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

MoonlightGraham · 02-01-2024, 11:57 AM

December 3, 2033
@#3 Villanova 94, Siena 56
Junior center Zach Cohen scores 22 points, grabs 13 rebounds, and turns back 4 shots in a comfortable victory over Siena.

Mason Reynolds (18p/6a/5r), Noah Gardner (15p/4a) and Chris Woolstenhulme (13p/6r) also perform well. We make almost 57 percent of our shots, a season's high mark, and hold the Saints to 6-for-24 from behind the three-point line.
Record: 6-1.

December 9, 2033
@#7 Villanova 56, Richmond 52
We survive a scare from a solid Spider team who takes advantage of our sloppy play. We shoot 39 percent, take only 13 threes and make only 3 of them, and commit 19 turnovers. If we do those things against most Big East teams, we're going to get smoked. Fortunately, our defense saves our blushes with an extremely good effort. Zach Cohen (4 blocks) and Connor Baxter (3 steals) stand out on that end of the floor.

Noah Gardner misses 4 of the 5 long shots he tries, but he finishes with 16 points anyway. Savion Wells hits 8 of 9 foul shots en route to a 14-point, 9-rebound day. Mason Reynolds just misses a double-double: 10 points, 9 boards.
Record: 7-1.

December 12, 2033
@#5 Villanova 94, Bucknell 51
Savion Wells scores 21 points, collects 12 rebounds, and is named Player of the Game for the second straight time as we play much better against the Bison. This time, we shoot .526/.450/.781, commit only 11 turnovers, and record assists on 28 of our 30 baskets. (Our school record is 30 assists in a game, recorded four times).

Mason Reynolds (18p/7r/5a) continues to grow into a productive, all-action wing. Noah Gardner (18p/6r/4a) is making a claim for extended playing time, even after our roster is back to full strength. Chris Woolstenhulme is thriving in the sixth man role Graham Sims likes to employ, playing it in the style of Tony Ezell. Freshman Connor Baxter conducts the show well (9p/9a).
Record: 8-1.

December 16, 2033
@#5 Villanova 93, Pennsylvania 88
Full credit to the Quakers for battling back to make a game of it after we lead by as many as 22 points. The result is an entertaining contest between two old Big Five rivals.

Tonight's big star is Connor Baxter, who tosses in 26 points, the best of his young career. He unselfishly adds 6 assists. Another firstie, Mason Reynolds, scores 19, with 5 assists and 3 steals. Noah Gardner (15p/6r) and Savion Wells (13p/9r) score in double digits, and Zach Cohen (7p/8r/5b) does Blue Collar Man things. Bench warrior Chris Ramos blocks 2 shots in 5 minutes of play.

We need every one of those contributions to ward off a tough Penn team tonight.
Record: 9-1.

December 21, 2033
@#4 Villanova 79, Lafayette 54
It feels a bit unusual to play an unranked Lafayette team. The Leopards lost to a very good Miami team, which is understandable. They also lost to Air Force and a bad Indiana team, which is not. These Leopards aren't as fierce as they've been in the past. I want a better fate for Graham's former assistant, Thomas Liang.

The frontcourt does most of the damage for us tonight. Zach Cohen scores 12 points, hauls down 15 rebounds, and blocks 4 shots. Savion Wells finishes with 15 points and 10 boards. Noah Gardner comes within a rebound of giving us three double-doubles (19p/9r), and Chris Woolstenhulme (8p/8r) doesn't miss by much giving us four.

We set a new team record for rebounds in a single game with 58.
Record: 10-1.

December 27, 2033
@#5 Villanova 27, Princeton 48
Zach Cohen becomes the second player in Villanova history to collect at least 20 rebounds in a game tonight. He also sets a new career high in blocked shots with 8, and scores 14 points.

Noah Gardner scores 21, Connor Baxter 18, and Savion Wells 15. Wells grabs 8 rebounds, Baxter has 5 assists. Mason Reynolds makes up for a forgettable 1-for-11 shooting performance with 3 steals.

