Coaching Career of Metran Delaney (NCAA March Madness 06)

[thesportsguru11]

Welcome to my first ever basketball dynasty on these boards, chronicling the coaching career of Metran Delaney from 2005-06 onward. I have been over on the football section of Dynasty HQ for the better part of a year now, and have done well over there, but want to branch into something different, especially with tourney time coming up in a month or so.

Inspired by guys like superjames, rhs_rizzo, Deuce2223, waytofailself and a few others, I’m going to give my favorite college game (MM06; don’t have any College Hoops 2k game) a go. Expect this to be text-based (much unlike some of my other projects in the football section), but I intend to get a fair share of pics in here for game recaps and such.

So here goes nothing...Enjoy!!

[thesportsguru11]

HOUSEKEEPING:

Game: EA Sports NCAA March Madness 06 (hey, it’s no CH2K8 but it’s still good)
Platform: Playstation 2
Rosters: Created by me (All players named off default roster for the 2005-06 season, no players added outside of my team, ratings tweaked in certain situations)
Sliders: Defaults (For now, working on tweaking some certain things)

Game Length: 15 minutes (for now; I had it at 10 for the first few games)
Difficulty: All-American (highest difficulty)
Length: 30 years (longest we can go)
Foul Out: 5
Players leave early?: Yes
Violations: Off (I think violations are overdone in each of the last few PS2 editions of MM, you end up on probation/scholarship loss so quickly. I remember having a different player be suspended seemingly every week in a different dynasty I did on NCAA 07, I actually was ineligible for the Tourney a few different times. Slight overkill if you ask me.)

Other things to note about the game:

Recruiting - Scale of prospects goes from 1* to 6*. As you get further into the dynasty, there seem to be more 6* prospects, and powerhouse teams get overrun with 5 and 6* prospects. Overall ratings with prospects seem to be off in relation to the default rosters, but that evens out after 4-5 seasons when everyone in the default roster is gone.

I love intervention sim. Normally, I’ll sim the first half of a game, then jump into the second half if it is close, or just leave it if I am ahead by a lot, or down by a lot. This way I can get through more seasons quicker, and maintain my interest in the dynasty, and this is exactly how I plan to do it in this dynasty as well.

[thesportsguru11]

Coach Hub/Dynasty Records (Will fill in as we go)

Spoiler

2005-06: St. Francis (NY)

Record: 17-11 (11-7), 4th in NEC (Champion: Monmouth)
Postseason: Lost in NEC Tourney 1st round vs. Monmouth, 73-50
Leading Scorer: (Tie) Allan Sheppard, Tristan Smith (14.0)
Conf. Player of the Year: Gordon Klaiber, Fairleigh Dickinson
Recruiting: TBD

National Champion: Virginia Tech Hokies (27-7)
Wooden Award Winner: Rodney Carney, Memphis
Coach of the Year: Jay Wright, Villanova
Freshman of the Year: Lewis Clinch, Georgia Tech
National Defensive Player of the Year: Marco Killingsworth, Indiana

All-Americans:

1st Team:

Nick Fazekas, F/Nevada
Rodney Carney, F/Memphis
Randy Foye, G/Villanova
Allan Ray, G/Villanova
Justin Gray, G/Wake Forest

2nd Team:

Taj Gray, C/Oklahoma
Adam Morrison, F/Gonzaga
Chris Hernandez, G/Stanford
Dan Grunfeld, G-F/Stanford
Taquan Dean, G/Louisville


CONFERENCE AWARDS:

Player of the Year: Gordon Klaiber, Fairleigh Dickinson
Coach of the Year: Mike Deane, Wagner
Freshman of the Year: Colson Senat, Robert Morris
Defensive Player of the Year: Gordon Klaiber, Fairleigh Dickinson

All-NEC:

1st Team:

Gordon Klaiber, C/Fairleigh Dickinson
Durell Vinson, F/Wagner
Marques Alston, F/Monmouth
Chris Kenny, G/Monmouth
Tyler Azzarelli, G/Monmouth

