TCB- X's and O's A Coaching Dynasty

[carolinahuey]

Greetings and welcome to my TCB, by Grey Dog Software, Coaching Dynasty. TCB is a text-based college basketball sim that I have played over the years and finally decided to write a dynasty about. I created myself, Bobby Nance, with random ratings and had a plethora of schools to choose from. In the end I wanted solid competition and a conference that would be exciting and a school that would be a good first school to begin my college coaching career. I chose the Missouri Tigers. And away we go....




The 2005-06 college basketball season is just around the corner and there is nowhere that feels the excitement more than they do in Columbia, Missouri where the Mizzou Tigers have hired a new basketball coach. The Tigers searched high and low and decided to hand the team over to 30 year old Bobby Nance. Nance takes over a talent rich Tigers team that plays in a very tough Big XII. As the pre-season reports came in, the Missouri campus was irate to learn that their basketball team was picked to finish 11th in the conference and basically was seen as an easy "W" for its opponents. Let's see if we can change that!

Let's take a look at the Mizzou Tigers that will be donning the Black and Old Gold and electrifying the Mizzou Arena crowds this season..

starters have an (S)

Name	Pos	#	Ht	Wt	Class	Hometown	High School
Kyle Moreland (S)	PG	25	6' 1"	164	SO	St Charles, MO	St Charles
Jamar Barrett	PG	15	6' 0"	163	JR	Webb City, MO	Webb City
Charlton Cox	PG	13	6' 0"	172	FR	Seneco, MO	Seneca
Justin Black	SG	4	6' 4"	212	SR	St Charles	Duchesne
Torris Jones (S)	SG	1	6' 5"	204	JR	Jackson, MO	Jackson
Ben West (S)	SF	35	6' 6"	228	SR	Lawson, MO	Lawson
Elton Smith	SF	40	6' 8"	216	SO	Poplar Bluff, MO	Poplar Bluff
Andrew Lawrence	SF	34	6' 5"	234	SO	St Charles	Frances Howell Union
Herb Dotson	PF	24	6' 11"	234	SR	Laredo, TX	J.B. Alexander
Steve Scott	PF	20	6' 8"	239	SO	House Springs, MO	Northwest
Ishmael Palmore (S)	PF	30	6' 11"	246	SR	Blanchard, OK	Bridge Creek
Jamie Green	C	55	6' 10"	273	SO	Fairfield, IA	Fairfield Community
Vernon Myles (S)	C	43	6' 10"	275	SR	St Louis, MO	Westminster Christian
Jim Thompson	C	53	6' 10"	268	FR	Malden, MO	Malden
Donnie Lopez	C	52	6' 10"	244	FR	St Charles	Frances Howell Union

I am very excited about what I have to work with, Moreland is a solid PG with great outside range and I think we are deep enough to withstand an injury or two, but only time will tell.

Up next: the 2005-06 Missouri Tigers Schedule

[carolinahuey]

2005-06 Missouri Tigers Schedule

Home Games are shaded

	Kansas	PreSeason NIT
at	San Diego State
at	Wagner
	UCLA
	Kentucky
	Miami
	South Alabama
	Western Kentucky
at	Louisiana-Monroe
at	New Mexico State
	Detroit
at	Iowa State
	Kansas State
at	Colorado
	Kansas
at	Nebraska
at	Oklahoma
	Baylor
	Texas Tech
	Texas A&M
at	Texas
at	Oklahoma State
	Iowa State
at	Kansas State
	Colorado
at	Kansas
	Nebraska

Remind me to send the scheduling committee and big box of poop for Christmas. Who on earth has to play Kansas 3 times! Not only that, but I get UCLA and Kentucky coming to Columbia early in the season, both of those schools are pre-season top 12! That Miami game was a gift because it was supposed to be #1 Duke, but I changed it (hehehe). Call me a cheater, but there's no way I want these kids to play 3 tough ones in a row that early in the season. It is exciting that we get to play in an in-season tournament. Those are always gret for recruiting and they are a lot of fun for the kids as well. We are picked 11th out of 12 teams, #12 is Baylor, so we can only beat our critics expectations. Stay tuned for more Tigers Basketball...

[carolinahuey]

As the 2005-06 NCAA Basketball season nears, it's time for us to look around and see what is happening on the hardcourt.

North Carolina, who defeated Illinois in the National Championship game, is the defending National Champion, but will have a tough time defending that crown as their lost the bulk of their team to the NBA. The Duke Blue Devils look to take back the ACC from the Heels as they are favored to win both the conference and the National Title. Seniors J.J. Redick and Sheldon Williams, both pre season All-Americans, have lead Duke to a preseason #1 ranking.

One of the reasons I like TCB is that is has the N.I.T.. This is a chance for teams who were snubbed by the NCAA Tournament to have their shot at post season glory. Last season South Carolina defeated St Joseph's in the N.I.T. Final, but Gamecocks coach Dave Odom will tell you that his goal this year is to take South Carolina to the Big Dance.

One of the drawbacks of TCB is its limited number of pre and in-season tournaments. There are still some prestigous early season tournaments that will have some fierce competition. Here's a look at the list of TCB Tournaments:
PreSeason N.I.T.
2k Sports Coaches vs Cancer Classic
Great Alaska Shooutout
EA Sports Maui Invitational
BCA Invitational
BCA Classic
Guardians Classic
BP Top of the World Classic

It's almost time to tip-off the '05-'06 season, thanks for reading and I hope you enjoy the ride.

Stay tuned as the Tigers prepare for their 1st round match-up against the Jayhawks in the PreSeason N.I.T..

[carolinahuey]

77
58

What a fun way to start the season! At tip-off of this game Kansas was ranked #3 and I was praying that the power would go out. On a warm night in NYC, inside Madison Square Garden, the Jayhawks wasted no time in showing the Missouri, the Big XII, and the country that they are for real.
Kansas led by 20 at the half, 40-20, and at that point could have played the cheerleaders, because it didn't get any better for Mizzou. Player of the Game Jayhawk SF Jabahri Austin scored 22 points on 8 of 14 shooting and tallied 15 boards, PF Luke Beasley added 18, and SG Brian Mosley totaled 16 in this Kansas style romp.
Missouri PG Kyle Moreland led the Tigers with 22 points.

