Front Office Football Central - View Single Post - Coach Graham Sims: A Pennsylvania Story (FBCB)

MoonlightGraham · 11-03-2023, 07:38 AM

March 31, 2025
We lose another recruit, as Colton Laliberte signs with Stony Brook. I'm saving the scholarship nobody wants for a possible transfer, or possibly rolling it over to next year. We already have four scholarship players leaving in the Class of 2026.

The Final Four matchups are set. West champion USC will play South winner Vanderbilt. Lafayette, out of the Midwest, will play Tennessee, the East champion.

The Trojans and Commodores successfully defended their 1 seeds. We're a 3 seed, and the Vols are a 2. Tennessee spoiled a Cinderella story for the ages. Middle Tennessee, the 16 seed, first eliminated 1 seed Miami. They edged Utah by a single point and blew out 4 seed Illinois by 19. Finally, the music stopped playing for Cinderella, as the Volunteers dispatched their near neighbors, 83-59.

April 5, 2025
NCAA Semifinal...the Final Four
(3) #8 Lafayette 73, (2) #7 Tennessee 72
One second shows on the clock as Carl McGriff releases the ball from the right wing. As the buzzer goes off, the crowd is silent, and then a large number of them explode into raucous noise as the ball drops through the hoop. As it does, the Lafayette Leopards advance to the national championship game.

At the beginning of the season, I wondered if McGriff would hold onto his starting spot. But the sophomore grabbed the opportunity with both hands, playing well in non-conference play, and he's started all 37 games for us this season.

Tennessee coach Benton Brimmer, no dummy, has to make sure the Leopards' main threats, Kenton Lashley and Micah Rodriguez, are well-covered. Lashley has already made five three-pointers, and Rodriguez has splashed two of his four attempts from long range. As Kamari Stone crosses midcourt, he spots McGriff with a bit of space on the right and whips the ball to him. Carl is guarded fairly well by Greg McClanahan, a very good on-ball defender. The shot Carl takes is therefore not easy, but it's far from a desperate fling.

Both teams play well enough to convince the national TV audience that they're worthy of spots in the Final Four. The Leopards do their usual fine job of denying their opponents open looks from three-point range, and the Vols shoot only 26 percent from that distance. Meanwhile, the Vols swarm Rodriguez every time he touches the ball; excellent defenders like McClanahan and Matthew Rowley are in his face all night and hold him to only 8 points in 26 minutes.

Lashley finds ways to score, however, and leads us with 19 points. McGriff's dagger gives him 10, and Stone adds 10 more with 4 assists. Kurt Ritchie and Jeffrey Hampton battle hard all night; Hampton finishes with 8 points and 9 rebounds, while Ritchie adds 5 and 10, with 2 steals.

Code:

Lafayette 73, Tennessee 72

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tennessee  (30-8, 11-5):
Player            Pos Min Fgm-a Ftm-a Off Reb Ast PF Pts
Orville Jackson   C    28  6-12   3-5   2   7   2  3  15
Xavier Lefebvre   PF   33  7-11   2-3   6   7   0  0  16
G. McClanahan     SF   31  2-10   2-2   1   9   4  2   6
Edward Wade       SG   28   3-8   0-0   1   3   1  1   9
Albert Killebrew  PG   22   2-2   0-1   0   1   6  2   5
Henry Trevino     C    19  6-11   0-0   2   6   1  2  12
John Brown        PG    8   0-0   0-0   0   0   3  0   0
Matthew Rowley    SF   23   1-7   3-4   0   4   6  1   6
Buck Hamby        SG    8   1-2   0-0   0   0   2  1   3

