Western Illinois’ Final Four budge in Yr 22, persevered

We resolve up with the Leathernecks in the Final Four of the 2029 NCAA match, but first right here’s a recap of all the pieces that’s happened up to now this season.

Coming off a disappointing loss in the round of 32 to No. 1 seed Xavier final season, the Leathernecks enter the new year ranked No. 19 in the preseason polls. We acquire three new starters.
We went 6-5 in the non-convention time table before sweeping the Summit League and winning the convention match over all over again. We earned a No. 11 seed to the NCAA match, entering at 27-5 overall.
We beat No. 6 seed UConn, 103-89, in round one. We defeated No. 3 seed Maryland, 95-91, in the round of 32. Within the Sweet 16, we beat No. 7 seed Richmond, 136-71, for our greatest NCAA match blowout ever. Then we defeated No. 8 seed Tennessee, 100-92, in the Elite Eight to achieve the Final Four. Learn a beefy recap of our motorway to the Final Four right here.
We recruited for one scholarship, but didn’t land anybody yet.

Learn: Western Illinois, Yr 22, 2028-2029

Learn: The commence of Western Illinois’ NCAA match budge in Yr 22, persevered

Here’s a peep at our roster heading into the Final Four:

The Leathernecks are aid in the Final Four for the fifth time since I took over as head coach. We’re hunting for our fourth national title. I understand how exhausting it’s to assemble this round staring at my teams flame out in the Elite Eight three straight years earlier this decade. To live the 2020s with one other national championship is all the pieces we desire.

Presumably this budge shouldn’t feel so dazzling given the capability level on the roster. We’ve tried to make a program that can compete for a national title year in and year out. We’ve tried to make a program that peaks in March. At the same time as we’ve succeeded in those targets, factual getting to the Final Four requires so powerful factual success. We regarded ineffective in the water against UConn, trailing by double-digits in the foremost half, till we put on a beefy court press and ran away with the sport. After a net over Maryland in the next round, we got a gift when Richmond upset top-seeded Xavier, the personnel that knocked us out of the match final year, on their facet of the bracket. All we did against Richmond is put up a program-document 136 parts and publish our greatest margin of victory ever in NCAA match with a 65-point net.

We wanted success in the Elite Eight, too. If Wilbur Ager’s three-point with about 17 seconds remaining rims out, Tennessee would acquire had a likelihood to beat us on the final possession. As an different, Ager made the shot and the dream of winning one other national title continues.

Our opponent in the Final Four is No. 1 seed George Washington. Besides as to being the foremost top-two seed we’ve confronted on this budge, the Colonials moreover acquire the attend of getting a created participant in the center from our annual bracket contests. That’s senior astronomical man Steven Frye, who has became GW’s main scorer. Here’s a peep at GW’s roster. Here’s how the 2 teams matchup:

Bigger than the relaxation, it’s head coach Ricky Charisma’s legacy on the motorway at some point of Final Four weekend. In Yr 22 of 40, we’ve already put collectively a Hall of Popularity-great resume. Now we are attempting to breeze down because the finest college basketball coach of all-time. Here is some historical context, by strategy of reader Josh:

13th coach in historical previous to assemble 5+ final fours (Coach Okay and John Picket T-1 with 12).

6th fastest to enact it from the commence of their HC profession — in the aid of finest Denny Crum (13 years), Tom Izzo (15 years), Coach Okay (17 years), Dean Smith (17 years), and Roy Williams (18 years).

WIU’s 18th consecutive year of constructing March Madness, which is the T-8 longest trip by any program in NCAAB historical previous (Kansas holds the document, which is active, at 30).

From a coach standpoint, Coach Charisma’s budge of 18 consecutive trails finest Coach Okay (24), Dean Smith (23), Tom Izzo (22), Invoice Self (21, multi-college), Roy Williams (20, multi-college), Stamp Few (20).

We desire our junior point guard Jamie Burke to rob care of the ball. We desire 7-footers Kevin Brazzle and Artie Snipes to dominate the glass. We desire our vital individual wings Mathew Alloway and Wilbur Ager to knock down open air photos and net to the rim on offense. Sparkling the winner of this sport faces the winner of No. 1 Kansas vs. No. 9 USC for the national title finest provides more force.

We streamed this sport on Twitch on Wednesday night. As always, we’re staring at a simulated sport; I’m now no longer controlling Western Illinois. Final Four. National championship sport on the motorway. Let’s breeze!

Remove, 106-80! We’re going to be taking half in for a national championship.

This one became customarily in no draw uncertain. What a enormous sport from junior taking pictures guard Mathew Alloway, who came out scoring 10 of our first 12 parts. He became on fire from actually the hole tip:

I belief he can in reality acquire a likelihood to surpass Wilky Henry’s 46-point sport against Ole Lag over in the match about a years aid, but one other participant in the slay took over. What started because the Alloway sport posthaste became one other show conceal-stopping performance from 7’2 junior center Kevin Brazzle.

