require them to do in order to be admitted.

[Young Drachma]

oooh, nice! Excited for more CBB stories.

[NarratorC]

Originally Posted by Young Drachma

oooh, nice! Excited for more CBB stories.

@Young Drachma: Thank you! Reading your FBCB dynasty put the idea in my head. Thanks for reading and commenting!

October 2, 2018

Practice begins today, which means the Phoenix will now be learning the new offense and defense I'll be expecting them to play. That won't be a simple task.

Understandably, the freshmen are tabulae rasae. Here's a snapshot of the basketball knowledge of first-year center David Martin, a projected starter.



The highest proficiency score is 100, not 10. David, therefore, has a lot to learn.

Senior Mike McDonald has apparently learned quite a bit about man-to-man defense, which is a good thing. However, he will be just as clueless as his freshman teammate when it comes to learning our primary offense.

We do run some Flex and Princeton, however, and he learned those from his previous coach.



It's cool that I can plan our practice sessions, the way I would if I were really coaching a team.



I can also change the plan each week. That's very cool, too.

[Izulde]

As someone who lives an hour west of Green Bay, and actually finishing my teaching license requirements remotely at UWGB, I heartily approve this dynasty and will eagerly follow along. Very curious to see if a Clintonville or Racine prospect ever show up (particularly from Racine Washington Park/Racine Park, my HS alma mater).

[NarratorC]

Originally Posted by Izulde

As someone who lives an hour west of Green Bay, and actually finishing my teaching license requirements remotely at UWGB, I heartily approve this dynasty and will eagerly follow along. Very curious to see if a Clintonville or Racine prospect ever show up (particularly from Racine Washington Park/Racine Park, my HS alma mater).

@Izulde: I appreciate the endorsement!

There were 21 players from Wisconsin among the recruits from the Class of 2019. None of them were from Clintonville or Racine.

I could think of four Division I programs in the state: Wisconsin, Green Bay, Marquette, and Milwaukee. I checked their 2018-19 rosters, and none of them have a player from Clintonville or Racine.

I'll definitely write about any guys I see from either of those cities. If he'll play some defense and hit the books, I just might recruit him, regardless of what else he has to offer.

Thanks for following.

[NarratorC]

December 28, 2018

I'm playing through this season quickly, because the Green Bay roster is full of players I inherited from my predecessor.



Our 4-5 record reveals reasons for optimism and caution, in nearly equal measure.

We've won three of our last four games, and four of our last six. Our first two losses were very close games; we lost on a buzzer-beater at Lehigh, and blew a late lead at home to Morgan State. We beat Rice with a clutch free throw from Kareem Progim with three seconds on the clock.

On the other hand, we're still 4-5, and we haven't found a way to win away from the Resch Center.

I've made two changes in our starting lineup since our opening game. Roy Davis, our highest-rated defender by far, is now starting at forward in place of Zachary Williams, who was unimpressive in his first three starts. Erratic point guard James Duke was replaced by more reliable Anthony Blackwell. Both Williams and Duke seem to be much more effective when they come off the bench.

Center David Martin, forward Mike McDonald, and guard Progim have been fixtures in the starting lineup. All three of these players, plus the surprisingly productive Davis, average 10-12 points per game.

Our 18-game conference season begins tonight. Wright State, who were predicted to finish second in the league, had the best non-conference record (7-2). Preseason favorite Northern Kentucky has struggled so far, at 4-6.

Our AD expects me to lead a team that was predicted to finish 6th to a top three finish. Like I said, I hope the AD is feeling generous.

Both Delawn Jackson and Lou Wallace signed their letters of intent last month, so they're officially part of the Phoenix family.

[NarratorC]

April 9, 2019

Our first season has come to a close. I'm lucky to be invited back for another one.



We weren't a very good basketball team. We weren't very good at many basketball things. We were good shooters, though. We shot three-pointers more accurately than any team in the Horizon League (.429). In retrospect, I probably should have focused our offense more on outside play.

