Game Date: Nov 27th, 2042
St. Marys
Larry Winter - PF
Team: St. Marys Gaels [ID #65] 
Location: Moraga, CA (West)
Conference: II.1 [Division 1]
President:
naph
[since February 29th 2020 | last seen December 29th 2024]
Coach: Darren Scales
Arena: McKeon Pavilion
Rating: 356.09 - Overall Position: #26
Fan Mood: 117.05
Alumni Mood: 212.70
Prestige: 222
Team Notes:
• Nov 19 2042: Joel Bollinger was hired as the new assistant coach.• Nov 19 2042: Assistant coach Ricardo Covarrubias was let go.
• Nov 19 2042: 4-star prospect Bennie Nicholson committed.
• Nov 01 2042: 3-star prospect Raymond Burger committed.
• Aug 28 2042: Promoted to conference II.1.
• Jun 24 2042: Nelson Cooke was drafted round #1, pick #21 by Toronto.
• Mar 09 2042: Made the national tournament field.
• Jan 23 2042: 2-star prospect Harry Stanton committed.
• Jan 11 2042: 3-star prospect Juwan McCain committed.
• Dec 12 2041: 3-star prospect Neal Rhodes committed.
Record:
Wins: 5 Losses: 6 Pct: .455 Conf Wins: 0 Conf Losses: 1 Conf Pct: .000 Conf Rank: 10 Last10: 4-6 Streak: L1Pts Ave: 87.7 - 77.7 Pts Diff: +10.0 Team Power Index: 142.6
Press Releases:
Mar 15 2042: 2042 Season Review (III.1) - by naph on December 9th, 2024Season
The Gaels scheduled a bit of a gauntlet in the OOC and frankly they, or more particularly their PG's, just weren't ready for it. There was an early win over Utah State and an upset over Westminster Missouri (2 LL2 teams who would go on to have demoting seasons). But there were 8 losses, 7 of them by double digits.
A 2-4 start to conference play, despite a fairly stunning upset of ranked Transylvania, had the Gaels continuing to reel and the crowds started to thin as it was beginning to look like a lost season. A home win over Howard Payne, a road win over Oakland City, then 4 more home wins started to silence the critics. A 2-3 record over the next 5 again showed some danger signs, but then an 8-game winning streak suddenly had the Gaels in contention to promote. They had the best goal difference in the conference and had started to rack up the wins. In a balanced conference (All teams with 8 conference losses or more and six teams finishing between 19 and 22 wins) it was looking like enough. A loss to Washington State was followed by 3 more wins and the Gaels ended up playing for the conference title against a hot Northwest Missouri State team who proved too much on the final day of the regular season and the Gaels had to settle for 2nd behind Transylvania.
The Gaels made it past Butler and Oakland City on the way to the CT-semis, where they would fall again to Washington State, this time by 3. A nervous wait on the bubble proved to be needless stress as SMC was awarded a 13-seed in the tournament. They played 4-seed Kentucky in the opening round. Jank had 10 assists to 0 turnovers, Sample had 20 points including 4 treys and Denton added 19&7, mostly from the charity stripe as the Gaels upset a skilled and deep Wildcats team. In the 2nd round the Gaels would play the iron-men of Trine. Saint Mary's looked great, when they could initiate their offense, but the Gaels PG's committed 17 turnovers. Despite holding the Thunder to under 40% from the field and just 25% from 3, the Gaels would still lose 94-95. Winter and Sample both missing go-ahead jumpers in the final 45 seconds in a game with plenty of what-ifs for both sides.
All told it was a surprisingly successful season. Despite a clearly limited duo at PG the Gaels managed to contend, promote and get a win in the tournament. A fitting end to the Sample/Cooke era.
Roster
PG: Cameron "Jank" Jankowski (RS JR 6' 215lbs PG sg 140 - 12 Spd, 14 IQ/Pass, 13 Rng/Hnd, 12 Drv)
44gms 44gs 25.8mins 5.7p (.339/.220/.550 eFG%:.376) 2.0r 6.3a 0.8s 0.2b 3.3to 2.4pf OeFG%:.538
SG: "e.g." Ed Sample (RS SR 6' 2½" 185lbs SG pg sf 175 - 19 OS, 18 PD/Spd, 17 Rng/Fin/IQ/Str, 14 Drv)
44gms 44gs 29.2mins 19.0p (.465/.401/.847 eFG%:.587) 2.3r 1.5a 1.3s 0.1b 1.7to 2.3pf OeFG%:.431 POTG:5
SF: Larry "Crowley" Winter (RS JR 6' 9½" 210lbs PF SF C 158 - 19 IS, 15 Reb, 14 Str, 13 OS/PD, 12 Fin/ID/IQ)
45gms 45gs 28.5mins 14.1p (.597/.250/.682 eFG%:.598) 7.1r 0.5a 0.9s 0.6b 1.3to 2.2pf OeFG%:.506 POTG:4
PF: Nelson "Bammy" Cooke (RS SR 6' 9½" 245lbs PF C 183 - 19 ID, 17 Str/Sta, 16 OS/Reb, 14 IQ, 13 Pass, 12 Rng/Drv/Spd)
43gms 43gs 30.9mins 16.6p (.484/.385/.809 eFG%:.565) 9.6r 0.8a 1.2s 1.0b 1.2to 2.0pf OeFG%:.439 POTG:15
C: Burt "Beater" Denton (RS FR 6' 9" 229lbs C pf 139 - 16 Reb, 15 IS, 13 IQ)
45gms 45gs 26.4mins 11.6p (.536/.167/.705 eFG%:.537) 8.1r 0.4a 0.3s 0.9b 1.5to 3.1pf OeFG%:.578 POTG:2
bSF: Jeff "Hammer" Reinhardt (RS SO 6' 6" 195lbs SF sg 141 - 18 IQ, 14 Rng, 13 Fin/Spd)
50gms 2gs 18.2mins 4.8p (.374/.337/.842 eFG%:.463) 3.2r 0.9a 0.8s 0.1b 0.7to 1.1pf OeFG%:.563
bC/bPF: Chet Evans (RS SO 6' 9½" 240lbs C PF 130 - 16 IS, 14 Sta, 13 IQ, 12 Reb/Spd)
45gms 0gs 15.7mins 7.0p (.619/.---/.675 eFG%:.619) 4.2r 0.3a 0.4s 0.2b 1.0to 1.9pf OeFG%:.551
bPG: "The Foo" Glen Kushima (RS FR 6' 1" 165lbs PG sg 124 - 15 Rng/Pass, 12 Spd)
40gms 0gs 14.1mins 2.7p (.430/.378/.714 eFG%:.529) 0.9r 2.8a 0.5s 0.0b 1.8to 1.1pf OeFG%:.535
bSG/bbSF: Brian "Beez" Brooks (RS JR 6' 1" 185lbs SG sf 145 - 15 OS, 14 Str, 13 PD, 12 Fin/Spd)
45gms 1gs 13.5mins 4.6p (.446/.367/.923 eFG%:.551) 1.1r 1.3a 0.2s 0.0b 1.0to 0.8pf OeFG%:.555
Farewell Seniors
"e.g" Ed Sample (6' 2½" 185lbs SG pg sf 175/12)
A fantastic 2-way shooting guard. Certainly was not a combo guard, on offense he was a scorer, plain and simple. Excelled at what he was good at, and neglected that which he was not. A truly impressive, lock-down perimeter defender as an upper-classman. A gunner from deep he even increased his efficiency up over 40% as a senior which helped him break the college's 3PM record by 46. He graduates ranked in a number of categories and will be the benchmark for other Gael SG's for some time.
