Re: The Coaching Legacy of Milton Mackay (College Hoops 2K8)
That was not the ending we expected but a great talk in the end, Coach.
That was not the ending we expected but a great talk in the end, Coach.
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Re: The Coaching Legacy of Milton Mackay (College Hoops 2K8)
Thanks! Lot of emotion in honor of a 12-19 team. They were my first, though, and they were a good little squad. Just never could find out the release on Johnson, or how to score with him really. That cost us dearly as he was (supposedly) our go to guy.Comment
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Re: The Coaching Legacy of Milton Mackay (College Hoops 2K8)
Texas State All-Access: Year 1, Update 5
Milton Mackey informed everyone he wasn’t a top recruiter coming in. St. Louis had made a living winning with less, and Mackey didn’t even handle recruiting for Rick Majerus. Still, he had high hopes for this class, but they took a hit going into the final week of recruiting.
Two of Texas State’s top targets had decided to go elsewhere, when Mackey and his assistants thought he had them locked up. The first of those, Ty Clark, had hurt the must. Clark was everything Mackey wanted, a good kid with a 3.8 GPA. He played defense at a high level and competed every time he stepped on the floor. A small forward, the only thing he lacked was a top shooting stroke, but Mackey had faith he could develop it. Clark had told Mackey in private he was going to Texas State. Two days letter, he signed his letter of intent to UT Pan-American. High school kids, right?
The other target, Stanley Paulding, was a point guard, one that also fit the bill. Paulding was a 3.1 student out of the Bronx. He had fought the death of his brother to achieve scholarship offers and would now escape his hometown. Toughness ran through his veins; Mackey felt he would butt heads at times but Paulding would be an incredible player. On the court, Paulding was a true floor general, with great handles and passing ability, averaging 11.6 assists per game for his high school squad. Texas State was late in on Paulding, who opted to go to Monmouth who had recruited him since his junior year.
Jay Modica signed his letter of intent early on, to nobody’s surprise. He figured to be a solid centerpiece to the defense off the bench. He could block shots and gather boards, if the coaching staff could instill toughness into him. Mackey thought they could.
Sidney Ellis also signed on, a shooting guard to back up John Bowman for Bowman’s senior year and then hopefully replace him. Ellis could hit the occasional 3, but he his main asset was his defense. Under Bowman’s tutelage, Ellis could become a true stopper, a lockdown defender.
Still Mackey needed another guard, a point to back up Eddie Rios, and a small forward, one who could either start over Basil Brown or be his understudy. Forward Kahrimanovic, Mackey could tell, wanted to come to Texas State. He hadn’t mentioned anything about the phone call, or anything of that sort. All he said was that he had a lot of pressure to turn pro in his homeland. While he waited for Cassiano, he looked to the junior college ranks for a just in case option, and to California for a new point guard…Comment
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Re: The Coaching Legacy of Milton Mackay (College Hoops 2K8)
man, i hate losing recruits i really really want!!!!! good luckComment
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Re: The Coaching Legacy of Milton Mackay (College Hoops 2K8)
Good to see some of the old 2k legacy crew going strong all these years later!
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Re: The Coaching Legacy of Milton Mackay (College Hoops 2K8)
Trying to keep going strong
Sadly college is taking a lot of my time to write this legacy, but I have a week off and I'm on March Madness hype so I'll be back at it.Comment
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Re: The Coaching Legacy of Milton Mackay (College Hoops 2K8)
Texas State All Access: Year 1, Episode 6
Cassiano Kahrimanovic truly held the key to Coach Mackey’s heart. Only he could make Mackey happy with the squad he would take into his second season in the heat of Texas.
