The Accidental Career of Guy West (CH2k8)

[waytofailself]

Re: The Accidental Career of Guy West (CH2k8)

Tough loss. Imagine a quiet locker room after this one. 16 missed free throws, that's going to stick in the air for a while.

Good luck next season.

Yeah, tough way to go out. Every other way the game went it was Drexel's game. But go figure, those uncontested shots from an arbitrary line.

Keep in mind that the two made free throws in the 2nd half were from Femi Ramsey, meaning he went an appalling 1-5 in the first half.

[edmus]

Re: The Accidental Career of Guy West (CH2k8)

Sorry to see your season end that way. 10-of-26 from the FT line is just abysmal. GT seems to play the spoiler in a few people's legacies here. If I ever get good enough to make it deep in the tournament & have to face them, I'm going to be very nervous!

I really enjoy watching your video highlights.

[waytofailself]

Re: The Accidental Career of Guy West (CH2k8)

Sorry to see your season end that way. 10-of-26 from the FT line is just abysmal. GT seems to play the spoiler in a few people's legacies here. If I ever get good enough to make it deep in the tournament & have to face them, I'm going to be very nervous!

I really enjoy watching your video highlights.

Thanks. Glad I can at least put them up since there is no integrated service (not that I can get NBA2k's to work, but still).

GT was a pretty nasty opponent. They took advantage when I let them stay in the game. That's just basketball. I mean, memphis would have won (and subsequently lost!) a title if they could just hit their free throws. But they failed as a team.

Which makes me wonder when Drexel will be facing sanctions...

[edmus]

Re: The Accidental Career of Guy West (CH2k8)

Which makes me wonder when Drexel will be facing sanctions...

Some of those recruiting classes you've brought in have to be raising suspicions!

[waytofailself]

Re: The Accidental Career of Guy West (CH2k8)

2016 NCAA Tournament Results

It was an incredibly long, windy road. All of the favorites fell early. It was up to the underdogs to fight not for the table scraps, but for the Championship. Except that there was one team everyone seemed to forget about. One team that would go on to crush the spirits of all of their foes en route to what can only be classified as an "inevitable" championship. With all challengers eliminated from the Tournament, there was only one suitable team left to claim the NCAA crown.

Sweet Sixteen

East Regional
#8 Memphis 78 #5 Oklahoma State 68
#14 Norfolk State 67 #7 Ohio State 77

The Memphis Tigers rose up and obliterated the highly favored Oklahoma State Cowboys. Maybe Memphis is the team to beat out of the East after all? Meanwhile, the Norfolk State Spartans got huge games from Jerrold Doss and Greg Seymour, but got nothing from the rest of their supporting cast in a loss to the Ohio State Buckeyes.

West Regional
#8 Tennessee 73 #4 Ole Miss 66
#6 North Carolina 69 #7 Nebraska 66

It would figure that the West side of the bracket would be decided between two power squads from the eastern part of the country. Tenneessee knocked out Ole Miss thanks to a huge game by Landon Shiloh. Meanwhile, North Carolina needed a late 10 point cushion to hold off a charge by Nebraska.

South Regional
#1 UCLA 73 #5 Oregon 77
#6 Cincinnati 70 #2 Louisville 73

Not a single #1 seed will advance past the Sweet Sixteen. It was said before the Tournament that any number of teams could have been a #1, but the only survivor of that is Louisville -- who barely escaped the Cincinnati Bearcats. Meanwhile, Oregon got a big lift from Galen Coles in the second half en route to a victory over UCLA. Oregon vs. Louisville looks to be a fascinating game between two teams that were picked to go the distance at the start of the season.

Midwest Regional
#8 Duke 67 #4 Arizona 73
#3 Georgia Tech 81 #7 Drexel 78

Sometimes winning games in the Tournament is as simple as making shots, and the two teams that lost in the Mid-West did so by their own power. Duke shoe 3-16 from beyond the arc and 50% from the Free Throw line in a terrible loss to Arizona. But Drexel tried to one-up the Blue Devils by clanking 16 free throws against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets. If teams made their shots, this could have been an entirely different outcome.

Elite Eight

East Regional
#8 Memphis 62 #7 Ohio State 52

In a game that was tight until the final five minutes, the Tigers make it back to the Final Four thanks to a huge outpouring of scoring by Hashim Roller in the second half.