#1 3PM (446)
#7 Points (2533)
#9 FGM (881)
#9 FT% (.821)
#15 3FG% (.368)
T16 POTG (20)
T16 Steals (198)
"Bammy" Nelson Cooke (6' 9½" 245lbs PF c 183/13)
The built Jamaican from Kingston had a 7' 1" wingspan and 39" vertical. A very good stretch 4 that started 125 games for the Gaels after coming off the bench as a freshman. He'll be showcasing his skills in the pros and should be a cornerstone of the Jamaican national team for the next decade.
T7 POTG (26)
#10 Rebounds (1264)
#12 Blocks (155)
#18 3FG% (.363)
Points (1787)
3PM (211)
Steals (178)
Development Highlights
Glenn Kushima (104 -> 124 = +20)
Nelson Cooke (164 -> 183 = +19)
Burt Denton (123 -> 139 = +16)
Larry Winter (144 -> 158 = +14)
Brian Brooks (131 -> 145 = +14)
Andy Jameson (129 -> 143 = +14) - redshirt
Jeff Reinhardt (128 -> 141 = +13)
Byron Peterson (109 -> 122 = +13) - redshirt
Manny Bartlett (92 -> 104 = +12)
Cameron Jankowski (129 -> 140 = +11)
Chet Evans (120 -> 130 = +10)
Coaching
Theo Hudson moved to D2 Syracuse and the Gaels took on Ricardo Covarrubias who looks to be developing some recruiting chops. Other than that the team remains largely the same. Darren "Tipsy" Scales is the head coach. Fred Foster is the offensive guru, and tactical sounding board, though at 49 years of age he's probably starting to think about his own program. Eric Strauss remains the lead recruiter and motivator. Succession planning is beginning to become a concern as a number of assistants now haven't really shown they are likely to be at the level of past Gaels head coaches.
Recruiting
The brief flirtation with Devontae Copeland (eventual Cal Poly Pomona commit) never really went anywhere. Long time target Reginald Ferguson eventually signed with Fresno Pacific. The writing seemed to be on the wall with both of these prospects at the start of the season.
In mid-December Neal Rhodes (3* ~6' 8" PG PF c 102/11) was the first recruit to commit. An interesting player that played time at PG and C as a senior at Huntington Beach HS. He scores with an array of push-shots, floaters and scoops. They drop, but it seems unlikely he'll ever develop any of those into a perimeter game. He's already very quick, especially for his size. His passing, handling and rebounding are likely to become his best attributes. Doesn't jump a lot, but he already has a 7' 3" wingspan and is likely to add a bit more to his 215lbs frame. PG? SF? PF?
Juwan McCain (3* ~6' 6" PF SF c 116/11) was the first signing in January. He's a well-rounded, and already quite well polished, SF prospect who probably becomes a range threat in time albeit without the highest ceiling.
The 2nd commit in January came all the way from Australia in the form of Harry Stanton (2* 6' 10" C 93/11). Whilst he's no Toby Henry, and was a bit late to basketball, playing much of his junior sports as an Australian rules football ruckman, he does project as a dominant scorer and rebounder. He's fairly mobile and has some passing instincts. He'll use his redshirt season to learn from the impressive stable of big men already on the roster.
Outlook
Jankowski and Kushima, late in the season started to actually provide passable play at the PG. Complicating that picture is redshirt Jameson who would provide a larger, more physical, and probably better shooting look should he play at the point.
After 4 years as Sample's understudy Brooks looks primed to step into the starting SG position. He's certainly no Sample, but he could have an okay senior year.
Jameson and Reinhardt both provide different looks at SF. The former is a more physical presence, better with the ball and operating from the mid-range. The latter is probably better off the ball and will stretch the floor more. It will be interesting to see who wins that duel, and whether Jameson gets any time at PG.
After an admirable effort at SF this year, Winter will play his more natural position of PF for his senior year. The JuCo looks likely to be the #1 scoring option on the team. Joining him in the frontcourt is likely to be Denton who had a strong development year. He's the best returning rebounder and is likely to be the best interior defender by the end of next season.
The Gaels' backup frontcourt of Chet Evans and Manny Bartlett should make the frontcourt a strength. Evans is already an accomplished post scorer, whilst Bartlett is more of a high-post/elbow-jumper kind of PF. Both are pretty solid on the glass.
Plenty of competition at PG, but none of the options are ideal. bSG looks like a bit of a hole as Peterson doesn't really look ready yet. Perhaps the non-starting SF ends up as the bSG as well?
If they can get passable PG play again, Winter can ascend to #1 option and the likes of Denton and Brooks can chip in reliably the Gaels might be okay, at least on offense. Sample and Cooke were also the foundation of the defense for years and the Gaels look like they'll just be hoping to be average defensively.
That all sounds like a fairly slim path to staying up in LL2 next year. As is often the case it probably depends on what the rest of the conference looks like.
