I've decided to keep a journal of my attempt at a Duke rebuild. This is probably my 20th D1 rebuild so I feel like I mostly know what I'm doing. It's also my first A+ baseline job so I'm really excited to see what I can do. I'll update after every season. Enjoy.

Season 131

This is the season that I got the job, so I won’t go into too much detail regarding the regular and post season.

The program isn’t in complete shambles or anything, but it needs some work. Here is the recent history:
Season 124: 6-21 Overall, 4-12 Conference, RPI 190, No postseason, B prestige
Season 125: 17-12 Overall, 10-6 Conference, RPI 58, NT (1st Round), B+ prestige
Season 126: 17-13 Overall, 9-7 Conference, RPI 52, NT (2nd Round), A- prestige
Season 127: 20-11 Overall, 10-6 Conference, RPI 26, NT (2nd Round), A- prestige
Season 128: 7-20 Overall, 3-13 Conference, RPI 141, No postseason, A- prestige
Season 129: 5-22 Overall, 1-15 Conference, RPI 207, No postseason, B+ prestige
Season 130: 16-13 Overall, 7-9 Conference, RPI 87, PI (2nd Round), B prestige
Season 131: 14-14 Overall, 7-9 Conference, RPI 54, NT (1st Round), B prestige

It basically begins with RS2. I believe the previous coach had 5 openings to work with (3 seniors and 2 walk-ons). Then there was also an EE, which means that I only had 6 players returning.

In RS1, he was able to sign a really solid guard prospect, but that was it. I'm guessing the lack of signings was at least partially responsible for this job becoming available.

PG – Matthew Imel
Ath 90 / Spd 87 / Reb 21 / Def 84 / Blk 20 / LP 14 / Per 80 / BH 87 / Pass 57 / WE 55 / Sta 73

After missing out on most decent targets in RS2, I was able to sign an unremarkable center. I was hoping his ath would get to at least 70+, but it doesn’t look like it will. I’ll look to cut him in future seasons unless I strike out on all of my center targets. He’s probably okay as a 3^rd stringer.

C – Ivan Graminski
Ath 60 / Spd 19 / Reb 55 / Def 58 / Blk 53 / LP 29 / Per 12 / BH 11 / Pass 39 / WE 64 / Sta 75

And so the rebuild begins with 8 plucky scholarship players, giving it their all in season 132. Stay tuned to find out what happens next.

Season 132

Roster
PG - Michael Ross (So)
Ath 66 / Spd 85 / Reb 19 / Def 71 / Blk 10 / LP 52 / Per 74 / BH 89 / Pass 70 / WE 93 / Sta 71

PG – Matthew Imel (Fr)
Ath 90 / Spd 87 / Reb 21 / Def 84 / Blk 20 / LP 14 / Per 80 / BH 87 / Pass 57 / WE 55 / Sta 73

SF - Alexander Pifer (Sr)
Ath 57 / Spd 63 / Reb 63 / Def 51 / Blk 41 / LP 66 / Per 48 / BH 38 / Pass 46 / WE 68 / Sta 88

SF - Harry Cerda (Jr)
Ath 93 / Spd 69 / Reb 50 / Def 89 / Blk 54/ LP 86 / Per 65 / BH 74 / Pass 74 / WE 36 / Sta 65

PF - Daniel Haydel (Sr)
Ath 82 / Spd 56 / Reb 69 / Def 74 / Blk 75 / LP 90 / Per 54 / BH 34 / Pass 25 / WE 2 / Sta 49

PF - Scott Clough (RS Fr)
Ath 70 / Spd 29 / Reb 55 / Def 66 / Blk 29 / LP 75 / Per 16 / BH 29 / Pass 16 / WE 43 / Sta 54

C - Michael Deck (Sr)
Ath 100 / Spd 48 / Reb 100 / Def 100 / Blk 70 / LP 100 / Per 48 / BH 43 / Pass 54 / WE 93 / Sta 84

C – Ivan Graminski (Fr)
Ath 60 / Spd 19 / Reb 55 / Def 58 / Blk 53 / LP 29 / Per 12 / BH 11 / Pass 39 / WE 64 / Sta 75

Preseason Thoughts:
This roster is incredibly imbalanced. There is an elite star in Deck. Some really solid players in Imel and Cerda. Ross is a decent roleplayer. Then you have guys like Pfier who was signed by the sim and somehow stayed around for 4 seasons, and Haydel who has a WE of 2. Luckily both are seniors and will be leaving soon. Clough, on the other hand, still has many more seasons and I’ll be looking to cut him once I stabilize things.

