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

MoonlightGraham · 03-30-2023, 06:30 PM

January 1, 2016
It could be a happier New Year for Lafayette basketball. Before we have a chance to discover how good Taylor LaRose is, he accepts an offer from St. John's.

I'll take one last chance at a relative unknown: C Todd DeHaven, from William Penn Charter School in Philadelphia. He's a three-star player with no offers and at least an Average interest in playing for Lafayette; the last remaining big man in the United States for whom this is true. Perhaps against my better judgement, we offer Todd a scholarship and begin to recruit him.

January 1, 2016
Lafayette 80, Dartmouth 68
We get lucky here, but not with respect to the outcome. That was predictable, as we play one of our better all-around games of the year. Joe Lien (24 points, 3-7 from three) and Hubert Song (20 points, 4-10 from three, 7 points, 5 assists) play well; they need to, because Dartmouth's senior guard Donny Soukup is the real deal. He's scored almost 1500 points in his career, and he adds 24 to his total tonight.

We need that good luck because I forget to move Venceslás Castillo down on our depth chart. I'm sure the Good King wonders why Coach Sims has him starting a non-conference game in January when he's at 81% efficiency. He mans up anyway, scoring 15 points and grabbing 8 rebounds in 31 minutes.

James Sanders finishes with 13 points, and Rhett King with 11 rebounds. But Big Colonel sprains his knee, and he'll be limited for a week.

I quickly adjust our depth chart. I won't be fooled again.
Record: 8-4.

January 6, 2016
Lafayette 57, South Carolina State 51
Without James Sanders and Venceslás Castillo, our frontcourt is rendered almost powerless, and we barely beat a Bulldogs team that enters the game with a 3-9 record.

Starters Samuel Davis, Rhett King, and Alvaro Kinard make one of nine shots between them. They combine to score eight points and commit nine fouls. Kinard, who is considered a very good shooter, plays 34 minutes and doesn't take a single shot.

Good thing Joe Lien (20 points) and Hubert Song (19 points, 9 rebounds) bring their A games. Raleigh McGinty makes his presence felt in seven minutes on the floor, scoring two points and grabbing four rebounds.

How do you solve a problem like Alvaro?. He's a Green/Green player, one who should be very good at this level. This year, he's averaging 5.0 points per game, playing nearly 21 minutes. It doesn't seem to matter whether he starts or comes off the bench; he never manages to get into the flow of the game.

The victory is the 100th of Graham Sims' career. His record stands at 100-44.
Record: 9-4.

Our not-so-wonderful OOC schedule is now complete.

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2015 Patriot League Standings

 TEAM           CW  CL    Pct   W   L   Pct  RPI  Prestige
-----------------------------------------------------------
 Colgate         1   0  1.000  10   4  .714   12        20
 Navy            1   0  1.000   8   7  .533  196        21
 Holy Cross      0   0   .000  11   5  .688  226        40
 Lafayette       0   0   .000   9   4  .692   88        43
 Army            0   1   .000   6   8  .429  107        17
 American        0   0   .000   5  11  .313  292        41
 Lehigh          0   1   .000   2  12  .143  122        21
 Bucknell        0   0   .000   2  11  .154  239        33

Four teams have already played their first Patriot League games. It's weird to see American and Bucknell with such lousy records, isn't it?

January 9, 2016
Lafayette 72, American 61
Once upon a time, I would have never considered sitting James Sanders and Venceslás Castillo against American when both players were at 90% efficiency. I take that gamble tonight, and it pays off.

Once again, our backcourt pair show us that they're back. Joe Lien has established himself in the role of Star Scorer once again (24 points). Hubert Song plays the part of Complete Guard in his trademark style (17 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists). Rhett King hauls in another 9 rebounds; he's averaging 10.0 per game, and would lead the Patriot League if Navy's Stephen Collins hadn't turned into the God of Rebounding. Collins is leading the nation in that category at 13.0 RPG.

