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Friday, January 12, 2007
It's round one of what has become the league's top rivalry tonight in Worcester; the two teams that own four of the last five league titles in the debut of the Patriot League's new ESPNU package.
As has become the norm over the last few years, this one is expected to be a dandy. Holy Cross has the better overall record, coming in at 11-6. Bucknell, which had a rough 0-4 start against some very tough competition, has battled back to 8-7. Factor in the fact the Bison had only two home games in the non-conference part of the schedule, and any edge of Holy Cross' better record seems pretty slight.
Both come in riding four-game win streaks. Both are off to 2-0 starts in league play.Both return a lot of familiar faces from the teams that met in the conference tournament title game the past two seasons. The two have met six times in the past two seasons, with Bucknell holding a 5-1 edge in that span, including wins in the last four.
That means nothing tonight. Although a lot of faces are the same, these are two very different teams. Kevin Hamilton is playing pro ball in Poland; Charles Lee in Israel. In their absence, Keith Simmons and Donald Brown have emerged as two of the top players in the league.
Both are matchup nightmares. Bucknell doesn't have a guard who can handle Simmons (17.8 ppg), who, at 6-5, is a real force to be reckoned with. Simmons can beat you off the dribble, and has the capability to rain threes. He is also a ferocious rebounder (5.8 rpg) and a tenacious defender.
Brown poses different, but similar, problems for HC. Brown's 11.5 ppg average is not impressive as a raw number. But after being held in singe digits in three of BU's first four games, Brown started coming into his own when he left the three spot for the four. In his last four games, Brown has averaging 16 ppg over Bucknell's last four games. He will be more than a handful for Holy Cross' Alex Vander Baan if the 'Saders are forced to play man-to-man.
The way these two teams play defense, though, individual matchups tend to get minimized. Both play a lot of zone, be it Bucknell's matchup or Holy Cross' variety of 2-3 packages, which start out in a straight 2-3 and switch to matchup midway through a possession. The Crusaders also sprinkle in some 1-3-1 from time to time. Both teams also give their big men a lot of help down low, whether it comes from the other side of the paint or from guards digging down.
One key for Bucknell will be the perimeter shooting of John Griffin and Jason Vegotsky. Both have struggled a little of late and rare has been the game were both were on at the same time. The Bison don't have to hit 11 threes like they did against Xavier. But they probably will need more than the 2.5 threes they have averaged in their first two PL games.
On the other hand, if Simmons gets going from the arc, and gets some help outside from Torey Thomas and Pat Doherty -- or even Kyle Cruze, who can't be ignored (just look at the LaSalle box), it could be a long night for the Bison.
Another key for both teams will be keeping their big men out of foul trouble. That is especially true for Holy Cross, which suffers a big drop off at the post when Tim Clifford leaves the floor. Clifford is averaging 10.1 points per game and his 6-10, 279-pound frame provides an imposing defensive presence in the middle - when he is there. His 29 blocked shots lead the league. The problem has been, Clifford has not been there nearly as much as Ralph Willard would like. The big junior has been averaging 3.94 fouls per game and has fouled out six times.
Fouls have been a problem for Bucknell's Chris McNaughton, too. The preseason PL Player of the Year, who has been playing more aggressively on offense of late, will command a lot of attention when he is on the floor. You don't need an elephant's memory to recall what McNaughton did in the Hart Center two seasons back in the league championship final. McNaughton has averaged 12 ppg against Holy Cross over the first three years of his career. But like Clifford, he needs to be on the floor, not sitting next to Pat Flannery on the bench, to make an impact. McNaughton's foul troubles have not been as bad statistically as Clifford's (3 fouls per game, 1 disqualification). But those numbers don't tell the whole story. A more telling stat might be McNaughton's 26.8 minutes per game.
Bucknell point guard Abe Badmus has also struggled to stay out of foul trouble at times. The defensive drop-off from Badmus to anybody who comes off the bench in his stead is considerable. Slowing Torey Thomas (12.7 ppg) will be tough enough with Badmus on the floor.
In theory, the starting lineups are pretty even. With Simmons and Thomas, Holy Cross has an edge in the backcourt. McNaughton and Brown do the same for Bucknell up front. Bucknell does have a significant edge in depth. The Bison bring Darren Mastropaolo, a two-year starter, off the bench to spell Brown and McNaughton. Rob Thomas and Justin Castleberry are the first two subs in the backcourt. All three are capable of scoring. Mastropaolo is actually a defensive upgrade when he plays the five in place of McNaughton.
