The Bulgarian Brothers – A College Hoops 2K8 & NBA 2K20 Dynasty

[studbucket]

Re: The Bulgarian Brothers – A College Hoops 2K8 & NBA 2K20 Dynasty

What a night for both brothers - Dinko's Red Flash make the dance for the first time since 1991, and Oggy's alma mater will join them!

I don't get why everyone keeps saying they hadn't been since 1991. Dinko already got them there! Parallel universes can be slightly confusing.

I gotta admit, I woke up this morning and was like "is CW drunk posting in the middle of the night? Dinko hasn't made the tourney in 2 years and Robert Morris has never made it."

Thankfully I decided to wait before responding, my brain woke up, and I realized what you meant

Stetson last year, Robert Morris and St. Francis this year...I think that means Loyola Marymount will make it next year.

[studbucket]

2025-26 NBA Season Preview: Southwest Division

The Southwest is all about Dallas vs New Orleans. Which pair of stars will come out on top and can the interesting Spurs and Thunder upset the balance in some way? And will a team from this division finally breakthrough and win an NBA title?

52-30 last year (5^th in West). Lost in round 1 to Dallas.
Key additions: Mikal Bridges (SF, 81 ovr, from Utah), Frank Kaminsky (C, 80 ovr, from Philadelphia), KY Bowman (PG, 78 ovr, from Dallas), Archie Holbrook (PF, 78 ovr, from Indiana), Arthur Acker (PG, 78 ovr, from Golden State)
Key losses: Emanuel Terry (PF, 82 ovr, to Clippers), Devonne Shakur (PG, 78 ovr, to Dallas)

Why the Pelicans are a championship contender
Because Zion and Booker are a fantastic duo and they just got better with the addition of Mikal Bridges. In their second year together, look for the two stars to be even better.

Why the Pelicans may miss the playoffs
Because injuries trip them up. There’s not much else that should keep them out of the postseason.

Projected record and finish: 55-27 (2^nd in West)

52-30 last year (4^th in West). Lost in round 2 to Denver.
Key additions: Joel Embiid (C, 90 ovr, from Philadelphia), Jimmy Butler (SF, 79 ovr, from Golden State), Dave Tran (PF, 79 ovr, from Hawaii), Jordan Poole (PG, 78 ovr, from Golden State), Cameron Johnson (SF, 78 ovr, from Denver)
Key losses: Kristaps Porzingis (C, 88 ovr, To Philadelphia), Damond Conklin (PG, 78 ovr, to Seattle), Keonta Alloway (C, 78 ovr, to Chicago)

Why the Mavericks are a championship contender
Because they’ve made the Finals twice in the last 6 years and the combo of Luka and Embiid is certainly fearsome.

Why the Mavericks may miss the playoffs
Because both Luka and Embiid have shown an inability to consistently lead their teams to regular season success and there’s not a lot of depth behind them.

Projected record and finish: 54-28 (3^rd in West)

42-40 last year (9^th in West). Lost in play-in tournament.
Key additions: Jordan Bell (C, 79 ovr, from Hawaii), Ralfeal Dux (PG, 77 ovr, from draft)
Key losses: LeBron James (PF, 86 ovr, retired), name (pos, ovr, from team)

Why the Thunder are a championship contender
Because they have a very interesting top 7 rotation and a really high upside from Seth Valsin and Sidney Dunnington, and Kevin Durant may still have 1 more season of excellent scoring left in his bag.

Why the Thunder may miss the playoffs
Because Durant is washed up and Valsin isn’t ready to lead a team all on his own. The missed the playoffs with LeBron and a better Durant last year, why would it be better this season?

Projected record and finish: 44-38 (6^th in West)

33-49 last year (13^th in West).
Key additions: Kelly Oubre Jr (SG, 81 ovr, from Golden State), Dyron Frazier (PG, 81 ovr, from Clippers), Ashton Uthoff (SG, 79 ovr, from Euro-stash), T.J. Gogerty (PF, 78 ovr, from draft), Paul George (SF, 78 ovr, from Hawks)
Key losses: Michael Porter Jr (SF, 82 ovr, to Warriors), Jarrell Brantley (SF, 79 ovr, to Hawks)

Why the Spurs are a championship contender
Because their young, exciting players take the step to become stars and they make a mid-season move to add 1 more solid starter.

