The Excalibur Conference (Semi-Interactive FBCB)

[Izulde]

Before the 2010-11 basketball season, Columbia University, tired of basketball futility in the Ivy League, hit upon the ingenious idea of forming a new basketball only conference. The Lions had not won an Ivy League title since 1968, and even then it'd been forced to share it with Princeton. In fact, the Ivy itself had been dominated by Princeton and Penn since that 1968 season and Columbia's administration was done with it.

And so they decided to create the Excalibur Conference, believing that, much as the mystical sword lay dormant before a young King Arthur discovered it and eventually brought its powers back to life, so, too, would this new conference in time rise to the ranks of college basketball elite. They hired Izulde Jestor as the league's first commissioner and gave him control over the conference's setup.

Jestor chose to make the Excalibur a 12 team conference, split into 2 divisions. He continued the Arthurian theme started by the Excalibur name, dubbing the divisions the Mark Division and the Indres Division.

The University of Arkansas, reeling from two supbar seasons under a certain coach, heard of Columbia's project and applied to join the fledgling conference. After some discussion, the Razorbacks were taken on as the second member.

Texas, seeing its old archrival jump ship, inquired for the fun of it. Upon hearing that it was a basketball only arranagment and that they would be allowed to keep the Red River Shootout in football, the Longhorns put in a serious bid. Arkansas and Columbia immediately accepted.

Jestor, a Wisconsin native, then talked his home state flagship, the University of Wisconsin - Madison, into joining and the University of Minnesota Golden Gophers soon followed, preserving one of the nation's most heated rivalries.

In order to give the Excalibur a truly national scope, Jestor targeted a Pac-10 school and, thanks largely to his successes with poachings from the SEC, Big 12, and Big 10, was able to lure Oregon State in.

Columbia then became alarmed, as Oregon State was not close to the academic reputation of the other member schools and so an emergency delegation went to Norfolk to bring Old Dominion into the fray. The Monarchs were only too happy to join what was shaping up to be a powerhouse conference.

Oregon State's chancellor soon discovered the reason for Old Dominion's entry and, furious at the insult to his campus, conspired with Texas and Arkansas to argue for a stronger Southern influence and brought in McNeese State.

While all of this was going on, Jestor was busy inducing Wyoming to join the Excalibur, which the school eventually did, giving the conference two teams named the Cowboys.

Columbia then threatened to withdraw, endangering the Excalibur before it even began, unless McNeese State was removed. They were supported in the effort by Wyoming, who insisted on being the only Cowboys in the league, and by the elite academic schools.

Jestor agreed to the request and, to appease Oregon State while finding a better academic school than McNeese State, convinced San Jose State to join and give the Excalibur a second Pacific member.

The conference was now beginning to take shape, with 9 of 12 member universities signed on and committed. The final three schools were Yale, who, like Columbia, was fed up with losing the Ivy title to Princeton and Penn each year, particularly the Tigers; Creighton, on the grounds that the conference could use a Plains states entry, and BYU, to promote religious diversity within the Excalibur.

This final conference makeup meant that the Mountain West, Ivy League and Big 10 had all lost two members. The MWC and Big 10 both lodged protests with the NCAA, who, after weeks of deliberation, handed down the following sentence:

All of the Excalibur Conference schools would be considered 0 prestige schools, the conference assigned 1 prestige.

It was a terrible punishment, but it left the Mountain West and Big Ten satisfied.

A flurry of conference changes then followed, both major and minor. For the purposes of this chronicle, we will only list those conferences that lost schools to the Excalibur.

Big 10 Changes
Wisconsin replaced by Notre Dame (Cincinnati then joins the Big East)
Minnesota replaced by Xavier

Big 12 Change
Texas replaced by Tulsa

Colonial Athletic Association Change
Old Dominion replaced by The Citadel

Ivy League Changes
Columbia replaced by William & Mary (VMI then goes to the CAA)
Yale is replaced by Boston College (Temple then joins the Big East)

Missouri Valley Change
Creighton replaced by Valparaiso

Mountain West Changes
BYU is replaced by Eastern Washington

Pac-10 Change
Oregon State replaced by Gonzaga

SEC Change
Arkansas is replaced by Louisville

Western Athletic Conference Change
San Jose State replaced by New Mexico State
Wyoming is replaced by Southern Utah

In the aftermath of the uproar caused by the NCAA's decision, all 12 of the Excalibur Conference's coaching staffs quit to pursue higher opportunities.

Thus, it will not only be the dawn of a new conference, but of the coaching careers of 12 coaches.

