A Coach's Legacy - Cole Cash

[l0rdza0n]

platform: PS3
type: closed career, coach mode
Level: All American, Coach Mode sliders from OS, 18mins

I don't really want to begin the typical Legacy writeup with roster-breakdowns/etc since I'm not yet at my dream job.. or at least with a team that I feel I am going to be with for a long stretch and can at least establish myself with. I'm not one of those people looking to join a "Power" team since I'm NYC-based and I mostly focus on eventually landing a gig in the BIG EAST somewhere (maybe Lousville, hopefully.. ;P) and the journey there is gonna be long but I'll work thru it. That's part of the fun.

Profile:
"The Strong take from the weak, but the smart take from the strong every single time."

That pretty much epitomizes the type of team and players I want.
-Play strong defense.
-Limit your turnovers.
-Get the ball from the enemy and run them up and down the court on fastbreaks
-Press them until they surrender
-Above all: PLAY SMART

That is my philosophy and how I try to build my program..

[southernCEO]

I'm going to follow this legacy

[l0rdza0n]

I'm going to follow this legacy

only reason I posted now is because I'm entering my 5th season and got the biggest surprise and shock ever :X Villanova fired their coach for underperforming.. and I WAS OFFERED THE JOB. A "Power" team, in the Big East.. how on earth could I refuse?

so of course I accepted :dance: but the bad part is..
-my job security is a paltry 40% LOL (I have to prove myself all over again)
-I am severely underprepared as a coach in the Power Conferences.. at least, imo .. I am a mere B+ ovr coach whose attributes break down thus
Off:A Def:A Tea:A+ Sco:C+ Cha:C- Dis:C

I went from Small -> MidMajor -> Power.. but I am worried that I'm going to be losing the recruiting battle here but oh well.. I cannot pass up Villanova.. there's just no chance even if I feel I'm not ready for it.. Gotta see where it goes

anyhows, I've got 4 seasons of recap writing I'm doing -.- the biggest shocker of them all is that it's not like I had runaway success.. I use coach-mode so I guess my success for the type of teams I had was big enough to impress 'Nova

[southernCEO]

Congrats on getting the Villanova position. You should bring in some good recruits being that you are in Philly and the East coast is a recruiting hotbed for bball talent. I'm sure your job security will go up once you start winning. The folks at 'Nova are used to winning and I'm sure you'll be the coach to revive the program.

[l0rdza0n]

[ 2006-2007: Southern Utah University - Mid-Continent ]

Led by a great group of Sr Guards and Jr's and with 6 scholarships available. The team fed well into Coach Cash's system. Utilizing a motion-offense suited for the type of team he inherited and led by their Sr Guards, the offense flowed well and the team played as the old saying goes, "Beyond Themselves".

Most scouts and prognosticators had them ranked at or near the bottom yet they finished the season with 2 losses (mostly helped by a weak non-conference schedule), won the conference title and got the automatic bid for the dance and was even ranked as a #2 seed going into it. They won their opening round but ran into the powerhouse Ohio State Buckeyes led by Greg Oden and lost in the second round.

With 6 scholarships available, the recruiting class was pretty good landing mostly 3* recruits and even 2 4* world recruits one of whom is a PG to replace the departing Senior Guards.

Recap: 30-2, Mid-Continent Conference Champions, #2 NCAA seed, Lost in the Second Round to the Greg Oden led Buckeyes :(

[Superjames1992]

Looks Good! I'm following!:thumbsup:

I started a legacy with Southern Utah also. I'm currently in the second season. I went 25-8 in the first season and won the Mid-Con regular season championship. Unfortunately I lost in the first round of the Mid-Con tournament to University of Missouri-Kansas City which made me mad. I got to play in the NIT. I beat Appalachian State in the first round, shocked the Syracuse Orange in a 20 point blowout, and finally got blown out by Tennessee in the third round of the NIT. I am currnetly in my second season and am 2-2 so far.

Best of luck!:)

[l0rdza0n]

Looks Good! I'm following!:thumbsup:

I started a legacy with Southern Utah also. I'm currently in the second season. I went 25-8 in the first season and won the Mid-Con regular season championship. Unfortunately I lost in the first round of the Mid-Con tournament to University of Missouri-Kansas City which made me mad. I got to play in the NIT. I beat Appalachian State in the first round, shocked the Syracuse Orange in a 20 point blowout, and finally got blown out by Tennessee in the third round of the NIT. I am currnetly in my second season and am 2-2 so far.

Best of luck!:)

thanks, I'm way past SUU though.. I'm just doing recaps for the past 4 seasons since I'm with a team now that I will probably stick around with for a while.. but yea, I've got 4 seasons' worth of recaps.. BTW, it's interesting to note.. thanks to my recruiting strategy/classes, 2 yrs after I left SUU, they're still going strong, even won the midcontinent title last year due to the strength of the recruiting class I brought in there who matured a bit :P

one of the best parts of this game really.. seeing the fingerprints you leave in your past teams behhind

[skarface2k1]

[ 2006-2007: Southern Utah University - Mid-Continent ]

Led by a great group of Sr Guards and Jr's and with 6 scholarships available. The team fed well into Coach Cash's system. Utilizing a motion-offense suited for the type of team he inherited and led by their Sr Guards, the offense flowed well and the team played as the old saying goes, "Beyond Themselves".

Most scouts and prognosticators had them ranked at or near the bottom yet they finished the season with 2 losses (mostly helped by a weak non-conference schedule), won the conference title and got the automatic bid for the dance and was even ranked as a #2 seed going into it. They won their opening round but ran into the powerhouse Ohio State Buckeyes led by Greg Oden and lost in the second round.

With 6 scholarships available, the recruiting class was pretty good landing mostly 3* recruits and even 2 4* world recruits one of whom is a PG to replace the departing Senior Guards.

