The Accidental Career of Guy West (CH2k8)

[facade63]

Re: The Accidental Career of Guy West (CH2k8)

quick question

Do you play an ABL games to check out the recruits?

[waytofailself]

Re: The Accidental Career of Guy West (CH2k8)

quick question

Do you play an ABL games to check out the recruits?

To be honest, no. Reason being is because I have trouble picking targets who have enough interest in me to be viable recruiting targets. Plus the bonus points from ABL games makes recruiting too easy for my tastes (especially in the small school stage of legacy mode). I instead rely on player interest and scouting. Usually the players pan out. Sometimes they do not.

[waytofailself]

Re: The Accidental Career of Guy West (CH2k8)

Tightening the Leash

August 2017, Manhattan, KS

Once again Coach Guy West is making an impromptu trip to the Athletic Director's office -- the kind that never seem to end well

After a celebratory period following the school's recruiting success, West was back on the road scouting for what will be another big year of with 5 scholarships available. With procedures and priorities in place, the Wildcats are already ahead of the game after scrambling to gain traction last year.

But in early August, West was caught by surprise. After submitting his finalized season schedule to the Athletic Director, West received the following response: "Please schedule an appointment with my office at your earliest convenience to discuss this proposed schedule in light of last season's disciplinary measures and performance."

Well, no time is more convenient than now, where West is only beginning to realize the position he is in.

West: Look, I don't want to cause problems, I'm just a little confused. This was not the agreement we had last season.

AD: Well, I appreciate your concern, but I feel like I have explained myself sufficiently.

West: But in my contract it says I have final say over all recruiting and scheduling decisions.

AD: Yes, it does.

West: And I already spent a lot of time making arrangements with other schools and --

AD: Look Guy, do I have to spell it out for you?

West: -- spell what out?

AD: Well, since I knew we would be having this meeting at some point this summer, although I didn't think it would take so long, I have a copy of your contract here so you can review it. Please look specifically at sections 14.1 and 14.2, which I highlighted for you. Can you read what they say?

Taking the document, West reads over the sections, pauses, then reads them again.

AD: Those are your initials on the bottom right of the page. This is the document that you signed. And any, key word being ANY, conduct detrimental to the team or damaging to the reputation to the program, gives me the authority, at any time, to void or suspend certain parts of your contract. That includes your ability to control the schedule.

West: But it was just one incident.

AD: Yes, one incident that drummed up all the conspiracy theories from when you were at Norfolk State. Don't think we forgot. Not to mention how good it looked, you charging off the bench against your former team and hitting a referee on national television again and again and again.

West: But it was incidental. And I released the apology you approved.

AD: Yes, and that's good damage control, but that's not the whole picture.

West: What else.

AD: Tell me, how many teams had a winning record in the Big 12 and missed out on the NCAA Tournament?

West: I can't.

AD: I'll give you a hint: Kansas State 2017.

West: We had a tough schedule and were better for it by the end of the season. Your point?

AD: It should be obvious. You over-scheduled our team. We could have made the NCAA tournament for the first time in two decades, but we didn't.

West: You're on that train too now? What happened to "last year was an overhaul job" and "we know this team is going to get worse before it gets better." You hired me to help pick up the pieces of this program.

AD: And it's a multistage process. I know. And I have faith in your ability to do so. But maybe if the rigors of the scheduled had not crushed the spirit of our team so early, they might have advanced --

West: With all due respect, my team was ready for the Big 12 in large part because of the out of conference schedule.

AD: Yes, and if I recall there was a near mutiny? People were looking to put your head on a pike and parade it across campus. Or am I forgetting something.

West: Better that I get backlash than our team get fat off cupcakes.

AD: Oh, I'm not saying we go that far. In fact, I have already made all the arrangements and contacts to have next season's schedule prepared and in place. Here is a copy for your perusal.

West: You -- I can't beli -- you really did this? All this? Behind my back? What happened to your door always being open and having a line of communication.

AD: I'll tell you what I'm doing. I want to keep you around because I believe in your ability to bring great things to Kansas State. So I'm saving your *** from our boosters and I'm saving your *** from yourself.

