We shall see joe. I am worried about playing you at your place later in the year, but at my house, with you starting a freshman PG vs. my combo press??? I think its going to take a lot of luck, but you never know. I still hope to get it done, even though the offense could only manage 14 pts in the first half vs. Bradley (yuck), it was enough for me to get a 45-33 win.

Somthing HAS to be done with these scores. 36-26 was a score last night in the SEC. What the hell? This isn't 1947 basketball. Even Wisconsin scores 40. I can see a rare 45-33 game, but 36-26??? Come on, both teams didn't play slowdown even.

ur right. we are on our way to a 2 game losing streak for sure. bosserman is not the player he was last year. very disappointing. any of u guys seen hoop dreams?

Yes, its pretty interesting, especially that it took like 10 years to film.

Well what do I know, horrid shooting (30%) leads to a upset 60-59 loss to Illinois State at home. I botched the gameplan. Easy win at WKU tonight then a tough game vs. NIU at home....got to win that one now.

Almost made a big error. I started my sophomore backup SG Boynton vs. WKU (to help his WE, ratings) and almost forgot to switch Benson back to starting before the NIU game. That would have been bad.

But I got a surprisingly easy 68-43 win over NIU to get to 4-1. Norris is doing well at PF, much better as a rebounding machine and playing good defense and not really scoring, Baker is shooting better at Center, and Flood continues to contribute.

Weirdly Boynton was my leading scorer with 12 though. Benson got double teamed and had 6 points, 6 assists and 4 TO. But with the -2 defense and the double we did well on the boards and Flood, Charland and Boynton combined for 6-9 from 3.

Next 3 are at GW, at Evansville and then home vs. SIU. Going 2-1 would be fine, but after that is @ Creighton, WKU, @ NIU so I really only want to lose 2 of my next 6, and I can easily lose all of the game except for WKU.

Got a nice road win at Gardner-Webb 60-53. Both Benson & Flood got doubled, but managed 6-15 FG, 3-7 3pt, 7-8 FT, 8 reb, 4 assists, 4 TO and 22points.

My bigs really picked up the slack and Norris and Baker put in 27 on 9-14 shooting with 9-10 FTs. I think big man FT% is pretty key in close games like this. GW's big went 6-12 from the line and there is my 7 point win pretty much. Benson has been doubled a ton this year, so has Flood, so I am having to almost anticipate it.

Next up is another road game at Evansville, but they have zero seniors, so its a game I should win to get to 14-3 (6-1) and go into my off day on a positive note. Then its the gauntlet of SIU, @ Creighton and @ NIU in 3 of my next 4.

After some careful consideration I have decided that I am going to switch defenses tonight....not going to surprise my opponent, but I think I am going to go with the press....have a great Ath/Spd team and I think my best hope to make a S16 run is to go press since I have such strong athletes in Baker, Norris, Flood, etc. I have a specific recruit in mind too that has a weaker defense rating and switching to press allows me to shore up at that position too.

Experiment successful....time for the twin powers of the east...SIU and Creighton.

Big win at home over SIU 88-56. Flood dominated his opposite number. 24 pts and 8 rebounds on 11 shot attempts. THAT is efficiency. If we can beat Creighton......could be a special year.

And a tough loss to Creighton, 47-42. They went -4 and I just couldn't hit enough 3s on the road (6-16). Plus I committed way too many turnovers and didn't force enough.

I am sure I would have won at home, but that doesn't do me any good. Now its time to play WKU at home (favored by 64) before I play what should be the West championship at NIU.

Victory is mine over arch-rival NIU. Looking like a 5th conference championship in 6 years is coming back to Wichita.

Now its all about ranking and NT seeding. Home vs. GW then at Illinois State for a revenge game and then I end with a pretty soft Indiana State, Drake, @ Missouri State.

Really want to go 5-0 and beat Illinois State who I lost to by 1. The IQs are finally getting to the point where I want them to be and all the high potential FT categories are coming up (Starting lineup FT now B, B+, C, B+, B-) and we are going to be a tough out in the NT. Just have to make a run to end the year, win the CT and we should be a top 10 ranked team with a 2 seed if I can end 25-4. But that is 8 wins away.

First order of business is GW at home. They are a good team, but over the years I have had sslats's number (14-0 lifetime) so execution of the gameplan will be key. They don't really have anyone to guard Benson or Flood, and my post defense is good enough to stop their best scorer inside.

Well, up to 20-4 with a tough win against GW, then a road win at Illinois State and an easy home win against a sim.

I have the #1 seed in the CT clinched, so I just need to win these games to help my RPI and ranking for seeding in the NT. After a couple 1st rnd exits, anything that I can do to get an easier draw is needed.

In these easy sim games I have been starting Boynton instead of Benson at SG. I am really hoping Benson doesn't leave early on me, and if he does I need to squeeze everything I can out of Boynton, because he is marginal at best.

Well a few nice wins and I am in the CT final against my arch-rival (in a good friendly way) j_corva at N.Iowa. The third game between us should be good.

I am worried that although we are winning my 3pt shooting has gone cold. Not that we aren't making them, but we aren't even shooting them vs. -3 -4 defenses. Its just weird.

I think I have to make a couple arrangements on that because the formula against me this year has been to double flood or benson or both and play a -3 to -5. Its not working, but I don't feel like it couldn't work.

