College Hoops 2k8: A New Challenge

[Eaglesfan27]

We start out quickly with 5-0 lead after a 3 by Chancler and a dunk by Peterson. Our defense is looking very good early.

Pardon gets 1 quick foul on Sparks with a nice drive, then Sockwell gets a 2nd one within the first 3 minutes.

They adjust with a 3 guard, 1 forward, 1 center lineup.

Our offense is really clicking. Pardon has already had a highlight dunk. I think he is the most athletic player I've ever coached. We are up 16-10 with 13 minutes to go in the half.

We go to the 2nd unit with a 20-12 lead and 11:35 to go in the half.

A great stretch from our bench as they outperformed their subs and only started allowing points once their starters returned. We are up 34-19 with 4 minutes to go in the half.

I just realized that Peterson is the first junior who has become a coach on the floor that I've ever seen.

At halftime, we are up 43-23. We've held them to 34% shooting.

Pardon is the player of the half with 11 points and 2 boards. He has shot 3 of 5 and is 5 of 8 from the line.

Chancler has held Geiger to 2 of 8 shooting in the first half.

Peterson has held Hicks to 2 of 9 shooting.



Within 2 minutes, we get a 3rd foul on Sparks.

Pardon has reinvigorated our fast break game. We have a 16-0 run in which our defense is smothering and we are constantly breaking off the turnovers and missed shots. Even when they get back, Pardon is breaking down his man. We are up 63-34 before they score again. 10 minutes left.

63-37 with 9:31 to go, we bring in the subs, possibly for the rest of the game.


We are up 66-39 with 5:45 to go. I bring in Baldwin and Yeager.

His first shot, Baldwin hits a NBA 3.

We play slow down offense the rest of the way.



69-46 win.



Pardon is the player of the game with 19 points and 2 boards. He shot 7 of 10, 0 of 2, and 5 of 8.

Singleton had 6 points and 8 assists (mostly to Pardon fast break baskets.) He shot 2 of 2, 0 of 0, and 2 of 2.

Chancler with 12 points, 2 assists, 2 steals, and 5 turnovers. He shot 4 of 6, 2 of 2, and 2 of 2.

Sockwell with 2 points, 8 boards, 1 assist, 1 steal, and 1 block. He shot 1 of 5, 0 of 1, and 0 of 0.

Peterson with 10 points, 7 boards, 3 assists, and 2 blocks. He shot 5 of 8.

Bruce and Genning each had 6 off the bench. Bruce hit both of his shots which were both 3 pointers. Henning was 2 of 8 overall and 1 of 5 from the arc. Sutton with 5 points. Abram with 8 boards.

Yeager missed all 3 shots. Baldwin was 1 of 3 for 3 points.

[Eaglesfan27]

Our next game is against the weakest team we've played in my time at Wake Forest. East Tennessee State is 0-6. Their overall roster talent is at a 62.

They actually have 1 very good player in Allan Sloan, a 6'8 265 pound SF from Atlanta. He was the 148th ranked player in his class and he has become a a good midrange shooter, a very good rebounder, and a good defender. He is rated 80 overall. He is averaging 14.8 ppg, 13.2 rpg, and 1.2 spg.

The rest of the team is terrible:

Jamaal Whaley, the starting PF, is 6'8 247 and is rated 56 overall.

Jeremy Holland, the starting SG, is 6'5 195 and is rated 55 overall. He is slow, can't shoot, and is a poor defender.

Amadou Wolf, their center, is a 6'11 265 pound sophomore who is rated 55 overall. He is so slow that Peterson and Sockwell should be beating up by the court easily every time.

Armand Gastel is a 6'0 170 pound freshman PG. He is rated 55 overall.

I'm tempted to just sim this game, but it will be interesting to see if we can finally hold a really bad team to low scoring. Our team plays great against the good teams..

I'll play them later this week.

[Eaglesfan27]

No defense in the first 10 minutes, but our offense is on fire. 30-20 with 10 minutes to go as our bench comes in.

We slow it down considerably and our defense starts dominating the game. However, the bench is struggling to score. 33-24 with 6:32 to go in the half.

The next 4 minutes, we hit several 3's. Up 42-28 with 2:46 to go as our starters return. Very nice 7 minutes from our bench.


We are up 53-32 at halftime.


Singleton is the player of the half with 13 points and 4 assists. He is dominating this slow PG.

I might be guilty of letting the guys run it up a bit, but they were playing so well that I just didn't have the heart to pull them early... up 84-40 with 10 minutes to go as I pull my starters.



Despite playing slow down the last 10 minutes, we win the game 108-58.



Peterson was the player of the game with 21 points, 9 boards, 4 assists, 1 steal, and 1 block. He shot 10 of 12, 0 of 0, and 1 of 2.


Every starter was in double digits:

Singleton with 15 points, 5 assists, 3 steals, and only 1 turnover. He shot 4 of 6, 1 of 2, and 6 of 8.

Chancler with 12 points, 3 boards, 3 assists, and a steal. He shot 5 of 8, 2 of 4, and 0 of 0.

Pardon with 12 points, 4 boards, and a block. He shot 4 of 7, 1 of 2, and 3 of 5.

Sockwell with 11 points, 9 boards, 5 assists, and a steal. He shot 4 of 6, 0 of 0, and 3 of 3.

Sutton led the bench with 15 points, 4 assists, 2 steals, and a board. He shot 3 of 3, 3 of 3, and 6 of 8.

Henning with 14 points, 5 boards, and a block. He shot 5 of 9, 3 of 5, and 1 of 2.

Bruce with 8 points and 2 assists. He shot 3 of 7, 2 of 4, and 0 of 0.

Gardner with 5 boards and a block.

Abram with 3 boards.

[Eaglesfan27]

Our next game is at home vs 4-0 Morehead State. They are a much weaker team with an overall roster rating of 75. In the simmed game, we beat them 75-60. Peterson led our team with 20 points, 12 boards, 2 assists, and 2 blocks.

Sockwell had 12 points, 5 boards, 3 assists, 2 steals, and 2 blocks.

Singleotn with 10 points and 5 assists. He shot 2 of 5, 1 of 4, and 5 of 5.

Chancler with an efficient 10 points, 2 boards, 2 assists, and 1 steal. He shot 4 of 5, 1 of 1, and 1 of 2.

Pardon with only 5 points, 2 boards, 1 assist, and 1 block. He shot 1 of 1, 1 of 1, and 2 of 2.

Sutton led the bench with 8.



Now, we start the early signing period....



Ron Bender is so close to signing with us, but he decides to wait :(

We decide to invite him to campus to try to close this deal.


Several of our other top choices sign with other teams:

5 star SF Miles Bro (interesting last name) signs with Xavier. Big get for them. He is 6'5 200 pounds and is the 17th rated player in the class. He is from Detroit.

Villanova got a 4 star SG that I really liked and was recruiting as a possible SF. C.W. Brinkley is from Virginia Beach. He is the 48th rated player.

Not surprisingly, Michigan got the 2nd best center in the class who I sent some feelers out to. He is a 6'11" 220 pound player from Oak Park, IL. He is ranked 93rd overall in the class

As expected, Georgia Tech gets the top player from Georgia. Kenneth Varem is a 6'6" 202 pound SF who is ranked #5 overall and #1 among SF's.

Maryland got the #2 PG and #6 player overall as they signed PG Jonathan Tucker from Montgomery, AL.

Texas got the #1 Center in the class who is the 28th player overall. Kory Anrin is a 6'11" 255 pound highly skilled player who averaged 18.8 ppg and 10.3 rpg in the ABL.



Some positive news in the rankings as we moved up to 18th in the media poll with our 9-0 record. We are 22nd in the coaches' poll.

[Balldog]

I'm jealous of your ability to play so many games in such a short time :)

[Eaglesfan27]

I'm jealous of your ability to play so many games in such a short time :)

The last week or two it has been my only game played except for FOF MP leagues.

Edit: Truly it is a testament to how good this game is that it has completely sucked me in again.

[Groundhog]

I switch between getting sucked in by this for a few months, then FBCB, then back to this again, though lately Mount&Blade is sucking up all my gaming time.

Enjoyable read though EF27. :)

[Eaglesfan27]

We shot horrible in the pregame shootaround.. hopefully not a sign of things to come as we play a very weak New Hampshire team at our place..

We do miss our first 3 shots, but then Peterson takes over with several inside baskets. Our defense is playing weak, but the offense has been great for the last 5 minutes.

Up 20-14 with 11:43 to go in the half as our subs come into the game.

Mediocre showing from the 2nd unit. Up 22-19 with 4 minutes to go in the half as our starters return.

Explosive 3 minutes in which we build a 32-19 lead, but we allow 2 3's at the end of the half.


Up 32-25 at the half.



Peterson is the player of the half with 12 points, 3 boards, 3 assists, and 1 steal, and 3 blocks. He has shot 4 of 4 and 4 of 4 from the line.

Pardon also with a nice half: 9 points, 3 boards, 3 assists, 1 steal, and 1 block. He has shot 4 of 8, 1 of 3, and 0 of 0.



With 8:35 to go, I pull my starters. We are up 59-39.

I didn't expect my starters to need to return but the bench has played horribly. Up 59-50 with 3:26 to go, I get my starters back into the game.



We win the game 67-53.


Peterson was the player of the game with 23 points, 6 boards, 6 assists, 4 steals, and 4 blocks. He shot 8 of 8, 0 of 0, and 7 of 11.

Singleton with 11 points, 3 boards, and 1 assist. He shot 4 of 5, 2 of 3, and 1 of 2.

Chancler with 9 points, 1 assist, and 4 steals. He shot 3 of 7, 2 of 3, and 1 of 2.

Pardon with 20 points, 3 boards, 3 assist, 2 steals, and 1 block. He shot 7 of 13, 1 of 4, and 5 of 6.

Sockwell with 2 points, 8 boards, 2 assists, and 2 blocks. He shot 1 of 5.


Bruce and Gardner were our only bench guys to score and they both scored 1 point. the bench as a unit was 0 of 17.


Now, we host multiple recruits and find out if we get our guy during the early signing period....

[Eaglesfan27]

Darn! :(

Not only did we not close Ron Bender, but he suddenly chose Maryland after they offered a last second scholarship :(

We also lost a few of our backup options:

SF Dillion Pulley signed close to home when he chose to go to Iowa. The 4 star player is ranked 53rd overall in the class.

SG Cassiano Santiago, a 6'6 190 pound player who I thought could play SF, stayed with his hometown as he signed with Memphis.


Henry Goodman has told us repeatedly that staying close to home isn't important. He just wants PT and wants to play at a big program. He is a 6'7 207 pounds SF from Akron, OH. He averaged 16.5 ppg and 9 rpg in the ABL. He is a a much better scorer than defender. He is ranked 46th overall in the class. We offer him a scholarship. At least for now, it will be between WVU and us for his services.


At 10-0, we have moved to 11th in the Media Poll. We've moved up to 17th in the Coaches' Poll.


Niagara is 6-2 and 2nd in the Mid Major Poll.



Our next game is at Illinois-Chicago. They are 4-6 and are a much weaker team than us. Their best player is JR SF Freddy Gillingham. He is a 6'6 213 pound SF from Chicago. He is an above average defender, but is below average in most other areas. He is rated 73 overall.

The only other thing they have going for them is decent size with two 6'11 240 pound type guys.

[Eaglesfan27]

We come into Chicago very strong. Dominating defense to start. We are up 17-6 with 11:24 to go as our starters rest.

Strong showing by our bench. We are up 27-12 with 4 minutes to go as our starters return.

At halftime, we are up 33-14. Balanced scoring and smothering defense. We've held them a season low 16% shooting!



Pardon is the player of the half. He had 7 points, 2 boards, and an assist.


We are up 44-21 with 11 minutes to go in the game as our starters rest.


The bench is slacking. 44-28. I decide to bring back our starters with 6 minutes to go.

56-31 with 1 minute left and we put our subs back into the game.



We win the game 58-31.


One of our most disappointing offensive performances as Peterson had a particularly bad game, but our most dominating defensive performance of the year.


Singleton was the player of the game with 11 points, 3 boards, 3 assists, and a steal. He shot 2 of 4, 1 of 3, and 6 of 7.

Chancler with 8 points and 4 boards on 2 of 4 shooting.

Pardon with 11 points, 4 boards, 2 assists, and 2 steals. He shot 5 of 10, 1 of 1, and 0 of 0.

Sockwell with 8 points, 12 boards, and 2 blocks. He shot 4 of 7.

Peterson with 6 points, 10 boards, and 3 blocks. He shot 2 of 12, 0 of 0, and 2 of 4.

Bruce led the bench with 8, Henning had 5.

[Eaglesfan27]

At 11-0, we are now 10th in the media poll and 12th in the coaches' poll.

The top 10:

1. Texas (9-0)
2. Nebraska (9-0)
3. Arizona (6-0)
4. Washington (8-0)
5. Saint Joseph's (8-0)
6. UTEP (5-0)
7. Georgia Tech (6-1)
8. Pitt (8-1)
9. Penn State (9-0)
10. Wake Forest (11-0)



Our next game is at home vs The Citadel. They are 0-7 with an overall roster strength of 68. We beat them 68-52. Sockwell lead the team with 13 points, 3 boards, and a block. Peterson with 8 points, 5 boards, and a block. Chancler with 12 points, 5 boards, and 5 assists.


We are a little under halfway done the season and soon to be entering conference play. Our coaches say Chancler has shown the most growth. They don't feel Peterson is showing any further growth from the beginning of the year. Same for Sockwell. Everyone else is improving a bit. Peterson is still projected as a lottery pick if he goes pro this year.



Our next game is at 5-4 DePaul. They are close to us in talent but slightly less with an overall roster strength of 87. They are led by 2 star players:

PG Lucas Badu is a senior who is 6'0 173 pounds and rated 87 overall. He was the 7th player overall in his class. His biggest strengths are dribbling, speed, passing, and hustle, but he has no weaknesses except for FT shooting. He averages 16 ppg, 5 rpg, and 4 apg.

SR PG Tommy Van Weerdhuizen is the other star on the team and they will often play them together. He is rated 86 overall. His strengths are his shooting, his passing, and his ball handling. He is also very quick. He averages 14 ppg, 4 rpg, and 5 apg.

JR SG Mario Hoskin often plays SF in their lineup. He is 6'6 185. He is a great 3 point shooter, a good mid range shooter, and a decent defender. He is a great finisher around the rim. He is rated 79 overall. He is averaging 12 ppg, 3.3 rpg, and 1.4 apg.

SF Edwin Kemp often plays PF for them. He is 6'6 215. He is slightly above average in most areas but is a subpar defender. He is rated 78 overall. He is averaging 7 ppg and 5 rpg.

Center Quannas Whitehead is a sophomore who is 7'0 235 pounds. He is rated 73 overall. His strengths are rebounding and shot blocking. He is a very raw offensive player. He is averaging 2ppg and 5 rpg.

[Eaglesfan27]

Our staff feel that Sockwell and Peterson are both "coaches on the floor" now!

After a few lackluster games, Peterson comes out strong to start this game. We are up 14-11 with 12 minutes to go in the half primarily due to his play.


We are up 16-13 with 10:40 left as our starters get a break.

We are up 22-21 with 4 minutes to go in the half as our starters return. Nice stretch by Gardner for us.



We were tied at 27 with 2 minutes to go, but a bad last 2 minutes has us down 35-30 at the half.


Kemp is the player of the half with 11 points, 3 boards, and 1 assist.


We quickly take a 40-38 lead, but they respond with 2 3's and then a breakaway dunk after a steal.


Eventually, we fight back to take a 51-50 lead with 10:30 to go in the game. Our starters rest for a few minutes starting now.

Down 60-56 with 5:32 to go, we bring back our subs.

Peterson is tired, but I'm keeping him in the game. He just hit 2 big FT's to make it so we are only down 63-60. Kemp has been playing SF and torching Pardon. Kemp leads them with 19 and he hit their last big 3.

Singleton has it stolen and they get a fastbreak. They get a stop and get another quick basket. Down 67-60 with 1:45 to go.

They steal it from Singleton again and get another fast break :(

With under a minute to go, we go to our 3 point shooting lineup.




We miss our first 2 3's. We hit a last second 3, but we lose 69-63.


Kemp was the player of the game with 21 points, 5 boards, 3 assists, 3 steals, and a block. He shot 9 of 15, 3 of 5 from the arc.

We held their two PG's to 7 points each. Bady had 5 assists, the other one had 3.


Singleton with 2 points and 6 assists. He shot 1 of 5.

Chancler with 13 points, 2 boards, and 2 steals. He shot 5 of 9, 1 of 2, and 2 of 3.

Pardon with 5 points, 5 boards, 2 assists, 1 steal, and 1 block. He was held to 2 of 8 shooting, 1 of 1, and 0 of 0 from the line.

Sockwell with 11 points, 5 boards, and 2 assists. He shot 5 of 8.

Oeterson with 19 points, 6 boards, 1 assist, and 1 block. He also had 4 turnovers. He shot 7 of 14, 0 of 0, and 5 of 6.


Gardner led the bench with 7 points, 4 boards, and 1 assist.

Bruce had 4 and Henning had 2.


A disappointing loss but I knew we were eventually going to lose.

[Eaglesfan27]

With the loss we drop to 23rd in both polls this week.


Our next game is at Boston College. They are surprisingly 6-4 this year. They have 2 stars and a few very good players behind them but their bench is shallow this year:

PF Derek Hunter is one of the best players in the nation. He is rated 90 overall. He is 6'10 231 and is a senior. He is a devastatingly good inside scorer with tremendous strength and good post moves. He is a very good defender, and is very athletic for his size. His only weakness is his durability. He was the 27th player in his class. He is projected to go in the lottery in the upcoming draft. He is averaging 21.6 ppg, 9.7 rpg, and 1.3 bpg.

SR SF Rostislav McKinney is now rated 88 overall. He is 6'7 249 pounds. He is a dominating defender and a very good offenive player. His biggest weaknesses are his passing and his rebounding. He also tends to get into foul troubl. As a result, he is only averaging 24 mpg, 10 ppg and 5 rpg.

JR C Branduinn Alford is 7'0" 245 pounds. He is rated 81 overall. He is an extremely effective interior scorer who is a good defender. He is very soft on the boards for his size. He is averaging 13 ppg and 3.3 rpg.

JR PG Lanny Dupre is 5'11 170. He is rated 77 overall. He is a good midrange shooter, a very good defender, and an average passer. He is averaging 6.5 ppg and 3.1 apg.

Freshman SG Derrick Fanning is 6'2 179. He can't get his own shot and he need space to prevent his shot from being blocked, but he is deadly from the arc when he is open. He is an average defender and passer. He is very prone to getting into foul trouble. He is averaging 5 ppg, 3 rpg, and 1 apg.

The top 3 bench players are all guards. 2 of them are very good 3 point shooters and one is a very fast player. They have no size on the bench.

I'll play that game tomorrow.

[Eaglesfan27]

Before I start ACC play, a quick look at the roster strength and record of each team (listed in order of when I first play them.) Our roster strength is now a 89.:

1. BC 6-4, 88
2. Duke 6-3, 89
3. FSU 7-3, 82
4. Clemson 7-2, 89
5. Miami 10-1, 89
6. Georgia Tech 8-1, 93
7. VT 7-4, 83
8. North Carolina 8-3, 83
9. North Carolina State 8-2, 83
10. Maryland 10-1, 90
11. Virginia 6-4, 83

I think there is a clear opportunity for us to make some noise.

[Eaglesfan27]

We are pounding them inside early. Up 12-4 with 14 minutes to go in the half.

Up 15-7 with 12 minutes to go in the half as our starters rest.

15-13 with 8 minutes left as our starters return.

Up 24-19 with 5 minutes left.

We have a great 4 minute stretch. Up 35-19 with 1 minute left.



A terrible last minute in which we allow 2 steals for fast breaks and a 3. We are up 35-26 at the half.



Peterson is the player of the half. He had a great 4 minutes where he took over the game with his defensive presence. He has 9 points, 5 boards, 2 assists, and 2 blocks.

All of my starters are scoring. Singleton with 7, Chancler with 9, Sockwell and Pardon with 5.



1st minute of the 2nd half, Pardon gets a 3rd foul on McKinney.


Up 41-30 with 16 minutes to go in the half. I give my starters a break since they are tired.


We are up 51-45 with 7:35 to go and well rested starters returning to the game.

6 minutes left, Sockwell gets a 4th foul on Hunter who has been in foul trouble all day.

Singleton gets a 4th foul on Dupre with 5 minutes to go. We are up 57-52.

64-52 with 2 minutes left.



We win the game 66-56.



Sockwell is the player of the game with 11 points, 9 boards, 3 assists, 2 blocks, and 2 steals. He shot 4 of 8, 0 of 0, and 3 of 4. He also held Hunter to 8 points and 8 boards on 2 of 8 shooting.


Singleton with 11 points, 3 assists, and 2 steals. He shot 3 of 5, 1 of 3, and 4 of 4.

Chancler with 10 points, 5 boards, 1 assist, and 1 steal. He shot 4 of 13, 0 of 4, and 2 of 4.

Pardon with 11 points, 4 boards, and 2 steals. He shot 3 of 8, 1 of 4, and 4 of 7.

Peterson with 13 points, 7 boards, 2 assists, and 2 blocks. He shot 5 of 10, 0 of 0, and 3 of 3.


Abram led the bench with 4 points and 2 boards. Gardner, Sutton, and Henning each had 2 points. Bruce was 0 of 4 from the field.

[Eaglesfan27]

We remain 23rd in the media poll.

Our next game is hosting 8-2 Duquesne. This is our last OOC game. They are a slightly weaker team. We win the simulated game 79-74, but suffer a blow as Pardon hurts his back. He'll be out 2 to 3 weeks. Abram also dislocates a finger, but he'll play through it.

Peterson with a huge game against Duqesne with 24 points, 10 boards, and 5 blocks. He shot 7 of 15, 0 of 0, and 10 of 10.

I consider several different moves with Pardon's injury but decide to go with our coaches' recommendation: Bruce will move into the starting lineup at SG and Chancler will start at SF. This makes us an overall faster team with better 3 point shooting than we had. However, we'll miss Pardon's great driving ability and his knack for generating fouls.

As a result, Yeager will actually play some meaningful minutes with the 2nd team.


We are now 14-1 and 17th in the media poll and 22nd in the coaches' poll.


Niagara is cruising through their early MAAC play, beating most opponents by 20 or more. They are 10-3 (4-0.) Christopher is averaging 10 ppg and 6.5 apg for them. Garik Blizzard is averaging 15.5 ppg, 5 rpg, and 5 apg.


Our next game is at Duke. They are 7-5. They are also being hit by injuries. Their top center is out for this game with a high ankle sprain. Their top SF (who I really wish I had gotten) Dominick Vanttaja has a sprained wrist but will play. Their top PG has a pulled quad but will play.

While I'm thrilled with Pardon's play, I can't help but wonder how good we would be if I got Dominick Vanttaja. He is now rated 87 overall. He is a 6'6 227 pound JR. He is a very good in all areas with his strengths being shooting in traffic, shooting off the dribble, and shooting the midrange jump shot. He is averaging 17.5 ppg, 4 rpg, and 2 apg.

PG Devin Hatten is 6'0 177. He is a junior who is rated 84 overall. He is one of top 3 fastest point guards in the land. He is a good defender and a very good midrange shooter. His weaknesses are consistency, hustle, and strength. He is averaging 12 ppg, 4 apg, and 2 spg. Hopefully, his pulled quad will make it easy for Singleton to keep up.

Javier Harris is a 6'2 198 pound SR PG who starts at SG most games for them. He is one of the top shooters in the lad who specializes in the 3. He is very good in most areas with his only weaknesses being his rebounding, hustle, and tendency to get into foul trouble. He is averaging 16 ppg, 3 apg, and 1 spg.

PF K.D. McCoy is a freshman I pursued. He is already rated an 80. He is 6'9 217. He was the #11 player last year. He is well above average at inside scoring, rebounding, and shooting the midrange shot. He is below average in dunking and defense. He is slightly above average in most other areas. He is averaging 6 ppg and 6 rpg.

Jean-Baptiste Buckley is the only true center on their roster, but he rarely plays. He is a former walk-on who is 7'1 267 pounds. He is rated 69 overall. He is average or below average in most areas with his biggest weakness being his slow foot speed.

Top Bench Guys include:

JR SG Phil Bonfimwho is 6'3 203 pounds. He is very athletic and is a good shooter. He is rated 80 overall.

So PF Keenan McMillian who often plays center for them is 6'8 220. He is a very good interior scorer and is an above average defender. He is rated 79 overall.

SR PG Leonard Miles is a 6'3 202 pound 3 point specialist. He is the best shooter on the team. He is averaging 9 ppg.

[Eaglesfan27]

We let them start running and we had a horrible last 4 minutes. We are down 22-7 with 12 minutes to go in the half and they are currently on a 12-0 run. We bring in our bench to give our starters a quick breather.

Our bench held their own, but they are hitting 3's and maintaining their lead. 32-17 with 7 minutes to go.

Terrible first half. Down 49-32. We let them get too many open 3's which they made and we didn't finish on the fastbreak. Chancler had at least 3 blown dunks/layups. Those are shots that Pardon almost never misses.

We need to work it into Peterson much more this 2nd half.

Bonfim leads them with 15 points.

Singleton leads us with 10. He is beating the hobbled Hatten but isn't doing a good enough job with ball security or setting up his teammates.


First 2 minutes, Peterson with a hook, a dunk, and a block. Sockwell also gets fouled inside but only makes 1 of 2.

3 minutes into the half, Sockwell picks up his 3rd foul.


We close within 9, but then Harris hits a 3, steals it from Singleton and hits another 3. :(

Down 69-54 with 10 minutes to go as our starters are tired.

Our bench closes the gap slightly. Down 74-62 with 6:30 to go as our starters return.

A furious last 5 minutes, but their 2 big scorers just keep putting up the 3's. We can never get closer than 9.


We lose the game 88-79.

Harris was the player of the game with 27 points, 2 boards, and 1 assist. He shot 9 of 13, 4 of 6, and 5 of 6. Bonfim had 20 points for them on 7 of 11 shooting (4 of 4 from the arc.) As a team, they were 11 of 20 from the arc.

Peterson with a strong 2nd half. He led our team with 19 points, 6 boards, 1 assist, and 2 blocks. He shot 8 of 14, 0 of 0, and 3 of 6. We should have went to him much earlier in the game.

Sutto led the bench with 13 points and was our 2nd leading scorer.

Singleton and Chancler each had 10. Chancler was 5 of 14 and really struggled with the bigger defender. Bruce with 7 points on 3 of 8 shooting. He also had 3 assists. Sockwell with 5 points, 10 boards, and 2 assists. He shot 2 of 8.

[Eaglesfan27]

That loss drops us to 22nd in the media poll and 25th in the coaches' poll. I think that is BS as there teams with 2 more losses than us above us. Anyway, we are 14-2 and looking good early for the Big Dance this year.


Our next game is hosting FSU. They are 10-3 but their overall roster strength is only 82. They are relying on youth this year:

PG Dillion Falls is their best player. He is a sophomore who is rated 78 overll. He is 6'0 180 pounds. He is an excellent 3 point shooter. He is a bit slow of foot and is average as a passer. He is a good defender. He is averaging 12 ppg, 3 apg, and 1 spg.

SG Sherman Defares is their oldest player. He is a junior who primary strength is his 3 point shooting. He is one of the best in the country at that. He is averaging 15 ppg, 3 rpg, and 2 apg despite being a 6th man. Even though he comes off the bench, he plays 25 minutes or so er game.

Freshman SG Willard Valsin starts and is one of their bigger players at 6'6 215. He is a good 3 point shooter and a good defender. He is average in most other areas. He is rated 76 overall.

SR Alfonso Tudeme is a 6'4 210 pound SG who they start at SF. He is rated 76 overall. He has very good speed for a SF, but Chancler should be able to match up well against him. His strengths are his 3 point shooting and his speed. He is average in most other areas.

They have 4 backup guards who are all young and rated at 75 or 76 in overall.

JR SF Desmon Nicholson is a 6'7 215 pound player whose best quality is his post up play. They ask him to play PF most of the time. He is rated 71 overall.

Sophomore PF Cedrick Avery is their tallest player at 6'9 219. They start him at center. He is a good dunker but is average or worse in every other area. He is rated 74 overall.


I must remember to go inside early and often against them. I'll play that later today.

[Eaglesfan27]

We are shooting very good in the pre-game warmup.

It's great to have balance, but it is good to remember who are top 2 stars are. Sockwell and Peterson dominating their much smaller defenders early.

Up 11-2 with 15 minutes to go in the half.

We are up 18-2 with 13 minutes to go!

With a 22-5 lead, I rest my starters with 10 minutes to go in the 1st half.


We are up 27-14 with 5 minutes to go as our starters return.


At halftime, we are up 41-23.


Peterson is the player of the half with 15 points, 9 boards, and 1 assist.



10:34 left in the game. We are up 61-44 as I rest my starters.

Up 72-54 with 4:38 to go. My starters come back for another minute or two just to give the bench a breather as the opposition is on a 6-0 run. Yeager in particular needs it.

2:30 to go and we are up 81-54. I let my subs come in to finish it out.



We win the game 88-59. Great home win for us.


Peterson is the player of the game with 31 points, 16 boards, 2 assists, and a block. He shot 13 of 18 and 5 of 7 from the line.

Sockwell with 15 points, 9 boards, 1 assist, and 1 steal. He shot 5 of 8 and 5 of 11 from the line.

Singleton with 9 points and 5 assists. He shot 3 of 4 (all from the arc.)

Bruce with 3 points, 2 boards, 1 assist, and 1 steal. He shot 1 of 4. He has been a disappointment who just doesn't live up to our staff's expectations of him.

Chancler with 6 points, 5 boards, 4 assists, and 2 steals. He shot 3 of 10, 0 of 4, and 0 of 0. He held their best shooter to 4 of 13 shooting including 1 of 8 from the arc.


Yeager with a nice performance off the bench. He had 9 points, 1 board, and 1 assist in 14 minutes. He shot 4 of 9, 1 of 5, and 0 of 0. He played passably on defense.

Henning had a more efficient 9 points on 2 of 2 shooting from the arc and 3 of 4 from the line. Henning also had 3 boards.

[Eaglesfan27]

Clemson presents a tough challenge on the road, this one could go either way. We win the simulated game 90-82! Peterson led the team with 28 points, 6 boards, 2 assists, and 2 blocks. He shot 8 of 18, 0 of 1, and 12 of 16.

Sockwell with 18 points and 5 boards. Bruce with 15 points and 5 assists. Singleton with 0 points and 4 assists. Chancler with 7 points, 4 boards, and 6 assists. Yeager led the bench with 8 points.


With our 16-2 record, we jump to 9th in the media poll. We are 17th in the coaches' poll. We are 3rd in RPI ranking :)


The top 10 in the media poll:

1. Washington 17-0
2. Texas 16-1
3. Georgia Tech 13-1
4. Indiana 16-3
5. Stanford 14-3
6. Pitt 16-2
7. Iowa 15-2
8. Nevada 16-1
9. Wake Forest 16-2
10. Saint Joseph's 14-1


Our next game is hosting Miami. They are 13-3. They have a strong balanced starting 5 with the exception of their PG:

Center Donnells Keeler is the star of the offense. He is 7'0 263 now. He is a junior but is likely to go pro after this year. He does everything well and is especially good at interior scoring. He is averaging 17 ppg, 7 rpg, and 2 bpg. He is rated 85 overall.

JR SF Immanue Dean is 6'6 235. He is very quick and is good at creating his own shot. He is an exceptional midrange shooter. He is averaging 12 ppg. He is rated 84 overall.

SO PF Chris Dillon is 6'8 228. He is a well balanced playr whose overall rating is an 83. He us averaging 8 ppg, 7 rpg, and 1.5 bpg.

FR SG Adenilson Sarchet (this game creates some odd names as time goes on) is a phenom. He was the 10th best player last year in H.S. and he is living up to his ranking. He is from Macon, GA and was Mr. Basketball in Georgia as well as a H.S. All American. He is an exceptional midrange shooter, a great slasher, and a great finisher. His offense is out of this world. His defense is suspect. He also tends to get into foul trouble. He is averaging 16.5 ppg, 5.6 rpg, 4 apg, and 1 spg in 26 mpg. Those are some of the best numbers I've ever seen from a freshman in this game.

Sophomore PG Jimmy Fort is the only weak point in the starting 5. He doesn't excel in any areas, but is average to slightly above average in most areas. His biggest strength is his quick hands. He is rated 75 overall.

Jimmy Matthews is a very good PF coming off the bench. He has been instant offense for their 2nd unit. Backup PF/C Wilder Asseo is also very good. The depth at guard is poor and if we can get the guys into foul trouble this will be an easy win. There is a chance that Pardon will be back for this game.. it will be a game time decision.


I'll play that tomorrow.

[Eaglesfan27]

7 minutes into the game, Peterson gets a 2nd foul on Keeler. We are up 16-11.

A minute later they get a 2nd foul on Chancler. We bring in our entire second unit.

Our starters return with 6:34 to go. We are up 22-17.

In less than 30 seconds, Chancler picks up his 3rd foul. I bring in a guy I thought I'd never use, Martin Daniel. He'll try to play SF for us.



At halftime, we are up 30-27.


Peterson is the player of the half with 11 points and 6 boards.


17 minutes left in the game and Peterson has his 3rd foul. I'm keeping him in. We are up 36-31.

A minute later he gets his 4th.. I'm asking him to play smart, but keeping him in. However, I will rest him before he gets tired in 1-2 minutes.

A minute later, Peterson draws a 3rd foul on Keeler.


13:50 to go, Peterson sits down. We are up 45-41.

9:31 to go, we rest the other starters. We are down 53-51. They bring Keeler back in.

Yeager misses open back to back 3's and allows his man, Sarchet, to hit back to back 3's. We are down 61-56 with 5:43 to go as our starters return.

Bruce beats Sarchet on back to back plays. 61-60.

Sockwell misses an open 12 footer that would have given us the lead.

They get an offensive putback from Keeler. 63-60.

Bruce has his shot blocked. We get a stop and then Peterson at the other end with a hook shot to make it 63-62. 3:30 left.

Keeler with a hook shot over Peterson.

Singleton breaks down his man and drives into the lane for a layup. 65-64. 2:30 left.

Singleton with a steal, sets up Sockwell for an easy quick dunk.. and he blows it! They get the board. Other end, Dillon with a shot from 18 feet out. He hits it. 67-64.

Sockwell with a quick hook shot. 67-66. 1:31 to go.

Peterson blocks a Keeler shot! Starts the fast break.. Chancler is fouled before he can dunk it. He misses both FT's and they get the board!

Singleton fouls Fort while going for a steal.. Fort hits the 1st FT... and makes the 2nd.


Peterson misses a hook shot in the post. They come down... and shoot a quick 3.. Sarchet buries it! Down 72-66.

Fort makes his FT's down the stretch. We lose the game 75-68.

Sarchet, the phenom freshman, was theplayer of the game with 19 points, 4 boards, 4 assists, and 2 steals. He shot 7 of 15, 2 of 5, and 3 of 3 from the line.

Peterson led our team with 24 points, 9 boards, and 1 block.

Singleton with 5 points, 4 assists, and 5 steals. He shot 2 of 6.

Bruce with 8 points, 3 assists, and a steal. He shot 2 of 3 and 4 of 4 from the line.

Chancler with 8 points, 1 board, 1 assists, and 2 steals. He shot 3 of 6, 1 of 2, and 1 of 5 from the line.

Sockwell with 10 points, 3 boards, 3 assists, 2 steals, and a block. He shot 4 of 10 and 2 of 2 from the line.

Henning led the bench in scoring with 5. Abram had 4 points and 4 boards.

Yeager was 0 of 4 from the field.


Pardon should be back before our next game which will relegate Yeager back to garbage time.

[Eaglesfan27]

We are now 16-3 and face the toughest team on our schedule, Georgia Tech. They are 14-1 and ranked 3rd in both polls. They now have a 94 roster strength, one of the top 5 in the nation. They have a coach who is considered one of the best in the nation.

They have 4 legitimate stars in their starting 5. The only knock on them is their lack of size:

JR PF Scooter Gross is rated 91 in overall talent now. He is 6'6 225 pounds. He is a superior scorer from any place on the floor. He is one of the most electric dunkers in the game. His relative weaknesses are defense, rebounding, and strength. If we are going to have a chance, we must get him in foul trouble early and keep him there. He is averaging 21.3 ppg, 5.6 rpg, and 2.1 spg. He was the #1 player in his class a few years ago. He is expected to go pro and be a lottery pick this year.

SR SG Tandris Moreno is a 6'5 229 pound player from Jackson, MS. He is rated 87 overall. His strengths are his defense, shot blocking, stealing, and FT shooting. He also is one of the most determined hustling players in basketball. He is averaging 13.3 ppg, 5 rpg, 3 apg, and 2 spg.

JR PG Leslie Burnette is 6'3 185. He is from Palm Bay, FL. He is rated 86 overall. He is rated 95 in 3 point shooting. He has other strengths in defense, midrange shooting, speed, and durability. His relative weaknesses are his ball handling and stamina. He is averaging 10 ppg, 4 apg, and 2 rpg.

JR SF Hilton Boykin is 6'4 206. He is from Savannah, GA. He is rated 85 overall. His strengths are interior scoring, speed, and 3 point shooting. His weakness is his tendency to commit stupid fouls. He is averaging 11 ppg, 4 rpg, and 2 apg.

Jeffery Hudson is the only "center" on the roster. He is a sophomore who is 6'9 200. He is rated 77 overall. His strengths are his FT shooting and quickness. He is weak in rebounding, defense, and interior scoring. He doesn't play many minutes for them as they will often go to a small lineup.

Top Bench Guys:

SO PF Jerome Weaver is small for the position at 6'4 200, but he plays big. He has tremendous leaping ability, is an electric dunker, and is a surprisingly capable low post defender. He is a below average rebounder. He is averaging 7 ppg and 4 rpg.

SG Brody Karangwa is a 6'1 185 pound JR. He is a great slashing 2 guard. He is rated 83 overall.

SR SG Martell Acasio is a 6'4 195 poundSR SG who is a great 3 points hooter. He is rated 83 overall.

SO PG William Coulter is a 6'4 203 pound PG from Atlanta. He is a very good 3 point shooter. He is rated 80 overall.

Freshman SF A.B. Kampman who I went after for a long time is a 6'5 204 pound player from Charlotte, NC. He is getting major minutes off the bench and is using his tremendous athleticism (better than Pardon) to drive to the rim. He is averaging 10 ppg and 4 rpg.

[Eaglesfan27]

1st minute, Pardon with a drive by his man gets fouled by Gross!

Singleton gets a 2nd foul on Burnette with 15 minutes to go in the half.

We are dominating the boards early.

Our size is completely overwhelming them early. Up 17-7 with 13:35 to go in the half!

Up 19-12 with 12 minutes to go in the half, I rest my starters.

Weaver with a huge putback slam. That quiets our crowd. They are now on a 9-0 run. Tied at 19.

Gardner gets fouled and hits both FT's to break the run.

Moreno has had 2 3's since my starters left. He hits another to give them the lead again.

Up 27-26 with 7 minutes to go in the half as my starters return.

Tremendous defense from both sides.. no one scores for 3 minutes.

Finally, Chancler hits a 3.. then Pardon with a breakaway which gets him fouled. Then, Pardon with a 3. We are up 34-26 after holding them scoreless for 6 minutes before they hit a 3. That was some of our best defense all year.. never gave up an uncontested shot during that stretch.

Coulter with a buzzer beating halfcourt 3 to make it 35-32, we lead.



Pardon is the player of the half with 8 points and 6 boards as well as great defense.

Chancler also with a nice half with tremendous defense and 8 points.

Peterson has 5 points, 6 boards, 2 assists, and 2 blocks. He also altered countless other shots.



16 minutes left in the game, Sockwell gets a 3rd foul on Weaver. We are up 46-44.

15 minutes left, Pardon draws a 3rd foul on Karawanga.

A minute later, Chancler gets a 3rd foul on Moreno who is their leading scorer with 17.

We have our crowd going crazy and we are on a 8-0 run. 56-48.

Burnette to Gross for a spectacular alley-oop to end the run. That is only Gross' 4th point of the game.

At the other end, Peterson backs Gross down and slams it over him and gets fouled. Gross responds by beating everyone down the court for a fastbreak slam.

Our guys are getting tired and they go on a little run. We are up 60-59 with 11:30 left as I bring in our subs.

Their fullcourt trap forces a turnover and Acasio draws a foul at the other end to help tie it up.

Coulter with a 3 and then Acasio with a steal and fastbreak layup to put them up 65-62.

A steal and dunk puts them up 67-62.

We go back to our starters. 9:44 left.

Down 73-70 with 5:32 to go.

After Peterson misses a hook shot and allows them to build a 5 point lead, he responds by getting a block on our next possession and starting a Pardon fast break slam! 4 point game with 3 minutes to go.

Kampman with a steal and alley-oop to Moreno. Moreno with a steal and fastbreak dunkl :( Down 81-73.

Sockwell gets fouled quickly and makes both FT's. Peterson with a monster block, but it sails out of bounds. They get a midrange jumper on the ensuing play.

Gross with a 12 footer and then he blocks a Sockwell shot!



We lose the game 88-78.

Moreno was the player of the game with 21 points, 3 boards, 3 assists, 1 block, and 3 steals. He shot 8 of 17, 4 of 9, and 1 of 1.

Kampman only had 3 points for them, but he also had 6 boards and 7 assists.

Burnette with 16 points and 7 assists.

Gross with 12 points, 9 boards, and a block.



We had big games from our big men. Peterson with 18 points, 14 boards, 2 assists, and 3 blocks. He shot 8 of 14, 0 of 0, and 2 of 3.

Sockwell with 18 points, 11 boards, 5 assists, and 3 blocks. He shot 6 of 9, 0 of 0, and 6 of 11.

Chancler with 18 points, 1 board, and 1 assist. He shot 5 of 8, 1 of 4, and 7 of 9.

Singleton with 3 points, 2 assists, and 6 turnovers. He shot 1 of 4.

Pardon with 11 points, 8 boards, 2 assists, 2 steals, 1 block, and 4 turnovers. He shot 2 of 9, 1 of 2, and 6 of 10.


Bruce led the bench with 5 points.

[Eaglesfan27]

The 2 losses this week drop us to 19th in the media poll and 25th in the coaches' poll.


We win our simulated game at a weaker Virginia Tech team. We beat them 80-73. They drop to 10-11 while we are now 17-4.

Peterson led us with 20 points, 6 bords, 3 assists, and 1 block. Chancler had 20 points, 5 boards, and 3 assists.

Singleton, Pardon, and Sockwell each had 5 points. Sutton led the bench in scoring with 6. Abram had 5 points and 5 boards in just 12 minutes.

Our next game is hosting a weaker North Carolina. They are 13-7. Their overall team roster rating is now 83.

Their strength is at forward. SR PF Rashaun Konare is 6'7 245 and is rated 83 overall. He is a very good shot blocker and a strong scorer. He is averaging 16.5 ppg, 6.5 rpg, and 2.7 bpg.

SR PF Arturo Ramos is playing center for them. He is 6'9 276. He is a decent midrange shooter with good post moves. He is averaging 10.6 ppg and 5 rpg. He is rated 80 overall.

Freshman SG Alando Sockwell is a 6'5 210 pound freshman from Toronto. He was the 77th best player in his class. He is a slasher who doesn't excel in any areas. He is rated 75 overall. He is averaging 7 ppg.

Freshman SG Mani Carlson is from Camden, NJ. He was the 107th best player in his class. He is average in most areas. He is rated 75 overall. He is averaging 7 ppg, 3 rpg, and 2 apg.

Freshman PG Ousmane Niang is from Senegal. He is a 6'1 185 pound player who wasn't ranked due to being a foreign player. He is a very good passer but is below average in many other areas. He is rated 73 overall. He is averaging 6 ppg and 5 apg.

The best bench player is sophomore C Booker Daley. He is rated 70 overall.

If they fire the coach and offer me the job, it will be an interesting choice to see if I can turn this once proud program around again.


Unfortunately, it looks Tim Floyd isn't going to get fired from USC any time soon. He has them at 14-5 this year, although they are only 4-3 in conference play. Maybe he will retire soon.


I'll play the North Carolina game later this week.

[Eaglesfan27]

I expected the bad start at North Carolina's place last year, but didn't expect it at home this year. We don't score for the first 5 minutes. Fortunately, we held them scoreless for the first 3. Down 7-0 after 4 minutes.

Chancler finally hits a corner 3 to get us on the board. Chancler then steals it, drives into the lane and kicks it out to an open Singleton for another 3. 7-6 with 14:30 to go in the half.

A minute later, Chancler picks up his 2nd foul. Down 10-6.

Not the start I expected, but we are in position to make a move. Down 19-18 with 9 minutes to go as our starters rest for the first time.

6 minutes left, up 24-21, and my starters seem ready to come back into the game. They are feeding off the crowd.


Ramos with 2 3's gets them the lead, but we close strong. We are up 33-32 at the half. They are doing an incredible job of collapsing in the middle and preventing us from driving into the lane.

Chancler is getting some open looks from their defense and he is hitting a fair share. He is the player of the half with 12 points, 1 board, and 2 steals. He is 4 of 9 for the game, 4 of 8 from the arc.



After being neutralized in the 1st half, Peterson is dominating the 2nd half as they are no longer collapsing multiple guys on him. 44-34 with 15 minutes to go in the game.


My subs come in with 11 minutes to go, up 52-41.


The bench plays so well they get to finish the game. We win the game 73-48!


Peterson was the player of the game with 19 points, 5 boards, 3 assists, and 3 blocks. He shot 7 of 11, 0 of 1 (it was a halftime halfcourt buzzer beater), and 5 of 6 from the line.

Chancler with 16 points, 1 board, 1 assist, and 2 steals. He shot 6 of 11, 4 of 8, and 0 of 0.

Singleton with 3 points, 3 boards, 4 assists, and 2 steals. He shot 1 of 7, 1 of 4, and 0 of 0.

Pardon with 4 poins, 4 boards, 2 assists, and 1 steal. He shot 1 of 6, 0 of 1, and 2 of 2.

Sockwell with 6 points, 8 boards, and 1 block. He shot 3 of 5.

Sutton led the bench with 9. Abram had 7, Henning 5, Gardner 4, and Bruce 2. Very strong final 10 minutes from the bench.

[Eaglesfan27]

After those 2 wins last week, we rise to 13th in the media poll and 24th in the coaches' poll. USC is slightly higher than us in both polls.

Niagara is 18-3 (12-0.) They have won their last 5 games by an average margin of 30 points including a 106-62 win over Canisus.


Our only game this upcoming week is at NC State. They have a weaker roster strength at 84. Their best player is PF Florentino Santos, a SO who is rated 78 overall. He is a very good shot blocker. He is 6'9 240. He is averaging 8 ppg, 7 rpg, and 2 bpg.

SR C Tommie Simms is 6'10 250 and is rated 77 overall. His strength is close shots. He is averaging 13 ppg and 7 rpg.

Sophomore PG Harold Ainge is a 5'10 173 pound SO who is a good 3 point shooter. He is rated 77 overall. He is averaging 12 ppg and 3.5 apg.

SO SG Cameron Berrelleca is a 6'4 192 pound slashing guard who is rated 75 overall. He is averaging 7 ppg and 4 rpg.

SR SG Aurimas Mrozik starts at SF. He is a 6'6 208 pound player who relies on excellent speed. He is rated 75 overall. He is averaging 6 ppg and 4 rpg.

[Eaglesfan27]

5 minutes into the game, Peterson gets a 2nd foul on Santos who was trying to help guard him. We are down 14-12 as both offenses have been very effective early.


Chancler picks up a 2nd foul with 11:29 to go in the half. We are up 22-20 as I rest all of my starters.


With my team down 31-24, I bring my staters back with 6:27 to go in the half. Bruce played so badly that I might not bring him back in this game.

A 6-0 run gets us within 1. They respond with 2 midrange jumpers. 35-31 with 3 minutes to go in the half.



Peterson personally pushing us to take the lead, but they fight back before the half. We are down 39-36 at halftime.


Simms is the player of the half with 8 points and 6 boards.

Peterson leads all scorers with 15 points. He also has 5 boards and a block.


We are down by 7 early in the 2nd half, but we climb back into and take a 1 point lead on a Sockwell putback slam. 48-47 with 15:50 to go in the game.

Down 50-48 with 14 minutes to go. Singleton has picked up his 3rd foul. All of the starters are tired to varying degrees. I turn to the bench with Yeager joining the 2nd unit.


Down 58-48 with 11 minutes left. I try an experiment - a big lineup of Sutton, Henning, Gardner, Sockwell, and Abram.

It's back and forth but this group slowly closes the gap.

With 5:46 to go, Abram makes a layup and gets fouled.. he misses the FT that would have put us ahead.. Gardner with the board.. he misses the putback.

Sockwell with another block on the other end. He has been great these last 6 minutes. We call a timeout and get our starters back into the game with 5:24 to go and tied at 66.


Pardon beats his man with ease, drives into the lane and is fouled on his dunk attempt. He hits both FT's.

Peterson with a steal.. he has a fast break with him and Sockwell.. alley oop to Sockwell.

Ainge hits a 3 in response. Chancler turns it over leading to a fastbreak dunk. We are down 71-70.

Peterson has been money with his jump hook, but he misses this one.

Peterson has a hook shot blocked by Simms!

At the other end, they miss a shot, get an offensive rebound.. miss again and get an offensive rebound slam! :( Down 74-70 with 2 minutes to go.

Sockwell with a hook shot to quiet their crowd. 1:30 to go.

Ainge and Simms run a perfect pick and roll. 76-72.

Peterson misses another hook shot in the post. :(


Singleton hit 3 after 3 in the last 20 seconds, but they kept making their FT's. We lose the game 84-82 but discover Singleton is truly becoming a clutch 3 point shooter.

Ainge was the player of the game with 18 points and 6 assists.



Peterson led us in scoring with 21 points. He also had 8 boards, 1 assist, and 1 block. He shot 8 of 14, 0 of 0, and 5 of 7.

Sockwell with 16 points, 10 boards, and 2 blocks.

Singleton with 11 points, 2 assists, and 2 steals. He shot 4 of 6, 3 of 5 from the arc.

Chancler with 11 points and 3 assists. He shot 2 of 9 for the game.

Pardon with 11 points and 5 steals. He shot 2 of 5, 0 of 1, and 7 of 10.


Sutton and Abram led the bench with 6. Bruce was 0 of 4.

[Eaglesfan27]

That loss dropped us to 20th in the media poll and 25th in the coaches' poll.


Our nexxt game is a tough one against Clemson. They are 15-4 and are 18th in the media poll. We get crushed at home in the simulated game 90-56. Peterson only played 14 minutes due to a knee contusion. He had 11 points and a block. Sockwell had 20 points, 9 boards, and 2 blocks in 28 minutes.


We are now 18-6 and we need to win some tough games coming up, but I expect to lose the next one which is at Maryland. Peterson will play but he won't be 100% for us. They are 21-3 and are 5th in both polls. After that game, we host Duke who I expect to beat on our floor.

The only slightly glimmer of hope for my team is that Maryland's 2nd best player, Angel Bird, is also banged up a bit with a sprained wrist. The 7'1 250 pound JR is a formidable matchup for Peterson. He is rated 88 overall with his best ratings in Close Shot (99), Shooting in traffic (95), Defensive rebounding (90), and durability (96.) He is averaging 19 ppg, 6 rpg, and 2 bpg.

SR SF Taj Christian is the best player I've ever seen in this game. I can't believe he didn't go pro last year. He is now rated 92 overall. His strengths are Close shooting (93), Dunking (98), 3 point shooting (87), midrange shooting (87), speed (93), and hustle (92.) He has several more attributes that are in the low 90's. His only weakness is his shot blocking and his tendency to get into fouls (50.) He is averaging 19.6 ppg, 7.2 rpg, and 2.4 apg. He is 6'4 220 now.

PG Herb Lennon is a sophomore who is 5'10 174. He is rated 82 overall. His strengths are speed (92), layup (91), perimeter defense (90), and handling (88.) His weaknesses are strength (61), fouling (54), and hustle (66.) He is averaging 7 ppg and 3 apg.

