So I have no idea if anyone even does tracking threads anymore, but I've returned to HD following a hiatus of more than 10 years since taking the game seriously, and I figure I'd chronicle it as best I can.

I was lured back by a promo code that has apparently long since expired, but I figured if I was going to come back, I'd do so in a world where I had some experience. Following a number of changes, the only world where that was the case was Phelan. I saw Central Connecticut State had been led by a human coach the last several years (one that's since made the jump to Rhode Island in the A-10), and that's invaluable, so I took the plunge and jumped on board.

I have absolutely no idea how this is going to go. None. I haven't recruited since the massive changes were implemented to it, and I may well be learning as I go. We've got five scholarships to fill, but there's talent in the players returning from a squad that went 26-4 last year and made the NT. Add in that I'm the only human coach in the NEC as of right now, and I think we've got a chance to be pretty good. I hope I'm right!

Here's how we look upon my arrival...

Hoops Dynasty – College Basketball Sim Games - Team Profile

Have you read the recruiting guide? It’s very different from what you’re used to.

So admittedly, from a coaching perspective, the game's passed me by and I've spent this season getting caught up. We're a .500 team with several losses to Sims we should've beaten. I'm quickly deducing the zone defense is a problem, and that's likely shifting to a HCP/zone next year (which will be a rebuilding campaign; we're gonna be pretty lousy, I think).

Having said that, I LOVE recruiting. It's a definite improvement over what I experienced way back when, and I'm proud to announce CCSU's first signing.

Tobias Fisher (click to view screenshot of recruiting profile; wish the forums worked better with posting images!) was one of my main targets, though not because he'll be any great shakes starting out. In fact, my plan is to redshirt him next season and give him an extra year to develop. However, he was very close to campus and his preferences lined up with how we play, which made him a very easy recruit (only having to bump D2's off of him helped, too).

I don't love his defense, and he'll never be a scorer, but he's going to develop into a good pass-first point guard and his solid work ethic will help him get there. He just needs time, and I'm planning on giving that to him.

We finished the season 14-14. It's a bit disappointing, but I spent half the season re-learning how to coach, and that probably cost us a couple of games. Add in some rotten luck losing a few games on buzzer-beaters, and there you go.

I am, however, pleased to announce three more signings. We've got one more scholarship to fill, and I'm hoping that'll come by the end of recruiting.

Frank Taveras - This was the must-get for us, and he's going to be a very, very good frontcourt player for us. He's skilled offensively, isn't bad on defense, knows both our sets, and is a strong passer for a big man. If there's a hole here, it's that his perimeter shooting is low, but that's not necessarily a deal-breaker. I really like him, and I'm surprised I wasn't knocked off by a higher-prestige program.

Luka Godleski - The other half of my future frontcourt comes by way of Ukraine, and he's...never going to win any track meets. While Taveras has some wing stats, the man I'll call "The Atheist" (Godleski? Godless? Get it?) has none, though he may wind up a reasonable passer for a big man when all is said and done. At any rate, he's a very good rebounder and low-post scorer, and he'll turn into a very good defender as well. He won't play much this year, but he's a good long-term prospect.

Kenneth Candelaria - The crop of guards was pretty dreadful this time around. Candelaria, in fact, will probably spend most of his time as a small forward. He's a step slow (though that'll get better in time), and while he's a good outside shooter, he's unfortunately topped out. However, he does have room to improve his inside game, which may make him a versatile offensive option down the road. I'm not thrilled with how much he'll likely play next year given our lack of guard depth, but he'll be a fine role-player in due time.

One more recruit...

Hans Mleczynski - I spent most of recruiting getting knocked off of guards who could've been solid backups right away. The highlight was me promising a JuCo player a bunch of different stuff before Boston College swept in. That stunk.

Anyway, Mleczynski (and yes, I did copy-paste it) is better than taking a walk-on, but I can't ever see him rising above "career backup." Tobias Fisher, who I'd planned to redshirt, is actually in a better position to play as a freshman, so Hans will almost certainly redshirt. It's not like he's terrible, and he may be an OK scorer/ball-handler down the line. He was just about the eighth or ninth guard I tried to recruit, and at that point, all of the truly desirable ones had gone elsewhere or were being battled for.

