The Accidental Career of Guy West (CH2k8)

[waytofailself]

Crap! Crap crap crap crap

My save would not load (I have no idea why), and my back up save was from before Selection Sunday. I took the first seeding result that had me as a 13 seed playing a 4 (mainly because I did not get a Florida rematch after 15 tries), and that result has me playing a new opponent:

Georgetown (Big East Champions)

Man that sucks, I was excited about playing Florida. I'll update the prior Selection Sunday post accordingly. Keep sending your questions etc. though. I don't think I'll have time to play the game today & post anyway.

[Deuce2223]

Coach... Ryne Scott of the Idaho Statesman. Norfolk State is a big story even all the way out here in Boise Idaho. People seem to love those Cinderella stories. Knowing you will have to take on a pretty bigtime opponent being a #13 seed. How do you plan to prepare your players. You guy's are on quite the roll going into the tourney, Do you plan on trying to convience them it's just another game or do you make it out to be quite possibly the biggest game of their playing careers.. Also is there a particular player on your team you feel will need to step with his best game of the season in order for you to win the game?

[waytofailself]

NCAA Opening Round Pregame Press Conference

Ira Pennywise: ESPN 6 & 1/2

Coach West, I’d like to start with today’s injury report. Many people have noticed that Kyle O’Quinn is listed as having a sprained ankle and his status is day-to-day. Could you tell us what affect the injury might have on your game plan?
First off, O’Quinn is going to do everything he can to be out there against the Hoyas. He wouldn’t miss the opportunity, even if it meant playing on one leg. We’re going to give him as much of an opportunity to contribute both offensively and defensively as possible. We play a lot of zone sets where he’ll remain near the basket, so defensively we probably won’t adjust too much. Offensively? It all depends on whether he feels more comfortable banging down low or taking jumpers.

VandyRedskins21:

Hey Coach, how in the world are you going to try to stop the backcourt of Austin Freeman and Chris Wright while also keeping the Hoya’s front line in check?
The Georgetown back court is tremendous. It’s a credit to Wright and Freeman’s hard work and Thompson’s coaching ability. They create a lot of problems for us because we can’t just pack it in and let them shoot the daylights out of us. We’re going to have to watch the perimeter and keep playing the passing lanes. Jumping for steals are risky, but the big dance isn’t the time to play it safe. But at the same time we're going to have to stay at home on defense and not be caught out of position. It's a contradiction, but that's how good their back court is.

Roman Wheeler: Birmingham Plain Dealer:

We’ve heard reports that you and your athletic directory intentionally scheduled games so that you would not face big school opponents like Georgetown. Looking back, do you think you did your players a disservice?
Well, we made it to the tournament so I don’t know how much of a “disservice” there is. Our team grew together throughout the season, and those early nonconference games were important for everyone – me as a coach and them adjusting to our new system. I’m happy with where our season has ended up – we won the MEAC! Our players can perform under tournament pressure, now it’s just a matter of taking the next step.

PJMoore 28:

Coach, regarding that "next step," how will your players manage to stay focused with this tournament experience and playing in front of multiple thousands of fans and also on national television?
I’m lucky to have an experienced squad with plenty of juniors and seniors – but I’ll agree that this is even new territory for them. So you know what I’ve been telling them? Enjoy it. You’re nervous? That’s okay. The lights feel really bright? Good. This is your time, and everyone gets to see what we’ve been doing all year long. I don’t pull the wool over my player’s eyes – if you try and run from the pressure that’s when it destroys you. I want them to look at it in the eye.

PJMoore 28:

And what about off the court? Many schools send their females around in order to distract key players. How will O'Quinn and Zephyr fair? Will you make them room with you and watch their eating habits in order to prevent distractions and prevent harm to their bodies?
Is that a fair question? I mean, sure, some schools and boosters or individuals might try and do something like that. But my players are student athletes. And they’re adults. And we’ve been on the road before and they know what’s at stake. All of our players. Same curfew and rooming arrangements apply. Look, we’re under a lot of pressure not only to perform on the court, but to represent our school and our conference. The MEAC takes pride in its tradition, and I’m sure the last thing anyone wants is for some kind of controversy. I’m not going any further than that. Next question.