SR PF Ross Frank is 6'8 215. He is rated 82 overall. His strengths are speed (86), quickness (86). He has multiple attributes in the low 80's. His weaknesses are his hustle (55), foul (50), and passing (62.)

Besides 3 very good combo guards, the bench is thin. If we can get their forwards and center into foul trouble, it is a winnable game. I'll play that tomorrow.


SR SG Dee Bland is the weakest part of the starting 5. He is 6'2 190 pounds. He is rated 76 overall. His strengths are 3 points shooting (83), Handle (83), and speed (88.) His weaknesses are his defense (77), strength, and tendency to get into foul trouble.

[Eaglesfan27]

A very intense first 6 minutes. We are down 12-8 as we turn to our bench.

Their full court press creates a turnover by Sutton right away. 14-8.

Excellent job by the 2nd unit after that. Sutton and Bruce were the keys but everyone played well. We are up 21-20 with 7:27 to go as our starters return.

4:45 to go: Peterson picks up a 2nd foul but is staying in the game.

2:28 to go: Sockwell gets his 2nd foul. We are up 33-30.

Both big guys have been cheating towards Christian at times to try to stop him.

1:53 to go, Christian with a drive into the lane gets a 3rd foul on Sockwell who will sit the last 2 minutes.



We are up 37-34 at the half.


Pardon with a bit of help has contained Christian who only has 9 points.

Christian has only allowed Pardon to score once.


Sockwell is the player of the half. He has 8 points, 6 boards, and a block.


My starters are exhausted. We are down 52-51 with 10 minutes to go as I go to the bench.


Down 57-54 as my starters return with 5:21 to go.

Down 59-56 with 3 minutes to go.

Peterson with a block and then a basket in the post at the other end. 59-58 with 2:24 to go.

Chancler with some tight defense forces a bad pass by their SG!

Chancler with a nice pass into the paint for an easy dunk by Peterson! 60-59.

Lennon beats Singleton with a nice crossover and drives into the lane.. Sockwell fouls him. He misses the 1st! He makes the 2nd. Tied at 60. 1:33 to go.

Pardon finds Sockwell deep in the paint, he hits an easy jump hook. At the other end, Sockwell has good defense on Frank and he misses the shot! 24 seconds left and they are going to foul.. I try to get Bruce in at PG since he is a better FT shooter than Singleton but they foul Singleton before I can even call a timeout..

Singleton misses both FT's! At the other end, Christian swishes a 3 with 7 seconds left. Down 63-62.

Peterson gets it with 3 seconds left.. they double team him.. he kicks it out to an open Chancler for a 16 footer on the wing.. he misses it :(


We lose 63-62. So close to pulling off the upset in Maryland.


Christian was the player of the game with 21 points, 10 boards, and 4 assists. He shot 7 of 11, 3 of 6, and 4 of 4.


Chancler led our team with 13 points, 5 boards, 5 assists, and 2 steals. He shot 5 of 11, 1 of 4, and 2 of 2.

Singleton with 11 points and 3 assists. He shot 3 of 11, 1 of 6, and 4 of 5.

Pardon with 2 points and 2 boards. He shot 1 of 5, 0 of 2, and 0 of 0. Christian dominated him.

Sockwell with 10 points, 7 boards, and a block. He shot 3 of 8, 0 of 0, and 4 of 4.

Peterson with 10 points, 7 boards, 1 steal, and a block. He shot 5 of 10, 0 of 0, and 0 of 0.

Sutton with 7 points off the bench. Bruce with 5 points.

[Eaglesfan27]

We are now 18-7 and 23rd in the media poll. We've dropped out of the coaches' poll. Next up is Duke at our arena. We lost to them earlier in the year 88-79. They are 14-9.


Niagara is now 22-3 (16-0) and 16th in the media poll and 18th in the coaches' poll. It'll be interesting to see if they can make it to the sweet 16 this year after a disappointing upset in the 1st round last year.


On the recruiting front, Henry Goodman looks like he is going to come here. Henry is the 6'7 206 pound SF from Akron, OH. He is rated 46th overall and 7th among SF's. He has shown so much interest in us that the only team still pursuing him is WVU. He averaged 16.5 ppg, 8.5 rpg, and 2 spg in the ABL. He shot 53% from the field and 57% from the arc in the ABL. Our staff believes that he has "A-" potential and will be strong right away at shooting the 3, stealing, and posting up. His defense will need a lot of work though.

[Radii]

Oh man, what a tough way to lose to Maryland :(

[RPI-Fan]

Gah reading this makes me wish I had my Xbox with me at school so I could keep up my dynasty. Can't wait until I have some time off on spring break to keep going on it!

I am not very good and have never come close to the NCAA tourney in my closed legacy with Northern Colorado, but I recently have gotten better at recruiting. I brought in a 78 OVR with C potential and 76 OVR with B potential as freshmen (both big men) which from what I can tell is pretty unusual for a school my size. They aren't dominating yet (averaging 12p/7r and 9p/8r or so) but, again, for freshmen on a team with a lot of scorers I feel like these are pretty good numbers. In a year or two will these guys become superstars in the Big Sky do you think?

My other starters are a 72 OVR freshman SG (he's not great, but a pretty versatile offensive player), 74 OVR Jr PG (shoot-first PG, but can hit threes and good on the drive), and 72 OVR Jr SF (who is OUTSTANDING... 6'-6", 220 lb perfect size... shoots 35%+ from three with quick release and is the best dribble-drive player in the conference). Really looking forward to continuing the dynasty and trying to get to the dance!

[Eaglesfan27]

Oh man, what a tough way to lose to Maryland :(

Yeah, I think that was the most disappointing regular season loss I've ever had. I finally feel like I have really balanced sliders, so I would have felt a great sense of achievement if we pulled off that upset.

Gah reading this makes me wish I had my Xbox with me at school so I could keep up my dynasty. Can't wait until I have some time off on spring break to keep going on it!

I am not very good and have never come close to the NCAA tourney in my closed legacy with Northern Colorado, but I recently have gotten better at recruiting. I brought in a 78 OVR with C potential and 76 OVR with B potential as freshmen (both big men) which from what I can tell is pretty unusual for a school my size. They aren't dominating yet (averaging 12p/7r and 9p/8r or so) but, again, for freshmen on a team with a lot of scorers I feel like these are pretty good numbers. In a year or two will these guys become superstars in the Big Sky do you think?

My other starters are a 72 OVR freshman SG (he's not great, but a pretty versatile offensive player), 74 OVR Jr PG (shoot-first PG, but can hit threes and good on the drive), and 72 OVR Jr SF (who is OUTSTANDING... 6'-6", 220 lb perfect size... shoots 35%+ from three with quick release and is the best dribble-drive player in the conference). Really looking forward to continuing the dynasty and trying to get to the dance!

Yes, I think those big men will become stars as long as they have decent size (and will be good even if they don't.) At that level, those overall ratings are very good.

[Eaglesfan27]

I already previewed Duke earlier, so time to jump into the game...

We steal the ball early and Singleton with a breakaway is fouled. With no pressure, he makes both FT's.

4 minutes into the game, Pardon gets a 2nd foul on Vanttaja. We are down 11-8.

A minute later they get a 2nd foul on Sockwell.

A minute later, Chancler gets his 2nd foul. Down 16-12.


Extremely high tempo the first 8 minutes. We are down 20-14 as we bring in the 2nd unit.

Abram was a huge disappointment, missing several easy shots and a layup, however, Sutton was incredible. He had 9 points in 4 1/2 minutes and we are up 26-25 with 7:30 to go in the game as my starters return.

Singleton gets a 2nd foul on Harris with 7:05 to go. Again, he makes both FT's.

Sockwell starts a 8-0 run with a breakaway slam dunk. He then hits 2 shots from about the FT. After they end the run, he passes out a double team to Pardon in the corner who drills a 3. We are up 42-33 with 3:42 to go.


A great finish to the half. Everyone is scoring well except for Peterson who is getting double teamed consistently. We are up 48-36.


Singleton is the player of the half with 12 points and 3 assists.


4 minutes into the half, Chancler picks up his 3rd foul. However, we are running them out of the building. When we can't fast break, we are finding Peterson for a quick easy basket as they are no longer doubling him. We are up 64-40. This run has been mainly due to us stealing it from their PG or him throwing it away - allowing a ton of easy fast break baskets.

13 minutes to go, Chancler picks up his 4th foui. We are up 70-46.


9:39 to go, we are up 86-52. I pull my starters.


With 5 minutes to go, Baldwin and Yeager get into the game. We are up 89-59.


We win the game 93-66!


Singleton was the player of the game with 19 points, 4 assists, 2 boards, and 2 steals. He shot 6 of 9, 3 of 5, and 4 of 4.

Great games for all of my starting 5:

Chancler only with 5 points, 3 assists, and 2 steals. However, he shot 2 of 4 and he held their top guard to 7 points on 2 of 10 shooting.

Pardon with 19 points, 3 boards, 3 assists, 3 steals, and a block. He shot 6 of 8, 2 of 2, and 5 of 12 (I wish he was better from the line.) He held Vanttaja to 3 points and 3 assists. He also kept Vanttaja in foul trouble through most of the game.

Sockwell with 14 points, 5 boards, 2 assists, 3 steals, and 3 blocks. He shot 6 of 8, 0 of 0, and 2 of 4.

Peterson with 17 points, 9 boards, 3 assists, 1 steal, and 2 blocks. He shot 8 of 17, 0 of 0, and 1 of 3.

Sutton led the bench with 10 points and 3 steals.

Gardner with 4 points, 4 boards, and a block.


That convincing win makes us 19-7.

[Eaglesfan27]

In a simulated game, we easily beat Virginia at our place, 79-52. That gives us 20 wins. They are now 10-15. Balanced scoring for us with Singleton having 10 points, 5 boards, and 5 assists.

Chancler with 16 points, 4 boards, and 2 assists. Pardon with 7 points, 7 boards, and 3 blocks.

Sockwell with 17 points and 3 boards.

Peterson with 10 points, 4 boards, and 3 blocks.

Henning led the bench wth 7.



We are now 19th in the media poll and 24th in the coaches poll. A quick look at the top 10 in the media poll:

1. Texas (25-1)
2. Stanford (23-3)
3. Washington (22-3)
4. Georgia Tech (19-5)
5. Iowa (23-3)
6. Maryland (24-3)
7. Xavier (24-4)
8. Nebraska (22-3)
9. Oregon (19-7)
10. Vanderbilt (22-3)

Niagara is 15th with a 22-3 record.


We are 11th in the RPI Rankings!

Top 10 RPI:

1. Stanford
2. Texas
3. Washington
4. Georgia Tech
5. Maryland
6. Iowa
7. Oregon
8. Penn State (19-6)
9. Xavier
10. Louisville (22-4)

USC is 19-8 and 26th in the RPI.

Niagara's RPI is 28th.


Our next game is at Georgia Tech. We follow that up with a game at North Carolina and then a home game vs North Carolina State to end the regular season.

[Eaglesfan27]

Our staff believes that Vidal Chancler is making quantum leaps in his game this year. The most growth I've ever seen from a player in a single year. The downside of that is that there is starting to be some talk that he is going to go pro after this year. Gardner is the only player on the roster not showing any growth. Sutton is another player showing a high level of growth throughout this year.




Now time to start the Georgia Tech game which definitely has one of the top 3 roster strengths in the country:

We have to stop Leslie Burnett who is now rated 91 overall at PG.



2 minutes into the game, Chancler has 2 fouls on Moreno!

We get Hudson into foul trouble early. Tied at 14 with 14 minutes to go in the half.

We are up 18-16 with 12:26 to go as our 2nd unit steps onto the floor.

Boykin has been their offense. He has 12 points for them and he is now taking a seat to rest.

11 minutes to go, Abram gets a 2nd foul on Gross! If we can keep him in foul trouble, things become much easier.


We are down 30-25 with 6:42 to go as our starters return.

2 minutes left, Pardon gets a 3rd foul on Boykin. We are tied at 37.


Their full court trap gets them a few baskets late in the half. We are down 44-40 at halftime.


Sockwell, Chancler, and Pardon are all on the edge of foul trouble with 2.

Boykin is the player of the half with 15 points.

Sockwell leads our team with 13. Chancler has 10.



19 minutes to go, Chanler picks up a 3rd foul.


Chancler with a hard collision into their center goes down :( I decide to go with Sutton who has been shooting well and presents some more size at the SG position.

The early prognosis is strained ligaments in his knee.. Our staff thinks he can return, but I'm holding him out for a while.

15 minutes left and Pardon gets a 3rd foul on Boykin. We are down 51-48. Sutton already has blocked a shot and stolen it from their SG.

Baldwin comes in with the 2nd unit with 11:30 to go. We are down 53-52.

With 15 seconds Baldwin steals it from Burnette!

Baldwin with a nice crossover gets a 3rd foul on Burnette!

7:27 to go, Abram fouls out! Peterson returns to the game. We are tied at 65.

5 minutes left. Down 68-67, we bring the rest of our starters in except Sutton comes in at SG.

Sockwell with a rebound.. throws it out to Pardon who is fast breaking against just 1 guy.. he is running back.. Pardon elevates.. over Karawanga.. the dunk and the foul! He misses the FT, but Peterson gets it and is fouled before he can dunk it. He makes both FT's. Up 71-68.

Karawanga responds with a 3 right in Pardon's face. Tied at 71.

Pardon uses a screen to drive into the lane and is fouled before he can dunk. He makes both FT's. 3:40 left.

A minute later, Pardon hits a corner 3 to give us a 76-73 lead!

Boykin hits yet another 3 to tie it at 76 with just under 2 minutes to go.

Sutton off a screen drives into the lane where he is fouled. He hits both FT's.

Their PF just mishandes a pass and it is a turnover out of bounds!


We miss a shot by Pardon. At the other end, Peterson blocks a 12 footer. That starts a fastbreak by Pardon who is fouled. He hits both FT's. Up 80-76 with 52 seconds left!

Boykin misses a quick 3. Peterson gets the foul.. he gets it to Singleton who is fouled. This time Singleton hits both FT's. 82-76.

Moreno hits a quick 3. 22 seconds left.

They foul Singleton. He misses the 1st.. and makes the 2nd. 83-79. 20 seconds left.

They miss a quick 3, but get a tipback. 83-81. This time I do call a quick timeout and get my best FT shooter at PG, Bruce.

They foul Bruce with 9.7 seconds left.. he makes both FT's!

They miss a 3 by Moreno. Sockwell with the board.. passes quickly to Bruce who runs around burning the last 2 seconds. We pull off the huge upset!


85-81 win.


Sockwell wins player of the game. 15 points, 9 boards, 3 assists, 3 steals, and a block. He shot 3 of 7, 0 of 0, and 9 of 11.

Singleton with 7 points, 5 boards, 3 assists, and 3 steals. He shot 1 of 5, 1 of 2, and 4 of 5.

Chancler with 12 points, 2 boards, 1 assist, and 1 steal. He was 4 of 5, 1 of 1, and 3 of 4. Hopefully, his injury doesn't hinder him too long.

Pardon with 16 points, 3 boards, 2 assists, and 2 steals. He shot 5 of 12, 1 of 4, and 5 of 7.

Peterson with 10 points, 13 boards, 2 assists, 1 steal, and 3 blocks. He shot 3 of 10, 0 of 0, and 4 of 5.


Bruce led the bench with 8 points and was 6 of 6 from the line.

Henning with 6, Abram with 5, and Sutton with 2 points, 1 board, 1 assist, 1 steal, and 1 block.

[Eaglesfan27]

That win jumped us up to 12th in the media poll and 19th in the coaches poll. Interestingly, Georgia Tech remained at #4.


A look at some interesting facts in the ACC. First the standings:

1. Maryland 25-4 (12-3)
2. Clemson 18-6 (10-4)
3. Georgia Tech 20-6 (10-5)
4. Wake Forest 21-7 (8-6)
5. Duke 16-10 (8-6)
6. FSU 17-10 (7-7)
7. North Carolina State 16-10 (6-8)
8. North Carolina 17-12 (6-8)
9. Boston College 15-12 (6-8)
10. VT 12-16 (5-9)
11. Miami 16-11 (4-10)
12. Virginia 11-16 (3-11)


Maryland is the leading team in scoring and rebounds with 87 ppg and 34 rpg.

Duke is leading the ACC in assists with 16 per game.

Clemson is leading the league in blocks at 5.8 per game.

BC's D. Hunter, PF is leading the league in scoring at 20.3 ppg.

Peterson is leading the league in rebounding at 8.8 per game.

O'Niang of North Carolina is leading the league in assists at 5.6 per game.

Moreno of GT is leading in steals at 2.7 per game.

R. Konare of North Carolina is leading in blocks per game at 2.3.

Maryland's Taj Christian is considered the best player in the conference and the best pro prospect.

SG Sarchet of Miami is considered the top rated freshman in the conference.

Burnette of Georgia Tech is considered the best shooter in the conference. He had 18 points against us last game.

Duke's Harris is considered the best "playmaker."

Gross of Georgia Tech is considered the best defender, but with the size advantage I'd argue for Peterson.


A quick look at all of the ACC champions over the last 10 years in the ACC in this dynasty (regular season first and tournament second):

2011-12 North Carolina 25-6 and Georgia Tech
12-13 North Carolina 30-5
13-14 Duke 22-9 and Georgia Tech in the tourney
14-15 Maryland 30-6
15-16 Miami 21-8 and VT
16-17 Duke 31-6 (last year before Coach K retired I believe)
17-18 Clemson 30-6 and Duke
18-19 Maryland 22-8 and FSU
19-20 Maryland 28-6
20-21 Boston College 32-5 and Georgia Tech

Wake Forest's last tourney appearance was in 2009. Obviously things look good for me ending that streak this year.

[RPI-Fan]

Maryland's Taj Christian is considered the best player in the conference and the best pro prospect.

SG Sarchet of Miami is considered the top rated freshman in the conference.

Burnette of Georgia Tech is considered the best shooter in the conference. He had 18 points against us last game.

Duke's Harris is considered the best "playmaker."

Gross of Georgia Tech is considered the best defender, but with the size advantage I'd argue for Peterson.


Where do you get that info?

[Eaglesfan27]

Where do you get that info?

From the main menu in the dynasty there is a section titled "conferences" or it may be in a sub menu. However, the menu is "conferences." I always forget it is there and haven't looked at it for a couple of years. Almost all of the information in that post was from the various tabs of the conference screen, and you can view that info for any conference.

Edit: You go to "Around the NCAA" and then click on Conferences to get to the info.

[Eaglesfan27]

Our team roster strength is now up to a 90. We are favored against North Carolina even though we are on the road.

Chancler is going to try to go today.


It starts out ok, but you can tell Chancler doesn't have his speed or his lift. After 2 turnovers that lead to easy baskets, I pull him with 15 minutes to go in the half. We are down 12-4.

Down 16-11 with 11 minutes to go as our starters rest.

A bad stretch by the bench has us down 26-16 with 7:25 to go. I can't wait any longer to bring back our starters.

Our starters are tired again, but they have cut the lead to 32-28. 2:40 to go in the game. Everyone is resting except for Sockwell.



We are down 36-34 at halftime.


Carlson is the player of the half. The SF has 10 points and 2 boards for them.

Pardon and Peterson each lead our team with 8.



We give Chancler another chance by allowing him to start the 2nd half. He allows a 3 on their first play, but he makes up for it with a 3 of his own.

They have been collapsing on my guys in the paint the entire game.. Peterson with a kickout to Chancler for an open 3 in the corner.. he nails it! 40-39 lead.


Their home crowd is booing them as they allow a 8-0 run, but they respond with 5 points. Peterson with a nice dunk to make it 46-43, our lead.


55-52, we lead, but our starters are exhausted. 10:51 to go.


Down 59-58 with 6:35 to go, I bring back our starters.


Carlson is on fire. He has hit 3 3's in a row. Pardon is trying to tire him out at the other end and has driven by him and been fouled twice. Down 65-62 after another Carlson 3.


After we get behind by 5, Singleton responds with a quick 3. 67-65 with 4:13 to go. Carlson has their last 11 points.

Peterson misses an easy hook and then Singleton gets fouled and misses 2 FT's :(

Sockwell hits a 3 over Chancler, but Chancler hits 1 right after that. We are down 74-71.

Pardon needs a quick breather even though only 2:35 is left. I try Gardner to slow down the scoring of Carlson.

Carlson misses his next shot, but they get the offensive board and their SG Sockwell hits a 3. Singleton responds with a 3. We are down 78-74 now.

Sockwell hits another 3 for them :( Chancler is getting torched. 81-74. Less than a minute left. I pull Chancler, but I think it is too late.


We still haven't beaten the mystique of North Carolina at home. We lose 83-74.


Carlson was the player of the game with 20 points and 4 boards. He shot 6 of 10, 3 of 6, and 5 of 5.

Sockwell, their SG, had 19 points on 8 of 12 shooting, 3 of 5, and 0 of 0.



Pardon led our team with 18 points, 2 boards, 1 assist, 1 steal, and 1 block. He shot 6 of 14, 1 of 4, and 5 of 10.

Chancler had 14 points and 2 assists. He shot 5 of 11, 4 of 8, and 0 of 0.

Singleton with an impressive game with 12 points, 5 boards, 4 assists, and a career high 6 steals. He shot 3 of 12, 3 of 10, and 3 of 4.

Sockwell with 4 points, 5 boards, 3 assists, and 4 blocks.

Peterson with 12 points, 9 boards, 3 assists, 1 steal, and 1 block. He shot 4 of 8 and 4 of 4 from the line. They constantly collapsed on either big guy.

Bruce led the bench with 6.

[Eaglesfan27]

As we go into our final game with NC State, everyone is back to 100% healthy.

We win the simulated game at home 73-72. Peterson was the player of the game with 21 points, 4 boards, 2 assists, and 2 blocks. He shot 6 of 10, 2 of 2 (!) and 7 of 13.

Singleton had 12, Gardner 11, and Sockwell 10 for us.


We finish the regular season with a 22-8 record, 9-7 in conference play. We drop 1 spot to 14th in the media poll. We are 24th in the coaches' poll. We finished 5th in the ACC. The Regular Season Standings are:

1. Maryland 25-5, 12-4
2. Georgia Tech 21-6, 11-5
3. Clemson 19-7, 11-5
4. Wake Forest 22-8, 9-7
5. Duke 18-11, 9-7
6. FSU 18-12, 8-8
7. BC 18-12, 8-8
8. North Carolina 18-14, 7-9
9. Miami 19-11, 6-10
10. North Carolina State 16-13, 6-10
11. VT 13-18, 5-11
12. Virginia 12-18, 4-12


We get a 1st round bye in the ACC Tourney!

In the 2nd round we will face Duke who beat Virginia 78-62.

If we beat them, we will face the winner of Maryland and Miami (who beat North Carolina to advance.)

Duke doesn't have any injuries either. A more recent look at their starting 5:

PG Javier Harris is a SR rated 84 overall. 90 Ball handling, 84 passing, 84 3 point shooting, 89 defense, and 89 stealing. We got him into foul trouble when we beat them 3 weeks ago. He is 6'2 198.

SG/PG Devin Hatten is a JR who is rated 85 overall. He is 6'0 177. 3 point shooting is rated 86, shooting off the dribble is a 85, handling is a 85, defense is a 91, and speed is a 95.

SF Dominick Vanttaja is a JR who is rated 87 overall. He is 6'6 227. He is rated 92 in close shooting, 84 in medium shooting, 83 in shooting in traffic, and 82 off the dribble. He has a 95 rating in leaping.

PF Keenan McMillian is a sophomore who is rated 80 overall. He is 6'8 220. He has a 95 in close shooting, a 84 in rebounding (both), and a 94 in durability.

Center Antwcan Zamore is a sophomore who is rated 81 overall. He is 6'9 226. He is rated 88 in close shooting, 83 in shooting in traffic, 84 in low post offense, 92 in offensive rebounding, and 83 in shot blocking.

Phil Bonfim is the best bench player. He is a 6'3 202 pound SG who is rated 81 overall. He had a big scoring game against us last time.

Freshman PF/C K.D. McCoy is also good and is now rated 80 overall.


I'll play that game tomorrow.

[Eaglesfan27]

5 minutes into the game, Pardon on a fastbreak.. he elevates and slams over a guy.. and is called for a charge :( That is his 2nd foul. We are up 10-9.

20 seconds later, Singleton picks up his 2nd foul.


12 minutes left in the half and Peterson picks up his 2nd foul. We are up 21-18.

McCoy is their main offensive weapon as his speed is too much for Sockwell and Peterson. However, Peterson is pounding it inside against their small defenders.

Insane first 11 minutes, very fast paced by both teams. We are up 33-31 as I rest my starters for the first time.

Down 47-43, I bring back the subs with 2:35 to play in the half.


At halftime, we are down 51-50. The highest scoring half (total points) of my career, I believe. Both teams are shooting at a very high rate that I don't expect to continue in the 2nd half.

Peterson is the player of the half with 13 points, 2 boards, 1 assist, 1 steal, and 0 blocks. He has shot 4 of 4, 0 of 0, and 5 of 5. We are going to feed him the ball much more this 2nd half.



17 minutes to go, Peterson picks up a 3rd foul. Down 56-52.

A 10-0 run for Duke fueled by stealing 2 entry passes into the post and stealing it out of Singleton's hands another time. Down 66-52. :(

2 minutes later, Sockwell picks up a 3rd foul. Down 68-58.

13 minutes left, Chancler gets a 3rd foul on McCoy who has been hurting us the worst.

It's going to be up to our bench. Down 78-66 with 9:39 to go as our starters will rest for a few..


They get beat on a 10-0 run. Down 88-66 as my starters return with 6:30 to go. They are too tired to close the gap much. We lose 100-80. :(


At least our body of work, should be enough for our first tourney appearance in over 10 years.


Vanttaja was the player of the game with 22 points, 9 boards, 2 assists, 2 steals, and a block.


Peterson led us with 19 points, 6 boards, 1 assist, 2 steals, and a block. He shot 6 of 10, 0 of 0, and 7 of 10.

Sockwell with 14 points, 6 boards, 2 assists, and a steal. He shot 7 of 9, 0 of 0, and 0 of 0.

Singleton with 10 points, 4 assists, and 2 steals on 3 of 7 shooting.

Chancler with 16 points and 2 boards. He shot 4 of 9, 2 of 5, and 6 of 10.

Pardon with 7 points, 3 boards, and 3 steals. He shot 3 of 8, 1 of 2, and 0 of 2.


Bruce led the bench with 9 on 3 of 4 shooting.

[Eaglesfan27]

Duke ends up getting beat by Maryland 85-70 in the next game in the ACC tourney. In the other semi-final Georgia Tech beats Clemson 88-69.

Maryland wins in the ACC Final 89-86.


Now time for the Selection Show....


The #1's Washington, Texas, Stanford, and Maryland.


East Regional:

#8 Indiana (20-13) vs #9 LSU (21-9)

We are the #4 seed! We play Detroit first. They finished 21-10. The announcers say we have a ton to prove since we haven't been in the tourney for so long.

#6 USC (21-10) vs #11 BYU (23-9)

Xavier (27-6) vs #14 Old Dominion

#7 Oklahoma State (23-9) vs #10 Duquesne (21-9)

#2 Nebraka (26-5) vs #15 UNC Asheville (16-13)


South Regional:

#8 Duke (19-12) vs #9 UW-Milwaukee

#3 Oregon (22-9) vs Stony Brook

#7 Clemson (20-8) vs #10 Cal Poly (25-5)

#2 Pitt (25-6) vs #15 ULM


Midwest:

#3 Saint Joseph's (25-6) vs #14 San Diego (12-18)

#2 Iowa (26-6) vs #15 South Carolina State (19-13)

West:

#6 Michigan State (21-10) vs #11 Miami (19-12)

#3 Niagara vs #14 Lafayette! Niagara finished 27-3 this year.

#7 UCLA (20-12) vs #10 St. Bonaventure (22-9)

#2 Georiga Tech (23-7) vs #15 S. Utah (18-11)



The Big Ten had 7 teams. Pac-10, ACC, A-10, and Big East all had 6 teams.

Big 12 and SEC each had 3.

Niagara was the only MAAC team to make it.

[Eaglesfan27]

Detroit's Roster Strength is a respectable 82.

They are led by 3 very good guards who all start:

PG Rostislav Lett is a redshirt SR who is now rated 83 overall. He is 5'11 181. His strengths are: Midrange (87), 3 point (83), shoot off dribble (86), handling (90), and speed (94.) He is averaging 13 ppg and 4 apg.

SR SG Pervis Basden is 6'3 212. He is rated 80 overall. His strengths are: 3 point shooting (84), dunking (83), Speed (90), and defense (86).

SG Cedrick Ngoundu who starts at SF is 6'4 199. He is rated 79 overall. His strengths: 3 point shooting (83), speed (90), and stamina (90.)

SF Damond Staten starts at PF for them. He is 6'8 218. He is rated 71 overall. His strengths: Shooting in traffic (86), Close shooting (80), and stamina (83.) He is a sophomore.

Londrick Gabler is a senior center who is 6'11 243. He is rated 72 overall. His strengths: Close shot (88), shoot in traffic (84), defensive rebound (82.) He is very weak in strength rating and low post defense.


The top bench players:

SF Herbert Howard is 6'5 212. He is rated 69 overall. His only strength is close shooting (83.)

Freshman SF Allan Zamore is 6'8 207. He is rated 69 overall. His biggest strength is his speed (80.)

SR PF J.B. Heard is rated 66 overall. He is 6'7 231. His biggest strength is close shot (86).

The rest of the bench is all rated under 60 for overall ratings.

[Radii]

5 minutes into the game, Pardon on a fastbreak.. he elevates and slams over a guy.. and is called for a charge

Do charges happen more often at higher levels? I've seen a grand total of two in my last two seasons at NC A&T.

Good luck in the tournament!

[Eaglesfan27]

A slow start, but we are up 10-3 at the 15 minute mark.

A 8-0 run by Detroit! We are up 14-11 with 11:22 to go as I rest my tired starters.

Again, we are playing down to our competition. We lead 24-23 with 3 minutes to go as our starters return.

Wow. 2 misses by us.. 2 fastbreak baskets on the rebounds by them.


We are down 32-28 at the half. We need much better offensive execution in the 2nd half. We are only shooting 25% so far.

Peterson is 2 of 7 which is just horrific against such a bad defender. Sockwell is 1 of 5.

17 minutes to go and Singleton picks up a 3rd foul.

15 minutes to go, we are up 41-39 and now have their top 3 forwards/centers in foul trouble.

12 minutes left, we are up 46-44 and will give our starters a short break.

Lett who has been keeping them in it with his 3's, hurts his ankle with about 9 minutes to go. We are tied at 51.

7:43 to go, we are down 54-52, our starters return.

Peterson misses his first shot in the post but makes the putback.


4 minutes to go, Sockwell picks up a 4th foul on Gabler and makes both FT's to give us first lead in a long time. 59-57.


After missing 4 post shots in a row, Peterson hits 2 in a row. We are up 63-59 with under a minute left.

Basden misses a 3. Sockwell gets the rebound and is fouled. He hits 1 of 2. 64-59.

They hit a 2 at the other end. We throw it away trying to inbound it! Our guys are feeling the pressure. :(


They miss a corner 3. Pardon with the big rebound and he is fouled.. he misses the 1st... but makes the 2nd!

They miss a 3 and Chancler gets the long rebound. He hits both FT's. 67-61.

They miss a 3 and Peterson quickly passes it to Chancler who is fouled. He makes the 1st.. misses the 2nd.. Pardon with an offensive board. Pardon hits both FT's. 70-61 with under 10 seconds to go.


We win the game 70-61.

Peterson is the player of the game. He finished with 18 points, 10 boards, 3 assists, and 2 blocks. He shot 8 of 16, 0 of 0, and 2 of 2.

Singleton with 4 points, 4 assists, and 5 turnovers.

Chancler with 14 points, 6 boards, 2 assists, 2 steals, and a block. He shot 3 of 9, 1 of 3, and 7 of 10.

Pardon with 12 points, 6 boards, 1 steal, and 1 block. He shot 3 of 8, 0 of 0, and 6 of 9.

Sockwell with 6 points, 13 boards, and 2 blocks. He shot 2 of 6, 0 of 0, and 2 of 5.

Gardner led the bench with 6 points, 3 boards, and a block.

Abram with 4, Henning and Sutton each had 3.

[Eaglesfan27]

Do charges happen more often at higher levels? I've seen a grand total of two in my last two seasons at NC A&T.

Good luck in the tournament!

They don't happen very often, but Pardon seems to get a fair share of them when I try to dunk over guys. I get maybe 1 every other game with him.

[rjolley]

Congrats on the tourney berth. Hope you guys can make a 6 game run and come out with the trophy.

[Eaglesfan27]

Results from the rest of my bracket (the East):

#1 Washington beat #16 Montana 85-48.

#8 Indiana beat #9 LSU 79-77.

#5 Wisconsin beat #12 UConn 81-76 (and therefore will be my next opponent.)

#6 USC beat #11 BYU 100-88.

#3 Xavier beat #14 Old Dominion 97-61.

#7 Oklahoma State beat #10 Duquesne 86-82.

#2 Nebraska beat #15 UNC Asheville 91-60.



Other Interesting Results:


In the West:

#1 Maryland advanced in the West to play #8 Penn State.

#12 Utah upset #5 West Virginia 90-64.

#11 Miami upset #6 Michigan State 84-80.

Miami will face #3 Niagara which crushed #14 Lafayette 88-44. Niagara was led by Christopher who had 21 points and 9 assists.

#7 UCLA beat #10 St. Bonaventure in a very defensive oriented game, 53-51.

They will face #2 Georgia Tech who beat S. Utah 109-52.



In the South:

#8 Duke was upset by #9 UW-Milwaukee 80-79.

#12 Morehead State upset #5 Illinois 78-69.

#13 Ohio upset #4 Louisville 82-81 and will face Morehead in the next game.

#11 UTEP upset #6 Pepperdine 68-64.

#7 Clemson beat #10 Cal Poly 74-58.


In the Midwest:

#5 Vanderbilt beat #12 Missouri State 121-78. That may be the highest scoring game I've ever seen in this dynasty.

Also in that bracket, #3 Saint Joseph's beat San Diego 111-97.

#2 Iowa beat #15 South Carolina State 58-40.

[Eaglesfan27]

Wisconsin finished the year with a 24-10 (12-6) record. They are slightly lower than we are in roster strength with an overall of 86.

Their best SG, JR Raymond Perkins is battling Plantar Fascitis but will play.

Their top backup PG, Sophomore Preston Benzel, has a dislocated knee. He is out for the year and was granted a medical redshirt (first time I've seen that in this career.)


Their starting 5:

PG Dupree Wells is a 6'2 185 pound junior. He is from Aurora, IL. He was a JUCO. His strengths are midrange shooting (84), FT (84), handling (88), and Speed (92.) He is rated 82 overall. He is averaging 9.4 ppg and 5 apg.

SG Raymond Perkins is a 6'3 195 pound JR from Oak Park, IL. His strengths are his dunking (85), close shooting (89), Speed (88), and Vertical (90.) Hopefully, the injury will slow him down. He is rated 79 overall. He is averaging 11.4 ppg, 2.7 rpg, and 1.1 spg.

Sophomore SF Jacob Perry is a 6'9 205 pound player from Rockford, IL. His sgrengths are speed (84), defense (83), stealing (80), and defensive rebounding (80.) He is rated 79 overall. He is averaging 10.5 ppg, 5 rpg, and 1.2 spg.

JR PF Deshaun Bonner is 6'10 248. He is from Rockford, IL. His strengths are close shooting (90), shooting in traffic (90), rebounding (89 for offense, 87 for defense), and dunking (82.) He is rated 79 overall. He is averaging 8 ppg, 6 rpg, and 1 bpg.

Freshman Center Cody Fitch is 7'0 233 pounds. He is from Chicago. He is rated 74 overall. His strengths are close (88), standing dunk (87), and offensive rebounding (83.) He is averaging 8 ppg, 5 rpg, and 1 bpg.


PG Preston Benzel was their top bench player before his injury. He was averaging 10 ppg and 4 apg.


Now the top bench player is SF Mitch Fordham who is a 6'8 240 pound SF. His strengths are all primarily defensive. He is averaging 5 ppg.

SG Issac Shimokawa is also a good bench player. He is rated 76 overall with a strength in 3 point shooting which is 88. He is averaging 10 ppg.


I'll play this later today.

[Eaglesfan27]

I just heard from some scouts that were at our last game:

Marion Peterson is projected as a lottery pick still. I'll be shocked if he returns to play his senior year.

Vidal Chancler is projected as a 2nd round pick. Hopefully, that will be low enough to keep him here for his senior year.


No one else on the team is currently projected to be drafted. I imagine that will change for Sockwell after a good senior season.

[Eaglesfan27]

Peterson has 2 fouls on Fitch in under 90 seconds!

16 minutes to go in the half, tied at 3 and Singleton has picked up his 2nd foul.

A 9-0 run for Wisconsin over the next 2 minutes. :( Down 12-3.

Horrible start. We are down 22-7 with 11:30 to go as our starters rest.



We are down 29-15 with 6 minutes to go as our starters return to the game.


The next 4 minutes our team plays brilliantly.. Peterson with blocks.. Singleton with nice drives into the paint.. Sockwell with a great spin move in the post for a dunk.. Chancler with a 3. We are down 33-29 with 2 minutes to go in the half.

With 2 minutes to go, Sockwell picks up his 3rd foul.

Wells hits a 3 to end our 8-0 run.



At halftime, we are down 36-34. I feel great about that after the start.

Bonner has 12 points and 9 boards. He is the player of the half.

Peterson and Sockwell each have 7 for us.


1st minute, Singleton with a breakaway thanks to a good outlet pass from Sockwell.. he beats his man, gets the layup and the FT to put us ahead! 37-36.

17 minutes left in the game, and Sockwell gets a 3rd foul on Bonner!

20 seconds later, Peterson gets a 3rd on Fitch.

Less than a minute later, Peterson gets a 3rd on Fordham.


Chancler hits a 3 to put us up 46-40 with 15:45 to go in the game.

Pardon does something I've never seen any of my guys do successfully.. he fakes out his man, drives baseline and makes a nice reverse layup. 48-40.


13 minutes to go and we are in the bonus.

Up 56-48 with 10:53 to go as I rest my starters after Pardon picks up his 3rd foul.


We bring our starters back with 8:17 to go. We are up 56-55.


6 minutes to go, Pardon picks a 3rd foul.

20 seconds later, Chancler gets a 4th foul on Bonner. We are up 59-57.

Singleton and Pardon with a 2-on-1 fastbreak and Singleton has a great bounce pass to set up a Pardon slam. We are up 66-59 with just under 3:40 to go. Sockwell had scored the last 4 points before that.

They respond with a long 3 from Wells. 66-62.

We trade misses before Peterson hits a turnaround jumper from 4 feet out. 1:53 to go..

Sockwell picks up a 4th foul on their next play. They hit both FT's to cut it to 4. 1:35 to go.

Singleton tries a 3 from the top of the key, his favorite spot, but he misses it and Peterson gets called for over the back! They get 2 FT's as a result :(

They hit them both. Up 68-66 with 1:03 to go.

They collapse on Peterson.. he kicks it to an open Singleton.. and he ... misses.

Sockwell with decent perimeter defense to get a hand in the face of their SF on a 3 attempt and he misses. Peterson with the board and he is fouled. 20 seconds left.

He hits both FT's! Up 70-66..

They miss the quick 3 and Sockwell gets the board. He hits 1 of 2. They push it down court and hit a quick 3. 71-69.

2 seconds left. We inbound it to Chancler who is almost immediately fouled.. He hits the first.. misses the 2nd.. and they get the board but time runs out before they can get off the length of the court 3. :)


We win 72-69. We are in the Sweet 16!


Peterson was the player of the game: He had 15 points, 13 boards, 1 steal, and 4 blocks. He shot 4 of 10, 0 of 0, and 7 of 8.

Singleton with 13 points, 5 assists, and 2 steals. He shot 3 of 6, 1 of 4, and 6 of 6.

Chancler with 15 points, 1 steal, and 1 block. He shot 3 of 10, 2 of 7, and 7 of 8.

Pardon with 8 points and 4 boards. He shot 3 of 7, 0 of 0, and 2 of 2.

Sockwell with 13 points, 12 boards, and 2 blocks.


Sutton led the bench with 5. Gardner had 3 points and 2 boards.

[Eaglesfan27]

A look at the entire Sweet 16:

In the East:

We will face #1 Seed Washington which beat #8 Indiana 93-63.

#2 Nebraska vs #6 USC


In the West:

#1 Maryland vs #4 Memphis

#2 Georgia Tech vs #11 Miami. Miami beat Niagara 68-58. Miami got 19 points from Keeler and 19 from their top freshman, Sarchet.

Garik Blizzard had a very good game for Niagara with 9 points, 11 boards, 7 assists, and 4 blocks (most I've ever seen for a SG), but no one else had a good game.


In the South:

#1 Texas vs #12 Morehead State

#7 Clemson vs #11 UTEP


Impressive showing for the ACC with 5 of the 6 teams that made it to the tourney advancing to the Sweet 16.

[Eaglesfan27]

Washington earned their #1 seed this year with a 31-3 record. They finished the year 15-3 in the Pac-10. They won the regular season and the Pac-10 Tourney. Their only losses were at USC (lost by 4), hosting UCLA (lost by 3), and at Oregon (lost by 12.)

They led the Pac-10 in PPG at 85, rebounds per game at 34, assists per game at 18, steals per game at 10, and are 2nd in blocks per game at 5.4.

They have the best overall player in the conference in SG Jozsef Bouldin. He is also the best shooter in the conference. However, he broke his foot in the last game!! He is done for the tournament! He was rated 90 overall with 95 midrange shooting and 91 3 point shooting. He was averaging 24 ppg. He is also deemed the conference's best pro prospect. Some scouts think he will be the top pick in the upcoming draft.

Despite his injury, this is a loaded team still. They have a well deserved roster strength rating of a 95.

Kendall Kole will start at SG and he is almost as good as Bouldin. He is rated 89 overall. The senior is 6'5 225. He is from Oakland, CA. His strenghs are midrange shooting (91), 3 point shooting (92), shooting off the dribble (85), speed (89), and handling (86.) He is averaging 21 ppg, 4 rpg, 4 apg, and 1.2 spg.

SG Jarrad Manning is one of the best bench players I've ever faced. He is 6'6 203 pounds. The junior is rated 88 overall. Strengths: 3 point shooting (89), midrange shooting (88), stealing (85), and speed (89.) He is rated 80 or higher in most categories. He is from Portland, Oregon. He is averaging 7.5 ppg and 3 rpg.

Sophomore PG Deonne Torbert is from Salem, Oregon. He is a 6'2 187 pound dynamic sophomore. He is rated 85 overall. His strengths are in perimeter defense (92), handling (88), passing (85), mid range shooting (88), and stealing (88). He is averaging 14 ppg, 4 rpg, and 5 apg.

SR SF Cal Bowen is 6'9 240. He is from Kent, Washington. He is rated 84 overall. His strengths are close (92), shooting in traffic (88), defense (86), speed (84), quickness (86), and dunking (80.) He is averaging 9 ppg, 4 rpg, 1.4 spg, and 1.3 bpg.

JR PF Wayne Hoyer is 6'11 289. He often plays center for them as they will frequently go to 3 guard lineups. He is rated 86 overall. He is from Los Angles, CA. His strengths are close shooting (98), shooting in traffic (89), rebounding (91 for both), and strength (95.) He is averaging 12 ppg, 8 rpg, and 1 bpg.

They have 5 bench players rated over 80 including:

PF Nelson Thomas who is 6'10 225 and rated 82.

Freshman SG Rell Ferguson who is 6'5 199 and rated 81 overall.

Sophomore SF Hal Scott who is rated 84 overall. He is 6'8 216.

Freshman SG Junior Casey is 6'1 192 and rated 80 overall.


I'll play that game tomorrow.

[Balldog]

Wow, that Washington team sounds nasty!

[Eaglesfan27]

16 minute mark: Sockwell and Peterson are playing their best offensive games of the year with 3 dunks between them already. Unfortunately, Sockwell just picked up his 2nd foul on a block attempt. Peterson has gotten a foul on both their starting PF and C. I'm leaving Sockwell in and hoping he doesn't pick up a 3rd. We are down 9-8 as they have hit 3 3's already.

13:39: Peterson gets a 2nd foul on Hoyer. They are up 16-8 with all of their points coming from the perimeter. They are collapsing inside now and guys are missing their perimeter shots.


10:54: My guys are exhausted. Chancler has made our last 7 points and re-opened the middle for Peterson. However, they are nailing outside shots. Down 26-18. We bring in our 2nd team and hope they can hang..

Henning with a nice dunk and the foul gives me some hope. Then, he misses the FT.

5:10 I knew I needed Bruce to come up big.. and he did. He hit almost every shot and much more unexpectedly, he had 2 blocks and a steal during the 5 minute stretch. We are down 36-29 as our starters return.


1:50 left: Pardon can't just beat his man off the dribble as he is too quick, but Pardon is making plenty of hustle plays including saving an errant pass to Chancler who then had a clear lane to the hoop for a dunk. We are down 43-39. Chancler has also hit a 3 recently.


At halftime, we are down 46-41.


Kole is the player of the half with 15 points. 12 of them are from 3 pointers.


Chancler leads our team with 13. Peterson has 11.


19:55: Singleton picks up his 3rd foul but will remain in the game.

19:05 Pardon finally with a nice drive.. he is fouled very hard by Hoyer who has his 3rd.. Pardon is hurt.. grabbing his ankle. We go with Henning as I want to save Bruce for the 2nd unit and I want Henning's size out there.

16:32: We've closed to within 2 when Kole shoots a high arcing 3 right over Chancler who had good defense. 54-49.

14:22: Henning misses a 3 that would have tied it. However, a few seconds later he steals it for a fastbreak dunk. 56-55.

They respond with a 3, a steal, another 3, a block, and a breakaway dunk.

They hit 3's on their next 2 possesions as well after we miss jumpers. Down 70-55 with 12 minutes to go as I rest my starters and hope the bench can give us a spark. Pardon has been cleared and will play with the 2nd unit.

Bruce hits a 3 to end their run. Gardner with a steal and a foul on a dunk attempt!

7:56: Pardon with 5 points during that stretch. We are down 77-65 as our starters return. Henning will come back with the starters as Pardon's mobility is shot.

A Chancler 3 and a Peterson foul shot close us within 8 before they hit a 3, steal it, and hit another 3.

We throw away 2 passes and they extend the lead to 18, but our team fights back with 2 3's by Chancler who is having an incredible night. 86-74. 3:50 left.


We close within 10 as they are finally missing some perimeter shots, but it is too late. We lose the game 92-83.



Kole was the player of the game with 21 points, 3 boards, 3 assists, and 1 steal. He shot 7 of 13, 5 of 8, and 2 of 2.

Torbert had 6 points and 9 assists. He shot 2 of 5.

Scott had 16 points and 2 assists off the bench. He shot 6 of 11, 3 of 6, and 1 of 1.

Manning had 17 points on 6 of 8, 3 of 4, and 2 of 3 shooting.

Ferguson had 9 points and 4 assists off the bench.

Bowen had 12 points, 4 boards, 4 assists, 3 steals, and 2 blocks for them.




Chancler led all scorers with 32 points (a career high.) He also had 1 board, 1 steal, and 1 block. He shot 10 of 15, 5 of 7, and 7 of 9.

Singleton with 0 points and 6 assists. He shot 0 of 5.

Pardon with 7 points, 3 assists, 1 board, and 1 steal. He shot 3 of 7, 1 of 2, and 0 of 0.

Sockwell with 8 points, 8 boards, 7 assists, 3 steals, and 3 blocks. He shot 2 of 5, 0 of 0, and 2 of 2.

Peterson with 18 points, 6 boards, 2 assists, and 2 blocks. He shot 7 of 12, 0 of 0, and 4 of 6.

Bruce with 10 points, 2 boards, 2 assists, and 2 blocks. He shot 4 of 5, 2 of 3, and 0 of 0.

[Eaglesfan27]

The rest of the tourney results:

In the East:

#2 Nebraska beat #6 USC 102-66.

Washington then beat Nebraska 88-83 to advance to the Final 4.

In the West:

#1 Maryland beat #4 Memphis 88-86.

#11 Miami upset Georgia Tech 82-69.

Maryland beat Miami 83-64 to advance to the Final 4.


In the South:

#1 Texas beat #12 Morehead State 106-63.

#7 Clemson beat #11 UTEP 85-71

Texas beat Clemson 99-69 to advance to the Final 4.


In the Midwest:

#4 Ohio State beat #1 Stanford 63-60.

#3 Saint Joseph's beat #2 Iowa 66-62.

Saint Joseph's beat Ohio State 76-67 to advance to the Final 4.



Final 4:

3 number 1 seeds here..


#1 Washington beats #1 Maryland 102-98.

#3 Saint Joseph's beats Texas 84-82.


National Championship Game:

Washington beats Saint Joseph's 87-84.


Washington's Kole was the MVP of the game with 28 points, 4 boards, 4 assists, and 1 turnover. He shot 8 of 21, 7 of 17, and 5 of 6.


At least I can say that I lost to the eventual Champions.

[Eaglesfan27]

PF Hal Tran of Louisville was the player of the year. The 6'11 240 pound SR averaged 22.3 ppg and 8.4 rpg.

SR PF Cameron Atkins of San Francisco was the Mid-Major Player of the Year. The 6'7 220 pound player averaged 24.3 ppg, 10.4 rpg, and 3 bpg.

Washington's Lorenzo Romar wins Coach of the Year. He has over 600 wins in his career at Washington. He is one of the most charistmatic coaches in the game with an A+.

Tran won Big Man of the Year.

Sarchet of Miami wins Freshman of the Year. The SG averaged 14.5 ppg, 4.0 rpg, and 3.5 apg.

The All American Team:

PG Tommy Van Weerdhuizen of DePaul averaged 15.6 ppg, 5.5 apg.

SG Simon Hannan of Memphis averaged 22.2 ppg, 4.9 rpg, and 3 apg.

SF Taj Christian of Maryland averaged 16.8 ppg, 7.9 rpg, and 2.5 apg.

PF Tran

C Bryson Strong of Mississippi State averaged 23.9 ppg, 6.7 rpg.



Marion Peterson won the ACC Player of the Year Award! He finishe with a 17.5 ppg, 7.7 rpg, 1.9 apg, and 1.6 bpg.

ACC 1st Team:

PG SR Javier Harris of Duke 15.4 ppg 4.5 apg.

SG Sarchet of Miami

SF Christian of Maryland

PF Angel Bird of Maryland 17.7 ppg, 7.5 rpg.

C Marion Peterson

Abram made the All Freshman ACC Team.


Now to see if Peterson goes pro as expected and if Chancler joins him...

[Eaglesfan27]

Peterson is still being told that he is a lottery pick and he declares for the draft. :(


Chancler is told that he is a late 1st - early 2nd round pick. He is coming back for his senior year!

Yeager and Daniel both graduate.


With that early graduation, I now have 2 scholarships to fill. Time to head to the coaching Carousel...

[Eaglesfan27]

I'm now the top choice of every team out there...

Iowa, Penn Sate, Minnesota, Georgia, and Auburn are the most prestigious schools to offer me their jobs. All of their coaches except for Auburn's retired this year. I turn them all down.


Iowa hires Bucknell's head coach.

Penn State hires the coach from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.

Minnesota hires Troy's coach

Georgia hires Detroit's coach.


I feel bad doing it, but I let go of my longtime assistant recruiting coordinator to hire Lee Collum. Lee is one of the best assistants in the game at recruiting. He'll be in charge of scouting and recruiting which he has A grades in.



We don't get any transfers.


Hmm... I'm guessing this is a bug.. or maybe not. Apparently, I have to wait until Peterson actually leaves the team to get his scholarship back. Therefore, I only have 1 for this recruiting period.

We get our top choice as Henry Goodman signs with us on the 1st day possible. A quick review of Henry, our lone recruit this year:

Henry Goodman is from Akron, OH. He is 6'7 206. He is ranked 46th overall and 7th among SF's. He is a 4 star recruit. He is graded out as follows: Shooting A-, Skill C+, defense B+, Athleticism A-, Rebounding B, IQ A-, Potential A-, and Size B+ by our staff.


