Luke Gregory, Coach for Hire (FBCB Dynasty)

[GoBlue2419]

January 2020 Update

* we are now ranked #24.
- Lampkin and Vinson complain about playing time.

- Hammer - Very high - we're #4 behind Duke, North Carolina, and Memphis, but they have not offered him yet.
- Desplain and Hall fail to qualify.

Start ACC Play
1/1/20 - beat NC State (12-2, 1-0) - We limit them to 31% overall, 19% on threes, and force 20 turnovers. On the flip side we shot 46% overall, 53% on threes (9-17). Wendling led us in scoring with 18 points, Westover added 16 points, Kruse scored 12, and Nesbit added 10. Lykins grabbed 9 rebounds, Westover had 8 boards, and Dutcher added 7. Wendling hit 4 of 5 from the three-point line. Wilbur Mosqueda led NC State with 14 points.

1/4/20 - beat Louisville 79-66 (13-2, 2-0) - Louisville turned the ball over 24 times, dooming them in this match-up. Each team shot 46% overall, with Louisville hitting 33% of their threes, and we hit 41% of ours. We won the rebounding battle 39-33. Westover scored 22 to lead us in scoring, with Kruse adding 15 and Wendling scoring 14. Dutcher pulled down 12 rebounds. Wendling dished out 6 assists and also picked up 6 steals. Westover also had 3 steals. Westover hit 5 of 14 three-pointers he shot. Clemente Struble led Louisville with 23 points, though he also had 8 turnovers.

* we have moved up to #17 this week.

1/8/20 - lose at Syracuse 100-71 (13-3, 2-1) - We turn the ball over 21 times, and Syracuse shoots 58% overall to our 40%. Lykins had 7 of the turnovers, and Arnold Sanchez had 4. Wendling scored 20 points to lead us, with Lykins scoring 19. Westover and Kruse scored 6 and 7 respectively, and Kruse shot just 3 of 12. Lykins and Dutcher both had 7 rebounds to lead us there. Paul Herald scored 29 for Syracuse (11-4, 2-1), while Andrew Sanchez added 20.

1/11/20 - lose at Georgia Tech 70-67 (13-4, 2-2) - We are now 2-3 on the road, compared with 8-0 at home. Our shooting struggles as the visiting team, as we shoot just 39% overall, 33% on threes (5-15). Kruse hits just 6 of 18 from the floor. Wendling led us in scoring with 17 points, Kruse had 15, and Lykins scored 15. Dutcher and Wilmer Begley led us on the boards with 6. Jordon Fowlkes led Georgia Tech (6-9, 2-2) with 18 points.

* We fall out of the Top 25 this week.

1/15/20 - win at Virginia 84-79 (14-4, 3-2) - We trailed at half, but pulled away in the 2nd half, primarily due to free throw shooting and rebounding. We out-rebounded them 52-43, and hit 17 of 20 free throws as a team. Overall we shot 43%, and 36% from three-point land. They shot 41% overall, and 32% on threes. Lykins scored a career-high 29 points to lead the way, while Westover and Nesbit scored 11 points each. Dutcher pulled down 10 rebounds, and Alsup added 8 boards. Wendling picked up 3 steals. PG Dorsey Ashford led Virginia (6-10, 3-2) with 20 points, and C Jasper Foltz had 19 rebounds.

1/22/20 - win at Clemson 86-75 (15-4, 4-2) - We again trailed at half, 47-42 this time, but play well in the 2nd half to pull out the win. Clemson turns the ball over 17 times, while we turned it over 11 times. We shot 47% overall, 33% on threes, while they shot 44% overall, 29% from the three-point line. We won the rebounding battle 40-38. Our fab freshmen led the way offensively, with Kruse scoring 24 and Westover getting 23. Wendling added 18, and Lykins scored 10. Westover also added 10 rebounds, and Dutcher pulled down 9 boards. Lykins also picked up 5 steals. Sterling Harley led Clemson (13-4, 3-3) in scoring with 14 points.

1/25/20 - beat Georgia Tech 79-73 (16-4, 5-2) - Another big game from Lykins fuels us to victory. He scored 26 points and had 9 rebounds to lead the way. Alsup scored 11 points off the bench, and Wendling added 10. Dutcher had 10 rebounds to lead the team. Craig Kruse had 8 assists, offsetting his off-shooting night (3-13), while also getting 7 rebounds. Wendling had 6 assists as well. Howard Rowe led Georgia Tech (6-12, 2-5) with 23 points.

* we move back into the Top 25 at #21.

1/29/20 - lose to Miami 85-83 (16-5, 5-3) - Well, after moving back into the Top 25, we're sure to fall out again after this loss, our first loss at home this year. Irvin Alsup hit a three at the buzzer to bring us close, but not close enough. Miami shot 56% from the field, and hit 44% of its threes, allowing them to overcome 20 turnovers. We shot 44% overall, but shot just 32% on threes, and hit just 62% of our free throws. Kruse scored 20 to lead us, Westover added 19, Wendling scored 12, and Lykins hit for 11. Dutcher got 13 rebounds to lead all players. Westover picked up 4 steals. Carter Tardif scored 17 points to lead Miami (8-11, 2-6).

