Co-Conspirators
• Mid Majority• Basketball U
• Blue Ribbon
• Yoco Hoops
• Ken Pomeroy
• College Hoops Net
• Coach Ralph
• Hoops Junkie
• ACC Basketblog
• Hawkeye Hoops
Talk Hoops
• Basketball U. boards• Army board
• Bucknell Board
• Colgate Board
• HC Hoops Board
• Lafayette Board
• Lehigh Board
• PL Hoops Board
Official Sites
• Patriot League men• American
• Army
• Bucknell
• Colgate
• Holy Cross
• Lafayette
• Lehigh
• Navy
Sunday, January 06, 2008
(Originally posted 8:46 p.m., links added at 8:59 a.m.)
Adam May scored 9 of his 12 points in overtime to lift Holy Cross to a come-from-ahead, come-from-behind 67-63 win Saturday at San Francisco.
It was 33-8, Holy Cross, at the intermission after a first half where the Crusaders shot and held San Francisco to 4 for 28 from the field (14.3 percent). The second half, though, was a turnaround. The 'Saders cooled to 6 for 16 (37.5 percent) while the Dons hit 16 of 28 (57.1 percent)m including 5 of 7 from three-point range.
Two of those threes came off the hand of Manny Quezada in the last two minutes, erasing a 6-point HC lead and sending the game to OT.
San Francisco scored the first six points in the OT, then May got it going. May scored 5 in an 8-0 HC run. Then, when the Dons tied it, he hit a jumper to give HC the lead for good. Just to make sure his efforts were not for naught, May scored the final points of the game by going coast-to-coast after a late steal.
The Crusaders played without starting power forward Alex Vander Baan. HC radio attributed his absence to back spasms. Point guard Pat Doherty also left early with what was reported on radio to be an ankle injury.
Colin Cunningham was also injured late in the game. Doherty came in long enough to shoot free throws (missing both) for Cunningham, who was injured while being fouled. Cunningham's injury did not seem serious. He returned later.
Tim Clifford led HC with 17 points. Doherty had 16 when he went down.
Holy Cross is at Maryland Tuesday in its final non-conference tune-up before opening league play Saturday at Lafayette
Box score | Sacramento Bee | SF Chronicle | Telegram & Gazette
Read Full Post
Adam May scored 9 of his 12 points in overtime to lift Holy Cross to a come-from-ahead, come-from-behind 67-63 win Saturday at San Francisco.
It was 33-8, Holy Cross, at the intermission after a first half where the Crusaders shot and held San Francisco to 4 for 28 from the field (14.3 percent). The second half, though, was a turnaround. The 'Saders cooled to 6 for 16 (37.5 percent) while the Dons hit 16 of 28 (57.1 percent)m including 5 of 7 from three-point range.
Two of those threes came off the hand of Manny Quezada in the last two minutes, erasing a 6-point HC lead and sending the game to OT.
San Francisco scored the first six points in the OT, then May got it going. May scored 5 in an 8-0 HC run. Then, when the Dons tied it, he hit a jumper to give HC the lead for good. Just to make sure his efforts were not for naught, May scored the final points of the game by going coast-to-coast after a late steal.
The Crusaders played without starting power forward Alex Vander Baan. HC radio attributed his absence to back spasms. Point guard Pat Doherty also left early with what was reported on radio to be an ankle injury.
Colin Cunningham was also injured late in the game. Doherty came in long enough to shoot free throws (missing both) for Cunningham, who was injured while being fouled. Cunningham's injury did not seem serious. He returned later.
Tim Clifford led HC with 17 points. Doherty had 16 when he went down.
Holy Cross is at Maryland Tuesday in its final non-conference tune-up before opening league play Saturday at Lafayette
Box score | Sacramento Bee | SF Chronicle | Telegram & Gazette
Labels: games, Holy Cross
Read Full Post
Saturday, January 05, 2008
No sense spending time on previews when we don't know if they will show up on the site before the games are played. Better to spend that time trying to find a solution to the ongoing problems with the Blogger publishing platform.
In the meantime, here are some readaround links, with a decided purple tint:
The storyline for the Holy Cross at San Francisco game is former Oklahoma State coach Eddie Sutton, who took over as the Dons interim coach Dec. 26:
No scolds barred as Sutton readies USF for his Hilltop debut (SF Chronicle)
Meanwhile, looking ahead . . . Who'd a thunk we'd ever think see the day the Washington Post's Maryland writer would refer to a Patriot League team coming to visit as "a difficult home game" --
With ACC Play Looming, All of the Terps' Games Count (Washington Post)
Dons' Sutton (raspy) voice of doom (Contra Costa Times)
Sutton's task at USF his biggest challenge yet (San Jose Mercury-News)
Looking back, Ralph Willard recaps the Crusaders recent losses in his most recent post
CoachRalphWillard.com
Despite those losses, Stephen Miller of the Morning Call is still high on the 'Saders' future:
Crusaders are team to beat in Patriot League (Morning Call)
Meanwhile down in the Valley:
Brett Reed Q&A (Morning Call)
Lehigh's lone senior is leader by example (Express-Times)
Want more Brett Reed? Subscribe to Lehigh's Brett Reed Report podcasts.
Latest Brett Reed Report podcast (You will need iTunes. Get it free here)
Read Full Post
In the meantime, here are some readaround links, with a decided purple tint:
The storyline for the Holy Cross at San Francisco game is former Oklahoma State coach Eddie Sutton, who took over as the Dons interim coach Dec. 26:
Meanwhile, looking ahead . . . Who'd a thunk we'd ever think see the day the Washington Post's Maryland writer would refer to a Patriot League team coming to visit as "a difficult home game" --
Looking back, Ralph Willard recaps the Crusaders recent losses in his most recent post
Despite those losses, Stephen Miller of the Morning Call is still high on the 'Saders' future:
Meanwhile down in the Valley:
Want more Brett Reed? Subscribe to Lehigh's Brett Reed Report podcasts.
Labels: American, Holy Cross, Lehigh
Read Full Post
Thursday, January 03, 2008
Holy Cross snapped its two-game losing streak with a 65-62 win Wednesday over Boston University.
Pat Doherty scored a career-high 20 points, including 4 key free throws in the final 15 seconds, to lead HC. The win was the Crusaders' 23rd straight in the Hart Center.
Tim Clifford added 16 points and 8 rebounds before fouling out with 15 seconds left. Colin Cunningham added 16, including 4 threes.
Holy Cross led 21-20 at the half, despite shooting just 6 for 20 (30 percent) in the opening 20 minutes. The Crusaders heated up after intermission, shooting 60.9 percent (14-23) in the second half to finish the game 20 of 43 (46.5 percent). HC was 7 for 16 from the arc, 18 of 24 from the charity stripe.
BU finished 19 for 45 from the field (42.2 percent), 11 of 24 from three-point range and 13 of 19 at the foul line.
Box score | Telegram & Gazette | Boston Herald
Read Full Post
Pat Doherty scored a career-high 20 points, including 4 key free throws in the final 15 seconds, to lead HC. The win was the Crusaders' 23rd straight in the Hart Center.
Tim Clifford added 16 points and 8 rebounds before fouling out with 15 seconds left. Colin Cunningham added 16, including 4 threes.
Holy Cross led 21-20 at the half, despite shooting just 6 for 20 (30 percent) in the opening 20 minutes. The Crusaders heated up after intermission, shooting 60.9 percent (14-23) in the second half to finish the game 20 of 43 (46.5 percent). HC was 7 for 16 from the arc, 18 of 24 from the charity stripe.
BU finished 19 for 45 from the field (42.2 percent), 11 of 24 from three-point range and 13 of 19 at the foul line.
Box score | Telegram & Gazette | Boston Herald
Labels: games, Holy Cross
Read Full Post
Monday, December 31, 2007
Both teams made 25 field goals, but Sacred Heart made 10 three-pointers to hand the Crusaders a 61-58 setback Sunday.
It was the second loss in as many games for Holy Cross (7-3), which shot the ball well, but allowed Sacred Heart (5-8) to do the same. Both teams were 25 for 48 (52.1 percent) from the field. Holy Cross had an edge at the foul line, hitting 5 of 9 free throws while the Pioneers shot just 2 foul shots and made only 1. But SH was 10 for 23 from the arc, while HC was 3 for 10 from long range.
Tim Clifford had 24 points for Holy Cross, and 7 rebounds, 6 on the offensive glass. The last of those caroms came after Colin Cunningham (10 points) missed a three that would have tied the game with 2 seconds to go.
Clifford got the ball to Adam May, but May's try from the arc was blocked, giving Sacred Heart its fifth win of the season.
Holy Cross held a 27-20 edge on the boards, and had 12 offensive rebounds to 9 for Sacred Heart. But one of those nine proved to be the key down the stretch for Sacred Heart.
After Holy Cross cut the Pioneers' lead to 59-58 on a Cunningham layup with 1:27 to go, the Crusaders got the stop they needed when Chauncey Hardy missed a jumper with 57 seconds left. But SH's Brice Brooks came up with the offensive board, leading to a Drew Shubik bucket with 21 seconds to play that forced HC to go for a three on its last possession.
The Crusaders trailed by as many as 9 in the first half before battling back to take a 29-28 lead at the intermission. HC led by as many as 6 early in the second half, and was still up 49-46 with 8:28 to go when SH went on an 8-1 run to take the lead for good. The game featured five ties and four lead changes, with neither team ever managing to push its advantage to double digits.
The win was Sacred Heart's fifth in its last seven games after an 0-6 start.
Box score | AP | Telegram & Gazette | Connecticut Post
Read Full Post
It was the second loss in as many games for Holy Cross (7-3), which shot the ball well, but allowed Sacred Heart (5-8) to do the same. Both teams were 25 for 48 (52.1 percent) from the field. Holy Cross had an edge at the foul line, hitting 5 of 9 free throws while the Pioneers shot just 2 foul shots and made only 1. But SH was 10 for 23 from the arc, while HC was 3 for 10 from long range.
Tim Clifford had 24 points for Holy Cross, and 7 rebounds, 6 on the offensive glass. The last of those caroms came after Colin Cunningham (10 points) missed a three that would have tied the game with 2 seconds to go.
Clifford got the ball to Adam May, but May's try from the arc was blocked, giving Sacred Heart its fifth win of the season.
Holy Cross held a 27-20 edge on the boards, and had 12 offensive rebounds to 9 for Sacred Heart. But one of those nine proved to be the key down the stretch for Sacred Heart.
After Holy Cross cut the Pioneers' lead to 59-58 on a Cunningham layup with 1:27 to go, the Crusaders got the stop they needed when Chauncey Hardy missed a jumper with 57 seconds left. But SH's Brice Brooks came up with the offensive board, leading to a Drew Shubik bucket with 21 seconds to play that forced HC to go for a three on its last possession.
The Crusaders trailed by as many as 9 in the first half before battling back to take a 29-28 lead at the intermission. HC led by as many as 6 early in the second half, and was still up 49-46 with 8:28 to go when SH went on an 8-1 run to take the lead for good. The game featured five ties and four lead changes, with neither team ever managing to push its advantage to double digits.
The win was Sacred Heart's fifth in its last seven games after an 0-6 start.
Box score | AP | Telegram & Gazette | Connecticut Post
Labels: games, Holy Cross
Read Full Post
Sunday, December 30, 2007
A pair of afternoon games on today's three-game schedule, starting with Colgate at New Hampshire at 1 p.m. That game is followed by Holy Cross at Sacred Heart at 4 p.m. Lafayette closes the day with a 7 p.m. start at Robert Morris in the first of two games in the Pittsburgh area in four days for the Leopards, who will stay in western Pa. to meet Pitt Wednesday.
SCOUTING NEW HAMPSHIRE: Now in his third season at UNH, former Drexel and East Carolina head coach Bill Herrion is finding it tough to turn the Wildcats program around. Winners of 22 games total his first two seasons, New Hampshire is on a similar pace after losing its last six in a row, turning a 3-1 start into its current 3-7 mark.
The Wildcats are 2-3 at home, but have lost the last three in a row in Detrick Gymnasium.
that UNH has actually outscored its opponents this season, averaging 71.8 points per game while allowing 71.3, is a statistical oddity brought about by a 49-point win over Division III Suffolk and a tendency to play close in losses. Only one loss came by more than 11 points and four of the Wildcats' setbacks have been by six or less points.
Four players average in double figures -- 6-2 junior Tyrece Gibbs (13.5 ppg), 6-8 senior Mike Christensen (13.1 ppg), 6-1 junior Eric Gilchrese (11.8 ppg) and 6-1 freshman Alvin Abreu (11.8 ppg). Gibbs is the top three-point threat, averaging 2.5 per game and hitting at a 43.1 percent clip from the arc.
BONUS LINKS:
New Hampshire stats
Livestats
SCOUTING SACRED HEART: After an 0-6 start, the Pioneers have begun to come around, winning four of their last six, the two losses coming on the road to Providence and Boston College by a combined 10 points.
Drew Skukik, a 6-4 senior, leads Sacred Heart with 11.6 points and 6 rebounds per game. Brice Brooke, a 6-7 senior, averages 10.7 ppg.
