Coach Graham Sims: A Pennsylvania Story (FBCB)

[MoonlightGraham]

Hi again. I'm Graham, and I'm back for another try with my college basketball dynasty idea.

As I wrote in my first thread:

"At first, I thought I'd write the usual "coach begins at small school and tries to work his way up to a national powerhouse" story. I do enjoy playing this kind of career, but this time I decided to approach it from a different angle.

My coach will spend his entire career coaching in a single state. He won't apply for, or accept, a job offer outside that state's borders."

I chose Pennsylvania, and I'm returning there for this story, too.

I'll be playing Fast Break College Basketball this time, and my story will begin in the spring of 2011. I don't mind turning the clock back a decade. The conference alignments made more sense to me then.

Coach Graham Sims is back, and this time he's the head coach at Lafayette.

https://i.imgur.com/4UnBLAu.jpg

After a successful high school career in northern Virginia, Coach Sims attended Villanova. He played four years there as a walk-on, and graduated in 2001. A decade later, he's beginning his career as a collegiate head coach. I've made him an Average coach, because I'd like to give him a chance to enjoy a long and successful career.

I hope we'll all enjoy discovering how that career will turn out.

[MoonlightGraham]

May 1, 2011

I let the computer pick Coach Sims's three assistants. Their salaries are taken from the team budget, and what's left over can be spent on recruiting. It's been a long time since I've played FBCB, and I didn't want to mess up and leave myself with too little cash to spend on recruiting. There are four senior scholarship players on this year's roster, so I need a healthy recruiting budget.

https://i.imgur.com/GTRJg6N.jpg

They're nothing special, but I've seen much worse. I can't remember if assistant coaches' ratings improve over time. If they do, perhaps these young coaches will develop into a distinguished, experience team. Or, will they be the first branches from Sims's coaching tree?

I'm also going to let the computer make the schedule this season. I figure it would have been set by the time Coach Sims took the job.

[MoonlightGraham]

July 1, 2011

Here are the Leopards Coach Sims inherited from his predecessor.

Player # Pos Yr Ht Wt Sch Acd Status Hometown
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Victor Gentry 2 PG Jr* 5-11 188 Yes 68 OK Keene, NH
Gary Pooler 3 SG So* 6-0 202 Yes 42 OK Rib Lake, WI
Billy Weiler 5 PG So* 5-11 207 Yes 28 OK Philadelphia, PA
Willard Davis 10 SG So 6-4 209 Yes 65 OK Johnsonburg, PA
Stephen Thames 13 SG Jr* 6-3 203 Yes 30 OK Mount Joy, PA
Joseph Burford 14 PG Sr 6-2 179 Yes 75 OK Warminster, PA
Stephen Diaz 20 SF Sr 6-7 238 Yes 32 OK Abington, PA
Louis Hewett 22 C Fr 6-7 202 Yes 28 OK Fort Washington, PA
Kyle Cox 24 SF Jr* 6-4 207 No 25 OK North Versailles, PA
DeWitt Leiva 32 PF Sr 6-8 231 Yes 93 OK State College, PA
Dana Broughton 34 SF Fr 6-6 224 Yes 83 OK Center Valley, PA
Bastian Hirt 35 PF Jr 6-6 208 No 57 OK Recklinghausen, Germany
Donnie Pope 41 PF Fr* 6-9 237 Yes 74 OK Three Springs, PA
Robert Castleman 45 C Sr 6-8 260 Yes 79 OK Belfast, ME
Clark Nolan 50 C Fr 6-9 256 Yes 33 OK Whitehall, PA

DeWitt Leiva is the team's biggest star. If his overall ratings can be believed, the senior big man could play for any team in the country. DeWitt is an elite defender and a rugged rebounder. He doesn't look like he'll be much of a scorer, however. Leiva is also an outstanding student, the kind of man Coach Sims wants his program to produce.

Leiva's classmate Robert Castleman will start alongside him in the post. He's a big, strong dude, the team's best inside scoring threat by a wide margin. He also possesses a decent touch from outside the arc, especially for a 260-pound wide load.

Stephen Diaz, another senior, looks like he should be another low-block banger, but he's actually a perimeter player. His combination of defensive awareness and a decent amount of quickness allows him to guard opposing wings. We'll depend on Diaz for scoring, too; he has the team's smoothest mid-range jumper.

Second year shooting guard Stephen Thames is unpolished, but he seems to have some potential. At his best, he'll take over games with his quickness and his long-range marksmanship. At his worst, he'll be a turnover machine whose man torches him on a regular basis. We'll probably see some of both, even within a single game.

Point guard Billy Weiler, a city kid from Philly, will have the keys to the Leopards offense. Billy looks like he'd be at home behind the plate; in fact, he was a very good high school catcher. He is the team's only decent passer, and one of its few capable ballhandlers. Weiler can't guard anybody, however, gambling for steals rather than locking down on his man. Our staff thinks there's a player in there. We'll see.

Guards Joseph Burford and Victor Gentry will probably be the first men off the bench. These veterans don't do any one thing particularly well, but they're not too bad at anything, either. Both Joseph and Victor are quick and athletic.

I'm curious to see what kind of player Willard Davis turns out to be. A sophomore guard, Davis can jump out of the gym and has a nifty mid-range jumper.

Freshman Clark Nolan is the best of the reserve big men. He's a less-accomplished version of Robert Castleman. Unlike Castleman, however, Nolan is in terrible shape, lacking the stamina to play effectively for long stretches.

Wing Dana Broughton intrigues me. He will get some playing time, because he's one of the few players on the roster who has the combination of qualities Coach Sims is looking for in the players he recruits. Dana is intelligent, and he has the potential to develop into a tough defender. He's also a good shooter who could become a very good one. If Broughton, a first year, demonstrates he can hold his own as a college basketball player, he'll earn more playing time...possibly at the expense of the veterans with less upside and much less time to develop.

(Once the Lafayette roster features players with whom we're familiar--because I recruited them, or because they've been around a while--I'll post their individual "cards' here, too.)

[MoonlightGraham]

August 1, 2011

The recruiting season began on July 1. Lafayette has four scholarships to offer, so Coach Sims will be very busy for the next few months.

The program needs to add at least one big man who is ready to play as a freshman. DeWitt Leiva and Robert Castleman are both seniors. The young bigs, Clark Nolan and Donnie Pope, have potential, but both will have to show significant improvement before they can be considered potential starters. I'll be watching how Clark and Donnie develop. If they seem to be learning quickly, the second big in the class can be more of a project. If they don't progress, they could be pushed farther down the depth chart by a second promising newcomer.

There's also a need for a playmaking guard who can join the rotation right away. Billy Weiler is the only guy on the roster with the handle and vision to play point guard. Weiler is also the only Lafayette player who is even a decent passer. Victor Gentry, who will be a senior next year, will probably always be more comfortable as a two guard.

The fourth signee will probably be a wing player. I'm hoping Dana Broughton will be ready to start next year. If he's not ready, then the new guy will have an opportunity to play a lot.

I want to build a culture at Lafayette that emphasizes stalwart defense. If a player can't or won't work hard at that end of the floor, he won't be a good fit on a Graham Sims team. A player will have to be an extraordinary offensive force, one who can turn a game around, before we'll look at him otherwise.

Our monthly recruiting budget will be $11,406 this season. We spent almost all of it evaluating the 20 players we put on our call list, chosen from those who have expressed Very High or High levels of interest in our team. Among them are a handful of three-star recruits, with two- and one-star players making up the rest.

[TheseBoots]

I don't know anything about basketball but I hope to enjoy this and learn something =)

[MoonlightGraham]

I don't know anything about basketball but I hope to enjoy this and learn something =)

Welcome! I hope you have fun following the story, too. If you have questions, please don't hesitate to ask.


August 1, 2011

The first group of players we evaluated contained several we're interested in recruiting.

C James Sanders
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Height: 6-11
Weight: 319
High School: Bassick High School
Hometown: Bridgeport, CT
GPA: 3.11
Test Score: 1120
Rating: ***

Attributes:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Type INS JPS FTS 3PS HND PAS ORB DRB PSD PRD STL BLK QKN STR JMP STA
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Current: 55 31 55 47 20 21 38 39 26 21 52 21 41 70 24 11
Potential: B C C B D D C B C C C D

Season Stats:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PTS OREB REB AST TOS A/T STL BLK PFS
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
30.2 2.0 9.9 1.1 2.6 0.42 1.1 0.9 3.0

Shooting Averages:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
FGM FGA FG% FTM FTA FT% 3PM 3PA 3P%
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
10.8 18.9 .570 8.6 11.5 .748 0.1 1.1 .091

Recruiting Notes:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Qualified: Yes
Current interest in Lafayette: Very High
Rankings: #45 C, East Region #54 Overall, East Region #6 C
High School Awards: All-State
Top 5 Schools: Lafayette, Connecticut, Central Connecticut State, Marist, Fairfield


James Sanders puts the "big" in "big man." He grades out as a decent defender, but his offensive numbers are what caught our eye. Players his size shouldn't be able to stroke it from three point range the way James can.

The Connecticut product has us first on his list. We offer him a scholarship, and we invite him to campus. Coach Sims will also visit him at home.

PG John Spitzer
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Height: 6-3
Weight: 181
High School: Cranford Senior High School
Hometown: Cranford, NJ
GPA: 2.98
Test Score: 1380
Rating: ***

Attributes:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Type INS JPS FTS 3PS HND PAS ORB DRB PSD PRD STL BLK QKN STR JMP STA
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Current: 28 25 30 37 42 26 17 12 40 50 44 24 80 13 65 59
Potential: D C B C C A C F C C B C

Season Stats:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PTS OREB REB AST TOS A/T STL BLK PFS
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
10.5 2.2 4.8 6.0 1.8 3.40 5.3 0.7 1.8

Shooting Averages:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
FGM FGA FG% FTM FTA FT% 3PM 3PA 3P%
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
4.5 10.5 .426 0.8 1.1 .682 0.9 3.9 .221

Recruiting Notes:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Qualified: Yes
Current interest in Lafayette: Very High
Rankings: East Region #61 Overall, East Region #20 PG
High School Awards: None
Top 5 Schools: Fordham, Hofstra, Drexel, Lafayette, Lehigh

We might have to work harder to land Spitzer, who has three schools listed ahead of us. If he joined our program right now, he'd be the best defender among our perimeter players. He'd also rival Billy Weiler as our best playmaker, with the potential to be much better.

Our recruiting efforts for John are the same as those we make for Sanders: a scholarship offer, an invitation to campus, and a visit to his home.

SF Venceslás Castillo
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Height: 6-8
Weight: 222
High School:
Hometown: Alcazar de San Juan, Spain
GPA: 3.23
Test Score: 1250
Rating: **

Attributes:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Type INS JPS FTS 3PS HND PAS ORB DRB PSD PRD STL BLK QKN STR JMP STA
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Current: 31 39 44 40 15 25 62 42 40 34 29 20 37 71 57 91
Potential: B A C A C D B C D C D D

Season Stats:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PTS OREB REB AST TOS A/T STL BLK PFS
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
18.7 3.6 10.4 1.7 2.4 0.71 0.4 0.9 2.4

Shooting Averages:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
FGM FGA FG% FTM FTA FT% 3PM 3PA 3P%
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
8.4 14.9 .562 1.6 3.7 .425 0.5 1.5 .300

Recruiting Notes:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Qualified: Yes
Current interest in Lafayette: Very High
Rankings: Foreign #37 Overall, Foreign #6 SF
High School Awards: None
Top 5 Schools: Lafayette

I was intrigued by the fact that a player in Spain was interested in coming to Easton, Pennsylvania to play college basketball. It's not cheap to recruit Castillo; it will cost about six times as much to bring him to campus as it does Sanders or Spitzer.

If he turns out to be as good as his potentials imply, the Good King will be worth every penny we spend. We offer him a scholarship, but we can only afford to send recruiting assistant Steven Manion to Spain to meet him.

I'm not sure to whom we'll offer our remaining scholarship. We're looking most closely at a few other big men, but if another guard or forward capture our attention, we might change our plans.

[MoonlightGraham]

September 1, 2011

Coach Sims and his staff were kept busy with recruiting during August.

The Leopards' courtship of James Sanders took an intriguing turn, as the big man switched out several of the programs on his Top Five list. We're still at the top, and Marist continues to be on his radar, despite the fact they haven't offered him a scholarship. Fordham, Siena, and Sacred Heart are now on James's list, and he has offers in hand from the first two. Siena, with its 64 prestige (to our 27) has me a bit worried. Their coaching staff aren't very good recruiters, but we're taking no chances. Coach Sims will visit James again.

Flattered by our offer, John Spitzer placed us first on his revised list. Rider, who also offered him a scholarship, is right behind us. Again, we're competing with a more highly regarded program; Rider's prestige is 49. We're still his top choice, however, and even though Rider is located in John's home state of New Jersey, our campus is actually closer to his home. Again, we're sending Coach Sims in to try to close the deal. Rider head coach Clarence Bigley is also a skilled recruiter. Can we hold him off?

We appear to be the only team pursuing Venceslás Castillo right now. We're taking no chances here. Besides, Coach Sims wouldn't mind a trip to the beautiful city of Alcázar de San Juan.

After taking another look at the post players on our list, I decided to gamble with an offer to Arlen Brown.

C Arlen Brown
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Height: 6-9
Weight: 218
High School: Susan E. Wagner High School
Hometown: Staten Island, NY
GPA: 2.23
Test Score: 970
Rating: ***

Attributes:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Type INS JPS FTS 3PS HND PAS ORB DRB PSD PRD STL BLK QKN STR JMP STA
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Current: 45 32 23 10 24 16 32 16 70 29 41 15 12 86 21 12
Potential: A C D F D C B D B D C C

Season Stats:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PTS OREB REB AST TOS A/T STL BLK PFS
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
25.6 3.3 7.6 1.0 1.9 0.54 1.6 0.7 2.4

Shooting Averages:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
FGM FGA FG% FTM FTA FT% 3PM 3PA 3P%
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
10.5 16.1 .652 4.6 11.1 .412 0.0 0.0 .000

Recruiting Notes:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Qualified: Yes
Current interest in Lafayette: Average
Rankings: East Region #63 Overall, East Region #7 C
High School Awards: None
Top 5 Schools: *Wagner, *Columbia, Providence, Central Connecticut State, St. Francis-NY

This long, lean big man from New York is a productive scorer, with elite potential as an inside presence. He's also an active, disruptive defensive player. Arlen holds two scholarship offers already. Can we sway him with an offer of our own? We're spending almost all our remaining budget to send Coach Sims up to Staten Island to give it a shot.

[MoonlightGraham]

October 1, 2011

I had forgotten how exciting the recruiting "minigame" in FBCB could be!

We're still on the pole in the race to land James Sanders. Fordham (34 prestige) and Marist (37 prestige) are still in contention, and James has offers from all three schools in hand.

Who is Coach Sims up against here? Fordham relies on a talented assistant, Chris Sellers, to lead their recruiting team. How about Marist? The Red Foxes' head coach, Gus Barros, has ZERO points in recruiting (!!). I'm envisioning Coach Barros saying things like this:

"I recently learned that Division I college basketball teams offer scholarships to players. I wonder if offering a scholarship to a player makes it more likely he'll decide to come to Marist?"

Coach Gus does have an assistant who understands the process. Rudy Kirkland isn't as highly rated a recruiter as Graham is, but he's no pushover.

Both Coach Sims and assistant Coach Manion will visit James this month. Let's lock this big man down.

While I'm feeling pretty good about our chances with Sanders, I'm starting to worry about John Spitzer. John has narrowed his choices to two: Rider and Lafayette...and now we're his second choice. Should I concede the battle to Clarence Bigley and the Broncs? I'm not impressed with the other point guards we've evaluated. None of them have the defensive chops I'm looking for, or the potential to acquire them.

Faint heart never won fair lady. Nor did it win talented point guard. I'm pulling out all the stops here. Both Coach Sims and Coach Manion will visit John and his family this month. I'm adding another PG or two to my call list, just in case we need a Plan B.

Our overtures to Arlen Brown were well-received. He still names Wagner as his top choice, but we're now right behind them. He's interested in Providence, too, but the Friars haven't offered him.

Now we can invite Arlen to campus, and we're doing so. We're also sending Coach Sims and Coach Manion to visit him.

Good King Venceslás apparently remains a secret to every Division I program besides ours. We don't have enough money left over to send a coach to Spain this month. If we can get a commitment from at least one of the other players in October, we'll have money in our budget to spend on our pursuit of Castillo.

Time to press "Sim Month." Wish us luck!

[TheseBoots]

buena suerte!

[MoonlightGraham]

November 1, 2011

The season is now right around the corner, so there's much more to do this month.

I let the computer make our schedule, and it's still not complete; we have openings for three road games. I think I'll take over the process and see if I can fill those slots in our schedule.

I learned that three of our players--Louis Hewett, Bastian Hirt, and Willard Davis--are willing to redshirt this season. I don't see any reason to have Hewett sit out a year. A freshman center, Willard doesn't have a great deal of unrealized potential in any aspect of his game. We don't need three big men in one graduating class, so we'll let Hewett suit up this season.

Hirt is our walk-on forward from Germany. He's already decent in both post and perimeter defense, and he has the potential to be a lockdown defender on the perimeter. I have a hunch Bastian might develop into a useful rotation option, especially with three years to develop rather than two. I decide to redshirt him.

I mentioned Davis in an earlier post. He's a Red player now, which is the lowest category in the color-block scale FBCB uses. In other words, he's a "warm body." However, he has some growth potential; he could develop into an Orange guy, good enough to start for a low prestige team or contribute off the bench for a mid-major. That evaluation matches what I see on his player profile. Willard appears to have decent potential to improve his jumper and his perimeter defense. Davis will redshirt this year and return with three years of eligibility left.

It's also time to begin training camp, when our players will be given an opportunity to develop their skills in anticipation of the season.

For those of you who aren't familiar with FBCB: each player has 30 training points, which I can allocate to seven different training categories. Six relate directly to their game:
Inside Play: inside scoring, rebounding
Shooting: jump shot, free throw shooting, three point-shooting
Handling: handling, passing
Post Defense: post defense, shot blocking
Perimeter Defense: perimeter defense, stealing
Conditioning: stamina, strength, quickness, jumping

Players can also be assigned to concentrate on Academics, making it less likely they'll be suspended for poor academic performance.

I can also have the computer plan their training. I start by seeing what the computer comes up with. I'm generally pleased with the results; the computer assigns tasks to players that correspond with their positions and abilities. I tweak a few things because I want to shape some of our players in slightly different ways. For example, I'd like to shift Bastian Hirt to the wing, so I give him more training in Perimeter Defense and Shooting, hoping to unlock more of his potential. I adjust Dana Broughton's training to emphasize the same qualities, because he's got so much upside. Three of our starters--Stephen Diaz, Stephen Thames, and Billy Weiler--all need significant amounts of extra attention to Academics.

Finally, it's time to check out the monthly recruiting update...

First, some good news. James Sanders has committed to us!

I won't know for sure until I see how successful the other teams in the Patriot League are at recruiting, but James seems to be a good signing for a team at our level. He's ranked #45 among all the centers in this recruiting class, and we rate him as a potential Green player by the time he's finished. Green players are considered mid-major All-Conference candidates, and possible starters at big programs. If James turns out to be that good, he'll be a star at Lafayette. (Incidentally, DeWitt Leiva is a Green guy now.)

Now, the bad news. We lose out on John Spitzer and Arlen Brown, who choose Rider and Wagner respectively. Brown, who attends Susan E. Wagner High School, seems to have a strange affinity for a certain name.

We're still waiting for Venceslás Castillo to make his decision. We're still the only school recruiting him, and the only one he's expressed interest in playing for. I wonder if international players take longer to commit.

This month's events leave us with two scholarships available. After having lost out on Spitzer and Brown, I begin to wonder if I'm aiming too high when I pursue three-star players, so I take a deeper dive into the recruiting screen.

It seems that FBCB divides the pool of recruits into categories based on their national rankings:

Five stars: players 1-25
Four stars: players 26-99
Three stars: players 100-491
Two stars: players 492-751
One star: players 752-2082

There's a significant difference between the players at the top of the three-star tier and those at the bottom. Not surprisingly, it seems that many of the high three-star players are signing with major programs. James Sanders, who lands high in the middle third of the three-star range, is indeed quite a prize for us. The players ranked closest to him have chosen Gonzaga, Iona, and Penn State.

Guys like John Spitzer, who's right in the middle of the three-star group, seem to pick mid-majors; that's exactly what John has done. Arlen Brown, not much farther down the list, has also picked a less prestigious program than most of the most similarly-ranked players. Going 1-for-3 with these three recruits, therefore, seems like a fairly reasonable outcome.

Venceslás Castillo is a low two-star recruit. Players like Castillo are signing with programs like ours, or even smaller. So, unless the recruitment of international players works a lot differently, we ought to have a good shot at signing him. Coach Sims will travel back to Spain to visit him and his family this month.

I have eight free spots on my call list now, so I'm going to investigate big men and point guards ranked in the 300-600 range this month. Are there any hidden gems to be found?

It looks like there just might be, in the form of Hubert Song...
PG Hubert Song
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Height: 6-3
Weight: 203
High School: Fiorello H. La Guardia High School
Hometown: New York, NY
GPA: 3.27
Test Score: 1150
Rating: ***

Attributes:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Type INS JPS FTS 3PS HND PAS ORB DRB PSD PRD STL BLK QKN STR JMP STA
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Current: 32 36 7 59 33 40 31 27 28 32 31 18 100 27 41 63
Potential: D C D B B C C C C A B D

Season Stats:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PTS OREB REB AST TOS A/T STL BLK PFS
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
12.3 2.5 6.6 5.6 2.4 2.36 2.6 0.5 2.9

Goodness...if that rating is accurate, then Hubert Song is as quick as any college basketball player can be! He's also apparently very good at point guard things like dribbling, passing, shooting from long range, and defending on the perimeter. I know our scouting ability is only mediocre, but we rate Hubert as a future Blue player...an All-American candidate.

Hubert currently has no scholarship offers. That's about to change. We are also inviting him to campus, and he'll get a visit from Coach Sims, too.

Is a 6'7", 249-pound player ever truly a small forward? We don't think so, and that's why we're adding Edgar Pratt to our call list. His high school stats lead us to believe he could be a decent fit for us. I nearly offer Edgar a scholarship, sight unseen, before I take a deep breath and remember it's still fairly early in the recruiting window.

[MoonlightGraham]

buena suerte!

You know it's going to be a good season when you're wished good luck in Spanish by a Dane. :)

[MoonlightGraham]

December 1, 2011

I'm still thinking about how I'd like to report my game results, at least while I'm still mainly coaching players I didn't recruit myself. I think I'm going to keep ti simple, short, and sweet for now.

November 14, 2011
St. Peter's 70, Lafayette 61
Graham Sims's coaching debut doesn't go as planned, as the visitors from Jersey City hand the Leopards a loss. Robert Castleman leads the home team with 16 points, and reserve Clark Nolan goes 5-7 from the floor and adds 11. DeWitt Leiva makes only one shot and fouls out, but he grabs 11 rebounds.

November 16, 2011
Lafayette 77, Loyola-Maryland 44
A much better peformance. We lead 44-15 at the half and never look back. The Leopards attempt 50 (!!) free throws, sinking 35 of them. Stephen Thames (17 points) and Stephen Diaz (15) are the leading scorers. DeWitt Leiva pulls in 11 rebounds again.
Record: 1-1.

November 19, 2011
Lafayette 57, Eastern Washington 55
Stephen Diaz scores only 8 points, but two of them come with 33 seconds left. A crucial defensive stop on the Eagles' final possession lets us return home from our cross-country trip with a W. DeWitt Leiva (20 points, 13 rebounds) has his first dominant game for us.
Record: 2-1.

November 22, 2011
Lafayette 70, Monmouth 62
We treat the home crowd to a win that's more comfortable than the score might indicate. All five starters score in double figures. Seniors DeWitt Leiva (18 points, 12 rebounds) and Robert Castleman (14 points, 12 rebounds) record our first double-doubles of the season.
Record: 3-1.

November 25, 2011
Lafayette 59, Appalachian State 55
Coach Sims' Leopards make it four wins in a row, edging a close one against the Mountaineers. Robert Castleman tallies 13 points, and Stephen Diaz adds 12. It's an unaesthetically pleasing victory, but a victory nonetheless.
Record: 4-1.


Recruiting Update
There's very little news on this front. Neither Venceslás Castillo nor Hubert Song are ready to commit, although neither hold a scholarship offer from any other school. Song is now expressing interests in bigger programs like Tennessee and Notre Dame, but until one of them reciprocates, I won't worry much. Castillo still hasn't added any other programs to his list.

We like what we see in Edgar Pratt, but before we can recruit him, we learn he's given a commitment to Yale. We shift our attention to Earl Greene, a 6'10" post player from Maryland who has received no offers yet. Earl's interest in our program is Average, so if our evaluation of his skills is positive, we might be able to convince him to sign with us.

I'm tempted to spend nearly all our monthly budget to bring Castillo to campus. Perhaps that would be what it takes to land him...but that would leave very little money to spend wooing Song.

Perhaps it's not the right move, but I decide to have Coach Sims and Coach Manion pay a call to the Song family again this month. That leaves enough money for Coach Sims to fly out to Spain again.

[Young Drachma]

October 1, 2011

I had forgotten how exciting the recruiting "minigame" in FBCB could be!

We're still on the pole in the race to land James Sanders. Fordham (34 prestige) and Marist (37 prestige) are still in contention, and James has offers from all three schools in hand.

Who is Coach Sims up against here? Fordham relies on a talented assistant, Chris Sellers, to lead their recruiting team. How about Marist? The Red Foxes' head coach, Gus Barros, has ZERO points in recruiting (!!). I'm envisioning Coach Barros saying things like this:

"I recently learned that Division I college basketball teams offer scholarships to players. I wonder if offering a scholarship to a player makes it more likely he'll decide to come to Marist?"

Coach Gus does have an assistant who understands the process. Rudy Kirkland isn't as highly rated a recruiter as Graham is, but he's no pushover.

Both Coach Sims and assistant Coach Manion will visit James this month. Let's lock this big man down.

While I'm feeling pretty good about our chances with Sanders, I'm starting to worry about John Spitzer. John has narrowed his choices to two: Rider and Lafayette...and now we're his second choice. Should I concede the battle to Clarence Bigley and the Broncs? I'm not impressed with the other point guards we've evaluated. None of them have the defensive chops I'm looking for, or the potential to acquire them.

Faint heart never won fair lady. Nor did it win talented point guard. I'm pulling out all the stops here. Both Coach Sims and Coach Manion will visit John and his family this month. I'm adding another PG or two to my call list, just in case we need a Plan B.

Our overtures to Arlen Brown were well-received. He still names Wagner as his top choice, but we're now right behind them. He's interested in Providence, too, but the Friars haven't offered him.

Now we can invite Arlen to campus, and we're doing so. We're also sending Coach Sims and Coach Manion to visit him.

Good King Venceslás apparently remains a secret to every Division I program besides ours. We don't have enough money left over to send a coach to Spain this month. If we can get a commitment from at least one of the other players in October, we'll have money in our budget to spend on our pursuit of Castillo.

Time to press "Sim Month." Wish us luck!

For those European players, I always just toss them a scholarship first so we end up on their interest radar because I can always pull it later if they're a dud, so that I can get the edge on them before someone else can.

[MoonlightGraham]

For those European players, I always just toss them a scholarship first so we end up on their interest radar because I can always pull it later if they're a dud, so that I can get the edge on them before someone else can.

That's good advice...thank you! That's what I've done with Castillo. We're still the only program who's shown any interest in him at all, and we're the only program he says he's interested in. Given those things, I'm a little surprised he hasn't accepted our offer yet.

Thanks for stopping by!

[Izulde]

For a smaller school, you want to go in on the international players early - before the higher prestige schools start sniffing around them as fallback options

[MoonlightGraham]

For a smaller school, you want to go in on the international players early - before the higher prestige schools start sniffing around them as fallback options

I thought I'd acted quickly enough with Venceslás Castillo, whom I offered a scholarship in August. Because I have four open scholarships and a monthly budget of less than $12,000, I've decided against spending $10,000 to bring Castillo to campus, because we're the only school who has offered him and the only one on his interest list. Maybe that's still not quite fast enough.

By now, I was hoping to have at least two other commitments, so I could shift more of my budget to the courtship of Castillo. So far, we've still only managed to sign James Sanders.

Thanks for stopping by, Izulde, and thanks for the tip. :)

[MoonlightGraham]

December 2, 2011
Lafayette 46, Albany 34
Nobody seems to want to score the basketball tonight, as the teams combine to shoot 22-75 from the floor. Only one player scores in double figures; reserve James Burford leads us with eight points. When this many shots are missed, there are plenty of rebounds to be had. DeWitt Leiva pulls in 16 of them.
Record: 5-1.

December 4, 2011
Vermont 71, Lafayette 44
We play badly in the first half and worse in the second. We make 17 of our 19 free throws. That's the highlight of the first leg of our trip to New England. When you have more turnovers than made baskets in a game, it's going to turn out badly.
Record: 5-2.

December 8, 2011
Lafayette 69, Boston University 48
Two solid halves of basketball result in a big win. We hold the Terriers to 36% shooting and dominate the boards for a +16 rebound advantage. Billy Weiler (12 points) plays his first really good game for us, while Robert Castleman posts a season-high 21 points.
Record: 6-2.

December 10, 2011
Niagara 71, Lafayette 49
Niagara enters this game with a 7-2 record, so I figure they'll be good. They are, and they roll to an easy victory. Two of our starters, DeWitt Leiva and Billy Weiler, fail to score; Leiva fouls out after playing only 17 minutes. One bright spot: Dana Broughton drills three of five from behind the arc and scores 12 points. Consistent Robert Castleman finishes with 14. Clark Nolan injures his wrist, and he'll be less than 100% for about a week.
Record: 6-3.

December 14, 2011
Lafayette 75, Chicago State 50
We treat a festive crowd at the Kirby Sports Center to a decisive victory over the visitors from the Windy City. A dominant Robert Castleman pours in 30 points, while Billy Weiler bounces back with 14 and 5 assists. Louis Hewett scores his first basket of the season to finish off a very satisfying game.
Record: 7-3.

December 17, 2011
Massachusetts 76, Lafayette 56
The Minutemen, led by their outstanding point guard Bert Wahl, bring us back to earth with a bang. Wahl scores his average--19 points--and dishes out 9 assists. DeWitt Leiva, who's not much of a scorer, doesn't miss a shot all day and finishes with 12 points, adding 10 boards to complete another double-double. Joseph Burford plays 28 minutes when Billy Weiler runs into foul trouble and plays well, with 5 assists.
Record: 7-4.

December 22, 2011
Lafayette 67, Brown 45
For a half, the Ivy League visitors make a game of it; it's 26-25 at intermission, and we're playing sloppily. We restore regular service--and then some--in the second half. Again, the star is Robert Castleman, with 18 points and 13 rebounds. DeWitt Leiva decides it's fun to score points, and adds 13, while Stephen Diaz pops in 12.
Record: 8-4.

December 24, 2011
George Mason 76, Lafayette 72
We almost receive an early Christmas gift, as we lead a 9-2 George Mason team at halftime and nearly pull off the upset. The Patriots defend Robert Castleman well and hold him to 8 points, but DeWitt Leiva nets 19 to lead four Leopards in double figures (Stephen Thames 14, Stephen Diaz 11, Billy Weiler 10).
Record: 8-5.

December 26, 2011
Lafayette 78, Pennsylvania 56
The game's algorithm must not be terribly festive, because it schedules us to play on Christmas Eve and Boxing Day. Santa brings us a late present, with help from Billy Weiler (19 points, 11-13 from the line), Stephen Thames (16, 4-5 from beyond the arc), and Robert Castleman (11).
Record: 9-5.


Our non-conference schedule has come to an end, so let's look at how the Patriot League teams have fared so far:
2011 Patriot League Standings

TEAM CW CL Pct W L Pct RPI Prestige
----------------------------------------------------------
Holy Cross 0 0 .000 10 5 .667 299 46
Lafayette 0 0 .000 9 5 .643 178 27
American 0 0 .000 8 5 .615 15 42
Lehigh 0 0 .000 7 5 .583 108 26
Bucknell 0 0 .000 7 6 .538 148 35
Navy 0 0 .000 5 9 .357 341 25
Army 0 0 .000 3 11 .214 130 13
Colgate 0 0 .000 3 11 .214 254 22
I'd say we're doing well, wouldn't you? We're hanging with the more prestigious teams in the conference.

I'll be back with recruiting news next time.

[MoonlightGraham]

December 31, 2011

Recruiting Update

Coach Sims can breathe more easily now, because Venceslás Castillo and Hubert Song have committed to Lafayette!

Castillo is ranked #137 among small forwards in his class, and our scouts rate his potential at Green. We think he'll develop into an outstanding shooter and a tough defensive player. He is also a very good student who should have no problem remaining academically eligible.

We're very excited about Song, too. Our second three-star signing, Hubert is exceptionally quick and has the potential to be a lockdown defender. His potential ability is Blue, and if he approaches that level of accomplishment, he'll be a star.

I'd like us to sign one more big man. Earl Greene still doesn't express more than Average interest in playing for us, so we're going to cast our net a bit wider this month and evaluate a new batch of centers and power forwards.

[MoonlightGraham]

January 4, 2012
Navy 58, Lafayette 54
Not the way we want our Patriot League season to begin. We shoot 32% for the game, including a woeful 2-16 from three-point range. The Patriot League's leading scorer, Steven Ison, torches us for 25 points. Our high scorers are Robert Castleman and Joseph Burford, with 11 each. DeWitt Leiva fouls out with 4 points, and Stephen Diaz leaves the game early with an injury. Clark Nolan comes off the bench to pull in 10 rebounds. A lot goes wrong, and we nearly win anyway.
Record: 9-6 (0-1 in conference play).

January 7, 2012
Army 58, Lafayette 57
Another service academy hands us a narrow loss at home. Jarred Olivo sinks two free throws with five seconds left to play, undoing another yeoman effort from Robert Castleman (21 points, 6 rebounds). A courageous Stephen Diaz wraps up his wrist and plays 30 minutes. We can't stay out of foul trouble, and the Black Knights make us pay (20-25 from the line).
Record: 9-7 (0-2).

January 10, 2012
Lehigh 75, Lafayette 70
Another tough loss, this time away to our traditional rival. We play much better, placing five men in double figures, led by Robert Castleman's 16. Joseph Burford (11 points in 20 minutes, 3-3 from 3) again provides us with production from the bench. Is our conference season slipping away from us already?
Record: 9-8 (0-3).

January 14, 2012
Lafayette 67, Holy Cross 64
I would not have picked a road game at Holy Cross to be the one to break our losing streak. DeWitt Leiva plays like a grown man, netting 11 points and pounding the boards for 15 rebounds. Another balanced scoring attack finds five Leopards with between 10 and 12 points; Dana Broughton, with 10 in 13 minutes, stands out. We make 20 of our 25 free throws, with Stephen Thames, an 84% shooter, going 8-9.
Record: 10-8 (1-3).

January 17, 2012
Lafayette 81,Yale 72
We interrupt our conference schedule with a victory against an Ivy League foe. Robert Castleman (17 points, 8 rebounds) is named Player of the Game, but a good argument can be made for Stephen Diaz (19 points) or Joseph Burford (14 points in 20 minutes).
Record: 11-8 (1-3).

January 21, 2012
Lafayette 55, Colgate 43
If you appreciate offense, this is not the game you want to watch. Colgate's leading scorer, Douglas Cleveland, scores 12 points, but he misses all six of his three-point attempts. Our scoring leader, DeWitt Leiva, scored his dozen in a much more efficient manner, and pulls in 22 rebounds. That's the Patriot League single game record, and I wonder how it ranks nationwide.
Record: 12-8 (2-3).

January 25, 2012
American 57, Lafayette 50
The Eagles come into this game with a 5-0 record in conference play, and most of their games haven't been close. Keeping it close isn't a victory, but it doesn't feel terrible, either. We play good defense, and so do they. No Leopard scores in double figures, and their high scorer only manages 11.
Record: 12-9 (2-4).

January 28, 2012
Lafayette 55, Bucknell 40
We need a win, and another stout defensive effort delivers one. Meanwhile, the Bison can't handle Robert Castleman, who sinks 9 of 12 shots and finishes with 20 points. Stephen Thames provides quality scoring help with 14.
Record: 13-9 (3-4).

2011 Patriot League Standings

TEAM CW CL Pct W L Pct RPI Prestige
----------------------------------------------------------
American 6 0 1.000 14 6 .700 23 42
Army 4 2 .667 7 14 .333 132 13
Navy 3 3 .500 9 12 .429 310 25
Lafayette 3 4 .429 13 9 .591 197 27
Bucknell 3 4 .429 11 10 .524 166 35
Holy Cross 2 4 .333 12 9 .571 288 46
Lehigh 2 4 .333 9 10 .474 133 26
Colgate 2 4 .333 5 15 .250 254 22

[MoonlightGraham]

February 1, 2012

Recruiting Update
We barely get to know Earl Greene before he signs with Towson. I'm glad we didn't invest any more time or money in pursuing him.

The most promising player left on our call list is probably Rhett King, a center from Saratoga Springs, NY. He's a 6'9" bruiser, in the mold of Robert Castleman...who's playing like a boss for us.
C Rhett King
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Height: 6-9
Weight: 255
High School: Saratoga Springs High School
Hometown: Saratoga Springs, NY
GPA: 2.34
Test Score: 1010
Rating: *

Attributes:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Type INS JPS FTS 3PS HND PAS ORB DRB PSD PRD STL BLK QKN STR JMP STA
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Current: 22 6 22 32 28 22 43 45 43 23 34 55 48 70 20 75
Potential: B F D B D D C C B D C C

Season Stats:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PTS OREB REB AST TOS A/T STL BLK PFS
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
10.0 2.2 8.2 1.6 2.3 0.71 1.5 2.4 2.5

Shooting Averages:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
FGM FGA FG% FTM FTA FT% 3PM 3PA 3P%
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
4.2 8.6 .483 1.6 3.2 .492 0.1 1.2 .087

Recruiting Notes:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Qualified: Yes
Current interest in Lafayette: Average
Rankings: None
High School Awards: None
Top 5 Schools: Albany, Central Connecticut State, Lafayette
I'm encouraged by the fact Rhett has us in his top three, even though we've just begun recruiting him. I decide to go all in, offering him a scholarship, inviting him to campus, and sending Coaches Sims and Manion to visit him.

In other news, we learn that walk-on Kyle Cox will be academically ineligible for the remainder of the season. I'm not terribly surprised, because Kyle is the least talented student on our roster. His absence won't affect us much on the court; he's seen one minute of action, although he did sink two free throws.

[MoonlightGraham]

I wanted to step out of character for a moment here. I'd forgotten what a delightful game Fast Break College Basketball is. I think it's been a decade since it was updated, and it's not flashy, but it's a lot of fun to play. FBCB is not so complicated that I don't have the mental energy to play it after a day at work. It's not so time-consuming that it will take me months in real time to play a season in-game, which makes it perfect for a story I plan on following for decades.

I'm having a great time, and I'm looking forward to discovering how Coach Sims does as he pursues his dreams.

[TheseBoots]

You know it's going to be a good season when you're wished good luck in Spanish by a Dane. :)

Let's hope so!

Glad you are enjoying the run so far =)

[MoonlightGraham]

Let's hope so!

Glad you are enjoying the run so far =)

So far, so good! I've found I enjoy writing stories that move at a fairly rapid pace. Some dynasty writers enjoy analyzing single games in detail; I don't think that's really my style. I might take that approach with a national championship game, but if I'm going to tell the story of a coach's entire career without losing interest myself, I need to move it along.

And, like I said above, FBCB lends itself well to telling that kind of story. Thanks for following along!

[MoonlightGraham]

February 1, 2012
Lafayette 66, Army 47
A DeWitt Leiva double double (12 points, 11 rebounds) helps us avenge our earlier loss to the Black Knights. Not usually a good passing team, we average fewer than ten assists per game, but this time 20 of our 25 baskets are assisted. Bily Weiler hands out six dimes, and James Burford–playing lots of minutes after Stephen Thames has to leave the game with a migraine–dishes out five more. We’re back to .500 in Patriot League play.
Record: 14-9 (4-4).

February 4, 2012
Navy 57, Lafayette 45
Once again, we have no answer for Steven Ison. He drops 21 on us, right on his season average, and the trip home from Annapolis seems longer than it is. Stephen Diaz and Robert Castleman share our scoring honors with 10 points apiece. To make matters worse, Clark Nolan hurts his back. He’ll probably be out of action for a week or so.
Record: 14-10 (4-5).

February 8, 2012
Lafayette 64, Holy Cross 51
The Leopards battle back from a 30-22 halftime deficit, delighting a big, noisy home crowd. This time, we do a wonderful job defending a high-scoring guard, forcing Paul Van Winkle to misfire on 13 of his 14 shot attempts. Meanwhile, Stephen Diaz pours in 19, and DeWitt Leiva grabs 16 rebounds. Stephen Thames returns to action and scores 9 points, all coming from the free throw line.
Record: 15-10 (5-5).

February 11, 2012
Lafayette 61, Lehigh 40
We celebrate Senior Day with a satisfying victory. Each senior acquits himself well. Robert Castleman (16 points) regains his scoring touch. DeWitt Leiva nearly posts a double-double, finishing with 9 points and 9 rebounds and adding 4 assists for good measure. Stephen Diaz struggles with foul trouble, but finishes with 8 points in 17 minutes. That opens the door for Joseph Burford to play 25 minutes, filling the scoresheet nicely.
Record: 16-10 (6-5).

February 18, 2012
Colgate 58, Lafayette 55
We miss our chance to guarantee at least a .500 conference record with five minutes of sloppy play at the end of the game. In doing so, we waste Billy Weiler’s best game of the season; he played 32 minutes, scored 14 points, and didn’t turn the ball over once. Stephen Diaz (13) and Robert Castleman (10) join Billy in double figures.
Record: 16-11 (6-6).

February 21, 2012
American 95, Lafayette 67
The Eagles are the class of the Patriot League. Their 12-1 record is at least five games better than anyone else in the league. Tonight, they show us why that’s the case. Kirill Korolev and Victor Reed combine for 51 points; sixth man Reed gets his in only 18 minutes. To make matters worse, DeWitt Leiva leaves the game with an injury that looks pretty bad. Robert Castleman provides our only good news with 21 points.
Record: 16-12 (6-7).

February 25, 2012
Lafayette 62, Bucknell 45
We enter the last game of the regular season needing a win to meet the AD’s challenge of a .500 record in conference competition. We’ll have to do that without the services of DeWitt Leiva, whose sprained wrist is far too badly injured to allow him to play. The Leopards step up and defeat the Bison behind 14 points and 12 rebounds from Robert Castleman. Stephen Diaz and Stephen Thames add 12 more apiece.
Record: 17-12 (7-7).

February 29, 2012
Patriot League Tournament, First Round
(5) Army 87, (4) Lafayette 78 (OT)
Besides American, who is a cut above the rest, the team I’d most hate to face in the Patriot League tournament is Army. Still, it’s hard to beat a team three times in a season, and we come close to denying the pesky Black Knights that achievement. We fall behind 36-24 in the first half and battle back gamely, and we send the game into overtime with a clutch basket from Stephen Thames. The Black Knights regain control in the extra session and and eliminate us from the conference tourney. James Gonzales (26 points) and Jarred Olivo (23) are the big stars for the winners, while Robert Castleman (17 points), Thames (16), and Billy Weiler (14) earn high marks for their performance in a losing effort. I can't help thinking we would have won if DeWitt Leiva had been able to play. This one hurts.
Record: 17-13.

I wonder if our record will be good enough to earn us a spot in one of the minor national tournaments? We'll find out soon.

2011 Patriot League Standings

TEAM CW CL Pct W L Pct RPI Prestige
----------------------------------------------------------
American 13 1 .929 22 7 .759 33 42
Holy Cross 8 6 .571 20 11 .645 214 46
Navy 7 7 .500 14 16 .467 254 25
Lafayette 7 7 .500 17 13 .567 172 27
Army 6 8 .429 10 20 .333 180 13
Bucknell 5 9 .357 13 17 .433 226 35
Lehigh 5 9 .357 13 16 .448 167 26
Colgate 5 9 .357 8 22 .267 243 22

[MoonlightGraham]

March 1, 2012

Recruiting Update
After spending what seemed like forever persuading our recruits to commit to our program, it's wonderful to take care of business with Rhett King so quickly. The big man from upstate New York completes our four-man recruiting class. Rhett also received a late offer from Maine, but accepted ours instead.

We like King's potential as an inside scorer, and he looks like he'll be able to protect the rim. He's strong, and his fitness levels are very good for a freshman. Rhett is a one-star prospect; he isn't as highly touted as James Sanders, but we don't consider him an afterthought, either. We simply found each other later in the recruiting process. Both Rhett and James have Green potential.
LAFAYETTE Recruiting

Name Pos Ht Wt Rating Interest State
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Rhett King C 6-9 255 * Committed New York
James Sanders C 6-11 319 *** Committed Connecticut
Venceslás Castillo SF 6-8 222 ** Committed Spain
Hubert Song PG 6-3 203 *** Committed New York

[MoonlightGraham]

March 11, 2012
Coach Sims receives an email with an invitation to the CIT tournament. The Leopards are seeded #16...which makes us the very last team to qualify for a national tournament! Nonetheless, it's an honor to participate in postseason play, and it will give our four seniors a chance to suit up at least one more time. We'll face the #1 seed, Utah Valley. The Wolverines finished the season at 17-16, going 9-3 in the Great West Conference and winning the conference tournament. Because the Great West is a new conference, its champion doesn't receive an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament. That's why we'll meet the Wolverines in the CIT.

March 13, 2012
CIT Tournament, First Round
(16) Lafayette 57, (1) Utah Valley 55
DeWitt Leiva admits his wrist still hurts as he's warming up today, but he insists he can play. He takes only four shots, but one of them comes after he rebounds a missed jumper by Billy Weiler and scores with eight seconds left in the game. The senior captain's basket gives Cinderella a chance to dance one more time! Weiler leads the Leopards with 14 points. Robert Castleman and Stephen Diaz pitch in 10 apiece. Leiva's clutch rebound was one of 13 he claims today.
Record: 18-13.

March 19, 2012
CIT Tournament, Second Round
(9) UC Santa Barbara 63, (16) Lafayette 55
We lead a hard-fought game by a basket at halftime, but credit goes to the Gauchos for their impressive performance in the second half. Senior Josue Hawkins puts his team on his back, scoring 13 of his 19 points after halftime. Stephen Diaz leads us in scoring with 14 points in his final collegiate game. Robert Castleman and DeWitt Leiva add 11 in their curtain calls. Our fourth senior, Joseph Burford, plays his sixth man role with aplomb: 8 points, 3 assists, and a steal.
Record: 18-14.

March 27, 2012
We can feel some consolation in the fact that UC Santa Barbara goes on to win the CIT tournament. They defeat the other Cinderella team, #15 seed College of Charleston, in the final.

March 30, 2012
None of the four #1 seeds in the NCAA tournament make it as far as their regional finals. Villanova, Oklahoma State, and Florida lose in the Sweet Sixteen, while Tennessee doesn't even get that far. Instead, both national semifinals match a #3 seed against a #5. Brigham Young will play Arizona, while Illinois takes on Utah State.

April 1, 2012
Arizona (34-5) will face Utah State (36-2) in the national championship game. Both earn their spot in the final with comfortable victories; Arizona beats BYU, 58-46, in a defensive battle, while Utah State outguns Illinois in an 80-71 shootout.

April 2, 2012
The Arizona Wildcats are crowned national champions with a 68-63 victory over Utah State. Senior center Joaquin Koon is named Player of the Game for his 15-point, 6-rebound performance.

Here are the final standings for the Patriot League, including tournament play:
2011 Patriot League Standings

TEAM CW CL Pct W L Pct RPI Prestige
----------------------------------------------------------
American 13 1 .929 24 8 .750 39 42
Holy Cross 8 6 .571 21 13 .618 199 46
Navy 7 7 .500 14 17 .452 260 25
Lafayette 7 7 .500 18 14 .563 160 27
Army 6 8 .429 10 21 .323 185 13
Bucknell 5 9 .357 13 17 .433 228 35
Lehigh 5 9 .357 13 16 .448 173 26
Colgate 5 9 .357 8 22 .267 261 22
We were one of three teams in the league with a winning record, behind the two most prestigious programs. I'm not disappointed with that result at all.

The Patriot League awards are announced today:
2011 PATRIOT LEAGUE AWARDS

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Player of the Year:

JR SF Kirill Korolev American 17.5 PPG, 5.2 RPG, 3.3 APG 1.2 SPG, 0.2 BPG

Freshman of the Year:
FR SG Donnie Jenkins Lehigh 9.7 PPG, 3.0 RPG, 1.8 APG 1.1 SPG, 0.1 BPG

Coach of the Year:
Trey Clayton American 24 - 8 (13 - 1)

All-league 1st Team:
C SR DeWitt Leiva Lafayette 7.1 PPG, 9.8 RPG, 1.4 APG, 0.5 SPG, 0.7 BPG[
PF SR Michale Eichelberger American 10.3 PPG, 5.5 RPG, 1.0 APG, 0.3 SPG, 2.0 BPG
SF JR Kirill Korolev American 17.5 PPG, 5.2 RPG, 3.3 APG, 1.2 SPG, 0.2 BPG
SG SR Joseph Coston American 14.3 PPG, 3.3 RPG, 2.2 APG, 1.2 SPG, 0.3 BPG
PG SO Patrick Robinson American 7.3 PPG, 3.6 RPG, 4.6 APG, 0.5 SPG, 0.1 BPG

All-league 2nd Team:
C SR James Johnson Lehigh 8.6 PPG, 8.8 RPG, 1.3 APG, 0.2 SPG, 0.3 BPG
PF SR Robert Castleman Lafayette 13.1 PPG, 7.1 RPG, 0.9 APG, 0.3 SPG, 0.2 BPG
SF SR David Sims Holy Cross 7.2 PPG, 7.6 RPG, 2.4 APG, 0.9 SPG, 0.3 BPG
SG JR Steven Ison Navy 19.2 PPG, 2.6 RPG, 1.6 APG, 0.5 SPG, 0.1 BPG
PG SR Paul Vanwinkle Holy Cross 15.7 PPG, 3.4 RPG, 2.3 APG, 0.9 SPG, 0.1 BPG

All-freshman Team:
C FR Clark Nolan Lafayette 3.8 PPG, 4.5 RPG, 0.9 APG, 0.3 SPG, 0.3 BPG
PF FR Ludwig Aschenbrenner Lehigh 7.3 PPG, 4.0 RPG, 0.5 APG, 0.3 SPG, 0.3 BPG
SF FR Dana Broughton Lafayette 2.9 PPG, 1.6 RPG, 0.5 APG, 0.3 SPG, 0.1 BPG
SG FR Donnie Jenkins Lehigh 9.7 PPG, 3.0 RPG, 1.8 APG, 1.1 SPG, 0.1 BPG
PG FR Jaime Dees Colgate 2.3 PPG, 0.6 RPG, 0.4 APG, 0.3 SPG, 0.0 BPG

I'm delighted to see DeWitt Leiva's contributions honored with a place on the first team. He's the conference's leading rebounder by a fairly wide margin and the best passing big man in the league.

On the other hand, I think Robert Castleman deserves a better fate. I have nothing against Michale Eichelberger, who played a key role on an American team that dominated the league. But RC was every bit as important to us, and was more productive across the board. I'm biased, but I'd have Eichelberger and Castleman change places.

Kirill Kovalev, our Conference Player of the Year, was a third team All-American selection too.

Not many freshmen made big impacts on the Patriot League this year, and it's nice to see Clark Nolan and Dana Broughton earn some postseason honors. Both players stepped up for us on several occasions.

Now it's time to end the season, after we take a dive into some stats.

[MoonlightGraham]

April 3, 2012

Here's a look at Lafayette's stats for the 2011/12 season. Most of the numbers speak for themselves, so I'll step back and let them do the talking.

LAFAYETTE Averages

Player Pos GP GS Min Pts Orb Reb Ast Stl Blk To Fls +/-
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
DeWitt Leiva C 30 30 28.9 7.1 3.2 9.8 1.4 0.5 0.7 1.8 2.6 4.2
Robert Castleman PF 32 32 28.8 13.1 3.1 7.1 0.9 0.3 0.2 1.8 3.0 4.2
Stephen Diaz SF 32 32 28.3 9.7 1.6 4.1 0.9 0.4 0.2 2.5 2.8 2.6
Stephen Thames SG 32 32 26.2 8.8 0.9 2.7 1.4 0.6 0.1 2.5 2.4 0.8
Billy Weiler PG 32 32 26.1 7.5 0.6 2.6 2.1 1.1 0.1 1.2 2.2 1.6
Clark Nolan C 32 2 20.4 3.8 1.3 4.5 0.9 0.3 0.3 0.9 1.9 -1.4
Joseph Burford SG 32 0 19.3 5.3 0.2 1.4 1.5 0.4 0.1 1.1 2.2 3.2
Dana Broughton SF 32 0 9.0 2.9 0.8 1.6 0.5 0.3 0.1 0.7 0.8 0.5
Victor Gentry PG 32 0 7.9 2.4 0.3 1.0 0.5 0.3 0.0 0.6 0.7 0.8
Donnie Pope PF 31 0 6.4 1.4 0.4 1.8 0.2 0.0 0.1 0.3 0.7 -0.8
Louis Hewett C 9 0 2.3 0.6 0.1 0.2 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.2 0.2 -1.1
Gary Pooler SG 9 0 1.8 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.1 0.2 0.9
Kyle Cox SF 1 0 1.0 2.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0

LAFAYETTE Totals

Player Pos GP GS Min Pts Orb Reb Ast Stl Blk To Fls +/-
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
DeWitt Leiva C 30 30 868 214 96 294 43 14 21 54 77 127
Robert Castleman PF 32 32 922 418 98 227 29 10 7 56 95 133
Stephen Diaz SF 32 32 904 309 51 130 30 12 5 81 90 82
Stephen Thames SG 32 32 838 283 29 85 45 18 3 80 78 25
Billy Weiler PG 32 32 835 239 20 82 68 34 2 39 71 52
Clark Nolan C 32 2 653 121 40 144 29 9 10 28 61 -44
Joseph Burford SG 32 0 617 170 5 45 48 13 2 36 71 101
Dana Broughton SF 32 0 289 93 25 50 15 11 2 23 24 15
Victor Gentry PG 32 0 254 76 10 31 17 10 1 19 23 25
Donnie Pope PF 31 0 197 43 12 56 7 1 2 9 22 -24
Louis Hewett C 9 0 21 5 1 2 0 0 0 2 2 -10
Gary Pooler SG 9 0 16 1 2 3 0 0 0 1 2 8
Kyle Cox SF 1 0 1 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LAFAYETTE Shooting

Player Pos Fgm Fga Fg% Ftm Fta Ft% 3pm 3pa 3p% PPS +/-
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
DeWitt Leiva C 72 166 .434 65 79 .823 5 16 .313 1.29
Robert Castleman PF 156 331 .471 92 152 .605 14 32 .438 1.26
Stephen Diaz SF 116 298 .389 70 105 .667 7 37 .189 1.04
Stephen Thames SG 83 195 .426 95 113 .841 22 61 .361 1.45
Billy Weiler PG 83 201 .413 69 95 .726 4 26 .154 1.19
Clark Nolan C 46 120 .383 27 47 .574 2 18 .111 1.01
Joseph Burford SG 56 131 .427 44 65 .677 14 40 .350 1.30
Dana Broughton SF 32 65 .492 16 31 .516 13 29 .448 1.43
Victor Gentry PG 23 60 .383 28 39 .718 2 11 .182 1.27
Donnie Pope PF 15 36 .417 12 18 .667 1 7 .143 1.19
Louis Hewett C 1 2 .500 3 5 .600 0 1 .000 2.50
Gary Pooler SG 0 1 .000 1 2 .500 0 0 .000 1.00
Kyle Cox SF 0 0 .000 2 2 1.000 0 0 .000 2.00

Before I close the book on Graham Sims' first season at Lafayette, I'll post a tribute to each of the team's seniors. I only coached them for a year, but I honestly grew attached to all of them. :)

[MoonlightGraham]

2011/12 Senior Tribute

JOSEPH BURFORD

At the beginning of the season, I believed Joseph would be a rotation player for us, possibly our seventh man. As the season progressed I came to rely more and more on him, and by season's end, the athletic Warminster, PA native was playing starter's minutes.

Joseph contributed as a secondary scorer off the bench, and was second on the team in assists. The wide range of his contributions are best measured with the plus/minus statistic. Joseph was third overall in this category, and when his output is weighted for playing time, his 4.9 figure was the best on the team.

Winning teams always have a player like Joseph Burford on their roster.
#14 SG Joseph Burford - Lafayette - Senior
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Height: 6-2
Weight: 180
High School: William Tennent High School
Hometown: Warminster, PA

Attributes:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Type INS JPS FTS 3PS HND PAS ORB DRB PSD PRD STL BLK QKN STR JMP STA
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Current: 21 39 54 30 79 18 7 10 27 35 28 13 81 34 71 88
2010: 20 38 52 29 79 18 7 10 26 34 27 13 81 32 70 70
Potential: D C C D B F F F D D D F

Health: Good
Scholarship: Yes
Status: Active Roster
Academics: 75

Stat Averages:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Season G GS MIN PTS ORE REB AST TO A/T STL BLK PF
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2011 32 0 19.3 5.3 0.2 1.4 1.5 1.1 1.33 0.4 0.1 2.2
Career 32 0 19.3 5.3 0.2 1.4 1.5 1.1 1.33 0.4 0.1 2.2

Shooting Averages:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Season FGM FGA FG% FTM FTA FT% 3PM 3PA 3P% PPS +/-
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2011 1.8 4.1 .427 1.4 2.0 .677 0.4 1.3 .350 1.30 3.16
Career 1.8 4.1 .427 1.4 2.0 .677 0.4 1.3 .350 1.30 3.16

Stat Totals:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Season G GS MIN PTS OREB REB AST TO STL BLK PF
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2011 32 0 617 170 5 45 48 36 13 2 71
Career 32 0 617 170 5 45 48 36 13 2 71

Shooting Totals
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Season FGM FGA FTM FTA 3PM 3PA +/-
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2011 56 131 44 65 14 40 101
Career 56 131 44 65 14 40 101

Career Highs:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Type Pts OReb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO FGM FGA FTM FTA 3PM 3PA
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Season 14 1 4 5 2 1 4 5 14 6 8 3 5
Career 14 1 4 5 2 1 4 5 14 6 8 3 5

Awards & Acheivements:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Season Award
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
All Player of the Game: 1
Thanks for the memories, Joseph.

[MoonlightGraham]

2011/12 Senior Tribute

STEPHEN DIAZ

Ever reliable, Stephen started every game for us, played the second-most minutes, and was third on the team in scoring and rebounding. His athleticism enabled him to defend quick and powerful wing players equally well, and while he was a streaky shooter, when he was on, he was very difficult to guard.

Stephen's defining moments were a game-winning basket at Eastern Washington and the courage he demonstrated by playing through a painful wrist injury against Army in early January.

#20 SF Stephen Diaz - Lafayette - Senior
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Height: 6-7
Weight: 240
High School: Abington High School
Hometown: Abington, PA

Attributes:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Type INS JPS FTS 3PS HND PAS ORB DRB PSD PRD STL BLK QKN STR JMP STA
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Current: 38 53 30 22 28 4 42 16 17 54 13 31 66 60 66 55
2010: 37 51 30 21 27 4 41 16 17 53 13 30 66 58 65 45
Potential: C B D D D F C D D C F D

Health: Good
Scholarship: Yes
Status: Active Roster
Academics: 32

Stat Averages:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Season G GS MIN PTS ORE REB AST TO A/T STL BLK PF
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2011 32 32 28.3 9.7 1.6 4.1 0.9 2.5 0.37 0.4 0.2 2.8
Career 32 32 28.3 9.7 1.6 4.1 0.9 2.5 0.37 0.4 0.2 2.8

Shooting Averages:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Season FGM FGA FG% FTM FTA FT% 3PM 3PA 3P% PPS +/-
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2011 3.6 9.3 .389 2.2 3.3 .667 0.2 1.2 .189 1.04 2.56
Career 3.6 9.3 .389 2.2 3.3 .667 0.2 1.2 .189 1.04 2.56

Stat Totals:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Season G GS MIN PTS OREB REB AST TO STL BLK PF
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2011 32 32 904 309 51 130 30 81 12 5 90
Career 32 32 904 309 51 130 30 81 12 5 90

Shooting Totals
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Season FGM FGA FTM FTA 3PM 3PA +/-
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2011 116 298 70 105 7 37 82
Career 116 298 70 105 7 37 82

Career Highs:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Type Pts OReb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO FGM FGA FTM FTA 3PM 3PA
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Season 19 6 9 3 2 1 7 8 16 9 13 2 5
Career 19 6 9 3 2 1 7 8 16 9 13 2 5

Awards & Acheivements:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Season Award
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
All Player of the Game: 1


Thanks for the memories, Stephen.

[MoonlightGraham]

2011/12 Senior Tribute

ROBERT CASTLEMAN

Right away, I identified Robert as the Leopards' best offensive option, selecting him as the team's key offensive player. A likeable big man from Maine, Robert played the role in which he was cast perfectly.

He was the only player on the team to average in double figures as a scorer, and finished seventh in the Patriot League. He was also the league's seventh-leading rebounder.

Robert made second team All-Conference, but as I've said, I think he deserved a spot on the first team. His big shoes won't be easily filled.

#45 PF Robert Castleman - Lafayette - Senior
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Height: 6-8
Weight: 262
High School: Belfast Area High School
Hometown: Belfast, ME

Attributes:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Type INS JPS FTS 3PS HND PAS ORB DRB PSD PRD STL BLK QKN STR JMP STA
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Current: 66 30 31 41 17 13 78 47 50 34 34 31 30 94 43 55
2010: 64 29 31 40 17 13 77 46 49 33 33 30 27 89 41 43
Potential: B D D C D F B C C D C D

Health: Good
Scholarship: Yes
Status: Active Roster
Academics: 79

Stat Averages:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Season G GS MIN PTS ORE REB AST TO A/T STL BLK PF
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2011 32 32 28.8 13.1 3.1 7.1 0.9 1.8 0.52 0.3 0.2 3.0
Career 32 32 28.8 13.1 3.1 7.1 0.9 1.8 0.52 0.3 0.2 3.0

Shooting Averages:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Season FGM FGA FG% FTM FTA FT% 3PM 3PA 3P% PPS +/-
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2011 4.9 10.3 .471 2.9 4.8 .605 0.4 1.0 .438 1.26 4.16
Career 4.9 10.3 .471 2.9 4.8 .605 0.4 1.0 .438 1.26 4.16

Stat Totals:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Season G GS MIN PTS OREB REB AST TO STL BLK PF
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2011 32 32 922 418 98 227 29 56 10 7 95
Career 32 32 922 418 98 227 29 56 10 7 95

Shooting Totals
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Season FGM FGA FTM FTA 3PM 3PA +/-
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2011 156 331 92 152 14 32 133
Career 156 331 92 152 14 32 133

Career Highs:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Type Pts OReb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO FGM FGA FTM FTA 3PM 3PA
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Season 30 9 13 3 1 2 7 13 18 8 10 1 2
Career 30 9 13 3 1 2 7 13 18 8 10 1 2

Awards & Acheivements:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Season Award
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
All Player of the Game: 7
2011 2nd Team All-Conference (Patriot League)

Thanks for the memories, Robert.

[MoonlightGraham]

2011/12 Senior Tribute

DeWITT LEIVA

There was nothing fancy about DeWitt's game. While he could score if he needed to and demonstrated a deft touch at the free throw line, he took even more pride in his ability to keep his opponents from scoring. It's difficult to remember a big man who had a big game against us, and DeWitt was the reason why. His selection to the first team All-Conference squad was richly deserved.

His other superpower was rebounding. DeWitt led the Patriot League with just under 10 boards per game, and his 22 rebounds against Colgate in January was the most by a Division I player this year.

A native of State College, PA, DeWitt was also a very good tight end in high school and might have walked on to his beloved Nittany Lions football team. We're glad DeWitt picked basketball and Lafayette.

#32 C DeWitt Leiva - Lafayette - Senior
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Height: 6-8
Weight: 231
High School: State College Area High School
Hometown: State College, PA

Attributes:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Type INS JPS FTS 3PS HND PAS ORB DRB PSD PRD STL BLK QKN STR JMP STA
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Current: 33 15 50 18 18 21 91 78 98 12 12 45 45 80 61 64
2010: 32 15 50 18 18 20 88 77 98 12 12 44 43 75 59 48
Potential: D D C F D D A B A F F C

Health: Good
Scholarship: Yes
Status: Active Roster
Academics: 93

Stat Averages:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Season G GS MIN PTS ORE REB AST TO A/T STL BLK PF
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2011 30 30 28.9 7.1 3.2 9.8 1.4 1.8 0.80 0.5 0.7 2.6
Career 30 30 28.9 7.1 3.2 9.8 1.4 1.8 0.80 0.5 0.7 2.6

Shooting Averages:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Season FGM FGA FG% FTM FTA FT% 3PM 3PA 3P% PPS +/-
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2011 2.4 5.5 .434 2.2 2.6 .823 0.2 0.5 .313 1.29 4.23
Career 2.4 5.5 .434 2.2 2.6 .823 0.2 0.5 .313 1.29 4.23

Stat Totals:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Season G GS MIN PTS OREB REB AST TO STL BLK PF
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2011 30 30 868 214 96 294 43 54 14 21 77
Career 30 30 868 214 96 294 43 54 14 21 77

Shooting Totals
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Season FGM FGA FTM FTA 3PM 3PA +/-
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2011 72 166 65 79 5 16 127
Career 72 166 65 79 5 16 127

Career Highs:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Type Pts OReb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO FGM FGA FTM FTA 3PM 3PA
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Season 20 10 22 5 2 2 4 9 15 11 13 1 2
Career 20 10 22 5 2 2 4 9 15 11 13 1 2

Awards & Achievements:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Season Award
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
All Player of the Game: 6
2011 1st Team All-Conference (Patriot League)
Thanks for the memories, DeWitt.

[Young Drachma]

Love the senior tributes, a nice touch.

[MoonlightGraham]

Love the senior tributes, a nice touch.

Thanks, Young Drachma. I came up with the idea when I was thinking about how much the four seniors contributed to the Leopards' success this season. Although I only had them in the game for one year, I grew attached to them, and thought they deserved a fond retrospective. I'm going to make the Senior Tributes a regular feature, and I think they'll be even more fun and meaningful once I'm writing about players I recruited and coached throughout their careers.

[MoonlightGraham]

May 1, 2012

The recruiting rankings come out today, and Lafayette's class is ranked #138 in the nation. How do we compare to the rest of the Patriot League?

2011 Recruiting Rankings

# Team Conference Best Player Rtg 5* 4* 3* 2* 1*
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
86. Holy Cross Patriot League PG Dominick Hinman *** 0 0 3 0 0
138. Lafayette Patriot League C James Sanders *** 0 0 2 1 1
155. Army Patriot League SG Jack Jessie *** 0 0 1 0 2
180. Bucknell Patriot League PF Damon Troyer *** 0 0 1 2 0
204. Colgate Patriot League PG Irvin Schumacher *** 0 0 1 1 2
245. Navy Patriot League C Stephen Collins *** 0 0 1 1 1
308. Lehigh Patriot League PG Mick Flynn * 0 0 0 0 3
317. American Patriot League PG Charles Duffy * 0 0 0 0 3
Holy Cross's prestige is considerably higher than ours, so I'm not surprised their class is considered the best. I'm pleased with how our class shaped up.

I'm offered the head coaching position at Coppin State. Since I'm only considering offers from Pennsylvania schools and Coppin State is in Baltimore, I'm not interested.

All three of Coach Sims's assistants will return for the 2012/13 season. None of them have improved; their attributes are exactly the same as they were this time last year. Coach Sims hasn't improved, either.

How quickly will a young coach improve in FBCB? I've never played a long enough career to see how that dynamic works. If Graham isn't going to develop much more, I may have to use the editor to take matters into my own hands. I'd like to see him have a chance to move up to a more prestigious program at some point, with the attributes to succeed there.

We don't have any scholarships available for players who are transferring, and none of our players have decided to leave.

[TheseBoots]

With American so dominant what's realistic to expect from them? Will they fall back into the pack, or do you have to try to catch them?

[MoonlightGraham]

July 1, 2012

Let's meet your 2012/13 Lafayette Leopards!

Player # Pos Yr Ht Wt Sch Acd Status Hometown
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Victor Gentry 2 PG Sr* 5-11 192 Yes 68 OK Keene, NH
Gary Pooler 3 SG Jr* 6-0 203 Yes 42 OK Rib Lake, WI
Rhett King 4 C Fr 6-9 255 Yes 42 OK Saratoga Springs, NY
Billy Weiler 5 PG Jr* 5-11 208 Yes 28 OK Philadelphia, PA
Willard Davis 10 SG So* 6-4 211 Yes 65 OK Johnsonburg, PA
Hubert Song 12 PG Fr 6-3 203 Yes 67 OK New York, NY
Stephen Thames 13 SG Sr* 6-3 204 Yes 30 OK Mount Joy, PA
Louis Hewett 22 C So 6-7 222 Yes 28 OK Fort Washington, PA
Kyle Cox 24 SF Sr* 6-4 209 No 25 OK North Versailles, PA
Venceslás Castillo 25 SF Fr 6-8 222 Yes 89 OK Alcazar de San Juan, Spain
Dana Broughton 34 SF So 6-6 225 Yes 83 OK Center Valley, PA
Bastian Hirt 35 PF Jr* 6-6 213 No 57 OK Recklinghausen, Germany
Donnie Pope 41 PF So* 6-9 238 Yes 74 OK Three Springs, PA
James Sanders 42 C Fr 6-11 319 Yes 94 OK Bridgeport, CT
Clark Nolan 50 C So 6-9 259 Yes 33 OK Whitehall, PA

Coach Sims might have three first year players in his starting lineup this year.

The only starter from last year's team who will almost certainly make this year's starting five is guard Billy Weiler. He's the team's best ballhandler and a decent secondary scorer. Billy will have to be carried on defense, however, and he'll probably have to come out of games when stopping the other team becomes a priority.

Stephen Thames and Hubert Song will both play a lot. Thames, a junior who averaged nine points a game last year, is a fairly good spot-up shooter with the athletic ability to score at the rim. Freshman Song's ability to run the point or play the two opens up the possibility of using a three-man rotation at the guard spots. Hubert can shoot the deep ball, and he should be fairly confident with the reins of the offense in his hand.

Another first year, Venceslás Castillo, will be given the first opportunity to start at small forward. The Good King has a well-rounded offensive game, hits the boards hard for a wing, and demonstrates sound awareness of defensive principles.

Clark Nolan demonstrated enough talent in a reserve role last year to earn the chance to start as a sophomore. However, the only flaw in his game is one with which Coach Sims has little patience: a lack of attention to defense.

Another new recruit, James Sanders, will start at center. This large man won't be moved if he establishes a position on the low block, where he'll display a variety of scoring moves. He's a work in progress, but his potential is as high as anyone on the roster. James likes the nickname his teammates gave him: Big Colonel.

The third guard will be the first man off Coach Sims' bench. Victor Gentry will also see action in the backcourt, and Willard Davis, returning from his redshirt year with more skill and stamina, could also get some run.

Dana Broughton has potential as a provider of instant offense on the wing, and walk-on Bastian Hirt could be called upon as a frontcourt defensive specialist.

Donnie Pope and freshman Rhett King will compete for playing time as a reserve big man. There's a possibility King will redshirt this year.

[MoonlightGraham]

August 1, 2012

This recruiting season should be a bit less hectic than last year's, since we have half as many scholarships to fill.

The backcourt will be our recruiting focus this time around. We need two guards, and I'd love to find a classic point guard and a versatile player who can fill multiple roles.

I enjoy looking beyond the star ratings and national rankings to find players with the skills I want as hallmarks of our team's playing style. I believe I might have found that kind of player in Armando Brown.
SG Armando Brown
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Height: 6-0
Weight: 196
High School: Wadleigh Secondary School
Hometown: New York, NY
GPA: 2.83
Test Score: 1330
Rating: *

Attributes:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Type INS JPS FTS 3PS HND PAS ORB DRB PSD PRD STL BLK QKN STR JMP STA
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Current: 2 28 39 41 23 26 24 18 2 43 22 26 65 47 63 31
Potential: D B C A B B D F F B D C

Season Stats:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PTS OREB REB AST TOS A/T STL BLK PFS
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
10.3 0.9 3.8 4.6 2.5 1.88 0.6 0.6 2.5

Shooting Averages:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
FGM FGA FG% FTM FTA FT% 3PM 3PA 3P%
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
4.4 10.2 .431 1.0 1.8 .543 0.5 3.3 .154

Recruiting Notes:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Qualified: Yes
Current interest in Lafayette: Very High
Rankings: None
High School Awards: None
Top 5 Schools: Lafayette
This Harlem product is listed as a shooting guard, but our staff believe he will develop the ballhandling and passing skills necessary to run a team's offense. He's got very good potential as a perimeter defender, too. I also like his academic credentials. We're the only team on Armando's radar right now, and we'd like to keep it that way. I think he's our kind of player.

We also like Dorsey Hicks, Delaware's Mr. Basketball.
SG Dorsey Hicks
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Height: 6-0
Weight: 181
High School: Woodbridge Senior High School
Hometown: Bridgeville, DE
GPA: 2.78
Test Score: 1270
Rating: **

Attributes:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Type INS JPS FTS 3PS HND PAS ORB DRB PSD PRD STL BLK QKN STR JMP STA
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Current: 9 49 38 27 30 37 51 44 15 29 34 30 84 39 85 74
Potential: F C C B C C C C D B D B

Season Stats:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PTS OREB REB AST TOS A/T STL BLK PFS
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
16.7 2.5 7.2 5.1 1.9 2.68 3.1 0.9 1.8

Shooting Averages:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
FGM FGA FG% FTM FTA FT% 3PM 3PA 3P%
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
7.7 16.0 .481 0.9 1.6 .548 0.5 1.7 .265

Recruiting Notes:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Qualified: Yes
Current interest in Lafayette: High
Rankings: None
High School Awards: All-State, Mr. Basketball (Delaware)
Top 5 Schools: Loyola-Maryland, Howard, UMBC, Lafayette, East Carolina
Dorsey is a scoresheet filler, a player who can score, rebound, distribute the ball, and play sound defense. Signing him looks like it will be a tougher task, as we're competing with several comparable programs in the DMV area.

Our first "reach" recruit is Ned Doran.
PG Ned Doran
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Height: 6-0
Weight: 176
High School: Palmyra High School
Hometown: Palmyra, NJ
GPA: 2.56
Test Score: 1140
Rating: ***

Attributes:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Type INS JPS FTS 3PS HND PAS ORB DRB PSD PRD STL BLK QKN STR JMP STA
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Current: 37 29 34 74 30 33 13 12 15 49 36 24 85 33 90 77
Potential: C B B A C C C F F B C C

Season Stats:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PTS OREB REB AST TOS A/T STL BLK PFS
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
15.5 1.8 4.7 4.7 2.7 1.72 2.2 1.0 2.3

Shooting Averages:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
FGM FGA FG% FTM FTA FT% 3PM 3PA 3P%
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
6.2 15.2 .405 1.7 2.5 .694 1.5 5.9 .246

Recruiting Notes:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Qualified: Yes
Current interest in Lafayette: High
Rankings: #36 PG, East Region #30 Overall, East Region #7 PG
High School Awards: All-State
Top 5 Schools: Temple, St. John's, Rutgers, Lafayette, Wagner
Ned has been a three-level scorer at the high school level, able to fire away from long range and get to the rim and finish. This ability might be the factor that earns him a Top 200 national ranking. Ned ranks several more prestigious programs ahead of us, but we'll invest some recruiting capital in him and see what happens.

I decide to offer scholarships to Brown and Hicks. My instincts tell me Doran is setting his sights higher, and would prefer one of the bigger programs if they offer him. All three players will visit our campus. Coach Sims will visit all three players, and Coach Manion will join him on trips to meet with the Brown and Hicks families.

[MoonlightGraham]

September 1, 2012

The recruiting plot thickens!

We're still in the driver's seat with Armando Brown. Coach Sims and Coach Manion will try to close the deal with another visit to his home this month. He hasn't received any other offers so far.

Dorsey Hicks is offered by Loyola-Maryland, his top choice. Our programs are nearly identical in prestige; we're at 28, they're at 27. Coach Sims is a better recruiter than Greyhounds head man Rodrick Higa, while their recruiting assistant is more talented than Coach Manion. If we keep working hard, can we snag Dorsey's commitment, or is it time to concede the field to the Greyhounds and look elsewhere?

Meanwhile, Ned Doran is offered by George Mason and Loyola-Maryland. Even so, he still lists St. John's and Lafayette, in that order, as his top choices.

St. John's head coach Joe Steele is acknowledged as the gold standard when it comes to recruiting, and his right hand man, Chris Petrie, isn't that far behind. There's no way Graham Sims will win a head-to-head recruiting battle with Joe Steele, so if the Red Storm decide they want Ned, he's theirs. But they haven't decided that yet.

After much thought, I decide to stand pat. There's plenty of money available to send both our coaches to visit all three players at their residences.

[Izulde]

May 1, 2012

How quickly will a young coach improve in FBCB? I've never played a long enough career to see how that dynamic works. If Graham isn't going to develop much more, I may have to use the editor to take matters into my own hands. I'd like to see him have a chance to move up to a more prestigious program at some point, with the attributes to succeed there.

It’s tied to achievements (such as making the Big Dance, etc.). When your coaching level increases, so does that of your assistants. You’re in a low enough conference you should be able to build your coaching up

[MoonlightGraham]

With American so dominant what's realistic to expect from them? Will they fall back into the pack, or do you have to try to catch them?

Sorry for the late reply, TheseBoots. I was writing a post when you commented, and I just saw you'd stopped in.

On paper, American doesn't look like they will be quite as good in 2012/13. Kirill Korolev, last season's Patriot League Player of the Year, passed up his last season of eligibility to turn pro. (In my game world, a player can declare for the draft after three years). Korolev was a third team All-American, and I'm not sorry to see him go.

American lost two other All-Conference players, Michale Eichelberger and Joseph Coston, to graduation. They bring back PG Patrick Robinson, the fourth Eagle to make the first team. Still, losing three players as good as Korolev, Eichelberger, and Coston should bring the Eagles back down to earth a bit. Their roster is still strong, and they'll be picked to finish ahead of us based on the color ratings of our players.

They also lost their head coach, Trey Clayton. He was hired by Boston University to replace the retiring Curt Aycock. American's new man, Jimmy Reynolds, led Coppin State to a 23-10 record and an invitation to the Big Dance. You might remember that Coach Sims was approached for the Coppin State job and turned it down.

American's recruiting class was the lowest-ranked group in the Patriot League, with three one-star recruits. Rankings should, of course, be viewed with a critical eye; we'll see in four years what kinds of players they'll be. But, again, it looks like we narrowed the gap considerably this off-season.

I don't think American will walk the league this year. I expect Holy Cross to be very competitive. And what about our chances? DeWitt Leyva and Robert Castleman leave very big shoes for young players to fill. We might be a year away from a run at the title, unless the freshmen play like men in their first year on campus.

Thanks for commenting, TheseBoots.

[MoonlightGraham]

It’s tied to achievements (such as making the Big Dance, etc.). When your coaching level increases, so does that of your assistants. You’re in a low enough conference you should be able to build your coaching up

Thanks, Izulde. I didn't figure a .500 record in a low-prestige conference would convince the game that Coach Sims was improving his skills. All his assistants are Level 0, which I didn't know was a thing.

[MoonlightGraham]

October 1, 2012

Very little changed as a result of our recruiting efforts this month. We're in exactly the same positions with our top three targets as we were on September 1.

Armando Brown is still a secret recruit whom no other program has discovered. Or, perhaps he's a recruit nobody else believes to be worth recruiting. I remain convinced he's a good fit for the program Coach Sims is trying to build.

I also believe we have a shot at Dorsey Hicks. We're locked in a head-to-head battle with Loyola-Maryland, and while Dorsey still lists them as his first choice, I'm going to do what I can to prise him away.

We lose some ground with Ned Doran. I have a feeling St. John's is his dream school, and they offered him this month. We're now Ned's #3 choice, so it's probably time to divert those recruiting resources elsewhere.

Perhaps it's time to court a local kid from just up Highway 191 in Bangor, Leroy Bonin.
SG Leroy Bonin
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Height: 6-3
Weight: 185
High School: Bangor Area High School
Hometown: Bangor, PA
GPA: 3.21
Test Score: 1320
Rating: *

Attributes:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Type INS JPS FTS 3PS HND PAS ORB DRB PSD PRD STL BLK QKN STR JMP STA
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Current: 46 48 25 17 7 19 0 24 22 26 24 21 71 42 82 66
Potential: C A D D F D F D D A C C

Season Stats:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PTS OREB REB AST TOS A/T STL BLK PFS
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
17.5 0.7 5.2 2.0 3.5 0.58 2.1 0.5 2.0

Shooting Averages:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
FGM FGA FG% FTM FTA FT% 3PM 3PA 3P%
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
8.0 15.5 .513 1.2 2.9 .414 0.4 2.0 .205

Recruiting Notes:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Qualified: Yes
Current interest in Lafayette: Very High
Rankings: None
High School Awards: None
Top 5 Schools: Lafayette, Brown, Harvard, Boston University
I mentally checked Leroy off my list early on, based on his struggles with ballhandling and passing. Now his potential as a lockdown defender and his projectable shooting ability have me intrigued.

I decide to invite Leroy to campus. He, Armando, and Dorsey will all receive visits from Coaches Sims and Manion this month. There's enough cash left to let Coach Sims pay one last call to Ned.

[TheseBoots]

I'm hopeful for Hicks, he might just be the type to take a risk ... and hopefully Brown will be a sneaky good discovery!

I'm also glad that Venceslas will be getting a chance to impress this season. I'm just biased to the unknown European talent =) but he has a great name as well, well worth rooting for.

I've been increasing my knowledge via wikipedia, checking out the prototypical sizes and skillsets for the various positions. Good fun!

[MoonlightGraham]

I'm hopeful for Hicks, he might just be the type to take a risk ... and hopefully Brown will be a sneaky good discovery!

I'm also glad that Venceslas will be getting a chance to impress this season. I'm just biased to the unknown European talent =) but he has a great name as well, well worth rooting for.

I've been increasing my knowledge via wikipedia, checking out the prototypical sizes and skillsets for the various positions. Good fun!

I hope you're right about both Brown and Hicks.

I'm a bit surprised Brown hasn't committed yet. As of last month, we were the only program recruiting him, and he's liked us from the beginning. I remain hopeful, however. Unless our scouting report is way, way off, Armando is the kind of player I want to coach, as I shape the character of the Lafayette basketball program.

My instincts are telling me Hicks might pick Loyola instead. That would be a shame, because I think he's a good fit for us, too. There are reasons why I recruited Dorsey before Leroy Bonin. Leroy's not a bad player, but there are things Dorsey does considerably better.

Good King Venceslás will be practicing with the starting five when workouts begin in October. I'm fond of recruiting European talent, too. However, they're expensive to recruit, so a program the size of Lafayette has to commit a sizeable portion of its monthly budget to a single player when we turn our attention overseas. It costs more money to evaluate a European player than it does to bring a kid from the eastern USA to campus for a visit...so we have to be careful about which international recruits we pursue. Venceslás was a high priority from the start, but we still couldn't afford to recruit him heavily until we'd lined up two other members of his class.

Perhaps I'll look overseas if things don't work out with Brown or Hicks.

I'm glad you're enjoying your research about basketball! There seems to be an increasing trend toward "positionless" basketball, involving players that don't fit the traditional archetypes associated with size and position. Nicola Jokić of the NBA's Denver Nuggets, who is 6'11", 285 pounds, averages over 10 assists per game as his team's primary playmaker. He's uniquely talented and versatile, but there are other players who do similar things at a less dominant level. The "positionless" trend is catching on at the NCAA level, too.

Thanks for stopping by again!

[MoonlightGraham]

November 1, 2012

Good news first: combo guard Armando Brown commits to Lafayette today!

Armando won't dazzle the recruiting experts who rank each program's incoming class. He's ranked #1436 in the Class of '13, and he's barely among the top 300 players at his position nationwide. But if you've been reading for a while, you know we've liked him all along. We won't need Armando to step into the starting lineup as a freshman, not with Billy Weiler, Hubert Song, and Willard Davis all returning next year. Coach Sims can afford to be patient with Brown, letting him develop his ballhandling and passing abilities. He looks like he'll be ready to play our kind of defense as soon as he arrives. Armando is also a very good student. It's great to have you aboard, Mr. Brown.

Not-so-great news next: Dorsey Hicks continues to weigh his college decision, trying to decide whether to pick Loyola or Lafayette. If there were another player we liked nearly as much, I probably would have withdrawn Dorsey's offer and given it to the next man up. Right now, that man would be Leroy Bonin, who doesn't have any offers yet.

I think I'm going to court Hicks one more time. Meanwhile, I'll continue to invest in recruiting Bonin, and I've picked two more players from our contact list to visit: Lamar Pickens and James Robbins. I'll give you more information about them if they become high-priority recruits.

I won't be redshirting anyone this season. The only player willing to sit out a year is sophomore center Louis Hewett, who probably won't ever play very much for us. Our incoming big men, James Sanders and Rhett King, passed him on the depth chart from Day One, and his classmate, Clark Nolan, will start for us this year.

Training camps are about to begin, in anticipation of our season opener, at home against NJIT on November 18.

[MoonlightGraham]

November 18, 2012
Lafayette 77, NJIT 64
Coach Sims begins his second season in Easton with a satisfying victory. The starting lineup includes only one player who started last season: point guard Billy Weiler. His new backcourt mate, Hubert Song, immediately endears himself to the Kirby Sports Center faithful with a cool 20 points on his debut. He lives up to his reputation as a three-point marksman, going 4-8 from beyond the arc. Hubert's classmates Venceslás Castillo (14 points, 9 rebounds, 3 assists) and James Sanders (10 points, 9 rebounds) also look good, as does soph big man Clark Nolan (14 points, 9 rebounds). The Leopards demonstrate a much greater propensity to shoot threes; their 19 attempts are the most ever by a Graham Sims team. (We make 7 of them.)
Record: 1-0.

November 22, 2012
Lafayette 71, High Point 57
We open up a comfortable first-half lead and cruise to victory down in North Carolina. The Panthers apparently look at film of the NJIT game, because they clamp down hard on Hubert Song (7 points). However, they have much more trouble containing James Sanders (14) and Venceslás Castillo (13), the latter of whom has sunk 11 of his first 14 collegiate shot attempts. Senior captain Stephen Thames adapts well to his "offensive specialist" role off the bench with 11 points in 18 minutes.
Record: 2-0.

November 25, 2012
Lafayette 78, Rhode Island 75
The Rams have a rugged senior center, Steve Natale. He schools our young big, James Sanders, tonight, forcing him to foul out with only two points and one rebound to his credit. However, his teammates willingly take up the slack. Hubert Song bounces back with 16 points, leading a pack of Leopards in double figures: Venceslás Castillo 13, Billy Weiler 11, Stephen Thames 11 (in 14 minutes). And, with Sanders out of the lineup, Rhett King asserts himself with 11 points and 9 rebounds of his own. Rhett can stroke it from deep, and he does so tonight, making all three of his treys. We take the lead with nine minutes remaining and fight off a comeback attempt to win our third straight game.
Record: 3-0.

November 27, 2012
UMBC 85, Lafayette 57
The Retrievers outplay us in every phase of the game, and their margin of victory accurately reflects that fact. Venceslás Castillo leads us with 13 points, but also turns the ball over 7 times. The only other positive takeaway is another productive outing from Stephen Thames, with 11 points in 17 minutes. Let's just turn the page.
Record: 3-1.

[MoonlightGraham]

December 1, 2012
Recruiting Update

One of these days, I'm going to start trusting my recruiting instincts. Today, I learn that Dorsey Hicks has committed to Loyola. Dorsey has always been clear about the fact we were his second choice, so it doesn't feel like we've been tricked. I wish him well, and hope he enjoys a long, successful career.

Until today, I thought I would offer the scholarship to Leroy Bonin, but now I've changed my mind. I'm violating my own "defense first" rule to make an offer to Alvaro Kinard, another guard from the Big Apple.
PG Alvaro Kinard
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Height: 6-5
Weight: 186
High School: Martin Luther King High School
Hometown: New York, NY
GPA: 2.67
Test Score: 1100
Rating: ***

Attributes:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Type INS JPS FTS 3PS HND PAS ORB DRB PSD PRD STL BLK QKN STR JMP STA
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Current: 15 39 27 75 40 32 8 22 44 12 62 48 79 29 77 24
Potential: F D C A C D F C C F A C

Season Stats:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PTS OREB REB AST TOS A/T STL BLK PFS
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
17.9 0.9 4.8 4.0 3.0 1.36 2.7 0.7 2.9

Shooting Averages:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
FGM FGA FG% FTM FTA FT% 3PM 3PA 3P%
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
7.6 16.6 .456 1.1 2.1 .500 1.8 6.2 .285

Recruiting Notes:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Qualified: Yes
Current interest in Lafayette: Very High
Rankings: East Region #98 Overall, East Region #23 PG
High School Awards: None
Top 5 Schools: Lafayette, Michigan State, Maryland, Providence, Brown
At first glance, I looked past this tall, rangy guard because the assistant responsible for scouting, Donn McClinton, has such negative things to say about his defense and shooting. But he averages 18 points per game on a decent shooting percentage, which makes me wonder if Coach McClinton is missing something here. Alvaro also looks like a more polished playmaker and ballhandler than Armando Brown is at this point in their careers.

Kinard, a three-star prospect, has an intriguing list of favorite schools. Besides us, there are three Power Five teams and an Ivy League program. He hadn't received an offer until today. Alvaro will visit the Lafayette campus this week, and Coaches Sims and Manion will pay him a call.

They'll also maintain their connections with Leroy Bonin and Lamar Pickens. Neither of these players are being recruited by anyone else right now.

[MoonlightGraham]

December 3, 2012
LaSalle 66, Lafayette 64
This one hurts. Playing against an Atlantic 10 team on the road, we fall behind by 10 in the first half. We rally, and with three minutes left, it's tied, 58-58. The Explorers' class reveals itself down the stretch. A Hubert Song three at the buzzer makes the final score even more heartbreaking. Our first year trio of Song (12 points), James Sanders (11), and Venceslás Castillo (10) lead the scoring, while another frosh, reserve Rhett King, leads us with 9 rebounds.
Record: 3-2.


December 14, 2012
St. John's 78, Lafayette 72 (2 OT)
When John McGrath sinks two free throws to give St. John's a 50-43 lead with 4:03 remaining, I figure I'll be telling you about how we gave a Big East team a decent game, that the result indicates some progress for our program, etc. But the Red Storm don't manage to score again during regulation time, and a fairly routine baseline jumper by Stephen Thames ties the score at 50 with almost two minutes to play. A series of ugly possessions ensues. McGrath and Billy Weiler both have chances to play the hero in the game's final seconds, but neither can convert them.

Both teams score at will during the overtime period, and as it dwindles down, we're tied again, 67-67. McGrath fires a three-pointer from the right corner. No good. Rhett King rebounds the ball for us, and gets it ahead to Weiler. Weiler tries a 30-footer. No good. Let's play five more minutes.

St. John's pulls away during the second extra period, and that's that.

Weiler leads all scorers with 19 points. Hubert Song contributes 15, and Mr. Offense, Stephen Thames, pours in 14 in 17 minutes. Venceslás Castillo pulls in 10 rebounds.
Record: 3-3.


December 16, 2012
Lafayette 69, Rider 54
Two days after a tough loss in double overtime, the Leopards pounce back with a tidy road victory. Good King Venceslás Castillo, our leading scorer, drops in 17. Even more impressively, he's making 63% of his shots so far this year. We don't shoot well as a team, but we defend tenaciously, and Clark Nolan dominates the boards with 14 rebounds. Remember John Spitzer, whom we recruited last year? He's had a decent season for Rider, serving as their first guard off the bench. We hold him to only two points.
Record: 4-3.


December 18, 2012
Temple 72, Lafayette 70
I've given Coach Sims and the Leopards a much more demanding non-conference schedule this year, and we've managed to hang pretty tough. Today, we take a very good Temple team down to the wire. We have the ball with 55 seconds left, behind 71-69, and the Owls force us into a shot clock violation. It's that close.

Hubert Song is our high man with 12 points, but Stephen Thames is right behind him with 11, in only 17 minutes this time. However, Willard Davis provides even more instant offense. He needs only six minutes to score three baskets, one a three-ball, and knock down three foul shots for 11 points.

Temple starts three Green players and two Blue players. Our boys--two Yellows, two Oranges, and a Red--don't back down one bit.
Record: 4-4.


December 23, 2012
Dayton 64, Lafayette 43
The parade of tough opponents continues with a 9-1 Flyers team that probably should be nationally ranked. We're never really in this game. James Sanders and Hubert Song are our only double-figure scorers, with exactly 10 points apiece.

I move Stephen Thames into the starting lineup, in place of Billy Weiler. Perhaps this isn't the right time for the move, as neither of them play well. I'll try the new lineup against a more manageable opponent and see what happens.
Record: 4-5.


December 26, 2012
#22 Baylor 91, Lafayette 79
This time, our opponent really is ranked, and again, we perform creditably against a team that should wipe us off the court. We do several things well; we make 53% of our shots and go 23-25 from the line.

