I'm BAAACK! Jonathan Sanders takes over at Merrimack

Re: I'm BAAACK! Jonathan Sanders takes over at Merrimack

Postby jksander » Fri Dec 31, 2021 3:00 am

March 17, 2022
NCAA TOURNAMENT ROUND OF 64
(13) Eastern Kentucky (22-9) vs. (4) Merrimack (28-4)

We got out to a lead early and held it, building to a 17-10 advantage with 14:09 to play in the first half. From there we took care of business and pulled away quickly and efficiently, I suspect making a lot of people change the channel while upset-hunting. We led 35-16 with 8:17 to go in the half, and at the break we had a stunning 60-27 lead on the Colonels. The rest was a blowout, as we calmly dismantled them 98-59.

Player of the Game: Bill Ellis (37 pts 10 reb 4 blk)
Honorable Mentions: Josh Cabrera (18 pts 9 reb 1 ast) Mike Brown (16 pts 1 reb 2 ast)

March 19, 2022
NCAA TOURNAMENT OKLAHOMA CITY REGIONAL QUARTERFINALS
(5) Utah State (29-4) vs. (4) Merrimack (29-4)

Both teams tonight play sharp defense, and one of us has to lose. We came out and built a 7-2 lead early, but they slowed us down quickly and with 10:21 to go in the first half our lead was just 15-11. With just over five minutes to go they took their first lead of the afternoon, up 17-18, at which point we traded scores for a few minutes before we rebuilt a 28-24 advantage with 1:06 to play. At the break we led 32-30 and knew there was nothing coming easy here.

We built a 38-32 lead on the Aggies but they continued to make our lives difficult on both ends of the floor, pulling back within three, down 42-39 with 14:33 remaining in the game. But we slowly built our lead, chipping away at their defenses as we expanded to a 58-47 lead over the next seven minutes. But they came roaring back, and with 4:42 to go our lead was a mere three points again, up 62-59. We held them off by the skin of our teeth, but only won this one in the final minutes, 80-70.

Survive and advance … but if Ellis doesn’t stay sharp we’re going to have a hard time making it past the next round. He flat-out carried us tonight.

Player of the Game: Bill Ellis (47 pts 15 reb 3 blk)
Honorable Mentions: Mike Brown (9 pts 2 ast) Josh Cabrera (7 pts 3 reb 1 ast 1 stl)

March 24, 2022
NCAA TOURNAMENT OKLAHOMA CITY REGIONAL SEMIFINALS
(4) Merrimack (30-4) vs. (1) Kansas (30-6)

By all accounts this is where our 22-game winning streak is expected to end. And they sure did play like that should be the case – the Jayhawks built a 3-10 lead on us in the first five minutes despite our best defensive efforts, and we appeared completely outmatched. They built an 18-34 lead on us by neutralizing Ellis with two fouls, but finally we had to put him back in and hope he could control himself. Nothing worked, and we went into the half down 24-41.

But we came out fired up in the second half, outscoring them 10-1 in the first three minutes to make it an eight point game! When Joel Mattox nailed a jumper from the left wing and drew the foul, hitting the free throw to tie it 42-42 with 15:01 to play, this place went INSANE! Ellis hit two free throws to put us up 44-42 a few seconds later, and by the time the Jayhawks woke up we were ahead 58-47 and this game was on the verge of breaking open in OUR favor! Ellis remained in foul trouble, with four fouls at that point, but he’d gotten the comeback started with 17 second-half points by the middle of the half, and he got the rest of the team revved up and ready to keep fighting. Kansas was the sleeping giant, however, and we knew we’d have to fight hard to outlast them. With eight minutes to play we led 63-55, but with 3:39 remaining we were clinging to a 65-64 lead by the edges of our fingernails. We thought it was all over with them leading 71-74 with just :04 left on the clock, but Rashard Crosby nailed a three-pointer from just outside the arc to tie it and force overtime, 74-74!

UNBELIEVEABLE!

A Bill Ellis dunk put us up 78-76 with 3:16 to go in the overtime, and moments later Mike Brown nailed a triple to make it 81-76! With 2:24 to go Crosby got a dunk on an Ellis assist to make it a seven point game, and our fans were going absolutely insane! We went on a complete tear from there and were able to outlast Kansas 19-7 in the extra minutes to win 93-81. This was the most insane game I have ever seen in my basketball life. Excuse me while I take some oxygen treatments. WE’RE GOING TO THE ELITE EIGHT!

Crazy stat … we outscored the Jayhawks 69-40 in the final 25 minutes of this game after trailing by 17 at the half.