RECRUITING NOTES/GRADES

I love the new recruiting system. It's not easy, but it's a heck of a lot more fun than it used to be, and when you sign a great prospect, you feel like you've earned it.

Taveras is clearly the gem of the group. Godleski and Fisher will both be OK, while Candelaria and Mleczynski will be career-long role players. A B- seems fair, as this would clearly be a mediocre group had Taveras gone elsewhere. I was fully expecting that to happen, and Illinois at least appeared on his radar, but we lucked out.

Next season is going to be...quite bad. Our frontcourt is still going to be very good. Our backcourt will almost certainly struggle with depth. Here's hoping we can work around it to an extent.

Update: It would appear I've re-learned how to coach.

I was expecting a rebuilding season after having to replace four starters. However, after a 3-6 start with a few brutal losses, we've rebounded in conference play and are 13-8 heading into the final stretch of NEC games.

This has happened for a few reasons. For starters, the NEC might be the worst D1 conference in Phelan, and I'm the only human coach. Being able to rack up wins over bad teams has been a big plus, but we went 14-14 last year with what I thought was a far better team.

The biggest switch has been moving to a HCP/zone defense. My hypothesis from last season was that the zone just wasn't effective as a standalone defense. Low-D1 teams don't have the defensive chops to play an effective M2M, nor the across-the-board speed/athleticism required to run a full-court press. I started splitting practice time between the press and zone, and we switched to it when conference play started. We're 9-2 in the league, but our losses came to non-terrible teams early in conference play when IQ's were a little lower, and we beat a top-100 RPI team on the road when topping Sacred Heart 80-74 (that's easily our signature win of the year to this point).

I've also been able to refine the distribution settings. I tried going with a true motion offense last season, and that just did not work. Junior David Mitchell and senior David Dean are combining to average 34 points per game, and my freshmen aren't liabilities. Kenneth Candelaria's playing far more than he should at 13 minutes per game, but Tobias Fisher's a capable backup PG and Frank Taveras's only problem is that there are some talented upperclassmen in front of him.

I don't have any delusions of grandeur. We're not a tremendous team, and I still think we're a season away from being able to do considerable damage. However, if we win our division and close to 20 games, I'll absolutely be satisfied, and if we win the conference tournament, I'll be over the moon. It took a bit for me to figure the game out again, but I'm having a blast and I hope we keep racking up the wins.

We finished the season at 17-11. It's far better than I thought we'd do, and the season included a division title, but we ended by blowing a 12-point second-half lead in the NEC semifinals, which is a sour way to end things for a group that otherwise overachieved.

We lose two seniors next season. They're starters, but they're not irreplaceable, and I'm expecting a good campaign next season. I'll have some senior retrospectives up in the next few days.

One big post talking about who we'll have to replace and who (we hope) will do the replacing!

Senior retrospectives: We lost shooting guard David Dean and small forward Louis Aragon. Dean was a one-dimensional player, but what he did, he did very well. He was our starting shooting guard and averaged more than 15 points a game while serving as our best outside shooter. Aragon, meanwhile, was a versatile small forward who served as a defensive stopper. He was more of a role player than anything else, and while he played that role well, we've got a clone of him entering his senior year this season, so in that regard, we shouldn't miss a beat (at least until the season after this one!).

On to a look at our two incoming recruits!

Jerrold Young (#185 overall, #41 PG): He's listed as a PG, but he'll actually be our starting SG this season, and there's a lot to like. He's got some speed, and he's already a dead-eye shooter. In time, he'll also become an excellent passer. If his defense was just 5-10 points higher, I'd like him even more, but I also probably would've had to contend with bigger schools trying to snatch him up. All told, I really like him, and he'll be an impact player down the road.

James Lamm (#278 overall, #56 C): Getting a frontcourt player wasn't Plan A. Ideally, I'd have gotten a starter at SG and a player who could play valuable minutes at SG and SF. I had a two-star player from Puerto Rico considering me heavily after the first part of recruiting. He would've been absolutely perfect, but Florida State swooped in and snatched him up (UGH!!!).