Why the Spurs may miss the playoffs
Because it’s not yet their time. They’re too young and inexperienced.

Projected record and finish: 33-49 (10^th in West)

34-48 last year (12^th in West).
Key additions: Tremont Waters (PG, 84 ovr, from Utah), Jaime Chatfield (SG, 77 ovr, from draft)
Key losses: Russell Westbrook (PG, 78 ovr, to Portland), Taylor Blount (PG, 78 ovr, to Brooklyn), Cody Zeller (C, 78 ovr, to Miami)

Why the Rockets are a championship contender
Because Tremont Waters becomes an All-NBA guard, Julius Randle and Nikola Vucevic decide to light it up, and the West beats each other up as the Rockets rise.

Why the Rockets may miss the playoffs
Because they aren’t good. There’s no mystery here.

Projected record and finish: 30-52 (13^th in West)

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Please spend a few minutes to answer the annual Bulgarian Brothers survey. Your answers help to shape the dynasty in a few small ways. https://forms.office.com/r/QbMPc1Fiv1

[studbucket]

Re: 2025-26 NBA Season Preview: Southwest Division

And all our division previews are wrapped up. Some more college games coming, plus a final NBA season preview. Here's the West's projections.

1. Denver Nuggets (58-24)
2. New Orleans Pelicans (55-27)
3. Dallas Mavericks (54-28)
4. Minnesota Timberwolves (51-31)
5. Hawaii Honu (50-32)
6. Oklahoma City Thunder (44-38)
7. Los Angeles Lakers (42-40)
8. Phoenix Suns (42-40)
9. Golden State Warriors (41-41)
10. San Antonio Spurs (33-49)
11. Sacramento Kings (32-50)
12. Los Angeles Clippers (31-51)
13. Houston Rockets (30-52)
14. Portland Trail Blazers (28-54)
15. Seattle SuperSonics (26-56)
16. Utah Jazz (24-58)

[studbucket]

November 16, 2025 – Loyola Marymount vs Sacramento State [non-conference]

So far it’s not been a great start to the season for the Lions. While their first loss was somewhat expected as Ayinde Famutimi (SF, 85 ovr) and Texas A&M put them away 54-71, the loss in game 2 to Arkansas-Pine Bluff was not acceptable to Oggy: a 61-69 defeat to a SWAC team is not something a team with any postseason aspirations can have happen to them.

However, on a positive note, Lucious Estrada led the team in both games and even had a double-double in the second contest. He’s averaging 16 ppg already as a freshman and looks to be a budding star. Oggy is hoping that Allen Wentt can also step things up as the big man is only averaging 1.6 rebounds and 2 points per game.

He’ll have a great chance to get back on track against Oggy’s old foe from the Big Sky, Sacramento State. Led by sophomore Freddie Davenport (PG, 72 ovr), he’s the team’s only real scoring threat at 19.5 points per game. The team is very heavy on ball-handlers, with their 4 most talented players being quick point guards, but there aren’t any great shooters on this team. The Lions just need to keep them out of the paint and play a reasonable offensive game today to get their first win.

Today’s game showed the way the Lions want to play: fast. Lucious Estrada started the game with a corner three and a fast break layup, then Reid Christensen was fouled on a dunk and LMU forced a Sacramento State turnover. It had only been a bit over a minute and the hosts were up 8-4. A few minutes later and it was 15-7. The Lions fast pace were causing issues and Lucious Estrada was clearly thriving in this system. However, the Hornets were scoring relatively easily and if Loyola went cold, they could be right back in the game.

Which is exactly what happened. Up 27-20 and with Lucious Estrada already having scored 15 points, the Lions stopped hitting their shots and were committing too many fouls. After their 9^th team foul of the half, they found themselves up 33-31 with a few minutes left in the half.

Fortunately, the Lions went on a hot streak headed into halftime and finished with a 12-point lead, 49-37. The 49 points is likely a record for Oggy in a half and he encouraged them to hit 100 for the game.

Both teams were shooting 60% at half and Lucious Estrada already had 20 points. Reid Christensen used the fast breaks to get himself 7 assists from the PF spot, while both Immanuel Kahrimanovic, and Evan Harris had 4 assists. For Sacramento State, PF Abdul Hill had 12 points and C Austin Sloan had 11.

However, the Hornets started the second half with 9 straight points and brought the game to within 3 points. Estrada broke the drought by making a tough layup, but Sacramento State kept pushing and tied the game at 53.

