College Hoops 2k8: A New Challenge

[RPI-Fan]

How does the "triple threat" work? The only moves I really know are the behind-the-back, spin move, and basic crossover. I feel like I'm missing some other major feature?

Not sure what my inside success is, though I do use adjusted sliders. I just looked at the ones I downloaded from OS and it was set to 45 for humans, and I'm pretty sure I didn't tweak that, so it looks like that's what I'm at. It seems just about right, to me.

My star PF is so confusing. He is PERFECT PF size (6'-9", 250lb) but really has a confusing offensive game. He has a very good 3 point shot (and has a FAST release -- do you have anyone with that wicked quick release?), but doesn't like to try to get open behind the 3-point line. That's why I was asking about the play-designer being used in legacy mode. Any info you find on that would be greatly appreciated. But while he's a great 3-pt shooter he's open so little that he usually only hits a couple a game (and can't get on a hot streak because he doesn't take enough of them). He doesn't move that well so I can't just give him the ball on the outside and let him drive. I have to either set him up for the jumper or lay it off deep in the post area; nothing in between. It's a nice challenge though. I think when I get the big, strong PG for next year who can get into the lane my PF will really explode. He is awesome on the defensive glass despite relatively modest height.

What kind of ratings bumps do you typically see over guys' careers? I get the sense that at my Northern Colorado (closed legacy) team guys with C or better potential are really valuable. Is that the case or am I too optimistic?

I appreciate all the info, let me know at any time if I'm asking too many questions!

What year are you in in your dynasty?

[Groundhog]

Originally Posted by RPI-Fan

Do you know if you can use created plays in legacy mode? I couldn't figure out how to load my set.

You can. It's a bit of a hassle. What you need to do is load the playbook prior to loading your legacy and put it in either slot 1 or 2. Then when you go to play your game and are at the screen where you assign your controller to either team you go in to the option screen (I believe it's the triangle button on the PS3, on the 360 It's probably the top most button on the front face of the controller - can't recall which symbol that uses). There you can change the playbook for either team, so scroll through your own playbook until you get to custom 1 or whatever it's called.

You have to do this prior to every game, because you can't assign the custom playbook to your coach settings.

[Eaglesfan27]

Originally Posted by Groundhog

Hmmm... That is a great idea. I've found that I either control the PG or PF, but the problem with doing that is that either my PG picks up no fouls, or my PF gets most the rebounds because I'm more aggressive with boxing out than the AI. But this is a great suggestion - I'll be giving this a shot tonight.

Yeah, that is where I appreciate it the most. I have guys get into foul trouble and since I stick to this rule, I can't protect them. If this Celtics game turns into too much more of a blowout, I might get in a game tonight. Talking about the game has given me the urge to play another game

[Eaglesfan27]

Originally Posted by RPI-Fan

How does the "triple threat" work? The only moves I really know are the behind-the-back, spin move, and basic crossover. I feel like I'm missing some other major feature?

Not sure what my inside success is, though I do use adjusted sliders. I just looked at the ones I downloaded from OS and it was set to 45 for humans, and I'm pretty sure I didn't tweak that, so it looks like that's what I'm at. It seems just about right, to me.

My star PF is so confusing. He is PERFECT PF size (6'-9", 250lb) but really has a confusing offensive game. He has a very good 3 point shot (and has a FAST release -- do you have anyone with that wicked quick release?), but doesn't like to try to get open behind the 3-point line. That's why I was asking about the play-designer being used in legacy mode. Any info you find on that would be greatly appreciated. But while he's a great 3-pt shooter he's open so little that he usually only hits a couple a game (and can't get on a hot streak because he doesn't take enough of them). He doesn't move that well so I can't just give him the ball on the outside and let him drive. I have to either set him up for the jumper or lay it off deep in the post area; nothing in between. It's a nice challenge though. I think when I get the big, strong PG for next year who can get into the lane my PF will really explode. He is awesome on the defensive glass despite relatively modest height.

What kind of ratings bumps do you typically see over guys' careers? I get the sense that at my Northern Colorado (closed legacy) team guys with C or better potential are really valuable. Is that the case or am I too optimistic?

I appreciate all the info, let me know at any time if I'm asking too many questions!

What year are you in in your dynasty?

45 isn't bad for inside success. A touch high for my taste, but much better than default of 50. As far as the triple threat move, I think there quickness and handle rating are a big factor on how successful it is, but if you release it just right, they can really explode in whatever direction they dribble in. That is the main thing I do.

I've found the Motion offense was really good at getting my PF some decent 3 point looks if you don't want to do custom plays. That is what I used and Santos got quite a few looks. I also like some plays in the high post offense to get the PF some 3 point looks. Cornette is too inconsistent to run those plays much.

I know what you mean about that quick release - Andres had it! I loved his release. Hannan's is similar, but just a bit longer. However, Hannan has such great elevation on his shot that it looks perfect.

The scouting error makes it hard to predict how guys will develop. Hannan and his A potential has gained very slowly this year while Graves has picked up 2 overall points. A few of my other guys have picked up 1 overall points. I expect most guys to gain between 1 and 2 overall points in the course of a year, post-patch (it was much higher pre-patch.)

Now, once I get better coaches with higher teaching abilities and I raise my own teaching ability higher, I'll expect that to go up. I'll also expect that to go up when I get true A potential guys which I'm starting to suspect Hannan isn't really.


While I've typed this, the Hawks have come back, but I still want to get in a game. I'll watch the 2nd and 3rd quarter quickly on DVR and catch up on the 4th quarter after I play our next opponent.

[Groundhog]

Originally Posted by Eaglesfan27

The scouting error makes it hard to predict how guys will develop. Hannan and his A potential has gained very slowly this year while Graves has picked up 2 overall points. A few of my other guys have picked up 1 overall points. I expect most guys to gain between 1 and 2 overall points in the course of a year, post-patch (it was much higher pre-patch.)

I've found that with C/C+ guys you can probably expect 1 to 2 points per season. B and A potential guys sometimes only improve 1 to 2, but sometimes they jump by more than that. It seems to me that the higher the potential the greater the "boom" chances are, but yeah, maybe scouting error plays a hand in that too. Bonus drills help of course. You can usually add at least 1 additional rating if you work on the same two guys every week for the length of the season, depending on the rating you target. I usually devote these soley to my freshmen for that year, redshirts especially.

[RPI-Fan]

Thanks for all the answers!! Still confused on the "triple threat" -- not even sure how to "activate" it?

[Groundhog]

Originally Posted by RPI-Fan

Thanks for all the answers!! Still confused on the "triple threat" -- not even sure how to "activate" it?