BONUS LINKS:
Sacred Heart stats
Sacred Heart game notes
SCOUTING ROBERT MORRIS: The Colonials are 7-5 under first-year head coach Mike Rice, who came to RMU after serving as Jamie Dixon's top assistant at Pitt.
Tony Lee leads Robert Morris. The 6-0 senior guard is the team's top rebounder (7.3 rpg), top assists man (7.6 apg) and second-leading scorer (14.3 ppg.) He also teams with 6-8 sophomore Jeremy Chappell to give opposing offenses fits. Lee leads the Northeast Conference with 3.25 steals per game. Chappell is second with 2.9 per game. Chappell also scores a team-high 16.7 ppg.
A.J. Jackson, a 6-6 senior, is averaging 13.3 ppg.
Sophomore point guard Jimmy Langhurst is averaging 10.9 ppg and has hit 13 of 20 from the arc in the Colonials' last three games. Over the last seven games he has dished out 31 assists while turning the ball over just 10 times.
While Langhurst has been taking good care of the ball, others have struggled for RMU. The Colonials average 18.4 turnovers per game, which puts a damper on an offense that is shooting 47.1 percent from the field.
In RMU's five losses, opponents have averaged 26 points per game off RMU turnovers. In its seven wins, opponents have scored 17.4 points per game off Colonials' giveaways.
BONUS LINKS:
Robert Morris stats
Robert Morris game notes
The spotlight has a way of always finding RMU's Lee (Ppost-Gazette)
Duquesne, RMU prepare for quick returns (Tribune-Review)
Brown typifies Lafayette (Express-Times)
Read Full Post
SCOUTING NEW HAMPSHIRE: Now in his third season at UNH, former Drexel and East Carolina head coach Bill Herrion is finding it tough to turn the Wildcats program around. Winners of 22 games total his first two seasons, New Hampshire is on a similar pace after losing its last six in a row, turning a 3-1 start into its current 3-7 mark.
The Wildcats are 2-3 at home, but have lost the last three in a row in Detrick Gymnasium.
that UNH has actually outscored its opponents this season, averaging 71.8 points per game while allowing 71.3, is a statistical oddity brought about by a 49-point win over Division III Suffolk and a tendency to play close in losses. Only one loss came by more than 11 points and four of the Wildcats' setbacks have been by six or less points.
Four players average in double figures -- 6-2 junior Tyrece Gibbs (13.5 ppg), 6-8 senior Mike Christensen (13.1 ppg), 6-1 junior Eric Gilchrese (11.8 ppg) and 6-1 freshman Alvin Abreu (11.8 ppg). Gibbs is the top three-point threat, averaging 2.5 per game and hitting at a 43.1 percent clip from the arc.
BONUS LINKS:
SCOUTING SACRED HEART: After an 0-6 start, the Pioneers have begun to come around, winning four of their last six, the two losses coming on the road to Providence and Boston College by a combined 10 points.
Drew Skukik, a 6-4 senior, leads Sacred Heart with 11.6 points and 6 rebounds per game. Brice Brooke, a 6-7 senior, averages 10.7 ppg.
BONUS LINKS:
SCOUTING ROBERT MORRIS: The Colonials are 7-5 under first-year head coach Mike Rice, who came to RMU after serving as Jamie Dixon's top assistant at Pitt.
Tony Lee leads Robert Morris. The 6-0 senior guard is the team's top rebounder (7.3 rpg), top assists man (7.6 apg) and second-leading scorer (14.3 ppg.) He also teams with 6-8 sophomore Jeremy Chappell to give opposing offenses fits. Lee leads the Northeast Conference with 3.25 steals per game. Chappell is second with 2.9 per game. Chappell also scores a team-high 16.7 ppg.
A.J. Jackson, a 6-6 senior, is averaging 13.3 ppg.
Sophomore point guard Jimmy Langhurst is averaging 10.9 ppg and has hit 13 of 20 from the arc in the Colonials' last three games. Over the last seven games he has dished out 31 assists while turning the ball over just 10 times.
While Langhurst has been taking good care of the ball, others have struggled for RMU. The Colonials average 18.4 turnovers per game, which puts a damper on an offense that is shooting 47.1 percent from the field.
In RMU's five losses, opponents have averaged 26 points per game off RMU turnovers. In its seven wins, opponents have scored 17.4 points per game off Colonials' giveaways.
BONUS LINKS:
Labels: Colgate, Holy Cross, Lafayette
Read Full Post
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 CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major top 25. 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.
Read Full Post
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 CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major top 25. 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
Read Full Post
Sunday, December 23, 2007
Holy Cross managed to force overtime, but faltered once it got there in a loss at Siena.
Tim Clifford (26 points) hit a pair of three-pointers in the final 12 seconds of regulation, giving the Crusaders (7-2) a chance to pull out a game in which it trailed most of the afternoon. But once it reached the extra session, Holy Cross went cold, missing its first six shots to allow Siena to pull away for good.
Siena (6-3) jumped to a 75-70 lead. Then, unlike regulation, where it missed three foul shots in the final minute to allow HC to send the game to OT, the Saints made 9 of 10 at the stripe to seal it.
Clifford led four Holy Cross players in double figures. Colin Cunningham and Pat Doherty each added 15 and Alex Vander Baan had 13 for the Crusaders, who went 27 for 62 (43.5 percent) from the field and turned the ball over 17 times.
Siena's Edwin Ubiles went 11 of 13 from the field lo lead all scorers with 29. Ubiles scored 22 of his points after the intermission. The Saints went 27 of 53 (50.9 percent) from the field and hit 25 of 32 free throws.
Box score | Worcester Telegram & Gazette | Albany Times-Union (gamer) | Albany Times-Union (sidebar)
Read Full Post
Tim Clifford (26 points) hit a pair of three-pointers in the final 12 seconds of regulation, giving the Crusaders (7-2) a chance to pull out a game in which it trailed most of the afternoon. But once it reached the extra session, Holy Cross went cold, missing its first six shots to allow Siena to pull away for good.
Siena (6-3) jumped to a 75-70 lead. Then, unlike regulation, where it missed three foul shots in the final minute to allow HC to send the game to OT, the Saints made 9 of 10 at the stripe to seal it.
Clifford led four Holy Cross players in double figures. Colin Cunningham and Pat Doherty each added 15 and Alex Vander Baan had 13 for the Crusaders, who went 27 for 62 (43.5 percent) from the field and turned the ball over 17 times.
Siena's Edwin Ubiles went 11 of 13 from the field lo lead all scorers with 29. Ubiles scored 22 of his points after the intermission. The Saints went 27 of 53 (50.9 percent) from the field and hit 25 of 32 free throws.
Box score | Worcester Telegram & Gazette | Albany Times-Union (gamer) | Albany Times-Union (sidebar)
Labels: games, Holy Cross
Read Full Post
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 w00t.
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.
BONUS LINKS:
Maryland stats
Maryland game notes
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.
BONUS LINKS:
Dartmouth stats
Dartmouth game notes
Gametracker
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.
BONUS LINKS:
Siena stats
Siena game notes
Albany Times Union Siena page
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.
BONUS LINKS:
Drexel stats
Drexel game notes
Philly.com Drexel page
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.
BONUS LINKS:
UMES stats
UMES game notes
Read Full Post
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.
BONUS LINKS:
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.
BONUS LINKS:
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.
BONUS LINKS:
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.
BONUS LINKS:
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.
BONUS LINKS:
Labels: American, Army, Bucknell, Holy Cross, Navy, previews
Read Full Post
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
Topping this morning's readaround, word from Worcester on an injury to a key Holy Cross reserve.
Jen Toland of the Telegram & Gazette reports Holy Cross sophomore big man Eric Meister will miss four to six weeks after breaking a bone in his left hand. Meister's injury is similar to one suffered last season by Pat Doherty.
Meister has been playing almost 20 minutes a game, spelling center Tim Clifford and four-man Alex Vander Baan. He has averaged 5 points and 4.6 rebounds per game.
In other league news:
Doherty off to fast start -- Holy Cross point guard Pat Doherty's hometown paper looks at his season to date.
Dick Jerardi's hoops column in the Philly Daily News includes a few Patriot-League reference
Sports information director leaving Cal U -- That is California, Pa., not Berkley. Why do we care about the SID at a Division II school in western Pa.? Because that guy is former Patriot League media relations director Tom Byrnes. Byrnes is leaving California to become the first-ever full-time commissioner of the Division III Capital Athletic Conference
Read Full Post
Jen Toland of the Telegram & Gazette reports Holy Cross sophomore big man Eric Meister will miss four to six weeks after breaking a bone in his left hand. Meister's injury is similar to one suffered last season by Pat Doherty.
Meister has been playing almost 20 minutes a game, spelling center Tim Clifford and four-man Alex Vander Baan. He has averaged 5 points and 4.6 rebounds per game.
In other league news:
Labels: Bucknell, Holy Cross
Read Full Post
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 latest Mid-Major Top 25. 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 two major Top 25 polls. 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.
BONU LINK:
In his latest update on CoachRalph.com, 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
Read Full Post
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 latest Mid-Major Top 25. 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 two major Top 25 polls. 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.
BONU LINK:
Labels: American, Army, Bucknell, Colgate, Holy Cross, Lafayette, Lehigh, Navy, notebook
Read Full Post
Sunday, December 09, 2007
Is this guy the not-so=litle brother of this guy?
The first link goes to a New York Daily News account of a prep game in the New York City area. The headline "Holy Cross prevails in double OT" made the story show up in one of our preset searches. The summary, which included the name "Tim Beinert," immediately aroused our curiosity. We began scurrying to see if this was a relation to Andrew Beinert, a freshman for a different Holy Cross.
It appears that is the case. Andrew Beinert's profile in the Holy Cross (Worcester) media guide says he has a brother named Tim. Although they play at different high schools -- Andrew played at Chaminade on Long Island, Tim for Holy Cross, but they did play together in AAU ball for the Long Island Lightning. They also bear a strong resemblence in pics on this page, although Tim is a 6-6 forward and Andrew a 6-2 guard.
An uncommitted senior, the CAA Insider site says Tim Beinert has no offers, but has drawn interest from Lafayette and Lehigh, as well as some non-Patriot League schools.
Read Full Post
The first link goes to a New York Daily News account of a prep game in the New York City area. The headline "Holy Cross prevails in double OT" made the story show up in one of our preset searches. The summary, which included the name "Tim Beinert," immediately aroused our curiosity. We began scurrying to see if this was a relation to Andrew Beinert, a freshman for a different Holy Cross.
It appears that is the case. Andrew Beinert's profile in the Holy Cross (Worcester) media guide says he has a brother named Tim. Although they play at different high schools -- Andrew played at Chaminade on Long Island, Tim for Holy Cross, but they did play together in AAU ball for the Long Island Lightning. They also bear a strong resemblence in pics on this page, although Tim is a 6-6 forward and Andrew a 6-2 guard.
An uncommitted senior, the CAA Insider site says Tim Beinert has no offers, but has drawn interest from Lafayette and Lehigh, as well as some non-Patriot League schools.
Labels: Holy Cross, Lafayette, Lehigh, recruiting
Read Full Post
Wednesday, December 05, 2007
(Originally posted Tues. at 10:38 p.m., links added at 8:17 a.m.)
When Tim Clifford is on the floor, Holy Cross is a very good basketball team. Good enough to build enough cushion to survive his absence for 10 minutes of the second half in a 71-66 win at Saint Joe's.
By CHRIS A. COUROGEN
OF HOOP TIME
PHILADELPHIA -- It will be a while until Holy Cross plays another basketball game. Last night's matchup at Saint Joseph's was the Crusaders final outing until after finals. But the Crusaders can feel pretty good about themselves for the next 17 days after beating a very good Saint Joseph's by a 71-66 margin.
Tim Clifford and Alex Vander Baan each chipped in 16 points. Kyle Cruze added 13, including a trio of huge second half three-pointers that helped keep the Hawks at bay. Freshman Andrew Beinert added 10 points to give the Crusaders four players in double figures for just the second time all season.
The team shot 50 percent from the field, something it has done just two other times during their 7-1 start. They dished out 22 assists and only turned the ball over 11 times, overall an impressive offensive showing.
Don't let those numbers fool you, though. Holy Cross still won the way it usually does, with lockdown defense.
After the game, Saint Joe's coach Phil Martelli tried shouldering some of the blame, saying he had not prepared his team well enough to attack Holy Cross' 2-3 zone. Truth be told, it was hardly Martelli's fault. He was not the one who went 0 for 11 through the first 15 minutes of the game. It was not Martelli who finished the half 3 for 16 from the field. Certainly he was not the one unable to get the ball inside to All-Atlantic 10 center Ahmad Nivins, who was an offensive non-factor all night.
Credit for much of Saint Joseph's offensive shortcomings is easy to blame, Just put it on the shoulders of the biggest man on the floor -- HC's own senior center, Tim Clifford, who thoroughly outplayed Nivins despite spending a large chunk of the second half on the bench in foul trouble.
