LATEST HEADLINES

Saturday, November 17, 2007
Holy Cross at Hampton heads 4-game slate
Two teams look to stay unbeaten tonight in a four-game schedule of non-conference matchups. The most intriguing is Holy Cross' visit to Hampton, where Ralph Willard faces Kevin Nickelberry in a mentor-protege coaching matchup. Also on tap, Colgate takes on Kennesaw State in the finals of Kennesaw's tournament, Navy plays in the Alamo Dome against Texas-San Antonio and Lehigh heads across Pa. to face St. Francis.


SCOUTING HAMPTON: Former Willard assistant Nickelberry has turned things around in a hurry at Hampton. In his second year, the Pirates are favored to win the MEAC title.

The Pirates are led by 6-1 senior guard Rashard West, a first team All-MEAC pick last season (and again this preseason) who led the conference in scoring last year (17.8 ppg). West is averaging 21.7 ppg thus far.

Vincent Simpson (6-1 soph.), last season's starter at the point, is averaging 18.3 ppg off the bench. Simpson is part of a stellar sophomore class that also includes preseason second team All-MEAC picks 6-8 Matthew Pilgrim (10.3 ppg) and 6-8 Michael Freeman (6.3 ppg), last year's MEAC rookie of the year.

Don't let Hampton's 1-2 record fool you. The two losses, both by six points, were on the road at Maryland and Kent State. Their win came at home against Tulsa.

And don't let opponents scoring 67.3 ppg make you think the Pirates don't play defense. Despite the faster-paced, attacking style Nickelberry prefers, Hampton has held opponents to 40.9 percent shooting from the field.
BONUS LINKS:
  • Out to make an impression (Hampton preview from The (Newport News) Daily Press)
  • Clifford points way for Crusaders (Boston Herald)

    SCOUTING TEXAS- SAN ANTONIO:Picked to finish fifth in the West Division of the Southland Conference (ahead of only Texas State), the Roadrunners certainly did not live up to their nickname their last time out, scoring only 37 points in a loss to No. 15 Texas. UTSA is either 1-1, or 0-1, depending how you view it. On its Web site, UTSA says 1-1, counting a win over Division III Hardin-Simmons. Hardin-Simmons' site calls that game an exhibition. You be the judge.

    Freshman Devin Gibson posted a double-double of 13 points and 10 rebounds against Texas. Gibson is averaging 16.5 points and 7 rebounds per game. junior Travis Gabbidon (6-7), one of eight juco transfers on the roster, averages 11.5 ppg.

    This is one offensively challenged team. That low point total against Texas does not appear to be just a matter of the Roadrunners moving up in class for a buy game. UTSA is shooting 34.4 percent from the field thus far. Sure the 26.7 percent night against the Longhorns did not help. But UTSA only shot 41.2 percent (33.3 percent in the first half) against D-III Hardin-Simmons. That is a continuation of a theme set by last season's 7-22 team, which shot 40.4 percent from the field and averaged only 57.1 ppg.

    This is being billed as an Alamodome dress rehearsal for the spring's Final Four, though a more apt billing might be to call it a game between two teams in a big empty building. UTSA drew only 1,593 fans for its home opener. That won't translate well in the 20,000-seat dome.
    BONUS LINKS:
  • UTSA game notes

    SCOUTING KENNESAW STATE: The Owls come in at 1-2 after picking up their first win in Friday's opening round against Jacksonville State. Shuan Stegall, a 6-7 senior, had 19 points and 12 boards in that win. Stegall is averaging a double-double (16 ppg/10.5 rpg) through three games. Ronnell Wooten, a 6-4 senior who was a second team All-Atlantic Sun pick last season, is averaging 12.3 ppg and 6-7 freshman Tanner Jacobs averages 10.3 ppg. The Owls are shooting 39.2 percent from the field, while opponents are hitting at a 53.8 percent clip. Jacksonville State shot over 50 percent against KSU, so it is not just a matter of stats skewed by losses to Western Kentucky and Auburn. But the Owls inside game gave them a 46-34 edge on the boards -- including 16 offensive rebounds -- and they went to the line 32 times (making 20) while Jacksonsville was a woeful 4 for 17 at the charity stripe.
    BONUS LINKS:
  • KSU coach Tony Lingle's Web site
  • Gametracker
  • The (Atlantic) Sun also rises: Tiny conference sticks it to the big boys (Sporting News)

    SCOUTING ST. FRANCIS (PA): The Red Flash are 0-3 thus far, including a season-opening loss at home against American. Sophomore Devin Sweetney leads the Red Flash with 11 points per game. Junios Grant Surprenant is a 6-5 threat from the perimeter. Surprenantis averaging 10 ppg and is 8 for 12 from the arc thus far. Bassirou Dieng, a 6-9 junior from Senegal, also averages in double figures at 10.7 ppg. Junior Chris Berry averages 9.7 ppg and a team-high 6 rebounds per game. Defense has been a problem for the Red Flash. Opponents are shooting 46.8 percent, including 39.2 from thee-point range and averaging more than 75 points per game.
    BONUS LINKS:
  • St. Francis stats

    Labels: , , , ,

    • Published at 9:15 AM by Hoop Time.
    Help Hoop Time