Samuel Davis plays 29 effective, efficient minutes at center, finishing with 10 points (4-5 shooting), 6 rebounds, and FOUR blocked shots.
Record: 10-4 (1-0).

January 13, 2016
Lafayette 83, Army 73
Jack Jessie defeats Joe Lien in tonight's shoot-out between high-scoring guards, 27-25. However, Joe's teammates provide him with better support, and we win the competition that really counts.

Our winning formula is a familiar one. Take a lot of points from from Joe Lien and add a double-double from James Sanders (18 points, 12 rebounds), an authoritative game from Hubert Song (16 points, 5 rebounds, 3 steals), and a solid performance from Venceslás Castillo (12 points, 6 rebounds).

Rhett King endured a horrific game (2 points, 7 turnovers), but his teammates had his back.
Record: 11-4 (2-0).

January 16, 2016
Lafayette 68, Navy 59
Powered by a double double-double, courtesy of James Sanders (10 pts, 14 reb) and Venceslás Castillo (11 pts, 10 reb), we pull away from the Midshipmen during the second half.

Hubert Song leads us with 15 points, but the most impressive scorer is Raleigh McGinty. The freshman big man scores 8 points, hitting two triples, in THREE minutes of action.

Stephen Collins, still leading the NCAA in rebounding, hauls in "only" 10 for the Middies.
Record: 12-4 (3-0).

January 20, 2016
Lafayette 82, Bucknell 55
Without their talisman, Moses Washington, Bucknell is floundering badly this season; they enter the game with a 3-13 record. We do a lot of things right against the Bison today: we make half our shots (30-60); we make OVER half our three-point shots (11-21); we win the rebounding battle (35-31) and our assist-turnover ratio looks good (17a, 7t).

Five Leopards score in double digits. All the starters except Hubert Song do so, led by James Sanders with 19. The fifth is Alvaro Kinard, who knocks down all three of his triples and finishes with 12 points in 18 minutes.
Record: 13-4 (4-0).

January 23, 2016
Lafayette 74, Holy Cross 65
Things don't look good at halftime, as the Crusaders open up a 37-29 lead at the Kirby Center. But with 14:01 remaining, Hubert Song drills a three to tie the score at 45. Holy Cross takes its final lead of the game, 59-58, at the four-minute mark, but we pour it on from that point forward and secure the victory.

James Sanders continues to throw down, scoring 21 points and securing 13 rebounds. Joe Lien is right behind him with 19, and Song nets 16. Rhett King, our leading rebounder, has 11 more tonight.

Colgate is matching us, win for win, in Patriot League play. American is playing much better in the conference; they're a game back at 4-1.
Record: 14-4 (5-0).

January 27, 2016
Lafayette 74, Lehigh 55
Once again, a dominant second half is the key to a victory over a conference rival. With 5:27 to play, we're behind by 11. We cut the Mountain Hawks' lead to one by the break, and open the second half with a blistering 14-2 run that puts the game on ice.

The Class of 2016 asserts itself here. James Sanders hazes Lehigh's freshman center, Stephen Zepeda, outscoring him 21-0. Hubert Song matches his classmate's points total, adding five rebounds and five assists. A third senior, Venceslás Castillo, drops in 19 with 11 rebounds.
Record: 15-4 (6-0).

January 30, 2016
Lafayette 81, Colgate 73
In what might turn out to be the toughest challenge we face in conference play, we travel to upstate New York to face the Red Raiders in a battle of teams who had yet to lose a league game. This time we play our best ball in the first half, when we build a 11-point lead we never relinquish.

Tonight, the Good King is the biggest star. Venceslás Castillo scores 21 points, claims 10 rebounds, and limits high-scoring Shaun Domingo to only eight field goal attempts and 11 points. The Best Supporting Actor Award goes to James Sanders, for his 21 points, and Joe Lien helps out with 17 points and 5 assists.

We've run the table during the first round of Patriot League play. Let's see how long we can keep this run of form going.
Record: 16-4 (7-0).

