Path to the Hall of Fame

[randy]

3/17/99: (11) South Carolina St (23-7, 12-4) vs (6) #9 Sam Houston St (27-4, 13-1)

Scouting Report

1. Primary defense: 1-3-1 zone
2. Offense focus: Balanced (slow)
3. Key players:
- Fr PG Kyle Williams (13.3 ppg, 4.2 apg)
- So SG Terrance Simon (10.8 ppg, 52% FG)

4. Offense is not their strong suit, but their slow pace helps to keep their opponents scoring only 61.7 ppg (#1 - MEAC)

5. How they got here:
- Finished 1st MEAC regular season; won conference tournament

Initial instructions

[INDENT]1. Offense Sets / Focus: Auto / Favor Inside
2. Offense Pace / Freedom: 8 / 35%
3. Off / Def Rebounding Crash: 9 / 8
4. Defense Sets / Intensity: 1-2-2 / 8
5. Pressure Set / Frequency: Auto / 7

They don't seem to have players who can score inside the paint. A high-scoring game would be an advantage for us.
[/INDENT]


Tip off (1st Half)

15:56, Up 12-4
We established our inside game early

11:14, Up 20-9
PF Tyrone Walls, 10 pts, 3 rebs. SCST has 5 turn overs

7:25, Up 22-16
We're missing medium range jumpers


Halftime, Up 34-26
Our lwo FG shooting continued. SCST was able to tie it at 22. Somehow, we were able to squeeze in 12-2 run, before SCST hits a basket at the buzzer

PF Tyrone Walls is the only consistent player we have on offense, 14 pts, 6 rebs, 7-10 FG. Rest of the team shot 8-25 FG

Starting guards for SCST, PG Kyle Wiliams and SG Terrance Simon combined for 11 pts.


Start of 2nd Half

15:05, Up 46-32
SG Keith Field converted 4 jumpers at the start of the 2nd half. Field with 14 pts

11:21, Up 51-37

7:13, Up 61-39
A series of SCST turn overs, and a string of baskets by C Josh Fredrick in the paint, have put teh results of this game beyond doubt

2:27, Up 65-44
Bench warmers to come in


Final score: South Carolina St - 44, Sam Houston St - 71

Box Score

[INDENT]Fredrick 20, 8, 2 (*)
Field 16, 3, 3
Walls 14, 9, 0
McCoy 9, 5, 3, 4 stls
Holmes 8, 4, 2
Wallace 2, 3, 2, 3 tos
Newby 2, 3, 1
Johnson 0, 4, 5
Fields 0, 0, 0
Baxter 0, 0, 0
[/INDENT]

Team Stats Comparisons

[INDENT]FG: 46-34%
REB: +14 (14-4 off)
TO: -9 (8-17)
Paint: +32 (48-16)
2nd Chance : +13 (18-5)
Fast Break: +13 (20-7)
[/INDENT]

Post Game Notes
[INDENT]1. At one point in the 1st half, we were shooting below 40% FG. We simply capitalized on our 2nd chance and fast break opportunities.
2. PG Kyle Williams of SCST finished with 12 pts, 5-14 FG, 5 tos
[/INDENT]

[randy]

3/17/99: (6) #9 Sam Houston St (28-4, 13-1) vs (3) #10 Oregon (26-5, 17-1)

Scouting Report

1. Primary defense: M2M
2. Offense focus: Outside
3. Key players:
- So SG Frank Perry (23.8 ppg, 5.6 rpg, 10.7 FTApg, 87% FT, 1-time All Conf, #26 class rank)
- Jr(R) SG Ryan Young (9.7 ppg)
- So SG KenKay Wiel (9.5 ppg, 4.3 apg)

4. Oregon starts with a 3-guard lineup (but no natural PG). They rarely try to score inside the paint, but they are successful because of:
- they go to the line a lot, and convert most of them = 25.1 FTApg (#3 Nat'l), 79.9% FT (#5 Nat'l)
- good defense = 41.0% opp FG (#1 Pac 12), 17.1 opp topg (#1 Pac 12)

