Novice Coach Switches Coasts

[Zingo]

April 3, 2040, 11:28PM NCAA Tournament Finals, Courtside

The buzzer sounded for a final team this season as the Butler Men's Basketball team stormed the court. "Holy sh*t" thought Coach S. "we f*cking did it." Blue and white confetti rained down on the arena as the players embraced each other, their friends, and family in the joyous occasion. Coach S. began hugging other staff and was greeted by his wife and baby son who rushed out. He embraced them and donned the hat signifying that Butler were the NCAA Tournament Champions. Every NCAA coach's dream was to be here, in this moment, and for Coach S. he had finally achieved it. The feeling was almost impossible to describe.

Reporters soon began to pour into the chaos as the trophy presentation began. The experience was surreal. "It is my honor to declare the Butler Bulldogs NCAA Champions!" the Chairman of NCAAB announced, handing the trophy over to the team. The players held it up proudly before handing it over to a teary eyed Coach S. who now stood in front of a microphone on the court floor.

"When I first joined this league, I never thought I'd be where I am now... I have some many people to thank. The players worked so hard this year and put so much effort into making this season what it was. Obviously this team would not be the same without them, they are the lifeblood of our organization and are amazing young men whose efforts never cease to amaze me. Our coaches have all done an incredible job, especially our First Assistant Coach Erick Woodley. They have all put in the work each and every day to mold this team into the success that they are. The Butler organization and City of Indianapolis for welcoming me and making me feel at home immediately and making my time here excellent each season and finally my lovely wife Amy and son Cyan who support me every day at home and put up with me and my craziness during the season. I will never forget this time and this accomplishment and we are beyond proud to bring home the NCAA Tournament title to Butler for the first time ever!"

Coach S. raised the trophy as the players and supporters cheered in joy with the lights shining on them and the remaining confetti sprinkling down like snow. This is it. This was victory. Coach S. knew more seasons with triumphs and tribulations lay ahead, but he didn't want to think too much of that right now. He and his team were NCAA Champions and that was one of the most incredible feelings he'd ever felt in his life.



Final Record: 36-3 (19-1)
77.5 PPG, 63.0 OPPG, 19.8 APG, 39.5 RPG, NET 7



An asterisk denotes a starter.

The recruiting class this year consisted only of transfer student Omar Victor, a Center from Clemson.

Other Notable Facts From the Season:
NCAA Final: Butler (64) over Georgia Tech (54). Butler claims their first NCAA Tournament Title in School History. Georgia Tech was denied what would have been their first title.
Big East Championship Game: Providence (61) over Butler (49)
NCAA Most Outstanding Player: Kyle Phillips FR, PF: 16.7 PPG, 1.2 APG, 6.5 RPG, 0.7 SPG, 1.2 BPG (Tournament Stats Listed)
All-Conference 2nd Team: Kyle Phillips FR, PF: 9.2 PPG, 1.8 APG, 7.5 RPG, 0.9 SPG, 1.1 BPG; Wayne Watkins SO, SG: 19.2 PPG, 2.5 APG, 3.4 RPG, 1.2 SPG, 0.6 BPG; Chad McMillian SO, PG: 12.8 PPG, 7.4 APG, 4.6 RPG, 0.8 SPG, 1.0 BPG
Big East Coach of the Year: Coach S. NCAA COTY went to GT's coach who finished 37-3 what a ripoff...
Team MVP[s]: Wayne Watkins, Chad McMillian
Best Win: 64-54 @Georgia Tech (AP #2, Tournament #1 Seed) (NCAA Tournament)
Worst Loss: 61-49 v.s. Providence (Conf. Tournament)
Notable Graduates: None
This was Coach S.'s 17th season and 4th with Butler. His overall record sits at 378-247.
Coach S. is currently 15-6 in the NCAA Tournament. This was Coach S.'s first NCAA Tournament Title.
Wayne Watkins , Chad McMillian, and Kyle Phillips were nominees for the Norton award. Watkins and McMillian were Norton Award Semi-Finalist.
Butler finished ranked #5 in the AP Poll. Their peak this season was #3.
The team had no Seniors, two Juniors, and the rest were Sophomores or Freshmen. All are returning next year.

[Wayne23]

WOW! That didn't take long! Congrats!

[Zingo]

WOW! That didn't take long! Congrats!

Thanks! Glad to get the big one out of the way. I'd love to win the Conference now for once...