Our freshmen again demonstrate how ready they are to play at this level. Hubert Song scores 17 points, and James Sanders adds 12. Rhett King, who sees a lot of action in relief of foul-plagued Clark Nolan, finishes with 10, including two 3-pointers. Rhett is 7-15 from long range this year.
Record: 4-6.


December 28, 2012
Seton Hall 62, Lafayette 56
Again, we play well against a strong team, making up a good portion of a first-half deficit and making our opponent play hard to the final buzzer. Ian Crook, the Hall's high-scoring Aussie guard, gets his usual 20 points, the first player to score that many against us this season.

Venceslás Castillo is finding it more difficult to score against these superior opponents; for the fourth straight game, he's held to fewer than 8 points. Hubert Song and Billy Weiler combine for 23 points--12 for Hubert, 11 for Billy--but they require 24 shots to score them.
Record: 4-7.


December 31, 2012
Lafayette 64, Loyola-Maryland 55
If you'd told me before the game that Venceslás Castillo would not score a single point, I would predict we'd lose. Hubert Song, however, has other plans.

The freshman sensation scores 29 points, making 5 of his 10 shots from behind the arc. He adds 5 rebounds and 4 assists for good measure. Stephen Thames supports him with 13 points, as the Leopards close out the calendar year with a victory that breaks our four-game losing streak.
Record: 5-7.

[Young Drachma]

December 1, 2012
Recruiting Update

One of these days, I'm going to start trusting my recruiting instincts. Today, I learn that Dorsey Hicks has committed to Loyola. Dorsey has always been clear about the fact we were his second choice, so it doesn't feel like we've been tricked. I wish him well, and hope he enjoys a long, successful career.

Until today, I thought I would offer the scholarship to Leroy Bonin, but now I've changed my mind. I'm violating my own "defense first" rule to make an offer to Alvaro Kinard, another guard from the Big Apple.
PG Alvaro Kinard
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Height: 6-5
Weight: 186
High School: Martin Luther King High School
Hometown: New York, NY
GPA: 2.67
Test Score: 1100
Rating: ***

Attributes:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Type INS JPS FTS 3PS HND PAS ORB DRB PSD PRD STL BLK QKN STR JMP STA
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Current: 15 39 27 75 40 32 8 22 44 12 62 48 79 29 77 24
Potential: F D C A C D F C C F A C

Season Stats:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PTS OREB REB AST TOS A/T STL BLK PFS
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
17.9 0.9 4.8 4.0 3.0 1.36 2.7 0.7 2.9

Shooting Averages:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
FGM FGA FG% FTM FTA FT% 3PM 3PA 3P%
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
7.6 16.6 .456 1.1 2.1 .500 1.8 6.2 .285

Recruiting Notes:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Qualified: Yes
Current interest in Lafayette: Very High
Rankings: East Region #98 Overall, East Region #23 PG
High School Awards: None
Top 5 Schools: Lafayette, Michigan State, Maryland, Providence, Brown
At first glance, I looked past this tall, rangy guard because the assistant responsible for scouting, Donn McClinton, has such negative things to say about his defense and shooting. But he averages 18 points per game on a decent shooting percentage, which makes me wonder if Coach McClinton is missing something here. Alvaro also looks like a more polished playmaker and ballhandler than Armando Brown is at this point in their careers.

Kinard, a three-star prospect, has an intriguing list of favorite schools. Besides us, there are three Power Five teams and an Ivy League program. He hadn't received an offer until today. Alvaro will visit the Lafayette campus this week, and Coaches Sims and Manion will pay him a call.

They'll also maintain their connections with Leroy Bonin and Lamar Pickens. Neither of these players are being recruited by anyone else right now.

Good call on violating your rule here, I like what I see.

[Izulde]

If you land him and the scouting is accurate, I'd look at moving Alvaro to SF given the post defense and the weak pass/handle for a guard, then shift the Good King down to PF. You've got Big Colonel's 319 pounds as a post anchor, so I think you can afford to go a bit smallball, especially since it appears Good King has the rebounding ability to play in the paint

Hubert Song is surprising me - I didn't think he'd be nearly that prolific a scorer at the jump.

[MoonlightGraham]

Good call on violating your rule here, I like what I see.

Kinard's F potential for perimeter defense made me look the other way at the beginning of the recruiting season. In fact, I nearly took him off my call list. Something told me to wait, and now I'm glad I did. If one of the big programs on Alvaro's list offers him a scholarship, I'll face the same question I did with Dorsey Hicks. Hopefully they'll look past him, and if they do, I feel pretty good about my chances.

If you land him and the scouting is accurate, I'd look at moving Alvaro to SF given the post defense and the weak pass/handle for a guard, then shift the Good King down to PF. You've got Big Colonel's 319 pounds as a post anchor, so I think you can afford to go a bit smallball, especially since it appears Good King has the rebounding ability to play in the paint

Hubert Song is surprising me - I didn't think he'd be nearly that prolific a scorer at the jump.

There are definitely two "ifs" at work here, Izulde. I'm honestly more concerned about the scouting accuracy. If the assistant's rating shapes the program's scouting accuracy as much or more than the head coach's, I'm even more concerned. Graham Sims is a considerably better scout than Donn McClinton.

If the "ifs" work out in our favor, those position changes make a lot of sense. Good King Venceslás does have the size and skills to move to the four. He's 6'8" and 245 pounds and, as you point out, he's a good rebounder and a decent low block defender. Clark Nolan and Rhett King could probably terrorize most of the second unit big men they'll face in the Patriot League. Rhett already is; he's the best rebounder on the team on a per-minute basis, and he's also making half his three-point attempts.

I've never tried converting a PG into a SF, but Alvaro's potentials do make him look like a better fit at the three.

I'm pleased with how quickly Song has become our go-to scorer, too. At the beginning of the season, I figured he would be fighting for playing time with Stephen Thames. Now, it's Thames and Billy Weiler who are competing, while Song is leading the team in minutes played. Hubert is seventh in the Patriot League in scoring, at 13.7 per game, after dropping 29 on Loyola. I like how our backcourt is setting up for next year--even more so now with Armando Brown coming in. Armando looks like he has a solid skill set for a point guard.

Thanks for stopping by! I appreciate comments, so please feel free to chime in anytime.

[MoonlightGraham]

January 1, 2013

Recruiting Update

Our 2013 recruiting class is now complete, as Alvaro Kinard commits to play for us next season!

The three-star point guard prospect from Manhattan's Upper West Side is an intriguing player. His statistics--nearly 18 points, five rebounds, and four assists per game--indicate a productive high school player with a full skill set. His rankings--#443 nationally, #103 at his position, #98 overall in the Northeast Region--are better than Hubert Song's were last year, and Song has been a very good player for us.

Alvaro's scouted ratings reveal a different picture, however--one of a player who will never be a good shooter (except from behind the arc), will probably never be able to run a college team's offense, and won't be able to guard perimeter players.

I wonder which set of evaluations are more accurate? Perhaps the truth is somewhere in the middle. I could peek under the hood with the editor, but I don't want to spoil the fun.

Choosing to be somewhat optimistic, I'm envisioning Alvaro as a versatile player who could potentially fill several roles for us. While he might never be a prototypical point guard, his length could enable him to play on the wing. We'll see what he's like when he arrives on campus next year.

Welcome to the team, Mr. Kinard.

[MoonlightGraham]

January 2, 2013
Lafayette 70, Pennsylvania 62
The Quakers enter the game undefeated, a perfect 10-0, and leave with their first loss of the season. We play very well defensively, holding them to 39% shooting--a mark that was inflated somewhat when they fired in three straight from long range in the last few minutes of the game.

Penn defends Hubert Song well; he shoots 2-10 from the floor and finishes with only 7 points. When Stephen Thames gets in foul trouble, Billy Weiler seizes his opportunity and plays very well: 16 points, 3 assists. James Sanders notches a double double, with a pair of 11s (points and rebounds).
Record: 6-7.


January 6, 2013
Lafayette 64, Chicago State 60
Our third straight victory enables us to end a demanding non-conference schedule with a .500 record. Hubert Song rediscovers his scoring touch, nailing 5 of 8 three-point tries and finishing with 18 points. Billy Weiler (13) and Rhett King (11)come off the bench to join Hubert in double figures.

Clark Nolan scores one single point, but he compensates by grabbing 11 rebounds. Venceslás Castillo, too, doesn't score much (5 points) but asserts himself under the basket (8 rebounds). I like the momentum we've created going into Patriot League competition.
Record: 7-7.

2012 Patriot League Standings

TEAM CW CL Pct W L Pct RPI Prestige
---------------------------------------------------------
Navy 0 0 .000 10 4 .714 265 23
American 0 0 .000 9 5 .643 11 44
Holy Cross 0 0 .000 8 4 .667 303 43
Lafayette 0 0 .000 7 7 .500 132 28
Army 0 0 .000 6 7 .462 69 15
Bucknell 0 0 .000 6 6 .500 128 30
Lehigh 0 0 .000 6 7 .462 145 24
Colgate 0 0 .000 5 9 .357 148 18

Unsurprisingly, American and Holy Cross are off to strong starts. Look at American's RPI; I suppose that's the result of playing Alabama, Pitt, and three ranked teams: Duke, Tennessee, and Virginia.

Navy has beaten up on a less impressive array of teams. I'm sure they're good, but I don't think they're the best team in the conference. And we look like the "best of the rest," which I think is probably an accurate observation.

[MoonlightGraham]

January 12, 2013
Lafayette 68, Colgate 56
I had been thinking about swapping Billy Weiler for Stephen Thames, and making Billy a starter once again. I waited, and today Stephen vindicates my decision to leave him in the first five with a solid 19-point performance.

Hubert Song adds 15 more, and Clark Nolan has 11 rebounds for the second straight game. Our conference season begins in fine style.
Record: 8-7 (1-0 in Patriot League play.


January 16, 2013
Holy Cross 75, Lafayette 46
Ouch. We're pummeled by the Crusaders, who dominate us in every aspect of the game. Our offense consists of flinging three-point shots very inaccurately. We set a new Sims-era record with 27 attempts from behind the arc, and we make FOUR of them.

Rhett King, who plays a lot in reserve of James Sanders and Clark Nolan, does the "one-point-and-double-digit-rebounds-thing" with a 1/10 performance. Hubert Song finishes as our top scorer with 13; he's responsible for half our made threes, going 2-6. Turn the page, please.
Record: 8-8 (1-1).


January 19, 2013
Bucknell 65, Lafayette 58
Bucknell wasn't anything special in non-conference play, but they're 3-1 in the Patriot League after beating us on our home court. When you allow another team to make 61 percent of its shots, you're almost always going to lose, a precept we embody today.

Hubert Song gets his, finishing with 17 points. Big Colonel establishes a new high with 15 points. I wish they'd come in a winning effort.
Record: 8-9 (1-2).


January 23, 2013
Lafayette 83, Navy 66
We visit a Navy team that has come back to earth a bit in January. They're led once again by high-scoring guard Steven Ison. The conference's leading scorer, Ison finishes with 22 points, but he needs 20 shots to get them. Meanwhile, Hubert Song drops a much more efficient 20. The rest of our backcourt trio, Stephen Thames (18) and Billy Weiler (13) join him in double figures. Weiler gets 10 of his at the line, where he's perfect on the night.

Quite a few of Ison's misses are retrieved by Clark Nolan, some of his 17 rebounds. Back to .500 we go.
Record: 9-9 (2-2).


January 26, 2013
Lafayette 69, Army 61
Our tour of the service academies continues with a trip up to the Hudson, where we earn a victory that moves us into the top half of the conference standings.

It feels like a standard Lafayette win, based on solid defense and just enough offense to get the job done. James Sanders (14 points) Stephen Thames (14) and Billy Weiler (12) lead our scorers, as Hubert Song endures an off night and is held to 9.
Record: 10-9 (3-2).


January 30, 2013
American 75, Lafayette 68
The first round of our season series with the Patriot League's marquee program goes to the Eagles, to almost nobody's surprise. American bounces back from a shocking loss at home to Lehigh and runs their conference record to 5-1.

One of the angles the media promotes before the game is a matchup between American's Victor Reed, a high-scoring junior guard, and Herbert Song, a similar, younger player. Reed narrowly wins their individual scoring matchup, 25-22, and his stronger supporting cast makes the rest of the difference today. Clark Nolan scores 12 for us, but three Eagles join Reed in double figures. American still seems like they're a cut above the rest of the Patriot League.

Venceslás Castillo leaves the game early in the second half after he catches a stray, inadvertent elbow. He'll be day-to-day for about a week.
Record: 10-10 (3-3).

[MoonlightGraham]

February 2, 2013
Lafayette 59, Lehigh 50
We have Hubert Song, and Lehigh doesn't. That simple fact makes the difference in a sloppy game that wouldn't make anyone fall in love with the sport of basketball.

Song scores 22 points, shooting 4-7 from three-point distance. Everyone else shoots so badly, both from the field and from the line, that there are 81 rebounds to be had. We grab 50 of them. Three Leopards: Clark Nolan (12), James Sanders (11) and even Stephen Thames (11) finish in double figures in this category.

Someone has to win this game, and I'm glad it's us.
Record: 11-10 (4-3).


February 6, 2013
Evansville 60, Lafayette 52
We step outside of conference play for a midweek game against a Missouri Valley Conference foe. Evansville is not a good basketball team this year. They're in last place in their league, and they enter the game with a 3-18 record.

They leave it with a 4-18 record.

The only somewhat bright spots are the return of Venceslás Castillo to full health (he finishes with 11 points) and the long-range marksmanship of stretch big Rhett King (he makes 3 of 4 three-pointers). The Purple Aces defend Hubert Song well, and hold him to a quiet 11 points.
Record: 11-11 (4-3).


February 9, 2013
Lafayette 69, Colgate 54
We slightly adjust our formula, but it results in a victory on a snowy night in upstate New York.

Hubert Song again finds it tough to get good looks at the basket. His 13 points are the result of tenacity rather than brilliance. But Stephen Thames capitalizes on all the attention the Red Raiders pay to his backcourt partner, and makes them pay with a cool 16 points.

I think Clark Nolan heard the conversation we've had on the forum about shifting him to a reserve role next season. He's been rebounding fiercely since then, pulling in 10 more tonight to lead both teams. James Sanders is too much for Colgate's Chance Bump to handle. Two inches taller, but 80 pounds heavier, Big Colonel fills the role of fourth option on offense marvelously. He makes 5 of his 7 shots and a free throw, good for 11 points.

P.S. James has gained two pounds, and now he tips the scales at 321.
Record: 12-11 (5-3).


February 13, 2013
Lafayette 49, Bucknell 40
The storyline of our trip up the road to Lewisburg to meet the Bison is made more interesting by the fact that we enter the game tied for third in the Patriot League with 5-3 records. Again, we win ugly.

Hubert Song endures a nightmarish game. He misses 11 of his 12 three-point attempts, and finishes with a career-low 6 points. His classmates, Venceslás Castillo and James Sanders, bail him out with 11 points apiece.

Our team defends well, however, and our measly 49 points are enough for the win that gives us sole possession of third place.
Record: 13-11 (6-3).


Here's something interesting I haven't posted before. It's a look at how our players' training is impacting their development.
LAFAYETTE Training Results

Player Ins Jps Fts 3ps Hnd Pas Orb Drb Psd Prd Stl Blk Qkn Str Jmp Sta
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
James Sanders 8 2 2 2 0 0 2 8 2 2 2 2 3 0 4 12
Clark Nolan 4 0 1 1 1 2 6 6 2 1 1 4 0 3 0 10
Venceslás Castillo 4 4 2 2 0 2 8 4 2 4 2 2 1 4 2 8
Stephen Thames 1 3 6 4 1 0 3 1 1 2 2 1 1 2 1 12
Hubert Song 2 2 2 4 6 4 2 2 2 8 4 2 0 4 1 8
Billy Weiler 1 5 5 2 9 6 1 1 1 1 3 1 1 1 0 7
Victor Gentry 1 3 0 1 0 1 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 12
Rhett King 2 0 2 2 2 2 4 4 6 2 2 4 2 6 0 8
Willard Davis 1 2 3 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 1 0 1 2 0 9
Dana Broughton 1 3 3 4 2 0 3 1 1 2 2 1 0 1 1 0
Bastian Hirt 1 0 1 1 1 0 0 1 2 1 1 1 1 2 0 7
Donnie Pope 1 1 1 1 1 1 5 3 4 1 1 1 1 3 1 12
Gary Pooler 1 0 1 0 2 1 1 1 1 2 0 1 0 2 0 4
Louis Hewett 2 1 1 0 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 1 7
Kyle Cox 1 1 1 0 0 1 1 1 0 1 1 1 1 2 1 9

It's good to see that, despite the fact our training facilities are nothing special, our players seem to be developing quite well. The more promising among them--Song and Sanders, even Weiler-- are gaining points in the things I want them to be good at.


February 16, 2013
Lafayette 74, Holy Cross 67
Could this be the biggest win of Graham Sims' young career to date?

The Leopards submit a delightfully complete performance, away to one of the league's top teams. The offense clicks, with four players scoring in double figures: Venceslás Castillo (10), James Sanders (10) Clark Nolan (11), and a resurgent Hubert Song (23). A relentless defensive effort holds the Crusaders to 36% shooting; the home team keeps it close only because their offense is so fast-paced.

Now we're in second place in the Patriot League, a half-game ahead of Holy Cross and only one game behind American. Coach Sims will have to make sure his players don't look ahead to their trip to Washington, D.C. on February 27 and forget to take care of business between now and then.
Record: 14-11 (7-3).



February 20, 2013
Lafayette 58, Army 41
Coach Sims' boys complete a season sweep of the Black Knights of the Hudson.

It's a weird game; James Sanders is named Player of the Game on a day when he plays only 11 minutes due to foul trouble. Big Colonel does make the most of his time on the floor, scoring10 points and snaring 4 rebounds. His understudy, Rhett King (7 points, 10 rebounds) plays well, too.

Good King Venceslás leads all scorers with 13 points, as Hubert Song reminds us he's a freshman with an erratic 6 point performance.
Record: 15-11 (8-3).


February 23, 2013
Lafayette 71, Navy 64
A struggling Navy team hangs tough for 20 minutes, before we hit the afterburners and pull away for the victory.

Again, we demonstrate we can win without a big game from Hubert Song. Two quick fouls put the first year guard on the bench, and a third early in the second half put him there again. He plays only 18 minutes and scores 8 points.

The scoring slack is taken up by Clark Nolan (16 points), Venceslás Castillo (13) and Billy Weiler (also 16), who returns to the starting lineup while Stephen Thames nurses a sore knee. Nolan and James Sanders collect 9 rebounds apiece.
Record: 16-11 (9-3).


February 27, 2013
American 77, Lafayette 73 (OT)
The long-awaited clash between the Patriot League's two best teams deserves the hype. Tied 37-37 at halftime, the Leopards and Eagles--both riding winning streaks--exchange shots all evening long.

American leads, 63-61, with ten seconds remaining. While everyone in the gym looks for Hubert Song to take the Leopards' last shot, James Sanders lumbers out to the right wing. Billy Weiler spots him, and Big Colonel drains a 12-footer to tie the score.

The Eagles try to create a shot for star man Victor Reed, but a swarming Leopards defense force a bad pass that sails out of bounds.

Again, the well-coached Eagles aren't going to let Song find room to shoot the ball. He swings it to Castillo, whose attempt at a game-winner from the corner won't go down.

American's outstanding junior point guard, Patrick Robinson, asserts his will on the game during the overtime period. Robinson finishes with 19 points and hands out 8 assists, just over his APG mark of 7.6--third best in the nation.

Song's 14 points lead a group of four Leopards in double figures; he's joined by Venceslás Castillo (13), James Sanders (11), and Stephen Thames (10).
Record: 16-12 (9-4).

2012 Patriot League Standings

TEAM CW CL Pct W L Pct RPI Prestige
---------------------------------------------------------
American 11 2 .846 21 8 .724 42 44
Lafayette 9 4 .692 16 12 .571 119 28
Holy Cross 7 5 .583 18 9 .667 178 43
Bucknell 6 6 .500 14 12 .538 138 30
Colgate 6 6 .500 12 15 .444 139 18
Lehigh 4 8 .333 11 16 .407 174 24
Navy 3 9 .250 14 13 .519 258 23
Army 3 9 .250 9 18 .333 169 15

[Izulde]

Darn impressive second year, no matter how you end up. Massive improvement over last season

[Chas in Cinti]

Young players really developing...

[TheseBoots]

Damn that loss at the end there, but, as Izulde stated, what a great improvement in y2!

[MoonlightGraham]

Darn impressive second year, no matter how you end up. Massive improvement over last season

Thanks, Izulde. Our overall record is only a bit better, but we played a more challenging non-conference schedule this year. We're doing much better in the Patriot League; with one game remaining, we've clinched second place behind American.

Young players really developing...

They are indeed, Chas. I think that's the key to our improvement this year. I had the chance to recruit four players during my first year, and all four of them have emerged as major contributors. DeWitt Leiva and Robert Castleman were really good players, and I wish I'd had them for more than one season...but the new guys are all "ours." I want to develop a team culture at Lafayette. James Sanders, Venceslás Castillo, Hubert Song, and Rhett King are the OGs in that respect.

Damn that loss at the end there, but, as Izulde stated, what a great improvement in y2!

That was indeed a tough loss, TheseBoots. Taking a team as good as American into overtime--in their gym--is no small feat, however.

The Eagles are the only team Coach Sims has never beaten. Last year, we lost to them by scores of 57-50 and 95-67. This season, the scores were 75-68 and 77-73, in overtime. So, we've lowered the aggregate deficit from -35 to -11. It's not exactly what we want to see, but it's a step in the right direction.

Thanks for the comments! :)

[MoonlightGraham]

Sorry for the long hiatus, everyone. "Real" basketball has been taking up much of my time lately! Now, however, it's time to head back to Easton and catch up with Coach Graham Sims and the Lafayette Leopards.

March 1, 2013
We learn today that two of our players are unhappy: Donnie Pope and Dana Broughton. According to the messages, giving them more playing time might resolve the issue.

Both players' feelings are understandable, especially Dana's. He appeared in every game as a freshman last year, averaging nine minutes per contest; this season, he's gotten in 19 of 29 games and plays about a third as much. He's shooting a bit better than he did last season, but he's a minus player this year. Donnie, a redshirt soph, is playing about half as much and hasn't been as productive.

Coaching your predecessor's recruits can be tough. Both Broughton and Pope have lost some run to guys I brought in; Broughton plays on the wing, where the arrival of Good King Venceslás and the return of Willard Davis from last year's redshirt have taken some of the minutes that were Broughton's last season. Pope, a big man, must now compete with first years Big Colonel Sanders and Rhett King, along with emerging sophomore Clark Nolan.

Dana and Donnie are both good students and good guys, and I'd hate to lose them. I'm not sure how likely an Unhappy player is to transfer at the end of a season; I don't remember encountering one before.


March 2, 2013
Lafayette 68, Lehigh 58
The first half of this rivalry game is an exciting display of fast-paced, up-and-down basketball. We go into the locker room behind, 36-35. After the intermission, the Lafayette lads turn up the intensity on defense and earn a sweep of the season series against Lehigh.

Venceslás Castillo continues his consistent scoring, leading us with 14 points. Stopping Hubert Song is clearly a priority for Lehigh; he only takes five shots in 27 minutes, but makes them count for 12 points (2-3 from three, 4-5 from the line).

We end our Patriot League season with a satisfying victory. As the #2 seed in the conference tournament, we'll face #7 Army in the first round.
Record: 17-12 (10-4).


March 6, 2013
Patriot League Tournament
(2) Lafayette 71, (7) Army 53
For the second straight year, we draw the Black Knights of the Hudson as our first round opponent...but this time we are, by far, the better seed. Last year, we lost in overtime. This year, the outcome is far different.

Army keeps it close for 20 minutes, but we take control of matters after the intermission. Two players who were in high school last year are the difference-makers. Hubert Song scores 17 of his 24 points in the second half, knocking down three of his four treys. James Sanders controls the paint on both ends, scoring 18 points, claiming 9 rebounds, and rejecting two shots.

The big story of the tournament's first day is 8-seed Navy's shocking 73-71 victory over the #1 seed juggernaut from American. The Midshipmen will face Bucknell in the semifinals. #3 Holy Cross beat #6 Lehigh, 70-62, so the Crusaders will be our semifinal opponent.

Is it bad luck to wonder out loud if our ticket to the Big Dance just got easier to claim, with American no longer able to snatch it away from us?
Record: 18-12.


March 10, 2013
Patriot League Tournament Semifinals
(2) Lafayette 72, (3) Holy Cross 63
We know better than to take Holy Cross lightly. Led by imperious senior center Richard Ruiz and breakout star forward Lenny Catlin, the Crusaders whipped us in our gym in January. We responded with a very pleasing victory in Worcester last month. Which contest would tonight's game resemble more?

Again, it's clear that the opposing coach has decided to try to guard Hubert Song out of the game. Emile Richards' game plan works well in that respect; the Crusaders hold Song to 10 points in 32 minutes, and Hubert only attempts five shots. Lenny Catlin, who pours in 24, is a far more effective scorer than Hubert tonight.

However, we defend the rest of the Crusaders very well. They miss all but one of their 16 three-point attempts. Meanwhile, four of our starters score in double figures, led by James Sanders with 16. Venceslás Castillo (14), Billy Weiler (11), and the aforementioned Song--along with reserve Rhett King (14) all contribute to a delightfully balanced attack.

Bucknell routs the Cinderella gang from Navy, 68-54, so they'll be our Patriot League championship opponent.
Record: 19-12.

[MoonlightGraham]

March 15, 2013
Patriot League Tournament Championship
(2) Lafayette 59, (4) Bucknell 41
It's time to cut down the net. Lafayette are the 2012/2013 Patriot League champions!

It doesn't take long for the Leopards to assert their dominance. A combination of tight defense and the Bison's inability to convert the few good looks they got enabled us to hold Bucknell to 14 first half points. So, while our offensive performance is far from optimal--we make 43.8% of our shots, right on our season average--we do enough to get the job done. We are more successful from long range, knocking down 38.9% of our treys; this lifts our season percentage to 33.5%.

In the biggest game of Graham Sims' Lafayette career to date, Hubert Song is once again the offensive star. The freshman scores a game-high 14 points, two more than senior Stephen Thames. Another first year, James Sanders, adds 11 points, and sophomore Clark Nolan logs a tidy double double (10 points, 10 rebounds.)

The fact that the victory is our 20th of the season is a nice touch, but nothing matches the thrill of earning the chance to take part in March Madness.

Congratulations to the champions!
Record: 20-12.

[MoonlightGraham]

March 17, 2013
The Lafayette basketball family gathers at the team's facility to watch the NCAA Tournament Selection Show together. The room erupts when the Leopards are introduced as the #13 seed in the East Regional. We'll play #3 seed Vanderbilt on either March 21 or 22.

The Commodores are a formidable opponent. They will enter the game with a 26-7 record, going 13-3 in the nation's second-toughest conference and winning the SEC East title. They're ranked #12 in the nation, and #4 in RPI. Needless to say, a victory would become an indelible part of the story of Lafayette basketball, which began in 1900.

Three other Patriot League teams earn berths in postseason tournaments. American draws the #2 seed in the NIT South Region, and will play #7 Weber State. Holy Cross, the #9 seed in the CIT, will face #8 Morehead State. And Bucknell's strong performance in the Patriot League tournament impresses the CBI selection committee, who give the Bison the #13 seed and a game against #4 Northern Arizona. All three of our conference rivals will play on either March 19 or 20.

[MoonlightGraham]

March 22, 2013
NCAA East Region
(3) #12 Vanderbilt 79, (14) Lafayette 68

One look at Vanderbilt's roster is all it takes to understand what we're facing here. Sophomore forward Ramon Russell (15.8 PPG) is considered the #40 NBA prospect in the nation. Senior guard Daniel Price (13.0 PPG, 2.8 APG), junior center Joseph Capers (11.8 PPG, 4.6 RPG), Aussie sophomore guard Dudley Harris (8.3 PPG, 3.0 APG), and senior forward Lionel Lane (9.3 PPG, 7.8 RPG) can also reasonably aspire to playing basketball for a living. There's a reason they're the 3 seed, and we're the 14.

Late in the first half, the game is close enough that the national telecast cuts to our game. The TV audience watches Capers miss two free throws. Venceslás Castillo snares the rebound, and fifteen seconds later, Rhett King kicks the ball out to Billy Weiler in the left corner, just inside the three-point line. Weiler knocks down a jumper, and with 1:36 remaining in the half, the score is Vanderbilt 36, Lafayette 35. Vandy's Roderick Starling banks in a three before halftime, but we go into the intermission only four points down.

Vanderbilt coach James Husted is a superb X-and-O coach, so it's not surprising that his halftime adjustments are spot on. Those moves, and the superior talent of the Commodores players, allow them to begin the second half with a 9-0 run. We courageously battle back, however, and with 2:47 remaining, the Good King scores to pull us within a point, 67-66. Once again, the national broadcast shifts to our game.

I'd like to report that Cinderella never heard the clock strike midnight, and earned the chance to dance another night. But the Commodores hit their shots when it counted most, both from the free throw line and, then, from the field. The final score flatters the winners, who know they had to fight hard to the finish.

Dynamic Ramon Russell leads all scorers with 24 points. Hubert Song is our high scorer, finishing with 13. James Sanders scores nine points and grabs six rebounds in 12 minutes before exiting the game with an injury. Rhett King deputizes for him well, shooting a perfect 4-4 from the field with five rebounds.

You always hate to lose, but it's hard to feel too bad about this result.
Record: 20-13.

[Izulde]

No shame in that loss at all, and a stellar turnaround. Now, of course, is when the pressure really begins. :)

BTW, you should get a Coach Level Up email since you made the Tournament

[MoonlightGraham]

No shame in that loss at all, and a stellar turnaround. Now, of course, is when the pressure really begins. :)

BTW, you should get a Coach Level Up email since you made the Tournament

@Izulde: I was pleased with the way Year Two went. You're right; if you do it once, the AD expects you to do it again. And again. And again. :)

I haven't seen the email yet, but I haven't ended the season. I suppose it will appear then...right?

March 22, 2013
A day ago, American was upset, 80-67, by Weber State, and were eliminated from the NIT. Bucknell nearly broke the CIT bracket, losing to Northern Arizona, 57-56.

March 25, 2013
Holy Cross loses, 71-68 to Missouri State, the #1 seed in the CBI. The Crusaders, a nine seed, beat Morehead State handily in the first round, and give the favored Bears a good game.

April 6, 2013
This year's Final Four includes Kansas, Providence, Dayton, and Texas. Only one #1 seed, Duke, gets as far as the Sweet Sixteen; they lose there to #4 Villanova.

The Friars, a #9 seed, are the neutrals' favorite, but they're no match for the rugged Jayhawks and lose, 75-51. Texas disposes of Dayton nearly as easily, 69-52.


April 8, 2013
The NCAA championship game is an all-Big 12 contest. Kansas beats Texas in a high-scoring viewer's treat of a game, 91-85.

Three Jayhawks score at least 20 points: Eustaquio Picavet (28), Jermaine Waldrop (25), and Tracy Murphy (20). The Longhorns get 23 from Richard Quintana and 19 more from Alexander Currey. Picavet is named Player of the Game.


Here's how the Patriot League standings looked this season:
2012 Patriot League Standings

TEAM CW CL Pct W L Pct RPI Prestige
---------------------------------------------------------
American 12 2 .857 22 10 .688 62 44
Lafayette 10 4 .714 20 13 .606 102 28
Holy Cross 8 6 .571 21 12 .636 150 43
Bucknell 7 7 .500 17 15 .531 143 30
Colgate 6 8 .429 12 18 .400 166 18
Lehigh 5 9 .357 12 18 .400 189 24
Army 5 9 .357 11 19 .367 165 15
Navy 3 11 .214 15 16 .484 255 23

Three teams in our conference win at least 20 games this year, and we're one of them. I wonder if our conference prestige will improve?

The Patriot League awards are announced today.
2012 PATRIOT LEAGUE AWARDS

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Player of the Year:

JR PG Patrick Robinson American 10.4 PPG, 3.9 RPG, 7.7 APG 0.8 SPG, 0.1 BPG

Freshman of the Year:
FR SG Shaun Domingo Colgate 14.6 PPG, 4.0 RPG, 1.5 APG 1.0 SPG, 0.1 BPG

Coach of the Year:
Jimmy Reynolds American 22 - 10 (12 - 2)

All-league 1st Team:
C SR Zane Johnson American 8.5 PPG, 7.8 RPG, 0.9 APG, 0.6 SPG, 1.2 BPG
PF SR Richard Ruiz Holy Cross 9.9 PPG, 7.1 RPG, 1.3 APG, 0.6 SPG, 0.7 BPG
SF FR Charles Davis Holy Cross 11.5 PPG, 3.5 RPG, 1.6 APG, 1.2 SPG, 0.2 BPG
SG JR Victor Reed American 19.0 PPG, 4.5 RPG, 3.6 APG, 0.9 SPG, 0.1 BPG
PG JR Patrick Robinson American 10.4 PPG, 3.9 RPG, 7.7 APG, 0.8 SPG, 0.1 BPG

All-league 2nd Team:
C SR Joe Kaplan American 8.4 PPG, 6.7 RPG, 1.1 APG, 0.3 SPG, 1.2 BPG
PF SR Johnie Griffin Lehigh 5.7 PPG, 8.2 RPG, 1.4 APG, 0.5 SPG, 0.5 BPG
SF FR Kelvin Hernandez Bucknell 9.3 PPG, 4.2 RPG, 1.1 APG, 1.1 SPG, 0.1 BPG
SG SR Steven Ison Navy 19.6 PPG, 3.1 RPG, 1.9 APG, 0.6 SPG, 0.1 BPG
PG SR Chase Braden Bucknell 11.9 PPG, 1.6 RPG, 3.8 APG, 1.1 SPG, 0.1 BPG

All-freshman Team:
C FR Thomas Grimmett Bucknell 6.9 PPG, 7.5 RPG, 1.0 APG, 0.5 SPG, 0.4 BPG
PF FR Stephen Collins Navy 6.3 PPG, 8.6 RPG, 1.4 APG, 0.4 SPG, 0.3 BPG
SF FR Charles Davis Holy Cross 11.5 PPG, 3.5 RPG, 1.6 APG, 1.2 SPG, 0.2 BPG
SG FR Shaun Domingo Colgate 14.6 PPG, 4.0 RPG, 1.5 APG, 1.0 SPG, 0.1 BPG
PG FR Irvin Schumacher Colgate 11.1 PPG, 3.3 RPG, 1.6 APG, 1.4 SPG, 0.2 BPG

Wow. Just, wow.

On what grounds could the conference fail to recognize a single player from a team that went 10-4 in the league and won the conference tournament? I'm unreservedly partial, but I think Hubert Song and James Sanders deserved some postseason honors.

I have no issue with Patrick Robinson as Player of the Year. He's third in the nation in assists, and his plus-minus is best in the league. Shaun Domingo's stat line looks almost exactly like Song's...but Hubert did his thing for a 20-13 team, while Shaun's Colgate team finished 13-18.

[MoonlightGraham]

April 9, 2013

Here are Lafayette's stats for the 2012/13 season.

LAFAYETTE Averages

Player Pos GP GS Min Pts Orb Reb Ast Stl Blk To Fls +/-
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hubert Song SG 33 33 32.1 14.0 1.3 3.9 1.9 0.6 0.2 2.4 2.8 2.8
Billy Weiler PG 33 16 26.8 7.6 0.5 2.3 2.4 1.1 0.2 1.5 1.9 2.1
Clark Nolan C 33 33 26.2 6.0 2.4 6.8 0.9 0.1 0.4 1.1 2.4 4.2
Venceslás Castillo SF 33 33 26.0 8.5 1.4 4.9 1.8 0.5 0.2 2.2 2.5 1.7
James Sanders C 33 33 24.2 9.3 1.2 5.6 0.8 0.3 0.2 1.5 2.7 1.9
Stephen Thames SG 33 17 22.8 8.8 1.2 3.0 1.4 0.8 0.1 1.9 2.5 0.8
Rhett King PF 33 0 20.8 4.8 1.2 4.6 0.7 0.2 0.5 1.0 2.2 0.8
Bastian Hirt PF 33 0 8.2 1.5 0.2 1.2 0.4 0.2 0.1 0.2 0.6 -1.9
Willard Davis SF 33 0 6.8 2.8 0.4 1.1 0.5 0.2 0.0 0.6 0.7 -0.2
Victor Gentry PG 31 0 5.3 1.6 0.3 0.5 0.4 0.3 0.1 0.4 0.4 -0.2
Louis Hewett C 7 0 2.4 0.3 0.0 0.6 0.1 0.0 0.0 0.1 0.3 -1.6
Dana Broughton SF 21 0 2.3 1.1 0.1 0.3 0.2 0.1 0.0 0.1 0.2 -0.1
Donnie Pope PF 20 0 1.8 0.2 0.2 0.4 0.1 0.0 0.1 0.1 0.1 -0.2
Gary Pooler SG 3 0 1.0 0.7 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 -1.0
Kyle Cox SF 0 0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0


LAFAYETTE Totals

Player Pos GP GS Min Pts Orb Reb Ast Stl Blk To Fls +/-
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hubert Song SG 33 33 1059 461 43 128 64 20 7 80 94 92
Billy Weiler PG 33 16 886 252 17 75 79 35 7 51 63 70
Clark Nolan C 33 33 866 198 78 225 31 3 13 35 78 138
Venceslás Castillo SF 33 33 857 282 45 163 61 18 8 74 84 56
James Sanders C 33 33 798 306 39 186 28 9 8 50 90 62
Stephen Thames SG 33 17 752 289 39 99 47 25 2 64 84 25
Rhett King PF 33 0 686 158 40 153 23 8 15 34 72 28
Bastian Hirt PF 33 0 272 48 8 41 13 7 2 8 21 -62
Willard Davis SF 33 0 225 92 14 37 15 7 0 21 23 -5
Victor Gentry PG 31 0 165 50 9 16 12 10 3 11 13 -5
Louis Hewett C 7 0 17 2 0 4 1 0 0 1 2 -11
Dana Broughton SF 21 0 48 23 2 7 5 2 1 3 5 -2
Donnie Pope PF 20 0 36 4 3 7 2 0 2 1 2 -3
Gary Pooler SG 3 0 3 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 -3
Kyle Cox SF 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LAFAYETTE Shooting

Player Pos Fgm Fga Fg% Ftm Fta Ft% 3pm 3pa 3p% PPS +/-
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hubert Song SG 157 370 .424 67 120 .558 80 213 .376 1.25
Billy Weiler PG 86 221 .389 67 87 .770 13 47 .277 1.14
Clark Nolan C 78 180 .433 39 70 .557 3 14 .214 1.10
Venceslás Castillo SF 106 231 .459 41 67 .612 29 92 .315 1.22
James Sanders C 111 248 .448 80 108 .741 4 19 .211 1.23
Stephen Thames SG 87 187 .465 87 106 .821 28 88 .318 1.55
Rhett King PF 54 112 .482 35 65 .538 15 44 .341 1.41
Bastian Hirt PF 19 45 .422 8 13 .615 2 7 .286 1.07
Willard Davis SF 29 52 .558 30 34 .882 4 12 .333 1.77
Victor Gentry PG 19 42 .452 9 13 .692 3 10 .300 1.19
Louis Hewett C 1 4 .250 0 1 .000 0 0 .000 0.50
Dana Broughton SF 6 11 .545 7 10 .700 4 8 .500 2.09
Donnie Pope PF 2 6 .333 0 1 .000 0 1 .000 0.67
Gary Pooler SG 1 1 1.000 0 0 .000 0 0 .000 2.00
Kyle Cox SF 0 0 .000 0 0 .000 0 0 .000 0.00

I think I've been selling Clark Nolan short. Maybe we all have been. I keep thinking that Clark will eventually yield his place in the starting five to an incoming freshman--Alvaro Kinard, perhaps--and then I look at how efficient a player Clark is, and I wonder if we might be better with him on the floor as much as possible. We'll see how good the frosh are when they arrive on campus this summer.

I know the algorithm that picks the All-League teams looks closely at the players' position labels. Because Hubert Song is a shooting guard, he's therefore compared to the other SGs in the conference. He understandably loses out to Victor Reed and Steven Ison for the spots on the All-League first and second teams, and he's edged out by Shaun Domingo for freshman honors. I see the reasoning behind those choices.

But, based on the stats, wouldn't you start Domingo and Song in your backcourt, rather than saving a spot for Irvin Schumacher? I would. Schu is a fine player, but he'd be the third guard on my team.

I'd also give James Sanders the nod over Bucknell's Thomas Grimmett. Again, Grimmett's good, but I'll take the Big Colonel, thank you.

Next up, the Senior Tributes.

[MoonlightGraham]

2012/13 Senior Tribute

VICTOR GENTRY

I didn't recruit Victor--Coach Sims' predecessor did--but I would have. He was an ideal fourth guard, able to give us a handful of productive minutes every night while his teammates rested. A player like that is useful, and Gentry was certainly that.

His performance dropped off slightly as a senior and, consequently, so did his playing time. However, he made his last appearance in a Lafayette uniform in an NCAA tournament game, took a shot, and knocked it down. That's how you go out in style.

A very good student and a stand-up guy, I'd hire Victor as a graduate assistant if the game let me.

#2 PG Victor Gentry - Lafayette - Senior
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Height: 5-11
Weight: 192
High School: Keene High School
Hometown: Keene, NH

Attributes:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Type INS JPS FTS 3PS HND PAS ORB DRB PSD PRD STL BLK QKN STR JMP STA
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Current: 28 46 40 29 44 25 35 13 25 36 36 26 82 26 53 91
2011: 27 43 40 28 44 24 33 12 24 35 35 25 81 25 51 79
2010: 26 41 39 27 44 23 32 12 23 34 34 24 79 24 50 65
Potential: D C D C D D C F D C D D

Health: Good
Scholarship: Yes
Status: Active Roster
Academics: 68

Stat Averages:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Season G GS MIN PTS ORE REB AST TO A/T STL BLK PF
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2011 32 0 7.9 2.4 0.3 1.0 0.5 0.6 0.89 0.3 0.0 0.7
2012 31 0 5.3 1.6 0.3 0.5 0.4 0.4 1.09 0.3 0.1 0.4
Career 63 0 6.7 2.0 0.3 0.7 0.5 0.5 1.09 0.3 0.1 0.6

Shooting Averages:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Season FGM FGA FG% FTM FTA FT% 3PM 3PA 3P% PPS +/-
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2011 0.7 1.9 .383 0.9 1.2 .718 0.1 0.3 .182 1.27 0.78
2012 0.6 1.4 .452 0.3 0.4 .692 0.1 0.3 .300 1.19 -0.16
Career 0.7 1.6 .412 0.6 0.8 .712 0.1 0.3 .238 1.24 0.32

Stat Totals:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Season G GS MIN PTS OREB REB AST TO STL BLK PF
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2011 32 0 254 76 10 31 17 19 10 1 23
2012 31 0 165 50 9 16 12 11 10 3 13
Career 63 0 419 126 19 47 29 30 20 4 36

Shooting Totals
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Season FGM FGA FTM FTA 3PM 3PA +/-
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2011 23 60 28 39 2 11 25
2012 19 42 9 13 3 10 -5
Career 42 102 37 52 5 21 20

Career Highs:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Type Pts OReb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO FGM FGA FTM FTA 3PM 3PA
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Season 8 1 2 3 2 1 2 4 6 2 2 1 2
Career 8 2 4 3 2 1 2 4 8 4 4 1 3

Awards & Acheivements:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Season Award
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
No awards.

Thanks for the memories, Victor.

[MoonlightGraham]

2012/13 Senior Tribute

STEPHEN THAMES

It can't be easy to lose your starting position as a senior. That's what we asked of Stephen, and he accepted the decision with class.

A quick, athletic product of Mount Joy, PA, Stephen embraced his new role as the provider of instant offense from the bench. When Billy Weiler suffered a mid-season slump, Thames returned to the starting lineup, but we were a better, more cohesive team with Thames leading the second unit, so we returned him to that role. He earned that championship ring, didn't he?

Thames might have scored 1000 points in his Lafayette career if we'd had four seasons of game play from him.

Stephen admittedly struggled with the academic demands he faced at a school like Lafayette. He worked hard, always remained eligible, and will complete his degree next month. Whatever comes next, Stephen Thames will handle it with dignity.
#13 SG Stephen Thames - Lafayette - Senior
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Height: 6-3
Weight: 204
High School: Donegal High School
Hometown: Mount Joy, PA

Attributes:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Type INS JPS FTS 3PS HND PAS ORB DRB PSD PRD STL BLK QKN STR JMP STA
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Current: 23 45 98 52 23 8 36 16 25 29 27 28 91 68 79 58
2011: 22 42 92 48 22 8 33 15 24 27 25 27 90 66 78 46
2010: 21 40 89 46 21 8 32 15 23 26 24 26 89 64 77 34
Potential: D C A B D F C D D D D C

Health: Good
Scholarship: Yes
Status: Active Roster
Academics: 30

Stat Averages:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Season G GS MIN PTS ORE REB AST TO A/T STL BLK PF
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2011 32 32 26.2 8.8 0.9 2.7 1.4 2.5 0.56 0.6 0.1 2.4
2012 33 17 22.8 8.8 1.2 3.0 1.4 1.9 0.73 0.8 0.1 2.5
Career 65 49 24.5 8.8 1.0 2.8 1.4 2.2 0.73 0.7 0.1 2.5

Shooting Averages:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Season FGM FGA FG% FTM FTA FT% 3PM 3PA 3P% PPS +/-
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2011 2.6 6.1 .426 3.0 3.5 .841 0.7 1.9 .361 1.45 0.78
2012 2.6 5.7 .465 2.6 3.2 .821 0.8 2.7 .318 1.55 0.76
Career 2.6 5.9 .445 2.8 3.4 .831 0.8 2.3 .336 1.50 0.77

Stat Totals:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Season G GS MIN PTS OREB REB AST TO STL BLK PF
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2011 32 32 838 283 29 85 45 80 18 3 78
2012 33 17 752 289 39 99 47 64 25 2 84
Career 65 49 1590 572 68 184 92 144 43 5 162

Shooting Totals
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Season FGM FGA FTM FTA 3PM 3PA +/-
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2011 83 195 95 113 22 61 25
2012 87 187 87 106 28 88 25
Career 170 382 182 219 50 149 50

Career Highs:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Type Pts OReb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO FGM FGA FTM FTA 3PM 3PA
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Season 19 5 11 4 3 1 7 6 12 8 9 2 6
Career 19 5 11 5 3 1 7 6 12 9 10 4 6

Awards & Acheivements:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Season Award
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
All Player of the Game: 4

Thanks for the memories, Stephen.

[MoonlightGraham]

May 1, 2013

Here are the Patriot League recruiting rankings:
2012 Recruiting Rankings

# Team Conference Best Player Rtg 5* 4* 3* 2* 1*
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
52. Lehigh Patriot League SF Gerald Propst *** 0 0 2 1 0
184. Navy Patriot League PG Justin Ceasar *** 0 0 1 0 2
262. American Patriot League C Jae Rodney ** 0 0 0 2 2
263. Lafayette Patriot League PG Alvaro Kinard *** 0 0 1 0 1
309. Army Patriot League PG Chris Catchings ** 0 0 0 1 1
316. Colgate Patriot League C William Logsdon * 0 0 0 0 3
334. Holy Cross Patriot League PG Frank Adams ** 0 0 0 1 0
341. Bucknell Patriot League PF Dana Spivey * 0 0 0 0 2

Lehigh brought in the highest-ranked class, by far. Gerald Propst and PG Pete Truman are top-200 talents, players we would have pursued if they'd shown any interest in us.

Justin Ceaser and Jae Rodney are also rated higher by the experts than our prize catch, Alvaro Kinard. I think Kinard is a great fit for our program, however, and I like Armando Brown a lot, too.

I got an email telling me that because of our success last season, our annual budget has been raised to $245,731. All of Graham Sims' assistants have one year left. If I don't decide to find anyone new for our staff, we'll have $14,229/month to spend on recruiting. That's almost $3000/month more than we worked with the past two years.

Our team's prestige has risen from 28 to 33. We're still third in the Patriot League, behind American (44) and Holy Cross (40), but we're solidly "the best of the rest."

Coach Sims receives job offers from Bethune-Cookman, Fairfield, and Texas-Arlington in the first Head Coach Round. I might briefly consider the Fairfield job if the school were located in Pennsylvania; they're a more prestigious program with a bigger budget.

In the next round, the offers are better. Niagara and Vermont offer Graham their head coaching positions. Again, since neither are Pennsylvania schools, we politely turn the offers down. Niagara, who finished 29-9 last year and are bringing in the #40 recruiting class in the nation, would tempt me otherwise.

The third round almost has me wishing I'd chosen a slightly different theme for my dynasty. Davidson makes an offer to Coach Sims! I've always liked their basketball program, and one of my best friends--a groomsman in my wedding, whose family spends time with mine almost every summer--is a Davidson alumnus. I nearly set this story in North Carolina so I could possibly coach there. But, since this is A Pennsylvania Story, I somewhat reluctantly click on "Reject Offer."

In Round Four, Chattanooga makes Coach Sims an offer. No, thank you. Winthrop and Austin Peay come calling in Round Five. Again, no thanks.

I didn't know there were six Head Coach rounds, but there are, and Weber State and Belmont are looking for coaches. Apparently there are quite a few programs who think Graham Sims is the Next Big Thing. I won't leave Pennsylvania, so two more ADs receive polite refusals.

Now it's time to decide about Coach Sims' assistants. The recommended budget for our three-man coaching staff is about $120,000, and we're currently spending just over $103,000. Could we possibly find some better coaches who will fit our budget?

I take a look at the available coaches, none of whom represent significant upgrades over who we have. I decide to keep the band together for one more year, at least.

None of our players--not even unhappy Dana Broughton and Donnie Pope--decide to transfer out of our program. We don't have any available scholarships, so the Transfer Round will be uneventful.

[MoonlightGraham]

July 1, 2013

Here are your 2013/14 Lafayette Leopards!


Player # Pos Yr Ht Wt Sch Acd Status Hometown
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Gary Pooler 3 SG Sr* 6-0 204 Yes 42 OK Rib Lake, WI
Rhett King 4 PF So 6-9 258 Yes 42 OK Saratoga Springs, NY
Billy Weiler 5 PG Sr* 5-11 209 Yes 28 OK Philadelphia, PA
Willard Davis 10 SF Jr* 6-4 212 Yes 65 OK Johnsonburg, PA
Hubert Song 12 SG So 6-4 213 Yes 67 OK New York, NY
Armando Brown 15 SG Fr 6-0 196 Yes 82 OK New York, NY
Alvaro Kinard 20 PG Fr 6-5 186 Yes 51 OK New York, NY
Louis Hewett 22 C Jr 6-7 234 Yes 28 OK Fort Washington, PA
James Rossiter 24 PG Fr 5-10 165 No 15 OK Landisville, PA
Venceslás Castillo 25 SF So 6-8 245 Yes 89 OK Alcazar de San Juan, Spain
Dana Broughton 34 SF Jr 6-6 226 Yes 83 Unhappy Center Valley, PA
Bastian Hirt 35 PF Sr* 6-6 218 No 57 OK Recklinghausen, Germany
Donnie Pope 41 PF Jr* 6-9 238 Yes 74 Unhappy Three Springs, PA
James Sanders 42 C So 6-11 321 Yes 94 OK Bridgeport, CT
Clark Nolan 50 C Jr 6-9 260 Yes 33 OK Whitehall, PA

Our starting backcourt remains unchanged. Senior Billy Weiler returns for another season at the reins of Coach Sims' offense. He's still apparently unwilling or unable to play defense, but his ballhandling and passing are good enough to keep him in the starting five. Hubert Song was sensational last year, the only player to average double figures in scoring. He's improved in every area we'd want him to improve, and he'll be the focal point of our offense.

I decided to see what the AI recommends for the rest of our lineup, and I think I'll roll with it. Like Izulde, the computer thinks Alvaro Kinard will make a fine small forward. Alvaro enters our program with better shooting ratings than Song. His ballhandling and passing, while not suitable for a true guard, are just fine for a wing player.

Right now, I'm planning to use Kinard, Venceslás Castillo, Rhett King, and Clark Nolan in a four-man forward rotation. Kinard has to play the three; he's not suited for the four at all. Castillo played mostly as a small forward last year, but he's big and strong enough to play power forward. He can guard big men as well as any of our other frontcourt players.

King and Nolan are pure bigs; in fact, Nolan is a natural center who's been playing power forward and doing a wonderful job of it. We should be able to choose players who match up well against different opponents, or ride with whoever is playing best.

James Sanders returns as the center. Look for him to be an increasingly effective offensive player this season. Last year, teams could often afford to focus their defensive efforts on stopping our perimeter game, because our big men weren't serious threats to score. I don't think that will be the case anymore.

Dana Broughton will play a more important role this season. He can shoot the rock, and he could emerge as an explosive scorer off the bench, in the mold of Stephen Thames. Newcomer Armando Brown and veteran Willard Davis are also available for backcourt duty. If Brown is willing to redshirt, I might have him do that.

[MoonlightGraham]

August 1, 2013

We have two scholarships to offer to players from the Class of 2014. Both departing seniors, Billy Weiler and seldom-used Gary Pooler, are guards. Our first recruiting targets, therefore, will be backcourt players.

I'd like to see us bring in a point guard who will be able to compete with Armando Brown for a starting spot from the start of the 2014/15 season. The other player could fill any of a number of roles.

Four players catch our eye in the first weeks of the recruiting season. All of them are rated more highly than the players we usually attract. Will our growing prestige, based on our recent NCAA tournament appearance, cause them to look at us with interest?

Jack Ostrander is Delaware's Mr. Basketball. He's a scoring guard who reminds us of Hubert Song in some ways. Jack also has the potential to be a lockdown defender, and I always like to see that in a player.
SG Jack Ostrander
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Height: 6-3
Weight: 177
High School: Christiana High School
Hometown: Newark, DE
GPA: 2.57
Test Score: 1050
Rating: ***

Attributes:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Type INS JPS FTS 3PS HND PAS ORB DRB PSD PRD STL BLK QKN STR JMP STA
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Current: 52 39 48 63 29 21 29 23 34 58 23 17 77 47 89 49
Potential: A B C B D C C B D A C D

Season Stats:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PTS OREB REB AST TOS A/T STL BLK PFS
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
19.9 2.7 6.6 4.5 2.7 1.67 1.0 0.6 2.8

Shooting Averages:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
FGM FGA FG% FTM FTA FT% 3PM 3PA 3P%
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
8.0 15.0 .535 3.6 6.2 .573 0.4 1.5 .241

Recruiting Notes:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Qualified: Yes
Current interest in Lafayette: High
Rankings: East Region #61 Overall, East Region #10 SG
High School Awards: All-State, Mr. Basketball (Delaware)
Top 5 Schools: Delaware, Villanova, La Salle, Coppin State, Temple
It won't be easy to lure Jack away from his home state, or to persuade him to look past the more prestigious programs of the Big Five. Coach Sims and Coach Manion will both visit the Ostrander home in an attempt to do so.

Jermaine Whitfield is our favorite example of a classic point guard. At the high school level, he is a productive scorer and an elite playmaker, and we believe his passing and ballhandling skills will play at the next level, too.
PG Jermaine Whitfield
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Height: 6-4
Weight: 184
High School: Irvington High School
Hometown: Irvington, NJ
GPA: 2.92
Test Score: 1170
Rating: ***

Attributes:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Type INS JPS FTS 3PS HND PAS ORB DRB PSD PRD STL BLK QKN STR JMP STA
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Current: 27 29 10 70 37 58 42 10 50 63 18 16 88 43 74 56
Potential: C C D B B C B D C B F F

Season Stats:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PTS OREB REB AST TOS A/T STL BLK PFS
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
15.7 2.8 6.0 9.0 2.5 3.60 2.0 0.2 1.6

Shooting Averages:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
FGM FGA FG% FTM FTA FT% 3PM 3PA 3P%
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
6.4 14.4 .443 1.6 3.5 .464 1.4 5.8 .235

Recruiting Notes:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Qualified: Yes
Current interest in Lafayette: Average
Rankings: #18 PG, East Region #23 Overall, East Region #7 PG
High School Awards: None
Top 5 Schools: *Rider, *Rhode Island, Fairfield, *Delaware, *Siena
Four of Jermaine's top choices have already offered him. We do the same, and send Coaches Sims and Manion to find out if they can turn his Average interest in our program into something more promising.

Whitfield may be looking for more than we can offer. Perhaps Paul Newman, a similar player without quite as much hype, could bring the same kind of game to the Kirby Center.
PG Paul Newman
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Height: 5-11
Weight: 158
High School: Greencastle-Antrim High School
Hometown: Greencastle, PA
GPA: 3.12
Test Score: 1300
Rating: ***

Attributes:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Type INS JPS FTS 3PS HND PAS ORB DRB PSD PRD STL BLK QKN STR JMP STA
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Current: 18 43 62 25 43 35 22 0 39 48 16 2 89 36 68 27
Potential: F C B C C B C F B A D D

Season Stats:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PTS OREB REB AST TOS A/T STL BLK PFS
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
16.0 1.6 3.3 6.2 2.8 2.25 1.3 0.3 2.3

Shooting Averages:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
FGM FGA FG% FTM FTA FT% 3PM 3PA 3P%
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
6.7 13.7 .489 1.6 2.2 .744 1.0 3.9 .256

Recruiting Notes:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Qualified: Yes
Current interest in Lafayette: High
Rankings: East Region #78 Overall, East Region #21 PG
High School Awards: None
Top 5 Schools: Morgan State, Rider, VCU, Lafayette, Longwood

Paul is an excellent student, and he's a Pennsylvania kid who lists us among his top five choices. We'll visit him, and he's coming to Lafayette for a visit this month.

According to the experts, Perry Scribner is the best player who expresses Very High interest in playing for Lafayette.
PG Perry Scribner
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Height: 6-2
Weight: 195
High School: Peekskill High School
Hometown: Peekskill, NY
GPA: 3.18
Test Score: 1040
Rating: ***

Attributes:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Type INS JPS FTS 3PS HND PAS ORB DRB PSD PRD STL BLK QKN STR JMP STA
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Current: 19 67 39 60 37 19 23 42 12 31 30 15 87 32 74 49
Potential: D A D C C B B C F B C F

Season Stats:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PTS OREB REB AST TOS A/T STL BLK PFS
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
23.1 1.7 5.9 3.2 2.1 1.50 1.0 0.5 2.5

Shooting Averages:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
FGM FGA FG% FTM FTA FT% 3PM 3PA 3P%
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
9.8 19.5 .504 1.1 2.1 .524 2.4 6.8 .356

Recruiting Notes:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Qualified: Yes
Current interest in Lafayette: Very High
Rankings: #40 PG, East Region #47 Overall, East Region #11 PG
High School Awards: None
Top 5 Schools: Fairfield, Iona, Stony Brook, Seton Hall, Connecticut
Perry is an excellent shooter with decent playmaking skill, and he's also a very good student.

We decide to offer scholarships to Jermaine Whitfield and Jack Ostrander. Why not aim high? If neither player expresses real interest in our program, we'll turn to Newman and Scribner.

[MoonlightGraham]

I spent some enjoyable time yesterday looking for information about how to improve my FBCB skills. Much of what I found, including this classic from this forum's past (https://forums.operationsports.com/fofc/showthread.php?t=23911&highlight=recruiting+fbcb), was written over a decade ago, based on what I believe was an earlier version of the game. The advice looked very sound, so I hope it's still applicable to the current (2010) edition of FBCB.

I realized I've been interpreting the INS rating too narrowly. I took INS to be a skill that was mainly relevant to big men, because it related solely to post play. The game guide (which I had rarely looked at) mentions that players with a good INS rating are better at creating shots. Now I'm thinking of INS as a rating that affects a player's ability to get to the rim, whether he's a big who catches the ball down low or a slashing guard or wing. A player with a high JPS rating who's low in INS now seems to be a spot-up shooter who needs someone to get him the ball. That makes a lot of sense.

I haven't been considering INS at all when I'm evaluating SGs, and I've only noticed it in passing when I look at SFs. Now, I'm going to value it highly in any player I want to be a scorer.

September 1, 2013
I gathered another valuable insight regarding recruiting, which confirmed my original belief. If I'm recruiting a player who receives an offer from a school whose prestige level is more than about 10 points higher than mine, it's time to move on--especially if the player has listed the other school ahead of mine.

This is exactly what has happened with Jack Ostrander and Jermaine Whitfield. Ostrander has been offered by Villanova, and Whitfield has offers from Rhode Island and Rider in hand. There's probably no way I can sway Jack from the mighty Wildcats, and Jermaine has both other schools listed ahead of us. It's time to turn elsewhere.

Or is it? We haven't brought either Jack or Jermaine to campus for a visit, and we can do so this month. Let's look at the players we would turn to if we can't land our first choices.

Paul Newman has the skills we're looking for in a point guard. He lists Lafayette as his first choice, although he has an offer from Delaware. If we wait another month to see what Whitfield will do, will Newman sign with the Blue Hens?

Perry Scribner doesn't like us much anymore. His interest in our program has dropped to Average; he must not have enjoyed his visit to campus very much.

There are two players who are now looking more promising to me. One of them is Desmond White, a two-star recruit from Princeton, NJ.
PG Desmond White
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Height: 6-2
Weight: 171
High School: Princeton High School
Hometown: Princeton, NJ
GPA: 2.57
Test Score: 980
Rating: **

Attributes:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Type INS JPS FTS 3PS HND PAS ORB DRB PSD PRD STL BLK QKN STR JMP STA
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Current: 42 34 39 60 52 53 1 18 25 1 59 10 87 22 53 22
Potential: C B C B B A C F D D C D

Season Stats:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PTS OREB REB AST TOS A/T STL BLK PFS
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
12.6 1.0 3.6 5.4 2.8 1.96 1.2 0.2 4.0

Shooting Averages:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
FGM FGA FG% FTM FTA FT% 3PM 3PA 3P%
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
5.5 11.8 .464 0.8 1.3 .577 0.9 3.5 .257

Recruiting Notes:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Qualified: Yes
Current interest in Lafayette: Very High
Rankings: None
High School Awards: None
Top 5 Schools: Lafayette, Long Island, Delaware State, Stony Brook, Brown

Desmond hasn't displayed the defensive chops we'd like to see, but in every other respect, he looks like he could be an effective combo guard. We're going to invite Desmond to campus, and Coaches Sims and Manion will visit him at home.

The other player, Justin Judkins, has slipped past everyone besides us so far.
PG Justin Judkins
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Height: 6-1
Weight: 189
High School: Madison High School
Hometown: Middletown, OH
GPA: 3.53
Test Score: 1310
Rating: *

Attributes:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Type INS JPS FTS 3PS HND PAS ORB DRB PSD PRD STL BLK QKN STR JMP STA
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Current: 44 28 62 26 50 38 39 33 17 19 25 20 59 45 26 0
Potential: B D B B C B C C F B D F

Season Stats:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PTS OREB REB AST TOS A/T STL BLK PFS
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
8.1 1.7 5.4 6.0 3.2 1.88 1.5 0.3 3.2

Shooting Averages:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
FGM FGA FG% FTM FTA FT% 3PM 3PA 3P%
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
3.4 9.0 .372 1.0 1.2 .826 0.4 3.4 .119

Recruiting Notes:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Qualified: Yes
Current interest in Lafayette: Very High
Rankings: None
High School Awards: None
Top 5 Schools: Lafayette
We're keeping an eye on Justin, as the "best of the rest" of our PG recruits.

After giving it some thought, I'm going to take one more shot at Ostrander and Whitfield. Both players will visit our campus this month. If they don't seem more excited about our program after they visit, we'll move on.

Carpe diem.

[MoonlightGraham]

October 1, 2013

Our ardent pursuit of Jack Ostrander and Jermaine Whitfield doesn't seem to have succeeded. Jack still prefers Villanova, and Jermaine rates Rhode Island more highly. Villanova's prestige is 94, and Rhode Island's is 57. These are battles we probably can't win. I revoke our offers to both players so I can give them to someone else.

Paul Newman has narrowed his list of top schools to two: Delaware and Lafayette, in that order. He's listing the Blue Hens first, and his interest in our program is Average now. Is that because we haven't offered him a scholarship, while Delaware has? I rate Paul higher than our other PG options. Let's see what happens if I offer Paul this month.

Our second choice PG recruit, Desmond White, receives an offer from Long Island. Their prestige is 15, so I like our chances if we make Desmond an offer. And Justin Judkins has apparently been spotted by Oakland and Detroit. Justin still prefers Lafayette, but neither of his other suitors have made an offer. We can afford to invite Desmond to campus this month.

Last month, I culled some players from our Call List, so I decide to see if there's anyone out there I might want to check out. I filtered the list so I could see players from Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware. When I looked at the Jersey boys, I sorted them by scoring average...and this player literally leapt off the page at me:
SG Joe Lien
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Height: 6-3
Weight: 180
High School: Kittatinny Regional High School
Hometown: Newton, NJ
GPA: 2.26
Test Score: 960
Rating: ***

Attributes:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Type INS JPS FTS 3PS HND PAS ORB DRB PSD PRD STL BLK QKN STR JMP STA
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Current: 77 46 46 51 48 47 17 41 12 14 15 7 70 40 72 43
Potential: A B B C A B F C F C C D

Season Stats:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PTS OREB REB AST TOS A/T STL BLK PFS
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
36.2 1.3 5.9 6.3 1.5 4.34 1.0 0.1 2.9

Shooting Averages:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
FGM FGA FG% FTM FTA FT% 3PM 3PA 3P%
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
15.2 26.1 .583 2.1 3.7 .554 3.7 8.1 .460

Recruiting Notes:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Qualified: Yes
Current interest in Lafayette: Average
Rankings: #19 SG, East Region #25 Overall, East Region #2 SG
High School Awards: All-State
Top 5 Schools: *Wagner, Lafayette
Joe Lien is the second leading scorer among high school players in the United States. His ratings seem to support the argument that Joe's scoring ability is no fluke.

Has Joe escaped the notice of every Division I team in the nation except Wagner and Lafayette? Have other teams checked him out and seen something in his game that we, with our rather mediocre Scouting ability, can't detect?

Wagner's head coach, Chris Allgood, is a decent recruiter (rating 43). His recruiting assistant, Barry Willey, isn't bad either (rating 41). However, when I created Graham Sims, I bestowed upon him a notable ability to sell the benefits of the Lafayette basketball experience to players and their families. Graham's rating is 72. Our recruiting assistant, Steven Manion (rating 39), is just a little bit less talented than Coach Willey. But Graham's charm might be enough to win the day.

Let's find out, shall we? I offer Joe a scholarship, and pursue him with the Recruiting Trifecta: a visit from Coach Sims, a visit from Coach Manion, and a recruiting visit to Lafayette. Nobody will be traveling very far; Joe lives 37 miles from our campus. In fact, he's the most local player we're recruiting.

Another player we've started recruiting bears mention, too. Corey Crayton seems to know where the basket is, and how to get there.
SF Corey Crayton
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Height: 6-6
Weight: 235
High School: East Pennsboro Area High School
Hometown: Enola, PA
GPA: 2.75
Test Score: 1040
Rating: ***

Attributes:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Type INS JPS FTS 3PS HND PAS ORB DRB PSD PRD STL BLK QKN STR JMP STA
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Current: 71 37 17 62 24 39 11 34 16 44 9 23 46 71 52 35
Potential: A C D B D D F C C C C C

Season Stats:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PTS OREB REB AST TOS A/T STL BLK PFS
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
17.6 1.0 5.5 2.0 3.1 0.66 0.6 1.0 2.5

Shooting Averages:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
FGM FGA FG% FTM FTA FT% 3PM 3PA 3P%
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
7.3 16.1 .455 1.5 3.3 .462 1.5 5.7 .254

Recruiting Notes:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Qualified: Yes
Current interest in Lafayette: Average
Rankings: East Region #91 Overall, East Region #21 SF
High School Awards: All-State
Top 5 Schools: *Loyola-Maryland, Drexel, Lafayette

Corey shows some interest in our program, despite the fact we've just started recruiting him. He has an offer from a program with comparable prestige, but Loyola's record over the last two seasons is 15-46. Let's bring Corey to campus and show him a good time, shall we? Coaches Sims and Manion will ride over to Enola to visit him and his family, too.

I'm really having fun with recruiting in this game!

[MoonlightGraham]

November 1, 2013

To nobody's surprise, Jermaine Whitfield commits to Rhode Island this month. But Jack Ostrander hasn't said "yes" to Villanova yet. We didn't leave the field too quickly, did we?

More importantly, our late push to sign Paul Newman falls short, as he accepts Delaware's offer. While I'm disappointed that we can't land him, I'm glad the game won't always let human players wait for months, swoop in, and snag any player they want. It's more realistic, and more challenging, for a recruit to look favorably on a program that recruited him actively from the beginning.

Joe Lien still lists Wagner ahead of us, but his interest level goes up to High after his campus visit. Coach Sims and Coach Manion will each visit Joe again. In this case, I hope the late recruiting push strategy will pay off.

Now it's time to choose which point guard will receive an offer from us. Desmond White hasn't accepted his offer from Long Island yet. Is he waiting for Lafayette to make an offer he'd like better? Justin Judkins is still awaiting his first offer. I think he'd commit to us as soon as we offered him. Would it be better to play it safer and offer the scholarship to him?

Or, do I trust the point guard spot to Armando Brown (or even Alvaro Kinard) for the next two or three years and take a shot at the dynamic Corey Crayton? Corey hasn't accepted Loyola's offer yet.

*thinks about it*
*thinks about it some more*

The season starts this month, so I have lots to do before the recruiting cycle begins again. I'll think about it even more. ;)

[MoonlightGraham]

November 18, 2013
Lafayette 77, Quinnipiac 48
We open our season with an easy road win. Clark Nolan flashes some offensive game, leading us with 15 points. Hubert Song adds 14, and Alvaro Kinard nets 12 in his collegiate debut. Rhett King plays well off the bench, with 11 points.
Record: 1-0.


November 20, 2013
Lafayette 89, Fordham 48
Our home opener is an even more joyous romp. Dana Broughton goes 5-9 from behind the arc, finishing with 19 points. Alvaro Kinard (15), Billy Weiler (14), Hubert Song (11) and Rhett King (11) round out a group of five Leopards in double digits.
Record: 2-0.


November 24, 2013
Lafayette 67, Boston University 58
We run our record to 3-0 with an upset win at a tough place to play. A combination of tough defense from the Terriers and our inability to hit open shots keeps our scoring down, but we compensate well with another tenacious defensive effort.

Hubert Song scores 14 points, and Alvaro Kinard adds 11; the freshman has scored in double figures in each of his first three games.

We earn a spot in the Mid-Major Top 25 for the first time, coming in at #24.
Record: 3-0.


November 27, 2013
Lafayette 87, Princeton 67
The crowd at the Kirby Center is treated to another high-scoring performance from the home team. Hubert Song goes off for the first time, dropping in 21. Alvaro Kinard is once again the only other Leopard in double figures, but six other players score at least seven points.

Big James Sanders has endured a slow start, struggling to make his presence felt. Today, he grabs a season-high 9 rebounds, but he shoots poorly--3 for 10--and finishes with only 7 points.
Record: 4-0.


It's time to make my final recruiting decisions for the month. My confidence running high as I look at our 4-0 record, I decide to be bold. I offer our second scholarship to Corey Crayton.

If we can sign Crayton and Joe Lien--and if they're as good as we think they are--we'll add two potent scorers to our lineup. Hubert Song has begun to demonstrate the qualities of a true lead guard, leading our team in assists and, better yet, posting an assist-to-turnover ratio of 4.66:1. Armando Brown is also playing well as our third guard. As a result, I'm feeling better about going into next season with Song and/or Brown directing the offense.

Let's see what happens, shall we?

[MoonlightGraham]

December 1, 2013
Recruiting Update

Let Leopard Nation rejoice! Joe Lien has committed to Lafayette!

There seems to be more to Joe's game than his arcade-like scoring totals. He's averaging about six rebounds and six assists a game, and his potentials in those areas look good. Our scouts see him developing into a decent perimeter defender, too.

We lose out on Corey Crayton, however. Drexel makes him an offer he can't refuse. Corey has always liked their program, so I'm not surprised that he committed as soon as they arrived with a scholarship in hand.

Desmond White commits to Long Island, so he's off the table now. LIU's coach, Thomas Cowans, is probably on the hot seat, after winning 17 games in the last two seasons combined. White is a good signing for him. Perhaps he can help Coach Cowans turn things around.

It's a lot easier to be charitable, now that Lien is on his way. :)

Our backcourt for next season will include first year Lien, junior Hubert Song, and sophomores Alvaro Kinard and Armando Brown. There's no longer a need to hit a home run with this offer, so I decide to extend it to the patient Justin Judkins. Justin isn't as highly regarded as the other players we've looked at, but I see a solid player there who will have time to develop his game without being rushed into action.

[MoonlightGraham]

December 1, 2013
Rutgers 63, Lafayette 54
This game is a battle of undefeated teams, and Rutgers successfully defends their home court. The Golden Knights usually force a lot of turnovers--just over 20 per game--and we hand the ball to them this way 23 times. In the process, we hand the game to them, too.

Otherwise, we don't play too badly. We hold them to 34.0% shooting, defending even better than our usual standard, which is best in our conference. Hubert Song leads us with 15 points, Billy Weiler pitches in 11, and James Sanders has his first double-figure game with an even 10/10.

We consequently fall out of the Mid-Major Top 25. Holy Cross, now 4-0, is the only Patriot League team on this list.
Record: 4-1.


December 5, 2013
Lafayette 59, St. Francis (NY) 58
With 17 seconds left in the game, Billy Weiler drives the left baseline and scores through contact. He misses the and-one and big Rosendo Dudley claims the rebound for St. Francis. Defending relentlessly, we force them into a poor shot; they miss it, and we run our season record to 2-0 against teams whose mascot is the Terrier.

Weiler is the only Leopard to score in double digits with 15. The Player of the Game is James Sanders, who scores 9 with 7 rebounds.
Record: 5-1.


December 11, 2013
Lafayette 75, Monmouth 46
Monmouth's post players aren't very good, so I adjust our game plan to focus on the inside a bit more. It's time to let the Big Colonel eat.

James Sanders responds with 15 points in another lopsided victory. Senior Billy Weiler, playing the best basketball of his career, leads us with 16 points, while Alvaro Kinard tosses in 12 more.
Record: 6-1.


December 13, 2013
Lafayette 70, Iona 64
A tough Gaels team comes to the Kirby Center and gives us a tough game, but we hang on for the win despite shooting a miserable 5-25 from behind the three-point line.

Our backcourt combines for 33 points: 19 for Billy Weiler and 14 for Hubert Song. A revived James Sanders posts a robust double-double: 15 points, 14 rebounds. Clark Nolan clears another 13 boards.
Record: 7-1.


December 15, 2013
We're back in the Mid-Major rankings, at #23. Holy Cross, still unbeaten at 8-0, come in at #10, and receive some votes in the "big" poll, too.


December 18, 2013
Lafayette 64, Brown 63
We snatch another victory away from a home-standing opponent with a definite lack of style...until the final ticks of the clock.

Venceslás Castillo knocks down two free throws to tie the score at 59 with just under six minutes remaining in the second half. For the next four minutes, nobody manages to score; both teams squander possessions with a variety of missed shots, a five-second call, a pair of bricks on a two-shot foul, and a laughably wild pass.

We're up, 61-60, when Clark Nolan hacks Gary Martin. A senior who has made 61 percent of his charity tosses over the course of his career, Gary misses both shots this time. DeWitt Kirchner rebounds for Brown, but his putback attempt is rejected by the Good King. We storm into the frontcourt...and do very little once we get there, losing the ball on a shot clock violation.

The Bears take full advantage of the turnover, and we inexplicably lose a smooth-shooting freshman named James Claxton. He drills a triple to put Brown ahead, 63-61.

With 26.5 seconds remaining, the shot clock is off. I call our last time out and load up on three-point marksmen, bringing Dana Broughton off the bench to join Alvaro Kinard and Hubert Song, with Castillo and the Big Colonel available to grab a rebound if necessary.

The ball goes to Broughton, a career 42.4% shooter from long distance. Dana has a decent look from the left wing, but doesn't pull the trigger; instead, he swings the ball to Song on the right side. Hubert spots Kinard, open in the right corner, and gets him the ball.

Night-night.

The play-by-play reads:
Nothing but net.
Alvaro Kinard is taunting the opposing bench.

While Kinard provides the last-second heroics, Venceslás Castillo is the game's brightest star. Until recently, it's been difficult for Castillo to find opportunities to shine. Only five players are allowed to play basketball at a time, and with Clark Nolan and Alvaro Kinard both in fine form, Castillo's playing time has been somewhat limited. An adjustment to the depth chart before this game allows the Good King to play more, and he takes full advantage: 16 points, 8 rebounds.

Song (13 points), Kinard (12) and Billy Weiler (10) provide scoring assistance. Nolan leads us with 10 rebounds.

Good King Venceslás was simply waiting for Christmas to be right around the corner.
Record: 9-1.


December 22, 2013
The latest Mid-Major poll puts us at #19, up four spots from last week. Holy Cross suffers two losses this week, and slot in two places below us at #21.


December 24, 2013
George Washington 58, Lafayette 38
Our first home loss of the season is an especially ugly one. We don't do anything especially well, and we do several things poorly.

Hubert Song suffers through the worst game of his career. He misses all but one of the 10 shots he takes, and fouls out with 3 points. The only individual performance of note is a 10-rebound effort from James Sanders.
Record: 9-2.


December 26, 2013
St. John's 64, Lafayette 46
The Lafayette athletic director, whom I let schedule our games, is advised by Ebenezer Scrooge*to make us play on Christmas Eve and Boxing Day. The result of our trip to play St. John's is a symmetrical score that does not flatter us.

James Sanders is again our best player, scoring over a third of our points (18) and pulling in 7 rebounds. Hubert Song is again held to only 3 points, giving him 6 in two games. Hubert often scores that many before the first media timeout.

Remember Ned Doran? We recruited him heavily last fall, before he signed with St. John's. Ned is playing well for the Red Storm, starting every game so far. He scores 10 points today, below his average of nearly 14 per game.

* This version of Scrooge predates his visit from the Three Spirits.
Record: 9-3.


December 31, 2013
Lafayette 74, Rhode Island 62
Ringing out 2013 on a good note, we bounce back nicely with a win over Jermaine Whitfield's future teammates.

Hubert Song can only be contained for so long. He reasserts himself with a 24-point performance, featuring 6 treys in 12 attempts. James Sanders logs another double-double, with 12 points and 10 boards. Reserves Venceslás Castillo and Rhett King make their presences felt; Castillo scores 10 points, and they split 15 rebounds between them: Castillo 8, King 7. Alvaro Kinard finds shots hard to come by, so he contributes with 4 assists.
Record: 10-3.

[MoonlightGraham]

January 1, 2014
Recruiting Update

Our incoming class is now complete, as Justin Judkins announces his commitment to Lafayette basketball.

The native of Middletown, Ohio is not highly regarded; the "experts" give him one star, and believe there are 225 point guards out there better than he is. I think he could be a sleeper. He can create his own shot, and his handle should be reliable enough to run the point. He looks raw defensively, but the potential for improvement is there.

Of course, the margin of error in our scouting could be fairly dramatic. That might, however, mean Justin is a better player than the "experts" believe.

Justin is an outstanding student who won't need to devote training time to keeping his grades up. This will allow him to hone his basketball skills.

Welcome to the team, Justin.

[MoonlightGraham]

January 3, 2014
Lafayette 57, Seton Hall 45
Let's ring in the new year with an upset, shall we?

The Leopards harry the Pirates into lots of bad shots, most of which don't go in. Clark Nolan outplays the Hall's All-Big East power forward, Edmond Stuart, holding him to 6 points and 5 rebounds--less than half his season's averages. Meanwhile, Clark notches 11 points and 7 rebounds.

It's another fine game from Hubert Song, who finishes with 18 points and 7 rebounds of his own. Hubert, who was 6'3" and just over 200 pounds when we signed him, has grown into a 6'4", 220-pound unit who looks like an outside linebacker. He simply bullies Seton Hall's willowy guards.
Record: 11-3.

2013 Patriot League Standings

TEAM CW CL Pct W L Pct RPI Prestige
----------------------------------------------------------
Lafayette 0 0 .000 11 3 .786 95 33
Holy Cross 0 0 .000 11 2 .846 231 40
Navy 0 0 .000 8 5 .615 132 19
Colgate 0 0 .000 6 8 .429 189 18
American 0 0 .000 6 7 .462 238 44
Army 0 0 .000 5 9 .357 191 14
Lehigh 0 0 .000 5 9 .357 265 21
Bucknell 0 0 .000 4 10 .286 126 28

We roll into our Patriot League campaign in fine style, don't we?

Holy Cross has a better record than we do. They are in the Mid-Major Top 25, and we are not. However, when I look more closely at their season so far, I wonder if they're all that good.

The Crusaders have played only one team with a winning record this year. They beat an 8-2 Columbia team on November 23. They lost to Harvard (5-8) and a 5-7 Quinnipiac team we beat by 29. They recorded victories against 2-11 Long Island, 1-12 Dartmouth, and 1-11 Brown. (In all honesty, that Brown team gave us fits.)

American's record also deserves a deeper dive. Four of their losses came to Connecticut, Duke, Maryland, and George Washington, who blew us out of our own gym. The Eagles, led by star senior guards Patrick Robinson and Victor Reed, are certainly among the teams to watch in the Patriot League.

[MoonlightGraham]

January 6, 2014
Lafayette 62, Colgate 61
We try our very best to throw this one away.

A basket by Colgate's Brandon Apple pulls the Red Raiders to within two, 62-60, with just under a minute to play. Apple then picks off a pass, and on the ensuing possession, Rhett King fouls William Whitmer in the act of shooting.

Twelve seconds show on the clock as Whitmer steps to the line with a chance to tie the game. He sinks the first foul shot, but misses the second. Billy Weiler snares the rebound. Colgate has to foul, and Whitmer promptly grabs Weiler by the waist. We're in the double bonus, and I feel pretty good about our chances here; Billy is a career .730 free throw shooter, the second best on our roster.

Billy misses both free throws. Apple rebounds the second miss to give his team one more chance to win the game. His shot bounces off the rim, and we sheepishly walk away with the W.

Weiler plays well before his late-game yips, scoring 15 points: one fewer than our high man, Hubert Song. Venceslás Castillo adds 11 more off the bench. Clark Nolan (11) and James Sanders (9) are our leading rebounders.
Record: 12-3 (1-0).


January 11, 2014
Lafayette 71, Bucknell 54
The Bison do a fine job of defending our guards and wings. They hold Hubert Song to 9 points, Billy Weiler to 6, and Alvaro Kinard to 5. If you tell me before a game that the three of them will score only 20 points combined, I'll predict we will lose the game.

Venceslás Castillo has other ideas. Flourishing now in his sixth man role, the Good King burns the Bison for 17 points in 21 minutes. He also pulls in 7 rebounds, one below team leader James Sanders' 8. The Big Colonel is our only other double-digit scorer with 10.

Bucknell's high scorer is guard Devin Switzer, a walk-on who has started every game of the season and leads the team in minutes played.
Record: 13-3 (2-0).


January 12, 2014
Our four-game winning streak earns us a return to the Mid-Major Top 25, but barely. We're at #25.

The top-ranked Mid-Major is undefeated Northern Iowa. The Panthers, 18-0, earned every first place vote, and they're #5 in the overall Top 25.


January 15, 2014
Lafayette 75, Navy 67
The Midshipmen often play us tough, and tonight is no exception. Down 12 with 14 minutes to play, they close the gap to three before we make some foul shots down the stretch.

We shoot better from distance than we do from closer range, making 12 of our 25 three-point attempts while shooting only 42.6% overall. Hubert Song rediscovers his shooting touch and pours in 27, including 6-8 from three. Billy Weiler scores 10 points and hands out 6 assists, and Clark Nolan's 10 rebounds include 5 off the offensive glass.

We are alone at the top of the Patriot League in the early going. Colgate (2-1) has beaten both American (1-1 in the league) and Holy Cross (1-2), and nearly beat us, too.
Record: 14-3 (3-0).


January 18, 2014
Lafayette 83, Lehigh 78
I wonder if Alvaro Kinard angered the basketball deities with his celebration of his game-winning bucket against Brown. Since that night, he's been in a horrific slump, not getting many good shots and not making many of the ones he gets.

Meanwhile, Venceslás Castillo has turned his game up a notch. I decide to move Castillo into the starting lineup for our rivalry game at Lehigh, shifting Kinard to the sixth man role.

Venceslás and Alvaro make me look very smart. The Spanish sophomore, who now packs 245 pounds of muscle on his 6'8" frame, records an imperious double-double, with career highs of 17 points and 12 rebounds. The brash freshman from NYC scores 10 points as the first man off our bench.

Billy Weiler also records a career high with 19 points to lead our scorers, with Hubert Song adding an efficient 17.

We don't play very well defensively, but Lehigh gives us a chance to make up for it by putting us on the free throw line an outrageous number of times. We shoot 45 foul shots, making 31 of them. Weiler goes 10-11 from the stripe.
Record: 15-3 (4-0).


January 19, 2014
We remain at #25 in the Mid-Major poll.


January 25, 2014
Lafayette 85, Holy Cross 71
Holy Cross's struggles in Patriot League play continue, as we travel up to Worcester and pull away in the second half for a comfortable victory.

The Crusaders can't handle James Sanders. His post moves result in baskets or fouls, which he converts into points at the free throw line. Going 5-8 from the floor and 8-10 from the line, our massive center finishes with 18 points.

Our next high scorer is Venceslás Castillo with 16, and Alvaro Kinard follows with 14. Both players seem to thrive in their new roles. Clark Nolan pitches in with 10 points of his own.

On a night when Hubert Song (9 points, 3-10 shooting) is cold, a teammate--or two or three or four--pick up the slack. I'm starting to really, really like this team. :)

Fun fact: 6'0" Billy Weiler has blocked twice as many shots this season as 6'11" James Sanders. Billy has rejected two shots. James has, amazingly, only turned back ONE. The Big Colonel is actually not much of a shot blocker. He recorded only eight blocks in 2012/13.
Record: 16-3 (5-0).


January 26, 2014
We move up one spot to #24 in the Mid-Major Top 25. While other teams move around quite a bit, we remain in about the same place every week.


January 28, 2014
Lafayette 69, Army 56
I was worried that this might be a trap game for us, coming between a trip to Holy Cross and a home date with American. The boys reassure me with a fine first half performance which they ride to a tidy victory.

Hubert Song is in tune again tonight, nearly matching Army's high-scoring Jack Jessie with 17 points (to JJ's 18). Alvaro Kinard (13) and Venceslás Castillo (11) join Song in double digits, and Billy Weiler distributes the ball well and finishes with 6 assists.
Record: 17-3 (6-0).


January 31, 2014
This is how the Patriot League standings look at the end of January.

2013 Patriot League Standings

TEAM CW CL Pct W L Pct RPI Prestige
-----------------------------------------------------------
Lafayette 6 0 1.000 17 3 .850 101 33
American 3 3 .500 9 10 .474 241 44
Army 3 3 .500 8 12 .400 172 14
Bucknell 3 3 .500 7 13 .350 162 28
Navy 3 3 .500 11 9 .550 131 19
Holy Cross 2 4 .333 13 7 .650 229 40
Colgate 2 4 .333 8 12 .400 178 18
Lehigh 2 4 .333 7 13 .350 232 21

[Izulde]

That's a comfortable 3 game lead - knock on wood - and I'm glad to see the Good King (my own personal favorite Leopard) back in the lineup. Excited to see if Lien puts up video game numbers for you guys at the college level, too.

[MoonlightGraham]

That's a comfortable 3 game lead - knock on wood - and I'm glad to see the Good King (my own personal favorite Leopard) back in the lineup. Excited to see if Lien puts up video game numbers for you guys at the college level, too.

The other good teams in the Patriot League keep beating each other, and that's been very helpful for us. Plus, nobody in the league has been so bad that teams can count on a W when they see them on the schedule.

I'm a big fan of Castillo, too, ever since I began recruiting him. It's interesting; we seem to play with a bit more style when The Good King starts. Being introduced with the starting lineup seems to bring out the best in Venceslás. And Alvaro Kinard has been very effective coming off the bench. I'm going to roll with this lineup for a while.

Venceslás is officially listed as a "small forward," but there is nothing small about him. He's 6'8", and he's bulked up to 248 pounds. This is quite the Clydesdale lineup:

James Sanders: 6'11", 321
Clark Nolan: 6'9", 260
Venceslás Castillo: 6'8", 248
Hubert Song: 6'4", 220
Billy Weiler: 5'11", 209

Rhett King (6'9", 260) and Dana Broughton (6'6", 226) are two of the first three men off the bench. Armando Brown (6'0", 201) is solid. Kinard (6'5", 189) seems almost frail by comparison.

I hope we scouted Joe Lien fairly accurately, because his ratings suggest he could score just about anywhere. That 77 for INS is sweet, and his JPS and 3PT aren't bad, either. Our staff are mediocre scouts, so I won't believe the numbers until Joe arrives on campus. I believe I read somewhere that once a player joins your team, you see his actual ratings.

Thanks for stopping by, Izulde.

[MoonlightGraham]

February 1, 2014
Lafayette 65, American 34
Yes, you read that correctly.

We play well defensively, but American are just plain awful tonight. Even if we don't score a single point in the second half, the game would go into overtime.

Victor Reed, the Patriot League's leading scorer, took nine shots, missed them all, and finished with zero points. Despite the shutout, Victor is still averaging 19.4 per game. That's how productive he's been this season.

James Sanders and Billy Weiler drop in 15 apiece for us. Hubert Song manages "only" 10, but that's 10 more than the man he's guarding. Venceslás Castillo rips down 12 boards, missing a double-double by a single bucket. All in all, it's a hugely satisfying performance.
Record: 18-3 (7-0).


February 2, 2014
I don't get how the Mid-Major Top 25 poll works. We beat a conference opponent by 31 points and FALL one spot in the rankings, back to #25. Perhaps it's because the Patriot League is such a meh conference. Holy Cross (14-7) is the only other team in our league with a winning record.


February 5, 2014
Lafayette 58, Bucknell 54
The Bison had moved into sole possession of second place in the league, and this game resembles a clash between Number One and Number Two. Our defense has been very good all season long--we're #23 in the nation in fewest points allowed--and in a tough away game, it comes through once again.

Clark Nolan finishes with 10 points and 11 rebounds, sharing the scoring honors with Armando Brown. Armando makes all four of his shots and goes 2-4 from the line. He adds two steals, grabs two rebounds, and commits a turnover. He's named Player of the Game for his scoresheet-filling performance...and he plays only six minutes! I've never seen anything like that. I feel a little sorry for Clark, who battles the Bisons' tough big men, Jason Grimmett and Damon Troyer, for 27 minutes, outplays both of them, and is eclipsed by Armando's meteoric moments.
Record: 19-3 (8-0).


February 8, 2014
Lafayette 75, Colgate 64
We sweep our season series with Colgate with another scrappy, unaesthetically pleasing win. The Red Raiders shoot much better than we do--they scorch us for a 54.5% percentage, while we are at 43.3%--but we squeeze off so many shots that we win on pure volume alone.

Hubert Song's scoring slump continues; he's a very ineffective 2-13 from the floor. Venceslás Castillo also takes 13 shots, but he makes more of them and finishes with 17 points. James Sanders scores 12, and Clark Nolan, our leading rebounder, does his thing with another 11 rebounds.

Rhett King gets hurt. He's diagnosed with Blurred Vision, and he'll be day-to-day for about a week.

Like I said, it's an ugly win, but good teams manage to get a few of those every year.
Record: 20-3 (9-0).


February 9, 2014
We finally move up in the Mid-Major poll, achieving a season-best #22 ranking. However, when I peek at the Bubble Watch, I see that we're listed as Out. I have to filter the results to show only Patriot League teams in order to discover our status.

Our schedule hasn't been strong, and that's probably part of the problem. Our RPI is 88. We've played only three teams in the top 100, and we've gone 1-3 against them. We've run the table, 19-0, against teams ranked 101 and below.


February 12, 2014
Lafayette 70, Lehigh 62
We celebrate the 205th anniversary of the birth of Abraham Lincoln with another win that brings to mind the less-than-elegant style of the Great Emancipator.

Rhett King's injury causes me to shorten our bench quite a bit. Six guys play the vast majority of the game. Five of them score in double figures: Hubert Song (10), Alvaro Kinard (11), James Sanders (13), Billy Weiler (15), and the magisterial Good King (15). Castillo adds 13 rebounds, Sanders 9, and Weiler 8.

I don't like the fact we turned the ball over 20 times, but we forced the Mountain Hawks into 22 turnovers of their own.

We've clinched a share of the Patriot League championship. Holy Cross is 5-4 in league play; they would have to win out while we lose four straight to split the title with us.
Record: 21-3 (10-0).


February 15, 2014
Lafayette 72, Navy 53
Graham Sims and his Lafayette Leopards sew up their first Patriot League championship with an emphatic win over Navy at the Kirby Center.

We return to the form that carried us through the early part of the season, characterized by stout defense, opportunistic offense, and the dominant presence of Hubert Song. The sophomore nails 6 of his 9 three-point attempts and scores 24 points, adding 6 rebounds.

The team's celebration of its championship is muted somewhat by the injury of Venceslás Castillo. The Good King sprained his knee, and he'll be day-to-day for a little over a week. Venceslás will make the trip out to Seattle, where we have a non-conference game, but he won't play.
Record: 22-3 (11-0).


February 16, 2014
We've made it all the way up to #20 in the Mid-Major poll.


