Career Legacy of AJ Rizzo - CH2k11

[R1zzo23]

Some college program is going to strike gold looking for a young, knowledgeable basketball coach. AJ grew up playing basketball, but was never the fastest, strongest or best player on any of the teams he played on. His basketball IQ, on the other hand, made up for his athletic deficiencies. Every one of his coaches knew that he would end up manning the sideline of his own team sooner rather than later.

After working as the assistant coach at his local high school in Revere, MA, he was handed the head coaching job of the freshman basketball team. After an awful 2-16 season to start his career, Rizzo came back with a 16-4 season in his second season as freshman coach. Many schools gave up on him and dismissed him as a failure after his first season. Not only did Revere High want to keep him around, but there were some Division-I colleges visiting him to see what his plans were. They saw that the talent on his freshman team was about as bad as it could be, but he got a lot out of them and kept every game competitive. He knew the X's and O's inside and out and knew how to get his play-makers the ball in the right spot.

Many schools looked at the 27 year old coach as a great face to their program and perhaps a great recruiting tool as he can relate to what these kids are experiencing since he hasn't been long removed from their shoes. If AJ can bring in some talent at any university that would hire him and possibly string together a couple winning seasons, maybe there was a bright future for him in the college ranks.

With the 2010-2011 season quickly approaching, Coach Rizzo walked into the Athletic Director's office and told him that he would no longer be a part of the RHS coaching staff. Many thought he was giving up on coaching all together, but in fact, he was moving on to bigger and better things...

[R1zzo23]

Re: Career Legacy of AJ Rizzo - CH2k11

With many collegiate programs scrambling for a head coach late in the offseason, AJ Rizzo happened to get a few offers. Granted, these schools were the worst of the worse as far as basketball programs go, but he wasn't going to be coaching at North Carolina right away.

With offers from all around the country, there was one thing that Rizzo knew: he wanted to stay close to home. Hey, recruits aren't the only ones with wants and needs, right? AJ was a Boston kid and wasn't looking to leave the Northeast any time soon. There were three universities that really stuck out in his mind: New Hampshire, Maine and Dartmouth.

AJ has always been smart, but the Ivy league wasn't where he wanted to be, so Dartmouth was out of the running early. He had spent his summers in both Maine and New Hampshire growing up and has great memories of both. With friends at both schools, it was going to be difficult to pick between the two. One thing was for certain, the American East Conference was going to be getting a new coach this year.

With much deliberation behind him, AJ Rizzo had finally made up his mind. It was time to make the call. The call was made to Orono, Maine to finalize his decision:

"Hi Steve [Abbott, AD of U-Maine], it's AJ. I just wanted you to be the first to know..... I know sir, I haven't slept much since you asked me to coach at your school either..... Oh of course, I loved the facilities and the community, but I'm just going to be honest and upfront with you. I have decided to not accept the coaching job for the Black Bears. I have decided to take over at UNH..... Thank you for respecting my decision, sir. I have nothing but gratitude for the opportunity you have offered me and it will never be forgotten. Good luck this year and into the future and I can't wait to play you guys this year."

With that one phone call, Coach Rizzo's future was decided.

[R1zzo23]

Re: Career Legacy of AJ Rizzo - CH2k11

Game - College Hoops 2k8
Rosters - TrueGameplay 2k11
All Games Simmed
Difficulty - MOP






AJ Rizzo's Coaching Card:

OVR	OFF	DEF	TEA	SCO	CHA	DIS
C+	C-	B	B-	C-	B+	C-

Win-Loss Record:

YEAR	TEAM	REC	CONF. REC
2010-2011	UNH	10-19	6-10
2011-2012	UNH	21-12	11-5

2012-2013

UNH

20-12

7-9

Regular Season Championships:



Conference Tournament Championships:

2011-2012 AEC Champs - UNH Wildcats

NCAA Tournament Appearances:

2012 - UNH - #15 Seed: 1st Round Loss 54-45 to #2 Texas

First Team All-Conference:

Second Team All-Conference:

2011-2012: Chandler Rhoads (PG - UNH), Chris Matagrano (C - UNH)

Freshman All-Conference:

2011-2012: Jordan Bronner (PG - UNH)

NCAA Champions:

2010-2011: Marquette Golden Eagles
2011-2012: NC State Wolfpack

[R1zzo23]

Re: Career Legacy of AJ Rizzo - CH2k11

With Coach Rizzo now in place at UNH, he needed to find two assistant coaches to compliment his coaching style. Now AJ is a very charismatic coach, able to talk people into anything. He attributes that to being an insurance salesman when he got out of college.