Ultimately, an Oggy timeout and a few subs seemed to do the trick and the hosts started to play more like their first half selves and slowly built up a lead. The Lions were up 77-70 with 3 minutes remaining and held on for an 88-77 victory. When hitting their threes, the Lions looked amazing offensively.

Lucious Estrada was the clear star with 33 points. Skip Salow had 21 points and 7 rebounds as well. Reid Christensen had a very well-rounded 13 points, 9 assists, and 4 steals.

The starting 5 may be something for Oggy to look at. While the freshman Wentt did have 3 blocks and 9 points, he often struggled and fouled out of the game. Mbaha Moute looked more active and energetic in his minutes, which was impressive for a freshman walk-on.

As a team, the Lions shot 92% from the charity stripe and 47% from three.

Abdul Hill led the way for the Hornets with 23 points and 10 rebounds.

Around the NCAA

• St. Francis had a close win on the road at Boston, beating the Bulldogs 64-60. It was a true team effort with 4 of the starters getting 9+ points and 4+ rebounds.
• One of the only big matchups of the early season so far has been #8 UNLV falling to #17 USC 72-76. Devonne O’Bannon (PF, 80 ovr) led the way for the Trojans with 19 points. NBA prospects Demon Bowen (SF, 85 ovr) and Magnum Crites (SF, 84 ovr) only combined for 18 points in the loss.

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Please spend a few minutes to answer the annual Bulgarian Brothers survey. Your answers help to shape the dynasty in a few small ways. https://forms.office.com/r/QbMPc1Fiv1

[Tovarich]

Re: November 16, 2025 – Loyola Marymount vs Sacramento State [non-conference]

The big guys should have to run laps for an entire practice for being grossly outrebounded by a SG, even if he is a human giant by SG standards.

[studbucket]

Re: November 16, 2025 – Loyola Marymount vs Sacramento State [non-conference]

The big guys should have to run laps for an entire practice for being grossly outrebounded by a SG, even if he is a human giant by SG standards.

Christensen gets a pass because he out-assisted the entire backcourt.

Wentt runs double laps because he fouled out.

Mbaha Moute gets a pat on the head because he's a walk-on freshman.

[studbucket]

NBA Season Preview

As we kick off the 2025-26 NBA season, the league has seen a lot of change. The Cavaliers won the Finals in a complete shocker to everyone, multiple stars were traded, LeBron and Curry retired, and some people are wondering if the Bucks’ dynasty is coming to an end. Will this season be more of the new, or will we see a return of the old? To preview the season, we ask 2 key questions.


Question 1: Duos are all the rage. Who has the best?
The Embiid-for-Porzingis deal was the proverbial straw that broke the camel’s back: we’re officially in a dynamic duos era for the NBA. It’s been a long time coming, and we’ve seen it with a number of deals over the past year: LeBron + KD in OKC, Zion + Booker in New Orleans, SGA and Siakam in Miami, Merchant and Kawhi in Detroit, and Giannis and Mitchell in Milwaukee.

Having the best duo doesn’t mean you’ll get a title though. Ask Dame and Tatum in Boston or Bradley Beal and Nikola Jokic in Denver. Last year’s champions barely qualify as a duo according to many people, as Darius Garland and Taquan St. Fort were Cleveland’s two best players. Maybe going 8 deep is better than a top 2, but that’s not the trend we’re seeing across the league and it’s not as much fun as ranking all the duos across the league.

So here’s your definitive Ringer-style power rankings of the best duos in the NBA.

Tier 0A: There’s not even 1 star

Spots 32-27 go to these 6 teams who are not in a great place. They don’t have any stars, though a few of them have some hope.



Tier 0B: You need more than 1 star to qualify

Some of these teams are pretty good (the Lakers) and some of these teams are bad (Toronto), but they all have 1 thing in common: there’s just 1 star. Maybe Bobby Drake will be a star someday in Seattle, but he’s not there yet. Brandon Ingram wants to be a star, but he’s not. So that’s spots 26-20. Now we get into the team-by-team rankings.



Tier 1: You have a duo, but they aren’t really stars
These teams have pairs of players that could be very good. Maybe they’ll even be stars next season, but they aren’t right now.

Tier 2: A star and a half
One of these players is truly a star. One of them is pretty darn good and could be a star…but needs to prove it.