I usually start a rebuild with the press defense because I think it’s the easiest way to punch above your weight class. Also, if I’m planning on eventually switching to zone or m2m, you can pair either with press, then and run a combo defense for a few seasons during the transition. With that said, I’m going straight to zone with this rebuild. We’re going from flex/man to motion/zone.

With the lack of IQ and talent, I’m not expecting to do well this season. We’ve got 6 openings (3 seniors and 3 walk-ons) plus Cerda is #78 on the Big Board. It’s all about recruiting this season. I’m hoping to sign at least 4-5 competent roleplayers and maybe take a swing at 1 or 2 difference makers. Assuming Cerda returns for his senior season, I’d like to sign 6 players to go along with Ross, Imel, Cerda, and Graminski while cutting Clough. That will give us 10 for season 133.

Recruiting:
Started with 6 openings plus I cut one of the sim-signed players in RS2 for some additional funds. Since we need everything, the plan was to just take the best available players. I'd like to have a baseline of decency for the next 3-4 seasons while I take some swings at higher tier recruits. I was all-in on an elite wing but lost the roll with 59% odds, and I also saw some weakness on another wing and took a swing but lost that roll with only 26% odds. Despite both of those losses, I was able to sign 6 other players without a roll. These guys aren't special and probably aren't P6 conference starters, but they're the kind of players that fill out your roster and help you get to the NT.

PG - Brandon Harris
Ath 41 / Spd 75 / Reb 1 / Def 51 / Blk 1 / LP 11 / Per 54 / BH 77 / Pass 44 / WE 28 / Sta 69
Note: We're hoping the passing gets to 80+ but it's going to take a few seasons with that 28 WE. Won't be a scorer but he's a decent backup PG.

SG - Shawn Charity
Ath 45 / Spd 62 / Reb 15 / Def 66 / Blk 11 / LP 1 / Per 56 / BH 58 / Pass 57 / WE 59 / Sta 63
Note: Grabbed Charity because he's not going to hurt on defense too much and should be able to add a bit of 3pt shooting. Really need that Spd to stay black for awhile.

SF - Ray Kraft
Ath 49 / Spd 63 / Reb 32 / Def 48 / Blk 13 / LP 29 / Per 54 / BH 39 / Pass 25 / WE 45 / Sta 74
Note: This kid might be a bit of a stretch. If his greens don't pan out, he'll be a player that I look to cut later.

SF - Dennis Danner
Ath 74 / Spd 52 / Reb 43 / Def 70 / Blk 21 / LP 59 / Per 41 / BH 35 / Pass 40 / WE 78 / Sta 75
Note: Should be solid defensively but won't score much. Hopefully his passing goes pretty high and he can help the overall team offense.

SG/SF - Ricky Santillo
Ath 73 / Spd 75 / Reb 29 / Def 74 / Blk 10 / LP 37 / Per 46 / BH 74 / Pass 49 / WE 40 / Sta 61
Note: This is probably the only signee that has starter potential, especially if his Per is 80+.

C - Ronald Sallee
Ath 50 / Spd 17 / Reb 76 / Def 57 / Blk 73 / LP 84 / Per 12 / BH 23 / Pass 16 / WE 54 / Sta 72
Note: Just another big lumbering center that can hopefully be the centerpiece of a zone defense. Might be able to score a bit as an upperclassman, but will also commit TO's with higher usage.

These guys should help create a solid defense and add some rebounding. There's not much scoring from the group but that can be addressed in future seasons. Kraft is a 2.6 ineligible that hasn't qualified yet. I was hoping to redshirt him, but it looks like that might not happen. Still trying to decide if I want to cut Clough or not. I could probably use his rebounding while the freshmen get up to speed. That would also allow me to redshirt one of the other kids from this class. I only had to offer starts to Charity so I'll need to decide if I want to start Harris because he could definitely use the WE boost. Not sure how competitive this team will be with all this youth. Basically I need to decide if I want to try to compete for a postseason birth or just call it a rebuild year next season.