Clifford finished the night 8 for 12 from the field, with 7 rebounds, a pair of blocks and a steal. But his biggest contribution shows in Nivins line, where it says the Hawks' star only shot the ball three times, and only made one.
"We were running a 2-3 zone and that is pretty tough on any post man," said Clifford, humbly trying to share the credit with the rest of his team. There are plenty such kudos to spread around, but for the moment, let's concentrate on Clifford, who foiled Bivins all night by keeping a big body on him from behind, with a hand in front of him denying any entry pass the ball.
"I pretty much frustrated him by not letting him get the ball," Clifford said. "If a guy can't tough the ball, he can't score. He can't hurt you."
When Clifford was on the floor, it seemed nobody in a Saint Joe's jersey could hurt Holy Cross in the paint. Up until Clifford picked up his fourth personal with 15:41 to go in the game, on a foul that should have gone against Colin Cunningham, Saint Joe's had scored just one two-point bucket all night. When Clifford sat down, with HC leading by 14, Saint Joe's began attacking the paint. It also started getting some better looks around the arc.
How big is the difference? Ask HC coach Ralph Willard.
"It's huge. Tim takes up so much space. He blocks shots. He changes shots. It also allows us to extend on the perimeter, knowing he is back there if somebody gets beat. When he is in the game, he really extends our defense," Willard said.
If you'd prefer a statistical answer to that question, consider this: While Clifford was on the floor in the second half, Saint Joe's was 8 for 21 from the field. While Clifford was on the bench, they hit 9 of 13.
Clifford was not the only hero. Senior guard Kyle Cruze scored 11 of his 13 in the second half, helping take up some of the offensive slack while Clifford was on the bench. Cruze hit three treys, each seeming to come at crucial moments when the Crusaders needed an answer. Vander Baan also had a pair of big second half threes when Clifford's absence forced HC's offense outside.
The rest of the team helped a little on the defensive end, too. Holy Cross opened the game with a 12-0 run and built the lead to 23-6 before Saint Joe's hit its first field goal of the night, a three by Tasheed Carr. At the half it was 34-21, HC, after the Crusaders held the Hawks to three field goals -- all three-pointers -- in the first 20 minutes. Saint Joe's needed a meaningless three-pointer at the end of the game to avoid shooting below 40 percent for the second time this season. Only Gonzaga, which held the Hawks to 31.7 percent here last week, has defended Saint Joe's better.
Pat Calathes, Saint Joe's 6-10 matchup nightmare at the small forward, finished with 19 points to lead the Hawks, all in the second half, 15 coming during the stretch when Clifford was sitting.
Holy Cross can feel good about this one for a long time. They don't play again until Dec. 22, when they travel to Siena.
Box score | Gameblog | Philly Daily News | Philly Inquirer
Read Full Post
When Tim Clifford is on the floor, Holy Cross is a very good basketball team. Good enough to build enough cushion to survive his absence for 10 minutes of the second half in a 71-66 win at Saint Joe's.
By CHRIS A. COUROGEN
OF HOOP TIME
PHILADELPHIA -- It will be a while until Holy Cross plays another basketball game. Last night's matchup at Saint Joseph's was the Crusaders final outing until after finals. But the Crusaders can feel pretty good about themselves for the next 17 days after beating a very good Saint Joseph's by a 71-66 margin.
Tim Clifford and Alex Vander Baan each chipped in 16 points. Kyle Cruze added 13, including a trio of huge second half three-pointers that helped keep the Hawks at bay. Freshman Andrew Beinert added 10 points to give the Crusaders four players in double figures for just the second time all season.
The team shot 50 percent from the field, something it has done just two other times during their 7-1 start. They dished out 22 assists and only turned the ball over 11 times, overall an impressive offensive showing.
Don't let those numbers fool you, though. Holy Cross still won the way it usually does, with lockdown defense.
After the game, Saint Joe's coach Phil Martelli tried shouldering some of the blame, saying he had not prepared his team well enough to attack Holy Cross' 2-3 zone. Truth be told, it was hardly Martelli's fault. He was not the one who went 0 for 11 through the first 15 minutes of the game. It was not Martelli who finished the half 3 for 16 from the field. Certainly he was not the one unable to get the ball inside to All-Atlantic 10 center Ahmad Nivins, who was an offensive non-factor all night.
Credit for much of Saint Joseph's offensive shortcomings is easy to blame, Just put it on the shoulders of the biggest man on the floor -- HC's own senior center, Tim Clifford, who thoroughly outplayed Nivins despite spending a large chunk of the second half on the bench in foul trouble.
Clifford finished the night 8 for 12 from the field, with 7 rebounds, a pair of blocks and a steal. But his biggest contribution shows in Nivins line, where it says the Hawks' star only shot the ball three times, and only made one.
"We were running a 2-3 zone and that is pretty tough on any post man," said Clifford, humbly trying to share the credit with the rest of his team. There are plenty such kudos to spread around, but for the moment, let's concentrate on Clifford, who foiled Bivins all night by keeping a big body on him from behind, with a hand in front of him denying any entry pass the ball.
"I pretty much frustrated him by not letting him get the ball," Clifford said. "If a guy can't tough the ball, he can't score. He can't hurt you."
When Clifford was on the floor, it seemed nobody in a Saint Joe's jersey could hurt Holy Cross in the paint. Up until Clifford picked up his fourth personal with 15:41 to go in the game, on a foul that should have gone against Colin Cunningham, Saint Joe's had scored just one two-point bucket all night. When Clifford sat down, with HC leading by 14, Saint Joe's began attacking the paint. It also started getting some better looks around the arc.
How big is the difference? Ask HC coach Ralph Willard.
"It's huge. Tim takes up so much space. He blocks shots. He changes shots. It also allows us to extend on the perimeter, knowing he is back there if somebody gets beat. When he is in the game, he really extends our defense," Willard said.
If you'd prefer a statistical answer to that question, consider this: While Clifford was on the floor in the second half, Saint Joe's was 8 for 21 from the field. While Clifford was on the bench, they hit 9 of 13.
Clifford was not the only hero. Senior guard Kyle Cruze scored 11 of his 13 in the second half, helping take up some of the offensive slack while Clifford was on the bench. Cruze hit three treys, each seeming to come at crucial moments when the Crusaders needed an answer. Vander Baan also had a pair of big second half threes when Clifford's absence forced HC's offense outside.
The rest of the team helped a little on the defensive end, too. Holy Cross opened the game with a 12-0 run and built the lead to 23-6 before Saint Joe's hit its first field goal of the night, a three by Tasheed Carr. At the half it was 34-21, HC, after the Crusaders held the Hawks to three field goals -- all three-pointers -- in the first 20 minutes. Saint Joe's needed a meaningless three-pointer at the end of the game to avoid shooting below 40 percent for the second time this season. Only Gonzaga, which held the Hawks to 31.7 percent here last week, has defended Saint Joe's better.
Pat Calathes, Saint Joe's 6-10 matchup nightmare at the small forward, finished with 19 points to lead the Hawks, all in the second half, 15 coming during the stretch when Clifford was sitting.
Holy Cross can feel good about this one for a long time. They don't play again until Dec. 22, when they travel to Siena.
Box score | Gameblog | Philly Daily News | Philly Inquirer
Labels: games, Holy Cross
Read Full Post
Tuesday, December 04, 2007
A running courtside account of Holy Cross' big win at Saint Joseph's, posted live, as it happened.
It is almost two hours until tip-off at Alumni Memorial Fieldhouse.
First on the floor is St. Joe's forward Arvydas Lidzius, getting extra work on his shot. Lidzius started at closer range, with a manager rebounding, working his way around the basket, moving back a few steps and reversing his path. He is now about a foot-and-a-half outside the arc, and hitting at a pretty impressive rate.
The 6-9 senior from Lithuania can use the extra work. He has played in five of six games, averaging 10 minutes, but he has shot the ball just eight times in game action. He is 2 for 3 from three-point range, so HC'd best not forget about him when he is on the floor. Best not to let a driveway shooter get his feet set.
5:25: Holy Cross arrives. The team flew in last night, taking advantage of those Southwestern fares out of Providence. Their return flight leaves around noon tomorrow.
Joining Lidzius on the floor is Rockwell moody, a little used 6-9 sophomore forward. Moody looks springy and athletic, but he plays behind some pretty good upperclassmen. Actually, plays behind is not very accurate. Better to say sits behind. so far this season, he has pleayed seven minutes in four games. If he gets in tonight, it is either very good or very bad nbews for Holy Cross. It definitely won't be a sign the game is close.
5:35: Kyle Cruze first on the floor for HC. Bad news for the Crusaders, the guy rebounding for Cruze is Lawrence Dixon, who is wearing street clothes. HC SID Charles Bare says Dixon is still having problems with his knee. he was dressed for the shootaround this morning, and has dressed for recent games and saw six minutes of action against Yale.
Looking at the A-10 stats: a few comparisons between St. Joe's and Dayton, who HC played last time out.
FG Percentage: SJ 45.3, Dayton 48.5
FFG Pct. defense: SJ 41.0, Dayton 43.0
Rebounding Margin: SJ -0.8, Dayton +5
Assist to turnover ratio: SJ 1.17, Dayton 0.86
Three-pointer made: SJ 8.17 per game, Dayton 5.33
The Crusaders faced the A-10's top field goal percentage guy, Chris Wright (66.7 pct.) against Dayton. Tonight they face the guy No. 2 in the league, St. Joe's Ahmad Nivins (65.2 pct). St. Joe's Tasheed carr leads the A-10 in assists (7 apg), Dayton's Brian Roberts ( 5 apg) is third.
5:47: The entire HC team now out and going through warmup drills. Dixon appears to be the only injury concern. Everyone else in uniform; nobody particularly heavily taped.
55 Minutes to game time: Holy Cross has had a lot of success against A-10 schools. Since Ralph Willard arrived in Worcester, the 'Saders are 10-4 against the A-10. They are, 0-3 all-time against St. Joe's, including that NIT second round loss here two years ago.
St. Joe's coach Phil Martelli has not been afraid to play Patriot League schools. The Hawks had a two-for-one deal with Bucknell that brought the Bison to Philly twice in the last three seasons, with the Hawks visiting Lewisburg in 2005. They also played a home and home with Lafayette in 2005 and 2006.
This apparently is the start of a series between St. Joe's and HC, according to Ralph Willard's post on coachralph.com. Ralph does not say how many games the deal is for, but said it made sense for the two Jesuit institutions to play. He compared it to the old Fordham series, except "St Joe's is a lot better and Phil doesn't try to pretend the program is something it's not."
31 MIN TO GAME TIME: Bob Fouracre's keys to the game: 1) Shut down the St. Joe's three-point shooters 2) Tim Clifford has to stay out of foul trouble (Bob notes: "When he plays a full game, he averages over 20 points. Holy Cross can't have him sitting on the bench with two fouls five minutes into the game.") 3) Pat Doherty needs to step it up from three-point range, where he is shooting just 14.3 percent this season.
Fouracre also worries about St. Joe's ball movement foiling HC's zone defense.
24 minutes to game time: Noticeably absent from St. Joe's rotation is 6-2 sophomore guard D.J. Rivera, last season's sixth man. Rivera, who averaged over 23 minutes per game as a freshman, is sitting out the fall semester to concentrate on academics. His status for the second semester will be determined at the end of the first.
19 minutes to game time: A not so secret St. Joe's weapon HC needs to be aware of is 6-8 senior forward Rob Ferguson. Ferguson is averaging 9 points per game, fifth on the team. But he has reached double figures in the past two games, including 15 against Penn State last time out. Worth noting, nobody on St. joe's roster has more career double-figures games than Ferguson's 42.
14 minutes to game time: Worst seat in the house? That's easy -- the Saint Joe's pep band is tucked in a corner on the sideline at the end of the bleachers, without enough elevation to see the far end of the floor over the fans seated in the sections to their left. Tough to see them, but they sound real good.
5 minutes to tip: Signs at the entrance to the ticket lobby said this game is sold out. The student section has been full, and loud, for a while now, and with the Hawks entering the floor, they get even louder. Very few splotches of purple in here. Aside from a handful of folks in the sfive rows of bleachers behind the HC bench, less than a dozen other folks sporting HC colors thus far.
1 minute to tip: Is St. Joe's coach popular with the students? From the sound of the Phil Martelli, Phil Martelli chant when he makes his way on to the floor, you'd assume so.
You know you are at a Catholic school when the PA guy pages a lady named Mary Cathleen to the lobby.
If you have never been here, a quick description of the fieldhouse. It is old, small, faded and loud. It is reminiscent in size, age and the steel girders of the arched roof to Bucknell's old Davis Gym. It even has the same hung from the ceiling style backboards. Seating in the upper level is chairback seats with pull out bleachers below. The place badly needs a coat of paint. It will get that, and more (including at least 1,000 new seats) in a renovation project that could be complete for the 2010 season.
15:49 first half: the first media timeout is the second stoppage of the game. Martelli called a quick one around the 17:37 mark after Alex Vander Baan's runner in the lane made it 6-0 Holy Cross.