ACC Conference Standings after January
Virginia Tech (7-1)
Florida State (6-2)
Boston College (6-2)
Virginia (5-2)
Syracuse (5-3)
Notre Dame (5-3)
Duke (4-3)
Clemson (4-4)
Wake Forest (3-4)
North Carolina (3-4)
North Carolina State (2-6)
Pittsburgh (2-6)
Georgia Tech (2-6)
Miami (2-6)
Louisville (2-6)

[GoldenEagle]

Updates?

[GoBlue2419]

Yes, more should be coming soon. I've been on vacation and the dynasty postings caught up to where I am at in the save itself.

[Balldog]

This a very good read! Congrats on the success so far. I think I will be starting my own soon. I just want to tweak my start up files a little more.

[GoBlue2419]

Originally Posted by Balldog

This a very good read! Congrats on the success so far. I think I will be starting my own soon. I just want to tweak my start up files a little more.

Thanks Balldog! I appreciate it, and good luck on your dynasty. I look forward to reading along.

[GoBlue2419]

February 2020 Update

- Henry Hammer commits.
- Isaac Sparks, Graig Lampkin, and Chris Vinson complain about playing time.

Leading Scorers: Kruse (15.7 PPG), Lykins (15.3), Westover (13.8)
Leading Rebounders: Dutcher (9.0 RPG), Lykins (5.5), Kruse (4.7)
Leading Assists: Kruse (3.7 APG), Wendling (3.6), Westover (2.4)
Leading Steals: Wendling (2.3 SPG), Westover (1.9), Lykins (1.2)
Leading Blocks: Lykins (0.8 BPG)
Leading Shooters: Alsup (53%), Wendling (47.3%), Westover (47.1%)
Leading 3PT: Lykins (37.7% - 26-69), Wendling (37.3% - 28-75)
Leading FreeThrows: Sanchez (85% - 22-26), Wendling (82% - 46-56)

ACC Standings
Virginia Tech (7-1)
Florida State (6-2)
Boston College (6-2)
Virginia (5-2)
Syracuse (5-3)
Notre Dame (5-3)
Duke (4-3)
Clemson (4-4)
Wake Forest (3-4)
North Carolina (3-4)
NC State (2-6)
Pitt (2-6)
Georgia Tech (2-6)
Miami (2-6)
Louisville (2-6)

- 2/1/20 - lose at Louisville 70-63 (16-6, 5-4) - We really struggle on the road, now 4-4 away from South Bend. We shot just 37% overall, and 14% (2-14) on threes. Louisville, meanwhile, shot 54% overall, and 40% (4-10) on threes. Kruse scored 17 points, Lykins added 13, and Westover scored 12. Lykins and Dutcher both had 7 rebounds to lead us. Westover turned the ball over 5 times, and missed all 4 three-pointers he shot. Louisville (10-11, 3-6) was led by Joseph Monteiro with 17 points.

* as expected we fall out of the Top 25 again.

2/5/20 - win at Boston College 84-56 (17-6, 6-4) - This one was over early, as we play one of our best overall games of the year at BC. We shot 49% overall, 50% on threes (6-12), and hit 80% of our free throws. BC shot 30% overall, and just 2 of 19 on threes. Kruse scored 20 points to lead us, with Westover adding 19, Lykins with 14, and Ulrich Fleurkin hit for his career high with 12. Lykins pulled down 10 boards, and Dutcher added 8. Westover did have 6 turnovers, the only negative in the game, although Scott Wendling went scoreless. BC (14-6, 6-4) was led by Richard Robinson with 9 points.

2/8/20 - lose to North Carolina 89-74 (17-7, 6-5) - After playing our best game perhaps of the year against Boston College, we struggle against a struggling North Carolina team. NC hit 51% of their shots overall, and 35% from the three-point line, while we shot 38% overall, and 22% on threes. Lykins led us with 14 points, Kruse scored 13, Fleurkin scored 12 again, and Dutcher and Westover added 10 each. Alsup grabbed 10 boards off the bench. Westover hit only 1 of 8 three-point shots. Paul Withrow led North Carolina (12-10, 5-5) with 20 points.

* Besides the loss, the other piece of negative news coming out of the North Carolina game is Craig Kruse is struggling with patellar tendinitis, and will probably miss about 21 days.

2/12/20 - win at Florida State 89-86 (18-7, 7-5) - Nip and tuck the whole way, we held a one-point lead at half, and Florida State misses a three at the buzzer that would have tied it. We shot 44% overall, 27% on threes, while Florida State shot 40% overall, 33% on threes. We held a slight rebounding edge, 51-50, but turned the ball over 15 times to their 10. Lykins scored 26 points to lead all scorers, and also led all players with 10 rebounds. Westover and Alsup scored 13, Arnold Sanchez, starting in Kruse's absence, scored 12, and Fleurkin added 11 off the bench. Wendling dished out 9 assists, but missed all 8 three-point shots he attempted. Bart Godefroy led Florida State with 22 points.

2/15/20 - beat Virginia 82-75 (19-7, 8-5) - Despite stressing we don't need to shoot so many three-point shots, we still come out and shoot 19, hitting just 5 of them. But we shot 49% overall, and turned the ball over just 10 times, to help us get the win. Westover scored 22 to lead all scorers, Wendling added 21, and Lykins had 14. Lykins also had 11 rebounds to lead us there. Wendling dished out 6 assists. Westover also had 4 steals and blocked 2 shots, but also had 6 of our 10 turnovers. Steven Janowski led Virginia (9-14, 6-6) in scoring with 16 points.

