The Accidental Career of Guy West (CH2k8)

[jasontoddwhitt]

Re: The Accidental Career of Guy West (CH2k8)

A six?!?!?! A six?!?!?! Nice to see the virtual tourney committee is just as awesome as the real one. Good luck against Valpo!

[crques]

Re: The Accidental Career of Guy West (CH2k8)

I really enjoyed your region write-up on the upcomign tournament. It's reading dynasties like yours that make me realize why I've kept notebooks full of stats and game summaries since the Nintendo Tecmo Bowl days. Sometimes there is no better escape from the real world than a good sports video game dynasty.

[waytofailself]

Re: The Accidental Career of Guy West (CH2k8)

@ Jason: that's about what I thought too. Fitting, but still feeling a bit shafted.

I really enjoyed your region write-up on the upcomign tournament. It's reading dynasties like yours that make me realize why I've kept notebooks full of stats and game summaries since the Nintendo Tecmo Bowl days. Sometimes there is no better escape from the real world than a good sports video game dynasty.

Thanks for the high praise. I had similar notebooks growing up -- except, strangely, it was stats for Rock N' Roll racing including finishes, number of kills, and number of money pick ups. Such a great game. I dream of shooting missiles at stupid drivers to this day.

Also, thanks to everyone for your support and viewing. 4000 views is amazing and not at all what I expected. But I knew this was a great community.

I have updates in the queue and ready to go, but the joys of surety, mortgage, lien, and real property law keeps eating up my time. Today I had time to watch Nintendo's E3 conference, and that's only because I got up super early to get to start working.

Hopefully I can get to it tonight.

[crques]

Re: The Accidental Career of Guy West (CH2k8)

@ Jason: that's about what I thought too. Fitting, but still feeling a bit shafted.


Thanks for the high praise. I had similar notebooks growing up -- except, strangely, it was stats for Rock N' Roll racing including finishes, number of kills, and number of money pick ups. Such a great game. I dream of shooting missiles at stupid drivers to this day.

Also, thanks to everyone for your support and viewing. 4000 views is amazing and not at all what I expected. But I knew this was a great community.

I have updates in the queue and ready to go, but the joys of surety, mortgage, lien, and real property law keeps eating up my time. Today I had time to watch Nintendo's E3 conference, and that's only because I got up super early to get to start working.

Hopefully I can get to it tonight.

I've never played the game you mentioned, but I did run across a box of notebooks in my attic the other day that had stats and game summaries from the Tony LaRussa baseball for the Sega Genesis and my Braves seasons. Don't get me wrong, I wouldn't take away my family for the world, but it did bring back some good memories of those carefree days of doing nothing but going to school, playing sports, then firing up my seasons and drifting away to my video game fantasy land. Now having a wife, 2 little boys, and some long hours in the accounting profession, I have to pick and choose my games and gaming time wisely. I would love to pull out those notebooks again and start recording my dynasties, but I just don't seem to have the energy, motivation, or time these days. I guess it's old age kicking in. LOL

[waytofailself]

Re: The Accidental Career of Guy West (CH2k8)

Tournament First Round

The next few games in the St. Pete Times Forum in Tampa Florida include some teams with question marks. Georgia managed to get in despite only 16 wins, Wake Forest has been lackadaisical against top competition, and no one knows whether we'll see the Gonzaga team that finished 6 games below .500 or the team that rolled through the WCC tournament. Meanwhile, other teams come in with solid credentials and look to make a long run through the tournament: namely Arizona State and Texas.

And while many of the games should be close, no first round match up raises question marks here in Tampa quite like the game between Drexel and Valparaiso. It's a match up of youth versus experience. It's a match up of a strong back court facing a strong front court. It's a match up of a traditionally good, sometimes excellent mid major versus a mid major that exploded onto the scene after hiring a castaway coach.

Drexel showed early in the year that they can go toe-to-toe with the top competition in the NCAA, but the past three months have only seen them face CAA competition. Can they ramp it up for the NCAA tournament? if their run through their conference tournament is any indication, they can.

Drexel Keys to the Game

1) Stay on the Court: Drexel was able to run through the CAA tournament despite Femi Ramsey, their star player, getting into foul trouble throughout the tournament. If the Dragons expect to have success in the tournament, their sophomore center needs to have more discipline.
2) Work in Transition: The Dragons have much more team speed than the Crusaders, and even though Coach Drew likes to drop his players back West's wing players might still be able to run around them for transition buckets -- or at least press the issue and attempt to run the Crusaders ragged.
3) Show You Belong: After getting a lower seed than some expected, the Dragons say they're entering the tournament with a chip on their shoulder. Drexel has been largely irrelevant in Philadelphia the past decade, much less in the national spotlight. Don't just talk the talk -- use that chip.

Meanwhile, Valparaiso managed to wrest away the Horizon conference crown from a very strong Butler team who had won the regular season title. Valparaiso is playing their best ball of the year and are led by Jordan Harris -- a fantastic play maker who can hit shots, distribute, and play shut-down defense.

