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02-23-2008, 08:10 PM
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Head Coach
Join Date: Sep 2004
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Zeroed Out: From 1900 On (FBCB)
In this alternate-fictional-historical universe, it's the year 1900.
The NCAA has just been formed and under its aegis is, among other sports, basketball. All teams and all conferences are starting from scratch, so that for all universities, their prestige is set to 0 and all conference prestiges are set to 1 (lowest possible). Conference prestiges will update as time goes on (to be determined by the game) and Limited conference movement will be turned on. This is ground zero and this is going to be damned fun. The way I'm going to do this is, I'll sim 1900 and just do a year in review report and then each year, I'll write up a preview and then either sim the year or sim the month... I'm not quite sure how I'm going to do it yet. To start off with, I won't be controlling any one team, but as we roll along and the teams and conferences start shaking out, I may create a coach and take over some scrubby squad, one that's never made the NCAA tournament or maybe not even the NIT (Yes, I know historically the NIT was more prestigious at first, but like I said alt-fict-hist). So let's get started! 
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2006 Golden Scribe Nominee 2006 Golden Scribe Winner Best Non-Sport Dynasty: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) Rookie Writer of the Year Dynasty of the Year: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) |
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02-24-2008, 01:06 AM
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#2 |
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Head Coach
Join Date: Sep 2004
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Note: It appears that I can't both have conference prestiges increase and turn on Limited Conference movement, so what I'll do is let conference prestige settle out into a gradient, then turn on conference movement. Also, in this universe, we are going to assume that all 50 states have been admitted to the US by 1900 and that basketball was not invented by
an American. 1900 in Review - Pre Conference Tournaments Note: Some of these standings are incorrect, as they were written down before all games in a particular conference were completed. Call it the fault of the recorder way back when and in the case of the America East, the standings are after the conference tournament was complete. America East Code:
Although Stony Brook held the #1 seed, there was not a unanimous agreement on who would win the America East automatic bid. Hartford had started strong and then faded down the stretch, but was considered a favorite as well. Atlantic 10 Code:
A very topsy-turvy conference, with no clear-cut favorite for the conference tournament, though more favored Massachusetts to walk away with the crown than not. Atlantic Coast Code:
Although Georgia Tech was considered the class of the ACC going into conference tournament time, Florida State had played excellently all year long and the Seminoles couldn't be counted out of things. The rest of the conference was considered garbage. Atlantic Sun Code:
Campbell was the prohibitive favorite to take the automatic bid, but Central Florida had very quietly put together a great season of their own and Jacksonville and Mercer were not to be taken lightly either. Big 10 Code:
Michigan State at #5 looks curious to us today, but you have to remember that this was the first year of the NCAA and things were bound to look a bit strange from time to time. In the Spartans' favor was that they had the 13th roughest schedule in the country. That said, however, Purdue was the overwhelming favorite. Big 12 Code:
A very close conference, too close to call. Pundits in general tended to predict Kansas State, however, for the Wildcats' Top 25 ranking. Big East Code:
Rutgers and Miami led their divisions for most of the season, so the Hurricanes and the Scarlet Knights were viewed as the odds-on favorites for the Big East automatic bid. Big Sky Code:
With the exception of Portland State, this conference was so close together that no favorite even came close to emerging for the tournament. Big South Code:
Coastal Carolina and Elon were the clear class of the conference, though most favored the Chanticleers to win the automatic entry to the Big Dance, as it was called even way back then. Big West Code:
Despite the closeness in record of the top three teams, the UC-Santa Barbara Gauchos were heavily favored in the Big West thanks to seniorSG Malcom Fuqua, the senior who was tied for 3rd in the country with a 19.6 PPG average. Colonial Athletic Code:
Despite some conference struggles, Towson was guaranteed a spot in the NCAA Tournament and thanks to their incredible out of conference showing, were one of the favorites to become the first NCAA Champions. As to who win would the automatic bid, it was anybody's guess. Conference USA Code:
Cincinnati was the favorite and nobody else was really close according to the bookies going into the conference tournament. Independents Code:
Although the Independents, due to their independent status, had no conference tournament, the IPFW Mastadons were guaranteed an at-large bid in the NCAA Tournament. There was great excitement around the country as basketball fans eagery waited to see how this independant titan would do against the best of the best. Horizon Code:
Detroit bounced in and out of the Top 25 all season long, but conference struggles had them on the outside looking in. The Horizon League was easily one of the most balanced conferences in the entire country in that first year and nobody had any idea just what was going to shake out in the tournament. Ivy Code:
Brown absolutely dominated the Ivy League and nobody saw any reason for that to change in the tournament. At best, the Harvard Crimson looked like a dark horse. Metro-Atlantic Code:
The Metro Atlantic was one of the best conferences in 1900, with any number of teams who looked like they could qualify for the NCAA or its consolation prize, the NIT. Things were too close to call for the tournament, for while Canisius had been brilliant early in the year, they'd struggled in their last few games, meaning it was wide open. Mid-American Code:
Toldeo was the favorite to win the MAC tournament because of one man: senior SG John Beaulieu, who was averaging exactly 20 points a game and one of only two players in the country to do so as of the conference tourneys. Mid-Continent Code:
Nobody knew who was the favorite and nobdy really cared, as the MCC was considered one of the biggest dud conferences in 1900, if not the worst in the entire country. Mid-Eastern Code:
Coppin State started off their conference season 10-0 and were undoubtedly the top team in the country. Stony Brook had the #1 ranking as conference tournaments began, but the Eagles were the #1 favorite to win it all and be crowned National Champions. Only time would tell if they succeeded, however. Missouri Valley Code:
The Missouri Valley boiled down to Drake and everybody else, but the conference looked a good possibility to draw one or two at-large bids, depending on how the tournament looked at day's end. Mountain West Code:
Colorado State was the class of the Mountain West and the Rams were fully expected to batter their way into the NCAA Tournament with the conference's automatic bid. Northeast Code:
Quinnipiac's early season success netted them a Top 25 ranking, but the general consensus was that there was no favorite for the conference tournament and any one of a handful of teams could represent the Northeast in the Big Dance. Ohio Valley Code:
Another tough conference to choose, most favored Eastern Illinois or Tennessee-Martin, but it was really too close to comfortably call. Pac-10 Code:
One of the better conferences in the country, nobody could make a clear-cut prediction on who should be favored. There were just that many good teams sitting at the top. Patriot Code:
Colgate was not only the overwhelming favorite to take the Patriot automatic bid, but the Raiders were considered a dark horse for the national title. SEC Code:
LSU had the slight edge according to most sportswriters of the day, but the edge was so narrow that any one of another teams looked poised to win the conference tournament. Southern Code:
Despite Charleston's Top 25 ranking, most agreed that this conference belonged to East Tennessee State heading into the tournament. Southland Code:
Nicholls State was definitely the favorite in the Southland, despite struggling once conference play hit. Southwestern Code:
Most called the Southland a dead heat between Arkansas Pine-Bluff and Alabama State and they were right, at least in terms of the standings. Sun Belt Code:
It was all Arkansas Little-Rock in the Sun Belt, according to most predictors of the day and that was certainly a fair assessment to make. West Coast Code:
As you might expected, all predicted Santa Clara would sweep away with the automatic bid and in fact, some had them tabbed as national title contenders. WAC Code:
Despite Nevada's ranking, Tulsa was the consensus pick for the WAC's automatic bid. The Conference Tournaments America East Stony Brook won as expected and beat Hartford in a thrilling championship to get the automatic bid. Atlantic 10 Favored Massachussets (3) was upset by St. Joseph's (11) early in the tournament, which ended up seeing a Temple (5)-Duquesne (2) final, with Duquesne handily beating the Owls to prevent a sub-.500 team in the Big Dance. Atlantic Coast All predicted a Georgia Tech-Florida State final and that's exactly what they got, with the Seminoles pulling it out in the end. Atlantic Sun Campbell made it to the championship as predicted, but Mercer ambushed Central Florida in the semi-finals and went on to top the Camels in a minor upset. Big 10 Purdue went to the final, but then the biggest upset in the conference tournaments happened: They were knocked off by the #6 seed Iowa Hawkeyes, who became the first sub-.500 in the NCAA Tournament with a 15-17 record. Big 12 Kansas State was upset by #11 Oklahoma, which eventually led to a Colorado (4)-Missouri(2) final, with the Buffaloes the victors. Big East The expected Miami-Rutgers final happened and it was the Hurricanes who emerged victorious. Big Sky As you might expect from a close conference like this, it was #5 Montana State who came out with the automatic bid, knockng off #2 Weber State in the final. Big South Coastal Carolina got upset by #8 Liberty, so it was High Point(5)-Charleston Southern(3) in the final and High Point became the second sub-.500 team in the NCAA Tournament, as Charleston Southern knocked off Elon in one of the most upset-filled conference tournaments. Big West UC-Santa Barbara rode to the final, but UC-Riverside was right there to upend Malcom Fuqua's squad and take the automatic bid. Colonial Athletic Towson stunned everyone by getting shocked by #8 Drexel, paving the way for a William & Mary(4)-Old Dominion(10 final, where the Tribe came out on top. ODU's run to the final was nothing short of miraculous, upsetting #7, #2, and #6 seeds along the way. Conference USA #5 Depaul beat heavily favored Cincinnati in a real surprise and rode that momentum all the way to the championship and the automatic bid as they beat #6 Southern Missippi, whose road to the final was paved by amazing upsets by other teams in early rounds. Horizon After #8 Wright State sent Detroit packing, it was anybody's ballgame and a UW-Milwaukee (4)-Butler (2) final produced a Butler champion. Ivy It was Brown-Harvard as anticipated, but what people didn't expect was that the Crimson would knock off the Bears, but they did it to earn the automatic bid. Metro-Atlantic The MAAC was wide open, but nobody thought it wide open enough that #7 Marist could pull off upset after upset, the final one of #4 Niagra in the championship to produce the inagural tournament's third sub-.500 player, but it was. Mid-American Toledo was suckerpunched by #10 Central Michigan, so #1 Akron had a clear road to the automatic bad, dispatching #3 Kent State in the final. Mid-Continent #2 UMKC beat #5 Oral Roberts in the final nobody but the most hardcore cared about, giving the tournament its fourth sub-.500 team on the year. Mid-Eastern Coppin State met the second seed Delaware State in the final and crushed them, just like the Eagles did to everybody else all year long. Missouri Valley Drake punched out Bradley in the final to give the #1 seed the expected automatic bid, but the Braves may have done enough to earn an NCAA invite. Mountain West Colorado State was in the final, but so was #2 UNLV and the Runnin' Rebels boasted senior SG Tony Pinkard, who led the nation with a 21.4 ppg average. Pinkard ripped apart the Rams and the Rebels punched their ticket to the Big Dance. Northeast #2 Fairleigh-Dickson met #9 Sacred Heart in the final and Sacred Heart pulled off the upset to get into the NCAA Tournament. A fifth sub-.500 team was avoided, as the victory put the winners at an even 16-16. Ohio Valley Neither Eastern Illinois nor Tennessee-Martin made it to the final. Instead it was the 5th and 6th seeds, Murray State and Southeast Missouri State who met, with the +.500 Racers preserving the NCAA's integrity by beating their sub-500 foes. Pac-10 Arizona State proved worthy of their Top 25 ranking by winning the conference's automatic bid and became a hero in the process as they slew the David of all Davids, #10 seed Stanford who entered the tournament with a 4-25 record. Patriot Colgate was stunned by #4 Bucknell, who took that momentum all the way to the automatic bid, taking down #3 Army in the final. SEC Louisiana State proved the prognisticators right, beating out Georgia in the final for the automatic bid. Southern College of Charleston got sweet revenge on East Tennessee State by beating them in the semis, but the Furman Paladins said no to the Cougars' automatic bid hopes, turning them aside in the championship. Southland Nicholls State made it to the final, but McNeese State was there to deny them automatic entry in a surprising upset. Southwestern After Arkansas-Pine Bluff got upset by by #8 Alabama A&M early on, Alabama State saved the day by punching out the usurper A&M state rival in the final to keep the automatic bid out of sub-.500 hands, the count still at 4. Sun Belt Arkansas Little-Rock redeemed the state of Arkansas, winning handily as predicted, North Texas the last victim in the final. West Coast Santa Clara made it to the final, but then San Francisco caught them napping and got the automatic bid. The loss may well have cost SC a #1 seed, though that remained for Selection Sunday to see. WAC A fifth sub-.500 team couldn't be avoided as #8 Southern Methodist and #6 Hawaii went rampaging through the WAC conference tournament, upsetting everybody and their mother. The Rainbow Warriors won the matchup and the right to go dancing. Next post, the Big Dance and Recruiting results. Eyes are seriously burning... this is a lot of work.
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2006 Golden Scribe Nominee 2006 Golden Scribe Winner Best Non-Sport Dynasty: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) Rookie Writer of the Year Dynasty of the Year: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) Last edited by Izulde : 02-24-2008 at 01:08 AM. |
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02-24-2008, 10:35 AM
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#3 |
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College Prospect
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: Flower Mound, TX
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Interesting idea. Did you balance all of the coaches as far as individual ratings and the school budgets? Not sure if it's even possible to do that, otherwise it might just end up back where you start as far as school prestige.
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02-24-2008, 11:34 AM
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#4 | |
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Head Coach
Join Date: Sep 2004
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Quote:
No I didn't. I just set all the school prestiges to 0 and the conference prestiges to 1 in the default league, then started a new game. My hunch is that we're going to see some interesting results and ones that don't match up to the historical reality, which would be nice. Indeed, if this first year is any indication, we should have a noticeably different distribution of power conferences as the years roll on. Oh and nifty thing... it's the first season ever and already people are bitching about the selection committee's choices. 
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2006 Golden Scribe Nominee 2006 Golden Scribe Winner Best Non-Sport Dynasty: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) Rookie Writer of the Year Dynasty of the Year: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) |
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02-24-2008, 11:53 AM
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#5 |
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Pro Rookie
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: Macomb, MI
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Very cool idea!
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02-24-2008, 02:21 PM
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#6 | |
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Head Coach
Join Date: Sep 2004
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Quote:
Thanks! I'm having a ton of fun with it so far and I'm looking forward to seeing how this progresses.
__________________
2006 Golden Scribe Nominee 2006 Golden Scribe Winner Best Non-Sport Dynasty: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) Rookie Writer of the Year Dynasty of the Year: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) |
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02-24-2008, 11:25 PM
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#7 |
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Head Coach
Join Date: Sep 2004
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Click on the link below to see the 1900 bracket. Apologies that it's not as clean as it might be, but it's the best I could do.
