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Re: The Accidental Career of Guy West (CH2k8)
November 10, 2015
vs 
Hitting Forty? Not so Fast
Coach West already had his historic tournament run last season. Tonight he looked to build on his already sterling legacy by hitting another milestone: 40 consecutive wins. But he was not playing it safe. Not only are the Dragons on the first game of a season opening 6 game road swing (including the Orange County Shootout), but he loaded the schedule with hungry Power Conference foes.
On top of that, West decided to tinker with his line-up due to South Florida's lack of size in the back court. Although that left the Dragons extremely young, it paid early dividends as they jumped to a 10 point lead over the Bulls. But inevitably the shots would stop falling. Soon the Dragons would lose focus on defense.
And suddenly it was the South Florida Bulls who were up by 10 and ready to dispose of the defending National Champions.
The game was hardly over, but the Dragons needed two things: an injection of experience and a switch away from the 1-3-1. The two adjustments were key, especially with Duncan Richard's steadying hand on the wings, and by half time the Dragons were able to pull to within 2.
The second half was much tighter, and no team could get separation from the other. Tracy Cottrill was on fire staying perfect from the field, but he could not stop fouling on defense. Dez Braxton showed a nasty side on defense that his teammates had not seen in practice, but he missed wide open shots.
Meanwhile, the South Florida Bulls relied on their back court to exploit Drexel's defensive weakness. Richmond Hite and Daniel Davidson both had a field day from beyond the arc -- but the rest of the Bulls were cold. Femi Ramsey could score nearly at will, but Travon Hoyer matched him bucket for bucket on the other end.
Essentially, it was a wash until the closing minutes, when Kentrell Dean made two heads up plays in the closing minutes.
The first was a simple pick-and-roll from the top of the key. Dean tried to slide to the right to get a better passing angle for Ramsey, but the Preseason All-American was blanketed in the paint. However, the defense switched off of Tracy Cottrill, and Dean had the presence of mind to make the pass that led to Cottrill's go ahead dunk.
The Bulls responded quickly on the other end, taking a 72-71 lead. There was time for one more play. Everyone in the arena knew the ball was going to Ramsey, and once again he was confronted in the paint by the Bulls. But Ramsey was able to use his size to pass across the base to Dean, who was sitting open in the corner.
But Dean fumbled the ball. And it wasn't the only mistake he would make under pressure, because Dean also decided to shoot the ball anyway as Hoyer ran towards him. The 12 inch difference in height was too much, and the shot was easily tipped -- but it bounced away from the base line.
Dean used his superior speed to grab the loose ball and sink a layup into the open basket behind Hoyer before the defense could react.
And thanks to the Freshman's late game heroics, the Dragons emerged victorious and put the school record winning streak up to 40 by a final score of 73-72.
Drexel Dragons at South Florida Bulls Nov 10, 2015 1ST 2ND SCORE Drexel (1-0) 36 37 73 South Florida (0-0) 38 34 72 Drexel Dragons STARTERS MIN FGM-A 3PM-A FTM-A REB AST STL BLK TO PTS K. Dean 21 3-7 1-4 0-0 0 10 0 0 1 7 S. Legans 19 1-6 1-3 0-0 0 2 1 0 0 3 W. Morandais 21 3-8 0-0 0-0 3 2 0 1 1 6 D. Sow 21 5-10 0-0 2-4 10 2 3 0 1 12 F. Ramsey 23 11-18 0-0 3-3 10 3 0 1 2 25 BENCH MIN FGM-A 3PM-A FTM-A REB AST STL BLK TO PTS T. Cottrill 12 7-7 0-0 0-0 6 0 0 0 1 14 D. Braxton 9 0-2 0-2 0-0 2 1 0 0 0 0 D. Richard 13 2-5 1-2 1-2 1 1 0 1 0 6 D. Marsh 4 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0 0 0 G. McLaughlin 7 0-0 0-0 0-0 4 0 1 0 1 0 H. Padilla -- DID NOT PLAY -- J. Vassallo -- DID NOT PLAY -- TEAM TOTALS 32-63 3-11 6-9 36 21 5 3 7 73 South Florida Bulls STARTERS MIN FGM-A 3PM-A FTM-A REB AST STL BLK TO PTS R. Hite 25 4-7 4-4 0-0 1 9 1 0 1 12 D. Davidson 24 5-9 5-6 2-2 1 1 2 0 0 17 K. Emerson 25 3-8 0-5 0-0 3 1 0 0 1 6 B. McFadden 23 2-10 0-1 0-0 5 1 0 1 2 4 T. Hoyer 25 10-14 0-0 3-4 10 1 1 3 0 23 BENCH MIN FGM-A 3PM-A FTM-A REB AST STL BLK TO PTS S. Giddens 11 3-5 0-1 0-2 1 3 1 1 0 6 G. Forbes 13 2-10 0-4 0-0 1 1 1 0 1 4 B. Laws 2 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0 0 0 D. Rodriguez 3 0-1 0-0 0-0 1 2 0 0 0 0 L. Okotie -- DID NOT PLAY -- S. Goodwin -- DID NOT PLAY -- L. Kummer -- DID NOT PLAY -- TEAM TOTALS 29-64 9-21 5-8 23 19 6 5 5 72
