Novice Coach Switches Coasts

[Wayne23]

This is great stuff! I regularly play a PG at SG. If they seem about equal at dishing the ball the stronger shooter goes to SG but ball handling is my top criterion so the better ball handler plays the Point even if he's a better shooter.

Hang in there, Coach S, better days are coming!

[Zingo]

This is great stuff! I regularly play a PG at SG. If they seem about equal at dishing the ball the stronger shooter goes to SG but ball handling is my top criterion so the better ball handler plays the Point even if he's a better shooter.

Hang in there, Coach S, better days are coming!

Thanks for the advice and motivational pep at the end (it was desperately needed haha). Something that also perked me up was that recruiting class being ranked #36 nationally! As of now Im thinking of redshirting one as he’s a one star currently but has a higher potential than the other guy, so maybe he can step in as the other is leaving. I’ll have to see if my scouts can uncover a bit more though, now that they’re on the roster, before making a final decision.

[Wayne23]

I play 2 exhibition games on 11/6. Given that real NCAA teams usually do this it is NOT cheating. I spread the minutes around to guys I'm uncertain about. It gives me an idea about how to set my final lineup and gives me a hint about whether to red shirt a guy or not. BUT, you need to keep your own stats on the exhibition games, as the game won't keep those stats for you.

[Zingo]

January 10, 2029, 7:17PM Fordham Men's Basketball Court, Practice

"Keep it up, keep up, don't drive too early!" Coach S. shouted from the sideline as the team went through some 3 on 3s.

"It's shaping up to be an interesting season Coach," said Jonathan.



"I'm just glad with the recruitment work you've been doing, how did the Letters of Intent go?" Coach S. replied.

"Well, we are good on four (4) out of five (5), we might have to find another Power Forward though... also we will have our second Canadian player in three years, you trying to build a pipeline coach?" he chuckled.

"Intriguing thought, but purely a coincidence I assure you. I'll leave it to your discretion regarding who to proceed forward with if the other candidate ends up not committing."

"I'm just happy to be part of this program taking its next steps. Hopefully we'll end up somewhere good this year."

"I've been staying that since the second season of my career... just remember when you're a head coach to take the slow ride and enjoy it. Oh and get a recruiter as good as yourself" he grinned.

"Absolutely coach," Jonathan grinned back.


Jonathan Metzger-Jones, Fordham's First Assistant Coach previously with UC-Davis.

"All right, bring it in!" Coach S. shouted as the players gathered around.

"This season is about distinction. I'm going to need you all to do your part. You're not just attempting to distinguish yourselves, you're attempting to distinguish Fordham. We're hosting an Duquesne this week, who're 8-6, so I want you to be thinking about how to to ensure we place ourselves towards the top of this division this year. I expect some good sessions leading into this one! You guys are dismissed."

Top Players (this season):
John Knox(C): 15.3 PPG, 0.8 APG, 5.9 RPG
Thomas Sanden (SG): 12.3 PPG, 3.7 APG, 4.5 RPG
T.J. Kirklin (SF): 12.3 PPG, 1.9 APG, 4.4 RPG

Current Record: 9-7 (2-1)
78.8 PPG, 74.4 OPPG, 18.8 APG, 33.4 RPG, NET 75

[Zingo]

March 12, 2029, 8:57PM Fordham Men's Basketball Facility, Selection Sunday

John Knox and T.J. Kirklin were walking down the hall to watch the NIT Selection Show where the rest of the team was watching selection day in the player's lounge. The team had just watched the NCAA Tournament selection show.

"Man, what Coach S. said after that loss has been sticking with me," Knox said.

"I didn't even know some of those swear words exist until then, he was really pissed. Haven't seen him since then, have you?" Kirkland replied.

"No, I don't think anyone on the team has."

Coach S. sat in his office. He had been watching Selection Sunday alone, shuttered up in his office. They didn't make the NCAA Tournament, predictably. He was too agitated remove himself from his office since the loss, in fact he even slept over. No company or conversations, just some scotch and lamentation. At first he had been browsing statistics prolifically and poring of the play book trying to see what went wrong with that game. UMass was 10-20 playing Fordham in Fordham, and had been 2-16 on the Road and not only did they win, they won convincingly. Granted Knox was probably operating at around 95% for the game after having suffered an injury in the final regular season contest, but that should've still been enough. There was absolutely NO EXCUSE for losing to a team that poor in such a crucial moment, especially at home and especially by such a large margin. Needless to say, the coach's post-game eruption was justified to some extent, at least in his own mind, but he did feel he may have been a bit too harsh, especially given that it was a good season overall.


Frustrated would be an understatement.