However, and this is a significant however, James Lamm is a good get for us. He's a good athlete, already a good rebounder (and will improve there), and will develop into a very strong scorer and shot-blocker. His huge work ethic means he'll progress a ton in a very short amount of time. What I'm hoping is that he takes the redshirt I'll offer him. He won't play at all as a freshman, but we've got two soon-to-be seniors who will be starting. If he waits a year, he'll have the potential to be a real force. If he doesn't, it's not the end of the world and I'll live with it, but if he does...yeesh.

RECRUITING GRADE: A-. Getting that two-star who signed with FSU would've made it an A/A+ group. As it stands, though, this was very close to as good as I could've hoped for.

With signings starting, it's a good time to take stock.

On the court, it's more of the same. We went 3-7 in non-league play, and while we had a big win over Clemson, we also lost a few games I felt we should've won. However, we're 10-2 in-league as of this writing, and that's what really matters at this point. Our two bigs are combining to average about 30 points per game, and Jerrold Young's adding 13 while being our one legitimate perimeter threat (he's averaging almost four made three-pointers per game).

Recruiting is going reasonably well, although the first player to sign for me this time around...may not be in uniform next year.

Douglas Buchholtz (#88 PG) is ineligible, although I think there's a good chance that changes. His GPA is 2.7, which is high for an ineligible player, so I won't be surprised if I get the "good news!" email. The good news is, he's already fast and is a very good passer, and while his defense isn't great, he has knowledge of the zone and the speed to be effective in a HCP/zone system. The bad news is, his passing is basically topped out, and while his ball-handling will eventually be top-notch and he'll grow his athleticism to a decent level, he's never going to be a scorer.

It's not like he's a bad signing. He was cheap (at just 60 miles from campus), and there's a place for him as a pass-heavy point guard if he shows up. If he clears the academic requirement, he likely won't play much as a freshman before becoming the primary backup PG as a sophomore and either starting or playing significant minutes as a junior/senior. If he stays ineligible, he'll completely sit out the upcoming season and we'll get an extra year of him on the back end, which wouldn't be bad. If he doesn't show up...well, he wouldn't have played much next season anyway, so it's not the end of the world.

There were two players I really, REALLY wanted to get this time around. One of them got poached (more on him once he signs), but we did land the other one.

I'm surprised Walter Tickle (#216 overall, #54 PF) didn't get more attention from higher-prestige schools, because he's going to be an excellent player. He'll require a little bit of time, as his rebounding and stamina need work. However, both of those attributes will improve a ton by the time he's done. Add in that he's already a good low-post scorer, will become a very good shooter/passer for a big man, and is fast enough to occasionally play some SF, and there's a lot to like. He'll play some minutes at SF next season, in all likelihood, before he refines his big-man skills enough to move over to PF in his later seasons. I really like him, and I'm pumped to have such a versatile player on my roster.

Okay, my final scholarship's been filled.

If you look at Michael Koeller (#100 SG) as a shooting guard, he's not impressive. He's a bit slow, he won't get faster, and he needs to work on taking care of the ball. However, if you look at him as a small forward instead, he looks a LOT more appealing. In time, he'll become a very good scorer, with plenty of athleticism, decent speed for the position, and strong guard skills (he'll be a good passer for an SF, which is incredibly valuable in a motion offense). He also won't be a liability defensively, and it helps that he knows my offense and half of my defense right away.

He won't play much when he first suits up. In fact, if Buchholtz becomes eligible, I may redshirt him so he gets an extra year to develop/hopefully reach his lofty potential. He's a project, but as a long-term prospect, I think there's reason to be a bit excited.

RECRUITING THOUGHTS

As mentioned, Tickle was one of two guys I zeroed in on from the jump. The other was a JuCo shooting guard who would've been a two-year starter at small forward and allowed us to keep Kenneth Candelaria as a sixth man, where he'd have been most effective. Unfortunately, A+ prestige Syracuse swooped in a few days into recruiting and foiled that plan, forcing me to adjust.