Coach's Take: Oh man. That's the kind of game that's great for fans but puts gray hairs in coaches. I love that we managed to escape, but we need to work on our perimeter offense and defense. You're not going to win many games allowing nearly 50% shooting but hitting less than 30 yourself. But this was good. This was a chance to see what it's like to have the target on your back, especially in front of a hostile crowd.Comment
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Re: The Accidental Career of Guy West (CH2k8)
True, I forgot about that. Good catch.
But didn't Florida lose Noah, Horford, Green, and Brewer to the draft? Their best four players were gone, Drexel's got Ramsey and Sow and Morandis coming back.
I'm just trying to fire the Dragons up lol.My Dynasties
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Re: The Accidental Career of Guy West (CH2k8)
Okay, I just wanted to hop in here real quick and say a big ol' WTF to my dynasty. I have had some bizarre crap happen to me the last few games.
1) At some point during the season, my sliders suddenly changed in some parts but not in others. The result was games being STUPIDLY hard. I'm okay with tough matchups, but my players felt less talented than my first Norfolk State squad. There is something wrong there. I managed to fix the sliders and they haven't changed on me since. I did not realize there was a change, and instead thought my team was playing like crap, until I thought "wow, do I have to adjust these sliders?" sure enough, the game had adjusted them for me.
2) Twice now, I have had the game suddenly reset my coach settings, meaning I have no playbook when I start the game and regardless of what I do the CPU makes substitutions for me constantly (even injured players) calls timeouts for me, and constantly changes defenses on me. Sad to say that this has affected the result of one of the two games in a VERY big way (i'll make note of it to when I get to it).
I have already started a new legacy file to be safe, but is my data just going to crap? I have no idea what the hell is going on.Comment
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Re: The Accidental Career of Guy West (CH2k8)
Oh, yes, UF lost pretty much every major contributor. There is no way a Drexel team that went undefeated the year prior and brings plenty of talent back would be unranked at the beginning of the season in real life, obviously.
That sounds strange. Did you have any player injuries because those often reset lineups and such for some odd reason?
I have no idea why the sliders would change on you, though.Comment
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Re: The Accidental Career of Guy West (CH2k8)
there was an injured player that was still in the starting line up. I forgot to take him out. But the problem was the CPU was calling time outs, making substitutions, and making play calls on defense as if they were set to automatic (like the default) instead of manual (which I have them set to).
I'm still kinda bitter about what transpired as a result, but hopefully it doesn't happen again.Comment
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Re: The Accidental Career of Guy West (CH2k8)
November 15, 2015
vs #14 
Counter-Punch
It took a total team effort, but Drexel's vicious defense proved to be the difference in the second half against Clemson. The Dragons spoiled the Tigers' season opener by double digits after stopping Clemson's half court offense.
Clemson knew its strategy early: work the ball to Darrel Burrell and try and focus on the long range game. The problem was that Clemson could not get a shot over Drexel's defenders. Dez Braxton and Woody Morandais showed a great ability to stay in front of their assignments, and Kentrell Dean closed the deal on the other end.
If there were woes for the Dragons, it mianly revolved around shooting touch. Shannon Legans continues to struggle to find his shot, while Woody Morandais clunked up 4 threes in the first half. This is a situation to watch as it develops, because if no one can shoot on the Dragons then there is nothing to stop an opponent from packing the lane and throwing everything at Ramsey. Tonight the Dragons were able to pull away.