[Zingo]

January 14, 2041, 7:57PM Butler Men's Basketball Coach's Office

Coach S. was walking from his office to investigate the sound of a bouncing basketball on the court. He assumed it was one of the players or maybe some random college kid sneaking in for a few late night shots on the team's game court. It'd certainly been a fantastic season so far. Most of the staff left this offseason, with Erick Woodley moving laterally to UNC for a better paycheck (almost twice as much) and Derek Glasser the Third Assistant Coach, taking the Head Coach position at Incarnate Wood. Still, Jim Fox stayed on as Second Assistant Coach and Tim Morris, the new First Assistant, had coached the team to a wonderful start with his offensive strategies as they were 5th in points per game, 2nd in assists per game, and 9th in rebounds per game. The team's defense was a stonewall, not getting too many blocks or steals, but just playing strong, tough defense, yielding them the top Defensive Rating and top Points allowed per game in the NCAA.

Coach S. turned the corner to the court and saw Wayne Watkins practicing with Chad McMillian. "Do you guys ever take a break?" Coach S. shouted chuckling as he did. The two stopped dribbling and looked over to him and smiled. "Not if we're going to make the NBA coach," Wayne replied.

Coach S. sauntered over to them. "Listen gentlemen, even if you don't make the NBA, you have to know that what you're doing right now, right here with this program, is historic." They stopped dribbling and stared at Coach S. as he continued. "I want you both to understand that you are amazing ball players and you have the potential to not only make this a historic team for Butler, that's already done, but a historic team in NCAA history. Keep playing well and the rest will come."

They nodded and continued with their 1 on 1 practice. Coach S. headed back to his office. This team was something special no doubt, but those two were on another level. Some of the road wins were a bit tight, but the team was still undefeated. There was no doubt in Coach S.'s mind that they were a contender for the NCAA Title again this year. The question was, could they do so undefeated?

Top Players (this season):
Chad McMillian (PG): 15.3 PPG, 7.8 APG, 4.8 RPG
Wayne Watkins (SG): 21.1 PPG, 2.8 APG, 2.4 RPG
Ron Walker (SF): 10.0 PPG, 2.9 APG, 5.0 RPG


Current Record: 18-0 (7-0)
80.9 PPG, 57.9 OPPG, 20.1 APG, 36.2 RPG, NET 2


Butler was invited to the WS Midwest Invitational (Hall of Fame Classic) where they won the tournament. Beating Valpo in the final 94-60.

[Zingo]

March 12, 2041, 8:57PM Butler Men's Basketball Facility, Selection Sunday

The Team cheered as Coach S. carried in the Big East Conference Champion Trophy. "We are the champions of the conference boys!" Everyone was on their feet jumping a cheering. "I don't have any long speech today and we all know what seed we are going to be, so all I am going to say is go out there and make history!" The team cheered again. 34-0 and hopefully another NCAA Tournament victory on the horizon. This had the potential of being a historic offseason, not only for Butler, but for the entire sport of men's college basketball.



Tournament Information
March 17, 2041: Butler 34-0 (1) v.s. Sacramento State 19-16 (16)
This is Butler's 24th NCAA Tournament appearance and third with Coach S.
This is Coach S.'s ninth NCAA Tournament bid and twelfth post-season tournament bid in his career.

[Zingo]

April 16, 2041, 11:47AM Butler Men's Basketball Coach's Office

It made no sense. It just made no f*cking sense. It had been weeks since Butler's loss to the #4 seed Illinois in the Sweet Sixteen to 25-10 Illinois. Coach S. wasn't sure if he'd ever been more upset in his coaching career. To go from the high of last season careening down in a game where they were heavy favorites... it was just utterly disappointing. There had been plenty of expletives, but mostly a somber aura just hung over the entire program. They'd never be in a position to go on a run like this again. Instead, the team would be remembered for losing in the Round of 16 to a far inferior team. For the first time in awhile he busted out the scotch in his office.

This Butler team was historic. One of the best teams to ever grace the NCAA Court. Granted he sounded a bit pretentious thinking about it that way, but it was really more of a testament to his players rather than himself. They were first in offensive, defensive and net rating. An incredible team that would forever be remembered not for their own performance, but for the performance of the underdogs in orange in a neighboring state. Well, Illinois just found themselves a rival...

The post-season accolades helped soften the blow but didn't let it fade entirely. Coach S. did receive the NCAA Coach of the Year award and the team had two All-Americans in McMillian and Watkins, both of whom would be back next year.

Meanwhile, Amy's team had a solid run, making it to the Elite Eight of the NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament before they ended up losing to UConn. Little Cyan was walking, which meant getting into mischief, but it was always fun when they were all home together. At least Coach S. had that time with his family to look forward to this offseason.