Valparaiso Keys to the Game

1) Rely on Experience: The Crusaders have a coach who has played the Cindarella role before -- meanwhile Coach West has never been out of the first weekend of the tournament. They also have far more experience in their starting line up (3 seniors and a junior) than the Dragons (2 juniors, 2 sophomores, and a freshman). The Crusaders have the experience to not be intimidated by Drexel's size and strength -- and Coach Drew has repeatedly shown he has the mettle to make the coaching adjustment necessary to win the game.
2) Work the Perimeter & Baseline: Valpo has a bevy of three point shooters in their starting line-up and on their bench. The Dragons typically run a 1-3-1 zone. There should be plenty of open looks off of screens at the top of the key and along the base line. They key is whether Harris and Co. can get their shots in.
3) Show You Belong: Although a number of pundits have pointed out that Valpo is not exactly the underdog in today's game, they're still the lower seed today. Much of the pre-tournament mid-major chatter was directed at Drexel and what seed they should get. Can the Crusader break through the chatter and show seeding doesn't matter?

In today's earlier action, the Texas Longhorns kicked off their title defense by walloping the hapless Morgan State Bears 83-56, and it was not even as close as the final score indicated. If Rick Barnes can get that kind of performance out of his team in Round 2, it looks like whoever wins this 6-11 match-up will be advancing straight into a blood bath.

#6 Drexel vs #11 Valparaiso

The game started with hot shooting on both ends of the floor. Valparaiso could not miss from beyond the arc -- but at the same time, the Crusaders could not stop the interior presence of the Dragons. From the outset, both Harris and Ramsey carried their teams on their backs, and both ended up having very strong, tournament worthy performances.

As the first half wore on, it became more apparent that both teams had checked their defenses at the door. Jeff Gogerty and Jordan Harris played an excellent 1-2 game while Ramsey and Co. continued to attack the basket. But then problem started -- especially with Ramsey. Although they could not stop him in the paint, Coach Drew successfully began to prevent him from taking shots by having his players attempt to strip him of the ball any time he was in the paint. With five first half turnovers, Ramsey was beginning to throw away points that could help his team keep up.

But Valpo's plan was not full-proof. Although their starting five is very solid, Coach Drew could not lean on them for the entire game -- they had to get a breather at some point. Although Harris played for most of the game, the Crusader reserves let him down by showing plenty of jitters. Not only were their shots clanging off the rim, but they began to cheat too far into the paint on defense. Then the following sequence happened:

Joshua Payton: 3 from the right baseline
Joshua Payton: 3 from the wing
Femi Ramsey: kick out to Perry McCarthy for a 3 from the wing
Femi Ramsey: ferocious driving dunk and an extra free-throw

The game had turned -- and no matter how good and efficient the Crusaders were they could not keep up with Drexel's stupefying 57 first half points. Valparaiso had no answers. Mitch Jefferies, all season a strong contributor in the paint, could not get anything going offensively and could not keep up with Ramsey on the other end of the floor.

The result was foul after foul and free throw after free throw. And while the Dragons slowed it down in the second half, they still had their way with the Crusaders. Drexel was hitting their free throws. McCarthy was slicing up the Crusader defense and showing that he should not be taken so lightly come tournament time. And the Dragons also out muscled the Crusaders by getting 20 more rebounds, including 8 offensive rebounds. The result was a 96-69 victory for the Dragons, and a reawakening of sorts for Femi Ramsey. After disappearing for the last few games, he looked focused and ready to prove his doubters wrong by throwing down 32 points and nearly singlehandedly forcing the Crusaders to only take jump shots.

Mar 17, 2014 - VALP at DREX
TEAM	1ST	2ND	SCORE
#11 Valparaiso (21-9) (76 OVR)	42	27	69
#6 Drexel (29-5) (79 OVR)	57	39	96

Valparaiso
STARTERS	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PTS
J. Harris	26	5-12	3-5	4-6	1	8	1	0	4	17
J. Gogerty	22	5-12	4-10	3-4	0	8	2	0	2	17
K. Ricks	19	4-5	0-1	4-6	3	0	3	0	1	12
D. Barnett	23	3-7	0-0	0-0	5	0	2	0	2	6
M. Jeffries	14	0-2	0-0	0-0	1	1	0	0	2	0
BENCH	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PTS
L. Dunn	14	1-9	0-5	2-2	1	1	1	0	0	4
S. Barlow	8	1-5	0-4	1-1	1	1	0	0	0	3
C. Norwood	8	2-7	2-6	2-4	1	0	1	0	0	8
D. Restrepo	10	0-0	0-0	0-2	5	0	1	2	0	0
E. Coggins	1	1-2	0-1	0-0	0	0	0	0	0	2
J. Hackstadt	5	0-0	0-0	0-0	1	0	0	0	0	0
TEAM TOTALS		22-61	9-32	16-25	19	19	11	2	11	69

Drexel
STARTERS	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PTS
P. McCarthy	22	2-5	1-3	2-2	1	12	2	0	2	7
J. Payton	20	5-7	3-3	0-1	3	1	1	0	1	13
D. Richard	17	1-6	0-0	0-0	5	5	0	1	0	2
D. Sow	20	4-7	1-1	7-10	13	1	3	1	0	16
F. Ramsey	21	13-15	0-0	6-8	6	1	2	3	7	32
BENCH	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PTS
T. Cottrill	18	5-8	0-1	0-4	4	0	1	0	0	10
D. Marsh	11	2-4	0-2	2-2	0	2	0	0	0	6
G. McLaughlin	11	1-2	0-0	1-2	7	0	0	1	2	3
S. Manojlovic	5	1-3	0-0	1-2	0	1	0	0	1	3
J. Learner	3	1-1	0-0	2-2	0	1	0	0	1	4
R. Burnette	1	0-1	0-1	0-0	0	0	0	0	0	0
A. Quick	1	0-0	0-0	0-0	0	0	0	0	1	0
TEAM TOTALS		35-59	5-11	21-33	39	24	9	6	15	96

Coach West: It's good to get a win. Great to get a win. Valpo is a strong, underrated team. But we were just the better team tonight. We hit our shots, and more importantly our players were not overwhelmed by the tournament environment. I knew they could step up, and they did. And now we've got a date with the defending national champs. Want to be the best? Got to beat the best. I love it!