February 17, 2014
Lafayette 66, Seattle 44
The Redhawks have struggled this season; they enter today's game with an 8-18 record. Their signature win is a 78-63 defeat of a decent Virginia team. Even without Venceslás Castillo, we look good in a decisive victory.

The star is senior guard Billy Weiler, who continues to play the best basketball of his Lafayette career. His 16 points come on 7-for-11 shooting, and he hands out four assists while committing only one turnover. That kind of guard play wins games, and championships.

Hubert Song and Alvaro Kinard score 13 apiece, and I don't push Castillo far enough down the depth chart to keep him completely off the floor. He sees a single minute of action and claims a rebound.
Record: 23-3 (11-0).


February 22, 2014
Holy Cross 68, Lafayette 63
Our dream of a perfect Patriot League season are shattered by the Crusaders, who play a nearly flawless first half and hold off our spirited attempt at a comeback.

We have trouble with sophomore point guard Dominick Hinman, whose 23 points lead all scorers. Billy Weiler deserves a better Senior Night than this. He misses all eight of his field goal attempts and gets into foul trouble trying to stop Hinman.

Hubert Song leads us with 18 points. James Sanders adds 14, and Venceslás Castillo returns to the starting lineup with 11.
Record: 23-4 (11-1).


February 23, 2014
Our loss causes us to drop a spot in the Mid-Major poll; now we're at #21.


February 26, 2014
Lafayette 68, Army 44
It doesn't take long for us to return to regular service, as we trounce the Black Knights by 24 points on their home court.

Jack Jessie scores 20 points, but he needs 22 shots to do so. Our Hubert Song is a bit more efficient, matching Jessie's total with "only" 16 shots, and he finds his teammates for a career-high seven dimes.

The two high-scoring guards are the only players in double figures.

I tweak the starting lineup a bit, going with Weiler, Song, Kinard, Castillo, and Sanders,, while bringing Nolan off the bench.
Record: 24-4 (12-1).


March 1, 2014
American 75, Lafayette 74
Victor Reed sinks a three-pointer with 19 seconds remaining to give the Eagles a come-from-behind victory in his final regular season home game. We have a chance to snatch the honors back from the Eagles, but Clark Nolan's shot bounces off the rim. It's a sweet bit of revenge for the Eagles, and especially for Reed; you may remember the way we held him scoreless in our first matchup, exactly a month ago.

Reed finishes with a much more typical 22 points. Patrick Robinson directs the American offense like a maestro. The reigning Player of the Year in our conference, Patrick records a double-double: 12 points and 13 assists, while turning the ball over only twice.

Nolan returns to the starting five and plays well, scoring 18 points. Hubert Song (16), Billy Weiler (13), and James Sanders (10) join him in double digits.
Record: 24-5 (12-2).

[MoonlightGraham]

March 5, 2014
Patriot League Tournament
(1) Lafayette 68, (8) Navy 37
The Navy doesn't make it out of port today, falling behind 39-18 at halftime and never posing much threat to the #1 seed Leopards.

The Midshipmen discover that it's really hard to score if the other team steals the ball from you. We rack up 11 thefts, led by Billy Weiler's 4.

Hubert Song's 17 points lead all scorers. Alvaro Kinard comes off the bench for 15 more, hitting 5 of 7 shots. Venceslás Castillo hauls in 11 rebounds. He and James Sanders have each pulled in 181 for the season, but the Good King has played fewer minutes.

Bucknell and American win their opening round games, but 3 seed Holy Cross are upset by Army. We'll face the Bison next.
Record: 25-5.


March 8, 2014
Patriot League Tournament
(4) Bucknell 64, (1) Lafayette 61
Sometimes a basketball team does everything fairly well, and it loses because the other team did things just a bit better. That's what happens as Bucknell eliminate us from the Patriot League tournament.

We have the ball with 15 seconds left, which gives us a decent chance to send the game into overtime. Bucknell defends very well, however, and it's Venceslás Castillo who ends up taking the last shot, rather than Hubert Song, Billy Weiler, or Dana Broughton. Ideally, Alvaro Kinard would be high on that list, but he's already fouled out.

The Good King misses from the right corner, and the Bison advance. They'll face American, who beat Army by 33 points.

Song (15 points) and Kinard (12) are our high scorers. Castillo falls one pont and one rebound short of another double-double.

Now it's time to see if the NCAA Tournament selection committee will be kind to us. According to the Bubble Watch, we won't be invited to the dance.
Record: 25-6.


March 14, 2014
Bucknell makes up a seven-point halftime deficit to beat American, 79-64, and win the Patriot League tournament. The Bison claim the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA tournament.

Guard Moses Washington, who played very well against us, was the star for the Bison again today.


March 16, 2014
We accept an invitation to the NIT, as the #4 seed in the West Region. Our opponent will be #5 seed Western Michigan, and we'll play them at home on March 20.

Bucknell will have to survive a play-in game against Middle Tennessee in the NCAA West Region.

American barely sneaks into the CBI; as the #15 seed, they'll take on St. Mary's.

The CIT chose Holy Cross as its #2 seed, and they'll play Belmont in the first round.


March 20, 2014
NIT West Region, First Round
(4) Lafayette 67, (5) Western Michigan 55

Western Michigan are a very good team. Their 25-6 record is identical to ours, and they went 13-2 in the MAC, a significantly tougher conference than the Patriot League. The Broncos are currently #21 in the Mid-Major Top 25, and we've fallen out of the poll.

Their best player is PG Harvey Rager, a senior who averages 21.1 points and 4.1 assists per game, leading his conference in both categories. SG Robert DeAngelo is a decent complementary scorer, and PF Georg Rothmeyer will battle hard under both baskets.

Stopping Rager (whose name I would like to pronounce as "one who rages") is the key to winning the game, and we do a good job of that. We hold him to 11 points on 4-13 shooting.

The bigger story, however, is the dominance of the Big Colonel. "I would like to rage," says James Sanders, and he inflicts 28 points of damage on the Broncos. James goes 10-17 from the floor and 8-12 from the line, and claims 9 rebounds.

Hubert Song contributes 14 points, and Clark Nolan leads all rebounders with 11.

Sanders' big night seals our spot in the next round, where we'll face top-seeded Stanford.
Record: 26-6.


March 22, 2014
NIT West Region Semifinal
(1) Stanford 77, (4) Lafayette 59
The Cardinal, with their 79 prestige and All-American candidates Barry Tobar and Miguel Brito, are simply too much for us to handle today. High-flying wing Tobar scores 20 points, and bruising big man Brito dominates the backboards, grabbing 14 boards.

Billy Weiler, playing his final collegiate game, leads us in scoring with 16 points. Sixth man Alvaro Kinard finishes with 11, and Hubert Song, who was locked down by defensive stopper Alonzo DeLoach, netted 10.

It's not the result we want, but we can leave the court with our heads held high.

Holy Cross is the only Patriot League team still playing, advancing as expected to the second round of the CBI. Bucknell lost their play-in, and American was eliminated by St. Mary's.
Record: 26-7.

[MoonlightGraham]

April 1, 2014
Holy Cross falls at the last hurdle in the CIT, losing 83-75 to South Alabama in the championship game.

The NIT championship matchup is set. Missouri defeats Cincinnati to earn one spot in the final, while Maryland edges UCLA, 54-52, to take the other. They'll play on April 3.


April 3, 2014
In a battle of #3 seeds, Maryland beats Missouri, 63-49, to win the NIT championship.


April 7, 2014
Illinois are the 2014 NCAA champions, beating Michigan State, 99-85, in a high-scoring final contest.

Keith Lahr, usually a distributor, turns scorer, dropping a career-high 28 on the Spartans. All five Michigan State starters score in double figures, led by junior C Lyndon Chen, who announces he will enter the draft. Chen will almost certainly be a lottery pick.

The Fighting Illini beat Louisville in their Final Four matchup, while Michigan State sent Marquette, a #10 seed Cinderella, home.

Here's one last look at the Patriot League standings:
2013 Patriot League Standings

TEAM CW CL Pct W L Pct RPI Prestige
----------------------------------------------------------
Lafayette 12 2 .857 26 7 .788 78 33
American 10 4 .714 19 13 .594 139 44
Holy Cross 9 5 .643 23 11 .676 162 40
Bucknell 8 6 .571 16 17 .485 137 28
Lehigh 5 9 .357 10 20 .333 232 21
Army 4 10 .286 11 20 .355 182 14
Colgate 4 10 .286 10 20 .333 215 18
Navy 4 10 .286 12 18 .400 191 19

While we set a new Patriot League record for wins in a season, our end-of-season RPI isn't as high as American's was in either 2012 or 2013.

The Patriot League awards are announced today, too.
2013 PATRIOT LEAGUE AWARDS

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Player of the Year:

SR SG Victor Reed American 18.2 PPG, 5.3 RPG, 4.7 APG 0.7 SPG, 0.1 BPG

Freshman of the Year:
FR SG Alvaro Kinard Lafayette 8.6 PPG, 2.2 RPG, 1.4 APG 1.2 SPG, 0.2 BPG

Coach of the Year:
Graham Sims Lafayette 26 - 7 (12 - 2)

All-league 1st Team:
C SR Demetrius Woods Holy Cross 7.1 PPG, 6.3 RPG, 1.5 APG, 0.9 SPG, 1.8 BPG
PF SR Lenny Catlin Holy Cross 17.4 PPG, 5.3 RPG, 2.0 APG, 0.6 SPG, 0.2 BPG
SF SO William Davis Navy 15.3 PPG, 4.6 RPG, 1.3 APG, 0.7 SPG, 0.9 BPG
SG SR Victor Reed American 18.2 PPG, 5.3 RPG, 4.7 APG, 0.7 SPG, 0.1 BPG
PG SR Patrick Robinson American 11.8 PPG, 3.6 RPG, 6.9 APG, 0.6 SPG, 0.2 BPG

All-league 2nd Team:
C SR Robert Mallett Holy Cross 9.1 PPG, 9.6 RPG, 1.0 APG, 0.5 SPG, 0.5 BPG
PF SR Gerald Bechtel Navy 7.2 PPG, 9.8 RPG, 0.9 APG, 0.4 SPG, 3.3 BPG
SF SO Charles Davis Holy Cross 11.3 PPG, 4.5 RPG, 1.9 APG, 1.3 SPG, 0.2 BPG
SG SO Hubert Song Lafayette 14.1 PPG, 4.4 RPG, 2.5 APG, 1.4 SPG, 0.2 BPG
PG SO Dominick Hinman Holy Cross 10.7 PPG, 2.9 RPG, 3.3 APG, 1.2 SPG, 0.2 BPG

All-freshman Team:
C FR Hagan Loeffler American 7.4 PPG, 4.9 RPG, 0.7 APG, 0.3 SPG, 0.5 BPG
PF FR Rhett Barrett Navy 4.5 PPG, 2.5 RPG, 0.4 APG, 0.3 SPG, 0.2 BPG
SF FR Gerald Propst Lehigh 8.2 PPG, 5.2 RPG, 1.8 APG, 0.6 SPG, 0.4 BPG
SG FR Alvaro Kinard Lafayette 8.6 PPG, 2.2 RPG, 1.4 APG, 1.2 SPG, 0.2 BPG
PG FR Justin Ceasar Navy 9.2 PPG, 2.0 RPG, 2.9 APG, 1.1 SPG, 0.1 BPG


American's senior backcourt pair, Victor Reed and Patrick Robinson, add more accolades to their distinguished records. I'd be lying if I said I haven't enjoyed trying to beat them, and I wish both of them well as they continue their careers.

Hubert Song earns a well-deserved spot on the All-Conference second team, after his second productive season in a row. He should become the first of our players to score his 1000th point, sometime early next season.

But how on earth does James Sanders not beat out at least one of the centers? When I post our stats in a moment, you should see what I mean.

I'm delighted with Alvaro Kinard's freshman honors, too. I can see how Justin Ceaser might have a case for Freshman of the Year, but I'm glad AK took the prize.

And I'm also delighted with Coach Sims's first postseason honor. :)

[MoonlightGraham]

April 7, 2014

As promised, the 2013/14 Lafayette Leopards statistics.

LAFAYETTE Averages

Player Pos GP GS Min Pts Orb Reb Ast Stl Blk To Fls +/-
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hubert Song SG 33 32 29.8 14.1 1.6 4.4 2.5 1.4 0.2 2.2 2.7 8.3
Billy Weiler PG 33 33 29.6 9.4 0.8 3.1 2.6 1.1 0.2 1.7 2.6 8.5
Clark Nolan C 33 31 26.7 6.6 2.9 7.2 0.7 0.2 0.4 1.1 2.1 7.2
James Sanders C 33 33 25.9 10.4 1.4 6.1 1.1 0.5 0.2 1.8 2.4 7.3
Alvaro Kinard SG 33 19 24.2 8.6 0.6 2.2 1.4 1.2 0.2 1.4 1.6 8.1
Venceslás Castillo SF 33 15 23.2 7.6 1.8 6.0 1.4 0.5 0.3 1.4 2.3 3.9
Rhett King PF 33 0 13.0 3.3 0.8 3.4 0.5 0.4 0.6 1.1 1.1 3.2
Dana Broughton SF 33 0 11.6 4.3 0.6 1.8 0.6 0.3 0.1 1.1 1.0 0.8
Armando Brown SG 28 0 7.6 1.6 0.1 0.5 0.6 0.2 0.0 0.5 0.6 0.9
Willard Davis PG 31 0 5.7 1.5 0.2 0.6 0.2 0.1 0.0 0.4 0.5 0.3
Donnie Pope PF 20 0 4.3 0.7 0.5 1.3 0.1 0.0 0.0 0.2 0.5 0.3
James Rossiter PG 9 0 2.8 2.1 0.2 0.3 0.0 0.2 0.0 0.1 0.2 0.9
Louis Hewett C 2 0 2.5 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 -0.5
Bastian Hirt PF 8 1 2.4 0.6 0.1 1.0 0.0 0.3 0.0 0.1 0.1 -0.3
Gary Pooler SG 4 1 2.3 0.5 0.3 0.3 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.3 1.0 0.3

LAFAYETTE Totals

Player Pos GP GS Min Pts Orb Reb Ast Stl Blk To Fls +/-
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hubert Song SG 33 32 983 464 53 146 84 45 6 74 90 274
Billy Weiler PG 33 33 978 309 25 102 86 35 5 55 87 281
Clark Nolan C 33 31 881 218 95 239 23 8 14 35 69 239
James Sanders C 33 33 854 342 47 201 37 18 5 58 79 241
Alvaro Kinard SG 33 19 800 283 20 73 46 41 8 47 52 266
Venceslás Castillo SF 33 15 767 252 59 198 45 18 10 45 75 129
Rhett King PF 33 0 430 108 27 112 16 14 20 35 36 105
Dana Broughton SF 33 0 383 143 21 60 21 11 3 35 33 28
Armando Brown SG 28 0 212 45 3 15 18 5 0 14 17 26
Willard Davis PG 31 0 178 47 5 19 5 3 0 13 16 9
Donnie Pope PF 20 0 86 13 10 25 2 0 0 3 10 6
James Rossiter PG 9 0 25 19 2 3 0 2 0 1 2 8
Louis Hewett C 2 0 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 -1
Bastian Hirt PF 8 1 19 5 1 8 0 2 0 1 1 -2
Gary Pooler SG 4 1 9 2 1 1 0 0 0 1 4 1

LAFAYETTE Shooting

Player Pos Fgm Fga Fg% Ftm Fta Ft% 3pm 3pa 3p% PPS +/-
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hubert Song SG 158 366 .432 57 100 .570 91 206 .442 1.27
Billy Weiler PG 112 267 .419 74 95 .779 11 44 .250 1.16
Clark Nolan C 82 189 .434 50 86 .581 4 23 .174 1.15
James Sanders C 115 260 .442 109 154 .708 3 13 .231 1.32
Alvaro Kinard SG 91 158 .576 58 96 .604 43 93 .462 1.79
Venceslás Castillo SF 90 201 .448 48 69 .696 24 82 .293 1.25
Rhett King PF 36 75 .480 30 56 .536 6 18 .333 1.44
Dana Broughton SF 44 96 .458 32 41 .780 23 66 .348 1.49
Armando Brown SG 14 40 .350 13 24 .542 4 22 .182 1.13
Willard Davis PG 12 35 .343 22 25 .880 1 15 .067 1.34
Donnie Pope PF 2 9 .222 9 14 .643 0 0 .000 1.44
James Rossiter PG 6 9 .667 3 3 1.000 4 5 .800 2.11
Louis Hewett C 0 1 .000 0 0 .000 0 0 .000 0.00
Bastian Hirt PF 2 6 .333 1 2 .500 0 1 .000 0.83
Gary Pooler SG 1 4 .250 0 0 .000 0 0 .000 0.50

The plus-minus stat probably has some flaws, but I like it as a quick measure of a player's contributions. Last year, we had seven plus players, led by Clark Nolan's 4.2. This year, every player who was on the court for more than five minutes earned a plus...and six of them were roughly as good as Nolan was last year, or better. In a few cases, much better. Our top five players rank 1-5 in the entire Patriot League in this category.

Several Leopards finish high in individual statistical categories:

Hubert Song: 5th in PPG; 7th in APG; 3rd in 3PFG%; 3rd in SPG
Clark Nolan: 5th in RPG
Billy Weiler: 7th in APG; 3rd in FT%; 6th in A/TO ratio
James Sanders: 9th in FG%; 8th in FT%; 7th in PPS
Alvaro Kinard: 2nd in 3PFG%

[Izulde]

The Big Colonel didn't rebound as well and had no shotblocking. I would have actually had Mallett 1st Team myself and then debated long and hard about whether Woods or Sanders should be 2nd Team. I notice the Colonel shot 44.2%. What percentage did Woods shoot? That'd probably be the decider for me - who was more efficient at shooting the ball.

[MoonlightGraham]

The Big Colonel didn't rebound as well and had no shotblocking. I would have actually had Mallett 1st Team myself and then debated long and hard about whether Woods or Sanders should be 2nd Team. I notice the Colonel shot 44.2%. What percentage did Woods shoot? That'd probably be the decider for me - who was more efficient at shooting the ball.

Woods and Mallett both play for Holy Cross. Woods actually starts at center, and Mallett plays power forward. Woods didn't shoot much; he averaged right at five FGA per game, but he made 59.0% of them. You can't deny his efficiency.

Mallett was also a more accurate shooter, at 49.3%. So, unless you take into consideration that he wasn't actually playing center, Mallett is probably the right choice.

Sanders outplayed both Holy Cross big men both times he faced them, too. On January 25, the Big Colonel scored 18 points (5-8 from the floor) in our 85-71 victory. Woods (5 points) and Mallett (10) combined for 15, shooting 6-13 between them. Sanders blocked a shot, and neither Crusader big man did.

Holy Cross handed us our first Patriot League defeat on February 22. Mallett was injured and didn't play. Woods took only two shots in 32 minutes, making them both. He had 8 rebounds and was a dominant rim protector with 4 blocks. Sanders scored 14 (6-11), and had five rebounds.

I suppose I undervalue Woods and Mallett a bit because neither of them played a huge game against us. They're both good, but the game calls Mallett a center, even though he never actually plays there. Lenny Catlin, the Patriot League's first team PF, plays the three. And, for what it's worth, Charles Davis, the second team SF, starts for them at shooting guard.

[Izulde]

They evidently haven't played enough at those spots for the game to reclassify their positions yet (perhaps they were at their original spots in previous years). For example, Marlin Chevalier came in listed as a PF, but after playing center pretty much exclusively for us, the game reclassified him as a CE.

[MoonlightGraham]

I didn't know the game would do that. It still calls Clark Nolan a C, even though he started 32 out of 33 games for us, all at PF (Big Colonel is the center).

Perhaps I can retcon it as position-less balloting. It's as if the voters are picking the ten most effective players in the league, and then slotting them into the five-man units they'd choose if they had all ten guys on one team. I suppose I can live with that, even when a favorite player loses out. One of these years, a Leopard will benefit from this system. :)

[MoonlightGraham]

2013/14 Senior Tribute

GARY POOLER

Gary was a guard from Rib Lake, Wisconsin, recruited by Coach Sims's predecessor. In three years, Gary played roughly the equivalent of one game of basketball for us: 28 minutes, spread out over 16 appearances. He made a free throw as a sophomore, and sunk a basket as a senior. Only the most hardcore Leopards fan would recognize his name.

But Gary Pooler did something thousands of boys grow up dreaming they'll one day do: he earned a scholarship to play Division I basketball. He played for four years and started on his Senior Night. His teams played in three different post-season tournaments, and he got on the court in an NCAA tournament game. How many young men make this many of their athletic dreams come true?

Rib Lake is a village in Taylor County, Wisconsin. About 900 people live there. Gary Pooler is probably the best player in the history of Rib Lake High School's basketball program. A photo of his signing ceremony graced the front page of the local newspaper. Gary's jersey hangs in the school's athletic trophy case. Rib Lake has to combine with another school to assemble enough boys for a football team. Gary was a very good football player, too, and he ran track in the spring. Back in Rib Lake, Gary Pooler is a star.

Gary could have played Division III basketball and been a major contributor to his team. He was quick and fairly athletic, with a decent handle and the willingness to play defense. Instead, he chose to come to Lafayette, where he worked hard in practice, dressed for games, supported his teammates and made them better players. That's an honorable way to spend four years.

#3 SG Gary Pooler - Lafayette - Senior
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Height: 6-0
Weight: 205
High School: Rib Lake High School
Hometown: Rib Lake, WI

Attributes:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Type INS JPS FTS 3PS HND PAS ORB DRB PSD PRD STL BLK QKN STR JMP STA
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Current: 23 16 29 4 61 26 47 33 34 48 13 23 76 62 70 39
2012: 22 16 28 4 59 25 46 31 33 46 13 22 76 60 69 35
2011: 21 16 27 4 57 24 45 30 32 44 13 21 76 58 69 31
2010: 20 16 26 4 55 23 44 29 31 43 13 20 76 56 68 27
Potential: D D D F B D C C C C D D

Health: Good
Scholarship: Yes
Status: Active Roster
Academics: 42

Stat Averages:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Season G GS MIN PTS ORE REB AST TO A/T STL BLK PF
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2011 9 0 1.8 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.0 0.1 0.00 0.0 0.0 0.2
2012 3 0 1.0 0.7 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.00 0.0 0.0 0.0
2013 4 1 2.3 0.5 0.3 0.3 0.0 0.3 0.00 0.0 0.0 1.0
Career 16 1 1.8 0.3 0.2 0.3 0.0 0.1 0.00 0.0 0.0 0.4

Shooting Averages:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Season FGM FGA FG% FTM FTA FT% 3PM 3PA 3P% PPS +/-
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2011 0.0 0.1 .000 0.1 0.2 .500 0.0 0.0 .000 1.00 0.89
2012 0.3 0.3 1.000 0.0 0.0 .000 0.0 0.0 .000 2.00 -1.00
2013 0.3 1.0 .250 0.0 0.0 .000 0.0 0.0 .000 0.50 0.25
Career 0.1 0.4 .333 0.1 0.1 .500 0.0 0.0 .000 0.83 0.38

Stat Totals:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Season G GS MIN PTS OREB REB AST TO STL BLK PF
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2011 9 0 16 1 2 3 0 1 0 0 2
2012 3 0 3 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
2013 4 1 9 2 1 1 0 1 0 0 4
Career 16 1 28 5 3 4 0 2 0 0 6

Shooting Totals
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Season FGM FGA FTM FTA 3PM 3PA +/-
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2011 0 1 1 2 0 0 8
2012 1 1 0 0 0 0 -3
2013 1 4 0 0 0 0 1
Career 2 6 1 2 0 0 6

Career Highs:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Type Pts OReb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO FGM FGA FTM FTA 3PM 3PA
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Season 2 1 1 0 0 0 1 1 2 0 0 0 0
Career 2 1 1 0 0 0 1 1 2 1 2 0 0

Awards & Acheivements:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Season Award
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
No awards.

Thanks for the memories, Gary.

[MoonlightGraham]

2013/14 Senior Tribute

BASTIAN HIRT

Bastian Hirt came from Recklinghausen, Germany to enroll at Lafayette College. He walked on to the basketball team as a junior and basically took a redshirt year, practicing with the team and developing his skills. Bastian's strength and hustle earned him some meaningful playing time in his first year; he appeared in every game and averaged about eight minutes an appearance.

As several of Lafayette's frontcourt players gained ability and experience, Bastian's playing time declined. To his credit, he didn't complain. He started on his Senior Night, scoring two points, grabbing three rebounds, and getting a steal in eight productive minutes.

#35 PF Bastian Hirt - Lafayette - Senior
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Height: 6-6
Weight: 219
High School:
Hometown: Recklinghausen, Germany

Attributes:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Type INS JPS FTS 3PS HND PAS ORB DRB PSD PRD STL BLK QKN STR JMP STA
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Current: 37 14 30 26 42 4 5 36 57 46 26 35 26 77 39 82
2012: 36 13 28 24 41 4 5 35 54 44 25 33 26 75 39 77
2011: 35 13 27 23 40 4 5 34 52 43 24 32 25 73 39 70
2010: 34 13 26 22 39 4 5 33 51 40 23 31 24 70 38 60
Potential: D D D D C F F D C B D D

Health: Good
Scholarship: No
Status: Active Roster
Academics: 57

Stat Averages:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Season G GS MIN PTS ORE REB AST TO A/T STL BLK PF
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2012 33 0 8.2 1.5 0.2 1.2 0.4 0.2 1.63 0.2 0.1 0.6
2013 8 1 2.4 0.6 0.1 1.0 0.0 0.1 0.00 0.3 0.0 0.1
Career 41 1 7.1 1.3 0.2 1.2 0.3 0.2 0.00 0.2 0.0 0.5

Shooting Averages:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Season FGM FGA FG% FTM FTA FT% 3PM 3PA 3P% PPS +/-
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2012 0.6 1.4 .422 0.2 0.4 .615 0.1 0.2 .286 1.07 -1.88
2013 0.3 0.8 .333 0.1 0.3 .500 0.0 0.1 .000 0.83 -0.25
Career 0.5 1.2 .412 0.2 0.4 .600 0.0 0.2 .250 1.04 -1.56

Stat Totals:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Season G GS MIN PTS OREB REB AST TO STL BLK PF
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2012 33 0 272 48 8 41 13 8 7 2 21
2013 8 1 19 5 1 8 0 1 2 0 1
Career 41 1 291 53 9 49 13 9 9 2 22

Shooting Totals
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Season FGM FGA FTM FTA 3PM 3PA +/-
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2012 19 45 8 13 2 7 -62
2013 2 6 1 2 0 1 -2
Career 21 51 9 15 2 8 -64

Career Highs:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Type Pts OReb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO FGM FGA FTM FTA 3PM 3PA
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Season 3 1 4 0 1 0 1 1 3 1 2 0 1
Career 5 1 4 3 1 1 2 2 5 2 4 1 2

Awards & Acheivements:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Season Award
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
No awards.

Thanks for the memories, Bastian.

[MoonlightGraham]

2013/14 Senior Tribute

BILLY WEILER

Billy Weiler was a Philly kid out of Central Casting. He played tough, with a touch of swagger. Listed at 5'11", Billy wasn't that tall. Listed at 209 pounds, Billy was possibly a bit heavier. He was surprisingly quick, however, and he was a reliable ballhandler. While he was never our primary scoring option, he could make teams pay if they didn't guard him. Billy didn't look much like a college point guard, but he could play like one.

His almost complete lack of defensive nous was his Achilles heel, one that caused us to come up with creative ways to stop talented point guards. Still, Billy got the keys to Graham Sims' team as a sophomore and drove it to a 64-34 record in three seasons. His scrappy, lunch-pail style will be missed around the Lafayette program.

He finishes his eligibility as a Green/Green player, fully realizing his potential. His last basket gave him exactly 800 points in his three-season collegiate career.

#5 PG Billy Weiler - Lafayette - Senior
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Height: 5-11
Weight: 209
High School: Bodine High School
Hometown: Philadelphia, PA

Attributes:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Type INS JPS FTS 3PS HND PAS ORB DRB PSD PRD STL BLK QKN STR JMP STA
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Current: 31 64 68 26 76 57 28 31 15 4 57 24 85 34 47 74
2012: 29 58 62 24 66 49 26 29 14 4 55 23 84 33 46 66
2011: 28 53 57 22 57 43 25 28 13 3 52 22 83 32 46 59
2010: 27 51 55 21 54 41 24 27 13 3 51 21 82 31 45 52
Potential: C B B D A B D D F F C D

Health: Good
Scholarship: Yes
Status: Active Roster
Academics: 28

Stat Averages:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Season G GS MIN PTS ORE REB AST TO A/T STL BLK PF
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2011 32 32 26.1 7.5 0.6 2.6 2.1 1.2 1.74 1.1 0.1 2.2
2012 33 16 26.8 7.6 0.5 2.3 2.4 1.5 1.55 1.1 0.2 1.9
2013 33 33 29.6 9.4 0.8 3.1 2.6 1.7 1.56 1.1 0.2 2.6
Career 98 81 27.5 8.2 0.6 2.6 2.4 1.5 1.56 1.1 0.1 2.3

Shooting Averages:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Season FGM FGA FG% FTM FTA FT% 3PM 3PA 3P% PPS +/-
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2011 2.6 6.3 .413 2.2 3.0 .726 0.1 0.8 .154 1.19 1.63
2012 2.6 6.7 .389 2.0 2.6 .770 0.4 1.4 .277 1.14 2.12
2013 3.4 8.1 .419 2.2 2.9 .779 0.3 1.3 .250 1.16 8.52
Career 2.9 7.0 .408 2.1 2.8 .758 0.3 1.2 .239 1.16 4.11

Stat Totals:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Season G GS MIN PTS OREB REB AST TO STL BLK PF
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2011 32 32 835 239 20 82 68 39 34 2 71
2012 33 16 886 252 17 75 79 51 35 7 63
2013 33 33 978 309 25 102 86 55 35 5 87
Career 98 81 2699 800 62 259 233 145 104 14 221

Shooting Totals
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Season FGM FGA FTM FTA 3PM 3PA +/-
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2011 83 201 69 95 4 26 52
2012 86 221 67 87 13 47 70
2013 112 267 74 95 11 44 281
Career 281 689 210 277 28 117 403

Career Highs:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Type Pts OReb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO FGM FGA FTM FTA 3PM 3PA
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Season 19 3 8 6 4 1 5 7 17 10 11 2 5
Career 19 3 8 6 5 1 6 7 18 11 13 2 6

Awards & Acheivements:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Season Award
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
All Player of the Game: 10

Thanks for the memories, Billy.

[MoonlightGraham]

May 1, 2014

Look who brought in the best recruiting class in the Patriot League...

2013 Recruiting Rankings

# Team Conference Best Player Rtg 5* 4* 3* 2* 1*
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
123. Lafayette Patriot League SG Joe Lien *** 0 0 1 0 1
164. American Patriot League PG Bryant Passmore *** 0 0 1 1 0
176. Bucknell Patriot League C Gregory Latham *** 0 0 1 2 0
239. Colgate Patriot League PG Terrance Wright ** 0 0 0 2 1
262. Navy Patriot League PF Darrel Puma ** 0 0 0 2 0
301. Holy Cross Patriot League PF Reuben Harwell ** 0 0 0 2 0
315. Army Patriot League C Sterling Davies * 0 0 0 0 4
326. Lehigh Patriot League C Papillion Lecroix * 0 0 0 0 3

Joe Lien is the #117 player in the nation, and he's clearly the best incoming freshman in the Patriot League. Three teams in our conference landed a three-star player, and Joe is good enough to lift us over American and Bucknell into the top spot...even though they both recruited at least one two-star player and we did not.

Joe arrives on campus as a Yellow/Blue player, so the hype may be real.

Papillon Lecroix is an early candidate for the Patriot League All-Name Team. My French isn't very good, but isn't that The Butterfly Cross?

My mouth fell open when I saw our budget for 2014/15. We have $361,474 to spend this year! If I decide to keep our current coaching staff, our recruiting budget will be $25,803/month...about $11,000 more than we had last season. Perhaps it's time to hire more accomplished assistant coaches.

Our prestige has gone up two more points, to 35. American (42) and Holy Cross (37) still rank higher than we do, although we've closed the gap on the Crusaders a bit more. After us comes Bucknell (28), and the other Patriot League programs are all in the teens.

The conference prestige of the Patriot League goes up even more significantly, however. We're now a Prestige 3 conference, rather than a Prestige 1. We're now considered on the level of the Big West, the Colonial Athletic Association, the Horizon League, and the MAC.

This spring, Coach Sims gets his first chance to change jobs, within the "rules" I created for this dynasty. Drexel is looking for a new coach. They play in the CAA, and their Prestige is 57. On the surface, this looks like a real step forward. However, their budget is just a bit higher than ours. I like the team we've put together at Lafayette, so I decide to turn Drexel's offer down. If Graham keeps winning, he'll get other chances.

South Carolina, Charlotte, and Virginia Commonwealth also make job offers, but since none of these schools are in Pennsylvania, they're easy "nos."

The caliber of schools that offered Graham jobs this spring makes me wonder if his coaching stats have improved. They haven't; he's still right where he was when I created him. However, all three of his assistants have improved.

https://i.imgur.com/54mgdDt.jpg

Coaches Manion, McClinton, and Liang offer more bang for their buck now. I might have checked to see if our enhanced budget would allow us to lure even more talented assistants to our program, but I clicked past the Assistant Coach Round by mistake. It looks like we're keeping things the way they are for at least one more year.

We don't have any transfer activity this spring.

[MoonlightGraham]

July 1, 2014

Here are your 2014/15 Lafayette College Leopards!

Player # Pos Yr Ht Wt Sch Acd Status Hometown
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Rhett King 4 PF Jr 6-9 260 Yes 42 OK Saratoga Springs, NY
Justin Judkins 5 PG Fr 6-1 189 Yes 94 OK Middletown, OH
Willard Davis 10 PG Sr* 6-4 213 Yes 65 OK Johnsonburg, PA
Hubert Song 12 SG Jr 6-4 220 Yes 67 OK New York, NY
Joe Lien 14 SG Fr 6-3 180 Yes 11 OK Newton, NJ
Armando Brown 15 SG So 6-0 201 Yes 82 OK New York, NY
Alvaro Kinard 20 SG So 6-5 189 Yes 51 OK New York, NY
Louis Hewett 22 C Sr 6-7 241 Yes 28 OK Fort Washington, PA
James Rossiter 24 PG So 5-10 169 No 15 OK Landisville, PA
Venceslás Castillo 25 SF Jr 6-8 248 Yes 89 OK Alcazar de San Juan, Spain
Dana Broughton 34 SF Sr 6-6 227 Yes 83 OK Center Valley, PA
Stephen Martell 35 SF Fr 6-6 239 No 43 OK West Chester, PA
Donnie Pope 41 PF Sr* 6-9 238 Yes 74 OK Three Springs, PA
James Sanders 42 C Jr 6-11 321 Yes 94 OK Bridgeport, CT
Clark Nolan 50 C Sr 6-9 260 Yes 33 OK Whitehall, PA

Three players from Graham Sims' first recruiting class--now juniors--have been starters from the moment they arrived on campus. Guard Hubert Song, forward Venceslás Castillo, and center James Sanders need no introduction to anyone who's followed Leopards basketball for the last three years.

Two of the three will assume new roles this season. Song will inherit the point guard position from graduated Billy Weiler. The Good King will line up at power forward, with the Big Colonel remaining in the pivot.

Sophomore Alvaro Kinard, who shuttled between the starting five and the sixth man role, will open the season as a starter on the wing.

The fifth starter will be highly regarded freshman Joe Lien. Joe was a prolific high school scorer; will he be able to put points on the board at this level, too? We think so, and he'll be a focal point of our offense...as long as he keeps his grades up. His low Academics rating is cause for concern.

Senior Clark Nolan and junior Rhett King will be the reserve big men. Neither will represent a huge step down from the starters, especially Nolan. Senior sharpshooter Dana Broughton and sophomore defensive specialist Armando Brown will feature prominently as subs on the perimeter, with senior Willard Davis and freshman Justin Judkins competing for playing time as well.

[MoonlightGraham]

August 1, 2014

There are five senior scholarship players on this year's roster. That large recruiting budget will come in handy.

Three of our seniors are bigs: Clark Nolan, Donnie Pope, and Lewis Hewett. Dana Broughton is a wing, and Willard Davis is a point guard. Nolan and Broughton are the only members of the Class of 2015 who have played significant minutes.

I try to maintain a good positional balance among our scholarship players, and I used to simply recruit direct replacements for our graduates. But now I'm thinking about recruiting in a more nuanced way. I look more closely at the players in our freshman and sophomore classes. How many players do we have in those classes who are good enough to start? Are there positions where we don't have a starter-caliber player who's that young?

Our projected starting five includes three juniors, a sophomore, and a freshman. SF/SG Alvaro Kinard and SG/PG Joe Lien are our underclass starters. I'd like to have ready replacements for James Sanders, Venceslás Castillo, and Hubert Song in the fall of 2016. If we recruit them THIS year, they'll have a year to develop before we ask them to start.

It's clear, then, that we need to recruit two post players and one guard this year. If we see a third big man we like, we'll go after him, and I'll look at a wing player for the fifth scholarship.

Among the first players I've evaluated is Roderick Gove, from Levittown, NY. He initially caught my eye because he's making 97(!!) percent of his free throws. But Roderick can do more than sink charity tosses.

#15 PG Roderick Gove
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Height: 6-1
Weight: 180
High School: Douglas Macarthur High School
Hometown: Levittown, NY
GPA: 2.70
Test Score: 960
Rating: ***

Attributes:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Type INS JPS FTS 3PS HND PAS ORB DRB PSD PRD STL BLK QKN STR JMP STA
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Current: 47 34 84 48 45 14 29 46 26 56 17 13 89 41 87 97
Potential: A A A A C F C C B B F F

Season Stats:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PTS OREB REB AST TOS A/T STL BLK PFS
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
16.6 1.1 3.5 2.7 3.2 0.86 1.5 0.2 1.7

Shooting Averages:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
FGM FGA FG% FTM FTA FT% 3PM 3PA 3P%
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
6.9 14.5 .476 1.6 1.7 .970 1.2 4.6 .261

Recruiting Notes:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Qualified: Yes
Current interest in Lafayette: High
Rankings: East Region #52 Overall, East Region #9 PG
High School Awards: None
Top 5 Schools: *Manhattan, Lafayette, Fordham, Iona, Hofstra


Roderick seems to be interested in staying close to the Big Apple, and he holds an offer from Manhattan already. But there's no way I can pass on a player with potentials like that. If those ratings are CLOSE to accurate, Gove is an elite scorer in the making, a superb athlete, and the kind of defender I like to recruit. He's not a pure point guard, but I don't care. I take every possible recruiting action with Roderick: a scholarship offer, an invitation to our campus, and a visit from Graham Sims and Steven Manion.

I see several intriguing big men, too. One of them is Johnathon Blouin, the first player on our list when I sort them by Interest level.

#23 C Johnathon Blouin
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Height: 6-9
Weight: 211
High School: Allentown High School
Hometown: Allentown, NJ
GPA: 2.41
Test Score: 1180
Rating: ***

Attributes:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Type INS JPS FTS 3PS HND PAS ORB DRB PSD PRD STL BLK QKN STR JMP STA
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Current: 28 21 40 2 37 41 63 46 43 14 32 35 23 56 35 23
Potential: C B B F C B B C C D B D

Season Stats:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PTS OREB REB AST TOS A/T STL BLK PFS
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
12.6 3.0 11.7 1.2 2.4 0.51 1.1 1.8 2.8

Shooting Averages:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
FGM FGA FG% FTM FTA FT% 3PM 3PA 3P%
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
5.4 8.8 .611 1.9 3.2 .578 0.0 0.1 .000

Recruiting Notes:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Qualified: Yes
Current interest in Lafayette: Very High
Rankings: East Region #21 C
High School Awards: None
Top 5 Schools: Rider, Lafayette, Seton Hall, Massachusetts, Northeastern

I like the fact that Johnathon makes a high percentage of his shots, grabs rebounds, and blocks shots. None of his scouted ratings leap off the page at you, but I sense there's a solid player there.

Alphonse Johnson, from Long Island, is an old-school center who treats the paint like it's his personal property.

#25 C Alphonse Johnson
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Height: 6-9
Weight: 216
High School: Babylon High School
Hometown: Babylon, NY
GPA: 2.68
Test Score: 920
Rating: ***

Attributes:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Type INS JPS FTS 3PS HND PAS ORB DRB PSD PRD STL BLK QKN STR JMP STA
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Current: 25 21 22 0 20 25 39 21 64 23 26 45 29 71 46 66
Potential: C C D F D B C D B D C A

Season Stats:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PTS OREB REB AST TOS A/T STL BLK PFS
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
14.8 3.3 9.2 1.6 2.6 0.60 1.4 3.6 1.9

Shooting Averages:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
FGM FGA FG% FTM FTA FT% 3PM 3PA 3P%
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
6.4 11.4 .557 2.1 4.0 .532 0.0 0.0 .000

Recruiting Notes:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Qualified: Yes
Current interest in Lafayette: High
Rankings: None
High School Awards: None
Top 5 Schools: Columbia, Army, St. Peter's, Fairleigh Dickinson, Stony Brook

In high school ball, he's an opportunistic scorer, but his potential as a force at the defensive end that catches my eye.

Raleigh McGinty is not as highly regarded as the players you've just met. He's a one-star recruit, possibly because he's not an elite athlete. But Raleigh understands that the basketball team that scores the most points wins the game, and he's very, very good at scoring points.

#15 C Raleigh McGinty
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Height: 6-10
Weight: 242
High School: Lenape Valley Regional High School
Hometown: Stanhope, NJ
GPA: 2.72
Test Score: 1060
Rating: *

Attributes:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Type INS JPS FTS 3PS HND PAS ORB DRB PSD PRD STL BLK QKN STR JMP STA
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Current: 45 32 49 41 28 27 24 28 21 52 21 22 10 75 31 50
Potential: A D C A C D D C D C C D

Season Stats:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PTS OREB REB AST TOS A/T STL BLK PFS
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
27.4 2.5 7.5 1.7 1.6 1.06 1.3 1.5 2.2

Shooting Averages:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
FGM FGA FG% FTM FTA FT% 3PM 3PA 3P%
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
10.5 18.3 .573 5.8 8.6 .669 0.8 2.9 .263

Recruiting Notes:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Qualified: Yes
Current interest in Lafayette: Very High
Rankings: None
High School Awards: None
Top 5 Schools: Lafayette

Right now, Raleigh is our secret. I'm going to offer him a scholarship and rush him hard. Let's see if we can lock up one member of our class right away.

We might have found another hidden gem in Richard Leak, a playmaking guard from Massachusetts.

#54 PG Richard Leak
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Height: 6-0
Weight: 189
High School: Ludlow Senior High School
Hometown: Ludlow, MA
GPA: 2.67
Test Score: 990
Rating: *

Attributes:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Type INS JPS FTS 3PS HND PAS ORB DRB PSD PRD STL BLK QKN STR JMP STA
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Current: 15 12 22 34 66 44 19 44 21 41 16 27 71 33 68 25
Potential: D C D C B B C C D C D D

Season Stats:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PTS OREB REB AST TOS A/T STL BLK PFS
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
10.5 2.7 6.1 9.4 1.8 5.22 1.3 0.8 2.4

Shooting Averages:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
FGM FGA FG% FTM FTA FT% 3PM 3PA 3P%
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
4.5 11.8 .379 1.0 1.9 .541 0.6 4.5 .135

Recruiting Notes:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Qualified: Yes
Current interest in Lafayette: High
Rankings: None
High School Awards: None
Top 5 Schools: Lafayette

Richard drops dimes all day long and takes care of the ball. He doesn't show signs of being much of a scorer, but the scoring guard role at Lafayette looks to be in Joe Lien's hands for the next four years. We have the cash to splash on an all-out recruiting effort for Richard, too, complete with a scholarship offer.

I decide to offer Johnson and Blouin, too. Let's see if the early bird can catch some worms.

[MoonlightGraham]

October 1, 2014

Very little changed with regard to our recruiting efforts by September 1, so I went ahead and did another month's worth of work on the players we've targeted.

As I expected, we're in a two-way contest with Manhattan for the commitment of Roderick Gove. Their prestige is higher (45), and their head coach's recruiting ability is comparable to Graham's. The prudent approach would be to withdraw from the field, but I'd really, really like to sign Roderick. I'm going to send Coaches Sims and Manion to visit him again; it's all I can do at this point.

I have some thinking to do regarding Alphonse Johnson, too. He holds two offers besides ours: Columbia and St. Francis-NY. Their programs aren't as prestigious as ours, and they're located closer to his New York home. Alphonse says he has an Average interest in our program.

Johnathan Blouin's recruitment blew up last month. He received offers from Pennsylvania and Seton Hall. Both have us beat for Prestige--especially the Hall--but JB still lists us as his first choice. Perhaps he remembers we liked him first. Both coaches will visit him this month, doing all they can to make sure we stay tops on his list.

We're still the only school looking at Raleigh McGinty. If the high-scoring big man wants to end the recruiting process quickly, he'll probably say "yes" to us this month. Perhaps he wants to wait and see if other suitors come calling. We'll find out soon, and in the meantime, we'll keep the recruiting efforts strong.

Our last recruiting target, Richard Leak, is also still a Lafayette exclusive. Hopefully another month of our attention will convince him to give us a commitment.

It's time to fish or cut bait with Alphonse, and I've decided to take option two. I wouldn't have withdrawn my offer if I didn't have a player in mind who brings a lot of the same things to the table. Meet Samuel Davis.

#53 C Samuel Davis
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Height: 6-10
Weight: 224
High School: Northwest Guilford High School
Hometown: Greensboro, NC
GPA: 3.64
Test Score: 1500
Rating: **

Attributes:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Type INS JPS FTS 3PS HND PAS ORB DRB PSD PRD STL BLK QKN STR JMP STA
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Current: 23 14 16 49 11 27 35 31 52 27 46 54 19 51 28 18
Potential: C D C C C D C B A C B A

Season Stats:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PTS OREB REB AST TOS A/T STL BLK PFS
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
13.2 2.2 7.5 1.7 1.9 0.87 1.9 4.3 1.7

Shooting Averages:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
FGM FGA FG% FTM FTA FT% 3PM 3PA 3P%
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
5.5 12.8 .427 2.1 4.6 .451 0.3 2.9 .086

Recruiting Notes:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Qualified: Yes
Current interest in Lafayette: Very High
Rankings: None
High School Awards: None
Top 5 Schools: *Liberty, Lafayette, North Carolina A&T, Radford, Appalachian State

He lacks Johnson's touch around the basket and he's not as athletic, but he's a lot more interested in playing for us. Samuel has an offer from Liberty in his hand, but he's a smart young man. Surely he can see we have more to offer him (with the sole exception of a location very close to home). And speaking of offering him, that's what we do this month.

[MoonlightGraham]

November 1, 2014

Three players to whom we've offered scholarships make their decisions this month, and two of them choose Lafayette.

First, a quick farewell to the one who gets away. Roderick Gove will be playing his college ball at Manhattan. I'll content myself with the fact that fitting him and Joe Lien into the same backcourt wouldn't have been easy, since there's only one basketball in the game at a time.

I'd rather spend time talking about the two players we do sign.

Richard Leak will make his way down from Ludlow, Massachusetts to join us next season. He is a pass-first, make-his-teammates-better point guard with a delightful 5.22:1 A/TO ratio. He doesn't project to be a lockdown defender, but he's not lazy at that end of the floor, either, and he's athletic enough to be disruptive.

Raleigh McGinty has the potential to be the kind of high-scoring big man we haven't had since Robert Castleman graduated. Raleigh creates his own scoring opportunities with ease in high school, and he's a good enough shooter to force opponents to guard him away from the basket.

He'll need a partner to do some of the dirty work in the post, but that's where we hope Johnathan Blouin will come in handy. Johnathan eliminates Seton Hall from his list of schools, so it's down to us and Pennsylvania, and we are in the pole position. Let's get this done.

Our pursuit of Samuel Davis goes well, too. He now prefers our offer to Liberty's, and we're hoping one more month's worth of attention will persuade him to sign.

We have a scholarship available to offer again. Let's take a closer look at big Otis Hall.
#10 PF Otis Hall
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Height: 7-0
Weight: 218
High School: Southeastern High School
Hometown: South Charleston, OH
GPA: 2.43
Test Score: 1090
Rating: *

Attributes:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Type INS JPS FTS 3PS HND PAS ORB DRB PSD PRD STL BLK QKN STR JMP STA
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Current: 22 46 13 5 9 37 58 47 23 25 50 42 64 53 24 0
Potential: C C F F C C C B C D A C

Season Stats:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PTS OREB REB AST TOS A/T STL BLK PFS
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
20.8 3.6 13.0 2.0 2.9 0.67 3.7 2.9 3.6

Shooting Averages:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
FGM FGA FG% FTM FTA FT% 3PM 3PA 3P%
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
9.4 15.1 .619 2.1 3.7 .568 0.0 0.0 .000

Recruiting Notes:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Qualified: Yes
Current interest in Lafayette: Very High
Rankings: None
High School Awards: None
Top 5 Schools: Lafayette, IPFW

Yes, I know Otis is a one-star recruit. But look at the way he fills a scoresheet: 20 points, 13 rebounds, better than three blocks and steals per game. This young man is a basketball player.

He'll need an incredible amount of work on conditioning, but we can afford to be patient with him...especially if we sign three other big guys in his class. It's also not ridiculous to envision Otis as a "small" forward; he's comfortable with the ball in his hands, and he's rather quick for a seven-footer. Let's make him an offer and recruit him to the max, and see what happens.

I set our training for the month--with a heaping helping of academic tutoring for Joe Lien--and prepare for the beginning of the season.

[MoonlightGraham]

November 9, 2014

Here's how preseason training went for our players:

LAFAYETTE Training Results

Player Ins Jps Fts 3ps Hnd Pas Orb Drb Psd Prd Stl Blk Qkn Str Jmp Sta
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Rhett King 2 0 1 2 1 1 4 4 5 1 2 3 1 3 0 4
Justin Judkins 2 2 4 2 0 2 2 2 2 2 4 0 1 6 1 20
Willard Davis 1 4 5 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 1 0 0 1 0 7
Hubert Song 2 2 2 1 5 1 2 2 2 12 6 2 1 3 2 4
Joe Lien 4 4 2 4 4 4 0 2 0 2 2 0 1 4 1 12
Armando Brown 1 1 2 2 1 3 1 1 1 3 1 1 1 2 1 6
Alvaro Kinard 1 4 1 1 3 3 1 2 4 2 8 2 1 3 1 7
Louis Hewett 2 1 1 0 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 2 1 7
James Rossiter 1 1 1 1 0 1 1 0 1 1 0 0 2 1 2 7
Venceslás Castillo 5 4 1 3 1 2 10 5 2 5 1 1 1 2 0 0
Dana Broughton 2 3 3 4 3 1 3 1 1 3 3 1 0 2 0 0
Stephen Martell 2 2 2 2 2 0 0 0 2 2 2 0 2 8 2 14
Donnie Pope 1 1 1 1 1 1 5 3 4 1 1 1 1 2 0 9
James Sanders 8 1 2 0 1 1 2 9 3 1 2 8 3 0 3 6
Clark Nolan 4 1 0 1 1 3 2 7 2 1 1 4 1 0 1 10

A few highlights:

Hubert Song is adding the ability to lock down opposing guards to his skill set, and his handle is better, too. He's now a Green/Blue player who looks to be ready to run the point for us.
James Sanders, now a Green/Green player, has sharpened his game considerably. The Big Colonel should be able to command the post at both ends of the floor with increased authority.
Venceslás Castillo and Clark Nolan, now Yellow/Yellow, have become especially ferocious rebounders.
Alvaro Kinard's length and athleticism should enable him to create more disruption and cause more turnovers. Alvaro is now Yellow/Green.
Joe Lien, already a Yellow/Blue player, looks like he's the real deal.
Freshman Justin Judkins impressed the staff with his efforts in conditioning drills, and he looks much more ready for college ball
.

Let the season begin!

[MoonlightGraham]

November 16, 2014
Lafayette 78, Gardner Webb 75
Our opening game of the season sees us come from behind against a tough Big South opponent.

The Joe Lien era begins in fine style. The freshman guard leads all scorers with 18 points, snags seven rebounds, and hands out three assists; he's a worthy Player of the Game selection. Hubert Song (14), Alvaro Kinard (11) and Clark Nolan (10) join Joe in double figures.

It's hard to feel too good right now, though. James Sanders exited the game at the 14:19 mark of the first half with an injury and did not return to action. It's a Broken Rib (capitalized), and he'll be out for 18 days or so. Clark Nolan will start at center in Sanders' absence.
Record: 1-0.


November 18, 2014
Lafayette 75, UMBC 71
Minus the Big Colonel, we open up a nice halftime advantage and let the Retrievers back in the game.

Hubert Song reminds us that Joe Lien isn't the only talented guard in Lafayette colors. The junior from Fiorello LaGuardia High in NYC plays a beautifully well-rounded game: 19 points, 8 rebounds, 6 assists. Hubert's classmate, Venceslás Castillo, puts the power in power forward with an 18-point, 13-rebound performance.

Lien tosses in 18 points of his own, as the Leopards offense continues to operate on all cylinders.
Record: 2-0.


November 21, 2014
Lafayette 76, Binghamton 53
We don't usually allow teams to score 70 points on us, so the results of the first two games were a tiny bit puzzling. This defensive effort was much more like we're used to seeing in Leopardland.

The partnership of Hubert Song and Joe Lien continues to thrive. Tonight, they combine to shoot 10-for-15 from three point range and score 46 points between them: 25 for Hubert and 21 from Joe.

Dana Broughton is our next high scorer with 9 off the bench. At some point, a team is probably going to find a way to slow our guards down. Right now we don't seem to have a Plan B, but so far, we haven't needed one.
Record: 3-0.


November 26, 2014
Lafayette 84, St. Peter's 76
We score 47 points by the intermission, but we allow St. Peter's to score nearly as many points in the first half (48) as we allowed Binghamton in a full forty minutes. While both teams' scoring pace slows down in the second half, ours fades a little bit less.

The Peacocks contain Hubert Song better than any team we've faced this year. Hubert only takes eight shots and finishes with 10 points, including 5-6 from the line. However, Joe Lien hits his scoring average--19 points--on the button, and with double-figure assistance from Venceslás Castillo (13), Dana Broughton (12), Rhett King (10), and Song, we once again score enough to win. King notches a double-double, as he pulls in 11 rebounds.

I'm a little concerned about Alvaro Kinard. He's shooting only 43.5% for the season, averaging just over 7 points a game. Maybe it's a case of there only being so many shots to go around, but I'd like to see AK have a big, confidence-boosting game.
Record: 4-0.


November 28, 2014
Temple 82, Lafayette 69
The Owls are simply too deep and too good for us, especially today. They have a Green/Green player and a four-star freshman coming off their bench. Clark Nolan and Alvaro Kinard both get in foul trouble, and we simply don't have enough in reserve to stay in the game for long.

Rhett King impresses me again, recording 13 points and 11 boards off the bench. Hubert Song, scores 17...and Joe Lien drills 5-of-7 treys and finishes with a game-high 23.

Now the third-highest scoring freshman in the country, Joe looks like he'll be every bit the offensive threat we thought he'd be when we recruited him. (David Sullivan of St. John's, the #3 recruit in the nation, and Christopher Weise of Southern are the players ahead of Lien.)
Record: 4-1.


November 30, 2014
Lafayette 80, Long Island 70
James Sanders has been upgraded to day-to-day status, at 90% of full health. I don't want to risk him in a non-conference game, so he sits out again. We don't need him, as we sink 12 of our 26 three-point attempts in a nice road win.

Joe Lien is now the top-scoring freshman in Division I basketball. His 27 points include 6-10 from long distance. Hubert Song, playing the wingman role to a T, scores 17 points and fills the scoresheet in other positive ways: 3 assists, 4 rebounds, 2 steals. Dana Broughton shoots a perfect 3-3 from the floor and 4-4 from the line and cashes in 10 points. Venceslás Castillo adds 11 points and 9 rebounds.

We catch up with Desmond White, whom I recruited last year. He comes off the bench to play 20 minutes, scoring 5 points with 3 assists and a steal.
Record: 5-1.

[MoonlightGraham]

December 1, 2014

Our inbox contains more good news: two new commitments!

Our patience and persistence with Johnathan Blouin pays off, as he chooses us over our Ivy League neighbor Pennsylvania. JB is raw offensively, but we see some possible upside there, and he's already a decent rebounder and defensive player. He's not a big unit like most of our post players are, but I think he'll develop into a tough low-post presence.

Otis Hall wastes no time accepting our offer. His scouted ratings don't suggest he's anything extra-special, but his stats are those of a baller who can dominate a game in a variety of ways. I'm already thinking of moving him to SF, given his skill set and those of the other players on our team.

Our last remaining recruit, Samuel Davis, has taken every school but Lafayette off his list...but he still won't accept our offer. Should I be worried about this? I think I'm going to prepare a Plan B.

[MoonlightGraham]

December 2, 2014
St. John's 81, Lafayette 68

Again, we prove for 20-plus minutes that we can hang in there with a Power Five conference team, before their superior depth wears us down. We're tied, 39-39, going into intermission against a 3-1 St John's team. I shorten our bench, and perhaps our guys are gassed in the final minutes, when the Red Storm pulls away.

Two high-scoring freshmen guards go head-to-head, and it's their David Sullivan who wins the battle over our Joe Lien, 31-19. I think Sullivan's total is the most an opponent has ever scored against us. It took him 27 shots to do it, so there's that.

A healthy James Sanders returns to the lineup with 15 points. Venceslás Castillo scores 14, and Hubert Song adds 10. Hubert also dishes out 7 assists. Alvaro Kinard struggles again, finishing with 2 points and 3 rebounds.
Record: 5-2.


December 4, 2014
Lafayette 76, South Carolina State 66
A day's rest at home and we're back on the road again, traveling south to meet the 3-1 Bulldogs. This time we're the bigger team, and we wear down our scrappy hosts after going into intermission down by five.

Joe Lien takes six threes, makes five of them, and leads all scorers with 22. For the season, he's 32-62 from behind the arc; that's 51.6%. James Sanders double-doubles with 12 points and 10 rebounds. Venceslás Castillo comes in with another 14 points, and Hubert Song completes the double figures club with 12.
Record: 6-2.


December 9, 2014
Lafayette 72, Howard 63
Fans who like watching us shoot free throws are in for a treat today. We attempt 40 of them and make 24, and that's the difference in a game that's otherwise not much fun to watch.

Today it's Hubert Song who takes the scoring honors, with 20 points to Joe Lien's 18. James Sanders (13 points) and Venceslás Castillo (13 rebounds) contribute a tag-team double-double. Their point guard, Ian Moyer, has one of his own: 11 points, 10 assists.

I had already decided to shift the starting lineup for next game, benching Alvaro Kinard in favor of Dana Broughton. Dana gets hurt, however, so he'll be unavailable for about a week and a half. Now I'll move the Good King to the three and bring Clark Nolan in at the four. Perhaps AK will find his mojo coming off the bench.
Record: 7-2.


December 12, 2014
Lafayette 64, Rider 58
This is our first real defensive battle of the season, where neither team jacks up 60 shots and we score 120 points or so between us. It's good to discover that this year's team can win that kind of game, too.

Venceslás Castillo steps into a starring role with a rugged 14 points and 13 rebounds, playing a nifty inside-out game. Joe Lien scores his usual 19 points, adding five assists this time, and Hubert Song contributes 14 and four helpers of his own.

This year, our AD wants us to make the NCAA Tournament. I'd rather not have to depend on the outcome of the league tourney to earn a ticket to the Big Dance. Our RPI stands at 51 now, and with the Patriot League's increasing prestige, perhaps we could earn an at-large bid if we need it.
Record: 8-2.


December 14, 2014
Lafayette 73, Massachusetts 58
The Minutemen aren't a national power, but they're a higher-prestige opponent from the Atlantic 10. A convincing victory, one in which we pull away in the second half, is a notable achievement.

A look at the box score reveals some interesting things. Venceslás Castillo shoots an ugly 1-11 from the floor, but compensates for his poor shooting by grabbing 11 rebounds. Perhaps Alvaro Kinard is best cast as a sixth man; he submits a 12-point, 5-rebound, 3-assist performance in that role. And Willard Davis, a senior who has found playing time tough to come by, scores 10 points in 8 minutes.

The real story, however, is Joe Lien. He scores 30 points, tying Robert Castleman's record for the Graham Sims era. Joe adds 10 rebounds, a career high, and three assists.

I hadn't been paying much attention to the Mid Major Top 25. Apparently we spent a week in the polls back in November and dropped out. We're back again, coming in at #18.
Record: 9-2.


December 21, 2014
Lafayette 76, Pennsylvania 66
Joe Lien's shots won't fall at quite the same rate tonight, but his teammates pick up the slack and the result is a tidy victory over the Quakers.

Joe still manages 16 points, and the Big Colonel matches his total. Venceslás Castillo (15 points, 9 rebounds) and Hubert Song (14) give us four men in double digits, and Clark Nolan has 10 rebounds.

The Mid Major poll is released today, and we're ranked #11. This is our highest spot so far. Creighton, Houston, and Temple hold the top three spots.
Record: 10-2.


December 23, 2014
Lafayette 76, Princeton 63
Princeton has played well this season, they're 7-2 as they come into the Kirby Center today. We bring our A game defensively--the Tigers make only 35% of their shots, and they won't stop launching bricks from three-point territory (1-for-23).

For the fourth time this season and the second time this week, we finish the game with exactly 76 points. The guards contribute 34 of them: 23 for Joe Lien, 11 for Hubert Song.

But the big story is the Big Colonel. James Sanders abuses their center, 7'1" Nazaire Debuine, who fouls out after only 10 minutes. James finishes with 21 points and 13 rebounds. Both are season highs.
Record: 11-2.


December 28, 2014
After a Christmas week that, for once, doesn't have us playing two games, we learn we've moved up to #9 in the Mid Major Top 25.

[MoonlightGraham]

January 1, 2015

Happy New Year to Leopard Nation! Among our reasons to celebrate is the commitment of Samuel Davis to play for us next season.

Samuel is the third big man to join our recruiting class--the fourth, if you count Otis Hall, whom I'm already envisioning as a wing--but I envision him earning playing time with his defense and shot blocking.

Apparently James Rossiter is unhappy. James, you're a walk-on guard, with guys like Joe Lien, Hubert Song, Willard Davis, Armando Brown, and Justin Judkins ahead of you. Complaining about your playing time is not a good look.


January 3, 2015
Lafayette 82, Iona 78
The Gaels are a good basketball team. Their conference season has already begun, and they're 3-0 in the MAAC. They have Levi Villalpando, the reigning MAAC Player of the Year, and a good center, Darnell Derr.

Both Villalpando and Derr foul out, but Derr does a lot of damage first: 11 points, 18 rebounds. The man he's guarding, James Sanders, scores 16. And we get our usual 40-plus from Hubert Song (18) and Joe Lien (23). Alvaro Kinard is performing well as our sixth man, and gives us eight points, four rebounds, and three assists.

Interestingly, Lien is not a very good free throw shooter. He goes 6-13 from the line today, which is not that much worse than his season percentage (.585). If he were an 80% shooter from the line (which wouldn't be outrageous, considering he's almost 46% from three), he'd add another point and a half to his 21.1 scoring average.
Record: 12-2.


January 4, 2015
We come in at #6 in this weeks Mid Major Top 25.


January 7, 2015
Lafayette 73, Fordham 70
We complete our non-conference schedule with another road win against an Atlantic 10 opponent, albeit one of the conference's small fry.

Rams senior Lionel Robinette nearly equals his career high with 23 points, but Joe Lien matches him (despite shooting 2-8 from long range). Hubert Song and James Sanders add 15 more apiece.

The Big Colonel also blocks a shot. This used to be big news, but our big man has improved this aspect of his game significantly. James has six blocks this year; he's never rejected more than nine in a full season.
Record: 13-2.

Here's how the Patriot League looks as we enter conference play:
2014 Patriot League Standings

TEAM CW CL Pct W L Pct RPI Prestige
---------------------------------------------------------
Lafayette 0 0 .000 13 2 .867 21 35
Holy Cross 0 0 .000 9 3 .750 131 37
Colgate 0 0 .000 8 6 .571 263 16
American 0 0 .000 7 7 .500 72 42
Lehigh 0 0 .000 5 8 .385 55 19
Bucknell 0 0 .000 5 8 .385 256 28
Army 0 0 .000 4 10 .286 117 15
Navy 0 0 .000 4 9 .308 194 15

This is, without doubt, our best pre-season yet. Last year, we were 11-3, but our RPI was 95. I'd naturally like to make our AD happy with an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament, but it's also comforting to see that our out-of-conference performance might help us earn an at-large invitation.

Holy Cross also had a very good November and December, while American is missing Victor Reed and Patrick Robinson.

[MoonlightGraham]

January 10, 2015
Lafayette 75, American 67
The Eagles might not be the team they were during the Reed/Robinson era, but beating them in their gym still feels wonderful. They're the only team against whom Graham Sims has a losing record; before today, we've only beaten American once.

American holds Joe Lien to only 10 points, but the freshman finds other ways to contribute: 5 assists, 5 rebounds, and a blocked shot. All five Leopards starters score in double figures: 11 for Dana Broughton, and 13 each for Hubert Song, Venceslás Castillo, and James Sanders. The Good King grabs 13 rebounds, too. We hold the Eagles to 36% shooting, and even less from three-point range.

Good teams win basketball games in more than one way. They can win even if their star isn't dominant. This game demonstrates those truths.
Record: 14-2 (1-0).


January 11, 2015
This season, it appears teams move around the Mid Major poll more often. We go up two more spots, to #4; ahead of us are Utah State, Ohio, and Creighton.

We also receive our first votes in the Top 25 poll: eight of them. And we look even better according to RPI, where we're #10.


January 14, 2015
Lafayette 72, Holy Cross 48
Graduation hit Holy Cross hard, too. They lost all three of the big men who won post-season honors: Robert Mallett, Demetrius Woods, and Lenny Catlin. We hold this edition of the Crusaders to only 17 points after halftime and pull away.

Again, our opponent deserves credit for controlling Joe Lien; holding him to 16 points qualifies as such. But James Sanders is more than the Holy Cross bigs can handle, with 17 points and 10 rebounds. Hubert Song scores 14, and Venceslás Castillo adds 13.
Record: 15-2 (2-0).


January 17, 2015
Navy 72, Lafayette 71
We lose to the Midshipmen at home in heartbreaking fashion.

With 38 seconds left, we have the ball, trailing 72-71. There are several scenarios I'd consider a "good shot" in this situation. Getting the ball to James Sanders on the low block is one of them. Big Colonel, who has 20 points on the night, misses...but Venceslás Castillo battles hard and grabs the rebound. As he goes back up, he's fouled by Lon Schneider.

The clock reads all zeroes as The Good King steps to the line.

He's a 72 percent free throw shooter. He misses both shots.

I'm not going to bash Castillo. He's been a warrior for us, especially this year.

Sanders has 11 rebounds to go with his game-high scoring total. Joe Lien and Hubert Song add 13 apiece, and Dana Broughton finishes with 11.

Navy pulls ahead of us in the conference standings, at 3-1.
Record: 15-3 (2-1).


January 18, 2015
We fall to #6 in the Mid Major Top 25 rankings.


January 21, 2015
Lafayette 81, Army 42
We take our frustration out on the other service academy in our conference, nearly doubling up on Army in West Point. Joe Lien recovers from his brief scoring slump, leading us with 20 points. Hubert Song and James Sanders help out with 12 apiece, and Dana Broughton adds 10 more. Song has 6 assists, and Venceslás Castillo 10 rebounds.

Army's high-scoring guard, Jack Jessie, finishes with 16 points, but their next high scorer scores 6, and two of their starters don't score at all.

Bucknell moves to the top of the league table, with a 4-1 mark. Navy and Colgate are tied with us for second at 3-1.
Record: 16-3 (3-1).


January 24, 2015
Lafayette 77, Colgate 72
The Red Raiders' strong start has been driven by the play of two high-scoring perimeter players, Shawn Domingo and Irvin Schumacher. Domingo scores 14, right at his average, but we hold Schumacher to only 5. Irvin fouls out trying to guard Joe Lien, whose 16 points are the most among five Leopards in double figures.

Besides Joe, that quintet includes Dana Broughton (14), James Sanders and Hubert Song (13 each), and Alvaro Kinard (11). Dana and Alvaro are both playing very well in their new roles.
Record: 17-3 (4-1).


January 25, 2015
We remain a fixture in the Mid Major rankings, moving back up a spot to #5. We also receive 15 votes in the Top 25 poll.


January 28, 2015
Lafayette 67, Bucknell 58
The Bison have Moses Washington, a senior point guard whom I consider one of the three best players in the Patriot League this season. Washington and Joe Lien, another of my three best players of the year, basically cancel each other out in this game; Moses finishes with 8 points nad Joe with 6.

However, we have the stronger supporting cast. Today, it's Hubert Song who takes the starring role, with 21 points and five rebounds. Venceslás Castillo (8 points, 8 rebounds) and James Sanders (7 points, 9 rebounds) do some dirty work beneath the baskets.

Our victory puts us back in sole possession of first place, with Bucknell, Holy Cross, and Colgate all one game behind us.
Record: 18-3 (5-1).


January 31, 2015
Lafayette 67, Lehigh 55
Lehigh has struggled this season, entering this game tied with Army for last place in the conference with a 1-5 record. But this is a rivalry game, and the Mountain Hawks bring their A game to the Kirby Center tonight.

The game is close until about eight minutes remain in the second half, when we go on a 9-1 run and pull away a bit. Hubert Song is our leading scorer again, with 17 points; James Sanders and Joe Lien follow, with 14 and 12 respectively.

Clark Nolan lands badly, rolls his ankle, and has to leave the game. The post-game report isn't good: he's sprained it badly and won't be able to play for two weeks. Rhett King will probably get most of Clark's minutes.

We're not usually a great free-throw shooting team; our .675 percentage ranks sixth in the eight-team Patriot League. Tonight, we sink 16-18 (.889). One of these nights we're going to need to shoot like that to win. I hope we do.
Record: 19-3 (6-1).

2014 Patriot League Standings

TEAM CW CL Pct W L Pct RPI Prestige
---------------------------------------------------------
Lafayette 6 1 .857 19 3 .864 20 35
Bucknell 5 2 .714 10 11 .476 222 28
Holy Cross 5 2 .714 14 6 .700 107 37
Colgate 4 3 .571 12 9 .571 241 16
Navy 4 3 .571 9 12 .429 162 15
American 2 5 .286 9 12 .429 158 42
Army 1 6 .143 5 16 .238 153 15
Lehigh 1 6 .143 6 15 .286 244 19

[MoonlightGraham]

February 1, 2015
Once again, we're ranked #5 in the Mid Major Top 25. We're also fourth in the "others receiving votes" category in the Top 25.

The Bubble Watch debuts today, too. This is nice to see...
PATRIOT LEAGUE BUBBLE WATCH

Team Record RPI vs. 1-50 vs. 51-100 vs. 101-200 vs. 200+ SOS Projected
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Lafayette 19-3 .607 (24) 1-2 2-0 9-1 7-0 121 Lock
Holy Cross 15-6 .536 (101) 0-2 1-1 7-0 7-3 212 Out
Colgate 13-10 .446 (270) 0-1 0-0 6-6 7-3 335 Out
Bucknell 10-12 .479 (209) 0-1 0-1 6-5 4-5 236 Out
American 9-12 .492 (178) 1-3 0-1 2-5 6-3 130 Out
Navy 10-12 .496 (168) 1-0 0-4 3-2 6-6 175 Out
Lehigh 6-16 .466 (239) 0-2 1-3 3-5 2-6 134 Out
Army 5-18 .494 (173) 0-5 0-2 1-5 4-6 27 Out

February 7, 2015
Lafayette 67, American 52
Again, we win without our guards scoring a gazillion points. While I'd like to see Joe Lien (12 points tonight) and Hubert Song (11 points) drop 40 between them, we're potentially a more dangerous team when we develop other ways to beat someone.

Tonight's formula combines stout defensive play with balanced scoring. James Sanders (11) and Alvaro Kinard (10) have to be guarded, and three other players had at least seven points. We complete a season sweep of American, which is a first for us.
Record: 20-3 (7-1).


February 8, 2015
We hold our #5 position in the Mid Major poll, but now we're only one spot away from our first appearance in the Top 25.


February 11, 2015
Navy 79, Lafayette 76
What is it about Navy that makes them impossible for us to beat this year? This time, at home, we take a narrow lead into the intermission, which we squander when we let the Midshipmen go on a 7-0 run to open the second half. We lead, 65-61, with just over two minutes to play, but we can't hold the lead. Stephen Collins hits a shot from the baseline to put Navy ahead with 28 seconds remaining.

It's Collins' only basket of the game.

Had we won, James Sanders (21 points, 12 rebounds) would have been a worthy PoG choice. Joe Lien finishes with 19; Hubert Song 12, with 5 assists. Venceslás Castillo snares 10 rebounds.

I really hope we don't play Navy in the conference tourney. Right now, they'd be the #2 seed, so we wouldn't see them until the championship game.
Record: 20-4 (7-2).


February 14, 2015
Lafayette 87, Holy Cross 71
Dana Broughton has been a credit to our program since Graham Sims arrived three years ago. He finally has a chance to start this year, and he rewards us with a career-best performance against a tough opponent.

Dana connects on all four of his three-point tries and scores 21 points. He adds five assists and six rebounds. James Sanders (18 points), Hubert Song (16), and Joe Lien (15) join him in double figures.
Record: 21-4 (8-2).


February 15, 2015
Despite our loss to Navy, we move up to #4 in the Mid Major poll. We also manage to keep our place as the "best of the rest" in the Top 25 poll.


February 18, 2015
Lafayette 80, Colgate 78
Anyone who pays to watch this game gets their money's worth. It's tied at 38 after 20 minutes, and the lead changes hands six times during the second half.

Clark Nolan's two free throws give us an 80-78 lead with 13 seconds left in regulation time. Colgate's Guy Aubin tries a game-winning three, but it rims out.

The Big Colonel comes up big tonight: 19 points (6-10 from the floor, 7-9 from the line) and 11 rebounds. Dana Broughton plays well again, scoring 16, and Hubert Song pitches in 14 more. Joe Lien struggles; he takes only five shots, makes two, and ends the game with 5 points.

Irvin Schumacher torches us for 29 points. Perhaps we're lucky that Shawn Domingo misses the game with a knee injury.
Record: 22-4 (9-2).


February 21, 2015
Lafayette 78, Army 58
James Sanders is determined to show everyone in the Patriot League that he is worth of All-Conference recognition. The junior center leads all scorers with 20 points tonight, adding 12 rebounds and THREE blocked shots. In his past four games, Big Colonel has contributed 21, 18, 19, and 20 points, and he's now averaging 14.2 per game.

Sixth man Alvaro Kinard provides a jolt of instant offense: 16 points in 24 minutes, with a perfect 4-4 from long range. Joe Lien scores 15, and Hubert Song 12 with 8 rebounds.

Meanwhile, Navy loses to Holy Cross. If we lose at Bucknell and Lehigh, and the Midshipmen beat Colgate and Army, they'll steal the conference championship from us.

If that's what happens, they'll deserve to steal it.
Record: 23-4 (10-2).


February 22, 2015
Back up to #4 in the Mid Major poll we go. Utah State (22-3), Temple 20-5), and Creighton (22-6) are ahead of us.


February 25, 2015
Lafayette 70, Bucknell 61
We let the Bison keep it close longer than we should have. Our lead is as big as 15 at one point, and it's a six-point game before Dana Broughton hits a three with less than a minute left.

Dana is playing the best basketball of his Lafayette career in the final weeks of his senior season. Today he's a perfect 11-for-11 from the free throw line, and he finishes with 19 points. It's Venceslás Castillo's turn to be a star, too: he scores 11 points, and his 13 rebounds tie James Sanders for high honors. Hubert Song (12 points) and Joe Lien (11) complete a quartet of Leopards in double figures.

Colgate beats Navy today, so that means we clinch another Patriot League regular season championship and the #1 seed in the conference tournament.
Record: 24-4 (11-2).


February 28, 2015
Lafayette 97, Lehigh 58
Despite the fact they've already sewn up the conference title, Graham Sims' team refuses to mail it in today. Instead, we set a new team record with 97 points against our local rival.

Our balanced and productive offense is led by Venceslás Castillo, with 18 points. Hubert Song finishes with 16. Joe Lien and Rhett King each contribute 13 points, King scores his in 14 minutes.

I sometimes forget how good a rebounding team we are. At least one Leopard usually finishes the game with double figures in this category. It's often James Sanders, who pulls in 11 tonight.

We end our regular season with a 25-4 record, almost identical to last year's 25-5 performance. And, once again we're 12-2 in the Patriot League.

[MoonlightGraham]

March 1, 2015
For the first time, we're ranked in the Top 25 poll!
Top 25

# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Tennessee (72) 27-3 1800 1 Southeastern Conference
2. Pittsburgh 24-4 1717 2 Big East Conference
3. Mississippi State 26-4 1652 3 Southeastern Conference
4. Washington 25-2 1589 4 Pacific-10 Conference
5. Kansas 24-5 1512 5 Big 12 Conference
6. Michigan State 22-4 1415 6 Big Ten Conference
7. Illinois 23-5 1341 8 Big Ten Conference
8. Vanderbilt 22-7 1274 10 Southeastern Conference
9. Boston College 23-4 1175 13 Atlantic Coast Conference
10. North Carolina 24-4 1151 9 Atlantic Coast Conference
11. Utah State 23-3 1062 7 Western Athletic Conference
12. Southern California 25-5 995 15 Pacific-10 Conference
13. Temple 22-5 992 16 Atlantic 10 Conference
14. Duke 22-6 849 11 Atlantic Coast Conference
15. Creighton 25-6 812 17 Missouri Valley Conference
16. Maryland 21-7 738 18 Atlantic Coast Conference
17. Wisconsin 20-8 721 14 Big Ten Conference
18. Texas 21-8 570 19 Big 12 Conference
19. Georgetown 20-7 461 23 Big East Conference
20. Villanova 20-8 433 12 Big East Conference
21. Oklahoma 19-8 319 20 Big 12 Conference
22. UCLA 19-9 203 NR Pacific-10 Conference
23. Kansas State 22-7 191 NR Big 12 Conference
24. Lafayette 25-4 138 NR Patriot League
25. Florida 19-10 112 25 Southeastern Conference

We're also ranked #4 in the Mid Major poll.


March 4, 2015
Patriot League Tournament
#24 Lafayette (1) 87, Army (8) 70
Our offense returns to its early-season form today. We hit over half our shots, including 11 of our 27 threes; Dana Broughton, Joe Lien, and Hubert Song combine for nine of those triples.

Lien is the high scorer with 24. It's good to see him back in the groove. Song has 16, Broughton adds 15 with 8 rebounds, and Venceslás Castillo nets 10 before fouling out. Army does a good job defending James Sanders, allowing him only eight shots and 9 points, along with 7 boards.

Army star Jack Jessie gets into foul trouble trying to defend our high-scoring guards, and finishes with 9 points.

Bucknell knocks our bogey team, Navy, out of the tournament, beating them 64-60. Holy Cross beats Lehigh, and Colgate routs American. Bucknell, the 5 seed, is the only underdog to survive the first round.
Record: 26-4.


March 8, 2015
Patriot League Tournament
Bucknell (5) 60, #24 Lafayette (1) 55
Bucknell always brings their A game to the Patriot League tournament. For the second consecutive year, they upset us in the semifinal, and once again, they simply play a very good game of basketball.

Full credit to them for battling back from a 38-26 deficit with 13:07 to play. A furious 13-1 run by the Bison over the next eight minutes gives them the lead, and they close it out from there.

As the score might indicate, it's a fierce defensive battle. We limit Moses Washington to 9 points. They hold Joe Lien to 13. Hubert Song asserts himself with 18 points, but their top six players all score between 7 and 10, and that balanced scoring is enough to tip the balance their way. James Sanders leads all rebounders with 14.

Now we'll wait for the tournament selection committee to see if they invite us to the Big Dance. We're still listed as a Lock in the Bubble Watch.
Record: 26-5.


March 13, 2015
Bucknell defeats Holy Cross, 73-66, to win their second straight Patriot League tournament championship.


March 15, 2015
We receive the Patriot League's first at-large bid, and it's a flattering one. We're chosen as the #8 seed in the East Region. Our opponent will be #9 seed Alabama-Birmingham, and we'll play them on March 19.

The Blazers (24-9, 11-5) finished third in Conference USA during the regular season. They upset #1 seed Southern Mississippi, 50-49, in a thrilling tournament championship game.

Their 6'10" center Edgar Gagliano, a Blue/Blue player with a great name, is a powerful inside presence. Redshirt junior Michael Trainor (Green/Green) emerged as a scoring threat on the wing. They'll miss electrifying sixth man Brian Kirsch and his 10.7 PPG; he's out with an injury.

Albert Koerner (16.8 PPG) knows where the basket is, but the man he guards often scores as many as he does. Perimeter defense is the Blazers' Achilles heel, and we happen to have pretty good perimeter scorers.

Bucknell earned the #15 seed in the Midwest. Their opponent is #11 ranked USC, whose 28-6 record earned them a 2 seed.

The CBI committee awarded Holy Cross the #7 seed, and they'll play #10 Valparaiso.


March 19, 2015
NCAA East Region
(8) Lafayette 68, (9) Alabama-Birmingham 50
I thought we might be able to win this game, but we don't win it for the reasons I chose.

Hubert Song and Joe Lien don't feast on UAB's poor defenders. In fact, they hold Hubert to only three points, which I believe is a career low for him. Joe scores 14, but he takes 15 shots.

Instead, it's the Big Colonel and Dana Broughton whom the Blazers can't handle. Edgar Gagliano limits James Sanders' touches, but James does good things when he gets the ball and scores 14 on 6-10 shooting. Dana is a senior, and he decides he'd like to keep playing college basketball. His 14 points, including 4-6 from downtown, help us extend his career at least one more game.

We hold our opponents to 32.1% shooting and turn the ball over only seven times. That's a pretty solid recipe for a win.

Bucknell suffers the fate of most 15 seeds. The final: USC 56, Bucknell 35. Moses Washington, one of my favorite opposing players, scores 14 points in his final collegiate game.

Holy Cross advances in the CBI with a 68-67 victory over Valpo.
Record: 27-5.


March 21, 2015
NCAA East Region
(1) #2 Pittsburgh 89, (8) Lafayette 52
Nobody's bracket is busted by this outcome, as the powerful Panthers rout us with ease.

Pitt's roster contains SIX Blue/Blue players and a Green/Blue guy. Forward Thurman Pond was the #1 recruit in the Class of 2012. Point guard Robert Hann was a top 10 recruit and a high school All-American the year before. Shooting guard Gaylord Eggleston wasn't as highly regarded as either of those players, and he's now the best pro prospect of them all. The Panthers are clearly at least one cut above.

Their coach, Blaine Boyd, is perhaps the best of an outstanding group of young head basketball coaches. He's 34, a year younger than Graham Sims, and he has 112 wins to his credit already.

Boyd's boys follow their instructions to a T. Eggleston torches us for 34 points. Hann (12 points, 14 assists) and Pond (14 points, 15 rebounds) record dominant double-doubles. Joshua Saari, a Blue/Blue player who comes off their bench, pours in 12 in 18 minutes.

No Leopard scores more than Joe Lien's 11 points. James Sanders has 9, with 8 rebounds.

It doesn't feel like it now, but our program took another significant step forward this season.
Record: 27-6.

[MoonlightGraham]

April 3, 2015
#1 seed Washington and #6 seed Wisconsin advance to the NCAA championship game. The Huskies beat Georgetown, 68-63, while the Badgers upset Mississippi State, 70-53.


April 6, 2015
The Wisconsin Badgers complete their dream run through the NCAA tournament with a 60-52 victory over Washington. Wisconsin center Louie Lewis receives the News that he's the finals' MVP, on the basis of his 11 points and 13 rebounds.

A last look at the Patriot League's performance this year:
2014 Patriot League Standings

TEAM CW CL Pct W L Pct RPI Prestige
---------------------------------------------------------
Lafayette 12 2 .857 27 6 .818 33 35
Holy Cross 9 5 .643 22 11 .667 101 37
Colgate 8 6 .571 17 14 .548 237 16
Navy 8 6 .571 14 16 .467 163 15
Bucknell 6 8 .429 15 18 .455 162 28
American 5 9 .357 12 17 .414 200 42
Lehigh 5 9 .357 10 20 .333 218 19
Army 3 11 .214 7 23 .233 210 15
Holy Cross joins us in the 20-win club. They were eliminated from the CBI by Appalachian State.

The Patriot League awards are announced today, and there's some wonderful news for a player who has been waiting patiently for his abilities to be recognized.
2014 PATRIOT LEAGUE AWARDS

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Player of the Year:

JR C James Sanders Lafayette 13.3 PPG, 8.5 RPG, 1.7 APG 0.6 SPG, 0.5 BPG

Freshman of the Year:
FR SG Joe Lien Lafayette 17.0 PPG, 3.9 RPG, 2.3 APG 0.7 SPG, 0.2 BPG

Coach of the Year:
Graham Sims Lafayette 27 - 6 (12 - 2)

All-league 1st Team:
C JR James Sanders Lafayette 13.3 PPG, 8.5 RPG, 1.7 APG, 0.6 SPG, 0.5 BPG
PF JR William Davis Navy 12.9 PPG, 5.5 RPG, 1.1 APG, 0.5 SPG, 1.6 BPG
SF JR Charles Davis Holy Cross 13.0 PPG, 4.1 RPG, 1.9 APG, 1.4 SPG, 0.2 BPG
SG SR Moses Washington Bucknell 17.2 PPG, 2.7 RPG, 2.2 APG, 1.2 SPG, 0.2 BPG
PG JR Hubert Song Lafayette 14.1 PPG, 4.1 RPG, 3.0 APG, 1.3 SPG, 0.1 BPG

All-league 2nd Team:
C JR Stephen Collins Navy 7.3 PPG, 12.1 RPG, 0.9 APG, 0.4 SPG, 0.8 BPG
PF SR Jonathan Munford Holy Cross 8.3 PPG, 7.9 RPG, 1.3 APG, 0.5 SPG, 1.0 BPG
SF SR Dana Broughton Lafayette 8.5 PPG, 4.5 RPG, 1.8 APG, 1.1 SPG, 0.2 BPG
SG FR Joe Lien Lafayette 17.0 PPG, 3.9 RPG, 2.3 APG, 0.7 SPG, 0.2 BPG
PG JR Dominick Hinman Holy Cross 13.5 PPG, 2.9 RPG, 4.1 APG, 1.2 SPG, 0.1 BPG

All-freshman Team:
C FR Gregory Latham Bucknell 6.0 PPG, 6.4 RPG, 1.1 APG, 0.5 SPG, 0.3 BPG
PF FR Darrel Puma Navy 4.8 PPG, 2.5 RPG, 0.6 APG, 0.3 SPG, 0.0 BPG
SF FR Edward Jones Navy 9.1 PPG, 4.1 RPG, 1.1 APG, 0.8 SPG, 0.2 BPG
SG FR Joe Lien Lafayette 17.0 PPG, 3.9 RPG, 2.3 APG, 0.7 SPG, 0.2 BPG
PG FR Guy Aubin Colgate 8.2 PPG, 3.2 RPG, 3.0 APG, 1.5 SPG, 0.3 BPG

To nobody's surprise, Joe Lien becomes the second straight Lafayette player to be named Freshman of the Year (succeeding Alvaro Kinard). I thought Joe might have a shot at a place on the national All-Freshman Team, but there were several other outstanding first-year guards. Joe secures a spot on the All-League Second Team, behind a very deserving Moses Washington.

Hubert Song, a Second Team selection last year, took his game to a higher level this season. Consequently, he moves up to the Patriot League First Team.

At the beginning of the season, I said that Dana Broughton "would feature prominently as a sub on the perimeter." In December, I elevated Dana to a spot in the starting five...and now the senior is a Second Team All-Patriot League honoree!

Graham Sims takes home his second straight Patriot League Coach of the Year award.

I save the best news for last. James Sanders missed out on postseason honors last season; narrowly, I'm sure. This year, the big, big man from Connecticut improved throughout the season. He's richly rewarded with a place on the All-Conference First Team...and he's named Patriot League Player of the Year.

I figured Big Colonel and Navy's rebounding god, Stephen Collins, would be in contention for both prizes. Sanders and Collins are both juniors, three-star recruits in the Class of 2011 who have battled in the paint for three seasons now. James scored his 1000th point in our win over UAB in the NCAA tournament, and Stephen will grab his 1000th rebound early in his senior season.

[MoonlightGraham]

April 7, 2015

Here are our 2014/15 season statistics:
LAFAYETTE Averages

Player Pos GP GS Min Pts Orb Reb Ast Stl Blk To Fls +/-
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hubert Song PG 33 33 32.8 14.1 1.2 4.1 3.0 1.3 0.1 2.7 2.2 8.1
James Sanders C 28 27 29.3 13.3 1.8 8.5 1.7 0.6 0.5 2.0 2.8 7.4
Joe Lien SG 33 32 28.2 17.0 1.1 3.9 2.3 0.7 0.2 2.1 3.0 7.5
Venceslás Castillo PF 33 32 27.4 8.8 3.1 7.5 1.2 0.4 0.3 1.5 2.7 7.2
Dana Broughton SF 30 21 26.4 8.5 1.9 4.5 1.8 1.1 0.2 2.1 2.2 5.9
Clark Nolan C 31 8 19.9 4.4 1.6 5.3 0.6 0.3 0.6 0.9 2.1 5.4
Alvaro Kinard SG 33 9 19.6 5.4 0.4 2.5 1.6 0.9 0.2 1.1 1.7 3.0
Rhett King PF 33 0 11.2 2.8 0.9 3.1 0.4 0.2 0.6 0.8 1.1 1.0
Armando Brown PG 33 0 7.5 1.6 0.1 0.6 0.5 0.2 0.0 0.6 0.5 0.0
Donnie Pope PF 20 1 3.5 0.3 0.2 0.7 0.2 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.3 0.3
Willard Davis SF 31 1 3.4 1.1 0.2 0.7 0.1 0.0 0.0 0.2 0.3 0.4
Louis Hewett C 9 1 2.9 0.3 0.1 0.2 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.0 0.3 -1.0
Justin Judkins PG 10 0 1.3 0.2 0.1 0.1 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.2 -1.0
Stephen Martell SF 2 0 1.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
James Rossiter PG 0 0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0

LAFAYETTE Totals

Player Pos GP GS Min Pts Orb Reb Ast Stl Blk To Fls +/-
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hubert Song PG 33 33 1083 465 38 134 100 42 4 89 73 268
James Sanders C 28 27 821 371 49 239 48 16 14 57 79 206
Joe Lien SG 33 32 931 561 35 129 77 23 6 69 98 248
Venceslás Castillo PF 33 32 904 290 102 249 38 13 11 49 89 236
Dana Broughton SF 30 21 791 256 58 134 55 33 6 62 65 178
Clark Nolan C 31 8 617 137 50 164 19 8 18 27 64 167
Alvaro Kinard SG 33 9 648 179 12 81 52 29 7 35 55 98
Rhett King PF 33 0 368 93 31 102 14 5 19 25 35 32
Armando Brown PG 33 0 246 52 2 21 18 8 1 20 16 0
Donnie Pope PF 20 1 70 5 4 14 4 2 1 1 5 5
Willard Davis SF 31 1 106 35 6 22 4 0 0 7 9 11
Louis Hewett C 9 1 26 3 1 2 1 1 1 0 3 -9
Justin Judkins PG 10 0 13 2 1 1 0 0 0 0 2 -10
Stephen Martell SF 2 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
James Rossiter PG 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LAFAYETTE Shooting

Player Pos Fgm Fga Fg% Ftm Fta Ft% 3pm 3pa 3p% PPS +/-
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hubert Song PG 154 356 .433 72 112 .643 85 229 .371 1.31
James Sanders C 125 267 .468 121 166 .729 0 8 .000 1.39
Joe Lien SG 197 461 .427 80 141 .567 87 230 .378 1.22
Venceslás Castillo PF 98 223 .439 68 95 .716 26 85 .306 1.30
Dana Broughton SF 81 171 .474 58 78 .744 36 97 .371 1.50
Clark Nolan C 48 103 .466 35 62 .565 6 15 .400 1.33
Alvaro Kinard SG 56 120 .467 41 68 .603 26 67 .388 1.49
Rhett King PF 31 72 .431 25 35 .714 6 27 .222 1.29
Armando Brown PG 17 42 .405 12 17 .706 6 23 .261 1.24
Donnie Pope PF 1 7 .143 3 4 .750 0 0 .000 0.71
Willard Davis SF 10 32 .313 11 12 .917 4 15 .267 1.09
Louis Hewett C 1 6 .167 1 3 .333 0 0 .000 0.50
Justin Judkins PG 1 3 .333 0 0 .000 0 2 .000 0.67
Stephen Martell SF 0 0 .000 0 0 .000 0 0 .000 0.00
James Rossiter PG 0 0 .000 0 0 .000 0 0 .000 0.00

And here's how some of our players ranked in the Patriot League:


Hubert Song: 6th in PPG; 5th in APG; 2nd in MPG; 5th in A/T ratio; 5th in PPS
James Sanders: 9th in PPG; 2nd in RPG; 4th in BPG; 7th in FG%; 9th in FT%; 3rd in PPS
Joe Lien: 3rd in PPG: 9th in APG; 7th in 3P%
Venceslás Castillo: 6th in RPG; 10th in FT%
Dana Broughton: 10th in 3P%


We dominated the plus/minus categories. All five of our starters, plus Clark Nolan, were among the Patriot League's top ten. Song was first (8.12/game), Lien second (7.52), Sanders third (7.36), Castillo fourth (7.15), Broughton sixth (5.93), and Nolan eighth (5.39).