Player of the Game: Bill Ellis (36 pts 10 reb 4 ast 2 stl 2 blk)
Honorable Mentions: Rashard Crosby (10 pts 2 reb 5 ast 1 stl) Joel Mattox (9 pts 5 reb 3 ast 2 stl 1 blk)

March 26, 2022
NCAA TOURNAMENT OKLAHOMA CITY REGIONAL FINALS
(2) Villanova (31-6) vs. (4) Merrimack (31-4)

We went into this one knowing we were playing on house money, but why not have fun with it? We held a 4-3 lead early, but Villanova took control as the half really got going, leading us into a real knock-down drag-out fight as the game progressed. We held a 39-35 lead on the Wildcats with 2:26 to play and we held the same margin, up 44-40, at the half with nothing coming easy. But Ellis took the team on his shoulders yet again and just refused to be stopped in the second half -- plus Villanova seemed to crumble on defense at every opportunity. We dominated down the stretch and won this one 93-82, making it to the FINAL FOUR in our first ever tournament appearance!

Player of the Game: Bill Ellis (46 pts 7 reb 2 ast)
Honorable Mention: Josh Cabrera (8 pts 2 reb 2 ast)

April 1, 2022
NCAA TOURNAMENT NATIONAL SEMIFINALS
(1) Louisville (30-6) vs. (4) Merrimack (32-4)

Louisville took us apart after a few minutes of toying with us, building a 22-31 lead on us with 7:27 to go in the first half. Ellis was still having a solid start to his game, but the whole team seemed to be wearing down, having given everything in the games to get here and then running out of gas. The Cardinals led 50-32 at the break and there wasn’t a lot I could say to rev them up in the second half, I just told everyone to keep their heads up and fight for twenty minutes and we’d earned respect no matter what. We played hard in the second half but it wasn’t to be … we were down still 43-59 with 13:20 to go, and though we briefly pulled within a dozen, the rally was too little too late. We lost this one in a heartbreaker, 66-88.

Player of the Game: Bill Ellis (30 pts 11 reb 4 ast 4 blk)
Honorable Mentions: Rashard Crosby (13 pts 1 ast) Mike Brown (7 pts 3 ast 2 stl)

Louisville faced off against (3) Saint Mary’s (33-6) in the championship, beating the Gaels 77-60 to complete their title run.
Iowa won the NIT by beating South Carolina 85-77.
Southern Methodist won the CBI by beating Baylor 75-67.
UCLA won a squeaker to take the HBC title over Seton Hall, 68-66.
User avatar
jksander
Elite Member
 
Posts: 6445
Joined: Sat Apr 29, 2006 1:21 am
Location: Indianapolis, IN

Re: I'm BAAACK! Jonathan Sanders takes over at Merrimack

Postby jksander » Fri Dec 31, 2021 5:04 am

Team Leaders (SEASON)
PPG: Bill Ellis (32.0) Mike Brown (13.5) Rashard Crosby (7.9) Sam Keating (7.8)
RPG: Bill Ellis (12.7) Sam Keating (4.1) Joel Mattox (3.9)
APG: Mike Brown (3.1) Bill Ellis (2.6) Rashard Crosby (2.2)
SPG: Bill Ellis (1.1) Sam Keating (0.9) Joel Mattox (0.9)
BPG: Bill Ellis (1.6) Sam Keating (1.1)

Team Leaders (POSTSEASON)
PPG: Bill Ellis (39.2) Mike Brown (11.0) Josh Cabrera (9.0)
RPG: Bill Ellis (10.6) Josh Cabrera (3.6) Sam Nicholson (3.0)
APG: Rashard Crosby (2.9) Bill Ellis (2.2) David Walls (2.0)
SPG: Sam Keating (0.8) Bill Ellis (0.6)
BPG: Bill Ellis (2.6) B.J. Perine (0.8)

Graduating
C – Bill Ellis (2.5 GPA) 32.0 ppg 12.7 rpg 2.6 apg 1.1 spg 1.6 bpg (28 starts, 26.9 mpg)
SF - B.J. Perine (2.5 GPA) 4.3 ppg 2.8 rpg 1.0 apg 0.4 spg 0.3 bpg (32 games, 14.2 mpg)

Ellis finished with 896 points in the season and another 196 points in postseason play, putting him at 1,092 for the season.

