Coach Graham Sims: A Pennsylvania Story (FBCB)
 

Hi again. I'm Graham, and I'm back for another try with my college basketball dynasty idea.

As I wrote in my first thread:

"At first, I thought I'd write the usual "coach begins at small school and tries to work his way up to a national powerhouse" story. I do enjoy playing this kind of career, but this time I decided to approach it from a different angle.

My coach will spend his entire career coaching in a single state. He won't apply for, or accept, a job offer outside that state's borders."

I chose Pennsylvania, and I'm returning there for this story, too.

I'll be playing Fast Break College Basketball this time, and my story will begin in the spring of 2011. I don't mind turning the clock back a decade. The conference alignments made more sense to me then.

Coach Graham Sims is back, and this time he's the head coach at Lafayette.



After a successful high school career in northern Virginia, Coach Sims attended Villanova. He played four years there as a walk-on, and graduated in 2001. A decade later, he's beginning his career as a collegiate head coach. I've made him an Average coach, because I'd like to give him a chance to enjoy a long and successful career.

I hope we'll all enjoy discovering how that career will turn out.

May 1, 2011

I let the computer pick Coach Sims's three assistants. Their salaries are taken from the team budget, and what's left over can be spent on recruiting. It's been a long time since I've played FBCB, and I didn't want to mess up and leave myself with too little cash to spend on recruiting. There are four senior scholarship players on this year's roster, so I need a healthy recruiting budget.



They're nothing special, but I've seen much worse. I can't remember if assistant coaches' ratings improve over time. If they do, perhaps these young coaches will develop into a distinguished, experience team. Or, will they be the first branches from Sims's coaching tree?

I'm also going to let the computer make the schedule this season. I figure it would have been set by the time Coach Sims took the job.

July 1, 2011

Here are the Leopards Coach Sims inherited from his predecessor.


DeWitt Leiva is the team's biggest star. If his overall ratings can be believed, the senior big man could play for any team in the country. DeWitt is an elite defender and a rugged rebounder. He doesn't look like he'll be much of a scorer, however. Leiva is also an outstanding student, the kind of man Coach Sims wants his program to produce.

Leiva's classmate Robert Castleman will start alongside him in the post. He's a big, strong dude, the team's best inside scoring threat by a wide margin. He also possesses a decent touch from outside the arc, especially for a 260-pound wide load.

Stephen Diaz, another senior, looks like he should be another low-block banger, but he's actually a perimeter player. His combination of defensive awareness and a decent amount of quickness allows him to guard opposing wings. We'll depend on Diaz for scoring, too; he has the team's smoothest mid-range jumper.

Second year shooting guard Stephen Thames is unpolished, but he seems to have some potential. At his best, he'll take over games with his quickness and his long-range marksmanship. At his worst, he'll be a turnover machine whose man torches him on a regular basis. We'll probably see some of both, even within a single game.

Point guard Billy Weiler, a city kid from Philly, will have the keys to the Leopards offense. Billy looks like he'd be at home behind the plate; in fact, he was a very good high school catcher. He is the team's only decent passer, and one of its few capable ballhandlers. Weiler can't guard anybody, however, gambling for steals rather than locking down on his man. Our staff thinks there's a player in there. We'll see.

Guards Joseph Burford and Victor Gentry will probably be the first men off the bench. These veterans don't do any one thing particularly well, but they're not too bad at anything, either. Both Joseph and Victor are quick and athletic.

I'm curious to see what kind of player Willard Davis turns out to be. A sophomore guard, Davis can jump out of the gym and has a nifty mid-range jumper.

Freshman Clark Nolan is the best of the reserve big men. He's a less-accomplished version of Robert Castleman. Unlike Castleman, however, Nolan is in terrible shape, lacking the stamina to play effectively for long stretches.

Wing Dana Broughton intrigues me. He will get some playing time, because he's one of the few players on the roster who has the combination of qualities Coach Sims is looking for in the players he recruits. Dana is intelligent, and he has the potential to develop into a tough defender. He's also a good shooter who could become a very good one. If Broughton, a first year, demonstrates he can hold his own as a college basketball player, he'll earn more playing time...possibly at the expense of the veterans with less upside and much less time to develop.

(Once the Lafayette roster features players with whom we're familiar--because I recruited them, or because they've been around a while--I'll post their individual "cards' here, too.)

August 1, 2011

The recruiting season began on July 1. Lafayette has four scholarships to offer, so Coach Sims will be very busy for the next few months.

The program needs to add at least one big man who is ready to play as a freshman. DeWitt Leiva and Robert Castleman are both seniors. The young bigs, Clark Nolan and Donnie Pope, have potential, but both will have to show significant improvement before they can be considered potential starters. I'll be watching how Clark and Donnie develop. If they seem to be learning quickly, the second big in the class can be more of a project. If they don't progress, they could be pushed farther down the depth chart by a second promising newcomer.

There's also a need for a playmaking guard who can join the rotation right away. Billy Weiler is the only guy on the roster with the handle and vision to play point guard. Weiler is also the only Lafayette player who is even a decent passer. Victor Gentry, who will be a senior next year, will probably always be more comfortable as a two guard.

The fourth signee will probably be a wing player. I'm hoping Dana Broughton will be ready to start next year. If he's not ready, then the new guy will have an opportunity to play a lot.

I want to build a culture at Lafayette that emphasizes stalwart defense. If a player can't or won't work hard at that end of the floor, he won't be a good fit on a Graham Sims team. A player will have to be an extraordinary offensive force, one who can turn a game around, before we'll look at him otherwise.

Our monthly recruiting budget will be $11,406 this season. We spent almost all of it evaluating the 20 players we put on our call list, chosen from those who have expressed Very High or High levels of interest in our team. Among them are a handful of three-star recruits, with two- and one-star players making up the rest.

I don't know anything about basketball but I hope to enjoy this and learn something =)

Welcome! I hope you have fun following the story, too. If you have questions, please don't hesitate to ask.


August 1, 2011

The first group of players we evaluated contained several we're interested in recruiting.


James Sanders puts the "big" in "big man." He grades out as a decent defender, but his offensive numbers are what caught our eye. Players his size shouldn't be able to stroke it from three point range the way James can.

The Connecticut product has us first on his list. We offer him a scholarship, and we invite him to campus. Coach Sims will also visit him at home.


We might have to work harder to land Spitzer, who has three schools listed ahead of us. If he joined our program right now, he'd be the best defender among our perimeter players. He'd also rival Billy Weiler as our best playmaker, with the potential to be much better.

Our recruiting efforts for John are the same as those we make for Sanders: a scholarship offer, an invitation to campus, and a visit to his home.


I was intrigued by the fact that a player in Spain was interested in coming to Easton, Pennsylvania to play college basketball. It's not cheap to recruit Castillo; it will cost about six times as much to bring him to campus as it does Sanders or Spitzer.

If he turns out to be as good as his potentials imply, the Good King will be worth every penny we spend. We offer him a scholarship, but we can only afford to send recruiting assistant Steven Manion to Spain to meet him.

I'm not sure to whom we'll offer our remaining scholarship. We're looking most closely at a few other big men, but if another guard or forward capture our attention, we might change our plans.

September 1, 2011

Coach Sims and his staff were kept busy with recruiting during August.

The Leopards' courtship of James Sanders took an intriguing turn, as the big man switched out several of the programs on his Top Five list. We're still at the top, and Marist continues to be on his radar, despite the fact they haven't offered him a scholarship. Fordham, Siena, and Sacred Heart are now on James's list, and he has offers in hand from the first two. Siena, with its 64 prestige (to our 27) has me a bit worried. Their coaching staff aren't very good recruiters, but we're taking no chances. Coach Sims will visit James again.