2nd Team:

Karl Anderson, C/Quinnipiac
Dejan Delic, F/Monmouth
Darshan Luckey, F/St. Francis (PA)
Craig Benson, G/Quinnipiac
DeEarnest McLemore, G/Wagner

[thesportsguru11]

Terriers pick Delaney

35 year old tabbed to be next coach at St. Francis (NY)

After the release of Ron Ganulin as head coach of the St. Francis (NY) Terriers in April after 14 years, many assumed they would be looking to go the youth route. And that they did.

The Terriers hired 35 year old Metran Delaney, an assistant at Northeastern University, to be the coach for the 2005-06 season. He had been at Northeastern as an assistant for 2 years, he graduated there in 1997. For Delaney, this is his first head coaching gig.

Quote: Originally Posted by Metran Delaney

"This is an honor to be the coach here. I have a bit of background learning from my 2 years at Northeastern but I other than that this is new to me. I'm excited to get going."

With the move, the Terriers, we presume, are looking for some new energy to bring some success to Brooklyn. The Terriers have never made the NCAA Tournament and have not participated in a postseason event since 1963.

Thus, a new era has begun. It's sure shaping up to be a wild ride.

[thesportsguru11]

2005-06 St. Francis Preview

Christian Brown

St. Francis (NY) Roster

STARTERS:

C 40 James St. Robert (67 ovr) 6'8 230 SO
F 15 Allan Sheppard (68 ovr) 6'5 200 JR
F 1 Sean Dantzler (65 ovr) 6'4 180 SR
SG 13 Christian Brown (68 ovr) 6'4 190 SR
PG 2 Tristan Smith (72 ovr) 6'1 185 SR (SR Leader)

BENCH:

G 42 Nick Jones (64 ovr) 6'2 195 SO
G 14 Ruandy Melo (63 ovr) 6'0 160 JR
F 21 Devon Neckles (61 ovr) 6'7 190 SR
F 24 Lex James (64 ovr) 6'9 230 JR
G 3 Jamaal Womack (63 ovr) 5'8 170 FR
F 44 John Gooden (61 ovr) 6'6 220 FR
F 10 Sami Pekkola (55 ovr) 6'7 220 SO

Coach Delaney appears to have his work cut out for him to start his career, running a very short starting lineup, at least to start. Running Sheppard, a natural small forward, at the 4 may pay off, but it is unknown if he can handle the taller men down low. St. Robert is ready for a bigger role after getting his feet wet last year.

It is possible that JUCO transfer Lex James could step in and start later in the year to provide some height and even out the lineup at least a little bit. Sean Dantzler will have to play well to keep his starting job.

Smith and Brown are the two leaders, and either are capable of carrying this team. Smith, a one-time St. John's player, would love to play some off-guard so he can get more touches, but in the best interest of the offense he may remain at point.

The bench looks capable at this point. Jones is good young talent, Neckles and Melo provide some leadership. Womack and Gooden will be asked to step up in their first year in the program, and Pekkola could see some time in blowout situations.

Overall, this is a team that could make a surprise run in the NEC, as long as they don’t let their height disadvantage affect them and play to their strengths athletically.

NEC Outlook:

The NEC looks to be very competitive in 2005-06. Fairleigh Dickinson won the conference championship last year, after regular season champ Monmouth was eliminated in the semifinals by Wagner.

The Knights of Fairleigh Dickinson appear to be the head of the class once again this year, but they will not be unchallenged. St. Francis (NY) has a good chance to compete, as long as they don't let their height get the better of them. Central Connecticut State has a good team, and Wagner made it to the conference title game last year. Monmouth and Robert Morris both could still contend, but will take steps back this year.

