Game Date: Feb 5th, 2043

Dominican Univ. of California

Team: Dominican Univ. of California Penguins [ID #564]

Location: San Rafael, CA (West)

Conference: I.1 [Division 1]

President: gards710
          [since May 17th 2020 | last seen January 18th 2025]

Coach: Darren Cahill

Arena: Conlan Center

Rating: 781.32 - Overall Position: #2

Fan Mood: 123.69

Alumni Mood: 278.85

Prestige: 342

Team Notes:

• Nov 22 2042: 3-star prospect Earl Turner committed.
• Oct 29 2042: 5-star prospect Glenn Blackburn committed.
• Mar 09 2042: Made the national tournament field.
• Mar 01 2042: Won the I.1 conference.
• Jan 11 2042: 2-star prospect Gordon Cain committed.
• Dec 12 2041: 3-star prospect Darryl Grimes committed.
• Oct 03 2041: Joel McDowell was hired as the new assistant coach.
• Oct 03 2041: Assistant coach Neil Ferguson was let go.
• Jun 25 2041: Derek Pittman was drafted round #1, pick #24 by Sacramento.
• Apr 01 2041: Neil Ferguson was hired as the new assistant coach.

Record:

Wins: 19 Losses: 12 Pct: .613     Conf Wins: 10 Conf Losses: 11 Conf Pct: .476 Conf Rank: 10     Last10: 3-7 Streak: L2

Pts Ave: 85.2 - 74.1     Pts Diff: +11.0     Team Power Index: 150.5

Press Releases:

Nov 29 2042: Penguins Put Pen to Paper on Pennants and Prospects - by gards710 on December 30th, 2024

It seems the Dominican Penguins were deep in the lab last offseason. Because despite having no star player and no player with an immense ceiling in their rotation, the Penguins came away with the best record in the 2042 Legends Conference. Just their second such honor, the Penguins starting 5 weaved a masterclass in chemistry and teamwork. “We may not have seemed too intimidating on paper. But the guys just really fit well together,” said head coach Darren “Doc” Cahill. Questions arose over who would step up, as someone needed to put the ball in the bucket. And the answer was perhaps unconventional, but no less spectacular, as Brian “Pagan” Godfrey poured in the points thanks to an aggressive approach, getting to the free throw line at a rate unseen in DUCA history and earning All-Legends honors as a result. An overlooked recruit out of New Jersey, Godfrey has just put in a ton of work to be the top option at DUCA. Not that it was all Godfrey. Senior guard Chris Poston made a smooth transition from shooting guard to point guard, where his extremely high IQ played up in setting up the offense, and bigs Stevie Jeffers and Joey Wilson did a ton of dirty work down low.

The Penguins rode the wave to the conference tournament semifinals, where they lost to the talented East Central Tigers. Despite that setback, DUCA received a #1 seed in the National Tournament, beating their first two opponents West Virginia and Worcester Polytechnic Institute, only to lose to fellow Legends rival Fresno Pacific. All in all, it was a good year for the program, as no one expected a Legends title to come and once again, achieved the top rating in Hardwood.

Entering President gards710’s 31st season at the helm, the Penguins are vying to become the winningest program in Hardwood history, as they sit third all-time in program wins, just seven wins behind #1 Butler and two wins behind #2 Mississippi (although Alabama and Temple are close behind DUCA). And 2043 should bring another solid season of success, as Godfrey and Jeffers both return to highlight the starting lineup. Cal “Cub” Young now appears all grown up and ready to be the lead guard, while Eric “Vault” Griffin leaps into the starting center spot and is a defensive wall unlike any we’ve seen here in San Rafael, with his combination of size, speed, strength, skill, and athleticism. The large looming question is who starts at small forward? Most would assume that it will be redshirt junior Rasheed Williams, as he is the most experienced in the program. But redshirt sophomore big D.J. McConnell has been getting backup minutes at small forward and has been told to get ready by coaches to play more on the perimeter.

Further down on the bench is perhaps the next great big man in DUCA history, as Dan Egan takes off his redshirt. Egan’s scintillating mix of speed and size to go with his burgeoning skills have given high hopes that he can lead the team in the future, and perhaps be the big threat off the bench this season. DeAndre “Taurus” Ford followed in his fellow Ford’s steps and had a big offseason, and now looks ready for a bigger role. It may be necessary as redshirt freshmen Clark Horton and Raymond Bolden don’t quite look ready for serious minutes in the always-tough Legends conference.

Two young Penguins join the huddle this season, with Darryl Grimes from Santa Clara’s Hamilton High and big man Gordon Cain from New York’s Jackson High both slated to redshirt. Grimes appears to be the prototypical perimeter player - with speed, handling, shooting, defense, and excellent size. Cain was brought in after DUCA lost its recruiting battle for Landry Krueger, but some in the program see Cain as a perfect complement to Egan, as Cain’s best skill lies in his defense, an area where Egan needs improvement. Cain also should space the floor allowing Egan to roam alone inside the paint when the two share the floor.