The first assistant he selected was Douglas Capel out of Freehold, NJ. Capel is known for his offensive prowess. Rizzo hopes that while he coaches up the team on the defensive side of the ball, Capel can do the same for the offense.

With the offense and defense taken care of, UNH needs a keen eye on talent on the recruiting trail. In comes Adham Jones of Boston, MA. Jones has seen a lot of high school basketball in his life and can know ten minutes after watching a kid if he has what it takes to play at the next level. Though he is on his fourth set of glasses, as they get thicker and thicker each time, many claim (mostly his immediate family) that he knows talent when he sees it. Guess we'll take their word on him.

[R1zzo23]

Re: Career Legacy of AJ Rizzo - CH2k11

With the coaching staff establish, it is time to examine this Wildcat roster with a position primer.

Point Guards:

Chandler Rhoads - RS SO - 62 OVR: Rhoads is a good passer, but lacks the handles that you would like from your starting point guard. On top of that, he's not exactly a threat from the outside. On the defensive side of the floor, he leaves a lot to be desired, but he does put a great effort in on the glass.

Ryan Herrion - SO - 58 OVR: Herrion is by far the best shooter on the team with a sweet stroke from three and beyond. He looks to be the 6th man of this team, possibly seeing time at the off-guard position. Doesn't bring much else other than shooting the rock.

Tyrone Conley - SR - 57 OVR: Hate to see a senior glued to the bench, but that will be Conley's senior season. He doesn't do anything better than Rhoads or Herrion. Poor kid....

Jordan Bronner - FR - 55 OVR: No jumpshot. Doesn't pass well. Slow for his size. Not things you like to hear about your point guard. He does know how to lock down and play some defense and is a great rebounder for his size. Definite red-shirt candidate.

Shooting Guards:

Deandray Buckley - FR - 61 OVR: Great size at 6'4", Buckley will be the starter at the shooting guard position. He can score from everywhere on the floor and is a very good on-ball defender.

Scott Morris - FR - 61 OVR: Sits behind Buckley and very well may receiver a red-shirt to give him a year to shine as a 5th year senior. Loses out to Buckley on the defensive end and that's what Coach Rizzo stresses.

Alvin Abreu - SR - 58 OVR: With a new regime in place, the youngsters will be getting most of the playing time. Abreu will see playing time if Morris is red-shirted.

Small Forwards:

Ferg Myrick - FR - 63 OVR: A finesse scorer, Myrick will be relied on heavily as a freshman as UNH's top-scorer. He can hit the occasional three, but he excels at getting to the rim. Should have an electrifying career as a Wildcat as long as he continues to progress.

Patrick Konan - SO - 57 OVR: Very good backup at the small forward position, but he sits behind Myrick for the remainder of his career.

Power Forwards:

James Valladares - SR - 62 OVR: A stretch four, Valladares is a typical European big man. He likes to step out and shoot jumpers rather than bang inside. Lacks the rebounding you would like to see from a power forward.

Dane Diliegro - SR - 57 OVR: A banger in every sense of the word. He's always looking to mix it up in the post and holds his own on both offense and defense. Will challenge Valladares for the starting position.

Kazadi Nyanquila - FR - 57 OVR: A hustle player in every sense of the word, Nyanquila struggles to score outside of dunking the basketball. He's got great quickness and vertical for a big man, but his basketball skills are raw to say the least.

Centers:

Chris Matagrano - SO - 66 OVR: The big man in the middle, Matagrano could be the focal point of the offense. Unfortunately, he is also not a banger in the post and tends to drift outside more than Coach Rizzo would like. On top of that, he's a bit soft on the glass as well. His on ball defense is great, but he doesn't deter many opponents from going to the paint while he is in there.