Season Insights (TEAM)
PPG: 83.9 (1st)
APG: 15.5 (338th)
RPG: 32.4 (59th)
PPG Allowed: 69.3 (65th)
BPG: 4.8 (175th)
SPG: 5.9 (321st)
FG%: 48.2% (47th)
3PT%: 34.6% (232nd)
FT%: 81.5% (2nd)
OFF RTG: 119.6 (1st)
DEF RTG: 99.2 (98th)
NET RTG: 20.4 (3rd)

Awards
National Player of the Year: Bill Ellis
National Defensive Player of the Year: Bill Ellis
Northeast Conference Player of the Year: Bill Ellis
Northeast Conference Defensive Player of the Year: Bill Ellis
Northeast Conference Coach of the Year: Jonathan Sanders
1st Team All Northeast Conference: Bill Ellis

Since Ellis was not a Norton finalist, he was able to win National Player of the Year while NOT being an All American. CRAAAZY! James Pengelly of Long Island won Northeast Conference Freshman of the Year, keeping us from a clean sweep. Local Media writers have been referring to me as the “Merrimack Miracle Maker” and are actively questioning how long I will stay. I honestly love it here, and see no reason to jump ship. If I can keep us strong in the conference next year, hopefully the board will give me a nice long contract renewal offer. Considering all they expected was a conference title, anything beyond getting to the NCAA Tournament was a bonus, so the administration seems rightly ‘happy as f---‘ Ellis put it as we headed to the Final Four.

I hired three new assistants for the season, because I feel if I’m going to stick around here long term I need to start developing real coaching talent in my system.

Associate HC: Herve Aholode (22) – Scouting: 56% ($45,000 / 3 years)
2nd Assistant: Chris Buchanan (27) – Recruiting: 48% ($28,500 / 3 years) – was 3rd Assistant at Portland (14-17) last year.
3rd Assistant: Andrew Brown (62) – Development: 26% ($16,000 / 4 years) – was 3rd Assistant at Gardner-Webb (18-14) last year.
User avatar
jksander
Elite Member
 
Posts: 6445
Joined: Sat Apr 29, 2006 1:21 am
Location: Indianapolis, IN

Re: I'm BAAACK! Jonathan Sanders takes over at Merrimack

Postby jksander » Fri Dec 31, 2021 5:12 am

2022-23 Season


Coach Information
Name: Jonathan Sanders
Age / Experience: 41 (1 year, 32-5)
Northeast Conference Coach of the Year: 2022
Northeast Conference Champs: 2022
Northeast Conference Tourney Champs: 2022
NCAA Tourney Appearances: 2022
Sweet Sixteen Appearances: 2022
Final Four Appearances: 2022
National Titles: 0
Reputation: 58% (+8)
Job Security: 100%
Contract: $100,000 / 2 years
Offense: 26% (+3)
Defense: 86% (+7)
Recruiting: 81% (+2)
Scouting: 65% (+1)
Development: 82% (+2)
Ambition: Average
Academics: High
Discipline: High
Integrity: Very High
Temper: Low
Player Preference: Prefers Veterans
Rotation: Balanced
Pace: Slow
Crash Off. Boards: Usually Crash
Def. Intensity: Slightly High
Crash Def. Boards: Usually Crash
Full Court Defense: Always Pressure
Zone Defense: Rarely Zone

School Information
School: Merrimack Warriors
Location: North Andover MA
Conference: Northeast
Arena: Hammel Court (1,200 Cap)
Budget: $131,000 ($89,500 Assistants / $41,500 Recruiting) – 2 Scholarships
Facilities: D-
Academics: C (SAT Min: 880)
School Prestige: 22% (+14)
Conf. Prestige: 16% (+2)

Our incoming recruiting class is ranked 212th nationally. Not where I hope for it to get eventually, but I am looking for diamonds in the rough who are willing to come to a small school and tough it out. You don’t get to the top overnight, despite what our NCAA Tournament run might make people think.

We only have to fill two scholarships again this year, before next year’s and the following year’s classes will turn over more players and require a (hopefully) bigger budget. For now we can make due with a basic regional report which will leave $36,500 for recruiting purposes. And f--- the scouting trips. Those are a waste of time at this level. If I want a vacation, I’ll take my wife to Vegas on our dime.
User avatar
jksander
Elite Member
 