Before your player has dribbled (or after he's picked up his dribble - but it wouldn't do you much good then ) hold down the RT & LT. Now pushing towards the basket with the left analog stick will make your guy jab step forward, pushing away will make him hold the ball away from the defender.

[Eaglesfan27]

Heh. Simon was the featured player before this game against Iona. He has 3 inches and 60 pounds on his guy.


We are up 10-6 at the 15 minute mark.

At the 14 minute mark, Everett picks up his 2nd foul on a cheap reach in.

A minute later, he picks up a 3rd, and I bring in Waters for him.

At the 10 minute mark, we are up 18-12.

With 8 minutes to go, we are up 21-15. All of our starters are out of he game to get a rest.

Our bench had built a 10 point lead, but they tire. 28-23 with 3:40 to go when I get my starters back into the game including Everett with his 3 fouls.


At the half, we are up 32-24.


Hannan is the player of the half. 8 points, 2 boards, and a steal. He is finishing on the break which has been the source of all of his points.


With 15 minutes to go in the game, Hannan gets his 3rd foul.


A 8-0 run by them to close it to 44-40 is ended by a Hannan drive to the hoop that draws a foul. He makes 1 of 2 FT's.

45-40 with 11 minutes to go.

With 8 minutes to go, Simon gets his 4th foul.

49-44 as he sits. All of my other starters were already resting.

Our bench with a huge run including 2 3's by Collins. We get a 58-44 lead, before they hit a 3 to end the run.

Snow also with some big points down the stretch. I have so many bench players who can do different things that he has become a forgotten man, and he doesn't like that. I need to keep him happy as he can be a dangerous scorer at times..

61-47 with 4:40 left when I get my starters back into the game to finish it off.

With 2:12 to go, Simon fouls out, but we have the game in hand as Hannan is playing great down the stretch.


We win 79-56.


Hannan is the player of the game. He finishes with 28 points, 3 boards, 2 assists, 2 steals, and 3 turnovers. He shot 11 of 15, 2 of 5, and 4 of 8.

Everett had 0 points (0 of 6 shooting), 5 assists, 2 steals, and 2 turnovers.

Graves had 13 points, 4 assists, 4 steals, and 1 turnover. He shot 5 of 14.

Cornette had 9 points, 17 boards, 1 assist, and a steal. He shot 4 of 8.

Simon had 6 points, 13 boards, and a block. He shot 1 of 8 and 4 of 7 from the line.

Collins had 8 points in 12 minutes.

Snow had 9 points in 12 minutes.

Waters had 6 points and 3 assists in 15 minutes.

Adams had 4 boards in 14 minutes at center.



We are now 17-6. Our next opponent is 10-13 Faifield. Our RPI thanks to that early pre-season tourney is 21. We are 3rd in the Mid-Major Poll behind #1 Cal Poly who are 18-2 and #2 Boise State who are 15-6.

[Eaglesfan27]

Now that we are 2/3 of the way through the season, time to look at some stats leaders among our team:

Hannan is averaging 20.7 ppg. This is 1st in the MAAC. It's 25th in the NCAA.

Simon is averaging 14.2 rpg which is 1st in the nation.

Everett is averaging 4.9 apg which is 3rd in the MAAC and is outside of the top 50 in the NCAA.

Everett leads our team with 1.7 spg which is 4th in the MAAC.

Simon's 1.5 bpg is tied for 7th in the MAAC.



Non-leader's on my team, but notable:

Graves is 5th in the MAAC at 15.9 ppg.

Hannan is 14th in the MAAC in assists at 2.5 per game.

Hannan is 6th in the MAAC in steals at 1.6 per game.

Cornette is tied with him.

Simon leads the conference in MPG at 31.5.

[Eaglesfan27]

A new Mid Major Poll just came out this week and we are now #1 in the Mid Major Poll.

Speaking of player development, here are the players who have gained the most in development this year so far:

Snow, Graves, Simon, Ortiz, Meeking, Bogans, and Robinson have each gained 1 point. JR Walkon SG Laurie Beachem has gained 2 points, but is still a long way from playing.

[RPI-Fan]

Done playing for the night (and with my schedule this week... probably done for the week). Finally got my settings where I can be comfortable, I think. Inside/Mid/3pt at 43/45/45 seemed pretty solid. Got a couple of plays for my awesome PF and now that I know how to use them in legacy can make them whenever I want so that's all good. All I have to do now is play the games. :-)

This game is awesome!

[Eaglesfan27]

Wow. That 3 point setting is going to be tough. I have mine at 48. I do have midrange at 45 which I think is perfect. Glad that you have them where you like them

I agree, it is an awesome game. I'm going to be playing this for years assuming that the series doesn't somehow get resurrected.

My next game probably won't be until next weekend either.

[RPI-Fan]

Originally Posted by Eaglesfan27

Wow. That 3 point setting is going to be tough. I have mine at 48. I do have midrange at 45 which I think is perfect. Glad that you have them where you like them

I agree, it is an awesome game. I'm going to be playing this for years assuming that the series doesn't somehow get resurrected.

My next game probably won't be until next weekend either.

Ok I'll adjust to 48 for 3pter. It's so hard to get these right, because it takes so long ot get a meaningful sample size. Also a bit weird how sensitve they are (that 45 is substantially diff than 48)

[Eaglesfan27]

Yeah, I love that sensitivity though. Unlike games such as NCAA Football, you can tell that these sliders really do something


As far as the sample size, I agree that it is tough. I've been tempted to go back up to 49 at times or even 50. You'll have really cold spells and some really hot spells, but I definitely wouldn't go lower than 48 unless you want frustratingly low 3 point percentages. Although, I do have CPU defensive awareness tweaked up to provide a good defensive challenge. I also have the human defensive awareness tweaked up.

[GobBluth]

"3. I don't. I'm just not patient enough to watch a lot of games. Actually, I do a very little bit with the ABL, I might watch a few minutes of 1 or 2 games of a few recruits to see if I like their shot motion. That is mainly started since I got Snow whose shot motion hurts his production."



Just curious but what is Snow's shot motion number? I'm still new to the game and haven't really seen any real unorthodox styles.

[Groundhog]

I have mine at 46, but I have a backcourt with an 85 and an 86 3pt shooter, and I was knocking down an insane amount when I had it at 48 and it became too easy, especially against the zone. With 46 I have cold spells (esp. on the road), but I also have games where I shoot 11/17, and had one guy hit 9/11 on his own in a freakish display. They both shoot in the high 30s or low 40s on about 5 or 6 attempts a game, so that slider seems OK for my style of play, but if my best shooter was in the 70s it'd probably frustrate the hell out of me.

