Ballin' With The Bulldogs: The Dale Connover Story

Re: Ballin' With The Bulldogs: The Dale Connover Story

Postby jaytuomi » Thu Dec 15, 2022 3:21 pm

A shocking turn of events! Safe to say they never appreciated you in Georgia, I think you've definitely made the right decision. "To hell with Georgia!" Cheers to a new season in East Lansing, I'd agree expectations should be high!!
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Re: Ballin' With The Bulldogs: The Dale Connover Story

Postby jksander » Thu Dec 15, 2022 7:13 pm

jaytuomi wrote:A shocking turn of events! Safe to say they never appreciated you in Georgia, I think you've definitely made the right decision. "To hell with Georgia!" Cheers to a new season in East Lansing, I'd agree expectations should be high!!

Thanks for reading all this, Jaytuomi! I'd been thinking about making a move in this one to another school by year ten, but had a list of a few programs I'd be willing to do so with. If none of them had opened up, I would have stayed at Georgia until they did. Starting my coach at such a young age, I was patterning him somewhat after a Brad Stevens type, though not necessarily as rigid to a "system" ... it made sense for me to build a program up to a level and then see if I could sustain it at a blue chip program that had fallen on bad luck.

Unlike Stevens, I'm totally fine if Dale Connover becomes a "players' coach" who is great at recruiting one-and-done players en masse. It makes for a fun challenge, given the transfer increase as well ... every year can be a new team, and it's fun to see who does stick around to play for multiple years.

BTW, I dig your football thread! Interested to see how you do in recruiting for Tech ;)
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Re: Ballin' With The Bulldogs: The Dale Connover Story

Postby jksander » Fri Dec 16, 2022 3:05 am

SEASON NINE
2030-31


Coach Information
Name: Dale Connover
Age / Record: 44 (207-85, .709)
SEC Titles: 1 (2025)
SEC Tourney Titles: 2 (2025, 2026)
National Coach of the Year: 0
SEC Coach of the Year: 2 (2025-2026)
National Titles: 0
National Title Appearances: 2029
Final Fours: 3 (2025-2026, 2029)
Elite Eights: 4 (2025-2027, 2029)
Sweet Sixteens: 5 (2024-2027, 2029)
Reputation: 96%
Contract: $1,415,000 / 4 years
Offense: 81%
Defense: 64%
Recruiting: 94%
Scouting: 78% (+2)
Development: 95%

School Information
School: Michigan State Spartans
Location: East Lansing MI
Conference: Big Ten
Arena: Jack Breslin Student Events Center (14,797 Cap)
Budget: $504,000 ($323,500 Assistants / $180,500 Recruiting)
Facilities: A+
Academics: B (SAT Min: 940)
School Prestige: 88%
Conf. Prestige: 79%

Top 5 Recruit Classes
1. Florida
2. Tennessee
3. North Carolina
4. Memphis
5. Kentucky

Top 5 Big Ten Recruit Classes
15. Ohio State
21. Purdue
22. Michigan State
28. Illinois
44. Minnesota

Scouting Reports
Midwest Premium ($30,000)
Southeast Premium ($30,000)
National Basic ($10,000)
International Basic ($15,000)

Summer Travel
Indy Elite Camp ($4,100)
Chicago Prep Revue ($3,700)
Memphis Hoop Summit ($4,600)
Big Apple Showcase ($4,600)

NBA Draft
11. Rob Wilkes (Georgia)
19. Ricky Granberry (Georgia)
38. Nick Singletary (Michigan State)

No Michigan State players chose to transfer out, and we’ll have six scholarships to fill during the recruiting period this season, which will give me a chance to put a real stamp on this program quickly. We have a veteran rotation coming back and should be in prime position to make a deep run this year while building on things in the future. I couldn’t have asked for a better starting situation. Now I just have to prove I really can recruit with the big boys. And with $78,500 left to do that job, if I can’t bring in a top class then I’m not as good at this job as I think I am.

For those who are wondering, Georgia hired UNLV head coach Jehiel Betts to take over the program. He’s 45 years old and in eight years coaching the Runnin’ Rebels he’s put together a 162-110 record, including a Sweet Sixteen in 2028. He also made the NIT Finals in 2024, making the postseason in at least some fashion every year but one, his only losing season. I think the Bulldogs are in good hands -- they’ve got an up-and-coming young coach to replace me as I climbed to the job that, God willing, I’ll be able to retire at if I don’t f--- it up. Win, win.

Coaching Tree Update
Three coaches who have worked as my assistants are currently Head Coaches of Division I programs. Stephen Gebbers has been the most successful. He was my first hire as AHC back in my second season, and after four years with Georgia he moved on to coach at Akron. In his first year he went 20-13 and made the CBI Tournament Semifinals. In 2029 his Zips went 25-10 and made the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Last year, at 23-14, they missed out on the Big Dance but again made the CBI Semifinals. He’s currently on a five year contract worth $223,000, and looks to be setting his program up nicely. Brooks Jackson went 18-13 last year in his first season coaching at New Mexico, losing in the first round of the CBT Tournament. He has four years left on a $220,000 per year contract after spending four seasons as my third assistant and then a pair of seasons as my AHC. Damone Branch, who was our second assistant from 2023-2027, has struggled leading Northern Arizona. In three seasons he’s put together a 39-54 record, but has followed up an 18-14 season his first year with two losing seasons, including a 7-23 run in 2029. His only postseason appearance was a CBT Tournament first round loss in 2028. He has three years left on a $70,000 per year contract, and at age 61 I suspect he’ll retire in a year or two if the program does not turn around.

