The Accidental Career of Guy West (CH2k8)

[imerson259]

Re: The Accidental Career of Guy West (CH2k8)

The Suspense is killing me!

[waytofailself]

Re: The Accidental Career of Guy West (CH2k8)

Too Young to Know Better

This game was supposed to be a stiff, early season test for Kansas State. Instead, the game got out of hand in a hurry.

And for once, it was a credit to Kansas State's defense that they were able to pull away with the win so early. Michigan attempted to get their inside game on track early, but Dandorriss Walls and DeMarcus Ross were too powerful on defense in the middle. Their stout work around the rim led to a number of transition opportunities for Kansas State. The result was a momentum swing they would not let go of.

The young Wildcats poured it on all night on the over-matched Wolverines

Entering the game, everyone knew West's squad had talent. What may have surprised casual observers was the amount of confidence they carried with them. But don't think of this as some simple attempt at culture change. Instead, Coach West described it in simple terms: "One of the benefits of bringing so many new faces in is that the team becomes focused on growing for the future instead of being weighed down by the past."

Tonight the Wildcats soared to new heights and delighted the home crowd. Maybe the Wildcats are playing over their heads, or maybe the brazenness of youth is a sign of things to come.

Michigan Wolverines at Kansas State Wildcats
Dec 1, 2017	1ST	2ND	SCORE
Michigan (5-4)	27	42	69
Kansas State (3-0)	42	44	86

Michigan Wolverines
STARTERS	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PTS
R. Nahra	25	8-18	2-7	2-2	1	2	0	0	0	20
T. Schille	18	5-12	2-4	0-0	3	4	1	0	0	12
T. Fulton	26	8-16	0-1	2-5	9	0	2	2	1	18
U. Ike	22	1-3	0-0	0-0	2	0	1	0	1	2
C. Armstrong	10	1-1	0-0	0-0	0	0	2	1	0	2
BENCH	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PTS
V. Bain	15	2-5	0-1	1-1	1	4	0	1	2	5
J. Owens	19	3-7	0-0	0-0	5	0	3	0	0	6
K. Grafs	12	2-3	0-0	0-0	1	0	0	0	1	4
P. Victor	1	0-0	0-0	0-0	0	0	0	0	0	0
C. Pope	1	0-0	0-0	0-0	0	0	0	0	0	0
T. Riggs	-- DID NOT PLAY --
A. Tyler	-- DID NOT PLAY --
TEAM TOTALS		30-65	4-13	5-8	22	10	9	4	5	69

Kansas State Wildcats
STARTERS	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PTS
J. Guzman	20	2-8	1-4	0-0	1	7	0	0	1	5
E. Kummer	17	4-10	3-7	0-0	3	3	0	0	0	11
B. Gatling	20	5-9	3-4	2-2	4	2	0	0	2	15
D. Walls	18	7-10	0-0	3-6	6	0	1	2	1	17
D. Ross	18	8-10	0-0	4-7	12	3	1	3	2	20
BENCH	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PTS
D. Worthington	13	4-6	0-0	0-1	3	1	0	0	0	8
M. Mathis	10	0-2	0-0	0-0	2	2	2	0	1	0
R. Guzman	11	1-4	0-0	3-4	8	0	1	2	0	5
M. Martin	10	0-2	0-2	1-2	1	3	0	0	2	1
C. Geiger	5	0-1	0-0	0-0	0	0	0	0	0	0
J. Hayes	4	2-2	0-0	0-0	0	0	0	1	1	4
K. Mendoza	4	0-1	0-0	0-0	0	0	0	0	0	0
TEAM TOTALS		33-65	7-17	13-22	40	21	5	8	10	86

[JerzeyReign]

Re: The Accidental Career of Guy West (CH2k8)

First time reading this in a minute and I come back to you destroying my Wolverines? I. HOPE. A. SWARM. OF. GNATS. BITE. YOU. REPEATEDLY. :wink:

[waytofailself]

Re: The Accidental Career of Guy West (CH2k8)

Yep I'm still here. Can you smell fall in the air? It's basketball time once again.

