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Old 02-16-2024, 09:41 PM   #651
MoonlightGraham
High School Varsity
 
Join Date: Sep 2022
Quote:
Originally Posted by Chas in Cinti View Post
Wow... Sutton looks good....

He is an exceptionally good shooter, isn't he? He has a decent handle, and he's not fantastic defensively, but he's certainly not bad. That's why I said if he left Vanderbilt and showed any interest in coming to play for Coach Sims, I'd have a scholarship for him.

I'm looking forward to seeing how good a career he will have. He's not listed among the 50 top professional prospect in his class, so it looks right now like he'll remain a Commodore for four years. I hope that happens, since he lost one season to the AI coach's foolishness already.

Thanks for stopping by!
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Old 02-23-2024, 11:41 AM   #652
MoonlightGraham
High School Varsity
 
Join Date: Sep 2022
December 1, 2036
@#1 Villanova 105, Holy Cross 72

A program Coach Sims remembers well from his Patriot League days comes to Wawa Arena tonight. The Crusaders receive the 100-point treatment that we applied frequently last season.

Eldon Castanon, who knocks down 6 of 10 triples, leads us with 20 points. Charlie Lambert adds 5 blocks to his 14 points and 13 rebounds. Kyle Gribble (11p/8r) and Sebastian Roberts (7p/8r) are also assertive down low. Connor Baxter (8p/7a) keeps the offense humming.

Three reserves--Max Bennett (8p/7a/3s), Dane Barlow (12p) and Matt Valentine (14p) are particularly effective.
Record: 6-0.


December 6, 2036
@#1 Villanova 85, Davidson 58

Matt Valentine continues to provide lots of offense from the bench, leading us with 15 points as we take care of the visiting Wildcats.

He's joined atop the scoring leaders by two other seniors: Kyle Gribble (13) and Eldon Castanon (14). Another reserve, guard Max Bennett, leads us with 6 assists. Sebastian Roberts and Charlie Lambert each block 3 shots, and Roberts scores 11 points.
Record: 7-0.


December 10, 2036
#1 Villanova 81, @Gonzaga 56

Our trip to the West Coast is a successful one, with Eldon Castanon (15p/7r/4a/4s)earning his third straight PotG nod.

Seb Roberts (14p/16r) would have been a good choice, too. Those 16 boards are a career high for the sophomore center, and he also goes 2-for-5 from three-point range. And Matt Valentine (15 points) keeps scoring. He is the team's most productive point-getter, averaging 14 per game.

Connor Baxter (13p/6a) and Kyle Gribble (11p/8r) enjoy productive games, too.
Record: 8-0.


December 14, 2036
@#1 Villanova 89, Virginia 65

Our visitors from Mr. Jefferson's University are greeted rather rudely by Charlie Lambert, but I'm just fine with that. Charlie scores 24 points--his season's best--yanks down 10 rebounds, and blocks a pair of shots.

Senior guards Eldon Castanon (9p/8a/2s) and Connor Baxter (8p/7a) are active and productive. Matt Valentine and Luke Christensen score 10 points each off the bench.

Kyle Gribble twists his knee, which will force us to juggle our lineup for about two weeks. Matt Valentine will start our next games in Kyle's place.

Rod Baggett scores 32 in a losing Cavaliers effort.
Record: 9-0.


December 21, 2036
@#1 Villanova 82, William & Mary 53

More Virginians come to the Main Line, and these don't fare any better than their compatriots from Charlottesville.

Sebastian Roberts leads four 'Cats in double figures with 20 points, and he grabs 12 rebounds, too. Charlie Lambert adds 19 and Connor Baxter 18 with 16 assists. Matt Valentine finishes with 13.
Record: 10-0.


I thought the top of this week's poll was interesting.
Code:
# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1. Villanova (72) 11-0 1800 1 Big East Conference 2. Georgetown 9-0 1728 2 Big East Conference 3. Lafayette 11-1 1641 3 Patriot League 4. North Carolina 11-1 1592 4 Atlantic Coast Conference 5. Stanford 9-1 1494 5 Pacific-10 Conference 6. Washington 9-1 1377 8 Pacific-10 Conference 7. Louisville 9-0 1340 7 Big East Conference 8. Pittsburgh 9-2 1192 10 Big East Conference 9. Boston College 9-1 1188 9 Atlantic Coast Conference 10. New Mexico 9-1 1131 12 Mountain West Conference
This is the highest joint ranking achieved by the teams Graham Sims has coached.


December 26, 2036
#1 Villanova 101, @George Washington 89

Charlie Lambert enjoys his trip to the nation's capital, scoring 22 points, snaring 12 rebounds, and rejecting 6 shots.

Connor Baxter just misses joining him in the double-double club (18p/9a). Sebastian Roberts has 10 rebounds; Matt Valentine (16); Luke Christensen (12), and Dane Barlow (10) all score in double digits.
Record: 11-0.


December 28, 2036
Code:
#1 Villanova 93, Vanderbilt 74 --------------------------------------------------------- Villanova (12-0, 0-0): Player Pos Min Fgm-a Ftm-a Off Reb Ast PF Pts Sebastian Roberts C 26 6-12 3-7 5 16 1 2 15 Charlie Lambert PF 32 3-5 5-7 5 12 2 2 12 Matt Valentine SF 23 7-10 5-6 0 0 1 4 23 Connor Baxter SG 25 3-11 4-4 1 3 7 4 11 Eldon Castanon PG 29 3-10 1-2 2 2 9 3 9 Max Bennett SG 17 3-7 3-3 2 3 3 4 10 Dane Barlow PG 8 1-3 0-2 0 0 1 0 2 Luke Christensen SF 15 4-5 0-0 0 3 2 2 9 Demetrius Reed C 17 1-2 0-1 2 7 0 1 2 Erick Sullivan C 7 0-1 0-0 1 3 0 0 0 Charles Peterman PF 1 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0 0 Turnovers: 12 (S.Roberts 1, C.Lambert 1, M.Valentine 1, C.Baxter 1, E.Castanon 2, D.Barlow 1, L.Christensen 2, D.Reed 2, E.Sullivan 1) Blocked Shots: 7 (S.Roberts 1, C.Lambert 4, D.Reed 2) Steals: 3 (C.Baxter 1, E.Castanon 2) 3P FGs: 10-25 (S.Roberts 0-3, C.Lambert 1-1, M.Valentine 4-6, C.Baxter 1-5, E.Castanon 2-5, M.Bennett 1-4, L.Christensen 1-1) Vanderbilt (8-4, 0-0): Player Pos Min Fgm-a Ftm-a Off Reb Ast PF Pts Ramon Corcoran C 21 1-2 0-2 1 2 1 4 2 Justin Hui PF 29 4-10 2-4 2 8 1 3 10 Steven Albrecht SF 23 3-5 6-6 4 8 6 4 13 Charlie Sutton SG 30 9-16 1-2 1 2 3 2 24 Fletcher Watkins PG 32 3-9 2-3 0 2 7 3 10 Matthew Applegate SG 18 2-9 2-3 3 4 1 4 6 Reuben Perez C 24 0-3 0-0 1 6 1 1 0 Edward Jones SF 14 3-7 0-0 1 1 1 4 7 Henry Hobby C 6 0-2 0-0 0 1 0 0 0 Tyrell Essary SF 3 1-1 0-0 0 1 0 2 2 Turnovers: 12 (R.Corcoran 2, J.Hui 1, C.Sutton 1, F.Watkins 3, M.Applegate 2, R.Perez 1, E.Jones 1, H.Hobby 1) Blocked Shots: 5 (J.Hui 1, S.Albrecht 2, C.Sutton 1, E.Jones 1) Steals: 2 (S.Albrecht 1, E.Jones 1) 3P FGs: 9-17 (S.Albrecht 1-1, C.Sutton 5-7, F.Watkins 2-5, M.Applegate 0-1, R.Perez 0-1, E.Jones 1-2) Player of Game: PF Charlie Lambert (VLNV)
Vanderbilt's redshirt freshman* guard, Charlie Sutton, leads all scorers, but his Commodores don't otherwise have enough to hold off the nation's top team.

We post two double-doubles, and nearly have a third. Look how close Eldon Castanon came to matching the feats of Sebastian Roberts and Charlie Lambert. And Matt Valentine nearly matches Sutton's point total.

We're uncharacteristically inaccurate from the free throw line, but we shoot so many of them that it doesn't make much difference.
Record: 12-0.


Sutton Watch: Charlie continues to lead the Commodores in scoring. Here's a look at all his numbers:
Code:
Stat Averages: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Season G GS MIN PTS ORE REB AST TO A/T STL BLK PF -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2036 12 12 30.0 18.7 1.0 4.0 1.8 3.1 0.59 0.7 0.3 2.6 Career 12 12 30.0 18.7 1.0 4.0 1.8 3.1 0.59 0.7 0.3 2.6 Shooting Averages: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Season FGM FGA FG% FTM FTA FT% 3PM 3PA 3P% PPS +/- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2036 6.6 13.8 .476 1.7 2.1 .800 3.8 8.2 .469 1.35 6.58 Career 6.6 13.8 .476 1.7 2.1 .800 3.8 8.2 .469 1.35 6.58 Stat Totals: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Season G GS MIN PTS OREB REB AST TO STL BLK PF -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2036 12 12 360 224 12 48 22 37 8 4 31 Career 12 12 360 224 12 48 22 37 8 4 31 Shooting Totals -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Season FGM FGA FTM FTA 3PM 3PA +/- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2036 79 166 20 25 46 98 79 Career 79 166 20 25 46 98 79

*You may notice I refer to Charlie as a redshirt freshman. I went into the editor and fixed something I thought was a mistake.

Charlie didn't play at all as a true freshman last year. In the real world, a season like this would count as a redshirt year, since the status isn't confirmed until the end of the season. FBCB doesn't work like that.

However, I can go into the editor and "reclassify" Charlie, and that's what I did. Now he'll get the four years of eligibility that he deserves, and that's more fun for everybody.

Last edited by MoonlightGraham : 02-23-2024 at 11:43 AM.
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Old 02-23-2024, 05:07 PM   #653
MoonlightGraham
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Join Date: Sep 2022
This is what happens when you go a week without posting...

The last thing that happened in my last FBCB session was the December 1 recruiting update. We receive the good news that Tony Flaherty is committing to Villanova!

Tony is the third five-star recruit to join our Class of '37, and they're all wings. Flaherty is listed at SF, but he's a big dude--6'7", over 220 pounds--so moving to PF wouldn't be out of the question. His skill set is balanced, so having him on the floor with classmates Zayden Calhoun and David Lovett could work. And the fourth recruit in our class, Jordi Ballester, could conceivably move from PF to C. His style would mesh well with the other three guys.

Here's where some of the other recruits I talked about are playing next year:

James Sanders, Jr., Gus Dean: Georgetown
David Getty: Boston College
Lucas Sheehan and Mark Rotz: Kentucky
Tanner McLaughlin: Pitt

Last edited by MoonlightGraham : 02-23-2024 at 05:10 PM.
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Old 02-23-2024, 05:25 PM   #654
MoonlightGraham
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Join Date: Sep 2022
January 1, 2037

We got a surprising piece of bad news when fall semester grades were released today.

Charlie Lambert is on academic probation, and he'll miss the remainder of the season!

This is a huge blow. Through the first 12 games of the season, Charlie is our leading scorer (15.3 PPG), rebounder (8.8 RPG), and shot blocker (2.9 BPG). And, to make it even more frustrating, Charlie is no blockhead. His academic rating is 64. He scored over 1100 on his SAT, and he had better than a 3.0 GPA in high school. Time management, rather than ability, appears to be the issue here.

Matt Valentine will move into the starting lineup for good.

Last edited by MoonlightGraham : 02-23-2024 at 05:25 PM.
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Old 02-23-2024, 06:05 PM   #655
MoonlightGraham
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Join Date: Sep 2022
January 3, 2037
Code:
#1 Villanova 99, #5 Lafayette 65 -------------------------------------------------------- Lafayette (12-2, 0-0): Player Pos Min Fgm-a Ftm-a Off Reb Ast PF Pts Jalen Christian C 19 2-2 1-2 1 2 2 0 5 Q. Derryberry PF 21 3-4 0-0 1 3 0 1 6 Rex Ambriz SF 19 5-10 3-4 0 1 3 0 14 Charles Loy SG 28 6-14 0-0 2 6 4 3 16 Leroy Velez PG 31 2-4 1-2 1 2 7 1 5 Owen Sutton SF 18 2-11 0-1 0 2 1 4 5 E. Leatherwood PF 23 4-6 0-0 0 1 0 2 8 Charles Bodine SF 15 1-5 0-0 0 1 1 1 2 Jayson Younger PG 9 1-4 0-0 0 0 1 0 2 Jon Jordan C 16 1-1 0-0 1 4 0 1 2 Hugo Adams C 1 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0 0 Grant Pang PF 1 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0 0 Turnovers: 17 (Q.Derryberry 1, R.Ambriz 1, C.Loy 2, L.Velez 5, O.Sutton 2, E.Leatherwood 3, C.Bodine 2, J.Younger 1) Blocked Shots: 2 (Q.Derryberry 1, E.Leatherwood 1) Steals: 7 (R.Ambriz 2, C.Loy 1, L.Velez 2, O.Sutton 1, C.Bodine 1) 3P FGs: 6-24 (R.Ambriz 1-4, C.Loy 4-10, L.Velez 0-1, O.Sutton 1-6, C.Bodine 0-1, J.Younger 0-2) Villanova (13-0, 0-0): Player Pos Min Fgm-a Ftm-a Off Reb Ast PF Pts Sebastian Roberts PF 29 7-12 0-0 2 5 3 0 15 Kyle Gribble PF 26 5-10 3-3 2 4 5 1 14 Matt Valentine SF 16 5-8 2-2 1 3 2 4 15 Connor Baxter SG 28 7-10 1-1 0 3 9 1 16 Eldon Castanon PG 29 5-6 0-0 0 4 9 1 13 Max Bennett SG 12 2-2 0-0 0 2 1 0 4 Dane Barlow PG 10 1-5 0-0 2 5 2 2 2 Luke Christensen SF 16 3-5 2-2 2 5 1 2 8 Demetrius Reed C 25 4-5 2-2 1 8 0 1 10 Erick Sullivan C 8 1-3 0-0 0 2 0 0 2 Turnovers: 18 (S.Roberts 1, K.Gribble 3, C.Baxter 2, E.Castanon 5, D.Barlow 2, D.Reed 4, E.Sullivan 1) Blocked Shots: 1 (E.Castanon 1) Steals: 6 (M.Valentine 2, C.Baxter 2, E.Castanon 1, D.Reed 1) 3P FGs: 9-17 (S.Roberts 1-3, K.Gribble 1-2, M.Valentine 3-4, C.Baxter 1-3, E.Castanon 3-4, D.Barlow 0-1) Player of Game: SG Connor Baxter (VLNV)
It's a special night at the Wawa Arena, as a sellout crowd watches us open up a fairly close game with a dominant second half. Top five teams like Lafayette don't usually lose to anyone by 34 points.

Some really good things:
  • We don't miss a free throw; we're 11-for-11 from the line.
  • We record assists on 32 of our 40 made baskets. That's one assist short of our single-game record.
  • Demetrius Reed steps up with the best game of his short collegiate career to date. We're going to depend on more heavily now that Charlie Lambert can't play.
  • Our scoring is very well-balanced. We shoot well from long range, even though we take fewer threes (17) than usual (25.9 per game).
Record: 13-0.

Code:
2036 Big East Conference Standings TEAM CW CL Pct W L Pct RPI Prestige ---------------------------------------------------------------- #1 Villanova 0 0 .000 13 0 1.000 1 100 #5 Louisville 0 0 .000 12 0 1.000 6 93 #2 Georgetown 0 0 .000 12 0 1.000 11 100 #12 Notre Dame 0 0 .000 10 2 .833 8 84 #9 West Virginia 0 0 .000 10 2 .833 37 95 St. John's 0 0 .000 10 2 .833 49 74 Cincinnati 0 0 .000 9 3 .750 2 70 Connecticut 0 0 .000 9 4 .692 3 75 #18 Pittsburgh 0 0 .000 9 2 .818 92 93 Providence 0 0 .000 9 3 .750 148 70 Syracuse 0 0 .000 8 3 .727 205 73 Rutgers 0 0 .000 7 5 .583 58 68 South Florida 0 0 .000 7 5 .583 109 62 Seton Hall 0 0 .000 7 4 .636 127 56 DePaul 0 0 .000 6 5 .545 86 55 Marquette 0 0 .000 5 7 .417 147 64
The Big East is packed with excellent teams again. The ones who make it through the season at the top of the league will all be serious contenders for the national championship.

I don't think I've ever posted this table...
Code:
Conference RPI # Conference RPI -------------------------------------------------- 1. Big East Conference .583 2. Pacific-10 Conference .574 3. Southeastern Conference .555 4. Big 12 Conference .536 5. Mountain West Conference .533 6. Atlantic Coast Conference .532 7. Big Ten Conference .524 8. Colonial Athletic Association .524 9. Patriot League .523 10. Atlantic 10 Conference .519 11. Horizon League .511 12. Big West Conference .506 13. Conference USA .504 14. Missouri Valley Conference .501 15. Sun Belt Conference .498 16. Western Athletic Conference .494 17. Southland Conference .490 18. Atlantic Sun Conference .486 19. Ohio Valley Conference .485 20. West Coast Conference .484 21. Summit League .480 22. Southern Conference .480 23. Ivy League .479 24. Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference .479 25. Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference .477 26. Great West Conference .476 27. Big South Conference .475 28. Southwestern Athletic Conference .474 29. Mid-American Conference .474 30. America East Conference .465 31. Independent .440 32. Big Sky Conference .430 33. Northeast Conference .430
Conference play begins this week. I think we could be in for an exciting season.
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Old 02-28-2024, 08:33 AM   #656
MoonlightGraham
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Join Date: Sep 2022
January 7, 2037
@#1 Villanova 75, Cincinnati 63

We attempt 51 two-point field goals and make 24 of them. That's not great, but it's not terrible, either. However, we try 16 threes...and make only 3. That's ridiculously bad. Fortunately, the Bearcats are nearly as bad.

On the other hand, Kyle Gribble plays the best game of his career. His 20 points and 16 rebounds are both career highs. Max Bennett scores 19; Connor Baxter has 14 and 5 assists; Sebastian Roberts finishes with 11 points and 10 boards.
Record: 14-0 (1-0).


January 10, 2037
#1 Villanova 109, @DePaul 81

Our Big East schedule for January is weird. We play all our midweek games at Wawa Arena, and all our Saturday games on the road. Today, we're in Chicago, where we rout the Blue Demons.

Matt Valentine leads a contingent of five 'Novans in double figures with 24 points. Sebastian Roberts (17p/8r), Connor Baxter (16p/8a), Kyle Gribble (16p), and Luke Christensen (14p) join him. Eldon Castanon dishes out 10 assists, and Demetrius Reed blocks 4 shots.
Record: 15-0 (2-0).


January 14, 2037
Code:
#1 Villanova 93, Rutgers 85 --------------------------------------------------------- Rutgers (9-6, 2-1): Player Pos Min Fgm-a Ftm-a Off Reb Ast PF Pts A. Haberlach C 29 2-7 1-1 1 8 3 2 5 Richard Holmquist PF 32 5-10 2-2 3 5 2 1 12 Brent Baker SF 19 2-9 2-5 1 5 0 5 8 Shawn Tait SG 33 5-7 4-5 0 0 4 0 19 Kim Murray PG 34 6-11 7-8 1 5 0 3 24 Joe Woods SG 14 3-5 3-4 0 1 1 2 11 Andrew Parrott SF 17 0-1 2-2 0 1 1 2 2 Boyd Simmons C 16 0-3 1-2 0 5 0 1 1 Chester Eisenberg PG 3 1-1 0-0 0 1 0 0 3 Andrew Jackson PF 4 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 2 0 Turnovers: 13 (R.Holmquist 2, B.Baker 2, S.Tait 3, J.Woods 1, A.Parrott 3, B.Simmons 1, C.Eisenberg 1) Blocked Shots: 6 (A.Haberlach 1, R.Holmquist 1, S.Tait 1, K.Murray 1, J.Woods 2) Steals: 4 (A.Haberlach 1, S.Tait 1, A.Parrott 2) 3P FGs: 15-29 (R.Holmquist 0-1, B.Baker 2-7, S.Tait 5-6, K.Murray 5-10, J.Woods 2-4, C.Eisenberg 1-1) Villanova (16-0, 3-0): Player Pos Min Fgm-a Ftm-a Off Reb Ast PF Pts Sebastian Roberts C 28 4-11 0-0 3 7 3 2 9 Kyle Gribble PF 30 6-10 0-0 3 10 2 2 12 Matt Valentine SF 25 11-16 1-2 1 3 2 4 27 Connor Baxter SG 35 6-13 0-0 2 5 7 3 13 Eldon Castanon PG 28 3-7 5-6 0 4 9 4 13 Max Bennett SG 12 1-3 2-3 0 1 0 3 5 Dane Barlow PG 5 0-2 0-0 0 1 0 0 0 Luke Christensen SF 14 4-5 1-1 1 3 1 2 9 Demetrius Reed C 18 2-5 1-2 3 7 2 3 5 Erick Sullivan C 4 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 1 0 Turnovers: 12 (S.Roberts 2, M.Valentine 1, C.Baxter 3, E.Castanon 1, M.Bennett 1, D.Barlow 1, L.Christensen 2, D.Reed 1) Blocked Shots: 5 (M.Valentine 1, E.Castanon 1, D.Barlow 1, D.Reed 2) Steals: 5 (K.Gribble 1, C.Baxter 3, E.Castanon 1) 3P FGs: 9-25 (S.Roberts 1-5, M.Valentine 4-6, C.Baxter 1-3, E.Castanon 2-6, M.Bennett 1-3, D.Barlow 0-2) Player of Game: SF Matt Valentine (VLNV)
We're up 16 at halftime, but the Scarlet Knights shoot their way back into the game with some impressive marksmanship from behind the arc. We do enough to win, with Matt Valentine performing especially well and the guards making plays for their teammates.

This generosity is nothing new. Connor Baxter is second in the Big East and third in the nation in assists, with 7.1 APG. Eldon Castanon (6.3 APG) is sixth and 13th. Connor and Eldon will probably finish the seasons in the second and third positions on our career list, behind the remarkable Justice Stafford. No team in the nation approaches our 24.3 APG.
Record: 16-0 (3-0).


January 17, 2037
#1 Villanova 68, @#16 West Virginia 62

We're terrible in the first half, scoring only 16 points. Fortunately for us, defense travels, and we hold the Mountaineers to 26. That gives us a chance to get back in the game, and we take advantage of the opportunity. In the process, we win our 42nd consecutive game.

Kyle Gribble leads the way with 17 points, adding 8 rebounds. Matt Valentine has 16; Connor Baxter 15 with 6 assists. Eldon Castanon scores 11 points, and Sebastian Roberts claims 10 rebounds.
Record: 17-0 (4-0).
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Old 02-28-2024, 11:02 AM   #657
MoonlightGraham
High School Varsity
 
Join Date: Sep 2022
January 21, 2037
@#2 Villanova 74, Connecticut 57

That wasn't a typo. Georgetown, also undefeated, vaulted over us into the top spot in the polls. That's because they beat #7 Louisville by 30 points last week.

Kyle Gribble enjoys another good game (19p/4r). So do Eldon Castanon (18p/7r/5a) and Matt Valentine (16p). And props to really good walk-on Erick Sullivan, who blocks 2 shots in 9 minutes.

Huskies guard Michael Mancini, whom we took a long look at when he was a high school senior, scores 18 points, and Jelani Obasie, whom we liked even more, pitches in 10 off the bench.
Record: 18-0 (5-0).


January 24, 2037
#2 Villanova 76, @Marquette 59

Matt Valentine and Connor Baxter score 19 points each, but it's Sebastian Roberts who really shines as we travel to Milwaukee and beat the Golden Eagles.

Seb scores a career-best 23 points and grabs 14 rebounds. He's a future pro, and he plays like one tonight.

Eldon Castanon provides a scoresheet-filling 5 points, 6 rebounds, 6 assists, and 4 steals.
Record: 19-0 (6-0).


January 28, 2037
@#2 Villanova 95, Syracuse 68

Behind 21 points from Matt Valentine, we outscore the Orange 49-29 in the second half before another sellout crowd at Wawa Arena.

Connor Baxter adds 16 points, while Eldon Castanon pairs 10 points with 9 assists. We get matching 8-point, 8-rebound performances from Seb Roberts and Kyle Gribble, and Demetrius Reed adds 8 and 7 off the bench.
Record: 20-0 (7-0).


January 31, 2037
#2 Villanova 88, @Providence 65

Thriving in his first extended opportunity as a starter, Matt Valentine continues to impress. He scores 25 tonight as we defeat the Friars in Rhode Island.

Kyle Gribble finishes with 16, and freshman reserve guard Dane Barlow adds 11.

Sebastian Roberts is our leading rebounder with 10. He leads the team with 8.7 RPG. Can you guess who's second on the team in that category among active players? It's Demetrius Reed, who's grabbing almost 6 rebounds in 18 minutes per game. Big D has 7 rebounds tonight.
Record: 21-0 (8-0).