Norton Nominees
Morlaye Kelly
Traves Moss

Incoming Recruits
6’8” C Hugo Brezavsek (International, Slovenia) 2.5 GPA (#14 Ntl, #1 Intl) 19.2 ppg 10.0 rpg 1.8 apg 2.6 spg 6.9 bpg
6’6” PF Cameron Armstead (HS Senior, Bristow OK) 3.1 GPA (#22 Ntl #6 Reg) 20.3 ppg 8.1 rpg 1.7 apg 1.3 spg 1.6 bpg
6’3” SG Brian Samnick (JUCO Sophomore, Cincinnati OH) 2.6 GPA (#59 Ntl, #7 Reg) 13.3 ppg 4.5 rpg 1.9 apg 1.3 spg
6’4” SG Justin Person (JUCO Sophomore, Buchanan MI) 2.4 GPA (#88 Ntl, #16 Reg) 14.7 ppg 2.2 rpg 2.7 apg 1.4 spg
5’10” PG Jeremy Brown (HS Senior, Glenwood City WI) 3.0 GPA (#176 Ntl, #32 Reg) 14.8 ppg 4.0 rpg 5.1 apg 2.5 spg 0.6 bpg

We still have a sixth scholarship outstanding, but with two five star and two four star recruits already among our five commits, this class looks solid as ever!

Schedule
11/16 - @ #4 Louisville
11/19 - Seton Hall
11/23 - #18 Creighton
11/25 - (n) Northeastern - Palmetto Shootout
11/30 - @ #9 Gonzaga
12/3 - @ #12 Kentucky
12/7 - @ #1 Syracuse
12/14 - @ #6 Arizona
12/21 - #10 Tennessee

The Big Ten plays a 20-game season, so conference play begins on the day after Christmas. By that point we should really know what we’re made of, since our AD, with my blessing, is putting us through a gauntlet. We have a team led by veterans and I need to know what they are capable of before we hit the Big Ten slog. We are preseason ranked #5, while only #24 Maryland and #25 Ohio State are preseason ranked in-conference.

Team Roster
PG - Sam Stimson (6’5” 173 lbs Sr) Evansville IN (Harrison HS) 3.6 GPA (3.0/3.5) 1.3 ppg 0.3 rpg 0.3 apg 0.2 spg 0.2 bpg
SG - Chris English (6’5” 173 lbs Sr) Hiawassee GA (Towns County HS) 4.0 GPA (4.5/5.0) 14.0 ppg 3.2 rpg 4.4 apg 1.5 spg 0.6 bpg
SF - Morlaye Kelley (6’7” 207 lbs Jr) Rib Lake WI (Rib Lake HS) 3.0 GPA (4.5/5.0) 8.2 ppg 5.5 rpg 1.7 apg 1.3 spg 1.1 bpg
PF - Traves Moss (6’6” 207 lbs Sr) Bloomfield Hills MI (Cransbrook Kingswood HS) 4.0 GPA (4.5/4.5) 14.3 ppg 6.8 rpg 2.2 apg 1.4 spg 1.3 bpg
C - Rod Bliss (7’0” 309 lbs Fr) Pana IL (Pana HS) 2.9 GPA (4.0/5.0)

6 - Doug Davis (6’10” 270 lbs Sr) Pine Ridge SD (Pine Ridge HS) 3.7 GPA (2.0/3.5) 4.6 ppg 2.0 rpg 0.9 apg 0.3 spg 0.1 bpg
7 - Tyrone Douglas (6’1” 185 lbs JR RS) Kinderhook IL (West Pike HS) 4.0 GPA (1.5/4.0) 0.7 ppg 0.2 rpg 0.1 apg 0.1 spg
8 - Tre Boyd (6’4” 176 lbs Jr) Benton Harbor MI (Benton Harbor HS) 3.6 GPA (2.0/4.0) 10.5 ppg 2.2 rpg 2.0 apg 1.8 spg 0.4 bpg
9 - Shane Henry (6’8” 200 lbs Sr) Ashland KY (Fairview HS) 4.0 GPA (1.5/4.0) 0.5 ppg 0.2 rpg 0.2 apg 0.1 spg
10 - Colin Patton (6’6” 222 lbs So) Sauk Centre MN (Sauk Centre HS) 3.5 GPA (2.0/5.0) 1.0 ppg 0.8 rpg 0.3 apg 0.2 spg 0.1 bpg
11 - Brian Floyd (6’2” 183 lbs Sr) Ville Platte LA (Ville Platte HS) 4.0 GPA (2.0/3.5) 0.5 ppg 0.7 rpg 0.3 apg 0.1 spg

RS - Darryl Adams (6’5” 184 lbs Fr) Engadine MI (Engadine HS) 2.9 GPA (2.0/4.0)
RS - Nick Collum (6’5” 229 lbs Fr) Downs IL (Tri-Valley HS) 3.6 GPA (1.0/4.0)
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Re: Ballin' With The Bulldogs: The Dale Connover Story