[Groundhog]

I've never even watched or played a single ABL game. I just sim straight through it. Maybe I'll check it out at some point, but I'm always too keen to get on with the regular season.

If you edit a player and look at the various shot types, there are a lot of weird shot types, especially under the generic(or basic?) types. It can be frustrating when you get a big guy who can shoot because I find their standard shot animations sometimes make it tough to get off a shot because they don't leave the ground. I usually randomly pick out one of the generic shot types to make it look a little more realistic than having a 6'10 guy with a wussy little hop step slingshot style shot when he is rated in the high 70s for mid-range jumpers.

[Eaglesfan27]

Originally Posted by GobBluth

"3. I don't. I'm just not patient enough to watch a lot of games. Actually, I do a very little bit with the ABL, I might watch a few minutes of 1 or 2 games of a few recruits to see if I like their shot motion. That is mainly started since I got Snow whose shot motion hurts his production."



Just curious but what is Snow's shot motion number? I'm still new to the game and haven't really seen any real unorthodox styles.

He barely elevates and he has a slightly delayed ideal release. It is very easy to block. He is a 88 3 point shooter, but as a result of that shot motion, I either have to release early and miss as a result of it not being his ideal release point, or I risk getting a lot of his shots blocked (which happens quite more with him than my other players combined when he was playing regularly.)

[Groundhog]

Originally Posted by Groundhog

I have mine at 46, but I have a backcourt with an 85 and an 86 3pt shooter, and I was knocking down an insane amount when I had it at 48 and it became too easy, especially against the zone. With 46 I have cold spells (esp. on the road), but I also have games where I shoot 11/17, and had one guy hit 9/11 on his own in a freakish display. They both shoot in the high 30s or low 40s on about 5 or 6 attempts a game, so that slider seems OK for my style of play, but if my best shooter was in the 70s it'd probably frustrate the hell out of me.

I take this back. I thought I had it at 46, but it is indeed 48.

[Eaglesfan27]

Next up is Fairfiled at home.


The announcers highlight Hannan as the player to watch and I'm counting on a big game from him. Raymond Macura is a good SF that will be matching up against him. I've been reading some things on OS, and am going to shorten my times on the floor before I sub out slightly..


We are up 6-5 at the 15 minute mark.

At the 14 minute mark, Hannan comes out to get a short rest.

We quickly work each of our bench players in and out of the game. With 9 minutes to go, Hannan is the first to come back. At that point, we are up 21-14.

All of my starters are on their 3rd rotation into the game with 4 minutes left and they are all refreshed. We are tied at 30.


We are tied at 36 at the half.


Both star SF's have 15 points and 2 boards.


Graves is the player of the half. He has 16 points, 2 boards, and a turnover. He is shooting 6 of 9.


In the first 10 minutes of the 2nd half, we build up a 10 point lead. 54-44 with 10 minutes to go.

With 3:12 to go, Cornette fouls out, but we have the game in hand. We are up 72-57.


We win the game 75-66.


Graves is the player of the game with 29 points, 3 boards, 1 assist, and 1 steal. He shot 8 of 15, 4 of 10, and 9 of 9.


Hannan had 25 points, 2 boards, and 2 turnovers. He shot 11 of 20, 2 of 9, and 1 of 2.

Everett had 2 points, 9 assists, and a board. He had 0 turnovers. He shot 1 of 6.

Cornette had 2 points, 10 boards, and a block.

Simon had 10 points, 18 boards, 1 assist and a block. He shot 4 of 10 and 2 of 2 from the line.

Collins led the bench with 5 points.


We are now 18-6. Our next opponent is on the road against this Fairfield team which is now 10-14. I'll play that tomorrow.

[RPI-Fan]

I recruited two dribble-drive guards and now I am seeing what a difference it can make to have a guy that can get to the rim (and consequently the line) almost at will. I have my shooting fouls setting a lot lower than yours (mine is like 55) so my penetrating guards might not be quite as effective as your's. However, I like the way the game gets called on this setting -- if there is a lot of contact it almost always gets called, but gets let go every so often. Most of the ticky-tack stuff isn't called, which I like.

So my lineup is basically: dribble-drive backcourt (who can also hit threes, but not great at them), a good-defending SF, a physically-imposing 3-point shooting PF, and a banger down low (nowhere near the dominance of Simon though). Plus I bring a couple bangers off the bench, and a SF/PF who moves really well.

By far the best team I've had in my tenure, hoping to finally break the .500 mark! I'm going to play every game this year, I think; only simming when down by 20+ in the second half. It is nice being somewhat confident in every guy on the floor. In the past I've never had it to where I could be content with any of the 5 players on the floor. Now, even with some subs in, I like my entire lineup.

[TonyR]

Originally Posted by Groundhog

I've never even watched or played a single ABL game. I just sim straight through it. Maybe I'll check it out at some point, but I'm always too keen to get on with the regular season.

The only thing I found about the ABL games, is if you watch them out, you get bonus recruiting points. 40 per game I think. But you have to watch the whole game.

[Eaglesfan27]

In our rematch against Fairfield, we come out strong quickly with Hannan hitting 3 quick shots.

We are up 11-7 at the 15 minute mark.

The pace slows down after that, at the 10 minute mark, we are up 16-13.

At the 5 minute mark, we are down 24-22.

A strong last 5 minutes by Hannan particularly. We are up 35-29 at the half.


Hannan is the player of the half. He has 14 points. He is 6 of 10 from the floor, 1 of 3 from the arc. He is getting to the hoop with some regularity this game.



Tied at 41 at the 15 minute mark. We've come out cold and they are shooting well to start the 2nd half. Their home crowd is fired up.


Simon with a few big baskets. We are up 50-46 with 10 minutes to go.


With 5 minutes left, we have a 8 point lead, 62-54.

With 3 minutes left, they have closed within 6 to make it 67-61.

Macura with a rare block of a Hannan shot and he takes it to the end end for a slam dunk. 67-63.


They get a 3 second call on Simon in the post.

Bogans who is in for Cornette with a block.. he starts the fast break.. Everett to Hannan who is fouled.

He makes the 2nd after missing the first. 68-63.


They hit a quick 12 footer. 68-65. 1:39 left.


We work it down to about 15 seconds until a play frees Graves at the FT line, he spins away from his defender and slams it home left handed! 70-65.

An offensive putback by their PF makes it 70-67. 55 seconds left.

With 33 seconds left, Macura reaches in on Hannan. He hits both FT's.