Code:
2036 Big East Conference Standings TEAM CW CL Pct W L Pct RPI Prestige ------------------------------------------------------------------ #2 Villanova 8 0 1.000 21 0 1.000 1 100 #1 Georgetown 7 1 .875 19 1 .950 2 100 #6 West Virginia 6 2 .750 16 4 .800 5 95 Cincinnati 5 3 .625 14 6 .700 10 70 #9 Notre Dame 5 3 .625 15 5 .750 3 84 Syracuse 5 3 .625 13 6 .684 52 73 #24 St. John's 5 3 .625 15 5 .750 18 74 #10 Louisville 5 3 .625 17 3 .850 11 93 Providence 5 3 .625 14 6 .700 66 70 Pittsburgh 4 4 .500 13 6 .684 77 93 South Florida 2 6 .250 9 11 .450 83 62 Connecticut 2 6 .250 11 10 .524 6 75 Rutgers 2 6 .250 9 11 .450 56 68 Seton Hall 1 7 .125 8 11 .421 116 56 DePaul 1 7 .125 7 12 .368 43 55 Marquette 1 7 .125 6 14 .300 88 64
Georgetown lost at West Virginia, and that leaves us in sole possession of first place as the calendar prepares to turn.


Sutton Watch: Charlie Sutton and his Vanderbilt team scuffled a bit this month. The Commodores are unranked, with a 12-8 record that includes a 3-3 mark in SEC play. Here are Charlie's stats:
Code:
Stat Averages: ------------------------------------------------------------------- Season G GS MIN PTS ORE REB AST TO A/T STL BLK PF ------------------------------------------------------------------- 2036 20 20 28.7 16.7 1.0 3.6 2.3 3.0 0.76 0.6 0.2 2.9 Career 20 20 28.7 16.7 1.0 3.6 2.3 3.0 0.76 0.6 0.2 2.9 Shooting Averages: ------------------------------------------------------------------- Season FGM FGA FG% FTM FTA FT% 3PM 3PA 3P% PPS +/- ------------------------------------------------------------------- 2036 5.8 12.7 .458 1.9 2.2 .864 3.2 7.4 .429 1.32 5.10 Career 5.8 12.7 .458 1.9 2.2 .864 3.2 7.4 .429 1.32 5.10

Charlie is still the second leading freshman scorer in the Southeastern Conference, and he's sixth among all freshmen nationwide.

Last edited by MoonlightGraham : 02-28-2024 at 11:02 AM.
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Old 02-29-2024, 10:19 AM   #658
MoonlightGraham
High School Varsity
 
Join Date: Sep 2022
February 4, 2037
#1 Villanova 95, @Seton Hall 78

The Pirates have no answer for Kyle Gribble tonight. The senior post scores a career-high 29 points and pulls in 7 rebounds on a night when we do almost everything very well. Our 6-for-23 shooting on three-pointers is the only exception.

Connor Baxter supplements a double-double (14p/10a) with 5 rebounds and 2 steals. Matt Valentine (16p/7r) and Sebastian Roberts (13p/6r) also score in double figures.

Eldon Castanon hands out 11 assists, and when he sinks a pair of free throws with just under 9 minutes remaining, he reaches the 1000-point mark for his Villanova career.
Record: 22-0 (9-0).


February 7, 2037
#1 Villanova 96, @Cincinnati 84

A strong performance from Sebastian Roberts (18p/11r/2s/1b) and 22 more points from Kyle Gribble key a victory over the Bearcats.

Matt Valentine adds 14 points, and reserve Luke Christensen 13 more. And our veteran guards provide balanced productivity, too: Connor Baxter approaches a triple-double with 8 points, 8 assists, and 9 rebounds, while Eldon Castanon finishes with 9 points and 8 helpers.
Record: 23-0 (10-0).


February 11, 2037
@#1 Villanova 93, DePaul 68

The reserves outscore the starters, 47-46, inspiring a big Wawa Arena crowd who hasn't seen their favorites play at home in awhile.

Luke Christensen (17p) leads the bench brigade, despite missing all 5 of the threes he attempts. Demetrius Reed (12p/11r) posts his first career double-double, and Max Bennett finishes with 10 points. Reed, who also blocks 6 shots, is named Player of the Game, and he deserves it.

Kyle Gribble leads all scorers with 19, and Connor Baxter contributes 16. Baxter and Eldon Castanon each have 7 assists.
Record: 24-0 (11-0).


February 14, 2037
Code:
#1 Villanova 94, St. John's 93 (OT) --------------------------------------------------------- St. John's (16-8, 6-6): Player Pos Min Fgm-a Ftm-a Off Reb Ast PF Pts Dan Roesch C 37 10-13 6-9 4 11 2 2 26 Jose Brown PF 23 1-4 1-2 2 6 2 4 3 Dusty Ung SF 24 3-9 5-8 1 5 5 3 12 Joseph Keys SG 32 3-5 1-2 1 5 3 1 8 Frank Hoey PG 32 5-14 8-9 1 5 6 5 19 Raul Monroe PF 21 0-2 3-8 1 5 1 2 3 Robert Hasty C 8 2-2 0-0 1 3 1 0 4 Walker Smith SF 28 4-7 3-4 1 4 1 1 12 Brady Turner PG 13 1-1 3-4 0 0 1 1 5 Geoffrey Springer PG 5 0-1 1-2 0 0 0 0 1 Michael Hall SF 1 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0 0 Turnovers: 19 (D.Roesch 6, J.Brown 1, D.Ung 1, J.Keys 5, F.Hoey 2, R.Monroe 3, W.Smith 1) Blocked Shots: 5 (D.Roesch 4, R.Hasty 1) Steals: 1 (F.Hoey 1) 3P FGs: 4-20 (D.Ung 1-5, J.Keys 1-2, F.Hoey 1-8, W.Smith 1-4, G.Springer 0-1) Villanova (25-0, 12-0): Player Pos Min Fgm-a Ftm-a Off Reb Ast PF Pts Sebastian Roberts PF 18 3-7 1-2 1 3 2 5 7 Kyle Gribble PF 25 1-6 4-6 2 5 1 4 6 Matt Valentine SF 20 5-11 2-3 0 2 0 4 14 Connor Baxter SG 37 2-7 1-2 2 3 5 4 6 Eldon Castanon PG 37 4-9 4-7 2 6 10 4 13 Max Bennett SG 12 8-14 0-0 2 3 1 1 22 Dane Barlow PG 4 1-2 0-0 0 0 1 1 2 Luke Christensen SF 19 5-10 4-4 0 4 1 3 14 Demetrius Reed C 12 2-3 2-2 2 3 0 4 6 Erick Sullivan C 27 1-3 0-0 1 5 2 2 2 Charles Peterman PF 13 1-2 0-0 1 1 0 1 2 John Maroney SF 2 0-0 0-0 0 0 1 0 0 Turnovers: 13 (S.Roberts 4, M.Valentine 1, C.Baxter 3, E.Castanon 1, M.Bennett 1, L.Christensen 2, E.Sullivan 1) Blocked Shots: 2 (D.Reed 1, E.Sullivan 1) Steals: 5 (E.Castanon 1, L.Christensen 2, E.Sullivan 1, C.Peterman 1) 3P FGs: 10-31 (K.Gribble 0-3, M.Valentine 2-5, C.Baxter 1-4, E.Castanon 1-6, M.Bennett 6-9, L.Christensen 0-3, E.Sullivan 0-1) Player of Game: SG Max Bennett (VLNV)
Wow. Where to begin?
  • The Johnnies' Jose Brown scores one basket, and it's a buzzer-beater that sends the game into overtime.
  • Eldon Castanon's two clutch free throws with 0:08 left in OT prove to be game-winners.
  • Max Bennett packs an insane amount of highlights into his 12 minutes of action. Max scores almost two points per minute, and sinks a three every two minutes.
  • Seb Roberts fouls out, and five other Wildcats end the game with four fouls. St. John's attempts 48 free throws, and if they make more than 65 percent of them, this game isn't close.
  • It's our first Saturday home game of the Big East season.
  • The student section honors a certain Wildcat junior with some creative signs: "BE MY VALENTINE", "MY BLUE VALENTINE", and "EVERY DAY IS VALENTINE'S DAY" are among the best.

And, coolest of all: it's our 50th consecutive victory. I wasn't going to mention it until we hit a milestone. Now I hope I don't jinx us...



Record: 25-0 (12-0).


February 18, 2037
@#1 Villanova 104, South Florida 78

No jinx. The five starters, who all score in double figures, make sure of that.

Matt Valentine (24 points) and Kyle Gribble (20) top the list, followed by Connor Baxter and Eldon Castanon (17 each) and Sebastian Roberts (12). Baxter, Castanon, and Max Bennett combine for 19 assists, with Connor contributing the most (8).

We make 13 of our 25 three-point tries, which ends a rather serious long-range shooting slump.
Record: 26-0 (13-0).
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Old 02-29-2024, 11:14 AM   #659
MoonlightGraham
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Join Date: Sep 2022
February 21, 2037
Code:
#1 Villanova 97, #2 Georgetown 58 --------------------------------------------------------- Georgetown (23-3, 11-3): Player Pos Min Fgm-a Ftm-a Off Reb Ast PF Pts Stanley Bailes C 21 1-1 1-1 0 2 0 4 3 Timothy Johnson PF 23 2-6 0-0 0 6 2 1 4 Brian Bishop SF 28 6-13 1-7 1 3 3 0 13 Ahmad Ashworth SG 25 4-9 1-2 0 0 0 4 10 Douglas Wilson PG 22 1-4 2-2 1 2 4 2 4 Oscar Duncan SF 14 3-6 0-0 0 1 0 1 7 Brent Taylor C 15 1-5 2-4 1 7 1 2 4 Joshua Lee PF 16 1-3 3-4 5 8 0 1 5 Bernie Johnson PG 12 1-1 0-0 0 2 0 4 2 Larry Bolding SF 12 2-4 0-0 1 1 1 0 4 Josh Medley SG 10 1-7 0-0 1 1 0 3 2 Ken Buzzard PG 2 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0 0 Turnovers: 15 (S.Bailes 1, T.Johnson 2, B.Bishop 2, A.Ashworth 2, D.Wilson 1, O.Duncan 2, J.Lee 1, B.Johnson 1, L.Bolding 2, J.Medley 1) Blocked Shots: 3 (T.Johnson 2, L.Bolding 1) Steals: 7 (T.Johnson 1, B.Bishop 2, D.Wilson 1, O.Duncan 3) 3P FGs: 2-16 (A.Ashworth 1-4, D.Wilson 0-3, O.Duncan 1-1, B.Taylor 0-1, L.Bolding 0-2, J.Medley 0-5) Villanova (27-0, 14-0): Player Pos Min Fgm-a Ftm-a Off Reb Ast PF Pts Sebastian Roberts PF 28 7-13 3-5 5 11 2 0 19 Kyle Gribble PF 21 2-6 0-0 0 0 2 4 5 Matt Valentine SF 19 3-8 2-2 0 1 3 3 9 Connor Baxter SG 24 5-9 2-2 0 1 2 3 16 Eldon Castanon PG 27 3-5 3-4 0 3 9 1 11 Max Bennett SG 16 2-5 5-6 0 2 5 1 11 Dane Barlow PG 9 2-3 1-3 1 3 1 0 6 Luke Christensen SF 15 4-7 5-5 1 5 0 1 14 Demetrius Reed C 26 2-4 0-0 6 16 0 2 4 Erick Sullivan C 10 0-0 2-2 1 4 0 2 2 Charles Peterman PF 4 0-3 0-0 0 0 1 0 0 Turnovers: 12 (S.Roberts 1, M.Valentine 1, C.Baxter 1, E.Castanon 4, M.Bennett 2, D.Reed 1, E.Sullivan 2) Blocked Shots: 1 (D.Reed 1) Steals: 5 (C.Baxter 2, E.Castanon 1, L.Christensen 1, D.Reed 1) 3P FGs: 14-26 (S.Roberts 2-2, K.Gribble 1-1, M.Valentine 1-2, C.Baxter 4-6, E.Castanon 2-4, M.Bennett 2-5, D.Barlow 1-2, L.Christensen 1-3, C.Peterman 0-1) Player of Game: C Sebastian Roberts (VLNV)
How sweet, how very sweet it is!

It's a Saturday night. The game is televised nationally. Wawa Arena, which has been designed to maximize the effect of a large, raucous crowd, is absolutely rocking. It's almost impossible to hear the announcement of Villanova's starting lineup over the noise.

Everyone expects a close game, but it's not. We take it to the Hoyas from the start. They don't score for over three minutes, and by then, we're ahead 9-0. The last of those 8 points come when Sebastian Roberts throws down a fearsome dunk and is fouled by Stanley Bailes. When Seb's free throw goes in, the crowd erupts again.

Max Bennett drills a three as the first half buzzer sounds, and the fans' reaction is even more deafening. It's now 52-25, Villanova, and the second half is more of the same.

On a night when Matt Valentine struggles and Kyle Gribble encounters foul trouble, Luke Christensen and Demetrius Reed step up. Big D acts like every rebound is his to claim.

The Hoyas take 16 three-pointers and make two; most of them are contested. We make 14 of 26. We assist on 25 of our 30 made baskets.

Every win is a good one, but some are really special...like this one.
Record: 27-0 (14-0).
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Old 02-29-2024, 01:09 PM   #660
MoonlightGraham
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February 25, 2037
#1 Villanova 87, @#15 Notre Dame 66

I wondered if there might be a bit of a let-down, following the epic win over Georgetown. Connor Baxter (22p/7a), starting his 122nd game for us, simply won't let that happen. Nor will Eldon Castanon (9p/6a/5r), starting his 105th.

Matt Valentine pairs 18 points with 8 rebounds. Max Bennett scores 10 points in 13 minutes. And Demetrius Reed, fresh off a 16-rebound master class against the Hoyas, grabs 14 more tonight.

We clinch the Big East regular season championship with three games left to play.
Record: 28-0 (15-0).


February 28, 2037
#1 Villanova 93, @Rutgers 87

The Scarlet Knights give us all we can handle, forcing us into 20 turnovers and coming very close to handing us our first loss of the season.

All five starters, plus Max Bennett, score in double figures. Kyle Gribble (24p) and Sebastian Roberts (19p/10r) lead the way, and Eldon Castanon (10p/12r/9a) comes *this* close to a triple double.
Record: 29-0 (16-0).


March 4, 2037
@#1 Villanova 90, Pittsburgh 65

It's the first Senior Night at Wawa Arena, and we send the players of the Class of '37 out in style.

Senior Kyle Gribble leads us in scoring with 19 points and snares 7 rebounds. Senior Connor Baxter finishes with 10 points, 8 assists, and 4 rebounds. Redshirt senior Eldon Castanon contributes 15 points, 6 assists, and 4 rebounds. And senior Charles Peterman scores 2 points and grabs 3 rebounds in his first career start.

Underclassmen Sebastian Roberts (17p/8r) and Matt Valentine (13p/4r) help make their teammates' night a special one. It's quite possibly Matt's last home game, too.
Record: 30-0 (17-0).


March 7, 2037
#1 Villanova 103, @#5 Louisville 69

Like we did against Georgetown, we play our best basketball against a very tough opponent, at their place, and emerge with a big win.

Jonathan Larios pours in 27 points for the Cardinals, but Connor Baxter and Matt Valentine counter with 25 each for us. Seb Roberts (14p/10r) and Charles Peterman (a career high 11 points) also reach double figures, and Eldon Castanon hands out 11 assists.

We complete our regular season with our unbeaten record intact. We're the second team to run the table in Big East play; Georgetown went 18-0 in 2032/33.
Record: 31-0 (18-0).

Last edited by MoonlightGraham : 02-29-2024 at 02:37 PM.
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Old 02-29-2024, 02:36 PM   #661
MoonlightGraham
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March 12, 2037

Here's how the Big East tournament bracket looks as we prepare for our first game:



Big East Tournament Quarterfinal
(1) #1 Villanova 83, (8) Syracuse 68
Kyle Gribble's
20 points and 10 rebounds set the tone for a victory over the Orange, which puts us in the tournament semifinal.

The victory is the 800th of Graham Sims' career, against 135 defeats.

Eldon Castanon also stars, with 7 points, 12 assists, and a career-high 5 steals. We get 11 points and 19 boards from Sebastian Roberts, 15 points from Connor Baxter, and 12 points from Matt Valentine.

We also receive bad news when Matt Valentine is diagnosed with a broken rib. He won't see the court again this season unless we make a long run in the NCAA tournament.
Record: 32-0.


March 13, 2037
Big East Tournament Semifinal
(1) #1 Villanova 89, (5) #13 Notre Dame 78

Senior guards Connor Baxter and Eldon Castanon evenly split 46 points, and we move on to the tournament championship game. Eldon adds 10 assists and 7 rebounds.

Also scoring in double figures are Kyle Gribble (10) and Luke Christensen (11), who starts in Matt Valentine's place. Centers Sebastian Roberts and Demetrius Reed, who together are over 14 feet tall, combine for 23 rebounds (Seb 13, Big D 10).

Poor Charles Peterman no sooner gets on the court before he's caught by an accidental elbow that breaks his jaw. Thus ends his Villanova career.
Record: 33-0.


March 14, 2037
Big East Tournament, Championship Game

Code:
#2 Georgetown 88, #1 Villanova 83 -------------------------------------------------------- Georgetown (29-4, 14-4): Player Pos Min Fgm-a Ftm-a Off Reb Ast PF Pts Stanley Bailes C 32 3-4 0-0 3 6 0 3 6 Timothy Johnson PF 27 5-7 4-9 1 3 2 1 14 Brian Bishop SF 33 11-19 2-3 4 8 5 3 24 Ahmad Ashworth SG 25 7-15 4-5 0 1 4 4 22 Douglas Wilson PG 32 1-4 3-4 2 3 4 1 5 Oscar Duncan PF 13 0-2 1-2 2 7 2 1 1 Brent Taylor C 5 0-0 0-0 0 1 0 0 0 Joshua Lee PF 14 2-3 4-4 1 7 1 0 8 Bernie Johnson PG 12 0-0 0-0 0 0 2 3 0 Larry Bolding SF 2 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0 0 Josh Medley SG 4 3-7 0-0 0 0 0 0 8 Turnovers: 15 (S.Bailes 3, T.Johnson 2, B.Bishop 2, A.Ashworth 2, D.Wilson 2, B.Johnson 3, J.Medley 1) Blocked Shots: 1 (S.Bailes 1) Steals: 4 (S.Bailes 1, A.Ashworth 1, D.Wilson 1, J.Medley 1) 3P FGs: 6-15 (A.Ashworth 4-8, D.Wilson 0-3, J.Medley 2-4) Villanova (33-1, 18-0): Player Pos Min Fgm-a Ftm-a Off Reb Ast PF Pts Sebastian Roberts C 31 4-7 0-0 1 4 1 3 9 Kyle Gribble PF 29 2-5 0-0 4 7 6 3 4 Luke Christensen SF 30 9-17 3-3 2 4 2 3 24 Connor Baxter SG 31 7-19 0-0 3 4 6 1 18 Eldon Castanon PG 31 7-14 2-4 2 5 6 0 19 Max Bennett SG 12 2-4 2-4 0 0 1 2 7 Dane Barlow PG 1 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0 0 Demetrius Reed C 22 0-2 2-2 3 10 1 5 2 Erick Sullivan C 11 0-1 0-0 0 3 0 3 0 Derek Lamb PF 1 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0 0 Turnovers: 15 (S.Roberts 5, K.Gribble 4, L.Christensen 1, C.Baxter 1, E.Castanon 3, D.Reed 1) Blocked Shots: 4 (K.Gribble 1, D.Reed 1, E.Sullivan 2) Steals: 3 (C.Baxter 1, M.Bennett 2) 3P FGs: 12-36 (S.Roberts 1-1, K.Gribble 0-1, L.Christensen 3-8, C.Baxter 4-12, E.Castanon 3-10, M.Bennett 1-3, E.Sullivan 0-1) Player of Game: SF Brian Bishop (GTOWN)
You would expect the nation's premier basketball conference to deliver a memorable tournament final, and it did. A neutral fan would love every minute of it, but for us, it stings. The Hoyas add to their reputation as our nemesis by spoiling our perfect season and snapping our string of consecutive victories at 58.

We don't shoot especially well, and that's largely due to the Hoyas' solid defensive play. Luke Christensen looks like the latest in a line of crack shots who have played in Villanova colors.
Record: 33-1.

Last edited by MoonlightGraham : 02-29-2024 at 02:37 PM.
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Old 02-29-2024, 03:22 PM   #662
Chas in Cinti
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Location: Cincinnati, OH
Wow... what a run... if you have to lose, better to do it now than in the next tourney!
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Old 02-29-2024, 05:31 PM   #663
MoonlightGraham
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Chas in Cinti View Post
Wow... what a run... if you have to lose, better to do it now than in the next tourney!

It was a fantastic ride! I had a feeling the streak was on thin ice once Matt Valentine got hurt. Over the course of the year, we've lost our two leading scorers, for one reason or another. We still have plenty of talented players available, but from this point forward, we win or we go home.

Had Coach Sims completed a perfect season, I would have considered having him retire and starting a new story based on this basketball universe. The loss to Georgetown ends that possibility.

Thanks again for following along!

P.S. I'll be posting an updated look at Charlie Sutton's season after it's completed. He and the Commodores are off to the Big Dance.
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Old 02-29-2024, 06:07 PM   #664
MoonlightGraham
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March 15, 2037

We've been awarded the top seed in the NCAA East Region. The other one seeds are Boston College (West), Louisville (Midwest), and Georgetown (South).


March 19, 2037
NCAA East Region, First Round
(1) #1 Villanova 103, (16) Arkansas State 61

All five starters finish in double figures as we defeat the Red Wolves. Luke Christensen is the high man with 22 points; Connor Baxter (18p/6a), Eldon Castanon (17p/11a/4s), Sebastian Roberts (16p/13a), and Kyle Gribble (13p) follow.

Demetrius Reed snags 7 rebounds and blocks 3 shots in a reserve role. Erick Sullivan will be limited for a few days, as he nurses a badly bruised cheekbone.
Record: 34-1.


March 21, 2037
NCAA East Region, Second Round
(1) #1 Villanova 104, (9) Oregon 61

Once again, we get at least 11 points from each member of the starting five, and Kyle Gribble enjoys an especially big game with 27. Connor Baxter (17p/11a) and Sebastian Roberts (14p/13r/4s) post double-doubles.

Luke Christensen pitches in 17, and Eldon Castanon scores 11 and hands out 7 assists.

Meanwhile, Houston spoils a possible Villanova-Lafayette matchup in the Sweet Sixteen by routing the Leopards, 82-54. And Charlie Sutton's Vanderbilt Commodores are eliminated by top-seeded Boston College in a very close 86-83 contest, despite getting 37 points from Steven Albrecht and 20 more from Sutton.
Record: 35-1.


March 26, 2037
NCAA East Region Semifinal: the Sweet Sixteen
(1) #1 Villanova 82, (8) #10 Houston 74

The Cougars are a very, very good eight seed, and they prove it; they battle us hard for 40 full minutes.

Eldon Castanon makes sure his Villanova career doesn't end today, scoring 15 points, handing out 9 assists, and making 2 steals. Kyle Gribble (17p/7r) and Connor Baxter (14p/6a) also play like men who don't want to go home yet.

We get 13 points and 8 rebounds from Sebastian Roberts, and 3 blocks from a fully-healed Erick Sullivan. And the long tournament run Matt Valentine needed comes to pass; Matt scores 6 points in 10 minutes off the bench.

Georgetown's season is over. They lose to Tennessee, 69-60.
Record: 36-1.


March 28, 2037
NCAA East Region Final: the Elite Eight

Code:
(1) #1 Villanova 103, (2) #8 Miami 77 --------------------------------------------------------- Miami (30-8, 12-4): Player Pos Min Fgm-a Ftm-a Off Reb Ast PF Pts Mitchel Velazquez C 18 4-10 1-1 4 6 1 3 9 Lou Dunagan PF 19 0-5 6-8 1 5 0 1 6 Jeff Resendez SF 28 5-14 1-2 2 4 0 2 12 Angelo Davis SG 2 0-1 0-0 0 0 0 4 0 Ronald Hightower SG 31 6-10 7-7 0 3 3 2 23 Thurman Bowes C 30 5-8 0-0 3 10 0 4 11 Tony Caulfield PF 13 1-3 0-1 1 3 1 2 2 Reggie Brown PG 34 2-5 0-0 0 3 5 2 4 Keith Peres SF 12 2-3 2-2 0 0 0 2 7 Scott Jordan PF 1 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 1 0 Karl House PG 11 1-1 1-2 1 1 1 1 3 Joseph Bahr SG 2 0-1 0-0 0 0 0 1 0 Turnovers: 17 (M.Velazquez 4, L.Dunagan 3, J.Resendez 3, A.Davis 1, R.Hightower 4, T.Bowes 1, R.Brown 1) Blocked Shots: 5 (L.Dunagan 3, T.Bowes 1, K.Peres 1) Steals: 2 (J.Resendez 2) 3P FGs: 7-19 (J.Resendez 1-6, R.Hightower 4-7, T.Bowes 1-2, T.Caulfield 0-1, R.Brown 0-1, K.Peres 1-1, J.Bahr 0-1) Villanova (37-1, 18-0): Player Pos Min Fgm-a Ftm-a Off Reb Ast PF Pts Sebastian Roberts C 25 2-2 7-9 5 12 2 4 11 Kyle Gribble PF 27 8-14 5-5 0 3 0 2 21 Luke Christensen SF 23 4-14 3-4 1 3 4 2 12 Connor Baxter SG 29 8-14 4-4 1 3 4 2 23 Eldon Castanon PG 30 4-8 0-0 1 6 10 2 10 Max Bennett SG 16 2-3 0-0 1 3 7 1 5 Matt Valentine SF 17 6-11 4-4 1 5 2 3 17 Dane Barlow PG 4 1-3 0-0 0 0 1 0 3 Demetrius Reed C 22 0-1 1-2 4 4 2 4 1 Erick Sullivan C 8 0-0 0-0 0 2 0 0 0 Turnovers: 7 (L.Christensen 3, E.Castanon 2, M.Valentine 2) Blocked Shots: 3 (S.Roberts 1, L.Christensen 1, D.Reed 1) Steals: 8 (S.Roberts 3, L.Christensen 1, C.Baxter 2, E.Castanon 2) 3P FGs: 9-24 (K.Gribble 0-1, L.Christensen 1-5, C.Baxter 3-6, E.Castanon 2-6, M.Bennett 1-2, M.Valentine 1-1, D.Barlow 1-3) Player of Game: SG Connor Baxter (VLNV)
We're off to the Final Four again, as we defeat the Hurricanes to win the East Region.