The draw for the other tournaments was ongoing but Coach S. just sat in his office drinking scotch and not really caring. 17-14 (10-8) might be good enough for a bid somewhere, but why get his hopes up again knowing his luck? He didn't know if he could bear to see the looks on those kids' faces if they didn't get a bid. Compounding things further was the loss that still weighed heavily on him, especially since it wasn't the only blowout to an inferior team this season. He emphasized distinction before, but perhaps he should've emphasized consistency. One week, the program is knocking off #24 Ranked La Salle, the next week they're getting blow out by a bad GW or UMass team. It was just frustrating trying to develop a program that would not only win games, but could do so on a consistent basis.

Coach was about to pour another glass when he noticed his phone light up. Jonathan was calling. Coach S. answered to an ecstatic voice on the other line. "WE DID IT COACH, WE DID IT!" Coach S. stood up, his demeanor sobering immediately, "What?! What did we get?!" "NIT" Jonathan responded. The Coach hanged up the phone and immediately ran down the hall where Jonathan and the rest of the team had been watching the event. The group broke out into applause when they noticed him enter.

"So I hear we're going to a tournament?" he said. Everyone was standing and celebrating, cheering their success. "This is incredible guys, this is Fordham's first NIT bid in almost four decades. I know I was a bit harsh on you all, but I want you to know I'm incredibly proud of this team and what you've accomplished this season. Even with our struggles, you've made this a historic year for this program. Now let's go out there and win ourselves a tournament!" The room burst in applause again.

The environment was electric. Coach S.'s phone was blowing up with congratulatory messages. Including one from Martin Duncan, "Always knew you could do it Coach. We'll get a drink when it's all done. Hopefully after we're NIT Champions." After years of coaching, he finally had his first post-season tournament bid. He looked around the room and smiled, taking it all in. So this is what it feels like he thought.



Tournament Information
March 14, 2021: Fordham 17-14 (5) @ Ohio State 16-16 (4)
This is Fordham's seventeenth (17) NIT bid and the program's first since 1991.
This is Coach S.'s first NIT bid and first post-season tournament bid in his career.

[Zingo]

April 30, 2029, 9:42AM Fordham Men's Basketball Coach's Office

Coach S. sat in his office and reviewed the year. Despite their success, the Board decided not to provide additional funding, feeling that he was "doing good enough with what he had." He'd already talked to Duncan about this, who said he'd been outvoted and couldn't "persuade them otherwise." In any event, he was feeling positive about the past year, but this coming year was going to be more difficult. They had a massive number of departing seniors which meant that this year required a large freshman class. While he was happy with the recruits that the team pulled in, it likely meant at least one or two years of developing the group. Coming on the heels of an NIT bid, he hoped they'd have a chance to compete again. They had lost to Ohio State, who went on to win the entire tournament, but he was just proud that the team made it. Now however, he was looking to make a push this post-season and try to pick up some tournament wins, although it might be tricky given the situation.

Final Record: 17-15 (10-8)
74.3 PPG, 73.8 OPPG, 17.0 APG, 33.9 RPG, NET 71


The starting group had a great year and some key contributors definitely stepped up although many of them, including Knox and Sanden, the two stars of the team this season, were graduating. They'd already had a final get together as a team, but he'd also be treating all the graduating seniors to a meal shortly after their graduation. This team would definitely need some time to develop following their departure.

It was sad to see this year's key contributors leave. However, Coach S. knew they were smart kids with bright futures. The talents they displayed here would undoubtedly translate into the real world and their careers. There was only so much he could take credit for in molding them into the men they are today, but he did believe this program and their time here taught them important life skills and gave them a chance at college that they might not have otherwise. Coach S. valued academics and frequently emphasized that he players should focus on their efforts in the class room outside of the courts. He hoped it was part of the reason why Knox graduated with a 3.9 GPA and Sanden had a 4.0.


An asterisk denotes a starter.

The coach examined the reports on the incoming recruits. Last year's class was okay. Paul James started and scored 10.0 PPG, 4.8 APG, and 1.8 RPG. He'd hopefully develop into a key contributor next year, as a facilitator at least, especially with a lot of the other starters graduating. However, there were some notable acquisitions, chief among them being Tommy Archie, a Top 100 player nationally and Top 10 Center out of Virginia. Pulling that off was nothing short of a miracle and Coach S. elated once he heard he committed. Matthew Traill, a Canadian student, was joining in a position of need and would likely be an important rotational piece and next year's starter. Meanwhile Jake Knox (yes, a new Knox was coming in) and Brad Hannah had the opportunity to compete against rising senior Ian Gibson to earn the starting PF job. Randy Curry would be the #2 Shooting Guard on the Roster, so he would most likely be a rotational piece early on. It was certainly going to be a challenging year, especially with young players competing on the road, but Coach S. knew the talent was there if these players focused up enough and developed quickly.


