The Accidental Career of Guy West (CH2k8)

[waytofailself]

Re: The Accidental Career of Guy West (CH2k8)

NCAA Hoops Rankings - AP Top 25 - Updated: Jan 7, 2017
RK	LW	TEAM (VOTES)	RECORD
1	3	Gonzaga	14-0
2	1	NC State	12-1
3	5	Wisconsin	15-0
4	6	Duke	13-1
5	2	Villanova	13-1
6	9	Alabama	14-0
7	10	Xavier	14-1
8	8	Kansas	12-2
9	13	Oklahoma State	13-2
10	12	Louisville	11-3
11	4	UCLA	12-1
12	16	Georgia Tech	8-3
13	20	Arizona State	13-2
14	17	UNLV	11-1
15	19	Drexel	14-1
16	22	Iowa	10-1
17	15	Cincinnati	10-2
18	11	Washington State	12-1
19	18	Connecticut	10-5
20	24	Pittsburgh	13-2
21	NR	Syracuse	10-3
22	NR	Georgetown	12-2
23	21	Clemson	14-1
24	23	South Carolina	13-3
25	NR	Oregon	11-3

[waytofailself]

Re: The Accidental Career of Guy West (CH2k8)

By Design

Sometimes it helps to analyze a game by the numbers. Kansas State lost by a wide margin with points from the bench and managed to only hit 25% of their attempts from beyond the arc.

But numbers don't paint the whole picture, because for the first time in a month the Kansas State Wildcats found themselves on the winning side of the scoreboard to open Big 12 play. The Colorado Buffaloes did not know what hit them in the second half, and as a result leave Manhattan, KS with a 82-72 defeat.

The difference this game? It is hard to pick just one because there were a number of them.

L.F. Reaser finally found his shooting stroke against the Buffaloes

For possibly the first time all season, Coach West and his players looked like they were on the same page. The Wildcats attacked the basket relentlessly, forcing Colorado's Justin Singleton and Kelly Buckley into foul trouble -- with Buckley eventually fouling out. As a result, the Wildcats took 14 more free throw attempts than their opponent. Meanwhile, the team focused on making more passes instead of forcing the ball inside and throwing up a shot. Thus, the Wildcats shot 47% from the field -- their best shooting outing in a very long time.

But probably the biggest adjustment of all came on defense. Colorado did not help themselves by missing all but four of their 24 three point attempts, but part of the reason they took so many was because West decided to scrap what had been working for him at Drexel and Norfolk State. Instead of switching between the 1-3-1 and Man-to-Man, the Wildcats played a straight up 2-3 zone for almost the entire game. The result was a dramatic improvement not only in interior defense, but with rebounding as well. Not only did the Wildcats keep pace with the longer Buffaloes, but Roger Guzman and Darwin Peterson combined for 10 blocks to help control the paint and stretch Kansas State's lead.

And finally, for the first time this season against a quality opponent, Kansas State did not squander the lead. Instead, they stayed disciplined, stuck with their game plan, and emerged victorious.

It's going to be a long season in the Big 12, but for the first time all year, Kansas State finally looked like it was ready to play Guy West's brand of basketball.

Colorado Buffaloes at Kansas State Wildcats
Jan 11, 2017	1ST	2ND	SCORE
Colorado (8-4)	31	41	72
Kansas State (3-9)	33	49	82

Colorado Buffaloes
STARTERS	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PTS
M. Stapley	21	6-10	0-2	0-0	2	7	0	0	1	12
A. Galloway	22	7-15	2-8	3-3	1	1	2	0	0	19
S. Robins	21	6-14	1-4	1-1	6	3	0	1	1	14
J. Singleton	23	1-3	0-0	0-0	6	0	0	0	0	2
K Buckley	14	1-1	0-0	0-0	1	0	1	0	0	2
BENCH	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PTS
J. Gates	15	6-17	1-7	1-2	3	3	0	0	0	14
R. McFadgon	13	3-7	0-2	1-1	1	5	0	0	3	7
C. Williamson	3	0-2	0-1	0-0	2	0	0	0	0	0
S. Beatty	14	1-1	0-0	0-0	5	1	1	1	0	2
B. Pettway	3	0-1	0-0	0-0	3	0	0	0	0	0
W. Schneider	-- DID NOT PLAY --
TEAM TOTALS		31-71	4-24	6-7	30	20	4	2	5	72

