#do you ever think about how even if matthew was going to go the ncaa route like his dad and cousins

[fannyyann]

"I actually did three years of school in two, and I'm no brainiac, but that was pretty tough."

[sleepykittypaws]

Celebrate the Olympic Spirit

Sure, the Olympics aren’t a holiday, per se, but the every-four-year, or two if you count both Summer and Winter editions separately, massive international sporting events sure seems like a reason to celebrate, especially given their recent, unprecedented delay. And what better way to get into the Games mood, than by watching a sports movie?

Here are my favorite motivating, inspirational, and aspirational tales of athletic derring do…

Favorite Sports Movies

The Cutting Edge (1992) - This figure skating romance was released around the 1992 Olympics, and actually name-checks that year's winter host city, Albertville, more than once.  It's not good in the traditional sense of great storytelling or athletic veracity, but I loved it so very much I saw it three times in the theater as a teen. Watching it at some point during every Winter Games is a tradition for me so, yeah, I can’t help it, I love this silly sports movie/romance, which also features a bit of holiday feels.

Wimbledon (2004) - It's a rom-com. It's a sports movie. It's a rom-com sports movie that really should be better known. Notting Hill but set at tennis' best-known event. Paul Bettany and Kristen Dunst have surprisingly great chemistry, and there's more sports-related tension than you'd think.

Friday Night Lights (2004) - A football movie for people who don't really like football. a.k.a. 🙋‍♀️. The TV series it spawned is also brilliant (”Clear Eyes, Full Hearts,” indeed), and well worth a watch, but the original movie, starring Billy Bob Thornton, is, honestly, a masterpiece. Definitely Peter Berg's best work and the original book, written by Berg's cousin, Buzz Bissinger, is a great read.

Muriel's Wedding (1994) - You mean you forgot this Australian export, which made Toni Collette a star, was a sports movie? Yep, one of my all-time favorite movies, of any genre, this absolutely brilliant, ABBA-soaked comedy is not only a girls-night go-to, but also a stealth Olympic sport classic.

Remember the Titans (2000) - OK, football isn't in the Olympics, but it sure does make for a good sports movie setting. Even if this early 1970s-set story is most definitely Disney-fied, Denzel Washington, Will Patton, Ryan Gosling and a baby Hayden Panettiere really sell this sort-of true story.

Invictus (2009)-Rugby isn't an Olympic sport, or even one most Americans know much about, but this Matt Damon-led, Clint Eastwood-directed, based-on-a-true-story tale made me care about a sport I'd only tangentially knew even existed before watching.

Hoosiers (1986)-I grew up in Indiana so, by law, I have to include this basketball classic on any "best of" sports movie lists. Also, it actually is really very good.

Rudy (1993)-Ditto the above. But, again, it's hard not to root for Sean Astin (and Jon Favreau!) in this love letter to the Fighting Irish. Plus, there’s no better scavenger hunt task or TikTok challenge than going into a bar and convincing a patron to allow you to put them on your shoulders and march around chanting, 'Rudy, Rudy, Rudy.' 

Miracle (2004) - Given how much more popular the Summer Olympics are, it's weird that the Winter Games seem to get all the good movies made about them, but this Kurt Russell-led true tale is another Disney sports movie classic.

McFarland, USA (2015) - Disney, and Kevin Costner, just really know how to make a sports movie, damn it! This movie made me care about cross country for which it, too, could have carried the title Miracle.

A League of Their Own (1992)-The best baseball movie ever. Yeah, I said what I said. Tom Hanks, Geena Davis, Lori Petty—even Madonna and Rosie O'Donnell are making it work. 1992 was a weirdly great year for sports movies.

Moneyball (2011) - A movie about baseball, and math, and yet it's also great, I swear. In addition to all of the above, it's also a stealth Christmas movie and maybe Chris Pratt's best non-Marvel, movie role.

Creed (2015) - This surprisingly effective Rocky reboot starring Michael B Jordan as Apollo Creed's illegitimate son has spawned its own movie series which, in many ways, exceeds the original Rocky franchise.

Rocky Balboa (2006) - Maybe it's because I was a toddler when the original Rocky came out, so only saw the ever-worse sequels as a kid, but this mid-aughts return to the character for Sylvester Stallone, as both writer and actor, is a triumph.

Eddie the Eagle (2016) - That Hugh Jackman features in as many movies (spoiler alert) on this list as Kevin Costner surprised me, too. This story of the English ski jumper who became infamous for being, well, less than golden, is one of those non-Olympic triumph stories that really works. If you're going to watch one underdog-at-the-Games movie, I definitely prefer this this to the more ubiquitous Cool Runnings.

Love & Basketball (2000) - Only because I'm an anglophile is this great, chemistry-filled Sanaa Lathan and Omar Epps college basketball romance not my favorite sports-movie-meets-rom-com.

I, Tonya (2017) - Margot Robbie and a nearly unrecognizable Sebastian Stan are perfectly cast in this sarcastic, highly stylized look at the Tonya Harding scandal.

Pride (2007) - Apparently I like this swimming movie, which I think almost no one saw, better than critics, but I found this 1970s-set, Terrence Howard-Bernie Mac-starring story of inner city kids excelling in the pool emotional and entertaining.

Field of Dreams (1989) - This Kevin Costner magical realism baseball classic is often goofy and imminently tease-worthy and yet…It also works. Maybe it's no surprise that someone who loves cheesy Christmas movies as much as I do would have a soft spot for Field of Dreams.

42 (2013) - Chadwick Boseman is absolutely fantastic as legend Jackie Robinson. One of those movies that's ostensibly about baseball, but is really about so much more, except not in a pretentious way.

Race (2016) - Before Jason Sudeikis was Ted Lasso, he was famed track coach Larry Synder in this Jesse Owens biopic that is far from perfect, but still important. Plus, I honestly don't think Stephan James got enough credit for his relatively nuanced portrayal of Owens.

Goon (2011) - This overlooked gem starring Sean William Scott as a semi-pro hockey player whose main skill is his ability to take, and dole out, a beating, is surprisingly great.

Real Steel (2011) - This is a robot-boxing movie starring Hugh Jackman that is basically Rocky meets Over the Top—and yet it's actually really good. Yeah, I was surprised, too.

Forget Paris (1995) - OK, so maybe Billy Crystal playing an NBA referee doesn't really make this a sports movie, but it does begin and end (spoiler alert) at real NBA games, and I will die on the hill that this rom-com co-starring Debra Winger is wildly under-rated.

Bend it like Beckham (2002) - This girl-power sports movie has some highly questionable romantic dynamics (the coach is their love interest???) but this Parminder Nagra-Keira Knightley movie is also a heckuva sports movie and an inspiring immigrant story.

Bonus Pick: The Apple TV+ series Ted Lasso is one of the best things I watched in 2020, and I'm sure of that, because I watched it twice since, just to be sure. Jason Sudekis is absolutely perfect as an American college football coach taking over a UK Premier League team. This sweet show with a heart of gold is smart, funny, and absolutely impossible not to love—even for a cynic such as myself.

More Sports Movies Worth Watching

For someone not very into sports, I am, apparently, into watching movies about sports, so while not a comprehensive listing of the entire, vast genre, here are a few more suggestions I personally think are worth watching.

The Miracle Season (2018) - This movie about high school volleyball champs whose star player dies suddenly stars Helen Hunt and is a lot better than you'd think based on its tiny budget and, honestly, fairly small story. Just missed making my Top 25.

The Way Back (2020) - This Ben Affleck as a drunken high school basketball coach movie is a lot better than expected. Released just as the pandemic kicked into high gear, it was overlooked last year, but worth seeking out.

Fighting with My Family (2019) - Does it count if it's a show, not a sport? Either way (but that's why this isn't in my Top 25), this stealth Christmas movie/love letter to the WWE is a lot better than it ever needed to be thanks to some really great performances from Florence Pugh, Lena Headey and directer Stephen Merchant. Even The Rock reins it in.

Warrior (2011) - You couldn't pay me to watch an actual UFC bout, but this Tom Hardy story of (literally) battling brothers is incredibly compelling and well done.

Win Win (2011) - This movie isn't really enough about wrestling, even though its ostensibly centered around the sport, to make it into my Top 25, but it's still really good, and Amy Ryan gives an outstanding performance.

Fever Pitch (2005) - Drew Barrymore and Jimmy Fallon star in this remake of a UK film whose ending they had to shift when the Red Sox unexpectedly won the World Series.

Fever Pitch (1997) - This Colin Firth-starring, Arsenal-centered original is much smaller, more realistic and arguably better than the big budget Barrymore-Fallon redux.

We are Marshall (2006) - A real-life sports tragedy made into a sports-movie tearjerker starring Matthew McConaughy. And my tears were very much jerked by the end.

Coach Carter (2005) - Samuel L Jackson plays real-life basketball coach Ken Carter and, because it's a Disney movie, doesn't use the F-word even once. Now that's a feat worthy of its own sports movie.

Invincible (2006) - Yes, it's Mark Wahlberg, and another based-on-a-true-story, Disney sports movie that hits all the cliches, but dang it, that works on me. It just does.

Glory Road (2006) - If you're sensing a theme with me and Disney sports movies…Well, you're not wrong. This look at the first all-Black starting lineup at the 1966 NCAA Final Four does, unfortunately, center white coach Don Haskins, played by Josh Lucas (though I always mis-remember it as Josh Charles), making the important story it tells less than what it should be, but it still mostly works.

Million Dollar Arm (2014) - Admittedly one of the lesser Disney sports movie entries, and another that centers a white guy in a film mostly about people of color (not a great look), this Jon Hamm movie about a scout seeking an Indian cricket star who can make it in the Major Leagues still mostly worked for me.

The Mighty Ducks (1992) - One of the few movies on this list aimed directly at kids, this beloved peewee hockey saga actually is cute, and mostly does hold up.

Cool Runnings (1993) - Kind of shocked this movie that is part White Savior-movie and part-wacky kids movie essentially making fun of a real group of athletes of color came out in 1993 and not 1973, but the earnest charm of John Candy and a general Disney gloss keep this from being totally unwatchable and mostly just mildly, rather than extremely, offensive. Not really recommending, but feels like it belongs on an Olympic movie list.

Nadia (1984) - This made-for-TV, mostly true biopic, starring Talia Balsam as Nadia Comaneci, was a Disney Channel staple in that network’s early days. 

Munich (2005) - It's a movie with the Olympics very much at its heart—namely the 1972 Israeli athlete hostage tragedy—that isn't really about the Olympics at all, but this Steven Spielberg-directed movie about national revenge is compelling, if problematic if you think about it for too long.

American Anthem (1986) - Is this Mitch Gaylord-Mrs. Wayne Gretzky (a.k.a Janet Jones) starring movie good, realistic and/or well-written? No, no and none of the above. But did I still watch it 8,000 times as a kid on HBO? Yes. Yes, I did.

Men with Brooms (2002) - Once, on a business trip to Canada, my husband was stuck in a hotel that only got three channels, and one of them always seemed to be showing curling, which actually got him weirdly into this obscure sport. This movie wasn't quite as fun as I hoped, but it's still a mostly charming, if slight, Canadian classic.

Unbroken (2014) - The harrowing and incredible real-life story of Louis Zamperini deserved better than this Angelina Jolie-directed movie delivered, but it's still a serviceable version of a worthy tale.

Chariots of Fire (1981) - I remember being bored out of my mind by this movie trying to watch this movie on cable as a kid, but no denying that, if nothing else, the score is iconic and indelibly linked to sports-movie magic.

Without Limits (1998) - Jared Leto’s Prefontaine beat this one to the theaters, but this Billy Crudup-starring film is the better of the two movies about the life of running pioneer Steve Prefontaine. There’s also a 1995 documentary, Fire on the Track: The Steve Prefontaine Story.

Personal Best (1982) - Mariel Hemingway’s story of ambition at odds with love, is a sports and LGTBQ+ classic. 

Olympic Dreams (2019) - The story of how this small, meandering movie was made during the 2018 Winter Games is, unfortunately, more interesting than the movie itself, but there is some charm in watching Nick Kroll as an Olympic dentist making his way through the real Village, while interacting with real athletes.

Foxcatcher (2015) - This excellently-acted story is more true crime than sports inspiration, but if you're seeking a look at the dark side of the Games—and don’t want to turn on a doc like Athlete A—this is very dark tale indeed.

Seabiscuit (2003) - Every great athlete deserves to have their story told.

Any Given Sunday (1999) - Oliver Stone and Al Pacino take on pro Football. 'Nuff said.

The Replacements (2000) - I mean, the movie isn't amazing, but Keanu Reeves is super charming and Gene Hackman is always worth a watch.

The Program (1993) - Another bit of a dark-side-of-football take, worth it if only for the fantastic cast: James Caan, Halle Berry, Omar Eps, Joey Lauren Adams.

Everbody’s All-American (1988) - Not a movie I particularly love, but this Dennis Quaid-Jessica Lange football story that spans decades has always stuck in my memory.

Bull Durham (1988) - Just let Kevin Costner play actual baseball already.

[bobby-hockey]

THE HOCKEY PROJECT: A Catalog

Truly, the number of hockey boys I write is absurd. Under the cut you’ll find a description of all the ‘arcs’--or mini-WIPs--within the Hockey Project. (If you see this reblogged, it means there’s been an update, and there are more hockey boys. Feel free to ask to be tagged for a specific arc, or for all of them.) 