We are a long way from the rock-solid defensive team I'm aiming to create. The Phoenix were next to last in the conference in points allowed per game (77.9).



The conference season started off well, but once the calendar changed to 2019, the wheels came off the Phoenix bus. We won only one of our eight games in January, a surprising victory over a good Milwaukee team. We lost every way possible, from blowouts (Wright State) to nail-biters (Oakland). Whenever we went on the road, we left our game back in Green Bay. The victory we achieved at Cleveland State in our first away conference matchup was the only road game we won all season.



When the tournament rolled around, we did pick things up a bit. We won the play-in game in overtime, and took the eventual runners-up, Northern Kentucky, to the bitter end before Mike McDonald's game-tying jumper bounced off the rim.





Mike McDonald did everything we asked of him, stepping up the way a senior should. He led the team in several important categories, and earned some well-deserved recognition at season's end.



Our other scholarship senior, James Duke, turned his season around after losing his starting job. With our season descending into misery and with Anthony Blackwell failing to provide stability at point guard, I turned back to the Duke in mid-February. James wasn't spectacular, but he went out with his head held high.

Senior walk-on Paul London appeared in 22 games and played fairly well when we called on him. He wasn't much of a student, but he worked hard, and we'll miss him.

Our other non-scholarship senior, Maurice Strange, didn't play much. Strange made shots when he took them, but he also caused problems throughout the season, clashing repeatedly with David Martin. He also pulled down the team GPA, with his uninspired 2.0 marks.



Then again, Coach Bellamy's report card isn't too impressive, either. Not only did I fail to achieve any of my goals, I didn't come anywhere close.

There are some signs to which an optimist like myself can point as I look ahead. Sophomore Kareem Progin had a very solid season, shooting the ball exceptionally well. Junior Roy Davis was my prize find. He played much better than his ratings would suggest; I wasn't expecting him to contribute offensively at all. And, based on his rating, he's the best defender in the Horizon League.

Blackwell will hopefully play like a senior next year. McTyer has lots of upside. And, our incoming freshmen, Delawn Jackson and Lou Wallace, are among the three or four highest-ranked recruits in the conference.

This time next year, I hope to have better things to report. If I don't, I might find myself looking for a new job.

[NarratorC]

April 9, 2019

There's a wider world of college basketball beyond the Horizon League. Before we say goodbye to the 2018-19 season, let's take a look at that world.



The Final Four featured Gonzaga, Wisconsin, Kansas, and Marquette. The Zags, perhaps somewhat unfairly, were given a #5 seed despite their high ranking in both major polls. Wisconsin beat them, 83-75, in one semifinal, while Kansas knocked off Marquette, 80-70

The Jayhawks prevailed in an instant classic Final game, 81-79. They were led by their brilliant freshman star, James James. Here he is, posed beside one of his numerous post-season honors:



James was the NCAA Tournament MVP, the WS Freshman of the Year and Player of the Year, and a first-team All-American. There is little doubt that the 6'8" sensation will enter the NBA Draft this spring, ending his brief but illustrious stay in Lawrence.

Now, it's time to move ahead to 2019-20...

[NarratorC]

A strange glitch has been spawned in my DDS:CB game. It's probably my own doing, but I have no idea how I might have messed things up.

All I know is that when I loaded up my game just now, my Green Bay roster looked a lot different. Many of the same players were there, but they had been reverted to the class before. For example, David Martin, who should have been a sophomore, was now a freshman again. The newly recruited freshmen, Delawn Jackson and Lou Wallace, were nowhere to be seen. Instead, I had a new crop of seniors.

I also discovered that it's not possible to improve a program's academic reputation, even if you bring in lots of excellent students. It's understandably difficult for a program with a C rating, like Green Bay, to attract players who do much better than a 3.0 in the classroom, and there's apparently nothing I can do to change that fact.

In every other respect, I'm having a great time with the game. I'm going to start a new Pack Line story, with a slightly different premise this time. I want to run a program that emphasizes academics, so I'm going to have my coach begin his career at one of those schools.

