Western Illinois Sweet 16 stream in 15 minutes for 2022 NCAA tournament!
What’s happening? No. 6 seed Western Illinois is facing No. 10 seed Texas in the Sweet 16 of the 2022 NCAA tournament in our ‘College Hoops 2K8’ sim. We’re going to watch the simulated game and live stream it on Twitch tonight at 8:30 p.m. ET.
Where can I watch? My Twitch channel
Do I need to sign up for anything? No. You only have to create a free Twitch account if you want to comment in the live chat feature, which is always super poppin’.
IF WE WIN: We face the winner of No. 1 seed Duke vs. No. 5 seed Memphis in the Elite Eight tonight. We will sim and watch the Elite Eight game shortly after the buzzer in the Sweet 16 should we defeat Texas.
So no one is controlling the teams? That’s correct. I only do the recruiting and set the coaching strategies for Western Illinois. We are watching a simulated game.
I’ll be doing a pre-game press conference as soon as you get this email, so come hang out with me on Twitch.
Read Year 15: This is everything that’s happened this season so far
I really wasn’t sure if I’d be able to win a simulated championship with Western Illinois when I started this series. The Leathernecks were quite possibly the worst team in the game, fielding a roster with only a single player rated in the 70s and without an NCAA tournament appearance in program history.
Finally reaching the Sweet 16 after so many close misses in Year 8 felt like the breakthrough we needed. I never would have thought that season would end with our first national championship. It took us three years to reach the Sweet 16 again, this time doing so with an undefeated record and a No. 1 seed next to our name. That campaign ended in heartbreak at the hands of Michigan State in the Final Four, but the young core of that team would get a shot at redemption two years later.
Our second national championship in Year 13 (or the 2019-2020) solidified this run as something special. It isn’t enough to win every conference game (and I mean every) and simply make the tournament anymore. It feels like every team that comes after our 2020 national champs does so with the burden of raised expectations: either make a run at banner No. 3 or be considered a bust.
The road to a third banner continues tonight for the 2022 Leathernecks. Can a new generation earn its place in history or ultimately be remembered as a squad that wasn’t quite good enough?
Western Illinois is a No. 6 seed facing No. 10 Texas in the Sweet 16 of the 2022 NCAA tournament. Here’s a look at our roster:
There’s no doubt this squad has the talent to do it. Junior small forward Austen Kleinzweig is a tenacious finisher and dynamic threat in the open floor at 6’10. He took over our round of 32 victory over UCLA with three straight highlight plays. Kleinzweig — who also might be our best defender — enters the Sweet 16 averaging 18 points per game. He could go down as one of the program’s all-time greats if we can string together four more wins.
Borislav Grimes also has the chance to go down as one of the program’s most beloved players ever. With elite speed (rated as a 98 in the category) and a smooth three-point shot, ‘Comrade Grimes’ has been a fan-favorite since he committed as a recruit. His junior season has seen him put up some nice moments like a 22-point performance against Syracuse in the opening round of the tournament, but we’ll need him to be consistently great to win another national title.
The rest of the rotation can all ball. Diondre Haynes is a steady 6’3 point guard with deep shooting range and a propensity for getting in the passing lanes. Roberto ‘Jorts’ Djordevic is a fluid center with a diverse offensive skill set. Orien Newton is a veteran enforcer down low. The bench — from Garik Frye to Kim Kone — brings a rare combination of size and scoring prowess.
Duke and Fats Geiger could be waiting later tonight in the Elite Eight. But first, this team needs to get past Texas in the Sweet 16. Here’s a look at how we match up with the Longhorns:
We’re streaming this game RIGHT NOW on Twitch. If we win, we’ll also simulate + watch the Elite Eight tonight, too.