1984 The year? 1984. The Winter Olympics? Underway. Jolene Pattison? America’s best goalie.

405 face-off Avery Hope plays for the Seattle Thunderbirds at one end of the I-405. Nick Jagers plays for the Everett Silvertips at the other. A love song for the greater Seattle region.

bar down Jason has been half in love with Conrad, his liney, since they were kids. It's fine.

beaut Dylan Beaubouee gets hit and, for the first time in his life, doesn't immediately get back up. Hundreds of miles away, his ex d-partner Simon Sarkarian overdoses. Together, they recover.

birdcage Quintino Raineri doesn't belong here. In a single night the NHL team he had been drafted to was reduced to only a handful of players, and Quin went from being Harvard's goalie to playing for an honest to god NHL team. One of his fellow NCAA-turned-NHL athletes, Jesse Kovaks, former captain of the Michigan State Spartans, gets it. Like fish out of water, they become friends.

blue line pinch River Dawson, a solid but troubled defenseman, ends up in hotter water than he expects. Three weeks, a phone call, and a plane ride later he's in Port Sterling with a baby on his hip. But there's one person he didn't account for—his new defense partner, who takes no shit and no prisoners.

bottle rocket Toby McCallum is the only girl McCallum. The only girl on her hockey team. The only girl allowed in the boys' changing room—well, not anymore, since rink management pitched a fit about there being a girl in the boys' room, and now Toby has to use the girls' locker room. Enter Stacy Watanabe, a figure skater whose team practices at the same time the hockey team does.

dangle & deke Zach Reddall, as the Port Sterling Skimmers' play-by-play announcer, isn't supposed to hate any of the Skimmers, but fuck if Bradford Chandler, every single frat boy distilled into a single terrible human being, doesn't get on his nerves. A story about growth, potential, and learning to unlearn.

dump and chase They met at hockey camp years ago, back when Jack McCallum was a nobody from a small town in Oregon and Phillip DeCoteau was a rising star from Toronto. Now, they face each other as equals on the ice, and both face the things they've never talked about.

five for fighting Karel Krejčí gets divorced, moves halfway across the country, sleeps around, plays hockey, gets hurt, starts fights, gets hurt more, and falls in love.

gloves off  After the bus crash that irrevocably changes the Washington Capitals, everything is different. Mally and Tamps adjust. 

gongshow Sasha Molchalin tells him that in three months he'll die, which is the weirdest chirp Clarence Taylor has possibly ever heard. Three months later, the team bus gets hit by a semi. Clarence Taylor is dead for three minutes, and then he's comatose, and then he's spiritually linked to his fucking rival, which is like. That's great. Like his day couldn't get any worse.

lighting the lamp What happens when problematic coaching practices are systematic, not incidental? And what happens to the kids who've moved on? For Kirby and Nordy, signing to a Port Sterling Skimmers team in turmoil after the toxic nature of the University of Michigan's men's hockey program was exposed almost feels like escape--almost. But unlearning the things the University of Michigan taught them is a longer and harder battle than anyone anticipates, and the journey has only just begun.

odd man rush At the end of his Calder-worthy rookie season, breakout forward Jeremy Fitzpatrick gets traded from the struggling Vancouver Canucks to the hopeless Port Sterling Skimmers, bringing with him versatility, high scoring capability, and something that could divide the hockey world straight down the middle.

save selection Johnathan Dickinson is better known for his Tumblr blog than for his goaltending, which is how he likes it. He doesn't need to be good at goaltending to be good at goalie analysis, and analysis--and GIFs of goalies losing their shit--is what his blog is known for. But then the Flyers backup gets sent down, Johnny gets pulled up, and he has to learn how to cover for himself--and fast.

scramble At 5′5″, Mitty is the shortest player in the NHL. At 6′10″, Marty is the tallest. They are teammates, best friends, and partners in crime. 

sharpshooter Dallas Lee falls in love hard and fast and easy, and falling in love with Selby Montague is no different. But then there's the problem of Reese Holowinski, and also the fact that they're all teammates.

splitting the d Patty-and-Dunks, defensemen for the Seattle Thunderbirds, are inseparable--or, at least, that's what everyone thinks. Truthfully, they've been split before, and they'll be split again, but they'll find their way home to each other--somehow they always do.

stay in the crease Bryan Weaver doesn't go into the season expecting anything different from his rookie backup, especially since he managed to run off the last three. If he functionally adopts the kid, it's nobody's business but his own.

tape to tape What happens at Junior Worlds should stay at Junior Worlds. Right? Unfortunately, that's not the case for Finland native Tahvo Kyllonen—the year after the Junior Worlds tournament where he developed the world's most poorly timed crush on American Chase Atkins, they both end up playing for the Columbus Blue Jackets, and—even better—playing on the same goddamn line. Now if Chase would stop smiling at Tahvo like that, that would be fantastic.

tic-tac-toe Carson “Kitty” Kittka is a sweet rookie in the brutal world of professional hockey. Elias Koskela, captain of the Port Sterling Skimmers, is a little worried. Just a little bit. 

top shelf Everyone keeps saying the starting goalie for the Flames, Andrej Novik, is a nice guy, but Matthew Klatzky, his backup, doesn't see it. Like, really doesn't see it.

[ecfandom]

Polis 433 Ch. 12 Preview

It’s not clexa, but it’s a preview. Clexa to come!

Elliot and Taryn rounded the corner at sprint, their legs and arms pumping in unison. Had it been anyone else, Elliot would have pulled ahead with her years of military-backed stamina and strength, but Taryn had been an NCAA Division 1 track athlete in undergrad, and she gave as good as she got. Where Elliot’s solid build and strong thighs made her powerful, Taryn’s long legs and lithe musculature made her fast, and they matched each other footfall for footfall.

Grinning like idiots, the blew through town, racing along the docks, dodging the morning fisherman as they hauled in their catches for the day. The sun was barely up, but this port town was already awake and raring to go. The early-risers grinned, waved, and shook their heads at them as they passed, fond of this familiar tradition that livened the mornings and ushered in the new day.

“Flag pole,” Elliot huffed, indicating their final destination about a hundred yards away, initiating the last leg of their sprint. It would be a  battle to the end to see who would come out on top and buy breakfast, per their tri-weekly tradition. They both kicked it up a notch, jostling for the lead. Neither were above a little light throwing of shoulders and elbows, and they both laughed as it happened, shoving the other off each time.

Elliot grinned when Taryn pulled ahead fifty yards out, predictable and eager as always. She waited until they were about twenty-yards out, and then she gunned it. She overtook Taryn in ten yards, just managing to keep her lead for the last ten as they flew past the flagpole.

“Mother fucker!” Taryn half-shouted, half-laughed as they slowed to a stop. Elliot dropped her hands to her knees and sucked in air greedily as Taryn flopped to the ground, a mess of red, gangly limbs. “How the hell do you do that?!”

Elliot brought her head up from between her shoulders and grimaced in Taryn’s direction. Their faces were a matching bright red, and sweat dripped from their hairlines generously. “Endurance,” she panted, dodging a rock that Taryn flung at her good-naturedly.

“I have endurance! I was a distance runner in college. I won every race!”

“And that was what? Twenty years ago?”

Taryn glared. “Sixteen, plus med school, a career and two children.”

Elliot shook her head, droplets of sweat dispersing around her. “God, we’re getting old.” She stood and held out her hand, helping Taryn up from the ground.

“So, where we going?”

“Like that’s even a question,” Elliot said with a laugh.

***

They sat at Sal’s, enjoying the peacefulness of being two of a handful at the restaurant that hadn’t yet ushered in the morning rush.

“You going to the game Wednesday?” Elliot asked around a mouthful of pancakes.

Taryn nodded, not taking a breath away from her coffee as she finished her cup in one go, set it on the table, and grinned at Betty who swung by and refilled it, used to Taryn’s habits by now.

“Bringing the girls?”

“Janie’s going with some friends from school,” Taryn said of her eldest daughter, the eight year-old spitting image of Taryn’s wife, Ella. “Ella’s bringing Lily by after her shift. I probably won’t get off until about the third inning. You going?”

Elliot nodded, shoveling more food into her mouth. The two of them were bottomless pits, as Ella often fondly referred to them. They were both tall and broadly built for women, but even so, they put away more food than even their large bodies should be able to old. It was endlessly amusing to the people around them.

“How’s Lexa?” Elliot asked.

“Discharging her tomorrow. Her last HBOT session is today.”

“Really? That’s great.”

“She’ll be off duty for another week and I’ve got her going to PT for respiratory. She’ll be light duty for another two after that, then we’ll check in.”

“She’s not going to like that.”

“Too bad,” Taryn said with a laugh, “orders came down from the chief.”  

Elliot lowered her fork of food in surprise. “Abby? What’s Abby care?”

Taryn shrugged and wiped at her mouth, wondering how much she should say. They didn’t keep anything from each other, never had, but some things weren’t hers to tell. “How well do you know her daughter?”

“Clarke? ‘Bout as well as you, I suppose. From what I’ve seen, she’s pretty damn good at her job. Not a lot to tell in six months, though. Thompson likes her.”

Taryn nodded, her eyebrows flicking up in surprise for a moment before she schooled her expression. Not fast enough, though. Elliot leaned back and crossed her arms over her chest, studying her friend.

“You know something.”

Taryn shook her head. “No. Maybe. I don’t know.”

“You don’t like her?”

“No, no I do. You’re right, she’s good. Better than half my residents, honestly. But there’s something about her, though. I don’t know. She’s...elusive. It’s like she doesn’t want anyone close.”

“She doesn’t,” Elliot said.

“Well, Lexa apparently is.”

“Oh yeah?

Taryn grinned. “Lexa caught feelings.”

Elliot laughed. “For Clarke?”

“That’s on the DL. She told me when she was oxygen drunk.”

Elliot laughed again and shook her head. “Good for her. Now things are making sense.”

“How do you mean?”

“Ran into Clarke the day after we admitted Lexa. Thought she was going to kill me when I told her about Lexa’s MI.”

“You too?”

Elliot grinned. “Good, I like a little spitfire, and it’s about time Lexa found someone.”  

“Yeah, but Clarke?”

“You don’t think it’s a good fit?”

“I think, for one thing, they don’t know each other. Hell, I don’t even know her and we’ve been working together for six months. I know her kid better than I know her. It’s like, what are you hiding? You know? It’s weird for someone so sweet and warm to be so distant.”

Elliot sighed and shook her head. “For someone else, maybe. Not for Clarke.”

“What does that mean?”

“She flinches all the time. You ever notice?” At Taryn’s frown, Elliot nodded and continued. “Loud noises, people coming up behind her, aggressive patients. She doesn’t let it affect her job, but it happens all the time.”

“I never noticed.”

“She’s not in the ER much, so you probably wouldn’t. She covers it really well, but it’s there. She’s got a strong startle reflex too, and she makes herself small when she’s panicked. Crosses her arms, hunches over,” Elliot said, demonstrating before relaxing back into her casual position, nodding like she’d just diagnosed appendicitis. Obvious, easy.  

“Okay…” Taryn said slowly, trying to piece it together. She shrugged. “I’m not following.”  

Elliot nodded, a slight grin on her face. Taryn was an incredible diagnostician, but there were some things she’d never seen, and Elliot was glad for it. “PTSD,” she said simply.

“You think she’s got PTSD?”

“I know she does. I’ve seen it enough.”

“She not a vet. Not that I know of,” Taryn said, musing.

“You don’t have to be a vet to have PTSD. Anyone can have it. I see it more and more at the clinic, especially in young women.”

“You think it was assault?” Taryn asked, taking the check from Betty with a smile.

Elliot shrugged. “I don’t know. I hope not. But something happened to her, that’s for sure. And you can tell whatever happened hurt her more than just her soul. She’s such a strong, independent woman, probably hurt her pride to boot. She’s got to trust you before she opens up to you, and that’s gonna take a lot. If she’s let Lexa close, then there must be something going on there, making it feel safe. And I’m glad. I like Clarke. She’s good, and she cares about her patients.  I’d like to see her hurting less. Frankly, I think if anyone were good for her, it’d be Lexa.”

“And for Lexa?”

Elliot thought about it as she threw a handful of bills on the counter for a tip. She winked at Betty as she swooped in to collect it, and she and Taryn both graciously accepted the to-go containers of pie on the house that Betty pushed into their hands. They thanked her and headed out, squinting against the late morning sun as they pushed out of the restaurant and headed towards the hospital.

“As for Lexa,” Elliot finally said, “I don’t think I’ve seen her smile this much in the last ten years that I’ve known her. And anyone or anything that can make that kid smile…” She shrugged. “They’re okay in my book.”

Their beepers went off simultaneously before Taryn could respond. Despite their full stomachs, they jogged the rest of the two blocks to the hospital, skipped the ER, and ran straight up to the helipad.

The incoming Coast Guard helicopter whipped the air around them into a frenzied storm, forcing Elliot and Taryn to bend nearly in half as they ran to meet the gurney.

“What’ve you got?” Elliot shouted above the roar of the whipping blades.

Coast Guard AST Paxton Matthews, an elite rescue swimmer with paramedic training, shouted off the working diagnosis as they ran the gurney into the hospital. With a mild bout of dehydration and hypothermia, Taryn sent the lost hiker off with her residents and stayed behind with Elliot, wanting to catch up with her sister-in-law who’d been gone for the last month, deployed to Florida to help with the latest hurricane to hit the coast.

“Long time no see,” Elliot said, clasping hands with her, then bumping their fists together.

Taryn walked back over to them, and brought Paxton in for a hug. “How’ve you been, man?”

“It’s good to see you guys,” Pax said, her calm, low voice the same as ever. Much like Elliot, Paxton Matthews was the tall, dark, and handsome dreamboat all the girls swooned over, but was somehow always alone. She sported a similar military cut to Elliot’s, though hers was quite a bit shaggier in the front, perpetually wavy from the salty sea-water she spent her days and nights in. Handsome and charming, she was beloved by the people around her, especially the women, but she was just as reserved as Elliot, if not more so. Unlike Elliot though, Paxton lacked the brooding chill Elliot often carried around with her. Pax was simply an introvert, quiet and even a little shy, unless she was in the water saving people’s lives.

She turned to Taryn. “How’re the girls?”  

“They’re good. Getting bigger, it breaks my heart.”

“I bet. I’ve got toys for them.”

“You spoil them,’’ Taryn said with a grin.

“Of course I do. I’m their aunt.”  