OOC Notes/Game Mechanics Info
Okay, so this is a convoluted way to create a little dream conference of my own. Astute observers will note that several schools in this dynasty are ones I attended (Minnesota, Wyoming, Arkansas) are schools I'm applying to (Columbia, Old Dominion), are schools I was rejected by (Oregon State), or schools I was accepted by, but didn't attend (San Jose State).

The divisions are split between schools I have fondness for (Mark) and schools I hate (Indres).

Mark
----------------
Arkansas (currently attending)
Columbia (applied to MFA program)
Old Dominion (applying to MFA program)
San Jose State (accepted to MA program, but didn't have first-year funding)
Wisconsin (home state school, the stand-in for UW-L)
Wyoming (attended and liked, though I don't feel the attachment that DC does, because I was only there one semester)

Indres
-----------------
BYU*
Creighton (Her Blondeness went there before getting a full ride to Cambridge for grad school. Double negative points for being in Nebraska)
Minnesota (The single worst year of my life was spent there and led me to despise all Minnesota teams)
Oregon State (rejected me because their slow ass admissions office took too long processing my transcripts. Two and a half freaking months it took them.)
Texas (I hate the state of Texas, but I do think I'd like Austin and I almost applied here for their masters in Advertising. They're here largely to preserve the Hogs-Horns rivalry)
Yale (My original most hated school. Even though I'll never go to Princeton because I don't want my PhD, I'll always hate Yale. Plus I know a girl who went there for grad school who was an annoying bitch.)

* - I don't actually hate BYU at all. But I had trouble coming up with a 6th school and I know MacroGuru and BYU 14 are big Cougars fans and hang out on the Dynasty forum, so I thought I'd give them a shoutout here.

Application Procedures
Starting tonight, I'll do a random draw of the schools, one by one. The way it goes like this: A school will announce a coaching vacancy in this thread and applications will be accepted for the following 48 hours before a decision is made.

To apply, PM me the following information
1. Your coach name
2. Your high school alma mater's name, city and state (or country instead of state if an international applicant)
3. Your college alma mater (can be undergrad or grad)
4. What you'd like your distribution of starting points to be. Every new coach will be a level 0 coach, which means you have 100 points to distribute between Recruiting, Scouting, Coaching Offense and Coaching Defense.
5. Why you'd like this particular head coaching job and why you think you would be a good fit for it.

Note: Just because you apply, it does not guarantee you will get the job. These schools will be looking for the best applicant possible.

I'll be posting new stories and the like throughout the 48 hours with coaching rumors, etc., which is why I'm having people PM me the applications rather than posting them in thread. If you post an application in the thread, it will be ignored.

Coaching Duties
If you're lucky enough to get the job, at various points during the season you'll be asked to PM me the type of system you want to run, who you'd like to name the starters, what types of recruits you'd like to go after, what types of coaches you'd like to hire, etc. You'll also occasionally be PM'ed with choices to make regarding recruits, injuries, coaches, suspensions, etc.

But you don't need FBCB and you won't ever have to sim or submit a depth chart. It's not a multi-player league; it's a semi-interactive, SP league with a bit of MP flavoring.

I'll sim a week at a time whenever I sim and do a little writeup for each week. I'm not going to commit to a set sim schedule, but I'm hoping to get one in at least once a week.

So time for the random draw and the first school to solicit applicants! I'm hoping this'll be fun.

[Izulde]

Old Dominion University Monarchs
Norfolk, VA

Expectations
Compete for the Excalibur Conference title.

Class Breakdown
Seniors - 4
Juniors - 4
Sophomores - 4
Freshmen - 3 (2 non-scholarship)

Home State/Country
Virginia - 10
Louisiana - 1
North Carolina - 1
South Carolina - 1
Germany - 1
Russia - 1

First Look
The Monarchs' star player is SG Jules Barber (Sr), who is also their most well-rounded athlete. Overall, as you might expected on a team in a conference that is truly starting out from scratch, there's not that much talent. PG Artur Lobwasser (Fr) has upside to become a phenomenal ballhandler with some average ability in other areas, but outside of the German, the ceilings are quite low as well. C Clement Daniels (RS Jr) is the best of a terrible frontcourt.

[Izulde]

All Quiet On The Application Front

Thus far, the Monarchs' mascot is the only one ready to dance on court this season

In a slightly worrying sign for the Excalibur Conference, there have yet to be any applications for the first open head coaching job, at Old Dominion University. The ODU administration isn't worried yet, given that it's only a quarter of the way through the time they've allotted to the process, but with the controversy surrounding the fledgling league, observers can't help but wonder if it's a warning note.

