Western Illinois, 12 months 21, 2027-2028

Welcome relieve to our simulated dynasty with the Western Illinois Leathernecks in School Hoops 2K8. You will salvage a pudgy explanation of this mission + spoiler-free links to outdated seasons right here. Test out the introduction to this series from early April for pudgy context. As a reminder, we simulate every game in this series and easiest administration the recruiting and training suggestions.

Before we start up 12 months 21 of Coach Rick’s tenure at Western Illinois, right here’s a recap of all the issues that has took plight to this level final season:

Western Illinois entered the season looking out out for out redemption after losing to Cal within the valuable spherical of the NCAA tournament the outdated 12 months. We struggled against a stylish non-convention time table ahead of sweeping the Summit League and all as soon as more capturing the convention tournament championship. We entered the NCAA tournament at 24-6 overall.
We earned a No. 12 seed within the NCAA tournament. We defeated No. 5 seed Minnesota, 89-72, within the valuable spherical. We beat No. 4 seed Ole Omit, 116-85, within the spherical of 32 as senior soar Wilky Henry plight a program story with 46 points. We defeated No. 1 seed Dayton, 109-82, within the Sweet 16, and then we beat No. 2 seed Indiana within the Elite Eight, 105-69. You would possibly presumably furthermore be taught a pudgy recap of our facet dual carriageway to the Final Four right here.
We defeated No. 2 seed Pepperdine, 93-70, within the Final Four. We then beat No. 5 seed Villanova, 97-67, to relish the national championship. Be taught a pudgy recap of our Final Four performance + the offseason right here.
We recruited for one scholarship and landed five-megastar JUCO taking pictures guard Edwin Wolfe after the season.

It’s our third national championship since I arrived at Western Illinois. Dangle the rattling banner!

Fully historic, hilariously dominant stride for our ‘Necks, successful by an moderate of 27.3 points per game at some level of our six-game sweep of the tournament. Did I point out that we relish been a No. 12 seed? We’re the bottom-seeded crew ever to relish the national championship — breaking our salvage story as a No. 10 seed in 2015 — and we did it with without anxiety the ideal margin of victory for any national champion ever.

When I took over at Western Illinois as a recent 25-12 months-dilapidated head coach, I knew the college (be taught: the sport) had a fundamental retirement protection after 40 years. Now we relish now crossed the midway level of the dynasty. A few numbers to contextualize our accomplishments right here to this level:

Total story: 531-126
Summit League traditional season championships: 18
Summit League tournament championships: 15
NCAA tournament appearances: 17
Sweet 16 appearances: 8
Final Four appearances: 4
NCAA tournament story: 36-14

And three ‘ships. The aim is flip the worst college basketball program ever into the most straightforward college basketball program ever. We’re coming for you, Coach Good ample.

Essentially top-of-the-line data? We return four starters from final season. Whereas our stud minute forward Wilky Henry is off to the NBA, each person else is coming relieve, together with iconic energy forward Allan Cunningham. In the outdated two instances we won a national championship, we lost within the valuable spherical the very subsequent 12 months. We can’t let that occur all as soon as more this season.

We’re working it relieve.

Here’s a fundamental perceive at our roster heading into 12 months 21.

Succor-to-relieve national championships is one thing we yet to pause at some level of our time at Western Illinois. We want national title No. 4 and we now relish got the crew to pause it.

Let’s meet the starters. In case you click on the link on their name this would possibly tell their pudgy attributes.