5. How they got here:
- Finished 1st Pac 12 regular season; lost conference tournament final to Colorado
- (Round 1) Def Louisiana-Monroe, 74-61 (Perry - 21 pts, 6 rebs; Oregon 20-27 FT)

Initial instructions

[INDENT]1. Offense Sets / Focus: Auto / Favor Inside
2. Offense Pace / Freedom: 8 / 35%
3. Off / Def Rebounding Crash: 9 / 9
4. Defense Sets / Intensity: 1-2-2 / 8
5. Pressure Set / Frequency: Auto / 9

Oregon takes less than 9 3s per game, so most of their outside shots are from inside the arc. We need to be quick on our defensive rotation on the 1-2-2 zone. If Perry gets hot, we may shift to m2m and double him.

We need to pressure more, since they don't have a natural PG in their starting lineup.
[/INDENT]


Tip off (1st Half)

15:59, Up 10-0
We went inside majority of the time, and the guards were able to a hit a couple of outside shots. OR's SG Frank Perry not a good start, with 2 turn overs

11:51, Up 14-4
Not a good game to watch in terms of half court execution; teams have combined for 13 turn overs already (SAM-5, OR-8). OR's Frank Perry heads to the bench, 0-3 FG, 6 turn overs.

7:54, Up 19-7
We have not pulled away completely despite the numerous opportunities given to us by OR; we're +8 FGA.

3:39, Up 27-20
We're in the penalty. OR's SG Frank Perry has converted 6 FTs. Inside pts helped us hang on to the lead


Halftime, Up 37-27
The 1st half was characterized by lots of turn overs and lots of FTs. We have 7 turn overs, while OR had 12. OR shot 10-13 FT, while we're not far behind at 9-11 FT

PF Tyrone Walls led all scorers with 12 pts, 7 rebs. C Josh Fredrick had 9 pts, 4 rebs.

OR's SG Frank Perry with 8 pts, 1-6 FG, 8 turn overs


Start of 2nd Half

15:40, Up 40-38
OR off to a fast start

14:39, Down 40-42
OR's Frank Perry has just hit his 2nd FG, which gave them the lead. Nothing falling on offense; we're down to 37% FG

11:34, Down 46-47
Only C Josh Fredrick has provided our offense in the 2nd half. Other are struggling, like SG Keith Field (2-12 FG), and SF Jafar Newby (1-5 FG)

7:49, Up 54-49
SF Jafar Newby scored 4 straight pts, and then had a big block on the defensive end. PG Billy Johnson and PF Tyrone Walls both on the bench with 4 fouls each. During the timeout, I encouraged SG Keith Field (2-14 FG) to let the game come to him, instead of forcing his shots

5:24, Up 58-53
OR cut the lead to 3 on 2 occasions, but C Josh Fredrick has hit a basket on both instances. Fredrick has a double double, 20 pts, 10 rebs. I'll give Fredrick a short rest

3:51, Up 64-53
PF Tyrone Walls took over scoring 6 straight pts while C Josh Fredrick is on the bench. Walls with 20 pts, 8 rebs. Both Walls and Fredrick have been huge today.

OR hits 2 FTs. PG Billy Johnson couldn't hit the the front-end of his FT. And then Johnson commits his 5th foul. Both teams in penalty

3:28, Up 64-55

OR: 1-and-1. Hits both. OR steady from the line, 18-21 FT (86%)

3:28, Up 64-57

SAM: We isolate PF Tyrone Walls on the low post. Walls makes his move. Walls with a monster dunk and scores! Walls with 22 pts

3:15, Up 66-57

OR: Miss. Ball goes out. They keep the ball. They run a play for SG Frank Perry, Perry shoots. Miss. Perry is 2-11 FG today
SAM: Foul. 1-and-1 for PG Davor Holmes. Hits both. I bring back C Josh Fredrick

2:45, Up 68-57

I shouted my instructions to slow down the game. Max def rebounding

OR: They miss
SAM: Foul again. Holmes to shoot FTs. Holmes hits both again. Holmes with 6 pts (4-4 FT)

2:15, Up 70-57

OR: SG Frank Perry shoots. Perry misses again. Perry is 2-12 FG
SAM: We go to PF Tyrone Walls. Walls takes his strong. Slam dunk! Walls with 24 big pts.

