Ready for another season!

Dominican comes into the season as the WIS #1.  Coming off an Elite 8 season Dominican boasts an elite offense with multiple high scoring options.  A tough non conf will give them the early options to prove their ranking.

Returning Champ Greensboro has been snubbed by WIS and comes into the season unranked, Greensboro has not missed the S16 since season 80.  Can Greensboro overcome the bh/pas issues that hurt this team, can the coaching and strong ath/def and offense help?

Final Four Predictions:

Stevens Tech
Branchel

89

branchel

27-6

14-1

11-3

2-2

15-1

49

148

C+

Conf Champion PI (Final Four)

Branchel has done an amazing job rebuilding Stevens Tech in a tough location squished between the USAS and the SUNYAC in his 4th season branchel will look to take Stevens Tech to the promised land.  Saner will be the focus point of the offense with his 76 bh and 95 pas.  While Ellerman and his 71 ath + 86 LP and Warren Antione with 72 spd 88 per and 51 bh will give opposing coaches fits to plan for in this triangle offense.  With a very weak schedule I think Stevens Tech will be a 3-4 seed that will make a deep run however if they do lose they won't until the NT.

La Grange
the0nlyIS

89

the0nlyis

27-7

7-1

14-4

6-2

14-2

3

1

1

A+

Conf Champion NT At-large Bid NT (Final Four)

Well I've made the F4 two seasons in a row and return my great Senior class.  The biggest problem will be depth for this team, need a lot of development in my young guys to make this a serious threat otherwise it's a great regular season with a post season let down.  Peter Smith will contend for POY with his 64 ath 92 spd ~90 per 84 bh and B FT rating look for 20+ ppg from Smith.  If Copher can develop the backcourt of La Grange will be extremely hard to stop.

NCWC
dirtbag13

89

dirtbag13

10-17

0-11

10-5

0-1

4-12

82

11

C-

As tradition it seems the USAS will be able to send more than 1 team into the Final Four, NCWC is primed to make a deep run this season.  High number of upper classmen, strong bh/pas, and scoring in the FB/Press.  Phillips is a star and could contend for POY with the attention he deserves.  If DB focuses this can be a golden year for the battling bishops.

Chicago
toonarmy

89

toonarmy

26-6

10-4

11-1

5-1

16-0

17

20

30

A+

Conf Champion CT Champion NT (Sweet 16)

This can be the season, after 4 straight seasons of getting knocked out in the S16, Chicago is ready to make the leap.  I'm not sure there is any superstars on this team but it's a team comprised of solid ath/spd/def and bh/pas.  I think that the depth in the FB/Press can help this team go far with the right coaching and can overcome the weak stamina..  McLaughlin is a great PG and is Russell develops his per they can make a very nice back court, and make a more serious contender for the NC.

I think overall Stevens Tech would be the favorite, I think this is a major down year for Phelan usually there is at least a team or 2 that really stands out, but none this season, will be interesting to how development over the course of the season changes the landscape of things, will be interesting to document.

EDIT I have a new idea.

I'm goign to do 0nly Pre season all americans and then 0nly's all american teams at the conclusion of the season.  Only first team awards, but I may give 1-2 honorary awards.

Ideally these are more rating based, compared to WIS's versions, however stats will be a tiebreaker if I think the ratings are very close.

PG: Raymond Rowe - Wesleyan - Monsterturtl (sim recruit)
SG: Peter Smith - La Grange - the0nlyIS
SF: John Brown - Augustana - Kevutz
PF: Brian Arnold - Dominican - danno521990
C: Mark Johnson - Lewis and Clark - Ceej_Money (scaturo)

As for conferences I think the USAS gets the nod due to past performance, I don't think the SUNYAC is capable of contending and the University is still a step behind those 2.

As requested I will do a short USAS preview.

3 teams come to mind looking at the conference.  NCWC, La Grange, and Methodist.  They are surely the big dogs in the conference this season.  I think it will be fun to follow the battle for the West division between La Grange and NCWC, can La Grange's talent overcome it's depth or will the fb/press be too much and knock La Grange down.  I think methodist has a mostly clear path for the East crown. greensboro doesn't have enough upper classmen.  Averett is weak with guards.  CNU can develop later on with a strong junior class, same as Ferrum, but I think Methodist won't struggle early and can take a quick lead and hold it.  The addition of Bigrum is a great one, should be great to see Oglethorpe in a few seasons with it's own players.  For the CT I think I'd have to pick between NCWC and La Grange and I'll call it a toss up for now.