Turnovers: 12 (O.Jackson 2, X.Lefebvre 3, G.McClanahan 
 1, A.Killebrew 2, M.Rowley 3, B.Hamby 1)
Blocked Shots: 11 (O.Jackson 4, X.Lefebvre 3, H.Trevino 
 1, M.Rowley 3)
Steals: 6 (X.Lefebvre 3, G.McClanahan 1, H.Trevino 1, 
 M.Rowley 1)
3P FGs: 6-23 (X.Lefebvre 0-2, G.McClanahan 0-6, E.Wade 
 3-8, A.Killebrew 1-1, M.Rowley 1-4, B.Hamby 1-2)

Lafayette  (34-3, 13-1):
Player            Pos Min Fgm-a Ftm-a Off Reb Ast PF Pts
Kurt Ritchie      C    30   2-2   0-0   1  10   3  1   5
Jeffrey Hampton   PF   27   3-9   2-2   6   9   3  2   8
Carl McGriff      SF   24   4-9   0-0   0   3   3  3  10
Kenton Lashley    SG   25  6-14   2-2   0   1   1  0  19
Kamari Stone      PG   27   4-6   0-0   0   5   4  3  10
Micah Rodriguez   PG   26  3-11   0-0   1   1   2  2   8
Charles Allen     SF   16   2-5   0-0   0   3   3  1   6
Carter Todd       C    17   3-4   0-2   0   2   0  3   6
Bret Bryant       PF    4   0-0   0-0   0   0   1  1   0
Duncan Sims       PG    1   0-0   0-0   0   0   0  0   0
David Farrell     C     1   0-0   1-2   1   2   0  0   1

Turnovers: 17 (K.Ritchie 1, C.McGriff 4, K.Lashley 3, 
 K.Stone 4, M.Rodriguez 3, C.Todd 2)
Blocked Shots: 2 (C.McGriff 1, K.Stone 1)
Steals: 6 (K.Ritchie 2, J.Hampton 1, C.McGriff 1, 
 K.Lashley 1, K.Stone 1)
3P FGs: 14-23 (K.Ritchie 1-1, C.McGriff 2-3, K.Lashley 
 5-9, K.Stone 2-2, M.Rodriguez 2-4, C.Allen 2-4)

Player of Game: PF Xavier Lefebvre (TENN)

One more game awaits. Can Graham and the Leopards do it?
Record: 34-3.