Fordham Men's Basketball Recruit Class 2029

Other Notable Facts From the Season:
NCAA Final: Oklahoma (86) over Arizona (76). Oklahoma claims their first NCAA Tournament Title in School History. Arizona missed out on what would have been their second title.
ATL-10 Championship Game: La Salle (63) over Dayton (58)
All-Conference Second Team: Thomas Sanden SG, SR: 12.1 PPG, 2.9 APG, 3.9 RPG, 1.0 SPG, 0.7 BPG
Team MVP[s]: Thomas Sanden
Best Win: 90-87 v.s. La Salle Explorers (#23)
Worst Loss: 55-72 v.s. UMASS Minutemen
Notable Graduates: John Knox, Thomas Sanden, Ryan Petersons
This was Coach S.'s 7th season and 4th with Fordham. His overall record sits at 115-130. This was the first year Coach S. made a post-season tournament and the NIT.

[Wayne23]

You have a really good sense of what stats type info to include and I really like your writing style

[Zingo]

You have a really good sense of what stats type info to include and I really like your writing style

Hey, thanks! I appreciate the compliment, especially from such an accomplished storyteller as yourself.

[Zingo]

January 8, 2029, 9:49AM Fordham Men's Basketball Coach's Office

"Well, we knew it was going to be a tough season," Jonathan said as he threw down the clipboard containing the remaining schedule, on to the coach's desk. "I just didn't think it would be this bad."

"The games are realistic though, we are losing when expected and winning where expected, the problem is we just aren't expected to win much. A lot of these losses aren't too terrible either." Coach S. replied.

"That was projected given our graduating class. Oh and coach, before I forget, I wanted to talk to you about my contract ext-"

Martin Duncan enters with a young woman behind him. It was typical of him to enter without announcing. Coach S. didn't recognize the woman though and from the look on Jonathan's face, he didn't either.

"Coach S., Jonathan, pardon the intrusion, but I wanted to introduce you to your new post-graduate assistant, Amy Oliver," Martin acclaimed, gesturing towards Amy.

"Good afternoon coaches, it is great to finally meet both of you, sorry if this is a bit impromptu..."

Both coaches got up and shook her hand.

"Not at all Ms. Oliver, Martin, can I have a word with you? Amy you can speak with Jonathan about some of the duties you'll be undertaking."


Amy Oliver, the 26 year old post-graduate assistant who is here on Martin Duncan's behalf to ensure that things go smoothly... or else.

Martin and Coach S. step outside as Amy and Jonathan begin chatting.

"What's going on here Martin? I've not had many post-graduate assistants and never any joining in the middle of a season," Coach S. asked with concern.

"Look, some people on the board were a bit concerned that you weren't managing expectations well..."

"It's a rebuilding year! We have young players who need develop and a strong transfer and recruit joining next year."

"I know, I've heard the same story from you ever single season, 'it's a hard division, hard schedule, good class coming in, yadda yadda,' but I'm tired of it Coach S. I want to see winning basketball," he said slapping his hands for emphasis, "if you can't do that, we'll get you the support you need to make it happen. Okay?" Martin finished, placing a hand on the coach's shoulder with a fake smile before opening the door again.

"Oh Amy, we are so glad to have with the program, make sure you keep an eye on these two," Martin said before issuing a fake laugh.

"I'll do my best sir," she responded with a little salute, also laughing.

Coach S. put on the mask and feigned a laugh as well, although he was more concerned beneath the surface. It seemed the pressure was on more than in any other year. Although Coach S. knew the board was content with a ten win, "not last" conference finish. They were looking to build long term. He knew the appointment of this "assistant" was nothing more than Martin's attempt to spy on him and make sure the program was running smoothly. Although for what purpose he wasn't entirely sure. Martin was the one who wanted the program to win, he said it himself, and it seemed his patience was wearing thin. Coach S. just had to buckle down and pick up as many wins as he could while attempting to guard his team's efforts from whatever Martin was planning.

Top Players(this season):
Chase Frechette (PG): 14.0 PPG, 3.8 APG, 1.8 RPG
Kennedy Cravens (SG): 10.2 PPG, 2.5 APG, 4.5 RPG
T.J. Kirklin (SF): 9.5 PPG, 1.9 APG, 5.1 RPG

Current Record: 5-8 (1-1)
71.7 PPG, 74.0 OPPG, 18.5 APG, 31.1 RPG, NET 144

[Wayne23]

Oh MY!!! She certainly looks like she knows her hoops!