Remember that rebound record we set the other night? We tie it today, as every player who is at least 6'4" grabs at least four caroms, regardless of how few minutes he plays. The most productive rebounder is Chris Ramos, who hauls in 4 in 6 minutes.
Record: 11-1.

January 1, 2034
Penn State's coach, Louie Smith, has had an interesting coaching journey. He was once regarded as one of the best coaches in the business. He took Illinois, and then Duke, to the Final Four. Then, after several disappointing seasons in a row, he lost his job at Duke and spent three years as an assistant at Michigan State and Stanford.

Gonzaga offered him their head coaching job in 2027. He won 15, then 19, then 20 games, and when Thomas Liang left Penn State for Lafayette, the Nittany Lions called on Coach Smith. He brings a very good team with a 10-3 record to the Wells Fargo Center today.

Code:

Penn State 79, #5 Villanova 75

----------------------------------------------------------
Penn State  (11-3, 2-0):
Player            Pos Min Fgm-a Ftm-a Off Reb Ast PF Pts
Jerome Brand      C    32   5-5   0-0   0   8   2  3  10
Lincoln Herron    PF   27   3-5   4-4   2   8   3  3  10
Jon Higdon        SF   26   2-8   0-1   1   6   2  3   4
Kevin Schall      SG   24   0-2   3-4   0   3   1  0   3
Wendell Neal      PG   25  6-13   4-4   4   6   2  4  19
Hollis Lower      PG   16   3-6   2-2   1   3   3  2   9
Garland McKinley  PG   11   2-6   2-2   0   1   1  1   7
Michael Harrison  SG    3   0-1   0-0   0   0   0  0   0
Andreas Martinez  SF   14   4-7   4-6   0   1   1  0  13
Travis Thomson    PF   15   2-4   0-0   1   5   1  1   4
Scott Edwards     C     7   0-2   0-0   0   2   2  0   0

Turnovers: 14 (J.Brand 2, J.Higdon 3, K.Schall 1, 
 W.Neal 4, H.Lower 1, G.McKinley 1, A.Martinez 1, 
 T.Thomson 1)
Blocked Shots: 4 (J.Brand 1, L.Herron 2, J.Higdon 1)
Steals: 4 (L.Herron 1, A.Martinez 1, T.Thomson 2)
3P FGs: 6-14 (J.Higdon 0-1, K.Schall 0-1, W.Neal 3-5, 
 H.Lower 1-1, G.McKinley 1-4, A.Martinez 1-1, S.Edwards 
 0-1)

Villanova  (11-2, 0-0):
Player            Pos Min Fgm-a Ftm-a Off Reb Ast PF Pts
Zach Cohen        C    31   2-4   0-2   2   8   1  1   4
Savion Wells      PF   32  7-15  6-10   3   4   1  3  20
Noah Gardner      SG   31  5-17   3-3   3   5   3  4  15
Mason Reynolds    SG   35  4-11   1-2   1   5   5  3  13
Connor Baxter     PG   19   2-4   0-0   1   2   2  5   6
C. Woolstenhulme  SF   19  4-10   1-1   2   5   3  3   9
Trey Partridge    PG   18   2-7   0-0   1   5   0  1   6
Kyle Gribble      SF    9   1-2   0-0   0   2   1  0   2
Chris Ramos       C     7   0-0   0-0   0   1   1  0   0

Turnovers: 8 (S.Wells 4, N.Gardner 1, M.Reynolds 1, 
 C.Woolstenhulme 1, C.Ramos 1)
Blocked Shots: 3 (C.Baxter 1, C.Woolstenhulme 1, 
 T.Partridge 1)
Steals: 6 (Z.Cohen 2, M.Reynolds 1, C.Woolstenhulme 2, 
 T.Partridge 1)
3P FGs: 10-30 (N.Gardner 2-9, M.Reynolds 4-9, C.Baxter 
 2-4, C.Woolstenhulme 0-1, T.Partridge 2-7)

Player of Game: PF Lincoln Herron (PA ST)

Coach Smith is as good a tactician as there is, and he matches wits with Graham Sims all game long. It's a master class that neutral fans find as intriguing as those with more skin in the game.