Pat Doherty has returned after missing six games with a broken hand, giving Holy Cross much-needed help in the backccourt. In addition to allowing Thomas an occasional breather at the point, Doherty is a sniper on the arc and a tough defender on the perimeter. Eric Meister is a solid frontcourt player, but he is just a freshman. Not quick enough to guard Brown and not big enough to stop McNaughton, HC is in trouble if he has to play a lot of minutes. Ditto for Greg McCarthy, who has made great strides as a sophomore, but has yet to show the ability to defend a post man of McNaughton's caliber. Colin Cunningham has given the Crusaders minutes, but not a lot else, on the wing.
Chances are very little will be determined by the outcome of this one. These two have again separated themselves from the rest of the league and barring an upset come tournament time, are likely to settle nothing until the second Friday in March. That said, a Bucknell win here would give the Bison a leg up in their quest to three-peat since tonight's game is in Worcester. If Bucknell wins, Holy Cross almost has to win in Lewisburg on Feb. 9 to have a shot at the homecourt edge throughout this year's league tournament, which in reality is more a playoff than a tournament.
NOTABLE: Bucknell has won six of the last seven between the two ... before that, HC won five of the previous six . . . Most surprising pre-game stat: Bucknell has a 9-8 edge all-time in games played at the Hart Center . . . Or maybe not -- that number came from the HC game notes, Bucknell's notes say the two are even at 9-9 in Hart . . . Bucknell is 11-11 all-time in hart when you include league tournament games against foes other than HC . . . HC is 5-0 at Hart this season and has not lost a league game there since losing to Bucknell on Feb. 11 of last year . . . HC has won 9 in a row in Hart since then . . . The Crusaders have only lost at home to league opponents twice in the past two seasons . . . Bucknell has both those wins, the other coming in the 2005 title game . . . Bucknell is 6-2 since Flannery switched his starting lineup, moving Brown to the four and inserting Vegotsky on the wing (with Mastropaolo, a two-year starter, now coming off the bench) . . . The Bison are 8-3 since Thanksgiving weekend . . . Holy Cross is 6-5 in its last 11, a span that includes 9 games away from Worcester . . . A Bucknell win would be the Bison's 24th in a row against league teams and the school's 1,200th all-time
Matchup | HC notes (pdf) | BU notes (pdf) | Telegram & Gazette | Daily Item
As has become the norm over the last few years, this one is expected to be a dandy. Holy Cross has the better overall record, coming in at 11-6. Bucknell, which had a rough 0-4 start against some very tough competition, has battled back to 8-7. Factor in the fact the Bison had only two home games in the non-conference part of the schedule, and any edge of Holy Cross' better record seems pretty slight.
Both come in riding four-game win streaks. Both are off to 2-0 starts in league play.Both return a lot of familiar faces from the teams that met in the conference tournament title game the past two seasons. The two have met six times in the past two seasons, with Bucknell holding a 5-1 edge in that span, including wins in the last four.
That means nothing tonight. Although a lot of faces are the same, these are two very different teams. Kevin Hamilton is playing pro ball in Poland; Charles Lee in Israel. In their absence, Keith Simmons and Donald Brown have emerged as two of the top players in the league.
Both are matchup nightmares. Bucknell doesn't have a guard who can handle Simmons (17.8 ppg), who, at 6-5, is a real force to be reckoned with. Simmons can beat you off the dribble, and has the capability to rain threes. He is also a ferocious rebounder (5.8 rpg) and a tenacious defender.
Brown poses different, but similar, problems for HC. Brown's 11.5 ppg average is not impressive as a raw number. But after being held in singe digits in three of BU's first four games, Brown started coming into his own when he left the three spot for the four. In his last four games, Brown has averaging 16 ppg over Bucknell's last four games. He will be more than a handful for Holy Cross' Alex Vander Baan if the 'Saders are forced to play man-to-man.
The way these two teams play defense, though, individual matchups tend to get minimized. Both play a lot of zone, be it Bucknell's matchup or Holy Cross' variety of 2-3 packages, which start out in a straight 2-3 and switch to matchup midway through a possession. The Crusaders also sprinkle in some 1-3-1 from time to time. Both teams also give their big men a lot of help down low, whether it comes from the other side of the paint or from guards digging down.
One key for Bucknell will be the perimeter shooting of John Griffin and Jason Vegotsky. Both have struggled a little of late and rare has been the game were both were on at the same time. The Bison don't have to hit 11 threes like they did against Xavier. But they probably will need more than the 2.5 threes they have averaged in their first two PL games.