Posts: 6445
Joined: Sat Apr 29, 2006 1:21 am
Location: Indianapolis, IN

Re: I'm BAAACK! Jonathan Sanders takes over at Merrimack

Postby jksander » Fri Dec 31, 2021 5:33 am

I hope you readers out there like the style of reporting as I progress through seasons. If there's anything you want to know feel free to ask. I love keeping all these stats and such, it makes the game really fun as things develop. I'm intrigued by the "recruiting pipeline" feature -- you have to get 10 players from any given state through recruiting before you have a pipeline there. Right now I've got one each in CT and MA. Since I strongly believe in in-state recruiting, I expect the MA total to go up, but will be interested to see if other states prove interested as well.
User avatar
jksander
Elite Member
 
Posts: 6445
Joined: Sat Apr 29, 2006 1:21 am
Location: Indianapolis, IN

Re: I'm BAAACK! Jonathan Sanders takes over at Merrimack

Postby Wayne23 » Fri Dec 31, 2021 5:38 am

I like stats so this works for me!
Wayne23
DDS:CB Support Squad
 
Posts: 14311
Joined: Fri Mar 02, 2007 5:23 pm

Re: I'm BAAACK! Jonathan Sanders takes over at Merrimack

Postby jksander » Fri Dec 31, 2021 6:12 am

Wayne23 wrote:I like stats so this works for me!


This year's team is going to be a lot younger than last year's, and we'll be counting on Mike Brown for leadership ... I'm still not sure he's a great Point Guard, because he's not the best handler or sharer of the ball, but maybe I can work him into something great. Goals for the year are 20+ wins and another Conference Title / trip to the Big Dance. If the AD does what I asked, giving us some good teams at home, I think we can make a go of it and still have some semblance of a NET ranking. But we'll see what happens with the entirety of the Northeast Conference gunning for us ;)
User avatar
jksander
Elite Member
 
Posts: 6445
Joined: Sat Apr 29, 2006 1:21 am
Location: Indianapolis, IN

Re: I'm BAAACK! Jonathan Sanders takes over at Merrimack

Postby jksander » Sun Jan 02, 2022 1:10 am

June 26, 2022
We’re starting our season out by looking primarily at Massachusetts players. There are three top 100 players in the state, five in the top 200 and eight in the top 500, though since I won’t go after anyone with less than a 2.5 GPA, several of those are off limits at this point. I will target the state’s key players who meet my criteria and look at the best in Connecticut and Rhode Island to the south and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north as well. With our limited budget it would be risky to expand further, though I will target solid players in New York on a case by case basis.

August 7, 2022
Mike Norton was nominated for the Norton Award again! I wonder who it is he knows among the voters? This year the sophomore made the top 25 of the initial list, but we’ll get to see for sure how good he is once he starts this season as a team leader. It’s one thing playing in Ellis’ shadow, this year he’ll have nowhere to hide.

September 25, 2022
We got our first recruit, filling a deep need at power forward – Simon Cook, a 6’7” forward from Penacook, New Hampshire, is considered a three-star recruit ranked #321 in the nation, and in the top 20 of our region for forwards. He has solid overall athleticism, exceptional defensive knowledge and skill-set, and he can shoot (and score) from anywhere on the court. I think he’ll fit nicely into our rotation right from the start.

We also have our non-conference schedule for the season:

11/14 - Montana
11/17 - @ Incarnate Word
11/21 - Davidson
11/24 - @ Dixie State
11/28 - @ North Dakota State
12/1 - @ Indiana
12/5 - Saint Louis
12/8 - @ Harvard
12/13 - Boston College
12/19 - Western Kentucky
12/26 - @ #14 Purdue

The AD went lighter on the insanity this year (and we have FIVE home games, including Boston College which should be a nice way to kick off what we hope to become a regular season rivalry game on a yearly basis. But the six road trips before conference play will not be easy undertakings, including trips to Indiana and Purdue of the Big Ten. Purdue IS ranked already, and IU easily could be before we face them on December 1st. All of which should help our NET ranking, if we can win more than we lose.

We then face the conference slate, starting with Long Island at home on January 2. Our road games against rivals Fairleigh Dickinson (1/12) and Central Connecticut (1/19) will give us early tests as we hope to repeat as Northeast Conference champions. But as the race heats up we’ll get them both at home in mid February, so that could prove to be a helpful development.
User avatar
jksander
Elite Member
 
Posts: 6445
Joined: Sat Apr 29, 2006 1:21 am
Location: Indianapolis, IN

Re: I'm BAAACK! Jonathan Sanders takes over at Merrimack

Postby jksander » Wed Jan 05, 2022 1:07 am

October 9, 2022
We locked up our final recruit this year, a 6’6” small forward, Patrick Johnson of Nashua, New Hampshire! Patrick is ranked just outside the top 200 nationally, #11 regionally among forwards. He has above average offense, outside shooting, rebounding, blocking and stealing ability. And though his overall athletic ability seems average, he is a solid defender who has a ton of upside overall. Playing time is not a big key for him, and he may be willing to take a redshirt if it would benefit the team.