Without getting back Peterson's Scholarship that means we will be considerably smaller next year with Gardner being a possible starter at PF..


I begin working on the soon to be seniors. I also keep recruiting a few senior centers to see if any want to walk on..

Sammy Wright, a JC C, seems very interested in walking on. He is from Philly. He is 6'10 263 with the following ratings: Shot B, Skill C+, Defense B, Atheleticism B-, REB B, IQ C+, Potential B, and Size A-.


Wow. I wish I had a scholarship right now.. DaMarcus Hoffman is also interested in walking on! WTF!?! He is a 4 star center who is the 3rd ranked center in the country. He is ranked 94th overall. His ratings per our staff: Shot C+, Skill B+, DEF B+, Athleticism: B, Rebounding A-, IQ A-. Potential B, and Size A. It is between us and Maryland right now...


The top 5 classes:

1. Oregon with 3 5 stars
2. West Virginia with 2 5 stars and 1 4 star
3. Gerogia Tech with 2 5 stars and 1 4 star.
4. Michigan State with 2 5 stars and 1 4 star.
5. Xavier with 1 5 star and 2 4 stars.


Now to look at the roster and see if those guys decided to come without a scholarship...

[Eaglesfan27]

Neither of those guys walked on. Hoffman didn't sign with Maryland either. I'm not sure where he went.. it never told me that he signed with someone else.


A look at our roster:

SR PG Micheal Singleton. He is 6'1 195. Rated 83 overall now. Strengths: Speed (93), Quickness (90), defense (90), handling (89), midrange shooting (84), and 3 point shooting (81.)

JR PG Colin Sutton is 6'5 217. Rated 78 overall. Strengths: defense (88), speed (90), handling (84), passing (82), and 3 point shooting (82.)

JR PG Raitis Baldwin is 6'2 191. He is rated 75 overall. Strengths: speed (88), 3 point shooting (83), shooting off dribble (83.)


SR SG Vidal Chancler is 6'5 236 now. He is rated 84 overall. Strengths: Close Shot (95), 3 point (83), shooting off the dribble (83), defense (95), stealing (95), Speed (89), quickness (91.)

JR SG Damian Bruce is 6'2 207. He is also rated 84 overall. Strengths: Speed (93), stamina (96), defense (88), 3 point shooting (82), shooting off the dribble (83.)

JR Kory Watts is a walkon who is now rated 71 overall. Speed (85), vertical (80), Close (82.)


JR SF Chakowby Pardon is now 6'7 215. He is rated 79 overall. Strengths: Speed (87), Quickness (84), handling (82), dunking (92), midrange, shoot in traffic (83.)

Freshman SF Henry Goodman will push Pardon. He is rated 77 overall, one of my highest freshman ever. He doesn't have any outstanding strengths but is good in many areas. 3 point shooting (79 - higher than Pardon), shooting in traffic (86 - highest rating, a good one for sure), close shot (85), FT (82.)

JR SF Teddy Henning is 6'8 221 and will actually probably play most of his minutes as our backup PF if he can beat out Hicks. He is rated 72 overall. Strengths: shooting in traffic (89), 3 point (77), defense (80.)

We did get a walkon SF, Leon St. Clair. He is rated 54 overall.


SO PF Barry Gardner is now 6'7 250. He is rated 77 overall and had the most improvement during the offseason. He will start with Sockwell sliding over to his natural position of center. Strengths: Close (95), Shoot in traffic (87), low post defense (82 - better than Sockwell), defensive rebounding (85.)

JR PF Kurt Hicks will battle for the backup minutes at PF. He is 6'8 216. He is rated 73 overall. Strengths: Rebounding (83 for both), 3 point shooting (73.)

SO Walkon Jeremiah Quinn has length at 6'11 211, but he is rated 57 overall.


SR C J.R. Sockwell has added some more weight and is now 7'1 280. He is rated 83 overall. His strengths are close shooting (94), shooting in traffic (92), midrange (80), dunking (88), offensive rebounding (93), defensive rebounding (90), and speed (79.) His defense is actually a bit suspect except for when he blocks it.

SO C Patrice Abram is now 6'11 262. He is a better defender than Sockwell at least in fundamental positioning. Strengths: Close (94), Shoot in Traffic (94), dunking (79), low post defense (79), offensive rebounding (84.) He is rated 76 overall.

SO Walkon Reece Clifford is now 6'11 250. He is rated 67 overall. He could play if we have an injury to either center. His strength is his close shot which is a 91.


We have 4 scholarships to offer this year as Chancler, Sockwell, and Singleton will all be graduating.


I'll take a look at the recruiting in depth (and start the season) later this week but I'm excited that 2 5 star PG's are both very interested in us as they see an opportunity to start early..


Oh yeah, for the first time I can remember we are ranked in the initial media poll. We are 14th currently.

The preseason top 10:

1. Pitt
2. Oregon
3. Florida
4. Georgia Tech
5. Arizona
6. Alabama
7. Texas
8. Pepperdine
9. Michigan State
10. Washington

[Radii]

Congrats on the sweet 16 run! I hope the USC job opens up for you at some point, but in the mean time, I enjoy seeing you in the ACC :D

[Eaglesfan27]

Congrats on the sweet 16 run! I hope the USC job opens up for you at some point, but in the mean time, I enjoy seeing you in the ACC :D

Thanks! I really want Floyd to retire already, but I'm enjoying my run in the ACC.

[Balldog]

How old is Floyd getting? He's got to be ready to retire any year now!

[Eaglesfan27]

How old is Floyd getting? He's got to be ready to retire any year now!

I'm not sure.. I'm really tempted to try and get another game in tonight (wife is busy with her friend who is visiting for Mardi Gras.) So if I do, I'll check his age. :)

[Eaglesfan27]

The game has his age right. We are in 2022 and he is now 68. Come on Floyd, time to retire. His career record at USC is 591-339.

[Eaglesfan27]

Now, a closer look at some of the top recruits we are pursuing (always a favorite part of the year for me.)

PG Leslie Wright is interested in Wake Forest. He is a 5 star All-American from Lexington, KY. The rest of his top 5 include Pitt, Duke, Clemson, and Penn State. He averaged 13.5 ppg, 6.4 rpg, and 6.5 apg in the ABL. Our staff loves his passing, athleticism, court IQ, and potential. He is 6'1 173.

Arnold Buscher of Virginia Beach is also interested. He is an All-American PG who is also a 5 star player. He is 6'2 175. Our staff doesn't think his potential is quite as high, but they love his shooting, skills, defense, and athleticism. His top 5 are Pitt, Duke, Clemson, Wake Forest, and Georgia Tech.

Both kids have over 20 teams interested in them and we are in their top 5.


I also noticed that we are in the top 3 of another great PG. Riudolph Nance is from Lafayette, LA. He is an All-American 5 star PG who is ranked 10th overall and 5th among PG's. He is 6'2 190. His top 5 in order are Pitt, Duke, Wake, Texas, and Stanford. Pitt is the clear leader though. It's more muddy for the other 2 guys with no school having a big advantage.


The kid that has the most interest in our team is 4 star SF Andrei Enzweiler of Hampton, VA. He is a 6'7 204 pound 4 star SF. He is rated 56th overall and 9th among SF's. While we don't need another SF, I'm tempted by his versatility. Our staff thinks he is a great shooter who has the speed to play some SG and the rebounding to possibly play some PF. I'll take a closer look at him. He'll be the first play that I fly out to visit.

As far as which of the 5 star PG's to pursue, I decide on Arnold Buscher as the main target as he has seems the most receptive to possibly coming here, but I will also pursue Wright.


None of the top centers in the country are close to Wake Forest and none seem to want to come here despite our success with Marion Peterson. Therefore, I decide to pursue a 3 star kid at least to see if our staff likes him. Kennedy Christopher is a 3 star center from Charlotte, NC who is ranked 273rd overall and 27th among C's. He is 6'11 224. He averaged 10 ppg, 9.3 rpg, and 1.5 bpg in the ABL.

[Eaglesfan27]

3 weeks into the season, Arnold Buscher has us as his #1 choice!


At this point, I decide to offer a scholarship to Arnaud Hollins, a 4 star SG from Chicago. He is ranked 34th overall and 12th among SG's. Our staff believes he grades out as follows: B+ shooting, B Skills, A- Defense, A+ Athleticism, B- Rebounding, A Court IQ, A- Potential, and B- Size. He is 6'3 175. We are his top choice. Louisville, Nebraska, Miami, and Ohio State are all in play as well.

I've also offered scholarships to Andrei Enzweiler and Arnold Buscher. I'll probably offer Kennedy Christopher in the next week...

[Eaglesfan27]

We are about to finally play our 1st game of the year, and I decide to offer Kennedy Christopher our 4th scholarship. Things are looking good this week for Buscher. It should be a battle between us and Duke for him.

Things look very good for Hollins but Louisville is making a strong play for him.

The battle for Andrei appears to be between us and WVU.

I invite all 4 kids to visit the campus this weekend.


I didn't touch the schedule that our AD recommended. We start off our first game at home against Nevada. They have been a major mid-major team the last 5 years. They are 1-0 and have a good roster with an overall strength of 84. However, we are the strongest we've ever been with a 90 overall strength. Pardon, Sutton, and Abram are all improving very quickly under our staff.

The star of Nevada is PF Skip Alexander. The SR is 6'8 250 and is rated 84 overall. He is a strong interior player who can shoot the midrange shot (79.)

JR PG Chad Petersen is a 6'2 166 pound player who is strong at 3 point shooting (84), with excellent speed (91), and very good handling (87.) He is rated 82 overall.

FR SG Corey Doyle is rated 76 overall. He is a fast player with good slashing ability.

SO SF Jamaicus Ibok is 6'8 228 and is rated 75 overall.

Skip Alexander plays center for them most of the time as they don't have a true center on the roster.

FR PF Dominic Warren plays PF. He is 6'6 205. He is a very fast player (83) who is a dynamic dunker (88.)

[Balldog]

The game has his age right. We are in 2022 and he is now 68. Come on Floyd, time to retire. His career record at USC is 591-339.

Perhaps he is holding off for #600.

[Eaglesfan27]

17:11: Pardon gets a 2nd foul on Alexander. We are up 9-2 with Sockwell dominating early. I know this is a team with no true center so Sockwell is getting off easy tonight, but I think Sockwell is going to have a better year than Peterson did because of his faster foot speed.


16:39: Pardon gets his 2nd foul.

12:27: We are up 15-2. This team is playing with incredible intensity early.

12:21: Gardner gets his 2nd foul. I love his defensive intensity.

10:24: We were up 21-3, but we've given up 2 3's. Time to rest our tiring starters. Sockwell has had a brilliant first 9 1/2 minutes. He has 12 points, 5 boards, and 3 blocks so far.

We bring in Sutton, Bruce, Goodman, Henning, and Abram. However, Hicks will get a look at PF later this game as well.


Goodman's first points come after he is fouled on a breakaway. He makes both FT's and hits a corner 3 on our next possession.

7:05: Goodman with a fastbreak dunk and he gets fouled! He makes the FT to put us up 37-13.

4:50: We are up 44-17 as our starters return. Goodman scored 11 points in that stretch including 2 3's.

3:45 to go: Gardner picks up a 3rd foul. I decide to try Goodman at PF.

That experiment didn't go well. They score 16 in the final 4 minutes and Goodman picks up 3 fouls. However, Goodman did make a NBA buzzer beating 3 at the half. We are up 57-33.


Sockwell was the player of the half with 20 points, 6 boards, and 3 blocks.


19:33: Pardon picks up his 4th foul.. I'm letting him play through it.

18:18: Pardon fouls out! Goodman will come in for him.


17:14: Goodman picks up a 4th. We are up 62-42. We lost that early defensive intensity..

8:48 to go: I think we fould the defensive intensity again. We just finished a 28-0 run! :) I should have puilled my starters earlier, but I just couldn't do it during that run. We are up 90-44. I wonder if Gardner is the key to our defensive intensity? He has great hustle. Anyway, with the big lead we pull our starters. Hicks and Baldwin both get into the game.


What a great home win to start the year. 105-55 win. :)


Sockwell was the player of the game with 30 points, 13 boards, and 4 blocks. He shot 12 of 17, 0 of 0, and 6 of 8. Like I said, I think his speed at center is going to make him dominant. He's much more of a mismatch with that speed than he was at PF.

Everyone gets their performance reviewed tonight with this great game:

Singleton: He didn't shoot from the field once because everything was clicking so well. He did a good job of distributing with 5 assists and he had 1 point on 1 of 2 FT shooting.

Chancler: Tonight he was more of a setup man than anything. He set up at least 4 easy dunks for Chancler by driving into the lane and throwing beautiful lob passes. He finished with 1 points, 6 assists, 4 boards, and 3 steals in a well rounded performance. He shot 3 of 4, 1 of 1, and 4 of 7.

Pardon only played 16 minutes due to fouling out. He mostly was focused on defense and rebounding. He scored 3 points and had 6 boards. He shot 1 of 4, 0 of 2, and 1 of 2.

Gardner: 7 points, 6 boards, 2 assists, and a block. He shot 2 of 7 and 3 of 4 from the line. He played great defense.


Bruce: Very efficient night. 9 points, 3 assists, 1 steal. He shot 4 of 5, 1 of 1, and 0 of 0.

Sutton: Only got to play 6 minutes due to the blowout but was very productive for such limited time. He scored 2 points and had 3 assists (all to Goodman.)

Goodman: What a debut! I wasn't even trying to feed him the ball, but it just kept flowing to him naturally. He's faster than I thought, he handles the ball really well, and he has a quick, smooth shooting motion. I haven't had such a natural shooter since Hannan. He finished the night with 26 points, 3 boards, 2 assists, and a steal in what I believe is the best debut I've seen (maybe Hannan was better.) He shot 8 of 15, 3 of 7, and 7 of 8. His abilities will allow Pardon to be much more aggressive. Oh yeah, Goodman did all of this in just 19 minutes!

Abram: A very productive 14 minutes with 4 points and 5 boards.

Henning: A productive 14 minutes with 4 points, 4 boards, 1 assist, and 1 steal.

Baldwin: In 9 minutes, he had 6 points, 2 boards, and 2 steals. He shot 2 of 4 from the arc.

Hicks: He won an extended opportunity to be the #1 backup PF next game. I loved what he did in his 9 minutes. He is very rangy and quick and had a nice 9 minutes with 2 points, 5 boards, 1 assist, and 1 block.

[Eaglesfan27]

After that win, we rise to 11th in the media poll.

PG Arnold Buscher is going to have his pick of scholarships. Maryland is now in the mix, and it will be a close decision between us, Duke, and Maryland. He is expected to announce early in just under 2 weeks.

SF Andrei Enzweiler is now being pursued hard by Duke and Maryland, but we are clearly in the lead. WVU is his 2nd choice right now.


Looking over my roster, I don't believe I've ever seen guys gain overall ratings so quickly. I have 8 guys who have gained a point already. Perhaps most of them were already part way there.. the surprising thing is that Goodman has already gained a point! I'm almost certain this is the fastest I've ever seen a Freshman improve. He has already increased most of his offensive attributes. Of note, I'm no longer doing the various bonus drills (and didn't last year either) so this is all from my coaches' practices with him.


Edit: For a quick look at Niagara. It will be interesting to see what they do this year. They lost 4 of their starters yet Marco Christopher stayed for his senior year. The former 5 star player is now rated an 87 overall which I'm sure is the highest in the MAAC. The new coach brought in a good SF in freshman Vladimir Holmes, a 4 star SF who is rated 76 overall. However, their freshman center is very raw (but big at 7'1 240) and their freshman SG is raw too. It will be interesting to see if they can dominate the MAAC again.

[rjolley]

Speaking of bonus drills, do you set up the practice focus, or leave it at Balanced for everything for every week?

That would be a great feature if there was a way to set large blocks to the same focus easily. I did it one year that I had a lot of good, but raw, players. The next season, they all seemed to be a lot better in their focus areas, but I haven't been able to tell if it was the focus that did it or the fact that they were naturally progressing. I would think that for a player with a lower potential, focusing their practice would be more beneficial for them to improve the way you would like them to.

[Eaglesfan27]

Speaking of bonus drills, do you set up the practice focus, or leave it at Balanced for everything for every week?

That would be a great feature if there was a way to set large blocks to the same focus easily. I did it one year that I had a lot of good, but raw, players. The next season, they all seemed to be a lot better in their focus areas, but I haven't been able to tell if it was the focus that did it or the fact that they were naturally progressing. I would think that for a player with a lower potential, focusing their practice would be more beneficial for them to improve the way you would like them to.

In the past, I set up the practice focus for my top 7 guys or so trying to develop certain skills that I really wanted them to specialize in - such as outside shooting and perimeter defense for Chancler, inside shooting for Peterson and Sockwell, etc. This year, my guys are close to maxed out in the areas that I wanted to focus for them. Therefore, everyone is all balanced this year.

Next year when I have a young team again, I'll probably go back to focusing on specific areas. I agree that it would be nice to do it some other way than besides each individual.

Edit: Then again, if Goodman keeps developing at a very high rate, I might just let everyone generalize and see how well they do. This year is a test year to see if that is a better strategy.

[Eaglesfan27]

Our next games is in the 1st round of the Hawaiian Invitational. We are playing against Columbia. If we win, we will play Stanford who is 15th in the media poll in the next game. We should beat Columbia easily. Their overall roster strength is a 74. Here is a quick look at their starting 5:


Oops, had the wrong team's starting 5. Here is Columbia's starting 5:

PG Garik Gabler is a 5'11 171 pound freshman who is rated 74 overall. He has good speed and quickness (89 and 82.) He is an average passer.

SG Lionel Popoola is a 6'4 211 pound senior who is rated 73 overall. He is good at shooting off the dribble (81.)

SF Glenn Pinkalla is a 6'7 250 pound senior. He is rated 73 overall. He is a good post up player. His lack of speed and quickness should make things easy for our SF's.

PF Amit Johnston is 6'7 224. He is rated 72 overall. His strength is his low post defense (83.)

C Vince Childress is a 6'9 300 pound senior. He is VERY slow. However, he is a good rebounder and shot blocker when he gets in position.

[Eaglesfan27]

15:03: We are up 11-6. Sockwell has been dominating inside early and has 6 points and has drawn 3 fouls.

11:01: We've been slow to rotate on defense and they are hitting a bunch of 3's. We are up 22-19. We go to the 2nd unit with Hicks coming in at PF.

10:20: Goodman is fouled as he drives by his man. We are shooting FT's the rest of the way.

9:56: Hicks gets a 2nd foul on their top scorer, Popoola. He did it on a fastbreak dunk attempt where he was fouled.

4:52: Goodman led the bench with 6 points. We are up 37-31.


The last 5 minutes we ran a lot of full court trap, and played much more impressive defense over all. At halftime, we are up 49-33.


Pardon is the player of the half with 13 points, 3 boards, and 1 assist.



15:31: We are up 56-42. Defense is getting lazy again, but we are scoring easily against them. Everyone is scoring except for Gardner who is the 5th option.

10:38: We lead 62-49. A very nice stretch for Chancler who scored 6 points over the last 5 minutes. I rest all of my starters.

4:52: Goodman with some very nice defense - a few steals, a few boards, a block, and generally smothering his man. We are up 72-57 as my starters return to finish this out.


Sockwell scored most of our points down the stretch. 84-63 win.


Sockwell was the player of the game with 23 points, 9 boards, 2 assists, 1 steal, and 1 block. He shot 8 of 15, 0 of 0, and 7 of 10.

Singleton with 12 points, 6 assists, 2 board, 1 steal, and 5 turnovers.

Chancler with 10 points, 4 boards, and 1 assist.

Pardon with 13 points and 5 boards.

Gardner with 2 points, 12 boards, 3 assists, and 1 steal.


Goodman led the bench with 13 points, 2 boards, 2 steals, and a block.

Bruce had 6 and Sutton 2.

[Eaglesfan27]

Next up is a game against Stanford. They are equal to us in roster strength. They have an impressive starting 5 with their only weakness being at center:

SR PF Damien Sargent is their best player. He is rated 87 overall but he is undersized at 6'9 219. His strengths are his offensive/defensive awareness (88 for each), his rebounding (90 for each), and his interior scoring (96.)

PG Albert Dickey is a senior who is 5'9 174. He is extremely fast (94) with great quickness (91), and is a great handler (94) and a good passer (87.) He is an ok shooter. He is rated 84 overall.

JR SG Winston Ramlow is on the small size at 6'2 195. He is a great 3 point shooter with a 93 rating. He is above average in most other areas. He is rated 83 overall.

JR PF J. Messy plays a lot and plays some center for them. He is rated 81 overall and is a very good defender who is an excellent shot blocker (89.)

SR Quentin Konate plays SF for them most games. He is only 6'3 190. He is a very athletic slasher/dunker who is a good defender against smaller SF's.

FR C Darnell Farrell starts at center. He is 6'10 236. He is rated 76 overall and is a very good low post scorer. He has "A" potential.


The bench is solid with 5 guys rated around 74.

[Eaglesfan27]

15:03: First minute Pardon posted up his smaller defender, leading to a double team which lead to a Sockwell slam. They countered with the quicker Konate slashing past Pardon for a layup. After that, they played Pardon better in the post and we slowed down Konate. Chancler and Sockwell became our leading scorers after that. We are up 13-11.


10:55: We are down 21-19. Both teams have been pushing the pace. I rest my tired starters.


5:04: We are down 33-31 as our starters return. Goodman provided most of the offense during that stretch.


They had a 12-0 run but Sockwell eventually broke it with a 10 footer and then a dunk on a fast break. We are down down 48-36 at the half.


Ramlow is the player of the half with 12 points on 4 of 8 shooting from the arc.


15 minute mark: We've gotten careless with the ball and they are on a big run. 60-42. I call a timeout and scream at the guys to play some defense.


10:58: We've played great defense since that timeout. We are down 61-52. My starters are now very tired so the 2nd unit comes in.


5:42: Hicks hits a 3, Goodman with a steal and a dunk and we are within 4. However, they have a 8-0 run after Sutton turns it over, Goodman turns it over, Goodman misses a 3, and Goodman misses a layup. We get back on track but we are now down 74-63 as our starters return. Konate had 12 points for them during that run and is now the leading scorer with 24.

Sockwell is scoring every time down the stretch, but they are hitting all of their shots too including several 3's from Ramlow and Messy of all people. They hit their FT's down the stretch when we intentionally foul.

We close within 6 several times, but we lose the game 89-81.


Konate was the player of the game with 26 points, 2 boards, and 3 assists.


Sockwell had 35 points, 9 boards, and 2 blocks for us. He shot 14 of 23, 0 of 0, and 7 of 7.

Singleton with 2 points, 10 assists (several were passes to Sockwell on the break that he slammed), and 2 steals. He shot 1 of 9.

Chancler with 16 points, 2 boards, 2 assists, 1 steal, and 1 block. He shot 6 of 13.

Pardon with 2 points, 6 boards, 4 assists, and 2 steals. He shot 1 of 7.

Gardner with 3 points, 9 boards, and a block.


Goodman led the bench with 13 points, 3 boards, 3 assists, and 2 steals. He shot 4 of 11, 1 of 3, and 4 of 4 in 12 minutes.

[Eaglesfan27]

Our consolation game in the tourney is against Texas Southern. We win that simulated game 92-54. Pardon led us with 30 points, 6 boards, 1 assist, and 1 steal. He shot 7 of 11, 4 of 5, and 12 of 17.

Our last game of the week is hosting 0-2 Tennessee State. They are a weak team with an overall roster rating of 68. Their best player is PG Melvin Swift who is rated 71 overall. He is a 6'2 183 pound RS JR. He is fast with an overall speed of 90. The rest of the starting 5 is all rated around 60.

[Eaglesfan27]

15:02: Chancler has been sloppy (by gambling for steals) and we are only up 9-8. Their SG has all 8 points for them on 2 3's and a midrange shot.


10:35: We are up 14-13. Our shots just aren't falling right now. I bring in the 2nd unit.

4:25: We are up 24-23 as our starters return. Goodman scored the majority of our points.


A disappointing first half. We are up 34-29.


Pardon is the player of the half with 12 points and a board.



15 minute mark: We are up 41-35. Chancler is heating up, but our defense is still very disappointing.


9:35: Sockwell takes over on the offensive end. We are up 52-41 as our 2nd unit comes back into the game.


4:01: Nice job by the 2nd unit, particularly Hicks and Goodman. We are up 62-52 as the starters return.

3:23: Pardon picks up his 4th foul on a 3 point attempt by them. We are up 65-55.


F#!$! My practice of letting my starters stay in for the last minute or two when we have the game in hand may have hurt me. Pardon with a dunk attempt with 1:45 to go and he hurt his knee. We are up 74-59.


We win the game 80-59.


Sockwell was the player of the game with 21 points, 16 boards, 4 assists, and 2 blocks. He shot 9 of 14, 0 of 1 (halftime buzzer beater), and 3 of 4.


Singleton with 5 points, 6 assists, 1 steal, and 1 turnover.

Chancler with 14 points, 4 board, 3 assists, and 2 steals. He shot 5 of 10, 0 of 2, and 4 of 6.

Pardon with 13 points, 4 boards, 2 assists, and 2 steals. He shot 4 of 6, 0 of 1, and 5 of 8.

Gardner with 6 points, 11 boards, and 3 assists.


Goodman led the bench with 9 points, 5 boards, and 1 assist.

Hicks with 7 points and 2 boards. He shot 3 of 3. Bruce with 5 points.

[Eaglesfan27]

1 week to go before the early signing period begins. Arnold Buscher has indicated that he will sign with Wake Forest, Duke, or Maryland on the 1st possible day...

Andrei Enzweiler has also indicated that he will sign on the 1st day with either us, WVU, or Duke.

Kennedy Christopher may sign with us early, but he doesn't appear to be close to signing with anyone else.

Arnaud Hollins is also close to signing with us. UL is the only other team that has a chance of getting him early. Miami is a distant 3rd on his list.


At 4-1, we've dropped to 22nd in the media poll and we are out of the coaches' poll. That seems harsh considering the loss was to Stanford who is now in the top 10 of both polls.


Finally, we got good news on Pardon's knee. It was just a bruise when he landed funny. It'll be 100% before our next game.

At 4-1, I decide I will sim every 3rd game like last year unless it is a tourney game (which is why I didn't sim Stanford but simmed the next game.)

Next up is Purdue who are 1-4 but have a good roster with a strength of 81. We win the simulated game 70-48. Chancler led the team with 24 points, 4 boards, and 2 assists. He shot 8 of 12, 4 of 6, and 4 of 6.


Our next game is at Furman. They are weak with a 1-1 record and a roster strength of 71.


They have 2 fairly good players in SG Dominque Myers who is rated 75 overall and SF J.S. Mendoza. Both are big athletic wingmen with good speed and quickness. Mendoza is 6'7 225 and Myers is 6'5 225.

They have good size with a freshman PF who is 6'10 220 and a freshman center who is 6'10 243. However, both are rated 65 overall. Their top PG is rated 55 overall, although they will often use their backup SG who is rated 62 overall. The rest of the bench is all players in the 50's.

As anxious as I am to see which recruits we get, I won't be playing this until later tonight.

[Eaglesfan27]

After watching the Maryland-North Carolina game, I'm pumped up to play another game. Our foul totals on both sides have been low, so I have bumped up shooting and blocking fouls slightly.


14:48: We are up 11-4 and already have 2 of their starters in foul trouble.


9:55: We are up 22-14 as the 2nd unit comes in.

9:11: Goodman gets a 2nd foul on Mendoza. We are up 24-14.

4:47: We are up 30-25 as our starters return. I tell my guys to turn up the defensive pressure.


Apparently, that didn't work that well. We are up 37-32 at the half.


Sockwell is the player of the half with 7 points, 5 boards, and 3 blocks.



15:32: Singleton gets a 3rd foul on their PG. We are up 52-34.

12:47: Gardner gets a 3rd foul on Gross. We are up 57-36.

12:10: Pardon picks up his 3rd foul.

8:53: During that stretch, at one point Sockwell beat his slower man down the floor for 3 fast break dunks. We are up 67-38 as I pull my starters, most likely for the rest of the game.


We win the game 71-51.


Sockwell is the player of the game with 19 points, 11 boards, 4 blocks, and a steal. He shot 7 of 11, 0 of 0, and 5 of 7.

Singleton with 6 points, 6 assists, and a steal. He only turned it over once.

Chancler with 16 points, 4 boards, 4 assists, and 4 steals. He shot 5 of 11, 2 of 3, and 4 of 4.

Pardon with 12 points, 5 boards, 1 assist, and 1 steal. He shot 3 of 7, 1 of 2, and 5 of 6.

Gardner with 6 points, 2 boards, 2 assists, and a steal.

Goodman with 8 points, 2 boards, and an assist. He shot 2 of 8 from the floor but 4 of 5 from the line.

Sutton had 4 points and 2 boards.


Now to find out if any of those recruits signed with us....

[Eaglesfan27]

We missed out on 1 player, but got 2 of our other targets to sign early:


5 star PG Arnold Buscher picked Duke over us. Duke also signed 5 star PG Rudolph Nance today.

We got 4 star SG Arnaud Hollins and 4 star SF Andrei Enzweiler, at least we didn't lose him to Duke.

Here is the latest info on those 2 commits:

Arnaud Hollins is the highest ranked recruit I've signed in a long time. He is ranked 34th overall and 12th among SG's and was close to being a 5 star player. He is from Chicago, IL. He is only 6'3 175. Our Staff ranks him in the following categories: Shooting B+, Skills B, Defense A-, Athleticism A+, Rebounding B-, Court IQ B, Potential A-, Size B-. He averaged 9.9 ppg, 6.8 rpg, 4.4 apg, and 1.8 steals per game in the ABL. Our staff thinks he is going to be a great off ball stealer.

Andrei Enzweiler is from Hampton, VA. He is a 6'7 204 pound 4 star SF. He is ranked 56th overall and 9th among SF's. Our staff's most recent grading of him: Shooting A-, Skills B-, Defense B+, Athleticism A+, Rebounding B, Court IQ B+, Pontential B+, and Size B+. They think his best atribute will be his 3 point shooting and dunking. He averaged 13 ppg, 5.2 rpg, 2.6 apg, and 2.3 spg in the ABL.

C Kennedy Christopher has told us that he is very close to signing with us and may do so this week. His most recent info: He is 6'11 224 pounds. He is ranked as: C+ shooting, B- Skills, B+ defense, C+ Athleticism, B Rebounding, B+ Court IQ, B+ Potential, and A for size. He is ranked 273rd overall and 27th among centers.

With Duke signing 2 top PG's, I decide to go after a guy hard who I wasn't pursuing as strongly because Duke was his top choice. PG Leslie Wright is 6'1 173 and is from Lexington, KY. He is ranked 16th in the nation and 9th among PG's. His top 3 schools are Duke, Wake Forest, and Georgia Tech.



Our next game is hosting Minnesota. The Gophers are 5-3. They have a good team with an overall roster strength of 84.

SR PF W.C. Vignale is 6'8 240 and is rated 83 overall. He is a very good interior scorer with close shooting of 90, shooting in traffic of 95, and offensive awareness of 83.

They have a very tall PG in Chip Lampley who is a RS Jr who is rated 76 overall. He is tall, fast, and plays solid defense. He is also a good midrange shooter (82.)

SR SG Brennon Santee is 6'4 202 and is rated 76 overall. He is a fast player (88) with good handling (84.)

JR SG Charles Joseph is small at 6'1 190 but he is also quick with an 89 for speed and 85 for quickness. He is also rated 76 overall.

SF Taron Andres is 6'9 233. He is rated 74 overall. He is a decent defender (81 for perimeter defense) and has good midrange shooting (81.)

Freshman Center Jermaine McCrommon could be a force in the Big Ten within a year or two. He is 7'0 270 and is rated 72 overall this year. He was a 3 star player last year. He needs to work on his game but his strengths are shot blocking (82) and close shooting (85.)

The bench has good size but is not very skilled. Most of the guys are rated in the high 60's.

[Eaglesfan27]

18:37: Chancler has picked up 2 early fouls. We bring in Bruce (although I may switch to Goodman if Bruce doesn't play good defense.) We are down 1-0.

16:39: Pardon with 2 fouls. Goodman comes into the game. We are down 4-2.

14:59: We are down 9-6 and they are shooting FT's already.

12:03: Singleton picks up his 2nd foul. They are simply playing more physical than we are early. We are down 16-10. Sockwell is the only player keeping us in this game.

10:30: We are down 20-15 as I bring in the rest of our 2nd unit.

6:07: I bring back all of the starters. We are down 28-25. Bruce had a very nice 4 minutes.

Within 30 seconds, we have a shot blocked, they hit a 3, they steal it, they hit a 2, and then they steal it again and Pardon fouls them trying to stop the fast break. Pardon leaves the game with 3 fouls. Goodman is very tired so Henning comes into the game. We are down 35-25 after the freethrows.

2:41: Sockwell with 3 baskets, 4 boards, 2 altered shots, and an assist brings us to 35-33 before they hit a 16 foot jumper. Down 37-33.

1:20 Sockwell with a long outlet pass after a rebound hits Chancler in stride whose crossover gets 1 defender and then he beats the other defender to the basket, makes the shot, and gets fouled. He misses the FT, but we are tied at 40.


Halftime: We are down 42-40. We've held them to 31% from the field but their FT shooting is winning it for them. They are 15 of 20 from the line.


Sockwell with a great first half: 17 points, 6 boards, 2 assists, and 2 blocks.


I let Pardon return to start the 2nd half.


18:02: Lampley, whose size has been difficult for Singleton posts up and Pardon comes over to help. Pardon picks up his 4th foul on the block attempt. We are tied at 46. I put in Goodman.

16:52: Goodman with an offensive board gets a 3rd foul on Vignale.

14:46: We are up 53-46. Chancler and Goodman have been making plays on both ends.

13:43: Sockwell picks up his 3rd foul. I may have turned up foul sliders just a bit too much. Then again we have 17 and they have 16. We are fairly close to the NCAA average and these are 2 very physical teams.


11:33: We are up 59-54 but they are on a 5-0 run. I bring in my subs with Pardon at SF.

6:02: We are up 70-63. I bring back my starters with Goodman at SF. Abram had a nice 5 minutes with 3 big baskets.

5:05: We just entered the double bonus. Sockwell hits both FT's.

4:24: Sockwell picks up his 4th foul trying to block a shot of their SG on the fast break. We are up 72-64.

3:35: Sockwell leading a 3-on-2 break.. he throws a perfect bounce pass to Goodman who slams it and gets fouled. He makes the FT for the 3 point play. We are up 75-64.


3:05: Sockwell fouls out. We are up 77-64. Abram will finish it out.

1:07: Andres becomes their first player to foul out as Goodman fakes him out. We are up 84-66.

41 seconds: Gardner fouls out.


We win the game 84-69. We had 25 team fouls and they had 23 which are at the very upper end of what teams averaged with only 1 team averaging more at 27 per game. If I keep getting that many, I'll tweak those sliders I just adjusted (blocking and shooting fouls) slightly downward.


Sockwell was the player of the game with 21 points, 14 boards, 4 assists, 4 blocks, and a steal. He shot 7 of 10, 0 of 0, and 7 of 9.

Singleton with 4 points, 3 assists, 3 steals, and 5 turnovers.

Chancler with 15 points, 3 boards, and a block. He shot 5 of 9 from the field, 0 of 2, and 5 of 7.

Pardon with 2 points and 3 boards. He only played 11 minutes due to his foul trouble.

Gardner with 4 points, 11 boards, and an assist.

Goodman led the bench with 15 points, 6 boards, 3 assists, and a steal. He shot 3 of 10, 1 of 2, and 8 of 9.

Abram with 7 points and 6 boards. He shot 3 of 4, 0 of 0, and 1 of 3.

Bruce had 7, Hicks 4, and Sutton 2.


Time to see if we get 1 more early recruit....

[Eaglesfan27]

At 7-1, we are now 10th in the media poll and 16th in the coaches' poll.

We got Kennedy Christopher. I don't if he will be starter quality or a backup, but he was the best big man that seemed realistically interested in us this year.


This week Maryland got a very good JC Freshman that I was interested in: A.J. Willie is a 5 star PF from Queens. The only issue is his size, 6'6 199.


Meanwhile, Leslie Wright is definitely interested in Wake Forest. He would be our biggest coup ever and I'll be pursuing him very hard.


We have a week off and I fly out to his house as well as several backup plans. During the week off, we drop 1 spot in both polls.


Our next game is hosting 5-4 New Hampshire. They are a weaker team with an overall roster strength of 76. We beat them 82-53. We each committed 21 team fouls which seems about average for my previous simmed games.

Sockwell led our team with 33 points, 6 boards, and 1 assist. He shot 11 of 19, 4 of 8 (?!?), and 7 of 8.

Pardon also had a big game with 24 points, 5 boards, 1 assist, and 1 steal. He shot 6 of 10, 2 of 2, and 10 of 15.


Leslie appears to still be recruited by Duke. I guess they may run the triple PG option offense. It will be a battle with them and Georgia Tech right down to the wire.


One of the top backup plans is 4 star PG Raynardo Salow from Conway, AR. He is a 6'0 162 PG who is ranked 38th overall and 18th among PG's. He is Mr. Basketball for his state. Our staff ranks him as: A- shooting, A- skills, A- defense, A Athleticism, C+ rebounding, B Court IQ, B+ Potential, and C Size. They think his best attribute is his shooting off the dribble. Our top competition for him is Xavier and Clemson.


Our next game is at DePaul. They are 7-2 and are very talented with an overall roster strength of 88.

SG Mario Hoskin will sometimes play PG for them. He is a senior who is 6'6 200 pounds and is good passer, a great 3 point shooter (89), and very fast (90 speed, 90 quickness.) He is rated 82 overall.

SF Edwin Kemp is a JR who is 6'6 210. He is rated 82 overall as well. He is an all around good player with strengths in 3 point shooting (82) and shooting in traffic (86).

JR SG Ian Wilkerson is a strong defensive minded presence who can shoot some. He is 6'6 240 but has good mobility. He is rated 90 in perimeter defense. He is rated 80 overall.

PF Josiah Lindeman will play some center for them. The JR is 6'9 241 and is rated 79 overall. His strengths are his rebounding (85 for offense, 84 for defense.)

Freshman PF Robby Ray was ranked the 21st player overall last year and is getting on the floor with his very impressive post moves. He is rated 94 in offensive low post ability (higher than any of my guys have ever been) and 92 in close shoot, and 85 in shooting in traffic. He is rated 79 overall.

Quannas Whitehead is the only pure center on the roster. He is a 7'0 243 pound junior. He is rated 76 overall. His best attribute is his 91 offensive rebounding. He is also a good defensive rebounder (84.)

They have 5 bench guys rated 76 or higher (mostly SG's and 1 SF.)

The only weakness is at PG. Their highest rated pure PG is a 65 overall. As a result, they almost always play a hybrid guard at the point.

[RPI-Fan]

Any chance of Goodman moving into the starting lineup? Seems like he has it all... what is his size again?

[Eaglesfan27]

Any chance of Goodman moving into the starting lineup? Seems like he has it all... what is his size again?

I've considered it, but he hasn't had the great shooting night since his first game. However, he is great at getting to the line just like Pardon. To me, they are very close right now. Both are good at generating fouls, getting some rebounds, and playing defense. Goodman is slightly better at shooting the 3 at least according to our staff's rating of him. They are even almost identical body types - Goodman is 6'7 216, Pardon is 6'7 215. Either way, they are both starting caliber and allow each other to play very aggressively. Next year should be even more interesting as Andrei Enzweiler seems to be the same type of player. It's possible next year that I'll go with 2 of the 3 in the starting lineup with one of them playing SG if Hollins isn't ready to take over. I imagine Bruce will be back and he has some killer ratings, but his shooting style and lack of size mean that he probably won't start next year.. If I do go that route, we could have a very big starting backcourt with Sutton and the 2 SF's all being 6'5 or taller. Of course, I might go with Bruce at PG and keep Sutton as a backup PG.

[RPI-Fan]

For me the idea of a 6'-7" athletic SG would be too much to turn down. I know that on the occasions when I run up against team with a really tall guard like that I have all kinds of problems, and the offensive rebounding boost is a really nice advantage.

[Eaglesfan27]

17:22: Pardon is run over by their PF. Pardon gets charged with a blocking foul and is holding his knee. Our staff doesn't think it is serious, but he is pulled out to get evaluated. Goodman comes into the game. We are down 5-2.

15:31: Goodman hits a 3 to end up a 8-0 run. We are down 10-5.

12:25: We had gotten down 16-5, but Singleton hits a 12 footer, a corner 3, and then assists for an easy Sockwell dunk. 16-12.

10:24: Pardon has been cleared to return, it is just a mild sprain. He comes in with the 2nd unit. We are down 19-13.

7:48: Pardon picks up his 2nd foul. We are down 26-21.

5:40: We are down 29-23 as our starters return.

2:27: Sockwell picks up his 2nd foul. They are on a 6-0 run and are up 37-27. Next possession, Singleton hits a corner 3 to end the run.


Halftime: We are down 39-31. We are shooting 50% from the line (7 of 14) while they are 13 of 17 and that is the big difference.

Sockwell is our top player of the half with 8 points, 8 boards, 2 assists, and 2 blocks.



19:24 Sockwell gets a 3rd foul on Whitehead.

16:38 Goodman gets a 3rd foul on Lindeman. We are down 44-34 and he misses both FT's. The entire team is shooting poorly in this very loud building. Sockwell gets the board but misses the putback.

10:33: Goodman is exhausted and everyone else is tired. Sockwell has been providing points almost every trip down the floor but our defense can't get any stops. We are down 57-47.


6:43: Everything is going wrong.. turnovers, missed shots, poor defense, and we even get called for a charge on Sutton on the fastbreak 2-on-1 attempt. We are down 67-52.

6:05: My starters still aren't close to 100% energy, but I put them in to try to make a run.

2:23: Sockwell finally gets a 4th foul on Lindeman, but it is too late. Lindeman has been killing us and has 23 points in the game. I wasn't expecting that kind of production from him. This game is over, I go to my bench. 82-56.

We lose the game 88-63.


Lindeman was the player of the game with 23 points and 5 boards. He shot 9 of 11 and 5 of 5 from the line. I don't know why Sockwell had so much trouble with him.


Sockwell led our team with 22 points, 13 boards, 2 assists, and 2 blocks. He shot 7 of 14, 0 of 0, and 8 of 15.

As a team, we shot 13 of 32 from the line. They shot 24 of 31 from the line. We committed 22 team fouls, they committed 17.


Singleton with 9 points and an assist.

Chancler with 0 points, 2 boards, and 1 assist. He was 0 of 7 from the floor and 0 of 4 from the line.

Pardon with 1 points, 1 board, and 1 assist. He was 0 of 5 and 1 of 2 from the line (most of his shots came after the injury.)

Gardner with 1 point and 4 boards. He shot 0 of 4.

Bruce with 10 points.

Goodman with 9 points, 3 boards, and an assist. He shot 3 of 10, 2 of 5, and 1 of 6.

Hicks had 6 points and 3 boards. Abram had 4 points, 5 boards, and a block in 14 minutes.

[Eaglesfan27]

The loss to DePaul drops us to 16th in the media poll and 22nd in the coaches' poll. We are off this week for Christmas break and most of next week before we play Yale at our place. That should be an easy win as their overall roster strength is 70.


We are having Leslie Wright visit during the week of our Yale game.


Niagara is doing well. They are 9-3 and 2-0 in MAAC play. This is despite starting 3 freshman. However, Christopher's assists are way down at 2.8 per game and his scoring is only moderately up at 11 ppg.


The Tim Floyd watch continues. His USC squad is 9-2 so far this year. They have a roster that compares favorably to ours and they are starting 2 talented freshmen and 1 very talented sophomore. That 9th win gave Floyd his 600th win.

I definitely won't jump to any job but USC for the next year or two as Floyd must surely be about ready to hang it up and the game will never allow you to go just 1 year after you take a job.

[Eaglesfan27]

One thing I need to remind myself and my team is that we should be flowing everything through Sockwell who is such a dominant force. He hasn't gotten enough touches lately. This game against Yale, we'll make sure we rectify that.


Yale's center is close to equal in size with Sockwell. He is 7'0 265, but he is much slower and isn't as skilled around the hoop.


14:52: We start off slowly with our guys playing loose on them, but once I tell them to tighten up the defense, we get three quick fast break baskets by Pardon to bring us right back in the game. Down 9-8.

13:47: Sockwell gets a 2nd foul on their massive center.

13:28: Pardon is tired earlier than everyone else. We bring in Goodman. We are up 11-9.

8:26: The starters went longer than planned. Goodman has scored our last 5 points. The rest of the 2nd unit joins him on the floor. We are up 20-15.

2:58: Goodman was on fire early during this stretch, but he is now very tired and has cooled off. We are up 32-20 as our starters return.


Halftime: After a slow start, Sockwell has 8 straight points down the stretch of the 1st half. We are up 42-24.


Sockwell is the player of the half with 12 points, 7 boards, and 1 assist.

Goodman is the 2nd leading scorer with 11 points.



16:30: With the game in hand, we are getting Chancler, Singleton, and Pardon more involved. Up 52-24.


9:01: We pull our starters with a 66-32 lead. Goodman will lead the 2nd unit as we finish this out.

5:02: Up 75-40. We get Henning and Baldwin into the game. Goodman remains to lead the unit.



We win the game 79-49.


Sockwell was the player of the game with 22 points, 14 boards, 2 assist, 1 block, and 1 steal. He shot 11 of 19, 0 of 0, and 0 of 4.


Singleton with 8 points, 6 assists, 3 steals, and only 2 turnovers. He shot 3 of 4, 2 of 3, and 0 of 0.

Chancler with 10 points, 3 assists, and 2 steals. He shot 3 of 8.

Pardon with 9 points, 4 boards, 4 assists, and 3 steals. He shot 2 of 7, 1 of 3, and 4 of 5.

Gardner with 1 point, 8 boards, and 2 blocks.


Goodman led the bench with 20 points, 6 boards, and 2 assists. He shot 8 of 15, 2 of 6 (hit his first 2 and then fell in love with the shot) and 2 of 2. He played 19 minutes.

Bruce with 5 points, Sutton and Abram each had 2.



This game they committed 18 fouls while we only committed 12.

[Eaglesfan27]

We are now 9-2 and have moved up to 10th in the media poll.


Our next game is at a very good U Mass Team. They are 13th in the media poll and are 10-2. Their roster strength is 88. We win the simulated game 77-71 but suffer a blow as Abram breaks a bone in his hand. He'll be out for 4-6 weeks.

Sockwell led the team with 16 points, 6 boards, and 2 blocks.

Singleton also had 16 points with 4 boards and 4 assists.

Pardon with 10. Chancler and Goodman each had 5 points.



With the injury to Abram, we'll start dressing out Reece Clifford. He is a 6'11 250 pound walkon sophomore who is rated 67 overall. His strengths are interior scoring (91), but he is bad at shooting in traffic. He is also a decent rebounder. Depending upon the situation he may play, but chances are that we'll go small in our 2nd unit with Hicks at PF and Henning at C which would give us the shooters to spread the floor for Goodman and company.


The Leslie Wright sweepsteaks are continuing and Maryland is now coming into the game and becoming a serious player for him. Duke and Wake are still his top 2 choices.


Sutton is showing the most growth this season according to our staff. Unless, we land Leslie and he is a true phenom, I'm fairly certain Sutton will be starting next year.


We now start ACC play. Our first game is against FSU who are 9-4. Here is a quick preview of the ACC:

1. Duke is 11-0. They have a 91 overall roster strength.
2. VT is 13-2, 85 (they played cream puffs.)
3. Clemson 11-2, 88.
4. Wake Forest 10-2, 90.
5. Miami 9-3, 91.
6. BC 11-4, 87.
7. Virginia 11-4, 81 (also played creampuffs.)
8. FSU 9-4, 85.
9. Maryland 9-4, 86.
10. Georgia Tech 7-4, 94. They have a killer backcourt with Leslie Burnette shocking everyone by returning for his senior year. They have 4 experienced players and a superstar freshman in Kenneth Varem.
11. North Carolina State 8-6, 85.
12. North Carolina 7-9, 81. They aren't recruiting well or developing talent. They lost to teams such as Siena and Niagara. Other losses include a 88-42 beatdown by Illinois and a 93-42 loss to #7 Florida. Even more embarassing, they lost at home to UC Riverside 74-54 and to Illinois-Chicago 70-58. If I don't beat North Carolina this year, I deserve to be fired.

North Carolina's Current Starting 5's Ratings:

SO PG Qusmane Niang 76
SO SG Alando Sockwell 77
FR SF Damond Harris 75
FR PF Gullermo Fernandez 71
JR C Booker Daley 72

[Radii]

North Carolina's Current Starting 5's Ratings:

SO PG Qusmane Niang 76
SO SG Alando Sockwell 77
FR SF Damond Harris 75
FR PF Gullermo Fernandez 71
JR C Booker Daley 72

Please Roy, never ever retire in real life.

[Eaglesfan27]

Please Roy, never ever retire in real life.

Taking over North Carolina and restoring them to glory when their coach is inevitably fired after this year or next is very tempting, but of course, USC is more tempting.

[Eaglesfan27]

FSU should provide a good challenge despite being slightly lower rated in roster strength. The starting 5:

PG Dillion Falls is a junior who is 6'0 186. He is rated 82 overall and his strengths are shooting (84 for close, 86 for mid, and 82 for 3 point) and his passing (85.)

So SG Willard Valsin is becoming a star. His strengths are his speed (87), his mid range shooting (82), and his 3 point shooting (81.) He has A potential and is 6'6 218. He is rated 81 overall.

SR SG/SF Sherman Defares is 6'3 230. He is a great 3 point shooter (90.) He is rated 79 overall.

Freshman PF/C Hilton Nana is starting at PF today. He is 6'11 229. He is a good rebounder and low post defender. He is rated 74 overall.

JR PF/C Cedrick Avery is starting at C. He is 6'10 220 and is a very good rebounder who can score some inside. He is rated 80 overall.

JR PG Arden Cleveland is their best bench player with an overall of 79. He is very fast and is a good ball handler.

[Eaglesfan27]

17:07: Defares has his a 3 and drawn 2 fouls on Pardon. Goodman comes into the game. We are down 8-6.

15:12: Sockwell draws a 2nd foul on Avery. Fast tempo the last 2 minutes. We are down 12-7.

14:51: Goodman draws a 2nd foul on Defares with a great crossover move.

12:10: Sockwell gets 2 fouls on their backup center. He has been dominant these first 8 minutes. We are in the bonus and have been for about 90 seconds. We are up 18-14.


11:35: Sockwell gets a 2nd foul on Nana.

11:10: Sockwell picks up 2 fouls within 20 seconds, both on shot block attempts. We are up 22-16.

10:35: I took a chance and kept Sockwell in but now he picks up his 3rd foul and will sit the rest of the half. I decide to see what Clifford can do. Sockwell has been almost the entire offense early.

9:52: Gardner gets a 2nd foul. I bring in the 2nd unit with Pardon at SF. We are up 24-20.

9:24: Pardon had a great play with a around the back dribble that drew a foul on his man as he beat him, but then he picked up a 3rd foul a few seconds later trying to steal it. We bring in Henning at SF.


4:05: We are up 31-28 as our starters return. Goodman will play SF. Clifford is getting tired but is playing fairly well so he will remain at C.

3:41: Gardner picks up a 3rd foul. He will remain in the game.

2:03: Gardner gets a 4th foul. After this game, I'll probably split the difference between my old foul sliders and my new ones. Hicks comes in. We are up 36-32.


Halftime: We are up 44-34. Chancler scored our last 8 points including 2 3's. Each team has committed 15 fouls at the half.

Sockwell is the player of the half with 14 points, 6 boards, and 2 blocks. He has shot 4 of 5 and 6 of 8 from the line.


I'm starting the 2nd half with all of the starters in...

16:44: Their SG drives past Chancler and draws a 4th foul on Sockwell who will remain in the game. We are up 46-39.


11:58 to go: We bring in our 2nd unit. We are up 57-46.


7:04: Goodman had missed 4 or 5 shots, but he keeps shooting and finally hits a 3. 62-54. I hoped that would get him going, but he misses his next 2 shots.