1:47, Up 72-57

That should do it. On to the Sweet 16 for the 4th straight year!


Final score: Sam Houston St - 78, Oregon - 59

Box Score

[INDENT]Walls 26, 11, 3 (*)
Fredrick 20, 11, 1, stls
Holmes 8, 4, 2
Newby 8, 3, 1, 3 stls
McCoy 6, 6, 0, 3 tos
Johnson 6, 2, 1, 2 stls
Field 4, 6, 2, 4 tos
Wallace 0, 2, 1
[/INDENT]

Team Stats Comparisons

[INDENT]FG: 42-33%
REB: +18 (21-8 off)
TO: -6 (12-18)
Paint: +36 (48-12)
2nd Chance : +15 (26-11)
Fast Break: +16 (26-10)
[/INDENT]

Post Game Notes
[INDENT]1. It was close for about 75% of the game, and then OR just disintegrated towards the end. Their lack of a post presence was evident today, as we grinded our way to 21 off rebs, and 26 2nd chance pts.
2. We also hounded OR's back court. Their 3-guard starting lineup of Perry / Wiel / Young accounted for 15 turnovers. SG Frank Perry in particular, was harassed all game; Perry finished with 14 pts, 2-12 FG, 10-10 FT, 9 turn overs
[/INDENT]

[randy]

3/17/99: (6) #9 Sam Houston St (29-4, 13-1) vs (2) #18 St. John's (21-11, 9-7)

St. John's are appearing on their 17th Sweet 16 in school history; they have not won the NCAA tournament, but had 5 Final Four under their belt.

Scouting Report

1. Primary defense: M2M
2. Offense focus: Balanced (slow)
3. Key players:
- Sr SG Kirk Lopez (14.5 ppg, 4.5 rpg, #21 class rank)
- Sr PG Mac Alexander (10.4 ppg, 3.3 apg, #23 class rank)
- Sr PF Justin DeClerq (9.4 ppg, 5.1 rpg, #39 class rank)
- Sr C Matt Williams (8.1 ppg, 8.3 rpg - #5 Big East, 1-time All Conf)

4. Seven players who play the most minutes are all seniors. With such experience playing together, it's natural that they seldom turn the ball over (12.3 topg - #1 Big East, #12 Nat'l).

Defense is St. John's forte
- 59.1 opp ppg (#2 Big East)
- 17.3 opp topg (#1 Big East, #11 Nat'l)

In their last game (Round 32), they shut down Wake Forest to a measly 37 points (32% FG, 0-12 3PT, 18 turn overs)

5. How they got here:
- Finished 8th Big East; lost in quarter-finals to top-seeded Rutgers
- (Round 1) Def Alcorn St, 86-55 (Alexander - 25 pts, 4-8 3PT; ALCST: 19 turn overs)
- (Round 2) Def Wake Forest, 44-37 (Williams - 6 pts, 14 rebs; WF: 0-12 3PT)

Initial instructions

[INDENT]1. Offense Sets / Focus: Auto / Favor Inside
2. Offense Pace / Freedom: 9 / 35%
3. Off / Def Rebounding Crash: 9 / 9
4. Defense Sets / Intensity: 2-3 zone / 8
5. Pressure Set / Frequency: Auto / 8

St John's attempts more than 17 3PApg, but only shoots 26% 3PT; none of their perimeter players shoot more than 30% 3PT

We can gamble on the 2-3 zone, and force them to shoot long shots. We also need to box out, and not give up off rebounds. Finally, we need to control the pace, and play up-tempo
[/INDENT]


Tip off (1st Half)

15:01, Up 8-4
STJOH forced to settle for outside shots, 1-7 FG. SG Keith Field continues to struggle for us, 1-4 FG

11:28, Down 11-14
Suddenly, STJOH hits 3 consecutive 3s

7:42, Down 17-22

3:38, Tied at 22
STJOH shooting has cool down the past 4 minutes. PF Rashif McCoy has scored 4 straight pts.