Overall, I see this year’s two-man class as a major improvement, and we’ve filled key holes in our roster. The next two years will be critical, as we turn over most of our roster, but we’ve done the most with what we can in such a tight recruiting situation.

Team Roster
PG - Mike Brown (6’1” 170 lbs So, 2.6 GPA) Fall River MA (Durfee HS) 13.5 ppg 1.5 rpg 3.1 apg 0.7 spg 0.4 bpg
SG - Derrick Jacobs (6’2” 191 lbs Fr, 2.8 GPA) Worcester MA (Burncoat HS)
SF - Sam Keating (6’8” 204 lbs So, 2.9 GPA) Harwich MA (Cape Cod Regional Tech) 7.8 ppg 4.1 rpg 1.8 apg 0.9 spg 1.1 bpg
PF - Joel Mattox (6’7” 193 lbs Sr, 2.4 GPA) Newton MA (Newton South HS) 6.0 ppg 3.9 rpg 1.3 apg 0.9 spg 0.7 bpg
C - Paul Morgan (6’7” 233 lbs Jr, 2.6 GPA) Billerica MA (Billerica Memorial HS) 3.0 ppg 2.0 rpg 0.7 apg 0.4 spg 0.5 bpg

6 - Vince Rawlings (6’7” 236 lbs Jr, 2.6 GPA) Hudson MA (Hudson HS) 3.3 ppg 0.7 rpg 0.9 apg 0.2 spg 0.2 bpg
7 - Josh Cabrera (6’8” 239 lbs Jr, 2.5 GPA) Middleton MA (North Shore Tech) 4.8 ppg 3.3 rpg 1.0 apg 0.4 spg 0.3 bpg
8 - Justin Parker (6’2” 186 lbs Sr, 2.7 GPA) Newtonville MA (Newton North HS) 3.5 ppg 1.3 rpg 1.2 apg 0.3 spg
9 - Rashard Crosby (6’5” 177 lbs Jr, 2.9 GPA) Westwood MA (Xaverian Brothers HS) 7.9 ppg 2.0 rpg 2.2 apg 0.8 spg
10 - David Hill (6’4” 171 lbs Jr, 3.3 GPA) Wayland MA (Wayland HS) 0.9 ppg 0.2 apg 0.2 spg
11 - Gordon Miller (6’7” 211 lbs Sr, 2.4 GPA) South Yarmouth MA (Dennis-Yarmouth Regional HS) 0.5 rpg 0.5 apg*
12 - Anthony McDonald (6’3” 194 lbs Fr, 2.7 GPA) Bristol CT (Bristol Eastern HS)
13 - David Walls (6’0” 176 lbs So, 2.8 GPA) Northampton MA (Northampton HS) 1.1 ppg 0.1 rpg 0.4 apg
14 - Sam Nicholson (6’7” 227 lbs So, 2.5 GPA) Dorchester MA (Economics & Business Academy) 0.7 ppg 0.4 rpg 0.1 apg 0.1 bpg
15 - Deveren Walters (6’3” 219 lbs So, 2.8 GPA) Whitinsville MA (Northbridge HS) 1.0 ppg 0.1 rpg 0.1 apg 0.1 spg*
_________
* Walk-on

November 14, 2022
Montana (0-0) @ Merrimack (0-0)

We got out to a quick 16-6 lead on the Grizzlies with 15:35 to play in the first half, and through the rest of the half we slowly dismantled them on our way to a 49-36 halftime advantage. But we couldn’t put them away -- with 7:20 to go in the second half they’d fought back to within three, down just 58-61, and we were knotted 70-70 with just :04 left on the clock. That held and forced overtime, and at that point we gave it everything we had -- with 0:14 left in the extra period we held a slim 79-77 advantage over the Grizzlies. Tough defense down the stretch and we won by the same margin, 79-77.

Player of the Game: Sam Keating (20 pts 5 reb 2 ast 2 stl 1 blk)
Honorable Mentions: Mike Brown (18 pts 4 reb 10 ast 1 stl) Joel Mattox (9 pts 5 reb 1 at 4 blk)

November 17, 2022
Merrimack (1-0) @ Incarnate Word (2-0)

The Cardinals led us 3-4 in the opening moments, but we outscored them 11-4 over a four minute stretch to lead 14-8 with 14:18 to play in the first half. We fought them through the rest of the half, maintaining our lead and working to shut this one down early. By halftime however we were knotted 36-36 and in quite a battle. We retook a 46-44 lead on a Vince Rawlings jumper with 12:50 to go in the game, but it remained a slugfest from there. Up 57-53 with 7:52 to play, we won this one with strong defense down the stretch, beating Incarnate Word in the final minutes 78-71.