“Is that Paxton Matthews I hear?” They turned, all three of them grinning at the sight of Dr. Ella Matthews-Michaels, Dr. M for short, walking swiftly towards them, her arms open wide for a hug Paxton pulled her into as soon as she was in reach. “I saw the page and hoped you were the one bringing the patient in. Oh my god, I missed you,” she groaned as Paxton gave her a squeeze and let her go. “How are you? I can’t believe you’re already out, you just got back yesterday!”

“Duty calls,” Paxton shrugged.

“You’re still coming over for dinner tonight, right?”

“Wouldn’t miss it.”

“Good. I want to hear about Florida. I’ve got to get back, I’ve got an anaplastic astrocytoma to remove in ten, but I’ll see you tonight. Don’t be late,” she said, turning to go.

“I don’t know what that is,” Paxton muttered.

“Brain tumor,” Elliot supplied.

“Hey baby,” Ella greeted Taryn, placing her hands on Taryn’s chest and lifting to her tip-toes. She kissed her, then wrinkled her nose. “You need a shower. You run today?”

“Mhm,” Taryn muttered, distracted by the sparkling green of her wife’s eyes. Elliot rolled her eyes and grinned at Paxton, who just shook her head.

“Who won?”

“I don’t want to talk about it.”

Ella snorted and patted her wife’s chest, kissing her one last time before leaving. “Better rest up,” she murmured, “I’ve got plans for you later.” She patted Taryn’s ass as she left, ignoring Paxton’s faux-disgust and Elliot’s protests of PDA in her vicinity.

“Don’t hate the winner, friends, hate the game,” Taryn said, quite proud of herself.

“That’s not how that goes,” Elliot laughed, shaking her head.

“Have you seen her, though?” Taryn asked. “I’m definitely the winner.”

“And I’m definitely still right here,” Paxton said, grimacing.

[junker-town]

Final Four teams in the men’s NCAA tournament, ranked

There are four teams left standing in the men’s NCAA tournament. Who do you think will win it all?

The 2021 men’s NCAA tournament has been anything but predictable. The opening weekend featured the most upsets in tournament history, with four double-digit seeds busting through to help form the highest seed total the Sweet 16 has ever seen.

It looked like things would go mostly chalk from there with three No. 1 seeds still standing, but UCLA had other ideas. The Bruins upset top-seed Michigan in an Elite Eight thriller to set up a Final Four that should offer a fitting and exciting conclusion to the tournament.

UCLA now faces a powerhouse Gonzaga program looking to finish off its historic undefeated season. Baylor and Houston sit on the other side of the bracket. In a way, this tournament has played out in perfect fashion: we got upsets early, but still have a chance to watch the two best teams in the country all year long square off for the national championship. The Cougars and Bruins likely have other ideas.

Let’s re-rank the field in the men’s bracket before the Final Four starts on Saturday.

4. UCLA Bruins (No. 11 seed)

UCLA was at rock bottom two years ago when they hired Mick Cronin away from Cincinnati. Cronin wasn’t their first choice, and he wasn’t their second or third choice either. A defensive coach with a grind-it-out style seemed like an odd fit for a job as glamorous as UCLA, but Cronin was still building positive momentum after a solid 19-12 debut season. Then everything seemed like it started to fall apart.

Months after last season ended, UCLA’s top incoming recruit, Daishen Nix, opted to instead play in the G League. Eight games into the season, star forward Chris Smith tore his ACL. Jalen Hill left the team for personal reasons shortly after that. The Bruins still looked solidly in the NCAA tournament for most of the season despite all that, but losing their last three regular season games plus their first Pac-12 tournament game made for a sweaty Selection Sunday.

UCLA did earn an at-large bid with a play-in game against Michigan State, and the rest is history. The Bruins made their way to the Elite Eight with two overtime victories against the Spartans and No. 2 seed Alabama before certifying their case as a legit contender with a win over top-seed Michigan. UCLA slowed down the game to a halt, forced Michigan to hunt mismatches in the post, and drained the exact shots (long two-pointers) that Juwan Howard’s defense is built to give up. Along the way, former Kentucky transfer Johnny Juzang has become an unlikely tournament hero with his tough shot-making, while Tyger Campbell has given the Bruins the steady hand they needed at point guard.

UCLA will be a massive underdog to a Gonzaga team that looks like one of the best in the modern history of the sport. In that sense, there isn’t much pressure on the Bruins heading into the Final Four. They’ve already proven the world wrong by getting this far. What’s one more victory?

3. Houston Cougars (No. 2 seed)

The Midwest was supposed to be the region of death in this year’s NCAA tournament, but that didn’t apply to the Houston Cougars. Kelvin Sampson’s team busts into the Final Four after beating only double-digit seeds on their way to winning the region. Things are about to get a lot tougher against a Baylor squad that has been one of the country’s best teams from the jump, but at this point Houston’s profile suggests it is far closer to elite than it is lucky.

The Cougars enter the Final Four with the No. 7 offense and No. 8 defense in the country. They play at a snail’s pace, shoot tons of threes, and dominant the offensive glass. The Cougars have won 11 straight games heading into the showdown with the Bears, and they’re one of the few teams in the country who have the guards to keep up with Baylor.

Quentin Grimes was a McDonald’s All-American out of high school who was supposed to be a one-and-done at Kansas. He transferred to Houston after a subpar freshman year, and has now fully blossomed into a star for the Cougars as a junior. DeJon Jarreau, a former UMass transfer, has become Grimes’ co-star, while 6’1 sophomore Marcus Sasser gives Sampson another guard who can get after it on both ends. This Final Four run happens after Caleb Mills, the AAC Preseason Player of the Year, left the program in Dec.

Houston will try to get Baylor into a rock fight. If they can control the tempo and hit their threes, an upset is absolutely possible. Yes, the Cougars have had an ‘easy’ path through the bracket, but they still very much deserve to be here.

2. Baylor Bears (No. 1 seed)

It’s easy to forget that the Baylor Bears would have been a No. 1 seed in last year’s NCAA tournament if it wasn’t canceled because of the pandemic. The Bears brought back four starters from that team and added a few impact transfers, led by big man Jonathan Tchamwa Tchatchoua and guard Adam Flagler. The result has been a team that’s even more dominant on the way to the program’s first Final Four appearance of the modern era.

The Bears started this season 18-0 before dropping an away game to Kansas and a Big 12 tournament semifinal matchup to Oklahoma State. Those are the only games they’ve lost all year as they break into the Final Four at 26-2. If there was concern that Baylor looked a little shaky heading into March Madness, it didn’t really show itself on their run through the South region. Only Arkansas came within single-digits in the Elite Eight, and there was no doubt who the more talented team was during that game.

Baylor’s trio of guards — Davion Mitchell, Jared Butler, and MaCio Teague — have powered the program to elite status for two seasons now. Mitchell has become the leading man in March, showcasing his incredible offensive burst and lockdown individual defense throughout this run. Teague’s shooting and Butler’s steady hand in running the offense have also shined, while Matthew Mayer and his mullet have provided some essential floor spacing.

We were supposed to get Baylor vs. Gonzaga back in early Dec. before the game was canceled just before tip-off because of Covid protocol. Let’s do it again for the national championship.

1. Gonzaga Bulldogs (No. 1 seed)

Gonzaga enters the Final Four staring down history. No college basketball team has finished the season as an undefeated national champion since Indiana in 1976. At 30-0, the Zags are just two wins away from doing it.

Gonzaga was not challenged during their march through the West region. It beat No. 16 Norfolk State by 43 points, No. 8 seed Oklahoma by 16 points, No. 5 seed Gonzaga by 18 points, and No. 6 seed USC by 19 points. None of those games felt as close as the final score indicated, and the final score still indicated a blow out.

The Gonzaga machine was hitting on all cylinders against the Trojans in the Elite Eight. Freshman superstar Jalen Suggs scored 18 points and finished two assists short of a triple-double. Sophomore center Drew Timme dominated his matchup USC’s freshman star Evan Mobley, finishing with 23 points, four assists, and three steals. Corey Kispert added 18 points, too. All three looked like the All-Americans that they are, and the rest of Gonzaga’s overqualified role players finished the rest of the job.

Gonzaga’s offense — the second most efficient of the KenPom era, starting in 2002 — gets most of the credit for good reason. More underrated is how effective the Zags’ defense has been. The Zags are currently No. 4 in the country in defensive efficiency, and are posting the second lowest points per 100 possessions of Few’s tenure. The Zags had six steals against USC, but it felt like twice as many. Their ability to turn misses and turnovers into quick-strike buckets is typically what blows games open.

Gonzaga has been the best team all season. They certainly look like the best team as we reach the final weekend of the season. It probably won’t be easy, but at this point we haven’t seen any team’s best shot actually be good enough to beat the Zags.

[leanintolove]

“You Never Know How Things Will Turn Out”

Recently, I’ve been reflecting on a major misconception that I find myself guilty of. Leaning on my own wisdom and strength of character, and trusting my own perspective, brings the temptation to try and control my future. We NEVER know how things will turn out... no matter how confident we are. We are not guaranteed anything for tomorrow, all we can be sure of is the present moment.

This is a misconception because we will continue to see successful people who take pride in their hard-work and discipline. Our brains are brilliant, complex, beautiful machines that can accomplish incredible things when tested, but the misconception lies in our perception of who God is. If we only trust ourselves, what does that say about how we view God? Do you think that God is powerless? Can you really believe that the unique power of the human brain was an accident? Would you be willing to believe that God created you in HIS image? After all, ONLY humans have the brains and opposable thumbs that separate us from other organisms..!

It is more difficult to put faith and hope into trusting something outside of ourselves vs trusting our own convictions...For instance, in the recent Alabama v.s Georgia football game, they had the option to kick an easy field-goal to win the National Championship of NCAA football. The coach had to choose to trust the kicker to take an “easy” win after the offense got into field goal territory successfully. The coach had no idea if he would make it or not. In the end, he MISSED! While Alabama still went on to win in overtime, the coach put that trust in his hands. When the kicker missed, there was no promise that they would go on to win in over-time either. Instead of being wrapped up in the past mistake, the team remained focused on the current goal and won. 

I use this metaphor because when we look at the Bible, there is never ever any moment in which we are encouraged to worry about the future. Jesus taught about being present, trusting that God’s will for us to live everyday in confidence that we have nothing to be afraid of or to worry about. Even when hardship comes, when we are tempted to trust ourselves, we can be sure that God is with us through cloudy moments. The difficult part, and what I struggle with, is FULLY believing this. It sounds so cheesy and cliche, but what if we FULLY believed it? My challenge is to take God seriously on his promise and talk to him, asking for his help in my believing. If we only trust ourselves, or what other people tell us, we will never experience the true peace of God. After all, we never REALLY know how things are going to turn out, so I would encourage you to read these verses and talk to somebody about it... just type them into google, or ask me about it!

Matthew 11:28-30

Joshua 1: 5 & 9

[junker-town]

Western Illinois’ Final Four run in Year 20, continued

The epic conclusion of Western Illinois’ Cinderella run to the Final Four as a No. 12 seed in College Hoops 2K8.

Welcome back to our simulated dynasty with the Western Illinois Leathernecks in College Hoops 2K8. You can find a full explanation of this project + spoiler-free links to previous seasons here. Check out the introduction to this series from early April for full context. As a reminder, I simulate every game in this series (even the ones we watch on Twitch) and only handle the recruiting and coaching strategies.

We pick up with Western Illinois in the Final Four of the 2027 NCAA tournament. Here’s a recap of everything that has happened so far this season:

Western Illinois entered the season seeking redemption after losing to Cal in the first round of the NCAA tournament last year. We began the new season rated as a 96 overall with three new starters. We went 3-6 against a difficult non-conference schedule before sweeping the Summit League and again capturing the conference tournament championship. We enter the NCAA tournament at 24-6 overall.

We earned a No. 12 seed in the NCAA tournament. We defeated No. 5 seed Minnesota, 89-72, in the first round. We beat No. 4 seed Ole Miss, 116-85, in the round of 32 as senior wing Wilky Henry set a program record with 46 points. We defeated No. 1 seed Dayton, 109-82, in the Sweet 16, and then we beat No. 2 seed Indiana in the Elite Eight, 105-69. You can read a full recap of our road to the Final Four here.

We recruited for one scholarship and are poised to land five-star JUCO shooting guard Edwin Wolfe after the season.

Read: Western Illinois, Year 20, 2026-2027

Read: Western Illinois’ NCAA tournament run in Year 20, continued

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

It seems like just yesterday I was a fresh-faced 25-year-old taking over arguably the worst program in college basketball. Now in my 20th season, our Leathernecks are making their fourth Final Four appearance and looking for their third national championship.

Our opponent in the Final Four is No. 2 seed Pepperdine. The Wave enter the game at 34-2 on the season. You can find their roster here. We’re rated as a 99 overall, they’re rated as a 94 overall. Here’s how the two teams stack up:

I could feel the heat when we started this tournament run. The program came maddeningly close to breaking through in Year 16, Year 17, and Year 18, which each ended with a loss in the Elite Eight. The first round exit last season only made matters worse. Part of me always felt like this would be the year before the year given that three of our top players are juniors. At least that’s what I was telling myself when we were under-seeded yet again by the committee and given a difficult opening round matchup vs. talented Minnesota team in the 5-12 game.

I was expecting an all-out battle with the Golden Gophers, and we got it — for the first 20 minutes. Second half team has become a rallying cry for our Leathernecks on the Twitch streams, and we pulled away after halftime again. From then on, it’s been nothing but blowouts.

Round of 32 vs. Ole Miss: This was The Wilky Henry Game. Our senior small forward set a program record with 46 points on 10-of-16 shooting from three-point range.

Sweet 16 vs. Dayton: The Flyers were the top-seed in our region, but we turned the game into a beatdown by halftime. Junior point guard Tron Whaley led the way with 21 points even as he sat on the bench the entire second half.

Elite Eight vs. Indiana: Just a 36-point victory to punch our ticket to the Final Four, no biggie.