In the end, the difference was Drexel's ability to create turnovers in the second half and convert their chances on the other end. Clemson was only down by 2 at the half but was quickly over whelmed by the Dragons, who took a 15 point lead with less than minutes to play and never let up.
As a result, the Dragons look as strong as ever as they travel west to take on Arizona State this week.
Drexel Dragons at Clemson Tigers Nov 15, 2015 1ST 2ND SCORE Drexel (2-0) 36 35 71 #14 Clemson (0-0) 34 24 58 Drexel Dragons STARTERS MIN FGM-A 3PM-A FTM-A REB AST STL BLK TO PTS K. Dean 20 5-9 2-3 0-0 1 2 3 0 0 12 D. Braxton 20 1-7 0-2 1-1 4 3 0 0 0 3 W. Morandais 19 3-12 2-7 2-2 5 2 1 0 1 10 D. Sow 18 3-7 0-0 3-3 7 3 1 1 1 9 F. Ramsey 15 7-12 1-1 4-4 3 2 0 3 1 19 BENCH MIN FGM-A 3PM-A FTM-A REB AST STL BLK TO PTS T. Cottrill 15 2-6 0-1 0-0 8 0 2 1 0 4 S. Legans 15 0-5 0-4 0-0 2 4 1 0 1 0 D. Richard 13 2-4 0-0 1-2 2 2 1 0 0 5 D. Marsh 7 0-1 0-0 0-0 0 2 0 0 0 0 G. Mcluaghlin 8 3-4 1-1 2-2 2 0 0 0 2 9 H. Padilla -- DID NOT PLAY -- J. Vassallo -- DID NOT PLAY -- TEAM TOTALS 26-67 6-19 13-15 34 20 9 5 6 71 Clemson Tigers STARTERS MIN FGM-A 3PM-A FTM-A REB AST STL BLK TO PTS R. Souchu 11 2-4 1-1 6-8 4 6 1 0 3 11 H. Smalls 16 2-10 0-2 0-0 2 1 0 0 2 4 Z. Matera 26 6-15 0-2 4-4 1 1 2 0 2 16 L. Coulibaly 26 1-7 0-2 2-3 13 1 0 0 0 4 D. Burrell 22 5-7 0-0 3-4 9 0 0 1 0 13 BENCH MIN FGM-A 3PM-A FTM-A REB AST STL BLK TO PTS P. Kann 14 1-7 0-3 1-2 1 0 0 1 2 3 D. Ireland 6 1-1 0-0 0-0 1 1 0 0 1 2 T. McCullough 3 2-2 1-1 0-0 5 0 0 0 0 5 D. Grizzard 4 0-2 0-0 0-0 1 0 1 0 0 0 J. Nunez 5 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0 0 0 N. Del Rosario -- DID NOT PLAY -- J. Beatty -- DID NOT PLAY -- TEAM TOTALS 20-55 2-11 16-21 33 10 4 2 10 58
Coach's Take: During the first half each team came out ready and prepared. We gave the our best shot, and when they absorbed it they tried to give us their haymaker. But oftentimes games like this are decided on whether someone can pick themselves back up again. Clemson is a tough place to play and they have great fans. But once we got on them in the second half, I could feel a shift in the whole environment. Were they expecting to walk in with a win over us? Probably not. But were they expecting us to take everything up an notch in the second half? I don't know. We gave it all we could give the whole game, and that was enough to hold off a very talented Clemson team.Last edited by waytofailself; 06-10-2012, 01:11 PM. Reason: Fixed opening paragraph b/c I wrote this post while half asleepComment
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Re: The Accidental Career of Guy West (CH2k8)
November Top 25 Update
It is early in the year and so far things are pretty much in the status quo, but as always there is an early season period of readjustment as teams shuffle in and out of the top 25. This is still the time of year where teams are sorting themselves out more than separating from each other.
