Went through and fixed the team nicknames (including not only the Lady and girls appellations, but rather charming ones like Mississippi Valley State Devilettes and Central Arkansas Sugar Bears), as well as adding the UW to Milwaukee and Green Bay, and shortening Southern California to USC. I also had to fix a few generic nicknames (such as Texas Tech from Raiders to Red Raiders).
But all good now.
We don't have a transfer scholarship after all. Must have been a walk-on that transferred.
Recruiting
I immediately offer a scholarship sight unseen to none other than
Cyril Tircuit, an All-State C out of New Mexico. IYKYK. After we scout him, we're feeling pumpy about his shotblocking and post defense potential. But our real pie in the sky hope is to land
Winston Reyes, the no 3 pointers 32.3 PPG 3* center from Vallejo, CA. This isn't a catch and shoot guy. This is a legit balls to the wall post scorer. Third on our list is point guard
Joseph Velarde, who I smell a lot of smoke in his scouting according to his HS stats, but I can't ignore that the 4.4 steals indeed appears to be legitimate.
Cyril looks like he's going to
New Mexico State (31 prestige), but we'll still fight like we're Tudors to land him.
Reyes is moving us up to second with our offer the only listed.
Velarde has us #1, but
Southern Utah (13 prestige) also has an offer out and is sitting third.
UC-Davis (38 prestige) jumps us on
Reyes and I'm frigging fuming.
CSU-Fullerton (15 prestige) is trying to beat us to
Velarde, too.
Cyril Tircuit indeed rejects us for New Mexico State
WHY DID YOU DO THAT TO US?!?! FOFC BROTHERHOOD!
Worse yet:
Gunther Hasenkopf gets his dumb ass academically suspended to start the year. I ream his butt out and send him to study hall.
Anyway... looking only at the freshmen...
Code:
#1 PF Marlin Chevalier - Cal State Northridge - Freshman
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Height: 6-10
Weight: 213
High School: Fred C. Nelles High School
Hometown: Whittier, CA
Attributes:
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Type INS JPS FTS 3PS HND PAS ORB DRB PSD PRD STL BLK QKN STR JMP STA
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Current: 21 19 36 17 20 12 57 51 39 25 8 51 22 71 43 59
2013: 19 17 34 17 20 12 51 45 35 25 8 45 21 65 41 37
Potential: D D C D D D B A C C F B
Our best rebounder and shotblocker by far. He put on a couple pounds of muscle and will be patrolling the 5 for us this year. I see him as ideally more of a 4 like I said, but there's no question he's the best option at center this season. Our best post defender, too.
Code:
#54 SG Angel Moore - Cal State Northridge - Freshman
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Height: 6-4
Weight: 208
High School:
Hometown: Grimsby, Canada
Attributes:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Type INS JPS FTS 3PS HND PAS ORB DRB PSD PRD STL BLK QKN STR JMP STA
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Current: 37 46 47 52 31 8 25 33 25 39 45 19 80 53 93 48
2013: 37 42 43 48 29 8 25 33 25 35 41 19 78 45 89 28
Potential: C C C B D F D C D C B D
The offense will run through our Canadian who is shaping up to be a solid all-around prospect. This will probably change once our Dummkopf returns from suspension, but for now, our Angel is our best hope.
Code:
#24 SG Gunther Hasenkopf - Cal State Northridge - Freshman
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Height: 6-3
Weight: 194
High School:
Hometown: Tubingen, Germany
Attributes:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Type INS JPS FTS 3PS HND PAS ORB DRB PSD PRD STL BLK QKN STR JMP STA
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Current: 23 36 57 80 21 18 39 41 25 17 63 21 70 46 95 66
2013: 21 36 55 76 19 16 35 39 25 15 59 21 69 44 94 58
Potential: C C C A D D C C D D B D
Rabbithead you idiot (that's literally Gunther's last name in English). We're wasting that beautiful 3 point shooting and good ball-thievery because you had to party too much.
@ SIU-Edwardsville
They were 8-21 last season but brought in 6'11, 219 lbs C
David Langlois in recruiting. Good scorer and offensive rebounder.
The Fish Knight is going to have his hands full tonight.
We're up 31-26 at the half, overcoming
David Langlois' 7 points with balanced scoring, a 17-5 rebounding advantage and
Angel Moore scoring 14 points, 9 of them on FT trips. He and
Aldo Tucker have combined for 18 FTA already and made 16 of them.
And then we go completely ice-cold in the second half, falling
54-63. What a waste of
Angel Moore's 23 points, a steal, and a block. Just missing the double-double:
Marlin Chevalier with 9 points, 12 rebounds, and last year's Big West Freshman of the Year
Aldo Tucker with 9 points, 10 rebounds, a block. We desperately need a legitimate point guard.
@ North Carolina Central (0-0)
The Eagles were a paltry 5-24 last season, but picked up a promising freshman in
Michael Andrade who is a good 3 point shooter and ball-thief. Basically the kind of kid I'd love to have on my team.
We do a fabulous job of containing
Andrade in the first half, holding him to 2 points, and
Angel Moore nets 9. Our late-half heroics put us up 27-22, marginally putting some daylight in what had been a back and forth contest. I switched to Man defense for this one, respecting their 3 point shooting, and it appears to have paid off so far.
Our second half starts cold and I start having flashbacks, but then we come alive and win going away, 59-41.
Angel Moore puts up 15 points, 5 rebounds, and a steal, but it's
Aldo Tucker's 16 points and 7 rebounds on far more efficient shooting that takes home Player of the Game.
The next three games are at #2 UConn, #8 Tennessee, and #1 Baylor. I'll spare you the gory details.
Angel Moore scored 15 against Baylor and
Marlin Chevalier had 14 rebounds and 2 blocks. Another 15 for
Angel Moore as we lose
32-98 to the Volunteers.
Winston Reyes and
Joseph Velarde are both down to us as offers, as the others all pulled out. But neither one has committed. Frenchman SF
Florentin Dupretz is next on our scholarship list. Yes, we've a glut of SG options there, so I didn't offer him this past month, but in the end I couldn't resist the all-around game.
vs South Carolina State (1-3)
They have a couple exciting freshmen in
James Cooley and
Frances Barraza, but neither one has lived up to the hype - scoring a combined 13 points. I'm feeling the zone in this one.
We go down 2-11 early and though we get hot at the end of the half to cut the deficit to 25-30, I'm still switching to a man defense for the second half. It doesn't matter as they clamp down HARD on defense and we lose 47-57, throwing away
Aldo Tucker's 14 points and 2 steals and
Merlin Chevalier's 10 points and a steal.
Cooley and
Barraza score 12 points EACH and I'm beyond disgusted.
vs NJIT (0-6
This is legit the worst team in the country. If we lose at home to them, I'll resign. We actually lose the lead at one point in the first half, but by halftime, we've righted the ship and are up 33-21. They have no answers for
Angel Moore, who has 16 points and 5 rebounds already.
9-21 they were last season, but the Highlanders continue to stink in the second, and we win comfortably the score of 50-38.
Angel Moore doesn't make a single shot in the second half, and finishes 4-17 for his 16 points, 7 rebounds.
Marlin Chevalier puts up 12 rebounds and a block. Player of the Game goes to
Richard Bonin's 10 points because he didn't miss a shot. But really it should have been
Aldo Tucker's 9 points and 7 boards.
Let's pause here. I still have scouting money to spend and we play Yale next. I always try to end on a positive note.