2/19/20 - win at Virginia Tech 82-77 (20-7, 9-5) - We almost blow an 11 point half-time lead, but hold on for the W. Turnovers almost cost us, as we turn the ball over a season-high 27 times. Wendling and Westover each had 6 turnovers, and Lykins had 5. But a huge 50-33 rebounding advantage helped secure the win. Lykins had 15 points, Westover 14, Sparks 13 points in 6 minutes of PT, and 10 points each from Sanchez and Fleurkin. Wendling had 6 assists. Howard Crozier led Virginia Tech (17-8, 9-4) with 16 points.

2/22/20 - beat Duke 84-62 (21-7, 10-5) - we beat the Dukies and former ND coach Mike Brey in a surprisingly easy manner. Duke hit just 1 of 22 three-pointers they shot, and hit just 38% of their shots overall. We shot 44% overall, and 8 of 17 from the three-point line, and also out-rebounded the Blue Devils 46-38. Scott Wendling led us in scoring with 21 points, Lykins added 18, and Lucius Nesbit chipped in 13 points. Lykins and Dutcher both grabbed 8 rebounds. As a team we assisted on 20 of our total 27 field goals. Duke (17-8, 9-5) was led by Carey Scala with 21 points.

* One downer coming out of the Duke game is a sprained knee for Neil Westover. He is expected to miss around 8 days, which means we will be without both Westover and Kruse for possibly 2 games.

2/26/20 - lost at NC State 92-82 (21-8, 10-6) - NC State turned the ball over just 8 times, and shot 49% overall, and 85% from the free throw line (29-34) to key their victory. We won the rebounding battle, 43-34, but turned the ball over 15 times, while shooting 41% from the field. Lykins led us with 29 points, Wendling scored 20, and Ulrich Fleurkin added 14. Lykins also grabbed 10 rebounds to lead us. Thomas Dutcher also blocked 3 shots. PG Claude Dillon led NC State (16-12, 8-8) with 21 points.

2/29/20 - beat Syracuse 71-56 (22-8, 11-6) - We pick up a big win, helped in part by the return of Westover and Kruse. We forced 19 Syracuse turnovers, held them to 35% shooting overall, and 29% three-point shooting. We also grabbed 44 team rebounds to their 30. We shot 43% overall, and hit 6 of 15 threes. Wendling scored 22 points to lead us, while Kruse added 13 in his return, and Westover and Lykins chipped in 11 each. Dutcher grabbed 13 boards. Westover added 6 assists. Syracuse (19-10, 10-6) was led by SG Pascal Bauvin with 14 points, while PF Brent Joe blocked 5 shots.

[GoBlue2419]

March 2020 Update

ACC Standings
Florida State (11-5)
Virginia Tech (11-5)
Notre Dame (11-6)
Syracuse (10-6)
Duke (10-6)
Boston College (10-7)
Virginia (9-7)
North Carolina (9-7)
NC State (8-8)
Wake Forest (8-8)
Clemson (7-9)
Louisville (5-11)
Miami (5-11)
Pitt (4-12)
Georgia Tech (3-13)

- Chris Vinson, Isaac Sparks, and Graig Lampkin are all unhappy with the lack of playing time.
- SG Lee Cleveland declines our offer to attend Marquette.
- we offer a scholarship to SG Immanuel Krug (#302, Germany)

3/4/20 - beat Wake Forest 61-49 (23-8, 12-6) - Tough M2M defense fuels the win in our final regular season game, as we hold WF to 29% shooting overall, 19% on threes. Meanwhile, we shot 44% overall, 7 of 11 on threes. Westover scored 18 to lead us, with Lykins scoring 13, and Kruse adding 12. Westover added 8 rebounds, and Lykins blocked 3 shots. He also picked up 3 steals. Erwin Fussell led Wake Forest (16-13, 8-9) with 14 points.

* Florida State lost to Duke, and Virginia Tech beat Miami, so Virginia Tech wraps up the regular season ACC crown.
* We move back into the Top 25 Poll as the #23 team.

We end up as the 2nd seed in the ACC Tournament.

[GoBlue2419]

2020 ACC Tournament

ACC Bubble Watch
In - North Carolina (19-13)
Out - Florida State (20-10), Boston College (20-10)

ACC Tournament
1st Round
(12) Louisville beat (13) Miami 69-41
(14) Pitt beat (11) Clemson 60-55

2nd Round
(9) NC State beat (8) Virginia 63-62
(12) Louisville beat (5) Florida State 75-66
(7) North Carolina beat (10) Wake Forest 76-72
(6) Boston College beat (14) Pitt 94-75

Quarterfinals
We beat North Carolina 86-77 (24-8, 12-6) - Good shooting and defense key the win against North Carolina. We shot 53% overall, and hold NC to 40%, while forcing 15 turnovers, which allow us to overcome getting out-rebounded 46-30. All five starters scored in double figures, led by Wendling with 18, Kruse with 13, Dutcher and Westover with 12, and Lykins with 11. Dutcher also had 11 rebounds, while Wendling added 5 steals and 5 assists. PF Alex Adamski led North Carolina (19-13, 11-7) with 15 points.