NCAA Hoops Rankings - AP Top 25 - Updated: Nov 19, 2015 RK LW TEAM (VOTES) RECORD 1 1 Louisville 1-0 2 3 Oregon 3-0 3 2 Kansas 3-0 4 6 Arizona 3-0 5 7 NC State 3-0 6 5 Purdue 3-0 7 9 Marquette 1-0 8 8 Missouri 1-0 9 13 UCLA 5-0 10 11 Washington State 3-0 11 10 North Carolina 1-0 12 17 Oklahoma State 3-0 13 18 Ohio State 1-0 14 15 Wisconsin 1-0 15 4 LSU 1-1 16 20 Georgia Tech 1-0 17 21 Ole Miss 2-0 18 16 Oklahoma 3-1 19 22 Utah State 2-0 20 23 Memphis 1-0 21 NR Connecticut 2-0 22 NR Drexel 3-0 23 NR Maryland 4-1 24 NR Arkansas 3-0 25 NR Notre Dame 3-0
The only big news is LSU getting upset by Central Arkansas. Otherwise, some teams that were expected to make noise in the Top 25 after early snubs, like Drexel, Maryland, and Notre Dame, have found their way on the board with solid early season play.
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Re: The Accidental Career of Guy West (CH2k8)
November 20, 2015
vs 
Speak of the Devil
Well, the ride couldn't last forever. A Conference Title, NCAA Championship, and 41 game win streak will have to do for Coach West and the Dragons. Tonight they got outplayed by the Arizona State Sun Devils, and the result was Coach West's first loss in well over a calendar year.
For the opening stanza of the game, it looked like Drexel would take control. Femi Ramsey did his thing down low, and the Dragons managed to play some excellent team defense to jump out to a quick 12 point led. The crowd was flabbergasted, but Coach Herb Sendak remained as calm as ever. Arizona State is a team that can score in bunches, he just had to remind his players to make smarter plays and take better shots.
After the slight first half adjustment, there was nearly nothing Drexel could do. Sendak matched up his back court against Freshman PG Kentrell Dean, and Dean was over whlemed on defense. He could not stop Arizona State's shooters, and after a run that included 4 consecutive three pointers the Sun Devils took the lead.
No one on Drexel stepped up to be the difference maker. Duncan Sow was stuffed inside again and again by Bubba Low, and Woody Morandais had an embarrassing shooting night that included 8 missed three point baskets. The worst part? Only one of them was remotely contested -- the rest were wide open.
In frustration, Coach West turned to his bench to shake things up, and it would be Dallas Marsh who would try his best to put the Dragons back in the game. He hit three pointers, he hit midrange shots, and he stayed in position on defense. On the back of Marsh and Ramsey, the Dragons were able to cut Arizona State's second half lead to single digits late in the game.
But like the rest of the Dragons, Marsh got cold at the wrong time. His shooting touch failed him on a critical possession, and Arizona State was able to seal the game from the free throw line.
Drexel should be very proud of the run they put together, even if it ended in a 79-65 whimper on the road. But maybe the man of the moment is Herb Sendak and his team -- they showed just how dangerous they can be this season. The rest of the Pac-10 better be on notice.
Drexel Dragons at Arizona State Sun Devils Nov 20, 2015 1ST 2ND SCORE #22 Drexel (3-0) 36 29 65 Arizona State (2-0) 39 40 79 Drexel Dragons STARTERS MIN FGM-A 3PM-A FTM-A REB AST STL BLK TO PTS K. Dean 16 3-10 0-2 0-0 1 6 3 0 4 6 D. Braxton 17 2-4 0-1 1-3 0 1 3 1 0 5 W. Morandais 20 0-9 0-8 0-0 2 0 3 0 0 0 D. Sow 18 2-7 0-0 0-0 11 1 1 0 3 4 F. Ramsey 23 11-17 0-0 3-3 9 1 1 2 0 25 BENCH MIN FGM-A 3PM-A FTM-A REB AST STL BLK TO PTS T. Cottrill 12 3-4 0-0 2-2 2 0 0 1 1 8 S. Legans 9 1-5 0-2 0-0 1 1 0 0 0 2 D. Richard 13 0-6 0-2 0-0 5 1 1 0 1 0 D. Marsh 9 5-7 3-4 0-0 1 3 1 0 0 13 G. McLaughlin 7 1-1 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0 0 2 H. Padilla 3 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0 1 0 J. Vassallo 4 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 2 0 0 0 0 TEAM TOTALS 28-70 3-19 6-8 32 16 13 4 10 65 Arizona State Sun Devils STARTERS MIN FGM-A 3PM-A FTM-A REB AST STL BLK TO PTS E. Dupree 26 5-12 2-6 1-2 2 5 2 0 3 13 J. Sood 26 6-9 4-5 4-4 7 3 5 0 2 20 M. Austin 24 5-9 1-4 1-3 4 5 0 2 0 12 B. Low 24 7-10 2-2 0-0 2 3 2 2 5 16 B. Cole 26 3-6 0-0 0-1 7 1 1 0 0 6 BENCH MIN FGM-A 3PM-A FTM-A REB AST STL BLK TO PTS D. Dewitt 13 1-2 0-0 0-0 3 3 0 1 1 2 J. Oguns 12 4-7 2-3 0-0 2 2 0 0 3 10 W. Winter -- DID NOT PLAY -- W. Cooper -- DID NOT PLAY -- S. Anthony -- DID NOT PLAY -- J. Cripe -- DID NOT PLAY -- R. Riddle -- DID NOT PLAY -- TEAM TOTALS 31-55 11-20 6-10 27 22 10 5 14 79