PG Tron Whaley, redshirt senior, 90 overall: Whaley is all the issues we want out of a level guard. He has gigantic dimension at 6’4, he’s the crew’s easiest three-level shooter with an 87 rating from within the relieve of the arc, and he’s been less turnover vulnerable than some of our lead guards within the previous. He furthermore has a sick name. Tron famously scored 21 points within the valuable half of our Sweet 16 relish over No. 1 Dayton final season ahead of leading us to a national title. He already feels fancy a major-three level guard in program history, nonetheless one other title would possibly presumably relish him taking place because the most straightforward to ever play the plight for the ‘Necks. Ragged No. 128 overall recruit with C+ possible.
SG Mathew Alloway, redshirt sophomore, 87 overall: Alloway became a rare freshman starter for the Leathernecks final season and offered an on a conventional foundation scoring presence on the perimeter. He’s grown an chase to 6’7 over the offseason and projects as a burgeoning two-method power at taking pictures guard. Alloway has improved to an 81 rating in three-level taking pictures with promising defensive playmaking capacity. He restful needs to work on his consciousness at both ends. The dilapidated Mr. Basketball out of Minnesota became as soon as the No. 31 overall recruit and has B- possible.
SF Wilbur Ager, redshirt junior, 91 overall: Ager is our easiest unique starter, and he has huge sneakers to possess at minute forward after Wilky Henry’s legendary NCAA tournament stride final season. A 6’7 soar, Ager is a bit shaky as a three-level shooter (75 rating), nonetheless has a smartly-rounded skill plight and no glaring weaknesses in his game. Ragged No. 110 overall recruit out of Chicago with C+ possible.
PF Allan Cunningham, redshirt senior, 92 overall: Cunningham has a possibility to head down because the ideal player in program history as he enters his senior season. The 6’11, 292-pound energy forward is a relentless scorer with a rattling near unstoppable skill plight. Ham uses his big dimension advantages to bully opposing fours down low, nonetheless furthermore can step out and rip three-pointers. He has proven time and time all as soon as more that he is believed to be one of the crucial real gamers we’ve ever had at some level of streams. We can’t wait to gaze how he closes out his legendary occupation. Ragged No. 67 overall recruit and projected prime take hold of within the NBA draft.
C Pat Giddens, redshirt senior, 94 overall: It’s surprising to gaze Giddens return for his senior season after being projected as a lottery take hold of final season. Giddens begins the 12 months because the second very most practical rated player in The US. Whereas he struggled to are dwelling up to his lofty overall rating for noteworthy of his occupation, Giddens proved his value anchoring our title stride within the heart final 12 months. Giddens’ lack of height (6’9) would possibly presumably restful be a pickle against the infamous matchup, nonetheless he is hilariously nice at almost 300 pounds. Final 12 months’s tournament stride need to silence any lingering questions about his game.

We’re going to be playing five guys off the bench for a 10-man rotation. Sophomore heart Kevin Brazzle will be our sixth man as a 7’2 huge man already projected as a fundamental spherical take hold of by NBA scouts. He’ll be joined within the front court by fellow sophomore L.F. Neal, a 6’10, 201 pound string bean who flies at some stage within the court every time he’s within the sport. 6’10 soar Jitim Dupre will accumulate minutes at minute forward as a freshman, whereas legendary recruiting bust Vitor Andrisevic will get a handful of minutes at the 2 in his senior 12 months, and sophomore Jamie Burke runs backup level.

We furthermore welcome one unique recruit this 12 months, five-megastar JUCO taking pictures guard Edwin Wolfe from Federal System, Washington. Wolfe comes in as a 70 overall with C+ possible, which is useless to explain disappointing. He’ll redshirt.

Recruiting

This isn’t only an unlimited season on story of we’re attempting to repeat as national champions — we furthermore relish four scholarships to recruit for to originate certain the future of this system is as appealing because the repeat. Energy forward is the ideal plight of need, on story of we now relish got four gamers who will be redshirt sophomores subsequent 12 months with a hole at the four. I believed to be going after a five-megastar JUCO energy forward, nonetheless finally mediate it’s valuable to focal level on getting right guards.

After surveying the available alternate choices, I take hold of to make use of my early visits on the next gamers:

PG Alexis Willingham out of Chicago, No. 68 overall and No. 28 at his plight
SG Jeromy Perry out of Atlanta, No 55 overall and No. 16 at his plight

I furthermore offer heart Dick Copeland, ranked No. 113 overall and No. 2 at his plight, and energy forward J.J. Bracy, ranked No. 24 overall and No. 2 at his plight, on first day we’re allowed to prolong scholarships.