Recap: 30-2, Mid-Continent Conference Champions, #2 NCAA seed, Lost in the Second Round to the Greg Oden led Buckeyes :(

Greetings Coach Cash, i am Coach Sanders of the Wisconsin Badgers.I to traveled the road you did with getting to a power school.I started at WIU and then moved onto Santa Clara in the WCC.So,i know how it is to move from a small to a mid-major to the power conferences.recruiting isn't going to be that bad for you.Just remmeber to go after alot of players that want to go to a big school.After,a good season alot of All-American will want to come to your school.Check out my legacy you will see the success i am having and had.Again,congrads and i look forward to following your legacy.

[vikingfan1]

Lookin good, I will follow.

[l0rdza0n]

[ 2007-2008: Southern Utah University ]

This was not a rebuilding year. However, with a starting core made up of 3 true freshmen (PG, SG and C) along with a JC SF (Jr-in game). Coach Cash knew this was going to be an unpredictable season. It was evident that the team lacked the chemistry and experience the previous squad had. That was the bad effect that comes with losing your Jr and Sr leadership.

Coupled with a tougher out of conference schedule and higher expectations from last year, the team still finished pretty strong at 24-11 and still first in their conference. They however, lost the MidContinent Title and failed to make the dance but got invited to the NIT instead where their inexperience promptly bounced them out in the first round. Not quite the season I wanted, but given the freshmen core, was pretty decent in itself.

Recap: 24-11, 1st in the Mid-Continent Conference, NIT: Lost in the 1st round :(

[l0rdza0n]

After a strong 2 years in SUU, powered by his rookie season; Coach Cash was offered several openings that included Major conference teams as well as a powerhouse Mid-Major team in Gonzaga but eventually accepted an offer from the Drake Bulldogs; a pretty decent team in ‘The Valley’ conference.

Satisfied that he left SUU better than when he first got there, with a young team that will only get better, Coach Cash took on the challenge of a very young Bulldogs team and to his shock, only 2 scholarships available for recruiting purposes.

[l0rdza0n]

[ 2008-2009: Drake Bulldogs (recap) The Valley, Mid-Major ]

Some players have tremendous talent but lack the mentality to utilize it. Some players have the proper mentality but lack the ability.

Going in, the Bulldogs were not that highly rated, they were merely a 77 OVR but they had a Jr SG in J. Young who surpassed every and all expectations Coach Cash had for the team. J. Young was gifted and had the mentality of an assassin on the court (played like Allen Iverson). He would drive when needed and his touch from beyond the arc was amazing. He had it all and led his team to a staggering 29-5 record, winning The Valley championship and the automatic bid.

The team surprised everyone with their excellent level of play and climbed as high as 13th in the polls once although they finished the season ranked 17th. They won 'The Valley' title along with a #3 seed going into the NCAA tournament. Although they played great for the first two rounds, their run ended in the Sweet Sixteen against the #2 seed; Alabama Crimson Tide.

The biggest shock to Coach Cash was that the Conference Player of the Year and First Team All-American SG J. Young (82 ovr, avg: 23pts/gm) decided to return for his Senior Year. That, along with a strong recruiting class even though only having 2 scholarships available, (Coach Cash was able to recruit a 4* PG and a 5* C) brings very high expectations the coming year.

Recap: 29-5, 1st in conference, The Valley Champion, NCAA #3 seed, lost in the Sweet Sixteen to #2 ranked Alabama.

[l0rdza0n]

[ 2009-2010: Drake Bulldogs – The Valley ]

First off let me just say how much I like this Bulldogs team. Led by the scoring machine-SG J. Young (he plays like Allen Iverson), there’s never any game I feel we can’t at least compete in. Not to mention the Bulldogs have a contract with Adidas and sport some mighty fine shoes during their games :D

Even though the team was stronger this year than last, the chemistry was not as good due to the new starting true freshman PG. J. Young led the team as usual and finished first in the conference once again but lost ‘The Valley’ title. They did make the dance but got bounced in the First Round due to J. Young going down early with an ankle sprain :(.

Overall another decent season finishing 23-12 although nowhere near the expectations of the team and its coach specially since J. Young decided to return instead of making the jump to the NBA which he could have very easily done.

Recap: 23-12, 1st in conference, NCAA bid, Lost in First Round

[l0rdza0n]

After two strong seasons with the Drake Bulldogs and a VERY strong recruiting class setting up the foundation for the team for years to come, Coach Cash was satisfied with how things were going.

Fate, would have other plans for him however. Having come from Brooklyn, his heart yearned to go back to the east. Along came the most unexpected surprise ever.. after only 4 seasons of coaching, and building strong performing teams in the small conference team Southern Utah Thunderbirds along with the midmajor team Drake Bulldogs.. Coach was actually offered a Power Conference team in Villanova of THE BIG EAST Power Conference.

Coach Cash faced the decision that may perhaps turn out to be his biggest regret. Leave the stable and strong Drake Bulldogs with a star player foundation to dominate ‘The Valley’ for years to come and make runs at the NCAA tournament.. or take control of a program that has lost its way in the Wildcats.

Coach Cash accepted the offer.. he was headed back east but he knew full well that he was not prepared for the task ahead and the road will not be easy. Just a sampling of the teams that will be faced year in and year out provides a who’se who of powerhouse programs: Seton Hall, Syracuse, Pitt, Lousville, Providence, Georgetown, etc

Who knows what the future will bring? But Coach Cash will face it undeterred, and stick true to his principles: Play hard, Don’t be afraid to make mistakes and most of all: PLAY SMART

[chestnutz6]

Lookin good man, I'll read. Surprised you went to Drake and not Gonzaga. I'm going to follow that same path (small-mid-power). I started at jacksonville and had a few 25+ win seasons, never making it past the sweet 16 though, and in an extremely tough decision I left to go to Indiana St, where I am now. I'm hoping after next season, when I'm eligible to leave, if there are offers I'm interested I'm going to go to a power conference team.
I completely agree on the whole fingerprints on your old teams thing. It's great that I turned a Jacksonville team that finished with less than 5 wins before I came into a great team, and now they're like 5-2 since I left.