Tier 3: Success earns you credit
In a vacuum, these guys aren’t stars. But we don’t live in a vacuum, we live in a world where these 3 pairs of players have made things happen and tasted more success than a number of players viewed as “more talented” than they are.

Tier 4: Different trajectories
One of these players is a young star on the rise. The other is an aging star who may not have much time left, but together they are quite intriguing.

Tier 5: You’re in good shape
They aren’t the best combos, but they are pretty darn good and 24 other teams would happily take them.

Tier 6: The Embiid trade
Simmons and Porzingis, Luka and Embiid. These are the pairs that were created by the blockbuster Joel Embiid trade this summer.

Tier 7: League’s best
There’s no argument, these two duos are a cut above the rest.

Question 2: who is this year’s zero-to-hero?
Last season saw several teams and players go from the basement to the penthouse, worst to first, or disregarded to praised. Obviously the Cavaliers are the best example. Completely disregarded and disrespected, they managed to win the NBA title, surprising everyone along the way. The Honu managed to finish second in the West in just their second season and win a playoff series. Zach LaVine went from a defensive liability that Charlotte was happy to unload to the best player on a Nets team that made the Eastern Conference Finals.

So who will surpass all expectations and flip the narrative this year? Here’s the top 5 candidates for turning things around. None of these are predictions: we don’t predict them to be great, that would defeat the purpose of this. These are just candidates. If someone were to unexpectedly turn things around, who would it be?

#5 – De’Aaron Fox
We’re getting this one out of the way. Fox (PG, 88 ovr) has been tantalizing his entire career and has never won. Sure he’s making a lot of money, but his reputation league-wide is in the dumps. Toronto has a below average roster, but if he can raise the level of this team back to the playoffs and a top 5-6 seed in the East, we should start having conversations about what Charlotte did wrong. But he has to prove it first.

#4 – Seattle SuperSonics
Everyone loves Bobby Drake (SF, 79 ovr). Nobody likes James Harden (SG, 85 ovr). And their decision to trade for Gordon Cousinard, then immediately let him walk in free agency to sign Harden was met with confusion. There’s still very little talent on the roster outside of those two players, and it’s not clear how they’ll be great. But if Harden can turn back the clock and Drake can become the star we expect him to be in season 3, maybe the Sonics can truly go from the basement to the penthouse this season.

#3 – L.A. Clippers
After tying with the Sonics for the worst record in the NBA, the Clippers turned things around by…getting rid of Collin Sexton (PG, 82 ovr) and signing Gordon Cousinard (SF, 83 ovr)? Cousinard is exciting, but he’s already 25 and never turned into the three-and-d All-Star caliber player that Portland expected him to be. So why could the Clippers turn things around?

Well, he, Coby White (SG, 83 ovr), Zakee Roberson (C, 82 ovr), D.J. Chambers (PG, 78 ovr), and Sherman Turner (PF, 78 ovr) all represent the types of players that helped the Honu be great last year. They are very solid role players who can fit well together and if 2 of them turn into major scoring threats, you have an interesting team.

#2 – Tremont Waters
Waters (PG, 84 ovr) is the 5^th year playmaker who is now expected to lead the rebuilding Rockets. Sure he has an aging Julius Randle (PF, 82 ovr) and Nikola Vucevic (C, 81 ovr) around him, but the Rockets’ brass thinks they found a hidden gem in Waters. If he’s going to turn things around, it will need to be a lot more than 8 points and 6 assists per game, but they believe he can do that as he’s an excellent shooter, playmaker, and defender and just was never given a chance in Utah, according to them.

#1 – Sacramento Kings
Last year was supposed to be exciting. Instead it was miserable. Lauri Markkanen (PF, 83 ovr) and Domantas Sabonis (C, 83 ovr) never seemed to mesh and the Kings were near the bottom of the West all year long. However, those are 2 of the most unique big men in the league and they have 7’3” Reid Ziri (C, 81 ovr) coming off the bench, with Miles Bridges (SF, 82 ovr) supporting as well. If they can get any good backcourt play, maybe this is the weird team that works.