We furthermore relish a player to relish for the winner of ultimate 12 months’s bracket pickle: reader Gavin. His created player requires a diminutive bit explanation on story of it’s a reference to conception to be one of the crucial rotten moments within the history of our Twitch circulation. A few years relieve, we lost an assistant coach at some level of the offseason. As I went to rent any individual unique, the Twitch chat became going wild telling me to rent a man named Rudolpho Butt. I hired an even coach instead, and the chat grew to alter into on me fleet. It stays a working joke to for the time being. The created player reader Gavin created is selecting to originate? 6’11 energy forward Rudolpho Butt Jr. As a reminder, we don’t straggle after the gamers we recruit to preserve the integrity of the sport, nonetheless we’ll follow Butt Jr. at some stage in his occupation.

It’s time to start up the typical season. We start up the 12 months rated as a 99 overall. Let’s stride it relieve.

First game: @ Dayton

It appears fancy easiest the outdated day we relish been creating Matt Boswell because the winner of our first ever bracket contest. Now he’s a senior energy forward at Dayton and conception to be one of the crucial straightforward gamers in The US. Can’t deem it’s been four years! Whereas many are saying Boswell’s recognition took a success after he predicted he will possible be ‘shedding 28’ on Giddens within the Sweet 16 final 12 months easiest to construct up exclusively demolished, we restful admire what he’s completed at some level of his college occupation. Now let’s ship him out as a loser.

Loss, 89-81. Man, now now not how we desired to start the 12 months. We just fell apart within the second half offensively. Giddens had a nice night scoring the ball, nonetheless he furthermore gave up 28 points to Dayton’s initiating heart. Boswell had 11 points as he became restricted to 18 minutes on story of of injurious effort. Extra troubling: our taking pictures. It’s going to be sophisticated to relish any game whenever you occur to easiest hit four three-pointers. Henry became our most prolific shooter final season so we’ll relish to tell we are able to restful rain threes without him.

Next we’re within the Hawaii Invitational tournament aka We Couldn’t Get the Rights To Call It The Maui. Settle a championship and we have interaction you to Hawaii, these are the principles. Our first game is against Harvard.

Settle, 91-65. Ham going ham with 22 points, 10 rebounds, and three blocks on 11-of-13 taking pictures at the injurious line. Like to gaze Tron with nine dimes to one turnover.

Next up, we face Michigan Issue, who is unranked nonetheless enters at 4-0 on the season.

Settle, 101-82. GIDDENS, what a game. A fab 25 points, seven rebounds, and 4 stocks. Mammoth is shapely. Good to gaze Ager consistently power his method to the dual carriageway and affords us some scoring on the soar. Bench brought it, too. Now we’re within the title game of the tournament against No. 21 Alabama.

We streamed the simulated game on Twitch. It would possibly per chance presumably well tip off whenever you occur to press play.

Settle, 105-82. ~~Maui~~ Hawaii Invitational champs! This felt very identical to our streams final season, when we grew to alter into every game steady into a blow out rapidly after halftime and it never felt fancy there became any likelihood we relish been going to lose. We had six scorers in double-figures, and I became in actuality impressed with Ager and Giddens in explicit. Our Scoot Team just keeps whooping ass. Let’s preserve that energy going.

As we sim to the next week, I gaze that my taking pictures guard recruit Perry will get a proposal from Troy that he likes greater than ours. Bummer, nonetheless this skill that I’m able to start up visiting Bracy, who restful doesn’t relish any diverse affords and already has fundamental curiosity in our Leathernecks. Touchdown Bracy will possible be huge on story of he would accumulate us two coaching points that relish alluded us for the valuable 20 seasons: a) landing a five-megastar recruit in season, and b) signing an All-American. He’d furthermore be one of the best-rated recruit in program history. Here’s hoping. I furthermore offer a scholarship to Skip Clemmons, a 6’6 taking pictures guard ranked No. 38 overall, to replace Perry.