Post-Season Thoughts:
Finished the season with a 13-15 overall record (5-11 conference). 129 RPI was expected without a proper supporting cast and several walk-ons. Surprisingly we ended up #93 on the projection report and just missed out on the PI. I think we were the 2nd team out. I'll take that considering a new offense/defense and all of the other obstacles. Not too happy with the recruiting class, but I knew a rebuild in the middle of ACC country was going to be difficult. Baby steps at this point. Cerda decided to stay for his senior season so that's a bonus.

Over the next 2 days (end of RS2), I'll decide what I want to do for next season. If I want to call it a rebuild season, I'll probably cut Clough, redshirt one of the freshman, and start the others in order to accelerate their growth. If I think I can compete (probably not), I'll keep Clough and play it straight. Stay tuned for Season 133 to find out what happens!

Season 133

Roster:
PG - Michael Ross (Jr)
Ath 74 / Spd 85 / Reb 28 / Def 80 / Blk 10 / LP 52 / Per 75 / BH 93 / Pass 81 / WE 95 / Sta 73

PG – Matthew Imel (So)
Ath 100 / Spd 97 / Reb 22 / Def 96 / Blk 36 / LP 15 / Per 83 / BH 90 / Pass 75 / WE 64 / Sta 84

PG - Brandon Harris (Fr) - Redshirted
Ath 41 / Spd 75 / Reb 1 / Def 51 / Blk 1 / LP 11 / Per 54 / BH 77 / Pass 44 / WE 28 / Sta 69

SG - Shawn Charity (Fr)
Ath 45 / Spd 62 / Reb 15 / Def 66 / Blk 11 / LP 1 / Per 56 / BH 58 / Pass 57 / WE 59 / Sta 63

SG/SF - Ricky Santillo (Fr)
Ath 73 / Spd 75 / Reb 29 / Def 74 / Blk 10 / LP 37 / Per 46 / BH 74 / Pass 49 / WE 40 / Sta 61

SF - Harry Cerda (Sr)
Ath 92 / Spd 69 / Reb 53 / Def 91 / Blk 54/ LP 88 / Per 63 / BH 74 / Pass 79 / WE 45 / Sta 68

SF - Ray Kraft (Fr) - Ineligible
Ath 49 / Spd 63 / Reb 32 / Def 48 / Blk 13 / LP 29 / Per 54 / BH 39 / Pass 25 / WE 45 / Sta 74

SF - Dennis Danner (Fr)
Ath 74 / Spd 52 / Reb 43 / Def 70 / Blk 21 / LP 59 / Per 41 / BH 35 / Pass 40 / WE 78 / Sta 75

PF - Scott Clough (RS So)
Ath 71 / Spd 37 / Reb 69 / Def 75 / Blk 38 / LP 75 / Per 13 / BH 28 / Pass 15 / WE 45 / Sta 63

C – Ivan Graminski (So)
Ath 63 / Spd 21 / Reb 77 / Def 76 / Blk 70 / LP 61 / Per 12 / BH 11 / Pass 41 / WE 69 / Sta 75

C - Ronald Sallee (Fr)
Ath 50 / Spd 17 / Reb 76 / Def 57 / Blk 73 / LP 84 / Per 12 / BH 23 / Pass 16 / WE 54 / Sta 72


Preseason Thoughts:
It looks like I'm going to try to make a run at the NT this season. Not because I think I have a good shot at it, but because I was at the beach for the last few days of the previous season and forgot to cut Clough. I informed Harris of a redshirt, and he accepted so we'll have 9 scholarship players for this season. The non-conference schedule is fairly light and I'm hoping for at least 8 wins. With only 2 upperclassmen, we'll really be leaning heavily on guys like Cerda, Ross, and Imel to carry us.

I know I've stated several times that I'd like to cut Clough, but he's starting to grow on me. His reb and def have grown a bit more than I thought they would. Graminski is probably a higher priority on the cut list as his ath/spd are pretty terrible. Maybe Sallee will take off and can assume the starting center role. Imel started somewhere around #69 on the big board (likely staying) so I'll need to slow his growth a bit. It's going to be a balancing act because I need him to carry us, but I don't want him to leave early.

