College Hoops 2k8: A New Challenge

[hoopsguy]

Nice work on the run, EF. Do you think you have done enough at this point to pretty much assure you get the USC job when it comes open? Just how random is getting another high-prestige job that you want in this game?

[Eaglesfan27]

Jamie Dixon is still the coach at Pitt and I'm surprised to see he is only 58 years old. I never realized their coach was that young IRL. His carrer crecord is 481-207 and he is now 1 of the highest rated coaches in the game with an A+ in offense, teaching, Charisma, and Discipline. He has an A- in defense and a B+ in scouting.

[Eaglesfan27]

Originally Posted by hoopsguy

Nice work on the run, EF. Do you think you have done enough at this point to pretty much assure you get the USC job when it comes open? Just how random is getting another high-prestige job that you want in this game?

Last year I was the top choice of every big program that had an opening and I think that I will be again with this run. It seems like the coaching carousel is reasonably based with factors being the coaches' overall rating and their recent record. Since both are good, I think I'm good on that front.

One gripe that I am seeing is that while the game reasonably has top prospects interested in where a team has a hole, it doesn't readjust those recruits interest when 2 or 3 guys at the same position sign ahead of them earlier in the year. Hence, Pittsburgh's stocking of 5 incredible PG's all from the same class, or Duke likely stealing Leslie Wright from me despite signing a few other PG's already. Then again, I guess these big time kids could just figure they are going to beat whoever is there.. then again, you think a program would adjust their priorities after they got 2 or 3 great PG and start looking for a center. Still, I'm having too much fun with this game to let those gripes stop me from playing.

[Tellistto]

Nice run, EF27! Good luck against Pitt, they look like a really tough team but with your inside game it should be very interesting.

Tell

[Eaglesfan27]

Originally Posted by Tellistto

Nice run, EF27! Good luck against Pitt, they look like a really tough team but with your inside game it should be very interesting.

Tell

Thanks! I'm looking forward to finishing the season this weekend. Hopefully, we'll get 2 more wins. I think that if we can beat Pitt, we'll match up well against either of the other teams in the Final. No doubt that Sockwell will be the key.

[Eaglesfan27]

Such oddness. The Final 4 is in a very small arena in Albany NY (SEFCU Arena) that holds 5,000. I wonder how the game determines that.


Hmm, my coaching staff has switched Pardon in as the starter (presumably due to an injury return that I didn't notice.) I leave him in as he hits nice shots on our 2nd and 3rd trips down the floor. Sockwell had our first basket on a dunk after a nice feed by Chancler. We are up 6-3 with 17 minutes to go in the half.


16:39: Chancler has gotten his 2nd foul. Their SG has been tough for him to guard early.

16:18: Chancler and Pardon with a 2 on 1 fast break.. perfect alley-oop from Chancler to Pardon. 8-5.

15 minute mark: Pardon hits a 12 foot shot from the right baseline. We are up 12-8. One thing that worries me is they have managed to get 2 held balls on Sockwell already. They are playing at a very fast tempo at both ends of the floor.

13:31: Pardon gets a 2nd foul on Chadwick. Pardon misses the 1st FT and makes the 2nd. He has 9. We are up 13-11.

12:22: We are tied at 13 and our starters are tired. Goodman will lead the 2nd unit.

9:44: We are up 19-17. Bruce and Goodman have each hit a 3.

6:45: We are down 26-22. Maldonado has been fire and has hit 3 3's in a row. I get my starters back in the game, hopefully Chancler can slow him down without picking up a 3rd foul.

3 minutes: Sockwell has been forced into held balls twice, and they have stolen it several times more. They are doubling him faster and more efficiently than any team we have played before. Down 34-26. Pardon has gone cold, I bring Goodman in to finish the half (and start the 2nd half.)

Goodman takes a 3 right after he gets into the game.. and misses it.

Halftime: We are down 41-32. We are an abyssmal 2 of 10 from the arc. They are 4 of 8 from the arc.

They are shooting 50% from floor. They have forced 4 turnovers from Sockwell who along with Pardon leads our team with 9 points.

Maldonado leads their team with 14 points on 5 of 8 shooting. Chapman has 8 for them.


12 minute mark: We are down 58-45. Sockwell has been playing better (but has 2 more turnovers), however, Chapman is doing everything perfectly and has 18 points now. Our starters are tired and will get a break.

9 minute mark: I have to rush back my starters. They have hit 4 3's in a row and are now up 70-50.

5 minute mark: Sockwell has finally woken up on the defensive end and is all over the court.. We are down 74-62.

4:28: Chancler hits a pair of FT's to cut the lead to single digits. Down 74-65. He has also hit a few 3's in the 2nd half after shooting an 0'fer in the 1st half.

3 minute mark: We cut it to 8 before they hit 2 3's to make it a 14 point lead again Down 80-66.

Sockwell with another burst of scoring to cut the lead to 9, but time is running out. Down 84-75 with 1:22 to go.

27 seconds left: Goodman hits a 3 to cut the lead to 8. Down 89-81.

18 seconds left: Singleton hits a 3 to cut the lead to 6. Where was this 3 point shooting earlier?


We lose the game 93-84.


Chapman was the player of the game. The PF had 28 points, 13 boards, 3 assists, and a block. He shot 12 of 16, 4 of 5 from the line.

Maldonado had 22 points, 4 boards, 3 assists, and 4 steals for them. He shot 7 of 15, 3 of 6, 5 of 6.

They had a few guys with 9 points.



Sockwell led our team with 28 points, 6 boards, 2 assists, 1 steal, and 3 blocks. He also had a career "high" 8 turnovers. He shot 9 of 15, 0 of 0, and 10 of 10 from the line.

Chancler had 19 points, 4 boards, 4 assists, and 2 steals. He shot 5 of 14, 2 of 8, and 7 of 7.

Pardon had 10 points, 1 board, and 1 steal. He shot 3 of 9 (was 3 of 3 at one point), 0 of 1 from the arc, and 4 of 6 from the line.

Goodman had 10 points, 3 boards, 3 assists, and 1 steal. He shot 3 of 12, 3 of 7, and 1 of 2.

Singleton with 5 points, 4 assists, and 5 turnovers.

Gardner with 2 points, 4 boards, and a block.


Abram had 5 points and 2 boards. He shot 2 of 3.

Bruce had 3 points on 1 of 5 shooting.

Sutton had 2 points and 2 boards.

[Eaglesfan27]

Temple beat Rutgers 72-68 to advance to the National Championship Game.. I think they are going to get slaughtered by Pittsburgh...



Closer than expected, but Pittsburgh wins the National Championship Game 83-73. Pittsburgh was led by Chapman who had 31 points and 5 boards.




At least I get some consolation, J.R. Sockwell won NCAA Player of the Year!!! He averaged 22.9 ppg, 10.1 rpg, 2.2 apg, and 2.4 bpg.

He also won Defensive Player of the Year and Big Man of the Year!

Henry Goodman won NCAA Freshman of the Year! His final stats were 12.9 ppg, 2.9 rpg, and 1.2 apg.

Sockwell was also 1st team All-American and Goodman was 1st string All-Freshman team.


SR Artie Wise of Towson won Mid-Major Player of the Year. He averaged 28 ppg and 9 rpg.


The rest of the 1st team All-American Team:

PG Stevin Dixon of Marquette 19.5 ppg and 6.8 apg.

SG Landon Cottrill of Mississipi State averaged 22.9 ppg and 4.1 rpg.

SF Theodore Pettway of San Diego averaged 22.5 ppg and 8.5 rpg.

Chapman of Pitt with his 25.2 ppg and 7.2 rpg.


I was named ACC Coach of the Year. Sockwell of course won player of the year in the ACC and Goodman was ACC Freshman of the Year.


The All-ACC Team:

PG Harold Ainge, NCST averaged 17.6 ppg and 5 apg.

SG Hilton Boykin, GT averaged 13.4 ppg, 6.6 rpg, and 2.7 apg.

SF Dominick Vanttaja, Duke averaged 13.5 ppg, 5.5 rpg, and 2.8 apg.

PF Jerome Weaver, GT averaged 15.2 ppg, 6.3 rpg.

C Sockwell

Goodman was 2nd team All-ACC SF.

[Eaglesfan27]

My contract was renewed for 5 more years.

Singleton graduated and is not expected to be drafted. His final overall was a 85.

Chancler graduated and is expected to be a 1st round pick. His final overall in college was a 87.

Sockwell graduated and is expected to be a lottery pick. His final overall is 85.


Now onto the coaching carousel..

[hoopsguy]

Congrats on a really strong season. Hope that you get the result you are looking for in the offseason.

[Eaglesfan27]

Floyd is handing around for another year. However, I'm the top choice of every program out there. The top 5 all offering me their job:

Stanford (retired), Maryland (retired), Iowa (retired), Kentucky (retired), and South Florida (fired.)

I turn them all down. Stanford hires Middle Tennessee's Head Coach instead. Maryland hires Boise State's head coach. Iowa hires Jacksonville State's head coach. Kentucky hires Saint Mary's Head Coach. South Florida hires Gonzaga's head coach.


I keep my 2 assistants.


We don't get or lose any transfers.



Time for offseason recruiting.. will we get Leslie on the 1st day? He is almost certain to sign with one of us on the 1st day....

[Eaglesfan27]

Originally Posted by hoopsguy

Congrats on a really strong season. Hope that you get the result you are looking for in the offseason.

Thanks. Didn't get to go to USC, but I'll think I'll have a lot of fun playing with Goodman and Pardon (and the incoming freshmen.) I think our style is going to have to be much different this upcoming year. Of course, if it doesn't work, I might end up simming a part of the year.

[Eaglesfan27]

Darn! Leslie Wright went to Duke despite them already getting 2 great PG's.

We also lost out on our top two backup plans who went to Xavier and and Penn State.

A quick reminder on what we have gotten from the early signing period:

SG Arnaud Hollins is 6'3 175. He is the 34th rated player overall and 12th among SG's and is a 4 star player. He is from Chicago, IL. Our staff believes his biggest strengths will be his layup and stealing. As far as overall categories, they rate him highest in athleticism (A+), Defense (A-), and Potential (A-) He isn't lower than B- in any category.

SF Andrei Enzweiler is a 6'7 204 pound SF from Hampton, VA. He is ranked 56th overall and 9th among SF's and is a 4 star player. His biggest strengths are his dunking and 3 point shooting. In broad categories, they rate him highest in athleticism (A), shooting (A-), and IQ (B+.) He isn't lower than a B- in any category and is only that low in 1 (skill.)

We also got C Kennedy Christopher, a 6'11 224 pound center from Charlotte, NC. He is ranked 273rd overall and 27th among centers. He is a 3 star player. Our staff thinks his best individual attribute will be his "clutch" rating and dunking. His best broad category is size (A.) He is a B+ in several categories including Defense, IQ, and Potential.


Since Sutton and Baldwin are progressing, I don't feel I have to get a PG to replace Singleton so now I'm just looking for the best complimentary piece to round out this group..

[Eaglesfan27]

*salivates* A PG who had low interest in me earlier in the year, but I kept on my list as a backup plan is now very interested in us:

PG Myron Gooden is 6'3 211 and is from Detroit, MI. I always thought he was going to go to Michigan State, but they still haven't offered him a scholarship so he is very interested in us. We are the top 2 for him. He is a 4 star player who is ranked 35th overall and 15th among PG's. He didn't play in the ABL. Our staff believes his best attributes are his shoot off the dribble (which I'm convinced is the most important attribute for a perimeter shooter), clutch, and mid range shooting. Broad Category Ratings are:

Shooting A, Skills A+, Defense B+, Athleticism A- (he is a bit slower than I would like), Rebounding C+, IQ B-, Potential B+, and Size B-.