Thank you to those of you who have been following along. Please join me in my new dynasty thread, coming up very soon!

NC

[NarratorC]

I tried reloading my Green Bay save, and I was pleasantly surprised to see my game had somehow "healed" its glitch! I looked at the roster, and it looked just fine. The returning players had all aged a year, and my incoming recruits were on the roster.

I still can't improve the academic reputation of my program, but I can deal with that. If I decide I want to coach student athletes with more academic chops, I can always look for another job.

So I'll be resuming this story anyway. Sorry for the false alarm!

[NarratorC]

August 14, 2019

This year, we have two scholarships to fill. Our graduating scholarship seniors are point guard Anthony Blackwell and forward Roy Davis.

I'm not too impressed with our only other PG, redshirt sophomore Caleb Osteen, so there is an opportunity for a freshman to step right into our rotation.

I'm not as concerned with a like-for-like swap at the forward spot. First year Delawn Jackson looks like he's ready to challenge for a starting position right now. Kareem Progin, who played so well at the two last year, is a natural three. Zachary Williams returns, and so do Nate Harvey and Ray Cummings. Nate looks like he's improved quite a bit since last year.

We could actually use a center; while David Martin is only a sophomore, his backup, Calvin Wright, is a junior, and there's no other true center in the program.

Learning that I can't improve Green Bay's academic rating changes my recruiting approach just a bit. Now I'm widening my search to include players who are decent students, the 2.4 GPA guys. They'll probably be able to remain academically eligible, and they'll hopefully earn the 880 SAT they need to be admitted.

Nine players have visited campus so far, but the guy I'm pursuing the most actively has been on the list since the first week. Adrian Richmond, a 6'2" point guard from Shorewood, WI, is exactly the kind of player I'm looking for. He's a slick ballhandler and passer. He is an exceptionally good outside shooter. His 3.1 GPA is very solid. And, most of all, he is a tenacious, Grade B defender.

I decided to splurge on the Gold Report for the Midwest region this time, so I can see the top ten schools for the best 200 players in the area. Right now, Adrian has us as his #5 pick, behind Notre Dame, Minnesota, Milwaukee, and Michigan. I think the Power Five schools might be aiming a bit higher than the #28 PG in the Midwest, so I'm sensing we'll be battling our in-state rival for Adrian's commitment.

Two weeks ago, I offered our other scholarship to Chris Amaker. He's a 6'7" forward from West High School in Madison. His national ranking isn't impressive--there are supposedly 1476 high school basketball players in the country who are better than he is--but I think he might be a diamond in the rough. Chris can finish at the rim, and he can stroke it from outside. He's long and athletic, and he's another Grade B defender. I wish he were more interested in us; there's only one plus sign in his interest column.

Both Adrian and Chris want to play close to home, and that's what I'll be pitching when I visit.

[NarratorC]

September 18, 2019

I felt good about our chances of signing Adrian Richmond. He'd been interested in us from the start, and we made it clear the interest was mutual with a very quick scholarship offer. Adrian remained our top recruit, even after an undistinguished performance at the Chicago Prep Revue. We were encouraged that a player good enough to attend a regional camp held us in such high regard. When the contact period began on September 11, we were still Adrian's top choice.

We had also made some significant progress with Chris Amaker. In August, we weren't even on Chris's list. But once we offered him a scholarship, we rose quickly: from #10, to #5, to #3. Perhaps a visit might be all he needed to understand how much we wanted him to come to Green Bay.

That first week, we naturally visited Adrian and Chris. We also decided to pay a call to Othella Crowley, a 6'4" wing at Brookwood HS in Ontario, WI. He had been interested in us all along. We liked Othella's athleticism and his ability to shoot, but his defensive skills were a bit less developed than we wanted to see.

I took a real long shot with our fourth visit. There was a 6'10" center in Elk Mound named Richard Levy, who was known for his rugged defensive play and his ability to score with a variety of post moves. He had visited our campus and wasn't too impressed, so I hadn't recruited him much since then. Nevertheless, that B-grade defense was too good to ignore, so I decided to see how he and his family would respond to a visit.