Early on in the 2043 season, the Penguins are off to their usual solid start, despite sustaining a surprising loss in the opener to Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Perhaps even more important is that the Penguins received the signature of 5-star recruit Glenn Blackburn, the #1 player in California. After years of losses in recruiting, the Penguins came away twith the biggest fish on the West Coast. “It’s nice to see someone with the caliber of talent of Glenn buy in to our program and what we are about. He’s a great fit for how we play and what we envision for the future. We’re really excited,” said Coach Cahill. Shortly after that, DUCA got the commitment of Earl Turner, a recruit with scintillating potential.

And all that sort of describes the Penguins’ present and future - high hopes of big achievements. Let’s see if they can do it.


Nov 13 2041: UCLA Snares Krueger; Humboldt Penguins on Recruiting Trail - by gards710 on November 1st, 2024

For the third year in a row, UCLA snared a Californian big from the grasp of Dominican. Perhaps it was DUCA's recent coaching drama smearing their rep, or maybe it was that Krueger and Hubbard wanted to play together with a bunch of other 4-star players in LL3. Could it be that they didn't want the pressure of playing at one of the most prestigious programs at the highest level of the game? Or are the rumors true that Krueger didn't want a cool nickname based on an energy drink? Perhaps there is something else at play.

After the news broke, all of the coaches, except for "Fam" Ferguson, were immediately on the phones trying to line up visits with recruits around the country. Ferguson meanwhile was seen on his phone, snickering. With that, we move on to finding someone who thrives under that pressure of a Legends program.


Oct 03 2041: We Knew This Would Happen... - by gards710 on October 20th, 2024

Almost immediately after publication of the last press release gloating about a nepotism hire, the President of Dominican hastily fired "Nef" Ferguson and hired Joel McDowell, a 49-year old coach recently fired from Texas A&M-Corpus Christi.

"We received information that we would like to keep private per being part of an investigation into Neil Ferguson," stated President gards710. "All we will say is that there was an incident involving the former employee. We've informed Neil that we have to relieve him of his duties here at Dominican."

Assistant Rafael Ferguson, cousin of the fired coach, was apoplectic over the sudden coaching change. "It's unprofessional what they've done. That's family. You don't do that to family."


Oct 03 2041: Keeping It In The Fam - by gards710 on October 20th, 2024

DUCA just did something unprecedented. Despite a blank resumé, they hired assistant coach 30-year old Neil Ferguson. Historically, DUCA has hired coaches with more experience. So why him? The name Ferguson should sound familiar, as he is the cousin of current AC 48-year old Rafael "Fam" Ferguson. With Fam's persistent badgering, “Nef” Ferguson got the job. The nickname “Nef” arose because of their relationship growing up.

“We’re happy to bring in someone whom one of our own speaks so highly of. Rafael has a good eye and so when he says Neil is the real deal, we believe him,” said head coach Doc Cahill. Fam exclaimed how proud he was and joked how it wasn’t fair he had to pay his dues at the lower levels before being hired at DUCA, while Nef reaps the benefits of nepotism. But Nef was out recruiting soon after, building rapports with several recruits.


Mar 16 2041: Final Fjord '40, '41 Penguins Freeze Shocked - by gards710 on October 13th, 2024

**This medium had a PR near-ready for publication at the beginning of the season, but it never did because this writer got sick.**

2040 Season Happenings

In what was once supposed to be gards710's last season at DUCA, the Penguins marched on to their sixth Division 1 Final Four thanks to the efforts of Berry Ford and crew. The administration, coaching staff, and players at Dominican were feeling pretty confident after that surprising run. While the 3-team race that arose within the Legends conference in 2040 knocked DUCA out pretty early, Coach Doc Cahill decided to give more minutes to younger players in preparation for 2041. Ford was then picked with the 21st selection in the pro draft following one of the most impressive postseason eras in program history, with three Final Four appearances and a National Championship. Ford was inducted into the DUCA Hall of Fame just before Christmas as a recognition of his tremendous contributions to the program.

2041 Preview

With three seniors graduating, the Penguins entered 2041 with a young but balanced lineup. There were questions about who would fill the scoring vacuum left open by Ford. Most thought it would be senior PG Derek Pittman, for he was the only multi-year starter returning and has all the tools to be the lead guy. Or maybe junior SG Chris Poston, who has received spot starts over the past few seasons and has a knack for winning 3-point contests in practice. Yet, oftentimes it was junior SF Lance “t” Fish(licious) stepping up as a primary option, with a balanced shooting profile lending itself to versatile and efficient scoring.

The glut of big men was not settled, as Kwamie Farmer, Joey Wilson, and Stevie Jeffers all fought for starts. Each provided something different. The minutes were spread out amongst the group, while the coaches also tried to weave in minutes for freshman Eric Griffin and true freshman D.J. McConnell.