Mackey had landed a pair of solid recruits in Bracey Ainge and Karon Tchuisi, but neither really projected to be huge difference makers. Ainge, a junior college transfer from Kansas, was a bit of an academic risk, but his rangy long arms and defensive instincts were worth the risk. Ainge never figured to be a starter, but he could easily be a quality backup at the 3 or 4 for Mackey. Tchuisi, a point guard from California, is an ideal backup point guard for the coach’s system, with the quickness to harass opposing guards down the court. Offensively he was very raw, with an average at best handle and a jumpshot better saved for rare occasions. He showed maturity beyond his years, and was capable of keeping the team on an even keel. As Rios’ understudy, the squad could do far worse.
Cassiano was there, the coach could tell. He had told Mackey how much he was looking forward to coming to America and playing basketball. But still, he would not commit, not pull the trigger. They had one more phone call, one more opportunity to sell him, to get him to sign on the dotted line.
“Alright boys, this decides a lot of our future.”
“We land Cassiano, we’re a conference contender next year and a NCAA Tournament the next. We don’t, we only got 4 2 star recruits this year and we’re not gonna be able to score beyond Eddie. The pressure ramps up on us next year to land recruits, the AD’s breathing down our necks. We need him. Our pitch needs to be perfect.”
The phone rang. The assistant picked up. The plan was for him to make the pitch, then hand to Mackey for any last ditch effort and/or to accept the commitment. They knew they had him, it was a matter of just that final word.
The assistant answered, then immediately looked slightly confused.
“Coach, he says he says he has someone he wants you to talk to.”
“Coach I’m sorry…”
Suddenly the other end of the line changed.
“Hello,” said a voice, a voice all too familiar for Mackey.
“I told you to stay away from Kahrimanovic. He is ours, he signs contract with us today. He try…he try to resist, but we took care of that. His family under our protection now, they are safe.”
“Let him…”
“Enough. Coach Mackey, we will remember you. Cassiano is ours. Watch yourself in the future.”
And just like that, the future stud, 3 star, international recruit had slipped, slipped away, and Mackey felt his seat get a little hotter…Comment
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Re: The Coaching Legacy of Milton Mackay (College Hoops 2K8)
End of the Year Stuff:
National Champion: Missouri Tigers over Tennessee, 75-48
NIT Champion: Georgia Tech
National Player of the Year: PG Jimmer Fredette, BYU (25.5 PPG)
Final Record: 12-19 (8-8)
Saying Goodbye:
PG Ryan White: 9.6/2.0/1.3/, .9 SPG, 40.8% FG, 35.3% 3, 63 3PM
SG Uriel Segura: 2.0/.4/.4, 41.1% FG, 22% 3, 7 3PM
SF JB Conley: 4.7/2.4/.9, 52% FG, 57.6% 3, 15 3PM
SF Cameron Johnson: 7.5/4.8/1.0, .7 SPG/BPG, 38.8% FG, 30% 3
SF Tony Bishop: 4.8/2.0/.3, 51.3% FG, 42.8% 3
C Jonathan Sloan: 4.6/5.2/1.4, 1 SPG, 36.3% FG, 57.5% FTComment
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Re: The Coaching Legacy of Milton Mackay (College Hoops 2K8)
Another return of the old guard...
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Re: The Coaching Legacy of Milton Mackay (College Hoops 2K8)
Season Preview
A rough season a year ago opened the Milt Mackey era at Texas State, as the team finished 12-19 in disappointing fashion. A team packed with seniors never could fully adjust to a new system and a new coach, and it showed. A run to the conference tournament finals brought a solid end to the season, but as it did all season the team came up short.
Gone is much of the talent that composed that team; some might call it addition by subtraction, as each member, especially the constantly streaky Ryan White, brought negative elements at times to the squad. Still, it could be another below .500 season for Mackey and his men as they adjust to life post-seniors with a mediocre at best recruiting class.
Mackey will have a senior backcourt at his disposal, as point guard Eddie Rios stays in the lineup and sixth man John Bowman steps into the starting lineup. In these two, Mackey has the ideal; in Rios, the quick harassing point guard to pressure the ball up the floor, and in Bowman the tough, strong, long guard capable of shutting down his opposing number. Rios, after primarily serving as a distributor a year ago, will be forced to lead the team in a scoring role. There aren’t many other options. Bowman can finish at times but his outside shot is best described as inadequate for a 2. In reserve, Mackey has a pair of freshman, Karron Tchuisi and Sidney Ellis. They will be counted on as little as possible.