West: You stabbed me in the back.

AD: No, I gave you a schedule that looks good to the Selection Committee and will play well to our run up to conference play.

West: There's a reason people have the saying "it's good on paper." Look at this. How many of these programs are big names that are having off years or are not what they used to be. And what about the home-and-home with Drexel

AD: Do you know how many people in Manhattan care about Drexel? You. Just you and a bunch of people who want to see you blow your lid or fail. Yes we had to pay a fee to back out of the game, but I'm not having that debacle loom over our program's head again. Not in front of a half filled gym.

West: Half filled gym? C'mon now --

AD: Yes, Bramlage is one of the best venues in college basketball and I'm tired of seeing it half filled or less. This schedule will pack the stands. It sets the team up for success, and beating big time opponents in a full house is great exposure later down the line. It's the kind of good press people remember in March.

West: Yes, especially when half of your opponents have a sub 100 RPI and they wonder why you didn't play tougher opponents.

AD: Hey, you got UNC which could challenge NC State for the ACC.

West: One game doesn't make up for a bunch of middling programs with big fan bases and television exposure.

AD: Or would the Committee say "Hey, they tried to take on tough teams, but you can't control how the schedule falls."

West: Interesting, that seems to be exactly what you're trying to do.

AD: Yes, and it's going to pay big dividends for you and for Kansas State in the long run. You're not going to like getting shot down like this today, but you'll remember this meeting and thank me later.

West: I wouldn't call it shot down -- you're using a loophole in my contract.

AD: It's not a loophole when you signed and agreed to it. Maybe you'll remember it next time you think of storming the court.

West: But --

AD: Well, I feel this meeting has been very productive. Thank you for coming in today Guy, and I'll see you next week at the Athletics BBQ. You know my door is open any time!

[R1zzo23]

Love the interview and am eagerly awaiting this season's schedule.

[waytofailself]

Re: The Accidental Career of Guy West (CH2k8)

2017-2018 Season Preview

Last year the Wildcats were able to hire the hottest Coach in the country. Yearning for instant success, Kansas State instead took two steps backwards and three steps forward. The result was an improved record from a year before, but with so many new faces it's hard to tell what this year's squad is made of. Coach West is already feeling his seat get warmer, and the pressure will be on for his team to perform and improve from last season.

Many fans lament missing out on the NCAA Tournament last season -- but it might be unfair to hold a squad as young as Kansas State's to the same standard. This could be the classic "rebuilding year." After what has felt like two decades of rebuilding years, Coach West better be able to paint a very pretty picture for the future. With a lot of new faces up and down the front court, fans in Manhattan are going to get a sense very quickly both of what they have and where the squad looks to be going in the next few years -- with or without their current coach.

Coach Guy West
(numbers in parentheses are from current season)
Total Legacy Points: 63904 (6120)
Coaching Record: 187-55 (13-17)

Kansas State Job Security

West's position at Kansas State is tenuous at best -- in other words, about the same as where he started last year. So far he has shown an ability to build the program through recruiting and he has gotten his team to band together to take on the Big 12. What West needs to do this year is show enough improvement on the court to convince KSU to keep him around. For starters, West and company will have to do much better in out of conference play.

Legacy Goals Achieved
(1 Point Placed On Holdover)
Assemble a Top 20 Recruiting Class

West's Coaching Attribute Changes
Overall: A-
Offense: A (+1)
Defense: A-
Teaching: A+
Scouting: C-
Charisma: A+
Discipline: B+

Kansas State Roster

The team's best player is either someone who put down a hockey stick for a basketball a few years ago or someone could not break off the bench on a Conference USA team and must sit a year before trying to break into KSU's rotation. In other words: if people were questioning Kansas State's talent last year, they should already know the answer this year. The Wildcats are big, but they're young and unseasoned.

One of the major challenges for Guy West is that as many as 7 Freshmen could see rotation minutes -- with two of them being Walk-Ons. Expect this group to scrap and fight for games, but to get overwhelmed by opponents who have played together longer or are more talented down the bench. It will be up to West to take advantage of the size he has to mask the team's other weaknesses, because until they get some proven players around the perimeter that's about all they will have.