1:48, Down 26-30
STJOH added 2 more 3s. They are now 6-16 3PT. I've decided to stick with the 2-3 zone


Halftime, Down 28-41
Another 3, a series of miscues by us including back-to-back turn overs on our back court, and just like that, we are down by double digits. I was upset with the performance of the team

For STJOH, their back court tandem of PG Mac Alexander and SG Kirk Lopez combined for 20 pts.

We'll shift to 1-2-2 zone in the 2nd half


Start of 2nd Half

16:52, Down 36-43
We came aggressive on defense, forcing 2 turn overs for STJOH

13:38, Down 40-49
Can't bring down the lead to less than 7

11:44, Down 42-51
We will press all the time from now on

10:38, Down 44-51
I was having a hard time deciding if I should take out SG Keith Field. Although he is our top scorer (10 pts), he has missed a lot of shots today (5-17 FG). He is of course, the NCAA MOP last season, so he could explode anytime. But at this point in the game, we need consistency on offense more than anything else. I decided to replace him

8:43, Down 46-53
We'll go heavy inside

We cut it to 5, by STJOH responded with a 5-0 run, including another 3

6:12, Down 48-58

We will employ 1-2-2 full court press every time

We were down by 8, and STJOH has the ball. We steal, ran the break and score. We made another stop. And then PG Billy Johnson hits a 3.

3:37, Down 57-60

STJOH: PG Mac Alexander has the ball on the outside. He attempts a 3 from the left corner. Miss. We rebound
SAM: PG Billy Johnson shoots. Blocked. STJOH recover
STJOH: They miss another 3

2:46, Down 57-60

SAM: We threw the ball away. Its out 12th turn over. Another wasted opportunity.
STJOH: It's SG Kirk Lopez with the ball this time. He shoots a 3. Miss again
SAM: PG Billy Johnson with the ball. Johnson pass to PG Davor Holmes on the outside. Holmes makes his move; moves closer. Shoots a jumper. Miss, but a foul was called. 2 FTs for Holmes. Hits the 1st. Hits the 2nd

2:05, Down 59-60

STJOH: They go the post to C Matt Williams. Williams shoots. Miss. Williams gets the off rebound. Shoots again. Williams scores plus a foul! What a big basket by Williams. Williams to shoot a bonus FT. He hits. I call a time out

1:43, Down 59-63

Plenty of time. No need to go for a 3. We can still pound the ball inside and get a 2

SAM: PG Billy Johnson pass to SF Jafar Newby. Newby makes his move. Shoots. Miss. Ball goes of bounds. STJOH ball. 1:29
STJOH: Foul called. Only our 6th team. They inbound again. Turnover. I call another timeout

1:00, Down 59-63

In a bold move, I will send back SG Keith Field. I will go with a small lineup. We'll look for 3s. Heavy outside. Max off rebounding. Season on the line

SAM: PG Billy Johnson to SG Keith Field. Back to Johnson. Johnson shoots a 3. Miss
STJOH: Turnover. 0:34 left. We need to hurry.
SAM: Stolen by STJOH in our back court. But we stole it back. SF Jafar Newby gets the outlet on the break. Newby scores.

0:22, Down 61-63

I shouted instructions to foul quickly

STJOH: Foul. Our 7th team. 1-and-1 for PG Mac Alexander. It's Alexander's 1st trip to the line today. Hits the 1st. Hits the 2nd.

0:16, Down 61-65

SAM: STJOH playing good defense. We can't get a shot. Finally, PG Billy Johnson shoots a 3. Miss. Time expires


Final score: Sam Houston St - 61, St John's - 65

Box Score

[INDENT]Walls 11, 12, 0
Johnson 11, 5, 4, 3 stls, 4 tos
Fredrick 10, 7, 0
Field 10, 4, 1
Newby 7, 5, 1, 3 stls, 5 tos
Holmes 6, 5, 1
McCoy 6, 3, 2
Wallace 0, 1, 1
[/INDENT]

Team Stats Comparisons

[INDENT]FG: 38-37%
REB: +8
TO: -Even (13-13)
Paint: +22 (40-18)
2nd Chance : +8 (15-7)
Fast Break: +14 (24-10)
[/INDENT]