(1) Virginia Tech beat (9) NC State 72-63
(4) Duke beat (12) Louisville 91-69
(3) Syracuse beat (6) Boston College 78-71

Semifinals
We beat Syracuse 60-54 (25-8, 12-6) - Both teams shot poorly, 36% for us, 30% for them, but Syracuse turned the ball over 19 times to just 7 for us. That was the key as Syracuse out-rebounded us 52-37. Irvin Alsup led us in scoring with 14 points, while Westover added 10. Dutcher pulled down 12 rebounds, while Westover added 3 steals. Paul Herald led Syracuse (22-11, 12-6) with 11 points.

* Westover sprained his ankle and will likely miss the ACC Championship Game.

(1) Virginia Tech beat (4) Duke 69-64

Finals
Virginia Tech beats us 69-68 - Seventeen turnovers doom us, as we shoot better than the Hokies and out-rebound them as well. We shot 48% overall, 31% on threes, to their 45% overall and 25% on threes. Lykins led us in scoring with 17 points, while Wendling and Kruse scored 10 points. Alsup pulled down 10 rebounds to lead us, while Dutcher added 9 boards. Ken Parrish led Virginia Tech (24-9, 13-5) with 18 points.

* We move up to #21 in the Top 25 Poll

[GoBlue2419]

2020 NCAA Tournament Preview

#1 Seeds
West - Wisconsin (31-3)
Midwest - Texas (30-3)
South - Missouri (27-4)
East - Marquette (27-6)

- we end up as the #4 seed in the East region, and will face 13th seed Monmouth.
- Other ACC Teams in Tourney - Duke (8th seed in Midwest), Virginia Tech (4th seed in South), Syracuse (7th seed in East), North Carolina (11b seed in East).

[GoBlue2419]

2020 NCAA Tournament Rounds 1 & 2

First Round
- we beat Monmouth 111-90 (26-9, 12-6) - This game was full-speed ahead the entire game. We scored 58 points in the 1st half, and shot 62% overall, and 50% (7-14) on threes. Monmouth hung in there with 54% shooting overall, 52% on threes, to help them overcome 22 turnovers. Wendling and Kruse both score 27 points to lead us, and Lykins added 21, while Lucius Nesbit scored 17 off the bench. Dutcher led us in rebounding with 8, Wendling added 6 steals, and dished out 7 assists. Williams Williams (yes, that is his name) led Monmouth (23-10, 13-5) with 17 points.

Other notable 1st Round Games
West - (1) Wisconsin beat (16) Chicago State 110-61.
West - (13) Fairfield beat (4) Florida 87-78
West - (12) Fresno State beat (5) Houston 77-62
Midwest - (8) Duke beat (9) Rhode Island 94-92
South - (4) Virginia Tech beat (13) Hampton 59-54
South - (15) Grambling State beat (2) St. John's 54-52
South (11) West Virginia beat (6) Colorado 65-43
East - (12) UMBC beat (5) Rice 73-72
East - (10) UConn beat (7) Syracuse 74-54
East - (14) Santa Clara beat (3) Kansas 68-66

Second Round
- we beat UMBC 63-55 (27-9, 12-6) - We trailed at half 32-25, but a strong 2nd half catapulted us to the win. Poor shooting was the name of the game, as we hit just 30% of our shots, and all 5 threes we attempted, while they shot just 27% overall, and 4 of 21 on threes. We got to the free throw line 39 times, making 31 of them, to spur on the win. Kruse led us with 19 points, and Wendling added 11. Thomas Dutcher was a behemoth on the glass, pulling down a career-high 22 rebounds. Daniel Childs led UMBC (27-7) in scoring with 9 points.

Other Notable 2nd Round Games
West - (13) Fairfield beat (12) Fresno State 59-43
Midwest - (7) Oklahoma beat (2) Memphis 73-62
Midwest - (6) Creighton beat (3) Tennessee 86-76
South - (4) Virginia Tech beat (5) USC 80-65
South - (15) Grambling State beat (7) Cincinnati 75-74
South - (11) West Virginia beat (3) Alabama 103-94
East - (8) Arizona beat (1) Marquette 83-74
East - (14) Santa Clara beat (6) Seton Hall 55-52

Sweet Sixteen
- this is the first time one of my teams has advanced to the Sweet Sixteen. We will play 8th seed Arizona, who is 22-11 on the season. They are led by SG Wilford Carlin (14.2 PPG), PF Duane Gastelum (12.3 PPG, 7.3 RPG), SF Demetrius Valentino (10.1 PPG), and C Claude Burris (5.8 PPG, 7.9 RPG). They average 73.7 PPG as a team, and give up 65.4 points a game.

[GoBlue2419]

2020 NCAA Tournament Sweet Sixteen Round

- we beat Arizona 78-61 (28-9, 12-6) - we advance to the Elite Eight with the win over Arizona. We jumped out to a 53-33 half-time lead, and really never looked back. We shot 47% overall, 40% on threes, while Arizona shot just 39% overall, 20% on threes. Kruse led us in scoring with 19 points, while Wendling added 16, and Nesbit scored 11 off the bench. Sanchez led us with 9 rebounds. Wilford Carlin led Arizona (22-12, 12-6) in scoring with 14 points.