Tim Clifford with 4 points and a block already. He also has a foul. one of three team fouls for HC in a six second span between the 18:38 and 18:32 marks. St. joe's is 0-2 with 5 turnovers.
11:39 first half: Holy Cross 15, St. Joe's 2. St. Joe's ends HC's 12-0 run with two free throws at the 12:54 mark. The Hawks still without a field goal.
Tim Clifford is a monster so far. The Big Purple Dog with 8 points, the latest two on a tip that was his second offensive rebound of the possession. He kept the ball in HC's hands by grabbing the carom when Eric Meister missed the back end of a two shot foul, then tipped in the miss that followed.
The only negative: Doherty has picked up his second foul and sat down at the 12:54 mark. With him on the bench, St. Joe's is trying trapping pressure against HC. Thus far with little success.
HC 21, SJ 5, 7:55 first half The offensive frustration for St. Joe's is becoming obvious. Ahmad Nivins, unable to get touches with HC packed around him in the zone, is practically begging for the ball, trying to signal his guards to toss an alley-oop his way.
Fouls mounting for the Crusaders. Adam May's second, at the 8:52 mark, is the team's ninth. St. Joes has been in the one and one since the 11:39 mark.
Thus far, HC has taken the crowd right out of the game. Holding the home team without a field goal for over 12 minutes and building a 16-point lead will do that. The Hawks are 0 for 9 from the field, with 7 turnovers. They will shoot some free throws this half, though. Kyle Cruze just became the third HC player with two fouls, and SJ is now in the double bonus, though Tasheed Carr is not taking advantage. He shot two each of the last two SJ trips and is 2 for 4.
HC 27, SJ 9 (3:21 first half) : By the way, Calathes has two fouls for St. Joe's. He has stayed in the game, though. Holy Cross with two shot clock violations thus far. Following the second, carr hit a three-pointer for St. Joe's first field goal. It comes after 15 minutes and 11 missed shots.
Calathes is sitting now. He picked up his third personal with 4:39 to play in the half.
Adam May's backdoor layup makes it 27-9 and brings Martelli to his feet to call another timeout. Key stat: HC leads in reounds 18-7.
HC 34, SJ 21 HALFTIME HC finally reaches the 1 and 1 with 55.7 seconds to go in the half.
Nice momentum play at the end of the half for HC. With SJ having clawed back to within 11, the Hawks press nearly causes a turnover. But Colin Cunningham alertly jumped over two guys battling on the floor for the loose ball, stayed inbounds and got the ball to Clifford in the frontcourt, who fed Vander Baan for an uncontested layup just before the buzzer.
At the half, St. Joe's shooting 18.8 percent, 3 for 16 from the field, all three from the arc. The Hawks took 15 trips to the foul line, made 12. Holy Cross is 12 for 26 (46.2 percent), 2 for 4 from the arc. 8 of 10 at the line.
Two huge stats: Rebounds -- HC 19, SJ 10. Turnovers: HC 5, SJ 8.
Carr has 12 of Saint Joe's 21, including two of its three field goals. Calathes 0-4 for Saint Joe's. Nivins has had just one shot from the field.
For HC: Clifford 4 for 7, 8 points, 4 rebounds -- all on the offensive glass. Vander baan 3 for 5, 6 points. Adam may 2-3, including 1 for 1 on threes - 6 points. Andrew Beinert 7 points.
Points in the paint: HC 16, SJ 0; Pts off turnovers: HC 10, SJ 0; Bench points: HC 15, SJ 0
SECOND HALF
HC 37, SJ 26 (18:07 to play: St. Joe's first two-point basket is Nivins' first field goal. It comes at the 18:07 mark and will have Nivins on the line for a three-point play after Clifford was called for his third foul on the play.
Clifford appeared to have his arms straight up and merely stood his ground as a frustrated Nivins tried to bull his way through a double-team to the basket. Might have been with the body.
Two teams opened the half trading threes, Ferguson for SJ, vander Baan for HC. Nivins can't convert the free throw.
HC 43, SJ 29 (15:41 to play) Doherty his third foul at the 17:38 mark.
Then a very bad call with 15:41 to go. Clifford's fourth, called by a ref behind the play. Should have been called on Cunningham, who reached in to stop Nivins from shooting.
Clifford had just scored 6 straight points for HC, giving him 14 for the game.
Team fouls already at 5 for HC,just 1 for St. Joe's.
HC 53, SJ 42 (9:56 to play): With Clifford out, the middle is opening up for SJ. Garrett Willimason scored on back-to-back slashes through the paint and added two free throws after being fouled by Eric Meister on his way to the rack, Meister's third. The free throws cut the lead to 45-36. Team's 6th with 13:11 to play. Team fouls HC 6, SJ 1.
Calathes now heating up, wraps a pair of threes around a Meister jump hook to cut the lead to 9 again. At the other end, beinert puts it back in double digits with a drive down the lane.
Adam May's fourth puts SJ in the bonus with 9:56 to go. SJ still with just two team fouls.
HC 59, SJ 57 (4:14 to go): HC using the three-pointer to maintain its cushion, 5 of 7 from the arc in the second half so far.
HC 64, SJ 55 : Saint Joe's cuts it to 62-53 and is at the line for the second time with a chance to cut it further. Darrin Govens missed the and-one following Cruze's third (team's 8th), but SJ got the rebound and now Calathes has two shots after Beinert's first foul. Calathes hits them both.
Clifford back in at 4:49, answers with an 18-foot jumper at the other end.
Calathes just got his fourth foul.
HC 64, SJ 57 (3:19 to go): Vander Baan backs in for a charge, team's 10th. SJ will shoot two the rest of the way. Hawks still have just 4 team fouls. That could aid HC in running the clock down at the end, since SJ needs to give 3 before it can put the Saders on the line for 1 and 1.
HC 64, SJ 59 (2:26 left): Clifford snuffs Nivins and takes the ball out of his hands at the 3:05 mark, also snuffing the crowd's chants of "The Hawk will never die" momentarily. Crowd back in it after Calathes's putback cuts it to 5
HC 65, SJ 61 (45.5 left): HC finally in the one and one on Calathes fifth personal. He leaves with 19, all in the second half.
Moments earlier, a horrible no call when a SJ defender grabbed Clifford's arm to keep him from finishing after Doherty made a terrific drive and dish play with the shot clock running down.
HC 70, SJ 61 34.1 to go): Just need to make free throws now. Vander baan has just madefour in a row, but Clifford misses the front of a 1 and 1 and SJ scores at the other end to cut it to 70-63, but unless they have a five point play or two up their sleeves, this will be a big, big win for HC.
HOLY CROSS 71, SAINT JOE'S 66: GOOD NIGHT FROM HAWK HILL
Read Full Post
It is almost two hours until tip-off at Alumni Memorial Fieldhouse.
First on the floor is St. Joe's forward Arvydas Lidzius, getting extra work on his shot. Lidzius started at closer range, with a manager rebounding, working his way around the basket, moving back a few steps and reversing his path. He is now about a foot-and-a-half outside the arc, and hitting at a pretty impressive rate.
The 6-9 senior from Lithuania can use the extra work. He has played in five of six games, averaging 10 minutes, but he has shot the ball just eight times in game action. He is 2 for 3 from three-point range, so HC'd best not forget about him when he is on the floor. Best not to let a driveway shooter get his feet set.
5:25: Holy Cross arrives. The team flew in last night, taking advantage of those Southwestern fares out of Providence. Their return flight leaves around noon tomorrow.
Joining Lidzius on the floor is Rockwell moody, a little used 6-9 sophomore forward. Moody looks springy and athletic, but he plays behind some pretty good upperclassmen. Actually, plays behind is not very accurate. Better to say sits behind. so far this season, he has pleayed seven minutes in four games. If he gets in tonight, it is either very good or very bad nbews for Holy Cross. It definitely won't be a sign the game is close.
5:35: Kyle Cruze first on the floor for HC. Bad news for the Crusaders, the guy rebounding for Cruze is Lawrence Dixon, who is wearing street clothes. HC SID Charles Bare says Dixon is still having problems with his knee. he was dressed for the shootaround this morning, and has dressed for recent games and saw six minutes of action against Yale.
Looking at the A-10 stats: a few comparisons between St. Joe's and Dayton, who HC played last time out.
FG Percentage: SJ 45.3, Dayton 48.5
FFG Pct. defense: SJ 41.0, Dayton 43.0
Rebounding Margin: SJ -0.8, Dayton +5
Assist to turnover ratio: SJ 1.17, Dayton 0.86
Three-pointer made: SJ 8.17 per game, Dayton 5.33
The Crusaders faced the A-10's top field goal percentage guy, Chris Wright (66.7 pct.) against Dayton. Tonight they face the guy No. 2 in the league, St. Joe's Ahmad Nivins (65.2 pct). St. Joe's Tasheed carr leads the A-10 in assists (7 apg), Dayton's Brian Roberts ( 5 apg) is third.
5:47: The entire HC team now out and going through warmup drills. Dixon appears to be the only injury concern. Everyone else in uniform; nobody particularly heavily taped.
55 Minutes to game time: Holy Cross has had a lot of success against A-10 schools. Since Ralph Willard arrived in Worcester, the 'Saders are 10-4 against the A-10. They are, 0-3 all-time against St. Joe's, including that NIT second round loss here two years ago.
St. Joe's coach Phil Martelli has not been afraid to play Patriot League schools. The Hawks had a two-for-one deal with Bucknell that brought the Bison to Philly twice in the last three seasons, with the Hawks visiting Lewisburg in 2005. They also played a home and home with Lafayette in 2005 and 2006.
This apparently is the start of a series between St. Joe's and HC, according to Ralph Willard's post on coachralph.com. Ralph does not say how many games the deal is for, but said it made sense for the two Jesuit institutions to play. He compared it to the old Fordham series, except "St Joe's is a lot better and Phil doesn't try to pretend the program is something it's not."
31 MIN TO GAME TIME: Bob Fouracre's keys to the game: 1) Shut down the St. Joe's three-point shooters 2) Tim Clifford has to stay out of foul trouble (Bob notes: "When he plays a full game, he averages over 20 points. Holy Cross can't have him sitting on the bench with two fouls five minutes into the game.") 3) Pat Doherty needs to step it up from three-point range, where he is shooting just 14.3 percent this season.
Fouracre also worries about St. Joe's ball movement foiling HC's zone defense.
24 minutes to game time: Noticeably absent from St. Joe's rotation is 6-2 sophomore guard D.J. Rivera, last season's sixth man. Rivera, who averaged over 23 minutes per game as a freshman, is sitting out the fall semester to concentrate on academics. His status for the second semester will be determined at the end of the first.
19 minutes to game time: A not so secret St. Joe's weapon HC needs to be aware of is 6-8 senior forward Rob Ferguson. Ferguson is averaging 9 points per game, fifth on the team. But he has reached double figures in the past two games, including 15 against Penn State last time out. Worth noting, nobody on St. joe's roster has more career double-figures games than Ferguson's 42.
14 minutes to game time: Worst seat in the house? That's easy -- the Saint Joe's pep band is tucked in a corner on the sideline at the end of the bleachers, without enough elevation to see the far end of the floor over the fans seated in the sections to their left. Tough to see them, but they sound real good.
5 minutes to tip: Signs at the entrance to the ticket lobby said this game is sold out. The student section has been full, and loud, for a while now, and with the Hawks entering the floor, they get even louder. Very few splotches of purple in here. Aside from a handful of folks in the sfive rows of bleachers behind the HC bench, less than a dozen other folks sporting HC colors thus far.
1 minute to tip: Is St. Joe's coach popular with the students? From the sound of the Phil Martelli, Phil Martelli chant when he makes his way on to the floor, you'd assume so.
You know you are at a Catholic school when the PA guy pages a lady named Mary Cathleen to the lobby.
If you have never been here, a quick description of the fieldhouse. It is old, small, faded and loud. It is reminiscent in size, age and the steel girders of the arched roof to Bucknell's old Davis Gym. It even has the same hung from the ceiling style backboards. Seating in the upper level is chairback seats with pull out bleachers below. The place badly needs a coat of paint. It will get that, and more (including at least 1,000 new seats) in a renovation project that could be complete for the 2010 season.
15:49 first half: the first media timeout is the second stoppage of the game. Martelli called a quick one around the 17:37 mark after Alex Vander Baan's runner in the lane made it 6-0 Holy Cross.
Tim Clifford with 4 points and a block already. He also has a foul. one of three team fouls for HC in a six second span between the 18:38 and 18:32 marks. St. joe's is 0-2 with 5 turnovers.
11:39 first half: Holy Cross 15, St. Joe's 2. St. Joe's ends HC's 12-0 run with two free throws at the 12:54 mark. The Hawks still without a field goal.
Tim Clifford is a monster so far. The Big Purple Dog with 8 points, the latest two on a tip that was his second offensive rebound of the possession. He kept the ball in HC's hands by grabbing the carom when Eric Meister missed the back end of a two shot foul, then tipped in the miss that followed.