R: Coach West, what chances do you give your team against a Texas team that absolutely demolished Morgan State earlier today?

West: A better chance then you, or anyone, probably will in the paper tomorrow. They're a great great team. We just have to find a way to be a better team on the court two nights from now.

[crques]

Re: The Accidental Career of Guy West (CH2k8)

Nice win. Ramsey was a monster and Sow was a beast on the boards. Good luck against the Longhorns.

[waytofailself]

Re: The Accidental Career of Guy West (CH2k8)

First Round Results

So what did we learn today about the NCAA field? Well, the early returns paint a bleak picture for parity but a pretty picture for television revenue. The public likes drama, and there was plenty of drama in the tournament. But prepare for everyone to be mad on Monday when the guy who knows nothing about college basketball is winning the office pool because of picking higher seeds.

East Regional
#1 Florida 94 #16 New Mexico 53
#8 Michigan 73 #9 South Carolina 69
#5 Boston College 80 #12 Fairfield 74
#4 Wisconsin 88 #13 Austin Peay 70
#6 NC State 92 #11 Virginia Tech 70
#3 Providence 93 #14 ND State 71
#7 La Salle 84 #10 Marquette 96
#2 Missouri 108 #15 Wagner 54

In the East Regional, the story is chalk city. Even La Salle losing to Marquette was not a huge surprise. If anything, what might be the biggest surprise from this whole regional was, outside of a few games, just how not close they were. yes, Boston College got a scare and Michigan managed to beat an evenly matched South Carolina squad, but at least fans get to watch the marquee matchups going forwards.

West Regional
#1 LSU 77 #16 Radford 58
#8 Southern Illinois 74 #9 Michigan State 87
#5 Texas Tech 86 #12 Florida State 75
#4 Memphis 65 #13 Long Beach State 75
#6 Drexel 96 #11 Valparaiso 69
#3 Texas 83 #14 Morgan State 56
#7 Kansas 90 #10 Oregon State 78
#2 Ohio State 82 #15 Montana State 76

Lots of drama in the West regional as Long Beach State stuns the basketball world by knocking off Memphis by double digits. The 49er's were on no one's radar entering the tournament, but I'm sure they've gotten a lot of fans in Texas -- where the Red Raiders catch one of the few upset "breaks" in this blase first round. There was almost another stunner as Montana State nearly knocked off Ohio State, but the Buckeyes kept their composure in the 2nd half and move on.

South Regional
#1 Connecticut 92 #16 Colgate 59
#8 Oklahoma 86 #9 Xavier 74
#5 Kentucky 97 #12 Appalachian State 75
#4 Alabama 67 #13 SC Upstate 65
#6 Saint Louis 69 #11 Utah State 77
#3 UCLA 76 #14 Kent State 74
#7 Maryland 96 #10 Harvard 68
#2 Cincinnati 70 #15 George Washington 68

Near misses are again the story, as a number of higher seeds got true scares from their lower brethren. George Washington, who finished 8-18 and yet still managed to get a 15 seed nearly knocked out Cincinnati, but the Bearcats prevailed thanks to their strong inside game. Meanwhile, Kent State nearly shocked UCLA and jumped out to a large lead to end the first half. Fortunately for the Bruins, they managed to get everything back together just in time and survive to advance. The South Carolina Upstate Spartans also nearly knocked off Alabama. No, there was only one lower seed to advance, and that was controversial tournament selection Utah State over a Saint Louis team that once again performed well in the regular season but could not put it together come tournament time.

Midwest Regional
#1 Tennessee 94 #16 Sam Houston State 68
#8 UAB 68 #9 West Virginia 86
#5 Stanford 93 #12 Western Kentucky 74
#4 Houston 87 #13 Hawaii 69
#6 Duke 87 #11 Ole Miss 86
#3 Louisville 96 #14 Boston University 83
#7 Wake Forest 74 #10 Georgia 71
#2 Arizona State 84 #15 Gonzaga 61

The final regional ends up just like the first -- chalk chalk and more chalk. Don't be fooled by the seed numbers, WVA was favored over UAB going in, and it showed. Meanwhile, Gonzaga could not keep the WCC tournament mojo going as it was out classed by Arizona State. And many bubble teams must be upset at the committee allowing in the now one-and-done bulldogs, who lost a game to Wake Forest that, honestly, both teams tried to lose.

[waytofailself]

Re: The Accidental Career of Guy West (CH2k8)

Tournament Second Round

With the first round in the books, fans in Tampa get to look forward to seeing the marquee match-ups of Wake Forest and Arizona State and Drexel and Texas. While it may not be the sexiest slate of games, that isn't to say there still aren't some underdogs here. Arizona State has been clicking all year, but they'll face a young, scrappy Demon Deacons team that used strong ACC regular season play to get into the tournament. Meanwhile, don't let the #6 seed fool you, Drexel and Texas has all of the makings of a David vs. Goliath match up. Of course, many wonder if Coach West has something up his sleeve, or if he can even keep up with Coach Barnes' squad.

Drexel is coming off a convincing win over Valparaiso where Femi Ramsey finally broke out of his foul funk to have a monster game. However, the Dragons did have some trouble stopping the Crusader's starting back court, and Texas does not dip into its bench nearly as much as Valpo. This is a completely different class of opponent, but Drexel has shown it is up for the challenge before.

