Flying High - Legacy of Coach Bird [CH 2K8]

[Deuce2223]

Quote: Originally Posted by RussellBird

I'm normally pretty terrible when it comes to recruiting. Hopefully, my fortunes have changed since I last played.

Well I use to be pretty good, but I don't know what the deal is this time around. I spend all my time targeting Pacific Northwest kids, (Oregon/Washington/Idaho/Montana/Alaska/) as well as Utah, Nevada, Arizona and California and so far I am lucky to land a 4* each year to go with 2 or 3 3*.

I am in year 7 and have made the NCAA every year (4 times with UCD, once going to a NC, and 3 years with with Gonzaga going to back to back NC games) and yet every year the Mr BB from WA signs with Oregon and the other top kids go to either Oregon, Oregon State or UW. I even had a 3* SG who was 6'8 and rated in the 300's turn me down to go to Idaho once

I don't get it. I have a A+ in Charisma too.

[RussellBird]

Tennessee State Held to 15 in First Half, SEMU cruises to Easy 72-54 Victory



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Cape Girardeau, MO - Sending a message is never an easy task. For Southeast, though, their message to the rest of the OVC is simple: We're real. The game was always in the Redhawks' bag. Except for the opening minutes of the game, they always had the lead. With their claws firmly locked in place, they squeezed any and all life out of Tennessee State. Despite an early 6-0 lead in the first half, Southeast would finally emerge from the shaky start and score 29 unanswered. It was just that type of game for one of the stranger teams in the NCAA. Hot and cold. Never consistently playing one type of basketball.

Even when Tennessee State went on a run of their own, Southeast never really some concerned. And why should they? Playing bad basketball throughout had killed them. Although Coach Bird believes only the final minutes are important, this poor showing seems to be one of the many says otherwise. While the Tigers got hot, it never mattered. Not even a little bit. They had been beaten so badly at that point and no longer had any chance of winning the game. With some recruits still waiting to sign, this game may convince a few of them to join. Especially if they like the fast paced style of play Bird runs.

Winning by double digits isn't exactly a strange occurrence for the kids at the Cape. It's already happened a few times during this season. But this win stands above the rest. "Conference games are far more important than anything scheduled out of them. If you can get a good feel on them now, then you can crush them when it counts the most. The tournament will always look easier with a large number of conference wins. That's what I hope to achieve this season. Go into the tournament with one of the higher seedings and clean house."

For the first time all season, Southeast will get to stay at home for two straight games. With Tennessee Tech comes for a visit, the Redhawks will look to keep their home dominance going. It looks like it'll come true with Tech having lost both of it's conference games so far.

Tennessee State Tigers at Southeast Missouri State Redhawks
Dec 6, 2012	1ST	2ND	SCORE
Tennessee State (1-4)	15	39	54
Southeast Missouri State (5-2)	45	27	72

Tennessee State Tigers
STARTERS	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PTS
Patrick Miller	25	5-13	0-5	3-6	1	7	1	0	3	13
Jordan Cyphers	19	3-8	2-6	2-2	3	3	0	1	5	10
Kharon Butcher	17	3-7	1-4	2-2	2	0	0	0	0	9
Robert Covington	13	0-2	0-0	3-4	3	1	1	0	2	3
Kellen Thornton	16	3-4	0-0	1-2	2	0	4	0	0	7
BENCH	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PTS
DeShawn Dockery	15	2-3	0-0	0-1	2	0	2	0	1	4
Michael Green	11	1-5	0-2	1-2	1	0	1	1	0	3
M.J. Rhett	11	0-1	0-0	0-0	1	0	3	0	1	0
Chad Wellian	8	1-1	0-0	0-0	3	1	1	0	0	2
Tashan Frederick	5	1-4	1-4	1	0	0	0	0	0	3
TEAM TOTALS		19-50	4-20	12-19	19	12	13	2	12	54
TEAM TOTALS		19-50	4-20	12-19	19	12	13	2	12	54