Eric Staar: BBallwg.net

Eric Staar from BBallwg.net, the internet’s one stop shop for college hoops action. What about for you? This is your first time coaching and here you are in the NCAA tournament. Nervous? Excited? Feeling the pressure?
It’s a faster rise than I thought I’d make, I’ll be the first to admit it. But it’s fun – you know? No matter what I’m doing I always want to see how it goes on the highest level. Not everyone gets the opportunity to find out so fast. I’m very lucky. Some butterflies? I’d be lying if I said no. But after tipoff it will be the same ball on the same hardwood with the same baskets and baselines – just more cameras…at least that’s what I keep telling myself.

Ryne Scott: Idaho Statesman

Ryne Scott of the Idaho Statesman. Norfolk State is a big story even all the way out here in Boise Idaho. People seem to love those Cinderella stories. Knowing you will have to take on a pretty big-time opponent being a #13 seed. How do you plan to prepare your players. You guy's are on quite the roll going into the tourney, Do you plan on trying to convince them it's just another game or do you make it out to be quite possibly the biggest game of their playing careers.
First off, while I appreciate the sentiment I wouldn’t exactly hand us our Cinderella crown just yet. We’ve shown what we can do in the MEAC. Now we need to translate the momentum to a national stage. As I’ve said before, I want my players to play the game they’re in, not make them convince themselves it’s something that it’s not. This is a big stage. We’re playing the conference champion of the Big East. It doesn’t get bigger than that – not in round one with a school like ours. But you know what? Being a 13 seed only means that we might not be as recognized nationally as other teams. We can still play. I’ve also been reminding them that once we’re on the court the seedings and conferences and everything doesn’t matter anymore. It’s a big game – but it’s still a game.

Ryne Scott:

Also is there a particular player on your team you feel will need to step with his best game of the season in order for you to win the game?
I’m confident in all of our players, but I’m especially hopeful that Rodney McCauley can step up. If we can’t defend the wings and the perimeter, and if we can’t run the break, we’re going to be in deep trouble against the Hoyas. McCauley is our point man for both of those, and those are two keys to the game: scoring in transition and stopping their shots. All of our starting five needs to step up, but McCauley’s role is vital.

[waytofailself]

NCAA Tournament Round of 64


Birmingham, AL

Big East Champion Georgetown looks to take care of business against MEAC Champion Norfolk State in the first round of the NCAA tournament. Georgetown's smothering defense and stellar back court play have led them to yet another NCAA tournament berth, while Norfolk State rode an outstanding season from Kyle O'Quinn and a fast paced offense to soar to their first ever NCAA Tournament appearance. The Spartans have a huge task in front of them, and some have speculated that their new-to-basketball coach Guy West is in over his head. Meanwhile, others have speculated the Hoyas were underseeded after a tough grind through a stacked Big East conference -- and that today's game will be the first step in a deep tournament run.

Norfolk State Story Lines
1) Will O'Quinn be effective? He'll suit up, but will someone else have to carry the load?
2) The Big Stage: How will Coach West and the Spartans handle the pressure of the tournament and facing a superior opponent?
3) Perimeter Defense: Can Norfolk State's defense stop Freeman and Wright?

Georgetown Story Lines
1) Are the Hoyas complacent? Their last two NCAA Tournament losses were to double digit seeds (#10 Davidson and #14 Ohio) before the Sweet Sixteen.
2) Stopping O'Quinn: if he can play at full strength, how will Georgetown defend him?

