From WWII to the NCAAs: "Tex" Kauferhalter's Defensive Rise

[jksander]

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Date    Rank   Team                      Score           W/L Record      Key Players
11/16          @ Syracuse                W 75-47         1-0             G. Smith (19 pts 7 reb 1 ast) C. Ridnour (11 pts 4 reb 2 ast 2 stl 5 blk)
11/19          Army                      W 76-71         2-0             G. Smith (23 pts 3 reb 4 ast 1 stl) S. Pykkonen (12 pts 3 reb 7 ast 1 blk)
11/23          North Texas               W 75-58         3-0             K. Grbasic (19 pts 2 reb 1 ast 1 blk) C. Ridnour (13 pts 5 reb 2 ast 5 stl 3 blk)
11/26          @ Pittsburgh              L 51-59         3-1             G. Smith (19 pts 5 reb 1 ast) C. Ridnour (7 pts 4 reb 3 blk)
11/30          Liberty                   W 74-64         4-1             S. Pykkonen (16 pts 1 reb 5 ast) M. Williams (12 pts 9 reb 3 ast 1 stl 2 blk)
12/7           @ Temple                  L 40-72         4-2             G. Smith (13 pts 7 reb 1 ast) M. Williams (8 pts 4 reb 1 ast 1 stl 2 blk)
12/14          Morehead State            W 86-74         5-2             C. Ridnour (16 pts 18 reb 4 ast 3 stl 2 blk) G. Smith (24 pts 2 reb 3 ast 1 stl)
12/21          Murray State              W 67-57         6-2             C. Ridnour (19 pts 6 reb 1 ast 1 stl 3 blk) K. Grbasic (11 pts 4 reb 1 ast 2 stl)
12/23          (n) Mississippi           L 63-71         6-3             G. Smith (23 pts 5 reb 2 ast) C. Ridnour (12 pts 5 reb 2 stl 1 blk)
12/26          Rutgers                   W 81-71         7-3 (1-0)       G. Smith (21 pts 7 reb 3 ast) M. Williams (18 pts 4 reb 2 blk)
12/28          @ Iowa                    L 44-67         7-4 (1-1)       G. Smith (10 pts 5 reb) M. Williams (10 pts 3 reb 1 blk)

JANUARY 1, 1960 . . . We’ve started the season at 7-4, and split our first two Big Ten games before the new year. But this is a different team than last year, and our #22 NET ranking says a lot about it. And it’s a different Big Ten -- asside from #2 Michigan State (13-0) no one has been dominant, and other teams which have been dominant in the past are not looking so much this year (I’m looking at you, Wisconsin, and your 6-5 recor and #170 NET ranking!) We haven’t been particularly dominant ourselves, still feeling things out with all of our young playes. But we’re 39th nationally in FG perentage (48.0%) and 17th nationally in FT percentage (78.4%) and we’re holding teams to under 65 points per game (80th) ... though our offensive output of 66.5 points per game is hardly worth boasting about (it’s well below 200th nationally). The key is, we’ve played better defense, our players are starting to gel, and while finishing in the top half of the Big Ten will be a tough order, I think this team is up to that, and possibly more.

Geoff Smith leads the team with 15.6 points 4.3 rebonds and 1.8 assists per game, while Curtis Ridnour, in 25.5 minutes per game, is averaging 10.2 points 5.4 rebounds 1.6 assists 1.8 steals and 2.5 blocks per game! Maurice Williams is also proving to be a solid contributor, with 8.2 points 5.5 rebounds and 1.8 steals per game so far. Our lone freshman, Steven Reed, has played in all 11 games, averaging 13.6 minutes per game and putting up 4.5 points 2.5 rebounds and 0.9 assists per game, I’ve also been impressed with Seppo Pykkonen, who as a sophomore has pushed himself past 30 minutes per game while increasing his averages to 5.6 points 3.3 rebounds 5.2 assists and 0.9 steals per game. He’s not flashy, but he gets the job done at the point guard position.