They attempt a very quick 3 which they miss. Simon gets the board and is fouled. He hits both FT's.

We hit 7 of 10 FT's down the stretch and win the game, 77-72.


Hannan is the player of the game. He had 24 points, 2 boards, and an assist. He shot 8 of 16, 1 of 5, and 7 of 10.

Everett had 7 points, 4 assists, and 4 steals. He also had 3 turnovers. He shot 2 of 8.

Graves had 9 points, 2 assists, and a board. He shot 3 of 9.

Cornette had 4 points, 10 boards, and an assist.

Simon had 13 points, 13 boards, and an assist. He shot 4 of 5 and 5 of 6 from the line.

Snow led the bench with 9 points, Waters had 7 points and 2 assists.



Our next game is at Iona. They are 8-14. We beat them last week at home 79-54. I expect another win this week.

[rjolley]

I like playing the ABL games. Just this past offseason, I played the games with some of my recruits and found a C that fits perfectly in my system. Good inside player, rebounds well, and good potential. If it wasn't for the ABL, I wouldn't have found him.

Also, it helps to play with a recruit a bit to see if I feel they'd be successful with me. Sometimes, the rankings look good, but actually controlling them doesn't have the right feel.

Basically, I use the ABL the same way that I used the camps in CH2k7 when playing 3 on 2, 2 on 1: play with recruits and see who can shoot, who is quick and fast, and see who doesn't live up to the hype.

[Eaglesfan27]

Tough defense early. We are up 6-2 at the 15 minute mark.

At the 12 minute mark, Simon hurts his ankle


Adams comes in for Simon and starts dominating like he has never done before! First a slam off a pick and roll. Then a 12 footer, then a hook in the post. Before, I know it, he has 9 points. We are up 21-13 at the 8 minute mark.

With 6 minutes to go, Simon has been cleared to return as his ankle isjust slightly twisted and Adams is tiring. Our other starters return as well.

5 minute mark: We are up 26-18.


We enter halftime up 36-25.

Balanced scoring this game for us. Simon, Adams, Hannan, and Graves each have at least 7 points.

Simon is the player of the half. He has 7 points and 6 boards.


Up 44-30 at the 15 minute mark. Hannan's midrange game is heating up.


We are up 48-38 at the 10 minute mark.

With 6 minutes to go, they have closed the lead to 53-49. We get all of ou starters back into the game.


With 4:30 to go, they hit a 3 to take a 54-53 lead.

Hannan hits a 3 to end the run.

Simon with a block that starts a fastbreak that ends with a Hannan dunk!

They get a quick layup, but Hannan nails a 14 footer. 60-56.

Graves with a steal, passes to Everett who throws a perfect alley-oop to Hannan! 62-56.

Everett with a steal, throws it ahead to Graves who beats everyone down the court for a slamdunk.

With 1:30 left, they make it 64-58. We miss our next shot but they miss a 3. They have to start fouling.


We miss half our FT's, but they miss all of their 3's. We win 67-58.


Hannan is the player of the game. 24 points, 4 boards, 2 steals, and 1 turnover. He shot 8 of 17, 3 of 8, and 5 of 6.

Everett had 0 points, 5 assists, and 4 steals. He had 0 turnovers. He shot 0 of 3.

Graves had 10 points, 2 boards, 2 assists, and 2 steals. He shot 4 of 10.

Cornette had 3 points and 9 boards.

Simon had 11 points, 11 boards, 2 assists, and a block. He shot 4 of 9.


Adams led the bench with 9 points.


That win cracks the 20 win mark!


We are now 20-6. We have 4 more regular season games left. Depending upon how interesting the draft is, I might get in our next game later today. We play Canisus at our place next. They are 7-18. We beat them 76-50 at their place a few weeks ago and I expect an easy win.

[Eaglesfan27]

Originally Posted by rjolley

I like playing the ABL games. Just this past offseason, I played the games with some of my recruits and found a C that fits perfectly in my system. Good inside player, rebounds well, and good potential. If it wasn't for the ABL, I wouldn't have found him.

Also, it helps to play with a recruit a bit to see if I feel they'd be successful with me. Sometimes, the rankings look good, but actually controlling them doesn't have the right feel.

Basically, I use the ABL the same way that I used the camps in CH2k7 when playing 3 on 2, 2 on 1: play with recruits and see who can shoot, who is quick and fast, and see who doesn't live up to the hype.

I agree that it is very useful for that. I'm just not as patient for it as I should be.. I'm too anxious to see my most recent recruits play.

[Eaglesfan27]

We start out down 9-8 at the 15 minute mark.


Down 18-16 at the 10 minute mark.

Down 28-26 with 5 minutes to go. Hannan and Graves have been our main scorers and they are now returning with good energy.


We go into the half, down 42-37.

Luber, their center, is the player of the half. He has 9 points, 5 boards, and 4 assists.

Hannan leads our team with 19 points, 2 boards, and 2 assists at the half.


We are down 55-50 with 10 minutes to go in the game. All of my starters are now needing to rest.


Down 65-56 with 5 minutes to go. This could be our most shocking loss of the year...

Everett, Graves, and Hannan are coming back onto the floor but Simon needs some rest.

I tried everything on defense, but we just couldn't stop their 3 point shooters.

They win the game 78-68.


Carter, their SG, is the player of the game with 21 points. He shot 3 of 8 from the arc and 8 of 15 overall.

Hannan was our leading scorer with 29 points, 2 boards, 2 assists, and 1 steal. He shot 10 of 16, 1 of 4, and 8 of 12.

Everett had 0 points and 4 assists.

Graves had 12 points, 3 assists, and 3 boards. He shot 4 of 14.

Cornette had 4 points, 10 boards, and 4 steals.

A hobbled Simon had 8 points, 8 boards, and an assist. He shot 4 of 10.


Collins led our bench with 6 points.


Our next game is at Manhattan who we beat at home earlier in the year, 56-47. They are now 13-12.

I'll play that tomorrow.

[Eaglesfan27]

This game against Manhattan starts out very fast paced, we are up 14-12 at the 15 minute mark. Graves is on fire early, but their 3 point shooters are doing well.

At the 10 minute mark, we are up 24-18. Graves has 12 points already, but needs a rest. He has been on fire and I don't want to take him out.

At the 5 minute mark, we are up 33-21. Bowers came off the bench and hit 2 big 3's. Snow also hit a 3 during the stretch.


We enter halftime up 44-29.


Graves is the player of the half. He has 15 points, 1 board, and 1 steal.



At the 15 minute mark, we are up 54-39. Graves is still shooting very well. Hannan is having one of his worst games shooting, so we are relying on Graves.

