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

MoonlightGraham · 04-22-2023, 10:11 AM

December 1, 2017
The last month of the year begins on a festive note, as Matthew Ackerman commits to play for Lafayette.

Matthew hails from the Staffordshire market town of Rugeley. He's quite highly regarded by those in the know: they rate him #11 among foreign players and #36 among shooting guards anywhere in the world. Matthew has been a productive scorer in high school, combining a catch-and-shoot game with the ability to get to the rim. We'll find out if those skills will play at the college level, or whether he'll have to carve out a role as a spot-up shooter.

December 4, 2017
Lafayette 93, @Princeton 80
Princeton's season has so far been a microcosm of their history in this universe: success alternating with failure, never moving too far toward one extreme or the other. They're a tough opponent at home, however, and they prove it by putting up 80 points. Fortunately for us, we score 93, 57 of those coming after halftime as we come back from three points down.

Tonight is Todd DeHaven's coming out party. The freshman drops 29 points on the Tigers, including 13-of-14 from the free throw line, and adds 9 boards for good measure. Daniel Warnock contributes 20 points and 8 rebounds, while Otis Hall (13 pts/8 reb off the bench) and Tim Hutchinson (12 pts) provide quality assistance. Richard Leak keeps everyone happy with 6 assists.

But as people file out of Jadwin Gymnasium into the frosty night, they're talking as much about Samuel Davis as they are about DeHaven. Big Sazzy rejects 8 shots, tying the Patriot League record for blocked shots, which he already shared. You can't assume that all the shots Samuel blocked would go in, but if they do, Princeton wins.
Record: 4-2.

December 7, 2017
@Lafayette 67, Duquesne 62
Back we go to the Kirby Center for a different sort of game against a cross-state rival. Tonight defense plays a larger role, as we open up a big lead by halftime and resist the Dukes' attempts to reel us back in.

Tonight's high scorer is Tim Hutchinson with 18. Daniel Warnock, our top points-getter for the season (16.4 a game), has 13. Sixth man Jack Senn matches his season average with 10. Duquesne obviously watched some film of Todd DeHaven, because they do a good job of denying him the ball and hold him to 9 points. They can't keep Todd off the boards, however; he leads all rebounders with 13.

And they can't stop Samuel Davis from blocking any shot he can reach. He does so five times. There's a dude down at East Carolina named Jose Forehand who's blocked nearly 300 shots in his career. He's the only player in the country who leads our Mr. Davis in this season's shot blockers' race.
Record: 5-2.

December 9, 2017
@Lafayette 72, Canisius 49
When I look at the box score for a Lafayette game, I first check to see how many shots Samuel Davis blocks. Today, the answer is "four." He also has 9 rebounds, 4 assists, and 5 points.

Daniel Warnock is again our leading scorer, coolly dropping in 20 points. The AI doesn't think he should start, but I think I'm doing just fine ignoring this instruction. He's second in the Patriot League in scoring, behind Army's productive sophomore guard, Chris Buckley.

Todd DeHaven gets the Leopards' first double-double of the season: 16 points, 11 rebounds.
Record: 6-2.

December 13, 2017
Lafayette 75, @Siena 64
Any excitement we might feel about our victory over a tough Siena team is erased when Todd DeHaven tears his quad midway through the first half. He'll be out for about two months.

Daniel Warnock continues to be our go-to scorer, finishing with 20 points. Tim Hutchinson follows with 17, and Samuel Davis turns back 5 shots.

Otis Hall, who will take DeHaven's spot in our starting lineup, contributed 9 points and 8 rebounds. Otis was an All-Conference player last season, so I'm confident in his ability to do the jobs we need him to do...but we're better with both him and Todd in our rotation.
Record: 7-2.

December 15, 2017
Lafayette 75, @Rhode Island 69
Tim Hutchinson and Daniel Warnock score 17 points apiece, which is typical. Reserve Justin Judkins fires in 18 points in 18 minutes, which is a lovely surprise. Jack Senn comes off the bench firing, too; he finishes with 11 points.

Strange stat line of the night: Samuel Davis. The 6'11" center takes five shots, all from three-point range. He misses all of them and finishes with zero points. When the Rams have the ball, Big Sazzy returns to his low post domain and blocks five shots.
Record: 8-2.