The only negative: Doherty has picked up his second foul and sat down at the 12:54 mark. With him on the bench, St. Joe's is trying trapping pressure against HC. Thus far with little success.
HC 21, SJ 5, 7:55 first half The offensive frustration for St. Joe's is becoming obvious. Ahmad Nivins, unable to get touches with HC packed around him in the zone, is practically begging for the ball, trying to signal his guards to toss an alley-oop his way.
Fouls mounting for the Crusaders. Adam May's second, at the 8:52 mark, is the team's ninth. St. Joes has been in the one and one since the 11:39 mark.
Thus far, HC has taken the crowd right out of the game. Holding the home team without a field goal for over 12 minutes and building a 16-point lead will do that. The Hawks are 0 for 9 from the field, with 7 turnovers. They will shoot some free throws this half, though. Kyle Cruze just became the third HC player with two fouls, and SJ is now in the double bonus, though Tasheed Carr is not taking advantage. He shot two each of the last two SJ trips and is 2 for 4.
HC 27, SJ 9 (3:21 first half) : By the way, Calathes has two fouls for St. Joe's. He has stayed in the game, though. Holy Cross with two shot clock violations thus far. Following the second, carr hit a three-pointer for St. Joe's first field goal. It comes after 15 minutes and 11 missed shots.
Calathes is sitting now. He picked up his third personal with 4:39 to play in the half.
Adam May's backdoor layup makes it 27-9 and brings Martelli to his feet to call another timeout. Key stat: HC leads in reounds 18-7.
HC 34, SJ 21 HALFTIME HC finally reaches the 1 and 1 with 55.7 seconds to go in the half.
Nice momentum play at the end of the half for HC. With SJ having clawed back to within 11, the Hawks press nearly causes a turnover. But Colin Cunningham alertly jumped over two guys battling on the floor for the loose ball, stayed inbounds and got the ball to Clifford in the frontcourt, who fed Vander Baan for an uncontested layup just before the buzzer.
At the half, St. Joe's shooting 18.8 percent, 3 for 16 from the field, all three from the arc. The Hawks took 15 trips to the foul line, made 12. Holy Cross is 12 for 26 (46.2 percent), 2 for 4 from the arc. 8 of 10 at the line.
Two huge stats: Rebounds -- HC 19, SJ 10. Turnovers: HC 5, SJ 8.
Carr has 12 of Saint Joe's 21, including two of its three field goals. Calathes 0-4 for Saint Joe's. Nivins has had just one shot from the field.
For HC: Clifford 4 for 7, 8 points, 4 rebounds -- all on the offensive glass. Vander baan 3 for 5, 6 points. Adam may 2-3, including 1 for 1 on threes - 6 points. Andrew Beinert 7 points.
Points in the paint: HC 16, SJ 0; Pts off turnovers: HC 10, SJ 0; Bench points: HC 15, SJ 0
SECOND HALF
HC 37, SJ 26 (18:07 to play: St. Joe's first two-point basket is Nivins' first field goal. It comes at the 18:07 mark and will have Nivins on the line for a three-point play after Clifford was called for his third foul on the play.
Clifford appeared to have his arms straight up and merely stood his ground as a frustrated Nivins tried to bull his way through a double-team to the basket. Might have been with the body.
Two teams opened the half trading threes, Ferguson for SJ, vander Baan for HC. Nivins can't convert the free throw.
HC 43, SJ 29 (15:41 to play) Doherty his third foul at the 17:38 mark.
Then a very bad call with 15:41 to go. Clifford's fourth, called by a ref behind the play. Should have been called on Cunningham, who reached in to stop Nivins from shooting.
Clifford had just scored 6 straight points for HC, giving him 14 for the game.
Team fouls already at 5 for HC,just 1 for St. Joe's.
HC 53, SJ 42 (9:56 to play): With Clifford out, the middle is opening up for SJ. Garrett Willimason scored on back-to-back slashes through the paint and added two free throws after being fouled by Eric Meister on his way to the rack, Meister's third. The free throws cut the lead to 45-36. Team's 6th with 13:11 to play. Team fouls HC 6, SJ 1.
Calathes now heating up, wraps a pair of threes around a Meister jump hook to cut the lead to 9 again. At the other end, beinert puts it back in double digits with a drive down the lane.
Adam May's fourth puts SJ in the bonus with 9:56 to go. SJ still with just two team fouls.
HC 59, SJ 57 (4:14 to go): HC using the three-pointer to maintain its cushion, 5 of 7 from the arc in the second half so far.
HC 64, SJ 55 : Saint Joe's cuts it to 62-53 and is at the line for the second time with a chance to cut it further. Darrin Govens missed the and-one following Cruze's third (team's 8th), but SJ got the rebound and now Calathes has two shots after Beinert's first foul. Calathes hits them both.
Clifford back in at 4:49, answers with an 18-foot jumper at the other end.
Calathes just got his fourth foul.
HC 64, SJ 57 (3:19 to go): Vander Baan backs in for a charge, team's 10th. SJ will shoot two the rest of the way. Hawks still have just 4 team fouls. That could aid HC in running the clock down at the end, since SJ needs to give 3 before it can put the Saders on the line for 1 and 1.
HC 64, SJ 59 (2:26 left): Clifford snuffs Nivins and takes the ball out of his hands at the 3:05 mark, also snuffing the crowd's chants of "The Hawk will never die" momentarily. Crowd back in it after Calathes's putback cuts it to 5
HC 65, SJ 61 (45.5 left): HC finally in the one and one on Calathes fifth personal. He leaves with 19, all in the second half.
Moments earlier, a horrible no call when a SJ defender grabbed Clifford's arm to keep him from finishing after Doherty made a terrific drive and dish play with the shot clock running down.
HC 70, SJ 61 34.1 to go): Just need to make free throws now. Vander baan has just madefour in a row, but Clifford misses the front of a 1 and 1 and SJ scores at the other end to cut it to 70-63, but unless they have a five point play or two up their sleeves, this will be a big, big win for HC.
HOLY CROSS 71, SAINT JOE'S 66: GOOD NIGHT FROM HAWK HILL
Labels: games, Holy Cross
Read Full Post
WIth finals looming, Holy Cross faces an end of semester test tonight at Saint Joe's.
BY CHRIS A. COUROGEN
Of Hoop Time
It is quiet inside Alumni Memorial Fieldhouse, or at least as quiet as it can get with a basketball workout going on.
Ralph Willard is putting his Holy Cross team through its morning shootout, final preparation for tonight's game with the St. Joe's Hawks. Willard runs his club through the scouting report, reviewing what to expect from the Hawks on each end of the floor. He know he has to get the instructions across now. In a few hours, it won't be this quiet.
Matter of fact, it will be loud as hell inside the band box on Hawk Hill. Communications, other than at timeouts, will be difficult at best, impossible if the home team gets on a run and fuels the fever in the stands.
"The crowd energizes them," says Willard, who brought the Crusaders here for an NIT game in 2005. "They are 10 points better in here."
Ten points better for a team that took Syracuse to the limit in the Carrier Dome is pretty tough. Ten points better for a team that is 4-2, with the two looses coming by three at Syracuse and by five in overtime to Gonzaga (here in the fieldhouse), means a true challenge for the 6-1 Crusaders, coming off their first loss of the season.
"Tonight will be a good measuring stick for us," Willard says. "You're not going to face a tougher environment."
Nor will HC face many tougher teams. Saint Joe's is big, quick, athletic, well-coached -- everything but deep. The Hawks only run seven guys in their rotation. But those seven are pretty good.
Ahmad Nivins is as athletic a big man as the Crusaders will face, a 6-9 first team All-Atlantic 10 and All-Big Five pick who is shooting 65.2 percent from the field and scoring 15.7 points per game. For good measure, he also leads the Hawks in rbounding with 8.3 per game.
Guard Darrin Govens, a 6-1 sophomore who followed Jameer Nelson's path from Chester, Pa. to City Line Ave., hits 41.7 percent from the arc and averages 13.8 ppg.
Junior Tasheed Carr, a 6-4 Iowa State transfer, is dishing out over 7 assists per game and still finds time to score 9.7 points per contest. Rob Ferguson, a 6-8 senior, is another Hawk with three-point range. His average of 9.0 ppg will probably sneak into double figures when he find the touch from the arc that enabled him to shoot 42.9 percent there last season. Sooner or later you have to think he will heat up and improve his current 25-percent mark.
And then there is 6-10 senior Pat Calathes, a matchup nightmare at the three for Saint Joe's.
"Calathes is the real key," says Willard. "He does so many things. He is 6-11 and he runs the floor like a gazelle.. He posts you up, shoots threes."
Stopping him won't be a one-man job. It will take concerted effort by the Crusaders zone to know where Calathes is at all times. It will also take Tim Clifford staying out of foul trouble and on the floor so the perimeter defenders can pressure St. Joe's on the arc.Clifford's size and strength can help neutralize Nivins, but not from the bench.
The Crusaders can't let this turn into an up and down affair. If they watched any film of Bucknell's recent wins over the Hawks, they will have noticed St. Joe's can tend towards impatience when forced to strap it up and play a halfcourt game.
"If we let them get in transition, we have no chance," Willard says.
Another key will be maintaining focus if the Crusaders get a lead. That has been a problem. HC has been up by double figures in every game, but has struggled with its end game.
"We lose focus with leads. We haven't learned to play with the lead yet, to put people away," says Willard.
Despite its 6-1 record, Willard still is not convinced about this ballclub.
"We're doing some things very well, but we are not very good yet," said Willard.
Willard is anxious to get this one, and finals, out of the way. What looked like a tremendously long time between games when the schedule came out looks a whole lot better given where his team is at right now. After tonight, the 'Saders have 18 days off until they travel to Siena on Dec. 22. After that it is another week off before facing Sacred Heart.
"I didn't like it at first," Willard says. "Looking at it now with our team, it's a positive. It will give us a lot of time to improve on things we are not good at."
The Crusaders will practice every other day during finals, which begin Saturday, then will have a full week before the Siena game and another week off after that.
Which suits the coach just fine.
Says Willard, "We need a lot of practice right now."
Read Full Post
BY CHRIS A. COUROGEN
Of Hoop Time
It is quiet inside Alumni Memorial Fieldhouse, or at least as quiet as it can get with a basketball workout going on.
Ralph Willard is putting his Holy Cross team through its morning shootout, final preparation for tonight's game with the St. Joe's Hawks. Willard runs his club through the scouting report, reviewing what to expect from the Hawks on each end of the floor. He know he has to get the instructions across now. In a few hours, it won't be this quiet.
Matter of fact, it will be loud as hell inside the band box on Hawk Hill. Communications, other than at timeouts, will be difficult at best, impossible if the home team gets on a run and fuels the fever in the stands.
"The crowd energizes them," says Willard, who brought the Crusaders here for an NIT game in 2005. "They are 10 points better in here."
Ten points better for a team that took Syracuse to the limit in the Carrier Dome is pretty tough. Ten points better for a team that is 4-2, with the two looses coming by three at Syracuse and by five in overtime to Gonzaga (here in the fieldhouse), means a true challenge for the 6-1 Crusaders, coming off their first loss of the season.
"Tonight will be a good measuring stick for us," Willard says. "You're not going to face a tougher environment."
Nor will HC face many tougher teams. Saint Joe's is big, quick, athletic, well-coached -- everything but deep. The Hawks only run seven guys in their rotation. But those seven are pretty good.
Ahmad Nivins is as athletic a big man as the Crusaders will face, a 6-9 first team All-Atlantic 10 and All-Big Five pick who is shooting 65.2 percent from the field and scoring 15.7 points per game. For good measure, he also leads the Hawks in rbounding with 8.3 per game.
Guard Darrin Govens, a 6-1 sophomore who followed Jameer Nelson's path from Chester, Pa. to City Line Ave., hits 41.7 percent from the arc and averages 13.8 ppg.
Junior Tasheed Carr, a 6-4 Iowa State transfer, is dishing out over 7 assists per game and still finds time to score 9.7 points per contest. Rob Ferguson, a 6-8 senior, is another Hawk with three-point range. His average of 9.0 ppg will probably sneak into double figures when he find the touch from the arc that enabled him to shoot 42.9 percent there last season. Sooner or later you have to think he will heat up and improve his current 25-percent mark.
And then there is 6-10 senior Pat Calathes, a matchup nightmare at the three for Saint Joe's.
"Calathes is the real key," says Willard. "He does so many things. He is 6-11 and he runs the floor like a gazelle.. He posts you up, shoots threes."
Stopping him won't be a one-man job. It will take concerted effort by the Crusaders zone to know where Calathes is at all times. It will also take Tim Clifford staying out of foul trouble and on the floor so the perimeter defenders can pressure St. Joe's on the arc.Clifford's size and strength can help neutralize Nivins, but not from the bench.
The Crusaders can't let this turn into an up and down affair. If they watched any film of Bucknell's recent wins over the Hawks, they will have noticed St. Joe's can tend towards impatience when forced to strap it up and play a halfcourt game.
"If we let them get in transition, we have no chance," Willard says.
Another key will be maintaining focus if the Crusaders get a lead. That has been a problem. HC has been up by double figures in every game, but has struggled with its end game.