Coach's Take: It has been awhile since we lost, but I would not call it a let down. Yes, there were phases of the game we could have improved upon, especially with perimeter defense. But Arizona State is a very good team, and once the home crowd got behind them it was hard to get back into the game. We'll learn from this loss and move on. Maybe we'll see them again later this week.
What's Next: The Dragons and Sun Devils both travel to sunny California for the Orange County Shoot-Out. The teams are on opposite sides of the brackets, but are favorites to meet in the finals.Comment
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Re: The Accidental Career of Guy West (CH2k8)
Shootout? More Like a Speed Bump
The Orange County Shootout held lots of promise with top teams like Drexel, St. Mary's, and Arizona State all taking the floor. Well, this was a Tournament for the little guys for the most part, but the luster was relegated to the loser's bracket as Arizona State fell in the first round and Saint Mary's in the second. It was Drexel's tournament to win, and they ran with it.
Rd1: W Drexel 87 Cal Poly 52
Rd 2: W Drexel 83 Elon 71
Rd 3: W Drexel 81 Central Michigan 59
Femi Ramsey welcomes Brandon Gooden to the paint.
The Dragons win in a walk, as the defending National Champions laugh their way through the competition. No one could match Drexel's speed. Only Elon could match the Dragons down low with PF Brandon Gooden showing he is one of the premier small conference players in the country. He went toe to toe with Femi Ramsey and Duncan Sow with no fear.
But in the end, the Dragons were too much for the competition they faced and with the Shootout almost by default.
Full Orange County Shootout Results
Day 1
Arizona State 62 Saint Mary's 83
Arkansas State 56 Central Michigan 62
Indiana State 51 Elon 72
Drexel 87 Cal Poly 52
Day 2
St. Mary's 57 Central Michigan 62
Drexel 83 Elon 71
Arizona State 66 Arkansas State 62
Indiana State 55 Cal Poly 78
Day 3
Central Michigan 59 Drexel 81
St. Mary's 59 Elon 88
Arizona State 73 Cal Poly 65
Arkansas State 60 Indiana State 61Last edited by waytofailself; 06-12-2012, 09:28 PM.Comment
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Re: The Accidental Career of Guy West (CH2k8)
One at Home, One for the Road
vs South Carolina (5-0) L: 68-78Coach West's post game comments pretty much summed up the game, "You can't beat a 2-3 zone if you can't shoot." Femi Ramsey was severely limited by the Gamecock's size inside, and the normally reliable Drexel back court could hit nothing from outside. The Dragons managed to stay in the game by attacking the zone, but put up a number of contested shots and coughed up the ball in the process. And what might be most troubling, the Dragons young back court could not close out the game in the closing minutes. Kentrell Dean came back in with the Dragons tied 66-66 with three minutes to go. Lackadaisical defense and poor passing led to South Carolina's devastating closing run.
Another second half Drexel turnover results in fast points for South Carolina.
at Towson (2-3) W: 94-69
Woody Morandais buried the Tigers with daggers from beyond the arc.
The Dragons got back on track with Coach West making a change at starting point guard. Shannon Legans showed he was capable not only on defense but showed his effectiveness passing the ball. Getting inserted into the starting lineup helped him drive forward. Towson kept the game close for awhile, but they Woody Morandais got hot behind the line and Femi Ramsey carried the Dragons the rest of the way.
