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

MoonlightGraham · 12-01-2023, 09:50 AM

December 2, 2027
#1 Villanova 94, @Drexel 72
We travel 11 miles down the Main Line to Drexel, where a capacity crowd watches the Dragons play a bit better than the score line might indicate. They make half their shots, and are actually better from three-point range than we are (9-18, while we're 7-18). We force 22 turnovers, however, and commit only 8 ourselves.

All five of our starters hit double figures, plus sixth man Duncan Sims. Bruno Le Fleurquin is high man with 21, while the others all finish with between 11 and 14. Devin Guzman hands out 8 assists, Sims contributes 5 more, along with 5 rebounds.
Record: 6-0.

December 4, 2027
@Stanford 96, #1 Villanova 93
Two days later, we travel 2,894 miles to Palo Alto to play Stanford, who joined us in the Final Four last March. Perhaps because we've just traveled across the continent, we fall behind 54-38 at halftime. A spirited second-half comeback falls just a bit short.

The Cardinal's sophomore point guard, Carl Young, amasses 16 assists, which is probably the most any player has recorded against us. Jacob Allen leads us with 21 points; BLF adds 17; Corey Hicks and Avery Sullivan contribute 10 each. Duncan Sims scores 7 with 5 assists.

We'll probably lose our #1 ranking when next week's polls come out. It was fun while it lasted.
Record: 6-1.

December 12, 2027
@#6 Villanova 98, Brown 48
Graham welcomes his former assistant, Chris Kiger, back to Finneran Pavilion, but the niceties don't last much longer than an initial handshake and hug.

The Bears have no answers for the power duo of Jose Blanco and Bruno Le Fleurquin. The senior forwards combine for 59 points (31 for Jose, 28 for Bruno), shooting 26-for-35. Blanco also grabs 13 rebounds, blocks two shots, and makes two steals.

Brown drops to 2-7, and Coach Kiger's seat is, unfortunately, growing very warm. His record in Providence is now 28-42.
Record: 7-1.

December 16, 2027
@#5 Villanova 92, Siena 82
Thomas Liang, however, has his Saints team playing very well this year, and they bring an 8-1 record to town a few days later. A member of Graham's original staff at Lafayette, Coach Liang prepares his team well, but they simply don't have quite enough talent to upset us.

Bruno Le Fleurquin (18p/15r) and Jose Blanco (17p/12r) continue to play well, but Jacob Allen (22p/2b/2s) is even better tonight.

We're averaging 90.4 points per game, the most in the nation. Our team shooting percentage of .530 also ranks first, and our .454 mark from three-point range is third.
Record: 8-1.

December 21, 2027
@#4 Villanova 87, Bucknell 56
At the beginning of the season, Jose Blanco was projected as a second-round pick in the upcoming professional draft. I wonder if the experts are rethinking his potential now?

Jose records his fourth double-double in 10 games (19p/12r). Only two Big East players have more; they each have five. Jacob Allen (18 points), Duncan Sims (13) and Avery Sullivan (11) provide scoring assistance, and BLF just misses a double-double of his own (9p/11r).
Sims and Sullivan each contribute 6 rebounds, and Devin Guzman adds 7 assists.
Record: 9-1.

December 27, 2027
@#5 Villanova 77, Eastern Kentucky 65
I like scheduling Graham's former assistants' teams, and new EKU coach Zane Lockhart is the latest protégé to come back for a visit. The 3-8 Colonels put up a game fight, trailing by only four points at halftime.

Coach Lockhart's team also frustrate us with annoyingly good defense. We shoot only 43.4%, and we make only 8 of our 25 three-point attempts. Jose Blanco, Jacob Allen, Bruno Le Fleurquin, and Devin Guzman all finish with between 13 and 10 points. BLF adds 11 rebounds.
Record: 10-1.

December 31, 2027
@#5 Villanova 90, Virginia 70
We bid farewell to 2027 with a comfortable victory over the Cavaliers at Finneran Pavilion.

Our scorers score (Jose Blanco 21, BLF 18, Jacob Allen 14). Our rebounders rebound (Blanco 12, BLF 8). Our passers pass (Devin Guzman 5, Blanco 5, Duncan Sims 3). It's a nice way to close out the calendar year.
Record: 11-1.

