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Sunday, January 06, 2008
Jarrell Brown scored 18 of his 23 points in the second half of the Black Knight's 70-66 win Saturday over visiting Portland.
Army (7-6) led by five at the half, but saw Portland make enough of a run to take the lead briefly in the second half. Then Brown hit a three with 9:17 to play to spark what proved to be a decisive 12-3 Army run.
The Black Knights were up at least two possessions most of the rest of the way, though 6 of 10 free throw shooting in the final minute opened the door enough to cause a little anxiety for the 714 folks in Christl Arena.
Brown, who reached 20 for the ninth time this season and second game in a row, was 5 for 7 from the field, 4 for 5 from three-point range. Not bad for a guy who didn't take part in the two practices leading up to this game due to a sore foot. It was Brown's 10th straight double figures showing.
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Army (7-6) led by five at the half, but saw Portland make enough of a run to take the lead briefly in the second half. Then Brown hit a three with 9:17 to play to spark what proved to be a decisive 12-3 Army run.
The Black Knights were up at least two possessions most of the rest of the way, though 6 of 10 free throw shooting in the final minute opened the door enough to cause a little anxiety for the 714 folks in Christl Arena.
Brown, who reached 20 for the ninth time this season and second game in a row, was 5 for 7 from the field, 4 for 5 from three-point range. Not bad for a guy who didn't take part in the two practices leading up to this game due to a sore foot. It was Brown's 10th straight double figures showing.
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Thursday, January 03, 2008
The Black Knights held a 4-point lead with 21 seconds to play, but Brown's Damon Huffman scored the last five points of the game to give the Bears a 79-78 win at West Point.
Army led 79-75 after Kenny Brewer hit both ends of a one-and-one with 21 seconds to go.
Huffman cut it to one when he converted an old-fashioned three-point play after being fouled while making a layup with 15 seconds to play.
Brown then fouled Army's Marcus Nelson, who missed the front end of his one and one, setting the stage for Huffman's game winner with 1.7 seconds to play.
Army's Jarrell Brown led all scorers with 32 points, including 9 threes. Chris Walker was 6 for 6, with 14 points off the bench for the Black Knights.
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Army led 79-75 after Kenny Brewer hit both ends of a one-and-one with 21 seconds to go.
Huffman cut it to one when he converted an old-fashioned three-point play after being fouled while making a layup with 15 seconds to play.
Brown then fouled Army's Marcus Nelson, who missed the front end of his one and one, setting the stage for Huffman's game winner with 1.7 seconds to play.
Army's Jarrell Brown led all scorers with 32 points, including 9 threes. Chris Walker was 6 for 6, with 14 points off the bench for the Black Knights.
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Thursday, December 27, 2007
It was a happy holiday season for American and Lafayette, as both teams went into the Christmas break with momentum. When the Eagles knocked off Maryland, 67-59, on Saturday, it marked the first victory for a Patriot League school against any ACC opponent since 2001. The Leopards won a pair of road games against Towson and Mount St. Mary's during the week. For their efforts, Lafayette junior Andrew Brown and freshman Deirunas Visockas earned Patriot League Anaconda Player and Rookie of the Week honors.
Patriot League Men's Basketball Release - 12.26.07
Anaconda Player of the Week (Dec. 17-23)
Andrew Brown, Lafayette Jr., G, 5'11, 175, Littleton, Colo./Heritage
After sitting out the Dec. 19 game at Towson with a nagging heel injury, Brown returned to the lineup with a career-high 32 points and a school-record nine three-pointers in Lafayette's 76-72 win over Mount St. Mary's on Friday. Brown hit six three-pointers in the first half as Lafayette built a 20-point halftime lead, and nailed three in the second half. His final three-pointer came with 27 seconds left and provided the final margin. The nine three-pointers topped the previous school record of eight held by three players (Larry Spigner, Tyson Whitfield and Brown who hit eight against Holy Cross last season). He made 11-of-16 shots overall, and 9-of-14 from three-point range. Brown leads Lafayette and is second in the Patriot League with 18.0 points per game. He has made 40 three-pointers and is shooting 50 percent from beyond the arc. Brown earns his first-ever Anaconda Player of the Week nod, and the first for a Lafayette men's basketball student-athlete since 2005-06.
Anaconda Rookie of the Week (Dec. 17-23)
Deirunas Visockas, Lafayette Fr., G, 6'3, 185, Los Angeles, Calif./University
Visockas poured in 14 points, including four three-pointers, in Lafayette's 79-69 overtime victory over Towson on Wednesday. He connected on a three-pointer and a layup as Lafayette outscored Towson, 17-7, in the extra session. He made 5-of-9 shots and 4-of-8 three-pointers in the game. Visockas also chipped in by making his only shot of the game, a three-point field goal, in Lafayette's 76-72 win over Mount St. Mary's on Friday. He leads the Patriot League in three-point shooting at 55 percent for the season (11-of-20). Visockas earns his first Anaconda Rookie of the Week honor.
Patriot League Notebook
American's Big Win Highlights Solid Weekend
Six years to the day after they recorded the Patriot League's first and only win over an ACC team, the American Eagles accomplished the feat again with a 67-59 triumph over Maryland on Saturday. Derrick Mercer had 18 points in the game, and American led by at least five points throughout the second half as it knocked off Maryland for the first time in 80 years and 14 meetings. American recorded the only other win over an ACC opponent when it knocked off Florida State on Dec. 22, 2001 in its first season of competition as a Patriot League member. The Eagles were not the only team to come through over the weekend, as Lafayette, Navy and Army also recorded victories. The Leopards beat Mount St. Mary's, 76-72, for their third win in a row, while Army won its second straight with a 59-56 triumph over Dartmouth. Navy beat Maryland-Eastern Shore, 85-61. Holy Cross, Bucknell and Colgate all fell on the road, with the Crusaders losing at Siena, 84-77, in overtime.
Back in Action After Christmas Break
All eight Patriot League teams have off for Christmas break from Monday-Thursday, but seven of the squads return to the court beginning on Friday. And once again, the schedule will be road-heavy with seven of the eight games away from home. Bucknell plays North Dakota State in the Golden Bear Classic at Cal. The Bison will also take the court on Saturday against either Cal or Long Beach State. Lehigh returns from its 20-day layoff to host Monmouth on Friday. In addition to Bucknell's game on Saturday, American is at No. 8 Georgetown and Navy visits St. Francis (N.Y.). The week concludes with three games on Sunday, with Colgate at New Hampshire, Holy Cross at Sacred Heart and Lafayette at Robert Morris.
Patriot League Teams on Record Pace
With a 47-39 record, the Patriot League is on pace for it best-ever non-League mark. The top record thus far, and only winning mark, came in a 54-53 effort in the 2000-01 season. Last season was the only other campaign at the .500 mark in non-League action, as the Patriot League's 60 wins were the most in its 17-year history. The 47 non-League wins are already the seventh-highest total in Patriot League history, which is made even more impressive being the first season of an all Division I schedule for the League. Patriot League teams still have 31 games remaining to boost the win total, as well as any postseason competition. The remaining strech will be difficult, however, as 21 of the 31 games will be played away from home and games against Georgetown, Pittsburgh and Mississippi State are left.
Don't Adjust Your Eyes
A quick glance at the Patriot League statistics would be enough to give anyone a "Brown" out. The surname Brown appears prominently in the League leaderboard, as Army's Jarell Brown and Lafayette's Andrew Brown appear right next to each other in multiple categories. Jarell leads the League in scoring with 19.6 ppg, while Andrew is second with 18.0 ppg. Both players are tied for third in three-point field goal percentage at 50 percent, and Andrew has a slight lead over Jarell for the top spot in three-pointers made per game. They are both in the top ten in overall field goal percentage and foul shooting. Each player does get to avoid the other "Brown" in some categories. Andrew is seventh in assists, and Jarell is eighth in rebounding and third in steals.
Time to GET SIRIUS
The Patriot League has once again partnered with SIRIUS Satellite Radio to broadcast select men's basketball games for the 2007-08 season. The League has three games set for January's schedule, beginning with Holy Cross traveling to Lafayette in the season opener on Jan. 12. In addition to regular-season coverage, all seven games of the 2008 Patriot League Men's Basketball Tournament will be aired. Bucknell's visit to Holy Cross will be broadcast on Jan. 18, and the Bison's matchup at home against Colgate on Jan. 26 will wrap up the January schedule. Lehigh's matchup with Princeton on Jan. 6 will also be broadcast on SIRIUS. The schedule of Patriot League games for February will be announced at a later date. For an updated listing of all SIRIUS games and channels involving Patriot League teams, see page 5 of this release or www.patriotleague.com.
Holy Cross at No. 7 in Mid-Major top 25
Saturday's loss at Siena didn't do too much damage to Holy Cross in the The defending Patriot League champions fell from fifth to No. 7 in the latest rankings released on Monday. American garnered two points in the poll after its win over Maryland on Saturday, and also picked up a vote in the AP Top 25. While Holy Cross is the only Patriot League team to earn a ranking this season, American, Colgate and Bucknell have now all appeared in the receiving votes category.
Four in the top 200 in RPI
Four Patriot League teams found a spot in the top 200 in the updated Collegiate Basketball News RPI Report, with one more falling just outside the group. Holy Cross checks in at No. 52 with a 7-2 overall record. The Crusaders' only losses came against No. 18 Dayton and No. 31 Siena. Lafayette made a significant jump after beating Towson and Mount St. Mary's last week, as the Leopards are all the way up to No. 142 with an 8-3 record. Colgate checks in at No. 174, while Bucknell is No. 194. American's victory over Maryland helped it move up to No. 201 in the rankings. The Patriot League ranks No. 21 among 31 Division I conferences.
Finally Some Company in the Road Win Column
After 34 days of standing alone, another conference finally joined the Patriot League with at least one road victory for all of its members. The Horizon League became the second conference to accomplish the feat when Wright State won at CS-Fullerton on Saturday. The Patriot League set the mark on Nov. 17 when Lehigh won at St. Francis (Pa.). Six of the eight Patriot League schools have at least two road victories, and five have three road wins or more. The Patriot League has a 22-23 record in true road games.
Team Notebooks
American: The Eagles posted an impressive week in two tough road venues, knocking off Maryland, 67-59, on Saturday after losing a close game at Dayton, 63-56, on Wednesday...The victory over the Terps was just the second for a Patriot League team over an ACC opponent...American notched the other win, knocking off Florida State on Dec. 22, 2001...It was the first time in 80 meetings and 14 seasons that the Eagles knocked off the Terps...Derrick Mercer led the way with 18 points, while Bryce Simon had a career-high 17 and Brian Gilmore added 12...The Eagles closed the first half with a 10-3 run to take a 25-20 halftime lead...They held Maryland without a field goal for a 10:33 stretch of the first half...It was their 11th halftime lead in 12 contests this season...They opened the lead to nine early in the second half, and led by anywhere from five to 12 points the rest of the way...The Eagles hit 7-of-8 free throws in the final 43 seconds to seal the win....American held a 40-33 rebounding edge...Garrison Carr scored a career-high 26 points against Dayton...Carr connected on 9-of-19 shots overall, and nailed a career-high seven three-pointers on 14 attempts...Carr's seven treys tied for fourth-most in a game in American history...The two games this week started a seven-game road swing which goes into the first two contests of League play...It continues at No. 8 Georgetown at 1 p.m. on Saturday in a game shown on MASN...The Eagles are celebrating the 25th anniversary of defeating the fifth-ranked Hoyas on Dec. 15, 1982.
Army: The Black Knights returned to the court after an exam break and won their second game in a row with a 59-56 triumph over Dartmouth on Saturday...Army trailed, 49-43, with 8:38 left before outscoring the Big Green, 16-7, the rest of the way...Doug Williams had a season-high 15 points on 7-of-8 shooting, while Marcus Nelson and Jarell Brown each had 10...Army shot 47.8 percent for the game, while limiting Dartmouth to 37.5 percent shooting...Nelson gave Army the lead for good by hitting both ends of a 1-and-1 with 59 seconds to play...The Black Knights are now 4-1 in games decided by five-or-fewer points...Army has won four of its last five games and ends the 2007 portion of its schedule at 6-5...It is the first time the squad has been above the .500 mark since Feb. 10 of last season....Army has now won 21 games in the last two seasons after winning 20 total games from 2002-06...The Black Knights are currently 2-1 on a five-game homestand, and return to action on Jan. 2 against Brown.
Bucknell: The Bison fell at Drexel, 65-53, to complete a 1-1 record for the week...They also notched an 88-75 victory over Cornell on Wednesday...Bucknell struggled in the first half and trailed, 34-15, at the break against Drexel...They would get no closer than eight points in the second half...John Griffin had 11 points in the game, while G.W. Boon added 10...The Bison committed a season-low 11 turnovers...They set a Sojka Pavilion record with their highest scoring output in the last 85 games against Cornell...They had a 47-30 lead by halftime, and the 47 points are the most in a half this season...Griffin scored a career-high 27 points, shooting 7-of-12 from the field and 4-of-7 from three-point range...Justin Castleberry equaled a career high with 18 points, while Josh Linthicum had a career-high 12...Bucknell returns to action Friday against North Dakota State in the first round of the Golden Bear Classic in Berkeley, Calif...They will face either Cal or Long Beach State on Saturday.
Colgate: Colgate dropped a pair of tough road contests last week, falling at Penn State, 66-48, on Sunday and losing a regional matchup at Syracuse, 87-59, on Tuesday... Alex Woodhouse had eight points and nine rebounds against Penn State, while Kendall Chones notched nine points...The Raiders cut a 16-point deficit down to five early in the second half, but Penn State answered with an 18-6 run to put the game away...Colgate held Penn State to 38.1 percent shooting...Freshman Mike Venezia scored 11 points in his first collegiate action against Syracuse...Venezia injured his knee in preseason drills, and just returned to the lineup for the Raiders...Kyle Roemer and Chones both scored in double figures with 10 points apiece...The Raiders have played five games of a six-game road swing thus far, and have a 2-3 mark with this week's defeats as well as a loss at Notre Dame...The road swing wraps up on Sunday at New Hampshire.
Holy Cross: The Crusaders suffered a tough loss in their first game in two and a half weeks as they fell at Siena, 84-77, in overtime...Tim Clifford led the way with 26 points on 11-of-16 shooting, and also pulled down six rebounds...Holy Cross trailed by 10 early in the second half and was down seven with a minute to go, but rallied to force overtime...Clifford nailed two three-pointers in the final 12 seconds, including the game-tying shot as time expired in regulation...Holy Cross missed its first six shots in the extra session as Siena built a five-point lead...Colin Cunningham and Pat Doherty each had 15 points, while Alex Vander Baan had 13...No other player had more than five points, and only six players scored in the game...The Crusaders fell to seventh in Monday's College Insider.com Mid-Major top 25 after the loss...Holy Cross returns to action on Sunday when it travels to Sacred Heart.
Lafayette: The Leopards recorded a pair of impressive road wins, knocking off Mount St. Mary's, 76-72, on Friday and defeating Towson, 79-69, in overtime on Wednesday...Andrew Brown scored a career-high 32 points and made a school-record nine three-pointers in the win over Mount St. Mary's...His final three-pointer came with 27 seconds left and provided the final margin...The nine three-pointers topped the previous school record of eight held by three players (Larry Spigner, Tyson Whitfield and Brown who hit eight against Holy Cross last season)...The Leopards led by as many as 22 points in the first half and held a 45-25 advantage at halftime...Mount St. Mary's put together a 21-4 run to trim the Lafayette lead to 69-66 with 3:03 remaining...Lafayette shot 55 percent for the game, the Leopards' second-best shooting night of the season.....Five players scored in double figures in the win over Towson, with Bilal Abdullah, Deirunas Visockas and Matt Betley all notching 14...Abdullah played 41 minutes and recorded his first double-double of the season with a career-high 13 rebounds, while Betley notched nine rebounds...Lafayette trailed by seven with just over nine minutes to play, and did not tie the score until Michael Gruner scored with 8.1 seconds left...Abdullah and Visockas hit key three-pointers as Lafayette outscored Towson, 17-7, in overtime...Lafayette has played three of the five overtime games for Patriot League teams this year, and is the only team to win in the extra session....Lafayette has hit 10 or more three-pointers in 10 consecutive games...The Leopards have won three games in a row, and are 3-1 on the first four contests of an eight-game road stretch...The Leopards travel to Robert Morris on Sunday.
Lehigh: The Mountain Hawks return from a 20-day layoff to complete their three-game home stretch on Friday against Monmouth...Lehigh's layoff for finals and the holidays is its longest since the inception of Patriot League play in 1990...Lehigh stayed sharp with a 99-48 win in an exhibition against Briarcliff on Friday...They had 30 assists on 39 field goals in the game...Marquis Hall and Bryan White have emerged as individual stars for Lehigh...Hall is second in the Patriot League in assists (5.1), first in assist/turnover ratio (2.55;51/20), and ninth in scoring (13.7 ppg)...White averages a League-best 8.3 rebounds per game, and is only 13 shy of 500 boards for his career.
Navy: The Midshipmen split a pair of road games last week, downing Maryland-Eastern Shore, 85-61, on Saturday after falling to San Diego State, 86-76, on Monday...Kaleo Kina scored 20 points and Chris Harris had 19 in the win over UMES...Navy took a 41-23 lead at halftime, and shot 50.8 percent for the game...The 24-point victory was Navy's largest against a Division I foe since a 73-47 win over Morgan State on Dec. 8, 2006...Greg Sprink led the way with 26 points on 11-of-14 shooting against San Diego State...The Mids were done in by a 13-0 Aztec run late in the contest...Sprink has 1,346 career points, good for 11th in Navy history and 27th in Patriot League annals...Navy's 29 three-pointers during the last two games are tied for the most in school history during a two-game span. Navy also hit 29 combined three-pointers against Fordham (9) and Mount St. Mary's (20) on Nov. 24-27, 1990...The trio of Harris, Kina and Sprink are averaging 53.3 ppg between them in the last three games...The Mids have shot over 45.0 percent in three of their last four games, after accomplishing the feat just twice in the first eight games...Navy returns to action on Saturday at St. Francis (N.Y.), looking to win consecutive games for the first time this year.
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Patriot League Men's Basketball Release - 12.26.07
Anaconda Player of the Week (Dec. 17-23)
Andrew Brown, Lafayette Jr., G, 5'11, 175, Littleton, Colo./Heritage
After sitting out the Dec. 19 game at Towson with a nagging heel injury, Brown returned to the lineup with a career-high 32 points and a school-record nine three-pointers in Lafayette's 76-72 win over Mount St. Mary's on Friday. Brown hit six three-pointers in the first half as Lafayette built a 20-point halftime lead, and nailed three in the second half. His final three-pointer came with 27 seconds left and provided the final margin. The nine three-pointers topped the previous school record of eight held by three players (Larry Spigner, Tyson Whitfield and Brown who hit eight against Holy Cross last season). He made 11-of-16 shots overall, and 9-of-14 from three-point range. Brown leads Lafayette and is second in the Patriot League with 18.0 points per game. He has made 40 three-pointers and is shooting 50 percent from beyond the arc. Brown earns his first-ever Anaconda Player of the Week nod, and the first for a Lafayette men's basketball student-athlete since 2005-06.
Anaconda Rookie of the Week (Dec. 17-23)
Deirunas Visockas, Lafayette Fr., G, 6'3, 185, Los Angeles, Calif./University
Visockas poured in 14 points, including four three-pointers, in Lafayette's 79-69 overtime victory over Towson on Wednesday. He connected on a three-pointer and a layup as Lafayette outscored Towson, 17-7, in the extra session. He made 5-of-9 shots and 4-of-8 three-pointers in the game. Visockas also chipped in by making his only shot of the game, a three-point field goal, in Lafayette's 76-72 win over Mount St. Mary's on Friday. He leads the Patriot League in three-point shooting at 55 percent for the season (11-of-20). Visockas earns his first Anaconda Rookie of the Week honor.
Patriot League Notebook
American's Big Win Highlights Solid Weekend
Six years to the day after they recorded the Patriot League's first and only win over an ACC team, the American Eagles accomplished the feat again with a 67-59 triumph over Maryland on Saturday. Derrick Mercer had 18 points in the game, and American led by at least five points throughout the second half as it knocked off Maryland for the first time in 80 years and 14 meetings. American recorded the only other win over an ACC opponent when it knocked off Florida State on Dec. 22, 2001 in its first season of competition as a Patriot League member. The Eagles were not the only team to come through over the weekend, as Lafayette, Navy and Army also recorded victories. The Leopards beat Mount St. Mary's, 76-72, for their third win in a row, while Army won its second straight with a 59-56 triumph over Dartmouth. Navy beat Maryland-Eastern Shore, 85-61. Holy Cross, Bucknell and Colgate all fell on the road, with the Crusaders losing at Siena, 84-77, in overtime.
Back in Action After Christmas Break
All eight Patriot League teams have off for Christmas break from Monday-Thursday, but seven of the squads return to the court beginning on Friday. And once again, the schedule will be road-heavy with seven of the eight games away from home. Bucknell plays North Dakota State in the Golden Bear Classic at Cal. The Bison will also take the court on Saturday against either Cal or Long Beach State. Lehigh returns from its 20-day layoff to host Monmouth on Friday. In addition to Bucknell's game on Saturday, American is at No. 8 Georgetown and Navy visits St. Francis (N.Y.). The week concludes with three games on Sunday, with Colgate at New Hampshire, Holy Cross at Sacred Heart and Lafayette at Robert Morris.
Patriot League Teams on Record Pace
With a 47-39 record, the Patriot League is on pace for it best-ever non-League mark. The top record thus far, and only winning mark, came in a 54-53 effort in the 2000-01 season. Last season was the only other campaign at the .500 mark in non-League action, as the Patriot League's 60 wins were the most in its 17-year history. The 47 non-League wins are already the seventh-highest total in Patriot League history, which is made even more impressive being the first season of an all Division I schedule for the League. Patriot League teams still have 31 games remaining to boost the win total, as well as any postseason competition. The remaining strech will be difficult, however, as 21 of the 31 games will be played away from home and games against Georgetown, Pittsburgh and Mississippi State are left.
Don't Adjust Your Eyes
A quick glance at the Patriot League statistics would be enough to give anyone a "Brown" out. The surname Brown appears prominently in the League leaderboard, as Army's Jarell Brown and Lafayette's Andrew Brown appear right next to each other in multiple categories. Jarell leads the League in scoring with 19.6 ppg, while Andrew is second with 18.0 ppg. Both players are tied for third in three-point field goal percentage at 50 percent, and Andrew has a slight lead over Jarell for the top spot in three-pointers made per game. They are both in the top ten in overall field goal percentage and foul shooting. Each player does get to avoid the other "Brown" in some categories. Andrew is seventh in assists, and Jarell is eighth in rebounding and third in steals.
Time to GET SIRIUS
The Patriot League has once again partnered with SIRIUS Satellite Radio to broadcast select men's basketball games for the 2007-08 season. The League has three games set for January's schedule, beginning with Holy Cross traveling to Lafayette in the season opener on Jan. 12. In addition to regular-season coverage, all seven games of the 2008 Patriot League Men's Basketball Tournament will be aired. Bucknell's visit to Holy Cross will be broadcast on Jan. 18, and the Bison's matchup at home against Colgate on Jan. 26 will wrap up the January schedule. Lehigh's matchup with Princeton on Jan. 6 will also be broadcast on SIRIUS. The schedule of Patriot League games for February will be announced at a later date. For an updated listing of all SIRIUS games and channels involving Patriot League teams, see page 5 of this release or www.patriotleague.com.
Holy Cross at No. 7 in Mid-Major top 25
Saturday's loss at Siena didn't do too much damage to Holy Cross in the The defending Patriot League champions fell from fifth to No. 7 in the latest rankings released on Monday. American garnered two points in the poll after its win over Maryland on Saturday, and also picked up a vote in the AP Top 25. While Holy Cross is the only Patriot League team to earn a ranking this season, American, Colgate and Bucknell have now all appeared in the receiving votes category.
Four in the top 200 in RPI
Four Patriot League teams found a spot in the top 200 in the updated Collegiate Basketball News RPI Report, with one more falling just outside the group. Holy Cross checks in at No. 52 with a 7-2 overall record. The Crusaders' only losses came against No. 18 Dayton and No. 31 Siena. Lafayette made a significant jump after beating Towson and Mount St. Mary's last week, as the Leopards are all the way up to No. 142 with an 8-3 record. Colgate checks in at No. 174, while Bucknell is No. 194. American's victory over Maryland helped it move up to No. 201 in the rankings. The Patriot League ranks No. 21 among 31 Division I conferences.
Finally Some Company in the Road Win Column
After 34 days of standing alone, another conference finally joined the Patriot League with at least one road victory for all of its members. The Horizon League became the second conference to accomplish the feat when Wright State won at CS-Fullerton on Saturday. The Patriot League set the mark on Nov. 17 when Lehigh won at St. Francis (Pa.). Six of the eight Patriot League schools have at least two road victories, and five have three road wins or more. The Patriot League has a 22-23 record in true road games.
Team Notebooks
American: The Eagles posted an impressive week in two tough road venues, knocking off Maryland, 67-59, on Saturday after losing a close game at Dayton, 63-56, on Wednesday...The victory over the Terps was just the second for a Patriot League team over an ACC opponent...American notched the other win, knocking off Florida State on Dec. 22, 2001...It was the first time in 80 meetings and 14 seasons that the Eagles knocked off the Terps...Derrick Mercer led the way with 18 points, while Bryce Simon had a career-high 17 and Brian Gilmore added 12...The Eagles closed the first half with a 10-3 run to take a 25-20 halftime lead...They held Maryland without a field goal for a 10:33 stretch of the first half...It was their 11th halftime lead in 12 contests this season...They opened the lead to nine early in the second half, and led by anywhere from five to 12 points the rest of the way...The Eagles hit 7-of-8 free throws in the final 43 seconds to seal the win....American held a 40-33 rebounding edge...Garrison Carr scored a career-high 26 points against Dayton...Carr connected on 9-of-19 shots overall, and nailed a career-high seven three-pointers on 14 attempts...Carr's seven treys tied for fourth-most in a game in American history...The two games this week started a seven-game road swing which goes into the first two contests of League play...It continues at No. 8 Georgetown at 1 p.m. on Saturday in a game shown on MASN...The Eagles are celebrating the 25th anniversary of defeating the fifth-ranked Hoyas on Dec. 15, 1982.
Army: The Black Knights returned to the court after an exam break and won their second game in a row with a 59-56 triumph over Dartmouth on Saturday...Army trailed, 49-43, with 8:38 left before outscoring the Big Green, 16-7, the rest of the way...Doug Williams had a season-high 15 points on 7-of-8 shooting, while Marcus Nelson and Jarell Brown each had 10...Army shot 47.8 percent for the game, while limiting Dartmouth to 37.5 percent shooting...Nelson gave Army the lead for good by hitting both ends of a 1-and-1 with 59 seconds to play...The Black Knights are now 4-1 in games decided by five-or-fewer points...Army has won four of its last five games and ends the 2007 portion of its schedule at 6-5...It is the first time the squad has been above the .500 mark since Feb. 10 of last season....Army has now won 21 games in the last two seasons after winning 20 total games from 2002-06...The Black Knights are currently 2-1 on a five-game homestand, and return to action on Jan. 2 against Brown.
Bucknell: The Bison fell at Drexel, 65-53, to complete a 1-1 record for the week...They also notched an 88-75 victory over Cornell on Wednesday...Bucknell struggled in the first half and trailed, 34-15, at the break against Drexel...They would get no closer than eight points in the second half...John Griffin had 11 points in the game, while G.W. Boon added 10...The Bison committed a season-low 11 turnovers...They set a Sojka Pavilion record with their highest scoring output in the last 85 games against Cornell...They had a 47-30 lead by halftime, and the 47 points are the most in a half this season...Griffin scored a career-high 27 points, shooting 7-of-12 from the field and 4-of-7 from three-point range...Justin Castleberry equaled a career high with 18 points, while Josh Linthicum had a career-high 12...Bucknell returns to action Friday against North Dakota State in the first round of the Golden Bear Classic in Berkeley, Calif...They will face either Cal or Long Beach State on Saturday.
Colgate: Colgate dropped a pair of tough road contests last week, falling at Penn State, 66-48, on Sunday and losing a regional matchup at Syracuse, 87-59, on Tuesday... Alex Woodhouse had eight points and nine rebounds against Penn State, while Kendall Chones notched nine points...The Raiders cut a 16-point deficit down to five early in the second half, but Penn State answered with an 18-6 run to put the game away...Colgate held Penn State to 38.1 percent shooting...Freshman Mike Venezia scored 11 points in his first collegiate action against Syracuse...Venezia injured his knee in preseason drills, and just returned to the lineup for the Raiders...Kyle Roemer and Chones both scored in double figures with 10 points apiece...The Raiders have played five games of a six-game road swing thus far, and have a 2-3 mark with this week's defeats as well as a loss at Notre Dame...The road swing wraps up on Sunday at New Hampshire.
Holy Cross: The Crusaders suffered a tough loss in their first game in two and a half weeks as they fell at Siena, 84-77, in overtime...Tim Clifford led the way with 26 points on 11-of-16 shooting, and also pulled down six rebounds...Holy Cross trailed by 10 early in the second half and was down seven with a minute to go, but rallied to force overtime...Clifford nailed two three-pointers in the final 12 seconds, including the game-tying shot as time expired in regulation...Holy Cross missed its first six shots in the extra session as Siena built a five-point lead...Colin Cunningham and Pat Doherty each had 15 points, while Alex Vander Baan had 13...No other player had more than five points, and only six players scored in the game...The Crusaders fell to seventh in Monday's College Insider.com Mid-Major top 25 after the loss...Holy Cross returns to action on Sunday when it travels to Sacred Heart.
Lafayette: The Leopards recorded a pair of impressive road wins, knocking off Mount St. Mary's, 76-72, on Friday and defeating Towson, 79-69, in overtime on Wednesday...Andrew Brown scored a career-high 32 points and made a school-record nine three-pointers in the win over Mount St. Mary's...His final three-pointer came with 27 seconds left and provided the final margin...The nine three-pointers topped the previous school record of eight held by three players (Larry Spigner, Tyson Whitfield and Brown who hit eight against Holy Cross last season)...The Leopards led by as many as 22 points in the first half and held a 45-25 advantage at halftime...Mount St. Mary's put together a 21-4 run to trim the Lafayette lead to 69-66 with 3:03 remaining...Lafayette shot 55 percent for the game, the Leopards' second-best shooting night of the season.....Five players scored in double figures in the win over Towson, with Bilal Abdullah, Deirunas Visockas and Matt Betley all notching 14...Abdullah played 41 minutes and recorded his first double-double of the season with a career-high 13 rebounds, while Betley notched nine rebounds...Lafayette trailed by seven with just over nine minutes to play, and did not tie the score until Michael Gruner scored with 8.1 seconds left...Abdullah and Visockas hit key three-pointers as Lafayette outscored Towson, 17-7, in overtime...Lafayette has played three of the five overtime games for Patriot League teams this year, and is the only team to win in the extra session....Lafayette has hit 10 or more three-pointers in 10 consecutive games...The Leopards have won three games in a row, and are 3-1 on the first four contests of an eight-game road stretch...The Leopards travel to Robert Morris on Sunday.
Lehigh: The Mountain Hawks return from a 20-day layoff to complete their three-game home stretch on Friday against Monmouth...Lehigh's layoff for finals and the holidays is its longest since the inception of Patriot League play in 1990...Lehigh stayed sharp with a 99-48 win in an exhibition against Briarcliff on Friday...They had 30 assists on 39 field goals in the game...Marquis Hall and Bryan White have emerged as individual stars for Lehigh...Hall is second in the Patriot League in assists (5.1), first in assist/turnover ratio (2.55;51/20), and ninth in scoring (13.7 ppg)...White averages a League-best 8.3 rebounds per game, and is only 13 shy of 500 boards for his career.
Navy: The Midshipmen split a pair of road games last week, downing Maryland-Eastern Shore, 85-61, on Saturday after falling to San Diego State, 86-76, on Monday...Kaleo Kina scored 20 points and Chris Harris had 19 in the win over UMES...Navy took a 41-23 lead at halftime, and shot 50.8 percent for the game...The 24-point victory was Navy's largest against a Division I foe since a 73-47 win over Morgan State on Dec. 8, 2006...Greg Sprink led the way with 26 points on 11-of-14 shooting against San Diego State...The Mids were done in by a 13-0 Aztec run late in the contest...Sprink has 1,346 career points, good for 11th in Navy history and 27th in Patriot League annals...Navy's 29 three-pointers during the last two games are tied for the most in school history during a two-game span. Navy also hit 29 combined three-pointers against Fordham (9) and Mount St. Mary's (20) on Nov. 24-27, 1990...The trio of Harris, Kina and Sprink are averaging 53.3 ppg between them in the last three games...The Mids have shot over 45.0 percent in three of their last four games, after accomplishing the feat just twice in the first eight games...Navy returns to action on Saturday at St. Francis (N.Y.), looking to win consecutive games for the first time this year.
Labels: American, Army, Bucknell, Colgate, Holy Cross, Lafayette, Lehigh, Navy, notebook
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Sunday, December 23, 2007
Down by six in the second half, the Black Knights battled back to down Dartmouth.
Army trailed 49-43 with 8:38 to play. They outscored the Big Green 16-7 the rest of the way.
Doug Williams with his nbiggest game of the season, team-high 15 points on 7 of 8 shooting. Marcus Nelson and Jarell Brown each added 10 for Army.
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Army trailed 49-43 with 8:38 to play. They outscored the Big Green 16-7 the rest of the way.
Doug Williams with his nbiggest game of the season, team-high 15 points on 7 of 8 shooting. Marcus Nelson and Jarell Brown each added 10 for Army.
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Friday, December 21, 2007
5:29 p.m. -- Due to a technical glitch, the previews did not publish this morning.Finals are over. A five-game pre-holiday slate on tap today. Can I get a .
Good matchups, too. American at Maryland, Albany at Siena and Bucknell at Drexel are the top attractions. The Defense Department is also busy today, with Dartmouth visiting Army and Navy across the bay at Maryland-Eastern Shore.
SCOUTING MARYLAND: This is a beatable Maryland team, as Ohio U. showed in the Terps' last outing. Maryland is 6-5, only one of those wins against a fellow high-major (Illinois). Northeastern took Maryland to OT earlier this season. They also have a win over Lehigh. maryland will also host Holy Cross ion January.
Three guys in double figures for the Terps: Greivis Vasquez (15.5 ppg), James Gist (13.8 ppg, 7.6 rpg) and Eric Hays (11.5 ppg). Maryland shoots 43.8 percent from the field and holds opponents to 38.4 percent shooting.
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SCOUTING DARTMOUTH: The Big Green comes to West Point with a 5-5 record, just one of those wins coming away from home. That win, by the way, came at Colgate.Dartmouth foes are shooting 47 percent and scoring over 70 ppg against the Green.
Alex Barnett (16.1 ppg, 41.2 percent from the arc) and Devon Mosley (13.9 ppg) lead Dartmouth's scoring.
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SCOUTING SIENA: The 5-3 Saints are 3-0 at home under former Lehigh coach Fran McCaffery, who is in his third season at Siena. McCaffery's tenure at Lehigh was back in 1985-88, well before the Patriot League began play, so he doesn't have that experience against Lehigh to draw on. But you can bet he has talked to another former Lehigh head coach, Billy Taylor, a former McCaffery assistant, for a report on Holy Cross. Siena's wins include one over then No. 20 Stanford and the Saints played Syracuse within single digits in the Carrier Dome.
Four guys in double figures for the high-scoring Saints, who are scoring 81.4 ppg. Junior All-MAAC pick Kenny Hasbrouck (6-3) is averaging 17.6 ppg. Sophomore Alex Franklin, a 6-5 force inside, shooting 61.3 percent from the field, averaging 17 points and 8.5 rebounds per game. Edwin Ubiles, a 6-6 sophomore, hits at a 41.2 percent clip from the arc while scoring 16.3 ppg and 6-foot sophomore Ronald Moore is scoring 10.8 ppg.
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SCOUTING DREXEL: The Dragons count on their defense. They have to. They can't score. Currently riding a four-game losing streak, Drexel averages less than 58 points per game. During the losing streak, they scored more than 60 only in last week's 64-51 loss at Temple.
Drexel shoots 42.3 percent from the field as a team and turns the ball over 19.2 times per game. They do play tough defense. Opponents are shooting 39.1 percent against the Dragons.
Senior center Frank Elegar is a force inside. A second-team All-CAA pick last season, Elegar averages 13.5 points and 7.2 rebounds while shooting 57.1 percent from the floor. Tramaybe Hawthorne, a 6-foot junior, is the main perimeter threat, averaging 11.8 ppg. Freshman Geral Colds (5-11) is a three-point shooter off the bench, averaging 10.3 ppg. To stop Colds, force him inside the three-point line, or foul him. He shoots 39.5 percent from the field, but 46.2 percent from the arc, 47.6 percent from the free throw line.
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SCOUTING UMES: Navy is not good enough to look past anybody, but if there is a team on its schedule that will tempt the Mids to take them for granted, the 2-10 Hawks might be it.
UMES is shooting 33 percent from the field and allowing opponents to score 76.7 ppg. Opposing teams are shooting 47.2 percent against UMES and outrebounding the Hawks by 9 per game.
Perhaps the most telling stat is Ed Tyson's 26 percent field goal shooting. Despite that bricklaying, Tyson is still second on the team in scoring (11.7 ppg). Marc Davis averages 19 ppg.
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Good matchups, too. American at Maryland, Albany at Siena and Bucknell at Drexel are the top attractions. The Defense Department is also busy today, with Dartmouth visiting Army and Navy across the bay at Maryland-Eastern Shore.
SCOUTING MARYLAND: This is a beatable Maryland team, as Ohio U. showed in the Terps' last outing. Maryland is 6-5, only one of those wins against a fellow high-major (Illinois). Northeastern took Maryland to OT earlier this season. They also have a win over Lehigh. maryland will also host Holy Cross ion January.
Three guys in double figures for the Terps: Greivis Vasquez (15.5 ppg), James Gist (13.8 ppg, 7.6 rpg) and Eric Hays (11.5 ppg). Maryland shoots 43.8 percent from the field and holds opponents to 38.4 percent shooting.
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SCOUTING DARTMOUTH: The Big Green comes to West Point with a 5-5 record, just one of those wins coming away from home. That win, by the way, came at Colgate.Dartmouth foes are shooting 47 percent and scoring over 70 ppg against the Green.
Alex Barnett (16.1 ppg, 41.2 percent from the arc) and Devon Mosley (13.9 ppg) lead Dartmouth's scoring.
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SCOUTING SIENA: The 5-3 Saints are 3-0 at home under former Lehigh coach Fran McCaffery, who is in his third season at Siena. McCaffery's tenure at Lehigh was back in 1985-88, well before the Patriot League began play, so he doesn't have that experience against Lehigh to draw on. But you can bet he has talked to another former Lehigh head coach, Billy Taylor, a former McCaffery assistant, for a report on Holy Cross. Siena's wins include one over then No. 20 Stanford and the Saints played Syracuse within single digits in the Carrier Dome.
Four guys in double figures for the high-scoring Saints, who are scoring 81.4 ppg. Junior All-MAAC pick Kenny Hasbrouck (6-3) is averaging 17.6 ppg. Sophomore Alex Franklin, a 6-5 force inside, shooting 61.3 percent from the field, averaging 17 points and 8.5 rebounds per game. Edwin Ubiles, a 6-6 sophomore, hits at a 41.2 percent clip from the arc while scoring 16.3 ppg and 6-foot sophomore Ronald Moore is scoring 10.8 ppg.
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SCOUTING DREXEL: The Dragons count on their defense. They have to. They can't score. Currently riding a four-game losing streak, Drexel averages less than 58 points per game. During the losing streak, they scored more than 60 only in last week's 64-51 loss at Temple.
Drexel shoots 42.3 percent from the field as a team and turns the ball over 19.2 times per game. They do play tough defense. Opponents are shooting 39.1 percent against the Dragons.
Senior center Frank Elegar is a force inside. A second-team All-CAA pick last season, Elegar averages 13.5 points and 7.2 rebounds while shooting 57.1 percent from the floor. Tramaybe Hawthorne, a 6-foot junior, is the main perimeter threat, averaging 11.8 ppg. Freshman Geral Colds (5-11) is a three-point shooter off the bench, averaging 10.3 ppg. To stop Colds, force him inside the three-point line, or foul him. He shoots 39.5 percent from the field, but 46.2 percent from the arc, 47.6 percent from the free throw line.
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SCOUTING UMES: Navy is not good enough to look past anybody, but if there is a team on its schedule that will tempt the Mids to take them for granted, the 2-10 Hawks might be it.
UMES is shooting 33 percent from the field and allowing opponents to score 76.7 ppg. Opposing teams are shooting 47.2 percent against UMES and outrebounding the Hawks by 9 per game.
Perhaps the most telling stat is Ed Tyson's 26 percent field goal shooting. Despite that bricklaying, Tyson is still second on the team in scoring (11.7 ppg). Marc Davis averages 19 ppg.
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Labels: American, Army, Bucknell, Holy Cross, Navy, previews
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Friday, December 14, 2007
The biggest difference between the Army team that downed Florida Gulf Coast last night and the Black Knights of a few years ago might boil down to this: The Cadets of old would try to win and fail at it. Last night's team tried to give one away and failed.
As Jim Crews was quick to point out in the postgame, FGCU is not a typical first-year Division I team. They have a mature roster, with a host of seniors, most of whom are transfers from schools in pretty decent conferences like the Big Ten and the MAC.
But they still came to snow-covered West Point 3-6, the three wins all coming against teams with a combined RPI of 918.
So what was Army doing trailing 32-26 at the half?
"We were just awful defensively in transition in the first half. They got five or six threes because we were scrambling around and not finding a man. They did a great job exposing that," said Crews.
FGCU shot 48 percent from the field in the first half (12-25), with 6 of their 12 field goals coming from the arc (6-12). The biggest beneficiary of Army's defensive woes was FGCU's Delvin Franklin, who was 4 for 4 from three-point range in the half, including two of the four threes that fueled FCGU's late 12-2 run that gave them the lead at the break.
It didn't help any that Jarrell Brown, Army's leading scorer, was 1 for 7 from the field in the first half.
The Eagles kept that lead for most of the first eight minutes of the second half and were still even with Army (48-48) with 11:05 to play when the Black Knights went on an 11-0 run that should have put the game away.
But up 59-48 with 7:44 to go, Army let FGCU get right back in the game with an 11-2 run, pulling tow within 2 (61-58) on a Rob Quaintance trey with 4 minutes left.
Army scored just one field goal the rest of the way -- a Cleveland Richards layup with 2:06 on the clock -- and went 3 for 6 from the foul line in the last 4 minutes. But they held FGCU to one field goal and a pair of free throws down the stretch and survived Quaintance's desperation heroics at the end.
With two seconds left, and Army up by 4, Quaintance was foolishly fouled by Army's Mitch McDonald. Quaintance made the first and managed to get his own rebound after intentionally missing the second. But his desperate heave at the buzzer was off the mark, allowing Army to escape with the win.
That final miss was one of 10 missed threes in the second half for FCGU, which followed its 6 for 12 first half with a 10 for 12 second half from the arc. Army held the Eagles to 8 second half field goals (on 30 tries, 26.7 percent).
Said Crews, "That was really great to see the kids respond and have that resiliency. We really dug in during the second half.”
The defense was not all that improved in the second half. Brown, who finished with 12 points, was just 2 for 5 from the field after intermission, but got to the line 6 times, making 5. Brown's streak of double figures games is now at seven, but his streak of 6 straight 20-point performances ended.
After an 11 for 26 (42.3 percent) first half shooting effort, the Black Knights were 14 for 26 (53.8 percent) after the break. Had they shot better at the foul line (10-19 in the second half, 12-22 for the game), it never would have come down to Quaintance's missed shot.
A good sign for Army -- three players reached double figures, led by sophomore Marcus nelson's career-best 14 points. Nelson tied his career assists mark with 7 dishes. Josh Miller (6 for 8 from the field) added 13 for Army. Doug Williams had 10 rebounds for the Black Knights.
It was the first time all season Army had three players reach double figures and the first Army win in a game in which Brown was not the team's leading scorer. It was also Army's first win when Brown did not score at least 20 points.
With six inches of snow falling in West Point, Army offered free admission. Announced attendance was 216, though the Army gameblog suggested far fewer actually were in the stands. The gameblog (link below), by the way, was a first by Army's sports info folks and the first such official effort by any Patriot League school. It's worth the click.
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As Jim Crews was quick to point out in the postgame, FGCU is not a typical first-year Division I team. They have a mature roster, with a host of seniors, most of whom are transfers from schools in pretty decent conferences like the Big Ten and the MAC.
But they still came to snow-covered West Point 3-6, the three wins all coming against teams with a combined RPI of 918.
So what was Army doing trailing 32-26 at the half?
"We were just awful defensively in transition in the first half. They got five or six threes because we were scrambling around and not finding a man. They did a great job exposing that," said Crews.
FGCU shot 48 percent from the field in the first half (12-25), with 6 of their 12 field goals coming from the arc (6-12). The biggest beneficiary of Army's defensive woes was FGCU's Delvin Franklin, who was 4 for 4 from three-point range in the half, including two of the four threes that fueled FCGU's late 12-2 run that gave them the lead at the break.
It didn't help any that Jarrell Brown, Army's leading scorer, was 1 for 7 from the field in the first half.
The Eagles kept that lead for most of the first eight minutes of the second half and were still even with Army (48-48) with 11:05 to play when the Black Knights went on an 11-0 run that should have put the game away.
But up 59-48 with 7:44 to go, Army let FGCU get right back in the game with an 11-2 run, pulling tow within 2 (61-58) on a Rob Quaintance trey with 4 minutes left.
Army scored just one field goal the rest of the way -- a Cleveland Richards layup with 2:06 on the clock -- and went 3 for 6 from the foul line in the last 4 minutes. But they held FGCU to one field goal and a pair of free throws down the stretch and survived Quaintance's desperation heroics at the end.
With two seconds left, and Army up by 4, Quaintance was foolishly fouled by Army's Mitch McDonald. Quaintance made the first and managed to get his own rebound after intentionally missing the second. But his desperate heave at the buzzer was off the mark, allowing Army to escape with the win.
That final miss was one of 10 missed threes in the second half for FCGU, which followed its 6 for 12 first half with a 10 for 12 second half from the arc. Army held the Eagles to 8 second half field goals (on 30 tries, 26.7 percent).
Said Crews, "That was really great to see the kids respond and have that resiliency. We really dug in during the second half.”
The defense was not all that improved in the second half. Brown, who finished with 12 points, was just 2 for 5 from the field after intermission, but got to the line 6 times, making 5. Brown's streak of double figures games is now at seven, but his streak of 6 straight 20-point performances ended.
After an 11 for 26 (42.3 percent) first half shooting effort, the Black Knights were 14 for 26 (53.8 percent) after the break. Had they shot better at the foul line (10-19 in the second half, 12-22 for the game), it never would have come down to Quaintance's missed shot.
A good sign for Army -- three players reached double figures, led by sophomore Marcus nelson's career-best 14 points. Nelson tied his career assists mark with 7 dishes. Josh Miller (6 for 8 from the field) added 13 for Army. Doug Williams had 10 rebounds for the Black Knights.
It was the first time all season Army had three players reach double figures and the first Army win in a game in which Brown was not the team's leading scorer. It was also Army's first win when Brown did not score at least 20 points.
With six inches of snow falling in West Point, Army offered free admission. Announced attendance was 216, though the Army gameblog suggested far fewer actually were in the stands. The gameblog (link below), by the way, was a first by Army's sports info folks and the first such official effort by any Patriot League school. It's worth the click.
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Thursday, December 13, 2007
A scouting report on Florida Gulf Coast University follows a brief history lesson.
Some places have strategic plans that call for slow, steady growth. Other places take a decidedly more hurried approach. Florida Gulf Coast University is definitely among the latter.
Founded in 1997, the school started its athletics program in 200, became a full-fledged NCAA Division II member in 2004 and began recruiting players for a move to Division I shortly thereafter.
In its first season as a D-I school, the 3-8 Eagles have seven seniors on the roster. Five of the seven are transfers, three from other D-I schools, two from jucos. The three juniors on the roster are all transfers, two from D-I institutions. Sophomore Reed Baker is also a D-I transfer (Michigan). For those keeping score at home, that is six D-I transfers on the roaster. There are also four juco transfers and another guy who transferred from a D-III school
SCOUTING FLORIDA GULF COAST: The Eagles are, in a word, big. The smallest guy in FGCU's starting lineup is 6-4, the rest are 6-6 or taller. Senior Casey Wohlieb, a 6-7 transfer from Marshall, is the leading scorer at 14.6 ppg. Ball State transfer Landon Adler is averaging 14.4 ppg. The 6-9 junior also leads the team in rebounds at 8.4 per game. Adam Liddell, a 6-7 senior transfer from Purdue, also averages in double figures at 10.9 ppg.
Looking for weaknesses? look no further than the defensive end of the floor, FGCU is allowing opponents to shoot almost 50 percent (49.2) from the field. The Eagles surrender 70.3 ppg.
That does not bode well for a team that barely shoots 40 percent (40.4) and struggles from the free throw line (57.6 percent).
One thing is certain, FGCU has its road game preparation routine down pat. Only one of the Eagles' 11 games have been at home. This is the eighth game of a nine-game road stretch for FGCU, which has only three non-conference home games on its schedule .
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Some places have strategic plans that call for slow, steady growth. Other places take a decidedly more hurried approach. Florida Gulf Coast University is definitely among the latter.
Founded in 1997, the school started its athletics program in 200, became a full-fledged NCAA Division II member in 2004 and began recruiting players for a move to Division I shortly thereafter.
In its first season as a D-I school, the 3-8 Eagles have seven seniors on the roster. Five of the seven are transfers, three from other D-I schools, two from jucos. The three juniors on the roster are all transfers, two from D-I institutions. Sophomore Reed Baker is also a D-I transfer (Michigan). For those keeping score at home, that is six D-I transfers on the roaster. There are also four juco transfers and another guy who transferred from a D-III school
SCOUTING FLORIDA GULF COAST: The Eagles are, in a word, big. The smallest guy in FGCU's starting lineup is 6-4, the rest are 6-6 or taller. Senior Casey Wohlieb, a 6-7 transfer from Marshall, is the leading scorer at 14.6 ppg. Ball State transfer Landon Adler is averaging 14.4 ppg. The 6-9 junior also leads the team in rebounds at 8.4 per game. Adam Liddell, a 6-7 senior transfer from Purdue, also averages in double figures at 10.9 ppg.
Looking for weaknesses? look no further than the defensive end of the floor, FGCU is allowing opponents to shoot almost 50 percent (49.2) from the field. The Eagles surrender 70.3 ppg.
That does not bode well for a team that barely shoots 40 percent (40.4) and struggles from the free throw line (57.6 percent).
One thing is certain, FGCU has its road game preparation routine down pat. Only one of the Eagles' 11 games have been at home. This is the eighth game of a nine-game road stretch for FGCU, which has only three non-conference home games on its schedule .
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Monday, December 10, 2007
Holy Cross moves up four spots in this week;s Mid-Major Top 25, plus the usual Monday evening stuff.
The Crusaders' win at Saint Joe's must have ompressed some voters. It was enough to bump Holy Cross up to No. 6 in the . Colgate back in the others receiving votes category with 3 points.
The Saint Joe's win apparently also impressed one voter in on of the . Holy Cross with a single vote in this week's AP Poll. No mention of the Crusaders in the ESPN-USA Today poll.
Elsewhere, here is this week's memo from the league office in Center Valley:
Patriot League Men's Basketball Release - 12.10.07
At this time last week, Patriot League teams were teetering right around the .500 mark for the season with a 30-29 record in non-League action. But after a 10-3 performance that included winning records on every day but one last week, the Patriot League now has a 40-32 mark for the season.
Anaconda Player of the Week
John Griffin, Bucknell Sr., G, 6'1, 185, Philadelphia, Pa./Saint Joseph's Prep
Griffin scored a game-high 21 points, including the winning free throws with eight seconds left to play, to lift Bucknell past La Salle, 67-66, on Monday and win Patriot League Anaconda Player of the Week honors. Griffin scored 14 of his points after halftime as Bucknell rallied from a 16-point deficit, and hit a big 3-pointer with 4:04 left that sparked the team's game-ending 12-2 run. In addition to his 21 points, Griffin added three rebounds, three assists and two blocked shots, and he did not commit a turnover in 37 minutes of action. Griffin scored 20 or more points for the third time this season. The Preseason All-League pick leads Bucknell and is ninth in the Patriot League with 13.3 ppg for the season. Griffin earns his first-career Anaconda Player of the Week honor.
Anaconda Rookie of the Week
Andrew Beinert, Holy Cross Fr., G, 6'2, 175, Floral Park, N.Y./Chaminade
Beinert scored 10 points and dished out four assists with three rebounds as Holy Cross won at Saint Joseph's, 71-66. He connected on 3-of-6 shots from the field, including his only three-pointer, and made 3-of-4 foul shots. Beinert set new career marks for points and assists. He earned his first Rookie of the Week nod.
Patriot League Notebook
Strong Showing for the Week
At this time last week, Patriot League teams were teetering right around the .500 mark for the season with a 30-29 record in non-League action. But after a 10-3 performance that included winning records on every day but one last week, the Patriot League now has a 40-32 mark for the season. The League posted a 7-2 record in mid-week games, and American kept it going by rallying for a 52-50 victory over Jacksonville on Friday. Lehigh and Lafayette came through with victories over Harvard and Columbia, respectively, on Saturday to give the Patriot League five consecutive wins against Ivy League opponents and a 6-4 mark against the Ancient Eight this season. Sunday was the only day with a losing mark, as Army narrowly fell to Quinnipaic, 58-54. A pair of victories over Atlantic 10 teams highlighted the action earlier in the week, as Bucknell rallied past La Salle on Monday and Holy Cross posted an impressive win at Saint Joseph's on Tuesday.
Patriot League Teams on Record Pace......
With a .541 winning percentage (40-32), the Patriot League is on pace for it best-ever non-League mark. The top record thus far, and only winning mark, came in a 54-53 effort in the 2000-01 season. Last season was the only other campaign at the .500 mark in non-League action, as the Patriot League's 60 wins were the most in its 17-year history. The 40 non-League wins are already the 11th-highest total in Patriot League history, which is made even more impressive being the first season of an all Division I schedule for the League. Patriot League teams still have 45 games remaining to boost the win total, as well as any postseason competition.
......But There's a Long Road Ahead
While Patriot League teams are on a record-setting pace, there will be plenty of heavy lifting required to maintain the early-season success. Thirty-two of the final 45 non-League games will be played on the road, with trips to top 25 teams Georgetown and Pittsburgh and challenging matchups against the likes of Syracuse, Dayton, Maryland and Wake Forest. Bucknell will play in the Golden Bear Classic at Cal, and travel for its BracketBuster game. Lafayette and American have their entire remaining non-League schedule on the road, while Holy Cross and Colgate play four of their six games away from home. The Patriot League does have an 18-16 record in true road games, and five teams are at or above .500 in those contests.
From the Court to the Books
Seven of the eight Patriot League schools have entered their break in the schedule to focus on final exams. Army is the only team still playing in the early part of the week, as it takes on Florida Gulf Coast on Thursday before its exam schedule begins. Here are the institutional exam dates for all of the Patriot League schools: American = Dec. 10-15; Army = Dec. 15-22; Bucknell = Dec. 6-13; Colgate = Dec. 10-14; Holy Cross = Dec. 8-15; Lafayette = Dec. 11-18; Lehigh = Dec. 11-19; Navy = Dec. 7-14.
Early RPI Returns
The RPI may not mean much at this point of the season, but a few Patriot League teams have to like their standing so far. In Monday's Collegiate Basketball News RPI Report, Holy Cross checks in at No. 40 with its 7-1 overall record. The Crusaders' only loss came against Dayton, which placed No. 8 in the ratings. Colgate's 6-3 start earned it the second position for Patriot League teams, at No. 163 overall. Bucknell also made the top 200 at No. 194. The Patriot League ranks No. 22 among 31 Division I conferences in RPI rating.
Class of 2012
Bucknell, Holy Cross, Lehigh and American have put out releases for next year's incoming freshman recruits. For the Bison, forward Enoch Andoh (San Jose, Calif.), guard Bryan Cohen (Huntingdon Valley, Pa.) and forward Probese Leo (Houston, Texas) will join the fold. Holy Cross has guards R.J. Evans (Salem, Conn.) and Devin Brown (Randallstown, Md.) set to join the program. At Lehigh, Head Coach Brett Reed's first-ever recruiting class consists of forward John Adams (San Jose, Calif.), wing Jordan Hamilton (Seattle, Wash.) and center/forward Justin Maneri (Saddle Brook, N.J.). Forwards Stephen Lumpkins (San Mateo, Calif.) and Mike Technow (Boca Raton, Fla.) are both set to join American.
Patriot League in the NCAA Statistics
If the NCAA statistics are any indicator, Patriot League teams have excelled at playing defense and shooting from three-point range this season. Army's Jarell Brown is still the most visible Patriot League player in the individual statistics. The League's leading scorer ranks 19th in the country with 21.6 ppg, and is fourth with 4.4 three-pointers per game and 11th with a 52.6 three-point field goal percentage. He has company on the three-point lists, with Lafayette's Andrew Brown and American's Garrison Carr in the top 30 nationally with 3.4 makes per game and Andrew Brown ranking 36th with a 47.0 percentage from three-point land. Lafayette is fourth in the country with 10.7 three-pointers per game, and Colgate is fourth with a 45.8 three-point percentage. Lafayette and Lehigh are in the top 25 in three-point percentage. Holy Cross, American and Bucknell fare well in defensive statistics. The Crusaders are eighth in scoring defense at 55.3 ppg, while American and Bucknell are in the top 50. Both Holy Cross and Bucknell are in the top 50 in field goal percentage defense. Holy Cross is 23rd in rebounding margin. The Crusaders and Eagles are also in the top 30 in free throw percentage.
Still the Only One
When Lehigh won at St. Francis (Pa.) on Nov. 17, the Patriot League became the first of 31 Division I conferences to have all of its teams record at least one road victory this season. Three weeks later, the Patriot League is still the only one to accomplish the feat. Lehigh's home win over St. Peter's on Nov. 14 made the League the second conference to have every team record at least one win over a Division I opponent. The SEC beat the Patriot League to the mark by day.
Team Notebooks
American
The Eagles completed a 2-0 week with a come-from-behind, 52-50, win over Jacksonville on Friday...They were down by seven points with 3:41 to play, but came back to tie the score with 1:33 left...Brian Gilmore hit the game-winning free throws with 2.9 seconds remaining...Gilmore had a career-high 13 points, while Derrick Mercer led the Eagles with 17...American also had a 66-54 home victory over Howard on Tuesday...It was the 1,000th win in the 82-year history of the program...The Eagles now have a 1,001-947 (.514) record in the program's history... American trailed by 11 points in the first half, but rallied to take a 34-30 lead at halftime...They pulled away with a 10-0 run to start the second half, and led comfortably the rest of the way...Four Eagles were in double figures, led by Garrison Carr with 17...American is now 4-0 this season when four or more players score in double-digits...American completed its three-game homestand with a 2-1 record...The Eagles are off for their exam period from Dec. 10-15, and do not return until a Dec. 19 trip to Dayton which kicks off a seven-game road swing.
Army
Army saw its two-game winning streak come to an end with a 58-54 loss to Quinnipiac on Sunday...Quinnipiac scored the final eight points of the game, with game-winning points on free throws with 10 seconds to play...Jarell Brown was the only Army player in double figures, with 22 points...15 of Brown's points came in the second half...Brown has scored at least 20 points in six consecutive games, and leads the Patriot League with 21.6 ppg...He is the only Black Knight to score in double figures in the last three games...Brown was 5-of-8 from three-point range, and has made at least five three-pointers in five of the last six games...The Black Knights also posted a 54-44 triumph at NJIT on Thursday...Brown led the team with 23 points and also notched six rebounds...Josh Miller had nine points, a career-high eight rebounds and six assists...Army opened the game with a 14-0 run and would lead by at least nine points throughout the contest...Army forced 23 NJIT turnovers, including 16 in the first half...Army's wins over VMI and NJIT were its first back-to-back victories since January of 2007...The Black Knights finished a three-game road trip with a 2-1 mark...Army is in action Thursday against Florida Gulf Coast in the second of a five-game homestand.
Bucknell
The Bison snapped a four-game losing streak in dramatic fashion, rallying for a 67-66 win over La Salle on Monday...The Bison finished the game on a 12-2 run, culminating with John Griffin's two game-winning free throws with eight seconds left...Bucknell trailed by as many as 16 points in the first half, and by nine with five minutes to play before the final run....Griffin led the way with 21 points, while Justin Castleberry and Patrick Behan both set career highs with 18...Griffin had 14 points in the second half, and did not commit a turnover in 37 minutes of action...He scored 20 or more points for the third time this season...The trio accounted for 57 of Bucknell's 67 points and 21 of 26 field goals...Freshman Todd O'Brien had six rebounds and three blocks to go with four points...He has multiple blocked shots in every game this season, and at least six rebounds in the past four contests...It was the first meeting against La Salle since 1982-83, and first Bison victory since 1979-80, which was Head Coach Pat Flannery's senior year...Bucknell's exam period runs from Dec. 6-13, and the Bison are back in action on Sunday at Wake Forest.
Colgate
The Raiders won their second game in a row with a 73-55 victory at Binghamton on Wednesday...They improved to 2-1 on their season-long six-game road trip, and 4-1 on the road for the season...Colgate wins its sixth game of the season on Dec. 5th, after taking until Jan. 6 to win their sixth game last year ...Colgate had a two-point lead at halftime before taking control in the second half....Kyle Roemer had 21 points to lead four Raiders in double figures...He was Colgate's leading scorer for the ninth straight game...Kendall Chones had 15 points and eight boards, while Tim Pounds had 14 and Daniel Waddy finished with 10...Alex Woodhouse blocked a career-high five shots and notched eight rebounds...Colgate shot 52 percent from the field, while holding Binghamton to 33 percent shooting...Colgate is off until Dec. 18 at Syracuse because of final exams from Dec. 10-14...The road swing wraps up at Penn State on Dec. 23 and at New Hampshire on Dec. 30.
Holy Cross
The Crusaders rebounded from their first loss of the season with an impressive 71-66 victory at Saint Joseph's on Tuesday...The Crusaders opened the game with a 12-0 run, and took an 18-2 lead...The lead grew as large as 18 points (27-9)...They held the Hawks without a field goal for the first 15 minutes of the game, and without a two-point field goal for the entire first half...Saint Joseph's closed to within five points with two minutes left, but Holy Cross made 5-of-7 seven free throws down the stretch to seal the win....Tim Clifford and Alex Vander Baan each had 16 points and seven rebounds...Vander Baan hit 4-of-4 free throws in the final minute...Kyle Cruze had 13 points and six assists, while freshman Andrew Beinert had a career-high 10 points and four assists...The Crusaders had 22 assists on 25 made field goals, and shot 50 percent from the field and 57.1 percent from three-point range...Holy Cross has its exams period from Dec. 8-15 and does not play again until Dec. 22 at Siena.
Lafayette
Lafayette rebounded from a loss at Rutgers with a 78-64 triumph at Columbia...Andrew Brown scored a season-high 22 points in the win, connecting on 8-of-14 shots and 6-of-10 from three-point range...He hit six three-pointers for the first time this season....Lafayette shot a season-high 57.4 percent from the floor at Columbia, topping their previous best mark against Penn (52.6) on Nov. 28...Lafayette doled out a season-best 22 assists at Columbia, equaling the team's mark vs. FDU (11/16)...Paul Cummins matched his season high with 12 points, while Ted Detmer had a season-high 11...Earlier in the week, Lafayette beat NJIT, 81-56, and lost at Rutgers, 90-79...Five Lafayette players scored in double figures in the loss to Rutgers, led by Brown with 17...Lafayette led by as many as 35 points against NJIT...Every player who was dressed hit at least one field goal in the game...Lafayette won four straight games for the first time since notching seven in a row in the 2003-04 season...The Leopards started 5-2 for the first time since 1999-00...The Leopards are 1-1 on the first two games of an eight-game road swing...They will not play this week while taking final exams but return to action on Dec. 19 at Towson.
Lehigh
The Mountain Hawks won a pair of home games last week, with a 70-61 win over Harvard on Saturday...Lehigh trailed 33-22 at halftime before rallying for the win with a 48-28 second-half advantage....Lehigh used an 11-0 run to take a 54-49 lead with 6:23 to play...Marquis Hall led the way with 17 points, while Zahir Carrington had 14...The Mountain Hawks connected on 22-of-24 foul shots...With the win Lehigh pulled even at .500 for the first time after ten games since the 2003-04 season...The Mountain Hawks snapped a two-game losing streak with a 76-61 win against Stony Brook on Wednesday in the first of a three-game homestand...Dave Buchberger scored a career-high 21 points on 8-of-10 shooting in his first-ever start...Hall had a career-high 10 assists without any turnovers...Bryan White had 10 rebounds in each contest, and averaged 11 points and 10 rebounds in the two games...White is 13 rebounds shy of 500 for his career...Lehigh breaks for exams from Dec. 11-19, and does not return to complete its three-game home stretch until Dec. 28 against Monmouth...Lehigh's 20-day layoff for finals and the holidays is its longest since the inception of Patriot League play in 1990.