[carolinahuey]

North Carolina

Dick's Sporting Goods PRESEASON N.I.T.

Kansas

North Carolina

Kansas

Southern Cal

Missouri

Washington

Kansas

Washington

Gonzaga

Washington

Gonzaga

LSU

Michigan

Maryland

Indiana

Maryland

Indiana

Maryland

Indiana

Mississippi State

NIT CHAMPION

Purdue

Maryland

Indiana

Indiana

Louisville

Syracuse

Louisville

Syracuse

California

Auburn

Here is a snapshot of how the Dick's Sporting Goods PreSeason N.I.T. ended up, congratulations to Indiana!

[carolinahuey]

While we're at it I'll go ahead and post the results of all the PreSeason Tournaments.

2KSports Coaches Vs Cancer Classic - won by WAKE FOREST

Kentucky

Arizona

Kentucky

Arizona

Florida State

Georgia

Kentucky

Iowa

Georgetown

Boston College

Georgetown

Iowa

Minnesota

Iowa

Kentucky

Wake Forest

Oklahoma

Pittsburgh

Oklahoma

Wisconsin

UNLV

Winner

Wisconsin

Oklahoma

Wake Forest

Wake Forest

Texas

Wake Forest

Texas

Wake Forest

Ohio State

Iowa State

EA Sports Maui Invitational - won by NEBRASKA

Southern Illinois
	Nebraska
Nebraska
			Nebraska
Old Dominion
	Northwestern
Northwestern
					Nebraska
Mississippi
	Fresno State
Fresno State
			St Bonaventure
Princeton
	St Bonaventure
St Bonaventure

GUARDIANS CLASSIC - won by MEMPHIS

St John's
	St John's
Tulane
			St John's
Marquette
	Marquette
DePaul
					Memphis
Miami (FL)
	Miami (FL)
Miami (OH)
			Memphis
Memphis
	Memphis
Ohio

GREAT ALASKA SHOOTOUT - won by VILLANOVA

Illinois
	Illinois
Colorado
			Villanova
Villanova
	Villanova
Oregon State
					Villanova
Arkansas
	Arkansas
Creighton
			Arkansas
Notre Dame
	Notre Dame
W. Kentucky

BCA INVITATIONAL - won by BOWLING GREEN

Arizona State
	Arizona State
Hawaii
			Bowling Green
Bowling Green
	Bowling Green
C. Michigan
					Bowling Green
Tulsa
	Tulsa
Rice
			Tulsa
Penn
	UNC-Greensboro
UNC-Greensboro

[carolinahuey]

65
81

Cox Arena was rocking tonight as the Aztecs evened up their record at 2 and the Tigers remained winless. 4 Tigers ended up in double figures led by Kyle Moreland's 12 points, but it was San Diego State's Joel Daniels who led the attack for the Aztecs scoring 19 points, grabbing 12 boards, and he also had 3 blocked shots. No wonder he was award with Player of the Game honors.

Next: we travel east to the Big Apple to take on the Seahawks of Wagner College as we are still in search of that elusive 1st "W."

[carolinahuey]

81
78


WE WON, WE WON, WE WON..barely. Just off the Staten Island Expressway lies Wagner College and Spiro Sports Center where the Missouri Tigers held off a late charge from the Wagner Seahawks to get their first win of the season, 81-78. This was a back and forth game all night with 5 lead changes and neither team going up by more than 9 points. Tigers C Vernon Myles totaled 21 points and grabbed 9 rebounds en route to being named Player of the Game and Torris Jones came off the bench and added 16 in the winning effort. The Seahawks were led by F Danny Perry who had 19 points, but the Seahawks couldn't get a 3 at the buzzer to drop which would have tied the game.

Now that we got a win we head home to Columbia, MO to try and extend the streak in front of our fans!

[carolinahuey]

75
58

So much for that winning streak, I forgot that we had #10 UCLA coming to town to open out home schedule. Yuk! The score looks closer than the game actually was. The Bruins were up by 19 at the half and just put it on cruise control the 2nd half to remain undefeated on the season. Bruin G Lawrence Duty was named Player of the Game as he ended up with 28 points, 8 rebounds, and 3 steals and UCLA F Jon Robinson added 15 to help UCLA take care of business. Tigers C Vernon Myles had his second straight double digit scoring game ending up with 12. The Bruins didn't have much to worry about in Mizzou Arena, the Tigers never had the lead in this one.

Goody, next up Kentucky!

[carolinahuey]

91
63

Just an absolute beating. I have to stop letting teams put up 40+ in the first half if I want to remain a coach. Kentucky, who was up by as many as 29, ended up winning by 28 as Wildcat G D.A. Kirtz had 34 points and was named Player of the Game. I'm not even going to talk about the Tigers except that Torris Jones had another solid game off the bench, scoring 10 points in the abysmal effort.

Next up, the Miami Hurricanes (which should be Duke, but I am a scaredy cat)

[carolinahuey]

78
71

I was actually in this game. I had a 6-point half time lead (38-32) and it was looking pretty good, but instead of allowing 40+ in the first half, I allowed 40+ in the second. 46 to be exact, as the U came from behind to improve to 7-1 on the season. The Hurricanes came into Columbia ranked 25th in the nation and we can now see why as 4 'Canes totaled double digits in scoring, led by Player of the Game Peter McMahon who tallied 15. The Tigers were absent except for Kyle Moreland who ended up with 31 points on 11 of 16 shooting.

This was a good showing, up until we lost, for the Tigers. It shows that we can run with the big dogs. Our next opponent, South Alabama.

[carolinahuey]

64
78

It took a few games, but we got back in the Win column. The Tigers rode a 41 point 1st half to a 14 point victory over the Jaguars of South Alabama. F Ben West led the way for the Tigers scoring 16 points and grabbing 11 boards on his way to being named Player of the Game. Kurt Collins led the way for the Jags with a game high 20 points. A scary moment in this one just a minute in as Missouri PG Kyle Moreland collapsed after crossing midcourt, he was taken to the locker room and didn't return. Moreland was diagnosed with a Strained Calf and will likely be on the shelf for a few games.