The other PG on the board who is also interested in us but seems to be much more interested in Michigan State is Wallace Udeogalanya. He is the 29th player overall and 10th among PG's. He is a 6'6 211 pound PG. He also didn't play in the ABL this year. His best individual attributes according to our staff are Handling and passing. He is slower than Myron. His broad categories:

Shooting A-, Skills B+, Defense B+, Athleticism B+, Rebounding C+, IQ A+, Potential B+, Size A-.


I decide to heavily pursue Myron and offer him a scholarship right away.

[Eaglesfan27]

During the 1st week, I invite both PG's to visit our campus.

I also start pursuing a 5 star PG who has slipped through the cracks apparently, maybe because of his size. He is 5'7 155 but he is the 8th ranked player in the country. Cliff English is from San Antonio, TX and most teams have dropped him from their list. The only 2 pursuing him now are Oklahoma State and Texas Tech. He averaged 10 ppg and 4 apg in the ABL. Our staff doesn't know much more about him yet, but I'm going to have them look into him.


After the 1st week of offfseason recruiting, Wallace signed with Michigan State. That was their last scholarship! Myron is just about ready to commit to us and we should be able to close the deal this upcoming week. Hopefully, our staff is right about that shoot off the dribble and midrange rating.. I fly out to his house to close the deal.



Myron commits to Wake after my visit with him. A very nice class. Should be fun to work the freshman into the lineup.


I spend the last few weeks working on some soon to be Seniors.

[Eaglesfan27]

Oh yeah, a lot of teams are now going after English since most of the local teams are out. His top choices are Seton Hall, Houston, and Maryland right now..

In the 2nd to last week, English chose to stay close to home. He signed with Houston over 2nd choice Maryland.

One interesting senior that I kept pursuing as a backup option is Marco Mulholland. He is a 4 star big SF who is considering walking on at Wake. Would be a great contributor to our team if he does so.


A look at the top 10 classes:

1. Georgia Tech - Got 4 5 star All Americans.
2. Duke - Got 3 5 star All Americans and 1 good 3 star player. Of course, the 5 star players are all at the same position, so that should knock them down in my opinion.
3. Pitt - Reloaded with 1 5 star player and 7 4 star players.
4. Arizona - Got 2 5 star players and 2 4 star players.
5. Xavier - Signed 1 5 star and 3 4 stars.
6. UCLA - Signed 2 5 stars and 2 3 stars.
7. Clemson - Signed 1 5 star and 2 4 stars.
8. Washington - Signed 2 5 star players.
9. Oregon - Signed 1 5 star and 2 4 stars.
10. Wake Forest! Our class is viewed very favorably despite not having any 5 stars.

[Eaglesfan27]

I don't touch our OOC schedule which has a few creampuffs, but also includes an appearance in the "Deodorant Classic", a ame hosting Pittsburgh on Christmas Eve, and a game at UConn a few days later.

I simulate the ABL due to inpatience again.


We start the regular season ranked 19th in the media poll.


We didn't get any walkons, but the freshman generally look good.. especially our last 1 signed!


Here is a look at the roster:

PG - I'm very happy with our top 3 choices, especially the top 2.


SR PG Colin Sutton has experience on his side, but he will be seriously pressed by the talented freshman we just signed. Sutton is 6'5 219, one of his best assets. He has also become a very good 3 point shooter (85.) His relative weaknesses are his handle and passing only being 85 and 83 respectively. He also lacks quickness but has good top end speed. He is rated 81 overall.

Freshamn PG Myron Gooden is the highest rated freshman I've ever had I believe. He is rated 79 in overall. As expected, he is very good at shooting off the dribble (86), is very good in midrange shooting (85), and is a good 3 point shooter (82.) What was unexpected is his speed which is a solid 92 and quickness 88. Both are equal or better than Sutton. Even more unexpected is his 88 handle and 92 passing! He is a poorer defender than sutton with a perimeter defense rating of 80. He'll push for the starting job. He is now 6'3 217.

SR PG Raitis Baldwin is the guy I feel sorry for. He was a good H.S. player who just hasn't gotten much of a chance here. He is now rated 79 overall. He is 6'2 191. He is the best 3 point shooter of the group with a rating of 86 and has a strong off the dribble of a 84. However, he is the slowest of the group, the worst defender, and the worst ball handler. He'll probably be relegated to spot duty.


SG - Bruce is a very highly rated player, but he has a funky shooting motion and he is small. The backups are disappointing - meaning one of the SF's may start here..


SR SG Damian Bruce is now the highest rated player on our team with an overall of 87. He has an 84 rating for 3 point shooting and shooting off the dribble. He has the best speed on the team at 93 but lacks quickness to take advantage (85.) He also has poor ball handling and passing (80 and 74 respectively.) He has great stamina, hustle, and durability which all inflate his overall rating. Tough choice on whether or not to start the senior..

SR Walkon SG Kory Watts has developed into a servicable player with an overall rating of 74. His best attribute is his speed (87) and ball handling (80.) Even though I'm disappointed with the freshman at his position, he'll only see spot duty.

FR SG Arnaud Hollins is disappointing enough that I'm considering redshirting him, but I have a bad feeling that would make him consider transferring, so I'll probably work him with the 2nd unit. He is 6'4 180 now and is rated 73 overall. Not a terrible rating for a freshman, just not as high as I expected/hoped. His speed is a 86 and quickness is a 87, not too bad for a SG but not good either. He doesn't have any strengths, but isn't terrible in any areas. He does have decent potential for improvement.


PG and SF are the two positions that excite me the most with this team:


SR SF Chakowby Pardon has worked hard during the offseason and is now rated 83 overall. He is 6'7 226. His best attributes are his 88 speed and 88 dunking. His quickness is only a 78. He is a good midrange shooter but is very inconsistent from the arc (70 rating.) I'm thinking that he will probably start at SF, but not if I don't start Goodman at SG...

SO SF Henry Goodman grew an inch and is now 6'8 227. He is a bit slower than Pardon with 83 speed, but has a quicker first step, also 83. He is a far better shooter (83 3 point shooting.) Perhaps, he'll start at SF and Pardon at SG..

FR SF Andrei Enzweiler is 6'7 214 now. He is rated 76 overall. He is slower than Goodman or Pardon, but he already a very good shooter (80 from 3 point land, 86 in traffic.) He is a below average defender, but he is above average in almost every offensive area. He'll be the primary backup at SF unless I abandon my plan to start one of the SF's at SG.

SR SF Teddy Henning is another guy I feel a bit bad for. He is a credible role player who doesn't get many minutes. He is now 6'8 225 and is rated 75 overall. His best attribute is his 80 3 point shooting.


We haven't gotten much production out of the PF slot the past year, I hope that changes a bit this year.

JR PF B.A. Gardner is the undisputed starter. He is 6'7 250 and is rated 79 overall. He is now a 96 close range shooter and has 88 in traffic shooting, so he is capable of scoring. He is a solid post defender and a good defensive rebounder.

SR PF Kurt Hicks was the primary backup last year. If the Goodman/Pardon to SG plan doesn't work, he'll lose out as I'll play one of them at PF instead a fair bit. Hicks is rated 76 overall and is 6'8 222. He doesn't excel in any area but he is slightly above average in most areas.


I'm most concerned about our centers.

SR Center Patrice Abram is the default starter. He is 6'11 272 and is rated 78 overall. He has 94 close shot, 95 shoot in traffic, and 91 strength, but his post offense rating is very low. Therefore, I don't expect him to be the scorer that Sockwell was. He isn't as dynamic in dunking either. He actually is a slightly better defender than Sockwell but is a much poorer shot blocker. He also is much slower.

Frehsman Kennedy Christopher could probably benefit from a redshirt year, but he is going to be our primary backup option. He is 6'11 226 now. He is rated 73 overall and doesn't excel in any area. He is a weak rebounder, particularly for a center and that is very concerning. He is a better shot blocker than Abram.

JR Walkon Center Reece Clifford is 6'11 250 and is rated 69 overall. He is the best rebounder of the 3, but he is weaker in every other area. He won't play unless one of them is injured.


With all of these seniors, I have 7 scholarships to offer this year..

[Eaglesfan27]

I decide to take a chance that he'll transfer and redshirt Hollins. I'll want Bruce to be at SG for the 2nd unit if I stick with my plans for Goodman/Pardon and if I don't, I'll want one of them at SG with the 2nd unit.

The tentative starting lineup for our first game is: Gooden, Pardon, Goodman, Gardner, and Abram. I'll think about that a bit more over the next hour or two.

[Eaglesfan27]

A brief summary of 6 guys that I have scholarships to so far, in order of overall ranking:

PG Abraham Guasco is the #1 recruit in the nation. He is a 6'3 187 pound PG from Huntsville, AL. Our chances of getting him are very long. His top 5 are: Georgia Tech, Maryland, Duke, Wake Forest, and Iowa. He is likely going to Georgia Tech. He is a guy who can shoot from anywhere on the court with great accuracy and has top level athleticism.

SG Sidiki Newby is a 6'4 185 pound player from Atlanta. He is the #4 player in the nation. Our changes of getting him are long, but not as long as on Guasco. His top 5 are Georgia Tech, Miami, Wake Forest, Pittsburgh, and Indiana and he is still open to all 5. He averaged 17 ppg in the ABL. He is very good in all phases of the game.

PF Rodney Smallwood is a 6'9 269 pound PF from Chesapeake, VA. He is the 12th ranked player in the nation. Our chances of getting him are also long. His top 5 are: Maryland, WVU, Duke, Georgia Tech, and Wake Forest. I'll be surprised if he doesn't go to either Maryland or WVU. He relies on superior athleticism.

SF Demetric Yeager is a 6'6 226 pound SF from Baltimore, MD. Our changes of getting him are fair. He is the 21st ranked player and would be our first 5 star recruit I believe. His top 5 are Rutgers, Duke, Wake Forest, Vanderbilt, and Georgia Tech with the top 3 being very even. He is a very good shooter.

PG Dedric Shannon is a 6'0 168 PG from Memphis, TN. He is the 27th ranked player in the nation. We have a good shot at getting him. He is a tremendous passer and shooter. His top 2 are Wake Forest and Alabama.

PF J.R. Vega is from Raleigh, NC. He is a 6'7 210 pound player. He averaged 12 ppg and 10 rpg in the ABL. He is the 55th ranked player in this class. He has 3 point range and is a fast player with good rebounding skill and tremendous leaping ability. We are his top choice. Tennessee and Clemson are also in the picture with Duke and North Carolina being long shots. I expect him to sign with us on the 1st day possible barring a last minute change of heart.




Our 1st game is against UNC Wilimington at our place. They are a weaker team with an overall rating of 77. Gooden and Pardon both need to shine or they could be demoted from the starting lineup in place of seniors.

Their only good players are SR SG Dexter Works and FR SG Eric Yeager. The rest of the lineup is all rated below 70.

[Eaglesfan27]

Goodman scored the first 6 points and Pardon has gotten 2 fouls on their starting SG already. We are up 6-0 with 18 minutes to go. Gooden has stolen it once as has Goodman.

15 minute mark: We are up 12-5. Goodman has 6 and Pardon has 3.