"Sure, it's only Old Dominion", Barry Arcadia, blogger for goexcalibur.com writes. "And teams that should draw more interest, like the Arkansas Razorbacks, Texas Longhorns, and Brigham Young Cougars have yet to formally declare their vacancies, but it's still a concern. The conference won't survive without head coaches to guide the programs involved."

Old Dominion's deadline still has some time to go, so there's still hope for prospects to come pouring in. Should no one step forth, however, the Monarchs' gig reverts to a first-come, first-serve basis, while the next school in line opens up competitive hiring.

(Approximately 36 hours, give or take 30 minutes, until ODU's competitive hiring deadline passes).

[Izulde]

Still No Interest in Monarchs

Streetball may be growing in popularity among ODU fans

With just 13 hours left in Old Dominion University's search for a head basketball coach, there are still no applicants. What was once only slightly worrisome is now becoming dire. ODU administration has been extremely tight-lipped, saying only that there's still time left in the initial period.

If I don't get any applicants for ODU by 12:43 am tonight, then I'll make ODU a first-come, first-serve basis and move on to the next school.

[Izulde]

Candidate For Monarchs Top Job Emerges

Just when it seemed like Old Dominion was in danger of going coach-less, a candidate has stepped forward for the Monarchs. Paul Kelly, who has strong East Coast ties as an alumnus of Bucknell University, is rumored to have put his name in for the coaching vacancy.

There's still some time for other candidates to come forth and make it a competitive battle. We'll keep you updated as we receive more information.

[Izulde]

ODU Head Coach Job Now A Competition

We've just received word that another person has applied for the coach of the Old Dominion men's basketball team. Deacon Palmer, a Wake Forest graduate, will contest Paul Kelly and any other candidates that emerge by the deadline. (OOC Note: In just under 5 hours)

The current two candidates present fascinating contrasts. Kelly is a New England native who attended minor conference Bucknell, whereas Palmer is a Southerner through and through, as he not only went to college in North Carolina, but was born in Alabama.

The complete opposites extend to their on-court philosophies as well, with Palmer favoring a trapping defensive style, whereas it's believed that Kelly likes a fast-paced offensive game.

There's still a chance other contenders will step forth before the application period closes, but ODU's administration has already indicated that they will be interviewing Palmer and Kelly for the position.

[Izulde]

Excalibur Conference Round Table

Old Dominion University Head Coaching Application Now Closed

ODU Interviews Palmer

A panel interviewed head coaching prospect Deacon Palmer today, grilling him on everything from academics to on-court offensive philosophy. According to unconfirmed reports, Palmer stressed his experience in the South, including his two years as an assistant coach with the High Point Panthers. He's also served as a graduate assistant at his alma mater, Wake Forest, making his North Carolina connections particularly strong.

In addition to a defensive trapping style, Palmer plans to pursue a motion offense. Word has it that the interview went fairly well, but some alumni have reportedly voiced concern over Palmer's ability to bring long-term success to the program.

Paul Kelly has yet to be formally interviewed, but it's believed that he'll be brought in soon, with the committee set to make its decision shortly thereafter.

Texas Opens Its Head Coach Search

University of Texas Longhorns
Austin, TX

Expectations
Win the Excalibur Conference title.

Class Breakdown
SR - 4
JR - 4 (1 non-scholarship)
SO - 3
FR - 4 (1 non-scholarship)

Home State/Country
TX - 11
GA - 1
KY - 1
LA - 1
OK - 1

First Look
The Longhorns may have lost their elite players, who transferred to other schools in the wake of the NCAA's punishment, but SF Morton Broadnax (Sr) is a good all-around shooter for this level and SG David Coons (Jr) is one of the best 3 point shots in the conference, a player Texas can rely on for the first two years. But their top defenders are also senior swingmen in SF Joe Byars and SG Dane Wilson. The post game is awful, but the Longhorns do have a serviceable for a low prestige team and conference floor general in PG Lyndon Leibowitz (Jr), giving the team a backcourt for two seasons while the incoming coach tries to get a frontcourt game going. There's no real hopeful young talent on the roster, with redshirt sophomore SG Jerry Jackson the best of a terrible lot.

It's a tough job for whoever becomes Texas's coach. They'll have to win now and try to get good, young talent in a hurry, without the Big 12 backing and overwhelming national support the Longhorns and their fans are used to.

Remember, 48 hours for applying to a coaching vacancy

[Izulde]

Kelly Interviews for Old Dominion Job

Two days after Deacon Palmer did, Paul Kelly interviewed with Old Dominion University regarding their head coaching gig. Unlike Palmer, who emphasized his recruiting potential in the Deep South, Kelly highlighted his coaching experience as the head coach at his high school alma mater, Deerfield Academy in Massachusetts and his most recent two years as a top assistant at D-3 Emory University in Atlanta. While at Deerfield, Kelly won four conference championships.