5:27: Goodman has a breakaway dunk stopped by a foul. That is only the 4th foul they have committed this half. He hits 1 of 2 but Reece with the offensive board. Sutton with a 14 footer to make it 66-56. 20 seconds later, we bring back our starters to finish it out.

4:40: Chancler gets a 4th foul on Nana with a drive to the hoop.

1:54: Sockwell fouls out on a block attempt. We are up 76-56 as the defense was brilliant the last few minutes.

50 seconds left: I bring in the 2nd unit. We are up 81-60.


We win the game 83-60. We had 23 fouls to their 21. Maybe just slightly tweaking fouls down will be good but this isn't that different than the total of team fouls in the recent real game between Duke and Wake.


Sockwell was the player of the game with 20 points, 9 boards, 2 assists, and 2 blocks. He shot 5 of 6, 0 of 0, and 10 of 12. He had 5 fouls and played only 19 minutes.

Singleton with 9 points, 6 assists, 2 steals, 2 turnovers, and 1 personal foul. He played 27 minutes.

Chancler with 17 points, 3 boards, 5 assists, and 2 turnovers. He had 0 personal fouls. He shot 5 of 8, 2 of 5, and 5 of 5.

Pardon with 9 points and 3 boards. He shot 3 of 5, 1 of 2, and 2 of 2.

Gardner with 4 points, 6 boards, 1 block, and 4 personal fouls. He played 23 minutes.


Goodman with 11 points, 2 boards, 1 assist, and 1 steal. He shot very poorly: 2 of 13, 1 of 6, and 6 of 8.

Hicks and Sutton each had 5. Bruce had 2.

Clifford had an impressive debut: In 20 minutes he had 1 point and 10 boards.



At 11-2 and with 2 wins this week, we rise to 8th in the media poll. We are now 12th in the coaches' poll.

The top 10 in the media poll:

1. Pepperdine (that's a shocker) 16-0.
2. Iowa 15-1
3. Oregon 12-2
4. Pitt 14-2
5. Duke 11-1
6. Florida 14-2
7. Temple 16-2
8. Wake Forest 11-2
9. Vanderbilt 11-1
10. Alabama 13-3

[Eaglesfan27]

Our next game is at Virginia. They are 12-4 and have had 2 surprising road wins in the ACC against Maryland and Clemson. Their roster strength is only 81 but they do have a talented center who has been a contender for ACC player of the year in the past. A look at their starting 5:

HR PG Zachary Carpenter is 6'3 225 and is rated at a 74 overall. His best attribute is his 91 speed and 85 quickness. He is a decent shooter.

SO SG Daymond Fellers is 6'4 199 and is rated 76 overall. Hhis best attributes are his speed (87), quickness (86), and defense (83.)

SR SF Dominik Morban is 6'4 218. He is rated 76 overall. His best attributes are his speed (85) and mid range shooting (82.)

SR PF Dwight Bland is 6'7 239. He is rated 70 overall and his best attributes are his shot blocking (80) and defensive rebounding (79.)

SR C Kory Malaman is a massive 7'5 288 pounds. His biggest strengths are his close shot (91), his standing dunk (87), and his rebounding (87 for each.) He is averaging a career high 18.5 ppg this year.

Their top PF Hecton Malaman is out with a broken ankle. They are also missing one of their better freshman SG who is out with a broken toe.

Their bench is very shallow as a result of those injuries with most guys rated in the mid 60's.

[Eaglesfan27]

Sockwell and Malaman going right at each other early. Sockwell first with a simply drop step for a basket. Malaman at the other end, creates contact and draws a foul on Sockwell. Malaman hits both FT's to tie it at 2.

Next possession, Sockwell gets it in the high post, spins away from Malaman and drives to the basket for the dunk.

Sockwell forces a miss by Malaman on a hook shot attempt. Chancler with a 3 at the other end.


16:32: Up 7-4, Sockwell draws his Malaman's 1st foul.

16:06: Malaman gets an offensive board.. Pardon tries to rip it away from him before he can dunk.. it doesn't work and Pardon gets his 2nd foul of the game.

14:04: They have been resting Malaman for the last minute. I decide to give Sockwell a brief rest by going with an experimental lineup: Goodman at PF and Gardner at C. It should match up well with their small lineup on the floor right now.. We are up 10-6 before this move.

They counter on the next ball stoppage by bringing back Malaman. I'll leave the lineup in for a minute..

Gardner misses a perimeter shot over Malaman.. Goodman with an offensive board that he tips in. 12-6.

11:39: Gardner with a quick step and a drive gets a 2nd foul on Malaman. I bring in my 2nd unit players. We are up 14-10.


9:14: Sockwell comes back fully rested to play with our 2nd unit. We are up 18-13.


3:48: We get all of our starters back in. We are up 29-25.

2:54: Sockwell gets his 2nd foul when Sparrow, a SF, drives to the hoop.


Halftime: We are up 34-30.


Sockwell is the player of the half with 13 points, 5 boards, and a block.


17:42: Malaman was dominating the early part of the 2nd half with 2 nice baskets and a block of a Sockwell shot that set up a fast break dunk by his teammate. Pardon beat his man and got a 3rd foul on Malaman, and he made the shot and the FT. That put us up 39-37.

13:50: We are down 47-44. Sockwell is getting a bit tired so I rest him and try Henning at C for more shooting options.

12:01: After Henning gives up 2 offensive boards, I pull him and rest all of my starters. Down 49-44. Hopefully, this can be a good stretch for Goodman and company..

7:59: Goodman with a nice crossover beats his man and drives to the hole where he is fouled by Malaman who just returned a minute earlier. That is Malaman's 4th foul. Bruce has been keeping us in the game the last 5 minutes with a few 3's. We are down 57-54 before a well rested Sockwell is about to return.. Goodman hits both FT's to make it a 1 point ball game.

6:35: They make a 3. Sockwell gets called for a BS offensive basket interference. Sockwell then alters a shot and gets a dunk and the foul at the other end. He makes the FT to make it a 1 point game again.

5:02: Bruce misses a 3 but Sockwell grabs the board and pulls out a tremendous 2 handed dunk. 61-60.

4:40: we get a stop and call timeout to get our starters back in.

4:06: We are in the penalty and Sockwell is drawing fouls and hitting both FT's. 65-60. Malaman comes back into the game.


3:41: Sockwell gets a 5th foul on Bland. 66-62. They go to a 3 guard lineup.

3:18: Malaman with a nice hook shot. 66-64. At the other end, he steals an entry pass that was intended for Sockwell.

2:17: They collapse on Sockwell who throws it out to Chancler on the corner.. he hits the 3. 69-65.

1:48: Singleton fouled their PG who made both FT's. Then, their PG stole a pass and took it all the way for a layup. Tied at 69.

1:29: Sockwell gets it deep in the post.. he hits a turnaround jumper from 4-6 feet out. 71-69.

58 seconds: Pardon had just stolen it, but while being harassed by their SF from behind, he misses the dunk! They come back quickly and get it to Malaman who never ran down the court far.. he dunks it over the smaller Gardner. Tied at 71.

36 seconds left: Pick and Roll with Singleton and Sockwell.. Singleton throws it to a wide open Sockwell 12 feet out.. he shoots.. he is fouled.. and he makes it anyway! He misses the FT, but Pardon gets it and is fouled.

Fortunately, we are in the double bonus as Pardon misses the 1st.. he makes the 2nd to put us up 74-71.

26 seconds: Fellers misses a 3 and Sockwell gets the board. Sockwell makes both FT's.

19 seconds: Fellers hits a 3.

17 seconds left: They foul Singleton... he makes the 1st to make it a 3 point lead.. and he makes the 2nd! 78-74.

6 seconds: They miss the 3 but Malaman with an offensive board and the putback.

4 seconds: They foul Singleton.. he makes the 1st... and the 2nd! 80-76.



We win the game 80-76 as they miss a buzzer 3. We committed 13 team fouls. They committed 22.


Sockwell was the player of the game with 33 points, 13 boards, 1 assist, and 1 block. He shot 12 of 14, 0 of 0, and 9 of 10.

Singleton with 6 points, 3 assists, and 3 turnovers. He shot 1 of 3 and was 4 of 4 from the line.

Chancler had 6 points and a steal. He shot 2 of 8.

Pardon with 7 points, 5 boards, 3 assists, and 3 steals. He shot 2 of 11, 1 of 2, and 2 of 3.

Gardner with 2 points, 4 boards, and 2 assists. He shot 0 of 4.


Bruce led the bench with 12 points and 1 assist. He shot 4 of 7, 3 of 5, and 1 of 2.

Sutton had 5 points, 2 boards, and an assist.

Goodman with 4 points, 3 boards, 4 assists, and 1 steal. He shot 1 of 6, 0 of 1, and 2 of 2. He played 19 minutes.

Hicks hit a 3 and also had 3 boards.

[Eaglesfan27]

Our next game is hosting #20 Clemson who are 12-3 and very close to us in Roster Strength. We win the simulated game 73-54 despite Sockwell fouling out in 7 minutes!

Singleton had 13 points, 6 boards, and 5 assists. Chancler had 17 points, 9 boards, and 5 assists.

Pardon with 10 points, 4 boards, and a block. Goodman with 9 points, 3 boards, and 3 steals. Sutton with 7 points and 3 assists. Hicks with 5 points and 6 boards as he played some center.


We are now 13-2 and are 5th in the media poll! Duke has dropped from 5th to 10th after losing 2 more games last week.

The top 5:

1. Pepperdine 18-0
2. Iowa 17-1
3. Oregon 13-2
4. Pitt 16-2
5. Wake Forest 13-2


We are now 6th in the coaches' poll.

Their top 5:

1. Pepperdine
2. Pitt
3. Oregon
4. Iowa
5. Florida 14-4


Niagara is losing more this year and is 12th in the mid major poll with a 13-5 record.

We are #1 in the RPI Rankings.

USC is now 11-6 and 2-3 in the Pac-10.


I always mean to post player's averages for the team and particularly at the end of their career, but I usually forget. Here are the averages as we are a bit over halfway down the year:

1. Sockwell 21.3 ppg, 9.5 rpg, 1.9 bpg, 1.3 apg, and 0.5 spg. He is averaging 25 mpg.

2. Chancler 11.5 ppg, 3.4 rpg, 2.8 apg, and 0.9 spg. He is averaging 26 mpg.

3. Pardon 10.1 ppg, 4.7 rpg, 1.1 apg, 1.0 spg. He is averaging 24.5 mpg.

4. Goodman 9.8 ppg, 3.7 rpg, 1.0 apg, 1 spg. He is averaging 16.7 mpg.

5. Singleton 8.2 ppg, 4.7 apg, 1.3 spg, and 1.7 rpg. He is averaging 28 mpg.

6. Bruce 4.8 ppg, 1.8 apg, and 0.6 spg. He is averaging 14.8 mpg.

7. Hicks 3.7 ppg and 2.3 rpg. He is averaging 10.3 mpg.

8. Sutton 3.5 ppg, 1.6 apg, and 0.5 spg. He is averaging 12 mpg.

9. Baldwin 3.3 ppg, 1.0 apg, and 0.9 spg. He is averaging 7 mpg (mostly simulated games.)

10. Gardner 3.3 ppg, 5.7 rpg, 1.5 apg, and 0.5 bpg. He is averaging 24 mpg.

11. Abram 1.9 ppg, 4.3 rpg, and 0.3 bpg. He is averaging 10.6 mpg.

12. Henning 1.6 ppg and 0.9 rpg. He is averaging 5 mpg.

13. Clifford 1.3 ppg, 3.7 rpg, and 0.3 spg. He is averaging 10 mpg.


Sockwell's average has him 19th in the NCAA.

[Radii]

Hell of a game against Virginia, nice win!


SR C Kory Malaman is a massive 7'5 288 pounds. His biggest strengths are his close shot (91), his standing dunk (87), and his rebounding (87 for each.) He is averaging a career high 18.5 ppg this year.

Dear god. That guy is a monster.

[Eaglesfan27]

Our next game is at Virginia Tech. They are 14-4. They are 2-2 in ACC play having pulled off an impressive upset at Georgia Tech and beaten Boston College at home. They lost at Florida State and at Maryland. They press a lot and create a large amount of turnovers. They have an overall roster strength of 85. They have 5 seniors starting:

PG Gerardo Sow is 6'1 211 pounds. He is a rated 81 overall and is a good 3 point shooter (83) and is good at shooting off the dribble (83.) He is a great ball handler (96) with excellent speed (91.)

SG Archie Plummer is 6'6 218. He is good at shooting off the dribble and in traffic (83 for each.) He is rated 78 overall. Chancler and Bruce should be able to beat him down the court easily.

SF Rashun Dunn is 6'5 191 pounds and he is battling a sore finger. He is a strong slashing player who is a great dunker (90.) He is their 2nd leading scorer at 12 ppg. He is rated 79 overall.

PF Roger McFadden is 6'7 248. He is an excellent inside scorer (92 close, 93 shoot in traffic.) He is a below average defender. He is rated 79 overall. He is their top scorer at just over 15 ppg.

C Bobbye Yeager is 6'8 231. He is rated 74 overall. He is a good inside scorer and a weak defensive player who is only good at blocking shots (83.) He is a subpar rebounder as well.


SR SF Daron Dejesus is their top bench player. The 6'7 206 pound player is rated 77 overall and is above average in most areas.

Their top backup PG is out for the game with a broken ankle.

Oh yeah, I'm slightly increasing the ingame injury sliders for both sides.

[Eaglesfan27]

15 minute mark: Up 14-6. We are running whenever we can. When we can't, we are executing well in our halfcourt offense. The defense was very good the first 3 minutes but is starting to slack up now.


10:54: We are up 21-10. Very balanced scoring from our team today. We bring in our entire 2nd unit including Clifford at C.

4:32: Goodman just doesn't shoot well on the road... yet. At least, the rest of the 2nd unit is shooting well and Goodman is doing other things well. We are up 30-17 as our starters return.


Halftime: We are up 36-25.

Sockwell is the player of the half with 5 points, 7 boards, 2 assists, and 2 blocks.


9:50: A brilliant 10 minutes. We played nearly perfect defense for the first 8 of it and were constantly using our defense to ignite fastbreaks. When we couldn't fastbreak, guys were hitting 3'. We are up 70-37 as I pull my starters.

37 seconds: Plummer fouls out.


We win the game 82-49.


Sockwell was the player of the game with 15 points, 13 boards, 3 assists, 2 steals, and 2 blocks. He shot 5 of 10, 0 of 0, and 5 of 8.

Singleton with 10 points, 5 assists, and only 2 turnovers. He shot 4 of 5 and 2 of 3 from the arc.

Chancler with 16 points, 6 boards, 1 steal, and 2 assists. He shot 5 of 12.

Pardon with 16 points, 2 assists, 2 steals, and a block. He shot 5 of 6, 1 of 2, and 5 of 6.

Gardner with 4 points, 7 boards, 4 assists, and 2 steals. He shot 2 of 4.


Bruce led the bench with 9 points on 4 of 6 shooting.

Goodman had 6 points, 2 boards, and 2 assists in 16 minutes. He shot 2 of 9, 1 of 5, and 1 of 2.

[Eaglesfan27]

Our next game is at Boston College. They are 11-7 and are 0-4 in ACC play. They were beaten at home by North Carolina State 75-70, on the road against Virginia Tech 65-60, at home by Georgia Tech 66-62, and on the road by North Carolina 91-85.

They have a solid roster with an overall strength of 88. Ours is now 91. They have 3 seniors in the starting lineup and 1 very young sophomore at SG:

SR PG Lanny Dupre is rated 82 overall. He is 5'11 175. He is a great defensive player (95 perimeter defense, 88 steals) and is an excellent midrange shooter (85 midrange, 87 shooting off the dribble.) He is also a very good ball handler (92.)

SO SG Derrick Fanning is 6'3 186. He is a very good 3 point shooter (83 in 3's 83 in shooting off the dribble.) He is slow and tends to get in foul trouble as a result. As a result, he is only averaging 6 ppg. He is rated 81 overall.

SR SF Michael Paschel is 6'9 224. He doesn't excel in any area but is good in most areas. He is rated 77 overall.

HR PF B.J. Sayman is 6'10 224. He is a good rebounder (85 in both categories.) He is also a decent inside scorer. He is rated 77 overall.

SR C Brandon Alford is the star of this team. He is 7'0 245 and is skilled. He is an elite inside scorer (99 close shooting, 91 in traffic, 86 standing dunk). He is a very good low post defender (89.) He is fast (75) and should matchup very well agaisnt Sockwell. He is averaging 20.2 ppg and 7.7 rpg. Scouts should be there to watch this game as both are projected as 1st round picks right now..


Their bench is incredibly deep. They have 6 guys who are all rated 77. The only thing they lack is a true backup center.

[Eaglesfan27]

15 minute mark: Down 11-4. Paschel has 7 points already and has been dominating Pardon.

13:56: Gardner gets a 2nd foul.. he will remain in the game for now.


13:02: Down 15-6, I get my bench in except I keep Sockwell in the game.

9:39: We close the gap. Down 20-15. Sockwell is tired so Clifford will come in.

6:20: All of my starters are returning. Down 26-19.

6:02: Sockwell is charged with a 2nd foul.

3:41: Pardon gets a blocking foul. That is his 2nd. We are down 32-23.

2:20: Singleton picks up a 2nd foul. We are down 40-27.

1:29: Chancler gets his 2nd foul. We are down 40-31 after a midrange jumper and a fastbreak dunk.


Halftime: We are down 42-32. Dupre is getting to the line constantly. We are doing 3 things wrong: We've given up too many steals and fastbreaks. We've given up too many FT's, and we've been shooting poorly from the perimeter. If we can fix at least 2 of those, we should be able to get back in this game.

Sockwell with an incredible first half: 13 points, 10 boards, 2 assists, and 2 blocks. He shot 5 of 10, and 3 of 3 from the line. He did turn it over to steals twice.


19:45: Dupre drives into the lane and gets a 3rd foul on Gardner.

18:54: They steal it from Singleton.. Gardner tries to stop the fastbreak and he picks up his 4th foul.

18:03: Pardon fakes out his man with a crossover, drives into the lane, and gets a 2nd foul on Alford. However, he is grabbing his ankle after the collision.

Our staff recommends bringing in Bruce at SG and sliding Chancler to SF. Since Goodman has been struggling on the road, I go with their suggestion.

30 seconds later, Bruce beats his man and drives into the lane and gets a 3rd foul on Alford.

15 minute mark: We are down 54-38. We are still making bad passes that they are stealing and getting fastbreaks off. Our 3 point shooting is still bad.

9:52: Sockwell is exhausted. The starters are tired. We are down 60-46.


Our bench plays so badly, that it isn't ever worth bringing the starters back in.


We lose the game 84-60.

Sockwell had a big game with 25 points, 14 boards, 2 assists, and 3 blocks. He shot 11 of 18, 0 of 0, and 3 of 4.

Singleton with 4 points, 4 assists, and 4 turnovers. He shot 2 of 5.

Chancler with 9 points, 5 boards, and 4 turnovers. He shot 1 of 8, 0 of 6, and 7 of 10.

Pardon with 4 points, 4 boards, 3 steals, a block, and 3 turnovers. He shot 1 of 6.

Gardner with 0 points, 1 board, and 2 assists. He turned it over 3 times. He shot 0 of 1.


Bruce led the bench with 7 points on 2 of 8 shooting.

Goodman with 4 points and a board on 0 of 4 shooting. He was 4 of 4 from the line.


Disappointing to get beat so badly.

[Eaglesfan27]

Despite the loss, we remain 5th in the media poll this week. We drop from 6th to 8th in the coaches' poll.

We get good news on Pardon's ankle. It is just a sprain and he should be 100% by our next game.


Our simulated game is at home vs #13 Duke. They are 12-4 and have an equal roster strength of 91. We lose the game at home 72-68 despite great games from Pardon and Sockwell.

Pardon with a career high 5 blocks. He also had 14 points and 11 boards on 3 of 11 shooting, 8 of 10 from the line.

Sockwell had 20 points, 7 boards, and 3 blocks. He shot 8 of 22, 1 of 3, and 3 of 5.

Singleton with 9 points and 4 assists.

Chancler with 5 points and 2 boards.

Gardner with 2 points, 5 boards, and a block.

Goodman led the bench with 4 points and 4 boards.


During the game, Bruce broke a finger and will be less than 100% for 4-6 weeks.

Our next game is at home vs Miami. They are 14-4 and have an equal roster strength to us. They are missing their top freshman, PF Makan Markham due to a strained achilles tendon. They still have 4 very talented players in their starting 5:

JR PG Jimmy St. Fort is the weakest link in the starting 5. He is rated 78 overall. He is a great ball stealer (93.) He is 6'2 184. He is averaging 9 ppg and 5 apg.

SO SG Adenilson Sarchet was the freshman of the year for the nation last year. He is now rated 86 overall. He is a great midrange shooter (87), good off the dribble (84) and in traffic (83.) He is fast (89 speed) and has a nice first step (quickness of 88.) He is a good ball handler (83) and is a decent passer (80.) His defense is a bit suspect, but his size bothers smaller SG's. He is 6'6 203. His scoring average is slightly down from last year and is at 13 ppg.

SR Immanuel Dean has developed into a phenomenal player. He is 6'6 236. He is rated 88 overall. He has great speed (89), great ball handling (86), and is a deadly midrange shooter (90 with 92 shooting in traffic.) He is averaging just over 11 ppg.

JR PF Chris Dillon is playing through a sprained ankle. He is 6'8 236 and is rated 86 overall. He is a very strong rebounder and a good post defender who can score. He is averaging just under 10 ppg.

SR Center Donnells Keeler is another monster to match up against Sockwell. He is 7'0 263 and is rated 88 overall. He is a great inside scorer (93 and shooting in traffic 98) with great strength (98.) He is a very good shot blocker (86) with good rebounding. His only weakness is his tendency to get into foul trouble. Still, he is averaging over 21 ppg.


Markham is out, but they have 4 bench players rated 76 or higher. 2 of them are PG's and they do lack size on the bench.

[Eaglesfan27]

16 minute mark: Dillon gets his 2nd foul thanks to Gardner. We are tied at 4 in a physical game early.

12:23: Tied at 10. Keeler has 8 of their points. He goes out and we rest our starters. Chancler has been our main scorer so far.

9:13: Keeler has been back for the last 30 seconds or so. Goodman isn't settling for outside shots and is getting to the FT line and also has us in the bonus. We are up 17-16.

7:14: Clifford has 2 fouls due to Keeler in the last 2 minutes. We are tied at 19 and tiring Keeler out.

6:06: Down 23-21, I bring back our starters.

5:08: Sockwell gets a 2nd foul on a tired Keeler, he goes to the bench. We are down 25-23.

Sockwell is our main scorer over the next 5 minutes.


Halftime: We are up 33-31.


Sockwell is the player of the half with 13 points and 3 boards.

16:32: We are getting sloppy which we can't afford against this team. A few turnovers have given them a 5 point lead now. Worse, Sockwell has picked up 2 quick cheap fouls because of those breakaways. Down 42-37.


Pardon gets fouled on a 3 attempt which ends our bad streak. He makes all 3 to pull us back within 2.

15:23: Singleton picks up a 3rd foul. We are down 45-43.

15:12: Sockwell draws a 3rd foul on Keeler.

11:32: Sockwell dominates once Keeler goes out and everything becomes easier. We are up 55-50 as I rest my starters.

First play, Goodman with a spectacular baseline move, reverse layup, and the foul which he makes.

He's at home and he's feeling it.. next play Goodman with a 16 footer. 60-50.

9:29: We are up 60-52 and we are shooting FT's the rest of the way. Keeler comes back in along with Sarchet and the rest of their starters.

9:02: Clifford draws a 4th foul on Keeler! He makes both FT's. We are up 63-54.

Clifford with a block and then a dunk at the other end! The walk-on is having a nice game.

5:31: We are up 70-60 as our starters return to finish this.

4:02: We are up 76-60 as Keeler returns.

41 seconds: Keeler fouls out. We are up 86-65.


We win the game 86-65.


Sockwell was the player of the game with 21 points, 8 boards, 2 assists, and 2 blocks. He shot 7 of 9, 0 of 0, and 7 of 8.

Singleton with 9 points, 2 assists, and 4 turnovers.

Chancler with 15 points and 3 boards. He shot 4 of 8, 3 of 6, and 4 of 8.

Pardon with 13 points, 5 boards, 1 assist, and 1 steal. He shot 3 of 6 and 7 of 7 from the line.

Gardner with 2 points, 5 boards, and 2 assists.


Goodman led the bench with 13 points and 2 assists. He shot 3 of 4, 0 of 0, and 7 of 7.

Bruce with 5 points.


We are now 15-4.

[Eaglesfan27]

With the win and loss this week, we drop 1 spot in both polls.

Our next game is at North Carolina where we haven't won since I took over. This should be the year to end that. They are 10-12 and are 4-3 in ACC play. They have a roster strenght of 82. They have a young starting 5 with no seniors. In fact, they don't have a single senior on the roster:

So PG Qusmane Niang is 6'1 191 pounds. He is rated 76 overall. He is slow and isn't a good shooter. However, he is a good defender and he is a very good passer (88.)

SO SG Alando Sockwell is 6'6 212. He is the team's highest rated player with an overall of 78. He is fast (88) and has a great first step (87 quickness) He is a decent 3 point shooter (79.) He is the team's leading scorer with just under 12 ppg.

FR SF Damond Harris was Mr. Basketball in North Carolina last year and has "A" potential, but he is still learning. He is rated 75 overall and is 6'6 212. His stregnths are his perimeter defense (78) and close shooting (85.) He is averaging 7 ppg.

FR PF Guilliermo Fernandez is from Miami, FL and was a highly ranked H.S. player but he has been a disappointment so far. He is rated 72 overall and his potential isn't that high. He is 6'8 212. He is a good dunker (84.) but doesn't have many other strengths.

JR C Booker Daley is the only player with good size on the roster. He is 6'10 252. He is rated 72 overall and is very slow. He isn't a good scorer and is just an average defender. His best attribute is his durability (93.)


So SG Mani Carlson is the top bench player. He is rated 77 overall and is a fast slashing SG. He is 6'4 205. He is their 2nd leading scorer at 10.5 ppg.

The rest of the bench players are all rated about 70 for overall.

[Eaglesfan27]

17:50: While trying to take a charge, our Sockwell gets hit with a 2nd foul. We are up 5-4. We'll keep him in for now.

15:03: We are up 9-6. Chancler has 5.


12:19: Sockwell gets a 2nd foul on Daley. We are tied at 13.


10:50: We are down 17-14 and my starters are tired, so we go the bench.

9:39: Clifford and Hicks each get a foul on Fernadez who was trying to play center. Down 20-18 but their lack of depth should be allowing to pull away.

5:42: Both teams are now in the double bonus. We are down 34-29. I put my starters back into the game.

5:22: Pardon with 1 man to beat on a breakaway.. he collids with Harris.. Pardon is holding his knee on the floor :( (Pardon is my lowest durability player with a rating of 77.)

Due to fatigue levels, my staff recommends bring in Baldwin and playing him at SG with Chancler at SF. I do it.

North Carolina is forcing a fast pace and my guys are falling into it.



At halftime, we are down 45-40. North Carolina is doing better on the fast break and they are hitting 3's in their halfcourt. They shooting 7 of 17 from the arc. We are 4 of 15 from the arc.



We'll pound it inside to Sockwell more this half. He already has 9 points and 9 boards.


During halftime, Pardon was cleared to return but I'll keep him with the 2nd unit and bring Goodman in at SF. I also talk to the guys about playing much tighter perimeter defense.


They keep doubling and even tripling Sockwell and my guys aren't making the kickouts.


16:21: Sockwell picks up a 3rd foul. We are down 49-47.


15:12: After failed shots by Sockwell and Chancer, Goodman hits a 14 footer to give us a 51-50 lead, our first lead in a very long time.


Next possession, Goodman draws a 3rd foul on Harris.


10:44: It has been back and forth and we are tied at 60. Sockwell picks up his 4th foul and I rest all of my starters.


6:02: We are down 71-64. I bring back our starters with Goodman at SF.


Sockwell just isn't producing down the stretch.. even against a smaller man, he is missing his usual reliable jump hook.


3:02: Sockwell fouls out. We are down 76-67. Hicks will come in for his shooting potential.


Goodman with back to back baskets to make it 77-71.


Goodman with a steal and he is fouled. He hits both FT's to make it 77-73! 1:39 left.

They throw away the inbounds pass!

Chancler misses a corner 3... he has been bad from there tonight.

Daley makes a basket in the post at the other end.

Goodman responds with a 14 footer.

They hit 2 FT's. Goodman hits a 3! We are down 81-78 with 20 seconds to go..

They hit 2 FT's.. Goodman gets fouled before he can shoot. He will shoot 2 FT"s.. He hits the 1st.. misses the 2nd.. but they get the board.

Their center makes both FT's. Goodman misses a 3 and that will do it.

They shoot another set of FT's and Goodman misses a a buzzer beater 3.




We lose the game 85-79. I think home court advantage is coded to give North Carolina the biggest advantage of any team in the game, at least when games are played out.



They shot 12 of 25 from the arc while we shot 5 of 26 which was the difference today. Surprisingly, they also outrebounded us 44-34.


They had 4 players with 12 points (Niang, Sockwell, Harris, and Daley) and Carlson had 14.


Goodman led our team with 22 points, 2 boards, and 2 assists. He shot 7 of 15, 1 of 5, and 7 of 8. His best game on the road.

Sockwell had 20 points, 14 boards, 2 assists, 2 steals, and a block. He shot 6 of 14, 0 of 0, and 8 of 10.

Singleton with 4 points and 5 assists but he shot 0 of 5 from the floor.

Chancler with 13 points, 6 boards, 3 assists, and 3 steals. He shot 3 of 12 (2 of 10 from the arc.)

Pardon with 0 points, 1 board, and 1 block. He shot 0 of 5.

Gardner with 1 point and 3 boards.

Hicks, Bruce, Sutton, and Baldwin each had 4 points.

[Eaglesfan27]

Pardon should be 100% in less than a week. Abram is also projected to come back in the next week.


North Carolina State is 10-11 and we have them at home for our simulated game. We win 69-50.

Pardon led the team with 12 points, 3 boards, and an assist.

Goodman had 11 points, 4 boards, and 2 steals.

Sockwell only had 6 points and 3 boards with 2 blocks before he fouled out in 20 minutes.

That loss to North Carolina dropped us to 10th in the media poll and 14th in the coaches' poll.


Our next game is hosting Boston College. They are 13-10. We lost to them at their place 84-58 a few weeks ago.


Niagara has fallen back into the pack in the MAAC. They are 16-8 (9-5) and are currently 3rd in the conference. Marco Christopher is their only reliable scorer. His average is now 14.4 ppg and 4.5 apg.


USC is 14-8 and 5-5 in Pac-10 Play. I think it is time for Floyd to retire. They have a super freshman who I'd love to coach next year if he doesn't do a 1 and done (he is projected as a 2nd round pick right now.) He was the 8th player overall in this past year's class. Actually, they have a very talented team around him so it is surprising they aren't winning more.


Now, time to beat Boston College..

[Eaglesfan27]

15 minute mark: We are up 9-8. Singleton has just picked up his 2nd foul. Gardner has been scoring early.

11:49: Sockwell with a dunk and he draws a 2nd foul on Alford. We are up 24-17 as our team is purposefully trying to push the pace.


9:53: We are up 29-20. Our starters are all exhausted. I bring in the 2nd unit. I plan on slowing it down with this unit.

3:20: We were excuting our offense very well until the last 90 seconds or so. We are up 44-32 as I bring back our starters.

1:10: Sockwell picks up his 2nd foul.


Halftime: We are up 52-40.



We are shooting 5 of 10 from the arc in the first half.


Sockwell is the player of the half with 13 points and 7 boards. He had 6 in the last 3 minutes.

Chancler and Singleton each have 11.



18:58: Singleton gets a 3rd foul on Dupre.


17:00: 20 seconds earlier Alford got a 3rd foul on Sockwell. Sockwell just returned the favor.

14:17: Chancler has been on fire. He has hit 4 3's in a row and Singleton has added 2 more. We are up 75-50.

9:42: Both teams are running and gunning and both teams are doing it well. We are up 90-68 as I pull my starters hopefully for the rest of the game. Chancler is having an incredible night. Sockwell has been his usual 20 plus point self.

7:12: Goodman beats his man and drives to the hoop drawing a 4th foul on Alford.

4:02: Their starters are scoring quickly, particularly Paschel. Up 95-84. I bring back our starters.

3:29: Sockwell pikcs up his 4th foul. They miss the FT.

1:34: Chancler hits a 3 that is our 100th point and his career high 35th point.

Next possession he hits another 3. We are up 103-86, so I put back our 2nd unit.


We win the game 103-86.


Chancler was the player of the game. He had a career high 38 points, 6 assists (ties a career high), 2 boards, 3 steals, and 0 turnovers. He shot 14 of 19, 8 of 12, and 2 of 4. After the game, scouts are talking about him being a lottery pick.


Singleton with 15 points, 7 assists, 2 boards, 2 steals, and only 1 turnover. He shot 5 of 6, 3 of 3, and 2 of 3.

Pardon with 3 points, 3 boards, 1 assist, and 2 steals. He shot 1 of 8, 0 of 2, and 1 of 1.

Gardner with 4 points, 5 boards, and 3 steals.

Sockwell with 25 points, 12 boards, 6 assists, and 2 steals. He shot 10 of 11, and 5 of 8 from the line.

Goodman led the bench with 10 points. He shot 1 of 6, 1 of 4, and 7 of 8.

Sutton and Bruce each had 4.

[Eaglesfan27]

We are now 17-5 and have a tough road game against Georgia Tech. They are 13-6 but are highly talented. The good news is that Pardon and Abram are both 100% for this game. Bruce still has his broken finger but everyone else is healthy.


Georgia Tech has 2 guys with minor injuries. Steve Proffitt, a freshman who is buried on the depth chart, has a bruised rib. Jerome Weaver, one of their stars, has a pulled quad.

Georgia Tech's roster is rated 94 overall due in large part to 3 superstars in their starting 5:

PG Leslie Burnette is one of the most talented seniors in the nation with an overall rating of 90. He is 6'3 185. He is averaging 14 ppg and 5 apg. He is a tremendous 3 point shooter (93 with 84 off the dribble shooting.) He is also a great midrange shooter (92.) He has great speed (94) and quickness (89.) He is also a great defender (91.)

SG Hilton Boykin is also a senior. He is 6'4 212. He has exceptional speed for a 2 guard (91), is a great ball handler (90), and is a very good midrange shooter (84.) He is averaging 13 ppg and 6.4 rpg. He is rated 89 overall.

SF Kenneth Varem is the lone freshman in the lineup and interestingly they are starting him ahead of the more talented A.B. Kampman who was last year's super freshman. Kenneth was the 5th rated player in the country last year and is the better 3 point shooter between the two players (Kenneth has 87 3 point shooting.) He is also an excellent midrange shooter (84.) and is a good defender (81.) He is rated 82 overall. Kenneth is 6'6 206.

PF Jerome Weaver is undersized at 6'4 215 but is very talented with an overall rating of 88. He is a tenacious rebounder despite his size with rating of 87 in each. He is a great dunker with excellent speed and quickness. His low post offense is very refined (94 rating for low post offense.) He is a junior.

C Jeffrey Hudson is also undersized at 6'9 204 but also talented with an overall rating of 80. He is a junior. He is a skilled low post offensive player (90.) with good defense skills. He is very slow and not that strong. Sockwell should be able to abuse him inside.

SR SG Brody Karangwa is a superstar 6th man. The SG is rated 88 overall and is 6'1 195. He has elite speed and quickness (93 and 92.) He is a great perimeter defender (91 defense and 90 stealing.) He also is a great ball handler (90.)

SO SF A.B. Kampman continues to make me wish I had gotten him. He is now rated 84 overall and has become a very strong well rounded player with no weaknesses. He is rated 84 overall.

FR PG Sid Esterkamp was the 11th overall player this past year. He is rated 83 overall and dominant perimeter defender already (93 rating) with great speed and quickness.


The rest of the bench is solid with all of them have overall ratings of 75 or higher.


I'll play this game later.

[Eaglesfan27]

16:53: Both defenses are playing very physical. We have 1 foul on 3 of their defenders. Pardon just picked up his 2nd when he bumped Varem on the perimeter. We are down 4-2. Goodman comes in for Pardon.

16:35: Chancler picks up his 2nd foul.. I'm leaving him in for now.


16:12: Chancler with a nice crossover gets a 2nd foul on Boykin.


13:12: Chancler picks up his 3rd foul. I bring in the entire 2nd unit except Abram isn't fully healed and the docs haven't cleared him despite my thinking they would. Since I brought him up for Clifford.. I have no choice but to go with a smaller lineup. Henning will play center. We are down 8-2.

9:01: After being down 10-2, Goodman starts lighting it up, first with a 3, then a long 2, and then a dunk. Over the last 3 minutes, he has had 7 points, 4 boards, 1 assist, and 1 block. We are now up 13-11. So much for Goodman not being able to play on the road.


6:32: We are down 17-16 and Goodman is tired. I bring back all of our starters except for Chancler who has 3 fouls.

4:24: We are down 22-16. Time to get Sockwell more involved, he has been way too quiet.


Sockwell with 9 points in the last 4 minutes.


Halftime: We are down 33-32. Good half on the road.


Proffitt, their backup SG/SF is the leading scorer with 13 points on 4 of 6 shooting (3 of 4 from the arc.)

Sockwell leads our team with 11 points and 5 boards. Goodman has 10.



19:43: Sockwell gets a 3rd foul on Hudson.

18:05 Sockwell with a breakaway dunk gets a 3rd foul on Weaver.


17:10: In 30 seconds, Pardon picks up his 3rd foul on a reach in and his 4th on a blocking call. Goodman comes in.


16:54: Burnette picks up a 3rd foul! We are up 38-35.


16:24: Sockwell gets a 3rd foul on Varem who was trying to stop a dunk.


13:46: We are in the bonus. Sockwell hits both FT's. We are up 45-39.

12:36: Chancler and Sockwell are leading us on a 9-0 run so far... We are up 51-39.

A.B. Kampman hits a pair of FT's to end the run.

Singleton and the SG's have been brilliant at handling their full court trap today.


9:29: We are up 60-43. My starters are very tired. Their starters are returning to the game fresh. I bring in my 2nd unit and ask them to slow it way down and milk the clock. Goodman is still fairly fresh and will remain in the game with the 2nd unit.

5:40: They had a 6-0 run but Goodman hit a 3 to end it. We've turned it over twice to their full court trap, but both times they failed to make the basket. Very good hustly from my 2nd unit on defense. We are up 63-49 so the 2nd unit is staying in a bit longer.


3:06: Last 2 possessions, Goodman has hit a 3 and a pull up 18 footer after coming off a screen. We are up 68-51. Goodman is tired, but it looks like he and the bench will finish this out.


We win the game 70-55! A very nice road win. :)


Sockwell was the player of the game with 20 points, 9 boards, 3 assists, 1 steal, and 1 block. He shot 5 of 6, 0 of 0, and 10 of 14.

Goodman was the leading scorer in the game with 21 points, 6 boards, 1 assist, and 1 block. He also had 5 turnovers. He shot 8 of 17, 3 of 3, and 2 of 3.


Singleton with 4 points and 2 assists.

Chancler with 14 points, 3 boards, and 3 assists. He shot 7 of 8.

Pardon with 2 points, 2 assists, and 3 steals. He shot 0 of 3.

Gardner with 0 points and 5 boards.


Bruce had 5 points. Hicks had 2 points and 4 boards. Henning had 2 points, 1 board, and 3 assists.



We held all 5 of their starters to 8 points or less. Profitt was the only player for them to score in double digits with 13.

[Eaglesfan27]

Abram has now been cleared to play.

We've jumped back to 5th in the media poll and moved up to 12th in the coaches' poll.

Our simulated game is at Miami. They are 16-6 and match up well against us. Keeler has an epic game with 32 points, 12 boards, and 3 blocks to lead Miami 67-58 over us. Sockwell had a very good game as well with 22 points, 8 boards, and 3 blocks. Pardon had 15 points and 6 boards.


We are now 18-6. Our next game is our last OOC game and it is hosting Providence. They are 12-13 but have a solid roster with an overall rating of 85. Their top player is a tall SG which worries me:

SR SG Dannorris Redick is a 6'7 229 pound SG from Queens. He is rated 83 overall and is extremely fast (93 speed, 89 quickness) with good ability at shooting off the dribble (86), good passing (84), and good stealing (84.)

JR PG Cordell Gaines is a 6'1 196 pound player from Providence, RI. He is rated 81 overall. He is fast (93 speed) with excellent passing ability (89), and good ball handling (86.)

SO SF Michael Wilder is a lean player at 6'8 197. He has good speed and very few weaknesses or strengths. He is rated 78 overall.

They don't have a true PF on the roster and will often play Wilder at PF.

They have 4 more guards who are all rated in the 75-78 range. JR Mark Cooper is the most interesting. He is only 5'7 165. He has excellent speed (92) and is a great 3 point shooter (88.) However, he is average or worse in most in other areas. He is rated 77 overall.

Center Jerrad McLaughlin is their only player with some size. He is from Quebec City. He is a 6'10 226 pound sophomore. He is rated 71 overall and the only thing he is good at is rebounding (81 for offense and 80 for defense) and post defense (84.) He is very slow and lacks strength, so I expect Sockwell should be able to take advantage of him.

[RPI-Fan]

Start Goodman!!!!!!!!!!

[Eaglesfan27]

Start Goodman!!!!!!!!!!

Yeah, I was thinking that after the last game. He has earned it and will start the rest of the year.

[RPI-Fan]

Hey, I didn't say to make him any promises. Need to keep him motivated and all...

[Eaglesfan27]

One interesting thing is that our unity takes a big hit with Goodman joining the lineup.. it is still good but no longer excellent. One reason that I won't play musical chairs, but I agree, Goodman needs to stay motivated. Now time to start the Providence game which should be a nice easy start for Goodman.

[Eaglesfan27]

1st play of the game: Chancler throws it down low to Sockwell.. he is doubled.. he kicks it out to a wide open Goodman in the corner.. he swishes the 3.

15 minute mark: We are up 11-5. Goodman has 7.

9:24: Honestly, I'm not trying to force anything to Goodman, but he just seems to be naturally getting open the most. He has 14 as we are up 24-14. Our 2nd unit comes in.. I'm looking forward to seeing how well Pardon can do against their subs.

8:44: They just put Redick in at SF and Pardon just drew a 2nd foul on him.


4:32: We are up 32-27 as our starters return.



Halftime: We are up 42-33. Their 3 point shooting is keeping them in it.

Chancler is the player of the half with 14 points (most of them in the last 4 minutes), 2 boards, and a steal. He has shot 5 of 5, 1 of 1, and 3 of 4.

Goodman also has 14 points at the half on 5 of 9 shooting. He also has a board and 2 assists.

Sockwell has 6 points, 4 boards, 4 assists (mostly to Goodman), and 2 blocks.



19:40: On the fastbreak, Singleton draws a 3rd foul on Redick.

9:48: We are up 64-48. Goodman has been great today. He has been foricng steals (he has at least 4 tips this half - some led to steals and others didn't), making assists, and making shots. We bring in our 2nd unit.

7:40: Pardon with a strong drive to the hole.. they collapse the defense.. he kicks it out to Hicks who makes a 3 and gets fouled! He finishes the 4 point play. Up 72-54.

4:12: They have closed within 15, so my starters will return for 2 minutes or so to finish this out. We are up 76-61.

1:27: We are up 84-64 as our 2nd unit returns to the game.


We win the game 86-67.


Goodman was the player of the game with 22 points, 3 boards, 3 assists, and 3 steals (he also tipped balls that led to 2 steals by other players.) He had 0 turnovers. He shot 8 of 16, 2 of 4, and 4 of 5.


Chancler also had 22 points. He had 3 boards and 1 assist with 0 turnovers. He shot 8 of 11, 2 of 4, and 4 of 6.

Singleton with 4 points, 3 boards, 8 assists, and 2 steals. He turned it over 4 times.

Gardner with 2 points, 6 boards, and 1 block.

Sockwell with 14 points, 9 boards, 5 assists, 2 steals, and 3 blocks. He shot 6 of 12, 1 of 2 (set up by a nice Goodman pass), and 1 of 2.


Pardon led the bench with 9 points, 1 board, and 1 assist. He shot 2 of 2, 1 of 1, and 4 of 6.

Bruce and Hicks each had 4 points. Hicks also had 6 boards. Abram had 3 points and Sutton had 2.

[Eaglesfan27]

The loss to Miami drops us to 11th in the media poll and 15th in the coaches' poll.


We now have 4 players who have expressed very high interest in coming to Wake Forest. Hopefully, I don't lose them all waiting for the lone 5 star in the group:

PG Leslie Wright has indicated that it is between us and Duke, but Maryland and Georgia Tech are both in the picture as well. He has our last scholarship offer. He is the lone 5 star who is ranked 16th overall in the nation.

PG Raynardo Salow of Conway Arkansas is very interested in us. However, Clemson and Xavier are both strongly in the picture and he has offers from both of them. He is a 4 star PG ranked 38th overall.

Dommanic Nava is the smallest of the 4. He is a PG from Houston, TX. He would love to come to Wake. Mississippi State is the only other school that he really likes and they have offered him a scholarship. He is a 4 star who is ranked 90th overall.

PF Francisco Clarke (I started recruiting him because we do have 2 good PG's on the roster with Sutton and Baldwin, so I don't have to get a PG) is a smaller PF who is ranked 91st overall. He is from Elkhart, Indiana. Penn State and Wake are his top 2 choices.




Our next game is hosting Maryland. They are 15-10 (5-7) this year. Their overall roster strength is 87. They have a very unbalanced roster with 5 star guards and youth and relative lack of talent at the forward positons.

Their starting 5:

JR PG Herb Lennon is the best player on their roster with an overall rating of 86. He is only 5'10 176. He is fast (93 speed), a great perimeter defender (93), and a great ball handler and passer (92 for each.) He is a very good shooter. He is averaging over 12 ppg and 5 apg.

FR SG Jonathan Tucker is the most talented freshman I've ever seen. He was the 6th ranked player in his class. He is 6'1 183 but that is his only issue. He is ranked 86 overall and may go pro after this year. He has incredible intangibles (including a 99 hustle!), very good speed (89), great shooting off the dribble (89), and good abilities in most other areas. He is averaging 10 ppg, 6 rpg, and 4 apg this year.

JR SF Lawrence Bender - I'm mystified as to why he is starting ahead of Ron Bender.. unless Ron just gt back from an injury and they just haven't put Ron back into the starting lineup yet. Ah, I see, they've recently moved Ron Bender to center. Anyway, Lawrence has an inch on Ron, but nothing else. He is rated 72 overall and doesn't excel in any area. He is only averaging 2 ppg.

FR PF Joah Webb is 6'9 213. He doesn't excel in any area. He is rated 76 overall. He is averaging 5 ppg and 5 rpg.

FR C Ron Bender - He is actually a natural SF but Bender is forced to play center on this team that doesn't have a natural C. Ron Bender was a SF that I heavily pursued last year. He is now rated 78 overall. He is 6'6 248. His greatest strengths are his speed (87), quickness (85), dunking (84), and shooting in traffic (81.) He is a weak rebounder and post defender. I expect Sockwell to put up 30.


The bench is loaded with 3 star guards that would start almost anywhere else:

JR PG Blair Rollins is rated 85 overall and is 6'0 192. He is a dynamic scorer who is leading the team at 13 ppg despite only played 24 mpg.

JR PG Artie Fields is 5'11 196 and is also rated 85 overall. He is the best 3 point shooter on the team (88.) He is playing 18 mpg and is averaging just under 10 ppg.

JR PG Lyle Cranford is 6'2 186 and is rated 84 overall. He is averaging 9 ppg in 17 mpg.

The rest of the bench is subpar with most guys in the low 70's.

I'll play that game later this week.

[RPI-Fan]

If Maryland keeps everyone next year, they could be a huge threat in the ACC... no seniors in the top 8.

[Eaglesfan27]

15:43: Sockwell got the 1st and Goodman got the 2nd foul on Ron Bender. We are down 9-8 after Goodman hits 1 of 2 FT's.

13:41: Singleton on the fast break gets a 2nd foul on Tucker. We are tied at 11.

11:55: They draw a 2nd foul Singleton. We sub out our starters. We are tied at 14.

9:09: Blair Rollins is lighting us up. He has 9 points. We are down 20-16.


8:04: Missed FT's are hurting us bad. They just hit a 4 point play to make it 24-16.

7:00: They are forcing turnovers and playing very fast paced. I have to get my starters back in. We are down 30-20.


Halftime: We fell into the trap of trying to run and gun with their superior athleticism and trying to outshoot them. They killed us from the arc while we were cold. We are down 48-32. We will get it to much more to Sockwell this half.

Rollins is the player of the half with 9 points. However, they have 4 guards with at least 6 points.


Sockwell is our leading scorer with 9. Goodman has 8.


13:35: We are slowly working our way back, but they keep hitting 3's to regrow the lead. Sockwell just blew a 3 point chance when he missed a FT. After the collision on the play, Ron Bender grabbed his knee and is out of the game.


12:46: Sockwell continues to miss too many FT's. :(


Scratch that.. everyone is missing too many FT's. Goodman just missed a pair. :(


10:45: Our starters are exhausted. We bring in the 2nd unit down 70-54.


7:05: We've stopped them the last 3 possessions, but Pardon has blown 4 FT's and Bruce missed a relatively easy layup opportunity. Down 74-54, I bring my starters back for one last comeback attempt.

Chancler misses 3 FT's in a row. I double check that I still have real FT% on which I do.

1:30: We are down 90-66 so I pull out our starters. Sockwell has scored every single point the last 5 minutes or so as Goodman and Chancler have both had a few shots that just barely missed/rimmed out.


Those Fucking Assholes! They rushed the ball up the court to shoot a final 3 with 2 seconds left!


Tucker was the player of the game. The freshman had 16 points and 3 boards. He shot 5 of 8 and 3 of 3 from the arc.

As a team, they shot a ridiculous 14 of 22 from the arc!

They had 5 guards who each had 11 points or higher. Most of them shot from the arc.

Webb had 11 points and 11 boards against Gardner.



Sockwell was our leading scorer with 33 points. He had 9 boards, 4 assists, and a steal as well. He shot 14 of 20, 0 of 0, and 5 of 10.

We shot 14 of 32 from the FT Line.

Singleton had 6 points and 7 assists.

Chancler had 3 points, 5 boards, and 2 assists. He shot 1 of 5 from the arc and 1 of 9 overall. He hit 0 of 5 FT's.

Goodman had 14 points, 2 boards, 1 assist, and 1 steal. He shot 5 of 13, 1 of 6, and 3 of 6.

Gardner with 5 points and 8 boards.

Hicks led the bench with 6 points and 3 boards.

Pardon had 0 points and 4 boards. He was 0 of 5 and 0 of 2 from the line.

[Eaglesfan27]

Our next game is supposed to be our simulated game, but it is at Duke and I don't want to miss that especially since our home game was already simulated against them. They will be a touch matchup with an over roster strength that is now slightly higher than ours. They are 18-6 and are currently 14th in the media poll but will probably jump us this week if we don't beat them. They are missing one of their top players as K.D. McCoy has a strained achilles. Also, their starting PG has a strained hamstring that will slow him down. It pains me to see who Duke's top superstar is now, SR SF Dominic Vanttaja.

SR PG Devin Hatten is rated 87 overall. He is 6'0 184. He has the highest speed rating I've ever seen (98.) He is a great shooter from midrange (88) and is a good ball handler and passer. Let's hope his hamstring slows him up. He is averaging 15 ppg, 6 apg, and 3 rpg.

SR SG Phil Bonfim is 6'3 202 and rated 84 overall. He is another very fast player with speed of 93 and quickness of 91. He is a very good finisher around the rim. He is averaging 11 ppg.

SR SF Dominick Vanttaja is now rated 90 overall. He is 6'6 238. He is a great dunker (87), great rebounder (90 in both categories), and an all around good player with no weaknesses. He is averaging 11 ppg, 6 rpg, and 3 apg. He is projected to be a top 5 draft pick.