Brazzle achieved with 26 parts and 19 rebounds, displaying why he’s a projected top resolve in the NBA draft. This became the staunch sport he ever performed, and it felt fancy him stating his case because the staunch center in program historical previous. GW had no prayer of conserving him off the offensive glass or stopping from ending internal.

The bench moreover regarded factual. Snipes had 13 parts and confirmed that we received’t be taking a powerful step aid subsequent year when he inherits the starting up center space from Mountainous Braz. Jitim Dupree, one other projected starter subsequent year, had 11 parts and flashed his shot-making potential at 6’10. Ideal a enormous sport all over that became essentially somewhat tiresome to query because it became this kind of beat down. We’ll rob that on every occasion.

Within the national championship sport, we are succesful of face …. No. 1 seed Kansas. Pointless to tell. It couldn’t be any assorted potential.

No. 11 seed Western Illinois vs. No. 1 seed Kansas, national championship sport, 2029 NCAA match

There’s so powerful historical previous between us and the Jayhawks. We beat Kansas in the title sport for our first ever national championship aid in Yr 8. We’ve confronted Kansas three assorted teams in the match and acquire a document of 3-1 against them in the dance. This might perhaps occasionally also be our hardest matchup with Invoice Self’s personnel (sure, he’s quiet the coach) yet.

Kansas enters the sport rated as a 100 overall. Here’s a peep at their roster:

This roster is ridiculous. A pair of issues that stand out:

The Jayhawks acquire a starter rated in the 90s in any respect 5 positions
They’ve a 7’3 center in Onyekwe. It must be the foremost time in his lifestyles Brazzle received’t acquire a dimension attend in his matchup.
They’ve a staunch sophomore rated as a 91 overall, sheesh
Corbin Thomas at 96 overall goes to be a hell of a matchup for Alloway at two guard

The keys to the sport? Smartly, they’re the same as always. We desire to rob care of the ball. We desire to rebound. We desire to hit our threes and budge them off the motorway. We moreover want to net the obnoxious fight, getting to the motorway after we want easy offense and conserving off placing KU there on the various live.

The Western Illinois Leathernecks received the national championship in Yr 8, Yr 13, and Yr 20. Plot we enact all of it over again in Yr 22? We moreover streamed this sport on Twitch on Wedneday night. Let’s. Lag!!!

Loss, 88-85. Oh my goshhhhh. I judge I felt my soul essentially breeze away my body when the relaxation buzzer sounded.

The set enact we even commence up? I counsel we’ll commence with this wild sequence and horsesh*t obnoxious call that label us the lead and then the sport. After Ager skipped over one other three-pointer, Kansas threw an alley-oop for an and-one that gave them their first lead of the 2nd half with below one minute left.

We had about a buckets at some point of this sport that can also quiet acquire been an and-one but the refs didn’t give us the continuation. How the hell did Kansas net it on this? Payment??? Somebody???

Ager got a factual peep at a breeze-ahead three on the next possession, but he skipped over it so badly it bounced over the backboard and went out of bounds, now no longer even giving us a likelihood at an offensive rebound. That became the memoir of the night for our lone senior — Ager achieved 1-of-10 from three-point fluctuate in this sport. It’s roughly unbelievable he quiet put up 22 parts and 9 rebounds on the night on condition that.

After some free throws each and each systems, we had one more likelihood to connect our season. Inbounding below our hold basket, down three with 10 seconds left, Mathew Alloway struggled to interrupt KU’s press before discovering Burke a deep three. It became off the ticket, and we lost.

I’m factual going to enact some bullet parts for all the pieces else:

Onyekwe, Kansas’ 7’3 center, factual killed us. It’s now no longer factual that he put up 21 parts and 20 rebounds, though he did moreover enact that. One sport after Brazzle posted 26 parts and 19 rebounds against George Washington in the Final Four, he became held to finest 9 parts and 6 rebounds. Onyekwe did something we hadn’t seen any assorted center enact this year: net Brazzle in obnoxious concern. Brazzle finest performed 20 minutes because he sat the relaxation of the foremost half after deciding on up two early fouls. The dominant attend we’ve had internal against our opponents all match budge factual wasn’t there.
I got determined in this sport somewhat early. With Kansas main 18-7 factual eight minutes into the sport, I switched to a beefy court press protection and went runt with our lineup, placing Dupree (a pure runt forward but 6’10) at power forward and moreover going with 6-foot Koko Reeves at point guard. We erased the deficit almost straight. Then the laptop coach of our Leathernecks one-upped me: they went even smaller, placing Dupree at center. That’s after we went on a astronomical budge. Kansas had a couple of seven-footers and can acquire been the greatest personnel we had ever seen at some point of this simulation. We roasted them by going colossal runt. That is also a decidedly new conception for a online sport that became launched in 2007, so make a choice in mind my impressed and bowled over.
Kansas figured out the click in the slay, but I in no draw change out of it. I’m regretting that a small bit, maybe it would acquire been finest to show conceal them a junk zone or something before switching aid to the click. I’m moreover regretting now no longer attempting that runt ball lineup all over again. It’s factual so exhausting to enact after they’ve a 7’3 center already gobbling up each and each rebound.