On the good side we are up to RPI 11 and #13, and Flood didn't make all conference. I did win conf coach of the year (cool) as kmfloyd and mizzou must have spilt the east vote. I was kind of surprised only Baker and Benson made 2nd team, and Canchola, Flood and Norris didn't make it.

4 guys from SIU, 2 from Creighton and 3 from illinois State. Not a big deal I guess, and I hope it means Benson, Flood and Baker are all returning if they aren't 1st team all MVC material.

Adjustments worked to get the 3point offense back on track, and we got the CT win, moved up to 10th in the ranking and RPI and we got a very favorable #2 seed.

Our first round opponent is Jacksonville, the Sun Belt Regular Season and Tournament Champions, who only have 10 scholarship players, but their seniors remember a cinderella run to the Elite 8 their freshman year, so intothepit can certainly coach NT games.

But this is certainly my game to lose (as any 2/15 matchup should be).



Us/Them:

Year experience in top 10 players 26/31

Athleticism 81/60

Speed 75/70

Reb 56/35

Defense 87/90

Shot Block 51/38

LP 55/40

Perimeter 46/48

Ball Handling 52/58

Passing 61/61

Stamina 85/79

So big time advantages for Wichita State in Athleticism, Rebounding, Shot blocking and Low post. So you got to anticipate that a slowdown/-5 is a possibility. the only advantages I see for Jacksonville are the experience factor (we are so young, 1 senior and only 4 juniors (count Baker here since he was ineligible in our top 10 guys) and they have really great defense ratings across the board, but play zone, which is weird.

Big win against NC State puts us into the first sweet 16 in school history :)

Now for a big test vs. SEC champions Kenctucky for a spot in the E8. MVC is up to $120,000, which seems good until you look at the ACC who is at $405,000 (33,750 per team). That is just crazy.

And into the Elite 8 with a win 64-40 over Kentucky.....I am really surprised we won so easily.

I think coaches tend to overthink big NT games sometimes, I know I used to. Kentucky went +1 against me, but they really needed the rebounding advantage, and I got 9 of 29 offensive rebounds to their 7 of 39. That, plus some really good FT% (14-15 for me) really did the trick.

Kentucky really struggled shooting, 16-55 and I think they got tired. I got their PF into foul trouble and they only played 4 bigs the whole game and they were always tired, combining for 9-27 from the field.

My bigs were mostly fresh and Baker, Norris, Leffler and Moorman combined for 14-28, and 30 of our 64 points. Throw in 24 from the SF position and we really dominated up front.

I got lucky in another way that Southern beat Clemson so I play the #4 seed instead of the top team in the ACC. It will be tough, but possible. Every game I win is great for us, and for the MVC, but I somewhat know its a double edged sword pushing Flood, Benson and Baker out the door. Baker I can live without, but the other 2 are going to be tough to lose. Flood because of how talented he is, and Benson because I have nothing to replace him.

And there is such a lack of SG's in the midwest that $40k and a start from a B+ team can't even get me a 3-star SG. But hopefully I don't lose everyone, and we can be great for 2 years.

Whatever happens tonight, this is the best NT run I have ever had. I really want to win for the guys in the MVC, hopefully I can prove that a good coach can win in this mid-major conference and with another coach at Indiana State we could really be good.

Alas the final four was not to be. We go down 55-45 to Southern. No genius to figure out what happened here, my guards got owned by a better group from LA.

His guards 55 min from starters, 9-25 FG, 0-5 3Pt, 14-15 FT for 32 points.

His guards had 7 reb, 8 assists, 4 TO, 4 stl, and 3 fouls.

My guards had 50 min from starters with 3-13 FG, 1-8 from 3, 3-4 FT for 10 points.

We got 8 reb, 7 assists, 6 TO, 2 steals and 12 fouls.

Just owned. Boynton is not really good enough to be a backup SG on a final four team, and Wyble was just young. I could get away with 1 crappy backup, but not two. Now it is time to hope my 3 best underclassmen return. Bets?

In order of my fear for them:

Terrry Benson, SG

2nd Team all MVC, was 17th SG, 4-star

22.4mpg, 11.1ppg, 2.2 assists and 1.2 steals

Ath 83, Spd 98, Reb 31, Def 100, Blk 14, LP 34, Per 87, BH 89, Pass 97, WE 66, Stm 84, Dur 100 FT B+.

I really need him back, but I think he might be gone.

Next is Baker, my senior ineligble, he was only a 2-star, but has good ratings. 8.8 ppg, 5.3rpg, 2nd team all MVC.

94 ath, 63 spd, 75 def, 95 blk, 94 lp, 42 per, 17 bh, 23 pass, 49 we, 77 stm, B+ FT.

I could live without him.

Last is Ryan Flood a sophomore SF 10.8ppg, 3.9rpg, 1.2 steals

94 ath, 75 spd, 59 reb, 97 def, 69 blk, 62 LP, 82 Per, 61 BH, 48 passing, 86 we, 95 stm, C+ FT.

He is going to be SOOOO good next year, I would hate to lose him, but I have decent reserves to replace him.

So if I can save 2 I want Flood and benson back, and if I lose 2 I want Benson back, but I think its most likely I just lose Benson, but its not for certain. If I just go by overall rating (Benson has 100 durability so this is not favorable for him) he is the 6th best SG in the country, behind players from Duke, Maryland, Illinois, Northwestern and Cleveland State. So that isn't good. But if you ignore 50 points of Durability he probably isn't in the top 15, so Its going to be iffy.