For God and Basketball: The Cyrus Warfield Story

[jksander]

Year One
2016-17

=== USING VALDERIX' SUPER AWESOME DII SEMI-FANTASY MOD ===
http://www.wolverinestudios.com/board/viewtopic.php?f=228&t=21866

Team Information
School: Oakland City University
Mascot: Mighty Oaks
Abbreviation: OCC
Location: Oakland City, IN
Arena: Johnson Center (1,000)
Facilities: C+
Academics: B-
Conference: Landmark
Conf Prestige: 34/100
Team Prestige: 31/100
Minimum SAT: 920
Team Goals: Win Landmark Tournament, Finish above .500, Improve school prestige

Coach Information
Name: Cyrus Warfield (26)
Experience: None (0-0)
Contract: $150,000 / year (3 years)
Offense: 70
Defense: 65
Recruiting: 55
Scouting: 45
Development: 40
Reputation: Blow Average
Ambition: High
Academics: Very High
Discipline: High
Temper: Average
Integrity: Very High

Oakland City is a small private Christian college located between Evansville and Princeton in southern Indiana, in just the right spot to have avoided much national comment in the past decades. However, the school has quietly built a reptation for athletic performance, building teams of young men and women who are of strong moral and ethical character, and who win games by playing as a team. That's where I come in. I played for a tiny southern Indiana high school, never put on showy performances, and certainly never got much interest from colleges. But my academic performance was solid enough that I earned a scholarship from OCC to play for them and I jumped at the opportunity. Over four years with them as a point guard, I helped lead the team to three conference titles and a Division III Final Four appearance, before graduating with a degree in journalism. At age 23 I took a junior assistant position under legendary head coach Mike Sandifar, and when he announced his retirement this spring, I was named one of the youngest head coaches in college basketball!

I look forward to continuing to promote the Oakland City way as I lead this program into the future. And I appreciate you, as fans, coming along for the ride!

Budget
Total: $177,500
Coaches: $108,000
Scouting Reports: Midwest Gold ($30,000)
Summer Travel: None ($0)
Remaining: $39,500 (2 open scholarships)

We'll open the recruiting season by targeting 29 players in the state of Indiana who all have the skill to play at this level and who have shown the academic fortitude to survive at Oakland City (no one lower than a 2.8 GPA). With only two scholarships open we can afford to be a little choosy, and may open up our recruiting search into the states of Kentucky and Illinois as the season progresses.

[jksander]

September 18, 2016: We at Oakland City are proud to say we've signed our first recruit for the upcoming class! Mekeli Sims, a 6'7” forward from Mooresville High in Moresville, Indiana, is a top 150 national recruit ranked 6th at his position in the region! Boasting solid athleticism and above-average overall potential, he will arrive on campus as a solid defender and scoring threat, capable of scoring from anywhere on the court. Playing time was not an issue -- Sims told me he wanted to play for a team where discipline was an issue, and though his parents were concerned about him attending a “religious” school, I think he made the right decision for him.

September 25, 2016: Our recruiting class is complete with the addition of 6'6” forward Dennis Stevenson to the class! The senior from North Central HS in Farmersburg, Indiana, a small 1A program, isn't the most athletic player in the recruiting ranks this year, but he's still ranked amid the top 300 overall and he can score and rebound in droves. He'll be a project I'll have to put time into over the next couple seasons, but I am confident he'll develop into a strong player on the court with an Oakland City education he can take with him after.

2016-17 Schedule
Oakland City Mighty Oaks

November
16 - Union
19 - @ #5 Bellarmine
23 - Lock Haven
26 - Azusa Pacific
30 - @ Christian Brothers

December
3 - Eckerd
7 - #4 Virginia Union
14 - #13 Washburn
16 - (n) #15 Fort Hayes State (Las Vegas Winter Jam)
21 - #5 Bellarmine
28 - @ Massachusetts Boston

January
4 - Rockhurst *
7 - @ Calumet *
11 - @ Ouachita Baptist *
14 - Nebraska-Kearney *
18 - @ Chadron State *
21 - Saint Joseph's *
25 - @ Harding *
28 - @ #15 Fort Hayes State *

February
1 - Lincoln (MO) *
4 - @ Webster *
8 - Missouri S&T *
11 - Missouri-St. Louis *
15 - @ Emporia State *
18 - @ Rockhurst *
22 - Calumet *
25 - Ouachita Baptist *
________________________________
* Landmark Conference Opponent

[jksander]

Starters
PG - Larry Brown (6'5” 185 lbs So) Lincoln City IN (Heritage Hills HS) 2.7 GPA
SG - Damien Martin (6'1” 174 lbs Sr) Evansville IN (Reitz Memorial HS) 2.6 GPA
SF - Dickey Finley (6'8” 237 lbs Fr) Hammond IN (Hammond HS) 3.7 GPA
PF - Jefferson Brown (6'8” 238 lbs So) Greensburg IN (South Decatur HS) 3.4 GPA
C - Derrick Eidson (6'8” 272 lbs Sr) Lincoln City IN (Heritage Hills HS) 3.4 GPA