NEC Preview

Fairleigh Dickinson
St. Francis (NY)
Central Connecticut St.
Wagner
St. Francis (PA)
Robert Morris
Monmouth
Sacred Heart
Quinnipiac
Mount St. Mary's
Long Island

[thesportsguru11]

Around the NCAA: Preseason Wrap-Up



Redick looks to lead Duke to glory in '05-'06

Pre-Season All-Americans

C - Shelden Williams - Duke
F - Craig Smith - Boston College
F - Adam Morrison - Gonzaga
G - J.J. Redick - Duke
G - Dee Brown - Illinois

[thesportsguru11]

Davidson (1-0) VS. St. Francis (NY) (0-1)
Daniel Lynch Gymnasium @ Pope Physical Education Center
Brooklyn, NY
October 26, 2005

McKillop's heroics help Wildcats overcome halftime deficit

This was definitely not the way Metran Delaney wanted his first game to go. St. Francis, after being up 7 at the half, went on a major cold streak offensively. Meanwhile, Davidson was able to storm back late, thanks in part to only 4 team turnovers on the day, and claim their first victory of the season.

Davidson, who didn't manage to take their first lead until 1:55 remaining in the second half, got 19 out of Jason Morton, who hit the two free throws that put the Wildcats up 65-64.

While Nick Jones missed a 3 just seconds later, the Terriers surrendered another 2 free throws to Eric Blancett, which was followed up by a layup from Boris Meno. St. Francis blinked, and they were in a 5 point hole with 53 seconds left.

Tristan Smith, one of 5 Terriers to hit double figures, hit a 3 to pull St. Francis back to 69-67 with 30 seconds remaining, but Matt McKillop drained a 3 on the other end to ice the game for the Wildcats, a 72-67 final.

Morton led all scorers with 19, and Brendan Winters added 16 for the Wildcats. McKillop had 11 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists and 4 steals.

For the Terriers, Allan Sheppard led with 13 and 7 rebounds. Center James St. Robert grabbed a double-double, with 10 points and 10 rebounds.

The Terriers travel to Illinois State on October 29th, looking for their first win of the season.

Davidson Wildcats at St. Francis (NY) Terriers
Oct 26, 2005	1ST	2ND	SCORE
Davidson (1-0)	38	34	72
St. Francis (NY) (0-1)	45	22	67

Davidson Wildcats
STARTERS	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PTS
Matt McKillop	27	4-10	2-3	1-1	5	5	4	0	4	11
Jason Morton	24	7-17	1-4	4-4	4	2	0	0	0	19
Brendan Winters	23	6-11	2-5	2-4	6	3	1	1	0	16
Thomas Sander	24	3-4	0-0	3-3	5	1	1	1	0	9
Ian Johnson	24	4-7	0-0	1-1	5	1	0	0	0	9
BENCH	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PTS
Kenny Grant	7	1-2	0-0	0-0	0	1	0	0	0	2
Jason Richards	6	1-1	0-0	0-0	0	0	0	0	0	2
Eric Blancett	3	1-1	0-0	0-1	1	0	0	0	0	2
Boris Meno	4	1-1	0-0	0-0	2	1	0	0	0	2
Max Pauhlos	-- DID NOT PLAY --
John Falconi	-- DID NOT PLAY --
TEAM TOTALS		28-54	5-12	11-14	28	14	6	2	4	72

St. Francis (NY) Terriers
STARTERS	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PTS
Tristan Smith	28	4-18	1-8	3-3	2	3	0	0	4	11
Christian Brown	21	3-6	1-2	3-3	1	2	1	0	1	10
Sean Dantzler	23	3-5	0-0	6-6	4	2	0	2	2	12
Allan Sheppard	21	4-7	0-0	5-7	7	3	0	0	0	13
James St. Robert	22	5-11	0-1	0-4	10	1	0	1	2	10
BENCH	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PTS
Lex James	6	1-1	0-0	1-2	0	0	0	0	0	3
Nick Jones	8	0-1	0-1	1-3	1	0	0	0	1	1
Jamaal Womack	5	2-2	0-0	2-2	0	1	3	0	0	6
Devon Neckles	7	0-2	0-0	1-1	2	0	0	0	0	1
Ruandy Melo	-- DID NOT PLAY --
Sami Pekkola	-- DID NOT PLAY --
John Gooden	-- DID NOT PLAY --
TEAM TOTALS		22-53	2-12	21-30	28	10	4	3	10	67