At the 12 minute mark, Graves is exhausted. We turn to Snow off the bench. He hits his first 3 shots when we get him some open looks.

At the 10 minute mark, we are up 65-52.


At the 5 minute mark, we are up 80-64. Bowers hit 2 more 3's and Snow hit another 3.

We cruise to the victory 90-76.


Graves was the player of the game. 30 points, 3 boards, 2 steals. He had 3 turnovers. He sjpt 11 of 17, 6 of 10, and 2 of 3.

Everett had 3 points and 3 assists. He shot 1 of 1 from the arc.

Hannan had 9 points, 4 assists, 2 boards, and 2 turnovers. He shot 3 of 14, 1 of 5, and 2 of 4.

Cornette had 0 points, 3 boards, and 3 assists.

Simon had 9 points, 6 boards, and 1 block. He should be recovered from his ankle injury by our next game which is next week.


Snow led the bench with 14. Bowers had 12 all on 3's.


Our next game is hosting a dangerous Loyola team which has a strong overall talent level despite being 11-14.

[Eaglesfan27]

Cornette is the highlighted player before the game. I have so many talented players in my starting 5 right now


We are tied at 10 at the 15 minute mark.

At the 13 minute mark, Graves twists his ankle. Hopefully, it isn't serious

At the 12 minute mark, Hannan hurts his knee!

We are down 21-16 at the 10 minute mark.


With 7 minutes to go, Graves is cleared to return. It is a minor injury.

With 5:15 to go, Hannan is cleared to return. His is also a minor injury.


We are up 26-25 with 5 minutes left in the half.


Hannan's injury is not slowing him down much as he is having an explosive outburst in the last 5 minutes.. first a 3, then a dunk, then a steal and a dunk, then a 12 foot jumper.



We enter the half up 41-28.


Simon is the player of the half with 11 points and 7 boards.


We are up 47-30 at the 15 minute mark. Our defense has been suffocating them.

We are up 55-35 at the 10 minute mark.

With 5 minutes to go, we are up 63-43.


Once the injuries occurred, Simon took over the game. We win 76-55.

Simon is the player of the game with 23 points, 19 boards, 2 assists, 1 stela, and 2 blocks. He also had 4turnovers. The 23 points is a new career high. He shot 9 of 14 and 5 of 6 from the line.

Everett had 9 points, 5 assists, 3 steals and 0 turnovers. He shot 3 of 4.

Graves had 2 points, 6 boards, and 2 steals. He shot 1 of 11.

Hannan had 16 points, 4 boards, 2 assists, and a steal. He shot 7 of 18, 1 of 5, and 1 of 5.

Cornette had 6 points, 13 boards, 4 assists, and a block. He shot 2 of 3.


Collins had 7 points off the bench. Bowers had 6.



We are now 22-7. Our next game is our final regular season, a game at Rider. They are 16-10. We beat them 62-53 at home earlier in the year.

[Eaglesfan27]

Hannan and Graves are both starting off cold. Maybe their minor injuries are effecting them more now. We are tied at 6 at the 15 minute mark with Simon scoring all 6 of our points (4 on putbacks and 2 on a designed play.)


With 10 minutes left, we are up 16-15.


We are down 25-24 with 5 minutes to go in the half. We get all of our starters back into the game with 4:55 to go.


At the half, we are up 36-32.


Simon is the player of the half with 10 points and 8 boards.


Tied at 40 with 15 minutes to go .

They work our backups during the 12-10 minute mark. We are down 53-47 with 10 minutes to go.

Down 55-49 with 7 minutes left, I get Graves and Hannan back into the game.

We are down 62-56 with 5 minutes to go when I get the rest of my starters back into the game.


Everything goes wrong in the last 5 minutes: Simon can't hit his shots. He gets an offensive interference for a putback slam. Graves seems to be missings shots due to his injury. He has another bad game. Hannan looks slow with his injury and he is missing his shots.

We lose 70-58 as they finish us off with a 16-2 run.


Barnett, their SG, was the player of the game. He had 23 points, 3 boards, 3 assists, and 3 steals. He shot 8 of 16.


Simon led us with 12 points, 11 boards, and 2 steals. He shot 6 of 13.

Graves and Hannan each had 11 points. Graves was 4 of 16, Hannan was 4 of 12.

Everett had 5 points, 5 assists, and 3 steals.

Cornette had 6 points, 7 boards, and 2 assists.


Collins had 6 points and Ortiz had 5 to lead the bench.



We end the regular season 22-8 and the MAAC regular season champions!

Time for a look at the stat leaders.

[Eaglesfan27]

MAAC PPG Leaders:

1. Hannan 20.4 ppg
2. C P. Channing, Saint Peter's 17.8
3. C J. Melvin, Ion 17.4
4. C Mark Hazel, Manhattan 17.3
5. C Maury Kragel, Manhattan 17.2

I guess centers still are dominating scoring. Let's look nationally.

National Scoring Leaders:

1. C Quinton McDaniel, Davidson 24.6 ppg
2. C Henry Jefferson, Southern Methodist 24.5 ppg
3. C Andy Diagne, West Virginia 24.3 ppg
4. PF Orien Varem, Northwestern 23.5
5. PF Attarrius Fontenet, Sacred Heart 23.4

14 of the top 15 are PF's or Center with 1 SG in there. Oh well, it is still a great game.

Hannan's 20.4 ranks him 21st in the nation.

USC's guard that started off the year strong dropped down to 18.9 ppg.


National Rebounds per game:

1. Simon 13.6
2. PF Dameon Zamore, Gardner-Webb 10.8
3. C Francis Bozovic, Austin Peay 10.1
4. C Daron Marsh, Monmouth 10. (also has great scoring numbers.. I wonder if he'll take the Mid Major award away from Hannan)
5. C Phil Lawson, Oakland 10


Assists:

1. Zack Holman, Manhattan (nice to see another MAAC player doing well nationally) 7.3
2. Ahmet Morgan, Memphis 6
3. Fabrice Alford, Arkansas 6
4. Nic Moody, Cleveland State 6
5. 5 tied at 5.9


Team Starter's Complete Stats:

Everett finishes the year with an average of 8.6 ppg (his lowest year yet), 4.7 apg (up 1.1 from last year, but down 1.3 from when he had Andres and Santos), 1.8 spg (a career high), and 0.8 rpg.

Graves finished the regular season averaging 15.6 ppg (up 2.4 ppg from last year), 2.4 rpg, 1.6 apg, and 1.3 spg.