Next up we now relish got No. 17 LSU. The Tigers relish quietly been a relentless winner in this simulation and would possibly presumably wish their easiest crew yet this season. This is a huge test.

Loss, 96-60. Woof. LSU just blew the doorways off us from the opening tip. What an dreadful taking pictures night outside of Ham. That’s why he’s an icon. I’m hoping that is an instance of us being a closer circulation crew than a sim crew.

Next we now relish got Louisville. The Playing cards beat us in a normal season game that we streamed final season and entered the NCAA tournament as a No. 1 seed. It appears fancy they’ve lost a mode of expertise off that crew and enter this game at 3-1 on the 12 months.

Loss, 75-73. Man, that’s a stylish one. Giddens became beautiful, each person else became just ok, and we coughed up the ball method too noteworthy with 10 turnovers. I need more out of my wings Ager and Alloway, who’re method too proficient to be combining for 11 points

As we sim to the next week, we now relish got some data: J.J. Bracy is a Leatherneck!

YUGE. Bracy is one of the best-rated recruit in program history at No. 24 overall, in line with reader Evan’s Leathernecks Recruiting Database. He will get us the 2 coaching points as our first All-American and first five-megastar to commit in-season. He furthermore performs a plight of need and would possibly presumably possible slot into the initiating energy forward space as a redshirt sophomore fiddling with four diverse seniors. This will possible be spirited to gaze how right he is at some level of the circulation games on story of he’s surely undersized for a energy forward at 6’6 and his numbers don’t blow you away. With rather luck he grows. Repeatedly gigantic to land the Mr. Basketball in Illinois both method.

Extra data: Rudolpho Butt Jr. has signed with South Florida!

I believe fancy he’s going to be the most dominant relish-a-player we’ve made yet. Can’t wait to follow his college occupation.

We’re furthermore in plight to land Alexis Willingham, who is at 100 percent with no diverse affords as we head into the second week of the early signing duration.

We play this week Charlotte and then relish our two early convention games

Settle, 85-67. Wooo. Charlotte is furthermore perennially beautiful in this simulation, so it’s shapely gigantic to beat them by 18. Our offense became unfold around evenly to fancy every player the roster; no one with greater than 10, each person on the bench chipping in with a bucket or two. Then we relish both of our early convention games huge and that pushes us to 6-3 on the 12 months.

As I sim to the next week, Alexis Willingham commits!

Willingham is a huge accumulate because the No. 68 overall recruit. He already has right dimension at 6’2 and would possibly presumably optimistically develop as soon as he will get into college. I cherish his scoring capacity (16.3 points per game) and his accuracy from three-level fluctuate (45.8 percent from deep). Turnovers are excessive, nonetheless that’s ok. It’s huge-time to construct up any four-megastar recruit at the early signing duration. It is miles in actuality rare that we land a pair of recruits at the early signing sever relieve-off date, so I am overjoyed by this.

We’re furthermore in gigantic plight for both of our diverse targets: heart Dick Copeland and taking pictures guard Skip Clemmons. We lead by some distance for Copeland, and he doesn’t relish any diverse affords. He’d be our very most practical-rated heart recruit ever (No. 2 at his plight) despite the indisputable truth that he’s furthermore rapid for a five man at 6’8. Clemmons has elite dimension for a taking pictures guard 6’6, 226 pounds and is furthermore a 47.2 percent three-level shooter. Would be our easiest class ever if we are able to land both within the spring.

Now we relish two games this week: dwelling against Illinois and on the facet dual carriageway against Kansas at Phog Allen. Let’s preserve the momentum going vs. our with no rupture in sight rival the Illini.

Loss, 68-67. Ugh. Illinois is decent this season nonetheless they don’t relish anybody near 90 overall, so that is a huge upset. Throw out the story books when these two applications meet, I say. Our wings in actuality let us down. How are Alloway and Ager easiest combining for three shot attempts on the night? On the streams it feels fancy Alloway averages three shot attempts himself every two minutes.