Both candidates reportedly agreed on all of their projected starting five, save one and both expressed a commitment to maintaining ODU's academic standards, although Palmer is reportedly more strict.

Thus, it appears that the choice offered to ODU is that of a potential homerun recruiter in Palmer or a somewhat proven tactician in Kelly. The university should announce its decision soon.

Longhorns Still Lonely

Football will still be king in Austin

It's happened before, but much to the surprise of the UT-Austin administration, not one candidate has applied for the open job. Texas is a football-obsessed state, but to have the flagship campus's men's hoops job currently drawing no interest is an embarassment for the state university system.

There's still a lot of time yet, as Texas isn't even halfway through its official job search period, but the results thus far have been a little surprising.

[Izulde]

Palmer Offered Old Dominion Post; Arkansas, Texas Inquire

According to the latest reports, Deacon Palmer has officially been offered the job of head coach at Old Dominion University. But the Texas Longhorns, who are currently in the application period, and the Arkansas Razorbacks have reportedly asked Palmer to delay his decision and interview with them.

Texas and Arkansas's aggressiveness is a sign of how scarce viable coaching candidates have been so far and it's a route that several schools appear to be taking. An insider source at Yale tells us that Paul Kelly, the other interviewee with ODU, has been contacted about an interview when the Bulldogs' window opens.

Michigan Coaching Prospect Emerges For Texas

Jeff Nights, a Michigan native who graduated from Central Michigan University, has formally applied for the Longhorns' head coaching gig. Nights, a former U.S. Army soldier, would doubtless bring tough discipline to Austin. Wisconsin and Minnesota have also allegedly inquired about Nights interviewing with them at the right time.

[Izulde]

Musings From A Mountain Dragon

I've discovered some things about the Excalibur Conference's head coach quests in my flights across the land. As many know, Deacon Palmer is currently the most attractive name, with a job offer from Old Dominion and requests for interviews from Texas and Arkansas.

But according to the goblins that avidly follow this humans' game, Palmer turned down the Hogs and agreed to interview with the Longhorns of Texas. That job in Austin is apparently quite popular, for not only is Palmer putting a guaranteed job on hold, but these same goblins told me Jeff Nights, who has also accepted future interview requests with Minnesota and Wisconsin, considers Texas his dream job.

Speaking of Minnesota, the Golden Gophers have been busy securing interviews even before the official window. Not only do they have one lined up with Nights, but there's already been another applicant who I am not allowed to name because Minnesota's formal application period has not yet begun.

Unjustly lost in all this shuffle is Paul Kelly, Old Dominion's backup plan in case Palmer goes to Texas. From what I know right now, he's the most proven tactician of the coaching candidates and for all the love Palmer's been getting for his recruiting ability and Deep South connections, to overlook the fact that Kelly has been a top assistant the last two years at Emory University in Atlanta is to disregard his own Southern connections. Yale, at least, appears to recognize this, with the Bulldogs reportedly having requested an interview.

But time will tell. There is still the possibility of yet more Texas hopefuls before the deadline and the fallout from those interviews will have a domino effect on the rest of the conference.

Approximately 12 hours remain in the Texas application window

[Izulde]

Excalibur Conference Round Table

University of Texas Application Window Now Closed

Palmer To Consider Hogs, Too? Kelly To Interview With Yale

Contrary to published Internet reports, it appears that hot prospect Deacon Palmer plans to interview with the University of Arkansas as well. What is certain is that Paul Kelly will be interviewing with Yale, though it's anyone's guess as to who his top choice is.

Palmer and Jeff Nights will be interviewing for the Texas job in the coming days.


University of Minnesota Golden Gophers
Minneapolis, MN

Expectations
Win the Excalibur Conference title.

Class Breakdown
SR - 4
JR - 4
SO - 3 (1 non-scholarship)
FR - 4 (1 non-scholarship)

First Look
PG Mike Helmuth (Jr) is a great passer and handler for this one-bid conference level and a pretty good all-around shooter. Arguably the most complete player of the schools surveyed thus far. SG Chris Clark (RS Sr) will likely be the Gophers' leading scorer, however. Senior C Chris Mickey is a shutdown defender. C Stephan Scribner (RS Fr) is one of the Excalibur's best post prospects, with high ceilings in defensive rebounds, blocks and steals and a good enough inside game to be a potential All-Conference player his senior year.