At small forward Mackey will be forced to rely on sophomore Basil Brown, who saw limited time a year ago. Brown projects as a a solid outside shooter and a decent scorer, but his looks have been limited. When pressed into a bigger role, it will be interesting to see how he copes. Behind him is sophomore JC transfer Bracey Ainge, who could easily supplant Brown. Ainge is a long armed defensive menace who Mackey has already praised after preseason practices.
In the frontcourt Matt Staff reprises his role at power forward, while sophomore Nic Hinton goes from human victory cigar to starting center. Staff is an enigma, consistently inconsistent. At times he looks like he has the potential to be a dominating big man; at others, he looks soft and intimidated. His development is key to the team. Hinton is tough, a 6-9 rock who will rebound and play defense to the best of his ability. He’s undersized, and a little underdeveloped, but he projects to be a solid contributor. Jay Modica just screams potential, an athletic 6-10 specimen. Whatever Mackey can squeeze out of him could be key to the season; in a few seasons, Modica could be a star, or never see the court. Behind Staff in the frontcourt is a pair of walkons in Jud Lamptey and Andrew Nicholsen.
Season Prediction: It could be a step back for the Bobcats, but a weaker non-conference slate and a weaker conference should lead to around 15 wins for the new-look Bobcats, who should take to Mackey’s system more readily with plenty of fresh-faced, ready to listen freshman. Eddie Rios, with the offensive burden on his shoulder, should have a breakout season.
Roster (bold for starters; italics for walk-ons:
6-0, 190 SR PG Eddie Rios (65)
6-1, 192 FR PG Karron Tchuisi (55)
6-0, 168 FR PG Nelson Long (45)
6-4, 224 SR SG John Bowman (63)
6-6, 184 FR SG Sidney Ellis (55)
6-6, 195 SO SF Basil Brown (56)
6-7, 221 SO SF Bracey Ainge (53)
6-10, 222 JR PF Matt Staff (59)
6-9, 220 FR PF Jud Lamptey (53)
6-8, 222 FR PF Trent Nicholson (50)
6-9, 236 SO C Nic Hinton (55)
6-10, 234 FR C Jay Modica (55)Comment
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Re: The Coaching Legacy of Milton Mackay (College Hoops 2K8)
Texas State All-Access: Season 2, Episode 1
The schedule man for Texas State had certainly done Coach Mackey no favors, and he would be sure to let him know that the next time he saw him. His team, still getting used to each other and trying to figure out their own style of play, would be matched early against the power of the state, the Texas Longhorns.
The opener had been an encouraging one. The team was playing Mackey basketball, even if it was early. On the road against a Florida Gulf Coast squad that featured more talent, the Bobcats had cobbled together just enough points to win.
“I loved every second of it,” the coach said. “We play good enough defense to win while playing horribly offensively??? We can figure out how to score, it’s much more difficult to figure how to defend.”
The crucial stretch of the game was late in the second half, as the Eagles were held scoreless from the 6:48 mark until just 1:35 to play. That gave the Bobcats enough time to work out the offensive kinks and score the 47 points requisite to win 47-38.
The freshmen had looked alright. They weren’t world beaters, but they had slotted into roles nicely. They played quality defensive minutes, and besides Ellis’ two turnovers they had taken care of the ball. They had shot 38% and won by holding the opposing team to 32%. Mackey would have it no other way.
But Florida Gulf Coast was not Texas, and the crowd in Florida is quite a bit smaller than the one in Austin. It was a quiet day, compared to normal for the typically raucous Longhorn crowd. That made it deafening for the relatively inexperienced Bobcats. 7 seniors had made the trip close last year; now it was time for a new cast of characters.