Navy
The Mids dropped a home contest to Mount St. Mary's, 62-58, on Monday...Navy held Mount St. Mary's to 27.9 percent shooting from the field, but shot only 32.7 percent itself, with a 4-of-22 effort from three-point range...It was the lowest shooting percentage for a Navy opponent since Feb. 28, 2004 (Army)...Navy fell behind 13-0 in the contest...The Mids held Mount St. Mary's to 4-of-26 shooting in the second half, and without a field goal for the final 7:19...Kaleo Kina and Greg Sprink each had 16 points, while Chris Harris scored 15...No other player had more than four points...Sprink had nine rebounds, while Kina had seven and Adam Teague notched eight...Kina played 27 minutes without a turnover, the first time since Jan. 22, 2006 that he did not commit a turnover...Sprink scored in double figures for the 66th time in his career...Navy breaks for its exam period that spans from December 7-14, and returns to the court when it travels to San Diego State on Dec. 17.
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In his , Ralph Willard recaps Holy Cross' win at Saint Joe's and wonders who put together a schedule that includes just two games over a span of 25 day
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The Crusaders' win at Saint Joe's must have ompressed some voters. It was enough to bump Holy Cross up to No. 6 in the . Colgate back in the others receiving votes category with 3 points.
The Saint Joe's win apparently also impressed one voter in on of the . Holy Cross with a single vote in this week's AP Poll. No mention of the Crusaders in the ESPN-USA Today poll.
Elsewhere, here is this week's memo from the league office in Center Valley:
Patriot League Men's Basketball Release - 12.10.07
At this time last week, Patriot League teams were teetering right around the .500 mark for the season with a 30-29 record in non-League action. But after a 10-3 performance that included winning records on every day but one last week, the Patriot League now has a 40-32 mark for the season.
Anaconda Player of the Week
John Griffin, Bucknell Sr., G, 6'1, 185, Philadelphia, Pa./Saint Joseph's Prep
Griffin scored a game-high 21 points, including the winning free throws with eight seconds left to play, to lift Bucknell past La Salle, 67-66, on Monday and win Patriot League Anaconda Player of the Week honors. Griffin scored 14 of his points after halftime as Bucknell rallied from a 16-point deficit, and hit a big 3-pointer with 4:04 left that sparked the team's game-ending 12-2 run. In addition to his 21 points, Griffin added three rebounds, three assists and two blocked shots, and he did not commit a turnover in 37 minutes of action. Griffin scored 20 or more points for the third time this season. The Preseason All-League pick leads Bucknell and is ninth in the Patriot League with 13.3 ppg for the season. Griffin earns his first-career Anaconda Player of the Week honor.
Anaconda Rookie of the Week
Andrew Beinert, Holy Cross Fr., G, 6'2, 175, Floral Park, N.Y./Chaminade
Beinert scored 10 points and dished out four assists with three rebounds as Holy Cross won at Saint Joseph's, 71-66. He connected on 3-of-6 shots from the field, including his only three-pointer, and made 3-of-4 foul shots. Beinert set new career marks for points and assists. He earned his first Rookie of the Week nod.
Patriot League Notebook
Strong Showing for the Week
At this time last week, Patriot League teams were teetering right around the .500 mark for the season with a 30-29 record in non-League action. But after a 10-3 performance that included winning records on every day but one last week, the Patriot League now has a 40-32 mark for the season. The League posted a 7-2 record in mid-week games, and American kept it going by rallying for a 52-50 victory over Jacksonville on Friday. Lehigh and Lafayette came through with victories over Harvard and Columbia, respectively, on Saturday to give the Patriot League five consecutive wins against Ivy League opponents and a 6-4 mark against the Ancient Eight this season. Sunday was the only day with a losing mark, as Army narrowly fell to Quinnipaic, 58-54. A pair of victories over Atlantic 10 teams highlighted the action earlier in the week, as Bucknell rallied past La Salle on Monday and Holy Cross posted an impressive win at Saint Joseph's on Tuesday.
Patriot League Teams on Record Pace......
With a .541 winning percentage (40-32), the Patriot League is on pace for it best-ever non-League mark. The top record thus far, and only winning mark, came in a 54-53 effort in the 2000-01 season. Last season was the only other campaign at the .500 mark in non-League action, as the Patriot League's 60 wins were the most in its 17-year history. The 40 non-League wins are already the 11th-highest total in Patriot League history, which is made even more impressive being the first season of an all Division I schedule for the League. Patriot League teams still have 45 games remaining to boost the win total, as well as any postseason competition.
......But There's a Long Road Ahead
While Patriot League teams are on a record-setting pace, there will be plenty of heavy lifting required to maintain the early-season success. Thirty-two of the final 45 non-League games will be played on the road, with trips to top 25 teams Georgetown and Pittsburgh and challenging matchups against the likes of Syracuse, Dayton, Maryland and Wake Forest. Bucknell will play in the Golden Bear Classic at Cal, and travel for its BracketBuster game. Lafayette and American have their entire remaining non-League schedule on the road, while Holy Cross and Colgate play four of their six games away from home. The Patriot League does have an 18-16 record in true road games, and five teams are at or above .500 in those contests.
From the Court to the Books
Seven of the eight Patriot League schools have entered their break in the schedule to focus on final exams. Army is the only team still playing in the early part of the week, as it takes on Florida Gulf Coast on Thursday before its exam schedule begins. Here are the institutional exam dates for all of the Patriot League schools: American = Dec. 10-15; Army = Dec. 15-22; Bucknell = Dec. 6-13; Colgate = Dec. 10-14; Holy Cross = Dec. 8-15; Lafayette = Dec. 11-18; Lehigh = Dec. 11-19; Navy = Dec. 7-14.
Early RPI Returns
The RPI may not mean much at this point of the season, but a few Patriot League teams have to like their standing so far. In Monday's Collegiate Basketball News RPI Report, Holy Cross checks in at No. 40 with its 7-1 overall record. The Crusaders' only loss came against Dayton, which placed No. 8 in the ratings. Colgate's 6-3 start earned it the second position for Patriot League teams, at No. 163 overall. Bucknell also made the top 200 at No. 194. The Patriot League ranks No. 22 among 31 Division I conferences in RPI rating.
Class of 2012
Bucknell, Holy Cross, Lehigh and American have put out releases for next year's incoming freshman recruits. For the Bison, forward Enoch Andoh (San Jose, Calif.), guard Bryan Cohen (Huntingdon Valley, Pa.) and forward Probese Leo (Houston, Texas) will join the fold. Holy Cross has guards R.J. Evans (Salem, Conn.) and Devin Brown (Randallstown, Md.) set to join the program. At Lehigh, Head Coach Brett Reed's first-ever recruiting class consists of forward John Adams (San Jose, Calif.), wing Jordan Hamilton (Seattle, Wash.) and center/forward Justin Maneri (Saddle Brook, N.J.). Forwards Stephen Lumpkins (San Mateo, Calif.) and Mike Technow (Boca Raton, Fla.) are both set to join American.
Patriot League in the NCAA Statistics
If the NCAA statistics are any indicator, Patriot League teams have excelled at playing defense and shooting from three-point range this season. Army's Jarell Brown is still the most visible Patriot League player in the individual statistics. The League's leading scorer ranks 19th in the country with 21.6 ppg, and is fourth with 4.4 three-pointers per game and 11th with a 52.6 three-point field goal percentage. He has company on the three-point lists, with Lafayette's Andrew Brown and American's Garrison Carr in the top 30 nationally with 3.4 makes per game and Andrew Brown ranking 36th with a 47.0 percentage from three-point land. Lafayette is fourth in the country with 10.7 three-pointers per game, and Colgate is fourth with a 45.8 three-point percentage. Lafayette and Lehigh are in the top 25 in three-point percentage. Holy Cross, American and Bucknell fare well in defensive statistics. The Crusaders are eighth in scoring defense at 55.3 ppg, while American and Bucknell are in the top 50. Both Holy Cross and Bucknell are in the top 50 in field goal percentage defense. Holy Cross is 23rd in rebounding margin. The Crusaders and Eagles are also in the top 30 in free throw percentage.
Still the Only One
When Lehigh won at St. Francis (Pa.) on Nov. 17, the Patriot League became the first of 31 Division I conferences to have all of its teams record at least one road victory this season. Three weeks later, the Patriot League is still the only one to accomplish the feat. Lehigh's home win over St. Peter's on Nov. 14 made the League the second conference to have every team record at least one win over a Division I opponent. The SEC beat the Patriot League to the mark by day.
Team Notebooks
American
The Eagles completed a 2-0 week with a come-from-behind, 52-50, win over Jacksonville on Friday...They were down by seven points with 3:41 to play, but came back to tie the score with 1:33 left...Brian Gilmore hit the game-winning free throws with 2.9 seconds remaining...Gilmore had a career-high 13 points, while Derrick Mercer led the Eagles with 17...American also had a 66-54 home victory over Howard on Tuesday...It was the 1,000th win in the 82-year history of the program...The Eagles now have a 1,001-947 (.514) record in the program's history... American trailed by 11 points in the first half, but rallied to take a 34-30 lead at halftime...They pulled away with a 10-0 run to start the second half, and led comfortably the rest of the way...Four Eagles were in double figures, led by Garrison Carr with 17...American is now 4-0 this season when four or more players score in double-digits...American completed its three-game homestand with a 2-1 record...The Eagles are off for their exam period from Dec. 10-15, and do not return until a Dec. 19 trip to Dayton which kicks off a seven-game road swing.
Army
Army saw its two-game winning streak come to an end with a 58-54 loss to Quinnipiac on Sunday...Quinnipiac scored the final eight points of the game, with game-winning points on free throws with 10 seconds to play...Jarell Brown was the only Army player in double figures, with 22 points...15 of Brown's points came in the second half...Brown has scored at least 20 points in six consecutive games, and leads the Patriot League with 21.6 ppg...He is the only Black Knight to score in double figures in the last three games...Brown was 5-of-8 from three-point range, and has made at least five three-pointers in five of the last six games...The Black Knights also posted a 54-44 triumph at NJIT on Thursday...Brown led the team with 23 points and also notched six rebounds...Josh Miller had nine points, a career-high eight rebounds and six assists...Army opened the game with a 14-0 run and would lead by at least nine points throughout the contest...Army forced 23 NJIT turnovers, including 16 in the first half...Army's wins over VMI and NJIT were its first back-to-back victories since January of 2007...The Black Knights finished a three-game road trip with a 2-1 mark...Army is in action Thursday against Florida Gulf Coast in the second of a five-game homestand.
Bucknell
The Bison snapped a four-game losing streak in dramatic fashion, rallying for a 67-66 win over La Salle on Monday...The Bison finished the game on a 12-2 run, culminating with John Griffin's two game-winning free throws with eight seconds left...Bucknell trailed by as many as 16 points in the first half, and by nine with five minutes to play before the final run....Griffin led the way with 21 points, while Justin Castleberry and Patrick Behan both set career highs with 18...Griffin had 14 points in the second half, and did not commit a turnover in 37 minutes of action...He scored 20 or more points for the third time this season...The trio accounted for 57 of Bucknell's 67 points and 21 of 26 field goals...Freshman Todd O'Brien had six rebounds and three blocks to go with four points...He has multiple blocked shots in every game this season, and at least six rebounds in the past four contests...It was the first meeting against La Salle since 1982-83, and first Bison victory since 1979-80, which was Head Coach Pat Flannery's senior year...Bucknell's exam period runs from Dec. 6-13, and the Bison are back in action on Sunday at Wake Forest.
Colgate
The Raiders won their second game in a row with a 73-55 victory at Binghamton on Wednesday...They improved to 2-1 on their season-long six-game road trip, and 4-1 on the road for the season...Colgate wins its sixth game of the season on Dec. 5th, after taking until Jan. 6 to win their sixth game last year ...Colgate had a two-point lead at halftime before taking control in the second half....Kyle Roemer had 21 points to lead four Raiders in double figures...He was Colgate's leading scorer for the ninth straight game...Kendall Chones had 15 points and eight boards, while Tim Pounds had 14 and Daniel Waddy finished with 10...Alex Woodhouse blocked a career-high five shots and notched eight rebounds...Colgate shot 52 percent from the field, while holding Binghamton to 33 percent shooting...Colgate is off until Dec. 18 at Syracuse because of final exams from Dec. 10-14...The road swing wraps up at Penn State on Dec. 23 and at New Hampshire on Dec. 30.
Holy Cross
The Crusaders rebounded from their first loss of the season with an impressive 71-66 victory at Saint Joseph's on Tuesday...The Crusaders opened the game with a 12-0 run, and took an 18-2 lead...The lead grew as large as 18 points (27-9)...They held the Hawks without a field goal for the first 15 minutes of the game, and without a two-point field goal for the entire first half...Saint Joseph's closed to within five points with two minutes left, but Holy Cross made 5-of-7 seven free throws down the stretch to seal the win....Tim Clifford and Alex Vander Baan each had 16 points and seven rebounds...Vander Baan hit 4-of-4 free throws in the final minute...Kyle Cruze had 13 points and six assists, while freshman Andrew Beinert had a career-high 10 points and four assists...The Crusaders had 22 assists on 25 made field goals, and shot 50 percent from the field and 57.1 percent from three-point range...Holy Cross has its exams period from Dec. 8-15 and does not play again until Dec. 22 at Siena.
Lafayette
Lafayette rebounded from a loss at Rutgers with a 78-64 triumph at Columbia...Andrew Brown scored a season-high 22 points in the win, connecting on 8-of-14 shots and 6-of-10 from three-point range...He hit six three-pointers for the first time this season....Lafayette shot a season-high 57.4 percent from the floor at Columbia, topping their previous best mark against Penn (52.6) on Nov. 28...Lafayette doled out a season-best 22 assists at Columbia, equaling the team's mark vs. FDU (11/16)...Paul Cummins matched his season high with 12 points, while Ted Detmer had a season-high 11...Earlier in the week, Lafayette beat NJIT, 81-56, and lost at Rutgers, 90-79...Five Lafayette players scored in double figures in the loss to Rutgers, led by Brown with 17...Lafayette led by as many as 35 points against NJIT...Every player who was dressed hit at least one field goal in the game...Lafayette won four straight games for the first time since notching seven in a row in the 2003-04 season...The Leopards started 5-2 for the first time since 1999-00...The Leopards are 1-1 on the first two games of an eight-game road swing...They will not play this week while taking final exams but return to action on Dec. 19 at Towson.
Lehigh
The Mountain Hawks won a pair of home games last week, with a 70-61 win over Harvard on Saturday...Lehigh trailed 33-22 at halftime before rallying for the win with a 48-28 second-half advantage....Lehigh used an 11-0 run to take a 54-49 lead with 6:23 to play...Marquis Hall led the way with 17 points, while Zahir Carrington had 14...The Mountain Hawks connected on 22-of-24 foul shots...With the win Lehigh pulled even at .500 for the first time after ten games since the 2003-04 season...The Mountain Hawks snapped a two-game losing streak with a 76-61 win against Stony Brook on Wednesday in the first of a three-game homestand...Dave Buchberger scored a career-high 21 points on 8-of-10 shooting in his first-ever start...Hall had a career-high 10 assists without any turnovers...Bryan White had 10 rebounds in each contest, and averaged 11 points and 10 rebounds in the two games...White is 13 rebounds shy of 500 for his career...Lehigh breaks for exams from Dec. 11-19, and does not return to complete its three-game home stretch until Dec. 28 against Monmouth...Lehigh's 20-day layoff for finals and the holidays is its longest since the inception of Patriot League play in 1990.
Navy
The Mids dropped a home contest to Mount St. Mary's, 62-58, on Monday...Navy held Mount St. Mary's to 27.9 percent shooting from the field, but shot only 32.7 percent itself, with a 4-of-22 effort from three-point range...It was the lowest shooting percentage for a Navy opponent since Feb. 28, 2004 (Army)...Navy fell behind 13-0 in the contest...The Mids held Mount St. Mary's to 4-of-26 shooting in the second half, and without a field goal for the final 7:19...Kaleo Kina and Greg Sprink each had 16 points, while Chris Harris scored 15...No other player had more than four points...Sprink had nine rebounds, while Kina had seven and Adam Teague notched eight...Kina played 27 minutes without a turnover, the first time since Jan. 22, 2006 that he did not commit a turnover...Sprink scored in double figures for the 66th time in his career...Navy breaks for its exam period that spans from December 7-14, and returns to the court when it travels to San Diego State on Dec. 17.
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Labels: American, Army, Bucknell, Colgate, Holy Cross, Lafayette, Lehigh, Navy, notebook
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A cold-shooting first half put the Black Knights in a hole they could not dig out of against Quinnipiac.
Karl Anderson hit a pair of free throws with 10 seconds left for what proved to be the game-winning points in Quinnipiac's 58-54 win at Army. Anderson's free throws were part of an 8-0 Quinnipiac run at the end of the game that negated Army's second half comeback effort.
Army trailed 28-21 after shooting 7 for 24 (29.2 percent) from the field, 1 of 7 from three-point range, in the first half. But with Jarell Brown heating up after the break, the Black Knights not only got back in the game, but actually took the lead late.
Brown, who scored 15 of his 22 points after the break, hit 4 of his 5 threes in the second half, the last one, which came with 2:47 to go, put Army up by 4.
It also proved to be the last points Army would score. Quinnipiac tied it with buckets by Karl Anderson and DeMario Anderson (no relation). DeMario's tying bucket, with 1:29 to go, gave him 12 points for the game, over 8 below his average.
The two Andersons combined on what proved to be the game-winning play, with Karl grabbing the rebound of a DeMario miss and getting fouled with 10 seconds to go.
Anderson, a Hudson Valley native, also provided the defensive heroics that sealed Army's fate, blocking a Josh Miller runner in the lane with time running out. Evann Baker grabbed the rebound for Quinnipiac and made two free throws to account for the final margin.
Army finished the game 19 for 48 (39.6 percent) from the field, 5 of 14 from three-point range, all five made treys coming from Brown, who posted his sixth 20-point game in a row.
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Karl Anderson hit a pair of free throws with 10 seconds left for what proved to be the game-winning points in Quinnipiac's 58-54 win at Army. Anderson's free throws were part of an 8-0 Quinnipiac run at the end of the game that negated Army's second half comeback effort.
Army trailed 28-21 after shooting 7 for 24 (29.2 percent) from the field, 1 of 7 from three-point range, in the first half. But with Jarell Brown heating up after the break, the Black Knights not only got back in the game, but actually took the lead late.
Brown, who scored 15 of his 22 points after the break, hit 4 of his 5 threes in the second half, the last one, which came with 2:47 to go, put Army up by 4.
It also proved to be the last points Army would score. Quinnipiac tied it with buckets by Karl Anderson and DeMario Anderson (no relation). DeMario's tying bucket, with 1:29 to go, gave him 12 points for the game, over 8 below his average.
The two Andersons combined on what proved to be the game-winning play, with Karl grabbing the rebound of a DeMario miss and getting fouled with 10 seconds to go.
Anderson, a Hudson Valley native, also provided the defensive heroics that sealed Army's fate, blocking a Josh Miller runner in the lane with time running out. Evann Baker grabbed the rebound for Quinnipiac and made two free throws to account for the final margin.
Army finished the game 19 for 48 (39.6 percent) from the field, 5 of 14 from three-point range, all five made treys coming from Brown, who posted his sixth 20-point game in a row.
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Sunday, December 09, 2007
For the next eight days, your Patriot League hoops fix will come from one place: West Point, N.Y. While everybody else is off taking finals this week, Army plays a pair of home games, beginning this afternoon when Quinnipiac visits in a Northeast-Patriot matchup.
The Patriot League's combined 6-9 record against the Northeast Conference. makes you wonder about the RPI, since the Patriot is No. 23 (down another spot) in the latest . The Northeast's conference ranking is 27.
Four of the six remaining games between the two conferences are on Northeast home courts. That makes Army holding serve against Quinnipiac a key to any chance the league has of salvaging the series.
SCOUTING QUINNIPIAC: The 3-4 Bobcats come in 3-4, winners of two of their last three games, including a 92-88 overtime win at Lehigh, the Bobcats only road win thus far (1-2). The loss in that stretch also was an overtime game at home against Brown.
The Bobcats won at home against St. Francis (NY) their last time out. Demario Anderson, a 6-4 transfer from Central Connecticut, posted a 25-point, 11 rebound double-double, his second of the season, in the win. Anderson averages 20.6 points and 6.4 rebounds per game.
Evann Baker (12 ppg), a 6-3 freshman guard, is also averaging in double figures. Baker is an efficient (6 for 12) three-point shooter.
Quinnipiac shoots 45.6 percent as a team and holds opponents to 43.3 percent shooting. But the Bobcats are still being outscored by almost 3 points per game. The Bobcats favor a faster pace (78.6 ppg), but they give uo a lot of points (opponents averaging 80.1 ppg).
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The Patriot League's combined 6-9 record against the Northeast Conference. makes you wonder about the RPI, since the Patriot is No. 23 (down another spot) in the latest . The Northeast's conference ranking is 27.
Four of the six remaining games between the two conferences are on Northeast home courts. That makes Army holding serve against Quinnipiac a key to any chance the league has of salvaging the series.
SCOUTING QUINNIPIAC: The 3-4 Bobcats come in 3-4, winners of two of their last three games, including a 92-88 overtime win at Lehigh, the Bobcats only road win thus far (1-2). The loss in that stretch also was an overtime game at home against Brown.
The Bobcats won at home against St. Francis (NY) their last time out. Demario Anderson, a 6-4 transfer from Central Connecticut, posted a 25-point, 11 rebound double-double, his second of the season, in the win. Anderson averages 20.6 points and 6.4 rebounds per game.
Evann Baker (12 ppg), a 6-3 freshman guard, is also averaging in double figures. Baker is an efficient (6 for 12) three-point shooter.
Quinnipiac shoots 45.6 percent as a team and holds opponents to 43.3 percent shooting. But the Bobcats are still being outscored by almost 3 points per game. The Bobcats favor a faster pace (78.6 ppg), but they give uo a lot of points (opponents averaging 80.1 ppg).
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Friday, December 07, 2007
A 14-0 Army run to start the game was more than NJIT could handle.
After that start, the two teams played fairly even. The Black Knights never led by more than 16; NJIT (0-10) never got closer than 9.
Jarrell Brown led Army (4-4) with 23 points, his fifth straight 20-point game. Brown was 11 for 21 from the field, with one trey, and never got to the free throw line. As a team, Army only shot 8 free throws and made just 4.
The Black Knights were 24 of 57 from the field (42.1 percent), 2 of 9 from three-point range. NJIT was 14 for 41 (34.1 percent) from the field, 6 of 17 from the arc and 10 of 21 from the foul line. The Highlanders turned it over 23 times, 16 in the first half.
The game was played in front of 932 fans in Newark's new , which seats 18,500 for basketball.
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After that start, the two teams played fairly even. The Black Knights never led by more than 16; NJIT (0-10) never got closer than 9.
Jarrell Brown led Army (4-4) with 23 points, his fifth straight 20-point game. Brown was 11 for 21 from the field, with one trey, and never got to the free throw line. As a team, Army only shot 8 free throws and made just 4.
The Black Knights were 24 of 57 from the field (42.1 percent), 2 of 9 from three-point range. NJIT was 14 for 41 (34.1 percent) from the field, 6 of 17 from the arc and 10 of 21 from the foul line. The Highlanders turned it over 23 times, 16 in the first half.
The game was played in front of 932 fans in Newark's new , which seats 18,500 for basketball.
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Thursday, December 06, 2007
The Black Knights of the Hudson travel down river to take on winless NJIT in tonight's only game involving Patriot League teams.
SCOUTING NJIT: Here is all you really need to know about the Highlanders: Their 0-9 record is one of the bright spots on their stats sheet.
In just their second season at the Division I level, NJIT is being outscored by an average of over 26 points per game. The Highlanders are being outrebounded by 6 per game and average 21.4 turnovers. They have turned the ball over 193 times thus far, while dishing for just 86 assists.
As a team, NJIT is shooting under 40 percent from the field (35.6 percent), and under 30 percent (28.9) from the arc. They also struggle at the free throw line, where they shoot just 59.1 percent.
Nesho Milosevic leads the Highlanders, averaging 11.9 points and 7.3 rebounds per game. Kraig Peters averages 10.3 ppg.
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SCOUTING NJIT: Here is all you really need to know about the Highlanders: Their 0-9 record is one of the bright spots on their stats sheet.
In just their second season at the Division I level, NJIT is being outscored by an average of over 26 points per game. The Highlanders are being outrebounded by 6 per game and average 21.4 turnovers. They have turned the ball over 193 times thus far, while dishing for just 86 assists.
As a team, NJIT is shooting under 40 percent from the field (35.6 percent), and under 30 percent (28.9) from the arc. They also struggle at the free throw line, where they shoot just 59.1 percent.
Nesho Milosevic leads the Highlanders, averaging 11.9 points and 7.3 rebounds per game. Kraig Peters averages 10.3 ppg.
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Monday, December 03, 2007
It's an anniversary edition of the HOOP TIME NOTEBOOK.
A little over three years ago, we decided to kill a free evening by driving to Lewisburg to see the Bison play St. Francis.
The actual date was Nov. 22, 2004. A date that will only live in infamy for as long as we keep this site going, assuming we remember each year to remind you.
We were not actually covering that game. Plans were to get a look at the Bison in advance of some freelance gigs later in the season, say hello to some old friends, stop for a beverage with my brother on the way home.
There were no plans to write about that game as we drove north along the Susquehanna River on U.S. Routes 11&15. Matter of fact, there were not even any plans for this Web site, which was born that night. Those plans came together on the drive home.
Thank, or blame -- depending how you view this site -- Bucknell Sports Information Director Jon Terry. Terry was sort of the site muse. After the game, I told JT it was a shame I didn't have anyplace to write about the game. Terry's response: "You ought to start a Web site or something."
At 1:27 the next morning, the was up on the newest concept to carry the Hoop Time name.
Since then, the Hoop Time Notebook has been an irregular feature of the site. Here is the latest version:
MUM'S THE WORD: One of the casualties of this year's officiating point of emphasis on bench decorum apparently is the dialogue coaches and officials used to carry on during games. Despite the high-profile coach rants and outbursts that get noticed by most fans, coaches and officials used to have an open line of communications during games. Refs would routinely offer coaches an explanation of calls, especially confusing ones like the one made around the eight-minute mark of the second half in Bucknell's loss to Saint Francis.
That was when Devin Sweetney collided with Bucknell defenders on his way to the rack, drawing a whistle and an initial signal that Sweetney was being called for an offensive charge. The official who made the initial call also signaled Sweetney's basket did not count. But then, for some unknown reason, Sweetney went to the foul line and completed a three-point play.
Even Bucknell coach pat Flannery was in the dark. Asked after the game about the call, Flannery said, "I don't know what happened there,"
The refs would have explained it to the coach last season. This season, though, "There's no dialogue, no conversation," Flannery said.
RULES INTERPRETATION: In our story from that game, we mentioned the lack of a technical foul on Saint Francis when Marquis Ford tried to take Chris Berry's spot at the free throw line for a crucial one-and-one in the final 30 seconds. The rule covering such shenanigans does give the officials an out on such plays. The interpretation in the rule book states:
The officials don't have access to a team's stats during the game, so they would not have realized that Ford might have been motivated to try the switcheroo by the fact that Berry is a 57.1 percent free throw shooter. But you do have to wonder why it took Bucknell players and coaches drawing their attention to the switch for the officials to notice. It is not like Berry -- who stands 6-4 -- and the 5-11 Ford look alike, or have similar jersey numbers (Berry wears a single digit -- 5, Ford sports 11).
RATINGS DROP: With about a month left in non-conference play, the Patriot League is going to have to do some scrambling if it wants to continue its trend of moving up in the conference RPI rankings. The league's standing has improved in each of the last three seasons, going from No. 26 in 2004 to 23 in 2005, 21 in 2006 and No. 17 last season. As recently as two weeks ago, the Patriot League was up to No. 13. Since then it has dropped like a
FADE AWAY: When American failed to hold a halftime Saturday against UMBC, it was not the first time this season it had happened. Not the second, either. The Eagles have simply not been a very good second half team.
Three of AU's four losses came in games they led at the break. They trailed by two in the other.
The problem seems to be at both ends of the floor. American scores fewer points after intermission and gives up more. In eight games thus far, the Eagles have scored 274 first half points. That is 67 more than opponents have scored. Second half has been a different story, with opponents scoring 288 points and American 243 -- 31 less than they score in first halves.
INDECISIVE: While previewing the Army-VMI game, we mentioned the Keydets had used a different starting lineup every game. VMI coach Duggar Baucom is not the only coach who is having a hard time settling on a first five. In coverage of Central Connecticut's win Saturday over Lehigh, the Hartford Currant's Tom Yantz points out:
Bucknell, after starting the same five for the first five games, replaced juniors Justin Castleberry and Josh LInthicum with freshmen Daryl Shazier and Todd O'Brien. Four guys have started all seven Holy Cross games.Sophomore Eric Meister started in place of forward Alex Vander Baan in one game when Vander Baan was injured. A similar situation exists at American, where four guys have started every game and Cornelio Guibunda has started in seven of the eight. Colgate and Lehigh have been even more consistent, the same five starting every game.
At the other end of the spectrum, Navy has used eight men as starters. Lafayette has used nine,
BLOCK PARTY: With his four blocks against St, Francis on Saturday, Bucknell center Todd O'Brien how has 17 blocked shots. The 6-11 freshman from New Holland, Pa has multiple blocks in every game thus far. His average of 2.8 blocks per game leads the Patriot League by over a block per game. Holy Cross senior Tim Clifford, who owns the Crusaders' career blocks mark (currently sitting at 155), is averaging 1.7 per game.
As prolific O'Brien has been, he is not on pace to challenge the Bison single-season record of 100 set by Mike Butts as a senior in 1989. At O'Brien's current pace of 2.8 blocks per game, the Bison would need to advance to the Sweet Sixteeen for him to reach Butts' single-season mark.
A little sobering perspective: To reach Adonal Foyle's single-season Patriot league record of 190, O'Brien would need 64 games at his current pace.
PADDING THE NUMBERS: When Navy hit 28 of 55 from the field (season-high 50.9 percent) against Towson, it marked just the third time all season the Midshipmen shot better than 40 percent in a game. It was the first time the Mids shot better than 50 percent since the season-opener at Longwood, when they hit 50.8 percent. Navy shot 47.2 percent in the loss to Texas-San Antonio. In Navy's other six games, their best night was against Robert Morris, when they hit 39.7 percent. Their showing against Towson brought the Mids season field goal numbers above 40 percent, improving from 39.2 percent to 40.4 percent.
BOMBS AWAY: Last season Lafayette set a school record 256 three-pointers, hitting 8.5 per game, a rate that ranked 25th nationally. At their current pace, the Leopards will shatter that mark this season. Lafayette is hitting 10.8 treys per game, a pace that would give them 354 for the season if they maintain it. The Leopards have hit 65 threes thus far, 18 more than they had last season after six games. Three-pointers account for 40.8 percent of all Lafayette scoring. Of 341 shots Lafayette has put up from the field, 159 (47 percent) have come from behind the arc, where they are hitting at a 40.9 percent clip. Although threes account for just 41.9 percent of all made Navy field goals, 52 percent of the Mids scoring from the field comes from the arc. Navy has scored 195 points on threes, 180 on two-point shots and 102 at the foul line.
ICE, ICE, BAY-BEE: When the girls of Team Hoop Time went 2 for 24 from the field in season-opening loss to the Carlisle Thunder, it was hard to imagine a colder shooting effort might be going on elsewhere. But when some of the girls got to Sojka Pavilion that evening to watch the Bucknell men play, they found out they didn't shoot so bad after all. At least not compared to what happened that same afternoon in the Bucknell women's game at Marist.
Women hate when you use the adjective 'frigid' to describe anything but the weather, but what else would you call Bucknell's 0 for 28 start in that game. The Bison trailed 19-0 before getting on the scoreboard with a free throw 9:55 into the game. They went 14:31 before finally getting their first field goal, a Kristina Collymore jumper at the 5:29 mark.
Box score
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A little over three years ago, we decided to kill a free evening by driving to Lewisburg to see the Bison play St. Francis.
The actual date was Nov. 22, 2004. A date that will only live in infamy for as long as we keep this site going, assuming we remember each year to remind you.
We were not actually covering that game. Plans were to get a look at the Bison in advance of some freelance gigs later in the season, say hello to some old friends, stop for a beverage with my brother on the way home.
There were no plans to write about that game as we drove north along the Susquehanna River on U.S. Routes 11&15. Matter of fact, there were not even any plans for this Web site, which was born that night. Those plans came together on the drive home.
Thank, or blame -- depending how you view this site -- Bucknell Sports Information Director Jon Terry. Terry was sort of the site muse. After the game, I told JT it was a shame I didn't have anyplace to write about the game. Terry's response: "You ought to start a Web site or something."
At 1:27 the next morning, the was up on the newest concept to carry the Hoop Time name.
Since then, the Hoop Time Notebook has been an irregular feature of the site. Here is the latest version:
MUM'S THE WORD: One of the casualties of this year's officiating point of emphasis on bench decorum apparently is the dialogue coaches and officials used to carry on during games. Despite the high-profile coach rants and outbursts that get noticed by most fans, coaches and officials used to have an open line of communications during games. Refs would routinely offer coaches an explanation of calls, especially confusing ones like the one made around the eight-minute mark of the second half in Bucknell's loss to Saint Francis.
That was when Devin Sweetney collided with Bucknell defenders on his way to the rack, drawing a whistle and an initial signal that Sweetney was being called for an offensive charge. The official who made the initial call also signaled Sweetney's basket did not count. But then, for some unknown reason, Sweetney went to the foul line and completed a three-point play.
Even Bucknell coach pat Flannery was in the dark. Asked after the game about the call, Flannery said, "I don't know what happened there,"
The refs would have explained it to the coach last season. This season, though, "There's no dialogue, no conversation," Flannery said.
RULES INTERPRETATION: In our story from that game, we mentioned the lack of a technical foul on Saint Francis when Marquis Ford tried to take Chris Berry's spot at the free throw line for a crucial one-and-one in the final 30 seconds. The rule covering such shenanigans does give the officials an out on such plays. The interpretation in the rule book states:
When the attempt by A2 is due to a justifiable misunderstanding, there shall be no penalty. The error shall be corrected under Rule 2-11. When it is reasonable to believe that A2 knew that A1 was the designated shooter, a direct technical foul for unsportsmanlike conduct shall be called.In other words, the question is, should Ford, who was looking for a pass from Berry when Bucknell's Stephen Tyree wrapped his arms around Ford out near midcourt, have known that he was not the shooter. Or was it reasonable for him to think he was the one who was fouled after seeing the obvious play in front of him and catching a pass after the whistle had blown.
The officials don't have access to a team's stats during the game, so they would not have realized that Ford might have been motivated to try the switcheroo by the fact that Berry is a 57.1 percent free throw shooter. But you do have to wonder why it took Bucknell players and coaches drawing their attention to the switch for the officials to notice. It is not like Berry -- who stands 6-4 -- and the 5-11 Ford look alike, or have similar jersey numbers (Berry wears a single digit -- 5, Ford sports 11).
RATINGS DROP: With about a month left in non-conference play, the Patriot League is going to have to do some scrambling if it wants to continue its trend of moving up in the conference RPI rankings. The league's standing has improved in each of the last three seasons, going from No. 26 in 2004 to 23 in 2005, 21 in 2006 and No. 17 last season. As recently as two weeks ago, the Patriot League was up to No. 13. Since then it has dropped like a
FADE AWAY: When American failed to hold a halftime Saturday against UMBC, it was not the first time this season it had happened. Not the second, either. The Eagles have simply not been a very good second half team.
Three of AU's four losses came in games they led at the break. They trailed by two in the other.
The problem seems to be at both ends of the floor. American scores fewer points after intermission and gives up more. In eight games thus far, the Eagles have scored 274 first half points. That is 67 more than opponents have scored. Second half has been a different story, with opponents scoring 288 points and American 243 -- 31 less than they score in first halves.
INDECISIVE: While previewing the Army-VMI game, we mentioned the Keydets had used a different starting lineup every game. VMI coach Duggar Baucom is not the only coach who is having a hard time settling on a first five. In coverage of Central Connecticut's win Saturday over Lehigh, the Hartford Currant's Tom Yantz points out:
"Central Connecticut coach Howie Dickenman used his sixth different starting lineup in game No. 7 Saturday."That got us wondering about starting lineups around the league.
Bucknell, after starting the same five for the first five games, replaced juniors Justin Castleberry and Josh LInthicum with freshmen Daryl Shazier and Todd O'Brien. Four guys have started all seven Holy Cross games.Sophomore Eric Meister started in place of forward Alex Vander Baan in one game when Vander Baan was injured. A similar situation exists at American, where four guys have started every game and Cornelio Guibunda has started in seven of the eight. Colgate and Lehigh have been even more consistent, the same five starting every game.
At the other end of the spectrum, Navy has used eight men as starters. Lafayette has used nine,
BLOCK PARTY: With his four blocks against St, Francis on Saturday, Bucknell center Todd O'Brien how has 17 blocked shots. The 6-11 freshman from New Holland, Pa has multiple blocks in every game thus far. His average of 2.8 blocks per game leads the Patriot League by over a block per game. Holy Cross senior Tim Clifford, who owns the Crusaders' career blocks mark (currently sitting at 155), is averaging 1.7 per game.
As prolific O'Brien has been, he is not on pace to challenge the Bison single-season record of 100 set by Mike Butts as a senior in 1989. At O'Brien's current pace of 2.8 blocks per game, the Bison would need to advance to the Sweet Sixteeen for him to reach Butts' single-season mark.
A little sobering perspective: To reach Adonal Foyle's single-season Patriot league record of 190, O'Brien would need 64 games at his current pace.
PADDING THE NUMBERS: When Navy hit 28 of 55 from the field (season-high 50.9 percent) against Towson, it marked just the third time all season the Midshipmen shot better than 40 percent in a game. It was the first time the Mids shot better than 50 percent since the season-opener at Longwood, when they hit 50.8 percent. Navy shot 47.2 percent in the loss to Texas-San Antonio. In Navy's other six games, their best night was against Robert Morris, when they hit 39.7 percent. Their showing against Towson brought the Mids season field goal numbers above 40 percent, improving from 39.2 percent to 40.4 percent.
BOMBS AWAY: Last season Lafayette set a school record 256 three-pointers, hitting 8.5 per game, a rate that ranked 25th nationally. At their current pace, the Leopards will shatter that mark this season. Lafayette is hitting 10.8 treys per game, a pace that would give them 354 for the season if they maintain it. The Leopards have hit 65 threes thus far, 18 more than they had last season after six games. Three-pointers account for 40.8 percent of all Lafayette scoring. Of 341 shots Lafayette has put up from the field, 159 (47 percent) have come from behind the arc, where they are hitting at a 40.9 percent clip. Although threes account for just 41.9 percent of all made Navy field goals, 52 percent of the Mids scoring from the field comes from the arc. Navy has scored 195 points on threes, 180 on two-point shots and 102 at the foul line.
ICE, ICE, BAY-BEE: When the girls of Team Hoop Time went 2 for 24 from the field in season-opening loss to the Carlisle Thunder, it was hard to imagine a colder shooting effort might be going on elsewhere. But when some of the girls got to Sojka Pavilion that evening to watch the Bucknell men play, they found out they didn't shoot so bad after all. At least not compared to what happened that same afternoon in the Bucknell women's game at Marist.
Women hate when you use the adjective 'frigid' to describe anything but the weather, but what else would you call Bucknell's 0 for 28 start in that game. The Bison trailed 19-0 before getting on the scoreboard with a free throw 9:55 into the game. They went 14:31 before finally getting their first field goal, a Kristina Collymore jumper at the 5:29 mark.
Box score
Labels: American, Army, Bucknell, Colgate, Holy Cross, Lafayette, Lehigh, Navy, notebook
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Sunday, December 02, 2007
Army senior Grant Carter had only hit one three-pointer thus far this season. He only took one against VMI. He will probably remember it for a long, long time.
Carter's trey, with 1.6 seconds to play, gave the Black Knights a 71-69 win over VMI. VMI thought it won the game with a three at the buzzer off an inbounds play that was triggered with .3 seconds on the clock. But the shot was waived off since by rule, you cannot catch and shoot in that amount of time. For Carter, who came off the bench with 14.5 seconds to play for his only shot of the game. His only other made shot this season was also a three.
The real star of the win, though, was the Army defense, which held the nation's highest scoring team 34 points below its 103.7 ppg average. It was just the second time all season VMI has scored fewer than 87 points. Only Ohio State has held the Keydets to fewer (59).
VMI shot just 35.2 percent from the field (21-58), 13-35 from the arc and missed 8 free throws on 22 attempts.
Jarrell Brown also had his hot hand in the win. If the Army senior should win the Patriot League scoring title this season by a narrow margin, folks will look back at VMI's distaste for long possessions and halfcourt defense and suggest an asterisk be added. Brown went off for a 34-point, 10-rebound double-double, both numbers career-highs. Army shot 58.7 percent (27-46) from the field, 9 for 11 at the arc.
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Carter's trey, with 1.6 seconds to play, gave the Black Knights a 71-69 win over VMI. VMI thought it won the game with a three at the buzzer off an inbounds play that was triggered with .3 seconds on the clock. But the shot was waived off since by rule, you cannot catch and shoot in that amount of time. For Carter, who came off the bench with 14.5 seconds to play for his only shot of the game. His only other made shot this season was also a three.
The real star of the win, though, was the Army defense, which held the nation's highest scoring team 34 points below its 103.7 ppg average. It was just the second time all season VMI has scored fewer than 87 points. Only Ohio State has held the Keydets to fewer (59).
VMI shot just 35.2 percent from the field (21-58), 13-35 from the arc and missed 8 free throws on 22 attempts.
Jarrell Brown also had his hot hand in the win. If the Army senior should win the Patriot League scoring title this season by a narrow margin, folks will look back at VMI's distaste for long possessions and halfcourt defense and suggest an asterisk be added. Brown went off for a 34-point, 10-rebound double-double, both numbers career-highs. Army shot 58.7 percent (27-46) from the field, 9 for 11 at the arc.
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Saturday, December 01, 2007
While Navy takes a day to bask in the glory of its win over Towson and Lafayette continues to enjoy its rare win over Penn, everybody else is in action. Army visit VMI, Lehigh travels to Central Connecticut and Colgate is at Cornell while Bucknell is home against St. Francis (Pa.), American hosts UMBC and Holy Cross entertains Dayton at the DCU Center. All these following the days big game, the season-opener for the girls of Team Hoop Time, who take on the Carlisle Thunder this morning at 10. We wish we had a scouting report on that one. Meanwhile, here is a look at today's other opponents:
SCOUTING VMI: The nation's highest scoring team a year ago, the Keydets (3-3) are leading the nation again this season, averaging 103.7 points per game. No other school is averaging in triple digits. Those numbers are skewed by oddities like a 156-91 win over Division II Columbia Union and the 135 points they scored against West Virginia Weslyan, another D-II. Still, expect the Keydets to try to turn this into a chuck-and-duck, track meet affair. They don't really know how to play any other way.
Picked to finish third in the Big South, after pulling off two upsets to reach the conference final last season, VMI is young and small. No expected starter is taller than 6-6 and the roster includes six freshmen. We use that adjective "expected" because we are only going by the lineup listed in VMI's game notes. Don't be too surprised if the five that tip it off are different than the five listed in the notes though. Keydets coach Duggar Baucom has used a different starting lineup every game. Ten different players have started already this season. Even Reggie Williams, the team's 6-6 senior preseason All-Big South pick, who is sixth in the nation in scoring (25.2 ppg) has come off the bench twice.
BONUS LINKS:
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SCOUTING DAYTON: It will be a real shame if this game doesn't draw a nice crowd to the DCU Center. The Flyers are a program with a dandy pedigree and this year's version is looking strong, coming in at 4-1, riding a three-game win streak. The only loss was a 9-point setback at George Mason.
Brian Roberts, a 6-2 senior guard, leads Dayton with 22.4 points per game. Roberts can flat out shoot the basketball. He came into the season a two-time All Atlantic 10 pick with over 1,300 career points and one of the top three three-point shooting percentages in A-10 history (43.3 percent). Last year he was above his career percentage, hitting over 45 percent from the arc and thus far this season he is well above that, knocking down 56.3 percent of the treys he has shot. Roberts also knows how to dish, averaging 5.2 assists per game.
One of the beneficiaries of Roberts' passes is 6-8 freshman Chris Wright, a genuine blue chip averaging 15.8 points and 7.4 rebounds. Wright was ranked among the top 20 prospects in the nation by some recruiting services and is considered the top frosh in the A-10. Big and athletic, with tremendous hops (39.5 inch vertical leap), Wright is shooting 66 percent from the field.
BONUS LINKS:
(pdf)
(Springfield Oh. News-Sun)
(Springfield Oh. News-Sun)
SCOUTING CCSU: The Blue Devils come home to host Lehigh after losing two straight on the road, including a 71-54 setback Monday at Lafayette. That was followed Wednesday by a 59-55 loss at LaSalle, dropping CCSU to 1-4.
Senior guard Tristan Roberts leads the team in scoring (13 ppg), even though he has been the top scorer in only one game. Ken Horton, a 6-6 freshman, has been the top scorer in two of the last three games. Horton averages 11.2 ppg.
CCSU is shooting 40.1 percent from the field as a team, while allowing opponents to shoot 46.2 percent. The Blue Devils are also being outrebounded by 4.4 per contest.
BONUS LINKS:
SCOUTING UMBC: The Retrievers bounced back from their overtime loss at Lafayette to post a pair of wins in the last 10 days, downing George Washington and Morgan State to improve to 5-1.
If you want to play a hoops version of the Kevin Bacon game, the Retrievers beat Morgan State 84-76; Morgan State beat American 62-54. Not that you can necessarily attach much significance to a single common opponent, especially when Morgan State was home against AU and at UMBC.
The Retrievers are another small team that likes to go up and down, averaging over 80 ppg. The starting five includes just one player -- 6-8 senior Cavell Johnson -- taller than 6-4. Four of the five are averaging in double figures. Brian Hodges, a 6-3 senior, tops the list at 17.5 ppg. Junior Darryl Proctor plays bigger than his 6-4 height, averaging over 8 rebounds per game. Proctor has reached double figures scoring in every game, averaging 16.3 ppg. Ray Barbosa, a 6-2 senior, has raised his season average to 17 ppg after averaging 22.7 per game in UMBC's last three outings. Johnson is a second half demon, scoring 12 of his 17.2 ppg after the break. He averages 9 rebounds per game.
The starter not scoring in double figures, 5-8 junior Jay Greene, leads the America East conference with 7.8 assists per game.
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SCOUTING ST. FRANCIS (PA): The 0-6 Red Flash are still looking for their first win of the season. Included in their losses are home setbacks against American and Lehigh. St. Francis gives up 72 points per game and allows opponents to shoot 46.3 percent from the field, 39.1 percent from the arc.
Cale Nelson (12.2 ppg), a 5-10 junior, and Chris Berry (11.3), a 6-4 junior, are the only Red Flash players averaging in double figures.
BONUS LINKS:
(pdf)
(The Daily Item)
(Altoona Mirror)
SCOUTING CORNELL: The high-scoring, three-point shooting Big Red come into this one 4-1, including two wins over Patriot League teams (Lehigh and Army). Cornell, the Syracuse of the Ivy League, is 4-0 at home, its only loss coming at Ohio in its only game outside of Ithaca.
The Big Red love the three-point shot. They are hitting them at a 50.5 percent clip , second in the nation behind Texas. Overall they are shooting 51.9 percent while averaging 85 points per game, tops in the Ivy. It's all about outscoring opponents -- they give up 81 points per outing.
Four guys average in double figures. Sophomore guard Louis Dale (6-0) leads the way at 15.4 ppg. Ryan Wittman, a 6-6 sophomore averages 15 ppg, 6-0 junior Collin Robinson is scoring 12.8 per game off the bench. Fellow reserve Brian Kreefer (6-7 Jr.) averages 10 ppg. Starters Jason Hartford, a 6-9 senior (9.8 ppg) and 6-0 junior Adam Gore (9.4) are just under double figures for the Big Red.
BONUS LINKS:
(pdf)
(Cornell Daily Sun)
(Ithaca Journal)
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SCOUTING VMI: The nation's highest scoring team a year ago, the Keydets (3-3) are leading the nation again this season, averaging 103.7 points per game. No other school is averaging in triple digits. Those numbers are skewed by oddities like a 156-91 win over Division II Columbia Union and the 135 points they scored against West Virginia Weslyan, another D-II. Still, expect the Keydets to try to turn this into a chuck-and-duck, track meet affair. They don't really know how to play any other way.
Picked to finish third in the Big South, after pulling off two upsets to reach the conference final last season, VMI is young and small. No expected starter is taller than 6-6 and the roster includes six freshmen. We use that adjective "expected" because we are only going by the lineup listed in VMI's game notes. Don't be too surprised if the five that tip it off are different than the five listed in the notes though. Keydets coach Duggar Baucom has used a different starting lineup every game. Ten different players have started already this season. Even Reggie Williams, the team's 6-6 senior preseason All-Big South pick, who is sixth in the nation in scoring (25.2 ppg) has come off the bench twice.
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SCOUTING DAYTON: It will be a real shame if this game doesn't draw a nice crowd to the DCU Center. The Flyers are a program with a dandy pedigree and this year's version is looking strong, coming in at 4-1, riding a three-game win streak. The only loss was a 9-point setback at George Mason.
Brian Roberts, a 6-2 senior guard, leads Dayton with 22.4 points per game. Roberts can flat out shoot the basketball. He came into the season a two-time All Atlantic 10 pick with over 1,300 career points and one of the top three three-point shooting percentages in A-10 history (43.3 percent). Last year he was above his career percentage, hitting over 45 percent from the arc and thus far this season he is well above that, knocking down 56.3 percent of the treys he has shot. Roberts also knows how to dish, averaging 5.2 assists per game.
One of the beneficiaries of Roberts' passes is 6-8 freshman Chris Wright, a genuine blue chip averaging 15.8 points and 7.4 rebounds. Wright was ranked among the top 20 prospects in the nation by some recruiting services and is considered the top frosh in the A-10. Big and athletic, with tremendous hops (39.5 inch vertical leap), Wright is shooting 66 percent from the field.
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SCOUTING CCSU: The Blue Devils come home to host Lehigh after losing two straight on the road, including a 71-54 setback Monday at Lafayette. That was followed Wednesday by a 59-55 loss at LaSalle, dropping CCSU to 1-4.
Senior guard Tristan Roberts leads the team in scoring (13 ppg), even though he has been the top scorer in only one game. Ken Horton, a 6-6 freshman, has been the top scorer in two of the last three games. Horton averages 11.2 ppg.
CCSU is shooting 40.1 percent from the field as a team, while allowing opponents to shoot 46.2 percent. The Blue Devils are also being outrebounded by 4.4 per contest.
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SCOUTING UMBC: The Retrievers bounced back from their overtime loss at Lafayette to post a pair of wins in the last 10 days, downing George Washington and Morgan State to improve to 5-1.
If you want to play a hoops version of the Kevin Bacon game, the Retrievers beat Morgan State 84-76; Morgan State beat American 62-54. Not that you can necessarily attach much significance to a single common opponent, especially when Morgan State was home against AU and at UMBC.
The Retrievers are another small team that likes to go up and down, averaging over 80 ppg. The starting five includes just one player -- 6-8 senior Cavell Johnson -- taller than 6-4. Four of the five are averaging in double figures. Brian Hodges, a 6-3 senior, tops the list at 17.5 ppg. Junior Darryl Proctor plays bigger than his 6-4 height, averaging over 8 rebounds per game. Proctor has reached double figures scoring in every game, averaging 16.3 ppg. Ray Barbosa, a 6-2 senior, has raised his season average to 17 ppg after averaging 22.7 per game in UMBC's last three outings. Johnson is a second half demon, scoring 12 of his 17.2 ppg after the break. He averages 9 rebounds per game.
The starter not scoring in double figures, 5-8 junior Jay Greene, leads the America East conference with 7.8 assists per game.
BONUS LINKS:
SCOUTING ST. FRANCIS (PA): The 0-6 Red Flash are still looking for their first win of the season. Included in their losses are home setbacks against American and Lehigh. St. Francis gives up 72 points per game and allows opponents to shoot 46.3 percent from the field, 39.1 percent from the arc.
Cale Nelson (12.2 ppg), a 5-10 junior, and Chris Berry (11.3), a 6-4 junior, are the only Red Flash players averaging in double figures.
BONUS LINKS:
SCOUTING CORNELL: The high-scoring, three-point shooting Big Red come into this one 4-1, including two wins over Patriot League teams (Lehigh and Army). Cornell, the Syracuse of the Ivy League, is 4-0 at home, its only loss coming at Ohio in its only game outside of Ithaca.
The Big Red love the three-point shot. They are hitting them at a 50.5 percent clip , second in the nation behind Texas. Overall they are shooting 51.9 percent while averaging 85 points per game, tops in the Ivy. It's all about outscoring opponents -- they give up 81 points per outing.
Four guys average in double figures. Sophomore guard Louis Dale (6-0) leads the way at 15.4 ppg. Ryan Wittman, a 6-6 sophomore averages 15 ppg, 6-0 junior Collin Robinson is scoring 12.8 per game off the bench. Fellow reserve Brian Kreefer (6-7 Jr.) averages 10 ppg. Starters Jason Hartford, a 6-9 senior (9.8 ppg) and 6-0 junior Adam Gore (9.4) are just under double figures for the Big Red.
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Labels: American, Army, Bucknell, Colgate, Holy Cross, Lehigh
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Thursday, November 29, 2007
Jarrell Brown became the 20th player in Army history to reach 1,000 points, but it was not enough to make a difference in the Black Knights' 70-64 loss at Hartford.
Brown finished with 24 points, including six threes, Josh Miller added 16, all in the second half. But that was not enough to dig the Black Knights out of a 15-point halftime hole.
Army did manage to pull even at 64-64 when Miller hit his 16h point on a jumper with 1:51 to play. But those were the last points Army scored. Hartford did not make another field goal, either. But the Hawks were 6 for 6 from the foul line in the final 51 seconds.
After a rough first half, Army shot 51.6 percent (16-31) in the second, finishing the night 25 for 56, 9 for 27 from the arc, 7 of those treys coming after the break (7-14 in the second half). Army shot just 7 free throws, making 5.
Hartford, on the other hand, went to the line 31 times, making 21. The Hawks were 21 of 49 (42.9 percent) from the field, 7 of 22 on threes.
The good news for Army: Doug Williams, who has been out all season, was in uniform, although he did not play. Andi Cries Walker returned to action for the first time after getting an elbow to the nose in a Nov. 20 loss at Cornell. Walker was 3 for 4 from the field in 12 minutes off the bench.
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Brown finished with 24 points, including six threes, Josh Miller added 16, all in the second half. But that was not enough to dig the Black Knights out of a 15-point halftime hole.
Army did manage to pull even at 64-64 when Miller hit his 16h point on a jumper with 1:51 to play. But those were the last points Army scored. Hartford did not make another field goal, either. But the Hawks were 6 for 6 from the foul line in the final 51 seconds.
After a rough first half, Army shot 51.6 percent (16-31) in the second, finishing the night 25 for 56, 9 for 27 from the arc, 7 of those treys coming after the break (7-14 in the second half). Army shot just 7 free throws, making 5.
Hartford, on the other hand, went to the line 31 times, making 21. The Hawks were 21 of 49 (42.9 percent) from the field, 7 of 22 on threes.
The good news for Army: Doug Williams, who has been out all season, was in uniform, although he did not play. Andi Cries Walker returned to action for the first time after getting an elbow to the nose in a Nov. 20 loss at Cornell. Walker was 3 for 4 from the field in 12 minutes off the bench.
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Wednesday, November 28, 2007
If you are a longtime reader of Hoop Time, you might have noticed the absence of any mentions this season of the old Hoop Time-Basketball U challenge. After having to e-mail the it to our buddy three seasons in a row, the Ivies have retired the mythical traveling trophy and, frankly, given the lack of matchups between the top teams in the two leagues, we have lost interest.
For those who still care, the Ivies lead the series 4-1 this season, and will look to pad that advantage in two meetings tonight. If the Patriot League is going to make a move, this would be a good time to do it. The league's top team thus far, Holy Cross, is at home against Yale and Lafayette hosts a young Penn team that thus far has been a shadow of Quakers past.
Elsewhere, Marist visits Bucknell in the most interesting non Ivy-Patriot game of the evening. Army travels to Hartford and Quinnipiac is at Lehigh.
SCOUTING PENN: The Quakers come in 2-4 after winning two of their last three, including Saturday over Navy. From a Penn perspective, a game with another Patriot League team -- especially Lafayette -- is just what they need to get back on track. Penn has won its last 28 in a row against Patriot teams, including eight straight against Lafayette. All time the Quakers lead the series with the Leopards 37-3.
A caveat: all three Lafayette wins have come in Easton. This is just the second game outside its cozy Palestra for a young Penn team that is still searching for an identity. Glenn Miller has used 10 different players in his starting lineup so far; nne guys -- including four freshmen -- have scored in double figures at least once.
Senior Brian Grandieri is the only Quaker to start all six games. Grandieri leads Penn in scoring, averaging 15.2 ppg. Freshman Tyler Bernardini has reached double figures the last three games and is averaging 10.2 ppg
BONUS LINKS:
(pdf)
SCOUTING YALE: Throw out that 1-3 record. You can't judge the Bulldogs by that cover. The trhee losses, all on the road, came against UMass, Stanford and UCLA.
This will be a good test for the Crusaders. Yale is an experienced side that starts four seniors and a junior. They have an inside presence in 6-11, 240-pound Matt Kyle (13.5 ppg) that should be a challenge for Tim Clifford and good size elsewhere. Senior Caleb Holmes (12.3 ppg) is a 6-6 swingman who is shooting 57.1 percent from the field and even better -- 64.3 percent -- from the arc. Nick Holmes, another 6-6 senior, is also a threat to step outside for a three.
And then there is Eric Plato, a first team All-ivy pick last season who was CollegeInsider.com's Ivy MVP as a junior. Plato's numbers -- 34.7 percent from the field, 34.5 from three-point range -- likely reflect those big conference opponents concentrating on keeping him in check. Despite that attention, he is still averaging 12.8 ppg.
Perhaps the biggest weakness the Bulldogs have is depth. The rotation goes nine deep, but the lions share of the minutes are spread among seven guys.
BONUS LINKS:
SCOUTING MARIST: The Red Foxes appear to be getting things together since opening the season 1-3. Marist has won its last two, following last week's win over Colgate by coming from 17 down to knock off Richmond.
Syracuse transfer Louie McCroskey, a 6-5 senior, is averaging 11.3 ppg since returning from a three-game suspension at the start of the season. Sharing the scoring lead is 6-1 freshman Jay Gavin. Spongy Benjamin, a 6-7 senior, is an inside weapon, averaging 10.3 ppg and a team-high 7.8 rebounds.
The Red Foxes are shooting 43.8 percent from the field while allowing opponents to connect at a 44.4 percent rate. Marist and its foes are both shooting 40.4 percent from the arc.
Marist should be used to close games. Its last four have been decided by a combined 13 points, including an overtime loss to Temple.
BONUS LINKS:
SCOUTING HARTFORD: The Hawks are 3-4 after winning their last two at the Las Vegas Invitational. Losses include games at Louisville and Brigham Young.
Defense is the key for Dan Leibowitz's team. In his second season as head coach, the former John Chaney assistant has Hartford holding opponents to 42.4 percent shooting from the field while forcing over 20 turnovers per game.
Hartford's weaknesses? They don't shoot too well themselves (42.8 percent from the field) and a smallish roster with just one guy taller than 6-7 has been outrebounded by an average of 11.5 per game.
Sophomore Joe Zeglinski (6-0) leads Hartford with 13.5 ppg. Also in double figures are 6-6 junior Warren McLendon (12.3 ppg) and 6-2 junior Jaret Von Rosenberg (10.6 ppg).
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SCOUTING QUINNIPIAC: The 1-3 Bobcats score 72 points per game. But they don't do a very good job at the other end, allowing foes to score 77 per contest.
The offense has pretty much been a one-man show. Central Connecticut transfer Demario Anderson leads the Northeast Conference with his 21.5 ppg average. Anderson comes in off a big week where he scored 25 in a loss to New Hampshire and 29 in a loss to Maine. Anderson also grabbed 10 rebounds against the Black Bears.
Freshman Evann Baker had a breakout game in the loss to New Hampshire, going 9 for 9 from the field en route to a 25 points performance,
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For those who still care, the Ivies lead the series 4-1 this season, and will look to pad that advantage in two meetings tonight. If the Patriot League is going to make a move, this would be a good time to do it. The league's top team thus far, Holy Cross, is at home against Yale and Lafayette hosts a young Penn team that thus far has been a shadow of Quakers past.
Elsewhere, Marist visits Bucknell in the most interesting non Ivy-Patriot game of the evening. Army travels to Hartford and Quinnipiac is at Lehigh.
SCOUTING PENN: The Quakers come in 2-4 after winning two of their last three, including Saturday over Navy. From a Penn perspective, a game with another Patriot League team -- especially Lafayette -- is just what they need to get back on track. Penn has won its last 28 in a row against Patriot teams, including eight straight against Lafayette. All time the Quakers lead the series with the Leopards 37-3.
A caveat: all three Lafayette wins have come in Easton. This is just the second game outside its cozy Palestra for a young Penn team that is still searching for an identity. Glenn Miller has used 10 different players in his starting lineup so far; nne guys -- including four freshmen -- have scored in double figures at least once.
Senior Brian Grandieri is the only Quaker to start all six games. Grandieri leads Penn in scoring, averaging 15.2 ppg. Freshman Tyler Bernardini has reached double figures the last three games and is averaging 10.2 ppg
BONUS LINKS:
SCOUTING YALE: Throw out that 1-3 record. You can't judge the Bulldogs by that cover. The trhee losses, all on the road, came against UMass, Stanford and UCLA.
This will be a good test for the Crusaders. Yale is an experienced side that starts four seniors and a junior. They have an inside presence in 6-11, 240-pound Matt Kyle (13.5 ppg) that should be a challenge for Tim Clifford and good size elsewhere. Senior Caleb Holmes (12.3 ppg) is a 6-6 swingman who is shooting 57.1 percent from the field and even better -- 64.3 percent -- from the arc. Nick Holmes, another 6-6 senior, is also a threat to step outside for a three.
And then there is Eric Plato, a first team All-ivy pick last season who was CollegeInsider.com's Ivy MVP as a junior. Plato's numbers -- 34.7 percent from the field, 34.5 from three-point range -- likely reflect those big conference opponents concentrating on keeping him in check. Despite that attention, he is still averaging 12.8 ppg.
Perhaps the biggest weakness the Bulldogs have is depth. The rotation goes nine deep, but the lions share of the minutes are spread among seven guys.
BONUS LINKS:
SCOUTING MARIST: The Red Foxes appear to be getting things together since opening the season 1-3. Marist has won its last two, following last week's win over Colgate by coming from 17 down to knock off Richmond.
Syracuse transfer Louie McCroskey, a 6-5 senior, is averaging 11.3 ppg since returning from a three-game suspension at the start of the season. Sharing the scoring lead is 6-1 freshman Jay Gavin. Spongy Benjamin, a 6-7 senior, is an inside weapon, averaging 10.3 ppg and a team-high 7.8 rebounds.
The Red Foxes are shooting 43.8 percent from the field while allowing opponents to connect at a 44.4 percent rate. Marist and its foes are both shooting 40.4 percent from the arc.
Marist should be used to close games. Its last four have been decided by a combined 13 points, including an overtime loss to Temple.
BONUS LINKS:
SCOUTING HARTFORD: The Hawks are 3-4 after winning their last two at the Las Vegas Invitational. Losses include games at Louisville and Brigham Young.
Defense is the key for Dan Leibowitz's team. In his second season as head coach, the former John Chaney assistant has Hartford holding opponents to 42.4 percent shooting from the field while forcing over 20 turnovers per game.
Hartford's weaknesses? They don't shoot too well themselves (42.8 percent from the field) and a smallish roster with just one guy taller than 6-7 has been outrebounded by an average of 11.5 per game.
Sophomore Joe Zeglinski (6-0) leads Hartford with 13.5 ppg. Also in double figures are 6-6 junior Warren McLendon (12.3 ppg) and 6-2 junior Jaret Von Rosenberg (10.6 ppg).
BONUS LINKS:
SCOUTING QUINNIPIAC: The 1-3 Bobcats score 72 points per game. But they don't do a very good job at the other end, allowing foes to score 77 per contest.
The offense has pretty much been a one-man show. Central Connecticut transfer Demario Anderson leads the Northeast Conference with his 21.5 ppg average. Anderson comes in off a big week where he scored 25 in a loss to New Hampshire and 29 in a loss to Maine. Anderson also grabbed 10 rebounds against the Black Bears.
Freshman Evann Baker had a breakout game in the loss to New Hampshire, going 9 for 9 from the field en route to a 25 points performance,
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Labels: Army, Bucknell, Holy Cross, Lafayette, Lehigh, previews
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Tuesday, November 27, 2007
The latest Mid-Major Top 25, plus news from the home office in Center Valley.
The Crusaders move up three spots to No. 10 in this week's . Bucknell and Colgate still getting a few votes.
Patriot League Men's Basketball Release - 11.26.07 (Condensed version)
With breaks for final exams and the Christmas season looming in December, Patriot League teams will pack plenty of games into the last week of November action. It starts with four contests on Monday, highlighted by Holy Cross hosting Ohio and Colgate making a trip to Notre Dame. Also, Lehigh hosts NJIT and American is at Mount St. Mary's. Navy is at Howard in Tuesday's only action, but five games highlight the Wednesday slate. Holy Cross and Lehigh host their second game of the week, with the Crusaders playing Yale and the Mountain Hawks taking on Quinnipiac. Lafayette and Bucknell are at home against Penn and Marist, respectively, while Army is at Hartford. Navy wraps up the weekday games by hosting Towson on Thursday.