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Date    Rank   Team                      Score           W/L Record      Key Players
1/2            Northwestern              W 80-75         8-4 (2-1)       C. Ridnour (14 pts 10 reb 4 ast 3 stl 2 blk) K. Grbasic (12 pts 6 reb 2 ast)
1/4            Ohio State                L 69-79         8-5 (2-2)       M. Williams (12 pts 8 reb 3 ast 1 blk) C. Ridnour (10 pts 9 reb 2 ast 2 stl)

JANUARY 5, 1960 . . . Tensions between the rest of the team and our two most consistent troublemakers came to a head after the Ohio State loss. Donte Richardson, who has been a disruptive force since the moment I got here, has generally kept his cool this year, but after the loss he went off on Curtis Ridnour after the game, and when Ridnour wouldn’t take the bait, he stormed out and says he’s quitting the team. He then mouthed off to a reporter outside our home locker room, and it got written up in the Pittsburgh Post Gazette. Craig Miller, who has not been quiet about his disappointment post-Murray State transfer to having been redshirted last year and then this year only getting a couple minutes per game, showed up to a mandatory team meeting and got into a screaming cursing fight with Seppo Pykkonen, who is the nicest, calmest kid you’ll ever meet. I calmed things down and then brought Miller into my office, at which point he started screaming and cursing at ME. That’s it. He and Richardson are gone.

As much as it may hurt my reputation with the board and risk further putting me on the hot seat, if I don’t buckle down on this crap now, it’s only going to get worse. I can’t let the former coach’s recruits sour the positive changes we’ve made. To be honest, this was a move I should have made in the offseason, as both players had been frequent troublemakers, but I didn’t want to shake up the applecart knowing that we spent all of last year being shorthanded. Mike Mann will start taking on a few more minutes per game as he covers Richardson’s minutes, and we’re going to do our best to move on from this whole mess and focus on getting the wins we need in the Big Ten. I’ve spoken with Pykkonen and Ridnour about the resolution to the incident, and Maurice Williams and Johnny Rivera will be calming presences in the locker room as we bring the rest of the team together to move on.

[jksander]

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Date    Rank   Team                      Score           W/L Record      Key Players
1/9            @ Michigan                W 55-48         9-5 (3-2)       G. Smith (13 pts 5 reb 1 ast 1 stl 1 blk) C. Ridnour (10 pts 8 reb 1 ast 1 stl 1 blk)
1/13           #6 Wisconsin              W 67-53         10-5 (4-2)      C. Ridnour (12 pts 10 reb 1 ast 2 stl 2 blk) G. Smith (19 pts 1 reb 2 ast 2 stl 1 blk)
1/18           @ #11 Maryland            L 55-93         10-6 (4-3)      G. Smith (18 pts 2 reb 2 ast) S. Pykkonen (12 pts 1 reb 7 ast)
1/23           @ Ohio State              W 63-57         11-6 (5-3)      G. Smith (14 pts 2 reb 4 ast) K. Grbasic (11 pts 4 reb 1 ast 1 stl)
1/25           Iowa                      W 70-68         12-6 (6-3)      G. Smith (17 pts 7 reb 1 ast 2 blk) C. Ridnour (11 pts 4 reb 3 ast 2 stl 1 blk)
1/27           @ #6 Wisconsin            L 43-65         12-7 (6-4)      S. Pykkonen (10 pts 7 reb 2 ast 1 blk) C. Ridnour (9 pts 8 reb 1 blk)

JANUARY 28, 1960 . . . Jacob Barron, a 6’6” power forward from Mendham, New Jersey, committed to play for us this week. He comes in as a three star recruit ranked #196 lationally, and though he has a lot of potential and I think he’ll fit in well here, he’ll likely redshirt so he’ll be in a better position to earn playing time. He has a 3.9 GPA and passed his SAT with a score of 1100, and academics and playing relatively close to home were his top priorities. He says he chose us over North Carolina, Georgetown and Wisconsin. Right now he’s primarily a scoring threat, though I think he can become a solid defender if he can work on his overall conditioning.

Heading into the homestretch of the season, we’re hanging in 5th place with a 6-4 record and the #34 NET in the nation. The bubble watch starts next week, but if I had to guess right now I’d say we’re going to need to give the committee a few more reasons to trust us -- though beating Wisconsin here in State College by 14 points, that was pretty damned amazing. We were 0-24 against them, but now the only team we’ve never beaten in the conference is Minnesota, and we close out the season against them on March 3rd on our home court as well! Can we slay two of our giants in one season?
 