With K.D. McCoy out, they will start JR PF Antzcan Zamore, another player I tried to get. He is a 6'9 226 pound PF who is rated 82 overall. He is a great shot blocker and rebounder who can score a good bit. He is averaging 11 ppg, 7 rpg, and 2 bpg.

They don't have a true center on the roster, and will start PF Keenan McMillan at C. He is a 6'9 225 pound player from Baltimore. He is also rated 82 overall. He is a good low post defender and rebounder.


Their bench only has 3 guys with real talent:

PF Jon Paul Shimonovic is a 6'8 217 pound sophomore who is rated 78 overall. He is an excellent rebounder and strong dunker.

SO SF Boomer Chambliss is a 6'6 203 pound athletic slasher with 99 dunk rating. He is rated 77 overall.

JR PF Odartey Powers is a 6'8 237 pound player who is a strong post defender. He is rated 75 overall and is weak in most other areas.


The top G off the bench is Jeffrey Bain, a 6'2 186 pound sophomore SG. He is rated 70 overall but has an 81 rating in 3 point shooting.

[Eaglesfan27]

After blowing an away game at a much less talented North Carolina squad, I'm strangely confident going into Duke's arena. We are going to rely on Sockwell.


16:45: We are down 4-3, but Sockwell already has drawn 2 fouls on McMillian.

12:35: We are shooting FT's, but they are up 15-5 after Vanttaja just hit a fadeaway 3, stole it, and then hit another 3.

11:43: Our starters are tired. We are down 18-7 as our 2nd unit comes into the game.

7:42: Down 26-9, I have to rush my starters back in.


Vanttaja is owning Goodman. Goodman has 7 points, but he has had 2 shots blocked, he has had it stolen twice, and he has let Vanttaja score 15 points this half.


After a very slow start, Sockwell gets off 8 straight points in the last 4 minutes of the half.


Halftime: We are down 42-26. Sockwell has 13 points, 3 boards, and a block. He also has 2 personal fouls.


19:31: Vanttaja draws a 3rd foul on Sockwell who will remain in the game for now.

15:03: We are closing in, but Sockwell has just picked up his 4th. I rest him and Goodman, who has his 3rd. We are down 47-36.


9:44: The starters have played very hard. We are down 64-51. The 2nd unit with Goodman and Sockwell comes into the game.

8:02: Sockwell fouls out :( We are down 64-54.


We never get closer. We lose the game 79-62.

Vanttaja was the player of the game with 19 points, 6 boards, 3 assists, and 3 steals.


Sockwell was our leading scorer with 17 points, 4 boards, 1 steal, and 1 block.

Singleton with 4 points, 7 assists, 3 steals, and 5 turnovers. He shot 2 of 7.

Chancler with 8 points, 2 boards, 2 steals, 1 block, and 1 turnover. He shot 3 of 8, 1 of 2, and 1 of 2.

Goodman with 8 points, 3 boards, and 3 assists. He shot 1 of 8, 1 of 5, and 5 of 6.

Gardner with 4 points and 4 boards.


Sutton led the bench with 6 points, 3 boards, and 4 turnovers.

Pardon with 4 points and 3 boards. He shot 1 of 7.

Abram with 4 points and 4 boards.


That loss drops us to 19-8.

[Eaglesfan27]

We win a simulated game at FSU, 67-66. They drop to 17-11 while we are now 20-8. We are 19th in the media poll. Sockwell led our team with 19 points, 9 boards, 2 assists, and 3 blocks. Singleton had 14 point and 6 assists.


Our last regular season game is at home vs North Carolina. They are 16-14 now.

[Eaglesfan27]

13:06: We are playing much looser than we did last game and it is working for us. We are up 13-6.

11:27: Up 15-6, I rest my starters. Sockwell has 9.


5:50: We are up 24-16 as my starters return. Nice 6 minutes by Bruce.


Halftime: Our offense is clicking perfectly. We are up 39-25 at the half.


Sockwell is the player of the half with 11 points, 6 boards, 2 assists, 1 steal, and 1 block.


15:12: We are running and gunning. 55-32, we lead. Chancler and Goodman have hit 2 3's each in the last 4 possessions.


9:18: I finally call off the guys and pull my starters. We are up 75-43. Great way to end the regular season and enter the ACC tourney.


4:07: Up 82-55, we bring Baldwin and Henning into the game.



We win the game 90-58. :)


Sockwell was the player of the game with 15 points, 17 boards, 5 assists, 2 blocks, and 2 steals. He shot 6 of 12, 0 of 0, and 3 of 4.

Singleton with 10 points, 7 assists, 2 steals, and 1 turnover. He shot 5 of 6.

Chancler with 13 points, 6 assists, 3 boards, and 1 steal. He shot 5 of 9.

Goodman with 26 points, 4 boards, and 1 assist. He shot 11 of 21, 3 of 5, and 1 of 1.

Gardner with 2 points and 8 boards.


Pardon led the bench with 12 points, 4 boards, 3 assists, and 1 steal. He shot 4 of 7, 4 of 6, and 0 of 0.

Lots of guys with 3 or 2 points. Baldwin made his lone shot, a 3.


We are 21-8 as we enter the ACC tourney.

[Eaglesfan27]

Final Regular Season ACC Standings:

1. Miami 21-7 (12-4)
2. Georgia Tech 18-8 (11-5)
3. North Carolina 16-15 (10-6)
4. Duke 20-7 (10-6)
5. Wake 21-8 (10-6)
6. FSU 18-11 (9-7)
7. Maryland 18-11 (8-8)
8. VT 19-11 (7-9)
9. Virginia 16-14 (6-10)
10. NC State 12-17 (5-11)
11. Boston College 15-15 (4-12)
12. Clemson 15-13 (4-12)


Wake's Players Averages:

Sockwell is leading the team with 21.1 ppg, 9.9 rpg, 1.9 apg, 2.1 bpg, and 1 spg in 27 mpg.

Chancler is averaging 12.2 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 2.5 apg, 1.1 spg in 26 mpg.

Goodman is averaging 10.8 ppg, 2.9 rpg, 1 apg, and 0.7 spg in 18 mpg.

Pardon is averaging 8.9 ppg, 4 rpg, 1 apg, and 1 spg in 22.3 mpg.

Singleton is averaging 7.8 ppg, 4.8 apg, and 1.4 spg in 28 mpg.

Bruce is averaging 4.4 ppg, 0.7 rpg, 1.2 apg, and 0.6 spg in 14.5 mpg. He is a skilled guy, but it hasn't translated to production.

Gardner is averaging 3.2 ppg, 5.5 rpg, and 1.5 apg in 26 mpg.

Hicks is averaging 3.1 ppg, 2.3 rpg, 0.7 apg in 10 mpg.

Sutton is averaging 3 ppg and 1.4 apg in 12 mpg.

Abram is averaging 2.4 ppg and 3.8 rpg in 10.5 mpg.

Baldwin is averaging 2.3 ppg and 1.1 apg in 6.5 mpg.

Clifford averaged 2.1 ppg, 2.9 rpg in 9 mpg.

[Eaglesfan27]

Boston College beat North Carolina 83-80 in their first round game and will be my opponent in the Quarter Finals of the ACC tourney. If we win, we will face the winner of Miami vs VT (who beat Virginia.)


In other news, Niagara fell off their dominant performances and dropped to 17-12 (10-8) this year as Marco Christopher just doesn't have enough help around him.

USC is 19-12 (9-9.) I'm guesing they are solidly on the bubble with an RPI of 41. Floyd now has a career record of 610-351. Time to retire Floyd, it is 2023.


I'll play through the ACC tourney tomorrow.

[Eaglesfan27]

At the end of the regular season, my coaches assessed who has shown the most growth:

Goodman - plus 3 (80)

Chancler, Bruce, Singleton, Pardon, Sutton, Baldwin, Henning, and Watts are all plus 2.

Sockwell, Gardner, Abram, Hicks, Clifford, and Quinn are all plus 1. Maybe the big guys at least, need more directed training.



Now, time to play BC.

[Eaglesfan27]

18:07: Paschel has gotten Goodman twice for two early fouls. Goodman will remain in the game. We are down 4-2.

15 minute mark: We are tied at 8. Alford has 6 for them. Goodman has 4 for us.

13:34: Chancler gets a 2nd foul on their starting PG, Dupre. We are up 12-10.

13:22: Gambling for a steal, Goodman picks up his 3rd foul. Pardon will come into the game.


10:37: We are up 20-16 as the rest of the 2nd unit enters the game. Sockwell leads us with 9.


5:22: We are up 29-26. Hicks hit 2 3's in the last 5 minutes. :) We bring back all of our starters.



Halftime: We are up 37-35.


Sockwell is the player of the half with 15 points, 7 boards, 2 assists, and 2 blocks.


15 minute mark: We are up 48-43. Sockwell has 21 points.

9:12: They just hit a basket that ended a 16-0 run by us. It was mostly because of Chancler and Goodman who each had several steals, several baskets, several trips to the line, and several forced misses. Brilliant play by both guys. We are up 66-46 as I rest my starters.


3:55: Hicks hit our only basket of the last few minutes. They have closed the gap to 68-59 so I get my starters back in to finish this game.


Singleton with his first 2 baskets of the night, both 3's. Sockwell with a few more inside baskets and we are up 80-63. I put back my 2nd unit with 1 minute left.


We win the game 83-65.


Sockwell is the player of the game with 27 points, 12 boards, 3 assists, and 3 blocks. He shot 13 of 19, 0 of 0, and 1 of 1. He held Alford to 18 points and 6 boards on 8 of 17 shooting.

Goodman with 23 points, 3 boards, 2 assists, and 3 steals. He shot 5 of 14, 1 of 3, and 12 of 15.

Singleton with 6 points, 7 assists, and 2 turnovers. He shot 2 of 3 from the arc.

Chancler with 11 points, 6 boards, 5 assists, and 3 steals. He shot 3 of 8, 2 of 5, and 3 of 4.

Gardner with 0 points, 7 boards, and a block.


Hicks led the bench with 8 points on 3 of 4 shooting.

Bruce had 5 and Pardon had 3.

[Eaglesfan27]

Our next game is vs #22 Miami. A quick reminder on their loaded starting 5:

JR PG Jimmy St. Fort is 6'2 184 and rated 79 overall with his speed being his best attribute.

SO SG Adenilson Sarchet is a 6'5 203 pound player who is rated 86 overall. He is their 2nd leading scorer at 15 ppg.

SR SF Immanuel Dean is 6'6 237 and is rated 87 overall.

JR PF Chris Dillon is 6'8 235 and rated 87 overall.

SR C Donnells Keeler is 7'0 263 and rated 88 overall. He is their leading scorer at just under 20 ppg. He had 26 points against Sockwell in our last game (which was simulated) as they beat us 67-58. We beat them earlier in the year 91-69 as we got Keeler into early foul trouble.

[Eaglesfan27]

17:21: Sarchet has 2 fouls on Chancler. We are tied at 5.


15 minute mark: We are up 12-8. Goodman leads the team with 5.


11:47: Sockwell is tired and I decide to rest all of the starters. We are up 18-16. Sockwell leads us with 8.

Pardon is playing great.. he has beaten his man twice and gotten fouls on Keeler both times.


6:44: Pardon is no longer being effective as they brought back their starters and we are now down 31-27. I bring back our starting 5.


2:49: Sarchet is on fire and tearing up Chancler's best defensive efforts. Fortunately, our offense is keeping pace. Tied at 41.


1:32: Chancler finally gets a 2nd foul on Sarchet. Tied at 44.


Halftime: We are down 49-48.


Sarchet is the player of the half with 18 points and 3 boards.

Sockwell leads our team with 15. Chancler and Goodman each have 8.



19:32: After Sarchet shot a 3 over him, Chancler comes off a screen, drives to the hole and gets a 3rd foul on Keeler.

18:09: Chancler with a strong post up move and a shoulder fake gets a 3rd foul on Sarchet. We are down 55-52.


15 minute mark: We are up 60-55.

14:42: Goodman with a nice crossover gets a 3rd foul on Dean.

11:19: Time for a brief break for my starters. We are up 72-69. Sockwell has 24 so far.

6:36: Again, Hicks hit 2 big 3's. We are up 78-77 as my starters return.


6:18: Seconds after Keeler returned, Sockwell does a great spin move on him and he grabs Sockwell to stop him from dunking. That is Keeler's 4th foul. Sockwell hits the first, misses the 2nd, but Gardner gets the board. We work it around to Chancler who hits a wing shot. 81-77.


4 minute mark: We are up 85-77. They have no choice but to bring back Keeler. Sarchet has been stopped by Chancler the last few possessions.


2 minute mark: Sarchet just hit a 3, but Sockwell has responded by drawing a foul on their PF. We are up 88-82 after he hits 1 of 2.

Keeler with a quick inside basket. That is only his 6th point of the game. 88-84.

Sarchet falls down on a screen and Chancer hits a wide open jump shot on the wing. 90-84.

We double team Sarchet and he still ends up trying the 3 which he misses. Sockwell beats Keeler for the rebound.

Goodman drills an open 16 footer. 92-84 with 45 seconds left.

Goodman steals the ball and passes it ahead to Chancer who is fouled before he can go any further.


We win the game 95-86.


Sockwell eas the player of the game. He finished with 28 points, 10 boards, 5 assists, and 4 blocks. He shot 10 of 19, 0 of 1, and 8 of 13.

Singleton with 11 points and 8 assists. He had 2 turnovers.

Chancler with 17 points and 2 assists. H shot 6 of 14, 0 of 2, and 5 of 7.

Goodman with 16 points, 5 boards, 4 steals, and 2 assists. He shot 5 of 7, 1 of 1, and 5 of 8.

Gardner with 8 points, 11 boards, and 2 steals. He shot 3 of 5 and 2 of 2 from the line.


Pardon led the bench with 7 points on 1 of 2 shooting and 5 of 5 from the line.

Hicks had 6 and Abram had 2.


Time to see who we are playing in the ACC Final....

[Eaglesfan27]

Georgia Tech beat Duke in the other semi-final 80-60 to advance to face us in the final. They are ranked 11th in the media poll while we are now 13th.

Earlier in the year, I beat them at their place 70-55 when we got them into early foul trouble and held all 5 starters to single digits.


A quick reminder of their starting 5:

SR PG Leslie Burnette is 6'3 185 and rated 91 overall. He is averaging 15 ppg.

SR SG Hilton Boykin is 6'4 212 and is rated 89 overall. He is averaging 13 ppg.

FR SF Kenneth Varem is 6'6 206 and is starting ahead of a slightly better rated sophomore. He is already a great 3 point shooter (88 rating.)

JR PF Jerome Weaver is only 6'4 215 but he is rated 88 overall.

JR C Jeffrey Hudson is only 6'9 204 and is rated 80 overall. Last time Sockwell just dominated him and got all of the guys who tried to guard him into foul trouble.


They have a great bench with SF Kampman being rated 84, Karangwa rated 87, and PG Coulter rated 85 but they lack size on the bench.

I'll play them later today.

[Eaglesfan27]

15 minute mark: Sockwell has started out playing extremely well, he has 12 points. Singleton has gotten 2 fouls on Burnette. We are up 14-4.


14:02: Sockwell draws a 2nd foul on Hudson after he got an offensive board and was held to prevent a dunk.

12:28: They just ended our 14-0 run. We are up 18-6.

10:46: Goodman picks up his 3rd foul. I sit all of my starters. We are up 22-11. Sockwell has 15 points.

5:30: I bring back all of the starters (including Goodman.) We are up 27-21.


Halftime: We are up 37-34. Their 3 point shooters have been heating up the last 10 minutes.


Sockwell is the player of the half with 17 points, 5 boards, and a block.


15 minute mark: Goodman, Chancler, and Sockwell have been responsible for a 10-0 run that is currently ongoing. We are up 54-44. We've had 3 steals and a block.

10 minute mark: A brief rest for our starters will start now. We are up 65-57. Sockwell has 27 points.


6:09: We are up 67-61 as I put back in our starters.


4:46: They close it to 67-66, before Sockwell is fouled on a dunk attempt. He makes both FT's.

3:30: They make a post shot and Goodman hits a corner 3. 72-68.

3:10: Singleton tries to steal it, fouling their PG. He hits 1 of 2. Sockwell is fouled in the post, he hits both FT's. 74-69.


2:20: They miss a shot. Goodman is fouled quickly. He hits 1 of 2. They make a close shot. They attempt to steal it from Chancler, causing him to bobble it, Goodman's man comes over to try to finish the steal, but Chancler gets possession and passes it to Goodman for a wide open 3. 78-71.

1:42: Singleton steals it, burns some clock, and then passes it to Sockwell in the post.. 3 guys collapse around him but he kicks it out to Goodman just before they close in. Goodman buries a 3. 81-71.


We win the game 81-71! I have my first ACC Title.


Sockwell was the player of the game with 31 points, 13 boards, 4 assists, and 2 blocks. He shot 10 of 14, 0 of 0, and 11 of 14.

Singleton with 7 points, 5 assists, 5 steals, and 3 turnovers.

Chancler with 13 points, 2 assists, and 2 steals. He shot 5 of 11, 3 of 8, and 0 of 0.

Goodman with 21 points, 4 boards, 4 assists, 2 steals, and 6 turnovers. He shot 7 of 9, 5 of 6, and 2 of 3.

Gardner with 2 points, 8 boards, 3 assists, and a block.

Sutton led the bench with 3 points.

[Radii]

We win the game 81-71! I have my first ACC Title.

Congrats!!

[Eaglesfan27]

Now, it is time to see the final regular season poll and how highly we got seeded as we finish the year 24-8...


Top 10 media poll:

1. Oregon 29-2
2. Pepperdine (27-2)
3. Pitt (29-5)
4. Florida (24-8)
5. UNLV (27-4)
6. Iowa (27-6)
7. Mississippi State (26-7)
8. Kansas (24-7)
9. Rutgers (26-7)
10. Temple (26-7)

We are #11 at 24-8.

Duke is 12th, Gerogia Tech is 13th.



Now to see how we are seeded...



The #1 Seeds are:

Oregon (East), Pittsburgh (South), Pepperdine (Midwest), and Kansas (West).



Interesting East Matchups:

#5 Saint Louis (24-8) vs #12 George Mason (20-10.)

#6 Oklahoma (21-10) vs #11 Oklahoma State (20-12)

Rutgers is a 3 seed with a 26-7 record.

#7 Stanford (22-9) vs #10 Seton Hall (18-11.)

Florida is the #2 Seed.



South Matchups:

Houston (28-5) is the #4 seed, they will face Columbia.

#6 Washington (20-9) vs #11 Cal (18-12)

Iowa (27-6) is the #3 seed.

#7 Syracuse (23-10) vs #10 Maryland (19-12.)

Mississippi State is the 2 seed at 26-7.


Midwest:

#4 Vanderbilt (23-7) vs #13 Fairleigh Dickinson (23-9)

#6 Miami (22-8) vs #11 FSU (19-12.)

#3 Duke (21-8) vs #14 Colgate (19-13.) I better be higher seeded than Duke...

We are the #2 seed in this bracket! We will face CS Northridge first (16-13.)


West:

#8 Saint Mary's (24-6) vs #9 Hofstra (26-4)

#4 Georgia Tech (20-9) vs #13 Illinois State

#6 Siena (28-5) vs #11 Wisconsin (22-12.) Siena is the only MAAC team to make it this year.

#7 Saint Joseph's (22-8) vs #10 USC (20-13). I hope Floyd does well and then retires.

The #2 Seeds: Florida, Mississippi State, Wake Forest, and Florida.


7 Big 12 Teams, 6 ACC, and 6 Big East teams. 5 from the Pac-10, A-10, and SEC. The Big Ten only had 2 teams.

[Eaglesfan27]

Cal State Northridge has an overall roster strength of 79. They are missing two of their players due to injures. Their starting SG has a broken ankle and is out for the tourney. Their top player will play but he has a sprained ankle.

SR PF Vinnie Cornette is 6'6 260 pounds and is rated 80 overall. He is a good interior scorer (92 close shooting 86 shooting in traffic) and is a great offensive rebounder (94.) He is a bad post defender. He averaged 14 ppg this year. He has started the year at Center as their one true center is completely inept.

PF Neil Howel is 6'5 215 and is a junior. He is rated 77 overall. He is a decent scorer and rebounder. He is averaging 12 ppg.

SO SF Corey Osborn is 6'8 228 pounds. He is rated 72 overall. He is a slightly above average perimeter defender as long as his man isn't too fast. Goodman and Pardon should both be too fast for him to keep up.

JR SG Claude Buggs is 6'6 190 and is rated 71 overall but he is out this game with a broken ankle.

FR SG Lowell O'Connor will start instead. He is 6'4 188 and is rated 67 overall. He is slow and doesn't do much well at this level.

SO PG Rome Marks is 5'9 168 and he is their only player with good speed besides Buggs.


The best player on the bench is HR SF Ilan West who is 6'7 220 and is rated 70 overall. I'll play that game tomorrow.

[Eaglesfan27]

15 minute mark: We are up 12-0. Sockwell has 6 already.

10 minute mark: We are up 20-8 as I rest my starters. Singleton had 6 points on 2 3's during the last 5 minutes.


5 minute mark: My starters return with a 35-12 lead. Pardon and Bruce each have 6 points.


Halftime: We are up 50-20. Sockwell is the player of the half with 12 points, 5 boards, and a block.


12 minute mark: I pull my starters from the game with a 64-36 lead.

The bench plays well with everyone scoring.


We win the game 87-63.

Sockwell was the player of the game with 19 points, 8 boards, and 2 blocks.

Singleton had 14 points, 4 boards, and 6 assists.

Goodman with 15 points, 4 boards, and 2 assists.


Pardon led the bench with 9 points and 2 boards.

[Eaglesfan27]

Interesting early results:

Oklahoma State upset Oklahoma 78-73. They will face #3 seed Rutgers next.

Seton Hall upset Stanford and UL Lafayette upset Florida. Seton Hall will play them next.

Siena beat Wisconsin and will play Temple next.

USC beat Saint Joseph's and will play UNLV next.


Miami beat FSU and will face Duke next.

We'll be up against West Virginia who barely beat UTEP. We will play the winner of the Miami-Duke game if we advance to the Sweet 16.



West Virginia has a weaker roster with a rating of 87. They finished the year 23-11 (12-6.) They are a very guard heavy team and beat teams by shooting the 3 very well. Their starting 5:

SO PG Christian Markusovic is the 2nd fastest player on their team full of fast players. He is 6'0 183 and rated 80 overall. He has 93 speed and 89 quickness. He is a very good mid range shooter (82.) He isn't a great ball handler or passer and his defense is suspect. He is averaging 10 ppg and 4 apg.

JR SG Brandon Rothbart is 6'3 212 and is their top rated player with an overall rating of 84. He has 90 speed, 95 quickness, and is a very good 3 point shooter (82.) He is just slightly above average in most other areas. He is averaging 14 ppg.

JR SF Ralph Forchion is 6'10 232 and is their most dangerous weapon in my opinion. He is fast (86) and should be able to shut down Goodman and Pardon. He has good perimeter defense (86.) He is also a good 3 point shooter (79) that thrives on shooting over smaller men. He is averaging 11 ppg and 7 rpg.

SO PF Cassiano Vrzina is a former walkon. He is 6'8 224 and is rated 71 overall. He is an above average post defender and is average as a rebounder. He is weak in most other areas. He is averaging 3 ppg and 4 rpg. He doesn't play too many minutes even though he starts.


SO C Sidney Miles is more of a natural PF but he starts at center. He is 6'7 248. He is rated 76 overall and is a good low post scorer with great speed that will match Sockwell's. He is averaging 11 ppg.

The top bench guys:

SO PG Barry Allison is the only player I've ever seen with 99 speed. He also has 94 quickness. However, he is a horrible shooter, a below average passer, and suspect defender. He is rated 80 overall based on his phenomenal physical skills. He is also a solid dunker despite only being 6'1 197. He is averaging 9 ppg.

FR SG Wayne Palmer is a 6'2 197 pound player from Florida. He is a good 3 point shooter (82) and is rated 80 overall. He is averaging 6 ppg.

SO SG Dink Ingerson is a 6'4 200 pound player from Toronto. He also has great speed (91) and is a decent 3 point shooter.

FR PG Donnie Madison from Queens is 6'0 178 pounds and is rated 78 overall. He is the best passer on the team (90), the best ball handler (89), and has 90 speed.

[Eaglesfan27]

15 minute mark: They are forcing a fast tempo at both ends and Forchion is thriving. They are up 12-9.

12 minute mark: We are down 15-10. My starters will get a breather as they have brought their entire 2nd unit into the game.

8:23: Our bench with quality play. They brought back their starters about 30 seconds ago and Pardon just got a 2nd foul on Forchion and now Hicks just got a 2nd foul on Vrzina. Abram has had 2 blocks and has been making some quality offensive plays in the post. We are down 23-20.

7:19: We are down 25-20 as our starters return to the game.

3:12: Allison just got a 2nd foul on Singleton. I'd love to have a player with his speed and quickness.. so hard to guard. We are down 33-30 as Sockwell has been our main scorer.


Halftime: Sockwell with a phenomenal last 3 minutes: An Alley-oop dunk, a dunk and a foul, a nice sky hook that resulted in 2 FT's, and a block. We are down 42-41 at the half.

Sockwell is the player of the half with 18 points, 5 assists, 1 assist, and 2 blocks.


Ingerson leads them with 8 points. Allison played 10 minutes and had 5 points and 3 assists.

14 minute mark: They started the half with a 6-0 run and now are on a 8-0 run. We are down 60-46.

Forchion has been killing us. Gardner gets a 3rd foul on him down low in the post.

Gardner hits a 8 footer to end their streak. Goodman with a steal and then a dunk. Goodman with a steal and then a great assist to Gardner for a dunk! 60-52. They respond with a 3.

Sockwell with back to back hook shots.

10 minute mark: We are down 64-58 as my starters get a break. I thought we lost control of this game, but momentum is going our way again.

9 minute mark: Pardon gets a 4th foul Vrzina.

8:29: Sutton gets a 4th foul on Forchion who tried to block his dunk attempt.


7:35: Abram ignites a fast break with a long pass to Sutton who finds Pardon alone.. Pardon with a double pump windmill jam! Down 70-67.

5:30: Allison had a basket and then a steal which led to him dunking it. We are down 76-69 as I bring back our starters.

Sockwell scores, but Allison draws a foul. They are shooting FT's. Down 78-71.

Goodman with a behind the back dribble, gets into the lane and is fouled. He hits both FT's.

Sockwell misses his usual reliable jump hook. Goodman steals it from them around midcourt and is fouled before he can fast break. He'll go to the line... Vrizna just fouled out of the game.. he hits them both! Down 78-75. 3 minutes left.


Singleton steals it down in the post.. he passes it ahead to Goodman who is fouled by Forchion on a dunk attempt! That is Forchion's 5th! Goodman hits both FT's!!

Sockwell forces a miss. Down at the other end, they knock the ball out of bounds on an attempted pass to Sockwell. 4 seconds left. Goodman gets the pass at the top of the key.. he buries the deep 3!!! Up 80-78.


Chancler forces a miss by Ingerson. At the other end, Sockwell gets early deep position in the paint so Singleton tosses it to him and he hits the sky hook. 82-78. 1:20 left.

Ingerson hits a elbow shot. We work the clock down to 4 seconds before Chancler tries a shot from the same spot.. he misses. Gardner almost gets the board.. he knocks it into the air, but they get it.

25 seconds left and Goodman fouls his man going for a steal :( At least, they can't try a 3. They will shoot 2 FT's... he makes both. Tied at 82.

Sockwell miss a jump hook with 3 seconds left.. they pass it midcourt and get off a long 3.. it misses. We are going to OT!


We both miss our first shots, but Chancler fouls their "PF" on the rebound attempt. He hits 1 of 2. Down 83-82 with 4 minutes left.


Goodman misses a 3, but Gardner gets the offensive board and is fouled. He makes the 2nd. Tied at 83.

Palmer with a very quick 3. Sockwell with a dunk. Palmer hits a 12 footer. We are down 88-85.

Sockwell is fouled in the post and hits both FT's. Down 88-87 with 2:45 to go.

Sockwell fouls Miles who hits both FT's.

Singleton off a Sockwell screen drives into the lane where he is fouled. He hits both FT's. Down 90-89.

Allison with a drive into the lane, kicks it out to Rothbert who hits a 14 footer.

Chancler responds with a 3! Tied at 92. 1:40 left.

They miss a 3. Sockwell gets the board. At the other end, we pass it to Sockwell deep in the post.. they collapse.. he kicks it out to Chancer who passes it to Goodman in the corner for an open 3.. he nails it! 95-92. 1 minute left.

Goodman with the defense on Ingerson who tries a 3.. he misses it. 45 seconds left.. we work it down to 8.. Goodman with a shot from just inside the arc.. he misses it.

They try a quick 3 which they miss. Sockwell with the board. He makes both FT's! Up 97-92 with 3 seconds left.

They hit a 3 but time has run out.


We win the game 97-95 in OT.


Sockwell is the player of the game with 36 points, 10 boards, 3 assists, and 3 blocks. He shot 12 of 20, 0 of 0, and 12 of 15.

Goodman's late 3 is the play of the game. Goodman finished with 18 points, 3 boards, 2 assists, and 3 steals. He shot 5 of 11, 2 of 4, and 6 of 6.

Singleton with 2 points, 2 assists, 1 steal, and 2 turnovers.

Chancler with 10 points, 7 boards, 6 assists, and 2 steals. He shot 3 of 6, 2 of 2, and 2 of 4.

Gardner with 10 points, 4 boards, and a block.


Abram led the bench with 8 points, 3 boards, and 2 blocks. Perhaps, he'll be a good starting center next year after all.

Sutton with 7 points and Pardon with 6.

[Eaglesfan27]

The Entire Sweet 16:

#9 Fordham beat #1 Oregon to advance to play #4 UMass

#3 Rutgers will play #15 UL Lafayette



#1 Kansas vs #4 Georgia Tech

#2 UNLV (beat USC 85-75) vs #3 Temple


#1 Pitt vs #4 Houston

#6 Washington vs #7 Syracuse



#1 Pepperdine vs #4 Vanderbilt

#2 Wake Forest vs #6 Miami which beat Duke 77-60.


We beat Miami 95-86 in the ACC tourney and 91-69 in the regular season. They beat us at their place 67-58 in a simulated game.


If we can neutralize Keeler again, we should be able to take care of them. I'll play that later today. Hmm, my xbox isn't staying connected to the internet so I can't play my NCAA Online Dynasty game, so I guess I'll play this now.

[hoopsguy]

Congrats on the Sweet 16 run. You had to feel good about your chances after fouling a couple of their guys out down the stretch - particularly when it was OT.

It looks like the game doesn't take conference affiliations into play when building the postseason brackets? Kinda sucks to see potential back-to-back foes in next two rounds.

[Eaglesfan27]

15 minute mark: Tied at 10. Sarchet has 8 points for them.

11:49: We are up 19-15. Balanced scoring coming from Goodman, Chancler, and Sockwell. I rest all of my starters for a few minutes starting now.


8:49: Down 22-19, I rush back our starters.

St. Fort steals it and gets a layup. Chancler responds with a 3. Down 24-22.

7:52: Sockwell and Keeler with a hard collision.. Sockwell has his 2nd foul.. Keeler is holding his knee and will leave the game at least temporarily.

7:04: Goodman fakes out his man, drives to the lane, and has a nice layup and gets the foul. He misses the FT, but Sockwell rebounds it and dunks it to give us a 28-27 lead.

5:01: Sockwell only had 4 points in his first stint on the floor, but with Keeler out he is scoring much easier. He has scored his last 5 touches and has 14 points now. We are up 34-33. Keeler has just been cleared and is returning to the floor.

Last 5 minutes all of the big 3 were on fire! Goodman and Chancler were nailing 3's and when they misses, Sockwell was having putback slams.


Halftime: We are up 55-43.


Sockwell is the player of the half with 22 points, 5 boards, 4 assists, and a block.

Chancler has 17 on 5 of 5 shooting, 3 of 3, and 4 of 4.

Goodman with 14 points on 6 of 6 shooting, 2 of 2, and 0 of 1.


11:04: Our outside shooting has cooled off this half. We are up 67-64 as both starting units sit down to rest.

7:05: We are down 71-69 as our starters return.

5:22: Goodman gets a 4th foul on Keeler. We are down 75-74 after Goodman hits a pair of FT's.

5:10: Chancler steals it and is fouled. He hits both FT's to put us ahead by 1.

St. Fot hits a 3. Chancler misses a 3, but Sockwell with the offensive board and putback. Tied at 78.

Dillon with a basket and Sockwell answers. We are tied at 80. 3:32 left.

Keeler misses a close shot and Goodman is fouled. He hits 1 of 2. Dean with a quick basket just inside the line. Down 82-81.

Sockwell has his shot blockled by Keeler who misses at the other end.

This time, Sockwell gets his sky hook off over Keeler and makes it. 83-82, we lead. 1:32 to go.

Keeler misses his hook over Sockwell. They foul Chancler quickly. He makes both FT's. 85-82 with 55 seconds left.

They get a quick shot from Dillon. I planned on working the clock down, but Sockwell gets a great screen from Gardner and is wide open.. Singleton delivers it perfect for a quick dunk. 87-84. 27 seconds left.


With 14 seconds left, Sarchet misses a 3. Sockwell gets the board.. he misses the FT.

They miss another quick 3. This time Sockwell will be shooting 2 FT's.. he misses the 1st.. but makes the 2nd! 88-84 with 5 seconds left.

This miss a 3 and Goodman rebounds it. It's over!



We win the game 88-84.

Sockwell is the player of the game with 42 points, 14 boards, 4 assists, 3 blocks, and a steal. He shot 19 of 27, 0 of 0, and 4 of 8.

Singleton with 1 point and 6 assists. He shot 0 of 4.

Chancler with 24 points, 3 boards, and 3 assists. He shot 6 of 9, 4 of 6, and 8 of 8.

Goodman with 17 points, 4 boards, 2 assists, and 2 steals. He shot 6 of 11, 2 of 5, and 3 of 5.

Gardner with 2 points and 4 boards.


Pardon had the only 2 points that the bench scored.

[Eaglesfan27]

Congrats on the Sweet 16 run. You had to feel good about your chances after fouling a couple of their guys out down the stretch - particularly when it was OT.

It looks like the game doesn't take conference affiliations into play when building the postseason brackets? Kinda sucks to see potential back-to-back foes in next two rounds.

Thanks. I definitely felt good about our chances once we got their guys out. I thought we were done for sure when they had those 2 runs early in the 2nd half.


Nope, the brackets are one of my gripes with the game. They always have the bubble teams be #11 seeds and they don't give much (any?) consideration to conference affliations. Also, the top #1 seed is the same bracket every year and they give more consideration to the ranking of the #1 seeds than geography.

[Eaglesfan27]

The Elite 8:

U Mass beat Fordham 78-54 to advance. They will play Rutgers which beat UL Lafayette 82-61.


#4 Georgia Tech beat #1 Kansas 100-74. They will play #3 Temple which beat UNLV 68-66.


#1 Pitt beat #4 Houston 96-65. They will play #6 Washington which beat Syracuse 86-79.


#1 Pepperdine beat #4 Vanderbilt 87-72 and will play us in the Elite 8.


If we advance to the final 4, we'll play the winner of Pitt and Washington.



Pepperdine matches us in roster strength at 92. They have an experienced starting 5:

SR PG Duriel Dillgard is 6'2 205 and is rated 82 overall. He is fast (92 speed), is a very good passer (90), and is a good 3 point shooter (82.) He is a below average defender. He is averaging 9 ppg and 5 apg.

JR SG Hector Muhammad is 6'3 202 and is rated 85 overall. He was a 5 star SG in HS from Compton, CA. He is a very fast player (92 speed, 91 quickness) who is a slasher. He is averaging 9 ppg.

SR SF Angelo Johnston is 6'8 252 and is from Oxnard, CA. He is rated 85 overall. He is a very good post player (93 close, low offense) and is a great 3 point shooter (90.) He is also an excellent dunker (92.) He is averaging 16.6 ppg and 7.3 rpg.

SR PF Donnells Wilkerson is 6'9 243 and is rated 85 overall. He is battling a sprained ankle. He is a former highly rated 4 star from Bakersfield, CA. He has 93 close shot rating and is a great dunker (93.) He is averaging 17 ppg.

JR C Travis Starks is a natural PF who is starting at center for them. He is 6'9 220. He is the best shot blocker on the team (81.) and has great speed (81.) He isn't very strong, so Sockwell should be able to push him around.

Top Bench players:

SR SF D.J. Guerrero is 6'7 217 and is rated 83 overall. He has 88 speed and 89 dunking and is also a decent 3 point shooter (77.) He is averaging 12 ppg.

SR SF Etienne Wentt is 6'7 222. He is fast (88 speed) is a very good dunker (82), and is a good perimeter defender (84.)

SR SG Chris Luz is 6'6 203 and is rated 79 overall. He has 87 speed and is a good post up player for a SG. He is averaging 3 ppg.

PG Sebastian Pressley is 6'6 250! He is rated 77 overall. He is a bit slow (84 speed) for a PG, but he has very good ball handling (88), passing (85), and is a good 3 point shooter (83.)

SO C Dugan Pompey is the biggest natural center on the roster. He is 6'11 240. He is rated 73 overall and his only strength is shot blocking (79.)

The rest of the bench is rated 65 or below.

[Ramzavail]

nice run, Sockwell is an animal.

[Eaglesfan27]

nice run, Sockwell is an animal.

He really is. His above average speed just takes him to the next level that Peterson could never quite reach. I can't wait to do my mini-dynasty following their careers along with a few others.. I think I have enough interesting stories to do that after this season is over.

Speaking of which.. time for the biggest game of my coaching career. :)

[Eaglesfan27]

Before I get started on the game, an updated look at where my roster is now:

SR PG Michael Singleton 6'1 195 - 85 overall rating (+2 from start of year.)

SR SG Vidal Chancler 6'5 236 - 86 overall (+2)

FR SF Henry Goodman 6'7 216 - 80 overall (+3)

SO PF B.A. Gardner 6'7 250 - 78 (+1)

SR C J.R. Sockwell 7'1 280 - 85 (+2)


JR SG Dominic Bruce 6'2 207 - 86 (+2)

JR SF Chakowby Pardon 6'7 215 - 81 (+2)

JR PG Colin Sutton 6'5 217 - 80 (+2)

JR C Patrice Abram 6'11 262 - 77 (+1)

JR PG Raitis Baldwin 6'2 191 - 77 (+2)

JR PF Kurt Hicks 6'8 216 - 75 (+2)

JR SF Teddy Henning 6'8 221 - 74 (+2)

[rjolley]

Very veteran club you have there. Only 1 FR and 1 SO in your rotation.

Good luck in you game.

[Eaglesfan27]

Wow. I've never played in such a big arena.. the capacity here at Ford Field is 78k.


The announcers said about Goodman "He has one of the most natural deliveries from downtown of any player in the game."


18:43: They stole it early and Sockwell missed his first shot. As a result, they built a quick 5-0 lead, but Goodman responded with a 3 on his first touch. Down 5-3.


15 minute mark: Tied at 11. Sockwell has 6 and Goodman has 5. Their guards are very fast and good at stealing. They have 3 steals which have led to 6 fast break points.


10 minute mark: We are up 17-16 as our starters rest. It's all Sockwell and Goodman. goodman with 9 and Sockwell with 8.


8:44: After they have gone up 20-17, Pardon drives past his man, collides with their center, hits the shot and is fouled. However, he hurts his knee on the play :( Henning will come in.


5:12: Our starters return to the game. We are down 24-23.

3:44: Goodman on the fastbreak.. he dunks and is fouled! That is the 2nd on Starks. Goodman hits the FT. We are up 29-24.


Halftime: We are up 37-33.


Their 3 point shooting keeping them in it. They are 6 of 12 from the arc.


Sockwell is the player of the half with 15 points, 8 boards, and a block.

18 minutes left: Sockwell gets a 3rd foul on Wilkerson. We are up 40-38.

15 minute mark: Singleton has hits 3 3's in the 2nd half. We are up 49-43.

30 seconds later, Goodman hits a 3.


13:34: Goodman with a steal and a breakaway tomahawk jam. We are up 54-45.

13:28: Gardner picks up his 4th foul. I sit him for Abram.. Time for a little twin tower defense.

10 minute mark: We are up 60-50 as I rest my starters. Pardon has been cleared to return, but we'll go with the healthier Henning for now.


6:24: We are up 66-59 as I bring back our starters. Bruce hit 2 3's and has been clutch this game.

3 minutes left: Goodman hits a 3, but they respond with a 3 and then steal it for a dunk. With the lead cut down to 5, Chancler finds himself open on the perimeter and he takes the quick 3 which he makes! We are up 72-64.


2 minute mark: They hit a quick jumper for 2. Then, they foul Goodman, he makes only 1 of 2. They hit a very quick 3 to close it to 73-69.

1 minute mark: Sockwell misses a hook shot. Starks gets a reverse layup off a screen. 73-71.

38 seconds left: Sockwell gets deep position and hits a simple little jump hook. 75-71.

30 seconds: They miss a 3 and Sockwell gets the board. They foul him.. he makes the first but misses the 2nd.

14 seconds left: They miss another 3, Sockwell gets the board. He misses both FT's.

They miss another 3, get the board and miss it again. Sockwell gets the board as time is running out.


We win the game 76-71! We are going to the Final 4!


Sockwell is the player of the game with 22 points, 16 boards, 5 assists, and 2 blocks.

Singleton with 11 points, 3 boards, 5 assists, and 3 steals. He also had 5 turnovers. He shot 3 of 5, 3 of 4, and 2 of 4.

Chancler with 6 points, 2 assists, 2 steals, and good defense. He held his man to 3 of 10 shooting.

Goodman allowed his man to score 22 on 80% shooting, but Goodman answered with 25 points, 2 boards, and 3 assists. He shot 9 of 17, 3 of 7, and 4 of 5.

Gardner with 0 points and 4 boards.


Bruce led the bench with 9 points on 3 of 3 shooting (all from the arc.)


Time to find out who we will face...

[Eaglesfan27]

J.R. Sockwell is featured as the player of the week in the weekly wrap up show.


Pittsburgh beat Washington 90-60 to advance to the Final 4 to play us.



The other participants:


#3 seed Rutgers beat #4 seed UMass 76-62 to advance.

#3 seed Temple beat #4 seed Georgia Tech 77-69 to advance.



Pittsburgh is currently 33-5 (15-3.) They have the most talented overall roster with a rating of 97.

They have 8 guys who are considered star level players (85 or higher overall) and 3 more who are rated 82 overall. The lowest rated player on their team has an overall rating of 78. Their only weakness is the lack of a true center:

SR PG Roscoe Guy is from Camden, NJ. He is 6'2 208. He was the #32 overall player in his class. He is a 91 in 3 point shooting and FT shooting. He has 95 speed, 92 handling, and 86 passing. He has 90 perimeter defense rating. He is rated 89 overall. He is averaging 11 ppg and 5 apg.

JR SG Raul Maldonado is from Flint, Michigan. He is rated 86 overall and is 6'5 203. He has 94 shooting off the dribble (highest I've ever seen), 83 mid range and 83 3 point shooting. He is a mediocre defender. He is averaging 16 ppg. He was the 41st player in his class.

SO SF Dez Chadwick is from Morgantown, WV. He is 6'8 232. He is rated 84 in 3 point shooting, 85 in shooting in traffic, 85 dunking, 82 speed, and 82 perimeter defense. He is rated 86 overall. He was the 12th player overall in his class. He is averaging 14 ppg.

SR PF Zabian Chapman is 6'9 250 and is from NYC (Bronx). He was the 45th player in his class. He has 99 close range and 99 shoot in traffic as well as 88 speed! He has 96 rating in low post offense and 83 in dunking. He isn't very strong, but his speed will be a problem. He is rated 89 overall. He is averaging 25 ppg and 7 rpg. He is projected as a top 3 pick in the upcoming draft.

SR PF/C Kirsten (would anyone really name their son that) Simpson is the lowest rated player in the top 10 spots on the team with an overall of 82. He is a bit banged up with a sore ankle. He was the 308th player in his class. He is 6'7 236 and is from Dayton Ohio. He has a 98 for close range shooting, 84 for both rebounding, and 87 for shooting in traffic. He also has 84 for shot blocking and 80 speed which should allow him to keep up with Sockwell. However, his low strength will make Sockwell hard for him to guard.


SR PG Stetson Abbott is from Buffalo NY. He is 6'2 198 and is rated 89 overall. He is one of the phenomenal backup PG's on this team. He is averaging 6 ppg. He was the 55th player in his class.

SR PG Jimmie Dobbins is 6'0 180 from Queens. He is rated 88 overall. He was the 46th player in his class. He is averaging 7 ppg.

SR PG Larry Bird (no relation, I don't think) is a 6'5 215 pound guard from Chicago, IL. He was the 112th player in his class. He is a 91 rated 3 point shooter with 88 in shooting off the dribble. He has 94 speed as well as 91 passing. He is a so-so defender. He is rated 86 overall. He is averaging 6 ppg.

SR PG Stevie Basden from Mount Vernon, NY is 6'4 186 pounds. He is rated 85 overall. He has 95 speed, 89 quickmess, and 90 shooting off the dribble. He is getting the most play off the bench and is averaging 10 ppg and 5 apg.

SO SF Russ Schifino is from Akron, OH. He is 6'5 207 and was the 33rd ranked player in his class. He is a 85 rated 3 point shooter with 91 dunking, 87 speed, and 86 quickness. He is rated 82 overall.


They are going to be very difficult to beat, but Sockwell is a force that they should have no answer for. I'll play that game later this week.

[hoopsguy]

Nice work on the run, EF. Do you think you have done enough at this point to pretty much assure you get the USC job when it comes open? Just how random is getting another high-prestige job that you want in this game?

[Eaglesfan27]

Jamie Dixon is still the coach at Pitt and I'm surprised to see he is only 58 years old. I never realized their coach was that young IRL. His carrer crecord is 481-207 and he is now 1 of the highest rated coaches in the game with an A+ in offense, teaching, Charisma, and Discipline. He has an A- in defense and a B+ in scouting.

[Eaglesfan27]

Nice work on the run, EF. Do you think you have done enough at this point to pretty much assure you get the USC job when it comes open? Just how random is getting another high-prestige job that you want in this game?

Last year I was the top choice of every big program that had an opening and I think that I will be again with this run. It seems like the coaching carousel is reasonably based with factors being the coaches' overall rating and their recent record. Since both are good, I think I'm good on that front.

One gripe that I am seeing is that while the game reasonably has top prospects interested in where a team has a hole, it doesn't readjust those recruits interest when 2 or 3 guys at the same position sign ahead of them earlier in the year. Hence, Pittsburgh's stocking of 5 incredible PG's all from the same class, or Duke likely stealing Leslie Wright from me despite signing a few other PG's already. Then again, I guess these big time kids could just figure they are going to beat whoever is there.. then again, you think a program would adjust their priorities after they got 2 or 3 great PG and start looking for a center. Still, I'm having too much fun with this game to let those gripes stop me from playing.

[Tellistto]

Nice run, EF27! Good luck against Pitt, they look like a really tough team but with your inside game it should be very interesting.

Tell

[Eaglesfan27]

Nice run, EF27! Good luck against Pitt, they look like a really tough team but with your inside game it should be very interesting.

Tell

Thanks! I'm looking forward to finishing the season this weekend. Hopefully, we'll get 2 more wins. I think that if we can beat Pitt, we'll match up well against either of the other teams in the Final. No doubt that Sockwell will be the key.

[Eaglesfan27]

Such oddness. The Final 4 is in a very small arena in Albany NY (SEFCU Arena) that holds 5,000. I wonder how the game determines that.


Hmm, my coaching staff has switched Pardon in as the starter (presumably due to an injury return that I didn't notice.) I leave him in as he hits nice shots on our 2nd and 3rd trips down the floor. Sockwell had our first basket on a dunk after a nice feed by Chancler. We are up 6-3 with 17 minutes to go in the half.


16:39: Chancler has gotten his 2nd foul. Their SG has been tough for him to guard early.

16:18: Chancler and Pardon with a 2 on 1 fast break.. perfect alley-oop from Chancler to Pardon. 8-5.

15 minute mark: Pardon hits a 12 foot shot from the right baseline. We are up 12-8. One thing that worries me is they have managed to get 2 held balls on Sockwell already. They are playing at a very fast tempo at both ends of the floor.

13:31: Pardon gets a 2nd foul on Chadwick. Pardon misses the 1st FT and makes the 2nd. He has 9. We are up 13-11.

12:22: We are tied at 13 and our starters are tired. Goodman will lead the 2nd unit.

9:44: We are up 19-17. Bruce and Goodman have each hit a 3.

6:45: We are down 26-22. Maldonado has been fire and has hit 3 3's in a row. I get my starters back in the game, hopefully Chancler can slow him down without picking up a 3rd foul.

3 minutes: Sockwell has been forced into held balls twice, and they have stolen it several times more. They are doubling him faster and more efficiently than any team we have played before. Down 34-26. Pardon has gone cold, I bring Goodman in to finish the half (and start the 2nd half.)

Goodman takes a 3 right after he gets into the game.. and misses it.

Halftime: We are down 41-32. We are an abyssmal 2 of 10 from the arc. They are 4 of 8 from the arc.

They are shooting 50% from floor. They have forced 4 turnovers from Sockwell who along with Pardon leads our team with 9 points.

Maldonado leads their team with 14 points on 5 of 8 shooting. Chapman has 8 for them.


12 minute mark: We are down 58-45. Sockwell has been playing better (but has 2 more turnovers), however, Chapman is doing everything perfectly and has 18 points now. Our starters are tired and will get a break.

9 minute mark: I have to rush back my starters. They have hit 4 3's in a row and are now up 70-50.

5 minute mark: Sockwell has finally woken up on the defensive end and is all over the court.. We are down 74-62.

4:28: Chancler hits a pair of FT's to cut the lead to single digits. Down 74-65. He has also hit a few 3's in the 2nd half after shooting an 0'fer in the 1st half.

3 minute mark: We cut it to 8 before they hit 2 3's to make it a 14 point lead again :( Down 80-66.

Sockwell with another burst of scoring to cut the lead to 9, but time is running out. Down 84-75 with 1:22 to go.

27 seconds left: Goodman hits a 3 to cut the lead to 8. Down 89-81.

18 seconds left: Singleton hits a 3 to cut the lead to 6. Where was this 3 point shooting earlier?


We lose the game 93-84.


Chapman was the player of the game. The PF had 28 points, 13 boards, 3 assists, and a block. He shot 12 of 16, 4 of 5 from the line.

Maldonado had 22 points, 4 boards, 3 assists, and 4 steals for them. He shot 7 of 15, 3 of 6, 5 of 6.

They had a few guys with 9 points.



Sockwell led our team with 28 points, 6 boards, 2 assists, 1 steal, and 3 blocks. He also had a career "high" 8 turnovers. He shot 9 of 15, 0 of 0, and 10 of 10 from the line.

Chancler had 19 points, 4 boards, 4 assists, and 2 steals. He shot 5 of 14, 2 of 8, and 7 of 7.

Pardon had 10 points, 1 board, and 1 steal. He shot 3 of 9 (was 3 of 3 at one point), 0 of 1 from the arc, and 4 of 6 from the line.

Goodman had 10 points, 3 boards, 3 assists, and 1 steal. He shot 3 of 12, 3 of 7, and 1 of 2.

Singleton with 5 points, 4 assists, and 5 turnovers.

Gardner with 2 points, 4 boards, and a block.


Abram had 5 points and 2 boards. He shot 2 of 3.

Bruce had 3 points on 1 of 5 shooting.

Sutton had 2 points and 2 boards.

[Eaglesfan27]

Temple beat Rutgers 72-68 to advance to the National Championship Game.. I think they are going to get slaughtered by Pittsburgh...



Closer than expected, but Pittsburgh wins the National Championship Game 83-73. Pittsburgh was led by Chapman who had 31 points and 5 boards.




At least I get some consolation, J.R. Sockwell won NCAA Player of the Year!!! He averaged 22.9 ppg, 10.1 rpg, 2.2 apg, and 2.4 bpg.

He also won Defensive Player of the Year and Big Man of the Year!

Henry Goodman won NCAA Freshman of the Year! His final stats were 12.9 ppg, 2.9 rpg, and 1.2 apg.