Flattered by our offer, John Spitzer placed us first on his revised list. Rider, who also offered him a scholarship, is right behind us. Again, we're competing with a more highly regarded program; Rider's prestige is 49. We're still his top choice, however, and even though Rider is located in John's home state of New Jersey, our campus is actually closer to his home. Again, we're sending Coach Sims in to try to close the deal. Rider head coach Clarence Bigley is also a skilled recruiter. Can we hold him off?

We appear to be the only team pursuing Venceslás Castillo right now. We're taking no chances here. Besides, Coach Sims wouldn't mind a trip to the beautiful city of Alcázar de San Juan.

After taking another look at the post players on our list, I decided to gamble with an offer to Arlen Brown.


This long, lean big man from New York is a productive scorer, with elite potential as an inside presence. He's also an active, disruptive defensive player. Arlen holds two scholarship offers already. Can we sway him with an offer of our own? We're spending almost all our remaining budget to send Coach Sims up to Staten Island to give it a shot.

October 1, 2011

I had forgotten how exciting the recruiting "minigame" in FBCB could be!

We're still on the pole in the race to land James Sanders. Fordham (34 prestige) and Marist (37 prestige) are still in contention, and James has offers from all three schools in hand.

Who is Coach Sims up against here? Fordham relies on a talented assistant, Chris Sellers, to lead their recruiting team. How about Marist? The Red Foxes' head coach, Gus Barros, has ZERO points in recruiting (!!). I'm envisioning Coach Barros saying things like this:

"I recently learned that Division I college basketball teams offer scholarships to players. I wonder if offering a scholarship to a player makes it more likely he'll decide to come to Marist?"

Coach Gus does have an assistant who understands the process. Rudy Kirkland isn't as highly rated a recruiter as Graham is, but he's no pushover.

Both Coach Sims and assistant Coach Manion will visit James this month. Let's lock this big man down.

While I'm feeling pretty good about our chances with Sanders, I'm starting to worry about John Spitzer. John has narrowed his choices to two: Rider and Lafayette...and now we're his second choice. Should I concede the battle to Clarence Bigley and the Broncs? I'm not impressed with the other point guards we've evaluated. None of them have the defensive chops I'm looking for, or the potential to acquire them.

Faint heart never won fair lady. Nor did it win talented point guard. I'm pulling out all the stops here. Both Coach Sims and Coach Manion will visit John and his family this month. I'm adding another PG or two to my call list, just in case we need a Plan B.

Our overtures to Arlen Brown were well-received. He still names Wagner as his top choice, but we're now right behind them. He's interested in Providence, too, but the Friars haven't offered him.

Now we can invite Arlen to campus, and we're doing so. We're also sending Coach Sims and Coach Manion to visit him.

Good King Venceslás apparently remains a secret to every Division I program besides ours. We don't have enough money left over to send a coach to Spain this month. If we can get a commitment from at least one of the other players in October, we'll have money in our budget to spend on our pursuit of Castillo.

Time to press "Sim Month." Wish us luck!

buena suerte!

November 1, 2011

The season is now right around the corner, so there's much more to do this month.

I let the computer make our schedule, and it's still not complete; we have openings for three road games. I think I'll take over the process and see if I can fill those slots in our schedule.

I learned that three of our players--Louis Hewett, Bastian Hirt, and Willard Davis--are willing to redshirt this season. I don't see any reason to have Hewett sit out a year. A freshman center, Willard doesn't have a great deal of unrealized potential in any aspect of his game. We don't need three big men in one graduating class, so we'll let Hewett suit up this season.

Hirt is our walk-on forward from Germany. He's already decent in both post and perimeter defense, and he has the potential to be a lockdown defender on the perimeter. I have a hunch Bastian might develop into a useful rotation option, especially with three years to develop rather than two. I decide to redshirt him.

I mentioned Davis in an earlier post. He's a Red player now, which is the lowest category in the color-block scale FBCB uses. In other words, he's a "warm body." However, he has some growth potential; he could develop into an Orange guy, good enough to start for a low prestige team or contribute off the bench for a mid-major. That evaluation matches what I see on his player profile. Willard appears to have decent potential to improve his jumper and his perimeter defense. Davis will redshirt this year and return with three years of eligibility left.

It's also time to begin training camp, when our players will be given an opportunity to develop their skills in anticipation of the season.

For those of you who aren't familiar with FBCB: each player has 30 training points, which I can allocate to seven different training categories. Six relate directly to their game:
Inside Play: inside scoring, rebounding
Shooting: jump shot, free throw shooting, three point-shooting
Handling: handling, passing
Post Defense: post defense, shot blocking
Perimeter Defense: perimeter defense, stealing
Conditioning: stamina, strength, quickness, jumping

Players can also be assigned to concentrate on Academics, making it less likely they'll be suspended for poor academic performance.

I can also have the computer plan their training. I start by seeing what the computer comes up with. I'm generally pleased with the results; the computer assigns tasks to players that correspond with their positions and abilities. I tweak a few things because I want to shape some of our players in slightly different ways. For example, I'd like to shift Bastian Hirt to the wing, so I give him more training in Perimeter Defense and Shooting, hoping to unlock more of his potential. I adjust Dana Broughton's training to emphasize the same qualities, because he's got so much upside. Three of our starters--Stephen Diaz, Stephen Thames, and Billy Weiler--all need significant amounts of extra attention to Academics.

Finally, it's time to check out the monthly recruiting update...

First, some good news. James Sanders has committed to us!

I won't know for sure until I see how successful the other teams in the Patriot League are at recruiting, but James seems to be a good signing for a team at our level. He's ranked #45 among all the centers in this recruiting class, and we rate him as a potential Green player by the time he's finished. Green players are considered mid-major All-Conference candidates, and possible starters at big programs. If James turns out to be that good, he'll be a star at Lafayette. (Incidentally, DeWitt Leiva is a Green guy now.)

Now, the bad news. We lose out on John Spitzer and Arlen Brown, who choose Rider and Wagner respectively. Brown, who attends Susan E. Wagner High School, seems to have a strange affinity for a certain name.

We're still waiting for Venceslás Castillo to make his decision. We're still the only school recruiting him, and the only one he's expressed interest in playing for. I wonder if international players take longer to commit.

This month's events leave us with two scholarships available. After having lost out on Spitzer and Brown, I begin to wonder if I'm aiming too high when I pursue three-star players, so I take a deeper dive into the recruiting screen.

It seems that FBCB divides the pool of recruits into categories based on their national rankings:

Five stars: players 1-25
Four stars: players 26-99
Three stars: players 100-491
Two stars: players 492-751
One star: players 752-2082

There's a significant difference between the players at the top of the three-star tier and those at the bottom. Not surprisingly, it seems that many of the high three-star players are signing with major programs. James Sanders, who lands high in the middle third of the three-star range, is indeed quite a prize for us. The players ranked closest to him have chosen Gonzaga, Iona, and Penn State.

Guys like John Spitzer, who's right in the middle of the three-star group, seem to pick mid-majors; that's exactly what John has done. Arlen Brown, not much farther down the list, has also picked a less prestigious program than most of the most similarly-ranked players. Going 1-for-3 with these three recruits, therefore, seems like a fairly reasonable outcome.

Venceslás Castillo is a low two-star recruit. Players like Castillo are signing with programs like ours, or even smaller. So, unless the recruitment of international players works a lot differently, we ought to have a good shot at signing him. Coach Sims will travel back to Spain to visit him and his family this month.

I have eight free spots on my call list now, so I'm going to investigate big men and point guards ranked in the 300-600 range this month. Are there any hidden gems to be found?