Here Today, But How Far Tomorrow?

vs Lamar (2-5) W: 82-67

The Wildcats got a big win at home from a surprisingly scrappy Lamar squad. No matter that West's squad went wire to wire, they could not put their opponent out of the game until near the very end. It would take good board work by Ross and Walls, along with the continued steady leadership of Justin Guzman, to seal the victory.

Just the same, the Wildcats can look forward not only to a small break before their next game, but fans can also begin to salivate over what next season will bring.

2017 Mid-Season Recruiting Update

Although Coach West was very successful on the recruiting trail last season, one major criticism he received was his inability to shore up the back court. Although the Wildcats have been getting results thus far with their inserted spare parts, it looks like West is about to put a monumental exclamation point to his rebuilding project.

Kansas State Early Recruiting Commitments - 2017
NAME	POS	CLASS	HOMETOWN	HT	WT	CALIBER
#7 Duncan Bird (AA)	#1 SG	HS	Brookings, SD (Mr. BB)	6'3"	192
#8 L.L. Burns (AA)	#2 SG	HS	St. Louis, MO (Mr. BB)	6'1"	183
Barney Conroy	PG	JUCO	San Bernadino, CA	6'3"	221

Take another look: three five star recruits for the Wildcats with more scholarships remaining. The question of who takes over the back court after this season is pretty much settled as well. What remains to be seen is how the pecking order shakes out. West once again shows no fear in chasing a JUCO player to man the point, and Barney Conroy already has the inside track to next year's starting PG spot. L.L. Burns or Duncan Bird have tremendous ball handling skills on top of great shooting range, and it is entirely possible that the three could be in some kind of rotation starting next year.

During a conference call after the three gave their commitments, Coach West was obviously pleased about the marquee players coming to Manhattan. When asked about his remaining scholarships, his response was simple: "We are still in the mode of trying to sign the best players available. We want players who are committed to the team, not just to national exposure. Fortunately, I feel we have plugged all of our "holes" in our roster, and at this point we have more flexibility in who we can pursue versus who we need to pursue."

This year's crop could turn in the greatest recruiting class in Kansas State history. Between this year's haul and Kansas State's hot start, West's coaching seat seems to be cooling off by the day.

[VandyRedskins21]

Re: The Accidental Career of Guy West (CH2k8)

Wow seriously great haul so far.. Hope the team plays like you recruit in the conference schedule.

[R1zzo23]

That's a hell of a start to the recruiting season for Kansas State. What year is that JUCO point guard?

[waytofailself]

Re: The Accidental Career of Guy West (CH2k8)

Wow seriously great haul so far.. Hope the team plays like you recruit in the conference schedule.

I can only hope. The stars aligned for me on the recruiting trail. All three had KSU as their top choice by a significant margin at the start of the season.

Big 12 will be the real test. My team is still very young, although maybe not as flawed as I was expecting.

That's a hell of a start to the recruiting season for Kansas State. What year is that JUCO point guard?

Thanks. Conroy is a JC Freshman. So I'll have a good three years with him.

[R1zzo23]

Yep I'm still here. Can you smell fall in the air? It's basketball time once again.

This statement alone has given me the itch to play my legacy again. I may pop this game back in tonight and get back to coaching up SMU. Basketball season certainly is upon us!

[waytofailself]

Re: The Accidental Career of Guy West (CH2k8)

Half a Game

Sometimes it's easy to rest easy and lay off the gas. For the first leg of the game, the Wildcat's defense was tenacious. The Cougars could not hit shots, and they could not control the ball or the floor. Branduinn Gatling paced all scorers by draining four three pointers near the end of the first half. For all involved, the Wildcats were on fire, and after building up a 25 point lead in the opening minutes of the second half, it looked like there was nothing Houston could do.

And then the Wildcats stopped scoring.

In what Coach West characterized after the game as "One of the most ridiculous displays I have ever been involved with on any level," the Wildcats put their bench in early. Normally reserves relish the opportunity for extra minutes, but tonight, they looked like they had somewhere else to be. Exam season exhaustion? Who knows -- it did not seem to affect the Cougars. They got hot and started pushing hard on defense, holding the Wildcats to six points for the final 8 minutes of the game.