We were winning by an average of 27.75 points per game on our road to the Final Four. We have never approached anything like this before, not even during our two other national championship seasons. This team was firing on all cylinders, but it didn’t mean a thing without the ring.

This team just has so many weapons. Junior power forward Allan Cunningham — 6’11, 290 pounds — is an absolute monster on the interior and has soft touch out to three-point range on his jump shot. He feels like the best four in program history. Wilky Henry is everything we want out of a wing — big, athletic, always ready to fire from three. Tron Whaley has given us a point guard who can take care of the ball and stretch the floor. Mathew Alloway has a super bright future and has held his own as a freshman starter. Pat Giddens is comically large and is finally starting to play up to his rating.

I am very confident entering the Pepperdine game. I am nervous about the potential national championship game matchup against the winner of Villanova vs. Maryland. As we simulated into Final Four weekend, Tron Whaley goes up one point to 90 overall, and Alloway goes up one point 86 overall. That has to be a good sign.

We streamed this game on Twitch on Sunday night. As always, I’m not controlling Western Illinois; we’re watching a simulated game played by the computer. I’m not playing any of the games in this series, I only do the recruiting and set the coaching strategies. The game will start when you press play.

FINAL FOUR, LET’S GO!

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Win, 93-70. We’re going to the national championship game!

No star performance this time around — the whole team balled out. Again, we blew this game open in the second half. The most impressive thing is we didn’t even have a particularly good shooting night, only hitting 26 percent of our shots from behind the arc. It didn’t matter because we dominated the glass and made so many big plays defensively — 20 combined stocks (steals + blocks), many of them leading directly to offense going the other way.

Honestly, I thought our center Pat Giddens was the player of the game. Giddens has been heavily criticized by the fanbase throughout the year despite being a projected lottery pick and the highest rated junior in the NCAA tournament at 94 overall. While Giddens has been knocked for being unpolished as a scorer and a little underwhelming as a rim protector, he put it all together vs. Pepperdine. He made some sweet moves offensively and anchored the defense with six blocks. I know the fan who wrote “The Case for Pat Giddens” on our Subreddit had to be thrilled.

There really isn’t too much else to say about this one. We were clearly the better team at both ends of the floor. Here are some clips from reader Abby, starting with my favorite play of the night: this monster dunk from backup freshman center Kevin Brazzle:

Great ball movement leading to the Wilky Henry three:

Brazzle with the block, Wilky Henry with the powerful two-handed slam. This is when the flood gates really started to open:

One win away from title No. 3.

Our opponent in the national championship game is No. 5 seed Villanova, who defeated Maryland in the other Final Four game.

No. 12 seed Western Illinois vs. No. 5 seed Villanova, national championship game, 2027 NCAA tournament

Villanova was the team we didn’t want to see. The Wildcats have been about as good in our simulation as they’ve been in real life lately, which is to say: really damn good. Nova is the rare team with the size up front to compete with Ham and Giddens. They have dynamic guards too who will be a threat out past the three-point line.

Nova enters the game rated as a 100 overall, one point higher than us. Here’s a full look at the Villanova roster:

This is going to be our toughest test of the tournament. It’s been five games and five blowout victories so far. Something tells me that’s not going to happen again against Villanova.

We streamed this game on Twitch on Sunday night. We had more than 1,700 people watch at least part of the stream and we hit 500+ concurrent viewers at one point. The game will tip off when you click play, but you should click through and watch it on Twitch’s interface to read all of the comments. Thank you everyone who came out. New fans are very much welcomed and appreciated.

One win away from a national title. LET’S GO!

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Win, 97-67! THE WESTERN ILLINOIS LEATHERNECKS ARE NATIONAL CHAMPIONS FOR THE THIRD TIME IN PROGRAM HISTORY.

Just pure dominance, man. I can’t believe we just 30-pieced Villanova in the title game. This team just completed a six-game NCAA tournament run where they won by an average of 27.3 points per game.

And we’re the lowest-seeded team to ever win the NCAA tournament, breaking our own record back in Year 8. Not bad for a No. 12 seed.

Our best players carried us in this one. What more can we say about Wilky Henry? The man is a legend. He finished the title game with 30 points on 13-of-19 shooting to complete arguably the most brilliant individual tournament run in program history. Allen Cunningham was every bit as good. He finished with 21 points, 13 rebounds, and six assists, and was named Most Outstanding Player of the tournament.

Ham turned the game with 17 minute left. We were only up five when he unleashed this poster dunk for the and-one.

It was pretty much curtains for Nova from there. We have had some great teams at Western Illinois in my 20 seasons as head coach, but this feels like our most complete group ever. We had size, we had shooting, we had depth. At no point did I ever think we were going to lose. What a team.

Here are a few clips from the title game, starting with this three + stare-down (!) from Silky Wilky:

Ham from NBA range!

Wilbur Ager with the MJ shrug:

Legends, all of them.

Western Illinois became America’s team with an unlikely run to the national championship in Year 8, or 2015. Our second title in Year 13, or 2020, solidified the fact that this program is for real. Now our third title in 2027? Well, that just proves we’re one of the greatest college basketball programs of all-time.

This one’s for you, Neck Nation. There’s only one thing left to do at this point: enjoy this “One Shining Moment”.

Please check out our beat writer Matthew Morrow on what this third title means the fanbase and the legacy of head coach Ricky Charisma. To whoever edited the Wikipedia page for the most national championships by one head coach in college basketball history ... thank you.

The game gives you 40 seasons before it forces you to retire, and I plan on playing it out. I’m coming for you, Coach K.

National champs, baby. Let’s hang the banner!

The scary thing? We could be just as good next year if Giddens and Ham decide to bypass the NBA draft to return for their senior seasons. Let’s go to the offseason — just skip to the end of the title game to watch me play through it on Twitch.

Offseason

Your 2027 national champions: the Western Illinois Leathernecks. 12-seed. Soak it in.

Wilky Henry gets selected in the NBA draft. One of the all-time greats

GIDDENS AND CUNNINGHAM ARE COMING BACK. Oh my. I thought we were for sure losing one of them. Year 21 is about to be lit.

We lose an assistant coach. I love seeing our guys get head coaching jobs. I think we found a pretty good replacement: 72-year-old Leighton Merriex, who has an A+ rating in teaching and a B+ rating in scouting. Welcome to the staff.

We only had one scholarship to recruit for this season, and we’re been chasing the same player all year. He signs on the first day of spring recruiting: five-star JUCO shooting guard Edwin Wolfe out of Federal Way, Washington. We’re excited to add to him to the program. We’ve had a few stellar JUCO players through the years and we’re hoping he can be next.

Now it’s time to set our schedule for Year 21. Here’s what I came up with:

@ Dayton, Maui Invitational, @ LSU, @ Louisville, @ Charlotte, vs. Illinois, @ Kansas, @ Florida.

Year 21 is going to be a ton of fun. In addition to having a team that can repeat as national champs, we also have four scholarships to recruit for. We need to make sure our present is as bright as our future.

Year 21

Here’s a first look at our roster for Year 21:

We start the year at No. 18 in preseason polls. How are we not No. 1???? The disrespect never ends.

Unfortunately, Wolfe came in lower than we were hoping: he’s a 70 overall with C+ potential. He’ll redshirt. Either way, we’re totally stacked next year. We’re going to stream the regular season in Year 21 on Friday, Aug. 28 at 8:30 p.m. ET on Twitch. Please join us.

Western Illinois, Year 21, 2027-2028 regular season stream

Game: Western Illinois Year 21 regular season stream. We’ll watch one regular season game, recruit for four scholarships, and sim to the NCAA tournament.

How to watch: My Twitch channel

Date: Wednesday, August 28

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

I hope to see you there.

NATIONAL CHAMPS! Go ‘Necks.

[paul-doyle]

The Gift Of Gabby: Williams Will Do Whatever It Takes To Make UConn Better

By Paul Doyle/The Hartford Courant

March 31, 2017

The play ends with a feat of jaw-dropping athleticism, Gabby Williams leaping over an opponent in a single bound and snatching the ball.

But it all begins with the brain. Williams, intuitive and intelligent, positions herself in just the right space on the floor. She studies the nuances of her opponent's body, she reads the trajectory of the shot and processes where it will rattle off the rim.

UConn fans have been witnessing the show all season. An undersized former guard who was a reserve last season, Williams has been a dynamic player in a season full of dynamic performances.

She is among the best defensive players in the country, thriving against bigger post players. She is also the best all-around player on the best team in the country, filling the stat sheet with rebounds, assists, blocks, steals and points.

As UConn moves into its 10th consecutive Final Four, the team's improbable rise will be a common theme all weekend. How did the program manage to avoid a loss after watching three of the best players in college basketball graduate off a four-time national champion?

Sophomores Napheesa Collier and Katie Lou Samuelson have been elite scorers, earning All-America and national player of the year consideration. Junior Kia Nurse has emerged as a perimeter scoring threat while providing defense and stability at guard, while senior Saniya Chong has been a steady force all season.

But the exclamation point on the season wears No. 15.

Williams (14.1 points, 8.4 rebounds, 5.2 assists) is a human highlight reel, the player who has been drawing gasps from crowds in gyms all over the country. She was called the best basketball player in the country by ESPN's Jay Bilas and opposing coaches have been marveling at her athleticism for the past four months.

"Her legs are like springs," Albany coach Joanna Bernabei-McNamee said. "She just gets up and rises above the other player."

There is an audacity to her game, as the 5-foot-11 Williams continually outperforms players who tower over her. But she can be hard on herself and her confidence has sometimes waned over her three seasons at UConn.

Geno Auriemma attributes it to the physical setback following two surgical procedures on her knee. Williams was limited as a junior and senior at Reed High in Sparks, Nev., so she came to UConn as a relatively inexperienced player.

"In her basketball life this is her second year of playing basketball," Auriemma said. "This is her second year of basketball in the last four years."

She is also hyper competitive and struggled with failure.

"If it was dominoes, if it was checkers, if it was horseshoes, she would just figure out how to win," said Williams' father, Matt. "She's just a perfectionist."

So imagine the difficulty two years ago. Still recovering from her second knee injury and working herself back into basketball shape, she changed position. All those transitions as a freshman — from guard to forward, from high school to college, from Nevada to Connecticut — tested her.

Williams did not leave the bench in the second game of her freshman year. That happened to be UConn's last loss, 88-86 in overtime at Stanford. Auriemma said the team could not trust her, so she sat.

"I never wanted to feel like that again ... almost helpless," Williams said. "I knew that if I would have played in that game, I would have messed everything up. I wasn't prepared the way I should have for that game. So I had to think of, what am I going to bring to this program now, for myself and for my teammates? Because I don't ever want to feel like I'm not a part of anything."

She hasn't missed a game since. There have still been moments of self doubt, even this season. But the confidence has risen as she has continually succeeded at the highest level.

"When she's going good, she feel like she's on top of the world," Auriemma said. "And when she's not, she gets a little bit tentative. Those doubts have been less and less and less. But freshman year? It dominated her. Those thoughts dominated her and that's why she had a hard time playing. Now you look at her … they show up once in awhile.

"Fortunately for us, every big game we've played on national television, those doubts didn't come to the arena. Somehow or another, they got lost on the way over."

She has been at her best against the best. She had 14 points against Baylor, 19 points and 12 rebounds at Notre Dame, 16 points and nine rebounds at Maryland, and 26 points and 14 rebounds against South Carolina.

In the NCAA Tournament? She is averaging 23.3 points and 7.8 rebounds.

And when the environment was tough early in the season, Williams was often the calming influence. At Notre Dame, she gathered the team during a slide and told her teammate, "We got this."

The HBO behind-the-scene documentary series on UConn presented Williams as the team's den mother, making shrimp and grits for her teammates.

And consider this: Williams has been eating a vegan diet this year. But she'll cook anything for the Huskies.

"That's a good teammate," Katie Lou Samuelson said.

That also speaks to her willingness to transform herself into a post player because that's what her team needs. Williams is a well-documented elite athlete, finishing fifth in the high jump at the 2012 Olympic track and field trials at age 15. Yet the kid who reached such heights in an individual sport is the ultimate teammate.

Auriemma has raved about her intelligence and energy. She has the ability to connect with people, gravitating to a leadership role. She is politically and socially aware and active, she loves music — HBO did a segment on her vinyl collection and Williams shared her playlist with ESPN.com, including the song she's been playing before every game since middle school (Mac Dre's "Feelin' Myself") — and she'll do whatever necessary for her team.

"If Geno told her, next year I need you to go out and sell popcorn ... she's going to do it," Matt Williams said. "She's going to do whatever it takes to win. That's why she picked UConn over everybody else."

Williams picked UConn over Stanford, Arizona, Arizona State and UCLA. Her father, who played at Nevada, coached her in AAU and Williams grew up around the game, playing all over the West Coast.

Yet she transplanted herself to Connecticut in search of the highest level.

"And because of Geno and the day-to-day discipline … it's taken her to another level," Matt Williams said. "I don't think there's another program in the country where you could get that."

Gabby said she still misses high jumping, especially as she watches her younger brother Matthew start his high school track career this year. But there is no regret for an athlete who could have been a 2016 Olympic contender had it not been for her knee injury.

"I don't ever think about what could have been," Williams said "I'm here. I'm here for a reason."

Next year, she will play in front of familiar faces when UConn plays at Nevada in her homecoming game. Not only did her father play for the program in Reno, but her sister Kayla was a forward for Nevada.

Will Williams be playing guard when she returns home? She could, but her ability to handle the ball and and pass makes her a unique post player. It's rare to have a post player with the hands of a guard.

And Williams believes her vertical leap will improve. She lost some height on her vertical leap after the surgeries, so she could leap even higher next season.

"When I came, I was just like, how can I help?" Williams said. "How can be a part of the team? It was helpful for me because being a post meant that was going to be more of a part of everything. I didn't see it as, 'Oh, I'm sacrificing.' … I feel like I'm in a really good spot, too. I'm always right in the middle of the floor. I can find people really easily. I can use some of those guard skills. I like the position I'm in."