1900 NCAA Tournament Bracket March of Discontent: Schools Protest NCAA Selections It is the first ever national college basket ball tournament and it is not without controversy. The Purdue Boilermakers, champions of the Big Ten regular season conference title and the Oregon State Beavers, 21-game winners, issued press releases protesting their exclusion from the NCAA Tournament. Oregon State was predicted a lock for the tournament even after falling to Stanford in the Pac-10 conference tournament semi-final and Purdue, in addition to winning the Big Ten regular season title, advanced to the conference tournament final before falling to Iowa. The Boilermakers were particularly grieved when the Michigan State Spartans, holders of an 8-8 conference mark, were admitted to the NCAA tournament and Purdue, along with the better conference players Penn State Nittany Lions and Minnesota Golden Gophers, were forced to accept an NIT bid instead. "It's a travesty, a real sham of the system", declared 33 year old George Thrower, Purdue's head coach, "That there should be a league champion who doesn't get into the tournament and two other conference teams do, is simply wrong." Minnesota and Penn State likewise complained of the preferential treatment shown to Michigan State and their presidents have joined Purdue's head, Gustavus Gottfried, in calling for the suspension of the Big Ten conference tournament and giving the regular season champion the automatic NCAA bid. NCAA rules stipulate that "Every team in every conference must have the right to play in the conference's postseason tournament for the automatic qualification bid to the national tournament. Conferences may change this rule on an individual basis, but it requires the approval of 3/4ths of the conference presidents before a change may be effected." The Big Ten Conference Comissioner has declared that the question of dissolving the conference tournament will be put to a vote after the conclusion of the NCAA tournament. Passage or failure is by no means guaranteed, with the only certain votes that Purdue, Minnesota and Penn State will be voting for the measure and Iowa will oppose it. The 3/4ths rule means that 9 of the 11 teams must vote to dissolve the conference tournament in order for it to be eliminated. It is not only the Big Ten affected in this manner, however, for the Ivy League regular season champion, Brown, also failed to make the NCAA Tournament and had to settle for a #3 seed in the NIT, despite reaching the conference tournament final before losing to the Harvard Crimson. Yet, there is no call among Ivy League schools to consider a change. As Brown head coach Jonathan Alsup remarked, "Our schedule was weak, 92nd in the nation. The selection committee's ruling was a fair and just one." Other conference champions who didn't make the NCAA Tournament are the following: Idaho State (Big Sky), Coastal Carolina (Big South), Cincinnati (Conference USA), Detroit (Horizon League - didn't even make the NIT), IUPUI (Mid-Continent - didn't even make the NIT), Quinnipac (Northeast), Eastern Illinois (Ohio Valley - didn't even make the NIT), UCLA (Pac-10), and Nicholls State (Southland). All told, 11 of 32 conference champions failed to make the NCAA Tournament, an astounding 34%, and 3 of them were not even given so much as an NIT invitation. Each of the 11 conferences, with the exception of the Ivy League, is said to be reviewing whether or not to consider a change to the conference tournament. There was a furor even in the seedings of the NCAA Tournament, as the Drake Bulldogs, #2 in the country and easy winners of their conference tournament, were given a #2 seed. "This is a distinct lack of respect is what it is. We're the #2 team in the country with one of the toughest schedules and we don't rate a #1 seed? Ridiculous!" snarled junior PF John Grosso, the team's best player, "We're just going to have go out there and prove them wrong." Even the #1 overall seed in the tournament, Stony Brook, found cause for complaint. "All we've been hearing for the last few months is Coppin State this, Coppin State that. Yes, we've been given the top seed in the tournament, but nobody believes in us. Everyone says it's going to be Coppin State. I think they've got another thing coming", asserted Seawolves head coach Jordan Towne. IPFW was the last major grievance, as Mastadons head coach Derick Bryan called foul on the selection committee for his team's #12 seed. "This is a case of conference-affiliated bias and favoritism. We were a Top 25 team for most of the season and now all of a sudden we are only worth of a 12 seed? The selection committee needs to take a hard look at themselves in the mirror and atone for the error of their ways." **** In spite of the anger and controversy surrounding some of the selections and seedings, it promises to be an exciting inaugural tournament, with a number of thrilling contests in the opening round. West Region This region looks to be Stony Brook's to lose as none of the teams look capable of knocking off the Seawolves. The most intriguing opening round matchup: (5) Mercer vs (12) UNLV. Mercer will have to figure out a way to contain Runnin' Rebels national scoring champion Tony Pinkard if they hope to avoid the upset. Midwest Region It appears that Drake's assertion that Akron was undeserving of the #1 seed has some merit for the Zips are in a tough bracket, that includes the Bulldogs, a very good Arizone State team and our pick to come out of the Midwest: 4 seed Santa Clara. 1st round matchups to watch: (5) Arizona State vs (12) IPFW as the Mastadons seek to prove they're worth a higher seed, and (6) Michigan State vs (11) Western Michigan. It'd be a notable matchup just for the controversy surrounding the Spartans' selection. Throw in a battle against an in-state school and the contest gets that much more fascinating to watch. South Region If #1 seed Miami can get past anticipated 2nd round foe 8th seed Toledo, they should have a clear path to the Final Four. The only other real threat to the Hurricanes in this region is 3 seed Arkansas-Little Rock, who've been amazing all season long. Best first-round matchups: (4) Delaware State vs (13) East Tennessee State and our pick for the Upset Special of this region: (6) New Hampshire vs (11) Georgia Tech. The Yellow Jackets were grossly underseeded and stand ready to make some noise. East Region #1 seed Coppin State may be the overwhelming favorites to win it all, but this is not an easy bracket. There's a number of dangerous teams in this region, including #2 Hartford and #5 Harvard. Upset Special of the opening round: (7) Towson vs (10) Florida State. The Tigers really looked vulnerable down the stretch and the Seminoles are fresh off a confidence building ACC conference tournament victory. (4) Texas Tech vs (13) Duquesne could result in a upset as well. Projected Final Four (1) Coppin State vs (4) Santa Clara (1) Miami vs (1) Stony Brook Projected Championship Game (1) Stony Brook vs (1) Coppin State Projected Champion (1) Coppin State Opening Round Day One The NCAA Tournament got off to a bang as in the very first game (13) McNeese State upset (4) UC-Riverside) 74-70 behind torrid shooting from their backcourt of PG Brad Carmona (Sr), with 18 points and [b]SG Brad Vigue (So) 19 points. (13) Furman equalled that task, upsetting (4) Canisius 65-60 with superior rebounding, stifling defense and absolutely terrific bench play. It wasn't until (5) Mercer topped (12) UNLV 53-41 by shutting down Tony Pinkard that the higher seed finally came out on top. The tournament's first-ever double-double and 20+ point game both came in the (6) Campbell - (11) Louisiana State matchup where the Tigers upset the Camels 75-66 thanks to C David Lange (Jr)'s 19 points and 13 rebounds, while SG Chester Rohde (Sr) had a heroic effort in a losing cause, scoring 23 for the Camels. (12) IPFW pulled off one of the biggest shockers and vindicated their head coach's angry rant against the selection committee by knocking off (5) Arizona State 47-44 with stifling defense and some great heroics SF Mark Carruth (Sr) who led all scorers with 10 points and had 7 rebounds besides. (9) St. Peter's stunned the heavily favored (9)Toledo 69-57 behind PF Jason Taylor (So)'s 15 points, thus eliminating a darkhorse favorite for the region. Without question though, the biggest upset of the tournament's first day of play was (15) Murray State's 47-43 win over (2) Hartford, utilizing stingy defense. It was an improbable triumph that sent ripples throughout the tournament and really gave heart to the other underdogs in the pool. The favorites held serve in the rest of the day's games, recovering from early disaster to save the committee's bacon. Day Two The second day opened up with (1) Stony Brook)'s 86-60 squash of (16 Hawaii), the biggest blowout in the tournament thus far as the Seawolves run roughshod over the Rainbow Warriors. (2) Colorado State survived a major scare and just barely beat out (15) Iowa by the slimmest of margins, 64-63. The Hawkeyes gave the Rams everything they had as they were on a mission to prove themselves worthy. Iowa SF Matthew Robinette (Sr)'s 22 points to win Player of the Game was lauded by many journalists as "the finest performance of the tournament's opening games." (10) Kansas State had the day's first upset, downing (7) Nevada 78-59 on SF Michael Forest (Sr)'s breathtaking 19 point, 10 rebound, 4 steal performance. (9) Army followed suit, topping (8) San Francisco 67-56 on the