03-30-2023, 06:30 PM	#127
MoonlightGraham High School Varsity Join Date: Sep 2022	January 1, 2016 It could be a happier New Year for Lafayette basketball. Before we have a chance to discover how good Taylor LaRose is, he accepts an offer from St. John's. I'll take one last chance at a relative unknown: C Todd DeHaven, from William Penn Charter School in Philadelphia. He's a three-star player with no offers and at least an Average interest in playing for Lafayette; the last remaining big man in the United States for whom this is true. Perhaps against my better judgement, we offer Todd a scholarship and begin to recruit him. January 1, 2016 Lafayette 80, Dartmouth 68 We get lucky here, but not with respect to the outcome. That was predictable, as we play one of our better all-around games of the year. Joe Lien (24 points, 3-7 from three) and Hubert Song (20 points, 4-10 from three, 7 points, 5 assists) play well; they need to, because Dartmouth's senior guard Donny Soukup is the real deal. He's scored almost 1500 points in his career, and he adds 24 to his total tonight. We need that good luck because I forget to move Venceslás Castillo down on our depth chart. I'm sure the Good King wonders why Coach Sims has him starting a non-conference game in January when he's at 81% efficiency. He mans up anyway, scoring 15 points and grabbing 8 rebounds in 31 minutes. James Sanders finishes with 13 points, and Rhett King with 11 rebounds. But Big Colonel sprains his knee, and he'll be limited for a week. I quickly adjust our depth chart. I won't be fooled again. Record: 8-4. January 6, 2016 Lafayette 57, South Carolina State 51 Without James Sanders and Venceslás Castillo, our frontcourt is rendered almost powerless, and we barely beat a Bulldogs team that enters the game with a 3-9 record. Starters Samuel Davis, Rhett King, and Alvaro Kinard make one of nine shots between them. They combine to score eight points and commit nine fouls. Kinard, who is considered a very good shooter, plays 34 minutes and doesn't take a single shot. Good thing Joe Lien (20 points) and Hubert Song (19 points, 9 rebounds) bring their A games. Raleigh McGinty makes his presence felt in seven minutes on the floor, scoring two points and grabbing four rebounds. How do you solve a problem like Alvaro?. He's a Green/Green player, one who should be very good at this level. This year, he's averaging 5.0 points per game, playing nearly 21 minutes. It doesn't seem to matter whether he starts or comes off the bench; he never manages to get into the flow of the game. The victory is the 100th of Graham Sims' career. His record stands at 100-44. Record: 9-4. Our not-so-wonderful OOC schedule is now complete. HTML Code: 2015 Patriot League Standings TEAM CW CL Pct W L Pct RPI Prestige ----------------------------------------------------------- Colgate 1 0 1.000 10 4 .714 12 20 Navy 1 0 1.000 8 7 .533 196 21 Holy Cross 0 0 .000 11 5 .688 226 40 Lafayette 0 0 .000 9 4 .692 88 43 Army 0 1 .000 6 8 .429 107 17 American 0 0 .000 5 11 .313 292 41 Lehigh 0 1 .000 2 12 .143 122 21 Bucknell 0 0 .000 2 11 .154 239 33 Four teams have already played their first Patriot League games. It's weird to see American and Bucknell with such lousy records, isn't it? January 9, 2016 Lafayette 72, American 61 Once upon a time, I would have never considered sitting James Sanders and Venceslás Castillo against American when both players were at 90% efficiency. I take that gamble tonight, and it pays off. Once again, our backcourt pair show us that they're back. Joe Lien has established himself in the role of Star Scorer once again (24 points). Hubert Song plays the part of Complete Guard in his trademark style (17 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists). Rhett King hauls in another 9 rebounds; he's averaging 10.0 per game, and would lead the Patriot League if Navy's Stephen Collins hadn't turned into the God of Rebounding. Collins is leading the nation in that category at 13.0 RPG. Samuel Davis