It looks like there just might be, in the form of Hubert Song...

Goodness...if that rating is accurate, then Hubert Song is as quick as any college basketball player can be! He's also apparently very good at point guard things like dribbling, passing, shooting from long range, and defending on the perimeter. I know our scouting ability is only mediocre, but we rate Hubert as a future Blue player...an All-American candidate.

Hubert currently has no scholarship offers. That's about to change. We are also inviting him to campus, and he'll get a visit from Coach Sims, too.

Is a 6'7", 249-pound player ever truly a small forward? We don't think so, and that's why we're adding Edgar Pratt to our call list. His high school stats lead us to believe he could be a decent fit for us. I nearly offer Edgar a scholarship, sight unseen, before I take a deep breath and remember it's still fairly early in the recruiting window.

You know it's going to be a good season when you're wished good luck in Spanish by a Dane. :)

December 1, 2011

I'm still thinking about how I'd like to report my game results, at least while I'm still mainly coaching players I didn't recruit myself. I think I'm going to keep ti simple, short, and sweet for now.

November 14, 2011
St. Peter's 70, Lafayette 61
Graham Sims's coaching debut doesn't go as planned, as the visitors from Jersey City hand the Leopards a loss. Robert Castleman leads the home team with 16 points, and reserve Clark Nolan goes 5-7 from the floor and adds 11. DeWitt Leiva makes only one shot and fouls out, but he grabs 11 rebounds.

November 16, 2011
Lafayette 77, Loyola-Maryland 44
A much better peformance. We lead 44-15 at the half and never look back. The Leopards attempt 50 (!!) free throws, sinking 35 of them. Stephen Thames (17 points) and Stephen Diaz (15) are the leading scorers. DeWitt Leiva pulls in 11 rebounds again.
Record: 1-1.

November 19, 2011
Lafayette 57, Eastern Washington 55
Stephen Diaz scores only 8 points, but two of them come with 33 seconds left. A crucial defensive stop on the Eagles' final possession lets us return home from our cross-country trip with a W. DeWitt Leiva (20 points, 13 rebounds) has his first dominant game for us.
Record: 2-1.

November 22, 2011
Lafayette 70, Monmouth 62
We treat the home crowd to a win that's more comfortable than the score might indicate. All five starters score in double figures. Seniors DeWitt Leiva (18 points, 12 rebounds) and Robert Castleman (14 points, 12 rebounds) record our first double-doubles of the season.
Record: 3-1.

November 25, 2011
Lafayette 59, Appalachian State 55
Coach Sims' Leopards make it four wins in a row, edging a close one against the Mountaineers. Robert Castleman tallies 13 points, and Stephen Diaz adds 12. It's an unaesthetically pleasing victory, but a victory nonetheless.
Record: 4-1.


Recruiting Update
There's very little news on this front. Neither Venceslás Castillo nor Hubert Song are ready to commit, although neither hold a scholarship offer from any other school. Song is now expressing interests in bigger programs like Tennessee and Notre Dame, but until one of them reciprocates, I won't worry much. Castillo still hasn't added any other programs to his list.

We like what we see in Edgar Pratt, but before we can recruit him, we learn he's given a commitment to Yale. We shift our attention to Earl Greene, a 6'10" post player from Maryland who has received no offers yet. Earl's interest in our program is Average, so if our evaluation of his skills is positive, we might be able to convince him to sign with us.

I'm tempted to spend nearly all our monthly budget to bring Castillo to campus. Perhaps that would be what it takes to land him...but that would leave very little money to spend wooing Song.

Perhaps it's not the right move, but I decide to have Coach Sims and Coach Manion pay a call to the Song family again this month. That leaves enough money for Coach Sims to fly out to Spain again.

For those European players, I always just toss them a scholarship first so we end up on their interest radar because I can always pull it later if they're a dud, so that I can get the edge on them before someone else can.

That's good advice...thank you! That's what I've done with Castillo. We're still the only program who's shown any interest in him at all, and we're the only program he says he's interested in. Given those things, I'm a little surprised he hasn't accepted our offer yet.

Thanks for stopping by!

For a smaller school, you want to go in on the international players early - before the higher prestige schools start sniffing around them as fallback options

I thought I'd acted quickly enough with Venceslás Castillo, whom I offered a scholarship in August. Because I have four open scholarships and a monthly budget of less than $12,000, I've decided against spending $10,000 to bring Castillo to campus, because we're the only school who has offered him and the only one on his interest list. Maybe that's still not quite fast enough.

By now, I was hoping to have at least two other commitments, so I could shift more of my budget to the courtship of Castillo. So far, we've still only managed to sign James Sanders.

Thanks for stopping by, Izulde, and thanks for the tip. :)

December 2, 2011
Lafayette 46, Albany 34
Nobody seems to want to score the basketball tonight, as the teams combine to shoot 22-75 from the floor. Only one player scores in double figures; reserve James Burford leads us with eight points. When this many shots are missed, there are plenty of rebounds to be had. DeWitt Leiva pulls in 16 of them.
Record: 5-1.

December 4, 2011
Vermont 71, Lafayette 44
We play badly in the first half and worse in the second. We make 17 of our 19 free throws. That's the highlight of the first leg of our trip to New England. When you have more turnovers than made baskets in a game, it's going to turn out badly.
Record: 5-2.

December 8, 2011
Lafayette 69, Boston University 48
Two solid halves of basketball result in a big win. We hold the Terriers to 36% shooting and dominate the boards for a +16 rebound advantage. Billy Weiler (12 points) plays his first really good game for us, while Robert Castleman posts a season-high 21 points.
Record: 6-2.

December 10, 2011
Niagara 71, Lafayette 49
Niagara enters this game with a 7-2 record, so I figure they'll be good. They are, and they roll to an easy victory. Two of our starters, DeWitt Leiva and Billy Weiler, fail to score; Leiva fouls out after playing only 17 minutes. One bright spot: Dana Broughton drills three of five from behind the arc and scores 12 points. Consistent Robert Castleman finishes with 14. Clark Nolan injures his wrist, and he'll be less than 100% for about a week.
Record: 6-3.

December 14, 2011
Lafayette 75, Chicago State 50
We treat a festive crowd at the Kirby Sports Center to a decisive victory over the visitors from the Windy City. A dominant Robert Castleman pours in 30 points, while Billy Weiler bounces back with 14 and 5 assists. Louis Hewett scores his first basket of the season to finish off a very satisfying game.
Record: 7-3.

December 17, 2011
Massachusetts 76, Lafayette 56
The Minutemen, led by their outstanding point guard Bert Wahl, bring us back to earth with a bang. Wahl scores his average--19 points--and dishes out 9 assists. DeWitt Leiva, who's not much of a scorer, doesn't miss a shot all day and finishes with 12 points, adding 10 boards to complete another double-double. Joseph Burford plays 28 minutes when Billy Weiler runs into foul trouble and plays well, with 5 assists.
Record: 7-4.

December 22, 2011
Lafayette 67, Brown 45
For a half, the Ivy League visitors make a game of it; it's 26-25 at intermission, and we're playing sloppily. We restore regular service--and then some--in the second half. Again, the star is Robert Castleman, with 18 points and 13 rebounds. DeWitt Leiva decides it's fun to score points, and adds 13, while Stephen Diaz pops in 12.
Record: 8-4.

December 24, 2011
George Mason 76, Lafayette 72
We almost receive an early Christmas gift, as we lead a 9-2 George Mason team at halftime and nearly pull off the upset. The Patriots defend Robert Castleman well and hold him to 8 points, but DeWitt Leiva nets 19 to lead four Leopards in double figures (Stephen Thames 14, Stephen Diaz 11, Billy Weiler 10).
Record: 8-5.