Drexel Keys to the Game

1) Hit Open Shots: Drexel is not going to have the advantage of superior size and inside talent this game. They will not be able to force their way inside, especially Taylor Mayers and Paul Giles patrolling the inside. This also means Texas will not necessarily need to bring people in on help defense. Texas has played loose defense all year to stop drive penetration, and the result is that the Dragon jump shooters are going to need to carry a bigger load if Drexel wants to stay competitive.
2) Contain Their Stars: This should really go without saying -- but Drexel cannot afford to have anyone blow up on them. The Dragons play very good team defense, but that will not be enough if someone can break through and begin pumping points on the board. Unfortunately for Drexel, their game planning is not easy as Texas'. Femi Ramsey has a huge target on him, because he's the player the Dragons rely on in crunch time. Texas can turn to anyone on their starting five -- their scoring has been balanced all year because they do not simply rely on one person. Christian Joseph is going to be a tough match up for Perry McCarthy, and Smackey Ruffin can put up points in a hurry from anywhere on the court.
3) Show that Swagger: Coach West has been saying all year that his team can play with anyone -- and so far it seems like the Dragons have been playing with the confidence to match. Sometimes confidence is the key ingredient to a big time March upset, and Drexel is going to need every ounce of it tonight.

Meanwhile, Texas has been strong all year. Outside of a few blips on the radar screen, the most recent being a loss to Texas Tech in the Big 12 final, the Longhorns have remained dominant all year. They came out ready and hungry, and it showed in their clobbering of Morgan State. Don't forget, this team won the National Championship last year starting three sophomores and two juniors. They all stayed to do it again and they're a match up no one wants to face.

Texas Keys to the Game

1) Dictate the Pace: Although Texas has the athleticism to run like Drexel does, that does not mean Coach Barnes should allow the game to go to that kind of frenetic pace. Texas does not play slow ball by any stretch of the imagination -- they'll push and push often -- but they'll also move into a half court game and work their sets. If Texas can keep the game at half court, they're going to have a big advantage over Drexel.
2) Don't Look Ahead: Pundits are already salivating at the idea of a Texas - Ohio State, or even a Texas - Kansas match up. But don't sleep on the Dragons, who stunned LSU earlier this year on a neutral court. They might not be nearly as talented as the Longhorns, but Coach West seems to find new ways to get everything possible out of his team.
3) Use Superior Talent: Texas is not like most teams who rely on one or two outstanding players. Instead, they can use everybody on the team, even the deepest bench warmers, as interchangeable parts. Whereas Drexel might have some drop off going to the bench, Texas has athletes on its bench who could be star CAA players. They're better shooters. They're better athletes. They need to be the difference today.

Almost across the board, pundits and public alike have picked Texas to move on handily over the Drexel Dragons. The Longhorns have too much talent and too much experience as last year's national champions. However, the game might be closer than people think. Although the game originally had a line of Texas being favored by 13 points immediately after Drexel beat Valpo, the line now stands at only 9 come game time. It looks like Ramsey and Co. are at least starting to look like they can make this game competitive. Hopefully the Dragons can at least keep the "Madness" in March, even if Texas moves on to the Sweet Sixteen.

#3 Texas vs #6 Drexel

The Saint Pete Times Forum may have been mostly filled with orange and white, but you could almost hear a pin drop in those parts of the stands. This was not a struggle -- but instead a role reversal. Texas was starting to get into an offensive rhythm when Coach West called a time out to calm his team down. The result? Five possessions with four straight three point baskets. One from McCarthy. One from Payton. Two from Duncan Richard. Probably the sweetest was the last one by Richard, where the sophomore glue guy, who was two star recruit, confidently rose up and above five star recruit and likely top NBA pick Smackey Ruffin. The three was so silky smooth that the net did not even move. A perfect shot that capped a very quick 12-0 run. More importantly, a run that launched the Dragons into a 19 point second half lead.

Yes, 19 points. Everyone in the arena, even the other teams' fans who had adopted the Dragons as their own, could not believe what they were seeing. The entire game had been lopsided with the Dragons carrying a 16 point lead into the half, and everyone knew Texas would make their push at some point. But to shut the door like that? Ridiculous.

The Dragons had played about as perfect of a first half as possible. At first they were able to keep with Texas, and pretty soon a strange thing seemed to happen on the court: the Longhorns began to feel the pressure. They began to crack, began to lack discipline. Joshua Payton hit two straight open three point shots and the rout was on. The Dragons began to attack the basket confidently and kick out when necessary. Ramsey, Sow, and Cottrill were able to muscle their way inside, and the Longhorns had no answers. The game, and their championship defense, was beginning to slip away.

But unfortunately for the Dragon faithful, a 19 point lead with 12 minutes left in the half is not nearly as valuable as a 19 point lead with 0 minutes left in the half. Although Coach Barnes could be heard from far down the hall tearing into his team at half time, he and the players had an entirely different demeanor when he called time out. It wasn't just calm -- but a look of outright confidence. And while Coach West was pumping up his team, Coach Barnes was getting his players refocused as if spotting Drexel 19 points was the game plan all along.

What transpired next was possibly the most dramatic come back of this entire tournament. Ruffin, who had been fairly quiet in the first half, began to take over. The Longhorn's interior defense stopped allowing easy shots, and the perimeter defenders suddenly clamped up on the three point line. For the first time all game, it was the Longhorns who were executing on both ends of the floor. And unfortunately for the Dragons, they were the ones who began to crack under the pressure.