[l0rdza0n]

As with any new team, the first order of priority is to analyze the team’s roster and make decisions based on what is available and plan a recruiting strategy to build a foundation for the team.

PG: 2 Sr 1 Fr
SG: 1 Sr
SF: 3 So 1 Sr
PF: 0
C: 2 Fr 1 So

Notable Players:
SG: J. Craven 90ovr (Sr) (Coach on Floor)
PG: M. Logie 85ovr (Sr)
SF: R. Hopkins 79ovr (So) B- potential
C: J. Snowden 73ovr (Fr) 4* recruit

A quick analysis of the roster breakdown shows a big gaping hole in the PF spot with spare players in the SF and C roles. There’s two paths to go down.. either choose a taller/slower/better defender using a C to fill the PF slot or go with a more athletic less defensive SF in there.

Another gaping hole to be addressed this season will be the lack of Senior Guard leadership since both starting guards which ironically enough are also the best players on the team will be leaving. This is a critical issue that must be addressed.

Starting Lineup:
PG: M. Logie, 85ovr, Sr
SG: J. Craven, 90ovr, Sr, Coach on Floor
SF: R. Hopkins, 79ovr
PF: C. Mack (Sf), 77ovr
C: J. Snowden, 73ovr, Fr

I am delighted to have my very first ever “Coach on Floor”. Can’t wait to see how this team plays out on the court. It’s definitely better in terms of talent than my previous Drake Bulldog squad but that is not a true measure of how well a team succeeds.

Bench Lineup for rotation:
PG: A. Witherspoon, 68ovr, Fr
SF: F. Haney, 76ovr
SF: D. Bannister, 74ovr
C: C. Larranaga, 70ovr, Fr
C: T. Fernandez, 64ovr

Scholarships available: 5

The team is set, and I quickly scouted the BIG EAST conference and as I knew.. the competition is fierce. We have from the beginning, 5 ranked teams including the #1 team in the polls the Syracuse Orangemen. This is what I was worried about.. there are no easy games in this conference. There will be no cakewalks. Every game is fiercely contested by almost equally matched teams all rated in the high 80's to the 90's.

Playbook: Motion (we have a coach on the floor, so why not? Usually I go Stack)
Primary Def: 1-1-3 = Secondary Def: man to man = Pressure Def: 1-2-2
Inbounds Press: Fullcourt Trap = Press Frequency: Always
Tempo: 65
Pressure: 90
Fastbreak: 80
Trans Def: 40
Bench Usage: 80

Game Preparation: MAX
Training Focus:
Offense: 30%
Defense: 25%
Shooting: 20%
Post Play: 15%
Fitness: 10%

The strong take from the weak, but the smart take from the strong - every single time. With all the teams in this monster of a conference pretty much deadlocked in terms of talent. I need smarts now more than ever.. that is what will distinguish my team from the rest. We'll play hard defense.. we'll bring them hell all game long.. but most of all: WE WILL PLAY SMART.

Am I ready for this challenge? Is my team set? Can we even compete against fellow powerhouse programs in the Big East? That is what we'll find out.. ahh, fear of failure -- I have never been more excited! :dance:

[chestnutz6]

just so you know it's not the syracuse orangemen. it's the syracuse orange. they got rid of the men a few years ago. i hate it

[l0rdza0n]

just so you know it's not the syracuse orangemen. it's the syracuse orange. they got rid of the men a few years ago. i hate it

they'll always be teh orangemen!!! :X lol what's next, Umass Minute? :lol: thanks for the heads-up, but old habits die hard, they'll always be teh orangemen :P

Lookin good man, I'll read. Surprised you went to Drake and not Gonzaga. I'm going to follow that same path (small-mid-power). I started at jacksonville and had a few 25+ win seasons, never making it past the sweet 16 though, and in an extremely tough decision I left to go to Indiana St, where I am now. I'm hoping after next season, when I'm eligible to leave, if there are offers I'm interested I'm going to go to a power conference team.
I completely agree on the whole fingerprints on your old teams thing. It's great that I turned a Jacksonville team that finished with less than 5 wins before I came into a great team, and now they're like 5-2 since I left.

thanks man, I chose Drake because.. well.. I liked their logos :X also Gonzaga to me is a "Cheating" team.. check your legacies out, Gonzaga is almost always rated #1 midmajor team and always gets great recruits.. so I chose another path as for the small-mid-power leap

I highly suggest that after each season before the ncaa tourney concludes, make a save file.. then you'll see all the coaching carousel possibilities.. like I said, this mid-to-power leap to me, is a fluke.. I have that save file and the first time I simmed thru the ncaa tourney, Umass opened up but wasn't offered to me but I had a shot at it, I was the #2 coach choice.. so I basically kept reloading the savefile hoping that some combination will lead me to get the Minutemen job.. oddly enough, Umass never opened up again but on my 4th try... Villanova not only opened, but was offered to me :X so just a tip from me to you ^^

as for the Team fingerprints, I completely 100% agree, I *LOVE* seeing how my past teams do after I'm gone and laugh it up whenever the coach is voted COTY due to the strength of the team.. one of the best ways to see how your past-teams are doing is right after the ncaa tourney when the screen pops up with the year-end recaps.. select whatever conferences they were in and check out all the conference-awards :thumbsup:

[l0rdza0n]

1st Half 2nd Half FINAL
17-Oklahoma State U. 37 26 63
@
Villanova Wildcats 44 29 73

Coach’s Thoughts: How far has this program fallen..? Their previous Coach was fired and I can see why.. the fanbase has totally deserted this once-mighty program. The ‘Pavillion’ sounded more like a morgue than an actual arena and there were probably more empty seats than there were fans in attendance.