Mar 30 2041: 2041 Season Review (III.1) - by naph on October 17th, 2024
Season
After 6 years in LL2 the Gaels returned back to LL3. Whilst more recently the Gaels had spent time in III.2, it was back to III.1 which still seems like home after the Gaels spent 2021-2028 there in the past.
SMC kicked off the season with a great win over Trinity University, one that would look better and better over time as they would go on to spend time in the top 25 late in the season.
A loss to Central Arkansas (once again back in Legends) was somewhat discouraging but winning the next 8 in a row would see Saint Mary's atop the RPI rankings by the end of OOC. D1RT wins over FAU and Louisiana-Lafeyette helped as did wins over rival Nazareth, Amherst (tournament bound) and a good Quinnipiac squad (LL5) who will promote to D1 next year and are making a D2 Tournament run.
So expectations were high heading into conference. 2 first up losses provided a reality check. Whilst they had their moments the team really struggling in the middle of the conference schedule when they had to deal with a string of short term injuries to starters that kept the team unsettled.
Despite beating most of the teams who finished above them on the ladder, inconsistency against teams below them cost the Gaels in the final standings.
Bogey team Morehead State dropped the Gaels from 7th to 9th on the last day of the regular season and promptly bundled them out of the conference tournament in the opening round to end their season.
Ed Sample took the next step of becoming the team's go-to scorer. He topped 30 points 4 times in 2041. Harris found some scoring form late scoring 74 points in 3 games of a 4-game stretch. Nelson had 13 double-doubles on the year, finishing with a 24p 15r game to carry into next season. Winter and Kushima both showed a bit in their redshirt games as well.
Roster
PG: "Whispers" Josh Harris (RS SR 6' 6½" 205lbs PG 165 - 17 Sta, 16 Hnd/Spd, 14 OS/Pass, 13 Drv, 12 Str)
40gms 40gs 29.9mins 12.4p (.482/.390/.765 eFG%:.535) 3.8r 5.4a 0.9s 0.2b 3.8to 2.8pf OeFG%:.529 POTG:4
SG: "e.g." Ed Sample (RS JR 6' 2½" 185lbs SG pg sf 174 - 19 OS, 18 PD/Spd, 17 Rng/Fin/IQ, 16 Str. 14 Drv)
41gms 41gs 28.4mins 18.8p (.451/.346/.810 eFG%:.545) 2.0r 2.0a 1.6s 0.1b 1.5to 1.9pf OeFG%:.421 POTG:8
SF: "Brew" Ken Brewer (RS SR 6' 5½" 215lbs SF PF c 157 - 16 Spd, 13 Rng/Hnd, 12 IS/Fin/IQ)
39gms 39gs 30.1mins 8.7p (.394/.329/.622 eFG%:.467) 4.0r 0.7a 1.7s 0.3b 1.2to 1.4pf OeFG%:.494 POTG:1
PF: Nelson "Bammy" Cooke (RS JR 6' 9½" 245lbs PF C 163 - 16 ID, 15 OS/Str, 14 IQ/Sta, 13 Reb, 12 Pass/Spd)
36gms 36gs 28.8mins 13.5p (.458/.342/.773 eFG%:.528) 9.3r 0.6a 1.2s 1.0b 1.2to 2.3pf OeFG%:.452 POTG:7
C: "Swampy" Stewart Fenton (RS SR 6' 9" 235lbs C PF 124 - 16 ID/Sta)
40gms 39gs 28.3mins 8.7p (.554/.---/.635 eFG%:.554) 8.7r 0.5a 1.3s 1.4b 1.5to 2.6pf OeFG%:.445 POTG:4
bC/bPF: Chet Evans (RS FR 6' 9½" 240lbs C PF 120 - 15 IS, 12 IQ/Sta)
41gms 4gs 19.6mins 8.1p (.537/.000/.689 eFG%:.537) 6.0r 0.4a 0.4s 0.5b 1.0to 2.0pf OeFG%:.488 POTG:1
bSG/bbSF: Brian "Beez" Brooks (RS SO 6' 1" 185lbs SG SF 130 - 14 OS, 12 Str/Spd)
40gms 0gs 12.3mins 3.1p (.350/.263/.781 eFG%:.413) 0.9r 1.2a 0.3s 0.0b 1.0to 0.9pf OeFG%:.435
bSF: Jeff "Hammer" Reinhardt (RS FR 6' 6" 195lbs sg pg sf 127 - 18 IQ, 12 Rng/Spd)
39gms 1gs 10.8mins 2.6p (.392/.321/.533 eFG%:.485) 1.8r 0.3a 0.3s 0.0b 0.6to 0.8pf OeFG%:.530
bPG: Cameron "Jank" Jankowski (RS SO 6' 215lbs PG sg 128 - 16 Spd, 14 IQ, 12 Rng/Pass)
37gms 1gs 10.6mins 2.4p (.493/.355/.333 eFG%:.567) 0.7r 1.8a 0.3s 0.0b 1.1to 0.9pf OeFG%:.520
bbPF/bbC: Bennie "Chanko Nabe" Ishikawa (SR 7' 1½" 305lbs c pf 113 - 13 Rng/IQ)
40gms 0gs 5.4mins 1.6p (.735/.---/.600 eFG%:.735) 1.5r 0.3a 0.1s 0.2b 0.2to 0.6pf OeFG%:.525
Farewell Seniors
Whispers" Josh Harris (6' 6½" 205lbs PG 165/12)
It was thought that Harris' long wingspan (7' 1") would make up for his lack of defensive fundamentals, but that didn't seem to be the case. He struggled on that end of the floor for most of his career and was just okay as a senior. Offensively he also wasn't really a threat until his senior year and he never got over his turnover struggles. Disappointing senior year development capped off a frustrating career. None-the-less his backups were and are certainly worse and the Gaels will miss his senior numbers next season.
#6 Turnovers (465)
#15 Assists (566)
"Brew" Ken Brewer (RS SR 6' 5½" 215lbs SF PF c 157/13)
Brew never came along as quickly as hoped and was forever compared against a mythical version of himself that never eventuated in college. He was decent defensively and okay on the glass but really struggled to regularly contribute on offense on a roster that could have definitely used some from him. The criticism was probably unfair. Unable to create his own shot he was hampered by a lack of creativity from his team-mates.