December 21, 2017
@Lafayette 65, Delaware 54
The injury bug bites us again, but not quite as hard this time. The victim is Jack Senn, who complains of a stiff neck after the game. He's listed as day-to-day, operating at 85% efficiency. I'm going to play it safe and sit Jack down until he's completely healthy again.

Daniel Warnock is our only double-digit scorer, and he's well in that range with 19 points. Otis Hall turns in another 9-point, 8-rebound worksheet. And Samuel Davis does rim protector things, blocking 5 shots and grabbing 8 rebounds.
Record: 9-2.

December 23, 2017
Lafayette 67, @Columbia 48
We don't shoot well against the Lions, but we shoot often enough that we manage to win anyway. Nine of our 28 from three point range go in, and that helps a lot.

Without Todd DeHaven, we have two players on whom we can depend to score. Fortunately Tim Hutchinson (19 points) and Daniel Warnock (16) are up for the challenge.

First year point Jamie Kelso starts his first collegiate game and does just fine. He assists on 3 baskets and commits a single turnover.

The sun rises, the sun sets, and Samuel Davis blocks five shots. He's now the NCAA leader in this category, averaging 4.4 per game.
Record: 10-2.

December 27, 2017
Lafayette 76, @St. Joseph's 65
Recently voted the #6 team in the Mid Major Top 25, we justify our ranking with an away victory over one of the Big Five. Graham gets to catch up with St. Joseph's coach, Emile Richards, who led Holy Cross to five consecutive 20-win seasons before the Hawks hired him away last season.

St. Joe's excellent wing, Neville Black, scores 24 points, but our Tim Hutchinson counters with 26 of his own. The freshman goes 10-for-15 from the floor, 4-for-5 from behind the arc. Richard Leak returns to the court and hands out 6 assists.

Samuel Davis does the inside-outside trick again, blocking four shots and making both his three-point attempts on the way to a 12-point performance. Daniel Warnock has a bit of an off night with 10.
Record: 11-2.