January 4, 2028

Code:

2027 Big East Conference Standings

 TEAM               CW  CL   Pct   W  L    Pct  RPI  Prestige
--------------------------------------------------------------
 #1 Georgetown       0   0  .000  13  0  1.000   17       100
 #4 Villanova        0   0  .000  11  1   .917    1        95
 #20 Notre Dame      0   0  .000  11  2   .846   51        89
 West Virginia       0   0  .000  10  2   .833  154        86
 Louisville          0   0  .000   9  2   .818    5        82
 Rutgers             0   0  .000   8  4   .667   29        85
 Seton Hall          0   0  .000   8  4   .667   33        55
 Syracuse            0   0  .000   8  4   .667   49        75
 DePaul              0   0  .000   8  4   .667  189        60
 Marquette           0   0  .000   8  3   .727  291        67
 Providence          0   0  .000   7  5   .583   68        73
 Cincinnati          0   0  .000   6  5   .545   43        63
 South Florida       0   0  .000   6  6   .500   74        65
 St. John's          0   0  .000   6  6   .500  116        65
 Pittsburgh          0   0  .000   4  8   .333  311        93
 Connecticut         0   0  .000   1  9   .100  152        63

Graham Sims hasn't been at Villanova for long, but Georgetown has already established itself as his primary antagonist. They're certainly a traditional rival; many 'Nova fans consider the Hoyas their biggest rival of all, and almost all would put them on the short list. And they're so good right now. Graham has lost seven games at Villanova, and three of those losses were inflicted by Georgetown. Save the date: we'll play them, at their place, on February 16.

We've nosed in front of Pitt to become the second most prestigious program in the conference, behind those Hoyas. And speaking of Pitt, what's going on there? They've lost at Tennessee State and Presbyterian, and Illinois State beat them by 27 points at home.

And speaking of prestige, which programs rank highest in this category, after nearly two decades' worth of history in this universe? Let's peek at the editor and find out:

While we're in the editor, let's see where Coach Sims stands among the coaches who have reached the highest levels of their profession:

Many of these names are somewhat familiar, aren't they?

Not surprisingly, Douglas Gillum stands alone at the top, our universe's only Level 14 coach. I wonder if some of the outstanding coaches who were older when my game was created and have already retired reached Level 14. I'm thinking Floyd Bartley might have, and perhaps Stephen Rubalcaba.

Below Coach Gillum is a group that contains some of the former Bright Young Things who have rivaled Graham for the title of "best young coach," such as Joseph Owens, Blaine Boyd, and Tracy Norton.

Who's the most talented assistant coach in our universe? It's Larry Smith, who is now Zack Lott's right-hand man at Stanford. Coach Smith, age 54, was the head coach at Duke for years, and won 359 games there. He's a sidekick with more game than most superheroes.

Graham's recruiting coordinator, Edward Volkman, is one of five assistants who have reached Level 10. Coach Volkman (age 33) is also the second most talented coach in his thirties, behind Lance Lamb, the 37-year-old Level 11 head man at Pacific.