strength of SG Johnnie Timmerman (Sr)'s 19 points. (2) Drake had the tournament's first 20+ point player and double-double maker on the same team in their 68-59 defeat of (15 Montana State. PF John Grosso (Jr) backed up his pre-tournament remarks with 13 points and 11 rebounds along with 3 steals and a block, while PG Cyril Beam (Jr) led all scorers with 22 points. (9) Holy Cross destroyed (8) Colorado 85-52 as C Otis Goldman (Sr), playing in the SF forward spot, took full advantage of the mismatch to burn the Buffalos for 24 points. C John Sayer (Sr) had one of the finest all-around games in the opening round, with 16 points, 18 rebounds, 4 assists, 4 blocks and a steal in helping (3) Arkansas-Little Rock eliminate (14) William & Mary 66-52. (13) East Tennessee State - (4) Delaware State was precisely the barnburner everyone anticipated and the Buccaneers beat the Hornets 62-60 to pull off the upset on SF Michael Thornberry (Sr)'s buzzer-beater FG as time expired. (12) Tulsa - (5) Central Florida was an offensive fan's dream as Golden Hurricane PG Odis Chapa (Sr) scored 26 points and 6th man F Chris Garvin (Sr), put up a Herculean effort of 29 points after SF Scott Gordon fouled out with just 22 minutes of play time. The Golden Knights countered with SG Anthony Kinsella (Sr), who had the tournament's first 30 point game. Unfortunately for UCF fans, Chapa and Garvin were just enough to lead Tulsa to the 87-86 upset. C Andrew Gomez (Sr) continued the string of amazing second day performances with 21 points and 13 rebounds to lead (6) New Hampshire over heavy upset favorite (11) Georgia Tech by the astonishing score of 83-46. PG Gregory Beach (Jr) scored 23 points as (4) Texas Tech warded off another upset special selection, (13) Duquesne. (5) Harvard were an extremely attractive darkhorse favorites for the national title, but (12) College of Charleston downed those hopes and pulled off a tremendous 62-47 upset because of two players: C Michael Benson (Sr) with 12 points, 10 rebounds and 5 blocks and SG Leo McBryde (So, who had 20 points. (11) Alabama State ended the opening round with a bang, upsetting (6) Wofford 71-64 thanks to PG Roland Macneil (Jr)'s 19 points. The rest of the favorites won out, with no particularly superlative individual performances to note. Second Round More than ever, (1) Stony Brook looked the prohibitive favorites in the West, while a forthcoming [b](14) McNeese State - (11) Louisiana State matchup ensured that at least one double-digit seed would make the Sweet 16. (2) Drake were considered favorites in the Midwest after their destruction of Montana State in the opening round, but (4) Santa Clara was also considered very much in the running. Nobody was giving (1) Akron the time of day, much to the Zips' anger. The South Region now became split in opinion. Half the bookies favored (1) Miami, the other half (3) Arkansas-Little Rock. (13) East Tennessee State - (12) Tulsa was another guaranteed double-digit Sweet 16 matchup. After Harvard's unexpected downfall, the East Region was believed all the more to be (1) Coppin State's for the taking. Day Three (14) McNeese State continued its miracle season, knocking off (11) Louisiana State 66-56 to become the first Sweet 16 entrant. This time it was the frontcourt that powered the Cowboys, as C Richard Paige (Jr) had 11 points and 13 rebounds and PF Odell Thrift (Sr) joined Paige in double-double territory with 14 points and 11 rebounds. (5) Mercer handled (13) Furman with relative ease, downing the upstart Paladins 63-50 behind 3 players scoring in double figures. (6) Michigan State started the tournament on a mission to prove the NCAA selection committee right and the Spartans went a long way to doing so as they nipped (3) Missouri 73-70 behind SF Dallas Priest (Sr)'s masterful 27 point, 8 rebound, 4 assist, 4 steal performance. (4) Santa Clara ravaged (12) IPFW as they trampled the Mastadons 71-40. PF Eric Hartz (Sr) led the way with 15 points. The biggest upset to date in the tournament occurred in the next game as (9) St Peter's stunned (1) Miami by the shellacking score of 82-54. Five Peacocks broke the double-digit barrier, led by SG Dorsey Bronson (Jr) who took over the game with 17 points, 7 rebounds and 4 assists. (2) Colgate rode PG Christopher Myers (Sr)'s 15 points to top (7) Arkansas-Pine Bluff 50-41. And then it happened. The annointed champions for most of the season, the toast of the nation, (1) Coppin State fell to (8) Niagra 68-64. The most mindblowing upset of them all happened because of SG Jeffrey Estrada (Sr), who ruled the court with 18 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 steals. Coppin State just had no offensive answer for Estrada and the Eagles fell from their crowned sky. Lost in the hubub surrounding the Miami and Coppin State upsets was (7) Towson's riding of 3 players in double figures to put away (15) Murray State 61-50. Day Four The country was still recovering from the shock of the previous day's upsets when (9) Army provided another major stunner in beating (1) Stony Brook by the vast margin of 69-48. SG Johnnie Timmerman (Sr) was quickly making a name for himself in the tournament with another great performance, this time for 17 points. PG Harlan Wexler (Fr) came out with 21 points to lead all scorers and established himself as a player to watch over the next few seasons. (2) Colorado State looked all the stronger for the scare to Iowa, thrashing (10) Kansas State 81-50. C Robert Parker (Jr) doubled with 13 points and 12 rebounds, adding 2 blocks and 3 steals besides, and [b]SG Ike Poole (Sr) lit up the Wildcats for 20 points. (1) Akron barely survived, holding off (9) Holy Cross 54-50 as PG Alan Renfroe (Jr) came through with a critical all-around game of 13 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists and 2 steals. Nobody could figure out why the #1 seeds were struggling so much, but it certainly didn't look good for the selection committee. The aftershocks just kept right on hitting, as (7) Rutgers pulled off the latest in a series of amazing upsets in punching out (2) Drake 76-61. PF John Grosso (Jr)'s double-double of 13 points and 12 rebounds was trumped by SF Edwin Marron (Sr)'s 20 points as the elder Scarlet Knight beat the younger Bulldog. (3) Arkansas-Little Rock put a stop to the madness by neutralizing (6) New Hampshire 75-64 behind SF David Barth (Sr)'s 23 points and C John Sayer (Sr)'s all-around classic of 10 points, 10 rebounds, 6 assists, block, and 2 steals. (13) East Tennesse State took out (12) Tulsa 59-51 on SG Daniel Vogel (Sr)'s 13 points and 3 steals to give the Sweet 16 its second (and guaranteed) double-digit seed. SG Clement Dugardin (Sr) scored 19 points and he and (11) Alabama State continued the string of shocking upsets by tossing a very good (3) Fairfield out of the tournament 61-48. There were now 3 double-digit seeds in the Sweet 16. (12) College of Charleston made it 4 double-digit Sweet 16 seeds, stunning (4) Texas Tech 58-46 on a balanced scoring effort led by PG Jeffrey Valles (Jr) with 14 points and C Mike Benson (Sr)'s crucial 10 points and 8 rebounds. Sweet 16 Nearly every bracket in the country was in major disarray after 3 of the 4 #1 seeds failed to reach the Sweet 16 and the one #1 seed that remained in Akron was the one that nobody thought deserved to be there. In the West, (2) Colorado State was the highest seed remaining, but (9) Army was the new trendy favorite, thanks to SG Johnnie Timmerman's hot hand in the tournament. (4) Santa Clara was still the favorite in the Midwest, but a growing contigent began to believe that maybe the selection committee knew what it was doing and backed (1) Akron. (3) Arkansas-Little Rock were now the odds-on favorites, not only to come out of the South Region, but to win the whole thing. Darkhorse favorites when the tournament started, the cascade of upsets polevaulted them into front-runners for the national title. The East Region was the most horrifying one to consider for the selection committee. Two double-digit seeds remained in the bracket and the highest seed was (7) Towson. Gamblers shifted to (8) Niagra as the region favorites after their miracle victory over Coppin State. Day One - Sweet 16 Weekend Although (4) Santa Clara's 57-37 victory over (1) Akron was technically considered an upset in terms of seeding, nobody thought the Zips had a chance and C Russell Kelsey (Sr) made sure they didn't, with 13 points. (7) Rutgers sent home the poster-child for selection committee criticism home, defeating (6) Michigan State 74-53 thanks to PF Neal Wilkinson's 18 points. PF David Villasenor (Jr) played well in the loss, with 12 points, 10 rebounds and 4 assists. The Scarlet Knights had put together an impressive tournament, to say the least. (8) Niagra rode the coattails of SG Jeffrey Estrada (Sr)'s 22 points to put away the pesky (12) College of Charleston Cougars 60-54. Estrada quickly became one of the prime candidates for Tournament MVP thanks to his showing in two very big games for the Purple Eagles. The selection committee breathed a very deep sigh of relief as (7) Towson dismantled (11) Alabama State 75-66 on the strength of 4 starters in double-digit scoring, highlighted by C Elliott Pope (Sr)'s 18 points and 9 rebounds. Niagra and Towson ensured that there would be no double-digit Cinderella in the Elite Eight in their region. Sweet Sixteen Weekend - Day Two (9) Army's magic finally ran out, as (5) Mercer throttled them 71-47 due to 6th man F Haywood Cagle (Sr)'s 17 points