No matter what adjustments Coach West made, it seemed like there was nothing he could do to stop the Texas juggernaut. Ramsey and Sow could no longer dominate the paint -- and what's worse, they both also got cold from the free throw line as well. At one point during the 2nd half, the Dragons had missed 7 straight free throw attempts -- including a near air ball by Richard. Meanwhile, McCarthy, who had been so efficient with the in the first half, began turning the ball over and making very poor passes.

It was a recipe for disaster. The Texas faithful became alive in the stands. When the Longhorns finally took their first lead of the game, 79-78, with a minute and a half to go, the noise in the arena was deafening.

But a one point lead with 1:15 to go is not nearly as valuable as a 1 point lead with 0:00 on the clock.

Unable to get their fast break game working the 2nd half, the Dragons called a play that they had run all season and that the Longhorns had to have scouted. It was a PG option play for McCarthy, where he could shoot if he had the ball open, work the off ball screen and roll with Ramsey, or pass the ball to Joshua Payton on the wing. The Dragons lined up, the crowd unable to contain itself, and while all eyes were on the Junior College transfer from Philadelphia, the grunt work was being done on the base line. Sow stepped down to put up a powerful screen on Ruffin. Ramsey stepped down to knock aside Ruffin with another screen. But Ruffin showed his NBA ready strength by working through both screens and keeping up Payton.

McCarthy saw the slight separation and passed the ball to Payton. The Dragon's co-captain had knocked down threes all year from this spot, but Ruffin closed so fast. Too fast. Too much athleticism. Too much instinct.

The perfect time to pump fake.

With Ruffin flailing from nearly two feet up in the air, Payton took a calm step to the right and knocked down his fourth three pointer of the night.

The momentum had swung. The sudden desperation was palpable, and it was Texas who was getting reckless in their half court set. Payton jumped in front of a pass intended for Chaz Jordan, and McCarthy picked up the loose ball with a clear line to take the ball all the way to the other end. But he was fouled at mid court. Game over? McCarthy, who does not have the best free throw stroke, missed the front end of the one and one. Fortunately, Femi Ramsey made a clutch rebound, but was only able to make 1 of 2 free throws.

Still alive with seconds to spare, the Longhorns scored another quick bucket and fouled McCarthy. This time he managed to make the front end of the one-and-one, but when he missed the second the ball bounced straight to Richard. Nursing a two point lead with seconds left on the clock, Richard did what no one else on the Dragons squad seemed capable of doing for the entire second half -- he hit two straight free throws.

The game was out of reach, and the Longhorns missed a final desperation three that would not have made a difference. The Dragons are looking very "Sweet" and have knocked off the defending national champions. The final score: 85-81.

Mar 19, 2014 - DREX at TEX
TEAM	1ST	2ND	SCORE
#3 Texas (26-8)	31	50	81
#6 Drexel (30-5)	47	38	85

Drexel
STARTERS	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PTS
P. McCarthy	23	6-9	2-5	1-3	1	10	1	0	5	15
J. Payton	25	6-7	4-4	0-0	3	2	1	0	2	16
D. Richard	21	4-5	2-3	2-4	6	4	1	0	1	12
D. Sow	21	5-12	0-0	1-5	11	0	2	1	2	11
F. Ramsey	20	5-11	0-0	4-8	4	4	1	2	0	14
BENCH	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PTS
T. Cottrill	12	3-5	0-0	2-2	3	1	0	0	1	8
D. Marsh	14	1-2	0-0	0-0	0	2	1	0	1	2
G. McLaughlin	8	3-3	0-0	0-0	2	0	1	0	0	6
S. Manjlovic	7	0-1	0-1	1-2	2	1	0	0	1	1
J. Learner	-- DID NOT PLAY --
R. Burnette	-- DID NOT PLAY --
A. Quick	-- DID NOT PLAY --
TEAM TOTALS		33-55	8-13	11-24	32	24	8	3	13	85

Texas (90 OVR RPI: 17)
STARTERS	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PTS
C. Joseph	22	4-8	1-2	1-2	2	7	3	0	2	10
S. Ruffin	25	9-13	4-7	0-0	4	7	1	0	2	22
E. Winter	15	1-3	0-0	2-2	4	0	0	0	0	4
P. Giles	24	4-14	0-3	0-0	10	3	2	1	2	8
T. Meyers	23	5-8	0-0	3-4	4	3	1	0	0	13
BENCH	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PTS
C. Jordan	19	6-12	1-4	3-3	3	2	2	0	2	16
T. Davidson	13	3-7	0-1	0-2	0	4	2	0	0	6
B. Greer	10	0-0	0-0	2-2	1	1	0	0	0	2
A. Pranciiauskas	-- DID NOT PLAY --
B. Dancy	-- DID NOT PLAY --
Q. Garnett	-- DID NOT PLAY --
D. Fulton	-- DID NOT PLAY --
TEAM TOTALS		32-65	6-17	11-15	28	27	11	1	8	81

Coach West: That was a total team effort. A complete effort. A great closing out to the game. You never want to blow a 19 point lead like we did, but Texas is too talented to count out at any point of the game. You never want to make less than half of your free throws. But we found ourselves in a position to take the game from Texas after letting them back in. And we did. It wasn't a perfect game, but you don't have to be perfect. You just have to be better than the guys on the other side of the court. Tonight, we were.