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Date    Rank   Team                      Score           W/L Record      Key Players
2/1            Nebraska                  W 65-54         13-7 (7-4)      C. Ridnour (17 pts 7 reb 3 ast 3 stl) M. Williams (9 pts 12 reb 1 ast 1 stl)
2/3            @ Northwestern            L 53-66         13-8 (7-5)      G. Smith (16 pts 4 reb) K. Grbasic (7 pts 6 reb 2 ast 1 stl)
2/6            @ Rutgers                 L 42-65         13-9 (7-6)      G. Smith (11 pts 2 reb 1 ast) C. Ridnour (5 pts 11 reb 1 ast 1 stl 4 blk)
2/10           Indiana                   W 66-44         14-9 (8-6)      G. Smith (16 pts 8 reb 5 ast) C. Ridnour (13 pts 6 reb 3 ast 3 stl 2 blk)
2/15           @ #2 Michigan State       L 47-60         14-10 (8-7)     C. Ridnour (12 pts 8 reb 1 ast 1 stl 1 blk) G. Smith (11 pts 4 reb 3 ast)
2/17           Purdue                    W 72-50         15-10 (9-7)     G. Smith (24 pts 5 reb 2 ast) S. Pykkonen (18 pts 2 reb 6 ast 1 stl 1 blk)
2/22           #17 Illinois              W 48-44         16-10 (10-7)    C. Ridnour (18 pts 8 reb 2 ast 3 stl 3 blk) M. Williams (10 pts 8 reb 2 stl 2 blk)
2/24           @ Indiana                 L 68-81         16-11 (10-8)    M. Williams (16 pts 2 reb 1 ast 1 stl) K. Grbasic (14 pts 4 reb 2 ast 1 stl)
3/1            @ Nebraska                L 50-64         16-12 (10-9)    C. Ridnour (16 pts 7 reb 1 ast 2 stl 1 blk) M. Williams (12 pts 3 reb 1 blk)
3/3            Minnesota                 L 58-80         16-13 (10-10)   C. Ridnour (19 pts 5 reb 2 ast 1 stl 3 blk) S. Pykkonen (13 pts 3 reb 3 ast)

MARCH 5, 1960 . . . The win over Illinois had us briefly ranked as high as 4th in the Big Ten, with a legitimate shot at finishing as high as third in the league had we finished strong. But we stumbled on the road against Indiana and Nebraska and then lost in a heartbreaking blowout against Minnesota. So we finished in a three way tie for fifth ... which factoring in tie-breakers meant we finished seventh, just one game ahead of Minnesota who got the 8th seed. Thankfully, that means we very literally BARELY finished in the top half of the conference. More than that, however, we have 16 wins going into the Big Ten Tournament, which is already a school record, and we’re guaranteed a winning season no matter what happens in the postseason! Considering where this program was two years ago, that’s all incredible. Most importantly, the team has really gelled as a group after the unfortunate January incidents, and I think we’re stronger for having dealt with it head on.

Here are the final Big Ten standings:

01. #2 Michigan State (17-3, 28-3, #3 NET) -- NCAA Tourney Lock
02. #12 Maryland (15-5, 24-7, #8 NET) -- NCAA Tourney Lock
03. #17 Illinois (13-7, 21-8, #20 NET) -- NCAA Tourney Lock
04. Northwestern (11-9, 19-12, #24 NET) -- NCAA Tourney Lock
05. Iowa (10-10, 19-12, #95 NET) -- Off The Bubble (#87)
06. Wisconsin (10-10, 16-14, #98 NET) -- Off The Bubble (#92)
07. Penn State (10-10, 16-13, #58 NET) -- First Team Out (#69)
08. Minnesota (9-11, 14-15, #112 NET)
09. Ohio State (9-11, 16-15, #76 NET) -- Off The Bubble (#81)
10. Indiana (8-12, 11-18, #143 NET)
11. Michigan (7-13, 17-14, #130 NET)
12. Rutgers (7-13, 11-18, #219 NET)
13. Nebraska (7-13, 13-18, #114 NET)
14. Purdue (7-13, 16-15, #103 NET)

Wisconsin, as insane as it sounds, needs to win the entire Big Ten Tournament in order to get into the NCAA Tournament, meaning their 14-year streak of appearances and 13-year streak of Sweet Sixteen appearances, are both likely to fall this season -- and even if they win a game in the Big Ten tourney, they may not even make one of the lesser tournaments. That’s not likely to happen any time soon to Kentucky -- they’re heading into the SEC Tournament ranked #1, holding a 31-1 (17-1) record and looking likely to cruise to a fifth consecutive title if no one can find a way to take them down.

We, meanwhile, are riding the bubble as part of the first four teams out. If we can win a couple games in the Big Ten Tourney maybe we can make the 12-seed play-in out in Dayton -- otherwise we’re most likely NIT bound.

[jksander]

Big Ten Tournament

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Date    Rank   Team                      Score           W/L Record      Key Players
3/8            (10) Indiana              W 68-59         17-13           G. Smith (27 pts 5 reb) K. Grbasic (15 pts 3 reb 3 ast 1 stl)
3/9            (2) Maryland              L 67-77         17-14           S. Pykkonen (23 pts 6 reb 1 ast) C. Ridnour (9 pts 13 reb 6 blk)

MARCH 12, 1960 . . . The top four teams in the conference were the teams which made the Semifinals, so it was a pretty chalk tournament. Michigan State beat Northwestern 62-51 to make the title game, while Illinois got there by upsetting Maryland 70-64. And they almost pulled the upset in the finals, though Michigan State had enough juice in the tank to shut them down in the end 79-76, solidifying their hold on a #1 seed for the NCAA Tournament.