11-03-2023, 07:38 AM	#347
MoonlightGraham High School Varsity Join Date: Sep 2022	March 31, 2025 We lose another recruit, as Colton Laliberte signs with Stony Brook. I'm saving the scholarship nobody wants for a possible transfer, or possibly rolling it over to next year. We already have four scholarship players leaving in the Class of 2026. The Final Four matchups are set. West champion USC will play South winner Vanderbilt. Lafayette, out of the Midwest, will play Tennessee, the East champion. The Trojans and Commodores successfully defended their 1 seeds. We're a 3 seed, and the Vols are a 2. Tennessee spoiled a Cinderella story for the ages. Middle Tennessee, the 16 seed, first eliminated 1 seed Miami. They edged Utah by a single point and blew out 4 seed Illinois by 19. Finally, the music stopped playing for Cinderella, as the Volunteers dispatched their near neighbors, 83-59. April 5, 2025 NCAA Semifinal...the Final Four (3) #8 Lafayette 73, (2) #7 Tennessee 72 One second shows on the clock as Carl McGriff releases the ball from the right wing. As the buzzer goes off, the crowd is silent, and then a large number of them explode into raucous noise as the ball drops through the hoop. As it does, the Lafayette Leopards advance to the national championship game. At the beginning of the season, I wondered if McGriff would hold onto his starting spot. But the sophomore grabbed the opportunity with both hands, playing well in non-conference play, and he's started all 37 games for us this season. Tennessee coach Benton Brimmer, no dummy, has to make sure the Leopards' main threats, Kenton Lashley and Micah Rodriguez, are well-covered. Lashley has already made five three-pointers, and Rodriguez has splashed two of his four attempts from long range. As Kamari Stone crosses midcourt, he spots McGriff with a bit of space on the right and whips the ball to him. Carl is guarded fairly well by Greg McClanahan, a very good on-ball defender. The shot Carl takes is therefore not easy, but it's far from a desperate fling. Both teams play well enough to convince the national TV audience that they're worthy of spots in the Final Four. The Leopards do their usual fine job of denying their opponents open looks from three-point range, and the Vols shoot only 26 percent from that distance. Meanwhile, the Vols swarm Rodriguez every time he touches the ball; excellent defenders like McClanahan and Matthew Rowley are in his face all night and hold him to only 8 points in 26 minutes. Lashley finds ways to score, however, and leads us with 19 points. McGriff's dagger gives him 10, and Stone adds 10 more with 4 assists. Kurt Ritchie and Jeffrey Hampton battle hard all night; Hampton finishes with 8 points and 9 rebounds, while Ritchie adds 5 and 10, with 2 steals. Code: Lafayette 73, Tennessee 72 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Tennessee (30-8, 11-5): Player Pos Min Fgm-a Ftm-a Off Reb Ast PF Pts Orville Jackson C 28 6-12 3-5 2 7 2 3 15 Xavier Lefebvre PF 33 7-11 2-3 6 7 0 0 16 G. McClanahan SF 31 2-10 2-2 1 9 4 2 6 Edward Wade SG 28 3-8 0-0 1 3 1 1 9 Albert Killebrew PG 22 2-2 0-1 0 1 6 2 5 Henry Trevino C 19 6-11 0-0 2 6 1 2 12 John Brown PG 8 0-0 0-0 0 0 3 0 0 Matthew Rowley SF 23 1-7 3-4 0 4 6 1 6 Buck Hamby SG 8 1-2 0-0 0 0 2 1 3 Turnovers: 12 (O.Jackson 2, X.Lefebvre 3, G.McClanahan 1, A.Killebrew 2, M.Rowley 3, B.Hamby 1) Blocked Shots: 11 (O.Jackson 4, X.Lefebvre 3, H.Trevino 1, M.Rowley 3) Steals: 6 (X.Lefebvre 3, G.McClanahan 1, H.Trevino 1, M.Rowley 1) 3P FGs: 6-23 (X.Lefebvre 0-2, G.McClanahan 0-6, E.Wade 3-8, A.Killebrew 1-1, M.Rowley 1-4, B.Hamby 1-2) Lafayette (34-3, 13-1): Player Pos Min Fgm-a Ftm-a Off Reb Ast PF Pts Kurt Ritchie C 30 2-2 0-0 1 10 3 1 5 Jeffrey Hampton PF 27 3-9 2-2 6 9 3 2 8 Carl McGriff SF 24 4-9 0-0 0 3 3 3 10 Kenton Lashley SG 25 6-14 2-2 0 1 1 0 19 Kamari Stone PG 27 4-6 0-0 0 5 4 3 10 Micah Rodriguez PG 26 3-11 0-0 1 1 2 2 8 Charles Allen SF 16 2-5 0-0 0 3 3 1 6 Carter Todd C 17 3-4 0-2 0 2 0 3 6 Bret Bryant PF 4 0-0 0-0 0 0 1 1 0 Duncan Sims PG 1 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0 0 David Farrell C 1 0-0 1-2 1 2 0 0 1 Turnovers: 17 (K.Ritchie 1, C.McGriff 4, K.Lashley 3, K.Stone 4, M.Rodriguez 3, C.Todd 2) Blocked Shots: 2 (C.McGriff 1, K.Stone 1) Steals: 6 (K.Ritchie 2, J.Hampton 1, C.McGriff 1, K.Lashley 1, K.Stone 1) 3P FGs: 14-23 (K.Ritchie 1-1, C.McGriff 2-3, K.Lashley 5-9, K.Stone 2-2, M.Rodriguez 2-4, C.Allen 2-4) Player of Game: PF Xavier Lefebvre (TENN) One more game awaits. Can Graham and the Leopards do it? Record: 34-3.