"Swampy" Stewart Fenton (RS SR 6' 9" 235lbs C PF 131/10)
Swampy was signed as a transitional big. He helped bridge the gap between the exceptional bigs of last year (Haskell/Benavides) and the emerging talents of Evans, Denton and Winter behind him. He was okay on the glass and finishing around the basket. Where he really excelled was protecting the paint and on the defensive side of the floor. Hard-nosed defense together with his high motor made him easy for fans to appreciate.
Bennie "Chanko Nabe" Ishikawa (SR Walk-on 7' 1½" 305lbs c pf 112/11)
Whilst appearing in just 9 games prior to 2041 the man mountain of Japanese descent had long been a fan favourite in the warm up line and for his bench celebrations. He made 40 appearances as a senior and shot an astounding .735 from the field as a senior. His famed sumo soup will remain on the college menu indefinitely.
Development Highlights
Glenn Kushima (85 > 99 = +14)
Nelson Cooke (150 -> 163 = +13)
Larry Winter (130 -> 142 = +12)
Ken Brewer (146 -> 157 = +11)
Brian Brooks (119 -> 130 = +11)
Andy Jameson (117 -> 128 = +11)
Jeff Reinhardt (127 -> 137 = +10)
Burt Denton (112 -> 122 = +10)
Coaching
No changes on the bench this year. Darren "Tipsy" Scales remains the head coach. Fred Foster the offensive co-ordinator and assistant tactician. Theo Hudson assists with offense, defense and player development. Eric Strauss is the Lead recruiter and motivator.
Recruiting
Late November saw the first signing for the season in the form of Byron Peterson(2* ~6'5" C SF pg pf 109/10). He projects a 3 & D wing, though there are some concerns about his unorthodox jump-shot and how consistent it can be at the next level. shooting .365 from deep on 4.2 attempts and .529 from the field overall as a senior were encouraging, but its worth noting that a lot of that efficient came on easy buckets inside as he split time between PG and C his senior year. The charity stripe clip of .584, though considerably better than his junior year, highlights the concerns.
Early December saw decision day for JuCo Andy Jameson (2* 6' 6½" PF SF pg 128/11). He has an interesting skillset. A silky smooth jumper (15 OS) saw him slash .501/.422/792 for his 14.1ppg as a senior mostly at PF. Those percentages were a little down on the previous year where he spent more time at SF. He tips the scales at 240lbs, but may even see some time at PG in college as his passing and handling have shown steady improvement. Quick and strong he should be able to play 1-2-3 in college.
The Gaels did not get the Christmas present they were hoping for as long-recruited big Stan Hubbard spurned both the Gaels and the DUCA penguins, instead signing with UCLA.
Forced to pivot late, Eric Strauss came up with local Californian Manny Bartlett (2* ~6' 7" PF SF C 91/11). Though his defense is very much a work in progress he already has a refined elbow jumper and projects as a monster rebounder. He should help shore up the Gaels frontline in time.
Outlook
Its hard to get excited about next season due to the holes at PG and SF. Misses in either recruiting or development have left the cupboards bare at both positions. Jankowski will have to play PG. Reinhardt is the most natural candidate for SF. Despite 3 and 2 years respectively in the program, neither look ready.
Sample will remain the star of the team and should have a big year. If things go really pear-shaped he might even end up at PG with an ultra-green light.
Cooke has been a good stretch-4 and could reprise that role, but could he perhaps makes the move to SF? Whilst a bit late in his career to be starting a new position his shooting and developing passing game could possibly be utilised at the 3, which would give more minutes for others in a deep frontcourt.
Winter's quality appearances this year has seen plenty of signs with Game of Thrones references in the stands. Well, Winter is no longer coming. Winter is here. He'll provide the post scoring option that was missing this season and has long been a staple of the Gaels offense. If the Gaels are to succeed next year it will be because the 1-2 punch of Sample on the outside and Winter on the inside proves too much for opposing defenses to cover.
Kushima starts at bPG, but may have a chance to overtake Jankowski for the starting role, he might already be a better shooter and defender, but he's a bit behind as a floor general. Brooks will remain the bSG and he needs to improve his shot-selection. He's too good of a shooter in practice to maintain his in game shooting splits forever.
bSF could be Reinhardt if he doesn't start. If he does start bSF becomes a real question mark as whoever is chosen is likely to be out of position.
Mar 31 2040: 2040 Season Review II.1 - by naph on August 21st, 2024
Season
Gaels fans are used to a roller-coaster in their recent history and this season provided that again. Against a tough OOC schedule they compiled a 7-3 record that included a rare 3-0 record in the D1RT against Oral Roberts, Arizona State and Iowa State.
Season expectations were rapidly adjusted however after they opened conference play with a 5-game losing streak. The team started winning some games and after winning 6 games in a row mid-season it looked like they could at least stay up again. The Gaels were even projected in the tournament field and at 12-10 in conference play probably needed just 3 wins from the last 8 games to remain in LL2 for another year.
Injuries to Sample and then Haskell started a losing streak which became a full on death spiral as they lost 7 games in a row, which made their win in the season finale irrelevant. There were some close games in there, narrow 5 point losses to ranked Minnesota State and Methodist University as well as Howard Payne. But there was also the 51 point blow-out loss to fellow demotee Gonzaga.
The Gaels would finish 12th, their poor DIFF meaning they were realistically 2 games below the demotion line. Historically the team has been stronger in the second half of conference play and the late season swoon resulting in demotion was bitter pill for the Gaels fans to swallow. Whilst they would show some fight making it past Valparaiso and Temple, the Gaels ultimately fell 69-73 to regular season champs Methodist University in the conference tournament semi-final which ended their season.