The seniors lead the way again, with a lot of help from Sebastian Roberts and Matt Valentine. One of the upperclassmen, Kyle Gribble, needs three points in our next game to reach 1000 for his career.

In the Final Four, two Mountain West teams--Utah and New Mexico--face each other, while two Big East foes--Villanova and Louisville--are paired.
Record: 37-1.

Last edited by MoonlightGraham : 02-29-2024 at 06:09 PM.
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Old 02-29-2024, 06:43 PM   #665
MoonlightGraham
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Join Date: Sep 2022
April 4, 2037
NCAA Tournament Semifinal

Code:
#1 Villanova 90, #5 Louisville 75 --------------------------------------------------------- Villanova (38-1, 18-0): Player Pos Min Fgm-a Ftm-a Off Reb Ast PF Pts Sebastian Roberts C 33 5-10 2-2 4 9 0 1 13 Kyle Gribble PF 33 5-14 5-8 3 10 2 1 17 Matt Valentine SF 32 5-11 2-3 0 3 0 0 13 Connor Baxter SG 30 7-11 4-5 3 5 7 2 21 Eldon Castanon PG 31 6-10 1-5 0 6 9 2 14 Max Bennett SG 10 1-4 2-2 0 1 2 1 5 Luke Christensen SF 6 2-3 0-0 0 1 2 1 5 Dane Barlow PG 1 0-0 0-0 0 1 0 0 0 Demetrius Reed C 16 1-1 0-0 1 7 1 0 2 Erick Sullivan C 7 0-0 0-0 0 1 0 2 0 Turnovers: 19 (K.Gribble 1, M.Valentine 4, C.Baxter 4, E.Castanon 8, M.Bennett 1, D.Barlow 1) Blocked Shots: 3 (S.Roberts 1, K.Gribble 1, E.Sullivan 1) Steals: 6 (K.Gribble 2, M.Valentine 1, C.Baxter 1, E.Castanon 2) 3P FGs: 10-29 (S.Roberts 1-3, K.Gribble 2-6, M.Valentine 1-3, C.Baxter 3-7, E.Castanon 1-5, M.Bennett 1-4, L.Christensen 1-1) Louisville (29-7, 13-5): Player Pos Min Fgm-a Ftm-a Off Reb Ast PF Pts Richard Alvarado C 23 2-7 0-0 2 5 2 1 4 Jerry McCoy PF 24 4-12 0-0 4 8 0 3 8 Duane Copper SF 26 8-15 1-3 4 6 3 4 18 Jonathon Larios SG 30 4-18 0-0 3 5 2 4 10 Joe Williams PG 33 4-7 0-0 1 3 8 1 8 Sonny Barraza PF 21 4-5 0-0 2 5 0 3 8 Thomas Palmer PG 10 1-2 0-0 0 3 2 0 2 John Turner C 13 2-4 0-0 0 2 0 1 4 Matthew Allen SG 1 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0 0 Rocky Hornback SF 20 5-12 0-0 1 6 2 3 13 Turnovers: 18 (J.McCoy 2, D.Copper 3, J.Larios 3, J.Williams 4, S.Barraza 2, T.Palmer 1, J.Turner 1, R.Hornback 2) Blocked Shots: 7 (R.Alvarado 1, J.McCoy 4, J.Larios 1, J.Turner 1) Steals: 11 (J.McCoy 1, J.Larios 3, J.Williams 3, S.Barraza 1, T.Palmer 1, R.Hornback 2) 3P FGs: 6-30 (R.Alvarado 0-3, D.Copper 1-4, J.Larios 2-13, J.Williams 0-1, S.Barraza 0-1, J.Turner 0-1, R.Hornback 3-7) Player of Game: SG Connor Baxter (VLNV)
We'll play for the national championship game, as we pull away from the Cardinals in the second half.

Connor Baxter is the best of a number of Villanovans who play well tonight. He needs four points on Monday night to pass James Martin and move into fourth place in our all-time scorers list. And Kyle Gribble can proudly display the game ball that commemorates his 1000th career point and tell his grandkids that it happened in the Final Four.

One final task remains, gentlemen.
Record: 38-1.
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Old 02-29-2024, 06:51 PM   #666
MoonlightGraham
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April 5, 2037

While we wait for the national championship game, we can watch two future Villanovans face each other in the High School All-American Game.
Code:
East 114, West 111 --------------------------------------------------------- Player Pos Min Fgm-a Ftm-a Off Reb Ast PF Pts J.Sanders, Jr. C 27 6-17 0-0 4 7 6 2 13 Vance Lind PF 27 5-10 3-6 3 7 2 3 13 Jamar Heller SF 29 5-14 2-2 2 8 3 2 12 Zayden Calhoun SG 32 11-19 3-4 0 5 3 4 32 Lyman Boykins PG 22 2-4 2-4 0 2 2 4 6 Chris Vogt SG 15 5-11 0-0 1 4 4 0 11 Andrew Modlin SG 13 3-4 0-0 1 4 2 3 6 Cole Carson C 21 6-8 0-0 3 12 1 2 12 Avery Headrick PG 9 3-6 0-0 0 1 2 0 7 Brady Joe PF 5 1-2 0-0 0 2 0 0 2 Turnovers: 14 (V.Lind 1, J.Heller 1, Z.Calhoun 3, L.Boykins 2, A.Modlin 2, C.Carson 5) Blocked Shots: 2 (V.Lind 1, B.Joe 1) Steals: 7 (V.Lind 1, J.Heller 1, Z.Calhoun 1, L.Boykins 1, A.Modlin 3) 3P FGs: 10-27 (J.Sanders, Jr. 1-2, J.Heller 0-3, Z.Calhoun 7-11, L.Boykins 0-1, C.Vogt 1-5, A.Modlin 0-1, A.Headrick 1-3, B.Joe 0-1) West: Player Pos Min Fgm-a Ftm-a Off Reb Ast PF Pts Wilber Bull C 29 6-10 2-6 5 9 0 1 15 Bryce Haight PF 24 7-17 2-4 5 13 2 3 16 Joseph Haynes SF 26 5-16 0-0 4 7 2 0 10 Frank Escobar SG 31 5-12 8-10 0 3 2 2 20 Don Murdock PG 23 3-9 1-2 0 2 6 4 10 David Lovett SG 20 5-8 1-1 0 2 2 4 12 Fred Rodriguez PF 22 2-6 0-0 3 13 3 0 4 Robert Alcala SF 14 6-9 0-0 0 1 1 1 15 Jed Bean PF 6 3-5 0-0 2 4 2 0 6 Darin Goddard PG 7 1-3 0-0 1 2 2 2 3 Turnovers: 17 (W.Bull 2, B.Haight 2, J.Haynes 1, F.Escobar 2, D.Murdock 3, D.Lovett 3, F.Rodriguez 2, R.Alcala 1, D.Goddard 1) Blocked Shots: 2 (W.Bull 1, F.Rodriguez 1) Steals: 3 (J.Haynes 1, F.Escobar 1, F.Rodriguez 1) 3P FGs: 11-29 (W.Bull 1-1, J.Haynes 0-4, F.Escobar 2-8, D.Murdock 3-8, D.Lovett 1-2, R.Alcala 3-5, D.Goddard 1-1) Player of Game: SF Zayden Calhoun (East)

Zayden Calhoun leads his East team to a narrow victory over David Lovett and the West. There's very little defense played in this game, but 32 points is still a lot, and Zayden drains 7 of 11 triples. David plays well, too, coming off the bench for the West and reaching double figures.

Georgetown commit James Sanders, Jr. doesn't shoot well, but he leads the East in assists.
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Old 03-01-2024, 09:09 AM   #667
MoonlightGraham
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Join Date: Sep 2022
April 6, 2037
NCAA Tournament Final


Code:
#1 Villanova 98, #12 New Mexico 86 -------------------------------------------------------- Villanova (39-1, 18-0): Player Pos Min Fgm-a Ftm-a Off Reb Ast PF Pts Sebastian Roberts C 24 6-7 1-4 4 5 2 4 15 Kyle Gribble PF 24 6-11 1-1 3 5 1 4 13 Matt Valentine SF 32 12-19 4-5 1 4 3 1 30 Connor Baxter SG 34 10-16 0-0 0 5 6 2 23 Eldon Castanon PG 34 2-5 0-0 2 4 9 0 4 Max Bennett SG 12 0-2 2-2 0 2 3 0 2 Luke Christensen SF 8 2-5 0-0 0 1 0 0 5 Demetrius Reed C 20 1-1 2-2 1 5 1 2 4 Charles Peterman PF 6 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 1 0 Erick Sullivan C 5 1-1 0-0 0 0 0 0 2 Turnovers: 15 (K.Gribble 1, M.Valentine 2, C.Baxter 3, E.Castanon 4, M.Bennett 1, L.Christensen 3, D.Reed 1) Blocked Shots: 2 (M.Bennett 1, D.Reed 1) Steals: 12 (S.Roberts 2, K.Gribble 1, M.Valentine 1, C.Baxter 2, E.Castanon 3, L.Christensen 1, C.Peterman 1, E.Sullivan 1) 3P FGs: 8-17 (S.Roberts 2-2, M.Valentine 2-4, C.Baxter 3-7, E.Castanon 0-2, M.Bennett 0-1, L.Christensen 1-1) New Mexico (31-9, 10-6): Player Pos Min Fgm-a Ftm-a Off Reb Ast PF Pts Jamar Penn C 29 3-6 3-4 1 2 0 2 9 Bernard Deliot PF 29 4-7 2-5 1 5 3 4 10 Bryan Frampton SF 26 8-11 0-0 0 6 2 2 18 Charles Latour SG 35 10-15 2-2 0 0 11 0 26 Brendon Hansen PG 31 2-6 0-0 1 3 9 2 4 Liam Martin PG 13 2-3 2-2 1 2 0 0 7 Silvester Pezold PG 1 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0 0 Clay Shirley SF 8 2-3 0-0 1 3 0 5 5 Steve Tam C 12 1-1 0-0 0 1 0 2 2 Bret Gary SF 10 2-4 0-0 0 2 0 0 5 Toby Woolsey PF 7 0-0 0-0 0 1 0 1 0 Turnovers: 19 (J.Penn 1, B.Deliot 2, B.Frampton 3, C.Latour 7, B.Hansen 4, C.Shirley 2) Blocked Shots: 2 (J.Penn 1, T.Woolsey 1) Steals: 6 (J.Penn 2, B.Frampton 1, C.Latour 2, T.Woolsey 1) 3P FGs: 9-18 (B.Deliot 0-1, B.Frampton 2-4, C.Latour 4-6, B.Hansen 0-2, L.Martin 1-2, C.Shirley 1-1, B.Gary 1-2) Player of Game: SF Matt Valentine (VLNV)
The Villanova Wildcats enjoy another shining moment, defeating New Mexico to win the NCAA championship, our second in a row and our fourth all-time.

For Coach Graham Sims, it's "one for the thumb," a fifth NCAA championship victory and the ring that commemorates it. There are six active coaches who have led teams to national championships, and these coaches have 11 titles to their credit. Almost half of those are Graham's.

The team's four seniors all distinguish themselves, including Charles Peterman, who recovered from his broken jaw to suit up and see action. Kyle Gribble scores that 1000th point, and then some.

Is this Matt Valentine's last game in a Villanova uniform? If it is, he's going out in style, dropping 30 in the national championship final.

New Mexico guard Charles Latour's final collegiate game ends in disappointment, but he delivers the kind of performance that has endeared him to Lobos fans over his four years in Albuquerque. Charles has scored over 2000 points, handed out over 600 assists, and grabbed over 500 rebounds in his career (despite his 6'1", 175-pound frame). He probably won't be drafted, but he's been a very good college player.

He doesn't express them publicly, but thoughts of retirement are beginning to enter Graham Sims' mind. His place among college basketball's most accomplished coaches is unquestionably secure. He is healthy, and he's now a grandfather--Duncan and his wife Kathleen just welcomed a baby boy. Graham will be back for at least one more year, but the idea of coaching deep into his sixties holds very little appeal right now.

Today, he's celebrating this season, and this team.
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Old 03-01-2024, 11:50 AM   #668
MoonlightGraham
High School Varsity
 
Join Date: Sep 2022
April 6, 2037
  • News we expected: Matt Valentine declares for the professional draft today.
  • News we didn't expect: Max Bennett declares for the professional draft today. Max has been a very solid player for us, a regular part of our rotation for three seasons. But he's never started a game, and he's considered the 32nd best pro prospect...in our conference. I anticipated Max starting for us next year.
  • News we're happy to receive: Charlie Lambert is returning for his senior season. At the beginning of the season, pro scouts thought there was a 50-50 chance Charlie would turn pro this spring. I suppose his academic suspension has affected his decision. Hopefully he's learned his lesson, and we'll have him for a full year.
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2036 OVERALL AWARDS -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Player of the Year: SR SG David Leech St. Bonaventure 17.5 PPG, 7.5 RPG, 5.2 APG 2.3 SPG, 0.1 BPG Freshman of the Year: FR SG Vicente Ezell Tennessee 17.6 PPG, 4.4 RPG, 3.4 APG 1.2 SPG, 0.5 BPG Coach of the Year: Daniel Richards Purdue 29 - 5 (15 - 3) All-league 1st Team: C JR Freddie Belisle Syracuse 18.6 PPG, 7.6 RPG, 1.5 APG, 0.8 SPG, 3.3 BPG PF SR Ramon Rule Air Force 17.7 PPG, 6.9 RPG, 1.7 APG, 0.5 SPG, 4.3 BPG SF JR Brian Bishop Georgetown 19.3 PPG, 6.4 RPG, 2.9 APG, 2.3 SPG, 0.2 BPG SG SR David Leech St. Bonaventure 17.5 PPG, 7.5 RPG, 5.2 APG, 2.3 SPG, 0.1 BPG PG JR Jonathan Gilkey Texas Christian 17.8 PPG, 4.1 RPG, 5.3 APG, 2.1 SPG, 0.3 BPG All-league 2nd Team: C JR Amos Stgermain Milwaukee 14.8 PPG, 9.2 RPG, 1.8 APG, 0.4 SPG, 3.2 BPG PF SR Leon Phelps Texas Christian 14.5 PPG, 10.3 RPG, 1.9 APG, 0.9 SPG, 1.2 BPG SF SR Kendall Shealy Lehigh 19.6 PPG, 6.4 RPG, 2.5 APG, 1.5 SPG, 0.3 BPG SG SR Connor Baxter Villanova 14.5 PPG, 3.5 RPG, 6.3 APG, 1.6 SPG, 0.2 BPG PG SR Charles Williams Massachusetts 10.5 PPG, 4.2 RPG, 7.1 APG, 1.5 SPG, 0.3 BPG All-league 3rd Team: C SR Alexander Payton Gonzaga 14.2 PPG, 8.9 RPG, 1.7 APG, 0.5 SPG, 4.5 BPG PF JR Jerrold Brewer Kansas 6.8 PPG, 9.8 RPG, 3.3 APG, 1.0 SPG, 2.6 BPG SF SR Steven Albrecht Vanderbilt 16.2 PPG, 6.2 RPG, 3.2 APG, 1.2 SPG, 0.5 BPG SG JR Richard Stuart Cal State Northridge 17.5 PPG, 5.0 RPG, 5.4 APG, 0.9 SPG, 0.2 BPG PG SR Chris Morelli Utah State 16.1 PPG, 2.8 RPG, 5.9 APG, 1.9 SPG, 0.1 BPG All-freshman Team: C FR Clarence Markham North Florida 16.1 PPG, 6.6 RPG, 1.5 APG, 0.2 SPG, 1.0 BPG PF FR Ethan DeLuca North Carolina 7.2 PPG, 8.0 RPG, 0.9 APG, 0.5 SPG, 2.1 BPG SF FR Frank Charland North Carolina 11.6 PPG, 5.0 RPG, 3.5 APG, 0.7 SPG, 0.3 BPG SG FR Vicente Ezell Tennessee 17.6 PPG, 4.4 RPG, 3.4 APG, 1.2 SPG, 0.5 BPG PG FR Joe Williams Louisville 7.4 PPG, 3.3 RPG, 5.9 APG, 2.4 SPG, 0.2 BPG

Connor earns his second All-American recognition, moving up from the third team to the second team. He joins Asher Wise and Mason Reynolds as the only two-time All-Americans in Villanova history.

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2036 BIG EAST AWARDS -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Player of the Year: JR SF Brian Bishop Georgetown 19.3 PPG, 6.4 RPG, 2.9 APG 2.3 SPG, 0.2 BPG Freshman of the Year: FR PG Joe Williams Louisville 7.4 PPG, 3.3 RPG, 5.9 APG 2.4 SPG, 0.2 BPG Coach of the Year: Graham Sims Villanova 39 - 1 (18 - 0) All-league 1st Team: C JR Freddie Belisle Syracuse 18.6 PPG, 7.6 RPG, 1.5 APG, 0.8 SPG, 3.3 BPG PF SR Kyle Gribble Villanova 14.2 PPG, 5.5 RPG, 1.7 APG, 0.5 SPG, 0.1 BPG SF JR Brian Bishop Georgetown 19.3 PPG, 6.4 RPG, 2.9 APG, 2.3 SPG, 0.2 BPG SG SR Connor Baxter Villanova 14.5 PPG, 3.5 RPG, 6.3 APG, 1.6 SPG, 0.2 BPG PG SR Eldon Castanon Villanova 10.8 PPG, 4.4 RPG, 7.4 APG, 1.5 SPG, 0.1 BPG All-league 2nd Team: C JR Dan Roesch St. John's 12.6 PPG, 8.0 RPG, 1.5 APG, 0.4 SPG, 1.2 BPG PF SR Jose Brown St. John's 9.8 PPG, 8.6 RPG, 1.5 APG, 0.3 SPG, 3.0 BPG SF JR Duane Copper Louisville 21.3 PPG, 5.8 RPG, 2.7 APG, 0.6 SPG, 0.3 BPG SG JR Jonathon Larios Louisville 22.1 PPG, 4.1 RPG, 3.4 APG, 2.5 SPG, 0.4 BPG PG JR Douglas Wilson Georgetown 10.6 PPG, 3.6 RPG, 7.0 APG, 2.3 SPG, 0.1 BPG All-freshman Team: C FR Richard Alvarado Louisville 3.8 PPG, 6.1 RPG, 1.1 APG, 0.5 SPG, 2.6 BPG PF FR Jelani Obasie Connecticut 5.9 PPG, 5.1 RPG, 0.9 APG, 0.3 SPG, 0.7 BPG SF FR Brian Grammer Syracuse 10.9 PPG, 3.3 RPG, 1.9 APG, 1.0 SPG, 0.1 BPG SG FR Morris Thiele Connecticut 17.1 PPG, 3.1 RPG, 2.0 APG, 1.0 SPG, 0.1 BPG PG FR Joe Williams Louisville 7.4 PPG, 3.3 RPG, 5.9 APG, 2.4 SPG, 0.2 BPG

Connor Baxter and Eldon Castanon make up the first team All-Big East backcourt for the second consecutive season. They're joined by big man Kyle Gribble, whose story I will love telling in his Senior Tribute. Connor is the only player in school history to make the All-Big East first team for three years.

And Graham Sims' 18-0 run through the Big East gauntlet earns him another COY.

Last edited by MoonlightGraham : 03-01-2024 at 05:46 PM.
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Old 03-01-2024, 12:15 PM   #669
MoonlightGraham
High School Varsity
 
Join Date: Sep 2022
April 6, 2037

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#1 VILLANOVA Schedule Date Opponent Record RPI Result Score Record -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 11/09/36 vs. Idaho State 7-21 346 W 95-68 1-0 11/10/36 vs. Penn State 13-19 104 W 92-84 2-0 11/16/36 vs. #9 Fresno State 31-5 11 W 76-71 3-0 11/17/36 vs. #6 New Mexico 31-9 7 W 96-69 4-0 11/26/36 Vermont 16-18 239 W 90-58 5-0 12/01/36 Holy Cross 13-17 132 W 105-72 6-0 12/06/36 Davidson 13-18 231 W 85-58 7-0 12/10/36 at Gonzaga 21-12 72 W 81-56 8-0 12/14/36 Virginia 16-16 59 W 89-65 9-0 12/21/36 William & Mary 22-15 116 W 82-53 10-0 12/26/36 at George Washington 15-15 105 W 101-89 11-0 12/28/36 at Vanderbilt 21-14 40 W 93-74 12-0 01/03/37 #10 Lafayette 29-6 20 W 99-65 13-0 01/07/37 Cincinnati 20-14 33 W 75-63 14-0 (1-0) 01/10/37 at DePaul 8-22 151 W 109-81 15-0 (2-0) 01/14/37 Rutgers 13-18 86 W 93-85 16-0 (3-0) 01/17/37 at #19 West Virginia 21-11 28 W 68-62 17-0 (4-0) 01/21/37 Connecticut 20-14 17 W 74-57 18-0 (5-0) 01/24/37 at Marquette 10-22 124 W 76-59 19-0 (6-0) 01/28/37 Syracuse 19-13 64 W 95-68 20-0 (7-0) 01/31/37 at Providence 21-13 43 W 88-65 21-0 (8-0) 02/04/37 at Seton Hall 10-21 184 W 95-78 22-0 (9-0) 02/07/37 at Cincinnati 20-14 33 W 96-84 23-0 (10-0) 02/11/37 DePaul 8-22 151 W 93-68 24-0 (11-0) 02/14/37 St. John's 19-13 63 W 94-93 25-0 (12-0) 02/18/37 South Florida 13-19 134 W 104-78 26-0 (13-0) 02/21/37 #2 Georgetown 31-5 2 W 97-58 27-0 (14-0) 02/25/37 at #13 Notre Dame 26-11 5 W 87-66 28-0 (15-0) 02/28/37 at Rutgers 13-18 86 W 93-87 29-0 (16-0) 03/04/37 Pittsburgh 20-12 69 W 90-65 30-0 (17-0) 03/07/37 at #5 Louisville 29-7 4 W 103-69 31-0 (18-0) 03/12/37 vs. Syracuse 19-13 64 W 83-68 32-0 03/13/37 vs. #13 Notre Dame 26-11 5 W 89-78 33-0 03/14/37 vs. #2 Georgetown 31-5 2 L 88-83 33-1 03/19/37 vs. Arkansas State 16-19 178 W 103-61 34-1 03/21/37 vs. Oregon 22-11 46 W 104-61 35-1 03/26/37 vs. #12 Houston 27-7 18 W 82-74 36-1 03/28/37 vs. #7 Miami 30-8 8 W 103-77 37-1 04/04/37 vs. #5 Louisville 29-7 4 W 90-75 38-1 04/06/37 vs. #6 New Mexico 31-9 7 W 98-86 39-1

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#1 VILLANOVA TEAM INFO Current Performance -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team Prestige: 100 Record Vs 1-50: 18-1 Poll Rank: #1 Season Record: 39-1 Record Vs 51-100: 8-0 RPI Rank: #1 Conference Record: 18-0 Record Vs 101-200: 10-0 Home Record: 15-0 Record Vs 200+: 3-0 Team Stats CR NR Opp. Stats CR NR Margin CR NR -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Points 91.2 1 1 Points 70.9 9 237 Points 20.3 1 1 O.Reb 12.5 2 38 O.Reb 9.4 3 47 O.Reb 3.1 3 24 D.Reb 28.5 1 5 D.Reb 22.2 2 20 D.Reb 6.4 1 2 Rebounds 41.0 2 10 Rebounds 31.5 2 17 Rebounds 9.5 1 1 Assists 24.3 1 1 Assists 14.8 9 309 Assists 9.5 1 1 Steals 6.5 7 86 Steals 5.4 4 84 Steals 1.2 5 61 Blocks 4.4 8 68 Blocks 3.3 1 195 Blocks 1.1 7 68 Turnovers 13.9 6 166 Turnovers 16.1 5 27 Turnovers -2.3 4 37 Fouls 18.4 8 78 Fouls 18.7 11 251 Fouls -0.3 8 142 FG% .511 1 1 FG% .426 7 101 FG% .085 1 3 FT% .778 1 3 FT% .665 1 115 FT% .113 1 2 3P% .392 1 14 3P% .332 2 97 3P% .061 1 13 PPS 1.40 1 2 PPS 1.20 7 94 PPS .197 1 8 Adj. FG% .586 1 1 Adj. FG% .487 6 123 Adj. FG% .099 1 3
Once again, we were the nation's most dynamic offensive team. Only two teams in NCAA history have averaged over 90 PPG: Villanova '36 and, now, Villanova '37. We also broke the record for field goals made per game, which our '36 team set last year. (33.3 for 2037, 32.9 for 2036). Our offensive efficiency is 119.6, best in the country.