Drake, even though a midmajor school always played in front of a packed house and would definitely be a factor effecting the visiting teams’ play. I just hope that the fans come back and help support my team or else my stay here will be short.

First game of the season and I’m faced with a ranked team already. Impressed that my team even though having a very young core managed to pull this upset. They bumrushed the Cowboys led by their two Sr guards and did not surrended the lead even though OSU made a more concentrated effort in the 2nd half.

It’s interesting to see a players’ tendency and style of play.. even though my SG. J. Craven is by far more talented than my previous SG in Drake (J. Young).. he lacks the assassin’s mentality that Young had. Craven is far more passive than Young (23pts a game average) and I hope that Craven and Logie combined would equal the production that Young was able to give me. That may be the only chance we have of making a semi-respectable season.

[l0rdza0n]

1st Half 2nd Half FINAL
Villanova Wildcats (1-0) 43 38 81
@
Winston-Salem St. Rams 17 33 50

Coach’s Thoughts: This was a cakewalk, I tried to stress the urgency to my team about the importance of winning the “Gimme” games. My plan this season is to get as good a record as possible in non-conference play and then roll the dice in the Big East. First order of business is to make a record imposing enough to make ‘The Dance’ even if I don’t get the Big East Automatic Bid.

Early recruiting target
SG: S. Collier, 6’4” Off: C+ Sht: B+ Qck: A+ Lea: A- Int: B Pot: B
Even though he did not display the offensive scorer’s mentality that J. Young had being only rated as a C+ for offense, he was probably the most athletic guard we scouted that had an interest in our program. He had tremendous natural talent. He could fly, he ran very fast and could drain the jumper if needed. I am definitely going to focus my efforts on him and hopefully be able to get a commitment from him before the early recruiting period ends.

[l0rdza0n]

1st Half 2nd Half FINAL
Grambling 17 31 48
@
Villanova (2-0) 48 34 82

Coach’s Thoughts: This team is definitely athletic. My previous teams were more of a jumpshot oriented team and slashers but this team regularly makes highlight reel plays. Dominique Wilkins-type dunks. Flying double handed windmills. Alley-oops. Power Dunks.. they just put on a show today.

I wonder if that is the result of starting 2 SF’s. I like the mix of shooting and physical play I see on this team. They’re young but they play possessed, it’s a good trait to have.

[l0rdza0n]

1st Half 2nd Half FINAL
Villanova Wildcats (3-0) 37 24 61
@
13-Missouri St. Bears 38 45 83

Coach’s Thoughts: Another ranked team so early in the season. Valiant effort in the first half but eventually got outmuscled. Literally outmuscled as we were crushed on the boards. This could turn out to be our Achilles heel. This early in the season and already I feel that we just got exposed.

[skarface2k1]

1st Half 2nd Half FINAL
Villanova Wildcats (3-0) 37 24 61
@
13-Missouri St. Bears 38 45 83

Coach’s Thoughts: Another ranked team so early in the season. Valiant effort in the first half but eventually got outmuscled. Literally outmuscled as we were crushed on the boards. This could turn out to be our Achilles heel. This early in the season and already I feel that we just got exposed.
Don't worry it happens!just make sure you work on rebounding hard in pracitice. The more ranked team you play during the season makes the conference game,conference tournament games,and the NCAA's alot easier.Because your team will be use to playing that great compatition.Coach sanders of Wisconsin out.

[chestnutz6]

I highly suggest that after each season before the ncaa tourney concludes, make a save file.. then you'll see all the coaching carousel possibilities.. like I said, this mid-to-power leap to me, is a fluke.. I have that save file and the first time I simmed thru the ncaa tourney, Umass opened up but wasn't offered to me but I had a shot at it, I was the #2 coach choice.. so I basically kept reloading the savefile hoping that some combination will lead me to get the Minutemen job.. oddly enough, Umass never opened up again but on my 4th try... Villanova not only opened, but was offered to me :X so just a tip from me to you ^^

as for the Team fingerprints, I completely 100% agree, I *LOVE* seeing how my past teams do after I'm gone and laugh it up whenever the coach is voted COTY due to the strength of the team.. one of the best ways to see how your past-teams are doing is right after the ncaa tourney when the screen pops up with the year-end recaps.. select whatever conferences they were in and check out all the conference-awards

yeah I did before I made my decisions to check out each team that offered's uniforms, good young players, etc. This year I'll probably make a save right before the season ends and then sim through the next year to see what possible jobs i would get next year.

and my star at JU (the team I left) is leading the NCAA in scoring and the team is one of the top teams in the mid major top 25. I hate gonzaga too =D

[l0rdza0n]

1st Half 2nd Half FINAL
Villanova Wildcats (3-1) 38 34 72
@
15-Charlotte 49ers 49 32 81

Coach’s Thoughts: Two ranked games in a row on the road. I was hoping to steal at least one but the youth of my team showed as we were unable to mount a comeback and was never really a factor in this game. Have to give credit to the 49ers as their shooters it seemed never missed a shot. There’s no defense against that.. when you see the other team hit fade-away 3pointers.. there’s just no way of defending it.

Another thing that concerns me was how much my team folded to their strong Fullcourt pressure. Their runs were powered mostly due to my teams’ inability to deal with the Fullcourt Trap. I usually use a 1-2-1-1 fullcourt press but seeing the Fullcourt Trap at its max efficiency makes me want to establish a similar system here in Villanova.

Noteworthy: the SG I was focusing my early recruiting efforts on commited to the big V! At least one roster-spot is no longer a concern since I have a replacement for my departing Sr SG J. Craven.

SG: S. Collier (4*), 6’4” Off: C+ Sht: B+ Qck: A+ Lea: A- Int: B Pot: B

I need to get myself a PF, a PG, another SG and that should help establish a foundation for this team for the future.