Up next, the Tigers welcome the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers.

[carolinahuey]

76
87

No it's not a type-o, we have a 2 game winning streak! The Tigers had a 5-point half time lead and that just grew in the second half as Missouri played 40 solid minutes of basketball to get the win in this one. Torris Jones and Ben West both scored 24 points and Jamar Barrett, playing for the injured Kyle Moreland, added 11. Jones won Player of the Game honors. Jamaal Townes led the Hilltoppers with a game high 25 points and G Harold Sharp totaled 22.

The Tigers hit the road again as they head to Monroe, LA to take on the Warhawks of Louisiana-Monroe and, dare I say it, look for 3 straight wins.

[carolinahuey]

70
76

So close, so darn close. The Warhawks blew us out in the 1st half, but somehow we came back and actually took the lead 67-66, then it all went to heck and we ended up on the short end of a 76-70 score. The Tigers are still without star PG Kyle Moreland and it showed as they didn't have a floor general in this one as evidenced by their 14 turnovers. Vernon Myles scored a team high 13 and Torris Jones hit a couple of late 3's, but it wasn't enough. Roger Mueller won Player of the Game honors for LA-Monroe scoring 17 points off the bench for the Warhawks. I don't know how to feel about this one, it's a loss, but we did come back from 16 down to take a late lead.

Ahh, well, we head to New Mexico State for another road game.

[carolinahuey]

77
68

This was a tale of two halves for Missouri. At the half it was NMSU up by 18, 44-26. They looked unstoppable, Josh Price, NMSU's F, already had 20 points and it looked like an easy W for the Aggies. I took a breath and made some adjustments. I switched my defensive schemes and went to heavy inside on offense, but I also decided to double team Josh Price anytime he got the ball. The result...a Missouri win 77-68!!! The Tigers outscored them 51-24 in the second half and I am ecstatic! What a way to win a road game. Kyle Moreland, Player of the Game, ended up with 33 points, including 6 of 10 3-pointers. The double team on Price worked, he ended up with 25 points as he was smothered in the second half.

I am thrilled with this one! We were down big, by as many as 20, and we came back strong. Now we head home to take on Detroit in our final non-conference game of the season.

[carolinahuey]

75
77

Merry Christmas to me! On Christmas Eve in Columbia, MO Kyle Moreland hits a 3-pointer with 0:02 left on the clock to get the Tigers a win and pull them to within one game of .500 going into Big XII play. The Tigers were up by as many as 14 in the second half, but watched the lead slip away as the Titans hit 10 3-pointers and Mizzou called a timeout to set up a play, Torris Jones passed it to Kyle Moreland, he came off a screen and banked in the game winner. Whew! Player of the Game honors went to Missouri C Vernon Myles who ended up with 15 points.

The Tigers head into Big XII play at 5-6. The road to Dallas and the Big XII Tournament starts on New Year's Eve in Ames, IA as the Tigers take on the Cyclones of Iowa State.

[carolinahuey]

48
77

Ames, Iowa Police are looking for the entire Missori Tigers basketball team because they didn't show up in a game tonight against the Cyclones. Just a pathetic showing against a conference opponent. No Tiger scored over 10 points and the team shot a weak 18 of 53 from the floor. Iowa State's Matt Sanders won Player of the Game honors scoring 28 points in the rout.

The Tigers head home for their Big XII opener against Kansas State.

[carolinahuey]

61
78

Well after that debacle in Iowa, this was nice way to get a win in front of our fans and even our conference record at 1. On the night that the Univeristy of Missouri honored long time coach Norm Stewart on his induction into the Basketball Hall of Fame, the Tigers were hitting on all cylinders building a lead as high as 27 points. Player of the Game Kyle Moreland again provided the spark scoring 22 points. The Wildcats turned the ball over 18 times in this one and that's not the way to win a game. Kansas State F Rick Mitchell led the Wildcats with 13 points.

The Tigers head west to Boulder to take on the Buffaloes of Colorado next, we'll see you there!

[carolinahuey]

67
72

What a crappy game this was. We were up by 9 at the half and everything was peachy then 4 minutes into the second half, Ishamel Palmore takes a awkward fall and breaks his arm and is lost for a month. After that, the game got away from us, Colorado outscored us by 14 in the half to win by 5, 72-67. Once again the Tigers offense was M.I.A. for most of this one with only bench players getting the most points. C Albert Jepsen led the Buffaloes with 15 points and 10 boards to get Player of the Game honors.

Yeah, the Tigers head back to Columbia to take on the #6 Kansas Jayhawks, let's see what can possibly happen next.

[carolinahuey]

72
52

If it wasn't my team and my a$$ on the line it would be funny. What a joke of a game from Mizzou. The score doesn't do justice to ineptness of the Tigers. Missouri score 15 points in the second half, 15! Amazingly enough Kansas was only up 4 at the break. Before the game I changed our offensive pace to slow and to favor outside and holy crap it worked! But somehow the second half came around and we thought it would be fun to throw the ball into the crowd each time we got it. The lone bright spot for the Tigers was again Kyle Moreland who ended up with 23 points on 7 of 10 shooting from beyond the arc. The Jayhawks, for the second time, had their way with the Tigers D with 4 starters in double digits including Player of the Game Kevin Lewis, who netted 21.

On the road again, really don't want to lose on the road again. The Tigers head to Lincoln to take on Nebraska.

[carolinahuey]

73
90

And the hits just keep on coming, less than a minute into this one, Kyle Moreland limped to the bench and had to be helped into the locker room and wouldn't return. Diagnosis: Strained Hamstring, questionable for two weeks. AAAAHHHHHHHH! After that it didn't matter what we did, Nebraska was just better. The Tigers had no offense again and was lucky not to lose by 100. The Cornhuskers were led by Robert Diggs, who in winning Player of the Game honors scored 26 points and he was one of 5 Huskers to score in double digits.

I'm done playing for the weekend, I will come back with more tomorrow.