Player of the Week
Jarell Brown, Army Sr., G, 6'2, 183, Cleveland, Ohio/St. Peter Chanel
Brown put up the best single-game scoring effort for a Patriot League player this year and tied his career high with 30 points in a loss against Cornell on Tuesday, and followed it up with 26 points in a win over Presbyterian on Saturday to earn his fourth-career Anaconda Player of the Week honor, and first this season. He notched eight three-pointers in the win against Presbyterian, good for second on Army's all-time single-game list and just one off the school record. Brown averaged 28.0 points, 2.5 rebounds, two assists and two steals per game for the week, and shot the ball extremely well. He connected on 60 percent (18-30) of his shots from the field and 65 percent (13-20) from three-point range, and hit on 87.5 percent (7-8) of his foul shots. Brown accounted for 39.7 percent of Army's offense in the two games, while taking 28 percent of the shot attempts. He scored at least 11 points in each of the four halves he played in the week, and has now scored 26 points or more in three of Army's five games this season. Brown is now only 10 points shy of reaching the 1,000-point mark for his career.
Rookie of the Week
Rob Keefer, Lehigh Fr., G, 6'3, 185, North Wales, Pa./Abington Friends
Keefer earns his second consecutive Rookie of the Week honor after averaging seven points, 3.5 rebounds and one assist in Lehigh's losses to Albany and Maryland. His performance against the Terrapins was especially strong, as Keefer scored a career-high 12 points and totaled a career-high six rebounds against the ACC contender. Keefer has started every game for Lehigh, and leads all Patriot League freshmen with 8.0 ppg. He leads all Lehigh freshmen in points, minutes and rebounds.
Patriot League Notebook
Leopards Pick up a Pair
Lafayette was picked to finish in last place in the Patriot League preseason poll, but showed that it has the potential to prove the doubters wrong with a pair of home victories last week. They knocked off UMBC, 87-84, in overtime on Tuesday and rolled to a 71-54 triumph against Central Connecticut State on Sunday. A high-powered offense has ignited a 3-2 start to the season. The Leopards lead the Patriot League with 79.2 points per game for the year, and also post a League-high 15 assists and 10.8 three-pointers per contest. Andrew Brown leads the team with 17.0 ppg, and seven players average six points per game or more. That scoring depth was evident when seven different Lafayette players scored in double figures in the two victories last week. Brown was the only one to notch a double-digt total in both games, with five players reaching the mark against UMBC. Lafayette tries to post a three-game winning streak at home against Penn on Wednesday.
A tough weekend
While Lafayette's victory over Central Connecticut State capped off the weekend action, Patriot League teams were only able to garner three wins in eight games from Friday-Sunday. Navy had a couple of close calls in the Philly Hoop Group Classic, but lost to Seton Hall, 79-75, and to Penn, 71-67. Bucknell, Colgate and Lehigh also suffered losses. But the weekend action produced victories for Army and American. The Black Knights got 26 points from Jarell Brown in a 63-58 win over Presbyterian, while the Eagles had a convincing all-around performance in a 73-50 victory at NJIT.
Milennium Men
Navy's Greg Sprink continues to add to his point total as the only active 1,000-point scorer in the Patriot League. Sprink notched 45 points in two contests over the weekend, and sits 34th in Patriot League annals with 1,267 career points. He is one of 56 players to score at least 1,000 points in League history, and is second in the Patriot League with 19.3 ppg for the year. He'll have the company of one more player in the 1,000-point club soon. Army's Jarell Brown put up a huge week with 56 total points in games against Cornell and Presbyterian, and is now just 10 points away from 1,000 for his career. Brown is averaging 18.2 ppg for the season.
Still the Only One
When Lehigh won at St. Francis (Pa.) on Nov. 17, the Patriot League became the first of 31 Division I conferences to have all of its teams record at least one road victory this season. More than a week later, the Patriot League is still the only one to accomplish the feat. Lehigh's home win over St. Peter's on Nov. 14 made the League the second conference to have every team record at least one win over a Division I opponent. The SEC beat the Patriot League to the mark by day.
Team Notebooks
American
The Eagles split a pair of games on the road last week, knocking off NJIT, 73-50, on Saturday and losing at Morgan State, 62-54, on Tuesday...Garrison Carr averaged 16.5 ppg in the two contests, and is fourth in the Patriot League with 17.7 ppg for the year...He leads all Patriot League players with 26 three-point field goals made for the season, and already has five more treys than he did all of last year...He is shooting 46 percent from beyond the arc...Derrick Mercer is sixth in the Patriot League with 16.0 ppg, making the Eagles the only team in the League with two players averaging more than 15 points per contest...Mercer is in the top five in the League in assists, field goal percentage, three-point percentage and assist/turnover ratio...Carr, Mercer, Frank Borden and Travis Lay all scored in double figures in the win against NJIT...The Eagles forced 26 turnovers in the game, while only committing 11 of their own...American concludes its three-game road trip with a visit to Mount St. Mary's on Monday, then returns home to face UMBC on Saturday.
Army
The Black Knights went 1-1 last week, notching their first home victory in a 63-58 triumph over Presbyterian on Saturday and losing, 93-78, at Cornell on Tuesday...The win over Presbyterian snapped a two-game losing skid...Jarell Brown scored 30 points in the loss to Cornell, the highest single-game total for a Patriot League player this season....Brown scored 26 in the win over Presbyterian, and hit on 18-of-30 shots in the two games, including 13-of-20 from three-point range...He hit eight three-pointers against Presbyterian, which ranked second on Army's single-game list...He moved into sole possession of third place on Army's career three-pointers list with 170...Josh Moonshower scored a career-high 16 points against Presbyterian...Guard Josh Miller has tied or set a career-high in assists in the last four games, and notched seven in the win over Presbyterian...Miller leads the Patriot League in assists, and is in the top 15 in scoring and rebounds...Army played the Presbyterian game without two of its top big men, Doug Williams and Chris Walker ...They are on the road twice this week, at Hartford on Wednesday and at VMI on Saturday.
Bucknell
Bucknell fell to 2-2 on the season with a 64-55 loss at Wagner on Saturday in its only game of the week...The Bison trailed 29-13 at halftime after making only 5-27 shots in the first half (1-11 from 3-point range), but they scored 42 points in the second half and closed within seven on three occasions... Patrick Behan scored a career-high 17 points in the loss...Freshman guard Darryl Shazier had a solid day with six points, five rebounds, four assists and three steals, while classmate Todd O'Brien notched eight points and six boards...O'Brien also had three blocks in the game, and leads the Patriot League with 11 blocked shots through four games...The Bison lead the League with 4.75 blocks per contest...John Griffin hit two 3-pointers, giving him 153 for his career...Griffin needs one more trey to reach the top five on Bucknell's all-time list...Griffin and Behan lead the Bison and are tied for seventh in the Patriot League with 14.5 ppg...Bucknell returns home for the first time since Nov. 10 when it takes on Marist on Wednesday to kick off a three-game homestand...They also play St. Francis (Pa.) on Saturday and La Salle on Dec. 3.
Colgate
The Raiders came into the week with an unblemished record, but suffered their first two defeats with a 61-60 loss to Marist on Wednesday and 81-76 loss to Dartmouth on Saturday...Marist scored on a putback with seven seconds left for the victory, while Colgate led Dartmouth by one point with less than five minutes to play...Kyle Roemer was the high scorer in both games, and recorded a career-high 26 points against Dartmouth...He averaged 20.5 ppg for the week, and connected on all 11 foul shots...Roemer leads the Patriot League with 20.2 ppg for the season...Kendall Chones had 20 points against Dartmouth, the fourth time in his career that he has scored 20 or more in a game...Daniel Waddy chipped in with 15 points in the game and Willie Morse had nine, but the other six players to see action totaled only six points...Colgate kicks off a long six-game road swing on Monday at Notre Dame...The Raiders will also become the third Patriot League team to visit Cornell on Saturday, and will not play at home until after the New Year.
Holy Cross
The Crusaders only played once last week, and made the most of their outing by beating Harvard, 80-69, on Tuesday...It was the first time that any opponent scored more than 54 points against them, but the Crusaders still lead the Patriot League with 55.5 points per game allowed....They also lead the League in scoring margin, free throw percentage, field goal percentage defense and rebounding margin...Harvard fought back to tie the score at 62 with 5:56 to play, but the Crusaders answered with a 10-0 run to put the game away...Tim Clifford scored 22 points for the second consecutive game, and now leads the team with 13.5 ppg for the season...Alex Vander Baan had 18 points and eight rebounds, while Adam May had a career-high 16 points and six boards...Vander Baan leads the Patriot League with 8.5 rebounds per game...The Crusaders play the remainder of a four-game homestand this week, putting their undefeated record on the line with games against Ohio on Monday, Yale on Wednesday and Dayton at the DCU Center in Worcester on Saturday.
Lafayette
The Leopards were the only Patriot League team to complete a 2-0 week and moved to 3-2 overall with an 87-84 win in overtime over UMBC on Tuesday and a 71-54 victory over Central Connecticut State on Sunday afternoon....Andrew Brown had a team-high point total in both games, scoring 15 against UMBC and 17 against CCSU...Bilal Abdullah had 16 points against CCSU and Paul Cummins added 12, and seven different Lafayette players scored in double figures in at least one of the two games this week, with Brown doing it in both... ..Lafayette hit 12-of-25 three-pointers against CCSU, and 10-of-25 against UMBC for a 44 percent clip from long range for the week...The victory over UMBC avenged an 86-51 loss last season...Lafayette hosts Penn on Wednesday, then is off for the weekend until hosting NJIT on Monday...After that game, the Leopards will play their final eight non-League games on the road and not return home until they play Holy Cross in the League opener on Jan. 12.
Lehigh
The Mountain Hawks had a tough week on the road, losing 78-66 at Albany on Tuesday and 72-51 at Maryland on Friday...Freshman Rob Keefer scored a career-high 12 points and pulled down six rebounds against Maryland...He has started every game for Lehigh, and leads all Patriot League freshman with 8.0 ppg...Matt Szalachowski tied Keefer for the team lead with 12 points against Maryland, and four different Lehigh players scored in double figures in the two games last week...Zahir Carrington (14) and Bryan White (12) both did it against Albany...The Mountain Hawks lead the Patriot League in assist/turnover ratio, due in large part to Marquis Hall leading the League with twice as many assists as turnovers (18/9)...Bryan White is in the top five in the League in rebounds, blocks and steals...After playing four of its first five games on the road, Lehigh plays five of the next six at home...They host NJIT on Monday and Quinnipiac on Wednesday of this week, before traveling to Central Connecticut State on Saturday.
Navy
The Mids won, 71-60, over Canisius on Wednesday before dropping a pair of heartbreakers over the weekend at the Philly Hoop Group Classic...They had a 16-point first-half lead before falling to Seton Hall, 79-75, and also lost to Penn, 71-67, after holding a halftime advantage...Greg Sprink averaged 20.7 ppg and 5.7 rpg for the week, and was even better in Philadelphia with 22.5 ppg and 6.0 rpg in the two contests...Sprink set a career-high in steals with four against Canisius, then matched it against Seton Hall...He has scored in double figures in every game this year, and has 22 career 20-point games...Navy's 37 three-point attempts against Seton Hall were the second most in school history...The Mids connected on 13 of the 37 shots...Navy shot just 74-of-207 (35.7 percent) in three games during the week...They grabbed 45 offensive rebounds in the three contests...Brian Richards scored a career-high 15 points against Canisius and then grabbed a career-high nine rebounds against Seton Hall...Navy's bench has scored at least 27 points in all seven games this year...The Mids concludes a busy, nine-game Novemeber by playing at Howard on Tuesday and at home against Towson on Thursday...They play Mount St. Mary's on Dec. 3, then have two weeks off before their next action at San Diego State on Dec. 17
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The Crusaders move up three spots to No. 10 in this week's . Bucknell and Colgate still getting a few votes.
Patriot League Men's Basketball Release - 11.26.07 (Condensed version)
With breaks for final exams and the Christmas season looming in December, Patriot League teams will pack plenty of games into the last week of November action. It starts with four contests on Monday, highlighted by Holy Cross hosting Ohio and Colgate making a trip to Notre Dame. Also, Lehigh hosts NJIT and American is at Mount St. Mary's. Navy is at Howard in Tuesday's only action, but five games highlight the Wednesday slate. Holy Cross and Lehigh host their second game of the week, with the Crusaders playing Yale and the Mountain Hawks taking on Quinnipiac. Lafayette and Bucknell are at home against Penn and Marist, respectively, while Army is at Hartford. Navy wraps up the weekday games by hosting Towson on Thursday.
Player of the Week
Jarell Brown, Army Sr., G, 6'2, 183, Cleveland, Ohio/St. Peter Chanel
Brown put up the best single-game scoring effort for a Patriot League player this year and tied his career high with 30 points in a loss against Cornell on Tuesday, and followed it up with 26 points in a win over Presbyterian on Saturday to earn his fourth-career Anaconda Player of the Week honor, and first this season. He notched eight three-pointers in the win against Presbyterian, good for second on Army's all-time single-game list and just one off the school record. Brown averaged 28.0 points, 2.5 rebounds, two assists and two steals per game for the week, and shot the ball extremely well. He connected on 60 percent (18-30) of his shots from the field and 65 percent (13-20) from three-point range, and hit on 87.5 percent (7-8) of his foul shots. Brown accounted for 39.7 percent of Army's offense in the two games, while taking 28 percent of the shot attempts. He scored at least 11 points in each of the four halves he played in the week, and has now scored 26 points or more in three of Army's five games this season. Brown is now only 10 points shy of reaching the 1,000-point mark for his career.
Rookie of the Week
Rob Keefer, Lehigh Fr., G, 6'3, 185, North Wales, Pa./Abington Friends
Keefer earns his second consecutive Rookie of the Week honor after averaging seven points, 3.5 rebounds and one assist in Lehigh's losses to Albany and Maryland. His performance against the Terrapins was especially strong, as Keefer scored a career-high 12 points and totaled a career-high six rebounds against the ACC contender. Keefer has started every game for Lehigh, and leads all Patriot League freshmen with 8.0 ppg. He leads all Lehigh freshmen in points, minutes and rebounds.
Patriot League Notebook
Leopards Pick up a Pair
Lafayette was picked to finish in last place in the Patriot League preseason poll, but showed that it has the potential to prove the doubters wrong with a pair of home victories last week. They knocked off UMBC, 87-84, in overtime on Tuesday and rolled to a 71-54 triumph against Central Connecticut State on Sunday. A high-powered offense has ignited a 3-2 start to the season. The Leopards lead the Patriot League with 79.2 points per game for the year, and also post a League-high 15 assists and 10.8 three-pointers per contest. Andrew Brown leads the team with 17.0 ppg, and seven players average six points per game or more. That scoring depth was evident when seven different Lafayette players scored in double figures in the two victories last week. Brown was the only one to notch a double-digt total in both games, with five players reaching the mark against UMBC. Lafayette tries to post a three-game winning streak at home against Penn on Wednesday.
A tough weekend
While Lafayette's victory over Central Connecticut State capped off the weekend action, Patriot League teams were only able to garner three wins in eight games from Friday-Sunday. Navy had a couple of close calls in the Philly Hoop Group Classic, but lost to Seton Hall, 79-75, and to Penn, 71-67. Bucknell, Colgate and Lehigh also suffered losses. But the weekend action produced victories for Army and American. The Black Knights got 26 points from Jarell Brown in a 63-58 win over Presbyterian, while the Eagles had a convincing all-around performance in a 73-50 victory at NJIT.
Milennium Men
Navy's Greg Sprink continues to add to his point total as the only active 1,000-point scorer in the Patriot League. Sprink notched 45 points in two contests over the weekend, and sits 34th in Patriot League annals with 1,267 career points. He is one of 56 players to score at least 1,000 points in League history, and is second in the Patriot League with 19.3 ppg for the year. He'll have the company of one more player in the 1,000-point club soon. Army's Jarell Brown put up a huge week with 56 total points in games against Cornell and Presbyterian, and is now just 10 points away from 1,000 for his career. Brown is averaging 18.2 ppg for the season.
Still the Only One
When Lehigh won at St. Francis (Pa.) on Nov. 17, the Patriot League became the first of 31 Division I conferences to have all of its teams record at least one road victory this season. More than a week later, the Patriot League is still the only one to accomplish the feat. Lehigh's home win over St. Peter's on Nov. 14 made the League the second conference to have every team record at least one win over a Division I opponent. The SEC beat the Patriot League to the mark by day.
Team Notebooks
American
The Eagles split a pair of games on the road last week, knocking off NJIT, 73-50, on Saturday and losing at Morgan State, 62-54, on Tuesday...Garrison Carr averaged 16.5 ppg in the two contests, and is fourth in the Patriot League with 17.7 ppg for the year...He leads all Patriot League players with 26 three-point field goals made for the season, and already has five more treys than he did all of last year...He is shooting 46 percent from beyond the arc...Derrick Mercer is sixth in the Patriot League with 16.0 ppg, making the Eagles the only team in the League with two players averaging more than 15 points per contest...Mercer is in the top five in the League in assists, field goal percentage, three-point percentage and assist/turnover ratio...Carr, Mercer, Frank Borden and Travis Lay all scored in double figures in the win against NJIT...The Eagles forced 26 turnovers in the game, while only committing 11 of their own...American concludes its three-game road trip with a visit to Mount St. Mary's on Monday, then returns home to face UMBC on Saturday.
Army
The Black Knights went 1-1 last week, notching their first home victory in a 63-58 triumph over Presbyterian on Saturday and losing, 93-78, at Cornell on Tuesday...The win over Presbyterian snapped a two-game losing skid...Jarell Brown scored 30 points in the loss to Cornell, the highest single-game total for a Patriot League player this season....Brown scored 26 in the win over Presbyterian, and hit on 18-of-30 shots in the two games, including 13-of-20 from three-point range...He hit eight three-pointers against Presbyterian, which ranked second on Army's single-game list...He moved into sole possession of third place on Army's career three-pointers list with 170...Josh Moonshower scored a career-high 16 points against Presbyterian...Guard Josh Miller has tied or set a career-high in assists in the last four games, and notched seven in the win over Presbyterian...Miller leads the Patriot League in assists, and is in the top 15 in scoring and rebounds...Army played the Presbyterian game without two of its top big men, Doug Williams and Chris Walker ...They are on the road twice this week, at Hartford on Wednesday and at VMI on Saturday.
Bucknell
Bucknell fell to 2-2 on the season with a 64-55 loss at Wagner on Saturday in its only game of the week...The Bison trailed 29-13 at halftime after making only 5-27 shots in the first half (1-11 from 3-point range), but they scored 42 points in the second half and closed within seven on three occasions... Patrick Behan scored a career-high 17 points in the loss...Freshman guard Darryl Shazier had a solid day with six points, five rebounds, four assists and three steals, while classmate Todd O'Brien notched eight points and six boards...O'Brien also had three blocks in the game, and leads the Patriot League with 11 blocked shots through four games...The Bison lead the League with 4.75 blocks per contest...John Griffin hit two 3-pointers, giving him 153 for his career...Griffin needs one more trey to reach the top five on Bucknell's all-time list...Griffin and Behan lead the Bison and are tied for seventh in the Patriot League with 14.5 ppg...Bucknell returns home for the first time since Nov. 10 when it takes on Marist on Wednesday to kick off a three-game homestand...They also play St. Francis (Pa.) on Saturday and La Salle on Dec. 3.
Colgate
The Raiders came into the week with an unblemished record, but suffered their first two defeats with a 61-60 loss to Marist on Wednesday and 81-76 loss to Dartmouth on Saturday...Marist scored on a putback with seven seconds left for the victory, while Colgate led Dartmouth by one point with less than five minutes to play...Kyle Roemer was the high scorer in both games, and recorded a career-high 26 points against Dartmouth...He averaged 20.5 ppg for the week, and connected on all 11 foul shots...Roemer leads the Patriot League with 20.2 ppg for the season...Kendall Chones had 20 points against Dartmouth, the fourth time in his career that he has scored 20 or more in a game...Daniel Waddy chipped in with 15 points in the game and Willie Morse had nine, but the other six players to see action totaled only six points...Colgate kicks off a long six-game road swing on Monday at Notre Dame...The Raiders will also become the third Patriot League team to visit Cornell on Saturday, and will not play at home until after the New Year.
Holy Cross
The Crusaders only played once last week, and made the most of their outing by beating Harvard, 80-69, on Tuesday...It was the first time that any opponent scored more than 54 points against them, but the Crusaders still lead the Patriot League with 55.5 points per game allowed....They also lead the League in scoring margin, free throw percentage, field goal percentage defense and rebounding margin...Harvard fought back to tie the score at 62 with 5:56 to play, but the Crusaders answered with a 10-0 run to put the game away...Tim Clifford scored 22 points for the second consecutive game, and now leads the team with 13.5 ppg for the season...Alex Vander Baan had 18 points and eight rebounds, while Adam May had a career-high 16 points and six boards...Vander Baan leads the Patriot League with 8.5 rebounds per game...The Crusaders play the remainder of a four-game homestand this week, putting their undefeated record on the line with games against Ohio on Monday, Yale on Wednesday and Dayton at the DCU Center in Worcester on Saturday.
Lafayette
The Leopards were the only Patriot League team to complete a 2-0 week and moved to 3-2 overall with an 87-84 win in overtime over UMBC on Tuesday and a 71-54 victory over Central Connecticut State on Sunday afternoon....Andrew Brown had a team-high point total in both games, scoring 15 against UMBC and 17 against CCSU...Bilal Abdullah had 16 points against CCSU and Paul Cummins added 12, and seven different Lafayette players scored in double figures in at least one of the two games this week, with Brown doing it in both... ..Lafayette hit 12-of-25 three-pointers against CCSU, and 10-of-25 against UMBC for a 44 percent clip from long range for the week...The victory over UMBC avenged an 86-51 loss last season...Lafayette hosts Penn on Wednesday, then is off for the weekend until hosting NJIT on Monday...After that game, the Leopards will play their final eight non-League games on the road and not return home until they play Holy Cross in the League opener on Jan. 12.
Lehigh
The Mountain Hawks had a tough week on the road, losing 78-66 at Albany on Tuesday and 72-51 at Maryland on Friday...Freshman Rob Keefer scored a career-high 12 points and pulled down six rebounds against Maryland...He has started every game for Lehigh, and leads all Patriot League freshman with 8.0 ppg...Matt Szalachowski tied Keefer for the team lead with 12 points against Maryland, and four different Lehigh players scored in double figures in the two games last week...Zahir Carrington (14) and Bryan White (12) both did it against Albany...The Mountain Hawks lead the Patriot League in assist/turnover ratio, due in large part to Marquis Hall leading the League with twice as many assists as turnovers (18/9)...Bryan White is in the top five in the League in rebounds, blocks and steals...After playing four of its first five games on the road, Lehigh plays five of the next six at home...They host NJIT on Monday and Quinnipiac on Wednesday of this week, before traveling to Central Connecticut State on Saturday.
Navy
The Mids won, 71-60, over Canisius on Wednesday before dropping a pair of heartbreakers over the weekend at the Philly Hoop Group Classic...They had a 16-point first-half lead before falling to Seton Hall, 79-75, and also lost to Penn, 71-67, after holding a halftime advantage...Greg Sprink averaged 20.7 ppg and 5.7 rpg for the week, and was even better in Philadelphia with 22.5 ppg and 6.0 rpg in the two contests...Sprink set a career-high in steals with four against Canisius, then matched it against Seton Hall...He has scored in double figures in every game this year, and has 22 career 20-point games...Navy's 37 three-point attempts against Seton Hall were the second most in school history...The Mids connected on 13 of the 37 shots...Navy shot just 74-of-207 (35.7 percent) in three games during the week...They grabbed 45 offensive rebounds in the three contests...Brian Richards scored a career-high 15 points against Canisius and then grabbed a career-high nine rebounds against Seton Hall...Navy's bench has scored at least 27 points in all seven games this year...The Mids concludes a busy, nine-game Novemeber by playing at Howard on Tuesday and at home against Towson on Thursday...They play Mount St. Mary's on Dec. 3, then have two weeks off before their next action at San Diego State on Dec. 17
Labels: American, Army, Bucknell, Colgate, Holy Cross, Lafayette, Lehigh, Navy
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Sunday, November 25, 2007
Jarrell Brown's career-high 8 three-pointers lifted the Black Knights over winless Presbyterian, 63-58.
Brown finished with 26 points, his second big game in a row for Army (2-3). He had a career-high 30 Tuesday in a loss to Cornell.
John Moonshower added a career-high 16, shooting 6 for 9 from the field, for Army, which squandered a 13-point first halftime, then came from behind for the win.
The Black Knights were up 28-15 with 5:33 to go in the first half. But the Blue Hose (0-7) closed the half with a 9-2 spurt, then opened the second half with a 12-3 run to take the lead. Presbyterian built its advantage to 41-35 with 11:47 to play.
Army responded with an 18-2 run of its own, going back up by 10. Presbyterian twice cut it to 3 down the stretch, but Army held on despite going just 4 for 8 at the foul line in the final minute.
Despite those missed free throws in the final minute, foul shots were the difference for the Black Knights. Presbyterians was 22 of 45 (48.9 percent) from the field, 7 of 19 from the arc and made 7 of 10 free throws. Army went to the line 15 times, making 10, while shooting 46.8 percent (22 of 47) from the field, including 9 of 20 three-pointers.
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Brown finished with 26 points, his second big game in a row for Army (2-3). He had a career-high 30 Tuesday in a loss to Cornell.
John Moonshower added a career-high 16, shooting 6 for 9 from the field, for Army, which squandered a 13-point first halftime, then came from behind for the win.
The Black Knights were up 28-15 with 5:33 to go in the first half. But the Blue Hose (0-7) closed the half with a 9-2 spurt, then opened the second half with a 12-3 run to take the lead. Presbyterian built its advantage to 41-35 with 11:47 to play.
Army responded with an 18-2 run of its own, going back up by 10. Presbyterian twice cut it to 3 down the stretch, but Army held on despite going just 4 for 8 at the foul line in the final minute.
Despite those missed free throws in the final minute, foul shots were the difference for the Black Knights. Presbyterians was 22 of 45 (48.9 percent) from the field, 7 of 19 from the arc and made 7 of 10 free throws. Army went to the line 15 times, making 10, while shooting 46.8 percent (22 of 47) from the field, including 9 of 20 three-pointers.
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Saturday, November 24, 2007
Four Patriot League teams in action on this Saturday afternoon, with a fifth taking the court later in the evening. Afternoon matchups include Bucknell and Colgate trying to bounce back from their first losses of the season. The Bison are on Staten Island to face Wagner, Colgate home hosting Dartmouth. Army hosts Division I newcomer Presbytarian and American is at second-year D-I NJIT. Navy will face Penn tonight on the Quakers' home floor in a consolation game of the Philly Hoops Classic.
SCOUTING WAGNER: The 2-2 Seahawks are coming off an 88-81 win over William and mary that snapped a two-game slide. Wagner's other win came over Lafayette in their opener.
This is a veteran Wagner team that starts three seniors and a pair of redshirt juniors. Durrel Vinson, a 6-7 senior, leds the scoring (18 ppg) and rebounding (8.5 rpg). Mark Porter, a 6-2 senior, averages 13 points and a team-high 5 assists. Also averaging in double figures ate 6-2 redshirt junior Joey Mundweiler (11.3 ppg) and 6-5 redshirt junior Jamal Smith (10 ppg). The first starter, 607 senior James Ulrich, averages 8.5 ppg.
The Seahawks are shooting 44.1 percent from the field, just 27.1 percent from the arc. Opponents are shooting 44.1 percent against Wagner,40.4 percent from three-point range.
BONUS LINKS:
(Daily Item)
SCOUTING PRESBYTERIAN: The Blue Hose are 0-6 in their first season at the Division I level. Opponents have been shooting 51.2 percent from the field against Presbytarian, 44.6 percent from the arc.
Pat Kiscaden is the only Presbytarian player averaging in double figures. The 6-3 senior is scoing 15.7 ppg, shooting 60.8 percent from the field, 61.4 percent from three-point range. As a team, the Blue Hose are shooting 42.3 percent from the field and being outrebounded by an average of 6 per game.
BONUS LINKS:
SCOUTING PENN: These are not your father's Quakers, or your big brother's, or anybody else's who has followed Penn in recent years. Under second-year coach Glenn Miller, Penn opened the season 0-3, picked up a win over The Citadel, then resumed losing Friday with a .
Brian Grandieri (6-4 senior) was the Quakers leading scorer through the first four games (their stats have not been updated as we post this) at 15.8 ppg. Nobody else was in double figures. Freshman Remy Cofield scored 20 against Virginia. That was 20 more points than the 6-4 Cofield had scored through the Quakers first four games. In facvt, prior to the Virginia game, he had only played 19 minutes.
One problem for Penn thus far has been defending the arc. Opponents shot 46.9 percent from the field in the first four games, 51.3 percent from three-point range.
The Quakers are without 6-4 sophomore Darren Smith, who is out for the season after breaking his right knee in the opener against Drexel. Grandieri is the only Quaker to start every game thus far for Penn. Miller had used 10 different starters prior to the Virginia game,
BONUS LINKS:
(pdf)
(Philly Inquirer)
(Philly.com sports producer Jonathan Tannenwald's sports blog -- he game blogged from the Friday's Philly Classic games and knowing Jonathan -- a Penn grad -- he will likely have a lot on this game today)
SCOUTING NJIT: The Highlanders are 0-4 thus far in their second season at the Division I level. No NJIT player is averaging in double figures. Leading scorer Kraig Peters, a 6-4 senior, is scoring 9.5 ppg.
Opponents are holding NJIT to 33.7 percent shooting from the field while lighting up the Highlanders' defense at a 52.4 percent rate, including 42.9 percent from three-point range.
BONUS LINKS:
SCOUTING DARTMOUTH: The Big Green are a young 1-3 team with just two seniors and five freshmen on . Alex Barnett, a 6-6 junior, leads Dartmouth in scoring (15.8 ppg) and rebounding (6.5 rpg). Barnett is shooting 51.1 percent from the field.
DeVon Mosley, a 6-1 junior, is also in double figures at 13.3 ppg. As a team, Dartmouth is shooting 39 percent from the field while allowing opponents to hit at a 45.3 percent clip.
BONUS LINKS:
Dartmouth stats
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SCOUTING WAGNER: The 2-2 Seahawks are coming off an 88-81 win over William and mary that snapped a two-game slide. Wagner's other win came over Lafayette in their opener.
This is a veteran Wagner team that starts three seniors and a pair of redshirt juniors. Durrel Vinson, a 6-7 senior, leds the scoring (18 ppg) and rebounding (8.5 rpg). Mark Porter, a 6-2 senior, averages 13 points and a team-high 5 assists. Also averaging in double figures ate 6-2 redshirt junior Joey Mundweiler (11.3 ppg) and 6-5 redshirt junior Jamal Smith (10 ppg). The first starter, 607 senior James Ulrich, averages 8.5 ppg.
The Seahawks are shooting 44.1 percent from the field, just 27.1 percent from the arc. Opponents are shooting 44.1 percent against Wagner,40.4 percent from three-point range.
BONUS LINKS:
SCOUTING PRESBYTERIAN: The Blue Hose are 0-6 in their first season at the Division I level. Opponents have been shooting 51.2 percent from the field against Presbytarian, 44.6 percent from the arc.
Pat Kiscaden is the only Presbytarian player averaging in double figures. The 6-3 senior is scoing 15.7 ppg, shooting 60.8 percent from the field, 61.4 percent from three-point range. As a team, the Blue Hose are shooting 42.3 percent from the field and being outrebounded by an average of 6 per game.
BONUS LINKS:
SCOUTING PENN: These are not your father's Quakers, or your big brother's, or anybody else's who has followed Penn in recent years. Under second-year coach Glenn Miller, Penn opened the season 0-3, picked up a win over The Citadel, then resumed losing Friday with a .
Brian Grandieri (6-4 senior) was the Quakers leading scorer through the first four games (their stats have not been updated as we post this) at 15.8 ppg. Nobody else was in double figures. Freshman Remy Cofield scored 20 against Virginia. That was 20 more points than the 6-4 Cofield had scored through the Quakers first four games. In facvt, prior to the Virginia game, he had only played 19 minutes.
One problem for Penn thus far has been defending the arc. Opponents shot 46.9 percent from the field in the first four games, 51.3 percent from three-point range.
The Quakers are without 6-4 sophomore Darren Smith, who is out for the season after breaking his right knee in the opener against Drexel. Grandieri is the only Quaker to start every game thus far for Penn. Miller had used 10 different starters prior to the Virginia game,
BONUS LINKS:
SCOUTING NJIT: The Highlanders are 0-4 thus far in their second season at the Division I level. No NJIT player is averaging in double figures. Leading scorer Kraig Peters, a 6-4 senior, is scoring 9.5 ppg.
Opponents are holding NJIT to 33.7 percent shooting from the field while lighting up the Highlanders' defense at a 52.4 percent rate, including 42.9 percent from three-point range.
BONUS LINKS:
SCOUTING DARTMOUTH: The Big Green are a young 1-3 team with just two seniors and five freshmen on . Alex Barnett, a 6-6 junior, leads Dartmouth in scoring (15.8 ppg) and rebounding (6.5 rpg). Barnett is shooting 51.1 percent from the field.
DeVon Mosley, a 6-1 junior, is also in double figures at 13.3 ppg. As a team, Dartmouth is shooting 39 percent from the field while allowing opponents to hit at a 45.3 percent clip.
BONUS LINKS:
Labels: American, Army, Bucknell, Colgate, Navy, previews
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Wednesday, November 21, 2007
(Originally posted Tues. at 10:52 p.m, links added at 7:35 a.m.)
It was a tie game with 11:49 to play. Then Army fouls put Cornell into the double bonus and it went downhill for the Black Knights from there in the 83-78 setback.
The Big Red reached the double bonbus with 11:07 to play. Army was still close, trailing by just 60-57 with 10:54 to go. Then Cornell went on an 11-1 run to pull away. Eight of Cornell's points in that decisive run came on free throws.
Army, which was led by Jarell Brown's career-high-tying 30 points, actually outscored Cornell from the field, hitting 30 of 60 field goal attempts, including 7 of 18 fronm the three-point arc. Cornell also shot 50 percent from the field, but it only made 26 field goals, including 10 of 23 threes. But with Army being hit with 31 fouls, Cornell went to the line 38 times, making 31. Army was 11 of 13 from the charity stripe.
Josh Miller added 14 for Army, which lost sophomore center Chris Walker after he was hit in the nose just two minutes into the game.
Brian Kreefer, who played just 2 minutes in Cornell's first two games. posted 21 points off the bench for Cornell, two shy of his career-high 23 scored against Army last season.
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It was a tie game with 11:49 to play. Then Army fouls put Cornell into the double bonus and it went downhill for the Black Knights from there in the 83-78 setback.
The Big Red reached the double bonbus with 11:07 to play. Army was still close, trailing by just 60-57 with 10:54 to go. Then Cornell went on an 11-1 run to pull away. Eight of Cornell's points in that decisive run came on free throws.
Army, which was led by Jarell Brown's career-high-tying 30 points, actually outscored Cornell from the field, hitting 30 of 60 field goal attempts, including 7 of 18 fronm the three-point arc. Cornell also shot 50 percent from the field, but it only made 26 field goals, including 10 of 23 threes. But with Army being hit with 31 fouls, Cornell went to the line 38 times, making 31. Army was 11 of 13 from the charity stripe.
Josh Miller added 14 for Army, which lost sophomore center Chris Walker after he was hit in the nose just two minutes into the game.
Brian Kreefer, who played just 2 minutes in Cornell's first two games. posted 21 points off the bench for Cornell, two shy of his career-high 23 scored against Army last season.
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Tuesday, November 20, 2007
The season's busiest night to date is on tap with a seven six-game slate. Two games, Army at Cornell and Harvard at Holy Cross, pit Patriot League teams against Ivies. Also on the slate are tough tests for Lehigh (at Albany), Colgate (home vs. Marist), American (at Morgan State), Lafayette (hosting UMBC). Rounding out the schedule is Canisus at Navy. EDITOR'S NOTE: It happens every year, at least once; we go by the composite schedule in the league's media guide and then find out later the date or time for a game has been changed, or listed incorrectly. The Marist-Colgate game is Wednesday, not tonight. The Marist scouting report is here anyhow, if you are interested.)
SCOUTING CORNELL: The Big Red (1-1) has been an offensive juggernaut through two games, averaging 88 points per game. They also give up points by the bushel -- 102 in their most recent outing, a 102-89 loss to Ohio and 83 in their 87-83 opening win over Lehigh.
Jason Hartford (18.5 ppg) , a 6-9 forward with three-point range, leads Cornell. Hartford is also the Big Red's top rebounder (6.5 per game). Guard Ryan Wittman is averaging 16 ppg and is 8 for 12 from the arc in two games. Louis Dale, a 5-11 sophomore, sets up the scoring. Dale is averaging 9.5 assists per game.
Cornell has won eight in a row against Army. Junior Brian Keefer scored 23 in a Cornell win over Army last season and has averaged 16 ppg in two careeer games against the Big Red. But Army probably does not have to worry about him this time. In two games, Keefer has a DNP in one and played 3 minutes in the other.
The Black Knights have plenty of other folks to be concerned about, though. In addition to hartford and Wittman, (stats are pdf file) in double figures.
BONUS LINKS:
(Cornell Sun)
SCOUTING MORGAN STATE: The Bears are 2-1 headed into their home opener against American. Included in their wins is a 77-53 win at Saint Francis (Pa.). AU also has a win at Saint Francis. Morgan State's other win came over Ohio Valley, a Division II team (77-66) in the consolation round of the Coaches vs. Cancer Storrs regional. That followed a 69-65 loss to UConn in the opener.
Coached by former Cal coach Todd Bozeman, the Bears are led by Reggie Holmes, a 6-4 sophomore guard who averages 17 ppg. Holmes is 11 for 19 from the arc in three games. Marquise Kately (6-5 junior forward) averages 13.7 ppg and Jamar Smith (6-2 senior guard) averages 12.3 ppg. In the paint, 6-9 senior Boubacar Coly is averaging almost a double-double at 9.3 points and 10 rebounds per game.
Morgan State is shooting only 43.5 percent from the field as a team, but they have held opponents to 41.7 percent.
BONUS LINKS:
(Examiner)
SCOUTING MARIST: The Red Foxes are 1-3 after dropping three straight at the Puerto Rico Tip-Off tournament. Marist's first two losses came without the services of senior guard Louie McCroskey, a 6-5 senior guard who played all 40 minutes in the Red Foxes' in the seventh place consolation game. McCroskey scored 18 points in his Marist debut, which was for either violating team rules or due to questions about his academic eligibility -- depending which story you read.
Spongy Benjamin, a 6-7 senior, averages 11 points and 8.8 rebounds per game for Marist.
BONUS LINKS:
(Times Herald-Record)
SCOUTING UMBC: The Retrievers are 3-0 for the first time since 2002 following a 70-68 win at Richmond. How they are undefeated is a bit of a mystery. UMBC is shooting 42.3 percent from the field and allowing opponents to shoot 47 percent. But the Retrievers are hotting better from the arc (43.6 percent) than from two-point range and have been getting to the foul line an average of 10 times more per game than their opponents.
UMBC only goes seven deep, which ought to translate into a legs issue at some point if they keep playing at the pace they have been (75.7 ppg). Whether that will be a problem against a Lafayette team that tends to sub in waves remains to be seen -- it is still early in the season.
Four players average in double figures for UMBC. Senior Brian Hodges (6-3) leads the way with 17.7 ppg. Coppin State transfer Darryl Proctor, a 6-4 junior, averages 16.7 points and 7.3 rebounds per game. James Madison transfer Cavell Johnson (6-8 senior) is averaging almost a double-double at 15.3 points and 9 boards and 6-2 senior guard Ray Barbosa, another James Madison transfer, is scoring 11.3 per game.
It will be a homecoming of sorts for Barbosa, an Allentown native who reportedly considered Lehigh before settling on UMBC when he decided to leave James Madison. Little used 5-8 senior guard Jay Greene is also a Lehigh Valley native (Whitehall HS).
BONUS LINKS:
(The Retriever)
SCOUTING ALBANY: The Great Danes are 2-1 after losing their opener 55-42 at Bucknell. Since then, the Danes have posted wins at Central Connecticut and, most recently, at home over Columbia in a game where they held the Lions to 38 points (70-38).
Defense is Albany's calling card thus far. The Danes are shooting just 42.7 percent from the field and have just two players averaging in double figures (Brian Lillis, 6-5 guard, and Jon Iati, a 5-9 senior guard both average 12.7 ppg), but they have held opponents to 34 percent shooting from the field and just 15 percent shooting from the arc.
The includes nine guys 6-5 or taller. Their starting fibe goes 6-8, 6-8, 6-7, 6-5, 6-5. That helps explain why opponents are having such difficulty from the perimeter. Lehigh guard Marquis Hall, the Mountain Hawks' leading scorer, will be giving away six inches to whichever guard Albany coach Will Brown decided to play on him (either Lillis or 6-5 Jerel Hastings.
BONUS LINKS:
previw (Albany Times Union blog)
SCOUTING CANISIUS: The Golden Griff are 0-2 and coming off the worst loss in school history (93-40 at Penn State). Canisius also failed to score 50 in a season-opening loss to Colgate.
Freshman Elton Frazier posted a 13-13 double-double at Penn State. He leads Canisus in scoring (10 ppg) and rebounds (9 rpg.)
BONUS LINKS:
SCOUTING HARVARD: Tommy Amaker's Crimson are 2-2 after winning their last two over Northwestern State and Mercer. Harvard opened with losses to Stanford and UC Santa Barbara.
Four players are averaging in double figures for Harvard, led by 6-0 junior Drew Houseman (14.3 ppg) and 6-2 sophomore Jeremy Lin (13.8 ppg). Senior guard Andrew Pusar averages 11.5 ppg and 6-9 junior Evan Harris averages 11 ppg and shares the team lead in rebounding with 7.3 rpg.
BONUS LINKS:
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SCOUTING CORNELL: The Big Red (1-1) has been an offensive juggernaut through two games, averaging 88 points per game. They also give up points by the bushel -- 102 in their most recent outing, a 102-89 loss to Ohio and 83 in their 87-83 opening win over Lehigh.
Jason Hartford (18.5 ppg) , a 6-9 forward with three-point range, leads Cornell. Hartford is also the Big Red's top rebounder (6.5 per game). Guard Ryan Wittman is averaging 16 ppg and is 8 for 12 from the arc in two games. Louis Dale, a 5-11 sophomore, sets up the scoring. Dale is averaging 9.5 assists per game.
Cornell has won eight in a row against Army. Junior Brian Keefer scored 23 in a Cornell win over Army last season and has averaged 16 ppg in two careeer games against the Big Red. But Army probably does not have to worry about him this time. In two games, Keefer has a DNP in one and played 3 minutes in the other.
The Black Knights have plenty of other folks to be concerned about, though. In addition to hartford and Wittman, (stats are pdf file) in double figures.
BONUS LINKS:
SCOUTING MORGAN STATE: The Bears are 2-1 headed into their home opener against American. Included in their wins is a 77-53 win at Saint Francis (Pa.). AU also has a win at Saint Francis. Morgan State's other win came over Ohio Valley, a Division II team (77-66) in the consolation round of the Coaches vs. Cancer Storrs regional. That followed a 69-65 loss to UConn in the opener.
Coached by former Cal coach Todd Bozeman, the Bears are led by Reggie Holmes, a 6-4 sophomore guard who averages 17 ppg. Holmes is 11 for 19 from the arc in three games. Marquise Kately (6-5 junior forward) averages 13.7 ppg and Jamar Smith (6-2 senior guard) averages 12.3 ppg. In the paint, 6-9 senior Boubacar Coly is averaging almost a double-double at 9.3 points and 10 rebounds per game.
Morgan State is shooting only 43.5 percent from the field as a team, but they have held opponents to 41.7 percent.
BONUS LINKS:
SCOUTING MARIST: The Red Foxes are 1-3 after dropping three straight at the Puerto Rico Tip-Off tournament. Marist's first two losses came without the services of senior guard Louie McCroskey, a 6-5 senior guard who played all 40 minutes in the Red Foxes' in the seventh place consolation game. McCroskey scored 18 points in his Marist debut, which was for either violating team rules or due to questions about his academic eligibility -- depending which story you read.
Spongy Benjamin, a 6-7 senior, averages 11 points and 8.8 rebounds per game for Marist.
BONUS LINKS:
SCOUTING UMBC: The Retrievers are 3-0 for the first time since 2002 following a 70-68 win at Richmond. How they are undefeated is a bit of a mystery. UMBC is shooting 42.3 percent from the field and allowing opponents to shoot 47 percent. But the Retrievers are hotting better from the arc (43.6 percent) than from two-point range and have been getting to the foul line an average of 10 times more per game than their opponents.
UMBC only goes seven deep, which ought to translate into a legs issue at some point if they keep playing at the pace they have been (75.7 ppg). Whether that will be a problem against a Lafayette team that tends to sub in waves remains to be seen -- it is still early in the season.
Four players average in double figures for UMBC. Senior Brian Hodges (6-3) leads the way with 17.7 ppg. Coppin State transfer Darryl Proctor, a 6-4 junior, averages 16.7 points and 7.3 rebounds per game. James Madison transfer Cavell Johnson (6-8 senior) is averaging almost a double-double at 15.3 points and 9 boards and 6-2 senior guard Ray Barbosa, another James Madison transfer, is scoring 11.3 per game.
It will be a homecoming of sorts for Barbosa, an Allentown native who reportedly considered Lehigh before settling on UMBC when he decided to leave James Madison. Little used 5-8 senior guard Jay Greene is also a Lehigh Valley native (Whitehall HS).
BONUS LINKS:
SCOUTING ALBANY: The Great Danes are 2-1 after losing their opener 55-42 at Bucknell. Since then, the Danes have posted wins at Central Connecticut and, most recently, at home over Columbia in a game where they held the Lions to 38 points (70-38).
Defense is Albany's calling card thus far. The Danes are shooting just 42.7 percent from the field and have just two players averaging in double figures (Brian Lillis, 6-5 guard, and Jon Iati, a 5-9 senior guard both average 12.7 ppg), but they have held opponents to 34 percent shooting from the field and just 15 percent shooting from the arc.
The includes nine guys 6-5 or taller. Their starting fibe goes 6-8, 6-8, 6-7, 6-5, 6-5. That helps explain why opponents are having such difficulty from the perimeter. Lehigh guard Marquis Hall, the Mountain Hawks' leading scorer, will be giving away six inches to whichever guard Albany coach Will Brown decided to play on him (either Lillis or 6-5 Jerel Hastings.
BONUS LINKS:
SCOUTING CANISIUS: The Golden Griff are 0-2 and coming off the worst loss in school history (93-40 at Penn State). Canisius also failed to score 50 in a season-opening loss to Colgate.
Freshman Elton Frazier posted a 13-13 double-double at Penn State. He leads Canisus in scoring (10 ppg) and rebounds (9 rpg.)
BONUS LINKS:
SCOUTING HARVARD: Tommy Amaker's Crimson are 2-2 after winning their last two over Northwestern State and Mercer. Harvard opened with losses to Stanford and UC Santa Barbara.
Four players are averaging in double figures for Harvard, led by 6-0 junior Drew Houseman (14.3 ppg) and 6-2 sophomore Jeremy Lin (13.8 ppg). Senior guard Andrew Pusar averages 11.5 ppg and 6-9 junior Evan Harris averages 11 ppg and shares the team lead in rebounding with 7.3 rpg.
BONUS LINKS:
Labels: American, Army, Colgate, Holy Cross, Lafayette, Lehigh, Navy, previews
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Monday, November 19, 2007
Highlights from the latest memo from the home office in Bethlehem:
Team Notebooks
American
American earned its first home victory of the season with a 64-56 triumph over Stony Brook on Sunday afernoon...Earlier in the week, the Eagles lost a pair of games to MAAC teams falling at Loyola (Md.), 71-67, on Tuesday and losing their home opener to Fairfield, 60-52, on Thursday...Derrick Mercer nearly notched a triple-double in the win against Stony Brook, recording 11 points, eight rebounds and seven assists....Mercer played every minute of all three games last week...He moved into the American top 10 with 266 career assists...Garrison Carr averaged over 17 points for the week...Both players are tied for the team lead with 18.2 ppg for the season...American's two-game losing streak that was snapped Sunday was its longest since last February....The Eagles are back in action on Tuesday night when they travel to Morgan State.
Army
The Black Knights fell in their home opener to Long Island, 64-54, on Friday...They got into the win column for the first timewith a 64-49 triumph at Sacred Heart on Monday...Jarell Brown starred against Sacred Heart, scoring 26 points on 9-of-16 from the field and 6-of-12 shooting from beyond the arc...Brown's six three-pointers against the Pioneers tied for 10th on the Army single-game list ... It was the 17th game of his career with at least 20 points...Brown has not been held to less than 10 points in consecutive games since the start of the 2005-06 season, though he was held to four in the loss to Long Island...He is now only 66 points shy of 1,000 for his career...The Black Knights' overcame a 10-point first-half deficit in the win against Sacred Heart. It was their first double-digit comeback in a victory since Dec. 2, 2005 at Columbia...Army has made at least one three-pointer in 174 straight games...With the win against Sacred Heart, Army is now 13-3 in the Jim Crews Era when holding teams to less than 50 points...Kenny Brewer, Josh Miller and John Moonshower all set or tied career highs in points against LIU...The Black Knights are back on the road Tuesday at Cornell.
Bucknell
Bucknell scored a solid non-League win with a 71-57 triumph at Towson on Wednesday, and just missed an upset with a 70-64 loss at No. 23/24 Villanova on Sunday...The Bison led Villanova by eight points at halftime, and had a nine-point edge early in the second half...The game was tied inside 4:00 to play, but the Wildcats pulled it out in the end... Bucknell set a school record with 15 3-pointers in the game, six coming from John Griffin and four from Patrick Behan...Griffin had his first two 20-point games last week, recording 21 against Towson and topping it with 22 against Villanova....Griffin had 17 in the first half against the Wildcats...He has 151 career three-pointers, and needs only three more to enter the Bucknell top five...Behan tied his career high with 16 points against the Wildcats...Justin Castleberry equaled his career high with 16 points in the win at Towson, scoring all 16 in the second half...Freshman G.W. Boon had 11 points in 14 minutes against Villanova...The Bison shot 25-for-54 (.463) from the arc in the two games last week....Bucknell is off until Saturday when it travels to Wagner.
Colgate
Colgate rolled off an impressive week, winning the 100 Club Classic with wins over Texas State and host Kennesaw State over the weekend and recording a 61-47 victory at Cansisus on Tuesday...They are at 4-0 for the first time as a Patriot League member, and the first time overall since 1979-80...Colgate's win at Canisius was its first since 1946-47, breaking a string of 13 consecutive road losses to the Golden Griffins...Kyle Roemer was named MVP of the 100 Club Classic after recording 24 points in the win over Texas State and 25 in the championship game victory over Kennesaw State...Roemer moved into seventh place in school history with 121 three-point field goals made...Tim Pounds had a career-high 19 points in the win over Texas State, and Ben Jonson had a career-high 15 in the win over Kennesaw State...Both players were named to the All-Tournament team...The Raiders play the last Patriot League game before Thanksgiving, hosting Marist on Wednesday night.
Holy Cross
The Crusaders moved their record to 3-0 with a 60-52 win at Hampton on Saturday...They won both games on the road last week, knocking off Fairfield 67-54 on Tuesday...They have held all three opponents under 55 points this season, and are allowing only 51 points per game overall...Colin Cunningham had a career-high in points (17) against Fairfield, and in assists (5) against Hampton....Cunningham connected on all 11 of his foul shots during the week...Freshman Andrew Beinert scored the first two points of his career against Fairfield, and connected on a pair of three-pointers againt Hampton....Patriot League Preseason Player of the Year Tim Clifford tallied a game-high 22 points in the win at Hampton....The Crusaders held the Pirates to 15-of-49 (30.6 percent) shooting in the win...They are back in action Tuesday night at home against Harvard.
Lafayette
The Leopards notched their first win of the season in overtime with a 76-68 triumph at Stony Brook on Monday, then fell to Fairleigh Dickinson, 98-92, on Friday at home...Lafayette trailed by as many as 14 points in the first half against Stony Brook...Andrew Brown sent the Stony Brook game to overtime with a basket with 17 seconds to play, and scored all of his 21 points in the second half and overtime...Brown followed that with an 18-point, four-assist effort against Fairleigh Dickinson to average 19.5 ppg for the week...Freshman Deirunas Visockas had a breakout game against FDU with 15 points in just 15 minutes, and shot 5-of-6 from the field and 4-of-5 from three-point range...Lafayette had four players in double digits for the first time since Jan. 11, 2006 in the win over Stony Brook, then did it again in the loss to FDU...Brown and Bilal Abdullah were in double figures in both games, while Matt Betley, Michael Gruner, Jeff Kari and Visockas all had a game of 10 points or more...Lafayette is at home on Tuesday against UMBC.
Lehigh
Lehigh got its overall record to 2-1 with a pair of wins this week, knocking off St. Peter's, 60-56, at home on Wednesday for First-Year Head Coach Brett Reed's first win and won at St. Francis (Pa.) 71-66 on Saturday...Marquis Hall came up huge in both games, hitting the game-winning shot with 49 seconds to play for a 57-56 lead and scoring the final seven Lehigh points in the last 1:24 against St. Peter's and scoring six points in the final 2:39 and hitting a go-ahead and eventual game-winning three-pointer with 1:04 to play against St. Francis (Pa.)...Hall averaged 18.5 ppg in the two games, and leads the Mountain Hawks with 18.0 ppg for the season...Senior Bryan White has pulled down a total of 44 rebounds in his last four games, including two games of double-digit boards this season...Lehigh beat St. Peter's for the first time ever, and knocked off St. Francis (Pa.) for the first time since 1986...Lehigh won its first home opener since 2002...The win at St. Francis (Pa.) was Lehigh's first non-league road victory sine January 2, 2006 when the Mountain Hawks defeated Columbia...This is the earliest that Lehigh has been above .500 since 2002-03...The Mountain Hawks go to Albany on Tuesday.
Navy
The Mids dropped a pair of games last week, losing at Texas-San Antonio 77-67 on Saturday after falling, 93-77, to Robert Morris in their home opener on Wednesday...Greg Sprink led the way with 19 points, four assists and three rebounds against Robert Morris, and totaled 13 points against Texas-San Antonio...Freshman Mark Veazey notched seven points, eight rebounds and two blocks against Robert Morris...Navy outrebounded its first foe since Jan. 6, 2007, in the loss to Texas-San Antonio, a span of 18 games. The last opponent Navy outrebounded was Bucknell in the Patriot League opener a year ago...Navy's 15 offensive rebounds against UTSA were the most since recording 17 against Colgate on Feb. 25, 2006...Navy's bench is shooting 49.5 percent this year and is averaging 33.0 points per game...Navy fired just 12 three-point shots, making five against UTSA. The 12 three-point attempts are the fewest since shooting just 11 against American on Feb. 23, 2006. The five made three-pointers are the fewest since making three in that same game...Navy has a busy week, hosting Canisus on Tuesday before playing in the Philly Classic on Friday against Seton Hall and Saturday against Penn or Virginia...Games are being played at the Palestra.
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Team Notebooks
American
American earned its first home victory of the season with a 64-56 triumph over Stony Brook on Sunday afernoon...Earlier in the week, the Eagles lost a pair of games to MAAC teams falling at Loyola (Md.), 71-67, on Tuesday and losing their home opener to Fairfield, 60-52, on Thursday...Derrick Mercer nearly notched a triple-double in the win against Stony Brook, recording 11 points, eight rebounds and seven assists....Mercer played every minute of all three games last week...He moved into the American top 10 with 266 career assists...Garrison Carr averaged over 17 points for the week...Both players are tied for the team lead with 18.2 ppg for the season...American's two-game losing streak that was snapped Sunday was its longest since last February....The Eagles are back in action on Tuesday night when they travel to Morgan State.
Army
The Black Knights fell in their home opener to Long Island, 64-54, on Friday...They got into the win column for the first timewith a 64-49 triumph at Sacred Heart on Monday...Jarell Brown starred against Sacred Heart, scoring 26 points on 9-of-16 from the field and 6-of-12 shooting from beyond the arc...Brown's six three-pointers against the Pioneers tied for 10th on the Army single-game list ... It was the 17th game of his career with at least 20 points...Brown has not been held to less than 10 points in consecutive games since the start of the 2005-06 season, though he was held to four in the loss to Long Island...He is now only 66 points shy of 1,000 for his career...The Black Knights' overcame a 10-point first-half deficit in the win against Sacred Heart. It was their first double-digit comeback in a victory since Dec. 2, 2005 at Columbia...Army has made at least one three-pointer in 174 straight games...With the win against Sacred Heart, Army is now 13-3 in the Jim Crews Era when holding teams to less than 50 points...Kenny Brewer, Josh Miller and John Moonshower all set or tied career highs in points against LIU...The Black Knights are back on the road Tuesday at Cornell.
Bucknell
Bucknell scored a solid non-League win with a 71-57 triumph at Towson on Wednesday, and just missed an upset with a 70-64 loss at No. 23/24 Villanova on Sunday...The Bison led Villanova by eight points at halftime, and had a nine-point edge early in the second half...The game was tied inside 4:00 to play, but the Wildcats pulled it out in the end... Bucknell set a school record with 15 3-pointers in the game, six coming from John Griffin and four from Patrick Behan...Griffin had his first two 20-point games last week, recording 21 against Towson and topping it with 22 against Villanova....Griffin had 17 in the first half against the Wildcats...He has 151 career three-pointers, and needs only three more to enter the Bucknell top five...Behan tied his career high with 16 points against the Wildcats...Justin Castleberry equaled his career high with 16 points in the win at Towson, scoring all 16 in the second half...Freshman G.W. Boon had 11 points in 14 minutes against Villanova...The Bison shot 25-for-54 (.463) from the arc in the two games last week....Bucknell is off until Saturday when it travels to Wagner.
Colgate
Colgate rolled off an impressive week, winning the 100 Club Classic with wins over Texas State and host Kennesaw State over the weekend and recording a 61-47 victory at Cansisus on Tuesday...They are at 4-0 for the first time as a Patriot League member, and the first time overall since 1979-80...Colgate's win at Canisius was its first since 1946-47, breaking a string of 13 consecutive road losses to the Golden Griffins...Kyle Roemer was named MVP of the 100 Club Classic after recording 24 points in the win over Texas State and 25 in the championship game victory over Kennesaw State...Roemer moved into seventh place in school history with 121 three-point field goals made...Tim Pounds had a career-high 19 points in the win over Texas State, and Ben Jonson had a career-high 15 in the win over Kennesaw State...Both players were named to the All-Tournament team...The Raiders play the last Patriot League game before Thanksgiving, hosting Marist on Wednesday night.
Holy Cross
The Crusaders moved their record to 3-0 with a 60-52 win at Hampton on Saturday...They won both games on the road last week, knocking off Fairfield 67-54 on Tuesday...They have held all three opponents under 55 points this season, and are allowing only 51 points per game overall...Colin Cunningham had a career-high in points (17) against Fairfield, and in assists (5) against Hampton....Cunningham connected on all 11 of his foul shots during the week...Freshman Andrew Beinert scored the first two points of his career against Fairfield, and connected on a pair of three-pointers againt Hampton....Patriot League Preseason Player of the Year Tim Clifford tallied a game-high 22 points in the win at Hampton....The Crusaders held the Pirates to 15-of-49 (30.6 percent) shooting in the win...They are back in action Tuesday night at home against Harvard.
Lafayette
The Leopards notched their first win of the season in overtime with a 76-68 triumph at Stony Brook on Monday, then fell to Fairleigh Dickinson, 98-92, on Friday at home...Lafayette trailed by as many as 14 points in the first half against Stony Brook...Andrew Brown sent the Stony Brook game to overtime with a basket with 17 seconds to play, and scored all of his 21 points in the second half and overtime...Brown followed that with an 18-point, four-assist effort against Fairleigh Dickinson to average 19.5 ppg for the week...Freshman Deirunas Visockas had a breakout game against FDU with 15 points in just 15 minutes, and shot 5-of-6 from the field and 4-of-5 from three-point range...Lafayette had four players in double digits for the first time since Jan. 11, 2006 in the win over Stony Brook, then did it again in the loss to FDU...Brown and Bilal Abdullah were in double figures in both games, while Matt Betley, Michael Gruner, Jeff Kari and Visockas all had a game of 10 points or more...Lafayette is at home on Tuesday against UMBC.
Lehigh
Lehigh got its overall record to 2-1 with a pair of wins this week, knocking off St. Peter's, 60-56, at home on Wednesday for First-Year Head Coach Brett Reed's first win and won at St. Francis (Pa.) 71-66 on Saturday...Marquis Hall came up huge in both games, hitting the game-winning shot with 49 seconds to play for a 57-56 lead and scoring the final seven Lehigh points in the last 1:24 against St. Peter's and scoring six points in the final 2:39 and hitting a go-ahead and eventual game-winning three-pointer with 1:04 to play against St. Francis (Pa.)...Hall averaged 18.5 ppg in the two games, and leads the Mountain Hawks with 18.0 ppg for the season...Senior Bryan White has pulled down a total of 44 rebounds in his last four games, including two games of double-digit boards this season...Lehigh beat St. Peter's for the first time ever, and knocked off St. Francis (Pa.) for the first time since 1986...Lehigh won its first home opener since 2002...The win at St. Francis (Pa.) was Lehigh's first non-league road victory sine January 2, 2006 when the Mountain Hawks defeated Columbia...This is the earliest that Lehigh has been above .500 since 2002-03...The Mountain Hawks go to Albany on Tuesday.
Navy
The Mids dropped a pair of games last week, losing at Texas-San Antonio 77-67 on Saturday after falling, 93-77, to Robert Morris in their home opener on Wednesday...Greg Sprink led the way with 19 points, four assists and three rebounds against Robert Morris, and totaled 13 points against Texas-San Antonio...Freshman Mark Veazey notched seven points, eight rebounds and two blocks against Robert Morris...Navy outrebounded its first foe since Jan. 6, 2007, in the loss to Texas-San Antonio, a span of 18 games. The last opponent Navy outrebounded was Bucknell in the Patriot League opener a year ago...Navy's 15 offensive rebounds against UTSA were the most since recording 17 against Colgate on Feb. 25, 2006...Navy's bench is shooting 49.5 percent this year and is averaging 33.0 points per game...Navy fired just 12 three-point shots, making five against UTSA. The 12 three-point attempts are the fewest since shooting just 11 against American on Feb. 23, 2006. The five made three-pointers are the fewest since making three in that same game...Navy has a busy week, hosting Canisus on Tuesday before playing in the Philly Classic on Friday against Seton Hall and Saturday against Penn or Virginia...Games are being played at the Palestra.
Labels: American, Army, Bucknell, Colgate, Holy Cross, Lafayette, Lehigh, Navy
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A quick look at some news and numbers from around the league.
NO RUST ON ROEMER: One of the questions for Colgate entering the season was how effective Kyle Roemer would be after missing the Raiders last 32 games over the past two seasons due to injuries. Conventional wisdom was that it would take Roemer at least a few games to shake off the rust accumulated after missing the final three games of the 2005-06 season with a concussion and all 29 of last season with an ankle injury.
The answer is: no time at all. Roemer is averaging a league-best 20 points per game through Colgate's first four outings. The 6-3 redshirt (medical) junior, who averaged 10.7 ppg through his first two seasons, has scored 15, 16, 24 and 25 in four games thus far. The 25 against Kennesaw State Saturday broke his career-high set the night before against Texas State. The two 20-point games equalled the number of 20-point performances Roemer recorded in the first 54 games of his career.
This far, Roemer is shooting 40 percent from three-point range, with 12 of his 26 field goals coming from the arc.
BROWN OUT: Big things are expected this season from Army's Jarrell Brown, but through three games, Brown's offense has been hit or miss -- and more miss than hit. Sandwiched around his 26-point outburst against Sacred Heart are a 5-point night in the opener at Minnesota and a 4-point showing in last week's loss to Long Island.
Brown, who scored 20 points in 11 games last season and reached double figures in 26 of the Black Knights' 31 contests, averaged 16.9 points per game last season, shooting 41.8 percent from the field. He is shooting just 34.3 percent this season, and his average is down to 11.7 ppg, tied with teammate Kenny Brewer, who is averaging 11.7 ppg off the bench. Brewer has arguably been Army's best offensive player. He is shooting 62.5 percent from the floor.
SMALL BALL: American coach Jeff Jones was looking to add some size to his lineup after the graduation Brayden Billbe and Paulius Jonelius when he went the juco route in recruiting. But after a 1-2 start, Jones went smaller in the Eagles' win Sunday over Stony Brook. Cornelius Guibunda, the 6-9 junior transfer from Georgetown, who started the first three games, was relegated to the bench. His place in the starting lineup was taken by 6-5 Jordan Nichols. Guibunda played only 3 minutes against Stony Brook.
GROWING PAINS: Navy, on the other hand, has tried to go bigger this season, starting a pair of 6-10 guys in all four games. Freshman Mark Veazey has started all four games. Fellow freshman Jeremy Wilson, another 6-10 guy, started in Navy's most recent contest, replacing 6-10 senior Ben Biles in the starting five But the added size has not resulted in an added presence in the paint. Navy has been outrebounded by an average of more than 6 boards per game. The lack of an inside attack is a big reason why opponents have made 82 free throws (on 115 tries) thus far, while Navy has only shot 78 (54 made).
Navy's 1-3 start can't be blamed entirely on the big men, though. The Mids are also averaging 20.3 turnovers per game.