Yet the Wildcats managed to hang on to win by slowing down the ball. Still, the Wildcats, who have looked surprisingly good this young season, show they are still a work in progress. Discipline is something that should come to this squad in time. "Still," Coach West remarked after the game, "this kind of let down was unacceptable."

Houston Cougars at Kansas State Wildcats
Dec 13, 2017	1ST	2ND	SCORE
Houston (3-4)	26	32	58
Kansas State (5-0)	37	25	62

Houston Cougars
STARTERS	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PTS
V. Onell	25	4-13	2-6	4-4	1	7	0	0	2	14
S. Patterson	24	4-14	0-3	0-2	2	1	0	0	0	8
W. Kovacevic	23	3-10	0-2	0-0	4	2	1	0	0	6
L. Paulding	21	3-6	0-0	0-0	6	0	1	0	0	6
P. Clemmons	23	3-6	0-0	3-3	9	1	4	2	0	9
BENCH	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PTS
M. Joseph	13	2-2	0-0	0-0	5	1	0	0	0	4
B. Coles	5	3-3	0-0	1-1	3	0	0	0	1	7
A. Copeland	10	0-5	0-1	0-0	3	1	0	0	2	0
J. Bellairs	4	1-2	0-0	2-2	2	0	0	0	1	4
D. Anderson	1	0-0	0-0	0-0	0	0	0	0	0	0
J. Mcbridle	1	0-0	0-0	0-0	0	0	0	0	1	0
TEAM TOTALS		23-62	2-13	10-12	35	13	6	2	7	58

Kansas State Wildcats
STARTERS	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PTS
J. Guzman	22	3-4	1-2	0-0	3	7	0	0	2	7
E. Kummer	21	0-8	0-7	0-0	6	0	0	0	2	0
B. Gatling	22	5-10	4-6	0-0	3	3	1	0	0	14
D. Walls	19	4-8	0-0	2-3	1	3	1	0	2	10
D. Ross	18	2-3	0-0	3-6	3	2	1	1	1	7
BENCH	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PTS
D. Worthington	13	8-10	0-0	0-0	5	1	1	2	1	16
M. Mathis	13	0-1	0-0	0-0	5	2	0	1	0	0
R. Guzman	10	1-3	0-0	0-0	2	1	0	0	0	2
M. Martin	7	1-3	1-3	0-0	1	1	0	0	1	3
C. Geiger	3	0-1	0-0	0-0	0	0	0	0	0	0
J. Hayes	1	1-2	0-0	1-1	0	0	0	0	0	3
K. Mendoza	1	0-0	0-0	0-0	0	0	0	0	0	0
TEAM TOTALS		25-53	6-18	6-10	29	20	4	4	9	62

[superjames1992]

Re: The Accidental Career of Guy West (CH2k8)

Wow, nice class. I've never had that great of a class, though my class this year at WVU looks like one of my better ones, at least.

It looks like you are building off your conference run last year with the 5-0 start. Perhaps you can make the Big Dance this year, though (by overall ratings, at least) your team still looks overmatched in conference play.

[waytofailself]

Re: The Accidental Career of Guy West (CH2k8)

Wow, nice class. I've never had that great of a class, though my class this year at WVU looks like one of my better ones, at least.

It looks like you are building off your conference run last year with the 5-0 start. Perhaps you can make the Big Dance this year, though (by overall ratings, at least) your team still looks overmatched in conference play.

Thanks. The incoming class should mesh with last year's class very nicely.

But I agree that there are a lot of questions still to be answered about this year's team. But if I can start strong enough, I might be able to carry that momentum into a Tournament selection.

[waytofailself]

Re: The Accidental Career of Guy West (CH2k8)

The Ugly Truth

It's easy to forget Guy West is running with a team full of Freshmen, especially with the early season success the Kansas State Wildcats have had early in the year.

And then they go on the road and blow out an Atlantic 10 opponent. No, not blow them out: double the home team's score by a final margin of 92-46. There could be something else brewing in Manhattan, KS that the rest of the nation might not be ready for.