Now Kansas. Jayhawks are in one thing of a rebuilding 12 months nonetheless are restful proficient af. Please point out that Illini loss became an aberration.

Settle, 89-69. Hell yeah. Thought at our 7’2 backup heart Kevin Brazzle straggle to work: 22 points in 24 minutes. That’s the method in which you accumulate on the NBA’s radar as a redshirt sophomore. We’ve never had anybody straggle away that early, on the different hand it will possible be form of awesome to gaze him pause it despite the indisputable truth that hurts us within the rapid term. Ham became gigantic as smartly with 23 points. We easiest relish one traditional season game left and it’s against No. 2 Florida.

Florida is exclusively stacked and has conception to be one of the crucial straightforward rosters within the nation. Here is measuring stick game.

Loss, 82-78. Refined loss, nonetheless I fancy that we competed. Giddens has attach apart together a terribly solid non-convention season and is taking a huge leap up in manufacturing as a senior to abet possess the scoring void left by Wilky Henry. I wouldn’t be taken aback if we gaze Florida all as soon as more in March.

We enter convention season at 7-5 overall. Will we stride the table the leisure of the method in which? Yes we are able to. We sweep the Summit League as soon as all as soon as more and enter the convention tournament because the prime seed at 23-5 overall. Here’s a perceive at our discontinuance-of-season stats.

Our huge men just wrecked all the issues of their method this 12 months. Giddens took a huge scoring leap as a senior (19.2 points per game) to lead the crew, Cunningham continued to tell he’s conception to be one of the crucial legitimate performers in program history, and Brazzle showed why he’s a projected first spherical draft take hold of by changing into our third leading scorer despite being our sixth man. Supreme nice to relish a 7’2 backup heart with that form of capacity.

Here’s a perceive at the taking pictures percentages. My first conception: Giddens greater than 35 percent from three on legitimate quantity??? I’ve never viewed him hit a three with my salvage eyes. Also this crew needs to be jacking method, some distance more threes. Now we relish shooters all around the place. That will be nice to relish in our relieve pocket come tournament time.

Now it’s time for the Summit League tournament

2028 Summit League tournament

Time to lock down the automatic disclose to the NCAA tournament. Our first game is against IUPUI.

Settle, 91-43. Ham, Giddens, Brazzle, all fabulous. I cherish my huge, beefy boys. How is anybody speculated to matchup with three bigs so huge and so professional? Next game is against Southern Utah.

Settle, 101-59. Throwing Giddens and Brazzle on the market against Summit League centers is barely unfair. Now we face UL-Calcutta for the convention tournament title and the automatic berth to the NCAA tournament. Let’s straggle!

Settle, 95-57. We’re going dancing!

I am fascinated to gaze what seed we accumulate this time around. There relish been a pair of spectacular wins on our resume, nonetheless furthermore a pair rotten losses within the non-convention slate. I’m taking into consideration shall we accumulate wherever between a No. 8 seed and a No. 12 seed. Wait on away from that 8-9 matchup will possible be for the most straightforward so as that we don’t relish to gaze a major-seed within the second spherical.

2028 NCAA tournament

Welp. We accumulate a No. 9 seed and a fundamental spherical matchup with No. 8 Michigan. If we relish, prime-seeded Xavier will be waiting within the spherical of 32. The hunt to repeat is going to construct up very spirited within the valuable weekend.

Here’s a perceive at our roster heading to the tournament:

There’s a gradual case to be made that that is our easiest roster ever.

All five starters are rated as a 90 or above. Now we relish almost 600 pounds and 190 overall points within the front court. Knock down shooters within the backcourt. One other 90-rated player off the bench and oh yeah he’s 7’2.