NAVY'S NOT ALONE: Through three games, 1-2 Lafayette has also had inside problems. The Leopards are shooting almost two percentage points (43.2-41.3) better than their opponents and have hit twice as many threes (32-15, Lafayette shooting 39.5 percent, foes 26.3 from the arc). But the 'Pards are 1-3. The slow start is primarily due to being outrebounded on average by 10 boards per game (44.3-34.3). It has not helped that opponents have made 77 of 106 free throws and Lafayette has only shot 83 foul shots (making 54).
YOU ARE WHO YOU PLAY: It is still way too early to take the RPI rankings seriously, but the early numbers do give you a peak at both the relative strength of the league's teams, and to perhaps a greater extent, the strength of the schedules they have played. Bucknell, which was No. 1 last week, slipped, but not far, after Sunday's loss to Villanova. The Bison are No. 6 in the RPI as of Monday morning. Holy Cross is up to No. 11 after beating Hampton and Colgate is also in the top 64, checking in at No. 58. Navy is the only other team in the top 200 (barely), checking in at 197. Other league teams and their RPI; Lehigh - 200, American - 276, Army - 324 and Lafayette - 325. As a conference, the Patriot now ranks No. 18 out of the nation's 32 (including independents) Division I leagues.
NO SURPRISES: Pat Flannery was not surprised Bucknell played Villanova so tough Sunday. Even though the Bison team that beat Kansas had lost by 38 in the ski lodge the last time Bucknell visited the Main Line, and the Bucknell team that made it to the second round of the NCAA Tournament the next year lost by 19 at home, and even though Bucknell's rotation included only one senior and three freshmen, there was no intimidation factor.
"We have some players. We're not coming down here without any players," said Flannery. "Now when we come into a Villnova, there is not that awe, not that wow."
Villanova coach Jay Wright agreed: "I don't think anybody here is surprised. Anybody who saw the halftime score (Bucknell 35, Villanova 27) was not surprised. They do it to everybody. They are just that good."
YOUNG GUNS: You know Bucknell has three freshmen in the rotation, and two of their three seniors out of action due to injuries. But here is another number that emphasizes just how young and inexperienced the Bison are: 38. That is how many starts the dozen guys who have dressed for Bucknell this season had between them when the season started. All 38 of those, by the way, belonged to senior John Griffin.
BLOCK PARTY: Bucknell freshman Todd O'Brien blocked two more shots against Villanova, giving him three straight games with multiple blocks and eight total rejections through the first three games of his career. O'Brien's average of 2.7 blocks per game ranks tops in the league and 39th in the nation. That pace would have been tops in the Patriot League in nine of the past 16 seasons.
As a team, Bucknell had three blocks against Villanova, giving the Bison three or more in three games this season, equalling the number of times they blocked three in a game all of last season.
FOUL MOOD: Holy Cross center Tim Clifford has fouled out twice already in the Crusaders' first three games. Clifford has now been disqualified in 17 games in his career. Clifford's pace of 8.8 fouls per 40 minutes this season is even higher than his career pace of 5.4 fouls per 40 minutes. As a freshman, Clifford averaged 6.3 fouls per 40 minutes. That number dipped to 5.5 per 40 as a sophomore and 4.9 40 last season.
Since Clifford has averaged 15 points and 7.3 rebounds per 40 minutes over his career, his ability to stay on the floor longer could pay huge dividends for Holy Cross.
LEAGUE LEADERS: Conference leaders in selected categories through Sunday with their NCAA rank in parentheses:
Scoring: Kyle Roemer, Colgate -- 20 ppg (tie 72)
Rebounding: Bryan White, Lehigh -- 10.7 rpg (tie 30)
Blocked shots: Todd O'Brien, Bucknell -- 2.7 bpg (39)
3 pt. FG pct.: G.W. Boon, Bucknell; Michael Gruner, Lafayette -- 50 percent (tie 150)
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NO RUST ON ROEMER: One of the questions for Colgate entering the season was how effective Kyle Roemer would be after missing the Raiders last 32 games over the past two seasons due to injuries. Conventional wisdom was that it would take Roemer at least a few games to shake off the rust accumulated after missing the final three games of the 2005-06 season with a concussion and all 29 of last season with an ankle injury.
The answer is: no time at all. Roemer is averaging a league-best 20 points per game through Colgate's first four outings. The 6-3 redshirt (medical) junior, who averaged 10.7 ppg through his first two seasons, has scored 15, 16, 24 and 25 in four games thus far. The 25 against Kennesaw State Saturday broke his career-high set the night before against Texas State. The two 20-point games equalled the number of 20-point performances Roemer recorded in the first 54 games of his career.
This far, Roemer is shooting 40 percent from three-point range, with 12 of his 26 field goals coming from the arc.
BROWN OUT: Big things are expected this season from Army's Jarrell Brown, but through three games, Brown's offense has been hit or miss -- and more miss than hit. Sandwiched around his 26-point outburst against Sacred Heart are a 5-point night in the opener at Minnesota and a 4-point showing in last week's loss to Long Island.
Brown, who scored 20 points in 11 games last season and reached double figures in 26 of the Black Knights' 31 contests, averaged 16.9 points per game last season, shooting 41.8 percent from the field. He is shooting just 34.3 percent this season, and his average is down to 11.7 ppg, tied with teammate Kenny Brewer, who is averaging 11.7 ppg off the bench. Brewer has arguably been Army's best offensive player. He is shooting 62.5 percent from the floor.
SMALL BALL: American coach Jeff Jones was looking to add some size to his lineup after the graduation Brayden Billbe and Paulius Jonelius when he went the juco route in recruiting. But after a 1-2 start, Jones went smaller in the Eagles' win Sunday over Stony Brook. Cornelius Guibunda, the 6-9 junior transfer from Georgetown, who started the first three games, was relegated to the bench. His place in the starting lineup was taken by 6-5 Jordan Nichols. Guibunda played only 3 minutes against Stony Brook.
GROWING PAINS: Navy, on the other hand, has tried to go bigger this season, starting a pair of 6-10 guys in all four games. Freshman Mark Veazey has started all four games. Fellow freshman Jeremy Wilson, another 6-10 guy, started in Navy's most recent contest, replacing 6-10 senior Ben Biles in the starting five But the added size has not resulted in an added presence in the paint. Navy has been outrebounded by an average of more than 6 boards per game. The lack of an inside attack is a big reason why opponents have made 82 free throws (on 115 tries) thus far, while Navy has only shot 78 (54 made).
Navy's 1-3 start can't be blamed entirely on the big men, though. The Mids are also averaging 20.3 turnovers per game.
NAVY'S NOT ALONE: Through three games, 1-2 Lafayette has also had inside problems. The Leopards are shooting almost two percentage points (43.2-41.3) better than their opponents and have hit twice as many threes (32-15, Lafayette shooting 39.5 percent, foes 26.3 from the arc). But the 'Pards are 1-3. The slow start is primarily due to being outrebounded on average by 10 boards per game (44.3-34.3). It has not helped that opponents have made 77 of 106 free throws and Lafayette has only shot 83 foul shots (making 54).
YOU ARE WHO YOU PLAY: It is still way too early to take the RPI rankings seriously, but the early numbers do give you a peak at both the relative strength of the league's teams, and to perhaps a greater extent, the strength of the schedules they have played. Bucknell, which was No. 1 last week, slipped, but not far, after Sunday's loss to Villanova. The Bison are No. 6 in the RPI as of Monday morning. Holy Cross is up to No. 11 after beating Hampton and Colgate is also in the top 64, checking in at No. 58. Navy is the only other team in the top 200 (barely), checking in at 197. Other league teams and their RPI; Lehigh - 200, American - 276, Army - 324 and Lafayette - 325. As a conference, the Patriot now ranks No. 18 out of the nation's 32 (including independents) Division I leagues.
NO SURPRISES: Pat Flannery was not surprised Bucknell played Villanova so tough Sunday. Even though the Bison team that beat Kansas had lost by 38 in the ski lodge the last time Bucknell visited the Main Line, and the Bucknell team that made it to the second round of the NCAA Tournament the next year lost by 19 at home, and even though Bucknell's rotation included only one senior and three freshmen, there was no intimidation factor.
"We have some players. We're not coming down here without any players," said Flannery. "Now when we come into a Villnova, there is not that awe, not that wow."
Villanova coach Jay Wright agreed: "I don't think anybody here is surprised. Anybody who saw the halftime score (Bucknell 35, Villanova 27) was not surprised. They do it to everybody. They are just that good."
YOUNG GUNS: You know Bucknell has three freshmen in the rotation, and two of their three seniors out of action due to injuries. But here is another number that emphasizes just how young and inexperienced the Bison are: 38. That is how many starts the dozen guys who have dressed for Bucknell this season had between them when the season started. All 38 of those, by the way, belonged to senior John Griffin.
BLOCK PARTY: Bucknell freshman Todd O'Brien blocked two more shots against Villanova, giving him three straight games with multiple blocks and eight total rejections through the first three games of his career. O'Brien's average of 2.7 blocks per game ranks tops in the league and 39th in the nation. That pace would have been tops in the Patriot League in nine of the past 16 seasons.
As a team, Bucknell had three blocks against Villanova, giving the Bison three or more in three games this season, equalling the number of times they blocked three in a game all of last season.
FOUL MOOD: Holy Cross center Tim Clifford has fouled out twice already in the Crusaders' first three games. Clifford has now been disqualified in 17 games in his career. Clifford's pace of 8.8 fouls per 40 minutes this season is even higher than his career pace of 5.4 fouls per 40 minutes. As a freshman, Clifford averaged 6.3 fouls per 40 minutes. That number dipped to 5.5 per 40 as a sophomore and 4.9 40 last season.
Since Clifford has averaged 15 points and 7.3 rebounds per 40 minutes over his career, his ability to stay on the floor longer could pay huge dividends for Holy Cross.
LEAGUE LEADERS: Conference leaders in selected categories through Sunday with their NCAA rank in parentheses:
Scoring: Kyle Roemer, Colgate -- 20 ppg (tie 72)
Rebounding: Bryan White, Lehigh -- 10.7 rpg (tie 30)
Blocked shots: Todd O'Brien, Bucknell -- 2.7 bpg (39)
3 pt. FG pct.: G.W. Boon, Bucknell; Michael Gruner, Lafayette -- 50 percent (tie 150)
Labels: American, Army, Bucknell, Colgate, Holy Cross, Lafayette, Lehigh, Navy, notebook
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Saturday, November 17, 2007
Ouch! This one hurts. Unless the pundits around the Northeast Conference are very wrong about Long Island being the worst team in that league, Army's 64-54 home loss to the Blackbirds raises real questions about the Black Knights.
The biggest question is who is going to carry the scoring load if Jarell Brown has an off night. Josh Miller taking 15 shots to score 14 points is probably not the answer. But that was the alternative for Army against LIU when Brown went 1 for 8, 0 for 4 from the arc and scored just 4 points. Brown, the second leading returning scorer in the Patriot League, has now been held in single digits two of Army's first three games. The Black Knights (1-2) two losses both came in those games.
Kenny Brewer added 14 points off the bench, all in the second half, but it was not enough to get the Black Knights over the hump after they scored only 22 points in the first half and trailed 32-22 at the break. Neither was missing almost half of their free throws (10 for 19, all in the second half).
The Black Knights did manage to claw their way back into the game in the second half, using a 14-1 run to tie it at 44-44 with 7:44 to go. But LIU outscored Army 20-10 the rest of the way.
For the game, Army shot 21 of 55 (38.2 percent) and made just 2 of 13 three-point attempts. LIU was 18 for 55 from the field (32.7 percent), but over half of their buckets were threes (10 for 25 from the arc). LIU also got to the line more often and shot better when they got there, going 18 for 26.
It would be easy to say Army should be better when Doug Williams gets back from his injury. But Williams is not much of an offensive threat and Army did get decent production from its other big man, sophomore Chris Walker. Walker had three blocks, three steals and scored 7 points in 22 minutes. Army might have tried to get the ball to him more (he was 3-4 from the field), but he was only on the floor 22 minutes due to foul trouble.
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The biggest question is who is going to carry the scoring load if Jarell Brown has an off night. Josh Miller taking 15 shots to score 14 points is probably not the answer. But that was the alternative for Army against LIU when Brown went 1 for 8, 0 for 4 from the arc and scored just 4 points. Brown, the second leading returning scorer in the Patriot League, has now been held in single digits two of Army's first three games. The Black Knights (1-2) two losses both came in those games.
Kenny Brewer added 14 points off the bench, all in the second half, but it was not enough to get the Black Knights over the hump after they scored only 22 points in the first half and trailed 32-22 at the break. Neither was missing almost half of their free throws (10 for 19, all in the second half).
The Black Knights did manage to claw their way back into the game in the second half, using a 14-1 run to tie it at 44-44 with 7:44 to go. But LIU outscored Army 20-10 the rest of the way.
For the game, Army shot 21 of 55 (38.2 percent) and made just 2 of 13 three-point attempts. LIU was 18 for 55 from the field (32.7 percent), but over half of their buckets were threes (10 for 25 from the arc). LIU also got to the line more often and shot better when they got there, going 18 for 26.
It would be easy to say Army should be better when Doug Williams gets back from his injury. But Williams is not much of an offensive threat and Army did get decent production from its other big man, sophomore Chris Walker. Walker had three blocks, three steals and scored 7 points in 22 minutes. Army might have tried to get the ball to him more (he was 3-4 from the field), but he was only on the floor 22 minutes due to foul trouble.
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Friday, November 16, 2007
Two more games against Northeast Conference foes tonight, with Long Island at Army and Fairleigh Ridiculous Dickinson at Lafayette. But our favorite matchup tonight takes place in Kennesaw, Ga., where Colgate looks to go to 3-0 against a chuck-and-duck Southland Conference team from southwest Texas.
SCOUTING TEXAS STATEFor a school we'd never heard of before Colgate announced its schedule, these guys sure have a . Our favorite of the bunch, hands down, being
Did you know:
This is a huge school, 28,132 students
Boko the bobcat was the 2006 United Spirit Association Collegiate Nationals championship mascot of the year
The Strutters have performed on every major television network, a national television commercial, appeared in two U.S. Presidential inaugurations, five motion pictures, the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, MTV's TRL, and 17 countries spanning 4 continents, including being the first U.S. dance team to perform in the People's Republic of China.
Of course the reason Texas State might sound unfamiliar is because for years it was known as Southwest Texas State. The name changed in 2003. The Bobcats tradition in hoops has fallen on hard times recently. They were 9-20 last season. That sounds bad until you realize it was three times as many games as they won in 2005-2006. But they can boast two trips to the NCAA Tournament and an NAIA National title
Picked to finish sixth in the six-team West division of the Southland Conference, Texas State's roster includes four starters from the team that went 1-13 away from home last season. Junior forward Brandon Bush (6-7) led the team in scoring (14.4 ppg) and rebounding (5.2 rpg) last season and through two games is leading both categories again (20 ppg, 9 rpg). Brandon Thomas, a 6-3 senior guard, is averaging 13.5 ppg and 6.5 rebounds. Juco transfer Brent Benson is averaging 10.5 ppg off the bench.
Of course all those stats came in games against something called Huston-Tillotson (NAIA) and Dallas Baptist (D-II). Texas State averaged 100 ppg in those two matchups. This will be the Bobcats first game against a Division I team.
Second-year coach Doug Davalos prefers an up-tempo, full-court style. Last year it t resulted in Texas State averaging 77.6 points per game. The downside was that opponents averaged 85.4 ppg against the Bobcats.
BONUS LINKS:
(TSU release includes coach's comments on all players)
(mp3)
SCOUTING LONG ISLAND Picked to in the 11-team Northeast Conference, the Blackbirds are coming off a in which they were 4-12 on the road. LIU opened the season Monday with an at Notre Dame. Senior Kellen Allen, a 6-7 frontcourt type, led LIU with 16 points in the loss. Freshman Kyle Johnson, a 6-3 guard, added 12.
Here is a look at the Blackbirds from an NEC preseason release:
BONUS LINKS:
SCOUTING FAIRLEIGH DICKINSON Picked , the Knights are after a pair of 20-point losses in the preseason NIT at Syracuse. FDU dropped an to Saint Joe's in its opener, and followed that with an to Siena in the consolation round.
, FDU is shooting 42.2 percent from the field and allowing opponents to shoot at a 57.6 percent clip. Manny Ubilla (16 ppg), a 6-2 senior guard, leads four Knights averaging in double figures. Bernell Murray, a 5-9 senior, and 6-3 sophomore Sean Baptiste each are averaging 14 ppg. Freshman John Galvin (6-8) averages 10 ppg. Murray and Ubilla are the assists leaders (4.9 apg each); Baptiste (6 rpg) leads the team's rebounders.
From that same NEC release:
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SCOUTING TEXAS STATEFor a school we'd never heard of before Colgate announced its schedule, these guys sure have a . Our favorite of the bunch, hands down, being
Did you know:
Of course the reason Texas State might sound unfamiliar is because for years it was known as Southwest Texas State. The name changed in 2003. The Bobcats tradition in hoops has fallen on hard times recently. They were 9-20 last season. That sounds bad until you realize it was three times as many games as they won in 2005-2006. But they can boast two trips to the NCAA Tournament and an NAIA National title
Picked to finish sixth in the six-team West division of the Southland Conference, Texas State's roster includes four starters from the team that went 1-13 away from home last season. Junior forward Brandon Bush (6-7) led the team in scoring (14.4 ppg) and rebounding (5.2 rpg) last season and through two games is leading both categories again (20 ppg, 9 rpg). Brandon Thomas, a 6-3 senior guard, is averaging 13.5 ppg and 6.5 rebounds. Juco transfer Brent Benson is averaging 10.5 ppg off the bench.
Of course all those stats came in games against something called Huston-Tillotson (NAIA) and Dallas Baptist (D-II). Texas State averaged 100 ppg in those two matchups. This will be the Bobcats first game against a Division I team.
Second-year coach Doug Davalos prefers an up-tempo, full-court style. Last year it t resulted in Texas State averaging 77.6 points per game. The downside was that opponents averaged 85.4 ppg against the Bobcats.
BONUS LINKS:
SCOUTING LONG ISLAND Picked to in the 11-team Northeast Conference, the Blackbirds are coming off a in which they were 4-12 on the road. LIU opened the season Monday with an at Notre Dame. Senior Kellen Allen, a 6-7 frontcourt type, led LIU with 16 points in the loss. Freshman Kyle Johnson, a 6-3 guard, added 12.
Here is a look at the Blackbirds from an NEC preseason release:
Looking for a return to prominence, a significant personnel facelift has given sixth year head coach Jim Ferry the opportunity to flip the reset switch and take the Long Island program in a new direction this coming season.NOTE: We'd have preferred to link to this, as well as the section of the same release dealing with Fairleigh Dickinson below. But that would require folks to download an 11-page pdf and scroll through it to find the LIU and FD parts. For NEC fans, or those who want to know more about other NEC teams, here is the link
With star guard James Williams - the face of the Blackbirds in recent years and the 17th-leading scorer in NEC history with 1,710 points - and two of his key cohorts now graduated, Ferry improved the team’s athleticism in the offseason with a number of pivotal additions to the lineup who will complement a cast of veteran returnees.
Long Island’s experience lies in its frontcourt, anchored by seniors Eugene Kotorobai, Paska Morkeliunas and Kellen Allen. One of the NEC’s top three-point threats the last two years, the 6’5” Kotorobai drilled 52 shots from beyond the arc and ranked sixth in the league with a 40.0 percent success rate from outside the arc in 2006-07. He is also the team’s leading returning scorer (9.7 ppg) and rebounder (6.5 rpg). Morkeliunas (4.5 ppg, 3.7 rpg) is a rugged interior defender who at 6’7”, 230 lbs., has an innate ability to draw fouls in the paint. Last season, he went to the line 109 times, the second-highest figure on the team despite averaging just over 16 minutes per game. Long Island’s low-post offense will be bolstered with the return of 6’7” Allen, a jump hook specialist who missed the last 18 games of the 2006-07 campaign with an injury. When healthy, Allen averaged 4.8 ppg and converted 56.5 percent of his shot opportunities. Sophomore Aurimas Adomaitis, the team’s biggest player at 6’8” and 235 lbs., started 21 games in a promising freshman campaign, averaging 6.0 ppg and 3.2 rpg. Junior forward Albert Forbes, who has suffered through two injury plagued seasons and has yet to suit up for the Blackbirds, will provide depth up front.
Sophomore Jaytornah Wisseh and junior Tyrone Mattison will push the tempo in the team’s ultra-swift backcourt. Wisseh displayed tremendous upside for Long Island last season when he was tabbed to the all-NEC Rookie team. A freewheeling penetrator, Wisseh often seemed unguardable in one-on-one situations and served notice of his skills with back-to-back 20+ point outings in early February, including a career-best 29-point effort at Sacred Heart. He averaged 8.7 ppg on the season and led the team with 3.0 apg. Manning the point, Mattison often deferred on offense to Williams and fellow graduate Aubin Scott, but should come into his own this season with two years under his belt. Extremely quick coast-to-coast, Mattison contributed 6.3 ppg and 2.0 spg as a sophomore.
Ferry wasted little time replenishing his backcourt with the addition of 6’1” shooter David Hicks during last fall’s signing period. A Minnesota native, Hicks prepped at South Kent in Connecticut in 2006-07. During the spring, Ferry added 5’11” Nehemiah Weicks out of the California JUCO ranks. Weicks is versatile enough to play either guard position and like Hicks, can stroke it from the outside. The Blackbirds also received a commitment from 6’4” forward Ron Manigault, a New York City native who played two years at the City College of San Francisco. The cousin of local playground legend Earl “The Goat” Manigault, he has the versatility to play any of four positions and will add some grit to the Blackbird lineup. LIU landed another urban recruit in 6’7” forward Ike Udanoh, a Detroit native whose natural athleticism and aggressiveness on the boards will serve him well in an up-tempo atmosphere. Ferry completed his recruiting class in the summer with the addition of two more guards, 6’3” Kyle Johnson out of Ontario, Canada and 6’1” Alan Mozee from Oklahoma City.
Long Island By The Numbers
Quick Facts
2006-07 Overall Record: 10-19
2006-07 NEC Record/Finish: 6-10/10th
NEC Tournament Finish: Did not qualify
Starters Returning/Lost: 2/3
Letterwinners Returning/Lost: 8/6
2006-07 Final RPI: 310
Games Decided By 5 Points or Less: 5-5
NEC Record
Last Two Years: 15-21 (.417)
Last Three Years 25-29 (.463)
Last Four Years: 29-43 (.403)
Last Five Years: 36-54 (.400)
Overall Record
Last Two Years: 22-35 (.386)
Last Three Years 36-50 (.419)
Last Four Years: 44-69 (.389)
Last Five Years: 53-88 (.376)
Leading Returning Scorers
Eugene Kotorobai: 9.7 ppg
Jaytornah Wisseh: 8.7 ppg
Tyrone Mattison: 6.3 ppg
Leading Returning Rebounders
Eugene Kotorobai: 6.5 rpg
Paska Morkeliunas: 3.7 rpg
Aurimas Adomaitis: 3.2 rpg
Leading Returning Assists
Jaytornah Wisseh: 3.0 apg
Tyrone Mattison: 2.0 apg
Kellen Allen: 0.8 apg
BONUS LINKS:
SCOUTING FAIRLEIGH DICKINSON Picked , the Knights are after a pair of 20-point losses in the preseason NIT at Syracuse. FDU dropped an to Saint Joe's in its opener, and followed that with an to Siena in the consolation round.
, FDU is shooting 42.2 percent from the field and allowing opponents to shoot at a 57.6 percent clip. Manny Ubilla (16 ppg), a 6-2 senior guard, leads four Knights averaging in double figures. Bernell Murray, a 5-9 senior, and 6-3 sophomore Sean Baptiste each are averaging 14 ppg. Freshman John Galvin (6-8) averages 10 ppg. Murray and Ubilla are the assists leaders (4.9 apg each); Baptiste (6 rpg) leads the team's rebounders.
From that same NEC release:
With 25th year head coach Tom Green at the helm of the Fairleigh Dickinson program, one thing is for certain: regardless of the team’s roster turnover from year-to-year, it is impossible to dismiss the Knights as a contender in the NEC. Despite losing a pair of all-stars and a dominating big man, the Knights quickly regrouped last season, scoring a non-conference win at Seton Hall in November. During league play, FDU stayed near the top of the standings for much of the season before fading somewhat down the stretch to finish tied for fourth in the NEC.BONUS LINKS:
Green, the winningest coach in conference history, will face a new set of challenges this coming season with the departure of first team all-NEC forward Andre Harris and do-everything swingman Michael Peeples, who combined for nearly 31 points per outing a year ago. If Green has any chance at adding to his league record four NEC titles, it will hinge on his ability to incorporate yet another fresh set of faces into the rotation.
Carrying the load for the Knights will be the sterling backcourt of junior Cameron Tyler and senior Manny Ubilla. Tyler blossomed in his sophomore year into one of the top point guards in the conference. His ability to draw defenders with his athletic attacks to the hoop created open shots for teammates - Ubilla in particular - and made for some stunning scoring flurries for the 6’0” New York City product. Tyler finished second on the club with 14.3 ppg, added 4.4 rpg and finished third in the conference with 5.1 apg. Ubilla stepped right into a feature role for the Knights last season, averaging 11.9 ppg, 4.3 rpg and 2.9 apg, while displaying a deadly touch from the outside. He hit 63 three-pointers and made 39.6 percent of his attempts on the year to rank in the NEC top-ten in both categories. Ubilla, a 6’3” catch-and-shoot specialist, hit a number of big shots on the year, including a dagger at the buzzer to stop Garden State rival Monmouth in a televised game last February. Reinforcing the backcourt for FDU is veteran Bernell Murray and sophomore Sean Baptiste. A dependable point guard, Murray (3.7 ppg) has a tremendous amount of big-game experience and as a senior is the last link to the Knights’ 2005 NEC Championship team. A physical player who is unafraid of contact and can get to the line, Baptiste (4.6 ppg) was a valuable contributor off the bench for the Knights in 2006-07.
With the loss of Harris and Peeples, along with starting center Jordan Ingram, Green will have to retool a front line headed by 6’6” senior Eric Hazard. One of the league’s best at spotting up from the three-point stripe, Hazard (5.3 ppg) provided instant offense off the bench last year, but could be moved into a more prominent role this coming season. The Jersey native made nearly 80 percent of his shots from long range and his 41.2 percent conversion rate ranked fourth in the NEC. Look for sophomore forward Bryan Lytle and 7’0” English import Lawrence Brown, a sophomore center, to crack the rotation as well.
While Green added five to members to the Knights’ cast in the offseason, he was clearly looking toward the future with his additions. Three of the recruits are New Jersey products who will sit out the 2007-08 season, including 6’1” junior guard Eric Moore, who averaged 12.5 ppg, 2.3 apg and buried 75 three-pointers in 21 starts for Buffalo a year ago. He led the Mid-American Conference in three-point field goal production, averaging 2.7 per game. Another transfer who will sit out this year is burly 6’8” forward Alvin Mofunanya, who played two years at Saint Joseph’s. Freshman guard Anthony Jeune contributed 17.0 ppg his senior year at Camden Catholic, but will be redshirt in 2007-08 after sustaining serious injury in February. Freshman John Galvin, a 6’8” forward, will immediately bolster the frontcourt after a terrific scholastic career at Weston (CT), where he earned All-State status last season and graduated as the school’s all-time leading scorer with 1,902 points. In 2006-07, he averaged 24.0 ppg and 15.0 rpg. Freshman Jordan Stasyszyn, a 6’3” shooting guard, will give the Knights yet another three-point marksman. As a senior at Carlisle (PA), he hit 10 treys in a playoff game and 110 on the year as he averaged 24.0 ppg.
FDU By The Numbers
Quick Facts
2006-07 Overall Record: 14-16
2006-07 NEC Record/Finish: 9-9/Tie-4th
NEC Tournament Finish: Lost in quarterfinals
Starters Returning/Lost: 2/3
Letterwinners Returning/Lost: 9/4
2006-07 Final RPI: 233
Games Decided By 5 Points or Less: 9-10
NEC Record
Last Two Years: 23-13 (.639)
Last Three Years 36-18 (.667)
Last Four Years: 47-25 (.653)
Last Five Years: 56-34 (.622)
Overall Record
Last Two Years: 34-28 (.548)
Last Three Years 54-41 (.568)
Last Four Years: 71-53 (.573)
Last Five Years: 86-67 (.562)
Leading Returning Scorers
Cameron Tyler: 14.3 ppg
Manny Ubilla: 11.9 ppg
Eric Hazard: 5.3ppg
Leading Returning Rebounders
Cameron Tyler: 4.4 rpg
Manny Ubilla: 4.3 rpg
Eric Hazard: 2.3 rpg
Leading Returning Assists
Cameron Tyler: 5.1 apg
Manny Ubilla: 2.9 apg
Bernell Murray: 1.5 apg
Labels: Army, Colgate, Lafayette, previews
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Tuesday, November 13, 2007
(Posted Mon. at 9:23 p.m., updated at 6:57 a.m.)
Jarrell Brown got back on track and Army picked up its first win Monday night, knocking off Sacred Heart 64-59.
Brown, who was held to 5 points in the Black Knights' opening loss at Minnesota, went off for 26 points against Sacred Heart, hitting six treys (on 12 tries). Brown also pulled down 6 rebounds, sharing team honors with Corban Bates and helping Army to a 39-28 advantage on the boards.
Kenny Brewer was the only other Black Knight in double figures, scoring 13 points off the bench.
Army shot 44.9 percent from the field while holding Sacred Heart to a 36.2 percent showing.
Senior Doug Williams did not play for the second game in a row. Army's game notes say he has an unspecified leg injury.
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Jarrell Brown got back on track and Army picked up its first win Monday night, knocking off Sacred Heart 64-59.
Brown, who was held to 5 points in the Black Knights' opening loss at Minnesota, went off for 26 points against Sacred Heart, hitting six treys (on 12 tries). Brown also pulled down 6 rebounds, sharing team honors with Corban Bates and helping Army to a 39-28 advantage on the boards.
Kenny Brewer was the only other Black Knight in double figures, scoring 13 points off the bench.
Army shot 44.9 percent from the field while holding Sacred Heart to a 36.2 percent showing.
Senior Doug Williams did not play for the second game in a row. Army's game notes say he has an unspecified leg injury.
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Monday, November 12, 2007
Army and Lafayette hit the road tonight for a pair of games that look like pretty even matchups. The Black Knights will be in Connecticut to take on Sacred Heart, while the Leopards are across the sound facing Stony Brook.
SCOUTING SACRED HEART: The preseason favorites in the Northeast Conference didn't look very good in an 82-71 loss at Yale. Connecticut Post Sacred Heart "looked like a team that hadn't played in six months . . . had no flow on offense . . . seemed uncomfortable playing with each other" and had no defensive presence in the paint.
In scrimmages, Sacred Heart coach Dave Bike says the team shoots the lights out. That did not show in the . SH went 4 for 21 from the arc, 27 of 77 overall.
The bright spot was , a 6-6 junior forward, who posted a 15-point, 14-rebound double-double. He appears to be as close to a post presence Sacred Heart has. The Pioneers have only two guys taller than 6-7 on the . That pair played a combined 11 minutes, scoring 2 points and grabbing 4 rebounds against Yale. Since the Sacred Heart SID's of that game talks about how Yale was able to exploit the Pioneers inside, that lack of playing time tells you pretty much all you need to know about the duo.
It is probably worth noting Sacred Heart was before its top returning scorer -- power forward Joey Henley -- tore up a knee playing for the school's football team. Henley will miss the entire season.
BONUS LINKS:
SCOUTING STONY BROOK: This is not a bad matchup for the Leopards. in the eight team America East Conference, Stony Brook is a lot like Lafayette, a smallish, perimeter-oriented team. Only one starter is taller than 6-4, only one other guy in the top 9 of coach Steve Pikiell's rotation tops 6-6.
Stony Brook opened its season Saturday with an . The Seawolves lack of an inside presence was obvious by Villanova's 35-19 edge on the boards ().
The Seawolves are dangerous on the perimeter, though. Against Villanova they shot 51.2 percent (21-41) from the field, including 9 for 21 at the 3-point arc. Juco transfer Michael Tyree, a 5-11 guard from N.J., led the Stony Brook scoring with 18 points, including three 3-pointers, in 16 minutes of action. , a 6-4 junior guard, and each added 13.
Beauford and Lucas, two of four returning starters, have had past success against Patriot League teams. Lucas put up 20 against Navy last season. Beauford had 13 against the Mids and 20 against Colgate.
BONUS LINKSS:
(Newsday)
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SCOUTING SACRED HEART: The preseason favorites in the Northeast Conference didn't look very good in an 82-71 loss at Yale. Connecticut Post Sacred Heart "looked like a team that hadn't played in six months . . . had no flow on offense . . . seemed uncomfortable playing with each other" and had no defensive presence in the paint.
In scrimmages, Sacred Heart coach Dave Bike says the team shoots the lights out. That did not show in the . SH went 4 for 21 from the arc, 27 of 77 overall.
The bright spot was , a 6-6 junior forward, who posted a 15-point, 14-rebound double-double. He appears to be as close to a post presence Sacred Heart has. The Pioneers have only two guys taller than 6-7 on the . That pair played a combined 11 minutes, scoring 2 points and grabbing 4 rebounds against Yale. Since the Sacred Heart SID's of that game talks about how Yale was able to exploit the Pioneers inside, that lack of playing time tells you pretty much all you need to know about the duo.
It is probably worth noting Sacred Heart was before its top returning scorer -- power forward Joey Henley -- tore up a knee playing for the school's football team. Henley will miss the entire season.
BONUS LINKS:
SCOUTING STONY BROOK: This is not a bad matchup for the Leopards. in the eight team America East Conference, Stony Brook is a lot like Lafayette, a smallish, perimeter-oriented team. Only one starter is taller than 6-4, only one other guy in the top 9 of coach Steve Pikiell's rotation tops 6-6.
Stony Brook opened its season Saturday with an . The Seawolves lack of an inside presence was obvious by Villanova's 35-19 edge on the boards ().
The Seawolves are dangerous on the perimeter, though. Against Villanova they shot 51.2 percent (21-41) from the field, including 9 for 21 at the 3-point arc. Juco transfer Michael Tyree, a 5-11 guard from N.J., led the Stony Brook scoring with 18 points, including three 3-pointers, in 16 minutes of action. , a 6-4 junior guard, and each added 13.
Beauford and Lucas, two of four returning starters, have had past success against Patriot League teams. Lucas put up 20 against Navy last season. Beauford had 13 against the Mids and 20 against Colgate.
BONUS LINKSS:
Labels: Army, Lafayette, previews
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Sunday, November 11, 2007
(Updated with additional links at 8:06 a.m.)
The Black Knights were no match for Minnesota, which opened the Tubby Smith era with a convincing 84-52 win Saturday afternoon.
Army led early, 9-5, before the Gophers went on a 9-0 run to take the lead and began to pull away. By the half Minnesota was up 16 and any thoughts of an Army comeback vanished when the Gophers put together a 15-0 spurt early in the second half.
The Black Knights silver lining would be its defensive effort. Army held Minnesota to 43.5 percent (27-62) from the field. But the Gophers knocked down 10 treys and went to the foul line 29 times, making 20.
Offensively there was not much for Army coach Jim Crews to feel good about. No Army player reached double figures and Black Knights star Jarrell Brown was held to 5 points on 2 for 11 shooting (1-5 3's) and never even got to the foul line.
As a team, Army shot 35.2 percent (19-54), with 5 treys on 14 attempts. The Black Knights were 9 for 12 at the stripe. Army turned the ball over 25 times, had the ball stolen 13 times and had 10 shots rejected. Minnesota controlled the boards, piling up a 43-36 advantage, including 18 on the offensive glass.
John Moonshower led Army with a career-high 9 points.
Army dressed and played 16 players. Senior big man Doug Williams was not among them. No mention of a reason for Willaims' absence in the Army game notes or post game recap.
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The Black Knights were no match for Minnesota, which opened the Tubby Smith era with a convincing 84-52 win Saturday afternoon.
Army led early, 9-5, before the Gophers went on a 9-0 run to take the lead and began to pull away. By the half Minnesota was up 16 and any thoughts of an Army comeback vanished when the Gophers put together a 15-0 spurt early in the second half.
The Black Knights silver lining would be its defensive effort. Army held Minnesota to 43.5 percent (27-62) from the field. But the Gophers knocked down 10 treys and went to the foul line 29 times, making 20.
Offensively there was not much for Army coach Jim Crews to feel good about. No Army player reached double figures and Black Knights star Jarrell Brown was held to 5 points on 2 for 11 shooting (1-5 3's) and never even got to the foul line.
As a team, Army shot 35.2 percent (19-54), with 5 treys on 14 attempts. The Black Knights were 9 for 12 at the stripe. Army turned the ball over 25 times, had the ball stolen 13 times and had 10 shots rejected. Minnesota controlled the boards, piling up a 43-36 advantage, including 18 on the offensive glass.
John Moonshower led Army with a career-high 9 points.
Army dressed and played 16 players. Senior big man Doug Williams was not among them. No mention of a reason for Willaims' absence in the Army game notes or post game recap.
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Saturday, November 10, 2007
News, notes and pregame tidbits from Sojka Pavilion and around the league.
ARMY FALLS IN GOPHER HOLE: In case you missed the score of this afternoon's game, Army dropped an 84-52 decision at Minnesota. Jarrell Brown 2 for 11 (1 for 5 at the arc) for 5 points. Suffice to say Army is not going anywhere if they don't get more production than that from their star. Here is the , we'll have more on that game later.
MYSTERY MEN: A big question heading into the opening weekend was who would start at American, where the roster is full of new faces following the graduation of four starters from last season. That question was answered when we got SID Anthony Wilson's notes for tonight's game at St. Francis (Pa.).
Jeff Jones is going small in the backcourt. Actually, small might be overstating the case. Minuscule might be a more apt desorption as junior sharpshooter Garrison Carr gets the nod along classmate Derrick Mercer, the only returning starter. Mercer is generously listed at 5-9, Carr at 5-11 -- a measurement most likely taken when he was wearing some sort of ballet shoes that allowed him to stand on the very tips of his toes.
The frontcourt features athletic junior Cornelio Guibunda, the 6-9 Georgetown transfer, at center, with juco transfer Bryce Simon (6-6) and 6-5 senior Travis Lay.
MORE SMALL TALK: You knew Bucknell was going to be smaller this season when Darren Mastropaolo went down with a torn ACL over the summer, but it didn't really sink in until you looked at the lineup in their pregame notes, and saw them take the floor for their pregame shootaround here in Sojka. Starting center Josh Linthicum (6-11), starting four man Patrick Behan (6-8) and freshman big man Todd O'Brien (6-10) are the only guys in uniform over 6-5.
Of those expected to see serious playing time, only freshman G.W. Boon among the remaining Bison measures 6-4. Everybody else in the rotation is 6-3 or smaller. Front court foul trouble could be a real problem for the Bison.
Making the Bison look even smaller is the presence of nine Albany guys 6-5 or taller shooting around at the opposite end of the floor.
UNDER CONSTRUCTION: They have moved the media room at Sojka temporarily to allow the hoops team to use the usual media digs as a meeting room while their locker rooms are undergoing renovations. After the duo of Jason Vegotsky and Mastropaolo passed press row in street clothes, the question was raised: Do those renovations include a handicapped ramp?
Vegotsky's foot injury is a stress fracture, according to a Bison staffer. His status is week to week, which sounds considerably less optimistic than day to day.
Not trying to sound alarmist, but Bucknell fans will recall forward John Clark's career was cut short by similar problems, though there is not indication at this point that Vegotsky's injury is as severe as Clark's was.
WAGERING WAFFLES: An item in Bucknell's game notes mentions that former Bison standout Charles Lee, who played in Israel last season, is now with the Belgian Verviers-Pepinster club, where he is a teammate with Jamar Wilson, the start of Albany's 2006 and 2007 America East title teams.
Lee, by the way, is averaging 11.7 ppg through 7 games with his new team. Wilson is hitting at a 20.9 ppg clip. The team is 3-4.
GETTING TECHNICAL: Bucknell will shoot free throws before tonight's tip off thanks to Albanu freshman Al Turley, who got called for a technical for dunking during pregame warmups.
YOUNG ROTATION: Bucknell's rotation full of youngsters. Two of the three freshmen -- Todd O'Brien and Daryl Shazier joined senior Rob Thomas in Pat Flannery's first wave of subs at the 15:45 media time out. Freshman G.W. Boon came off the bench a few minutes later.
M*A*S*H: As if Bucknell did not have enough injury woes, Thomas left the game at the 13:52 mark of the first half after injuring his left leg while driving to the basket. Thomas, who was fouled on the play, collapsed in a heap, cluthing the leg in obvious pain. He managed to leave the floor under his own power, but spent the rest of the half sitting at the far end of the bench with an ice bag strapped to his knee.
RIGHT BACK AT YA: Nice sequence for Bucknell with just under 5 minutes to go had O'Brien make a nifty feed to Tyree under the basket, only to lose the assist when Tyree missed the peepee. But Tyree got the offensive board, then made an equally nice pass back to O'Brien who laid it home for the first points of his collegiate career.
FLOOR SHOW: Something you have not seen much of at Bucknell, or around the league for that matter, is four men who can put the ball on the floor. Behan, though, looks like that kind of guy. The 6-8 sophomore beat his man off the dribble for his first bucket of the game and later used an Earl Monroe-like spin move to get into the lane for a short jumper. Also in his repertoire: the jump hook he used to score his 10th points of the half after backing down his defender NBA style in the post.
HALFTIME STATS: Bucknell opened with an 8-0 run and leads 28-22 at the break. The Bison 10 for 27 from the field (37 percent), 1 for 6 from 3-point range, 7-12 at the line. Albany 9 for 28 (32.1 percent) from the field, 2-8 from the arc (both by 5-9 senior Jon Iati, who has 8 at the half), 2-2 at the foul line. Rebounds are Albany 20, Bucknell 19 (Tyree with 9 at the half). Turnovers: Bucknell 5, Albany 7. Bucknell with three blocks (O'Brien, Boon and Thomas), Albany 1 block. Nobody with more than 2 fouls for either team.
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ARMY FALLS IN GOPHER HOLE: In case you missed the score of this afternoon's game, Army dropped an 84-52 decision at Minnesota. Jarrell Brown 2 for 11 (1 for 5 at the arc) for 5 points. Suffice to say Army is not going anywhere if they don't get more production than that from their star. Here is the , we'll have more on that game later.
MYSTERY MEN: A big question heading into the opening weekend was who would start at American, where the roster is full of new faces following the graduation of four starters from last season. That question was answered when we got SID Anthony Wilson's notes for tonight's game at St. Francis (Pa.).
Jeff Jones is going small in the backcourt. Actually, small might be overstating the case. Minuscule might be a more apt desorption as junior sharpshooter Garrison Carr gets the nod along classmate Derrick Mercer, the only returning starter. Mercer is generously listed at 5-9, Carr at 5-11 -- a measurement most likely taken when he was wearing some sort of ballet shoes that allowed him to stand on the very tips of his toes.
The frontcourt features athletic junior Cornelio Guibunda, the 6-9 Georgetown transfer, at center, with juco transfer Bryce Simon (6-6) and 6-5 senior Travis Lay.
MORE SMALL TALK: You knew Bucknell was going to be smaller this season when Darren Mastropaolo went down with a torn ACL over the summer, but it didn't really sink in until you looked at the lineup in their pregame notes, and saw them take the floor for their pregame shootaround here in Sojka. Starting center Josh Linthicum (6-11), starting four man Patrick Behan (6-8) and freshman big man Todd O'Brien (6-10) are the only guys in uniform over 6-5.
Of those expected to see serious playing time, only freshman G.W. Boon among the remaining Bison measures 6-4. Everybody else in the rotation is 6-3 or smaller. Front court foul trouble could be a real problem for the Bison.
Making the Bison look even smaller is the presence of nine Albany guys 6-5 or taller shooting around at the opposite end of the floor.
UNDER CONSTRUCTION: They have moved the media room at Sojka temporarily to allow the hoops team to use the usual media digs as a meeting room while their locker rooms are undergoing renovations. After the duo of Jason Vegotsky and Mastropaolo passed press row in street clothes, the question was raised: Do those renovations include a handicapped ramp?
Vegotsky's foot injury is a stress fracture, according to a Bison staffer. His status is week to week, which sounds considerably less optimistic than day to day.
Not trying to sound alarmist, but Bucknell fans will recall forward John Clark's career was cut short by similar problems, though there is not indication at this point that Vegotsky's injury is as severe as Clark's was.
WAGERING WAFFLES: An item in Bucknell's game notes mentions that former Bison standout Charles Lee, who played in Israel last season, is now with the Belgian Verviers-Pepinster club, where he is a teammate with Jamar Wilson, the start of Albany's 2006 and 2007 America East title teams.
Lee, by the way, is averaging 11.7 ppg through 7 games with his new team. Wilson is hitting at a 20.9 ppg clip. The team is 3-4.
GETTING TECHNICAL: Bucknell will shoot free throws before tonight's tip off thanks to Albanu freshman Al Turley, who got called for a technical for dunking during pregame warmups.
YOUNG ROTATION: Bucknell's rotation full of youngsters. Two of the three freshmen -- Todd O'Brien and Daryl Shazier joined senior Rob Thomas in Pat Flannery's first wave of subs at the 15:45 media time out. Freshman G.W. Boon came off the bench a few minutes later.
M*A*S*H: As if Bucknell did not have enough injury woes, Thomas left the game at the 13:52 mark of the first half after injuring his left leg while driving to the basket. Thomas, who was fouled on the play, collapsed in a heap, cluthing the leg in obvious pain. He managed to leave the floor under his own power, but spent the rest of the half sitting at the far end of the bench with an ice bag strapped to his knee.
RIGHT BACK AT YA: Nice sequence for Bucknell with just under 5 minutes to go had O'Brien make a nifty feed to Tyree under the basket, only to lose the assist when Tyree missed the peepee. But Tyree got the offensive board, then made an equally nice pass back to O'Brien who laid it home for the first points of his collegiate career.
FLOOR SHOW: Something you have not seen much of at Bucknell, or around the league for that matter, is four men who can put the ball on the floor. Behan, though, looks like that kind of guy. The 6-8 sophomore beat his man off the dribble for his first bucket of the game and later used an Earl Monroe-like spin move to get into the lane for a short jumper. Also in his repertoire: the jump hook he used to score his 10th points of the half after backing down his defender NBA style in the post.
HALFTIME STATS: Bucknell opened with an 8-0 run and leads 28-22 at the break. The Bison 10 for 27 from the field (37 percent), 1 for 6 from 3-point range, 7-12 at the line. Albany 9 for 28 (32.1 percent) from the field, 2-8 from the arc (both by 5-9 senior Jon Iati, who has 8 at the half), 2-2 at the foul line. Rebounds are Albany 20, Bucknell 19 (Tyree with 9 at the half). Turnovers: Bucknell 5, Albany 7. Bucknell with three blocks (O'Brien, Boon and Thomas), Albany 1 block. Nobody with more than 2 fouls for either team.
Labels: American, Army, Bucknell, notebook
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(Originally posted Fri. at 7:40 a.m., Updated with additional links at 9:23 a.m. Sat.)
A busy day ahead, with five league teams opening the season. Interesting matchups abound, with Lehigh visiting Ivy favorite Cornell, Bucknell and Holy Cross hosting top flight mid major programs Albany and Hofstra and Army at rebuilding Minnesota. Rounding out the slate is new-look American at Saint Francis Pa. Here's the scouting reports.
SCOUTING CORNELL: Lehigh has a tough opener tomorrow night, traveling to what could be to take on . The Big Red went 16-12 last season, playing with a roster full of talented freshmen. That young, but experienced is bolstered by the Adam Gore, the 2005-06 Ivy rookie of the year who missed all of last season after blowing out a knee in an opening game win over Northwestern, a who might seem eerily familiar to Lehigh fans. One is a 7-foot project and another, 6-5 dunker Andre Williams, who shares his name with the Morning Call's Lehigh beat writer and spent a year at a Texas juco. The athloetic 6-5 four man ended up at Blinn Jr. College after changing his mind not once, but twice, about his original commitments when the head coaches at Brown, and then Charleston, left for greener pastures after he had committted. The best of the three, though, might be 6-foot guard Collin Robinson, who landed in Ithaca after leaving Tim Floyd's Southern Cal program.
BONUS LINKS:
(Morning Call)
(Ithaca journal)
SCOUTING ALBANY: The Albany Times Union has a good look at Bucknell's first opponent, the University of Albany Danes. The short version: The Danes are a lot like Bucknell, a team that has gotten used to winning and now looks to see if it can maintain that lifestyle after all-league players, including one of the best in school history. The longer version: The Danes are than last year, with nine guys 6-5 or taller, . And they will play a lot of zone to cover up some of their defensive liabilities, according to coach Will Brown. The full version is
BONUS LINKS:
TU columnist Mark (not the steroids slugger) McGuire on
(Daily Item)
(Times Union)
(Bucknellian)
SCOUTING ST. FRANCIS (PA.): After finishing last in the Northeast Conference the past two seasons, the Red Flash are to the middle of the NEC pack this season. The good news for coach Bobby Jones is that he has all five starters back. The bad news: that same group lost 15 in a row en route to an a year ago. Those losses included a 73-63 AU comeback win in Bender in a game that AU trailed by 18 in at one point. Optimism comes from having won four of their last five and the return of sophomore and junior . Sweetney's 13.0 ppg were tops among NEC freshmen a year ago. He also pulled 7.7 rpg. Alongside on the wing will be Chris Berry, a junior who averaged 11.7 ppg and 4.9 rpg. Berry averaged 11.7 points and 4.9 rebounds as a sophomore.
BONUS LINKS:
SCOUTING MINNESOTA: Minnesota has a and after going a miserable 9-22 last season. arrives with a streak of 14 straight 20-win seasons and 14-straight NCAA Tournament appearances in his last three stops (Tulsa, Georgia and Kentucky). He inherits a depleted roster. Four players transferred when the Golden Gophers changed coaches, three others are recovering from injuries. With senior guard Lawrence McKenzie nursing a groin pull, freshman point guard Al Nolen Jr. showed a penchant for scoring with a 6-for-6 from the field, 7-for-7 from the line, 24 points showing in an exhibition win over D-II Southwest Minnesota State. , the seventh-leading scorer in the Big Ten last season, set a school record with 78 threes last season. An Oklahoma transfer, he is one of three Gophers who have played in the NCAA Tournament, having been to the dance with the Sooners. The other two were freshmen when Minnesota last got a bid. No word on the on the status of McKenzie for the Army game.
BONUS LINKS:
(Times Herald-Record)
(Detroit Free Press)
(Minneapolis Star-Tribune)
(AP)
SCOUTING HOFSTRA: With 6-4 backcourt recruit from the Hart Center bleachers, Holy Cross will open with its BracketBusters rematch against Hofstra. in the tough Colonial Athletic Conference, Hofstra fell 10 points shy of earning a spot in the preseason , ranking an unofficial 27th in the poll. Despite the loss of backcourt stars Loren Stokes and Carlos Rivera from last season's team, Hofstra might be than they were a year ago, according to NY Daily News writer Sean Brennan. Hofstra will be led by high-scoring 6-3 guard , a returning first team all league and pick who averaged over 20 ppg last season. Agudio put up 25 points last week in Hofsta's over a Rollie Massimino coached NAIA school (Northwood). While HC will have its hands full with Agudio, Hofstra will start a 6-10 redshirt freshman at center. If he cannot contain Patriot League preseason player of the year Tim Clifford, it could be a long bus ride back to Long Island for the Pride.
BONUS LINKS:
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(Boston Globe)
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A busy day ahead, with five league teams opening the season. Interesting matchups abound, with Lehigh visiting Ivy favorite Cornell, Bucknell and Holy Cross hosting top flight mid major programs Albany and Hofstra and Army at rebuilding Minnesota. Rounding out the slate is new-look American at Saint Francis Pa. Here's the scouting reports.
SCOUTING CORNELL: Lehigh has a tough opener tomorrow night, traveling to what could be to take on . The Big Red went 16-12 last season, playing with a roster full of talented freshmen. That young, but experienced is bolstered by the Adam Gore, the 2005-06 Ivy rookie of the year who missed all of last season after blowing out a knee in an opening game win over Northwestern, a who might seem eerily familiar to Lehigh fans. One is a 7-foot project and another, 6-5 dunker Andre Williams, who shares his name with the Morning Call's Lehigh beat writer and spent a year at a Texas juco. The athloetic 6-5 four man ended up at Blinn Jr. College after changing his mind not once, but twice, about his original commitments when the head coaches at Brown, and then Charleston, left for greener pastures after he had committted. The best of the three, though, might be 6-foot guard Collin Robinson, who landed in Ithaca after leaving Tim Floyd's Southern Cal program.
BONUS LINKS:
SCOUTING ALBANY: The Albany Times Union has a good look at Bucknell's first opponent, the University of Albany Danes. The short version: The Danes are a lot like Bucknell, a team that has gotten used to winning and now looks to see if it can maintain that lifestyle after all-league players, including one of the best in school history. The longer version: The Danes are than last year, with nine guys 6-5 or taller, . And they will play a lot of zone to cover up some of their defensive liabilities, according to coach Will Brown. The full version is
BONUS LINKS:
SCOUTING ST. FRANCIS (PA.): After finishing last in the Northeast Conference the past two seasons, the Red Flash are to the middle of the NEC pack this season. The good news for coach Bobby Jones is that he has all five starters back. The bad news: that same group lost 15 in a row en route to an a year ago. Those losses included a 73-63 AU comeback win in Bender in a game that AU trailed by 18 in at one point. Optimism comes from having won four of their last five and the return of sophomore and junior . Sweetney's 13.0 ppg were tops among NEC freshmen a year ago. He also pulled 7.7 rpg. Alongside on the wing will be Chris Berry, a junior who averaged 11.7 ppg and 4.9 rpg. Berry averaged 11.7 points and 4.9 rebounds as a sophomore.
BONUS LINKS:
SCOUTING MINNESOTA: Minnesota has a and after going a miserable 9-22 last season. arrives with a streak of 14 straight 20-win seasons and 14-straight NCAA Tournament appearances in his last three stops (Tulsa, Georgia and Kentucky). He inherits a depleted roster. Four players transferred when the Golden Gophers changed coaches, three others are recovering from injuries. With senior guard Lawrence McKenzie nursing a groin pull, freshman point guard Al Nolen Jr. showed a penchant for scoring with a 6-for-6 from the field, 7-for-7 from the line, 24 points showing in an exhibition win over D-II Southwest Minnesota State. , the seventh-leading scorer in the Big Ten last season, set a school record with 78 threes last season. An Oklahoma transfer, he is one of three Gophers who have played in the NCAA Tournament, having been to the dance with the Sooners. The other two were freshmen when Minnesota last got a bid. No word on the on the status of McKenzie for the Army game.
BONUS LINKS:
SCOUTING HOFSTRA: With 6-4 backcourt recruit from the Hart Center bleachers, Holy Cross will open with its BracketBusters rematch against Hofstra. in the tough Colonial Athletic Conference, Hofstra fell 10 points shy of earning a spot in the preseason , ranking an unofficial 27th in the poll. Despite the loss of backcourt stars Loren Stokes and Carlos Rivera from last season's team, Hofstra might be than they were a year ago, according to NY Daily News writer Sean Brennan. Hofstra will be led by high-scoring 6-3 guard , a returning first team all league and pick who averaged over 20 ppg last season. Agudio put up 25 points last week in Hofsta's over a Rollie Massimino coached NAIA school (Northwood). While HC will have its hands full with Agudio, Hofstra will start a 6-10 redshirt freshman at center. If he cannot contain Patriot League preseason player of the year Tim Clifford, it could be a long bus ride back to Long Island for the Pride.
BONUS LINKS:
Labels: American, Army, Bucknell, Holy Cross, Lehigh, previews
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Thursday, November 08, 2007
Here's what has been happening while we have been fighting off the flu bug this week:
-- Seems like once or twice each season the Utica paper bothers to cover Colgate. One of those times is this preview of the Red Raiders season.
Bracketeering -- ESPN is offering up at the 65 teams to make the NCAA Tournament as a free preview of its "insider coverage." Lunardi picks Holy Cross to win the league, saying: The league's Dangerfield -- Ed Laubach, the former sporst editor at the Express-Times, comes out of retirement for previewing Lafayette's Leopards, a team Laubach says is drawing motivation from its lack of respect.
50 ways to view the season -- Included in on 50 things to ponder as hoops season starts: More on Griffin -- The says in the absence of Chris McNaughton, Donald Brown and Abe Badmus, it is Griffin's turn to lead the Bison.
Dadging the 'Saders -- How bad did UConn want to avoid playing Holy Cross in the Coaches vs. Cancer tournament? Bad enough to agree to next season.
Speaking of Holy Cross -- In case you missed it, the Crusaders bounced back from that exhibition loss to Rhode Island College by Tuesday night. Tim Clifford led the way with 16 points, 5 boards and 6 blocks. ()
Another recruit for AU -- The Boca Raton News Mike Technow of Boca Raton H.S. will commit to play for American. BRHS is expected to send three players to DI schools this season. Technow is a 6-9 center. You can find more on him on his (if you have the patience for it to load). He played AAU hoops for the .
Long look at Army -- Anticipating Saturday's Minnesota home opener against the Black Knights. Scout.com takes a at this year's Army squad.
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57. HOLY CROSS. The Crusaders were 13-1 in Patriot League play last season. This season's race figures to be tighter, but Holy Cross has enough to repeat.
25. The return of 6-11 center Tim Clifford is a prime reason Holy Cross is expected to defend its Patriot League crown. Bucknell, which will look to senior John Griffin (St. Joseph's Prep) after losing three starters, and Colgate should be the top challengers to Holy Cross.
Labels: Army, AU, BU, CU, HC, Laf, Leh, previews, recruiting
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Thursday, November 01, 2007
It is a little tough to take seriously a Patriot League preview story that talks about Bucknell's Darren Mastropaolo playing a prominent role without mentioning that his season is in jeopardy after tearing up a knee during the summer.
Sure, there was no mention of Mastropaolo's injury in most of the preview magazines on the newsstands (Blue Ribbon being the prominent exception), but those pubs have early summer deadlines. The Sports Network, on the other hand, is a Web based service and its comes after Mastropaolo's situation was discussed at the league's media day.
This thing is, simply put, a sorry excuse for a preview. The Holy Cross capsule makes no mention of the questions on the wings. The American portion does not even include the phrase "junior college." There is talk of Lafayette's futility without talk of their scholarship situation and the Navy preview says nothing about how the Mids lost three key would-be returning players, including two starters.
The worst part is that this mediocrity will show up as gospel on other sites because several mainstream media players buy syndicated content from TSN.
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Sure, there was no mention of Mastropaolo's injury in most of the preview magazines on the newsstands (Blue Ribbon being the prominent exception), but those pubs have early summer deadlines. The Sports Network, on the other hand, is a Web based service and its comes after Mastropaolo's situation was discussed at the league's media day.
This thing is, simply put, a sorry excuse for a preview. The Holy Cross capsule makes no mention of the questions on the wings. The American portion does not even include the phrase "junior college." There is talk of Lafayette's futility without talk of their scholarship situation and the Navy preview says nothing about how the Mids lost three key would-be returning players, including two starters.
The worst part is that this mediocrity will show up as gospel on other sites because several mainstream media players buy syndicated content from TSN.
Labels: Army, AU, BU, CU, HC, Laf, Leh, Navy, previews
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Friday, October 19, 2007
(Updated with additional links at 7:51 a.m.)
Here's what others are saying about Thursday's Patriot League basketball media day:
In Stephen Miller's , which appears in the Morning Call. there is a Fran O'Hanlon quote that pretty much sums up why people are still picking Holy Cross and Bucknell at the top of the league despite their heavy graduation losses. Says O'Hanlon" "I thought last year maybe the league would come back a little bit and be more competitive. To a certain extent [it was]. American was right there at times. Colgate and Army and Navy obviously took major steps last year, but it didn't translate into competing with Bucknell and Holy Cross. So I'm reluctant to say it's going to change."
The Examiner and concludes the Mids "will go as far as Greg Sprink carries" them.
Alexander Pyles did some blogging on CSTV's Hang Time blog from the ESPN Zone in Baltimore. Pyles, who must have sat close to the door, where the wireless actually worked, compiled a from the event.
David Ginsburg of the AP threw together based on the preseason poll and the very generic comments the coaches made before the individual interview sessions.
We'll update this in the morning.
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Here's what others are saying about Thursday's Patriot League basketball media day:
We'll update this in the morning.
Labels: Army, AU, BU, CU, HC, Laf, Leh, Navy, previews
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Thursday, October 18, 2007
More news, notes and quotes from Thursday's Patriot League basketball media day:
M*A*S*H -- Not a lot of talk about injuries from most of the coaches, but Bucknell's Pat Flannery and Holy Cross coach Ralph Willard did have some medical woes to talk about.
Flannery confirmed senior post man Darren Mastropaolo will not be ready any time soon. Flannery said Mastropaolo is working hard to rehab the knee he injured this summer, but has not begun to run on it yet. Flannery said there is no timetable for Mastropaolo's possible return. Bucknell guard John Griffin, in a separate interview, said the Bison are hopeful Mastropaolo might be able to get back for the second half of the Patriot League season. Griffin said he doesn't think Mastropaolo wants to take a medical redshirt, saying he thinks Mastropaolo wants to graduate with his classmates.
Holy Cross has two guys currently out of practice for medical reasons. Sophomore Andrew Keister has suffered another stress fracture in his leg and it appears his future is in question. Willard said there are concerns Keister, who survived childhood leukemia, may have some fragility in his bones due to the radiation treatments he underwent when he was ill. For now, the 6-9 forward is out at least six weeks.
Lawrence Dixon also has yet to practice for HC. Dixon's surgically repaired knee is structurally fine, Willard said, but he is having back and hamstring problems. Willard said it is possible Dixon's troubles could be related to favoring the injured knee.
"Lawrence could really help our basketball team if he can get healthy," Willard said.
QUOTABLE -- From the coaches opening comments:
"We have a lot of fresh faces coming in hoping to compete for some playing time." -- American coach Jeff Jones, whose roster includes six new players, including four junior college transfers
"We have a lot of young players. Nine of our 13 are in either the freshman or sophomore class." -- Lehigh coach Brett Reed, who is new to the head coach job himself
"We certainly hope to be an improved basketball team this year . . . we have lots of room for improvement." -- Colgate coach Emmett Davis
"What we found out in Europe is we graduated two really special leaders . . . we have a lot of work to do." -- HC's Ralph Willard
"We have more guys coming back this year than we have ever had." -- Army coach Jim Crews
"We don't know a lot right now. But we do have one kid -- Jarrell Brown -- who puts the ball in the bucket." -- Crews
"you can't even land in Mississippi. You have to land in Memphis." == Lafayette coach Fran O'Hanlon on the leopards trip to Mississippi State, part of nine straight road games after playing five of their first six at home
"Nobody's divulging names." -- Bucknell coach Pat Flannery, commenting on the generic remarks of the other coaches
"We are who we are, and you know who we are. We're not hard to figure out." -- Flannery on his Bison
"I don't feel like our program is young anymore." -- Navy coach Billy Lange on his experienced underclassmen
Those were the best offered. Told you they were pretty generic.
MAKING POINTS -- Expect Griffin to start the season at the point for Bucknell, but the pre-season all-league pick could end up sliding to the two if freshman Daryl Shazier develops quickly. Shazier played for the highly competitive Boo Williams AAU program in Virginia and is accustomed to high level competition, something that should speed his adjustment to the college game.
"We didn't bring him in to sit," said Flannery.
At Holy Cross, freshman Andrew Beinert was expected to back up Pat Doherty at the point this season, but difficulties finding adequate scoring from the wings could force Willard to move him to the two. Willard said that is not his preference, but he may be forced to do it.
Scoring from the wings, said Willard, "Is still (HC's) biggest question mark. That was our big bugaboo in Europe. We didn't score from the wing at all."
In August, before heading on the overseas trip, Willard spoke of the possibility of playing Alex Vander Baan at the three some. Those plans appear to be scrapped. Willard said Vander Baan is just not comfortable enough putting teh ball on the floor against smaller defenders.
STEPPING OUT -- Thus far in practice, Holy Cross' best perimeter shooter has been 6-10 senior center Tim Clifford.
"Tim may be the best three-point shooter we have on the team," said Willard.
Expect Clifford to look to spot up on the arc when trailing the break. He will also step out to shoot the three in half-court sets, Willard said.
"Tim has made the three an important part of who he is as a basketball player," Willard said.
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M*A*S*H -- Not a lot of talk about injuries from most of the coaches, but Bucknell's Pat Flannery and Holy Cross coach Ralph Willard did have some medical woes to talk about.
Flannery confirmed senior post man Darren Mastropaolo will not be ready any time soon. Flannery said Mastropaolo is working hard to rehab the knee he injured this summer, but has not begun to run on it yet. Flannery said there is no timetable for Mastropaolo's possible return. Bucknell guard John Griffin, in a separate interview, said the Bison are hopeful Mastropaolo might be able to get back for the second half of the Patriot League season. Griffin said he doesn't think Mastropaolo wants to take a medical redshirt, saying he thinks Mastropaolo wants to graduate with his classmates.
Holy Cross has two guys currently out of practice for medical reasons. Sophomore Andrew Keister has suffered another stress fracture in his leg and it appears his future is in question. Willard said there are concerns Keister, who survived childhood leukemia, may have some fragility in his bones due to the radiation treatments he underwent when he was ill. For now, the 6-9 forward is out at least six weeks.
Lawrence Dixon also has yet to practice for HC. Dixon's surgically repaired knee is structurally fine, Willard said, but he is having back and hamstring problems. Willard said it is possible Dixon's troubles could be related to favoring the injured knee.