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Please spend a few minutes to answer the annual Bulgarian Brothers survey. Your answers help to shape the dynasty in a few small ways. https://forms.office.com/r/QbMPc1Fiv1

[Careless Whisper]

Re: The Bulgarian Brothers – A College Hoops 2K8 & NBA 2K20 Dynasty

LMU needed that win after the rough start to the season. Sure, they probably weren't going to be in contention for an at-large as a WCC team, but dropping a game to Arkansas-Pine Bluff isn't going to help things.

[studbucket]

Re: The Bulgarian Brothers – A College Hoops 2K8 & NBA 2K20 Dynasty

LMU needed that win after the rough start to the season. Sure, they probably weren't going to be in contention for an at-large as a WCC team, but dropping a game to Arkansas-Pine Bluff isn't going to help things.

Yeah, that was a rough loss. This LMU team will be better than last year, but they are going to blow games because they have no defense. And they're going to win games because they score 90+ points.

I'm really interested to see how the Drago Derby goes. I think that St. Francis might be a better team, but the Lions probably match up well with the Red Flash.

[studbucket]

November 19, 2025, St. Francis at Penn State [non-conference]

For the first time in his career, Dinko is headed to State College to face the biggest school in Eastern Pennsylvania: the Nittany Lions of Penn State. Feeling confident with how his team has improved and wanting to challenge his boys and show that he can “beat the big boys”, St. Francis will be scheduling more of these games going forward.

The Red Flash are 3-0 on the season and the Nittany Lions find themselves at 1-2. Their best scorer is 7’3” Andre Barlett (C, 78 ovr), but he is out for another week with an ankle injury – a huge boon for the Red Flash. In his absence, Penn State will need Jitim Peavy (SG, 79 ovr) and Jevon Frandsen (C, 77 ovr) to step up. Bartlett’s backups and frontcourt mates are all 6’10” or taller, so St. Francis won’t have a size advantage even with the big man out.

On paper, this looks like a close matchup and is the first of 3 games against in-state rivals (also Duquesne and Pitt) in this non-conference slate. If the Red Flash can take 2 of those games, they should be very confident heading into their first 2 conference games against Long Island and Robert Morris.

The game started off poorly for the Red Flash as they looked a bit scared to be in the big arena against a big team. They were down 4-11 early on and they just couldn’t get their shots to fall despite open looks. However, they settled down and pulled within 3 points after a Chris Thompson “and 1”. Dinko tried out some new rotations and these seemed to help out both offensively and defensively as players like Jameel Clinton seemed more effective than E.F. McGuire. They weren’t hitting any outside shots, but working the ball inside seemed to work well.

At 20-17, Penn State called time as they wanted to slow down the Red Flash. Chris Thompson had 8 points in the early going while Jevon Frandsen had 6 for the Nittany Lions. Coming out of the timeout, St. Francis looked better and was able to quickly grab the lead with a Harlan Cesar dunk and a Bobby Valdez stepback.

From there, St. Francis was able to mostly keep the lead and even saw a rare over-the-back call from Penn State. Dinko was hoping his team could keep the lead before half, and just as he finished that though both teams went into a frantic back-and-forth over the final 2 minutes. First, Penn State scored 5 straight to go up 32-31, then St. Francis scored 6 straight, then Penn State hit a three and a free throw, then St. Francis hit a layup and PSU had a buzzer beater. When the dust settled, the Red Flash were up 39-38 going into halftime.

Jameel Clinton throws an alley-oop to Taj Hailey to help quiet the crowd in the first half.

The halftime stats were interesting as St. Francis has shot 66% but were only up by 1 due to Penn State taking several more shots thanks to a significant offensive rebounding advantage. Taj Hailey and Chris Thompson both had 8 points, but Penn State’s Frandsen had 10 points and 4 rebounds.

Starting the second half, St. Francis finally made a three pointer via Bobby Valdez and then E.F. McGuire hit his a few minutes later. Unfortunately, the team wouldn’t make another three all game, but they managed to get their scoring from elsewhere in what was a very tight start to the second half.

Peavy and Frandsen were hitting almost everything for the Nittany Lions, which made it essential that the Red Flash get few defensive stops and easy baskets, and that’s exactly what they did as they built a 63-58 and then 69-61 lead halfway into the second half.

Red Flash fans noticed that Dinko was playing redshirt freshman Jameel Clinton quite a bit as the 6’6” point guard used his size effectively and helped extend the lead to 10 points after he hit 2 free throws. From there, the Red Flash took off and didn’t look back as they forced turnovers and made it to the charity stripe a number of times.