[carolinahuey]

I think I have my record correct now

72
93

I took some time off of TCB to clear my head and take a deeper look at my team. What I found was a bunch of nothing. I shouldn't be that hard, because we were only down by 3 at the half. That's pretty good considering that OU was up my 21 in the half, I've never seen the momentum meter that color before! I was poised for a great second half and maybe an upset, but OU came out strong and sealed the deal. Derion Grigsby won Player of the Game honors in this one, the Sooners C scored 27 points and pulled down 10 boards. The Tigers were without Kyle Moreland and Ishmael Palmore in this one and it showed as the depth issues that have plagued Missouri all year keep showing up. The bright spot for the Tigers was Torris Jones who ended up scoring 25 points.

We head home for 3 straight against Texas A&M, Texas Tech, and Baylor. Let's see if we can take 2 of 3.

[carolinahuey]

65
84

What a nice way to start a homestand. A solid performance by all the Tigers in this one shooting an outstanding 46% from the floor as a team. Herb Dotson, who was named Player of the Game, came off the bench and scored 16 points and grabbed 11 rebounds. Jamar Barrett got the start in place of the injured Kyle Moreland scored a game high 17 points. The Bears struggled in this one, but Lucas Rush did score 14 points.

The Tigers remain in Columbia this week to take on the Red Raiders of Texas Tech.

[carolinahuey]

63
87
Not even the General Bobby Knight could stop the Tigers assault in this one. Anytime a coaching legend comes to your building you want to show him you belong in the big leagues, we did more than that! Kyle Moreland, in his first game back from injury, scored 28 points and was named Player of the Game. Herb Dotson was strong again in this one filling in for Pallmore, scoring 16. The Red Raiders were led by Anthony Clark who poured in 14 points. Meeting Coach Knight was an honor, but winning this one meant the world.

The final home game of this stretch will be Saturday against Texas A&M, see you then!

[carolinahuey]

74
73

I will tell you what the opposite of fun is. Meeting with your AD after a home game to discuss your possible dismissal from the team due to the fact that you are a gigantic moron. We were leading Texas A&M the entire game. We were knocking down shots and playing terrific D. As the game progressed I was getting irritated that referee Mike Thomason seemed to be missing some fouls that could have changed the game. I talked to him about it at halftime and he brushed me off. Fine, I thought, he doesn't like to be called out, so I let it go. Then with about seven minutes to go Thomason calls Kyle Moreland for a charge. I shoot up off the bench and start onto the floor. At this point we are only up by five and giving the ball back to A&M could really change things. Thomason ignores me as I yell and eventually I calm down. Under a minute to play and we are up by one. We have the ball and are setting up a play when an A&M defender knocks the ball out of bounds, Thomason calls it A&M ball. I charge onto the floor and began to define a new word for anger when he T's me up. There are now 2.4 seconds left in the game, we are up one and they get two shots AND the ball. Guess what happens, they make both shots, and run out the clock. We lose by one and I am AD Mike Alden's office for the better part of an hour trying to save my job. He says he'll have to talk about it with the Board of Regents and that I should really watch my temper. The game, Texas A&M PG Sharmell Crawford gets POTG honors with his 23 points and C Andrew Lutz adds 13 more. The Tigers were led by Herb Dotson and his 15 points and Vernon Myles added 12 of his own. If I still have a job, I'll be accompanying the team to Austin to take on the #16 Longhorns for our next game.

EDIT: Shortly after I left the arena, I got a call from Mike Alden. He informed me that my passion for the game and my team is simething special and while he and the Board are very upset with my losing they felt that we were the victim of a vengeful referee. I have been formally warned and must stay within the lines for the remainder of the season and he will be filing a formal complaint against referee Mike Thomason with the Big XII office in the morning.

[carolinahuey]

IRVING, TX - The Big XII Conference suspended Mike Thomason today for the remainder of the season after the University of Missouri Atheltic Director filed a complaint for a technical foul that was called late in Missouri's loss to Texas A&M. The complaint, which was received this morning, alleges that Thomason abused his power as an official and made a direct attempt to alter the outcome of a basketball game by intentionally missing calls. The allegations stem for Thomason's actions in his last game when Missouri Tigers Head Coach, Bobby Nance was given a technical foul late in the game which allowed Texas A&M to take the lead and therefore get the win. "It is very unfortunate when something like this happens," explains Big XII Commissioner Kevin Weiberg. "While we don't condone the actions of Coach Nance in this matter either we feel that his reaction was a direct result of Mike Thomason's unprofessional conduct. We have reviewed the tapes of the game and we agree that some calls that Mike Thomason made were clearly incorrect and we have taken the steps to suspend him for the rest of this season. I understand that the University of Missouri has also chosen to punish Coach Nance and I applaud them for that. We apologize for this lapse in judgement on the part of Mike Thomason and while we cannot award the win to Missouri we can insure that this will not happen again." The University of Missouri has ordered Coach Nance to attend Anger Management classes and has placed him on probation for the remainder of the season.

[carolinahuey]

57
88

Could there be a worse situation for someone just starting Anger Management classes to be in. Boy this was a tough one. We were down 56-30 at the half and I had already chewed four packs of gum. Knowing that I am an example to these kids I tried my best to keep my emotions in check. Remebering that I can teach without yelling, I tried to get my team to focus on each basket not erasing the whole deficit at once. It didn't work, but I am proud of my guys for putting up with me. We didn't have an answer for POTG LaMarcus Aldridge. The Texas C put up 21 points and grabbed 14 boards and G Mike Mydra added 23 points to help Texas win this one easily. Kyle Moreland had another good day for the Tigers, he droped in 24 points and was the only Missouri player in double figures.

[carolinahuey]

66
62

This was a HUGE road win for us, it was a HUGE win for us period. The Tigers played a full 40 minutes in this one and held on the beat the Oklahoma State Cowboys. It was a little scary there at the end, but we kept hitting our free throws and managed to get the W in Stillwater. POTG Justin Black scored 13 points for the Tigers and Ben West added 14, in all there were 4 Missou starters in double figures in scoring. Oklahoma State G Bryan Simpkins tossed in a game high 21 points, but it wasn't enough. Next up we head back to Columbia to take on the Cyclones of Iowa State.