West Regional
#8 Tennessee 69 #6 North Carolina 79

Calvin Bright showed the world why he is an all-world player today. The North Carolina Forward has teams across the NBA drooling, but whether he decides to play college or professional ball next year is still an open question.

South Regional
#5 Oregon 67 #2 Louisville 91

This was not the game we expected. Louisville buried the Oregon Ducks behind the shooting of B.A. Brittan and vastly superior bench play. The Ducks struggled just like they did in the Pac 10, losing their tournament form at just the wrong time.

Midwest Regional
#4 Arizona 87 #3 Georgia Tech 86

In a game that featured numerous lead changes, the final one came with 0.2 seconds left on the clock. Georgia Tech was forced to foul on Arizona's final shot of the game when their defense broke down and Ollie Woodard broke free for a layup. The Senior PG hit both free throws to clinch his team's trip to the Final Four.

Final Four

#8 Memphis 68 #6 North Carolina 90

#2 Louisville 93 #4 Arizona 65

Neither game was competitive and stars shone brightly for both. Lousiville buried their opponent with 53 second half points, while North Carolina pulled away with hot shooting from beyond the arc. The question now is whether the Tar Heels can stand up to Rick Pitino's stacked squad.

Championship

#6 North Carolina 73 #2 Louisville 101

Louisville dominated the North Carolina Tar Heels with a total team effort. Over a third of the Cardinals' 101 points came from their bench, and North Carolina just did not have the players to keep up. As a result, the Louisville slammed the door shut on any Tar Heel hopes of an upset the moment Coach Williams had to make his first substitutions.

[waytofailself]

Re: The Accidental Career of Guy West (CH2k8)

2016 End of Season Awards

National Champion: Louisville
NIT Champion: South Carolina
NCAA Player of the Year: Angel Detrick (C New Mexico)
NCAA Mid-Major Player of the Year: Holden Higgins (PF Iona)
NCAA Coach of the Year: Rick Pitino (Louisville)
NCAA Defensive Player of the Year: Calvin Bright (PF UNC)
NCAA Big Man of the Year: Angel Detrick (C New Mexico)
NCAA Freshman of the Year: Brett Beeler (PF Duke 87 OVR)

First Team All-American
PG: Irving Rand (UNLV)
SG: Neil Glass (DePaul)
SF: Treg Garrett (Florida)
PF: Holden Higgins (Iona)
C: Angel Detrick (New Mexico)

Second Team All-American
PG: Shaun North (Duke)
SG: Len Al-Sayyad (Florida International)
SF: Rasheed Tate (Georgetown)
PF: Mark Odugbela (Maryland)
C: Attarrius Echols (Georgia Tech)

Freshman All American
PG: Cordell Myles (Georgia)
SG: Mitchell Neale (Villanova)
SF: Trent Carroll (Boston College)
PF: Brett Beeler (Duke)
C: Misha Bowen (Texas)

CAA Champions: Drexel
CAA Coach of the Year: Guy West (Drexel)
CAA Player of the Year: Femi Ramsey (Drexel)
CAA Freshman of the Year: Todor Robins (Towson)

First Team All-CAA
PG: Cornelius Neale (VCU)
SG: Goran Gross (Hofstra)
SF: Johnny Klatsky (VCU)
PF: Melvin Akpan (Old Dominion)
C: Femi Ramsey (Drexel)

Second Team All-CAA
PG: Nathan Halcomb (George Mason)
SG: Donovan Barlett (Hofstra)
SF: Robbie Irvin (Hofstra)
PF: Tanner Barber (Georgia State)
C: Taylor Bojang (Northeastern)

Freshman All-CAA
PG: Shannon Legans (Drexel)
SG: Dez Braxton (Drexel)
SF: Al King (VCU)
PF: Todor Robins (Towson)
C: Emerson Gray (VCU)

End of Season Update

This was a good season for the Dragons. Sure they didn't repeat as National Champions, but making it back to the Sweet Sixteen given where they were in the bracket is an achievement. Some would say that the Dragons fell off a bit this year by having the most talented team they have ever had in school history but progressing the least in the NCAA's. While that statement may be factually correct, it does not take into account this year's youth factor.

It took awhile for Coach West to settle into what he wanted to do with his back court. It's tough for any player to jump straight from High School to college, but there are a lot of different factors to take into account. Eventually, Coach West realized that Dean's defensive game had not developed far enough for him to get consistent time on the court. Or at least starter minutes. Then Shannon Legans showed the team what he can do in game with the ball. Maybe the biggest question mark is Dez Braxton, who did adequately playing defense but struggled hitting shots with a hand in his face. He has a lot of growing to do.