In the end, it's the Lions who come out on top. We're uncharacteristically inaccurate from the free throw line, and Penn State's defense forces us into taking shots we don't like.
Record: 11-2.

January 4, 2034

Code:

2033 Big East Conference Standings

 TEAM                  CW  CL   Pct   W  L    Pct  RPI  Prestige
-----------------------------------------------------------------
 #9 Louisville          0   0  .000  13  0  1.000    2        87
 #5 Connecticut         0   0  .000  13  0  1.000   17        69
 #3 Pittsburgh          0   0  .000  12  1   .923   19        84
 #12 Villanova          0   0  .000  11  2   .846    3       100
 #6 Georgetown          0   0  .000  11  1   .917    8       100
 #20 Providence         0   0  .000  11  1   .917   28        67
 Cincinnati             0   0  .000   9  2   .818   11        67
 #15 West Virginia      0   0  .000   9  2   .818  206        94
 Notre Dame             0   0  .000   8  4   .667   31        87
 Syracuse               0   0  .000   7  5   .583   36        65
 South Florida          0   0  .000   7  5   .583   96        69
 Seton Hall             0   0  .000   7  5   .583  128        57
 Rutgers                0   0  .000   6  6   .500   93        76
 St. John's             0   0  .000   6  6   .500  108        76
 Marquette              0   0  .000   6  5   .545  204        59
 DePaul                 0   0  .000   4  8   .333  101        56

I'm not used to looking this far down the list of Big East teams to find Villanova. That's what losing two out-of-conference games gets you in a year when the conference is as loaded as it seems to be this year.

We've hung in there very well without Ernest Adcock and Reed Weisberg. Both seniors should be back in action within two weeks. In their absence, six Wildcats are averaging between 9 and 17 points per game. Five average at least 5 rebounds per game. I'm looking forward to having Ernest and Reed back, but I'm proud of the way the other players have stepped up in their absence.