Southeast Missouri State Redhawks
STARTERS	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PTS
Nick Niemczyk	14	0-1	0-1	0-0	0	3	1	0	2	0
Marland Smith	13	2-2	2-2	2-2	2	2	0	1	1	8
Lucas Nutt	12	1-2	0-0	0-0	3	2	3	0	2	2
Tyler Stone	12	6-8	2-3	3-5	4	0	1	0	1	17
Nino Johnson	9	2-3	0-0	0-0	3	1	0	0	1	4
BENCH	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PTS
Corey Wilford	18	0-1	0-0	0-0	0	5	5	0	2	0
Michael Porter	17	5-8	0-0	3-7	5	0	2	0	2	13
Colin Ferguson	16	6-8	0-0	0-2	11	1	0	2	2	12
A.J. Jones	15	4-4	1-1	0-2	1	0	0	0	4	12
Jacob Tolbert	14	2-6	0-2	0-4	2	2	0	0	1	4
TEAM TOTALS		28-43	5-9	11-23	31	16	12	3	18	72

Bird's Nest - Let me lead off with some recruiting news. Since I can talk about it now, I'd like to announce the signings of two 3-star high school seniors. The first recruit Jairus Hawkin is a point guard who hails from Omaha, Nebraska. While he's only 5'10, he makes up for the lack of height with his quick feet. Able to get around defenders with relative ease. Really looking forward to seeing what he does here. We also signed another 3* by the name of Ryan Freeman. He's a 6'7 SF out of Kalamazoo, Michigan. An athletic scorer, he can also rebound. Ranking in as the #24 SF in the entire class, he'll likely be one of the main fixtures on this offense for a long time.

Back to the game, I really don't know what to say. We dominated from the get go. Only proving that our last loss was a fluke. If we can win like this at home, we can defeat Bradley. I very much believe that to be true. But, I don't want to dwell on the past for too long. Rather celebrate a win than constantly looking back. All problems from that game have seemingly been fixed for now. Hopefully, it'll stay like that throughout conference play. I want to show the rest of the OVC that the Show Me Center is not a friendly place. Something they should be scared of.

We were able to rest the starters for most of the second half. Which I absolutely love. Lowers risk of injuries and removes a little bit of fatigue for that next game. Once again, Colin Ferguson was player of the game. He just looked unstoppable at there. Pulling down rebounds and scoring without any trouble. It's always good to know we have that kind of talent on the bench. He's put on games like this before, and it doesn't seem like he'll be stopping anytime soon. He's only a freshman, so he could be a starter somewhere down the road. Really interested in seeing how he progresses.

Starting off 1-0 in conference play is always great. We look to continue our home winning streak against Tennessee Tech. Looks to be an easy one, but we've lost easy ones before. Not going into this game unprepared. But I do feel, if we continue off this game's play, it should be easy to get the W.

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2012/13 Southeast Missouri State Recruiting Class
Recruit Name - ABL Stats

3* PG Jarius Hawkins - 4.3 PPG, 1.5 RPG, 1.5 APG, 0.9 SPG, 47% FG, 36% 3PT
3* SF Ryan Freeman - 14.3 PPG, 8.4 RPG, 1.8 SPG, 1.3 BPG, 40% FG, 43% 3PT

[RussellBird]

Quote: Originally Posted by Deuce2223

Well I use to be pretty good, but I don't know what the deal is this time around. I spend all my time targeting Pacific Northwest kids, (Oregon/Washington/Idaho/Montana/Alaska/) as well as Utah, Nevada, Arizona and California and so far I am lucky to land a 4* each year to go with 2 or 3 3*. I am in year 7 and have made the NCAA every year (4 times with UCD, once going to a NC, and 3 years with with Gonzaga going to back to back NC games) and yet every year the Mr BB from WA signs with Oregon and the other top kids go to either Oregon, Oregon State or UW. I even had a 3* SG who was 6'8 and rated in the 300's turn me down to go to Idaho once I don't get it. I have a A+ in Charisma too.

Recruiting just seems strange in this game. I mostly just look for people who have me as their first school at the start. They'll usually end up committing, but it's rare to get an amazing player that really wants to go to a small time school. Surprised that a team like Gonzaga couldn't get any big recruits especially with their track record. To me, it's just really random on who decides to commit and who doesn't. Even if committing would be the logical choice.

[Deuce2223]

Looking forward to seeing how Freeman come in rating wise. He could be a star for you.

