The commence of Western Illinois’ NCAA tournament bustle in Yr 20, continued

Welcome relief to our simulated dynasty with the Western Illinois Leathernecks in College Hoops 2K8. Yow will detect a corpulent clarification of this venture + spoiler-free hyperlinks to previous seasons here. Try the introduction to this series from early April for corpulent context. As a reminder, I simulate every game on this series (even these we compare on Twitch) and ideal take care of the recruiting and training solutions.

We purchase up with Western Illinois within the first round of the 2027 NCAA tournament. Right here’s a recap of every little thing that has came about to this level this season:

Western Illinois entered the season searching for redemption after losing to Cal within the first round of the NCAA tournament final year. We started the original season rated as a 96 total with three original starters. We went 3-6 against a intriguing non-convention agenda sooner than sweeping the Summit League and once more shooting the convention tournament championship.
We enter the tournament as a No. 12 seed. Our opponent within the first round is No. 5 seed Minnesota.
We recruited for one scholarship and are in tell to land five-huge title JUCO shooting guard Edwin Wolfe within the spring.

READ: Western Illinois, Yr 20, 2026-2027

Right here’s a sight at our roster heading into the 2027 NCAA tournament:

Now not going to lie, there’s some valid pressure heading into this tournament bustle in my 20th season as head coach at Western Illinois. We saw our season stop within the Elite Eight in Yr 16, Yr 17, and Yr 18. We misplaced within the first round final season. While I already have a formidable case as the ideal mid-most fundamental coach in college basketball historic previous, every person is aware of this is a “what have you ever accomplished for me currently” culture. This might maybe maybe well also be so laborious to face the fanbase if we bow out early once more.

Sadly, our shaky non-convention slate methodology we obtained a raw deal by the different committee. It’s going to be a not easy toll road thru the bracket for us as a No. 12 seed, and it begins against a gifted Minnesota workers. Every groups enter the sport rated as a 98 total.

Minnesota is valid factual — you might maybe compare out the Golden Gophers’ roster here. Their senior shooting guard Carlos Klatsky is rated as a 95 total — ideal four gamers are rated bigger coming into the tournament — and he’s matched up against our redshirt freshman Mathew Alloway. Their entrance court docket is stacked. Their five ideal gamers are both juniors or seniors. I am anticipating this to be not easy as hell.

The one part giving me confidence is how we carried out within the long-established season against No. 1 Louisville in a game we watched collectively on Twitch. We gave the Cards all they might maybe take care of in a staunch toll road game sooner than losing within the stop. I love our inner-commence air mixture with senior microscopic forward Wilky Henry and junior energy forward Allan Cunningham. I believe our guards extra than I did final year. While now we have struggled in quick sim games, the objects on this squad fit collectively better when we compare corpulent games collectively on Twitch, I judge. We want to defend up the ball, dominate the glass, and hopefully salvage a stellar efficiency from Henry as our bound-to probability on the perimeter.

We streamed this game on Twitch on Sunday night. As repeatedly, I’m not controlling Western Illinois; we’re staring at a simulated game carried out by the laptop. I’m not taking half in any of the games on this series, I ideal have the recruiting and tell the coaching solutions. We did have one thing original this year, though: for the first time, I’m allowing myself to make in-game substitutions. Why not? There’s too mighty pressure to let murky rotation selections imprint us.

The sport must restful originate whenever you press play. Let’s bound!

Prefer, 89-72! We’re onto the round of 32 the establish we can face No. 4 seed Ole Slide over.

“SECOND HALF TEAM” has turn accurate into a rallying bawl for our Leathernecks throughout the Twitch chat, and it paid off once extra. Thank the heavens, attributable to that first half of became once aggravating. Our protection looked factual, however Minnesota became once restful matching baskets with us your complete system. We couldn’t salvage one thing going from three-level differ early. I became once questioning who became once going to step up to be the hero, however as a replacement your complete workers handsome mighty raised its stage of play within the second half of.

About a bawl-outs:

Wilky Henry became once outstanding — he became once up to 24 points on the night when we pulled the starters with about five minutes remaining. Henry didn’t have one thing in our first round tournament loss to Cal final year (7 points in 33 minutes), so it became once mountainous to envision him splashing threes and the utilization of his size (6’8, 240+ kilos) to bully folks at the rim. That’s exactly the form of efficiency we would like out of him to defend profitable.
Allan Cunningham is barely an all-time Circulation Crew performer. Dude is so immense (6’11, 290 kilos) however restful so heavenly, and has three-level contact to compare. To your complete praise we give Ham — read our beat creator Matthew Morrow on Cunningham coming into the season — we usually fail to see his passing skill. Now not anymore: Ham became once losing dimes esteem a conventional Chris Webber on this one, beating constant double-groups within the second half of by kicking out to commence shooters. Fine stuff.
Our heart Pat Giddens has been on the full maligned by the fanbase for being too short (6’9) and too overweight (shut to 300 kilos), however he’s moreover the perfect rated junior within the NCAA tournament. I became once anticipating his production to compare his rankings, and it lastly came about. Giddens looks formidable offensively and held his enjoy maintaining the rim. Factual stuff — we would like extra of that is we would like to defend profitable.