Recruiting:
PG - Julius Eakin
Ath 50 / Spd 77 / Reb 10 / Def 65 / Blk 1 / LP 11 / Per 40 / BH 50 / Pass 73 / Sta 67 / WE 34
Notes: Had to scare off some lower D1 schools, but signed without a roll. Pretty bad ath/spd combo, but can backup both guard spots and will hopefully be a shooter at some point.

SF - Gilbert Gleason
Ath 76 / Spd 54 / Reb 61 / Def 82 / Blk 44 / LP 61 / Per 77 / BH 60 / Pass 67 / Sta 50 / WE 80
Notes: I targeted him late because I had extra funds after signing Harder and Eakin early. Had to cut Clough to finish maxing him in RS2, and won my first roll at Duke. Ratings aren't eye-popping but very solid wing. I'm hoping spd gets to 65+, and then I think he can score a bit.

PF - Michael Harder
Ath 74 / Spd 41 / Reb 57 / Def 77 / Blk 52 / LP 52 / Per 29 / BH 34 / Pass 35 / Sta 61 / WE 17
Notes: Pretty bad with his overall ratings and WE. I really need post scoring and this was the best I could muster. Signed with no competition. I'll start him whenever I can hoping to develop his Reb, Def, and LP as quickly as possible.

Postseason Thoughts:
Not a great season but that was somewhat expected. Finished with a 13-16 record (4-12 conference) and #76 RPI. Lost in the first round of the PIT. I've decided to scrap the zone defense in lieu of the press. With these subpar recruits, the press defense will give me the best chance of winning NT games. Plus I can schedule non-con games against good teams with stamina or depth issues. I made the decision prior to RS1 so recruiting was done with motion/press in mind.

I had to cut Clough in order to max out Gleason in RS2 and luckily I won the roll at 42%. With Gleason in hand, I then decided to cut Harris. When Harris's passing immediately went blue, I knew he wouldn't have a role on the team. Not a pure PG, can't score, not a solid defender. Next season I'm going to do what I should have done this season. We're going to focus on developing the youngsters, even if it means missing the postseason. With only 3 upperclassmen, it won't be a strong season anyways. One more season of pain, and then hopefully we start to consistently make the NT.

I need to be more aggressive in recruiting as well. I've been avoiding rolls because I didn't want this rebuild to be dictated by random luck, but I need better players at some point. Kids like Harder and Eakin are the best I can get without a roll due to the highly competitive region I find myself in. Those types of players are probably fine to fill out a bench, but they aren't going to win postseason games. I'll try to get into 1 or 2 rolls for better players next season while still grabbing a guy like Eakin. Imel dropped from 69 to 85 on the big board, but he might be gone next season as a Junior. I'll have 2 openings plus a possible EE so I'll need to sign at least 2 to have enough depth for the press.

Season 134

Well I completely blanked on season 134 and didn't write anything. Currently we're halfway through season 135 so I'll just give a quick summary of 134.

I didn't have high expectations for this season, but Imel stayed for his junior season and really carried us. Ended with a run to the S16, which presumably allows me to keep this job for another 7 seasons (even though firings haven't been implemented yet).

Finished the season with 22-9 overall record (9-7 conference), #21 RPI, and #20 ranking. The S16 appearance gets the prestige to A-.


Recruiting:
PG - Ronald Lane
Ath 47 / Spd 87 / Reb 19 / Def 39 / Blk 1 / LP 11 / Per 90 / BH 65 / Pas 65 / WE 66 / Sta 85
Notes: Lane should be an elite shooter and a solid backup PG. If his defense improves quite a bit, he might be okay, but his low ath will always hold him back on the defensive end. He's a good depth piece and nothing more.

SG - Brent Shealy
Ath 89 / Spd 73 / Reb 44 / Def 87 / Blk 35 / LP 45 / Per 64 / BH 58 / Pass 56 / WE 58 / Sta 63
Notes: Shealy is the crown jewel of this class and I absolutely love this kid. Within my system, I can eventually plug him in 1-4 and he'll provide solid defense, rebounding, and post scoring.