11:41: We are up 17-8. Abram just picked up his 2nd foul. I bring in the 2nd unit: Sutton, Bruce, Enzweiler, Hicks, and Christopher.

4 minute mark: Our 2nd unit played terrible defensively, but offensively they were unbelievable. Enzweiler put up 8 quick points and then started getting double teamed. He used that to find open men, particularly Bruce who with room to shoot was nailing everything. We are up 41-27 as they played a very high tempo 7 minutes.


21 seconds left: Abram picks up his 3rd foul.


Halftime: We are up 52-36.

Goodman, Bruce, and Enzweiler each have 11 points. Goodman is the player of the half with 11 points, 2 boards, and an assist. However, Enzweiler is just as impressive with 11 points, 1 board, and 3 assists (all to Bruce.)

Pardon has 7 points and 3 boards. He has backed his man down twice in the post. His man has scored 7, but I'm fairly sure that 4 of them were when Bruce was in the game.

The only one wasn't really impressive this first half was Gooden, but he did avoid any turnovers so that is good and he did score 4 points.


Gooden came to life in the 2nd half. He dropped 6 assists in 10 minutes (4 of them to Goodman) and also hit a few nice 3's.

9:49: We are up 80-48 as I pull my starters. We'll ask the bench to play very slow the rest of the way.

4 minutes left: We are up 83-58. I give Baldwin and Henning some time (Henning at PF for Hicks.)


We win the game 88-58. Nice start for the team this year.

Goodman is the player of the game with 22 points, 3 boards, 3 assists, and 1 steal. He shot 7 of 13, 2 of 5, and 6 of 6. He played 23 minutes.

A nice debut for Gooden who will definitely keep his starting role: He had 12 points, 8 assists, 2 boards, and 2 steals. He only had 1 turnover. He shot 4 of 9, 2 of 5, and 2 of 2. All of the starters only played 23 minutes.

Pardon with 11 points and 4 boards on 5 of 7 shooting, 0 of 0, and 1 of 2. He mostly posted his man up when the opportunity was there.

Gardner with 7 points, 5 boards, 1 assist, and 1 steal. Most of his points came on some fast break baskets that he had. He shot 3 of 5, 0 of 1, and 1 of 1.

Abram with 5 points, 11 boards, 1 assist, and 1 block. He shot 2 of 3 including a very nice offensive rebound that led to a dunk.

Enzweiler led the bench with 15 points, 2 boards, 5 assists, 1 steal and 0 turnovers. He shot 4 of 7, 0 of 1, and 7 of 8. He played 17 minutes.

In 17 minutes, Bruce had 14 points, 5 boards, and 1 steal. He shot 5 of 10, 3 of 4, and 1 of 2. His one 3 that missed was blocked.

Sutton with 0 points, 1 board, and 1 assist in 13 minutes.

Baldwin with 0 of 2 shooting in his 4 minutes. No stats.

Hicks with 2 points and 1 assist in 13 minutes.

Christopher in his debut had 0 points, 7 boards, and 1 assist. He played 17 minutes.

Henning didn't shoot in his 4 minutes No stats.

[Eaglesfan27]

The creampuff win costs us 2 spots in the media poll where are now 21st. We aren't ranked in the coaches' poll.

USC is 3-0 and 17th in both polls. They have a great backcourt and wing players.


Bruce has already improved to an overall of 88.


Our 1st game in the preseason tourney is against Iona who have an overall roster rating of 72. Their top player is SR SG Ola Mikalauskas who is rated 72 overall. The rest of their starting lineup is in the high 60's with the bench all being in the low 60's.

Niagara is back to having mostly mediocre players. Tehir best player is SF Kory Meade who has an overall of 76. They do have a massive center at least who is 7'2 241.


I'll get back to this dynasty later tonight or tomorrow, but now I'm going to start a mini-dynasty following the NBA careers of Simmons, Sockwell, Peterson, and others in NBA 2k8.

[Eaglesfan27]

14 minute mark: Tied at 10, Pardon has 8 points (6 on 2 3's) but has just gotten his 2nd foul. Bruce will work with the starters for a minute or two.

12:33: Gardner gets his 2nd foul. I bring in the rest of the 2nd unit. We are tied at 12.

5:45: We are up 20-19. My starters return with Bruce remaining at SG.


Gooden took over the last 6 minutes. He hit a few outside shots and really opened room to drive.


Halftime: We are up 39-26.


Goodman is the player of the half with 9 points, 2 boards, 2 assists, and 2 steals. He has shot 2 of 6, 1 of 2, and 4 of 5 so far.

Gooden has 8 points and 4 assists.


Their big center, Szatko, is keeping them in the game with 12 points, 5 boards, and 2 blocks.


18:28: Pardon picks up his 3rd foul (on a good hustle play in which he was called for over the back) but will remain in the game for now.

18:10: Gardner picks up his 3rd foul on a ticky tack reach in.

9:32: Goodman with a steal, a pass to Gooden, 2 on break with Pardon.. he throws a perfect alley-oop to Pardon who slams it home! That is Gooden's 10th assist of the game which ties Singleton's career high. Great 2nd game for the frosh. He also has 15 points which is I think was also Singleton's career high. We are up 67-41. I'll pull my starters at the next dead ball.

8:31: Goodman and Szatko collide... a player is down.. it is Szatko holding his knee. I get all of my starters out of the game.

I was hoping to hold them under 50, but with 4 minutes left they hit 50.


We win the game 77-54.

Goodman wins player of the game with 19 points, 2 boards, 2 assists, and 4 steals. He shot 5 of 9, 3 of 4, and 6 of 9.

Gooden with 15 points, 10 assists, 1 board, and only 1 turnover. He shot 4 of 9, 1 of 4, and 6 of 7.

Pardon with 13 points, 2 boards, 2 assists, and 1 steal. He shot 3 of 3, 2 of 2, and 5 of 5.

Gardner with 2 points, 6 boards, 2 assists, and 1 block. He shot 1 of 4.

Abram with 10 points, 6 boards, and 3 blocks. He shot 5 of 8.

Pardon only played 16 minutes. The rest of the starters played 24.


Enzweiler led the bench with 10 points, 5 boards, 2 assists, and 1 steal in 16 minutes. He shot 3 of 7, 1 of 3, and 3 of 5.

Bruce had 4 points on 2 of 8 shooting.

Sutton and Christopher each had 2 points. Sutton had 2 assists and Christopher had 3 boards.

[Eaglesfan27]

Our next game is against Georgia in the preseason tourney. Their overall roster strength is 82. We beat them in the simulated game 84-58. Goodman led our team with 21 points, 9 boards, and 1 steal. He shot 5 of 11, 2 of 5, and 9 of 10. Gooden had 10 points and 5 assists. Pardon had 12 points, 5 boards, and a block. Bruce had 18 off the bench.

In the Deodorant Class Final, we will face DePaul. They are 9th in the media poll and 10th in the coaches' poll. They are 3-0. They have a slightly better roster rating with a 90. Ours is now 88.

Goodman and Abram both suffered minor injuries in our last game but will play. Goodman has a sprained toe. Abram has patellar tendonitis. DePaul's roster is completely healthy.

SR PG Ian Wilkerson is actually a 6'6 252 pound SG who starts at the point for them. He has remarkable speed and quickness for such a big man (90, 88.) He is a good ball handler and passer (81 for both) and is a strong perimeter defender (90.) He is a decent shooter. He is averaging 8 ppg and 7 apg.

SR SG Billy Couisnard is a 6'5 218 pound player who is quick, strong, and a good defender. He also is a good 3 point shooter (80.) He is rated 80 overall.

SR SF Edwin Kemp will be a tough challenge for Goodman. He is 6'6 218 and is rated 86 overall. He has a definite speed and quickness advantage over Goodman and is just as good of a shooter from the arc and midrange. He is a very good rebounder as well.

SO PF Robby Ray is a 6'9 224 pound player who was the 21st player in his class. He is very athletic PF who is developing the rest of this game. He uses his athleticism to great effect at both ends of the court. He is averaging 8 ppg, 8 rpg, and 2 bpg.

SR C Quannas Whitehead is their 7'0 244 pound center who gave us problems in the past. Now, he is rated 80 overall and should be a big load for Abram. He is a dominant rebounder and a decent inside scorer who mainly relies on his size. He is averaging 13 ppg and 10 rpg.

The bench is led by:

SF Austin Lett, a 6'7 210 pound wing player with great athleticism who is rated 84 overall.

PF Josiah Lindeman, a 6'9 245 pound PF who is rated 82 overall. He is a great rebounder.

JR SF Eduardo Doss, a 6'7 248 pound wing player who relies on his combination of size and speed. He is rated 82 overall.

SF Alan Hancock, a 6'6 207 pound player who is rated 80 overall.

[Eaglesfan27]

I'm so used to seeing Sockwell win EVERY tip, that it was a surprise to see Whitehead win the tip this game.


An unbelievable start to the game for us. First play that we have it, Goodman gets the ball in the post, they double him, he kicks it out to Gooden for an open 3. Next 3 possessions, Gooden plays pick and roll basketball with Abram, Whitehead does a terrible job of responding, and Gooden gets passes off to Goodman for 2 3's and then Pardon for a 3.

15 minute mark: We are up 14-6.

11:27: Goodman draws a 2nd foul on Whitehead with a strong drive into the lane. We are up 22-15.

9:58: I rest my starters who are very tired. We are up 26-20.

5 minutes: We are up 33-29 as my starters return to the game.

1:58: Goodman was just dunked on by Doss. Goodman picked up his 2nd foul on the play and Doss made the FT. Up 38-34.


Halftime: We are up 38-36.

We are shooting 7 of 14 from the arc.


Goodman is the player of the half with 13 points, 2 boards, 2 assists, and 1 steal. He has shot 4 of 8, 3 of 6, and 2 of 2.

Gooden has 10 points and 5 assists at the half.


14:27: Abram picks up his 3rd foul. He'll stay in. We are up 48-44.

11 minutes left: My starters, particularly Goodman, are very tired. We are up 51-47 as the 2nd unit takes the floor.

6:23: We are down 56-53 as my starters return to the game, a bit earlier than I wanted them to.

3:22: Wilkerson hit a 3 to put them up 62-57, but Goodman responds with a 3 right away. 62-60.

Kemp hits a 3 and then Gooden has a rare errant pass that is stolen. We foul them on the breakaway. They hit both FT's. Down 67-60.

Despite being tired, Goodman hits another quick 3. 2:19 left as we are down 67-63.

Pardon with a steal.. throws it ahead to Goodman who is fouled on a dunk attempt.. he goes down hard.. but gets right up. He hits 1 of 2.


They try to throw it inside the Whitehead quickly.. quick shot.. he misses.. nice outlet to Gooden.. 2 on 1 with Pardon... Gooden to Pardon for the slam! Down 67-66 with 1:40 to go.


Pick and roll.. Whitehead out at the 3 point line.. we leave him.. he nails the 3!

47 seconds left: Gooden to Pardon the baseline.. he nails the 12 footer. Down 70-68.

37 seconds left: We were gambling and we get beat by a baseline cut.. Kemp dunks it.

27 seconds left: Gooden gets a screen.. he hits the 3! We intentionally foul Wilkerson. He hits both FT's. Down 74-71.

12 seconds left: Gooden passes to Goodman.. they double him.. he kicks out to an open Gooden.. he misses the 3. We foul Whitehead.. he hits the FT's.