Roster
PG: "Whispers" Josh Harris (RS JR 6' 6½" 205lbs PG sg 161 - 16 Spd/Sta, 15 Hnd, 14 OS/Pass, 13 Drv, 12 Str)
42gms 42gs 29.9mins 6.9p (.420/.206/.743 eFG%:.435) 3.0r 5.2a 1.2s 0.1b 4.5to 2.1pf OeFG%:.574
SG: "e.g." Ed Sample (RS SO 6' 2½" 185lbs SG pg sf 164 - 17 OS/PD/IQ/Spd, 16 Rng, 15 Fin/Str, 13 Drv)
39gms 39gs 28.1mins 17.0p (.408/.369/.865 eFG%:.535) 2.2r 1.8a 1.1s 0.1b 1.8to 1.9pf OeFG%:.473 POTG:6
SF: Armando "Benny" Benavides (RS SR 6' 9½" 230lbs SF PF C 176 - 18 IS, 15 ID/IQ, 14 PD/Str, 13 OS/Spd/Sta, 12 Rng/Drv)
43gms 43gs 30.4mins 12.0p (.502/.396/.757 eFG%:.526) 6.0r 0.7a 1.8s 0.5b 1.6to 2.1pf OeFG%:.463 POTG:3
PF/bC: Nelson "Bammy" Cooke (RS SO 6' 9½" 245lbs PF C 149 - 14 OS/IQ/Str, 13 ID, 12 Reb/Spd/Sta)
43gms 43gs 29.8mins 10.5p (.427/.343/.802 eFG%:.504) 8.4r 1.1a 1.4s 1.0b 1.4to 2.2pf OeFG%:.483 POTG:4
C: "Hotrod" Rodger Haskell (RS SR 6' 9½" 245lbs C PF 164 - 20 ID, 18 IS, 16 Str, 15 OS, 14 Fin/IQ, 12 Hnd)
39gms 39gs 28.5mins 16.5p (.583/1000/.855 eFG%:.585) 7.1r 0.5a 1.4s 1.5b 1.3to 2.7pf OeFG%:.454 POTG:9
bSF/bbSG/bbPF: "Brew" Ken Brewer (RS JR 6' 5½" 215lbs SF PF c 145 - 16 Spd, 13 Rng/Hnd, 12 IS/Fin/IQ)
43gms 7gs 23.3mins 7.9p (.413/.327/.568 eFG%:.493) 2.7r 0.8a 1.2s 0.3b 1.2to 1.6pf OeFG%:.550
bSG/bbSF: Brian "Beez" Brooks (RS FR 6' 1" 185lbs SG SF 112 - 13 OS)
42gms 1gs 12.2mins 2.5p (.324/.229/.727 eFG%:.375) 0.9r 0.8a 0.3s 0.0b 1.2to 0.7pf OeFG%:.545
bC/bbPF: "Swampy" Stewart Fenton (RS JR 6' 9" 235lbs C PF 124 - 15 ID/Sta)
43gms 43gs 11.8mins 3.3p (.549/.000/.612 eFG%:.549) 3.3r 0.3a 0.5s 0.8b 0.7to 1.1pf OeFG%:.356
bPG: Cameron "Jank" Jankowski (RS FR 6' 210lbs PG sg 119 - 16 Spd, 14 IQ)
42gms 1gs 10.7mins 1.3p (.310/.179/.650 eFG%:.353) 0.7r 1.2a 0.4s 0.0b 1.8to 1.2pf OeFG%:.580
Farewell Seniors
"Hotrod" Rodger Haskell (6' 9½" 245lbs C PF 164/12)
A polished offensive game paired with truly elite paint protection. Hotrod patrolled the paint at both ends of the court for 130 starts for the Gaels. His rebounding was merely adequate. The defensive anchor of the team will certainly be missed.
Armando "Benny" Benavides (6' 9½" 230lbs SF PF C 176/12)
Benny was the victim of a bit of a logjam in the frontcourt. He finally won a starting position part of the way through his junior season and made the move to SF to start as a senior. He probably shone best whilst Haskell was injured when he finally got the opportunity to play center. Still, he was a great all-around defender, accomplished post threat, and had a bit more range on his jumper which gave him a lot of positional flexibility.
Development Highlights
Nelson Cooke (128 -> 149 = +21)
Ed Sample (145 -> 164 = +19)
Elmer Costello (82 -> 101 = +19)
Josh Harris (144 -> 161 = +17)
Armando Benavides (161 -> 176 = +15)
Ken Brewer (132 -> 145 = +13)
Stewart Fenton (114 -> 124 = +10)
Jeff Reinhardt (106 -> 116 = +10)
Coaching
Flaherty finally aged out of the assistant coaching program and left to become the head coach of Sul Ross State. He was replaced by former DUCA assistant Eric Strauss who becomes the teams lead recruiter and motivator.
Fred Foster remains the offensive coordinator and assistant tactician. Theo Hudson is the defensive coordinator and is slowly improving his well-rounded skillset.
Darren Scales recorded his first losing conference season, in what was a trying year for the program.
Recruiting
Recruiting again didn't get going until mid-December when Burt Denton (3* 6' 8½" C PF 109/12) signed. Despite a marked lack of footspeed, he projects as a dominating post scorer, monster rebounder and good defender. He should be a big part of the Gaels future after a few development seasons.
Late February saw JuCo Larry Winter (2* 6' 9½" C PF 128/11) made his commitment. Winter is coming in as an accomplished post-scorer and decent rebounder and all-around defender. He's expected to take a season learning the Gaels way, and then will likely start for 2 years.
Long-recruited guard Deon Rush (3* 6' 1" PG sg sf pf 114/11) was unable to overcome his off-court troubles that occurred during his senior year and regretfully declined the Gaels offer.
On the very last day of the season as Richmond were cutting down the nets Glenn Kushima (2* 5' 10½" PG SG 84/11) filed all of his paperwork. He's pretty raw for a guard, but looks like he might be able to be a decent backup in time.
Outlook
The Gaels will be back in LL3 dealing with the wounds of their late season collapse in 2040. PG Harris, SG Sample and PF Cooke all return and are unlikely to change position. Brewer was projected to start last year and is surely the starter at SF in his senior year. Fenton provided a solid defensive presence off the bench last year as understudy to Haskell and looks a likely starter unless Winter forgoes a redshirt which seems unlikely.
Jankowski's poor development is cause for concern, a situation exacerbated by Rush's non-commitment. With no alternative he'll remain the bPG, along side Brooks at bSG. Reinhardt (SF) and Evans (PF/C) both come off their redshirt seasons, though nobody's quite sure what Evans was doing with his as his development rivals Jank's in the wrong way. Fan favourite walk-on behemoth Ishikawa might even see the floor his senior year.
The Gaels will badly need some improvement from the likes of Harris, Sample and Brewer if they want to be competitive in LL3. After a long run in LL2 the team appears to have taken some backward steps and its not clear this roster is one capable of climbing back up that ladder. Hopefully they can at least stabilize in LL3 whilst the continue to compete on the recruiting front against some of the big fish in the West.