Ultimately the guests won the game 82-72 in what was a huge win for the small school and gives them a first step toward being “Kings of Pennsylvania”. It’s been a great start to the season as the Red Flash are 4-0, but it’s clear that Dinko is still feeling out his rotation and offensive strategy. They were unable to rely on the three pointer, and perhaps they need to look at shuffling their lineup. Perhaps the size of Clinton or Markovic is more valuable than McGuire’s shooting.

Penn State outrebounded St. Francis by 10, out-assisted them by 7, but they also had 6 more turnovers than the Red Flash and only shot 6 free throws to the visitor’s 21. Dinko’s team also had 50 points in the paint, getting a lot of easy buckets.

Chris Thompson had 19 points and 4 steals, Taj Hailey had 15 points, and Erwin Willingham was 6-6 from the free throw line. Jameel Clinton had a great performance with 4 points, 3 rebounds, 5 assists, and 2 steals off the bench and you could feel the energy change when he was in the game. He looks like a perfect replacement for Erwin Willingham as a tall, athletic, and energetic point guard.

For Penn State, Frandsen had 23 points on 11-15 shooting.

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Please spend a few minutes to answer the annual Bulgarian Brothers survey. Your answers help to shape the dynasty in a few small ways. https://forms.office.com/r/QbMPc1Fiv1

[Tovarich]

Re: November 19, 2025, St. Francis at Penn State [non-conference]

7 rebounds by the starters is bad even by Coach Tovarich standards.

Dinko should cruise through the NEC, and perhaps be in line for an at-large if they fall in the tournament since they should have a pretty gaudy record, provided the simulation is kind.

[studbucket]

Re: November 19, 2025, St. Francis at Penn State [non-conference]

7 rebounds by the starters is bad even by Coach Tovarich standards.

Dinko should cruise through the NEC, and perhaps be in line for an at-large if they fall in the tournament since they should have a pretty gaudy record, provided the simulation is kind.

Haha, yep. Even by those low standards, this was embarassing. When Dinko's tallest starter is 6'9" and the other team has towers, it highlights the problems.

They should cruise through the NEC for sure. They've lost a combined 3 games the last 2 years in conference, and it would be great to finally get that undefeated conference season.

[studbucket]

November 24, 2025, St. Francis vs Duquesne [non-conference]

The Dukes of Duquesne were seeing double. Just 3 days ago they welcomed Oggy to town and lost to him, now they’re traveling to Loretto to take on the younger of the two twins in Dinko. The Red Flash have defeated Duquesne in 4 straight seasons, though this will be the toughest in game in several years as junior Trevoy Stepp (PF, 81 ovr) has been amazing for the Dukes.

While Dinko is far less nervous for this game than he was last season, it still means a lot to him and being spurned by his alma mater stings. He is deeply motivated to win this game and knows the passionate crowd at the DeGol Arena will be behind him and ready to taunt Duquesne. Following the playbook that he used to beat Penn State should be effective if he can pull it off: play disruptive defense and attack the basket.

His biggest problem will be slowing down Trevoy Stepp, which is a job he’s assigning to Taj Hailey, but who else does Dinko need to worry about? 7’1” sophomore Jackie Goodrich (C, 75 ovr) and 6’8” freshman A.B. McCroskey (SF, 74 ovr) both have great length and have shown an ability to complement Stepp by scoring well, and their length will cause problems. Dinko is going to need to find ways to slow them down. Perhaps doubling, maybe running a zone, or getting them into foul trouble. It will also be harder to score in the paint and he’ll need his shooters to hit more threes than last game.

As seems to happen in games featuring Dinko’s team, it started off at a frantic pace with the score at 9-6 after just 2 minutes. Chris Thompson had already scored 6 points and E.F. McGuire hit a 3.

The fast pace kept up and Duquesne kept up with the Red Flash, just a few points behind. But there were a few red flags for them: both Trevoy Stepp and Goodrich had 2 fouls and were on the bench as Chris Thompson was regularly drawing fouls in the early going.

With the two big men on the bench, St. Francis was primed for a run and they took advantage of it. The hosts extended their lead to 10 points, forcing Mark Pope to call timeout and get his team organized. It worked briefly as the Dukes got back to within 4, before St. Francis pulled away again and ended the half up 45-38.