Kansas State Wildcats
STARTERS	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PTS
L. Reaser	21	6-10	3-7	1-3	3	7	1	0	0	16
K. Coulibaly	21	3-7	1-4	0-0	0	0	0	0	0	7
D. Guinn	25	3-7	0-2	5-8	9	0	1	0	3	11
R. Guzman	22	8-13	0-0	3-4	4	3	0	6	0	19
D. Peterson	23	8-19	0-0	4-5	9	6	0	4	2	20
BENCH	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PTS
M. Mathis	13	2-6	0-0	1-1	3	1	0	0	0	5
D. Macura	5	0-1	0-1	0-0	2	2	0	1	0	0
J. Guzman	7	0-2	0-1	0-0	3	1	1	0	0	0
J. Brinkley	12	2-3	0-1	0-0	2	2	1	0	0	4
C. Geiger	1	0-0	0-0	0-0	0	0	0	0	0	0
TEAM TOTALS		32-68	4-16	14-21	35	22	4	11	5	82

[R1zzo23]

Great start to conference play! I've been playing some more 2-3 zone as well and it seems to help a bit. My last game against Iowa State it worked great until Major Matthews got hot from beyond the arc.

[VandyRedskins21]

Re: The Accidental Career of Guy West (CH2k8)

It's nice to see that someone else runs Triple Cutters to get their point guard an open 3 in the corner!!

But seriously nice win and hopefully you continue to get Ws.

[R1zzo23]

It's nice to see that someone else runs Triple Cutters to get their point guard an open 3 in the corner!!

But seriously nice win and hopefully you continue to get Ws.

I'm looking for new plays and liked that one in the video. What playroom is that under and is it more against a zone or man?

[VandyRedskins21]

Re: The Accidental Career of Guy West (CH2k8)

I'm looking for new plays and liked that one in the video. What playroom is that under and is it more against a zone or man?

It is in the princeton playbook. It works best against a man-to-man but can work against a 2-3 zone. Once you get the ball into the post, your point guard will sneak into the corner and his man will sometimes stray towards the ball too much leaving you for a wide open 3.

[Knickerbocker91]

Re: The Accidental Career of Guy West (CH2k8)

Loving the stat lines from all the K-State players. Efficient shooting, great job taking care of the ball. Solid win and way to kick off the conference schedule

[waytofailself]

Re: The Accidental Career of Guy West (CH2k8)

It's nice to see that someone else runs Triple Cutters to get their point guard an open 3 in the corner!!

But seriously nice win and hopefully you continue to get Ws.

So close. I'll have to take a look at Triple Cutters. To be honest, the play I ran there is C Low Post Feed. Edit: after looking at the play I see the reason for confusion. Triple Cutters is pretty much C Low Post Feed with some extra movement added on at the end. C Low Post Feed feels like half of a play by comparison.

I'm looking for new plays and liked that one in the video. What playroom is that under and is it more against a zone or man?

In my coach profile, my playbook is "all plays." Technically, C Low Post Feed is from the Princeton Playbook, but I tend to like plays that create a lot of options either in man to man or zone. But where I attack from depends on the defense played.

For instance, C Low Post Feed has a number of great perimter options and one low post option that is the "main" play. The first pass to the SF will lead to an open shot against a 2-3, while the C will be in a great position to score quickly against man to man or 1-3-1 or a variety of matchup zones. The PG three is almost always open, but the CPU will generally adjust for it if you try and use it too often (one reason I REALLY like this game) -- especially if they have fast defenders. From there, the PG can work the ball back up the sideline and find the SG waiting at the top of the key where a shot may be available.

I try and vary my playbook based on my team, but if you're looking for plays here are two other ones that I would call my "bread and butter" that have served me well over every season:

Motion: SG Stagger: the first great part about this play is that it will break 2-3 man to man or sometimes even 3-2 with the SG running through some baseline picks. However, there are two excellent options after the SG catches the ball if the shot isn't there. 1) you can pump and go laterally towards the paint. oftentimes the center will flash under the basket to match your movement, making a pretty good layup opportunity or 2) the SF will come down to set a pick for the SG, but after the pick the SF will go to the corner behind the three point line. If your SF can hit the three, oftentimes the shot will be open for at least a moment if you're looking for it.

Flex: PG-C High Screen and Roll: for a long time I was using this just to get my C to drive towards the basket or to use as a pick and pop for my point guard. Both are still effective, and normal pick and roll rules apply for what the defense does. However, this play is brutal against the 1-3-1 because the SG will be alone in the corner, and all you have to do is start to roll and the defense can't recover in time. Furthermore, when the pick is set the SF will likely be open on the opposite three point line, even when facing man to man. It's a good look for a three.

Just some play thoughts. They're not money plays by any stretch, but they have enough options that they are applicable to multiple defenses and multiple units on the floor.