The Senior Tributes will be next.

[MoonlightGraham]

2014/15 Senior Tribute

LOUIS HEWETT

A scrappy, somewhat undersized center from Fort Washington, PA, Louis Hewett appeared in 27 games during his four years in our program. In 61 minutes of action, he scored 10 points and grabbed eight rebounds.
PLAYER DETAILS

#22 C Louis Hewett - Lafayette - Senior
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Height: 6-7
Weight: 242
High School: Upper Dublin High School
Hometown: Fort Washington, PA

Attributes:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Type INS JPS FTS 3PS HND PAS ORB DRB PSD PRD STL BLK QKN STR JMP STA
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Current: 35 40 29 4 26 25 27 29 26 21 32 27 38 71 39 95
2013: 33 39 28 4 25 24 26 28 25 20 31 26 38 69 38 88
2012: 31 38 27 4 24 23 25 27 24 19 30 25 38 67 38 81
2011: 29 37 26 4 23 22 24 26 23 18 29 24 37 65 37 74
2010: 25 35 24 4 21 20 22 24 21 16 27 22 36 61 36 58
Potential: C C D F D D D D D D C C

Health: Good
Scholarship: Yes
Status: Active Roster
Academics: 28

Stat Averages:
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Season G GS MIN PTS ORE REB AST TO A/T STL BLK PF
-------------------------------------------------------------------
2011 9 0 2.3 0.6 0.1 0.2 0.0 0.2 0.00 0.0 0.0 0.2
2012 7 0 2.4 0.3 0.0 0.6 0.1 0.1 1.00 0.0 0.0 0.3
2013 2 0 2.5 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.00 0.0 0.0 0.0
2014 9 1 2.9 0.3 0.1 0.2 0.1 0.0 1.00 0.1 0.1 0.3
Career 27 1 2.6 0.4 0.1 0.3 0.1 0.1 1.00 0.0 0.0 0.3

Shooting Averages:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Season FGM FGA FG% FTM FTA FT% 3PM 3PA 3P% PPS +/-
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2011 0.1 0.2 .500 0.3 0.6 .600 0.0 0.1 .000 2.50 -1.11
2012 0.1 0.6 .250 0.0 0.1 .000 0.0 0.0 .000 0.50 -1.57
2013 0.0 0.5 .000 0.0 0.0 .000 0.0 0.0 .000 0.00 -0.50
2014 0.1 0.7 .167 0.1 0.3 .333 0.0 0.0 .000 0.50 -1.00
Career 0.1 0.5 .231 0.1 0.3 .444 0.0 0.0 .000 0.77 -1.15

Stat Totals:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Season G GS MIN PTS OREB REB AST TO STL BLK PF
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2011 9 0 21 5 1 2 0 2 0 0 2
2012 7 0 17 2 0 4 1 1 0 0 2
2013 2 0 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
2014 9 1 26 3 1 2 1 0 1 1 3
Career 27 1 69 10 2 8 2 3 1 1 7

Shooting Totals
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Season FGM FGA FTM FTA 3PM 3PA +/-
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2011 1 2 3 5 0 1 -10
2012 1 4 0 1 0 0 -11
2013 0 1 0 0 0 0 -1
2014 1 6 1 3 0 0 -9
Career 3 13 4 9 0 1 -31

Career Highs:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Type Pts OReb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO FGM FGA FTM FTA 3PM 3PA
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Season 2 1 1 1 1 1 0 1 2 1 2 0 0
Career 2 1 2 1 1 1 1 1 2 2 2 0 1

Awards & Acheivements:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Season Award
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
No awards.
Louis was basically the same player as a senior that he was when he arrived on campus. More talented bigs joined our program over the years, and that limited Louis's opportunities to shine. However, he'll finish his degree, and he aspires to a career as a teacher and coach.

Thanks for the memories, Louis.

[MoonlightGraham]

Are you wondering how I decided Louis Hewett would become a coach? Starting with last season, when a senior graduates from the Lafayette program, I roll a d20. Right now, a roll of 16-20 means a graduate will choose coaching as a profession.

If I roll 16 or 17, he spends two years as a graduate assistant before I edit the league file to add him to my game as a possible Division I assistant coach.

If I roll 18, 19, or 20, he becomes a high school teacher and basketball coach. Each spring, I'll roll again for him. If the roll is 14 or higher, he decides to change gears and try college coaching, and I add him to the game as a possible assistant.

Sometimes I'll do the same thing for an opposing player I find interesting.

Louis is the first former Leopard to roll a coaching career. I rolled 19 for him, so he'll start at the high school level. I'll let you know if he becomes part of my NCAA universe.

Moses Washington, Bucknell '15, will also enter the coaching profession, with a roll of 17 that has him starting out as a grad assistant.

I might adjust the d20 rolls if it feels like too many former players are entering the profession.

[MoonlightGraham]

2014/15 Senior Tribute

DONNIE POPE

Donnie Pope appeared in every game of his freshman season. He saw less action in subsequent years, but he remained a useful depth player who could be trusted with important minutes when we needed him.

#41 PF Donnie Pope - Lafayette - Senior
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Height: 6-9
Weight: 239
High School: Southern Huntingdon County High School
Hometown: Three Springs, PA

Attributes:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Type INS JPS FTS 3PS HND PAS ORB DRB PSD PRD STL BLK QKN STR JMP STA
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Current: 14 21 24 24 30 22 82 43 59 27 28 22 27 80 50 68
2013: 13 20 23 23 29 21 77 40 55 26 27 21 26 78 50 59
2012: 13 19 22 22 28 20 73 38 52 25 26 20 26 75 50 47
2011: 12 18 21 21 27 19 68 35 48 24 25 19 25 72 49 35
2010: 12 17 20 20 26 18 65 33 45 23 24 18 24 68 47 21
Potential: D D D D C D A C B D D D

Health: Good
Scholarship: Yes
Status: Active Roster
Academics: 74

Stat Averages:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Season G GS MIN PTS ORE REB AST TO A/T STL BLK PF
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2011 31 0 6.4 1.4 0.4 1.8 0.2 0.3 0.78 0.0 0.1 0.7
2012 20 0 1.8 0.2 0.2 0.4 0.1 0.1 2.00 0.0 0.1 0.1
2013 20 0 4.3 0.7 0.5 1.3 0.1 0.2 0.67 0.0 0.0 0.5
2014 20 0 3.5 0.3 0.2 0.7 0.2 0.1 4.00 0.1 0.1 0.3
Career 91 0 4.3 0.7 0.3 1.1 0.2 0.2 4.00 0.0 0.1 0.4

Shooting Averages:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Season FGM FGA FG% FTM FTA FT% 3PM 3PA 3P% PPS +/-
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2011 0.5 1.2 .417 0.4 0.6 .667 0.0 0.2 .143 1.19 -0.77
2012 0.1 0.3 .333 0.0 0.1 .000 0.0 0.1 .000 0.67 -0.15
2013 0.1 0.5 .222 0.5 0.7 .643 0.0 0.0 .000 1.44 0.30
2014 0.1 0.4 .143 0.2 0.2 .750 0.0 0.0 .000 0.71 0.25
Career 0.2 0.6 .345 0.3 0.4 .649 0.0 0.1 .125 1.12 -0.18

Stat Totals:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Season G GS MIN PTS OREB REB AST TO STL BLK PF
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2011 31 0 197 43 12 56 7 9 1 2 22
2012 20 0 36 4 3 7 2 1 0 2 2
2013 20 0 86 13 10 25 2 3 0 0 10
2014 20 0 70 5 4 14 4 1 2 1 5
Career 91 0 389 65 29 102 15 14 3 5 39

Shooting Totals
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Season FGM FGA FTM FTA 3PM 3PA +/-
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2011 15 36 12 18 1 7 -24
2012 2 6 0 1 0 1 -3
2013 2 9 9 14 0 0 6
2014 1 7 3 4 0 0 5
Career 20 58 24 37 1 8 -16

Career Highs:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Type Pts OReb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO FGM FGA FTM FTA 3PM 3PA
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Season 4 1 3 1 1 1 1 1 2 2 2 0 0
Career 6 2 6 1 1 2 3 2 5 2 4 1 2

Awards & Acheivements:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Season Award
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
No awards.

Donnie was a tough defender and a tenacious rebounder, and he handled the ball fairly well for a big man. He finished his career with more assists than turnovers.

Thanks for the memories, Donnie.

[MoonlightGraham]

2014/15 Senior Tribute

WILLARD DAVIS

Willard Davis was an athletic wing from western Pennsylvania. He competed for playing time with an increasingly talented group of shooting guards and small forwards, but managed to see action in 95 games over three seasons.

#10 SF Willard Davis - Lafayette - Senior
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Height: 6-4
Weight: 214
High School: Johnsonburg Area High School
Hometown: Johnsonburg, PA

Attributes:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Type INS JPS FTS 3PS HND PAS ORB DRB PSD PRD STL BLK QKN STR JMP STA
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Current: 28 52 95 32 41 27 33 34 29 42 16 10 80 43 90 90
2013: 27 48 90 31 40 26 32 33 28 40 15 10 80 42 90 83
2012: 26 45 86 30 39 25 31 32 27 37 14 10 80 40 89 74
2011: 25 43 83 29 38 24 30 31 26 35 13 10 79 38 89 65
2010: 24 41 80 28 37 23 29 30 25 33 12 10 79 35 88 53
Potential: D B A D C D D C D C D F

Health: Good
Scholarship: Yes
Status: Active Roster
Academics: 65

Stat Averages:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Season G GS MIN PTS ORE REB AST TO A/T STL BLK PF
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2012 33 0 6.8 2.8 0.4 1.1 0.5 0.6 0.71 0.2 0.0 0.7
2013 31 0 5.7 1.5 0.2 0.6 0.2 0.4 0.38 0.1 0.0 0.5
2014 31 0 3.4 1.1 0.2 0.7 0.1 0.2 0.57 0.0 0.0 0.3
Career 95 0 5.4 1.8 0.3 0.8 0.3 0.4 0.57 0.1 0.0 0.5

Shooting Averages:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Season FGM FGA FG% FTM FTA FT% 3PM 3PA 3P% PPS +/-
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2012 0.9 1.6 .558 0.9 1.0 .882 0.1 0.4 .333 1.77 -0.15
2013 0.4 1.1 .343 0.7 0.8 .880 0.0 0.5 .067 1.34 0.29
2014 0.3 1.0 .313 0.4 0.4 .917 0.1 0.5 .267 1.09 0.35
Career 0.5 1.3 .429 0.7 0.7 .887 0.1 0.4 .214 1.46 0.16

Stat Totals:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Season G GS MIN PTS OREB REB AST TO STL BLK PF
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2012 33 0 225 92 14 37 15 21 7 0 23
2013 31 0 178 47 5 19 5 13 3 0 16
2014 31 0 106 35 6 22 4 7 0 0 9
Career 95 0 509 174 25 78 24 41 10 0 48

Shooting Totals
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Season FGM FGA FTM FTA 3PM 3PA +/-
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2012 29 52 30 34 4 12 -5
2013 12 35 22 25 1 15 9
2014 10 32 11 12 4 15 11
Career 51 119 63 71 9 42 15

Career Highs:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Type Pts OReb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO FGM FGA FTM FTA 3PM 3PA
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Season 10 1 3 2 0 0 2 2 5 4 4 2 3
Career 10 2 4 2 1 0 3 3 6 5 6 2 4

Awards & Acheivements:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Season Award
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
No awards.

Willard agreed to take a redshirt year, which I hoped would cause him to develop into a sleeper star. Things didn't work out quite that way for him, and I wish they had. He was always a hard worker and a very solid student, and several of his dunks--including a tomahawk slam against UMass--will delight YouTube viewers for years.

Thanks for the memories, Willard.

[MoonlightGraham]

2014/15 Senior Tribute

CLARK NOLAN

Clark Nolan grew up and went to high school in Whitehall, not quite 20 miles down US 22 from the Lafayette campus. His uncle played football for the Leopards, and Clark dreamed of following in his footsteps. His 6'9", 260-pound frame might have served him well as an offensive tackle, but his true talents lay on the basketball court.

#50 C Clark Nolan - Lafayette - Senior
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Height: 6-9
Weight: 261
High School: Whitehall High School
Hometown: Whitehall, PA

Attributes:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Type INS JPS FTS 3PS HND PAS ORB DRB PSD PRD STL BLK QKN STR JMP STA
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Current: 48 7 28 25 35 38 69 60 28 12 11 54 33 100 32 64
2013: 44 6 28 24 34 35 67 53 26 11 10 50 32 100 31 54
2012: 40 5 28 23 33 33 61 47 23 10 9 45 32 99 31 44
2011: 36 5 27 22 32 31 55 41 21 9 8 41 32 96 31 34
2010: 32 5 25 20 30 29 51 37 19 9 8 37 29 86 28 6
Potential: C F D D D C B B D F F C

Health: Good
Scholarship: Yes
Status: Active Roster
Academics: 33

Stat Averages:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Season G GS MIN PTS ORE REB AST TO A/T STL BLK PF
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2011 32 2 20.4 3.8 1.3 4.5 0.9 0.9 1.04 0.3 0.3 1.9
2012 33 33 26.2 6.0 2.4 6.8 0.9 1.1 0.89 0.1 0.4 2.4
2013 33 32 26.7 6.6 2.9 7.2 0.7 1.1 0.66 0.2 0.4 2.1
2014 31 8 19.9 4.4 1.6 5.3 0.6 0.9 0.70 0.3 0.6 2.1
Career 129 75 23.4 5.2 2.0 6.0 0.8 1.0 0.70 0.2 0.4 2.1

Shooting Averages:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Season FGM FGA FG% FTM FTA FT% 3PM 3PA 3P% PPS +/-
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2011 1.4 3.8 .383 0.8 1.5 .574 0.1 0.6 .111 1.01 -1.38
2012 2.4 5.5 .433 1.2 2.1 .557 0.1 0.4 .214 1.10 4.18
2013 2.5 5.7 .434 1.5 2.6 .581 0.1 0.7 .174 1.15 7.24
2014 1.5 3.3 .466 1.1 2.0 .565 0.2 0.5 .400 1.33 5.39
Career 2.0 4.6 .429 1.2 2.1 .570 0.1 0.5 .214 1.14 3.88

Stat Totals:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Season G GS MIN PTS OREB REB AST TO STL BLK PF
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2011 32 2 653 121 40 144 29 28 9 10 61
2012 33 33 866 198 78 225 31 35 3 13 78
2013 33 32 881 218 95 239 23 35 8 14 69
2014 31 8 617 137 50 164 19 27 8 18 64
Career 129 75 3017 674 263 772 102 125 28 55 272

Shooting Totals
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Season FGM FGA FTM FTA 3PM 3PA +/-
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2011 46 120 27 47 2 18 -44
2012 78 180 39 70 3 14 138
2013 82 189 50 86 4 23 239
2014 48 103 35 62 6 15 167
Career 254 592 151 265 15 70 500

Career Highs:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Type Pts OReb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO FGM FGA FTM FTA 3PM 3PA
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Season 10 4 10 3 2 2 3 4 8 7 10 1 2
Career 18 7 17 3 2 2 3 7 13 7 10 1 3

Awards & Acheivements:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Season Award
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
All Player of the Game: 3
2011 Freshman All-Conference (Patriot League)

Clark was a leading frontcourt reserve as a freshman, and the Patriot League named him to its All-Freshman team. He spent the next two seasons as a starter, shifting to power forward and joining James Sanders and Venceslás Castillo in the Big Three frontcourt trio. He more than held his own, doing the tough work under both boards and emerging as one of the conference's best rebounders.

As a senior, Clark returned to an all-purpose role. He started at both center and power forward, and was the first big man off the bench. He was a favorite at the Kirby Center; his personal cheering section included his fraternity brothers and some of his friends from Whitehall who remained in the area. His proudest single moment took place in February, when he calmly knocked in two free throws with 13 seconds remaining to seal an 80-78 win against Colgate.

Thanks for the memories, Clark.

[MoonlightGraham]

2014/15 Senior Tribute

DANA BROUGHTON

Good things come to those who wait...especially if they also work hard.

The Lafayette career of Dana Broughton exemplifies this adage.

#34 SF Dana Broughton - Lafayette - Senior
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Height: 6-6
Weight: 228
High School: Southern Lehigh High School
Hometown: Center Valley, PA

Attributes:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Type INS JPS FTS 3PS HND PAS ORB DRB PSD PRD STL BLK QKN STR JMP STA
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Current: 21 35 47 68 46 7 58 15 36 49 47 15 52 57 73 100
2013: 19 32 44 64 43 6 55 14 35 46 44 14 52 55 73 100
2012: 18 30 42 61 41 6 53 13 34 44 42 14 52 54 73 100
2011: 17 27 39 57 39 6 50 12 33 42 40 13 52 53 72 100
2010: 15 23 35 51 37 6 46 12 31 38 36 13 52 51 70 88
Potential: D C C B C F C F C C C F

Health: Good
Scholarship: Yes
Status: Active Roster
Academics: 83

Stat Averages:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Season G GS MIN PTS ORE REB AST TO A/T STL BLK PF
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2011 32 0 9.0 2.9 0.8 1.6 0.5 0.7 0.65 0.3 0.1 0.8
2012 21 0 2.3 1.1 0.1 0.3 0.2 0.1 1.67 0.1 0.0 0.2
2013 33 0 11.6 4.3 0.6 1.8 0.6 1.1 0.60 0.3 0.1 1.0
2014 30 21 26.4 8.5 1.9 4.5 1.8 2.1 0.89 1.1 0.2 2.2
Career 116 21 13.0 4.4 0.9 2.2 0.8 1.1 0.89 0.5 0.1 1.1

Shooting Averages:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Season FGM FGA FG% FTM FTA FT% 3PM 3PA 3P% PPS +/-
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2011 1.0 2.0 .492 0.5 1.0 .516 0.4 0.9 .448 1.43 0.47
2012 0.3 0.5 .545 0.3 0.5 .700 0.2 0.4 .500 2.09 -0.10
2013 1.3 2.9 .458 1.0 1.2 .780 0.7 2.0 .348 1.49 0.85
2014 2.7 5.7 .474 1.9 2.6 .744 1.2 3.2 .371 1.50 5.93
Career 1.4 3.0 .475 1.0 1.4 .706 0.7 1.7 .380 1.50 1.89

Stat Totals:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Season G GS MIN PTS OREB REB AST TO STL BLK PF
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2011 32 0 289 93 25 50 15 23 11 2 24
2012 21 0 48 23 2 7 5 3 2 1 5
2013 33 0 383 143 21 60 21 35 11 3 33
2014 30 21 791 256 58 134 55 62 33 6 65
Career 116 21 1511 515 106 251 96 123 57 12 127

Shooting Totals
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Season FGM FGA FTM FTA 3PM 3PA +/-
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2011 32 65 16 31 13 29 15
2012 6 11 7 10 4 8 -2
2013 44 96 32 41 23 66 28
2014 81 171 58 78 36 97 178
Career 163 343 113 160 76 200 219

Career Highs:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Type Pts OReb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO FGM FGA FTM FTA 3PM 3PA
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Season 21 7 9 5 3 1 6 6 10 11 11 4 7
Career 21 7 9 5 3 1 6 6 10 11 11 5 9

Awards & Acheivements:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Season Award
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
All Player of the Game: 4
2011 Freshman All-Conference (Patriot League)
2014 2nd Team All-Conference (Patriot League)

Like his classmate, Clark Nolan, Dana chose to play his college ball close to home. In nine minutes per game, he was productive enough to earn a spot on the All-Freshman Team in 2010/11.

Then, his career seemed to take the same turn as those of several of the players who found their court time taken by players Graham Sims recruited. He barely played as a sophomore, but he never lost his shooting touch...especially from long range.

Dana shot himself back into Coach Sims' rotation as a junior. Then, midway through his senior season, I decided to see how he would fare as a starter. Would switching him with Alvaro Kinard invigorate both players?

The answer turned out to be "yes." Dana started 21 games, including all our conference games. His average of 1.50 points per shot was the best on the team (0.01 better than Kinard's mark). He gave us a third long-range threat that stretched opposing defenses, creating room for James Sanders to work his magic in the post. Big Colonel became the Player of the Year.

And Dana Broughton became a Second Team All-Conference selection.

Thanks for the memories, Dana.

[MoonlightGraham]

April 11, 2015

All three of Graham Sims' assistants inform us that they'd like raises for the 2015/16 season.

Steven Manion and Thomas Liang believe they're worth $40,000/year, and Donn McClinton wants $50,000. Each coach may quit during the assistant hiring phase if we don't meet these salary requests.

All three coaches have improved since the story began.

COACH REC SCT OFF DEF
Steven Manion 52 (+13) 28 (+7) 46 (+9) 14 (+11)
Donn McClinton 41 (+12) 55 (+16) 8 (+2) 36 (+10)
Thomas Liang 33 (+10) 16 (+4) 23 (+6) 68 (+20)

Furthermore, they all improved significantly in their specialties: Steven's the recruiter, DMac's the scout, and Thomas is the coaching assistant.

We have the budget to either give our current staff the raises they'd like, or shop for even better coaches. I'll give this a bit of thought. Part of me wants to demonstrate loyalty to Coach Sims' assistants.

Two questions, OOC:

Do assistant coaches help out in areas other than their specialties? In other words, will McClinton's and Liang's improved Recruiting scores help us land better players, even though Manion is the recruiter?
Will Graham's ratings ever improve? He still has the scores he had when I created him, while his assistants are getting better.


We also learn we're in line for a facilities upgrade. I've been looking forward to that.

[MoonlightGraham]

May 1, 2015

The recruiting gurus aren't terribly impressed with our incoming freshman class.

2014 Recruiting Rankings

# Team Conference Best Player Rtg 5* 4* 3* 2* 1*
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
74. American Patriot League SG Noah Burgett *** 0 0 4 0 0
113. Holy Cross Patriot League SG Joey Sweeney *** 0 0 2 0 0
129. Army Patriot League SG Eldridge Hawkinson *** 0 0 2 1 0
161. Navy Patriot League PG Steven Hurlburt *** 0 0 1 1 3
215. Lafayette Patriot League C Johnathon Blouin *** 0 0 1 1 3
287. Lehigh Patriot League PF Kieth Huddleston ** 0 0 0 1 3
293. Colgate Patriot League SG George Volkman ** 0 0 0 2 0
304. Bucknell Patriot League SG Andre Hyatt ** 0 0 0 1 1

American hauled in four three-star players, led by Noah Burgett, the #178 player in the national rankings. He arrives as an Orange/Green player.

Joey Sweeney of Holy Cross is even more highly regarded (#122), but he's a Red/Green guy.

Army might have landed the best recruit in the class. Eldridge Hawkinson debuts at Yellow/Blue, the same level as Joe Lien.

Orange/Green player Steven Hurlburt is Navy's best recruit.

All five of our players, regardless of their recruiting stars, arrive as Red players. Johnathan Blouin (***), Richard Leak (*), and Otis Hall (*) have Green potential. Samuel Davis (**) and Raleigh McGinty (*) have Yellow.

I don't care what the experts say. I like these guys.

[MoonlightGraham]

May 1, 2015

We are officially the most prestigious program in the Patriot League now. Our score is 43; Holy Cross and American are next at 41. Bucknell follows, at 33.

The Head Coach rounds begin now. The first two offers Graham receives--from Kent State and Western Michigan--aren't tempting. The third one is.

In a college basketball universe that begins in 2010, Virginia is not a powerhouse. In fact, the Hoos have the lowest prestige in the ACC. Their coach, Fabian McNew, has just retired, after leading the team to a 17-15 record. This is par for McNew's course; his teams won 18, 17, and 15 games in the previous three seasons, and they've never played in a postseason tournament.

The challenge of turning Virginia into a national championship contender would be a lot of fun...but that's another story I might want to tell someday. I reject all three offers and move on.

Illinois State, Virginia Commonwealth, and the Alabama-Birmingham team we beat in last year's NCAA tournament all make offers which I don't want to accept. Then comes an opportunity that is an acceptable one for our Pennsylvania-based coach.

Kentucky coach Columbus Hudson retired at the end of the season. The Wildcats hire 38-year-old Brooks Runyan, who's led Temple to a 57-13 record over the last two seasons and just took them to the Sweet Sixteen.

Temple's Prestige is 82. Villanova (92) and Pitt (91) are higher, but I doubt any other Pennsylvania program comes close. The Owls' budget is close to $600,000, while ours is about $350,000. Their recruiting class ranks in the middle of the Atlantic 10.

Although the Temple job is the kind Graham will want somewhere down the line, something tells me this isn't the right time for it. If Lafayette's fortunes take a turn for the worse, and Coach Sims' reputation goes with it, I might regret my decision. For now, however, I'm passing. Perhaps the opportunity might come my way again.

I decide to give all three assistants the raises they're seeking. I like the coaching team we've assembled here.

[MoonlightGraham]

July 1, 2015

Let's meet the 2015/16 Lafayette Leopards!

Player # Pos Yr Ht Wt Sch Acd Status Hometown
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Lothar Schrufer 1 SF Fr 6-8 248 No 35 OK Magdeburg, Germany
Richard Leak 2 PG Fr 6-0 189 Yes 66 OK Ludlow, MA
Rhett King 4 PF Sr 6-9 261 Yes 42 OK Saratoga Springs, NY
Justin Judkins 5 PG So 6-1 193 Yes 94 OK Middletown, OH
Otis Hall 10 PF Fr 7-0 218 Yes 43 OK South Charleston, OH
Hubert Song 12 PG Sr 6-4 224 Yes 67 OK New York, NY
Joe Lien 14 SG So 6-3 192 Yes 11 OK Newton, NJ
Armando Brown 15 PG Jr 6-0 202 Yes 82 OK New York, NY
Alvaro Kinard 20 SG Jr 6-5 190 Yes 51 OK New York, NY
Raleigh McGinty 21 C Fr 6-10 242 Yes 56 OK Stanhope, NJ
Johnathon Blouin 23 C Fr 6-9 211 Yes 41 OK Allentown, NJ
Venceslás Castillo 25 PF Sr 6-8 248 Yes 89 OK Alcazar de San Juan, Spain
Stephen Martell 35 SF So 6-6 240 No 43 OK West Chester, PA
James Sanders 42 C Sr 6-11 322 Yes 94 OK Bridgeport, CT
Samuel Davis 53 C Fr 6-10 224 Yes 97 OK Greensboro, NC

This is our fifth year at Lafayette, so for the first time, all the players on the roster are guys we brought into the program.

Five of the six players who led the Leopards to their first NCAA tournament berth of the Graham Sims era will return this season.

Among them is senior center James Sanders, the reigning Patriot League Player of the Year. Big Colonel played especially well in February and March, which bodes well for his continued development.

Joining Sanders in the frontcourt will be senior Venceslás Castillo and junior Alvaro Kinard. The Good King is not a major scoring threat, but his defense and rebounding are essential to the Leopards' success. Kinard will have another opportunity to prove he can succeed as a starter, after playing better as a sixth man last season.

Senior Rhett King will be first in line off the bench. He's a powerful inside player who could possibly feature with Sanders and Castillo in a super-sized lineup.

The Patriot League's most effective backcourt pair return to action for one more year, too. Senior Hubert Song and sophomore Joe Lien are both true lead guards, able to create shots for their teammates and score themselves. Song is slightly more oriented toward playmaking, while Lien is more apt to look for shots.

Backing them up will be Armando Brown, a junior who specializes in defense, and sophomore Justin Judkins, a skilled ballhandler who is developing some scoring ability.

Five first year players join Coach Sims' program this year. Big men Samuel Davis and Raleigh McGinty and guard Richard Leak might be the best prepared for the challenges of college basketball right now. Johnathan Blouin and Otis Hall, two more bigs, might have the most potential. Our roster is deep enough that none of the freshmen will be expected to contribute right away. Perhaps a redshirt year is in store for some of them.

And, here's a look at our protagonist's bio:
Graham Sims - Head Coach - Lafayette
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Age: 36
High School: St. Stephen's & St. Agnes School
Hometown: Alexandria, VA
Alma Mater: Villanova

Current Level: 7
Career Record: 91 - 40

Recruiting: 72
Scouting: 48
Offense: 49
Defense: 71


Coaching History:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Season Team Position W L CW CL Postseason
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2014 Lafayette Head Coach 27 6 12 2 Loss in NCAA Round of 32
2013 Lafayette Head Coach 26 7 12 2 Loss in NIT Round 2
2012 Lafayette Head Coach 20 13 10 4 Loss in NCAA Round 1
2011 Lafayette Head Coach 18 14 7 7 Loss in CIT Round 2

Awards & Achievements:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Season Award
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2014 Conference Coach of the Year (Patriot League)
2014 Patriot League Champion
2013 Conference Coach of the Year (Patriot League)
2013 Patriot League Champion

Job Movement:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Season Move
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2011 Hired by Lafayette (Head Coach)

[MoonlightGraham]

August 1, 2015

In a year when we welcome five new players to campus, we're recruiting four more to replace our scholarship seniors: James Sanders, Venceslás Castillo, Hubert Song, and Rhett King. Song is a guard, and the other three are post players.

This year, we're starting four upperclassmen and one sophomore: guard Joe Lien. Our top recruiting target will be a lead guard, and since our 2015 class was so big-heavy, we can settle for two post players and a wing this year.

The first recruit that catches my eye is Daniel Warnock, a long, athletic wing from Spotswood, NJ.
#32 SF Daniel Warnock
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Height: 6-8
Weight: 226
High School: Spotswood High School
Hometown: Spotswood, NJ
GPA: 2.58
Test Score: 900
Rating: ***

Attributes:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Type INS JPS FTS 3PS HND PAS ORB DRB PSD PRD STL BLK QKN STR JMP STA
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Current: 35 39 60 59 48 29 17 25 28 18 10 14 63 72 47 80
Potential: C C C A C D D C C F F C

Season Stats:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PTS OREB REB AST TOS A/T STL BLK PFS
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
20.9 2.1 8.7 2.2 1.8 1.26 0.8 1.7 3.0

Shooting Averages:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
FGM FGA FG% FTM FTA FT% 3PM 3PA 3P%
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
8.6 17.0 .503 1.5 2.4 .625 2.3 5.7 .398

Recruiting Notes:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Qualified: Yes
Current interest in Lafayette: Very High
Rankings: #30 SF, East Region #44 Overall, East Region #10 SF
High School Awards: All-State
Top 5 Schools: Lafayette, St. John's, Rider, Seton Hall, Rutgers

Daniel is just inside the top 200 high school players in the nation. His high rankings, nationally and regionally, reflect his ability to put the ball in the basket in a variety of ways. Although he is quick, he struggles to defend perimeter players, but he'll use his size and mass effectively in the post.

We're in the pole position to land him right now, ahead of several more prestigious programs in his home state. I don't hesitate to offer Daniel a scholarship, and we'll go all-out to keep us first on his list--bringing him to campus and sending Coaches Sims and Manion to visit him.

Darwin Alessi, from the delightfully named town of Shickshinny, PA, is the kind of player I affectionately call a Blue Collar Man. He does the tough work--defending and rebounding--that his teammates and coaches often value more than the fans do. The Blue Collar Man's crowd-pleasing moments are rare; if shot blocking is also part of his repertoire, he might reject a shot with enough style to earn some love.
#14 C Darwin Alessi
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Height: 6-10
Weight: 225
High School: Northwest Area High School
Hometown: Shickshinny, PA
GPA: 2.73
Test Score: 930
Rating: ***

Attributes:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Type INS JPS FTS 3PS HND PAS ORB DRB PSD PRD STL BLK QKN STR JMP STA
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Current: 7 58 40 0 21 9 41 63 64 28 34 46 20 84 24 38
Potential: D A C F D C C B A C C C

Season Stats:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PTS OREB REB AST TOS A/T STL BLK PFS
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
15.5 3.2 12.6 0.9 2.9 0.31 2.2 1.2 3.3

Shooting Averages:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
FGM FGA FG% FTM FTA FT% 3PM 3PA 3P%
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
6.2 11.3 .544 3.2 5.2 .615 0.0 0.0 .000

Recruiting Notes:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Qualified: Yes
Current interest in Lafayette: Very High
Rankings: East Region #68 Overall, East Region #10 C
High School Awards: None
Top 5 Schools: Pennsylvania, Fairfield, La Salle, Syracuse, Rhode Island

I like having a Blue Collar Man on my roster. Clark Nolan was that kind of player. Rhett King has some of those skills, and so does freshman Samuel Davis. Darwin looks like he's well on his way to earning his BCM union card, and he also has a nifty little jumper.

Darwin has at least five programs ahead of us right now, but he's expressing Very High interest in playing for us. We'll visit him this month, and see if he's impressed enough to move us onto his list.

Jack Senn looks like he has the potential to fill the role of backcourt boss. His handle isn't quite good enough for a true point guard, but we're developing one of those already: first year Richard Leak.
#21 SG Jack Senn
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Height: 6-2
Weight: 174
High School: Manville High School
Hometown: Manville, NJ
GPA: 2.88
Test Score: 1090
Rating: ***

Attributes:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Type INS JPS FTS 3PS HND PAS ORB DRB PSD PRD STL BLK QKN STR JMP STA
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Current: 6 47 48 69 45 53 31 24 37 32 24 17 82 33 85 68
Potential: F A B A C C D C C C D C

Season Stats:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PTS OREB REB AST TOS A/T STL BLK PFS
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
19.1 2.0 5.5 5.1 2.5 2.08 1.4 0.7 3.5

Shooting Averages:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
FGM FGA FG% FTM FTA FT% 3PM 3PA 3P%
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
8.1 17.0 .474 1.5 2.2 .659 1.6 4.5 .344

Recruiting Notes:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Qualified: Yes
Current interest in Lafayette: Very High
Rankings: East Region #46 Overall, East Region #12 SG
High School Awards: All-State
Top 5 Schools: Lafayette, Monmouth, Rider, Manhattan, Lehigh

Despite his athleticism, Jack is mainly a catch-and-shoot guy who needs his teammates to create shots for him. With a stroke like his, though, we can work around that.

Three-star players who have us first on their list are a new thing for us. I offer Jack a scholarship and max out our recruiting actions for him.

I decide to go ahead and offer Darwin Alessi a scholarship. Perhaps having an offer from us in his hand will convince him we're a good fit.

There are two or three other players I like well enough to send Coaches Sims and Manion to visit. If any of them become more important targets, you'll meet them, too.

[MoonlightGraham]

September 1, 2015

It's been a good month for recruiting. Darwin Alessi was, indeed, waiting for an offer, and when he receives one, he immediately declares us his number one choice. Darwin also gets an offer from Drexel; their prestige is higher than ours (54-43), but Graham Sims and Steven Manion are much better recruiters than Drexel's staff. And, because Darwin didn't have us in his top five, we couldn't invite him to campus last month. We'll play that card this month, as well as sending our coaches to visit him.

Daniel Warnock receives at least four offers besides ours in August: Pennsylvania, Fordham, Monmouth, and Delaware. Penn, a similarly prominent program, could tempt him. Hopefully our recruiting team will receive positive news when they visit him this month.

Pacifism is a central tenet of the Quaker faith, but the Penn Quakers recruit relentlessly. We're competing with them for Jack Senn's commitment, too. Monmouth, Iona, and NJIT have also offered the sharpshooting guard. Like Daniel, Jack considers us his first choice. Let's lock this one down, too. Both coaches will pay him a visit this week.

What shall we do with our fourth offer? It should probably go to a big man. Two of the post players we like best are Jeffrey Gray and Dan Langdon.

#42 C Jeffrey Gray
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Height: 6-8
Weight: 226
High School: Stissing Mountain High School
Hometown: Pine Plains, NY
GPA: 2.92
Test Score: 1290
Rating: **

Attributes:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Type INS JPS FTS 3PS HND PAS ORB DRB PSD PRD STL BLK QKN STR JMP STA
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Current: 72 46 36 28 41 13 53 26 16 21 36 4 8 70 22 37
Potential: A C D C B F C C D D B D

Season Stats:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PTS OREB REB AST TOS A/T STL BLK PFS
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
19.4 3.0 10.2 0.9 1.8 0.50 1.2 1.0 2.7

Shooting Averages:
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FGM FGA FG% FTM FTA FT% 3PM 3PA 3P%
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
8.4 13.9 .604 2.4 4.9 .495 0.2 1.1 .182

Recruiting Notes:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Qualified: Yes
Current interest in Lafayette: Very High
Rankings: East Region #20 C
High School Awards: None
Top 5 Schools: Lafayette, *St. Francis-NY, *New Hampshire, Quinnipiac, Hartford

Jeffrey has the ability to get to the rim and create his own shot. He's a good rebounder, but his defensive abilities are nothing special. A two-star recruit, Jeffrey lists us first despite having offers in hand from two other schools.

#44 C Dan Langdon
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Height: 6-9
Weight: 254
High School: John Jay High School
Hometown: Cross River, NY
GPA: 2.35
Test Score: 1030
Rating: ***

Attributes:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Type INS JPS FTS 3PS HND PAS ORB DRB PSD PRD STL BLK QKN STR JMP STA
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Current: 44 44 29 0 43 15 33 13 58 19 32 46 33 67 30 34
Potential: C C D F B F D D A D C B

Season Stats:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PTS OREB REB AST TOS A/T STL BLK PFS
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
17.6 2.1 6.5 1.3 1.3 1.00 2.0 2.8 2.2

Shooting Averages:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
FGM FGA FG% FTM FTA FT% 3PM 3PA 3P%
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
7.3 13.2 .551 3.1 5.9 .521 0.0 0.0 .000

Recruiting Notes:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Qualified: Yes
Current interest in Lafayette: Average
Rankings: #25 C, East Region #21 Overall, East Region #4 C
High School Awards: None
Top 5 Schools: *Fairfield, *Hofstra, *La Salle, *Massachusetts, Iona

Dan has the potential to be an elite defender, and it looks like his offensive game has some upside. He's a very high three-star recruit (#102 in the nation). Dan would be a reach for us, since he holds offers from four schools with slightly higher prestige. Fairfield and Hofstra's head coaches are nearly irresistible recruiters.

So, here's the plan. I'll offer the scholarship to Langdon first. If he doesn't show significant signs of interest in our program by October 1, we'll back off. At the same time, I'll continue to recruit Gray, and hope he'll be willing to wait for us.

[MoonlightGraham]

October 1, 2015

It's down to Lafayette and Drexel for Darwin Alessi. He's removed every other school from consideration. Darwin still prefers us. All we can do is send Coach Sims and Coach Manion to his home; I'm sure Leroy Curry and his assistant are doing the same thing.

Coach Curry is a very good X-and-O coach, but he's not much of a recruiter. Let's hope Coach Sims can work some of his recruiting magic.

The situation is much the same with Daniel Warnock. He narrows his choices to Lafayette and Pennsylvania, in that order. Penn's new head coach, Dale Lavalley, is a good recruiter (68, to Graham's 72). Their recruiting assistant, Dirk Clarke, is exactly as good at his job as our Steven Manion is. There's probably a random number generator which will determine which school Warnock picks. Let's hope Daniel values the stability Coach Sims is building in Easton.

Meanwhile, Jack Senn appears to have told every other program to stop recruiting him. He doesn't commit yet, but I don't recall us losing a player once we're in sole possession of the recruiting field. Time to close the deal, Coach.

The story behind our last scholarship becomes more interesting. I'm not surprised that Jeffrey Gray decides to move St. Francis, from whom he's received an offer, ahead of us. He still hasn't accepted the offer, and we're his other finalist...

Meanwhile, Dan Langdon announces his final two choices: Fairfield and Lafayette. That's a good sign. Dan says his interest in Lafayette is Average. That's not a good sign. Fairfield coach Jack Jones is a god-tier recruiter (97). That's not a good sign, either. We haven't invited Dan to campus yet, so we still have that move to make. We saw how much difference bringing Darwin Alessi to campus made in his recruitment.

Dan is supposedly one of the 25 best centers in the country. That makes it difficult to eliminate ourselves from the contest.

Worst-case scenario: Langdon signs with Fairfield, and Gray, tired of waiting, signs with St. Francis. What would we do then?

Perhaps we pursue Robert Wiley, a 7-footer from Long Island, to whom no school has yet offered a scholarship.
#3 C Robert Wiley
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Height: 7-0
Weight: 210
High School: East Hampton High School
Hometown: East Hampton, NY
GPA: 2.41
Test Score: 940
Rating: ***

Attributes:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Type INS JPS FTS 3PS HND PAS ORB DRB PSD PRD STL BLK QKN STR JMP STA
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Current: 47 43 29 0 30 11 24 20 26 32 11 33 20 80 32 38
Potential: B C C F C F C C C B F C

Season Stats:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PTS OREB REB AST TOS A/T STL BLK PFS
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
25.6 3.0 7.4 0.8 2.1 0.36 0.7 1.3 3.1

Shooting Averages:
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FGM FGA FG% FTM FTA FT% 3PM 3PA 3P%
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
10.7 16.9 .630 4.3 9.1 .473 0.0 0.0 .000

Recruiting Notes:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Qualified: Yes
Current interest in Lafayette: Average
Rankings: East Region #99 Overall, East Region #16 C
High School Awards: None
Top 5 Schools: Providence, Rhode Island, Holy Cross, Fordham, Connecticut

Robert scores a lot of points, but not simply because he's constantly shooting the ball. He's making 63 percent of his shots. Robert likes some big programs, but none of them seem to like him the same way. Holy Cross is on his list, too. I'd hate to have to play against him at least twice a year.

Then, there's a local boy named James Standard.
#41 C James Standard
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Height: 6-10
Weight: 231
High School: Easton Area High School
Hometown: Easton, PA
GPA: 2.65
Test Score: 1090
Rating: *

Attributes:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Type INS JPS FTS 3PS HND PAS ORB DRB PSD PRD STL BLK QKN STR JMP STA
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Current: 24 29 35 28 5 43 44 55 33 31 20 39 32 84 39 45
Potential: D D D D C C B A C C D D

Season Stats:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PTS OREB REB AST TOS A/T STL BLK PFS
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
13.4 3.4 13.7 2.4 1.6 1.47 1.0 2.1 1.7

Shooting Averages:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
FGM FGA FG% FTM FTA FT% 3PM 3PA 3P%
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
6.0 12.9 .461 1.2 2.0 .615 0.3 2.4 .128

Recruiting Notes:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Qualified: Yes
Current interest in Lafayette: Very High
Rankings: None
High School Awards: None
Top 5 Schools: Lafayette, Columbia, Navy, Canisius, Northeastern

James isn't much of a scorer, but he rebounds as if his life depends on it. He's the kind of player who might be willing to wait for the offer he wants most.

It's a game. Let's play hard. Let's do Max Effort with every player whose name appears in this post.

Carpe diem.

[MoonlightGraham]

November 1, 2015

The first two pieces of our recruiting class puzzle fall into place this month.

Daniel Warnock is the first player to announce his commitment to Lafayette basketball. Daniel ranks #196 among recruits in this class, and #30 among players at his position. He's the second most highly regarded player we've ever landed, after Joe Lien.

Right on the heels of Daniel's commitment, we receive good news from Jack Senn. Seton Hall appears to have made a late push to sign him, but Jack remained true to the program who liked him from the beginning.

Then comes the bad news. Drexel turns Darwin Alessi's head, and he signs with the Dragons. I didn't see that coming, and it makes things a lot more complicated for us.

So does the discovery that Jeffrey Gray signs with St. Francis. While I did see this coming, losing Alessi makes losing Gray more significant.

Then I notice that Robert Wiley isn't on my Call List anymore. That's because Robert has signed with Holy Cross! This is NOT working out the way I'd planned...

*deep breath*

Dan Langdon is, however, still on my list. He is still weighing his offers from Fairfield and Lafayette. He's upgraded his interest level to High. Coaches Sims and Manion will have to out-recruit Jack Jones, and not many coaches can pull that off. Cross your fingers.

I also decide to offer a scholarship to James Standard. We're James's first offer, and Graham and Steven can walk to his house to make the offer in person. That's exactly what they do.

Even when you lose the recruiting mini-game in FBCB, it's a hell of a lot of fun.

None of our players are willing to redshirt. That's a shame, because there won't be enough playing time to go around.

[MoonlightGraham]

November 8, 2015

How did this year's training camp go? Let's find out, shall we?

LAFAYETTE Training Results

Player Ins Jps Fts 3ps Hnd Pas Orb Drb Psd Prd Stl Blk Qkn Str Jmp Sta
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Lothar Schrufer 0 0 2 2 2 2 0 2 2 6 4 2 0 6 1 10
Richard Leak 0 2 0 2 8 8 2 2 2 2 2 2 3 6 3 34
Rhett King 2 0 1 2 1 1 1 4 3 1 2 1 0 3 1 4
Justin Judkins 1 1 0 1 0 2 1 1 1 1 2 0 1 3 2 9
Otis Hall 4 2 2 0 2 2 6 6 2 2 4 6 0 10 2 24
Hubert Song 1 0 1 1 9 2 1 2 2 13 7 2 1 3 0 4
Joe Lien 5 4 2 4 5 5 1 2 1 1 3 1 0 1 1 6
Armando Brown 0 1 0 2 2 5 1 1 0 3 1 1 0 2 0 6
Alvaro Kinard 1 4 1 1 2 2 1 2 4 2 7 1 0 3 2 6
Raleigh McGinty 8 2 2 2 2 2 4 2 2 2 2 2 0 6 2 16
Johnathon Blouin 4 2 2 0 2 2 6 8 4 0 2 4 1 8 1 14
Venceslás Castillo 6 1 1 2 1 2 12 6 6 3 1 3 1 3 1 0
Stephen Martell 1 1 1 1 1 0 0 0 1 1 1 0 1 4 2 7
James Sanders 2 1 1 0 0 1 2 6 3 1 2 8 2 0 0 7
Samuel Davis 2 0 2 2 2 2 2 2 8 0 4 8 2 10 1 28

Three of our seniors--James Sanders, Hubert Song, and Venceslás Castillo--fulfill the potential with which they arrived on campus. Hubert is a Blue/Blue player, while James and Venceslás are Green/Green. Their classmate, Rhett King, is Yellow/Green now.

Junior Alvaro Kinard is also developing as we hoped he would; he's now a Green/Green guy. And Joe Lien, with Blue potential, is now playing at the Green level. Five starters in the Green zone seems good for a Patriot League team.

Our first year players make significant gains in fitness. Richard Leak, Samuel Davis, and Otis Hall particularly stand out.

Now, it's time to begin the season...

[MoonlightGraham]

November 17, 2015
Lafayette 72, St. Francis (NY) 43
We don't play very well in our season opener, but neither does St. Francis. We shoot under 40 percent from the floor, with Hubert Song and Joe Lien combining to lay bricks at a 11-for-34 pace. They're both better shooters than that.

Hubert (17 points) and Joe (16) are our leading scorers, but our best player is James Sanders. Big Colonel begins his senior season with a double-double; 16 points, 12 boards.

Alphonse Johnson, a center I recruited last year, plays 15 minutes and makes the only shot he attempts.

Bad news: An injured Venceslás Castillo leaves the game after only six minutes, and he doesn't return. His Strained Back will keep him out for a little over a week. One King (Rhett) will replace another King (Good) in our starting lineup.
Record: 1-0.


November 21, 2015
St. Francis (PA) 70, Lafayette 59
We split our series with teams representing universities named for the patron saint of animals, losing ugly to the Pennsylvania version.

Chris Jordan, last season's Freshman of the Year in the Northeast Conference, shows us how good he is as a sophomore: 32 points, 10 rebounds. Jordan outscores our guards, Joe Lien (15 points) and Hubert Song (9 points), by a wide margin.

Another double-double for James Sanders (15p, 11r) and Titanic rebounding from Rhett King (16 boards) don't make things that much better.
Record: 1-1.


November 23, 2015
Lafayette 82, Monmouth 80
Two days after losing a home game to a team with prestige in the teens, we barely hold off another, defeating the Hawks by a too-slim margin.

Joe Lien hasn't found his shooting stroke yet. He scores 16 points on 16 shots. Hubert Song has a much better game; he makes 4 out of 5 threes and finishes with 17 points.

Once again, the Big Colonel puts the team on his broad shoulders. James Sanders scores 24 points to lead all scorers, holding the talented Zachariah Metcalf to 10. James won't have a double-double in every game this season, because he finishes with "only" 5 rebounds. Rhett King, however, grabs another 11.

The past two games remind me how important Venceslás Castillo is to our success. Get well soon, King.
Record: 2-1.


November 26, 2015
Lafayette 66, Fairfield 47
We hope Dan Langdon looks at this result and thinks, "I want to play for Lafayette, because they're better than Fairfield."

We don't want Dan to think, "I should choose Fairfield, because their sophomore center, Larry Jamerson, just got rolled by James Sanders and only scored four points; I can beat him out easily."

James didn't play as well as he can--8 points, 8 rebounds--but with 13-rebound assistance from Rhett King, he kept the Fairfield bigs under tight control.

Hubert Song (16 points) and Joe Lien (12) lead us in scoring. Otis Hall contributes 8 points in 18 minutes off the bench.
Record: 3-1.

[MoonlightGraham]

December 1, 2015
A few days after defeating Fairfield on the court, we lose to them in the recruiting arena. Dan Langdon chooses the Stags, and announces his commitment today.

We get good news from James Standard, however. The 6'10" local product signs with us, becoming the third member of our class. James has Yellow potential, and looks like he could grow into a Blue Collar Man.

I don't see anyone I'm desperate enough to offer on my Call List, so it's time to see if there's anyone out there who is (1) better than a one-star player, (2) not committed to anyone yet, and (3) somewhat interested in playing basketball at Lafayette.

I'm delighted to find one: Taylor LaRose.
#21 PF Taylor LaRose
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Height: 6-8
Weight: 247
High School: Trinity Episcopal School
Hometown: Richmond, VA
GPA: 3.17
Test Score: 1050
Rating: ***

Attributes:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Type INS JPS FTS 3PS HND PAS ORB DRB PSD PRD STL BLK QKN STR JMP STA
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
***** Player hasn't been evaluated *****


Season Stats:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PTS OREB REB AST TOS A/T STL BLK PFS
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
11.7 3.5 10.0 1.9 1.7 1.12 2.0 1.1 2.2

Shooting Averages:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
FGM FGA FG% FTM FTA FT% 3PM 3PA 3P%
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
5.0 8.8 .563 1.8 3.2 .547 0.0 0.0 .000

Recruiting Notes:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Qualified: Yes
Current interest in Lafayette: Average
Rankings: #25 PF, Southeast Region #68 Overall, Southeast Region #8 PF
High School Awards: All-State
Top 5 Schools: Vanderbilt, Mississippi State, Illinois, Cincinnati, St. John's

I'm going to trust the experts here and offer Taylor a scholarship before we evaluate him. I can see he gets a lot of rebounds, and although he doesn't shoot often, he makes a lot of the shots he does take.

Nobody has offered Taylor a scholarship yet, which surprises me. He might not be what schools like Illinois, Mississippi State, and Vanderbilt want, but all those programs have prestige scores in the 90s. He's almost certainly good enough for us, and then some.

Plus, Taylor attends one of the high schools I added into my game. :) It would be fun to have him on my team.

[MoonlightGraham]

December 1, 2015
Lafayette 76, Manhattan 69
We play better in a road test at Manhattan, getting the better of the Jaspers in a gritty second half.

James Sanders returns to double-double status with 13 points and 11 rebounds. Joe Lien looks more like he did last year, netting 17 and making half his eight three-point attempts. Venceslás Castillo celebrates his return to the lineup with 10 points, 7 rebounds, an assist, and a steal.

But the star of the game is Rhett King. Seeing action at all three frontcourt positions in 25 minutes, the senior contributes 20 points and 7 rebounds. He also tries seven threes...and hits four of them.

I'm beginning to think Alvaro Kinard simply plays better when he comes off the bench. He's averaging only 6.8 PPG on 37% shooting. When we play Hofstra in two days, I'm going to roll out the heavyweights: Sanders, Castillo, and King.
Record: 4-1.


December 3, 2015
Hofstra 85, Lafayette 71
Hofstra is a good basketball team. They've improved steadily under coach Michael Pettway, a sublime recruiter who has raised the level of the Pride roster significantly.

Tonight, they force us to commit 21 turnovers, which is not like us at all. Hubert Song's woes continue; he scores only 8 points and only manages to take five shots. Alvaro Kinard (0 points, 3 rebounds) doesn't contribute much as our sixth man, either. Joe Lien scores 13, but turns the ball over six times.

On the other hand, Venceslás Castillo scores 19, James Sanders adds 16, and Rhett King gives us 10 points and 11 rebounds.
Record: 4-2.


December 7, 2015
Lafayette 92, Pennsylvania 44
The Leopards roar out of the traces tonight, amassing a 60-21 advantage in the first half and strolling the rest of the way to victory in Philadelphia.

Hubert Song plays like Hubert Song, leading us with 16 points and 5 assists. Joe Lien scores 14 points in only 17 minutes before fouling out. James Sanders adds 13 and 8 rebounds. And Good King Venceslás throws down with 15 points and 13 rebounds.

Our starting frontcourt is 20 feet 4 inches tall and weighs 834 pounds. Dividing their dimensions evenly would create three men who are a bit over 6'9" and weigh 278 pounds apiece. That's just fun. Sanders, King, and Castillo need a catchy group nickname.
Record: 5-2.


December 10, 2015
Lafayette 78, Delaware 71
This far-from-aesthetically-pleasing win doesn't send our fans home from the Kirby Center with a renewed appreciation for the game of basketball. That is, unless you enjoy watching players shoot free throws. Delaware shoots 38 of them (making 23), and we attempt 27 (making 17). So it's not even a fine example of the art of the foul shot.

On the bright side, Joe Lien and Hubert Song play well in the same game, scoring 17 and 16 points respectively. Venceslás Castillo (14) and James Sanders (10) join them to give us four players in double figures.

Armando Brown plays well, too: three assists and zero turnovers in 25 minutes.
Record: 6-2.


December 17, 2015
Lafayette 88, Ohio 70
Behind a career-high 33 points from Joe Lien, the Leopards romp to a big road win.

Twenty-one of Joe's points come from three-point shots; he drains 7 of 16 from behind the arc. James Sanders (16), Robert Song (13), and Venceslás Castillo (11) provide scoring support, and Rhett King snares another 14 rebounds.

Tonight, however, belongs to our sophomore sharpshooter from the Delaware Water Gap.
Record: 7-2.


December 19, 2015
Baylor 71, Lafayette 69
This away game, designed to help our RPI, nearly ends up in an upset. We go toe-to-toe with the Bears for 40 minutes, and Alvaro Kinard's three-ball with 22 seconds left gives us a chance to steal the result. We can't work any late magic, however, and Baylor holds on to a victory they might have thought would come easily.

Joe Lien leads the Leopards with 20 points, to which he adds 5 rebounds and 3 assists. Venceslás Castillo misses a double-double by one rebound (15p, 9r). James Sanders misses one by one point (9p, 13r).

We might very well have won the game if we could have stopped fouling our opponents. Both Lien and Hubert Song fouled out, and the Bears made 31 free throws.
Record: 7-3.


December 29, 2015
Missouri 80, Lafayette 77
After a nice holiday break, we travel to Mizzou and give a very good Big 12 team all they can handle, coming back from eight points down at halftime to have a shot at tying the score on our last possession. Hubert Song, who already had 24 points, sees his three-point attempt rim out.

Joe Lien finishes with 16 points, James Sanders with 11.

The worst news, however, comes from our medical staff. Venceslás Castillo sprains his wrist, and he'll be shelved for about 9 days. The Good King should be back in action for our Patriot League opener on January 9.
Record: 7-4.

[MoonlightGraham]

January 1, 2016
It could be a happier New Year for Lafayette basketball. Before we have a chance to discover how good Taylor LaRose is, he accepts an offer from St. John's.

I'll take one last chance at a relative unknown: C Todd DeHaven, from William Penn Charter School in Philadelphia. He's a three-star player with no offers and at least an Average interest in playing for Lafayette; the last remaining big man in the United States for whom this is true. Perhaps against my better judgement, we offer Todd a scholarship and begin to recruit him.


January 1, 2016
Lafayette 80, Dartmouth 68
We get lucky here, but not with respect to the outcome. That was predictable, as we play one of our better all-around games of the year. Joe Lien (24 points, 3-7 from three) and Hubert Song (20 points, 4-10 from three, 7 points, 5 assists) play well; they need to, because Dartmouth's senior guard Donny Soukup is the real deal. He's scored almost 1500 points in his career, and he adds 24 to his total tonight.

We need that good luck because I forget to move Venceslás Castillo down on our depth chart. I'm sure the Good King wonders why Coach Sims has him starting a non-conference game in January when he's at 81% efficiency. He mans up anyway, scoring 15 points and grabbing 8 rebounds in 31 minutes.

James Sanders finishes with 13 points, and Rhett King with 11 rebounds. But Big Colonel sprains his knee, and he'll be limited for a week.

I quickly adjust our depth chart. I won't be fooled again.
Record: 8-4.


January 6, 2016
Lafayette 57, South Carolina State 51
Without James Sanders and Venceslás Castillo, our frontcourt is rendered almost powerless, and we barely beat a Bulldogs team that enters the game with a 3-9 record.

Starters Samuel Davis, Rhett King, and Alvaro Kinard make one of nine shots between them. They combine to score eight points and commit nine fouls. Kinard, who is considered a very good shooter, plays 34 minutes and doesn't take a single shot.

Good thing Joe Lien (20 points) and Hubert Song (19 points, 9 rebounds) bring their A games. Raleigh McGinty makes his presence felt in seven minutes on the floor, scoring two points and grabbing four rebounds.

How do you solve a problem like Alvaro?. He's a Green/Green player, one who should be very good at this level. This year, he's averaging 5.0 points per game, playing nearly 21 minutes. It doesn't seem to matter whether he starts or comes off the bench; he never manages to get into the flow of the game.

The victory is the 100th of Graham Sims' career. His record stands at 100-44.
Record: 9-4.

Our not-so-wonderful OOC schedule is now complete.
2015 Patriot League Standings

TEAM CW CL Pct W L Pct RPI Prestige
-----------------------------------------------------------
Colgate 1 0 1.000 10 4 .714 12 20
Navy 1 0 1.000 8 7 .533 196 21
Holy Cross 0 0 .000 11 5 .688 226 40
Lafayette 0 0 .000 9 4 .692 88 43
Army 0 1 .000 6 8 .429 107 17
American 0 0 .000 5 11 .313 292 41
Lehigh 0 1 .000 2 12 .143 122 21
Bucknell 0 0 .000 2 11 .154 239 33

Four teams have already played their first Patriot League games. It's weird to see American and Bucknell with such lousy records, isn't it?


January 9, 2016
Lafayette 72, American 61
Once upon a time, I would have never considered sitting James Sanders and Venceslás Castillo against American when both players were at 90% efficiency. I take that gamble tonight, and it pays off.

Once again, our backcourt pair show us that they're back. Joe Lien has established himself in the role of Star Scorer once again (24 points). Hubert Song plays the part of Complete Guard in his trademark style (17 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists). Rhett King hauls in another 9 rebounds; he's averaging 10.0 per game, and would lead the Patriot League if Navy's Stephen Collins hadn't turned into the God of Rebounding. Collins is leading the nation in that category at 13.0 RPG.

Samuel Davis plays 29 effective, efficient minutes at center, finishing with 10 points (4-5 shooting), 6 rebounds, and FOUR blocked shots.
Record: 10-4 (1-0).


January 13, 2016
Lafayette 83, Army 73
Jack Jessie defeats Joe Lien in tonight's shoot-out between high-scoring guards, 27-25. However, Joe's teammates provide him with better support, and we win the competition that really counts.

Our winning formula is a familiar one. Take a lot of points from from Joe Lien and add a double-double from James Sanders (18 points, 12 rebounds), an authoritative game from Hubert Song (16 points, 5 rebounds, 3 steals), and a solid performance from Venceslás Castillo (12 points, 6 rebounds).

Rhett King endured a horrific game (2 points, 7 turnovers), but his teammates had his back.
Record: 11-4 (2-0).


January 16, 2016
Lafayette 68, Navy 59
Powered by a double double-double, courtesy of James Sanders (10 pts, 14 reb) and Venceslás Castillo (11 pts, 10 reb), we pull away from the Midshipmen during the second half.

Hubert Song leads us with 15 points, but the most impressive scorer is Raleigh McGinty. The freshman big man scores 8 points, hitting two triples, in THREE minutes of action.

Stephen Collins, still leading the NCAA in rebounding, hauls in "only" 10 for the Middies.
Record: 12-4 (3-0).


January 20, 2016
Lafayette 82, Bucknell 55
Without their talisman, Moses Washington, Bucknell is floundering badly this season; they enter the game with a 3-13 record. We do a lot of things right against the Bison today: we make half our shots (30-60); we make OVER half our three-point shots (11-21); we win the rebounding battle (35-31) and our assist-turnover ratio looks good (17a, 7t).

Five Leopards score in double digits. All the starters except Hubert Song do so, led by James Sanders with 19. The fifth is Alvaro Kinard, who knocks down all three of his triples and finishes with 12 points in 18 minutes.
Record: 13-4 (4-0).


January 23, 2016
Lafayette 74, Holy Cross 65
Things don't look good at halftime, as the Crusaders open up a 37-29 lead at the Kirby Center. But with 14:01 remaining, Hubert Song drills a three to tie the score at 45. Holy Cross takes its final lead of the game, 59-58, at the four-minute mark, but we pour it on from that point forward and secure the victory.

James Sanders continues to throw down, scoring 21 points and securing 13 rebounds. Joe Lien is right behind him with 19, and Song nets 16. Rhett King, our leading rebounder, has 11 more tonight.

Colgate is matching us, win for win, in Patriot League play. American is playing much better in the conference; they're a game back at 4-1.
Record: 14-4 (5-0).


January 27, 2016
Lafayette 74, Lehigh 55
Once again, a dominant second half is the key to a victory over a conference rival. With 5:27 to play, we're behind by 11. We cut the Mountain Hawks' lead to one by the break, and open the second half with a blistering 14-2 run that puts the game on ice.

The Class of 2016 asserts itself here. James Sanders hazes Lehigh's freshman center, Stephen Zepeda, outscoring him 21-0. Hubert Song matches his classmate's points total, adding five rebounds and five assists. A third senior, Venceslás Castillo, drops in 19 with 11 rebounds.
Record: 15-4 (6-0).


January 30, 2016
Lafayette 81, Colgate 73
In what might turn out to be the toughest challenge we face in conference play, we travel to upstate New York to face the Red Raiders in a battle of teams who had yet to lose a league game. This time we play our best ball in the first half, when we build a 11-point lead we never relinquish.

Tonight, the Good King is the biggest star. Venceslás Castillo scores 21 points, claims 10 rebounds, and limits high-scoring Shaun Domingo to only eight field goal attempts and 11 points. The Best Supporting Actor Award goes to James Sanders, for his 21 points, and Joe Lien helps out with 17 points and 5 assists.

We've run the table during the first round of Patriot League play. Let's see how long we can keep this run of form going.
Record: 16-4 (7-0).

[MoonlightGraham]

February 1, 2016
Our staff had time to check out Todd DeHaven over the course of the month. We like him a lot. I doubt he would ever be a primary scoring option for us, but teams would have to legitimately guard him. He's also shown a willingness to compete for rebounds, and his defensive instincts are sound.

Todd expresses some interest in playing for Bucknell, but they haven't offered him a scholarship yet. I suppose I can understand why he isn't leaping to accept the first offer he gets; we'll keep recruiting him and, hopefully, we'll have good news in March.

The first edition of the Bubble Watch is released today. We're listed as a Lock, and so is Colgate. This is a first for the Patriot League, and it's undoubtedly a result of our improved conference prestige.


February 1, 2016
Lafayette 79, Columbia 48
We take a pleasant trip to New York City to face the Lions. It's a homecoming game for NYC natives Armando Brown, Alvaro Kinard, and especially Hubert Song.

Once again, an opponent simply can't handle the size and power of James Sanders. When they can't stop him, they foul him, and Big Colonel is a good free throw shooter, especially for a center. Tonight, he makes 8 of 12 field goals and 9 of 11 free throws, good for 25 points.

Song gives his family and friends from home a good show, knocking down four treys, scoring 16 points, and grabbing 8 rebounds. Joe Lien adds 13 points, Rhett King has 13 rebounds (9 offensive), and Samuel Davis plays well off the bench (10 points, 4 rebounds).
Record: 17-4.


February 3, 2016
Lafayette 66, American 65
While this American team isn't as fearsome as their predecessors, they're still dangerous on their best nights...especially at home. We let the Eagles take a 40-31 lead to the locker room at halftime. We start playing Leopard defense in the second half, and that's just enough to eke out the win.

The Eagles, led by talented soph Bryant Passmore, defend our backcourt well. Hubert Song and Joe Lien score only 12 points between them, and a frustrated Lien fouls out.

Fortunately, Coach Sims has other weapons at his disposal. Venceslás Castillo scores a career high 22 points, and James Sanders adds 18 (10-11 from the line). And, on a night when every possession matters, we turn the ball over only six times.
Record: 18-4 (8-0).


February 6, 2016
Lafayette 91, St. Peter's 50
Our out-of-conference interlude closes with a dominant win over the Peacocks, across the river in Jersey City. It's our twelfth consecutive win; we haven't lost since December 29, when Missouri beat us.

Four of our starters score in comfortable double figures (Venceslás Castillo 19, Joe Lien 17, Hubert Song 16, James Sanders 14) and the fourth barely misses a double-double (Rhett King, 9 points, 9 rebounds).
Record: 19-4 (8-0).


February 7, 2016
I've decided to mention the Mid Major poll when the Leopards are ranked in the top ten. The latest poll has us leaping eight spots to #4. Utah State, Xavier, and Rhode Island hold the top three places.

Colgate is ranked #12; this is probably the first time two Patriot League teams appear in the poll. I suppose it's possible that American and Holy Cross were simultaneously ranked three or four years ago.


February 10, 2016
Lafayette 80, Army 61
We maintain our unbeaten record in the Patriot League, defeating Army at home. We shoot very poorly from long range (4-23), but we have James Sanders, and they don't.

Big Colonel is putting together a solid case for his second consecutive Player of the Year award. Tonight he scores 30 points, a new career high, making 11 of 16 shots and 8 of 11 free throws.

Venceslás Castillo and Joe Lien score 12 apiece, and Rhett King takes only two shots, but corrals 11 rebounds.

Army guard Jack Jessie scores 16 points in his final visit to the Kirby Center. Sometime next week, he should score the 2000th point of his collegiate career.

We have to keep winning, because Colgate does, too. They're 9-1 in the league, and that one loss is to us.
Record: 20-4 (9-0).


February 13, 2016
Lafayette 90, Navy 69
I'm enjoying coaching a team that has multiple weapons in its arsenal. If one or two of them aren't firing, another one probably will be.

Tonight, James Sanders encounters foul trouble trying to keep Navy's Stephen Collins off the boards. It seems that every time the Big Colonel bumps the Navy center, a striped shirt blows their whistle. Sanders only plays six minutes, but he manages to score six points. Collins, left with one fewer big body to battle, pulls in 15 rebounds. Rhett King holds his own against the nation's best boardsman, getting 12 of his own.

But the Midshipmen forget to guard Joe Lien. The sophomore throws down his first big game in a while, scoring 27 points, with five rebounds and three assists. Our only other double figure scorer is Venceslás Castillo, with exactly 10, but we do see signs of life from Alvaro Kinard (9 points in 19 minutes).

Holy Cross helps us by routing Colgate, 72-45.
Record: 21-4 (10-0).


February 14, 2016
We receive a Valentine from the creators of the Mid Major rankings, who put us at #4 again this week. We get 29 votes in the "big poll," too.

Utah State (22-2), the best of the Mid Majors, are #3 in the polls, behind Georgetown and Kansas.


February 17, 2016
Lafayette 72, Holy Cross 65
The Crusaders don't manage to pull off another upset, but they defend their home court tenaciously, battling us back and forth until the final minute of the game.

It's business as usual from Joe Lien (14 points, 9 rebounds), Hubert Song (17 points) and Venceslás Castillo (10 rebounds). And James Sanders gets the best of a tough veteran center, the Crusaders' Reuben Harwell, scoring 21 points and adding 9 rebounds.

Once again, we fire up a lot of bricks from behind the arc. I'm going to dial back our three point usage, which I had set at 9.
Record: 22-4 (11-0).


February 20, 2016
Lafayette 88, Bucknell 65
It's 16 straight wins for Graham Sims and the Lafayette Leopards, and an especially memorable night for Joe Lien.

Joe refuses to let the Bison defend him. He explodes for 37 points, going 13-23 from the field, and 6-13 from long range. Late in the second half, a long three gives him 1,002 points...as a sophomore. Point guard Hubert Song hands out a career-best 8 assists.

Fouling James Sanders doesn't work any better for Bucknell than it did for other Patriot League teams. James makes 11 of his 14 free throws and finishes with 17 points, just above his season average of 16 per game. And Rhett King, the Patriot League's best rebounder not named Stephen Collins, adds 10 more to his season total. But, even more impressively, Rhett blocks SIX shots.

We earn at least a share of the conference championship with our win.
Record: 23-4 (12-0).


February 21, 2016
We're once again #4 in the Mid Major poll, and we move up to #25 in the Media Top 25 rankings.


February 24, 2016
#24 Lafayette 88, Lehigh 54
The Mountain Hawks have struggled this year, and they come to the Kirby Center hoping to avoid their 20th loss of the season. Lehigh keeps it fairly close for a while, but we outscore them 47-22 in the second half to break the game open.

James Sanders plays another excellent game, scoring 22 points, getting 12 rebounds, blocking a shot, and getting a steal. Hubert Song (13 points), Venceslás Castillo (10), Joe Lien (10) and Armando Brown (10) reach double digits, too.

The best story, however, comes to us courtesy of Rhett King. After 125 games in Lafayette colors, Rhett has apparently decided that it is time for him to devote himself to the task of blocking as many shots as possible. Today, he rejects four Lehigh shots, giving him 10 blocks in two games. Over those two games, he attempts only 12 shots himself.

Our victory clinches the Patriot League championship. Our athletic director set "Win the conference championship" as our goal, so unless that means winning the tournament, we've achieved our objective.
Record: 24-4 (13-0).


February 27, 2016
Senior Day
#25 Lafayette 74, Colgate 71
Before a large, emotional crowd at the Kirby Center, we complete our sweep of the Patriot League season with a narrow victory over the conference runners-up. Seniors Venceslás Castillo, Rhett King, James Sanders, and Hubert Song embrace their families before the game and walk off the court as winners and champions after it.

It's not an easy victory. Irvin Schumacher drops in a three to send his Red Raiders into the locker room with a 36-32 halftime lead. But after the intermission, two three-point plays: a long jumper by Venceslás Castillo and an old school and-one by James Sanders ties the score at 38. Joe Lien dishes the ball to Sanders for a layup to give us the lead with 17:16 remaining, a lead we don't relinquish.

How do the seniors play in their final regular season home game? Rhett King scores 7 points and grabs 8 rebounds. He blocks "only" 2 shots. Hubert Song finishes with 12 points and 4 boards. Venceslàs Castillo barely misses a double-double: 14 points, 9 rebounds. And James Sanders, limited to 19 minutes by foul trouble, still manages to produce 14 points and 6 rebounds.

Joe Lien is our high scorer with 17 points, but today belongs to the men of the Class of 2016.
Record: 25-4 (14-0).

[MoonlightGraham]

March 1, 2016

Good recruiting news comes our way on the eve of the Patriot League tournament. Todd DeHaven will be playing for us next season!

I didn't want to take the trouble to post his profile until he was ours. (OK, I didn't want to jinx us, either.)

#12 C Todd DeHaven
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Height: 6-10
Weight: 222
High School: William Penn Charter School
Hometown: Philadelphia, PA
GPA: 3.34
Test Score: 1140
Rating: ***

Attributes:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Type INS JPS FTS 3PS HND PAS ORB DRB PSD PRD STL BLK QKN STR JMP STA
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Current: 45 24 77 14 14 24 43 54 24 37 19 43 20 82 42 84
Potential: B C A D F D B B B B C C

Season Stats:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PTS OREB REB AST TOS A/T STL BLK PFS
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
19.9 3.8 10.6 1.2 2.8 0.44 0.6 1.2 2.3

Shooting Averages:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
FGM FGA FG% FTM FTA FT% 3PM 3PA 3P%
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
8.6 14.2 .605 2.7 4.7 .574 0.0 0.3 .000

Recruiting Notes:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Qualified: Yes
Committed to Lafayette
Rankings: #33 C, East Region #26 Overall, East Region #5 C
High School Awards: None
Top 5 Schools: *Lafayette

Now that I take an even closer look at Todd's ratings, I believe I was a little too pessimistic about his offensive potential. James Sanders has the same potential INS rating as Todd does, and Big Colonel's JMP potential is D. James averages 16 points per game now.

DeHaven might not turn out to be a four-year starter for us like James has been, but I think he's a fine signing for us.

Welcome to the program, Todd.

[MoonlightGraham]

March 2, 2016
Patriot League Tournament
(1) #23 Lafayette (1) 65, (8) Army 57
We get very lucky here, playing badly and still managing to win. How badly? We shoot 32% for the day, miss 22 of our 28 three-point tries, and turn the ball over 18 times.

Joe Lien and Hubert Song score 17 and 16 points, respectively, but they're terribly inefficient; they need 31 shots to do so. Venceslás Castillo is even worse, going 2-10 from the floor. And James Sanders doesn't play like James Sanders (9 points, 8 rebounds). Army's Sterling Davies outplays him: 14 points, 12 boards.

And there's bad news from the medical staff. Rhett King dislocates his shoulder, effectively ending his Lafayette career. Rhett pulled down 10 rebounds in his final collegiate game.

Jack Jessie scores 21 points for Army in his final collegiate game. His career total of 2105 points is the highest in this universe's short history.

Two seed Colgate holds serve, but Navy and Bucknell score upsets and join us in the next round. I'm always wary of Bucknell during March.
Record: 26-4.


March 6, 2016
Patriot League Tournament
(5) Navy 89, (1) #23 Lafayette 81
For the second straight season, we lose the semifinal of our conference tournament. Navy deserves all the credit; they simply outplay us for 40 minutes.

Edward Jones, a conference All-Freshman selection last year, rips us for 27 points. Seniors William Davis (18 points) and Stephen Collins (11 points, his typical 15 rebounds) play like stars.

Three of our starters foul out, and the others end the game with four fouls. Joe Lien leads us with 17 points, but he shoots a ghastly 5-21 for the night.

The Midshipmen will face Colgate in the final.
Record: 26-5.


March 11, 2016
Colgate wins the Patriot League tournament with a 87-68 victory over Navy. The Red Raiders thereby earn our automatic bid, but their 25-7 record should be good enough to earn them an invitation anyway.


March 13, 2016
We're awarded the #6 seed in the South Region. Our opponent will be East Tennessee State, regular season champions of the Atlantic Sun Conference. Like us, the 24-7 Buccaneers lost in the semifinal of their conference tourney.

Colgate is headed to the West, where they're the #10 seed. Their first-round opponent will be 7-seed Purdue.

Holy Cross got the #4 seed in the CIT.


March 17, 2016
NCAA South Region
(6) #25 Lafayette 76, (11) East Tennessee State 71
It seems like ugly wins might be the best outcome we can expect without the steadying presence of big Rhett King. That's what we get today, as we nearly let the game slip away in the last five minutes.

Joe Lien's 21 points leads all scorers. James Sanders and Hubert Song each score 10 points, and Big Colonel pulls in 13 rebounds.

Purdue eliminates Colgate with a 78-57 victory. Holy Cross beats Campbell to advance in the CIT.
Record: 27-5.


March 19, 2016
NCAA South Region
(3) #6 Mississippi State 71, (6) #25 Lafayette 59
Our victory earns us a date with Mississippi State, one of the nation's best teams. They're deep and talented, and the final score doesn't reflect how competitive the game was for most of the second half.

The Bulldogs led, 41-20 at the break, but we go on a 16-2 run to cut their lead to four points with 14:23 to play. Six of those points are scored by Hubert Song, four of them on breakaway layups after stealing the ball. We're still only five points down at the 6:54 mark. We make them earn their victory.

Joe Lien finishes as the game's high scorer with 22 points, making five of his eight three-point attempts. And all three of our seniors make meaningful contributions in the last game of their collegiate careers.

Hubert Song makes 6 of his 8 shot attempts, scores 15 points, and adds 3 steals. James Sanders gets into foul trouble and plays only 20 minutes, but he claims 11 rebounds and scores 7 points. Venceslás Castillo finishes with 7 points and 6 boards.
Record: 27-6.

[MoonlightGraham]

March 29, 2016
Holy Cross nearly becomes the first Patriot League team to win a post-season tournament. They lose the CIT championship game to St. Mary's, 68-58.


April 2, 2016
This year's Final Four are Texas, Mississippi State, USC, and Boston College. Both national semifinals are blowouts; Mississippi State, making its second consecutive trip to the Final Four, beats Texas by 20, and USC hammers Boston College by 26.


April 4, 2016
The Mississippi State team that knocked us out of the tournament loses to USC in the championship game, 63-55. All-American point guard Tony Cash is the game's MVP.

Here are the final Patriot League standings, updated to reflect tournament play:
2015 Patriot League Standings

TEAM CW CL Pct W L Pct RPI Prestige
--------------------------------------------------------------
#24 Lafayette 14 0 1.000 27 6 .818 25 43
Colgate 11 3 .786 25 8 .758 43 20
Holy Cross 7 7 .500 21 14 .600 178 40
American 7 7 .500 12 19 .387 278 41
Navy 5 9 .357 14 18 .438 194 21
Bucknell 5 9 .357 8 22 .267 260 33
Lehigh 4 10 .286 8 22 .267 239 21
Army 3 11 .214 10 20 .333 252 17

This year, three teams from our conference reach the 20-win threshold. The other five teams have losing records.

We're ranked in the final poll for the first time.

It's time for the Patriot League awards, too.
2015 PATRIOT LEAGUE AWARDS

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Player of the Year:

SR C James Sanders Lafayette 15.4 PPG, 8.2 RPG, 1.5 APG 0.7 SPG, 0.6 BPG

Freshman of the Year:
FR C Daniel Layfield Holy Cross 8.1 PPG, 4.5 RPG, 1.1 APG 0.5 SPG, 0.5 BPG

Coach of the Year:
Brian Smith Colgate 25 - 8 (11 - 3)

All-league 1st Team:
C SR James Sanders Lafayette 15.4 PPG, 8.2 RPG, 1.5 APG, 0.7 SPG, 0.6 BPG
PF SR William Davis Navy 13.3 PPG, 5.3 RPG, 0.9 APG, 0.6 SPG, 2.6 BPG
SF SR Venceslás Castillo Lafayette 11.1 PPG, 7.2 RPG, 1.4 APG, 0.6 SPG, 0.2 BPG
SG SR Shaun Domingo Colgate 14.8 PPG, 5.3 RPG, 1.7 APG, 1.7 SPG, 0.4 BPG
PG SR Dominick Hinman Holy Cross 15.5 PPG, 3.1 RPG, 4.7 APG, 1.3 SPG, 0.2 BPG

All-league 2nd Team:
C SR Stephen Collins Navy 8.2 PPG, 13.4 RPG, 1.5 APG, 0.4 SPG, 0.9 BPG
PF SR Rhett King Lafayette 5.7 PPG, 9.0 RPG, 1.2 APG, 0.8 SPG, 1.3 BPG
SF SO Edward Jones Navy 11.5 PPG, 4.4 RPG, 1.0 APG, 0.6 SPG, 0.2 BPG
SG SO Joe Lien Lafayette 17.4 PPG, 3.9 RPG, 2.7 APG, 0.8 SPG, 0.1 BPG
PG SR Hubert Song Lafayette 13.3 PPG, 4.3 RPG, 2.8 APG, 1.5 SPG, 0.2 BPG

All-freshman Team:
C FR Daniel Layfield Holy Cross 8.1 PPG, 4.5 RPG, 1.1 APG, 0.5 SPG, 0.5 BPG
PF FR Otis Hall Lafayette 1.2 PPG, 1.8 RPG, 0.2 APG, 0.2 SPG, 0.2 BPG
SF
SG FR Noah Burgett American 11.6 PPG, 2.6 RPG, 2.0 APG, 0.6 SPG, 0.1 BPG
PG

All season long, I've been hoping that James Sanders would win his second Player of the Year award. I knew the competition would be tough; Navy's Stephen Collins is the nation's leading rebounder. It was conceivable that Big Colonel might not even be a first team All-Patriot pick, even after playing better as a senior than he did the year before. I'm delighted to see our big man recognized a second time.

I'm also delighted to see Venceslás Castillo join James on the first team! The Good King also saved his best performances for his final year in Easton.

The other members of our starting five earned places on the second team. Again, it's particularly rewarding to see Rhett King's contributions recognized in such a meaningful way. And seeing Hubert Song and Joe Lien paired together in the backcourt seems appropriate, too.

I feel sorry for Army's Jack Jessie. He averaged 19.5 points and 3.5 rebounds per game as a senior, and wasn't chosen to either All-Conference team.

In fact, Jack has never made an All-Patriot League team. He started 121 games for the Black Knights, and he averaged at least 15 points per game during each of his four years. Perhaps he's paying the price for playing for such lousy teams; Army went 11-19 his freshman season, and that's the best record one of his teams ever achieved.

So few Patriot League freshmen played meaningful minutes that Otis Hall, who was on the floor 180 minutes over his 30 appearances, gained one of the spots on an incomplete All-Freshman Team. Perhaps that's a good omen. Remember how Dana Broughton turned out?

[TheseBoots]

Well, this has been progressing rather well since I last caught up! Great write ups =)

[MoonlightGraham]

Well, this has been progressing rather well since I last caught up! Great write ups =)

Thanks, TheseBoots. I've had a lot of fun with this dynasty. My first recruiting class brought in four players who were talented and likeable. I'll miss them next season, in more ways than one.

I struggle sometimes to find the sweet spot when it comes to writing about a dynasty. I like to write, but I also like to play games. If writing takes too long, then I'm frustrated by the fact I don't have time to play. If the gameplay bogs down, I don't feel like I'm making progress, and I stop the project altogether. So far, I'm liking the balance in this project. I've played through five seasons, so there's a bit of history being created.

Thanks for stopping by again!

[MoonlightGraham]

April 5, 2016

#24 LAFAYETTE TEAM INFO

Current Performance
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Team Prestige: 43 Record Vs 1-50: 3-3 Poll Rank: #24
Season Record: 27-6 Record Vs 51-100: 3-0 RPI Rank: #25
Conference Record: 14-0 Record Vs 101-200: 7-3
Home Record: 12-2 Record Vs 200+: 14-0


Team Stats CR NR Opp. Stats CR NR Margin CR NR
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Points 76.2 2 24 Points 64.5 1 57 Points 11.7 1 10
O.Reb 12.8 2 23 O.Reb 9.3 1 34 O.Reb 3.5 2 11
D.Reb 29.1 1 6 D.Reb 26.2 4 261 D.Reb 2.9 1 24
Rebounds 41.9 1 5 Rebounds 35.5 3 157 Rebounds 6.4 1 5
Assists 13.2 4 148 Assists 12.2 2 60 Assists 1.0 3 86
Steals 6.3 2 90 Steals 5.4 3 116 Steals 0.9 2 77
Blocks 3.9 2 104 Blocks 3.4 4 202 Blocks 0.5 2 110
Turnovers 13.7 4 176 Turnovers 15.4 2 44 Turnovers -1.7 3 62
Fouls 19.7 4 185 Fouls 21.5 1 15 Fouls -1.7 1 55
FG% .425 5 196 FG% .396 1 24 FG% .029 1 50
FT% .670 6 201 FT% .671 2 142 FT% .000 5 181
3P% .346 4 129 3P% .307 1 26 3P% .039 3 47
PPS 1.28 2 71 PPS 1.14 1 34 PPS .141 1 20
Adj. FG% .498 3 108 Adj. FG% .448 1 19 Adj. FG% .051 1 24

I wish I'd started sharing the "season info" page earlier. These statistics reflect the identity I've tried to create at Lafayette: a team that plays tough defense, controls the boards, and wins the turnover battle. It's cool to see that, at the same time, we've been able to bring in players who can put points on the scoreboard.


#24 LAFAYETTE Averages

Player Pos GP GS Min Pts Orb Reb Ast Stl Blk To Fls +/-
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hubert Song PG 33 33 29.6 13.3 1.4 4.3 2.8 1.5 0.2 2.0 2.8 12.4
Joe Lien SG 33 33 29.0 17.4 1.1 3.9 2.7 0.8 0.1 2.3 2.8 9.0
Rhett King PF 30 28 28.7 5.7 3.0 9.0 1.2 0.8 1.3 1.5 2.5 11.7
James Sanders C 31 31 27.9 15.4 2.1 8.2 1.5 0.7 0.6 1.7 3.4 11.0
Venceslás Castillo SF 28 28 27.2 11.1 3.1 7.2 1.4 0.6 0.2 1.9 2.6 12.2
Armando Brown PG 33 0 18.4 4.0 0.5 2.5 1.5 0.5 0.1 1.4 1.9 3.1
Alvaro Kinard SG 33 10 16.5 4.4 0.4 2.4 1.3 0.8 0.1 1.3 1.6 1.8
Samuel Davis C 33 2 15.3 3.3 0.8 3.0 0.4 0.2 1.4 1.0 1.3 0.6
Justin Judkins SG 33 0 6.7 2.2 0.4 1.3 0.5 0.2 0.1 0.5 0.6 -0.2
Otis Hall PF 30 0 6.0 1.2 0.5 1.8 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.5 0.7 -0.8
Raleigh McGinty C 18 0 3.3 1.6 0.3 0.9 0.1 0.2 0.0 0.2 0.3 0.9
Richard Leak PG 19 0 2.0 0.8 0.1 0.2 0.2 0.0 0.0 0.2 0.2 -0.3
Johnathon Blouin C 6 0 1.8 0.7 0.7 1.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.2 -0.2
Stephen Martell SF 0 0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
Lothar Schrufer SF 0 0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0

#24 LAFAYETTE Totals

Player Pos GP GS Min Pts Orb Reb Ast Stl Blk To Fls +/-
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hubert Song PG 33 33 978 439 45 141 94 51 7 66 93 410
Joe Lien SG 33 33 958 575 36 129 90 27 2 77 94 296
Rhett King PF 30 28 862 172 91 271 36 25 38 44 76 352
James Sanders C 31 31 866 476 65 253 45 22 19 52 105 341
Venceslás Castillo SF 28 28 762 312 88 202 40 16 5 52 72 342
Armando Brown PG 33 0 606 131 17 82 50 18 3 46 62 102
Alvaro Kinard SG 33 10 545 145 13 79 42 27 2 44 54 61
Samuel Davis C 33 2 505 108 27 100 14 8 46 34 44 20
Justin Judkins SG 33 0 221 71 14 44 15 7 2 17 21 -6
Otis Hall PF 30 0 180 36 15 55 5 5 5 15 20 -24
Raleigh McGinty C 18 0 59 28 5 17 1 3 0 3 6 16
Richard Leak PG 19 0 38 16 1 3 4 0 0 3 3 -6
Johnathon Blouin C 6 0 11 4 4 6 0 0 0 0 1 -1
Stephen Martell SF 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Lothar Schrufer SF 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

#24 LAFAYETTE Shooting

Player Pos Fgm Fga Fg% Ftm Fta Ft% 3pm 3pa 3p% PPS +/-
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hubert Song PG 144 324 .444 75 115 .652 76 210 .362 1.35
Joe Lien SG 193 497 .388 109 161 .677 80 222 .360 1.16
Rhett King PF 64 148 .432 32 64 .500 12 42 .286 1.16
James Sanders C 160 336 .476 155 200 .775 1 6 .167 1.42
Venceslás Castillo SF 110 260 .423 46 73 .630 46 138 .333 1.20
Armando Brown PG 37 82 .451 38 52 .731 19 52 .365 1.60
Alvaro Kinard SG 40 99 .404 37 62 .597 28 69 .406 1.46
Samuel Davis C 32 68 .471 33 57 .579 11 33 .333 1.59
Justin Judkins SG 23 80 .288 18 22 .818 7 42 .167 0.89
Otis Hall PF 12 33 .364 12 20 .600 0 0 .000 1.09
Raleigh McGinty C 11 21 .524 2 5 .400 4 9 .444 1.33
Richard Leak PG 5 6 .833 4 6 .667 2 3 .667 2.67
Johnathon Blouin C 2 5 .400 0 0 .000 0 0 .000 0.80
Stephen Martell SF 0 0 .000 0 0 .000 0 0 .000 0.00
Lothar Schrufer SF 0 0 .000 0 0 .000 0 0 .000 0.00

Here's how the Leopards rank among Patriot League players in some important statistical categories:


PPG: Joe Lien 2nd, James Sanders 5th, Hubert Song 7th
RPG: Rhett King 2nd, James Sanders 5th, Venceslás Castillo 9th
APG: Hubert Song 7th, Joe Lien 8th
SPG: Hubert Song 3rd
BPG: Samuel Davis 2nd, Rhett King 4th
FG%: James Sanders 9th
FT%: James Sanders 5th
3P%: Hubert Song 7th, Joe Lien 8th
PPS: James Sanders 3rd, Hubert Song 5th
+/-: Hubert Song 1st, Venceslás Castillo 2nd, James Sanders 3rd, Joe Lien 4th
DBL DBL: James Sanders 8 (2nd), Venceslás Castillo 4 (6th)


Next: our most meaningful Senior Tributes yet. :)

[MoonlightGraham]

2015/16 Senior Tribute

RHETT KING

When his Lafayette career began, Rhett King was often considered the "forgotten man" in his recruiting class. Rhett was the last player to sign, and his reputation coming out of high school was less glittering than those of his classmates.

Now, we look at Rhett in a very different light.

#4 PF Rhett King - Lafayette - Senior
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Height: 6-9
Weight: 261
High School: Saratoga Springs High School
Hometown: Saratoga Springs, NY

Attributes:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Type INS JPS FTS 3PS HND PAS ORB DRB PSD PRD STL BLK QKN STR JMP STA
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Current: 30 13 27 40 33 27 57 62 63 28 50 58 39 84 29 77
2014: 28 13 26 38 32 26 56 58 60 27 48 57 39 81 28 73
2013: 26 13 25 36 31 25 52 54 55 26 46 54 38 78 28 69
2012: 24 12 24 34 30 24 47 49 48 25 44 49 38 76 28 66
2011: 22 12 22 32 28 22 43 45 42 23 42 45 36 70 28 58
Potential: C F D C D D C C B D C C

Health: Good
Scholarship: Yes
Status: Active Roster
Academics: 42

Stat Averages:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Season G GS MIN PTS ORE REB AST TO A/T STL BLK PF
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2012 33 0 20.8 4.8 1.2 4.6 0.7 1.0 0.68 0.2 0.5 2.2
2013 33 0 13.0 3.3 0.8 3.4 0.5 1.1 0.46 0.4 0.6 1.1
2014 33 0 11.2 2.8 0.9 3.1 0.4 0.8 0.56 0.2 0.6 1.1
2015 30 28 28.7 5.7 3.0 9.0 1.2 1.5 0.82 0.8 1.3 2.5
Career 129 28 18.2 4.1 1.5 4.9 0.7 1.1 0.82 0.4 0.7 1.7

Shooting Averages:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Season FGM FGA FG% FTM FTA FT% 3PM 3PA 3P% PPS +/-
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2012 1.6 3.4 .482 1.1 2.0 .538 0.5 1.3 .341 1.41 0.85
2013 1.1 2.3 .480 0.9 1.7 .536 0.2 0.5 .333 1.44 3.18
2014 0.9 2.2 .431 0.8 1.1 .714 0.2 0.8 .222 1.29 0.97
2015 2.1 4.9 .432 1.1 2.1 .500 0.4 1.4 .286 1.16 11.73
Career 1.4 3.2 .455 0.9 1.7 .555 0.3 1.0 .298 1.30 4.01

Stat Totals:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Season G GS MIN PTS OREB REB AST TO STL BLK PF
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2012 33 0 686 158 40 153 23 34 8 15 72
2013 33 0 430 108 27 112 16 35 14 20 36
2014 33 0 368 93 31 102 14 25 5 19 35
2015 30 28 862 172 91 271 36 44 25 38 76
Career 129 28 2346 531 189 638 89 138 52 92 219

Shooting Totals
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Season FGM FGA FTM FTA 3PM 3PA +/-
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2012 54 112 35 65 15 44 28
2013 36 75 30 56 6 18 105
2014 31 72 25 35 6 27 32
2015 64 148 32 64 12 42 352
Career 185 407 122 220 39 131 517

Career Highs:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Type Pts OReb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO FGM FGA FTM FTA 3PM 3PA
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Season 20 9 16 4 3 6 7 7 12 3 5 4 7
Career 20 9 16 4 3 6 7 7 12 5 7 4 7

Awards & Acheivements:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Season Award
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
All Player of the Game: 4
2011 High School: Rated * and #969 overall by the FBCB scouting service.
2015 2nd Team All-Conference (Patriot League)

Rhett was a big, strong man when he arrived on campus, and he became even more formidable over the course of his career. His single-digit jersey number made him look even more imposing.

Cast as a valuable frontcourt reserve from the beginning, Rhett's ability to play the five, the four, and occasionally the three kept him in the rotation. At the beginning of his senior season, it looked like the big boy from upstate New York would play the same role once again. But early in the winter, we decided to shift him into the starting five, and the results were very, very positive.

Rhett's skill at rebounding, shot blocking, and playing tough defense were especially essential to our success this season. I've been trying to recruit his eventual replacement for a couple years, and it's not easy to do.

Perhaps Rhett will one day coach the young man who fills that role. He's going to begin a career as a teacher and coach.

