The open of Western Illinois’ NCAA match trail in Year 21, persevered

We steal up with Western Illinois in the main round of the 2028 NCAA match in Year 21 of Coach Rick’s tenure. But first, right here’s a recap of all the pieces that took space so some distance this season:

Coming off a historically dominant nationwide championship trail the earlier season for our third title in program history, the Leathernecks entered the brand new yr making an try to head wait on-to-wait on for the main time. We returned four starters but lost standout waft Wilky Henry to the NBA. We open up the brand new season ranked No. 18 in the preseason polls.
We went 5-5 in the non-conference time desk sooner than sweeping Summit League play over again. We then captured the Summit League match title to lock in our computerized open as much as the NCAA match. We enter the NCAA match as a No. 9 seed at 26-5 on the yr.
We recruited for four open scholarships. We landed our very most life like-rated recruit ever and first ever All-American with 6’6 vitality forward J.J. Bracy, who is ranked No. 24 general and No. 2 at his space. We furthermore got an early dedication from point guard Alexis Willingham, who is the No. 68 general and No. 28 at his space. Now we non-public two more scholarships to recruit for in the offseason.

Read: Western Illinois, Year 21, 2027-2028

Right here’s a look at our roster heading into the NCAA match:

There’s a case to be made that right here’s our most life like possible roster ever. Final yr’s match trail is quiet contemporary in each person’s thoughts. It’s no longer comely that we become the bottom-seed group to ever receive the nationwide championship as a No. 12 seed. It’s how we did it. Blowout after blowout after blowout, winning by an moderate margin of 27 parts per sport. Everybody from that squad is wait on excluding standout waft scorer Wilky Henry. Entering the match, I’m very confident we non-public what it takes to produce a trail at nationwide title No. 4.

Sadly, our shaky traditional season plot we got one other remarkable scheme by plot of the bracket. No. 8 seed Michigan is our first round opponent. Right here’s a look at the Wolverines’ roster. Right here’s how the 2 teams matchup:

Michigan is simplest two years away from winning the nationwide championship. They non-public got one in every of the country’s most life like possible gamers in 7-foot senior vitality forward W.C. Pinkalla. Our prize for getting past the Wolverines would be a date with No. 1 seed Xavier, who has a unconditionally stacked roster. No. 4 seed Florida and No. 2 Clemson furthermore look substantial formidable in our West space. This goes to be a fancy trail, but after last yr’s success I basically feel enjoy we would possibly well furthermore beat any individual. If we receive this ingredient again I’m beginning a petition to face the Charlotte Bobcats.

That is the last dance for our senior vitality forward Allen Cunningham, a 3-yr starter and one in every of the most exact gamers in program history. If he leads us to one other title, Ham will non-public a remarkable case for the GOAT Leatherneck. Ham is joined by beginning center Pat Giddens and sophomore backup center Kevin Brazzle, who’re furthermore every monsters. Our front court goes to want to raise us to a championship, on account of it stays a ask of who turns into our dart-to perimeter scoring chance. Sophomore shooting guard Mathew Alloway and junior waft Wilbur Ager will want to step up. That is furthermore the most life like possible trail for senior point guard Tron Whaley, who brings the scale (6’4), exterior shooting skill, and the cool title we’re having a look for at the gap.

Let’s dart!

Accumulate, 87-65! We’re onto the second round to face Xavier.

This one adopted the an identical sample of so many of our games for the length of last yr’s match trail: aggressive for the main half of, simplest to witness our Leathernecks trail away with it after halftime.

I must give a yowl-out to Michigan’s huge title nice man Pinkalla, who entirely looked enjoy the real deal. I gave him the Tim Duncan comp halfway by plot of this sport even sooner than he started banking in soar pictures. He used to be Michigan’s simplest offense for the bulk of the sport and made Cunningham look helpless at instances defensively. Pinkalla carried out with 24 parts and 9 rebounds on 11-of-14 shooting from the floor in simplest 29 minutes. He feels enjoy one in every of the easier opposing gamers we’ve faced in our 21 years at Western Illinois, so salute to him on the fashion out. Luckily, our Leathernecks were comely too real to let one participant give us all that worthy effort.

I basically enjoy the fashion we shot the ball. Alloway got into a rhythm from deep, doing 3-for-3 from in the wait on of the arc to uncover with a bunch-excessive 19 parts. I furthermore belief he helped key our protection, ending with two steals and a block. He’s turning into a basically real two-plot waft. Right here’s a highlight from reader Abby:

Cunningham used to be immense, too. He had 11 of his 13 parts in the main half of, which used to be excessive in serving to abet us abet trudge with Pinkalla’s scoring surge. Ham has repeatedly had a devastating internal-out sport, and he showed off his touch by splashing two three-pointers early in the main half of.

Right here used to be his second triple of the time off a nice feed from Giddens.