Player of the Game: Sam Keating (17 pts 8 reb 3 ast 2 blk)
Honorable Mentions: Mike Brown (13 pts 4 ast) Paul Morgan (6 pts 12 reb 5 ast 1 stl 1 blk)

November 21, 2022
Davidson (0-2) @ Merrimack (2-0)

We led early 10-4, but Davidson’s Wildcats ran 8-0 from there to lead us 10-12 with 12:44 to go in the first half. The half turned into a defensive slugfest, knotted 20-20 with 2:51 to go before halftime, but by halftime we’d managed to build a 26-23 advantage. We opened the second half on a 7-0 run, but the Wildcats stayed within a couple baskets from there, our lead just 47-41 with 11:34 remaining. They outscored us 9-0 over the next five minutes and this was another nailbiter from there. And this time our luck ran out, as we lost our first home game since I started coaching, by a 54-59 margin.

Player of the Game: Paul Morgan (10 pts 6 reb 7 ast 2 stl)
Honorable Mentions: Mike Brown (12 pts 1 blk) Joel Mattox (10 pts 6 reb 1 ast)

November 24, 2022
Merrimack (2-1) @ Dixie State (4-0)

The Trailblazers were off to a killer start this season, but we locked them up early, knotting them 4-4 in the first six minutes. But they blew us out from there, leading 10-21 with 5:57 left in the first half, yet we powered back into this one -- never a team to quit, we fought our way back to within a point, down 29-30 at the break. Sam Keating nailed a long three early in the half to give us a 38-35 lead with 16:39 to play, and we made them fight from there in a game that went back and forth more than anyone could keep track of. With 6:15 to play we were knotted 54-54, and though we gave it our all down the stretch we lost our second in a row 63-68.

This is clearly going to be a tough year, as players have to find their way to step up while still building team morale. I hope our fans stick with us as it’s going to be a battle.

Player of the Game: Joel Mattox (14 pts 4 reb 2 ast 1 blk)
Honorable Mentions: Derrick Jacobs (11 pts 6 reb 2 ast 1 stl) Mike Brown (8 pts 3 reb 4 ast 1 stl 1 blk)
User avatar
jksander
Elite Member
 
Posts: 6445
Joined: Sat Apr 29, 2006 1:21 am
Location: Indianapolis, IN

Re: I'm BAAACK! Jonathan Sanders takes over at Merrimack

Postby jksander » Fri Jan 07, 2022 4:34 am

November 28, 2022
Merrimack (2-2) @ North Dakota St. (3-1)

It took us a few moments to get our bearings in the loud Bison gym, but we got out to a solid 13-5 advantage with 11:47 to play once we got our defenses set. But though NDSU is hardly known as much more than a killer football school, this team played like one that wants their school to be regarded for basketball prowess as well. They fought back hard down the stretch, and our lead was just 27-23 as we went into halftime. We shot well enough early to maintain our lead, even build it for a while, but the Bison kept close. With 12:46 left in the game we held a 39-32 advantage but were at the point in the half where we’d have to count on our bench to play some good minutes. We handled ourselves well in a hostile environment and though the Bison never trailed by much, we never let them get too close either. Up 52-46 with 5:11 to play we found our shooting touch and had our chance to put this away, but NDSU kept fighting back and making it a battle of nerves. They pulled within two, down 60-58, with 2:34 to go and tied it moments later, but we found our deep reserves of energy and pulled this one out 67-65 -- a much needed boost of confidence on the road!

Player of the Game: Mike Brown (24 pts 2 reb 1 ast)
Honorable Mentions: Sam Keating (9 pts 10 reb) Josh Cabrera (10 pts 3 reb 3 ast 2 stl)

December 1, 2022
Merrimack (3-2) @ Indiana (3-0)

We’ve struggled so far to find an identity, but this is a real chance to show what we can do. We’re young and tough, and we’re not afraid to go to Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall and make some waves. We came out fast in our full-court press and stunned the Hoosiers who clearly did not think we were dangerous. We got out to a 9-5 lead on them with 16:10 to go in the first half, and we maintained that pressure while finding our shooting touch! The Hoosiers would battle back to take the lead briefly, but we went back up 23-22 with 7:39 to play, thanks to a Derrick Jacobs 16-footer off a Mike Brown assist. Above all, our defense was able to shine and we stunned the odds-makers by taking a 35-31 lead into the break.