[thesportsguru11]

St. Francis (NY) (1-1) vs. Illinois State (1-1)
Redbird Arena
Normal, IL
October 29, 2005

Smith's 31 help St. Francis cruise

James St. Robert throws down a one-handed jam in the second half.

Coach Metran Delaney and and St. Francis (NY) have picked up the first win of their career and season, respectively in their 67-58 win over Illinois State.

Senior point guard Tristan Smith led with 31 for the Terriers, shooting a red-hot 7-12 from 3 point land. His stretch of 3 straight treys in a span of 2:30 at the end of the first half helped propel the Terriers to a 43-30 halftime lead. After the Terriers swelled the lead to 18 midway through the second half, the reserves coasted the team home.

Smith really appeared to bail out his teammates at times, as the other 4 starters shot a combined 11-29 and only accounted for 29 points between them. Christian Brown was the only other double digit scorer for the Terriers, adding 10.

Illinois State's bigs for the most part dominated the Terriers down low, as Lorenzo Gordon dropped 16 points and 13 rebounds, and Greg Dilligard added 10 and 14. The Redbirds only got 2 points out of their bench, and didn't dig very deep there.

The Terriers remain on the road next game, as they will face Wofford on November 5th. Illinois State falls to 1-1 and will face Charleston Southern at home next.

St. Francis (NY) Terriers at Illinois State Redbirds
Oct 29, 2005	1ST	2ND	SCORE
St. Francis (NY) (1-1)	43	24	67
Illinois State (0-2)	30	28	58

St. Francis (NY) Terriers
STARTERS	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PTS
Tristan Smith	24	11-19	7-12	2-3	3	4	1	0	2	31
Christian Brown	24	4-11	0-2	2-4	1	0	2	0	0	10
Sean Dantzler	23	1-3	0-0	3-3	3	3	1	0	1	5
Allan Sheppard	19	4-10	0-0	0-3	4	2	0	0	0	8
James St. Robert	24	2-5	0-0	2-3	6	0	0	3	1	6
BENCH	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PTS
Lex James	8	1-1	0-0	0-2	3	0	0	0	1	2
Nick Jones	7	0-2	0-0	0-0	0	1	0	1	0	0
Jamaal Womack	5	2-4	0-2	1-1	0	0	0	0	2	5
Devon Neckles	10	0-0	0-0	0-0	2	1	1	0	0	0
Ruandy Melo	-- DID NOT PLAY --
Sami Pekkola	-- DID NOT PLAY --
John Gooden	-- DID NOT PLAY --
TEAM TOTALS		25-55	7-16	10-19	22	11	5	4	7	67

Illinois State Redbirds
STARTERS	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PTS
Khalif Ford	26	7-12	0-0	0-0	2	5	0	0	1	14
Neil Plank	23	3-10	0-2	0-0	2	4	3	2	0	6
Nedu Onyeuku	25	5-15	0-2	0-2	3	2	0	0	3	10
Greg Dilligard	26	5-8	0-0	0-2	14	2	2	1	2	10
Lorenzo Gordon	25	8-15	0-0	0-1	13	0	2	0	1	16
BENCH	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PTS
Dana Ford	9	1-3	0-0	0-0	4	0	0	0	1	2
Ronnie Carlwell	6	0-0	0-0	0-0	2	1	0	0	0	0
Levi Dyer	-- DID NOT PLAY --
Travis Wallace	-- DID NOT PLAY --
Micah Kirstein	-- DID NOT PLAY --
TEAM TOTALS		29-63	0-4	0-5	40	14	7	3	8	58