04-22-2023, 10:11 AM	#178
MoonlightGraham High School Varsity Join Date: Sep 2022	December 1, 2017 The last month of the year begins on a festive note, as Matthew Ackerman commits to play for Lafayette. Matthew hails from the Staffordshire market town of Rugeley. He's quite highly regarded by those in the know: they rate him #11 among foreign players and #36 among shooting guards anywhere in the world. Matthew has been a productive scorer in high school, combining a catch-and-shoot game with the ability to get to the rim. We'll find out if those skills will play at the college level, or whether he'll have to carve out a role as a spot-up shooter. December 4, 2017 Lafayette 93, @Princeton 80 Princeton's season has so far been a microcosm of their history in this universe: success alternating with failure, never moving too far toward one extreme or the other. They're a tough opponent at home, however, and they prove it by putting up 80 points. Fortunately for us, we score 93, 57 of those coming after halftime as we come back from three points down. Tonight is Todd DeHaven's coming out party. The freshman drops 29 points on the Tigers, including 13-of-14 from the free throw line, and adds 9 boards for good measure. Daniel Warnock contributes 20 points and 8 rebounds, while Otis Hall (13 pts/8 reb off the bench) and Tim Hutchinson (12 pts) provide quality assistance. Richard Leak keeps everyone happy with 6 assists. But as people file out of Jadwin Gymnasium into the frosty night, they're talking as much about Samuel Davis as they are about DeHaven. Big Sazzy rejects 8 shots, tying the Patriot League record for blocked shots, which he already shared. You can't assume that all the shots Samuel blocked would go in, but if they do, Princeton wins. Record: 4-2. December 7, 2017 @Lafayette 67, Duquesne 62 Back we go to the Kirby Center for a different sort of game against a cross-state rival. Tonight defense plays a larger role, as we open up a big lead by halftime and resist the Dukes' attempts to reel us back in. Tonight's high scorer is Tim Hutchinson with 18. Daniel Warnock, our top points-getter for the season (16.4 a game), has 13. Sixth man Jack Senn matches his season average with 10. Duquesne obviously watched some film of Todd DeHaven, because they do a good job of denying him the ball and hold him to 9 points. They can't keep Todd off the boards, however; he leads all rebounders with 13. And they can't stop Samuel Davis from blocking any shot he can reach. He does so five times. There's a dude down at East Carolina named Jose Forehand who's blocked nearly 300 shots in his career. He's the only player in the country who leads our Mr. Davis in this season's shot blockers' race. Record: 5-2. December 9, 2017 @Lafayette 72, Canisius 49 When I look at the box score for a Lafayette game, I first check to see how many shots Samuel Davis blocks. Today, the answer is "four." He also has 9 rebounds, 4 assists, and 5 points. Daniel Warnock is again our leading scorer, coolly dropping in 20 points. The AI doesn't think he should start, but I think I'm doing just fine ignoring this instruction. He's second in the Patriot League in scoring, behind Army's productive sophomore guard, Chris Buckley. Todd DeHaven gets the Leopards' first double-double of the season: 16 points, 11 rebounds. Record: 6-2. December 13, 2017 Lafayette 75, @Siena 64 Any excitement we might feel about our victory over a tough Siena team is erased when Todd DeHaven tears his quad midway through the first half. He'll be out for about two months. Daniel Warnock continues to be our go-to scorer, finishing with 20 points. Tim Hutchinson follows with 17, and Samuel Davis turns back 5 shots. Otis Hall, who will take DeHaven's spot in our starting lineup, contributed 9 points and 8 rebounds. Otis was an All-Conference player last season, so I'm confident in his ability to do the jobs we need him to do...but we're better with both him and Todd in our rotation. Record: 7-2. December 15, 2017 Lafayette 75, @Rhode Island 69 Tim Hutchinson and Daniel Warnock score 17 points apiece, which is typical. Reserve Justin Judkins fires in 18 points in 18 minutes, which is a lovely surprise. Jack Senn comes off the bench firing, too; he finishes with 11 points. Strange stat line of the night: Samuel Davis. The 6'11" center takes five shots, all from three-point range. He misses all of them and finishes with zero points. When the Rams have the ball, Big Sazzy returns to his low post domain and blocks five shots. Record: 8-2. December 21, 2017 @Lafayette 65, Delaware 54 The injury bug bites us again, but not quite as hard this time. The victim is Jack Senn, who complains of a stiff neck after the game. He's listed as day-to-day, operating at 85% efficiency. I'm going to play it safe and sit Jack down until he's completely healthy again. Daniel Warnock is our only double-digit scorer, and he's well in that range with 19 points. Otis Hall turns in another 9-point, 8-rebound worksheet. And Samuel Davis does rim protector things, blocking 5 shots and grabbing 8 rebounds. Record: 9-2. December 23, 2017 Lafayette 67, @Columbia 48 We don't shoot well against the Lions, but we shoot often enough that we manage to win anyway. Nine of our 28 from three point range go in, and that helps a lot. Without Todd DeHaven, we have two players on whom we can depend to score. Fortunately Tim Hutchinson (19 points) and Daniel Warnock (16) are up for the challenge. First year point Jamie Kelso starts his first collegiate game and does just fine. He assists on 3 baskets and commits a single turnover. The sun rises, the sun sets, and Samuel Davis blocks five shots. He's now the NCAA leader in this category, averaging 4.4 per game. Record: 10-2. December 27, 2017 Lafayette 76, @St. Joseph's 65 Recently voted the #6 team in the Mid Major Top 25, we justify our ranking with an away victory over one of the Big Five. Graham gets to catch up with St. Joseph's coach, Emile Richards, who led Holy Cross to five consecutive 20-win seasons before the Hawks hired him away last season. St. Joe's excellent wing, Neville Black, scores 24 points, but our Tim Hutchinson counters with 26 of his own. The freshman goes 10-for-15 from the floor, 4-for-5 from behind the arc. Richard Leak returns to the court and hands out 6 assists. Samuel Davis does the inside-outside trick again, blocking four shots and making both his three-point attempts on the way to a 12-point performance. Daniel Warnock has a bit of an off night with 10. Record: 11-2.