Final Record: 36-1 (20-0)
81.5 PPG, 61.0 OPPG, 20.1 APG, 37.1 RPG, NET 1



An asterisk denotes a starter.

There were some solid 5* recruits this year in Raines and Bass, but they had lackluster performances at camp. Coach S. just hoped they'd improve when exposed to actual games, or that the camp performances had been a fluke. Howard was a last minute grab to provide bench depth and would likely serve as a rotational piece on the roster.


Butler Men's Basketball Recruitment Class 2041.

Other Notable Facts From the Season:
NCAA Final: Oklahoma (84) over Temple (70). Oklahoma claims their third NCAA Tournament Title in School History. Temple missed out on what would have been their first title.
Big East Championship Game: Butler (75) over Xavier (65)
All-American 1st Team: Chad McMillian JR, PG: 13.4 PPG, 8.1 APG, 5.0 RPG, 1.3 SPG, 1.0 BPG
All-American 2nd Team: Wayne Watkins JR, SG: 20.3 PPG, 3.0 APG, 2.5 RPG, 1.3 SPG, 0.5 BPG
All-Conference 1st Team: Chad McMillian JR, PG: 13.4 PPG, 8.1 APG, 5.0 RPG, 1.3 SPG, 1.0 BPG; Wayne Watkins JR, SG: 20.3 PPG, 3.0 APG, 2.5 RPG, 1.3 SPG, 0.5 BPG
All-Conference 2nd Team: Ron Walker SO, SF: 10.6 PPG, 2.4 APG, 4.9 RPG, 1.3 SPG, 0.8 BPG
NCAA Coach of the Year Coach S.
Big East Coach of the Year: Coach S.
Team MVP[s]: Wayne Watkins, Chad McMillian
Best Win: 75-65 v.s. Xavier (AP #14) (Conf. Tournament)
Worst Loss: Take a guess!
Notable Graduates: James Whitney
This was Coach S.'s 18th season and 5th with Butler. His overall record sits at 414-248.
Coach S. is currently 17-7 in the NCAA Tournament.
Wayne Watkins , Chad McMillian, and Kyle Phillips were nominees for the Norton award. Watkins and McMillian were Norton Award Finalist.
Butler finished ranked #1 in the AP Poll.
This season marked Coach S.'s first ever Conference Tournament win (it's about time). It is Butler's 10th Conference Tournament win.
James Whitney was drafted 57th overall despite never really being more than a bench player for us. His stats: 4.1 PPG, 0.5 APG, 4.1 RPG, 0.1 BPG, 0.3 SPG (I have some thoughts on the draft that I'll probably mention whenever this save ends as part of a set of suggestions).

[Zingo]

January 24, 2042, 9:30AM Butler Men's Basketball Coach's Office

Coach S. sat in his office and reviewed the season. It had been pretty solid so far although he did have a few concerns about Butler's ability to go all the way. This was essentially Watkins's team this year and it was never good to have on player doing all of the heavy lifting. The team had the potential to make a run, but it would really be up to him regarding how far they went. A championship run was possible. It was the last year with a lot of the key contributors from their winning squad as well, so it would really fall to the next era, with a year or two of low expectations, if this year's team couldn't pull it off. Coach S. just hoped they could.

Top Players (this season):
Wayne Watkins (SG): 23.4 PPG, 2.1 APG, 3.3 RPG
Chad McMillian (PG): 11.4 PPG, 6.2 APG, 4.3 RPG
Ron Walker (SF): 7.7 PPG, 2.6 APG, 4.6 RPG


Current Record: 17-3 (8-1)
81.5 PPG, 60.7 OPPG, 19.5 APG, 37.2 RPG, NET 7

Not pictured was Butler's win @Georgetown 78-60.

Butler was invited to the Las Vegas Invitational where they won the tournament. Beating Davidson in the final 79-72.

[Zingo]

March 12, 2042, 8:48PM Butler Men's Basketball Facility, Selection Sunday

Selection Sunday was beginning in about ten minutes, as Coach S. stood in the back of the room next to Wayne Watkins. Wayne's hand was in a cast. It was just dumb luck against UConn, but Watkins broke his hand and would miss the rest of the season. Of course it had to be the year where he was nearly carrying the team. Hopefully others like McMillian and Phillips would step up.

"At least it'll be healed in time for the draft," Coach S. said as he stared at the cast.

"I should've just gone last year."