[R1zzo23]

Thank you for that. I like to find plays that I can run against both man and zone defenses. It would be nice to replace the generic pick and roll with a play that offers more options.

[VandyRedskins21]

Re: The Accidental Career of Guy West (CH2k8)

Well the triple cutters play has the same option for the point guard.......

[waytofailself]

Re: The Accidental Career of Guy West (CH2k8)

Surprise!

The Missouri Tigers looked like they were ready to walk in, chalk up their win, and clock out. Against a Wildcat team that lost non-conference games by 20, 30, and 40 point margins, this win already looked like it was signed, sealed, and delivered.

Except these weren't the same Wildcats.

Kansas State caught the Tigers napping on the opening tip-off

The Missouri Tigers have been disappointing all season, and this game was a microcosm of why. They were undisciplined, put up lazy shots, and did not work together. Add in a hungry Wildcat squad and injuries that scratched Missouri's two leading scorers before the opening tip off, and this game had "upset" written all over it.

Except the game did not play out like an upset at all. Kansas State jumped on Missouri early with some strong perimeter shooting and fantastic post play by Darwin Peterson. But when Peterson left midway through the first half with foul trouble, the Kansas State offense disappeared with him. Surely the Tigers would come back from 10 points down in the first half.

The comeback never materialized. The Tigers could not buy a shot despite getting some solid looks over the Wildcat 2-3 zone. The loss of 50% of the team's offense showed on the court, as Missouri attempted to run its offense but could not pick up the pace to keep up with the Wildcats. They could never get into rhythm.

How come? Because the Wildcats forced 24 turnovers on the game, holding the Tigers to 9 total field goals.

Yes, Kansas State's offensive performance could be considered sub-par despite shooting 55% from beyond the arc, but who needs an offense when the defense denies the other team possession after possession. The Wildcat press was brutal and it lasted the whole game. It didn't matter that Coach West only has 10 players on the active roster because he used all the bodies he could to swarm the ball as soon as Missouri threw it in.

And for the whole game, the Tigers kept making bad passes or poor choices or losing the ball out of bounds. No matter what they did, especially in their 14 point second half, the Tigers had just as much of a struggle getting the ball up the court as they did getting the ball in the basket.

As a result, the defensively maligned Kansas State Wildcats dominated on the way to a 64-35 victory -- their first road win of the season.

Kansas State Wildcats at Missouri Tigers
Jan 13, 2017	1ST	2ND	SCORE
Kansas State (4-9)	30	34	64
Missouri (8-6)	21	14	35

Kansas State Wildcats
STARTERS	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PTS
L. Reaser	25	1-5	0-2	1-2	3	5	2	0	3	3
K. Coulibaly	21	3-4	1-2	2-4	4	2	1	0	2	9
D. Guinn	22	3-8	2-2	2-4	2	0	2	0	1	10
R. Guzman	21	3-11	0-0	6-8	10	2	1	0	1	12
D. Peterson	15	4-9	1-1	3-4	3	0	2	1	1	12
BENCH	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PTS
M. Mathis	17	1-6	0-0	2-6	6	1	0	0	0	4
D. Macura	10	2-4	2-4	4-4	1	0	1	0	0	10
J. Guzman	8	1-2	0-0	2-4	0	1	1	0	2	4
J. Brinkley	6	0-0	0-0	0-0	1	0	1	0	0	0
C. Geiger	5	0-0	0-0	0-0	2	0	0	0	0	0
TEAM TOTALS		18-49	6-11	22-36	32	11	11	1	10	64

Missouri Tigers
STARTERS	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PTS
H. Hipsher	24	0-8	0-5	0-0	0	0	0	1	2	0
J. Werch	15	3-7	1-4	0-0	3	0	1	0	3	7
F. Sorrentine	21	0-5	0-3	0-0	3	1	1	1	2	0
J. Rasmussen	18	1-1	1-1	8-10	4	1	0	0	5	11
A. Starkey	10	1-1	0-0	0-0	0	0	0	0	1	2
BENCH	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PTS
E. Sullivan	15	1-4	1-2	2-2	2	2	0	0	3	5
S. Giddens	12	2-4	1-2	0-0	3	0	0	0	4	5
J. Ager	13	0-0	0-0	0-0	2	0	1	0	2	0
A. Maldonado	15	0-4	0-1	0-0	5	0	0	0	2	0
L. Pait	4	0-0	0-0	0-0	1	0	1	0	0	0
E. Rush	2	1-1	1-1	2-2	0	1	0	0	0	5
H. Ndoye	1	0-1	0-0	0-0	0	0	0	0	0	0
TEAM TOTALS		9-36	5-19	12-14	23	5	4	2	24	35

[waytofailself]

Re: The Accidental Career of Guy West (CH2k8)

Well the triple cutters play has the same option for the point guard.......