"We lose focus with leads. We haven't learned to play with the lead yet, to put people away," says Willard.
Despite its 6-1 record, Willard still is not convinced about this ballclub.
"We're doing some things very well, but we are not very good yet," said Willard.
Willard is anxious to get this one, and finals, out of the way. What looked like a tremendously long time between games when the schedule came out looks a whole lot better given where his team is at right now. After tonight, the 'Saders have 18 days off until they travel to Siena on Dec. 22. After that it is another week off before facing Sacred Heart.
"I didn't like it at first," Willard says. "Looking at it now with our team, it's a positive. It will give us a lot of time to improve on things we are not good at."
The Crusaders will practice every other day during finals, which begin Saturday, then will have a full week before the Siena game and another week off after that.
Which suits the coach just fine.
Says Willard, "We need a lot of practice right now."
Labels: Holy Cross, previews
Read Full Post
Out of the frying pan, into the fire for Holy Cross, which comes off a home loss to Dayton to travel to Hawk Hill for a meeting with Saint Hoseph's that ought to be the Crusaders' toughest challenge to date. Elswhere, Howard is at American.
SCOUTING SAINT JOE'S: The Hawks are the second straight top notch Atlantic 10 side on HC's schedule. Saint Joe's comes in 4-2, the two losses coming to Gonzaga in overtime and to Syracuse, by three, in the Carrier Dome.
Center Ahmad Nivins is an athletic 6-9 specimin who could might give Tim Clifford fits. Nivins, a first team All-A-10 and All Big Five pick as a sophomore, the junior is averaging 15.7 points and 8.3 rebounds per game.
Pat Calathes is a matchup nightmare, a 6-10 senior swingman with three-point range. Calathes is not afraid to shoot the three-ball, he is averaging almost two treys per game. A third-team All A-10 pick as a sophomore, Calathes also earned second team All Big Five accolades. Calathes has been good for 17.7 points and 6.3 rebounds per game thus far.
Darrin Govens (6-1 soph.), the latest Saint Joe's point guard from Chester, is hitting 41.7 percent from the arc, scoring 13.8 ppg.
BONUS LINKS:
Saint Joe's stats
Saint Joe's game notes
SCOUTING HOWARD: The Bison (3-5) are coming off a loss to Hampton in a game in which Howard managed just 31 points. Howard's record includes a win over Navy. As a team, teh Bison are shooting 40.7 percent from the field, 25.4 percent from three-point range. Opponents are hitting at a 45.4 percent rate overall, 34.3 percent on three-pointers. Howard turns the ball over 18.6 times per game and is being out rebounded by 10 per game and outscored by 18.2 points per game.
Eugene Myatt is the only Bison in double figures. Myatt avrages 17.8 ppg, shooting 50.9 percent from the field, 41.7 percent from the arc.
BONUS LINKS:
Howard stats
Howard game notes
Box score
Read Full Post
SCOUTING SAINT JOE'S: The Hawks are the second straight top notch Atlantic 10 side on HC's schedule. Saint Joe's comes in 4-2, the two losses coming to Gonzaga in overtime and to Syracuse, by three, in the Carrier Dome.
Center Ahmad Nivins is an athletic 6-9 specimin who could might give Tim Clifford fits. Nivins, a first team All-A-10 and All Big Five pick as a sophomore, the junior is averaging 15.7 points and 8.3 rebounds per game.
Pat Calathes is a matchup nightmare, a 6-10 senior swingman with three-point range. Calathes is not afraid to shoot the three-ball, he is averaging almost two treys per game. A third-team All A-10 pick as a sophomore, Calathes also earned second team All Big Five accolades. Calathes has been good for 17.7 points and 6.3 rebounds per game thus far.
Darrin Govens (6-1 soph.), the latest Saint Joe's point guard from Chester, is hitting 41.7 percent from the arc, scoring 13.8 ppg.
BONUS LINKS:
SCOUTING HOWARD: The Bison (3-5) are coming off a loss to Hampton in a game in which Howard managed just 31 points. Howard's record includes a win over Navy. As a team, teh Bison are shooting 40.7 percent from the field, 25.4 percent from three-point range. Opponents are hitting at a 45.4 percent rate overall, 34.3 percent on three-pointers. Howard turns the ball over 18.6 times per game and is being out rebounded by 10 per game and outscored by 18.2 points per game.
Eugene Myatt is the only Bison in double figures. Myatt avrages 17.8 ppg, shooting 50.9 percent from the field, 41.7 percent from the arc.
BONUS LINKS:
Box score
Labels: American, Holy Cross, previews
Read Full Post
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 first post 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
Read Full Post
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 first post 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
Read Full Post
Sunday, December 02, 2007
Dayton's best player, quiet all night, made the big noise at the end of the Flyers' 55-53 win over the Crusaders in the DCU Center Saturday night.
Roberts came in averaging 22.4 points per game. He was 2 for 7 with 5 points with 33 seconds to go in the game when he hit a jumper to put Dayton up by 5. Ralph Willard said it was the mortal blow to HC's six-game season-opening win streak.
“Roberts’ shot,” Willard told Jen Toland of the Telegram and Gazette, “was a killer.”
Tim Clifford, who had 20 points for Holy Cross, hit two threes back to back late in the last 30 seconds, but it the Crusaders could not get off a shot on their final possession.
Box score | Springfield News-Sun (gamer) | News-Sun (notebook)
Read Full Post
Roberts came in averaging 22.4 points per game. He was 2 for 7 with 5 points with 33 seconds to go in the game when he hit a jumper to put Dayton up by 5. Ralph Willard said it was the mortal blow to HC's six-game season-opening win streak.
“Roberts’ shot,” Willard told Jen Toland of the Telegram and Gazette, “was a killer.”
Tim Clifford, who had 20 points for Holy Cross, hit two threes back to back late in the last 30 seconds, but it the Crusaders could not get off a shot on their final possession.
Box score | Springfield News-Sun (gamer) | News-Sun (notebook)
Labels: games, Holy Cross
Read Full Post
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:
VMI stats
VMI game notes (pdf)
Sports Network matchup
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:
Dayton stats
Dayton game notes (pdf)
Sports Network matchup
Willard doesn't want repeat of last year (Springfield Oh. News-Sun)
Preview: Dayton at Holy Cross (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:
CCSU stats
CCSU game notes
Sports Network matchup
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:
UMBC stats
UMBC game notes
Sports Network matchup
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:
St. Francis stats
St. Francis game notes (pdf)
Sports Network matchup
Bucknell seniors are opposites that attract (The Daily Item)
Season becoming repetitive (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:
Cornell basketball blog preview
Cornell stats (pdf)
Cornell game notes
Men's basketball faces second in-state rival (Cornell Daily Sun)
Sports Network matchup
Cornell searching for milestone victory against Colgate (Ithaca Journal)
Read Full Post
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:
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:
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.
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.
BONUS LINKS:
Labels: American, Army, Bucknell, Colgate, Holy Cross, Lehigh
Read Full Post
Thursday, November 29, 2007
(Originally posted Wed. at 10:49 p.m, links added at 7:31 a.m.)
Tim "Big Purple Dog" Clifford scored 23 points and set a new school record for blocked shots to lead the Crusaders in a 60-39 spanking of Yale.
Clifford, who finished with 8 rebounds, had 6 blocks, the last of which gave him 154 on his career, breaking the school mark of 153 set by Nate Lufkin. Colin Cunningham, who is emerging as a real scoring threat on the wing for Ralph Willard's squad, posted a 13-point, 10-rebound double-double, the first of his career.
The Crusaders shot 46.7 percent (21=45) from the field, including an efficient 4 of 7 from the arc, and held a 40-30 advantage on the boards. But it was the HC defense that really made the difference. Holy Cross held Yale to 12 of 45 (26.7 percent) from the field (5-16 threes) and forced 18 Bulldogs turnovers.
No Yale player reached double figures.
The win, the 'Saders 22nd straight in the Hart Center, makes Holy Cross 6-0 for the first time since the 1988-89 season.
The Crusaders played without starting power forward Alex Vander Baan, who sat out with a leg injury suffered in practice Sunday. Sophomore Eric Meister made his first career start in Vander Baan's place.
Box score | Telegram & Gazette | Yale Daily News
Read Full Post
Tim "Big Purple Dog" Clifford scored 23 points and set a new school record for blocked shots to lead the Crusaders in a 60-39 spanking of Yale.
Clifford, who finished with 8 rebounds, had 6 blocks, the last of which gave him 154 on his career, breaking the school mark of 153 set by Nate Lufkin. Colin Cunningham, who is emerging as a real scoring threat on the wing for Ralph Willard's squad, posted a 13-point, 10-rebound double-double, the first of his career.
The Crusaders shot 46.7 percent (21=45) from the field, including an efficient 4 of 7 from the arc, and held a 40-30 advantage on the boards. But it was the HC defense that really made the difference. Holy Cross held Yale to 12 of 45 (26.7 percent) from the field (5-16 threes) and forced 18 Bulldogs turnovers.
No Yale player reached double figures.
The win, the 'Saders 22nd straight in the Hart Center, makes Holy Cross 6-0 for the first time since the 1988-89 season.
The Crusaders played without starting power forward Alex Vander Baan, who sat out with a leg injury suffered in practice Sunday. Sophomore Eric Meister made his first career start in Vander Baan's place.
Box score | Telegram & Gazette | Yale Daily News
Labels: games, Holy Cross
Read Full Post
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 Jake 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:
Penn stats (pdf)
Penn game notes
Penn radio broadcast
Seeing spots
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:
Yale stats
Yale game notes
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:
Marist stats
Marist game notes
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:
Hartford stats
Livestats
Hartford coach Dan Leibowitz's blog
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,
BONUS LINKS:
Quinnipiac game notes
Read Full Post
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,
BONUS LINKS:
Labels: Army, Bucknell, Holy Cross, Lafayette, Lehigh, previews
Read Full Post
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 Mid-Major Top 25. 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
Read Full Post
The Crusaders move up three spots to No. 10 in this week's Mid-Major Top 25. 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
Read Full Post
With Tim Clifford stuck on the bench, Kyle Cruze was Holy Cross' big man Monday night in a 62-60 win over Ohio University.
Cruze only scored 7 points. The rest of his line -- 3 rebounds, 4 assists, 4 turnovers and 1 steal -- was not all that impressive. But the senior guard was 3 for 3 from the field, and he was the guy that made the shot that mattered most, a driving layup with two seconds left that gave the Crusaders (5-0) their fifth straight win this season and their 21st in a row in the Hart Center.
The game featured six lead changes and seven ties, the last coming with 9 ticks on the clock when OU's Michael Allen hit his only field goal of the game, a three-pointer that made it 60-60, setting the stage for Cruze's heroics.
Clifford was nearly as perfect from the field, going 5 for 6 for 11 points. But the preseason Patriot League player of the year was sitting next to Ralph Willard when the game was on the line, having fouled out for the third time in five games. Clifford played just 22 minutes.
Colin Cunningham and Pat Doherty each scored 12 points for the Crusaders, who went 22 for 44 from the field, 6 for 15 from three-point range. Ohio (2-1) shot 44.4 percent (20-45) from the field and hit 9 of 19 from the arc.
Box score | AP | Telegram & Gazette
Read Full Post
Cruze only scored 7 points. The rest of his line -- 3 rebounds, 4 assists, 4 turnovers and 1 steal -- was not all that impressive. But the senior guard was 3 for 3 from the field, and he was the guy that made the shot that mattered most, a driving layup with two seconds left that gave the Crusaders (5-0) their fifth straight win this season and their 21st in a row in the Hart Center.
The game featured six lead changes and seven ties, the last coming with 9 ticks on the clock when OU's Michael Allen hit his only field goal of the game, a three-pointer that made it 60-60, setting the stage for Cruze's heroics.
Clifford was nearly as perfect from the field, going 5 for 6 for 11 points. But the preseason Patriot League player of the year was sitting next to Ralph Willard when the game was on the line, having fouled out for the third time in five games. Clifford played just 22 minutes.
Colin Cunningham and Pat Doherty each scored 12 points for the Crusaders, who went 22 for 44 from the field, 6 for 15 from three-point range. Ohio (2-1) shot 44.4 percent (20-45) from the field and hit 9 of 19 from the arc.
Box score | AP | Telegram & Gazette
Labels: games, Holy Cross
Read Full Post
Monday, November 26, 2007
The Crusaders host an Ohio U. team that currently is holding the No. 5 spot in the RPI. Even though at this point, the RPI means little -- especially for a team that has played only two games like Ohio -- this looks to be the toughest test to date for Holy Cross. Also on tap tonight, Colgate travels to South Bend to take on the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame, American visits Mount St. Mary's and Lehigh plays host to winless NJIT.
SCOUTING OHIO: The Bobcats have been idle since a Nov. 17 win over Cornell. That win was one of two over teams favored to win their conference for the 2-0 Bobcats, who also have a win over New Mexico State in their opener.