[carolinahuey]

81
70

I didn't know this until I looked at the standings, but Iowa State is currently in second place in the Big 12, and I can testify to that, they've beaten us both times we've played them this season. Again, the score is not indicative of how poorly we played. I actually led at the half, but decided that making baskets was mean and wanted to inflate their steal stats. I know that one of my goals is qualify for the NCAA Tourament, but right now we'll be lucky to qualify for the The Only Team in This Tournament is the University of Missouri Tournament. Jamar Barrett did score 16 points for the Tigers off the bench and Justin Black and his second solid game in a row with 15 points, but it was Iowa State's SG, Matt Saunders who led all scorers with 22 and was named POTG. Anthony Obannon added 19 for the Cyclones as they finish the sweep of the Tigers in the regular season. Looking ahead on the schedule we have road games against Kansas State and Kansas and home games against Colorado and Nebraska. We've got four wins to improve our conference standings.

[carolinahuey]

56
86

Ha Ha Ha. All we have to do win the games against the teams that are with us in the basement of the Big 12 and we can move up in the league. No, we don't want to do that we want to shoot 35% from the floor and lose by freakin' 30 points to Kansas State. The only Tiger player who scored more than 7 points was Kyle Moreland, who had 16. The Wildcats were led by POTG Clyde Sheffer who scored 27 points, Rick Mitchell added 14 and Rick Evans and Mark Lewis ended up with 12 apiece in a TOTAL team effort for the Wildcats. This is not how we want to go into a game against Kansas.

[MizzouRah]

Go Tigers!!!

[carolinahuey]

59
57

I swear I can't take anymore of this! I was up the ENITRE game and the Tigers were playing great. Granted it was a low scoring game, but the defense was suffocating and we were en route to a conference win. I have the ball with under :20 to play and decide to run the clock down. Apparently this meant for Kyle Moreland to give the all to Colorado and let them call a timeout with :11 left. During the timeout I said, "do not let them have a wide open shot, we are up by 1 and if we can get a steal, this game is ours." It's no Win One For The Gipper, but I think it made my point. Unforutnately I guess I was speaking German because inbounds play by Colorado, screen, pass to Owen Alloco and boom 3-pointer, bottom of the net, Colorado wins it at the buzzer. I can't even get the energy to do a write up of the stats. Next...

[carolinahuey]

43
78

And the hits just keep on comin'. I tried to do a Norman Dale-esque speech before this game, seeing as how this is the THIRD time we've had to play Kansas this season, but it lost a little something in the translation. Missouri managed to score only 18 points in the first half. Honestly, we were lucky to get 18, we had 4 with about 8 minutes to go. Charlton Cox came off the bench and gave us 18 as I tried new line-ups, but shortly after tip-off this one was over. POTG Matt Stokes had 24 for the #2 Jayhawks and Brian Moseby added 21 of his own in the rout. We will end the regular season with a home game against Nebraska, it will be Senior Night in Columbia so emotions will be high, I can't wait!

[carolinahuey]

47
69

It's Senior Night in Columbia, MO. It is never easy to say goodbye to players that have given you so much. I know that this has been my first season at Missouri, but the level of maturity and the heart that these kids have shown all season has made this an unbelievable experience for me. I love these kids like they're my own and wish them nothing but the best as they move on from this University. They leave here as men and they have made me a better person. Ladies and gentlemen, the Seniors - Justin Black, Ben West, Herb Dotson, Ishamel Palmore, and Vernon Myles. As the players were introduced with their parents you could feel something in the arena. As soon as the ball was thrown up in the air for the opening tip, the Tigers were on. Up by 14 at the half, the Tigers shot a season high 52% from the field for the game and absolutely dismantled the Cornhuskers. POTG Kyle Moreland ended up with 17 and when I made the final substitution to get the last Senior off the floor, there wasn't a dry eye on the bench. This win really helps us. What it means is that a)we reach 10 wins b)we will still have to play in the opening round of the Big XII Tournament, but as a higher seed, meaning that if we win our first round game we will take on the #2 seed Iowa State, not #1 Kansas. Thank you Seniors!

[carolinahuey]

75
77

If I hadn't seen it myself, I wouldn't believe it. This is truly amazing. Picture this, three games ago, we're up late against Colorado and they hit a three-pointer to win the game. Fast forward, Ford Center Oklahoma, City 1st Round of the Big 12 Championship. It's late in the second half, under a minute to play. Missouri has the ball, they are down 2. Kyle Moreland passes it inside to Herb Dotson, Dotson goes up for the shoot and gets fouled, 2 shots. Dotson nails them both, the game is tied at 75. Colorado inbounds it and cross midcourt and calls a 30-second TO. I look at my guys and I know that I don't have to remind them what happened a few weeks ago. I tell them to call a timeout when they get the steal. Here we go, inbounds play, :20 to go, Missouri's Achilles Heel Owen Alloco breaks free and puts up a shot, the Missouri bench holds their collective breath. Alloco's shot is long and clangs off the back of the rim.....right into the hands of Colorado's Manny Alexander, Alexander puts up a 12-footer with :02 left and...........banks it home. Colorado once again gets the win with a last second shot against Missouri. The locker room was like a morgue. This undoubtedly will end our season no NCAA or NIT berth for the Tigers and we don't deserve them we just didn't play well enough. We had some high points, but too many mistakes and close losses. The losses I will take the blame for that's lack of preparation. I will take some time to look back on this year's team before me and my coaches hit the recruiting trail. We'll (hopefully) see you back for Missouri Tigers Basketball next season!

[carolinahuey]

If it makes anyone feel any better, Colorado get blown out by Iowa State in the next round.

Here is a list of the Conference Champions, both Regular Season and Tournament. Keep in mind that the Ivy League doesn't play a conference tournament so the regular season champ gets the automatic bid. Stay tuned for full coverage of the Selection Show following this post....