Postby jksander » Fri Dec 16, 2022 4:31 am

Code: Select all
Date    Rank  Opponent               Score          W/L Record       Leaders
11/16   #5    @ #4 Louisville        W 74-68        1-0              R. Bliss (14 pts 10 reb 3 ast) C. English (10 pts 7 reb 2 ast)
11/19   #5    Seton Hall             W 76-53        2-0              D. Davis (19 pts 3 ast 1 stl) R. Bliss (11 pts 6 reb 2 ast)
11/23   #8    Creighton              W 65-55        3-0              R. Bliss (10 pts 7 reb 3 ast) T. Moss (6 pts 13 reb 1 ast 1 stl)
11/25   #8    (n) Northeastern       W 91-70        4-0              C. English (25 pts 4 reb 3 ast) T. Moss (14 pts 8 reb 2 ast 1 blk)
11/26   #8    (n) Arkansas           W 81-62        5-0              R. Bliss (26 pts 14 reb 3 ast 3 blk) T. Moss (15 pts 11 reb 2 blk)
11/27   #4    (n) #13 Virginia       W 77-67        6-0              R. Bliss (18 pts 13 reb 2 ast 3 stl 2 blk) T. Moss (21 pts 4 reb 4 ast)
11/30   #4    @ #9 Gonzaga           L 64-87        6-1              C. English (12 pts 6 reb 5 ast) R. Bliss (15 pts 7 reb 4 stl 4 blk)
12/3    #4    @ #10 Kentucky         W 60-49        7-1              C. English (21 pts 3 reb 4 ast) T. Moss (13 pts 6 reb 1 stl 1 blk)
12/7    #3    @ #1 Syracuse          L 85-93        7-2              T. Moss (21 pts 7 reb 1 ast 4 blk) R. Bliss (17 pts 9 reb 3 stl 2 blk)
12/14   #4    @ #23 Arizona          W 82-68        8-2              R. Bliss (18 pts 11 reb 3 ast 4 stl) T. Moss (8 pts 15 reb 3 ast 2 stl)
12/21   #4    Tennessee              W 82-59        9-2              T. Moss (28 pts 6 reb 2 ast) R. Bliss (13 pts 13 reb 3 ast 4 stl)


We had a hell of a start to the season, surviving our brutal road schedule with a 9-2 record, which keeps us squarely in the top five! The blowout loss at Gonzaga hurt, and losing to #1 Syracuse on the road by just eight points stung quite a bit. But we got big wins at Louisville (#4), Kentucky (#10) and Arizona (#23) along with a neutral court win over Virginia (#13) which shows we can go toe to toe with anyone, anytime. But the real meat of our schedule awaits -- 20 Big Ten games, with #8 Maryland (10-2) and #16 Indiana (8-3) looking formidable, though only six teams in the conference are currently ranked in the top 100 of the NET rankings. Every game is going to count if we want to win an outright conference title, in this league that chews teams up and spits them out as regularly as not.

Freshman 7-footer Rod Bliss has been a revelation this season thus far. In 11 games he has averaged 28.9 minutes per game and put up a 14.7 ppg 10.2 rpg 2.5 spg 1.6 bpg slash line, and when he really gets going he’s been hard to stop. I am really hoping he chooses to stick around for his sophomore year so he can really develop and play with the guys I’m bringing in. If he doesn’t bail for the NBA he’ll be an absolute beast down the road!
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Re: Ballin' With The Bulldogs: The Dale Connover Story

Postby jksander » Fri Dec 16, 2022 5:33 am

Code: Select all
Date    Rank  Opponent               Score          W/L Record       Leaders
12/26   #5    Purdue                 W 67-56        10-2 (1-0)       S. Stinson (11 pts 2 reb 10 ast) M. Kelley (15 pts 10 reb 2 ast 1 stl)
12/30   #5    @ Nebraska             W 85-82        11-2 (2-0)       C. English (19 pts 5 reb 7 ast) T. Moss (22 pts 9 reb 1 blk)
1/2     #5    Penn State             W 75-49        12-2 (3-0)       R. Bliss (17 pts 14 reb 3 stl 1 blk) M. Kelley (13 pts 10 reb 4 ast)
1/6     #5    Illinois               W 68-49        13-2 (4-0)       T. Moss (23 pts 5 reb 2 blk) R. Bliss (14 pts 16 reb 1 ast 1 blk)
1/11    #5    @ Michigan             W 86-72        14-2 (5-0)       C. English (23 pts 5 reb 4 ast) R. Bliss (16 pts 18 reb 3 ast 2 stl)
1/13    #5    Iowa                   W 77-65        15-2 (6-0)       R. Bliss (17 pts 15 reb 2 ast 3 blk) C. English (16 pts 6 reb 8 ast)
1/18    #5    @ Purdue               W 76-68        16-2 (7-0)       R. Bliss (16 pts 10 reb 3 stl) M. Kelley (15 pts 4 reb 6 ast 3 stl)
1/23    #5    #18 Indiana            W 77-61        17-2 (8-0)       M. Kelley (19 pts 5 reb 2 ast 1 stl) C. English (11 pts 10 reb 3 ast)
1/27    #5    @ Illinois             W 83-64        18-2 (9-0)       M. Kelley (20 pts 6 reb 2 stl) R. Bliss (18 pts 7 reb 2 ast 1 blk)


This has been an historically bad Big Ten season, which has kept us from making any headway in the polls despite how brutal our pre-conference schedule was. We’re undefeated in conference play thus far, in a conference where -- and I’m not kidding! -- no team has gone undefeated during conference play since Bobby Knight’s 32-0 Hoosiers squad in 1976. That’s right, 55 seasons ago. So we’re just trying to keep pace, win the games on our schedule, and hope that when an eventual loss does come it doesn’t hurt us too much in the polls that the rest of the Big Ten is eating itself alive. Nebraska, Iowa and Rutgers are all tied at 6-3 in the Big Ten, with #17 Indiana (7-4), Penn State (5-4) and #24 Maryland (5-4) nipping at their heels. But no one has been able to put a scare into us yet.