But if her outside shot improves, Williams could be a player UConn can use anywhere on the floor. And Williams is working endlessly on her perimeter shot.

Auriemma's eyes widen when he talks about Williams' future. She has made such strides in one season and there is still another season left.

"It's almost like, whatever position she decides to play, she's going to be able to play it," Auriemma said. "My big thing with her all year has been about expanding her game. Being a much better ball-handler in traffic. Being a much better shooter. … Little by little, we're gaining on it."

[junker-town]

The start of Western Illinois’ NCAA tournament run in Year 20, continued

We pick up with the Leathernecks facing No. 5 Minnesota in the first round of the NCAA tournament in our College Hoops 2K8 sim.

Welcome back to our simulated dynasty with the Western Illinois Leathernecks in College Hoops 2K8. You can find a full explanation of this project + spoiler-free links to previous seasons here. Check out the introduction to this series from early April for full context. As a reminder, I simulate every game in this series (even the ones we watch on Twitch) and only handle the recruiting and coaching strategies.

We pick up with Western Illinois in the first round of the 2027 NCAA tournament. Here’s a recap of everything that has happened so far this season:

Western Illinois entered the season seeking redemption after losing to Cal in the first round of the NCAA tournament last year. We began the new season rated as a 96 overall with three new starters. We went 3-6 against a difficult non-conference schedule before sweeping the Summit League and again capturing the conference tournament championship.

We enter the tournament as a No. 12 seed. Our opponent in the first round is No. 5 seed Minnesota.

We recruited for one scholarship and are in position to land five-star JUCO shooting guard Edwin Wolfe in the spring.

READ: Western Illinois, Year 20, 2026-2027

Here’s a look at our roster heading into the 2027 NCAA tournament:

Not going to lie, there’s some real pressure heading into this tournament run in my 20th season as head coach at Western Illinois. We saw our season end in the Elite Eight in Year 16, Year 17, and Year 18. We lost in the first round last season. While I already have a strong case as the greatest mid-major coach in college basketball history, we all know this is a “what have you done for me lately” culture. It will be so hard to face the fanbase if we bow out early again.

Unfortunately, our shaky non-conference slate means we got a raw deal by the selection committee. It’s going to be a tough road through the bracket for us as a No. 12 seed, and it starts against a talented Minnesota team. Both teams enter the game rated as a 98 overall.

Minnesota is real good — you can check out the Golden Gophers’ roster here. Their senior shooting guard Carlos Klatsky is rated as a 95 overall — only four players are rated higher entering the tournament — and he’s matched up against our redshirt freshman Mathew Alloway. Their front court is stacked. Their five best players are either juniors or seniors. I am expecting this to be tough as hell.

The one thing giving me confidence is how we performed in the regular season against No. 1 Louisville in a game we watched together on Twitch. We gave the Cards all they could handle in a true road game before losing in the end. I love our inside-outside combination with senior small forward Wilky Henry and junior power forward Allan Cunningham. I trust our guards more than I did last year. While we have struggled in quick sim games, the pieces on this squad fit together better when we watch full games together on Twitch, I think. We need to take care of the ball, dominate the glass, and hopefully get a stellar performance from Henry as our go-to option on the perimeter.

We streamed this game on Twitch on Sunday night. As always, I’m not controlling Western Illinois; we’re watching a simulated game played by the computer. I’m not playing any of the games in this series, I only do the recruiting and set the coaching strategies. We did do something new this year, though: for the first time, I’m allowing myself to make in-game substitutions. Why not? There’s too much pressure to let poor rotation choices cost us.

The game should begin when you press play. Let’s go!

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Win, 89-72! We’re onto the round of 32 where we will face No. 4 seed Ole Miss.

“SECOND HALF TEAM” has become a rallying cry for our Leathernecks during the Twitch chat, and it paid off once again. Thank the heavens, because that first half was tense. Our defense looked good, but Minnesota was still matching baskets with us the entire way. We couldn’t get anything going from three-point range early. I was wondering who was going to step up to be the hero, but instead the whole team pretty much raised its level of play in the second half.

A few shout-outs:

Wilky Henry was outstanding — he was up to 24 points on the night when we pulled the starters with about five minutes remaining. Henry didn’t do anything in our first round tournament loss to Cal last year (7 points in 33 minutes), so it was great to see him splashing threes and using his size (6’8, 240+ pounds) to bully people at the rim. That is exactly the type of performance we need out of him to keep winning.

Allan Cunningham is simply an all-time Stream Team performer. Dude is so big (6’11, 290 pounds) but still so graceful, and has three-point touch to match. For all the praise we give Ham — read our beat writer Matthew Morrow on Cunningham coming into the season — we often overlook his passing ability. Not anymore: Ham was dropping dimes like a vintage Chris Webber in this one, beating constant double-teams in the second half by kicking out to open shooters. Beautiful stuff.

Our center Pat Giddens has been generally maligned by the fanbase for being too short (6’9) and too overweight (close to 300 pounds), but he’s also the highest rated junior in the NCAA tournament. I was waiting for his production to match his ratings, and it finally happened. Giddens looks formidable offensively and held his own protecting the rim. Good stuff — we need more of that is we want to keep winning.

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

Manual subs! Featuring a Cunningham steal and finish:

Nice block by backup center Kevin Brazzle + a knockdown jumper from freshman guard Mathew Alloway:

Bring on Ole Miss.

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

Another tough matchup for our Leathernecks. Ole Miss enters the game as a 99 overall, which is one point higher than us. They have five players rated in the 90s, though most of their talent is in the backcourt and on the wing rather than in the front court. Here’s a look at the roster:

We need Cunningham and Giddens to eat inside. Waiting for us in the Sweet 16 would be a matchup with top-seeded Dayton, who are led by junior big man Matt Boswell, the player we created for the first-ever winner of our bracket contest. That would be such a fun game.

We also streamed this game on Twitch on Sunday night. Again: we’re watching a simulated game, I’m not controlling the teams. The game should start when you press play.

LET’S GO!

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Win, 116-85! We’re going to the Sweet 16! Here are the tempo-free team stats from @akulawolf:

@SBN_Ricky not sure it's possible to be much better than this offensively pic.twitter.com/zRvek6XJfz

— Steven (@akulawolf) August 17, 2020

We just witnessed the best NCAA tournament performance in program history. Wilky Henry, have yourself a day!

Here’s what I wrote about Henry at the start of the season: “Henry needs to be a superstar this year for this team to play up to its potential.” It happened in an epic way, and we’re going to the Sweet 16 because of it. Henry was absolutely unconscious, pouring in 46 points on 10-of-16 shooting from three-point range. He shattered the program’s previous tournament scoring record of 34 points set by Kim Kone in Year 17.

Honestly, it felt like he could have scored 60 easily. We pulled the starters with 9:35 seconds left as we were up 22 points. I tried to manually sub Henry back in to get 50, but the game took him out right away. LOL. Still an unreal performance either way.

Seriously, man: 46 points on 27 shots in 26 minutes. We might never see a performance like that again in Leathernecks history. Let’s go the clips from reader Abby, starting with a three and then a dunk from Wilky:

More Wilky:

Nice pass from Wilky to point guard Tron Whaley:

Silky Wilky forever. We’re going to need him to keep going, because we’re moving onto the Sweet 16 to face No. 1 seed Dayton.

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

Dayton enters the game as a 97 overall — we’re a 98 overall. This is how the two teams matchup:

Here’s a look at Dayton’s roster led by one-time bracket contest winner, studio host, and created baller Matt Boswell. This is going to be an all-out battle. And we’re going to watch the simulated game together on Tuesday, Aug. 18 at 8:30 p.m. ET on Twitch. Please join us.

Here’s how to watch Western Illinois vs. Dayton in the Sweet 16:

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

How to watch: My Twitch channel

Date: Tuesday, Aug. 18

Tip-off time: 8:30 p.m. ET // 7:30 p.m. CT. The stream will start a little earlier.

If we win: Elite Eight game against the winner of No. 2 Indiana vs. No. 6 Pitt will follow immediately after.

Put Lakers vs. Blazers on one screen and the Leathernecks on the other. This is going to be a blast. A few links before I get out of here:

Join the Leathernecks Reddit for continued discussion on the team. We also have a fan-started Twitter account (with spoilers of Twitch streams before the recap goes out) and Instagram page you can follow.

Reader Evan’s Leathernecks recruiting database now includes size progression over time. He wrote about it on Reddit, but it’s wild seeing some of these changes. For example: Wilky Henry has gained three inches and 43 pounds since he committed. I hope no one gives him a PED test before the Sweet 16.

We had 130 entries in the bracket contest this year. Hell yeah. Check out Sean’s Blog Team app for the current standings, which works on desktop and mobile.

Reader Thanh Nguyen wrote a fan-fiction e-book on the first eight seasons of Ricky Charisma at Western Illinois.

WESTERN ILLINOIS VS. DAYTON

SWEET 16

TUESDAY NIGHT ON TWITCH

I’LL SEE YOU THERE

GO ‘NECKS.

Would you like email updates for this series? If so, add your email to this Google Form.

[viraljournalist]

College basketball predictions - Will UNC complete the Duke sweep?

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College basketball predictions - Will UNC complete the Duke sweep?

Duke and North Carolina have their second meeting of the 2018-19 season on Saturday (6 p.m. ET, ESPN), and ESPN.com’s team of college basketball experts weighed in on whether the possibly still-Zion-less Blue Devils would earn the split or fall victim to the sweep. Our experts also made their picks for the much-anticipated Michigan-Michigan State rematch (8 p.m. ET, ESPN) and told us what they expected to be the most compelling conference tourney of the season.

Jump to score predictions for the weekend’s top games

It’s Duke/North Carolina, Part II. Tell us how this is going to go if Zion Williamson plays … and if he doesn’t.

Jeff Borzello, college basketball insider: I’m not sure it matters on Saturday. I guess it’ll be closer if Zion suits up in Chapel Hill, but I think North Carolina wins either way. If he doesn’t play — and Mike Krzyzewski’s comments make that appear the likelier scenario — I think the Blue Devils are really going to struggle. They’re a thoroughly average team without Zion and one that got steamrollered by North Carolina in Durham just two weeks ago. The Tar Heels dominated Duke in the post behind Luke Maye, Cam Johnson and Garrison Brooks, and that seems likely to happen again. At the other end, Duke hasn’t gotten consistent offense from anyone not named RJ Barrett, which could be an issue against a team that loves to push the tempo and put up points.

Coby White and UNC face RJ Barrett and Duke on Saturday. Can the Tar Heels pull off the season sweep? Lance King/Getty Images

Myron Medcalf, senior college basketball writer: Tough question. You can’t rely on the analytics for everything, but Duke without Williamson is a team that falls in love with the 3-pointer (42 percent of its attempts compared with 35 percent with Williamson available) and relies on Barrett’s straight-line drives. The Blue Devils are just easier to figure out and that’s what I think North Carolina will do (again) in a second win if Williamson doesn’t play because, as Jeff said, Duke isn’t really built to stop UNC in the paint without Williamson. If he plays, then Duke wins. Why? Because he’s the ultimate playmaker who fixes the flaws that were exposed (defense around the rim, post production, poor shot selection) in the first game.

Here’s your updated source for all of the latest on the NCAA tournament bubble.

Virginia, Duke and North Carolina all have top-seed cases … if they take care of business this week.

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John Gasaway, college basketball writer: This is going to go swimmingly for Duke if Zion plays. He changes the Blue Devils for the better on both offense and defense. That first part requires no further explanation, one surmises, but on D the freshman is a disruptor and a highly mobile wall of shot-changing menace. Fueled by Williamson’s return and, no less, by a desire to even the score after the game in Durham, Duke wins if Zion comes back. If not, this does not go well for the Blue Devils. Winning in Chapel Hill is a taller order than recording a home victory against Wake Forest.

Fill out your bracket for a chance to win $10,000 in Amazon.com gift cards and a trip for two (2) to the 2019 Maui Jim Maui Invitational! Fill out your brackets

Jordan Schultz, insider/analyst: Duke is winning this game, with or without Zion. As poorly as the Blue Devils played in a near upset loss to Wake, they still received tremendous production from Barrett, whose 28 points helped him pass Marvin Bagley III for most ever by a Duke freshman. Assuming Williamson can’t go, look for Coach K to once again run everything through Barrett, isolating him on the wings with flat sets that allow him to work out against a terrific Heels defense. We should expect more from the uber-talented Cam Reddish as well, who already hit Carolina for a career-high 27 points in Durham. If Zion does play, however, expect a heavy dose of post-ups and highlight-reel plays considering this will be the only time the prodigious future No. 1 pick ever plays in the Dean Dome. Either way, an angry Duke team wins what should be an excellent game.

And then immediately after, it’s Michigan vs. Michigan State from East Lansing. You expecting a Spartans sweep?

Medcalf: I just want to be there. The Breslin Center is just a wild place, especially when that bass player in the school’s band gets going. It’ll be crazy this weekend. And I think that will be the difference in a game that will feature two teams hoping to get healthier before the NCAA tournament arrives. I just don’t see Cassius Winston, who has been a hero and Wooden Award contender despite his ongoing bout with knee tendinitis, falling short in this season finale against his team’s chief rival. Ain’t happening. Michigan State gets the sweep.

Borzello: Man, this is a tough game to read. First, it doesn’t sound like either team is going to be healthy. Charles Matthews has missed two games in a row for Michigan, and John Beilein didn’t sound optimistic that Matthews would play on Saturday. For Sparty, Nick Ward is still hurt and Kyle Ahrens also missed the last game. Michigan State goes through stretches where it struggles to score due to its lack of options, and that theoretically will be magnified against an elite defensive unit like the Wolverines. That said, this is basically the same team that went into Ann Arbor — with Matthews playing 28 minutes — and beat Michigan by seven two weekends ago. In that one, it was all Winston. He had 27 points and eight assists and outplayed his counterpart, Zavier Simpson. I think that happens again and I think Michigan State gets the sweep.

