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02-13-2023, 08:27 AM
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#51 | ||||
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High School Varsity
Join Date: Sep 2022
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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. Quote:
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. |
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02-14-2023, 09:24 AM
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#52 |
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High School Varsity
Join Date: Sep 2022
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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. |
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02-14-2023, 09:52 AM
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#53 |
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High School Varsity
Join Date: Sep 2022
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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. HTML Code:
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. |
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02-14-2023, 12:57 PM
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#54 |
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High School Varsity
Join Date: Sep 2022
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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). Last edited by MoonlightGraham : 02-15-2023 at 07:50 AM. |
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02-16-2023, 11:05 AM
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#55 |
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High School Varsity
Join Date: Sep 2022
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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. HTML Code:
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). HTML Code:
Last edited by MoonlightGraham : 02-16-2023 at 11:07 AM. |
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02-16-2023, 06:42 PM
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#56 |
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Head Coach
Join Date: Sep 2004
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Darn impressive second year, no matter how you end up. Massive improvement over last season
__________________
2006 Golden Scribe Nominee 2006 Golden Scribe Winner Best Non-Sport Dynasty: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) Rookie Writer of the Year Dynasty of the Year: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) |
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02-17-2023, 10:24 AM
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#57 |
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High School Varsity
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Cincinnati, OH
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Young players really developing...
__________________
Email: [email protected] |
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02-17-2023, 10:25 AM
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#58 |
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n00b
Join Date: Oct 2021
Location: Copenhagen, DK
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Damn that loss at the end there, but, as Izulde stated, what a great improvement in y2!
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02-18-2023, 11:46 PM
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#59 | |||
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High School Varsity
Join Date: Sep 2022
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Quote:
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. Quote:
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. Quote:
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!  |
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03-06-2023, 01:42 PM
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#60 |
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High School Varsity
Join Date: Sep 2022
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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. Last edited by MoonlightGraham : 03-06-2023 at 01:43 PM. |
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03-08-2023, 09:08 AM
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#61 |
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High School Varsity
Join Date: Sep 2022
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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. |
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03-08-2023, 09:32 AM
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#62 |
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High School Varsity
Join Date: Sep 2022
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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. |
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03-08-2023, 11:26 AM
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#63 |
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High School Varsity
Join Date: Sep 2022
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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. |
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03-08-2023, 08:42 PM
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#64 |
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Head Coach
Join Date: Sep 2004
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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
__________________
2006 Golden Scribe Nominee 2006 Golden Scribe Winner Best Non-Sport Dynasty: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) Rookie Writer of the Year Dynasty of the Year: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) |
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03-09-2023, 08:43 AM
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#65 | |
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High School Varsity
Join Date: Sep 2022
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Quote:
@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: HTML Code:
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. HTML Code:
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. Last edited by MoonlightGraham : 03-09-2023 at 08:45 AM. |
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03-09-2023, 09:07 AM
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#66 |
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High School Varsity
Join Date: Sep 2022
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April 9, 2013
Here are Lafayette's stats for the 2012/13 season. HTML Code:
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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. |
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03-09-2023, 09:21 AM
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#67 |
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High School Varsity
Join Date: Sep 2022
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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. HTML Code:
Thanks for the memories, Victor. |
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03-09-2023, 09:35 AM
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#68 |
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High School Varsity
Join Date: Sep 2022
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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. HTML Code:
Thanks for the memories, Stephen. |
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03-09-2023, 11:04 AM
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#69 |
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High School Varsity
Join Date: Sep 2022
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May 1, 2013
Here are the Patriot League recruiting rankings: HTML Code:
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. |
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03-09-2023, 07:08 PM
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#70 |
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High School Varsity
Join Date: Sep 2022
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July 1, 2013
Here are your 2013/14 Lafayette Leopards! HTML Code:
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. Last edited by MoonlightGraham : 03-09-2023 at 07:08 PM. |
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03-10-2023, 02:00 PM
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#71 |
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High School Varsity
Join Date: Sep 2022
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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. HTML Code:
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. HTML Code:
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. HTML Code:
According to the experts, Perry Scribner is the best player who expresses Very High interest in playing for Lafayette. HTML Code:
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. |
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03-12-2023, 03:03 PM
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#72 |
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High School Varsity
Join Date: Sep 2022
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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, 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. HTML Code:
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. HTML Code:
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. |
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03-12-2023, 03:53 PM
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#73 |
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High School Varsity
Join Date: Sep 2022
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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: HTML Code:
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. HTML Code:
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! Last edited by MoonlightGraham : 05-04-2023 at 11:03 AM. |
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03-12-2023, 04:15 PM
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#74 |
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High School Varsity
Join Date: Sep 2022
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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.  |
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03-12-2023, 05:16 PM
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#75 |
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High School Varsity
Join Date: Sep 2022
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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? |
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03-12-2023, 05:45 PM
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#76 |
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High School Varsity
Join Date: Sep 2022
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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. |
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03-12-2023, 08:55 PM
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#77 |
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High School Varsity
Join Date: Sep 2022
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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. |
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03-12-2023, 09:03 PM
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#78 |
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High School Varsity
Join Date: Sep 2022
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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. |
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03-12-2023, 09:30 PM
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#79 |
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High School Varsity
Join Date: Sep 2022
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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. HTML Code:
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. |
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03-12-2023, 11:06 PM
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#80 |
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High School Varsity
Join Date: Sep 2022
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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. HTML Code:
Last edited by MoonlightGraham : 03-12-2023 at 11:10 PM. |
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03-13-2023, 08:52 PM
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#81 |
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Head Coach
Join Date: Sep 2004
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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.