Rhett King is, and will remain, our original Blue Collar Man.

Thanks for the memories, Rhett.

[MoonlightGraham]

2015/16 Senior Tribute

VENCESLÁS CASTILLO

If Venceslás Castillo's parents hadn't given him such an interesting first name, I would have nicknamed him the Man of La Mancha. That's the region of Spain from which he hails. When we recruited him, I predicted this two-star recruit would become "an outstanding shooter and a tough defensive player." We got an All-Conference player who lived up to his billing.

#25 SF Venceslás Castillo - Lafayette - Senior
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Height: 6-8
Weight: 250
High School:
Hometown: Alcazar de San Juan, Spain

Attributes:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Type INS JPS FTS 3PS HND PAS ORB DRB PSD PRD STL BLK QKN STR JMP STA
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Current: 51 62 49 50 18 33 89 62 53 52 17 29 47 76 49 100
2014: 45 61 48 48 17 31 77 56 47 49 16 26 46 73 48 100
2013: 40 57 47 45 16 29 67 51 45 44 15 25 45 71 48 100
2012: 35 53 46 42 15 27 57 46 42 38 14 23 44 69 48 99
2011: 31 49 44 40 15 25 49 42 40 34 12 21 43 65 46 91
Potential: C B C C F D A C C C F D

Health: Good
Scholarship: Yes
Status: Active Roster
Academics: 89

Stat Averages:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Season G GS MIN PTS ORE REB AST TO A/T STL BLK PF
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2012 33 33 26.0 8.5 1.4 4.9 1.8 2.2 0.82 0.5 0.2 2.5
2013 33 15 23.2 7.6 1.8 6.0 1.4 1.4 1.00 0.5 0.3 2.3
2014 33 33 27.4 8.8 3.1 7.5 1.2 1.5 0.78 0.4 0.3 2.7
2015 28 28 27.2 11.1 3.1 7.2 1.4 1.9 0.77 0.6 0.2 2.6
Career 127 109 25.9 8.9 2.3 6.4 1.4 1.7 0.77 0.5 0.3 2.5

Shooting Averages:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Season FGM FGA FG% FTM FTA FT% 3PM 3PA 3P% PPS +/-
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2012 3.2 7.0 .459 1.2 2.0 .612 0.9 2.8 .315 1.22 1.70
2013 2.7 6.1 .448 1.5 2.1 .696 0.7 2.5 .293 1.25 3.91
2014 3.0 6.8 .439 2.1 2.9 .716 0.8 2.6 .306 1.30 7.15
2015 3.9 9.3 .423 1.6 2.6 .630 1.6 4.9 .333 1.20 12.21
Career 3.2 7.2 .442 1.6 2.4 .668 1.0 3.1 .315 1.24 6.01

Stat Totals:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Season G GS MIN PTS OREB REB AST TO STL BLK PF
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2012 33 33 857 282 45 163 61 74 18 8 84
2013 33 15 767 252 59 198 45 45 18 10 75
2014 33 33 904 290 102 249 38 49 13 11 89
2015 28 28 762 312 88 202 40 52 16 5 72
Career 127 109 3290 1136 294 812 184 220 65 34 320

Shooting Totals
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Season FGM FGA FTM FTA 3PM 3PA +/-
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2012 106 231 41 67 29 92 56
2013 90 201 48 69 24 82 129
2014 98 223 68 95 26 85 236
2015 110 260 46 73 46 138 342
Career 404 915 203 304 125 397 763

Career Highs:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Type Pts OReb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO FGM FGA FTM FTA 3PM 3PA
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Season 22 7 13 4 2 3 6 8 15 6 10 5 10
Career 22 9 13 4 2 3 7 8 18 7 10 5 10

Awards & Achievements:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Season Award
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
All Player of the Game: 15
2011 High School: Rated ** and #692 overall by the FBCB scouting service.
2015 1st Team All-Conference (Patriot League)

The arrival of other talented offensive players meant we didn't end up relying on the Good King as a primary scoring option, although he did score over 1000 points in his career. He gained nearly 30 pounds of muscle as a collegian, which enabled us to use him as a stretch four or, more often, as a powerful not-so-small forward. Venceslás was comfortable starting the game or coming off the bench, a role he played very effectively as a sophomore.

Perhaps it's a case of selection bias, but it seems to me that very few players contributed to wins in more timely ways than the Good King. If we needed scoring, he dropped 15. If we needed rebounding, he pulled in a dozen. If we needed shut-down defense, he held his man to seven shots and five points. His selection to the All-Patriot League first team was a well-deserved capstone to a first-rate career.

No wonder Castillo was such a fan (and forum) favorite.

Thanks for the memories, Venceslás.

[MoonlightGraham]

2015/16 Senior Tribute

HUBERT SONG

On the day we signed him, I wrote about Hubert Song: "His potential ability is Blue, and if he approaches that level of accomplishment, he'll be a star." I'm very glad I turned out to be right.

#12 PG Hubert Song - Lafayette - Senior
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Height: 6-4
Weight: 225
High School: Fiorello H. La Guardia High School
Hometown: New York, NY

Attributes:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Type INS JPS FTS 3PS HND PAS ORB DRB PSD PRD STL BLK QKN STR JMP STA
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Current: 39 42 29 70 67 51 38 35 38 78 54 26 92 40 45 83
2014: 38 42 28 69 58 49 37 33 36 65 47 24 91 37 45 79
2013: 36 40 26 68 53 48 35 31 34 53 41 22 90 34 43 75
2012: 34 38 24 63 47 44 33 29 32 40 35 20 89 31 42 71
2011: 32 36 22 59 41 40 31 27 30 32 31 18 89 27 41 63
Potential: C C D B B C C D C B C D

Health: Good
Scholarship: Yes
Status: Active Roster
Academics: 67

Stat Averages:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Season G GS MIN PTS ORE REB AST TO A/T STL BLK PF
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2012 33 33 32.1 14.0 1.3 3.9 1.9 2.4 0.80 0.6 0.2 2.8
2013 33 33 29.8 14.1 1.6 4.4 2.5 2.2 1.14 1.4 0.2 2.7
2014 33 33 32.8 14.1 1.2 4.1 3.0 2.7 1.12 1.3 0.1 2.2
2015 33 33 29.6 13.3 1.4 4.3 2.8 2.0 1.42 1.5 0.2 2.8
Career 132 132 31.1 13.9 1.4 4.2 2.6 2.3 1.42 1.2 0.2 2.7

Shooting Averages:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Season FGM FGA FG% FTM FTA FT% 3PM 3PA 3P% PPS +/-
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2012 4.8 11.2 .424 2.0 3.6 .558 2.4 6.5 .376 1.25 2.79
2013 4.8 11.1 .432 1.7 3.0 .570 2.8 6.2 .442 1.27 8.30
2014 4.7 10.8 .433 2.2 3.4 .643 2.6 6.9 .371 1.31 8.12
2015 4.4 9.8 .444 2.3 3.5 .652 2.3 6.4 .362 1.35 12.42
Career 4.6 10.7 .433 2.1 3.4 .606 2.5 6.5 .387 1.29 7.91

Stat Totals:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Season G GS MIN PTS OREB REB AST TO STL BLK PF
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2012 33 33 1059 461 43 128 64 80 20 7 94
2013 33 33 983 464 53 146 84 74 45 6 90
2014 33 33 1083 465 38 134 100 89 42 4 73
2015 33 33 978 439 45 141 94 66 51 7 93
Career 132 132 4103 1829 179 549 342 309 158 24 350

Shooting Totals
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Season FGM FGA FTM FTA 3PM 3PA +/-
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2012 157 370 67 120 80 213 92
2013 158 366 57 100 91 206 274
2014 154 356 72 112 85 229 268
2015 144 324 75 115 76 210 410
Career 613 1416 271 447 332 858 1044

Career Highs:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Type Pts OReb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO FGM FGA FTM FTA 3PM 3PA
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Season 24 4 9 8 4 1 7 8 18 7 13 5 13
Career 29 5 9 8 5 2 7 11 21 7 13 7 13

Awards & Achievements:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Season Award
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
All Player of the Game: 29
2011 High School: Rated *** and #489 overall by the FBCB scouting service.
2013 2nd Team All-Conference (Patriot League)
2014 1st Team All-Conference (Patriot League)
2015 2nd Team All-Conference (Patriot League)

It's only fitting that a player with the surname "Song" attended LaGuardia, since the school's full name is "Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts." Among Hubert's fellow alumni are Nicki Minaj, Jennifer Aniston, Sarah Michelle Gellar, and Marlon Wayans. Hubert is, in fact, a talented actor and singer who performed regularly with the Chorduroys, one of Lafayette's a capella groups.

Hubert took the lead on the basketball court, too. He started every game of his four-season career; his teams compiled a record of 106-26. After featuring as a shooting guard as a freshman, Hubert moved to the point and became an even more effective player, one who could facilitate the offense and create shots for himself, too. Playing at over 220 pounds as an upperclassman, Hubert had the size and power to guard big men on switches, and he was a very good rebounder for a guard.

Hubert was a model of consistency over the course of his career, which saw him earn All-Conference honors for three seasons. This Song was, most definitely, a hit.

Thanks for the memories, Hubert.

[MoonlightGraham]

2015/16 Senior Tribute

JAMES SANDERS

Lafayette College enrolls approximately 2500 students, and it would be almost impossible to find one who doesn't know (and like) James Sanders. The biggest of big men on campus, James has excelled in the classroom, in campus life, and most memorably, on the basketball court.

#42 C James Sanders - Lafayette - Senior
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Height: 6-11
Weight: 323
High School: Bassick High School
Hometown: Bridgeport, CT

Attributes:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Type INS JPS FTS 3PS HND PAS ORB DRB PSD PRD STL BLK QKN STR JMP STA
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Current: 82 36 62 40 9 16 39 76 37 31 50 71 32 76 31 42
2014: 80 35 61 40 9 15 37 70 34 30 48 63 30 76 31 35
2013: 72 34 59 40 8 14 35 61 31 29 46 55 27 76 28 29
2012: 63 33 57 39 7 13 33 52 28 28 44 32 25 76 28 23
2011: 55 31 55 37 7 13 31 44 26 26 42 30 22 76 24 11
Potential: B D C D F D C B C C C B

Health: Good
Scholarship: Yes
Status: Active Roster
Academics: 94

Stat Averages:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Season G GS MIN PTS ORE REB AST TO A/T STL BLK PF
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2012 33 33 24.2 9.3 1.2 5.6 0.8 1.5 0.56 0.3 0.2 2.7
2013 33 33 25.9 10.4 1.4 6.1 1.1 1.8 0.64 0.5 0.2 2.4
2014 28 28 29.3 13.3 1.8 8.5 1.7 2.0 0.84 0.6 0.5 2.8
2015 31 31 27.9 15.4 2.1 8.2 1.5 1.7 0.87 0.7 0.6 3.4
Career 125 125 26.7 12.0 1.6 7.0 1.3 1.7 0.87 0.5 0.4 2.8

Shooting Averages:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Season FGM FGA FG% FTM FTA FT% 3PM 3PA 3P% PPS +/-
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2012 3.4 7.5 .448 2.4 3.3 .741 0.1 0.6 .211 1.23 1.88
2013 3.5 7.9 .442 3.3 4.7 .708 0.1 0.4 .231 1.32 7.30
2014 4.5 9.5 .468 4.3 5.9 .729 0.0 0.3 .000 1.39 7.36
2015 5.2 10.8 .476 5.0 6.5 .775 0.0 0.2 .167 1.42 11.00
Career 4.1 8.9 .460 3.7 5.0 .740 0.1 0.4 .174 1.35 6.80

Stat Totals:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Season G GS MIN PTS OREB REB AST TO STL BLK PF
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2012 33 33 798 306 39 186 28 50 9 8 90
2013 33 33 854 342 47 201 37 58 18 5 79
2014 28 28 821 371 49 239 48 57 16 14 79
2015 31 31 866 476 65 253 45 52 22 19 105
Career 125 125 3339 1495 200 879 158 217 65 46 353

Shooting Totals
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Season FGM FGA FTM FTA 3PM 3PA +/-
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2012 111 248 80 108 4 19 62
2013 115 260 109 154 3 13 241
2014 125 267 121 166 0 8 206
2015 160 336 155 200 1 6 341
Career 511 1111 465 628 8 46 850

Career Highs:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Type Pts OReb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO FGM FGA FTM FTA 3PM 3PA
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Season 30 6 14 4 4 2 6 11 17 11 14 1 2
Career 30 6 14 5 4 3 7 11 18 11 14 1 2

Awards & Achievements:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Season Award
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
All Player of the Game: 14
2011 High School: Rated *** and #274 overall by the FBCB scouting service.
2011 High School: All-State (Connecticut)
2014 1st Team All-Conference (Patriot League)
2014 Conference Player of the Year (Patriot League)
2015 1st Team All-Conference (Patriot League)
2015 Conference Player of the Year (Patriot League)

Like his classmate Hubert Song, James was a starter from his first day of practice as a freshman. Many young big men take a while to learn to make good use of their size and strength. The Big Colonel grew into a starring role gradually. James developed into a dangerous inside scorer who made opponents pay dearly for concentrating their efforts too exclusively on the Leopards' high-scoring guards. His ability to draw fouls forced opposing bigs to play less aggressively, and when they fouled him, James made them pay.

Sanders took big strides as a junior. He became the most indispensable ingredient in the Leopards' increasing success, and became the first Lafayette player to be named Patriot League Player of the Year. And, as a senior, he became an even better player--he set new career highs in scoring and rebounding--and was named the conference's best player once again.

On Draft Night, the Sanders family celebrated when James' name was called as the 14th pick in Round Two. He'll play in the Summer League, before attempting to win a roster spot. I wouldn't bet against him if I were you.

A student of history, James chose his jersey number to honor baseball legend and civil rights icon Jackie Robinson, whom James' grandfather watched from the stands at Brooklyn's Ebbets Field. Robinson's number has been retired across Major League Baseball. Perhaps Lafayette will hang the Big Colonel's #42 jersey from the Kirby Center rafters one day.

Thanks for the memories, James.

[MoonlightGraham]

May 1, 2016

The increased prestige of the Patriot League has helped all eight programs recruit more highly regarded players. When Graham Sims arrived at Lafayette, at least one Patriot League team's class was ranked in the 300s...and usually two or three fared that badly. This year, only Navy has a truly terrible incoming class, and six teams landed in the top half of the rankings.

2015 Recruiting Rankings

# Team Conference Best Player Rtg 5* 4* 3* 2* 1*
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
37. Lafayette Patriot League C Todd DeHaven *** 0 0 3 0 1
71. American Patriot League SG Joseph Alexander *** 0 0 2 1 1
112. Army Patriot League SG Chris Buckley *** 0 0 1 1 1
124. Lehigh Patriot League SG Timothy Pinto *** 0 0 1 2 0
129. Holy Cross Patriot League PF John Cruce *** 0 0 2 0 2
170. Bucknell Patriot League C Martin Whiteley *** 0 0 2 0 1
229. Colgate Patriot League SF Richard Lapointe ** 0 0 0 3 0
286. Navy Patriot League PF Andrew Bugg ** 0 0 0 1 2

And look whose class is rated the best in the conference!

The experts think this is the best group of newcomers Coach Sims has ever recruited. And, according to the player rankings, they're right. Todd DeHaven (#155) and Daniel Warnock (#196) are both among the top 200 players in the nation, and Jack Senn (#215) aren't far behind.

DeHaven arrives on campus as an Orange/Green player. Senn is Red/Green, and Warnock is Red/Yellow. Our fourth recruit, James Standard, is Red/Orange.

Now that we have them on campus, I can see that we did a decent job scouting them. DeHaven is a more polished player than he appeared to be in high school. Senn isn't quite as good a passer and ballhandler as we thought, at least right now, and his long-range shooting turns out to be more of a work in progress. Warnock, on the other hand, is a better shooter and a much more promising defender. We did the worst job evaluating Standard. His inside game is much less promising than we thought, and he might be more prone to turnovers.

[MoonlightGraham]

May 1, 2016

Graham Sims' ratings have improved this year. After five seasons as a Level 7 coach, he's been upgraded to Level 8.

I have 20 points to distribute across Graham's four attributes. The easy thing to do would be to increase all categories five points, but I think I'll take a different approach this time.

As you'll soon see, Graham's assistants got upgrades, too. I'm not going to break up the coaching team I've assembled here; it ain't broke, so I'm not gonna fix it. Coaching assistant Thomas Liang has now become even more of a defense whisperer than Graham is, but his knowledge of offense is extremely limited. For that reason, I think I'll boost Graham's Coaching Offense score a bit more, perhaps at the expense of Coaching Defense.

COACH DETAILS

Graham Sims - Head Coach - Lafayette
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Age: 37
High School: St. Stephen's & St. Agnes School
Hometown: Alexandria, VA
Alma Mater: Villanova

Current Level: 8
Career Record: 118 - 46

Recruiting: 77
Scouting: 53
Offense: 57
Defense: 73


Coaching History:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Season Team Position W L CW CL Postseason
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2015 Lafayette Head Coach 27 6 14 0 Loss in NCAA Round of 32
2014 Lafayette Head Coach 27 6 12 2 Loss in NCAA Round of 32
2013 Lafayette Head Coach 26 7 12 2 Loss in NIT Round 2
2012 Lafayette Head Coach 20 13 10 4 Loss in NCAA Round 1
2011 Lafayette Head Coach 18 14 7 7 Loss in CIT Round 2

Awards & Achievements:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Season Award
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2015 Patriot League Champion
2014 Conference Coach of the Year (Patriot League)
2014 Patriot League Champion
2013 Conference Coach of the Year (Patriot League)
2013 Patriot League Champion

Job Movement:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Season Move
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2011 Hired by Lafayette (Head Coach)

All three assistant coaches want raises that reflect their growing abilities. Coach Liang wants a $10,000 raise, to $50,000/year. Steven Manion and Donn McClinton each want $20,000 more per season, which would bring Manion up to $60,000 and McClinton to $70,000.

https://i.imgur.com/h6brmC6.jpg

They've all improved their key skill quite a bit. I'll give them those raises when it's time.

[MoonlightGraham]

May 1, 2016

The first Head Coach round sees nine job offers land in the mailbox of the talented young Lafayette coach. Among them are offers from Michigan, Indiana, and Wake Forest.

The only one I could have Graham accept is the Penn State job. Their coach, Charles Beesley, retired after posting five consecutive losing seasons. Penn State's basketball budget is considerably higher than Lafayette's, but the three assistant coaches suck in about $350,000 of it...and they're not worth it. The Nittany Lions are also the more prestigious program, and they play in the Big Ten.

Right now, however, I like the direction of Lafayette's program much better. Perhaps Graham will one day take on the challenge of building a weak program in a power conference, but I sense this is not the time.

The next round brings a more enticing offer. Saint Joseph's is looking for a new head man, because Indiana hired Douglass McGlynn away from them when they couldn't get Graham Sims.

The Hawks went 26-8 last season, and lost in the second round of the NCAA tournament. They return one of the nation's top freshmen from last season, guard Neville Black, and their strong recruiting class is headlined by four-star playmaker Carl McGough. With a budget of over $500,000 and no assistant coaches on the payroll, I could bring Graham's staff with him and replicate the Lafayette culture at Saint Joseph's.

The lure of coaching in the Big Five is so, so strong. This time I literally toss a coin. If it's heads, Graham stays at Lafayette. If it's tails, he takes the Saint Joseph's offer.

I flip tails. Leopard Nation leaps for joy. :)

The coaching carousel spins in funny ways in the next two rounds, too. St. Joseph's, determined to poach their coach from the Patriot League, lures Emile Richards from Holy Cross. The Crusaders promptly offer Graham their job. Yeah, no.

Holy Cross continues to antagonize its conference rivals by trying to steal their head basketball coaches. Their next target is Colgate's Brian Smith, the reigning conference Coach of the Year. Brian moves up to Worcester, so Colgate looks Graham's way. No, thank you.

In the Assistant Coach Round, I secure the services of Graham's three assistants at the salaries they request. We still have $18,852 left in our monthly recruiting budget.

[Izulde]

If it's heads, Graham stays at Lafayette. If it's tails, he takes the Saint Joseph's offer.

I flip tails. Leopard Nation leaps for joy.

You lied to the coin!

[MoonlightGraham]

You lied to the coin!

Great catch! I did flip tails, but my rampaging ADD caught up with me as I was writing my post. I typed out the process I was going to follow first. Then my mind went off on a delightful tangent.

Hmmm...a leopard has an impressive tail, and that Saint Joe's hawk head logo is pretty sweet. I think I'll make Lafayette tails and Saint Joe's heads instead.

Of course, I didn't take the time to go back and change what I'd written. I simply barreled ahead, as per usual, and flipped the coin. It landed on tails, and Graham stays at Lafayette.

[MoonlightGraham]

July 1, 2016

Here are your 2016/17 Lafayette College Leopards!

#24 LAFAYETTE General

Player # Pos Yr Ht Wt Sch Acd Status Hometown
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Richard Leak 2 PG So 6-0 190 Yes 66 OK Ludlow, MA
Jack Senn 4 SG Fr 6-2 174 Yes 89 OK Manville, NJ
Justin Judkins 5 SG Jr 6-1 196 Yes 94 OK Middletown, OH
Otis Hall 10 SF So 7-0 234 Yes 43 OK South Charleston, OH
Todd DeHaven 12 PF Fr 6-10 222 Yes 81 OK Philadelphia, PA
Don Torres 13 PG Fr 6-1 172 No 75 OK Mays Landing, NJ
Joe Lien 14 SG Jr 6-3 195 Yes 11 OK Newton, NJ
Armando Brown 15 PG Sr 6-0 204 Yes 82 OK New York, NY
Alvaro Kinard 20 SF Sr 6-5 190 Yes 51 OK New York, NY
Raleigh McGinty 21 C So 6-10 245 Yes 56 OK Stanhope, NJ
Johnathon Blouin 23 PF So 6-9 221 Yes 41 OK Allentown, NJ
Scott Cavanaugh 30 SF Fr 6-6 215 No 45 OK Albany, LA
Daniel Warnock 32 SF Fr 6-8 226 Yes 44 OK Spotswood, NJ
James Standard 41 C Fr 6-10 231 Yes 50 OK Easton, PA
Samuel Davis 53 C So 6-11 229 Yes 97 OK Greensboro, NC

After two or three years of remarkable stability, things are going to look a lot different this season.

We have to replace the 3,468 minutes logged by last year's seniors. The four members of Graham Sims' first recruiting class scored almost 60 percent of the team's points and grabbed about 68 percent of its rebounds. So, even though we're coming off a 27-6 season, punctuated by a 14-0 romp through the Patriot League, there will be a lot of questions that need to be answered.

Fortunately, the returning starter is a good one. Junior guard Joe Lien was the team's leading scorer last year, with a 17.4 average that placed second in the conference. How will Joe respond to being the one player that opponents will key on, without potent offensive players like James Sanders or Hubert Song beside him?

The other projected starter whose name will be familiar is Alvaro Kinard. In each of the past three seasons, the lanky wing has begun the year as a starter, and each time he's played himself onto the bench. His talent is unquestioned. Will he become the player we've always thought he could be in his senior year?

Sophomore Samuel Davis, who demonstrated ability as a rebounder and a rim protector last year, will begin the year as our starting center. Will he play like a young James Sanders, with perhaps a little less offense and a little more intimidation? Or will we be roughed up in the post for the first time since Graham arrived in town?

Promising freshman Todd DeHaven will be running with the first unit at our first practice. Todd has the potential to be a capable, well-rounded big man, one who can score, rebound, and play defense. Will he be ready to do those things in his first year of college ball?

Senior Armando Brown averaged 18 minutes per game as our leading backcourt reserve last season. He played well, limiting turnovers and shooting efficiently. Armando should be ready to run the point for us this year, but he'll be challenged by talented sophomore Richard Leak and emerging junior Justin Judkins. Richard and Justin are also good ballhandlers; Richard is a good defensive player, and Justin a more promising scorer. Who will inherit the position that Hubert Song had on lock for four seasons?

In short, Joe Lien is the only sure thing about this year's Lafayette team. Raleigh McGinty, Johnathan Blouin, and Otis Hall could end up outplaying the presumed starters and take their spots in the frontcourt. Freshmen Daniel Warnock and Jack Senn could demonstrate their readiness for prime time.

We've never been ranked in the pre-season polls, but there we are at #24 this year. Is that ranking based on the body of work our seniors submitted, or a prediction of where this year's team could end up?

We're about to find out.

[MoonlightGraham]

August 1, 2016

There are two scholarship players in our senior class: guard Armando Brown and wing Alvaro Kinard. Among the 13 scholarship players on our roster are five true bigs, plus Otis Hall, a 7-footer whom we envision as a "small" forward. All these big dudes are freshmen or sophomores. We almost certainly won't recruit a big this year, unless there's a true game-changer who can't imagine playing anywhere but Lafayette.

Among the players who exhibit Very High interest in playing for us from the beginning is a point guard from Bordentown, NJ named Jamie Kelso.

#2 PG Jamie Kelso
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Height: 6-1
Weight: 181
High School: Bordentown Regional High School
Hometown: Bordentown, NJ
GPA: 3.23
Test Score: 1040
Rating: ***

Attributes:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Type INS JPS FTS 3PS HND PAS ORB DRB PSD PRD STL BLK QKN STR JMP STA
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Current: 31 28 59 31 43 35 28 28 28 23 32 11 83 29 51 64
Potential: D D B C A B B C D C D F

Season Stats:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PTS OREB REB AST TOS A/T STL BLK PFS
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
10.5 2.9 8.0 8.5 1.3 6.50 1.6 0.3 2.4

Shooting Averages:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
FGM FGA FG% FTM FTA FT% 3PM 3PA 3P%
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
4.6 10.8 .421 1.2 1.6 .742 0.2 2.1 .095

Recruiting Notes:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Qualified: Yes
Current interest in Lafayette: Very High
Rankings: East Region #69 Overall, East Region #14 PG
High School Awards: None
Top 5 Schools: Lehigh, Columbia, Fairleigh Dickinson, Seton Hall, Lafayette

Jamie doesn't look to score very often, but look at that assist/turnover ratio! He simply doesn't turn the ball over. He also shows potential as an on-ball defender, too.

There are other schools on his radar, so I'm going to act quickly. We offer Jamie a scholarship, bring him to campus, and send Coaches Sims and Manion to his home.

In an ideal world, we'd pair Kelso with a scoring guard. How about Tim Hutchinson?

#24 SG Tim Hutchinson
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Height: 6-6
Weight: 199
High School: Vestal High School
Hometown: Vestal, NY
GPA: 2.77
Test Score: 880
Rating: ***

Attributes:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Type INS JPS FTS 3PS HND PAS ORB DRB PSD PRD STL BLK QKN STR JMP STA
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Current: 36 66 61 42 44 34 39 29 24 21 34 8 61 58 74 45
Potential: C B B C C B D D D B C C

Season Stats:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PTS OREB REB AST TOS A/T STL BLK PFS
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
20.9 1.5 4.5 5.6 3.0 1.88 2.7 0.7 3.5

Shooting Averages:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
FGM FGA FG% FTM FTA FT% 3PM 3PA 3P%
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
8.9 15.6 .571 2.7 3.1 .869 0.4 1.6 .258

Recruiting Notes:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Qualified: Yes
Current interest in Lafayette: High
Rankings: #47 SG, East Region #38 Overall, East Region #11 SG
High School Awards: None
Top 5 Schools: Cornell, St. John's, Lafayette, Seton Hall, Rider

Hutchinson is a very efficient scorer who profiles as a slasher, doing most of his damage on drives and mid-range jumpers. He has the length to guard bigger wings, and he's fairly attentive to that part of his game.

I offer Tim a scholarship and use all our recruiting actions this month, in an effort to turn his High interest into a commitment.

[MoonlightGraham]

September 1, 2016

Neither of the players to whom we've offered a scholarship commit this month, but we've made significant progress in that direction with both of them.

Jamie Kelso says we're his #1 choice now. We're the only team who has offered him; there are two other Patriot League teams--Lehigh and Holy Cross--on his top five list. Hopefully one more month of attentive recruiting will do the trick.

We make even more ground with Tim Hutchinson. Tim now holds five scholarship offers, but he puts us first on his list of top schools. Coach Sims and Coach Manion will make the trip to upstate New York, and they'll hopefully return with a commitment.

There's plenty of room in our budget for us to visit more players this month. Among them are a handful of four-star talents who expressed more than Very Low interest in playing for us. If any of these players become relevant, I'll introduce them to you.

[MoonlightGraham]

October 1, 2016

We move one step closer to signing Jamie Kelso and Tim Hutchinson. Both players remove all the other schools they were considering from their lists, but neither are quite ready to give us their verbal commitments.

One of the players we begin to recruit more actively has shown enough interest that it might be fun to take a look at him. David Sale, a wing from Cortland, New York, is the first four-star recruit to express Average interest in playing for us.

#42 SF David Sale
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Height: 6-6
Weight: 227
High School: Cortland High School
Hometown: Cortland, NY
GPA: 2.34
Test Score: 910
Rating: ****

Attributes:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Type INS JPS FTS 3PS HND PAS ORB DRB PSD PRD STL BLK QKN STR JMP STA
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Current: 55 41 39 34 24 26 33 15 33 21 25 24 70 47 64 10
Potential: A B D D D D A F D D C D

Season Stats:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PTS OREB REB AST TOS A/T STL BLK PFS
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
18.9 2.1 4.7 3.1 2.6 1.19 2.1 0.7 3.8

Shooting Averages:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
FGM FGA FG% FTM FTA FT% 3PM 3PA 3P%
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
8.3 14.4 .578 2.0 3.6 .563 0.3 1.1 .238

Recruiting Notes:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Qualified: Yes
Current interest in Lafayette: Average
Rankings: #49 Overall, #8 SF, East Region #9 Overall, East Region #2 SF
High School Awards: All-State
Top 5 Schools: *Temple, Syracuse, Lafayette

David holds an offer from Temple, and he'd almost certainly choose their program over ours. I still think it's significant that a player as good as he is appears to give us serious consideration, even though we haven't made him a scholarship offer.

[cubboyroy1826]

Dumb question. What is the color progression when looking at players. Is it red, orange, yellow, green, blue?

[Izulde]

Dumb question. What is the color progression when looking at players. Is it red, orange, yellow, green, blue?

Yes. There's also Purple which is God tier and one I've never seen in the college game. Only very rarely in the pro one.

[MoonlightGraham]

November 1, 2016

The month begins with very good news about recruiting. Jamie Kelso and Tim Hutchinson both commit to play for us next year.

Jamie is a solid three-star recruit who should develop into a creative playmaker who takes care of the ball and makes his teammates better. He's a Red/Yellow prospect, so he might be a bit raw when he arrives on campus. We should, however, be able to be patient with him, because we have other similar players (Richard Leak, Jack Senn, Justin Judkins) in the program already.

Tim, whom the experts believe is the better player (Red/Green), is a tall, lean wing whose nominal position might turn out to be SF, rather than SG. Joe Lien will be a senior when Tim joins us next year, so we shouldn't need him to be a BMOC right away.

We also learn that Todd DeHaven is willing to take a redshirt this year. My initial thought was "no way." He's probably good enough to start for us right now. The longer I think about it, however, the more intriguing the idea becomes. There are six players in our freshman and sophomore classes who are 6'9" or taller. If Todd moves to our Class of 2020, we'll spread that concentration of big men out a bit. Todd would then be part of a class that includes perimeter players Kelso and Hutchinson. I decide to let DeHaven spend a year training and developing before he hits the court.

[MoonlightGraham]

November 8, 2016

How did our training camp go?

LAFAYETTE Training Results

Player Ins Jps Fts 3ps Hnd Pas Orb Drb Psd Prd Stl Blk Qkn Str Jmp Sta
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Richard Leak 0 1 0 1 5 5 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 1 1 10
Jack Senn 0 6 6 6 4 4 2 2 2 4 2 2 2 2 0 18
Justin Judkins 2 1 1 1 0 2 2 1 1 2 3 1 2 3 0 9
Otis Hall 2 2 1 0 1 1 3 2 1 2 5 2 1 4 1 11
Todd DeHaven 6 2 4 2 0 2 4 10 6 0 0 2 0 4 0 12
Don Torres 2 4 6 2 0 2 0 0 2 2 2 0 2 4 2 26
Joe Lien 1 5 2 1 5 5 1 1 1 1 3 1 0 1 1 6
Armando Brown 1 1 1 3 2 7 2 2 1 4 1 1 1 2 1 6
Alvaro Kinard 1 4 1 1 2 2 1 2 4 2 7 1 1 3 2 6
Raleigh McGinty 5 1 1 1 1 1 3 1 1 1 1 1 0 3 0 6
Johnathon Blouin 2 1 1 0 1 1 3 4 2 0 1 2 1 3 1 6
Scott Cavanaugh 0 0 2 2 0 2 2 2 4 4 4 0 1 4 2 16
Daniel Warnock 2 2 4 6 4 0 2 2 4 2 2 2 1 4 1 9
James Standard 0 2 2 2 2 2 6 8 4 2 2 4 2 6 3 24
Samuel Davis 2 1 0 3 1 1 2 2 8 1 3 8 2 0 2 12

Todd DeHaven looks like he's going to be a titan. He's now a Yellow/Green player, and for all practical purposes, he's a high school senior.

We have two Green/Blue guys on the roster now: Joe Lien and Alvaro Kinard, whose potential improves a level after we break camp.

When I let the AI pick the starting lineup, it chooses this combination:
C Samuel Davis
PF Otis Hall
SF Daniel Warnock
SG Alvaro Kinard
PG Joe Lien

This lineup would include two Orange players with Yellow potential(Davis and Warnock) and a Red/Green guy (Hall). I'm a bit hesitant to start a Red player, but I think I'll go with this lineup to begin the season and see what happens.

The first two men off the bench would be guards Richard Leak and Jack Senn. Both are Orange/Green players.

[britrock88]

Two questions, OOC:

Do assistant coaches help out in areas other than their specialties? In other words, will McClinton's and Liang's improved Recruiting scores help us land better players, even though Manion is the recruiter?
Will Graham's ratings ever improve? He still has the scores he had when I created him, while his assistants are getting better.


1. No, per the manual. Your HC's skill and the relevant AC's skill are weighed equally for each of the three areas.
2. Yes! Check your coach's card and there's a "Bonus Points" button that will activate when you level up... though I see you've crossed this bridge by now. :)

[MoonlightGraham]

November 14, 2016
Lafayette 70, Alabama-Birmingham 52
We played the Blazers in the first round of the NCAA tournament in 2015, and we beat them fairly easily. This year's outcome is very similar.

We play good defense (the Blazers shoot 29.8% from the floor) and we execute our offense well; all five of our starters reach double figures. Daniel Warnock leads our scorers with 16 in his first college game, and adds 7 rebounds. Alvaro Kinard follows with 15 (5 rebounds). Joe Lien, whom everyone in the gym knows will be the focal point of our offense, scores 13. Samuel Davis and Otis Hall pitch in 10 apiece. And Richard Leak comes off the bench to hand out 5 assists in 18 minutes.

Best of all, however, Samuel Davis intimidates the Blazers all night long. We saw signs of his shot blocking ability last season--he led the team in that category, despite playing only 15 minutes per game. Tonight, he blocks 6 shots
Record: 1-0.


November 16, 2016
Western Michigan 84, Lafayette 63
Two nights later, we get whomped by Western Michigan at the Kirby Center. They're a good team, but it's been a long time since we've lost a game this badly.

Ralph Flores, the MAC's Freshman of the Year last season, turns into Steph Curry and drops 38 on us.

We only manage to take 39 shots, and not enough of them go in. Daniel Warnock (14) and Otis Hall (11) reach double digits, but both of them scored 9 of their points from the free throw line. Alvaro Kinard has 4 steals, but doesn't do much else. They hold Joe Lien to 8 points.
Record: 1-1.


November 21, 2016
Lafayette 81, Purdue 74
Sometimes I have to remember that this college basketball universe isn't the same as the real one. In this world, Purdue is a good team--their current prestige is 80--but not a true powerhouse. They've been to the Sweet Sixteen once, but that was back in 2012.

So it's an upset for us to beat the Boilermakers at the Kirby Center, but honestly, not a huge one. Joe Lien is the star, scoring 24 points; he's red-hot from long range (5-7). Daniel Warnock reaches well into double figures again, with 14. Otis Hall just misses a double-double (11 points, 9 rebounds). Three more blocks from Samuel Davis establish his credentials as a grade A rim protector even more securely.
Record: 2-1.


November 28, 2016
Lafayette 68, St. Peter's 47
We get a good game from the mercurial Alvaro Kinard--15 points, 6 rebounds, 2 steals--and defend relentlessly in a tidy win at St. Peter's.

Samuel Davis blocks three times as many shots (3) as he makes (1).

Joe Lien leads all scorers with 24 points, but it could have been more; he shoots a ghastly 4-11 from the line. He's not a very good free throw shooter--his career percentage is now .613--but Joe is maddeningly bad tonight. Good thing we didn't need those points, isn't it?
Record: 3-1.

[MoonlightGraham]

1. No, per the manual. Your HC's skill and the relevant AC's skill are weighed equally for each of the three areas.
2. Yes! Check your coach's card and there's a "Bonus Points" button that will activate when you level up... though I see you've crossed this bridge by now. :)

Thanks for your answers, britrock88. I wondered if a well-rounded assistant could help out in areas other than his specialty, and now I understand that's not the case.

I suppose your Lead Scout helps evaluate the talent of the players you're recruiting, as well as the players on opposing teams...right? *scratches head*

[cubboyroy1826]

Slight interruption to what has gotten me back into FBCB. I took over Western Illinois an 8 prestige pretty bad team. One of our centers, Tony Lacy is a blocks beast. We almost took down the #2 seed in the conference tourney behind his 10, yes I said 10 blocks. Dude has 73 blocks this season. Our team is rough in my second year but improving.

[MoonlightGraham]

Slight interruption to what has gotten me back into FBCB. I took over Western Illinois an 8 prestige pretty bad team. One of our centers, Tony Lacy is a blocks beast. We almost took down the #2 seed in the conference tourney behind his 10, yes I said 10 blocks. Dude has 73 blocks this season. Our team is rough in my second year but improving.

I don't mind the interruption at all. I'm glad my attempt at a FBCB story helped lead you back to the game. :)

Part of me wishes I'd begun with a low prestige team like you and Izulde did. I think Lafayette's prestige was 27 at the start of my game, and Graham Sims was already an average coach. I could land three-star players in my first recruiting class, so Lafayette started winning fairly early on. It might be fun to take on the challenge of building a team from the very bottom up.

Tony Lacy is the god tier version of Samuel Davis. His name seems to me to fit an intimidating center, too.

[cubboyroy1826]

With the new incoming class, Lacy has been relegated to coming off the bench this season. We'll see how long that lasts. The freshman replacing him has a 91/A in blocks but is a much better rebounder as well. Twin Towers?

[MoonlightGraham]

December 2, 2016
Lafayette 74, Columbia 54
The Lions hang with us through twenty minutes or so, before our superior talent asserts itself, especially on defense.

Columbia allows Joe Lien to shoot nearly at will, especially from behind the arc. That turns out to be a good strategy--he goes 1-6 from three--but he gets enough other shots to fall to add up to a game-high 23 points. Alvaro Kinard adds 12, and Daniel Warnock an efficient 11 (3-6 from long range). Samuel Davis misses a double-double by one rebound (10/9).

I'm still trying to figure out how good this year's team really is.
Record: 4-1.


December 5, 2016
Lafayette 77, Maryland-Baltimore County 67
UMBC isn't very good, so again, it's hard to know what to take away from this victory.

We do some good things. We make nearly 60 percent of our field goal attempts. We don't attempt many threes (12) but we make a lot of the ones we do attempt (6). We only turn the ball over 11 times. Joe Lien scores 27 points, and Alvaro Kinard 16.

At the same time, we let them make nearly 50 percent of their shots. And nobody except Joe and Alvaro do much scoring.
Record: 5-1.


December 7, 2016
Lafayette 83, Fairleigh Dickinson 62
We match a 26-point effort from the Knights' James Caulfield with a 27-point game from Joe Lien, and our supporting cast outplays theirs.

Alvaro Kinard seems to have matured into the player we thought he would eventually be. His game tonight--16 points, 5 rebounds, 2 steals--is typical of this year's scoresheet-filling version of AK. Samuel Davis blocks 4 shots, Daniel Warnock scores 11, and Otis Hall has 8 with 7 rebounds.

Our record is looking very good. Our RPI (56) isn't bad, either. Should I be concerned that we seem very dependent on Lien and Kinard to score points, or are they good enough to carry us without a lot of backup?
Record: 6-1.


December 11, 2016
George Washington 63, Lafayette 52
So this is what happens when Joe Lien and Alvaro Kinard don't score? No, thank you. We blow a halftime lead when we suddenly forget how to put points on the scoreboard.

Lien takes lots of shots, but not many go in, and he finishes with a very inefficient 13 points. Kinard plays 30 minutes and barely touches the basketball; we saw games like this from him too often last year.

Daniel Warnock finishes with 10 points but, like Lien, he takes too many shots to get them. And Samuel Davis has 10 rebounds and 3 more blocks, but we need points tonight...and don't get them.
Record: 6-2.


December 13, 2016
Lafayette 72, Siena 49
Our call for secondary scoring is answered today by Daniel Warnock, who plays more like a seasoned veteran than a freshman with fewer than ten games under his belt. Daniel goes 5-7 from the field and makes both his threes, finishing with 13 points.

Joe Lien manages only 10 minutes and 7 points due to foul difficulties, but Justin Judkins covers him with a career-high 10 points off the bench. The junior adds 4 rebounds and 3 assists.

Alvaro Kinard goes missing again, scoring only 3 points. Bad Alvaro has apparently returned to the squad. Siena plays terribly, so we don't need Good Alvaro; we won't always be that fortunate.
Record: 7-2.


December 16, 2016
Lafayette 82, Coppin State 80
Coppin State has a veteran starting five, all juniors and seniors. They can score with anyone, but they don't play D. That's why they're basically a .500 team that wins or loses high scoring games...like this game turns out to be.

I would have paid to watch this one; it's close from start to finish. At no point does either team lead by more than four points. With 17 seconds left, we're up 78-77. Richard Leak, who is not known for his shooting, knocks down a short baseline jumper. We defend the Eagles well, denying their best shooters, and the man we'd most like to take a last-second three--Tony Duda--is the one who lets it fly. Because it's that kind of game, The Dude sinks it. It's 80-80, and I'm planning for overtime.

Daniel Warnock threw the discus and javelin as a high school track and field athlete. Making use of that powerful arm, DW fires an accurate inbounds pass to Joe Lien, who has just enough time to set his feet and shoot.

Night-night.

Joe finishes with 13 points and 7 assists. Good Alvaro shows up, and leads us with 18 points and 4 steals.
Record: 8-2.


December 18, 2016
We make our first appearance of the season in the Mid Major poll, rising 10 places to #10. Undefeated Charlotte is ranked #1, and Patriot League rival Holy Cross is at #23.


December 21, 2016
Norfolk State 72, Lafayette 65
We squander a three-point halftime advantage by forgetting how to shoot and giving the Spartans the basketball too often on turnovers.

Joe Lien gives us 23 points, and Daniel Warnock 15, but none of their teammates seem to feel like scoring. Bad Alvaro plays 30 minutes, commits five fouls and attempts five shots, one of which goes in. Otis Hall does good work on the boards, with 12 rebounds, and Samuel Davis is a disruptive defender (3 steals, 2 blocks).
Record: 8-3.


December 23, 2016
Lafayette 84, Hofstra 77
We survive another appearance from Bad Alvaro (1-9 from the floor, 6 points in 32 minutes) because Joe Lien splashes 6 three-balls en route to 30 points.

Samuel Davis continues to mess up opposing offenses (3 steals, 2 blocks again), and Daniel Warnock scores an efficient 16 points. Hofstra's 26-29 performance from the line is what makes this game somewhat close.
Record: 9-3.


December 26, 2016
Lafayette 60, La Salle 57
The Explorers lose Daniel Warnock on the last possession of the game, and he slashes to the hoop for an and-one that gives us another thrilling win in the closing seconds.

Until that moment, the star man had been Joe Lien, who notches his first career double-double (19 points, 11 rebounds.) We hold the Explorers to 30.9% shooting, which we need to do on a night when only one Leopard scores in double figures.

Freddie Alexander, a big man whom we recruited last fall, hits us for 11 points and 14 rebounds.
Record: 10-3.


December 29, 2016
Lafayette 60, Duquesne 59
The Last-Second Leopards close out the month with another great finish, this time in our opponent's gym. Good Alvaro hits nothing but net on a three from the top of the key as the buzzer sounds.

Mr. Kinard would be proclaimed Good Alvaro if that dagger were the only shot he made, but he already has 12 points and 4 assists before he lets it fly. Joe Lien matches AK with 15 points and 4 assists of his own.
Record: 11-3.

[MoonlightGraham]

January 1, 2017
After a week away from the top half of the Mid Major poll, we're back up to #10 as the New Year arrives.

January 3, 2017
Lafayette 73, Yale 66
The three players on whom we rely for scoring all end up well in double figures, and that's usually a good formula for victory. Joe Lien leads the way with 17, Good Alvaro contributes 15, and Daniel Warnock pitches in 14. Kinard also bedevils the Bulldogs all night long, making 6 steals.

Lien seems to be adjusting well to the role of a true lead guard. He's averaging 19 points, 4 rebounds, and 3 assists per game, while always drawing the opposition's best perimeter defender.

I forgot to post the Patriot League records before the first game of the conference season. That's why American and Navy, who have both won a conference game so far, are at the top of the list instead of Lafayette and Holy Cross.

2016 Patriot League Standings

TEAM CW CL Pct W L Pct RPI Prestige
-----------------------------------------------------------
American 1 0 1.000 8 7 .533 81 42
Navy 1 0 1.000 8 6 .571 265 25
Lafayette 0 0 .000 12 3 .800 70 50
Holy Cross 0 0 .000 9 6 .600 41 43
Colgate 0 0 .000 6 8 .429 171 28
Army 0 0 .000 6 9 .400 251 19
Lehigh 0 1 .000 5 10 .333 206 23
Bucknell 0 1 .000 3 11 .214 264 34


January 7, 2017
Lafayette 74, Colgate 60
Now is when it starts to matter most for Graham Sims, who's been told by his AD that another conference championship is an expectation.

The Red Raiders lock down Daniel Warnock, and we endure 20 minutes of Bad Alvaro (5 points, 4 fouls). However, Joe Lien drops his customary 16 and Samuel Davis reaches a new career high with 15. Oddly, we make a higher percentage of our field goal attempts (55.8%) than our free throws (52.9%).

Props to sophomore big Johnathan Blouin, who scores 8 points and grabs 4 rebounds in 13 very productive minutes. JB rarely played last season, but this year he's seen action in every game and is playing well: 3.1 points and 2.8 rebounds in just over 10 minutes per game.
Record: 13-3 (1-0).


January 8, 2017
We're ranked #9 in the Mid Major poll this week.


January 11, 2017
American 72, Lafayette 68
Poor shooting, especially from long range (3-26!! from behind the arc) and 20 turnovers doom us against an Eagles team that looks better than last year's edition.

Samuel Davis performs a decent imitation of a young James Sanders: 4-4 from the field, 12 points, 7 rebounds, but with a side order of 3 blocked shots. Limited to 18 minutes by foul trouble, Joe Lien posts a 12/4/4 (pts/reb/ast) line. Alvaro Kinard unveils a new personality: AK Rifleman. This incarnation hangs out behind the three-point line and pulls the trigger whenever he gets a chance. All 8 of his attempts come from there, and he makes 3. That means AKR's teammates fling 18 bricks without a single example of success.

This is our first loss in the Patriot League since February 11, 2015. Navy beat us that day, 79-76. I remember us losing both games to them that season.


January 14, 2017
Lafayette 73, Lehigh 62
I thought Coach Sims's teams had fared well against our traditional rival, so I looked up the facts. I was right, this victory gives him a 10-1 career record against the Mountain Hawks.

Otis Hall is the big boss today, posting an assertive double-double (14 points, 15 rebounds). But Joe Lien is named Player of the Game for his 21-point, 6-assist performance. Freshman Daniel Warnock continues to build his case for post-season recognition with 18 points and 5 rebounds.

Both teams' centers take their rim protection duties seriously. Lehigh's Papillon Lecroix floats like the butterfly he is and stings like a bee, blocking 3 shots. Our Samuel Davis beats him by two. Big Sazzy leads the Patriot League with just over two blocks per game.
Record: 14-4 (2-1).


January 15, 2017
Our 1-1 week causes the voters to drop us back down to #10 in the Mid Major poll. Temple (14-2) are at the top of the rankings. Meanwhile, Syracuse, Kansas, Pitt, Texas, and North Carolina make up the top five in the national poll.

January 18, 2017
Lafayette 72, Army 60
A strong second half enables us to pull away from a pesky Army team. Daniel Warnock leads us with 23 points, on a night when nobody else breaks 10. Good Alvaro scores only 8, but contributes with 10 rebounds. Samuel Davis joins him in double figures in that category with 11.

Despite committing 20 turnovers again, we manage to find a way to win. So does American, also 3-1 in Patriot League play, but with the tiebreaker advantage over us.
Record: 15-4 (3-1).


January 21, 2017
Lafayette 83, Holy Cross 67
We record a satisfying victory up in Worcester, performing well in every aspect of the game. We hit half our shots and over 40% of our threes, record assists on 22 baskets, commit only 9 turnovers while forcing 20, and hold the Crusaders to 41.7% shooting.

Again, we get a big game from Daniel Warnock, who scores 20 points and goes 4-8 from three point range. That performance actually LOWERS his percentage from behind the arc; he's now 44-84 for the season. Joe Lien finishes with 19 points and 6 assists, and Good Alvaro and Samuel Davis pitch in 13 and 11, respectively.
Record: 16-4 (4-1).


January 25, 2017
Lafayette 91, Navy 62
Now up to #8 in the Mid Major poll, we sink the Navy by firing away with all guns blazing. We squeeze off 73 field goal attempts, including 33 from behind the arc, and hit enough of them to put a bunch of points on the scoreboard.

It's another Good Alvaro day: 22 points, on 8-12 shooting (6-10 from distance) and 3 steals. Otis Hall (13), Samuel Davis (12), and Joe Lien (10) join Kinard in double figures. Lien shoots terribly--4 for 21--but dishes out 8 assists. Otis falls one rebound short of a double-double.

American keeps winning, so we remain tied with them. We've opened up a two-game lead on the rest of the conference.
Record: 17-4 (5-1).


January 28, 2017
Lafayette 73, Bucknell 67
The Bison enter the game with a 6-14 record, and they've only won twice in league play. They don't play like a team with a record like that today, and we escape with a narrow victory.

Despite a 21-point effort from Joe Lien, it's a scoresheet-filling Good Alvaro who takes home the Player of the Game award on the strength of his 14 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals, and a block. Otis Hall gets his double-double this time with 10 points and 10 boards. And Justin Judkins hits a career-high 10 points in 13 minutes off the bench.

Holy Cross does us a favor by beating American, 64-58, so we're in sole possession of the Patriot League lead at the halfway mark of the conference season.
Record: 18-4 (6-1).


January 30, 2017
Lafayette 71, Toledo 62
This year's out-of-conference hiatus takes us out to Toledo. The Rockets are a decent MAC team, led by a veteran coach named Lenny Wendell who is a consummate scout.

Wendell does a good job preparing his players, who open up a 37-32 halftime lead. We have a more talented team, however--Toledo has no starter better than Yellow, while Alvaro Kinard and Joe Lien are Green/Blue--and we take command of the game in the second half.

Lien leads all scorers with 23 points, and Alvaro shows signs of Good (11 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists) and Bad (4 turnovers). Daniel Warnock finishes with 12 points and 9 rebounds.

We come in at #9 in this week's Mid Major poll.
Record: 19-4 (6-1).

[MoonlightGraham]

February 1, 2017
Here are the Patriot League standings at the halfway pole:
2016 Patriot League Standings

TEAM CW CL Pct W L Pct RPI Prestige
----------------------------------------------------------
Lafayette 6 1 .857 19 4 .826 55 50
American 5 2 .714 13 9 .591 64 42
Lehigh 4 3 .571 9 13 .409 203 23
Holy Cross 4 3 .571 13 9 .591 77 43
Navy 3 4 .429 10 11 .476 276 25
Army 2 5 .286 8 14 .364 280 19
Colgate 2 5 .286 8 14 .364 234 28
Bucknell 2 5 .286 6 15 .286 278 34

Lehigh has bounced back from a rough start, playing well enough to find themselves in the top half of the conference table. Colgate, on the other hand, has not coped well with the loss of coach Brian Smith, who led them to a 25-8 record and a trip to the Big Dance. Smith, you might remember, is now at Holy Cross...a twist of fate that has turned the Red Raiders and Crusaders into bitter rivals.


February 4, 2017
Lafayette 71, Colgate 60
Speaking of Colgate, we travel up to New York and hand the home team another Patriot League loss.

Our usual high scorers all reach double figures again: Good Alvaro (11), Joe Lien (14), and Daniel Warnock (16). The real story, however, comes from Samuel Davis. He ties the Patriot League record with 8 blocked shots, matching the performance of Navy's Gerald Bechtel on March 5, 2014.

The Leopards' victory gives Graham Sims his fifth straight season of at least 20 wins.
Record: 20-4 (7-1).


February 8, 2017
Lehigh 55, Lafayette 44
At halftime, we hold a commanding 35-19 lead, and another victory looks like it's in the bag. We score only NINE POINTS the rest of the way and suffer the most frustrating defeat of Graham Sims's career.

The only real highlights are another 6 blocks from Big Sazzy and 10 rebounds from his fellow frontcourt dog, Otis Hall.

The Bubble Watch says we're in the tournament field, but that might change after this result.
Record: 20-5 (7-2).


February 11, 2017
Lafayette 73, American 39
We take out our frustrations on an Eagles team that has struggled mightily of late. They've lost 4 of their last 5 games, and they're out of this one within minutes. That will happen when you make only 26 percent of your shots.

Joe Lien, the league's leading scorer, finishes with 19. Daniel Warnock adds to his case for Freshman of the Year with another 16 points. Samuel Davis turns away 4 shots. Otis Hall contributes 10 points and 11 rebounds. Johnathan Blouin relieves Davis and is even more fearsome, getting 3 blocks in 13 minutes.

I realized I'd accidentally buried freshman big man James Standard on the depth chart, and made him unhappy. I fix this oversight in time to get James on the floor tonight, and he rewards me with two rebounds in three minutes.
Record: 21-5 (8-2).


February 12, 2017
We're ranked #6 in the Mid Major poll this week. I'd stopped writing separate notes about each poll, but this week, I notice something fun. We receive 9 points in the national poll...the same number as Duke. :)

The Blue Devils have an interesting history in this universe. They've only made it as far as the Sweet Sixteen once, in 2012/13. The next two seasons ended with losses in the first round of the tournament, and they failed to make it past Round 2 of the NIT in 2015/16.

Their coach, Louie Smith, is an absymal recruiter (14). Assistant Paul Lowder (100) can charm peaches from a pine tree, but if I understand how the game's mechanics work, Paul can only make Duke's overall recruiting score rise as high as 57. No wonder the Blue Devils have never had the ACC's best recruiting class, and were the worst in this category last season.

I know there's much more to landing recruits than the coaches' scores, but on that measure, we have the Blue Devils beat. Graham Sims (77) and Steven Manion (60) combine for a score of 68.5.


February 15, 2017
Lafayette 64, Holy Cross 59
This matchup of the two top teams in the Patriot League ends with us holding a two-game lead in the standings. We don't shoot well (37.7% from the floor), but we avoid other kinds of mistakes and do enough to win.

22 points and 5 rebounds earn Joe Lien the Player of the Game nod. Good Alvaro adds an efficient 14 points, Otis Hall pitches in 10, and Daniel Warnock falls one rebound short of a double double (10/9).

Both teams attempt 53 field goals and make 20. We make one more three-pointer and 4 more free throws, and those things make the difference.
Record: 22-5 (9-2).


February 18, 2017
Lafayette 72, Army 44
Today is a festive day at the Kirby Center.

It's Senior Day, and point guard Armando Brown starts the game and plays so well that he gets much, much more than the obligatory few minutes of court time. Armando plays 29 minutes and delivers a 16-point, 5-assist, 4-rebound performance. When he leaves the game with 44 seconds remaining, he receives a standing ovation and a series of warm embraces from his teammates. Armando is a deserving choice for Player of the Game.

I wonder, somewhat poignantly, if Armando could have done this every night if I'd given him the chance?

His fellow senior, Alvaro Kinard, scores 11 points. Joe Lien leads all scorers with 19 points, and Otis Hall grabs 11 rebounds.

Our victory clinches Graham Sims' fourth straight Patriot League championship. Holy Cross is two games behind us, and we've beaten the Crusaders twice this season.
Record: 23-5 (10-2).


February 22, 2017
Lafayette 75, Navy 68
53 points from Joe Lien (29) and Alvaro Kinard (24) are enough to dispatch a feisty Navy team. That's a career high for Good Alvaro.

Armando Brown gets another start, and he plays fairly well--5 assists with only 1 turnover--but we don't play with our usual efficiency. Daniel Warnock doesn't adapt well to coming off the bench. We'll return to our usual starting lineup for our final conference game.
Record: 24-5 (11-2).


February 25, 2017
Lafayette 77, Bucknell 52
We close out the regular season with an easy victory out in Lewisburg.

Joe Lien (21 points) and Alvaro Kinard (15) are our leading scorers. Daniel Warnock adds 12 in his return to the starting five. Armando Brown gives us 27 effective minutes as our sixth man, Johnathan Blouin pitches in 6 points and 5 rebounds in 20 minutes, and Justin Judkins gives us a jolt of offense with 9 points in as many minutes. This eight-man rotation might be very effective in tournament play.
Record: 25-5 (12-2).

2016 Patriot League Standings

TEAM CW CL Pct W L Pct RPI Prestige
----------------------------------------------------------
Lafayette 12 2 .857 25 5 .833 29 50
Lehigh 8 6 .571 13 16 .448 196 23
Holy Cross 8 6 .571 18 12 .600 105 43
Navy 7 7 .500 14 15 .483 242 25
American 7 7 .500 16 14 .533 112 42
Colgate 6 8 .429 12 17 .414 201 28
Bucknell 5 9 .357 10 19 .345 275 34
Army 3 11 .214 9 20 .310 294 19

Graham's teams have a 50-6 record in Patriot League play over the past four seasons.

[MoonlightGraham]

March 1, 2017
We begin the week with our highest-ever ranking in the Mid Major poll.
Mid Major Top 25

# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Utah State (70) 23-5 1798 1 Western Athletic Conference
2. Lafayette (2) 25-5 1691 4 Patriot League
3. Dayton 20-8 1602 6 Atlantic 10 Conference
4. Rhode Island 22-6 1555 3 Atlantic 10 Conference
5. VCU 23-7 1486 7 Colonial Athletic Association
6. Richmond 21-7 1447 2 Atlantic 10 Conference
7. Butler 21-9 1376 11 Horizon League
8. Akron 21-5 1350 5 Mid-American Conference
9. Green Bay 22-8 1199 9 Horizon League
10. Illinois State 21-8 1167 8 Missouri Valley Conference
11. Winthrop 25-5 1111 12 Big South Conference
12. Boston University 22-6 856 20 America East Conference
13. Memphis 18-9 853 10 Conference USA
14. Fresno State 19-9 818 23 Western Athletic Conference
15. Saint Mary's 19-10 700 15 West Coast Conference
16. East Tennessee State 20-8 667 22 Atlantic Sun Conference
17. Southern Illinois 20-10 557 18 Missouri Valley Conference
18. Towson 21-8 475 19 Colonial Athletic Association
19. Charlotte 19-9 421 NR Atlantic 10 Conference
20. Temple 18-10 409 13 Atlantic 10 Conference
21. Hampton 21-7 329 16 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference
22. Troy 20-10 303 17 Sun Belt Conference
23. UAB 18-10 251 NR Conference USA
24. UNC Wilmington 20-10 183 NR Colonial Athletic Association
25. Houston 16-12 161 14 Conference USA

Others Receiving Votes:
Niagara 21-9 115 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
Missouri State 18-11 98 Missouri Valley Conference
Pacific 18-9 91 Big West Conference
Alabama State 20-7 61 Southwestern Athletic Conference
Xavier 16-11 56 Atlantic 10 Conference
Sacramento State 19-10 49 Big Sky Conference
UTEP 16-11 43 Conference USA
Gonzaga 18-11 40 West Coast Conference
Stephen F. Austin 19-7 26 Southland Conference
Southern Mississippi 17-11 16 Conference USA
La Salle 17-11 15 Atlantic 10 Conference
Mercer 19-10 12 Atlantic Sun Conference
Eastern Washington 19-10 6 Big Sky Conference
Campbell 19-10 4 Atlantic Sun Conference
Fairfield 18-11 2 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
Sam Houston State 19-8 1 Southland Conference


March 1, 2017
Patriot League Tournament, First Round
(1) Lafayette 72, (8) Army 61
We play a solid all-around game, doing what we need to do to advance.

The scorers score (Joe Lien 20, Daniel Warnock 17, Alvaro Kinard 11). The passers pass (Armando Brown 5, Lien 3). The defenders defend (Lien 2 steals, Samuel Davis 5 blocks). And everybody rebounds (Otis Hall 9, Davis 7, Warnock 6, both guards 5).

We face American next; they routed #4 seed Navy, 86-67. #2 Lehigh and #3 Holy Cross also advance, as expected.
Record: 26-5.


March 5, 2017
Patriot League Tournament Semifinal
(1) #25 Lafayette 65, (5) American 54
On a day when our shots aren't falling, we turn up the defense a few notches and take care of a pesky American team.

The lean, 6'11" form of Samuel Davis will haunt the Eagles' dreams for some time to come. Big Sazzy blocked 4 shots and made 3 steals, and found time to score 10 points. He even stepped behind the arc to knock down a pair of triples.

Daniel Warnock scored 13 points, while Otis Hall and Joe Lien had 14 apiece. Otis pulled in 10 rebounds to complete another double-double, his fourth of the season.

Alvaro Kinard played 24 minutes and only managed to attempt one shot, which he missed. He did contribute 5 rebounds and 4 assists.

We've only made it to the Patriot League tournament final once. We beat Bucknell in 2013. This year, we'll face Holy Cross, who beat Lehigh, 97-90, in the other semifinal. A victory would be our 28th of the season, a a new record for the Graham Sims era at Lafayette.

Today's polls had us at #2 in the Mid Major rankings, and barely in the Top 25.
Record: 27-5.


March 10, 2017
Patriot League Tournament Championship
(3) Holy Cross 80, (1) #25 Lafayette 75
Holy Cross earns a ticket to the Big Dance with a clutch victory in the Patriot League final.

The Crusaders couldn't miss in the first half, reeling off 45 points and opening up a 10-point advantage. To our credit, we fight our way back and take the lead. We're ahead as late as the 2:03 mark, when Otis Hall' sinks two free throws to make the score 71-70.
A three-pointer by senior guard Frank Adams with just under a minute remaining proves to be the winning shot. Adams, the Player of the Game, finishes the game with 10 points and 10 assists.

Joe Lien leads all scorers with 22 points, and adds 6 assists. Daniel Warnock (13) and Alvaro Kinard (11) also post double figures. Otis Hall and Samuel Davis post identical 9-point, 10-rebound stat lines. Davis also torments the Crusaders with 3 blocks and 3 steals.

We don't play badly; they simply play better. Props to them.
Record: 27-6.

[MoonlightGraham]

March 12, 2017
We fall to #3 in the Mid Major poll.

The NCAA tournament draw sends us out to the West Region, where we earn the #9 seed. Our opponent will be the #8 seed, Arizona State. The Sun Devils enter the game with a 23-10 record, and finished second in the Pac-10 with a 12-6 record.

Holy Cross will have a tougher task, at least on paper. A 14 seed, they'll play Syracuse.

American barely ekes out a spot in the CBI. The 16 seed Eagles will face top-seeded South Dakota.


March 17, 2017
NCAA West Region, First Round
(9) Lafayette 58, (8) Arizona State 45
Some basketball games aren't pretty. Good teams find ways to win ugly, and that's what we do today.

The closest thing to style is contributed by Joe Lien, who nets a game-high 24 points. The only other Leopard in double figures is Daniel Warnock, with 12.

All five of our starters get either 5 or 6 rebounds, which is pretty cool. Winning an NCAA tournament game is even cooler, though.

The best story from the first round is a victory for 15 seed Coppin State, who knock off USC, 73-61. We beat them by 2 back in December, on a game-winning three by Joe Lien.

Holy Cross gives Syracuse a tough battle, finally losing 86-82.

And American pulls off the 16-over-1 upset, edging South Dakota, 78-74. Up next for the Eagles is George Mason.

The bad thing about being a 9 seed is what happens if you win your game. Your next opponent is the 1 seed; in this case, it's Kansas State.
Record: 28-6.


March 19, 2017
NCAA West Region, Second Round
(1) #12 Kansas State 77, (9) Lafayette 60
We play very well for 20 minutes, taking a 35-31 lead when Samuel Davis finishes a fast break with an assertive driving layup. However, the Wildcats roar back over the course of a furious eight-minute run, outscoring us 30-9 and taking a 63-44 lead. We don't have a comeback in us, and so it ends.

In his final collegiate game, Armando Brown comes off the bench to score 11 points and record 2 steals. Fellow senior Alvaro Kinard finishes with 9 points. Davis plays well, leading us with 13 points, 8 rebounds, and another 3 rejections. K-State's veteran backcourt frustrates Joe Lien, who makes only two field goals and finishes with 8 points.
Record: 28-7.


March 20, 2017
American's Cinderella story will continue for another chapter. They advance to the CIT semifinal with an 86-65 victory over George Mason.


March 22, 2017
Detroit beats American, 65-52, to end the season of the final Patriot League team left standing.


April 1, 2017
This year's NCAA championship game will feature Boston College and Texas. The #13 Eagles won an all-ACC Final Four matchup against unranked Duke, while the #5 Longhorns upset #1 seed Kansas in a Big 12 clash.

April 3, 2017
Boston College is crowned national champion after hammering Texas, 78-48. Sophomore guard Will Adams scores 22 points and is named the Player of the Game.

[MoonlightGraham]

April 3, 2017

It's a big day for the Leopards as the Patriot League awards are announced.

2016 PATRIOT LEAGUE AWARDS

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Player of the Year:

SR SF Charles Davis Holy Cross 16.3 PPG, 5.4 RPG, 2.2 APG 1.7 SPG, 0.2 BPG

Freshman of the Year:
FR SF Daniel Warnock Lafayette 11.2 PPG, 4.1 RPG, 1.3 APG 0.5 SPG, 0.2 BPG

Coach of the Year:
Graham Sims Lafayette 28 - 7 (12 - 2)

All-league 1st Team:
C SO Samuel Davis Lafayette 6.9 PPG, 5.7 RPG, 1.1 APG, 0.8 SPG, 2.7 BPG
PF SO Otis Hall Lafayette 7.3 PPG, 7.7 RPG, 1.2 APG, 0.5 SPG, 0.6 BPG
SF SR Charles Davis Holy Cross 16.3 PPG, 5.4 RPG, 2.2 APG, 1.7 SPG, 0.2 BPG
SG SR Alvaro Kinard Lafayette 10.6 PPG, 4.0 RPG, 2.1 APG, 1.8 SPG, 0.2 BPG
PG SR Frank Adams Holy Cross 7.6 PPG, 4.4 RPG, 6.8 APG, 0.9 SPG, 0.1 BPG

All-league 2nd Team:
C SR Hagan Loeffler American 9.9 PPG, 5.0 RPG, 1.1 APG, 0.3 SPG, 1.8 BPG
PF SO Daniel Layfield Holy Cross 10.1 PPG, 6.1 RPG, 0.8 APG, 0.2 SPG, 0.8 BPG
SF JR Joe Lien Lafayette 18.3 PPG, 4.6 RPG, 3.5 APG, 0.8 SPG, 0.2 BPG
SG SO Joey Sweeney Holy Cross 12.4 PPG, 4.7 RPG, 1.9 APG, 1.0 SPG, 0.0 BPG
PG SR Pete Truman Lehigh 10.4 PPG, 3.8 RPG, 5.8 APG, 0.7 SPG, 0.2 BPG

All-freshman Team:
C FR Robert Wiley Holy Cross 4.9 PPG, 3.1 RPG, 0.4 APG, 0.2 SPG, 0.2 BPG
PF
SF FR Daniel Warnock Lafayette 11.2 PPG, 4.1 RPG, 1.3 APG, 0.5 SPG, 0.2 BPG
SG FR Timothy Pinto Lehigh 9.9 PPG, 3.7 RPG, 1.2 APG, 0.6 SPG, 0.3 BPG
PG FR Frances Lewallen Colgate 5.2 PPG, 0.7 RPG, 0.5 APG, 0.1 SPG, 0.1 BPG

If I'd bet on which Lafayette player would be most likely to make the All-League first team, I would have picked league-leading scorer Joe Lien. Joe does earn post-season honors, but he's on the second team at his "official" position, SF (although he's run the point for us all year).

Instead, THREE other players earn spots on the first team!

I'm delighted to see our pair of sophomore big men, Samuel Davis and Otis Hall, recognized for their hard-nosed play. The voters dig blocked shots, and nobody in the league does that better than Big Sazzy. O-Hall's performance earns him the team's respect as our Blue Collar Man.

I'm even happier for Alvaro Kinard. I'll tell the story of the meandering path he took through his collegiate career in his Senior Tribute. It's great to see it end on such a positive note.

To nobody's surprise, Daniel Warnock is named Freshman of the Year, and earns a spot on the All-Freshman Team. Robert Wiley, to whom we offered a scholarship, joins him.

And Graham Sims wins his third Patriot League Coach of the Year Award.

Then I spot this message in my inbox...

"SF Joe Lien has decided to forgo his remaining college eligibility in order to enter the draft. His scholarship is now available for the current recruiting period."

I didn't see this coming. Joe's good, but I didn't think he was THAT good. Joe isn't listed among the top 50 in the association-wide rankings.

I check the uncommitted players who remain in this season's recruiting pool, and there's nobody I care about signing. I'll hold on to Joe's scholarship and offer it to a player in the Class of 2018.

[MoonlightGraham]

April 3, 2017

LAFAYETTE TEAM INFO

Current Performance
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Team Prestige: 50 Record Vs 1-50: 1-1 Poll Rank: NR
Season Record: 28-7 Record Vs 51-100: 8-2 RPI Rank: #31
Conference Record: 12-2 Record Vs 101-200: 5-3
Home Record: 11-1 Record Vs 200+: 14-1


Team Stats CR NR Opp. Stats CR NR Margin CR NR
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Points 70.7 3 114 Points 62.0 1 14 Points 8.8 1 24
O.Reb 8.9 7 317 O.Reb 10.9 3 182 O.Reb -1.9 6 290
D.Reb 26.5 3 60 D.Reb 24.0 1 92 D.Reb 2.5 1 38
Rebounds 35.4 4 191 Rebounds 34.8 2 107 Rebounds 0.6 3 143
Assists 13.8 4 121 Assists 11.9 1 37 Assists 1.8 2 56
Steals 5.7 2 142 Steals 5.0 2 54 Steals 0.7 3 98
Blocks 4.6 2 58 Blocks 2.8 2 72 Blocks 1.8 1 33
Turnovers 13.7 4 193 Turnovers 14.1 3 125 Turnovers -0.4 4 141
Fouls 17.9 2 47 Fouls 19.9 2 130 Fouls -1.9 2 42
FG% .461 1 28 FG% .394 1 9 FG% .067 1 3
FT% .662 6 223 FT% .672 4 158 FT% -.009 7 213
3P% .370 1 52 3P% .300 1 14 3P% .071 1 11
PPS 1.35 1 14 PPS 1.11 1 6 PPS .243 1 2
Adj. FG% .538 1 14 Adj. FG% .448 1 8 Adj. FG% .090 1 1

Once again, we play defense with the tenacity that's become part of the culture I'm trying to create at Lafayette. So far, it's been a successful formula, one that's established us as one of the nation's better mid-major programs.

LAFAYETTE Averages

Player Pos GP GS Min Pts Orb Reb Ast Stl Blk To Fls +/-
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Alvaro Kinard SG 35 35 29.8 10.6 0.9 4.0 2.1 1.8 0.2 2.4 2.5 7.9
Joe Lien SF 35 35 29.7 18.3 0.8 4.6 3.5 0.8 0.2 3.0 2.9 8.7
Samuel Davis C 35 35 29.3 6.9 1.5 5.7 1.1 0.8 2.7 1.6 2.0 7.5
Daniel Warnock SF 35 33 28.3 11.2 1.2 4.1 1.3 0.5 0.2 1.6 2.7 8.0
Otis Hall PF 35 35 25.8 7.3 2.2 7.7 1.2 0.5 0.6 1.3 2.5 7.6
Richard Leak PG 34 0 14.4 3.4 0.3 1.9 1.6 0.4 0.1 1.1 1.4 2.3
Jack Senn SG 35 0 13.6 3.6 0.7 1.9 1.0 0.3 0.1 1.1 1.1 0.9
Johnathon Blouin PF 35 0 10.8 2.9 0.6 3.3 0.3 0.1 0.4 0.5 1.0 2.0
Armando Brown PG 24 2 9.5 2.3 0.2 0.8 1.0 0.3 0.0 0.5 0.8 1.5
Justin Judkins PG 34 0 8.4 4.3 0.4 1.2 0.7 0.3 0.1 0.8 0.8 0.5
James Standard C 8 0 4.4 0.8 0.1 0.9 0.4 0.1 0.0 0.4 0.3 -0.9
Raleigh McGinty PF 23 0 4.1 1.2 0.2 0.5 0.2 0.2 0.1 0.3 0.7 -1.1
Scott Cavanaugh SF 4 0 1.5 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.3 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.3 0.3
Don Torres PG 1 0 1.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 4.0
Todd DeHaven PF 0 0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0

LAFAYETTE Totals

Player Pos GP GS Min Pts Orb Reb Ast Stl Blk To Fls +/-
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Alvaro Kinard SG 35 35 1043 372 33 139 75 62 7 84 87 277
Joe Lien SF 35 35 1038 641 27 161 124 27 6 104 102 306
Samuel Davis C 35 35 1024 241 54 200 39 27 93 55 71 262
Daniel Warnock SF 35 33 991 392 42 145 46 18 6 55 93 281
Otis Hall PF 35 35 904 254 78 269 41 19 21 44 88 265
Richard Leak PG 34 0 490 116 10 64 53 13 3 37 49 77
Jack Senn SG 35 0 477 125 23 66 34 10 3 37 39 32
Johnathon Blouin PF 35 0 379 100 22 116 11 3 15 19 35 69
Armando Brown PG 24 2 229 56 5 20 25 7 1 11 20 36
Justin Judkins PG 34 0 284 146 14 41 25 9 3 26 26 17
James Standard C 8 0 35 6 1 7 3 1 0 3 2 -7
Raleigh McGinty PF 23 0 95 27 4 12 5 5 2 6 15 -25
Scott Cavanaugh SF 4 0 6 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 1
Don Torres PG 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4
Todd DeHaven PF 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LAFAYETTE Shooting

Player Pos Fgm Fga Fg% Ftm Fta Ft% 3pm 3pa 3p% PPS +/-
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Alvaro Kinard SG 118 237 .498 73 103 .709 63 156 .404 1.57
Joe Lien SF 232 530 .438 107 177 .605 70 184 .380 1.21
Samuel Davis C 92 190 .484 30 57 .526 27 76 .355 1.27
Daniel Warnock SF 114 248 .460 104 136 .765 60 139 .432 1.58
Otis Hall PF 96 186 .516 62 91 .681 0 0 .000 1.37
Richard Leak PG 42 98 .429 15 35 .429 17 50 .340 1.18
Jack Senn SG 32 84 .381 43 54 .796 18 59 .305 1.49
Johnathon Blouin PF 38 63 .603 24 39 .615 0 1 .000 1.59
Armando Brown PG 20 45 .444 6 11 .545 10 26 .385 1.24
Justin Judkins PG 50 124 .403 29 39 .744 17 65 .262 1.18
James Standard C 1 6 .167 4 9 .444 0 3 .000 1.00
Raleigh McGinty PF 11 22 .500 5 7 .714 0 2 .000 1.23
Scott Cavanaugh SF 0 1 .000 0 0 .000 0 1 .000 0.00
Don Torres PG 0 1 .000 0 0 .000 0 0 .000 0.00
Todd DeHaven PF 0 0 .000 0 0 .000 0 0 .000 0.00

Joe Lien led the Patriot League in scoring. Samuel Davis was its leading shot blocker, and Daniel Warnock had the conference's best three-point shooting percentage. Alvaro Kinard placed first among qualifying players in field goal percentage. Warnock was also second among qualifiers players in points per shot. Otis Hall was third in rebounds per game.

Next: the Senior Tributes, plus a goodbye for another player who is leaving us this spring.

[MoonlightGraham]

2016/17 Farewell

JOE LIEN

Joe arrived in Easton amid great fanfare. A high three-star recruit, he scored an other-wordly 36 points per game as a high school senior in Newton, New Jersey. Joe was expected to make an immediate impact at the collegiate level, and that's just what he did.

#14 SF Joe Lien - Lafayette - Junior
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Height: 6-3
Weight: 195
High School: Kittatinny Regional High School
Hometown: Newton, NJ

Attributes:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Type INS JPS FTS 3PS HND PAS ORB DRB PSD PRD STL BLK QKN STR JMP STA
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Current: 87 61 37 73 62 61 19 34 14 19 23 9 71 46 75 67
2015: 86 56 35 72 57 56 18 33 13 18 20 8 71 45 74 61
2014: 81 52 33 68 52 51 17 31 12 17 17 7 71 44 73 55
2013: 77 48 31 64 48 47 17 29 12 15 15 7 70 40 72 43
Potential: A B C B B B D C F D D F

Health: Good
Scholarship: Yes
Status: Active Roster
Academics: 11

Stat Averages:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Season G GS MIN PTS ORE REB AST TO A/T STL BLK PF
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2014 33 33 28.2 17.0 1.1 3.9 2.3 2.1 1.12 0.7 0.2 3.0
2015 33 33 29.0 17.4 1.1 3.9 2.7 2.3 1.17 0.8 0.1 2.8
2016 35 35 29.7 18.3 0.8 4.6 3.5 3.0 1.19 0.8 0.2 2.9
Career 101 101 29.0 17.6 1.0 4.1 2.9 2.5 1.19 0.8 0.1 2.9

Shooting Averages:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Season FGM FGA FG% FTM FTA FT% 3PM 3PA 3P% PPS +/-
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2014 6.0 14.0 .427 2.4 4.3 .567 2.6 7.0 .378 1.22 7.52
2015 5.8 15.1 .388 3.3 4.9 .677 2.4 6.7 .360 1.16 8.97
2016 6.6 15.1 .438 3.1 5.1 .605 2.0 5.3 .380 1.21 8.74
Career 6.2 14.7 .418 2.9 4.7 .618 2.3 6.3 .373 1.19 8.42

Stat Totals:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Season G GS MIN PTS OREB REB AST TO STL BLK PF
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2014 33 33 931 561 35 129 77 69 23 6 98
2015 33 33 958 575 36 129 90 77 27 2 94
2016 35 35 1038 641 27 161 124 104 27 6 102
Career 101 101 2927 1777 98 419 291 250 77 14 294

Shooting Totals
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Season FGM FGA FTM FTA 3PM 3PA +/-
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2014 197 461 80 141 87 230 248
2015 193 497 109 161 80 222 296
2016 232 530 107 177 70 184 306
Career 622 1488 296 479 237 636 850

Career Highs:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Type Pts OReb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO FGM FGA FTM FTA 3PM 3PA
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Season 30 4 11 8 3 1 6 11 22 11 13 6 12
Career 37 4 11 8 3 1 6 13 23 11 15 7 16

Awards & Acheivements:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Season Award
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
All Player of the Game: 25
2013 High School: Rated *** and #117 overall by the FBCB scouting service.
2013 High School: All-State (New Jersey)
2014 2nd Team All-Conference (Patriot League)
2014 Freshman All-Conference (Patriot League)
2014 Conference Freshman of the Year (Patriot League)
2015 2nd Team All-Conference (Patriot League)
2016 2nd Team All-Conference (Patriot League)

Joe paired with Hubert Song to form a dynamic backcourt duo for two seasons. He was the glamour boy of the pair, a more dynamic scorer and a flashier ballhandler and passer.

Like most shooters, Joe could be streaky, but his ability to get to the rim made him a dangerous scorer even when his jumper wasn't dropping. And as he matured, Joe became a more well-rounded player; he was always a very good rebounder for his size, and while he was not in any sense of the word a pure point guard, he ran the team's offense creditably as a junior.

This year, Joe led the Patriot League in scoring, and he made his third consecutive All-Patriot League second team. He leaves our program as its second leading all-time scorer, 52 points behind his former backcourt mate Hubert Song. Had he played four years, Joe would have almost certainly broken Jack Jessie's conference record of 2,105. Never known for his diligence in the classroom, Joe nonetheless managed to keep himself academically eligible throughout his three years on campus.

Thanks for the memories, Joe.

[MoonlightGraham]

2016/17 Senior Tribute

ARMANDO BROWN

Unlike Joe Lien, Armando was almost completely bypassed by recruiters during his career at Wadleigh Secondary School in New York City. We always thought he was a player, and he turned out to be a valuable member of our backcourt rotation for four seasons.

#15 PG Armando Brown - Lafayette - Senior
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Height: 6-0
Weight: 204
High School: Wadleigh Secondary School
Hometown: New York, NY

Attributes:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Type INS JPS FTS 3PS HND PAS ORB DRB PSD PRD STL BLK QKN STR JMP STA
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Current: 17 33 57 50 35 58 21 29 9 70 13 31 68 48 67 63
2015: 16 32 56 47 33 51 19 27 8 66 12 30 67 46 66 57
2014: 16 31 56 45 31 46 18 26 8 63 11 29 67 44 66 51
2013: 15 30 54 43 30 43 17 25 7 60 10 28 66 42 65 45
2012: 15 28 52 41 28 39 15 23 7 56 10 26 65 36 63 31
Potential: D D C C C B D C F B F C

Health: Good
Scholarship: Yes
Status: Active Roster
Academics: 82

Stat Averages:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Season G GS MIN PTS ORE REB AST TO A/T STL BLK PF
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2013 28 0 7.6 1.6 0.1 0.5 0.6 0.5 1.29 0.2 0.0 0.6
2014 33 0 7.5 1.6 0.1 0.6 0.5 0.6 0.90 0.2 0.0 0.5
2015 33 0 18.4 4.0 0.5 2.5 1.5 1.4 1.09 0.5 0.1 1.9
2016 24 2 9.5 2.3 0.2 0.8 1.0 0.5 2.27 0.3 0.0 0.8
Career 118 2 11.0 2.4 0.2 1.2 0.9 0.8 2.27 0.3 0.0 1.0

Shooting Averages:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Season FGM FGA FG% FTM FTA FT% 3PM 3PA 3P% PPS +/-
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2013 0.5 1.4 .350 0.5 0.9 .542 0.1 0.8 .182 1.13 0.93
2014 0.5 1.3 .405 0.4 0.5 .706 0.2 0.7 .261 1.24 0.00
2015 1.1 2.5 .451 1.2 1.6 .731 0.6 1.6 .365 1.60 3.09
2016 0.8 1.9 .444 0.3 0.5 .545 0.4 1.1 .385 1.24 1.50
Career 0.7 1.8 .421 0.6 0.9 .663 0.3 1.0 .317 1.36 1.39

Stat Totals:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Season G GS MIN PTS OREB REB AST TO STL BLK PF
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2013 28 0 212 45 3 15 18 14 5 0 17
2014 33 0 246 52 2 21 18 20 8 1 16
2015 33 0 606 131 17 82 50 46 18 3 62
2016 24 2 229 56 5 20 25 11 7 1 20
Career 118 2 1293 284 27 138 111 91 38 5 115

Shooting Totals
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Season FGM FGA FTM FTA 3PM 3PA +/-
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2013 14 40 13 24 4 22 26
2014 17 42 12 17 6 23 0
2015 37 82 38 52 19 52 102
2016 20 45 6 11 10 26 36
Career 88 209 69 104 39 123 164

Career Highs:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Type Pts OReb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO FGM FGA FTM FTA 3PM 3PA
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Season 16 2 4 5 2 1 3 6 8 2 4 4 6
Career 16 2 5 5 2 1 5 6 8 4 6 4 6

Awards & Acheivements:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Season Award
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
All Player of the Game: 2
2012 High School: Rated * and #1435 overall by the FBCB scouting service.

Armando arrived on campus with a reputation as a stalwart defender and a reliable ballhandler. Right away, we made use of his ability to slow down dynamic opposing guards, the kind of players who ran right past guys like Joe Lien.

Along the way, Armando developed enough offensive chops to force teams to guard him. An atrocious three-point shooter as a freshman, he made nearly 39 percent of his shots from distance as a senior.

An exceptional student, Armando will complete a degree in economics in May, and he'll begin graduate school at New York University in the fall.

When I was recruiting him, I said this about him: "Armando is the kind of player I want to coach, as I shape the character of the Lafayette basketball program." That's precisely the player, and man, we got.

Thanks for the memories, Armando.

[MoonlightGraham]

2016/17 Senior Tribute

ALVARO KINARD

There was never a dull moment with this mercurial wing from NYC. Alvaro was the Patriot League Freshman of the Year. He also nearly played himself out of the rotation more than once. And he ended his career as an All-Conference player, displaying once again the form he'd shown as a first year.

#20 SG Alvaro Kinard - Lafayette - Senior
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Height: 6-5
Weight: 190
High School: Martin Luther King High School
Hometown: New York, NY

Attributes:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Type INS JPS FTS 3PS HND PAS ORB DRB PSD PRD STL BLK QKN STR JMP STA
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Current: 12 55 32 84 51 43 11 30 47 32 84 35 81 44 79 57
2015: 11 51 31 83 49 41 10 28 43 30 77 34 80 41 77 51
2014: 10 47 30 82 47 39 9 26 39 28 70 33 80 38 75 45
2013: 9 43 29 81 44 36 8 24 35 26 62 31 79 35 74 38
2012: 9 39 27 75 40 32 8 22 33 24 56 29 79 29 71 24
Potential: F B D B C C F C B D A D

Health: Good
Scholarship: Yes
Status: Active Roster
Academics: 51

Stat Averages:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Season G GS MIN PTS ORE REB AST TO A/T STL BLK PF
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2013 33 19 24.2 8.6 0.6 2.2 1.4 1.4 0.98 1.2 0.2 1.6
2014 33 9 19.6 5.4 0.4 2.5 1.6 1.1 1.49 0.9 0.2 1.7
2015 33 10 16.5 4.4 0.4 2.4 1.3 1.3 0.95 0.8 0.1 1.6
2016 35 35 29.8 10.6 0.9 4.0 2.1 2.4 0.89 1.8 0.2 2.5
Career 134 73 22.7 7.3 0.6 2.8 1.6 1.6 0.89 1.2 0.2 1.9

Shooting Averages:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Season FGM FGA FG% FTM FTA FT% 3PM 3PA 3P% PPS +/-
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2013 2.8 4.8 .576 1.8 2.9 .604 1.3 2.8 .462 1.79 8.06
2014 1.7 3.6 .467 1.2 2.1 .603 0.8 2.0 .388 1.49 2.97
2015 1.2 3.0 .404 1.1 1.9 .597 0.8 2.1 .406 1.46 1.85
2016 3.4 6.8 .498 2.1 2.9 .709 1.8 4.5 .404 1.57 7.91
Career 2.3 4.6 .497 1.6 2.5 .635 1.2 2.9 .416 1.59 5.24

Stat Totals:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Season G GS MIN PTS OREB REB AST TO STL BLK PF
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2013 33 19 800 283 20 73 46 47 41 8 52
2014 33 9 648 179 12 81 52 35 29 7 55
2015 33 10 545 145 13 79 42 44 27 2 54
2016 35 35 1043 372 33 139 75 84 62 7 87
Career 134 73 3036 979 78 372 215 210 159 24 248

Shooting Totals
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Season FGM FGA FTM FTA 3PM 3PA +/-
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2013 91 158 58 96 43 93 266
2014 56 120 41 68 26 67 98
2015 40 99 37 62 28 69 61
2016 118 237 73 103 63 156 277
Career 305 614 209 329 160 385 702

Career Highs:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Type Pts OReb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO FGM FGA FTM FTA 3PM 3PA
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Season 24 3 10 4 6 1 5 8 14 6 8 6 10
Career 24 3 10 5 6 2 5 8 14 6 10 6 10

Awards & Acheivements:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Season Award
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
All Player of the Game: 8
2012 High School: Rated *** and #443 overall by the FBCB scouting service.
2013 Freshman All-Conference (Patriot League)
2013 Conference Freshman of the Year (Patriot League)
2016 1st Team All-Conference (Patriot League)

AK was two players in one. Good Alvaro could beat a team in myriad ways. His smooth jumper was accurate to well past the three-point arc. He could bring the crowd to its feet with a social media-worthy dunk. He applied himself to the task of rebounding, and his long arms enabled him to disrupt passing lanes almost at will.

Bad Alvaro could play 30 minutes of basketball without anyone noticing he was in the game. He wandered around on offense, rarely touching the ball. He fouled the player he was guarding and fired up opponents by trash-talking them.

Kinard could stay in each persona for games at a time, but when several Bad Alvaro performances in a row had me on the verge of burying him on the depth chart, Good Alvaro would re-emerge and boss an important game.

We got more Good Alvaro this season than ever before, so he capped his Lafayette career with a spot on the Patriot League's All-Conference first team. The teams for which Alvaro played compiled a 108-26 record. That's a winning percentage of .857. That'll do.

Alvaro graduates next month with a degree in psychology. He'll pursue graduate work and hopes to work as a school counselor.

Thanks for the memories, Alvaro.

[MoonlightGraham]

April 8, 2017
Joe Lien's decision to enter the pro draft looks like it might have been a good one after all. He's selected in the second round, the #42 overall selection. Good luck to him as he begins his professional career.

We also learn that our facilities will be upgraded, beginning next season. Since the email is dated in April, I wonder if "next season" means 2017/18 or 2018/19? I checked our stats, and our facilities score is 28. That's good for third place in the Patriot League. I'll look next year and see if it changes.


May 1, 2017
2016 Recruiting Rankings

# Team Conference Best Player Rtg 5* 4* 3* 2* 1*
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
96. Holy Cross Patriot League PG Ryan Tucker *** 0 0 2 0 2
139. Lafayette Patriot League SG Tim Hutchinson *** 0 0 2 0 0
165. Army Patriot League PG David Ramage *** 0 0 1 2 0
179. Bucknell Patriot League C Darwin Alessi *** 0 0 2 0 1
202. Lehigh Patriot League C Quincy Lafond *** 0 0 2 1 0
236. Colgate Patriot League PF Tracy Fryer ** 0 0 0 1 4
239. Navy Patriot League PF Eric Childs *** 0 0 1 2 0
336. American Patriot League C Charles Hepler * 0 0 0 0 3

I think Holy Cross's recruiting class ranks ahead of ours based on quantity, as much as on quality. We both have two three-star players joining us, but the Crusaders are adding two more one-star guys. Those players can, of course, turn out to be valuable contributors. Rhett King, for example, was a one-star recruit who became an All-Conference player.

And, don't forget that Todd DeHaven is, in effect, a member of this class, since he redshirted last season.


May 1, 2017
Our prestige has gone up six more points, to 56. Holy Cross (47) and American (43) occupy the next tier of Patriot League programs, with Bucknell (34) and Colgate (31) coming next.

This year's Head Coach rounds are uneventful. No program in Pennsylvania offers Coach Sims a job, and none of the offers he does receive would have tempted me anyway. I like it here at Lafayette, and I'm willing to stay here and work on the project of constructing a mid-major powerhouse.

None of the teams in the Patriot League make coaching changes for the upcoming season.

[MoonlightGraham]

May 1, 2017
Graham Sims and his assistants are now a year older, but otherwise, their coaching profiles look the same. Recruiting assistant Steven Manion, lead scout Donn McClinton, and X-and-O man Thomas Liang will all return to their posts for the upcoming season.


Joe Lien's decision to enter the draft leaves us with an available scholarship...so for the first time, Coach Sims and I will be taking part in the transfer round! Let's see how this works. The help file doesn't give me any information, so I fully admit I might have to re-save a couple of times before I figure it out.

When I click on Transfers, I see a list of the players who have entered the portal. Two of them express interest in playing for us. One of them is Lionel Lessard, a 6'4" wing from Windber, PA who played for Pittsburgh last season.

Lionel was the #41 player in the Class of 2016, a solid four-star recruit. He played 25 minutes for the Panthers as a freshman. No wonder he wants to leave...

I can see a list of the programs Lionel is considering. We appear to be Lionel's fourth choice, behind Florida, Southern Illinois, and Arizona. New Mexico is #5 on his list.

I quickly offer Lionel a scholarship.

From Lionel's page, it looks like I have the option to "Watch Player." I'll try that. I'm also going to Watch a player named David Lindholm, a SF who is transferring from Princeton, and SF David Smith, departing Appalachian State. Then I spot wing David Sale, whom I recruited last season and lost to UConn, and guard Carl McGough, who is leaving St. Joseph's. Neither Carl nor any of the Davids have us on his list. I can offer these players, too, so I go ahead and do that. I wonder what will happen when I advance to the next round?

None of the players accept our offer. Lionel Lessard got the offer of his dreams from Florida, so he's off to Gainesville.

In the next round, nobody appears to have any interest in coming to play for us. Nor are any of them especially tempting. I'll click through the remaining stages.