Gooden misses a 3 that wasn't really a good look. Ball game. Good effort from our guys.

We lose the game 77-71.

Kemp was the player of the game with 12 points, 6 boards, 3 assists, and a block.

However, all 3 of my big stars had better games. They just had a ton of guys with 10 or 12 points.


Gooden breaks Singleton's career marks with 18 points, 11 assists, 2 boards, and 1 turnover. He is going to be a great point guard one day. He is already very good. He shot 5 of 12, 4 of 7, and 4 of 5.

Pardon had 19 points, 3 boards, 1 assist, and 1 steal. He shot 7 of 11, 3 of 6, and 2 of 2. Just as importantly, he held Couisnard to 6 points on 3 of 9 shooting.

Goodman with 22 points, 3 boards, 3 assists, 1 steal, and 1 block. He shot 7 of 14, 5 of 10, and 3 of 4.

Gardner with 0 points, 10 boards, and a block. He shot 0 of 5.

Abram with 3 points, 6 boards, and a block. He shot 1 of 3 and 1 of 2 from the line.

Enzwiler led th ebench with 4 points, 2 boards, and a steal. He was 1 of 5.

Bruce had 3 and Sutton had 2.

[Eaglesfan27]

I'm really anxious to see what recruits (if any) sign with us early, and I probably won't get to play any more games until tonight (and maybe not then), so I decide to sim my 5th game instead of my 6th.

We are at a 2-2 Wisconsin team that has an overall roster strength of 82.

We win the simulated game 73-60. Pardon led the team with 17 points, 8 boards, and a block. Goodman had 11 points and 4 boards. Gooden only had 1 point but he had 6 assists. Bruce led the bench with 15 points.


Now to see what recruits we get the 1st day of the early signing period...

[Eaglesfan27]

It's mostly bad news, but I did get my first All-American 5 star player!

Demetric Yeager from Baltimore, MD signed with us! He is a 6'6 226 pound SF who is ranked 21st in the nation and 4th among SF's. His best attribute is A+ potential. Our staff believes right now he is already an excellent midrange shooter. His overall grades are: Shooting B+, Skills B, Defense B, Athleticism A-, Rebounding B, IQ A-, Potential A+, and Size B. If our scouting guru is right about his potential, he should be huge for us. He averaged 12 ppg, 7 rpg, 2 apg, and 1 spg in the ABL. He shot 35% from the field and 36% from the arc.


We also got J.R. Vega, the 6'7 210 pound PF from Raleigh, NC. He is ranked 55th overall and 8th among PF's. His best attributes (on a relative scale for a PF) are Speed, 3 point shooting, and leaping ability. His overall grades are: Shooting B, Skills B-, Defense B, Athleticism B+, Rebounding A, IQ A-, Potential B+, and Size B+.

We lose out on Guasco. The #1 player in the nation signed with Georgia Tech.

Newby, the #4 player in the nation from Atlanta, is still in play and is considering our offer as well as an offer from Georgia Tech.

Smallwood, the big talented PF who was ranked 12th in the nation, signed with Maryland.

We lost Dedric Shannon, the #27 player in the nation and 12th PG, to Alabama.


Not a bad initial result.

[Eaglesfan27]

With the result of recruitig, I offer a few backup plans a scholarship:

PG Daon Grimes is a 6'1 186 pound JC FR PG from East Rutherford, NJ who is a 5 star recruit. He is supposed to be very good in all phases of the game with A Potential. His top 3 choices are UMass, Fordham, and Wake Forest. Maryland and Duke are also in the picture, but distant 4th and 5th choices.

I also offer PG/SG Darcel Lloyd from Houston, TX. He is 6'5 195 and is officially a PG, but he has the skills of a SG. He is supposed to be a very good shooter and an extremely fast player. He is a 4 star who is ranked 35th overall. We are a long shot for him. His top choices are LSU and Texas A&M.

I also go against one of my usual recruiting rules and go after Leslie Stapleton. I generally don't go after guys who are below 60% initial interest, but Leslie Stapleton has no clear leader and he is the #1 center in the nation (88th overall player.) He is 6'9 227 and is from Paterson, NJ. His top choices are Uconn, Fairfield, Georgetown, and and YSU (?)

I also try a player who goes against my other rule, don't try to recruit cross country. Artie Murray is a 6'5 205 pound JC FR SG from San Jose, CA. His top schools are Oregon, Wake Forst, Cal, Stanford, and Washington.


Our next game is at SMU. They are 4-1. They have a surprisingly tough team with an overall roster rating of 88. Their starting 5 are all veterans:

SR PG Stewart Danelius is rated 78 overall. He is 6'2 194 and is a very good 3 point shooter. He is a quick player with good defensive skills. His passing and ball handling are subpar for a PG.

JR SG Kenneth Bouldin is rated 76 overall. He is a decent 3 point shooter and has very good top end speed but a slow first step.

JR SF Matt Thomasson is rated 76 overall. He is 6'6 211 and doesn't excel in any area, but is above average in most areas.

JR PF Mitch Mullins is rated 84 overall. He is 6'11 254 and is quick, strong, and is the best shot blocker I've seen in the game. Fortunately, we'll be shooting from outside most of the game. He is part of the reason they are holding teams to 58 ppg.

SR C Perry Minor is rated 86 overall. He is a 6'8 221 pound player who is extremely mobile and much faster than Abram. He is also a very good low post player despite his size and is a great dunker. He has very little range outside the paint.

The bench only has 2 quality players:

FR SG Damarcus Rice is a 6'5 213 pound player with good 3 point shooting. He is rated 76 overall.

FR PF Lee Hudson is a 6'7 208 pound player who is a good defender. He is rated 74 overall and is bad offensively.


After this game, we'll see the end of the early recruiting period. I don't think I'll get any more guys, but I might be surprised.

[Eaglesfan27]

Their defense really is very good. Tied at 5 with 15 minutes to go.

Down 12-7 with 10 minutes to go. Our 2nd unit comes in.

6 minutes: Both sides are scoring much easier against the 2nd units. They have their starters back, so I bring mine back. Down 20-17. Bruce and Enzweiler did most of the scoring for us.


5 minutes left: Pardon picks up his 2nd foul after a nice crossover by their SG. Down 23-17.


Halftime: We are down 31-28.

Goodman is having a very tough 1st half, but he keeps shooting and he did hit his first shot of the game just before halftime. He is also doing the small things including rebounding.

Thomasson has 6 points against Goodman and 9 overall. He is the player of the half. He also has 5 boards and an assist.

Pardon leads our team with 9 points. He is the only player shooting well so we'll get him the ball much more in the 2nd half.

Goodman is 1 of 8 from the field for 3 points.

Gooden has 6 points.



In the first 10 seconds of the 2nd half, Minor gets a 4th foul on Abram. Christopher will come into the game at C.

11:58: They are on a 8-0 run. Down 51-40. I call timeout and get our 2nd unit with Abram in there.

10 minutes: Bruce has been our main weapon on the 2nd unit and he is fouled hard here and goes down holding his knee. Baldwin comes in at PG and Sutton slides over to SG.

8 minutes left: Abram with an over the back foul and he fouls out. Christopher returns to the game. Down 60-48.

6 minutes left: They go on a 8-0 run. Down 68-48 as I bring back our starters to make one last run..

4 minutes left: We cut it to 72-59. Goodman is suddenly on fire with great dribble moves to get into the lane. They just called timeout and brought back their starters.

3:45: Gooden with a steal and a quick 3. 72-62.

3:12: Goodman with a steal and a breakaway dunk. 72-64.

They respond with a 3, Goodman misses a 3, and they hit another 3. Both by Thomasson. We try to rush, but we can't close the gap quick enough even with Gooden hitting 2 3's in a row.



We lose the game 82-74.



Thomasson was the player of the game with 19 points, 7 boards, 2 assists, and 2 steals.

Mullins really hurt us with 17 points, 8 boards, and 2 blocks.


Gooden led our team in scoring with 17 points but only had 3 assists as guys failed to finish plays or hit outside shots. He also had 2 steals. He shot 5 of 12, 5 of 10, and 2 of 4.

Pardon with 15 points, 4 boards, and 1 assist on 5 of 10 shooting, 1 of 3, and 4 of 5.

Goodman with 14 points, 6 boards, 2 assists, and 3 steals. He shot 4 of 14, 1 of 3, and 5 of 6.

Gardner with 2 points and 3 boards .

Abram only played 20 minutes before fouling out. He finished with 0 points, 2 boards, and 2 blocks.

Enzweiler had 12 points, 2 boards, 2 assists, and 1 steal in 10 minutes. He shot 3 of 6, 0 of 3, and 6 of 6.

Bruce had 6 points before his injury which turns out to be just a minor bruise. He'll be fine in a few days.


Now to see if we got anyone else in the early recruiting....

[Eaglesfan27]

We didn't get anyone else and we lost 2 guys:

Daon Grimes signed with UMass and Darcel Lloyd signed with LSU.



Our next game should be much easier since we are at home and Norfolk State isn't very good. They have an overall rating of 66.

They only have 2 players who aren't rated below 60:

FR SG Thomas Crenshaw is a 6'0 169 pound player who is rated 72 overall.

FR SF Roosevelt Murphy is 6'8 211 pounds and is rated 71 overall.

Everyone else is in the low 50's. At least their center has good size at 6'10 231.

[Eaglesfan27]

Great defense to start the game, but our offense is slow to get going. 3 minutes into the game, Gooden scores the first points on FT's.

15 minutes: Tied at 4. Our outside shots just aren't falling.

11 minute mark: Goodman has been heating up. We are up 15-4 as I rest my starters.

7:37: We are up 19-13. We are now in the bonus.

6 minutes: We are up 25-13 as our starters return to the game. Enzweiler had 7 points during his stretch on the floor.


5:33: Gooden picks up his 2nd foul. I'm leaving him in for now.


Pardon ends the half with a double pump jam on the fast break.


Halftime: We are up 39-22 with very balanced scoring among our starters. Everyone except Gardner has at least 5.

15 minute mark: We are up 43-27.

9:45: Our outside shooting has been terrible, but we are getting some fast break baskets from our defense. We are up 51-33 as I rest my starters, possibly for the rest of the game.

4 minutes: My dream of holding them under 40 ends. We are up 60-41.



We win the game 70-48.


Goodman was the player of the game with 15 points, 1 board, 1 assist, and a career high 5 steals. He shot 4 of 12, 1 of 4, and 6 of 6.

Gooden with 7 points, 5 assists, 3 boards, 2 steals, and 3 turnovers. He shot 2 of 6, 1 of 4, and 2 of 2.

Pardon with 12 points, 4 boards, 2 steals, and a block. He shot 4 of 9, 0 of 2, and 4 of 5.

Gardner with 0 points, 4 boards, a block, and 2 steals. He shot 0 of 5.

Abram with 7 points and 6 boards. He shot 2 of 4 and 3 of 4 from the line.


Enzweiler led all scorers with 17 points. He also had 3 boards, 1 assist, and 1 steal. He shot 6 of 8, 3 of 3, and 2 of 3.

My lineup was somehow messed up (maybe an injury) so I had to use Henning at backup Center this game and he did very well against this weak team. He finished with 4 points and 7 boards.

Bruce with 4 points and 4 assists off the bench.


Crenshaw led them with 15 points.

[Eaglesfan27]

We are now 5-2 and still unranked in the polls.