Senior shooting guard Vitor Andrisevic furthermore gave us immense minutes off the bench, ending with 15 parts. Andrisevic, a worn five-huge title worldwide recruit out of Montenegro, has had the weakest fashion of any participant in program history and would possibly well perchance likely dart down as our most life like possible recruiting bust ever. He’s quiet became himself into a functional bench guard as a shooter now at an 86 general. I’d enjoy nothing more than to witness him non-public a pair more moments all the plot by plot of this match trail.

I’d enjoy to witness a tiny more out of Tron and Ager, but usually I will’t bitch about a 22-point NCAA match receive. Raise on Xavier.

No. 9 Western Illinois vs. No. 1 Xavier, round of 32, 2028 NCAA match

Xavier is a worthy high seed. The Musketeers enter the sport at 32-4 on the season and rated as a 99 general. Right here’s how the 2 teams matchup — it’s moderately even. Western Illinois and Xavier every non-public six gamers on the roster rated as as a minimal a 90 general.

Right here’s a look at the Xavier roster:

The ingredient that jumps out about Xavier is they don’t basically non-public any dimension. They non-public got zero centers on the roster and simplest one vitality forward, who happens to be 6’7. Whereas that would possibly well perchance seemingly play into our arms on account of we non-public this form of immense front court, I’m nervous about Xavier’s shooting and their skill to uncover into the passing lanes in the event that they press. Little ball teams non-public given us complications previously by turning us over on beefy court traps.

The acceptable gameplan seems to be something enjoy this:

Slow it down
Hotfoot internal to Ham, Giddens, Brazzle
Revenue

If nothing else, we are going to have the option to non-public to crush on the offensive glass?

It’s been a *whereassince we’ve had a plod sport that didn’t consequence in a blowout victory for our Leathernecks. Right here’s hoping for one other one. Winner will get a basically unsafe No. seed 4 Florida group in the Sweet 16. Gotta purchase care of enterprise in opposition to Xavier first.

We streamed this sport on Twitch. As repeatedly, I’m no longer controlling Western Illinois; we’re watching a simulated sport played by the laptop. I’m no longer playing any of the games in this sequence. The game will open whereas you press play, but if no longer dart to the 1: 17: 00 designate. I’d furthermore counsel clicking by plot of for the beefy video to read the Twitch comments.

Let’s dart!

Loss, 90-60. Smoked. I’m entirely gutted to witness our season stop enjoy this.

That used to be a basically abnormal sport, man. I will’t undergo in thoughts something enjoy that for the length of the look parties sooner than. For one, Ham determined to discontinuance carrying pants.

First of all, what? Also, I’m comely going to tell it: it used to be all downhill after Ham pulled his shorts up.

The main half of used to be so low scoring. We were comely shooting the ball horribly — 29 p.c from the realm and 1-of-8 from three — but we were ready to dangle in there by attending to the inferior line and limiting turnovers. Each and each of these parts fully fell apart in the second half of, and so did we.

Great plot, plot, plot too many turnovers. Tron Whaley did his most life like possible Angel Keita affect to uncover with seven turnovers. Ham threw several mindless passes. It comely felt enjoy we were urgent your total sport, and as soon as Xavier got off to a 7-0 trail to open the second half of, the deficit snowballed from there.

The numbers for our front court of Ham and Giddens of their most life like possible sport are comely downright demoralizing. They carried out 8-of-30 blended from the floor. Neither Alloway or Ager would possibly well furthermore step up and maintain Wilky Henry’s sneakers as our dart-to perimeter scorer. On the stop of the day, we comely couldn’t hit a shot.

Shooting 30.7 p.c from the realm and 27.3 p.c from three comely isn’t going to chop wait on it.

What a unhappy technique to head out. We’re losing three immense seniors in Cunningham, Giddens, and Tron, and furthermore Vitor Andrisevic. Ham goes down as one in every of our absolute most life like possible gamers ever. We don’t receive our third ever nationwide championship without him. I’d establish him down as our new $5 vitality forward and wouldn’t mediate twice about it. Tron and Giddens every had magnificent careers too even with the bummer ending. Can’t voice I’ll leave out Vitor.

It’s going to be a basically assorted group next season. The nice ask is whether or no longer or no longer Kevin Brazzle goes professional as a sophomore. He’s a projected first round steal and would leave a nice hole in the center for us next season if he decides to soar to the draft.

We’re headed into the offseason, but first we want to crown a winner in our bracket contest.

Bracket contest results

The Final Four looked enjoy this: LSU, Xavier, Ole Miss, and BYU. BYU beat LSU in the nationwide championship sport.