02-01-2024, 11:57 AM	#564
MoonlightGraham High School Varsity Join Date: Sep 2022	December 3, 2033 @#3 Villanova 94, Siena 56 Junior center Zach Cohen scores 22 points, grabs 13 rebounds, and turns back 4 shots in a comfortable victory over Siena. Mason Reynolds (18p/6a/5r), Noah Gardner (15p/4a) and Chris Woolstenhulme (13p/6r) also perform well. We make almost 57 percent of our shots, a season's high mark, and hold the Saints to 6-for-24 from behind the three-point line. Record: 6-1. December 9, 2033 @#7 Villanova 56, Richmond 52 We survive a scare from a solid Spider team who takes advantage of our sloppy play. We shoot 39 percent, take only 13 threes and make only 3 of them, and commit 19 turnovers. If we do those things against most Big East teams, we're going to get smoked. Fortunately, our defense saves our blushes with an extremely good effort. Zach Cohen (4 blocks) and Connor Baxter (3 steals) stand out on that end of the floor. Noah Gardner misses 4 of the 5 long shots he tries, but he finishes with 16 points anyway. Savion Wells hits 8 of 9 foul shots en route to a 14-point, 9-rebound day. Mason Reynolds just misses a double-double: 10 points, 9 boards. Record: 7-1. December 12, 2033 @#5 Villanova 94, Bucknell 51 Savion Wells scores 21 points, collects 12 rebounds, and is named Player of the Game for the second straight time as we play much better against the Bison. This time, we shoot .526/.450/.781, commit only 11 turnovers, and record assists on 28 of our 30 baskets. (Our school record is 30 assists in a game, recorded four times). Mason Reynolds (18p/7r/5a) continues to grow into a productive, all-action wing. Noah Gardner (18p/6r/4a) is making a claim for extended playing time, even after our roster is back to full strength. Chris Woolstenhulme is thriving in the sixth man role Graham Sims likes to employ, playing it in the style of Tony Ezell. Freshman Connor Baxter conducts the show well (9p/9a). Record: 8-1. December 16, 2033 @#5 Villanova 93, Pennsylvania 88 Full credit to the Quakers for battling back to make a game of it after we lead by as many as 22 points. The result is an entertaining contest between two old Big Five rivals. Tonight's big star is Connor Baxter, who tosses in 26 points, the best of his young career. He unselfishly adds 6 assists. Another firstie, Mason Reynolds, scores 19, with 5 assists and 3 steals. Noah Gardner (15p/6r) and Savion Wells (13p/9r) score in double digits, and Zach Cohen (7p/8r/5b) does Blue Collar Man things. Bench warrior Chris Ramos blocks 2 shots in 5 minutes of play. We need every one of those contributions to ward off a tough Penn team tonight. Record: 9-1. December 21, 2033 @#4 Villanova 79, Lafayette 54 It feels a bit unusual to play an unranked Lafayette team. The Leopards lost to a very good Miami team, which is understandable. They also lost to Air Force and a bad Indiana team, which is not. These Leopards aren't as fierce as they've been in the past. I want a better fate for Graham's former assistant, Thomas Liang. The frontcourt does most of the damage for us tonight. Zach Cohen scores 12 points, hauls down 15 rebounds, and blocks 4 shots. Savion Wells finishes with 15 points and 10 boards. Noah Gardner comes within a rebound of giving us three double-doubles (19p/9r), and Chris Woolstenhulme (8p/8r) doesn't miss by much giving us four. We set a new team record for rebounds in a single game with 58. Record: 10-1. December 27, 2033 @#5 Villanova 27, Princeton 48 Zach Cohen becomes the second player in Villanova history to collect at least 20 rebounds in a game tonight. He also sets a new career high in blocked shots with 8, and scores 14 points. Noah Gardner scores 21, Connor Baxter 18, and Savion Wells 15. Wells grabs 8 rebounds, Baxter has 5 assists. Mason Reynolds makes up for a forgettable 1-for-11 shooting performance with 3 steals. Remember that rebound record we set the other night? We tie it today, as every player who is at least 6'4" grabs at least four caroms, regardless of how few minutes he plays. The most productive rebounder is Chris Ramos, who hauls in 4 