Speaking of McConnell, the program was shocked when they received the commitment from the #1 player in Virginia, a 4-star recruit. While the Penguins were hot on his tail in his junior season, it was reported he was not a priority at the time of his commitment. “I guess that just made him want to attend DUCA more,” said assistant coach Rafael Ferguson. McConnell mostly got minutes as a power forward and center early on, but some within the program see small forward or even shooting guard as his best position in the future.

Joining McConnell as a new member of the huddle is ANOTHER Ford! Deandre Ford follows his namesakes to DUCA right as one graduates. “Taurus” is a versatile perimeter player, like the other two Fords, and will shuffle around all the spots, wherever he is needed. While he has big shoes to fill to live up to the name, expectations are more in line that he will be a solid contributor across the board.

Young players getting their feet wet and learning to waddle in the program’s tough waters filled out the bench. Cal “Cub” Young will have to learn to fish and hunt for the right spots for him and his teammates as the lead guard. Brian Godfrey and his New Jersey slick style looks like the top option off the bench. Rasheed “BDL” Williams must have heeded the warnings of Chubbs Chapman and skipped some meals, as his modest weight gain has left him on the skinny side, similar to the recently graduated Marshall Cooke. But as a SF, he should still be fine on the perimeter. And with Griffin stepping in as the 4th big man, he will have to learn the way of the DUCA big.

The Penguins went into their record-tying 14th straight season in Legends and their 15th straight National Tournament appearance with their work cut out for them to figure out the pecking order within the team’s hierarchy before they can figure into the hierarchy in the standings.

2041 Season Happenings

The balance of the team made it tough to beat the Penguins, as the team racked up 35 wins. The team was pretty much always safe from demotion and gave Alabama a bit of a run for the conference title, but ultimately gave up that dream early on for a third place finish in the vaunted Legends conference. While the Penguins never really rested on their laurels like in 2040, their postseason tournament fortunes were reversed with a run to the conference finals and an eventual loss to Alabama followed by a second round exit as a #1 seed to Westfield State.

Recruiting

DUCA sustained the heaviest losses it ever has on the recruiting trails, with top target Stan Hubbard eschewing the Penguins overtures and choosing the respectable UCLA Bruins program. Furthermore, Canadian Alan Watts decided the Southern comfort of South Carolina sounded more enticing than the Bay Area's culture.

Luckily, it was not all for naught, as 4-star big man Dan Egan chose to further his education and basketball playing at Dominican. Egan signed late in the recruiting cycle, reportedly due to not being able to find a pen, and almost left the Penguins dead in the water. But with Egan's signature, the program brings in another high level big. Egan currently stands 6'10" and weighs 245 lbs. He's lauded for not just his strength inside on both offense and defense, but also his speed. "Dan should be quite the weapon. We haven't seen a player like Dan since the days of Charlie Cheatham, Nicholas Grant, or dare I say, Angel Reyes," said head coach Doc Cahill (who apparently forgot about Randy Watson from just a few years ago).

After Egan signed, the signatures of the rest of the class came in quickly. Clark Horton from Fall River, Massachusetts has shown the skills to be a good guard. And Raymond Bolden makes his way across the country from Dale City, Virginia, as a future wing. Both impressed the coaching staff in their short scouting trips. "What really sold us was their work ethics. Clark and Ray both showed us they have the drives to compete at this level," said assistant coach Chester Wilkerson. "Both may not fit the typical DUCA stereotype upon first glance, but we believe these guys will grow into their roles nicely."

2042 Preview

This will be the first season in over 20 seasons that the Penguins do not appear to have a true "star" player (no one over 170 SI). That could spell doom for the team at this level. But sometimes, that is the type of situation where a star arises. Could it be Chris Poston, who had a disappointing shooting performance in 2041? Might it be Fishlicious and his slippery scoring ways? Maybe Stevie Jeffers becoming a full-time starter for the first time is the impetus for him to take over? Likewise for Brian Godfrey and his seeming knack for putting the ball in the basket. Or what about 4-star freshman D.J. McConnell and his tremendous hops or fellow freshman DeAndre "Taurus" Ford gaining the power of the Fords?

While the minutes in the front court appear figured out with Fish, Jeffers, and Wilson starting, it remains to be seen who the team tabs to be the starting point guard. It's been rumored SG Chris Poston might shift to the lead guard spot, ahead of Cal "Cub" Young, who has shown flashes of his ability, but ultimately has not shown he is ready for the spotlight. But the team acknowledges giving it to Young now might help his progression for later on. In turn, that will determine what happens with Godfrey's minutes and which position Taurus Ford backs up. Rasheed "BDL" Williams, McConnell, and Eric "Enviga" Griffin will backup the front court spots.

Despite not having an obvious star player at the moment, the team has depth and balance, similar to last season and many seasons before. And that might be the carrying tool of the team as they play in Legends for a record 15th season in a row and 19th season overall (also a record). Projections are a bit murky at the point of this writing, but they show DUCA in the top half or so of the conference once again. Will the lack of top end talent cap that or possibly sink the birds, or will someone step up to take the mantle and lead the huddle to glory (or just to avoid demotion or nab another National Tournament appearance)?



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