The top 30 Norton Candidates list came out and none of our guys are on it. I’m hoping Morlaye Kelley will stick around along with Rod Bliss to give it another go next year -- if they do we’ll have a real juggernaut of a team next year that should put real scares into people.
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Re: Ballin' With The Bulldogs: The Dale Connover Story

Postby jksander » Sat Dec 17, 2022 6:51 pm

Code: Select all
Date    Rank  Opponent               Score          W/L Record       Leaders
2/1     #5    Ohio State             W 60-52        19-2 (10-0)      S. Stinson (19 pts 5 reb 4 ast) C. English (15 pts 4 reb 3 ast 3 blk)
2/6     #5    Nebraska               W 75-51        20-2 (11-0)      R. Bliss (18 pts 10 reb 2 ast 3 stl) C. English (13 pts 6 reb 6 ast)
2/8     #5    @ #25 Maryland         L 58-63        20-3 (11-1)      M. Kelley (20 pts 5 reb 1 stl) R. Bliss (7 pts 15 reb 1 blk)
2/10    #5    @ Minnesota            W 85-78 (OT)   21-3 (12-1)      R. Bliss (21 pts 10 reb 3 ast 3 stl) C. English (21 pts 7 reb 3 ast)
2/15    #5    Wisconsin              W 76-63        22-3 (13-1)      T. Moss (17 pts 12 reb 2 ast 2 stl) M. Kelley (14 pts 3 reb 1 ast 1 stl)
2/17    #5    @ Iowa                 W 79-63        23-3 (14-1)      R. Bliss (17 pts 8 reb 3 ast 3 stl) C. English (13 pts 2 reb 7 ast)
2/20    #5    @ Penn State           L 81-89        23-4 (14-2)      C. English (16 pts 5 reb 9 ast) D. Davis (18 pts 3 reb 1 ast 4 stl)
2/24    #5    Michigan               L 62-73        23-5 (14-3)      R. Bliss (11 pts 16 reb 3 blk) T. Moss (13 pts 18 reb 4 ast 2 blk)
2/27    #6    @ Ohio State           L 53-55        23-6 (14-4)      M. Kelley (19 pts 4 ast 3 stl) R. Bliss (8 pts 13 reb 2 ast 4 stl)
3/1     #6    @ Rutgers              L 83-100       23-7 (14-5)      T. Moss (18 pts 2 reb 3 ast) M. Kelley (14 pts 8 reb 6 ast 4 stl)
3/3     #6    Northwestern           W 78-70        24-7 (15-5)      C. English (23 pts 7 reb 7 ast) T. Moss (15 pts 6 reb 2 ast 3 stl)


We had a tough final four weeks, with two stretches with three games in five days, both involving back to back road games. But we did well enough to secure an outright Big Ten Title in my first season as the Spartans’ head coach, finishing three games up on the three-way tie for second involving #24 Indiana (20-11, 12-8), Michigan (20-10, 12-8) and Rutgers (20-9, 12-8). #20 Maryland finished fifth with a 21-11 (11-9) record, the only other team with a winning conference record. But the parity was intense: Nebraska, Illinois, Iowa, Penn State, Ohio State and Purdue ALL finished 10-10 in conference play. Illinois, at 13-16, will need to win the conference tournament if they want to stay postseason eligible. Northwestern (14-16, 9-11) would also need a conference tournament title in order to be postseason eligible at this point. Wisconsin and Minnesota had terrible seasons and, even if they won the whole tournament, either would set a record for worst 16-seed ever.

The bad news: Rod Bliss has declared for the NBA draft (no shock -- he’s averaging 13.7 ppg 10.1 rpg 1.6 apg 2.1 spg and 1.4 bpg)
The good news: Morlaye Kelley did not, and will return for his senior season, averaging 11.4 ppg 5.3 rpg and 2.2 apg this season.

Big Ten Tournament

Code: Select all
Date    Opponent               Score          W/L Record       Leaders
3/9     (9) Penn State         W 84-67        25-7             R. Bliss (25 pts 13 reb 2 ast 2 stl 2 blk) C. English (17 pts 3 reb 5 ast)
3/10    (4) Rutgers            W 76-70        26-7             R. Bliss (16 pts 15 reb 6 ast 3 stl) C. English (16 pts 3 reb 5 ast 1 blk)
3/11    (2) Indiana            W 61-51        27-7             C. English (12 pts 8 reb 4 ast) M. Kelley (12 pts 2 reb 1 ast 1 stl 1 blk)


What a season so far! We won the conference title to cement our status as the best team in the Big Ten, and mada a legitimate case to be at least considered for a #1 seed heading into selection Sunday! This was our first Big Ten Tourney title since 2027, and our first Big Ten regular season title since 2028.

Big Ten teams in the NCAA Tournament:

Chicago: (1) Michigan State
Chicago: (6) Indiana
New Orleans: (7) Rutgers
Seattle: (6) Maryland

Michigan and Iowa will be playing in the NIT.
Purdue and Penn State will be playing in the CBI.
Ohio State and Nebraska will be playing in the CBT.