Sockwell was also 1st team All-American and Goodman was 1st string All-Freshman team.


SR Artie Wise of Towson won Mid-Major Player of the Year. He averaged 28 ppg and 9 rpg.


The rest of the 1st team All-American Team:

PG Stevin Dixon of Marquette 19.5 ppg and 6.8 apg.

SG Landon Cottrill of Mississipi State averaged 22.9 ppg and 4.1 rpg.

SF Theodore Pettway of San Diego averaged 22.5 ppg and 8.5 rpg.

Chapman of Pitt with his 25.2 ppg and 7.2 rpg.


I was named ACC Coach of the Year. Sockwell of course won player of the year in the ACC and Goodman was ACC Freshman of the Year.


The All-ACC Team:

PG Harold Ainge, NCST averaged 17.6 ppg and 5 apg.

SG Hilton Boykin, GT averaged 13.4 ppg, 6.6 rpg, and 2.7 apg.

SF Dominick Vanttaja, Duke averaged 13.5 ppg, 5.5 rpg, and 2.8 apg.

PF Jerome Weaver, GT averaged 15.2 ppg, 6.3 rpg.

C Sockwell

Goodman was 2nd team All-ACC SF.

[Eaglesfan27]

My contract was renewed for 5 more years.

Singleton graduated and is not expected to be drafted. His final overall was a 85.

Chancler graduated and is expected to be a 1st round pick. His final overall in college was a 87.

Sockwell graduated and is expected to be a lottery pick. His final overall is 85.


Now onto the coaching carousel..

[hoopsguy]

Congrats on a really strong season. Hope that you get the result you are looking for in the offseason.

[Eaglesfan27]

Floyd is handing around for another year. However, I'm the top choice of every program out there. The top 5 all offering me their job:

Stanford (retired), Maryland (retired), Iowa (retired), Kentucky (retired), and South Florida (fired.)

I turn them all down. Stanford hires Middle Tennessee's Head Coach instead. Maryland hires Boise State's head coach. Iowa hires Jacksonville State's head coach. Kentucky hires Saint Mary's Head Coach. South Florida hires Gonzaga's head coach.


I keep my 2 assistants.


We don't get or lose any transfers.



Time for offseason recruiting.. will we get Leslie on the 1st day? He is almost certain to sign with one of us on the 1st day....

[Eaglesfan27]

Congrats on a really strong season. Hope that you get the result you are looking for in the offseason.


Thanks. Didn't get to go to USC, but I'll think I'll have a lot of fun playing with Goodman and Pardon (and the incoming freshmen.) I think our style is going to have to be much different this upcoming year. Of course, if it doesn't work, I might end up simming a part of the year.

[Eaglesfan27]

Darn! Leslie Wright went to Duke despite them already getting 2 great PG's.

We also lost out on our top two backup plans who went to Xavier and and Penn State.

A quick reminder on what we have gotten from the early signing period:

SG Arnaud Hollins is 6'3 175. He is the 34th rated player overall and 12th among SG's and is a 4 star player. He is from Chicago, IL. Our staff believes his biggest strengths will be his layup and stealing. As far as overall categories, they rate him highest in athleticism (A+), Defense (A-), and Potential (A-) He isn't lower than B- in any category.

SF Andrei Enzweiler is a 6'7 204 pound SF from Hampton, VA. He is ranked 56th overall and 9th among SF's and is a 4 star player. His biggest strengths are his dunking and 3 point shooting. In broad categories, they rate him highest in athleticism (A), shooting (A-), and IQ (B+.) He isn't lower than a B- in any category and is only that low in 1 (skill.)

We also got C Kennedy Christopher, a 6'11 224 pound center from Charlotte, NC. He is ranked 273rd overall and 27th among centers. He is a 3 star player. Our staff thinks his best individual attribute will be his "clutch" rating and dunking. His best broad category is size (A.) He is a B+ in several categories including Defense, IQ, and Potential.


Since Sutton and Baldwin are progressing, I don't feel I have to get a PG to replace Singleton so now I'm just looking for the best complimentary piece to round out this group..

[Eaglesfan27]

*salivates* A PG who had low interest in me earlier in the year, but I kept on my list as a backup plan is now very interested in us:

PG Myron Gooden is 6'3 211 and is from Detroit, MI. I always thought he was going to go to Michigan State, but they still haven't offered him a scholarship so he is very interested in us. We are the top 2 for him. He is a 4 star player who is ranked 35th overall and 15th among PG's. He didn't play in the ABL. Our staff believes his best attributes are his shoot off the dribble (which I'm convinced is the most important attribute for a perimeter shooter), clutch, and mid range shooting. Broad Category Ratings are:

Shooting A, Skills A+, Defense B+, Athleticism A- (he is a bit slower than I would like), Rebounding C+, IQ B-, Potential B+, and Size B-.


The other PG on the board who is also interested in us but seems to be much more interested in Michigan State is Wallace Udeogalanya. He is the 29th player overall and 10th among PG's. He is a 6'6 211 pound PG. He also didn't play in the ABL this year. His best individual attributes according to our staff are Handling and passing. He is slower than Myron. His broad categories:

Shooting A-, Skills B+, Defense B+, Athleticism B+, Rebounding C+, IQ A+, Potential B+, Size A-.


I decide to heavily pursue Myron and offer him a scholarship right away.

[Eaglesfan27]

During the 1st week, I invite both PG's to visit our campus.

I also start pursuing a 5 star PG who has slipped through the cracks apparently, maybe because of his size. He is 5'7 155 but he is the 8th ranked player in the country. Cliff English is from San Antonio, TX and most teams have dropped him from their list. The only 2 pursuing him now are Oklahoma State and Texas Tech. He averaged 10 ppg and 4 apg in the ABL. Our staff doesn't know much more about him yet, but I'm going to have them look into him.


After the 1st week of offfseason recruiting, Wallace signed with Michigan State. That was their last scholarship! Myron is just about ready to commit to us and we should be able to close the deal this upcoming week. Hopefully, our staff is right about that shoot off the dribble and midrange rating.. I fly out to his house to close the deal.



Myron commits to Wake after my visit with him. A very nice class. Should be fun to work the freshman into the lineup.


I spend the last few weeks working on some soon to be Seniors.

[Eaglesfan27]

Oh yeah, a lot of teams are now going after English since most of the local teams are out. His top choices are Seton Hall, Houston, and Maryland right now..

In the 2nd to last week, English chose to stay close to home. He signed with Houston over 2nd choice Maryland.

One interesting senior that I kept pursuing as a backup option is Marco Mulholland. He is a 4 star big SF who is considering walking on at Wake. Would be a great contributor to our team if he does so.


A look at the top 10 classes:

1. Georgia Tech - Got 4 5 star All Americans.
2. Duke - Got 3 5 star All Americans and 1 good 3 star player. Of course, the 5 star players are all at the same position, so that should knock them down in my opinion.
3. Pitt - Reloaded with 1 5 star player and 7 4 star players.
4. Arizona - Got 2 5 star players and 2 4 star players.
5. Xavier - Signed 1 5 star and 3 4 stars.
6. UCLA - Signed 2 5 stars and 2 3 stars.
7. Clemson - Signed 1 5 star and 2 4 stars.
8. Washington - Signed 2 5 star players.
9. Oregon - Signed 1 5 star and 2 4 stars.
10. Wake Forest! Our class is viewed very favorably despite not having any 5 stars.

[Eaglesfan27]

I don't touch our OOC schedule which has a few creampuffs, but also includes an appearance in the "Deodorant Classic", a ame hosting Pittsburgh on Christmas Eve, and a game at UConn a few days later.

I simulate the ABL due to inpatience again.


We start the regular season ranked 19th in the media poll.


We didn't get any walkons, but the freshman generally look good.. especially our last 1 signed!


Here is a look at the roster:

PG - I'm very happy with our top 3 choices, especially the top 2.


SR PG Colin Sutton has experience on his side, but he will be seriously pressed by the talented freshman we just signed. Sutton is 6'5 219, one of his best assets. He has also become a very good 3 point shooter (85.) His relative weaknesses are his handle and passing only being 85 and 83 respectively. He also lacks quickness but has good top end speed. He is rated 81 overall.

Freshamn PG Myron Gooden is the highest rated freshman I've ever had I believe. He is rated 79 in overall. As expected, he is very good at shooting off the dribble (86), is very good in midrange shooting (85), and is a good 3 point shooter (82.) What was unexpected is his speed which is a solid 92 and quickness 88. Both are equal or better than Sutton. Even more unexpected is his 88 handle and 92 passing! He is a poorer defender than sutton with a perimeter defense rating of 80. He'll push for the starting job. He is now 6'3 217.

SR PG Raitis Baldwin is the guy I feel sorry for. He was a good H.S. player who just hasn't gotten much of a chance here. He is now rated 79 overall. He is 6'2 191. He is the best 3 point shooter of the group with a rating of 86 and has a strong off the dribble of a 84. However, he is the slowest of the group, the worst defender, and the worst ball handler. He'll probably be relegated to spot duty.


SG - Bruce is a very highly rated player, but he has a funky shooting motion and he is small. The backups are disappointing - meaning one of the SF's may start here..


SR SG Damian Bruce is now the highest rated player on our team with an overall of 87. He has an 84 rating for 3 point shooting and shooting off the dribble. He has the best speed on the team at 93 but lacks quickness to take advantage (85.) He also has poor ball handling and passing (80 and 74 respectively.) He has great stamina, hustle, and durability which all inflate his overall rating. Tough choice on whether or not to start the senior..

SR Walkon SG Kory Watts has developed into a servicable player with an overall rating of 74. His best attribute is his speed (87) and ball handling (80.) Even though I'm disappointed with the freshman at his position, he'll only see spot duty.

FR SG Arnaud Hollins is disappointing enough that I'm considering redshirting him, but I have a bad feeling that would make him consider transferring, so I'll probably work him with the 2nd unit. He is 6'4 180 now and is rated 73 overall. Not a terrible rating for a freshman, just not as high as I expected/hoped. His speed is a 86 and quickness is a 87, not too bad for a SG but not good either. He doesn't have any strengths, but isn't terrible in any areas. He does have decent potential for improvement.


PG and SF are the two positions that excite me the most with this team:


SR SF Chakowby Pardon has worked hard during the offseason and is now rated 83 overall. He is 6'7 226. His best attributes are his 88 speed and 88 dunking. His quickness is only a 78. He is a good midrange shooter but is very inconsistent from the arc (70 rating.) I'm thinking that he will probably start at SF, but not if I don't start Goodman at SG...

SO SF Henry Goodman grew an inch and is now 6'8 227. He is a bit slower than Pardon with 83 speed, but has a quicker first step, also 83. He is a far better shooter (83 3 point shooting.) Perhaps, he'll start at SF and Pardon at SG..

FR SF Andrei Enzweiler is 6'7 214 now. He is rated 76 overall. He is slower than Goodman or Pardon, but he already a very good shooter (80 from 3 point land, 86 in traffic.) He is a below average defender, but he is above average in almost every offensive area. He'll be the primary backup at SF unless I abandon my plan to start one of the SF's at SG.

SR SF Teddy Henning is another guy I feel a bit bad for. He is a credible role player who doesn't get many minutes. He is now 6'8 225 and is rated 75 overall. His best attribute is his 80 3 point shooting.


We haven't gotten much production out of the PF slot the past year, I hope that changes a bit this year.

JR PF B.A. Gardner is the undisputed starter. He is 6'7 250 and is rated 79 overall. He is now a 96 close range shooter and has 88 in traffic shooting, so he is capable of scoring. He is a solid post defender and a good defensive rebounder.

SR PF Kurt Hicks was the primary backup last year. If the Goodman/Pardon to SG plan doesn't work, he'll lose out as I'll play one of them at PF instead a fair bit. Hicks is rated 76 overall and is 6'8 222. He doesn't excel in any area but he is slightly above average in most areas.


I'm most concerned about our centers.

SR Center Patrice Abram is the default starter. He is 6'11 272 and is rated 78 overall. He has 94 close shot, 95 shoot in traffic, and 91 strength, but his post offense rating is very low. Therefore, I don't expect him to be the scorer that Sockwell was. He isn't as dynamic in dunking either. He actually is a slightly better defender than Sockwell but is a much poorer shot blocker. He also is much slower.

Frehsman Kennedy Christopher could probably benefit from a redshirt year, but he is going to be our primary backup option. He is 6'11 226 now. He is rated 73 overall and doesn't excel in any area. He is a weak rebounder, particularly for a center and that is very concerning. He is a better shot blocker than Abram.

JR Walkon Center Reece Clifford is 6'11 250 and is rated 69 overall. He is the best rebounder of the 3, but he is weaker in every other area. He won't play unless one of them is injured.


With all of these seniors, I have 7 scholarships to offer this year..

[Eaglesfan27]

I decide to take a chance that he'll transfer and redshirt Hollins. I'll want Bruce to be at SG for the 2nd unit if I stick with my plans for Goodman/Pardon and if I don't, I'll want one of them at SG with the 2nd unit.

The tentative starting lineup for our first game is: Gooden, Pardon, Goodman, Gardner, and Abram. I'll think about that a bit more over the next hour or two.

[Eaglesfan27]

A brief summary of 6 guys that I have scholarships to so far, in order of overall ranking:

PG Abraham Guasco is the #1 recruit in the nation. He is a 6'3 187 pound PG from Huntsville, AL. Our chances of getting him are very long. His top 5 are: Georgia Tech, Maryland, Duke, Wake Forest, and Iowa. He is likely going to Georgia Tech. He is a guy who can shoot from anywhere on the court with great accuracy and has top level athleticism.

SG Sidiki Newby is a 6'4 185 pound player from Atlanta. He is the #4 player in the nation. Our changes of getting him are long, but not as long as on Guasco. His top 5 are Georgia Tech, Miami, Wake Forest, Pittsburgh, and Indiana and he is still open to all 5. He averaged 17 ppg in the ABL. He is very good in all phases of the game.

PF Rodney Smallwood is a 6'9 269 pound PF from Chesapeake, VA. He is the 12th ranked player in the nation. Our chances of getting him are also long. His top 5 are: Maryland, WVU, Duke, Georgia Tech, and Wake Forest. I'll be surprised if he doesn't go to either Maryland or WVU. He relies on superior athleticism.

SF Demetric Yeager is a 6'6 226 pound SF from Baltimore, MD. Our changes of getting him are fair. He is the 21st ranked player and would be our first 5 star recruit I believe. His top 5 are Rutgers, Duke, Wake Forest, Vanderbilt, and Georgia Tech with the top 3 being very even. He is a very good shooter.

PG Dedric Shannon is a 6'0 168 PG from Memphis, TN. He is the 27th ranked player in the nation. We have a good shot at getting him. He is a tremendous passer and shooter. His top 2 are Wake Forest and Alabama.

PF J.R. Vega is from Raleigh, NC. He is a 6'7 210 pound player. He averaged 12 ppg and 10 rpg in the ABL. He is the 55th ranked player in this class. He has 3 point range and is a fast player with good rebounding skill and tremendous leaping ability. We are his top choice. Tennessee and Clemson are also in the picture with Duke and North Carolina being long shots. I expect him to sign with us on the 1st day possible barring a last minute change of heart.




Our 1st game is against UNC Wilimington at our place. They are a weaker team with an overall rating of 77. Gooden and Pardon both need to shine or they could be demoted from the starting lineup in place of seniors.

Their only good players are SR SG Dexter Works and FR SG Eric Yeager. The rest of the lineup is all rated below 70.

[Eaglesfan27]

Goodman scored the first 6 points and Pardon has gotten 2 fouls on their starting SG already. We are up 6-0 with 18 minutes to go. Gooden has stolen it once as has Goodman.

15 minute mark: We are up 12-5. Goodman has 6 and Pardon has 3.

11:41: We are up 17-8. Abram just picked up his 2nd foul. I bring in the 2nd unit: Sutton, Bruce, Enzweiler, Hicks, and Christopher.

4 minute mark: Our 2nd unit played terrible defensively, but offensively they were unbelievable. Enzweiler put up 8 quick points and then started getting double teamed. He used that to find open men, particularly Bruce who with room to shoot was nailing everything. We are up 41-27 as they played a very high tempo 7 minutes.


21 seconds left: Abram picks up his 3rd foul.


Halftime: We are up 52-36.

Goodman, Bruce, and Enzweiler each have 11 points. Goodman is the player of the half with 11 points, 2 boards, and an assist. However, Enzweiler is just as impressive with 11 points, 1 board, and 3 assists (all to Bruce.)

Pardon has 7 points and 3 boards. He has backed his man down twice in the post. His man has scored 7, but I'm fairly sure that 4 of them were when Bruce was in the game.

The only one wasn't really impressive this first half was Gooden, but he did avoid any turnovers so that is good and he did score 4 points.


Gooden came to life in the 2nd half. He dropped 6 assists in 10 minutes (4 of them to Goodman) and also hit a few nice 3's.

9:49: We are up 80-48 as I pull my starters. We'll ask the bench to play very slow the rest of the way.

4 minutes left: We are up 83-58. I give Baldwin and Henning some time (Henning at PF for Hicks.)


We win the game 88-58. Nice start for the team this year. :)

Goodman is the player of the game with 22 points, 3 boards, 3 assists, and 1 steal. He shot 7 of 13, 2 of 5, and 6 of 6. He played 23 minutes.

A nice debut for Gooden who will definitely keep his starting role: He had 12 points, 8 assists, 2 boards, and 2 steals. He only had 1 turnover. He shot 4 of 9, 2 of 5, and 2 of 2. All of the starters only played 23 minutes.

Pardon with 11 points and 4 boards on 5 of 7 shooting, 0 of 0, and 1 of 2. He mostly posted his man up when the opportunity was there.

Gardner with 7 points, 5 boards, 1 assist, and 1 steal. Most of his points came on some fast break baskets that he had. He shot 3 of 5, 0 of 1, and 1 of 1.

Abram with 5 points, 11 boards, 1 assist, and 1 block. He shot 2 of 3 including a very nice offensive rebound that led to a dunk.

Enzweiler led the bench with 15 points, 2 boards, 5 assists, 1 steal and 0 turnovers. He shot 4 of 7, 0 of 1, and 7 of 8. He played 17 minutes.

In 17 minutes, Bruce had 14 points, 5 boards, and 1 steal. He shot 5 of 10, 3 of 4, and 1 of 2. His one 3 that missed was blocked.

Sutton with 0 points, 1 board, and 1 assist in 13 minutes.

Baldwin with 0 of 2 shooting in his 4 minutes. No stats.

Hicks with 2 points and 1 assist in 13 minutes.

Christopher in his debut had 0 points, 7 boards, and 1 assist. He played 17 minutes.

Henning didn't shoot in his 4 minutes No stats.

[Eaglesfan27]

The creampuff win costs us 2 spots in the media poll where are now 21st. We aren't ranked in the coaches' poll.

USC is 3-0 and 17th in both polls. They have a great backcourt and wing players.


Bruce has already improved to an overall of 88.


Our 1st game in the preseason tourney is against Iona who have an overall roster rating of 72. Their top player is SR SG Ola Mikalauskas who is rated 72 overall. The rest of their starting lineup is in the high 60's with the bench all being in the low 60's.

Niagara is back to having mostly mediocre players. Tehir best player is SF Kory Meade who has an overall of 76. They do have a massive center at least who is 7'2 241.


I'll get back to this dynasty later tonight or tomorrow, but now I'm going to start a mini-dynasty following the NBA careers of Simmons, Sockwell, Peterson, and others in NBA 2k8.

[Eaglesfan27]

14 minute mark: Tied at 10, Pardon has 8 points (6 on 2 3's) but has just gotten his 2nd foul. Bruce will work with the starters for a minute or two.

12:33: Gardner gets his 2nd foul. I bring in the rest of the 2nd unit. We are tied at 12.

5:45: We are up 20-19. My starters return with Bruce remaining at SG.


Gooden took over the last 6 minutes. He hit a few outside shots and really opened room to drive.


Halftime: We are up 39-26.


Goodman is the player of the half with 9 points, 2 boards, 2 assists, and 2 steals. He has shot 2 of 6, 1 of 2, and 4 of 5 so far.

Gooden has 8 points and 4 assists.


Their big center, Szatko, is keeping them in the game with 12 points, 5 boards, and 2 blocks.


18:28: Pardon picks up his 3rd foul (on a good hustle play in which he was called for over the back) but will remain in the game for now.

18:10: Gardner picks up his 3rd foul on a ticky tack reach in.

9:32: Goodman with a steal, a pass to Gooden, 2 on break with Pardon.. he throws a perfect alley-oop to Pardon who slams it home! That is Gooden's 10th assist of the game which ties Singleton's career high. Great 2nd game for the frosh. He also has 15 points which is I think was also Singleton's career high. We are up 67-41. I'll pull my starters at the next dead ball.

8:31: Goodman and Szatko collide... a player is down.. it is Szatko holding his knee. I get all of my starters out of the game.

I was hoping to hold them under 50, but with 4 minutes left they hit 50.


We win the game 77-54.

Goodman wins player of the game with 19 points, 2 boards, 2 assists, and 4 steals. He shot 5 of 9, 3 of 4, and 6 of 9.

Gooden with 15 points, 10 assists, 1 board, and only 1 turnover. He shot 4 of 9, 1 of 4, and 6 of 7.

Pardon with 13 points, 2 boards, 2 assists, and 1 steal. He shot 3 of 3, 2 of 2, and 5 of 5.

Gardner with 2 points, 6 boards, 2 assists, and 1 block. He shot 1 of 4.

Abram with 10 points, 6 boards, and 3 blocks. He shot 5 of 8.

Pardon only played 16 minutes. The rest of the starters played 24.


Enzweiler led the bench with 10 points, 5 boards, 2 assists, and 1 steal in 16 minutes. He shot 3 of 7, 1 of 3, and 3 of 5.

Bruce had 4 points on 2 of 8 shooting.

Sutton and Christopher each had 2 points. Sutton had 2 assists and Christopher had 3 boards.

[Eaglesfan27]

Our next game is against Georgia in the preseason tourney. Their overall roster strength is 82. We beat them in the simulated game 84-58. Goodman led our team with 21 points, 9 boards, and 1 steal. He shot 5 of 11, 2 of 5, and 9 of 10. Gooden had 10 points and 5 assists. Pardon had 12 points, 5 boards, and a block. Bruce had 18 off the bench.

In the Deodorant Class Final, we will face DePaul. They are 9th in the media poll and 10th in the coaches' poll. They are 3-0. They have a slightly better roster rating with a 90. Ours is now 88.

Goodman and Abram both suffered minor injuries in our last game but will play. Goodman has a sprained toe. Abram has patellar tendonitis. DePaul's roster is completely healthy.

SR PG Ian Wilkerson is actually a 6'6 252 pound SG who starts at the point for them. He has remarkable speed and quickness for such a big man (90, 88.) He is a good ball handler and passer (81 for both) and is a strong perimeter defender (90.) He is a decent shooter. He is averaging 8 ppg and 7 apg.

SR SG Billy Couisnard is a 6'5 218 pound player who is quick, strong, and a good defender. He also is a good 3 point shooter (80.) He is rated 80 overall.

SR SF Edwin Kemp will be a tough challenge for Goodman. He is 6'6 218 and is rated 86 overall. He has a definite speed and quickness advantage over Goodman and is just as good of a shooter from the arc and midrange. He is a very good rebounder as well.

SO PF Robby Ray is a 6'9 224 pound player who was the 21st player in his class. He is very athletic PF who is developing the rest of this game. He uses his athleticism to great effect at both ends of the court. He is averaging 8 ppg, 8 rpg, and 2 bpg.

SR C Quannas Whitehead is their 7'0 244 pound center who gave us problems in the past. Now, he is rated 80 overall and should be a big load for Abram. He is a dominant rebounder and a decent inside scorer who mainly relies on his size. He is averaging 13 ppg and 10 rpg.

The bench is led by:

SF Austin Lett, a 6'7 210 pound wing player with great athleticism who is rated 84 overall.

PF Josiah Lindeman, a 6'9 245 pound PF who is rated 82 overall. He is a great rebounder.

JR SF Eduardo Doss, a 6'7 248 pound wing player who relies on his combination of size and speed. He is rated 82 overall.

SF Alan Hancock, a 6'6 207 pound player who is rated 80 overall.

[Eaglesfan27]

I'm so used to seeing Sockwell win EVERY tip, that it was a surprise to see Whitehead win the tip this game.


An unbelievable start to the game for us. First play that we have it, Goodman gets the ball in the post, they double him, he kicks it out to Gooden for an open 3. Next 3 possessions, Gooden plays pick and roll basketball with Abram, Whitehead does a terrible job of responding, and Gooden gets passes off to Goodman for 2 3's and then Pardon for a 3.

15 minute mark: We are up 14-6.

11:27: Goodman draws a 2nd foul on Whitehead with a strong drive into the lane. We are up 22-15.

9:58: I rest my starters who are very tired. We are up 26-20.

5 minutes: We are up 33-29 as my starters return to the game.

1:58: Goodman was just dunked on by Doss. Goodman picked up his 2nd foul on the play and Doss made the FT. Up 38-34.


Halftime: We are up 38-36.

We are shooting 7 of 14 from the arc.


Goodman is the player of the half with 13 points, 2 boards, 2 assists, and 1 steal. He has shot 4 of 8, 3 of 6, and 2 of 2.

Gooden has 10 points and 5 assists at the half.


14:27: Abram picks up his 3rd foul. He'll stay in. We are up 48-44.

11 minutes left: My starters, particularly Goodman, are very tired. We are up 51-47 as the 2nd unit takes the floor.

6:23: We are down 56-53 as my starters return to the game, a bit earlier than I wanted them to.

3:22: Wilkerson hit a 3 to put them up 62-57, but Goodman responds with a 3 right away. 62-60.

Kemp hits a 3 and then Gooden has a rare errant pass that is stolen. We foul them on the breakaway. They hit both FT's. Down 67-60.

Despite being tired, Goodman hits another quick 3. 2:19 left as we are down 67-63.

Pardon with a steal.. throws it ahead to Goodman who is fouled on a dunk attempt.. he goes down hard.. but gets right up. He hits 1 of 2.


They try to throw it inside the Whitehead quickly.. quick shot.. he misses.. nice outlet to Gooden.. 2 on 1 with Pardon... Gooden to Pardon for the slam! Down 67-66 with 1:40 to go.


Pick and roll.. Whitehead out at the 3 point line.. we leave him.. he nails the 3!

47 seconds left: Gooden to Pardon the baseline.. he nails the 12 footer. Down 70-68.

37 seconds left: We were gambling and we get beat by a baseline cut.. Kemp dunks it.

27 seconds left: Gooden gets a screen.. he hits the 3! We intentionally foul Wilkerson. He hits both FT's. Down 74-71.

12 seconds left: Gooden passes to Goodman.. they double him.. he kicks out to an open Gooden.. he misses the 3. We foul Whitehead.. he hits the FT's.

Gooden misses a 3 that wasn't really a good look. Ball game. Good effort from our guys.

We lose the game 77-71.

Kemp was the player of the game with 12 points, 6 boards, 3 assists, and a block.

However, all 3 of my big stars had better games. They just had a ton of guys with 10 or 12 points.


Gooden breaks Singleton's career marks with 18 points, 11 assists, 2 boards, and 1 turnover. He is going to be a great point guard one day. He is already very good. He shot 5 of 12, 4 of 7, and 4 of 5.

Pardon had 19 points, 3 boards, 1 assist, and 1 steal. He shot 7 of 11, 3 of 6, and 2 of 2. Just as importantly, he held Couisnard to 6 points on 3 of 9 shooting.

Goodman with 22 points, 3 boards, 3 assists, 1 steal, and 1 block. He shot 7 of 14, 5 of 10, and 3 of 4.

Gardner with 0 points, 10 boards, and a block. He shot 0 of 5.

Abram with 3 points, 6 boards, and a block. He shot 1 of 3 and 1 of 2 from the line.

Enzwiler led th ebench with 4 points, 2 boards, and a steal. He was 1 of 5.

Bruce had 3 and Sutton had 2.

[Eaglesfan27]

I'm really anxious to see what recruits (if any) sign with us early, and I probably won't get to play any more games until tonight (and maybe not then), so I decide to sim my 5th game instead of my 6th.

We are at a 2-2 Wisconsin team that has an overall roster strength of 82.

We win the simulated game 73-60. Pardon led the team with 17 points, 8 boards, and a block. Goodman had 11 points and 4 boards. Gooden only had 1 point but he had 6 assists. Bruce led the bench with 15 points.


Now to see what recruits we get the 1st day of the early signing period...

[Eaglesfan27]

It's mostly bad news, but I did get my first All-American 5 star player!

Demetric Yeager from Baltimore, MD signed with us! He is a 6'6 226 pound SF who is ranked 21st in the nation and 4th among SF's. His best attribute is A+ potential. Our staff believes right now he is already an excellent midrange shooter. His overall grades are: Shooting B+, Skills B, Defense B, Athleticism A-, Rebounding B, IQ A-, Potential A+, and Size B. If our scouting guru is right about his potential, he should be huge for us. He averaged 12 ppg, 7 rpg, 2 apg, and 1 spg in the ABL. He shot 35% from the field and 36% from the arc.


We also got J.R. Vega, the 6'7 210 pound PF from Raleigh, NC. He is ranked 55th overall and 8th among PF's. His best attributes (on a relative scale for a PF) are Speed, 3 point shooting, and leaping ability. His overall grades are: Shooting B, Skills B-, Defense B, Athleticism B+, Rebounding A, IQ A-, Potential B+, and Size B+.

We lose out on Guasco. The #1 player in the nation signed with Georgia Tech.

Newby, the #4 player in the nation from Atlanta, is still in play and is considering our offer as well as an offer from Georgia Tech.

Smallwood, the big talented PF who was ranked 12th in the nation, signed with Maryland.

We lost Dedric Shannon, the #27 player in the nation and 12th PG, to Alabama.


Not a bad initial result.

[Eaglesfan27]

With the result of recruitig, I offer a few backup plans a scholarship:

PG Daon Grimes is a 6'1 186 pound JC FR PG from East Rutherford, NJ who is a 5 star recruit. He is supposed to be very good in all phases of the game with A Potential. His top 3 choices are UMass, Fordham, and Wake Forest. Maryland and Duke are also in the picture, but distant 4th and 5th choices.

I also offer PG/SG Darcel Lloyd from Houston, TX. He is 6'5 195 and is officially a PG, but he has the skills of a SG. He is supposed to be a very good shooter and an extremely fast player. He is a 4 star who is ranked 35th overall. We are a long shot for him. His top choices are LSU and Texas A&M.

I also go against one of my usual recruiting rules and go after Leslie Stapleton. I generally don't go after guys who are below 60% initial interest, but Leslie Stapleton has no clear leader and he is the #1 center in the nation (88th overall player.) He is 6'9 227 and is from Paterson, NJ. His top choices are Uconn, Fairfield, Georgetown, and and YSU (?)

I also try a player who goes against my other rule, don't try to recruit cross country. Artie Murray is a 6'5 205 pound JC FR SG from San Jose, CA. His top schools are Oregon, Wake Forst, Cal, Stanford, and Washington.


Our next game is at SMU. They are 4-1. They have a surprisingly tough team with an overall roster rating of 88. Their starting 5 are all veterans:

SR PG Stewart Danelius is rated 78 overall. He is 6'2 194 and is a very good 3 point shooter. He is a quick player with good defensive skills. His passing and ball handling are subpar for a PG.

JR SG Kenneth Bouldin is rated 76 overall. He is a decent 3 point shooter and has very good top end speed but a slow first step.

JR SF Matt Thomasson is rated 76 overall. He is 6'6 211 and doesn't excel in any area, but is above average in most areas.

JR PF Mitch Mullins is rated 84 overall. He is 6'11 254 and is quick, strong, and is the best shot blocker I've seen in the game. Fortunately, we'll be shooting from outside most of the game. He is part of the reason they are holding teams to 58 ppg.

SR C Perry Minor is rated 86 overall. He is a 6'8 221 pound player who is extremely mobile and much faster than Abram. He is also a very good low post player despite his size and is a great dunker. He has very little range outside the paint.

The bench only has 2 quality players:

FR SG Damarcus Rice is a 6'5 213 pound player with good 3 point shooting. He is rated 76 overall.

FR PF Lee Hudson is a 6'7 208 pound player who is a good defender. He is rated 74 overall and is bad offensively.


After this game, we'll see the end of the early recruiting period. I don't think I'll get any more guys, but I might be surprised.

[Eaglesfan27]

Their defense really is very good. Tied at 5 with 15 minutes to go.

Down 12-7 with 10 minutes to go. Our 2nd unit comes in.

6 minutes: Both sides are scoring much easier against the 2nd units. They have their starters back, so I bring mine back. Down 20-17. Bruce and Enzweiler did most of the scoring for us.


5 minutes left: Pardon picks up his 2nd foul after a nice crossover by their SG. Down 23-17.


Halftime: We are down 31-28.

Goodman is having a very tough 1st half, but he keeps shooting and he did hit his first shot of the game just before halftime. He is also doing the small things including rebounding.

Thomasson has 6 points against Goodman and 9 overall. He is the player of the half. He also has 5 boards and an assist.

Pardon leads our team with 9 points. He is the only player shooting well so we'll get him the ball much more in the 2nd half.

Goodman is 1 of 8 from the field for 3 points.

Gooden has 6 points.



In the first 10 seconds of the 2nd half, Minor gets a 4th foul on Abram. Christopher will come into the game at C.

11:58: They are on a 8-0 run. Down 51-40. I call timeout and get our 2nd unit with Abram in there.

10 minutes: Bruce has been our main weapon on the 2nd unit and he is fouled hard here and goes down holding his knee. Baldwin comes in at PG and Sutton slides over to SG.

8 minutes left: Abram with an over the back foul and he fouls out. Christopher returns to the game. Down 60-48.

6 minutes left: They go on a 8-0 run. Down 68-48 as I bring back our starters to make one last run..

4 minutes left: We cut it to 72-59. Goodman is suddenly on fire with great dribble moves to get into the lane. They just called timeout and brought back their starters.

3:45: Gooden with a steal and a quick 3. 72-62.

3:12: Goodman with a steal and a breakaway dunk. 72-64.

They respond with a 3, Goodman misses a 3, and they hit another 3. Both by Thomasson. We try to rush, but we can't close the gap quick enough even with Gooden hitting 2 3's in a row.



We lose the game 82-74.



Thomasson was the player of the game with 19 points, 7 boards, 2 assists, and 2 steals.

Mullins really hurt us with 17 points, 8 boards, and 2 blocks.


Gooden led our team in scoring with 17 points but only had 3 assists as guys failed to finish plays or hit outside shots. He also had 2 steals. He shot 5 of 12, 5 of 10, and 2 of 4.

Pardon with 15 points, 4 boards, and 1 assist on 5 of 10 shooting, 1 of 3, and 4 of 5.

Goodman with 14 points, 6 boards, 2 assists, and 3 steals. He shot 4 of 14, 1 of 3, and 5 of 6.

Gardner with 2 points and 3 boards .

Abram only played 20 minutes before fouling out. He finished with 0 points, 2 boards, and 2 blocks.

Enzweiler had 12 points, 2 boards, 2 assists, and 1 steal in 10 minutes. He shot 3 of 6, 0 of 3, and 6 of 6.

Bruce had 6 points before his injury which turns out to be just a minor bruise. He'll be fine in a few days.


Now to see if we got anyone else in the early recruiting....

[Eaglesfan27]

We didn't get anyone else and we lost 2 guys:

Daon Grimes signed with UMass and Darcel Lloyd signed with LSU.



Our next game should be much easier since we are at home and Norfolk State isn't very good. They have an overall rating of 66.

They only have 2 players who aren't rated below 60:

FR SG Thomas Crenshaw is a 6'0 169 pound player who is rated 72 overall.

FR SF Roosevelt Murphy is 6'8 211 pounds and is rated 71 overall.

Everyone else is in the low 50's. At least their center has good size at 6'10 231.

[Eaglesfan27]

Great defense to start the game, but our offense is slow to get going. 3 minutes into the game, Gooden scores the first points on FT's.

15 minutes: Tied at 4. Our outside shots just aren't falling.

11 minute mark: Goodman has been heating up. We are up 15-4 as I rest my starters.

7:37: We are up 19-13. We are now in the bonus.

6 minutes: We are up 25-13 as our starters return to the game. Enzweiler had 7 points during his stretch on the floor.


5:33: Gooden picks up his 2nd foul. I'm leaving him in for now.


Pardon ends the half with a double pump jam on the fast break.


Halftime: We are up 39-22 with very balanced scoring among our starters. Everyone except Gardner has at least 5.

15 minute mark: We are up 43-27.

9:45: Our outside shooting has been terrible, but we are getting some fast break baskets from our defense. We are up 51-33 as I rest my starters, possibly for the rest of the game.

4 minutes: My dream of holding them under 40 ends. We are up 60-41.



We win the game 70-48.


Goodman was the player of the game with 15 points, 1 board, 1 assist, and a career high 5 steals. He shot 4 of 12, 1 of 4, and 6 of 6.

Gooden with 7 points, 5 assists, 3 boards, 2 steals, and 3 turnovers. He shot 2 of 6, 1 of 4, and 2 of 2.

Pardon with 12 points, 4 boards, 2 steals, and a block. He shot 4 of 9, 0 of 2, and 4 of 5.

Gardner with 0 points, 4 boards, a block, and 2 steals. He shot 0 of 5.

Abram with 7 points and 6 boards. He shot 2 of 4 and 3 of 4 from the line.


Enzweiler led all scorers with 17 points. He also had 3 boards, 1 assist, and 1 steal. He shot 6 of 8, 3 of 3, and 2 of 3.

My lineup was somehow messed up (maybe an injury) so I had to use Henning at backup Center this game and he did very well against this weak team. He finished with 4 points and 7 boards.

Bruce with 4 points and 4 assists off the bench.


Crenshaw led them with 15 points.

[Eaglesfan27]

We are now 5-2 and still unranked in the polls.

Our next game is hosting a 1-5 Applachian State team that is even weaker than the last opponent with an overall roster rating of 62. Their best player is FR SF Alton Carroll, a 6'6 214 pound player from West Virginia who is rated 65 overall. Most of their roster is rated in the high 50's.


USC is now 7-2, having beaten a very good Temple team and a solid Syracuse squad.

Niagara is 6-2 with their best win being an early conference game against Siena, who they beat 85-82.

[Eaglesfan27]

I decide to sim the game against Applachian State, so I can get to the 2 good games coming up. We beat them 78-44. Pardon led the team with 24 points, 3 boards, 2 steals, and 2 blocks. Goodman had 14 points and 5 boards. Gooden had 8 assists. Bruce had 14 points off the bench. Abram pulled a hamstring during the game. He'll be less than 100% for a few weeks but will continue to play.


We are 6-2 and hosting 8-1 Pitt. They are 14th in the media poll. They have a 90 overall roster strength. 4 of their players are banged up but will play, including their 2 best players who both have pulled groins. They have an experienced backcourt to go with a freshman PF and center:

SR PG Andres Crawford is more of a natural SG. He is 6'5 201 and is a very skilled outside shooter. He is averaging 6 ppg and 6 apg. He is rated 84 overall and is 100%.

SR SG Raoul Maldonado is 6'5 213. He is a dangerous scorer who can hit from anywhere on the floor. He is averaging 21 ppg but is suffering with the injury. He is rated 88 overall.

JR SF Dez Chadwick is 6'7 239 and is rated 88 overall. He is also a great scorer who is also suffering from an injury. He is averaging 14 ppg and 7 rpg.

FR PF Willie Yeager is 6'10 222 and is rated 76 overall. He is also one of the injured players. He has a sprained ankle but will stay play. When fully healthy, he is an athletic player who is still unrefined. He is averaging 6 ppg and 4 rpg along with 1.5 bpg.

FR C Timmy Price is 6'11 252. He is just average in most areas, but he has very high potential. He has the capability to shoot from outside as well as inside with some skill. He is averaging 7 ppg and 6 rpg.

SF Russ Schifino leads a bench that isn't nearly as good as it was last year. He is 6'5 209 and is rated 83 overall. The rest of the bench is all in the mid to high 70's.

[Ironhead]

Did some catchup reading this morning, great job as always EF27. Amazing dedication to keep this going strong for over 1 year too.

[Eaglesfan27]

Very physical game early. Up 6-3 with 15 minutes to go in the half.

11:52: Chadwick picks up a 2nd foul trying to double team Abram. We are down 10-8.

10:28: We are down 12-9. Maldonado has 7. I bring in our subs.

6 minutes: The 2nd unit is playing so well, they will remain in the game. We are up 18-14. Enzweiler has 5 and Bruce has 4.

4 minutes: Up 20-18 as my starters return.



Halftime: Down 26-24.

Maldonado hit 2 big 3's for them down the stretch. He is the player of the half with 12 points.

Goodman leads us with 7 points on 3 of 7 shooting.


16:45: Gardner beats his man and is fouled by Price on a dunk attempt. That is the 3rd foul on Price.

15 minute mark: Up 33-31. Our 3's just aren't falling.

12:24: Goodman with a beautiful baseline drive, a reverse layup and the foul. He hits the FT to put us up 38-37.

They hit a 3. Goodman hits a 3. He is heating up. Goodman steals it, but throws it away trying to start a fastbreak.


10 minute mark: Down 44-43, I rest my starters.


5:45: They are taking over the game, so I bring my starters back a bit early. Down 53-47.

Goodman hits a 3 on our first play, however, Crawford fires right back with a 3. Crawford has 14 points.

4:28: Gardner gets fouled down low. He hits both FT's. Down 56-52.

Abram with a block and he ignites a fastbreak which is finished by a nice safe dunk from Pardon.

Our full court trap forces an errant pass!

We exchange missed 3's as Goodman misses a good look.

Pardon misses down low on a post up move. We get another block. Pardon fumbles away the pass and we turn it over. Still 56-54 with 2:20 to go.

We force a missed shot down low and then Gooden with a nice drive into the lane and throws a quick lob pass for an easy dunk to Abram! Tied at 56 with just under 2 minutes left.

After multiple missed shots by both sides, with 16 seconds left, Goodman steals an entry pass intended for their center, beats everyone down the court and dunks it! 58-56.

Maldonado misses a 3 with 3 seconds left. Gardner gets the board. He misses the 1st of a 1 and 1.. they get the board.. long heave.. it hits the rim... and bounces off!


We win the game 58-56.


Goodman was the player of the game with 20 points, 2 boards, 2 assists, 3 steals, and 3 turnovers. He shot 7 of 15, 3 of 8, and 3 of 3.

Gooden with 6 points, 5 assists, and 1 board along with 2 turnovers. He shot 2 of 7.

Pardon with 4 points, 4 boards, 1 assist, and 1 steal. He shot 2 of 7. He held Maldonado to 14 points on 6 of 17 shooting.

Gardner with 5 points and 10 boards and a block. He shot 1 of 1 and 3 of 5 from the line.

Abram with 8 points, 5 boards, 1 assist, and 2 blocks. He shot 3 of 6, 0 of 0, and 2 of 4.

Enzweiler led the bench with 7 points on 2 of 4, 1 of 2, and 2 of 2 shooting.

Bruce had 4 points. Hicks had 8 boards in just 11 minutes.


A huge win for us. Now, we have another very strong opponent.

[Eaglesfan27]

Did some catchup reading this morning, great job as always EF27. Amazing dedication to keep this going strong for over 1 year too.

Thanks. This game is the most fun one that I own right now. I'm sure I'll eventually need a break from it but not anytime soon. Especially since Dragon Age has been delayed.

[Eaglesfan27]

We are still unranked in the polls, but if we manage a win in this next game, I'm imagining we'll jump in both. Our next game is at UConn. They are 9-1 and 8th in both polls. They have an overall roster rating of 91. They are completely healthy.

They have the best set of defensive players that I've ever seen:

SR PG Chauncey Bishop is 6'5 205 and is a very good perimeter defender as well as a strong scorer. He is averaging 13 ppg and 7 apg. He is rated 85 overall.

JR SG Mitchell Lamptey is 6'5 204 and is a defensive specialist who is rated 84 overall. He is averaging 4 ppg and 2 spg.

SR SF Marquis Cisse is a 6'6 227 pound wing player with elite speed (93) and great defensive ability on the perimeter as well as some good athleticism around the rim. He is averaging 10 ppg, 9 rpg, 4 apg, 2 spg, and 1.5 bpg. He is rated 84 overall.

JR PF Benjamin Newsome is a 6'11 217 pound shot blocker extraordinaire. He is also a fast player who is a dynamic finisher. He is averaging 16 ppg, 6 rpg, and 2.4 bpg. He is rated 84 overall.

SR C Kennedy Colwell is 6'10 240. He is a tremendous shot blocker and an overall good post defender. He is averaging 11.4 ppg, 6.3 rpg, and 2.3 bpg.

Their top bench player is Hendrik Walters, a 6'11 261 pound JR C who is the best shot blocker on the team but is weaker in other areas. In just 12 minutes per game, he is averaging 1.4 bpg, along with 4 ppg and 4 rpg. He is rated 82 overall.

SO PF Kris Cunningham is a 6'5 217 pound player but he has tremendous vertical and is also a very good shot blocker. He has good perimeter defense as well as decent post defense. He is rated 81 overall. He is averaging 1.6 bpg in just 13 mpg.

SR SF Edwin Bills is 6'6 216 and is rated 80 overall. He is a shut down perimeter defender but usually only plays a few minutes per night. He is rated 80 overall.

SO PF Alec Basden is a 6'6 219 pound player who is a very good outside shooter. He gets 5-10 mpg and is averaging 7 ppg. He is rated 80 overall.

SO SG Donte' Krymski is a 6'5 203 pound player from Hartford who is the best 3 point shooter on the team. He is rated 79 overall. He is averaging 4 ppg in just 5 mpg.

The rest of the bench is all in the high 70's for ratings.

[Eaglesfan27]

15 minute mark: Down 10-5. They have already blocked 2 shots.

14:22 Abram gets a 2nd foul on Cunningham who had just come into the game.

12 minute mark: Abram collides hard with Colwell (I had told him to try to go after their big guys to get them into foul trouble) and goes down hard. Abram is holding his knee..

11 minute mark: Pardon with a nice drive gets a 2nd foul on Newsome. Down 18-16.

9:55: Pardon off a screen, drives into the lane and is fouled on a block attempt by Colwell. That is Colwell's 2nd. Down 20-19. My starters are very tired, so we go to the 2nd unit.

8:51: Their big men are pushing around Hicks who has just picked up 2 quick fouls. I try Henning at PF.

Bruce with a nice crossover gets into the lane, passes it to Christopher who dunks and is fouled. He hits the FT to tie game at 23 with 8 minutes to go in the half.

7:45: Sutton has just picked up his 2nd foul. We bring Baldwin into the game. Down 25-23.

6:35: Both sides are in the double bonus. We are tied at 29 after Enzweiler hits 1 of 2 FT's.

4:03: Abram has been cleared to return. They are on a 5-0 run so I bring back the starters. Down 34-29.

Gardner picks up his 2nd foul with 48 seconds to go.


Halftime: We are down 40-34.

Our ability to get to the FT line often and hit at a good rate is the only thing keeping us in this.

Bishop is the player of the half. He has 10 points. Interestingly, he only has 1 assist. The offense is flowing through Cisse who has 6 assists.


18:21: Goodman with a drive into the lane.. hangs.. gets fouled by Newsome and still hits the floater. He hits the FT to make it 43-37, we are down. That is Newsome's 3rd foul.

30 seconds later, we get a 3rd on Cunningham.

15 minutes: Gooden drives into the lane and gets a 3rd foul on Colwell. We are down 51-43.

Gooden with a 3, a steal, a fastbreak layup, and then after a stop, Gooden has a nice assist to Pardon. We are down 51-50 with 12:14 to go...

10:20: Goodman hits a 3 to tie it at 55.

Bishop responds with a 3.


8:51: Abram picks up his 4th foul. I rest all of my starters. We are down 59-58.

4:12: It started to look like they were going to pull away as they built a 66-59 lead, but Bruce and Sutton each had strong drives into the lane to get fouled and we are only down 68-64 as my starters return.

1:12: Goodman has missed 3 open shots, including 2 3's that could have given us the lead, and now they are scoring again mainly through Colwell down low. We are down 72-68.

1:01: Colwell hits his 3rd basket in a row. Down 74-68.

49 seconds: Goodman has another good look at a 3.. it rims in and out.

After they miss the FT's, Gooden misses a quick 3. We are done.

Goodman even misses a dunk at the end of the game. Just a bad 4 minutes for him.

Gooden hits 2 3's in the last 10 seconds, but it is too late.


We lose the game 80-74.

Bishop was the player of the game with 28 points and 2 assists. He shot 11 of 17, 1 of 6, and 5 of 6.

Colwell had 14 points, 11 boards, and 3 blocks for them. 3 other players had 1 block each.


Gooden led our team with 21 points, 1 assist, 2 steals, and 2 turnovers. He shot 6 of 9, 4 of 5, and 5 of 6.

Pardon had 14 points, 3 boards, 1 assist, and 1 steal. He shot 2 of 6, 0 of 2, and 10 of 11.

Goodman with 18 points, 5 boards, 2 assists, and 2 blocks. He shot 5 of 18, 2 of 9, and 6 of 7. Maybe those looks weren't as open as I thought.. they always closed quickly.

Gardner with 1 points, 9 boards, and 1 assist. He shot 0 fo 3 and 1 of 2 from the line.

Abram with 5 points, 5 boards, and 2 assists. He shot 2 of 6 and 1 of 3 from the line.

Enzweiler only had 3 points on 0 of 4 shooting, 0 of 2, and 3 of 4.

Bruce led the bench with 5 points and 1 assist.

[Eaglesfan27]

Our next game (last before conference play begins) is much easier as we host a 4-3 Davidson team. Their overall roster rating is 72.

JR SF Quannas Flowers is their best player. The 6'9 255 pound SF from Atlanta is rated 75 overall. His strength is interior scoring and strength. He is averaging 14 ppg and 7 rpg.

PG Leon McFadgon is also a solid player with an overall of 73 but he is only 5'9 170. His best attribute is his 3 point shooting, but he is slow and I think we can shut him down. He is averaging 14.4 ppg coming into this game as well as 3.5 apg.

They do have 1 huge center who is 7'4 255, but he is very slow and unskilled and is usually buried on their bench. He is rated 52 overall.

After this game, we have 2 weeks off before we open conference play with Virginia Tech.


Here is a quick look at the ACC's roster strength and records as they stand right now:

GT, 94, 8-1
Maryland, 90, 10-0
Wake Forest, 90, 7-3
Duke, 88, 10-1
Miami, 88, 11-0
NC State, 88, 10-3
BC, 88, 5-5
Clemson, 86, 8-3
FSU, 86, 10-1
North Carolina, 85, 3-6
Virginia, 80, 4-6
VT, 79, 4-7


A quick look at who has improved so far on my roster to raise our roster strength to 90:

All +1: Bruce, Goodman, Sutton, Baldwin, Gardner, Henning, Watts, and Hollins.

[Eaglesfan27]

I decide to sim the game against Davidson to get to our conference play, rather than simming the 1st game of the conference play.

We win the game 96-56. Goodman led the team with 24 points, 5 boards, 3 assists, and 4 steals.

Pardon had 15 points. Gooden had 10 points and 5 assists. Bruce led the bench with 14 points.


Our first conference game is at VT. VT is now 6-8. Their overall roster strength is 79.

Their best player is JR PG Jensley Crisp who is 6'2 196 and is rated 78 overall. He is a good 3 point shooter.

FR SG Anand Abellard is 6'5 222 and is rated 75 overall. He is slow but is a good 3 point shooter.

JR SG/SF Dez McGrain is 6'5 210. He is rated 72 overall. He is a decent interior scorer.

FR PF Jermey Pompey is 6'7 207 and is rated 68 overall. He is a terrible ball handler and doesn't have much speed.

SO C Brian Skeeter is 6'11 215 and is rated 71 overall. He is a decent rebounder.

The top bench player is FR PG Bill Powers who is rated 68 overall.

Goodman is my only player who is now plus 2 in overall rating. In particular, his 3 point shooting is coming along nicely.

[Eaglesfan27]

15 minute mark: A terrilble start. Down 9-2.