Confirmed Coaching Candidates
Jeff Nights - Central Michigan University alum (Interviewing for Texas job, plans to interview for Wisconsin as well)
Rocky Lake - Northern Illinois alum (Inquired early for the job)

Remember, 48 hour window to apply

[Izulde]

Palmer Impressive In Texas Interview

The University of Texas Longhorns could soon become the first Excalibur Conference team to have a coach. Anonymous reports out of Austin are saying that hotly pursued Deacon Palmer gave a phenomenal interview and additionally informed the university that if offered the job, he'd take it immediately.

That would then create a domino effect, where Paul Kelly would become Old Dominion's head coach, unless Kelly decides to interview with Yale first when the window opens up. It'd also guarantee that Jeff Nights, who has yet to come in for his interview, would be in the mix for the Minnesota and Wisconsin head coach gigs.

Indeed, it's looking quite likely that the job will be Palmer's. As one source close to the process in Austin said, "They really wanted a guy who has connections in the South and Nights is a northerner. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if the committee decided to just cancel Nights' interview and hire Palmer instead."

In other news, the Minnesota Golden Gophers still only have Nights and Rocky Lake as confirmed coach candidates, since none have applied during the formal period thus far.

A little over 5 hours left to apply for the Minnesota job

[Izulde]

Excalibur Conference Round Table

University of Minnesota Window Is Now Closed

Nights Interviews With Texas

Jeff Nights interviewed with the University of Texas this morning and, according to unnamed sources, offered a blunt, no-nonsense approach to the game that resonated well with some committee members and not so much with others. In any case, the ex-military man doesn't seem likely to overtake Deacon Palmer in the race to be the Longhorns coach, which means, that much like Paul Kelly and Old Dominion, Nights is probably the #2 man.

Gophers Have Two Choices

The University of Minnesota has ended up with two possible candidates after the official application window closed. Nights will be coming in from an interview, as will Rocky Lake, the Northern Illinois University alum who favors a fast, athletic game that relies on quick swingmen who can shoot the 3 and an overall team philosophy of defense.

Sources say that Nights' disciplinarian stance could play well in Minneapolis, to avoid a repeat of the academic scandal that broke out in the late '90s/early '00s for the Golden Gophers' men's basketball program.


University of Arkansas Razorbacks
Fayetteville, AR

Expectations
Compete for the conference championship.

Class Breakdown
SR - 3 (1 non-scholarship)
JR - 4
SO - 4
FR - 4 (1 non-scholarship)

Home State/Country
AR - 11
FL - 2
TN - 1
TX - 1

First Look
With two players from Florida, the Razorbacks are the first team profiled to have two states with two or more players represented (Minnesota's #s - 10 MN, 1 MO, 1 OK, 1 WI, 1 Germany, 1 Spain). Arkansas's strength is in their youth, with PG Hershel Dyson (Fr), from Searcy, AR one of the favorites to win Freshman of the Year. Dyson's got upside to be one of the best point guards in the conference by his senior year, recruiting classes notwithstanding. PF Elmer Carrigan (So) and PF Don Freeman (Sr) are easily the best 1-2 defensive punch we've seen so far in the league, but outside of PG Chris Mertz (Sr), the Hogs lack shooters and they don't have quality rebounders either. With the right recruiting, Arkansas could shoot up into one of the conference's elite in a year or two's time, but they just don't appear to have the scoring to pull it off yet.

48 hour window for Arkansas starts now

[Izulde]

The Rabid Longhorn: We Got Our Man!

It was a dark and dreary day when the NCAA punished the University of Texas men's basketball team for joining the Excalibur Conference and renewing our old rivalry with the University of Arkansas Razorbacks, but a glorious new Longhorns basketball era is upon us, because guess what?

We just got the guy everybody wanted.

Deacon Palmer, the great Deep South recruiter and hardcore defensive guru, just said go eat a truffle to the Hogs and who wants to be an Ivy League wannabe Old Dominion. He'll be the first Longhorns coach of the Excalibur era and I can't wait to see what he'll bring to the team.

I bet we win the conference in its first year, and with Coach Palmer's recruiting genius, we'll win it a bunch more times, too. Oh yeah, we also got the first coach out of all the schools in the Excalibur.

Texas, where the best are always first.

HOOK 'EM HORNS!

Oh yeah. The weekly Rabid Longhorn bonus for all my faithful readers.

Spoiler

[Izulde]

Francis Jefferson: Kelly's Hire A Lucky One For Monarchs

Old Dominion University's administration was real scared and rightfully so.

Deacon Palmer, the hottest coaching prospect in the nation, had just spurned the Monarchs to become the head coach at the University of Texas and Paul Kelly, their backup plan, was getting calls from Yale. Word is, he might have even heard from Columbia at some point. The chance of an Ivy League school is powerful stuff, because if you can succeed as a head coach at so strict an academic setting, you can make it anywhere.