Our 24.3 assists per game is a new NCAA record, breaking the one we set last season. No other team in the nation averages as many as 20 APG. I love that about our playing style.

It's fair to evaluate our defensive stats in the context of the pace we're playing; I have it set all the way to 10. Our defensive efficiency was 93.6, which ranked 30th. Still, our margins look great because our offense was so prolific.

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#1 VILLANOVA Averages Player Pos GP GS Min Pts Orb Reb Ast Stl Blk To Fls +/- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Connor Baxter SG 40 40 30.0 14.5 1.4 3.5 6.3 1.6 0.2 2.2 2.2 17.1 Charlie Lambert PF 12 12 29.4 15.3 2.4 8.8 1.9 0.4 2.9 1.8 1.9 18.5 Eldon Castanon PG 40 40 28.7 10.8 1.1 4.4 7.4 1.5 0.1 2.8 2.4 16.8 Sebastian Roberts C 40 40 27.1 11.5 3.0 8.8 1.6 0.5 0.7 1.7 2.8 16.1 Kyle Gribble PF 37 37 25.3 14.2 2.4 5.5 1.7 0.5 0.1 1.1 2.9 14.9 Matt Valentine SF 36 23 23.7 15.9 0.7 3.2 1.9 0.6 0.2 1.4 2.6 12.7 Demetrius Reed C 40 0 19.1 3.4 1.8 6.2 0.7 0.2 1.3 1.0 1.7 8.7 Max Bennett SG 40 0 14.5 6.4 0.4 1.7 2.7 0.7 0.1 1.2 1.5 5.2 Luke Christensen SF 37 6 12.0 8.0 0.7 2.6 0.8 0.5 0.2 1.2 1.5 5.5 Erick Sullivan C 39 0 7.8 1.6 0.3 2.3 0.3 0.3 0.5 0.5 0.6 1.9 Dane Barlow PG 37 0 5.9 2.8 0.2 0.8 0.7 0.1 0.1 0.6 0.4 0.9 Charles Peterman PF 20 2 4.4 1.3 0.3 0.7 0.1 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2 1.3 Derek Lamb PF 5 0 3.8 0.4 0.0 0.2 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.2 0.4 3.4 John Maroney SF 10 0 2.2 1.3 0.3 0.5 0.2 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.0

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#1 VILLANOVA Totals Player Pos GP GS Min Pts Orb Reb Ast Stl Blk To Fls +/- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Connor Baxter SG 40 40 1199 581 54 138 252 62 6 86 86 684 Charlie Lambert PF 12 12 353 184 29 105 23 5 35 22 23 222 Eldon Castanon PG 40 40 1149 432 43 174 296 61 5 111 94 670 Sebastian Roberts C 40 40 1082 461 118 352 64 20 27 67 111 644 Kyle Gribble PF 37 37 935 525 88 203 63 19 4 41 106 551 Matt Valentine SF 36 23 852 574 25 114 68 23 8 52 93 456 Demetrius Reed C 40 0 762 136 71 247 29 7 53 39 66 348 Max Bennett SG 40 0 579 255 15 69 107 28 4 47 59 206 Luke Christensen SF 37 6 443 296 26 97 28 18 7 44 54 204 Erick Sullivan C 39 0 306 62 13 90 13 11 18 18 23 75 Dane Barlow PG 37 0 219 102 9 30 25 3 2 22 13 33 Charles Peterman PF 20 2 88 26 5 14 2 3 4 3 3 25 Derek Lamb PF 5 0 19 2 0 1 0 0 0 1 2 17 John Maroney SF 10 0 22 13 3 5 2 1 1 1 1 0

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#1 VILLANOVA Shooting Player Pos Fgm Fga Fg% Ftm Fta Ft% 3pm 3pa 3p% PPS -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Connor Baxter SG 214 433 .494 59 67 .881 94 236 .398 1.34 Charlie Lambert PF 67 130 .515 20 25 .800 30 63 .476 1.42 Eldon Castanon PG 148 307 .482 58 85 .682 78 203 .384 1.41 Sebastian Roberts C 173 323 .536 83 105 .790 32 77 .416 1.43 Kyle Gribble PF 190 351 .541 120 149 .805 25 77 .325 1.50 Matt Valentine SF 221 417 .530 77 103 .748 55 116 .474 1.38 Demetrius Reed C 53 100 .530 30 39 .769 0 4 .000 1.36 Max Bennett SG 85 184 .462 50 65 .769 35 104 .337 1.39 Luke Christensen SF 112 220 .509 50 59 .847 22 65 .338 1.35 Erick Sullivan C 21 45 .467 16 18 .889 4 14 .286 1.38 Dane Barlow PG 32 66 .485 23 38 .605 15 32 .469 1.55 Charles Peterman PF 10 24 .417 4 4 1.000 2 8 .250 1.08 Derek Lamb PF 1 2 .500 0 0 .000 0 0 .000 1.00 John Maroney SF 4 5 .800 5 8 .625 0 0 .000 2.60

I have several players to write about in the Farewells and Senior Tributes.
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Old 03-01-2024, 01:42 PM   #670
MoonlightGraham
High School Varsity
 
Join Date: Sep 2022
2036/37 Farewell

MAX BENNETT


Max was a Southeast PA player whom Georgetown tried very hard to lure away from us. When we signed him, I thought he'd stay for four years. I'm sorry to say that's not how it turned out.

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#10 SG Max Bennett - Villanova - Junior -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Height: 6-5 Weight: 206 High School: Penncrest High School Hometown: Media, PA Attributes: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Type INS JPS FTS 3PS HND PAS ORB DRB PSD PRD STL BLK QKN STR JMP STA -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Current: 41 71 81 62 60 69 26 27 27 70 48 10 62 46 60 69 2035: 35 64 79 57 55 64 23 24 25 63 43 9 62 43 59 64 2034: 32 59 74 53 49 58 21 22 24 57 39 8 61 40 58 59 2033: 28 51 66 47 43 52 19 20 22 51 35 6 59 36 54 47 Potential: C B B B B B D D D B C F Health: Good Scholarship: Yes Status: Active Roster Academics: 96 Stat Averages: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Season G GS MIN PTS ORE REB AST TO A/T STL BLK PF -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2034 31 0 11.0 3.8 0.3 1.0 1.4 1.1 1.29 0.4 0.1 0.8 2035 40 0 15.6 6.7 0.5 1.8 2.2 1.4 1.56 0.8 0.1 1.4 2036 40 0 14.5 6.4 0.4 1.7 2.7 1.2 2.28 0.7 0.1 1.5 Career 111 0 13.9 5.8 0.4 1.6 2.2 1.2 2.28 0.7 0.1 1.3 Shooting Averages: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Season FGM FGA FG% FTM FTA FT% 3PM 3PA 3P% PPS +/- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2034 1.4 3.0 .452 0.4 0.5 .813 0.7 1.7 .389 1.27 2.16 2035 2.2 4.3 .524 1.2 1.4 .852 1.1 2.4 .453 1.57 8.93 2036 2.1 4.6 .462 1.3 1.6 .769 0.9 2.6 .337 1.39 5.15 Career 1.9 4.0 .483 1.0 1.2 .807 0.9 2.3 .391 1.43 5.68 Stat Totals: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Season G GS MIN PTS OREB REB AST TO STL BLK PF -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2034 31 0 342 118 10 32 44 34 12 2 26 2035 40 0 624 267 20 73 89 57 33 3 54 2036 40 0 579 255 15 69 107 47 28 4 59 Career 111 0 1545 640 45 174 240 138 73 9 139 Shooting Totals -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Season FGM FGA FTM FTA 3PM 3PA +/- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2034 42 93 13 16 21 54 67 2035 89 170 46 54 43 95 357 2036 85 184 50 65 35 104 206 Career 216 447 109 135 99 253 630 Career Highs: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Type Pts OReb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO FGM FGA FTM FTA 3PM 3PA -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Season 22 2 4 8 3 1 3 8 14 5 7 6 9 Career 25 2 5 8 3 1 4 8 14 7 7 6 9 Awards & Achievements: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Season Award -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- All Player of the Game: 2 2033 High School: Rated **** and #49 overall by the FBCB scouting service. 2033 High School: All-State (Pennsylvania) 2033 High School: Mr. Basketball (Pennsylvania) 2035 NCAA Champion 2036 NCAA Champion

With two All-Big East guards manning the backcourt, Max was employed in a reserve role. His versatility--he could shoot and distribute--often made him the first perimeter player off the bench. He struggled a bit with his shot as a junior, but we still expected him to step into the starting lineup as a senior.

Instead, Max will try his luck in the professional ranks. FBCB won't allow a player to return to college if he's not drafted, so this will close the curtain on Max's Villanova career. He is an exceptionally strong student, so the option of returning to complete his degree is always there.

Thanks for the memories, Max.
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Old 03-01-2024, 01:55 PM   #671
MoonlightGraham
High School Varsity
 
Join Date: Sep 2022
2036/37 Farewell

MATT VALENTINE


Delaware's Mr. Basketball as a high school senior was the first player in his class to commit to us. When we recruited him, we envisioned Matt as a do-everything guard. He turned out to be an dangerous offensive threat (Max Bennett ended up being a more well-rounded player).

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#31 SF Matt Valentine - Villanova - Junior -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Height: 6-6 Weight: 205 High School: Middletown High School Hometown: Middletown, DE Attributes: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Type INS JPS FTS 3PS HND PAS ORB DRB PSD PRD STL BLK QKN STR JMP STA -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Current: 82 68 46 65 49 45 11 35 41 21 15 30 82 43 55 95 2035: 78 65 46 62 46 42 10 34 38 19 14 28 81 41 55 84 2034: 72 62 46 59 44 40 9 32 36 17 13 27 80 39 54 75 2033: 64 54 42 53 40 36 7 30 32 15 11 25 78 33 53 45 Potential: A B C B C C F D C D F C Health: Good Scholarship: Yes Status: Active Roster Academics: 36 Stat Averages: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Season G GS MIN PTS ORE REB AST TO A/T STL BLK PF -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2034 29 0 6.2 2.5 0.1 0.6 0.7 0.4 1.73 0.3 0.1 0.3 2035 39 0 7.1 4.9 0.2 1.1 0.6 0.4 1.47 0.2 0.1 0.5 2036 36 23 23.7 15.9 0.7 3.2 1.9 1.4 1.31 0.6 0.2 2.6 Career 104 23 12.6 8.0 0.3 1.7 1.0 0.8 1.31 0.4 0.1 1.2 Shooting Averages: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Season FGM FGA FG% FTM FTA FT% 3PM 3PA 3P% PPS +/- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2034 0.9 2.0 .439 0.6 0.7 .842 0.2 0.7 .286 1.26 0.21 2035 1.5 2.6 .583 1.2 1.6 .750 0.6 0.9 .611 1.84 3.26 2036 6.1 11.6 .530 2.1 2.9 .748 1.5 3.2 .474 1.38 12.67 Career 2.9 5.5 .530 1.4 1.8 .758 0.8 1.7 .480 1.45 5.66 Stat Totals: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Season G GS MIN PTS OREB REB AST TO STL BLK PF -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2034 29 0 180 72 3 18 19 11 9 3 10 2035 39 0 278 190 6 41 22 15 8 2 21 2036 36 23 852 574 25 114 68 52 23 8 93 Career 104 23 1310 836 34 173 109 78 40 13 124 Shooting Totals -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Season FGM FGA FTM FTA 3PM 3PA +/- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2034 25 57 16 19 6 21 6 2035 60 103 48 64 22 36 127 2036 221 417 77 103 55 116 456 Career 306 577 141 186 83 173 589 Career Highs: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Type Pts OReb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO FGM FGA FTM FTA 3PM 3PA -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Season 30 3 8 7 3 1 5 12 19 6 8 4 7 Career 30 3 8 7 3 1 5 12 19 6 10 4 7 Awards & Achievements: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Season Award -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- All Player of the Game: 6 2033 High School: Rated **** and #92 overall by the FBCB scouting service. 2033 High School: All-State (Delaware) 2033 High School: Mr. Basketball (Delaware) 2035 NCAA Champion 2036 NCAA Champion

Matt saw action in most games as a freshman and sophomore. The outrageously good shooting he provided during his second season turned everyone's head, and we envisioned him as our sixth man this season. That's the role he played as the season began, and he was very good at it.

Charlie Lambert's suspension opened up a spot for Matt in the starting lineup, and he was effective in that role, too. He ended the season as our team's leading scorer. He dropped a career-best 30 points in the final game of his career--which happened to be the NCAA championship game.

Matt admittedly enjoys basketball much more than school. The breakout season he enjoyed as a junior has made him a pro prospect, and he'll try his luck in the draft. If he doesn't hear his name, he'll seek a free agent contract, or pursue overseas options.

Thanks for the memories, Matt.
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Old 03-01-2024, 02:12 PM   #672
MoonlightGraham
High School Varsity
 
Join Date: Sep 2022
2036/37 Senior Tribute

CHARLES PETERMAN


Charles Peterman's experience at Villanova took a few intriguing turns. Charles' home town is 2074 miles and a national boundary away from our campus. We offered him a scholarship before we'd fully evaluated him. He spent a semester on academic suspension when he couldn't keep his grades up. He also spent quite a bit of time unhappy. Still, he ended up staying the course, and now he has two national championship rings.

Code:
#25 PF Charles Peterman - Villanova - Senior -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Height: 6-7 Weight: 231 High School: R.D. Parker Collegiate School Hometown: Thomson, Canada Attributes: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Type INS JPS FTS 3PS HND PAS ORB DRB PSD PRD STL BLK QKN STR JMP STA -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Current: 45 46 78 34 42 22 38 34 63 46 48 40 51 73 58 94 2035: 43 43 77 33 39 21 34 32 58 44 46 38 51 71 57 90 2034: 42 40 76 32 36 19 32 31 54 41 43 36 51 69 57 86 2033: 41 38 75 31 33 18 30 30 51 38 40 35 51 67 56 82 2032: 39 34 71 29 29 16 26 28 47 32 34 33 50 63 54 74 Potential: C C B D C D C C B C C C Health: Good Scholarship: Yes Status: Active Roster Academics: 62 Stat Averages: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Season G GS MIN PTS ORE REB AST TO A/T STL BLK PF -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2033 16 0 3.2 0.4 0.1 0.5 0.0 0.4 0.00 0.0 0.0 0.5 2034 35 0 4.8 2.1 0.3 1.2 0.1 0.3 0.50 0.2 0.1 0.4 2035 28 0 8.0 1.1 0.4 1.8 0.2 0.4 0.60 0.1 0.3 0.7 2036 20 2 4.4 1.3 0.3 0.7 0.1 0.2 0.67 0.2 0.2 0.2 Career 99 2 5.4 1.4 0.3 1.1 0.1 0.3 0.67 0.2 0.2 0.5 Shooting Averages: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Season FGM FGA FG% FTM FTA FT% 3PM 3PA 3P% PPS +/- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2033 0.1 0.6 .200 0.2 0.3 .750 0.0 0.3 .000 0.70 -0.06 2034 0.7 1.5 .444 0.6 0.7 .800 0.1 0.5 .294 1.35 0.23 2035 0.4 1.1 .333 0.4 0.6 .688 0.0 0.2 .200 1.07 5.46 2036 0.5 1.2 .417 0.2 0.2 1.000 0.1 0.4 .250 1.08 1.25 Career 0.5 1.2 .390 0.4 0.5 .776 0.1 0.4 .229 1.17 1.87 Stat Totals: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Season G GS MIN PTS OREB REB AST TO STL BLK PF -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2033 16 0 51 7 1 8 0 7 0 0 8 2034 35 0 169 73 9 41 5 10 8 3 15 2035 28 0 224 32 12 49 6 10 4 9 20 2036 20 2 88 26 5 14 2 3 3 4 3 Career 99 2 532 138 27 112 13 30 15 16 46 Shooting Totals -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Season FGM FGA FTM FTA 3PM 3PA +/- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2033 2 10 3 4 0 5 -1 2034 24 54 20 25 5 17 8 2035 10 30 11 16 1 5 153 2036 10 24 4 4 2 8 25 Career 46 118 38 49 8 35 185 Career Highs: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Type Pts OReb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO FGM FGA FTM FTA 3PM 3PA -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Season 11 2 4 1 1 2 1 5 7 2 2 1 5 Career 11 2 4 2 1 4 3 5 7 7 8 2 5 Awards & Achievements: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Season Award -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2032 High School: Rated *** and #100 overall by the FBCB scouting service. 2035 NCAA Champion 2036 NCAA Champion

Charles never developed into the player we thought he might be. Projected as a "top eight" kind of guy, the kind who gave us 15 minutes a night of solid production, he never seemed to remain motivated enough to deliver on his potential. He started two games late in his senior season, scoring 11 points in one and failing to score in the other. That lack of consistency was Charles in a nutshell.

The same thing could be said for his academic career. Charles will need at least one more semester to complete his Accounting degree. He plans to do so, and I hope he does.

Thanks for the memories, Charles.

Last edited by MoonlightGraham : 03-01-2024 at 02:13 PM.
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Old 03-01-2024, 02:24 PM   #673
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2036/37 Senior Tribute

KYLE GRIBBLE


The story of Kyle Gribble is a story of patience and perseverance, and it has a happy ending. I've been looking forward to telling it.

Code:
#11 PF Kyle Gribble - Villanova - Senior -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Height: 6-8 Weight: 225 High School: Artesia High School Hometown: Lakewood, CA Attributes: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Type INS JPS FTS 3PS HND PAS ORB DRB PSD PRD STL BLK QKN STR JMP STA -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Current: 89 70 84 58 67 47 70 27 70 8 31 9 50 64 60 100 2035: 76 62 82 53 62 44 60 26 61 8 30 9 49 61 60 97 2034: 66 57 75 49 58 41 52 23 54 7 29 9 49 58 59 86 2033: 58 53 69 46 55 39 46 21 50 6 27 9 47 54 58 71 2032: 50 47 61 42 51 35 40 19 46 4 23 7 46 46 55 41 Potential: A B B C B C B D B F D F Health: Good Scholarship: Yes Status: Active Roster Academics: 92 Stat Averages: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Season G GS MIN PTS ORE REB AST TO A/T STL BLK PF -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2033 31 0 9.2 2.7 0.6 1.9 0.5 0.5 0.88 0.1 0.2 1.2 2034 37 0 11.3 3.9 0.8 2.2 0.7 0.4 1.92 0.2 0.1 1.2 2035 40 0 16.8 6.9 1.3 3.3 1.2 0.8 1.53 0.5 0.3 2.2 2036 37 37 25.3 14.2 2.4 5.5 1.7 1.1 1.54 0.5 0.1 2.9 Career 145 37 15.9 7.1 1.3 3.3 1.0 0.7 1.54 0.4 0.2 1.9 Shooting Averages: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Season FGM FGA FG% FTM FTA FT% 3PM 3PA 3P% PPS +/- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2033 0.9 2.4 .373 0.5 0.7 .810 0.4 1.0 .355 1.12 0.65 2034 1.4 2.4 .568 0.8 0.9 .875 0.4 0.8 .536 1.63 3.14 2035 2.3 5.0 .465 1.7 2.2 .793 0.5 1.4 .357 1.38 9.08 2036 5.1 9.5 .541 3.2 4.0 .805 0.7 2.1 .325 1.50 14.89 Career 2.5 4.9 .506 1.6 2.0 .810 0.5 1.3 .370 1.44 7.24 Stat Totals: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Season G GS MIN PTS OREB REB AST TO STL BLK PF -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2033 31 0 284 84 20 58 15 17 4 5 38 2034 37 0 418 143 29 80 25 13 9 2 43 2035 40 0 671 275 51 131 46 30 20 11 88 2036 37 37 935 525 88 203 63 41 19 4 106 Career 145 37 2308 1027 188 472 149 101 52 22 275 Shooting Totals -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Season FGM FGA FTM FTA 3PM 3PA +/- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2033 28 75 17 21 11 31 20 2034 50 88 28 32 15 28 116 2035 93 200 69 87 20 56 363 2036 190 351 120 149 25 77 551 Career 361 714 234 289 71 192 1050 Career Highs: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Type Pts OReb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO FGM FGA FTM FTA 3PM 3PA -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Season 29 7 16 6 4 1 4 12 17 7 11 2 6 Career 29 7 16 6 4 2 4 12 17 7 11 3 6 Awards & Achievements: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Season Award -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- All Player of the Game: 7 2032 High School: Rated **** and #22 overall by the FBCB scouting service. 2032 High School: All-State (California) 2035 NCAA Champion 2036 NCAA Champion 2036 1st Team All-Conference (Big East Conference)

We don't recruit many players from the West Coast. In fact, I think Kyle was our first California product.

Two things stick out to me when I look at his profile. Look how much Kyle improved over his four years with us. He arrived on campus with loads of promise, but he was far from a finished product. His improvement from year to year was impressive, a reflection of his tenacity and optimism.

And look at the progression of Kyle's role on our team. After two seasons as a depth player, he emerged as a key member of our rotation as a junior. And, in his fourth year, he was a fixture in our starting lineup and a first team All-Big East selection.

Kyle aspires to a professional basketball career, possibly in Europe. First, he'll complete his degree in Chemistry, with honors. He's also expressed interest in a career as a research chemist. I'll never bet against him achieving whatever he wants to achieve.

Thanks for the memories, Kyle.
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Old 03-01-2024, 05:34 PM   #674
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2036/37 Senior Tribute

ELDON CASTANON


Coming out of high school in the Class of 2032, Eldon Castanon was the kind of player we like to recruit. Maryland's Mr. Basketball and a high school All-American, he caught our eye right away. Unfortunately, Eldon didn't return the love. He'd grown up rooting for Lafayette and didn't like Villanova much at all. Not surprisingly, he signed with Lafayette, but after a lost season there, he entered the transfer portal. This time, he was eager to play for us, and we made it happen.
Code:
#4 PG Eldon Castanon - Villanova - Senior -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Height: 6-3 Weight: 217 High School: Montgomery Blair High School Hometown: Silver Spring, MD Attributes: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Type INS JPS FTS 3PS HND PAS ORB DRB PSD PRD STL BLK QKN STR JMP STA -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Current: 36 65 57 70 57 95 43 62 7 77 57 20 83 43 66 100 2035: 33 63 55 61 55 83 40 54 7 66 55 19 82 41 65 100 2034: 30 62 51 56 54 72 37 47 7 54 47 18 81 39 64 96 2033: 29 59 49 53 53 68 36 44 7 50 44 17 80 38 64 89 2032: 28 57 47 51 52 63 35 41 7 46 41 16 80 37 63 80 2031: 26 51 43 45 48 57 33 37 5 42 37 14 79 33 61 58 Potential: D B C B C A C B F B C D Health: Good Scholarship: Yes Status: Active Roster Academics: 42 Stat Averages: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Season G GS MIN PTS ORE REB AST TO A/T STL BLK PF -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2032 2 0 1.5 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.5 0.0 1.00 0.0 0.0 0.0 2034 37 37 26.2 9.1 1.1 4.4 4.3 1.9 2.30 1.4 0.1 2.6 2035 40 40 29.0 11.1 1.1 4.1 5.7 2.4 2.36 1.5 0.1 2.0 2036 40 40 28.7 10.8 1.1 4.4 7.4 2.8 2.67 1.5 0.1 2.4 Career 119 117 27.6 10.2 1.1 4.2 5.7 2.3 2.67 1.4 0.1 2.2 Shooting Averages: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Season FGM FGA FG% FTM FTA FT% 3PM 3PA 3P% PPS +/- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2032 0.0 0.0 .000 0.0 0.5 .000 0.0 0.0 .000 0.00 0.00 2034 3.3 6.7 .490 0.8 1.2 .698 1.6 4.2 .391 1.35 13.27 2035 4.1 7.5 .542 1.4 1.7 .824 1.6 4.0 .391 1.48 17.65 2036 3.7 7.7 .482 1.5 2.1 .682 2.0 5.1 .384 1.41 16.75 Career 3.6 7.2 .505 1.2 1.7 .731 1.7 4.4 .388 1.41 15.69 Stat Totals: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Season G GS MIN PTS OREB REB AST TO STL BLK PF -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2032 2 0 3 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 2034 37 37 971 335 40 162 159 69 50 2 95 2035 40 40 1158 445 43 164 227 96 59 5 78 2036 40 40 1149 432 43 174 296 111 61 5 94 Career 119 117 3281 1212 126 500 683 276 170 12 267 Shooting Totals -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Season FGM FGA FTM FTA 3PM 3PA +/- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2032 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 2034 122 249 30 43 61 156 491 2035 163 301 56 68 63 161 706 2036 148 307 58 85 78 203 670 Career 433 857 144 197 202 520 1867 Career Highs: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Type Pts OReb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO FGM FGA FTM FTA 3PM 3PA -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Season 28 3 12 12 5 1 8 9 14 5 7 7 10 Career 28 4 12 13 5 1 8 9 15 8 9 7 11 Awards & Achievements: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Season Award -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- All Player of the Game: 14 2031 High School: Rated **** and #84 overall by the FBCB scouting service. 2031 High School: All-State (Maryland) 2031 High School: Mr. Basketball (Maryland) 2031 High School: All-American 2032 Transferred from Lafayette 2035 NCAA Champion 2035 1st Team All-Conference (Big East Conference) 2036 NCAA Champion 2036 1st Team All-Conference (Big East Conference)
A big, physical point guard, Eldon started for us from Day One. While he did quite a few things well, it was his passing that made him extra-special.