Hannan finishes the regular season averaging 20.4 ppg, 2.8 rpg, 2.3 apg, and 1.4, and 0.4 bpg in 27.2 mpg.

Cornette finishes the regular season averaging 5.7 ppg, 7.7 rpg, 1.8 apg, 1.8 spg, and 0.9 bpg.

Simon finishes the year averaging 8.6 ppg, 13.6 rpg, 2.2 apg, 0.9 spg, and 1.4 bpg.


Collins led the bench with 6 ppg, 1.1 rpg, 0.5 apg, and 0.5 spg. He played the most minutes off the bench averaging just under 14 mpg.

[Eaglesfan27]

Our first MAAC Tourney opponent is Fairfield. We beat them 75-66 and 77-72 earlier in the year. They beat Canisus 62-61 to advance to play us after we got our 1st round bye. If we beat them, we'll play either Marist or Saint Peter's. We have Graves completely healthy for this game, but Hannan's knee is still bothering him.

I'll play the game either later today or next weekend.

[Eaglesfan27]

Mrs. E has a headache, so I have the time to get a game in tonight now that the playoff games that I want to see are over.

Time to play Fairfield in the 2nd round of the MAAC Tourney.

We are likely getting into the Big Dance no matter what we do in the MAAC, but our team is taking nothing for granted. Despite Hannan's injury, we play our best basketball in the first 5 minutes that we have played all year.

At the 15 minute mark, we are up 11-0 with Everett, Graves, and Hannan leading the way offensively.


10:51 left, we are up 18-8 and all of my starters are getting a breather.


Our subs play SO well that they get to stay in until there are only 4 minutes left. We are now up 39-16! Collins had 15 points during the 7 minutes.


We enter halftime with a 47-20 lead!

We are doing everything well.


Collins is the player of the half. He has 15 points, 2 boards, and a steal in just 7 minutes. He shot 5 of 7, 2 of 5, and 3 of 3 in the first half.

Hannan has 13, Graves and Everett each have 7. Everett also has 5 assists in the 1st half.


In the 2nd half, our defense is much less intense and the team is making careless mistakes, but the offense is still hitting shots. We are up 70-45 with 10 minutes to go. I pull all of my starters except for Simon. If our bench does well again, the starters won't come back into the game.


Our offense has gone ice cold and they are getting too close for comfort. 72-56 with 4 minutes to go, so I get our starters back into the game.

Hannan hits a 15 footer to end their 8-0 run. After a defensive stop, he hit a 12 footer to extend the lead back to 20.


We win the game 79-59.

Hannan is the player of the game. 27 points, 5 boards, 2 assists, 1 steal, and 1 block. He shot 10 of 15, 4 of 6, and 3 of 7.


Everett had 12 points, 10 assists, 3 steals, 1 board, and 2 turnovers. He shot 5 of 8.

Graves had 17 points, 4 boards, 2 assists, and a turnover. He shot 6 of 14, 5 of 12, and 0 of 0.

Cornette had 0 points and 5 boards.

Simon had 2 points, 15 boards, and 2 blocks.


Collins had 15 points. He ended up shooting 5 of 13.

Waters had 5 points and 4 assists in 13 minutes off the bench.



Saint Peter's beat Marist 82-63 to advance to the Conference Semi-Final.

Rider and Loyola will be playing in the other semi-final.


Before the game, Donte Snow, Reyshawn Ortiz, and Bogans come into my office to tell me they are unhappy with their lack of PT. Talk about poor timing. I've had to give Snow 5 pep talks this year as he really hates not getting more PT. I have a feeling he is going to transfer after the season.


I'll play Saint Peter's later this week (assuming I can tear myself away from GTA IV for a bit. I think I can, but only because I enjoy this game so much )

[Eaglesfan27]

Player Development Update:

I'm not sure if it is the tourney, or if it was just time, but a bunch of guys have improved their game. Overall improvement:

Everett is now plus 1 and at 73 overall.

Graves is now plus 2 (was plus 1) and a 78 overall.

Hannan finally gained a plus 1.. I wonder if he will hit that potential. He went up in a whole bunch of areas including a point in 3 point shooting. He is now a 71 overall.

Simon has gained plus 1 and is now a 72 overall.

Snow is a plus 1 and is now a 77 overall.

Waters is a plus 1 and is now a 72 overall.

Ortiz is a plus 1 and is now a 70 overall.

Adams is now a plus 1 and is 70 overall.

Bogans is plus 1 and 68 overall.

Boiwers is plus and 67 overall.

Meeking is plus 2 and 69 overall.

Beachem is plus 2 and 57 overall.

[Eaglesfan27]

Graves is the featured player against Saint Peter's according to the announcers.

Despite this, it is Chatman, their SG, that scores the first 7 points of the game.

We respond with 4 points before they go on another 8-0 run. They have a much higher team unity, and I can't help but wonder if it is helping them right now.


We are down 18-9 at the 10 minute mark.


Our subs are doing a great job of getting us into the game. 25-22 at the 5 mintue mark, all powered by our subs.


With 1:23 to go, Everett to Hannan in the lane for 2 and the foul for a chance to tie it at 33, but Hannan misses the FT.


We are down 38-32 at the half.


Channing, their SF, is the player of the half. He has 11 points, 3 steals, 1 assist, and 1 board.


Hannan leads our team with 6 points and 6 boards.

Snow and Huffman each have 5.


Our offense starts the 2nd half ice cold as our 2 big stars just aren't making shots


We are down 54-38 at the 10 minute mark.


Down 60-46 with 5 minutes to go. My starters are coming back to try to pull off the big comeback.

We can't close the gap. We lose 66-52.


A disappointing loss. I think we should make the tourney, but now we need to sweat it out.

Everett had 7 points and 2 assists. He shot 3 of 8.

Graves had 5 points and 2 boards. He shot 2 of 14.

Hannan had 8 points and 8 boards. He shot 4 of 14.

Cornette had 1 point and 4 boards. He shot 1 of 6.

Simon had 6 points, 13 boards, and a block. He shot 3 of 10.


Collins led the bench with 8. Snow had 5.

[Eaglesfan27]

Time for Selection Sunday:


We are listed as being on the bubble during the listing of the top 10 bubble teams


Other bubble teams:

Nebraska (22-11)
Niagara (23-9)
Missouri (19-12)

Among a few other big names.


The #1's


Florida (30-4), Temple (30-2), Oklahoma State (26-6), and Georgetown (28-6).