Drexel 2015-2016 Season Stats Stats - 2016
Player	GP	MIN	PPG	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	TPG	FPG
F. Ramsey	35	21.3	18.2	7.3	1.7	0.8	1.9	1.6	2.3
T. Cottrill	35	15.6	10.9	4.5	0.3	0.6	1.5	1.3	1.6
D. Sow	34	19.3	10.6	6.9	1.2	0.6	1.4	1.3	2.0
W. Morandais	35	21.2	7.7	3.1	2.4	0.6	0.3	1.0	1.4
S. Legans	35	20.4	6.9	1.0	4.9	1.1	0.0	1.4	1.5
D. Richard	35	13.9	5.7	3.0	0.9	0.4	0.1	0.8	0.9
D. Braxton	35	19.1	5.6	2.3	2.4	0.8	0.2	0.7	1.5
K. Dean	35	14.7	4.5	1.4	3.9	1.0	0.0	1.1	1.1
D. Marsh	33	8.8	3.7	0.9	1.2	0.5	0.0	0.6	0.6
G. McLaughlin	35	6.9	3.4	2.4	0.4	0.2	0.7	0.3	0.7
H. Padilla	29	3.3	1.5	0.6	0.5	0.3	0.0	0.3	0.3
J. Vassallo	27	3.9	1.1	0.7	0.4	0.1	0.0	0.1	0.3
D. Wilson	8	4.0	1.0	2.5	1.0	0.0	0.5	0.0	0.5

Overall, the season was a success for the Dragons. They got to know their new pieces, and they have some strong players waiting in the wings to replace Femi Ramsey. Despite Ramsey's talent, Drexel should have no trouble transitioning to the post-Ramsey era.

Except, of course, for one major loose end to tie up...

[waytofailself]

Re: The Accidental Career of Guy West (CH2k8)

The Guy West Sweepstakes

It only took a few words, but Guy West set off a firestorm in his post-game question and answer session after the Drexel Dragons fell to the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets. Speculation had been rampant the whole season regarding West's future. And it only grew to a fever pitch not by what he said, but by what he left unsaid. When asked directly about links between him and Maryland, West did not go out of his way to debunk the rumors or reaffirm his commitment to stick with the Dragons. Instead, he only said that the post-game was not the time, nor the place, to bring up that topic.

While initial speculation pointed to West taking over at Maryland, Coach Gary Williams took a week after his team's second round loss to Georgia Tech and decided he wanted another season at the helm. So with the obvious link out of the picture, there are a number of teams who have reportedly approached West about their head coaching position. And not just small fries either. Major teams from power conferences.

Below is a brief look at each team vying for West's services:

Drexel Dragons
Location: Philadelphia, PA
Area Population: 1.5 Million City / 6 Million Metro-Area
Contract Offered: Unknown
2015-2016 Record: 28-7 (15-3)
2014-2015 Record: 38-0
Conference: CAA
Overall Rating: 89
Number of Rising Seniors: 4
Key Returning Players:
Duncan Sow (JR C 81 OVR), Dez Braxton (FR SG 81 OVR), Shannon Legans (FR PG 80 OVR)

The Dragons are in a tight spot. They were able to get West for a bargain, but structured his contract in a way to mitigate the possibility of failure or a locker room blow up. They did not properly plan for the kind of immediate success West brought to the table. West has a great fondness for the program, but there is little in the contract that would deter him from leaving. Drexel would be forced to renegotiate, and it may not have the resources necessary to do so. Still, the Dragons have been built by West to last for years, and the familiarity and loyalty to the program may be enough to keep him in Philadelphia.

South Carolina Gamecocks
Location: Columbia, SC
Area Population: 120 Thousand City / 770 Thousand Metro-Area
Contract Offered: Two Years
2015-2016 Record: 25-11 (8-8)
2014-2015 Record: 11-20
Conference: SEC
Overall Rating: 90
Number of Rising Seniors: 4
Key Returning Players:
Fezzik Simpson (JR SG 84 OVR), Finvce Francis (SO SF 84 OVR), Justino Fowler (FR SG 82 OVR)

The Gamecocks made a huge turnaround under Dave Odom, but the Coach decided this would be his last year. The NIT Champions are stacked and ready to compete for the next few years in the SEC. Probably the most attractive part of this package is that the Gamecocks return five of their six best players for next year. They are young and are already tabbed as one of the favorites to win the conference next season. That said, West would feel the pressure to instantly succeed that he might not feel at other schools. Considering West has already coached in Philadelphia, that won't be an adjustment.