Odds: Georgetown +13 over Norfolk State O/U 112

(4) Georgetown vs. (13) Norfolk State

Fans of defensive basketball would love to watch this game on repeat, but the folks at home probably would want to change the channel. The basketball world had already been rocked by 16 seed Stony Brook dominating #1 seed Alabama by 20 points. Surely that meant no other team would overlook their opponent, and with the Hoyas having been laughed out of the Tournament the past few years they were looking to end their 2 game skid against double digit seeds.

The Hoyas and Spartans both came out focused, but tight. The pressure clearly seemed to be hitting Norfolk State, especially with their star player Kyle O'Quinn limping up and down the court. Shot after shot after shot clanged off the rim, and from the start they looked almost entirely out of their league.

Fortunately for the Spartans, the Georgetown Hoyas had similar basketitis and could not hit a basket. For a good stretch of the first half, the game was close with the score only creeping into the teens. Then, very suddenly after an impassioned speech by Coach Thompson III, the Hoya back court came alive. Austin Freeman and Chris Wright began to hit baskets, and Kyle O'Quinn, who was struggling with 1-7 shooting picked up his third foul late in the half. The Hoyas stretched their lead to as high as 16 during the first half -- but the score board did not illustrate how much they were dominating the Spartans. Norfolk State, one of the most efficient teams in college basketball, only hit 25% of their shots in the first half. The problem for the Hoyas? They only hit 35%.

But with 2 seconds left, Rob Hampton breathed life back into the Spartans and the crowd by nailing a 3 to end the half. Norfolk State went to the locker room only down by single digits. At the time, no one in the building knew what Hampton had just unleashed with his only three of the game.

The second half started with a quick and thunderous dunk by Georgetown's Julius Vaughn. The crowd was on their feet. They could smell blood in the water, and then O'Quinn, the one legged wonder, drew Vaughn's 3rd foul. He hit two free throws. The next possession O'Quinn drew Moses Ayegba's 3rd foul with his own vicious dunk and converted the and one. With Georgetown's front line devestated, Coach West threw the book at the Hoyas. Hampton and Pauline pressed and pressured every time Georgetown brought the ball up the floor. The Spartans ran the ball down the floor every chance they got. And there was one more surprise. Brandon Wheeless, a walk on who replaced an ineffective McCauley at the beginning of the second half, managed to shut down Austin Freeman.

To say the Spartans went on a run would be inappropriate. The Spartans went on a 22-2 tear, overcoming a major deficit to take a lead they would not relinquish for the rest of the game. With O'Quinn attacking the basket, Pauline and Hampton begun to be left open for jumpers -- and they delivered. The crowd went wild, it was another unbelievable upset in an already unbelievable tournament. The final score: Norfolk State 67, Georgetown 57.

Back in Norfolk they should probably start putting together plans to make a statue of Kyle O'Quinn and Guy West. Heck, of the whole team. And why not? The MEAC Champion defeats the Big East Champion in what has become a stunningly upside-down tournament. The Spartans will take on #5 Baylor, who handled #12 College of Charleston with ease.

Mar 21, 2011 - NORF at GT
TEAM	1ST	2ND	SCORE
#13 Norfolk State (26-7)	25	42	67
#4 Georgetown (22-11)	32	25	57

Norfolk State
STARTERS	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PTS
R. Hampton	25	5-16	1-5	1-2	1	7	2	0	2	12
A. Pauline	26	7-15	3-6	3-4	2	1	0	0	0	20
R. McCauley	13	0-7	0-0	0-0	4	1	0	0	0	0
T. Zephyr	24	3-5	0-0	0-0	13	2	2	1	0	6
K. O'Quinn	21	8-16	0-0	7-8	15	3	0	2	1	23
BENCH	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PTS
M. Tamares	11	1-2	0-0	0-0	2	0	0	1	1	2
J. Weathers	7	0-1	0-0	0-0	2	1	1	0	0	0
K. Brown	9	1-2	0-0	0-0	0	0	2	0	1	2
B. Wheeless	9	0-1	0-0	0-0	1	1	0	0	0	0
M. Johnson	4	0-1	0-1	0-0	0	1	0	0	0	0
B. Good	2	1-2	0-0	0-0	0	0	0	0	0	2
TEAM TOTALS		26-68	4-12	11-14	40	17	7	4	5	67