Our next game is hosting a 1-5 Applachian State team that is even weaker than the last opponent with an overall roster rating of 62. Their best player is FR SF Alton Carroll, a 6'6 214 pound player from West Virginia who is rated 65 overall. Most of their roster is rated in the high 50's.


USC is now 7-2, having beaten a very good Temple team and a solid Syracuse squad.

Niagara is 6-2 with their best win being an early conference game against Siena, who they beat 85-82.

[Eaglesfan27]

I decide to sim the game against Applachian State, so I can get to the 2 good games coming up. We beat them 78-44. Pardon led the team with 24 points, 3 boards, 2 steals, and 2 blocks. Goodman had 14 points and 5 boards. Gooden had 8 assists. Bruce had 14 points off the bench. Abram pulled a hamstring during the game. He'll be less than 100% for a few weeks but will continue to play.


We are 6-2 and hosting 8-1 Pitt. They are 14th in the media poll. They have a 90 overall roster strength. 4 of their players are banged up but will play, including their 2 best players who both have pulled groins. They have an experienced backcourt to go with a freshman PF and center:

SR PG Andres Crawford is more of a natural SG. He is 6'5 201 and is a very skilled outside shooter. He is averaging 6 ppg and 6 apg. He is rated 84 overall and is 100%.

SR SG Raoul Maldonado is 6'5 213. He is a dangerous scorer who can hit from anywhere on the floor. He is averaging 21 ppg but is suffering with the injury. He is rated 88 overall.

JR SF Dez Chadwick is 6'7 239 and is rated 88 overall. He is also a great scorer who is also suffering from an injury. He is averaging 14 ppg and 7 rpg.

FR PF Willie Yeager is 6'10 222 and is rated 76 overall. He is also one of the injured players. He has a sprained ankle but will stay play. When fully healthy, he is an athletic player who is still unrefined. He is averaging 6 ppg and 4 rpg along with 1.5 bpg.

FR C Timmy Price is 6'11 252. He is just average in most areas, but he has very high potential. He has the capability to shoot from outside as well as inside with some skill. He is averaging 7 ppg and 6 rpg.

SF Russ Schifino leads a bench that isn't nearly as good as it was last year. He is 6'5 209 and is rated 83 overall. The rest of the bench is all in the mid to high 70's.

[Ironhead]

Did some catchup reading this morning, great job as always EF27. Amazing dedication to keep this going strong for over 1 year too.

[Eaglesfan27]

Very physical game early. Up 6-3 with 15 minutes to go in the half.

11:52: Chadwick picks up a 2nd foul trying to double team Abram. We are down 10-8.

10:28: We are down 12-9. Maldonado has 7. I bring in our subs.

6 minutes: The 2nd unit is playing so well, they will remain in the game. We are up 18-14. Enzweiler has 5 and Bruce has 4.

4 minutes: Up 20-18 as my starters return.



Halftime: Down 26-24.

Maldonado hit 2 big 3's for them down the stretch. He is the player of the half with 12 points.

Goodman leads us with 7 points on 3 of 7 shooting.


16:45: Gardner beats his man and is fouled by Price on a dunk attempt. That is the 3rd foul on Price.

15 minute mark: Up 33-31. Our 3's just aren't falling.

12:24: Goodman with a beautiful baseline drive, a reverse layup and the foul. He hits the FT to put us up 38-37.

They hit a 3. Goodman hits a 3. He is heating up. Goodman steals it, but throws it away trying to start a fastbreak.


10 minute mark: Down 44-43, I rest my starters.


5:45: They are taking over the game, so I bring my starters back a bit early. Down 53-47.

Goodman hits a 3 on our first play, however, Crawford fires right back with a 3. Crawford has 14 points.

4:28: Gardner gets fouled down low. He hits both FT's. Down 56-52.

Abram with a block and he ignites a fastbreak which is finished by a nice safe dunk from Pardon.

Our full court trap forces an errant pass!

We exchange missed 3's as Goodman misses a good look.

Pardon misses down low on a post up move. We get another block. Pardon fumbles away the pass and we turn it over. Still 56-54 with 2:20 to go.

We force a missed shot down low and then Gooden with a nice drive into the lane and throws a quick lob pass for an easy dunk to Abram! Tied at 56 with just under 2 minutes left.

After multiple missed shots by both sides, with 16 seconds left, Goodman steals an entry pass intended for their center, beats everyone down the court and dunks it! 58-56.

Maldonado misses a 3 with 3 seconds left. Gardner gets the board. He misses the 1st of a 1 and 1.. they get the board.. long heave.. it hits the rim... and bounces off!


We win the game 58-56.


Goodman was the player of the game with 20 points, 2 boards, 2 assists, 3 steals, and 3 turnovers. He shot 7 of 15, 3 of 8, and 3 of 3.

Gooden with 6 points, 5 assists, and 1 board along with 2 turnovers. He shot 2 of 7.

Pardon with 4 points, 4 boards, 1 assist, and 1 steal. He shot 2 of 7. He held Maldonado to 14 points on 6 of 17 shooting.

Gardner with 5 points and 10 boards and a block. He shot 1 of 1 and 3 of 5 from the line.

Abram with 8 points, 5 boards, 1 assist, and 2 blocks. He shot 3 of 6, 0 of 0, and 2 of 4.

Enzweiler led the bench with 7 points on 2 of 4, 1 of 2, and 2 of 2 shooting.

Bruce had 4 points. Hicks had 8 boards in just 11 minutes.


A huge win for us. Now, we have another very strong opponent.

[Eaglesfan27]

Originally Posted by Ironhead

Did some catchup reading this morning, great job as always EF27. Amazing dedication to keep this going strong for over 1 year too.

Thanks. This game is the most fun one that I own right now. I'm sure I'll eventually need a break from it but not anytime soon. Especially since Dragon Age has been delayed.

[Eaglesfan27]

We are still unranked in the polls, but if we manage a win in this next game, I'm imagining we'll jump in both. Our next game is at UConn. They are 9-1 and 8th in both polls. They have an overall roster rating of 91. They are completely healthy.

They have the best set of defensive players that I've ever seen:

SR PG Chauncey Bishop is 6'5 205 and is a very good perimeter defender as well as a strong scorer. He is averaging 13 ppg and 7 apg. He is rated 85 overall.

JR SG Mitchell Lamptey is 6'5 204 and is a defensive specialist who is rated 84 overall. He is averaging 4 ppg and 2 spg.

SR SF Marquis Cisse is a 6'6 227 pound wing player with elite speed (93) and great defensive ability on the perimeter as well as some good athleticism around the rim. He is averaging 10 ppg, 9 rpg, 4 apg, 2 spg, and 1.5 bpg. He is rated 84 overall.

JR PF Benjamin Newsome is a 6'11 217 pound shot blocker extraordinaire. He is also a fast player who is a dynamic finisher. He is averaging 16 ppg, 6 rpg, and 2.4 bpg. He is rated 84 overall.

SR C Kennedy Colwell is 6'10 240. He is a tremendous shot blocker and an overall good post defender. He is averaging 11.4 ppg, 6.3 rpg, and 2.3 bpg.

Their top bench player is Hendrik Walters, a 6'11 261 pound JR C who is the best shot blocker on the team but is weaker in other areas. In just 12 minutes per game, he is averaging 1.4 bpg, along with 4 ppg and 4 rpg. He is rated 82 overall.

SO PF Kris Cunningham is a 6'5 217 pound player but he has tremendous vertical and is also a very good shot blocker. He has good perimeter defense as well as decent post defense. He is rated 81 overall. He is averaging 1.6 bpg in just 13 mpg.

SR SF Edwin Bills is 6'6 216 and is rated 80 overall. He is a shut down perimeter defender but usually only plays a few minutes per night. He is rated 80 overall.

SO PF Alec Basden is a 6'6 219 pound player who is a very good outside shooter. He gets 5-10 mpg and is averaging 7 ppg. He is rated 80 overall.

SO SG Donte' Krymski is a 6'5 203 pound player from Hartford who is the best 3 point shooter on the team. He is rated 79 overall. He is averaging 4 ppg in just 5 mpg.

The rest of the bench is all in the high 70's for ratings.

[Eaglesfan27]

15 minute mark: Down 10-5. They have already blocked 2 shots.

14:22 Abram gets a 2nd foul on Cunningham who had just come into the game.

12 minute mark: Abram collides hard with Colwell (I had told him to try to go after their big guys to get them into foul trouble) and goes down hard. Abram is holding his knee..

11 minute mark: Pardon with a nice drive gets a 2nd foul on Newsome. Down 18-16.

9:55: Pardon off a screen, drives into the lane and is fouled on a block attempt by Colwell. That is Colwell's 2nd. Down 20-19. My starters are very tired, so we go to the 2nd unit.

8:51: Their big men are pushing around Hicks who has just picked up 2 quick fouls. I try Henning at PF.

Bruce with a nice crossover gets into the lane, passes it to Christopher who dunks and is fouled. He hits the FT to tie game at 23 with 8 minutes to go in the half.

7:45: Sutton has just picked up his 2nd foul. We bring Baldwin into the game. Down 25-23.

6:35: Both sides are in the double bonus. We are tied at 29 after Enzweiler hits 1 of 2 FT's.

4:03: Abram has been cleared to return. They are on a 5-0 run so I bring back the starters. Down 34-29.

Gardner picks up his 2nd foul with 48 seconds to go.


Halftime: We are down 40-34.

Our ability to get to the FT line often and hit at a good rate is the only thing keeping us in this.

Bishop is the player of the half. He has 10 points. Interestingly, he only has 1 assist. The offense is flowing through Cisse who has 6 assists.


18:21: Goodman with a drive into the lane.. hangs.. gets fouled by Newsome and still hits the floater. He hits the FT to make it 43-37, we are down. That is Newsome's 3rd foul.

30 seconds later, we get a 3rd on Cunningham.

15 minutes: Gooden drives into the lane and gets a 3rd foul on Colwell. We are down 51-43.

Gooden with a 3, a steal, a fastbreak layup, and then after a stop, Gooden has a nice assist to Pardon. We are down 51-50 with 12:14 to go...

10:20: Goodman hits a 3 to tie it at 55.

Bishop responds with a 3.


8:51: Abram picks up his 4th foul. I rest all of my starters. We are down 59-58.

4:12: It started to look like they were going to pull away as they built a 66-59 lead, but Bruce and Sutton each had strong drives into the lane to get fouled and we are only down 68-64 as my starters return.

1:12: Goodman has missed 3 open shots, including 2 3's that could have given us the lead, and now they are scoring again mainly through Colwell down low. We are down 72-68.

1:01: Colwell hits his 3rd basket in a row. Down 74-68.

49 seconds: Goodman has another good look at a 3.. it rims in and out.

After they miss the FT's, Gooden misses a quick 3. We are done.

Goodman even misses a dunk at the end of the game. Just a bad 4 minutes for him.

Gooden hits 2 3's in the last 10 seconds, but it is too late.


We lose the game 80-74.

Bishop was the player of the game with 28 points and 2 assists. He shot 11 of 17, 1 of 6, and 5 of 6.

Colwell had 14 points, 11 boards, and 3 blocks for them. 3 other players had 1 block each.


Gooden led our team with 21 points, 1 assist, 2 steals, and 2 turnovers. He shot 6 of 9, 4 of 5, and 5 of 6.

Pardon had 14 points, 3 boards, 1 assist, and 1 steal. He shot 2 of 6, 0 of 2, and 10 of 11.