When a comparison between your skills and those of Justice Stafford isn't ridiculous, you're good. While sharing the playmaking responsibilities with a teammate who was also a great orchestrator, Eldon posted the third highest career assists total in Villanova history, while playing only three years. He also led the Big East in assists as a senior, with a total that ranks second to Justice's best season.

Eldon was a two-time All-Big East selection and, of course, a two-time national champion. He would like to continue his basketball career; if he isn't drafted this month, he might play in the G-League or in a foreign country. He'll complete a degree in Criminology next month.

And, if his name is called, he hopes it's pronounced correctly. Eldon pronounces his surname "Cass-TANNEN," rather than "CASS-ta-non."

Thanks for the memories, Eldon.

Last edited by MoonlightGraham : 03-01-2024 at 05:37 PM.
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Old 03-01-2024, 06:08 PM   #675
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2036/37 Senior Tribute

CONNOR BAXTER


I remember referring to this product of Slippery Rock, PA as a "young boss of a point guard" when we were recruiting him. I envisioned him as an all-action guard who could fill any and all backcourt roles. That's exactly the player Connor Baxter turned out to be.

Code:
#22 SG Connor Baxter - Villanova - Senior -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Height: 6-2 Weight: 204 High School: Slippery Rock Area High School Hometown: Slippery Rock, PA Attributes: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Type INS JPS FTS 3PS HND PAS ORB DRB PSD PRD STL BLK QKN STR JMP STA -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Current: 55 89 85 62 77 81 37 23 46 76 58 16 62 54 54 80 2035: 53 89 85 62 76 81 33 18 41 74 57 14 60 51 53 73 2034: 47 75 82 60 74 74 30 15 38 65 55 13 59 48 52 66 2033: 44 67 74 59 66 66 28 13 36 57 50 12 58 46 52 61 2032: 40 61 68 59 58 58 26 11 34 49 44 10 57 42 51 51 Potential: C A B C B B D D C B C D Health: Good Scholarship: Yes Status: Active Roster Academics: 98 Stat Averages: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Season G GS MIN PTS ORE REB AST TO A/T STL BLK PF -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2033 37 17 17.6 5.6 0.6 1.4 2.1 1.1 2.03 0.5 0.1 1.3 2034 37 37 30.6 12.8 0.8 2.6 4.8 1.9 2.57 1.3 0.2 2.2 2035 40 40 29.8 16.1 1.3 3.2 5.9 1.8 3.29 2.0 0.2 2.4 2036 40 40 30.0 14.5 1.4 3.5 6.3 2.2 2.93 1.6 0.2 2.2 Career 154 134 27.1 12.4 1.0 2.7 4.8 1.7 2.93 1.3 0.1 2.0 Shooting Averages: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Season FGM FGA FG% FTM FTA FT% 3PM 3PA 3P% PPS +/- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2033 1.8 4.4 .401 1.3 1.7 .774 0.8 2.5 .301 1.27 7.86 2034 4.5 9.3 .484 1.7 2.2 .778 2.2 5.6 .383 1.38 15.43 2035 5.9 12.7 .464 1.7 1.9 .895 2.7 7.5 .358 1.27 18.50 2036 5.4 10.8 .494 1.5 1.7 .881 2.4 5.9 .398 1.34 17.10 Career 4.4 9.4 .471 1.5 1.9 .832 2.0 5.4 .369 1.32 14.84 Stat Totals: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Season G GS MIN PTS OREB REB AST TO STL BLK PF -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2033 37 17 652 206 24 50 79 39 18 4 47 2034 37 37 1133 475 30 97 177 69 49 7 81 2035 40 40 1191 645 53 129 237 72 78 6 95 2036 40 40 1199 581 54 138 252 86 62 6 86 Career 154 134 4175 1907 161 414 745 266 207 23 309 Shooting Totals -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Season FGM FGA FTM FTA 3PM 3PA +/- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2033 65 162 48 62 28 93 291 2034 166 343 63 81 80 209 571 2035 235 506 68 76 107 299 740 2036 214 433 59 67 94 236 684 Career 680 1444 238 286 309 837 2286 Career Highs: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Type Pts OReb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO FGM FGA FTM FTA 3PM 3PA -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Season 25 5 11 11 4 1 5 10 20 5 6 5 12 Career 32 5 11 11 6 2 6 11 21 8 9 10 15 Awards & Achievements: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Season Award -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- All Player of the Game: 21 2032 High School: Rated **** and #28 overall by the FBCB scouting service. 2034 1st Team All-Conference (Big East Conference) 2035 NCAA Champion 2035 3rd Team All-American 2035 1st Team All-Conference (Big East Conference) 2036 NCAA Champion 2036 2nd Team All-American 2036 1st Team All-Conference (Big East Conference)

Connor is one of the best, and most important, players in Villanova history. He was the heir apparent to Justice Stafford in the Wildcats backcourt and, like Justice, he stayed for four years. However, unlike his predecessor, he spent much of his freshman season as a starter. I'm almost positive Connor's 134 career starts is a Villanova record. I know his 4,175 career minutes played is.

Connor finished his career fourth on the all-time scoring list at Villanova, two buckets behind Mason Reynolds. His career assist total is second to Justice's. He's fourth all-time in steals, third all-time in field goals and three-pointers made.

He is the first player in Villanova history to be a three-time member of the All-Big East first team, and only the third to be a two-time All-American. Connor is not considered a draft prospect, and he's unsure if he'd like to continue playing basketball or prepare for medical school. He'll graduate in May with a degree in Biochemistry, with highest honors.

Thanks for the memories, Connor.
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Old 03-01-2024, 06:21 PM   #676
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Before we close the book on the 2036/37 season, let's see how Charlie Sutton's year turned out.
Code:
Stat Averages: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Season G GS MIN PTS ORE REB AST TO A/T STL BLK PF -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2036 35 35 28.1 17.9 1.1 3.6 2.1 2.7 0.80 0.5 0.2 2.8 Career 35 35 28.1 17.9 1.1 3.6 2.1 2.7 0.80 0.5 0.2 2.8 Shooting Averages: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Season FGM FGA FG% FTM FTA FT% 3PM 3PA 3P% PPS +/- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2036 6.2 12.6 .491 2.2 2.5 .875 3.3 7.2 .464 1.42 4.83 Career 6.2 12.6 .491 2.2 2.5 .875 3.3 7.2 .464 1.42 4.83 Stat Totals: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Season G GS MIN PTS OREB REB AST TO STL BLK PF -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2036 35 35 984 628 39 125 75 94 19 8 98 Career 35 35 984 628 39 125 75 94 19 8 98 Shooting Totals -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Season FGM FGA FTM FTA 3PM 3PA +/- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2036 217 442 77 88 117 252 169 Career 217 442 77 88 117 252 169
Charlie was the leading scorer on a 21-14 Vanderbilt team that included the SEC Player of the Year, Steven Albrecht. He also led the nation's freshmen in scoring.

I'm surprised Charlie didn't earn any post-season honors. He was repeatedly beaten out by the national Freshman of the Year, Vicente Ezell of Tennessee.

Right now, I'd say Charlie is as likely to stay for three more years at Vanderbilt as he is to turn professional. I hope he decides to remain a Commodore.
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Old 03-02-2024, 04:32 PM   #677
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April 11, 2037

Draft night brings a range of emotions to 'Nova Nation. Matt Valentine receives the best news; he's a lottery pick, chosen at #12. Eldon Castanon is delighted to hear his name at #48.

But none of the other draft-eligible Wildcats--Charles Peterman, Connor Baxter, Kyle Gribble, or junior Max Bennett--were drafted. I wish that meant Bennett would return to Villanova, but that's not the case.

Code:
2036 Recruiting Rankings # Team Conference Best Player Rtg 5* 4* 3* 2* 1* ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1. Villanova Big East SF Tony Flaherty ***** 3 1 0 0 0 2. UNLV Mountain West PG Refugio White ***** 3 1 0 0 0 3. Kentucky SEC SF Erasmo Martinez ***** 2 1 1 0 0 4. Georgetown Big East PF James Sanders, Jr. ***** 1 3 1 0 0 5. Tennessee SEC SG Chris Vogt ***** 1 2 0 0 0 6. Miami ACC PG Lyman Boykins ***** 2 1 1 0 0 7. Texas Big 12 PG Don Murdock ***** 1 2 1 0 0 8. West Virginia Big East C Wilber Bull ***** 2 1 0 0 0 9. UCLA Pacific-10 PG Frank Escobar ***** 1 2 1 0 0 10. Southern California Pacific-10 SG Don Laboy ***** 1 2 1 0 0 11. Baylor Big 12 C Ezra Manley **** 0 3 1 0 0 12. St. John's Big East PF Erik Thomason **** 0 2 2 0 0 13. Notre Dame Big East PF Denny Lombardi ***** 1 1 2 0 0 14. Memphis Conference USA SG Steven Hodson ***** 1 1 2 0 0 15. Fresno State WAC PG Josiah Davis *** 0 0 5 0 0
Our haul of three five-star players--Tony Flaherty, Zayden Calhoun, and David Lovett--along with four-star Jordi Ballester, ranks as the best recruiting class in the nation. I'm surprised Tony gets top billing, since Zayden was the #3 player in the country, to Tony's #14. Perhaps I'll know why once I take a closer look at their actual ratings.

Code:
2036 Recruiting Rankings # Team Conference Best Player Rtg 5* 4* 3* 2* 1* ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1. Villanova Big East SF Tony Flaherty ***** 3 1 0 0 0 4. Georgetown Big East PF James Sanders, Jr. ***** 1 3 1 0 0 8. West Virginia Big East C Wilber Bull ***** 2 1 0 0 0 12. St. John's Big East PF Erik Thomason **** 0 2 2 0 0 13. Notre Dame Big East PF Denny Lombardi ***** 1 1 2 0 0 16. Louisville Big East PF Harris Rouse **** 0 3 1 0 0 29. Connecticut Big East PF Ellis Torres **** 0 2 1 0 0 36. Syracuse Big East PF Jeffrey Ott **** 0 1 1 0 0 40. Cincinnati Big East PG Jerry Dawson **** 0 1 2 0 0 54. Rutgers Big East PG Avery Headrick **** 0 1 1 0 0 56. DePaul Big East PG Jeffrey Gordon **** 0 1 1 1 0 59. South Florida Big East PG Jason Lemus **** 0 1 0 3 0 67. Pittsburgh Big East SG Tanner McLaughlin **** 0 1 0 0 0 86. Seton Hall Big East PF Eugene Mitchell *** 0 0 3 0 0 114. Providence Big East PG Charles Carmona *** 0 0 4 0 0 141. Marquette Big East PG Harold Rosa *** 0 0 3 2 0

The Big East, on the whole, recruited well, with six classes ranked among the top 16 in the nation. However, the conference will have a very different look this coming season...
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Old 03-02-2024, 04:58 PM   #678
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Spring 2037

I'd been thinking about a possible change to my college basketball universe for a while now, and I've decided it's time to give it a try.

It's inspired by the tumultuous conference realignments of the recent past, which have radically altered the landscape of college sports. I'm 40 years old, and I discovered college basketball in the early 1990s. And I heard my parents, who both love college hoops, talk about how much fun it was in the 1980s. I miss being able to easily name all the teams in the major conferences, comprised of teams with regional and traditional connections.

So I decided that, in my universe, the NCAA has turned back the clock.

I've spent a few hours in the editor, rearranging the conferences and teams in my game. I used the 1989/1990 season as my template, because I attended my first college basketball games that year. Because I was left with dozens of Independents, I added teams to some conferences and created several new, fictional conferences of my own.

That, of course, changes the setting of our story. The "old", nine-team Big East has returned. The Villanova-Georgetown rivalry, which is college basketball's best in this version of history, remains intact. There's a third powerhouse in the restructured league: Boston College, with its 100 prestige. Pitt (90) is the fourth-most highly regarded team; the rest are in the 70-80 range, with the exception of Seton Hall (55). Even without Louisville, West Virginia, and Miami, the Big East is the most competitive conference in the country. And we'll face all our opponents twice, home-and-home, which I think is wonderful.

I considered moving Lafayette (83 prestige) from the East Coast Conference to the Big East, but I decided to leave them alone. The Leopards are clearly the class of the league, but that was true in the Patriot League, too.

I hope the changes will be fun. Even more, I hope they didn't break the game...cross your fingers.

P.S. I saved an unaltered version of the game, so I can return to it if my changed version crashes, etc.
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Old 03-02-2024, 05:37 PM   #679
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May 1, 2037

Another Hall of Fame-worthy coach has decided to retire. Thaddeus Dorton, who won the 2012 national championship with Arizona before moving to Texas, is stepping away from basketball at age 61.

Coach Dorton compiled a career record of 643-236 in 26 seasons as a head coach. He's the sixth-winningest coach of all time. Coach Dorton's teams won six conference championships and advanced to the Final Four twice. He coached 10 All-Americans over the course of his career.

Daniel Turcotte has left Lafayette for Oklahoma State. Coach Turcotte posted an 80-33 record with the Leopards. His place will be filled by former Hofstra head coach Mason Puckett. Coach Puckett, 59, has a 243-199 career record at Hofstra and Oakland, and wears the NCAA championship ring he won as an assistant at West Virginia in 2029/30.

There will be an opening on the Villanova staff this spring. John Gruber, who spent the last three years as Graham Sims' X-and-O man, has taken the head coaching job at Virginia Commonwealth.

His place will be filled by Greg Seward, who comes to us after a five-year run as the head coach at UC-Irvine. Coach Seward's record there was 79-77. He got his start as an assistant at Southern California. He's 44 years old, and is skilled in coaching both offense (83) and defense (100). Coach Seward will earn $142,099/year on a three-year deal.

Welcome to the staff, Coach.

We discover that Isiah Cook is transferring from Georgetown, and he's somewhat interested in playing for us. Cook was the #5 player in the nation as a high school senior, but he languished on the bench as a freshman Hoya. We offer Isiah a scholarship, but he picks Texas Christian instead.

Last edited by MoonlightGraham : 03-02-2024 at 05:47 PM.
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Old 03-02-2024, 07:23 PM   #680
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July 1, 2037

It's the first day of recruiting season. We have only one senior on scholarship this year: post player Charlie Lambert. The early departures of Matt Valentine and Max Bennett leave us with only 10 scholarship players, and five walk-ons. We "officially" have two offers to make, but I can cut some of the walk-ons and gain more scholarships.

A closer look at the roster tells me that we need to make big men the focus of this year's recruiting efforts. Lambert is graduating, and junior center Sebastian Roberts has been expected to be an early departure since he was a freshman. That would leave Demetrius Reed as the only true big on the roster next season.

There are two five-star center recruits in Pennsylvania this year, and their high schools are located 42 miles apart. Chris Wilson, a 6'9" All-American from Dallas, is the more highly regarded. However, he prefers Boston College and North Carolina right now. Tony Craighead, from Carbondale, is taller (6'11") and lists Villanova first on his Top Schools list. We'll look very closely at both Chris and Tony.

We're also intrigued by Amir Kirk, a very productive player from the Detroit suburbs, and Zak Marshall, a power forward from rural Ohio. Both players express Very High interest in playing for us, but neither list us among their top five schools.

Power forwards Forrest Curl and Matthew Scholl are four-star talents who have us on top of their lists.

Riley Rose, Broderick Boone, and DeAndre Brown are among the wings we're recruiting. Our needs aren't as immediate on the perimeter, but we've recently seen how injuries, academic issues, and early departures can wreak havoc on a roster.

Here's our initial call list, sorted by "interest":
Code:
#1 VILLANOVA Recruiting Name Pos Ht Wt Rating Interest State --------------------------------------------------------------------- Riley Rose SF 6-6 188 ***** Very High Michigan Zak Marshall PF 6-10 207 ***** Very High Ohio Broderick Boone SG 6-3 187 ***** Very High Pennsylvania Chris Wilson C 6-9 235 ***** Very High Pennsylvania Tony Craighead C 6-11 258 ***** Very High Pennsylvania Abe Gunderson C 7-0 222 ***** Very High Connecticut DeAndre Brown SG 6-2 186 **** Very High Pennsylvania Augustine Natale C 6-10 203 **** Very High Virginia Forrest Curl PF 6-10 220 **** Very High New Jersey Matthew Scholl PF 6-6 232 **** Very High Pennsylvania William Loveland PF 6-8 214 **** Very High New York Andy Womack SF 6-8 213 **** Very High New Jersey Joshua Pearman PG 5-11 159 *** Very High New York Chuck Farrington C 6-8 221 *** Very High Pennsylvania Amir Kirk C 6-10 247 ***** High Michigan Otto Harrold PG 5-11 159 ***** High New York

I'll be back with more news after we evaluate them.

Last edited by MoonlightGraham : 03-02-2024 at 08:15 PM.
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Old 03-02-2024, 10:21 PM   #681
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Join Date: Sep 2022
August 1, 2037

I decided to cut a walk-on so I would have three scholarships to offer. Let's take a look at them first.
Code:
#0 C Chris Wilson -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Height: 6-9 Weight: 235 High School: Dallas High School Hometown: Dallas, PA GPA: 3.08 Test Score: 1080 Rating: ***** Attributes: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Type INS JPS FTS 3PS HND PAS ORB DRB PSD PRD STL BLK QKN STR JMP STA -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Current: 72 43 39 14 19 34 45 39 52 48 8 54 33 80 21 47 Potential: B B C D C C C C A B F A Season Stats: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- PTS OREB REB AST TOS A/T STL BLK PFS -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 24.4 3.2 10.0 2.0 2.3 0.87 0.5 2.9 2.9 Shooting Averages: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- FGM FGA FG% FTM FTA FT% 3PM 3PA 3P% -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 10.6 18.6 .567 3.1 4.4 .693 0.2 1.5 .138 Recruiting Notes: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Qualified: Yes Current interest in Villanova: Very High Rankings: #2 Overall, #1 C, East Region #1 Overall, East Region #1 C High School Awards: All-State, All American Top 5 Schools: *Villanova, *North Carolina, Georgetown, West Virginia, St. John's
Chris is good at almost everything a basketball player can do. I'll write more about him if we sign him, but for now, it suffices to say that he looks like he'd be ready to contribute from the day he stepped on the court.

He's moved us to the top of his list, and we'll do all we can to keep us there. Coaches Sims and Caballero will visit him, and we'll bring him to campus.

After taking a look at Forrest Curl, we've made an offer to him, too.
Code:
#4 PF Forrest Curl -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Height: 6-10 Weight: 220 High School: Chatham High School Hometown: Chatham, NJ GPA: 2.65 Test Score: 1190 Rating: **** Attributes: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Type INS JPS FTS 3PS HND PAS ORB DRB PSD PRD STL BLK QKN STR JMP STA -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Current: 45 53 23 12 31 55 50 47 45 38 16 25 31 79 45 15 Potential: C A D F C C B B B B C C Season Stats: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- PTS OREB REB AST TOS A/T STL BLK PFS -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 25.7 3.9 10.8 2.6 1.8 1.44 1.5 1.5 2.2 Shooting Averages: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- FGM FGA FG% FTM FTA FT% 3PM 3PA 3P% -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 10.8 17.2 .628 4.1 7.2 .566 0.0 0.0 .000 Recruiting Notes: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Qualified: Yes Current interest in Villanova: Very High Rankings: #87 Overall, #18 PF, East Region #17 Overall, East Region #4 PF High School Awards: All-State, Mr. Basketball (New Jersey), All American Top 5 Schools: *Villanova, Boston College, St. John's, Connecticut, Seton Hall
If it's possible for a top 100 player to be a sleeper, Forrest might be that player. His most notable skill is a jumper that's as smooth as any we've seen from a 6'10" big man.

Boston College is the only other top-prestige program on Forrest's list, and we'll try to seal the deal with an all-out recruiting effort that includes a trip to campus.

Guard DeAndre Brown is the third player to whom we've made an offer.
Code:
#4 SG DeAndre Brown -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Height: 6-2 Weight: 186 High School: Pen Argyl Area High School Hometown: Pen Argyl, PA GPA: 3.57 Test Score: 1350 Rating: **** Attributes: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Type INS JPS FTS 3PS HND PAS ORB DRB PSD PRD STL BLK QKN STR JMP STA -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Current: 40 57 70 41 75 36 30 18 19 48 66 20 68 53 59 40 Potential: C A B C B B D D D C A D Season Stats: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- PTS OREB REB AST TOS A/T STL BLK PFS -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 25.3 1.9 6.5 4.0 1.5 2.72 3.7 0.5 2.8 Shooting Averages: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- FGM FGA FG% FTM FTA FT% 3PM 3PA 3P% -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 10.6 19.4 .544 1.9 2.5 .776 2.3 5.8 .391 Recruiting Notes: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Qualified: Yes Current interest in Villanova: Very High Rankings: #26 Overall, #9 SG, East Region #6 Overall, East Region #2 SG High School Awards: All-State, Mr. Basketball (Pennsylvania), All American Top 5 Schools: *Villanova, Boston College, Lafayette, North Carolina, Kentucky
DeAndre beat out Chris Wilson for the title of Mr. Basketball for the state of Pennsylvania. He's a lead guard who is probably most comfortable playing off the ball, and he's an active defender who forces turnovers.

I wonder if other programs have almost conceded DeAndre to us. I won't take anything for granted; we'll invite him to visit campus and send our coaches to visit him, too.

There are enough other intriguing players I think we might sign that I decide to cut a second walk-on and gain a fourth scholarship. I'm considering big men Zak Marshall and Tony Craighead, along with wing Riley Rose.
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Old 03-02-2024, 10:39 PM   #682
MoonlightGraham
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September 1, 2037

I decided to award the fourth scholarship offer to Zak Marshall, so let's take a look at him.
Code:
#40 PF Zak Marshall -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Height: 6-10 Weight: 207 High School: Newcomerstown High School Hometown: Newcomerstown, OH GPA: 3.24 Test Score: 1250 Rating: ***** Attributes: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Type INS JPS FTS 3PS HND PAS ORB DRB PSD PRD STL BLK QKN STR JMP STA -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Current: 42 20 37 11 14 18 47 50 57 28 14 50 47 46 44 47 Potential: B F C C D D B B A A B C Season Stats: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- PTS OREB REB AST TOS A/T STL BLK PFS -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 13.0 3.3 12.6 1.5 2.9 0.52 1.5 2.8 2.0 Shooting Averages: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- FGM FGA FG% FTM FTA FT% 3PM 3PA 3P% -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 5.7 9.9 .576 1.6 2.8 .554 0.1 0.3 .167 Recruiting Notes: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Qualified: Yes Current interest in Villanova: Very High Rankings: #7 Overall, #1 PF, Midwest Region #5 Overall, Midwest Region #1 PF High School Awards: All-State Top 5 Schools: *Villanova, West Virginia, Louisville, North Carolina, Pittsburgh
Zak is a mobile post player who takes pride in his rebounding and defense. He hasn't been a big scorer in high school, but we see some potential there.

I'm surprised we're the only school who has offered Zak a scholarship. That's one reason why I chose to offer him one. He apparently enjoyed his visit, and we'll continue to recruit him heavily.

The rest of our recruiting efforts went well, too. DeAndre Brown got an offer from Boston College, but we're still atop his list. Forrest Curl narrowed his list to us and Boston College, but the Eagles haven't made him an offer. And Chris Wilson removed every other school from his list.
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Old 03-02-2024, 10:45 PM   #683
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Join Date: Sep 2022
October 1, 2037

Chris Wilson decides to add Georgetown and Boston College to his Top Schools list, but neither Big East foe has offered him a scholarship. For that reason, I feel good about our chances with him.

Likewise, Zak Marshall lists Louisville as his #2 choice, but we're still the only school who has made him an offer. Unless that changes, I think we'll receive good news from him, too.

Forrest Curl also lists two schools--BC and UNC--that haven't made offers. We've always been Forrest's first choice.

And DeAndre Brown, who does hold a Boston College offer, says he'd rather play for us. I would love to go four-for-four this year.

Let's see what happens on November 1...
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Old 03-02-2024, 11:11 PM   #684
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November 1, 2037

Good news comes in threes this month!

First, we hear from Zak Marshall, who says yes to the chance to play for Villanova. We think he will develop into an elite defender who can guard any position on the floor. That versatility, along with his lean frame, makes me think he might switch to the three as a collegian. Zak hasn't been a big scorer in high school, but we think he could develop enough inside game to be a threat.