Gasaway: Yes, the Spartans will sweep Michigan after going 0-2 against Indiana. How perfect is that? In the first game, Michigan State did what you’re not supposed to be able to do against the Wolverines. Tom Izzo’s guys attacked in the paint and it worked beautifully. No Big Ten opponent has scored as efficiently against Michigan as did the Spartans (1.23 points per possession), and no Big Ten opponent has shot anywhere near as well inside the arc (68 percent). True, Michigan State took better care of the ball than UM, which we can safely class as a true freak occurrence. Still, I like MSU’s chances in East Lansing.

Schultz: I do not. Michigan was uncharacteristically locked up by the rugged Spartans defense in Ann Arbor, going 7-26 (26.9 percent) from 3 while amassing just six total assists. True, Sparty is elite on both ends — top 10 in offensive and defensive efficiency, per KenPom — but the Wolverines have more firepower and once again will not have to worry about Ward, who continues to be sidelined with a fractured hand. The X factor for John Beilein & Co. is Matthews, if he plays. When he plays well and is confident shooting it, Michigan becomes much harder to guard, because Simpson and Jordan Poole are both deft at creating their own offense as well. Matthews — who went 1-8 with 4 points in the first MSU game — must discover his stroke in this one. I’m betting he will, and in turn, that the Maize and Blue steal a tight one on the road.

You are forced to watch every minute of one and only one 2019 conference tournament. Which one are you picking, and why? (Ivy League mini-tournament not allowed):

Borzello: No naps? I’m going to be at the Big East tournament, so I’ll leave that one out. If literally every second has to be watched, I think you have to avoid leagues with double byes. If you choose the ACC, you’re saying you want to watch Wake Forest or Georgia Tech or Pittsburgh twice in 24 hours. The Big Ten actually has interesting lower seeds, but still, no. The SEC has you grinding through two games involving Texas A&M or Missouri or something. Meh. I’ll go with the Big 12. There’s a ton at stake heading into Kansas City and fascinating storylines abound. Oklahoma, TCU and Texas all still have work to do to feel comfortable heading into Selection Sunday, so those opening-round games are interesting. Does Kansas bounce back after seeing its streak end on Tuesday night? Does Texas Tech stay hot? Can Iowa State stop losing? Will Kansas State start getting national respect? I’m all-in on the Big 12 next week.

Medcalf: Oh, man. Borzello’s pick makes sense. The Big 12 is always fun and it’s in Kansas City, where you can just walk across the street to the Power and Light District and party with Iowa State fans after the games. But I’ll take the SEC. I mean, Tom Crean in the opening round, where Georgia might score 98 points (win over Texas on Jan. 26) or 39 points (Wednesday loss to Missouri)? He might punt a basketball into the stands before halftime. Mizzou’s Jordan Geist taking 30 shots because why not? Can Billy Kennedy save his job? All of that before we even get to LSU, Kentucky and Tennessee? I’ll take it. I’d love to watch everything that happens at the SEC tournament, including Frank Martin and Bruce Pearl possibly pulling off upsets and giving us the best postgame interviews of the week.

Gasaway: Is this even up for discussion? Absolutely the Pac-12 tournament. One, no one in the conference not named “Washington” or, possibly, “Arizona State” (and even that second one is very iffy) is getting anywhere near the NCAA tournament without an automatic bid. These teams will all be playing like hungry carnivores, not like the “let’s just stay healthy” locks in certain other major conferences. Two, these completely off-bubble teams can, paradoxically win a game or possibly even two if they do get in the field of 68: Utah’s offense is excellent and the two Oregon teams are both playing quite well without anyone much noticing. Three, UW’s Matisse Thybulle is possibly Division I’s most entertaining player who’s also healthy. Last thing, 12-team tournaments feel like less of a slog on the first day than your true mega-leagues. I’d love to be there with my Maui Jim sunglasses celebrating the conference of champions.

Schultz: This is relatively easy for me, if hardly conventional, but I love the OVC, mainly because Belmont and Murray State each have All-America candidates. We all know about Racers all-world point guard Ja Morant, who is arguably the best player — and highlight — in the country, save for Mr. Williamson. But don’t sleep on Bruins senior hybrid forward Dylan Windler, a sterling offensive machine who can shoot it (43.2 percent 3s), make a play off the bounce and post up as well. Windler (21.1 PPG, 10.3 RPG, 2.5 APG, 1.4 SPG) is one of the most efficient all-around players in the nation and a legitimate pro prospect as well, as one NBA scout recently noted to me. To be sure, a Belmont-Murray State OVC final is the matchup we all deserve.

ESPN.com expert picks for this weekend’s top games

(Lines, published as they become available, from the Westgate Las Vegas SuperBook.)

2018-19 college basketball predictions leaderboard

ESPN.com experts Last week SU Season SU Last week ATS Season ATS Jeff Borzello 7-3 51-19 4-5-1 38-28-4 Jordan Schultz 8-2 51-19 6-3-1 38-29-3 John Gasaway 8-2 51-19 4-5-1 31-33-6 Myron Medcalf 7-3 50-20 4-5-1 29-36-5

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[rebeccahpedersen]

1996 To 2017: A Toronto Real Estate Dynasty!

TorontoRealtyBlog

What’s the difference between a “streak” and a “pattern?”

Is there one?

Does it depend on the context in which we view a consecutive string of similar outcomes?

I’m not a huge basketball fan, but I am a huge sports fan.  I’m also a huge fan, as most of you know, of stats.

Combined with an overwhelming case of obsessive-compulsive disorder, I will actually study and memorize statistics for sports in which I have very little interest.

Case in point: tennis.

I don’t watch tennis.  I find it to be extremely boring, in the same way that a non-golf fan would find golf boring, or baseball, or basketball, or essentially any other sport which involves repetition.

Tennis is back-and-forth, back-and-forth, point, point, point, game, set, match, boring.

But tennis fans might suggest that a basketball game, which ends up at a 102-101 score, is even worse.  Back-and-forth, for two hours, all to come down to a whole lot of time-outs in the last 60 seconds, which take 30 minutes in real-time, so that one team can beat the other by a couple of points.

See what I mean?

I don’t care for tennis, but I do care for the stats!

The Grand Slams!  Oh boy, when a grand slam is finished, I immediately run to the laptop to input the winner and runner-up, then update my “All Time” list, as well as a host of others.

That page, along with hundreds of others like it, for other sports that I don’t watch, end up in a book that I print and bind quarterly (waste of paper, so be it), and read in bed at night when I can’t fall asleep………which is every night.

Which men have won all four Grand Slam tennis tournaments?

How about the women?

I know the answers, even though I don’t watch the sport.

The same goes for basketball, which, I’m sorry, I just can’t find interesting.  Even the March Madness NCAA tournament has ceased to capture my attention in the last decade.

But when the NBA season is over?  You know I update my “All Time Leaders” stats for points, rebounds, assists, steals, games played, et al.

And of course, the “NBA Championship Winners.”

For those of you that know basketball, you know that there was an absolutely unprecedented period in the 1950’s and 1960’s when one team dominated.

There have been dominant teams in every team-sport, as well as individuals in sports like golf, tennis, and cycling!  Lance!

But there was absolutely nothing like the Boston Celtics of the late-50’s and 1960’s.

They still hold the record, in the four major sports (hockey, football, baseball, basketball) for the most consecutive championships……..with eight.

Eight?  In a row?

That’s insane.

In fact, only the New York Yankees and Montreal Canadiens can claim streaks of five straight championships.  And the most consecutive championships in the NFL, is two.

Here’s how the Boston Celtics eight straight championships looked, with the NBA Championship winners in yellow highlight:

Yup, there it is – eight straight from 1959 to 1966.

What an accomplishment, right?

Except that, wait, there’s more.

On this list, there actually thirteen seasons, and the Celtics won eleven championships.

And they also went to the finals ten straight years!

In fact, if you study this list a little longer, you’ll see that you can make five huge claims, depending on what your objective is:

1) Boston won 8-straight from 1959 to 1966. 2) Boston won 9 championships in 10 years, from 1957 to 1966. 3) Boston won 11 in 13 years, from 1957 to 1969. 4) Boston went to the Championship 10 seasons in a row, from 1957 to 1966. 5) Boston went to the Championship 12 times in 13 seasons.

The fact that the Boston Celtics won eight straight championships is incredible.

But is it more impressive that they won 9 times in 10 years?

Or 11 in 13 years?

Is 9/10 more impressive than 11/13?

Is the higher percentage more impressive than the higher total?

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve looked at these dates, teams, and championships, and wondered what’s the most impressive way to explain this period of dominance.

In the end, I think it’s that Boston won 11 times in a 13-year period, and combined with the loss in 1958, they were present at the Championship 12 times in 13 years.

A similar discussion can be had regarding the UCLA Bruins men’s basketball team, which won seven straight championships from 1967 to 1973, but also won in 1964, 1965, and 1975, for a total of 10 times in 12 years.

So what in the world does this have to do with real estate?

I love stats, but I also love streaks.

I will cheer for the favourite in a championship simply because I like dynasties.

And when it comes to the Toronto real estate market, a massive dynasty is coming to an end.

I don’t have stats to support this, but I would gather that the longest “streak” of consecutive years of increase in the average home price in a given city has to be the one we currently find ourselves in.

Twenty-one.

Twenty-one straight years, from 1996 to 2017.

Eat your hearts out, Boston Celtics!

Here’s a look at the average sale price of a Toronto home from 1995 to 2017:

The last time that the average home price in Toronto decreased from one year to the next was from 1995 to 1996.

1996.

Wow.

I was in grade eleven.

Atlanta hosted the summer Olympics.

Friends and Seinfeld were at their height of popularity.

The Toronto Raptors were in their second season of existence.

Connor McDavid, Auston Matthews, and Mitch Marner weren’t born yet.

And “the internet” was still something that only half of your friends had, and most of them couldn’t figure out how to open Netscape Navigator.

Since the Toronto average home price came in at $198,150 in 1996, that average has increased every single year since.  And while 2018 isn’t over yet, let me be the first to tell you, in case you didn’t already know, that this “streak” is going to end.

The average home price in Toronto in 2017 was $822,572.  And there is absolutely no way that 2018 is going to beat that.

So before I show you why, and how that’s a certainty, let me show you one more chart, just to drive home what an incredible Boston Celtics, UCLA Bruin esque dynasty the Toronto real estate market built:

The bears are going to have a field day with this, but something tells me, so are the bulls.

There’s much to talk about here, whether it’s that 0.8% increase in 2008 that barely kept the streak alive, or the 315% total increase in value through the streak, or perhaps the 17.3% and 12.7%, back-to-back, double-digit increases in 2016 and 2017 that simply made it impossible for 2018 to follow suit.

But let’s keep that $822,572 number in mind, as I show you why the 2018 market won’t keep pace.

Here is the average sale price in Toronto for every month recorded thus far in 2018:

As you can see, even the highest month, which was June, still didn’t beat the overall 2017 average of $822,572.  In fact, it was off by 1.8%.

So how can we predict what the overall 2018 average will be?

We could look at the average of all these averages, which is $786,073, but that ignores sales volume.

So I took a weighted-average of all eleven months; the number of sales, times the average sale price, divided by the entire 74,128 sales recorded from January through November.

And that number is $789,319.

December has yet to be recorded, but if history is any indication, it will be lower than November.

So let’s just use that $789,319 number for now.

If 2018 were to finish with $789,319 as the average Toronto home sale price, we would see the end of our twenty-one year streak, and we would also be able to put a number to the decrease, year-over-year: 4.04%.

So what is your spin on this?

Is it the “beginning of the crash?”  The one that people were predicting back in 2006, before prices increased 134%, and those prognosticators lost out on a lifetime of tax-free capital gains they will never, ever be able to make back?

Sorry, I couldn’t resist.  So much for my attempt to be impartial here, but my experiences weren’t just with statistics and headlines – they were with people.  So it is most certainly all the more real to me, as I look back in hindsight.

If this isn’t the beginning of the “crash,” what is it?

Is this a down year?

Is it a return to normal?

Is it the market taking a breather?

Is it much ado about nothing?

If you were an equities trader, and a 38-year-old investor was looking at an RRSP with returns like those above, and there was one year down 4.04%, would it even be a talking point?

Actually, scratch that question.  A friend of mine is a wealth manager, and he says that after eleven straight “winning” months, one down month will make the phones ring like crazy, with old men bitching and complaining about the market, predicting doom, and asking if they should move to a cash position.  The same goes for one down year, in the context of a 10, 20, or 30 year time horizon.

So while we’re sitting here at December 10th, there are still three weeks left in the month, and a lot of real estate yet to be sold, I think we can all agree on the numbers I have outlined above.

Then why not get a head start on the “I told you so’s” and the predictions, right?

I welcome your thoughts.

The post 1996 To 2017: A Toronto Real Estate Dynasty! appeared first on Toronto Realty Blog.

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[thornburgrealty]

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Behind the scenes at Texas A&M as Jimbo Fisher begins to place his stamp on the Aggies

COLLEGE STATION, Texas — To be clear, Jimbo Fisher is killing it in recruiting. Texas A&M proudly boasts the nation’s No. four class in keeping with 247Sports activities.

Nicely, in 2019.

“We’ll find yourself being one or two,” Fisher stated Wednesday in the course of the 2018 Nationwide Signing Day. “I am speaking about 10 guys which might be proper [there]. I am speaking about first-, second-round draft decide guys. There’s some phenomenal gamers.”

Once more, subsequent 12 months.

As for Wednesday’s signing day, the second of the 2018 cycle, think about it a heck of an appetizer for Fisher and Texas A&M. That is possibly the most effective you’ll be able to anticipate while you arrive 15 days earlier than the primary Early Signing Interval in December having to go head-to-head within the state of Texas towards the likes of Lincoln Riley, Mike Gundy, Tom Herman and Gary Patterson.

However after a couple of last-minute flips and quick closings, the Aggies completed a good 17th, in keeping with the 247Sports activities Composite. In eight years as a head coach at Florida State, Fisher completed out of the highest 10 solely as soon as (11th in 2013).