Goodman with 18 points, 5 boards, 2 assists, and 2 blocks. He shot 5 of 18, 2 of 9, and 6 of 7. Maybe those looks weren't as open as I thought.. they always closed quickly.

Gardner with 1 points, 9 boards, and 1 assist. He shot 0 fo 3 and 1 of 2 from the line.

Abram with 5 points, 5 boards, and 2 assists. He shot 2 of 6 and 1 of 3 from the line.

Enzweiler only had 3 points on 0 of 4 shooting, 0 of 2, and 3 of 4.

Bruce led the bench with 5 points and 1 assist.

[Eaglesfan27]

Our next game (last before conference play begins) is much easier as we host a 4-3 Davidson team. Their overall roster rating is 72.

JR SF Quannas Flowers is their best player. The 6'9 255 pound SF from Atlanta is rated 75 overall. His strength is interior scoring and strength. He is averaging 14 ppg and 7 rpg.

PG Leon McFadgon is also a solid player with an overall of 73 but he is only 5'9 170. His best attribute is his 3 point shooting, but he is slow and I think we can shut him down. He is averaging 14.4 ppg coming into this game as well as 3.5 apg.

They do have 1 huge center who is 7'4 255, but he is very slow and unskilled and is usually buried on their bench. He is rated 52 overall.

After this game, we have 2 weeks off before we open conference play with Virginia Tech.


Here is a quick look at the ACC's roster strength and records as they stand right now:

GT, 94, 8-1
Maryland, 90, 10-0
Wake Forest, 90, 7-3
Duke, 88, 10-1
Miami, 88, 11-0
NC State, 88, 10-3
BC, 88, 5-5
Clemson, 86, 8-3
FSU, 86, 10-1
North Carolina, 85, 3-6
Virginia, 80, 4-6
VT, 79, 4-7


A quick look at who has improved so far on my roster to raise our roster strength to 90:

All +1: Bruce, Goodman, Sutton, Baldwin, Gardner, Henning, Watts, and Hollins.

[Eaglesfan27]

I decide to sim the game against Davidson to get to our conference play, rather than simming the 1st game of the conference play.

We win the game 96-56. Goodman led the team with 24 points, 5 boards, 3 assists, and 4 steals.

Pardon had 15 points. Gooden had 10 points and 5 assists. Bruce led the bench with 14 points.


Our first conference game is at VT. VT is now 6-8. Their overall roster strength is 79.

Their best player is JR PG Jensley Crisp who is 6'2 196 and is rated 78 overall. He is a good 3 point shooter.

FR SG Anand Abellard is 6'5 222 and is rated 75 overall. He is slow but is a good 3 point shooter.

JR SG/SF Dez McGrain is 6'5 210. He is rated 72 overall. He is a decent interior scorer.

FR PF Jermey Pompey is 6'7 207 and is rated 68 overall. He is a terrible ball handler and doesn't have much speed.

SO C Brian Skeeter is 6'11 215 and is rated 71 overall. He is a decent rebounder.

The top bench player is FR PG Bill Powers who is rated 68 overall.

Goodman is my only player who is now plus 2 in overall rating. In particular, his 3 point shooting is coming along nicely.

[Eaglesfan27]

15 minute mark: A terrilble start. Down 9-2.

13 minute mark: Down 15-6. Abram just picked up his 2nd foul. I rest all of my starters. I also start double teaming McGrain who has 11.

5 minute mark: Our 2nd unit's double teaming shut down McGrain, and we played with better overall energy. We closed within 2 several times. Now, we are down 28-23 as our starters return.

3 minute mark: Gooden picks up his 2nd foul. Down 31-27.


Crisp hits a buzzer 3 to end the half.


Halftime: Down 43-36. McGrain is the player of the half with 14 points.

Goodman has 12 for us. Enzweiler has 10.


19 minute mark: Abram picks up his 3rd foul. I let him play on for now..

18 minute mark: Pardon picks up his 3rd.. I let him keep playing.

We are playing very sloppy. Back to back turnovers lead to fast break points for them.

16:49: Pardon picks up his 4th foul and will sit. We are down 51-38.

10 minute mark: After letting the lead get to 16, Gooden and Goodman came to live. They have cut the lead to 8, but all of my starters are exhausted. We bring in the 2nd unit. Down 62-54.

9:32: Christopher gets a board.. passes it to Sutton.. then Christopher beats his man down the court and gets a great lead pass for a dunk and the foul. He misses the FT, but Enzweiler gets the board and makes the inside basket. Down 62-58.

Enzweiler steals the ball.. drives to the hoop, misses the shot, but jumps and tips it in! 62-60.

In 2 minutes, 2 turnovers lead to 5 quick points for them.

6:15: McGrain collides with Christopher.. McGrain goes to the ground holding his knee and screaming.. Down 71-66.

4:48: Down 74-69 as my starters return. Enzweiler has had a great game but he is tired from his high effort level..


3 minutes left: Pardon and Goodman have both missed 3's. Now, Goodman just missed a dunk. Down 77-69.

2 minutes left: McGrain has come back.. apparently, his injury wasn't too bad. He hits a 3 to put the final touches on this game. Down 80-72 now.


We lose the game 82-76.

Abellard torched us for 23 points on 6 of 10, 4 of 5, and 7 of 10 shooting. He also had 2 board and 3 assists as the player of the game. Pardon should be embarassed.

McGrain with 23 points as well.

Goodman led us with 22 points, 3 boards, and 2 steals. However, he allowed McGrain to shoot 11 of 15. Goodman shot 8 of 16 and 6 of 7 from the line.

Gooden with 8 points and 1 assist on 2 of 7 shooting.

Pardon with 1 point and 5 boards. He shot 0 of 5.

Gardner with 10 points and 3 boards.

Abram with 1 points, 9 boards, and a career high 3 blocks.


Enzweiler with a career high 20 points, 4 boards, and 1 turnover. He shot 8 of 14, 2 of 5, and 2 of 4.


Bruce had 6 points, 3 assists, and 2 steals.


A very disappointing road loss.

[Eaglesfan27]

Our next game on the road is against a very tough Georgia Tech team. Their overall roster strength is now 95. They are 13-1.

They have an amazing starting 5 including the highest rated freshman I've ever seen:

SR PG William Coulter has waited his turn. He is 6'4 207 and is rated 88 overall. He is averaging 10 ppg and 5 apg. He does everything very well. He is an absolutely dominating defender. He was the 6th player overall in his class.

FR SG Edwin Ibekwe is from Stillwater, OK and he was the #2 player in H.S. last year. He is a 6'5 216 pound player who is already rated 86 overall. He is a dynamic 3 point shooter, an athletic player with no real weaknesses. He is averaging 10 ppg, 3 rpg, and 3 apg.

JR SF A.B. Kampman is 6'6 204 and is finally starting. He is a very good midrange shooter. He is averaging 10 ppg and 4 rpg. He is rated 87 overall.

SR PF Jerome Weaver is 6'4 217 and I'm surprised he didn't go pro last year. He is now rated 91 overall. He is a dynamic finisher around the rim who has really developed his 3 point shot. He is extremely quick for a power forward but is not that strong with his small stature. Still, he rebounds well and is averaging 25 ppg and 9 rpg along with just under 2 bpg.

SR C Jeffrey Hudson is 6'9 204. He is rated 83 overall. He is averaging 10 ppg and 6 rpg.


The bench is led by SO PG Sid Esterkamp who is rated 86 overall and doesn't have any weaknesses in his game.

SO SF Kenneth Varem plays a lot of minutes and is a versatile player. He is rated 86 overall and is 6'6 209. He is averaging 8 ppg, 4 rpg, and 4 apg.

FR SF Rulon Swanson is a very dangerous addition to the team. He is 6'9 250 and is a 3 point expert (86.) He is a bit lax as a defender, but with time he is going to be another great player for them. He is already rated 80 overall. He was the 18th player in his class and the top SF.

Another marksman is Jean-Baptiste Kelley. He is a 6'5 205 pound SG from Brooklyn. He is rated 92 in 3 point shooting. He was the #1 player in the nation last year. Sheesh, Georgia Tech got the #1 and #2 players last year?!?

Coach Paul Hewitt, Georgia Tech, is considered one of the best in the game. He has ratings of: Offense A+, Defense A-, Teaching A+, Scouting A, Charisma A+, and Discipline B+.

[hoopsguy]

Coach Paul Hewitt, Georgia Tech, is considered one of the best in the game. He has ratings of: Offense A+, Defense A-, Teaching A+, Scouting A, Charisma A+, and Discipline B+.

I'm sure Jon would have thoughts on this topic if he happens to read along with your dynasty

[Eaglesfan27]

Originally Posted by hoopsguy

I'm sure Jon would have thoughts on this topic if he happens to read along with your dynasty

I think we are about to get slaughtered by him and his players...



15 minute mark: We are up 9-8. So far, Gooden and Goodman are both scoring very effectively. I really want to try to establish the inside game more, but both guys just aren't hitting their shots.


12:20: Abram has been dominating the boards early, but he just picked up his 2nd foul on a block attempt. Tied at 14. I decide to rest all of my starters, but I expect it will be a brief break.


11:24: Enzweiler gets a 2nd foul on Hudson.

8:20: This is the best I've seen my 2nd unit play as a whole. Down 24-23 as Hicks picks up his 2nd foul. Great hustle from everyone so they will stay in for another minute.

8:04: Hicks gets a 2nd foul on Kampman who is their leading scorer.

7 minutes: Down 26-24 as our starters return.

6:24: Abram picks up his 3rd foul trying to block a drive. Christopher will come back in and finish out the half.

4:44: Gooden picks up his 2nd foul. We are down 30-29.


Halftime: They hit a buzzer beater 3 to make it 39-35, their lead.


Both teams are shooting a low percentage from the field, but frequently getting to the line in this very physical game.

The 3 leading scorers from each side:

Ibekwe - 7, Kampman - 7, Varem - 5. Goodman -12, Gooden - 8, Enzweiler - 3.

Abram already has 7 rebounds in just 8 minutes. He also had a block.





19 minute mark: Gooden gets stuck on Weaver from a pick and roll switch. Weaver gets a 3rd foul on Gooden.

16 minute mark: Gooden returns the favor with a drive off a screen. We are down 44-43.

Gardner blocks a Kampman shot, but Kampman gets the carom and comes right back at Gardner drawing a 3rd foul on him.


14 minute mark: Pardon misses a fancy breakaway dunk that would have tied the game.

13 minute mark: Goodman misses a fairly good look at a 3 that would have tied it.

11:49: Gooden hits a pair of FT's to give us a 51-50 lead.


10:30: Down 53-51, I rest my starters (and Christopher who has been playing for the entire 2nd half.)

5:22: Their starters returned 2 minutes ago and they are now on a 7-0 run. We are down 64-57. I bring back our starters even though they aren't as rested as I would like.


Gardner of all people gets us a quick inside basket, a steal, and a dunk!


Pardon misses a pair of FT's that could have given us the lead.. Goodman gets the offensive board off the 2nd miss, but he misses the putback.


Ibekwe hits a pair of 3's to give them a 70-63 lead. 2:13 left.

Goodman with a nice hanging shot in the lane, gets fouled, and hits it. That brings us within 5.. 55 seconds left.

We intentionally foul. They miss the FT's! At the other end, Goodman manages to generate contact on a 3 point attempt.. he is shooting 3... he hits all 3! 73-71 with 45 seconds left..