Apr 02 2039: 2039 Season Review (II.1) - by naph on June 27th, 2024
Season
Heading into the season the Gaels returned almost everyone and confidence was high. A 9-1 OOC record, including D1RT wins over Columbia, Houston Baptist and West Georgia certainly seemed encouraging.
The Gaels started conference play hovering around .500, but as the season wore on they seemed to find their groove. Still, it was an up and down year. Wins over all 3 promoting teams, Cal Poly Pomona, St. Thomas Aquinas and Marquette were all offset by losses to Mississippi, St. Bonaventure and Transylvania who were all bound for demotion.
The season looked like it may have ended early with a whimper after a first round loss in the CT to bot ETSU. But, the Gaels still finished 7th (again), and were awarded a 15-seed where they were matched against old conference foes Central Arkansas. As has been the case in the two teams' recent history it was all Bears in the NT opener.
"Choc" Chitwood surprised many by almost doubling his junior production to become the team's top scorer. "Leopard" Clark at SF and "Hotrod" Haskell at PF complemented him in what was a balanced offensive attack. Haskell, Cleveland and Benavides did damage on the inside, whilst Clark and Chitwood averaged almost 16 3PA/game at about 40% between them. Dent distributed the shots and made some timely ones of his own. Benny eventually would take over a starting position at the expense of Cleveland, but he slipped a disc against ETSU and would miss the national tournament.
So, and up down season. Early on the fans got to worry about demotion. Mid-to-late some might have had hopes of a late surge to promotion, but in the end it was a mid-table finish and a 4th first round exit from the tournament in the last six years.
Roster
PG: Gordon "Mouth" Dent (RS SR 6' 3" 195lbs PG sg 155 - 17 PD, 16 Pass, 15 Hnd/Spd, 12 Rng/Drv)
42gms 38gs 26.7mins 8.9p (.451/.352/.736 eFG%:.509) 2.2r 5.7a 1.5s 0.1b 3.6to 2.0pf OeFG%:.539
SG: Harley "Choc" Chitwood (RS SR 6' 1" 165lbs SG sf pf 160 - 19 Rng, 17 Spd, 15 PD/Pass, 14 OS, 13 Str, 12 Sta)
40gms 36gs 28.4mins 16.5p (.481/.432/.714 eFG%:.637) 2.6r 2.6a 1.6s 0.3b 1.5to 1.7pf OeFG%:.467 POTF:14
SF: "Leopard" Steve Clark (RS SR 6' 5" 215lbs SF SG pf 164 - 16 Rng/Fin, 15 Spd, 14 IS/PD, 13 OS/Str/Sta)
37gms 33gs 29.8mins 14.6p (.435/.377/.848 eFG%:.554) 4.7r 0.4a 1.0s 0.1b 1.3to 1.8pf OeFG%:.523 POTG:3
PF/bC: "Hotrod" Rodger Haskell (RS JR 6' 9½" 245lbs C PF 164 - 20 ID, 18 IS, 16 Str, 15 OS, 14 Fin/IQ, 12 Hnd)
42gms 42gs 28.3mins 14.1p (.569/.333/.892 eFG%:.571) 7.2r 0.7a 1.5s 1.1b 1.2to 2.5pf OeFG%:.468 POTG:9
C: "Whirls" Eddie Cleveland (RS SR 7' 235lbs C 140 - 18 Str, 17 IQ, 15 OS, 14 ID, 12 Reb)
42gms 32gs 22.0mins 10.0p (.606/.286/.763 eFG%:.620) 6.9r 0.6a 0.9s 1.1b 1.2to 2.1pf OeFG%:.451
bPF/bC/bSF: Armando "Benny" Benavides (RS JR 6' 9½" 230lbs PF C sf 161 - 17 IS, 15 IQ, 14 Str, 13 ID/Spd, 12 OS/PD/Sta)
38gms 17gs 22.8mins 8.9p (.555/.333/.659 eFG%:.561) 5.8r 0.5a 1.3s 0.9b 1.1to 1.7pf OeFG%:.472 POTG:1
bPG: "Whispers" Josh Harris (RS SO 6' 6½" 205lbs PG sg pf 144 - 16 Spd, 14 Sta, 13 Hnd, 12 OS/Pass)
41gms 4gs 13.5mins 2.9p (.404/.294/.720 eFG%:.461) 1.4r 2.3a 0.3s 0.0b 1.8to 1.2pf OeFG%:.536
bSG: Ed "e.g." Sample (RS FR 6' 2½" 180lbs SG SF pg 145 - 16 IQ/Spd, 15 OS, 14 Rng/PD/Str, 13 Fin)
41gms 4gs 12.1mins 5.1p (.433/.312/.692 eFG%:.514) 0.7r 0.7a 0.6s 0.0b 0.9to 0.7pf OeFG%:.433
bSF/bPF: "Brew" Ken Brewer (RS SO 6' 5½" 215lbs SF PF c 132 - 16 Spd, 12 Rng)
41gms 4gs 12.2mins 2.9p (.378/.278/.600 eFG%:.441) 1.5r 0.2a 0.9s 0.1b 0.6to 0.6pf OeFG%:.421
bPF: Nelson "Bammy" Cooke (RS FR 6' 9½" 245lbs C pf 128 - 14 IQ, 13 OS)
41gms 0gs 11.5mins 2.7p (.414/.360/.750 eFG%:.460) 3.0r 0.6a0.4s 0.6b 0.5to 1.2pf OeFG%:.467
Farewell Seniors
"Leopard" Steve Clark (6' 5" 215lbs SF SG pf 164/11)
A fixture on the wing (123 starts), Steve was a bucket, able to score in a variety of ways from anywhere on the floor. With over half his career FGA coming from behind the arc he will best be remembered for spacing the floor, his devastating pump-fake and extreme reluctance to pass the ball. Whilst he probably peaked as a junior, he was still solid as both a sophomore at SG as well as a senior.
356 3PM (#8)
.378 3P% (#8)
2014 Points (#17)
Gordon "Mouth" Dent (6' 3" 195lbs PG sg 155/11)
A vocal floor general, "Mouth" was given the keys to the offense as a junior and organised the team for 2 years. Not a great shooting threat, but he picked his spots and was reasonably efficient with timely drives and threes in numerous games. Became quite respectable defensively. Had all the skills, but his decision-making was below average, which was able to be exploited by some opponents.