This will be the first trip out of Athens, Ohio for the Bobcats this season. Picked to finish third in the Mid American Conference this season, OU has three returning starters and three juco transfers on the roster.
Jerome Tillman, a 6-6 junior, was an All-MAC pick a year ago and the MAC Report Online player of the year. He is averaging 20.5 points and 8 rebounds per game, shooting 59.3 percent from the field. Tillman has range to the arc, where he has hit 3 of 6 thus far.
Senior Leon Williams, a second team All-MAC pick last season, is shooting 63.2 percent from the field and averaging a 17 point-10 rebound double-double.
Junior guard Justin Orr (6-6), who sat out last season after transferring from Murray State is shooting 55.6 percent and averaging 14 ppg and juco transfer Michael Allen, who did not play in the opener, came within an assist of a double-double with 11 points and 9 helpers off the bench against Cornell. Juco transfer Bert Whittington IV has started the first two games at the point.
BONUS LINKS:
Ohio stats
Ohio game notes (pdf)
Ohio has double threat at point guard (Athens Messenger)
SCOUTING NOTRE DAME: In a word, the Irish are big. Ten of the 14 guys on the Fighting Irish roster are 6-7 or taller. That size is reflected in ND's stats. Neither of the Irish's top two scorers are three-point threats. Both are 6-8 or bigger.
Sophomore Luke Harangody, a 6-8 forward, is averaging 18.4 points and 8.6 rebounds per game, shooting 58.8 percent from the field. Senior Rob Kura, a 6-9 forward, averages 14 points and 7.2 rebounds. Kyle McAlarney, a 6-0 sophomore, is the leading offensive threat in the backcourt, averaging 10.6 ppg.
The Irish are shooting 46.6 percent from the field and 39.1 percent from the arc, averaging 75.6 points per game. Opponents are shooting 37.1 percent from the field and scoring 59.2 ppg.
Notre Dame is averaging 8 free throws per game more than their foes and 9 rebounds per game more than the opposition. Their two losses, which came by a combined 5 points, came at the hands of Baylor and Georgia Tech in the Paradise Jam in St. Thomas, Virgin Islands. The wins have come over Long Island, Monmouth and Youngstown State. In other words, they have beaten the teams they have been expected to.
BONUS LINKS:
ND stats
Gametracker
Notre Dame nation
Black and Green (ND hoops blog)
Preview:Colgate (ND Insider)
SCOUTING MOUNT ST. MARY'S: The 0-3 Mounts are coming off a game in which they shot 56 percent from the field and still lost by 12. It has been that kind of year for Mount St. Mary's, which was 11 for 21 at the foul line in that game, an 85-73 loss at James Madison. On the season, the Mounts are 22 for 42 at the charity stripe.
Adding to those woes is the fact they have been getting to the line almost 10 fewer times per game than their opponents and have been outrebounded by an average of 10 per game.
Senior guard Chris Vann (6-0) is a potent scorer, averaging 20.3 ppg. Vann, who has scored in double figures nine straight games dating to last season, was 5 for 5 from the arc against James Madison. On the season he is shooting 50 percent from three-point range.
Will Holland, a 6-4 sophomore, is averaging 12 ppg, including a 25-point performance in a loss to George Washington. Point guard Jeremy Goode, a 5-9 sophomore, is averaging 16.5 points and 7.5 assists per game.
As a team, MSM is shooting 43 percent from the field, 40.7 percent from three-point range. Opponents are shooting 49.7 percent from the field against the Mounts, 39 percent from the arc.
BONUS LINKS:
MSM stats
MSM game notes
SCOUTING NJIT:
SCOUTING NJIT: The Highlanders are 0-5, coming off a 73-50 loss Saturday to American in a game in which the Highlanders turned the ball over 26 times. thus far in their second season at the Division I level. Leading scorer Kraig Peters, a 6-4 senior, is the only guy averaging in double figures, scoring 10.2 ppg.
Opponents are holding NJIT to 35.8 percent shooting from the field while lighting up the Highlanders' defense at a 51.4 percent rate, including 42.7 percent from three-point range.
BONUS LINKS:
NJIT stats
Read Full Post
SCOUTING OHIO: The Bobcats have been idle since a Nov. 17 win over Cornell. That win was one of two over teams favored to win their conference for the 2-0 Bobcats, who also have a win over New Mexico State in their opener.
This will be the first trip out of Athens, Ohio for the Bobcats this season. Picked to finish third in the Mid American Conference this season, OU has three returning starters and three juco transfers on the roster.
Jerome Tillman, a 6-6 junior, was an All-MAC pick a year ago and the MAC Report Online player of the year. He is averaging 20.5 points and 8 rebounds per game, shooting 59.3 percent from the field. Tillman has range to the arc, where he has hit 3 of 6 thus far.
Senior Leon Williams, a second team All-MAC pick last season, is shooting 63.2 percent from the field and averaging a 17 point-10 rebound double-double.
Junior guard Justin Orr (6-6), who sat out last season after transferring from Murray State is shooting 55.6 percent and averaging 14 ppg and juco transfer Michael Allen, who did not play in the opener, came within an assist of a double-double with 11 points and 9 helpers off the bench against Cornell. Juco transfer Bert Whittington IV has started the first two games at the point.
BONUS LINKS:
SCOUTING NOTRE DAME: In a word, the Irish are big. Ten of the 14 guys on the Fighting Irish roster are 6-7 or taller. That size is reflected in ND's stats. Neither of the Irish's top two scorers are three-point threats. Both are 6-8 or bigger.
Sophomore Luke Harangody, a 6-8 forward, is averaging 18.4 points and 8.6 rebounds per game, shooting 58.8 percent from the field. Senior Rob Kura, a 6-9 forward, averages 14 points and 7.2 rebounds. Kyle McAlarney, a 6-0 sophomore, is the leading offensive threat in the backcourt, averaging 10.6 ppg.
The Irish are shooting 46.6 percent from the field and 39.1 percent from the arc, averaging 75.6 points per game. Opponents are shooting 37.1 percent from the field and scoring 59.2 ppg.
Notre Dame is averaging 8 free throws per game more than their foes and 9 rebounds per game more than the opposition. Their two losses, which came by a combined 5 points, came at the hands of Baylor and Georgia Tech in the Paradise Jam in St. Thomas, Virgin Islands. The wins have come over Long Island, Monmouth and Youngstown State. In other words, they have beaten the teams they have been expected to.
BONUS LINKS:
SCOUTING MOUNT ST. MARY'S: The 0-3 Mounts are coming off a game in which they shot 56 percent from the field and still lost by 12. It has been that kind of year for Mount St. Mary's, which was 11 for 21 at the foul line in that game, an 85-73 loss at James Madison. On the season, the Mounts are 22 for 42 at the charity stripe.
Adding to those woes is the fact they have been getting to the line almost 10 fewer times per game than their opponents and have been outrebounded by an average of 10 per game.
Senior guard Chris Vann (6-0) is a potent scorer, averaging 20.3 ppg. Vann, who has scored in double figures nine straight games dating to last season, was 5 for 5 from the arc against James Madison. On the season he is shooting 50 percent from three-point range.
Will Holland, a 6-4 sophomore, is averaging 12 ppg, including a 25-point performance in a loss to George Washington. Point guard Jeremy Goode, a 5-9 sophomore, is averaging 16.5 points and 7.5 assists per game.
As a team, MSM is shooting 43 percent from the field, 40.7 percent from three-point range. Opponents are shooting 49.7 percent from the field against the Mounts, 39 percent from the arc.
BONUS LINKS:
SCOUTING NJIT:
SCOUTING NJIT: The Highlanders are 0-5, coming off a 73-50 loss Saturday to American in a game in which the Highlanders turned the ball over 26 times. thus far in their second season at the Division I level. Leading scorer Kraig Peters, a 6-4 senior, is the only guy averaging in double figures, scoring 10.2 ppg.
Opponents are holding NJIT to 35.8 percent shooting from the field while lighting up the Highlanders' defense at a 51.4 percent rate, including 42.7 percent from three-point range.
BONUS LINKS:
Labels: American, Colgate, Holy Cross, Lehigh, previews
Read Full Post
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
(Originally posted Tues. at 11:12 p.m, links added at 7:59 a.m.)
Tim Clifford stayed out of foul trouble and Holy Cross stayed unbeaten, downing Harvard 80-69.
Clifford, who played 31 minutes with just three fouls, scored 22 points to lead the Crusaders (4-0). Alex Bander Baan added 19 points and 8 rebounds for HC, which used a late 10-0 run to seal it after Harvard had battled back from down as many as 15 points to tie the game with 5:56 to play.
Colin Cunningham had a big night for the Crusaders, finishing with 13 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists and 3 steals. Adam May added 16 points off the bench and Pat Doherty dished out 8 assists.
Harvard shot the ball well, hitting 24 of 47 from the field (51.1 percent), including 6 three-pointers on 16 tries, against the usually stingy Crusaders defense.
But Holy Cross matched th Crimson's effort, connecting on 29 of 57 (50.9 percent) and made up for a 3 for 16 showing at the arc by going 19 for 26 from the foul line while Harvard shot 15 of 21 there.
Box score | Telegram & Gazette | AP | Harvard Crimson (gamer) | Harvard Crimson (notebook)
Read Full Post
Tim Clifford stayed out of foul trouble and Holy Cross stayed unbeaten, downing Harvard 80-69.
Clifford, who played 31 minutes with just three fouls, scored 22 points to lead the Crusaders (4-0). Alex Bander Baan added 19 points and 8 rebounds for HC, which used a late 10-0 run to seal it after Harvard had battled back from down as many as 15 points to tie the game with 5:56 to play.
Colin Cunningham had a big night for the Crusaders, finishing with 13 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists and 3 steals. Adam May added 16 points off the bench and Pat Doherty dished out 8 assists.
Harvard shot the ball well, hitting 24 of 47 from the field (51.1 percent), including 6 three-pointers on 16 tries, against the usually stingy Crusaders defense.
But Holy Cross matched th Crimson's effort, connecting on 29 of 57 (50.9 percent) and made up for a 3 for 16 showing at the arc by going 19 for 26 from the foul line while Harvard shot 15 of 21 there.
Box score | Telegram & Gazette | AP | Harvard Crimson (gamer) | Harvard Crimson (notebook)
Labels: games, Holy Cross
Read Full Post
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, three other Cornell players average (stats are pdf file) in double figures.
BONUS LINKS:
Men's basketball hosts Army (Cornell Sun)
Cornell Basketball Blog
Cornell game notes
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:
Morgan State radio
Morgan State stats
Morgan State game notes
Bears looking to clip Eagles in home opener (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' loss to Temple in the seventh place consolation game. McCroskey scored 18 points in his Marist debut, which was delayed three games 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:
Marist stats
Marist still a force in basketball (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:
Men's basketball gets shots to fall, runs record to 3-0 on season (The Retriever)
UMBC game notes
UMBC stats
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 Danes roster 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:
U Albany-Lehigh previw (Albany Times Union blog)
Albany stats
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:
Canisius road trip blog
Canisius game notes
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:
Harvard Crimson (student paper) men's basketball page
Harvard statistics
Read Full Post
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, three other Cornell players average (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' loss to Temple in the seventh place consolation game. McCroskey scored 18 points in his Marist debut, which was delayed three games 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 Danes roster 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
Read Full Post
Monday, November 19, 2007
The latest Mid-Major Top 25 has us scratching our heads in bewilderment at the voting.
Holy Cross is up a spot to No. 13 in this week's poll. That is not the tough to figure part.
The part that boggles the mind is Bucknell receiving only 33 points after spanking Towson and taking Villanova to the limit, both on the road. What makes that so puzzling is Loyola (Md.) is one spot out of the top 25 with 81 votes. That is the same Loyola team that got handled by Towson and has home wins over a weak Penn team, American and an 0-3 Vermont side.
Not arguing Bucknell belongs in the Top 25. At least not yet. But for Loyola to have almost 50 points more in the voting makes no sense whatsoever.
Colgate cracks the others getting votes category, too, tied for one spot behind Bucknell with 25 points.
Read Full Post
Holy Cross is up a spot to No. 13 in this week's poll. That is not the tough to figure part.
The part that boggles the mind is Bucknell receiving only 33 points after spanking Towson and taking Villanova to the limit, both on the road. What makes that so puzzling is Loyola (Md.) is one spot out of the top 25 with 81 votes. That is the same Loyola team that got handled by Towson and has home wins over a weak Penn team, American and an 0-3 Vermont side.
Not arguing Bucknell belongs in the Top 25. At least not yet. But for Loyola to have almost 50 points more in the voting makes no sense whatsoever.
Colgate cracks the others getting votes category, too, tied for one spot behind Bucknell with 25 points.
Labels: Bucknell, Holy Cross
Read Full Post
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.
Read Full Post
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
Read Full Post
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)
Read Full Post
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
Read Full Post
Sunday, November 18, 2007
(Originally posted Sat, at 11:33 p.m., links added at 7:21 a.m.)
Tim Clifford scored 22 points and grabbed 6 rebounds to help the Crusaders improve to 3-0 with a 60-52 road win at Hampton.