Conference		Regular Season Champs		Conference Tourney Champs
America East		Vermont		Vermont
Atlantic-10		Temple		Charlotte
Atlantic Coast		North Carolina		Duke
Atlantic Sun		Kennesaw State		Jacksonville
Big XII		Kansas		Kansas
Big East		Georgetown		Georgetown
Big Sky		Idaho State		Weber State
Big South		UNC-Asheville		High Point
Big Ten		Michigan State		Michigan State
Big West		UC-Riverside		Pacific
Colonial		VCU		VCU
Conference USA		Southern Miss		UAB
Horizon		Butler		Youngstown State
Ivy		Columbia		-
Metro Atlantic		Canisius		Rider
Mid-American		Ball State		Ball State
Mid Continent		Oakland		Southern Utah
Mid Eastern		MD-Eastern Shore		MD-Eastern Shore
Missouri Valley		Southern Illinois		Evansville
Mountain West		New Mexico		New Mexico
Northeast		Mount St Mary's		St Francis (PA)
Ohio Valley		Murray State		Jacksonville State
Pac-10		Arizona		Arizona
Patriot		Bucknell		Navy
Southwest		Arkansas-Pine Bluff		Alcorn State
Southeastern		Georgia		Kentucky
Southern		Elon		Chattanooga
Southland		Northwestern State		UT-San Antonio
Sun Belt		South Alabama		FIU
West Coast		Pepperdine		Gonzaga
Western Athletic		Hawaii		Hawaii

[carolinahuey]

This is the time of year that all teams wait for. When they tip-off Midnight Madness at campuses around the country the goal is to make it to March Madness and become the National Champion. It has been a very exciting year in college basketball and the tournament this year will be one of the best in years. The 65 team field is made of of conference champions and at-large bids. There will be an opening round game in Dayton, OH on Tuesday and then the field will be at 64. First let's unveil the #1 seeds and the regions they are in:

Overall #1 seed; playing in the Washington D.C. Bracket:
Michigan State Spartans

Playing in the Orlando Bracket:
Wake Forest Demon Deacons

Playing in the Kansas City Bracket:
Duke Blue Devils

Playing in the Phoenix Bracket:
Indiana Hoosiers

Let's take a look at the rest of the matchups:

Washington DC Bracket:




Orlando Bracket:


Kansas City Bracket:


Phoenix Bracket:



I know for many of you basketball purists there are some matchups here that make you cringe, but this game uses a ratings system to seed the teams and for the most part I think it looks great. I'm not sure why Kansas is a 2 seed when they are #2 in the polls, but hey such is life. As you can see Missouri isn't invited to this dance or any other for that matter. Some teams had their bubbles burst and they will be headed to the NIT. Stay tuned for the N.I.T. Brackets as well as a rundown on the Missouri Tigers season and the annual college basketball awards...

[carolinahuey]

For those teams that missed out on the Big Dance, there is always the NIT. The field is 32 teams and is made up of some pretty good teams. The games are played at the home court of the highest seed and the Semi-Finals and Finals will be played at Madison Square Garden in New York City. So let's unveil the brackets:

EAST
1- St Louis
8- Canisius

4- George Mason
5- Murray State

3- Tulane
6- Wyoming

2- Stanford
7- North Carolina State

MIDWEST
1- Minnesota
8- Davidson

4- Wichita State
5- St Mary's

3- Pepperdine
6- Mississippi State

2- Arkansas
7- Northwestern State

SOUTH
1- Southern Miss
8- Elon

4- South Alabama
5- West Virginia

3- Lafayette
4- UCF

2- William & Mary
7- San Jose State

WEST
1- Ohio
8- Kent State

4- George Washington
5- Southern Illinois

3- Duquesne
6- SMU

2- Bucknell
7- Butler

[carolinahuey]

As the familiar theme songs begins we sit back and settle in for the month long journey that is March Madness. Within a span of 48 hours the field will be whittled down from 65 to 32 and by weekend's end we will have the Sweet Sixteen. Here are the reults for the Thursday/Friday first round matchups:

Washington DC Bracket:
1) Michigan State def 16) Jacksonville State
9) Florida State def 8) Purdue
5) California def 12) Charlotte
4) Georgetown def 13) Columbia
6) New Mexico def 11) Memphis
3) Georgia def 14) Pacific
7) Gonazaga def 10) Oregon
2) Louisville def 15) Southern Utah

Aside from the 8/9 matcup all the higher seeds advanced in this bracket.

Orlando Bracket:
1) Wake Forest def 16) Rider
8) Auburn def 9) Washington
12) VCU def 5) Villanova
4) Maryland def 13) Alcorn State
6) Syracuse def 11) Ball State
14) UAB def 3) Iowa State (he he he)
10) Notre Dame def 7) Connecticut
2) Kentucky def 15) Jacksonville

The upsets have begun as the #5 and the #3 seeds fall.

Kansas City Bracket:
1) Duke def 16) Weber State
9) Pittsburgh def 8) Cincinnati
5) Texas def 12) MD-Eastern Shore
4) Georgia Tech def 13) Vermont
11) LSU def 6) Oklahoma
3) Arizona def 14) St Francis (PA)
10) Seton Hall def 7) St John's
2) North Carolina def 15) UT-San Antonio

Some nice 2nd round matchups here due to some upsets.

Phoenix Bracket:
1) Indiana def 16) Evansville (Evansville def Youngstown St in play-in)
8) Illinois def 9) Texas A&M
5) Florida def 12) Hawaii
4) Temple def 13) Chattanooga
6) UCLA def 11) FIU
3) Ohio State def 14) Navy
10) South Florida def 7) Alabama
2) Kansas def 15) High Point


Earlier in the week the 32 team field of the NIT was narrowed to 16:
St Louis def Canisius
Murray State def George Mason
Tulane def Wyoming
North Carolina State def Stanford

Minnesota def Davidson
Mt St Mary's def Wichita State
Mississippi State def Pepperdine
Northwestern State def Arkansas

Elon def Southern Miss
South Alabama def West Virginia
Lafayette def UCF
William & Mary def San Jose State

Ohio def Kent State
Southen Illinois def George Washington
Duquesne def SMU
Butler def Bucknell

[carolinahuey]

It's now Sunday night just before midnight and the 65 team field that began this tournament is down to 16.