Other Round of 16 Games
West - (1) Wisconsin beat (13) Fairfield 60-47
West - (3) Georgetown beat (2) Cal 55-45
Midwest - (1) Texas beat (4) Villanova 92-84
Midwest - (7) Oklahoma beat (6) Creighton 81-73
South - (1) Missouri beat (4) Virginia Tech 69-63
South - (11) West Virginia beat (15) Grambling State 65-53
East - (2) Arkansas beat (14) Santa Clara 61-42

We face #8 Arkansas, who is 30-7 on the season. They average 81.6 points a game, and give up 69.4 points per game. Their leading players include SG King Morin (), who averages 17.4 PPG, SF Joseph Oliver (), averaging 14.9 PPG, 4.5 RPG, and PF Broderick Smith (), averaging 13.5 PPG and 5.5 RPG.

[GoBlue2419]

2020 NCAA Tournament Elite 8 Round

- we beat Arkansas 77-72 (29-9, 12-6) - We advance to the Final Four!! Strong team defense was key here, as we held the Razorbacks to 35% shooting, while out-rebounding them 50-46. We also assisted on 21 of 27 field goals. We led at half 38-33. Donn Lykins led us in scoring with 24 points, while Irvin Alsup added 12, Sanchez and Fleurkin scored 11. Dutcher grabbed 16 rebounds, and Alsup had 10 boards. Kruse picked up 7 assists as well. Joseph Oliver led Arkansas with 14 points.

Other Round of 8 Games
West - (3) Georgetown beat (1) Wisconsin 79-69
Midwest - (1) Texas beat (7) Oklahoma 84-77
South - (1) Missouri beat (11) West Virginia 61-39


We will face #2 Texas in the Final Four Match-up. The Longhorns are 34-3, and went 14-2 in the Big 12 conference. Their key players are SG Michael Coney (Sr), averaging 22.1 PPG, 4.0 RPG, SF Stanley Schauer (Jr), averaging 14.7 PPG and 5.0 RPG, PG Johnathon Trott (So), averaging 11.8 PPG and 7.4 APG, and C Sean Burse (Jr), averaging 10.2 PPG and 9.5 RPG. They average 81.3 points a game as a team, and give up just 64.7 per game.

[GoBlue2419]

2020 NCAA Tournament Final Four

- we lose to Texas 76-54 (29-10, 12-6) - and our season comes to a close, losing out to a much better team in Texas. We came out playing strictly zone after being primarily a man-to-man team, and it worked for a half, as we were down just 27-24 at half. But Texas started hitting most of their shots, and turned this one into a runaway. They shot 51% overall, and hit 42% of its threes (11-26), while we shot 37% overall, and hit just 4 of 17 threes. They also manhandled us on the boards, grabbing 42 rebounds to our 28. Lykins scored 17 points, and is the only Irish player in double digit points. He also led us in rebounding with 7. Wendling dished out 6 assists and picked up 3 steals in his final game in a Notre Dame uniform. Michael Coney led Texas with 21 points.

Missouri beat Georgetown 70-63.

Final
Missouri 90, Texas 77

[GoBlue2419]

2019-2020 Season Recap

NCAA Champion: Missouri (defeated Texas 90-77)
NIT Champion: Utah State (defeated Missouri State 74-68)
CBI Champion: Air Force (defeated Cornell 75-62, 64-56)
CIT Champion: Campbell (defeated VCU 69-55)

NCAA Player of the Year: SR SG Michael Coney, Texas (22.1 PPG, 3.8 RPG, 4.3 APG, 2.1 SPG)
NCAA Freshman of the Year: SG Antoine Wells, Alabama (23.0 PPG, 4.1 RPG, 2.0 APG)
NCAA Coach of the Year: Frank Haith, Missouri (33-4, 14-2)

All-American Team
C: SR Joseph Jones, Troy
PF: JR Daniel Bruce, Kansas
SF: SR James Goodin, Tennessee
SG: SR Michael Coney, Texas
PG: JR James Sommer, Boise State

* Craig Kruse named to the Freshman All-American Team

ACC Player of the Year: SO SG Byron Huthwaite, Duke (15.1 PPG, 5.2 RPG, 3.1 APG, 2.5 APG)
ACC Freshman of the Year: PG Craig Kruse, Notre Dame (15.2 PPG, 4.2 RPG, 3.2 APG, 1.0 APG)
ACC Coach of the Year: Seth Greenberg, Virginia Tech (26-10, 13-5)

All-ACC First Team
C: JR Steven Marshall, Duke
PF: SR Brent Joe, Syracuse
SF: SR Ricky Menard, Louisville
SG: SO Byron Huthwaite, Duke
PG: JR Dorsey Ashford, Virginia

All-ACC Second Team
C: SR Donn Lykins, Notre Dame
PF: SR Erwin Fussell, Wake Forest
SF: JR Earle Blair, Pittsburgh
SG: SO Carey Scala, Duke
PG: SO Raphael Bronson, Duke

All-ACC Freshman Team
C: Cedric Carter, North Carolina
PF: Richard Sarver, Georgia Tech
SF: Frank Patch, North Carolina
SG: Neil Westover, Notre Dame
PG: Craig Kruse, Notre Dame

[GoBlue2419]

Final 2019-2020 ACC Standings


Final 2019-2020 Notre Dame Stats


Final 2019-2020 Notre Dame Shooting Stats

[GoBlue2419]

Final Recruiting Class

C Tim Roberts, 6'9", 208 lbs. (5*, #10) - Pleasant Grove HS, Utah - Mr. Basketball (Utah)
PG Henry Hammer, 6'2", 180 lbs. (5*, #19) - Triton HS, North Carolina
PF Andrew Clegg, 6'10", 217 lbs. (4*, #68) - Glenbard East HS, Illinois
SG Immanuel Krug, 6'1", 178 lbs. (3*, #302) - Germany

Our class ends ranked 6th best overall.