Indiana came out fighting and thanks to a 10-2 run they led 37-41 with 16:24 to play in the game, making everyone but us feel comfortable they were going to stuff the game down our throats. But we stayed in our diamond press and we kept making them fight for every f---ing shot, and with 9:49 to go a triple by Mike Brown had us within a point, down 45-46! Sam Keating dunked moments later (off a Mattox assist) to give us a 47-46 lead, and though our confidence was through the roof we struggled to score from there. Indiana put us away down the stretch but we proved ourselves a tougher opponent than given credit for. And I’ll take the 54-61 loss if it shows our team we have the power to play anyone.

Player of the Game: Mike Brown (15 pts 3 reb 2 ast 1 stl 1 blk)
Honorable Mentions: Rashard Crosby (12 pts 8 reb 1 ast) Joel Mattox (7 pts 5 reb 3 ast 2 stl)

We’re adjusting our starting five to Brown / Jacobs / Crosby / Mattox / Cabrera, with freshman McDonald and sophomore Keating coming off the bench for at least 16-20 minutes a game. Rawlings and Morgan will round out our key nine, each expecting 10-12 minutes a game. I’m trying to find the right way to mesh our young players with our experienced ones to spark this team’s overall development. And while Mike Brown will maintain his spot at the point for now, I’m open to see if freshman Jacobs might prove to be stronger in that position, with Brown potentially transitioning to the shooting guard spot. We’ll see what develops.

December 5, 2022
Saint Louis (3-3) @ Merrimack (3-3)

This has been a tough start to the season, but we’ve shown a lot of grit. Of our three wins, one was in overtime by two, another was in regulation by two, and the third was by seven. Our losses, meanwhile, include the 7-point loss to Indiana on the road, plus a 5-point loss at home and a 5-point loss on the road. Nothing crazy in either direction.

I keep feeling it’s time for our team to get a distinctive home win like we had so many of last year. Could today be the day?

We were knotted 12-12 with the Billikens (creepy f---ing mascot, by the way!) with 11:32 to go in the half, though we put up a 13-3 run over the next four minutes to start to break away. We never trailed, and by halftime we held a 34-26 advantage. But the job was ours to determine if this was going to be a battle or a blowout. We tilted in the latter direction at the start of the second half, outscoring Saint Louis 15-8 in the first seven minutes to expand our lead to 15. And finally we proved able to combine our solid defensive ability with some real scoring, putting this one away nicely down the stretch. Up 64-42 with 8:36 to play, we powered our way into a 79-58 victory.

Player of the Game: Derrick Jacobs (20 pts 1 reb 5 ast 5 stl)
Honorable Mentions: Sam Keating (17 pts 4 reb 1 ast 3 stl) Mike Brown (12 pts 3 reb 5 ast) Anthony McDonald (12 pts 3 reb 1 stl)

Our bench outscored theirs 34-28, and our starters vs. theirs 45-30. I like seeing that our freshmen are finding ways to step up, and our veterans are willing to give room for the young players to shine while still putting in their own big minutes. It’s early in the year, but I am pleasantly surprised with this team’s progression, and I think we can do big things in the Northeast Conference when the time comes.

December 8, 2022
Merrimack (4-3) @ Harvard (6-3)

Harvard is undefeated at home, so this is an interesting matchup. The Crimson had a rowdy crowd and the game was a back and forth defensive affair through much of the first half, knotted 8-8 with 13:40 to go. But we built a 20-14 advantage over the next six minutes and kept them off balance until a late-half rally put them right back in our face, knotted 30-30 with :51 left on the clock. We would go into the break up 34-32, but this one was not decided. Not even close. Truthfully our bench was keeping us in it, no one on the team yet in double figures scoring.

The second half featured a flurry of lead changes, but we came out on top and built our lead back to eight, up 46-38 with 14:15 remaining in the game. A Derrick Jacobs triple put us up by a game-high 11 points, up 58-47 with 7:59 left on the clock, and that broke a relatively close game wide open. We led by as many as 17 late and we were able to hold tough to win on the road 74-60.