"Lawrence could really help our basketball team if he can get healthy," Willard said.
QUOTABLE -- From the coaches opening comments:
"We have a lot of fresh faces coming in hoping to compete for some playing time." -- American coach Jeff Jones, whose roster includes six new players, including four junior college transfers
"We have a lot of young players. Nine of our 13 are in either the freshman or sophomore class." -- Lehigh coach Brett Reed, who is new to the head coach job himself
"We certainly hope to be an improved basketball team this year . . . we have lots of room for improvement." -- Colgate coach Emmett Davis
"What we found out in Europe is we graduated two really special leaders . . . we have a lot of work to do." -- HC's Ralph Willard
"We have more guys coming back this year than we have ever had." -- Army coach Jim Crews
"We don't know a lot right now. But we do have one kid -- Jarrell Brown -- who puts the ball in the bucket." -- Crews
"you can't even land in Mississippi. You have to land in Memphis." == Lafayette coach Fran O'Hanlon on the leopards trip to Mississippi State, part of nine straight road games after playing five of their first six at home
"Nobody's divulging names." -- Bucknell coach Pat Flannery, commenting on the generic remarks of the other coaches
"We are who we are, and you know who we are. We're not hard to figure out." -- Flannery on his Bison
"I don't feel like our program is young anymore." -- Navy coach Billy Lange on his experienced underclassmen
Those were the best offered. Told you they were pretty generic.
MAKING POINTS -- Expect Griffin to start the season at the point for Bucknell, but the pre-season all-league pick could end up sliding to the two if freshman Daryl Shazier develops quickly. Shazier played for the highly competitive Boo Williams AAU program in Virginia and is accustomed to high level competition, something that should speed his adjustment to the college game.
"We didn't bring him in to sit," said Flannery.
At Holy Cross, freshman Andrew Beinert was expected to back up Pat Doherty at the point this season, but difficulties finding adequate scoring from the wings could force Willard to move him to the two. Willard said that is not his preference, but he may be forced to do it.
Scoring from the wings, said Willard, "Is still (HC's) biggest question mark. That was our big bugaboo in Europe. We didn't score from the wing at all."
In August, before heading on the overseas trip, Willard spoke of the possibility of playing Alex Vander Baan at the three some. Those plans appear to be scrapped. Willard said Vander Baan is just not comfortable enough putting teh ball on the floor against smaller defenders.
STEPPING OUT -- Thus far in practice, Holy Cross' best perimeter shooter has been 6-10 senior center Tim Clifford.
"Tim may be the best three-point shooter we have on the team," said Willard.
Expect Clifford to look to spot up on the arc when trailing the break. He will also step out to shoot the three in half-court sets, Willard said.
"Tim has made the three an important part of who he is as a basketball player," Willard said.
Labels: Army, AU, BU, CU, HC, Laf, Leh, Navy, notebook
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We will have more from today's Media Day festivities later. In the meantime, here is a look at how the voting went for the major preseason honors.
The league's coaches and sports information directors voted in the preseason all-league balloting and the preseason poll. Just for fun, we also will list how we saw things back in August when we put together our previews for Blue Ribbon College Basketball Yearbook.
LEAGUE FORECAST:
2007 PreSeason All-League Selections
G- John Griffin, Sr. Bucknell
C- Tim Clifford, Sr., Holy Cross
G- Jarrell Brown, Sr., Army
G- Marquis Hall, So., Lehigh
G- Greg Sprink, Sr., Navy
Preseason Player of the Year
Tim Clifford, Sr., Holy Cross
Preseason Poll
1. Holy Cross (10 first place votes) 91 points
2. Bucknell (5) 85
3. Colgate (1) 62
4. Lehigh 56
5. American 49
6. Army 42
7. Navy 34
8. Lafayette 29
For comparison purposes, here is how I saw the league and the preseason honors in Blue Ribbon College Basketball Yearbook:
BLUE RIBBON FORECAST
1. Holy Cross
2. Bucknell
3. Lehigh
4. Army
5. American
6. Colgate
7. Navy
8. Lafayette
ALL-CONFERENCE TEAM
G-Jarell Brown, SR, Army
C-Tim Clifford, SR, Holy Cross
G-Greg Sprink, SR, Navy
G-Marquis Hall, SO, Lehigh
G-John Griffin, SR, Bucknell
PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Jarell Brown, SR, Army
NEWCOMERS OF THE YEAR
Andrew Beinert, FR, Holy Cross
Todd O'Brien, FR, Bucknell
I will tell you the standings prediction is a roll of the dice. Matter of fact, I can't remember ever having less faith in my preseason prognostications. As several coaches pointed out today, nobody knows what American has this season. Colgate has as much talent as anyone, but I have a hard time picking them higher based on the simple fact they had a lot of talent the last two seasons and failed to live up to expectations. Army might be a stretch at fourth, but they have as good a shot at being in the upper division as any of the teams I ranked 3 through 6.
We shall see.
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The league's coaches and sports information directors voted in the preseason all-league balloting and the preseason poll. Just for fun, we also will list how we saw things back in August when we put together our previews for Blue Ribbon College Basketball Yearbook.
LEAGUE FORECAST:
2007 PreSeason All-League Selections
G- John Griffin, Sr. Bucknell
C- Tim Clifford, Sr., Holy Cross
G- Jarrell Brown, Sr., Army
G- Marquis Hall, So., Lehigh
G- Greg Sprink, Sr., Navy
Preseason Player of the Year
Tim Clifford, Sr., Holy Cross
Preseason Poll
1. Holy Cross (10 first place votes) 91 points
2. Bucknell (5) 85
3. Colgate (1) 62
4. Lehigh 56
5. American 49
6. Army 42
7. Navy 34
8. Lafayette 29
For comparison purposes, here is how I saw the league and the preseason honors in Blue Ribbon College Basketball Yearbook:
BLUE RIBBON FORECAST
1. Holy Cross
2. Bucknell
3. Lehigh
4. Army
5. American
6. Colgate
7. Navy
8. Lafayette
ALL-CONFERENCE TEAM
G-Jarell Brown, SR, Army
C-Tim Clifford, SR, Holy Cross
G-Greg Sprink, SR, Navy
G-Marquis Hall, SO, Lehigh
G-John Griffin, SR, Bucknell
PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Jarell Brown, SR, Army
NEWCOMERS OF THE YEAR
Andrew Beinert, FR, Holy Cross
Todd O'Brien, FR, Bucknell
I will tell you the standings prediction is a roll of the dice. Matter of fact, I can't remember ever having less faith in my preseason prognostications. As several coaches pointed out today, nobody knows what American has this season. Colgate has as much talent as anyone, but I have a hard time picking them higher based on the simple fact they had a lot of talent the last two seasons and failed to live up to expectations. Army might be a stretch at fourth, but they have as good a shot at being in the upper division as any of the teams I ranked 3 through 6.
We shall see.
Labels: Army, AU, BU, CU, HC, Laf, Leh, Navy, previews
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Sunday, October 14, 2007
Looking for a quick fix for your basketball jones before the afternoon's NFL action kicks off. We have it here, with a quick preview of the league and a little catching up with old friends.
Gone but not forgotten (Part I): Down in the Lehigh Valley, former Express-Times sports editor Ed Laubach is supposed to be retired. But that doesn't stop him from popping out the occasional column, like bemoaning the lack of hoops excitement on six out of eight Patriot League campuses. In the process, Ed takes a quick look around the league and sizes up each team's prospects for the coming season.
Gone but not forgotten (Part II): Last time we checked in with Adonal Foyle, the Colgate grad, and only Patriot League to ever make it in the NBA, was looking for work after being left go by the Golden State Warriors. Foyle's new employer is the Orlando Magic, which is preparing to head to China for some exhibition action. Writers on the Magic beat knew who to turn to when looking to file a story about the trip; as put it, Foyle is "the kind of deep thinker who usually sticks out in an NBA locker room the way Bill O'Reilly would at a rap concert." The also checked in with Foyle for some socio-economic perspective on the trip.
Gone but not forgotten (Part III): Would any post catching up on the whereabouts of folks affiliated with Patriot League hoops be complete without an of Neil Fingleton? (Hint: The guy is 7-7, maybe you should throw another couple of shrimp on the barbie).
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Labels: Army, AU, BU, CU, HC, Laf, Leh, Navy, previews
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Tuesday, October 02, 2007
The league and the WWLIS have announced a 13-game television package for the upcoming season. Included is the conference tournament final, which will assume its customary Friday happy hour slot on ESPN2.
The Feb. 16 Holy Cross at Bucknell men's game will also be shown on the deuce.
The rest of the package, which includes a trio of women's games, will be on ESPNU.
Click the full post link to read the official press release.he 2007-08 Patriot League men's basketball schedule will feature eight regular-season men's games on ESPNU and one on ESPN2, as well as the Championship game on March 14 at 4:30 p.m. on ESPN2, it was announced Tuesday by Patriot League Executive Director Carolyn Schlie Femovich.
"We are pleased to once again feature Patriot League basketball games, including our Championship for men's and women's basketball, on the ESPN networks," said Femovich. "It is exciting that a regular-season matchup between Holy Cross and Bucknell, our past two champions, will be showcased on ESPN2 this year."
The ESPNU schedule also includes two Patriot League women's basketball regular-season games and the Championship contest on March 12.
The men's basketball season opens up on ESPNU, with Navy traveling to Bucknell for a7 p.m. tip-off on Jan. 11. Bucknell and Holy Cross will face off on the ESPN networks for both of their regular-season matchups, with a Jan. 18 game in Worcester at 9 p.m. on ESPNU and a Feb. 16 contest in Lewisburg at 6 p.m on ESPN2.
The ESPNU schedule features three Friday night games, four Sunday tip-offs at Noon and one Saturday contest. Two weekends will include a pair of Patriot League matchups. Lehigh visits Holy Cross on Feb. 2 at Noon and Army travels to Bucknell on Feb. 3 at Noon, while American is at Colgate at Noon on Feb. 17, one day after the Holy Cross/Bucknell tilt on ESPN2.
On the women's side, Holy Cross visits Bucknell for a Noon tip-off on Jan. 20 and Army is at Navy on Jan. 27. The Army-Navy game will be shown live on ESPN360.com and on a taped-delayed basis at 6:30 p.m.
2008 Patriot League Men's Basketball Schedule on ESPN2/ESPNU
Fri., Jan. 11: Navy at Bucknell, 7 p.m.
Fri., Jan. 18: Bucknell at Holy Cross, 9 p.m.
Sun., Jan. 27: Army at Navy, Noon
Sat., Feb. 2: Lehigh at Holy Cross, Noon
Sun., Feb. 3: Army at Bucknell, Noon
Sun., Feb. 10: Lehigh at American, Noon
Sat., Feb. 16: Holy Cross at Bucknell (ESPN2), 6 p.m.
Sun., Feb. 17: American at Colgate, Noon
Fri., Feb. 29: Holy Cross at Lehigh, 9 p.m.
Fri., Mar. 14: Championship Game (ESPN2), 4:30 p.m.
2008 Patriot League Women's Basketball Schedule on ESPNU
Sun., Jan. 20: Holy Cross at Bucknell, Noon
Sun., Jan. 27: Army at Navy, 2:30 p.m.
Wed., Mar. 12: Championship Game, TBA
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The Feb. 16 Holy Cross at Bucknell men's game will also be shown on the deuce.
The rest of the package, which includes a trio of women's games, will be on ESPNU.
Click the full post link to read the official press release.he 2007-08 Patriot League men's basketball schedule will feature eight regular-season men's games on ESPNU and one on ESPN2, as well as the Championship game on March 14 at 4:30 p.m. on ESPN2, it was announced Tuesday by Patriot League Executive Director Carolyn Schlie Femovich.
"We are pleased to once again feature Patriot League basketball games, including our Championship for men's and women's basketball, on the ESPN networks," said Femovich. "It is exciting that a regular-season matchup between Holy Cross and Bucknell, our past two champions, will be showcased on ESPN2 this year."
The ESPNU schedule also includes two Patriot League women's basketball regular-season games and the Championship contest on March 12.
The men's basketball season opens up on ESPNU, with Navy traveling to Bucknell for a7 p.m. tip-off on Jan. 11. Bucknell and Holy Cross will face off on the ESPN networks for both of their regular-season matchups, with a Jan. 18 game in Worcester at 9 p.m. on ESPNU and a Feb. 16 contest in Lewisburg at 6 p.m on ESPN2.
The ESPNU schedule features three Friday night games, four Sunday tip-offs at Noon and one Saturday contest. Two weekends will include a pair of Patriot League matchups. Lehigh visits Holy Cross on Feb. 2 at Noon and Army travels to Bucknell on Feb. 3 at Noon, while American is at Colgate at Noon on Feb. 17, one day after the Holy Cross/Bucknell tilt on ESPN2.
On the women's side, Holy Cross visits Bucknell for a Noon tip-off on Jan. 20 and Army is at Navy on Jan. 27. The Army-Navy game will be shown live on ESPN360.com and on a taped-delayed basis at 6:30 p.m.
2008 Patriot League Men's Basketball Schedule on ESPN2/ESPNU
Fri., Jan. 11: Navy at Bucknell, 7 p.m.
Fri., Jan. 18: Bucknell at Holy Cross, 9 p.m.
Sun., Jan. 27: Army at Navy, Noon
Sat., Feb. 2: Lehigh at Holy Cross, Noon
Sun., Feb. 3: Army at Bucknell, Noon
Sun., Feb. 10: Lehigh at American, Noon
Sat., Feb. 16: Holy Cross at Bucknell (ESPN2), 6 p.m.
Sun., Feb. 17: American at Colgate, Noon
Fri., Feb. 29: Holy Cross at Lehigh, 9 p.m.
Fri., Mar. 14: Championship Game (ESPN2), 4:30 p.m.
2008 Patriot League Women's Basketball Schedule on ESPNU
Sun., Jan. 20: Holy Cross at Bucknell, Noon
Sun., Jan. 27: Army at Navy, 2:30 p.m.
Wed., Mar. 12: Championship Game, TBA
Labels: Army, AU, BU, CU, HC, Laf, Leh, Navy
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Wednesday, August 15, 2007
ESPN.com has begun its summer ShootAround look at the nation's Division I hoops conferences. Yesterday they featured the Patriot League.
The headline on reads "Who can catch Bucknell and Holy Cross?"
Andy Glockner points out that over the past three seasons, BU and HC are a combined 80-4 against the rest of the conference, including league tournament games.
Glockner speculates it could be a two-horse race again this season, with Colgate as the darkhorse. His WWLIS colleague, bracketologist Joe Lunardi, had Holy Cross penciled in on his , projecting the Crusaders as a 14 seed.
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The headline on reads "Who can catch Bucknell and Holy Cross?"
Andy Glockner points out that over the past three seasons, BU and HC are a combined 80-4 against the rest of the conference, including league tournament games.
Glockner speculates it could be a two-horse race again this season, with Colgate as the darkhorse. His WWLIS colleague, bracketologist Joe Lunardi, had Holy Cross penciled in on his , projecting the Crusaders as a 14 seed.
Labels: Army, AU, BU, CU, HC, Laf, Leh, Navy, previews
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Wednesday, August 08, 2007
Dino Gaudio, one of many coaches who have failed to win at Army, will get another shot at a head coaching job, newspaper reports say.
According to the , Gaudiis the pick to succeed the late Skip Prosser at Wake Forest. Gaudio, who began his coaching career as a an assistant to Prosser at a West Virginia High School, was Prosser's top assistant at Wake.
Gaudio went 36-72 in four seasons at Army before leaving to replace Prosser at Loyola (Md.) when Prosser took the Xavier job. Gaudio was 33-51 in three seasons there before rejoining Prosser's staff. He later moved to Wake when Prosser took that job.
The paper said it was unclear whether Gaudi's new title would carry the interim tag.
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According to the , Gaudiis the pick to succeed the late Skip Prosser at Wake Forest. Gaudio, who began his coaching career as a an assistant to Prosser at a West Virginia High School, was Prosser's top assistant at Wake.
Gaudio went 36-72 in four seasons at Army before leaving to replace Prosser at Loyola (Md.) when Prosser took the Xavier job. Gaudio was 33-51 in three seasons there before rejoining Prosser's staff. He later moved to Wake when Prosser took that job.
The paper said it was unclear whether Gaudi's new title would carry the interim tag.
Labels: Army
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Wednesday, April 25, 2007
James Haarsma, a 6-6 all-state forward from Wisconsin, is headed to Army. He will make a stop in Jersey first, though.
Haarsma, who averaged 19.3 points and 9.5 rebounds for Wisconsin Division III state champ St. Catherine, will spend a year at Army's prep school before joining Jim Crews' squad at West Point.
According to , Haarsma, the who plans to become a cardiologist, has a "3.0 grade-point average at St. Catherine's, but will attend prep school at the request of the Academy's admissions board to adjust to the school's demanding academic life."
As we have reminded you before, next time you hear folks talk about how tough it is to recruit at the military academies, ask how many other Patriot League schools can recruit kids who don't meet their academic standards and stash them at a prep school for aredshirt year of seasoning. While you are at it, also ask how many can bring in more than five freshmen every year.
Yes, there are unique challenges recruiting at both of the academies, but the field is not anywhere near as uneven as folks at Army and Navy want you to believe when they are having down years. Remember, Don Devoe didn't start complaining about those difficulties when his Navy teams were finishing in the top three in the standings eight years in a row -- a stretch that included three league titles.
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Haarsma, who averaged 19.3 points and 9.5 rebounds for Wisconsin Division III state champ St. Catherine, will spend a year at Army's prep school before joining Jim Crews' squad at West Point.
According to , Haarsma, the who plans to become a cardiologist, has a "3.0 grade-point average at St. Catherine's, but will attend prep school at the request of the Academy's admissions board to adjust to the school's demanding academic life."
As we have reminded you before, next time you hear folks talk about how tough it is to recruit at the military academies, ask how many other Patriot League schools can recruit kids who don't meet their academic standards and stash them at a prep school for a
Yes, there are unique challenges recruiting at both of the academies, but the field is not anywhere near as uneven as folks at Army and Navy want you to believe when they are having down years. Remember, Don Devoe didn't start complaining about those difficulties when his Navy teams were finishing in the top three in the standings eight years in a row -- a stretch that included three league titles.
Labels: Army, recruiting
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Tuesday, March 27, 2007
Army signee Nathan Hedgecock has been named Co-MVP of the El Paso Times All-City team.
Hedgecock, who played for Montwood H.S., after scoring 19.8 points per game for the Rams, who made a trip to their regional tournament.
Unless he grows, Hedgecock will probably have to learn a new position at West Point. A 6-5 post player, he grabbed 6.1 rebounds, dished off 2.3 assists and had 2.2 steals per game.
Hedgecock, a two-time all-district and all-city selection, was also co-MVP of his district and a TABC Class 5A all-region pick.
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Hedgecock, who played for Montwood H.S., after scoring 19.8 points per game for the Rams, who made a trip to their regional tournament.
Unless he grows, Hedgecock will probably have to learn a new position at West Point. A 6-5 post player, he grabbed 6.1 rebounds, dished off 2.3 assists and had 2.2 steals per game.
Hedgecock, a two-time all-district and all-city selection, was also co-MVP of his district and a TABC Class 5A all-region pick.
Labels: Army
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Tuesday, March 06, 2007
Didn't see Army's controversial game-winner against Lehigh? Watch it here now. Keep an eye on the ball and the red light on the backboard.
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Monday, March 05, 2007
(Originally posted Sunday night, links added at 7:01 a.m.)
Bucknell turned a close game into no contest with an impressive defensive performance against Army.
By CHRIS A. COUROGEN
Matt Bell has suffered through some pretty horrible first halves in games at Bucknell. The Army senior, who started all 111 games in his now-ended Army career, was there in 2004 when the Black Knights scored only 9 points before the intermission. He was also on the floor back in January when Bucknell started the game with an 18-2 run and held Army to 15 first half points.
So when the Black Knights got off to a strong start in Sunday afternoon's Patriot League semifinal in Sojka Pavilion, Bell had to be feeling pretty good about his team's chances.
Even though the Bison had outscored Army 12-3 over the final five minutes of the first half, Bell's team was very much in the game, trailing 40-32 at the intermission, especially since Bucknell (22-8) did not seem to have a defensive answer for Bell and his teammate Jarrell Brown, who both at 13 points already at the break.
Boy was Bell wrong.
In a game that was a mirror image of those other blowouts, Bucknell spotted Army (15-16) a Cleveland Richard three-pointer to open the second half, then proceeded to hold the Black Knights without a field goal over the next 11:12, allowing just three more buckets, one in mop-up time to turn the close game into a 68-47 Bison rout.
"They just took over in the second half," said Bell, who closed out his stellar career by becoming the latest in a Long Grey Line of Cadets who have never beaten the Bison.
The win was Bucknell's 15th straight against the Black Knights, who have not beaten the Bison since 2001.
"Usually we come out here and get down by 10 or 15 points in the first four minutes. It's a little dissappointing they were able to take such command in the second half," said Bell, who was 0 for 3 after the break, finishing with the same 13 points he had at the half. Jarrell Brown added a pair of free throws and a late bucket in the second half to finish with a team-high 17.
Credit Bucknell's defense, which made it a point to do a better job of closing out on Army's perimeter shooters in the second half, a move that resulted in a 4 for 21 (19 percent) showing from the field by the Black Knights.
Richard's three came 20 seconds into the half. Between then and the time Bucknell coach Pat Flannery emptied his bench with 2:26 to play, Army scored all of 5 points -- three free throws and a Jarrell Brown jumper at the 8:27 mark that ended an eight minute scoreless stretch. It would be another 6:08 before the Black Knights scored again on a Cory Sinning jumper with 2:19 left on the clock.
"We really had a hard time scoring," said Army coach Jim Crews, who might actually have understated the situation. "We had a few good looks and a lot of not so good looks."
Army, which went 12 for 27 from the field in the first half, finished the second 4 for 21 (19 percent). It might have been worse had they gotten more shots. The Black Knights attempts were limited by their 14 second half turnovers.
"They did a better job of rotating and matching up. They did a better job communicating," said Bell.
"We got better as the game went on," Flannery said.
Adding to Army's woes was a dominating offensive performance by Bucknell's frontcourt duo of Chris McNaughton and Donald Brown who combined for 38 points on 15 for 20 shooting.
"We really didn't have an answer for McNaughton or Brown inside," Bell said.
In most games, Brown's 15 points and 9 rebounds would be what everybody was talking about afterwards. In this case, the 6-6 senior's second straight 15 and 9 performance was no better than third on the list of things that made a big impression.
Sharing top billing with Bucknell's second-half defense was McNaughton, who was pretty much unstoppable in what was likely the last Sojka Pavilion performance of his stellar career. McNaughton finished the game with 23 points, going 10 for 13 from the field on a variety of layups, hook shots and short jumpers.
"In the second half, Chris kind of took over," said Flannery.
Crews tried three different defenders on the 6-11 German -- Doug Williams, Chris Walker and Jimmy Sewell -- all with the same results, or should we say all with the same lack of results.
"(McNaughton goes left. He goes right. . . . He gets great angles on you. If you don't try top get around him, he gets in deep and if you get around him he gets better angles," Crews said.
McNaughton was quick to credit his teammates, who kept feeding him whenever he got position. Eight of Bucknell's 14 assists came on McNaughton buckets.
"They did a great job giving me the ball where I could score," he said.
Two of those 14 assists were credited to McNaughton himself, who would have had plenty more had the Bison's shooters knocked down more of the open threes McNaughton set up by kicking the ball out when he got double-teamed.
Bucknell was just 1 of 11 from the arc in the second half, a stat that is one of the few negatives nitpickers will find with the Bison half of the box score.
Despite those second half woes from three-point range, the Bison still managed to shoot 53.1 percent (26 of 49) from the field against an Army defense that came in ranked number one in the league.
The win is Bucknell's 14th in a row and its 22nd in 26 games after starting the season 0-4. It is also the Bison's eighth straight league tournament win, their 35th straight victory in Sojka against Patriot League opponents and their 10th straight home win overall.
Bucknell will look to extend those first two streaks when it meets Holy Cross in Friday's conference final in Worcester. The home streaks will have to wait until next season, barring a possible NIT game in Sojka should Bucknell lose in the title game.
| Postgame audio (Crews, J. Brown, Bell, Flannery, Badmus, McNaughton, D. Brown) | | | | |
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Bucknell turned a close game into no contest with an impressive defensive performance against Army.
By CHRIS A. COUROGEN
Matt Bell has suffered through some pretty horrible first halves in games at Bucknell. The Army senior, who started all 111 games in his now-ended Army career, was there in 2004 when the Black Knights scored only 9 points before the intermission. He was also on the floor back in January when Bucknell started the game with an 18-2 run and held Army to 15 first half points.
So when the Black Knights got off to a strong start in Sunday afternoon's Patriot League semifinal in Sojka Pavilion, Bell had to be feeling pretty good about his team's chances.
Even though the Bison had outscored Army 12-3 over the final five minutes of the first half, Bell's team was very much in the game, trailing 40-32 at the intermission, especially since Bucknell (22-8) did not seem to have a defensive answer for Bell and his teammate Jarrell Brown, who both at 13 points already at the break.
Boy was Bell wrong.
In a game that was a mirror image of those other blowouts, Bucknell spotted Army (15-16) a Cleveland Richard three-pointer to open the second half, then proceeded to hold the Black Knights without a field goal over the next 11:12, allowing just three more buckets, one in mop-up time to turn the close game into a 68-47 Bison rout.
"They just took over in the second half," said Bell, who closed out his stellar career by becoming the latest in a Long Grey Line of Cadets who have never beaten the Bison.
The win was Bucknell's 15th straight against the Black Knights, who have not beaten the Bison since 2001.
"Usually we come out here and get down by 10 or 15 points in the first four minutes. It's a little dissappointing they were able to take such command in the second half," said Bell, who was 0 for 3 after the break, finishing with the same 13 points he had at the half. Jarrell Brown added a pair of free throws and a late bucket in the second half to finish with a team-high 17.
Credit Bucknell's defense, which made it a point to do a better job of closing out on Army's perimeter shooters in the second half, a move that resulted in a 4 for 21 (19 percent) showing from the field by the Black Knights.
Richard's three came 20 seconds into the half. Between then and the time Bucknell coach Pat Flannery emptied his bench with 2:26 to play, Army scored all of 5 points -- three free throws and a Jarrell Brown jumper at the 8:27 mark that ended an eight minute scoreless stretch. It would be another 6:08 before the Black Knights scored again on a Cory Sinning jumper with 2:19 left on the clock.
"We really had a hard time scoring," said Army coach Jim Crews, who might actually have understated the situation. "We had a few good looks and a lot of not so good looks."
Army, which went 12 for 27 from the field in the first half, finished the second 4 for 21 (19 percent). It might have been worse had they gotten more shots. The Black Knights attempts were limited by their 14 second half turnovers.
"They did a better job of rotating and matching up. They did a better job communicating," said Bell.
"We got better as the game went on," Flannery said.
Adding to Army's woes was a dominating offensive performance by Bucknell's frontcourt duo of Chris McNaughton and Donald Brown who combined for 38 points on 15 for 20 shooting.
"We really didn't have an answer for McNaughton or Brown inside," Bell said.
In most games, Brown's 15 points and 9 rebounds would be what everybody was talking about afterwards. In this case, the 6-6 senior's second straight 15 and 9 performance was no better than third on the list of things that made a big impression.
Sharing top billing with Bucknell's second-half defense was McNaughton, who was pretty much unstoppable in what was likely the last Sojka Pavilion performance of his stellar career. McNaughton finished the game with 23 points, going 10 for 13 from the field on a variety of layups, hook shots and short jumpers.
"In the second half, Chris kind of took over," said Flannery.
Crews tried three different defenders on the 6-11 German -- Doug Williams, Chris Walker and Jimmy Sewell -- all with the same results, or should we say all with the same lack of results.
"(McNaughton goes left. He goes right. . . . He gets great angles on you. If you don't try top get around him, he gets in deep and if you get around him he gets better angles," Crews said.
McNaughton was quick to credit his teammates, who kept feeding him whenever he got position. Eight of Bucknell's 14 assists came on McNaughton buckets.
"They did a great job giving me the ball where I could score," he said.
Two of those 14 assists were credited to McNaughton himself, who would have had plenty more had the Bison's shooters knocked down more of the open threes McNaughton set up by kicking the ball out when he got double-teamed.
Bucknell was just 1 of 11 from the arc in the second half, a stat that is one of the few negatives nitpickers will find with the Bison half of the box score.
Despite those second half woes from three-point range, the Bison still managed to shoot 53.1 percent (26 of 49) from the field against an Army defense that came in ranked number one in the league.
The win is Bucknell's 14th in a row and its 22nd in 26 games after starting the season 0-4. It is also the Bison's eighth straight league tournament win, their 35th straight victory in Sojka against Patriot League opponents and their 10th straight home win overall.
Bucknell will look to extend those first two streaks when it meets Holy Cross in Friday's conference final in Worcester. The home streaks will have to wait until next season, barring a possible NIT game in Sojka should Bucknell lose in the title game.
| Postgame audio (Crews, J. Brown, Bell, Flannery, Badmus, McNaughton, D. Brown) | | | | |
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Sunday, March 04, 2007
Coaches love to trot out the cliche about how hard it is to beat a team three times. We'll see if it matters in this afternoon's Patriot League semifinals.
To many fans and observers, the first two rounds of the tournament are viewed as mere window dressing, necessary but not necessarily needed warmups to the highly anticipated main event -- a third straight league final between Bucknell and Holy Cross.
Don't try convincing American and Army that they are just items on the Big Two's checklists, though. Both underdogs will enter this afternoon's games with reason to believe they are capable of pulling off an upset.
No. 4 American at No. 1 Holy Cross (), 2 p.m. -- American wants to take advantage of its third chance to knock off Holy Cross, it will need to find a way to limit the Crusaders' second chances. In a 69-64 overtime loss Jan. 20 at home, and again in Worcester 11 days later, in a 58-47 loss, American's downfall came on the glass. Specifically at the Holy Cross offensive end.
The Eagles held HC to 38.7 percent shooting in the first game and were even tougher in the second, limiting the 'Saders to a 34.7 percent field goal shooting night. But Holy Cross had 12 offensive rebounds and a 12-2 edge in second chance points in the game at AU and 16 offensive boards leading to an 18-2 advantage in second chance points in the rematch. That has been the biggest difference between the two.
Travis Lay might provide some help there. Lay has seen his minutes off the bench increase down the stretch and he has responded by averaging 8 boards per game over the last four.
Holy Cross' all-league junior center Tim Clifford has a long history of big games against American. Expect Jeff Jones to abandon his usual philosophy of trying to guard the post man to man in favor of a scheme that provides his big men some help on Clifford down low.
Jones would like nothing more than to get a strong game out of 6-11 senior Paulius Joneliunas, who has played well down the stretch. Joneliunas is shooting 63.2 percent (12 of 19) over the last four games.
In the backcourt, AU's Andre Ingram has been an effective defender against Keith Simmons. In two games against AU, Simmons has averaged 12.5 points per game, well below his average of over 17 ppg. In the first meeting, Simmons didn't reach double figures in regulation, scoring 6 of his 14 points from the foul line in overtime.
Of course even if they slow down the Crusaders offense, American will still need to generate enough offense to put up more points than HC. The Eagles have plenty of weapons, and if Ingram and Arvydas Eitutavicius both manage to get going from the arc, they could be tough to stop.
That is easier said than done against a Holy Cross defense that has been the stingiest in the league this season. In the two regular season games, AU shot a combined 40.2 percent while turning the ball over 37 times.
A few extra nuggets about this one:
It will be the third time the two schools have met in the league tournament; the first time they have met prior to the finals. HC has won both previous postseason encounters.
HC leads the series 12-3, including wins in the last six meetings in Worcester, where AU has won once in 7 tries.
Holy Cross is 12-0 in the Hart Center this season and has won 16 in a row there dating back to last season.
Ironman Torey Thomas was expected to play less minutes this season once Pat Doherty returned, but sometime in the first half he should break his own HC school record for minutes played. Thomas needs just 8 minutes to equal his own mark of 1,166 set last season.
The number one seed has never failed to advance to the championship game of the Patriot League tournament.
No. 6 Army at No. 2 Bucknell (), 3:30 p.m. -- After taking the Bison to the wire in the regular season finale, the Black Knights should come into Sojka a heckuva lot more confident than they were when they left after the first meeting between the two.
The Bison jumped out to an 18-2 lead in that first game, and led 43-15 at the half before coasting home.
The rematch at West Point was considerably closer, tied 19-19 in the final minute before Bucknell pulled out the 54-49 decision.
Army hit 9 treys in that second game. If they light it up from the arc again, who knows what might happen.
Aside from the change in game sites, there is another big difference between this afternoon and that regular season finale -- Donald Brown. The Bison senior was in street clothes, waiting for clearance to return from a broken hand, when the two teams played at West Point. Brown came back in the first round of the tournament and looked like he had not missed a beat, scoring 15 points and grabbing 9 rebounds.
Brown was 4 for 5 from the field, with 12 points and 8 rebounds in just 27 minutes of action in the first meeting with Army. His return adds to a huge Bucknell advantage in the frontcourt.
The Black Knights are playing with house money. Almost nobody expected them to finish higher than last in the regular season and few thought they would get past Lehigh in the first round. Yet a resurgent season and a blown call later, here they are, in the league semifinals for just the third time in 17 seasons of Patriot League play.
Bucknell needs to start strong and establish control from the start. Put Army in a hole early and that confidence will start to wane. Let the nothing-to-lose underdogs hang around and gain confidence, who knows what might happen. Just ask either school's women's teams.
Choice tidbits from the two team's gamenotes:
The Bison hold a 36-14 lead in the series, which dates to 1929.
Bucknell has won 14 in a row against Army and 35 of 39 meetings between the two in Patriot League play.
In tournament play, Bucknell is 5-1 against Army, the loss coming in a first round upset in 1995, when Bucknell was a No. 2 seed and Army No. 7. Army finished that season 4-10 in league play, the same record it posted this year.
Bucknell is looking to extend its current win streak to 14 games, the longest in -one-season steak in school history
The Bison are looking for their 35th straight home win against Patriot League opponents
No current Bison is averaging in double figures against Army for their career. Chris McNaughton, who has averaged 9.8 points per game in nine games against Army, has Bucknell's best career numbers against the Black Knights. Abe Badmus, who will also be facing Army for the 10th time, has the Bison's best single-game showing -- a 15-point game the last time the two met.
Army's Jarrell Brown scored 25 against the Bison at Christl Arena last season.
the two teams met in the first round last season, with Bucknell pulling out a 59-47 win in a game they led by just 1 point with 10 minutes to go before using a 14-0 run to gain separation
Army's win at Lehigh in the first round snapped a 10-game tournament losing streak
That win also snapped a 10-game road losing streak for Army and an 11-game losing streak in road league games.
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To many fans and observers, the first two rounds of the tournament are viewed as mere window dressing, necessary but not necessarily needed warmups to the highly anticipated main event -- a third straight league final between Bucknell and Holy Cross.
Don't try convincing American and Army that they are just items on the Big Two's checklists, though. Both underdogs will enter this afternoon's games with reason to believe they are capable of pulling off an upset.
No. 4 American at No. 1 Holy Cross (), 2 p.m. -- American wants to take advantage of its third chance to knock off Holy Cross, it will need to find a way to limit the Crusaders' second chances. In a 69-64 overtime loss Jan. 20 at home, and again in Worcester 11 days later, in a 58-47 loss, American's downfall came on the glass. Specifically at the Holy Cross offensive end.
The Eagles held HC to 38.7 percent shooting in the first game and were even tougher in the second, limiting the 'Saders to a 34.7 percent field goal shooting night. But Holy Cross had 12 offensive rebounds and a 12-2 edge in second chance points in the game at AU and 16 offensive boards leading to an 18-2 advantage in second chance points in the rematch. That has been the biggest difference between the two.
Travis Lay might provide some help there. Lay has seen his minutes off the bench increase down the stretch and he has responded by averaging 8 boards per game over the last four.
Holy Cross' all-league junior center Tim Clifford has a long history of big games against American. Expect Jeff Jones to abandon his usual philosophy of trying to guard the post man to man in favor of a scheme that provides his big men some help on Clifford down low.
Jones would like nothing more than to get a strong game out of 6-11 senior Paulius Joneliunas, who has played well down the stretch. Joneliunas is shooting 63.2 percent (12 of 19) over the last four games.
In the backcourt, AU's Andre Ingram has been an effective defender against Keith Simmons. In two games against AU, Simmons has averaged 12.5 points per game, well below his average of over 17 ppg. In the first meeting, Simmons didn't reach double figures in regulation, scoring 6 of his 14 points from the foul line in overtime.
Of course even if they slow down the Crusaders offense, American will still need to generate enough offense to put up more points than HC. The Eagles have plenty of weapons, and if Ingram and Arvydas Eitutavicius both manage to get going from the arc, they could be tough to stop.
That is easier said than done against a Holy Cross defense that has been the stingiest in the league this season. In the two regular season games, AU shot a combined 40.2 percent while turning the ball over 37 times.
A few extra nuggets about this one:
No. 6 Army at No. 2 Bucknell (), 3:30 p.m. -- After taking the Bison to the wire in the regular season finale, the Black Knights should come into Sojka a heckuva lot more confident than they were when they left after the first meeting between the two.
The Bison jumped out to an 18-2 lead in that first game, and led 43-15 at the half before coasting home.
The rematch at West Point was considerably closer, tied 19-19 in the final minute before Bucknell pulled out the 54-49 decision.
Army hit 9 treys in that second game. If they light it up from the arc again, who knows what might happen.
Aside from the change in game sites, there is another big difference between this afternoon and that regular season finale -- Donald Brown. The Bison senior was in street clothes, waiting for clearance to return from a broken hand, when the two teams played at West Point. Brown came back in the first round of the tournament and looked like he had not missed a beat, scoring 15 points and grabbing 9 rebounds.
Brown was 4 for 5 from the field, with 12 points and 8 rebounds in just 27 minutes of action in the first meeting with Army. His return adds to a huge Bucknell advantage in the frontcourt.
The Black Knights are playing with house money. Almost nobody expected them to finish higher than last in the regular season and few thought they would get past Lehigh in the first round. Yet a resurgent season and a blown call later, here they are, in the league semifinals for just the third time in 17 seasons of Patriot League play.
Bucknell needs to start strong and establish control from the start. Put Army in a hole early and that confidence will start to wane. Let the nothing-to-lose underdogs hang around and gain confidence, who knows what might happen. Just ask either school's women's teams.
Choice tidbits from the two team's gamenotes:
Labels: Army, AU, BU, HC, previews
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Friday, March 02, 2007
Lehigh fans are understandably upset with their loss to Army. Who could blame them? Here is an unedited sampling of some of the e-mails we have received about the blown call at the end that allowed Army to advance to the semifinals of the league tournament:
This one came from someone claiming an e-mail address of wegotscrewed@lehigh.edu:
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This one came from someone claiming an e-mail address of wegotscrewed@lehigh.edu:
Name: VeryAnother anonymous one read like this:
Address : Pissed
Address: Off
City: Lehigh
State: Fan
Zip: Wow
Comments: We got screwed...shouldn't have been that close...but Chris,
we got screwed.
Lehigh has sent video of the game to the league already. The shot was approximately .3-.5 seconds late. If they were smart they would send it to ESPN and put some pressure on the league. It comes down to being Lehigh's fault though. If they put a better product on the court, the local television wouldn't be televising a high school game over the first round of the Patriot League tourney. They should have pushed to get the station to do this game. It is funny (sad) that Lehigh has been screwed 3 times now at the end of the game; twice by not having television there. This call was truly awful. I hope you get to see how late the "basket" actually was, Chris. Long story short...LU should not have allowed this game to be close, but in the end, it should have been a LU win...refs truly blew it.This one also identified itself as being from a Lehigh fan, but gave no name:
Here is what my people are telling me: The league ADs met this afternoon (sans Lehigh's and Army's) on a conference call to discuss the situation, presumably after Taylor had pushed for this. It was determined that Lehigh should have won the game (the shot was late), but because the refs had left the court, they couldn't take the game away from Army. Last night, after the one ref (description deleted) made the call, the three stormed off the court without a conference. The reason is because Lehigh never informed the refs that the game was indeed being broadcasted on Internet video. The refs thought it was just game film, something they couldn't look at. Had Lehigh been clear prior to the game that indeed their was a monitor they could review, things may have gone differently. My problem is the with the alacrity that the refs left the court, not allowing Taylor anytime to explain that they were actually able to review the monitor. Once they went into the locker room though, it was over. Really, these refs should be examined for missing such a blatant call. Garbage!Mike from Bethlehem, whose e-mail address was a lehigh.edu domain, wrote:
I'm not sure I understand the "deserve to win" rhetoric. While both teams played poor in the Army/Lehigh game, that doesn't mean Lehigh didn't "deserve" the win. I could quote Herm Edwards, but you get the idea. Obviously, Lehigh would not have been happy with their collective performance had they won, but I'm sure they felt the same way in 2003 after squeaking by Navy in the 1st round.
The story coming from this game isn't about a sub 30% shooting performance; it is the bureaucracy that is the NCAA. How can this result be upheld? A jury of 1,000,000 would unanimously declare that the final shot should not have counted. However, because the three blind officials left the court the result is final?
I understand some Internet broadcast technicality, but the proof could be found on the sidelines within 5 minutes of the disputed shot. This is a disgrace. The NCAA is a joke. Imagine this happening in an ACC tournament game - simply put, Lehigh wins. I feel like shit.
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(Additional links added at 2:37 p.m.)
There will be no overturning the Black Knights' 47-46 win over Lehigh, say league officials.
According to a of a statement released by the league, coordinator of officials Mickey Crowley, the ruling is based on the fact that the Internet video equipment at courtside was not designated as an official replay monitor, thus the officials could not use it to review the play in question.
That play, a game-winning shot by Army's Josh Miller, came after the clock had expired, according to reports from media members who have been able to review video of the play.
The league's executive director Carolyn Schlie Femovich apparently agrees with those reports. In that statement, she says, ". . . it appears that the shot left the player’s hand after the clock expired.”
While it was not cited in the statement, there is also an NCAA rule that says once the officials leave the floor, the result is official and cannot be changed. Because of that rule, it seemed little chance of Lehigh's appeal succeeding.
Regrettably, these things happen from time to time, though usually you hear about it happening in some other league. Though not exactly the same circumstances, Duke got a win earlier this season due to a clock screwup at the end of a game. There have been others.
This is not the first time something like this has occurred in the Patriot League. In 1994, Bucknell lost a 99-98 overtime decision to Holy Cross in a regular season game in old Davis Gym under similar circumstances. There was no Internet video back then, but Bucknell used to shoot video of the games for a self-produced cable TV coach's show.
That video was not available to the game officials, but after the game, Bucknell's then director of broadcasting, Bob Behler, who is now the voice of the UMass Minutemen, and I reviewed the tape, using the then-high tech equipment in the football coaches offices at Bucknell, which was capable of slowing video down to a frame by frame view.
A short time after that game, Bucknell installed red lights on top of the backboards in Davis, synced to light up when the clock expired. In the old print version of Hoop Time we ran a picture of them and called them the "Joe DeMayo Memorial Lights", a reference to the ref who missed the call.
That game did not have the same stakes involved as the Army-Lehigh game. It was a regular season contest and even if the outcome had been reversed, the tournament seeding would not have changed.
It is too bad for Lehigh's players, especially the four seniors who careers have been cut short by at least one game. The best that can be hoped for from this incident is that the league adopt a policy mandating the All-Access video feed be set up in a manner that conforms to the NCAA's rules for being an official replay monitor, and that it be designated as such in all games not shown on broadcast or cable television.
That won't give Lehigh another game, but it will help prevent such an occurrence in the future.
Lehigh fans react
(Morning Call)
(Morning Call)
BONUS LINK:
(Tom Housenick's weekly hoops column in The Daily Item)
(Ralph Willard's views on spring break, the tournament and the Lafayette game)
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There will be no overturning the Black Knights' 47-46 win over Lehigh, say league officials.
According to a of a statement released by the league, coordinator of officials Mickey Crowley, the ruling is based on the fact that the Internet video equipment at courtside was not designated as an official replay monitor, thus the officials could not use it to review the play in question.
That play, a game-winning shot by Army's Josh Miller, came after the clock had expired, according to reports from media members who have been able to review video of the play.
The league's executive director Carolyn Schlie Femovich apparently agrees with those reports. In that statement, she says, ". . . it appears that the shot left the player’s hand after the clock expired.”
While it was not cited in the statement, there is also an NCAA rule that says once the officials leave the floor, the result is official and cannot be changed. Because of that rule, it seemed little chance of Lehigh's appeal succeeding.
Regrettably, these things happen from time to time, though usually you hear about it happening in some other league. Though not exactly the same circumstances, Duke got a win earlier this season due to a clock screwup at the end of a game. There have been others.
This is not the first time something like this has occurred in the Patriot League. In 1994, Bucknell lost a 99-98 overtime decision to Holy Cross in a regular season game in old Davis Gym under similar circumstances. There was no Internet video back then, but Bucknell used to shoot video of the games for a self-produced cable TV coach's show.
That video was not available to the game officials, but after the game, Bucknell's then director of broadcasting, Bob Behler, who is now the voice of the UMass Minutemen, and I reviewed the tape, using the then-high tech equipment in the football coaches offices at Bucknell, which was capable of slowing video down to a frame by frame view.
A short time after that game, Bucknell installed red lights on top of the backboards in Davis, synced to light up when the clock expired. In the old print version of Hoop Time we ran a picture of them and called them the "Joe DeMayo Memorial Lights", a reference to the ref who missed the call.
That game did not have the same stakes involved as the Army-Lehigh game. It was a regular season contest and even if the outcome had been reversed, the tournament seeding would not have changed.
It is too bad for Lehigh's players, especially the four seniors who careers have been cut short by at least one game. The best that can be hoped for from this incident is that the league adopt a policy mandating the All-Access video feed be set up in a manner that conforms to the NCAA's rules for being an official replay monitor, and that it be designated as such in all games not shown on broadcast or cable television.
That won't give Lehigh another game, but it will help prevent such an occurrence in the future.
BONUS LINK:
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Thursday, March 01, 2007
Interpret that headline how you please. To Lehigh fans and officials and the media covering the game, Josh Miller's game-winner came after the buzzer. Officially, it came late in the game. Either way, it gave Army a 47-46 upset win over the hard-luck Mountain Hawks.
Be clear about one thing: Lehigh didn't deserve to win. Not after shooting 29.1 percent from the field (16 of 55). Not after going 1 for 12 from the three-point arc and 13 for 21 from the free throw line. Even a slight improvement from horrid to mediocre would have given the Hawks the extra two points it needed to advance to the Patriot League Tournament semifinals.
Lehigh's best player, first team all-league pick Jose Olivero, was 2 for 13 from the field, and missed 4 of his 11 free throws.
But if the reports from media at the game are accurate, and the three guys whose stories are linked below are all top-notch, sixth-seeded Army didn't deserve to win, either. Reports indicate the PL All-Access video of the game clearly showed Miller's runner was still in his hands when the red lights in the backboard came on.
The officials ran straight off the court after the shot and did not check a video monitor at the scorers table.
This was the first Lehigh home game all season that was not carried by the local cable company. It is unclear whether rules allow using Internet video shot by the home team for reviews, though Lehigh folks argue the rules state any "electronic" video available.
Immediately after the game, Lehigh prepared a DVD to ship to Mickey Crowley, the league's supervisor of officials, in hopes of overturning the outcome, though that appears unlikely.
Lehigh coach Billy Taylor, who usually is very calm even when an end of the game call does not go the Hawks' way, reportedly sprinted after the officials as they left the court, presumably hoping to get them to look at the Webcast video.
Taylor told reporters:
Cleveland Richards led Army with 12 points. Jarrell Brown added 11 and Matt Bell 10 for the Black Knights (15-15), who barring an unexpected overturn of the outcome, will be at No. 2 Bucknell for a Sunday afternoon semifinal.
Like Lehigh, Army also had its chances to avoid the close finish. The Black Knights were just 6 of 13 from the foul line and hit just 19 of 55 from the field (34.5 percent), including 3 of 14 from the arc.
Senior center Jason Mgebroff, who missed most of the conference schedule due to stress fractures in his leg, added 11 points for Lehigh, which ends its season with four straight losses. League Rookie of the year Marquis Hall has 9 points, 6 assists and 5 rebounds. Bryan White led all rebounders with 12.
A total of 804 fans were on hand to watch what likely was the final game of the careers of Lehigh's four seniors.
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Be clear about one thing: Lehigh didn't deserve to win. Not after shooting 29.1 percent from the field (16 of 55). Not after going 1 for 12 from the three-point arc and 13 for 21 from the free throw line. Even a slight improvement from horrid to mediocre would have given the Hawks the extra two points it needed to advance to the Patriot League Tournament semifinals.
Lehigh's best player, first team all-league pick Jose Olivero, was 2 for 13 from the field, and missed 4 of his 11 free throws.
But if the reports from media at the game are accurate, and the three guys whose stories are linked below are all top-notch, sixth-seeded Army didn't deserve to win, either. Reports indicate the PL All-Access video of the game clearly showed Miller's runner was still in his hands when the red lights in the backboard came on.
The officials ran straight off the court after the shot and did not check a video monitor at the scorers table.
This was the first Lehigh home game all season that was not carried by the local cable company. It is unclear whether rules allow using Internet video shot by the home team for reviews, though Lehigh folks argue the rules state any "electronic" video available.
Immediately after the game, Lehigh prepared a DVD to ship to Mickey Crowley, the league's supervisor of officials, in hopes of overturning the outcome, though that appears unlikely.
Lehigh coach Billy Taylor, who usually is very calm even when an end of the game call does not go the Hawks' way, reportedly sprinted after the officials as they left the court, presumably hoping to get them to look at the Webcast video.
Taylor told reporters:
"We have to fight the fight because it was clearly after the light went off, so we are going to continue to fight until they say we can't anymore, and then we'll fight some more."That time might be better spent working on shooting. Although No. 3 seed Lehigh (12-19) finished the season ranked third in the league in scoring, it came into the game shooting 36 percent from the field in its last nine games. Had it managed even that meager performance, there would be no controversy.
Cleveland Richards led Army with 12 points. Jarrell Brown added 11 and Matt Bell 10 for the Black Knights (15-15), who barring an unexpected overturn of the outcome, will be at No. 2 Bucknell for a Sunday afternoon semifinal.
Like Lehigh, Army also had its chances to avoid the close finish. The Black Knights were just 6 of 13 from the foul line and hit just 19 of 55 from the field (34.5 percent), including 3 of 14 from the arc.
Senior center Jason Mgebroff, who missed most of the conference schedule due to stress fractures in his leg, added 11 points for Lehigh, which ends its season with four straight losses. League Rookie of the year Marquis Hall has 9 points, 6 assists and 5 rebounds. Bryan White led all rebounders with 12.
A total of 804 fans were on hand to watch what likely was the final game of the careers of Lehigh's four seniors.
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Wednesday, February 28, 2007
March Madness starts in February this year. Here is a look at tonight's first round Patriot League playoff contests:
No. 6 Army at No. 3 Lehigh 7 p.m. () -- Looking for tonight's upset special? here's your game. Army (14-15, 4-10) comes in losers of eight of its last nine, the only win in that span coming at home against last place Lafayette. After a strong start filled with promise, including a 3-2 start to the conference season, the Black Knights seemed to slide into the abyss.
So what makes anybody think a team that has won just twice on the road all season can pull off an upset against a Lehigh team that was 9-3 this season in Stabler?
For starters, there is Army's win in the first meeting between the two. The Black Knights held Jose Olivero to 7 points in that one. In other words, they know first hand that if you shut down Olivero, Lehigh is beatable.
Of course they also know what happens when Olivero does go off. Lehigh's all-league senior put up 30 on Army when they met earlier this month in Stabler.
In a strange way, that ought to give Army some confidence. Even with Olivero combining with freshman point guard Marquis Hall for 50 points in that game, the Black Knights kept it close much of the way before falling by 11. The Black Knights (2-16 all time in the league tournament) come in knowing that if they can just limit Olivero to somewhere around his 16.6 ppg average, they should have a shot at winning their third-ever tournament game and at advancing for the first time since 1996.
At that point, Lehigh's only home setbacks all season had come on a disputed call in the final seconds of a 1-point loss to Columbia and in a 5-point loss to Navy three days before Army came to town.
That Navy loss put a crack in the Mountain Hawks' air of home invincibility. It was shattered in the last week of the season, with Bucknell and Holy Cross both coming into Stabler to pick up wins. Add a Feb. 18 loss at last place Lafayette to the mix and you have a reeling team that comes into the post season having lost three in a row.
Here is an interesting stat to ponder as you consider the possibilities of tonight's game: In a nine-game stretch beginning with a loss at Bucknell Jan. 23, Lehigh has shot
36 percent from the field, 33 percent from three-point range. That bodes well for a low scoring, defense minded team like Army.
One thing that has changed since the two teams last met is the return of 6-10 senior Jason Mgebroff to the Lehigh lineup. If Mgebroff can regain his form of earlier in the season, before the stress fracture that left him out of action for 13 games, he could be a huge presence against an Army team that is not real strong in the post. There has been no sign of that Mgebroff in the four games since he has returned, though. In those four, Mgebroff has scored a total of 8 points, 5 coming in an overtime win at Colgate.
(Times Herald-Record)
No. 8 Lafayette at No. 1 Holy Cross 7 p.m. () -- The Leopards put a scare in the Crusaders back in their conference opener in Easton. That might give Lafayette some confidence, but it also is likely to help make certain Holy Cross doesn't look past the last-place Leopards. No top seed has ever lost in the first round of the league tournament, and it is not likely to happen tonight. Note: The game can be heard on Sirius satellite radio on channel 140.
(Telegram & Gazette)
No. 7 Navy at No. 2 Bucknell 7 p.m. () -- There are a lot of streaks on the line for Bucknell, which is looking to win 13 in a row for the first time under Pat Flannery. The Bison have won 33 straight Patriot League games in Sojka Pavilion, six straight league tournament games and have won five straight games against Navy.
There is also a streak the Bison are looking to end. They are 0-3 all time against the Midshipmen in PL Tournament games.
If Navy's shots are falling and Bucknell's are not, this could be close. That was the situation when the two met in Sojka earlier this season. With Navy making eight treys while Bucknell hit just two, the Mids kept it tight throughout before falling 59-51.
Since then, though, Bucknell has won 13 out of 14 while Navy has gone 4-9. Even though three of those wins came in the last six games, the Mids' resurgent season should end tonight.
Worth noting: There are tickets available for this one. They can be or at the Langone Center box office up until 5 p.m. or at the door at Sojka beginning at 5.
No. 5 Colgate at No. 4 American, 7:30 p.m. () -- Watch out for the AU Eagles, who come into the tournament on a roll, winners of their last four in a row. American started the season strong, winning seven of their first nine. As losses began to pile up, Jeff Jones began tinkering with his lineup in an effort to reverse that trend.
It didn't work, but late in the season Jones smartened up and went back to the lineup that had been successful early and AU put together a surge that secured a homecourt game in the first round.
Since joining the league, American has never lost in the first round of the tournament. The Eagles won both regular season games against the Raiders, who limp into the postseason losers of four of their last five.
The loser gets out its golf clubs. The winner gets a bus ride to Worcester. Hard to say which is the better deal. Note: You can listen to this one on Sirius 143.
(The Washington Moonie)
BONUS LINK:
(Times Herald-Record)
(Jake Felix in the Sun-Gazette)
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No. 6 Army at No. 3 Lehigh 7 p.m. () -- Looking for tonight's upset special? here's your game. Army (14-15, 4-10) comes in losers of eight of its last nine, the only win in that span coming at home against last place Lafayette. After a strong start filled with promise, including a 3-2 start to the conference season, the Black Knights seemed to slide into the abyss.
So what makes anybody think a team that has won just twice on the road all season can pull off an upset against a Lehigh team that was 9-3 this season in Stabler?
For starters, there is Army's win in the first meeting between the two. The Black Knights held Jose Olivero to 7 points in that one. In other words, they know first hand that if you shut down Olivero, Lehigh is beatable.
Of course they also know what happens when Olivero does go off. Lehigh's all-league senior put up 30 on Army when they met earlier this month in Stabler.
In a strange way, that ought to give Army some confidence. Even with Olivero combining with freshman point guard Marquis Hall for 50 points in that game, the Black Knights kept it close much of the way before falling by 11. The Black Knights (2-16 all time in the league tournament) come in knowing that if they can just limit Olivero to somewhere around his 16.6 ppg average, they should have a shot at winning their third-ever tournament game and at advancing for the first time since 1996.
At that point, Lehigh's only home setbacks all season had come on a disputed call in the final seconds of a 1-point loss to Columbia and in a 5-point loss to Navy three days before Army came to town.
That Navy loss put a crack in the Mountain Hawks' air of home invincibility. It was shattered in the last week of the season, with Bucknell and Holy Cross both coming into Stabler to pick up wins. Add a Feb. 18 loss at last place Lafayette to the mix and you have a reeling team that comes into the post season having lost three in a row.
Here is an interesting stat to ponder as you consider the possibilities of tonight's game: In a nine-game stretch beginning with a loss at Bucknell Jan. 23, Lehigh has shot
36 percent from the field, 33 percent from three-point range. That bodes well for a low scoring, defense minded team like Army.
One thing that has changed since the two teams last met is the return of 6-10 senior Jason Mgebroff to the Lehigh lineup. If Mgebroff can regain his form of earlier in the season, before the stress fracture that left him out of action for 13 games, he could be a huge presence against an Army team that is not real strong in the post. There has been no sign of that Mgebroff in the four games since he has returned, though. In those four, Mgebroff has scored a total of 8 points, 5 coming in an overtime win at Colgate.
No. 8 Lafayette at No. 1 Holy Cross 7 p.m. () -- The Leopards put a scare in the Crusaders back in their conference opener in Easton. That might give Lafayette some confidence, but it also is likely to help make certain Holy Cross doesn't look past the last-place Leopards. No top seed has ever lost in the first round of the league tournament, and it is not likely to happen tonight. Note: The game can be heard on Sirius satellite radio on channel 140.
No. 7 Navy at No. 2 Bucknell 7 p.m. () -- There are a lot of streaks on the line for Bucknell, which is looking to win 13 in a row for the first time under Pat Flannery. The Bison have won 33 straight Patriot League games in Sojka Pavilion, six straight league tournament games and have won five straight games against Navy.
There is also a streak the Bison are looking to end. They are 0-3 all time against the Midshipmen in PL Tournament games.
If Navy's shots are falling and Bucknell's are not, this could be close. That was the situation when the two met in Sojka earlier this season. With Navy making eight treys while Bucknell hit just two, the Mids kept it tight throughout before falling 59-51.
Since then, though, Bucknell has won 13 out of 14 while Navy has gone 4-9. Even though three of those wins came in the last six games, the Mids' resurgent season should end tonight.
Worth noting: There are tickets available for this one. They can be or at the Langone Center box office up until 5 p.m. or at the door at Sojka beginning at 5.
No. 5 Colgate at No. 4 American, 7:30 p.m. () -- Watch out for the AU Eagles, who come into the tournament on a roll, winners of their last four in a row. American started the season strong, winning seven of their first nine. As losses began to pile up, Jeff Jones began tinkering with his lineup in an effort to reverse that trend.
It didn't work, but late in the season Jones smartened up and went back to the lineup that had been successful early and AU put together a surge that secured a homecourt game in the first round.
Since joining the league, American has never lost in the first round of the tournament. The Eagles won both regular season games against the Raiders, who limp into the postseason losers of four of their last five.
The loser gets out its golf clubs. The winner gets a bus ride to Worcester. Hard to say which is the better deal. Note: You can listen to this one on Sirius 143.
BONUS LINK:
Labels: Army, AU, BU, CU, HC, Laf, Leh, Navy, previews
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Tuesday, February 27, 2007
A little light reading to help you pass time at work while you count down the minutes to Wednesday's playoff openers.
(Express-Times) Corky Blake looks at the tournament prospects of the league's Lehigh Valley contingent.
(AP) Genaro Armas previews the Bucknell-Navy matchup. Take the comments on Donald Brown's return with a grain of salt. Pat Flannery seemed to be bluffing during the conference call when he said the Bison won't know if Brown can play Wednesday until they saw him practice for the first time on Monday. Armas was not there Saturday after the BU-Army game when Brown told Tom Housenick of the Daily Item and I that he had returned to practice, already had some contact with the hand he had broken, and was ready to play when the tournament gets underway.
(Times Herald-Record) -- Talk about a newspaper that just doesn't get the reality of the times. The Times Herald-Record seems to cling to some notion that they can sell more papers by imitating the down-Hudson big boys like the NY Post and The Daily News and covering the heck out of the New York city pro scene. In an era when the mantra in the industry is local, local, local, their solution to declining circulation has been a cutback on their local college sports coverage. They don't even staff most Army games anymore. In this case, rather than allow Ken McMillan to write a story just about the Patriot League, they lump it all in one package with women's stuff, local jucos, Marist -- 10 teams at all. Anyhow, there is enough good Patriot League stuff in the story to make it well worth a click, even if you have to wade through the SUNY-Orange coverage to find it.
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Labels: Army, BU, HC, Laf, Leh, Navy
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Sunday, February 25, 2007
(Originally posted Sat. at 8:32 p.m., updated with links at 7:51 a.m.)
Black Knights take Bucknell to the wire before succumbing.
By CHRIS A. COUROGEN
Bucknell fans breathed two sighs of relief Saturday afternoon. The first came at the end of the Bison's 54-49 win at Army in a game that came down to the final minute.
The second came about an hour later when they saw the score from Colgate's win over Navy.
That one made certain the Bison won't have to play the Black Knights again on Wednesday. Navy's loss dropped the Mids to the No. 7 seed. Army will enter the playoffs as the No. 6 seed, traveling to No. 3 Lehigh in round one.
It's doubtful any Lehigh players would look past the Black Knights. The Mountain Hawks lost at West Point earlier in the season. Should they forget how dangerous Army can be, they will have film from this one to remind them.
Knocking down 9 three-pointers while playing smothering defense, Army took the Bison to the limit. The game was tied at 49-49 inside the final minute.
Abe Badmus hit a huge three with 54 seconds to go for what proved to be the game-winner.
Credit Chris McNaughton with setting it up. It won't go down as an assist in the scorebook -- he didn't make the pass. But McNaughton, who posted his third double-double of the season with 12 points and 10 rebounds, drew so much attention on the pick and roll, Badmus was all alone at the arc when the ball came to him.
"I was wide open. I just let it go," said Badmus, who 15 points -- a season high -- and hit three (of five) threes.
No wonder Badmus was open. As Bucknell coach Pat Flannery pointed out, after McNaughton set a screen for Badmus, he rolled towards the basket and Army's defense rolled towards McNaughton.
"Chris rolled and five guys, maybe six, came," Flannery said.
Army was right to pay McNaughton so much attention. Early in the second half, when they tried to stop him with just Doug Williams and occasionally a guard helping, McNaughton scored three buckets and assisted on another during a 13-2 run that gave the Bison a 9-point lead with 13:44 to play.
"(McNaughton's) just a big guy. It's kind of hard. You can't really help because they have shooters all over the place," said Army's Cleveland Richard, who hit three three-pointers and finished with 14 points.
At that point it looked like Bucknell was about to take control of the game. Army, though, refused to go away. Between a pair of Justin Castleberry free throws that gave Bucknell a 47-40 lead with 8:58 to play and a pair by Army's Jarrell Brown to tie it at 49-49 with 1:07 togo, the Black Knights held Bucknell to one field goal.
That set the stage for Badmus' big shot, but it wasn't over yet.
Army would have tied it about 10 seconds later had Army coach Jim Crews not called timeout a split-second before Jarrell Brown swished a woulda-been three from the right side with 44.5 seconds left. Even after that, Bucknell needed two stops to put it away.
After the timeout, the ball ended up back in Brown's hands with the shot clock running down. Brown put up an air ball that was caught by Darren Mastropaolo, who was called for traveling when he tried to make a pass while falling out of bounds.
Given a second chance, Army tried going to senior Matt Bell, a 51.3-percent three-point shooter. Bell got a decent look out top, but his shot caromed off the front of the rim to Griffin, who gathered it in as Army's Marcus nelson tried climbing over him to take it away.
Griffin's free throws iced it, but it wasn't easy.
Badmus didn't figure it would be. "Especially after the game down at our place. We beat them pretty bad."
Of course Badmus also knew much of his night would be spent chasing Jarrell Brown through screen, after screen, after screen. How he had the legs left to hit that three after hounding Brown all night is a wonder.
Badmus' old teammate Charles Lee, last year's Patriot League Player of the Year, said last season Brown was the toughest guy in the league to guard. After getting his turn to do it, Badmus agreed.
"They run a Reggie Miller offense. Everybody was screening for him. It's a guard's dream. He just calls out a name and they come screen for him," Badmus said. "When somebody is running off screens like that for 35 seconds, it really takes a lot out of you. You've really got to be disciplined. You can't rest."
Brown finished with 16 points to lead all scorers, but he had to work hard for the points, going 5 of 16 from the field, 4 for 10 from three-point range. Three of Brown's threes and 11 of his points came in the first half.
In his final game in Christl, Bell was 2 for 8 from the field for 7 points, well below his 15.1 points per game average.
As a team Army didn't shoot well, going 16 for 50 (32 percent) (NOTE: That is the official box score stat, but the official play by play does not show three missed shots by Army in their final two possessions, so they may not be included in the official box) from the field. But they hit 9 (of 19) threes and held Bucknell to 39 percent (16 of 41) shooting from the field -- including 7 of 19 threes -- while forcing 15 turnovers. The turnovers helped negate Bucknell's 39-24 advantage on the boards.