Next, we learn that DeAndre Brown will be joining us next year. He's not the most college-ready player in his class, but we envision him as a versatile guard who can score and defend, possibly as a sixth man.

Finally, Chris Wilson tells us that he's chosen Villanova. Chris combines elite rim protection and interior defense with the ability to score from the post or midrange. Listed as a center, I think Chris could play effectively anywhere in the frontcourt.

We're still waiting for Forrest Curl's decision. He doesn't have another offer, so it seems like it's simply a matter of time.
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Old 03-03-2024, 12:12 AM   #685
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Join Date: Sep 2022
November 8, 2037

The two-time defending national champions will send these players into the 2037/38 season:

Code:
#1 VILLANOVA General Player # Pos Yr Ht Wt Sch Acd Status Hometown ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Dane Barlow 3 PG So 6-2 200 Yes 87 OK Wilmington, DE Jordi Ballester 4 PF Fr 6-7 247 Yes 85 OK El Prat de Llobregat, Spain Zayden Calhoun 11 SF Fr 6-5 211 Yes 83 OK Princeton, NJ Nick Spencer 12 PG Fr* 5-11 177 Yes 72 OK Collegeville, PA Charlie Lambert 14 PF Sr 6-9 235 Yes 64 OK Hyattsville, MD Sebastian Roberts 30 C Jr 7-0 252 Yes 99 OK Frenchtown, NJ Demetrius Reed 32 C So 7-1 286 Yes 91 OK Philadelphia, PA David Lovett 33 SG Fr 6-3 204 Yes 38 OK Mount Horeb, WI Luke Christensen 34 SF Jr 6-4 197 Yes 64 OK Philadelphia, PA Erick Sullivan 35 C Sr 6-10 276 No 87 OK Wilmington, DE Tony Flaherty 40 SF Fr 6-7 228 Yes 77 OK New York, NY Derek Lamb 41 PF So* 6-6 215 No 73 OK Latham, OH Gary Hinkley 45 SG Fr 6-2 191 No 77 OK Lloydminster, Canada

And this is how their autumn training camp went:
Code:
#1 VILLANOVA Training Results Player Ins Jps Fts 3ps Hnd Pas Orb Drb Psd Prd Stl Blk Qkn Str Jmp Sta ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Dane Barlow 2 7 6 6 7 7 1 1 1 5 4 1 0 1 0 3 Jordi Ballester 6 4 2 0 6 2 8 12 12 2 4 4 1 4 1 7 Zayden Calhoun 4 8 6 8 4 6 4 4 2 8 8 2 2 8 1 12 Nick Spencer 2 2 3 2 1 3 1 1 1 6 3 1 0 1 1 5 Charlie Lambert 0 1 1 0 3 3 1 5 3 3 2 0 3 6 2 6 Sebastian Roberts 13 10 2 10 3 3 0 3 0 2 2 6 3 8 0 8 Demetrius Reed 3 3 6 3 2 2 12 9 8 2 2 11 1 0 1 7 David Lovett 6 6 6 4 4 2 2 2 2 4 6 2 2 4 3 18 Luke Christensen 2 5 2 2 2 1 2 4 4 6 8 4 1 2 0 0 Erick Sullivan 1 2 4 1 0 2 4 8 9 1 2 5 1 3 0 0 Tony Flaherty 6 6 2 4 4 6 2 6 6 8 8 8 3 6 3 14 Derek Lamb 2 1 2 0 1 2 2 0 5 0 1 2 1 2 1 3 Gary Hinkley 4 2 2 6 6 2 4 2 4 2 10 2 1 4 2 12


Charlie Lambert has returned for his senior season, determined to atone for the negligence of his academic responsibilities that cost him much of last year. He's one of the nation's most complete players, able to score, rebound, and play defense.

Joining him in the frontcourt will be junior Sebastian Roberts. The seven-footer was already considered a top professional prospect, but he entered camp determined to improve even more. He's emerged as a more dangerous scorer, armed with a jump shot that is effective from three-point range.

Coach Graham Sims has two desirable options for the third frontcourt spot. He can go big, which means moving Roberts to power forward and inserting Demetrius Reed at center. The 7'1" sophomore is an intimidating defender, rebounder, and shot blocker. Sims can also choose Luke Christensen, an athletic 6'4" junior who can get to the rim on offense and create havoc on the defensive perimeter. Both Reed and Christensen have also been effective coming off the bench, too.

Last year's team featured an All-Big East first team backcourt, Connor Baxter and Eldon Castanon. Their primary backup, Max Baldwin, left school, so Coach Sims must reload with young players.

Freshman Zayden Calhoun demonstrated enough growth in camp to earn the chance to start his first collegiate game. A 6'5" wing, Zayden is an excellent shooter and a responsible defender. The Wildcats won't need him to carry the load offensively this season, although he looks like he could do so if needed.

The keys to the offense will be in the hands of sophomore Dane Barlow, who apprenticed with his veteran teammates last season. A five-star recruit and a high school All American, Dane worked hard to improve his game in camp and should be ready to take his place as the next Villanova backcourt star.

Redshirt freshman Nick Spencer looks like he'll be a better player than the "experts" thought he'd be. He is an old-fashioned point guard who looks to pass first and takes care of the ball. Nick will be the first guard off the bench.

Another highly-regarded freshman, Tony Flaherty, will provide depth at both forward spots. And the best walk-on I've ever seen, senior center Erick Sullivan, is now a Green player whom I wouldn't hesitate to start in any game.

Also available are freshmen David Lovett, whose development might be curtailed by his lack of academic readiness, and Jordi Ballester, a Spanish work-in-progress who reminds me of a young Venceslás Castillo.

The "new" Big East contains nine teams, and five of them begin the season ranked #13 or higher. The team that emerges from this crucible as its champion will be a worthy one. I don't see Villanova, or anyone else, going 18-0 this season.
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Old 03-03-2024, 01:17 AM   #686
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November 12, 2037
Preseason NIT, First Round
(2) #1 Villanova 95, (15) Western Illinois 72

The Wildcats came out firing, putting up 35 threes and making 17 (the school record for three-pointers in a game is 20).

Dane Barlow and Charlie Lambert lead the way with 24 points each; Dane goes 7-for-12 from distance, and Charlie is 5-for-9. Lambert also adds 8 rebounds and 6 assists.

Sebastian Roberts (14p/9r/5a) and reserves Luke Christensen (10p) and Tony Flaherty (10p) also score in double figures, while Demetrius Reed grabs 10 rebounds and blocks 4 shots.

It's an especially big day for Charlie Lambert, as he scores his 1000th career point.
Record: 1-0.


November 14, 2037
Preseason NIT, Quarterfinal
(2) #1 Villanova 93, (10) Oklahoma State 70

Three Wildcats score at least 22 points as we advance to the Preseason NIT semifinals.

Charlie Lambert (26p/6r) and Dane Barlow (24p/4a) top the 20-point barrier again, and this time they're joined by Seb Roberts (22p/6r).

Demetrius Reed pulls in 11 rebounds, Nick Spencer records 5 assists, and Luke Christensen scores 10 points.
Record: 2-0.


November 21, 2037
Preseason NIT Semifinal
(2) #1 Villanova 90, (6) Air Force 68

Tonight, freshman Zayden Calhoun is the star as we knock out the Falcons and earn a spot in the tournament championship game.

Zayden scores 18 points, going 4-for-6 from behind the arc, and makes 4 steals. Sebastian Roberts (16p/12r/3b), Charlie Lambert (16p/9r/2b/2s), Luke Christensen (12p), Dane Barlow (7p/8a), and Tony Flaherty (6p/7r/5a/2s in 16 minutes) are all solid supporting actors.
Record: 3-0.


November 23, 2037
Preseason NIT Championship

Code:
(2) #1 Villanova 93, (1) #3 Kentucky 91 -------------------------------------------------------- Villanova (4-0, 0-0): Player Pos Min Fgm-a Ftm-a Off Reb Ast PF Pts Demetrius Reed C 30 1-3 1-2 5 11 1 1 3 Sebastian Roberts PF 34 8-11 4-4 4 9 1 4 24 Charlie Lambert SF 33 8-18 6-6 2 6 2 4 26 Zayden Calhoun SG 32 2-5 2-3 1 4 4 1 8 Dane Barlow PG 32 3-11 3-4 3 4 5 2 11 Nick Spencer PG 14 3-4 0-0 0 0 1 2 8 Luke Christensen SF 10 1-3 4-4 0 3 2 0 6 Tony Flaherty SF 7 2-4 0-0 1 2 1 3 4 Erick Sullivan C 7 1-2 0-0 0 0 0 0 3 Jordi Ballester PF 1 0-0 0-0 0 1 0 0 0 Turnovers: 15 (S.Roberts 3, C.Lambert 3, Z.Calhoun 3, D.Barlow 2, N.Spencer 2, L.Christensen 1, T.Flaherty 1) Blocked Shots: 3 (Z.Calhoun 1, L.Christensen 1, E.Sullivan 1) Steals: 1 (D.Barlow 1) 3P FGs: 15-30 (S.Roberts 4-4, C.Lambert 4-10, Z.Calhoun 2-4, D.Barlow 2-7, N.Spencer 2-3, E.Sullivan 1-2) Kentucky (3-1, 0-0): Player Pos Min Fgm-a Ftm-a Off Reb Ast PF Pts Jack Sitton C 32 3-8 0-0 5 12 2 2 6 Burton Brister PF 32 9-15 5-6 2 5 3 3 23 Ahmed Way SF 25 6-7 1-2 0 2 5 5 16 Jeffrey Cowley SG 30 4-9 0-0 1 2 4 5 10 Avery Dumont PG 33 5-10 5-6 2 2 4 1 17 Mark Rotz C 10 2-5 2-2 0 2 1 1 7 Chris Williams PF 6 3-5 0-0 1 3 0 0 6 Lucas Sheehan SG 19 2-7 0-1 1 2 1 2 6 Charles Kemp PG 8 0-1 0-0 0 1 0 0 0 Jeffrey Binion SF 4 0-3 0-0 2 2 0 2 0 Turnovers: 10 (B.Brister 3, A.Way 2, J.Cowley 2, A.Dumont 1, L.Sheehan 2) Blocked Shots: 4 (B.Brister 2, A.Way 1, A.Dumont 1) Steals: 6 (J.Sitton 2, A.Way 2, A.Dumont 2) 3P FGs: 10-26 (A.Way 3-4, J.Cowley 2-6, A.Dumont 2-7, M.Rotz 1-1, L.Sheehan 2-5, C.Kemp 0-1, J.Binion 0-2) Player of Game: PF Sebastian Roberts (VLNV)
The ending of a very close championship game is made even more interesting by a feisty exchange between Dane Barlow and Kentucky's Mark Rotz.

It begins with 18 seconds remaining in the game. Avery Dumont has just made a three-pointer to bring UK within two points, at 90-88. As Sebastian Roberts inbounds the ball to Barlow, the Villanova guard is trucked by Rotz. Dane immediately bounces up and confronts his opponent. Barlow is a solid 6'2", 200 pounds, but Rotz is eight inches taller and 78 pounds heavier.

The officials separate them, and Dane steps to the line to shoot two free throws. He makes the first, but the second bounces off the rim. Rotz grabs the rebound and, rather than giving the ball to a guard, begins to gallop up the court himself. Kentucky coach Brooks Runyan is out of timeouts, so he can only watch, his hands on his head, as Rotz runs amok.

Somehow, the big man with a 9 rating for Ballhandling manages to reach the Villanova end of the floor without losing his handle. This feat accomplished, Mark then decides to launch a three-point shot. Mark Rotz is rated 0, as in zero, for this skill.

The shot goes in. Rotz turns and taunts the Villanova bench, skipping sideways, a wild grin on his face, as he pretends to shoot an arrow. He then shakes three fingers in the general direction of Dane Barlow.

The score is now tied at 91, and seven seconds remain. That's enough time for a decent shot, and Graham Sims calls time out to plan his strategy.

Kentucky comes out in a full-court press. Zayden Calhoun passes the ball to Barlow, who slices through the press and leads a 3-on-2 break. Dane fakes a pass to Charlie Lambert, keeps the ball, and drives to the basket. His layup goes in with one second left.

Dane gets the last laugh, and we get the victory. Sebastian Roberts and Charlie Lambert play superbly once again.
Record: 4-0.




November 28, 2037
@#1 Villanova 110, Lipscomb 61

We shoot .625/.545/.783 as we take care of our visitors from Nashville.

Sebastian Roberts (20p/6r) leads a group of five players with at least 15 points. The others are Zayden Calhoun (17p/5r), Charlie Lambert (17p/4a/2s), Dane Barlow (15p/6a/4r/2s), and Luke Christensen (15p/2s). Demetrius Reed grabs 8 rebounds and rejects 4 shots.
Record: 5-0.
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Old 03-03-2024, 01:24 AM   #687
MoonlightGraham
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Join Date: Sep 2022
December 1, 2037

Let's take a look at Charlie Sutton, Vanderbilt's redshirt sophomore guard.

Code:
#3 SG Charlie Sutton - Vanderbilt - Sophomore -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Height: 6-6 Weight: 210 High School: Decatur Central High School Hometown: Indianapolis, IN Attributes: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Type INS JPS FTS 3PS HND PAS ORB DRB PSD PRD STL BLK QKN STR JMP STA -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Current: 58 74 84 87 58 40 20 25 20 36 33 16 58 43 41 74 2036: 52 67 82 80 50 34 17 22 17 32 29 15 58 40 40 69 2035: 50 64 79 77 47 32 16 21 16 30 27 14 57 37 39 64 2034: 46 58 73 71 41 28 14 19 14 27 24 12 57 31 38 53 Potential: C B A A B C D D D C C D Health: Good Scholarship: Yes Status: Active Roster Academics: 82

Charlie emerged from camp with an even deadlier jump shot, which is an especially dangerous weapon from long range. However, he's begun the season in a bit of a slump.
Code:
Stat Averages: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Season G GS MIN PTS ORE REB AST TO A/T STL BLK PF -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2036 35 35 28.1 17.9 1.1 3.6 2.1 2.7 0.80 0.5 0.2 2.8 2037 5 5 27.0 11.6 0.8 3.4 2.6 2.2 1.18 1.0 0.0 2.2 Career 40 40 28.0 17.2 1.1 3.6 2.2 2.6 1.18 0.6 0.2 2.7 Shooting Averages: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Season FGM FGA FG% FTM FTA FT% 3PM 3PA 3P% PPS +/- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2036 6.2 12.6 .491 2.2 2.5 .875 3.3 7.2 .464 1.42 4.83 2037 3.0 9.2 .326 3.6 4.6 .783 2.0 5.2 .385 1.26 6.20 Career 5.8 12.2 .475 2.4 2.8 .856 3.2 7.0 .457 1.41 5.00 Stat Totals: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Season G GS MIN PTS OREB REB AST TO STL BLK PF -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2036 35 35 984 628 39 125 75 94 19 8 98 2037 5 5 135 58 4 17 13 11 5 0 11 Career 40 40 1119 686 43 142 88 105 24 8 109 Shooting Totals -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Season FGM FGA FTM FTA 3PM 3PA +/- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2036 217 442 77 88 117 252 169 2037 15 46 18 23 10 26 31 Career 232 488 95 111 127 278 200

He's not shooting as often, and not nearly as accurately, as he did last year. The season is still young, however, and Charlie showed signs of breaking out in his last game, a 71-70 win at Georgia Tech. There, he scored a much more Suttonesque 20 points featuring 4-for-5 from three-point range.
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Old 03-03-2024, 01:32 AM   #688
MoonlightGraham
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December 1, 2037

Our recruiting class is now complete, as Forrest Curl gives us his commitment!

Forrest is a traditional big man with an added feature: an especially smooth jump shot that is accurate out to 18 feet. He also passes the ball very well; I can envision him taking the ball in the high post, finding an open shooter, and kicking the ball out to him for a catch-and-shoot three.

Forrest's signing gives us three high school All Americans among our four-man class. I'm looking forward to seeing how this talented quartet turns out, aren't you?

For some strange reason, there's another 5-star big man who doesn't have an offer! If I had a fifth scholarship, I'd offer it to Amir Kirk in a hot second.
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Old 03-04-2024, 10:19 AM   #689
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December 2, 2037
@#1 Villanova 103, Green Bay 75
Charlie Lambert's
career-high 31 points highlight a comfortable victory at Wawa Arena. Charlie also grabs 8 rebounds and blocks 6 shots.

Sebastian Roberts finishes with 24 points; Zayden Calhoun pitches in 14; Dane Barlow adds 12 points and 8 assists.
Record: 6-0.


December 5, 2037
#1 Villanova 71, @#5 Duke 39

A trip to Durham for a marquee matchup against the Blue Devils isn't nearly as interesting a game as we thought it would be. Duke scores only 14 points in the second half, as we pull away for an easy win.

Unless you like free throw shooting, there's very little to please a connoisseur of offense. The two teams combine to go 10-for-50 from three-point range.

There are a lot of rebounds to be had, and Charlie Lambert claims 16 of them. He also scores 19 points, blocks 5 shots, and makes 2 steals. Dane Barlow scores 12 points, and Seb Roberts scores 8 with 9 rebounds.

Things like this don't usually happen at Cameron Indoor Stadium.
Record: 7-0.


December 9, 2037
@#1 Villanova 98, Pennsylvania 44

We return home and rout the visiting Quakers, holding an opponent to less than 30% shooting for the second straight game.

Meanwhile, Zayden Calhoun leads a group of six Wildcats in double figures with 21 points, adding 5 rebounds and 5 assists for good measure. Zayden is joined by Dane Barlow (17p/5a), Sebastian Roberts (15p/12r/2b), Charlie Lambert (13p/8r), Luke Christensen (10p/5r) and Tony Flaherty (10p).

Demetrius Reed (7r/3b) and Erick Sullivan (5p/6r/2b in 14 minutes) also contribute meaningfully to a balanced, enjoyable victory.
Record: 8-0.


December 12, 2037
Code:
#1 Villanova 91, Notre Dame 88 --------------------------------------------------------- Notre Dame (3-4, 0-0): Player Pos Min Fgm-a Ftm-a Off Reb Ast PF Pts Jack Miller C 34 3-9 2-3 2 5 2 1 8 Ronnie Hodge PF 28 1-8 2-2 0 0 4 2 4 Coleman Burns SF 29 4-9 2-2 2 5 3 4 12 N. Heatherly SG 34 13-21 3-4 3 9 3 4 35 Rolland McCabe PG 22 2-3 3-4 0 2 3 4 8 Jeffery Rangel C 20 0-3 0-0 3 8 2 0 0 Jack DeRosa C 7 1-1 0-0 0 3 2 0 3 Pete Griffin PG 22 4-5 0-0 0 1 1 1 9 Jesus Boring SG 5 3-3 0-0 0 0 0 1 9 Turnovers: 16 (J.Miller 2, R.Hodge 2, C.Burns 4, N.Heatherly 4, R.McCabe 1, J.Rangel 1, P.Griffin 2) Blocked Shots: 3 (C.Burns 1, J.Rangel 1, J.DeRosa 1) Steals: 7 (C.Burns 3, N.Heatherly 4) 3P FGs: 14-18 (C.Burns 2-2, N.Heatherly 6-8, R.McCabe 1-2, J.DeRosa 1-1, P.Griffin 1-2, J.Boring 3-3) Villanova (9-0, 0-0): Player Pos Min Fgm-a Ftm-a Off Reb Ast PF Pts Demetrius Reed C 28 10-12 0-0 9 11 0 1 20 Sebastian Roberts PF 33 1-6 0-0 4 13 3 4 2 Charlie Lambert SF 34 9-22 2-2 2 10 1 1 24 Zayden Calhoun SG 22 1-4 3-4 0 0 2 3 5 Dane Barlow PG 29 5-12 2-3 1 2 10 3 16 Nick Spencer PG 21 3-5 0-0 1 1 3 0 6 Luke Christensen SF 13 4-6 3-5 0 2 1 1 11 Tony Flaherty SF 13 3-8 0-0 2 3 0 0 7 Erick Sullivan C 5 0-0 0-0 0 0 1 0 0 David Lovett SG 2 0-0 0-0 0 1 0 0 0 Jordi Ballester PF 1 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0 0 Turnovers: 13 (S.Roberts 1, C.Lambert 2, Z.Calhoun 2, D.Barlow 3, N.Spencer 2, L.Christensen 2, E.Sullivan 1) Blocked Shots: 8 (D.Reed 5, S.Roberts 2, C.Lambert 1) Steals: 9 (S.Roberts 1, C.Lambert 2, Z.Calhoun 1, N.Spencer 2, L.Christensen 1, T.Flaherty 2) 3P FGs: 9-29 (S.Roberts 0-1, C.Lambert 4-13, Z.Calhoun 0-1, D.Barlow 4-8, N.Spencer 0-2, L.Christensen 0-1, T.Flaherty 1-3) Player of Game: C Demetrius Reed (VLNV)
I hoped we'd get a stern challenge from Notre Dame when I scheduled them, and that's exactly what we get. The Fighting Irish are probably better than their record would indicate; their only bad loss came at the hands of Cleveland State, and they've beaten two ranked teams.

Senior Nathaniel Heatherly plays the game of his life against us, but we get a similar effort from big Demetrius Reed. Big D demonstrates offensive chops I hadn't seen from him before.

All three frontcourt players grab at least 10 rebounds for us, and Dane Barlow completes the guard's classic version of the double-double.

The last of Heatherly's 13 baskets brings Notre Dame to within a point of us in the final half-minute of the game, but Zayden Calhoun's two free throws secure the win for us.

Jesus Boring, a freshman guard who possesses one of the best names I've seen, makes the most of his 5 minutes of action, making a three every 100 seconds.
Record: 9-0.
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Old 03-05-2024, 09:33 AM   #690
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December 16, 2037
@#1 Villanova 105, Dartmouth 69

Another balanced, productive offensive display sees five players score between 12 and 22 points: Sebastian Roberts (22), Zayden Calhoun (18), Dane Barlow and Charlie Lambert (15 each), and reserve Nick Spencer (12).

Lambert (13r) and Roberts (12r) complete double-doubles. Erick Sullivan blocks 4 shots and scores 7 points in 12 minutes.
Record: 10-0.


December 20, 2037
#1 Villanova 89, @Virginia 51

We travel to Charlottesville for a matchup against the struggling 3-6 Cavaliers, and only add to their struggles.

Charlie Lambert's 21-point, 5-rebound, 5-block effort earns him a PotG. Sebastian Roberts adds another 20 point double-double (20p/12r). Dane Barlow (13p/9a) and Zayden Calhoun (13p/5a/3s) play well, and Demetrius Reed (8r/2b/3s) makes his presence felt defensively.
Record: 11-0.


December 27, 2037
Code:
#1 Villanova 118, Manhattan 70 --------------------------------------------------------- Manhattan (5-5, 0-0): Player Pos Min Fgm-a Ftm-a Off Reb Ast PF Pts Scott Duckworth C 19 2-5 2-2 0 2 2 4 6 Allen Rambo PF 27 3-4 1-4 4 9 0 1 7 Edmund Sitton SF 25 3-11 6-8 0 4 1 4 15 Chris Billups SG 26 0-7 0-0 0 1 1 2 0 Shelton Dolan PG 26 2-5 3-4 0 0 4 3 8 F. Neighbors PG 18 2-4 2-2 0 1 0 1 7 Philip Jolly PG 2 0-0 0-0 1 1 0 0 0 Pedro Propst PF 16 2-4 5-7 2 6 1 0 9 Erich Douglas PF 25 5-13 0-0 2 3 1 5 12 Jeffery Joyner SF 13 2-5 0-0 0 2 2 1 6 Richard Aponte C 3 0-1 0-0 0 1 1 0 0 Turnovers: 16 (S.Duckworth 2, A.Rambo 2, E.Sitton 1, C.Billups 3, S.Dolan 3, F.Neighbors 2, P.Propst 1, E.Douglas 2) Blocked Shots: 0 Steals: 4 (S.Duckworth 1, S.Dolan 1, P.Propst 2) 3P FGs: 9-28 (E.Sitton 3-9, C.Billups 0-4, S.Dolan 1-3, F.Neighbors 1-3, E.Douglas 2-5, J.Joyner 2-3, R.Aponte 0-1) Villanova (12-0, 0-0): Player Pos Min Fgm-a Ftm-a Off Reb Ast PF Pts Demetrius Reed C 23 1-2 0-0 2 7 2 4 2 Sebastian Roberts PF 27 7-14 10-13 1 10 5 3 25 Charlie Lambert SF 27 7-10 2-2 0 7 2 3 20 Zayden Calhoun SG 30 10-14 0-0 2 3 5 2 26 Dane Barlow PG 28 6-9 5-5 1 2 8 3 19 Nick Spencer PG 14 1-2 1-2 0 0 4 1 4 Luke Christensen SF 16 2-7 2-2 1 4 1 1 6 Tony Flaherty SF 16 5-6 0-0 3 7 2 0 11 Erick Sullivan C 9 1-3 2-2 1 1 2 2 5 David Lovett SG 2 0-2 0-0 1 1 0 0 0 Jordi Ballester PF 7 0-1 0-0 0 3 2 2 0 Turnovers: 8 (D.Reed 1, S.Roberts 1, C.Lambert 2, Z.Calhoun 1, L.Christensen 1, J.Ballester 2) Blocked Shots: 6 (D.Reed 2, C.Lambert 1, Z.Calhoun 1, L.Christensen 1, T.Flaherty 1) Steals: 10 (C.Lambert 2, Z.Calhoun 3, D.Barlow 2, N.Spencer 1, D.Lovett 1, J.Ballester 1) 3P FGs: 16-24 (S.Roberts 1-3, C.Lambert 4-6, Z.Calhoun 6-7, D.Barlow 2-3, N.Spencer 1-2, T.Flaherty 1-2, E.Sullivan 1-1) Player of Game: SG Zayden Calhoun (VLNV)
Zayden Calhoun shows us why he was one of the nation's top recruits as a high school senior, playing the best game of his young collegiate career.