The Dragons will play the winner of the Ohio State - Kansas game in the first Sweet Sixteen of Coach West's career.

[Knickerbocker91]

Re: The Accidental Career of Guy West (CH2k8)

Great writing style, congrats on taking down Texas! I enjoyed the suspenseful reading, good luck in the Sweet 16.

[VandyRedskins21]

Re: The Accidental Career of Guy West (CH2k8)

Wow that was intense! That must have been one crazy game to have actually played haha.

[crques]

Re: The Accidental Career of Guy West (CH2k8)

Outstanding write-up! You had me on the edge of my seat and it couldn't have come at a better time. I took a break from my May balance sheet here at work and really needed this excitement. LOL Great win!! Good luck in the Sweet 16.

[waytofailself]

Re: The Accidental Career of Guy West (CH2k8)

@ knick, vandy, and crq:
Thanks. It was an equally suspenseful game to play especially considering my free throw stroke somehow failed me when it has been so reliable for me the past few games. Once I saw my lead evaporating I kept trying to slow down the clock as much as possible -- only to fail in the half court. And even with such clock management Texas still hung up 50 points on me that half. It was a very fun game to play, that's for sure. Glad I pulled it out -- I've never blown a lead that big ever (where's the achievement for that?).

Second Round Results

Well, the Second Round is in the books, and the Sweet Sixteen is set. Although some fans were disappointed with the lack of first round upsets, it seems like the best solution was to wait a couple of days. There have been some significant shake ups.

Eastern Regional
#1 Florida 76 #8 Michigan 56
#5 Boston College 68 #4 Wisconsin 57
#6 NC State 66 #3 Providence 84
#10 Marquette 92 #2 Missouri 89

To the surprise of no one, Florida clobbers Michigan to continue its march to the final four. Meanwhile, Providence hushes all of the upset picks by vanquishing NC State early in the first half and running over them the rest of the game. But the big story here has to be Marquette. They finished 7th in the Big East, but took out the only team expected to compete against Florida for the region.

West Regional
#1 LSU 75 #9 Michigan State 73
#5 Texas Tech 79 #13 Long Beach State 68
#6 Drexel 85 #3 Texas 81
#7 Kansas 77 #2 Ohio State 89

Well, there's going to be a new National Champion this year, but the Drexel Dragons got no favors by drawing the Ohio State Buckeyes the next round -- especially one that so easily handled a very talented Kansas squad. Meanwhile, Texas Tech looked sluggish during the first half but managed to turn on their game and overtake the LBS 49ers -- ensuring that the entire state of Texas does not go into revolt.

South Regional
#1 Connecticut 99 #8 Oklahoma 69
#5 Kentucky 62 #4 Alabama 49
#11 Utah State 76 #3 UCLA 98
#7 Maryland 68 #2 Cincinnati 70

It is not surprise that such a top-heavy region advances four of the top five seeds to the Sweet Sixteen. They were just heads and shoulders above the rest. What might be surprising is just how easily Kentucky knocked out Alabama -- many people were expecting that to be a much closer affair. Meanwhile, Cincinnati manages to escape another game it should have won easily by a narrow two points margin. The Bearcats need to get it together before they face UCLA next week.

Midwest Regional
#1 Tennessee 89 #9 West Virginia 92
#5 Stanford 86 #4 Houston 96
#6 Duke 78 #3 Louisville 67
#7 Wake Forest 69 #2 Arizona State 93

In the biggest upset of the tournament so far, West Virginia knocks off #1 seed Tennessee. The game was close throughout, and it literally came down to who had possession last with a chance to score, and no team had a lead larger than 6 throughout. Meanwhile, Duke continues to show how the Blue Devils was under seeded by disposing of Louisville, and the Blue Devils might even enter their game against Arizona State as favorites again the Sun Devils. Right now ASU is favored by only 2 points.

[crques]

Re: The Accidental Career of Guy West (CH2k8)

Speaking of blowing leads, I remember an NCAA Tournament game I played a few years ago in which I was Rice and had a #9 seed and was playing #1 seed Duke in the 2nd round. I was up 16 points at halftime behind 70% shooting and going 8-10 from beyond the arc. I even stretched it out to a 22 point lead early in the 2nd half, only to be overwhelmed by a furious comeback and I eventually lost in overtime by 6 points. It was unreal how the last 6 minutes of that unfolded. I had something like a 13 or 15 point lead with 6 minutes to go and tried to slow it down and run some good offensive sets to work clock and get good looks at the goal. I ended up having turnovers on 4 or 5 possessions in a row, missed 2 wide open looks from inside after that, and then had my best player pick up 3 fouls in 3 minutes to foul out with under a minute to play. It almost felt like I was losing that game no matter what I did and the cpu was going to see to that. Anyway, they hit about a 25 foot 3-pointer at the buzzer to send the game to overtime, then scored the first 10 points of overtime. I did manage to pull within 2 points with under a minute to go but some bad shot selections, coupled with good FT shooting on their part sealed my fate. That's probably the most frustrating game of CH I've ever played. I scheduled them at my place the following season and was able to win by 8 or 9 points, but it still wasn't enough to get that bad taste out of my mouth from the tournament loss. LOL

[waytofailself]

Re: The Accidental Career of Guy West (CH2k8)

2014 Tournament: Sweet Sixteen

The four survivors of the West Regional head west to the Honda Center in Anaheim, CA to duke it out for a trip to the Final Four. In a Tournament that has many lacked surprise upsets, the biggest one of the remaining teams has to be Drexel over Texas in the second round -- although Long Beach State's dismantling of Memphis was the upset of the tournament thus far. Is it possible to slap a dress and slippers on a #6 seed? Maybe, but the rest of the West is stacked with the big boys: LSU, Texas Tech, and Ohio State.