The difference came at the foul line, where Bucknell made 15 of 17 while Army was 8 for 11.
"We're glad we came out on top," said Badmus, who, barring a playoff matchup, played the last game against Army of his career. "They just keep getting better every year. Some day, I really believe, Army is going to win this conference."
For that to happen this year, though, Army will need to win three straight games on the road, starting Wednesday night at Lehigh. Army does have a home win over the Mountain Hawks this season, but on the road the Black Knights have just two wins all season.
Bucknell won't know who it faces in the first round until after Sunday's Holy Cross-Lehigh game. If Holy Cross wins, the Bison are the No. 2 seed and host Navy. A Holy Cross loss would bring No. 8 seed Lafayette to Lewisburg in the first round.
| Postgame audio (Richards, Flannery, Badmus) | Notebook | |
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Black Knights take Bucknell to the wire before succumbing.
By CHRIS A. COUROGEN
Bucknell fans breathed two sighs of relief Saturday afternoon. The first came at the end of the Bison's 54-49 win at Army in a game that came down to the final minute.
The second came about an hour later when they saw the score from Colgate's win over Navy.
That one made certain the Bison won't have to play the Black Knights again on Wednesday. Navy's loss dropped the Mids to the No. 7 seed. Army will enter the playoffs as the No. 6 seed, traveling to No. 3 Lehigh in round one.
It's doubtful any Lehigh players would look past the Black Knights. The Mountain Hawks lost at West Point earlier in the season. Should they forget how dangerous Army can be, they will have film from this one to remind them.
Knocking down 9 three-pointers while playing smothering defense, Army took the Bison to the limit. The game was tied at 49-49 inside the final minute.
Abe Badmus hit a huge three with 54 seconds to go for what proved to be the game-winner.
Credit Chris McNaughton with setting it up. It won't go down as an assist in the scorebook -- he didn't make the pass. But McNaughton, who posted his third double-double of the season with 12 points and 10 rebounds, drew so much attention on the pick and roll, Badmus was all alone at the arc when the ball came to him.
"I was wide open. I just let it go," said Badmus, who 15 points -- a season high -- and hit three (of five) threes.
No wonder Badmus was open. As Bucknell coach Pat Flannery pointed out, after McNaughton set a screen for Badmus, he rolled towards the basket and Army's defense rolled towards McNaughton.
"Chris rolled and five guys, maybe six, came," Flannery said.
Army was right to pay McNaughton so much attention. Early in the second half, when they tried to stop him with just Doug Williams and occasionally a guard helping, McNaughton scored three buckets and assisted on another during a 13-2 run that gave the Bison a 9-point lead with 13:44 to play.
"(McNaughton's) just a big guy. It's kind of hard. You can't really help because they have shooters all over the place," said Army's Cleveland Richard, who hit three three-pointers and finished with 14 points.
At that point it looked like Bucknell was about to take control of the game. Army, though, refused to go away. Between a pair of Justin Castleberry free throws that gave Bucknell a 47-40 lead with 8:58 to play and a pair by Army's Jarrell Brown to tie it at 49-49 with 1:07 togo, the Black Knights held Bucknell to one field goal.
That set the stage for Badmus' big shot, but it wasn't over yet.
Army would have tied it about 10 seconds later had Army coach Jim Crews not called timeout a split-second before Jarrell Brown swished a woulda-been three from the right side with 44.5 seconds left. Even after that, Bucknell needed two stops to put it away.
After the timeout, the ball ended up back in Brown's hands with the shot clock running down. Brown put up an air ball that was caught by Darren Mastropaolo, who was called for traveling when he tried to make a pass while falling out of bounds.
Given a second chance, Army tried going to senior Matt Bell, a 51.3-percent three-point shooter. Bell got a decent look out top, but his shot caromed off the front of the rim to Griffin, who gathered it in as Army's Marcus nelson tried climbing over him to take it away.
Griffin's free throws iced it, but it wasn't easy.
Badmus didn't figure it would be. "Especially after the game down at our place. We beat them pretty bad."
Of course Badmus also knew much of his night would be spent chasing Jarrell Brown through screen, after screen, after screen. How he had the legs left to hit that three after hounding Brown all night is a wonder.
Badmus' old teammate Charles Lee, last year's Patriot League Player of the Year, said last season Brown was the toughest guy in the league to guard. After getting his turn to do it, Badmus agreed.
"They run a Reggie Miller offense. Everybody was screening for him. It's a guard's dream. He just calls out a name and they come screen for him," Badmus said. "When somebody is running off screens like that for 35 seconds, it really takes a lot out of you. You've really got to be disciplined. You can't rest."
Brown finished with 16 points to lead all scorers, but he had to work hard for the points, going 5 of 16 from the field, 4 for 10 from three-point range. Three of Brown's threes and 11 of his points came in the first half.
In his final game in Christl, Bell was 2 for 8 from the field for 7 points, well below his 15.1 points per game average.
As a team Army didn't shoot well, going 16 for 50 (32 percent) (NOTE: That is the official box score stat, but the official play by play does not show three missed shots by Army in their final two possessions, so they may not be included in the official box) from the field. But they hit 9 (of 19) threes and held Bucknell to 39 percent (16 of 41) shooting from the field -- including 7 of 19 threes -- while forcing 15 turnovers. The turnovers helped negate Bucknell's 39-24 advantage on the boards.
The difference came at the foul line, where Bucknell made 15 of 17 while Army was 8 for 11.
"We're glad we came out on top," said Badmus, who, barring a playoff matchup, played the last game against Army of his career. "They just keep getting better every year. Some day, I really believe, Army is going to win this conference."
For that to happen this year, though, Army will need to win three straight games on the road, starting Wednesday night at Lehigh. Army does have a home win over the Mountain Hawks this season, but on the road the Black Knights have just two wins all season.
Bucknell won't know who it faces in the first round until after Sunday's Holy Cross-Lehigh game. If Holy Cross wins, the Bison are the No. 2 seed and host Navy. A Holy Cross loss would bring No. 8 seed Lafayette to Lewisburg in the first round.
| Postgame audio (Richards, Flannery, Badmus) | Notebook | |
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Hoop Time Notebook
Bison standout Donald Brown has been out sinceout since breaking a bone in his right (shooting) hand during the Bison's Jan. 20 win at Colgate.
Brown will rejoin the Bison rotation for the postseason.
"I had an X-ray Friday. Everything looks good. I'm a go for Wednesday," said Brown after the Bison's win at Army Saturday.
Brown has been doing light shooting drills since a week after the surgery that placed pins in the bone to speed its healing. Those drills became more aggressive basketball drills using both hands once the pain in the broken hand subsided, Brown said.
The team's leading scorer and the league's top rebounder when he was hurt, Brown said he is not worried about re-injuring the hand in the normal course of the game because the bone that was broken is in a part of the hand that is not used to play basketball. He also feels more confident about being able to avoid re-injuring the hand after he took a knee to the hand trying to draw a charge in practice. Brown will wear a protective pad on the back of his hand.
NO ZOO, JUST A CREW -- New at Army since our last visit, a student section calling itself "The Crew." Decked out in yellow toy hard hats and yellow T-shirts, they numbered about 25 strong and pretty much accounted for the cadet population in attendance. Less than a dozen cadets in regular uniforms were on hand, which must mean, as a whole, the kids at West Point have been on their good behavior.
The back of those "The Crew" shirts includes a tagline: "The Hardest Working Fans in the Patriot League." Of course the obvious tag: "The few, the proud" was already taken.
SALUTE -- Senior Day at West Point did not mean a start for all of Jim Crews seniors. Center Jimmy Sewell, who has spent four years in and out of Crews' doghouse, started on the bench, as did guard Marshall Jackson. Sewell did get nine minutes of action. Jackson played 11 minutes.
CROWDED HOUSE -- You have to wonder how Crews will handle senior day in three years. His current roster of 20 players includes 8 freshmen, with who knows how many stashed away at USMAPS. The eight freshmen points out the factor about recruiting at the service academies that is oft overlooked. While the rest of the league is limited in how many scholarships it can offer, Army and Navy can bring in as many kids as they want and can also stash prospects at their prep schools for what amounts to a redshirt year unavailable to the rest of the league.
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Bison standout Donald Brown has been out sinceout since breaking a bone in his right (shooting) hand during the Bison's Jan. 20 win at Colgate.
Brown will rejoin the Bison rotation for the postseason.
"I had an X-ray Friday. Everything looks good. I'm a go for Wednesday," said Brown after the Bison's win at Army Saturday.
Brown has been doing light shooting drills since a week after the surgery that placed pins in the bone to speed its healing. Those drills became more aggressive basketball drills using both hands once the pain in the broken hand subsided, Brown said.
The team's leading scorer and the league's top rebounder when he was hurt, Brown said he is not worried about re-injuring the hand in the normal course of the game because the bone that was broken is in a part of the hand that is not used to play basketball. He also feels more confident about being able to avoid re-injuring the hand after he took a knee to the hand trying to draw a charge in practice. Brown will wear a protective pad on the back of his hand.
NO ZOO, JUST A CREW -- New at Army since our last visit, a student section calling itself "The Crew." Decked out in yellow toy hard hats and yellow T-shirts, they numbered about 25 strong and pretty much accounted for the cadet population in attendance. Less than a dozen cadets in regular uniforms were on hand, which must mean, as a whole, the kids at West Point have been on their good behavior.
The back of those "The Crew" shirts includes a tagline: "The Hardest Working Fans in the Patriot League." Of course the obvious tag: "The few, the proud" was already taken.
SALUTE -- Senior Day at West Point did not mean a start for all of Jim Crews seniors. Center Jimmy Sewell, who has spent four years in and out of Crews' doghouse, started on the bench, as did guard Marshall Jackson. Sewell did get nine minutes of action. Jackson played 11 minutes.
CROWDED HOUSE -- You have to wonder how Crews will handle senior day in three years. His current roster of 20 players includes 8 freshmen, with who knows how many stashed away at USMAPS. The eight freshmen points out the factor about recruiting at the service academies that is oft overlooked. While the rest of the league is limited in how many scholarships it can offer, Army and Navy can bring in as many kids as they want and can also stash prospects at their prep schools for what amounts to a redshirt year unavailable to the rest of the league.
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Saturday, February 24, 2007
Lehigh is the No. 3 seed. American is No. 4 and Lafayette is No. 8, everything else remains to be determined as we head into the final two days of the regular season.
We won't know the No. 1 seed until tomorrow, when Holy Cross visits Lehigh. Bucknell needs the Crusaders to stumble in Betghlehem to gain the top seed, regardless of the outcome of its game at Army this afternoon ().
The game has more meaning for Army, which avoids facing either Bucknell or Holy Cross in the first round if it wins today.
The winner of this afternoon's Navy at Colgate game () also avoids playing at one of the top two seeds in the first round.
But who ends up where, against whom, depends on the combination of today's two games.
Here's a breakdown (hopefully one that won't need as many revisions as yesterday's did):
COLGATE: Win today and the Raiders are the No. 5 seed, regardless of what Army does. If Army and Colgate both lose, the Raiders are the No. 6 seed by virtue of a season sweep against the Black Knights. If Army wins and Colgate loses, Colgate drops to the No. 7 seed.
ARMY: If Army wins and Colgate loses, Army becomes the No. 5 seed. If Army and Navy both lose, Army is the No. 6 seed by virtue of a tiebreaker edge on Navy (a win over American).
NAVY: If the Mids and Army both win, Navy gets the No. 6 seed. If the Mids win and Army loses, Navy is No. 5.
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We won't know the No. 1 seed until tomorrow, when Holy Cross visits Lehigh. Bucknell needs the Crusaders to stumble in Betghlehem to gain the top seed, regardless of the outcome of its game at Army this afternoon ().
The game has more meaning for Army, which avoids facing either Bucknell or Holy Cross in the first round if it wins today.
The winner of this afternoon's Navy at Colgate game () also avoids playing at one of the top two seeds in the first round.
But who ends up where, against whom, depends on the combination of today's two games.
Here's a breakdown (hopefully one that won't need as many revisions as yesterday's did):
COLGATE: Win today and the Raiders are the No. 5 seed, regardless of what Army does. If Army and Colgate both lose, the Raiders are the No. 6 seed by virtue of a season sweep against the Black Knights. If Army wins and Colgate loses, Colgate drops to the No. 7 seed.
ARMY: If Army wins and Colgate loses, Army becomes the No. 5 seed. If Army and Navy both lose, Army is the No. 6 seed by virtue of a tiebreaker edge on Navy (a win over American).
NAVY: If the Mids and Army both win, Navy gets the No. 6 seed. If the Mids win and Army loses, Navy is No. 5.
Labels: Army, BU, CU, Navy, previews
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Friday, February 23, 2007
(Updated with bonus links and some editing at 9:51 a.m.; additional edits made at 10:54 a.m.))
We already know who will be the home teams in the first round of the playoffs. Who the visitors will be gets finalized this weekend, beginning tonight when Lafayette visits American. ()
American has already clinched a home spot in the first round. A win tonight, coupled with a Holy Cross win at Lehigh Sunday, would give AU the No. 3 seed for the tournament, not that there appears to be much of an edge gained by moving from No. 4 to No. 3. means nothing. EDITORS NOTE: Thanks to the folks who caught this one ... Lehigh swept that season series and owns the tiebreaker over AU).
A Lafayette loss leaves the Leopards in the No. 8 seed. A win, coupled with a Colgate loss Saturday against Navy, would move the 'Pards to No. 7. The only real difference for Lafayette would be the psychological boost of not finishing last -- either way they play on the road against either Holy Cross or Bucknell.
It makes a bigger difference to the eventual No. 1 and No. 2 seeds, who both probably would prefer to face Lafayette in the first round.
Here is a look, best we have been able to figure, at the various tiebreaking scenarios that could play out over the weekend:
Holy Cross 12-1 at Lehigh (Sunday) -- Win and the Crusaders get the No. 1 seed, a lossand a Bucknell win at Army would drop HC to No. 2 behind the Bison. EDITOR'S NOTE: Bucknell grad Manny Perez is first to e-mail pointing out that if both Bucknell and Holy Cross would lose, Bucknell would gain the top seed by virtue of its sweep of the season series with Lehigh. Good catch Manny, thanks!)
Bucknell 12-1 at Army (Saturday) -- Bison can finish no lower than the No. 2 seed. Would be No. 1 if HC loses at Lehighand BU wins at Army (see above)
Lehigh 7-6 home vs. Holy Cross (Sunday) --A win clinches Has clinched the No. 3 seed. A loss and an American win tonight against Lafayette would drop Lehigh to the No. 4 seed behind AU courtesy of AU's better RPI (192 - 240)
American 6-7 home vs. Lafayette (tonight) --Can finish no worse than Is No. 4.
Navy 4-9 at Colgate (Saturday) -- If Navy wins and Army loses to Bucknell, Navy becomes the No. 5 seed. If Navy and Army both win, Army's win over Bucknell would boost Army past the Mids on the basis of the second tiebreaker -- comparison of records. If Navy loses, it becomes more complicated. A Navy loss and a Lafayette win would leave the Mids in the No. 7 spot, ahead of the Leopards by virtue of sweeping the season series. If Army also loses, the Black Knights still have the tiebreaker edge for the No. 6 seed by virtue of a win over American, which swept Navy.
Army 4-9 home vs. Bucknell (Saturday) --Army cannot finish eighth. In the event of an Army loss and a Lafayette win, the Black Knights would hold the RPI tiebreaker edge. If Colgate also loses, Army drops to No. 8 since the tiebreaker would be record against the other teams involved in the multiple-tie. Colgate would be 3-1 against Lafayette and Army, Lafayette 2-2 and Army 1-3. If Lafayette wins and Army and Navy lose, Navy (3-1 by viture of sweeping Lafayette) gets the No. 6 spot, Army (2-2) is seventh, Lafayette stays in eighth.
Colgate 4-9 home vs. Navy (Sat.) -- A win makes the Raiders the No. 5 seed. A loss, coupled with a Lafayette win at AU, would drop Colgate to the No. 8 seed since the Raiders were swept by American. If Army also loses, see the three-way tie scenario above.
Lafayette 3-10 at American (tonight) -- A trip to either Bucknell or Holy Cross is inevitable for the 'Pards. A Lafayette loss leaves them in the No. 8 spot. A win and losses by Colgate and Army would move them to No. 7. A win with a Navy loss
BONUS LINKS:
(Andre Williams in the Morning Call)
(more from Andre)
is first to hand out some league honors (Tom's Daily Item column filled to the brim this week with looks at the men's and women's sides of the league)
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We already know who will be the home teams in the first round of the playoffs. Who the visitors will be gets finalized this weekend, beginning tonight when Lafayette visits American. ()
American has already clinched a home spot in the first round. A win tonight
A Lafayette loss leaves the Leopards in the No. 8 seed. A win, coupled with a Colgate loss Saturday against Navy, would move the 'Pards to No. 7. The only real difference for Lafayette would be the psychological boost of not finishing last -- either way they play on the road against either Holy Cross or Bucknell.
It makes a bigger difference to the eventual No. 1 and No. 2 seeds, who both probably would prefer to face Lafayette in the first round.
Here is a look, best we have been able to figure, at the various tiebreaking scenarios that could play out over the weekend:
Holy Cross 12-1 at Lehigh (Sunday) -- Win and the Crusaders get the No. 1 seed, a loss
Bucknell 12-1 at Army (Saturday) -- Bison can finish no lower than the No. 2 seed. Would be No. 1 if HC loses at Lehigh
Lehigh 7-6 home vs. Holy Cross (Sunday) --
American 6-7 home vs. Lafayette (tonight) --
Navy 4-9 at Colgate (Saturday) -- If Navy wins and Army loses to Bucknell, Navy becomes the No. 5 seed. If Navy and Army both win, Army's win over Bucknell would boost Army past the Mids on the basis of the second tiebreaker -- comparison of records. If Navy loses, it becomes more complicated. A Navy loss and a Lafayette win would leave the Mids in the No. 7 spot, ahead of the Leopards by virtue of sweeping the season series. If Army also loses, the Black Knights still have the tiebreaker edge for the No. 6 seed by virtue of a win over American, which swept Navy.
Army 4-9 home vs. Bucknell (Saturday) --
Colgate 4-9 home vs. Navy (Sat.) -- A win makes the Raiders the No. 5 seed. A loss, coupled with a Lafayette win at AU, would drop Colgate to the No. 8 seed since the Raiders were swept by American. If Army also loses, see the three-way tie scenario above.
Lafayette 3-10 at American (tonight) -- A trip to either Bucknell or Holy Cross is inevitable for the 'Pards. A Lafayette loss leaves them in the No. 8 spot. A win and losses by Colgate and Army would move them to No. 7. A win with a Navy loss
BONUS LINKS:
Labels: Army, AU, BU, CU, HC, Laf, Leh, Navy, previews
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Thursday, February 22, 2007
Loss at Army leaves Leopards alone in last place.
Jarrell brown scored 25 points and Matt Bell added 24 as Army snapped a seven-game losing streak with an 83-65 win over Lafayette.
The win moves Army into a three-team logjam for fifth place in the league standings.
Andrew Brown had 19 for Lafayette, which shot 15 for 47 (31.9 percent) from the field.
Army was 26 for 43 (60.5 percent) from the field.
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Jarrell brown scored 25 points and Matt Bell added 24 as Army snapped a seven-game losing streak with an 83-65 win over Lafayette.
The win moves Army into a three-team logjam for fifth place in the league standings.
Andrew Brown had 19 for Lafayette, which shot 15 for 47 (31.9 percent) from the field.
Army was 26 for 43 (60.5 percent) from the field.
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Wednesday, February 21, 2007
The first round playoff sites have been determined. Semifinal sites, barring major first round upsets, are already set. So what are the six teams involved in the three games on tap tonight playing for?
For Bucknell and Holy Cross, the answer is simple. The two are deadlocked for first place, with the highest seed gaining the homecourt edge in the league final, should it get that far.
For Holy Cross, that means avoiding a slip up tonight when they host Colgate (). Win this one and win Sunday at Lehigh and the top seed is theirs, no matter what Bucknell does. The Raiders gave the Crusaders a battle in Hamilton last month. The Crusaders trailed by 10 in the second half of that one and needed a Keith Simmons three with 20 seconds left to pull off a 58-55 win.
Tonight, in Worcester, in front of a Hart Center crowd that out to be whipped into a frenzy during the pregame festivities honoring the team's two standout seniors -- Simmons and point guard Torey Thomas -- the Crusaders should have no trouble getting into the game from the start.
Bucknell, of course, needs to win tonight at Lehigh (), Saturday at Army and also needs someone to knock off Holy Cross.
Lehigh, with the No. 3 seed locked up, would love to win its last two home games to send a message to the frontrunners prior to the start of the playoffs. Bucknell had an easy time of it against the Mountain Hawks in Lewisburg last month. Two big differences this time around (besides the change in venue): Lehigh did not have Jason Mgebroff last time the two met. Bucknell did have Donald Brown.
Brown was not even wearing a wrap on his broken right hand Saturday when Bucknell took on Towson. But he was still in street clothes and there has been no indication he is ready to return just yet. He was a big factor in the first meeting, scoring 15 points and grabbing 7 rebounds.
Mgebroff has not put up any impressive numbers in his two games back after sitting out over two months with stress fractures in a leg. But the 6-10 senior went 11 minutes Sunday against Lafayette. Part of those minutes might have been because of the foul trouble the rest of Lehigh's lineup got into against the Leopards.
We'll see tonight if Mgebroff is in good enough shape to go extended minutes and make a difference against Bucknell or if he is still playing back into shape for the postseason.
The evening's third game is probably the most significant in terms of first round pairings. Lafayette travels to Army (), with the winner escaping last place in the league standings. Lafayette, with a win here and some help from its friends, could actually finish as high as fifth, avoiding a first round matchup at Bucknell or Holy Cross. The Leopards win over Lehigh would give them a tiebreaker edge over Colgate if the two finish tied for a spot.
The avoid-HC-or-BU scenarios are less favorable to Army, which also has to beat Bucknell Saturday for any chance of that happening. Even then, the Black Knights need some help since Colgate swept the regular season series between the two teams, giving the Raiders any tiebreaker scenarios.
If Army wins out, and Colgate beats Navy Saturday, the Black Knights would tie the Mids for sixth, and would have the tiebreaker edge by virtue of a win over Bucknell.
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For Bucknell and Holy Cross, the answer is simple. The two are deadlocked for first place, with the highest seed gaining the homecourt edge in the league final, should it get that far.
For Holy Cross, that means avoiding a slip up tonight when they host Colgate (). Win this one and win Sunday at Lehigh and the top seed is theirs, no matter what Bucknell does. The Raiders gave the Crusaders a battle in Hamilton last month. The Crusaders trailed by 10 in the second half of that one and needed a Keith Simmons three with 20 seconds left to pull off a 58-55 win.
Tonight, in Worcester, in front of a Hart Center crowd that out to be whipped into a frenzy during the pregame festivities honoring the team's two standout seniors -- Simmons and point guard Torey Thomas -- the Crusaders should have no trouble getting into the game from the start.
Bucknell, of course, needs to win tonight at Lehigh (), Saturday at Army and also needs someone to knock off Holy Cross.
Lehigh, with the No. 3 seed locked up, would love to win its last two home games to send a message to the frontrunners prior to the start of the playoffs. Bucknell had an easy time of it against the Mountain Hawks in Lewisburg last month. Two big differences this time around (besides the change in venue): Lehigh did not have Jason Mgebroff last time the two met. Bucknell did have Donald Brown.
Brown was not even wearing a wrap on his broken right hand Saturday when Bucknell took on Towson. But he was still in street clothes and there has been no indication he is ready to return just yet. He was a big factor in the first meeting, scoring 15 points and grabbing 7 rebounds.
Mgebroff has not put up any impressive numbers in his two games back after sitting out over two months with stress fractures in a leg. But the 6-10 senior went 11 minutes Sunday against Lafayette. Part of those minutes might have been because of the foul trouble the rest of Lehigh's lineup got into against the Leopards.
We'll see tonight if Mgebroff is in good enough shape to go extended minutes and make a difference against Bucknell or if he is still playing back into shape for the postseason.
The evening's third game is probably the most significant in terms of first round pairings. Lafayette travels to Army (), with the winner escaping last place in the league standings. Lafayette, with a win here and some help from its friends, could actually finish as high as fifth, avoiding a first round matchup at Bucknell or Holy Cross. The Leopards win over Lehigh would give them a tiebreaker edge over Colgate if the two finish tied for a spot.
The avoid-HC-or-BU scenarios are less favorable to Army, which also has to beat Bucknell Saturday for any chance of that happening. Even then, the Black Knights need some help since Colgate swept the regular season series between the two teams, giving the Raiders any tiebreaker scenarios.
If Army wins out, and Colgate beats Navy Saturday, the Black Knights would tie the Mids for sixth, and would have the tiebreaker edge by virtue of a win over Bucknell.
Labels: Army, BU, CU, HC, Laf, Leh, previews
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Sunday, February 18, 2007
(Originally posted Sat, at 5:07 p.m., links added at 6:53 a.m.)
The Midshipmen's leading scorer posted all of his 19 points in the second half of Navy's win over Army.
Sprink, who did not score until he made a free throw with 13:30 to play, didn't make his first field goal until the 5:35 mark. But he got hot late, hitting a pair of treys in the final 3:47 to help Navy build an 8 point lead. Then Sprink went 6 for 6 at the foul line in the final minute to preserve the advantage.
Trey Stanton added 15 for Navy and Kaleo Kina chipped in with 14 for the Mids (14-13 overall, 4-8 Patriot). Navy was 21 of 44 (47.7 percent) from the field, 12 of 24 on threes. The Midshipmen shot 31 free throws, making 22.
Army was 23 of 48 from the field (47.9 percent), 4 of 9 from the arc, 18 of 28 at the foul line.
Jarrell Brown had 18 points to lead Army. Matt Bell and Doug Williams each added 16 for the Black Knights, who lost their seventh in a row. After startting conference play at 3-2, Army (13-14, 3-9) has now dropped into seventh place in the eight-team league.
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The Midshipmen's leading scorer posted all of his 19 points in the second half of Navy's win over Army.
Sprink, who did not score until he made a free throw with 13:30 to play, didn't make his first field goal until the 5:35 mark. But he got hot late, hitting a pair of treys in the final 3:47 to help Navy build an 8 point lead. Then Sprink went 6 for 6 at the foul line in the final minute to preserve the advantage.
Trey Stanton added 15 for Navy and Kaleo Kina chipped in with 14 for the Mids (14-13 overall, 4-8 Patriot). Navy was 21 of 44 (47.7 percent) from the field, 12 of 24 on threes. The Midshipmen shot 31 free throws, making 22.
Army was 23 of 48 from the field (47.9 percent), 4 of 9 from the arc, 18 of 28 at the foul line.
Jarrell Brown had 18 points to lead Army. Matt Bell and Doug Williams each added 16 for the Black Knights, who lost their seventh in a row. After startting conference play at 3-2, Army (13-14, 3-9) has now dropped into seventh place in the eight-team league.
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Saturday, February 17, 2007
While Colgate plays Marist for BracketBusters pride, the winners of this afternoon's Army at Navy game get a star to place on their varsity letters, signifying a win over their archrivals. That is not all that is at stake this afternoon in Annapolis, though.
The odds are pretty well stacked against either team gaining a first round home game in the playoffs. Both teams are 13-13, 3-8 in league play, tied at the moment for the next-to-last spot in the standings.
That makes this one very important to either school's hopes of winning a game in the postseason for the first time in years. The bottom two teams are headed to Worcester or Lewisburg. Aside from the length of the bus ride involved, both destinations spromise a similar fate.
The team that finishes in sixth place, though, has hope. That team is likely ticketed for Bethlehem and a first round matchup with Lehigh. Not an easy task, but certainly one with a more realistic possibility of pulling off an upset. Navy just won there last week.
| http://www.examiner.com/a-570685~Navy_looks_to_right_ship_against_Army.html
Colgate at Marist -- The Raiders will try to slow down the host Red Foxes in this BracketBusters game in Poughkeepsie. It won't be an easy task. Marist is 20-7, 12-4 in the MAAC. The Red Foxes, who are riding a five-game win streak, are 11-1 at home, averaging 75 points per game, with four guys scoring in double figures.
Leading the attack is 6-2 guard Jared Johnson, who is scoring 18.8 points and dishing off 8.6 assists per game. As a team, Marist shoots 46.1 percent from the floor.
Colgate, on the other hand, has been an offensive disaster zone. The Raiders (9-16, 4-8 in the Patriot) average 57.4 points per game, ranking them 320th out of 325 Division I schools. Colgate is No. 305 in field goal percentage, shooting 39.9 percent as a team.
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The odds are pretty well stacked against either team gaining a first round home game in the playoffs. Both teams are 13-13, 3-8 in league play, tied at the moment for the next-to-last spot in the standings.
That makes this one very important to either school's hopes of winning a game in the postseason for the first time in years. The bottom two teams are headed to Worcester or Lewisburg. Aside from the length of the bus ride involved, both destinations spromise a similar fate.
The team that finishes in sixth place, though, has hope. That team is likely ticketed for Bethlehem and a first round matchup with Lehigh. Not an easy task, but certainly one with a more realistic possibility of pulling off an upset. Navy just won there last week.
| http://www.examiner.com/a-570685~Navy_looks_to_right_ship_against_Army.html
Colgate at Marist -- The Raiders will try to slow down the host Red Foxes in this BracketBusters game in Poughkeepsie. It won't be an easy task. Marist is 20-7, 12-4 in the MAAC. The Red Foxes, who are riding a five-game win streak, are 11-1 at home, averaging 75 points per game, with four guys scoring in double figures.
Leading the attack is 6-2 guard Jared Johnson, who is scoring 18.8 points and dishing off 8.6 assists per game. As a team, Marist shoots 46.1 percent from the floor.
Colgate, on the other hand, has been an offensive disaster zone. The Raiders (9-16, 4-8 in the Patriot) average 57.4 points per game, ranking them 320th out of 325 Division I schools. Colgate is No. 305 in field goal percentage, shooting 39.9 percent as a team.
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Labels: Army, CU, Navy, previews
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Friday, February 16, 2007
Word out of Texas on an Army commit.
The El Paso Times reporting 6-6 Nathan Hedgecock of Montwood High his college ball at West Point. Hedgecock is reportedly a Mickey D's game finalist. Take that with a grain of salt, though. The story also says the other school he considered in the recruiting process was the Division II Colorado School of Mines.
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The El Paso Times reporting 6-6 Nathan Hedgecock of Montwood High his college ball at West Point. Hedgecock is reportedly a Mickey D's game finalist. Take that with a grain of salt, though. The story also says the other school he considered in the recruiting process was the Division II Colorado School of Mines.
Labels: Army, recruiting
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Wednesday, February 14, 2007
Andre Ingram led American at both ends of the floor in a big win over Army.
Ingram scored a game-high 15 points to lead the Eagles (13-13 overall, 5-7 Patriot) to the 64-49 win.
On defense Ingram spent much of the night matched up with Army's leading scorer, Jarrell Brown, helping limit Brown to 6 points on 2 for 12 shooting.
His teammates did not shoot much better. Army (13-13, 3-8) turned the ball over more times (18) than it managed to put it in the net. The Black Knights went 15 for 44 from the field (34.1 percent), just 1 for 11 from the three-point arc.
AFter a 26-24 first half, Ingram hit a three to start the second, then combined a short time later with three others on the 10-0 AU run that put the game away early in the second half.
Brayden Billbe scored 4 of his 13 points in that run. Billbe also had 8 rebounds. Sophomore point Derrick Mercer added 10 for the Eagles, who were 21 of 46 (45.7 percent) from the field, 5 for 17 on threes.
Doug Williams led Army with a 13-point, 11 rebound double-double. Matt Bell added 10 for Army.
The win, coupled with Colgate's loss to Lehigh, puts American one game up on fifth-place Colgate (4-8) in the race for the fourth host spot in the first round of the playoffs. American closes the season with games at Navy and home against Lafayette. Colgate travels to Holy Cross after Saturday's non-league BracketBusters game at Marist. The Raiders close at home hosting Navy.>br>
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Ingram scored a game-high 15 points to lead the Eagles (13-13 overall, 5-7 Patriot) to the 64-49 win.
On defense Ingram spent much of the night matched up with Army's leading scorer, Jarrell Brown, helping limit Brown to 6 points on 2 for 12 shooting.
His teammates did not shoot much better. Army (13-13, 3-8) turned the ball over more times (18) than it managed to put it in the net. The Black Knights went 15 for 44 from the field (34.1 percent), just 1 for 11 from the three-point arc.
AFter a 26-24 first half, Ingram hit a three to start the second, then combined a short time later with three others on the 10-0 AU run that put the game away early in the second half.
Brayden Billbe scored 4 of his 13 points in that run. Billbe also had 8 rebounds. Sophomore point Derrick Mercer added 10 for the Eagles, who were 21 of 46 (45.7 percent) from the field, 5 for 17 on threes.
Doug Williams led Army with a 13-point, 11 rebound double-double. Matt Bell added 10 for Army.
The win, coupled with Colgate's loss to Lehigh, puts American one game up on fifth-place Colgate (4-8) in the race for the fourth host spot in the first round of the playoffs. American closes the season with games at Navy and home against Lafayette. Colgate travels to Holy Cross after Saturday's non-league BracketBusters game at Marist. The Raiders close at home hosting Navy.>br>
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It's looking like an Oreo cookie kind of night in the Patriot League tonight. The two league co-leaders take on two of the teams at the bottom of the standings, but the good stuff is the two game involving the four teams in the middle.
In Hamilton, Lehigh will face Colgate () looking for its seventh straight win over Colgate. A win would give the Mountain Hawks a three game lead over the Raiders in the win column and a virtual lock on a first round home game in the playoffs since Lehigh will have swept the season series with the Raiders and American, who sit in a tie for fourth place heading into tonight's action.
Lehigh's notes indicate senior center Jason Mgebroff will return to the lineup in the next week after being out since December due to a stress fracture in one of his legs. Whether that means as soon as tonight, Saturday's rivalry game at Lafayette, or a Willis Reed-like inspirational return at home against Bucknell or Holy Cross remains to be seen.
The Raiders are almost as bad at home (4-8) as Lehigh has been on the road (2-12). They have shown a particular knack for losing close games on their own floor. Colgate is 1-4 at home in league games, the four losses coming by a combined 18 points. including one loss in overtime.
In the nation's capital, American, still alive in the home-game hunt thanks to Colgate's Sunday blunder, hosts an Army five () that is barely clinging to its home for the first round life. After a promising 3-2 start in league play, the Black Knights have hit an 0-5 wall. Army probably has to go 4-0 down the stretch, starting tonight, to have a chance of hosting in round one. That would make them .500 in the league, which might just do it, given the mediocrity of the bottom five-eighths of the conference.
AU, with two more conference games after tonight, would be in good shape for a home game with a win tonight, especially coupled with a Colgate loss. The Eagles have the most favorable schedule of the teams battling for that fourth spot, with a home game against Lafayette and a visit to Navy left following tonight.
In Lewisburg, Bucknell will look to solidify the momentum of its win over Holy Cross when last place Lafayette comes calling (). The Leopards gave the Bison a battle in Easton last month. In Solka Pavilion, where Bucknell has can close out another unbeaten home league slate with a win, it should not be anywhere near as close.
This is the part of the season when Bucknell traditionally plays its best basketball. Since that win in Easton, the Bison have compiled an eight-game win streak. The only way it does not make it nine in a row is if they get caught got looking past the Leopards. A simple two-word message on the chalkboard should suffice. In big, orange letters, it should say "Central Arkansas."
Wrapping up the four-game slate tonight is Holy Cross visiting the Midshipmen of Navy (). Navy's five-game losing streak is history. In its place, a two-game win streak that began with a confidence building win at Lehigh.
The Mids are always an upset threat thanks to their five-man perimeter-oriented attack. Navy fires up half its shots from outside the arc. If a couple Mids get two or three in the same game, they could put up a lot of points.
Of course you can tell by Navy's 11-12 record in games against Division I teams, that has not happened a lot this season. And it would be asking a lot for it to happen against a team that plays defense the way Holy Cross does. Add in the extra motivation the Crusaders should have after losing at Bucknell and HC's huge edge in the frontcourt, and an upset seemes even more unlikely.
Should HC need extra motivation, it can look back two seasons to when Bucknell lost at American, then followed it with a loss at Navy, two setbacks that resulted in the Bison being forced to go on the road for the tournament final.
As the Crusaders know all too well, that scenario ended up working out OK for Bucknell. But HC would far prefer to sleep in its own beds throughout the playoffs. With senior leaders like Keith Simmons and Torey Thomas, don't expect the Crusaders to lose focus on the prize.
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In Hamilton, Lehigh will face Colgate () looking for its seventh straight win over Colgate. A win would give the Mountain Hawks a three game lead over the Raiders in the win column and a virtual lock on a first round home game in the playoffs since Lehigh will have swept the season series with the Raiders and American, who sit in a tie for fourth place heading into tonight's action.
Lehigh's notes indicate senior center Jason Mgebroff will return to the lineup in the next week after being out since December due to a stress fracture in one of his legs. Whether that means as soon as tonight, Saturday's rivalry game at Lafayette, or a Willis Reed-like inspirational return at home against Bucknell or Holy Cross remains to be seen.
The Raiders are almost as bad at home (4-8) as Lehigh has been on the road (2-12). They have shown a particular knack for losing close games on their own floor. Colgate is 1-4 at home in league games, the four losses coming by a combined 18 points. including one loss in overtime.
In the nation's capital, American, still alive in the home-game hunt thanks to Colgate's Sunday blunder, hosts an Army five () that is barely clinging to its home for the first round life. After a promising 3-2 start in league play, the Black Knights have hit an 0-5 wall. Army probably has to go 4-0 down the stretch, starting tonight, to have a chance of hosting in round one. That would make them .500 in the league, which might just do it, given the mediocrity of the bottom five-eighths of the conference.
AU, with two more conference games after tonight, would be in good shape for a home game with a win tonight, especially coupled with a Colgate loss. The Eagles have the most favorable schedule of the teams battling for that fourth spot, with a home game against Lafayette and a visit to Navy left following tonight.
In Lewisburg, Bucknell will look to solidify the momentum of its win over Holy Cross when last place Lafayette comes calling (). The Leopards gave the Bison a battle in Easton last month. In Solka Pavilion, where Bucknell has can close out another unbeaten home league slate with a win, it should not be anywhere near as close.
This is the part of the season when Bucknell traditionally plays its best basketball. Since that win in Easton, the Bison have compiled an eight-game win streak. The only way it does not make it nine in a row is if they get caught got looking past the Leopards. A simple two-word message on the chalkboard should suffice. In big, orange letters, it should say "Central Arkansas."
Wrapping up the four-game slate tonight is Holy Cross visiting the Midshipmen of Navy (). Navy's five-game losing streak is history. In its place, a two-game win streak that began with a confidence building win at Lehigh.
The Mids are always an upset threat thanks to their five-man perimeter-oriented attack. Navy fires up half its shots from outside the arc. If a couple Mids get two or three in the same game, they could put up a lot of points.
Of course you can tell by Navy's 11-12 record in games against Division I teams, that has not happened a lot this season. And it would be asking a lot for it to happen against a team that plays defense the way Holy Cross does. Add in the extra motivation the Crusaders should have after losing at Bucknell and HC's huge edge in the frontcourt, and an upset seemes even more unlikely.
Should HC need extra motivation, it can look back two seasons to when Bucknell lost at American, then followed it with a loss at Navy, two setbacks that resulted in the Bison being forced to go on the road for the tournament final.
As the Crusaders know all too well, that scenario ended up working out OK for Bucknell. But HC would far prefer to sleep in its own beds throughout the playoffs. With senior leaders like Keith Simmons and Torey Thomas, don't expect the Crusaders to lose focus on the prize.
Labels: Army, AU, BU, CU, HC, Laf, Leh, Navy, previews
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Sunday, February 11, 2007
Jose Olivero and Marquis Hall combined for 50 points as the Mountain Hawks avenged an earlier loss at West Point.
Olivero posted 30, Hall added 20 to lead Lehigh to a 75-64 win in Stabler Arena, where Lehigh is now 9-2 on the season. The Hawks opened the game with an 11-0 run and rode that cushion the rest of the way.
The win gives Lehigh (11-14 overall, 6-4 Patriot) a two-game lead on surging Colgate in the race for third place in the conference, pending the outcome of the Raiders game this afternoon against American.
Jarrell Brown led Army with 23 points, but it took the Black Knights star 21 shots to do it. Brown was 7 of 21 from the field, typical of the way Army shot as a team (23 of 58, 39.7 percent from the field, 8 of 20 from three-point range). Matt Bell added 11 points and 6 assists for Army, which lost for the fifth straight game. Army (13-12, 3-7) is now 2-9 on the road this season.
Lehigh shot 48.8 percent (21 of 43) from the field and made 7 of 15 from the arc. The Hawks also benefitted from going to the foul line 37 times, where they made 26. Army only shot 16 free throws, making 10.
Olivero scored 15 of his points at the charity stripe (on 19 free throws) and was 6 for 11 from the field. Hall was 9 for 15 from the field. Bryan White grabbed 12 rebounds for Lehigh, which held a 35-30 edge on the boards.
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Olivero posted 30, Hall added 20 to lead Lehigh to a 75-64 win in Stabler Arena, where Lehigh is now 9-2 on the season. The Hawks opened the game with an 11-0 run and rode that cushion the rest of the way.
The win gives Lehigh (11-14 overall, 6-4 Patriot) a two-game lead on surging Colgate in the race for third place in the conference, pending the outcome of the Raiders game this afternoon against American.
Jarrell Brown led Army with 23 points, but it took the Black Knights star 21 shots to do it. Brown was 7 of 21 from the field, typical of the way Army shot as a team (23 of 58, 39.7 percent from the field, 8 of 20 from three-point range). Matt Bell added 11 points and 6 assists for Army, which lost for the fifth straight game. Army (13-12, 3-7) is now 2-9 on the road this season.
Lehigh shot 48.8 percent (21 of 43) from the field and made 7 of 15 from the arc. The Hawks also benefitted from going to the foul line 37 times, where they made 26. Army only shot 16 free throws, making 10.
Olivero scored 15 of his points at the charity stripe (on 19 free throws) and was 6 for 11 from the field. Hall was 9 for 15 from the field. Bryan White grabbed 12 rebounds for Lehigh, which held a 35-30 edge on the boards.
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Saturday, February 10, 2007
After last night's big showdown in Lewisburg, some might view today's pair of Patriot League games as afterthoughts. But both have seedings significance.
The biggest of the two has Army visiting Lehigh (), needing a win to complete a series sweep of the Mountain Hawks and to keep its hopes of a first round home game in the playoffs alive.
The last time the two met, Army pulled off a mild upset at West Point. That loss dealt a serious blow to Lehigh's hopes of winning the regular season title, or of at least sharing it by splitting with Bucknell and Holy Cross. Those hopes were dealt another blow with a home loss against Navy Wednesday. With Bucknell and HC still looming in the Hawks' final four games (not to mention visits to Colgate and always dangerous archrival Lafayette), Lehigh needs a win here to maintain its cushion over Colgate and the rest of the pack for third place and a home game in the first round.
A loss would put Lehigh at 5-5 and in serious danger of losing its hold on a home playoff game.
Army, a game behind Colgate in the win column for fourth, with Colgate owning a season sweep tiebreaker edge, simply cannot afford a loss if it wants to stay home for the first round.
Today's other game, Navy at Lafayette (), has less at stake. Neither team has much of a shot at finishing in the top four. But the winner would have a leg up on avoiding a potential bus ride to Worcester should Hc finish with the top seed. It would also have a shot at sneaking into sixth, which would bring a much greater chance of winning a first round game in the playoffs.
(Friday's Morning Call)
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The biggest of the two has Army visiting Lehigh (), needing a win to complete a series sweep of the Mountain Hawks and to keep its hopes of a first round home game in the playoffs alive.
The last time the two met, Army pulled off a mild upset at West Point. That loss dealt a serious blow to Lehigh's hopes of winning the regular season title, or of at least sharing it by splitting with Bucknell and Holy Cross. Those hopes were dealt another blow with a home loss against Navy Wednesday. With Bucknell and HC still looming in the Hawks' final four games (not to mention visits to Colgate and always dangerous archrival Lafayette), Lehigh needs a win here to maintain its cushion over Colgate and the rest of the pack for third place and a home game in the first round.
A loss would put Lehigh at 5-5 and in serious danger of losing its hold on a home playoff game.
Army, a game behind Colgate in the win column for fourth, with Colgate owning a season sweep tiebreaker edge, simply cannot afford a loss if it wants to stay home for the first round.
Today's other game, Navy at Lafayette (), has less at stake. Neither team has much of a shot at finishing in the top four. But the winner would have a leg up on avoiding a potential bus ride to Worcester should Hc finish with the top seed. It would also have a shot at sneaking into sixth, which would bring a much greater chance of winning a first round game in the playoffs.
Labels: Army, Laf, Leh, Navy, previews
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Wednesday, February 07, 2007
Army pushed the league leaders to the limit in regulation, but form held in the extra session.
After battling Holy Cross tooth and nail through 40 even minutes of regulation play, the Black Knights' upset bid came apart like a trailer in a twister in overtime, allowing the Crusaders to escape with a 70-54 overtime win to remain unbeaten in league play.
The win sets up Friday's much-anticipated showdown at Bucknell, which also escaped a trap last night at American. Holy Cross' 12th straight win was in jeopardy in the second half when Army used a pair of three-pointers from little used freshman guard Josh Miller to build a 40-33 lead with 8:05 to go in regulation.
Keith Simmons, who finished with 26 points, led Holy Cross back, tying the game at 49-49 after Simmons hit a pair of free throws and a layup with 2:10 to play in regulation. After each team added a free throw, a short jumper by Simmons put the Crusaders up with 15 seconds to go. Army sent it to OT when Jarrell Brown (21 points) made a little running scoop shot with 0.5 seconds to go.
The overtime, though, was all HC. The Crusaders opened with a 12-0 run and held Army to a pair of free throws in the extra session. Army, which shot 17 for 45 (37.8 percent) in regulation, including 5 of 10 from the arc, went 0 for 6 in overtime, five of the misses coming from the arc.
Holy Cross was perfect in the OT, going 5 for 5 from the field, including a pair of Pat Doherty treys and 6 for 6 at the foul line. For the game, HC shot 46 percent (23 of 50), 8 for 18 on three-point tries.
Matt Bell added 12 points for Army (13-11, 3-6 Patriot), which lost its fourth in a row after starting conference play 3-2.
Torey Thomas had 14 points, 7 rebounds, 7 assists and 5 steals for HC. Tim Clifford finished with 11 points, 8 boards and 6 steals.
Simmons became thefirst 11th HC player to score 1,500 career points on a layup with 11:59 to go in regulation.
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After battling Holy Cross tooth and nail through 40 even minutes of regulation play, the Black Knights' upset bid came apart like a trailer in a twister in overtime, allowing the Crusaders to escape with a 70-54 overtime win to remain unbeaten in league play.
The win sets up Friday's much-anticipated showdown at Bucknell, which also escaped a trap last night at American. Holy Cross' 12th straight win was in jeopardy in the second half when Army used a pair of three-pointers from little used freshman guard Josh Miller to build a 40-33 lead with 8:05 to go in regulation.
Keith Simmons, who finished with 26 points, led Holy Cross back, tying the game at 49-49 after Simmons hit a pair of free throws and a layup with 2:10 to play in regulation. After each team added a free throw, a short jumper by Simmons put the Crusaders up with 15 seconds to go. Army sent it to OT when Jarrell Brown (21 points) made a little running scoop shot with 0.5 seconds to go.
The overtime, though, was all HC. The Crusaders opened with a 12-0 run and held Army to a pair of free throws in the extra session. Army, which shot 17 for 45 (37.8 percent) in regulation, including 5 of 10 from the arc, went 0 for 6 in overtime, five of the misses coming from the arc.
Holy Cross was perfect in the OT, going 5 for 5 from the field, including a pair of Pat Doherty treys and 6 for 6 at the foul line. For the game, HC shot 46 percent (23 of 50), 8 for 18 on three-point tries.
Matt Bell added 12 points for Army (13-11, 3-6 Patriot), which lost its fourth in a row after starting conference play 3-2.
Torey Thomas had 14 points, 7 rebounds, 7 assists and 5 steals for HC. Tim Clifford finished with 11 points, 8 boards and 6 steals.
Simmons became the
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Tuesday, February 06, 2007
Everybody is talking about Friday's Holy Cross-Bucknell rematch, but first they both have to get by tough road opponents tonight.
It's a classic trap situation for both teams. Both are coming off emotional wins Saturday -- Holy Cross's winter homecoming thrashing of Lafayette and Bucknell's big win at Navy in its first game without senior leader Donald Brown -- and headed into a game with potential league championship implications. But if either lets down, or if looks past tonight to even sneak a peek at the other, Friday's ESPNU matchup could end up taking on a very different context.
Holy Cross throttled Army when they met in Worcester back on Jan. 10, winning by 24 points. It would be understandable if a bunch of 20-year-old kids would take Army lightly in the rematch (). It could also be fatal to HC's championship dreams. The Black Knights are a very different team in West Point, where they are 9-2 on the season.
Ralph Willard knows the danger. In 2002, his team went into West Point one game before a big showdown with American and came out with a loss that eventually forced it to go on the road for the league final against AU. All worked out in the end for the Crusaders, who won the second of its three titles under Willard by beating the Eagles in Bender. But nobody wants to have to win the championship final on someone else's floor.
No need to harken back to that 2002 slip-up to make the point about needing to stay focused in a tough road game in an empty gym. Willard can simply remind his team what happened two weeks ago in its last trip to New York, when they needed a Keith Simmons three-pointer at the end of the game to get past Colgate.
Bucknell faces a similar challenge at American (). The Bison didn't win by a big margin when the two met in Lewisburg, but they did win pretty convincingly.
The Bison were dominant inside, but allowed Au to knock down 7 threes in the second half to keep it close. If the Eagles are able to shoot like that at home tonight, it could be a very long night for Bucknell.
Bucknell's defense has improved considerably since the two met back on Jan. 10. We'll see how much it has improved tonight.
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It's a classic trap situation for both teams. Both are coming off emotional wins Saturday -- Holy Cross's winter homecoming thrashing of Lafayette and Bucknell's big win at Navy in its first game without senior leader Donald Brown -- and headed into a game with potential league championship implications. But if either lets down, or if looks past tonight to even sneak a peek at the other, Friday's ESPNU matchup could end up taking on a very different context.
Holy Cross throttled Army when they met in Worcester back on Jan. 10, winning by 24 points. It would be understandable if a bunch of 20-year-old kids would take Army lightly in the rematch (). It could also be fatal to HC's championship dreams. The Black Knights are a very different team in West Point, where they are 9-2 on the season.
Ralph Willard knows the danger. In 2002, his team went into West Point one game before a big showdown with American and came out with a loss that eventually forced it to go on the road for the league final against AU. All worked out in the end for the Crusaders, who won the second of its three titles under Willard by beating the Eagles in Bender. But nobody wants to have to win the championship final on someone else's floor.
No need to harken back to that 2002 slip-up to make the point about needing to stay focused in a tough road game in an empty gym. Willard can simply remind his team what happened two weeks ago in its last trip to New York, when they needed a Keith Simmons three-pointer at the end of the game to get past Colgate.
Bucknell faces a similar challenge at American (). The Bison didn't win by a big margin when the two met in Lewisburg, but they did win pretty convincingly.
The Bison were dominant inside, but allowed Au to knock down 7 threes in the second half to keep it close. If the Eagles are able to shoot like that at home tonight, it could be a very long night for Bucknell.
Bucknell's defense has improved considerably since the two met back on Jan. 10. We'll see how much it has improved tonight.
Labels: Army, AU, BU, HC, previews
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Sunday, February 04, 2007
Checked out all yesterday's games and still crave more hoops? Here are few other items of interest.
Tom Housenick of The Daily Item spent his spare time between Friday night's Bucknell-Navy men's game and yesterday afternoon's women's game between the same two schools to put together a on the Donald Brown situation.
Navy beat guy Bill Wagner does a nice job covering the Mids for the Annapolis Capital. Often it goes unmentioned here because the paper does not update its Web site until late in the day, well after we have finished our updates. Here is his .
You need a lot of institutional memory to recall the play of Holy Cross center Jim Nairus, an academic all-American who was a first-team all league pick and also made the all-tournament team back when this thing of ours began in 1991. A guy who has that kind of recall is Holy Cross play-by-play man Bob Fouracre, who has called over 2,500 HC games in his 37 years behind the mic. the Holy Cross athletics hall of fame in May.
Army's freshman center, Chris Walker, Saturday got some ink back home in Georgia in a little from the Gwinnett Daily Post.
We don't cover much of the ladies' side of the league. Matter of fact, aside from the HC games we cover for the Telegram & Gazette and the occasional Bucknell women's game with the daughters, we pay next to no attention to the women's games. Time constraints and a lack of media coverage make it impossible to keep up with the whole league, so we didn't know (Celtics player) Wally Szczerbiak's little sister Wendy played for Lehigh until we read in today's Telegram & Gazette.
If you are looking to catch up on the women's side of the league, here's a quick primer: Bucknell is in first place following a . Defending champion Army is one game back after . Longtime league powerhouse Holy Cross has struggled after losing its top two point guards to knee injuries, but seems to be starting to pick up the pieces after a that got the Crusaders back to .500 after a 1-4 start in league play.
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Labels: Army, BU, CU, HC, Laf, Navy
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Originally posted Sat., 5 p.m.; updated with links at 9:31 a.m.)
Ever wonder why Army and Colgate draw so few fans for their games? Maybe it's because too many folks have watched a game like the one the two played Saturday afternoon.
Thankfully, only 432 were forced to suffer through what was passed off as a Division I basketball game in Christl Arena. Colgate's 42-38 win was as ugly as they come.
How ugly was it? Consider this:
Colgate won despite shooting 30.2 percent from the field (13 of 43)
Army shot even worse, going 14 of 51 (27.5 percent
Neither team managed to make more than 8 field goals in either half (Army had 8 in the second)
Both teams had more turnovers than field goals -- Army turning it over 15 times, Colgate topping that with 17
After the first 5 minutes, the score was 2-0, a bucket by Army's Matt Bell at the 19:05 mark accounting for the only scoring
That was the only points Army scored in the first 9:39 of the game
During that span, Colgate scored all of three points -- all on a three-point play by Kyle Chones at the 14:56 mark
Army's 38 points were the fewest by a league team all season
Colgate's 42 ties for the third lowest offensive output on that list
If the game had a saving grace, it was the fact that it was competitive right to the end. Tied at 38-38 after a Jarell Brown bucket with 1:03 to play, Colgate scored what proved to be the game-winner when Army's Matt Bell partially blocked a Jon Simon shot, deflecting the ball to the Raiders' Marc Daniels, who put it home with 25 seconds to play.
Army had a chance to tie it, but Bell missed a jumper and Colgate's Daniel Waddy made a pair of free throws to seal it.
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Ever wonder why Army and Colgate draw so few fans for their games? Maybe it's because too many folks have watched a game like the one the two played Saturday afternoon.
Thankfully, only 432 were forced to suffer through what was passed off as a Division I basketball game in Christl Arena. Colgate's 42-38 win was as ugly as they come.
How ugly was it? Consider this:
If the game had a saving grace, it was the fact that it was competitive right to the end. Tied at 38-38 after a Jarell Brown bucket with 1:03 to play, Colgate scored what proved to be the game-winner when Army's Matt Bell partially blocked a Jon Simon shot, deflecting the ball to the Raiders' Marc Daniels, who put it home with 25 seconds to play.
Army had a chance to tie it, but Bell missed a jumper and Colgate's Daniel Waddy made a pair of free throws to seal it.
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Saturday, February 03, 2007
Holy Cross tries to stay on top while the rest of the league jostles for playoff position in a trio of games today.
The biggest game of the day takes place in the nation's capital, where Lehigh (9-14 overall, 4-3 Patriot) takes on host American (11-10, 3-4) () in a game (7:30 p.m., Sirius 181) that is close to a must win for the Eagles if they hope to host a first round game in the postseason playoffs.
Lehigh is not mathematically eliminated from the regular season championship, but they are realistically out of contention. Second-place, and the possibility of two home playoff games, is still within the Mountain Hawks grasp. If they can beat the two teams ahead of them in the standings (Holy Cross and Bucknell) at home, and HC beats the Bison in Lewisburg, Lehigh would have a tiebreaker edge (the win over HC) over the Bison should both win out.
For that to happen, though, Lehigh needs to win on the road, something it has done just once in 11 games. It won't be easy in bender, where American's only loss this season came in overtime to Holy Cross.
Senior center Jason Mgebroff out since mid-December with a stress fracture in a leg, has returned to Lehigh's practice, but is unlikely to be available tonight. The Hawks got by without him in Stabler -- barely -- pulling out a 51-49 win on a Phil Andersen putback with less than three seconds to play.
American shot 26.1 percent in that game. Lehigh's seven-foot sophomore John Gourlay scored 10 points. Don't expect either performance to be repeated.
Lafayette at Holy Cross () -- The Crusaders, riding a nine-game win streak, are unbeaten in conference play heading into this evening's sold-out Hart Center rematch with Lafayette. Their first league win came in Easton over Lafayette in a game that was still in question late in the second half.
It should not have been. But after building a 15-point lead, the Crusaders exhaled, allowing the hot-shooting Leopards to make a game of it down the stretch. It took HC 84 points to put away Lafayette, an uncharacteristic showing for Ralph Willard's defense first club. That's the most HC scored all season and around 20 more than it has averaged in six other league wins.
The way Lafayette shot the ball (56.8 percent from the field) against the 'Saders zone, it needed nearly all those points to escape with the W.
With Pat Doherty having since returned from his broken hand, HC probably could muster even more offense if need be. But expect a different style at Hart, where Holy Cross is 8-0 this season. Lafayette's only road conference win came at Colgate. They will need to repeat their 56.8 percent shooting to stay in the game in Worcester, something that is highly unlikely.
Colgate at Army () -- The Raiders won in overtime the first meeting in Hamilton. It won't be easy to repeat that feat in Christl Arena, where the Black Knights are 9-1 this season.
Army (13-9, 3-4) needs a win to stay in the mix for a home playoff game. Colgate (7-13, 2-5) needs a win to try to get into that mix.
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The biggest game of the day takes place in the nation's capital, where Lehigh (9-14 overall, 4-3 Patriot) takes on host American (11-10, 3-4) () in a game (7:30 p.m., Sirius 181) that is close to a must win for the Eagles if they hope to host a first round game in the postseason playoffs.
Lehigh is not mathematically eliminated from the regular season championship, but they are realistically out of contention. Second-place, and the possibility of two home playoff games, is still within the Mountain Hawks grasp. If they can beat the two teams ahead of them in the standings (Holy Cross and Bucknell) at home, and HC beats the Bison in Lewisburg, Lehigh would have a tiebreaker edge (the win over HC) over the Bison should both win out.
For that to happen, though, Lehigh needs to win on the road, something it has done just once in 11 games. It won't be easy in bender, where American's only loss this season came in overtime to Holy Cross.
Senior center Jason Mgebroff out since mid-December with a stress fracture in a leg, has returned to Lehigh's practice, but is unlikely to be available tonight. The Hawks got by without him in Stabler -- barely -- pulling out a 51-49 win on a Phil Andersen putback with less than three seconds to play.
American shot 26.1 percent in that game. Lehigh's seven-foot sophomore John Gourlay scored 10 points. Don't expect either performance to be repeated.
Lafayette at Holy Cross () -- The Crusaders, riding a nine-game win streak, are unbeaten in conference play heading into this evening's sold-out Hart Center rematch with Lafayette. Their first league win came in Easton over Lafayette in a game that was still in question late in the second half.
It should not have been. But after building a 15-point lead, the Crusaders exhaled, allowing the hot-shooting Leopards to make a game of it down the stretch. It took HC 84 points to put away Lafayette, an uncharacteristic showing for Ralph Willard's defense first club. That's the most HC scored all season and around 20 more than it has averaged in six other league wins.
The way Lafayette shot the ball (56.8 percent from the field) against the 'Saders zone, it needed nearly all those points to escape with the W.
With Pat Doherty having since returned from his broken hand, HC probably could muster even more offense if need be. But expect a different style at Hart, where Holy Cross is 8-0 this season. Lafayette's only road conference win came at Colgate. They will need to repeat their 56.8 percent shooting to stay in the game in Worcester, something that is highly unlikely.
Colgate at Army () -- The Raiders won in overtime the first meeting in Hamilton. It won't be easy to repeat that feat in Christl Arena, where the Black Knights are 9-1 this season.
Army (13-9, 3-4) needs a win to stay in the mix for a home playoff game. Colgate (7-13, 2-5) needs a win to try to get into that mix.
Labels: Army, AU, CU, HC, Laf, Leh, previews
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Sunday, January 28, 2007
(Updated with game story and links at 9:47 a.m.)
Army is better than it used to be, but it made little difference Saturday night at Bucknell.
By CHRIS A. COUROGEN
There is an old joke, variously attributed to Kinky Friedman or Jerry Jeff Walker, that goes something like this: A guy walks into a bar, hits on a cowboy's girlfriend and the next thing he knows he is laying in the parking lot surrounded by the half-dozen cowboys who kicked his ass. The guy looks up through the one eye he can still open and says, "You guys ain't so tough. I got beat up a lot worse by some bikers up in Austin."
That might have been the way Jim Crews looked at this year's Bucknell Bison Saturday night after they thrashed his Army ballclub 74-49 in as thorough a whooping as the league has seen all season. After all, Crews was Army's coach back in 2004 when they came to Lewisburg and left on the short end of a 75-25 final.
This one was closer on the scoreboard, but to many of the 4,110 on hand for Young Alumni Night in Sojka Pavilion, it was a Yogi Berra moment -- deja vu all over again. After the game, Crews didn't mention that 2004 debacle. But his opening comment in the postgame press conference pretty much summed things up.: "From my standpoint, it really looked like (Bucknell) played well."
Playing without head coach Pat Flannery, who was back home in Pottsville for his father's funeral, the Bison came out strong for the second game in a row, putting this one away shortly after the first media timeout.
Bucknell spotted the Black Knights a 2-0 lead when Donald Brown turned it over on the Bison's first possession and Kenny Brewer made a layup at the other end. Then Abe Badmus hit the first of his three three-pointers and the rout was on.
At the beginning of the week, Badmus was 10 for 34 (29.3 percent) on the season from the arc. After going 5 for 7 in the wins over Lehigh and Army, his three-point field goal percentage has leaped to 36.6 percent. In the process, he has made Bucknell's whole offense a whole lot better.
When Badmus is hitting from the perimeter, "That's not good," said Crews, supplying an opponent's perspective.
For most of the season, Badmus' shooting woes have led teams to play off him, allowing more help down low on guys like Chris McNaughton and Donald Brown and limiting Badmus' opportunities to penetrate, where he is as dangerous as any player in the league.
"(Badmus) can get inside the core of the defense. Then if he stretches you out with those shots . . . We never thought he was a bad shooter, but you can't take everything away when they've got five guys out there that can do some things," Crews said. "We gambled and we lost that gamble."
Big time.
Badmus first trey sparked an 18-2 Bucknell run that gave the Bison a double-digit lead in a hurry. When he hit his third three-pointer, giving Bucknell a 24-6 lead with 9:09 to go in the first half, it cued a chant of "Abe's got more points" from the Sojka Pscyhos behind the south basket.
"They went in, I don't know what to say," said Badmus afterward. "I've been getting in the gym a little extra and it is really paying off."
Bison assistant coach Nate Davis, who ran the show in Flannery's absence, said the coaches knew all along Badmus was capable of shooting better than he had.
"We never got down on him. We kept encouraging him," Davis said. "We've been preaching to him not to shoot because they are daring you to. Shoot it because you want to."
The three-pointers were big for Badmus, but they were far from his only contribution. He also dished out four assists and made three steals while generally disrupting Army's offensive flow all night. Badmus brought the crowd to its feet early when he stole an inbounds pass after a Donald Brown free throw and made an acrobatic save to get the ball out to John Griffin at the top of the arc, where Griffin drained a three to give the Bison an early 11-4 lead.
Badmus was not the only thing the Bison faithful had to get excited about.
Against the Patriot League's top-ranked defense -- an Army team ranked No. 25 in the nation in field goal percentage defense coming in -- the Bison knocked down 15 of their 23 shots (65.2 percent) in the first half, including 7 of 10 from the arc and a pair of monstrous one-handed breakaway jams by Donald Brown, the second putting the Bison up 43-15 at the half.
"We shot the ball well and executed our offense extremely well," Davis said.
Army's 15 first-half points were not a record low in Sojka. That was set back in that 2004 game when the Black KNights only scored 9 points in the first half. The Black Knights 26.1 percent (6 of 23) shooting in the half also failed to threaten the ineptitude of that 2004 team, which made only 8 field goals that entire game (on 45 shots, 17.2 percent), but it was easily Army's worst offensive half of the season.
"Our focus and effort the start of the game was fantastic," said Davis, who admitted about all he had to do to coach the team on this night was "sit back and watch them go."
The Bison did not end up breaking any records, though their 57.1 percent shooting for the game and their 52.9 percent shooting from the arc were both season highs. hard to tell how those numbers might have ended up had Davis not substituted so liberally. Ten of the 12 Bison in uniform saw action in the first half. All 12 played in the second half. None of the Bison starters played more than 27 minutes and freshman Zach Evans, who played the final 2:13 of the game, was the only Bison to play less than 8.
McNaughton, who finished with 11 points on 4 for 6 shooting, left the game for good with just under 8 minutes to go. Brown, who finished with 12 points (4 of 5 from the field), 8 rebounds and 4 steals, followed McNaughton to the bench with almost six minutes still on the clock. By the 5:23 mark, with Bucknell up by 35 points after a pair of Jason Vegotsky (12 points) free throws, all five Bison starters were done for the night.