13 minute mark: Down 15-6. Abram just picked up his 2nd foul. I rest all of my starters. I also start double teaming McGrain who has 11.

5 minute mark: Our 2nd unit's double teaming shut down McGrain, and we played with better overall energy. We closed within 2 several times. Now, we are down 28-23 as our starters return.

3 minute mark: Gooden picks up his 2nd foul. Down 31-27.


Crisp hits a buzzer 3 to end the half.


Halftime: Down 43-36. McGrain is the player of the half with 14 points.

Goodman has 12 for us. Enzweiler has 10.


19 minute mark: Abram picks up his 3rd foul. I let him play on for now..

18 minute mark: Pardon picks up his 3rd.. I let him keep playing.

We are playing very sloppy. Back to back turnovers lead to fast break points for them.

16:49: Pardon picks up his 4th foul and will sit. We are down 51-38.

10 minute mark: After letting the lead get to 16, Gooden and Goodman came to live. They have cut the lead to 8, but all of my starters are exhausted. We bring in the 2nd unit. Down 62-54.

9:32: Christopher gets a board.. passes it to Sutton.. then Christopher beats his man down the court and gets a great lead pass for a dunk and the foul. He misses the FT, but Enzweiler gets the board and makes the inside basket. Down 62-58.

Enzweiler steals the ball.. drives to the hoop, misses the shot, but jumps and tips it in! 62-60.

In 2 minutes, 2 turnovers lead to 5 quick points for them.

6:15: McGrain collides with Christopher.. McGrain goes to the ground holding his knee and screaming.. Down 71-66.

4:48: Down 74-69 as my starters return. Enzweiler has had a great game but he is tired from his high effort level..


3 minutes left: Pardon and Goodman have both missed 3's. Now, Goodman just missed a dunk. Down 77-69.

2 minutes left: McGrain has come back.. apparently, his injury wasn't too bad. He hits a 3 to put the final touches on this game. Down 80-72 now.


We lose the game 82-76.

Abellard torched us for 23 points on 6 of 10, 4 of 5, and 7 of 10 shooting. He also had 2 board and 3 assists as the player of the game. Pardon should be embarassed.

McGrain with 23 points as well.

Goodman led us with 22 points, 3 boards, and 2 steals. However, he allowed McGrain to shoot 11 of 15. Goodman shot 8 of 16 and 6 of 7 from the line.

Gooden with 8 points and 1 assist on 2 of 7 shooting.

Pardon with 1 point and 5 boards. He shot 0 of 5.

Gardner with 10 points and 3 boards.

Abram with 1 points, 9 boards, and a career high 3 blocks.


Enzweiler with a career high 20 points, 4 boards, and 1 turnover. He shot 8 of 14, 2 of 5, and 2 of 4.


Bruce had 6 points, 3 assists, and 2 steals.


A very disappointing road loss.

[Eaglesfan27]

Our next game on the road is against a very tough Georgia Tech team. Their overall roster strength is now 95. They are 13-1.

They have an amazing starting 5 including the highest rated freshman I've ever seen:

SR PG William Coulter has waited his turn. He is 6'4 207 and is rated 88 overall. He is averaging 10 ppg and 5 apg. He does everything very well. He is an absolutely dominating defender. He was the 6th player overall in his class.

FR SG Edwin Ibekwe is from Stillwater, OK and he was the #2 player in H.S. last year. He is a 6'5 216 pound player who is already rated 86 overall. He is a dynamic 3 point shooter, an athletic player with no real weaknesses. He is averaging 10 ppg, 3 rpg, and 3 apg.

JR SF A.B. Kampman is 6'6 204 and is finally starting. He is a very good midrange shooter. He is averaging 10 ppg and 4 rpg. He is rated 87 overall.

SR PF Jerome Weaver is 6'4 217 and I'm surprised he didn't go pro last year. He is now rated 91 overall. He is a dynamic finisher around the rim who has really developed his 3 point shot. He is extremely quick for a power forward but is not that strong with his small stature. Still, he rebounds well and is averaging 25 ppg and 9 rpg along with just under 2 bpg.

SR C Jeffrey Hudson is 6'9 204. He is rated 83 overall. He is averaging 10 ppg and 6 rpg.


The bench is led by SO PG Sid Esterkamp who is rated 86 overall and doesn't have any weaknesses in his game.

SO SF Kenneth Varem plays a lot of minutes and is a versatile player. He is rated 86 overall and is 6'6 209. He is averaging 8 ppg, 4 rpg, and 4 apg.

FR SF Rulon Swanson is a very dangerous addition to the team. He is 6'9 250 and is a 3 point expert (86.) He is a bit lax as a defender, but with time he is going to be another great player for them. He is already rated 80 overall. He was the 18th player in his class and the top SF.

Another marksman is Jean-Baptiste Kelley. He is a 6'5 205 pound SG from Brooklyn. He is rated 92 in 3 point shooting. He was the #1 player in the nation last year. Sheesh, Georgia Tech got the #1 and #2 players last year?!?

Coach Paul Hewitt, Georgia Tech, is considered one of the best in the game. He has ratings of: Offense A+, Defense A-, Teaching A+, Scouting A, Charisma A+, and Discipline B+.

[hoopsguy]

Coach Paul Hewitt, Georgia Tech, is considered one of the best in the game. He has ratings of: Offense A+, Defense A-, Teaching A+, Scouting A, Charisma A+, and Discipline B+.

I'm sure Jon would have thoughts on this topic if he happens to read along with your dynasty :)

[Eaglesfan27]

I'm sure Jon would have thoughts on this topic if he happens to read along with your dynasty :)

:D

I think we are about to get slaughtered by him and his players...



15 minute mark: We are up 9-8. So far, Gooden and Goodman are both scoring very effectively. I really want to try to establish the inside game more, but both guys just aren't hitting their shots.


12:20: Abram has been dominating the boards early, but he just picked up his 2nd foul on a block attempt. Tied at 14. I decide to rest all of my starters, but I expect it will be a brief break.


11:24: Enzweiler gets a 2nd foul on Hudson.

8:20: This is the best I've seen my 2nd unit play as a whole. Down 24-23 as Hicks picks up his 2nd foul. Great hustle from everyone so they will stay in for another minute.

8:04: Hicks gets a 2nd foul on Kampman who is their leading scorer.

7 minutes: Down 26-24 as our starters return.

6:24: Abram picks up his 3rd foul trying to block a drive. Christopher will come back in and finish out the half.

4:44: Gooden picks up his 2nd foul. We are down 30-29.


Halftime: They hit a buzzer beater 3 to make it 39-35, their lead.


Both teams are shooting a low percentage from the field, but frequently getting to the line in this very physical game.

The 3 leading scorers from each side:

Ibekwe - 7, Kampman - 7, Varem - 5. Goodman -12, Gooden - 8, Enzweiler - 3.

Abram already has 7 rebounds in just 8 minutes. He also had a block.





19 minute mark: Gooden gets stuck on Weaver from a pick and roll switch. Weaver gets a 3rd foul on Gooden.

16 minute mark: Gooden returns the favor with a drive off a screen. We are down 44-43.

Gardner blocks a Kampman shot, but Kampman gets the carom and comes right back at Gardner drawing a 3rd foul on him.


14 minute mark: Pardon misses a fancy breakaway dunk that would have tied the game.

13 minute mark: Goodman misses a fairly good look at a 3 that would have tied it.

11:49: Gooden hits a pair of FT's to give us a 51-50 lead.


10:30: Down 53-51, I rest my starters (and Christopher who has been playing for the entire 2nd half.)

5:22: Their starters returned 2 minutes ago and they are now on a 7-0 run. We are down 64-57. I bring back our starters even though they aren't as rested as I would like.


Gardner of all people gets us a quick inside basket, a steal, and a dunk!


Pardon misses a pair of FT's that could have given us the lead.. Goodman gets the offensive board off the 2nd miss, but he misses the putback.


Ibekwe hits a pair of 3's to give them a 70-63 lead. 2:13 left.

Goodman with a nice hanging shot in the lane, gets fouled, and hits it. That brings us within 5.. 55 seconds left.

We intentionally foul. They miss the FT's! At the other end, Goodman manages to generate contact on a 3 point attempt.. he is shooting 3... he hits all 3! 73-71 with 45 seconds left..

16 seconds left.. Goodman steals it! He drives down the court.. tries to lay it in over Hudson.. there is contact.. he misses the shot... no call! They get the board and we have to foul.

Coultier hits the first FT.. and the 2nd. 10 seconds left.


We call timeout and get Enzweiler in for Pardon who is a much worse 3 point shooter.

Enzweiler gets the quick 3.. it is just a bit long.


We lose the game 77-71. Good road effort.


Weaver wins player of the game with 11 points, 8 boards, 2 assists, 2 steals, and 2 blocks. He shot 2 of 5, 0 of 1, and 7 of 9.

Ibekwe had 17 points, 3 boards, and 2 assists. He shot 6 of 13, 2 of 7, and 3 of 4.

Kampman was their 3rd leading scorer with 10 points, 7 boards, 1 assist, and 2 steals.



Goodman led us with 20 points, 2 boards, and 2 steals. He shot 4 of 11, 1 of 2, and 11 of 12.

Gooden had 18 points, 2 assists, 2 boards, and 2 steals. He shot 3 of 8, 0 of 4, and 12 of 12.

Pardon with 10 points, 7 boards, and 1 steal. He shot 3 of 11, 0 of 2, and 4 of 6.

Gardner with 4 points, 2 boards, 2 steals, and 3 blocks.

Abram with 2 points, 10 boards, and 2 blocks in just 19 minutes.



Bruce led the bench with 6. Enzweiler, Hicks, and Christopher each scored 3. Sutton had 2. Christopher with a decent 21 minutes: 3 points, 6 boards, and a block.

[Eaglesfan27]

Our next game isn't any easier as we face Maryland who are 14-0. Their overall roster strength is 91. They are averaging 98 ppg so far! However, we have one break. Sophomore Jonathan Tucker, who killed us last year IIRC and is their highest rated player with an overall of 89, is out for this game with a strained achilles. Also backup SF Joah Webb is out with a broken hand. They still have a ton of weapons:

SR PG Herb Lennon is 5'10 188 and is rated 88 overall. He is strong in every phase of the game. He is averaging 14 ppg, 7 apg, 4 rpg, and 2 spg.

SR SG Blair Rollins is 6'0 194 and is rated 88 overall. He is a dynamic scorer and a solid defender, although his size may allow Pardon to take advantage. Then again, he may have too much speed to leave Pardon on him unless I go to a zone. He is averaging 16 ppg, 4 rpg, and 4 apg.

So SF Ron Bender is 6'6 255. He has a great combo of size and strength along with good ball ahndling. He is rated 81 overall. He is averaging 11 ppg and 1.6 bpg.

FR PF Errick Kragel is 6'6 218 and is rated 75 overall. He is average to slightly above average in most phases of the game. He is averaging 7 ppg and 4 rpg. He doesn't play much more than 20 mpg as they will go small often.

SO PF/C A.J. Willie is 6'7 201 and is rated 80 overall. He is a good rebounder for his size. He is averaging 6.8 ppg and 5 rpg.


The bench is led by 2 star PG's:

SR PG Lyle Cranford is 6'2 186 and is rated 87 overall. He is a premiere ball handler with great speed and good shooting ability. He is averaging 8 ppg, 2 rpg, and 3 apg in just 11 mpg.

SR PG Artie Fields is 5'11 205 and is rated 87 overall. He is the best 3 point shooter on the team. He is averaging 10 ppg.

The rest of the bench is rated in the low 70's. Most of the guys excel in athleticism.

[Eaglesfan27]

15 minute mark: Pardon just drew a 2nd foul on Kragel. We are up 8-5.

14 minute mark: Abram gets a 2nd foul on Willie. We are going to use Abram's size to our advantage this game.

13 minute mark: Abram with a putback dunk to put us 15-7 and get our home crowd going crazy. They call timeout.

9 minute mark: Our guys are completely up for this game and adrenaline has them going strong. We are up 25-16.

8 minute mark: Only Goodman is really tired. I bring in Enzweiler to play with the starters for the first time.

6:34: Enzweiler gets a 2nd foul on Bender. Up 30-22.

5:30: Gooden takes a charge to get a 2nd foul on Lennon.

3 minute mark: I just saw something I've never seen in all of the games I've played.. a guy just went down to an injury with no contact.. one minute he is running, the next he is grabbing his knee. Unfortunately, it was Enzweiler. :( (Note: I did increase the injury frequency and severity slider this offseason since I've never seen a serious injury in game.)

Amazingly, all of my starters are still at a good energy level so I bring in Bruce at SG and let Pardon slide over to SF. We are up 36-24.

Now, I've got a glitch.. the camera is going crazy. not showing me where my guys are.. first time I've seen this happen as well.. I'm going to try to run out the half, and hope that it corrects itself for the 2nd half.

It cost me 7 quick points before I thought of using a Time out, sure enough that fixed it. Up 36-31 with 1:45 to go. They make 1 more basket before Bruce hits a 3 to end the 9-0 run. Up 39-33.


Halftime: We are up 39-33. Enzweiler has been cleared to return in the 2nd half.

Gooden is the player of the half with 11 points and 3 assists.

Our top 3 scorers are Gooden, Pardon (9), and Goodman (8.)

Their top 3 scorers are Bender (6), Fields (5), and Lennon (4.)



13 minute mark: We are up 50-47. Gooden, Pardon, and Goodman are all tired. I replace just them as I'm trying something different to break this losing spell.

10 minute mark: Lennon has hit back to back 3's to tie it and then give them the lead. Down 58-55.

9:10: They are now up 61-55 after a 3 by Fields. I use the following lineup: Gooden, Pardon, Goodman, Hicks, and Christopher.

After a missed 3, Pardon posts up his man and draws the foul while shooting. He hits both FT's to end their run.

They are making 3's, but we are responding. Big 3's by Goodman and Gooden.

5 minute mark: Gooden hits another 3 to tie it at 68.

Goodman steals it, passes it ahead to Pardon who is fouled on a dunk attempt that he still makes! He makes the FT to put us ahead 71-68. Our home crowd is going crazy.

Goodman steals it, passes it ahead to Gooden, who passes it back to Goodman for the dunk.

Gooden steals it.. sets us up, runs some pick and roll and finds Christopher for an easy dunk! 75-68. 3:53 to go.

Christopher steals an entry pass.. throws it up the court.. Gooden catches up to it and slams it.

Pardon blocks the 3 point attempt by Fields. Goodman misses a 3 at the other end.

Rollins hits back to back 3's to keep them in it. We are up 79-74 with 45 seconds left as they start fouling.. Gooden hits both FT's.


We win the game 84-76.

Gooden with an unreal game: 25 points, 7 assists, 7 steals, and 4 boards. The points are a career high. The boards tie a career high, and the steals obliterate his previous career high. He shot 6 of 13, 3 of 7, and 10 of 12.

Pardon with 16 points, 6 boards, 2 assists, 2 steals, and 2 blocks. He shot 3 of 11, 0 of 4, and 10 of 11. He held Rollins to 2 of 11 shooting for 7 points.

Goodman with 21 points, 5 boards, 2 assists, and 2 steals. He shot 7 of 21, 3 of 10, 4 of 4.


Gardner with 5 points, 9 boards, and 2 steals. He shot 2 of 6, and 1 of 2 from the line.

Abram with 4 points, 7 boards, and 2 assists. He shot 2 of 5.

Bruce and Christopher each had 6 points off the bench.

[Eaglesfan27]

Despite the big win, we remain unranked. I can't say I really blame the voters. I think our lack of a real threat in the middle is going to undermine this team when the big 3 don't score well.


A quick update on the 5 outstanding scholarship offers:

SG Mychal Kilgore is a 4 star rated 45th overall. He is 6'3 182 and is from Bloomington, IN. Right now, it is strictly between Xavier and Wake Forest but UL and Indiana could make a strong run for him as the year progresses. Our chances of getting him look good.

JC FR SG Artie Murray from San Jose, CA is a 6'5 204 pound 4 star player. It is between us and Oregon. I'm sure the distance will hurt us. Our chances of getting him are slim. I'm tempted to pull his scholarship and offer a big 3 star player.

5 star SG Sidiki Newby is the 4th player overall. We are 2nd on his list, but Georgia Tech looks like the team to beat. Perhaps, I should give up on him..

JC SO Stephon Ryan could step right in as our primary backup PG next year. He is 6'2 197 and very skilled. He is a 4 star player. He is from Westland, MI. It is between us and Ohio State with Towson as an outside player. Our chances of getting him are poor to fair due to distance concerns that his family has.

C Leslie Stapleton is the #1 Center in the nation. He is 6'9 227 and is one of the most athletic big men in high school. We are his 3rd choice with Uconn and VCU being above us.. Again I wonder if I should cut bait.. but I'll definitely keep fighting for him.

A backup plan that I really like at center is Zack Kole from Los Angeles. He is 7'0 263 and is a 3 star player who is ranked 137th overall. For whatever reason, the only schools still pursuing him are us and UCSB who I think maybe I can beat out.. then again, he might be a stiff. I definitely need to scout him more before I make an offer.

If he looks decent once I'm done scouting him, I'll pull the offer from one of the longshot SG's. I definitely don't want to sign too many at that position.

Our next game is hosting FSU. They are 13-3 (3-1) with an overall roster rating of 86. We win the simmed game 78-76. Goodman led all scorers with 15. Gooden had 6 assists to lead our team. Pardon with 10 points, 6 boards, and 2 blocks.



Niagara is struggling in the MAAC with a 11-7 (4-4) record. They don't have any players above 3 stars on their roster now.

USC is 24th in the media poll and is now 14-4 (4-1.) Their best win is over #4 Washington. Hopefully, Floyd will make one last deep run and then leave. He is now 70 years old and has a career record of 626-357.



Our next game is at 12-7 (2-3) NC State. Their overall roster strength is 89.

Their top player is PG Harold Ainge. He is a 5'10 175 pound senior. He is very dangerous from the arc (88.) He also has elite speed (95.) He is rated 83 overall. He is averaging 17 ppg and 3.5 apg.

SR PF Florentino Santos is 6'9 241. He is a very good shot blocker and rebounder. He is rated 82 overall. He is averaging 11 ppg, 7 rpg, and 2 bpg.

SR SG Cameron Berrelleca is a 6'4 204 pound player who is rated 81 overall. He is a very good 3 point shooter and a solid defender. He is averaging 14 ppg.

JR SF/PF Arnold Felder is a 6'9 250 pound player who is rated 81 overall. He is a defensive liability but he is an excellent finisher around the rim. He is averaging 10 ppg.

SO C Elliot Blake is a 6'9 244 pound player from Raleigh. He is a good shot blocker who would be great if he wasn't slow at times. He has great leaping ability. He is averaging 8 ppg, 5 rpg, and 1.4 bpg.


The bench is led by JR PG Carson Bookout a 5'11 188 pound player who is a great drive and dish guy. He is rated 81 overall.

Also, SO SG Jud Kragel is a solid player who is rated 78 is a solid bench player. He has very quick hands and is averaging 1 spg despite only playing 10 mpg.

The rest of the bench is in the mid 70's.

[Eaglesfan27]

15 minute mark: Both offenses are hitting their shots. Tied at 9.

12:30: Keeping up the change in philosophy, I only sub out Goodman who is tired. We are down 12-9. Bruce comes into the game.

10:41: Sutton in for Gooden and Enzweiler in for Pardon. Down 13-11.

10:27: Enzweiler draws a 2nd foul on Ainge. He hits both FT's.

8:13: Enzweiler with a pair of 3's to give us a 19-13 lead.

6 minute mark: I planned on getting Goodman back earlier, but I wasn't pulling Enzweiler until he missed 2 shots. He hits his first 3 plus 2 FT's and had 10 points in that burst. We are up 21-18 as I put back Gooden, Pardon, and Goodman. Our 2 big men get a rest as Hicks and Christopher come in.

5:49: Pardon draws a 2nd foul on Berrelleca. He hits both FT's.


1:30: We go back to all of our starters. We are up 28-25.



Halftime: We are up 28-27.



Our 3 leading scorers: Enzweiler (10), Goodman (6), and Pardon/Gooden (5.)

Their 3 leading scorers: Felder (7), Ainge (4), and Bookout (4.)



19 minutes: Goodman draws a 3rd foul on Felder. They go small and bring in Bookout.

17 minute mark: Goodman with a drive, gets fouled by Berrellecca and hits the shot. That was his 3rd foul. He hits the FT to finish the 3 point play. Up 33-27.

16 minute mark: Goodman spins off his man, drives to the hoop and gets a 3rd foul on Santos.

15:30: Goodman steals the ball, passes it to Pardon who dribbles to the hole, kicks it out to Goodman who drills the 3. Up 37-29.

15 minute mark: Abram is fouled by their backup center. We are in the bonus. He misses the FT, but Goodman gets the board.

11:42: Goodman is very tired and will rest, along with Pardon and Gooden. We are up 48-38.

8:41: Enzweiler has just hit a pair of 3's to rebuild our lead. We are up 57-46.

7:25: Enzweiler fakes the 3, drives to the hoop and dunks it. 59-46.


5:45: The big 3 will return now but will only get a few more minutes on the court. We are up 66-48. Abram and Gardner are done for the night.

During the next 4 minutes, Gooden hits 3 consecutive 3's. I pull my starters with 1:42 left. We are up 77-56.


We win the game 77-58.


Goodman was the player of the game with 21 points, 3 boards, 2 assists, 2 steals, and 1 block. He turned it over 2 times. He shot 6 of 14, 2 of 8, and 7 of 9.


Gooden with 14 points, 7 assists, 2 boards, and 1 steal. He had 0 turnovers. He shot 5 of 6, 4 of 5, and 0 of 1.

Pardon with 8 points, 2 boards, 2 assists, 2 steals, and a block. He shot 2 of 5, 1 of 1, and 3 of 6. He held Berrelleca to 4 of 10 shooting for 9 points.


Gardner with 0 points, 3 boards, and 2 assists.

Abram with 4 points, 4 boars, 4 assists, 1 steal, and 2 blocks. He shot 2 of 4.


Enzweiler led the bench with 18 points, 3 boards, and 1 assist in just 13 minutes. He shot 6 of 11, 4 of 7, and 2 of 2. With Pardon's graduation, he'll be starting next year unless one of the freshman is just amazing.

Bruce with 7 points, 1 board, 2 assists, and 2 steals. He shot 3 of 4.

Sutton with 5 points and 2 assists.

[Eaglesfan27]

At 11-5, we are now 24th in the media poll. Interesting Top 10:

1. Alabama 20-0
2. UNLV 19-0
3. Washington 19-1
4. DePaul 15-2
5. Georgia Tech 15-2
6. Houston 16-2
7. Kansas 17-3
8. Maryland 15-2
9. UConn 16-4
10. Florida 15-3


Niagara is 12-8 and 13th in the mid major poll :(


Our next game is at Boston College. They are 10-7 (4-1) with an overall roster strengh of 89. Their starting 5:

JR PG Noah Powell is 5'10 166 and is rated 80 overall. He is slow for a point guard but is an above average utside shooter and ball handler. He is averaging 7 ppg and 3 apg.

JR SG Derrick Fanning is 6'3 188 and is the highest rated player with an overall of 84. He is the best 3 point shooter on the team and has the most athleticism. He is averaging 12 ppg, 3 rpg, and 3 apg.

JR SF Tracy Sanchez is 6'6 209 and is rated 81 overall. He is the 2nd most athletic player and is a good outside shooter. His perimeter defense is the best on the team as well. He is averaging 13 ppg, 4 rpg, and 1 bpg.

SR PF B.J. Sayman is 6'10 233 and is rated 79 overall. He is their best interior scorer and rebounder. He is averaging 7 ppg and 7 rpg.

SO C Tank Outlaw is 6'9 225 and is rated 81 overall. He is a very good midrange shooter, particularly for a big man. He also is a great dunker. He is averaging 12 ppg and 5 rpg.


JR SG Ron Cox leads the bench. He is 6'4 192 and is the 2nd best 3 point shooter on the team. He us averaging 10.5 ppg, 3.2 rpg, and 2.8 apg. He is rated 81 overall.

The rest of the bench is in the low to mid 70's.

[Eaglesfan27]

The scouts think the only senior from my team that will get drafted is Damian Bruce. I'm a bit surprised they don't think Pardon will make it. Of course, there is still half of a season for him to change their minds. They do not think any of the underclassmen are draft worthy at this time.


The scouts think USC's Dynamic Sophomore SF Demetric Griffith is sure to go in the lottery this year. If that evaluation remains, I would think he would go pro after this year.

Niagara doesn't have anyone who will even sniff the league.


A few quick ACC Stats so far:

Maryland is leading the league in scoring at 94 ppg.

GT is leading the league in rebounding at 34 rpg.

Maryland is leading in APG at 18.8 and steals per game at 10.6.

Duke is leading in blocks per game at 5.2.

Jerome Weaver, GT is leading the league in scoring at 20.9 ppg.

Chris Dillon, Miami, is leading the league with 9.5 rpg.

Freshman Myron Gooden is leading the league with 5.6 apg.

Henry Goodman is leading with 1.9 steals per game.

Jerome Weaver is leading with 2.2 blocks per game.


Best Overall Player: Jerome Weaver

Best Freshman, Ibekew, Georgia Tech.

Best Shooter, Kenneth Varem, Georgia Tech.

Best playmaker: Herb Lennon, Maryland

Best Pro Prospect: PG William Coulter, GT who is expected to be the top pick in the draft if it was held now.

Best Defender: PF Mitchell Finley, Clemson.



A quick look at Georgia Tech's roster from a scout's view on who is expected to go pro:

SR PF Jerome Weaver - Lottery, SR PG William Coulter - top pick, SO SF Kenneth Varem - 1st round (if he goes), SO PG Sid Esterkamp - 2nd round, FR SG Edwin Ibekwe - 2nd round, JR PG Jarrad Clemons - 2nd round, FR SG Jean-Baptiste Kelley - Dark Horse, FR SF Rulon Swanson - Dark Horse. Unbelievable collection of talent there.

[Eaglesfan27]

19 minute mark: Abram alrready has 2 fouls courtesy of Sayman. Christopher comes into the game.

16 minute mark: Christopher has gotten a 2nd foul on Sanchez. We are up 9-7.

11 minute mark: Only Goodman is tired. Enzweiler comes in. We are up 19-13 with most of the scoring coming from Gooden and Goodman.

6 minute mark: Bruce and Sutton come into the game. We are up 25-19.

3 minute mark: We go smallish: Sutton, Bruce, Goodman, Enzweiler, and Henning. Up 33-27.


Halftime: Bruce's 3 is just after the buzzer. Still, we are up 38-32.


Enzweiler is the player of the half with 10 points, 2 boards, and an assist.

Our top 3 scorers are Enzweiler, Goodman (6), and Gooden (6.) Gooden also has 5 assists.

Their top 3: Sayman (10), Cox (10), and Fanning (5.)

15:31: They just got a secondary break dunk to end our 12-0 run. We are up 50-37.

12 minute mark: Goodman is tired and cold from the field. We bring in Enzweiler. We are up 53-39.

9 minute mark: Sutton and Bruce return to the game. We are up 55-46 as they are on a 7-0 run.


Enzweiler has taken over this game. 3 3's in a row. Up 66-51 with 4 minutes to go.


We win the game 68-55.


Enzweiler is the player of the game with 23 points, 2 boards, and 2 assists. He got to finish out the game and shot 9 of 15, 5 of 6, and 0 of 0.

Gooden with 8 points, 7 assists, and 1 turnover. He shot 3 of 6, 2 of 5, and 0 of 0.

Pardon with 13 points, 1 board, 1 assist, and 2 steals. He played very well on Fanning who got most of his points against Bruce down the stretch. Pardon also shot 5 of 7, a surprising 3 of 4, and 0 of 0.

Goodman with 10 points, 2 boards, 1 assist, and 1 steal. He shot 4 of 12 and only played 20 minutes tonight. He was 0 of 4 from the arc. Enzweiler played 24.


Gardner with 5 points, 6 boards, 2 steals, and a block.

Abram with 0 points, 11 boards, and a block. He shot 0 of 5.


Sutton with 4 points and 5 assists (almsot all to Enzweiler.)

Bruce with 2 points and 2 assists.

[Eaglesfan27]

Our simulated game is hosting North Carolina. We beat them 59-58. I expected a much easier win. We are now 13-5. They are now 6-11. Goodman led the team with 16 points, 4 boards, 1 assist, and 2 steals. Sutton with 11 and Gardner with 11. Enzweiler was 1 of 5 this game.


Those wins last week raised us to 21st in the media poll.

I was feeling tempted to sim this season, not because I'm not having fun, but because the more attached I become to Enzweiler, Gooden, and Goodman as a core of next year's team, the harder it will be to leave them even for USC (but I would leave.) I thought for sure this would be the year that Floyd retires which is why I was thinking about just advancing before I played this game this morning. However, looking around the game's coaches, there are a few coaches going well into their 70's. For example, UNC's coach is 74 (and about to be forced into retirement I think ;))

Coach Floyd is the oldest coach in the Pac-10 by a few years.

A few other old coaches:

West Virginia's Bob Huggins is 71 and is the active coach with the most wins, 914.


Our next game is hosting 13-9 (2-6) Clemson. Their overall roster strength is 87. Ours is now 90.

They have a superstar PF in Mitchell Finley. He is a 6'9 228 pound SR who is rated 90 overall. He is a tremendous defender who can guard almost anyone on the floor. He has a great combo of strength, speed, techique, and leaping ability. He is also a good 3 point shooter, a good midrange shooter, and a strong rebounder. He is averaging 21 ppg, 10 rpg, 1.5 spg, and 2 bpg. He has raised his scoring average over 10 ppg from last year. He is being asked to play a lot of center for them.

JR SG Kent Bernard is the only other star quality player on the team. He is a 6'5 202 pound player who is rated 82 overall. He is a fast guard with great slashing ability and finishing around the rim. He is averaging 12 ppg.

FR PG Paco Williamson is 5'9 170 and is rated 75 overall. He is a pure speed player who has to refine the other parts of his game. He is averaging 7 ppg and 3.6 apg.

SO SF Garland Malone is a 6'8 207 pound wing player who is rated 77 overall. He is a average player in most regards. He is averaging 7 ppg and 6 rpg.

JR PF Kason Bass also sometimes plays center. He is 6'8 258 and is rated 77 overall. He tends to get into foul trouble despite having quick feet. He is averaging 6 ppg and 5 rpg.


The bench is led by SF Alexis Smithson who is 6'6 250 and rated 77 overall. The JR is averaging 4 ppg and 2 rpg.

The rest of the bench has had similarly poor production. Most of them are rated in the low to mid 70's.

[RPI-Fan]

absolutely love this dynasty...

[Eaglesfan27]

13 minute mark: We are trying to run early on them to take advantage of their lack of depth. We are up 14-12. Gooden needs a breather so Sutton comes into the game.

11 minute mark: Malone with an over the back. That is his 2nd foul. Tied at 17.

10 minute mark: Goodman with a terrible pass for a turnover. He and Pardon are tired and will get a break.

6:25: Our bench, especially Enzweiler, is ice cold. I bring back Gooden and put in Christopher and Hicks. Down 23-17.

Gooden with a drive and dunk.. Gooden with a drive and dish to Enzweiler for a 3.. Gooden with a drive and dish to Bruce for a 3! We are up 25-23 with 4 minutes left.

After Enzweiler missed his first 4 shots, Gooden has set him up for 2 wide open 3's and he nailed both of them.



Halftime: Tied at 33.

Our leading 3 scorers: Gooden (9), Bruce (8), Enzweiler (6.) Gooden also has 5 assists and is the player of the half.

Their leading 3 scorers: Bass (9), Smithson (7), and Nelke (who is surprisingly starting at PG - he isn't as fast but is a better shooter, he has 6.)

14 minute mark: Gooden is a bit tired and will get a quick break. We are up 46-44.

9:30: Bruce, Enzweiler, and Christopher come into the game. We are up 53-51.

7 minute mark: Gooden returns to the game. Up 58-55.

5 minute mark: Gooden with a nice drive and dish but Enzweiler misses the 3. We are tied at 60.

3:40: Down 66-63 I bring back all of my starters. Enzweiler just isn't shooting well today.

Goodman misses an open 3, but he gets a quick steal then draws a foul going to the hoop.


Smithson nails a 3 over Goodman. Down 68-65.

Gooden to Goodman for a 12 foot jumper. 68-67. 2 minutes left.

Finley backs down Abram.. dunks over him. That is only Finley's 2nd basket of the day.

They steal it from Goodman.. we force a missed shot. Quick 3 by Gooden on a pass from Goodman.. he misses it. They get a fastbreak dunk by Finley. Down 72-67 with 58 seconds left.

Pardon drive to the hoop.. Finley blocks it. We foul immediately. They miss the FT.

Goodman with a quick 3 at the other end.. he makes it! Down 72-70 with 35 seconds left.

We foul Nelke.. he hits both FT's. They steal it from Gooden. We foul Smithson. He hits both FT's. Down 76-70.


Gooden to Goodman for a quick 3.. he nails it! Way outside too. Down 76-73 with 18 seconds left.

Nelke hits both FT's.

Goodman misses his next 2 3's.

We lose 80-74. Disappointing loss at home.


Smithson is the player of the game with 17 points, 4 boards, 2 assists, and 2 steals in 24 minutes. Bad defense by Goodman and Enzweiler on him.

Gooden with a career high 12 assists this game. He also had 12 points and 4 steals. He shot 5 of 12, 2 of 4, and 0 of 2.

Pardon with 13 points, 3 boards, 2 assists, and 3 steals. He shot 4 of 8, 2 of 5, and 3 of 5.

Goodman with 20 points, 2 boards, 1 assist, and 1 steal. He shot 6 of 14, 4 of 9, and 4 of 4.

Gardner with 6 points and 9 boards.

Abram with 1 point and 11 boards.

Bruce had 8 points in 17 minutes. He shot 3 of 8.

Enzweiler with 9 points on 3 of 11 shooting.

Sutton with 3 points and 1 assist.

[Eaglesfan27]

Our next game is at Miami. They are 18-3 (5-2). We are 13-6 (5-3.) We both have roster strength of 90. They are led by superstar JR SG Adenilson Sarchet.


Sarchet is now rated 90 overall. He is 6'6 205. He can hit shots from anywhere on the court and he has become a very good defender. He has great mobility. He is averaging 19.4 ppg, 5 rpg, and 2.6 apg.

Their starting PG is out with a broken toe and their starting PF just tore his ACL and is done for the year, so that should make them easier to beat. Their top backup PG is also out with a broken wrist.

Their 3rd string PG is DTD with a sprained knee.

SO PG Bud Frisby will play despite his knee. He is rated 80 overall and is a good 3 point shooter and a decent passer. He normally has elite speed but slower lateral movement. Today, I imagine that will be more pronounced. He is averaging 5 ppg and 2 apg.

JR SF Lee Bain is 6'7 200 and he is rated 80 overall. He is a defensive specialist who excels at shutting down perimeter players. He is averaging 6 ppg, 4 rpg, and 1.4 bpg.

PF Chris Dillon is a senior who is rated 89 overall, but he is out with the ACL injury. He has been granted a medical redshirt this year.

As a result, SO PF Makan Markham will start at PF. He is rated 80 overall. He is 6'8 236. He is a good midrange shooter. He is averaging 8.9 ppg, 4.7 rpg.

They don't have a true center on the roster and will star SO PF Phil Batte at center. He is 6'8 220 and is rated 74 overall. He doesn't have any real strengths. He is averaging 3 ppg and 3 rpg.

The top healthy player on the bench is FR PG Darnell Lewis. He is a 6'0 194 pound player from Tamarac, FL. He is rated 76 overall and is averaging 3 ppg and 1 apg.

[Eaglesfan27]

Technical difficulties with my computer lost my 1st half summary.

Suffice to say, we went into halftime down 35-33 and we were in serious foul trouble with every starter having 2 and Pardon having 3. We had drawn 2 fouls on Sarchet and Markham.

Our top 3 leading scorers were Goodman (10), Bruce (8 - he played most of the half due to Pardon getting into quick foul trouble trying to guard Sarchet), and Abram (6.)

Their top 3 were Bain (10), Sarchet (8), and Sidney (a backup PG who played a lot with 8.)


14 minute mark: We end their 12-0 run down by 10. 51-41.


12:30: Goodman is absolutely exhausted from Bain's pressure. He takes a seat with 20 points. Gooden also takes what I plan to be a shorter break. Down 51-45.

10 minute mark: After being cold in the 1st half, Enzweiler is on fire. He has hit 2 3's and then had a nice drive into the lane where he made the shot and the FT. We are down 57-56.

9 minute mark: Enzweiler with a drive into the lane and an acrobatic layup to give us the lead. 58-57.

Next possession he hits another 3. 62-58.

6:51: Up 64-62. We bring back Gooden and Pardon. Abram and Gardner get a quick break. Enzweiler has only missed 1 shot in the 2nd half so he will stay on the court for now.

3 minute mark: Enzweiler has missed his last few shots and he is tired. Goodman is well rested now, so he will return. Up 70-67 but they are going to the line.

2:35: Up 70-68, Gardner draws a foul down low and will go the line.. he hits the pressure packed FT and the 2nd one. 72-68.

1:38: Batte hits a pair of FT's.

Goodman takes the quick 3 and swishes it. 75-70.

Our full court trap leads to a Gooden steal.

Gooden misses the 18 footer with 2 seconds left on the clock. 75-70 with 48 seconds left.

Sarchet takes and makes the quick 3. 36 seconds left.

They try to trap Gooden.. he passes to Goodman whom they foul. Goodman makes both FT's to make it a 4 point game.

Bain misses a quick 3. Pardon gets the board and is fouled. He misses the FT's but Abram gets the board and is fouled. He makes 1 of 2. 78-73 with only 14 seconds left.


We win the game 82-73. Nice road win.


Goodman is the player of the game with 25 points, 2 boards, 1 assist, and 1 steal. He shot 7 of 14, 2 of 5, and 9 of 9. He played 26 minutes.

Enzweiler with 18 points, 3 boards, 1 assist, and 1 block. He shot 7 of 11, 3 of 3, and 1 of 2. He played 21 minutes.

Gooden with 4 points, 3 assists, and 2 steals. He shot 2 of 10. He played 30 minutes.

Pardon with 4 points, 2 boards, and 4 personal fouls. He played 16 minutes.

Gardner with 9 points, 9 boards, and 1 block in 30 minutes.

Abram with 10 points, 9 boards, and a block in 31 minutes. He shot 3 of 4, 0 of 0, and 4 of 6.

Sutton with 2 points and 4 assists in 10 minutes.

Bruce with 8 points and 1 assist in 26 minutes. He shot 2 of 6 and 4 of 4 from the line.

[Eaglesfan27]

We are now 14-6 and 24th in the media poll. We are unranked in the coaches' poll.

A quick update on our scholarship offers:

SR SG Mychal Kilgore looks likely to come to Wake Forest. Xavier is the only other school still in the picture.

JC FR SG Artie Murray looks like he will stay close to home and play for Oregon.

It is a complete tossup between Ohio State and us for JC SO PG Stephon Ryan. Towson still has an outside shot as well.

Georgia Tech all but has Sidiki Newby, the All American SG, wrapped up.

It will be a battle until the end between UConn and us for Center Leslie Stapleton. Right now, we look good. I'm flying out to his home for a visit this week.


Our simulated game is against 7-15 Virginia at their place. They have an overall roster strength of 80 and I expect an easy win..

We win the game 77-60 but Damian Bruce strains an abdominal muscle. He is out for 2 to 3 weeks as we play some of our biggest conference foes.

Goodman led the team to the victory with 22 points, 3 boards, and 1 assist. He shot 7 of 11, 4 of 6, and 4 of 4.

Gooden with 9 points and 5 assists.

Pardon with 9 points and 8 boards along with a block.

Baldwin led the bench with 8 points as Bruce was only able to play 3 minutes before he was injured. Enzweiler was 0 of 5 and had 0 points.

Baldwin will get some significant minutes with Bruce's injury.

Next up, we play the top team in the conference, Georgia Tech. They are 19-3 (8-2.) Their overall roster strength is 95. We played them close at their place, losing 77-71, so I have a bit of hope. Coultier is a bit banged up but will play.

[Eaglesfan27]

18 minute mark: A perfect start (2 steals for fastbreak dunks) after an initial basket by Goodman is ruined when he Goodman hurts his ankle on a dunk. We are up 8-3. We'll go with Sutton at SG for now and Pardon at SF.

17 minute mark: Weaver gets an early 2nd foul after Gooden drives into the lane. Varem comes in at PF.

15 minute mark: We are up 12-7. Goodman has just been cleared to return. It is just a mild ankle sprain.

12 minute mark: Gooden draws a 2nd foul on Kampman. We are up 20-12. Goodman returns and Enzweiler comes in at PF.

9:34: Baldwin comes in at PG. Our lineup now is Baldwin, Pardon (who just returned), Goodman, Enzweiler, and Abram. We are up 22-20 as their 3 point shooters are heating up.

9 minute mark: Pardon gets a 2nd foul on Ibekwe.

6:40: We go on a 10-0 run before they hit a 3. Up 32-23.

They end up having a very quick 10-0 run off of a bad pass by Goodman, a turnover by Baldwin, and a missed shot. Enzweiler ends the run with a FT. Up 33-30.

5 minute mark: We go very small with Gardner at Center, keeping Enzweiler in at PF. Tied at 33.

Enzweiler uses his speed to get 2 quick fouls on their backup PF. He only hits 1 of 2 both times.

3 minute mark: Gooden gets a 2nd on Varem. We are tied at 39.

1:40: Just a beautiful fast break.. Gooden to Goodman to Pardon to Enzweiler and it never touched the floor. Enzweiler with a fancy dunk and he gets fouled. He hits the FT to put us up 47-41. Our crowd is going crazy.


Halftime: We are up 47-43. We are getting to the line over twice as often.

Goodman is the player of the half with 11 points, 3 boards, and a steal.

Our top 3: Goodman (11), Gooden (7), and Pardon (7.)

Enzweiler has 6 and Abram has 5.


Their top 3: Clemons (11), Swanson (7), and Kelley (6.) They are going deep into their bench because every starter has 2 fouls and had them early.

We go back to our starting lineup.


18 minute mark: Pardon with a 3rd foul on Ibekwe.

16 minute mark: Coultier hits a 3 to give them the lead. 49-47.

15:22: They went on 12-0 run before we finally scored on a Gardner FT. Down 55-48.

12 minute mark: The defense of their starters has been smothering. We are down 66-54 as I bring in Baldwin, Sutton, and Enzweiler.

Enzweiler continues to be instant offense. Quick 3, a steal by Baldwin, and a dunk by Enzweiler on the resultant fast break. 66-59.

Kampman returns quickly. He shut down Goodman in the first 8 minutes of the half.


7 minute mark: They have again played shut down defense as well as stealing it a few times (mostly from Baldwin.) We are down 75-63 as Gooden and Pardon return. Abram and Gardner are exhausted and will sit down.


We just can't close the gap. They are drilling their 3's and we can't seem to draw fouls now. They build a 21 point lead very quickly so I empty the bench.


We lose the game 96-78.

They had 4 players all finish with 15: Clemons, Kelley, Swanson, and Ibekwe. Coultier, Weaver, and Kampman each had 8 or 9 points.


Goodman led our team with 19 points, 4 boards, 1 assist, 1 steal. However, he had 7 turnovers. He shot 6 of 12, 1 of 4, and 6 of 6.

Enzweiler had 16 points, 1 board, and 1 assist. He shot 5 of 9, 1 of 2, and 5 of 7.

Gooden with 7 points, 3 boards, 3 assists, 2 steals, and 1 turnover. He shot 0 of 7. He was 7 of 9 from the line.

Pardon with 10 points, 5 boards, 3 assists, and 1 steal. He had 4 turnovers. He shot 3 of 5, 3 of 4, and 1 of 3.

Gardner with 7 points, 4 boards, 3 steals, and 3 blocks.

Abram with 5 points, 6 boards, 2 assists, and 1 block.


Baldwin with 4 points and 2 assists in 13 minutes.

Sutton with 3 points and 2 assists in 19 minutes.

Henning with 2 points and 2 boards in 5 minutes (garbage time.)

Watts with 3 points in 5 minutes of garbage time.

[Ironhead]

If only you could find a way to broadcast your games. I don't know about anyone else but I would definitely tune in to watch.

[Eaglesfan27]

At 15-7, we drop out of both polls. The good news is that Goodman will be 100% by our next game which is against VT. I decide to sim thatgame, because I really want to play the game after that (even though it will be very hard) which is at Duke.

As expected, we beat VT at home, 78-66. They drop to 9-18.

Gooden had 12 points and 7 assists. ardon had 18 points, 2 boards, and 2 blocks. He was 9 of 13 from the line. Goodman had 17 points and 3 boards on 8 of 8 shooting. Enzweiler led the bnch with 11 points on 4 of 5 shooting in 14 minutes.


Now we have a very tough game at Duke. They are 21-3 and 10th in the media poll. Their overall roster strength is 88 which is the same as ours since Bruce went down. They are a very strong defensive team now.

FR PG Rudolph Nance is 6'3 190 and is rated 76 overall. He was the 10th ranked player last year and has unlimited potential. He is a better defender than offensive player right now. He is averaging 8 ppg and 4 apg.

FR SG Arnold Buscher is a player I competed hard for and now I'm kind of glad we didn't get him. Our staff thinks his potential isn't that good. He is currently 6'2 184 and is rated 75 overall. His best attribute is his speed and quickness. He is more of a natural PG.

JR SF Boomer Chambliss is 6'6 209. He is rated 79 overall. He is an excellent defender and a subpar offensive player. He is averaging 5 ppg, 2 spg, and 1 bpg.

JR PF Ko McCoy is 6'10 220. He is rated 85 overall. He is a very good scorer and a great rebounder. Above average defender. He is averaging 14 ppg and 9 rpg.

SR C Antwcan Zamore is more of a natural PF but he is doing very well this year. He is 6'9 231 and is rated 84 overall. He has really refined his post game and he has superior athleticism for a PF/C. He is averaging 18 ppg, 7 rpg, and 2 bpg.

The bench is led by 2 very good PF's:

Kennan McMillan is a 6'8 224 pound player who plays much bigger in the post. He is rated 83 overall. He is also a good midrange shooter. He is averaging 9 ppg and 6 rpg in 15 mpg.

JR PF Jon Paul Shimonovic torched us last year. He is 6'8 228 and is rated 80 overall. He is the best shot blocker on the team.

They have 4 freshman PG's who were all highly ranked last year. They are all rated around 74 or 75.

[TonyR]

Love this dynasty as well.

[Eaglesfan27]

1st minute, Abram steals an entry pass, passes it to Gooden.. 2 on 1 fastbreak.. alley-oop to Pardon.. slam dunk and the foul! He makes it. 3-0.

2nd minute: Pardon collides with Zamore.. Pardon is down and holding his knee. Sutton comes in.


15 mintue mark: We are up 8-7. They just cleared Pardon to return.


12 minute mark: They were up 17-10 until Goodman hit a 3. 17-13 but Gardner just picked up a 2nd foul. Baldwin in for Gooden, Enzweiler in for Goodman, and Hicks in for Gardner.

They go on a big run to take a 28-16 lead before Baldwin hits a 3, Enzweiler steals it, runs up the court, dunks it, and gets fouled. He misses the FT, but steals it from the rebounder and is fouled in the process of shooting. He hits both FT's. Down 28-23.


7 minute mark: Pardon returns. We are down 36-26.

Enzweiler goes on a personal 10-0 run with a 3, a steal, a dunk, another 3 after we forced a bad shot, and then a steal by Pardon and a pass to Enzweiler for another dunk. Tied at 36 with 5 minutes to go.

Enzweiler is a pure hustle player too.. Pardon tipped a pass knocking it almost out of bounds, but Enzweiler dived, tossing it far, towards our basket.. that allowed Hicks to get to it and he had an easy fastbreak dunk. Up 38-36.

3 minute mark: Enzweiler is exhausted. We are tied at 39. All of my starters except for Abram return.

I took a chance and it didn't pay off. Gardner picks up his 3rd foul. I bring back Hicks.




Halftime: Tied at 41.




Our top 3 scorers: Enzweiler (18), Goodman (6), and Abram (4.)

Their top 3: Chambliss (10 - embarassing for Goodman), Bain (10 - Also on goodman/Enzweiler), and Zamore (6.)





19 minute mark: Goodman leaks out for a nice secondary fastbreak. He dunks it and gets fouled.


16 minute mark: Gooden draws a 3rd foul on Zamore.

14 minute mark: Goodman is on fire. 3 3's in a row. He has 19. We are up 56-47.

12:33: Pardon picks up his 3rd foul. Goodman is getting tired.

11 minute mark: Goodman has missed his last 2 shots. I call a timeout. We bring in Sutton for Pardon and Enzweiler for Goodman. We are up 60-55.

Enzweiler immediately gets a 3rd foul on Chambliss. Goodman did a good job defensively on him for the last 9 minutes.

Enzweiler is doing it again! He hits a quick curl shot for 2. Then, he blocks a shot, runs up the court, and gets the pass from Gooden who retrieved the carom. Easy dunk. 66-55.

Next possession he swishes a long 3. 69-57.

Another 3 by Enzweiler Then, he draws a 4th foul on Chambliss. Suddenly, he has 30. We are up 74-59.

Enzweiler with another 3, then a steal and pass to Gooden for a fastbreak dunk. We are up 79-59 with 5 minutes to go.

Abram has it knocked away and Enzweiler dives to the floor to prevent them from stealing it.

3 minute mark: We are up 86-64. We empty the bench allowing Watts to see the floor possibly for the first time in his career. Definitely, the first time I've put him on the floor this year. We also get Henning and Baldwin in.



We win the game 92-70. My first win at Cameron is a stylish one.



Enzweiler was the player of the game. He had a career high 35 points (old record was 23.) He also had 2 boards, 2 assists, 3 steals, and a block. He shot 10 of 18, 5 of 10, and 10 of 13. He did all of this in only 19 minutes.

Gooden with 8 points and 10 assists. He shot 1 of 7 but was 6 of 6 from the line. He played 29 minutes.

Pardon with 3 points and 3 boards in 16 minutes.

Goodman with 21 points, 3 boards, and 1 steal. He shot 8 of 13, 4 of 9, and 1 of 1. He played 21 minutes.

Gardner with 0 points and 3 boards. He only played 13 minutes.

Abram with 10 points and 10 boards. He shot 4 of 5, 0 of 0, and 2 of 2. He played 27 minutes.


Baldwin with 7 points, 2 assists, and 4 turnovers. He shot 2 of 3, 2 of 3, and 1 of 2. He played 12 minutes.

Sutton with 5 points and 3 assists in 21 minutes.

Hicks with 3 points, 6 boards, 3 assists, and 2 blocks in 27 minutes.

Christopher with 0 points and 3 boards in 12 minutes.

Our guys held Chambliss to 3 points in the 2nd half. He shot 5 of 12.

They held Bain scoreless in the 2nd half. McCoy was their leading scorer with 16.

[Eaglesfan27]

Thanks all for the kind words. Glad to know that people are enjoying reading it. I'm having a blast playing/writing it.

[Eaglesfan27]

We are now 17-7. Next up is North Carolina State. They are 16-11 (6-7.) We beat them at their place 77-58 earlier in the year. After them, we host Boston College and and then travel to play North Carolina to end the regular season.

3 of our top 4 scorers are freshman or sophomores. We lose 7 seniors, but this will be an exciting team next year (unless we strike out badly on recruiting.)

Our staff feels the following players have improved the most:

Goodman, Gardner, Sutton, and Hollins. Hopefully, Hollins isn't mad about the redshirt. He could be a major contributor next year.