Georgetown
STARTERS	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PTS
C. Wright	25	5-20	1-7	9-10	1	2	1	0	3	20
A. Freeman	27	4-13	3-10	0-0	0	3	1	0	3	11
N. Lubick	25	1-2	0-0	4-6	9	1	0	1	1	6
H. Thompson	27	3-11	0-3	3-4	9	2	1	1	0	9
J. Vaughn	14	3-4	0-0	0-0	5	1	1	0	0	6
BENCH	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PTS
J. Clark	8	1-5	1-3	0-0	1	3	0	0	1	3
M. Ayegba	5	0-1	0-0	0-0	2	1	0	1	0	0
M. Starks	2	0-1	0-0	0-0	1	0	0	0	0	0
J. Benimon	5	0-0	0-0	0-0	3	0	0	0	0	0
H. Sims	10	1-2	0-0	0-0	3	1	1	0	0	2
M. Abraham	2	0-0	0-0	0-0	0	0	0	0	0	0
TEAM TOTALS		18-59	5-23	16-20	34	14	5	3	8	57

R: That was a monumental second half turnaround. How'd you do it?
Coach West: "It was simple actually. We went into half time shooting poorly, but we were getting the shots we wanted on the spots of the floor we wanted. Our defense was working exactly like we thought it would. I just reminded our players that there was still another half to play and to keep shooting the ball. Hampton's 3 to punch out the first half was a big lift too. We still had fight, and we kept it going through the second half."

[Knickerbocker91]

Congrats on the upset, that's a huge win! Good luck against Baylor

[VandyRedskins21]

NICE WIN!!! Good luck as the tournament goes on!

[waytofailself]

Thanks, it was an awesome game that started out not swinging my way at all (my players all started with -10 confidence across the board) but by the end they all had 99. And it showed on the court.

Round 1 Final Results
(winners in bold)

#1 Ohio State 76 #16 Alabama A&M 56
#8 Texas 82 #9 Marquette 76
#5 Baylor 98 #12 Coll of Charl. 81
#4 Georgetown 57 #13 Norfolk State 67
#6 Xavier 62 #11 Pittsburgh 76
#3 Arizona 65 #14 American 54
#7 Texas A&M 61 #10 Gonzaga 68
#2 Kentucky 91 #15 UC Riverside 71

#1 Kansas 97 #16 ND State 60
#8 Clemson 83 #9 Missouri State 52
#5 Miss St. 81 #12 FL Atlantic 76
#4 Washington St 81 #13 UTEP 66
#6 Louisville 87 #11 Tenn 60
#3 Ole Miss 58 #14 Quinnipiac 54
#7 Indiana 55 #10 Conn 66
#2 Oregon 73 #15 E. Tenn St. 65

#1 Alabama 54 #16 Stony Brook 74
#8 Creighton 57 #9 Duke 81
#5 UCLA 78 #12 UNC Asheville 62
#4 Oklahoma 91 #13 Wichita St. 74
#6 Georgia Tech 68 #11 VCU 55
#3 Missouri 75 #14 Jacksonville St. 64
#7 LSU 61 #10 Fairfield 75
#2 Arizona St 60 #15 Akron 55

#1 Purdue 82 #16 Cleveland St 57
#8 Temple 65 #9 San Fransisco 62
#5 Dunquesne 86 #12 Harvard 84
#4 Florida 80 #13 Weber St. 64
#6 Oregon St. 65 #11 Utah 56
#3 UNC 57 #14 Stephen F. Austin 62
#7 Richmond 73 #10 Fordham 68
#2 Washington 70 #15 Fresno St. 58

Moral of Round 1? Many -- but you REALLY don't want to be Alabama or a #7 seed this year. Other trends you see? Predictions going forward?

[delija66]

GREAT WIN! GL against Baylor