It's the second-highest scoring game in school history, trailing only the 121 points we scored against Dartmouth in January 2036.

We're shooting .501/.414/.806 for the season, a pace I'd love to see us maintain (although I doubt we'll fare as well against Big East competition).
Record: 12-0.
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Old 03-05-2024, 09:33 AM   #691
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January 1, 2038

Sutton Watch: Vanderbilt (7-5) isn't off to its customary outstanding start, but Charlie Sutton's play has picked up considerably of late. He's shooting his way out of the slump that nagged him in November.
Code:
Stat Averages: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Season G GS MIN PTS ORE REB AST TO A/T STL BLK PF -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2036 35 35 28.1 17.9 1.1 3.6 2.1 2.7 0.80 0.5 0.2 2.8 2037 12 12 26.3 15.8 1.0 3.6 2.8 1.7 1.70 0.9 0.1 2.4 Career 47 47 27.7 17.4 1.1 3.6 2.3 2.4 1.70 0.6 0.2 2.7 Shooting Averages: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Season FGM FGA FG% FTM FTA FT% 3PM 3PA 3P% PPS +/- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2036 6.2 12.6 .491 2.2 2.5 .875 3.3 7.2 .464 1.42 4.83 2037 5.2 10.8 .481 2.6 3.1 .838 2.8 6.0 .472 1.47 6.92 Career 5.9 12.1 .489 2.3 2.7 .864 3.2 6.9 .466 1.43 5.36 Stat Totals: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Season G GS MIN PTS OREB REB AST TO STL BLK PF -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2036 35 35 984 628 39 125 75 94 19 8 98 2037 12 12 316 189 12 43 34 20 11 1 29 Career 47 47 1300 817 51 168 109 114 30 9 127 Shooting Totals -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Season FGM FGA FTM FTA 3PM 3PA +/- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2036 217 442 77 88 117 252 169 2037 62 129 31 37 34 72 83 Career 279 571 108 125 151 324 252

Charlie's points per shot mark this season is better than last season's, mainly because he's hitting threes at an even higher percentage. He's shooting a bit less, so his scoring average is a bit lower. Charlie is still one of the best players in one of the best conferences in the nation.

Last edited by MoonlightGraham : 03-05-2024 at 09:42 AM.
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Old 03-05-2024, 09:58 AM   #692
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January 2, 2038
Code:
#1 Villanova 113, Lafayette 72 --------------------------------------------------------- Lafayette (12-4, 0-0): Player Pos Min Fgm-a Ftm-a Off Reb Ast PF Pts Jalen Christian C 18 0-0 0-0 0 2 1 4 0 Q. Derryberry SF 23 4-6 2-2 0 0 3 2 10 Grant Pang SF 19 1-4 2-2 0 4 2 4 4 Charles Loy SG 33 5-17 5-5 2 3 2 3 17 Liam Harris PG 32 7-11 0-0 0 1 2 2 16 E. Leatherwood PF 23 3-8 0-2 1 2 2 4 6 Jon Jordan C 19 1-3 1-3 4 10 0 1 3 Hugo Adams PF 14 0-1 1-2 1 2 1 4 1 Josef Edmonds SG 18 3-8 8-10 1 2 2 2 15 Larry Molina C 1 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0 0 Turnovers: 14 (J.Christian 1, Q.Derryberry 2, G.Pang 1, C.Loy 3, L.Harris 3, H.Adams 2, J.Edmonds 2) Blocked Shots: 3 (J.Christian 1, Q.Derryberry 1, E.Leatherwood 1) Steals: 6 (C.Loy 2, J.Jordan 1, J.Edmonds 3) 3P FGs: 5-16 (C.Loy 2-8, L.Harris 2-3, J.Jordan 0-1, J.Edmonds 1-4) Villanova (13-0, 0-0): Player Pos Min Fgm-a Ftm-a Off Reb Ast PF Pts Demetrius Reed C 27 0-1 0-0 3 10 0 1 0 Sebastian Roberts PF 27 5-11 5-9 3 7 2 3 16 Charlie Lambert SF 31 8-15 8-8 4 8 2 1 28 Zayden Calhoun SG 24 5-8 2-5 3 6 1 3 15 Dane Barlow PG 20 5-8 0-0 1 2 1 4 15 Nick Spencer PG 24 4-7 4-4 0 2 6 1 14 Luke Christensen SF 16 4-7 4-4 1 2 3 2 13 Tony Flaherty SG 14 4-6 0-1 2 5 2 4 10 Erick Sullivan C 9 0-0 0-0 0 3 0 1 0 David Lovett SG 6 0-2 2-2 0 1 0 0 2 Jordi Ballester PF 4 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 1 0 Turnovers: 13 (D.Reed 2, S.Roberts 2, C.Lambert 4, Z.Calhoun 2, L.Christensen 1, T.Flaherty 1, J.Ballester 1) Blocked Shots: 6 (D.Reed 2, C.Lambert 2, T.Flaherty 1, E.Sullivan 1) Steals: 6 (S.Roberts 1, Z.Calhoun 1, N.Spencer 2, L.Christensen 1, T.Flaherty 1) 3P FGs: 18-34 (S.Roberts 1-3, C.Lambert 4-8, Z.Calhoun 3-5, D.Barlow 5-7, N.Spencer 2-3, L.Christensen 1-3, T.Flaherty 2-3, D.Lovett 0-2) Player of Game: SF Charlie Lambert (VLNV)
This year's Graham Sims Derby isn't much of a contest.

Every Wildcat who played more than 10 minutes scored at least 10 points except one: center Demetrius Reed. He got 10 rebounds instead. Big D also blocked more shots than he attempted, which I would think happens very rarely.

Charlie Lambert's return from academic suspension has been a successful one. I admit I sweated the January 1 email delivery, wondering if he would be sidelined again.

Two of the freshmen--David Lovett and Jordi Ballester--are unhappy. It's probably a lack of playing time that has them upset. I'm getting them into every game, but they're only playing a few minutes per game. Unfortunately, the rules of basketball restrict us to five players on the court at a time, and it's hard to make everyone happy.
Record: 13-0.

Code:
2037 Big East Conference Standings TEAM CW CL Pct W L Pct RPI Prestige ------------------------------------------------------------------ #3 Pittsburgh 1 0 1.000 13 1 .929 48 90 Syracuse 1 0 1.000 8 6 .571 141 74 #1 Villanova 0 0 .000 13 0 1.000 2 100 #12 Connecticut 0 0 .000 12 1 .923 7 77 #2 Boston College 0 0 .000 12 1 .923 14 100 #11 Georgetown 0 0 .000 11 2 .846 92 100 Providence 0 1 .000 8 6 .571 236 72 Seton Hall 0 0 .000 7 5 .583 214 55 St. John's 0 1 .000 6 9 .400 149 72
Oops...I forgot to print the Big East standings before two league games were played. All that means is that we're not on top of the list, but that's OK.

Our conference does have the top three teams in this week's poll, and the #4 and #5 teams--Louisville and West Virginia--were members of the "old," pre-realignment Big East.
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Old 03-05-2024, 02:41 PM   #693
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January 6, 2038
#1 Villanova 76, @#12 Connecticut 66

We pass our first Big East test with a victory at UConn.

Sebastian Roberts (21p/9r) and Zayden Calhoun (20p) lead the offense, with help from Charlie Lambert (14p/6r). Dane Barlow passes out 9 assists. Sebastian also becomes the newest member of our 1000-point club.

The Huskies' Jelani Obasie, a big man we recruited actively, posts a 12-point, 12-rebound double-double and adds 2 steals.
Record: 14-0 (1-0).


January 9, 2038
#1 Villanova 86, @#11 Georgetown 81

We make it two victories in a row against ranked teams on the road, fighting off a second-half comeback by the Hoyas.

Charlie Lambert wouldn't let us lose this game. He finishes with 27 points and 6 rebounds. Zayden Calhoun adds 17 more, including 9-for-11 from the line, and 3 steals. Seb Roberts contributes 11 points and 9 boards.

Georgetown drops to 0-2 in Big East play.
Record: 15-0 (2-0).


January 13, 2038
@#1 Villanova 82, Xavier 57

A break in the conference schedule sees the Musketeers visit Wawa Arena.

The offense is again keyed by Charlie Lambert (22p/8r) and Sebastian Roberts (19p/7r). A disruptive defensive effort features 12 blocks (Roberts has 3 and Lambert 6), and 3 steals from Dane Barlow.
Record: 16-0.


January 16, 2038
Code:
#1 Villanova 117, Providence 60 --------------------------------------------------------- Providence (8-9, 0-3): Player Pos Min Fgm-a Ftm-a Off Reb Ast PF Pts Andrew Smith C 27 2-9 0-0 1 3 0 3 4 Tommie Maxfield PF 18 1-1 0-0 1 5 0 4 2 Michale Strait SF 22 0-6 0-0 1 3 0 1 0 Barton Curcio SG 24 7-12 1-2 0 1 1 1 19 Joseph Roney PG 20 1-5 3-5 0 0 2 2 6 Charles Carmona SG 23 1-2 1-6 0 6 4 1 3 Jonas Trainor PG 10 1-2 1-2 0 0 1 0 4 Keenan Ober SF 19 4-9 2-2 1 2 4 3 13 Roger Turnbull SG 2 2-4 0-0 0 2 0 1 4 Jimmmy Sewell PF 24 1-7 0-0 3 3 1 3 2 Greg West PF 12 1-2 1-2 2 3 0 2 3 Turnovers: 16 (A.Smith 1, T.Maxfield 2, M.Strait 4, B.Curcio 2, J.Roney 3, C.Carmona 1, J.Trainor 1, K.Ober 1, G.West 1) Blocked Shots: 3 (A.Smith 2, J.Sewell 1) Steals: 4 (B.Curcio 2, J.Roney 1, C.Carmona 1) 3P FGs: 9-23 (M.Strait 0-1, B.Curcio 4-7, J.Roney 1-3, C.Carmona 0-1, J.Trainor 1-1, K.Ober 3-5, R.Turnbull 0-1, J.Sewell 0-3, G.West 0-1) Villanova (17-0, 3-0): Player Pos Min Fgm-a Ftm-a Off Reb Ast PF Pts Demetrius Reed C 27 2-3 3-3 2 10 2 1 7 Sebastian Roberts PF 30 6-10 9-11 2 12 6 1 21 Charlie Lambert SF 31 9-17 1-1 1 5 3 1 23 Zayden Calhoun SG 28 8-10 5-5 1 5 4 3 26 Dane Barlow PG 17 3-4 0-0 0 0 4 4 9 Nick Spencer PG 23 1-6 0-1 1 3 6 4 3 Luke Christensen SF 15 4-5 0-0 1 3 1 3 10 Tony Flaherty SG 14 7-8 1-2 1 3 2 1 15 David Lovett SG 2 0-1 2-2 1 1 0 1 2 Jordi Ballester PF 9 0-1 0-0 0 0 0 1 0 Erick Sullivan C 4 0-0 1-2 0 3 0 0 1 Turnovers: 10 (S.Roberts 3, C.Lambert 3, D.Barlow 1, L.Christensen 2, E.Sullivan 1) Blocked Shots: 7 (D.Reed 2, S.Roberts 2, C.Lambert 3) Steals: 11 (C.Lambert 1, Z.Calhoun 1, D.Barlow 3, N.Spencer 1, L.Christensen 2, T.Flaherty 3) 3P FGs: 15-26 (S.Roberts 0-1, C.Lambert 4-8, Z.Calhoun 5-6, D.Barlow 3-4, N.Spencer 1-5, L.Christensen 2-2) Player of Game: SG Zayden Calhoun (VLNV)
This satisfying performance deserves a box score.

Zayden Calhoun ties his career high with 26 points, knocking down 5 of 6 threes. We shoot 15-for-26 from behind the arc, and end with more steals than turnovers.

Seb Roberts misses his only three-point attempt tonight, but he's shooting almost 44 percent for the year. He's taken 39 of them, so the stat's not a fluke. Not many seven-footers can shoot like that, while also doing their job in the post. No wonder some experts think he'll be the first overall pick in the next pro draft.
Record: 17-0 (3-0).

Last edited by MoonlightGraham : 03-06-2024 at 10:08 AM.
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Old 03-06-2024, 10:08 AM   #694
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January 20, 2038
#1 Villanova 66, @Seton Hall 53

This game is different, an old-fashioned Big East rock fight. We demonstrate our ability to win ugly.

Sebastian Roberts (19p/9r), Zayden Calhoun (14p), and Charlie Lambert (14p/8r/2b/2s) score in double figures. Dane Barlow (7p/6a/0t) runs the offense efficiently. And everyone plays tight defense.
Record: 18-0 (4-0).


January 23, 2038
@#1 Villanova 92, St. John's 61

Charlie Lambert and Sebastian Roberts combine to shoot 17-for-26 from the floor and 10-11 from the line and score 49 points between them: 25 for Charlie and 24 for Seb.

Dane Barlow (12p/9a/3s) also plays well. Sebastian snags 13 rebounds and Charlie blocks 4 shots. Zayden Calhoun misses all 8 of his shots and fails to score, but hands out 7 assists.
Record: 19-0 (5-0).


January 27, 2038
Code:
#1 Villanova 89, #2 Boston College 80 --------------------------------------------------------- Boston College (17-3, 4-2): Player Pos Min Fgm-a Ftm-a Off Reb Ast PF Pts David Getty C 28 5-10 4-6 2 9 2 3 15 Mark Plourde PF 30 4-13 4-6 1 4 1 2 12 William Pittman SF 27 3-8 1-3 4 5 3 3 7 Damien Walz SG 31 4-9 2-2 0 2 0 2 13 Taylor Murray PG 32 4-6 4-4 1 2 9 1 15 Garret Slone C 16 1-4 0-0 2 2 1 0 2 Michael Smyth SF 14 2-5 2-2 0 2 2 5 8 Sandy Howells PG 8 1-1 1-1 0 0 1 1 3 Arkady Spiridonov PF 6 0-1 0-0 0 1 0 0 0 Lincoln Dickinson SF 6 2-3 0-0 0 0 0 0 5 Gary Fairfield SF 3 0-0 0-0 0 1 1 0 0 Turnovers: 10 (D.Getty 1, M.Plourde 2, W.Pittman 1, D.Walz 3, T.Murray 1, G.Slone 1, S.Howells 1) Blocked Shots: 8 (D.Getty 1, M.Plourde 3, G.Slone 3, S.Howells 1) Steals: 6 (D.Getty 1, W.Pittman 2, T.Murray 1, G.Slone 2) 3P FGs: 10-19 (D.Getty 1-1, W.Pittman 0-2, D.Walz 3-6, T.Murray 3-4, M.Smyth 2-4, L.Dickinson 1-2) Villanova (20-0, 6-0): Player Pos Min Fgm-a Ftm-a Off Reb Ast PF Pts Demetrius Reed C 31 2-3 0-0 5 15 2 3 4 Sebastian Roberts PF 31 8-11 3-7 2 9 4 3 21 Charlie Lambert SF 33 8-15 2-3 2 7 5 3 19 Zayden Calhoun SG 32 5-11 4-4 4 7 3 3 17 Dane Barlow PG 27 4-9 0-0 1 3 3 4 11 Nick Spencer PG 14 1-2 0-0 0 0 0 0 2 Luke Christensen SF 16 4-9 4-4 1 1 0 1 12 Tony Flaherty SG 13 1-5 0-0 1 2 1 3 3 David Lovett SG 1 0-0 0-0 0 0 1 1 0 Jordi Ballester PF 3 0-0 0-0 0 1 0 0 0 Turnovers: 16 (D.Reed 3, S.Roberts 2, C.Lambert 5, Z.Calhoun 2, D.Barlow 2, N.Spencer 1, T.Flaherty 1) Blocked Shots: 11 (D.Reed 2, C.Lambert 7, Z.Calhoun 2) Steals: 3 (C.Lambert 1, L.Christensen 1, T.Flaherty 1) 3P FGs: 10-26 (S.Roberts 2-2, C.Lambert 1-5, Z.Calhoun 3-7, D.Barlow 3-8, L.Christensen 0-3, T.Flaherty 1-1) Player of Game: PF Sebastian Roberts (VLNV)
Players come to schools like Villanova and Boston College to play in games like this one. Wawa Arena is packed, and the student section is spirited and loud.

Several names on the Eagles' roster are very familiar, because I recruited several of them. In the cases of David Getty and Taylor Murray, I spent quite a bit of money and time trying to get them to come to Villanova. And several of our players were recruited actively by BC, too. Having them in the Big East with us will be fun.

We have a major size advantage here. Getty is their tallest starter, and he's 6'9". Our bigs are both at least seven feet tall, and our three (Charlie Lambert) is 6'9" and protects the rim like he owns it.

Our rematch against Boston College is the last game of the regular season. I think both coaches have already circled it in red ink.
Record: 20-0 (6-0).


January 30, 2038
#1 Villanova 109, @Syracuse 84

Sebastian Roberts is very good at basketball. He demonstrates this once again tonight, scoring a career-high 31 points as we dismantle Syracuse at the Carrier Dome.

Seb adds 10 rebounds and 5 assists, and the pair of threes he shoots and makes raise his season mark to 24-for-48.

On most nights, Charlie Lambert would be an easy choice for PotG, with his 18 points, 11 rebounds, 5 blocks, 3 assists and 2 steals. But The Final Boss, as his creative teammate Dane Barlow now calls him, has to yield center stage to Roberts this time. Dane's 14 points and 10 assists are also noteworthy, as are Zayden Calhoun's 15 points and 5 boards.
Record: 21-0 (7-0).
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Old 03-06-2024, 10:29 AM   #695
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February 1, 2038

Code:
2037 Big East Conference Standings TEAM CW CL Pct W L Pct RPI Prestige ------------------------------------------------------------------- #1 Villanova 7 0 1.000 21 0 1.000 2 100 #3 Pittsburgh 6 1 .857 19 2 .905 22 90 #2 Boston College 5 2 .714 18 3 .857 3 100 #12 Georgetown 4 3 .571 15 5 .750 52 100 #19 Connecticut 2 5 .286 15 6 .714 10 77 Syracuse 2 5 .286 9 12 .429 150 74 Providence 2 5 .286 10 11 .476 194 72 Seton Hall 2 5 .286 9 11 .450 137 55 St. John's 2 6 .250 8 14 .364 104 72

What a fun league! The five ranked teams are all listed as Locks in the first edition of the Bubble Watch. We still have to play Pitt twice; we play there tonight, and at Wawa Arena on March 3.

Sutton Watch: Vanderbilt (14-7, 7-2) has been playing well lately, moving up to second place in the SEC behind Kentucky. Charlie Sutton's improved performance has been one reason why.
Code:
Stat Averages: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Season G GS MIN PTS ORE REB AST TO A/T STL BLK PF -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2036 35 35 28.1 17.9 1.1 3.6 2.1 2.7 0.80 0.5 0.2 2.8 2037 21 21 26.0 16.4 1.0 3.6 2.9 1.9 1.53 1.3 0.1 2.3 Career 56 56 27.3 17.4 1.1 3.6 2.4 2.4 1.53 0.8 0.2 2.6 Shooting Averages: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Season FGM FGA FG% FTM FTA FT% 3PM 3PA 3P% PPS +/- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2036 6.2 12.6 .491 2.2 2.5 .875 3.3 7.2 .464 1.42 4.83 2037 5.4 10.9 .500 2.8 3.5 .797 2.8 5.7 .483 1.51 6.81 Career 5.9 12.0 .494 2.4 2.9 .840 3.1 6.6 .470 1.45 5.57 Stat Totals: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Season G GS MIN PTS OREB REB AST TO STL BLK PF -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2036 35 35 984 628 39 125 75 94 19 8 98 2037 21 21 546 345 20 76 61 40 27 2 49 Career 56 56 1530 973 59 201 136 134 46 10 147 Shooting Totals -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Season FGM FGA FTM FTA 3PM 3PA +/- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2036 217 442 77 88 117 252 169 2037 114 228 59 74 58 120 143 Career 331 670 136 162 175 372 312

Charlie shot 52-for-99 during January (52.5%) and 24-for-48 on three-pointers (50.0%). He's among the SEC's leaders in scoring (6th), field goal percentage (6th) and three-point percentage (3rd). He's very close to the 1000-point plateau; at his current scoring pace, he'll reach it at LSU later this week.

His overall play is improving, too. His assist-to-turnover ratio is almost twice as good this season as it was as a freshman.

Vanderbilt fans will be delighted to learn that Charlie isn't listed among the top 50 professional prospects in his class. That means they're likely to enjoy his sharpshooting for two years after this one.
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Old 03-06-2024, 03:01 PM   #696
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February 1, 2038
Code:
#3 Pittsburgh 88, #1 Villanova 79 --------------------------------------------------------- Villanova (21-1, 7-1): Player Pos Min Fgm-a Ftm-a Off Reb Ast PF Pts Demetrius Reed C 21 2-4 1-1 0 5 2 4 5 Sebastian Roberts PF 34 9-16 5-7 4 8 3 2 24 Charlie Lambert SF 35 4-13 0-0 0 6 2 3 8 Zayden Calhoun SG 27 1-4 0-0 1 7 2 5 2 Dane Barlow PG 30 3-9 2-2 0 1 7 0 11 Nick Spencer PG 16 3-3 0-0 0 1 5 1 7 Luke Christensen SF 14 7-10 0-0 1 4 0 0 18 Tony Flaherty SF 15 2-3 0-0 0 1 4 0 4 Jordi Ballester PF 8 0-0 0-0 0 1 0 1 0 Turnovers: 16 (D.Reed 2, S.Roberts 1, C.Lambert 2, Z.Calhoun 5, D.Barlow 2, N.Spencer 2, L.Christensen 1, T.Flaherty 1) Blocked Shots: 4 (D.Reed 1, C.Lambert 3) Steals: 5 (C.Lambert 2, L.Christensen 1, T.Flaherty 2) 3P FGs: 9-29 (D.Reed 0-1, S.Roberts 1-3, C.Lambert 0-6, Z.Calhoun 0-2, D.Barlow 3-8, N.Spencer 1-1, L.Christensen 4-7, T.Flaherty 0-1) Pittsburgh (20-2, 7-1): Player Pos Min Fgm-a Ftm-a Off Reb Ast PF Pts Alonzo Hale C 25 7-14 2-5 1 3 0 5 16 Chris Hicks PF 28 5-8 0-0 3 7 4 2 11 Tyrese Russell SF 29 2-4 0-0 2 6 3 1 4 John Yarbrough SG 21 5-11 4-6 1 6 2 1 14 Jack Blankenship PG 35 6-13 1-2 1 7 8 2 15 Henry McGhee SG 24 5-11 2-2 1 2 1 2 16 Larry Carrasco SG 10 1-2 2-2 0 1 0 0 5 Victor Goble SF 1 1-1 2-2 0 0 0 0 5 Elden Anderson C 19 1-2 0-0 1 4 1 1 2 William Gordan PF 7 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0 0 Turnovers: 12 (A.Hale 2, C.Hicks 2, T.Russell 3, J.Blankenship 2, H.McGhee 2, E.Anderson 1) Blocked Shots: 6 (C.Hicks 3, T.Russell 1, J.Yarbrough 1, W.Gordan 1) Steals: 8 (A.Hale 1, C.Hicks 1, T.Russell 1, J.Yarbrough 1, J.Blankenship 3, H.McGhee 1) 3P FGs: 9-25 (C.Hicks 1-3, J.Yarbrough 0-3, J.Blankenship 2-7, H.McGhee 4-9, L.Carrasco 1-2, V.Goble 1-1) Player of Game: PG Jack Blankenship (PITT)
This outcome doesn't surprise me. If I'm coaching Pitt, I think of this game as one we have to win if we're as good as I think we are.

Tyrese Russell, whom I tried to lure to Villanova when he was a high school senior, does a very good job guarding Charlie Lambert. Tyrese is 6'8", 230 pounds, an excellent defender, and an insanely good athlete (97 Quickness, 77 Strength, 96 Jumping). And Jack Blankenship (like Russell, a four-year player whom we recruited) outplays our guards.

We get another very strong performance from Sebastian Roberts, and an exceptional effort from reserve Luke Christensen. We don't beat ourselves, and that's the best thing I can take away from this game.

We'll see the Panthers in March.
Record: 20-1 (7-1).