On the other hand, if Simmons gets going from the arc, and gets some help outside from Torey Thomas and Pat Doherty -- or even Kyle Cruze, who can't be ignored (just look at the LaSalle box), it could be a long night for the Bison.
Another key for both teams will be keeping their big men out of foul trouble. That is especially true for Holy Cross, which suffers a big drop off at the post when Tim Clifford leaves the floor. Clifford is averaging 10.1 points per game and his 6-10, 279-pound frame provides an imposing defensive presence in the middle - when he is there. His 29 blocked shots lead the league. The problem has been, Clifford has not been there nearly as much as Ralph Willard would like. The big junior has been averaging 3.94 fouls per game and has fouled out six times.
Fouls have been a problem for Bucknell's Chris McNaughton, too. The preseason PL Player of the Year, who has been playing more aggressively on offense of late, will command a lot of attention when he is on the floor. You don't need an elephant's memory to recall what McNaughton did in the Hart Center two seasons back in the league championship final. McNaughton has averaged 12 ppg against Holy Cross over the first three years of his career. But like Clifford, he needs to be on the floor, not sitting next to Pat Flannery on the bench, to make an impact. McNaughton's foul troubles have not been as bad statistically as Clifford's (3 fouls per game, 1 disqualification). But those numbers don't tell the whole story. A more telling stat might be McNaughton's 26.8 minutes per game.
Bucknell point guard Abe Badmus has also struggled to stay out of foul trouble at times. The defensive drop-off from Badmus to anybody who comes off the bench in his stead is considerable. Slowing Torey Thomas (12.7 ppg) will be tough enough with Badmus on the floor.
In theory, the starting lineups are pretty even. With Simmons and Thomas, Holy Cross has an edge in the backcourt. McNaughton and Brown do the same for Bucknell up front. Bucknell does have a significant edge in depth. The Bison bring Darren Mastropaolo, a two-year starter, off the bench to spell Brown and McNaughton. Rob Thomas and Justin Castleberry are the first two subs in the backcourt. All three are capable of scoring. Mastropaolo is actually a defensive upgrade when he plays the five in place of McNaughton.
Pat Doherty has returned after missing six games with a broken hand, giving Holy Cross much-needed help in the backccourt. In addition to allowing Thomas an occasional breather at the point, Doherty is a sniper on the arc and a tough defender on the perimeter. Eric Meister is a solid frontcourt player, but he is just a freshman. Not quick enough to guard Brown and not big enough to stop McNaughton, HC is in trouble if he has to play a lot of minutes. Ditto for Greg McCarthy, who has made great strides as a sophomore, but has yet to show the ability to defend a post man of McNaughton's caliber. Colin Cunningham has given the Crusaders minutes, but not a lot else, on the wing.
Chances are very little will be determined by the outcome of this one. These two have again separated themselves from the rest of the league and barring an upset come tournament time, are likely to settle nothing until the second Friday in March. That said, a Bucknell win here would give the Bison a leg up in their quest to three-peat since tonight's game is in Worcester. If Bucknell wins, Holy Cross almost has to win in Lewisburg on Feb. 9 to have a shot at the homecourt edge throughout this year's league tournament, which in reality is more a playoff than a tournament.
NOTABLE: Bucknell has won six of the last seven between the two ... before that, HC won five of the previous six . . . Most surprising pre-game stat: Bucknell has a 9-8 edge all-time in games played at the Hart Center . . . Or maybe not -- that number came from the HC game notes, Bucknell's notes say the two are even at 9-9 in Hart . . . Bucknell is 11-11 all-time in hart when you include league tournament games against foes other than HC . . . HC is 5-0 at Hart this season and has not lost a league game there since losing to Bucknell on Feb. 11 of last year . . . HC has won 9 in a row in Hart since then . . . The Crusaders have only lost at home to league opponents twice in the past two seasons . . . Bucknell has both those wins, the other coming in the 2005 title game . . . Bucknell is 6-2 since Flannery switched his starting lineup, moving Brown to the four and inserting Vegotsky on the wing (with Mastropaolo, a two-year starter, now coming off the bench) . . . The Bison are 8-3 since Thanksgiving weekend . . . Holy Cross is 6-5 in its last 11, a span that includes 9 games away from Worcester . . . A Bucknell win would be the Bison's 24th in a row against league teams and the school's 1,200th all-time
Matchup | HC notes (pdf) | BU notes (pdf) | Telegram & Gazette | Daily Item
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