December 26, 2011
Lafayette 78, Pennsylvania 56
The game's algorithm must not be terribly festive, because it schedules us to play on Christmas Eve and Boxing Day. Santa brings us a late present, with help from Billy Weiler (19 points, 11-13 from the line), Stephen Thames (16, 4-5 from beyond the arc), and Robert Castleman (11).
Record: 9-5.


Our non-conference schedule has come to an end, so let's look at how the Patriot League teams have fared so far:
I'd say we're doing well, wouldn't you? We're hanging with the more prestigious teams in the conference.

I'll be back with recruiting news next time.

December 31, 2011

Recruiting Update

Coach Sims can breathe more easily now, because Venceslás Castillo and Hubert Song have committed to Lafayette!

Castillo is ranked #137 among small forwards in his class, and our scouts rate his potential at Green. We think he'll develop into an outstanding shooter and a tough defensive player. He is also a very good student who should have no problem remaining academically eligible.

We're very excited about Song, too. Our second three-star signing, Hubert is exceptionally quick and has the potential to be a lockdown defender. His potential ability is Blue, and if he approaches that level of accomplishment, he'll be a star.

I'd like us to sign one more big man. Earl Greene still doesn't express more than Average interest in playing for us, so we're going to cast our net a bit wider this month and evaluate a new batch of centers and power forwards.

January 4, 2012
Navy 58, Lafayette 54
Not the way we want our Patriot League season to begin. We shoot 32% for the game, including a woeful 2-16 from three-point range. The Patriot League's leading scorer, Steven Ison, torches us for 25 points. Our high scorers are Robert Castleman and Joseph Burford, with 11 each. DeWitt Leiva fouls out with 4 points, and Stephen Diaz leaves the game early with an injury. Clark Nolan comes off the bench to pull in 10 rebounds. A lot goes wrong, and we nearly win anyway.
Record: 9-6 (0-1 in conference play).

January 7, 2012
Army 58, Lafayette 57
Another service academy hands us a narrow loss at home. Jarred Olivo sinks two free throws with five seconds left to play, undoing another yeoman effort from Robert Castleman (21 points, 6 rebounds). A courageous Stephen Diaz wraps up his wrist and plays 30 minutes. We can't stay out of foul trouble, and the Black Knights make us pay (20-25 from the line).
Record: 9-7 (0-2).

January 10, 2012
Lehigh 75, Lafayette 70
Another tough loss, this time away to our traditional rival. We play much better, placing five men in double figures, led by Robert Castleman's 16. Joseph Burford (11 points in 20 minutes, 3-3 from 3) again provides us with production from the bench. Is our conference season slipping away from us already?
Record: 9-8 (0-3).

January 14, 2012
Lafayette 67, Holy Cross 64
I would not have picked a road game at Holy Cross to be the one to break our losing streak. DeWitt Leiva plays like a grown man, netting 11 points and pounding the boards for 15 rebounds. Another balanced scoring attack finds five Leopards with between 10 and 12 points; Dana Broughton, with 10 in 13 minutes, stands out. We make 20 of our 25 free throws, with Stephen Thames, an 84% shooter, going 8-9.
Record: 10-8 (1-3).

January 17, 2012
Lafayette 81,Yale 72
We interrupt our conference schedule with a victory against an Ivy League foe. Robert Castleman (17 points, 8 rebounds) is named Player of the Game, but a good argument can be made for Stephen Diaz (19 points) or Joseph Burford (14 points in 20 minutes).
Record: 11-8 (1-3).

January 21, 2012
Lafayette 55, Colgate 43
If you appreciate offense, this is not the game you want to watch. Colgate's leading scorer, Douglas Cleveland, scores 12 points, but he misses all six of his three-point attempts. Our scoring leader, DeWitt Leiva, scored his dozen in a much more efficient manner, and pulls in 22 rebounds. That's the Patriot League single game record, and I wonder how it ranks nationwide.
Record: 12-8 (2-3).

January 25, 2012
American 57, Lafayette 50
The Eagles come into this game with a 5-0 record in conference play, and most of their games haven't been close. Keeping it close isn't a victory, but it doesn't feel terrible, either. We play good defense, and so do they. No Leopard scores in double figures, and their high scorer only manages 11.
Record: 12-9 (2-4).

January 28, 2012
Lafayette 55, Bucknell 40
We need a win, and another stout defensive effort delivers one. Meanwhile, the Bison can't handle Robert Castleman, who sinks 9 of 12 shots and finishes with 20 points. Stephen Thames provides quality scoring help with 14.
Record: 13-9 (3-4).

February 1, 2012

Recruiting Update
We barely get to know Earl Greene before he signs with Towson. I'm glad we didn't invest any more time or money in pursuing him.

The most promising player left on our call list is probably Rhett King, a center from Saratoga Springs, NY. He's a 6'9" bruiser, in the mold of Robert Castleman...who's playing like a boss for us.
I'm encouraged by the fact Rhett has us in his top three, even though we've just begun recruiting him. I decide to go all in, offering him a scholarship, inviting him to campus, and sending Coaches Sims and Manion to visit him.

In other news, we learn that walk-on Kyle Cox will be academically ineligible for the remainder of the season. I'm not terribly surprised, because Kyle is the least talented student on our roster. His absence won't affect us much on the court; he's seen one minute of action, although he did sink two free throws.

I wanted to step out of character for a moment here. I'd forgotten what a delightful game Fast Break College Basketball is. I think it's been a decade since it was updated, and it's not flashy, but it's a lot of fun to play. FBCB is not so complicated that I don't have the mental energy to play it after a day at work. It's not so time-consuming that it will take me months in real time to play a season in-game, which makes it perfect for a story I plan on following for decades.

I'm having a great time, and I'm looking forward to discovering how Coach Sims does as he pursues his dreams.

Let's hope so!

Glad you are enjoying the run so far =)

So far, so good! I've found I enjoy writing stories that move at a fairly rapid pace. Some dynasty writers enjoy analyzing single games in detail; I don't think that's really my style. I might take that approach with a national championship game, but if I'm going to tell the story of a coach's entire career without losing interest myself, I need to move it along.

And, like I said above, FBCB lends itself well to telling that kind of story. Thanks for following along!

February 1, 2012
Lafayette 66, Army 47
A DeWitt Leiva double double (12 points, 11 rebounds) helps us avenge our earlier loss to the Black Knights. Not usually a good passing team, we average fewer than ten assists per game, but this time 20 of our 25 baskets are assisted. Bily Weiler hands out six dimes, and James Burford–playing lots of minutes after Stephen Thames has to leave the game with a migraine–dishes out five more. We’re back to .500 in Patriot League play.
Record: 14-9 (4-4).

February 4, 2012
Navy 57, Lafayette 45
Once again, we have no answer for Steven Ison. He drops 21 on us, right on his season average, and the trip home from Annapolis seems longer than it is. Stephen Diaz and Robert Castleman share our scoring honors with 10 points apiece. To make matters worse, Clark Nolan hurts his back. He’ll probably be out of action for a week or so.
Record: 14-10 (4-5).

February 8, 2012
Lafayette 64, Holy Cross 51
The Leopards battle back from a 30-22 halftime deficit, delighting a big, noisy home crowd. This time, we do a wonderful job defending a high-scoring guard, forcing Paul Van Winkle to misfire on 13 of his 14 shot attempts. Meanwhile, Stephen Diaz pours in 19, and DeWitt Leiva grabs 16 rebounds. Stephen Thames returns to action and scores 9 points, all coming from the free throw line.
Record: 15-10 (5-5).