1. Illinois (1 5*, 4 4*)
2. USC
3. Stanford
4. North Carolina
5. Villanova
6. Notre Dame
7. Vanderbilt
8. Wisconsin
9. Oklahoma
10. Houston

I have my first recruit playing in the High School All-American Game, as Andrew Clegg scores 17 points, 5 rebounds, shooting 8-12 from the floor.

[GoBlue2419]

2020-2021 Preseason News

* Neil Westover does in fact decide to leave after his freshman year.
- he was the 7th overall pick in the NBA Draft.

- Our prestige jumps +3 up to 92.

- Graig Lampkin will transfer to another school due to lack of playing time. He's the player from my (Luke's) HS alma mater, Hersey High School, so I'm disappointed, but understand as he got basically no PT for us.

- My Coaching skills receive an improvement. I give 15 points to Coaching Offense, and 5 to Coaching Defense.

- Recruiting Coordinator Darren Garrick would like a raise to $160,000. He is currently making $140,000, and it is hard to argue given our last two recruiting classes, so I agree to it.

Head Coaching Round
- Coaching Assistant Paul Marion gets hired at Bucknell as their Head Coach.
- Oregon State offers me their head coaching job, but I decline.

Notable Head Coaching Moves
Central Florida - Hires King Rice, who was head coach at Temple.
Evansville - fires Marty Simmons. Hires Pat Knight from Lamar as his replacement.
Fairleigh Dickinson - hires Brian Gregory as head coach. Gregory was most recently an assistant at Ohio State after getting fired from Georgia Tech.
George Washington - hires Tommy Amaker from Ohio.
Kansas State - Jerry Slocum retired. Hired Morton Allmon, as assistant at Wyoming, as his replacement.
Kentucky - John Calipari retires. Hired Steve Masiello from Duquesne as his replacement.
Oregon - fired Dana Altman. Hired Keith Dambrot from Illinois State as his replacement.
Oregon State - fired Craig Robinson. Hired Tony Lizotte from Utah State as his replacement.
USC - Kevin O'Neill retired. Hired Napolean Coley from Cal State-Fullerton as his replacement.
Temple - hired Gib Arnold from Hawaii to replace King Rice.
Hawaii - hired Albert Esparza, an assistant from Kansas, as Head Coach.
UCLA - Steve Fisher retired. Hired Dan Hurley from St. Joseph's as his replacement.
Virginia - fired Tony Bennett. Hired Mitch Henderson from Princeton as his replacement.
Virginia Tech - Seth Greenberg retired. Hired Cliff Warren from Rhode Island as his replacement.

Assistant Coaching Round
- I offer Ben Jacobson, who was just fired as Head Coach at DePaul, the Coaching Assistant position. I offer him $140,000/year, and he accepts.

Transfer Period
- I offer a scholarship to SF Darnell Barrett (Jr), currently at Memphis. He was the 76th-ranked recruit coming out of high school, was a HS All-American, and Mr. Basketball in Arkansas that year, but has had little playing time at Arkansas thus far.
- he accepts.

- we receive an invite to the Las Vegas Shootout as the #2 seed.

[GoBlue2419]

July 2020 Update

- we just have 1 scholarship available. Our lone senior is PF Wilmer Begley, but he is a walk-on. Small forward is our biggest area of need probably.
- Initial Very Highs - SG Andrew Dixon (5*, #18), SF Deshawn Briggs (3*, #254), C Joel Rupp (3*, #138), C Eldridge Oquinn (3*, #219), PG Tyrell Lutes (3*, #210), PG Chris Hardman (3*, #161), C Tony Searles (3*, #163)

- we offer a scholarship initially to SG Daniel Crim (5*, #15), from Killian Senior HS, Florida.

[bbgunn]

Haha... had to laugh at Williams Williams...

[GoBlue2419]

August 2020 Update

The players we are really hitting hard are:
- SG Dexter Curley (5*, #9) - from Mt. Zion HS, IL
- SG Daniel Crim
- SF James Flynn (5*, #17) - from Wewahitchka Senior HS, FL
- SG Randall Abney (5*, #4) - from Boonville HS, Indiana (has not qualified yet)
- SF Colin Hill (5*, #7) - from Charlottesville HS, VA

[GoBlue2419]

September 2020 Update

Crim has an offer from Florida and has them #1, so we shift our offer to Curley.

[GoBlue2419]

November 2020 Update

- Curley declines our offer to attend Wisconsin.
- we extend an offer to SG Kenneth Abney (4*, #63) - Canada

- we decide to redshirt Immanuel Krug.

- Early mock draft projects think Roberts will be a Top 5 pick in the upcoming draft, and is a certainty to leave early.
- Projections for Clegg are late 2nd Round and he is not expected to leave early.