and 6 rebounds. SG Johnnie Timmerman was held to just 3 of 11 from the floor in his final college game. One Cinderella who wouldn't be denied, however, was (14) McNeese State, who completed one of the bigger upsets in the late tournament in getting rid of (2) Colorado State 70-59 behind the hot backcourt of SG Brad Vigue (So) with 17 points and PG Brad Carmona (Sr) with 16 points. The Cowboys became the first double-digit seed to make the Elite Eight in the tournament's inaugural season and a cult following developed. (13) East Tennessee State became the second double-digit Cinderella in the Elite Eight as the Buccaneers swashbuckled the Peacocks of (9) St. Peter's 71-63. SG Daniel Vogel (Sr) carried ETSU again with 16 points in the considerable upset. A second ordained champion fell as (2) Colgate pulled seed rank on (3) Arkansas-Little Rock 66-56 and SG David Corley (Jr) was the taskmaster with 16 points to lead all scorers. Elite Eight (4) Santa Clara became the new media and fan favorite to win the national title, but the big story was (13) East Tennessee State and (14) McNeese State, who were giving the selection committee nightmares. Although nobody gave the Buccaneers much chance against (2) Colgate, a lot of people believed the Cowboys could knock off (5) Mercer. Elite Eight - Day One (7) Rutgers gave (4) Santa Clara all they could handle, but the Broncos, favored to win the Midwest Region from the very time the seedings were announced, would not fall, riding PF Eric Hartz (Sr)'s double-double of 12 points and 12 rebounds and SF Richard McGowen (Sr)'s 16 points to become the first ever Final Four member. The celebration was wild in the gym at this historic moment and many called the Broncos the team of destiny. (7) Towson sneered at the oddsmakers and C Elliott Pope (Sr) delivered his Tigers to the Final Four with 15 points, knocking off the favored (8) Niagra Purple Eagles to be an improbable Final Four team. The Tigers had collapsed down the stretch in the regular season, but Pope revived them like magic in the Big Dance. Elite Eight - Day Two (14) McNeese State did indeed make history, becoming the first double-digit Final Four team in the first ever NCAA tournament, knocking off (5) Mercer 57-54 behind PG Brad Carmona (Sr)'s 16 points. It was a dream season for the Cowboys just to make the tournament to say nothing of being one of the last four teams in all the land. (2) Colgate did its part to preserve the integrity of the seeds, knocking (13) East Tennessee State from the proceedings by a 70-64 margin guaranteed by SG David Corley (Jr)'s 21 points. Final Four All the predictions were proven wrong, save for (4) Santa Clara. The Broncos were overwhelmingly the favorites for the national title at last, having accomplished what was expected of them that the other Final Four anticipateds didn't: They made it to the Final Four. (14) McNeese State actually looked to have a very good chance at beating (2) Colgate and the nation was abuzz with the possibility that the very thing might happen. Interestingly enough, that game featured the two teams most likely to repeat as Final Four participants, as McNeese State would be returning star SG Brad Vigue, who was only a sophomore and Colgate's only lost starter would be PG Christopher Myers, who, while important, was not the be-all, end-all for the Raiders. (14) McNeese State relied on their sterling backcourt all tournament long and they didn't disappoint in the thrilling opening game of the Final Four. PG Brad Carmona (Sr) and SG Brad Vigue (So) both scored 15 points as the Cowboys pulled off the major upset, dismaying the selection committee and Colgate fans as they beat out the Raiders 54-51. But that was nothing compared to the shock that visited those who saw (7) Towson upend (4) Santa Clara 78-72. C Elliott Pope thrashed the Broncos for 21 points and 7 rebounds on the way to destroying another favorite's title dreams. National Championship Game Nobody and I mean nobody expected to see a championship matchup of a 7 seed and a 14 seed, but here it was. All the papers could talk about leading up to the game was the matchup of the Cowboys' vaunted guard tandem of PG Brad Carmona and SG Brad Vigue against the Tigers' heralded C Elliott Pope. Most viewed the contest as one for the ages, irregardless of seeding. And in the end, it was C Elliott Pope who had the final word, with 10 points and 9 rebounds as the Tigers played a total team game in beating the Cowboys 59-47. PG Brad Carmona did everything his power to graduate with the national title, leading all scorers with 18 points, but it just wasn't enough. 1900 National Champions: Towson Tigers C Elliott Pope was named NCAA Tournament MVP, a sweet finish to a sensational single-season senior year. All-American Awards Code:
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2006 Golden Scribe Nominee 2006 Golden Scribe Winner Best Non-Sport Dynasty: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) Rookie Writer of the Year Dynasty of the Year: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) |
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02-25-2008, 03:29 AM
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#8 |
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Pro Starter
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: Toledo - Spain
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Are 5 star players accepting offers from 0 perstige teams? it could be a problem having all the teams with zero prestige, than only 1 star players will want to join them.
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02-25-2008, 08:27 AM
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#9 | |
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Head Coach
Join Date: Sep 2004
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Quote:
I'll be getting to in my next post later today, probably more likely tonight, though, as this cold just won't quit and I only got about 4 and a half hours of sleep last night.
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2006 Golden Scribe Nominee 2006 Golden Scribe Winner Best Non-Sport Dynasty: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) Rookie Writer of the Year Dynasty of the Year: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) |
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02-25-2008, 09:23 PM
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#10 |
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Head Coach
Join Date: Sep 2004
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NIT
Purdue's bluster about not making the NCAA tournament proved somewhat credible as the Boilermakers tore through their region and made it to the NIT Final Four, the only #1 seed to do so. There is where they fell, however, to the 5th seed Bradley Braves, who in turn went on to lose to 4 seed Long Beach State in the NIT Championship. Still, the Boilermakers' deep run generated considerable sympathy for the idea of a Big Ten conference tournament ban. Iowa countered this by pointing to their near upset of 2nd seed Colorado State in the first round of the NCAA tournament. The Big Ten vote and any other conference votes on the tournament question would not be held until later that summer, however, giving schools plenty of time to mull over the decision before them. Recruiting Wars One of the areas of greatest interest for fans to this new national college basketball association was that of recruiting. All across the country, schools dashed in a mad scramble to get the most promising young players to attend their campus and play for their team. The NCAA had instituted a rule that incoming players must stay until graduation to protect them against chasing pro dreams in an era when professional basketball was not lucrative enough to be a career. A cottage industry sprang up around the scouting and tracking of recruits and a 5 star classification system quickly emerged, where 5 was the best, 1 the lowest. In the inagural recruiting class of 1900, there were 9 prospects considered 5 stars. To the modern mind, their assembly might prove unusual, for there were two Europeans in the list. But it must be remembered that in this history, basketball was not an American invention. Rather, a primitive form of it was invented in the mid-1000s in Normandy and William the Conqueror took to this curious game, porting it with him to England in 1066. There, like much of French culture, it became quite popular. Over time, the sport evolved into its contemporary form of basketball and remained one of the most beloved sports, both in England and in France. This explains why there were two Europeans in this Council of Nine, as they came to be dubbed in the industry. One was SG Pierre Glorieux, from France, particularly prized for his quickness and outside shot. The other was C Dougie Grange, hailing from Grays, England. Scouts of the day described Grange as a fairly raw all-around center, but one who had the type of body that would develop him into a champion. The other 7 of 9 were Americans, evenly divided between the East, Midwest, and West, signaling hope that this truly was going to be a national game. 1900 5* Recruits Code:
The curious thing was that as of the championship game's end, none of the 5* prospects were signed, though they had scholarship offers from the following schools: C Dougie Grange Hofstra, Tulane PF Quentin Swallow Oklahoma State, Alcorn State, Oklahoma SF Ian Roberts San Diego State, Northern Arizona, Weber State SF Thomas Lombardo Wisconsin SG Burl Kirby Chattanooga SG Israel Witmer Boston University, Providence, Youngstown State SG Pierre Glorieux Florida International PG Myron Randle Elon PG Burl Gwin Santa Clara, California The difficulty was, as Dougie Grange put it, "We have a well-established professional basketball system already here in Europe, particularly the English and French leagues. Why would we want to waste our time going to an inferior American league where the pay is non-existant? Here in England, we have Cambridge and Oxford for education, more than a match for any American school." Indeed, the lure of relatively easy money to be made playing in Europe was quite strong, so strong that all of the 5-star prospects, including the Americans were said to be pursuing European riches. Despite the promise of wealth in Europe, it was only the 5-stars who were drawn in. Every single one of the 4-star prospects who qualified academically accepted a scholarship to play in a United States college, including most of the High School All-Americans. High School All-Americans Code:
What is interesting to note about that first High School All-American class is how poorly the schools in the inaugural NCAA Tournament fared among the group. Only Akron and Hawaii, a 16 seed, succeeded in landing an All-American. This state of affairs indicated that the fledgling national collegiate basketball association was still very much in flux and it would be some time before one could even begin to hope to speculate on the idea of dynastic powers. The refusal of the Nine, as the 5-star prospects were collectively called, to attend American universities led to a flurry of shuttle diplomacy and negotiations with the European basketball leagues. Even William McKinley, the President of the United States, took a hand in the talks. An agreement was eventually reached, where the European leagues would encourage their college-age prospects to play for American colleges. In return, the various European leagues would then have first rights to US graduates, if they wished to exercise them. This deal, while saving the face of the United States college basketball leagues, greatly wounded the American professional leagues that were trying to get off the ground. In fact, the contract proved so devastating to American pro basketball, that it would be decades before a viable US-based pro league emerged. As a result of this arrangement, all of the Nine accepted scholarships in late summer 1901, not long before the fall terms started. The Nine's Commitments Code:
The Top Recruiting Classes Code:
Heartening for the dynast dreamers was the presence of 9 NCAA Tournament teams in the Top 25 classes, 3 of them in the Top 10, including the much-loved Santa Clara Broncos. Although the official scouting services credited San Diego State with the top recruiting class, most in the country felt that it was Florida International, landers of Glorieux and a High School All-American, who actually had the best first recruiting season. Along with the other dramatic changes that took place in the national collegiate basketball landscape that summer was the release of what came to be called The Prestige List, where schools were to be ranked according to their accomplishments throughout the years. It should come as no surprise that the top 8 schools in prestige as 1901 began were the Elite Eight teams from the first NCAA tournament. Here is a list of those 8 and their assigned prestiges that year, on a 1-100 rating scale. Code:
At the start of the 1901 season, it was Santa Clara who gave the country its best chance for a dynasty in the eyes of many and all would be watching the Broncos to see if they could sustain their 1900 success.
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2006 Golden Scribe Nominee 2006 Golden Scribe Winner Best Non-Sport Dynasty: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) Rookie Writer of the Year Dynasty of the Year: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) |
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02-26-2008, 07:00 PM
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#11 |
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College Benchwarmer
Join Date: Jun 2002
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Very good stuff.
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02-26-2008, 09:25 PM
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#12 | |
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Head Coach
Join Date: Sep 2004
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Quote:
Thanks I love doing this dynasty, though it obviously takes me a fair amount of time to do the updates.
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2006 Golden Scribe Nominee 2006 Golden Scribe Winner Best Non-Sport Dynasty: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) Rookie Writer of the Year Dynasty of the Year: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) |
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02-27-2008, 10:59 AM
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#13 |
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Go Reds
Join Date: May 2001
Location: Bloodbuzz Ohio
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This is the best dynasty going right now
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02-27-2008, 04:25 PM
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#14 | |
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Head Coach
Join Date: Sep 2004
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Quote:
Thanks I'm hoping to get another update done sometime tonight.
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2006 Golden Scribe Nominee 2006 Golden Scribe Winner Best Non-Sport Dynasty: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) Rookie Writer of the Year Dynasty of the Year: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) |
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02-29-2008, 02:16 PM
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#15 |
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Head Coach
Join Date: Sep 2004
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The Big Ten Conference Tournament Question
As the most famous of the disputed conference tournament votes, all eyes were on the Big Ten in late summer. Not only was it the most controversial and publicized battle over the conference tournaments, but the Big Ten was considered a 5 prestige powerhouse after that first season. Much like the team prestige 1-100 system, the conferences were ranked according to a prestige system of 1-5. There were no less than seven conferences with a 5 prestige rating following the 1900 season, but the NCAA knew there would be wild fluxuations in prestiges over the first few seasons and issued a public statement saying there would be no conference prestige freezes until at least 1920. A list of the conferences and their prestiges going into 1901: Code:
There was, it must be noted, some concern among the now "lower" prestige conferences that the jump-start the alleged power conferences had would lead to an unfair monopoly as the years went on. But returning to the matter at hand, namely the Big Ten conference tournament vote, which needed 9 of its 11 members to approve it in order for the conference tournament to be banned. The vote: Code:
The Spartans had the last vote and it was theirs that ruined the hopes of the rest of the Big Ten, save for Iowa and Indiana, to abolish the conference tournament. As a direct result of this, Michigan State became the most hated team in the Big Ten by everyone except the Hoosiers and the Hawkeyes faithful. Other conferences who'd considered a conference tournament ban because of selection committee outcries, also decided not to do so, as the Big Ten's decision rippled throughout the rest of the country. This did not mean the issue was dead, however, and it in fact would rise again repeatedly throughout the following years. Coaching Movement There were two head coach retirements that grabbed headlines in the offseason. Brothers Charles Brown (Mercer - Elite Eight) and Chris Brown (Duquesne - Atlantic 10 Champion) announced their simultaneous retirement from coaching. With vacancies at two NCAA Tournament schools, the nation watched with great interest to see who would take their places. Duquesne took the bold step of hiring Elvis Buckley, a high school wizard, who at 41 years old had already won 3 straight California State Championships with his high school alma mater, Mayfair High in Lakewood. Mercer made an even stranger decision, choosing 61 year old Deshawn Baker, an assistant from national champion Towson, an assistant that wasn't highly regarded by anyone. That hiring decision was not nearly as shocking as another move, however. Chris Goode, who'd led McNeese State to the NCAA Championship game the year before, jumped shiped to Iona, a crushing blow for the Cowboys. McNeese State struck back by inviting Hugo Morell, one of Goode's assistants, back to campus as the head coach. Morell accepted. Another stunner was Evan Gish, who'd taken Akron to the Sweet 16, deciding to be the top man at Maine. Akron recovered by stealing away Arron Brown, Chris Goode's top assistant. Thus, the McNeese State Cowboys coaching staff from their miracle 1900 championship game run had now supplied three schools with head coaches: Iona, McNeese State and Akron. Pundits predicted this would be one of the more interesting storylines to watch in 1901.