Richard politely made it clear he wasn't interested. I wasn't surprised by that. I was, however, taken aback when Chris Amaker told me the same thing.

Whatever, dude. We pulled our offer and cut our ties with him.

Othella Crowley was much happier to see us. I think he might have snatched the offer from my hand if I'd had it with me. But in this case, D for defense is not a good thing, and it's kept me from offering O a scholarship.

I was hoping Adrian Richmond would make the week a success, but he didn't say yes. He also didn't say no, so our pursuit would continue for another week.

Before my second round of visits, I made a scholarship offer to Antoine Minor. He's a long, lean (6'7") forward from Freedom, WI. Like Richmond, he did not stand out at the Chicago Prep Revue. Unlike Richmond, he didn't seem interested in playing for us at all during the summer. That was a shame, because I liked his combination of scoring, unselfishness, and defensive intensity.

Both Antoine and his parents indicated they'd like him to play close to home, so I emphasized location when I visited them. And it looked like I nailed the visit, too. Antoine didn't accept the offer, but we're now #2 on his list, behind Illinois State. The Redbirds are a slightly more prestigious program than ours, but Antoine doesn't care much about that. He values discipline more highly, but we have the edge there. I'm feeling pretty good about our chances of winning this battle in the end.

We had another good visit with Othella Crowley, too.

But the big news of the week...



Put it on the board!



Adrian looks like he could turn into a true lead guard, able to run our offense and provide a constant scoring threat. And he's a more highly-rated defender than Lou Wallace was when we signed him. Adrian might be able to start right away, and it will be great to have him on campus.

[NarratorC]

September 25, 2019

We got more good news this week!



Antoine's overall grade is a C, the same as the other three players we've signed since I've been at Green Bay. I have a feeling he could be better than that.



Antoine looks to me like an exceptionally well-rounded wing player who can impose his will on a game in a number of ways. When he arrives next year, the presence of Kareem Progin, Zach Williams, and Delawn Jackson will give him time to adjust to the demands of college ball...if he needs it.

The Gold Report cost us $30,000, but I think it turned out to be money well-spent. Without it, I would have had no idea which other schools I was competing with to sign Antoine Minor. When I compared what we have to offer with what Illinois State could give him, I felt good about our chances, and that's why I offered him the scholarship.

I'm really glad I did.

Our recruiting season should be over now, and I'm very pleased with the players we're bringing in.

[NarratorC]

November 13, 2019

As the 2019-20 season begins, let's take a look at this year's team.



I wonder if Coach Bellamy's emphasis on academic excellence has begun to rub off on the players? Some of them are making much better grades now! I'm especially proud of Calvin Wright, who had a 2.7 GPA this time last year.

The new walk-ons, Nathan Griffin and Isaac Lilly, are both decent students, too.





Center David Martin enjoyed a very productive freshman season, and we'll look for him to take another step forward this year. David could be one of the top two or three big men in the Horizon League, along with Matt Bennett of Northern Kentucky and Scott Sharp of Illinois-Chicago.

He'll be joined in the frontcourt by Roy Davis and Kareem Progin.

Davis surprised everyone with his offensive contributions last season, but it's his work at the defensive end of the floor that sets him apart. Roy is the highest-rated defender in the conference.

Progin is the team's top returning scorer, largely on the basis of volume rather than accuracy. His shot is smooth and fluid, so we hope he was simply unlucky.

Freshman Delawn Jackson will receive plenty of playing time, especially against teams that have particularly physical post players. Jackson is strong under the boards and has a good midrange game.

Zachary Williams will also have a chance to make an impression. He lost his starting job to Davis last year, but he's worked on his game and seems ready to make an impact. Zach will be Martin's primary reserve at center.

Another freshman, Lou Wallace, will team with senior Anthony Blackwell in the backcourt.

Wallace has real potential, able to score off the dribble or make teams pay from the outside. He also brings with him a reputation for solid defensive play.