[GoBlue2419]

First two posts (Career History) updated after 2019-2020 season results.

[GoBlue2419]

2020-2021 Season Preview

Notre Dame Roster


Depth Chart
C - Tim Roberts (Fr)
PF - Irvin Alsup (So)
SF - Ulrich Fleurkin (So)
SG - Chris Vinson (Jr)
PG - Craig Kruse (So)
6th - C/PF Thomas Dutcher (Jr)
7th - PG/SG Henry Hammer (Fr)
8th - C/PF Andrew Clegg (Fr)
9th - PG Luigi Lunn (So)
10th - SF Issac Sparks (So)
11th - PF Wilmer Begley (Sr)
12th - C Daniel Benighof (So)
13th - SG Darrel McKeon (Fr)

Schedule

[GoBlue2419]

November 2020 Update

11/13/20 - beat Evansville 84-82 (1-0) - We start the season with a closer game than I expected. Evansville shot 53% overall, and 44% on threes, while also out-rebounding us 36-29. We shot well also, 54% overall, and 41% on threes, otherwise we may have lost this one. Tim Roberts had a big game in his first collegiate game,tallying 24 points, 10 rebounds, and 2 blocks. Chris Vinson scored 18 points, Irvin Alsup added 12, Kruse had 11, and Ulrich Fleurkin scored 10. Kruse also added 10 assists for a double-double, while also getting 3 steals. Henry Bischoff led Evansville (0-1) with 21 points.

* We move into the Top 25 at #21.

11/17/20 - beat Ball State 62-60 (2-0) - Whew, another closer game than should have been. Still working through adjustments with 4 new starters from a year ago. Our front court was in foul trouble most of the game, with Alsup eventually fouling out. Kruse led us in scoring with 19 points, while Fleurkin added 9 rebounds to lead us there. We shot just 32% overall, and 3 of 13 on threes, but turned the ball over just 7 times. Ball State was led by Richard King with 23 points.

* We move up to #15 in the Polls.

11/24/20 - beat Bucknell 69-62 (3-0) - We do battle against my former assistant Paul Marion in his first head coaching gig. Bucknell actually led at halftime, 36-33. We shot just 37% overall, and 23% on threes, but the Bison shot just 34% overall. Roberts scored 18 points to lead us, while Fleurkin added 13 points. Alsup grabbed 11 rebounds to lead us. Roberts also blocked 4 shots. Henry Kile led Bucknell with 12 points.

11/28/20 - beat Auburn 84-73 (4-0) - We were able to overcome 31 points by Auburns Rolland Rundell for the win. We shot 49% overall, and 43% on threes, and picked up 46 rebounds to their 35. Roberts and Kruse scored 16 points each to lead us in scoring, while Vinson added 15, and Fleurkin scored 13 points. Roberts also grabbed 12 rebounds, and Kruse added 6 assists. Fleurkin and Vinson each hit 3 three-pointers.

* We move up to #11 in the Top 25 Poll.

[GoBlue2419]

December 2020 Update

* In perhaps a risky move that could offset our flow, I decide to move Dutcher back into the starting lineup at PF, and start freshman Henry Hammer at SG. Alsup will be the 6th man, and Vinson moves to 7th in our rotation.

12/1/20 - won at Michigan 90-74 (5-0) - Won against my alma mater again. Roberts had a huge game for us, scoring 32 points and grabbing 14 rebounds, to lead us. Kruse added 18 points, while also dishing out 8 assists. We picked up 13 offensive rebounds on our way to winning the rebounding battle 40-30. We also shot 54% overall, and 31% on threes, to Michigan's 45% overall. Michigan's (1-4) William McClinton led them with 17 points.

12/5/20 - beat Akron 51-39 (6-0) - A defensive battle here, with a 28-18 half-time lead for us. We shot 34% overall, 29% on threes, while Akron shot 32% overall, and 11% on threes. We dominated them on the glass, grabbing 48 rebounds to their 26. Roberts scored 12, and Hammer scored 10 to lead us. Roberts, Dutcher, and Clegg all grabbed 8 rebounds. Roberts also picked up 4 steals. Akron (2-4) was led in scoring by Fritz Pratt with 10 points.

* We are now ranked #8.

12/8/20 - beat Eastern Michigan 81-57 (7-0) - We shot 53% overall, and 55% from the three-point line, and out-rebounded EMU 40-30 for the big win here. Both Roberts and Fleurkin scored 20 points, Kruse added 14, and Hammer scored 10 points. Roberts picked up a double-double with 10 rebounds as well, while also blocking 6 shots. Fleurkin went 4-5 on threes. Kruse also added 7 assists. Eastern Michigan (1-5) was led by Agustin Singleton with 17 points.

12/12/20 - beat Butler 81-75 (8-0) - our unbeaten run continues with our third win over a fellow Indiana school. Rebounding was the key to this win, as we out-rebounded them 45-33, to offset Butler's slight shooting advantage. They shot 41% to our 40% overall, and they hit 40% of their threes to our 39%. Fleurkin scored 22 points, Hammer added 19, Roberts scored 16, and Kruse scored 12. Dutcher led us with 13 rebounds, and Roberts picked up another double-double by grabbing 12 boards. Edgar Wittman led Butler (5-2) with 22 points.