ENJOY AND HAVE A GREAT SEASON!!!

I am surprised that the sim got such a good player, an overlook by everybody else.

He's had an unusually high amount of growth in spd/def/per/pas, as well as I assume what was originally black bh that probably turned a lot of people off.  Really great pickup by the sim I agree, one of those guys everyone's kicking themselves about now lol especially those close by.

Great writeup only. Looks like a fascinating year. Lots of competition in Phelan among elite coaches. 

Mid season report:

Interesting season so far we are starting to see some teams appear on the radar as well as some other schools having fantastic coaching jobs being done there(scoop and dwise are coy imo at this point.

Let's see how the picks are doing:

• Stevens Tech is playing solid they've beaten the sims they scheduled, and went 1-1 against human competition, the win against Augustana is very good, and the loss to Stevens Point by 4 really isn't that bad.  9-1 with 17 rpi is good.  The conf sims look decent enough to not be rpi killers and only palysthe one terrible school once, will surely not be able to land a top seed, I think my predicition of 3-4 seed will hold true if Stevens Tech goes 1-1 or 2-0 against Yeshiva.
• La Grange is off to a nice start, handled a schedule with an abnormally high amount of humans.  As predicted the depth is weak and it was showcased by coachucla's fastbreak/press philosophy with the Endicott game.  I'll get more chances to prepare with games against other fb/press teams in NCWC (2x) and CNU.  Taking a 1 seed probably means going 12-4 in conference or better, maybe 11-5, but otherwise I'll have too many losses, will be interesting because the USAS is having a great season and I have some tough teams on the schedule,  I see 3 gimme games and thats about it, I would really be surprised to see anyone coming out of the USAS with better than a 12-4 record.
• NCWC beat Colorado which is about it, needs to do extremely well and hope conf play fixes that horrendous rpi/sos.  Let's see if they can utilize the fb/press and get conf play started right against La Grange.  Another team due to the conf that has to watch the losses because they're so many good teams it's going to be very hard not to come out with a few dings.
• Chicago is having a little bit of a rougher time at 8-2 and not really appealing rpi/sos that can't really be fixed either.  McLaughlin is screaming to be given the ball more with his 62.8% shooting for the season.  Rebounding has been a big issue which atrriuted to the depth in the frontcourt.  Need to grow and win out to make me feel better about this pick.

Time for some reshuffling in the picks, I'm going to keep Stevens Tech, La Grange, and NCWC.  Dropping for Chicago for Stevens Point, looking back not sure why I didn't have them, rico is probably killing himself over that #10 spot in non-conf, I'd assume was from someone not accepting a request as he was sitting at a .78 rpi before that game.

Again COY candidates are dwise for what he is doing with the all sim recruiting Concordia(IL) being undefeated and facing a good amount of strong human coaches, and scoopdogg1 for the amazing non conf Shenandoah had while being in their jr/fr season, they currently hold the top rpi as well as the 2nd toughest sos!

As for my all-american picks they are all playing well and I don't see anyone else at the moment that I would replace them with.

Top conference award should be handed out now, the USAS wins the conf challenge against the SUNYAC going 7-4 as well as the apparent USAS/Colorado challenge that occured with the USAS also winning 6-4.  RPI isn't even close with the USAS holding a .6410 and the next best coming from the SUNYAC and University at .5875 and .5826 which for those not good at math is just over 5 hundredths of a point behind, which is insurmountable.

Thanks for the shout out bud. When I took over I just wanted a team that would have quick turnover into my style but it may work out for me much greater than I imagined.

Great season at La Grange only

No, some other people are having good seasons too.  Not 'only' LaGange.

Well Shenandoah avoided a complete collapse. I'll take 8-8 with no seniors any day in the toughest conference in Phelan D3.

Bracket, I thnk the USAS as a strong showing but can't finish it off, La Grange runs into a tough Augustana, who then knocks off Methodist.  Ferrum runs into Stevens Tech.

If i were to put in order of most likely to win:

Stevens Tech
Augustana
La Grange
Stevens Point

I think thats it, it will come from one of those 4.  Maybe Methodist or Ferrum can string together a great run, but I think those 4 are the best of the best.

USA South advanced each team that made the NT to the second round. Would be pretty amazing if all 8 were to advance to the sweet 16.

Accidently forgot to link my bracket in the last post, but it's up.

Well damn Augustana and Stevens Point knocked out, taking 2 of my most likely schools to win.

Augustana and Ferrum knock out 2 of my final four teams.

Averett, you mean.

Good Job arss with Averett. Playing in regional finals!