February 11, 2012
Lafayette 61, Lehigh 40
We celebrate Senior Day with a satisfying victory. Each senior acquits himself well. Robert Castleman (16 points) regains his scoring touch. DeWitt Leiva nearly posts a double-double, finishing with 9 points and 9 rebounds and adding 4 assists for good measure. Stephen Diaz struggles with foul trouble, but finishes with 8 points in 17 minutes. That opens the door for Joseph Burford to play 25 minutes, filling the scoresheet nicely.
Record: 16-10 (6-5).

February 18, 2012
Colgate 58, Lafayette 55
We miss our chance to guarantee at least a .500 conference record with five minutes of sloppy play at the end of the game. In doing so, we waste Billy Weiler’s best game of the season; he played 32 minutes, scored 14 points, and didn’t turn the ball over once. Stephen Diaz (13) and Robert Castleman (10) join Billy in double figures.
Record: 16-11 (6-6).

February 21, 2012
American 95, Lafayette 67
The Eagles are the class of the Patriot League. Their 12-1 record is at least five games better than anyone else in the league. Tonight, they show us why that’s the case. Kirill Korolev and Victor Reed combine for 51 points; sixth man Reed gets his in only 18 minutes. To make matters worse, DeWitt Leiva leaves the game with an injury that looks pretty bad. Robert Castleman provides our only good news with 21 points.
Record: 16-12 (6-7).

February 25, 2012
Lafayette 62, Bucknell 45
We enter the last game of the regular season needing a win to meet the AD’s challenge of a .500 record in conference competition. We’ll have to do that without the services of DeWitt Leiva, whose sprained wrist is far too badly injured to allow him to play. The Leopards step up and defeat the Bison behind 14 points and 12 rebounds from Robert Castleman. Stephen Diaz and Stephen Thames add 12 more apiece.
Record: 17-12 (7-7).

February 29, 2012
Patriot League Tournament, First Round
(5) Army 87, (4) Lafayette 78 (OT)
Besides American, who is a cut above the rest, the team I’d most hate to face in the Patriot League tournament is Army. Still, it’s hard to beat a team three times in a season, and we come close to denying the pesky Black Knights that achievement. We fall behind 36-24 in the first half and battle back gamely, and we send the game into overtime with a clutch basket from Stephen Thames. The Black Knights regain control in the extra session and and eliminate us from the conference tourney. James Gonzales (26 points) and Jarred Olivo (23) are the big stars for the winners, while Robert Castleman (17 points), Thames (16), and Billy Weiler (14) earn high marks for their performance in a losing effort. I can't help thinking we would have won if DeWitt Leiva had been able to play. This one hurts.
Record: 17-13.

I wonder if our record will be good enough to earn us a spot in one of the minor national tournaments? We'll find out soon.

March 1, 2012

Recruiting Update
After spending what seemed like forever persuading our recruits to commit to our program, it's wonderful to take care of business with Rhett King so quickly. The big man from upstate New York completes our four-man recruiting class. Rhett also received a late offer from Maine, but accepted ours instead.

We like King's potential as an inside scorer, and he looks like he'll be able to protect the rim. He's strong, and his fitness levels are very good for a freshman. Rhett is a one-star prospect; he isn't as highly touted as James Sanders, but we don't consider him an afterthought, either. We simply found each other later in the recruiting process. Both Rhett and James have Green potential.

March 11, 2012
Coach Sims receives an email with an invitation to the CIT tournament. The Leopards are seeded #16...which makes us the very last team to qualify for a national tournament! Nonetheless, it's an honor to participate in postseason play, and it will give our four seniors a chance to suit up at least one more time. We'll face the #1 seed, Utah Valley. The Wolverines finished the season at 17-16, going 9-3 in the Great West Conference and winning the conference tournament. Because the Great West is a new conference, its champion doesn't receive an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament. That's why we'll meet the Wolverines in the CIT.

March 13, 2012
CIT Tournament, First Round
(16) Lafayette 57, (1) Utah Valley 55
DeWitt Leiva admits his wrist still hurts as he's warming up today, but he insists he can play. He takes only four shots, but one of them comes after he rebounds a missed jumper by Billy Weiler and scores with eight seconds left in the game. The senior captain's basket gives Cinderella a chance to dance one more time! Weiler leads the Leopards with 14 points. Robert Castleman and Stephen Diaz pitch in 10 apiece. Leiva's clutch rebound was one of 13 he claims today.
Record: 18-13.

March 19, 2012
CIT Tournament, Second Round
(9) UC Santa Barbara 63, (16) Lafayette 55
We lead a hard-fought game by a basket at halftime, but credit goes to the Gauchos for their impressive performance in the second half. Senior Josue Hawkins puts his team on his back, scoring 13 of his 19 points after halftime. Stephen Diaz leads us in scoring with 14 points in his final collegiate game. Robert Castleman and DeWitt Leiva add 11 in their curtain calls. Our fourth senior, Joseph Burford, plays his sixth man role with aplomb: 8 points, 3 assists, and a steal.
Record: 18-14.

March 27, 2012
We can feel some consolation in the fact that UC Santa Barbara goes on to win the CIT tournament. They defeat the other Cinderella team, #15 seed College of Charleston, in the final.

March 30, 2012
None of the four #1 seeds in the NCAA tournament make it as far as their regional finals. Villanova, Oklahoma State, and Florida lose in the Sweet Sixteen, while Tennessee doesn't even get that far. Instead, both national semifinals match a #3 seed against a #5. Brigham Young will play Arizona, while Illinois takes on Utah State.

April 1, 2012
Arizona (34-5) will face Utah State (36-2) in the national championship game. Both earn their spot in the final with comfortable victories; Arizona beats BYU, 58-46, in a defensive battle, while Utah State outguns Illinois in an 80-71 shootout.

April 2, 2012
The Arizona Wildcats are crowned national champions with a 68-63 victory over Utah State. Senior center Joaquin Koon is named Player of the Game for his 15-point, 6-rebound performance.

Here are the final standings for the Patriot League, including tournament play:
We were one of three teams in the league with a winning record, behind the two most prestigious programs. I'm not disappointed with that result at all.

The Patriot League awards are announced today:

I'm delighted to see DeWitt Leiva's contributions honored with a place on the first team. He's the conference's leading rebounder by a fairly wide margin and the best passing big man in the league.

On the other hand, I think Robert Castleman deserves a better fate. I have nothing against Michale Eichelberger, who played a key role on an American team that dominated the league. But RC was every bit as important to us, and was more productive across the board. I'm biased, but I'd have Eichelberger and Castleman change places.

Kirill Kovalev, our Conference Player of the Year, was a third team All-American selection too.

Not many freshmen made big impacts on the Patriot League this year, and it's nice to see Clark Nolan and Dana Broughton earn some postseason honors. Both players stepped up for us on several occasions.

Now it's time to end the season, after we take a dive into some stats.

April 3, 2012

Here's a look at Lafayette's stats for the 2011/12 season. Most of the numbers speak for themselves, so I'll step back and let them do the talking.




Before I close the book on Graham Sims' first season at Lafayette, I'll post a tribute to each of the team's seniors. I only coached them for a year, but I honestly grew attached to all of them. :)

2011/12 Senior Tribute

JOSEPH BURFORD

At the beginning of the season, I believed Joseph would be a rotation player for us, possibly our seventh man. As the season progressed I came to rely more and more on him, and by season's end, the athletic Warminster, PA native was playing starter's minutes.

Joseph contributed as a secondary scorer off the bench, and was second on the team in assists. The wide range of his contributions are best measured with the plus/minus statistic. Joseph was third overall in this category, and when his output is weighted for playing time, his 4.9 figure was the best on the team.

Winning teams always have a player like Joseph Burford on their roster.
Thanks for the memories, Joseph.