[l0rdza0n]

1st Half 2nd Half FINAL
Villanova Wildcats (3-2) 48 67 112
@
Texas Longhorns 37 47 84

Coach’s Thoughts: Three straight road games against quality opponents will test any team. After losing two in a row, I told my players just to go out there and have some fun knowing how tired they are. This turned out pretty good as they flew around playing loose and caused a bunch of turnovers leading to easy fast break opportunities. The score reflected this as my team somehow seemed energized despite being on the road for so long now.

[l0rdza0n]

Villanova Wildcats (4-2) W 69 -vs- 54 Maine
Coach’s Thoughts: Gimme game. It’s good to be back home though, I’m pretty sure my players felt the same way and played with the energy that reflected it. Arena still empty. Where have the fans gone?

[l0rdza0n]

1st Half 2nd Half FINAL
Villanova Wildcats (5-2) 39 29 68
@
Harvard Crimson 40 24 64

Coach’s Thoughts: On the road again.. on the road again. I wonder how my players are feeling with constantly being on the road. Despite this being Harvard, a clear and what should be a "Gimme" -- it was a far closer game than I would’ve liked. My players don’t say anything to me but it’s evident that constantly being on the road is perhaps wearing them down. How else to explain a game we barely squeeked out a win from?

[l0rdza0n]

1st Half 2nd Half FINAL
Fairfield Stags 38 42 80
@
Villanova Wildcats (6-2) 51 30 81

Coach’s Thoughts: Barely hung on for the win. I’m really worried now about my teams’ energy level. They came out all energized for the first half but I thought that was more to do with just being back home. The 2nd half showed just how weary my team truly is. They’re warriors though as they have not uttered one word of complaint.

[l0rdza0n]

Holy Cross 59 @ W 64 Villanova (7-2)
Coach’s Thoughts: Should not be struggling with teams such as this. We should be running them over and not barely winning by 5 points.. I am officially worried as the non-conference games are about to end and the Big East battles are about to start and I feel that we have not gotten on a roll yet despite our record.

[l0rdza0n]

1st Half 2nd Half FINAL
Villanova Wildcats (8-2) 42 42 84
@
8-Maryland Terapins 35 46 81

Coach’s Thoughts: Another road game, against a ranked team, this time the #8 team on the polls. This was a good test for my Wildcats and a great way to unveil our new Fullcourt Trap Pressure scheme which worked pretty well although it needs fine tuning and for my players to have a better understanding of it. This time around even though Maryland outsized and outmuscled us, my team made a concentrated effort to attack the boards and pretty much came up even in the rebounding battle. The score was close throughout and I like the fact that despite the Terapins making a strong effort to overtake us and take the lead, my team held them off to secure the narrow victory. I like the composure my team showed down the stretch when the place was going insane.. this could be the start of a coming together for the Wildcats.

[skarface2k1]

1st Half 2nd Half FINAL
Villanova Wildcats (8-2) 42 42 84
@
8-Maryland Terapins 35 46 81

Coach’s Thoughts: Another road game, against a ranked team, this time the #8 team on the polls. This was a good test for my Wildcats and a great way to unveil our new Fullcourt Trap Pressure scheme which worked pretty well although it needs fine tuning and for my players to have a better understanding of it. This time around even though Maryland outsized and outmuscled us, my team made a concentrated effort to attack the boards and pretty much came up even in the rebounding battle. The score was close throughout and I like the fact that despite the Terapins making a strong effort to overtake us and take the lead, my team held them off to secure the narrow victory. I like the composure my team showed down the stretch when the place was going insane.. this could be the start of a coming together for the Wildcats.





Coach, hello i am Coach Sanders of Wisconsin i have won about 8 National Championships in my legacy.I have had small teams and big teams.The way i always win on the boards is to play a little 2-3.That always gives me a edge.Just wanted to share that with you.Good luck with the rest of your season.

[l0rdza0n]

Coach, hello i am Coach Sanders of Wisconsin i have won about 8 National Championships in my legacy.I have had small teams and big teams.The way i always win on the boards is to play a little 2-3.That always gives me a edge.Just wanted to share that with you.Good luck with the rest of your season.

thanks for the tip ^^ LOL the bad part is I *WAS* playing 2-3.. I basically check out the starting lineup of the other team, if their best players are PF/C's I play a 2-3. If it's their Guards I go with a 1-2-2. If I am better than them OVR, I go with my favorite zone, the 3-2

but thanks for the tip ^^ I pretty much change my D every game depending on who I play, it's not a surefire bet though

[l0rdza0n]

Norfolk St. 56 @ W 67 Villanova (9-2)
Coach’s Thoughts: Nice little gimme game right before the Big East games begin, gave my bench heavy playing time to give my starters a much needed rest. Should help them a bit since the game was never really in question.

[skarface2k1]

thanks for the tip ^^ LOL the bad part is I *WAS* playing 2-3.. I basically check out the starting lineup of the other team, if their best players are PF/C's I play a 2-3. If it's their Guards I go with a 1-2-2. If I am better than them OVR, I go with my favorite zone, the 3-2

but thanks for the tip ^^ I pretty much change my D every game depending on who I play, it's not a surefire bet though
That's cool!Good luck with the rest of your season.I will be keeping up with your post.

[l0rdza0n]

1st Half 2nd Half FINAL
Villanova Wildcats (10-2) 46 31 77
@
18-Cincinnati Bearcats 37 30 67

Coach’s Thoughts: Good overall game and another win against a ranked team! Seems everyone played well and the team took the lead early and held it for the entire duration of the game. Cin made few good solid runs in the 2nd half but was quickly answered by runs of our own to secure this game. The Fullcourt-Trap I’ve implemented and been using for the past few weeks is definitely my preferred way of pressuring the other team now as. On a sidenote, the Bearcats have amazing uniforms and Adidas shoes! Definitely one stylish team. First game in the Big East and we came out victorious.