Both Sweet Sixteen match ups feature games that on paper should not be close -- with LSU and Ohio State to advance to the regional final. However, that is not to say Texas Tech and Drexel cannot play. Although the Red Raiders have had some breaks in how the bracket has broken for them, they are still a team that continues its sweet shooting touch that helped carry them though the Big 12 Tournament. Meanwhile, everyone has heard by now what happens when you count out Coach West's Dragons. Just ask Texas. Heck, just ask LSU earlier this season.

Drexel Keys to the Game

1) Size, Size, and Size: If there is one flaw to exploit with the Buckeyes, it's the fact that their tallest player is 6'8". Drexel has 4 players that are at least two inches taller, and it might be their only hope to handle Ohio State. Femi Ramsey and Co. have shown they can take advantage of smaller opponents in the past, and they will need to carry the load tonight.
2) Keep Playing for the Whole Game: The Dragons can't forget their last game. As exhilarating as the last second victory was, Drexel also had a 19 point second half lead and seemed to stop playing down the stretch. They were content to force the ball inside and hope for the best, and their lack of discipline at the foul line kept Texas in the game. A lack of focus will prove fatal to the Dragons.
3) Keep Payton Rolling: One of the best parts of March Madness is letting some of the better players in the nation do their ting before a national audience. Joshua Payton has saved some of his best performances of the season for Drexel's biggest stage. Not only is Payton shooting a video-game like 100% from three point range this tournament, but he continues to play the same excellent defense he has all season. Payton is not normally the focus of the Dragon offense, but if they keep getting this kind of production out of him they might stand a chance.

Ohio State has advanced this far in the Tournament on the back of its superior back court. Super-Soph Rashon Gabler looks to be a Top 5 pick, while Aaron Craft has a solid shot of being a mid to late Lottery selection. So far the duo has overwhelmed the competition, and Ohio State has yet to be closely challenged in this tournament. Could Coach Thad Matta earn his second NCAA Championship in 5 years? With the way the Buckeyes are playing this Tournament, the sky is the limit.

Ohio State Keys to the Game

1) Get it to Gabler: The Buckeyes are a very balanced team scoring wise, but the one player that rises above the rest is Rashon Gabler. He came to Ohio State with an NBA ready game and has continued to improve his outside shot during his two years in Columbus. But his biggest asset is that he's fast and can break anyone down off the dribble. He's one of the few players in the country that can attack the basket against anyone -- including a powerhouse like Femi Ramsey.
2) Defensive Speed: As a team, Ohio State prides itself on its defense. The Buckeyes are very disciplined and do well to cover open spots on the floor. How do they manage it? Very high team speed -- and it all starts with Senior Aaron Craft. Not only did he lead the Big 12 in steals this season, but he makes sure his teammates continue to talk to each other whether they're in man to man or zone.
3) Stop Ramsey: Okay, I'm cheating. The elephant in the room is also the most obvious key for Ohio State. The one player the Buckeyes lack is a big man of Ramsey's caliber -- and it's the only thing keeping them from being a complete team. They need to find ways to deny him entry passes and keep him from getting space inside. If they can stop Ramsey, this game will not be competitive.

Although the Dragons have busted a few brackets, they would do a lot more damage by defeating Ohio State today. The Buckeyes were the third most frequently picked team to win the NCAA Championship in ESPN's Bracket Challenge (beating out #1 seeds LSU and Tennessee). There is no questioning the Buckeye's talent is top-notch, but they probably would have matched up better with Texas than Drexel due to Coach West's willingness to attack the paint and push the fast break. The Buckeyes might be favored by 7, but the neutral crowd could get behind Drexel if they manage to keep pace early. This one could be close -- or it could be another Gabler-Craft blow out.

#2 Ohio State vs #6 Drexel

There is a saying sports writers love to throw around -- at least some of them do: past is prologue. Well, after seeing standout performers from the first two rounds falter in the Sweet Sixteen, maybe a tape labeled "2014 Ohio State v. Drexel" should be sent to those same writers across the country so they can stop filling up their word counts with idiotic cliche's.

So far this Tournament, the Drexel Dragons have been firing on all cylinders and have been able to pick up performances from any player that came on the court. Not today -- Perry McCarthy looked absolutely overwhelmed by Aaron Craft and the Buckeye's team defense. Not only did he put up almost as many turnovers as assists, as he is sometimes prone to do, McCarthy did not even score a point. None. Zero. A doughnut.

And to add insult to misery, Duncan Richard looked like he was living in last week with his picture splashed over the internet jumping on his teammates after putting away Texas. Well, this isn't the Longhorns, and Richard drew two uncharacteristically quick fouls to go with two early game turnovers. As many predicted, the game was getting out of hand. Drexel's magic seemed to be running out as Ohio State climbed to a 28-15 lead. Although Craft was busy dissecting the Dragons' defense, the only thing keeping Drexel in the game was Joshua Payton's ability to keep Rashon Gabler in check and Femi Ramsey's ability to get to the rim.

If past were prologue, maybe this would be the typical, expected result. A few standout players for the underdogs show why they've had outstanding tournaments, then bow aside for the big boys to carry the torch the rest of the way through the Tournament.