But luckily for the Monarchs, Kelly's accepted the job and will take command of the men's basketball team. Darn good thing, too, not least because coaching candidates are in real low supply right now. Palmer and Kelly are off the map and the two remaining options, Jeff Nights and Rocky Lake, are being fought over by Minnesota and Wisconsin, with both coaches having just interviewed with the Gophers and expected to take a look at what's there in Madison.

If Kelly hadn't take the gig, the Monarchs would be looking a lot like Arkansas right about now. Thus far, nobody's inquired about the Razorbacks' position and there's not much time left for someone to step up. The Hogs have had a rough time of it since the days of their last national championship in 1994 and this lack of interest is adding to their woes. Hard telling if a savior will step up, but if one doesn't, Arkansas's going to be the first Excalibur Conference team not to have a single applicant during their official open period. That's not a mark to be proud of, especially not when archrival Texas is gleefully showing off Palmer.

So be thankful, Monarchs fans. Kelly's a very good coach and an underrated one. So, too, will Old Dominion be an underrated team, as everyone talks about Texas this and Texas that.

That underdog quality is what leads to storybook seasons.

[Izulde]

Lake Linked To Badgers, Hogs

As the Arkansas Razorbacks were facing the 11th hour of being the only team in Excalibur Conference history to go without a coaching candidate, Northern Illinois assistant Rocky Lake threw his hat in the ring. Lake is also rumored to have interest in interviewing for the Wisconsin Badgers job, as has Jeff Nights.

With Lake tied to so many possible jobs, it's likely that the University of Minnesota's decision is much easier. A fierce debate was raging over the merits of Nights vs. Lake, as both gave solid interviews, but it appears that Lake is exploring other job opportunities, whereas Nights has only been tied to the two Big Ten schools after he lost out on the Texas job to Deacon Palmer.

[Izulde]

Breaking News: Lake In As Hogs Coach
Details to come later.

OOC Note
I'm heading to my office hours and then I have class until 6:30. I'll update with more details about the Hogs hiring then and post the new school, which I should have done an hour ago when the deadline closed. I apologize to the new candidate that popped up after the deadline.

[Izulde]

Razorback Bug Says Lake Great Hire

The move was quick. One minute, no coach, the next minute a coach. Rocky Lake is going to be a fantastic hire for the Razorbacks. His dedication to defense will bring back the old days of 40 Minutes of Hell toughness and his magnificent recruiting ability means we'll be able to steal guys from Texas.

And with the great defenders we already have on this team, we should have a real good shot at hoisting the first Excalibur Conference championship banner in the rafters and getting the last laugh on the Longhorns.

WOOO! PIG SOOIE!


Nights' Hiring A Beautiful Thing

When the late '90s academic scandal set back the Golden Gophers men's basketball team several years, the administration vowed to never let such an incident happen again. And after Tubby Smith left in the wake of Minnesota's conference and prestige demotion, the university administration was pleased to land discipline-heavy, ex-Army man Jeff Nights as the basketball team's new head coach.

In a conference that has become increasingly about charismatic recruiters who preach defense, Nights' balanced approach to the game is a refreshing breath of air. It will be interesting to see how long his disciplinarian style will sit well with his players and he'll have to recruit carefully to make sure he doesn't land a malcontent, but for now, this hiring looks like a perfect marriage.

New Coaching Candidate Emerges

A new coaching candidate has made his presence known among the Excalibur Conference teams. Maury Tessin, an Austin, TX native and LSU alum noted for his skill in coaching up players on the defensive side of the ball, put in for the Razorbacks gig, but just missed the deadline. He'll no doubt get inquiries, as he's the best defensive coach of the prospects to date and has some recruiting ability as well.


San Jose State Spartans
San Jose, CA

Expectations
Finish with a .500 conference record

Class Breakdown
SR - 3
JR - 4
SO - 4 (1 non-scholarship)
FR - 4 (1 non-scholarship)

Home State/Country
CA - 12
Canada - 1
United Kingdom - 1
Germany - 1

First Look
The Spartans are the first profiled team to all be from one state except for foreign players. Despite sticking with population-rich California, however, the expectations for this team are low. That's primarily because their best players are underclassmen who need development time yet. PF Ronald Molnar (Fr) could develop into one of the league's better inside threats and C Jermaine McVay (RS Fr) has the ability to be one of the conference's best defenders and shotblockers, but both need some serious work on their conditioning. The Spartans are, however, blessed with three players who could start at PG for most teams in the conference - Delmer Richardson (RS Sr), the team's Canadian, Fredrick Phillips (RS Sr), and William Fleming (Sr). Richardson is the most complete player of the three, because Phillips can't shoot very well and Fleming, while the least turnover-prone, is better suited to SG. Point guard will certainly be a key priority for whoever takes over as head coach, with no underclassmen looking capable of stepping into the shoes of the three seniors.