[R1zzo23]

Re: Career Legacy of AJ Rizzo - CH2k11

America East Conference Outlook

Predicted Season Standings

Prediction	Team	OVR
1	Stony Brook	72
2	UMBC	70
3	Boston University	70
4	Hartford	70
5	Vermont	70
6	Binghamton	69
7	Albany	68
8	Maine	68
9	New Hampshire	68

AEC Top Players

Category	School	Player	Class	OVR
Best OVR	Stony Brook	B. Dougher, PG	JR	68
Best Freshman	Vermont	C. Rugg, PF	FR	68
Best Shooter	New Hampshire	R. Herrion, PG	SO	58
Best Playmaker	Vermont	S. Carissimo, SG	FR	62
Best Pro Prospect	Stony Brook	B. Dougher, PG	JR	68
Best Defender	UMBC	A. Satchell, PF	SO	64

[R1zzo23]

Re: Career Legacy of AJ Rizzo - CH2k11

2010-2011 AP Pre-Season First Team All-Americans

POS	NAME	SCHOOL
G	Kalin Lucas	MSU
G	Nolan Smith	Duke
F	Kyle Singler	Duke
F	Keaton Nankivil	Wisconsin
C	Jon Leuer	Wisconsin

Pre-Season Second Team All-Americans

POS	NAME	SCHOOL
G	Chris Wright	Georgetown
G	Jon Diebler	Ohio State
F	Chandler Parsons	Florida
F	Marcus Morris	Kansas
C	Vernon Macklin	Florida

One day Coach Rizzo will have a player grace the AP Pre-Season All-American list.....

[R1zzo23]

Re: Career Legacy of AJ Rizzo - CH2k11

Durham, NH

October 29, 2010 - On the final day that the NCAA allows collegiate teams to red-shirt a player, AJ Rizzo sat in his office for hours contemplating on whether or not one of his freshmen would receive the red-shirt. After agonizing long enough, the decision was made. Freshman point guard Jordan Bronner would be asked to sit out the season to better his career in the long run. The Albany native took it better than expected and is excited to work hard in practice with the team to show that the extra year is going to pay off for his career. Whether or not that really happens remains to be seen, but his positive attitude can only help the program.

With the recruiting season officially open, the Wildcats and their coaching staff have to do some serious work on the recruiting trail to revamp this roster. They are looking to capitalize on some local talent, but interest isn't at an all-time high to be honest. It will be interesting to see how Rizzo's first recruiting class pans out.

[hockeyplaya2724]

Re: Career Legacy of AJ Rizzo - CH2k11

Yes! This is going to be awesome, I can't wait for the season to start!

[BZito75]

Re: Career Legacy of AJ Rizzo - CH2k11

another rizzo masterpiece

[R1zzo23]

Re: Career Legacy of AJ Rizzo - CH2k11

Thanks for the excitement guys. Haven't decided if I'm going to do a boxscore for every game, or just sim a week of games and give a recap of each. What do you guys think?

[Deuce2223]

Re: Career Legacy of AJ Rizzo - CH2k11

I am good with either.

So are you done posting your other basketball dynasty and also what happend to your football thread?

[R1zzo23]

Re: Career Legacy of AJ Rizzo - CH2k11

The St. John's thread (which is really now an SMU dynasty) is not dead, but on the back shelf for now. When I sit down to actually play a basketball game, it is NBA 2k11 right now. I'm sure I will resurrect that when the time comes.

As for the football one, that is dead. I enjoyed my time at Kentucky, but I got rid of NCAA. Just couldn't get into it as much as I would have liked. I will be honest, I have been getting the itch for college football again, so I have been searching the internet to see if I can find NCAA 11 on the cheap.

[R1zzo23]

Re: Career Legacy of AJ Rizzo - CH2k11

UNH Wildcat Insider - Early Target List

We're not sure how, but it seems like the recruiting target list has leaked out to a Wildcat blog. Apparently, there are 10 players that Coach Rizzo and his staff are focusing in on, all of which play either point guard, power forward or center. With four available scholarships, the leaked source says that two players have already been offered a scholarship, hoping to lock up these recruits in the early signing period. Here is the list in order of rank:

1) Martell Lyons, PF - Boston, Ma: A local talent, Lyons is 6'7" and 199 pounds and is the offensive threat that AJ Rizzo is looking for. He's a very good athlete for his size, has confidence in his jumpshot and can be a pest on the defensive end of the floor. The three-star prospect is rumored to be one of the two recruits with a UNH scholarship in hand. According to Rivals.com, Dartmouth has also offered early and looks to have an early edge of New Hampshire.