February 3, 2038
Code:
#1 Villanova 98, #12 Georgetown 90 ---------------------------------------------------------- Georgetown (15-6, 4-4): Player Pos Min Fgm-a Ftm-a Off Reb Ast PF Pts Brent Taylor C 25 2-4 0-0 0 5 2 3 4 Joshua Lee PF 32 7-14 0-0 1 9 0 2 14 Bernie Johnson SF 33 8-10 0-0 3 9 5 5 21 Ahmad Ashworth SG 32 7-17 2-2 0 1 1 3 20 Douglas Wilson PG 35 2-10 3-3 2 2 16 2 8 J. Sanders, Jr. PF 13 3-6 3-3 1 4 0 3 9 Jerry King C 9 1-2 0-0 1 1 0 0 3 Edgar Beck SF 18 4-7 0-0 0 4 2 1 11 Gus Dean PG 1 0-0 0-0 0 1 0 0 0 Turnovers: 19 (B.Taylor 3, J.Lee 1, B.Johnson 1, A.Ashworth 3, D.Wilson 7, J.Sanders, Jr. 1, E.Beck 3) Blocked Shots: 1 (E.Beck 1) Steals: 4 (J.Lee 1, B.Johnson 2, D.Wilson 1) 3P FGs: 14-31 (B.Johnson 5-5, A.Ashworth 4-10, D.Wilson 1-8, J.King 1-2, E.Beck 3-6) Villanova (22-1, 8-1): Player Pos Min Fgm-a Ftm-a Off Reb Ast PF Pts Demetrius Reed C 30 3-8 3-4 1 3 1 0 9 Sebastian Roberts PF 20 2-7 0-0 0 5 1 4 4 Charlie Lambert SF 32 6-10 4-5 2 11 0 1 18 Zayden Calhoun SG 27 6-10 3-3 1 5 2 3 17 Dane Barlow PG 31 6-14 2-4 0 1 8 1 16 Nick Spencer PG 17 1-2 0-0 1 1 6 0 2 Luke Christensen SF 15 4-9 2-2 2 2 0 0 11 Tony Flaherty SF 14 4-6 1-2 1 3 0 2 9 David Lovett SG 2 2-2 0-0 1 1 1 0 5 Jordi Ballester PF 11 1-3 0-2 2 7 0 0 2 Erick Sullivan C 1 2-2 1-1 0 0 0 0 5 Turnovers: 14 (S.Roberts 3, C.Lambert 4, Z.Calhoun 3, D.Barlow 2, N.Spencer 1, T.Flaherty 1) Blocked Shots: 7 (D.Reed 2, C.Lambert 3, Z.Calhoun 1, T.Flaherty 1) Steals: 9 (C.Lambert 2, Z.Calhoun 3, D.Barlow 1, N.Spencer 2, J.Ballester 1) 3P FGs: 8-28 (D.Reed 0-3, S.Roberts 0-1, C.Lambert 2-5, Z.Calhoun 2-3, D.Barlow 2-8, N.Spencer 0-1, L.Christensen 1-5, T.Flaherty 0-1, D.Lovett 1-1) Player of Game: SF Charlie Lambert (VLNV)
Let's post the box score from this one too, shall we?

We trail the Hoyas, 45-42, at the half, but the Wawa Center crowd sends the players to the locker room with a mighty roar of approval. We emerge from the break with an 11-2 run, punctuated by a dunk and a three from Charlie Lambert. Zayden Calhoun's three steals all come in the second half, as part of a robust defensive effort.

Sebastian Roberts endures a forgettable game, but his teammates have his back.
Record: 22-1 (8-1).


February 8, 2038
@#1 Villanova 79, #19 Connecticut 71

The Huskies put up a valiant fight at Wawa Arena, but Sebastian Roberts is more than the visitors can handle. Seb finishes with 26 points and 11 rebounds.

I'm surprised to see UConn play so much zone defense against us. All five of their starters are good defensive players. Big men Jelani Obasie and Matt Palermo are both very good post defenders, and the 7'1" Obasie has the size to match up with Sebastian.

Luke Christensen and Dane Barlow each score 12 points; they're the only other Wildcats in double figures.
Record: 23-1 (9-1).


February 10, 2038
#1 Villanova 88, @Providence 78

Sebastian Roberts adds to his credentials as a possible Big East Player of the Year with a 21-point, 17-rebound performance at Providence.

He leads a group of three double-figure scorers that also includes Charlie Lambert (20) and Luke Christensen (17 in 16 minutes). And Seb also leads a group of three double-figure rebounders, along with Lambert (10) and Demetrius Reed (12). Dane Barlow matches his 6.0 assists-per-game average perfectly.
Record: 24-1 (10-1).
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Old 03-09-2024, 08:03 PM   #697
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February 14, 2038
@#1 Villanova 100, Michigan 74

A brief interlude from the Big East campaign brings the Wolverines to Wawa Arena. Dane Barlow stars with a career-best 26 points and adds 9 assists.

Dane gets quality help from Charlie Lambert (22p/11r) and Demetrius Reed (7p/8r/3b). Our high point total is more the effect of our very fast pace. We take 79 shots, making 42; the other night, we attempted 81 against Providence. We're not accurate from three-point range (8-for-27).

Fun stat fact: All five starters finish with exactly four fouls.
Record: 25-1 (10-1).


February 17, 2038
#1 Villanova 90, @St. John's 53

Five of our players score in double figures, and all finish with totals divisible by five.

Charlie Lambert (20p/12r/2b) leads the way. Zayden Calhoun (15p/4a/3s), Sebastian Roberts (15p/8r/3b), Luke Christensen (15p), and Dane Barlow (10p/6a) follow. Demetrius Reed plays 27 minutes, grabs 9 rebounds, and misses his single field goal attempt.
Record: 26-1 (11-1).


February 24, 2038
@#1 Villanova 86, Syracuse 73

All three frontcourt starters grab at least 12 rebounds, part of a 52-39 advantage on the glass that helps us overcome our 36% shooting.

Charlie Lambert (24p/12r), Sebastian Roberts (19p/12r), and Demetrius Reed (2p/13r/3b) are active all night long. Big D again blocks more shots than he attempts. Nick Spencer contributes 10 points off the bench.
Record: 27-1 (12-1).


February 28, 2038
@#1 Villanova 65, Seton Hall 58

The Pirates focus their defensive efforts on containing Charlie Lambert, and it works well. Charlie takes only 9 shots (he averages over 13), making 2, and scoring 7 points. Fortunately, several of Charlie's teammates step up.

Zayden Calhoun leads us with 14 points, and grabs 8 boards. Sebastian Roberts finishes with a 12-point, 11-rebound double-double. Demetrius Reed, tired of being cast as a no-offense player, produces 10 points to go with his 10 rebounds.
Record: 28-1 (13-1).


Sutton Watch: I'll post Charlie Sutton's "hero card" at the end of the season, but I want to congratulate him for scoring his 1000th career point. He scored it at LSU on February 6, as I thought he might.

Charlie's Vanderbilt Commodores (18-11, 11-6) are looking forward to an NCAA tournament invitation.
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Old 03-09-2024, 10:29 PM   #698
MoonlightGraham
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Join Date: Sep 2022
March 3, 2038
Code:
#1 Villanova 71, #2 Pittsburgh 56 ---------------------------------------------------------- Pittsburgh (25-4, 12-3): Player Pos Min Fgm-a Ftm-a Off Reb Ast PF Pts Alonzo Hale C 32 6-14 5-6 6 14 1 4 17 Chris Hicks PF 31 3-5 0-0 5 10 1 1 7 Tyrese Russell SF 27 3-5 2-2 3 6 2 2 9 John Yarbrough SG 24 3-13 0-0 2 6 0 0 7 Jack Blankenship PG 35 2-17 0-0 1 4 7 4 6 Henry McGhee SF 20 2-7 2-2 1 4 1 2 7 Larry Carrasco SG 11 1-3 0-0 2 3 1 0 3 Victor Goble SF 2 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 1 0 Elden Anderson C 11 0-0 0-0 0 2 0 2 0 William Gordan PF 6 0-4 0-0 2 5 1 0 0 Turnovers: 19 (A.Hale 1, T.Russell 2, J.Yarbrough 3, J.Blankenship 5, H.McGhee 5, V.Goble 1, E.Anderson 2) Blocked Shots: 5 (A.Hale 1, C.Hicks 2, J.Yarbrough 1, E.Anderson 1) Steals: 4 (C.Hicks 1, T.Russell 1, J.Yarbrough 1, J.Blankenship 1) 3P FGs: 7-31 (A.Hale 0-1, C.Hicks 1-2, T.Russell 1-2, J.Yarbrough 1-7, J.Blankenship 2-12, H.McGhee 1-4, L.Carrasco 1-2, W.Gordan 0-1) Villanova (29-1, 14-1): Player Pos Min Fgm-a Ftm-a Off Reb Ast PF Pts Erick Sullivan C 21 2-4 1-1 0 3 0 4 6 Sebastian Roberts PF 33 8-16 6-9 0 6 3 2 24 Charlie Lambert SF 32 7-13 1-2 0 4 1 2 16 Zayden Calhoun SG 32 1-11 1-1 0 3 3 2 3 Dane Barlow PG 32 1-4 0-0 0 2 7 1 2 Demetrius Reed C 21 2-2 2-2 3 9 0 1 6 Nick Spencer PG 13 4-5 0-0 2 2 1 1 10 Luke Christensen SF 11 2-6 0-0 1 3 2 0 4 Tony Flaherty SG 3 0-0 0-0 0 1 0 0 0 Jordi Ballester PF 1 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0 0 Turnovers: 9 (S.Roberts 3, C.Lambert 2, Z.Calhoun 1, D.Barlow 1, N.Spencer 1, L.Christensen 1) Blocked Shots: 8 (E.Sullivan 3, S.Roberts 1, C.Lambert 1, D.Reed 2, N.Spencer 1) Steals: 8 (C.Lambert 2, Z.Calhoun 1, D.Barlow 2, D.Reed 1, L.Christensen 2) 3P FGs: 6-19 (E.Sullivan 1-2, S.Roberts 2-4, C.Lambert 1-5, Z.Calhoun 0-2, D.Barlow 0-2, N.Spencer 2-3, L.Christensen 0-1) Player of Game: PF Sebastian Roberts (VLNV)
We clinch the first championship of the reconfigured Big East Conference with a victory over Pitt in a contest between the top two teams in the polls.

It's Senior Night for Charlie Lambert and Erick Sullivan, and both men play well. Erick is as impactful as any walk-on I've ever coached, and he plays much more than "thank you" minutes in a game we have to win. He blocks almost as many shots per 30 minutes as Charlie does, and he displays his trademark skill 3 times tonight.

The Panthers' zone defense contains Zayden Calhoun and Dane Barlow very well, but Sebastian Roberts finds plenty of joy. I'm surprised Pitt coach Steven Bumgarner doesn't let Chris Hicks, one of the nation's best post defenders, guard Seb man-to-man.

We face one more very tough opponent, Boston College, on Saturday. But no matter what happens, we'll enter the conference tournament as its top seed.
Record: 29-1 (14-1).


March 6, 2038
@#5 Boston College 87, #1 Villanova 74

Taylor Murray scores 22 points and dishes out 11 assists to lead the Eagles in a successful defense of their home court.

They defend us well, and we shoot terribly: we're 23-for-67 overall, and a horrific 5-for-28 from three-point distance.

Sebastian Roberts finishes with 17 points and 7 rebounds. Charlie Lambert (12p/9r), Dane Barlow (16p/7a/2s), Demetrius Reed (7p/9a/6b), and Luke Christensen (12p/4s) also do noteworthy things.
Record: 29-2 (14-2).
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Old 03-09-2024, 11:04 PM   #699
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March 11, 2038

After tonight's play-in game, here's how the Big East tournament bracket looks:




March 12, 2038
Big East Tournament Quarterfinal
(1) #1 Villanova 85, (8) Seton Hall 57

We play much better than we did against the Pirates last month, and advance to the semifinals with relative ease.

Our opponents once again do a decent job of containing Charlie Lambert (13p/5r), but they have no answer for Sebastian Roberts (20p/11r). Seb scores 10 of his points at the free throw line, in 11 attempts. They have even more difficulty containing Zayden Calhoun, who scorches them for 24 points and grabs 9 boards. Luke Christensen scores 15 points, and Dane Barlow hands out 8 assists.

Graham Sims has coached his Villanova teams to 30 or more victories every year since he arrived on the Main Line. His last four Lafayette squads also won at least 30 games. so that means Coach Sims' streak extends to 16 consecutive seasons.
Record: 30-2.


March 13, 2038
Big East Tournament Semifinal

Code:
(1) #1 Villanova 106, (4) #9 Georgetown 73 --------------------------------------------------------- Georgetown (24-8, 11-5): Player Pos Min Fgm-a Ftm-a Off Reb Ast PF Pts Brent Taylor C 18 2-5 1-1 1 5 0 4 5 Joshua Lee PF 22 3-10 5-7 1 5 1 4 11 Edgar Beck SF 27 4-8 0-0 1 3 1 3 9 Bernie Johnson SG 24 2-3 0-1 1 2 2 3 5 Douglas Wilson PG 32 2-8 0-0 4 6 7 0 6 J. Sanders, Jr. PF 26 1-8 0-0 4 7 2 3 2 Josh Medley SG 20 6-10 2-2 2 5 0 1 17 Gus Dean PG 14 3-7 0-0 0 3 1 0 9 Jerry King C 15 3-5 1-2 0 4 2 0 9 Emmett West PF 2 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0 0 Turnovers: 20 (B.Taylor 2, J.Lee 3, E.Beck 6, B.Johnson 1, D.Wilson 3, J.Medley 4, J.King 1) Blocked Shots: 3 (B.Taylor 1, E.Beck 2) Steals: 3 (E.Beck 1, B.Johnson 1, G.Dean 1) 3P FGs: 12-24 (E.Beck 1-4, B.Johnson 1-2, D.Wilson 2-5, J.Medley 3-4, G.Dean 3-6, J.King 2-3) Villanova (31-2, 14-2): Player Pos Min Fgm-a Ftm-a Off Reb Ast PF Pts Demetrius Reed C 20 1-3 0-2 2 8 2 2 2 Sebastian Roberts PF 17 3-6 4-7 1 5 1 4 10 Charlie Lambert C 25 3-8 1-2 0 2 1 1 10 Zayden Calhoun SG 25 6-9 0-0 0 2 4 2 16 Dane Barlow PG 27 5-9 1-1 2 3 4 1 13 Nick Spencer PG 20 3-6 2-2 1 3 3 1 11 Luke Christensen SF 26 9-17 1-1 0 1 3 1 22 Tony Flaherty SG 11 3-5 4-4 2 3 0 0 10 David Lovett SG 1 0-1 0-0 0 0 0 0 0 Jordi Ballester PF 19 3-4 0-0 0 7 1 1 6 Erick Sullivan C 9 3-3 0-0 1 2 1 0 6 Turnovers: 6 (S.Roberts 2, Z.Calhoun 2, N.Spencer 1, E.Sullivan 1) Blocked Shots: 8 (D.Reed 3, S.Roberts 1, C.Lambert 2, N.Spencer 1, J.Ballester 1) Steals: 11 (C.Lambert 1, Z.Calhoun 3, D.Barlow 2, N.Spencer 1, L.Christensen 3, T.Flaherty 1) 3P FGs: 15-29 (S.Roberts 0-1, C.Lambert 3-6, Z.Calhoun 4-5, D.Barlow 2-6, N.Spencer 3-6, L.Christensen 3-4, D.Lovett 0-1) Player of Game: SF Luke Christensen (VLNV)
We roll into the final with a very satisfying victory over those Hoyas. It's 55-31 at halftime, and the Georgetown fans in attendance at Madison Square Garden start heading for the exits.

I don't think I've ever seen us finish with seven players in double figures.

James Sanders, Jr. is going to be a very good college player, but he goes up against grown men tonight in Seb Roberts, Erick Sullivan, Charlie Lambert, and Demetrius Reed. Big D is only a year older, but a year's worth of Big East battles matures a player quickly.

A rematch with Boston College awaits us.
Record: 31-2.


March 14, 2038
Big East Tournament Championship

Code:
(1) #1 Villanova 79, (2) #3 Boston College 74 --------------------------------------------------------- Boston College (28-5, 13-3): Player Pos Min Fgm-a Ftm-a Off Reb Ast PF Pts David Getty C 28 1-8 1-6 0 5 0 2 3 Mark Plourde PF 30 2-7 5-6 4 7 2 1 9 William Pittman SF 31 8-13 1-2 3 6 2 1 19 Damien Walz SG 29 6-7 0-0 3 7 1 2 16 Taylor Murray PG 32 5-13 2-2 0 2 7 5 14 Gary Fairfield PG 16 0-3 0-1 0 2 8 4 0 Garret Slone C 16 2-4 0-0 0 5 2 3 4 Michael Smyth SF 10 3-8 0-3 1 2 0 1 6 Sandy Howells SG 2 0-1 0-0 0 0 0 0 0 Arkady Spiridonov PF 6 1-3 0-0 2 4 0 0 3 Turnovers: 13 (D.Getty 2, M.Plourde 2, W.Pittman 1, D.Walz 3, T.Murray 3, G.Fairfield 1, G.Slone 1) Blocked Shots: 6 (D.Getty 1, M.Plourde 2, G.Slone 2, M.Smyth 1) Steals: 9 (W.Pittman 4, T.Murray 2, G.Fairfield 2, G.Slone 1) 3P FGs: 9-28 (D.Getty 0-3, W.Pittman 2-3, D.Walz 4-5, T.Murray 2-6, G.Fairfield 0-2, G.Slone 0-2, M.Smyth 0-3, S.Howells 0-1, A.Spiridonov 1-3) Villanova (32-2, 14-2): Player Pos Min Fgm-a Ftm-a Off Reb Ast PF Pts Demetrius Reed C 29 2-3 0-0 1 7 0 1 4 Sebastian Roberts PF 28 5-15 2-2 0 4 1 5 13 Charlie Lambert SF 30 5-11 0-0 2 9 1 5 13 Zayden Calhoun SG 33 8-11 2-4 3 8 3 1 23 Dane Barlow PG 31 3-7 5-6 1 3 5 3 12 Nick Spencer PG 12 2-2 2-2 0 0 2 1 7 Luke Christensen SF 16 1-7 2-2 2 6 3 4 4 Tony Flaherty SF 7 0-1 0-0 1 3 1 0 0 David Lovett SG 1 0-1 0-0 0 0 0 0 0 Jordi Ballester PF 9 1-3 1-2 1 2 0 0 3 Erick Sullivan C 3 0-1 0-0 0 2 0 0 0 Turnovers: 16 (D.Reed 2, S.Roberts 1, C.Lambert 4, Z.Calhoun 4, N.Spencer 1, L.Christensen 3, E.Sullivan 1) Blocked Shots: 5 (D.Reed 2, S.Roberts 1, C.Lambert 1, L.Christensen 1) Steals: 4 (S.Roberts 1, C.Lambert 1, Z.Calhoun 1, D.Barlow 1) 3P FGs: 11-23 (S.Roberts 1-2, C.Lambert 3-5, Z.Calhoun 5-8, D.Barlow 1-3, N.Spencer 1-1, L.Christensen 0-2, T.Flaherty 0-1, D.Lovett 0-1) Player of Game: SG Zayden Calhoun (VLNV)
The Wildcats defeat Boston College in a close game, winning the sixth Big East tournament championship of the Graham Sims era.

You could say we win it at the free throw line, where we go 14-for-18 to the Eagles 9-for-20. Our percentage is almost exactly equal to our nation's best .775 mark from the stripe. We also knock down almost half our three-pointers, giving us another edge that could mathematically ensure our victory.

Freshman Zayden Calhoun plays very well on a day when the Eagles handle our top scorers quite well.
Record: 32-2.
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Old 03-10-2024, 12:02 AM   #700
MoonlightGraham
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March 15, 2038
The Ides of March see us seeded first in the NCAA East Region. The other top seeds are Kentucky (West), Boston College (Midwest), and Louisville (South).


March 19, 2038
NCAA East Region, First Round
(1) #1 Villanova 106, (16) Albany 47

Two Wildcats achieve career highs in scoring as we muzzle the Great Danes.

Charlie Lambert drills 7 of 11 three-pointers en route to a 32-point game. Dane Barlow goes 6-for-9 behind the arc and finishes with 27.

Sebastian Roberts (15p/12r), Luke Christensen (12p/2s) and Demetrius Reed (0p/8r/3b) provide strong support.

I looked it up, and over the course of his career, Demetrius has blocked more of his opponents' shots (120) than he has made (111). Lafayette's Samuel Davis did that, too, and Big Sazzy's difference was even greater (403 blocks, 286 FGM).

Maybe true Blue Collar Men do this more often than I thought. Ezra Love only made 22 more shots than he blocked in his career, and he was the #1 pick in the pro draft.
Record: 33-2.


March 21, 2038
NCAA East Region, Second Round

Code:
(1) #1 Villanova 88, (8) Vanderbilt 84 --------------------------------------------------------- Vanderbilt (20-13, 12-6): Player Pos Min Fgm-a Ftm-a Off Reb Ast PF Pts Ramon Corcoran C 26 2-3 0-0 5 12 2 4 4 Justin Hui PF 23 2-6 0-0 0 2 1 5 4 Richard Bent SF 25 3-8 2-2 3 6 2 4 10 Charlie Sutton SG 28 9-16 1-2 0 5 2 2 26 Fletcher Watkins PG 27 4-9 3-5 0 2 7 3 11 Matthew Applegate SG 25 5-14 2-2 1 4 5 3 12 Paul Santana PG 7 1-2 0-0 0 0 1 0 2 Reuben Perez PF 15 3-3 1-2 2 5 0 4 7 Brady Joe PF 16 0-2 0-0 0 2 0 0 0 Edward Jones SF 7 3-4 0-0 0 0 1 0 8 Turnovers: 15 (R.Corcoran 3, J.Hui 1, R.Bent 2, C.Sutton 2, F.Watkins 1, M.Applegate 2, R.Perez 1, B.Joe 1, E.Jones 2) Blocked Shots: 4 (J.Hui 2, R.Bent 1, R.Perez 1) Steals: 3 (R.Corcoran 2, R.Bent 1) 3P FGs: 11-23 (R.Bent 2-2, C.Sutton 7-9, F.Watkins 0-4, M.Applegate 0-4, B.Joe 0-2, E.Jones 2-2) Villanova (34-2, 14-2): Player Pos Min Fgm-a Ftm-a Off Reb Ast PF Pts Demetrius Reed C 28 0-2 1-2 1 5 0 3 1 Sebastian Roberts PF 31 12-17 7-9 3 10 2 4 35 Charlie Lambert SF 32 2-6 3-3 1 7 3 1 8 Zayden Calhoun SG 30 5-9 2-3 3 6 4 3 14 Dane Barlow PG 30 3-8 0-0 0 2 6 3 8 Nick Spencer PG 12 0-3 1-2 0 1 0 0 1 Luke Christensen SF 17 3-11 2-2 1 4 3 4 9 Tony Flaherty SF 12 3-5 2-2 0 0 0 1 8 David Lovett SG 1 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0 0 Jordi Ballester PF 6 2-2 0-0 1 1 0 0 4 Turnovers: 14 (D.Reed 2, S.Roberts 5, C.Lambert 4, L.Christensen 2, T.Flaherty 1) Blocked Shots: 5 (D.Reed 1, C.Lambert 2, Z.Calhoun 1, T.Flaherty 1) Steals: 4 (C.Lambert 1, D.Barlow 1, N.Spencer 1, L.Christensen 1) 3P FGs: 10-27 (S.Roberts 4-5, C.Lambert 1-3, Z.Calhoun 2-5, D.Barlow 2-6, L.Christensen 1-6, T.Flaherty 0-2) Player of Game: PF Sebastian Roberts (VLNV)
Charlie Sutton nearly fires the Commodores to an upset, but Sebastian Roberts won't let that happen. Villanova's junior center scores a career-high 35 points to lead his team to victory.

The game is tied, 37-37 at halftime. Seb scores 22 of his points in the second period, and we need almost every one of them. In fact, Sutton nearly ties the score at 87 with 11 seconds left, but his shot kicks in and out. It's only one of two threes he'll miss.

Charlie's still had a heck of a season. I'll include a look at it in my year-end reports.
Record: 34-2.


March 26, 2038
NCAA East Region Semifinal: the Sweet Sixteen
(1) #1 Villanova 82, (4) #17 Kansas State 55

Dane Barlow authors a 16-point, 8-assist, 8-rebound performance to lead Villanova to the East Region final.

Zayden Calhoun scores 20 and rebounds 8, while Seb Roberts finishes with 14 points, 5 boards, and 2 steals.
Record: 35-2.


March 28, 2038
NCAA East Region Final: the Elite Eight
(1) #1 Villanova 102, (2) #6 West Virginia 91

We get the better of a former conference foe, with several Wildcats making crucial contributions.

Sebastian Roberts is named PotG on the strength of his 19 points, 11 rebounds, and 5 assists. Zayden Calhoun (20p/8r/3s) would have been another fine choice, as would Charlie Lambert (24p/5r). Dane Barlow (14p/7a) and Luke Christensen (13p) also perform well.

Rod Brinkman scores 30 points for the Mountaineers, and Jack Edwards adds 27. You might remember us recruiting Edwards three years ago. He's lived up to that #2 overall ranking.

We earn a spot in the Final Four once again. This is Graham's seventh trip to the Final Four at Villanova, and his ninth overall.
Record: 36-2.

Last edited by MoonlightGraham : 03-10-2024 at 12:05 AM.
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