16 seconds left.. Goodman steals it! He drives down the court.. tries to lay it in over Hudson.. there is contact.. he misses the shot... no call! They get the board and we have to foul.

Coultier hits the first FT.. and the 2nd. 10 seconds left.


We call timeout and get Enzweiler in for Pardon who is a much worse 3 point shooter.

Enzweiler gets the quick 3.. it is just a bit long.


We lose the game 77-71. Good road effort.


Weaver wins player of the game with 11 points, 8 boards, 2 assists, 2 steals, and 2 blocks. He shot 2 of 5, 0 of 1, and 7 of 9.

Ibekwe had 17 points, 3 boards, and 2 assists. He shot 6 of 13, 2 of 7, and 3 of 4.

Kampman was their 3rd leading scorer with 10 points, 7 boards, 1 assist, and 2 steals.



Goodman led us with 20 points, 2 boards, and 2 steals. He shot 4 of 11, 1 of 2, and 11 of 12.

Gooden had 18 points, 2 assists, 2 boards, and 2 steals. He shot 3 of 8, 0 of 4, and 12 of 12.

Pardon with 10 points, 7 boards, and 1 steal. He shot 3 of 11, 0 of 2, and 4 of 6.

Gardner with 4 points, 2 boards, 2 steals, and 3 blocks.

Abram with 2 points, 10 boards, and 2 blocks in just 19 minutes.



Bruce led the bench with 6. Enzweiler, Hicks, and Christopher each scored 3. Sutton had 2. Christopher with a decent 21 minutes: 3 points, 6 boards, and a block.

[Eaglesfan27]

Our next game isn't any easier as we face Maryland who are 14-0. Their overall roster strength is 91. They are averaging 98 ppg so far! However, we have one break. Sophomore Jonathan Tucker, who killed us last year IIRC and is their highest rated player with an overall of 89, is out for this game with a strained achilles. Also backup SF Joah Webb is out with a broken hand. They still have a ton of weapons:

SR PG Herb Lennon is 5'10 188 and is rated 88 overall. He is strong in every phase of the game. He is averaging 14 ppg, 7 apg, 4 rpg, and 2 spg.

SR SG Blair Rollins is 6'0 194 and is rated 88 overall. He is a dynamic scorer and a solid defender, although his size may allow Pardon to take advantage. Then again, he may have too much speed to leave Pardon on him unless I go to a zone. He is averaging 16 ppg, 4 rpg, and 4 apg.

So SF Ron Bender is 6'6 255. He has a great combo of size and strength along with good ball ahndling. He is rated 81 overall. He is averaging 11 ppg and 1.6 bpg.

FR PF Errick Kragel is 6'6 218 and is rated 75 overall. He is average to slightly above average in most phases of the game. He is averaging 7 ppg and 4 rpg. He doesn't play much more than 20 mpg as they will go small often.

SO PF/C A.J. Willie is 6'7 201 and is rated 80 overall. He is a good rebounder for his size. He is averaging 6.8 ppg and 5 rpg.


The bench is led by 2 star PG's:

SR PG Lyle Cranford is 6'2 186 and is rated 87 overall. He is a premiere ball handler with great speed and good shooting ability. He is averaging 8 ppg, 2 rpg, and 3 apg in just 11 mpg.

SR PG Artie Fields is 5'11 205 and is rated 87 overall. He is the best 3 point shooter on the team. He is averaging 10 ppg.

The rest of the bench is rated in the low 70's. Most of the guys excel in athleticism.

[Eaglesfan27]

15 minute mark: Pardon just drew a 2nd foul on Kragel. We are up 8-5.

14 minute mark: Abram gets a 2nd foul on Willie. We are going to use Abram's size to our advantage this game.

13 minute mark: Abram with a putback dunk to put us 15-7 and get our home crowd going crazy. They call timeout.

9 minute mark: Our guys are completely up for this game and adrenaline has them going strong. We are up 25-16.

8 minute mark: Only Goodman is really tired. I bring in Enzweiler to play with the starters for the first time.

6:34: Enzweiler gets a 2nd foul on Bender. Up 30-22.

5:30: Gooden takes a charge to get a 2nd foul on Lennon.

3 minute mark: I just saw something I've never seen in all of the games I've played.. a guy just went down to an injury with no contact.. one minute he is running, the next he is grabbing his knee. Unfortunately, it was Enzweiler. (Note: I did increase the injury frequency and severity slider this offseason since I've never seen a serious injury in game.)

Amazingly, all of my starters are still at a good energy level so I bring in Bruce at SG and let Pardon slide over to SF. We are up 36-24.

Now, I've got a glitch.. the camera is going crazy. not showing me where my guys are.. first time I've seen this happen as well.. I'm going to try to run out the half, and hope that it corrects itself for the 2nd half.

It cost me 7 quick points before I thought of using a Time out, sure enough that fixed it. Up 36-31 with 1:45 to go. They make 1 more basket before Bruce hits a 3 to end the 9-0 run. Up 39-33.


Halftime: We are up 39-33. Enzweiler has been cleared to return in the 2nd half.

Gooden is the player of the half with 11 points and 3 assists.

Our top 3 scorers are Gooden, Pardon (9), and Goodman (8.)

Their top 3 scorers are Bender (6), Fields (5), and Lennon (4.)



13 minute mark: We are up 50-47. Gooden, Pardon, and Goodman are all tired. I replace just them as I'm trying something different to break this losing spell.

10 minute mark: Lennon has hit back to back 3's to tie it and then give them the lead. Down 58-55.

9:10: They are now up 61-55 after a 3 by Fields. I use the following lineup: Gooden, Pardon, Goodman, Hicks, and Christopher.

After a missed 3, Pardon posts up his man and draws the foul while shooting. He hits both FT's to end their run.

They are making 3's, but we are responding. Big 3's by Goodman and Gooden.

5 minute mark: Gooden hits another 3 to tie it at 68.

Goodman steals it, passes it ahead to Pardon who is fouled on a dunk attempt that he still makes! He makes the FT to put us ahead 71-68. Our home crowd is going crazy.

Goodman steals it, passes it ahead to Gooden, who passes it back to Goodman for the dunk.

Gooden steals it.. sets us up, runs some pick and roll and finds Christopher for an easy dunk! 75-68. 3:53 to go.

Christopher steals an entry pass.. throws it up the court.. Gooden catches up to it and slams it.

Pardon blocks the 3 point attempt by Fields. Goodman misses a 3 at the other end.

Rollins hits back to back 3's to keep them in it. We are up 79-74 with 45 seconds left as they start fouling.. Gooden hits both FT's.


We win the game 84-76.

Gooden with an unreal game: 25 points, 7 assists, 7 steals, and 4 boards. The points are a career high. The boards tie a career high, and the steals obliterate his previous career high. He shot 6 of 13, 3 of 7, and 10 of 12.

Pardon with 16 points, 6 boards, 2 assists, 2 steals, and 2 blocks. He shot 3 of 11, 0 of 4, and 10 of 11. He held Rollins to 2 of 11 shooting for 7 points.

Goodman with 21 points, 5 boards, 2 assists, and 2 steals. He shot 7 of 21, 3 of 10, 4 of 4.


Gardner with 5 points, 9 boards, and 2 steals. He shot 2 of 6, and 1 of 2 from the line.

Abram with 4 points, 7 boards, and 2 assists. He shot 2 of 5.

Bruce and Christopher each had 6 points off the bench.

[Eaglesfan27]

Despite the big win, we remain unranked. I can't say I really blame the voters. I think our lack of a real threat in the middle is going to undermine this team when the big 3 don't score well.


A quick update on the 5 outstanding scholarship offers:

SG Mychal Kilgore is a 4 star rated 45th overall. He is 6'3 182 and is from Bloomington, IN. Right now, it is strictly between Xavier and Wake Forest but UL and Indiana could make a strong run for him as the year progresses. Our chances of getting him look good.

JC FR SG Artie Murray from San Jose, CA is a 6'5 204 pound 4 star player. It is between us and Oregon. I'm sure the distance will hurt us. Our chances of getting him are slim. I'm tempted to pull his scholarship and offer a big 3 star player.

5 star SG Sidiki Newby is the 4th player overall. We are 2nd on his list, but Georgia Tech looks like the team to beat. Perhaps, I should give up on him..

JC SO Stephon Ryan could step right in as our primary backup PG next year. He is 6'2 197 and very skilled. He is a 4 star player. He is from Westland, MI. It is between us and Ohio State with Towson as an outside player. Our chances of getting him are poor to fair due to distance concerns that his family has.

C Leslie Stapleton is the #1 Center in the nation. He is 6'9 227 and is one of the most athletic big men in high school. We are his 3rd choice with Uconn and VCU being above us.. Again I wonder if I should cut bait.. but I'll definitely keep fighting for him.

A backup plan that I really like at center is Zack Kole from Los Angeles. He is 7'0 263 and is a 3 star player who is ranked 137th overall. For whatever reason, the only schools still pursuing him are us and UCSB who I think maybe I can beat out.. then again, he might be a stiff. I definitely need to scout him more before I make an offer.

If he looks decent once I'm done scouting him, I'll pull the offer from one of the longshot SG's. I definitely don't want to sign too many at that position.

Our next game is hosting FSU. They are 13-3 (3-1) with an overall roster rating of 86. We win the simmed game 78-76. Goodman led all scorers with 15. Gooden had 6 assists to lead our team. Pardon with 10 points, 6 boards, and 2 blocks.



Niagara is struggling in the MAAC with a 11-7 (4-4) record. They don't have any players above 3 stars on their roster now.

USC is 24th in the media poll and is now 14-4 (4-1.) Their best win is over #4 Washington. Hopefully, Floyd will make one last deep run and then leave. He is now 70 years old and has a career record of 626-357.



Our next game is at 12-7 (2-3) NC State. Their overall roster strength is 89.

Their top player is PG Harold Ainge. He is a 5'10 175 pound senior. He is very dangerous from the arc (88.) He also has elite speed (95.) He is rated 83 overall. He is averaging 17 ppg and 3.5 apg.

SR PF Florentino Santos is 6'9 241. He is a very good shot blocker and rebounder. He is rated 82 overall. He is averaging 11 ppg, 7 rpg, and 2 bpg.

SR SG Cameron Berrelleca is a 6'4 204 pound player who is rated 81 overall. He is a very good 3 point shooter and a solid defender. He is averaging 14 ppg.

JR SF/PF Arnold Felder is a 6'9 250 pound player who is rated 81 overall. He is a defensive liability but he is an excellent finisher around the rim. He is averaging 10 ppg.

SO C Elliot Blake is a 6'9 244 pound player from Raleigh. He is a good shot blocker who would be great if he wasn't slow at times. He has great leaping ability. He is averaging 8 ppg, 5 rpg, and 1.4 bpg.


The bench is led by JR PG Carson Bookout a 5'11 188 pound player who is a great drive and dish guy. He is rated 81 overall.

Also, SO SG Jud Kragel is a solid player who is rated 78 is a solid bench player. He has very quick hands and is averaging 1 spg despite only playing 10 mpg.

The rest of the bench is in the mid 70's.

[Eaglesfan27]

15 minute mark: Both offenses are hitting their shots. Tied at 9.

12:30: Keeping up the change in philosophy, I only sub out Goodman who is tired. We are down 12-9. Bruce comes into the game.

10:41: Sutton in for Gooden and Enzweiler in for Pardon. Down 13-11.

10:27: Enzweiler draws a 2nd foul on Ainge. He hits both FT's.