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2006 Golden Scribe Nominee 2006 Golden Scribe Winner Best Non-Sport Dynasty: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) Rookie Writer of the Year Dynasty of the Year: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) |
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03-14-2023, 11:45 PM
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#82 | |
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High School Varsity
Join Date: Sep 2022
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Quote:
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. |
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03-15-2023, 01:21 PM
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#83 |
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High School Varsity
Join Date: Sep 2022
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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). Last edited by MoonlightGraham : 03-15-2023 at 01:24 PM. |
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03-15-2023, 03:19 PM
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#84 |
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High School Varsity
Join Date: Sep 2022
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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. Last edited by MoonlightGraham : 03-15-2023 at 06:50 PM. |
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03-15-2023, 08:15 PM
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#85 |
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High School Varsity
Join Date: Sep 2022
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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: HTML Code:
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. HTML Code:
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. |
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03-15-2023, 08:38 PM
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#86 |
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High School Varsity
Join Date: Sep 2022
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April 7, 2014
As promised, the 2013/14 Lafayette Leopards statistics. HTML Code:
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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:
Last edited by MoonlightGraham : 03-16-2023 at 11:26 AM. |
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03-15-2023, 10:22 PM
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#87 |
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Head Coach
Join Date: Sep 2004
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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.
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2006 Golden Scribe Nominee 2006 Golden Scribe Winner Best Non-Sport Dynasty: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) Rookie Writer of the Year Dynasty of the Year: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) |
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03-16-2023, 12:09 AM
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#88 | |
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High School Varsity
Join Date: Sep 2022
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Quote:
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. |
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03-16-2023, 07:17 AM
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#89 |
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Head Coach
Join Date: Sep 2004
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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.
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2006 Golden Scribe Nominee 2006 Golden Scribe Winner Best Non-Sport Dynasty: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) Rookie Writer of the Year Dynasty of the Year: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) |
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03-16-2023, 11:15 AM
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#90 |
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High School Varsity
Join Date: Sep 2022
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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. Last edited by MoonlightGraham : 03-16-2023 at 11:16 AM. |
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03-16-2023, 11:39 AM
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#91 |
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High School Varsity
Join Date: Sep 2022
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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. HTML Code:
Thanks for the memories, Gary. Last edited by MoonlightGraham : 03-16-2023 at 07:48 PM. |
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03-16-2023, 07:48 PM
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#92 |
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High School Varsity
Join Date: Sep 2022
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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. HTML Code:
Thanks for the memories, Bastian. Last edited by MoonlightGraham : 03-16-2023 at 07:49 PM. |
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03-16-2023, 08:00 PM
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#93 |
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High School Varsity
Join Date: Sep 2022
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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. HTML Code:
Thanks for the memories, Billy. Last edited by MoonlightGraham : 03-17-2023 at 10:50 PM. |
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03-16-2023, 08:52 PM
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#94 |
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High School Varsity
Join Date: Sep 2022
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May 1, 2014
Look who brought in the best recruiting class in the Patriot League... HTML Code:
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.  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. Last edited by MoonlightGraham : 03-16-2023 at 08:53 PM. |
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03-16-2023, 09:14 PM
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#95 |
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High School Varsity
Join Date: Sep 2022
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July 1, 2014
Here are your 2014/15 Lafayette College Leopards! HTML Code:
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. |
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03-17-2023, 09:40 AM
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#96 |
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High School Varsity
Join Date: Sep 2022
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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. HTML Code:
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. HTML Code:
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. HTML Code:
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. HTML Code:
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. HTML Code:
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. |
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03-17-2023, 10:10 AM
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#97 |
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High School Varsity
Join Date: Sep 2022
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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. HTML Code:
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. |
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03-17-2023, 11:18 AM
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#98 |
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High School Varsity
Join Date: Sep 2022
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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. HTML Code:
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. Last edited by MoonlightGraham : 03-17-2023 at 10:31 PM. |
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03-17-2023, 11:58 AM
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#99 |
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High School Varsity
Join Date: Sep 2022
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November 9, 2014
Here's how preseason training went for our players: HTML Code:
A few highlights:
Let the season begin! |
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03-17-2023, 08:08 PM
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#100 |
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High School Varsity
Join Date: Sep 2022
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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. |
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