Jarrell Brown led Army with 14 points, none of which came when the game was in doubt. Brown's first bucket of the game came with 2:06 to go in the first half. By then the Bison were already ahead by 27 points. Matt Bell also reachd double figures with 11 points on 3 of 9 shooting from the floor.
The victory, Bucknell's 31st straight home win in conference play, was the Bison's fourth in a row and their eighth in their last nine outings. The Bison, who are now 12-4 since opening the season with four straight losses, enter the second half of league play solidly in second place, one game behind first place Holy Cross, which will visit Sojka in two weeks.
| Post game audio (Jim Crews, Nathan Davis, Abe Badmus, Stephen Tyree) | |
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Army is better than it used to be, but it made little difference Saturday night at Bucknell.
By CHRIS A. COUROGEN
There is an old joke, variously attributed to Kinky Friedman or Jerry Jeff Walker, that goes something like this: A guy walks into a bar, hits on a cowboy's girlfriend and the next thing he knows he is laying in the parking lot surrounded by the half-dozen cowboys who kicked his ass. The guy looks up through the one eye he can still open and says, "You guys ain't so tough. I got beat up a lot worse by some bikers up in Austin."
That might have been the way Jim Crews looked at this year's Bucknell Bison Saturday night after they thrashed his Army ballclub 74-49 in as thorough a whooping as the league has seen all season. After all, Crews was Army's coach back in 2004 when they came to Lewisburg and left on the short end of a 75-25 final.
This one was closer on the scoreboard, but to many of the 4,110 on hand for Young Alumni Night in Sojka Pavilion, it was a Yogi Berra moment -- deja vu all over again. After the game, Crews didn't mention that 2004 debacle. But his opening comment in the postgame press conference pretty much summed things up.: "From my standpoint, it really looked like (Bucknell) played well."
Playing without head coach Pat Flannery, who was back home in Pottsville for his father's funeral, the Bison came out strong for the second game in a row, putting this one away shortly after the first media timeout.
Bucknell spotted the Black Knights a 2-0 lead when Donald Brown turned it over on the Bison's first possession and Kenny Brewer made a layup at the other end. Then Abe Badmus hit the first of his three three-pointers and the rout was on.
At the beginning of the week, Badmus was 10 for 34 (29.3 percent) on the season from the arc. After going 5 for 7 in the wins over Lehigh and Army, his three-point field goal percentage has leaped to 36.6 percent. In the process, he has made Bucknell's whole offense a whole lot better.
When Badmus is hitting from the perimeter, "That's not good," said Crews, supplying an opponent's perspective.
For most of the season, Badmus' shooting woes have led teams to play off him, allowing more help down low on guys like Chris McNaughton and Donald Brown and limiting Badmus' opportunities to penetrate, where he is as dangerous as any player in the league.
"(Badmus) can get inside the core of the defense. Then if he stretches you out with those shots . . . We never thought he was a bad shooter, but you can't take everything away when they've got five guys out there that can do some things," Crews said. "We gambled and we lost that gamble."
Big time.
Badmus first trey sparked an 18-2 Bucknell run that gave the Bison a double-digit lead in a hurry. When he hit his third three-pointer, giving Bucknell a 24-6 lead with 9:09 to go in the first half, it cued a chant of "Abe's got more points" from the Sojka Pscyhos behind the south basket.
"They went in, I don't know what to say," said Badmus afterward. "I've been getting in the gym a little extra and it is really paying off."
Bison assistant coach Nate Davis, who ran the show in Flannery's absence, said the coaches knew all along Badmus was capable of shooting better than he had.
"We never got down on him. We kept encouraging him," Davis said. "We've been preaching to him not to shoot because they are daring you to. Shoot it because you want to."
The three-pointers were big for Badmus, but they were far from his only contribution. He also dished out four assists and made three steals while generally disrupting Army's offensive flow all night. Badmus brought the crowd to its feet early when he stole an inbounds pass after a Donald Brown free throw and made an acrobatic save to get the ball out to John Griffin at the top of the arc, where Griffin drained a three to give the Bison an early 11-4 lead.
Badmus was not the only thing the Bison faithful had to get excited about.
Against the Patriot League's top-ranked defense -- an Army team ranked No. 25 in the nation in field goal percentage defense coming in -- the Bison knocked down 15 of their 23 shots (65.2 percent) in the first half, including 7 of 10 from the arc and a pair of monstrous one-handed breakaway jams by Donald Brown, the second putting the Bison up 43-15 at the half.
"We shot the ball well and executed our offense extremely well," Davis said.
Army's 15 first-half points were not a record low in Sojka. That was set back in that 2004 game when the Black KNights only scored 9 points in the first half. The Black Knights 26.1 percent (6 of 23) shooting in the half also failed to threaten the ineptitude of that 2004 team, which made only 8 field goals that entire game (on 45 shots, 17.2 percent), but it was easily Army's worst offensive half of the season.
"Our focus and effort the start of the game was fantastic," said Davis, who admitted about all he had to do to coach the team on this night was "sit back and watch them go."
The Bison did not end up breaking any records, though their 57.1 percent shooting for the game and their 52.9 percent shooting from the arc were both season highs. hard to tell how those numbers might have ended up had Davis not substituted so liberally. Ten of the 12 Bison in uniform saw action in the first half. All 12 played in the second half. None of the Bison starters played more than 27 minutes and freshman Zach Evans, who played the final 2:13 of the game, was the only Bison to play less than 8.
McNaughton, who finished with 11 points on 4 for 6 shooting, left the game for good with just under 8 minutes to go. Brown, who finished with 12 points (4 of 5 from the field), 8 rebounds and 4 steals, followed McNaughton to the bench with almost six minutes still on the clock. By the 5:23 mark, with Bucknell up by 35 points after a pair of Jason Vegotsky (12 points) free throws, all five Bison starters were done for the night.
Jarrell Brown led Army with 14 points, none of which came when the game was in doubt. Brown's first bucket of the game came with 2:06 to go in the first half. By then the Bison were already ahead by 27 points. Matt Bell also reachd double figures with 11 points on 3 of 9 shooting from the floor.
The victory, Bucknell's 31st straight home win in conference play, was the Bison's fourth in a row and their eighth in their last nine outings. The Bison, who are now 12-4 since opening the season with four straight losses, enter the second half of league play solidly in second place, one game behind first place Holy Cross, which will visit Sojka in two weeks.
| Post game audio (Jim Crews, Nathan Davis, Abe Badmus, Stephen Tyree) | |
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Saturday, January 27, 2007
After a few weeks of ties up and down the Patriot League standings, things will shake out a little today.
For the first time all season, somebody will be alone at the bottom. Last place will be decided in Annapolis, where Navy hosts Colgate in a battle of 1-5 teams (). Meanwhile, American visits Lafayette in a matchup of a pair of 2-4 clubs ().
The winner of the AU-LC game could find itself suddenly tied for the all-important fourth spot in the standings, pending the outcome of tonight's Army at Bucknell . A Bucknell win would leave Army tied with that AU-LC winner for the number four spot -- a spot magnified in importance this season by the league's higher seed homecourt playoffs system that has replaced the league's post-season tournament to determine the conference championship and what will likely be just one bid to the NCAA Tournament.
That Army-Bucknell game is the spotlight contest of the day. Army, coming off a loss at Lafayette on Wednesday after three-straight wins in West Point, needs bounce-back win to stay above .500 and even with Lehigh for third place in the standings. A loss and suddenly, despite their strong start in conference play, the Black Knights are back to battling just to stay out of the second division.
For Bucknell, the story is pretty simple. Win their 31st straight home conference game and keep pace one game behind Holy Cross, which has yet to visit Sojka this season.
In Easton, Lafayette will look to shoot its way past an American team that looked like a contender early in the season, but found itself needing a win over Navy Wednesday to stay out of the cellar. Conventional wisdom would tell you American's big, deep frontcourt should be a tremendous edge for the Eagles. But aside from up and down Brayden Billbe, production from those big guys have been mediocre at best.
If Lafayette can lure AU's gunners into a shootout, it could be another long bus ride home for American, which is 0-3 on the road in league play.
In Annapolis, Billy Lange's young Midshipmen badly need a win to stem the bleeding. After a promising 9-3 start, Navy has dropped 7 of its last 9, including its last three. Colgate, which has lost five straight and eight of its last 9, could be the first aid Navy needs. The Raiders rank 314th (out of 325) nationally in scoring and 294th in field goal percentage (40.3 percent).
Of course Bavy is just above Colgate in the league rankings for field goal percentage (41.5 percent, 263 nationally). Two areas where Navy has a big edge are at the foul line and behind the arc. Navy ranks 9th nationally in free throw percentage (76.1 percent, tops in the league); Colgate is last in the league at 69.5 percent (140 nationally). Navy is second in the league and No. 25 in the nation in three-pointers per game (8.4 per); Colgate is last in the league and 316 out of 325 nationally with 4.2 per game.
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For the first time all season, somebody will be alone at the bottom. Last place will be decided in Annapolis, where Navy hosts Colgate in a battle of 1-5 teams (). Meanwhile, American visits Lafayette in a matchup of a pair of 2-4 clubs ().
The winner of the AU-LC game could find itself suddenly tied for the all-important fourth spot in the standings, pending the outcome of tonight's Army at Bucknell . A Bucknell win would leave Army tied with that AU-LC winner for the number four spot -- a spot magnified in importance this season by the league's higher seed homecourt playoffs system that has replaced the league's post-season tournament to determine the conference championship and what will likely be just one bid to the NCAA Tournament.
That Army-Bucknell game is the spotlight contest of the day. Army, coming off a loss at Lafayette on Wednesday after three-straight wins in West Point, needs bounce-back win to stay above .500 and even with Lehigh for third place in the standings. A loss and suddenly, despite their strong start in conference play, the Black Knights are back to battling just to stay out of the second division.
For Bucknell, the story is pretty simple. Win their 31st straight home conference game and keep pace one game behind Holy Cross, which has yet to visit Sojka this season.
In Easton, Lafayette will look to shoot its way past an American team that looked like a contender early in the season, but found itself needing a win over Navy Wednesday to stay out of the cellar. Conventional wisdom would tell you American's big, deep frontcourt should be a tremendous edge for the Eagles. But aside from up and down Brayden Billbe, production from those big guys have been mediocre at best.
If Lafayette can lure AU's gunners into a shootout, it could be another long bus ride home for American, which is 0-3 on the road in league play.
In Annapolis, Billy Lange's young Midshipmen badly need a win to stem the bleeding. After a promising 9-3 start, Navy has dropped 7 of its last 9, including its last three. Colgate, which has lost five straight and eight of its last 9, could be the first aid Navy needs. The Raiders rank 314th (out of 325) nationally in scoring and 294th in field goal percentage (40.3 percent).
Of course Bavy is just above Colgate in the league rankings for field goal percentage (41.5 percent, 263 nationally). Two areas where Navy has a big edge are at the foul line and behind the arc. Navy ranks 9th nationally in free throw percentage (76.1 percent, tops in the league); Colgate is last in the league at 69.5 percent (140 nationally). Navy is second in the league and No. 25 in the nation in three-pointers per game (8.4 per); Colgate is last in the league and 316 out of 325 nationally with 4.2 per game.
Labels: Army, AU, BU, CU, Laf, Navy, previews
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Thursday, January 25, 2007
Paul Cummins hit six three-pointers en route to a career-high 22 points as Lafayette put and end to Army's three-game win streak,
Cummins, a 6-2 junior from Kildare, Ireland, hit his first trey 1:47 into the game, putting Lafayette ahead 6-5. The Leopards never trailed after that.
Army managed to pull even early in the second half on back-to-back buckets by Jarrell Brown, who finished with 18 points for the Black Knights. Lafayette went back up 26 seconds later on a pair of free throws by Everest Schmidt (11 points). Schmidt's foul shots sparked an 8-1 Leopards' run. Army never got within a possession after that.
Matt Bell led Army (13-8 overall, 3-3 Patriot) with 23 points.
Andrew Brown added 17 for Lafayette, which shot 56.1 percent (23 of 41) from the field, 10 of 18 (55.6 percent) from the three-point arc.
Army actually had more field goals than the Leopards, going 28 for 58 (48.3 percent) from the field, 8 for 24 on three-pointers. But Army only went to the foul line 8 times all night, making 4. Lehigh was 20 for 28 at the line.
The Leopards also outrebounded the Knights 31-23.
Army's road trip continues Saturday at Bucknell. Lafayette will host American Saturday with fifth place in the league standings on the line.
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Cummins, a 6-2 junior from Kildare, Ireland, hit his first trey 1:47 into the game, putting Lafayette ahead 6-5. The Leopards never trailed after that.
Army managed to pull even early in the second half on back-to-back buckets by Jarrell Brown, who finished with 18 points for the Black Knights. Lafayette went back up 26 seconds later on a pair of free throws by Everest Schmidt (11 points). Schmidt's foul shots sparked an 8-1 Leopards' run. Army never got within a possession after that.
Matt Bell led Army (13-8 overall, 3-3 Patriot) with 23 points.
Andrew Brown added 17 for Lafayette, which shot 56.1 percent (23 of 41) from the field, 10 of 18 (55.6 percent) from the three-point arc.
Army actually had more field goals than the Leopards, going 28 for 58 (48.3 percent) from the field, 8 for 24 on three-pointers. But Army only went to the foul line 8 times all night, making 4. Lehigh was 20 for 28 at the line.
The Leopards also outrebounded the Knights 31-23.
Army's road trip continues Saturday at Bucknell. Lafayette will host American Saturday with fifth place in the league standings on the line.
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Monday, January 22, 2007
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| Jim Crews donned desert fatigues for the Navy game. Read about it and see the Times Herald-Record's . |
Army did not get much offense Sunday afternoon in Christl Arena. Only Matt Bell (16 points, 3 three-pointers) reached double figures for the Black Knights, who shot 39.2 percent (20 of 51) from the field. But the way they defended, they didn't need much.
Holding Navy to 28.6 percent shooting from the field, Army improved to 3-2 in league play, gaining a two-game advantage in the race for the fourth, and final, home game slot in the postseason Patriot League Tournament.
Navy hit just 16 of 56 shots from the field. Over half of those shots (29) were three-point tries. Only six of those treys found their mark.
Greg Sprink led all scorers with 19 points, on 6 for 16 shooting. Sprink was 3 for 9 from the arc, the biggest miss coming at the buzzer with a chance to tie after Bell left the door open by missing the first of two free throws with 4.5 second to go.
Sprink took the inbounds pass, dribbled the length of the floor and had a good look from 25-feet out on the left side. But his attempt to send the game to overtime rimmed out, giving Army the win in the first meeting of the season between the two for the fourth season in a row.
Sprink's missed three capped a half in which Navy made just 7 of 31 shots from teh field (22.6 percent).
Navy killed Corban Bates once again came up big against the Midshipmen. Bates scored 6 of his 8 points on back-to-back possessions, both after coming up with key offensive rebounds. The first led to an old-fashioned three-point play on a putback and a foul shot that put the Black Knights on top for good. The second was a new-fangled three-ball after another offensive rebound, giving Army a 47-43 lead with 4:09 to play.
The Midshipmen got within two three times down the stretch, the last time on a Sprink trey with 6 seconds left that made it 52-50, Army. That proved to be Navy's only field goal in the last 5:02 of the game.
The win, Army's third in a row (all at home), ups the Black Knights record to 13-7 overall. It's the first time Army has won 13 games since the 1986-87 season. Navy has now dropped 6 of its last 8 since starting the season 9-3.
The crowd of 3,904 was the largest for an Army home game since 5,125 showed up for a Feb. 28, 2004 Navy game and was literally more than 10 times the size of the crowd that showed up earlier in the week (390) for a win over American.
Army closes out the first half of the conference schedule with two games this week on the road -- Wednesday at Lafayette and Saturday at Bucknell. Navy is at American Wednesday, then hosts Colgate Saturday.
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BONUS LINK: (interview from Basketball U., done before the Army game)
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Sunday, January 21, 2007
Army-Navy takes on added importance this season
In recent seasons, games between Army and Navy have rarely had anything other than bragging rights at stake. Occasionally these games have determined which team finishes out of last place, but rarely has anyone given any thought to the postseason seeding consequences of a game between the academies.
That changes here. For the first time since the 1996-97 season, the two academies both go into today's game (Noon, ESPNU - Sirius 107) with winning records. While neither is likely to ultimately challenge for the conference title, both are very much in the hunt for a top four seeding and first round game at home in the league tournament.
If early season form holds, there is at least one spot in the upper division of the league standings up for grabs. There could be more. Lehigh is currently tied for third with Bucknell, but the Mountain Hawks have struggled on the road and are at Bucknell and at Holy Cross next week. Bucknell plays five of its last seven in the league on the road.
Army, which beat Lehigh in West Point already, currently has a slight leg up on the rest of the league for the fourth spot. A win here gives the Black Knights a 3-2 league record and two games up on the four one-win teams at the bottom of the league.
Navy is one of those one-win teams. The Midshipmen have scuffled since starting the season 9-3, and sorely need a win to, pardon the pun, right their ship. Despite their slow conference start, a win at Army would put the Mids in a tie for that fourth home-game spot, with a significant edge in the head-to-head tiebreaker since the Black Knights must visit Annapolis in the second half of the conference season.
The two teams are fairly evenly matched. Each boasts a pair of high scoring wingers -- Navy's Greg Sprink and Kaleo Kina, Army's Jarrell Brown and Matt Bell. Each has a first-year guy in the post -- Army's Chris Walker, Navy's Trey Stanton. Both have veteran point guards -- Navy junior Corey Johnson, Army senior Marcus Nelson.
The game is at West Point, in what should be decent sized crowd (for a change) in Christl Arena. Not that it necessarily will make a difference. Last season the two split, each winning on the other's floor.
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In recent seasons, games between Army and Navy have rarely had anything other than bragging rights at stake. Occasionally these games have determined which team finishes out of last place, but rarely has anyone given any thought to the postseason seeding consequences of a game between the academies.
That changes here. For the first time since the 1996-97 season, the two academies both go into today's game (Noon, ESPNU - Sirius 107) with winning records. While neither is likely to ultimately challenge for the conference title, both are very much in the hunt for a top four seeding and first round game at home in the league tournament.
If early season form holds, there is at least one spot in the upper division of the league standings up for grabs. There could be more. Lehigh is currently tied for third with Bucknell, but the Mountain Hawks have struggled on the road and are at Bucknell and at Holy Cross next week. Bucknell plays five of its last seven in the league on the road.
Army, which beat Lehigh in West Point already, currently has a slight leg up on the rest of the league for the fourth spot. A win here gives the Black Knights a 3-2 league record and two games up on the four one-win teams at the bottom of the league.
Navy is one of those one-win teams. The Midshipmen have scuffled since starting the season 9-3, and sorely need a win to, pardon the pun, right their ship. Despite their slow conference start, a win at Army would put the Mids in a tie for that fourth home-game spot, with a significant edge in the head-to-head tiebreaker since the Black Knights must visit Annapolis in the second half of the conference season.
The two teams are fairly evenly matched. Each boasts a pair of high scoring wingers -- Navy's Greg Sprink and Kaleo Kina, Army's Jarrell Brown and Matt Bell. Each has a first-year guy in the post -- Army's Chris Walker, Navy's Trey Stanton. Both have veteran point guards -- Navy junior Corey Johnson, Army senior Marcus Nelson.
The game is at West Point, in what should be decent sized crowd (for a change) in Christl Arena. Not that it necessarily will make a difference. Last season the two split, each winning on the other's floor.
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Thursday, January 18, 2007
Army's 60-55 win over American gave it back-to-back Patriot League wins for the first time since the 2000-2001 season.
It was Army's first win over AU in 43 years and gave the Black Knights (12-7 overall, 2-2 Patriot) 12 wins in a season for the first time since the 1986-87 season.
American led by 6 at the half, but faded after the intermission. Army started the half with an 11-3 run and broke it open with a 9-2 run that started with a Marcus Nelson dunk at the 3:37 mark. The Black Knights held on by canning 13 of 14 free throws in the final 1:24.
Jarrell Brown led Army with 19 points. Matt Bell added 17 and Cory Sinning had 10.
Arvydas Eitutavicius had 17 points and a team-high 7 rebounds for American (9-9, 1-3), which has now dropped 7 of its last 9 games. Andre Ingram added 10.
Both teams shot under 40 percent for the game (AU 18 of 47 - 38.3 percent; Army 18 of 48 - 37.5 percent), with American holding a 7-3 edge in three-pointers. But the Eagles were a horrid 12 of 22 (54.5 percent) at the foul line while Army went 21 of 30 at the stripe.
American also turned the ball over 20 times. But the most telling stat was the combined line of the Brayden Billbe and Paulius Joneliunas, who scored a total of 1 point between them. Billbe played just 14 scoreless minutes before fouling out. |
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It was Army's first win over AU in 43 years and gave the Black Knights (12-7 overall, 2-2 Patriot) 12 wins in a season for the first time since the 1986-87 season.
American led by 6 at the half, but faded after the intermission. Army started the half with an 11-3 run and broke it open with a 9-2 run that started with a Marcus Nelson dunk at the 3:37 mark. The Black Knights held on by canning 13 of 14 free throws in the final 1:24.
Jarrell Brown led Army with 19 points. Matt Bell added 17 and Cory Sinning had 10.
Arvydas Eitutavicius had 17 points and a team-high 7 rebounds for American (9-9, 1-3), which has now dropped 7 of its last 9 games. Andre Ingram added 10.
Both teams shot under 40 percent for the game (AU 18 of 47 - 38.3 percent; Army 18 of 48 - 37.5 percent), with American holding a 7-3 edge in three-pointers. But the Eagles were a horrid 12 of 22 (54.5 percent) at the foul line while Army went 21 of 30 at the stripe.
American also turned the ball over 20 times. But the most telling stat was the combined line of the Brayden Billbe and Paulius Joneliunas, who scored a total of 1 point between them. Billbe played just 14 scoreless minutes before fouling out. |
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Wednesday, January 17, 2007
An old-fashioned full slate of Wednesday night games are on tap tonight.Bucknall at Lafayette ()-- Bucknell would like nothing better than to start a new league win streak after having its 23-game run end at Holy Cross. It won't be as easy to do that as some might expect. The Bison have a tremendous edge inside, but Lafayette probably won't play a lick of man defense and its zone can make it tough to take advantage of that edge in the post. That is especially so if Bucknell can't knock down a enough threes to force the Leopards to guard the perimieter.
On the other hand, Lafayette is one of the league's best perimeter shooting teams and Bucknell has had trouble defending the three in each of its three league games thus far. There won't be many, if any, easy road games in this league and if the threes are falling for the Leopards, this could be an upset.
American at Army ()-- The Black Knights are full of confidence after their win over Lehigh Saturday. They will need to play a similar game to beat American for the first time since the Eagles joined the league. That means finding offense from places besides Jarrell Brown and Matt Bell, shutting down Andre Ingram the way they shut down Jose Olivero and keeping Chris Walker out of foul trouble.
For American, which entered the season with realistic hopes of being a contender in the league, a win here is pretty much required if they want to regain that status. The Eagles cannot afford to fall to 1-3 in league play with Holy Cross on tap Saturday. The area where AU should have an edge is in the frontcourt. That edge will magnify if they can put Walker on the bench with foul problems. The trouble is, though American ought to have a real advantage around the basket with its deep, and big, front line, that has been an area that has been inconsistent and underperforming for the Eagles all season. (Lawrence (Kans.) Journal-World)
Navy at Holy Cross ()-- Like every other team in the league, Navy has no match for Keith Simmons. Like most, it also has no match for Tim Clifford. Navy's hopes for an upset probably depend on two things -- getting incredibly hot from the arc and hoping the Crusaders have a post-Bucknell letdown.
Given the way HC plays defense, the former is not likely. Given HC's tendancy to lose focus when it gets ahead in games, it is not beyond the realm of possibility they could have a mental lapse in this situation. There is, though, a very wide gap here between possible and probable -- especially in Worcester.
Colgate at Lehigh ()-- The Mountain Hawks are less than a second away from being unbeaten at home. The Raiders are only a few seconds removed from being winless in the league. Don't expect it to be easy for the Mountain Hawks -- not much has been this season. But Colgate has trouble shooting against weak defenses in cozy barns. In Stabler, which has never been known as a great place for visiting teams to shoot, against a Lehigh team that emphasizes defense, the Raiders struggles from the field aren't likely to be cured tonight. It won't be any surprise if this one is determined at the foul line, and jump-shooting Colgate seldom wins those kinds of battles. It's not that the Raiders can't shoot free throws. They just don't seem to get many opportunities to go to the line. That is not likely to change on the road -- especially not in Stabler.
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On the other hand, Lafayette is one of the league's best perimeter shooting teams and Bucknell has had trouble defending the three in each of its three league games thus far. There won't be many, if any, easy road games in this league and if the threes are falling for the Leopards, this could be an upset.
American at Army ()-- The Black Knights are full of confidence after their win over Lehigh Saturday. They will need to play a similar game to beat American for the first time since the Eagles joined the league. That means finding offense from places besides Jarrell Brown and Matt Bell, shutting down Andre Ingram the way they shut down Jose Olivero and keeping Chris Walker out of foul trouble.
For American, which entered the season with realistic hopes of being a contender in the league, a win here is pretty much required if they want to regain that status. The Eagles cannot afford to fall to 1-3 in league play with Holy Cross on tap Saturday. The area where AU should have an edge is in the frontcourt. That edge will magnify if they can put Walker on the bench with foul problems. The trouble is, though American ought to have a real advantage around the basket with its deep, and big, front line, that has been an area that has been inconsistent and underperforming for the Eagles all season.
Navy at Holy Cross ()-- Like every other team in the league, Navy has no match for Keith Simmons. Like most, it also has no match for Tim Clifford. Navy's hopes for an upset probably depend on two things -- getting incredibly hot from the arc and hoping the Crusaders have a post-Bucknell letdown.
Given the way HC plays defense, the former is not likely. Given HC's tendancy to lose focus when it gets ahead in games, it is not beyond the realm of possibility they could have a mental lapse in this situation. There is, though, a very wide gap here between possible and probable -- especially in Worcester.
Colgate at Lehigh ()-- The Mountain Hawks are less than a second away from being unbeaten at home. The Raiders are only a few seconds removed from being winless in the league. Don't expect it to be easy for the Mountain Hawks -- not much has been this season. But Colgate has trouble shooting against weak defenses in cozy barns. In Stabler, which has never been known as a great place for visiting teams to shoot, against a Lehigh team that emphasizes defense, the Raiders struggles from the field aren't likely to be cured tonight. It won't be any surprise if this one is determined at the foul line, and jump-shooting Colgate seldom wins those kinds of battles. It's not that the Raiders can't shoot free throws. They just don't seem to get many opportunities to go to the line. That is not likely to change on the road -- especially not in Stabler.
Labels: Army, AU, BU, CU, HC, Laf, Leh, Navy, previews
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Sunday, January 14, 2007
Win over Lehigh gives cadets something to cheer
By CHRIS A. COUROGEN
There are reasons why Army plays its home games in front of crowds that average under 600 per game.
Put West Point into the destination field on Mapquest and unless your starting point is Highland Falls, N.Y., the directions that pop up say "Can't get there from here."
It's a beautiful place, filled with impressive old granite buildings, perched on a cliff above the Hudson River valley. But getting there from the outside world requires a perilous trek over Bear Mountain. Thank God we're having a mild winter. The first hint of snow -- even flurries -- would be enough to make any rational person turn back.
Army beat writer Ken MicMillan of the Times Herald-Record says Army needs to do a better job marketing the team.
A good first step would be finding an arena reachable without the aid of sherpas and playing home games there. A stop-gap measure might be at least placing a sign or two on campus with an arrow pointing towards Christl Arena.
Christl itself is a nice enough building. Although it shares a lot of the raw, industrial warehouse traits of Lehigh's Stabler Arena, the steeper slope of the empty seats makes it seem more intimate; the bright yellow paint on the huge ventilation tubes in the ceiling make it seem brighter.
The cement block and concrete design of the place gives it the acoustical ambience of a construction site. It is not the place you want to see a concert, but if they could fill the place even halfway full, it would be a loud, intimidating place for opposing teams to vist.
But they don't fill it half full. Matter of fact, the Black Knights don't even draw half that. The place holds over 5,000. Army's average crowd is a little over 500.
Of course prior to this season, there hasn't exactly been a lot to give fans a reason to make the trip. Just look at the banners, or lack thereof, hanging in Christl. There are five, total -- just one for a championship, and that is for last year's women's team. The two on the men's end of the floor tout ECAC regional appearances in the 1970s and NIT invites, only two of which came more recent than the Summer of Love, none since 1978.
The crowd for Saturday's Lehigh game was a little bigger than usual. It wasn't at the tip, but about seven minutes in a bunch of cadets filed in , filling most of the small bleachers behind each basket. A cadet with a clipboard under his arm and a lot of stripes on that arm explained they were late because they had to go through inspection. The ones who are here are on "hours," he explained. It's a disciplinary thing.
At halftime I asked another cadet what he did to get in trouble.
"I missed a class sir," he replied.
He chuckled when I asked if missing two classes meant having to stay for the women's game.
Actually, those misbehaved cadets did stay for the women's game. Matter of fact, they seem more fired up for that one than the men's game. From Army's first basket they are jumping around, acting excited, making noise. Maybe it's the byproduct of the Army men's 64-59 win over Lehigh in the first game of the men's-women's double-dip.
After all, despite their polite demeanor when they first filed in, by the end of the game they had been whipped into a frenzy by the Black Knights' first Patriot League win over a team not named Navy since 2004. It was Army's first league win at home in over two seasons and snapped an 11-game league losing streak.
Maybe all that enthusiasm for the women's game was the product of the way the Black Knights managed to hang tough down the stretch, making enough big defensive plays to overcome missing 6 of 14 free throws in the final 2:20. Actually, the excitement that was lacking most of the game -- even though Army took the lead for good with 8:42 to go in the first half -- really started to build when Mashall Jackson and Jarrell Brown hit back to back three-pointers after Lehigh cut the Army lead to 48-45 late in the game.
"Marshall made some big plays. Jarrell did. We had a whole slew of guys make big plays," said Army coach Jim Crews.
That is the difference between this Army team, which improved to 11-7 overall, 2-1 in the league, and the Army teams in Crews' first four seasons that never won more than six games.
"The previous years, we didn't have an all around team," said Brown, who led all scorers with 18 points. "We weren't balanced."
The arrival of 6-8 freshman center Chris Walker was a big part of that. Walker, who starts and shares time with 6-7 sophomore Doug Williams, gives Army a presence in the post that 6-11 senior Jimmy Sewell never managed to provide in three seasons of declining playing time.
Walker only scored 2 points and missed some bunnies he'd love to have back. But after being in foul trouble in Army's first two league games -- an overtime loss at Colgate and a loss at Holy Cross -- Walker managed to stay on the floor against Lehigh, picking up just one foul. Walker spent most of his 25 minutes setting screen after bone-jarring screen, helping free Army's perimeter folks, who took advantage by knocking down 9 of 16 three-pointers. Walker also helped set the tone on the offensive glass, pulling down three of Army's 15 offensive rebounds.
"That was the number one thing on my list -- play fundamental defense and don't do anything stupid," Walker said.
Those offensive boards were huge since the Black Knights needed every shot they could get. Army only shot 17 for 55 (30.9 percent) from the field. But between the offensive rebounding and 22 Lehigh turnovers -- including 17 steals, the most by an Army team in at least two seasons -- Army had enough extra possessions to overcome that cold shooting. It didn't hurt that Army hit nine treys (on 16 tries). The 32 trips to the foul line (21 made) didn't hurt either.
Army's balance extended beyond Walker's presence in the paint. Everybody knows brown and Matt Bell (11 points) are going to score for the Black Knights. Lehigh probably did not expect the offense generated by seniors Jackson and Cory Sinning. Sinning, who has averaged less than 5 points per game over the course of his career and less than 3 per game this season, had three of Army's nine treys, finishing with a season-high 11 points.
Sinning has shown the ability to score before. Twice in his career he has posted 20 point games. Jackson's four three-pointers and 14-points -- both career highs -- came out of the blue. Jackson not only has barely been a 30 percent shooter for his career, but he'd only taken two three-pointers all season.
Toss in a team defensive effort that held Jose Olivero to a 2 for 6, 7-point afternoon and you have the makings of the Mountain Hawks first loss in league play and their first on-court loss to Army since 2002. Marquis Hall had an impressive -- 8 for 9, career-best 21-points -- showing to keep Lehigh in the game and Phil Anderson added a career-high 14, including a pair of step-out threes. But the crowd, swelled to 1,295 -- more than double Army's average -- by the punishment detail still went home happy.
Army stays home for its next two, hosting American Wednesday and archrival Navy next Sunday. It seems strange to type this -- but the matchups with American look pretty good for the Black Knights, especially if Walker can stay out of foul trouble. Win that one and put on a decent show for what should be a big crowd of cadets for the Navy game, and who knows what might happen.
West Point is starved for a winner. The PL women's hoops title last season was the biggest thing to happen to the old fortress above the Hudson since the football team went to the Poulan Weedeater Bowl in 1996. Aside from the women beating Holy Cross in that league championship game, the last time Army won anything of significance in a major sport was the 1985 Peach Bowl.
A winning hoops team might just start drawing decent crowds. There is not much else for the students to do and global warming has helped keep the mountain trails that lead to West Point passable. They used to say Army would win in hoops when hell freezes over. Maybe what they really meant was when Bear Mountain thaws.
Is Army ready to challenge for the league title? Let's not get carried away. One step at a time, as the saying goes. Lehigh has had trouble on the road all season and the Mountain Hawks played without senior center Jason Mgebroff, who would have been an entirely different matchup for Walker than Anderson of any of the two others (John Gourlay and Zahir Carrington) Billy Taylor played in the post.
Still for a team that has gone through the amount of losing Army has the past four seasons, knocking off Lehigh was a pretty big step.
| Postgame audio (with Jim Crews, Jarell Brown, Marshall Jackson, Chris Walker and Lehigh guard Jose Olivero) |
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By CHRIS A. COUROGEN
There are reasons why Army plays its home games in front of crowds that average under 600 per game.
Put West Point into the destination field on Mapquest and unless your starting point is Highland Falls, N.Y., the directions that pop up say "Can't get there from here."
It's a beautiful place, filled with impressive old granite buildings, perched on a cliff above the Hudson River valley. But getting there from the outside world requires a perilous trek over Bear Mountain. Thank God we're having a mild winter. The first hint of snow -- even flurries -- would be enough to make any rational person turn back.
Army beat writer Ken MicMillan of the Times Herald-Record says Army needs to do a better job marketing the team.
A good first step would be finding an arena reachable without the aid of sherpas and playing home games there. A stop-gap measure might be at least placing a sign or two on campus with an arrow pointing towards Christl Arena.
Christl itself is a nice enough building. Although it shares a lot of the raw, industrial warehouse traits of Lehigh's Stabler Arena, the steeper slope of the empty seats makes it seem more intimate; the bright yellow paint on the huge ventilation tubes in the ceiling make it seem brighter.
The cement block and concrete design of the place gives it the acoustical ambience of a construction site. It is not the place you want to see a concert, but if they could fill the place even halfway full, it would be a loud, intimidating place for opposing teams to vist.
But they don't fill it half full. Matter of fact, the Black Knights don't even draw half that. The place holds over 5,000. Army's average crowd is a little over 500.
Of course prior to this season, there hasn't exactly been a lot to give fans a reason to make the trip. Just look at the banners, or lack thereof, hanging in Christl. There are five, total -- just one for a championship, and that is for last year's women's team. The two on the men's end of the floor tout ECAC regional appearances in the 1970s and NIT invites, only two of which came more recent than the Summer of Love, none since 1978.
The crowd for Saturday's Lehigh game was a little bigger than usual. It wasn't at the tip, but about seven minutes in a bunch of cadets filed in , filling most of the small bleachers behind each basket. A cadet with a clipboard under his arm and a lot of stripes on that arm explained they were late because they had to go through inspection. The ones who are here are on "hours," he explained. It's a disciplinary thing.
At halftime I asked another cadet what he did to get in trouble.
"I missed a class sir," he replied.
He chuckled when I asked if missing two classes meant having to stay for the women's game.
Actually, those misbehaved cadets did stay for the women's game. Matter of fact, they seem more fired up for that one than the men's game. From Army's first basket they are jumping around, acting excited, making noise. Maybe it's the byproduct of the Army men's 64-59 win over Lehigh in the first game of the men's-women's double-dip.
After all, despite their polite demeanor when they first filed in, by the end of the game they had been whipped into a frenzy by the Black Knights' first Patriot League win over a team not named Navy since 2004. It was Army's first league win at home in over two seasons and snapped an 11-game league losing streak.
Maybe all that enthusiasm for the women's game was the product of the way the Black Knights managed to hang tough down the stretch, making enough big defensive plays to overcome missing 6 of 14 free throws in the final 2:20. Actually, the excitement that was lacking most of the game -- even though Army took the lead for good with 8:42 to go in the first half -- really started to build when Mashall Jackson and Jarrell Brown hit back to back three-pointers after Lehigh cut the Army lead to 48-45 late in the game.
"Marshall made some big plays. Jarrell did. We had a whole slew of guys make big plays," said Army coach Jim Crews.
That is the difference between this Army team, which improved to 11-7 overall, 2-1 in the league, and the Army teams in Crews' first four seasons that never won more than six games.
"The previous years, we didn't have an all around team," said Brown, who led all scorers with 18 points. "We weren't balanced."
The arrival of 6-8 freshman center Chris Walker was a big part of that. Walker, who starts and shares time with 6-7 sophomore Doug Williams, gives Army a presence in the post that 6-11 senior Jimmy Sewell never managed to provide in three seasons of declining playing time.
Walker only scored 2 points and missed some bunnies he'd love to have back. But after being in foul trouble in Army's first two league games -- an overtime loss at Colgate and a loss at Holy Cross -- Walker managed to stay on the floor against Lehigh, picking up just one foul. Walker spent most of his 25 minutes setting screen after bone-jarring screen, helping free Army's perimeter folks, who took advantage by knocking down 9 of 16 three-pointers. Walker also helped set the tone on the offensive glass, pulling down three of Army's 15 offensive rebounds.
"That was the number one thing on my list -- play fundamental defense and don't do anything stupid," Walker said.
Those offensive boards were huge since the Black Knights needed every shot they could get. Army only shot 17 for 55 (30.9 percent) from the field. But between the offensive rebounding and 22 Lehigh turnovers -- including 17 steals, the most by an Army team in at least two seasons -- Army had enough extra possessions to overcome that cold shooting. It didn't hurt that Army hit nine treys (on 16 tries). The 32 trips to the foul line (21 made) didn't hurt either.
Army's balance extended beyond Walker's presence in the paint. Everybody knows brown and Matt Bell (11 points) are going to score for the Black Knights. Lehigh probably did not expect the offense generated by seniors Jackson and Cory Sinning. Sinning, who has averaged less than 5 points per game over the course of his career and less than 3 per game this season, had three of Army's nine treys, finishing with a season-high 11 points.
Sinning has shown the ability to score before. Twice in his career he has posted 20 point games. Jackson's four three-pointers and 14-points -- both career highs -- came out of the blue. Jackson not only has barely been a 30 percent shooter for his career, but he'd only taken two three-pointers all season.
Toss in a team defensive effort that held Jose Olivero to a 2 for 6, 7-point afternoon and you have the makings of the Mountain Hawks first loss in league play and their first on-court loss to Army since 2002. Marquis Hall had an impressive -- 8 for 9, career-best 21-points -- showing to keep Lehigh in the game and Phil Anderson added a career-high 14, including a pair of step-out threes. But the crowd, swelled to 1,295 -- more than double Army's average -- by the punishment detail still went home happy.
Army stays home for its next two, hosting American Wednesday and archrival Navy next Sunday. It seems strange to type this -- but the matchups with American look pretty good for the Black Knights, especially if Walker can stay out of foul trouble. Win that one and put on a decent show for what should be a big crowd of cadets for the Navy game, and who knows what might happen.
West Point is starved for a winner. The PL women's hoops title last season was the biggest thing to happen to the old fortress above the Hudson since the football team went to the Poulan Weedeater Bowl in 1996. Aside from the women beating Holy Cross in that league championship game, the last time Army won anything of significance in a major sport was the 1985 Peach Bowl.
A winning hoops team might just start drawing decent crowds. There is not much else for the students to do and global warming has helped keep the mountain trails that lead to West Point passable. They used to say Army would win in hoops when hell freezes over. Maybe what they really meant was when Bear Mountain thaws.
Is Army ready to challenge for the league title? Let's not get carried away. One step at a time, as the saying goes. Lehigh has had trouble on the road all season and the Mountain Hawks played without senior center Jason Mgebroff, who would have been an entirely different matchup for Walker than Anderson of any of the two others (John Gourlay and Zahir Carrington) Billy Taylor played in the post.
Still for a team that has gone through the amount of losing Army has the past four seasons, knocking off Lehigh was a pretty big step.
| Postgame audio (with Jim Crews, Jarell Brown, Marshall Jackson, Chris Walker and Lehigh guard Jose Olivero) |
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Saturday, January 13, 2007
Three games on tap today. We'll be at West Point, getting our first look at Army when it hosts Lehigh (). The Black Knights' strong start has come nearly to a halt with five losses in the Black Knights' last six games, including an 0-2 start -- both on the road -- in league play.
Army (10-7) badly needs a win at home in Christl to regain some of the momentum of its 9-2 start. Lehigh (7-11) finally won a road game -- its first of the season -- at Navy Wednesday. The Mountain Hawks win here and suddenly their horrid start is an object looking smaller in the rear view mirror.
Army's Jarrell Brown and Lehigh's Jose Olivero are two of the league's top offensive forces, but the key to this one will probably be in the paint, where Army's burly freshman Chris Walker will match up with a Lehigh frontline that is still without Jason Mgebroff. Skinny Phil Anderson has played well enough to keep the Hawks from getting dominated inside in Mgebroff's absence. Here he could have a chance to do even more if Walker can't stay out of the foul trouble that has plagued him in recent games.
Also on tap today: Lafayette looks to improve to 2-1 in conference play at Navy (), which is still looking for its first league win. Whoever hits the most jumpers wins.
American, reeling after two straight losses to open league play and six setbacks in its last seven, tries to get back on track when it hosts Colgate's gang that can't shoot straight (). Colgate has lost four of its last five and has shot over 40 percent once in its last eight games.
BONUS LINK:
(Newsday)
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Army (10-7) badly needs a win at home in Christl to regain some of the momentum of its 9-2 start. Lehigh (7-11) finally won a road game -- its first of the season -- at Navy Wednesday. The Mountain Hawks win here and suddenly their horrid start is an object looking smaller in the rear view mirror.
Army's Jarrell Brown and Lehigh's Jose Olivero are two of the league's top offensive forces, but the key to this one will probably be in the paint, where Army's burly freshman Chris Walker will match up with a Lehigh frontline that is still without Jason Mgebroff. Skinny Phil Anderson has played well enough to keep the Hawks from getting dominated inside in Mgebroff's absence. Here he could have a chance to do even more if Walker can't stay out of the foul trouble that has plagued him in recent games.
Also on tap today: Lafayette looks to improve to 2-1 in conference play at Navy (), which is still looking for its first league win. Whoever hits the most jumpers wins.
American, reeling after two straight losses to open league play and six setbacks in its last seven, tries to get back on track when it hosts Colgate's gang that can't shoot straight (). Colgate has lost four of its last five and has shot over 40 percent once in its last eight games.
BONUS LINK:
Labels: Army, AU, CU, Laf, Leh, Navy, previews
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Wednesday, January 10, 2007
Army had no match for the Holy Cross star last night
Keith Simmons scored 18 points, grabbed 7 rebounds, made 4 steals and dished off three assists to lead holy Cross to a 66-42 win over visiting Army.
Torey Thomas added 16 points and Tim Clifford was also in double figures with 10. But it was the Crusaders defense, as usual, that was the key to the win.
Army didn't shoot the ball poorly, hitting 45.5 percent (15 of 33) from the field. But between 23 Army turnovers and a 27-17 Holy Cross advantage on the boards, the Black Knights took 13 less shots than Holy Cross, which hit 22 (47.8 percent).
Holy Cross had 11 offensive rebounds, leading to a 12-2 edge in second chance points.
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Keith Simmons scored 18 points, grabbed 7 rebounds, made 4 steals and dished off three assists to lead holy Cross to a 66-42 win over visiting Army.
Torey Thomas added 16 points and Tim Clifford was also in double figures with 10. But it was the Crusaders defense, as usual, that was the key to the win.
Army didn't shoot the ball poorly, hitting 45.5 percent (15 of 33) from the field. But between 23 Army turnovers and a 27-17 Holy Cross advantage on the boards, the Black Knights took 13 less shots than Holy Cross, which hit 22 (47.8 percent).
Holy Cross had 11 offensive rebounds, leading to a 12-2 edge in second chance points.
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Tuesday, January 09, 2007
You could probably count the number of Tuesday night conference games in league history on one hand. Maybe, two. Maybe even a few more. We're not going to try digging through records to tell an exact number, but we know there have not been many.
Since its inception as a basketball conference in 1990, the Patriot League has been primarily a Wednesday-Saturday league. Sure there was that brief flirtation with the Ivy-like Friday-Sunday itinerary, but Tuesdays have seldom been a night for league games.
That changes a little this season, thanks to the league's new Friday night WWLISU telecasts. To give the teams in those TV matchups two days of preparation, what would have been Wednesday night games involving those teams have been moved up a day.
Since Bucknell is at Holy Cross in this week's highly anticipated debut of the ESPNU league game of the week, that means the Bison and Crusaders each play tonight.
Both are at home, Bucknell hosting American () and Holy Cross entertaining Army ().
It would be crazy to call the second league game of the season a must-win, but for all four teams, in a way it is. Conventional wisdom has it teams hoping to wina conference crown must hold serve at home. For BU and HC, the implication is obvious.
Veteran-laden American has title hopes, too. It also already has one loss after laying a sub-30 percent shooting egg at Lehigh. Even though the Eagles first two games are on the road, an 0-2 start is hardly the path to a championship.
Army is also on the road for the second straight game, and also looking for a first league win. While nobody expects the Black Knights to be a title contender, a lot of folks, especially in West Point, have hopes of moving up from its customary spot at the bottom of the league. An 0-2 start in the conference (along with 5 losses in 6 games) might result in significant damage to the confidence Army built with its 9-2 start.
(Daily Item)
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Since its inception as a basketball conference in 1990, the Patriot League has been primarily a Wednesday-Saturday league. Sure there was that brief flirtation with the Ivy-like Friday-Sunday itinerary, but Tuesdays have seldom been a night for league games.
That changes a little this season, thanks to the league's new Friday night WWLISU telecasts. To give the teams in those TV matchups two days of preparation, what would have been Wednesday night games involving those teams have been moved up a day.
Since Bucknell is at Holy Cross in this week's highly anticipated debut of the ESPNU league game of the week, that means the Bison and Crusaders each play tonight.
Both are at home, Bucknell hosting American () and Holy Cross entertaining Army ().
It would be crazy to call the second league game of the season a must-win, but for all four teams, in a way it is. Conventional wisdom has it teams hoping to wina conference crown must hold serve at home. For BU and HC, the implication is obvious.
Veteran-laden American has title hopes, too. It also already has one loss after laying a sub-30 percent shooting egg at Lehigh. Even though the Eagles first two games are on the road, an 0-2 start is hardly the path to a championship.
Army is also on the road for the second straight game, and also looking for a first league win. While nobody expects the Black Knights to be a title contender, a lot of folks, especially in West Point, have hopes of moving up from its customary spot at the bottom of the league. An 0-2 start in the conference (along with 5 losses in 6 games) might result in significant damage to the confidence Army built with its 9-2 start.
Labels: Army, AU, BU, HC, previews
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Monday, January 08, 2007
The Patriot League is not represented in this week's polls. In the , Holy Cross, Bucknell and Army are listed in the others receiving votes category. Hc has 18 votes, one more than Bucknell. Army received 5 votes this week.
No votes for any Patriot teams in either of the .
BONUS LINK: Be sure to read Ralph Willard's account of Holy Cross' trip to Lafayette on . Never a dull moment.
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No votes for any Patriot teams in either of the .
BONUS LINK: Be sure to read Ralph Willard's account of Holy Cross' trip to Lafayette on . Never a dull moment.
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Sunday, January 07, 2007
The Chones brothers carried the Raiders in the league opener for both teams.
Colgate snapped its three-game win streak and its streak of six straight games shooting under 40 percent from the field in a game allegedly played in front of a season-high crowd of 625 fans in Hamilton. But the win probably tells us more about Army than it does about Colgate.
The Black Knights came in at 10-5 against an admittedly weak schedule. Had they been able to shoot better at the foul line, they would have left Hamilton 11-6. But Army, which actually outscored Colgate from the field, was just 13 of 21 at the line, while Colgate hit 18 of 22. Among the Army misses were a pair from freshman Chris Walker at the end of overtime that would have forced a second extra session.
While the loss confirms Army is not yet ready to contend in the league, the nature of it also seems to confirm suspicions about Colgate. Walker is Army's only legitimate post presence and he played only 15 minutes due to foul trouble, and the Raiders still needed OT and missed Army free throws to win at home.
After trailing by as many as 11 in the first half, Army battled back to take a 63-62 lead on a three from Jarrell Brown, who finished with 30 points, including 8 three-pointers, both career highs.
The Black Knights got a turnover on the next Colgate possession, but squandered the chance to solidify the lead when Marcus Nelson (3 for 9) missed a jumper with the shot clock about to expire.
Army got another stop on Colgate's next possession, but not the rebound, Actually, they got two stops, and failed to get two rebounds. Alex Woodhouse got the second offensive rebound of the possession for Colgate, was fouled and made both to put Colgate back up.
Matt Bell (18 points) put Army back up one with a layup at the other end. But Woodhouse was fouled again, and made one of two to tie it.
Both teams missed potential game-winners in the last 31 seconds of OT.
Colgate opened the overtimes with a 7-0 run, then yielded a 6-0 Army run. Jon Simon made one of two at the line to give the Raiders a 2 point lead with 17 seconds left in OT.
Army went for the win, with Corban Bates putting up a three with 3 seconds left. Bates missed, but Walker got the rebound and was fouled by Kendall Chones with 1 second left, but could not extend the game further.
Kyle Chones led Colgate with 16 points. Kendall Chones added 15 and grabbed 8 rebounds. Woodhouse, making his first start of the season, added 12 and Daniel Waddy had 10.
Colgate managed to end its sub-40-percent streak thanks to a 13 for 26 effort in the first half. In the second half the Raiders reverted to form, going 9 of 25 from the field (36 percent), 1 of 5 from the arc. The Raiders finished 25 of 57 (43.9 percent) with 5 treys on 15 tries.
Army shot 25 of 51 (49 percent), 8 of 18 from three-point range.
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Colgate snapped its three-game win streak and its streak of six straight games shooting under 40 percent from the field in a game allegedly played in front of a season-high crowd of 625 fans in Hamilton. But the win probably tells us more about Army than it does about Colgate.
The Black Knights came in at 10-5 against an admittedly weak schedule. Had they been able to shoot better at the foul line, they would have left Hamilton 11-6. But Army, which actually outscored Colgate from the field, was just 13 of 21 at the line, while Colgate hit 18 of 22. Among the Army misses were a pair from freshman Chris Walker at the end of overtime that would have forced a second extra session.
While the loss confirms Army is not yet ready to contend in the league, the nature of it also seems to confirm suspicions about Colgate. Walker is Army's only legitimate post presence and he played only 15 minutes due to foul trouble, and the Raiders still needed OT and missed Army free throws to win at home.
After trailing by as many as 11 in the first half, Army battled back to take a 63-62 lead on a three from Jarrell Brown, who finished with 30 points, including 8 three-pointers, both career highs.
The Black Knights got a turnover on the next Colgate possession, but squandered the chance to solidify the lead when Marcus Nelson (3 for 9) missed a jumper with the shot clock about to expire.
Army got another stop on Colgate's next possession, but not the rebound, Actually, they got two stops, and failed to get two rebounds. Alex Woodhouse got the second offensive rebound of the possession for Colgate, was fouled and made both to put Colgate back up.
Matt Bell (18 points) put Army back up one with a layup at the other end. But Woodhouse was fouled again, and made one of two to tie it.
Both teams missed potential game-winners in the last 31 seconds of OT.
Colgate opened the overtimes with a 7-0 run, then yielded a 6-0 Army run. Jon Simon made one of two at the line to give the Raiders a 2 point lead with 17 seconds left in OT.
Army went for the win, with Corban Bates putting up a three with 3 seconds left. Bates missed, but Walker got the rebound and was fouled by Kendall Chones with 1 second left, but could not extend the game further.
Kyle Chones led Colgate with 16 points. Kendall Chones added 15 and grabbed 8 rebounds. Woodhouse, making his first start of the season, added 12 and Daniel Waddy had 10.
Colgate managed to end its sub-40-percent streak thanks to a 13 for 26 effort in the first half. In the second half the Raiders reverted to form, going 9 of 25 from the field (36 percent), 1 of 5 from the arc. The Raiders finished 25 of 57 (43.9 percent) with 5 treys on 15 tries.
Army shot 25 of 51 (49 percent), 8 of 18 from three-point range.
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Saturday, January 06, 2007
After two months of getting ready, the only games that will really count are about to begin.
Forget that preseason talk about this being the Patriot League's year for two bids. Those possibilities dimmed when Bucknell lost its opener at Albany and any flickers of hope were extinguished by Holy Cross' agonizing shorthanded road trip through Syracuse, Dayton and Duke.
There is not a team in the league with a prayer of an at large bid, so the league championship will be, as it always has been, for all the marbles.
With this year's funky Division Three style all games on home courts tournament, that makes the regular season even more important. Just look at Lehigh to understand the significance. The Mountain Hawks can't win a road game, but are withing 0.4 seconds and one point of being unbeatable at home. Think anybody wants to visit Stabler in March with their season on the line?
With the kind of parity there seems to be in the league this year, a team that defends its own house and goes .500 on the road ought to stand a pretty fair chance of hosting at least one tournament game. It might not take a lot more than that and some tiebreaker magic to give a team the home court throughout the tournament.
Even though late in the season folks tend to forget what happened in January, the games played today will have just as much bearing on tournament seeding as the games played on the final weekend of the regular season.
Today's games will also start to establish the league's pecking order. If American wants to be a contender, it is going to have to be able to win games like it faces tonight, on the road against a shorthanded but still tough Lehigh team. If Navy wants to prove its nice start is for real, there is no better place to do it than on two-time defending champ Bucknell's floor. Army can prove it is ready to escape the league cellar with a win at Colgate.
We'll start the season in Easton, with a Holy Cross-Lafayette women's-men's double dip. A full gameblog for the men's game won't be possible due to deadline constraints for the Worcester T&G, but we will try to post some halftime notes, with the full game story and postgame audio following the men's game.
Might even pop in over at Stabler on the way back from Easton to catch some of that American at Lehigh game, listening to Navy at Bucknell on Sirius 147.
Here is a quick look at today's league openers:
Army at Colgate, 1 p.m.: () Most places a hostile home crowd is the reason behind the home court advantage. In Hamilton, it seems the opposite. Opposing teams seem to struggle to get into the game when playing in a glorified high school gym in front of an audience (dare you call it a crowd?) so small you can count the noses during a timeout. That should be no problem for Army, which is used to small crowds.
This is Army's chance to make a "No basement for us" kind of statement. It's Colgate's chance for a fresh start after a horrid non-conference run. These two met in West Point to open league play last season, with Colgate a 71-58 winner. We'll see how far Army has come since then.
Holy Cross at Lafayette, 4 p.m.: () Shorthanded Holy Cross might be even shorter-handed for this one. Junior off guard Kyle Cruze suffered a scratched cornea in Wednesday's win at Boston U. With a short rotation due to a rash of injuries, Ralph Willard has been employing a lot of 2-3 zone of late. It will be interesting to see if Lafayette, which has a host of perimeter snipers, can shoot the Crusaders out of that zone D.
Expect Holy Cross to look inside to Tim Clifford early and often in this one. Lafayette has no match for the 6-10 junior. If Clifford plays well, it will open a lot up for Keith Simmons and Torey Thomas. But Clifford has been spotty all season and an off night could mean a much-tougher-than-anticipated battle for HC, especially if Lafayette starts knocking down the threes.
Navy at Bucknell, 7 p.m.: () This is the Mids chance to show its 10-5 start is for real. Navy's record certainly looks better than Bucknell's 6-7 start, but two of the wins came against Division Three schools and only two came against teams with RPIs in the top 200 (Stony Brook -- 181, William and Mary -- 192). Navy has show it can win outside of Alumni Hall, going 3-3 on the road in non-conference play. But this won't be a trip to NJIT or Longwood. Bucknell is riding a 21-game league win streak and has not lost a league game at home since March of 2003, winning 26 in a row at home against league foes. Navy has never won in Sojka Pavilion and has not won in Lewisburg since February of 2001. But this is not the same Bucknell team that set those standards. this game will tell us a lot about both teams. Is Navy legit? Are the Bison at home still the gold standard in the league despite their sub .500 non-conference record?
The matchups on the perimeter might be a slight edge to Navy if their jump shots are falling. But 6-10 freshman Trey Stanton will have his hands full against Bucknell senior Chris McNaughton and the Mids don't have any real match for Donald Brown. All in all, an interesting opener for both.
American at Lehigh, 7:30 p.m.: () Lehigh has been near perfect at home (5-1, the loss coming by 1 point). But without Jason Mgebroff, the Mountain Hawks could be over-matched by American's bigs inside. Lehigh will need a big game from Jose Olivero, who is due after two straight 7-point showings. Prior to those two off nights, Olivero had 20 straight double figures games. While AU seems to have the personnel edge, it still has not proven it is mentally tough enough to go into a hostile place and grind out a win, which is what it takes to win on the road in conference play. AU ended a four-game skid with a win Tuesday at home over Saint Francis (Pa.). They will need to play even better to extend their modest win streak to two.
BONUS LINKS: (Times Herald-Record)
(Annapolis Capital)
(Kyle on ESPN.com)
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Forget that preseason talk about this being the Patriot League's year for two bids. Those possibilities dimmed when Bucknell lost its opener at Albany and any flickers of hope were extinguished by Holy Cross' agonizing shorthanded road trip through Syracuse, Dayton and Duke.
There is not a team in the league with a prayer of an at large bid, so the league championship will be, as it always has been, for all the marbles.
With this year's funky Division Three style all games on home courts tournament, that makes the regular season even more important. Just look at Lehigh to understand the significance. The Mountain Hawks can't win a road game, but are withing 0.4 seconds and one point of being unbeatable at home. Think anybody wants to visit Stabler in March with their season on the line?
With the kind of parity there seems to be in the league this year, a team that defends its own house and goes .500 on the road ought to stand a pretty fair chance of hosting at least one tournament game. It might not take a lot more than that and some tiebreaker magic to give a team the home court throughout the tournament.
Even though late in the season folks tend to forget what happened in January, the games played today will have just as much bearing on tournament seeding as the games played on the final weekend of the regular season.
Today's games will also start to establish the league's pecking order. If American wants to be a contender, it is going to have to be able to win games like it faces tonight, on the road against a shorthanded but still tough Lehigh team. If Navy wants to prove its nice start is for real, there is no better place to do it than on two-time defending champ Bucknell's floor. Army can prove it is ready to escape the league cellar with a win at Colgate.
We'll start the season in Easton, with a Holy Cross-Lafayette women's-men's double dip. A full gameblog for the men's game won't be possible due to deadline constraints for the Worcester T&G, but we will try to post some halftime notes, with the full game story and postgame audio following the men's game.
Might even pop in over at Stabler on the way back from Easton to catch some of that American at Lehigh game, listening to Navy at Bucknell on Sirius 147.
Here is a quick look at today's league openers:
Army at Colgate, 1 p.m.: () Most places a hostile home crowd is the reason behind the home court advantage. In Hamilton, it seems the opposite. Opposing teams seem to struggle to get into the game when playing in a glorified high school gym in front of an audience (dare you call it a crowd?) so small you can count the noses during a timeout. That should be no problem for Army, which is used to small crowds.
This is Army's chance to make a "No basement for us" kind of statement. It's Colgate's chance for a fresh start after a horrid non-conference run. These two met in West Point to open league play last season, with Colgate a 71-58 winner. We'll see how far Army has come since then.
Holy Cross at Lafayette, 4 p.m.: () Shorthanded Holy Cross might be even shorter-handed for this one. Junior off guard Kyle Cruze suffered a scratched cornea in Wednesday's win at Boston U. With a short rotation due to a rash of injuries, Ralph Willard has been employing a lot of 2-3 zone of late. It will be interesting to see if Lafayette, which has a host of perimeter snipers, can shoot the Crusaders out of that zone D.
Expect Holy Cross to look inside to Tim Clifford early and often in this one. Lafayette has no match for the 6-10 junior. If Clifford plays well, it will open a lot up for Keith Simmons and Torey Thomas. But Clifford has been spotty all season and an off night could mean a much-tougher-than-anticipated battle for HC, especially if Lafayette starts knocking down the threes.
Navy at Bucknell, 7 p.m.: () This is the Mids chance to show its 10-5 start is for real. Navy's record certainly looks better than Bucknell's 6-7 start, but two of the wins came against Division Three schools and only two came against teams with RPIs in the top 200 (Stony Brook -- 181, William and Mary -- 192). Navy has show it can win outside of Alumni Hall, going 3-3 on the road in non-conference play. But this won't be a trip to NJIT or Longwood. Bucknell is riding a 21-game league win streak and has not lost a league game at home since March of 2003, winning 26 in a row at home against league foes. Navy has never won in Sojka Pavilion and has not won in Lewisburg since February of 2001. But this is not the same Bucknell team that set those standards. this game will tell us a lot about both teams. Is Navy legit? Are the Bison at home still the gold standard in the league despite their sub .500 non-conference record?
The matchups on the perimeter might be a slight edge to Navy if their jump shots are falling. But 6-10 freshman Trey Stanton will have his hands full against Bucknell senior Chris McNaughton and the Mids don't have any real match for Donald Brown. All in all, an interesting opener for both.
American at Lehigh, 7:30 p.m.: () Lehigh has been near perfect at home (5-1, the loss coming by 1 point). But without Jason Mgebroff, the Mountain Hawks could be over-matched by American's bigs inside. Lehigh will need a big game from Jose Olivero, who is due after two straight 7-point showings. Prior to those two off nights, Olivero had 20 straight double figures games. While AU seems to have the personnel edge, it still has not proven it is mentally tough enough to go into a hostile place and grind out a win, which is what it takes to win on the road in conference play. AU ended a four-game skid with a win Tuesday at home over Saint Francis (Pa.). They will need to play even better to extend their modest win streak to two.
BONUS LINKS:
Labels: Army, AU, BU, CU, HC, Laf, Leh, Navy, previews
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Friday, January 05, 2007
You kept hearing it throughout the preseason: The Patriot League is better top to bottom this year. This week's HOOP TIME NOTEBOOK asks the simple question: is it really?
Sure seemed that way at the beginning of December when league teams were 29-25 against non-conference Division I foes, with a conference RPI of 14.
But over the last two weeks, league teams have gone 10-20, dropping their RPI as a conference to 19, one spot behind the Ivy League, which won the season series between the two leagues again this year. The PL actually held a 7-3 lead in the series heading into December before the Ivies won 9 of the last 10.
Granted the conference RPI for the Patriot League has improved in each of the past four seasons, from 26 in 2003 to 23 in 2004 to 21 last season to 19 this. But the league's measuring stick has long been the Ivy League and the Ancient 8 has a conference RPI of 18, not surprising since the Ivies did so well head-to-head against the Patriots.
On that basis it is hard to say the league is much better. On the other hand, if you look strictly at RPI, the bottom of the league does appear to be significantly stronger. Nobody is ranked below 300 in the RPI and only teams are above 251. Last season four teams finished above 250.
The top of the Patriot League, though, is off. Bucknell was No. 42 last season. This season only one PL team, Holy Cross (97) has an RPI better than 100. Bucknell has returned to the pack. Holy Cross is good, but banged up and not very deep. There appears to be more parity in the league this season, but it would probably be a stretch to say the league is actually better top to bottom. Thus far it seems more like the top and the bottom are meeting in the middle.
THE LEAGUE AT A GLANCE: Here is a team-by-team breakdown of the season to date for league teams.
AMERICAN (8-6, RPI 211)
Best win: 81-74 over 6-6 Loyola (RPI 222) -- AU's only win over a team with an RPI better than 260
Worst loss: 81-79 (OT) at 6-11 (4-11 vs. D-I) Longwood (266) less than a month after beating the Lancers by 11 at home
Biggest surprise: Yet to come; we predict Georgetown transfer Cornelio Guibunda's raw athloetic talent will allow him some impressive performances off the bench in league play
Biggest disappointment: Big things have been expected from 6-11 senior center Paulius Joneliunas since he transferred from South Carolina prior to his junior season but thus far he has not delivered on those expectations.
ARMY (10-5, 8-5 vs. D-I, RPI 211)
Best win: 62-53 over 7-6 Hartford (175)
Worst loss: Home vs. 5-7 Cornell (213)
Biggest surprise: Army's record and RPI. This is the first time since the 2002 season the Black Knights RPI is out of the 300+ range
Biggest disappointment: Senior center Jimmy Sewell who has gone from being a starter as a sophomore to a 6-11 pine jockey with 5 DNPs thus far this season. For a team with only two freshmen taller than 6-7 on the roster, Sewell's failure to develop has been a big (no pun intended) negative.