Kansas State 2017-2018 Roster (84 OVR)
#	NAME	POS	HT	WT	CLASS	HOMETOWN
54	Dannorriss Walls (81)	C	6'11"	252	FR	Bronx, NY
21	Clarence Weaver (80 T)	SF	6'7	241	JR	Memphis, TN
52	Dana Worthington (76)	C	6'9"	224	FR	Bethlehem, PA
40	Roger Guzman (76)	C	6'10"	245	JR	Arvada, CO
50	DaMarcus Ross (76)	C	7'1"	246	FR	Baltimore, MD
33	Esteban Kummer (75)	SF	6'6"	205	FR	Oxnard, CA
11	Justin Guzman (74)	PG	5'9"	173	SR	Omaha, NE
24	Branduinn Gatling (74)	SF	6'9"	253	FR	Baltimore, MD
55	Moses Mathis (73)	PF	6'7"	240	JR	Omaha, NE
10	Cori Geiger (69W)	SF	6'5"	197	SO	Thornton, CO
53	Jamual Pinnock (68W R)	C	6'11"	220	FR	Chico, CA
4	Micheal Martin (67W)	PG	6'2"	187	RS FR	Hobart, Tasmania
23	Joel Hayes (57W)	SF	6'7"	202	RS FR	Paterson, NJ
20	Kason Mendoza (54W)	PG	6'2"	198	JR	Los Angeles, CA

If practices are any indication, this roster looks like it could do very well playing together down the road. There will still be growing pains this year, even if DeMarcus Ross, Branduinn Gatling, and Esteban Kummer all show good potential to grow their game and become team leaders.

However, there are two key areas to focus on in the rotation. The first is the back court. In practices, West seems to favor starting Justin Guzman at the point and Kummer at the 2. Guzman is awfully inexperienced and short, while Kummer is playing out position and is not necessarily as fast as other 2s he could face in the Big 12. Even with those flaws, it is still better than who is behind them in the depth chart. Cori Geiger often looked lost on the court last year as a Walk-On Freshman. He was more of a warm body thrown into action by necessity than someone who should be in a Power Conference team's rotation. Then there's Redshirt Freshman Walk-On Micheal Martin. He is a better defender with better size than Guzman, but otherwise he is an unremarkable passer or shooter. Kansas State will experience a significant drop off when Martin has to sub into the game.

It's a good thing that Justin Guzman is one of the best conditioned athletes on the Wildcats' roster.

The other key point is who will be getting minutes at the 4 and 5 spot. Dannorriss Walls has already established himself as top dog, but West seems eager to put DeMarcus Ross on the court with him despite Roger Guzman and Dana Worthington looking more polished on the low block. It would appear that Guzman is still in West's doghouse after struggling so much last year, and that West is opting for Ross' size and defense over Worthington's scoring ability. All four will see minutes, while Moses Mathis, last year's six man, is now playing table scrap minutes subbing in at small forward. Guzman and Mathis can't be happy about putting their time in last year, only to see their roles cut this year.

It's hard to say whether these Wildcats are better than last year's edition. But at least this year we get to watch them grow instead of wondering what happens when they walk out the door.

Kansas State Schedule

And the team is going to have to grow in a hurry. It looks like West and Kansas State did not learn their lesson from last year where they packed their out of conference schedule with elite teams and limped into conference play. The road date against Tennessee will be a good early barometer of just how much further the Wildcats have to go. Meanwhile, back to back home dates Michigan State and UNC could see the Wildcats enter conference play with some painful losses instead of building momentum. Unless he gets his squad going early in obvious tune up games like Alabama A&M, West could have another very long season