Big Ten Teams in the NCAA Tournament:

#4 Seed, Philadelphia: Illinois
#8 Seed, Philadelphia: Northwestern
#1 Seed, Salt Lake City: Michigan State
#4 Seed, Salt Lake City: Maryland

Big Ten Teams in the NIT:

#2 Seed, East: Penn State

Big Ten Teams in the College Basketball Invitational:

#3 Seed, East: Iowa
#2 Seed, East: Ohio State
#6 Seed, West: Wisconsin

The NCAA seedings are quite interesting, as Illinois and Northwestern could meet up in the Sweet Sixteen in the Philadelphia region, while Michigan State and Maryland very likely will do so in the Salt Lake City region. If the Big Ten gets a team into the Final Four this year I’d be betting on Michigan State.

National Invitational Tournament

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Date    Team                      Score           W/L Record      Key Players
3/13    (7) Columbia              W 77-57         18-14           S. Pykkonen (24 pts 4 reb 2 ast 1 stl 1 blk) G. Smith (23 pts 4 reb 1 ast 1 stl 1 blk)
3/15    (3) St. Francis (NY)      W 66-54         19-14           G. Smith (21 pts 5 reb 1 ast 1 stl) C. Ridnour (13 pts 8 reb 2 ast 2 stl 1 blk)
3/20    (1) Hawaii                L 44-64         19-15           G. Smith (11 pts 5 reb 1 ast) C. Ridnour (7 pts 8 reb 1 ast 1 stl 2 blk)

MARCH 13, 1960 . . . We opened the NIT with a solid 20-point victory over the Columbia Lions, 77-57, behind 47 points from Pykkonen and Smith! Curtis Ridnour added 11 points seven rebounds two assists and SIX BLOCKS as well!

MARCH 14, 1960 . . . Ohio State and Iowa both advanced in the first round of the CBI -- Ohio State beat Texas Southern 77-67, while Iowa won a tight battle against Southern Methodist 73-65.

MARCH 15, 1960 . . . We advanced to the second week of NIT action by beating St. Francis (NY) in a defensive slugfest by a dozen points, 66-54. In the CBI, Wisconsin manhandled Army 82-62 to advance as we all expected.

MARCH 16, 1960 . . . In the NCAA Tournament, Illinois handled (13) Long Beach State with ease, winning 81-59, while (8) Northwestern defensively smothered (9) Florida State 67-52.

MARCH 17, 1960 . . . Michigan State had no trouble whatsoever with (16) Connecticut, cowing the Huskies 74-57, while (4) Maryland bested the 13-seeded New Hampshire Wildcats 77-54.

MARCH 18, 1960 . . . Northwestern ran into the buzzsaw that is (1) Kentucky, losing badly 46-68 as pretty much everyone expected. Illinois beat out (5) Kansas 80-69, earning their shot at playing giant fodder in the Sweet Sixteen.

MARCH 19, 1960 . . . Michigan State handled their business against (9) Alabama, beating the Tide 64-46, while (4) Maryland held off (5) Buffalo 71-58 to set up an all-Big Ten Sweet Sixteen matchup.

MARCH 20, 1960 . . . With a chance to do the unthinkable and advance to the semifinals of the NIT in only our first postseason appearance ever, we blinked under pressure and collapsed quickly against the Rainbow Warriors of Hawaii, losing 44-64 to end our first winning season at 19-15.

MARCH 21, 1960 . . . Iowa won another tight defensive battle against the Texas Southern Tigers, holding them off down the stretch to win 67-58, advancing to the CBI Semifinals.

MARCH 22, 1960 . . . Wisconsin fell to the Washington Huskies in a tight defensive fight this afternoon, losing 61-64 and quietly ending their most disappointing season since before World War II.

MARCH 23, 1960 . . . ILLINOIS BEAT KENTUCKY!!! The Illini did what no one’s been able to do in the tournament in nearly half a decade, taking an early lead on the Wildcats and never letting go, en route to an 87-74 victory that looked more like a blowout than the score wound indicate. The Illini now head to the Elite Eight for the first time since 1957, with a chance to advance to a Final Four for the first time since making three consecutive appearances from 1947-1949. In his 15th year coaching Illinois, head coach Matt Givens would love the chance to cut down the nets, and with Kentucky out of the picture his chances have gotten a lot stronger.