East Regional Interesting Matchups:


#8 Xavier (24-8) vs #9 Stanford (21-10)
#6 Pitt (21-11) vs #11 Cal Poly (23-7)
#7 Memphis (22-9) vs #10 Nebraska (22-11)


Interesting South Matchups:

#8 Rutgers (20-10) vs #9 Texas Tech (20-10)
#5 LSU (22-11) vs #12 George Mason (21-13)
#4 Louisville (25-10) vs #13 Ball State (25-6)
#7 Oregon (20-11) vs #10 Missouri (19-12)


Interesting Midwest Matchups:

#8 Duke (20-10) vs #9 Virginia (19-11)
#5 USC (22-9) vs BYU (19-13)

WE ARE IN!!! We play #7 Seton Hall (20-11) as we got a 10 seed!


Interesting West Matchups:

#8 Miami (20-11) vs #9 Utah (23-10)
#5 Mississippi State (24-10) vs #12 Rider (21-10)
#6 Tennessee (21-10) vs #11 Arizona State (19-15)
#7 Michigan (22-9) vs #10 Saint Louis (22-9)



I'll play our game vs Seton Hall later today.

[Eaglesfan27]

Hannan is now completely healthy which should help us against Seton Hall. In fact, our entire roster is healthy.


Seton Hall has a talented team lead by star SG Louis Erickson. The 6'5 215 pound player is a dynamic slasher who can also reliably hit the 3 or midrange jumper. Hugh Santos, a 6'8 210 pound SF, is their other primary star. He is an all-around player who excels at defense. Arnold Byerson is a very good PF, and Rudolph Dearmon is an exceedingly fast PG who can outrace Everett. Their only weakness is at center where we have a clear advantage. Besides having the talent advantage at 4 out of 5 starting positions, they have insane chemistry. Their team unity is a 96 (highest I've ever seen.)

[Eaglesfan27]

Tied at 10 at the 15 minute mark.


At the 10:18 mark, Hannan draws a 2nd foul on Byrson.


Down 20-17 at the 10 minute mark. My starters need a rest.


While my subs are in, they take a huge lead. Their bench is much better than ours is. 38-25 with 4 minutes left when I finally get the starters back into the game.


Turnovers are killing us today as their length and quickness is generating a ton of steals.

Hannan with a dunk and the foul to end the half. We are down 48-35.


Hannan is the only player scoring consistently for us. He has 18 points. No one else has more than 5. Santos leads them with 14.


We've turned it over 10 times at the half. They have only turned it over 4 times.

10 minute mark, they are up 76-54. They are just shooting too well.

They are red hot in the 2nd half, and we just cannot keep up. They win 96-72.

Dearmon had 12 points and 10 assists for them. Erickson had 21 points, Santos finished with 22 points, and Amous off the bench had 14.

Hannan led us with 21 points, 5 boards, and a block. He shot 5 of 13, 2 of 4, and 9 of 11.

Everett had 14 points, 4 assists.

Graves had 4 points, 3 boards, and 3 assists. He was 1 of 12. Bad time for him to go into a shooting slump.

Cornette had 10 points and 10 boards as did Simon.

[Eaglesfan27]

Sweet 16 Matchups:

East:

#1 Florida vs #5 Iowa State
#3 Ohio State vs #7 Memphis

West:

#8 Miami vs #12 Rider (go MAAC!)
#6 Tenn vs #2 Washington

South:

#1 Temple vs #4 Louisville
#2 Marlyand vs #3 UNLV


Midwest:

#1 Oklahoma State vs #4 Florida State
#2 Arizona vs #3 Michigan State

After beating us, Seton Hall lost to Arizona 100-82 in the 2nd game.

[Eaglesfan27]

Florida beat Iowa State 90-64.
Memphis beat Ohio State 84-78.

#1 Florida beat Memphis 68-64 to advance to the Final Four.


Miami beat Rider 80-57.
Tennessee beat Washington 100-96.

#8 Miami beat Tennessee 78-77 to advance to the Final Four.


Louisville beat Temple 82-80.
Maryland beat UNLV 82-72.

#2 Maryland beat Louisville 84-69 to advance to the Final Four.


Oklahoma State beat Florida State 76-66.
Michigan State beat Arizona 68-64.

#1 Oklahoma State beat Michigan State 85-73 to advance to the Final Four.



In the Final Four:

Florida beat Miami 99-73.
Maryland beat Oklahoma State 71-67.

In the National Championship Game:

#1 Florida beat #2 Maryland 95-76. Florida was led by 32 points from their junior star PF. They also got 20 from their SG and 18 from their SF.

[Eaglesfan27]

Andy Diagne, A Center for WVU, won the Player of the Year. He is rated 90 overall. He averaged 25.4 ppg and 7.2 rpg along with 1.7 bpg.

Jean Al-Sayyad from Santa Clara took the Mid-Major Player Award from Hannan He averaged 22.1 ppg and 5.7 rpg.

WOW! In a shock to me, DeShaun Simon is named the national defensive player of the year. I guess the formula heavily factors defensive boards into the equation. His averages were 8.3 ppg, 13.5 rpg, 0.9 spg, and 1.4 bpg.

[Eaglesfan27]

T.J. Hannan was named the National Freshman of the Year!!! He finished with an average of 20.3 ppg, 3.1 rpg, 2.2 apg, and 1.4 spg.

He was on the All-American Freshman Team.


Hannan was also named the MAAC Player of the Year and Freshman of the Year.

Hannan and Simon were 1st team all-MAAC.

Graves was 2nd team all-MAAC.

Hannan and Cornette were both All-Freshman MAAC team.

[Eaglesfan27]

Now onto departures:

Snow has left the team via transfer

I expected Snow to do so. Much worse is the unexpected departure as C Jerome Adams has also chosen to leave the team via transfer

Bogans has graduated and this leaves my depth at center and inside precariously thin again

Meeking has also graduated.




As far as job openings:


North Carolina is available as they have fired their coach! However, I'm not even on their short list. They hire the coach from Ohio State.


The best job I get offered is San Diego which is in the WCC. Even with the departures, there is too much talent on this team to leave for essentially a lateral move. I pass it up.


Despite having scholarships available, no one wants to transfer to our team

Snow chose to transfer to SD State.

Adams went to the CAA and Delaware.




We do get some good news as Gilson Willis has chosen to sign with Niagara! Gilson is a 6'7 207 pound PF (who will probably play SF for us) who is ranked 106 overall and 12th among PF's. He is a 3 star player from Toledo, OH. He is reportedly a good shooter with some athleticism. He reportedly has excellent potential.

[Eaglesfan27]

In week 2 of offseason recruiting, Mr. Basketball in Maryland signs with Maryland. Not surprising that we lost him. I'm now pursuing a JC C to provide some depth down low as well as a SG that might fit in better as a backup shooter.