The gameplan was simple for Mackey. Keeping UT from fastbreaking was essential; if they couldn’t do that, it was game over. Texas’ athletes would run laps around Texas State’s. That meant no turnovers, and a low pace. The pace Mackey’s team could manage, but not turning it over would be a significantly more difficult. Karron Tchuisi and Sidney Ellis looked reasonably confident in the opener, but coming off the bench to a packed house would be much tougher. Rios and Bowman were both seniors; Mackey had to assume they would be up to the task.
The game did not start the way Mackey had hoped, as Texas opened with a Jordan Hamilton dunk on the break. They had settled down nicely though, and went on a 5-0 run to take a 5-2 lead. It seemed maybe the Bobcats could hang around with the big dog.
Texas seemed to answer that quickly. A 10-0 run staunched their minor bleeding and opened a gash in the Bobcats. The cap to the run, an alley-oop to Hamilton out of the half court offense, added insult to injury as the crowd buzzed. A timeout with plenty of encouragement followed, and it led to a Staff bucket to make it 12-7.
The Longhorns would respond by ripping off a 12-4 run built off the break to make it 24-11. For all intents and purposes, the game was over. Mackey’s timeout helped some, but still Texas was in control. Texas State fought and fought, the coaching staff pleading them to make a run, but it was to no avail. The Longhorns, with their fresh 3 five star recruits and monster talent, was simply way too much for the Bobcats. They had fought. It wasn’t enough. The deficit was kept under 20 for pride’s sake, and the final finished 58-43.
The gameplan had been executed decently enough. Only 9 turnovers, and the game was in the 40s and 50s. If it was to be an upset, the ingredients were there. There was no real finger to point, no main culprit for the loss. Officiating might be a popular excuse in another locker room, as Texas shot 24 free throws to Texas State’s 14. Hamilton had scored 13 points despite shooting 3-12, primarily off the strength of free throws. Freshman Ronnie Goff and Jarrid Sakalys had combined to sink 11 free throws. But Mackey allowed no excuses, and the team made none.
“They’re incredibly talented and I can’t say we are,” senior guard Eddie Rios had admitted. “They played well, nothing special. I thought we did some things well. But not well enough to beat Texas. We all need to step our games up, and we’ll hit the practice court and do it.”
Mackey had come away pleased with the trip to Austin and his team’s performance. He still was going to talk to
the schedule maker, though.
FINAL SCORE: Texas State 47-Florida Gulf Coast 38
Key Bobcats
Rios 11 points
Brown 9 points, 4-11 FG
Hinton 8 points, 5 rebounds
Key Eagles
Bridgewater 10 points
Rolax 8 points, 11 rebounds
FINAL SCORE: Texas 58-Texas State 43
Key Longhorns
Hamilton 13 points, 6 rebounds
Sakalys 11 points
Wangmene 8 points, 7 rebounds
Key Bobcats
Brown 9 points
Rios/Staff 8 pointsComment
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Re: The Coaching Legacy of Milton Mackay (College Hoops 2K8)
Good thing you made that non-conference slate weaker. Last year was absolutely brutal with all the power conference teams you faced. Good luck.Comment
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Re: The Coaching Legacy of Milton Mackay (College Hoops 2K8)
With a roster with like yours it's good you go for the defensive shutout style.
I am surprised you were not able to land some better 3* instate kids. I normally don't have issues getting kids to play at Texas StateComment
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Re: The Coaching Legacy of Milton Mackay (College Hoops 2K8)
Yeah, it's a pretty weak slate. Good thing, cause our team is brutal on the offensive end. Rios is gonna be something special though.
Just how I like it! Last year's team had a lot of talent but none of it was very effective. Hopefully we have the reverse case here.
I restricted my recruiting that I could sign one three star a year because I felt my teams at William and Mary and UMES got too good too fast. My coach is a defense, grind it out guy, I figured he wouldn't get the talent advantage.Comment
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