We acquire been so, so, so end to title No. 4. That one goes to sting for a prolonged time, in particular because now we acquire a complete lot of underclassmen all projected as first round picks in the NBA draft.

Brazzle is a projected top resolve and is as factual as long previous. Alloway and Burke are each and each projected first rounders as a juniors. We’ve had guys return for their senior year when projected as first rounders before, so we’re preserving out hope it must happen all over again, but you in no draw know.

I will’t imagine we lost that sport. Onto the offseason.

Offseason

Before we net into the offseason: congrats to James A. for winning the bracket contest. He’ll net to assemble a participant subsequent year.

Kansas is national champs. They be half of the 2 title membership with Louisville, Maryland, UCLA, and UConn. We’re the staunch personnel with three titles at some point of this simulation.
Brazzle wins Summit League Participant of the Yr and we rob four spots on the First Personnel All Summit roster. Even better, Rudolpho Butt Jr. is named National Freshman of the Yr after averaging 13 parts per sport for South Florida. Butt Jr. became the created participant by frail bracket contest winner reader Gavin as an ode to our one-time assistant coaching purpose.
WELP. Alloway, Burke, and Brazzle all breeze pro. Wow. Ager moreover graduates. All four are drafted into the NBA. Our title possibilities for subsequent year factual took a colossal hit. I will’t imagine we lost each and each guards. Ugh. I am unnecessary to tell elated for my guys. Brazzle became unbelievable. Alloway became had a enormous profession as a three-year starter and became all the pieces we wished him to be in the match this year. Burke became engrossing (?) but in no draw essentially stood out. That became enormous recruiting class and now finest LF Neal is left.
I net offered head coaching jobs by Iowa, DePaul, and heaps more, but turn them all down. I acquire a lifetime contract at Western Illinois and I’m very elated about that.
We lose one assistant coach, and replace him with a man with solid B rankings at some point of the board, plus a B+ instructing rating. He does acquire A ambition

Recruiting

We acquire one scholarship to recruit for and it’s been offered out all season. Now the ask becomes: will 5-vital individual All-American taking pictures guard Albert Jagla officially commit to the ‘Necks?

Certain! Jagla officially becomes the absolute most practical rated recruit in program historical previous because the No. 17 overall prospect in the nation and the No. 4 taking pictures guard. J.J. Bracy finest got to preserve up that honor for twelve months. Jagla is roughly rapid (6’2) and didn’t acquire unbelievable numbers, but now we acquire him scouted at A most likely and he fills a astronomical want for our perimeter of the prolonged budge alongside final year’s class of Alexis Willingham and Skip Clemmons.

This rules. Can’t wait to peep what Jagla is rated. Now now we want to situation our time table for subsequent year.

@ Georgia Tech, @ Northwestern, NIT Season Tip-Off Be concerned, @ Michigan, @ Missouri, @ San Jose Articulate, @ West Virginia, @ Vanderbilt, @ South Florida, Golden Endure Classic.

Onto to Yr 23.

Yr 23

Here’s a beefy peep at our roster for subsequent year:

Worst roster we’ve had in a minute. We’re feeling the scheme back to turning into an NBA manufacturing facility. I’m quiet enraged to peep what this personnel can enact.

Jagla is available in at a 75 overall with B+ potential. We’ll rob it. He’ll redshirt. We moreover change him to No. 23.

We’re circulate the regular season in Yr 23 on Monday, Sept, 21 at 8: 30 p.m. ET on Twitch.

What we’re staring at: Western Illinois Yr 223regular season circulate. We’ll query one regular season sport, recruit for four scholarships, and sim to the NCAA match.

How to query: My Twitch channel

Date: Monday, Sept, 21

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

I hope to peep you there. Lag ‘Necks. More more rapidly pieces of data ….

Vote for the Leathernecks Hall of Popularity!

It’s time for one other induction ceremony for the Leathernecks Hall of Popularity. We’ll resolve three players to acquire their jerseys retired and honor them in a separate publish. I’ve already determined that runt forward Bert Draughan — a starter on two Final Four teams for us and a member of our Yr 13 national championship personnel — will enter the Hall of Popularity and acquire his No. 20 retired.

I’m leaving the various two players up to a fan vote. Here’s how we’ll enact it.

Click this hyperlink to understand the alternate suggestions for the Leathernecks Hall of Popularity. (The dazzling hyperlink is in now)
Vote for 2 (2) players. I couldn’t resolve out how to restrict the option of votes to 2 so please respect the rules.
I’m moreover outsourcing the participant write-u.s.a.on each and each Hall of Popularity inductee to the fans. I’d fancy each and each participant’s write-up to be about 300 phrases. Within the event you’re concerned, observation on this publish below with the participant you’d fancy enact a write-up for in conjunction with your favourite memory of that participant. I’m going to screech we’ll give it to the person that makes the staunch case for their participant in the observation, now no longer first attain, first wait on. We’ll publish the Hall of Popularity publish in some unspecified time in the future in the next couple weeks.

Yr 23 circulate on Monday night. Let’s breeze.

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