Why is it that despite having a 10-2 record and currently on what is now an 8-game win streak, I feel that this team still has no identity. I am still worried about our past game against Missouri where I feel we got exposed and the Big East games being as tough as they are worries me to no end. I’m sure we will have a respectable season but a weakness exposed – is just that, a weakness exposed.

[l0rdza0n]

1st Half 2nd Half FINAL
Villanova Wildcats (11-2) 42 33 75
@
Marquette Golden Eagles 25 34 59

Coach’s Thoughts: Good lead in the first half and managed to do enough to hold off the Eagles’ rush in the 2nd half. Still feel lucky that we got the wins.

[l0rdza0n]

1st Half 2nd Half FINAL
Rutgers Scarlet Knights 33 25 58
@
Villanova Wildcats (12-2) 46 59 105

Coach’s Thoughts: What an UNBELIEVABLE game! The score seems lopsided but the truth of the matter was that my team was only up by 10 with 5 minutes remaining. The most unexpected thing happened: Rutgers self-destructed. Literally self-destructed and turned the ball over so much and in consecutive possessions that in the span of 5 minutes, a tightly contested game where Rutgers even had the lead for almost all of the first half into a lopsided blowout. It was scary to witness what happened.. Rutgers either lost their composure or something because they just imploded out on the court. Best game I have been in so far.. just to see the sheer chaos caused by my team utilizing the FullCourt Press and the Knights self-destructing was very enjoyable!

[l0rdza0n]

1st Half 2nd Half FINAL
Seton Hall Pirates 46 31 77
@
Villanova Wildcats (13-2) 37 30 67

Coach’s Thoughts: Everyone knows that Seton Hall is one of my “dream” jobs.. maybe it’s the whole Pirate thing, I’m not sure. My team jumped on them early and yet again held off the comeback attempt. This is a very interesting trait I’m noticing from the Wildcats.. once they have the lead, they never relinquish it. The other team can lead for most of the half but if we catch up to them and overtake them.. game over. I am liking what I am seeing, only time will tell if this team has what I sense may be a cutthroat mentality. That will serve them well.. specially in this conference and specially come tournament time. I just hope it holds true.

[l0rdza0n]

Coach’s Thoughts: It’s not often that I am intimidated by an opposing team but facing the #1 ranked team in the nation gives even me a pause. The team Coach Boeheim has assembled is frightening and here are some of the things that mightily impresses me.
- 5 Coaches on the Floor, yes.. from 1 to 5, they are all COF’s!
- COF’s riding the bench, yes, 2ndary COF’s!?
- 95 ovr team and 96+ in every category of OFF, DEF, SHT and the lowest being 94REB

I told my team that everyone expects us to be blown out of this game but we just have to play hard. The game itself turned out to be better than I had hoped for.

1st Half 2nd Half FINAL
1-Syracuse Orange (11-2) 32 33 65
@
Villanova Wildcats (14-2) 45 36 81


Additional Statlines:
SYR VIL
3pt 5/19 5/23
.263 .217
Steals 14 21
FT 12/17 28/33

*the way my team played was great not only having the composure to hit almost all their free throws but even more important was that they got the Orange into heavy foul trouble keeping most of their stars off the court (even though their unity never fell below 6 bars since they always had a COF out there)

Orebs 7 15
Rebs 27 40

*This is where I felt we won the game at. We had nearly doubled their offensive rebounds leading to easy second chance points and we just cleaned the glass very well! Aggressive Offense to get them into foul trouble, Defense and Rebounding! That’s the way to make me smile.

This game proved it to me beyond all doubts.. My Wildcats are most definitely competitive and can play with *ANYONE* and they have definitely developed a trait where they simply do not give up a lead. Once they have it, it’s over.. I wonder if the Fullcourt Trap defense favors this style of play.. maybe it makes it harder on the other team to come back playing hectic already since they’re behind and then having to face the relentless trapping defense?

The only thing that severely dissapoints me was the sheer lack of fan support. Where have they gone? How long until they come back? We're 14-2, on a great winning streak, facing the #1 ranked team in the nation and there are still empty seats. Sure enough there are more fans now than when I first got here but it pales in comparison to the other programs I've been with in smaller conferences. Where are the Villanova fans?!


Coaching Goal Achievement! Upset a #1 ranked team

[skarface2k1]

Coach’s Thoughts: It’s not often that I am intimidated by an opposing team but facing the #1 ranked team in the nation gives even me a pause. The team Coach Boeheim has assembled is frightening and here are some of the things that mightily impresses me.
- 5 Coaches on the Floor, yes.. from 1 to 5, they are all COF’s!
- COF’s riding the bench, yes, 2ndary COF’s!?
- 95 ovr team and 96+ in every category of OFF, DEF, SHT and the lowest being 94REB

I told my team that everyone expects us to be blown out of this game but we just have to play hard. The game itself turned out to be better than I had hoped for.

1st Half 2nd Half FINAL
1-Syracuse Orange (11-2) 32 33 65
@
Villanova Wildcats (14-2) 45 36 81


Additional Statlines:
SYR VIL
3pt 5/19 5/23
.263 .217
Steals 14 21
FT 12/17 28/33

*the way my team played was great not only having the composure to hit almost all their free throws but even more important was that they got the Orange into heavy foul trouble keeping most of their stars off the court (even though their unity never fell below 6 bars since they always had a COF out there)

Orebs 7 15
Rebs 27 40

*This is where I felt we won the game at. We had nearly doubled their offensive rebounds leading to easy second chance points and we just cleaned the glass very well! Aggressive Offense to get them into foul trouble, Defense and Rebounding! That’s the way to make me smile.