Syracuse, who we lost to by eight points in December, is the #2-seed in our bracket, so an Elite Eight matchup is quite possible. Arizona, looking for a three-peat as National Champions, will be playing from the #2-seed in New Orleans. Kansas, the #1-seed in the Seattle region, is the heavy favorite in the tournament, but they have two top-ten teams in their bracket -- #2-seed St. Bonaventure and #3-seed Wichita State, and Gonzaga, seeded 4th, is also a top 15 team.
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Re: Ballin' With The Bulldogs: The Dale Connover Story

Postby jksander » Sat Dec 17, 2022 9:59 pm

NCAA Tournament
Code: Select all
Date    Opponent               Score          W/L Record       Leaders
3/16    (16) Idaho             W 86-80        28-7             M. Kelley (15 pts 11 reb 5 ast) C. English (14 pts 7 ast 1 blk)
3/18    (8) Houston            W 75-72        29-7             T. Moss (18 pts 13 reb 4 blk) R. Bliss (10 pts 13 reb 2 blk)
3/23    (4) Creighton          W 79-69        30-7             C. English (18 pts 7 reb 6 ast 1 blk) T. Moss (14 pts 6 reb 1 ast)
3/25    (2) Syracuse           W 83-69        31-7             M. Kelley (10 pts 13 reb 3 ast 5 stl) R. Bliss (20 pts 7 reb 2 ast)
4/1     (4) Virginia           W 93-65        32-7             T. Moss (22 pts 3 reb 1 stl 3 blk) S. Stinson (10 pts 4 reb 8 ast)
4/3     (1) Kansas                                [<-- NOPE, SEE BELOW FOR THE FUN! -->]


We opened the tournament with one of the early games, but Idaho never got the memo that they were supposed to stay dead after we had them down 33-56 at the half. They fought back and made the second half a stressful one for us, but we held tough and were able to put them away from the line, winning 86-80 despite their stifling defense down the stretch. Indiana had a better time against (11) New Mexico State, stumping the Aggies easily down the stretch to win 64-51. On Friday afternoon Rutgers blew out (10) DePaul 89-72, while a few hours later Maryland was absolutely crushed by (11) Nevada 71-93.

On Saturday afternoon we won another tight battle, this time against Houston, holding off their attack down the stretch to win by three thanks to a 47-33 rebounding advantage. Indiana, however, was no match for (3) VCU, collapsing against the Rams’ defense to fall 51-72. Rutgers then had the brutal challenge of facing down (2) Arizona, and they gave it a valliant effort but came up short in a 64-73 loss. Heading into the Sweet Sixteen, the tournament to this point had been mostly chalk. In Greensboro and in our Chicago region, all the top four seeds advanced. In New Orleans only (5) Seton Hall had “upset” their way in, and they did so by beating (13) Western Kentucky in a 91-81 shootout. Yawn. Same thing for Seattle, where (5) Xavier was the highest seed to advance, though they had to do so by beating (4) Gonzaga 84-77. No matter how you looked at it, Cinderella missed her ride on the pumpkin this year -- only three double-digit seeds even made it through the first round! Unbelievable.

Upsets finally game on the first day of the Sweet Sixteen matchups, as (4) Virginia upended (1) Missouri 80-72, earning the Cavaliers a shot at (2) Louisville. Our region stayed chalk, as we won a solid matchup against Creighton by ten points and Syracuse held VCU off by 11 to advance. In New Orleans, Florida won a tough fight against (5) Seton Hall by a tight 62-58 margin, while Arizona outright slaughtered (3) Butler 81-63. In Seattle Kansas won an easy one against (5) Xavier 77-66, but (3) Wichita State knocked off St. Bonaventure 77-67 in a battle of mid-majors.

We opened the proceedings in the Elite Eight on Saturday, taking an early lead on Syracuse and never looking back -- we led 44-30 at the half and held them even in the second to finish ahead 83-69. (4) Virginia then followed with a similar effort in their matchup against (2) Louisville, upending the Cardinals 78-65 to advance to the Final Four as well. Sunday’s games were intense, with (1) Florida facing off against (2) Arizona, coming from behind 21-28 at the half to absolutely stun the Arizona faithful, beating them in the end 61-54 in what has to be the best defensive comeback anyone had put on all year! So no, there will NOT be a three-peat for the Wildcats this year. In Seattle, however, (1) Kansas put on an absolute beatdown performance against (3) Wichita State, destroying the Shockers 67-44 and reminding all of us why THEY are the favorites to cut down the nets in April.

Nebraska won the CBT title by holding off Little Rock 74-59, giving the Cornhuskers a four-win streak to cap their season record at 20-15.

Ron Bliss tore his ACL early in our eventual beatdown of Virginia, ending his season and perhaps his chances at being taken high in the NBA Draft. I wish we could convince him to return for his sophomore year, but it appears that ship has sailed, and we’ve filled his scholarship spot. We dominated the Cavaliers 93-65 despite Bliss’s absense, while Florida valliantly fought Kansas but lost in the end 67-75. We’ll get our title shot against the Jayhawks (36-4) who are favored in the title game by a baker’s dozen.

In the title game Kansas got out to an early 4-9 lead, but we fought back to tie it 11-11 with 12:07 to play in the first half, and with 9:38 to play we got our first lead of the night off a Doug Davis three-point jumper (assisted by Sam Stinson) as he enjoyed his first start of the year filling in for the injured Bliss. It remained a tight battle from there through the remainder of the half, with half a dozen lead changes and the score still knotted 34-34 with 4:20 remaining! By halftime we were still knotted 43-43 and this was looking to be the hardest-fought title game in more than a decade. Chris English led the team with 15 points six boards and an assist. Davis had been quite impressive to this point as well, playing 15 minutes and putting up eight points with five rebounds and a steal.