406 Turnovers (T9)
626 Assists (#12)
"Whirls" Eddie Cleveland (7' 235lbs C 140/10)
After two years as an understudy Eddie started most games as an upperclassman. He had a good jumper and was reliable at the free throw line. He kept it basic in the post, became adequate in time, particularly after his work in the gym paid dividends. Whilst decent offensively, I suspect the Gaels will miss his 7' 8" wingspan on defense and the glass more than anything else.
Harley "Choc" Chitwood (6' 1" 165lbs SG sf pf 160/11)
Choc-Chit had really deep range, but it took a while to iron out the kinks in his form. After 2 years in junior college and a redshirt he was a starter, but only the 5th or 6th option as a junior. It all came together his senior year however as he led the team in scoring, almost doubling his production from the previous year and hit a scorching .431 from deep on over 8 attempts a game. The lightning-bug fearlessly launched from anywhere all season long including a memorable game against Kansas where he made ten threes. Although skewed by only playing with the Gaels for 2 seasons, Choc has set the SMC record for 3PM/gm (2.7) and will graduate 4th in career 3P%. Perhaps more impressively his 18 POTG awards sees him tied for 15th in the SMC record books.
Development Highlights
Ed Sample (128 -> 145 = +18)
Armando Benavides (147 -> 161 = +14)
Bennie Ishikawa (78 -> 92 = +14)
Josh Harris (131 -> 144 = +13)
Ken Brewer (120 -> 132 = +12)
Nelson Cooke (116 -> 128 = +12)
Brian Brooks (91 -> 103 = +12)
Rodger Haskell (153 -> 164 = +11)
Harley Chitwood (150 -> 160 = +10)
Coaching
Fred Foster (offensive coordinator) and Sam Flaherty (lead recruiter and motivational guru) have provided great stability in their roles behind head coach Darren Scales. Flaherty has given the college notice that he has the 50 year old itch and won't be content to be an assistant much longer. Theo Hudson has become the assistant defensive coordinator and helps out in all areas except motivation.
Darren Scales moves his head coaching record to 174-88 in his 6th year as head coach, and 18th year on the Gaels bench.
Recruiting
Mid-December signing Jeff Reinhardt (3* 6' 4½" SG pg pf c 106/11) was the first to sign. The heady prospect shows signs of becoming a ranged threat and should be able to play on either wing where he can put his near 7' wingspan to good use disrupting passing lanes.
It wasn't until Mid-February that Canadian Chet Evans (2* 6' 9½" C PF 101/10) would make his commitment. Already a good size, he should become a dominant scorer in the paint and solid rebounder, though his lack of defensive instincts could restrict him to the bench for a while.
Outlook
Losing 135 starts and 4/5 of the most frequent starting line up is always going to be hard. Paint warrior Haskell returns for his final year and will be joined by classmate Benavides in the frontcourt who actually ended up playing more minutes than Cleveland. They will undoubtedly be the first two on the scouting report for opponents next season.
Harris will look to step out of Dent's shadow and become the starting PG, likely for the next 2 years. He's athletic enough, but still lacks the polish, especially defensively that Gaels fans have become accustomed to at the point. Hopefully his extra size and length can help make up the deficit. Joining him in the backcourt, will be Ed Sample. Whilst his splits weren't amazing this year, there was plenty of buzz around the redshirt freshman in 2039 and big things are expected from the shooting guard who has really impressed the coaches with his work ethic in training.
The swingman will most likely be Brewer, who has been good defensively, but has not found a reliable way to score. Hopefully some starting minutes will get him to tap into his vast potential.
The bench will be led by the Jumpin' Jamaican Nelson Cooke who may well see minutes at SF/PF/C. He'll be assisted by Canadian JuCo big, Fenton who has taken quite some time to adapt to division 1 basketball. Also coming off redshirts are the true freshmen pairing of Jankowski and Brooks. Both guards are looking pretty raw and the Gaels could certainly have some issues if the starting backcourt see foul trouble or injuries next season.
Apr 03 2038: 2038 Season Review (II.1) - by naph on May 2nd, 2024
Season
Going into the season expectations were low. On paper this was one of the least talented SMC rosters ever and the competition in II.1 was looking fierce. A soft OOC schedule and a 1-2 record in the D1RT did little to assuage fans' fears. Nobody wanted to hear that LL6 Union College were actually pretty good (1 point home win). The D1RT win over Louisiana-Lafayette was sandwiched between double-digit losses to Azusa Pacific and Arizona State. The lack of a name opponent in OOC round 10 didn't help much either.
Early conference results were surprisingly encouraging. A narrow win over LUPA and an OT loss against ranked UCLA was followed by 4 straight wins. The next stretch quickly brought those early season hopes back to earth as the Gaels would lose 8 of 9, the sole win a 2 point OT win over Northwest Missouri State. The Gaels at the conference turn were 6-9 and well below the demotion line, much as expected.
The legend of Saint Mary's conference second halves continued to grow as the Gaels would win 10 of their next 11 games (somewhat ironically, the only loss was Northwest Missouri State). 2-2 in the final 4 games was good enough for an 18-12 overall record, tied for 5th most wins in the conference, but placing 7th on goal difference. The Gaels would finish with wins over all the teams in conference except Central Arkansas and the University of New England.
Whilst the Gaels would miss the tournament, the fact they were even in the conversation to make the field late in the season was a pleasing surprise.
Leopard and Hotrod (Clark and Haskell) emerged as the leaders of the team. The team jelled. Roles were set and commited too and the team learned how to win, resulting in a much better season than expected.