* We are now ranked #5.

Las Vegas Shootout
12/17/20 - beat Jackson State 67-48 (9-0) - A close 29-26 lead at half-time for us turned into a big margin by the end, thanks to stifling defense. Jackson State shot just 30% overall, and hit just 4 of their 20 three-pointers. Meanwhile we shot 42% overall and 29% from beyond the arc. We turned the ball over just 8 times as well, while Jackson State turned it over 19 times. Fleurkin scored 13 to lead us, while Roberts scored 12, and Kruse added 11. Dutcher led us in rebounding with 10 boards. Chris Vinson added 5 steals. Jackson State (3-6) was led by Raul Palacios with 19 points.

12/19/20 - beat Valparaiso 75-57 (10-0) - Another win over an Indiana-based school. We jumped out early and never looked back. We shot 44% overall, 43% on threes, while they shot 38% overall, 38% on threes. We forced 22 Crusader turnovers, while turning it over just 10 times ourselves. Kruse scored 17 points, Roberts added 15, Hammer had 14, Fleurkin scored 13, and Alsup added 10 points. Roberts and Dutcher both grabbed 9 rebounds, while Roberts also blocked 3 shots. Fleurkin went 3-6 from the three-point line. Robby Comstock led Valparaiso (4-6) with 16 points.

* We move up to #3 in the rankings.

12/20/20 - beat Bradley 83-68 (11-0) - We advance to the Las Vegas Shootout championship against #1 Wisconsin with this win. We shot 51% overall, and 40% (4-10) on threes, while Bradley shot 41% from the field, 40% (10-25) from the three-point line. They turned the ball over 19 times, which was a big part of their downfall. Roberts scored 15 points, Hammer added 14, Kruse and Clegg scored 12, and Alsup scored 11 points. Dutcher added 9 rebounds, and Roberts blocked 2 shots. Kruse had 6 assists. Bradley (8-4) was led by Charles Quintana with 13 points.

12/21/20 - lose to Wisconsin 83-61 (11-1) - A very disappointing effort, as we play porous defense to lose by 22. Wisconsin shot 61% overall to fuel their victory, while also out-rebounding us 38-29. We shot just 30% overall. We did turn the ball over only 8 times though, for one positive. Chris Vinson comes off the bench to be the only Irish player in double-digit points, with 13. Andrew Clegg led us in rebounding with 6. Wisconsin (11-0) was led by Gerald Boick with 25 points.

12/26/20 - beat Chicago State 84-57 (12-1) - We take out our frustrations for the Wisconsin loss on Chicago State. We shot 51% overall and hit 6 of 10 three-pointers. Chicago State shot 40% overall, and 47% on threes, but turned the ball over 19 times. We won the rebounding battle 44-35. Roberts led us with 16 points, Hammer added 15, Dutcher scored 14, Fleurkin added 11, and Alsup scored 10. Dutcher grabbed 12 boards also for the double-double. Hammer hit 4 of 6 three-pointers he attempted. Chicago State (3-8) was led by Gilbert Roby with 21 points.

* We fall to #9 in the Top 25 Poll.

ACC Season Begins
12/30/20 - we lose to #13 Boston College 78-72 (12-2, 0-1) - We blow a 40-31 half-time lead as we struggle with fouls in the 2nd half. Boston College shot 49% overall, and hit 33% of their threes, which allowed them to overcome 19 turnovers. We shot 37% overall, and 25% on threes. Roberts picked up another double-double with 17 points and 11 rebounds, while also blocking 6 shots. Kruse scored 13 points, while Fleurkin and Hammer both scored 12 points. Kruse dished out 5 assists. Boston College (12-0) was led by Derrick Liggins with 15 points.

[hoopsguy]

Is the Michigan head coach on shaky ground? Seeing as how they were 1-4 after losing to you guys, it sounds like they might be having some issues.

If the job was to open up, are you well positioned to grab it at this point? Or would it be a long shot at this point?

[GoBlue2419]

Originally Posted by hoopsguy

Is the Michigan head coach on shaky ground? Seeing as how they were 1-4 after losing to you guys, it sounds like they might be having some issues.

If the job was to open up, are you well positioned to grab it at this point? Or would it be a long shot at this point?

It's possible, but he (Matt Langel, formerly at Colgate) has had them going in the right direction the last two seasons. This is his 7th year at Michigan. He got the job after taking Colgate to the Round of 32 in 2013, and here are his records at Michigan:

2014 - 19-13 (10-8), Loss in NCAA Round 1
2015 - 18-12 (8-8), Loss in NCAA Round 1
2016 - 15-15 (7-9), No postseason
2017 - 13-17 (5-11), No postseason
2018 - 21-14 (7-9), Loss in NIT Round 3
2019 - 25-8 (12-4), Loss in NCAA Round of 32

He's only 45, so certainly not going to retire any time soon. The Board of Trustees is currently satisfied with his performance, but the current goal is to compete for the conference championship, so I guess we'll see how patient the AD is if this season continues to go off the rails.

If it did open up, I would think I would be in a good position to get it. Being an alum, having good success at a high prestige school in a tough conference. The issue could be that Michigan is currently a 77 prestige, while Notre Dame is 92, so I don't know if that will hurt my chances.