2) W.C. Farley, PF - Meriden, CT: Farley is another low post player that the UNH staff is looking for, but all reports have him signing with Fairfield in the next couple weeks. Coach Rizzo and his staff have already began easing their recruiting efforts on the three-star Connecticut product.

3) Richard Esparza, PG - Portland, ME: Espo, as he is known on the AAU circuits, is the Mr. Basketball for the state of Maine. For an AEC point guard, he's got good size at 6'1", but he may lack the skills to really push UNH to the next level with his play. Guess that speaks volumes to the talent pool in Maine.....

4) Winston Sorrentine, PF - Brooklyn, NY: Hailing from the basketball capital of the world, Sorrentine has made strides in his senior season and has jumped on to Rivals.com's rankings as a two-star power forward. Defense and rebounding is his cup of tea, and nothing makes this coaching staff more than those two aspects of the game. Look for UNH to make a great effort at signing Winston.

5) Mading Matthews, C - Worcester, MA: This 6'7" center prospect is a bit small at 6'7", but rebounding comes with great desire and timing. If in the coming weeks the coaching staff sees that out of Matthews, he may be a prospect that Coach Rizzo heavily pursues.

6) Moises Butch, PG - Hartford, CT: The #132 point guard in the country, this two-star prospect is garnering a lot of attention. UNH knows that and has sent an early scholarship his way to try to pry him away from other local schools. His 6.6 assists per game in AAU play is what has coaches buzzing.

7) Gerard Ebong, PG - Worcester, MA: Another Worcester product, Ebong looks to be average across the board and a fall back plan for the Wildcats. With a few more looks, we will know if UNH likes what they see or not.

8) Happy Bishop, PG - Providence, RI: Happy has got some decent ratings from what the scouts have seen, but other scouts are way down on him. This discrepancy has got the coaching staff skeptical at best and will need to put in more time to see what he can really bring to the program.

9) Dallas Newsome, JC PF - Bronx, NY: A JuCo freshman, Newsome brings a little more polish to his game. Could be a spark to the program that Coach Rizzo needs to jump start his career at New Hampshire. Look for him to move up the target list.

10) Len Bozek, PF - Brooklyn, NY: A scorer at the power forward position, Bozek could be the most skilled player on the target list. The Wildcats have gotten in on his recruiting party a little later than some other schools and will be playing catch up to make up for it.

[R1zzo23]

Re: Career Legacy of AJ Rizzo - CH2k11

Eagles Edge Wildcats In Chestnut Hill

Nov 10, 2010 - UNH at BC
TEAM	1ST	2ND	SCORE
New Hampshire (0-1)	30	31	61
Boston College (1-0)	19	47	66

New Hampshire
TOP PERFORMERS	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PTS
C. Rhoads	24	6-12	1-2	4-4	1	2	0	0	3	17
R. Herrion	20	4-7	3-5	0-2	1	1	1	0	3	11
J. Valladares	26	4-7	0-1	2-5	8	0	0	0	5	10

Boston College
TOP PERFORMERS	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PTS
C. Kowalski	22	9-13	3-4	0-2	4	1	3	0	7	21
J. Southern	15	5-6	0-0	0-0	5	0	3	0	1	10
J. Trapani	24	4-7	1-3	1-5	1	1	3	0	3	10

In the season opener to regional rival Boston College, Coach Rizzo's career started out great, but quickly faded to failure. After leading 30-19 going into the break, the Eagles soared back and scored 47 points in the second half to snatch a 66-61 win to open the season. If this doesn't leave a bad taste in the team's mouth, we're not sure what will.

A huge problem was the amount of turnovers, as the Wildcats gave away possession 25 times in the game. On top of that, missing 15 of the team's 21 three-point attempts isn't exactly what you would expect from a shooting team. What was very discouraging was the outing by sophomore center Chris Matagrano. He only logged 13 minutes of play due to foul trouble and didn't attempt a single shot all game. He finished the game with a single rebound, steal and turnover.

The player of the game went to senior Eagle power forward Chris Kowalski as he scored 21 points on an efficient 9-13 shooting including three of four from deep. With no answer to the Killer Kowalski, the Wildcats suffered their first of what could be many losses this season.