It had been a high scoring first half and Chris Thompson was a big part of that, leading the way with 18 points and 5 boards. Without Goodrich and Stepp to guard him, Thompson has done whatever he wanted. For the Dukes, McCroskey has been very good with 13 points and 4 assists and the Red Flash really need to slow him down in the second half: he’s been given too many open looks from three.

Right out of the gate, Duquesne hit several three pointers and the St. Francis lead was cut to just 2 points, 49-47. Chris Thompson stepped up for the Red Flash and helped keep St. Francis in the lead, even just barely. As the game neared its end, a 62-59 lead extended to 73-65 with just 4 minutes left.

Then, St. Francis got tight. They went cold from the field and were only up 4 with 2 minutes left before a Goodrich putback made it a 2 point game. Bobby Valdez brought the ball up the court and made a boneheaded pass right to Duquesne, allowing them to tie it up on the break.

Trading baskets, the game was knotted up at 75 with just under a minute left before McCroskey drained a wide open three to put the Dukes up. Dinko had subbed on Jameel Clinton for his length and defense, but he responded on the other end by making a basket and getting fouled, tying it up from the charity stripe.

That’s when Trevoy Stepp finally stepped up. He made a 15 footer with 4 seconds to go and ultimately sealed the win for Duquesne. St. Francis blew the game with bad turnovers down the stretch and will be kicking themselves for this one.

Chris Thompson had 34 points and a great game, but his backcourt only shot 2-7 from three once again. The team was 20-24 from the free throw line though. Packevicius (18 points, 13 assists) and McCroskey (22 points, 5 assists) had great games for Duquesne, while Stepp only had 8 points.

Around the NCAA

• Oggy had 3 games this week and did relatively well, winning two.
  • They started off with a barn burner of a win over Cal-State Fullerton, 94-92. Immanuel Kahrimanovic led the way with 22 points and 5 rebounds, but Evan Harris had 12 assists off the bench and Vakeaton Mbaha Moute added 14 as well.
  • They then went on the road and played a much slower game, but beat Duquesne 66-63. Trevoy Stepp (PF, 81 ovr) was fantastic in the loss with 25 points and 18 rebounds. However, Kahrimanovic had another fantastic game, with 12 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists, and 5 steals in the win.
  • They wrapped up the week with a close loss to #10 UCLA, 81-87. They were up by 16 at half, but blew it in the second. Lucious Estrada led the way with 19 points.
  
  
• #2 Duke defeated #5 Syracuse, 86-79. Clarence Defares (PF, 86 ovr) led the way with 20 points.
• #6 UConn lost by 29 points to unranked Clemson, who saw Antawn Hazel (C, 84 ovr) score 30 points in the win.
• Daniel Almond (C, 80 ovr) from Northwestern scored an astounding 48 points in a win over Dartmouth.

[Careless Whisper]

Re: The Bulgarian Brothers – A College Hoops 2K8 & NBA 2K20 Dynasty

What a disappointing collapse against Duquesne for the Red Flash. Seemed like an exciting game to watch as a neutral, but frustrating to watch your team drop a winnable non-conference game - and one against Duquesne, nonetheless. You can't wait them all though and this shouldn't hurt too much regarding your NCAA chance, but I bet that certainly hurt.

Pretty good stretch for LMU after the Arkansas-Pine Bluff loss. Would have loved to see them score the big upset win over UCLA, but picking up two wins - one over the aforementioned dreaded Dukes - is a good sign.

[studbucket]

Re: The Bulgarian Brothers – A College Hoops 2K8 & NBA 2K20 Dynasty

What a disappointing collapse against Duquesne for the Red Flash. Seemed like an exciting game to watch as a neutral, but frustrating to watch your team drop a winnable non-conference game - and one against Duquesne, nonetheless. You can't wait them all though and this shouldn't hurt too much regarding your NCAA chance, but I bet that certainly hurt.

Pretty good stretch for LMU after the Arkansas-Pine Bluff loss. Would have loved to see them score the big upset win over UCLA, but picking up two wins - one over the aforementioned dreaded Dukes - is a good sign.

100% disappointing. The game was theirs for the taking. The Red Flash really need to get more consistent scoring from their backcourt. Maybe Markovic becomes a starter and McGuire becomes a 6th man.

I am very excited for the Drago Derby. I really hope this is the year we get a thriller in that game, not a blowout. LMU looks a lot better this season.