MARCH 24, 1960 . . . Michigan State keeps squandering opportunities as a #1 seed, this year dropping this Sweet Sixteen matchup against (4) Maryland, 43-65. The Terps definitely earned it, but head coach Robert Summmerall will now end his sixth season with the Spartans without a trip to the Final Four. As he readies to turn 66, it’s easy to start wondering if he’s got the energy for that final push. Maryland, meanwhile, heads to the Elite Eight in their first NCAA Tournament appearance since 1955. They have only made the Elite Eight once before (1951) under current coach Robb Dench. If they can advance, it would be their first Final Four as a program.

MARCH 25, 1960 . . . Illinois made it official by pounding (3) South Carolina 82-58, earning their trip to the National Semifinals! Junior guard Derrick Varley led the way with a 19 point four rebound 10 assist double double, while sophomore guard Art Posey added 24 points four rebounds two assists and three steals. Their young players are stepping up under pressure, and I think it’s safe to wonder just how good this Illinois team is going to be in the coming years.

MARCH 26, 1960 . . . Maryland fell against (2) Louisville by a 57-70 margin, but their season was an unqualified success after several seasons middling around the conference and dreaming of their former glory.

MARCH 27, 1960 . . . Iowa beat Rhode Island 70-57 to earn their spot in the CBI Finals.

MARCH 29, 1960 . . . Iowa handled Washington perfectly in the CBT Championship Game, winning 73-64 to end their season on a winning note. They haven’t made the NCAA Tournament since 1946, but they’ve now won 20+ games in consecutive seasons, so head coach Travis Williams seems to have the Hawkeyes trending in the right direction.

APRIL 1, 1960 . . . In the National Semifinals, Illinois smothered (1) Gonzaga 86-57 to earn their first-ever trip to the Championship Game! They’ll match up with (2) Louisville, who beat Oklahoma badly 78-54 to get there as well. This will be Louisville’s third trip to the title game, having lost to Kentucky in 1956 and 1957.

APRIL 3, 1960 . . . Louisville must be cursed, because they came into this game and got completely stifled by the Illini defense in one of the lowest scoring blowouts I’ve ever seen. Illinois led 35-22 at the half and then silenced them completely in the second half en route to a 63-36 victory. The Illini finished the season with a 29-9 record overall, an extremely rare champ having fewer than 30 wins. I suspect they’ll be a dangerous opponent next year, with a young core returning.

Team Leaders
Points: Geoff Smith (14.3 ppg) Curtis Ridnour (10.4 ppg) Seppo Pykkonen (7.9 ppg) Maurice Williams (7.5 ppg) Krunoslav Grbasic (7.2 ppg)
Rebounds: Curtis Ridnour (6.5 rpg) Maurice Williams (5.5 rpg) Geoff Smith (4.2 rpg) Krunoslav Grbasic (3.5 rpg) Johnny Rivera (3.5 rpg)
Assists: Seppo Pykkonen (4.8 apg) Krunoslav Grbasic (2.2 apg) Geoff Smith (2.0 apg) Curtis Ridnour (1.5 apg) Mike Mann (1.2 apg)
Steals: Curtis Ridnour (1.6 spg) Seppo Pykkonen (0.8 spg) Krunoslav Grbasic (0.7 spg)
Blocks: Curtis Ridnour (2.0 bpg) Maurice Williams (1.4 bpg)

Graduating
Johnny Rivera (4.0 GPA) 6.0 ppg 4.9 rpg 1.7 apg 0.8 spg 1.3 bpg (122 games, 91 starts)
Maurice Williams (4.0 GPA) 7.6 ppg 4.6 rpg 1.0 apg 0.6 spg 0.8 bpg (122 games, 89 starts)
Quincy Slaughter (3.6 GPA) 0.8 ppg 0.2 rpg 0.1 apg (67 games)
__________________
* 3 Year Walk-on

Awards
None for us. Jeremy Curry robbed Matt Givens, as the Kentucky Coach took home National Coach of the Year for the sixth time. He was then robbed again by Michigan State’s Robert Summerall, who took home Big Ten Coach of the Year. Michigan State’s Scott Garris won the Norton Award, National Player of the Year and National Defensive Player of the Year. Derrick Varley of Illinois was named the NCAA Tournament’s Most Valuable Player.

APRIL 9, 1960 . . . Our season in review? Let’s see ... Make the NIT? Check. Finish in the top half of the Big Ten? Check ... barely. Get our first winning season? And how! And despite having to cut two scholarship players from the team, our prestige is going up three points, so we met that goal as well. Our goals look to stay the same for next year, though I’m really hoping we can break through and get to the NCAA Tournament for the first time.