"I know this type of thing sucks, but I still think you improved your stock with your play this year. Any NBA team would be lucky to have you, I think you'll excel at the next level."

Coach S. thought he saw a faint smile, but it was hard to tell. Either way, Wayne was definitely going through it right now. Coach S. knew that he had wanted to be able to help carry his team to a Conference Championship and NCAA Tournament victory, but now he'd have to cheer them on from the sidelines.

The team still looked decent enough for a capable run. Brandon Raines, a freshmen PG who played mostly from the bench (but already declared for the draft), was dubbed to be the next logical starter at Shooting Guard, according to a meeting amongst the coaches. The team also prevailed in Conference play, picking up their 2nd consecutive Conference Title. The team watched as Selection Sunday commenced.

"#1 Butler will play #16 Miami Ohio."

Coach S. addressed the room, "Not everyone is fortunate enough to have the opportunity to be playing this game. I want you to go out there and win this one for Wayne!"

Wayne looked up as the crowd cheered. He'd been an incredible asset to this program, one of the all time best. The fact that he couldn't play just meant others had to deliver Coach S. thought.



Tournament Information
March 17, 2042: Butler 31-3 (1) v.s. Miami (OH) 20-12 (16)
This is Butler's 25th NCAA Tournament appearance and fourth with Coach S.
This is Coach S.'s tenth NCAA Tournament bid and thirteenth post-season tournament bid in his career.
I didn't know about this injury prior to my last post. Seriously, you can't make this stuff up!

[Zingo]

April 16, 2042, 06:47PM Butler Men's Basketball Coach's Office

The team had a decent run this year despite losing one of their stars and lost in a very close Elite Eight match to Mississippi State (#17) 72-70 to end their run this year. Despite being up by as much as 14 and leading 40-29 at the half, Mississippi State came roaring back to claim a narrow victory in what was sure to be a tournament classic. The Battle of the Bulldogs people were calling it. The year was overall a decent enough one. Coach S. was devastated to see some of the best players in the program graduate. It was time to begin rebuilding yet again.

Meanwhile Amy's team struggled this year, but received an NIT invite and made a surprise run to the semifinals before losing there, although she had a great crop of incoming freshmen apparently. The family planned to take a tropical vacation this summer to decompress and get some down time in just before recruiting season really picked up. It would be good to spend time together.

The team held an end of season banquet where the outgoing seniors were honored. Coach S. looked on with pride. Watkins and McMillian were truly program changing players that ushered in Butler's first NCAA Tournament Title in school history. He knew they'd stay in touch and he just hoped that the NBA would recognize their talent at the next level.

Final Record: 34-4 (19-1)
80.7 PPG, 61.3 OPPG, 20.2 APG, 37.6 RPG, NET 2



An asterisk denotes a starter. KenyKay Taylor frequently rotated in with Omar Victor.

If there was any time to get excited about an incoming class to replace outgoing stars, this was it. Particularly of note was Kenny Posey. The Bearded Wonder was the MVP at the Indy Elite Camp and was the #7 recruit in the country. Coach S. hoped he would not only become an immediate contributor, but rather the centerpiece of this next generation of players. Kris Morton would be a more than ample replacement for McMillian and could hopefully step in as a key facilitator. Miller and Pugh might need a bit more time to develop but should still provide solid bench options at the very least. A scholarship was also reserved for a transfer player this upcoming season, with Coach S. hoping to stagger the recruiting classes a bit more and pick up a solid piece in that market (like he had done with Omar Victor).


Butler Men's Basketball Recruitment Class 2042.