In week 3, we sign a reach player who I'm hoping we get lucky on since we didn't get any transfer players...

Vitor Ziri is a 6'8 234 pound JC PF with some athleticism who can rebound. He is from Philly. He is a 3 star unranked player.


I miss out on on the 2 SG's I wanted as a replacement for Snow, so we turn very far away.. to China. I'm scouting a 6'3 SG from China now and trying to convince him to come to Niagara. This is a risky move as well, but if he doesn't pan out, we have more than enough depth to not play him.


In week 4 of offseason recruiting, we get Mamery Clifford from Chicago to sign with Niagara. He is a 6'10 250 pound (quite a bit bigger than Adams) JC FR C who is a 3 star player. His strengths are his post defense and shot blocking.


In the last week of recruiting, we get Chen Li from China to sign with us. We don't know a lot about him. I can't wait to get him on campus and see what he can do. The scouting report we have compiled so far from the limited video tape suggests that he is athletic and a skilled offensive player. He is 6'3 192 pounds.

That completes our recruiting class which was 2 players bigger than expected due to those transfers.

[Eaglesfan27]

Top 10 recruiting classes:

1. Maryland
2. Duke
3. Florida
4. Oregon
5. USC (Darn, I need them to eventually have a fall if I'm going to get the job.)
6. Arizona
7. Florida State
8. Stanford
9. Auburn
10. California

[Eaglesfan27]

A brief roster summary after the offseason:

PG Everett Huffman is now a senior. He gained another point during the offseason and is now rated 74 overall. Should be a reliable 3 point shooter. He is now 5'10 200 pounds but still very quick.

PG Gus Waters didn't gain at all during the summer, but he did gain some size. He is now 5'10 160. He is rated 72 overall.

SG Nate Graves didn't improve at all during the offseason. However, he is the best player overall on the team with an overall of 78. A streaky shooter with poor consistency who is more of a slasher.

SG Chen Li isn't as good as I hoped upon arriving, but he isn't terrible. He is rated 66 overall. He is afair 3 point shooter and a good passer for an offguard, but is a mess defensively. I'll probably redshirt him.

SG Laurie Beachem is now rated 58 overall. Won't play this year.

SF Friedrich Collins is interesting. He put on another 12 pounds and is now 6'5 247. Despite that weight, he is a quick player with a good midrange shot. Streaky from outside the arc. Fair defender. Gained another point of overall and is now rated 75 overall.

Hannan remained the same size, but he gained 2 points of overall talent and improved every part of his game. In particular, he focused on his defense which has really improved. He is now rated 73 overall.

Reyshawn Ortiz is now 6'5 188 and he gained a point of overall talent. The junior becomes the #1 backup option at SG with Snow gone.

Stephen Robinson - Walkon Senior who won't play. Rated 58 overall.


Whitney Cornette has gained some height and worked on his game. The sophomore is now 6'10 225. He has gained 2 points of overall talent. His 3 point shooting in particular has improved as has shot blocking and rebounding.

True Freshman Gilson Willis is a solid player who should contribute some right away with Bogans having graduated, he will be the #1 option at backup PF. Willis is rated 70 overall. He is now 6'8 215. His 3 point shooting and rebounding are both better than expected according to our staff. He also is an accomplished dunker.

Alfonso Bowers is now 6'8 245. He gained a point of overall and is now 68 overall. His strength remains his 3 point shooting. Will mostly play SF unless foul trouble pushes him into the PF spot.

Vitor Ziri is 6'8 240 and is rated 67 overall. His rebounding is much weaker than expected, but his shooting, particularly his 3 point shooting is better than expected. He is also a great dunker.


Deshaun Simon is now a junior and he continues to pack on the weight. He has gained 15 more pounds! He is now 7'1 306 pounds! He also gained a point of overall talent. His rebounding is off the charts, particularly his offensive board wr. His shot blocking improved the most during the offseason.

Mamery Clifford is now 6'11 259 pounds. He'll be the #1 backup center. The sophomore is a better offensive inside scorer than Simon so that may get him some minutes when we are struggling to score. He is also a VERY good shot blocker according to our staff as well as an above average rebounder! He is rated 68 overall with his weaknesses behind that he can't shoot outside of 4 feet, he tends to foul out quickly, and he has poor stamina, and speed.


Everett Huffman and 2 walkons are the only seniors, so I only have 1 scholarship available to recruit with this year.

[Eaglesfan27]

Our first game is at James Madison of the CAA. We are favored against them even on the road. I'll probably play that later tonight. If not, I'll play it tomorrow.

During the early recruiting, I'm focusing on a 5 star SG (who I think could play the PG position as well) who I know we probably have no chance at all, but he is a considered to be a very local kid as he lives in Toronto, so I'm taking a chance on him. He is the 17th overall rated player and 5th among SG's. He is 6'6 210 pounds with great ball handlings skills and a terrific shot. Kurt Songcuacy has us as his #1 school right now, but I just doubt that will last...

Other schools competing for him include: Maryland, WVU, UConn, Pitt, and UVA. His top 3 priorities: Feeling wanted, playing at a big program , and getting good coaching.

[Eaglesfan27]

Thoughts as we enter the first game:

- Team unity took a small hit with those defections, but should be getting high by the end of the year. It's starting much higher than it did last year.

- I think Adams leaving is a blessing in disguise. This backup center is a shot blocker unlike any I've ever had at Niagara. He looks great at sending it back in practice.

- Hannan looks more dangerous than ever in practice. He seems to be even faster and his shot is falling more consistently. I expect him to up last year's numbers.

- I need to keep my bench players more happy. Our bench guys are good. They'll get a few more minutes on average each game this year - particularly if we are winning easily. I guess they might drive down Hannan's numbers a bit.

We should easily beat James Madison whose best player is their power forward. I'm expecting Cornette to play well against him.

[RPI-Fan]

What do you have your defensive & offensive awareness #'s at for CPU and human? Most of my settings seem pretty similar to your's, now, but I tried going 60/60 and 50/50 (human/CPU) for defensive awareness & offensive awareness and jsut coudln't handle it. I'm at 70/50 and 50/50 now and it seems a lot better, but I wonder if that's "cheating"?

[Eaglesfan27]

I don't think it's "cheating." Everyone has to find what works for them. I have offensive awareness at 50 for both sides and for the past season or so, I've gone with 70 for human defensive awareness and 60 for CPU defensive awareness. I find that I have to be really carefully around ballhawks (that is a big part of what killed me early against Seton Hall.)