Reader Abby blessed us with clips from the buy. My favorites: this three-pointer from Silky Wilky:

Handbook subs! That contains a Cunningham capture and stop:

Good block by backup heart Kevin Brazzle + a knockdown jumper from freshman guard Mathew Alloway:

Stick to it Ole Slide over.

No. 12 Western Illinois vs. No. 4 Ole Slide over, round of 32, 2027 NCAA tournament

One other not easy matchup for our Leathernecks. Ole Slide over enters the sport as a 99 total, which is one level bigger than us. They’ve five gamers rated within the 90s, though most of their skill is within the backcourt and on the drift other than within the entrance court docket. Right here’s a sight at the roster:

We wish Cunningham and Giddens to expend inner. Staring at for us within the Candy 16 might maybe maybe well be a matchup with top-seeded Dayton, who are led by junior immense man Matt Boswell, the participant we created for the first-ever winner of our bracket contest. That might maybe maybe well be this kind of enjoyable game.

We moreover streamed this game on Twitch on Sunday night. All once more: we’re staring at a simulated game, I’m not controlling the groups. The sport must restful commence whenever you press play. If not, bound to the 1-hour, 11-minute imprint on the video under. Click on thru whenever you occur to would want to envision the Twitch chat’s operating commentary.

LET’S GO!

Prefer, 116-85! We’re going to the Candy 16! Listed below are the tempo-free workers stats from @akulawolf:

We magnificent witnessed the correct NCAA tournament efficiency in program historic previous. Wilky Henry, have your self a day!

Right here’s what I wrote about Henry firstly of the season: “Henry desires to be a celeb this year for this workers to play up to its doable.” It came about in an myth system, and we’re going to the Candy 16 attributable to it. Henry became once fully unconscious, pouring in 46 points on 10-of-16 shooting from three-level differ. He shattered the program’s previous tournament scoring document of 34 points tell by Kim Kone in Yr 17.

Honestly, it felt esteem he might maybe maybe want scored 60 without wretchedness. We pulled the starters with 9: 35 seconds left as we were up 22 points. I tried to manually sub Henry relief in to salvage 50, however the sport took him out simply away. LOL. Aloof an unreal efficiency both system.

Seriously, man: 46 points on 27 shots in 26 minutes. We would by no methodology compare a efficiency esteem that after more in Leathernecks historic previous. Let’s bound the clips from reader Abby, starting with a three and then a dunk from Wilky:

More Wilky:

Good spin from Wilky to level guard Tron Whaley:

Silky Wilky eternally. We’re going to want him to defend going, attributable to we’re sharp onto the Candy 16 to face No. 1 seed Dayton.

No. 12 Western Illinois vs. No. 1 Dayton, Candy 16, 2027 NCAA tournament

Dayton enters the sport as a 97 total — we’re a 98 total. Right here’s how the two groups matchup:

Right here’s a sight at Dayton’s roster led by one-time bracket contest winner, studio host, and created baller Matt Boswell. Right here’s going to be an all-out combat. And we’re going to envision the simulated game collectively on Tuesday, Aug. 18 at 8: 30 p.m. ET on Twitch. Please be half of us.

Right here’s easy compare Western Illinois vs. Dayton within the Candy 16:

Game: No. 12 seed Western Illinois vs. No. 1 seed Dayton, Candy 16, 2027 NCAA tournament

Simple compare: My Twitch channel

Date: Tuesday, Aug. 18

Tip-off time: 8: 30 p.m. ET // 7: 30 p.m. CT. The spin will commence a diminutive earlier.

If we buy: Elite Eight game against the winner of No. 2 Indiana vs. No. 6 Pitt will discover straight away after.

Put Lakers vs. Blazers on one cowl and the Leathernecks on the diversified. Right here’s going to be a blast. About a hyperlinks sooner than I salvage out of here:

Join the Leathernecks Reddit for continued discussion on the staff. We moreover have a fan-started Twitter story (with spoilers of Twitch streams sooner than the recap goes out) and Instagram net page you might maybe discover.
Reader Evan’s Leathernecks recruiting database now contains size progression over time. He wrote about it on Reddit, however it completely’s wild seeing these forms of changes. As an illustration: Wilky Henry has gained three inches and 43 kilos since he dedicated. I am hoping no person supplies him a PED check sooner than the Candy 16.
We had 130 entries within the bracket contest this year. Hell yeah. Try Sean’s Blog Crew app for the present standings, which works on desktop and mobile.
Reader Thanh Nguyen wrote a fan-fiction ebook on the first eight seasons of Ricky Charisma at Western Illinois.