2011/12 Senior Tribute

STEPHEN DIAZ

Ever reliable, Stephen started every game for us, played the second-most minutes, and was third on the team in scoring and rebounding. His athleticism enabled him to defend quick and powerful wing players equally well, and while he was a streaky shooter, when he was on, he was very difficult to guard.

Stephen's defining moments were a game-winning basket at Eastern Washington and the courage he demonstrated by playing through a painful wrist injury against Army in early January.


Thanks for the memories, Stephen.

2011/12 Senior Tribute

ROBERT CASTLEMAN

Right away, I identified Robert as the Leopards' best offensive option, selecting him as the team's key offensive player. A likeable big man from Maine, Robert played the role in which he was cast perfectly.

He was the only player on the team to average in double figures as a scorer, and finished seventh in the Patriot League. He was also the league's seventh-leading rebounder.

Robert made second team All-Conference, but as I've said, I think he deserved a spot on the first team. His big shoes won't be easily filled.


Thanks for the memories, Robert.

2011/12 Senior Tribute

DeWITT LEIVA

There was nothing fancy about DeWitt's game. While he could score if he needed to and demonstrated a deft touch at the free throw line, he took even more pride in his ability to keep his opponents from scoring. It's difficult to remember a big man who had a big game against us, and DeWitt was the reason why. His selection to the first team All-Conference squad was richly deserved.

His other superpower was rebounding. DeWitt led the Patriot League with just under 10 boards per game, and his 22 rebounds against Colgate in January was the most by a Division I player this year.

A native of State College, PA, DeWitt was also a very good tight end in high school and might have walked on to his beloved Nittany Lions football team. We're glad DeWitt picked basketball and Lafayette.

Thanks for the memories, DeWitt.

Love the senior tributes, a nice touch.

Thanks, Young Drachma. I came up with the idea when I was thinking about how much the four seniors contributed to the Leopards' success this season. Although I only had them in the game for one year, I grew attached to them, and thought they deserved a fond retrospective. I'm going to make the Senior Tributes a regular feature, and I think they'll be even more fun and meaningful once I'm writing about players I recruited and coached throughout their careers.

May 1, 2012

The recruiting rankings come out today, and Lafayette's class is ranked #138 in the nation. How do we compare to the rest of the Patriot League?

Holy Cross's prestige is considerably higher than ours, so I'm not surprised their class is considered the best. I'm pleased with how our class shaped up.

I'm offered the head coaching position at Coppin State. Since I'm only considering offers from Pennsylvania schools and Coppin State is in Baltimore, I'm not interested.

All three of Coach Sims's assistants will return for the 2012/13 season. None of them have improved; their attributes are exactly the same as they were this time last year. Coach Sims hasn't improved, either.

How quickly will a young coach improve in FBCB? I've never played a long enough career to see how that dynamic works. If Graham isn't going to develop much more, I may have to use the editor to take matters into my own hands. I'd like to see him have a chance to move up to a more prestigious program at some point, with the attributes to succeed there.

We don't have any scholarships available for players who are transferring, and none of our players have decided to leave.

With American so dominant what's realistic to expect from them? Will they fall back into the pack, or do you have to try to catch them?

July 1, 2012

Let's meet your 2012/13 Lafayette Leopards!


Coach Sims might have three first year players in his starting lineup this year.

The only starter from last year's team who will almost certainly make this year's starting five is guard Billy Weiler. He's the team's best ballhandler and a decent secondary scorer. Billy will have to be carried on defense, however, and he'll probably have to come out of games when stopping the other team becomes a priority.

Stephen Thames and Hubert Song will both play a lot. Thames, a junior who averaged nine points a game last year, is a fairly good spot-up shooter with the athletic ability to score at the rim. Freshman Song's ability to run the point or play the two opens up the possibility of using a three-man rotation at the guard spots. Hubert can shoot the deep ball, and he should be fairly confident with the reins of the offense in his hand.

Another first year, Venceslás Castillo, will be given the first opportunity to start at small forward. The Good King has a well-rounded offensive game, hits the boards hard for a wing, and demonstrates sound awareness of defensive principles.

Clark Nolan demonstrated enough talent in a reserve role last year to earn the chance to start as a sophomore. However, the only flaw in his game is one with which Coach Sims has little patience: a lack of attention to defense.

Another new recruit, James Sanders, will start at center. This large man won't be moved if he establishes a position on the low block, where he'll display a variety of scoring moves. He's a work in progress, but his potential is as high as anyone on the roster. James likes the nickname his teammates gave him: Big Colonel.

The third guard will be the first man off Coach Sims' bench. Victor Gentry will also see action in the backcourt, and Willard Davis, returning from his redshirt year with more skill and stamina, could also get some run.

Dana Broughton has potential as a provider of instant offense on the wing, and walk-on Bastian Hirt could be called upon as a frontcourt defensive specialist.

Donnie Pope and freshman Rhett King will compete for playing time as a reserve big man. There's a possibility King will redshirt this year.

August 1, 2012

This recruiting season should be a bit less hectic than last year's, since we have half as many scholarships to fill.

The backcourt will be our recruiting focus this time around. We need two guards, and I'd love to find a classic point guard and a versatile player who can fill multiple roles.

I enjoy looking beyond the star ratings and national rankings to find players with the skills I want as hallmarks of our team's playing style. I believe I might have found that kind of player in Armando Brown.
This Harlem product is listed as a shooting guard, but our staff believe he will develop the ballhandling and passing skills necessary to run a team's offense. He's got very good potential as a perimeter defender, too. I also like his academic credentials. We're the only team on Armando's radar right now, and we'd like to keep it that way. I think he's our kind of player.

We also like Dorsey Hicks, Delaware's Mr. Basketball.
Dorsey is a scoresheet filler, a player who can score, rebound, distribute the ball, and play sound defense. Signing him looks like it will be a tougher task, as we're competing with several comparable programs in the DMV area.

Our first "reach" recruit is Ned Doran.
Ned has been a three-level scorer at the high school level, able to fire away from long range and get to the rim and finish. This ability might be the factor that earns him a Top 200 national ranking. Ned ranks several more prestigious programs ahead of us, but we'll invest some recruiting capital in him and see what happens.

I decide to offer scholarships to Brown and Hicks. My instincts tell me Doran is setting his sights higher, and would prefer one of the bigger programs if they offer him. All three players will visit our campus. Coach Sims will visit all three players, and Coach Manion will join him on trips to meet with the Brown and Hicks families.

September 1, 2012

The recruiting plot thickens!

We're still in the driver's seat with Armando Brown. Coach Sims and Coach Manion will try to close the deal with another visit to his home this month. He hasn't received any other offers so far.

Dorsey Hicks is offered by Loyola-Maryland, his top choice. Our programs are nearly identical in prestige; we're at 28, they're at 27. Coach Sims is a better recruiter than Greyhounds head man Rodrick Higa, while their recruiting assistant is more talented than Coach Manion. If we keep working hard, can we snag Dorsey's commitment, or is it time to concede the field to the Greyhounds and look elsewhere?

Meanwhile, Ned Doran is offered by George Mason and Loyola-Maryland. Even so, he still lists St. John's and Lafayette, in that order, as his top choices.

St. John's head coach Joe Steele is acknowledged as the gold standard when it comes to recruiting, and his right hand man, Chris Petrie, isn't that far behind. There's no way Graham Sims will win a head-to-head recruiting battle with Joe Steele, so if the Red Storm decide they want Ned, he's theirs. But they haven't decided that yet.

After much thought, I decide to stand pat. There's plenty of money available to send both our coaches to visit all three players at their residences.