8:13: Enzweiler with a pair of 3's to give us a 19-13 lead.

6 minute mark: I planned on getting Goodman back earlier, but I wasn't pulling Enzweiler until he missed 2 shots. He hits his first 3 plus 2 FT's and had 10 points in that burst. We are up 21-18 as I put back Gooden, Pardon, and Goodman. Our 2 big men get a rest as Hicks and Christopher come in.

5:49: Pardon draws a 2nd foul on Berrelleca. He hits both FT's.


1:30: We go back to all of our starters. We are up 28-25.



Halftime: We are up 28-27.



Our 3 leading scorers: Enzweiler (10), Goodman (6), and Pardon/Gooden (5.)

Their 3 leading scorers: Felder (7), Ainge (4), and Bookout (4.)



19 minutes: Goodman draws a 3rd foul on Felder. They go small and bring in Bookout.

17 minute mark: Goodman with a drive, gets fouled by Berrellecca and hits the shot. That was his 3rd foul. He hits the FT to finish the 3 point play. Up 33-27.

16 minute mark: Goodman spins off his man, drives to the hoop and gets a 3rd foul on Santos.

15:30: Goodman steals the ball, passes it to Pardon who dribbles to the hole, kicks it out to Goodman who drills the 3. Up 37-29.

15 minute mark: Abram is fouled by their backup center. We are in the bonus. He misses the FT, but Goodman gets the board.

11:42: Goodman is very tired and will rest, along with Pardon and Gooden. We are up 48-38.

8:41: Enzweiler has just hit a pair of 3's to rebuild our lead. We are up 57-46.

7:25: Enzweiler fakes the 3, drives to the hoop and dunks it. 59-46.


5:45: The big 3 will return now but will only get a few more minutes on the court. We are up 66-48. Abram and Gardner are done for the night.

During the next 4 minutes, Gooden hits 3 consecutive 3's. I pull my starters with 1:42 left. We are up 77-56.


We win the game 77-58.


Goodman was the player of the game with 21 points, 3 boards, 2 assists, 2 steals, and 1 block. He turned it over 2 times. He shot 6 of 14, 2 of 8, and 7 of 9.


Gooden with 14 points, 7 assists, 2 boards, and 1 steal. He had 0 turnovers. He shot 5 of 6, 4 of 5, and 0 of 1.

Pardon with 8 points, 2 boards, 2 assists, 2 steals, and a block. He shot 2 of 5, 1 of 1, and 3 of 6. He held Berrelleca to 4 of 10 shooting for 9 points.


Gardner with 0 points, 3 boards, and 2 assists.

Abram with 4 points, 4 boars, 4 assists, 1 steal, and 2 blocks. He shot 2 of 4.


Enzweiler led the bench with 18 points, 3 boards, and 1 assist in just 13 minutes. He shot 6 of 11, 4 of 7, and 2 of 2. With Pardon's graduation, he'll be starting next year unless one of the freshman is just amazing.

Bruce with 7 points, 1 board, 2 assists, and 2 steals. He shot 3 of 4.

Sutton with 5 points and 2 assists.

[Eaglesfan27]

At 11-5, we are now 24th in the media poll. Interesting Top 10:

1. Alabama 20-0
2. UNLV 19-0
3. Washington 19-1
4. DePaul 15-2
5. Georgia Tech 15-2
6. Houston 16-2
7. Kansas 17-3
8. Maryland 15-2
9. UConn 16-4
10. Florida 15-3


Niagara is 12-8 and 13th in the mid major poll


Our next game is at Boston College. They are 10-7 (4-1) with an overall roster strengh of 89. Their starting 5:

JR PG Noah Powell is 5'10 166 and is rated 80 overall. He is slow for a point guard but is an above average utside shooter and ball handler. He is averaging 7 ppg and 3 apg.

JR SG Derrick Fanning is 6'3 188 and is the highest rated player with an overall of 84. He is the best 3 point shooter on the team and has the most athleticism. He is averaging 12 ppg, 3 rpg, and 3 apg.

JR SF Tracy Sanchez is 6'6 209 and is rated 81 overall. He is the 2nd most athletic player and is a good outside shooter. His perimeter defense is the best on the team as well. He is averaging 13 ppg, 4 rpg, and 1 bpg.

SR PF B.J. Sayman is 6'10 233 and is rated 79 overall. He is their best interior scorer and rebounder. He is averaging 7 ppg and 7 rpg.

SO C Tank Outlaw is 6'9 225 and is rated 81 overall. He is a very good midrange shooter, particularly for a big man. He also is a great dunker. He is averaging 12 ppg and 5 rpg.


JR SG Ron Cox leads the bench. He is 6'4 192 and is the 2nd best 3 point shooter on the team. He us averaging 10.5 ppg, 3.2 rpg, and 2.8 apg. He is rated 81 overall.

The rest of the bench is in the low to mid 70's.

[Eaglesfan27]

The scouts think the only senior from my team that will get drafted is Damian Bruce. I'm a bit surprised they don't think Pardon will make it. Of course, there is still half of a season for him to change their minds. They do not think any of the underclassmen are draft worthy at this time.


The scouts think USC's Dynamic Sophomore SF Demetric Griffith is sure to go in the lottery this year. If that evaluation remains, I would think he would go pro after this year.

Niagara doesn't have anyone who will even sniff the league.


A few quick ACC Stats so far:

Maryland is leading the league in scoring at 94 ppg.

GT is leading the league in rebounding at 34 rpg.

Maryland is leading in APG at 18.8 and steals per game at 10.6.

Duke is leading in blocks per game at 5.2.

Jerome Weaver, GT is leading the league in scoring at 20.9 ppg.

Chris Dillon, Miami, is leading the league with 9.5 rpg.

Freshman Myron Gooden is leading the league with 5.6 apg.

Henry Goodman is leading with 1.9 steals per game.

Jerome Weaver is leading with 2.2 blocks per game.


Best Overall Player: Jerome Weaver

Best Freshman, Ibekew, Georgia Tech.

Best Shooter, Kenneth Varem, Georgia Tech.

Best playmaker: Herb Lennon, Maryland

Best Pro Prospect: PG William Coulter, GT who is expected to be the top pick in the draft if it was held now.

Best Defender: PF Mitchell Finley, Clemson.



A quick look at Georgia Tech's roster from a scout's view on who is expected to go pro:

SR PF Jerome Weaver - Lottery, SR PG William Coulter - top pick, SO SF Kenneth Varem - 1st round (if he goes), SO PG Sid Esterkamp - 2nd round, FR SG Edwin Ibekwe - 2nd round, JR PG Jarrad Clemons - 2nd round, FR SG Jean-Baptiste Kelley - Dark Horse, FR SF Rulon Swanson - Dark Horse. Unbelievable collection of talent there.

[Eaglesfan27]

19 minute mark: Abram alrready has 2 fouls courtesy of Sayman. Christopher comes into the game.

16 minute mark: Christopher has gotten a 2nd foul on Sanchez. We are up 9-7.

11 minute mark: Only Goodman is tired. Enzweiler comes in. We are up 19-13 with most of the scoring coming from Gooden and Goodman.

6 minute mark: Bruce and Sutton come into the game. We are up 25-19.

3 minute mark: We go smallish: Sutton, Bruce, Goodman, Enzweiler, and Henning. Up 33-27.


Halftime: Bruce's 3 is just after the buzzer. Still, we are up 38-32.


Enzweiler is the player of the half with 10 points, 2 boards, and an assist.

Our top 3 scorers are Enzweiler, Goodman (6), and Gooden (6.) Gooden also has 5 assists.

Their top 3: Sayman (10), Cox (10), and Fanning (5.)

15:31: They just got a secondary break dunk to end our 12-0 run. We are up 50-37.

12 minute mark: Goodman is tired and cold from the field. We bring in Enzweiler. We are up 53-39.

9 minute mark: Sutton and Bruce return to the game. We are up 55-46 as they are on a 7-0 run.


Enzweiler has taken over this game. 3 3's in a row. Up 66-51 with 4 minutes to go.


We win the game 68-55.


Enzweiler is the player of the game with 23 points, 2 boards, and 2 assists. He got to finish out the game and shot 9 of 15, 5 of 6, and 0 of 0.

Gooden with 8 points, 7 assists, and 1 turnover. He shot 3 of 6, 2 of 5, and 0 of 0.

Pardon with 13 points, 1 board, 1 assist, and 2 steals. He played very well on Fanning who got most of his points against Bruce down the stretch. Pardon also shot 5 of 7, a surprising 3 of 4, and 0 of 0.

Goodman with 10 points, 2 boards, 1 assist, and 1 steal. He shot 4 of 12 and only played 20 minutes tonight. He was 0 of 4 from the arc. Enzweiler played 24.


Gardner with 5 points, 6 boards, 2 steals, and a block.

Abram with 0 points, 11 boards, and a block. He shot 0 of 5.


Sutton with 4 points and 5 assists (almsot all to Enzweiler.)

Bruce with 2 points and 2 assists.

[Eaglesfan27]

Our simulated game is hosting North Carolina. We beat them 59-58. I expected a much easier win. We are now 13-5. They are now 6-11. Goodman led the team with 16 points, 4 boards, 1 assist, and 2 steals. Sutton with 11 and Gardner with 11. Enzweiler was 1 of 5 this game.


Those wins last week raised us to 21st in the media poll.

I was feeling tempted to sim this season, not because I'm not having fun, but because the more attached I become to Enzweiler, Gooden, and Goodman as a core of next year's team, the harder it will be to leave them even for USC (but I would leave.) I thought for sure this would be the year that Floyd retires which is why I was thinking about just advancing before I played this game this morning. However, looking around the game's coaches, there are a few coaches going well into their 70's. For example, UNC's coach is 74 (and about to be forced into retirement I think )

Coach Floyd is the oldest coach in the Pac-10 by a few years.

A few other old coaches:

West Virginia's Bob Huggins is 71 and is the active coach with the most wins, 914.


Our next game is hosting 13-9 (2-6) Clemson. Their overall roster strength is 87. Ours is now 90.

They have a superstar PF in Mitchell Finley. He is a 6'9 228 pound SR who is rated 90 overall. He is a tremendous defender who can guard almost anyone on the floor. He has a great combo of strength, speed, techique, and leaping ability. He is also a good 3 point shooter, a good midrange shooter, and a strong rebounder. He is averaging 21 ppg, 10 rpg, 1.5 spg, and 2 bpg. He has raised his scoring average over 10 ppg from last year. He is being asked to play a lot of center for them.

JR SG Kent Bernard is the only other star quality player on the team. He is a 6'5 202 pound player who is rated 82 overall. He is a fast guard with great slashing ability and finishing around the rim. He is averaging 12 ppg.

FR PG Paco Williamson is 5'9 170 and is rated 75 overall. He is a pure speed player who has to refine the other parts of his game. He is averaging 7 ppg and 3.6 apg.

SO SF Garland Malone is a 6'8 207 pound wing player who is rated 77 overall. He is a average player in most regards. He is averaging 7 ppg and 6 rpg.

JR PF Kason Bass also sometimes plays center. He is 6'8 258 and is rated 77 overall. He tends to get into foul trouble despite having quick feet. He is averaging 6 ppg and 5 rpg.


The bench is led by SF Alexis Smithson who is 6'6 250 and rated 77 overall. The JR is averaging 4 ppg and 2 rpg.

The rest of the bench has had similarly poor production. Most of them are rated in the low to mid 70's.