Tickle drew some late interest from B- prestige Ball State (make up your own jokes, because I sure as heck did), but they were too tardy to the party. Getting him gives me a solid backup at SF right away, not to mention an excellent long-term prospect once he gets his rebounding up to snuff. I'll reiterate, I love the recruiting system, and it's honestly even more of a draw for me than the game-planning/strategy aspects. When you're a smaller program and you land a gem, you feel like you've earned it, and that's really cool. I felt that with Frank Taveras my first season, then Jerrold Young and James Lamm, and now with Walter Tickle.

Buchholtz and Koeller weren't primary targets, but the former will be a decent pass-first PG with the speed to thrive in our defensive set and the latter will eventually turn into a well-rounded offensive threat (even if it'll take some time). Buchholtz will be fine, and Koeller has the potential to be far more than that (especially if Buchholtz shows up, which will allow me to redshirt him without losing considerable depth).

This seems like a B/B- recruiting class, depending on if Buchholtz shows up. If he remains ineligible and goes JuCo, it won't kill me, but it WILL make it a bit tougher to plan long-term. We'll see what happens!

I don't care that I'm the lone human coach in the NEC, whenever I make an NT, it feels like an upset. :)

We won our final 10 games of the season, plus three more in the conference tournament. After going 20-9, with a win over an ACC team among that total, our reward is a 16-seed and a date with Iowa in the Big Dance. This...will almost certainly not end well for us, but it's been a really good year, and it's reaffirming to know I can still coach/team-build a little bit.

Some housekeeping: CCSU moved up to a C prestige with the NT appearance, where we got blown out by Iowa as I anticipated. With that, I'm qualified to move almost anywhere in D1, but I figure I'll be here at least two more seasons. We'll need to replace three starters next season, so I'm anticipating a bit of a step back, but we'll only have two seniors on next season's team, which leaves me optimistic for the following campaign.

Of the jobs that are out there, Villanova intrigued me the most, as I grew up in the northeast and spent a lot of time watching Big East games growing up. However, at only a B- prestige, it isn't THAT much of a move up, and the prior coach hadn't signed any new recruits yet, which hits me as a red flag.

None of this is to say I won't move at any point. I like what I'm building, though, and it's refreshing to learn I can still recruit, coach, and team-build with some degree. We lose some big weapons to graduation, but the cupboard is far from bare and I think we can make it back to the NT if the RNG gods don't smite us.

Speaking of those weapons, here are some senior retrospectives. I hadn't done these for past seasons, but with us accomplishing a fair bit this season, these guys deserve them.

David Mitchell - We'll start off with the guy I'll have a lot of trouble replacing. Mitchell emerged as an inside force over the past two seasons, and the only reason his scoring went down a bit this past year is because other guys were able to step up a bit more. He's arguably the best post player ever to suit up for the Blue Devils, and his absence will leave the biggest hole in our lineup.

RECORDS: 12th in points (1,305), 2nd in rebounds (849), 5th in blocks (146), 4th in made field goals (525)

Thomas Beringer - Beringer's game took a bit to come around, and while he wasn't the best rebounder, he turned into one of the best scorers on the team. It helped that he wasn't one-dimensional and could shoot a little bit, and while he wasn't quite as effective as Mitchell, he's going to leave a considerable void that I'm hoping one of my recruits can fill.

RECORDS: 13th in FG% (53.9%)

Lance Updegraff - Updegraff was our "glue guy" this year. He wasn't an explosive offensive player, but he was our best defender and a guy who outperformed his C+ free-throw rating by shooting better than 80% from the charity stripe as a senior. I've never seen small forwards as primary scoring options, and of the three, he'll be the most replaceable. Still, he played an important role.

RECORDS: None.

Update: Buchholtz did show up, but he'll sit the first year. It's not a deal-breaker, just would've been a nice luxury had he been able to suit up as a freshman. Since he showed up and we didn't need to take a walk-on, it's probably a B recruiting class.

I'm also still the only human coach in the NEC. I'm expecting a regression from our 20-win season last year, but an NT trip is very much in play.