We cranked up the defense in the second half and slowly pulled away early, leading 62-57 after sophomore reserve Colin Patton naled a 13-footer off a Traves Moss assist with 12:35 remaining, enjoying his extended minutes and drawing huge cheers from our fans. We briefly extended the lead to as many as eight before Kansas’ cold offense heated to a near boil and they fought back to tie it at 68-68 with just 7:48 to play and the roof ready to explode in this place. But we held our ground and cranked up the defense even further if you can believe it. With 1:49 to play we still held a slim 74-73 advantage, and half a minute later Chris English nailed another triple to make it a four point game with 1:10 left in this pressure cooker! We held them off from the line to ice the Natty win, 83-77!

OH … MY … GOD … THIS … WAS … AMAZING! We fought through 21 lead changes and a dozen ties to pull out the biggest win of my career, and one of the biggest in Michigan State history!

Chris English was named Player of the Game with 30 points seven rebounds two assists and a steal, while Doug Davis, in his first-ever start, postseason or otherwise, scored 12 points with eight rebounds a steal and two blocks. Morlaye Kelley proved how valuable he’ll be coming next next season, adding seven points but also grabbing 15 pivotal rebounds with four assists two steals and a block. And Sam Stinson was as valuable as ever defensively, leading from the point position with six points 10 assists and a steal with only two turnovers.

Team Leaders
Scoring: Rod Bliss (13.9 ppg) Chris English (13.8 ppg) Traves Moss (12.3 ppg) Morlaye Kelley (11.6 ppg)
Rebounding: Rod Bliss (10.3 rpg) Traves Moss (6.5 rpg) Morlaye Kelley (5.2 rpg) Chris English (5.0 rpg)
Assists: Chris English (4.7 apg) Sam Stinson (4.5 apg) Morlaye Kelley (2.1 apg) Rod Bliss (1.8 apg)
Steals: Rod Bliss (2.1 spg) Morlaye Kelley (1.2 spg) Traves Moss (1.0 spg)
Blocks: Traves Moss (1.5 bpg) Rod Bliss (1.4 bpg) Chris English (0.5 bpg)

Graduating Players
Bryan Floyd (4.0 GPA) 4.7 ppg 1.7 rpg 1.5 apg 0.7 spg 0.2 bpg (55 games, 25 starts*)
Doug Davis (3.8 GPA) 4.2 ppg 1.9 rpg 0.7 apg 0.5 spg 0.2 bpg (119 games)
Chris English (4.0 GPA) 12.5 ppg 3.2 rpg 3.8 apg 1.0 spg 0.5 bpg (116 games, 99 starts)
Sam Stinson (3.7 GPA) 3.6 ppg 1.5 rpg 1.8 apg 0.3 spg 0.1 bpg (109 games, 34 starts)
Shane Henry (4.0 GPA) 3.4 ppg 0.8 rpg 0.3 apg 0.2 spg (60 games)
Traves Moss (4.0 GPA) 12.8 ppg 6.7 rpg 1.7 apg 1.1 spg 1.3 bpg (122 starts)

* all his starts were at South Florida in 2028 before he transferred.

Leaving Early
Rod Bliss (2.9 GPA) 13.9 ppg 10.3 rpg 1.8 apg 2.1 spg 1.4 bpg

Awards
NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player: Traves Moss
Big Ten Freshman of the Year: Rod Bliss
Big Ten Coach of the Year: Dale Connover
1st Team All Big Ten: Chris English
1st Team All Big Ten: Rod Bliss
2nd Team All Big Ten: Traves Moss

I’m a little salty that I lost the National Coach of the Year award to Ricky Williams of Florida … by just a handful of votes. But what a year we had, so it’s hard to be too pissed about it.

Commmitted Recruits -- Final List
6’8” C Hugo Brezavsek (International, Slovenia) 2.5 GPA (#14 Ntl, #1 Intl) 19.2 ppg 10.0 rpg 1.8 apg 2.6 spg 6.9 bpg
6’6” PF Cameron Armstead (HS Senior, Bristow OK) 3.1 GPA (#22 Ntl #6 Reg) 20.3 ppg 8.1 rpg 1.7 apg 1.3 spg 1.6 bpg
6’3” SG Brian Samnick (JUCO Sophomore, Cincinnati OH) 2.6 GPA (#59 Ntl, #7 Reg) 13.3 ppg 4.5 rpg 1.9 apg 1.3 spg
6’4” SG Justin Person (JUCO Sophomore, Buchanan MI) 2.4 GPA (#88 Ntl, #16 Reg) 14.7 ppg 2.2 rpg 2.7 apg 1.4 spg
6’7” PF Tom Canal (HS Senior, Oshkosh WI) 3.1 GPA (#92 Ntl, #13 Reg) 14.9 ppg 8.4 rpg 4.0 apg 1.9 spg 1.9 bpg
6’8” C Dan Molinari (HS Senior, La Crosse WI) 3.4 GPA (#143 Ntl, #27 Reg) 18.4 ppg 8.8 rpg 4.0 apg 1.7 spg 2.3 bpg
5’10” PG Jeremy Brown (HS Senior, Glenwood City WI) 3.0 GPA (#176 Ntl, #32 Reg) 14.8 ppg 4.0 rpg 5.1 apg 2.5 spg 0.6 bpg

From here on out the board has made it clear that they’ll be expecting us to maintain this level of competition. They’re through the moon about the school’s first national title since 2000, but it’s Final Four or bust every season, Big Ten Title or bust, bring in the blue-chippers at whatever cost. Doesn’t matter how I accomplish the wins, but they need to keep coming. I’ve earned a great deal of job security though, and should be able to have my way within the department as I put my name on the program Izzo and Heathcoate built. I can do a hell of a lot by fighting my way to a second title, something neither coach was able to do.