Minnesota Golden Gophers
Location: Minneapolis, MN
Area Population: 380 Thousand City / 3 Million Metro-Area
Contract Offered: Two Years
2015-2016 Record: 14-18 (5-13)
2014-2015 Record: 6-23
Conference: B1G
Overall Rating: 83
Number of Rising Seniors: 4
Key Returning Players:
Andy Blake (SO C 79 OVR) and Quin Cooper (JR PF 78 OVR)

Tubby Smith still cannot catch a break. But years of sub-par recruiting finally caught up with him, and Minnesota decided to go in a different direction. If Coach West wants to rebuild, this is not a bad location to do it. The Gophers have a solid piece in Andy Blake who will be around for a few years to build around. Otherwise, the slate is clean and expectations are low.

Kansas State Wildcats
Location: Manhattan, KS
Area Population: 52 Thousand
Contract Offered: Two Years
2015-2016 Record: 8-23 (3-13)
2014-2015 Record: 9-21
Conference: Big 12
Overall Rating: 81
Number of Rising Seniors: 5
Key Returning Players:
Darwin Peterson (JR PF 79 OVR) and L.F. Reaser (JR PG 78 OVR)

The Kansas State Wildcats are tired of losing. They have been kicked around by in-state rival Kansas and the rest of the Big 12 for too long, and it was enough to kick coach Frank Martin out the door. Internally, expectations are high for the Wildcats next season -- especially when four key starters will be Seniors who have played together for years. The Wildcats want to hire a coach that will return them to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1986 (in-game). But from the outside looking in, Kansas State needs a total roster overhaul.

Texas A&M Aggies
Location: College Station, TX
Area Population: 100 Thousand City / 200 Thousand Metro-Area
Contract Offered: Two Years
2015-2016 Record: 13-17 (4-12)
2014-2015 Record: 13-17
Conference: Big 12
Overall Rating: 83
Number of Rising Seniors: 4
Key Returning Players:
Rex Curry (JR SF 83 OVR) and Bernie Lovelace (JR SF 80 OVR)

Of all of the Universities offering Coach West a position, Texas A&M is by far the most academically prestigious. But the same cannot be said about the team's on court performance. The Aggies have struggled of late both at acquiring talent and getting the talent to perform on the floor. This is unusual considering College Station is in one of the best recruiting hotbeds in the nation. Still, this is a squad that needs some serious rebuilding -- although fans will be willing to give Coach West the benefit of the doubt early given his recent history with the Texas Longhorns.

St. Johns Red Storm
Location: Queens, NY
Area Population: 2.2 Million Borough
Contract Offered: Two Years
2015-2016 Record: 10-19 (4-14)
2014-2015 Record: 6-24
Conference: Big East
Overall Rating: 83
Number of Rising Seniors: 3
Key Returning Players:
Cuthbert Horton (JR C 83) and Dokun Wagner (80 OVR JR SG)

The Red Storm have fallen behind the curve. Despite some recent success, the past two years have been too much for fans who expect more. And who better to start the new regime than Guy West. He's already well established in the Northeast, from just down I-95, and has a good history of taking programs to new heights. There's a lot of climbing for St. John's to do in the Big East. They return all of last year's starters, meaning there is a possibility of a quick turnaround. However, expectations could chew Coach West up and spit him right back out onto I-95.

[VandyRedskins21]

Re: The Accidental Career of Guy West (CH2k8)

WOW 4 different power conference teams! A lot of them have a lot of experience coming back. Is this the end of the West era in Philly??

[edmus]

Re: The Accidental Career of Guy West (CH2k8)

Some impressive offers there. I guess if your chief concern is winning right away, that South Carolina job is a no-brainer. Otherwise, I think Minnesota could be the most interesting story.

[edmus]

Re: The Accidental Career of Guy West (CH2k8)

Sorry, I liked the format of your job offer posting so much, I stole it for my own thread!

When you get a chance, maybe you can weigh in on which job I should take?

[waytofailself]

Re: The Accidental Career of Guy West (CH2k8)

WOW 4 different power conference teams! A lot of them have a lot of experience coming back. Is this the end of the West era in Philly??