But Coach Guy West was not having any of that. He showed he was not backing down on the big stage by going BIG himself. And yes, that's with a capital B-I-G. For the first time all season, Drexel had a front line of Tracey Cottrill, Duncan Sow, and Femi Ramsey all on the court at the same time. "No, we hadn't practiced with that group together on the floor at all this season," West revealed to a sideline reporter before the half, "But our guys knew to be ready for it -- we've been saving it for a rainy day. And Tracey's faster than you thought, isn't he?"

The result was near instantaneous. Suddenly the Buckeyes could not match up with Drexel's size. And just as instantly, the Dragons were able to shut down Ohio State's perimeter game. Cottrill and Payton clamped down on anything that tried to happen on the wings, and suddenly the Dragons were able to move into their transition offense.

Ramsey began to turn into a human highlight reel, and both Sow and Cottrill were able to get to work inside the basket too. In fact, having a 3rd big on the floor seemed to really get Duncan Sow into gear, as he began swatting shot after shot and coming down with nearly every rebound. The Dragons did not just mount a come back, they mounted a charge. First they scored the next 8 points. Then they found themselves with their first lead since the opening minutes. Then, before the Ohio State fans could react, the Dragons were up by 12. Only a last second 3 by Nick Warner kept the Buckeyes within single digits at the half.

Once again the Dragons found themselves with a sizable half time lead, but this time they seemed to know what to do with it. It did not matter that they were not getting good performances from McCarthy, Richard, or even Dallas Marsh. It did not matter that Joshua Payton missed his first three of the entire tournament early in the 2nd half. No, what mattered instead was that Coach West kept his team focused on what was working -- getting the ball inside against an over matched Buckeye defense. Not only did Ramsey finish with 36 points, but he made Coach Matta's highly touted squad look like it was Valparaiso. As a result, the Drexel Dragons advance to their first ever Elite Eight by a margin of 83-74.

But the credit cannot all go to the bigs -- although they played a huge role. Ohio State needed someone to step up their game once the Dragons took over, and no one heeded the call. In fact -- the one player who Ohio State needed to perform wilted under the constant defense of Payton and Cottrill. If this is Gabler's last game before jumping to the pro's, then this game better not be a sign of things to come at the next level. Although his ball hawking defense shows up on the stat line, his 6 steals speak far more quietly than his 25% shooting percentage including going 0-3 from beyond the arc. Whether it was Payton or Cottrill on the wings, Gabler could never work his way around them and had trouble finding his shot. The Dragons' defense deserves lots of credit, but Gablers was supposed to be the transcendent player that led Ohio State to glory.

Instead, it is Coach West and the Dragons who could possibly be playing games in April. There's no word to describe it -- but can you call a Dragon Cinderella?

Mar 24, 2014 - OSU at DREX
TEAM	1ST	2ND	SCORE
#2 Ohio State (27-5)	40	34	74
#6 Drexel (31-5)	49	34	83

Ohio State (91 OVR RPI: 8)
STARTERS	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PTS
A. Craft	28	7-17	4-9	2-2	4	10	3	0	1	20
R. Gabler	25	3-12	0-3	3-6	3	5	6	0	1	9
C. Marks	26	5-9	1-3	1-1	2	6	0	1	1	12
N. Warner	25	6-10	2-6	0-0	2	1	3	0	0	14
S. Beye	15	2-5	0-2	2-2	5	0	2	0	1	6
BENCH	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PTS
D. Grundy	7	1-4	0-3	0-0	0	0	1	0	1	2
J. Sibert	7	1-5	0-0	1-2	0	0	1	0	0	3
D. Thomas	8	4-8	0-3	0-0	0	0	0	1	0	8
C. Okpalobi	9	0-0	0-0	0-0	4	1	0	1	1	0
L. Smith	-- DID NOT PLAY --
M. Elsentrout	-- DID NOT PLAY --
K. Plummer	-- DID NOT PLAY --
TEAM TOTALS		29-70	7-29	9-13	20	23	16	3	6	74

Drexel (79 OVR)
STARTERS	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PTS
P. McCarthy	20	0-4	0-3	0-0	1	6	0	0	4	0
J. Payton	25	5-10	1-2	0-2	1	5	1	0	2	11
D. Richard	9	2-3	0-0	0-0	2	1	1	0	2	4
D. Sow	25	7-12	0-0	1-1	18	0	1	5	3	15
F. Ramsey	24	16-23	0-0	4-5	12	2	2	2	3	36
BENCH	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PTS
T. Cottrill	21	5-8	0-1	2-2	3	3	0	0	0	12
D. Marsh	13	1-1	0-0	0-0	1	5	0	0	1	2
G. McLaughlin	7	0-0	0-0	0-0	1	2	1	0	0	0
S. Manojlovic	5	1-3	0-1	1-1	0	1	0	0	2	3
J. Learner	-- DID NOT PLAY --
R. Burnette	-- DID NOT PLAY --
A. Quick	-- DID NOT PLAY --
TEAM TOTALS		37-64	1-7	8-11	39	25	6	7	17	83

Coach West: You know, it goes back to my first year at Norfolk State. I'm still haunted by that 2nd Round loss to Baylor. Why did we lose? Well, plenty of reasons, but a lot of them had to do with them being huge. They were disruptive, and they took us out of our offense. I knew we could do something similar with our team -- we just hadn't needed to until today. Tracey turned the game around for us, and Sow, Ramsey, and our defense carried us the rest of the way.

[crques]

Re: The Accidental Career of Guy West (CH2k8)

Survive & Advance!! Good luck in the Elite 8.