Washington DC Bracket:
1) Michigan State def 9) Florida State
will play
4) Georgetown def 5) California

3) Georgia def 6) New Mexico
will play
2) Louisville def 7) Gonzaga

Orlando Bracket:
1) Wake Forest def 8) Auburn
will play
12) VCU def 4) Maryland

6) Syracuse def 14) UAB
will play
10) Notre Dame def 2) Kentucky

Kansas City Brakcet:
1) Duke def 9) Pittsburgh
will play
5) Texas def 4) Georgia Tech

3) Arizona def 11) LSU
will play
2) North Carolina def 10) Seton Hall

Phoenix Bracket:
8) Illinois def 1) Indiana
will play
5) Florida def 4) Temple

3) Ohio State def 6) UCLA
will play
2) Kansas def 10) South Florida


As the NCAA Tournament picks up momentum the N.I.T is also arrowing the field:

St Louis def Murray State
will play
North Carolina State def Tulane

Minnesota def Mt St Mary's
will play
Northwestern State def Mississippi State

Elon def South Alabama
will play
Lafayette def William & Mary

Ohio def Southern Illinois
will play
Butler def Duquesne

[carolinahuey]

As the NCAA Tournament moves to the Bracket cities for the Regional Semis and Finals we are treated to some of the basketball all season.

WASHINGTON DC Bracket:

1) Michigan State defeats 4) Georgetown
2) Louisville defeats 3) Georgia

2) Louisville defeats 1) Michigan State

ORLANDO Bracket:
1) Wake Forest defeats 12) VCU
6) Syracuse defeats 10) Notre Dame

6) Syracuse defeats 1) Wake Forest

KANSAS CITY Bracket:
1) Duke defeats 5) Texas
2) North Carolina defeats 3) Arizona

1) Duke defeats 2) North Carolina

PHOENIX Bracket:
5) Florida defeats 8) Illinois
2) Kansas defeats 3) Ohio State

2) Kansas defeats 3) Ohio State

The Final Four is set:
VS
vs

Only one #1 seed survived to make it to Indianapolis, of course we have first hand experience of the power of Kansas Basketball so we'll put our eggs in that basket.

The N.I.T.field was also narrowed down to four as the games now head to Madison Square Garden for the semi-finals and finals which will be held on Tuesday and Thursday of next week:

North Carolina State defeated St Louis
and will play
Minnesota defeated Northwestern State

Lafayette defeated Elon
and will play
Ohio defeated Butler

[carolinahuey]

At the World's most famous Arena, the Minnesota Golden Gophers defeated the Ohio Bobcats to win the N.I.T Championship. The Gophers defeated a tough North Carolina State team in overtime to make it to the Championship game. After beating Lafayette, Ohio just didn't have the strength to keep up with a quicker Minnesota team. In the end it was the Gophers by 16. Minnesota, who many feel was snubbed by the NCAA Tournament committee, came into the N.I.T as the #2 overall seed and was the beneficiary of some upsets in their bracket, but as evidenced by their play in NYC, the Gophers were one of the best teams not to make it to the big dance. The win marks Minnesota's third N.I.T Championship and their first since 1998, they also won it in 1993. Congratulations to the Golden Gophers, this year's N.I.T Champions!

[carolinahuey]

Kansas, who was dropped to a #2 seed, came into this tournament with a chip on its shoulder and was out to prove they deserved to be #1. They proved it this weekend as they captured the 2006 NCAA Men's Basketball National Championship by defeating Duke, 55-50. In what many are calling the greatest basketball game of the last 25 years, Kansas behind freshman phenom Matt Stokes managed to hold Duke to under 40% shooting on the night and used their high pressured defense to hold the Blue Devils to 50 points. It soon came down to free throws and in the end it was Kansas who was hoisting the trophy. This marks Kansas' third National Title and their first since 1988. The Jayhawks have been close, finishing as runner up to Syracuse in 2003 along with three other trips to the Final Four since their 1988 Championship, but this year Bill Self had all the right pieces and put that together for a National Title. It wasn't all bad news for Duke as Junior guard J.J. Redick was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player. Now that the games are done and our champion crowned we will see who takes home the Awards for Player of the Year and who is going to be playing in the NBA next season.

[carolinahuey]

In what comes as no surprise Adam Morrison, of Gonzaga, was awarded the Naismith Trophy as College Basketball's Most Outstanding Player. Morrison, who was second in the nation in scoring with 29.4 points per game led the Bulldogs to a West Coast Conference title and a berth in the NCAA Tournament. Adam Morrison better make some more room in his trophy case as he was also awared the John Wooden Player of the Year Award. Shortly after accepting his award Adam held a press conference and announced he will forego his senior season at Gonzaga and enter the NBA draft. Many experts are already forecasting Morrison to go #1 in this year's NBA Draft.

Another no-brainer as Kansas Jayhawk's Head Coach Bill Self, was named Coach of the Year. Self led his Jayhawks to the Big XII Regular Season and Tournament Championships as well as the National Title. With many of the pieces of that team coming back next season, the Jayhawks will look to repeat as National Champs, something that hasn't happened since Duke accomplished the feat in 1991 and 1992.

[carolinahuey]

EDITOR's NOTE:

I made a boo-boo and proceeded to the next season before writing down all the stats that I needed so therefore there won't be a rundown of Missouri's team stats. I apologize for this and have made a note to be careful after the next season.