This game proved it to me beyond all doubts.. My Wildcats are most definitely competitive and can play with *ANYONE* and they have definitely developed a trait where they simply do not give up a lead. Once they have it, it’s over.. I wonder if the Fullcourt Trap defense favors this style of play.. maybe it makes it harder on the other team to come back playing hectic already since they’re behind and then having to face the relentless trapping defense?

The only thing that severely dissapoints me was the sheer lack of fan support. Where have they gone? How long until they come back? We're 14-2, on a great winning streak, facing the #1 ranked team in the nation and there are still empty seats. Sure enough there are more fans now than when I first got here but it pales in comparison to the other programs I've been with in smaller conferences. Where are the Villanova fans?!


Coaching Goal Achievement! Upset a #1 ranked team


Your team should be ranked by now all the ranked teams you have knocked off.No matter what that last win was a big one enjoy it for awhile and then get back to work.

[chestnutz6]

I do not like you now...=D

Syracuse shoulda killed you

[l0rdza0n]

I do not like you now...=D

Syracuse shoulda killed you

if it helps any, i was expecting to be killed :p i mean hell i had to blink several times when i hit select for their team... FIVE COF'S?! Are you kidding me?! every single roster = coach on floor.. that's unbelievable!

Coach Boeheim has built himself an incredibly great team, but they did have 2 losses before already so it's not like they're unbeatable ;P

but yea, i know I got lucky, lol :D

[chestnutz6]

haha in the game syracuse is always a number 1 seed it seems. I'm not complainin =D

[vols21]

haha, the game designer must be a Syracuse grad. Big East has been top league 2 of 3 years (SEC was killer in year #2 for me with 3 of top 5 teams). However, Arizonia came out on top 2 years in a row in the NCAA tourney.

[l0rdza0n]

1st Half 2nd Half FINAL
Villanova Wildcats (15-2) 45 36 81
@
St. John’s Red Storm 32 33 65

Coach’s Thoughts: Still high from the Syracuse victory, the Wildcats stayed true to form jumping early on SJU and kept the lead despite another strong second half from the enemy. This is some roll Villanova is in.. despite being on this win streak and despite beating the #1 ranked team in the nation.. those losses to Missouri St. and Charlotte worries me to no end. Maybe it’s because I saw my teams’ Achilles heel: Rebounding and Frenetic Fullcourt pressure.

[l0rdza0n]

1st Half 2nd Half FINAL
17-Villanova Wildcats (16-2) 25 38 63
@
25-Georgetown Hoyas 34 48 82

Coach’s Thoughts: A nightmare come true. We got fully exposed yet again and in my opinion, this was a far worse loss than our previous Missouri St. Bears loss. Georgetown had a monster C who was 7’2” and grabbed every rebound around him both offensive and defensive. The entire team just destroyed us on the boards doubling every worthwhile category: Offensive Rebounds, Total Rebounds, and Second Chance Points.

Villanova finally cracked the top 25 teams but this was bittersweet because Georgetown reminded us and me particularly of what in my eyes is a glaring weakness.

[vikingfan1]

How come some of your scores say you lost, but when you give us a recap of the game you win??

[l0rdza0n]

How come some of your scores say you lost, but when you give us a recap of the game you win??

i got the "template" spacing saved and sometimes mess up the @ parts, i'll edit it up later, thanks for catching it

[knox33]

I'm following and its a good read. Keep it up.

[l0rdza0n]

1st Half 2nd Half FINAL
Cincinnati Bearcats 37 23 60
@
17-Villanova Wildcats (16-3) 26 42 68

Coach’s Thoughts: The team was feeling a bit down after the schooling Georgetown gave the team and it showed on very poor play in the first half. This is where Senior leadership comes into play as Sr PG-M. Logie exploded in the 2nd half leading the team to a comeback victory after a furious rally. PG-Logie finished the game with a career high 36 pts frmo only 11/16 attempts!

[l0rdza0n]

1st Half 2nd Half FINAL
25-PITT 31 28 59
@
13-Villanova Wildcats (17-3) 47 39 86

Coach’s Thoughts: Moving up on the rankings gave the team what I felt is much-needed inspiration. They came out focused and played with an intensity I haven’t seen from there before but most important was the fact that they kept it up throughout the game. I even got to play my bench players for an extended period of time since even they performed well!

[l0rdza0n]

1st Half 2nd Half FINAL
13-Villanova Wildcats (18-3) 49 32 81
@
DePaul Blue Devils 25 35 60

Coach’s Thoughts: This team is most definitely on a roll. Playing well is so contagious. When the starters come out and just run roughshod over the other team, even the bench players continue playing well. We keep rolling and our rank keeps getting higher. I am liking this even if the losses we’ve had to Georgetown and Missouri continue to hang on the back of my mind.

[skarface2k1]

1st Half 2nd Half FINAL
13-Villanova Wildcats (18-3) 49 32 81
@
DePaul Blue Devils 25 35 82

Coach’s Thoughts: This team is most definitely on a roll. Playing well is so contagious. When the starters come out and just run roughshod over the other team, even the bench players continue playing well. We keep rolling and our rank keeps getting higher. I am liking this even if the losses we’ve had to Georgetown and Missouri continue to hang on the back of my mind.
Did you win this game or loss?

[l0rdza0n]

Did you win this game or loss?

i should stop copy and pasting the template -.- messing up my flow if i forget to change the scores, won it, blowout too, i'll fix it, thanks for the headsup

[skarface2k1]

i should stop copy and pasting the template -.- messing up my flow if i forget to change the scores, won it, blowout too, i'll fix it, thanks for the headsup
It's kool!You have a great season going so far!Don't forget to check my post.

[l0rdza0n]

It's kool!You have a great season going so far!Don't forget to check my post.

thank you.. truthfully, this season is done already, i wrote down all the outcomes of the games and just doing the writeup.. i actually found out more about myself during this journey than anything else.. you'll all see it unfold

:X but there's a shocking twist at the end, lol

[skarface2k1]

thank you.. truthfully, this season is done already, i wrote down all the outcomes of the games and just doing the writeup.. i actually found out more about myself during this journey than anything else.. you'll all see it unfold

:X but there's a shocking twist at the end, lol
well keep posting so we can find out the twist.I two finish a season and then post the final outcomes.