Active Reserves
PG - Shawn Punt (6'4” 210 lbs So) Indianapolis IN (Lawrence Central HS) 2.7 GPA
SG - Ricky Jones (6'3” 192 lbs So) Chalmers IN (Frontier HS) 3.1 GPA
SF/PF - David Erege (6'7” 192 lbs Fr) Morristown MN (Cannon Valley Lutheran HS) 3.2 GPA
SF/PF - Dustin Thomas (6'5” 217 lbs Fr) Kentland IN (South Newton HS) 3.2 GPA
C - Greg Strickland (6'10” 270 lbs Jr) Hammond IN (Bishop Noll HS) 3.5 GPA

Bench
PG/SG - Danny Long (6'1” 177 lbs So) West Lafayette IN (Harrison HS) 2.8 GPA
SG/SF - Devin Rein (6'7” 209 lbs Fr) Fort Wayne IN (North Side HS) 2.8 GPA
SF/PF - Ricky Johnson (6'6” 205 lbs Fr) Lynnville IN (Tecumseh HS) 2.8 GPA
C - Charlie Mason (6'7” 230 lbs Jr) Bunker Hill IN (Maconaquah HS) 3.0 GPA *
__________
* Walk-on

[jksander]

December 28, 2016
Life's full of teaching moments when you coach at a school of our size. And while expectations had been understandably high when we were able to put together a schedule with some of the top programs in the nation, including Bellarmine playing on our court, we let things go too far. And heading into the start of our conference season with a relatively dismal 2-8 record, it was hard to keep the players focused on their real goals.

“We're not here to play for an army of national fans,” I told them calmly. “Our gym holds a thousand on a good day. We don't play on TV. You're playing for your own edification, to get better each time you take the court. And you're playing for God, to thank Him for giving you the talent to even be on the court in the first place. So keep your heads up! Winning's more about the score on that board, and it's time you focus on what counts.”

Based on our steady downward trend since that opening win against Union (and its lone followup against Azusa Pacific, both on our court) we've got a long bit of work to do in turning this program around. But with the boys working hard every night, I have no doubt we'll find the right combination to put Oakland City back on the map.

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Rank  RPI    Date   Opponent                  Score          Record          Leader(s)
             11/16  Union                     W 78-71        1-0             D. Martin (25 pts 9 reb 2 ast 2 stl 1 blk)
             11/19  @ #5 Bellarmine           L 81-94        1-1             G. Strickland (15 pts 5 reb) D. Eidson (16 pts 5 reb)
             11/23  Lock Haven                L 77-92        1-2             G. Strickland (16 pts 1 reb 1 ast) J. Brown (14 pts 4 stl)
             11/26  Azusa Pacific             W 78-71        2-2             G. Strickland (17 pts 3 reb) D. Eidson (14 pts 14 reb)
             11/30  @ Christian Brothers      L 66-82        2-3             D. Eidson (13 pts 1 reb 1 ast) R. Jones (11 pts 7 reb)
             12/03  Eckerd                    L 64-76        2-4             R. Jones (12 pts 7 reb 2 ast) D. Eidson (14 pts 1 reb)
             12/07  Virginia Union            L 55-71        2-5             D. Long (9 pts 3 reb 1 ast) D. Finley (8 pts 1 reb 1 blk)
      #315   12/14  #14 Washburn              L 51-77        2-6             R. Jones (14 pts 6 reb 3 ast 1 stl 1 blk)
      #315   12/16  (n) Fort Hayes State      L 62-77        2-7             G. Strickland (14 pts 5 reb) D. Eidson (13 pts 5 reb)
      #297   12/21  Bellarmine                L 68-90        2-8             R. Jones (14 pts 4 reb 1 blk) D. Eidson (11 pts 5 reb)

[jksander]

February 12, 2016
We've done better than we had any rights to this year, but it's hard not to feel let down after fighting through an overtime in a high-pressure, fast-paced home game like the one against Missouri-St. Louis last night, only to lose by five while scoring in triple digits. With four games to go in the season (not counting anything in the conference tournament) we've put up a 6-17 record, 4-8 in the conference -- better than anyone expected after our 2-9 start. And we've got the first two pieces of our rebuilding project coming in to play in the fall. So I'm optimistic as to where this program can go if everyone continues to work hard.

I must say, also, that while I'm going to miss coaching senior Damien Martin, I've been proud of sophomore guard Ricky Jones, who has put up solid numbers in every effort this season, including two 20 point performances in our four most recent games. Having his leadership around for two seasons is going to help as we build around him for the future.

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      #317   12/28  @ Massachusetts Boston    L 52-70        2-9             D. Finley (10 pts 3 reb 2 ast) G. Strickland (9 pts 4 reb)
      #326   01/04  #12 Rockhurst             W 85-74        3-9 (1-0)       R. Jones (17 pts 3 reb 4 ast) D. Martin (17 pts 3 ast)

INJURY: Greg Strickland broke his foot, and will miss the rest of the season, barring a run to the postseason.