After splitting starting duties with James Duke last season, Blackwell will be the unquestioned first choice at the point this year. He distributes the ball well and shoots well enough to keep defenders honest. His quickness enables him to get some steals, but he's not a natural defender.

Larry Crane provides solid depth at both guard spots. He is a very good shooter and a solid defensive player.

Last season, Nick McTyer provided some glimpses of his potential, occasionally scoring in bunches. He could also look hopelessly overmatched. The potential is still there, but it's time for him to deliver more consistently.

Caleb Osteen is available if we need a long-range bomber, and walk-on Nathan Griffin can run the offense for short stretches if we need him to.

The media experts took note of our last-place finish last season and predicted we'd end up in the same spot again this year. I can't help thinking this team is significantly better than last year's. Mike McDonald will be missed, but I believe the addition of Jackson and Wallace, along with the maturation of Martin and Progin, will more than compensate for his absence.

[NarratorC]

December 22, 2019



Our non-conference schedule is complete, and we finished up one game better than last year. We went 5-4, as opposed to 4-5.

Along the way, we recorded the most impressive win of my coaching career: a 79-70 upset at Davidson. We won our four home games and lost the remainder of our away games, maintaining our frustrating inability to win away from home.

Some of the losses were especially annoying. We shouldn't have been blown out by Eastern Kentucky or Fordham, no matter where we played them. But when your starting guards combine for 4 points (as they did against EKU) or jack up 23 shots and make only five (as they did against Fordham), you're going to suffer.

Freshman Lou Wallace has experienced some severe growing pains, and I'm considering relegating him to the bench. That would probably mean moving Kareem Progin back to guard, where he played last season. I think I'll give Lou a chance to redeem himself in the first couple games of the conference season.

Progin's play has been a bright spot for the Phoenix thus far. He is shooting much more accurately than he did last season, and he's playing with increased poise and maturity. On the other hand, David Martin has struggled to establish his role in the offense. I'm considering a tweak to our offense that would cause us to focus a bit less on outside play; I chose that emphasis because our outside shooters are rated so highly.

I think I've been undervaluing the Scoring attribute, which apparently determines how often a player will look for his shot. That would explain why PF Roy Davis jacks up 14 shots per 40 minutes in an offense that emphasizes outside shooting. His Scoring rating is 7; Progin's is 5, and no other player is higher than 4.

Adrian Richmond and Antoine Minor have signed their letters of intent. Since both are fairly good students--Adrian has a 3.1 and Antoine a 2.8--they should score high enough on their SAT to be eligible.

Speaking of recruiting, I just discovered there are international recruits in the game! So far, I haven't generated any real interest from players outside Wisconsin. I wonder if guys from England or Croatia would be more likely to look at us than guys from Illinois or Michigan?

[NarratorC]

April 9, 2020

What a difference a year makes!



This time last spring, I was concerned about my future at Green Bay. Now I'm looking to the future with excitement and confidence.

We reversed our conference record, primarily because we figured out how to win the occasional road game. We took care of business against our weaker Horizon League foes when we visited their place, and we continued to make a visit to the Resch Center an unpleasant experience for our opponents.

I feared the worst when point guard Anthony Blackwell broke his elbow on New Year's Eve. Larry Crane responded well to the opportunity Blackwell's injury provided him. He wasn't spectacular, but he usually took good care of the ball and distributed it to our scorers. The maturation of his backcourt partner, Lou Wallace, also helped; he grew from a possession-squandering bomber into a dangerous offensive force.



We were a two-point loss in overtime away from a conference championship; had we beaten Illinois-Chicago on February 1, our 14-4 record would have been the Horizon League's best. That's disappointing, but after finishing 2018-19 at the bottom of the table, I'll accept this year's result with gratitude.

We were disappointed to exit the Horizon League tournament in the first round. For the second straight year, the Northern Kentucky Norse ended our tournament run. Despite our early exit, we were invited to participate in the NIT. Assigned to the Midwest Region as the #4 seed, we fell behind early to Rhode Island and couldn't come back.