PF - Edward Brazil
Ath 77 / Spd 43 / Reb 60 / Def 78 / Blk 59 / LP 66 / Per 10 / BH 54 / Pass 52 / WE 39 / Sta 73
Notes: Brazil is a prototypical forward for my system. He doesn't have the spd to play SF but he'll be a decent contributor at PF. I wish his LP had more potential, but I'm still happy to have him on the team. I love his ball skills for a PF.

Overall, I'm really excited about this class. Duke landed an absolute stud in Shealy and 2 guys who can contribute in different areas. These guys will absolutely advance my rebuild.

After this season, Imel forgoes his senior season to enter the NBA draft and is selected with the 33rd pick. He'll be sorely missed.

Onto the next...

Season 135:

Roster:
PG - Julius Eakin (So.)
Ath 55 / Spd 79 / Reb 10 / Def 81 / Blk 1 / LP 9 / Per 57 / BH 66 / Pass 71 / WE 41 / Sta 75

PG - Ronald Lane (Fr.)
Ath 47 / Spd 87 / Reb 19 / Def 39 / Blk 1 / LP 11 / Per 90 / BH 65 / Pas 65 / WE 66 / Sta 85

SG - Shawn Charity (Jr.)
Ath 77 / Spd 75 / Reb 14 / Def 91 / Blk 20 / LP 1 / Per 91 / BH 81 / Pass 59 / WE 70 / Sta 90

SG - Ricky Santillo (Jr.)
Ath 76 / Spd 77 / Reb 28 / Def 89 / Blk 16 / LP 38 / Per 78 / BH 78 / Pass 78 / WE 47 / Sta 62

SG - Brent Shealy (Fr.)
Ath 89 / Spd 73 / Reb 44 / Def 87 / Blk 35 / LP 45 / Per 64 / BH 58 / Pass 56 / WE 58 / Sta 63

SF - Dennis Danner (Jr.)
Ath 78 / Spd 79 / Reb 53 / Def 100 / Blk 33 / LP 66 / Per 41 / BH 42 / Pass 73 / WE 83 / Sta 78

SF - Ray Kraft (Jr.)
Ath 62 / Spd 67 / Reb 37 / Def 63 / Blk 21 / LP 29 / Per 55 / BH 53 / Pass 25 / WE 46 / Sta 77

SF - Gilbert Gleason (So.)
Ath 80 / Spd 62 / Reb 67 / Def 94 / Blk 52 / LP 61 / Per 79 / BH 67 / Pass 70 / WE 84 / Sta 68

PF - Michael Harder (So.)
Ath 74 / Spd 42 / Reb 63 / Def 82 / Blk 52 / LP 58 / Per 27 / BH 35 / Pass 35 / WE 21 / Sta 65

PF - Edward Brazil (Fr.)
Ath 77 / Spd 43 / Reb 60 / Def 78 / Blk 59 / LP 66 / Per 10 / BH 54 / Pass 52 / WE 39 / Sta 73

C - Ivan Graminski (Sr.)
Ath 69 / Spd 23 / Reb 99 / Def 96 / Blk 85 / LP 100 / Per 12 / BH 27 / Pass 42 / WE 81 / Sta 78

C - Ronald Sallee (Jr.)
Ath 72 / Spd 20 / Reb 96 / Def 82 / Blk 96 / LP 84 / Per 11 / BH 22 / Pass 28 / WE 59 / Sta 75


Preseason Thoughts:
It's hard for me to judge how this team will perform. Losing Imel is going to hurt, but we've got 5 juniors with a ton of shooting and some decent defense. Unfortunately, Shealy and Brazil will be starting while Lane needs 15 mpg. The early season might be a struggle. With only 1 senior and no walk-ons, we'll have 1 scholarship to fill in recruiting, although I'd like to cut Kraft or Harder. After doing the initial depth chart, it looks like those 2 won't get much playing time this season. And with Harder's low WE, his development might be hampered quite a bit.

The goal is to make the NT. Anything beyond the 1st round would be a pleasant surprise, but we've got 5 seniors next season and another bump in prestige would go a LONG way in securing the future of this school. Duke absolutely HAS to make an NT run in season 136 so this season is all about setting us up for that.

Recruiting:

Postseason Thoughts:

Reserved for Season 136

Reserved for Season 137

Reserved for Season 138 (I believe this is the final season before I'd be evaluated for job performed and possibly fired)