Last edited by waytofailself; 06-12-2012, 07:21 PM.Comment
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Re: The Accidental Career of Guy West (CH2k8)
vs 
Why Not Us?
The lights in the building are long out, but the hum of the projector continues. The cold fall rain can be heard overhead, but it should pass by the time the team breaks. Coach Hobbs told his players they were free to leave after he finished the film session, but the entire team stayed in the room to break down the game again.
It has been 7 hours. Empty pizza boxes linger in the corner next to the filled trash can.
"This is a lot of guys' last year here," Spartan Captain Jerold Doss commented earlier in the day, "and we want to make sure it's special. But that doesn't happen on it's own. It takes work. Hard work, preparation & sweat. We don't want to leave this season wondering what could have been."
The city of Norfolk had full notice of Drexel's undefeated Championship run, and not just because Old Dominion is a fellow CAA member. Before Coach West arrived, the Spartans had never been to the NCAA Tournament. But either by his coaching or on the backs of West's recruits, the Spartans have made it to the Big Dance three of the past five seasons.
And where once there was animosity, now there is respect. West's remaining players at Norfolk State saw what the Dragons accomplished last year, and the significance was not lost on them. Coach West built both Drexel and Norfolk State out of the same mold: work from the inside out, play fast, high pressure basketball and strike when the opportunities present themselves.
"We watched last year, and each of us knew that could be us up there," remarked Spartan Senior Greg Seymour, "I heard some people say West inherited that team, but look at what he did. Ramsey improved leaps and bounds when West coached him up. He transformed a bunch of underclassmen into giant killers."
But make no mistake, the Spartans are not putting Drexel on a pedestal. Instead, West's old team reviews the Dragons' game tape and sees a goal for themselves.
Norfolk State was not left behind after Coach West's departure. Under Coach Hobbs the Spartans have continued to grow together and know that this is their year. They have strength up front. They have shooters that can space the floor. They know this is likely their last shot as a group and are ready to make it count.
"After watching Drexel cut down the nets, I got calls from most of the team asking me to get in the AD's ear and schedule the Dragons again," said Coach Hobbs, "and I thought it was a good idea. To be the best, you have to beat the best. The Dragons worked together as a team and accomplished amazing things against college basketball's elite. But that was then, and this is a new season. Why can't this be our year?"
Last edited by waytofailself; 06-11-2012, 10:52 PM.Comment
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Re: The Accidental Career of Guy West (CH2k8)
Forgot to get some replays from the first few games of the season. Will have replays in most, but not all, recaps the way. Still working on shaky cam but not a lot I can do with a handheld camcorder and my setup.
Earliest one from this season is Elon posted above.Comment
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Re: The Accidental Career of Guy West (CH2k8)
vs 
Goliath Meets Goliath
Both teams in Echols arena shoved around their conferences the past few seasons -- standing head and shoulders above the rest in superiority while reeling in the accolades and hardware. Pre-game head butting was inevitable.
There was a small controversy before tip-off when Norfolk State's AD blatantly ignored Coach West's attempt to say hello and shake his hand. But once the game tipped off, it was West's Dragons who came off as cold.
Before Coach West could even blink, his visiting Dragons were down an 8-0 hole. The home arena was alive, and the Norfolk State Spartans siezed on the atmosphere and hopped to an early 12 point lead. No one could stop Jerrold Doss inside. No one on Drexel could match up with Jamar Ball. Randal Casey pushed the ball down the court and tried to get Drexel into a track meet.
There is only one speed Norfolk State plays at: hyper-speed. Fortunately for the Dragons, it's a trait the Spartans gained from Guy West and one their roster is built for as well.
The points poured on the board as both teams ran up and down the court using as little as 5 seconds on the shot clock. But Coach West, always one to try and make one extra adjustment, switched to the 3-2 to try and stop Greg Seymour and Doss from attacking the low block. It was enough to stop the bleeding -- and in response Coach West had his team attack the basket relentlessly until Seymour got in foul trouble.
It helps to know the tendency of one's opponents -- what better insight than from coaching them?
The Dragons got close, but could not even the score by the half. It would take a different approach in the second half: one that was spearheaded by two players on the Dragons who could create match up problems of their own.