Other Notable Facts From the Season:
NCAA Final: Oregon (72) over Oklahoma (70). In what is sure to go down as a NCAA Finals Classic, Oregon claims their second NCAA Tournament Title in School History. Oklahoma missed out on what would have been their fourth title.
Big East Championship Game: Butler (68) over Marquette (55)
All-American 2nd Team: Wayne Watkins SR, SG: 21.6 PPG, 2.5 APG, 3.1 RPG, 0.9 SPG, 0.6 BPG
Big East Player of the Year: Wayne Watkins SR, SG: 21.6 PPG, 2.5 APG, 3.1 RPG, 0.9 SPG, 0.6 BPG
Big East Defensive Player of the Year: Chad McMillian SR, PG: 12.9 PPG, 6.5 APG, 4.4 RPG, 0.8 SPG, 0.7 BPG
Big East Coach of the Year: Coach S.
All-Conference 1st Team: Wayne Watkins SR, SG: 21.6 PPG, 2.5 APG, 3.1 RPG, 0.9 SPG, 0.6 BPG; Chad McMillian SR, PG: 12.9 PPG, 6.5 APG, 4.4 RPG, 0.8 SPG, 0.7 BPG
All-Conference 2nd Team: Ron Walker SO, SF: 10.6 PPG, 2.4 APG, 4.9 RPG, 1.3 SPG, 0.8 BPG
Team MVP[s]: Wayne Watkins
Best Win: 87-67 @ Illinois (AP #23)
Worst Loss: 72-70 v.s. Mississippi State (AP #17)
Notable Graduates: Wayne Watkins, Chad McMillian,
This was Coach S.'s 19th season and 6th with Butler. His overall record sits at 448-252.
Coach S. is currently 20-8 in the NCAA Tournament.
Wayne Watkins , Chad McMillian, and Kyle Phillips were nominees for the Norton award. McMillian was a Norton Award Semi-Finalist and Watkins was a Finalist.
Butler finished ranked #2 in the AP Poll.
This season marked Coach S.'s 2nd Conference Tournament win and Butler's 11th Conference Tournament win.
Chad McMillian was drafted 26th overall, Wayne Watkins 37th overall and Brandon Raines who was a bench player for one year but a slightly higher rate HS prospect was... a lotto pick at 10th.

[Zingo]

January 15, 2043, 1:16PM Butler Men's Basketball Coach's Office

The following introduction plays as Coach S. sit in his office on the phone to conduct a radio interview (yes, the radio still exist even in 2043) with Kenny Bronco, a prominent radio/podcast personality in Indianapolis:
"Welcome to Sports Hour on 91.7 hosted by 'Wild' Kenny Bronco *horse sounds* with a live analysis on the latest sports news."

K: "Hello family! This is Wild Kenny Bronco here, bringing it to you live with none other than Coach S., the head coach of Butler's Men's Basketball. Welcome to the show coach!"

S: "Thanks for having me Kenny."

K: "It is an honor a true honor, now we have a few questions for you today, I know you don't have too much time so let's get right into it... let's start with the talk of the season, your two freshmen, Kenny Posey and Kris Morton also known as 'K-Po and K-Mo' or 'MoPo' colloquially, how have they been able to perform at such an elite level this early?"

S:"Well they were highly rated recruits, so the talent was already there. They just had to learn the offense and put in the work, which they have. Both guys do the work on and off the court and it has shown in their stats and the team's record."

K: "A lot of your detractors have said you've become a worse coach and better recruiter, a fact they say is most evident in this most recent class and a bit last year, where you've been taking high-end talent players who enter the NBA Draft rather quickly, what would you say to that?"

S: "I take offense to that, I always try to get the best players available come recruiting season, regardless of how long they commit to the program. As far as my coaching goes, I stick with what works but even as recently as this year have adjusted my offensive tactics. I don't think I've become a 'worse coach' in any sense."

K: "Care to explain those changes?"

S: "And which Big East team do you work for on the side?"

K/S: *Laughter*

K: "Alright, alright, fair enough, next question... you've had a fair amount of turnover with staff lately, why?"

S: "You'd have to ask those who left. Most of the time these guys are leaving for head coaching opportunities so they're just taking the best available option. Frankly, I can't blame them for chasing those opportunities. We always manage to hire solid staff to replace those departing each season so I don't think the turnover has impacted the program too much."

K: "Your team is off to another hot start this season at 16-2, what's been the key to your success at Butler these past few seasons?"

S: "I've been fortunate to have many talented players and staff members who have made this program what it is. I'm just a piece in a larger puzzle."

K: "Butler leads the league in rebounds per game this season at a whopping 40.9. What do you attribute this success to?"

S: "I tend to favor crashing the boards, especially on defense. This year we just have the talent for that strategy to be fully realized and its paying dividends for this program."

K: "Finally, what is the team's goal this season?"

S: "Same goal as any other season Kenny, win it all."

K: "I like that sound of that, haha, thank you Coach S. for your time."

S: "It's been my pleasure."

Top Players (this season):
Kenny Posey (SF): 20.7 PPG, 5.0 APG, 10.1 RPG
Kris Morton (PG): 14.2 PPG, 3.9 APG, 2.5 RPG
Omar Victor (C): 7.8 PPG, 1.2 APG, 8.1 RPG


Current Record: 16-2 (8-1)
80.8 PPG, 59.7 OPPG, 19.8 APG, 40.9 RPG, NET 4


Butler was invited to the NIT Tip-Off Tournament. They proceeded to the finals but would lose to Kansas 71-77.