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2006 Golden Scribe Nominee 2006 Golden Scribe Winner Best Non-Sport Dynasty: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) Rookie Writer of the Year Dynasty of the Year: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) |
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03-02-2008, 05:39 PM
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#16 |
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Head Coach
Join Date: Sep 2004
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5* Recruits
There were 7 five star recruits in the 1901 season and this class was dubbed The Year of the Californian, as three of the seven players were from the state of California. It was also PG heavy, with three of the seven at the point. Another key factor about this class: There was only one non-US 5* player, PF George Dyer from Australia, which, as a former British colony, had a strong basketball presence. The list: Code:
Unlike 1900, where none of the Nine committed until McKinley's diplomacy hammered out the agreement between the European leagues and the American colleges, over half the Year of California class (4 of 7) signed in the early period. C James Callaghan stayed in-state, signing with UC-Santa Barbara, who'd made the inaugural NCAA tournament, PG Domenic Eubank stayed in-state as well, in inking with Big West rival UC-Irvine, one of the biggest upsets of the recruiting season, PG Sidney Kowalczyk went to Boston College, a 1900 NCAA team and PG Mel Masse signed a letter to play for Texas Tech, who'd made the second round of the NCAA Tournament the year before. Preseason Capsules: Part 1 (In Order of Total 1900 Wins) America East Stony Brook welcomed back 3 starters and 2 America East All-Conference players in PG Hobert Sanchez (2nd Team -Sr) and SG Dario Markle (1st Team - Sr), but had no new blood that looked worth watching. New Hampshire also returned 3 starters, including America East Conference Player of the Year PG Boyce Fleming (Sr) and boasted an exciting freshman in C David Breeding, an Oklahoma All-State player who was an early favorite for America East Freshman of the Year. Hartford returned 2 starters and had an intriguing player in Juco transfer C Eladio Leon, a Spanish import from Cuarte de Huerva. The Hawks' backcourt looked suspect, however. Northeastern had 2 starters coming back to the fold, including SF Caleb Erickson - 2nd Team (Sr) and another great new freshman center in C Todd Peake, a New York All-State product. The Huskies were also high on freshman SF David Chadwick, a Massachussets All-State player. Binghamton fielded nearly all of its starters from 1900, with 4 of 5 returning, but none were considered much good, nor did the Bearcats have any exciting new players to watch. Albany had 3 starters returning, including America East All-Conference Freshman C Buster Jarrell, who'd benefited mostly from the weak crop of freshman centers in 1900, a situation that wouldn't repeat itself in 1901. The Great Danes looked to be anything but in 1901. Boston University was a young team, bringing back just two starters, both sophomores. It helped that one of them was PF Joe Heffner - 2nd Team All-Conference, America East Freshman of the Year and of course, there was 5* freshman recruit SG Israel Witmer, the top-ranked player in the 1900 class and Idaho's Mr. Basketball, along with freshman PG Dillon Gant looking quite promising, but by and large the consensus was that the Terriers would become a conference power in a year or two, once these tantalizing players had more experience under their belts. Maine's biggest move was landing Evan Gish as head coach and Gish's work was going to be cut out for him, with 3 mediocre returning starters. There was a silver lining, however, as the Black Bears boasted three noteworthy freshmen: Frenchman PF Nicolas Fauvarque, who already looked like one of the top scorers in the conference, Maryland All-State SG Wilbur Harding and PG Gil Schulz. The season would be a real test of Gish's coaching talents. Vermont brought back 3 starters, including SG Ira Clark - Freshman All-Conference, but looked primed to once again finish at the bottom, with junior college transfer PG Jamar Yerber the lone notable new face. Projected Order of Finish 1. Stony Brook 2. New Hampshire 3. Northeastern 4. Hartford 5. Boston University 6. Maine 7. Binghamton 8. Albany 9. Vermont Atlantic 10 East Division Massachusetts returned 3 starters, including SF Charles Mundy - 1st Team All Conference (Sr) and SG Simon Fry - Freshman All-Conference. The Minutemen boasted a brilliant freshman as well in C Bennie Tobey, Washington State's Mr. Basketball, one of the odds-on favorites to be the conference Freshman of the Year. St. Bonaventure had 2 very bad starters returning and one freshman who drew lukewarm interest in PF Courtney Funderburk, who looked like the best scorer on an awful team. Rhode Island brought back 2 starters as well, SG Forest Beller - 2nd Team All-Conference (Jr) the true gamer of them. PF Charles Coulter looked like the best freshman and the only starter, but overall, the Rams looked like another bad unit. Fordham also returned 2 starters, C Chris Reinhart - Atlantic 10 Freshman of the year the alleged better, but much like Jarrell in the America East, it was a poor freshman crop that did it. No freshmen of note, either. Temple had 3 starters coming back, including PF Nathaniel Bower - Freshman All-Conference, and no talented freshmen. St. Joseph's featured 2 respectable starters returning, but zero talented new players. West Division Duquesne returned 3 starters, including two 2nd Team All-Conference players in PG Monty Battaglia (Sr) and C Harrison Gleason (Sr). The Dukes also had two sensational freshmen in SG Lyle Hardison and PG Bobbie Rothrock, Pennsylvania's Mr. Basketball. Dayton was the first team profiled to be returning all 5 starters, but there were no stars among them. Fortunately for the Flyers faithful, they had a fearsome freshman in C Melvin Browne, Minnesota's Mr. Basketball to build around. George Washington returned 3 bland starters and the Colonials' only saving grace was PG Charles Tafoya, a freshman who already looked like the best player on the squad. La Salle had 3 starters come back, none of whom were any good and had no freshmen worth talking about. In fact, the team was so bad, that they were the preseason #2 ranked team as a joke. Richmond returned 2 starters, the better of whom was PF Kyle Fredrick - 2nd Team All-Conference (Sr), but had no freshmen worthy of discussion. Xavier hosted the return of 3 dull starters, but had an intriguing freshman in C George Mellon. Projected Order of Finish East 1. Massachussetts 2. Rhode Island 3. St. Bonaventure 4. Fordham 5. Temple 6. St. Joseph's West 1. Duquesne 2. Dayton 3. George Washington 4. Xavier 5. Richmond 6. La Salle What was clear to everyone at the start of the 1901 season was the West was clearly superior to the East in the Atlantic 10, a fact which angered the mid-tier teams in the West and which led UMass, Duquesne and Dayton to join those other teams in calling for the elimination of divisions from 1902 onwards. Like the conference tournament vote, NCAA bylaws stipulated that 3/4ths of the conference would have to approve the measure, which in this case meant 9 of the 12 universities needed to vote yes. Unlike in the Big Ten struggle, there was no strong opposition and so the measure was expected to pass with ease after the conclusion of the 1901 national championship. OOC Note: Part Two to come tomorrow and I'll try to profile more than two conferences, though it's admittedly the most time-consuming part of the dynasty.
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2006 Golden Scribe Nominee 2006 Golden Scribe Winner Best Non-Sport Dynasty: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) Rookie Writer of the Year Dynasty of the Year: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) |
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03-03-2008, 07:25 PM
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#17 |
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Head Coach
Join Date: Sep 2004
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1901 Preseason Capsules: Part II (In Order of 1900 Wins)
Atlantic Coast Georgia Tech looked in good shape, with two All-Conference starters returning in PG John Powell - 2nd Team (Sr) and C Henry Odle - 1st Team (Jr). No amazing freshmen, however. Florida State returned 3 starters, including SG Derek Bowyer - Freshman All-Conference and had an intriguing freshman in SG Alphonse McRae, which had some predicting that the Seminoles were going to go with a 3 guard set. North Carolina State had 4 starters coming back, most notably PF Scott Clements - Freshman All-Conference, but had no significant freshmen and furthermore looked to have problems finding scoring options. Duke featured 3 returning starters, including PG Noe Wright - ACC Freshman of the Year and SF James Olivas - 2nd Team All-Conference (Sr), along with impact freshmen PF Richard Sutherland, a South Carolina All-State selection and SG Ronald Fey, expected to contend for the starting SG spot. Virginia brought back 2 average starters, but had a huge buzz surrounding freshman PF Charles Gillenwater, a Virginia All-State selection who was expected to contend for ACC Freshman of the Year. Wake Forest had 4 starters coming back, the biggest one PF Mitchell Huey - 2nd Team All-Conference (Sr) and two newcomers that were the talk of campus: JuCo transfer SF Loren Witcher and freshman SG Roman Powell. North Carolina returned 3 starters, highlighted by C Franklin Gray - Freshman All-Conference, but no newcomers worthy of mention. Clemson had 3 starters returning, including SF John Permenter - 1st Team All-Conference (Sr) and key newcomers in freshman C Elden Muniz, South Carolina's