48 hour window for San Jose State starts now

[Izulde]

24 Hours Left; Still No SJSU Applicants

San Jose State's still looking for a head coach for its mens program, with just half their official window remaining.

[Izulde]

San Jose State First School To Go Candidate-Less In Official Window

Those poor, poor Spartans. Already saddled with one of the poorest pre-Excalibur pedigrees of any in the conference, today they were hit with the news that they're the first team to have no candidate during their official window.

But the implications are more dire than just San Jose State's embarrassment. As of this writing, only one third of the conference's teams have coaches and even if Maury Tassin can be swayed to head up another program after missing the Arkansas deadline, that's still just five coaches in a conference that needs 12.

It could be dark times ahead for the rest of the Excalibur, but we'll have to see. In the meantime, San Jose State has announced that they will be first-come, first-serve for their coach.


Columbia University Lions
New York, NY

Expectations
Finish with a .500 conference record

Class Year Breakdown
SR - 4
JR - 4 (2 non-scholarship)
SO - 3
FR - 4

Home State/Country
NY - 10
PA - 2
ME - 1
Germany - 1
Spain - 1

First Look
Given the Lions' struggles to even achieve .500 in the Ivy League, it's little wonder the expectations are only .500 here. PF Timmy Smiley (Sr) has a good shot at earning Player of the Year honors, in part because he's one of the best players we've profiled so far, but also because there's nobody else on this team worth much. It's going to be a tough job for whoever takes this one.

Columbia's 48 hour window starts now. Also, San Jose State is first-come, first-serve.

[Izulde]

Spartan Chair Still Empty; Candidate For Columbia Rises

San Jose State is still without a head coach, but it appears that there's been a candidate to step up for the Columbia gig. No details are being released of this possible contender at this time.

Also, in the interests of ensuring that all coaching positions are filled in time for summer recruiting, the Excalibur Conference's other teams are immediately announcing their openings.


University of Wisconsin Badgers
Madison, WI

Expectations
Win the Excalibur Conference title

Class Year Breakdown
SR - 3
JR - 4
SO - 4
FR - 4 (2 non-scholarship)

Home State/Country
WI - 9
OH - 2
MO - 1
Australia - 1
Czech Republic - 1
Germany - 1

First Look
PG Miroslav Havel (Jr), the Badgers' Czech representative, is the best shooter in the conference. End of story. Not a passer though, so it may be wise to stick him at SG. But there isn't much here outside of Havel, particularly in the post game, which makes the dreams of conference gold a little suspect. Then again, with Havel and PG Octavio Braden (Jr), the Badgers have two very solid juniors to make up arguably the Excalibur's top backcourt the next two years.


University of Wyoming Cowboys
Laramie, WY

Expectations
Finish with a .500 conference record

Class Year Breakdown
SR - 4
JR - 3 (1 non-scholarship)
SO - 4
FR - 4 (1 non-scholarship)

Home State/Country
WY - 11
AK - 1
AZ - 1
WA - 1
Spain - 1

First Look
The Pokes have a number of solid 3 point shooters for this level, so look for them to live and down by the trey. C Anastas Calvo (Sr) is a good all-around Spanish center and might get a look at the All-Excalibur team in his last year of eligibility. Quite a number of respectable perimeter defenders here as well. PG Paul Gerena (RS Fr) is a player to watch for the future.


Brigham Young University Cougars
Provo, UT

Expectations
Win the Excalibur Conference title

Class Year Breakdown
SR - 4
JR - 3
SO - 4
FR - 4 (2 non-scholarship)

Home State/Country
UT - 12
AZ - 1
CA - 1
IL - 1

First Look
Two stellar three-point shooters in senior swingmen SG Glen Peterkin and SG Brandon Petty, but beyond that, the offensive cupboard is bare and the Cougars have no inside presence to speak of. PG Kelvin Atwood (RS Jr) is a good pass-first PG, however. C Jordan Brock (RS Fr) is actually best suited to play SF and could develop a great jump shot.