It’s tied to achievements (such as making the Big Dance, etc.). When your coaching level increases, so does that of your assistants. You’re in a low enough conference you should be able to build your coaching up

Sorry for the late reply, TheseBoots. I was writing a post when you commented, and I just saw you'd stopped in.

On paper, American doesn't look like they will be quite as good in 2012/13. Kirill Korolev, last season's Patriot League Player of the Year, passed up his last season of eligibility to turn pro. (In my game world, a player can declare for the draft after three years). Korolev was a third team All-American, and I'm not sorry to see him go.

American lost two other All-Conference players, Michale Eichelberger and Joseph Coston, to graduation. They bring back PG Patrick Robinson, the fourth Eagle to make the first team. Still, losing three players as good as Korolev, Eichelberger, and Coston should bring the Eagles back down to earth a bit. Their roster is still strong, and they'll be picked to finish ahead of us based on the color ratings of our players.

They also lost their head coach, Trey Clayton. He was hired by Boston University to replace the retiring Curt Aycock. American's new man, Jimmy Reynolds, led Coppin State to a 23-10 record and an invitation to the Big Dance. You might remember that Coach Sims was approached for the Coppin State job and turned it down.

American's recruiting class was the lowest-ranked group in the Patriot League, with three one-star recruits. Rankings should, of course, be viewed with a critical eye; we'll see in four years what kinds of players they'll be. But, again, it looks like we narrowed the gap considerably this off-season.

I don't think American will walk the league this year. I expect Holy Cross to be very competitive. And what about our chances? DeWitt Leyva and Robert Castleman leave very big shoes for young players to fill. We might be a year away from a run at the title, unless the freshmen play like men in their first year on campus.

Thanks for commenting, TheseBoots.

Thanks, Izulde. I didn't figure a .500 record in a low-prestige conference would convince the game that Coach Sims was improving his skills. All his assistants are Level 0, which I didn't know was a thing.

October 1, 2012

Very little changed as a result of our recruiting efforts this month. We're in exactly the same positions with our top three targets as we were on September 1.

Armando Brown is still a secret recruit whom no other program has discovered. Or, perhaps he's a recruit nobody else believes to be worth recruiting. I remain convinced he's a good fit for the program Coach Sims is trying to build.

I also believe we have a shot at Dorsey Hicks. We're locked in a head-to-head battle with Loyola-Maryland, and while Dorsey still lists them as his first choice, I'm going to do what I can to prise him away.

We lose some ground with Ned Doran. I have a feeling St. John's is his dream school, and they offered him this month. We're now Ned's #3 choice, so it's probably time to divert those recruiting resources elsewhere.

Perhaps it's time to court a local kid from just up Highway 191 in Bangor, Leroy Bonin.
I mentally checked Leroy off my list early on, based on his struggles with ballhandling and passing. Now his potential as a lockdown defender and his projectable shooting ability have me intrigued.

I decide to invite Leroy to campus. He, Armando, and Dorsey will all receive visits from Coaches Sims and Manion this month. There's enough cash left to let Coach Sims pay one last call to Ned.

I'm hopeful for Hicks, he might just be the type to take a risk ... and hopefully Brown will be a sneaky good discovery!

I'm also glad that Venceslas will be getting a chance to impress this season. I'm just biased to the unknown European talent =) but he has a great name as well, well worth rooting for.

I've been increasing my knowledge via wikipedia, checking out the prototypical sizes and skillsets for the various positions. Good fun!

I hope you're right about both Brown and Hicks.

I'm a bit surprised Brown hasn't committed yet. As of last month, we were the only program recruiting him, and he's liked us from the beginning. I remain hopeful, however. Unless our scouting report is way, way off, Armando is the kind of player I want to coach, as I shape the character of the Lafayette basketball program.

My instincts are telling me Hicks might pick Loyola instead. That would be a shame, because I think he's a good fit for us, too. There are reasons why I recruited Dorsey before Leroy Bonin. Leroy's not a bad player, but there are things Dorsey does considerably better.

Good King Venceslás will be practicing with the starting five when workouts begin in October. I'm fond of recruiting European talent, too. However, they're expensive to recruit, so a program the size of Lafayette has to commit a sizeable portion of its monthly budget to a single player when we turn our attention overseas. It costs more money to evaluate a European player than it does to bring a kid from the eastern USA to campus for a visit...so we have to be careful about which international recruits we pursue. Venceslás was a high priority from the start, but we still couldn't afford to recruit him heavily until we'd lined up two other members of his class.

Perhaps I'll look overseas if things don't work out with Brown or Hicks.

I'm glad you're enjoying your research about basketball! There seems to be an increasing trend toward "positionless" basketball, involving players that don't fit the traditional archetypes associated with size and position. Nicola Jokić of the NBA's Denver Nuggets, who is 6'11", 285 pounds, averages over 10 assists per game as his team's primary playmaker. He's uniquely talented and versatile, but there are other players who do similar things at a less dominant level. The "positionless" trend is catching on at the NCAA level, too.

Thanks for stopping by again!

November 1, 2012

Good news first: combo guard Armando Brown commits to Lafayette today!

Armando won't dazzle the recruiting experts who rank each program's incoming class. He's ranked #1436 in the Class of '13, and he's barely among the top 300 players at his position nationwide. But if you've been reading for a while, you know we've liked him all along. We won't need Armando to step into the starting lineup as a freshman, not with Billy Weiler, Hubert Song, and Willard Davis all returning next year. Coach Sims can afford to be patient with Brown, letting him develop his ballhandling and passing abilities. He looks like he'll be ready to play our kind of defense as soon as he arrives. Armando is also a very good student. It's great to have you aboard, Mr. Brown.

Not-so-great news next: Dorsey Hicks continues to weigh his college decision, trying to decide whether to pick Loyola or Lafayette. If there were another player we liked nearly as much, I probably would have withdrawn Dorsey's offer and given it to the next man up. Right now, that man would be Leroy Bonin, who doesn't have any offers yet.

I think I'm going to court Hicks one more time. Meanwhile, I'll continue to invest in recruiting Bonin, and I've picked two more players from our contact list to visit: Lamar Pickens and James Robbins. I'll give you more information about them if they become high-priority recruits.

I won't be redshirting anyone this season. The only player willing to sit out a year is sophomore center Louis Hewett, who probably won't ever play very much for us. Our incoming big men, James Sanders and Rhett King, passed him on the depth chart from Day One, and his classmate, Clark Nolan, will start for us this year.

Training camps are about to begin, in anticipation of our season opener, at home against NJIT on November 18.

November 18, 2012
Lafayette 77, NJIT 64
Coach Sims begins his second season in Easton with a satisfying victory. The starting lineup includes only one player who started last season: point guard Billy Weiler. His new backcourt mate, Hubert Song, immediately endears himself to the Kirby Sports Center faithful with a cool 20 points on his debut. He lives up to his reputation as a three-point marksman, going 4-8 from beyond the arc. Hubert's classmates Venceslás Castillo (14 points, 9 rebounds, 3 assists) and James Sanders (10 points, 9 rebounds) also look good, as does soph big man Clark Nolan (14 points, 9 rebounds). The Leopards demonstrate a much greater propensity to shoot threes; their 19 attempts are the most ever by a Graham Sims team. (We make 7 of them.)
Record: 1-0.

November 22, 2012
Lafayette 71, High Point 57
We open up a comfortable first-half lead and cruise to victory down in North Carolina. The Panthers apparently look at film of the NJIT game, because they clamp down hard on Hubert Song (7 points). However, they have much more trouble containing James Sanders (14) and Venceslás Castillo (13), the latter of whom has sunk 11 of his first 14 collegiate shot attempts. Senior captain Stephen Thames adapts well to his "offensive specialist" role off the bench with 11 points in 18 minutes.
Record: 2-0.