CBS Sports activities spent Wednesday with the Aggies and their 52-year-old coach. Jimbo continues to be that ball of power, that nationwide championship coach who’s now additionally the best paid coach (whole ) in historical past.

The day dawned at Texas A&M with 15 scholarships nonetheless to offer. That was probably the most within the nation’s prime 35 — no less than. Throughout December’s Early Signing Interval, a big portion of coaches signed 75 p.c of their courses.

“It is just like the outdated days 15 years in the past,” Fisher stated because the fax machine whirred, “when everybody waited till the final minute.”

The day ended with an official signing class of 22. Fairly a restoration. Fisher’s hiring was introduced Dec. 1, 2017, and made official Dec. 5. After that, he needed to transfer from Tallahassee, Florida, spherical up an early class and rent a employees. Within the case of 1 staffer, that meant lining up his new linebackers coach who got here near demise.

Wednesday, then, was a little bit of a recruiting mulligan. Fisher signed solely 10 gamers within the early interval. Wednesday marked a again loading of a category that might be charged with successful the SEC West — for starters.

Either side hope this relationship lasts ceaselessly. His first A&M class was sprinkled with what Fisher stated have been most important wants — operating backs, tight ends and linemen.

However the most effective continues to be to return. With two signing days and a number of time to kill in between, Fisher — like a number of coaches — acquired an early begin on a 2019 class that can embody no less than one five-star.

Nonetheless, there’s nothing to apologize for in 2018. However even one of many nation’s prime coaches endured the standard job-switching transition in recruiting.

Wednesday started a return on that huge funding. The Aggies have not received a convention title since 1998. Their solely nationwide championship got here in 1939. If recruiting is a case of, What have you ever achieved for me these days?, successful is a case of, What can Jimbo do for the Aggies in seven months?

“We’ve got sufficient guys that we predict we will win SEC championships with and nationwide championships with,” Fisher stated.

Solely in Texas: Hen fried steak on the A&M breakfast menu. Dennis Dodd

eight:12 a.m. CT

Jimbo’s voice is booming from behind the thick glass partitions that protect his workplace. That is Fisher. He’s clearly at dwelling as a result of Jimbo is at dwelling wherever he’s. The apparel on the second signing day is trendy — untucked shirt, no socks, cool sneakers, all enterprise with a telephone caught to his ear.

“This one’s enormous proper right here,” Fisher stated looking at his gadget. “He is legit. He’ll have an opportunity to stroll throughout the stage [at the draft].”

Jimbo is now gushing. Because the day wears on, he can have crushed his outdated boss, Nick Saban, and his outdated employer, LSU, for prospects. Jimbo edged Alabama for four-star defensive sort out Bobby Brown. Tight finish Glenn Beal got here from LSU territory in New Orleans. Fisher additionally reached out to the West Coast for defensive finish Jeremiah Brown.

“He had 45 in a basketball recreation the opposite day,” Fisher stated of Brown. “Shot six threes, had 4 dunks. Had 35 the following night time, 33 the following night time.”

Bruce Matthews’ son Luke — a 305-pound offensive lineman — is the most recent legacy from Bruce Matthews’ well-known soccer household to turn into an Aggie.

“Welcome to the household, OK?” Fisher says into his telephone with four-star operating again Jashaun Corbin on the opposite finish.  

“What else did I say, nice operating backs are all what? They’re ugly. [Running backs coach Jay] Graham’s ugly.”

He is kidding relating to the coach who recruited Corbin. In the meantime, Corbin is coming, rejecting Jimbo’s outdated employer (Florida State) within the course of.

The recruiting course of is fickle. Texas A&M was ranked 35th within the 247Sports activities Composite as of Sunday. On Monday, Fisher acquired a commit from Leon O’Neal Jr., a four-star security. The Aggies shot as much as No. 23 and completed within the prime 20. O’Neal was one of many Aggies’ prime targets till Kevin Sumlin acquired fired. Fisher then re-landed O’Neal, who introduced his dedication with a relatively curious hype video.

In any 12 months, these rankings are as flimsy as a pair of second-hand Dockers. However all the time, there may be hope they’re a basis. Herman had no downside labeling his firstclass final 12 months at Texas final 12 months a “transition.” Saban’s firstclass at Alabama in 2007 was ranked 12th nationally and seventh within the SEC. He hasn’t had a category ranked under sixth (this season) since. Jim Harbaugh went from No. 20 to No. 37 to No. eight to No. 5 in his first 4 years at Michigan.

A No. 15 class for this rock star coach is not dangerous.

You wish to know why a nationwide championship coach who might have received ceaselessly at FSU got here to Faculty Station? Nicely, certain, there may be the cash ($75 million over 10 years). However there may be additionally this:

“This college is totally wonderful. High 20 public college. High 10 in jobs popping out. Extra alumni than anyone. The Aggie community is sort of a cult: They deal with Aggies. There are extra CEOs of extra Fortune 500 corporations from right here than any college in America. Not Harvard, Yale, Princeton, any of that.”

At that second, Fisher has allow you to into each pitch he is made in each lounge he has visited over the past two months.

eight:55 a.m.

Going from one soccer big to a different, the identical teenage shenanigans nonetheless apply. On this digital age, coaches nonetheless cling on the stirrings of that fax machine, which transmits the Nationwide Letters of Intent. Till they’re acquired, coaches cannot utter prospects’ names … or they danger the NCAA’s wrath.

“We’re ready for the precise fax to return in, however a web page is lacking,” stated Mark Robinson, Fisher’s director of soccer operations who got here with him from Florida State. “You discuss to those guys, they get so excited. They get on Twitter. Then they overlook to fax it in.”

The offender seems to be Marcus “Tank” Jenkins, a large 325-pound offensive lineman from Alabama. The category begins to fall in line when he completes the duty. We’re informed there will not be a lot drama after lunchtime. Actually, the category is just about wrapped up by mid-afternoon.

Robinson will not be in contrast to a whole bunch of “DFOs” throughout the nation. He’s the chief contact, right-hand man, Fisher’s running-around man. Nothing occurs till Robinson runs it by way of the coach. That features journey, finances and logistics.

One 12 months at Arkansas, offensive line signee Austin Beck could not get a automobile out of the driveway due to an Oklahoma snowstorm.

“He rode a tractor to the highschool to fax his letter,” Robinson stated.

That is dedication.

10:30 a.m.

You may minimize the strain within the employees room with a menu.

Because the coaches collect to observe the announcement of four-star quarterback James Foster, a spirited dialogue breaks out relating to the most effective hamburgers.

Offensive line coach Jim Turner — a former Marine — endorses Whataburger.

“After which, McDonald’s fries,” Jimbo chimes in, including, “You ever have BurgerFi or 5 Guys?”

These guys will break down something.

Turner lastly concludes: “We’re not speaking about greens.”

No, we’re not. The eye turns to the streaming announcement of Foster. The sign caller seems to be the one top-tier quarterback within the class. Within the present quarterback tradition, a lot of the prime signal-callers commit as juniors. Fisher, although, has landed Foster to go together with returners Kellen Mond and Nick Starkel.

Earlier than his announcement at a faculty meeting, Foster makes certain to jack up the drama. A slickly produced video exhibits how Foster was run over by a automobile at age 14.

“I used to be burned, bruised, however not damaged,” Foster stated. “I used to be given one other probability. I am not going to get something as a right.”

The video ends with the same old hat dance. Foster tries on Alabama, LSU and Florida State lids earlier than selecting Texas A&M and saying, “Gig ’em.”

Fisher raises a fist. There are cheers throughout the warfare room, coaches bumping fists. One motive why Jimbo is at a faculty that produced a Heisman Trophy winner 5 years in the past (Johnny Manziel) is as a result of Jimbo produced a Heisman winner himself 4 years in the past (Jameis Winston).

Who is aware of if Foster is that good, however one of many nation’s best quarterback whisperers has his new man.

“Growth,” yells a staffer.

Fisher pumps a fist as Foster commits to the Aggies on signing day. Dennis Dodd

11:15 a.m.

At first look, it appears to be like like Bradley Dale Peveto is attempting to convey again the fanny pack as he strolls by way of the foyer of the soccer workplace. You then discover that from that fanny pack an IV snakes its manner into the correct arm of the Aggies’ linebackers coach. In early December, the 55-year-old Peveto was about to go in for a process to deal with an abscessed liver.

Peveto had simply determined to depart Ole Miss for A&M. His recruiting efforts have been finally mirrored right here within the signing of Beal and Jenkins.

“You understand Bradley,” Fisher stated. “He is all the time 109 miles an hour.”

However no matter miracles occur right here as we speak in recruiting, they cannot examine to the truth that Peveto continues to be alive.

“They about misplaced me,” he stated, a tool in that fanny pack pumping fluids into his still-recovering liver. The process went effectively sufficient however solely after Peveto took a name from Fisher as he went into the working room in Oxford, Mississippi.

“My spouse says, ‘You are not going to take that decision are you?’ I stated, ‘He may not name again.”http://ift.tt/1OPItWM;

Shortly thereafter, one thing went manner unsuitable. Peveto went into septic shock. He blacked out and went into convulsions. For 3 hours, Peveto’s temperature shot as much as 107 levels. Eleven days later, he popped out of the hospital prepared to hitch Jimbo. The 2 had labored collectively at LSU with Les Miles.

“My physician informed me, ‘You are the one particular person I’ve ever had with a fever that prime who walked out of right here,”http://ift.tt/1OPItWM; Peveto stated.

Hitting 109 mph should wait.

Three:30 p.m.

Within the foyer of the soccer workplace Wednesday morning, video of TexAgs Radio is streaming on the 70-inch HD display. Nonetheless up for bids: vast receiver Jaylen Waddle, one of many prime uncommitted prospects within the state.

“Hey children, for those who’re listening. You do not wish to play for Nick Saban. Life will not be enjoyable,” chides Seth McKinney, a former Aggies’ all-Huge 12 middle and on at the present time a visitor analyst.

It has been a “powerful” day for Saban. Alabama has dropped all the best way to No. 6 within the rankings, its lowest spot since 2007. However halfway by way of the afternoon, Waddle turns into the one prime 15 participant in Texas to depart the state.

“You aren’t getting everybody you need,” Fisher stated.

5:35 p.m.

By the end-of-day press convention, a recruiting scramble had turn into a recruiting success. It is to time unwind. There’s a coaches’ dinner tonight. The employees has a few days off.

Jimbo’s 12-year-old son is coming to city for a searching journey with A&M chancellor John Sharp. In response to Fisher, they are going to shoot recreation out of a helicopter.

“This may be every part you need right here,” Jimbo sums up, no less than from a soccer standpoint. “You sew up your state, bust your ass. You get that 18-22 guys. Why cannot you be every part on the planet?

“I am not saying it arrogantly, [because] we have achieved it all over the place.” 

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Western Illinois, Year 20, 2026-2027

The Western Illinois Leathernecks begin Year 20 in our simulated dynasty in College Hoops 2K8.

Welcome back to our simulated dynasty with the Western Illinois Leathernecks in College Hoops 2K8. You can find a full explanation of this project + spoiler-free links to previous seasons here. Check out the introduction to this series from early April for full context. As a reminder, I simulate every game in this series (even the ones we watch on Twitch) and only handle the recruiting and coaching strategies.

Before we start Year 20 of Coach Rick’s tenure at Western Illinois, here’s a recap of everything that has happened last season:

Coming off three straight seasons that ended in the Elite Eight, the Leathernecks enter the new year with two returning starters and a team rated as a 97 overall. We went 6-6 against a difficult non-conference schedule before going undefeated in conference and again claiming the Summit League tournament championship. We enter the NCAA tournament as a No. 12 seed at 26-6 on the season.

We faced No. 5 seed Cal in the first round of the NCAA tournament. We lost, 90-87, when our potential game-tying three at the buzzer fell short. Read the tournament + offseason recap here.

We landed three new players on the recruiting trail.

Western Illinois, Year 20, 2026-2027

Here’s a look at our roster coming into Year 20:

It feels like a new era at Western Illinois with only two returning starters and just one senior on the roster. This squad might not have the experience we’d ideally prefer — reflected in the game’s ‘team unity’ ranking — but we do have size and shooting at every position with some emerging young depth on the bench. If nothing else, I’m hoping we can set the table for an even better season a year from now depending on few NBA draft decisions.

Let’s run through the starters real quick. As something new this year, click on the names for a link to their player cards with full ratings.

PG Tron Whaley, redshirt junior, 87 overall: Tron enters the starting lineup for the first time as a junior after being a key piece off the bench last season. He’s grown two inches to 6’4 since committing and now looks like a steady lead guard with size and shooting ability. Has a 86-rating in three-point shooting, which is tops on the team. Former No. 128 overall recruit with C+ potential.

SG Mathew Alloway, redshirt freshman, 82 overall: The former Mr. Basketball out of Minnesota becomes the rare freshman starter for the Leathernecks. The 6’6 shooting guard doesn’t have a signature skill yet, but looks solid across the board. Rated as a 94 in speed and a 78 in three-point shooting. Former No. 31 overall recruit with B- potential.

SF Wilky Henry, redshirt senior, 93 overall: Henry needs to be a superstar this year for this team to play up to its potential. I think he can get there. Moving back to his natural position of small forward after starting at shooting guard last season, Henry is a massive 6’8, 242 pound wing who can shoot from three, rise above the rim for monster dunks, and handle the ball like a guard. We need him to be our go-to scorer on the perimeter. Former No. 80 overall recruit with C+ potential.

PF Allan Cunningham, redshirt junior, 89 overall: Cunningham is already on his way to becoming one of the most beloved players in program history. A standout in NCAA tournament games since his freshman season, ‘Ham’ is preposterously large (6’11, 289 pounds) with a refined skill set that includes legitimate three-point range. He’s a skilled inside scorer and rebounder while having an A grade in three-point shooting and an A- grade in speed. He should be a stud this year. Former No. 67 recruit with C+ potential. Projected first round pick.