My decision to change our offense to get the ball into David Martin's hands paid off, too. For the second straight season, David hit at least 62 percent of his shots, and he improved his rebounding and defense, too.



I think David deserved his post-season recognition, don't you?

Kareem Progin led the Phoenix in scoring, responding positively to the chance to be our first option offensively. He was also a very good defender and, along with Martin, give us two standout sophomores who have started over 50 games in their careers.

Lou Wallace was the star of the freshman class, but fellow Class of '24 recruit Delawn Jackson settled into his role as our sixth man. He shot erratically, but he established a reputation as a tough rebounder and inside defender.

Three seniors completed their careers this season.

Walk-on Nathan Griffin appeared in seven games. He took four shots, all from three-point range, and made two of them. He made the most of his one year in our program.

Anthony Blackwell eagerly awaited his chance to be the undisputed number one point guard, only to have his season derailed by injury. It's a real shame, because he played superbly in the first weeks of the season. Anthony shot over 50 percent from behind the arc, and ran our offense with efficiency and style. His True Shooting Percentage and Effective Field Goal Percentage, which take into account the additional value of three-pointers, were both above .700.

Every time I let the AI suggest a depth chart and sub rotation, it told me Roy Davis was the ninth best player on our roster. I disagreed, and I'm glad I did. Roy's defensive rating was far and away the best on the roster and his performance matched his skill. Players attempted to drive on Roy 44 times, and none of them succeeded. At the other end of the floor, he pitched in nine points per game, while only playing about half the time.





These two emails look a lot better than the one I received last year. It looks like the Pack Line project will continue!

[DavidCorperial]

Um, the first picture was last years version of the goals.

[NarratorC]

Originally Posted by DavidCorperial

Um, the first picture was last years version of the goals.

@DavidCorperial: Good catch! I fixed it. Thanks for pointing it out.

[NarratorC]

April 9, 2020



The final polls of the season contained many of the "usual suspects," college basketball royalty like North Carolina and Louisville, and a number of intriguing "dance crashers" like Louisiana-Monroe and Marist.

Villanova, Texas, Virginia, and Gonzaga advanced to the Final Four. The Longhorns trampled the Wildcats, 72-43, in one semi-final, while the Cavaliers eliminated the Bulldogs, 76-64, in the other.



As a Virginia fan, I was delighted with the outcome of the championship game. Virginia beat Texas, 80-64, giving coach Joel Rivers a national championship.

The champions were led by forward John Flannery. The 6'6" sophomore was named to the All-ACC First Team, and he was the Most Valuable Player of the NCAA tournament.



He was joined by senior guard Charles White on the All-ACC team. Coach Rivers will undoubtedly have to replace the steady, classy White next year, and I'd be shocked if Flannery doesn't declare for the draft.



Joel Rivers is only 42, and with a national championship to his credit, it's unlikely the UVA athletic department will be firing this talented coach anytime soon. It might be a long time before Coach Bellamy's dream job is available.

For now, however, let's turn the page to 2020-21...

[NarratorC]

August 14, 2020

There are four senior players on scholarship this year, so I have twice as much recruiting to do than I ever have. Basically, I'm looking to add two wings (SG or SF) and two bigs (PF or C) to the roster.

None of the four new kids necessarily have to start next season. In fact, none of our five projected starters this year are seniors, so if the 2021 freshmen aren't ready for prime time, I think we can be patient with them.

I usually don't post any images of players we're recruiting until we sign them. Somehow I feel there could be a jinx involved. But, since Izulde expressed interest in any players we discovered from two particular schools...



P.J. Datcher is a senior at Park High School in Racine. He plays a position we're looking to fill. He's a good enough student to make it into, and out of, Green Bay. His coach says good things about his work ethic and dependability. And, despite his unimpressive national and regional rankings, our talent-watchers think he's a good enough player to help us. We like P.J., and he likes us. With a month to go before we can visit him at home, we are #3 on his list. (Since he's not ranked high enough to be featured in the Gold Star report, we don't know who he ranks higher).