November 25, 2012
Lafayette 78, Rhode Island 75
The Rams have a rugged senior center, Steve Natale. He schools our young big, James Sanders, tonight, forcing him to foul out with only two points and one rebound to his credit. However, his teammates willingly take up the slack. Hubert Song bounces back with 16 points, leading a pack of Leopards in double figures: Venceslás Castillo 13, Billy Weiler 11, Stephen Thames 11 (in 14 minutes). And, with Sanders out of the lineup, Rhett King asserts himself with 11 points and 9 rebounds of his own. Rhett can stroke it from deep, and he does so tonight, making all three of his treys. We take the lead with nine minutes remaining and fight off a comeback attempt to win our third straight game.
Record: 3-0.

November 27, 2012
UMBC 85, Lafayette 57
The Retrievers outplay us in every phase of the game, and their margin of victory accurately reflects that fact. Venceslás Castillo leads us with 13 points, but also turns the ball over 7 times. The only other positive takeaway is another productive outing from Stephen Thames, with 11 points in 17 minutes. Let's just turn the page.
Record: 3-1.

December 1, 2012
Recruiting Update

One of these days, I'm going to start trusting my recruiting instincts. Today, I learn that Dorsey Hicks has committed to Loyola. Dorsey has always been clear about the fact we were his second choice, so it doesn't feel like we've been tricked. I wish him well, and hope he enjoys a long, successful career.

Until today, I thought I would offer the scholarship to Leroy Bonin, but now I've changed my mind. I'm violating my own "defense first" rule to make an offer to Alvaro Kinard, another guard from the Big Apple.
At first glance, I looked past this tall, rangy guard because the assistant responsible for scouting, Donn McClinton, has such negative things to say about his defense and shooting. But he averages 18 points per game on a decent shooting percentage, which makes me wonder if Coach McClinton is missing something here. Alvaro also looks like a more polished playmaker and ballhandler than Armando Brown is at this point in their careers.

Kinard, a three-star prospect, has an intriguing list of favorite schools. Besides us, there are three Power Five teams and an Ivy League program. He hadn't received an offer until today. Alvaro will visit the Lafayette campus this week, and Coaches Sims and Manion will pay him a call.

They'll also maintain their connections with Leroy Bonin and Lamar Pickens. Neither of these players are being recruited by anyone else right now.

December 3, 2012
LaSalle 66, Lafayette 64
This one hurts. Playing against an Atlantic 10 team on the road, we fall behind by 10 in the first half. We rally, and with three minutes left, it's tied, 58-58. The Explorers' class reveals itself down the stretch. A Hubert Song three at the buzzer makes the final score even more heartbreaking. Our first year trio of Song (12 points), James Sanders (11), and Venceslás Castillo (10) lead the scoring, while another frosh, reserve Rhett King, leads us with 9 rebounds.
Record: 3-2.


December 14, 2012
St. John's 78, Lafayette 72 (2 OT)
When John McGrath sinks two free throws to give St. John's a 50-43 lead with 4:03 remaining, I figure I'll be telling you about how we gave a Big East team a decent game, that the result indicates some progress for our program, etc. But the Red Storm don't manage to score again during regulation time, and a fairly routine baseline jumper by Stephen Thames ties the score at 50 with almost two minutes to play. A series of ugly possessions ensues. McGrath and Billy Weiler both have chances to play the hero in the game's final seconds, but neither can convert them.

Both teams score at will during the overtime period, and as it dwindles down, we're tied again, 67-67. McGrath fires a three-pointer from the right corner. No good. Rhett King rebounds the ball for us, and gets it ahead to Weiler. Weiler tries a 30-footer. No good. Let's play five more minutes.

St. John's pulls away during the second extra period, and that's that.

Weiler leads all scorers with 19 points. Hubert Song contributes 15, and Mr. Offense, Stephen Thames, pours in 14 in 17 minutes. Venceslás Castillo pulls in 10 rebounds.
Record: 3-3.


December 16, 2012
Lafayette 69, Rider 54
Two days after a tough loss in double overtime, the Leopards pounce back with a tidy road victory. Good King Venceslás Castillo, our leading scorer, drops in 17. Even more impressively, he's making 63% of his shots so far this year. We don't shoot well as a team, but we defend tenaciously, and Clark Nolan dominates the boards with 14 rebounds. Remember John Spitzer, whom we recruited last year? He's had a decent season for Rider, serving as their first guard off the bench. We hold him to only two points.
Record: 4-3.


December 18, 2012
Temple 72, Lafayette 70
I've given Coach Sims and the Leopards a much more demanding non-conference schedule this year, and we've managed to hang pretty tough. Today, we take a very good Temple team down to the wire. We have the ball with 55 seconds left, behind 71-69, and the Owls force us into a shot clock violation. It's that close.

Hubert Song is our high man with 12 points, but Stephen Thames is right behind him with 11, in only 17 minutes this time. However, Willard Davis provides even more instant offense. He needs only six minutes to score three baskets, one a three-ball, and knock down three foul shots for 11 points.

Temple starts three Green players and two Blue players. Our boys--two Yellows, two Oranges, and a Red--don't back down one bit.
Record: 4-4.


December 23, 2012
Dayton 64, Lafayette 43
The parade of tough opponents continues with a 9-1 Flyers team that probably should be nationally ranked. We're never really in this game. James Sanders and Hubert Song are our only double-figure scorers, with exactly 10 points apiece.

I move Stephen Thames into the starting lineup, in place of Billy Weiler. Perhaps this isn't the right time for the move, as neither of them play well. I'll try the new lineup against a more manageable opponent and see what happens.
Record: 4-5.


December 26, 2012
#22 Baylor 91, Lafayette 79
This time, our opponent really is ranked, and again, we perform creditably against a team that should wipe us off the court. We do several things well; we make 53% of our shots and go 23-25 from the line.

Our freshmen again demonstrate how ready they are to play at this level. Hubert Song scores 17 points, and James Sanders adds 12. Rhett King, who sees a lot of action in relief of foul-plagued Clark Nolan, finishes with 10, including two 3-pointers. Rhett is 7-15 from long range this year.
Record: 4-6.


December 28, 2012
Seton Hall 62, Lafayette 56
Again, we play well against a strong team, making up a good portion of a first-half deficit and making our opponent play hard to the final buzzer. Ian Crook, the Hall's high-scoring Aussie guard, gets his usual 20 points, the first player to score that many against us this season.

Venceslás Castillo is finding it more difficult to score against these superior opponents; for the fourth straight game, he's held to fewer than 8 points. Hubert Song and Billy Weiler combine for 23 points--12 for Hubert, 11 for Billy--but they require 24 shots to score them.
Record: 4-7.


December 31, 2012
Lafayette 64, Loyola-Maryland 55
If you'd told me before the game that Venceslás Castillo would not score a single point, I would predict we'd lose. Hubert Song, however, has other plans.

The freshman sensation scores 29 points, making 5 of his 10 shots from behind the arc. He adds 5 rebounds and 4 assists for good measure. Stephen Thames supports him with 13 points, as the Leopards close out the calendar year with a victory that breaks our four-game losing streak.
Record: 5-7.

Good call on violating your rule here, I like what I see.

If you land him and the scouting is accurate, I'd look at moving Alvaro to SF given the post defense and the weak pass/handle for a guard, then shift the Good King down to PF. You've got Big Colonel's 319 pounds as a post anchor, so I think you can afford to go a bit smallball, especially since it appears Good King has the rebounding ability to play in the paint

Hubert Song is surprising me - I didn't think he'd be nearly that prolific a scorer at the jump.