C Pat Giddens, redshirt junior, 91 overall: Giddens is tied for the best potential rating in program history, per reader Evan’s Leathernecks Recruiting Database. This is his big chance to translate that potential into production on the court. Giddens moves into the starting lineup after being sixth man last season. He’s a bit short for a center at 6’9. but he’s impossibly strong at 290 pounds. Him and Ham up front is a supersized front court we’re hoping will be a great advantage for us all season. Former No. 115 overall recruit. Projected lottery pick.

There was some thought given to starting Henry at shooting guard again (where he goes down one point) to get sophomore Wilbur Ager in the starting lineup, but we prefer putting Henry at his best position, throwing Alloway into the fire, and letting Ager be one of the the better bench players in the country.

We’re going with a nine-man rotation this season: Ager and freshman center Kevin Brazzle will each get about 15 minutes per game, while freshman point guard Jamie Burke and freshman power forward LF Neal each get about 10 minutes per game. That means junior guard Vitor Andrisevic (79 overall) is out of the rotation. He will go down as the biggest recruiting bust in program history.

We also welcome three new incoming recruits to the team. All of them will redshirt.

PG Koko Reeves out of San Antonio, No. 52 overall recruit: 73 overall, C potential. Reeves is the smallest recruit we’ve ever had, but he’s already grown an inch to 5’11 since committing. His C potential grade is disappointing, but he looks like an absolutely elite shooter, already rated as an 82 from three-point range.

SF Jitim Dupre out of Chicago, No. 91 overall recruit: 76 overall, C+ potential. Dupre is a tall, lanky wing at 6’9. He’s a bit disappointing as a three-point shooter with a 72 rating.

C Artie Snipes out of Riverside, No. 177 overall recruit (No. 10 center): 75 overall, B+ potential. The 6’11 center is the heaviest recruit we’ve ever had at 282 pounds. Looks like he’s going to be another outstanding big man for the Leathernecks.

Recruiting

We only have one scholarship to recruit for this year. I want to hit the JUCO market to find a five-star shooting guard or power forward to join timeline of last year’s three-man class. I use my first two visits on these players:

6’2 shooting guard Edwin Wolfe out of Federal Way, WA

6’4 shooting guard V.J. Roberts out of Chicago

JUCO recruits aren’t numerically ranked and don’t have AAU stats, but Wolfe is the top shooting guard among JUCO players when the class is sorted by recruiting stars, so we offer him the scholarship.

Also we have to create a player for the winner of last season’s bracket contest, Isaac Springer. I asked Isaac to give me some details the player he wanted to create, and this is what he hit me with:

I actually had a small idea if I won: would it be possible to create Jon Bois instead? I’m not a huge college basketball fan (or much of a basketball fan in general), so I don’t really know anything about stats or positions or what’s good. But Jon is my favorite content creator online, and he’s what’s helped me find SB Nation and all of the great work that everyone is doing there. I think it’d be fun to introduce him into the Leathernecks universe.

Say no more, my man. Jon Bois, five-star shooting out of Louisville, is officially in the Leathernecks Universe. We’ll follow Jon’s recruitment and his career wherever he ends up. As a reminder, we don’t go after created players at Western Illinois to preserve the integrity of the game.

Finally, it’s time to begin the season. We start the year unranked in the polls and rated as a 96 overall. Let’s go!

First game: @ Illinois

I’ve had this game circled on my calendar since the Illini shocked us in the opener last season. We run this state, and we’ve proven it multiple times in the last decade. It’s time to issue the Illini an emphatic reminder of that.

Loss, 83-62. Oh my god. The Illini smacked us from the opening tip-off and there was nothing we could do to recover. That is not how we wanted to start the season. Ager had a good game and pretty much everyone else struggled.

Next up we have Georgetown. The Hoyas are rated as a 91 overall.

Win, 76-50. There we go. Look at Cunningham ball out with 23 points and six rebounds on 3-of-4 shooting from three-point range. That’s why this man is an icon. Read our beat writer Matthew Morrow on what makes Cunningham so special. I’m gonna need my guards to do better than shoot 1-of-13 from the floor, but thankfully it’s a long season and they should improve along the way.

As I sim to the next week, I noticed that my backup option on the recruiting trail V.J. Roberts really likes us. If he commits by the early signing period, we’d get a coaching point for landing our first five-star recruit in season. I decide to pull the scholarship from Wolfe and give it to Roberts. If he doesn’t accept it, I will probably re-offer Wolfe, assuming he doesn’t hate me now.

Next game is against Louisville, who enters at No. 1 in the polls. We decided to watch this game on the Twitch stream. The Cards enter at a 96 overall. The game will begin when you press play:

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Loss, 111-105. Damn, we almost had them. I feel a lot better about my team after watching them go toe-to-toe with No. 1 in the country on the road. My freshman shooting guard Mathew Alloway looked terrific offensively, finishing with 24 points on 1-of-18 shooting. He also picked up a nickname on the Twitch stream: All Day. Let’s just decide not to talk about his defense. Cunningham was again phenomenal, Wilky Henry was solid, and we found a new breakout player in backup center Kevin Brazzle. He’s huge at 7’1 and was immediately more effective than our starter Giddens, who got into early foul trouble.

Our defense was just terrible all around. Louisville shot 50 percent from the field and 43 percent from three. They also forced us into 18 turnovers with their press. We’re going to need to close-out on shooters and take care of the ball if we want to make a deep run.

As the early signing period begins, we have a rematch with Cal, who knocked us out of the NCAA tournament in the first round last year. I’ll take one hot serving of revenge, please.

Win, 91-63. Eat it, Bears. Cunningham carried us like always with 20 points, Henry puts up a 9-9-9 line in a game where he shoots 2-for-11, Tron goes 5-for-5 from deep to score 18 points, which I believe is a career-high. Hell yeah. We’re 2-2- on the year.

We have our two early conference games on the final week of the early signing period. We blowout both UMKC and IUPUI to make us 4-2 on the year. Unfortunately, we don’t land the commitment we were looking for from Roberts. Since Wolfe appears to be the higher rated prospect and still doesn’t have any other suitors, we pull the scholarship from Roberts and re-offer Wolfe.

In other news, Jon Bois commits to Dayton!

Next up we have Stanford. The Cardinal are 3-4 on the year and enter as an 87 overall.

Loss, 77-75. Woof. Giddens and Henry played well, but that’s a team we should beat. It’s tough to get an at-large bid in the Summit League when you’re losing to likely non-tournament teams like Illinois and Stanford, so we’re probably going to need to win the conference tournament again to punch our ticket.

We have a tough week coming up, too: we travel to face Michigan and Duke in true road games.

The Wolverines are No. 17 in the polls and the defending national champions. Can we get back on track?

Loss, 86-74. Ugh. My center Giddens only playing seven minutes because of foul trouble wasn’t ideal, and neither was his backup Brazzle also getting into foul trouble. Great game from Henry with 23 points — we need more of that. It’s become apparent that this team isn’t as good defensively as we typically are.

Alright, Duke time. The Blue Devils are ranked No. 9 in the polls entering the game.

Loss, 99-60. Zero combined points from my backcourt seems less than great. This regular season is not going how I had hoped.

Next up we have Dayton, who enter at No. 11 in the country. The Flyers are led by Matt Boswell, the player we ever created for the first ever winner of our bracket contest. Dayton has not made the tournament yet since Boswell’s arrival, but it looks like they’re going to do it this year. This would be a nice win if we can get it.

Loss, 74-60. Boswell with 14 points in the win. We have left ourselves zero margin for error in the conference tournament.

We only have one more non-conference game left: @ Vanderbilt. The Commodores are led by one-time Leathernecks recruiting target Stane’s Hobson, who is a 93 overall as a senior point guard.

Win, 106-102! Hell yeah. We really needed that heading into conference play. Cunningham killed it (23 points on 9-of-14 shooting), Tron Whaley is turning into a dynamic point guard (18 points, six assists), and Brazzle gave us a nice lift off the bench with 10 points. I love the three-point shooting and the assists. Let’s keep it going to finish out the year strong.

It is now time for Summit League play. We have gone undefeated in the Summit the last two seasons. Can we do it again?

Yup. We finish off the perfect slate in conference play to enter the conference tournament at 21-6. Here’s a look at the end-of-season stats:

Great year for Cunningham. He’s just so damn good; the fact that he’s our primary option on offense is the thing that has me feeling optimistic about our tournament chances. Having four starters finish in the teens in scoring average feels pretty good, too. I also have to note our three-point shooting numbers were through the roof this year. Here’s what we did from deep:

Tron Whaley: 47 percent on 117 attempts

Wilky Henry: 40.3 percent on 114 attempts

Allan Cunningham: 47.2 percent on 74 attempts

Mathew Alloway: 50.7 percent on 63 attempts

I wish there was a way I could tell my team to shoot more threes. Getting up enough 3PAs is going to be a big key going into the postseason.

But first, we have to win the Summit League conference tournament again. We again enter the field as the top seed. As I’ve noted, I really don’t think we’ll have enough juice to get an at-large bid after our shaky non-conference schedule. We can’t have a letdown here.

Summit League tournament

First game is against Oral Roberts. They enter at 7-22 on the season.

Win, 123-62. Henry scores 24, Giddens scores 22, and Cunningham scores 20. We hit 12-of-19 threes in this game, too. We have UMKC next.

Win, 81-61. Henry plays arguably his best game of the season, finishing with 28 points on 12-of-17 shooting in the win. We out-rebounded them 36-19. Seems good. Now we have Fort Wayne in the title game. Why am I so nervous about this?

Win, 86-52! Tron just crushes it with 26 points, seven assists, and 6-of-8 shooting from three. Ham put in work like always, too. I am more relieved than excited — but hell yes, we’re going dancing again. I’m hoping for a single-digit seed, but I doubt our resume was good enough for it.

2027 NCAA tournament

We’re a No. 12 seed against No. 5 seed Minnesota in the first round. Wow. We haven’t faced the Golden Gophers in this simulation before, so that should be fun.

Here’s a look at our roster heading into the tournament:

It’s going to be Wilky and Cunningham leading the way. We just need Alloway to not actively hurt as our lowest rated starter in years as an 85 overall. For the record, I liked what he showed in the Louisville game and I’m super optimistic about his future. We also need Giddens to finally play up to his rating, especially as a projected lottery pick and what appears to be the highest rated junior in the country.

Here’s a link to the Minnesota roster. The Golden Gophers enter the game as a 98 overall — just like us. Here’s how the two teams matchup:

This is going to be a really tough test for a first round game. We’re going to watch the simulated game together on Sunday, Aug. 16 at 8:30 p.m. ET on Twitch. We’ll talk about that more in a second. But first, let’s get to this year’s bracket contest.

2027 NCAA tournament bracket contest

We’ve been running a bracket contest for the last few seasons, and it’s been a ton of fun. We’re opening it up to anyone who wants to enter as long as you turn in your bracket before we stream our first NCAA tournament game on Sunday, Aug. 16 at 8:30 p.m. ET on Twitch.

This is everything you need to know:

How does scoring work?

We use a standard scoring format. You get one point for correctly guessing the winner in a first round game, two points for correctly a winner in a round of 32 game, four points for correctly guessing a winner in a Sweet 16 game, eight points for correctly guessing a winner in an Elite Eight game, 16 points for correctly guessing a winner in the Final Four, and 32 points for correctly guessing the national champion.

Can I see the rosters for the other teams?

Yes. You can find the rosters for every team on the right side of the bracket in the East and West regionals here. You can find the rosters for every team on the left side of the bracket for the South and Midwest regionals here. Just arrow over to scroll through the rosters.

How do I enter?

1. Click this link to open the interactive bracket.

2. After opening, in the top left select File > Make a Copy

3. Make your picks

4. In the top left, select File and either “Share” and share with sean@hoopsinsight.com or “Email as attachment” and email as an Excel file (not PDF please!) to sean@hoopsinsight.com

Once your picks are entered, you can track scoring with Sean’s Blog Team app that works on desktop and mobile.

What does the winner get?

The winner gets to create themselves or a character as a five-star recruit ahead of next season. We won’t go after the created recruits at Western Illinois to preserve the integrity of the game, but we’ll follow the career of your character throughout our series.

Readers David, Matt, and Josh made an NCAA tournament preview show

I love the Leatherneck community so much. Please watch David, Matt, and Josh breakdown this year’s team and the entire NCAA tournament bracket in a 25-minute selection show.

This is the best.

The old clips got me choked up a little bit. Amazing work by them.

You might have noticed Boswell and the Dayton Flyers would likely be our opponent if we can reach the Sweet 16. I would love nothing more than to make it happen. Especially after Boswell said he would drop a cool 28 points on Giddens on the bracket show.

We need to win two games on Sunday night first, though. Here’s how you can watch Western Illinois in the 2027 NCAA tournament.

How to watch Western Illinois vs. Minnesota in the first round of the 2027 NCAA tournament

Game: No. 12 seed Western Illinois vs. No. 5 seed Minnesota, first round, 2027 NCAA tournament

How to watch: My Twitch channel. You don’t need to sign up for anything to watch, but you do need to register for an account to comment. Do it, it’s fun.

Date: Sunday, Aug. 16

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

If we win: We’ll face the winner of No. 4 seed Ole Miss vs. No. 13 seed Yale in the round of 32 immediately following the first round game.

Here a couple bonus links:

Join the Leathernecks Subreddit started by reader Evan.

Reader Thanh Nguyen in Japan wrote a fan-fiction e-book on the first eight seasons of Leathernecks basketball under Coach Rick. Spoilers ahead, but this is absolutely incredible and I highly recommend buying it.

We now have a fan-started Leathernecks Twitter account. There will be spoilers on there from the Twitch stream before the recap post goes out.

Come hang out and watch our Leathernecks take on Minnesota in the NCAA tournament on Sunday, Aug. 16 at 8:30 p.m. ET on Twitch. Thank you and go ‘Necks.