in 6 minutes. Record: 11-1. January 1, 2034 Penn State's coach, Louie Smith, has had an interesting coaching journey. He was once regarded as one of the best coaches in the business. He took Illinois, and then Duke, to the Final Four. Then, after several disappointing seasons in a row, he lost his job at Duke and spent three years as an assistant at Michigan State and Stanford. Gonzaga offered him their head coaching job in 2027. He won 15, then 19, then 20 games, and when Thomas Liang left Penn State for Lafayette, the Nittany Lions called on Coach Smith. He brings a very good team with a 10-3 record to the Wells Fargo Center today. Code: Penn State 79, #5 Villanova 75 ---------------------------------------------------------- Penn State (11-3, 2-0): Player Pos Min Fgm-a Ftm-a Off Reb Ast PF Pts Jerome Brand C 32 5-5 0-0 0 8 2 3 10 Lincoln Herron PF 27 3-5 4-4 2 8 3 3 10 Jon Higdon SF 26 2-8 0-1 1 6 2 3 4 Kevin Schall SG 24 0-2 3-4 0 3 1 0 3 Wendell Neal PG 25 6-13 4-4 4 6 2 4 19 Hollis Lower PG 16 3-6 2-2 1 3 3 2 9 Garland McKinley PG 11 2-6 2-2 0 1 1 1 7 Michael Harrison SG 3 0-1 0-0 0 0 0 0 0 Andreas Martinez SF 14 4-7 4-6 0 1 1 0 13 Travis Thomson PF 15 2-4 0-0 1 5 1 1 4 Scott Edwards C 7 0-2 0-0 0 2 2 0 0 Turnovers: 14 (J.Brand 2, J.Higdon 3, K.Schall 1, W.Neal 4, H.Lower 1, G.McKinley 1, A.Martinez 1, T.Thomson 1) Blocked Shots: 4 (J.Brand 1, L.Herron 2, J.Higdon 1) Steals: 4 (L.Herron 1, A.Martinez 1, T.Thomson 2) 3P FGs: 6-14 (J.Higdon 0-1, K.Schall 0-1, W.Neal 3-5, H.Lower 1-1, G.McKinley 1-4, A.Martinez 1-1, S.Edwards 0-1) Villanova (11-2, 0-0): Player Pos Min Fgm-a Ftm-a Off Reb Ast PF Pts Zach Cohen C 31 2-4 0-2 2 8 1 1 4 Savion Wells PF 32 7-15 6-10 3 4 1 3 20 Noah Gardner SG 31 5-17 3-3 3 5 3 4 15 Mason Reynolds SG 35 4-11 1-2 1 5 5 3 13 Connor Baxter PG 19 2-4 0-0 1 2 2 5 6 C. Woolstenhulme SF 19 4-10 1-1 2 5 3 3 9 Trey Partridge PG 18 2-7 0-0 1 5 0 1 6 Kyle Gribble SF 9 1-2 0-0 0 2 1 0 2 Chris Ramos C 7 0-0 0-0 0 1 1 0 0 Turnovers: 8 (S.Wells 4, N.Gardner 1, M.Reynolds 1, C.Woolstenhulme 1, C.Ramos 1) Blocked Shots: 3 (C.Baxter 1, C.Woolstenhulme 1, T.Partridge 1) Steals: 6 (Z.Cohen 2, M.Reynolds 1, C.Woolstenhulme 2, T.Partridge 1) 3P FGs: 10-30 (N.Gardner 2-9, M.Reynolds 4-9, C.Baxter 2-4, C.Woolstenhulme 0-1, T.Partridge 2-7) Player of Game: PF Lincoln Herron (PA ST) Coach Smith is as good a tactician as there is, and he matches wits with Graham Sims all game long. It's a master class that neutral fans find as intriguing as those with more skin in the game. In the end, it's the Lions who come out on top. We're uncharacteristically inaccurate from the free throw line, and Penn State's defense forces us into taking shots we don't like. Record: 11-2. January 4, 2034 Code: 2033 Big East Conference Standings TEAM CW CL Pct W L Pct RPI Prestige ----------------------------------------------------------------- #9 Louisville 0 0 .000 13 0 1.000 2 87 #5 Connecticut 0 0 .000 13 0 1.000 17 69 #3 Pittsburgh 0 0 .000 12 1 .923 19 84 #12 Villanova 0 0 .000 11 2 .846 3 100 #6 Georgetown 0 0 .000 11 1 .917 8 100 #20 Providence 0 0 .000 11 1 .917 28 67 Cincinnati 0 0 .000 9 2 .818 11 67 #15 West Virginia 0 0 .000 9 2 .818 206 94 Notre Dame 0 0 .000 8 4 .667 31 87 Syracuse 0 0 .000 7 5 .583 36 65 South Florida 0 0 .000 7 5 .583 96 69 Seton Hall 0 0 .000 7 5 .583 128 57 Rutgers 0 0 .000 6 6 .500 93 76 St. John's 0 0 .000 6 6 .500 108 76 Marquette 0 0 .000 6 5 .545 204 59 DePaul 0 0 .000 4 8 .333 101 56 I'm not used to looking this far down the list of Big East teams to find Villanova. That's what losing two out-of-conference games gets you in a year when the conference is as loaded as it seems to be this year. We've hung in there very well without Ernest Adcock and Reed Weisberg. Both seniors should be back in action within two weeks. In their absence, six Wildcats are averaging between 9 and 17 points per game. Five average at least 5 rebounds per game. I'm looking forward to having Ernest and Reed back, but I'm proud of the way the other players have stepped up in their absence. Last edited by MoonlightGraham : 02-02-2024 at 10:52 AM.