      #326   01/07  @ Calumet                 L 46-63        3-10 (1-1)      D. Martin (10 pts 3 reb) D. Long (10 pts 2 reb)
      #334   01/11  @ Ouachita Baptist        L 58-75        3-11 (1-2)      R. Jones (14 pts 2 reb) D. Martin (10 pts 3 reb 10 ast)
      #334   01/14  Nebraska-Kearney          L 72-85        3-12 (1-3)      D. Martin (22 pts 1 reb 1 ast) J. Brown (13 pts 7 reb)
      #335   01/18  @ Chadron State           L 62-84        3-13 (1-4)      D. Martin (15 pts 3 reb 3 ast) R. Jones (11 pts 2 reb)
      #335   01/21  Saint Joseph's            W 70-53        4-13 (2-4)      D. Martin (16 pts 2 reb 5 ast) J. Brown (11 pts 8 reb)
      #335   01/25  @ Harding                 W 74-58        5-13 (3-4)      D. Martin (18 pts 5 reb 2 ast) R. Jones (15 pts 4 reb)
      #335   01/28  @ Fort Hayes State        L 69-83        5-14 (3-5)      R. Jones (20 pts 2 reb 3 ast) D. Martin (14 pts 5 ast)

INJURY: Jefferson Brown broke his foot, and too will miss the rest of the season barring a postseason run.

      #333   02/01  Lincoln (MO)              W 73-61        6-14 (4-5)      D. Martin (16 pts 8 reb 5 ast) R. Jones (14 pts 2 reb)
      #333   02/04  @ Webster                 L 55-73        6-15 (4-6)      D. Eidson (11 pts 6 reb) D. Finley (10 pts 3 reb)
      #334   02/08  Missouri S&T              L 67-72        6-16 (4-7)      R. Jones (20 pts 9 reb 3 blk) D. Martin (12 pts 4 ast)
      #334   02/11  Missouri-St. Louis        L 102-107 (OT) 6-17 (4-8)      R. Jones (24 pts 7 reb 2 ast) D. Martin (17 pts 6 ast)

[jksander]

LANDMARK TOURNAMENT
Only the top eight teams of the conference make the conference tournament, and we did not make the cut. Obviously … no one was expecting different, and I think for the players of this team having our season come to an end at this point was merciful. After a six-game slide including two blowouts and three losses by fewer than five points, it's time to regroup and let others focus on basketball for the next five weeks. In the Landmark Tournament the top two seeds get double-byes, so by the time we reached the semifinals the only underdog left was (7) Harding, which had upended Missouri State 64-56 and then Oachita Baptist 77-57. In the semis, (4) SW Baptist dealt a swift death-blow to top-seeded Missouri-St. Louis in a decisive 83-69 victory, while (2) Webster dispatched Harding easily enough 77-59. The Gorloks then swiftly cut down SW Baptist's Bearcats to win the tournament with a 74-66 victory.

We finish the season at 6-21 (4-12) and ranked among the bottom dozen teams in the nation in RPI.

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      #339   02/15  @ Emporia State           L 36-68        6-18 (4-9)      D. Martin (10 pts 2 ast) C. Mason (2 pts 18 reb 3 blk)
      #339   02/18  @ Rockhurst               L 59-73        6-19 (4-10)     D. Eidson (19 pts 5 reb) C. Mason (11 pts 5 reb 1 blk)
      #341   02/22  Calumet                   L 67-68        6-20 (4-11)     R. Jones (20 pts 5 reb) D. Martin (15 pts 5 reb 4 ast)
      #341   02/25  Ouachita Baptist          L 64-66        6-21 (4-12)     D. Eidson (14 pts 7 reb) D. Martin (12 pts 1 reb 3 ast)

[jksander]

Noticed a bug that may be related to Valdarix's DII Mod. While I research this I may consider starting over with the other real world mod.

- - - - -

CONFERENCE STANDINGS

Landmark East
1. Indianapolis (14-2, 19-8) RPI: 56
2. #17 Ft Hays State (13-3, 21-8) RPI: 33
3. Emporia State (11-5, 17-11) RPI: 99
4. Saint Joseph's (9-7, 14-14) RPI: 142
5. Nebraska-Kearney (9-7, 15-13) RPI: 284
6. Calumet (6-10, 9-18) RPI: 284
7. Chadron State (6-10, 11-16) RPI: 276
8. Oakland City (4-12, 6-21) RPI: 341

Landmark West
1. Missouri-St. Louis (10-6, 15-13) RPI: 136
2. Webster (9-7, 19-11) RPI: 62
3. Ouachita (8-8, 12-16) RPI: 208
4. SW Baptist (7-9, 14-16) RPI: 192
5. Rockhurst (7-9, 17-12) RPI: 108
6. Missouri S&T (7-9, 13-15) RPI: 6-7
7. Harding (4-12, 10-20) RPI: 335
8. Lincoln (4-12, 8-21) RPI: 336

(BUG NOTE: Comference tourney seedings were … 1) Missouri St Louis, 2) Webster, 3) Oachita Baptist, 4) SW Baptist, 5) Rockhurst, 6) Missouri St, 7) Harding and 8) Lincoln. For some reason it looks like only the WEST bracket got counted for tournament seedings.)