Femi Ramsey and Tracy Cottrill are both exceptional at running the fast break. They can cut to the basket and shoot over any one of Norfolk State's shorter big men. So while the Spartans attempted to pad their lead from behind the three point line, Drexel leaned on their size advantage to work their way back in. Recently promoted Shannon Legans did little to help the cause by missing a number of open shots but at least he was able to avoid turnovers for the most part.
But it has to be said, it was Tracy Cottrill who carried the Dragons through the second half. With Drexel needing to match Norfolk State's speed, the Junior big man went to work attacking the basket, hitting free throws, and making a mess of the Spartan's defense. If Seymour or Doss challenged him in the post, Cottrill would just shoot over them. If anyone tried to get in front of him when he faced them up, Cottrill either made the smart pass or drove around or through his opponent. In the second half, Cottrill owned the paint and in turn owned the Spartans.
The same could not be said of Ramsey though. By the end of the half, any time the ball went inside to him, defenders would swarm and attempt to strip. More often than not, they succeed -- and Ramsey's uncharacteristically bad ball handling opened the door for the Spartans to shoot their way back into the game.
It was something Coach West hoped to avoid in the closing minutes with the Dragons holding a narrow lead. With Coach Hobbs backing off his defense to try and prevent Drexel from scoring transition baskets and make inside passes, Coach West needed someone else to step up from outside. But it would not be Legans, and Kentrell Dean clanged a wide open look from beyond the arc. Add in another strip and score of Femi Ramsey by the Spartans, and Drexel's second half advantage had shrunk to four.
Morandais gives Drexel a 7 point cushion, but it would not last.
Fortunately for the Dragons, Woody Morandais delivered. Coach West ran a screen and roll for Dez Braxton to free up a jump shot in the corner, but Logon Thompson kept pace and kept his hands up -- at least until he was run into a Morandais screen. Braxton quickly tossed the ball to Woody, who had shook off Jamar Ball and was alone in the corner, and sunk a three point shot to make it a three possession game.
Not to be outdone, Jamar Ball asked for the ball as Casey was taking it down the court and sunk a three of his own with two defenders in his face. All of the Spartan shooters were on fire except for Tom Schmidt -- who was no longer on the floor. But Drexel had time on their side, and Woody Morandais made both ends of the one-and one to extend the Dragon lead to six.
Just as quickly, the Spartans flew up the court and passed to Logon Thompson on the elbow, who cut Drexel's lead to three with less than thirty seconds remaining.
Once again, it would be Morandais who was fouled, and once again the Sophomore showed how much he has grown since his Freshman year by hitting both ends of the one and one.
Nursing what normally would feel like a commanding 5 point lead with less than 20 seconds left, Norfolk State shocked the audience in Echols Arena by doing something they had not done in the last five minutes: miss a three point attempt. It would be Jamar Ball's only miss of the day, and Kentrell Dean grabbed the long rebound before promptly being fouled.
The Freshman walked to the line with all eyes on him. Although he was no longer the starter, he was still on the floor during the closing minutes with Shannon Legans being ineffective on offense. If Dean could hit both of these free throws, he could put away the Spartans for good and show Coach West he was the one to lean on throughout the game.
But he missed the first one, and Norfolk State got the rebound. It would take a miracle to overcome this kind of lead with mere seconds left, but the door was open and the Spartans were not going to back down.
Once again they worked their way up the court. But the clock ticked mercilessly above the backboard. If only there were a few more seconds. If only there were more time.
Jamar Ball hit his fifth three pointer of the game as time expired. But the Dragons were the ones to escape with a 98-96 victory.