I believe it. A lot of the Princeton plays have overlap like that. I'll check it out next time I'm on, there are still two or three plays I'm thinking of replacing. Thanks for the tip.

[waytofailself]

Re: The Accidental Career of Guy West (CH2k8)

Well the triple cutters play has the same option for the point guard.......

Ha, actually I stand corrected. Triple cutters is practically the same play as C Low Post Feed except the SF moves to the corner and will sometimes also have a good, solid shot. I like it.

Edited the prior post.

[waytofailself]

Re: The Accidental Career of Guy West (CH2k8)

New Heights

Another Big 12 opponent entered Manhattan expecting to trounce the Wildcats. Instead, it was another example of how Coach Guy West has turned a dismal season into a frighteningly quick turnaround for Kansas State.

At the start, the game looked like it was back to the bad ol' days after a brief respite with two straight victories. The Sooners jumped on the Wildcats early, using deft passing and accuracy from beyond the arc to jump to a quick 9-2 lead. The Wildcats were having trouble getting their offense going, and when Roger Guzman missed a fast break dunk the fans in attendance began to grimace for what was to come.

Darwin Peterson's aggression set the tone for the Wildcats

Had this been a month or so ago, maybe the Wildcats would have crumpled and waited for the next game to start better. But today, they showed pride in defending their home court. Darwin Peterson got the ball rolling by fighting over three Sooners to grab an offensive rebound and put the ball back in the hoop. It was the kind of play that got the rest of the team's attention, and soon others followed suit.

The put-back started a huge run for the Wildcats. Reaser and Couliably hit shots from beyond the arc to eliminate Oklahoma's early lead, and then West's high pressure transition game began to click. The Sooners had trouble getting good shots, and as soon as the Wildcats grabbed the rebound half the team was already chasing down the other side of the court.

The lead swelled in the first half, but it would climb as high as 22 points in the second. The game never got close enough for West's team to be penalized by shooting an abysmal 33% from the free throw line. Instead, no one player needed to carry the load, as the Wildcat attack was balanced and deadly.

As a result, Kansas State rolled to a 73-58 victory over the visiting Oklahoma Sooners. The Wildcats have stunned pundits across the nation by jumping to 3-0 start in the Big 12 with all three wins coming against quality teams. Do they have what it takes to keep the run going with a trip to Austin, TX on the horizon?

Oklahoma Sooners at Kansas State Wildcats
Jan 18, 2017	1ST	2ND	SCORE
Oklahoma (9-7)	25	33	58
Kansas State (5-9)	36	37	73

Oklahoma Sooners
STARTERS	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PTS
A. Lamb	23	7-17	1-9	0-0	3	6	0	0	2	15
S. Barnett	21	5-20	0-3	2-3	2	1	0	1	0	12
E. Holmes	23	8-13	1-2	0-0	7	0	5	1	0	17
D. Banjo	20	1-3	0-1	0-0	6	0	2	0	0	2
J. Padilla	16	0-3	0-0	0-0	10	0	0	2	1	0
BENCH	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PTS
N. Roberson	9	1-7	0-0	0-0	0	2	0	0	2	2
E. Sola	9	2-6	2-3	0-0	1	1	0	0	0	6
L. Claudino	9	2-4	0-1	0-0	0	2	0	0	0
T. Wilson	9	0-1	0-0	0-0	2	0	0	0	0	0
B. Hacker	10	0-1	0-0	0-0	3	0	0	0	0	0
K. Boylan	-- DID NOT PLAY --
T. Bryan	-- DID NOT PLAY --
TEAM TOTALS		26-75	4-19	2-3	34	12	7	4	5	58

Kansas State Wildcats
STARTERS	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PTS
L. Reaser	21	5-9	2-4	0-0	3	8	2	0	0	12
K. Couliably	20	5-14	2-3	0-0	2	1	0	0	3	12
D. Guinn	20	3-8	0-2	1-2	10	1	1	0	2	7
R. Guzman	21	6-10	0-0	0-1	7	6	1	4	1	12
D. Peterson	18	6-14	0-0	2-6	7	2	0	5	0	14
BENCH	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PTS
M. Mathis	18	5-9	0-0	0-0	4	0	0	2	0	10
D. Macura	6	0-2	0-0	0-0	2	2	1	0	0	0
J. Guzman	8	2-2	2-2	0-0	1	0	0	0	1	6
J. Brinkley	14	0-2	0-1	0-0	6	4	0	0	0	0
C. Geiger	3	0-2	0-0	0-0	1	0	0	0	0	0
TEAM TOTALS		32-72	6-12	3-9	43	24	5	11	7	73

[waytofailself]

Re: The Accidental Career of Guy West (CH2k8)

Back to Reality

For a long time it looked like the dream was still alive. Kansas State entered the house of the far more talented Texas Longhorns. The Wildcats took a large lead into the half and built it to as large as 12. But Texas was too strong a squad to just sit back and let Coach West embarrass them again.