Player of the Game: Derrick Jacobs (23 pts 3 reb 5 ast 3 stl)
Honorable Mentions: Anthony McDonald (19 pts 3 ast 1 blk) Mike Brown (13 pts 1 reb 1 stl)
User avatar
jksander
Elite Member
 
Posts: 6445
Joined: Sat Apr 29, 2006 1:21 am
Location: Indianapolis, IN

Re: I'm BAAACK! Jonathan Sanders takes over at Merrimack

Postby jksander » Sat Jan 08, 2022 12:37 pm

December 13, 2022
Boston College (3-3) @ Merrimack (5-3)

Boston College got out to a 2-8 lead early in the first half, and they led by as many as nine before we battled back to within two, down 14-16 with 8:47 to play. But they kept dancing out ahead of us and we struggled to keep this one close. At the half we trailed 25-29 and were looking for a way to get that elusive lead on the Eagles. And that’s just what we found at the start of the half, outscoring BC 8-4, taking our first lead of the night 33-32 on a Derrick Jacobs jumper! Suddenly we were on a hot streak, leading the Eagles 42-35 with 14:42 remaining in the game, and by the midpoint we had the largest lead of the night for either team, a 52-42 advantage that looked promising if our defenders could clamp down and hold the cushion. Down the stretch we held off their varied comeback attempts and managed to pull out an impressive 67-57 victory in our first game against the Eagles in what we hope to be an ongoing series.

Player of the Game: Mike Brown (18 pts 4 reb 2 ast 1 stl)
Honorable Mentions: Anthony McDonald (14 pts 2 ast 1 stl) Derrick Jacobs (10 pts 6 reb 4 ast 2 stl)

December 19, 2022
Western Kentucky (4-5) @ Merrimack (6-3)

We had another slow start but fought back to take a 16-15 lead with 10:58 to go in the first half. The Hilltoppers then built up a five point lead before we again tied it 28-28, this time with just 3:35 remaining before halftime. We held a 36-33 lead at the break and four minutes into the second half we’d expanded that to ten, up 47-37. A 12-3 run over the next three minutes sealed it, and we were able to coast our way to a blowout win, 96-59!

Player of the Game: Mike Brown (31 pts 4 reb 6 ast)
Honorable Mentions: Derrick Jacobs (20 pts 2 reb 3 ast 2 stl) Anthony McDonald (18 pts 2 reb 5 ast 2 stl)

December 26, 2022
Merrimack (7-3) @ Purdue (5-4)

We take our four game winning streak into this final non-conference road matchup against the Boilermakers, and despite their record we know there’s no easy win that comes against a Big Ten team on their home court. But our reconfigured rotation has helped us build confidence, and we came into this one with real motivation to show how we can play under a spotlight. Not to mention the fact that a win tonight would give us an 8-3 non-conference record for the second year in a row.

Mackey Arena was rocking when we got there, and that didn’t change as they built a 6-12 lead on us over the first four minutes. But we played with real grit and determination, and with 12:25 to go we’d knotted things 15-15, turning this one into a real fight. A Vince Rawlings dunk gave us our first lead of the game and with 8:45 to go we were up 21-17 with the Boilermakers looking like they might be reeling a bit. Our defenses held and we were able to take a 35-28 advantage into the break.

Purdue had a tough time keeping it close from there. We led 56-44 with 12:38 to go in the game, having clamped down thoroughly on the defensive end. They fought back, however, and with 7:50 to play we were up just by five, 61-56. If this one was destined to shift, the moment for Purdue would be now. Anthony McDonald hit a key triple with 6:36 to go that took a slim three point lead and made it 64-58, but the game stayed close. Up 67-64 with just 3:14 left to play, we managed to shoot consistently down the stretch to prevent a comeback. In the end we won this one mostly from the charity stripe, 75-68, a tough win in a really difficult environment.

Player of the Game: Derrick Jacobs (26 pts 2 reb 1 ast)
Honorable Mentions: Mike Brown (18 pts 1 reb 4 ast 2 stl) Anthony McDonald (14 pts 2 reb 3 ast 2 stl

Heading into the conference slate, we’re the team to beat at 8-3 and with a NET ranking of 26th nationally. Only Mount St. Mary’s came out of the pre-conference with us above .500 (they’re 6-5, 140th in the NET). Only four conference teams are in the NET top 200, including us. And Wagner is dragging the entire conference down at 0-11 and 356th in the NET (Bryant is 2-9 and 353rd, meaning we have two of the bottom five teams in the nation in our conference. Woof.)
User avatar
jksander
Elite Member
 
Posts: 6445
Joined: Sat Apr 29, 2006 1:21 am
Location: Indianapolis, IN

PreviousNext

Return to DDS: College Basketball Dynasty Reports

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 7 guests