The empty spot on our roster is filled by a nondescript freshman walk-on who was ranked #1824 in last year's senior class.

[MoonlightGraham]

July 1, 2017

Let's meet your 2017/18 Lafayette College Leopards!

LAFAYETTE General

Player # Pos Yr Ht Wt Sch Acd Status Hometown
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Jamie Kelso 0 PG Fr 6-1 181 Yes 96 OK Bordentown, NJ
Richard Leak 2 PG Jr 6-0 191 Yes 66 OK Ludlow, MA
Jack Senn 4 SG So 6-2 178 Yes 89 OK Manville, NJ
Justin Judkins 5 PG Sr 6-1 198 Yes 94 OK Middletown, OH
Otis Hall 10 PF Jr 7-0 235 Yes 43 OK South Charleston, OH
Todd DeHaven 12 PF Fr* 6-10 231 Yes 81 OK Philadelphia, PA
Don Torres 13 PG So 6-1 173 No 75 Unhappy Mays Landing, NJ
Raleigh McGinty 21 PF Jr 6-10 248 Yes 56 Unhappy Stanhope, NJ
Johnathon Blouin 23 PF Jr 6-9 224 Yes 41 OK Allentown, NJ
Tim Hutchinson 24 SG Fr 6-6 199 Yes 67 OK Vestal, NY
Scott Cavanaugh 30 SF So 6-6 217 No 45 OK Albany, LA
Daniel Warnock 32 SF So 6-8 234 Yes 44 OK Spotswood, NJ
James Standard 41 C So 6-11 236 Yes 50 OK Easton, PA
Samuel Davis 53 C Jr 6-11 232 Yes 97 OK Greensboro, NC

I'll write more about the team once we finish training camp and take care of any players who might redshirt.

[MoonlightGraham]

August 1, 2017
There's one senior player on scholarship: point guard Justin Judkins. The departure of Joe Lien, and my decision to hold onto his scholarship rather than offer it to an unimpressive transfer, means we'll have two schollies to offer this cycle, just like I thought we'd have all along.

We're still well-stocked with big men, so I'll be looking mostly at perimeter players this year.

It didn't take long for me to identify our #1 recruiting target: a point guard from nearby Pottsville, PA named Rob Prendergast.

#13 PG Rob Prendergast
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Height: 6-2
Weight: 184
High School: Pottsville Area High School
Hometown: Pottsville, PA
GPA: 2.67
Test Score: 1050
Rating: ***

Attributes:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Type INS JPS FTS 3PS HND PAS ORB DRB PSD PRD STL BLK QKN STR JMP STA
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Current: 16 42 43 39 40 50 38 17 31 66 4 44 98 21 83 45
Potential: C A B D D A D F D A F C

Season Stats:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PTS OREB REB AST TOS A/T STL BLK PFS
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
15.8 1.6 5.2 5.1 2.6 1.98 0.3 1.1 2.4

Shooting Averages:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
FGM FGA FG% FTM FTA FT% 3PM 3PA 3P%
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
7.0 14.0 .500 1.4 2.0 .692 0.4 1.8 .229

Recruiting Notes:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Qualified: Yes
Current interest in Lafayette: Very High
Rankings: East Region #77 Overall, East Region #22 PG
High School Awards: None
Top 5 Schools: Lafayette, George Washington, Buffalo

Rob is a solid three-star recruit, ranked #456 nationwide. We've been landing guys with better national reputations lately--both members of last year's class were in the #200 range--but our staff think Rob is an Orange/Blue player who will punch above his weight.

I like Rob's potential as a shooter and a passer, and he's already a lockdown defender. He's quick and athletic, so I'm thinking he has a good chance of reaching his lofty potential.

We're at the top of Rob's list of three schools, none of which have offered him yet. I'm moving quick with this player. I offer Rob a scholarship, invite him to campus, and send Coaches Sims and Manion to visit him.

We've had some success recruiting three-star guards from New Jersey who stand 6'3" and average over 30 points a game in high school. Why not try it again? Meet Robert Close.

#24 SG Robert Close
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Height: 6-3
Weight: 178
High School: Montville High School
Hometown: Montville, NJ
GPA: 3.07
Test Score: 970
Rating: ***

Attributes:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Type INS JPS FTS 3PS HND PAS ORB DRB PSD PRD STL BLK QKN STR JMP STA
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Current: 34 23 69 69 31 30 16 19 16 47 21 43 64 38 95 57
Potential: B B A B D D C D D B D C

Season Stats:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PTS OREB REB AST TOS A/T STL BLK PFS
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
32.6 1.7 5.3 3.6 2.9 1.25 1.2 1.1 2.1

Shooting Averages:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
FGM FGA FG% FTM FTA FT% 3PM 3PA 3P%
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
12.8 24.4 .526 3.2 3.8 .829 3.8 9.3 .409

Recruiting Notes:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Qualified: Yes
Current interest in Lafayette: Average
Rankings: #48 SG, East Region #38 Overall, East Region #5 SG
High School Awards: All-State
Top 5 Schools: Rutgers, Lafayette, Saint Joseph's, Seton Hall, St. John's

I went back and looked at Joe Lien's scouting report from high school, and Robert is fairly similar to the player Joe was at a similar stage in his career. Lien was the superior shooter and ballhandler, but he wasn't Close to Robert's level as a defender. (Yes, I know what I did there.) But Robert is a Red/Green recruit, while Joe was a glittering Yellow/Blue prospect who lived up to his potential and will be playing basketball for a living.

Should I offer Joe's old scholarship to this promising scorer? He's expressed Average interest in us, but we're clearly among his favorite programs. We have plenty of money to spend on an all-out recruiting effort, complete with a visit to campus. Before I offer him, I'll take a look at some of the other players we've evaluated. We have money in our budget to woo them in various ways.

I've learned, however, that if you want to land a recruit at the top of your range, you need to move quickly. I've lost a few guys by being too indecisive, or by chasing players who were out of our league. I'm going to trust my gut and offer Close this month.

[MoonlightGraham]

September 1, 2017
We remain Rob Prendergast's top choice. There are now four other schools on his list, but we're the only one who has offered him a scholarship.

Robert Close upgrades his interest in our program to Very High, which is a very good sign. But he's also received an offer from St. John's, whose Prestige is 78 (to our 56). Coaches Sims and Manion are better recruiters, however.

Now it gets tough, doesn't it? The safe move would be to pull the offer from Close and give it to another player...but almost all the players who are high on our "wish list" have offers from programs of equal or greater Prestige.

There's one notable exception, though. We have discovered a talented player from England named Matthew Ackerman.

#15 SG Matthew Ackerman
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Height: 6-3
Weight: 176
High School:
Hometown: Rugeley, UK
GPA: 2.78
Test Score: 1020
Rating: ***

Attributes:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Type INS JPS FTS 3PS HND PAS ORB DRB PSD PRD STL BLK QKN STR JMP STA
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Current: 35 48 43 69 44 22 17 17 23 36 29 40 53 34 90 15
Potential: C B C B C D D D C B D A

Season Stats:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PTS OREB REB AST TOS A/T STL BLK PFS
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
22.7 1.3 2.9 1.3 2.9 0.43 1.9 0.9 4.2

Shooting Averages:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
FGM FGA FG% FTM FTA FT% 3PM 3PA 3P%
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
9.6 18.0 .532 1.7 3.1 .532 1.9 5.0 .380

Recruiting Notes:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Qualified: Yes
Current interest in Lafayette: Medium
Rankings: #36 SG, Foreign #11 Overall, Foreign #2 SG
High School Awards: None
Top 5 Schools:

One of the top 200 players in this year's recruiting class, Matthew appears to be a well-rounded basketball player who does almost everything fairly well. He's also apparently a very good shot blocker, especially for a 6'3" guard.

I decide our chances of signing Ackerman, who has flown under the radar so far, are better than our chances of luring Close away from a much more prestigious program. We pull our offer from Close and give it to Ackerman, and spend $15,000 of our monthly budget to fly Coach Sims out to meet him and invite him to visit us.

Our previous foray into international recruiting landed us Venceslás Castillo. Can we achieve that kind of success again?

[MoonlightGraham]

October 1, 2017

I think I made the right decision about Robert Close. He signs with St. John's this month.

Matthew Ackerman seems very pleased with our offer. He also likes Marquette, but they haven't offered him a scholarship yet. Coach Sims will visit him this month, and Coach Manion will join him.

I think we're close to signing Rob Prendergast. He's narrowed his choice down to Lafayette and Virginia Commonwealth. VCU hasn't offered him yet. Hopefully one more month of intense recruiting will be enough to get Rob's commitment.

[MoonlightGraham]

November 1, 2017

Good news: Rob Prendergast signs with us! I think we have ourselves a good one here; he's already rated as an Orange player, and none of the guards on our roster now are better than that. And, if we're right about his Blue potential, we could have a future star in the making.

Our other target, Matthew Ackerman, is still considering our offer. He's still expressing Very High interest, and his other preferred school, Marquette, hasn't offered him yet. Coach Sims and Coach Manion will fit another trip to Staffordshire into their increasingly busy schedules this month.

Tim Hutchinson is willing to redshirt this year, but we need him on the court. Once upon a time, we believed he could understudy Joe Lien for a year before he stepped into the starting lineup. That's no longer an option.

[MoonlightGraham]

November 5, 2017

Training camp is over. Let's see how we improved!

LAFAYETTE Training Results

Player Ins Jps Fts 3ps Hnd Pas Orb Drb Psd Prd Stl Blk Qkn Str Jmp Sta
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Jamie Kelso 2 2 4 2 8 8 4 2 2 2 2 0 0 2 1 14
Richard Leak 1 1 1 3 8 8 3 1 1 2 2 1 1 1 1 10
Jack Senn 1 6 4 4 3 3 2 2 2 4 2 1 0 1 0 9
Justin Judkins 2 1 1 2 0 3 2 1 1 2 4 1 1 3 2 9
Otis Hall 5 3 1 0 2 2 9 7 3 1 5 8 1 5 2 12
Todd DeHaven 3 1 1 1 0 1 2 5 3 0 0 1 1 2 1 4
Don Torres 1 2 3 1 0 2 0 0 1 1 1 1 1 2 1 11
Raleigh McGinty 5 1 0 1 1 1 3 2 2 1 1 2 1 2 1 5
Johnathon Blouin 4 1 1 0 1 1 6 8 3 1 1 3 1 3 1 6
Tim Hutchinson 2 6 4 2 2 4 2 2 2 2 4 2 2 4 1 14
Scott Cavanaugh 0 0 1 1 0 1 1 1 2 2 2 0 0 2 0 7
Daniel Warnock 2 2 6 7 4 1 2 4 5 3 1 2 1 2 0 0
James Standard 0 1 1 1 1 1 3 4 2 1 1 2 0 0 1 8
Samuel Davis 1 1 1 5 2 2 3 3 10 1 5 10 0 0 1 10

Samuel Davis has become an even more fearsome inside presence, with added shot blocking and defensive prowess. Richard Leak made big strides as a ballhandler and passer, and so did first year Jamie Kelso. Johnathan Blouin and Otis Hall appear ready to battle more tenaciously for rebounds.

[MoonlightGraham]

November 12, 2017

Graham Sims' 2017/18 Lafayette team might begin the season with a starting five that contains only one player who started the last game of the season before.

The only sure thing is center Samuel Davis. The 6'11" junior is not known for his scoring, but he is an elite rim protector. He's on pace to end his career as the Patriot League's all-time leading shot blocker.

Davis made the All-Conference first team, and so did forward Otis Hall. Sophomore Otis was the team's leading rebounder last year (7.7 RPG), but he might find himself coming off the bench this season.

His classmate Daniel Warnock, the Patriot League's Freshman of the Year, will probably be Sims' choice to start at small forward. He's the team's leading returning scorer (11.2 PPG last season).

Ordinarily Hall and Warnock would both be automatic starters, but the presence of redshirt freshman Todd DeHaven complicates matters in a very pleasant manner. The Philadelphia product combines a scorer's mentality with the ruggedness to play defense and rebound well. The AI's depth chart includes DeHaven at the four, and Warnock at the three.

The graduation of Alvaro Kinard and the departure of Joe Lien will require Sims to employ a new backcourt pair. Junior Richard Leak will be the starting point guard. Richard is a facilitator who distributes the ball and takes good care of it.

The shooting guard will be sophomore Jack Senn or freshman Tim Hutchinson. Senn is understandably the more polished player, and he's the superior defender. Hutchinson might have more upside, and he is better at creating his own shots. They're both good shooters, and they'll both play a lot.

These seven players will make up the core of the Lafayette rotation. Behind them, a group consisting of guards Justin Judkins and Jamie Kelso and bigs Johnathan Blouin, Raleigh McGinty, and James Standard will compete for court time. Senior Judkins has been productive in a reserve role before.

The Lafayette roster has been almost completely transformed over the past two seasons. That could be a good thing, but the Leopards posted a 55-13 record over those years. They went 26-2 in league play, won the Patriot League twice, and earned two NCAA tournament berths. Indeed, over the past four years or so, Lafayette has earned a reputation as one of the country's toughest mid-major teams. Can Sims and his staff guide this leap of Leopards to similar heights?

[MoonlightGraham]

November 13, 2017
Las Vegas Challenge, First Round
(5) Lafayette 83, (4) Texas Tech 79
This year, we've been invited out to Vegas for a pre-season tournament! We're seeded fifth in the eight-team field, and we win a Texas-style shootout against our four-seed opponent from Lone Star State.

Six of our players finish the game with at least ten "good somethings" to their credit.

For Tim Hutchinson (14), Todd DeHaven (13), Daniel Warnock (11), Otis Hall (11), and Jack Senn (10), that "good something" is points. Hutchinson and DeHaven are playing their first collegiate game; Hall and Senn come off the bench and bring the ruckus.

For Samuel Davis, it's rebounds (10). Samuel also blocks 6 Red Raider shots.

And senior Justin Judkins deserves special mention for his 8 points and 9 rebounds in 23 minutes. We needed JJ because Richard Leak fouled out before he had much impact on the game. His rebound total is particularly impressive for a 6'1" guard.
Record: 1-0.


November 15, 2017
Las Vegas Challenge Semi-Final
(1) #3 Villanova 76, (5) Lafayette 68
For Graham Sims, Villanova '01, today's game has special meaning. Eastern Pennsylvania has been Graham's home for over half his life now, and deep in his heart he would love one day to coach the team he walked on to twenty years ago. Tonight, he coaches against them for the first time.

Villanova fans loved Graham as a player. In the closing minutes of games the Wildcats led by large margins, they chanted Graham's name, asking the coaches to bring him in. Graham's appearances were always greeted with excitement, and his baskets--he made eight of them in Wildcats home games, four of them from three-point range--never failed to bring the crowd to their feet.

Tonight, the Villanova contingent greets him with warm applause, which he acknowledges with a smile and a wave. He gets the same reception after the game, in which his Lafayette team acquits itself well against one of the sport's elite programs.

The Wildcats are loaded. Four of their starters were five-star recruits as high schoolers, and they bring another five-star player off their bench. Sophomore forward Gerald Eubanks and junior center John Maynor are among the top five pro prospects in college basketball.

We give Villanova a fair fight, and the crowd in attendance a good show. Samuel Davis battles Maynor tenaciously. John posts a 17-point, 13-rebound double-double, adding 6 blocked shots, but Samuel scores 13, makes a pair of threes, and grabs 7 rebounds. He's certainly not embarrassed by the talented Wildcat. Eubanks leads all scorers with 18, but Daniel Warnock scores 12 points of his own. And Jack Senn's 11 points off our bench are two more than Villanova's reserves combined, a group that includes five-star freshman Lionel Riley.

We can hold our heads up after this loss.
Record: 1-1.


November 20, 2017
Las Vegas Challenge, Consolation Round
(5) Lafayette 63, (3) UTEP 43
First-year guard Tim Hutchinson's 18 points lead us to an easy victory over Texas-El Paso in the consolation round of the Vegas Challenge.

After we open up a 15-point halftime advantage, the outcome is never truly in doubt. UTEP's three perimeter players shoot a combined 8-36 from the field. It's hard to win when your opponent won't let you score.

Jack Senn continues to light it up in his sixth man role. Today he shoots a perfect 5-for5 from the field, four of them from three-point territory, and 2-for-2 from the line. That's 16 points, and he got them in 19 minutes.
Record: 2-1.


November 28, 2017
Lafayette 75, @Seton Hall 68
We outplay the Pirates during the second half, making up a one-point halftime deficit with a strong all-around effort.

Freshmen Todd DeHaven (14 points, 8 rebounds) and Tim Hutchinson (12 points) play well, and so do sophomore Richard Leak (7 assists) and junior Samuel Davis (6 points, 6 blocks). But today's big star is Daniel Warnock, who hits seven threes en route to a 29-point performance.
Record: 3-1.


November 30, 2017
Delaware State 67, @Lafayette 66
Opening Night at the Kirby Center doesn't go the way we planned. It's a close game, but we ought to do better against this team after playing so well against bigger opponents.

Daniel Warnock continues to score at a high rate, finishing with 23 points, and Jack Senn adds 13 more off the bench. No other Leopard shows much inclination to score, however. Samuel Davis blocks three shots, and that actually lowers his season average.
Record: 3-2.

[MoonlightGraham]

December 1, 2017
The last month of the year begins on a festive note, as Matthew Ackerman commits to play for Lafayette.

Matthew hails from the Staffordshire market town of Rugeley. He's quite highly regarded by those in the know: they rate him #11 among foreign players and #36 among shooting guards anywhere in the world. Matthew has been a productive scorer in high school, combining a catch-and-shoot game with the ability to get to the rim. We'll find out if those skills will play at the college level, or whether he'll have to carve out a role as a spot-up shooter.


December 4, 2017
Lafayette 93, @Princeton 80
Princeton's season has so far been a microcosm of their history in this universe: success alternating with failure, never moving too far toward one extreme or the other. They're a tough opponent at home, however, and they prove it by putting up 80 points. Fortunately for us, we score 93, 57 of those coming after halftime as we come back from three points down.

Tonight is Todd DeHaven's coming out party. The freshman drops 29 points on the Tigers, including 13-of-14 from the free throw line, and adds 9 boards for good measure. Daniel Warnock contributes 20 points and 8 rebounds, while Otis Hall (13 pts/8 reb off the bench) and Tim Hutchinson (12 pts) provide quality assistance. Richard Leak keeps everyone happy with 6 assists.

But as people file out of Jadwin Gymnasium into the frosty night, they're talking as much about Samuel Davis as they are about DeHaven. Big Sazzy rejects 8 shots, tying the Patriot League record for blocked shots, which he already shared. You can't assume that all the shots Samuel blocked would go in, but if they do, Princeton wins.
Record: 4-2.


December 7, 2017
@Lafayette 67, Duquesne 62
Back we go to the Kirby Center for a different sort of game against a cross-state rival. Tonight defense plays a larger role, as we open up a big lead by halftime and resist the Dukes' attempts to reel us back in.

Tonight's high scorer is Tim Hutchinson with 18. Daniel Warnock, our top points-getter for the season (16.4 a game), has 13. Sixth man Jack Senn matches his season average with 10. Duquesne obviously watched some film of Todd DeHaven, because they do a good job of denying him the ball and hold him to 9 points. They can't keep Todd off the boards, however; he leads all rebounders with 13.

And they can't stop Samuel Davis from blocking any shot he can reach. He does so five times. There's a dude down at East Carolina named Jose Forehand who's blocked nearly 300 shots in his career. He's the only player in the country who leads our Mr. Davis in this season's shot blockers' race.
Record: 5-2.


December 9, 2017
@Lafayette 72, Canisius 49
When I look at the box score for a Lafayette game, I first check to see how many shots Samuel Davis blocks. Today, the answer is "four." He also has 9 rebounds, 4 assists, and 5 points.

Daniel Warnock is again our leading scorer, coolly dropping in 20 points. The AI doesn't think he should start, but I think I'm doing just fine ignoring this instruction. He's second in the Patriot League in scoring, behind Army's productive sophomore guard, Chris Buckley.

Todd DeHaven gets the Leopards' first double-double of the season: 16 points, 11 rebounds.
Record: 6-2.


December 13, 2017
Lafayette 75, @Siena 64
Any excitement we might feel about our victory over a tough Siena team is erased when Todd DeHaven tears his quad midway through the first half. He'll be out for about two months.

Daniel Warnock continues to be our go-to scorer, finishing with 20 points. Tim Hutchinson follows with 17, and Samuel Davis turns back 5 shots.

Otis Hall, who will take DeHaven's spot in our starting lineup, contributed 9 points and 8 rebounds. Otis was an All-Conference player last season, so I'm confident in his ability to do the jobs we need him to do...but we're better with both him and Todd in our rotation.
Record: 7-2.


December 15, 2017
Lafayette 75, @Rhode Island 69
Tim Hutchinson and Daniel Warnock score 17 points apiece, which is typical. Reserve Justin Judkins fires in 18 points in 18 minutes, which is a lovely surprise. Jack Senn comes off the bench firing, too; he finishes with 11 points.

Strange stat line of the night: Samuel Davis. The 6'11" center takes five shots, all from three-point range. He misses all of them and finishes with zero points. When the Rams have the ball, Big Sazzy returns to his low post domain and blocks five shots.
Record: 8-2.


December 21, 2017
@Lafayette 65, Delaware 54
The injury bug bites us again, but not quite as hard this time. The victim is Jack Senn, who complains of a stiff neck after the game. He's listed as day-to-day, operating at 85% efficiency. I'm going to play it safe and sit Jack down until he's completely healthy again.

Daniel Warnock is our only double-digit scorer, and he's well in that range with 19 points. Otis Hall turns in another 9-point, 8-rebound worksheet. And Samuel Davis does rim protector things, blocking 5 shots and grabbing 8 rebounds.
Record: 9-2.


December 23, 2017
Lafayette 67, @Columbia 48
We don't shoot well against the Lions, but we shoot often enough that we manage to win anyway. Nine of our 28 from three point range go in, and that helps a lot.

Without Todd DeHaven, we have two players on whom we can depend to score. Fortunately Tim Hutchinson (19 points) and Daniel Warnock (16) are up for the challenge.

First year point Jamie Kelso starts his first collegiate game and does just fine. He assists on 3 baskets and commits a single turnover.

The sun rises, the sun sets, and Samuel Davis blocks five shots. He's now the NCAA leader in this category, averaging 4.4 per game.
Record: 10-2.


December 27, 2017
Lafayette 76, @St. Joseph's 65
Recently voted the #6 team in the Mid Major Top 25, we justify our ranking with an away victory over one of the Big Five. Graham gets to catch up with St. Joseph's coach, Emile Richards, who led Holy Cross to five consecutive 20-win seasons before the Hawks hired him away last season.

St. Joe's excellent wing, Neville Black, scores 24 points, but our Tim Hutchinson counters with 26 of his own. The freshman goes 10-for-15 from the floor, 4-for-5 from behind the arc. Richard Leak returns to the court and hands out 6 assists.

Samuel Davis does the inside-outside trick again, blocking four shots and making both his three-point attempts on the way to a 12-point performance. Daniel Warnock has a bit of an off night with 10.
Record: 11-2.

[MoonlightGraham]

January 1, 2018
The Patriot League season is about to begin. Here's how the eight teams in our conference have done so far:

2017 Patriot League Standings

TEAM CW CL Pct W L Pct RPI Prestige
----------------------------------------------------------
Lafayette 0 0 .000 11 2 .846 4 56
Army 0 0 .000 8 5 .615 11 21
American 0 0 .000 6 7 .462 88 43
Holy Cross 0 0 .000 6 6 .500 184 47
Navy 0 0 .000 6 7 .462 345 28
Colgate 0 0 .000 4 10 .286 134 31
Bucknell 0 0 .000 4 10 .286 291 34
Lehigh 0 0 .000 3 11 .214 216 28

Goodness, look at our RPI! :) We're ranked #4 in the Mid Major poll this week, behind Temple, Gonzaga, and Virginia Commonwealth.

Based on their Prestige, Army has been the league's biggest overachiever this year.


January 3, 2018
@Lafayette 56, Bucknell 49
We win, but it's ugly. Bucknell leads 30-27 at halftime, and neither team comes close to making even 40 percent of its shots.

Tim Hutchinson's points total looks OK--he finishes with 17--but he needs 15 shots to get them. Daniel Warnock doesn't shoot well either; he's 3-for-10, and ends the game with 13. We get our customary 4 blocked shots from Samuel Davis.

Our record is excellent, but our lineup isn't cohesive right now. We're struggling to find chemistry without Todd DeHaven, who will be out another seven weeks or so. Otis Hall was playing well as our sixth man. Perhaps I'll try Johnathan Blouin as a starter and return Otis to his previous role.
Record: 12-2 (1-0).


January 6, 2018
@Lafayette 80, Lehigh 60
We take a step forward tonight, playing one of our better games of the season. Lehigh's terrible this year, but we still do our own jobs well.

The Mountain Hawks can't guard Daniel Warnock, who does damage from all three levels and the free throw line en route to 27 points.
Record: 13-2 (2-0). Samuel Davis continues to develop as a stretch five, moving behind the arc and making 4 of 7 shots from there on a 16-point night. Johnathan Blouin, in his first career start, dominates the boards with 14 rebounds.

We've won 13 of our first 15 games once before, in 2014/15.
Record: 13-2 (2-0).


January 10, 2018
Lafayette 64, @Army 56
We survive minor injuries to Tim Hutchinson and Jack Senn and outlast a pesky Army team on their home court.

Hutch twisted his knee and left the game after having played only 14 minutes; he scored 9 points before he sat down. Jack's injury was the mysterious "None," and since he played 26 minutes, it couldn't have been a serious case.

Meanwhile, Daniel Warnock's hot streak continues. Tonight, he drops 25, making 5 of his 10 three-point tries. And Johnathan Blouin snags another 14 rebounds.

We commit 22 turnovers, which is way too many. Fortunately, they didn't come back to haunt us.

We move up to #3 in the Mid Major poll. Gonzaga lost, so they drop behind us.
Record: 14-2 (3-0).


January 13, 2018
Lafayette 63, @American 49
Our defensive effort is as good as it's been all season. The Eagles resort to chucking threes in an attempt to stay close--they launch 27 of them--and only 8 find the range.

Meanwhile, Johnathan Blouin adds scoring to his body of work, leading us with 14 points and adding 12 more rebounds. In three games as a starter, JB is averaging 13.3 RPG. Samuel Davis grabs 9 boards of his own, and blocks 5 shots. Tim Hutchinson and Daniel Warnock score 13 points each.

Is this Graham Sims' best coaching performance yet? He's taken a team with a number of unknown quantities and has them playing as well as any Lafayette team he's coached.
Record: 15-2 (4-0).


January 15, 2018
#24 Lafayette 70, @Stony Brook 57
Taking a break from the Patriot League schedule, the newest member of the Top 25 travels up to Long Island for a contest against the Seawolves. Daniel Warnock returns to the 20-point club, hitting 5 of 7 threes and scoring 21. Johnathan Blouin turns over a pair of eights (points and rebounds), and Tim Hutchinson adds 11 points.

Remember Perry Scribner? We recruited him as a high school senior, back in the fall of 2013. Perry decided we weren't the place for him. Now he's a star at Stony Brook, the 2014/15 America East Freshman of the Year with over 1500 points to his credit. Today, he leads all scorers with 22 points. When Perry turned his attentions elsewhere, we started recruiting Joe Lien instead. I think it turned out well for everyone, don't you?
Record: 16-2 (4-0).


January 17, 2018
#24 Lafayette 61, @South Dakota State 53
Our non-conference road show continues with a trip out to South Dakota. There, we play a ragged game against the Summit League leaders, but end up on the right end of the score.

Tim Hutchinson compensates for a poor night shooting from the floor by sinking all 8 of his free throws, and leads us with 18 points. Tim's an 85 percent free throw shooter, so his performance isn't too surprising. He gets help from Samuel Davis (12 points, 11 rebounds, 5 blocks) and Johnathan Blouin (10 rebounds).
Record: 17-2 (4-0).


January 20, 2018
#24 Lafayette 62, @Holy Cross 56
Our defense shows up again on a day when our shooters can't get it going, with the exception of Daniel Warnock (19 points).

We limit a reeling Crusaders team to 30.8% shooting; Samuel Davis blocks 6 shots and Otis Hall rejects 4 more. We win the rebound battle 49-35, as every starter plus Otis gets at least six. Richard Leak is named Player of the Game for his scoresheet-filling prowess: 6 points, 5 assists, 7 rebounds.

Todd DeHaven will return in four weeks. We're doing fine without him, and he'll make us that much stronger and deeper when he comes back.
Record: 18-2 (5-0).


January 24, 2018
@#19 Lafayette 72, Navy 50
We enter tonight's game with our highest poll positions ever: #2 in the Mid Major rankings (behind VCU) and #19 overall. We play like a top team, commanding this game from start to finish.

Daniel Warnock leads a group of four Leopards in double figures with 21 points. He's joined by Tim Hutchinson (17), Samuel Davis (13), and Johnathan Blouin (10). The latter two players complete a double double-double, as Big Sazzy has 10 rebounds and JB 14(!). Blouin is the conference's leading rebounder on a per-30 minute basis.

Navy's Darrel Puma scores 18 in a losing effort, and also loses ground to Warnock in the Patriot League scoring race. Daniel leads him, 17.3 to 16.4.
Record: 19-2 (6-0).


January 26, 2018
@#19 Lafayette 65, Colgate 57
The Red Raiders turned things up a notch when league play began, and enter this contest two games behind us in the Patriot League standings. We extend that lead tonight, as we fight off a spirited challenge from the visitors in the last six minutes or so.

Tim Hutchinson (22 points) and Daniel Warnock (20) handle the scoring. Samuel Davis has 9 rebounds and 4 blocks. Justin Judkins plays well off the bench: 9 points in 13 minutes.

The victory gives Graham Sims his sixth consecutive season with at least 20 wins.
Record: 20-2 (7-0).

2017 Patriot League Standings

TEAM CW CL Pct W L Pct RPI Prestige
--------------------------------------------------------------
#19 Lafayette 7 0 1.000 20 2 .909 18 56
Army 5 2 .714 13 8 .619 62 21
Colgate 4 3 .571 9 13 .409 163 31
American 4 3 .571 11 10 .524 128 43
Bucknell 3 4 .429 7 14 .333 247 34
Navy 2 5 .286 9 12 .429 341 28
Holy Cross 2 5 .286 8 12 .400 263 47
Lehigh 1 6 .143 4 18 .182 269 28


January 31, 2018
#18 Lafayette 70, @Lehigh 55
Daniel Warnock gets into foul trouble early and manages to score only 5 points, but his teammates pick up the slack against a floundering Lehigh team.

Tim Hutchinson scores 16 points, but it's Samuel Davis who takes the star turn tonight. The junior center scores 14 points, grabs 10 rebounds, and blocks 4 shots. Johnathan Blouin completes a double-double too, with a nicely balanced 12 points and 11 boards. Richard Leak finishes with 8 assists and 4 steals.
Record: 21-2 (8-0).

[MoonlightGraham]

February 3, 2018
#18 Lafayette 70, @Bucknell 65
The Bison have struggled this season, but they play with pride on their home floor today. We do enough to win, and little more.

Our perimeter defense has been excellent this year. Most of our opponents make less than 30% of their three-point attempts against us; today Bucknell goes 4-17. Oddly enough, our stats for PRD aren't very good. Richard Leak has 34 in that category, the best among our regular players. We're very good interior defenders, however, and that may cause opponents to take desperate long shots because that's all we allow them.

Speaking of long shots, Tim Hutchinson and Daniel Warnock make 6 of them between them. Hutchinson finishes with 19 points, Warnock with 17. And we get more good rebounding from Johnathan Blouin (9) and more scoresheet-filling from Leak (4 points, but 5 rebounds and 5 assists).

Our RPI is 29, so the Bubble Watch loves us. We're a Lock for the tournament right now.
Record: 22-2 (9-0).


February 7, 2018
@ #15 Lafayette 61, American 53
Samuel Davis's ability to mix it up down low without getting into foul trouble amazes me sometimes. Tonight, he blocks 5 shots and grabs 7 rebounds without committing a single foul. Johnathan Blouin takes only four shots all night, but he pulls in 11 rebounds.

We have two scorers right now, and everyone knows who they are. Daniel Warnock and Tim Hutchinson have to contend with a rugged American defense that is designed to slow them down. They combine to shoot 7-24 from the field, but they keep fouling Warnock and he finishes with 19 points, 7 coming from the charity stripe. Hutch ends up with 10.

Props to Otis Hall, who gave us 6 points, 3 steals, and 6 rebounds in 17 minutes off the bench.

We're still at #2 in the Mid Major poll, behind a VCU team--also 22-2 going into today--that got all the first place votes this week.

Before the game, Todd DeHaven's status is upgraded to Day-to-Day, with 77% efficiency. I'm not letting him near the court until he's all better. Army is in second place in the league with a 6-3 conference record. We can afford to play it safe with our talented freshman.
Record: 23-2 (10-0).


February 10, 2018
Army 73, @ #15 Lafayette 68
The Army pulls off the upset at the Kirby Center today. We aren't efficient with the ball, committing 14 turnovers and shooting 34% from the field and 29% from three. Army plays pretty good D, but we also miss a lot of open looks.

Tim Hutchinson leads all scorers with 19 points and adds 7 rebounds. Daniel Warnock finishes with 14 points, and Johnathan Blouin gets another 11 rebounds.

Turn the page.
Record: 23-3 (10-1).


February 14, 2018
#15 Lafayette 61, @Brown 56
We play one more OOC game to let the rest of the Patriot League catch up, and we make a nice trip up to Providence to face a tough Brown team that is undefeated in the Ivy League. The Bears do to us what we usually do to our opponents, forcing us to take a lot of ill-advised shots, and it nearly works.

Fortunately Tim Hutchinson is largely immune to this tendency. He nets 23 points, making 5 of 7 three point tries. He turns the ball over 3 times, however, evidence of Brown's tenacious defensive play.

Daniel Warnock adds 15 points and Johnathan Blouin 13 with 9 rebounds. Blouin is making a solid claim for lots of playing time the rest of the way, even after Todd DeHaven's return.

That will happen on Saturday, against Holy Cross.
Record: 24-3 (10-1).


February 17, 2018
@ #15 Lafayette 79, Holy Cross 68
Todd DeHaven returns to action today, scoring 7 points and getting 6 rebounds in 14 minutes off the bench. That's the best thing about a solid victory over a Holy Cross team that's not up to their usual standard; the Crusaders enter the game with a 9-16 record and only three Patriot League wins.

Samuel Davis is the star: 15 points, 10 boards, 2 blocks, 1 steal, 3-5 from three. Tim Hutchinson (17 pts), Daniel Warnock (13) and Jack Senn (12) also score in double digits. It's good to have everyone back on board.

Justin Judkins starts on his Senior Night, and scores 5 points, all from the free throw line.

A win at Navy next week will sew up the Patriot League championship for us.
Record: 25-3 (11-1).


February 21, 2018
#15 Lafayette 86, @Navy 48
It's official: Graham Sims and the Lafayette Leopards are the regular season champions of the Patriot League again.

We open up a 45-34 halftime lead and pull away from there, with a 41-15 advantage over the following 20 minutes. The stars are familiar: Daniel Warnock (22 points), Samuel Davis (10 points, 10 rebounds, 5 blocks), Tim Hutchinson (11 points), and Todd DeHaven (12 points in 18 minutes).

The low point happens when Justin Judkins takes an accidental elbow to the nose. It's broken, and he'll be at less-than-full strength for a week or so.

It's not a great year for the conference. Unless someone other than us wins the tournament, we'll send only one team to the Big Dance. We're not a great tournament team, so there's a decent chance a second Patriot League team gets an invitation that way.

Our rankings remain the same as they were last week.
Record: 26-3 (12-1).


February 24, 2018
#15 Lafayette 85, @Colgate 78
We close out the regular season with an exciting overtime win up in New York State. Daniel Warnock and Colgate's Guy Aubin treat the fans to a shootout, which Warnock wins, 27-25.

Todd DeHaven, whose free throws with 0:09 on the clock sent the game into OT, scores 17 points in his return to the starting five. Samuel Davis scores only 7, but his 5 blocks are vintage Sazzy.

Tim Hutchinson and Jack Senn add 11 and 10 points, respectively.

The Patriot League tourney begins on the final day of the month.
Record: 27-3 (13-1).

[MoonlightGraham]

February 28, 2018

2017 Patriot League Standings

TEAM CW CL Pct W L Pct RPI Prestige
-------------------------------------------------------------
#15 Lafayette 13 1 .929 27 3 .900 19 56
American 10 4 .714 17 11 .607 107 43
Army 10 4 .714 18 11 .621 73 21
Colgate 7 7 .500 12 17 .414 185 31
Bucknell 6 8 .429 11 18 .379 253 34
Navy 4 10 .286 12 17 .414 319 28
Holy Cross 3 11 .214 9 19 .321 305 47
Lehigh 3 11 .214 6 23 .207 274 28

It hasn't been a strong year for the Patriot League as a whole. That makes it hard for me to figure out exactly how good this year's team really is.


Patriot League Tournament, First Round
(1) #15 Lafayette 65, (8) Lehigh 41
We beat the Mountain Hawks by 20 and again by 15 this season, and our tournament matchup is similarly one-sided. Our defense is as good as it's been all year: Lehigh shoots 32% from the field, and 4-20 from behind the three-point line. Five of those misses happen because Samuel Davis blocks the shot.

Meanwhile, they simply can't guard Daniel Warnock. The Patriot League's leading scorer throws down a 29-point effort. Only two players--Warnock and Lehigh's Timothy Pinto--score in double figures.

Bucknell, American, and Army also advance. We'll face the #5 seed Bison in the next round.
Record: 28-3.


March 4, 2018
Patriot League Tournament Semi-Final
(1) #15 Lafayette 71, (5) Bucknell 43
Bucknell gave us two tough games in the regular season, but today's story plays out differently. Once again, we don't let our opponent get anything going offensively. Our own offense is smoother and more efficient, too.

This time, Tim Hutchinson is the scoring hero, with 23 points. Daniel Warnock adds 14, and Justin Judkins returns from his injury with 8 off the bench.

The Bison play good interior defense, holding Todd DeHaven and Samuel Davis to 7 points between them. DeHaven finds a way to contribute with 13 rebounds...and then he breaks his finger. Unless we make a long tournament run, he's out for the remainder of the season.

Army beats American, 71-63, so they'll play us for the tournament title.
Record: 29-3.


March 9, 2018
Patriot League Tournament Championship
(8) Army 67, (1) #14 Lafayette 62
The only team to beat us in conference play do it in the tournament final, too. We toss away an eight-point halftime advantage with 20 minutes of the sloppiest basketball I've ever seen a Lafayette team play.

We don't score until the 14:17 mark of the second half, and by then we're behind. In 13 minutes after the break, we score 5 points. We commit 22 turnovers; Tim Hutchinson and Jack Senn account for 5 each.

Daniel Warnock scores 20 points, Hutchinson 15. Johnathan Blouin grabs 10 rebounds in his return to the starting lineup.

I wonder how our loss will affect our NCAA tournament seeding?
Record: 29-4.


March 11, 2018
The NCAA tournament committee keeps us at home, giving us the #5 seed in the East Region. South Alabama (22-11) will be our first round opponent.

Army is named the #12 seed in the South; they'll face Stanford.

American makes the CBI field at #12, and they'll play #5 seed Northern Iowa first.


March 15, 2018
NCAA East Region, First Round
(5) #15 Lafayette 61, (12) South Alabama 60
The Jaguars made the tournament field by upsetting Troy in the Sun Belt Conference tournament. They're led by Thomas Hall, a smooth senior guard with nearly 2000 career points to his credit.

Hall scores 7 of his team's first 18 points as the Jags open up a lead that extends to 9 points by halftime. Is another upset in the cards?

Full credit to the Leopards for coming back with a vengeance. Samuel Davis does a very good job on SA's other big scorer, center Moses Alonzo, holding him to 2 points.

The score is deadlocked at 59 with 1:32 to play, and the Jags have the ball. Digging deep, our defense forces James Sanchez to launch a poor-percentage three as the shot clock dwindles down. He misses, but Alonzo grabs a clutch rebound to give his team another possession.

Graham Sims leaps to his feet as Richard Leak appears to swipe a Sanchez pass...only to have an official whistle Leak for a foul. They're shooting the double bonus, so Thomas Aaron has two free throws. Aaron makes the first and misses the second. Daniel Warnock skies to grab the rebound with 29 seconds remaining.

The Jaguars defense quickly locates Tim Hutchinson and Warnock, our highest-volume shooters. They don't pay enough attention to Samuel Davis, who has been known to make teams pay for this neglect with three-point daggers. We don't need a three right now, so Davis slides to the left wing, takes a pass from Leak, shoots...and misses. Warnock again hits the boards like a man possessed and snags the rebound.

Raleigh McGinty is a junior forward who has struggled to find playing time in a crowded frontcourt rotation that includes classmates Davis, Otis Hall, and Johnathan Blouin. Raleigh has developed more slowly than his fellow juniors; he's still a Red player, and he's played a total of 288 minutes in his collegiate career.

Tonight, McGinty has played 14 minutes, largely because Blouin has fouled out. He's certainly the last man South Alabama is looking for as we set up for our last shot. But Raleigh McGinty averaged 27 points a game as a high school senior. He's very comfortable being The Man in a situation like this one. McGinty confidently calls for the ball as he pops out to the free throw line, and Warnock spots him. A Jags defender moves to close down on him, but he's too late. Raleigh's jumper hits nothing but net. 61-60 Lafayette.

Seven seconds are enough for the Jaguars to run a play. Thomas Hall has earned the right to take the shot that could extend his college basketball career. We know that, too, but Hall is talented enough to get into good shooting positions even when he's guarded well. His 18-foot jumper looks like it's going in...but it hits the rim and bounces into the hands of Raleigh McGinty.

Tim Hutchinson leads all scorers with 17; Hall has 16 for the Jags. Jack Senn pours in 15 points in as many minutes. McGinty scores only 4, but two of them were the biggest ones of our season; he also finishes with 8 rebounds.

For the first time, a Graham Sims-coached team has won 30 games in a season.

Meanwhile, Stanford whomps Army and ends their season, and Northern Iowa beats American in the CBI.
Record: 30-4.


March 17, 2018
NCAA East Region, Second Round
(5) #15 Lafayette 90, (13) San Diego State 74
It's hard not to think we've gotten lucky when SDSU upsets Kansas in the first round. Still, the Aztecs are a very good team with a very good coach, William Rawlins. SF Silas Willey was the #5 recruit in the nation and a Freshman All-American, and he's even better as a sophomore. Junior big man Chris Marler is also a Blue/Blue player.

Marler scores 17, but our junior big man, Samuel Davis, plays just about as well: 10 points, 8 rebounds, 4 blocks. Daniel Warnock (20 points) and Tim Hutchinson (24 points) impose their will upon the game while Willey does not (6 points). An energized Raleigh McGinty provides 10 points and 8 rebounds off the bench.

Now, we're off to the Sweet Sixteen...and a date with top-seeded Vanderbilt.
Record: 31-4.


March 23, 2018
East Regional Semi-Final...the Sweet Sixteen
(1) #6 Vanderbilt 67, (5) #15 Lafayette 65
In our previous trips to the NCAA tournament, I've always felt like we were simply lucky to be there. "Look at plucky little Lafayette, courageously punching above their weight and giving the big program a decent game!"

This year, it feels different. Our national ranking suggest that we SHOULD be in the Sweet Sixteen. Vanderbilt is undoubtedly a very good team; they barely lost to the #1 and #2 teams in the country (Illinois and Mississippi State) and blew out three Top 20 opponents. But we're a very good team too, and we belong here.

Todd DeHaven gets the long tournament run he needed to return to (almost) full health, and he replaces Johnathan Blouin in the starting lineup. The rest of the starting five is familiar: Samuel Davis, Daniel Warnock, Tim Hutchinson, and Richard Leak.

We play as well as we can during the first half, and our 38-27 lead is well-deserved.

After the intermission, Vandy's superior depth begins to assert itself. When players like Jose Cookson and Elwood Sheffield get in foul trouble, they can bring Green/Blue and Green/Green players off their bench. We can't do that when Todd DeHaven and Daniel Warnock have to come out of the game. Still, when one of the Commodores' reserves, a freshman wing named Denver Harden who was the #20 player in his recruiting class, sinks a three-pointer with 1:13 remaining, they take the lead for the first time since the score was 4-2.

This is perhaps the last dance for Joshua Moll, Vanderbilt's venerable head coach. He's 72 now. His team will face Villanova, the #2 seed, in the Elite Eight. It's a shame one of them will have to lose.

And it's a shame our dance couldn't last for one more song.
Record: 31-5.

[MoonlightGraham]

April 2, 2018
Mississippi State becomes the seventh different national champion in our universe, with a 72-67 victory over the Vanderbilt team that ended our season. The Rebels are the first team to make it to the Finals twice; they lost to Illinois in 2016.

The champions reach the Final by beating USC, while Vanderbilt eliminated Ohio State.

[MoonlightGraham]

April 2, 2018

The Patriot League award winners are announced today.

2017 PATRIOT LEAGUE AWARDS

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Player of the Year:

SO SF Daniel Warnock Lafayette 17.4 PPG, 4.3 RPG, 1.8 APG 1.0 SPG, 0.1 BPG

Freshman of the Year:
FR SG Tim Hutchinson Lafayette 14.9 PPG, 4.2 RPG, 1.8 APG 0.9 SPG, 0.1 BPG

Coach of the Year:
Ray Parra Army 21 - 12 (10 - 4)

All-league 1st Team:
C JR Samuel Davis Lafayette 7.1 PPG, 7.1 RPG, 1.4 APG, 0.4 SPG, 3.6 BPG
PF SR Darrel Puma Navy 16.5 PPG, 6.2 RPG, 1.4 APG, 1.1 SPG, 0.4 BPG
SF SO Daniel Warnock Lafayette 17.4 PPG, 4.3 RPG, 1.8 APG, 1.0 SPG, 0.1 BPG
SG FR Tim Hutchinson Lafayette 14.9 PPG, 4.2 RPG, 1.8 APG, 0.9 SPG, 0.1 BPG
PG SR Guy Aubin Colgate 11.1 PPG, 4.9 RPG, 4.7 APG, 1.2 SPG, 0.2 BPG

All-league 2nd Team:
C JR Charles Tolbert American 12.3 PPG, 6.6 RPG, 1.4 APG, 0.4 SPG, 1.6 BPG
PF JR Daniel Layfield Holy Cross 9.9 PPG, 6.3 RPG, 1.6 APG, 0.5 SPG, 1.0 BPG
SF SO Timothy Pinto Lehigh 13.0 PPG, 5.6 RPG, 1.9 APG, 1.1 SPG, 0.1 BPG
SG JR Eldridge Hawkinson Army 12.6 PPG, 5.2 RPG, 3.3 APG, 0.8 SPG, 0.2 BPG
PG SO Chris Buckley Army 14.6 PPG, 4.4 RPG, 1.9 APG, 0.8 SPG, 0.2 BPG

All-freshman Team:
C FR Harold Eby Colgate 1.3 PPG, 1.8 RPG, 0.3 APG, 0.0 SPG, 0.1 BPG
PF FR Eric Childs Navy 2.9 PPG, 2.7 RPG, 0.4 APG, 0.2 SPG, 0.3 BPG
SF FR Joesph Westphal Bucknell 7.1 PPG, 2.9 RPG, 0.7 APG, 0.5 SPG, 0.2 BPG
SG FR Tim Hutchinson Lafayette 14.9 PPG, 4.2 RPG, 1.8 APG, 0.9 SPG, 0.1 BPG
PG FR Ryan Tucker Holy Cross 7.4 PPG, 2.3 RPG, 1.9 APG, 0.5 SPG, 0.0 BPG

Samuel Davis earns his second consecutive All-Patriot League first team selection. He joins James Sanders as the only Lafayette player to make the first team twice. The Davises, Charles of Holy Cross and William of Navy, are the only three-time All-Patriot League players in this universe. Big Sazzy ends up as the 9th leading shot blocker in the nation: the highest a Lafayette player has ever ranked in any statistical category.

Tim Hutchinson is our second consecutive Freshman of the Year, and as I look at the players who joined him on the All-Freshman Team, he was the only logical choice. Tim made it a trifecta with a spot on the All-Patriot first team.

Our main man, Daniel Warnock, becomes the second Leopard to be named Patriot League Player of the Year. The Big Colonel, of course, earned that honor twice. Warnock was also the conference's leading scorer.

[MoonlightGraham]

April 2, 2018

#15 LAFAYETTE TEAM INFO

Current Performance
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Team Prestige: 56 Record Vs 1-50: 2-2 Poll Rank: #15
Season Record: 31-5 Record Vs 51-100: 5-2 RPI Rank: #20
Conference Record: 13-1 Record Vs 101-200: 8-1
Home Record: 9-2 Record Vs 200+: 16-0


Team Stats CR NR Opp. Stats CR NR Margin CR NR
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Points 70.3 2 127 Points 59.9 1 9 Points 10.4 1 15
O.Reb 10.8 3 159 O.Reb 9.8 2 95 O.Reb 0.9 2 102
D.Reb 28.1 1 10 D.Reb 22.2 1 20 D.Reb 5.9 1 3
Rebounds 38.9 1 26 Rebounds 32.0 1 22 Rebounds 6.9 1 4
Assists 13.2 1 150 Assists 12.8 3 122 Assists 0.4 2 125
Steals 4.7 7 258 Steals 4.4 1 15 Steals 0.3 2 133
Blocks 5.1 2 34 Blocks 2.6 1 53 Blocks 2.5 1 23
Turnovers 13.6 4 170 Turnovers 12.2 8 298 Turnovers 1.5 7 265
Fouls 16.2 1 8 Fouls 20.7 2 39 Fouls -4.5 1 5
FG% .443 1 95 FG% .392 1 7 FG% .051 1 14
FT% .716 1 45 FT% .629 1 6 FT% .086 1 5
3P% .351 4 118 3P% .341 5 177 3P% .010 4 132
PPS 1.36 1 9 PPS 1.06 1 7 PPS .291 1 5
Adj. FG% .518 1 50 Adj. FG% .447 1 8 Adj. FG% .070 1 7

When I started this dynasty, I wanted to create a team with a commitment to defensive excellence. That's what Graham Sims has done at Lafayette. The 2017/18 Leopards rank among the nation's elite in several categories.

Our PPS margin is even better than last years, but we "drop" to #5 in the nation in that category. And while we led the nation in adjusted FG% margin last year, I'll take a #7 finish anytime.

#15 LAFAYETTE Averages

Player Pos GP GS Min Pts Orb Reb Ast Stl Blk To Fls +/-
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Samuel Davis C 36 36 32.6 7.1 1.8 7.1 1.4 0.4 3.6 1.8 1.6 9.0
Daniel Warnock SF 36 36 29.7 17.4 1.1 4.3 1.8 1.0 0.1 2.1 2.4 10.2
Tim Hutchinson SG 36 36 29.3 14.9 1.3 4.2 1.8 0.9 0.1 2.3 2.1 9.3
Richard Leak PG 36 34 27.4 4.7 0.9 3.2 3.8 0.6 0.1 1.6 2.5 7.2
Todd DeHaven PF 15 13 24.1 10.7 2.1 6.8 0.7 0.1 0.5 1.5 2.0 7.7
Johnathon Blouin PF 36 18 21.0 4.4 1.6 6.9 0.8 0.2 0.3 1.2 1.9 5.9
Jack Senn SG 36 0 15.8 5.6 1.1 2.4 1.4 0.6 0.1 1.6 1.4 2.5
Otis Hall PF 36 5 15.8 4.2 1.2 4.4 0.8 0.6 0.3 1.3 1.7 2.8
Justin Judkins PG 36 1 11.9 4.4 0.4 1.8 0.7 0.3 0.1 0.9 1.1 1.1
Raleigh McGinty PF 29 0 5.4 2.7 0.4 1.6 0.1 0.1 0.2 0.1 0.3 0.6
Jamie Kelso PG 24 1 5.0 1.6 0.3 0.7 0.5 0.2 0.0 0.3 0.4 -0.2
Scott Cavanaugh SF 8 0 1.6 0.4 0.1 0.1 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.3 0.1 -1.9
Don Torres PG 2 0 1.5 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.5 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 3.0
James Standard C 5 0 1.0 0.0 0.2 0.2 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.8

#15 LAFAYETTE Totals

Player Pos GP GS Min Pts Orb Reb Ast Stl Blk To Fls +/-
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Samuel Davis C 36 36 1174 254 64 255 51 13 130 63 56 324
Daniel Warnock SF 36 36 1070 625 38 155 66 35 5 75 88 368
Tim Hutchinson SG 36 36 1053 537 47 152 63 32 5 81 77 333
Richard Leak PG 36 34 988 168 31 114 138 21 4 59 90 258
Todd DeHaven PF 15 13 362 160 32 102 11 2 8 23 30 116
Johnathon Blouin PF 36 18 755 158 58 247 27 7 11 43 70 212
Jack Senn SG 36 0 569 202 38 87 52 20 3 57 50 90
Otis Hall PF 36 5 567 150 43 158 28 21 12 48 60 101
Justin Judkins PG 36 1 430 159 16 65 24 10 2 31 41 41
Raleigh McGinty PF 29 0 158 78 13 47 2 4 5 3 10 17
Jamie Kelso PG 24 1 121 38 6 17 11 5 0 6 10 -5
Scott Cavanaugh SF 8 0 13 3 1 1 0 0 0 2 1 -15
Don Torres PG 2 0 3 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 6
James Standard C 5 0 5 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 4

#15 LAFAYETTE Shooting

Player Pos Fgm Fga Fg% Ftm Fta Ft% 3pm 3pa 3p% PPS
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Samuel Davis C 86 183 .470 58 91 .637 24 68 .353 1.39
Daniel Warnock SF 186 395 .471 140 176 .795 113 260 .435 1.58
Tim Hutchinson SG 174 391 .445 121 145 .834 68 191 .356 1.37
Richard Leak PG 55 168 .327 45 81 .556 13 78 .167 1.00
Todd DeHaven PF 51 112 .455 57 65 .877 1 3 .333 1.43
Johnathon Blouin PF 64 129 .496 30 54 .556 0 2 .000 1.22
Jack Senn SG 62 136 .456 46 65 .708 32 90 .356 1.49
Otis Hall PF 61 127 .480 28 51 .549 0 1 .000 1.18
Justin Judkins PG 53 142 .373 32 48 .667 21 76 .276 1.12
Raleigh McGinty PF 23 50 .460 29 44 .659 3 12 .250 1.56
Jamie Kelso PG 12 33 .364 11 14 .786 3 13 .231 1.15
Scott Cavanaugh SF 1 2 .500 0 0 .000 1 2 .500 1.50
Don Torres PG 0 0 .000 0 0 .000 0 0 .000 0.00
James Standard C 0 0 .000 0 0 .000 0 0 .000 0.00

Daniel Warnock led the Patriot League in scoring and PPS, and was 10th in the nation in the latter category.

Tim Hutchinson was the league's 4th leading scorer, 3rd in PPS, and 4th in free throw percentage. Todd DeHaven would have led the league in FT% if he'd shot enough to qualify.

Samuel Davis was far and away the top shot blocker in our conference. I mentioned earlier that he finished 9th in that category nationwide.

I have only one Senior Tribute this season, and it's up next.

[MoonlightGraham]

2017/18 Senior Tribute

JUSTIN JUDKINS

This humble young man from Ohio was always "the other guard" in his recruiting class, taking a back seat to Joe Lien.

#5 PG Justin Judkins - Lafayette - Senior
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Height: 6-1
Weight: 198
High School: Madison High School
Hometown: Middletown, OH

Attributes:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Type INS JPS FTS 3PS HND PAS ORB DRB PSD PRD STL BLK QKN STR JMP STA
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Current: 52 33 68 43 42 58 33 38 22 26 38 13 76 50 45 53
2016: 50 32 67 41 42 55 31 37 21 24 34 12 75 47 43 44
2015: 48 31 66 40 42 53 29 36 20 22 31 11 73 44 43 35
2014: 47 30 66 39 42 51 28 35 19 21 29 11 72 41 41 26
2013: 45 28 62 37 42 49 26 33 17 19 25 11 71 35 40 6
Potential: C D B C C B C C D D C F

Health: Good
Scholarship: Yes
Status: Active Roster
Academics: 94

Stat Averages:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Season G GS MIN PTS ORE REB AST TO A/T STL BLK PF
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2014 10 0 1.3 0.2 0.1 0.1 0.0 0.0 0.00 0.0 0.0 0.2
2015 33 0 6.7 2.2 0.4 1.3 0.5 0.5 0.88 0.2 0.1 0.6
2016 34 0 8.4 4.3 0.4 1.2 0.7 0.8 0.96 0.3 0.1 0.8
2017 36 1 11.9 4.4 0.4 1.8 0.7 0.9 0.77 0.3 0.1 1.1
Career 113 1 8.4 3.3 0.4 1.3 0.6 0.7 0.77 0.2 0.1 0.8

Shooting Averages:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Season FGM FGA FG% FTM FTA FT% 3PM 3PA 3P% PPS +/-
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2014 0.1 0.3 .333 0.0 0.0 .000 0.0 0.2 .000 0.67 -1.00
2015 0.7 2.4 .288 0.5 0.7 .818 0.2 1.3 .167 0.89 -0.18
2016 1.5 3.6 .403 0.9 1.1 .744 0.5 1.9 .262 1.18 0.50
2017 1.5 3.9 .373 0.9 1.3 .667 0.6 2.1 .276 1.12 1.14
Career 1.1 3.1 .364 0.7 1.0 .725 0.4 1.6 .243 1.08 0.37

Stat Totals:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Season G GS MIN PTS OREB REB AST TO STL BLK PF
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2014 10 0 13 2 1 1 0 0 0 0 2
2015 33 0 221 71 14 44 15 17 7 2 21
2016 34 0 284 146 14 41 25 26 9 3 26
2017 36 1 430 159 16 65 24 31 10 2 41
Career 113 1 948 378 45 151 64 74 26 7 90

Shooting Totals
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Season FGM FGA FTM FTA 3PM 3PA +/-
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2014 1 3 0 0 0 2 -10
2015 23 80 18 22 7 42 -6
2016 50 124 29 39 17 65 17
2017 53 142 32 48 21 76 41
Career 127 349 79 109 45 185 42

Career Highs:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Type Pts OReb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO FGM FGA FTM FTA 3PM 3PA
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Season 18 4 9 3 1 1 5 5 8 5 9 3 5
Career 18 4 9 3 2 1 5 5 10 5 9 3 6

Awards & Acheivements:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Season Award
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
All Player of the Game: 1
2013 High School: Rated * and #1064 overall by the FBCB scouting service.

Justin played the role I envisioned for him from the start: a reliable backup point guard who could allow us to rest our starter without things going to pieces. His playing time increased every year, and by the time he was a senior, he was a valuable member of our rotation. He's also one of a select group of college basketball players who made it to the Big Dance four times.

An outstanding student, Justin will win two awards from the Department of Biology. He will enroll in the prestigious Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania in the fall, and aspires to a career as a primary care physician.

Thanks for the memories, Justin.

[MoonlightGraham]

April 7, 2018

I received another email about a facilities upgrade, which is good news! Our training facilities score is now 38, up 10 from last season. Even better, we have the best facilities in the Patriot League; we should, as we've become the Patriot League's glamour program and one of the more successful mid-majors in the nation.

Two members of Coach Sims' staff would like raises for next year. Recruiting coordinator Steven Manion would like a salary of $80,000, 20 grand more than he's making now. Lead scout Donn McClinton would also like to make $20K more, which would raise his pay to $90,000. Both Manion and McClinton are Level 4 coaches now.

Manion is absolutely worth 80 grand. McClinton, the highest-paid assistant, might still be a decent value at $90K. I can afford to pay these salaries, so for the sake of stability, I decide to reward two of Graham's loyal lieutenants with the raises they ask for.

[MoonlightGraham]

May 1, 2018

At this point in our story, I make a significant decision about Graham Sims's future.

When I began this dynasty, I envisioned Coach Sims gradually climbing the coaching ladder. I've never been terribly successful at FBCB, so I figured his Lafayette teams would, at best, improve slowly into a decent Patriot League team within a few years. I didn't envision Graham posting a 177-58 record and winning five conference championships in seven years, or turning Lafayette into one of the most highly respected teams outside the Power Five. If Graham ever reached those heights, it wouldn't happen at Lafayette.

Lafayette's Prestige is now up to 62, which is higher than Penn State (55) or St. Joseph's (59). Temple (74) is still a bigger job, and so are Villanova (88) and Pitt (93).

Of those three, Villanova is the only position I would have Graham accept without hesitation. It's Graham's alma mater, after all.

Pitt's coach is Blaine Boyd, who is one of the two or three best young coaches in the business. Boyd is 38, and he's not going anywhere unless, perhaps, one of the true blue bloods comes calling. Villanova's head man, James Glazier, turns 52 this season; he's got a lot of years left, too. Temple's Cory McEwen is a year older than Glazier. He could end up staying at Temple for a while.

Graham was offered the Temple job before McEwen took it in 2015. I didn't think Graham was ready to run a program with 82 Prestige then. Perhaps he would be now. I still think it might be more fun to see if Graham can improve the Lafayette program enough to surpass Temple in the Prestige rankings.

There is one scenario in which I would consider changing the focus of Graham's story. Vanderbilt head coach Joshua Moll is now 73 years old. If Coach Moll retires and Graham is offered the Vanderbilt job, I'd seriously consider accepting it.

Why Vanderbilt? As a high school senior, I applied to Vanderbilt and was accepted. I received a better financial aid package from another fine university, a Division III school, and accepted it instead. Two years later, Vanderbilt offered acceptance to another member of my family. My younger sister went there, loved it, and graduated. She's a Commodore, and I could have been one, too. So I'll let Graham think about becoming one in my place.

As the Head Coach Round begins, the plot twists in an intriguing way. Cory McEwen is offered the Seton Hall job, and he takes it. So much for Coach McEwen staying a while.

Temple promptly offers its head coaching position to Graham...and I decide to pass. The Owls hire a bright young thing named Clayton Mintz, who is taking his fourth job at the age of 33. The peripatetic Mintz won 30 games at Davidson and Miami-Ohio before moving on to Northern Iowa, and now to Temple.

I go into the Tools menu and add two new coaches: Louis Hewett, Lafayette '15, and Moses Washington, Bucknell '15. Coach Hewett is moving into the collegiate ranks after a short tenure as a high school coach, and Coach Washington is a newly "graduated" graduate assistant. Louis doesn't land a job in the Assistant Coach round, but Moses does. He's now the Lead Scout at Coppin State.

[MoonlightGraham]

July 1, 2018

Here's the 2018/19 Lafayette men's basketball roster:

#15 LAFAYETTE General

Player # Pos Yr Ht Wt Sch Acd Status Hometown
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Jamie Kelso 0 PG So 6-2 193 Yes 96 OK Bordentown, NJ
Richard Leak 2 PG Sr 6-0 195 Yes 66 OK Ludlow, MA
Jack Senn 4 SG Jr 6-2 179 Yes 89 OK Manville, NJ
Otis Hall 10 PF Sr 7-0 236 Yes 43 OK South Charleston, OH
Rob Prendergast 11 PG Fr 6-2 184 Yes 64 OK Pottsville, PA
Todd DeHaven 12 PF So* 6-10 234 Yes 81 OK Philadelphia, PA
Don Torres 13 PG Jr 6-1 173 No 75 OK Mays Landing, NJ
Matthew Ackerman 15 SG Fr 6-3 176 Yes 66 OK Rugeley, UK
Raleigh McGinty 21 PF Sr 6-10 250 Yes 56 Unhappy Stanhope, NJ
Johnathon Blouin 23 PF Sr 6-9 227 Yes 41 OK Allentown, NJ
Tim Hutchinson 24 SG So 6-6 205 Yes 67 OK Vestal, NY
Scott Cavanaugh 30 SF Jr 6-6 219 No 45 OK Albany, LA
Daniel Warnock 32 SF Jr 6-8 240 Yes 44 OK Spotswood, NJ
James Standard 41 C Jr 6-11 244 Yes 50 OK Easton, PA
Samuel Davis 53 C Sr 6-11 239 Yes 97 OK Greensboro, NC

Like I did last year, I'll tell you more about the players once they finish their autumn training camp.

[MoonlightGraham]

August 1, 2018

This will be a very busy year for us on the recruiting trail, since we have five senior players on scholarship. Four of them are centers or power forwards, and one is a point guard. We'll be shopping most often in the Big and Tall section this season.

We spend the month of July filling up our call list and evaluating the players we're in contact with.

Since we have five offers to make, I decide to do something I've never done: offer a player before we've fully evaluated him. And, while we're at it, we aim high.

#41 C Danny Chestnut
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Height: 6-7
Weight: 247
High School: Southern Huntingdon County High School
Hometown: Three Springs, PA
GPA: 2.65
Test Score: 880
Rating: ****

Attributes:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Type INS JPS FTS 3PS HND PAS ORB DRB PSD PRD STL BLK QKN STR JMP STA
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Current: 77 19 54 7 45 10 58 22 59 20 6 28 24 73 27 28
Potential: A D C F C F C C B D F D

Season Stats:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PTS OREB REB AST TOS A/T STL BLK PFS
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
19.0 3.0 10.0 0.2 1.4 0.14 0.4 0.6 2.3

Shooting Averages:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
FGM FGA FG% FTM FTA FT% 3PM 3PA 3P%
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
6.7 11.4 .586 5.7 8.0 .706 0.0 0.0 .000

Recruiting Notes:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Qualified: Yes
Current interest in Lafayette: Low
Rankings: #62 Overall, #11 C, East Region #14 Overall, East Region #5 C
High School Awards: All-State
Top 5 Schools: Seton Hall, Virginia Tech, Pittsburgh, Maryland, Georgetown

Danny Chestnut is a four-star big man from Pennsylvania, who expresses a Low degree of interest in playing for us. I liked the look of his statistics, so I went ahead and made him a scholarship offer.

Danny is already an outstanding shot creator, and he's a tough defender. Our offer didn't make him any more interested in our program than he already was, but starting this month, we'll be able to visit him. Coaches Sims and Manion will do so right away.

Chestnut is, admittedly, a long shot for us. James Zimmer is perhaps a more realistic target.

#23 C James Zimmer
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Height: 6-10
Weight: 246
High School: Bruton High School
Hometown: Williamsburg, VA
GPA: 2.76
Test Score: 1200
Rating: ***

Attributes:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Type INS JPS FTS 3PS HND PAS ORB DRB PSD PRD STL BLK QKN STR JMP STA
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Current: 37 40 44 0 31 28 36 19 48 16 43 48 33 83 32 50
Potential: B C C F C D C C B D C B

Season Stats:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PTS OREB REB AST TOS A/T STL BLK PFS
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
21.5 2.8 7.6 1.3 2.1 0.62 2.0 2.0 2.7

Shooting Averages:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
FGM FGA FG% FTM FTA FT% 3PM 3PA 3P%
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
8.9 15.2 .587 3.7 6.8 .537 0.0 0.0 .000

Recruiting Notes:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Qualified: Yes
Current interest in Lafayette: High
Rankings: #31 C, Southeast Region #56 Overall, Southeast Region #6 C
High School Awards: All-State
Top 5 Schools: *American, James Madison, East Carolina, George Washington, *Hampton

Zimmer has been a productive scorer in high school, and he's the kind of willing, effective defender we expect our big men to be. Two teams have already offered Zimmer, and they're close to his Virginia home.

Our scouts think he has Blue potential. If that's true, I don't think I'd like to see him in an American uniform twice a year. Let's offer him a scholarship and see if we can win a Patriot League recruiting battle. Our recruiting duo of Sims and Manion will also travel down to the colonial capital.

We've never had a Mr. Basketball winner on our roster. Might high-scoring wing Horace Lucas be our first?

#53 SF Horace Lucas
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Height: 6-6
Weight: 221
High School: Greencastle-Antrim High School
Hometown: Greencastle, PA
GPA: 2.58
Test Score: 1140
Rating: ***

Attributes:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Type INS JPS FTS 3PS HND PAS ORB DRB PSD PRD STL BLK QKN STR JMP STA
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Current: 48 36 54 60 34 28 26 0 37 19 48 23 46 61 80 28
Potential: C B B A C D D F C D C C

Season Stats:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PTS OREB REB AST TOS A/T STL BLK PFS
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
22.3 2.3 4.5 2.2 1.6 1.42 2.4 0.9 2.5

Shooting Averages:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
FGM FGA FG% FTM FTA FT% 3PM 3PA 3P%
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
8.7 16.8 .519 2.9 3.5 .829 2.0 5.4 .361

Recruiting Notes:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Qualified: Yes
Current interest in Lafayette: Average
Rankings: #68 Overall, #14 SF, East Region #16 Overall, East Region #4 SF
High School Awards: All-State, Mr. Basketball (Pennsylvania)
Top 5 Schools: Hofstra, Saint Joseph's, *George Mason, Rutgers, Drexel

The Keystone State's top player can shoot, as evidenced by his high FG% and FT%. He's vulnerable to being beaten on the perimeter, but he's strong enough to hold his own in the post. We're going to offer him a scholarship and see if we can keep him close to home. Coaches Sims and Manion won't have to travel far to visit him.

The most enticing guard we've seen is Joshua Burke, another Pennsylvania player.

#0 PG Joshua Burke
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Height: 6-4
Weight: 197
High School: Palmyra Area High School
Hometown: Palmyra, PA
GPA: 2.60
Test Score: 1120
Rating: ****

Attributes:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Type INS JPS FTS 3PS HND PAS ORB DRB PSD PRD STL BLK QKN STR JMP STA
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Current: 38 70 38 36 47 34 9 5 10 48 36 27 94 32 34 25
Potential: D B D B C C F F D B D B

Season Stats:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PTS OREB REB AST TOS A/T STL BLK PFS
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
20.1 1.2 2.9 4.4 2.1 2.07 1.8 0.6 2.9

Shooting Averages:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
FGM FGA FG% FTM FTA FT% 3PM 3PA 3P%
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
9.0 16.5 .545 0.5 0.9 .556 1.6 4.6 .337

Recruiting Notes:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Qualified: Yes
Current interest in Lafayette: Average
Rankings: #54 Overall, #14 PG, East Region #12 Overall, East Region #3 PG
High School Awards: All-State
Top 5 Schools: Maryland, Georgetown, Michigan State, Duke, *Virginia

More of a lead guard than a pure, pass-first point, Burke is incredibly quick and features a smooth jumper. He also takes pride in his defense.

Most four-star players put Power Five schools on their wish lists, and Joshua is no exception. He holds an offer from Virginia, and he's about to get one from Lafayette, too. Will that turn his Average interest into something more promising? We'll visit him at home, too.

We're looking at two more post players for our last offer: Chris Bickford and Jonathan Baldwin.

#14 C Chris Bickford
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Height: 6-10
Weight: 234
High School: Fremont High School
Hometown: Fremont, MI
GPA: 2.67
Test Score: 1120
Rating: ***

Attributes:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Type INS JPS FTS 3PS HND PAS ORB DRB PSD PRD STL BLK QKN STR JMP STA
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Current: 31 10 36 0 23 19 58 62 37 25 33 6 31 78 19 9
Potential: C F B F C C A B B D D F

Season Stats:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PTS OREB REB AST TOS A/T STL BLK PFS
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
21.8 4.5 15.0 1.9 1.7 1.12 1.3 0.9 2.2

Shooting Averages:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
FGM FGA FG% FTM FTA FT% 3PM 3PA 3P%
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
9.4 14.8 .632 3.1 4.5 .689 0.0 0.0 .000

Recruiting Notes:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Qualified: Yes
Current interest in Lafayette: Average
Rankings: #40 C, Midwest Region #70 Overall, Midwest Region #10 C
High School Awards: All-State, Mr. Basketball (Michigan)
Top 5 Schools: *Marquette, Green Bay, Michigan State, Central Michigan, Milwaukee

#33 C Jonathan Baldwin
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Height: 6-7
Weight: 235
High School: Pikesville High School
Hometown: Baltimore, MD
GPA: 2.76
Test Score: 1010
Rating: ***

Attributes:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Type INS JPS FTS 3PS HND PAS ORB DRB PSD PRD STL BLK QKN STR JMP STA
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Current: 29 37 48 44 29 36 47 41 62 11 37 23 12 76 29 11
Potential: D B B C D C B B A D C D

Season Stats:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PTS OREB REB AST TOS A/T STL BLK PFS
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
13.5 3.3 12.1 1.5 2.7 0.56 1.9 0.7 2.1

Shooting Averages:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
FGM FGA FG% FTM FTA FT% 3PM 3PA 3P%
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
5.2 10.7 .481 2.8 3.8 .737 0.4 1.8 .200

Recruiting Notes:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Qualified: Yes
Current interest in Lafayette: Very High
Rankings: East Region #94 Overall, East Region #18 C
High School Awards: None
Top 5 Schools: Georgetown, Lafayette, Columbia, James Madison, VCU

Bickford is a better scorer right now, and our staff believe that will always be the case. Both players are god-tier rebounders, with Bickford getting the edge there, too. Baldwin is an exceptional defensive player, and Bickford is "only" good.

Bickford looks like the better player...but Baldwin already really likes us, and Bickford has an offer in hand from Marquette. I choose Baldwin, and because his interest in us is Very High, we can bring him to campus for a visit.

[MoonlightGraham]

September 1, 2018

Our visit to Danny Chestnut's home didn't impress him at all. We're not listed among Danny's top five schools, and two programs who are--Virginia Tech and Maryland--have offered him. His interest in our program is still Low. It's time to turn our attention elsewhere.

James Zimmer has culled his list to two; it's American and Lafayette. Should I worry that James still expresses Average interest in playing for us? The Eagles' head coach is Jose Black, in his first year with the big whistle. He's been an assistant at Richmond, NC State, and Valparaiso. Graham and Steven Manion are considerably better recruiters than Black and his recruiter, Doug Catlett. Our facilities are better, too. And we can remind a recruit that every player in our program has been to the NCAA tournament every year he's been with us.

I'm going to fight this battle at least a month longer. We're bringing Big Zim to Lafayette, and our recruiting team will visit his family, too.

Jonathan Baldwin might be close to signing with us. We're now his #1 choice, and the four schools below us have not offered him. We'll continue our max recruiting effort with him, and see if we can get his signature while his high school buddies are still playing football and marching in the band.

We're getting the same vibes from Joshua Burke that we're getting from Danny Chestnut. Apparently four-star players still think they're too good for Lafayette. That's cool, Josh. Michigan State collects guys like you on their bench, and sometimes they get to play in games.

Eddie Dahlberg, a three-star shooting guard who was recently crowned Mr. Basketball in his home state of New Jersey, has offers from three prominent programs.

#55 SG Eddie Dahlberg
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Height: 6-1
Weight: 183
High School: Pascack Hills High School
Hometown: Montvale, NJ
GPA: 2.33
Test Score: 900
Rating: ***

Attributes:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Type INS JPS FTS 3PS HND PAS ORB DRB PSD PRD STL BLK QKN STR JMP STA
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Current: 54 45 38 71 28 41 21 20 25 43 40 50 67 60 82 39
Potential: C C C A C C D F D C B C

Season Stats:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PTS OREB REB AST TOS A/T STL BLK PFS
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
20.6 1.8 4.7 5.4 2.7 2.02 2.2 0.7 2.7

Shooting Averages:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
FGM FGA FG% FTM FTA FT% 3PM 3PA 3P%
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
8.7 18.0 .482 1.0 1.8 .556 2.3 7.1 .326

Recruiting Notes:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Qualified: Yes
Current interest in Lafayette: Average
Rankings: #86 Overall, #21 SG, East Region #19 Overall, East Region #2 SG
High School Awards: All-State, Mr. Basketball (New Jersey)
Top 5 Schools: *Providence, *Villanova, *Maryland, Lafayette

I have a good feeling about this one; good enough to offer him and see what happens if we recruit him actively. Perhaps a visit to our campus will impress him.

We're still in the running with Horace Lucas, who has us on his list now. We've got some schools to overtake, however. We'll invite Horace to campus and send Graham and Steven to his home.

I'm going to play it safe with our final scholarship offer. Harold Kucera is a two-star player who loves us.

#52 C Harold Kucera
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Height: 6-11
Weight: 261
High School: Hanover Park High School
Hometown: East Hanover, NJ
GPA: 2.35
Test Score: 990
Rating: **

Attributes:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Type INS JPS FTS 3PS HND PAS ORB DRB PSD PRD STL BLK QKN STR JMP STA
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Current: 39 23 62 48 36 27 57 32 30 10 10 11 11 79 23 64
Potential: C C A C C D B C C F D D

Season Stats:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PTS OREB REB AST TOS A/T STL BLK PFS
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
26.4 3.8 10.0 1.6 1.4 1.19 0.6 1.2 2.4

Shooting Averages:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
FGM FGA FG% FTM FTA FT% 3PM 3PA 3P%
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
9.4 18.2 .514 7.2 9.4 .765 0.6 2.6 .212

Recruiting Notes:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Qualified: Yes
Current interest in Lafayette: Very High
Rankings: None
High School Awards: None
Top 5 Schools: Lafayette, Long Island, Pennsylvania, Fairleigh Dickinson, Columbia

At first glance, I wouldn't project Harold as a starter for us. He scores a ton of points, however, and he looks like his scoring and rebounding totals are supported by talent. Samuel Davis was also a two-star player, and now he's the Patriot League Player of the Year.

We offer Harold a scholarship and spend the rest of our recruiting cash on him.

[MoonlightGraham]

October 1, 2018

Here's an update on the players we're recruiting, and it's not pretty at all.

James Zimmer: The Virginia big man is still considering American and Lafayette. The Eagles are still listed at #1, but James' interest has been upgraded to High. I'm going to see this fight through to the finish, sending our coaches to visit him again.

Jonathan Baldwin: The situation looks just like it did last month. We're still the only program who has offered him a scholarship, and we're still in the pole position. Perhaps one more month's worth of recruiting will get it done.

Horace Lucas: We're not in quite as good a position with this talented wing. St. Joseph's, always one of his favorite schools, has offered him now. We're running third, behind St. Joe's and George Mason, and Horace expresses Average interest in playing for us.

Eddie Dahlberg: See above. We're battling Providence and Villanova, both of whom have offered Eddie, and his interest level is Average.

Harold Kucera: Suddenly, we're third on Horace's list, too! Out of nowhere, offers from Fairleigh Dickinson and Quinnipiac have turned his head, and he's downgraded his interest to High. Their Prestige scores combined are still lower than Lafayette's.

Now I'm stumped. I really don't want to screw this recruiting season up. There are two players in the nation who have Very High interest in playing for us. One of them is Baldwin. The other is a one-star guard whose national ranking is in the 1400s. Our walk-ons are better than he is.

The last time we had five scholarships to offer, we signed Richard Leak(*), Raleigh McGinty (**), Johnathan Blouin (***), Samuel Davis (**), and Otis Hall (*). The highest-rated player, Blouin, has been useful, but he hasn't been a star. Leak is our starting point guard. Hall has been a first team All-Patriot League player. Davis has been a TWO-TIME first team All-Patriot League player. Am I becoming so drawn to players with lots of stars that I've stopped looking for players with the right attributes for our program?

I revoke our offers to Lucas and Dahlberg. Too many things have to change in our favor for us to sign them. I'll stick with Kucera and Zimmer for one more month. I think they'll sign with someone by then, and hopefully it will be Lafayette.

I decide to see if there are any good players who haven't received any offers yet. I manage to find a handful who look promising, whose stats indicate they might be our kind of player.

Matt Robles is a center from Michigan whose stats indicate he's a high-percentage shooter and a very good rebounder and shot blocker. John Gillard, a wing from South Carolina, averages 28 points and 6 rebounds a game. Both are three-star players. Both Matt and John have bigger programs on their lists, but so far their love is unrequited. I decide to offer them right away, before someone else can pounce, and spend as much recruiting capital on them as I can.

I'll wait to tell you more about Robles and Gillard for now. If they sign with us, they'll get the full measure of love.

Recruiting in FBCB is maddeningly enjoyable! ;)

[MoonlightGraham]

November 1, 2018

Bad news comes in fours this month.

John Gillard got another offer in October. It came from Clemson, and that's the one this South Carolina boy accepted. John, we hardly knew ye.

We also learn we've lost the top player on our board. James Zimmer is taking his Blue potential to American. I hope Samuel Davis shows him who the alpha dog in the Patriot League really is.

And Harold Kucera picks Fairleigh Dickinson. He'll probably play four years for them, score 1500 points, and become a campus legend. Best of luck to him.

We'll probably lose out on Matt Robles, too. Northwestern spotted him, and so did Temple. I do NOT want to lose a player to an area rival; getting beat by another Patriot League school is bad enough. We can bring him to campus, though, so we shall.

Jonathan Baldwin is still making us wait. The way things are going, that's really good news.

The next man up is Chris Diorio, a center from Indiana who is being courted by Ball State and Evansville. The three-star recruit gets an offer from us, and we'll do all we can to recruit him. We also take a longer look at three-star PG Ben Miele.

Hopefully we'll have better news to report next month.

[MoonlightGraham]

November 11, 2018

Training camp is over, and our players made good use of their improved training facilities!

LAFAYETTE Training Results

Player Ins Jps Fts 3ps Hnd Pas Orb Drb Psd Prd Stl Blk Qkn Str Jmp Sta
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Jamie Kelso 1 1 3 1 6 6 2 1 1 2 2 1 1 1 1 6
Richard Leak 1 1 1 4 10 10 5 3 2 4 4 2 1 1 0 7
Jack Senn 1 7 5 5 3 3 2 2 3 5 3 1 1 1 0 5
Otis Hall 4 3 0 0 2 2 8 6 3 1 4 7 1 3 1 9
Rob Prendergast 2 4 4 2 0 2 2 2 2 8 2 2 2 4 3 16
Todd DeHaven 6 1 1 1 1 1 4 8 6 1 1 2 1 2 0 0
Don Torres 1 2 3 1 0 2 0 0 1 1 1 1 0 1 1 8
Matthew Ackerman 4 4 2 6 2 0 0 2 2 8 2 2 2 4 1 20
Raleigh McGinty 6 1 0 1 1 1 3 2 2 1 1 2 1 2 1 5
Johnathon Blouin 5 2 2 1 1 1 7 10 5 1 1 5 1 3 1 6
Tim Hutchinson 6 7 5 4 3 7 3 3 2 4 7 2 0 2 1 6
Scott Cavanaugh 0 0 1 1 0 1 1 1 3 3 2 1 0 2 0 6
Daniel Warnock 2 2 6 2 5 1 2 4 6 3 1 2 0 2 1 0
James Standard 1 1 1 1 1 1 3 4 2 1 1 2 1 0 1 8
Samuel Davis 1 1 1 2 0 2 4 4 1 1 8 1 1 0 1 9


Now it's time to take a look at how Graham Sims will set up his rotation.

Every starter from a team that set a new Lafayette record with 31 wins and reached the Sweet Sixteen returns: center Samuel Davis; forwards Todd DeHaven and Daniel Warnock; guards Tim Hutchinson and Richard Leak. Most of these players have well-defined roles. Davis is the intimidator. Warnock and Hutchinson are the scorers. All three were All-Patriot League players, and Warnock was the Player of the Year. Leak is the distributor.

DeHaven, who missed much of his freshman year with injuries, is the only relatively unknown quantity. But he emerged from training camp as a Green/Green player, one who can control a game in a number of ways.

And, while Leak is a familiar face, he enters his senior season as a fully developed floor general. Now Green/Green, he's ready to provide the Leopards with an authoritative backcourt presence.

Jack Senn and Otis Hall will be the first players off the bench. Senn is an explosive scorer, Hall a well-rounded big man.

Next up will be big man Johnathan Blouin, who played well as a starter when DeHaven was hurt last year. Freshman Matthew Ackerman is already a Yellow/Blue player, and he could make an impact right away.

Senior Raleigh McGinty and first year Rob Prendergast will try to crack the rotation, but there might not be enough playing time to go around. I thought McGinty might transfer, but apparently his contributions during the NCAA tournament made him feel like sticking around for one more year.

[MoonlightGraham]

November 18, 2018
Lafayette 82, @Coppin State 78
Graham Sims warmly greets Bucknell alumnus Moses Washington, who is in his first season on Coppin State's coaching staff, and then coaches his team to an exciting victory in their season opener.

The Leopards have to come back from a 33-30 halftime deficit, getting the better of their hosts in a wide-open second half.

Todd DeHaven and Samuel Davis control the paint at both ends of the court. DeHaven scores 18 points and grabs 13 rebounds, while Davis rejects 6 shots to go along with his 8 points and 10 boards. Tim Hutchinson adds 17 points, Otis Hall gets 13 off the bench, and Daniel Warnock finishes with 10.

Richard Leak endures a shaky opening game, committing 5 turnovers against 6 assists.
Record: 1-0.


November 23, 2018
Island Invitational, First Round
(2) Lafayette 46, (7) East Carolina 45
Coach Sims and the Leopards pack their sunscreen and board shorts and travel out to Hawai'i for the Island Classic. We barely escape the first round, when a foul line jumper by Hugh Reese bounces safely off the rim.

It's an ugly, gnarly game in which neither team can penetrate their opponents' defense. Tim Hutchinson scores 16 for us, and Todd DeHaven has his second double-double in two games, turning over a pair of 11s.
Record: 2-0.


November 25, 2018
Island Invitational Semi-Final
(2) Lafayette 67, (6) Florida Atlantic 53
Florida Atlantic upset Seton Hall to reach the semi-final, where we take care of them in classic Lafayette style.

We hold the Owls to a 19-52 performance from the floor, and they miss all seven threes they attempt. We're still not sharp offensively either, as we make only 42.1% of our shots and go a reckless 11-for-27 from behind the arc.

Daniel Warnock is the only Leopard in double figures, with 18. Samuel Davis scores 7, with 10 rebounds and 4 blocks.

We end the day at #5 in the Mid Major rankings.
Record: 3-0.


November 27, 2018
Island Classic Championship Game
(2) Lafayette 87, (1) #23 Oregon 57
Wow. We come at our ranked opponent from the tip-off and don't let up for 40 minutes. Considering the quality of the opponent, it's perhaps the best performance a Graham Sims team has ever delivered.

Sixth man Jack Senn fires 10 threes and hits 5 of them, en route to 17 points. Tim Hutchinson (4-8 from three, 18 points total) and Daniel Warnock (4-6 from three, 16 points total) are almost as effective as snipers, and Todd DeHaven adds 15 points from close range.

Samuel Davis enjoys another signature game: 7 points, 9 rebounds, 5 blocks. He grins broadly as he lifts the tournament trophy above his head, a photo that will grace the banner of the Lafayette men's basketball webpage.

I hope some of those recruits are watching...
Record: 4-0.

https://i.imgur.com/w7vi7LL.jpg


November 28, 2018
@#8 Villanova 67, Lafayette 57
Only in FBCB can you schedule a game in eastern Pennsylvania a day after playing in Hawai'i. To be fair, I didn't know about the Island Invitational bid before I booked a game against Coach Sims's alma mater.

We actually play quite well against the Wildcats, whom we limit to 39.4% shooting and 4-19 from three-point territory. Daniel Warnock plays like a POY, going off for 26 points. Our bigs, Samuel Davis and Otis Hall, drive Gerald Eubanks crazy. Each of them block 5 shots, rejecting Eubanks several times and forcing him into a 3-for-11 nightmare. Todd DeHaven, a Philadelphia lad, gets 11 rebounds.

Villanova's superior depth makes the difference. Four Wildcats score in double figures, and Tim Hutchinson's 12 points are our next high.

It's our first loss of the season, but it's not a bad one.
Record: 4-1.

[MoonlightGraham]

December 1, 2018

Our first piece of good recruiting news arrives today. Our autumnal recruitment of Matt Robles pays off, and he commits to our program today. Let's take that closer look at him, now that he's ours.

RECRUIT DETAILS

#24 C Matt Robles
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Height: 6-8
Weight: 202
High School: Baraga Area High School
Hometown: Baraga, MI
GPA: 2.42
Test Score: 980
Rating: ***

Attributes:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Type INS JPS FTS 3PS HND PAS ORB DRB PSD PRD STL BLK QKN STR JMP STA
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Current: 80 30 20 0 0 31 7 55 23 34 8 53 28 59 23 4
Potential: A D D F D D F B D C F B

Season Stats:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PTS OREB REB AST TOS A/T STL BLK PFS
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
13.2 1.9 11.3 1.2 3.1 0.39 0.3 3.4 3.0

Shooting Averages:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
FGM FGA FG% FTM FTA FT% 3PM 3PA 3P%
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
5.6 9.7 .577 2.0 3.6 .549 0.0 0.0 .000

Recruiting Notes:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Qualified: Yes
Committed to Lafayette
Rankings: #48 C, Midwest Region #85 Overall, Midwest Region #13 C
High School Awards: None
Top 5 Schools: Northwestern, *Lafayette, Michigan State

Hailing from the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, Matt is listed as a center, although he's considerably less massive than our usual fives. He does manage to block a lot of shots, however, and he does a very good job on the defensive glass.

His most exciting attribute is his ability to create his own shots. He doesn't have much of a jumper, so I'm envisioning a slashing player who might be well suited to move to the wing. He seems comfortable guarding players away from the basket, too.

This time, there's no bad news to spoil our party. Jonathan Baldwin got an offer from VCU, so now he has options to consider. He still lists us as his top choice, and we're going to send Coaches Sims and Manion to Baltimore to visit his family again. Graham doesn't mind. He's especially fond of the pit beef at Chaps, on the Pulaski Highway.

We're still in the running with Chris Diorio, who says Evansville is his top choice, with Lafayette now second. He's from Indiana, so it might be difficult to lure him away from his home state. It worked with Robles, though, so perhaps we can convince Chris to come east to play for a bigger program.

I decide to make an offer to Ben Miele, too. He's averaging a 20/10 double-double per game for his Florida high school, and our staff think the jumper and playmaking ability are real. Ben doesn't seem to have a problem leaving Florida; his offer from Eastern Michigan appeals most to him right now. Let's do all we can to convince him that eastern Pennsylvania is a better place to spend the next four years.

[MoonlightGraham]

December 1, 2018
Lafayette 100, @Mount St. Mary's 59
A Lafayette team sets a new record for points tonight, surpassing the 96 we hung on Lehigh in February 2015.

Daniel Warnock becomes the fourth Leopard to score at least 30 points in a game. Who are the other three? Here's a hint: One of them did it four times; the others, once each. I'll give you the answer at the bottom of the post.

Tim Hutchinson scores 18, and Todd DeHaven contributes another double-double with 13 points and 11 rebounds. Sixth man Jack Senn also has 13, and Samuel Davis 12. Eight of the 31 baskets we score are set up by Richard Leak.

We're still #5 in the Mid Major polls. Temple is a unanimous choice for #1.
Record: 5-1.


December 7, 2018
@Lafayette 77, Long Island 59
Finally, our first home game. Our fans admire the new Patriot League conference banner, and a program first: a lovely maroon gonfalon that recognizes last year's trip to the Sweet Sixteen.

The crowd at the Kirby Center, including a loud, joyful student section, watch us handle the visiting Sharks, who put up quite a fight for 30 minutes or so. Daniel Warnock's 23 points lead all scorers. Todd DeHaven snags another 11 rebounds, and Richard Leak hands out another 7 dimes.

Our bench players are especially productive; Jack Senn scores 15 points, while Otis Hall has 8 with 7 rebounds.
Record: 6-1.


December 11, 2018
@Lafayette 67, Hofstra 56
The Pride demonstrate that quality tonight, giving us a good game that is closer than the score indicates. We pulled away in the last few minutes when Hofstra players kept fouling Tim Hutchinson.

Tim hits 4 of 5 down the stretch to add to his game-high 19 points. Daniel Warnock (13), Jack Senn (11), and Todd DeHaven (10) join him in double figures. And Samuel Davis is credited with 6 blocks, while altering several more shots he didn't touch.
Record: 7-1.


December 14, 2018
Lafayette 78, @William & Mary 45
Behind 23 more points from Daniel Warnock, we cap off a pleasant visit to Williamsburg with a resounding victory.

Warnock and his backcourt partner, Tim Hutchinson, combine to shoot 9-18 from three-point distance. Hutchinson finishes with 18 points of his own. Todd DeHaven scores 10, and so does freshman Matthew Ackerman.
Record: 8-1.


December 17, 2018
@Lafayette 74, Rutgers 53
Rutgers tries gunning us down from behind the arc, and their strategy doesn't work very well. Only 3 of their 27 attempts from there go in. Meanwhile, Tim Hutchinson scores 20 and Daniel Warnock 10, while five other teammates contribute at least six to round out a balanced attack for the newly crowned #4 Mid Major team in the nation.

Richard Leak barely misses a double double; he's 9 and 9, but the latter category isn't assists. It's rebounds, which is a career high for the 6'0" guard. And, interestingly, his career high in points is only 10. "Pass first" is clearly the rule for our backcourt conductor.
Record: 9-1.


December 19, 2018
@Lafayette 68, Siena 47
The Saints try the same strategy that Rutgers attempted the other evening. It works only a little better for them; Siena makes 3 of their 22 three-point tries.

That's a very good performance from us, but not a totally unpredictable one. We're the 7th best team in opposing three-point percentage (.245), and only four teams limit their foes to fewer points per shot than our 1.01.

Five Leopards score between 9 and 13 points: Todd DeHaven (9), Richard Leak (10, tying his career high :) ), Tim Hutchinson (10), Matthew Ackerman (11), and Daniel Warnock (13).
Record: 10-1.


December 26, 2018
@#25 Lafayette 72, La Salle 68
La Salle nearly earns the achievement of beating a ranked team on the road in this Boxing Day contest. In fact, the Explorers don't surrender their last lead of the game until 2:04 remains, when Daniel Warnock knocks down a three.