[carolinahuey]

As the calendar turns to a new year, Coach Bobby Nance looks back at his first season at Missouri and realizes how lucky he is to still have a job. The Tigers last season went 10-18 and 5-11 in Big XII play. That combined with a first round exit in the Big XII Tournament and a blow-up that led to a referee getting suspended Nance is indeed a fortunate man. The Tigers head into 2006 with the bulk of their roster intact. The Tigers lost 5 players to graduation:

SG Justin Black
SF Ben West
PF Herb Dotson
PF Ishmael Palmore
C Vernon Myles

That's three starters that the Tigers will need to replace, but Coach Nance is optimistic that they can improve on last year's numbers. Here is a snapshot of the 2006-07 Missouri Tigers Roster:

Name	Pos	#	Ht	Wt	Class	Hometown	High School
Kyle Moreland	PG	25	6'1"	164	JR	St Charles, MO	St Charles
Jamar Barrett	PG	15	6'0"	163	SR	Webb City, MO	Webb City
Charlton Cox	PG	13	6'0"	172	SO	Seneca, MO	Seneca
Torris Jones	SG	1	6'5"	204	SR	Jackson, MO	Jackson
Elton Smith	SF	40	6'8"	216	JR	Poplar Bluff, MO	Poplar Bluff
Andrew Lawrence	SF	34	6'5"	234	JR	St Charles, MO	Frances Howell Union
Steve Scott	PF	20	6'8"	239	JR	House Springs, MO	Northwest
Jamie Green	C	55	6'10"	273	JR	Fairfield, IA	Fairfield Community
Jim Thompson	C	53	6'10"	268	SO	Malden, MO	Malden
Donnie Lopez	C	52	6'10"	244	SO	St Charles, MO	Frances Howell Union
Jon Logie	PG	22	6'3"	161	FR	Lathrop, MO	Plattsburg
Aki Duhon	PG	-	5'11"	159	FR	Concordia, MO	Lafayette County
Tom Holley	SF	-	6'4"	225	FR	Cuba, MO	Cuba
Torris Matthews	PF	30	6'7"	254	FR	Fredericktown, MO	Fredericktown

Once again the homegrown talent of Missouri was the focus of Nance's recruiting. Aki Duhon and Tom Holley will be redshirted for the up coming season and the starting rotation will be

Kyle Moreland - PG
Jamar Barrett - SG
Torris Jones - SF
Torris Matthews - PF
Jamie Green- C

The 2006-07 Missouri Basketball Schedule includes another in-season tournament (2k Sports Coaches vs Cancer Classic) and some tough road games (Florida and Northwestern) as well as some tough opponents coming to the Mizzou Arena (Michigan State and Va Tech).

v	Alabama	2kSports
@	Northwestern
@	Mercer
@	Florida
v	Virginia Tech
@	Hampton
v	St Francis (PA)
@	Cal St- Northridge
v	Michigan State
@	Cal St- Fullerton
v	Iona
v	Iowa State
@	Kansas State
v	Colorado
@	Kansas
v	Nebraska
v	Oklahoma
@	Baylor
@	Texas Tech
@	Texas A&M
v	Texas
v	Oklahoma State
@	Iowa State
v	Kansas State
@	Colorado
v	Kansas	Senior Night
@	Nebraska

Based on what they have coming back and their #2 recruiting class (Kansas was #1), the North Carolina Tar Heels are the pre-season #1 in the polls and the Missouri Tigers, once again, are picked to finish 11th in the Big XII.

[carolinahuey]

82 78

This is a much better way to start a season than having to face conference rival Kansas. We played terrific in this one. The opening round of the 2K Sports Classic allowed Missouri to finally show what improvements had been made during the offseason. This game was tied at 39 at the half and the Tigers were looking sharp. The game basically came down to the final possession and who would be forced to foul. I left Kyle Moreland and the other starters in a little too long in the second half and the fatigue forced some errors. In the game, Missouri had a total of 15 turnovers, but the most costly came with :48 seconds left in a tie ball game when Moreland tried to pass inside to Jamie Green, but Green couldn't hang on, and Bama got the ball and eventually won the game. Doylan Ryan, Alabama's SG, won POTG Honors scoring 18 points and Crimson Tide forward David Land added 13 to help Alabama advance to the Quarfinals of the 2K Sports Classic. The Tigers were led by F Torris Jones who dropped in 23 points and SG Jamal Barrett added 17 in the effort. Up next, we head North to Illinois where the Wildcats of Northwestern await.

[carolinahuey]

72
63

This is something that we had trouble doing last year, winning non-conference games on the road against schools that are in major conferences. I am so thrilled with this win I can't tell you. I don't think the Tigers have played two better halves than they did in this one. It was a good night! Freshman Torris Matthews, who was named POTG, ended up with 10 points and 5 boards. Jamie Green added 11 for Mizzou and they were the only 2 in double digits, but everyone that went in for Mizzou scored. That's a total team effort! Northwestern, who is led by the Obannon Brothers, Brady and Brody came up short in the second half after playing Missouri close in the first twenty minutes. Jevon Williams led the Wildcats with 16 points and the Obannon boys were held to a total of 10 points; that was one of the keys to victory.

The Tigers continue their season opening road trip with a trip to Mercer to take on the Bears...

[carolinahuey]

93
74

What a game! This is the most points scored by a Missouri team since I've been head coach! I was so impressed with how this team played, and to get another road W is HUGE! Missouri PG Kyle Moreland was named POTG totaling 19 points, F Torris Jones added 15, and Freshman PG Jon Logie scored 13 points in 13 minutes off the bench. Mercer was led by Winston Dye and his 23 points, but the Tigers were just too much for the Bears to handle. Missouri ended up shooting 52% from the floor and when you can put up those kind of numbers, you aren't going to lose too many.

[carolinahuey]

63
76

A very brave effort for the Tigers in this one. Being on the road for the first 4 games of the season and having to end that road trip at Florida isn't an easy task for any team. The Missouri Tigers have started out very hot and despite losing this game and evening their record at 2, the Tigers are optimistic about what the rest of the season has in store for them. The name of this game was foul trouble, both Torris Jones and Kyle Moreland picked up 3 early personals and that led to both of them sitting out most of the game. With Moreland out Jamar Barrett stepped up and knocked in a team high 15 points and in what is becoming a great trend, Charlton Cox came off the bench and added 10. POTG went to Florida F Juan Brown who had 15 points and 5 boards for the Gators, he was just one of four Florida players in double figures. The Tigers, thankfully, are headed home to Columbia. Their first home game will be against a highly touted Virginia Tech team. I know the students and fans will be there in full force to welcome the Tigers home.