A quick look around the NCAA:

Top Teams (by standings in each conference):

America East: Binghamton (16-13)
ACC: Duke (22-4)
Atlantic Sun: Stetson (14-12)
Atlantic Ten: Saint Joseph's (21-6)
Big East: Villanova (23-3)
Big Sky: Montana (14-10)
Big South: High Point (14-10)
Big Ten: Indiana (21-6)
Big 12: Kansas (22-5)
Big West: UC Santa Barbara (18-7)
Colonial: Georgia State (21-4)
Conference USA: Houston (22-4)
Horizon: Butler (20-4)
Ivy: Columbia (16-8)
Metro Atlantic: Marist (23-4) Niagara has bounced back and is in 2nd place with a 18-8 (11-5) record.
Mid-American: Akron (20-5)
Mid-Eastern: NC A&T (15-8)
Missouri Valley: Evansville (19-8)
Mountain West: UNLV (26-0)
North East: F. Dickinson (21-6 - 16-0 in conference play.)
Ohio Valley: SE Missouri (15-11)
Pac-10: Washington (26-1) (a more extended look at the Pac-10 in a minute.)
Patriot: Bucknell (16-8)
Southeastern: Alabama (27-0)
Southern: Furman (18-6)
Southland: Northwestern State (12-9)
Southwestern: Prairie View (16-10)
Summit: S. Utah (17-8)
Sun Belt: Troy (19-7)
West Coast: Pepperdine (21-7)
Western Athletic: Nevada (21-2)


A closer look at the Pac-10 Standings which are interesting:

1. Washington 26-1/14-1
2. Oregon 20-6/12-2
3. USC 20-8/10-5
4. Cal 16-10/7-7
5. Stanford 14-11/7-7
6. Washington State 12-12/7-7
7. Oregon State 13-13/6-8
8. Arizona 13-14/4-11
9. UCLA(!) 9-15/3-11
10. Arizona State 11-16/2-13

Maybe it will be the Bruins who try to offer me a job first ;)



The top 10 media poll:

1. Alabama 27-0
2. UNLV 26-0
3. Washington 26-1
4. Villanova 23-3
5. Georgia Tech 20-4
6. Houston 22-4
7. Kansas 22-5
8. West Virginia 21-6
9. Indiana 21-6
10. Maryland 20-4

[Radii]

congrats on winning in Durham!

[Radii]

Oh yeah I meant to ask, how much did you bump up your injury sliders?

[Eaglesfan27]

congrats on winning in Durham!

Thanks!

Oh yeah I meant to ask, how much did you bump up your injury sliders?

I have frequency up to 75 and severity at 80. Still haven't seen any injuries that aren't just DtD but at least I feel some risk to driving inside and creating contact now. I've debated on going up on the severity slider a bit more.

[Eaglesfan27]

13 minute mark: We are up 9-4 as our defense is playing with great intensity. Goodman just picked up his 2nd foul. Enzweiler comes in and Sutton comes in for Pardon.

12 minute mark: Santos gets a 2nd foul on an over the back call.

11 minute mark: Enzweiler with a 3, then a drive to the hoop that draws a foul. He hits 1 of 2. Next possession, he sets up Gardner for an easy dunk. We are up 16-6.

10 minute mark: Enzweiler has hit another 3 and now Gooden has forced a foul by their PG. That is Ainge's 2nd.

5 minute mark: Enzweiler has had a great run but he is exhausted. We slide Sutton to PG, Pardon comes back at SG, Goodman at SF, Hicks at PF, and Christopher at C. We are up 30-13.



Where did that come from? Sure, they didn't shoot well, but we also played our most intense half of defense I've ever seen.



Halftime: Up 33-16.



Enzweiler is the player of the half. He had 12 points, 1 board, and 1 assist.

Our leading scorers: Enzweiler, Gooden (7), and Goodman (4.) Pardon also has 4.

Their leading scorers: Berrelleca (6), Deren (3), and Kragel (3.)

Pardon and Sutton have held Kragel to 1 of 10 shooting. Berrellecca is 2 of 8. We've held them to 21% shooting as a team.



17 minute mark: Gardner gets a 3rd foul on Santos.

15 minute mark: Our defensive intensity is sagging from the 1st half, but our offense is working including a 3 on 2 fastbreak in which Gooden passed to Pardon who threw a perfect lead pass to Goodman for the slam. We are up 43-26.

12 minute mark: Pardon with an explosive block that is ruled a goal tending. We are up 47-30.

10 minue mark: Enzweiler and Hicks come into the game. We are up 49-30.

7 minute mark: Enzweiler with a drive gets a 4th foul on Santos. We are up 55-36.

2:30: We are up 62-44 so I empty out my bench.




We win the game 66-46.


Enzweiler is the player of hte game with 22 points, 3 boards, and 2 assists. He shot 7 of 13, 5 of 7, and 3 of 4. He did all of that in 19 mnutes.

Gooden with 13 points, 3 assists, 2 boards, and 1 steal. He had 3 turnovers. He shot 3 of 5, 3 of 4, and 4 of 4.

Pardon with 4 points, 6 boards, 2 assists, and 1 steal. He shot 1 of 5 but he held Berrellecca to 6 of 14 shooting.

Goodman with 10 points, 2 boards, and 1 assist in 21 minutes. He shot 3 of 10, 0 of 5, and 4 of 4.

Gardner with 7 points, 7 boards, and 3 assists.

Abram with 6 points, 7 boards, 2 assists, and 1 block. He shot 3 of 3.


Sutton only had 1 point and 1 assist in 17 minutes. He was 0 of 4.

[Eaglesfan27]

The last game I will simulate this year is our home game against BC. They are 14-12 (7-6.) Their overall roster strength is 89. I beat them at their place 68-55 earlier in the year.

This time we beat them 62-58. Pardon led the team with 15 points and 7 boards. Abram had 13 and Goodman had 10. Enzweiler got more minutes as I've bumped them up in simmed games as well, but he only had 4 points, 3 boards, 2 assists, and 1 steal.

We are now 19-7. We are now 21st in the media poll and 25th in the coaches' poll. Our last game of the year is at North Carolina. We've had the superior team before and still lost at their place. Time to get this monkey off our backs and secure another 20 win regular season.

The in-season recruiting is done.

I now think Mychal Kilgore is ours. He is a highly ranked 4 star with an overall of 45.

It also looks like JC SO G Stephon Ryan is going to pick us as well. He is a great shooting 5 star PG, so he'll get plenty of time if he lives up to his ranking.

Stapleton is too close to call between us and UConn. The other 2, we are going to lose to Oregon and Georgia Tech.

Back to the North Carolina preview: They are 11-14 (6-9.) Their overall roster strength is now 86.

JR PG Ousmane Niang is 6'2 199 and is rated 80 overall. He is a great playmaker. He has become a good outside shooter. He is averaging 10 ppg and 5 apg.

JR SG Alando Sockwell is 6'7 212 and is their highest rated player at 81. He is slightly banged up for this game. He is a very effective slasher but his twisted ankle might slow him up. He is averaging 9 ppg, 2.4 rpg, and 1.3 apg.

SO SF Damond Harris is 6'6 218. His strength is his post-up game. He is averaging 7 ppg.

SO PF Guillermo Fernandez is 6'9 216. He is ated 75 overall. He is a very good finisher around the rim but he is too weak to force his way down there effectively. He is averaging 7 ppg and 5 rpg.

SR C Booker Daley is 6'10 255 and is rated 76 overall. He is a decent post player. He is averaging 12 ppg, 7 rpg, and 1 bpg.


The bench is led by JR SG Mani Carlson who is 6'4 213 and is rated 80 overall. He has great speed and is a good outside shooter. He is averaging 12 ppg.

Brooks Allen is their 2nd best player off the bench. He is a 6'7 220 pound JR SF who is rated 73 overall. He is averaging 3 ppg and 2 rpg.


I'll play this game later this week.

[Eaglesfan27]

17:43: Gooden with 2 early assists but also with 2 early fouls. I'll rest him and let Bruce play some PG now that he is healthy again. We are up 7-0 with Goodman having scored on both assists.

9:48: I rest Pardon and Goodman as we are up 18-8.

Within 15 seconds, Enzweiler buries a 3.

5:31: We are up 28-13. Enzweiler has 8.

3 minute mark: Pardon and Goodman return. We are up 30-15.



Halftime: Up 36-20. A great first half.



Our top 3: Goodman (13), Enzweiler (10), and Pardon (7.) Pardon has done it mostly with post up plays.

Their top 3: Carlson (7), Niang (6), and 3 with 2 points.



17 minute mark: Abram gets a 3rd foul on Daley. He missed most of the 1st half with foul trouble as well. We are up 43-22 as Pardon is lighting it up from outside on wide open shots created by Goodman.

15 minute mark: Pardon has missed his last 4 shots. We are up 43-23.

14 minute mark: Abram picks up a 3rd foul but will remain in the game for now.

9 minute mark: Goodman has provided our last 6 points with a pair of 3's. I go to the entire second unit likely to finish out the game. We are up 54-34.


We win the game 73-45. A great first win at the Dean Center. :)


Goodman is the player of the game with 14 points, 5 boards, 6 assists, and 1 steal. He shot 5 of 10, 3 of 6, and 1 of 2. He held Damond Harris to 2 of 8 shooting.

Gooden with 8 points and 2 assists. He shot 3 of 5, 2 of 3, and 0 of 0. He held Niang to 8 points and 3 assists.

Pardon with 14 points, 3 boards, and 3 steals. He shot 5 of 12, 2 of 5, and 2 of 2. He held Sockwell to 2 of 13 shooting.

Gardner with 2 points, 8 boards, and a block.

Abram with 2 points, 7 boards, and a block.


Enzweiler led the bench with 16 points, 4 boards, and 2 assists. He shot 6 of 14, 4 of 10, and 0 of 0. He played 16 minutes.

Sutton with 7 points and an assist.

Bruce with 8 points and 5 assists in 22 minutes.

[Eaglesfan27]

Goodman has shown the most growth with an overall gain of 3 points this year. He is now rated 84 in overall with his highest ratings being offensive ratings.


We finished the year 20-7 and 19th in the media poll. Here is a look at the ACC Regular Season Final Standings:


1. Maryland 24-4 (12-4)
2. Miami 25-5 (12-4)
3. Wake Forest 20-7 (12-4)
4. Gerogia Tech 22-6 (11-5)
5. Duke 22-7 (11-5)
6. Boston College 16-13 (9-7)
7. North Carolina State 17-13 (7-9)
8. FSU 16-13 (6-10)
9. North Carolina 11-15 (6-10)
10. Clemson 15-15 (4-12)
11. VT 10-21 (3-13)
12. Virginia 9-20 (3-13)


Here is a look at our main players' stats as we end the regular season:

Henry Goodman 17.6 ppg, 3.4 rpg, 1.1 apg, 1.5 spg, 24.9 mpg.

Pardon 11.3 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 0.9 apg, 1.2 spg, and 0.8 bpg in 26.4 mpg.

Gooden 10.1 ppg, 5.7 apg, 2 rpg in 27 mpg.

Gardner 4.9 ppg, 5.9 rpg, 1.2 spg, and 1 bpg in 27.3 mpg.

Abram 4.8 ppg, 6.2 rpg, 1.1 apg, 0.7 bpg in 25 mpg.


Enzweiler 10.6 ppg, 2.0 rpg, 0.8 apg in 14.6 mpg.

Bruce 7.7 ppg, 1.4 apg, 0.7 spg in 16 mpg.

Sutton 4.0 ppg, 2.1 apg, 0.9 spg in 14.7 mpg.

[Eaglesfan27]

Our first game in the ACC tourney is against VT. They are a much weaker team so I decide to sim it. We win the game 66-58. Goodman led our team with 19 points on 7 of 17 shooting. Enzweiler, Gooden, and Pardon each had 9 points.


Our ACC Semi-Final game is against Miami. We are evenly matched with roster strengths of 90. The other semi-final is Maryland vs Georgia Tech.

Miami is missing 3 important players in Dillon, Batte, and Jeremie Dawson who are all out due to injuries.

They will be led by Superstar JR SG Adenilson Sarchet who is rated 90 overall. He is averaging 18.5 ppg, 5.5 rpg, and 2.5 apg. Pardon will be the primary man responsible for shutting him down.

SR PG Jimmy St. Fort is now rated 82 overall.

SO PF Makan Markham is now rated 81 overall.

JR SF Lee Bain is rated 81 overall.

They will play most of the game with 3 guards and just 2 smaller forwards as their top 2 big men are out with injuries.

SO Bud Frisby who is a great 3 point shooter should see the floor a lot today. He is rated 81 overall.

I'll play that game tomorrow (along with the rest of the ACC tourney if I win.)

[Eaglesfan27]

19:33: Sarchet drives into Goodman.. Sarchet gets the basket and the foul. Goodman is down, holding his knee :(

15 minute mark: Down 10-2.

12 minute mark: After a cold start, Enzweiler hits back to back 3's. Gooden makes one of his own as well. We are down 12-11. Goodman has been cleared to return, but Enzweiler will keep playing for now.

9:55: Gardner picks up his 2nd foul. We go big by bringing in Christopher at PF. We are tied at 15.

6 minute mark: Our starters are finally tired. We are up 27-21. Enzweiler has 13. Bruce, Sutton, and Goodman come into the game.

6 minutes of almost no shots falling.



Halftime: We are down 34-29.

Our top 3: Enzweiler (13), Gooden (7), and Abram (5.)

Their top 3: St. Fort (14 - 8 against Bruce in the last 6 minutes), Sarchet (9), and Markham (6.)


Enzweiler will start the 2nd half at SF as Goodman's shot is off with his knee hurting him (although he did have 2 blocks in those 6 minutes.)



17:37: Gooden gets a 3rd foul on St. Fort (2 in the last 2 minutes.)

15:34: Both sides have been pushing the pace. Down 44-37. Gardner has just picked up his 3rd foul. Hicks comes into the game.

13:47: Enzweiler picks up his 3rd but will remain in the game for a few more minutes. Down 48-39. Enzweiler is our leading scorer with 20.

10 minute mark: They are on a 8-0 run. They are up 54-39. I bring in most of my 2nd unit with Goodman.

Goodman hits a 12 footer. He hits another shot. We cut it to 54-43.

Sarchet hits a 3 and another 3. 60-43. 8 minutes left.


We manage to close within 8 once, but that is the closest we ever get.



We lose the game 74-64.


Sarchet was the player of the game with 21 points, 5 boards, 3 assists, and 2 steals.

Gooden finished with 9 points, 4 boards, 4 assists, 2 steals, and 4 turnovers. He shot 4 of 10.

Pardon with 12 points, 2 boards, and 4 assists. He shot 4 of 9.

Goodman with 7 points and 2 blocks. He shot 3 of 11.

Gardner with 0 points and 4 boards.

Abram with 5 points and 3 boards. They dominated us on the boards on both ends.


Enzweiler with 20 points, 4 boards, and 2 assists. He shot 7 of 14, 4 of 8, and 2 of 2.

Bruce with 2 points and 4 assists.

Sutton with 3 points.

Hicks with 3 points.


The good news is that Goodman's sprained knee should be 100% in 5-7 days which could be in time for our 1st round game in the Tourney.

[Eaglesfan27]

Miami goes on to beat Georgia Tech 78-54 in the next game to win the ACC Tourney.


Now time for the tournament selection show:


Interesting Bubble Teams: Memphis (19-11), Georgetown (20-13), Louisville (23-11), Vanderbilt (20-13), Siena (23-7), Baylor (19-11)


#1's: East: UNLV (31-1), South: Alabama (30-2), Midwest: Washington (30-2), West: Miami (28-5.)


Interesting East Matchups:

#8 La Salle vs #9 Iowa

#4 Wake Forest (21-8) vs #13 Saint Mary's (21-10)

#6 Ohio State (21-9) vs #11 Georgetown (20-13)

#7 Texas A&M (20-8) vs #10 Butler (24-5)

#2 Maryland (25-5) vs #15 Wagner


Interesting South Matchups:

#8 Colorado (20-12) vs #9 Marist (25-5)

#6 Florida (21-9) vs #11 UTEP (25-9)

#3 Georgia Tech (24-7) vs #14 Holy Cross


Midwest:

#8 USC (23-10) vs #9 Saint Louis (22-8)

#5 Duke (23-8) vs #13 Evansville (24-8)

#6 LSU (24-7) vs #11 Baylor (19-11)

#7 Akron (23-6) vs #10 Memphis (19-11)

#2 Villanova (27-5) vs #15 Sacramento State (19-10)


West:

#5 Michigan State vs #12 Niagara (in despite not winning in the tourney 22-7)

#6 Nevada (24-4) vs #11 Stanford (20-12 won Pac-10 Tourney)

#7 Saint Joseph's (23-8) vs #10 Louisville (23-11)

#2 UConn (28-6) vs #15 West Carolina (20-11)

[Eaglesfan27]

This year the Horizon, MAC, MAAC, WAC all got 2 teams into the tourney. C-USA had 3. The Pac-10 and SEC only had 4 teams in.



Saint Mary's is a weaker team with an overall roster rating of 85. They play a fast tempo averaging 80 ppg (we average 74 ppg.) They rebound well and they have good athleticism. They are led by a star PG and SF:

JR PG Thom Dupre is 6'1 198 and is rated 84 overall. He is a great outside shooter with good ball handling and athleticism. He is also a very smart player. He is averaging 20 ppg, 4 rpg, and 3 apg.

SO SG Keydren Beckwith is 6'3 208 and is rated 77 overall. He has superior athleticism but is a below average shooter. He is averaging 11 ppg.

SR SF Tarick O'Sullivan is 6'4 200 pounds and is rated 83 overall. He is a below average shooter who relies on his excellent driving ability. He is also a good defender. He is averaging 14 ppg and 7 rpg.

JR PF Lance Carpenter is 6'8 233 and is rated 79 overall. He is a fast big man who is more of a finesse player.

JR PF Wesley Monserez also starts. He is 6'8 218 and is rated 73 overall. He is a good at shooting the midrange shot.

The best bench player is PG Nkeruwem Koundoul who is a 6'6 195 pound JR PG. He is rated 79 overall. He has below average speed but is a very good ball handler who can shoot fairly well from the outside. He is averaging 7 ppg and 3 apg.

The rest of the bench is all rated in the high 60's-low 70's.

[Eaglesfan27]

We did not shoot well in the pre-game warmups..


15 minute mark: Goodman gets a 2nd foul on O'Sullivan. We are up 8-2.

10 minute mark: Up 22-7. I rest everyone except Gardner.

7:45: Sutton gets a 2nd foul on Monserez. He hits both FT's to put us up 24-12.

3 minute mark: Up 35-20 as we bring back our starters and Gardner rests.

2:20: Brilliant hustle play by Goodman.. he tips the ball away from their SF, but can't complete the steal as he is about to fall out of bounds, so he dives and throws the ball against their man's back so that it becomes our ball as it bounces off him and out of bounds.

That play ignites a 16-0 run to end the half. Immediately after it, Goodman hits a quick 3. Then he steals it and takes it up the court for a dunk. Gooden hits a quick pair of 3's. A great ending to the half.



Halftime: We are up 51-22.


Our top 3 scorers: Gooden (12), Goodman (10), and Pardon (8.)

Their top 3: Dupre (8), Koundoul (5), and Fields (4.)


14 minute mark: Goodman gets a 3rd foul on Monserez. We are up 62-36.

9 minute mark: I pull my key starters. We are up 71-43.

4 minute mark: We pull Enzweiler and empty the bench. We are up 80-50.


Baldwin hit 2 3's in garbage time. If we ever need more offense from the bench, we are going to turn to him instead of Sutton.


We win the game 86-52.


Gooden is the player of the game. He finished with 17 points, 7 assists, 2 boards, and a steal. He shot 5 of 7, 3 of 3, and 4 of 4. Great showing in his first tourney game.


Pardon with 10 points, 2 boards, 2 assists, and 2 steals. He shot 4 of 5, 2 of 3, and 0 of 0.

Goodman with 15 points, 2 boards, 2 assists, and 2 steals. He shot 4 of 11.

Gardner with 2 points and 5 boards.

Abram with 8 points, 11 boards, and 3 assists. The big man used his size advantage well today.

Bruce and Enzweiler each had 8 points off the bench. Enzweiler also had 4 boards, 1 assist, 1 steal, and 1 block.

Sutton with 7 points on 1 of 4 shooting, 5 of 6 from the line.

Baldwin with 6 points on 2 of 2 shooting from the arc.

[Eaglesfan27]

#5 Temple beat #12 Cleveland State 84-52 to advance to play us. If we beat them, we'll face either #1 UNLV or #9 Iowa.

Other News in the East Bracket:

#6 Ohio State beat #11 Georgetown 66-51.

#3 Kansas was upset by #14 Eastern Kentucky 68-66.

#7 Texas A&M beat #10 Butler 71-56.

#2 Maryland beat #15 Wagner 88-55.



News of Interest in Other Brackets:

#5 Michigan State beat #12 Niagara 56-53.

#11 Stanford beat #6 Nevada 72-58.


#11 UTEP upset #6 Florida 80-76.

#8 USC lost their first game to Saint Louis 82-75. Will that be Floyd's final game?

Duke beat Evansville 80-44. They will face Texas which beat Mercer 94-74.

[Eaglesfan27]

Temple has a better overall roster rating, 92. They are one of the best shooting teams in the toryney. They finished the year 24-9 but with a higher RPI than us (6th vs 12th.) They are led by their own big 3, all seniors who have 2 good freshman supporting them:

SR PG Lance Moore is a 6'1 195 pound player from Meriden, CT. He is rated 87 overall. He is an elite outside shooter with a 3 point rating of 92. He is averaging 15 ppg and 5 apg.

SR SG Tyler Warden is a 6'3 224 pound player from Dover, DE. He is rated 89 overall. He is also excellent from the arc (88 3 point rating.) He has top end speed, ball handling, and stealing. He is averaging 15 ppg, 4 rpg, 2 apg, and 2 spg.

SR SF Edgar Park is 6'6 199 and is from Newark, NJ. He is rated 88 overall. He is the best defender of the bunch but is also a good offensive player. He is averaging 12 ppg, 6 rpg, and 1.4 bpg.

FR PF Wiley Fellows is 6'6 225 and is from Suffolk, VA. He is rated 76 overall and only plays about 15-20 mpg. He is averaging 5 ppg and 3 rpg.

FR Irving Barnhill is 6'7 225 and is rated 77 overall. He is from NYC. He is a great 3 point shooter for a big man with a rating of 80. He is averaging 9 ppg and 5 rpg.


The bench is led by star JR SG Sid Hogan who is rated 88 overall and is 6'5 217. He is an excellent outside shooter. He is averaging 11 ppg, 4 rpg, and 3 apg in 24 mpg.

SR PG A.J. Newton is 6'0 184 and rated 82 overall. He brings the most speed to the court for their team. He is averaging 6 ppg and 4 apg.

SO SG D.C. Wheeler is a 6'3 184 phenom from NYC. He was the 68th ranked player in his class but he is one of the best shooters. He is rated 91 from the arc. He is averaging 6 ppg in limited time.

SO SF Max Atkins is a 6'5 202 player from NYC who can hit shots from anywhere on the court. He is rated 79 overall. His defense is below par. He is averaging 7 ppg.

Most of the rest of the bench is rated in the mid 70's.

[Tellistto]

Good luck the rest of the way!

Tell

[Eaglesfan27]

16 minute mark: Goodman is missing early, but Pardon is using superior athleticism to create havok. He has helped draw 2 fouls on Moore. We are down 8-6.

11 minute mark: Abram picks up his 2nd foul. He and Goodman sit. We are down 15-11.

10:39: Gooden picks up his 2nd foul and will also sit. Sutton will come in to try to slow down their outside shooters who are heating up again. We are down 17-11.

Enzweiler has singlehandedly gotten us the lead. 11 points in a row by him puts us up 22-19 with 7:34 to go.

Park comes back into the game....

Enzweiler misses his next 3 shots and Park hits 2 of his.


They are on a 13-0 run. We are down 32-22 with 3:30 left as I get Gooden, Goodman, and Abram back into the game.

Gooden with a quick 3 to end the run.




Halftime: We are down 35-31.


Our top 3 scorers: Enzweiler (11), Pardon (6), and Gooden (5.)

Their top 3: Park (11), Newton (7), Barnhill (5.)



19:45: Goodman gets a 3rd foul on Warden who sat most of the 1st half with foul trouble. That was Goodman's first basket. He hits the FT to make it a 3 point play.

16:45: Abram lands badly on a dunk attempt and he is clearly hurt. We'll go small here with Hicks. We are up 43-35 as our defense has been unbelievable the first 3 minutes of this half.

11 minute mark: Abram has been cleared to return. We are down 51-50 as they have been nailing the 3's again.

8:35: Down 58-52, I bring in Enzweiler for Goodman and Sutton for Gooden.

7:27 Enzweiler gets a 4th foul on Warden. Down 60-55.

6 minute mark: Enzweiler hit another 3 before they brought Park back into the game. He subsequently missed 2 shots while Park scored on 2 shots. Down 64-58.

Enzweiler hits a 3 and then blocks a Park shot. However, he misses a 3 at the other end that could have tied it. Down 64-61 with 5 minutes to go.


4:21: Gooden comes back into the game. Goodman has been having a bad day with Park abusing him at both ends of the court (although Goodman has had a nice amount of assists), I'm trying to decide whether to bring him for Enzweiler or Pardon (who is starting to get tired.)

I decide to rest Goodman for another 30-45 seconds. We are down 66-64.

Down by 5, I go with the best chance of firepower. Goodman comes in for Pardon at SG. 69-64 with 3:30 to go..

Enzweiler with a very nice block of a shot by Park. That ignites the fast break which is finished by Abram. Down 69-66.

Next possession, Park spins off Enzweiler drives to the hoop, dunks it and gets fouled by Abram. Goodman responds with a quick 3. Down 72-69. 2:15 left.

Warden hits his first shot of the game over Goodman who was a second late getting there.

Goodman sets up Gooden for an open 3 which he drills. Down 74-72. 1:40 to go.

Moore gets a quick screen and hits his own 3.

Enzweiler fakes the 3.. gets Park in the air.. drives to the hoop.. misses the dunk.. tries the tip back which also misses. They get the board.

Gooden with a steal.. he is fouled before he can dunk it. He hits 1 of 2. Down 77-73. 35 seconds left.

We foul them. They miss the FT's. Gooden to Goodman in the corner.. their defender is all over him.. back to Gooden.. he gets a screen from Abram.. shoots the 3.. it just barely misses. They get the board.

Park hits both FT's. Gooden with a quick pass to Enzweiler.. he shoots over Park.. and nails the 3! 79-76. 19 seconds left.

Warden hits both FT's.

Gooden misses the quick 3. Goodman gets the board but throws it away. They hit their FT's and that will put it out of reach.



We lose the game 83-76.



Park was the player of the game with 28 points, 10 boards, 4 assists, 2 steals, and 2 blocks.

Moore had 14 and Warden had 7.


Enzweiler led us with 23 points, 4 boards, 1 assist, 1 steal, and 2 blocks. He shot 8 of 20, 6 of 11, and 1 of 1.


Gooden with 14 points, 3 assist, 3 steals, and 3 turnovers. He shot 4 of 11.

Pardon with 12 points, 5 boards, 2 assists, and 3 steals. He shot 4 of 10.

Goodman with 9 points, 7 boards, 7 assists, and 1 block. He shot 3 of 15, 1 of 5 and 2 of 3.

Gadner with 7 points and 7 boards.

Abram with 6 points and 13 boards.

[Eaglesfan27]

A look at the Sweet 16:


Darn #9 Iowa upset #1 UNLV 74-70. I would have loved my chances against Iowa.

#6 Ohio State will face #7 Texas A&M who upset Maryland 67-63.

#1 Miami will face #4 Indiana

#7 Saint Joseph's will face #11 Stanford


#1 Alabama will face #5 Tennessee

#2 Houston will face #3 Georgia Tech


#1 Washington will face #4 Texas

#2 Villanova will face #3 Oregon



The Elite 8:

Iowa beat Temple 65-64 to face #6 Ohio State who beat Texas A&M by 25.

#4 Indiana upset #1 Miami 72-61. They will face Saint Joseph's which beat Stanford 68-60.



#1 Alabama will face #2 Houston. They both beat their opponents by 15 plus.

#1 Washington will face #2 Villanova. They also both beat their opponents by a large margin.



The Final 4:

Iowa beat Ohio State 91-65 to advance.

They will face Saint Joseph's which beat Indiana 84-51.



Houston beat Alabma 80-72.

They will face Washington which beat Villanova 95-75.



The National Championship Game will feature Iowa which beat Saint Joseph's 82-58.

They will play Houston which beat Washington 84-83.



Houston won the National Championship 86-80 over Iowa.

Houston had balanced scoring with all 5 starters scoring at least 12 points in the final game.

[Eaglesfan27]

Oregon's Dominic Rodgers won player of the year. The 6'9 256 pound PF averaged 25 ppg, 8 rpg, and 2 bpg.

Ugonna Buboltz of Southern Illinois won Mid-Major Player of the Year. The 6'9 236 pound C averaged 23 ppg, 8 rpg, and 1 bpg.

Washington's Coach won the Coach of the Year.

Randolph Archie of Alabama won Defensive Player of the Year. He averaged 13 ppg, 7 rpg, 2 spg, and 1.5 bpg

Rodgers of Oregon won Big Man of the Year.


Myron Gooden won Freshman of the Year. He finished the year with a 10.4 ppg and 5.5 apg average.


First Team All-American:

SR PG Devonne Tolbert, Washington. He averaged 22.5 ppg, 6 rpg, and 5.8 apg.

SR SG Cherokee Birley, Penn State. He averaged 21 ppg, 5.9 rpg, and 4.6 apg.

SR SF Vern Cole of Kentucky averaged 21.9 ppg, 7.2 rpg, and 1.1 bpg.

PF Rodgers

SR C Shagari O'Bannon of Alabama averaged 22.3 ppg, 7.8 rpg, and 1.4 bpg.



Besides Gooden, we had Enzweiler make the Freshman All-American Team. Georgia Tech's Ibekwe also made the team so the ACC had more represenation than any other conference.


ACC Awards:

SR PF Mitchell Finley of Clemson won Player of the Year. He averaged 20.9 ppg, 9.0 rpg, and 1.6 bpg.

Gooden won Freshman of the Year.

Goodman was on the 1st team All-ACC. The others were:

SR PG Blair Rollins, Maryland 15.6 ppg, 3.1 rpg, 3.6 apg.

JR SG Sarchet, Miami. 18.6 ppg, 5.6 rpg, and 2.9 apg.

PF Finley

C Booker Daley, North Carolina, 12.9 ppg and 6.5 rpg.


Pardon made the 2nd team All-ACC.

[Eaglesfan27]

So many players leaving..

Bruce (89) is expected to be a late 1st round draft pick.

A bit suprisingly, Pardon (84) is not expected to be drafted.

Other graduating:

Sutton (83), Abram (79), Baldwin (81), Hicks (77), Henning (77), Watts (75.)

[Eaglesfan27]

Time for the Coaching Carousel...


Darn, Floyd isn't retiring yet!

However, Washington's coach did retire. They are offering me their job. They are the most prestigious job available according to the game's rankings:

The job is tempting, but I pass. The other very tempting job is the 2nd job offered.. North Carolina who has fired their coach. I pass on that as well as I'm sure USC will open up soon.

A few other jobs that I'm offered include Clemson, Memphis, and Illinois.


Here's who they hired:

Washington hired the coach of Louisiana-Lafayette.

North Carolina hired Howard's Head Coach.

Clemson hired the coach from Holy Cross.

Illinois hired the coach from Georgia State.


North Carolina hired a good coach, but he isn't a great recruiter. He is an excellent defensive coach and is a very good teacher.


Time to recruit and rebuild this team..

[Eaglesfan27]

The first day of recruiting brings some good news along with some expected bad news:

As expected, Sidiki Newby signed with Georgia Tech. Also as expected, Artie Murray chose Oregon over us.


As expected, Mychal Kilgore signs with us. The 6'3 183 pound SG should be able to compete for a starting job early. He was the 45 ranked player in this class and 11th among SG's. His strengths are in the area of shooting and athleticism.

We get a pleasant surprise as JC Sophomore PG Stephon Ryan signs with us over Ohio State. The 4 star 6'2 197 pound PG has a great shooting stroke from the tape we have seen and should get minutes immediately as our backup PG.

The best news is that we are still in the hunt for the #1 Center in the nation. Leslie Stapleton has narrowed it down to us and UConn. Time to fly out to his home.

Also, Fredrick McCray has indicated that he is willing to leave the west coach to come to Wake! He is a 7'2 274 pound center who I thought for sure was all USC, but he now has us as his #1 choice (I'm guessing Abram's departure had something to do with that.) He is the 10th ranked center and 188th ranked player overall.

Onto Week 2...

[Eaglesfan27]

No one signs in Week 2, but things are looking very good for both of the centers we are pursuing. We invite them both to come visit the campus this week.


Week 3:

After his visit, Leslie Stapleton signs with Wake Forest! While he is a bit undersized at 6'9 227, he is a rugged defender, solid scorer, and rebounder. He averaged 11.5 ppg, 10.9 rpg, and 2.5 bpg in the ABL.


McCray is close to signing with us as well.


With my last scholarship, I pursue Haruna Sullivan. He is a 6'8 198 pound SF from NYC. He has off the charts Athleticism and with his length, I find that intriguing. Duke and Maryland are his top 2 choices.


Week 4:

Fredrick McCray signs with Wake Forest! Now, with Christopher I think we have a solid compliment of big guys inside again.

WTF! Haruna Sullivan signed with Delaware. I guess us, Duke, and Maryland all got on to him too late.


Not many options that are good for our last scholarship, but I have my choice of 3 3 star guys who all seem to want it:

Alex Madison is a 6'8 229 pound SF from Clifton, NJ. He is a 3 star player who is ranked 322nd overall. He has the ability to play some PF for us and he is a good midrange shooter. Maryland is after him..

Vaidotas Vaitiekus is a 6'7 235 pound PF from Lithuania who has expressed interest in us. We don't know much about him except that he is supposed to be a good shooter. No other teams are interested in him.

SF Femi Cooperwood is a 6'8 235 pound SF from Phoenix, AZ. We don't know much about him except that he is a good shooter. Houston is after him.

I decide to offer the closest kid who I know the most about, Alex Madison.



Last Day of Recruiting:

Madison chose St. Joes over us. We'll have 1 unused scholarship which can go towards recruiting next year.


A summary of our class before I look at the rankings:

SF Demetric Yeager is the top ranked player and my first All-American H.S. player. He is a ranked 21st overall and 4th among SF's. He is from Baltimore, MD. He is 6'6 226. He averaged 12 ppg and 7 rpg in the ABL. Our staff believes right aay that he'll be a very good midrange shooter.

JC SO PG Stephon Ryan is my only other 5 star player in the class. He is a 6'2 197 pound PG from Westland, MI. My staff thinks he is a bit slow, but is a tremendous ouside shooter.

Mychal Kilgore is the highest ranked of the 4 stars. He is a 6'3 182 pound SG from Bloomington, IN. He is ranked 45th overall and 11th among SG's. He averaged 11.9 ppg, 8.5 rpg, 3.6 apg, and 2.0 spg in the ABL. Our staff believes that he will be a very good shot blocker for a SG with great athleticism.

J.R. Vega is a 6'7 210 pound PF from Raleigh, NC. He is ranked 55th overall and 8th among PF's. He has a very good 3 point shot for a PF. He has excellent athleticism and is a rugged rebounder for his size.

Leslie Stapleton is the top ranked center in this class and is ranked 88th overall. He is a 4 star player from Paterson, NJ. He is 6'9 227. Our staff feels he has tremendous potential for growth. He averaged 11.5 ppg, 10.9 rpg, and 1.5 bpg in the ABL. He also has 3 point range on his shot. He has tremendous speed for a center.

Frederick McCray is our only 3 star player. He is a 7'2 274 pound center from San Diego, CA. He chose us over USC :) He is ranked 155th overall and 10th among centers. He averaged 10.9 ppg, 8.5 rpg, and 1.1 bpg in the ABL. Ourstaff believes he will be a tremendous dunker with great strength. He also has excellent soft hands and good mobility for his size.




The class ranking is...

27th!?! I don't get that at all.

We are tied for 6th with the number of All-Americans.

We are tied for 1st with the number of 5 star players we got.

We are tied for 1st with the number of 4 star players we got.



I don't adjust our schedule at all. Time to advance to next year and see what the guys actually look like once we can evaluate them in person..

[Eaglesfan27]

Hmmm.. maybe the rankings knew something that I didn't. None of the new players is VERY impressive, but several look solid enough to be immediate contributors. A look at the roster:


PG:

Sophomore Myron Gooden is now 6'4 228 and he hasn't lost a step. He is a very highly rated 3 point shooter now and is the undsiputed starter. He is also a great passer (93 rating.) He is rated 82 overall.

JR PG Stephon Ryan is a bit disappointing as I expected him to be further along than most of the true freshmen. He is rated 75 overall and is now 6'3 201. The good thing is that as advertised, he is an excellent 3 point shooter. He'll contend with anyone for best on the team. Our undisputed primary backup PG.

Walk-on PG Francisco Southall is rated 60 overall. He'll redshirt but will probably never play.


SG (I probably should include some of the SF's here as I'm strongly considering Goodman starting at SG, but I'll just list the pure SG's:

Mychal Kilgore is the most like what I expected from the freshman. Rated 76 overall and now 6'4 184, he needs work on his defense, but he has the potential to be a good shooter early.

RS FR SG Arnaud Hollins is definitely in the mix. He is rated 75 overall but has better defense, speed, and quickness than Kilgore. He isn't as good at shooting, but he is a better finisher around the rim.


SF's: Biggest disappointing freshman at this position:

First, the star of the team. Henry Goodman is now a JR who is 6'9 229. He is rated 85 overall. He isn't the best 3 point shooter on the team but he is close. He is a great natural shooter who has terrific intangibles. He has improved his speed and quickness and is now better than the other guys at SG. He is back in Pardon's range in all of those categories except for the perimeter defense (but still better than the young guys.) Likely will start at SG.

SO Andrei Enzweiler is 6'7 220. He is now rated 79 overall. Has a great natural shot. Only problem is low stamina and consistency. If he starts at SF, we'll miss his instant offense from the bench. However, he is the clear choice to start at SF if I go with Goodman at SG and just focus on getting my best 5 guys on the floor.


FR SF Demetric Yeager was the most touted of our recruits but he is the lowest rated with an overall of 73. The good news is that our staff still thinks he has A+ potential. Right now, he is too slow, not a good defender, not a good shoter (although his midrange shot isn't bad), and is a poor ball handler. The only thing he is good at right now is shot blocking. I don't think he would tolerate getting redshirted, so he'll play as a primary backup at SF if I go with the plan to start Goodman at SG.

PF:

B.A. Gardner is the lone senior on the team. He is now 6'7 258 and is the most versatile defender on the team. Good perimeter defensive skills as well as very good post defensive skills. He has become a good scorer in practice as well. We'll see if we go to him a bit more this year. He is rated 81 overall and is clearly the starter.

FR J.R. Vega should contribute quite a bit as a backup this year. He is 6'8 214. He isn't as good of a shooter as we thought, but he is very athletic for a PF and he is a very good offensive rebounder and a solid defensive rebounder. He is also a great leaper with good shot blocking instincts.

We have 2 walk-ons who will never see the court.


Center:

SO Kennedy Christopher improved a lot over the offseason. He is now 6'11 228 and rated 76 overall. His strength is his strength and stamina. He doesn't have high potential and will probably be a backup.

FR C Leslie Stapleton will likely be the starter. He is now 6'10 234 and is also rated 76 overall. His strenghts are his shot blocking, strength, speed, and rebounding. He also has some decent outside shooting ability for a big man.

C Frederick McCray might push Christopher aside and become the primary backup C. He is 7'2 280 now and is rated 75 overall. He has decent speed and isn't much slower than Christopher (who is a fair bit slower than Stapleton.) McCray is the most dominant dunker on our team. He is also the strongest player. He is the best rebounder as well. His midrange shot isn't bad either. His weaknesses are low awareness and terrible FT shooting ability.


Projected starting 5 (at least for the 1st game):

PG Gooden
SG Goodman
SF Enzweiler
PF Gardner
C Stapleton

Top 5 bench guys:

Kilgore, Vega, McCray, Hollins, and Ryan (but Yeager will play ahead of one of these guys to get him PT to aid in his development.)

[Eaglesfan27]

I only have 2 scholarships available. 1 target immediately jumps into the picture. He wasn't looking that good 2 years ago, but he has blossomed into a star and is a local kid:

SF Tahj Norwood is from Raleigh, NC and is Mr. Basketball for the State. The 6'7 186 pound player averaged 12.6 ppg and 8.8 rpg in the ABL. He is ranked 36th overall and 4th among SF's. He is very interested in Wake, Duke, UNC, and North Carolina State..


Our overall roster strength with the current starting lineup is 87. Our first game of the regular seasonis vs Albany. Their overall strength is 73. Should be a nice easy tuneup game for the team to start to gel.

[Eaglesfan27]

I decide to sim the game (and am strongly considering simming the year as I really want to get to USC already and start building my legacy there.)

We win the game 95-65. Enzweiler led the team with 20 points on 7 of 8 shooting, 3 of 4 from the arc. Goodman with 15 points and 6 boards. Gooden with 17 points and 7 assist.

Stapleton with 6 points, 4 boards, and a block in his debut.

Kilgore, Vega, and Yeager each had 5 points off the bench.


I'm going to go play some Left 4 Dead (for the very first time) while I debate on just simming this season.

[Eaglesfan27]

I have decided to sim this year. I expect this team to be good, but for the role players to be too inexperienced to do anything in the tourney, and if Floyd is going to retire after this year, I just want to get to USC. If he doesn't retire, I look forward to playing next year when some of the young talent on this team has matured and we could make some noise.


Wow. We get upset by MD-Eastern Shore, 77-48! Goodman shot 2 of 8. Enzweiler led us ith 15 points on 6 of 18 shooting. Vega had 10 points off the bench.


Later in the week, we lose at a very good Cal team. They are 10th in the media poll. They beat us 82-65. Goodman and Enzweiler each had 21 points on 7 of 14 shooting.



Next week:

We get upset by Drexel 64-60. Kilgore led us off the bench with 13 points in 13 minutes. Enzweiler was 3 of 10 and Goodman was 4 of 12. Gooden had a nice game with 10 points, 8 boards, and 7 assists.


Another upset in the preseason tourney as we lose to Brown 59-55. Goodman led us with 15 points but he shot 3 of 14.

The next game in the tourney, we beat Lehigh 71-53. Goodman with 23 points on 6 of 12 shooting. Enzweiler was 1 of 8. Vega with 8 points and 6 boards off the bench.


The next week:

We upset an unbeaten Illinois squad, 71-54. Goodman and Enzweiler each scored 18. Kilgore with 11 points off the bench. Stapleton with his first big game, 5 points, 10 boards, and 4 blocks.


First day that recruits can sign is coming up and I think we might get a nice PF that I've been pursuing...

[Eaglesfan27]

We do get Aloysius Dunnington to sign with Wake Forest. He is a 6'8 229 pound Pf from Normal, IL. He is a 4 star player ranked 79th overall and 10th among PF's. Our staff thinks he is a standout defender who is good in all other areas. In particular, he is a great shot blocker. He averaged 12.1 ppg, 11.1 rpg, and 2.5 bpg in the ABL.

Georgia Tech got the #1 player in the class, a 6'3 199 pound PG from Cincinnati. Duke got the #7 player in the class, a 6'3 196 pound SG from Washington, DC. Georgia Tech also got the #2 player in the nation, a 6'1 175 pound PG from Dover, DE.

USC got the #11 player in the nation, a 6'6 190 pound PF from Santa Barba, CA.

[Radii]

Seems like a good season to sim though. If Floyd doesn't leave it will be fun following Yeager. A+ potential with good coaches should be exciting.

[Eaglesfan27]

Next week:

We lose at home to Villanova who are now 7-0. They beat us 72-65. Goodman had 27 points, 5 boards, and a block. Enzweiler had 19.

We beat Chicago State 79-62. Goodman with 28 points, 8 boards, and 4 assists. Enweiler had 23 points.


Next Week:


We beat Florida A&M 80-60. Goodman with 23 points. Enzweiler with 17. Vega with 7 off the bench.

A few days later, we beat Wofford 72-42. That loss drops them to 0-10. We are now 6-5. Enzweiler with 33 points on 11 of 17 shooting. I guess my controlling him wasn't the only reason he was doing well :)


Next week:

We beat UMBC 85-57. Goodman with 29 points. Enzweiler with 16. Vega with 8 points and 7 boards off the bench.


January 2, 2025 -

We destroy a good La Salle team, 93-54 but we lose Goodman for 2-3 weeks to a separated shoulder. Kilgore came off the bench when Goodman went down early and scored 21. Enzweiler also had 21. Kilgore will step into the starting lineup until Goodman is healthy.


We start conference play against a much stronger Miami team (94 roster strength, ours is 87.) We lose 79-53. Sarchet had 24 points against us. I can't believe he didn't go pro. Enzweiler led us with 15 points but shot 4 of 15.


Jan 15, 2025 -

We face an evenly matched Maryland squad at our place. We lose 71-64. Enzweler had 19 points. Kilgore with 7. No one else had more than 5.


3 days later, we face an evenly matched Clemson squad at our place and lose to them 73-64. Enzweiler with 20 points on 6 of 15 shooting. Kilgore with 8. Hollins with 7.

We are now 8-8 and I'm wondering if I might drop off the list of hot coaching prospects..

Goodman returns from his injury and returns to starting at SG.


Jan 23, 2025 -

We are playing at an evenly matched North Carolina. We win 76-52. Goodman with 26 points. Enzweiler with 18.

Jan 26, 2025 -

A game at home vs an epic Georgia Tech team (overall strength of 97 now!) We lose 69-63. They are 17-0.

Enzweiler with 19 points on 7 of 14 shooting. Goodman was shut down and shot 2 of 13.

We are 9-9. Time to catch up to the real games on the DVR. I'll finish this season up later tonight.

[Eaglesfan27]

Seems like a good season to sim though. If Floyd doesn't leave it will be fun following Yeager. A+ potential with good coaches should be exciting.

I think so. Yeager is showing very nice growth so far this year. However, of all people Hollins is showing off the chart growth. I've never had a guy gain 3 points so early in a year. I might have to take a chance on redshirting more underrated freshman in the future..

[Eaglesfan27]

Hmm. One thing I just thought of, anyone know what the season limit is in a closed legacy dynasty (if there is one?) I'm going to be mad if it ends a few years after I finally get to USC.

[Radii]

searching the OS forums it appears that earlier versions of the game had a 40 year limit. I have no idea if 2k8 has that or not.

[Eaglesfan27]

Jan 29, 2025 -

We win at NC State 75-67. Before that game, they were 16-3 and 14th in the media poll. Goodman with 29 points. Enzweiler with 13 and Kilgore with 10 off the bench.


3 days later, we lose at an underperforming Maryland team's court. They beat us 66-58. Goodman with 15 points and Enzweiler with 16 but they both shot about 35%.


Feb 3, 2025 -

We beat Duke at home 87-57. A season high 18 for Gooden, 28 for Goodman, and 15 for Enzweiler. Gooden also had a season high 10 assists.

2 days later, we lose at #21 FSU, 78-71. They are now 14-5. Enzweiler had 23 but Goodman was 3 of 13. We are now 11-11.


Feb 11, 2025 -

A very disappointing loss to VT. They beat us 70-69. Enzweiler with 16, Goodman with 14, and Gooden with 10. Bega had 8 off the bench. Yeager had 5 points and 5 boards.

Feb 16 -

We beat Clemson at thier place 77-68. Goodman with 17 points. Yeager had a career high 9 points off the bench.


Feb 20 -

We play at #3 Georgia Tech. They beat us 88-76. Gooden, Goodman, and Enzweiler each scorer 13. Yeager led the bench with 6.


3 days later, we have a very winnable game against Virginia. We beat them 84-50. Goodman with 27. Gooden and Enzweiler with 10 each. McCray led the bench with 7 points.


March 1, 2025 -

We lose at BC 66-51. They are now 18-8. We are 13-14. Goodman and Enzweiler each had 17 points. Kilgore led the bench with 6.


March 5, 2025 -

We lose to #7 Miami, 71-66. Goodman with 31 in the losing effort. That loss ensures my first losing regular season in a long time. Our last game is against a very good North Carolina State that is ranked 18th in the media poll..


We win the game 76-64 but we lose Stapleton to a shoulder injury. He'll be out 2 to 3 week. Goodman with 18 and Enzweiler with 16. Kilgore led the bench wth 7.

We end the regular season at 14-15. I'll sim the tourneys during halftime of the game (or sooner if it becomes a blowout.)

[Eaglesfan27]

searching the OS forums it appears that earlier versions of the game had a 40 year limit. I have no idea if 2k8 has that or not.

At least that would give me 10-13 years at USC unless Floyd becomes the oldest coach ever in the game. I planned on retiring my guy somewhere around 45 years anyway, as he'll be in his 70's by that point.

Edit: Hmm, apparently the North Carolina - Villanova game hasn't started yet. Time to sim the tourneys and see if I get to go to USC or not..

[Eaglesfan27]

We face Duke in the 1st ACC tourney game..

And we upset them 56-54. 15 points from Goodman.

Miami beats us in the next game 78-76. Goodman had 32 and Enzweiler had 22 in the losing effort.

At 15-16, we have no chance of making the tourney.


A quick look at the final ACC Standings:

1. Miami 24-7 (13-3)
2. Georgia Tech 27-4 (12-4)
3. FSU 19-8 (12-4)
4. North Carolina 20-12 (10-6) - Nice debut for the new coach.
5. North Carolina State 22-9 (9-7)
6. BC 21-10 (9-7)
7. Clemson 16-14 (7-9)
8. Wake Forest 15-16 (6-10)
9. Duke 14-15 (5-11)
10. VT 15-18 (5-11)
11. Maryland 13-19 (4-12)
12. Virginia 11-17 (4-12)


Georgia Tech beats North Carolina in the ACC Final 79-62.



A look at our player's stats:

I thought Goodman's scoring would go down without me controlling him but it went up. He averaged a career high 18.4 ppg, a career high 3.5 rpg, and 0.9 spg.

With the starting role, Enzweiler's scoring went up to 15.9 ppg. He averaged 2.9 rpg and 1.1 spg.

Gooden averaged 6.9 ppg and 6.2 apg.

Kilgore averaged 5.9 ppg.

Gardner averaged 5.8 ppg and 4.3 rpg.

Stapleton with a modest 3.6 ppg and 3.9 rpg in 22 mpg. He also had 1.1 bpg.

Vega averaged 3.7 ppg and 3.0 rpg in 14 mpg.

Yeager averaged 3.2 ppg and 1.6 rpg in 14 mpg.


Guys who showed the most progress (all 3 points of overall)

Hollins, Yeager, and Ryan.

[Eaglesfan27]

Brief Recap of Tourney Selection Show:

USC finished the year #3 in the Media Poll with a 27-6 record!


The #1 Seeds:

East: West Virginia (30-4), South: Georgia Tech (28-4), Midwest: Cal (28-5), and West: Michigan State (28-5).

East Matchups:

#5 FSU (19-8) vs #12 Marshall (19-10)

#6 North Carolina State (22-9) vs #11 Kent State (27-6)


South:

#8 Texas vs #9 Texas Tech

#5 Arizona (23-10) vs #12 Hofstra (20-11)

#2 Miami (24-7) vs #15 Boston University (20-11)


Midwest:

#5 Nevada (24-5) vs #12 North Carolina (20-13)

#6 Memphis (26-7) vs #11 Cincinnati (21-11)

#2 USC (27-6) vs #15 Montana (19-12)


West:

Niagara is a 8 seed!

Villanova is a strong #2 seed.

[Radii]

How long is a legacy? - 2K Sports Forums (http://2ksports.com/forums/showthread.php?t=180976)

assuming that's accurate it looks like 2046/47 is the limit.

[Eaglesfan27]

Niagara won their first game but were beat by Michigan State in the 2nd game 94-59.

USC made it to the Sweet 16 but was beat by Texas A&M, 80-78.


The Elite 8:

#6 North Carolina State beat Fordham 93-62 to advance to the Final 4.

#1 Michigan State beat #3 UNLV 77-64 to advance.


#1 Georgia Tech beat #11 Ohio State 95-56.

#3 Texas A&M beat #1 Cal 78-70.



Final 4:

Both #1 seeds won their games. Michigan State won 79-62 over NC State. GT won 90-76 over Texas A&M.


Georgia Tech wins the National Championship 85-78 over Michigan State.

Varem was the player of the game with 21 points. A.B. Kampman pitched in with 17.

Ibekwe had 14.