[RussellBird]

Quote: Originally Posted by Deuce2223

Looking forward to seeing how Freeman come in rating wise. He could be a star for you.

He could definitely be one of the best players in the conference. Don't know if I'll be at Southeast for all four years though.

Apologies for lack of updates today. Ground Zeroes and Black Flag ate a bunch of my time away. Might be able to get one up later tonight!

[JJ4]

it's okay guys, I too struggle with recruiting this time around.

[RussellBird]

Inconsistent Much? Southeast Drops First Home Game of Season 67-62



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Cape Girardeau, MO - In what some fans are considering one of the worst officiated games this season, Tennessee Tech was able to hold off Southeast down the stretch. Down 11 with under three minutes left, Nick Niemczyk was able to complete a four point play after one of the game's many controversial calls. This shot ignited a once stagnant Redhawks offense and gave them life once more. Unfortunately, the ugly officiating would rear it's head once more. With the game on the line, Nino Johnson would go up for the game trying lay-up. Seconds later, he'd come crashing to the ground. Everyone in the crowd expected a call, but play continued and Tech was able to hit a shot and start a shooting streak of their own.

Throughout most of the second half, a livid Coach Bird could be seen screaming at the refs. Somehow, he was able to stop himself from getting in their face. But, for both teams, it was the referees who were the ultimate decider of the victory. They just happened to like Tech that day. [b]"Each and every one of them deserve to be fired. That's not an overreaction. They'd call anything on us. Wind briefly moved a Tech player's jersey? Foul. Ridiculous. Poorest officiating I've ever seen. The guys in high school were better than this garbage," commented a frustrated Coach Bird.

Consistency has remained a key problem for Coach Bird and his team. They're unable to capitalize off big losses and are unable to do much in games following them. Overall, Southeast didn't exactly play bad basketball. They hit more shots than Tech albeit at a slightly lower percentage. In any other game, Southeast likely would have won the game. A team normally doesn't just grab 12 steals and can't pick up a win. Some of the fault does lie on Coach Bird and his players. Despite getting hot late in the second half, they tried to jack up as many threes as possible. Trying their hardest to take back the lead they had in the first half. It was just not meant to be.

Oddly enough, Southeast takes a week long break before their game against Samford. They will be on the road after a brief stay at home. Southeast usually can rebound from losses, but games like this will take a toll. Who knows how much longer they can keep evening out the wins and losses. Soon enough, they ship could sink especially with the lack of consistent winning.

Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles at Southeast Missouri State Redhawks
Dec 8, 2012	1ST	2ND	SCORE
Tennessee Tech (1-5)	31	36	67
Southeast Missouri State (6-2)	35	27	62

Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles
STARTERS	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PTS
Jeremiah Samarripas	24	5-12	1-6	6-6	0	4	1	0	1	17
Deondre Haynes	24	1-3	0-0	3-4	1	5	2	0	2	5
Jud Dillard	25	4-13	0-6	2-2	5	1	1	0	7	12
Dennis Ogbe	19	3-3	0-0	0-0	8	0	0	1	0	6
Terrell Barnes	14	3-7	0-0	3-6	8	2	1	1	0	9
BENCH	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PTS
Ryon Riggins	13	2-4	0-0	3-4	7	1	0	1	0	7
Matt Marselle	11	4-7	0-2	0-0	3	0	0	0	1	8
Anthony Morse	6	0-0	0-0	0-0	2	1	1	2	0	0
Javon McKay	4	1-2	1-2	0-0	0	0	0	0	1	3
TEAM TOTALS		24-61	2-16	17-21	34	14	8	4	13	67
TEAM TOTALS		24-61	2-16	17-21	34	14	8	4	13	67

Southeast Missouri State Redhawks
STARTERS	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PTS
Nick Niemczyk	19	3-8	1-3	1-1	4	3	0	0	3	8
Marland Smith	23	4-14	4-12	0-0	2	2	1	0	0	12
Lucas Nutt	14	2-2	1-1	0-0	1	1	3	0	0	5
Tyler Stone	21	4-8	0-1	1-1	8	0	3	1	1	9
Nino Johnson	20	7-15	0-0	0-2	10	1	2	0	2	16
BENCH	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PTS
Jacob Tolbert	10	0-1	0-0	0-0	1	1	0	0	2	0
A.J. Jones	9	1-6	0-0	0-0	2	4	1	0	0	4
Michael Porter	9	1-4	0-0	0-2	1	0	2	0	0	2
Corey Wilford	7	0-3	0-1	0-0	0	0	0	0	1	0
Colin Ferguson	7	3-3	0-0	2-2	0	0	0	0	0	6
TEAM TOTALS		25-64	6-19	6-11	29	12	12	1	9	62