I’m furthermore afraid to notify Giddens is our very most practical-rated heart ever. At 96 overall, he’s tied with Ime Terrell, Bert Draughan, Billy Assel, and Vernard Fulton because one of the best rated player in program history, per reader Evan’s database. There’s so noteworthy depth on this crew, too. There’s easiest one quiz: who will possess Henry’s void as our straggle-to perimeter scorer? Ager, Alloway, and Tron are all proficient ample to pause it, nonetheless any individual will want to step up if we’re going to repeat.

We’ve never streamed a game against Michigan ahead of, so that is going to be a relaxing matchup. Here’s a perceive at how the 2 teams stack up:

We’re a 100 overall in every category nonetheless coaching — and the 2 bonus points we just got for landing Bracy will abet with that within the offseason. Here’s a perceive at Michigan’s roster.

I’m feeling gigantic about our chances at repeating, nonetheless the valuable weekend is going to be a gigantic test. We’re streaming the valuable weekend of the 2028 NCAA tournament on Thursday, Sept. 3 at 8: 30 p.m. ET on Twitch. Extra data on that in a second. Nonetheless first, let’s accumulate to this 12 months’s bracket contest.

Bracket contest

We’ve been working a bracket contest for the outdated couple of seasons, and it’s been a ton of relaxing. We’re opening it up to anybody who needs to enter so long as you flip to your bracket ahead of we circulation our first NCAA tournament game on Thursday, Sept. 3 at 8: 30 p.m. ET on Twitch.

Here’s a perceive at the pudgy NCAA tournament bracket.

Here is all the issues you wish to know:

How does scoring work?

We use a protracted-established scoring structure. You accumulate one level for because it would possibly presumably be guessing the winner in a fundamental spherical game, two points for because it would possibly presumably be a winner in a spherical of 32 game, four points for because it would possibly presumably be guessing a winner in a Sweet 16 game, eight points for because it would possibly presumably be guessing a winner in an Elite Eight game, 16 points for because it would possibly presumably be guessing a winner within the Final Four, and 32 points for because it would possibly presumably be guessing the national champion.

Can I gaze the rosters for the diverse teams?

Yes. You will salvage the rosters for every crew on the honest facet of the bracket within the East and West regionals right here. You will salvage the rosters for every crew on the left facet of the bracket for the South and Midwest regionals right here. Correct arrow over to scroll by the rosters.

How pause I enter?

1. Click this link to start the interactive bracket.

2. After opening, within the prime left take hold of File > Carry out a Replica

3. Carry out your picks

4. In the prime left, take hold of File and both “Half” and share with [email protected] or “Electronic mail as attachment” and e mail as an Excel file (now now not PDF please!) to [email protected]

As soon as your picks are entered, you would possibly per chance presumably presumably observe scoring with Sean’s Blog Team app that works on desktop and mobile.

What does the winner accumulate?

The winner will get to relish themselves or a persona as a five-megastar recruit ahead of subsequent season. We won’t straggle after the created recruits at Western Illinois to preserve the integrity of the sport, nonetheless we’ll follow the occupation of your personality at some stage in our series.

Please enter the bracket contest and be a part of us on Thursday, on story of it’s going to be in actuality relaxing. Here’s the method in which you would possibly per chance presumably presumably see Western Illinois vs. Michigan within the NCAA tournament.

No. 9 seed Western Illinois vs. No. 8 seed Michigan, first spherical, 2028 NCAA tournament

Game: No. 9 seed Western Illinois vs. No. 8 seed Michigan, first spherical, 2028 NCAA tournament

Easy how to see: My Twitch channel. You don’t want to register for anything else to see, nonetheless you pause want to register for an story to comment. Attain it, it’s relaxing.

Date: Thursday, Sept. 3 at 8: 30 p.m. ET on Twitch.

Tip-off time: 8: 30 p.m. ET

If we relish: We’ll face the winner of No. 1 seed Xavier vs. No. 16 seed South Carolina Issue within the spherical of 32 abruptly following the valuable spherical game. I’m furthermore taking into consideration we’ll circulation the Sweet 16 game too if we relish. Why now now not?

A few links ahead of I accumulate out of right here.