I am not making any changes among my assistant coaches. The board has agreed to raise our recruiting / coaching budget to $529,200 from $504,000, which should help fund some cushier travel while I’m out on the recruiting trail this summer.

[OUT OF CHARACTER: Now that I have my first National Championship, I am upping my injury factor to 150% so there will be the risk of more injuries to players across the board. I have upped job pressure level from “Low” to “Normal” and have raised recruiting difficulty from “Normal” to “Hard” starting with the current season. If I ever get to a #1 recruiting class I will then bump recruiting up to Brutal, but since I have never had a #1 recruiting class I don’t want it to become immediately insane to that extent.]
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Re: Ballin' With The Bulldogs: The Dale Connover Story

Postby jksander » Sun Dec 18, 2022 2:34 am

SEASON TEN
2031-32


Coach Information
Name: Dale Connover
Age / Record: 45 (240-92, .723)
Contract: $1,415,000 / 3 years
Reputation: 96%
National Titles: 1 (2031)
National Title Appearances: 2 (2029, 2031)
Final Fours: 4 (2025-2026, 2029, 2031)
Elite Eights: 5 (2025-2027, 2029, 2031)
Sweet Sixteens: 6 (2024-2027, 2029, 2031)
Big Ten Titles: 1 (2031)
Big Ten Tourney Titles: 1 (2031)
SEC Titles: 1 (2025)
SEC Tourney Titles: 2 (2025, 2026)
National Coach of the Year: 0
Big Ten Coach of the Year: 1 (2031)
SEC Coach of the Year: 2 (2025-2026)
Offense: 81%
Defense: 64%
Recruiting: 94%
Scouting: 82% (+4)
Development: 95%

School Information
School: Michigan State Spartans
Location: East Lansing MI
Conference: Big Ten
Arena: Jack Breslin Student Events Center (14,797 Cap)
Budget: $529,200 ($323,500 Assistants / $205,700 Recruiting)
Facilities: A+
Academics: B (SAT Min: 940)
School Prestige: 97% (+7)
Conf. Prestige: 83% (+4)

Top 5 Recruit Classes
1. Kansas
2. Connecticut
3. Florida
4. Seton Hall
5. Michigan State

Top 5 Big Ten Recruit Classes
5. Michigan State
6. Maryland
11. Indiana
24. Michigan
28. Northwestern

Scouting Reports
Midwest Premium ($30,000)
National Premium ($80,000)
International Basic ($15,000)

Summer Travel
Indy Elite Camp ($4,100)
Chicago Prep Revue ($3,700)

NBA Draft
12. Rod Bliss
20. Chris English
42. Traves Moss

Again no players are transfering, though with seven incoming players there weren’t a ton of guys who would have been available to do so anyway, and after a National Championship I can’t see anyone wanting to leave a program in the first place. We have three scholarships open to fill this year (plus any that open up due to players leaving early, etc) so we will be aiming high during the summer -- recruiting was strong in the Big Ten this year and I expect it to continue to be so, and we’ll need to be on our A-game if we don’t want to lag behind.

Norton Nominees
Morlaye Kelley -- 2nd Team Preseason All American
Cameron Armstead

Incoming Recruits
7’0” C Winston McKeever (HS Senior, Bell FL) 3.0 GPA (#2 Ntl, #1 Reg) 25.5 ppg 17.6 rpg 3.9 apg 2.2 spg 4.8 bpg
6’7” PF Joey Boythe (HS Senior, Baird TX) 3.1 GPA (#5 Ntl, #2 Reg) 26.7 ppg 10.1 rpg 1.9 apg 2.3 spg 4.3 bpg
6’7” PF Ross Smith (HS Senior, Washington MD) 3.2 GPA (#10 Ntl, #2 Reg) 24.2 ppg 9.7 rpg 1.6 apg 3.3 spg 2.8 bpg

Oh my God, this class is going to give us a freshman powerhouse next fall, and we’ve got enough interested players to fill additional spots in the spring if necessary! Kansas has recruited a couple top ten players as well, and Duke looks to have a solid class heading in, so we’ve got competition. But there’s no way this is not a top two freshman class.

Schedule
11/14 - (n) Valparaiso - Preseason NIT
11/23 - @ Georgia
11/26 - #1 Kansas
11/30 - #2 Arizona
12/3 - #9 Syracuse
12/7 - #5 Louisville
12/10 - #7 Xavier
12/14 - Stanford
12/21 - #4 West Virginia

I asked the AD to help us build the best schedule we could while playing here at home -- challenge our players, but give our fans the reward of some really f---ing good games here at the Breslin Center. And I can tell you, fans with season tickets are in for the best bunch of games anyone has put together in years. It’s gonna be fun and difficult at the same time. Starting out with the Preseason NIT, we then run through a top-ten guantlet. Oh, and our road game? At GEORGIA … that one’s gonna be heated!

We are ranked #3 in the preseason poll, while Maryland is #11 and Ohio State is #13. We’ll open the Big Ten season on December 30 at Northwestern.