APRIL 23, 1960 . . . With our final scholarship, I think we found a real diamond in the rough. Egmont Dugarry, a 6’3” guard from France, is technically a four star recruit ranked #88 overall, but based on my scouting reports I think he’s much better than that -- I’d lump him as a very high four star prospect, with five star potential based on the game films I’ve seen and my personal visit with him and his coaches earlier this month. He’s an excellent defender, passer, handler and scorer who can shoot the lights out from three. And he’s athletic as hell, with basketball IQ you simply can’t teach. He’s got star point guard written all over him, and I’m amazed none of the other programs he showed interest in even offered him a scholarship! His GPA is only 2.5, which might turn off many academic programs, but he aced the SAT with an 1100, and he had academics rated as highly as playing time in importance. I can’t wait to see this kid play for us, I think he’s going to turn some heads.

In other news, the board has agreed to upgrade our school’s athletic facilities for the first time since the late 1930s, a long overdue project that shows they’re putting their full support behind me here. It’s a good thing, because Andrea says she’s not moving again now that we’re settled, and our first child is due right around Thanksgiving! Luckily her family is nearby to provide extra support during the heart of the basketball season. She just turned 33 and I’m about to turn 38, so I know her parents thought we’d taken too long getting to this point anyway -- if they had their way we’d already have settled down with half a dozen kids running around.

Whatever happens, it’s good to have a great job, with a school I can imagine coaching for until I’m ready to hang up this whistle for good. And trust me, I’m nowhere near ready to do that.

[jksander]

Hey guys, decided to load this one back up after a few months off ...
I've been hooked on Out of the Park 24 the last few months, but I assure you this one's not DOA!

- - - - -

SEASON SIXTEEN
1960-61

Coach Information
Name: Rolf “Tex” Kauferhalter
Age / Record: 38 (337-176, .657)
Contract: $261,000 / 2 Years
NCAA Elite Eights: 1 (1957)
NCAA Sweet Sixteens: 4 (1950, 1955-1957)
NCAA Appearances: 9 (1946-1947, 1949-1951, 1955-1958)
NCAA Tourney Record: 11-9 (.550)
NIT Championships: 1 (1948)
NIT Appearances: 2 (1948, 1960)
NIT Record: 7-1 (.875)
CBI Tourney Appearances: 1 (1952)
CBI Tourney Record: 0-1 (.000)
CIT Championships: 1 (1953)
CIT Appearances: 2 (1953-1954)
CIT Record: 5-1 (.833)
Big Ten Tourney Titles: 1 (1956)
Big Ten Coach of the Year: 4 (1953, 1955-1957)
Patriot League Titles: 5 (1946-1947, 1949-1951)
Patriot League Tourney Titles: 3 (1946-1947, 1949)
Patriot League Coach of the Year: 4 (1947-1948, 1950-1951)
Reputation: 55% (+2)
Offense: 51% (+3)
Defense: 100%
Recruiting: 64%
Scouting: 67% (+2)
Development: 45%

School Information
School: Penn State Nittany Lions
Location: State College PA
Conference: Big Ten
Arena: Bryce Jordan Center (Cap: 15,261)
Budget: $209,000 ($129,000 Assistants / $80,000 Recruiting)
Facilities: C+
Academics: B (SAT Min: 940)
School Prestige: 40% (+2)
Conf. Prestige: 85% (-3)

Job Goals
1. Qualify for the NIT Tournament.
2. Finish in the Top Half of the Big Ten Standings.
3. Give Us A Winning Season, Coach!
4. Continue to Improve Our School Prestige.

Recruit Class Ranking: 34th
Big Ten Rank: 9th

It was a great recruiting year for us, and a great recruiting year for the Big Ten across the board so we’ll see long term who won out.

Assistants
AHC: Scott Singletary (58, $63,500 / 4 years, Rep: 24%) - Recruiting (77%)
2nd: Lorenzo McRae (46, $43,000 / 4 years, Rep: 11%) - Scouting (47%)
3rd: Corsley Thornton (53, $22,500 / 5 years, Rep: 10%) - Development (60%)

MAY 29, 1960 . . . Our team chemistry right now is through the roof, and no one transferred out this time around. That means we can simply start planning for our summer recruiting drive, and we only have one scholarship available so we can afford to aim high. Our backup center Terrance Scott will be our only senior this year, which means we’re still very young but also becoming deep with solid young up-and-comers.

