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Tuesday, December 19, 2006
HC, 'Gate hit road in search of upsets
While some others are cutting their pre-conference teeth on Division 3 mush, Holy Cross and Colgate are biting off more challenging fare. (Full post includes readaround links)

The Crusaders return from a 12-day break for finals to meet Providence of the Big East at the Friar's Dunkin Donuts Center (matchup). Most would consider a Holy Cross win an upset, but we're not so sure that is accurate. Although the Friars are 7-2, their schedule has not been impressive. The Friars do sport a decent (49) RPI, but HC -- at 37 -- ranks higher.

Providence lost its only road game of the season, at Florida (86-67). Although they have wins at the Dunk was over Boston College and George Washington, the rest of the schedule has been a steady diet of New England mid-major road kills. Even those have not all gone as planned for Tim Welsh's team. The other loss was against Brown.

That game, a 51-41 final, was played at the type pace Holy Cross prefers, and Brown is not nearly as good at imposing that style on foes as the Crusaders are.

Add the RPI differences and that Brown game to the Crusaders past history of relative success against Providence and a 'Saders win would would not be nearly as big an upset as it will seem to the unknowing masses when they see the score. The Crusaders have played Providence in Providence 32 times and have won 11 of those. That is a pretty decent rate of winning on the road against a major conference team. The two have traded wins over their last five meetings, with Providence winning by 6 the last time they played (2000).

Of course if Keith Simmons is not at full speed, it changes everything. Simmons sprained his knee in the Crusaders' last game (at Duke). Last word out of Worcester was that he was unable to practice. HC coach Ralph Willard has not updated his Web site since that Dec. 12 post and there is no mention of any injuries in the HC game notes (pdf).

Kevin McNamara breaks it down in today's Providence Journal (you need to sign in to read the ProJo, feel free to use our old hotmail address -- hoop_time@hotmail.com and the password: hooptime). For another look, try the Pawtucket Times' preview (no sign-in in needed).

Colgate at Arizona State -- (matchup
| Az. Republic preview ) A pair of 4-4 teams meet in the desert. Colgate comes in off a nine-day break for finals, having lost at Syracuse its last time out. ASU played Saturday, losing by 18 at Xavier, the Sun Devils' second straight setback. They also have suffered home losses to Northern Arizona and Portland State.

It's a homecoming game for Colgate senior Jon Simon, the team's leading scorer. Simon is from Phoenix. Also home for the pre-holidays is Raiders sophomore Daniel Waddy, who comes from Tuscon.

Readaround links:
  • Patriot-News hoops writer David Jones breaks down the Patriot League in a column today.
  • Morning Call beat guy Stephen Miller profiles Lafayette's undersized four-man Matt Betley
  • Mike Garvey, of the Wilkes-Barre Citizens Voice, thinks Lafayette is nicknamed the "Cougars." get past that glaring miscue and his story about Division 3 King's excitement over the prospect of playing the D-1 LEOPARDS Wednesday night is an interesting read.
  • If there had not been a direct link posted from the Holy Cross message board, I am not sure I'd have discovered this hidden gem from Kyle Whelliston. It's a breakdown of Patriot League school's hoops budgets. You can also check out a complete D-1 spending ranking. While you are there, check this on-the-money analysis of the college hoops world.

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    • Published at 6:59 AM by Hoop Time.
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