11/10 vs Alabama A&M (71)
11/19 at New Mexico State (78)
11/28 at Tennessee (82)
12/1 vs Michigan (81)
12/6 vs Lamar (70)
12/13 vs Houston (77)
12/18 at Rhode Island (76)
12/22 vs Miami (FL) (81)
12/27 at Rutgers (80)
1/3 vs Michigan State (82)
1/5 vs #18 North Carolina (89)
1/10 vs Kansas (86)
1/12 at Oklahoma (89)
1/17 vs Nebraska (84)
1/24 at Colorado (87)
1/26 vs Texas A&M (83)
1/13 at #9 Texas (95)
2/4 vs Baylor (87)
2/7 at Iowa State (86)
2/11 vs Oklahoma State (83)
2/14 at Nebraska
2/17 vs Colorado
2/21 at Baylor
2/25 at Missouri (91)
2/28 vs #9 Texas
3/4 at Texas A&M
3/7 vs Texas Tech (86)

[waytofailself]

Re: The Accidental Career of Guy West (CH2k8)

2017 NCAA Pre Season Top 25

NCAA Hoops Rankings - AP Top 25 - Updated: Sept 30, 2017
RK	TEAM (VOTES)
1	Louisville
2	Alabama
3	Connecticut
4	Arizona State
5	NC State
6	UCLA
7	Maryland
8	Iowa
9	Texas
10	Ohio State
11	Villanova
12	Indiana
13	Duke
14	Illinois
15	Saint Louis
16	Saint Joseph's
17	Georgia Tech
18	North Carolina
19	Memphis
20	Utah
21	USC
22	Wisconsin
23	Cincinnati
24	Clemson
25	Kentucky

[JBate24]

Re: The Accidental Career of Guy West (CH2k8)

I've tried my hardest to find some sliders that I can actually win on but I have yet to find any, are there any that you recommend? I may even start a Legacy on here if I can find some.

[waytofailself]

Re: The Accidental Career of Guy West (CH2k8)

I've tried my hardest to find some sliders that I can actually win on but I have yet to find any, are there any that you recommend? I may even start a Legacy on here if I can find some.

I can't recall what sliders I used with this legacy at the beginning, but I do remember that I started out on the next to lowest difficulty. There's no shame in starting low and working your way up as you learn the game.

However, if you want a solid starter set of sliders, you can try these All-Conference ones.

In the alternative, you can download the first season legacy file off 2kshare (assuming you're on the 360) -- username Pancakez0r -- and write down the sliders I used that season.

[Knickerbocker91]

Re: The Accidental Career of Guy West (CH2k8)

Now that I've seen this schedule, it has been curious to what Coach West originally wanted his schedule to be. Some big name schools definitely with Michigan, Michigan State, Tennessee, and UNC; but like West said it doesn't seem like these schools are at the cream of the crop at the moment, just have a big name of the front of their jerseys.

Enjoying the dynasty as always, seems West and ADs just don't mix.

[VandyRedskins21]

Re: The Accidental Career of Guy West (CH2k8)

Dang you really don't have anyone in the backcourt outside of Guzman. However, your team reminds me a lot of what Georgetown looks like in my legacies after a few years. And they are almost always really good and in the top 15 :wink:

[waytofailself]

Re: The Accidental Career of Guy West (CH2k8)

Now that I've seen this schedule, it has been curious to what Coach West originally wanted his schedule to be. Some big name schools definitely with Michigan, Michigan State, Tennessee, and UNC; but like West said it doesn't seem like these schools are at the cream of the crop at the moment, just have a big name of the front of their jerseys.

Enjoying the dynasty as always, seems West and ADs just don't mix.

I think there are some pretty good clues in last year's schedule, including high quality mid-majors.

At least there wasn't this same drama with the Drexel AD? That said, it's not like the Kansas State AD has come out against in public -- or even wholesale in private. Maybe there is some hope?

Dang you really don't have anyone in the backcourt outside of Guzman. However, your team reminds me a lot of what Georgetown looks like in my legacies after a few years. And they are almost always really good and in the top 15 :wink:

Lots of bigs and a little guy? Yeah, Guzman is really going to have to pull through for me to get a chance. Last year he was either good for some bench points or turning the ball over in bunches. I need stability at the 1 for sure.

Don't know about Top 15, but that's something to shoot for.