JUNE 26, 1960 . . . With only one scholarship to focus on, we’re looking at 31 of the top power forward and center prospects, as we’re a lot weaker at those positions than we are at the guard and small forward positions.

SEPTEMBER 25, 1960 . . . It’s official -- Penn State has its first blue chip recruit! I’ve stayed up on New York State recruiting since my time at Army, and this time my recruiting pipeline pays off big in 6’8” power forward Justin Charity, a five star prospect ranked 20th in the nation! He hails from Hauppauge, New York, and chose us over Syracuse and Duke based on my offer of playing time and our conference’s glittering prestige. He has a 4.0 GPA but obviously wanted to choose a school based on where he’d play the most and I can guarantee you this kid’ll play. He’s got excellent potential, and is an A+ defender, an A+ scorer and an A+ inside shooter. He is also a solid passer and rebounder and can block and steal moderately well for his height. He’s definitely the best recruit we’ve brought in so far at ANY of the schools I’ve coached at.

As for this year, our AD must have been thinking what I was thinking about wanting to get us to the NCAA Tournament and not just settle for the NIT, so he’s built us a tough-as-nails pre-Big Ten schedule. If we can get through this gauntlet and then survive the Big Ten, we’ll be as battle tested as possible and should have the NET rating requisite to staying off the bubble. The schedule includes road trips to Syracuse (11/18), #6 Florida (11/25), #2 Louisville (11/29) and #2 Kentucky (12/13) along with a trip to the Sunshine Shootout in early December.
 
Team Roster
PG - Egmont Dugarry (6’3” 180 lbs Fr) France (International HS) 2.5 GPA (5.0/5.0)
SG - Geoff Smith (6’0” 177 lbs Jr) Greer SC (Blue Ridge HS) 4.0 GPA (4.5/5.0) 14.3 ppg 4.2 rpg 2.0 apg 0.5 spg 0.3 bpg
SF - Blake Miles (6’7” 216 lbs Fr) Glen Burnie MD (Glen Burnie HS) 3.7 GPA (3.0/4.5)
PF - Stevem Reed )6’10” 265 lbs So) Pittsburgh PA (Penn Hills HS) 3.5 GPA (1.0/4.5) 2.5 ppg 1.7 rpg 0.7 apg 0.5 spg 0.1 bpg
C - Curtis Ridnour (6’10” 241 lgs Jr) West Lafayette IN (West Lafayette HS) 4.0 GPA (4.0/5.0) 10.4 ppg 6.5 rpg 1.5 apg 1.6 spg 2.0 bpg

6 - Seppo Pykkonen (6’0” 189 lbs Jr) Finland (International HS) 2.8 GPA (3.0/3.5) 7.9 ppg 3.2 rpg 4.8 apg 0.8 spg 0.3 bpg
7 - Antonio Hope (6’5” 177 lbs Fr) Narrows VA (Narrows HS) 2.9 GPA (3.5/5.0)
8 - Mike Mann (6’5” 174 lbs Jr) Walled Lake Central HS) 3.5 GPA (1.5/3.5) 4.5 ppg 1.1 rpg 1.2 apg 0.5 spg 0.1 bpg
9 - Krunoslav Grbasic (6’8” 208 lbs Jr) Croatia (International HS) 3.8 GPA (3.0/4.0) 7.2 ppg 3.5 rpg 2.2 apg 0.7 spg 0.5 bpg
10 - Andrew Bellamy (6’8” 207 lbs RS) Rochester NH (Spaulding HS) 4.0 GPA (1.5/4.0) insignificant minutes
11 - Terrance Scott (6’9” 252 lbs Sr) Marion Center PA (Marion Center Area HS) 3.9 GPA (2.0/3.5) 1.4 ppg 1.7 rpg 0.3 apg 0.4 spg 0.2 bpg
12 - Eric Isenhour (6’9” 258 lbs Jr) Wingate PA (Bald Eagle Area HS) 3.7 GPA (0.5/0.5)*
13 - Eddie Jackson (6’1” 173 lbs Jr) Lehighton PA (Lehighton Area HS) 3.6 GPA (0.5/0.5)*

RS - Josh Jackson (6’7” 230 lbs So) Sunbury OH (Big Walnut HS) 3.1 GPA (3.0/4.0)
RS - Jacob Barron (6’6” 192 lbs Fr) Mendham NJ (West Morris Mendham HS) 3.9 GPA (2.0/4.0)
___________
* Walk-on

NOVEMBER 13, 1960 . . . Our starting core looks exceptionally strong and exceptionally young. Because I have solid veterans who will be coming off the bench, I can afford to ease Dugarry, Miles and Reed into being immediate starters before I graduaally increase their minutes as they become ready. Pykkonen will be our sixth man, playing 18-20 minutes per game covering the two guard positions. Hope will get 12-14 minutes a game covering small forward and power forward, while Krunoslav Grbasic will get 16-18 minutes a game backing Ridnour up at center and covering Reed for rests when Hope is playing small forward. We have the depth to handle any injuries that may arise, but for the most part I expect us to play eight deep for the most part though I am always open to moving players in who do well in limited minutes.