Todd DeHaven is the star, with 23 points and 11 rebounds. He ties a Patriot League record by making 15 free throws; even more impressively, he shoots a perfect 15-for-15. Daniel Warnock contributes 14, and Samuel Davis asserts himself with 10 rebounds and 5 blocks.

We move up to #3 in the Mid Major poll, behind Xavier and Utah State.

The Utah State program deserves some recognition here. They dominate the WAC, winning 6 conference championships, and their total of 204 wins in my universe ranks fourth, behind Illinois (226), Mississippi State (216), and Kansas (206).
Record: 11-1.


December 30, 2018
@#9 Vanderbilt 63, #25 Lafayette 57
I scheduled a road game at Vanderbilt back in the summer, and it turns out to be a battle of ranked teams that doesn't disappoint.

Both teams are known for playing solid defense, and that's what we do tonight. We hold the Commodores to 34.9% shooting, and they hold us to 34.5% Honestly, Vanderbilt wins this one at the free throw line; they make 13 to our 6.

Tim Hutchinson leads us with 18 points, and Daniel Warnock backs him up with 15. Todd DeHaven completes his fifth double-double of the season in fine style, with 13 of each.
Record: 11-2.

Dynasty Trivia answer: Robert Castleman and James Sanders each scored exactly 30 points in a game. Joe Lien had games of 30, 30, 33, and 37 points in his three-year career. Joe's high game of 37 came against Bucknell on February 20, 2016.

[MoonlightGraham]

January 1, 2019

We go 1-for-2 in big man signings today.

Chris Diorio decided to play his college basketball close to home. The two-star prospect from Indianapolis signs with Evansville.

But we get good news from Jonathan Baldwin. He's played center in high school, but I think his 6'7", 235-pound frame will play better at the four in college. Wherever he ends up, I envision him as a Blue Collar Man, a tough rebounder and an elite post defender.

Jonathan is our second three-star signing, following Matt Robles. We still have a long way to go, but I'm feeling a bit better about our recruiting class now.

There's good news about Ben Miele, too. He'd like to play for Florida, but the Gators haven't offered him a scholarship yet. We have, and we're next on his list. Better still, Ben says his interest in us is now Very High. That means Coaches Sims and Manion can visit him. How does a January trip to Riviera Beach, Florida sound, guys?

[MoonlightGraham]

January 4, 2019
Lafayette 73, @Columbia 46
Our road loss to a Top Ten team causes the voters to turn their noses up at us, and we lose our spot in the Top 25. We take our frustrations out on the Lions with a smothering defense.

Columbia makes less than a third of their shots, while we make half of ours. We usually don't generate a lot of turnovers--we're not an Izulde Jestor-style team--but tonight, we win that battle 18-11.

Tim Hutchinson makes 9 of his 10 field goal attempts and scores 27 points, while Todd DeHaven adds 15 and Daniel Warnock 10. Big Sazzy ends the night with as many blocked shots (6) as points (3) and rebounds (3) combined. How often do you see a stat line like that?
Record: 12-2.


January 8, 2019
@Lafayette 75, Saint Joseph's 62
Not long ago, we would have been considered an underdog in a game against a Big Five opponent. Now we're the favorite, and we play like it in our last tune-up before the Patriot League season begins.

If I make up a game called Whose Stat Line Is This? based on tonight's game, I doubt you'd guess many correct answers.

For example, if I ask "Who leads Lafayette with 16 points?" I doubt you'd say "That's easy. It's Richard Leak." Richard does have 7 assists, which is a much more Leak-like accomplishment.

How about "Who has a double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds?" Would you say "Come on, give me a tough one. That's obviously Tim Hutchinson."?

Todd DeHaven's 11 points are more predictable; Daniel Warnock's 11 points less so.
Record: 13-2.

2018 Patriot League Standings

TEAM CW CL Pct W L Pct RPI Prestige
----------------------------------------------------------
Lafayette 0 0 .000 13 2 .867 19 62
Army 0 0 .000 12 3 .800 13 30
Holy Cross 0 0 .000 9 5 .643 117 45
American 0 0 .000 7 7 .500 138 45
Bucknell 0 0 .000 6 7 .462 196 35
Navy 0 0 .000 5 8 .385 328 29
Colgate 0 0 .000 4 9 .308 215 35
Lehigh 0 0 .000 3 11 .214 258 30

Our conference opener against Army will be one to watch. Army is legit good; they beat a ranked Tennessee team at home by 23 points. American beat Duke, and while this year's Duke team isn't good by their standards, they're still Duke.

We are the 10th toughest team to score against in all of Division I, allowing our opponents only 56.8 PPG. Our opponents shoot .370 from the floor, which is also 10th nationally. We're even tougher against opposing three-point shooters; they make .267 of their shots, which ranks us 7th. And, most impressively, only North Carolina (0.93) and Mississippi State (0.97) hold their opponents to fewer points per shot than we do (1.00).

One of the best things about this very, very good game is the fact that I can start a dynasty with the goal of creating a team with a particular identity. I envisioned a Lafayette team that was known for this kind of defensive resilience. This isn't the first Lafayette team to play this way. It's becoming a tradition in Leopard Country.

I figure if I was coaching Villanova or Duke or Kansas and had a decent shot at signing any players I liked, I could create any kind of team I wanted. I am making that happen with a team with 27 Prestige in a Level 1 conference. That's an endorsement of the game, more than an endorsement of my ability to play it.

[MoonlightGraham]

January 12, 2019
@Lafayette 77, Army 60
This is a bigger win than it might ordinarily seem to be, because the Black Knights are really good this year.

Chris Buckley and Eldridge Hawkinson combine to average 36 points a game. Buckley gets his--he finishes with 21, a point above his average--but we hold the Hawk to 9, and he fouls out trying to guard Daniel Warnock, who scores 21.

DW still yields the spotlight to Tim Hutchinson, who fires in 26. Richard Leak, the Patriot League's leading assist man, does his thing with 7 helpers.
Record: 14-2 (1-0).


January 16, 2019
@#25 Lafayette 81, Lehigh 74
Lehigh, on the other hand, has been terrible this year. They still give us a very good game, and trail us by only a single point at halftime before we slowly pull away a bit.

I seem to remember Timothy Pinto having a good game against us last year. He certainly did this year: 24 points and 9 rebounds. But the Warnock-Hutchinson Show is bringing back memories of Joe Lien and Herbert Song. Tonight, they combine for a cool 46: 26 from Daniel, 20 from Tim. Todd DeHaven backs them up with 11 points, and Otis Hall matches Todd from off the bench.

Samuel Davis takes the night off from blocking shots, so Hutchinson fills the breach and blocks 3 of them.
Record: 15-2 (2-0).


January 19, 2019
@#25 Lafayette 74, Navy 49
Tonight, Tim Hutchinson rests his shooting arm, attempting only five shots. Daniel Warnock does not, however, and finishes with a game-high 18 points that barely exceed his average output. Todd DeHaven, one of our more efficient shooters, puts on a clinic with a 7-for-8 performance and 18 points of his own.

Richard Leak has 7 assists, and sixth man Jack Senn doesn't miss a shot of any kind and ends up with 10 points.

It's time to start a Block Watch for Samuel Davis, who is climbing the leader board for blocked shots in a career. His 3 rejections tonight run his total to 339, which is 13th all-time. Mississippi State star Ben Forte's record of 468 is out of reach, but there's a chance Big Sazzy could end up #3 all time, with 400 or so to his credit.
Record: 16-2 (3-0).


January 23, 2019
@Holy Cross 58, #24 Lafayette 48
For a few days, the Philadelphia area regained a bit of its historic role as a college basketball Mecca. #2 Villanova, #14 Temple, and #24 Lafayette gave eastern Pennsylvania a trio of ranked teams. Temple and Lafayette were both in the top three in the Mid Major rankings. Our trip to Worcester tarnishes that image somewhat, as we don't play like one of the top teams in the nation.

We shoot poorly and turn the ball over too much. We're out-rebounded and we foul too often. When we hold our opponent to under 60 points, we almost always win. If you exclude Graham's first season, when he was playing with other coaches' recruits only, Lafayette has lost only four such games.

Daniel Warnock leads us with 15 points. Samuel Davis has 9, with 10 rebounds.

Big Sazzy Block Watch: Samuel blocks only two shots, but his total of 341 ties Randolph Milligan, USC '17, for 12th place all-time.
Record: 16-3 (3-1).


January 26, 2019
#24 Lafayette 46, @Bucknell 43
We nearly do the "play good defense and lose anyway" thing again, as our offense sputters even worse than it did against Holy Cross. We make only 28 percent of our shots, and 5-27 from three. Yuck.

Again, Daniel Warnock's 15 points are high for us. Richard Leak has 10 with 6 assists, and Todd DeHaven 11 with 10 rebounds.

Big Sazzy Block Watch: The big man takes only two shots himself, but blocks 4 of other people's attempts. His new total of 345 puts him in 11th place, passing Joseph Navarro, UNLV '14.
Record: 17-3 (4-1).


January 30, 2019
@Lafayette 67, American 52
Much more like it. The defense is Lafayette standard; the Eagles make only 3 of 18 threes, and only 21 of their 55 shots, period.

They defend Daniel Warnock well, holding him to 9 points, but Tim Hutchinson scores 21 with 8 rebounds. Todd DeHaven (14) and Jack Senn (11) provide scoring support, and Richard Leak sets a new team record with 9 assists.

Big Sazzy Block Watch: Three more rejections bring Samuel's total to 348...and move him into the top ten all-time! He passes Odell Caraballo, Wisconsin '15.
Record: 18-3 (5-1).

[MoonlightGraham]

SPECIAL FEATURE

I just discovered one of the most notable achievements in Lafayette basketball history, one I completely missed when it happened. It's time to set that right.

A while ago, I was trying to find out more about the shot-blockers Samuel Davis was passing on his way up the career leader board. I wondered if any of them had been selected in the pro draft, so I checked out the draft lists.

2015 Draft Results

# Pos Name Ht Yr Team
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. PF Denny Vaillancourt 6-9 Jr Washington
2. SG Chase Thomson 6-3 Jr Duke
3. SF Rashad Hector 6-4 Jr Louisville
4. PG Abraham Hodgkins 6-0 Jr Tennessee
5. SG Gordon Bass 6-8 Jr Oklahoma
6. PF Chris Cordoba 6-9 Jr Texas
7. SG Armando Bueno 6-5 Jr Maryland
8. SF Carl Jones 6-4 Jr Illinois
9. PF James Red 6-9 Jr North Carolina
10. PF Jacinto Struck 6-9 Jr Louisiana State
11. C Cristopher Behling 6-9 Jr Hofstra
12. C Thomas Wilds 6-9 Jr Kansas
13. PG Britt Burkhart 6-1 Jr Temple
14. C Brenton Aitken 6-11 Jr UCLA
15. C Michael Cohen 6-9 Jr Georgia
16. SF Charles Musso 6-6 Jr Minnesota
17. C Eugenio Cogan 6-10 Jr California
18. C Brett Sales 6-10 Jr UTEP
19. SF Homer Christian 6-8 Sr Michigan State
20. SF Branden Odaniel 6-6 Sr Gonzaga
21. SF Arthur Gholston 6-7 Jr Vanderbilt
22. C Glen Council 6-10 Jr Duquesne
23. PF Daniel Ransom 6-9 Jr Xavier
24. PF Benedict Turner 6-9 Jr Creighton
25. SG John Williams 6-6 Jr Georgetown
26. SG Oliver Hoye 6-4 Sr Pittsburgh
27. PF Brian Haller 6-9 Sr Brigham Young
28. C Isaac Sousa 6-9 Sr Georgetown
29. C Justin Coe 7-0 Jr Wisconsin
30. C Benny Anton 6-9 Jr Washington
31. PF Barnabé Debouvines 6-9 Sr William & Mary
32. C Brian Adams 6-10 Jr Saint Joseph's
33. C Ty Godin 6-9 Sr Tulane
34. C Jerrell Borrego 6-11 Sr Temple
35. C Robert Nava 7-0 Jr Arkansas State
36. C Lane Chapin 6-10 Sr Nebraska
37. C Merlin Savoy 6-11 Sr Tulsa
38. SF Daniel Withers 6-5 Jr Georgetown
39. SF Hobert Crowell 6-4 Sr Utah State
40. PF Garth Moorman 6-9 Sr Fairfield
41. PG Jesse Griffin 6-1 Sr Wisconsin
42. SG Richard McEwen 6-4 Jr Alcorn State
43. C John Goshorn 6-9 Sr Northern Arizona
44. C James Sanders 6-11 Sr Lafayette
45. SF Dane Hight 6-7 Jr Michigan State
46. SF Gerardo Blaney 6-7 Sr Providence
47. C Carl Krauss 6-10 Sr Louisville
48. SF Mack Whiteley 6-1 Sr Auburn
49. PG Earnest Wilson 6-1 Jr Xavier
50. C Moses Hallman 6-11 Jr Xavier
51. C Gary Paschke 6-10 Jr Belmont
52. PF Jerry McAlister 6-9 Jr College of Charleston
53. PG Silas Perryman 6-5 Sr Notre Dame
54. SG Merrill Lindo 6-1 Jr North Carolina State
55. SF Jack Rolfe 6-8 Sr Richmond
56. PF Henry Miller 6-6 Sr Utah State
57. C Gerald Rankins 6-9 Sr Pittsburgh
58. SG Dewey Carter 6-6 Sr Michigan State
59. C Stephen Coker 6-10 Sr Texas-Arlington
60. PF James Brown 6-8 Sr Ohio State

Do you see what I missed? Our James Sanders was picked in the second round of the pro draft!

I'm sure I got an email telling me this back in the spring of 2016, but I must have missed it. Now Big Colonel can take his rightful place as the first of Graham Sims' players to hear his name called on Draft Night.

I'll update his Senior Tribute, too. Sorry about that, big man.

[MoonlightGraham]

February 1, 2019

Our month begins with some bright news from the Sunshine State. Ben Miele will play his college basketball at Lafayette.

#35 PG Ben Miele
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Height: 5-11
Weight: 152
High School: Suncoast High School
Hometown: Riviera Beach, FL
GPA: 2.72
Test Score: 1000
Rating: ***

Attributes:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Type INS JPS FTS 3PS HND PAS ORB DRB PSD PRD STL BLK QKN STR JMP STA
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Current: 15 42 67 61 41 42 24 7 20 28 14 21 93 62 53 32
Potential: D B B B C A D F D B B D

Season Stats:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PTS OREB REB AST TOS A/T STL BLK PFS
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
21.7 2.5 4.4 10.4 2.1 5.05 2.3 0.5 1.3

Shooting Averages:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
FGM FGA FG% FTM FTA FT% 3PM 3PA 3P%
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
9.4 18.3 .514 0.8 1.1 .682 2.1 5.9 .356

Recruiting Notes:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Qualified: Yes
Committed to Lafayette
Rankings: #30 PG, Southeast Region #37 Overall, Southeast Region #15 PG
High School Awards: None
Top 5 Schools: *Lafayette, Florida, Georgetown, Duke

Now I wish I'd introduced Ben to you earlier. I'd become so tired of posting about recruits, only to see them go elsewhere, that I didn't feel like showing you his "hero card" unless he picked Lafayette. Now he's ours, so I'll point out that Ben is one of the most highly regarded players we've ever signed. He's a high 3-star recruit, ranked #112 nationally, and he's in roughly the same spots in the positional and regional rankings as players such as Joe Lien and Daniel Warnock. Players like Ben have good chances to develop into stars.

Ben is admittedly very raw for such a promising player. His shooting and passing are ahead of the other aspects of his game, but he'll need some polishing when he arrives in Easton. Then again, so did Hubert Song. And, like Song, Miele is exceptionally quick, and he's even stronger and more athletic.

It amazes me that nobody had offered him a scholarship until very late in the recruiting cycle, but I'm delighted things turned out this way.

We have three players signed now, with two scholarships still open. We need a big man, and I'd be open to looking at a taller wing player, too. Maybe a player like Rodney Lundgren will do.

#54 SF Rodney Lundgren
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Height: 6-8
Weight: 247
High School: South Jefferson High School
Hometown: Adams, NY
GPA: 2.40
Test Score: 1030
Rating: **

Attributes:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Type INS JPS FTS 3PS HND PAS ORB DRB PSD PRD STL BLK QKN STR JMP STA
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Current: 24 21 67 56 29 33 48 6 12 22 21 54 41 61 67 44
Potential: B C B B A C C C D D D C

Season Stats:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PTS OREB REB AST TOS A/T STL BLK PFS
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
20.0 2.9 8.0 4.0 1.8 2.26 1.6 3.5 2.4

Shooting Averages:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
FGM FGA FG% FTM FTA FT% 3PM 3PA 3P%
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
8.1 15.9 .506 2.8 3.7 .757 2.2 5.3 .406

Recruiting Notes:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Qualified: Yes
Current interest in Lafayette: Very High
Rankings: None
High School Awards: None
Top 5 Schools: Binghamton, Bucknell, Liberty, North Carolina Central, Lehigh

Rodney is a "small forward" in the sense that Venceslás Castillo was. He doesn't have the defensive nous that most Lafayette players have, but his stats and scouted ratings indicate a role as a high-scoring sixth man.

I offer Rodney a scholarship and invest as much recruiting capital in him as I can.

There aren't a lot of big men left with any interest in playing for us. I'm thinking about saving the scholarship for the transfer period. Since we have money in our budget to do so, I'll check out an Australian player named Gerald Pilkington. He's not very interested in playing for us now, but perhaps he might be if we express interest in him first. Coaches Sims and Manion will enjoy a bit of Australian summer on their visit to the Pilkington family.

[MoonlightGraham]

February 2, 2019
@Lafayette 70, Colgate 50
We shoot often but not accurately, and combined with another good defensive effort, it's enough to win against a scuffling Colgate team.

At first, I can't figure out how Jack Senn is named Player of the Game. He scores 8 points, but Todd DeHaven notches a 16/12 double-double, Daniel Warnock is nearly as good with 14/8, and Tim Hutchinson leads us with 17 points. Then I notice that Jack had 5 steals: one shy of Alvaro Kinard's team record. I'm guessing Alvaro played more than 19 minutes the night he set his record, too.

I'm going to try to find some minutes for Rob Prendergast. He's unhappy, and I'd like to keep him in our program.

Remember Roderick Gove? We recruited him in the fall of 2014, and I believed at the time he'd develop into an explosive scorer. He signed with Manhattan, and he's exactly the player I thought he'd be. He's currently leading the nation with 22.7 points per game.

Big Sazzy Block Watch: Three more blocks for Mr. Davis gives him 351 for his career and moves him up to #9 on the all-time list, passing Jose Forehand, East Carolina '17.
Record: 19-3 (6-1).

2018 Patriot League Standings

TEAM CW CL Pct W L Pct RPI Prestige
----------------------------------------------------------
Lafayette 6 1 .857 19 3 .864 19 62
Navy 5 2 .714 11 10 .524 230 29
Army 5 2 .714 17 5 .773 27 30
American 4 3 .571 12 10 .545 143 45
Holy Cross 4 3 .571 13 9 .591 104 45
Colgate 3 4 .429 7 13 .350 182 35
Bucknell 1 6 .143 8 13 .381 198 35
Lehigh 0 7 .000 3 18 .143 223 30

Right now, Army would join us in the NCAA tournament field, according to Bubble Watch.


February 5, 2019
#24 Lafayette 69, @Gardner Webb 56
We find ourselves back in the polls this week, and we return from a jaunt down South with our 20th win of the season.

Daniel Warnock and Tim Hutchinson score 17 apiece; Jack Senn adds 12 with another perfect shooting night (2-2 from three, 6-6 from the line); Todd DeHaven scores 9 with 12 rebounds.

Big Sazzy Block Watch: Samuel gets three more rejections tonight. He'll have to pick his pace up a bit to reach 400; he's on 354 now, but he passes Graig Simmons, Rice '14, to reach 8th place on the leader board.
Record: 20-3 (6-1).


February 9, 2019
#24 Lafayette 69, Army 46
Any pretensions Army might have had about being the best team in the Patriot League this season should have gone away tonight. We run our offense exceptionally well and keep Army from doing the same thing.

Tim Hutchinson's 19 points lead all scorers. Todd DeHaven (13) and Daniel Warnock (12) join him in double digits. Meanwhile, we hold Army's scoring duo to 9 total points: 6 for Chris Buckley and 3 for Eldridge Hawkinson.

Big Sazzy Block Watch: Samuel Davis must have heard me urging him to pick up the pace, because he turned away 6 shots tonight. He now has 360 career blocks. He passed Andreas Broenner, Vanderbilt '17, and tied Jerry Dixon, Albany '16, for #6 all time.
Record: 21-3 (7-1).


February 13, 2019
#21 Lafayette 77, @Navy 50
We're back up to #3 in the Mid Major poll, behind Temple and Utah State (as usual), and we have very little trouble with the Navy in Annapolis.

Daniel Warnock (19), Tim Hutchinson (16), and Todd DeHaven (16) are our three leading scorers. They're the three Leopards who average in double figures, so no surprises there. DeHaven, who adds 9 rebounds, is Player of the Game. Richard Leak keeps the shooters happy with 5 assists. Otis Hall comes off the bench to snag 9 rebounds.

Big Sazzy Block Watch: Three more blocks give Samuel 363 for his career. He's now in sole possession of 6th place on the leader board, and there's a very good chance that's where he'll remain. The player in fifth place, Lynwood Lane VCU '17, blocked 397 shots in his career.
Record: 22-3 (8-1).


February 16, 2019
#21 Lafayette 68, @Lehigh 50
At the conclusion of tonight's contest, Graham Sims stands in the visitor's locker room and humbly accepts a game ball in recognition of the 200th victory of his coaching career.

Graham's record now stands at 200-61. He won his 100th game on January 6, 2016, and since then he's run off a 100-17 record.

Coach Wins Records

# NAME SEASON RECORD CURRENT TEAM
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Daniel Chouinard 2018 238 Illinois
2. Mervin Heron 2018 214 North Carolina
3. Douglas Gillum 2018 214 Kansas
4. James Berube 2018 213 Mississippi State
5. Merlin Goshorn 2018 210 Michigan State
6. Tracy Norton 2018 207 Oklahoma
7. Kenneth Burroughs 2018 207 Southern California
8. Blaine Boyd 2018 204 Pittsburgh
9. Joshua Moll 2018 203 Vanderbilt
10. Louie Smith 2018 201 Duke
11. Graham Sims 2018 200 Lafayette
12. Ervin Gadson 2018 200 Boston College
13. Thaddeus Dorton 2018 197 Texas
14. Wallace Hastings 2018 197 Georgetown
15. J.C. Barker 2018 195 Wake Forest
16. Darius Adams 2017 193 Retired
17. James Glazier 2018 193 Villanova
18. Benton Brimmer 2018 192 Tennessee
19. Joseph Owens 2018 190 Wisconsin
20. Brooks Runyan 2018 188 Kentucky
21. Gerald Rasberry 2018 181 Maryland
22. Dewey Herold 2018 181 Syracuse
23. Charles Burns 2018 179 UAB
24. Clayton Mintz 2018 178 Temple
25. Wilford Kelm 2018 175 Louisville

Graham is one of an elite group of young coaches who have proven themselves to be winners. He's 39 now; two years older than Tracy Norton and one year older than Blaine Boyd. Illinois' Daniel Chouinard, who spent two years at Creighton before taking the whistle at Illinois and winning a national championship, is only 44.

The starring roles in tonight's milestone victory are played by the usual players. Daniel Warnock is the leading scorer with 17 points. Todd DeHaven scores 14, Tim Hutchinson 13. Richard Leak distributes 10 assists.

Big Sazzy Block Watch: The senior center celebrates by smacking down 6 Lehigh shots. He's blocked exactly 100 shots this season, and his career total climbs to 369.
Record: 23-3 (9-1).


February 20, 2019
#19 Lafayette 74, @Bucknell 34
Some Bucknell fans voice their displeasure with coach Patrick Bear after tonight's game; the Bison haven't had a winning season since 2012/13, and the memories of a couple of Patriot League tournament championships are quickly fading. Meanwhile, we're clinching at least a tie for another Patriot League title.

22 points from Daniel Warnock and 19 more from Tim Hutchinson seal Bucknell's fate; the two of them outscore the Bison by themselves.

Todd DeHaven rolled his ankle and left the game after three minutes. He's listed as day-to-day, and at 75% efficiency, he won't see the floor for a while. Otis Hall will replace him in the starting lineup, after playing well in 30 minutes of long relief (13 points, 9 rebounds).

Big Sazzy Block Watch: Only two for the big man tonight. He's up to 371 now.
Record: 24-3 (10-1).


February 23, 2019
@#19 Lafayette 61, Holy Cross 51
Leopard Nation says goodbye to five seniors, all of whom feature in a rather unique starting lineup that works well enough to avenge our earlier loss to the Crusaders and sew up the Patriot League championship. The Class of '19, like the class before them, have the honor of winning the conference for four consecutive seasons.

Seven-foot "shooting guard" Otis Hall leads all scorers with 15 points and adds 7 rebounds. Point guard Richard Leak and center Samuel Davis, the only regular starters in tonight's lineup, score 8 and 6 respectively, and Leak has 4 assists. Raleigh McGinty encounters foul trouble and scores a single basket, and Johnathan Blouin snags 8 rebounds.

Daniel Warnock and Jack Senn score 12 and 10 points off the bench.

Big Sazzy Block Watch: Samuel blocks "only" two shots again tonight, running his career total to 373.
Record: 25-3 (11-1).


February 26, 2019
#15 Lafayette 77, @American 53
The Eagles had surged up the standings to second place, and that's where they'll finish after we beat them on their home court.

Daniel Warnock's 17 points lead the Leopards, with Samuel Davis (15) and Jack Senn (14) close behind. Davis has 3 steals and only one rebound, a strange stat line for a 6'11", rim protecting center. Otis Hall does work on the boards, with 11 rebounds.

Richard Leak's 13 assists are a new Lafayette record. He comes close to the Patriot League record of 14, shared by American's Patrick Robinson'13 and Victor Reed '13.

Big Sazzy Block Watch: Davis's 2 blocks give him 375 for his career.
Record: 26-3 (12-1).

[MoonlightGraham]

March 1, 2019

Our recruiting class now has four members, as Rodney Lundgren joins the Lafayette basketball family.

Rodney is from a small town in New York, not far from Lake Ontario. He's done a little bit of everything in high school while still scoring 20 a game, so I can envision him filling a number of possible roles. Whatever role he plays for us, he'll have a year to apprentice under Daniel Warnock.

Gerald Pilkington turns out to be a good player, and five power conference schools figure that out, too. He doesn't have much interest in playing for us, so I won't pursue him further.

I'm seriously thinking about holding on to this last scholarship and trying my luck in the transfer period. The pickings are getting very slim now, and we have commitments from three players who are 6'8" or taller.


March 2, 2019
#15 Lafayette 72, @Colgate 50
Daniel Warnock scores 22 points, and we hold Colgate's George Volkman, the league's leading scorer, to only 9 as we close out the regular season in fine style.

Richard Leak and Tim Hutchinson join DW in double figures, with 13 and 11 respectively. We shoot over 50% from the field and nearly as well on our 27 three-point attempts, while holding the Red Raiders under 40% and 30%. That's a common winning formula for us, and it's good to see it as we head into postseason play.

Big Sazzy Block Watch: I can't remember the last time Samuel Davis blocked only one shot. He's up to 376 for his career now. I just noticed there's another active shot rejector climbing the list: Auburn senior Paul Stevenson. Tall Paul has 422 career rejections, third all-time. However, since the Tigers are a mediocre team (11-16 overall, 6-7 in the SEC), his season might be drawing to a close very soon.
Record: 27-3 (13-1).

2018 Patriot League Standings

TEAM CW CL Pct W L Pct RPI Prestige
--------------------------------------------------------------
#15 Lafayette 13 1 .929 27 3 .900 14 62
Army 9 5 .643 21 8 .724 44 30
American 9 5 .643 18 12 .600 98 45
Holy Cross 8 6 .571 17 13 .567 110 45
Navy 7 7 .500 14 15 .483 238 29
Colgate 6 8 .429 10 18 .357 212 35
Bucknell 3 11 .214 10 19 .345 236 35
Lehigh 1 13 .071 4 25 .138 270 30

[MoonlightGraham]

March 6, 2019
Patriot League Tournament, First Round
(1) #14 Lafayette 75, (8) Lehigh 55
Todd DeHaven returns to action with an authoritative 13-point, 12-rebound performance as we advance to the semi-final with a tidy win over Lehigh.

Daniel Warnock, who is now #3 on Lafayette's all-time scorer's list with 1536 points, pours in 24 more points tonight. Tim Hutchinson's 15 leaves him at 991, with at least one more game to shoot for 1000.

#2 seed Army advances, but #6 Colgate upsets #3 American. They'll face each other on the opposite side of the bracket. We'll play #5 Navy, who edged #4 Holy Cross, 59-58.

Big Sazzy Block Watch: A modest 2 blocks gives Samuel 378 for his career. Barring an outburst of relentless rim protection that lasts for several games, he'll finish his career short of 400...but that's nothing to criticize him for.
Record: 28-3.


March 10, 2019
Patriot League Tournament Semifinal
(1) #14 Lafayette 69, (5) Navy 58
Todd DeHaven posts career highs in both points (24) and rebounds (14) to lead us into the tournament final. Daniel Warnock supports him with 19 points, and Tim Hutchinson joins the 1000 Point Club; his 12 points give him 1003 for his two-year career.

Oddly enough, we get only two points from our bench: a single basket by Johnathan Blouin.

Army beats Colgate, so we'll face the Black Knights for the championship.

Big Sazzy Block Watch: Our big man blocks three shots tonight, so his career total rises to 381.
Record: 29-3.


March 15, 2019
Patriot League Tournament Championship
(1) #15 Lafayette 74, (2) Army 68
Graham Sims' Lafayette Leopards win their second Patriot League tournament, knocking off a tenacious Army team in the finals.

Daniel Warnock leads us with 25 points. He's supported by Tim Hutchinson's 13 points, and the 10th double-double of the season for Todd DeHaven (10 points, 11 rebounds).

Big Sazzy Block Watch: Samuel blocks only one shot today, but he won't trade the tournament trophy in his hand for a dozen blocked shots.
Record: 30-3.

Now, it's time to get ready for the Big Dance.

[MoonlightGraham]

March 17, 2019
The NCAA tournament selection committee awards us the #3 seed in the Midwest Region. Our first round opponent will be the #14 seed, Sam Houston State.

Army is placed in our bracket, too. They'll play Virginia Tech in the 12-seed play-in game; the winner faces #5 seed New Mexico.

American and Holy Cross will both play in the CIT. The 2-seed Eagles play Furman in the opening round; the 11-seed Crusaders face Texas-San Antonio.

Half the teams in the Patriot League are playing tournament basketball in March. This is the first time that's happened.


March 21, 2019
NCAA Midwest Region, First Round Game
(3) #14 Lafayette 55, (14) Sam Houston State 52
Anything can happen in tournament play, and our opponents from the Lone Star State come close to pulling off a bracket-busting upset. Marcellin Decourchelle had a chance to send the game to overtime, but his three-point attempt hit the front of the rim and bounced away.

Decourchelle and Daniel Warnock shared the scoring honors, each with 16 points. Tim Hutchinson had 13 for us, Todd DeHaven 12. We shot terribly from three-point range: 4-for-20.

Army won the play-in game, beating Virginia Tech 75-68. Our other conference mates don't fare as well; Furman upsets American, and Holy Cross loses, too.

Big Sazzy Block Watch: Two blocks for our senior center give him 384 for his career.
Record: 31-3.


March 23, 2019
NCAA Midwest Region, Second Round
(3) #14 Lafayette 78, (6) #19 Wisconsin 54
We're back in the Sweet Sixteen! Coach Sims earns his first win against a nationally ranked opponent, and his team does it in fine style. We're up 17 at halftime and put it on cruise control from there.

He doesn't earn Player of the Game honors, but in what many probably believed would be the last game of his collegiate basketball career, Samuel Davis rejects NINE Badgers' shots. That's a new Patriot League record.

The other four Lafayette starters all do their things well, too. We make 53% of our shots, and hold Wisconsin to 35%. Daniel Warnock scores 21 points. Todd DeHaven adds 14, and Tim Hutchinson 14. DeHaven grabs 9 rebounds, Hutch gets 7, and Otis Hall has 8 off the bench. Richard Leak hands out 6 assists.

A three seed is supposed to make the Sweet Sixteen, but it's still a lot of fun. Especially when you play in the Patriot League.

Speaking of the Patriot League: our other NCAA tourney team, Army, upsets New Mexico, 70-69, before Temple thrashes them, 94-59.

Big Sazzy Block Watch: 384 + 9 = 393.
Record: 32-3.


March 28, 2019
NCAA Midwest Region Semi-Final...the Sweet Sixteen
(3) #14 Lafayette 66, (7) Marquette 55

Lafayette 66, Marquette 55

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Lafayette (33-3, 13-1):
Player Pos Min Fgm-a Ftm-a Off Reb Ast PF Pts
Samuel Davis C 33 2-5 1-1 4 9 2 2 5
Todd DeHaven PF 36 3-8 6-6 4 7 0 3 12
Daniel Warnock SF 38 8-16 1-3 3 11 2 1 21
Tim Hutchinson SG 34 2-10 5-5 0 9 1 3 10
Richard Leak PG 36 2-11 6-7 3 3 4 2 10
Jack Senn SG 11 2-4 2-3 1 2 0 0 6
Otis Hall PF 11 1-1 0-0 0 3 1 0 2
Rob Prendergast PG 2 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 1 0
Johnathon Blouin C 1 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 1 0

Turnovers: 14 (S.Davis 3, T.DeHaven 4, D.Warnock 1,
T.Hutchinson 3, O.Hall 2, R.Prendergast 1)
Blocked Shots: 4 (S.Davis 4)
Steals: 3 (D.Warnock 1, R.Leak 2)
3P FGs: 5-21 (S.Davis 0-2, D.Warnock 4-11, T.Hutchinson
1-5, R.Leak 0-3)

Marquette (21-13, 11-7):
Player Pos Min Fgm-a Ftm-a Off Reb Ast PF Pts
Kevin Berryman C 36 7-9 1-3 4 12 0 3 15
Joshua Donato PF 34 0-7 0-0 0 5 3 2 0
William Shouse SF 32 2-8 0-0 1 2 3 4 5
Elijah Lucky SG 27 7-16 0-0 2 3 2 5 18
Tony Greenwood PG 36 4-12 0-2 1 4 8 2 8
Monte Govan PG 16 2-3 2-2 1 2 0 2 7
Evan Partain SF 8 0-0 2-2 0 1 0 3 2
John Suazo PF 8 0-1 0-0 0 2 0 0 0
Douglas Dasilva C 2 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0 0

Turnovers: 14 (K.Berryman 1, J.Donato 1, W.Shouse 2,
E.Lucky 2, T.Greenwood 5, M.Govan 1, E.Partain 2)
Blocked Shots: 1 (J.Suazo 1)
Steals: 5 (K.Berryman 2, J.Donato 1, W.Shouse 1,
E.Lucky 1)
3P FGs: 6-18 (J.Donato 0-1, W.Shouse 1-4, E.Lucky 4-9,
T.Greenwood 0-2, M.Govan 1-2)

Player of Game: SF Daniel Warnock (LFYTE)

Almost everyone, myself included, think we're going to play Oklahoma next. Ranked #7 in the country, the Sooners won 30 games and went 11-5 in the super-tough Big 12. But Marquette pulled off a second-round upset, so we face the Golden Eagles instead.

They're a good team, led by explosive guard Elijah Lucky. They disrupt our game plan as thoroughly as any team has all year--we shoot only 36% from the field--but we take full advantage of our frequent visits to the free throw line. We take 24 foul shots and make 21 of them. Meanwhile, Marquette takes only 9, and makes 5. There's your ballgame, right there.

A rampant Daniel Warnock becomes a much more familiar name to college basketball fans with a 21-point, 11-rebound performance on a big stage. Todd DeHaven (12), Richard Leak (10) and Tim Hutchinson (10) join him in double figures.

Big Sazzy Block Watch: Samuel Davis, determined to play another night, turns back 4 Marquette shots. His career total is now 397, and he ties Lynwood "Stay In Your" Lane , VCU '17, for 5th place on the all-time leaderboard.

Meanwhile, Temple upsets second-ranked Illinois in the other Midwest semi-final. We'll face a semi-local rival for a spot in the Final Four.
Record: 33-3.


March 30, 2019
NCAA Midwest Region Final...the Elite Eight
(3) #14 Lafayette 73, (2) #9 Temple 30
You read that right. We dismantle Temple and...we're in the Final Four!

Lafayette 73, Temple 30

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Lafayette (34-3, 13-1):
Player Pos Min Fgm-a Ftm-a Off Reb Ast PF Pts
Samuel Davis C 28 2-5 0-0 0 8 2 1 4
Todd DeHaven PF 31 6-7 0-3 2 12 2 1 12
Daniel Warnock SF 34 4-8 2-2 2 3 0 3 12
Tim Hutchinson SG 25 6-10 4-5 1 3 1 3 17
Richard Leak PG 31 3-6 0-0 0 4 9 0 8
Jack Senn SG 17 1-3 11-12 1 4 1 1 14
Otis Hall PF 14 0-0 2-2 2 3 0 2 2
Rob Prendergast PG 9 1-1 0-0 0 0 0 0 3
Matthew Ackerman SF 6 0-0 1-2 0 0 0 2 1
Johnathon Blouin C 7 0-0 0-0 0 2 0 0 0

Turnovers: 13 (S.Davis 1, T.DeHaven 2, T.Hutchinson 1,
R.Leak 4, J.Senn 2, O.Hall 2, J.Blouin 1)
Blocked Shots: 5 (S.Davis 3, O.Hall 1, M.Ackerman 1)
Steals: 5 (D.Warnock 2, R.Leak 1, R.Prendergast 2)
3P FGs: 7-17 (S.Davis 0-1, D.Warnock 2-6, T.Hutchinson
1-3, R.Leak 2-4, J.Senn 1-2, R.Prendergast 1-1)

Temple (32-5, 14-2):
Player Pos Min Fgm-a Ftm-a Off Reb Ast PF Pts
Joe Hubbell C 29 1-3 0-0 0 3 1 2 2
J.C. Gilmer PF 24 0-4 0-0 1 2 0 2 0
Michel Kutz SF 24 3-10 1-2 2 3 2 3 8
Sammy Shelby SG 29 4-14 1-2 0 5 0 2 11
James Vasquez PG 29 0-4 0-0 1 2 4 2 0
Wilton Brennan PG 14 0-3 0-0 1 1 1 1 0
Nolan Spellman PF 18 1-1 0-0 2 2 0 1 2
David Sale SF 15 0-4 2-3 0 1 0 1 2
F. Trentesaulx C 10 1-2 0-0 0 1 0 2 2
Chris Erickson PF 1 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0 0
Armand Patterson SG 8 1-1 1-2 0 0 0 4 3

Turnovers: 13 (J.Gilmer 2, M.Kutz 3, S.Shelby 3,
J.Vasquez 2, W.Brennan 2, N.Spellman 1)
Blocked Shots: 0
Steals: 6 (J.Gilmer 1, M.Kutz 1, S.Shelby 1, W.Brennan
1, F.Trentesaulx 1, A.Patterson 1)
3P FGs: 3-21 (M.Kutz 1-4, S.Shelby 2-11, J.Vasquez 0-4,
W.Brennan 0-2)

Player of Game: SG Jack Senn (LFYTE)

The score at halftime is Lafayette 38, Temple 14. Nobody can believe we're blowing out a Top Ten team like this, including Graham Sims.

The Leopards play a magnificent, complete game of basketball. We shoot .575 from the floor, and we hit 20 of our 26 free throws. We hold Temple to a Jack Senn, in particular, excels from the charity stripe; he's a worthy Player of the Game.

Big Sazzy Block Watch: You see above that Mr. Davis blocks three Temple shots. He and his teammates make their season last long enough for him to get #400. He's now in sole possession of 5th place on the all-time leaders list.

Look who we're playing in the National Semi-final:

https://i.imgur.com/LWEKUdN.png
Record: 34-3.

[MoonlightGraham]

April 6, 2019
NCAA Tournament Semi-Final...the Final Four
#3 Vanderbilt 63, #14 Lafayette 54

Lafayette's marvelous season comes to an end, as Vanderbilt defeats us in the national semifinal.

Vanderbilt 63, Lafayette 54

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Vanderbilt (33-4, 14-2):
Player Pos Min Fgm-a Ftm-a Off Reb Ast PF Pts
Craig Dillon C 33 1-9 0-0 2 8 0 4 2
Brett Oliveira PF 34 1-3 2-2 1 5 0 4 4
Elwood Sheffield SF 27 7-11 3-6 0 5 4 2 20
Denver Harden SG 27 3-8 2-3 0 4 2 2 8
Leroy Maness PG 34 8-12 0-0 4 8 6 4 19
Lewis Kinzer PG 6 0-0 0-0 1 1 0 2 0
David Kight SG 17 1-7 2-2 1 4 1 2 4
Wilton Peck SF 9 0-2 0-0 1 1 2 0 0
Joe Waite C 12 2-3 1-2 0 1 1 1 5
Chris Newsome SF 1 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 1 0
Burton Gray PF 1 0-0 1-2 0 0 1 0 1

Turnovers: 9 (C.Dillon 5, B.Oliveira 1, D.Harden 1,
L.Maness 1, D.Kight 1)
Blocked Shots: 7 (C.Dillon 6, L.Kinzer 1)
Steals: 3 (D.Harden 3)
3P FGs: 6-18 (E.Sheffield 3-6, D.Harden 0-2, L.Maness
3-6, D.Kight 0-4)

Lafayette (34-4, 13-1):
Player Pos Min Fgm-a Ftm-a Off Reb Ast PF Pts
Samuel Davis C 31 1-3 1-1 0 5 2 0 3
Todd DeHaven PF 25 1-7 0-0 1 5 0 4 2
Daniel Warnock SF 37 3-12 2-2 2 4 0 3 11
Tim Hutchinson SG 34 5-11 6-8 3 12 1 3 18
Richard Leak PG 21 0-5 3-5 2 2 5 4 3
Jack Senn PG 19 2-5 2-5 0 2 3 1 6
Otis Hall PF 17 1-4 2-2 2 4 0 2 4
Rob Prendergast PG 6 1-2 2-2 0 0 0 1 5
Matthew Ackerman SG 2 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0 0
Johnathon Blouin C 6 1-1 0-0 0 1 0 0 2
Raleigh McGinty PF 1 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0 0

Turnovers: 11 (S.Davis 1, T.DeHaven 1, D.Warnock 4,
T.Hutchinson 3, J.Senn 1, O.Hall 1)
Blocked Shots: 5 (S.Davis 3, J.Senn 1, O.Hall 1)
Steals: 2 (S.Davis 1, T.Hutchinson 1)
3P FGs: 6-22 (S.Davis 0-1, D.Warnock 3-10, T.Hutchinson
2-5, R.Leak 0-3, J.Senn 0-2, R.Prendergast 1-1)

Player of Game: PG Leroy Maness (VNDY)

Vanderbilt plays like we do, but they do it with four- and five-star athletes. That's really the difference here.

The Commodores do an especially good job of slowing Daniel Warnock down. He has trouble finding spaces for unchallenged shots. Elwood Sheffield and Denver Harden are superior defenders, and they harass DW into turning the ball over.

Tim Hutchinson plays superbly, with a big double-double.

Our key seniors all contribute meaningfully. Richard Leak has five assists without a turnover while battling foul trouble. Otis Hall is productive in a reserve role. And Samuel Davis's defensive presence, expressed in blocks and steals and solid positioning, helps keep Vandy's big men under wraps.

I'd expect a game featuring two of the nation's top defensive teams to look just like this. Again, I hate to lose, but we didn't beat ourselves tonight.

Vanderbilt will play Kentucky in the championship game. Coach Sims and the Leopards will be pulling for the 'Dores.

Big Sazzy Block Watch: Samuel records the final three blocked shots of his collegiate career. He finishes with a four-year total of 403, which puts him fourth in NCAA history.
Record: 34-4.

[MoonlightGraham]

April 8, 2019
The Vanderbilt Commodores win the national championship, defeating Kentucky 78-66. Their victory eases the pain of their loss in the national semifinal last spring.

Denver Harden is named Player of the Game. He scores 15 points, hands out 3 assists, and makes 2 steals.

[MoonlightGraham]

April 8, 2019

Here are the Patriot League's award winners for this season.

2018 PATRIOT LEAGUE AWARDS

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Player of the Year:

JR SF Daniel Warnock Lafayette 16.9 PPG, 5.8 RPG, 1.9 APG 0.6 SPG, 0.3 BPG

Freshman of the Year:
FR PG Robert Viera Colgate 8.8 PPG, 2.2 RPG, 2.6 APG 0.5 SPG, 0.1 BPG

Coach of the Year:
Ray Parra Army 25 - 10 (9 - 5)

All-league 1st Team:
C SR Charles Tolbert American 15.3 PPG, 6.2 RPG, 1.3 APG, 0.5 SPG, 1.6 BPG
PF SO Todd DeHaven Lafayette 11.5 PPG, 8.3 RPG, 1.1 APG, 0.3 SPG, 0.4 BPG
SF JR Daniel Warnock Lafayette 16.9 PPG, 5.8 RPG, 1.9 APG, 0.6 SPG, 0.3 BPG
SG JR Chris Buckley Army 20.1 PPG, 3.8 RPG, 2.3 APG, 1.0 SPG, 0.1 BPG
PG SR Richard Leak Lafayette 5.7 PPG, 3.6 RPG, 5.7 APG, 0.9 SPG, 0.1 BPG

All-league 2nd Team:
C SR Samuel Davis Lafayette 5.3 PPG, 5.7 RPG, 1.1 APG, 0.7 SPG, 3.5 BPG
PF SR Williams Wiseman Army 5.1 PPG, 8.1 RPG, 1.6 APG, 0.8 SPG, 0.4 BPG
SF SO Tanner Dewey Holy Cross 10.0 PPG, 3.5 RPG, 2.5 APG, 1.3 SPG, 0.1 BPG
SG SR Eldridge Hawkinson Army 14.1 PPG, 4.7 RPG, 2.9 APG, 0.8 SPG, 0.1 BPG
PG SR Steven Hurlburt Navy 15.5 PPG, 3.5 RPG, 2.8 APG, 1.2 SPG, 0.3 BPG

All-freshman Team:
C FR Quincy Lafond Lehigh 2.2 PPG, 2.9 RPG, 0.7 APG, 0.4 SPG, 0.4 BPG
PF FR Roy Paschal Army 2.7 PPG, 2.1 RPG, 0.3 APG, 0.1 SPG, 0.2 BPG
SF FR Will Davis Holy Cross 3.7 PPG, 3.2 RPG, 0.7 APG, 0.2 SPG, 0.1 BPG
SG FR John Grillo Lehigh 3.4 PPG, 1.5 RPG, 1.0 APG, 0.2 SPG, 0.1 BPG
PG FR Robert Viera Colgate 8.8 PPG, 2.2 RPG, 2.6 APG, 0.5 SPG, 0.1 BPG

Daniel Warnock joins James Sanders as two-time Patriot League Players of the Year. Daniel's scoring average dropped a bit this season, but he became a much more polished, productive basketball player. I'm also almost positive DW is returning to Lafayette for his senior season. If I remember correctly, the email that would tell me he's entering the draft would arrive the same day the awards are announced...and there's nothing from Daniel in my inbox.

I have no real beef with any of the other selections. Todd DeHaven was a monster when he wasn't injured. Richard Leak deserves recognition for his ability to orchestrate our offense. And, as partial as I am to Samuel Davis, he's the second-best center in the league this year.

Tim Hutchinson simply got squeezed out by Army's excellent backcourt pair.

[MoonlightGraham]

April 8, 2019

#14 LAFAYETTE TEAM INFO

Current Performance
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Team Prestige: 62 Record Vs 1-50: 7-3 Poll Rank: #14
Season Record: 34-4 Record Vs 51-100: 4-0 RPI Rank: #6
Conference Record: 13-1 Record Vs 101-200: 10-1
Home Record: 13-0 Record Vs 200+: 13-0


Team Stats CR NR Opp. Stats CR NR Margin CR NR
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Points 69.6 1 117 Points 54.2 1 2 Points 15.4 1 4
O.Reb 10.9 2 153 O.Reb 9.4 2 57 O.Reb 1.5 2 73
D.Reb 26.9 1 50 D.Reb 22.1 1 10 D.Reb 4.8 1 5
Rebounds 37.8 1 66 Rebounds 31.6 1 10 Rebounds 6.3 1 9
Assists 14.4 1 71 Assists 10.6 1 1 Assists 3.9 1 15
Steals 4.8 5 237 Steals 4.2 1 6 Steals 0.5 3 119
Blocks 5.5 1 27 Blocks 3.1 7 132 Blocks 2.4 1 20
Turnovers 11.9 2 11 Turnovers 13.1 6 223 Turnovers -1.2 2 92
Fouls 16.4 1 10 Fouls 19.2 5 181 Fouls -2.8 1 15
FG% .442 2 69 FG% .368 1 2 FG% .073 1 6
FT% .720 1 36 FT% .664 3 100 FT% .056 1 25
3P% .350 2 115 3P% .284 1 1 3P% .066 1 17
PPS 1.32 2 16 PPS 1.02 1 3 PPS .301 1 1
Adj. FG% .516 2 39 Adj. FG% .418 1 1 Adj. FG% .097 1 2

What a year! :D


We're a perfect 13-0 at the Kirby Center.
Our final ranking in the polls and our RPI are our best yet; we were #15 and #20 last season.
We often lose most of our games against other top teams, but this year, we're 7-3 against teams in the top 50 in RPI.
We are the second-toughest team to score against in the nation. St. John's allowed their opponents to score only 52.8 per game.
Our opponents' FG% is second-lowest in the nation, and nobody forces their opponents to miss a higher percentage of three-pointers.
We're in the top two or three in several other analytics related to team defense: PPS, adjusted FG%, and various margins connected to these stats.


#14 LAFAYETTE Averages

Player Pos GP GS Min Pts Orb Reb Ast Stl Blk To Fls +/-
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Daniel Warnock SF 38 37 32.7 16.9 1.6 5.8 1.9 0.6 0.3 1.5 2.7 14.9
Richard Leak PG 38 38 31.1 5.7 1.1 3.6 5.7 0.9 0.1 1.7 2.6 13.8
Samuel Davis C 38 38 30.3 5.3 1.4 5.7 1.1 0.7 3.5 1.4 1.4 14.7
Todd DeHaven PF 36 35 28.0 11.5 2.3 8.3 1.1 0.3 0.4 1.6 2.6 12.3
Tim Hutchinson SG 38 37 26.3 14.5 1.5 4.3 2.2 0.8 0.2 2.7 2.6 11.8
Otis Hall PF 38 3 17.4 4.4 1.5 4.9 0.6 0.4 0.6 1.0 1.5 4.5
Jack Senn SG 38 0 17.2 6.6 0.7 2.1 1.2 0.6 0.1 1.0 1.7 4.9
Johnathon Blouin C 37 1 8.1 1.9 0.7 2.5 0.1 0.1 0.3 0.3 0.4 1.3
Matthew Ackerman SG 36 0 5.5 1.8 0.1 0.4 0.3 0.2 0.1 0.5 0.8 -0.1
Rob Prendergast PG 14 0 5.4 1.9 0.5 0.6 0.2 0.2 0.0 0.4 0.4 1.3
Jamie Kelso PG 19 0 4.3 1.3 0.2 0.7 0.3 0.2 0.0 0.3 0.2 -1.2
Raleigh McGinty PF 14 1 3.9 0.9 0.0 0.4 0.1 0.1 0.0 0.2 0.5 0.3
Scott Cavanaugh SF 4 0 2.0 1.0 0.3 0.3 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.8 0.0 -2.8
James Standard C 0 0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
Don Torres PG 0 0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0

#14 LAFAYETTE Totals

Player Pos GP GS Min Pts Orb Reb Ast Stl Blk To Fls +/-
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Daniel Warnock SF 38 37 1243 644 60 221 74 22 12 56 103 567
Richard Leak PG 38 38 1181 217 40 138 217 36 5 64 99 526
Samuel Davis C 38 38 1152 200 54 215 41 26 134 54 54 557
Todd DeHaven PF 36 35 1009 413 81 300 39 10 14 57 93 443
Tim Hutchinson SG 38 37 1001 551 56 163 84 31 6 101 98 448
Otis Hall PF 38 3 660 168 58 188 22 15 23 37 56 172
Jack Senn SG 38 0 654 251 26 78 47 23 3 37 63 188
Johnathon Blouin C 37 1 298 70 27 92 4 4 11 10 14 48
Matthew Ackerman SG 36 0 198 65 2 15 12 7 2 17 27 -2
Rob Prendergast PG 14 0 76 27 7 9 3 3 0 6 6 18
Jamie Kelso PG 19 0 81 24 4 13 5 3 0 6 3 -23
Raleigh McGinty PF 14 1 55 12 0 5 1 1 0 3 7 4
Scott Cavanaugh SF 4 0 8 4 1 1 0 0 0 3 0 -11
James Standard C 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Don Torres PG 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0


#14 LAFAYETTE Shooting

Player Pos Fgm Fga Fg% Ftm Fta Ft% 3pm 3pa 3p% PPS +/-
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Daniel Warnock SF 209 461 .453 99 127 .780 127 317 .401 1.40
Richard Leak PG 70 201 .348 46 79 .582 31 112 .277 1.08
Samuel Davis C 76 162 .469 32 64 .500 16 54 .296 1.23
Todd DeHaven PF 147 302 .487 118 143 .825 1 7 .143 1.37
Tim Hutchinson SG 186 438 .425 118 149 .792 61 201 .303 1.26
Otis Hall PF 60 126 .476 48 73 .658 0 0 .000 1.33
Jack Senn SG 71 151 .470 70 88 .795 39 99 .394 1.66
Johnathon Blouin C 25 58 .431 20 35 .571 0 0 .000 1.21
Matthew Ackerman SG 20 54 .370 14 27 .519 11 32 .344 1.20
Rob Prendergast PG 10 15 .667 2 4 .500 5 7 .714 1.80
Jamie Kelso PG 6 24 .250 9 12 .750 3 12 .250 1.00
Raleigh McGinty PF 2 5 .400 8 9 .889 0 0 .000 2.40
Scott Cavanaugh SF 1 2 .500 1 2 .500 1 1 1.000 2.00
James Standard C 0 0 .000 0 0 .000 0 0 .000 0.00
Don Torres PG 0 0 .000 0 0 .000 0 0 .000 0.00


Samuel Davis was, of course, the Patriot League's leading shot blocker.
I was surprised to see that Todd DeHaven led the conference in rebounding. He also led in free throw percentage.
I was not surprised to see that Richard Leak led the conference in assists.
Daniel Warnock was the #3 scorer in the conference.
Those plus-minus figures are crazy. When you're one of the best teams in the country in scoring margin, this will happen. Daniel Warnock ranks ninth nationally in this stat.


Next: the Senior Tributes.

[MoonlightGraham]

2018/19 Senior Tribute

RALEIGH McGINTY

In a recruiting class that features four big men, one (or more) of them would almost certainly find playing time hard to come by. This likeable player from New Jersey was, unfortunately, often the odd man out.

#21 PF Raleigh McGinty - Lafayette - Senior
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Height: 6-10
Weight: 253
High School: Lenape Valley Regional High School
Hometown: Stanhope, NJ

Attributes:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Type INS JPS FTS 3PS HND PAS ORB DRB PSD PRD STL BLK QKN STR JMP STA
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Current: 69 37 52 46 33 32 37 36 28 38 37 29 12 94 43 82
2017: 63 36 52 45 32 31 34 34 26 37 36 27 11 92 42 77
2016: 58 35 52 44 31 30 31 32 24 36 35 25 10 90 41 72
2015: 53 34 51 43 30 29 28 31 23 35 34 24 10 87 41 66
2014: 45 32 49 41 28 27 24 29 21 33 32 22 10 81 39 50
Potential: A D C C C D C D D C C D

Health: Good
Scholarship: Yes
Status: Active Roster
Academics: 56

Stat Averages:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Season G GS MIN PTS ORE REB AST TO A/T STL BLK PF
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2015 18 0 3.3 1.6 0.3 0.9 0.1 0.2 0.33 0.2 0.0 0.3
2016 23 0 4.1 1.2 0.2 0.5 0.2 0.3 0.83 0.2 0.1 0.7
2017 29 0 5.4 2.7 0.4 1.6 0.1 0.1 0.67 0.1 0.2 0.3
2018 14 1 3.9 0.9 0.0 0.4 0.1 0.2 0.33 0.1 0.0 0.5
Career 84 1 4.4 1.7 0.3 1.0 0.1 0.2 0.33 0.2 0.1 0.5

Shooting Averages:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Season FGM FGA FG% FTM FTA FT% 3PM 3PA 3P% PPS +/-
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2015 0.6 1.2 .524 0.1 0.3 .400 0.2 0.5 .444 1.33 0.89
2016 0.5 1.0 .500 0.2 0.3 .714 0.0 0.1 .000 1.23 -1.09
2017 0.8 1.7 .460 1.0 1.5 .659 0.1 0.4 .250 1.56 0.59
2018 0.1 0.4 .400 0.6 0.6 .889 0.0 0.0 .000 2.40 0.29
Career 0.6 1.2 .480 0.5 0.8 .677 0.1 0.3 .304 1.48 0.14

Stat Totals:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Season G GS MIN PTS OREB REB AST TO STL BLK PF
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2015 18 0 59 28 5 17 1 3 3 0 6
2016 23 0 95 27 4 12 5 6 5 2 15
2017 29 0 158 78 13 47 2 3 4 5 10
2018 14 1 55 12 0 5 1 3 1 0 7
Career 84 1 367 145 22 81 9 15 13 7 38

Shooting Totals
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Season FGM FGA FTM FTA 3PM 3PA +/-
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2015 11 21 2 5 4 9 16
2016 11 22 5 7 0 2 -25
2017 23 50 29 44 3 12 17
2018 2 5 8 9 0 0 4
Career 47 98 44 65 7 23 12

Career Highs:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Type Pts OReb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO FGM FGA FTM FTA 3PM 3PA
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Season 4 0 2 1 1 0 3 1 2 4 4 0 0
Career 10 3 9 2 2 2 3 3 7 5 8 2 2

Awards & Acheivements:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Season Award
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2014 High School: Rated * and #1058 overall by the FBCB scouting service.

Raleigh was a prolific high school scorer, but he never developed into a dynamic offensive player at the college level.

However, McGinty's name will always produce a smile from Lafayette fans who will remember his outstanding play in the 2018 NCAA tournament. He hit a game-winning basket in our 61-60 first round victory over South Alabama, and grabbed a clutch rebound to deny the Jaguars a chance to steal back the lead.

Raleigh will graduate in May, and he's been accepted to the Masters in Social Work program at Howard University.

Thanks for the memories, Raleigh.

[MoonlightGraham]

2018/19 Senior Tribute

JOHNATHAN BLOUIN

Another New Jersey product, Blouin was the most highly-regarded of the quartet of big men we recruited for the Class of 2019. However, he developed slowly, and two of his classmates ended up with much more significant collegiate careers.

#23 C Johnathon Blouin - Lafayette - Senior
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Height: 6-9
Weight: 228
High School: Allentown High School
Hometown: Allentown, NJ

Attributes:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Type INS JPS FTS 3PS HND PAS ORB DRB PSD PRD STL BLK QKN STR JMP STA
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Current: 43 28 33 15 28 35 74 76 57 16 37 49 16 79 39 55
2017: 38 26 31 14 27 34 67 66 52 15 36 44 15 76 38 49
2016: 34 25 30 14 26 33 61 58 49 14 35 41 14 73 37 43
2015: 32 24 29 14 25 32 58 54 47 14 34 39 13 70 36 37
2014: 28 22 27 14 23 30 52 46 43 14 32 35 12 62 35 23
Potential: C D D F D C B A C D C C

Health: Good
Scholarship: Yes
Status: Active Roster
Academics: 41

Stat Averages:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Season G GS MIN PTS ORE REB AST TO A/T STL BLK PF
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2015 6 0 1.8 0.7 0.7 1.0 0.0 0.0 0.00 0.0 0.0 0.2
2016 35 0 10.8 2.9 0.6 3.3 0.3 0.5 0.58 0.1 0.4 1.0
2017 36 18 21.0 4.4 1.6 6.9 0.8 1.2 0.63 0.2 0.3 1.9
2018 37 1 8.1 1.9 0.7 2.5 0.1 0.3 0.40 0.1 0.3 0.4
Career 114 19 12.7 2.9 1.0 4.0 0.4 0.6 0.40 0.1 0.3 1.1

Shooting Averages:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Season FGM FGA FG% FTM FTA FT% 3PM 3PA 3P% PPS +/-
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2015 0.3 0.8 .400 0.0 0.0 .000 0.0 0.0 .000 0.80 -0.17
2016 1.1 1.8 .603 0.7 1.1 .615 0.0 0.0 .000 1.59 1.97
2017 1.8 3.6 .496 0.8 1.5 .556 0.0 0.1 .000 1.22 5.89
2018 0.7 1.6 .431 0.5 0.9 .571 0.0 0.0 .000 1.21 1.30
Career 1.1 2.2 .506 0.6 1.1 .578 0.0 0.0 .000 1.30 2.88

Stat Totals:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Season G GS MIN PTS OREB REB AST TO STL BLK PF
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2015 6 0 11 4 4 6 0 0 0 0 1
2016 35 0 379 100 22 116 11 19 3 15 35
2017 36 18 755 158 58 247 27 43 7 11 70
2018 37 1 298 70 27 92 4 10 4 11 14
Career 114 19 1443 332 111 461 42 72 14 37 120

Shooting Totals
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Season FGM FGA FTM FTA 3PM 3PA +/-
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2015 2 5 0 0 0 0 -1
2016 38 63 24 39 0 1 69
2017 64 129 30 54 0 2 212
2018 25 58 20 35 0 0 48
Career 129 255 74 128 0 3 328

Career Highs:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Type Pts OReb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO FGM FGA FTM FTA 3PM 3PA
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Season 6 2 8 2 1 2 2 3 6 3 6 0 0
Career 14 6 14 3 2 3 4 6 10 4 6 0 1

Awards & Acheivements:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Season Award
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
All Player of the Game: 1
2014 High School: Rated *** and #524 overall by the FBCB scouting service.

Johnathan was a responsible defender and an especially strong rebounder, qualities he demonstrated well during his one extended stretch in the Lafayette lineup. As a junior, JB filled in admirably for the injured Todd DeHaven, and led the team in rebounding rate.

A bar where Johnathan spent quite a bit of off-court time has offered him a job as a bouncer, and he's learning the art of tending bar. No doubt, he'll tell patrons that he scored a basket in the Final Four, and he'll actually be telling the truth.

Thanks for the memories, Johnathan.

[MoonlightGraham]

2018/19 Senior Tribute

OTIS HALL

O-Hall. The Big O. O-Zone. The Mayor. This seven-footer from small-town Ohio attracted nicknames as easily as he made friends. A poll of the Lafayette student section might easily have named Otis as their favorite player.

#10 PF Otis Hall - Lafayette - Senior
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Height: 7-0
Weight: 238
High School: Southeastern High School
Hometown: South Charleston, OH

Attributes:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Type INS JPS FTS 3PS HND PAS ORB DRB PSD PRD STL BLK QKN STR JMP STA
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Current: 42 40 28 0 22 33 84 68 27 21 68 68 67 75 36 63
2017: 38 37 28 0 20 31 76 62 24 20 64 61 66 72 35 54
2016: 33 34 27 0 18 29 67 55 21 19 59 53 65 67 33 42
2015: 31 32 26 0 17 28 64 53 20 17 54 51 64 63 32 31
2014: 27 30 24 0 15 26 58 47 18 15 50 45 64 53 30 7
Potential: C C D F D C B B D D A B

Health: Good
Scholarship: Yes
Status: Active Roster
Academics: 43

Stat Averages:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Season G GS MIN PTS ORE REB AST TO A/T STL BLK PF
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2015 30 0 6.0 1.2 0.5 1.8 0.2 0.5 0.33 0.2 0.2 0.7
2016 35 35 25.8 7.3 2.2 7.7 1.2 1.3 0.93 0.5 0.6 2.5
2017 36 5 15.8 4.2 1.2 4.4 0.8 1.3 0.58 0.6 0.3 1.7
2018 38 3 17.4 4.4 1.5 4.9 0.6 1.0 0.59 0.4 0.6 1.5
Career 139 43 16.6 4.4 1.4 4.8 0.7 1.0 0.59 0.4 0.4 1.6

Shooting Averages:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Season FGM FGA FG% FTM FTA FT% 3PM 3PA 3P% PPS +/-
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2015 0.4 1.1 .364 0.4 0.7 .600 0.0 0.0 .000 1.09 -0.80
2016 2.7 5.3 .516 1.8 2.6 .681 0.0 0.0 .000 1.37 7.57
2017 1.7 3.5 .480 0.8 1.4 .549 0.0 0.0 .000 1.18 2.81
2018 1.6 3.3 .476 1.3 1.9 .658 0.0 0.0 .000 1.33 4.53
Career 1.6 3.4 .485 1.1 1.7 .638 0.0 0.0 .000 1.29 3.70

Stat Totals:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Season G GS MIN PTS OREB REB AST TO STL BLK PF
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2015 30 0 180 36 15 55 5 15 5 5 20
2016 35 35 904 254 78 269 41 44 19 21 88
2017 36 5 567 150 43 158 28 48 21 12 60
2018 38 3 660 168 58 188 22 37 15 23 56
Career 139 43 2311 608 194 670 96 144 60 61 224

Shooting Totals
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Season FGM FGA FTM FTA 3PM 3PA +/-
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2015 12 33 12 20 0 0 -24
2016 96 186 62 91 0 0 265
2017 61 127 28 51 0 1 101
2018 60 126 48 73 0 0 172
Career 229 472 150 235 0 1 514

Career Highs:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Type Pts OReb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO FGM FGA FTM FTA 3PM 3PA
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Season 15 4 11 3 2 5 4 6 8 5 8 0 0
Career 16 5 15 3 3 5 5 6 11 9 10 0 1

Awards & Acheivements:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Season Award
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
All Player of the Game: 1
2014 High School: Rated * and #953 overall by the FBCB scouting service.
2015 Freshman All-Conference (Patriot League)
2016 1st Team All-Conference (Patriot League)

Otis wasn't expected to take the world by storm when we recruited him. However, he was very quick for a big, and his athleticism enabled him to play as a "small" forward and get him onto the court as a freshman.

The next year, he moved into the starting lineup, and earned an All-Patriot League selection. The arrival of Todd DeHaven enabled us to shift Otis into a reserve role and, to his credit, he accepted it with class. He remained productive, and he was occasionally dominant; we suffered very little let-down when O entered the game.

Gregarious Otis will pursue a M.S. in Communications at Northwestern University.

Thanks for the memories, Otis.

[MoonlightGraham]

2018/19 Senior Tribute

RICHARD LEAK

When we recruited this guard from Massachusetts, I described him as a "pass-first, make-his-teammates-better point guard." What we saw was what we got.

#2 PG Richard Leak - Lafayette - Senior
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Height: 6-0
Weight: 196
High School: Ludlow Senior High School
Hometown: Ludlow, MA

Attributes:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Type INS JPS FTS 3PS HND PAS ORB DRB PSD PRD STL BLK QKN STR JMP STA
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Current: 17 32 24 44 84 78 43 34 27 38 25 33 79 42 61 86
2017: 16 31 23 40 74 68 38 31 25 34 21 31 78 41 61 79
2016: 15 30 22 37 66 60 35 30 24 32 19 30 77 40 60 69
2015: 15 29 22 36 61 55 34 29 23 31 18 29 77 39 59 59
2014: 15 27 22 34 53 47 32 27 21 29 16 27 74 33 56 25
Potential: D D D C B A C D D C D C

Health: Good
Scholarship: Yes
Status: Active Roster
Academics: 66

Stat Averages:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Season G GS MIN PTS ORE REB AST TO A/T STL BLK PF
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2015 19 0 2.0 0.8 0.1 0.2 0.2 0.2 1.33 0.0 0.0 0.2
2016 34 0 14.4 3.4 0.3 1.9 1.6 1.1 1.43 0.4 0.1 1.4
2017 36 35 27.4 4.7 0.9 3.2 3.8 1.6 2.34 0.6 0.1 2.5
2018 38 38 31.1 5.7 1.1 3.6 5.7 1.7 3.39 0.9 0.1 2.6
Career 127 73 21.2 4.1 0.6 2.5 3.2 1.3 3.39 0.6 0.1 1.9

Shooting Averages:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Season FGM FGA FG% FTM FTA FT% 3PM 3PA 3P% PPS +/-
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2015 0.3 0.3 .833 0.2 0.3 .667 0.1 0.2 .667 2.67 -0.32
2016 1.2 2.9 .429 0.4 1.0 .429 0.5 1.5 .340 1.18 2.26
2017 1.5 4.7 .327 1.3 2.3 .556 0.4 2.2 .167 1.00 7.17
2018 1.8 5.3 .348 1.2 2.1 .582 0.8 2.9 .277 1.08 13.84
Career 1.4 3.7 .364 0.9 1.6 .547 0.5 1.9 .259 1.09 6.73

Stat Totals:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Season G GS MIN PTS OREB REB AST TO STL BLK PF
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2015 19 0 38 16 1 3 4 3 0 0 3
2016 34 0 490 116 10 64 53 37 13 3 49
2017 36 35 988 168 31 114 138 59 21 4 90
2018 38 38 1181 217 40 138 217 64 36 5 99
Career 127 73 2697 517 82 319 412 163 70 12 241

Shooting Totals
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Season FGM FGA FTM FTA 3PM 3PA +/-
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2015 5 6 4 6 2 3 -6
2016 42 98 15 35 17 50 77
2017 55 168 45 81 13 78 258
2018 70 201 46 79 31 112 526
Career 172 473 110 201 63 243 855

Career Highs:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Type Pts OReb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO FGM FGA FTM FTA 3PM 3PA
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Season 16 3 9 13 3 2 5 5 11 6 7 3 6
Career 16 4 9 13 4 2 5 5 11 6 8 3 7

Awards & Acheivements:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Season Award
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
All Player of the Game: 2
2014 High School: Rated * and #968 overall by the FBCB scouting service.
2018 1st Team All-Conference (Patriot League)

I must repeat to myself: "A one-star recruit can be a very useful player if he fits our system well." Richard Leak's career proved this statement to be true.

He learned the art of guard play from Hubert Song and Joe Lien making regular cameo appearances and contributing more significantly as a sophomore. When his turn came to take the controls of the Lafayette offense, he was ready to do so with a remarkably steady hand. Look at the way his assist-to-turnover ratio climbed throughout his career! He ranked 15th in this category this season.

Richard holds every meaningful Lafayette record related to the assist: most in a career (412); most in a season (218, in 2018/19); most in a game (13, on 2/27/19). He ranked 21st in the nation, and first in the Patriot League, with 5.7 per game...nearly twice as many as any other player in the conference. He's now the gold standard for pure point guard play at Lafayette.

Nobody who knows Richard is surprised that he'd like to become a teacher and coach. He's accepted a position as a middle school math teacher in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, and he'll assist with the basketball and football teams.

Thanks for the memories, Richard.

[MoonlightGraham]

2018/19 Senior Tribute

SAMUEL DAVIS

Big Sazzy came to us from North Carolina. I fully admit I underestimated his potential. "I envision him earning playing time with his defense and shot blocking," I predicted when Samuel announced his signing. When he became a starter, I wondered, "will we be roughed up in the post for the first time since Graham [Sims] arrived in town?

Those comments did not age well. I'm glad.

#53 C Samuel Davis - Lafayette - Senior
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Height: 6-11
Weight: 243
High School: Northwest Guilford High School
Hometown: Greensboro, NC

Attributes:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Type INS JPS FTS 3PS HND PAS ORB DRB PSD PRD STL BLK QKN STR JMP STA
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Current: 29 17 30 61 26 27 35 42 94 18 57 81 30 71 33 83
2017: 28 16 29 59 26 25 31 38 93 17 49 80 29 71 32 74
2016: 27 15 28 54 24 23 28 35 83 16 44 70 29 71 31 64
2015: 25 14 28 51 23 22 26 33 75 15 41 62 27 71 29 52
2014: 23 14 26 49 21 20 24 31 67 15 37 54 25 61 28 24
Potential: D D D C D D C C A D B B

Health: Good
Scholarship: Yes
Status: Active Roster
Academics: 97

Stat Averages:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Season G GS MIN PTS ORE REB AST TO A/T STL BLK PF
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2015 33 2 15.3 3.3 0.8 3.0 0.4 1.0 0.41 0.2 1.4 1.3
2016 35 35 29.3 6.9 1.5 5.7 1.1 1.6 0.71 0.8 2.7 2.0
2017 36 36 32.6 7.1 1.8 7.1 1.4 1.8 0.81 0.4 3.6 1.6
2018 38 38 30.3 5.3 1.4 5.7 1.1 1.4 0.76 0.7 3.5 1.4
Career 142 111 27.1 5.7 1.4 5.4 1.0 1.5 0.76 0.5 2.8 1.6

Shooting Averages:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Season FGM FGA FG% FTM FTA FT% 3PM 3PA 3P% PPS +/-
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2015 1.0 2.1 .471 1.0 1.7 .579 0.3 1.0 .333 1.59 0.61
2016 2.6 5.4 .484 0.9 1.6 .526 0.8 2.2 .355 1.27 7.49
2017 2.4 5.1 .470 1.6 2.5 .637 0.7 1.9 .353 1.39 9.00
2018 2.0 4.3 .469 0.8 1.7 .500 0.4 1.4 .296 1.23 14.66
Career 2.0 4.2 .474 1.1 1.9 .569 0.5 1.6 .338 1.33 8.19

Stat Totals:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Season G GS MIN PTS OREB REB AST TO STL BLK PF
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2015 33 2 505 108 27 100 14 34 8 46 44
2016 35 35 1024 241 54 200 39 55 27 93 71
2017 36 36 1174 254 64 255 51 63 13 130 56
2018 38 38 1152 200 54 215 41 54 26 134 54
Career 142 111 3855 803 199 770 145 206 74 403 225

Shooting Totals
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Season FGM FGA FTM FTA 3PM 3PA +/-
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2015 32 68 33 57 11 33 20
2016 92 190 30 57 27 76 262
2017 86 183 58 91 24 68 324
2018 76 162 32 64 16 54 557
Career 286 603 153 269 78 231 1163

Career Highs:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Type Pts OReb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO FGM FGA FTM FTA 3PM 3PA
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Season 15 5 10 4 3 9 4 6 12 4 8 2 4
Career 16 6 11 4 3 9 4 6 12 5 8 4 7

Awards & Acheivements:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Season Award
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
All Player of the Game: 8
2014 High School: Rated ** and #662 overall by the FBCB scouting service.
2016 1st Team All-Conference (Patriot League)
2017 1st Team All-Conference (Patriot League)
2018 2nd Team All-Conference (Patriot League)

Never much of a scorer, Samuel still made defenses play him honestly. He liked to step out and shoot threes, and he was pretty good at it. He was also a decent rebounder.

It was, of course, as a rim protector that Davis truly distinguished himself.

Exhibit A:
LAFAYETTE PLAYER GAME RECORDS: BLOCKS

# POS PLAYER OPPONENT DATE RECORD
--------------------------------------------------------------------
1 C Samuel Davis Wisconsin 03/23/2019 9
2 C Samuel Davis Colgate 02/04/2017 8
3 C Samuel Davis Princeton 12/04/2017 8
4 C Samuel Davis South Carolina State 01/06/2016 7
5 PF Rhett King Bucknell 02/20/2016 6
6 C Samuel Davis UAB 11/14/2016 6
7 C Samuel Davis Lehigh 02/08/2017 6
8 C Samuel Davis Texas Tech 11/13/2017 6
9 C Samuel Davis Holy Cross 01/20/2018 6
10 C Samuel Davis Coppin State 11/18/2018 6
Exhibit B:
LAFAYETTE PLAYER SEASON RECORDS: BLOCKS

# POS PLAYER SEASON RECORD
------------------------------------------
1 C Samuel Davis 2017 130
2 C Samuel Davis 2016 93
3 C Samuel Davis 2015 46
4 PF Rhett King 2015 38
5 C DeWitt Leiva 2011 21
6 PF Otis Hall 2016 21
7 PF Rhett King 2013 20
8 PF Rhett King 2014 19
9 C James Sanders 2015 19
10 C Clark Nolan 2014 18
Exhibit C:
LAFAYETTE PLAYER CAREER RECORDS: BLOCKS

# POS PLAYER SEASON RECORD
-----------------------------------------------
1 C Samuel Davis 2018 403
2 PF Rhett King 2015 92
3 PF Otis Hall 2018 61
4 C Clark Nolan 2014 55
5 C James Sanders 2015 46
6 C Johnathon Blouin 2018 37
7 SF Venceslás Castillo 2015 34
8 PG Hubert Song 2015 24
9 SG Alvaro Kinard 2016 24
10 SF Daniel Warnock 2018 23

Samuel was always an exceptional student. He will graduate this spring with a 3.88 GPA in history and a membership in Phi Beta Kappa. He has signed with an agent and is pursuing several opportunities to play professionally in Europe.

Thanks for the memories, Samuel.

[MoonlightGraham]

April 13, 2019

Graham Sims levels up again this spring. He's now a Level 9 coach. Was it his 200th career win that did it, or his trip to the Final Four? Either way, I'll take it.
COACH DETAILS

Graham Sims - Head Coach - Lafayette
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Age: 40
High School: St. Stephen's & St. Agnes School
Hometown: Alexandria, VA
Alma Mater: Villanova

Current Level: 9
Career Record: 211 - 62

Recruiting: 82
Scouting: 58
Offense: 62
Defense: 78


Coaching History:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Season Team Position W L CW CL Postseason
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2018 Lafayette Head Coach 34 4 13 1 Loss in NCAA Final Four
2017 Lafayette Head Coach 31 5 13 1 Loss in NCAA Sweet Sixteen
2016 Lafayette Head Coach 28 7 12 2 Loss in NCAA Round of 32
2015 Lafayette Head Coach 27 6 14 0 Loss in NCAA Round of 32
2014 Lafayette Head Coach 27 6 12 2 Loss in NCAA Round of 32
2013 Lafayette Head Coach 26 7 12 2 Loss in NIT Round 2
2012 Lafayette Head Coach 20 13 10 4 Loss in NCAA Round 1
2011 Lafayette Head Coach 18 14 7 7 Loss in CIT Round 2

Awards & Achievements:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Season Award
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2018 Patriot League Champion
2017 Patriot League Champion
2016 Conference Coach of the Year (Patriot League)
2016 Patriot League Champion
2015 Patriot League Champion
2014 Conference Coach of the Year (Patriot League)
2014 Patriot League Champion
2013 Conference Coach of the Year (Patriot League)
2013 Patriot League Champion

Job Movement:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Season Move
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2011 Hired by Lafayette (Head Coach)

This time I raise each of Graham's scores five points each.

Graham's assistants, Steven Manion, Donn McClinton, and Thomas Liang have all leveled up, too; they're Level 5 coaches now. They'd all like raises, and I decide to honor their requests.

All three are all very good at their jobs. Coach Liang, in particular, hasn't received the credit he's due for his work to make Lafayette's defense so impermeable.

Once again, our AD decides to upgrade our training facilities. Our score is now 46, which is 13 points higher than that of any other Patriot League program.

No jobs that would interest Coach Sims open up this spring. It looks like it will be a fairly uneventful spring...and then Steven Manion receives an offer to become the head coach at Delaware State.

I'm not surprised that Coach Manion will get the chance to run his own program. I'll miss his recruiting expertise very much.

Now it's time for me to pick my new Recruiting Coordinator. Coach Manion was slated to earn $110,000 this season, so I have the funds available to hire a talented coach to replace him.

When I look at the list of available assistants, I notice that Lafayette alumnus Louis Hewett is looking for work. I also notice that I created him as a very talented recruiter! Coach Hewett is seeking a $90,000 salary. I offer him what we were going to pay Coach Manion...and he turns it down!

I'm amazed at Hewett's decision. I wouldn't have offered a Level 2 coach like him anywhere near that amount of money if he weren't one of Graham's former players.

In the next round, I offer the position to Gregg Woods. Coach Woods, 42, is a Butler alumnus. He's followed his mentor, Charles Burns, from Winthrop to Davidson to Niagara to Alabama-Birmingham. Coach Burns retired this year (with a fine 185-82 career record), freeing Woods up to look for a new job. When I offer him $100,000/year for two seasons, he takes the job. Welcome to Lafayette, Coach.

[MoonlightGraham]

April 13, 2019
Transfer Time

The "experts" think this is the second-best recruiting class Coach Sims has ever had, behind the Daniel Warnock-Jack Senn-Todd DeHaven group he brought in three years ago. Remember, DeHaven took a redshirt his freshman year, so he's now a class behind his senior teammates.


2018 Recruiting Rankings

# Team Conference Best Player Rtg 5* 4* 3* 2* 1*
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
63. Lafayette Patriot League PG Ben Miele *** 0 0 3 1 0
108. American Patriot League C James Zimmer *** 0 0 2 1 1
154. Navy Patriot League C Andrew Wilson *** 0 0 1 2 1
186. Holy Cross Patriot League SG Brian McCrory *** 0 0 1 0 1
230. Army Patriot League C Delmer Kilmer ** 0 0 0 1 3
274. Bucknell Patriot League PF Isaac Gavin ** 0 0 0 1 1
287. Colgate Patriot League SF Gary Stone ** 0 0 0 2 0
290. Lehigh Patriot League SG Edward Smith ** 0 0 0 1 2

Ben Miele is the conference's most highly-rated incoming freshman, #112 in the national listings.

I held on to one of the five scholarships I could have offered to this year's class, so I knew I'd be active in the transfer portal this spring. It turns out I'll have two scholarships to work with, because James Standard has chosen to leave the program.

In the first transfer round, we sign Asdrubal Cruz, a center who joins us from Savannah State.

#43 C Asdrubal Cruz - Lafayette - Sophomore
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Height: 6-7
Weight: 224
High School: Rowlett High School
Hometown: Rowlett, TX

Attributes:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Type INS JPS FTS 3PS HND PAS ORB DRB PSD PRD STL BLK QKN STR JMP STA
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Current: 44 8 26 0 17 16 76 33 54 23 40 7 19 66 44 49
2018: 40 8 24 0 15 16 70 29 49 21 38 7 19 62 44 36
Potential: C F D F D D A C B D C F

Health: Good
Scholarship: Yes
Status: Redshirting
Academics: 79

Stat Averages:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Season G GS MIN PTS ORE REB AST TO A/T STL BLK PF
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Career 0 0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 A/T 0.0 0.0 0.0

Shooting Averages:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Season FGM FGA FG% FTM FTA FT% 3PM 3PA 3P% PPS +/-
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Career 0.0 0.0 .000 0.0 0.0 .000 0.0 0.0 .000 0.00 0.00

Stat Totals:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Season G GS MIN PTS OREB REB AST TO STL BLK PF
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Career 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Shooting Totals
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Season FGM FGA FTM FTA 3PM 3PA +/-
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Career 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Career Highs:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Type Pts OReb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO FGM FGA FTM FTA 3PM 3PA
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Season 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Career 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Awards & Achievements:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Season Award
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2017 High School: Rated * and #805 overall by the FBCB scouting service.
2018 Transfered from Savannah State

Asdrubal possesses all the qualities of a Blue Collar Man except shot-blocking ability. He's a rugged defender and an eager rebounder, and he could develop into a decent low-block scorer. He'll spend a year in Lafayette's program, and he'll have three years of eligibility beginning in 2020/21.

We pick up another transfer in the second round: wing Joseph Hubbard, lately of Oregon State.

#1 SF Joseph Hubbard - Lafayette - Sophomore
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Height: 6-5
Weight: 206
High School: Linden High School
Hometown: Linden, CA

Attributes:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Type INS JPS FTS 3PS HND PAS ORB DRB PSD PRD STL BLK QKN STR JMP STA
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Current: 24 36 45 44 47 19 24 35 35 20 63 16 47 73 67 69
2018: 22 34 41 40 43 17 22 31 33 18 57 16 45 69 65 54
Potential: C D B C C D D C C D B D

Health: Good
Scholarship: Yes
Status: Redshirting
Academics: 63

Stat Averages:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Season G GS MIN PTS ORE REB AST TO A/T STL BLK PF
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Career 0 0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 A/T 0.0 0.0 0.0

Shooting Averages:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Season FGM FGA FG% FTM FTA FT% 3PM 3PA 3P% PPS +/-
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Career 0.0 0.0 .000 0.0 0.0 .000 0.0 0.0 .000 0.00 0.00

Stat Totals:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Season G GS MIN PTS OREB REB AST TO STL BLK PF
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Career 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Shooting Totals
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Season FGM FGA FTM FTA 3PM 3PA +/-
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Career 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Career Highs:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Type Pts OReb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO FGM FGA FTM FTA 3PM 3PA
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Season 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Career 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Awards & Acheivements:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Season Award
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2017 High School: Rated ** and #708 overall by the FBCB scouting service.
2018 Transfered from Oregon State

Hubbard is considerably more promising than the players we were looking at late in the recruiting period last year. He does no one thing exceptionally well, but he does nearly everything fairly well. At worst, James should be a helpful rotation player when he takes the floor for us in 2020.

James Standard, the hometown boy who decided to transfer, has picked Texas Pan-American, which is a long, long way from Easton, PA.

[MoonlightGraham]

July 1, 2019

Let's meet your 2019/2020 Lafayette Leopards...

#14 LAFAYETTE General

Player # Pos Yr Ht Wt Sch Acd Status Hometown
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Jamie Kelso 0 PG Jr 6-2 198 Yes 96 Unhappy Bordentown, NJ
Joseph Hubbard 1 SF So 6-5 206 Yes 63 Redshirt Linden, CA
Jack Senn 4 SG Sr 6-2 180 Yes 89 OK Manville, NJ
Ben Miele 5 PG Fr 5-11 152 Yes 57 OK Riviera Beach, FL
Rob Prendergast 11 PG So 6-2 185 Yes 64 OK Pottsville, PA
Todd DeHaven 12 PF Jr* 6-10 240 Yes 81 OK Philadelphia, PA
Matthew Ackerman 15 SG So 6-3 189 Yes 66 OK Rugeley, UK
Rodney Lundgren 20 SF Fr 6-8 247 Yes 44 OK Adams, NY
Tim Hutchinson 24 SG Jr 6-6 213 Yes 67 OK Vestal, NY
Scott Cavanaugh 30 SF Sr 6-6 220 No 45 OK Albany, LA
Daniel Warnock 32 SF Sr 6-8 244 Yes 44 OK Spotswood, NJ
Jonathan Baldwin 33 C Fr 6-7 235 Yes 72 OK Baltimore, MD
Jon Woods 35 PF Fr 6-6 244 No 66 OK Houston, TX
Matt Robles 40 C Fr 6-8 202 Yes 34 OK Baraga, MI
Asdrubal Cruz 43 C So 6-7 224 Yes 79 Redshirt Rowlett, TX

How will Coach Sims use these players? We'll find out after they break camp in November.

[MoonlightGraham]

August 1, 2019

Graham Sims and his new recruiting coordinator, Gregg Woods, will have two scholarships to fill. Daniel Warnock and Jack Senn are both wings, but if a promising big man pops up on their radar, they would certainly check him out.

That's exactly what happens with David Maxson.
#23 C David Maxson
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Height: 6-11
Weight: 226
High School: Penn Wood High School
Hometown: Lansdowne, PA
GPA: 2.66
Test Score: 1190
Rating: ***

Attributes:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Type INS JPS FTS 3PS HND PAS ORB DRB PSD PRD STL BLK QKN STR JMP STA
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Current: 42 8 50 33 55 26 36 26 56 13 30 72 21 72 26 20
Potential: C D C C B D B C A C C A

Season Stats:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PTS OREB REB AST TOS A/T STL BLK PFS
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
23.8 3.6 7.9 2.0 1.3 1.56 1.6 4.2 2.1

Shooting Averages:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
FGM FGA FG% FTM FTA FT% 3PM 3PA 3P%
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
9.3 17.6 .526 5.2 7.5 .691 0.1 1.4 .074

Recruiting Notes:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Qualified: Yes
Current interest in Lafayette: High
Rankings: #21 C, East Region #22 Overall, East Region #5 C
High School Awards: None
Top 5 Schools: Rutgers, Villanova, *Temple, Drexel, Seton Hall

David is a high three-star player who seems to want to play close to his Pennsylvania home. He's a strong defender and dominant shot blocker whose style would fit our program well, and he's probably not scoring almost 24 per game by accident. He has an offer from Temple, but I'll take a flyer on him...as I tell myself to walk away if David doesn't show more interest quickly.

Coaches Sims and Woods will make the short trip to visit him this month.

Marlon Smith is a lean wing from Northampton, PA, which is 14 miles from our campus. We've known about Marlon for a while, and Donn McClinton says he's the real deal.

#11 SG Marlon Smith
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Height: 6-5
Weight: 196
High School: Northampton Area High School
Hometown: Northampton, PA
GPA: 2.71
Test Score: 1140
Rating: ***

Attributes:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Type INS JPS FTS 3PS HND PAS ORB DRB PSD PRD STL BLK QKN STR JMP STA
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Current: 75 28 29 43 48 45 49 30 32 25 18 7 83 31 78 60
Potential: A C D B B A B D C D D D

Season Stats:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PTS OREB REB AST TOS A/T STL BLK PFS
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
17.6 2.4 5.1 5.4 2.1 2.57 1.1 0.5 2.8

Shooting Averages:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
FGM FGA FG% FTM FTA FT% 3PM 3PA 3P%
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
7.9 15.7 .500 1.0 2.2 .465 0.9 3.7 .243

Recruiting Notes:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Qualified: Yes
Current interest in Lafayette: Average
Rankings: #36 SG, East Region #30 Overall, East Region #7 SG
High School Awards: None
Top 5 Schools: *Lehigh, *Delaware, *Pennsylvania, Villanova, Temple

He's already a polished shot creator with the potential to be exceptional. Three area schools have already offered him. We're about to be the fourth. Can we lure him away from the less prestigious schools who have acted quickly? Both coaches will visit him this month, too.

We use the rest of our recruiting budget, which is just over $15,000/month, to send Graham and Gregg off to visit various other players we like.

[Izulde]

Congratulations on the Final Four run! And that indeed is what leveled Sims up.

For contrast, my Level 0 coach did not level up at 100 wins or with winning Big West Coach of the Year. It's tied specifically to seasonal performances, it appears.

[MoonlightGraham]

Congratulations on the Final Four run! And that indeed is what leveled Sims up.

For contrast, my Level 0 coach did not level up at 100 wins or with winning Big West Coach of the Year. It's tied specifically to seasonal performances, it appears.

Thanks, Izulde. I've played FBCB off and on for a few years, but I've never had a team make the Final Four. I've usually started out with neophyte coaches and super-low prestige teams, and I've never had enough patience to watch them climb the ladder. Coach Sims started out with more talent, but there are coaches roughly his age who are a few levels higher than he is.

[MoonlightGraham]

September 1, 2019

We're one of four schools who have offered scholarships to David Maxson. This month gives us our first opportunity to invite him to campus, so we'll do so this week, and Coaches Sims and Woods will visit him at home. If those efforts don't pay off, we'll cut our losses and move on.

Marlon Smith has narrowed our choices to Lehigh and Lafayette. I'd hate to lose Marlon to our arch-rival, and we're hoping a visit to our campus will sway him our direction. Right now, he lists Lehigh ahead of us. We'll do all we can this month to change that.

Three or four other players will be recruited heavily, including campus visits. I'll introduce them to you down the road if they become primary recruiting targets.

[MoonlightGraham]

October 1, 2019

Marlon Smith has upgraded his interest in playing for us to Very High; it was only Average before. He still lists his faves in the same order, so it's looking like it's either Lehigh or us.

Their head coach, Gary Alaniz, is a good scout but not a very engaging recruiter. Their recruiting coordinator, Charlie Buchanan, can't hold a candle to Gregg Woods. Lehigh's facilities are 7th best in our 8-team league, and they've won 10 games in the past two years combined. Unless Marlon dreamed of playing for Lehigh all his life, we ought to be able to land him. Let's see what happens if we go max effort on him again.

As much as I like David Maxson, he's still listing us third in a group with Rutgers and Villanova after visiting our campus. David holds offers from both schools, so I don't see him passing both of them up. I pull our offer and decide to take a bit of a chance with it.

For the first time I can remember, a four-star recruit expresses Average interest in playing for us. His name is Jerry Sly, and he's a point guard from Carteret, New Jersey.

#22 PG Jerry Sly
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Height: 6-1
Weight: 178
High School: Carteret High School
Hometown: Carteret, NJ
GPA: 2.36
Test Score: 880
Rating: ****

Attributes:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Type INS JPS FTS 3PS HND PAS ORB DRB PSD PRD STL BLK QKN STR JMP STA
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
***** Player hasn't been evaluated *****


Season Stats:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PTS OREB REB AST TOS A/T STL BLK PFS
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
15.9 2.2 6.1 6.4 2.7 2.37 1.3 0.7 2.4

Shooting Averages:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
FGM FGA FG% FTM FTA FT% 3PM 3PA 3P%
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
6.8 15.2 .446 0.8 0.9 .889 1.6 5.6 .288

Recruiting Notes:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Qualified: Yes
Current interest in Lafayette: Average
Rankings: #29 Overall, #8 PG, East Region #7 Overall, East Region #2 PG
High School Awards: None
Top 5 Schools: Georgetown, Hofstra

Jerry is a solid scorer and a good playmaker, with a fine assist/turnover ratio. His shooting numbers are good; I really like his accuracy from the free throw line.