12-01-2023, 09:50 AM	#405
MoonlightGraham High School Varsity Join Date: Sep 2022	December 2, 2027 #1 Villanova 94, @Drexel 72 We travel 11 miles down the Main Line to Drexel, where a capacity crowd watches the Dragons play a bit better than the score line might indicate. They make half their shots, and are actually better from three-point range than we are (9-18, while we're 7-18). We force 22 turnovers, however, and commit only 8 ourselves. All five of our starters hit double figures, plus sixth man Duncan Sims. Bruno Le Fleurquin is high man with 21, while the others all finish with between 11 and 14. Devin Guzman hands out 8 assists, Sims contributes 5 more, along with 5 rebounds. Record: 6-0. December 4, 2027 @Stanford 96, #1 Villanova 93 Two days later, we travel 2,894 miles to Palo Alto to play Stanford, who joined us in the Final Four last March. Perhaps because we've just traveled across the continent, we fall behind 54-38 at halftime. A spirited second-half comeback falls just a bit short. The Cardinal's sophomore point guard, Carl Young, amasses 16 assists, which is probably the most any player has recorded against us. Jacob Allen leads us with 21 points; BLF adds 17; Corey Hicks and Avery Sullivan contribute 10 each. Duncan Sims scores 7 with 5 assists. We'll probably lose our #1 ranking when next week's polls come out. It was fun while it lasted. Record: 6-1. December 12, 2027 @#6 Villanova 98, Brown 48 Graham welcomes his former assistant, Chris Kiger, back to Finneran Pavilion, but the niceties don't last much longer than an initial handshake and hug. The Bears have no answers for the power duo of Jose Blanco and Bruno Le Fleurquin. The senior forwards combine for 59 points (31 for Jose, 28 for Bruno), shooting 26-for-35. Blanco also grabs 13 rebounds, blocks two shots, and makes two steals. Brown drops to 2-7, and Coach Kiger's seat is, unfortunately, growing very warm. His record in Providence is now 28-42. Record: 7-1. December 16, 2027 @#5 Villanova 92, Siena 82 Thomas Liang, however, has his Saints team playing very well this year, and they bring an 8-1 record to town a few days later. A member of Graham's original staff at Lafayette, Coach Liang prepares his team well, but they simply don't have quite enough talent to upset us. Bruno Le Fleurquin (18p/15r) and Jose Blanco (17p/12r) continue to play well, but Jacob Allen (22p/2b/2s) is even better tonight. We're averaging 90.4 points per game, the most in the nation. Our team shooting percentage of .530 also ranks first, and our .454 mark from three-point range is third. Record: 8-1. December 21, 2027 @#4 Villanova 87, Bucknell 56 At the beginning of the season, Jose Blanco was projected as a second-round pick in the upcoming professional draft. I wonder if the experts are rethinking his potential now? Jose records his fourth double-double in 10 games (19p/12r). Only two Big East players have more; they each have five. Jacob Allen (18 points), Duncan Sims (13) and Avery Sullivan (11) provide scoring assistance, and BLF just misses a double-double of his own (9p/11r). Sims and Sullivan each contribute 6 rebounds, and Devin Guzman adds 7 assists. Record: 9-1. December 27, 2027 @#5 Villanova 77, Eastern Kentucky 65 I like scheduling Graham's former assistants' teams, and new EKU coach Zane Lockhart is the latest protégé to come back for a visit. The 3-8 Colonels put up a game fight, trailing by only four points at halftime. Coach Lockhart's team also frustrate us with annoyingly good defense. We shoot only 43.4%, and we make only 8 of our 25 three-point attempts. Jose Blanco, Jacob Allen, Bruno Le Fleurquin, and Devin Guzman all finish with between 13 and 10 points. BLF adds 11 rebounds. Record: 10-1. December 31, 2027 @#5 Villanova 90, Virginia 70 We bid farewell to 2027 with a comfortable victory over the Cavaliers at Finneran Pavilion. Our scorers score (Jose Blanco 21, BLF 18, Jacob Allen 14). Our rebounders rebound (Blanco 12, BLF 8). Our passers pass (Devin Guzman 5, Blanco 5, Duncan Sims 3). It's a nice way to close out the calendar year. Record: 11-1. January 4, 2028 Code: 2027 Big East Conference Standings TEAM CW CL Pct W L Pct RPI Prestige -------------------------------------------------------------- #1 Georgetown 0 0 .000 13 0 1.000 17 100 #4 Villanova 0 0 .000 11 1 .917 1 95 #20 Notre Dame 0 0 .000 11 2 .846 51 89 West Virginia 0 0 .000 10 2 .833 154 86 Louisville 0 0 .000 9 2 .818 5 82 Rutgers 0 0 .000 8 4 .667 29 85 Seton Hall 0 0 .000 8 4 .667 33 55 Syracuse 0 0 .000 8 4 .667 49 75 DePaul 0 0 .000 8 4 .667 189 60 Marquette 0 0 .000 8 3 .727 291 67 Providence 0 0 .000 7 5 .583 68 73 Cincinnati 0 0 .000 6 5 .545 43 63 South Florida 0 0 .000 6 6 .500 74 65 St. John's 0 0 .000 6 6 .500 116 65 Pittsburgh 0 0 .000 4 8 .333 311 93 Connecticut 0 0 .000 1 9 .100 152 63 Graham Sims hasn't been at Villanova for long, but Georgetown has already established itself as his primary antagonist. They're certainly a traditional rival; many 'Nova fans consider the Hoyas their biggest rival of all, and almost all would put them on the short list. And they're so good right now. Graham has lost seven games at Villanova, and three of those losses were inflicted by Georgetown. Save the date: we'll play them, at their place, on February 16. We've nosed in front of Pitt to become the second most prestigious program in the conference, behind those Hoyas. And speaking of Pitt, what's going on there? They've lost at Tennessee State and Presbyterian, and Illinois State beat them by 27 points at home. And speaking of prestige, which programs rank highest in this category, after nearly two decades' worth of history in this universe? Let's peek at the editor and find out: While we're in the editor, let's see where Coach Sims stands among the coaches who have reached the highest levels of their profession: Many of these names are somewhat familiar, aren't they? Not surprisingly, Douglas Gillum stands alone at the top, our universe's only Level 14 coach. I wonder if some of the outstanding coaches who were older when my game was created and have already retired reached Level 14. I'm thinking Floyd Bartley might have, and perhaps Stephen Rubalcaba. Below Coach Gillum is a group that contains some of the former Bright Young Things who have rivaled Graham for the title of "best young coach," such as Joseph Owens, Blaine Boyd, and Tracy Norton. Who's the most talented assistant coach in our universe? It's Larry Smith, who is now Zack Lott's right-hand man at Stanford. Coach Smith, age 54, was the head coach at Duke for years, and won 359 games there. He's a sidekick with more game than most superheroes. Graham's recruiting coordinator, Edward Volkman, is one of five assistants who have reached Level 10. Coach Volkman (age 33) is also the second most talented coach in his thirties, behind Lance Lamb, the 37-year-old Level 11 head man at Pacific. Last edited by MoonlightGraham : 12-02-2023 at 10:52 AM.