Branduinn Gatling hits another three to cap a huge first half for the Wildcats

The usual Guy West formula is to go big in the middle and to let everything else take care of itself, and to an extent that is what happened in Kingston. Kansas State's defense set the tone early and stopped whatever the Rams tried to do. But add in effective outside shooting by Justin Guzman and Branduinn Gatling, and Kansas State showed another dimension that other teams will have to take notice of.

Sure, this is struggling Rhode Island that Kansas State defeated -- but they are a team that matched up, on paper, very well with Kansas State. Darrell Cousinard was very effective at clogging up the lane and stopping West's inexperienced front court from getting good shots. So instead, the Wildcats went outside and opened the game with a 26-4 run.

DeMarcus Ross handles the paint all by himself

With their offense clicking and the defense suffocating the competition, the Wildcats' lead would balloon to as high as 55 points even with the first string benched. By the end of the game, Rhode Island was so morally crushed that their defense only watched as walk-on PG Micheal Martin threw an ally-oop to walk-on SF Cori Geiger. It was that kind of night.

The question now is whether Kansas State can keep up this performance by the time they stare conference play.

Kansas State Wildcats at Rhode Island Rams
Dec 18, 2017	1ST	2ND	SCORE
Kansas State (6-0)	51	41	92
Rhode Island (2-7)	22	24	46

Kansas State Wildcats
STARTERS	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PTS
J. Guzman	17	5-7	3-5	1-2	3	5	2	0	2	14
E. Kummer	15	4-5	0-1	1-2	3	3	1	0	0	9
B. Gatling	17	7-16	4-8	2-2	4	3	1	0	1	20
D. Walls	15	5-11	0-0	3-4	6	2	1	0	1	13
D. Ross	15	3-4	0-0	0-0	8	3	1	2	0	6
BENCH	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PTS
D. Worthington	7	2-2	0-0	0-0	4	2	0	2	1	4
M. Mathis	10	2-2	1-1	0-0	3	1	0	0	1	5
R. Guzman	15	2-4	0-0	0-0	8	0	1	1	0	4
M. Martin	13	1-4	1-2	4-4	0	4	1	0	1	7
C. Geiger	13	3-4	0-1	0-0	2	2	0	0	0	6
J. Hayes	8	2-3	0-1	0-0	0	0	0	0	0	4
K. Mendoza	5	0-1	0-0	0-0	0	0	0	0	0	0
TEAM TOTALS		36-63	9-19	11-14	41	25	8	5	7	92

Rhode Island Rams
STARTERS	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PTS
J. Underwood	21	0-1	0-1	0-0	2	8	1	0	5	0
A. Lagana	22	4-10	1-4	0-0	2	2	1	1	1	9
E. Day	23	3-12	1-7	0-0	2	1	1	0	0	7
G. Burrell	17	0-6	0-2	1-2	4	0	1	0	2	1
D. Couisnard	22	6-10	0-0	0-2	4	1	2	2	2	12
BENCH	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PTS
A. Fletcher	14	2-7	0-0	2-4	1	0	1	0	0	6
C. Causey	10	3-3	0-0	0-0	2	1	0	1	0	6
K. Nelke	6	0-5	0-1	0-0	1	0	0	0	0	0
L. Kemp	10	1-1	0-0	0-0	0	2	0	0	0	2
M. Edwin	4	1-4	0-0	1-1	3	0	0	0	0	3
J. Amous	1	0-0	0-0	0-0	0	1	0	0	0	0
M. Gordon	-- DID NOT PLAY --
TEAM TOTALS		20-59	2-15	4-9	21	16	7	4	10	46

[waytofailself]

Re: The Accidental Career of Guy West (CH2k8)

Welcome to Manhattan

In a match up between two teams that have been turning heads all season, the momentum showed. Defense took the side stage, as both the Hurricanes and Wildcats fought basket for basket in a dizzying offensive display -- at least in stretches.

But it only took one time out for Miami to start feeling at home.