Mr. Basketball and Juco transfer SG Frank Harmon. Maryland returned 2 starters and boasted a big-time freshman in C Benjamin Keeton, a High School All-American along with fellow freshman SF Sancho Navarro, a Texas All-State pick. Projected Order of Finish 1. Duke 2. Wake Forest 3. Georgia Tech 4. Florida State 5. Clemson 6. Maryland 7. Virginia 8. North Carolina State 9. North Carolina Atlantic Sun Elite Eight school Mercer brought back 4 starters, including SF Brenton Lackey - 2nd Team All-Conference and had a tantalizing freshman in C Stefan Ocampo, Georgia's Mr. Basketball, although an Elite Eight reappearance seemed out of the question. Central Florida also returned 4 starters and the Golden Knights looked loaded, with PG Vernon Henderson - Freshman All-Conference, SG Caron Louie - Atlantic Sun Player of the Year (Jr) and C David Soileau - 2nd Team All-Conference (Sr) coming back. Include a strong and deep freshman class headlined by SF Delmar Mares, Florida All-State,[b] and 4* recruit PG Charlie Saavedra as possible starters and you had a Golden Knights team that was not only a runaway favorite to win the A-Sun crown, but considered a darkhorse candidate for the national title. Campbell returned 3 starters, the most important of which was PF Chris Lewallen - Freshman All-Conference, but had no tantalizing newcomers. Jacksonville brought back 4 starters, but made the bizzare decision to redshirt Atlantic Sun Freshman of the Year SG Larry Raines. PG James Roberson, a Juco transfer, was the biggest new player. Georgia State had 3 starters returning, including C Keven Tisdale - Freshman All-Conference. Freshman PG Jaromil Najman from the Czech Republic was a godsend recruit, filling a gaping hole at the point and a starter from the get-go. Stetson returned 3 lousy starters, paving the way for two likely freshmen starters in C Walker Love and PF Frankie Sain. Belmont's biggest returning starter of 2 was SF Curt Mefford - 1st Team All-Conference (Sr), with SG Lamont Hagler the lone intriguing freshman. Florida Atlantic brought back 2 garbage starters, but their season wasn't going to be a total wash, thanks to High School All-American SG Delbert Scurry, Florida's Mr. Basketball. Landing Scurry was a major, major coup for the Owls program, but he looked like their only legitimate player. Jacksonville State had 3 starters coming back and a hotshot freshman in SF Charles Dodd. Samford looked set to struggle as just one starter returned and they were expected to rely heavily on freshman SG Hugh Munro, a Mississippi All-State selection. Troy State returned 4 starters and had a pair of exciting freshmen in SG Chester Skaggs and PG Jesus Greig. Expectations were high from the Trojans, who were projected by some pundits to leap into the dogfight for second place in the conference. Projected Order of Finish 1. Central Florida 2. Mercer 3. Troy State 4. Belmont 5. Georgia State 6. Campbell 7. Jacksonville 8. Jacksonville State 9. Florida Atlantic 10. Stetson 11. Samford Big 10 Purdue returned 4 starters from their NIT Final Four team with freshman PG Jeffrey Nofsinger expected to contend for a starting spot. Michigan State had just 2 starters back, but welcomed a pair of interesting freshmen in SF Gaylord Hill, a West Virginia All-State selection, and SG Blaine Allen. Penn State brought back 4 of their starters and had a promising sharpshooter freshman in SF Vincent Woodall. Iowa featured 3 of its starters back and had intriguing freshmen in SF Abraham Flickinger, an Indiana All-State team member and PG Kent Monson, North Dakota's Mr. Basketball and an early contender for Big Ten Freshman of the Year. Minnesota had 4 starters coming back and the first All-Big Ten returnee in SG Daniel Russell - 2nd Team All-Conference (Sr) and a good newcomer in Juco transfer SG James Fye. Michigan returned 2 starters, including PG Ellsworth Kelley - Freshman All-Conference, but had zero significant newcomers. Indiana had 2 members of the 1900 starting lineup coming back and a freshman to watch in C Josue Howell. Illinois returned 3 starters, including C Brenton Fortuna - Big Ten Freshman of the Year, 2nd Team All-Conference and PG Jimmie Potter (Sr) -16.3 ppg. Juco transfer SF Jan Million was expeted to have an immediate impact. Northwestern returned a dynamite player in PG Robby Trujillo - 1st Team All-Conference (Sr) - 19.8 ppg and another starter and did beautifully in recruiting, with PF Leon Rogers and SG Domingo Tyler tabbed as freshmen to watch. Ohio State brought back 2 starters and no impact new players. Wisconsin opened with 3 returning starters, including SG Robbier Ritter - Freshman All-Conference and had tantalizing freshmen in C James Bingham and 5* prospect, Mr. Basketball Wisconsin, and High School All-American SF Thomas Lombardo. With so few of the Big 10's previous All-Conference players returning, the conference was judged to be relatively wide-open, raising concern that the Iowa spectre of 1900 would rise again. Projected Order of Finish 1. Northwestern 2. Purdue 3. Wisconsin 4. Penn State 5. Iowa 6. Minnesota 7. Illinois 8. Michigan State 9. Indiana 10. Michigan 11. Ohio State Big 12 Missouri had 3 starters returning and two noteworthy freshmen in SG Tom Hironaka and PG Taizo Okuya. Texas Tech looked primed to defend their Big 12 conference title outright, with 3 returning starters including 1st Team All-American and Big 12 Player of the Year PG Gregory Beach (Sr) and C Robert Bryson - 1st Team All-Conference (Jr). The only thing keeping the Red Raiders from being considered legitimate national title contenders was the lack of quality depth. Kansas State brought back 2 starters and had a thrilling freshman in C Gregory Sievers, Kansas's Mr. Basketball. Colorado returned 2 starters and had major recruiting coups in High School All-American and New Mexico's Mr. Basketball C Gregory Lynch and PF Seymour Michael, Colorado All-State. Only an anemic backcourt prevented the Buffaloes from serious consideration as challengers to Texas Tech. Baylor had 3 starters coming back, the biggest of whom was SG Thomas Hoppe - Big 12 Freshman of the Year, 2nd Team All-Conference. C Michael Perez was the lone freshman of even marginal interest, expected to fight for a starting role. Oklahoma State brought back 3 starters and Cowboys' fans salivated over 5* freshman recruit PF Quentin Swallow, Oklahoma's Mr. Basketball. Texas may only have returned 2 starters, but they were good ones for the Longhorns in PG Chris Burns - Freshman All-Conference and SF Lincoln Mitchell - 2nd Team All-Conference (Jr). PG Milo Armes was the key freshman. Iowa State brought back a lone worthless starter and a terrible team overall, especially in the packed powerhouse that was the Big 12, but the future looked a little promising for the Cyclones, with in-state freshmen SG Adolph Masterson, Iowa All-State and PG Brian Grenier, Iowa's Mr. Basketball. Kansas returned 2 starters and looked like a real bottom-feeder, with no noteworthy newcomers. Nebraska brought back 2 starters and freshmen C Art Ott and PG George Martine, Nebraska All-State, generated a little interest, but not all that much. Oklahoma had 2 starters back and an important newcomer in Juco transfer SF Thanh Thomas. Texas A&M returned 2 starters, but they were dreadful and the Aggies had almost no offensive punch, save for perhaps PG Jared Edwards, a Juco transfer who would be no more than rotation player on the upper-echelon teams in the conference. Projected Order of Finish 1. Texas Tech 2. Missouri 3. Colorado 4. Kansas State 5. Baylor 6. Oklahoma State 7. Texas 8. Iowa State 9. Nebraska 10. Oklahoma 11. Kansas 12. Texas Tech
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2006 Golden Scribe Nominee 2006 Golden Scribe Winner Best Non-Sport Dynasty: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) Rookie Writer of the Year Dynasty of the Year: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) |
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03-04-2008, 02:28 PM
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#18 |
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Head Coach
Join Date: Sep 2004
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Do you guys prefer me to keep doing the extended conference previews or should I just do a very quick summary of the expected conference winners, as I'm leaning towards?
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2006 Golden Scribe Nominee 2006 Golden Scribe Winner Best Non-Sport Dynasty: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) Rookie Writer of the Year Dynasty of the Year: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) |
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03-04-2008, 03:27 PM
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#19 |
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Pro Starter
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: Alabama
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The quick summary would be better then we can get to seeing Wake upsetting Duke and getting into the NCAA tourney.
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03-04-2008, 10:52 PM
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#20 | |
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Head Coach
Join Date: Sep 2004
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Quote:
Yeah, I'll probably find some way to quickly summarize the conferences... maybe just put the projected order of finish for each conference and comment about the top contenders.I'll do that tomorrow night most likely.
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2006 Golden Scribe Nominee 2006 Golden Scribe Winner Best Non-Sport Dynasty: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) Rookie Writer of the Year Dynasty of the Year: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) |
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