Roster
PG - Jeremy Brown (5’10” 156 lbs Fr) Glenwood City WI (Glenwood City HS) 3.0 GPA (3.5/4.0)
SG - Brian Samnick (6’3” 175 lbs Fr) Cincinnati OH (Indian Hill HS) 2.6 GPA (2.0/4.5)
SF - Morlaye Kelley (6’7” 207 lbs Sr) Rib Lake WI (Rib Lake HS) 3.4 GPA (5.0/5.0) 11.6 ppg 5.2 rpg 2.1 apg 1.2 spg 0.4 bpg
PF - Cameron Armstead (6’6” 216 lbs Fr) Bristow OK (Bristow HS) 3.1 GPA (4.0/5.0)
C - Hugo Brezavsek (6’8” 258 lbs Fr) International HS (Slovenia) 2.5 GPA (1.0/5.0)

6 - Tyrone Douglas (6’1” 185 lbs Sr RS) Kinderhook IL (West Pike HS) 4.0 GPA (2.0/4.0) 2.2 ppg 0.4 rpg 1.2 apg 0.1 spg 0.1 bpg
7 - Justin Person (6’4” 218 lbs Jr) Buchanan MI (Buchanan HS) 2.4 GPA (2.5/4.0)
8 - Darryl Adams (6’5” 184 lbs Fr RS) Engadine MI (Engadine HS) 3.2 GPA (2.0/4.0)
9 - Nick Collum (6’5” 229 lbs Fr RS) Downs IL (Tri-Valley HS) 3.6 GPA (1.0/4.0)
10 - Colin Patton (6’6” 222 lbs Jr) Sauk Centre MN (Sauk Centre HS) 3.5 GPA (2.0/5.0)
11 - Tre Boyd (6’4” 176 lbs Sr) Benton Harbor MI (Benton Harbor HS) 3.6 GPA (3.0/4.0) 1.9 ppg 1.0 rpg 0.5 apg 0.1 spg

RS - Tom Canal (6’7” 192 lbs Fr) Oshkosh WI (Lourdes HS) 3.1 GPA (0.5/4.0)
RS - Dan Molinari (6’8” 259 lbs Fr) La Crosse WI (Central HS) 3.4 GPA (0.5/4.0)

There is a lot of potential on this team, and a ton of uncertainty and inexperience. Morlaye Kelley is going to have to be the ultimate leader in helping build our core and help us fight off the fires in our early season brutal schedule. But the rewards could be infinite if we actually play up to that potential. I’m really excited to coach these players and see what we can do as we defend our title.
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Re: Ballin' With The Bulldogs: The Dale Connover Story

Postby SteveVictory » Sat Dec 31, 2022 8:49 pm

Enjoying this one. You took Georgia as far as you could. Now go get you a title with Sparty.
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Re: Ballin' With The Bulldogs: The Dale Connover Story

Postby jksander » Sun Jan 01, 2023 1:42 am

SteveVictory wrote:Enjoying this one. You took Georgia as far as you could. Now go get you a title with Sparty.


We got the first title last year, working on a second! :)

Code: Select all
Date    Rank  Opponent               Score          W/L Record       Leaders
11/14   #3    (n) Valparaiso         W 87-60        1-0              M. Kelley (20 pts 8 reb 4 ast 3 stl) B. Samnick (18 pts 4 reb)
11/16   #3    (n) San Diego St.      W 81-65        2-0              H. Brezavsek (17 pts 5 reb 1 stl) C. Armstead (15 pts 10 reb 4 blk)
11/18   #3    (n) #23 Tennessee      W 97-91 (OT)   3-0              J. Brown (23 pts 3 reb 7 ast) C. Armstead (17 pts 13 reb 2 blk)
11/20   #3    (n) #2 Arizona         L 57-73        3-1              J. Brown (18 pts 4 reb 4 ast 2 stl) T. Douglas (11 pts 1 reb 1 ast)
11/23   #3    @ Georgia              W 76-67        4-1              B. Samnick (20 pts 10 reb 3 ast) J. Brown (15 pts 2 reb 6 ast)
11/26   #3    #6 Kansas              W 79-67        5-1              B. Samnick (12 pts 12 reb) C. Armstead (16 pts 7 reb 1 stl 2 blk)
11/30   #3    #1 Arizona             W 62-52        6-1              B. Samnick (15 pts 4 reb) C. Armstead (15 pts 12 reb 2 blk)
12/3    #3    Syracuse               W 72-61        7-1              M. Kelley (24 pts 13 reb 2 ast) H. Brezavsek (13 pts 5 reb 2 stl 4 blk)
12/7    #2    #24 Louisville         W 67-60        8-1              H. Brezavsek (15 pts 6 reb 2 ast) C. Armstead (10 pts 14 reb 4 blk)
12/10   #2    Xavier                 W 84-76        9-1              J. Brown (21 pts 1 reb 5 ast 1 blk) M. Kelley (19 pts 4 reb 3 ast)
12/14   #2    Stanford               W 80-69        10-1             C. Armstead (19 pts 5 reb 1 blk) J. Brown (16 pts 3 reb 8 ast)
12/21   #2    #3 West Virginia       W 82-64        11-1             C. Armstead (20 pts 7 reb 1 stl) M. Kelley (15 pts 16 reb 2 ast)


We’re on the verge of meeting our full potential, having only lost one game all year so far, the neutral game matchup against Arizona (which does sting, I’ll admit … I was sure we’d have this within a posession near the end, but it wasn’t to be.) The overtime win against Tennessee was huge, and we’ve beaten three top 10 teams this year, even though they WERE all on our court. How we handle the Big Ten slate is going to be telling. Anything less than an outright Big Ten title with this team will be a letdown.
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