BUCKNELL (6-7, RPI 134)
Best win: 68-67 at 10-4 Xavier (47) ... it's also the league's best win
Worst loss: 50-48 to a Central Arkansas team with one other D-I win and an RPI (298) out of the 300s only because of beating Bucknell ... it's the league's worst loss
Biggest surprise: The emergence of sophomore guard Justin Castleberry as a key part of Pat Flannery's rotation
Biggest disappointment: Take your pick: Chris McNaughton's sub-50 percent shooting and sub-double figures scoring; The students (and townies) who failed to show up for the Northern Iowa game at Sojka; Donald Brown's inability to adjust to playing the three, which has hurt the Bison on defense by taking a tough defender (Darren Mastropaolo) out of the starting lineup. Brown has been Bucknell's best player since moving to the four, but without him matching up on opponent three-men and sans Mastropaolo, the Bison are not as strong defensively; the late-game collapse against Albany in the season opener; or (our pick) the loss to Central Arkansas.
COLGATE (5-8, 4-8 D-I, RPI 282)
Best win: The Raiders really have no good wins. As close as they get is a 53-47 win over a Leon Pattman-less Dartmouth team that looks better than it was at the time due to Dartmouth's improvement since getting Pattman back in the lineup
Worst loss: 52-36 at 6-7 (5-7 vs. D-I) Arizona State (278)
Biggest surprise: The inability of a team full of alleged shooters to shoot the ball. Colgate has been under 40 percent from the field each of its last six games and on the season is shooting 40.4 percent against D-I teams
Biggest disappointment: That 4-8 record against D-I teams. Colgate is either doing less with more than anybody in the league, or its talent level has been tremendously overrated
HOLY CROSS (9-6, RPI 97)
Best win: 65-57 over 7-5 Siena (78)
Worst loss: 67-61 to 7-7 Niagara, a team with a misleading 244 RPi due to the absence of star Carron Fisher early in the season. Niagara is 6-1 since his return. The disappointment is not losing to Niagara as much as it is the way it happened -- blowing an 11-point, second-half lead
Biggest surprise: Kyle Cruze's emergence as a starter on the wing after the injuries to Pat Doherty and Lawrence Dixon
Biggest disappointment: Those injuries, along with a season-ending injury to freshman Andrew Keister
LAFAYETTE (6-9, 4-9 D-I, RPI 251)
Best win: 76-70 at 4-8 (3-8 D-I) Wagner (283)
Worst loss: 86-51 at 5-9 UMBC (204)
Biggest surprise: 6-4 junior Matt Betley's emergence as the team's top scorer after switching to the four, where he way undersized
Biggest disappointment: The stress fracture in Jamaal Hilliard's foot that is expected to cost him at least 2-4 weeks.
LEHIGH (5-11, 3-11 D-I, RPI 288)
Best win: 72-63 over Sacred Heart (6-7, 145)
Worst loss: 71-55 at Quinnipiac (334), a team with one other win over D-I opposition
Biggest surprise: Jason Mgebroff's strong showing before being sidelined with stress fractures. The 6-11 senior, whose sophomore and junior seasons were all but a washout, was averaging 10.8 ppg and 5.8 rpg before he got hurt.
Biggest disappointment: Megebroff's stress fractures, which will force him to miss 6-8 weeks
NAVY (10-5, 8-5 D-I, RPI 159)
Best win: 87-76 over 5-8 Stony Brook (187)
Worst loss: 74-59 at home to Yale (248), which has just one other D-I win
Biggest surprise: The play of 6-10 freshman Trey Stanton, who has started every game and is averaging 8.8 ppg
Biggest disappointment: In the preseason, Navy coach Billy Lange said 6-9 junior center Ben Biles was "going to have to give us some time." Biles has only played in four games, with just four rebounds and a turnover to break up the zeroes after his name on the stat sheet.
PREDICTED ORDER OF FINISH: Not a lot of changes from what we predicted when we wrote the Blue Ribbon previews in the summer, though one team has dropped like a rock:
1) Bucknell -- Bison remain the favorite for the regular season title, but a two- or even three-way tie for the regular season would not be a surprise.
2) Holy Cross -- If healthy, HC would probably have been mentioned ahead of Bucknell. If Pat Doherty and Lawrence Dixon come back and contribute, they might be the favorite come tourney time even if they are the No. 2 seed
3) American -- The Eagles are deep, experienced and posess a lot of offensive weapons. Still need the big men to play big when they face quality big men and the whole team needs to be tougher defensively
4) Army -- Defensive effort was never a problem. Size and offense was. Jarell Brown and Matt Bell give the Black Knights as good a scoring duo in the backcourt as there is in the league. Freshman Chris Walker has given them a presence in the paint.
5) Lehigh -- With Mgebroff healthy, the Mountain Hawks would rank a spot, maybe two, higher. If he regains his early season form when he returns, Lehigh could be the tournament dark horse.
6) Navy -- Billy Lange's team has made great strides but is still missing the inside punch needed to take the pressure off the perimeter shooters.
7) Lafayette -- Another team that is improved, but still lacks an inside presence. Matt Betley will not be a matchup problem for guys like Donald Brown, Bryan White, Kendall Chones or Alex Vander Baan; but they will probably be a matchup problem for him.
8) Colgate -- after two seasons of overrating the underachieving Raiders, we are ready to concede we may have been wrong about the level of talent in Hamilton -- on the floor and on the sidelines.
MIDSEASON HONORS: Player of the year: Keith Simmons, HC -- nobody is playing better right now
Rookie of the Year: Marquis Hall, Leh -- the Mountain Hawks freshman point guard tops a very strong group of freshmen
Coach of the Year: Has anybody done a better job than Jim Crews? We don't think so.
Non-Con All PL team: (the five best players, regardless of position) Simmons, Andre Ingram (AU), Jose Olivero (Leh), Donald Brown (BU), Jarell Brown (Army)
FRIDAY READAROUND:
(Morning Call)
(Express-Times)
(Express-Times)
(Daily Item)
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Sure seemed that way at the beginning of December when league teams were 29-25 against non-conference Division I foes, with a conference RPI of 14.
But over the last two weeks, league teams have gone 10-20, dropping their RPI as a conference to 19, one spot behind the Ivy League, which won the season series between the two leagues again this year. The PL actually held a 7-3 lead in the series heading into December before the Ivies won 9 of the last 10.
Granted the conference RPI for the Patriot League has improved in each of the past four seasons, from 26 in 2003 to 23 in 2004 to 21 last season to 19 this. But the league's measuring stick has long been the Ivy League and the Ancient 8 has a conference RPI of 18, not surprising since the Ivies did so well head-to-head against the Patriots.
On that basis it is hard to say the league is much better. On the other hand, if you look strictly at RPI, the bottom of the league does appear to be significantly stronger. Nobody is ranked below 300 in the RPI and only teams are above 251. Last season four teams finished above 250.
The top of the Patriot League, though, is off. Bucknell was No. 42 last season. This season only one PL team, Holy Cross (97) has an RPI better than 100. Bucknell has returned to the pack. Holy Cross is good, but banged up and not very deep. There appears to be more parity in the league this season, but it would probably be a stretch to say the league is actually better top to bottom. Thus far it seems more like the top and the bottom are meeting in the middle.
THE LEAGUE AT A GLANCE: Here is a team-by-team breakdown of the season to date for league teams.
AMERICAN (8-6, RPI 211)
Best win: 81-74 over 6-6 Loyola (RPI 222) -- AU's only win over a team with an RPI better than 260
Worst loss: 81-79 (OT) at 6-11 (4-11 vs. D-I) Longwood (266) less than a month after beating the Lancers by 11 at home
Biggest surprise: Yet to come; we predict Georgetown transfer Cornelio Guibunda's raw athloetic talent will allow him some impressive performances off the bench in league play
Biggest disappointment: Big things have been expected from 6-11 senior center Paulius Joneliunas since he transferred from South Carolina prior to his junior season but thus far he has not delivered on those expectations.
ARMY (10-5, 8-5 vs. D-I, RPI 211)
Best win: 62-53 over 7-6 Hartford (175)
Worst loss: Home vs. 5-7 Cornell (213)
Biggest surprise: Army's record and RPI. This is the first time since the 2002 season the Black Knights RPI is out of the 300+ range
Biggest disappointment: Senior center Jimmy Sewell who has gone from being a starter as a sophomore to a 6-11 pine jockey with 5 DNPs thus far this season. For a team with only two freshmen taller than 6-7 on the roster, Sewell's failure to develop has been a big (no pun intended) negative.
BUCKNELL (6-7, RPI 134)
Best win: 68-67 at 10-4 Xavier (47) ... it's also the league's best win
Worst loss: 50-48 to a Central Arkansas team with one other D-I win and an RPI (298) out of the 300s only because of beating Bucknell ... it's the league's worst loss
Biggest surprise: The emergence of sophomore guard Justin Castleberry as a key part of Pat Flannery's rotation
Biggest disappointment: Take your pick: Chris McNaughton's sub-50 percent shooting and sub-double figures scoring; The students (and townies) who failed to show up for the Northern Iowa game at Sojka; Donald Brown's inability to adjust to playing the three, which has hurt the Bison on defense by taking a tough defender (Darren Mastropaolo) out of the starting lineup. Brown has been Bucknell's best player since moving to the four, but without him matching up on opponent three-men and sans Mastropaolo, the Bison are not as strong defensively; the late-game collapse against Albany in the season opener; or (our pick) the loss to Central Arkansas.
COLGATE (5-8, 4-8 D-I, RPI 282)
Best win: The Raiders really have no good wins. As close as they get is a 53-47 win over a Leon Pattman-less Dartmouth team that looks better than it was at the time due to Dartmouth's improvement since getting Pattman back in the lineup
Worst loss: 52-36 at 6-7 (5-7 vs. D-I) Arizona State (278)
Biggest surprise: The inability of a team full of alleged shooters to shoot the ball. Colgate has been under 40 percent from the field each of its last six games and on the season is shooting 40.4 percent against D-I teams
Biggest disappointment: That 4-8 record against D-I teams. Colgate is either doing less with more than anybody in the league, or its talent level has been tremendously overrated
HOLY CROSS (9-6, RPI 97)
Best win: 65-57 over 7-5 Siena (78)
Worst loss: 67-61 to 7-7 Niagara, a team with a misleading 244 RPi due to the absence of star Carron Fisher early in the season. Niagara is 6-1 since his return. The disappointment is not losing to Niagara as much as it is the way it happened -- blowing an 11-point, second-half lead
Biggest surprise: Kyle Cruze's emergence as a starter on the wing after the injuries to Pat Doherty and Lawrence Dixon
Biggest disappointment: Those injuries, along with a season-ending injury to freshman Andrew Keister
LAFAYETTE (6-9, 4-9 D-I, RPI 251)
Best win: 76-70 at 4-8 (3-8 D-I) Wagner (283)
Worst loss: 86-51 at 5-9 UMBC (204)
Biggest surprise: 6-4 junior Matt Betley's emergence as the team's top scorer after switching to the four, where he way undersized
Biggest disappointment: The stress fracture in Jamaal Hilliard's foot that is expected to cost him at least 2-4 weeks.
LEHIGH (5-11, 3-11 D-I, RPI 288)
Best win: 72-63 over Sacred Heart (6-7, 145)
Worst loss: 71-55 at Quinnipiac (334), a team with one other win over D-I opposition
Biggest surprise: Jason Mgebroff's strong showing before being sidelined with stress fractures. The 6-11 senior, whose sophomore and junior seasons were all but a washout, was averaging 10.8 ppg and 5.8 rpg before he got hurt.
Biggest disappointment: Megebroff's stress fractures, which will force him to miss 6-8 weeks
NAVY (10-5, 8-5 D-I, RPI 159)
Best win: 87-76 over 5-8 Stony Brook (187)
Worst loss: 74-59 at home to Yale (248), which has just one other D-I win
Biggest surprise: The play of 6-10 freshman Trey Stanton, who has started every game and is averaging 8.8 ppg
Biggest disappointment: In the preseason, Navy coach Billy Lange said 6-9 junior center Ben Biles was "going to have to give us some time." Biles has only played in four games, with just four rebounds and a turnover to break up the zeroes after his name on the stat sheet.
PREDICTED ORDER OF FINISH: Not a lot of changes from what we predicted when we wrote the Blue Ribbon previews in the summer, though one team has dropped like a rock:
1) Bucknell -- Bison remain the favorite for the regular season title, but a two- or even three-way tie for the regular season would not be a surprise.
2) Holy Cross -- If healthy, HC would probably have been mentioned ahead of Bucknell. If Pat Doherty and Lawrence Dixon come back and contribute, they might be the favorite come tourney time even if they are the No. 2 seed
3) American -- The Eagles are deep, experienced and posess a lot of offensive weapons. Still need the big men to play big when they face quality big men and the whole team needs to be tougher defensively
4) Army -- Defensive effort was never a problem. Size and offense was. Jarell Brown and Matt Bell give the Black Knights as good a scoring duo in the backcourt as there is in the league. Freshman Chris Walker has given them a presence in the paint.
5) Lehigh -- With Mgebroff healthy, the Mountain Hawks would rank a spot, maybe two, higher. If he regains his early season form when he returns, Lehigh could be the tournament dark horse.
6) Navy -- Billy Lange's team has made great strides but is still missing the inside punch needed to take the pressure off the perimeter shooters.
7) Lafayette -- Another team that is improved, but still lacks an inside presence. Matt Betley will not be a matchup problem for guys like Donald Brown, Bryan White, Kendall Chones or Alex Vander Baan; but they will probably be a matchup problem for him.
8) Colgate -- after two seasons of overrating the underachieving Raiders, we are ready to concede we may have been wrong about the level of talent in Hamilton -- on the floor and on the sidelines.
MIDSEASON HONORS: Player of the year: Keith Simmons, HC -- nobody is playing better right now
Rookie of the Year: Marquis Hall, Leh -- the Mountain Hawks freshman point guard tops a very strong group of freshmen
Coach of the Year: Has anybody done a better job than Jim Crews? We don't think so.
Non-Con All PL team: (the five best players, regardless of position) Simmons, Andre Ingram (AU), Jose Olivero (Leh), Donald Brown (BU), Jarell Brown (Army)
FRIDAY READAROUND:
Labels: Army, AU, BU, CU, HC, Laf, Leh, Navy, notebook
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Wednesday, January 03, 2007
It's official: The Ivy League has won the season series against the Patriot League.
The combination of Army's loss at Dartmouth and Lehigh's home loss to Columbia gives the Ancient 8 an 11-8 edge, with one game (Cornell at Colgate tonight) left.
Dartmouth came in at 4-7, but six of the losses came at the start of the season when the Big Green was without the services of Leon Pattman. Since Pattman, who had 23 points against Army, returned to the lineup, Dartmouth is now 5-1.
Army trailed the entire game, falling behind as many as 15 points in the first half before clawing to within 2 at 47-45. Dartmouth answered with a 10-0 run to put the game away.
Jarrell Brown led Army with 19 points and also grabbed 7 rebounds. Matt Bell added 17 for the Black Knights (10-5), who open league play Saturday at Colgate.
| AP
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The combination of Army's loss at Dartmouth and Lehigh's home loss to Columbia gives the Ancient 8 an 11-8 edge, with one game (Cornell at Colgate tonight) left.
Dartmouth came in at 4-7, but six of the losses came at the start of the season when the Big Green was without the services of Leon Pattman. Since Pattman, who had 23 points against Army, returned to the lineup, Dartmouth is now 5-1.
Army trailed the entire game, falling behind as many as 15 points in the first half before clawing to within 2 at 47-45. Dartmouth answered with a 10-0 run to put the game away.
Jarrell Brown led Army with 19 points and also grabbed 7 rebounds. Matt Bell added 17 for the Black Knights (10-5), who open league play Saturday at Colgate.
| AP
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Tuesday, January 02, 2007
Four teams get their final non-conference tune-ups tonight. All four would seem to have a chance to get a win. In some cases, who does and who doesn't might tell us a lot about the state of the league heading into conference play.
Beginning of December, we wrote "Things are looking up around here." But Patriot League teams are 6-17 since Dec. 21. At the start of last month, the league was 29-25 against non-conference Division I foes, with a conference RPI of 14.
Starting the New Year, the league is 47-54 against D-I opponents, with an RPI of 18, just ahead of the Ivy League -- which means this season's Hoop Time-Basketball U. Challenge series actually means something. League tams have six games left against out of conference opponents before league play begins Saturday. Three of those involve Ivy League foes. The Patriot League trails the season series 9-8 and needs a sweep to claim the mythical crystal trophy (The Ivy League would keep the virtual trophy if the series ties).
Here are the relative RPIs of individual teams (then) and now:
American -- (116) 212
Army -- (120) 132
Bucknell -- (195) (144)
Colgate -- (267) 270
Holy Cross -- (90) 99
Lafayette -- (265) 243
Lehigh -- (254) 288
Navy -- (77) 145
These last six non-conference games (aside from the three BracketBusters games in February) offer the entire league a couple final opportunities to set its RPI for the season.
Aside from the RPI considerations, every team has its own particular reasons why it badly needs a win in these games. For some it's a chance to stem the bleeding. For others it's an important confidence builder for a young team.
Here's a glance at the four games being played tonight:
Army at Dartmouth () -- Dartmouth (4-7) is not what you'd call a tough out. Not even at home. The Green are 2-2 at home, including a loss to Colgate. Army won twice on the road early in the season (and two on neutral floors), but it has not done it lately. The home win over Sacred Heart showed the Black Knights psyche did not suffer from the losses at Michigan and Notre Dame. A road-win and a two-game win streak heading into their opener at Colgate on Saturday.
Navy at NJIT () -- Stop the bleeding. It's been nearly a month since the Midshipmen (9-5) beat a Division I foe. Since a Dec. 4 double-OT win over Howard, the Mids are 0-3 against D-I teams. NJIT (2-11) could be just what the Mids need to regain some confidence heading to Lewisburg Saturday.
Columbia at Lehigh () -- Another team that has not beaten a Division I opponent in a while, the Mountain Hawks will look to stay perfect in Stabler against a 7-5 Columbia team that is 1-4 on the road. Lehigh, which last beat a D-I on Dec. 2 (Central Conn.), is 0-4 against D-Is since then. Certainly keeping their home record unbeaten would be a tremendous confidence boost for the Hawks prior to hosting American Saturday.
Saint Francis (Pa.) at American () -- The Eagles come home looking to heal after losing four in a row, all on the road. Saint Francis (4-8) is 1-4 on the road. The Red Flash won in Bender the last time they visited AU (2003). American a perfect 4-0 in Bender thus far this season.
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Beginning of December, we wrote "Things are looking up around here." But Patriot League teams are 6-17 since Dec. 21. At the start of last month, the league was 29-25 against non-conference Division I foes, with a conference RPI of 14.
Starting the New Year, the league is 47-54 against D-I opponents, with an RPI of 18, just ahead of the Ivy League -- which means this season's Hoop Time-Basketball U. Challenge series actually means something. League tams have six games left against out of conference opponents before league play begins Saturday. Three of those involve Ivy League foes. The Patriot League trails the season series 9-8 and needs a sweep to claim the mythical crystal trophy (The Ivy League would keep the virtual trophy if the series ties).
Here are the relative RPIs of individual teams (then) and now:
American -- (116) 212
Army -- (120) 132
Bucknell -- (195) (144)
Colgate -- (267) 270
Holy Cross -- (90) 99
Lafayette -- (265) 243
Lehigh -- (254) 288
Navy -- (77) 145
These last six non-conference games (aside from the three BracketBusters games in February) offer the entire league a couple final opportunities to set its RPI for the season.
Aside from the RPI considerations, every team has its own particular reasons why it badly needs a win in these games. For some it's a chance to stem the bleeding. For others it's an important confidence builder for a young team.
Here's a glance at the four games being played tonight:
Army at Dartmouth () -- Dartmouth (4-7) is not what you'd call a tough out. Not even at home. The Green are 2-2 at home, including a loss to Colgate. Army won twice on the road early in the season (and two on neutral floors), but it has not done it lately. The home win over Sacred Heart showed the Black Knights psyche did not suffer from the losses at Michigan and Notre Dame. A road-win and a two-game win streak heading into their opener at Colgate on Saturday.
Navy at NJIT () -- Stop the bleeding. It's been nearly a month since the Midshipmen (9-5) beat a Division I foe. Since a Dec. 4 double-OT win over Howard, the Mids are 0-3 against D-I teams. NJIT (2-11) could be just what the Mids need to regain some confidence heading to Lewisburg Saturday.
Columbia at Lehigh () -- Another team that has not beaten a Division I opponent in a while, the Mountain Hawks will look to stay perfect in Stabler against a 7-5 Columbia team that is 1-4 on the road. Lehigh, which last beat a D-I on Dec. 2 (Central Conn.), is 0-4 against D-Is since then. Certainly keeping their home record unbeaten would be a tremendous confidence boost for the Hawks prior to hosting American Saturday.
Saint Francis (Pa.) at American () -- The Eagles come home looking to heal after losing four in a row, all on the road. Saint Francis (4-8) is 1-4 on the road. The Red Flash won in Bender the last time they visited AU (2003). American a perfect 4-0 in Bender thus far this season.
Labels: Army, AU, Leh, Navy, previews
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Army moves into the No. 25 spot in this week's . Holy Cross (7 votes) and Bucknell (2) the only Patriot League teams still in "others receiving votes." No votes for any league teams in the .
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Monday, January 01, 2007
The Black Knights of the Hudson rang out the old in dramatic fashion, beating Sacred Heart 59-58 on a Jarrell Brown three-pointer with 2 seconds left on the clock.
Brown's big shot capped a big night for the junior guard, who went 10 for 18 from the field, including 4 treys (on 6 tries) for 24 points, tying his season high.
Matt Bell, back from whatever the injury was that sidelined him at Michigan, added 15, scoring 9 from the foul line (on 11 tries), making up for an off night from the field (3 for 10, 0 for 2 on threes).
Point guard Marcus Nelson had 5 assists and 3 steals, but what folks will remember about the 5-10 freshman's play in this one will be his 12 rebounds. That just happens to be the margin (39-27) Army outrebounded Sacred Heart by.
While Bell made freee throws for Army, the foul line was Sacred Heart's undoing. The Pioneers went to the line 25 times, 8 more than Army (17), but the Pioneers missed 12 of those, leaving them even at the line with the Black Knights, who made 13 of their 17 free throws.
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Brown's big shot capped a big night for the junior guard, who went 10 for 18 from the field, including 4 treys (on 6 tries) for 24 points, tying his season high.
Matt Bell, back from whatever the injury was that sidelined him at Michigan, added 15, scoring 9 from the foul line (on 11 tries), making up for an off night from the field (3 for 10, 0 for 2 on threes).
Point guard Marcus Nelson had 5 assists and 3 steals, but what folks will remember about the 5-10 freshman's play in this one will be his 12 rebounds. That just happens to be the margin (39-27) Army outrebounded Sacred Heart by.
While Bell made freee throws for Army, the foul line was Sacred Heart's undoing. The Pioneers went to the line 25 times, 8 more than Army (17), but the Pioneers missed 12 of those, leaving them even at the line with the Black Knights, who made 13 of their 17 free throws.
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Sunday, December 31, 2006
The final game of 2006 has some significance for the whole league. An Army win over visiting Sacred Heart () would keep the Patriot League above .500 in non-conference play this season. League teams are currently a combined 55-54 after a rough stretch of late. Since Dec. 21, league teams have been a combined 5-17, potting a damper on a strong start.
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Friday, December 29, 2006
While Holy Cross was winning at LaSalle, the other four Patriot League teams in action last night struggled
Temple 96, Lafayette 73 -- Marcus Harley had 23 for Lafayette, but the rest of the team struggled on offense. Take away Harley's 9 for 14 effort from the field and the rest of the Leopards shot 13 for 48 (27 percent). Harley was 5 of 7 on three-point tries; the rest of the 'Pards 4 for 21 (19 percent).
Temple, on the other hand, had four guys in double figures, three with 20 or more points, led by Dustin Salisbury's 26. The Owls went 29 for 56 (51.8 percent) from the field and were 10 for 22 (45.5 percent) from three-point range. The Owls also outrebounded Lafayette 44-31.
Lafayette managed to stick around for the first five minutes, leading 12-11 at the 15:15 mark of the first half. But Temple went on an 8-0 run to take the lead and never looked back. The Owls pushed the lead to 50-37 at the half and led by as many as 28 in the second half.
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Michigan 62, Army 50 -- Michigan coach Tommy Amaker started a whole new five, using three freshmen and two sophomores against Army. It was not pretty, but it got the Wolverines a W.
Jarrell Brown had 22 for Army, shooting 9 of 19 from the field, but he had little offensive support with senior guard Matt Bell out of the lineup with an unspecified injury. Bell sat for the first time after 93 consecutive starts. Without Bell, Army went 19 of 54 (35.2 percent) from the field.
The Black Knights defense did a good job, holding Michigan to 17 of 46 (37 percent) shooting from the field. In the second half, Army allowed only 5 Michigan field goals (5 of 19, 26.3 percent). But the Wolverines went 21 for 25 at the foul line while Army went to the line just 9 times, making 8.
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Santa Clara 53, Colgate 39 -- In the Cable Car Classic, Kendall Chones had 11 points for Colgate. The remaining four starters for Colgate combined for 6, including 3 for Jon Simon, the team's leading scorer coming in who averaged 11 per game.
Colgate went 15 for 44 (34.1 percent) from the field and was outrebounded 33-22.
Santa Clara shot well in the first half (13 of 25, 52 percent) to build a 31-18 lead at the break, then held on with defense in the second half.
Colgate will face George Washington tonight in the consolation game.
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Virginia 91, American 70 -- Virginia used first half runs of 11-2 and 10-0 to build a 42-19 halftime lead and cruised from there, spoiling the return of American coach Jeff Jones, who played and coached at UVa.
Andre Ingram had 14 points and Paulius Joneliunas added 10 for the Eagles, who shot 7 for 24 (24.1 percent) in the first half, making just one of 12 three-pointers (8.3 percent).
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Temple 96, Lafayette 73 -- Marcus Harley had 23 for Lafayette, but the rest of the team struggled on offense. Take away Harley's 9 for 14 effort from the field and the rest of the Leopards shot 13 for 48 (27 percent). Harley was 5 of 7 on three-point tries; the rest of the 'Pards 4 for 21 (19 percent).
Temple, on the other hand, had four guys in double figures, three with 20 or more points, led by Dustin Salisbury's 26. The Owls went 29 for 56 (51.8 percent) from the field and were 10 for 22 (45.5 percent) from three-point range. The Owls also outrebounded Lafayette 44-31.
Lafayette managed to stick around for the first five minutes, leading 12-11 at the 15:15 mark of the first half. But Temple went on an 8-0 run to take the lead and never looked back. The Owls pushed the lead to 50-37 at the half and led by as many as 28 in the second half.
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Michigan 62, Army 50 -- Michigan coach Tommy Amaker started a whole new five, using three freshmen and two sophomores against Army. It was not pretty, but it got the Wolverines a W.
Jarrell Brown had 22 for Army, shooting 9 of 19 from the field, but he had little offensive support with senior guard Matt Bell out of the lineup with an unspecified injury. Bell sat for the first time after 93 consecutive starts. Without Bell, Army went 19 of 54 (35.2 percent) from the field.
The Black Knights defense did a good job, holding Michigan to 17 of 46 (37 percent) shooting from the field. In the second half, Army allowed only 5 Michigan field goals (5 of 19, 26.3 percent). But the Wolverines went 21 for 25 at the foul line while Army went to the line just 9 times, making 8.
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Santa Clara 53, Colgate 39 -- In the Cable Car Classic, Kendall Chones had 11 points for Colgate. The remaining four starters for Colgate combined for 6, including 3 for Jon Simon, the team's leading scorer coming in who averaged 11 per game.
Colgate went 15 for 44 (34.1 percent) from the field and was outrebounded 33-22.
Santa Clara shot well in the first half (13 of 25, 52 percent) to build a 31-18 lead at the break, then held on with defense in the second half.
Colgate will face George Washington tonight in the consolation game.
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Virginia 91, American 70 -- Virginia used first half runs of 11-2 and 10-0 to build a 42-19 halftime lead and cruised from there, spoiling the return of American coach Jeff Jones, who played and coached at UVa.
Andre Ingram had 14 points and Paulius Joneliunas added 10 for the Eagles, who shot 7 for 24 (24.1 percent) in the first half, making just one of 12 three-pointers (8.3 percent).
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Labels: Army, AU, CU, games, Laf
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Thursday, December 28, 2006
The short holiday break ends with five teams back in action tonight.
It is a schedule full of challenges, with the Patriot League teams likely to be considered underdogs in all five games.
If Holy Cross were healthy, that might not be the case. But with a depleted rotation, the Crusaders will have their hands full with LaSalle, the team they face in the first of a three-in-three days trip to LaSalle's Explorer Classic ().
We'll be there for our first look at HC, when they take on the Explorers (and for Friday's game with Niagara and Saturday's matchup with Delaware), who come in 6-3, with really only one impressive opponent on their schedule to date -- Villanova, which beat the Explorers at LaSalle in a Philadelphia Big Five matchup. LaSalle also lost at home to UMBC and on a neutral floor against Coppin State.
Young and inexperienced, prone to turnovers, LaSalle is the sort of team Holy Cross usually feasts upon when it is at full strength.
LaSalle is led by freshman forward Rodney Green, a 6-5 hometown Philly kid who is averaging 16 points and 4.4 rebounds per game. Green is all about the paint. He has only taken four threes all season and has yet to make one. Inside the arc, though, he is tough to stop, shooting 62.4 percent from the field.
Green is one of five freshmen in LaSalle's nine-man rotation. All five stand between 6-5 and 6-7, which is pretty much the case for the entire rotation, except 6-1 junior guard Darnell Harris, the Explorers' second leading scorer at 14.7 ppg, and 6-8 starter Mike St. John, the only senior in the rotation.
Freshman Sherman Diaz has been the team's defensive stopper. A 6-5 forward, Diaz leads the Explorers in blocks (15) and steals (11).
Colgate is also in a tournament tonight, taking on host Santa Clara () in the first round of the Cable Car Classic (). The are ranked No. 17 in the Mid Major Top 25. Waiting in the second round for the Raiders will be either 7-2 George Washington or 11-1 Air Force, which is in the Top 25 in both major polls (No. 23 AP, No. 17 ESPN-USA Today).
American takes on its second straight ACC foe when it meets 7-3 Virginia (). It's a homecoming of sorts for Jeff Jones, who played and coach at UVa. Jones' return to Charlottsville is the storyline in all the papers covering the Wahoos ( | | | | | ).
Army, which lost at Notre Dame last time out, faces another difficulty test at 11-2 Michigan () and
Hard to image saying this, but perhaps the weakest opponent for a league team tonight is Temple, which hosts Lafayette (). The Owls are 5-4 in their first season under former Penn coach Fran Dunphy. It is the 12th straight season Lafayette coach Fran O'Hanlon has faced off against his old boss' teams. The other 11, of course, were against Penn, which despite being an Ivy League power, was never as athletic as this Temple team. It will be a toigh task for the Leopards, who will be without Jamaal Hillard (stress fracture in a foot, out another 2-4 weeks) and 6-7 freshman Jesper Andersson (sprained ankle). Lafayette freshman forward Andre Hines is also questionable with a stomach virus. ( -- includes some HC notes)
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It is a schedule full of challenges, with the Patriot League teams likely to be considered underdogs in all five games.
If Holy Cross were healthy, that might not be the case. But with a depleted rotation, the Crusaders will have their hands full with LaSalle, the team they face in the first of a three-in-three days trip to LaSalle's Explorer Classic ().
We'll be there for our first look at HC, when they take on the Explorers (and for Friday's game with Niagara and Saturday's matchup with Delaware), who come in 6-3, with really only one impressive opponent on their schedule to date -- Villanova, which beat the Explorers at LaSalle in a Philadelphia Big Five matchup. LaSalle also lost at home to UMBC and on a neutral floor against Coppin State.
Young and inexperienced, prone to turnovers, LaSalle is the sort of team Holy Cross usually feasts upon when it is at full strength.
LaSalle is led by freshman forward Rodney Green, a 6-5 hometown Philly kid who is averaging 16 points and 4.4 rebounds per game. Green is all about the paint. He has only taken four threes all season and has yet to make one. Inside the arc, though, he is tough to stop, shooting 62.4 percent from the field.
Green is one of five freshmen in LaSalle's nine-man rotation. All five stand between 6-5 and 6-7, which is pretty much the case for the entire rotation, except 6-1 junior guard Darnell Harris, the Explorers' second leading scorer at 14.7 ppg, and 6-8 starter Mike St. John, the only senior in the rotation.
Freshman Sherman Diaz has been the team's defensive stopper. A 6-5 forward, Diaz leads the Explorers in blocks (15) and steals (11).
Colgate is also in a tournament tonight, taking on host Santa Clara () in the first round of the Cable Car Classic (). The are ranked No. 17 in the Mid Major Top 25. Waiting in the second round for the Raiders will be either 7-2 George Washington or 11-1 Air Force, which is in the Top 25 in both major polls (No. 23 AP, No. 17 ESPN-USA Today).
American takes on its second straight ACC foe when it meets 7-3 Virginia (). It's a homecoming of sorts for Jeff Jones, who played and coach at UVa. Jones' return to Charlottsville is the storyline in all the papers covering the Wahoos ( | | | | | ).
Army, which lost at Notre Dame last time out, faces another difficulty test at 11-2 Michigan () and
Hard to image saying this, but perhaps the weakest opponent for a league team tonight is Temple, which hosts Lafayette (). The Owls are 5-4 in their first season under former Penn coach Fran Dunphy. It is the 12th straight season Lafayette coach Fran O'Hanlon has faced off against his old boss' teams. The other 11, of course, were against Penn, which despite being an Ivy League power, was never as athletic as this Temple team. It will be a toigh task for the Leopards, who will be without Jamaal Hillard (stress fracture in a foot, out another 2-4 weeks) and 6-7 freshman Jesper Andersson (sprained ankle). Lafayette freshman forward Andre Hines is also questionable with a stomach virus. ( -- includes some HC notes)
Labels: Army, AU, CU, HC, Laf, previews
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Tuesday, December 26, 2006
Not arguing Bucknell belongs in the Mid Major Top 25, but will admit to being a little confused how a team can pick up a road win at Xavier and actually lose votes in the poll.
With Holy Cross' recent slide, this week's version of the has no Patriot League teams included among the Top 25. Army leads all PL vote-getters with 76 points, good for an unofficial No. 27 ranking. Navy unofficial No. 32 with 43. Holy Cross dropped out of the top 25 and received only 20 points in this week's voting. Bucknell barely in the others receiving with 2 points.
Taking nothing away from either service academy, but does anybody think the Cruaders or the Bison would not have as good, or better, records if they played Army or Navy's schedules?
It seems pretty obvious voters are paying more attention to records than who those records come against. Just look at No. 14 Akron as an example. The Zips have exactly one win over a team with a winning record -- 6-4 Binghamton. Their other six wins came against an 0-10 NAIA school (Tiffin), an 0-14 provisional Division I (Winston Salem State), 1-8 Gardner Webb, 4-6 Oral Roberts and 3-7 Saint Francis (Pa.), and 4-6 Niagara. Only one loss came against a team with a winning record -- 9-1 Nevada beat Akron at Akron. The other two losses came to Illinois Chicago (5-8) and Arkansas Little Rock (5-7).No, Akron has not played any SUNY schools. (As a couple of e-mailers have reminded us, Binghamton actually is a SUNY school, just does not use SUNY in front of its name anymore.)
Here is the best part - before losing by two to Nevada, that schedule actually had Akron ranked in the top 10. The Zips dropped from No. 9 to 14 after that loss.
Like we said, go figure.
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With Holy Cross' recent slide, this week's version of the has no Patriot League teams included among the Top 25. Army leads all PL vote-getters with 76 points, good for an unofficial No. 27 ranking. Navy unofficial No. 32 with 43. Holy Cross dropped out of the top 25 and received only 20 points in this week's voting. Bucknell barely in the others receiving with 2 points.
Taking nothing away from either service academy, but does anybody think the Cruaders or the Bison would not have as good, or better, records if they played Army or Navy's schedules?
It seems pretty obvious voters are paying more attention to records than who those records come against. Just look at No. 14 Akron as an example. The Zips have exactly one win over a team with a winning record -- 6-4 Binghamton. Their other six wins came against an 0-10 NAIA school (Tiffin), an 0-14 provisional Division I (Winston Salem State), 1-8 Gardner Webb, 4-6 Oral Roberts and 3-7 Saint Francis (Pa.), and 4-6 Niagara. Only one loss came against a team with a winning record -- 9-1 Nevada beat Akron at Akron. The other two losses came to Illinois Chicago (5-8) and Arkansas Little Rock (5-7).
Here is the best part - before losing by two to Nevada, that schedule actually had Akron ranked in the top 10. The Zips dropped from No. 9 to 14 after that loss.
Like we said, go figure.
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Conference play begins in less than two weeks, and early indications are this should be one of the most competitive seasons in Patriot League history.
There have been plenty of seasons of parity in the league. In 1994, four teams finished the regular season at 9-5 in conference play, resulting in a pair of semifinals decided by a total of 5 points (including one overtime game) and a final that Navy won at home by 2 (over Colgate the year before Adonal Foyle arrived). That was the only season a team with five league losses managed to claim the top seed for the tournament. (An interesting note: That season Navy placed nobody on the first or second All-Patriot teams despite being the top seed).
The next two seasons Colgate won the conference, but each year the Raiders finished with three losses in conference play and needed a tiebreaker to gain top seed for the postseason.
In 2002, American won the regular season despite four conference setbacks, with four other teams over .500 in league play.
Looking around the league, it would not be surprising to see this year's regular season champs with four or even five losses. With the marked improvement at both of the service academies, Lafayette is the closest thing to a gimme in the league, and Fran O'Hanlon's Leopards have always had a knack, even in their down years, for pulling off an upset or two at home.
Here are a few team-by-team thoughts, done in alphabetical order (so please Lehigh fans, no hate mail for listing the Mountain Hawks seventh):
AMERICAN: A veteran team with a proven star in Andre Ingram, a talented point guard in Derrick Mercer, scoring off the bench in Arvydas Eitutavicius and as much size up front as anybody in the league, the Eagles 7-4 start has done nothing to take away from their preseason status as a contender.
Paulius Joneliunas and Brayden Billbe already can claim the titles of the league's biggest frontcourt and the frontcourt with the most unusual names. If they can also rank among the league's toughest, this could be teh Eagles year.
Cornelio Guibunda is as athletic as they come in the Patriot League, but still lacks polish. It will be interesting to see how far his athleticism can take him in league play. If he is a factor off the bench, AU's threesome could potentially challenge Bucknell's trio of Chris McNaughton, Donald Brown and Darren Mastropaolo as the league's best three-man rotation in the frontcourt.
ARMY: Dramatically better, the 9-3 Black Knights have already won more games than they did the last three seasons combined. Jarrell Brown might be the best offensive player in the league. Matt Bell is healthy and back to form. And freshman Chris Walker's 6-8 presence in the middle gives Army the legitimate post player it has lacked in Jim Crews first four seasons. It's worth noting that although Walker is a freshman, he had the equivalent of a redshirt season at Army's prep school last year. Walker is one of seven players on the Army roster who have spent a year at USMAPS, making the Black Knights a more mature team than the roster might indicate at first glance.
No doubt the 9-3 record reflects more than just Army being better. The wins have come against a mix of weak Division I and mediocre Division III sides. Still, Army will be a tough out this season, especially in Christl Arena.
BUCKNELL: The Bison need to sweep two games at Marist's tournament this weekend to avoid entering conference play below .500. That will be a challenge; Marist, Bucknell's likely opponent in the final (assuming the Bison get past a very weak Central Arkansas team in the opener), is unbeaten at home, 8-3 with two wins over top 100 RPI teams.
Even a game below .500 in the preseason, the Bison are probably still the favorite to win the league. The level of competition Bucknell has faced is clearly a notch above most of the rest of the league and all but two of their non-conference games have been away from home. Bucknell's wins over George Mason and Xavier are easily the league's best wins to date.
That said, this is definitely not the Bucknell juggernaut of the past two seasons. They have been inconsistent on both sides as Pat Flannery has struggled to find a set rotation. The inability of Donald Brown to adjust to playing the three has kept Flannery from being able to put his best five players on the floor at the same time, a problem that has been exacerbated by guys like Chris McNaughton and Abe Badmus getting into foul trouble. Badmus also has to begin contributing more on offense. He has the ability to get into the paint with dribble penetration, but has seemed to lack the confidence to finish when he gets there. If Badmus would start getting himself to the foul line instead of sending opponents there, it would be a huge plus.
COLGATE: Home losses to sub-.500 teams like Stony Brook and Canisius have folks around the league wondering if it is possible they have misjudged the level of talent on the Raiders roster. The injury loss of a guy like Kyle Roemer certainly has not helped. But Roemer's spot on the wing was a spot where Colgate seemed to have a lot of depth. In fact, in the preseason the bigger problem facing coach Emmett Davis seemed to be finding enough minutes for all his perimeter talent.
On paper, Colgate seemed to have the talent to contend for the league title. On the floor they have seemed like it will be a challenge for them to finish ahead of the service academies in the league standings. Until somebody other than Jon Simon starts to perform well on a consistent basis, Colgate will continue to struggle.
HOLY CROSS: When healthy, the Crusaders starting five is as good as any in the league. But Holy Cross has not been healthy and the lack of depth exposed by the latest rash of injuries is taking its toll. At this point HC seems two healthy players away from being the league favorite and a Keith Simmons injury away from going the complete opposite direction.
Pat Doherty will return during conference play, but how effective will he be down the stretch after missing almost all of last season to his foot problems and now a month or so of this season to the broken hand. Lawrence Dixon's knee has his status for the remainder of the season in doubt. The only good news about freshman Andrew Keister's stress fracture is that he has only played four games and should be eligible for a medical redshirt.
Simmons' sprained knee should be O.K for conference play if he does not reinjure it, but the reappearance of his cramping problems in the 'Saders last game (George Mason) is a huge concern. With the limited bench Ralph Willard has available, anything that greatly limits Simmons' minutes will be a real problem. And then there is Torey Thomas, who is playing 40 minutes a game on a knee not fully recovered from off-season surgery.
As long as Simmons and Thomas can still walk, Holy Cross will remain one of the top teams in the league. Without them, things could get ugly in a hurry in Worcester.
LAFAYETTE: Scholarships finally arrived in Easton, but it will take more than one recruiting class for the 'Pards to catch up to folks who have had them for years. Six-seven freshman Jesper Andersson has emerged as a threat on the wing, adding to a plethora of outside shooters available to O'Hanlon, but up front the Leopards are as thin as cheap wrapping paper. Matt Betley has given a yeoman's effort as an undersized (6-4) four, but how he will hold up to the constant banging against bigger, stronger guys over the course of the season remains to be seen.
At their best, Lafayette can rain threes. When they don't fall though, the 'Pards are in trouble because they just are not big enough or strong enough to get it done on the boards, as evidenced by the way they have been outrebounded to the tune of almost 10 per game.
The good news for Lafayette fans: Wait until next year actually means something for the 'Pards, who ought to quickly become competitive when O'Hanlon has the talent to compete.
LEHIGH: Just when it seemed Jason Mgebroff was finally realizing the potential he showed as a freshman, the Mountain Hawks big man got hurt. He will return around the second half of the conference schedule, but without him, a young Lehigh team will struggle to compete inside with some of the better frontcourts in the league.
Lucky for Lehigh, those "better frontcourts" are not a commodity much of the conference is blessed with. Luckier still, it was not Jose Olivero who got hurt. At the risk of seeming redundant, as long as the Mountain Hawks have Olivero, they always will have a chance of shooting down any team in the league.
Freshman point guard Marquis Hall has more than lived up to high expectations, giving Lehigh, when Mgebroff is healthy, as good a first five as there is in the league. Depth remains a big question mark though. Add in an inability to win on the road and the Mountain Hawks appear to have their work cut out for them if they want to remain ahead of Army and navy, ;et alone if they want to challenge the league's top teams.
NAVY: Like Army, the Mids are markedly better. Also like Army, their nine non-conference wins thus far have included two over Division III foes and none against any real quality foes. Six of the seven wins over D-Is came against teams with RPI's over 200.
The similarities with their archrivals don't end there. Like Army, Navy has benefited from the presence of a freshman in the post. In this case it is 6-10 Trey Stanton who has filled the void in the middle.
Greg Sprink continues to show he is one fo the league's top offensive threats. Kaleo Kina and Corey Johnson combine with Sprink to form a very good backcourt.
Alumni Hall continues to be one of the league's toughest road venues. The Midshipmen are unlikely to contend for the championship, but they likely will have a lot to say about who will.
All in all, it is shaping up like a very competitive year for a conference that certainly appears to be on its way up.
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There have been plenty of seasons of parity in the league. In 1994, four teams finished the regular season at 9-5 in conference play, resulting in a pair of semifinals decided by a total of 5 points (including one overtime game) and a final that Navy won at home by 2 (over Colgate the year before Adonal Foyle arrived). That was the only season a team with five league losses managed to claim the top seed for the tournament. (An interesting note: That season Navy placed nobody on the first or second All-Patriot teams despite being the top seed).
The next two seasons Colgate won the conference, but each year the Raiders finished with three losses in conference play and needed a tiebreaker to gain top seed for the postseason.
In 2002, American won the regular season despite four conference setbacks, with four other teams over .500 in league play.
Looking around the league, it would not be surprising to see this year's regular season champs with four or even five losses. With the marked improvement at both of the service academies, Lafayette is the closest thing to a gimme in the league, and Fran O'Hanlon's Leopards have always had a knack, even in their down years, for pulling off an upset or two at home.
Here are a few team-by-team thoughts, done in alphabetical order (so please Lehigh fans, no hate mail for listing the Mountain Hawks seventh):
AMERICAN: A veteran team with a proven star in Andre Ingram, a talented point guard in Derrick Mercer, scoring off the bench in Arvydas Eitutavicius and as much size up front as anybody in the league, the Eagles 7-4 start has done nothing to take away from their preseason status as a contender.
Paulius Joneliunas and Brayden Billbe already can claim the titles of the league's biggest frontcourt and the frontcourt with the most unusual names. If they can also rank among the league's toughest, this could be teh Eagles year.
Cornelio Guibunda is as athletic as they come in the Patriot League, but still lacks polish. It will be interesting to see how far his athleticism can take him in league play. If he is a factor off the bench, AU's threesome could potentially challenge Bucknell's trio of Chris McNaughton, Donald Brown and Darren Mastropaolo as the league's best three-man rotation in the frontcourt.
ARMY: Dramatically better, the 9-3 Black Knights have already won more games than they did the last three seasons combined. Jarrell Brown might be the best offensive player in the league. Matt Bell is healthy and back to form. And freshman Chris Walker's 6-8 presence in the middle gives Army the legitimate post player it has lacked in Jim Crews first four seasons. It's worth noting that although Walker is a freshman, he had the equivalent of a redshirt season at Army's prep school last year. Walker is one of seven players on the Army roster who have spent a year at USMAPS, making the Black Knights a more mature team than the roster might indicate at first glance.
No doubt the 9-3 record reflects more than just Army being better. The wins have come against a mix of weak Division I and mediocre Division III sides. Still, Army will be a tough out this season, especially in Christl Arena.
BUCKNELL: The Bison need to sweep two games at Marist's tournament this weekend to avoid entering conference play below .500. That will be a challenge; Marist, Bucknell's likely opponent in the final (assuming the Bison get past a very weak Central Arkansas team in the opener), is unbeaten at home, 8-3 with two wins over top 100 RPI teams.
Even a game below .500 in the preseason, the Bison are probably still the favorite to win the league. The level of competition Bucknell has faced is clearly a notch above most of the rest of the league and all but two of their non-conference games have been away from home. Bucknell's wins over George Mason and Xavier are easily the league's best wins to date.
That said, this is definitely not the Bucknell juggernaut of the past two seasons. They have been inconsistent on both sides as Pat Flannery has struggled to find a set rotation. The inability of Donald Brown to adjust to playing the three has kept Flannery from being able to put his best five players on the floor at the same time, a problem that has been exacerbated by guys like Chris McNaughton and Abe Badmus getting into foul trouble. Badmus also has to begin contributing more on offense. He has the ability to get into the paint with dribble penetration, but has seemed to lack the confidence to finish when he gets there. If Badmus would start getting himself to the foul line instead of sending opponents there, it would be a huge plus.
COLGATE: Home losses to sub-.500 teams like Stony Brook and Canisius have folks around the league wondering if it is possible they have misjudged the level of talent on the Raiders roster. The injury loss of a guy like Kyle Roemer certainly has not helped. But Roemer's spot on the wing was a spot where Colgate seemed to have a lot of depth. In fact, in the preseason the bigger problem facing coach Emmett Davis seemed to be finding enough minutes for all his perimeter talent.
On paper, Colgate seemed to have the talent to contend for the league title. On the floor they have seemed like it will be a challenge for them to finish ahead of the service academies in the league standings. Until somebody other than Jon Simon starts to perform well on a consistent basis, Colgate will continue to struggle.
HOLY CROSS: When healthy, the Crusaders starting five is as good as any in the league. But Holy Cross has not been healthy and the lack of depth exposed by the latest rash of injuries is taking its toll. At this point HC seems two healthy players away from being the league favorite and a Keith Simmons injury away from going the complete opposite direction.
Pat Doherty will return during conference play, but how effective will he be down the stretch after missing almost all of last season to his foot problems and now a month or so of this season to the broken hand. Lawrence Dixon's knee has his status for the remainder of the season in doubt. The only good news about freshman Andrew Keister's stress fracture is that he has only played four games and should be eligible for a medical redshirt.
Simmons' sprained knee should be O.K for conference play if he does not reinjure it, but the reappearance of his cramping problems in the 'Saders last game (George Mason) is a huge concern. With the limited bench Ralph Willard has available, anything that greatly limits Simmons' minutes will be a real problem. And then there is Torey Thomas, who is playing 40 minutes a game on a knee not fully recovered from off-season surgery.
As long as Simmons and Thomas can still walk, Holy Cross will remain one of the top teams in the league. Without them, things could get ugly in a hurry in Worcester.
LAFAYETTE: Scholarships finally arrived in Easton, but it will take more than one recruiting class for the 'Pards to catch up to folks who have had them for years. Six-seven freshman Jesper Andersson has emerged as a threat on the wing, adding to a plethora of outside shooters available to O'Hanlon, but up front the Leopards are as thin as cheap wrapping paper. Matt Betley has given a yeoman's effort as an undersized (6-4) four, but how he will hold up to the constant banging against bigger, stronger guys over the course of the season remains to be seen.
At their best, Lafayette can rain threes. When they don't fall though, the 'Pards are in trouble because they just are not big enough or strong enough to get it done on the boards, as evidenced by the way they have been outrebounded to the tune of almost 10 per game.
The good news for Lafayette fans: Wait until next year actually means something for the 'Pards, who ought to quickly become competitive when O'Hanlon has the talent to compete.
LEHIGH: Just when it seemed Jason Mgebroff was finally realizing the potential he showed as a freshman, the Mountain Hawks big man got hurt. He will return around the second half of the conference schedule, but without him, a young Lehigh team will struggle to compete inside with some of the better frontcourts in the league.
Lucky for Lehigh, those "better frontcourts" are not a commodity much of the conference is blessed with. Luckier still, it was not Jose Olivero who got hurt. At the risk of seeming redundant, as long as the Mountain Hawks have Olivero, they always will have a chance of shooting down any team in the league.
Freshman point guard Marquis Hall has more than lived up to high expectations, giving Lehigh, when Mgebroff is healthy, as good a first five as there is in the league. Depth remains a big question mark though. Add in an inability to win on the road and the Mountain Hawks appear to have their work cut out for them if they want to remain ahead of Army and navy, ;et alone if they want to challenge the league's top teams.
NAVY: Like Army, the Mids are markedly better. Also like Army, their nine non-conference wins thus far have included two over Division III foes and none against any real quality foes. Six of the seven wins over D-Is came against teams with RPI's over 200.
The similarities with their archrivals don't end there. Like Army, Navy has benefited from the presence of a freshman in the post. In this case it is 6-10 Trey Stanton who has filled the void in the middle.
Greg Sprink continues to show he is one fo the league's top offensive threats. Kaleo Kina and Corey Johnson combine with Sprink to form a very good backcourt.
Alumni Hall continues to be one of the league's toughest road venues. The Midshipmen are unlikely to contend for the championship, but they likely will have a lot to say about who will.
All in all, it is shaping up like a very competitive year for a conference that certainly appears to be on its way up.
Labels: Army, AU, BU, CU, HC, Laf, Leh, Navy, notebook
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Friday, December 22, 2006
Reality set in last night for the Black Knights of the Hudson, who saw their six-game win streak crash to a halt at Notre Dame.
After fattening up on the likes of SUNY Purchase and SUNY Maritime in the past week, Army jumped into the deep end against No. 20 Notre Dame and found out it still needs a few swimming lessons, falling 88-47.
The quickie version of the game story goes like this: Army could not make shots all night; Notre Dame hardly missed, and when they did, often they got their own rebound. The Black Knights shot under 40 percent each half, finishing the night 16 for 46 (34.8 percent) from the field. Army made just 3 of 14 three-pointers it tried. Notre Dame, on the other hand, was over 50 percent each half, finishing 31 of 59 (52.5 percent) even though only two of the Irish starters played as many as 25 minutes. The Fighting Irish nailed 15 threes (out of 28 tries) and outrebounded Army 45-22, including a 15-5 margin on the offensive glass.
Indiana native Matt Bell was the only Black Knight to reach double figures, finishing with 15 in his homecoming. Army's leading scorer, Jarrell brown, was 2 for 10 from the field with 5 points, well below his 16.6 ppg average.
Most telling stat: the halftime score was 46-20. Those 46 points were more than Army had allowed in its past three entire games.
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After fattening up on the likes of SUNY Purchase and SUNY Maritime in the past week, Army jumped into the deep end against No. 20 Notre Dame and found out it still needs a few swimming lessons, falling 88-47.
The quickie version of the game story goes like this: Army could not make shots all night; Notre Dame hardly missed, and when they did, often they got their own rebound. The Black Knights shot under 40 percent each half, finishing the night 16 for 46 (34.8 percent) from the field. Army made just 3 of 14 three-pointers it tried. Notre Dame, on the other hand, was over 50 percent each half, finishing 31 of 59 (52.5 percent) even though only two of the Irish starters played as many as 25 minutes. The Fighting Irish nailed 15 threes (out of 28 tries) and outrebounded Army 45-22, including a 15-5 margin on the offensive glass.
Indiana native Matt Bell was the only Black Knight to reach double figures, finishing with 15 in his homecoming. Army's leading scorer, Jarrell brown, was 2 for 10 from the field with 5 points, well below his 16.6 ppg average.
Most telling stat: the halftime score was 46-20. Those 46 points were more than Army had allowed in its past three entire games.
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Thursday, December 21, 2006
Holy Cross hosts George Mason in the marquee game of a strong three-game bill for Patriot League teams tonight that also includes a reality check for Army.
One of the first signs of how good George Mason was going to be last season might have been the 33-point hurt they put on Holy Cross down in Fairfax, Va.
At the time, Mason's 71-38 win over the 'Saders seemed more like a horrendous night for HC than any sort of Mason statement. Of course at the time, the 'Saders were a struggling team that didn't look at all like the ballclub they became by the end of the season. Given the rash of injuries HC was experiencing, that wide final margin seemed more an indication of the Crusaders' woes than Mason's excellence. Nobody dreamt three months later Mason would be in the Final Four.
The team coming into Worcester's DCU Center tonight is not that same Mason team. Jai Lewis, Lamar Butler, and Tony Skinn are gone, Those three -- all fifth-year seniors last season -- combined for 54 points against HC last season. Also gone is Cross' Kevin Hamilton, who the Patriots managed to hold to 11 points on 3 for 12 shooting. Keith Simmons' cramping problems, which were in full effect around this time last year, are also gone (though thankfully for HC, Simmons remains and seems to be OK despite having to wear a brace on the knee he sprained at Duke).
Some things are the same, though. Just like last year, the Crusaders are experiencing a rash of injuries. Pat Doherty is out -- again -- this time with a hand injury instead of the foot problems that sidelined him last season). Lawrence Dixon's surgically repaired knee has been balking and at last report, freshman Andrew Keister was awaiting the results of a scan to determine if he has a stress fracture in one of his legs. No word on the status of Dixon and Keister in the .
One place HC appears to have an advantage is in the frontcourt. Tim Clifford will be easily the biggest dude in the paint. Clifford had a big night in Tuesday's loss at Providence and ought to be able to do the same if A) Mason tries to play him straight-up in man and B) If the quickness of Mason's 6-7 Will Thomas doesn't get Clifford into foul trouble. That will be a matchup to keep an eye on.
With Doherty and Dixon out, the Crusaders don't have a lot of perimeter firepower. This would be a nice spot for sophomore Colin Cunningham to step up.
As for mason, while they are clearly not the team they were a year ago, it would be foolhardy to dismiss their 4-4 record. Take a look at those losses: Duke, Creighton, Wichita State and Bucknell.
One edge for HC: this is Mason's first time out after an 11-day break for finals. Two patterns HC must break: 1) Mason has alternated wins and losses all season and teh Patriots lost last time out (at Duke). 2) Their own three-game losing streak (and four losses in their last five, albeit all against major conference opponents).
Also worth noting: Mason senior Gabe Norwaood and HC freshman Eric Meister both come from the same State College (Pa.) High School. That is also the alma mater of Colgate's Willie Morse.
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Army at No. 20 Notre Dame -- A reality check for Army against a team that appears to be trying to win the Patriot League title.
The Black Knights' 9-2 start has gotten them a mention in the "others receiving" category of the AP Poll. But as nice as it is to see Army finally winning games, how they stack up against the rest of the league is still a big question mark. They have played a string of nobodies since losing to Missouri in the second game of the season. Suffice to say ND is not a SUNY Division 3 team.
Then again, nobody is really sure how good the 9-1 Irish are. Since losing their opener against Butler, ND has run off nine straight wins, a streak that started with a win over Lafayette and includes another win over Lehigh. The Irish also have wins over Alabama and Maryland.
Worth noting: In 2004, a horrendous Army team was up on ND 23-7 early. Doubt the Irish will take the Black Knights lightly.
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Colgate at UC Riverside -- In a 10 p.m. (eastern) nightcap, the Raiders try to get back to .500 against a University of California at Riverside team that is 3-7 and in the midst of a five-game losing streak, albeit against some pretty tough competition.
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One of the first signs of how good George Mason was going to be last season might have been the 33-point hurt they put on Holy Cross down in Fairfax, Va.
At the time, Mason's 71-38 win over the 'Saders seemed more like a horrendous night for HC than any sort of Mason statement. Of course at the time, the 'Saders were a struggling team that didn't look at all like the ballclub they became by the end of the season. Given the rash of injuries HC was experiencing, that wide final margin seemed more an indication of the Crusaders' woes than Mason's excellence. Nobody dreamt three months later Mason would be in the Final Four.
The team coming into Worcester's DCU Center tonight is not that same Mason team. Jai Lewis, Lamar Butler, and Tony Skinn are gone, Those three -- all fifth-year seniors last season -- combined for 54 points against HC last season. Also gone is Cross' Kevin Hamilton, who the Patriots managed to hold to 11 points on 3 for 12 shooting. Keith Simmons' cramping problems, which were in full effect around this time last year, are also gone (though thankfully for HC, Simmons remains and seems to be OK despite having to wear a brace on the knee he sprained at Duke).
Some things are the same, though. Just like last year, the Crusaders are experiencing a rash of injuries. Pat Doherty is out -- again -- this time with a hand injury instead of the foot problems that sidelined him last season). Lawrence Dixon's surgically repaired knee has been balking and at last report, freshman Andrew Keister was awaiting the results of a scan to determine if he has a stress fracture in one of his legs. No word on the status of Dixon and Keister in the .
One place HC appears to have an advantage is in the frontcourt. Tim Clifford will be easily the biggest dude in the paint. Clifford had a big night in Tuesday's loss at Providence and ought to be able to do the same if A) Mason tries to play him straight-up in man and B) If the quickness of Mason's 6-7 Will Thomas doesn't get Clifford into foul trouble. That will be a matchup to keep an eye on.
With Doherty and Dixon out, the Crusaders don't have a lot of perimeter firepower. This would be a nice spot for sophomore Colin Cunningham to step up.
As for mason, while they are clearly not the team they were a year ago, it would be foolhardy to dismiss their 4-4 record. Take a look at those losses: Duke, Creighton, Wichita State and Bucknell.
One edge for HC: this is Mason's first time out after an 11-day break for finals. Two patterns HC must break: 1) Mason has alternated wins and losses all season and teh Patriots lost last time out (at Duke). 2) Their own three-game losing streak (and four losses in their last five, albeit all against major conference opponents).
Also worth noting: Mason senior Gabe Norwaood and HC freshman Eric Meister both come from the same State College (Pa.) High School. That is also the alma mater of Colgate's Willie Morse.
| (on Mason)
Army at No. 20 Notre Dame -- A reality check for Army against a team that appears to be trying to win the Patriot League title.
The Black Knights' 9-2 start has gotten them a mention in the "others receiving" category of the AP Poll. But as nice as it is to see Army finally winning games, how they stack up against the rest of the league is still a big question mark. They have played a string of nobodies since losing to Missouri in the second game of the season. Suffice to say ND is not a SUNY Division 3 team.
Then again, nobody is really sure how good the 9-1 Irish are. Since losing their opener against Butler, ND has run off nine straight wins, a streak that started with a win over Lafayette and includes another win over Lehigh. The Irish also have wins over Alabama and Maryland.
Worth noting: In 2004, a horrendous Army team was up on ND 23-7 early. Doubt the Irish will take the Black Knights lightly.
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Colgate at UC Riverside -- In a 10 p.m. (eastern) nightcap, the Raiders try to get back to .500 against a University of California at Riverside team that is 3-7 and in the midst of a five-game losing streak, albeit against some pretty tough competition.
Labels: Army, CU, HC, previews
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Tuesday, December 19, 2006
Another Division 3 foe bites the dust in the Black Knights 92-42 win over SUNY Maritime. Even senior Jimmy Sewell scored 10 points, his first double figures game since he scored 11 against Holy Cross as a sophomore. Army gets a true test Thursday when it travels to Notre Dame.
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Monday, December 18, 2006
Holy Cross stays at No. 18, but for the first time this season, Bucknell has dropped out of the .
The Bison are still in the "others receiving votes" category, with 34 points (unofficially No. 35). The voting in the poll rather curious in some respects. Navy, which was beaten soundly at home by Penn, received 53 points (unofficial No. 31); Penn only got 18. Army was the top others receiving team with 74 points. American also received 6.
In the : Army again received a vote in the AP poll; No Patriot League votes in the ESPN-USA Today poll.
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The Bison are still in the "others receiving votes" category, with 34 points (unofficially No. 35). The voting in the poll rather curious in some respects. Navy, which was beaten soundly at home by Penn, received 53 points (unofficial No. 31); Penn only got 18. Army was the top others receiving team with 74 points. American also received 6.
In the : Army again received a vote in the AP poll; No Patriot League votes in the ESPN-USA Today poll.
Labels: Army, AU, BU, HC, Navy
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The only game tonight features SUNY Maritime at Army in another exciting game mismatch. Army could beat up on the sea scouts when the Black Knights couldn't beat anybody else. This one could get ugly. No sense linking to the matchup -- nothing in there about Maritime.
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Sunday, December 17, 2006
The Black Knights improved to 8-2 with a over a team with nobody taller than 6-5 on its roster. How lopsided was the win? Even Jimmy Sewell got to play 7 minutes for the Black Knights. ()
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Saturday, December 16, 2006
Two games on tap this afternoon; one that actually matters. Bucknell ends a 12-day break for finals with a trip to Ithaca to meet Cornell in the annual battle of the 'nells. Also back in action: Army hosting Division 3 SUNY Purchase.
Ealier in the season, the looked a lot more interesting. Cornell won three of its first four, including an opening-night win over Northwestern of the Big Ten. The Big Red also beat Army in that span (the loss came at Lehigh). But star guard Adam Gore went down for the season with a torn ACL on Nov. 14 and since the, Cornell has struggled, going 2-4.
Cornell's record could be a little deceiving, though. Toss out a 19-point loss at Lehigh, and the three other losses came by a combined 8 points, the widest margin being a 5-point overtime loss at William & Mary the last time out (Dec. 2).
Bucknell has won the last three meetings between the two, including an 83-39 shellacking last season that you can bet Cornell would love to avenge.
(Times Herald-Record)
Bonus link:
(Patriot-Ledger)
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Ealier in the season, the looked a lot more interesting. Cornell won three of its first four, including an opening-night win over Northwestern of the Big Ten. The Big Red also beat Army in that span (the loss came at Lehigh). But star guard Adam Gore went down for the season with a torn ACL on Nov. 14 and since the, Cornell has struggled, going 2-4.
Cornell's record could be a little deceiving, though. Toss out a 19-point loss at Lehigh, and the three other losses came by a combined 8 points, the widest margin being a 5-point overtime loss at William & Mary the last time out (Dec. 2).
Bucknell has won the last three meetings between the two, including an 83-39 shellacking last season that you can bet Cornell would love to avenge.
Bonus link:
Labels: Army, BU, HC, previews
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Tuesday, December 12, 2006
In Monday's update of the : Holy Cross down one spot to No. 18; Bucknell drops to No. 22. Still receiving votes: American, Navy and Army.
No league teams in either the Army receiving one vote in the latest . No votes for league teams in the . (Correction thanks to Ken D., who noticed ESPN.com had cut off Army on its list of others receiving votes in the AP poll.)
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Labels: Army, AU, BU, HC, Navy
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