Post Game Notes
[INDENT]1. Tough game for the entire 40 minutes. We controlled the pace given the number of shots made, and our fast break pts. We just didn't hit enough shots. The breakdown we had at the end of the 1st half meant we had to play catch up the entire 2nd half. But towards the end of the game, we have given ourselves a chance. Big shot by STJOH's center, who was only 3-9 FG prior to, what proves to be the game-winning shot
2. STJOH's SG Kirk Lopez was named POG, 14 pts, 6 rebs, 2-6 3PT.
[/INDENT]

Not a bad NCAA run during the last 4 years: 1 national championship, 1 Elite 8, 2 Sweet 16.

[randy]

#18 St John's beat #23 North Carolina in the West Regionals Final, 64-59. St John's converted 13 3s, and forced UNC to commit 24 turn overs

Final 4
- (11) Kansas def (1) #1 Oklahoma, 68-61
- (1) #2 North Carolina St def (2) #18 St. John's, 70-65

Championship
- (11) Kansas def (1) #2 North Carolina St., 56-52

Congratulations to Kansas Jayhawks, who won their 2nd national title. Kansas had a rough regular season, finishing 23-13 (10-6), lost in the semifinals of the Big 12 tournament, but had a great run in the Big Dance, defeating both the #1 and #2-ranked teams along the way

[randy]

Southland Player of the Year
- PF Tyrone Walls

Southland Defensive Player of the Year
- SG Keith Field

Southland All-Conference 1st Team
- SG Keith Field
- PF Tyrone Walls
- C Josh Fredrick

Southland All-Conference 2nd Team
- SF Jafar Newby

I won Southland Coach of the Year, with a 29-5 (0.853) record

[randy]

1. SG Keith Field
- 2 seasons (JuCo recruit)
- 61 regular season games (61 starts), 27.2 mpg, 14.7 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 2.6 apg, 1.1 spg, 0.4 bpg, 43% FG, 31% 3PT, 80% FT
- 9 NCAA tournament games (17.1 ppg, 4.8 rpg, 2.3 apg)
- NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player (1998), Southland Defensive Player of the Year (1999), Southland All-Conference 1st Team (1998, 1999)
- 4.0 GPA

2. SF Jafar Newby
- 2 seasons (JuCo recruit)
- 56 regular season games, 26.6 mpg, 11.4 ppg, 4.4 rpg, 1.7 apg, 1.1 spg, 0.4 bpg, 50% FG, 24% 3PT, 83% FT
- 9 NCAA tournament games (7.7 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 1.9 spg)
- Southland All-Conference 2nd Team (1999)
- 4.0 GPA

3. PG Davor Holmes
- 2 seasons (JuCo recruit)
- 61 regular season games (31 starts), 20.8 mpg, 5.6 ppg, 2.7 rpg, 3.7 apg, 0.5 spg, 0.0 bpg, 49% FG, 36% 3PT, 83% FT
- 9 NCAA tournament game (4.7 ppg)
- 4.0 GPA

4. PF Rashif McCoy
- 3 seasons at Sam Houston St (So transfer) + 1 season at Rider
- 101 regular season games (10 starts), 22.2 mpg, 7.6 ppg, 5.7 rpg, 0.9 apg, 0.8 spg, 0.3 bpg, 57% FG, 69% FT
- 12 NCAA tournament game (6.6 ppg, 5.8 rpg, 51% FG)
- 4.0 GPA

5. SF Angelo Wallace
- 3 seasons at Sam Houston St (So transfer) + 1 season at Alcorn St
- 118 regular season games (118 starts), 18.5 mpg, 3.7 ppg, 3.0 rpg, 1.3 apg, 0.6 spg, 0.2 bpg, 46% FG, 25% 3PT, 83% FT
- 12 NCAA tournament game (2.0 ppg)
- 4.0 GPA

[randy]

Major Job Offers Received

1. Alabama
- Team Prestige: 31
- Season Record: 7-21 (3-13)

2. Cincinnati
- Team Prestige: 31
- Season Record: 8-19 (4-12)

3. Northwestern
- Team Prestige: 31
- Season Record: 7-21 (2-16)

4. USC
- Team Prestige: 20
- Season Record: 7-21 (6-12)

5. Virginia Tech
- Team Prestige: 33
- Season Record: 7-21 (4-14)


Each of these teams will be in a rebuilding mode. I've been with Sam Houston St for the past 6 years, and had success with the program, highlighted by a national title. But I think it's time to accept a new challenge.