Roster
PG: Gordon "Mouth" Dent (RS JR 6' 3" 195lbs PG sg sf 149 - 16 PD, 15 Pass/Spd, 14 Hnd, 12 Drv)
42gms 42gs 28.4mins 7.5p (.445/.329/.628 eFG%:.502) 2.2r 5.5a 1.5s 0.1b 3.2to 2.2pf OeFG%:.522 POTG:2
SG: Harley "Choc" Chitwood (RS JR 6' 1" 165lbs SG SF PF pg 150 - 18 Rng, 16 Spd, 14 PD/Pass, 13 OS, 12 Str)
41gms 36gs 27.4mins 8.7p (.387/349/.727 eFG%:.508) 2.6r 2.6a 1.0s 0.4b 1.7to 1.5pf OeFG%:.488 POTF:4
SF: "Leopard" Steve Clark (RS JR 6' 5" 215lbs SF SG pf 160 - 16 Rng, 15 Fin/Spd, 14 PD, 13 IS, 12 OS/Str/Sta)
39gms 39gs 31.1mins 16.1p (.484/.440/.776 eFG%:.609) 3.8r 0.4a 1.3s 0.3b 0.8to 2.1pf OeFG%:.422 POTG:5
PF/bC: "Hotrod" Rodger Haskell (RS SO 6' 9½" 245lbs PF C 153 - 18 ID, 17 IS, 15 Str, 14 OS, 13 Fin/IQ)
42gms 42gs 27.7mins 14.5p (.551/.---/.883 eFG%:.551) 5.6r 0.4a 1.4s 1.2b 1.4to 2.7pf OeFG%:.459 POTG:4
C: Eddie Cleveland (RS JR 7' 235lbs C 135 - 18 Str, 17 IQ, 14 OS/ID, 12 Reb)
42gms 39gs 24.7mins 9.1p (.543/.150/.762 eFG%:.549) 7.3r 0.6a 1.0s 1.3b 1.2to 2.7pf OeFG%:.506 POTG:6
bPF: Armando "Benny" Benavides (RS SO 6' 9½" 230lbs PF C sg sf 147 - 16 IS, 14 IQ, 12 ID/Str/Spd)
42gms 2gs 23.7mins 9.3p (.539/.250/.746 eFG%:.540) 5.1r 0.5a 1.1s 0.6b 1.3to 2.1pf OeFG%:.456 POTG:1
bSG: "Lou" Lucas Coombs (RS SR 6' 205lbs SG pg pf 154 - 18 Spd, 17 Rng/Drv, 14 Hnd, 13 PD, 12 Fin)
38gms 1gs 16.2mins 6.3p (.405/.304/.716 eFG%:.456) 1.3r 1.4a 0.7s 0.0b 1.2to 1.1pf OeFG%:.494
bSF/bPF: "Brew" Ken Brewer (RS FR 6' 5½" 215lbs PF sf c 120 - 15 Spd)
42gms 1gs 10.7mins 2.2p (.333/.286/.600 eFG%:.373) 1.6r 0.2a 0.5s 0.1b 0.5to 0.9pf OeFG%:.536
bSF: "Whispers" Josh Harris (RS FR 6' 6½" 205lbs pg sg sf pf 131 - 15 Spd, 12 Hnd/Sta)
37gms 0gs 9.3mins 1.70p (.451/.250/.667 eFG%:.500) 0.9r 0.9a 0.3s 0.0b 1.3to 0.7pf OeFG%:.591
Farewell Seniors
"Lou" Lucas Coombs (6' 205lbs SG pg pf 153/10)
Probably peaked as a sophomore where he had a career best eFG%:.565 including hitting on .414 from behind the arc. Struggled with his shot his last 2 years, unable to produce at those sophomore numbers when handed more responsibility. Picked up his defense and passing game though and was still a fairly steady bench contributor
Development Highlights
Rodger Haskell (133 -> 153 = +20)
Ed Sample (109 -> 128 = +18)
Armando Benavides (130 -> 147 = +17)
Harley Chitwood (135 -> 150 = +15)
Josh Harris (118 -> 131 = +13)
Steve Clark (148 -> 160 = +12)
Gordon Dent (138 -> 149 = +11)
Eddie Cleveland (124 -> 135 = +11)
Ken Brewer (109 -> 120 = +11)
Nelson Cooke (106 -> 116 = +10)
Coaching
Fred Foster replaced Jay Fisher as the offensive coordinator. He also chips in to tactical discussions and with recruiting. Theo Hudson continues to grow his non-motivational, though otherwise well-rounded skillset.
Darren Scales moves his head coaching record to 147-73 in his 5th year as head coach, and 17th year on the Gaels bench. Lead recruiter/motivator Sam Flaherty completes his 12th season on the bench, though at 49 years of age his time looks to be coming to an end.
Recruiting
Long-time, in-region targets Brian Brooks (3* 6' SG pg sg 91/12) and Cameron Jankowski (3* 5' 7½" SG PG pf 106/12) both commited in January. Brooks should develop into a two-way player, and has a high ceiling offensively, but at the moment he's a bit raw, and potentially a bit slow for SG and a bit small for SF. Jankowski projects as a defensive, distributing PG with speed to burn. Quite a late bloomer but should get to, or near 6'.
Late in the cycle Scales instructed Flaherty to seek out a JuCo big. Mid-to-late February saw the commitment of Canadian Stewart Fenton (2* 6' 9" C PF 108/10). He has decent size, some defensive upside and should be okay on the glass and finishing around the rim. Unlikely to ever start, but he will at least provide some decent depth and injury-cover for the frontcourt, particularly the year after Hotrod and Benny graduate.
Outlook
With only a single player graduating, and a bench player at that, the Gaels can have more confidence going into next season. The competition looks like it will be strong again, but SMC should be in the fight. Expectations of at least remaining in LL2 seem reasonable and hopes of making a run at a program best finish in LL2, even perhaps contending for promotion to Legends, might be on the cards.
Dent has developed into a solid, defensive distributor at PG. Harris behind him was looking pretty rough at the start of this year, but should be coming on by the end of next.
Chitwood was not overly efficient this year, but he has made the step from being passable to average or better at most guard skills. Sample might not be as good as Coombs yet, but his ceiling is a lot more exciting.
Clark emerged as the team's leader on both side of the ball. Brewer is still a bit of a project behind him, but should come on next year.
Haskell was often the top scorer on the team and is now elite in the post at both ends. Benavides relished his role as first big off the bench and will press for more time at bSF next year.
Cleveland's size and strength in the post allows him to compete with anyone. His scoring touch continues to improve, particularly on jumpers from the elbows. 4-star Jamaican Nelson Cooke and his 39" vert will also join the frontcourt.
A year more of development and experience on the starters. Improved depth and overall quality on the bench. Stability in coaching. The Gaels fans have every reason to think that 2039 will be at least as successful as 2038.