There could be a number of factors of what happened next. Maybe the Wildcats entered the game a little too confident, because they usually are not the team to be a step behind on defense. Or maybe it was just a cold shooting night -- Justin Guzman and Branduinn Gatling combined for an abysmal 4-14 from beyond the arc despite having chances. By comparison, Miami's starters shot a combined 10-14 from beyond the arc. It was that kind of night.

But Miami's emphasis on ball movement was not the only thing that rocketed the Hurricanes into the lead. Instead, it was also their willingness to drop their defense into the paint and dare West's squad to beat them with jump shots.

Miami's ball movement exposed Kansas State's lack of experience

The result was immediate. Miami went on a 15 point run and the Wildcats were outmatch for most of the rest of the game. No matter what West tried to do or no matter who he put on the floor, no one could stop the Hurricanes. They could score from anywhere, and for the first time all season the Wildcats looked completely outclassed.

To put it another way, Kansas State played well enough to beat the Rhode Islands or Lamars of the world. But this wasn't Rhode Island. This wasn't Lamar. This was a train wreck. It will be up to Coach West to ensure that this was a one night blip on his young squad's radar screen. Otherwise, Miami might have given the rest of the NCAA the blueprint to beat the Wildcats.

Miami (FL) Hurricanes at Kansas State Wildcats
Dec 22, 2017	1ST	2ND	SCORE
Miami (FL) (7-3)	58	39	97
Kansas State (7-0)	44	30	74

Miami (FL) Hurricanes
STARTERS	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PTS
J. Huertas	25	5-8	3-4	2-4	0	14	0	0	1	15
D. Richards	26	5-10	3-6	1-2	5	1	0	0	0	14
V. Zimnickas	25	9-12	4-4	2-5	5	3	0	0	2	24
G. Quick	9	1-2	0-0	0-0	1	0	1	0	0	2
K. Guiang	23	8-11	0-0	2-4	4	2	2	2	1	18
BENCH	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PTS
K. Stepp	15	3-9	1-5	1-1	0	4	1	0	0	8
F. Bush	13	4-5	1-1	0-0	6	1	2	0	3	9
G. Braswell	5	2-3	1-1	0-0	1	0	0	0	0	5
G. Abukar	1	0-1	0-0	0-0	0	0	0	0	0	0
G. Glover	6	0-0	0-0	2-2	1	0	0	0	0	2
J. Delfico	1	0-1	0-1	0-0	0	0	0	0	0	0
C. Delgado	1	0-0	0-0	0-0	1	0	0	0	0	0
TEAM TOTALS		37-62	13-22	10-18	24	25	6	2	7	97

Kansas State Wildcats
STARTERS	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PTS
J. Guzman	22	2-8	2-6	0-0	1	7	0	0	3	6
E. Kummer	24	0-2	0-2	0-0	3	1	2	1	0	0
B. Gatling	21	5-15	2-8	0-0	8	0	0	0	1	12
D. Walls	7	4-6	0-0	3-6	3	3	0	2	1	11
D. Ross	23	11-16	0-2	1-3	4	2	1	3	2	23
BENCH	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PTS
D. Worthington	17	3-6	0-1	1-2	5	1	0	1	0	7
M. Mathis	9	1-2	0-0	2-2	1	0	0	0	2	4
R. Guzman	11	3-5	0-0	0-0	3	0	0	0	0	6
M. Martin	9	1-1	0-0	0-0	0	2	0	0	1	2
C. Geiger	6	1-3	1-1	0-0	1	2	0	0	0	3
J. Hayes	1	0-0	0-0	0-0	0	0	0	0	0	0
K. Mendoza	-- DID NOT PLAY --
TEAM TOTALS		31-64	5-20	7-13	29	18	3	7	10	74

[superjames1992]

Re: The Accidental Career of Guy West (CH2k8)

Well, I guess a loss was inevitable at some point, but that one was painful.

[waytofailself]

Re: The Accidental Career of Guy West (CH2k8)

Well, I guess a loss was inevitable at some point, but that one was painful.

Very painful. Miami got hot and stayed hot. I shouldn't blow it out of proportion though, it is just one game and one loss.

Still, one thing that might not have showed in the replay was that Miami was able to match me for size with no problem. That's going to be a similar issue when conference play starts up.