Creighton University Blue Jays
Omaha, NE

Expectations
Win the Excalibur Conference title

Class Year Breakdown
SR - 3
JR - 4
SO - 4
FR - 4 (2 non-scholarship)

Home State/Country
NE - 8
MO - 2
IL - 1
MI - 1
MN - 1
WI - 1
Canada - 1

First Look
SG Gil Thomas (Jr) is a good shooter, perhaps #2 in the conference to Pavel. PF Howard McFarland (RS Jr) is a terrific post defender and rebounder, but outside of those two, the Blue Jays are largely a collection of 3 point shots like Wyoming.


Oregon State University Beavers
Corvallis, OR

Expectations
Compete for the Excalibur Conference title

Class Year Breakdown
SR - 4
JR - 4
SO - 4
FR - 3 (2 non-scholarship)

Home State/Country
OR - 9
CA - 2
WA - 2
PA - 1
Germany - 1

First Look
PF Clay Greene (Sr) is one of the few respectable inside shots in the conference and SG Eric Trawick (Sr) can knock it down from 3 point range. But if the Beavers want to make their move, they need to do it this season, as the roster gets awfully weak once those two graduate after this season.


Yale University Bulldogs
New Haven, CT

Expectations
Compete for the Excalibur Conference title

Class Year Breakdown
SR - 4
JR - 3
SO - 4 (1 non-scholarship)
FR - 4 (1 non-scholarship)

Home State/Country
CT - 14
MD - 1

First Look
The most home state centric of all the Excalibur Conference teams, the Bulldogs have two players worth noting - SF Marcos Robinson (Sr), a very good all-around defender, and PG David Crumpler (Jr), Yale's best offensive threat and floor general. The Bulldogs look more like the conference bottom-feeders than anything else, which wouldn't sadden us at all.

The 48 hour window now starts for these 6 teams. San Jose State is still first-come, first-serve and Columbia has about 13 hours remaining on their window. Please don't make me take these last 6 teams, guys, especially since most of them are from the bad Idres division.

[Izulde]

Lions Snag Unknown In Yogi Mentum

He may not be a Berra, but new Columbia Lions men's basketball head coach Yogi Mentum should prove an interesting hire in any case. A Wisconsin native and graduate of the University of Arkansas, he is the antithesis to the high charisma, budding defensive gurus prevalent in the rest of the Excalibur's hired coaches. Instead, he is a master of teaching offense and scouting, with some small recruiting talent. Defense is something he has no interest in teaching and it's expected his top assistant will be a defensive expert to battle the heavyweights in the rest of the conference.

When asked why he didn't apply for his alma mater's job, Mentum just smiled and said, "What is the hilly pleasantry of Fayetteville to the great, constant pulse of life that throbs through New York? Besides, the Hogs have Nolan's 1994 championship to fondly remember. All of the Lions' glories are distant and faded, remembered only by the old and the fiercely proud alumni historians. The greater challenge is to breathe life into the musty and moldy rather than quickly scrub what is merely dusty."

If nothing else, Mentum's tenure should prove interesting.

Tassin Tapped For Blue Jays?

According to Creighton insiders, Maury Tassin has put in to head up the Blue Jays. With few other coaching prospects on the horizon, the odds are good that he'll land the gig.

Should Tassin be hired on, that would leave Wisconsin, Wyoming, BYU, San Jose State, Oregon State, and Yale as the 6 teams in need of coaches, thus meaning that half the conference would have coaches and half not.

[Izulde]

San Jose State Loads Up With A Gunn

The Spartans, who bore the ignoble mark of being the first and only team to date to pass their official window without a single applicant, now have a head coach. B.B. Gunn, a Hawaiian native and Washington State alum, was announced today as the Spartans' head coach. Gunn is known for his recruiting genius, and, like Yogi Mentum, strongly prefers the offensive side of the ball to the defensive.

It's serendipity for San Jose State, who land a recruiter with strong West Coast connections, a perfect fit for the West Coast school.

Gunn takes the job without an interview because SJSU fell into the first-come, first-serve category after getting no applicants during their hiring window

[Izulde]

Just a bump to remind people there's approximately 24 hours left and 5 teams still don't have anyone at all applying for them.

[cubboyroy1826]

Man i thought Gunn was a sure thing for the Texas job.

[Izulde]

cubboyroy1826: Ha! Nice one.

Chilton Contender For Cougars Coach Couch

"Fast" Eddie Chilton, a former NBA player for the Utah Jazz, has been confirmed as an applicant for the BYU Cougars job. More as the story develops.

[Izulde]

I've got office hours shortly and then class after that, but I just wanted to say we need coaches for the following teams, which are now on first-come, first-serve.

Available Teams
Wisconsin
Wyoming
Oregon State
Yale

Oh yeah, you don't need FBCB to run this. I do it all myself with some degree of input from the human coaches.