We had about 120 other folks enter the bracket contest this yr, so on account of of all who participated. You may perchance per chance furthermore uncover the leaderboard on Sean Vinsel’s Blog Crew bracket app, which works on desktop and mobile. Right here’s a look at the easiest rankings:

Congrats to reader Justin on the receive. He will get to make a five-huge title recruit that we’ll video display all the plot by plot of our dynasty.

Let’s uncover into the offseason.

Offseason

BYU wins the nationwide title as a No. 5 seed. I’m saying that qualifies as a major upset desirous about simplest two other folks picked them to receive it all in the bracket misfortune.
Matt Boswell — our created participant for the main ever winner of the bracket contest — ends his legendary occupation by being named a 2nd-Crew All-American. Boswell averaged 24.4 parts per sport as a senior and helped Dayton attain the Sweet 16. He even posted wait on-to-wait on 32-point games in the match. He exits school with 2,583 occupation parts. Each and each created persona will non-public to hope to in some unspecified time in the future become as loved as Boswell. Our second created participant, Ben Remis from South Florida, furthermore determined to flip professional as a junior.
Giddens, Cunningham, and Tron all uncover drafted. Brazzle stays! We’re going to non-public three new starters next yr, but our roster will non-public to be loaded with skill with out a apparent holes. I will’t wait.
Coach Rick will get a lifetime contract from Western Illinois! Sooner or later. Which plot I non-public three teaching parts now after incomes two for our vitality forward recruit J.J. Bracy turning into our first five-huge title dedication in-season and furthermore our first All-American.
I take to establish two parts into discipline to raise me to a B- in the class. I then establish one point in offense to raise me to an A general.
North Carolina provides me their head teaching job. I’m turning it down.
We lost an assistant coach and hire Anil Valdez, who in all fairness solid all the plot by plot of the board but simplest has a B score in teaching.

Recruiting

Recruiting is already off to a immense open this season. We locked down two of our four scholarships in-season by signing:

6’6 vitality forward J.J. Bracy, ranked No. 24 general and No. 2 at his space
6’2 point guard Alexis Willingham, ranked No. 68 general and No. 28 at his space

Now we non-public provides out to 2 more gamers: No. 2 center Dick Copeland and No. 38 general shooting guard Skip Clemmons. Would be a monster class if we are in a position to land every, perchance even the acceptable in the country.

We land Copeland on the main day of the spring signing interval. He’s simplest a 3-huge title recruit, but he’s the easiest rated center we’ve ever signed as No. 114 general and No. 2 in his class.

Copeland is transient for a heart at 6’8 and establish up moderately mediocre AAU numbers, but I’m guessing he used to be regarded so highly for a cause. One that you simply can well imagine bet: we scouted his possible as an A+ general. That’s no longer repeatedly correct, on the different hand it’s positively thrilling. Confidently he grows a pair inches in school enjoy most of gamers non-public.

Clemmons commits a pair weeks later. It’s moderately wild to mediate that, because the No. 38 general recruit, he’s our sixth very most life like-rated recruit in program history.

Two things stand out about Clemmons: his dimension and shooting. Scrutinize at that radiant 47 p.c three-point share. I’m thinking he’s nice ample to replace to miniature forward if need be, which will non-public to give us some flexibility in recruiting next yr.

I’m overjoyed with this class. As I approach past the recruiting stage, it says we had the No. 5 class in the country this yr!

Without grief our most life like possible recruiting haul ever, breaking our earlier excessive water designate of the No. 9 class in the country.

Now it’s time to jam our time desk for next yr. I take to head with this:

@ Illinois, @ Florida, @ Charlotte, vs. George Washington, @ North Carolina, @ Syracuse, @ St. John’s, @ USC, @ South Florida, @ Arkansas

Year 22

Right here’s a first look at our roster for Year 22.

We’re taking off the season at No. 19 in the preseason polls. No longer vulgar for a bunch with simplest two returning starters.

Our incoming freshman class seems to be immense:

Bracy is an 81 general with C possible, making him by some distance our very most life like-rated comely freshman ever, per reader Evan’s Leathernecks Recruiting Database.
Willingham is a 76 general with C possible and has already grown an trail to 6’3.
Clemmons is a 75 general with C possible.
Copeland is a 75 general with A possible. Most animated possible score in program history.

The future is intellectual even after a disappointing match trail last season.

Subsequent season goes to be a amount of fun. We’re going to play by plot of it whereas recruiting for one open scholarship and watching one traditional season sport together on Wednesday, Sept. 9. Right here’s suggestions on how to seem.

See Western Illinois Year 22 traditional season play-by plot of

What we’re watching: Western Illinois Year 22 traditional season plod. We’ll look one traditional season sport, recruit for four scholarships, and sim to the NCAA match.

Easy the acceptable technique to seem: My Twitch channel

Date: Wednesday, Sept, 9

Tip-off time: 8: 30 p.m. ET // 7: 30 p.m. CT.

I hope to witness you there. Hotfoot ‘Necks.