He's expressed interest in two other schools, one more prestigious, one less. Neither have offered him a scholarship yet. Trusting the national rankings, I decide to make Jerry an offer before we evaluate him thoroughly. We'll do that this month, along with sending Graham and Gregg to visit him.

[MoonlightGraham]

November 1, 2019

The plot thickens once again!

Jerry Sly ends up looking like a player. He's good a good handle, he plays defense well, and he's a fine shooter. Hofstra also offers Jerry a scholarship, and he prefers their program right now, but he's never visited our school. Let's fix that this month. We'll also make sure Coaches Sims and Woods spend some quality time with him.

The situation with Marlon Smith is unchanged. We're definitely giving Marlon and his family something to think about, because he hasn't announced his decision yet. Should I keep recruiting him, or turn our attentions elsewhere?

I look at the remaining players on our call list, and notice something intriguing. Thomas Lucy has been on our list since July. He'd never expressed much interest in playing for us, but it appears things have changed.

#52 SG Thomas Lucy
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Height: 6-4
Weight: 195
High School: Indian River High School
Hometown: Frankford, DE
GPA: 2.78
Test Score: 890
Rating: ***

Attributes:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Type INS JPS FTS 3PS HND PAS ORB DRB PSD PRD STL BLK QKN STR JMP STA
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Current: 48 55 38 62 27 37 6 41 0 21 55 29 74 42 90 21
Potential: B B D B B C F B F D A C

Season Stats:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PTS OREB REB AST TOS A/T STL BLK PFS
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
20.8 0.8 6.2 3.6 2.4 1.53 3.7 0.7 3.4

Shooting Averages:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
FGM FGA FG% FTM FTA FT% 3PM 3PA 3P%
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
9.1 19.5 .465 1.1 2.3 .478 1.6 6.0 .269

Recruiting Notes:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Qualified: Yes
Current interest in Lafayette: Average
Rankings: #83 Overall, #26 SG, East Region #16 Overall, East Region #4 SG
High School Awards: All-State, Mr. Basketball (Delaware)
Top 5 Schools: Lafayette

Apparently, we're the only program Thomas is still considering!

Our scouting report doesn't indicate much aptitude for the fundamentals of defensive play, although he'll steal anything that comes within range. He makes fewer than half his free throws...which isn't adequate for a JV player, much less a high three-star recruit. Still, there's a lot to like here.

I think I'd like to offer Lucy a scholarship. My instincts tell me that, barring a miracle, I'm not going to sign Marlon Smith. I've cashed in all my chips with Marlon, aside from continuing to send coaches to visit him. On the other hand, I still have the campus visit card to play with Jerry Sly and Thomas Lucy.

I sigh, and pull our offer back from Marlon Smith. He'll start from Day One at Lehigh, and I hope he doesn't destroy us for the next four years. We go all in with Thomas Lucy and hope we can snag him before it's too late.

[MoonlightGraham]

November 10, 2019

Training camp has ended, and we're ready to start the season.

LAFAYETTE Training Results

Player Ins Jps Fts 3ps Hnd Pas Orb Drb Psd Prd Stl Blk Qkn Str Jmp Sta
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Jamie Kelso 1 1 1 1 6 6 2 1 1 2 2 1 0 1 0 7
Joseph Hubbard 1 1 2 1 2 1 1 2 2 1 3 1 1 2 1 8
Jack Senn 1 6 5 5 4 1 2 3 3 5 3 2 0 1 0 0
Ben Miele 0 4 4 4 4 8 2 2 2 6 2 2 3 2 2 14
Rob Prendergast 1 2 2 1 0 2 1 1 1 4 1 1 2 2 1 7
Todd DeHaven 8 3 3 3 1 3 6 3 11 1 1 4 1 2 0 0
Matthew Ackerman 2 3 1 4 2 0 0 1 1 7 2 2 1 2 2 9
Rodney Lundgren 2 2 4 4 2 2 2 2 2 6 4 6 1 6 0 14
Tim Hutchinson 6 6 1 3 2 7 3 3 3 4 7 3 1 2 1 6
Scott Cavanaugh 1 0 1 2 0 1 1 1 3 2 2 1 1 2 1 6
Daniel Warnock 2 2 2 2 1 1 2 5 7 3 1 3 1 3 1 0
Jonathan Baldwin 2 2 2 2 0 2 8 10 8 0 2 2 2 8 4 34
Jon Woods 2 2 2 0 2 2 4 10 4 2 2 2 2 8 4 26
Matt Robles 6 2 2 0 0 2 2 6 2 2 0 10 1 8 3 34
Asdrubal Cruz 2 0 1 0 1 0 4 2 4 1 1 1 0 3 2 8

Todd DeHaven is a training camp warrior. I remember him absolutely owning a camp session his first year; now, he's a fully-evolved, Blue/Blue player, the second such player Graham Sims has coached (Hubert Song was the other).

Tim Hutchinson and Jack Senn are now Green players, and Senn possesses Blue potential as he enters his senior season.

Three starters return from last year's Final Four team. Senior Daniel Warnock is a reigning two-time Patriot League Player of the Year. The AI keeps trying to push him out of the starting lineup, but I won't have any of it. I am, however, going to switch him to the PF spot. He's got the post defense to make it work.

Todd DeHaven will be the starting center. A redshirt junior, Todd is the most complete big man we've had here since James Sanders. This summer's mock drafts project him to go undrafted, so hopefully this means we'll have Todd's services for two more years.

6'6" Tim Hutchinson is big and strong enough to handle the small forward role. He'll still be able to make use of the Grade A jump shot that is his most lethal offensive weapon.

The new Lafayette backcourt will feature senior Jack Senn and junior Jamie Kelso.

Senn will be promoted from the sixth man role, where he's demonstrated the ability to produce points in a hurry. Like Hutchinson, Senn features an outstanding shooting touch, although he's more of a spot-up shooter than Hutchinson, who is developing into a three-level scorer.

Kelso is the distributor who will be counted on to make the four scoring threats happy. He's an excellent ball handler and passer who has been clamoring for playing time. He'll get the first shot at locking down the point guard position, but freshman Ben Miele is waiting in the wings.

Miele and shooting guard Matthew Ackerman will be the first players off Coach Sims' bench as the season begins. Ackerman is a sophomore from England who looked promising in limited playing time last season.

Another first year player, Matt Robles, should be a key part of the rotation this season. Rob Prendergast, Jonathan Baldwin, and Rodney Lundgren will hopefully get the time they need to develop this season.

[MoonlightGraham]

November 10, 2019
Coaches Invitational, First Round
(6) Lafayette 81, (11) Northern Iowa 56
Sixteen teams are invited to this preseason tourney, and we take care of business in our first round matchup against Northern Iowa. It's close for 20 minutes, before we pull away after the break.

The Panthers can shoot, but we held them to 27.9% from the floor. And they defended Todd DeHaven (4 points) and Daniel Warnock (also 4 points) as well as any team ever has...but Tim Hutchinson went 4-for-8 from long distance and scored 25. Point guard Jamie Kelso added 15, and so did sixth man Matthew Ackerman. DeHaven and Warnock had 9 and 8 rebounds, respectively, so they found ways to influence the game.
Record: 1-0.


November 11, 2019
Coaches Invitational, Quarter Final
(6) Lafayette 79, (3) #22 Pittsburgh 68
Pitt is one of the more prestigious programs in all of college basketball (94), but I'm surprised to discover they've never made it farther than the Sweet Sixteen. Still, a victory over one of Pennsylvania's two elite programs is one to celebrate.

Again, an opponent does a very good job of keeping the ball out of Daniel Warnock's hands, except when he gets rebounds; he does that 11 times, but scores only 7 points. Todd DeHaven plays only 12 minutes because of foul trouble and finishes with 5.

Again, it's Tim Hutchinson (18 points) who provides the offense, and this time he gets lots of help from Jack Senn (19). Matt Robles pours in 12 off the bench.
Record: 2-0.


November 17, 2019
Coaches Invitational, Semi-final
(6) Lafayette 80, (10) Air Force 60
Upsets in the early rounds of the tournament wreaked havoc with its bracket. The #1 seed, Texas, lost to #16 Long Beach State. #2 Wisconsin fell to #15 East Carolina. Air Force then beat ECU, and that's how they end up playing us. Again, it's a four-point game at halftime, but we take over in the final stanza.

Six Leopards hit double figures: all five starters plus Matthew Ackerman (11). Jack Senn is the high man with 17, adding 3 steals, and Daniel Warnock found a bit more room to operate and finishes with 10. Todd DeHaven completes his first double-double of the season (11 points/13 rebounds).
Record: 3-0.


November 18, 2019
Coaches Invitational Final
(15) East Tennessee State 79, (6) Lafayette 68
In the final nobody saw coming, ETSU shows everyone they're the real deal. They make half their shots and deserve their tournament championship.

Senior forward Chris Collado gashes us for 30 points. Tim Hutchinson leads us with 15; Daniel Warnock and Todd DeHaven are close behind with 13 each, and Jamie Kelso has 12.

We're ranked #3 in the first Mid Major poll of the year, but we might fall off a bit after today.
Record: 3-1.


November 20, 2019
Lafayette 88, @Virginia 76
Autumn in Charlottesville is beautiful, especially when you pick up a W while you're there.

The Cavaliers aren't nearly as good in this universe as you might think. The game begins in 2011, before the "real" Hoos' recent run of success. This edition of UVA basketball has never made the postseason, and their prestige (57) is the lowest in the ACC. If I had conference movement turned on, UVA would almost certainly have been relegated to a lower level. Still, beating a decent team on the road isn't a small feat.

Tim Hutchinson's outstanding season continues, as he posts 20 points, 7 assists, and 5 rebounds in an assertive all-round performance. Daniel Warnock's scoring touch seems to be returning: he finishes with 15. More foul trouble for Todd DeHaven means more playing time for Matt Robles, and the first year takes full advantage: 17 points and 5 rebounds in 22 minutes.
Record: 4-1.


November 23, 2019
@Lafayette 67, William & Mary 55
The new Final Four banner looks wonderful hanging from the Kirby Center rafters, and we continue the celebration with a victory over the Tribe in our home opener.

Balanced scoring--five in double digits, led by Tim Hutchinson's 18--and solid defense--the Tribe shoots 37.5% and makes only 6 of 27 three-pointers--are the winning ingredients tonight.
Record: 5-1.


November 26, 2019
@Lafayette 69, Canisius 68
Not a good night for Lafayette basketball. We win the game--barely--but we lose point guard Jamie Kelso for the next two months.

It takes a put-back dunk by Tim Hutchinson to put away the pesky, delightfully named Golden Griffins, who roar to a 49-38 halftime lead. Kelso goes down early, planting his foot awkwardly on a drive to the basket and breaking it.

Daniel Warnock leads the Leopards with 16 points. Todd DeHaven enjoys a 13/10 double-double, and Jack Senn adds 10 points with 6 assists.

Freshman Ben Miele will replace Kelso in the lineup.
Record: 6-1.


November 28, 2019
Lafayette 91, @#18 Ohio State 89
We end the month with an exclamation point, a big road win against a ranked opponent that is good for the ol' RPI.

There aren't any last-second heroics; we have a five-point lead as time dwindled down before OSU hits a long three with four seconds left. All we have to do was inbound the ball and escape Buckeyes with foul intent, and we do.

Tim Hutchinson reaches a career high with 27 points, but he also shatters the team records for field goal attempts and three-point attempts in a single game with 26 and 18 respectively. Matthew Ackerman scores a much more efficient 20 (3-3 from long range; 6-7 overall, 5-6 from the line). And it's another double-double night for Todd DeHaven, with 14 points and 14 caroms.

Ben Miele is a bit shaky in his first start (7 points, 2 assist, 4 turnovers), but I won't judge him too harshly. He has a tough assignment in All-Big Ten PG Sydney Whitfield.
Record: 7-1.

[MoonlightGraham]

December 1, 2019

We go 1-for-2 in recruiting this time around, as Thomas Lucy commits to our program today!

Thomas is our first Mr. Basketball, earning that honor in his home state of Delaware. He's also our first Top 100 recruit. If we're scouting him accurately, he'll arrive as at least an Orange player with Blue potential.

Jerry Sly chooses Hofstra instead. And, as we expected, Marlon Smith signs with Lehigh, and David Maxson with Rutgers. All of the players we've recruited this season have picked the offer from the school they had highest on their Top Five.

Based on those results, the smart play for us would be to offer a scholarship to Carlton McFadden.

#11 SF Carlton McFadden
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Height: 6-7
Weight: 224
High School: Lower Merion High School
Hometown: Ardmore, PA
GPA: 2.43
Test Score: 1160
Rating: ***

Attributes:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Type INS JPS FTS 3PS HND PAS ORB DRB PSD PRD STL BLK QKN STR JMP STA
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Current: 41 30 49 40 21 48 5 30 32 26 45 33 53 56 53 0
Potential: C A B C C B F D C D C B

Season Stats:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PTS OREB REB AST TOS A/T STL BLK PFS
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
22.2 0.8 5.4 3.7 2.7 1.35 2.6 2.4 2.3

Shooting Averages:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
FGM FGA FG% FTM FTA FT% 3PM 3PA 3P%
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
9.7 16.5 .590 2.2 2.7 .815 0.6 1.5 .400

Recruiting Notes:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Qualified: Yes
Current interest in Lafayette: Very High
Rankings: #33 SF, East Region #33 Overall, East Region #7 SF
High School Awards: None
Top 5 Schools: Lafayette, Virginia, Dayton, Iowa State

Carlton is one of the players I invited to campus back in September. He seems to like what he saw on his visit. Carlton is a local lad, and he'd be far from a consolation prize. He's shot well at the prep level, and it looks like he's got the skills to keep scoring as a collegian.

I offer Carlton a scholarship, and Coaches Sims and Woods will be traveling down to the Main Line to visit him and his family this month.

[MoonlightGraham]

December 1, 2019
@#18 Vanderbilt 77, Lafayette 75
We have a chance to beat the defending national champions on their home court, and Matthew Ackerman's last-second three doesn't miss by much. At some point I'll probably stop calling outcomes like this one "good losses," but that time hasn't come yet.

If we keep scoring at this pace (77.8 per game), we'll set a new Lafayette record. We've also never allowed this many points per game (69.8), but we've played several top teams already. I'd be surprised if our conference opponents hang 70 per night on us.

Todd DeHaven pushes their center, young Brett Oliveira, around, outrebounding him 12-4 and outscoring him 22-0. Brett can, however, soothe his feelings by admiring his national championship ring.

Daniel Warnock (15 points, 7 rebounds) is slowly recovering his usual form, and Tim Hutchinson (16 pts/6 reb/6 ast) is playing the best basketball of his career. Ben Miele looks much more comfortable, too; he finishes with 5 points, 4 assists, 3 turnovers...and 7 rebounds, quite a feat for a 5'11", 163-pound guard.
Record: 7-2.


December 4, 2019
Lafayette 79, @Hartford 57
We don't have much trouble with the struggling Hawks. They suffer another tough break when their talented senior point guard, James Longmire, leaves the game with a ruptured disc that will force him to take a medical redshirt. Playing without their talisman, the Hawks respond with a barrage of poorly aimed three-pointers, shooting 5-for-27 from distance.

Tim Hutchinson scores 21 for us, Todd DeHaven 16 more. Jack Senn has 8 rebounds and 5 assists, Ben Miele 5 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists.
Record: 8-2.


December 8, 2019
@Lafayette 72, Dartmouth 64
Winless Dartmouth show gumption in coming back from a 37-22 halftime deficit to make the scoreline much more flattering.

Tonight's scoring star is senior Jack Senn, who establishes a new career high with an even 20 points. He's averaging 10.2 per game, which is actually more than Daniel Warnock is producing. DW is taking only 7.2 shots per game, his lowest figure since his freshman year, and he's making only 43 percent of those.

Todd DeHaven (8 points, 13 rebounds) and Ben Miele (9 points, 4 assists, 1 turnover) also play well for us.
Record: 9-2.


December 12, 2019
Lafayette 77, @Boston University 64
The Terriers have absolutely no answer for Todd DeHaven. The 6'10" junior center scores 24 points and snags a career-high 17 rebounds, tied with Clark Nolan '13 for second-most in "universal" history behind DeWitt Leiva '12's 22.

Daniel Warnock gets the "shoot more, please" memo and finishes with a much more Warnockish 15 points. Tim Hutchinson can't get a three to drop, going 0-9 from distance, but manages to score 11 points in other ways.

We shoot 24-26 from the line, which is probably a team record of some sort.
Record: 9-2.


December 15, 2019
It's difficult to believe there are really 14 mid major teams better than we are, but that's what this week's poll numbers would indicate. East Tennessee State, the team who beat us in the Coaches Invitational final, is 11-1, and they're ranked #9 overall. They're really good. I'm not as convinced about Montana or Mississippi Valley State.


December 20, 2019
@Lafayette 54, Fairleigh Dickinson 45
We get the better of this symmetrical score, the product of lousy shooting by both teams.

Todd DeHaven capitalizes on all those missed shots by rebounding 15 of them, giving him 32 in his last two games. Tim Hutchinson scores 14 points, and Matthew Ackerman pitches in 11 off the bench. Jack Senn complements his 9 points with 3 steals.
Record: 10-2.


December 24, 2019
Lafayette 78, @Syracuse 72
We climb to #8 in the Mid Major rankings prior to our Christmas Eve clash with the Orange, and we give ourselves an early Christmas gift with a satisfying victory. This isn't a great Syracuse team; their RPI is 131, but beating them in the Carrier Dome is still a tough task.

Jack Senn is the Player of the Game, scoring 18 points and grabbing 6 rebounds. Todd DeHaven adds 16 points and 9 boards, and Matthew Ackerman and Ben Miele score 12 and 10 respectively.

It's one of those games when both teams play well. We simply play just a bit better.
Record: 11-2.


December 27, 2019
@#25 Villanova 94, Lafayette 87
After a short holiday break, we return to action and lose a high-scoring game to Villanova. Again, Villanova isn't as good as they have been the last two years, but they prove tonight they're plenty good on their best days.

Villanova 94, Lafayette 87

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Lafayette (12-3, 0-0):
Player Pos Min Fgm-a Ftm-a Off Reb Ast PF Pts
Todd DeHaven C 34 6-11 4-5 3 11 2 3 16
Daniel Warnock PF 27 3-6 5-6 1 6 1 4 14
Tim Hutchinson SF 32 3-12 2-2 2 7 2 3 10
Jack Senn SG 30 6-12 0-0 4 4 4 4 15
Ben Miele PG 32 6-9 0-0 0 0 0 2 14
Matthew Ackerman SG 19 2-7 1-3 0 1 3 2 6
Matt Robles PF 7 1-2 1-2 0 2 0 5 3
Rob Prendergast PG 5 1-1 0-0 0 1 2 0 3
Rodney Lundgren SF 1 1-1 0-0 0 0 1 0 3
Jonathan Baldwin C 9 0-2 0-0 0 0 0 1 0
Jon Woods PF 5 1-4 0-0 0 2 2 0 3

Turnovers: 12 (T.DeHaven 1, D.Warnock 1, T.Hutchinson
3, J.Senn 2, B.Miele 2, M.Ackerman 3)
Blocked Shots: 1 (T.DeHaven 1)
Steals: 6 (T.Hutchinson 2, J.Senn 1, B.Miele 2,
M.Ackerman 1)
3P FGs: 14-31 (D.Warnock 3-4, T.Hutchinson 2-8, J.Senn
3-6, B.Miele 2-4, M.Ackerman 1-4, R.Prendergast 1-1,
R.Lundgren 1-1, J.Baldwin 0-2, J.Woods 1-1)

Villanova (8-2, 0-0):
Player Pos Min Fgm-a Ftm-a Off Reb Ast PF Pts
Larry Vanegas C 32 7-12 1-2 4 10 1 3 15
David Cook PF 29 7-9 8-9 0 9 1 3 22
Lyman Kiernan SF 34 7-12 3-4 1 6 3 0 20
Heliodoro Jimenez SG 33 4-14 4-4 4 8 2 2 14
Douglas Slaton PG 32 4-11 3-6 2 4 8 1 12
Hershel Davis PG 14 1-2 2-2 0 2 3 2 4
Eric Conde PG 4 0-2 0-0 1 2 1 0 0
Bill Seal PF 16 0-1 2-2 3 3 0 4 2
Kenneth Scalf SF 2 1-3 0-0 1 1 0 1 2
Clint Parkins C 2 1-1 1-2 0 0 0 0 3

Turnovers: 13 (L.Vanegas 1, D.Cook 3, L.Kiernan 3,
H.Jimenez 2, D.Slaton 3, E.Conde 1)
Blocked Shots: 5 (L.Vanegas 2, L.Kiernan 1, B.Seal 2)
Steals: 6 (D.Cook 1, L.Kiernan 1, D.Slaton 2, H.Davis 2)
3P FGs: 6-20 (L.Kiernan 3-5, H.Jimenez 2-7, D.Slaton
1-4, E.Conde 0-2, K.Scalf 0-2)

Player of Game: PF David Cook (VLNV)

It's an interesting contest from several perspectives. All 10 starters score at least 10 points. I'm not sure I've seen that in this universe. Our point guard, Ben Miele, plays 32 minutes without recording a single assist--on a night when we make 30 baskets. We commit too many fouls and let them shoot too many free throws, and that's what makes the difference.
Record: 12-3.


December 31, 2019
@Louisville 74, Lafayette 59
We close out the year, and the Twenty-Teens, with another road loss to a Power Five team. This time we don't play well at all.

Daniel Warnock does play well, however. He scores 15 on 6-9 shooting, with 3-for-5 from distance. Todd DeHaven has 11 rebounds, and Tim Hutchinson 10 points.

Despite our loss, our RPI stands at 7, the result of playing such a demanding non-conference schedule to date.
Record: 12-4.

[MoonlightGraham]

January 1, 2020

Happy 2020, everyone! It's indeed a happy day in Easton, where Carlton McFadden's commitment to play for Lafayette is announced.

There's a lot to like about McFadden's game. I've already mentioned his potential as a scorer. He's an unselfish player who can and will pass the ball. He's a strong 6'7", and he's willing and able to defend bigger players. He's a top 200 player for a reason.

Carlton has some developing to do; he's scouted as a Red/Green player right now. We shouldn't need him to start right away, however, unless Tim Hutchinson decides to try his luck in the pro draft next spring.

A fairly local player--his home town is 47 miles from campus--McFadden should enjoy playing in front of his family. It's good to have you aboard, Carlton.

[MoonlightGraham]

January 3, 2020
Lafayette 77, @La Salle 65
Finally, a vintage performance from the reigning Patriot League Player of the Year, as the conference season approaches.

Daniel Warnock stung the Explorers with 24 points, hitting 6 of his 8 three-point tries. Tim Hutchinson supported him with 16, and Todd DeHaven fell a point shy of a double-double (10 rebounds, 9 points). Ben Miele was solid, with 11 points and 3 assists.
Record: 13-4.


January 7, 2020
2019 Patriot League Standings

TEAM CW CL Pct W L Pct RPI Prestige
----------------------------------------------------------
Lafayette 0 0 .000 13 4 .765 5 69
Holy Cross 0 0 .000 9 5 .643 137 46
Colgate 0 0 .000 8 6 .571 280 37
Bucknell 0 0 .000 6 8 .429 254 35
American 0 0 .000 5 10 .333 158 47
Lehigh 0 0 .000 4 10 .286 113 30
Army 0 0 .000 4 11 .267 309 38
Navy 0 0 .000 4 9 .308 329 31

Prestige-wise, the teams of the Patriot League have sorted themselves into two tiers. There's a Big Three--Lafayette, American, and Holy Cross--and The Rest.

Holy Cross beat Arizona on the road and edged a good Rhode Island team, but they also lost to weak St. Francis and Boston University teams. American hung tough with nationally ranked Georgia, but let a mediocre East Carolina team blow them out.

We don't have a soft loss yet; East Tennessee State has turned out to be surprisingly good, and our other setbacks have come to SEC and ACC teams. Meanwhile, we've beaten an ACC opponent and two Big East foes- one of whom is a Pitt squad that hasn't lost to anyone else.

[Young Drachma]

Thanks, Izulde. I've played FBCB off and on for a few years, but I've never had a team make the Final Four. I've usually started out with neophyte coaches and super-low prestige teams, and I've never had enough patience to watch them climb the ladder. Coach Sims started out with more talent, but there are coaches roughly his age who are a few levels higher than he is.

Yeah that's pretty rad run you've had, I certainly don't have the patience to play this game with that kind of patience, so that's pretty cool.

[MoonlightGraham]

January 8, 2020
Lafayette 84, Bucknell 81
I don't like to see us letting Bucknell score 81 points, but when we do, we better score at least that many. We barely do, and squeak out a win in our Patriot League lid-lifter.

Tim Hutchinson's 25 points lead all scorers. He adds 8 rebounds for good measure. Daniel Warnock scores an economical 14, taking only 8 shots, while grabbing 6 rebounds, blocking a shot, and getting a steal. Ben Miele (11) and Jack Senn (10) score in double figures, and each adds 4 assists.

Winning shootouts against 6-9 Patriot League teams isn't really how Graham Sims teams roll. I wonder what kind of team this year's edition really is?
Record: 14-4 (1-0).


January 11, 2020
@Lafayette 93, American 74
We rout the Eagles with perhaps the best exhibition of shooting I've seen from a Lafayette team.

Lafayette 93, American 74

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
American (6-11, 1-1):
Player Pos Min Fgm-a Ftm-a Off Reb Ast PF Pts
James Zimmer C 31 2-7 3-4 2 2 2 2 7
Maurice Wales PF 32 5-8 0-0 2 2 1 3 10
Don Kincaid SF 26 5-8 2-2 0 1 1 4 16
Joseph Alexander SG 34 5-13 5-7 3 7 1 1 19
David Partain PG 34 2-5 2-4 1 4 7 1 8
Justin Spiller PG 6 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 1 0
Oswald Riddell SG 6 0-0 0-0 0 0 1 0 0
John Henninger C 11 2-2 1-2 0 1 0 1 5
Dario Morales SF 13 3-5 2-4 0 2 1 2 9
Charles Hepler PF 5 0-3 0-0 0 1 0 0 0
Andres Mahon SF 1 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0 0

Turnovers: 9 (J.Zimmer 1, M.Wales 1, D.Kincaid 2,
J.Alexander 1, D.Partain 3, J.Spiller 1)
Blocked Shots: 5 (J.Zimmer 1, M.Wales 1, D.Kincaid 1,
J.Alexander 1, J.Henninger 1)
Steals: 9 (J.Zimmer 2, J.Alexander 2, D.Partain 2,
J.Spiller 2, D.Morales 1)
3P FGs: 11-24 (D.Kincaid 4-5, J.Alexander 4-9,
D.Partain 2-5, D.Morales 1-3, C.Hepler 0-2)

Lafayette (15-4, 2-0):
Player Pos Min Fgm-a Ftm-a Off Reb Ast PF Pts
Todd DeHaven C 35 9-12 9-9 3 11 2 3 27
Daniel Warnock PF 30 7-10 1-2 3 4 3 3 21
Tim Hutchinson SF 32 3-8 3-3 4 8 8 3 10
Jack Senn SG 32 4-6 3-4 0 1 1 2 13
Ben Miele PG 26 3-4 0-0 0 1 1 4 8
Matthew Ackerman SG 19 4-6 0-0 0 0 1 3 12
Matt Robles PF 12 1-4 0-0 0 4 1 1 2
Rob Prendergast PG 7 0-1 0-0 0 2 1 0 0
Rodney Lundgren SF 3 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 1 0
Jonathan Baldwin C 5 0-0 0-0 0 3 0 0 0

Turnovers: 14 (T.DeHaven 3, D.Warnock 2, T.Hutchinson
2, J.Senn 1, M.Ackerman 3, M.Robles 2, R.Lundgren 1)
Blocked Shots: 1 (M.Robles 1)
Steals: 3 (J.Senn 2, B.Miele 1)
3P FGs: 15-23 (D.Warnock 6-8, T.Hutchinson 1-3, J.Senn
2-3, B.Miele 2-3, M.Ackerman 4-6)

Player of Game: C Todd DeHaven (LFYTE)

We make 60.8% of our field goal attempts, and 16 of 18 from the line. You can see how well we found the range from behind the arc.

Todd DeHaven takes young James Zimmer to school. We recruited Zimmer hard, and he's going to be a very good player, but he's not there yet. DeHaven is.

Look how close Tim Hutchinson came to recording our first triple double!

Interesting coincidence: American has a new coach this year: longtime assistant Jose Black, in his first head coaching position. Black replaces Jimmy Reynolds, with whom Graham enjoyed a spirited rivalry for the past few years. Reynolds left for a new opportunity at Northern Iowa...the team Lafayette routed in the first round of the Coaches Invitational this year.
Record: 15-4 (2-0).


January 15, 2020
Lafayette 62, @Colgate 60
I seem to remember several tight, low-scoring matchups against Colgate. We win this one on a buzzer-beating floater by Todd DeHaven that caps off an 18-point, 13-rebound performance.

Tim Hutchinson enjoys a double double, too--11 points, 10 rebounds--and with one more rebound, Daniel Warnock (13 and 9) would have joined them. Jack Senn (10 and 6) is almost as productive.
Record: 16-4 (3-0).


January 18, 2020
Lafayette 81, @Lehigh 60
Jamie Kelso is upgraded to Day-to-Day, with 88% of his health restored. If this were a must-win game, I'd suit Jamie up, but it's January and we don't need to take chances with him. He won't play until he's completely healthy.

Without him, we hold a second straight opponent to exactly 60 points. That's a good recipe for victory.

Tim Hutchinson's 22 points lead us, with 18 from Todd DeHaven and 13 from Jack Senn. Ben Miele dishes out a career-high 6 assists, and his fellow frosh Matt Robles plays well off the bench with 9 points and 3 rebounds.
Record: 17-4 (4-0).


January 25, 2020
@Lafayette 74, Navy 57
The last three games have featured the level of defensive play we've come to expect from Graham Sims's teams. It's rare for Lafayette to allow an opponent, especially a Patriot League opponent, to make 40 percent of its shots. We hold Navy below that mark, which feels much more like Lafayette basketball.

Four players score in double figures: Jack Senn (17), Daniel Warnock (16), Todd DeHaven (13), and Tim Hutchinson (12). DeHaven collects his 9th double double of the year; the current Division I pacesetter in that category has 11. Hutchinson also adds 4 steals.

Jamie Kelso returns to limited action, and scores 6 points in 7 minutes.

We have a two-game lead in the conference standings, as the other seven teams are delighting in roughing each other up on an alternating basis.
Record: 18-4 (5-0).


January 29, 2020
@Lafayette 69, Holy Cross 59
Robert Wiley, whom we would have liked to sign coming out of high school, is enjoying an excellent senior season. He recently scored his 1000th career point, and he reminds us why we thought he was going to be good tonight; he scores 19, but we do a good enough job guarding his teammates to win comfortably.

It's 10 double doubles for Todd DeHaven now, as he records 13 points and 12 boards. He's now averaging a double double, which no Lafayette player has managed to do. Daniel Warnock follows suit with 16 points and 11 rebounds. Tim Hutchinson and Matt Robles add 10 each.

We're back up to #5 in the Mid Major poll, which seems like a more accurate assessment of how good we are. Alabama-Birmingham, Gonzaga, Temple, and Memphis are ranked above us.
Record: 19-4 (6-0).


February 1, 2020
@Lafayette 81, Army 70
We complete our sweep of the first half of the Patriot League season tonight, overcoming 23 points from conference scoring leader Chris Buckley.

Tim Hutchinson scores 21 of his own, while Ben Miele contributes 16, featuring 3-for-4 from three point distance. Daniel Warnock enjoys a 10-point, 11-rebound double double, and Todd DeHaven has 12 and 8.

Chris Buckley is closing out a remarkable career. He set a Patriot League record with 43 points in a single game earlier this month. He'll probably score the 2000th point of his career in his next game, and he'll almost certainly break Jack Jessie, Army '15's record for career points. Jessie finished with 2105.
Record: 20-4 (7-0).

2019 Patriot League Standings

TEAM CW CL Pct W L Pct RPI Prestige
-----------------------------------------------------------
Lafayette 7 0 1.000 20 4 .833 14 69
Colgate 5 2 .714 13 8 .619 237 37
American 4 3 .571 9 13 .409 187 47
Holy Cross 3 4 .429 12 9 .571 161 46
Bucknell 3 4 .429 10 12 .455 239 35
Army 3 4 .429 7 15 .318 308 38
Lehigh 2 5 .286 6 15 .286 163 30
Navy 1 6 .143 5 16 .238 311 31

[MoonlightGraham]

Yeah that's pretty rad run you've had, I certainly don't have the patience to play this game with that kind of patience, so that's pretty cool.

Thanks, Young Drachma. It's been a great ride so far. At the end of the season, I'll post some of the career leader boards for coaches. There are some pretty neat things there.

Thanks for following along and commenting. I enjoy engaging in dialogue with anyone who's out there reading the thread.

[MoonlightGraham]

February 5, 2020
#23 Lafayette 85, American 54
We begin the day ranked #2 in the Mid Major poll, which is our highest ranking ever. Then, we go out and play like we deserve our ranking.

A season-high 25 points from Daniel Warnock sets the tone, and three teammates score between 11 and 13 points: Jack Senn (13), Tim Hutchinson (11), and Jamie Kelso (11). Senn's 4 steals spearheaded another strong defensive effort.

(Today marks Kelso's return to the starting five. When his broken foot healed, I put him back in the depth chart as our sixth man. I meant to promote him a couple games ago, but I forgot...and because both he and Ben Miele were playing well, I forgot again.)
Record: 21-4 (8-0).


February 8, 2020
#23 Lafayette 70, @Bucknell 65
The Bison have scuffled this year; they're 3-6 in conference play, but they've given us two good games. In fact, they take a 35-34 lead to the locker room at halftime, and a big home crowd sends them off the floor with a wave of noise. We didn't take the lead for good until 3:34 remained in the game.

Daniel Warnock plays well again, with 18 points, 6 rebounds, and no turnovers. Matthew Ackerman contributes big-time during the second half and finishes with 12 off the bench. Jack Senn gets 11, Todd DeHaven 10 with 8 rebounds.
Record: 22-4 (9-0).


February 12, 2020
@#20 Lafayette 101, Lehigh 92
Wow. Take a long-standing rivalry, add a big, raucous crowd, throw in some non-stop action, and you have the recipe for a game you don't want to miss.

Lafayette 101, Lehigh 92

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Lehigh (7-17, 2-7):
Player Pos Min Fgm-a Ftm-a Off Reb Ast PF Pts
Quincy Lafond C 16 1-2 0-0 1 4 0 5 2
Michael Miskin C 29 4-5 3-4 2 6 1 2 12
Timothy Pinto SF 33 9-15 1-3 1 4 4 2 23
John Grillo SG 33 6-9 4-4 0 0 3 1 19
Ross Pires PG 17 2-6 3-3 0 1 0 4 7
Chris Weekley PG 22 4-8 2-3 1 1 2 3 12
Roscoe Deck PF 22 3-4 0-0 2 8 4 2 7
Tyson Chavira PF 9 1-1 0-0 0 3 0 1 2
Gino McBee C 4 1-1 0-0 0 0 0 0 2
Denis Jones SF 8 1-5 0-0 0 0 1 2 2
Edward Smith SG 6 2-2 0-0 0 0 2 1 4

Turnovers: 11 (Q.Lafond 3, T.Pinto 1, J.Grillo 3,
R.Pires 2, R.Deck 2)
Blocked Shots: 2 (M.Miskin 1, G.McBee 1)
Steals: 5 (M.Miskin 1, T.Pinto 1, C.Weekley 1, R.Deck
1, D.Jones 1)
3P FGs: 11-23 (M.Miskin 1-2, T.Pinto 4-8, J.Grillo 3-5,
R.Pires 0-2, C.Weekley 2-3, R.Deck 1-1, D.Jones 0-2)

Lafayette (23-4, 10-0):
Player Pos Min Fgm-a Ftm-a Off Reb Ast PF Pts
Todd DeHaven C 36 10-18 7-10 5 10 1 2 27
Daniel Warnock PF 36 7-10 2-3 3 6 3 4 20
Tim Hutchinson SF 35 10-17 4-5 1 5 2 3 27
Jack Senn SG 33 2-7 0-0 1 1 6 2 5
Jamie Kelso PG 34 3-5 3-3 1 6 14 3 10
Ben Miele PG 6 0-1 0-0 0 0 1 0 0
Matthew Ackerman SG 11 1-2 3-4 1 1 1 3 5
Matt Robles PF 6 2-4 3-3 1 2 0 0 7
Rodney Lundgren SF 1 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0 0
Jonathan Baldwin C 1 0-0 0-0 0 1 0 0 0

Turnovers: 8 (D.Warnock 1, T.Hutchinson 2, J.Senn 1,
J.Kelso 2, M.Ackerman 1, R.Lundgren 1)
Blocked Shots: 3 (D.Warnock 1, T.Hutchinson 1, M.Robles
1)
Steals: 2 (T.Hutchinson 1, J.Kelso 1)
3P FGs: 9-23 (D.Warnock 4-7, T.Hutchinson 3-10, J.Senn
1-4, J.Kelso 1-1, M.Ackerman 0-1)

Player of Game: C Todd DeHaven (LFYTE)

Full marks to Timothy Pinto, another of the Patriot League's senior stars. He always plays well against us, probably because he plays well against everyone.

Those 14 dimes from Jamie Kelso tie the Patriot League single game record, and break the Lafayette record of 13 Richard Leak '19 set last year.

I'm almost positive the 54 points Todd DeHaven and Tim Hutchinson combine to score are the most scored by two Lafayette players in a game. I'm even more positive no Leopards trio has ever scored as many as the 74 you get when you add Daniel Warnock's 20. I know no Lafayette team has scored as many as 101 in a game (the previous record was an even 100).

The game's most beautiful moment occurred when Daniel Warnock drains a three from the corner. The game is halted so Coach Sims can present Daniel the game ball in recognition of his 2000th career point. Earlier in the season, DW passed Joe Lien and Hubert Song '16 to become Lafayette's all-time scoring leader.
Record: 23-4 (10-0).


February 15, 2020
@#20 Lafayette 69, Colgate 62
We clinch our seventh consecutive Patriot League championship, and it's especially rewarding because we do it on Senior Night.

Senior Jack Senn celebrates the event with 19 points, 7 rebounds, and and 2 steals. Classmate Daniel Warnock focuses on rebounding, grabbing 11. The third senior's name has never been mentioned in our story. Scott Cavanaugh is a walk-on forward who has played for us for four seasons. He plays 30 minutes tonight, almost doubling his career total to date. He fouls out, but not before he scores 6 points (2-for-3 from distance) and snags 5 rebounds.

Todd DeHaven's 22-point, 11-rebound double double is almost a footnote, but that's OK. Tonight the spotlight belongs to the men of the Class of 2020.
Record: 24-4 (11-0).


February 22, 2020
#20 Lafayette 66, @Navy 55
I suppose it's easy to understand why our performance seems a bit "blah," after the emotion of our last game.

Jamie Kelso's 17 points and 3 steals are a high point, and Tim Hutchinson and Todd DeHaven add 14.
Record: 25-4 (12-0).


February 26, 2020
#15 Lafayette 89, @Holy Cross 86
We nearly let this one slip away. Leading 49-34 at the end of the first half, we allow the Crusaders to battle back and send the game into overtime. A three from Daniel Warnock with just over a minute left proves to be the winning basket.

Tim Hutchinson (23 points, 10 rebounds, 7 assists) is our leading scorer, but Todd DeHaven (15 points, 11 rebounds) is named Player of the Game.
Record: 26-4 (13-0).


February 29, 2020
#15 Lafayette 69, @Army 53
We complete a perfect Patriot League season with a victory over the Black Knights of the Hudson. The 14-0 run is the second of Graham Sims' career, the other coming in 2015/16.

Daniel Warnock scores 24 for the Leopards, and he's backed up by a 13-point, 11-rebound performance by Todd DeHaven and a 14-point effort from Tim Hutchinson, who shoots a forgettable 5-for-20 (!) from the field and 2-for-14 (!!) from three.

Army's Chris Buckley scores 17 points in his final regular season game. He's passed Jack Jessie to become the Patriot League's all-time top scorer.
Record: 27-4 (14-0).

2019 Patriot League Standings

TEAM CW CL Pct W L Pct RPI Prestige
--------------------------------------------------------------
#15 Lafayette 14 0 1.000 27 4 .871 11 69
American 10 4 .714 16 14 .533 144 47
Holy Cross 8 6 .571 18 11 .621 163 46
Colgate 7 7 .500 15 14 .517 262 37
Bucknell 5 9 .357 12 17 .414 257 35
Army 5 9 .357 9 20 .310 310 38
Navy 4 10 .286 8 21 .276 312 31
Lehigh 3 11 .214 8 21 .276 206 30

The top of the Patriot League table is arranged by prestige. Off to the tournament we go!

[MoonlightGraham]

March 4, 2020
Patriot League Tournament, First Round
(1) #13 Lafayette 77, Lehigh 59
Balance is a good thing, and that's the key to our victory over Lehigh, our third of the season.

Tim Hutchinson (17 points), Todd DeHaven (17 points, 10 boards), and Jack Senn (16 points), with help from Daniel Warnock (12 points) provide more scoring options than the Mountain Hawks can handle. Hutch adds 4 rebounds, 4 steals, and 3 assists.

Lehigh's Timothy Pinto scores 18 in the final game of his collegiate career. He's been a worthy foe.

Before the game, we learn we are finally ranked #1 in the Mid Major Poll.

Mid Major Top 25

# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Lafayette (36) 28-4 1758 2 Patriot League
2. UAB (29) 24-4 1745 1 Conference USA
3. Temple 24-3 1646 3 Atlantic 10 Conference
4. Memphis 22-6 1574 4 Conference USA
5. Gonzaga (7) 25-5 1557 5 West Coast Conference
6. Illinois State 22-9 1367 7 Missouri Valley Conference
7. East Tennessee State 24-7 1290 8 Atlantic Sun Conference
8. Nevada 19-11 1276 6 Western Athletic Conference
9. Marshall 20-8 1245 9 Conference USA
10. Utah State 19-9 1143 14 Western Athletic Conference
11. Eastern Illinois 23-8 1085 11 Ohio Valley Conference
12. UTEP 18-8 976 15 Conference USA
13. Rhode Island 20-8 949 10 Atlantic 10 Conference
14. Old Dominion 20-8 760 12 Colonial Athletic Association
15. Pacific 20-8 750 16 Big West Conference
16. Oakland 23-8 690 13 Summit League
17. Austin Peay 23-7 685 19 Ohio Valley Conference
18. Creighton 20-10 546 23 Missouri Valley Conference
19. Valparaiso 19-11 452 NR Horizon League
20. Cleveland State 20-11 349 NR Horizon League
21. Fresno State 18-10 298 18 Western Athletic Conference
22. UC Irvine 19-9 265 21 Big West Conference
23. Green Bay 20-10 253 NR Horizon League
24. Butler 19-10 185 20 Horizon League
25. Campbell 21-9 147 24 Atlantic Sun Conference

Here's how the first day of the tournament played out:
(1) #13 Lafayette 77, (8) Lehigh 59
(7) Navy 61, (2) American 60
(6) Army 70, (3) Holy Cross 59
(4) Colgate 82, (5) Bucknell 63

So we'll play Colgate next, and it's a delightful Army-Navy contest on the other side of the bracket, as the service academies each pull off an upset.
Record: 28-4.


March 8, 2020
Patriot League Tournament Semifinal
(1) #13 Lafayette 100, (4) Colgate 72
Here's our side of the scoresheet, which tells the story just as clearly as words would do.
Lafayette (29-4, 14-0):
Player Pos Min Fgm-a Ftm-a Off Reb Ast PF Pts
Todd DeHaven C 37 6-14 3-4 3 9 2 2 15
Daniel Warnock PF 28 3-7 4-4 1 3 3 2 10
Jack Senn SG 32 3-9 3-6 1 6 8 3 12
Tim Hutchinson SF 20 7-12 6-6 2 8 4 4 22
Jamie Kelso PG 34 4-11 6-8 3 8 5 0 15
Ben Miele PG 17 0-1 0-0 0 1 3 1 0
Matthew Ackerman SF 14 6-8 1-1 0 2 0 2 17
Matt Robles PF 12 3-3 1-2 2 7 1 2 7
Rodney Lundgren SF 2 0-1 0-0 0 0 0 0 0
Jonathan Baldwin C 4 0-0 2-2 0 0 0 0 2

Turnovers: 8 (T.DeHaven 1, D.Warnock 1, J.Senn 2,
T.Hutchinson 2, B.Miele 1, M.Ackerman 1)
Blocked Shots: 4 (T.DeHaven 3, R.Lundgren 1)
Steals: 5 (D.Warnock 2, T.Hutchinson 2, J.Kelso 1)
3P FGs: 10-27 (D.Warnock 0-2, J.Senn 3-8, T.Hutchinson
2-7, J.Kelso 1-3, B.Miele 0-1, M.Ackerman 4-5,
R.Lundgren 0-1)

Player of Game: SF Tim Hutchinson (LFYTE)

Once again, lots of players pitch in in lots of ways. Our guards combine for 16 rebounds. Twenty-six of our 32 baskets are assisted, and we commit only 8 turnovers. Good stuff.

Army beats Navy, so we get to see Chris Buckley one more time.
Record: 29-4.

March 12, 2020
Patriot League Championship Game
(1) #12 Lafayette 78, (6) Army 46

Lafayette 78, Army 46

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Army (11-21, 5-9):
Player Pos Min Fgm-a Ftm-a Off Reb Ast PF Pts
Roy Paschal C 25 2-6 2-2 3 5 0 2 6
Damon Resnick PF 26 3-5 0-0 0 4 1 2 6
Chauncey Kester SF 20 2-6 2-2 3 3 3 4 6
Chris Buckley SG 32 5-20 7-10 0 6 1 0 17
David Ramage PG 30 0-2 0-0 1 5 1 2 0
David Appling SF 15 1-4 0-0 0 0 0 0 3
Joey Danielson PG 14 1-3 1-3 0 1 0 0 4
Delmer Kilmer C 19 1-3 0-0 1 3 1 2 2
Mitchel Rockwood SG 6 0-5 2-2 0 1 0 0 2
Richard Moulton PF 10 0-0 0-0 1 1 0 2 0
Brendan Irwin SF 2 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0 0

Turnovers: 10 (R.Paschal 1, D.Resnick 1, C.Kester 2,
C.Buckley 5, D.Ramage 1)
Blocked Shots: 1 (D.Appling 1)
Steals: 5 (R.Paschal 1, D.Resnick 1, C.Buckley 2,
D.Kilmer 1)
3P FGs: 2-18 (C.Kester 0-2, C.Buckley 0-7, D.Ramage
0-2, D.Appling 1-2, J.Danielson 1-2, M.Rockwood 0-3)

Lafayette (30-4, 14-0):
Player Pos Min Fgm-a Ftm-a Off Reb Ast PF Pts
Todd DeHaven C 34 2-6 4-4 1 9 3 2 8
Daniel Warnock PF 31 4-11 4-4 2 12 1 1 13
Tim Hutchinson SF 32 10-15 2-2 1 2 1 1 29
Jack Senn SG 28 4-6 0-0 1 2 5 4 10
Jamie Kelso PG 29 2-4 0-0 0 4 3 4 5
Ben Miele PG 16 2-4 0-0 2 3 1 1 5
Matthew Ackerman SG 10 1-2 0-1 0 2 0 2 3
Matt Robles PF 11 1-2 0-1 0 4 0 1 2
Rodney Lundgren SF 5 0-1 0-0 0 0 0 1 0
Jonathan Baldwin C 5 1-1 1-1 0 3 0 0 3

Turnovers: 12 (T.DeHaven 2, T.Hutchinson 2, J.Senn 2,
J.Kelso 3, M.Ackerman 1, M.Robles 1, R.Lundgren 1)
Blocked Shots: 2 (J.Senn 1, M.Ackerman 1)
Steals: 0
3P FGs: 13-23 (D.Warnock 1-3, T.Hutchinson 7-10, J.Senn
2-4, J.Kelso 1-1, B.Miele 1-2, M.Ackerman 1-2,
R.Lundgren 0-1)

Player of Game: SF Tim Hutchinson (LFYTE)

This game features a pair of seniors who have combined to score 4322 points in their collegiate careers. Chris Buckley and Daniel Warnock are #1 and #3 on the all-time Patriot League leader board. Chris ends his career with 2232 points, while Daniel will enter NCAA tournament play with a total of 2090. The two men shared some private words and embraced warmly at the end of the game.

Warnock will probably continue his basketball career in Europe. Soon-to-be 2LT Buckley will join the Long Gray Line as a member of the Adjutant General Corps.
Record: 30-4.

[MoonlightGraham]

March 15, 2020
Today we learn we're the #6 seed in the East Region. We're #11 in the latest poll, but we're #18 on the RPI list.

Our first round opponent will be #11 seed Nevada, who went 20-12 and were upset early in the WAC tournament.


March 19, 2020
NCAA East Region, First Round
(11) Nevada 77, (6) #11 Lafayette 69
And just like that, we're done.

The Wolf Pack are a very good defensive team. In fact, they resemble the Lafayette teams of the last several seasons more than this year's Leopards do. They limit us to 32.8% shooting and force 14 turnovers. They earn their victory.

Todd DeHaven finishes with 17 points and 14 rebounds. It's his 16th double double of the year, second only to Werner Schneidel of Missouri, who has 19. Tim Hutchinson scores 15, and Jamie Kelso contributes 8 assists and 8 rebounds.

Daniel Warnock scores 11 points in his final collegiate game. He finishes his career with 2101 points, easily the most in Lafayette history.
Record: 30-5.

[MoonlightGraham]

April 6, 2020

This year's Final Four is the Southeastern Conference's private party. Vanderbilt, who entered the tournament as an 8 seed, beat top-seeded Kentucky, 71-52, in one semifinal. In the other, 1 seed Mississippi State held serve against Tennessee, 68-60.

There hasn't been a team outside the SEC in the championship game since 2017, when Boston College beat Texas. The one constant is Vanderbilt, who has made the final three years running. This year's final is a rematch of the 2018 contest, and once again, Mississippi State comes out victorious. This year it's not close; the Bulldogs romp to a 81-51 victory.

[MoonlightGraham]

April 6, 2020

The Patriot League seasonal awards are announced today, too.

2019 PATRIOT LEAGUE AWARDS

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Player of the Year:

JR C Todd DeHaven Lafayette 13.5 PPG, 10.1 RPG, 1.7 APG 0.3 SPG, 0.4 BPG

Freshman of the Year:
FR C James Zimmer American 7.3 PPG, 4.9 RPG, 1.0 APG 0.6 SPG, 0.7 BPG

Coach of the Year:
Graham Sims Lafayette 30 - 5 (14 - 0)

All-league 1st Team:
C JR Todd DeHaven Lafayette 13.5 PPG, 10.1 RPG, 1.7 APG, 0.3 SPG, 0.4 BPG
PF SR Daniel Warnock Lafayette 12.6 PPG, 6.9 RPG, 1.6 APG, 0.5 SPG, 0.5 BPG
SF JR Tim Hutchinson Lafayette 15.9 PPG, 5.3 RPG, 3.0 APG, 1.0 SPG, 0.3 BPG
SG SR Chris Buckley Army 22.5 PPG, 5.5 RPG, 2.0 APG, 1.0 SPG, 0.1 BPG
PG JR Jamie Kelso Lafayette 8.8 PPG, 3.7 RPG, 3.2 APG, 0.9 SPG, 0.1 BPG

All-league 2nd Team:
C SR Robert Wiley Holy Cross 17.1 PPG, 6.4 RPG, 1.1 APG, 0.6 SPG, 0.5 BPG
PF SR John Cruce Holy Cross 10.2 PPG, 9.1 RPG, 2.1 APG, 0.4 SPG, 0.3 BPG
SF JR Tanner Dewey Holy Cross 11.5 PPG, 4.2 RPG, 2.7 APG, 1.2 SPG, 0.3 BPG
SG SR Joseph Alexander American 16.2 PPG, 5.1 RPG, 2.1 APG, 1.8 SPG, 0.2 BPG
PG SR David Partain American 8.6 PPG, 2.7 RPG, 3.1 APG, 2.1 SPG, 0.2 BPG

All-freshman Team:
C FR James Zimmer American 7.3 PPG, 4.9 RPG, 1.0 APG, 0.6 SPG, 0.7 BPG
PF FR Matt Robles Lafayette 4.7 PPG, 3.1 RPG, 0.5 APG, 0.1 SPG, 0.3 BPG
SF FR Aubrey Theisen Bucknell 9.2 PPG, 1.2 RPG, 1.3 APG, 0.9 SPG, 0.2 BPG
SG FR Brian McCrory Holy Cross 4.5 PPG, 1.2 RPG, 0.7 APG, 0.3 SPG, 0.1 BPG
PG FR Ben Miele Lafayette 4.6 PPG, 1.6 RPG, 2.1 APG, 0.5 SPG, 0.0 BPG

Todd DeHaven accepts the crown from two-time Player of the Year Daniel Warnock. He is a deserving choice, and while it would have been cool to see DW win three POYs in a row, Todd had the better season.

Chris Buckley is the only non-Leopard in the first team. Joseph Alexander was a better player this year than our Jamie Kelso, but Alexander is denied because he and Buckley are both listed at SG.

Jack Senn led the conference in assists with 3.2/game. I didn't see that coming, did you?

It's good to see Matt Robles and Ben Miele on the All-Freshman Team.

And it's rewarding to watch Graham Sims win his fourth COY award, too.

And then came the email I was hoping I wouldn't receive...

C Todd DeHaven has decided to forgo his remaining college eligibility in order to enter the draft...

Honestly, this moment came closer with each passing double double.

[MoonlightGraham]

April 6, 2020

#11 LAFAYETTE TEAM INFO

Current Performance
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Team Prestige: 69 Record Vs 1-50: 2-3 Poll Rank: #11
Season Record: 30-5 Record Vs 51-100: 2-2 RPI Rank: #21
Conference Record: 14-0 Record Vs 101-200: 7-0
Home Record: 11-0 Record Vs 200+: 19-0


Team Stats CR NR Opp. Stats CR NR Margin CR NR
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Points 77.0 1 11 Points 67.1 3 141 Points 9.9 1 13
O.Reb 10.7 4 172 O.Reb 10.6 3 166 O.Reb 0.1 3 169
D.Reb 26.6 1 60 D.Reb 22.7 2 34 D.Reb 3.9 1 10
Rebounds 37.3 2 96 Rebounds 33.3 2 58 Rebounds 4.0 1 39
Assists 15.9 1 29 Assists 13.0 5 158 Assists 2.9 1 32
Steals 4.6 8 279 Steals 5.7 6 197 Steals -1.1 6 271
Blocks 2.3 6 256 Blocks 3.7 8 277 Blocks -1.4 7 308
Turnovers 13.5 5 146 Turnovers 12.7 4 264 Turnovers 0.8 6 227
Fouls 18.5 4 96 Fouls 19.4 3 168 Fouls -0.9 2 108
FG% .460 1 22 FG% .417 1 81 FG% .044 1 20
FT% .751 1 7 FT% .669 5 137 FT% .083 1 7
3P% .409 1 2 3P% .336 2 160 3P% .073 1 9
PPS 1.40 1 2 PPS 1.18 1 72 PPS .216 1 5
Adj. FG% .550 1 5 Adj. FG% .476 1 100 Adj. FG% .074 1 9

This year's successes were based more on offensive excellence than defensive solidity. Our team shooting percentages were outstanding, while our defensive metrics were only good. The margins still look like those of a top team, however.

For the second consecutive season, we didn't lose a home game.

#11 LAFAYETTE Averages

Player Pos GP GS Min Pts Orb Reb Ast Stl Blk To Fls +/-
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Todd DeHaven C 35 35 32.1 13.5 2.8 10.1 1.7 0.3 0.4 1.7 2.9 10.4
Daniel Warnock PF 35 35 31.8 12.6 2.0 6.9 1.6 0.5 0.5 1.4 3.0 11.2
Jack Senn SG 35 35 30.2 10.5 1.3 4.0 3.3 1.2 0.1 2.2 2.6 9.8
Tim Hutchinson SF 35 34 29.5 15.9 1.5 5.3 3.0 1.0 0.3 2.7 2.9 8.7
Jamie Kelso PG 21 18 25.6 8.8 1.2 3.7 3.2 0.9 0.1 1.7 1.9 10.1
Ben Miele PG 35 17 19.7 4.6 0.5 1.6 2.1 0.5 0.0 1.4 1.7 4.2
Matthew Ackerman SG 35 0 16.3 6.7 0.5 1.7 1.0 0.3 0.2 1.3 1.6 1.7
Matt Robles PF 35 0 12.9 4.7 0.5 3.1 0.5 0.1 0.3 0.9 1.2 -0.5
Scott Cavanaugh SF 5 1 7.2 1.6 0.4 1.0 0.4 0.0 0.2 0.4 1.0 -0.4
Rob Prendergast PG 16 0 5.8 2.0 0.3 0.7 0.6 0.1 0.1 0.5 0.5 -0.4
Jonathan Baldwin C 32 0 5.6 0.9 0.3 1.0 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.3 0.7 -0.1
Rodney Lundgren SF 29 0 3.9 0.9 0.3 0.7 0.2 0.0 0.1 0.4 0.4 -1.8
Jon Woods PF 14 0 2.2 1.4 0.1 1.0 0.2 0.1 0.1 0.0 0.2 0.6
Asdrubal Cruz C 0 0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
Joseph Hubbard SF 0 0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0

#11 LAFAYETTE Totals

Player Pos GP GS Min Pts Orb Reb Ast Stl Blk To Fls +/-
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Todd DeHaven C 35 35 1125 472 99 355 61 9 15 61 103 363
Daniel Warnock PF 35 35 1114 440 69 242 55 16 16 48 106 392
Jack Senn SG 35 35 1056 368 44 139 116 42 4 76 90 344
Tim Hutchinson SF 35 34 1033 558 53 187 105 36 11 94 100 306
Jamie Kelso PG 21 18 537 184 26 78 68 19 3 36 40 212
Ben Miele PG 35 17 688 160 18 55 74 18 1 50 59 148
Matthew Ackerman SG 35 0 572 233 18 59 36 11 7 44 57 61
Matt Robles PF 35 0 450 165 19 109 19 5 11 31 43 -16
Scott Cavanaugh SF 5 1 36 8 2 5 2 0 1 2 5 -2
Rob Prendergast PG 16 0 92 32 4 11 10 1 2 8 8 -6
Jonathan Baldwin C 32 0 180 28 9 32 2 2 4 9 22 -3
Rodney Lundgren SF 29 0 112 27 10 19 6 1 4 13 12 -52
Jon Woods PF 14 0 31 19 2 14 3 1 1 0 3 8
Asdrubal Cruz C 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Joseph Hubbard SF 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

#11 LAFAYETTE Shooting

Player Pos Fgm Fga Fg% Ftm Fta Ft% 3pm 3pa 3p% PPS +/-
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Todd DeHaven C 161 343 .469 150 178 .843 0 0 .000 1.38
Daniel Warnock PF 144 302 .477 72 85 .847 80 182 .440 1.46
Jack Senn SG 117 237 .494 66 90 .733 68 149 .456 1.55
Tim Hutchinson SF 189 434 .435 94 117 .803 86 242 .355 1.29
Jamie Kelso PG 63 138 .457 35 44 .795 23 49 .469 1.33
Ben Miele PG 49 106 .462 37 45 .822 25 65 .385 1.51
Matthew Ackerman SG 69 167 .413 49 71 .690 46 121 .380 1.40
Matt Robles PF 60 130 .462 45 96 .469 0 0 .000 1.27
Scott Cavanaugh SF 3 4 .750 0 1 .000 2 3 .667 2.00
Rob Prendergast PG 11 20 .550 4 5 .800 6 8 .750 1.60
Jonathan Baldwin C 8 22 .364 10 18 .556 2 10 .200 1.27
Rodney Lundgren SF 7 16 .438 7 8 .875 6 13 .462 1.69
Jon Woods PF 8 12 .667 2 2 1.000 1 1 1.000 1.58
Asdrubal Cruz C 0 0 .000 0 0 .000 0 0 .000 0.00
Joseph Hubbard SF 0 0 .000 0 0 .000 0 0 .000 0.00

I've highlighted some of the leading statistical performances of the season.

Next...the Senior Tributes.

[MoonlightGraham]

2019/20 Senior Tribute

SCOTT CAVANAUGH

A walk-on from Louisiana, Scott remained with the program for four years, unlike other non-scholarship players who became unsatisfied with limited playing time and moved on.

#30 SF Scott Cavanaugh - Lafayette - Senior
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Height: 6-6
Weight: 222
High School: Albany High School
Hometown: Albany, LA

Attributes:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Type INS JPS FTS 3PS HND PAS ORB DRB PSD PRD STL BLK QKN STR JMP STA
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Current: 5 8 34 48 11 29 39 15 61 65 43 9 64 52 49 85
2018: 4 8 33 46 11 28 38 14 58 63 41 8 63 50 48 79
2017: 4 8 32 45 11 27 37 13 55 60 39 7 63 48 48 73
2016: 4 8 31 44 11 26 36 12 53 58 37 7 63 46 48 66
2015: 4 8 29 42 11 24 34 10 49 54 33 7 62 42 46 50
Potential: F F C C F C C F B B C F

Health: Good
Scholarship: No
Status: Active Roster
Academics: 45

Stat Averages:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Season G GS MIN PTS ORE REB AST TO A/T STL BLK PF
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2016 4 0 1.5 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.3 0.0 1.00 0.0 0.0 0.3
2017 8 0 1.6 0.4 0.1 0.1 0.0 0.3 0.00 0.0 0.0 0.1
2018 4 0 2.0 1.0 0.3 0.3 0.0 0.8 0.00 0.0 0.0 0.0
2019 5 1 7.2 1.6 0.4 1.0 0.4 0.4 1.00 0.0 0.2 1.0
Career 21 1 3.0 0.7 0.2 0.3 0.1 0.3 1.00 0.0 0.0 0.3

Shooting Averages:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Season FGM FGA FG% FTM FTA FT% 3PM 3PA 3P% PPS +/-
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2016 0.0 0.3 .000 0.0 0.0 .000 0.0 0.3 .000 0.00 0.25
2017 0.1 0.3 .500 0.0 0.0 .000 0.1 0.3 .500 1.50 -1.88
2018 0.3 0.5 .500 0.3 0.5 .500 0.3 0.3 1.000 2.00 -2.75
2019 0.6 0.8 .750 0.0 0.2 .000 0.4 0.6 .667 2.00 -0.40
Career 0.2 0.4 .556 0.0 0.1 .333 0.2 0.3 .571 1.67 -1.29

Stat Totals:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Season G GS MIN PTS OREB REB AST TO STL BLK PF
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2016 4 0 6 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1
2017 8 0 13 3 1 1 0 2 0 0 1
2018 4 0 8 4 1 1 0 3 0 0 0
2019 5 1 36 8 2 5 2 2 0 1 5
Career 21 1 63 15 4 7 3 7 0 1 7

Shooting Totals
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Season FGM FGA FTM FTA 3PM 3PA +/-
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2016 0 1 0 0 0 1 1
2017 1 2 0 0 1 2 -15
2018 1 2 1 2 1 1 -11
2019 3 4 0 1 2 3 -2
Career 5 9 1 3 4 7 -27

Career Highs:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Type Pts OReb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO FGM FGA FTM FTA 3PM 3PA
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Season 6 2 5 2 0 1 1 2 3 0 1 2 3
Career 6 2 5 2 0 1 2 2 3 1 2 2 3

Awards & Acheivements:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Season Award
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2016 High School: Rated * and #1587 overall by the FBCB scouting service.
2016 Walked on at Lafayette

Scott liked to shoot three-pointers, and he was good at it. Three of his four made baskets came from behind the arc. In practice, he gave his teammates the opportunity to defend against a long-range marksman, which undoubtedly contributed to Lafayette's typical success against outside shooters.

An avid outdoorsman, Scott will graduate in May and will return to his native Louisiana, where he plans to become a licensed fishing guide with an eye toward opening his own business.

Thanks for the memories, Scott.

[MoonlightGraham]

2019/20 Senior Tribute

JACK SENN

This former All-State player from New Jersey patiently waited his turn to shine, proving his value as the first guard off Graham Sims' bench for three seasons before asserting himself as a starter as a senior.

#4 SG Jack Senn - Lafayette - Senior
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Height: 6-2
Weight: 180
High School: Manville High School
Hometown: Manville, NJ

Attributes:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Type INS JPS FTS 3PS HND PAS ORB DRB PSD PRD STL BLK QKN STR JMP STA
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Current: 9 72 68 75 41 47 39 27 47 50 34 29 85 38 88 100
2018: 8 66 63 70 37 46 37 24 44 45 31 27 85 37 88 100
2017: 7 59 58 65 34 43 35 22 41 40 28 26 84 36 88 95
2016: 6 53 54 61 31 40 33 20 39 36 26 25 84 35 88 86
2015: 6 47 48 55 27 36 31 18 37 32 24 23 82 33 88 68
Potential: F A B B C C C D C C C C

Health: Good
Scholarship: Yes
Status: Active Roster
Academics: 89

Stat Averages:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Season G GS MIN PTS ORE REB AST TO A/T STL BLK PF
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2016 35 0 13.6 3.6 0.7 1.9 1.0 1.1 0.92 0.3 0.1 1.1
2017 36 0 15.8 5.6 1.1 2.4 1.4 1.6 0.91 0.6 0.1 1.4
2018 38 0 17.2 6.6 0.7 2.1 1.2 1.0 1.27 0.6 0.1 1.7
2019 35 35 30.2 10.5 1.3 4.0 3.3 2.2 1.53 1.2 0.1 2.6
Career 144 35 19.1 6.6 0.9 2.6 1.7 1.4 1.53 0.7 0.1 1.7

Shooting Averages:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Season FGM FGA FG% FTM FTA FT% 3PM 3PA 3P% PPS +/-
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2016 0.9 2.4 .381 1.2 1.5 .796 0.5 1.7 .305 1.49 0.91
2017 1.7 3.8 .456 1.3 1.8 .708 0.9 2.5 .356 1.49 2.50
2018 1.9 4.0 .470 1.8 2.3 .795 1.0 2.6 .394 1.66 4.95
2019 3.3 6.8 .494 1.9 2.6 .733 1.9 4.3 .456 1.55 9.83
Career 2.0 4.2 .464 1.6 2.1 .758 1.1 2.8 .395 1.56 4.54

Stat Totals:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Season G GS MIN PTS OREB REB AST TO STL BLK PF
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2016 35 0 477 125 23 66 34 37 10 3 39
2017 36 0 569 202 38 87 52 57 20 3 50
2018 38 0 654 251 26 78 47 37 23 3 63
2019 35 35 1056 368 44 139 116 76 42 4 90
Career 144 35 2756 946 131 370 249 207 95 13 242

Shooting Totals
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Season FGM FGA FTM FTA 3PM 3PA +/-
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2016 32 84 43 54 18 59 32
2017 62 136 46 65 32 90 90
2018 71 151 70 88 39 99 188
2019 117 237 66 90 68 149 344
Career 282 608 225 297 157 397 654

Career Highs:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Type Pts OReb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO FGM FGA FTM FTA 3PM 3PA
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Season 20 4 8 8 4 1 7 7 12 9 12 4 8
Career 20 5 8 8 5 1 7 7 12 11 12 5 10

Awards & Acheivements:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Season Award
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
All Player of the Game: 7
2015 High School: Rated *** and #215 overall by the FBCB scouting service.
2015 High School: All-State (New Jersey)

Jack arrived on campus with a reputation as a sharpshooter and, while he struggled a bit with his adjustment to college ball, he improved throughout his career. By his senior season, he was regarded as one of the best shooters on the East Coast, especially from three-point range.

He was far from a one-trick pony, however. Discovering he was realistically the fourth offensive option for his team, Jack made outstanding use of his playmaking skills and led the Patriot League in assists as a senior.

Jack ends his career in ninth place on our all-time scoring list, he's fifth in both assists and steals, and sixth in three-pointers made and attempted.

An aspiring physician, he'll spend next year preparing for and taking his MCAT exam.

Thanks for the memories, Jack.

[MoonlightGraham]

2019/20 Senior Tribute

TODD DeHAVEN

I wonder if I jinxed us when I was recruiting this big man from Philadelphia. I said of him, "DeHaven might not turn out to be a four-year starter for us." He won't earn that distinction, but not because he wasn't good enough. He began proving that the minute he stepped on the court for the first time.

#12 C Todd DeHaven - Lafayette - Junior
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Height: 6-10
Weight: 244
High School: William Penn Charter School
Hometown: Philadelphia, PA

Attributes:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Type INS JPS FTS 3PS HND PAS ORB DRB PSD PRD STL BLK QKN STR JMP STA
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Current: 74 34 86 25 16 31 59 82 67 19 21 38 23 92 43 100
2018: 66 31 83 22 15 28 53 79 56 18 20 34 22 90 43 100
2017: 60 30 82 21 14 27 49 71 50 17 19 32 21 88 43 100
2016: 57 29 81 20 14 26 47 66 47 17 19 31 20 86 42 96
2015: 51 27 77 18 14 24 43 56 41 17 19 29 20 82 42 84
Potential: B C B D F D C B B D D D

Health: Good
Scholarship: Yes
Status: Active Roster
Academics: 81

Stat Averages:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Season G GS MIN PTS ORE REB AST TO A/T STL BLK PF
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2017 15 13 24.1 10.7 2.1 6.8 0.7 1.5 0.48 0.1 0.5 2.0
2018 36 35 28.0 11.5 2.3 8.3 1.1 1.6 0.68 0.3 0.4 2.6
2019 35 35 32.1 13.5 2.8 10.1 1.7 1.7 1.00 0.3 0.4 2.9
Career 86 83 29.0 12.2 2.5 8.8 1.3 1.6 1.00 0.2 0.4 2.6

Shooting Averages:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Season FGM FGA FG% FTM FTA FT% 3PM 3PA 3P% PPS +/-
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2017 3.4 7.5 .455 3.8 4.3 .877 0.1 0.2 .333 1.43 7.73
2018 4.1 8.4 .487 3.3 4.0 .825 0.0 0.2 .143 1.37 12.31
2019 4.6 9.8 .469 4.3 5.1 .843 0.0 0.0 .000 1.38 10.37
Career 4.2 8.8 .474 3.8 4.5 .842 0.0 0.1 .200 1.38 10.72

Stat Totals:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Season G GS MIN PTS OREB REB AST TO STL BLK PF
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2017 15 13 362 160 32 102 11 23 2 8 30
2018 36 35 1009 413 81 300 39 57 10 14 93
2019 35 35 1125 472 99 355 61 61 9 15 103
Career 86 83 2496 1045 212 757 111 141 21 37 226

Shooting Totals
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Season FGM FGA FTM FTA 3PM 3PA +/-
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2017 51 112 57 65 1 3 116
2018 147 302 118 143 1 7 443
2019 161 343 150 178 0 0 363
Career 359 757 325 386 2 10 922

Career Highs:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Type Pts OReb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO FGM FGA FTM FTA 3PM 3PA
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Season 27 6 17 5 2 3 5 10 20 9 10 0 0
Career 29 7 17 5 2 3 5 10 20 15 15 1 2

Awards & Acheivements:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Season Award
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
All Player of the Game: 16
2015 High School: Rated *** and #332 overall by the FBCB scouting service.
2018 1st Team All-Conference (Patriot League)
2019 1st Team All-Conference (Patriot League)
2019 Conference Player of the Year (Patriot League)

Todd's Lafayette career started with a redshirt season that, in retrospect, I wish I hadn't given him. His 2016/17 season was marred by injuries, but he played very well when he was able to take the floor.

Over the course of the next two years, Todd established himself as the most dominant post player in the Patriot League. An especially ferocious rebounder, he broke the school record for rebounds in a season in 2018/19 and then again this year. In both seasons, he was the conference's top rebounder. With one more year, he would have surely set a new Lafayette career record in this category.

A first team All-Conference selection for the last two years, he won the Patriot League Player of the Year award this season.

Because he redshirted, Todd will receive his degree in Philosophy in May. He'll then wait for Draft Night, when he'll discover if his dreams of playing professional basketball will come true.

Thanks for the memories, Todd.

[MoonlightGraham]

2019/20 Senior Tribute

DANIEL WARNOCK

Daniel arrived on campus amid high expectations, coming in as our highest-ever rated recruit. He departs having lived up to those expectations, and then some.

#32 PF Daniel Warnock - Lafayette - Senior
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Height: 6-8
Weight: 245
High School: Spotswood High School
Hometown: Spotswood, NJ

Attributes:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Type INS JPS FTS 3PS HND PAS ORB DRB PSD PRD STL BLK QKN STR JMP STA
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Current: 43 36 78 89 62 16 31 40 65 29 19 34 66 64 50 100
2018: 41 34 76 87 61 15 29 35 58 26 18 31 65 61 49 100
2017: 39 32 70 85 56 14 27 31 52 23 17 29 65 59 48 100
2016: 37 30 64 78 52 13 25 27 47 20 16 27 64 57 48 100
2015: 35 28 60 72 48 13 23 25 43 18 14 25 63 53 47 91
Potential: C C B A C D D C B D F C

Health: Good
Scholarship: Yes
Status: Active Roster
Academics: 44

Stat Averages:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Season G GS MIN PTS ORE REB AST TO A/T STL BLK PF
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2016 35 33 28.3 11.2 1.2 4.1 1.3 1.6 0.84 0.5 0.2 2.7
2017 36 36 29.7 17.4 1.1 4.3 1.8 2.1 0.88 1.0 0.1 2.4
2018 38 37 32.7 16.9 1.6 5.8 1.9 1.5 1.32 0.6 0.3 2.7
2019 35 35 31.8 12.6 2.0 6.9 1.6 1.4 1.15 0.5 0.5 3.0
Career 144 141 30.7 14.6 1.5 5.3 1.7 1.6 1.15 0.6 0.3 2.7

Shooting Averages:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Season FGM FGA FG% FTM FTA FT% 3PM 3PA 3P% PPS +/-
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2016 3.3 7.1 .460 3.0 3.9 .765 1.7 4.0 .432 1.58 8.03
2017 5.2 11.0 .471 3.9 4.9 .795 3.1 7.2 .435 1.58 10.22
2018 5.5 12.1 .453 2.6 3.3 .780 3.3 8.3 .401 1.40 14.92
2019 4.1 8.6 .477 2.1 2.4 .847 2.3 5.2 .440 1.46 11.20
Career 4.5 9.8 .464 2.9 3.6 .792 2.6 6.2 .423 1.49 11.17

Stat Totals:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Season G GS MIN PTS OREB REB AST TO STL BLK PF
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2016 35 33 991 392 42 145 46 55 18 6 93
2017 36 36 1070 625 38 155 66 75 35 5 88
2018 38 37 1243 644 60 221 74 56 22 12 103
2019 35 35 1114 440 69 242 55 48 16 16 106
Career 144 141 4418 2101 209 763 241 234 91 39 390

Shooting Totals
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Season FGM FGA FTM FTA 3PM 3PA +/-
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2016 114 248 104 136 60 139 281
2017 186 395 140 176 113 260 368
2018 209 461 99 127 127 317 567
2019 144 302 72 85 80 182 392
Career 653 1406 415 524 380 898 1608

Career Highs:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Type Pts OReb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO FGM FGA FTM FTA 3PM 3PA
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Season 25 6 12 5 2 2 4 8 15 6 6 6 11
Career 30 6 12 7 4 2 8 11 21 10 12 7 14

Awards & Achievements:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Season Award
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
All Player of the Game: 39
2015 High School: Rated *** and #196 overall by the FBCB scouting service.
2015 High School: All-State (New Jersey)
2016 Freshman All-Conference (Patriot League)
2016 Conference Freshman of the Year (Patriot League)
2017 1st Team All-Conference (Patriot League)
2017 Conference Player of the Year (Patriot League)
2018 1st Team All-Conference (Patriot League)
2018 Conference Player of the Year (Patriot League)
2019 1st Team All-Conference (Patriot League)

No player we've seen so far has a list of accomplishments to rival DW's. Like his classmate Jack Senn, he never missed a game, and he always showed up ready to play.

Daniel's game evolved in interesting ways during his time at Lafayette. He flashed enough game as a first year to win the league's Freshman of the Year award, scoring productively and playing good defense.

During Daniel's middle two seasons, he was The Man; our primary scoring option, he frustrated opponents with his ability to score at the rim and from long range. Daniel was deservedly named Patriot League Player of the Year in 2017/18 and 2018/19; he joins James Sanders '16 as Lafayette players who have won the award more than once.

This season, we asked Daniel to evolve yet again. On a team filled with scorers, DW played less of a starring role on offense. He shot less often, but more accurately, and he developed new ways to affect a game. He became a more tenacious rebounder and continued to lock down his man on defense. He didn't win his third conference POY, but he was a deserving first team All-Patriot League choice on a team that won 30 games.

Teams for which Daniel played compiled a record of 123-21, won four Patriot League championships, and went to a Final Four. He graduates as our all-time leading scorer with 2,101 points, and holds high positions on several other leader boards.

Daniel has signed a contract with ratiopharm Ulm, who plays in Germany's Basketball Bundesliga. He'll graduate with a degree in economics and might pursue a career as a sports agent once he's no longer playing ball.

Thanks for the memories, Daniel.

[MoonlightGraham]

May 1, 2020

The first year players who are joining the teams of the Patriot League this coming season are the most distinguished group the conference has ever seen. There are years when no team in the conference lands a Top 100 recruiting class. This time, five of the eight teams do that well, or better.

2019 Recruiting Rankings

# Team Conference Best Player Rtg 5* 4* 3* 2* 1*
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
58. American Patriot League PG Alton Courson *** 0 0 3 0 0
64. Lafayette Patriot League SG Thomas Lucy *** 0 0 2 0 0
89. Holy Cross Patriot League PG Rico Peterson *** 0 0 3 0 0
103. Colgate Patriot League SG Claude Pilkington *** 0 0 2 0 0
107. Army Patriot League PG Darrick Albritton *** 0 0 2 0 1
112. Lehigh Patriot League SG Marlon Smith *** 0 0 1 1 2
229. Bucknell Patriot League C Larry Chronister *** 0 0 1 0 1
302. Navy Patriot League C Edmund Michel ** 0 0 0 1 2

Thomas Lucy is the highest-ranked player in the class, and I think he's the first Top 100 recruit a Patriot League player has signed. Marlon Smith looks like he'll be the real deal, too.

The player poised to make the most immediate impact is juco signee Claude Pilkington of Colgate, who arrives as a polished Green/Green player.

Todd DeHaven was chosen with the 48th pick in the pro draft. Another Patriot League player, center Robert Wiley of Holy Cross, was the 60th, and final, selection.

[MoonlightGraham]

May 1, 2020

Vanderbilt coach Joshua Moll retires at age 73. An offer from Vanderbilt would definitely have tempted me, but the Commodores prise Stephen Ruvalcaba away from Oregon instead. Ruvalcaba is a superb X-and-O coach and a fabulous scout, but he couldn't persuade a starving man to enter a grocery. Still, Vanderbilt simply isn't going to look at a Level 8 coach like Graham when guys like Level 11 Ruvalcaba are available.

All eight Patriot League head coaches will return for another year on the job. Graham's staff will be unchanged, too.

[MoonlightGraham]

July 1, 2020

Here are your defending Patriot League champion Lafayette Leopards...

#11 LAFAYETTE General

Player # Pos Yr Ht Wt Sch Acd Status Hometown
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Jamie Kelso 0 PG Sr 6-2 198 Yes 96 OK Bordentown, NJ
Joseph Hubbard 1 SF So* 6-5 208 Yes 63 OK Linden, CA
Ben Miele 5 PG So 5-11 163 Yes 57 OK Riviera Beach, FL
Rob Prendergast 11 PG Jr 6-2 187 Yes 64 OK Pottsville, PA
Woody Carrasquillo 13 SG Fr 6-1 185 No 89 OK Philadelphia, PA
Matthew Ackerman 15 SG Jr 6-3 189 Yes 66 OK Rugeley, UK
Rodney Lundgren 20 SF So 6-8 250 Yes 44 OK Adams, NY
Thomas Lucy 22 SG Fr 6-4 195 Yes 70 OK Frankford, DE
Tim Hutchinson 24 SF Sr 6-6 219 Yes 67 OK Vestal, NY
Carlton McFadden 30 SF Fr 6-7 224 Yes 42 OK Ardmore, PA
Jonathan Baldwin 33 C So 6-8 238 Yes 72 OK Baltimore, MD
Jon Woods 35 PF So 6-6 247 No 66 OK Houston, TX
Matt Robles 40 PF So 6-8 202 Yes 34 OK Baraga, MI
Asdrubal Cruz 43 C So* 6-7 228 Yes 79 OK Rowlett, TX


Goodness, there aren't any big dudes on this year's team. I'm used to seeing a couple of 6'10"-plus, 260-pound units on the roster. Will Coach Sims play small ball this season?

[MoonlightGraham]

August 1, 2020

Because none of the players in the transfer portal appealed to us, we now have three scholarships available. Point guard Jamie Kelso and wing Tim Hutchinson are seniors this year, and we also have Todd DeHaven's scholly available.

There are only four true bigs in our program now, and they're all sophomores. I am definitely looking to bring a post player in with this year's class. Otherwise, I can look around for a player who's a good fit, without much regard for the position he plays.

Our prestige has risen to 72, and our facilities score is up to 55. I'm guessing that the money that's been spent on our facilities is the reason why our budget has been cut. I seem to remember us having over $400,000 to spend, and now we're at $370,500. Our first-rate assistant coaches are well-paid, so we're left with just over 10 grand to spend each month on recruiting.

We spend July evaluating players. Who do we see that we like?

The most intriguing big man is Kurt Richie, an all-state player from New Jersey.

#12 PF Kurt Ritchie
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Height: 6-9
Weight: 232
High School: Hoboken High School
Hometown: Hoboken, NJ
GPA: 3.51
Test Score: 1310
Rating: ***

Attributes:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Type INS JPS FTS 3PS HND PAS ORB DRB PSD PRD STL BLK QKN STR JMP STA
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Current: 32 29 36 36 29 7 14 53 61 11 18 33 19 70 41 41
Potential: D C D D B F C B A D D C

Season Stats:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PTS OREB REB AST TOS A/T STL BLK PFS
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
12.9 1.8 9.2 0.8 2.2 0.37 1.2 2.9 1.8

Shooting Averages:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
FGM FGA FG% FTM FTA FT% 3PM 3PA 3P%
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
5.1 9.4 .545 2.7 4.7 .564 0.0 0.1 .000

Recruiting Notes:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Qualified: Yes
Current interest in Lafayette: High
Rankings: East Region #95 Overall, East Region #16 PF
High School Awards: All-State
Top 5 Schools: Columbia, St. John's, Iona, St. Peter's, Lafayette

He's slow and doesn't appear to offer too much offensively, but I like his rebounding and defense very much. We'll need to leap over four other programs to sign him. Perhaps a scholarship offer and a robust recruiting effort will do it.

Kory Edmondson's numbers and ratings don't leap off the page at you, but he looks like he can do several things fairly well. Again, I like his commitment to playing defense.

#13 SF Kory Edmondson
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Height: 6-5
Weight: 203
High School: Summit Senior High School
Hometown: Summit, NJ
GPA: 3.17
Test Score: 1270
Rating: ***

Attributes:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Type INS JPS FTS 3PS HND PAS ORB DRB PSD PRD STL BLK QKN STR JMP STA
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Current: 35 36 27 52 23 37 22 50 38 44 19 21 62 41 82 4
Potential: C D B B D D D A C B D D

Season Stats:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PTS OREB REB AST TOS A/T STL BLK PFS
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
14.5 1.3 7.3 2.1 4.3 0.48 1.1 0.3 2.0

Shooting Averages:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
FGM FGA FG% FTM FTA FT% 3PM 3PA 3P%
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
6.2 14.5 .426 1.3 2.4 .521 1.0 5.1 .186

Recruiting Notes:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Qualified: Yes
Current interest in Lafayette: High
Rankings: East Region #77 Overall, East Region #18 SF
High School Awards: None
Top 5 Schools: Columbia, St. Francis-NY, Fairleigh Dickinson, Monmouth, Princeton

Our "reach guy" will be Byron Shores, Mr. Basketball from the state of Maine.

#13 SG Byron Shores
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Height: 6-4
Weight: 183
High School: Fort Kent High School
Hometown: Fort Kent, ME
GPA: 2.64
Test Score: 990
Rating: ***

Attributes:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Type INS JPS FTS 3PS HND PAS ORB DRB PSD PRD STL BLK QKN STR JMP STA
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Current: 44 76 40 72 4 7 18 1 42 0 4 16 72 39 53 21
Potential: A A A B F F F F C F D D

Season Stats:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PTS OREB REB AST TOS A/T STL BLK PFS
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
25.8 0.7 3.5 1.0 3.7 0.27 0.3 0.6 2.3

Shooting Averages:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
FGM FGA FG% FTM FTA FT% 3PM 3PA 3P%
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
10.8 19.6 .551 1.4 2.6 .529 2.9 6.5 .438

Recruiting Notes:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Qualified: Yes
Current interest in Lafayette: High
Rankings: #43 SG, East Region #42 Overall, East Region #4 SG
High School Awards: All-State, Mr. Basketball (Maine)
Top 5 Schools: Boston College, Lafayette, Vermont

His scoring potential is off the charts. Joe Lien's shooting potentials were A-B-C-B. We think this young man is significantly better than that. Byron shows no real interest in playing defense, but those are god-tier offensive possibilities.

I make my move now and offer Shores a scholarship. If Boston College also offers this month, we could be in trouble, but I won't go down without a fight.

Our reduced budget means I can't max out recruiting on all three players. I decide to invite all of them to campus. Coach Sims will visit Richie and Shores, while Coach Woods will pay a call on Edmondson.

[MoonlightGraham]

September 1, 2020

Our "stretch guy" is now looking like our most likely signee!

Byron Shores enjoys his visit to campus very much. Boston College don't offer him a scholarship, so we're the only offer he has in hand right now. We're now first on Byron's list, and he's expressing Very High interest in playing for us.

Our efforts with Kurt Ritchie pay off, too. He doesn't have any other offers right now, and he's moved us to the top of his Top Schools list.

Now Kory Edmondson looks like the long shot. We're the least attractive of the four offers he holds, and I've learned we never manage to sign guys who rate that many programs ahead of us. It looks like he might end up at Princeton. I withdraw our offer and take a look at the rest of our list.

Brendan Meehan looks like he might be a good fit for our system.

#41 C Brendan Meehan
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Height: 6-9
Weight: 223
High School: Pottsville Area High School
Hometown: Pottsville, PA
GPA: 2.79
Test Score: 1060
Rating: ***

Attributes:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Type INS JPS FTS 3PS HND PAS ORB DRB PSD PRD STL BLK QKN STR JMP STA
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Current: 46 25 19 0 31 21 16 41 33 52 25 43 22 86 28 82
Potential: C D B F C B D B C C C B

Season Stats:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PTS OREB REB AST TOS A/T STL BLK PFS
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
15.6 2.0 10.1 2.0 2.1 0.93 1.1 2.0 3.1

Shooting Averages:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
FGM FGA FG% FTM FTA FT% 3PM 3PA 3P%
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
6.7 11.0 .605 2.3 4.6 .500 0.0 0.0 .000

Recruiting Notes:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Qualified: Yes
Current interest in Lafayette: Average
Rankings: #36 C, East Region #32 Overall, East Region #9 C
High School Awards: None
Top 5 Schools: Drexel, *Lehigh, Lafayette

Brendan looks like could develop into a solid inside scorer, and he does other big man things fairly well. We'll have to lure him away from Lehigh, but I feel like taking a chance on this one. I offer Brendan a scholarship and invite him to visit our campus. Coaches Sims and Woods will visit Shores and Ritchie this month.

[MoonlightGraham]

October 1, 2020

Neither Byron Shores nor Kurt Ritchie make their decision this month. Hopefully one more month of attention from us will be enough to secure their commitments.

Brendan Meehan still prefers his offer from Lehigh. He also indicate he'd choose Drexel over us, if they were to offer him. I think it's time to look elsewhere.

Jeffrey Hampton is an All-State center from Wausau, WI. He looks like he could fill the "post scorer" role even more effectively than Meehan.

#23 C Jeffrey Hampton
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Height: 6-7
Weight: 222
High School: East High School
Hometown: Wausau, WI
GPA: 2.62
Test Score: 1010
Rating: ***

Attributes:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Type INS JPS FTS 3PS HND PAS ORB DRB PSD PRD STL BLK QKN STR JMP STA
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Current: 52 15 33 42 19 47 74 23 8 10 13 34 29 79 37 5
Potential: A C C C D C A C D D F D

Season Stats:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PTS OREB REB AST TOS A/T STL BLK PFS
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
21.4 4.8 11.7 2.1 2.5 0.84 0.5 0.9 4.2

Shooting Averages:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
FGM FGA FG% FTM FTA FT% 3PM 3PA 3P%
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
9.5 15.2 .622 2.3 5.1 .451 0.2 0.8 .200

Recruiting Notes:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Qualified: Yes
Current interest in Lafayette: Average
Rankings: Midwest Region #99 Overall, Midwest Region #23 C
High School Awards: All-State
Top 5 Schools: Minnesota, Milwaukee, DePaul, Loyola-IL, Marquette

We make Hampton an offer, and send both recruiters out to visit him. That means we don't have enough cash to send Coach Sims to visit Ritchie this month. That budget decrease is hurting us right now.

[MoonlightGraham]

November 1, 2020

Two delightful pieces of news arrive in my inbox today! Byron Shores and Kurt Ritchie announce their decisions, and both of them choose Lafayette.

Neither of them are Top 200 players, but they look like players who can fill specific roles in our system. Ritchie could develop into a defend-and-rebound big man, Samuel Davis without the elite shot-blocking tool. Shores projects as an electrifying three-level scorer.

Jeffrey Hampton also received an offer from Northern Iowa, but he says we're his first choice. This month we can bring him to campus, and Coaches Sims and Woods will travel out to visit him again.

[MoonlightGraham]

November 10, 2020

How did we do in training camp?

LAFAYETTE Training Results

Player Ins Jps Fts 3ps Hnd Pas Orb Drb Psd Prd Stl Blk Qkn Str Jmp Sta
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Jamie Kelso 0 2 1 2 10 10 3 2 2 3 3 1 0 1 1 7
Joseph Hubbard 1 1 2 1 2 1 1 2 2 1 3 1 0 1 0 6
Ben Miele 1 5 5 5 4 9 3 1 2 7 3 2 1 1 1 6
Rob Prendergast 1 2 1 1 0 2 1 1 1 3 0 1 2 2 1 8
Woody Carrasquillo 2 2 2 4 4 0 0 2 2 2 8 2 0 2 1 8
Matthew Ackerman 3 4 1 5 3 1 1 0 2 9 3 3 2 2 2 9
Rodney Lundgren 1 1 3 3 2 2 2 1 1 3 2 3 0 2 1 6
Thomas Lucy 2 4 2 6 2 4 0 2 2 2 8 2 3 8 0 16
Tim Hutchinson 6 6 1 3 3 7 3 3 3 4 7 3 1 2 1 5
Carlton McFadden 2 6 4 2 2 2 0 2 2 2 4 4 2 8 0 26
Jonathan Baldwin 2 2 2 2 0 1 5 7 6 1 2 2 1 5 1 16
Jon Woods 1 1 1 0 1 1 2 5 2 1 1 1 2 3 1 12
Matt Robles 5 1 1 0 1 1 1 5 3 2 1 9 1 3 1 13
Asdrubal Cruz 2 0 0 0 1 0 4 2 4 1 1 1 1 3 2 8

After taking a look at the training outcomes, I've decided to try playing some small ball at Lafayette this year.

The only true big man in the projected starting lineup is sophomore Matt Robles. He showed some potential as a scorer, and he is a willing rebounder and shot blocker.

Three of the starters are natural wing players. One of them, of course, is Tim Hutchinson, a two-time All-Conference selection. Tim is the one proven scorer in the Lafayette lineup; he's averaged at least 14 PPG in each of his first three years.

Junior Matthew Ackerman has patiently waited his turn to shine. Our English sharpshooter took a big step forward last season, significantly improving all his shooting percentages. Matthew has also turned into a resolute perimeter defender.

The third wing will be freshman Thomas Lucy. He's as good as we thought he'd be, with an offensive game that is very polished for a first year player.

Our second returning starter, Jamie Kelso, will run the point. Jamie worked hard in camp and came away as an even more dynamic ballhandler and passer. He'll be backed up by sophomore Ben Miele, who deputized for Kelso very well when the latter broke his foot last season.

Asdrubal Cruz is eligible this year after sitting out a season, following his transfer from Savannah State. If the small lineup gets punished too badly by teams who focus their attack on inside play, I can call on Asdrubal, who is a very good post defender. Sophomore Jonathan Baldwin has an even better reputation as a defensive player, with a little less offensive talent.

Rob Prendergast provides lockdown defense on the perimeter; we could use his talents, because Lucy is likely to contribute nothing but steals on the defensive end of the floor.

The remainder of the roster will pick up minutes here and there, unless they distinguish themselves in some way when they get onto the floor.

The "small ball" experiment is definitely something new for our program; we've fielded a traditional, two bigs/two wings/point guard lineup throughout Graham's career. So many of the best players on this year's team are perimeter players, though: Hutchinson and Kelso are Green/Green; Ackerman, Miele, and Lucy are Green/Blue. Robles is Yellow/Green, but all the other big guys are Red players now.

We'll see how it works out very soon.