I have decided to transfer to University of Southern California.

[randy]

Summary
Years: 6
W-L Record: 173-23 (0.883)
National Titles: 1
Conference Titles: 6
Conference COY: 6


NCAA Record
Appearances: 6
W-L Record: 14-5
Sweet 16: 4
Elite 8: 2
Final 4: 1
Finals: 1
Titles: 1


By Season Breakdown
Legend: Year, Record, Final Rank, Postseason

1998-99, 29-5, #9, NCAA Sweet 16 (lost to St John's)
1997-98, 34-2, #9, NCAA Champions
1996-97, 29-3, #8, NCAA Sweet 16 (lost to Arkansas)
1995-96, 30-3, #12, NCAA Elite 8 (lost to Wake Forest)
1994-95, 27-4, #10, NCAA 2nd Round (lost to UNLV)
1993-94, 24-6, #21, NCAA 1st Round (lost to Bradley)


Notable Players

NCAA MOP
- SG Keith Field (1998)

All-American Team
- SG Charles Burditt (1996, 1997)
- PF Dana Cook (1994)

Conference POY
- PF Tyrone Walls (1999)
- C Glendon Jackson (1998)
- SG Charles Burditt (1996, 1997)
- PF Dana Cook (1994, 1995)

Conference DPOY
- SG Keith Field (1999)
- PG Ray Smith (1998)
- PG Joem Thomas (1996)
- PF Dana Cook (1994, 1995)

All-Conference
- PF Tyrone Walls (1999)
- C Josh Fredrick (1999)
- SF Jafar Newby (1999)
- SG Keith Field (1998, 1999)
- C Glendon Jackson (1997, 1998)
- PF Linehan Johnson (1997, 1998)
- PG Ray Smith (1997, 1998)
- SG Charles Burditt (1996, 1997)
- C Jamaal Rowles (1996)
- PG Flye Griffin (1996)
- PF Keyon Griffin (1996)
- PF Dana Cook (1994, 1995)
- SF Jason Carr (1994, 1995)
- SG David Coulibaly (1994)

Drafted in the NBA
- PG Ray Smith (1998, 2nd Round)
- PG Joem Thomas (1997, 2nd Round)

[randy]

School Name: University of Southern California
Mascot Name: Trojans
Location: Los Angeles, CA

Arena: Galen Center (cap: 10,258)
Facilities: C

Conference: Pac 12
Conf Prestige: 58

Team Prestige: 20
Starting Budget: 227,000
Academics: A
Minimum SAT Score: 1000


History:
- Historical W-L: 702-996 (0.413)
- NCAA Appearances: 9 (twice in Sweet 16)
- NIT Appearances: 7
- CBI Appearances: 0
- Conference Championships: 0

Previous Season:
- Record: 7-21 (6-12)
- Conference Tournament: Lost 1st Round
- Did not qualify in any post-season tournament

[randy]

Made some cuts, and recruited the best available JCs within region (West). The following have signed

1. SF Damion Hutson, 6-6 (rank #52)
OVR: B, ATH: B, SCR: B, PAS: A

2. C Aaron Thorne, 7-1 (rank #56)
OVR: B, ATH: F, REB: A, SCR: B

3. PG Marquel Jamison, 5-10 (rank #60)
OVR: A, ATH: B, PAS: A, HAN: B

4. C JR Myers, 6-9 (rank #83)
OVR: B, ATH: D, SCR: B, INS: B

5. SG Justin Taylor (rank #468)
OVR: B, ATH: B, SCR: B, HAN: B

6. PF Brian Salvi (rank #534)
OVR: B, ATH: C, SCR: B, INS: B