plays 29 effective, efficient minutes at center, finishing with 10 points (4-5 shooting), 6 rebounds, and FOUR blocked shots. Record: 10-4 (1-0). January 13, 2016 Lafayette 83, Army 73 Jack Jessie defeats Joe Lien in tonight's shoot-out between high-scoring guards, 27-25. However, Joe's teammates provide him with better support, and we win the competition that really counts. Our winning formula is a familiar one. Take a lot of points from from Joe Lien and add a double-double from James Sanders (18 points, 12 rebounds), an authoritative game from Hubert Song (16 points, 5 rebounds, 3 steals), and a solid performance from Venceslás Castillo (12 points, 6 rebounds). Rhett King endured a horrific game (2 points, 7 turnovers), but his teammates had his back. Record: 11-4 (2-0). January 16, 2016 Lafayette 68, Navy 59 Powered by a double double-double, courtesy of James Sanders (10 pts, 14 reb) and Venceslás Castillo (11 pts, 10 reb), we pull away from the Midshipmen during the second half. Hubert Song leads us with 15 points, but the most impressive scorer is Raleigh McGinty. The freshman big man scores 8 points, hitting two triples, in THREE minutes of action. Stephen Collins, still leading the NCAA in rebounding, hauls in "only" 10 for the Middies. Record: 12-4 (3-0). January 20, 2016 Lafayette 82, Bucknell 55 Without their talisman, Moses Washington, Bucknell is floundering badly this season; they enter the game with a 3-13 record. We do a lot of things right against the Bison today: we make half our shots (30-60); we make OVER half our three-point shots (11-21); we win the rebounding battle (35-31) and our assist-turnover ratio looks good (17a, 7t). Five Leopards score in double digits. All the starters except Hubert Song do so, led by James Sanders with 19. The fifth is Alvaro Kinard, who knocks down all three of his triples and finishes with 12 points in 18 minutes. Record: 13-4 (4-0). January 23, 2016 Lafayette 74, Holy Cross 65 Things don't look good at halftime, as the Crusaders open up a 37-29 lead at the Kirby Center. But with 14:01 remaining, Hubert Song drills a three to tie the score at 45. Holy Cross takes its final lead of the game, 59-58, at the four-minute mark, but we pour it on from that point forward and secure the victory. James Sanders continues to throw down, scoring 21 points and securing 13 rebounds. Joe Lien is right behind him with 19, and Song nets 16. Rhett King, our leading rebounder, has 11 more tonight. Colgate is matching us, win for win, in Patriot League play. American is playing much better in the conference; they're a game back at 4-1. Record: 14-4 (5-0). January 27, 2016 Lafayette 74, Lehigh 55 Once again, a dominant second half is the key to a victory over a conference rival. With 5:27 to play, we're behind by 11. We cut the Mountain Hawks' lead to one by the break, and open the second half with a blistering 14-2 run that puts the game on ice. The Class of 2016 asserts itself here. James Sanders hazes Lehigh's freshman center, Stephen Zepeda, outscoring him 21-0. Hubert Song matches his classmate's points total, adding five rebounds and five assists. A third senior, Venceslás Castillo, drops in 19 with 11 rebounds. Record: 15-4 (6-0). January 30, 2016 Lafayette 81, Colgate 73 In what might turn out to be the toughest challenge we face in conference play, we travel to upstate New York to face the Red Raiders in a battle of teams who had yet to lose a league game. This time we play our best ball in the first half, when we build a 11-point lead we never relinquish. Tonight, the Good King is the biggest star. Venceslás Castillo scores 21 points, claims 10 rebounds, and limits high-scoring Shaun Domingo to only eight field goal attempts and 11 points. The Best Supporting Actor Award goes to James Sanders, for his 21 points, and Joe Lien helps out with 17 points and 5 assists. We've run the table during the first round of Patriot League play. Let's see how long we can keep this run of form going. Record: 16-4 (7-0).