It's a lot to choose from, that's for sure. A good variety of good teams and teams that need work as well. Or I can stick it out with Drexel and see how far my young players can take me.

Some impressive offers there. I guess if your chief concern is winning right away, that South Carolina job is a no-brainer. Otherwise, I think Minnesota could be the most interesting story.

South Carolina is indeed a sweet job -- except it is in South Carolina.

On the other hand, Minnesota is not a bad job because it has the degree of difficulty I'm looking for. The Big 10 is pretty competitive, and there is another good big man that I can build around the first few seasons.

Of course, I've already had two teams with quality big men out of the box (Kyle O'Quinn at Norfolk State and Femi Ramsey at Drexel). That begs the question of whether I should go for something different.

Oh, and speaking of Femi Ramsey...

[waytofailself]

Re: The Accidental Career of Guy West (CH2k8)

Femi Ramsey Drafted 14th by Houston Rockets

As expected, Femi Ramsey was drafted in the Lottery, although he slipped lower than maybe was initially expected.

Teams were intrigued by Ramsey's size and motor, but were put off by hit flat lining production throughout his college career. Some were worried that he has already peaked, and that he will only end up being as good as he is as a rookie.

His NBA2k8 ratings included being 72 OVR with B+ Potential (was picked 12th)

The other issue was that while Ramsey is able to get his own shot close to the basket, his rane does not extend far beyond eight feet from the basket. Furthermore, his defense is solid but not elite coming out of Drexel.

When asked about the draft, Coach West had this to say, "The Rockets showed once again why they are a class organization that is exceptional at scouting. Femi has a lot of room left to grow, and I thought a lot of him reaching his cieling is absurd. Ramsey was willing to share the ball and the spotlight -- and he did not need to have the ball in his hands the whole game to have an impact.

"Ramsey is destined for big things in the NBA. I look forward to seeing where his career takes him next."

Ramsey shoots a hook shot near the basket in his first game as a pro.

[waytofailself]

Re: The Accidental Career of Guy West (CH2k8)

Forgot to mention: 2015-2016 season file is up on 2kshare. Same name as usual: Guy West OS 2016.

I stopped it just after the Louisville - UNC championship game but before the offseason started. That way those playing at home (if there are any) could choose where they want to take it.

[R1zzo23]

Re: The Accidental Career of Guy West (CH2k8)

I read the past couple pages of this thread and have forgotten much of what has gone on in the early years. I'm going to do myself a favor and re-read through the entire thing to get a feel of the entire dynasty. I love this and keep it up! The videos are great and love seeing your players in the NBA. How did you get him drafted? Are you using NBA 2k8?

[waytofailself]

Re: The Accidental Career of Guy West (CH2k8)

I read the past couple pages of this thread and have forgotten much of what has gone on in the early years. I'm going to do myself a favor and re-read through the entire thing to get a feel of the entire dynasty. I love this and keep it up! The videos are great and love seeing your players in the NBA. How did you get him drafted? Are you using NBA 2k8?

Thanks. Glad you are enjoying it it. I addressed the Ramsey thing below:

A couple quick things...

1) Tough loss...GTech is a good adversary I feel like in any game, it's always really satisfying for me to beat them at least.

2) I don't know what you're going for in your dynasty, like mine's centered around recruiting, and with that in mind St.John's is probably the biggest hotbed for recruits in your game, since they're in NYC. When you get your recruiting strategy down my St.John's dynasty was probably second to my ridiculous UCLA dynasty (Wooden was a footnote compared to my dynasty if that says anything). So that's worth considering if you're looking for a place to dominate with recruits.

3) I'm assuming that snapshot is 2k12, though I haven't played my 2k8 in awhile. How'd you upload him there?

Yeah GT is tough. I was expecting as much going in, but sadly I could not hit a free throw and take the game while it was there for the taking.

As for what I want with my Dynasty? There's a lot of things I want from it. Mainly fun and some kind of challenge. Plus something that is interesting to write about. Hopefully you'll get a sense of what I'm going for in the coming post/season.

As for Ramsey, I did two things.

1) exported the draft class to NBA 2k8, which I then simmed the season to see what his overall was.
2) Created him as a MyPlayer in NBA2k12 just to see what he would look like and where he would go.
3) There is no way to import a CH2k8 draft class to NBA2k12. Oh well.