[l0rdza0n]

1st Half 2nd Half FINAL
7-Villanova Wildcats (19-3) 41 40 81
@
WVU Mountaineers 31 36 67

Coach’s Thoughts: Another great start to the game.. and I believe I know why. It seems my other “star” player, Sr PG-M. Logie has recently turned into a Coach On Floor! Two Coaches on the Floor to start the game gives my team an amazing unity boost to any team they play and it has most definitely showed by the great early starts to the past games.

[l0rdza0n]

1st Half 2nd Half FINAL
Marquette GoldenEagles 41 36 77
@
7-Villanova Wildcats (20-3) 43 39 82

Coach’s Thoughts: Both teams had foul trouble throughout the game and led to most of my starters sitting on the bench. The Golden Eagles having a better depth than us played surprisingly well and made the game really, really close. My team won this though by showing incredible composure on the free throw line shooting 26/31 for a FT% of .839! That’s composure and that’s what won us this game when my star players weren’t a factor at all.

[l0rdza0n]

1st Half 2nd Half FINAL
5-Villanova Wildcats (21-3) 39 34 73
@
Connecticut Huskies 35 48 83

Coach’s Thoughts: Every rank we jump, brings my worries two steps forward. We jumped in the polls, are now a top 5 team.. but yet got reminded of what I feel is this teams’ weakness. Here’s an interesting dilemma.. I preach my players to run the break as much as they can.. but how do you run the break if the other team simply grabs every rebound around them? The Huskies taught me a lesson today.. they prevented our breaks by being that much more dominant on the boards than us. What’s worse is that they in turn ran us out of the building in the 2nd half because we couldn’t compete with them on the boards.

They pretty much imposed their will on my team and it hurts because I saw it all unfold.. they took control by grabbing the rebounds which prevented us from running our fast break. They in turn not only scored a ridiculous amount of 2nd chance points, but also was successful in running their own fast breaks.

A top 5 team yet it doesn’t feel like it to me.. maybe it’s because I’ve seen our weakness and this most recent loss was perhaps the worse schooling we’ve received.

[skarface2k1]

1st Half 2nd Half FINAL
5-Villanova Wildcats (21-3) 39 34 73
@
Connecticut Huskies 35 48 83

Coach’s Thoughts: Every rank we jump, brings my worries two steps forward. We jumped in the polls, are now a top 5 team.. but yet got reminded of what I feel is this teams’ weakness. Here’s an interesting dilemma.. I preach my players to run the break as much as they can.. but how do you run the break if the other team simply grabs every rebound around them? The Huskies taught me a lesson today.. they prevented our breaks by being that much more dominant on the boards than us. What’s worse is that they in turn ran us out of the building in the 2nd half because we couldn’t compete with them on the boards.

They pretty much imposed their will on my team and it hurts because I saw it all unfold.. they took control by grabbing the rebounds which prevented us from running our fast break. They in turn not only scored a ridiculous amount of 2nd chance points, but also was successful in running their own fast breaks.

A top 5 team yet it doesn’t feel like it to me.. maybe it’s because I’ve seen our weakness and this most recent loss was perhaps the worse schooling we’ve received.



Coach why don't you turn crash broads on high and run the break with only your PG and SG.I have my crash broads on 95 and only run the break with those two players.That gives me two options.One if i miss the shot i have three defensive players back already.Plus,it gives me a better chance on the broads.See how that works because you want to get that taken care of before the NCAAs.Any problems your team is having the AI will take advantage of that in the touney.Coach sanders of Wisconsin.

[l0rdza0n]

Coach why don't you turn crash broads on high and run the break with only your PG and SG.I have my crash broads on 95 and only run the break with those two players.That gives me two options.One if i miss the shot i have three defensive players back already.Plus,it gives me a better chance on the broads.See how that works because you want to get that taken care of before the NCAAs.Any problems your team is having the AI will take advantage of that in the touney.Coach sanders of Wisconsin.

You know how badly I got schooled in that Huskies game? I cheated :X I took a look at the Huskies' coaching settings, LOL :D hey, good artists copy, great artists flat-out steal

here's my settings going into this game:
Trans Def/Crash Boards -- 35 (I set it to 35 because I hate giving up fast break opportunities)

but the lesson I learned is this: The other team can't really run fast breaks that much if they're forced to concentrate on rebounding

Huskies setting:
Trans Def/Crash Boards -- 100 :X

so I stole that after that game.. I pretty much went with the mindset that my team will try and dictate the style of play.. if the other team is able to get some fast break opportunities, fine.. but I want a more concentrated effort to attack the glass.

[chestnutz6]

looking at what their coach likes to do I dont view as cheating, its just like scouting

[skarface2k1]

You know how badly I got schooled in that Huskies game? I cheated :X I took a look at the Huskies' coaching settings, LOL :D hey, good artists copy, great artists flat-out steal

here's my settings going into this game:
Trans Def/Crash Boards -- 35 (I set it to 35 because I hate giving up fast break opportunities)

but the lesson I learned is this: The other team can't really run fast breaks that much if they're forced to concentrate on rebounding

Huskies setting:
Trans Def/Crash Boards -- 100 :X

so I stole that after that game.. I pretty much went with the mindset that my team will try and dictate the style of play.. if the other team is able to get some fast break opportunities, fine.. but I want a more concentrated effort to attack the glass.
Like i stated in my post turn up your crash broads.I run alot of fast breaks mainly with my PG and SG.Sometimes my SF makes it up the court to,but i refused to get killed on the broads.Rebounds lead to big loses.So,i would rather win the broads and lose the fast break points.different coaches different out looks.