I offered a scholarship to a 6'8" forward from New Richmond, WI named Donny Lyday. He was the first player good enough to merit an overall rating as good as a B to show interest in playing for us. Of course, as soon as I made the offer, Lyday's rating dropped to a C, and his defensive grade to a D. Still, he's a Top 100 player at the regional level, and if the power conference schools he'd prefer to play for don't make him offers, it looks like Donny might be faced with a choice between us and Milwaukee.

We are really reaching for Dahntay Evans, a very smooth 6'8" wing from Greendale, WI. He's just outside the top 100...nationally. We offered Dahntay a scholarship, but so far he's expressed only minimal interest. Why do I still think we have a shot at him? He wants to play close to home, and his top 10 list is filled with schools that are roughly equal in prestige. Bradley, for example, is his number one choice.

I also decided to take a shot at a foreign player. Harvey Baker, a 6'3" guard from England, looks like the kind of player we could use: a natural scorer, a technically proficient shooter, a hard-working defender. We offered Harvey a scholarship, but he hasn't expressed too much interest yet. I wonder if we are the only program who is recruiting him? If so, will he realize this, and warm up to us if we make the trip across the pond to visit him?

We, therefore, have two players I feel good about signing (Datcher and Lyday) and two long shots (Evans and Baker). My instinct is telling me to keep the latter pair on the list long enough to visit them next month. If we don't gain some favor after that, it will be time to switch our attentions elsewhere.

[NarratorC]

September 11, 2020

We continued to recruit during the rest of August and into early September. Naturally, I concentrated on the four players we'd offered, but I made sure not to lose touch with other guys who had expressed some interest.

By August 21, Donny Lyday was listing Green Bay as his top choice. Strangely enough, so was Dahntay Evans, although his interest level remained at one star. Both players were also expressing interest in bigger schools, however. Donny's second choice was Indiana, and Dahntay's list contained a host of SEC schools--including Kentucky--and Florida State.

My first round of visits took place this week. Off to Racine I went, to pay a call on P.J. Datcher. The visit went well; we're still his top choice, but he wasn't willing to make a verbal commitment.

Visiting Harvey Baker in England was a lot of fun, but it wasn't a very successful experience, basketball-wise. He was simply not interested in coming to Green Bay, so I politely took my offer back. It will be interesting to see where he ends up.



New Richmond is just across the Mississippi River from Minneapolis, clear across the state from Green Bay. That's where I traveled to visit Donny Lyday. He now listed Dayton as his top choice, but I knew Lyday wanted to play close to home. I emphasized to him that Green Bay is much closer than Ohio.



It worked, and Donny became our first commitment of the season!

Lyday's national ranking took a bit of a beating, and I mentioned how our scouts lowered his grades after being so impressed with him early on.



Now, it looks like Donny might turn out to be a rotation player for us rather than a future star. As long as he's OK with that role--he values playing time rather highly, and I made him no promises there--things will be fine.

Our last journey was to Greendale, a suburb on the southwest side of Milwaukee, and the home of Dahntay Evans. I confess; I had already lined up Plans B and C, because I figured the lure of a big school might be too much for this big-time player to resist. Still, Dahntay had made it clear that he wanted to play close to home, and so did his parent, a Milwaukee alum. The Panthers weren't on his list, however. We were the only Wisconsin school in his top ten. And Dahntay assured us that the prestige of a program and the conference in which it played weren't very important to him.

I pitched our location. The Resch Center is 126 miles from the Greendale High School gym, a two-hour drive up Interstate 43.

And, then...



Phoenix Nation began to rejoice!

Dahntay Evans is, by Horizon League standards, a huge, HUGE get. Wright State signed a player whose national ranking was very similar last year: guard Carlin Marlow. No other Horizon League signee has approached that standard.

Dahntay's high school statistics don't leap off the page at you, but he drew raves for his performance at the Chicago Prep Revue, and his scouted ratings paint the picture of a versatile, dynamic player who makes things happen at both ends of the floor.



If he turns out to be close to that good, Evans will be a starter from Day One, the kind of player you build a program around.