[waytofailself]

Re: The Accidental Career of Guy West (CH2k8)

Early Returns

vs Alabama A&M (0-0) W: 67-47

Fans got what they were hoping for in the first game of the season: a showcase of the new recruits. Coach West said pregame that his freshmen would play heavy minutes, and he was not kidding. All five of the new recruits played significant minutes, probably none more so than Dannorriss Walls, who led the team both in scoring and rebounding.

The Wildcats will face tougher opponents this season, but fans have to be pleased with the intensity the teams showed for the whole game.

DeMarcus Ross shows of his swatting skills for the home crowd.


at New Mexico State (0-1) W: 51-45

And with youth may come the thought that things could come too easily. Kansas State entered this game as heavy favorites and with a significant size advantage. But instead of a walk, they consistently found themselves out of position and missing shots. No matter how close the Wildcats came to breaking the game open, the home team always found a way to slug their way back in.

Even the closing seconds were not safe, where New Mexico State made the score look far more respectable by hitting three of their last four three point attempts. Fortunately for Coach West, the game ended before the Aggies could complete their comeback.

Hopefully West's squad can take what they learned from this road date and apply it against Tennessee next game -- the Wildcats will be facing a significantly better team and a much tougher home crowd.

[waytofailself]

Re: The Accidental Career of Guy West (CH2k8)

How to Start & How to Finish

One thing's for sure, West's young Wildcats won't shrink from a fight.

The Wildcats were not intimidated by the Volunteers, whose home fans were fired up and ready to go for the team's home opener. Instead, they stormed onto the court, attacked from the inside out, and quickly jumped out to a 14 point lead. The key stabilizer for the young Kansas State squad was not Guy West, who could only do so much from the sideline. Instead, it was Senior Point Guard Justin Guzman. Despite being the smallest player on the court, he was able to keep his head and direct his teammates to where they needed to be. The offense ran smoothly for the Wildcats -- arguably more smoothly than under L.F. Reaser the past three seasons.

Well, at least until the shots stopped falling.

Tennessee was never entirely out of the game because the Wildcats could not execute with consistency. Dannorriss Walls would get looks inside, but had trouble converting. DeMarcus Ross got into early foul trouble and was only on the floor for limited stretches to make an impact. Esteban Kummer did a great job of getting teammates involved, but he could not get the ball into the basket himself.

As a result, Tennessee was able to roar back into the game thanks to the shooting of their back court. The Wildcats got absolutely torched by Nathaniel Lemons, although he was not alone. Before the Wildcats could put the game out of reach, they had to scrap hard to escape the first half with a five point lead.

Of course, Kansas State had multiple chances to take the game on the road. It looked like they had taken control after Coach West made some adjustments in the second half. Despite Walls scoring 8 straight points to seemingly put the Wildcats in control, the Volunteers were not finished. Bruce Pearl would not have his team go quietly on opening night. Instead, the team methodically moved the ball from the post to the perimeter and constantly found the young, undisciplined Wildcats out of position.

And that's what the game largely came down to: discipline. The Wildcats would need their steady hand in place to keep theirs.

Justin Guzman calls his own number for a six point lead

Clinging to a four point lead with less than two minutes left, Justin Guzman took the ball to the top of the key and called a pick and roll for him and Walls. The play had been effective for a lot of the game, to the point where the Volunteers were beginning to collapse the defense to the paint to prevent the entry pass. During a time out, West called for an adjustment, where if the lane was blocked Walls would get the ball back to Guzman, who they were playing off of when Walls would roll. The adjustment worked like a charm, with Walls recognizing the defense's collapse inside, he tossed the ball back to Guzman for a huge shot that seemed to put the game out of reach.

Except his foot was on the line, and Tennessee could still tie in two possessions.

And then the Wildcats began to unravel. First the Wildcats not only gave up a critical offensive rebound in the late game, but DeMarcus Ross then picked up his fifth foul by reaching in when he had no chance at getting the ball. Fortunately the Wildcats were nowhere near the penalty. And Ross may have been vindicated for his foul because Tennessee could not get a good shot and gave possession back the the Wildcats.