[jksander]

Code: Select all

Date    Rank   Team                      Score           W/L Record      Key Players
11/15          Texas Tech                W 82-78         1-0             E. Dugarry (23 pts 2 reb 4 ast 1 stl) G. Smith (12 pts 2 reb 7 ast 1 stl)
11/18          @ Syracuse                W 64-51         2-0             G. Smith (17 pts 5 reb 1 ast 1 stl) C. Ridnour (14 pts 8 reb 2 ast 3 stl)
11/22   #22    Providence                W 70-52         3-0             G. Smith (20 pts 10 reb 2 ast) C. Ridnour (11 pts 11 reb 4 ast 3 stl 3 blk)
11/25   #22    @ #19 Florida             L 55-76         3-1             C. Ridnour (13 pts 13 reb 2 ast 1 stl 1 blk) E. Dugarry (15 pts 2 reb)
11/29          @ Louisville              L 53-54         3-2             C. Ridnour (12 pts 9 reb 1 ast 4 blk) E. Dugarry (10 pts 3 reb 2 ast)
12/6           Alabama                   W 70-63         4-2             E. Dugarry (32 pts 2 reb 2 ast 3 stl) G. Smith (12 pts 5 reb 6 ast 2 blk)
12/9           (n) Ohio                  W 62-43         5-2             E. Dugarry (22 pts 1 reb 5 ast 1 stl) G. Smith (17 pts 2 reb 4 ast 3 stl)
12/10          (n) Missouri State        W 67-60         6-2             G. Smith (14 pts 4 reb 3 ast 2 stl 2 blk) C. Ridnour (10 pts 9 reb 2 ast 3 blk)
12/11          (n) Stanford              W 84-63         7-2             E. Dugarry (29 pts 2 reb 6 ast 1 blk) G. Smith (19 pts 8 reb 3 ast 1 stl)
12/13          @ #5 Kentucky             L 61-83         7-3             E. Dugarry (20 pts 2 reb 4 ast) G. Smith (10 pts 4 reb)
12/20          Clemson                   W 67-60         8-3             E. Dugarry (24 pts 1 reb 5 ast) C. Ridnour (14 pts 8 reb 3 ast 2 stl 1 blk)

DECEMBER 25, 1960 . . . Heading into the Big Ten season we’re boasting an 8-3 record overall and the 12th best NET rating in the country! But this year the Big Ten looks even more brutal than ever, with seven teams in the top 25 of the NET and 12 of 14 teams in the top 100 (only Purdue, at 8-2 and #115 in the NET and Rutgers with a 5-4 record and a #221 NET ranking are outside the top 100). No one in the Big Ten has a losing record (yet) and six teams are ranked in the top 25 nationally. So if we’re going to do well this year and get noticed by the tournament committee, we’re going to have to win games against the toughest teams college basketball has to offer. #1 Illinois (11-1, #4 NET), #4 Michigan State (11-0, #5 NET), #5 Maryland (11-1, #2 NET) and #7 Wisconsin (10-1, #18 NET) are all in the top ten, and beyond that we get #12 Indiana (9-2, #24 NET) and #17 Minnesota (11-0, #14 NET), with Ohio State, Michigan, Iowa and ourselves easily a win or two away from potentially peeking our way into those rankings ourselves.

Egmont Dugarry (19.9 ppg 1.7 rpg 3.5 apg), Geoff Smith (12.9 ppg 4.5 rpg 2.7 apg) and Curtis Ridnour (9.3 ppg 9.1 rpg 1.7 apg 1.8 spg 2.4 bpg) are our dominant players, all three of them being underclassmen. Dugarry is easily on his way to Freshman of the Year honors in the Big Ten if he can keep this level of scoring up through the conference season. And Ridnour is quietly putting one of the best defensive seasons I have ever seen. We’re shooting 43.4% from beyond the arc (#2 in the Nation) and our free throw shooting is ranked 22nd nationally (77.2%) but beyond that we’re just above average -- our 91.4 defensive rating is 64th and our overall NET efficiency has us ranked 68th overall. But if we can play well against the Big Ten’s meat grinder, I think a lot more people are going to either be noticing us by the end of February or they’ll be run over by us come March.