Bird's Nest - Of course. A game like this one has to follow a huge win. Just can't catch any breaks. This was a winnable game. Had the refs not just learned the rules three second after the game, we would have won this. Seriously? They make THAT many trips to the line? Man, it would be a dream come true to never see this refereeing team ever again. We only got 11 shots from the charity stripe. Sure, we missed a couple. But they got ten more than us. How does something like that even happen? Always hurts knowing we lost due to something we can't fix.

I'm disappointed with our shooting performance. Who wouldn't be? We just weren't hitting the shots we should have been. Missing wide open lay-ups. Everything that could've went wrong did. Just like the Bradley game, we should have easily won this one. Losing your first home game isn't easy. Especially when it's a conference opponent that's doing it. Your arena is suppose to be a holy ground. A place that even the toughest of teams struggle at. Not today. We had the led heading into half, but we just couldn't feed off the atmosphere in the crowd. Heartbreaking.

It seems like the player who gets a double-double usually winds up as my player of the game. This week isn't an exception to that as Nino Johnson is recognized as the star of that game. He was trying his hardest out there. Picking up offensive rebounds. Unfortunately, those put back came up short in the end. Again, just wasn't our game, I guess. I've seen him hit those shots all season long. But not this time. Not in clutch. He'll shake off the poor performance from the field and come back with a vengeance next game. Guaranteed.

Heading into our week off, I'm going to be making sure we're working on free throws and not upsetting the refs too much. Probably should research a little on their favorite colors. Guess my normal suit upset them or something. We'll come back swinging, and I guarantee a victory over Samford. I want this road win. We need this win.

[RussellBird]

NCAA HOOPS IN REVIEW - DECEMBER 10th, 2012

NCAA Hoops Rankings - AP Top 25 - Updated: Dec 10, 2012
RK	LW	TEAM (VOTES)	RECORD
1	1	Wisconsin Badgers	7-1
2	2	Oregon Ducks	8-0
3	4	Gonzaga Bulldogs	10-0
4	5	Kentucky Wildcats	8-1
5	9	Duke Blue Devils	5-3
6	13	Marquette Golden Eagles	6-1
7	6	Pittsburgh Panthers	6-2
8	3	Louisville Cardinals	5-2
9	16	Utah State Aggies	9-1
10	8	Indiana Hoosiers	5-2
11	15	Syracuse Orange	7-2
12	17	UCLA Bruins	6-2
13	20	Florida Gators	6-3
14	18	Maryland Terrapins	6-3
15	7	North Carolina Tar Heels	5-3
16	24	Texas Tech Red Raiders	8-1
17	12	Kansas Jayhawks	5-3
18	11	Tennessee Volunteers	6-2
19	UR	VCU Rams	8-1
20	14	Clemson Tigers	6-1
21	10	Memphis Tigers	3-2
22	UR	Connecticut Huskies	7-1
23	UR	Michigan State Spartans	5-3
24	UR	Hofstra Pride	5-0
25	21	Ohio State Buckeyes	5-3

Ohio Valley Conference Standings
1. Austin Peay Governors - 6-3 (2-0)
2. Eastern Illinois Panthers - 2-6 (2-0)
3. Samford Bulldogs - 4-2 (1-0)
4. Tennessee-Martin Skyhawks - 3-3 (1-0)
5. Eastern Kentucky Colonels - 3-4 (1-0)
6. Murray State Racers - 5-1 (1-1)
7. Southeast Missouri State Redhawks - 6-3 (1-1)
8. Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles - 2-5 (1-2)
9. Jacksonville State Gamecocks - 3-4 (0-2)
10. Morehead State Eagles - 1-6 (0-2)
11. Tennessee State - 1-6 (0-2)