Drexel Dragons at Norfolk State Spartans Dec 7, 2015 1ST 2ND SCORE Drexel (7-2) 49 49 98 Norfolk State (4-3) 52 44 96 Drexel Dragons STARTERS MIN FGM-A 3PM-A FTM-A REB AST STL BLK TO PTS S. Legans 12 0-7 0-4 1-2 1 6 1 0 2 1 D. Braxton 17 2-4 1-2 0-0 0 2 1 0 0 5 W. Morandais 22 4-6 1-3 4-4 2 3 1 0 0 13 D. Sow 16 3-6 0-0 3-3 4 1 1 0 0 9 F. Ramsey 23 10-17 0-0 3-4 9 1 0 4 5 23 BENCH MIN FGM-A 3PM-A FTM-A REB AST STL BLK TO PTS T. Cottrill 16 11-12 0-0 7-7 5 0 0 2 1 29 D. Richard 16 3-4 2-2 0-2 2 6 0 0 0 8 K. Dean 19 3-5 1-2 0-2 2 10 1 0 0 7 H. Padilla 4 1-2 1-2 0-0 0 1 0 1 0 3 G. McLaughlin 4 0-2 0-0 0-0 4 0 0 0 0 0 J. Vassallo -- DID NOT PLAY -- D. Wilson -- DID NOT PLAY -- TEAM TOTALS 37-65 6-15 18-24 29 30 5 7 8 98 Norfolk State Spartans STARTERS MIN FGM-A 3PM-A FTM-A REB AST STL BLK TO PTS R. Casey 20 5-13 3-3 1-4 2 3 1 0 2 14 L. Thompson 22 2-11 2-5 0-0 2 6 0 0 0 6 J. Ball 22 9-14 5-6 2-2 5 5 1 1 1 25 J. Doss 20 5-9 0-1 0-0 8 1 2 0 1 10 G. Seymour 14 2-6 0-1 0-0 3 4 0 0 0 4 BENCH MIN FGM-A 3PM-A FTM-A REB AST STL BLK TO PTS T. Schmidt 13 5-8 0-3 1-2 2 1 0 0 0 11 F. Stevanovic 9 1-4 0-0 0-0 4 2 1 1 1 2 L. Zuzak 7 5-6 0-0 0-0 4 0 1 0 0 10 D. Boyden 2 1-1 0-0 0-0 2 0 0 0 0 2 G. Nwoke 8 1-2 0-0 2-2 0 2 0 0 0 4 B. Hedges 8 2-5 1-2 1-2 5 1 1 0 0 6 R. Pipkis 6 1-2 0-1 0-0 1 1 0 0 0 2 TEAM TOTALS 39-81 11-22 7-12 38 26 7 2 5 96
Coach's Take: That was a good game. There is a lot to take away from it, both good and bad. We showed we could close out the game, which is good. We still need to get consistent on defense -- Coach Hobbs' switches seemed to confuse us. We're a little younger this year than we were in the past, but it's something I'll have to work on. I also want to take time to give credit to Norfolk State. It is so great to see so many familiar faces and to see everybody doing so well. I promise you, this bunch is going is going to go places this year. They're hungry -- and the right kind of hungry.Last edited by waytofailself; 06-12-2012, 09:31 PM.Comment
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Re: The Accidental Career of Guy West (CH2k8)
Men's College Basketball Top 25 Update
As the end of the year approaches, teams look to put their best foot forward as they close out their out of conference schedules. So far, the cream of the crop has not slipped, but the same cannot be said for the rest of the pack as there continues to be heavy turnover at the bottom of the poll.
NCAA Hoops Rankings - AP Top 25 - Updated: Dec 10, 2015 RK LW TEAM (VOTES) RECORD 1 1 Louisville 5-0 2 2 Oregon 8-0 3 3 Purdue 9-0 4 4 Arizona 9-0 5 5 UCLA 9-0 6 9 Kansas 7-1 7 7 Connecticut 7-0 8 8 NC State 6-1 9 10 North Carolina 7-1 10 12 Missouri 6-1 11 17 Gonzaga 10-0 12 13 Florida 6-0 13 16 Washington State 6-1 14 19 Villanova 8-0 15 18 LSU 7-2 16 20 Wisconsin 6-1 17 6 Utah State 5-1 18 NR Oklahoma State 6-2 19 15 West Virginia 6-2 20 24 Maryland 7-1 21 14 Ole Miss 8-1 22 NR Marquette 5-2 23 NR Cincinnati 6-0 24 NR Drexel 8-2 25 NR Loyola Marymount 7-0
By far the biggest drop belonged to Utah State, who learned how perilous life can be for mid-majors in the top 10 after dropping a game in overtime to lowly Kansas State. Meanwhile, Oklahoma State climbs high into the rankings after convincing victories over Southern Illinois and Michigan State.
With this seasons rankings mostly being chalk thus far, look for the rankings to begin to adjust heavily from top to bottom once the conference season starts. Cupcake snack time is about to end.Comment
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