During the first half, Coach West had his team focused and clicking

Kansas State built its lead on the backs of Reaser and Coulibaly -- who were lights out from beyond the arc. No matter what Texas tried to do, they could not compete with the Wildcats making the extra pass to the open man. Fans in the stands began to boo when the Longhorns went four full minutes without scoring.

The game was not adding up to conventional wisdom. Coach Barnes' squad was expertly shutting down Kansas State's interior offense, but they were down 9 at the half regardless due to the Wildcats' jump shooting. Turns out Texas' best defender was father time -- as the halftime period helped cool down Kansas State significantly.

L.F. Reaser scores off a turnover to keep Kansas State in the game

The Wildcats kept fighting and scrapping, but suddenly the long shots weren't falling to cover the team's incompetence in the middle. Meanwhile, Kenny Crites turned up the heat in the second half by hitting three buckets from beyond the arc -- this despite only being a 20% shooter on the season. Add in Texas greatly increasing the defensive pressure, and the Longhorns began to get back in the game due to creating turnover after turnover. Still, despite blowing a huge second half lead the Wildcats were alive in the closing seconds. Down three, they needed a big shot to force overtime.

Despite Coulibaly's excellent off the ball execution in the first half, he was caught in a crushing screen by Texas' Misha Bowen with seconds left in the game. Reaser had the ball beyond the three point line, but there was no longer anyone to pass it to and a man in his face. With time short, there was no one to shoot except the Senior who had come on strong for the Wildcats during their unlikely winning streak.

He missed.

Kansas State made a desperation foul with over a second left on the clock -- but the window to make a comeback had shut. Instead, Texas got its act together in the second half to earn a 76-72 victory.

Kansas State Wildcats at Texas Longhorns
Jan 25, 2017	1ST	2ND	SCORE
Kansas State (6-9)	41	31	72
Texas (9-8)	32	44	76

Kansas State Wildcats
STARTERS	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PTS
L. Reaser	23	7-15	3-9	1-2	1	8	1	0	3	18
K. Coulibaly	23	4-12	3-8	3-3	1	4	0	0	1	14
D. Guinn	20	1-5	1-1	0-0	6	1	0	0	2	3
R. Guzman	20	5-6	0-0	0-0	9	2	3	1	2	10
D. Peterson	23	8-14	0-0	2-6	8	2	3	1	1	18
BENCH	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PTS
M. Mathis	8	1-3	0-0	0-0	1	1	2	0	0	2
D. Macura	10	2-2	1-1	2-2	0	1	1	0	2	7
J. Guzman	5	0-1	0-1	0-0	0	0	0	0	2	0
J. Brinkley	13	0-1	0-1	0-0	2	3	0	0	1	0
C. Geiger	3	0-0	0-0	0-0	0	0	0	0	0	0
TEAM TOTALS		28-59	8-21	8-13	28	22	10	2	14	72

Texas Longhorns
STARTERS	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PTS
E. Clinton	24	3-10	0-4	6-6	0	7	2	0	3	12
Q. Garnett	16	2-5	0-3	2-3	1	3	1	0	0	6
K. Crites	23	9-13	3-4	2-2	5	3	0	2	2	23
P. Hall	25	2-8	0-0	1-2	12	2	3	2	2	5
M. Brown	24	3-5	0-0	1-2	8	1	3	1	1	7
BENCH	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PTS
C. Beck	5	0-2	0-2	0-0	0	0	1	0	0	0
C. Clancett	14	3-6	1-3	0-0	0	1	0	0	1	7
L. Bowens	7	1-1	0-0	0-0	1	0	0	0	1	2
R. Vargas	12	5-8	2-4	2-3	0	1	0	0	0	14
C. Koger	-- DID NOT PLAY --
L. Griffin	-- DID NOT PLAY --
C. Chiles	-- DID NOT PLAY --
TEAM TOTALS		28-58	6-20	14-18	27	18	10	5	10	76