However, Kansas State, whose offense had been hit-or-miss in the second half, had to bear witness to Justin Guzman's first missed three of the game at just the wrong time. Fortunately for the Wildcats, Dana Worthington rose above the Volunteers to grab a critical offensive rebound with less than 50 seconds to play. Unfortunately for the Wildcats, the over-eager Freshman (ed note: yes, let's use that excuse for player error!) ignored the time remaining and instead immediately tried to hit a putback shot. Not only was it rejected, the Volunteers drained a quick three on the other end to get to within 3.

They then fouled Branduinn Gatling, the Wildcat's most reliable free throw shooter. However, Gatling buckled under the pressure (53 clutch) and missed the front end of the one and one. The Volunteers responded by driving to the basket, where Lemons was fouled and coolly drained both shots from the line to shrink Kansas State's lead to 1 point.

This time Justin Guzman took the inbounds pass. He was immediately fouled, but the Senior Captain did was his younger teammate could not: stretch the lead back to three points.

There were only second remaining, and Tennessee had one more chance to force overtime:

The Volunteers go for overtime with a wide open three

The passes easily beat Kansas State's pressure. The ball went straight into the hands of Daniel Gardner before the Wildcat defense could collapse or catch up. Everything went right for the Volunteers on a play that could not have been drawn up any better -- everything except for the shot bouncing harmlessly off the front of the rim at the buzzer. Instead, Kansas State escaped Knoxville with a hard earned 80-77 victory over Tennessee.

Kansas State Wildcats at Tennessee Volunteers
Nov 28, 2017	1ST	2ND	SCORE
Kansas State (2-0)	41	39	80
Tennessee (1-0)	36	41	77

Kansas State Wildcats
STARTERS	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PTS
J. Guzman	25	4-5	3-4	2-2	2	10	0	0	1	13
E. Kummer	22	1-4	0-3	0-0	5	6	0	0	0	2
B. Gatling	23	5-10	1-1	2-3	5	4	0	0	0	13
D. Walls	19	12-22	0-0	2-4	4	3	2	2	0	26
D. Ross	11	3-9	0-0	2-2	6	2	0	1	1	8
BENCH	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PTS
D. Worthington	18	5-9	0-0	0-0	4	3	0	3	0	10
M. Mathis	16	2-3	0-1	0-0	3	2	0	0	0	4
R. Guzman	9	1-3	0-0	0-0	1	0	0	0	0	2
M. Martin	5	0-0	0-0	0-0	2	0	0	0	1	0
C. Geiger	2	0-0	0-0	2-2	0	0	0	0	0	2
J. Hayes	-- DID NOT PLAY --
K. Mendoza	-- DID NOT PLAY --
TEAM TOTALS		33-65	4-9	10-13	32	30	2	6	3	80

Tennessee Volunteers
STARTERS	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PTS
G. O'Brien	23	7-14	5-9	3-4	2	6	0	1	2	22
N. Lemons	23	4-15	2-5	7-8	7	2	0	0	1	17
D. Garner	22	9-16	2-4	0-0	3	3	0	0	0	20
F. Campbell	21	0-2	0-0	1-2	2	0	1	1	0	1
R. House	24	3-7	0-0	3-3	7	0	0	0	2	9
BENCH	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PTS
D. Boykin	16	2-6	0-2	0-0	3	3	0	0	0	4
K. Acker	5	1-1	0-0	0-0	1	0	1	0	0	2
F. Henson	11	0-1	0-0	0-0	3	1	0	0	0	0
M Lalugba	1	0-1	0-1	0-0	0	1	1	0	0	0
P. Frey	5	0-1	0-0	2-2	3	0	0	0	0	2
K. Bogans	-- DID NOT PLAY --
R. Sidney	-- DID NOT PLAY --
TEAM TOTALS		26-64	9-21	16-19	31	16	3	2	5	77

[superjames1992]

Re: The Accidental Career of Guy West (CH2k8)

Well, you're off to a much better start this year than last year.

[waytofailself]

Re: The Accidental Career of Guy West (CH2k8)

Well, you're off to a much better start this year than last year.

Agreed, although that should not come as much of a surprise. On the other hand, my team did lay an egg against an equally bad New Orleans team last year.

As for my next slate of games...