Clifford was 8 for 13, 6 for 6 at the foul line for the Crusaders, who broke open a 32-32 tie midway through the second half with an 8-0 run to down former HC assistant Kevin Nickelberry's team for the second year in a row. HC held Hampton to 30.6 percent shooting from the field and outrebounded the Pirates 36-29.
Colin Cunningham joined Clifford in double figures with 10 points. Cunningham also grabbed 6 rebounds and dished out 5 assists.
The Crusaders held Hampton's top scorer, Rashad West, to a woeful 2 for 11 from teh field night and 8 points.
Box score | Telegram & Gazette | Daily Press (Newport News)
Read Full Post
Tim Clifford scored 22 points and grabbed 6 rebounds to help the Crusaders improve to 3-0 with a 60-52 road win at Hampton.
Clifford was 8 for 13, 6 for 6 at the foul line for the Crusaders, who broke open a 32-32 tie midway through the second half with an 8-0 run to down former HC assistant Kevin Nickelberry's team for the second year in a row. HC held Hampton to 30.6 percent shooting from the field and outrebounded the Pirates 36-29.
Colin Cunningham joined Clifford in double figures with 10 points. Cunningham also grabbed 6 rebounds and dished out 5 assists.
The Crusaders held Hampton's top scorer, Rashad West, to a woeful 2 for 11 from teh field night and 8 points.
Box score | Telegram & Gazette | Daily Press (Newport News)
Labels: games, Holy Cross
Read Full Post
Saturday, November 17, 2007
Two teams look to stay unbeaten tonight in a four-game schedule of non-conference matchups. The most intriguing is Holy Cross' visit to Hampton, where Ralph Willard faces Kevin Nickelberry in a mentor-protege coaching matchup. Also on tap, Colgate takes on Kennesaw State in the finals of Kennesaw's tournament, Navy plays in the Alamo Dome against Texas-San Antonio and Lehigh heads across Pa. to face St. Francis.
SCOUTING HAMPTON: Former Willard assistant Nickelberry has turned things around in a hurry at Hampton. In his second year, the Pirates are favored to win the MEAC title.
The Pirates are led by 6-1 senior guard Rashard West, a first team All-MEAC pick last season (and again this preseason) who led the conference in scoring last year (17.8 ppg). West is averaging 21.7 ppg thus far.
Vincent Simpson (6-1 soph.), last season's starter at the point, is averaging 18.3 ppg off the bench. Simpson is part of a stellar sophomore class that also includes preseason second team All-MEAC picks 6-8 Matthew Pilgrim (10.3 ppg) and 6-8 Michael Freeman (6.3 ppg), last year's MEAC rookie of the year.
Don't let Hampton's 1-2 record fool you. The two losses, both by six points, were on the road at Maryland and Kent State. Their win came at home against Tulsa.
And don't let opponents scoring 67.3 ppg make you think the Pirates don't play defense. Despite the faster-paced, attacking style Nickelberry prefers, Hampton has held opponents to 40.9 percent shooting from the field.
BONUS LINKS:
Out to make an impression (Hampton preview from The (Newport News) Daily Press)
Clifford points way for Crusaders (Boston Herald)
SCOUTING TEXAS- SAN ANTONIO:Picked to finish fifth in the West Division of the Southland Conference (ahead of only Texas State), the Roadrunners certainly did not live up to their nickname their last time out, scoring only 37 points in a loss to No. 15 Texas. UTSA is either 1-1, or 0-1, depending how you view it. On its Web site, UTSA says 1-1, counting a win over Division III Hardin-Simmons. Hardin-Simmons' site calls that game an exhibition. You be the judge.
Freshman Devin Gibson posted a double-double of 13 points and 10 rebounds against Texas. Gibson is averaging 16.5 points and 7 rebounds per game. junior Travis Gabbidon (6-7), one of eight juco transfers on the roster, averages 11.5 ppg.
This is one offensively challenged team. That low point total against Texas does not appear to be just a matter of the Roadrunners moving up in class for a buy game. UTSA is shooting 34.4 percent from the field thus far. Sure the 26.7 percent night against the Longhorns did not help. But UTSA only shot 41.2 percent (33.3 percent in the first half) against D-III Hardin-Simmons. That is a continuation of a theme set by last season's 7-22 team, which shot 40.4 percent from the field and averaged only 57.1 ppg.
This is being billed as an Alamodome dress rehearsal for the spring's Final Four, though a more apt billing might be to call it a game between two teams in a big empty building. UTSA drew only 1,593 fans for its home opener. That won't translate well in the 20,000-seat dome.
BONUS LINKS:
UTSA game notes
SCOUTING KENNESAW STATE: The Owls come in at 1-2 after picking up their first win in Friday's opening round against Jacksonville State. Shuan Stegall, a 6-7 senior, had 19 points and 12 boards in that win. Stegall is averaging a double-double (16 ppg/10.5 rpg) through three games. Ronnell Wooten, a 6-4 senior who was a second team All-Atlantic Sun pick last season, is averaging 12.3 ppg and 6-7 freshman Tanner Jacobs averages 10.3 ppg. The Owls are shooting 39.2 percent from the field, while opponents are hitting at a 53.8 percent clip. Jacksonville State shot over 50 percent against KSU, so it is not just a matter of stats skewed by losses to Western Kentucky and Auburn. But the Owls inside game gave them a 46-34 edge on the boards -- including 16 offensive rebounds -- and they went to the line 32 times (making 20) while Jacksonsville was a woeful 4 for 17 at the charity stripe.
BONUS LINKS:
KSU coach Tony Lingle's Web site
Gametracker
The (Atlantic) Sun also rises: Tiny conference sticks it to the big boys (Sporting News)
SCOUTING ST. FRANCIS (PA): The Red Flash are 0-3 thus far, including a season-opening loss at home against American. Sophomore Devin Sweetney leads the Red Flash with 11 points per game. Junios Grant Surprenant is a 6-5 threat from the perimeter. Surprenantis averaging 10 ppg and is 8 for 12 from the arc thus far. Bassirou Dieng, a 6-9 junior from Senegal, also averages in double figures at 10.7 ppg. Junior Chris Berry averages 9.7 ppg and a team-high 6 rebounds per game. Defense has been a problem for the Red Flash. Opponents are shooting 46.8 percent, including 39.2 from thee-point range and averaging more than 75 points per game.
BONUS LINKS:
St. Francis stats
Read Full Post
SCOUTING HAMPTON: Former Willard assistant Nickelberry has turned things around in a hurry at Hampton. In his second year, the Pirates are favored to win the MEAC title.
The Pirates are led by 6-1 senior guard Rashard West, a first team All-MEAC pick last season (and again this preseason) who led the conference in scoring last year (17.8 ppg). West is averaging 21.7 ppg thus far.
Vincent Simpson (6-1 soph.), last season's starter at the point, is averaging 18.3 ppg off the bench. Simpson is part of a stellar sophomore class that also includes preseason second team All-MEAC picks 6-8 Matthew Pilgrim (10.3 ppg) and 6-8 Michael Freeman (6.3 ppg), last year's MEAC rookie of the year.
Don't let Hampton's 1-2 record fool you. The two losses, both by six points, were on the road at Maryland and Kent State. Their win came at home against Tulsa.
And don't let opponents scoring 67.3 ppg make you think the Pirates don't play defense. Despite the faster-paced, attacking style Nickelberry prefers, Hampton has held opponents to 40.9 percent shooting from the field.
BONUS LINKS:
SCOUTING TEXAS- SAN ANTONIO:Picked to finish fifth in the West Division of the Southland Conference (ahead of only Texas State), the Roadrunners certainly did not live up to their nickname their last time out, scoring only 37 points in a loss to No. 15 Texas. UTSA is either 1-1, or 0-1, depending how you view it. On its Web site, UTSA says 1-1, counting a win over Division III Hardin-Simmons. Hardin-Simmons' site calls that game an exhibition. You be the judge.
Freshman Devin Gibson posted a double-double of 13 points and 10 rebounds against Texas. Gibson is averaging 16.5 points and 7 rebounds per game. junior Travis Gabbidon (6-7), one of eight juco transfers on the roster, averages 11.5 ppg.
This is one offensively challenged team. That low point total against Texas does not appear to be just a matter of the Roadrunners moving up in class for a buy game. UTSA is shooting 34.4 percent from the field thus far. Sure the 26.7 percent night against the Longhorns did not help. But UTSA only shot 41.2 percent (33.3 percent in the first half) against D-III Hardin-Simmons. That is a continuation of a theme set by last season's 7-22 team, which shot 40.4 percent from the field and averaged only 57.1 ppg.
This is being billed as an Alamodome dress rehearsal for the spring's Final Four, though a more apt billing might be to call it a game between two teams in a big empty building. UTSA drew only 1,593 fans for its home opener. That won't translate well in the 20,000-seat dome.
BONUS LINKS:
SCOUTING KENNESAW STATE: The Owls come in at 1-2 after picking up their first win in Friday's opening round against Jacksonville State. Shuan Stegall, a 6-7 senior, had 19 points and 12 boards in that win. Stegall is averaging a double-double (16 ppg/10.5 rpg) through three games. Ronnell Wooten, a 6-4 senior who was a second team All-Atlantic Sun pick last season, is averaging 12.3 ppg and 6-7 freshman Tanner Jacobs averages 10.3 ppg. The Owls are shooting 39.2 percent from the field, while opponents are hitting at a 53.8 percent clip. Jacksonville State shot over 50 percent against KSU, so it is not just a matter of stats skewed by losses to Western Kentucky and Auburn. But the Owls inside game gave them a 46-34 edge on the boards -- including 16 offensive rebounds -- and they went to the line 32 times (making 20) while Jacksonsville was a woeful 4 for 17 at the charity stripe.
BONUS LINKS:
SCOUTING ST. FRANCIS (PA): The Red Flash are 0-3 thus far, including a season-opening loss at home against American. Sophomore Devin Sweetney leads the Red Flash with 11 points per game. Junios Grant Surprenant is a 6-5 threat from the perimeter. Surprenantis averaging 10 ppg and is 8 for 12 from the arc thus far. Bassirou Dieng, a 6-9 junior from Senegal, also averages in double figures at 10.7 ppg. Junior Chris Berry averages 9.7 ppg and a team-high 6 rebounds per game. Defense has been a problem for the Red Flash. Opponents are shooting 46.8 percent, including 39.2 from thee-point range and averaging more than 75 points per game.
BONUS LINKS:
Labels: Colgate, Holy Cross, Lehigh, Navy, previews
Read Full Post
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
Originally posted Tues. 10:08 p.m., updated at 6:24 a.m.
Their best player was a non factor. It didn't matter. Holy Cross still beat Fairfield to improve to 2-0.
Tim Clifford, the preseason Patriot League Player of the Year, lasted just 12 minutes before fouling out with 4 points and 5 turnovers. Holy Cross won anyhow, thanks to an impressive showing at the free throw line. The Crusaders went to the stripe 33 times and made 29, including 20 of 23 in the second half, when they managed only 5 field goals.
Colin Cunningham led the Crusaders with a career-high 17 points. Cunningham was a perfect 10 for 10 at the line. Pat Doherty had just one field goal, but still reached double figures (11 points) after hitting 9 of 10 free throws. Forty-minute man Alex Vander Baan also had 11, including a pair of three-pointers.
Holy Cross shot 43.2 percent (16-37) from the field, including 6 of 15 from the arc. The Crusaders held Fairfield to 40.8 percent (20-49) from the floor, 2 of 11 from three-point range. Fairfield was 12 for 16 at the foul line.
The Crusaders' 13-point margin might have been larger had they taken better care of the ball, HC turned it over 22 times.
Box score | Telegram & Gazette |Conn. Post
Read Full Post
Their best player was a non factor. It didn't matter. Holy Cross still beat Fairfield to improve to 2-0.
Tim Clifford, the preseason Patriot League Player of the Year, lasted just 12 minutes before fouling out with 4 points and 5 turnovers. Holy Cross won anyhow, thanks to an impressive showing at the free throw line. The Crusaders went to the stripe 33 times and made 29, including 20 of 23 in the second half, when they managed only 5 field goals.
Colin Cunningham led the Crusaders with a career-high 17 points. Cunningham was a perfect 10 for 10 at the line. Pat Doherty had just one field goal, but still reached double figures (11 points) after hitting 9 of 10 free throws. Forty-minute man Alex Vander Baan also had 11, including a pair of three-pointers.
Holy Cross shot 43.2 percent (16-37) from the field, including 6 of 15 from the arc. The Crusaders held Fairfield to 40.8 percent (20-49) from the floor, 2 of 11 from three-point range. Fairfield was 12 for 16 at the foul line.
The Crusaders' 13-point margin might have been larger had they taken better care of the ball, HC turned it over 22 times.
Box score | Telegram & Gazette |Conn. Post
Labels: games, Holy Cross
Read Full Post
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
It's Patriot vs. MAAC across the board tonight, with American at Loyola (Md.), Holy Cross at Fairfield and Colgate at Canisius.
SCOUTING LOYOLA: Picked as co-favorites in the MAAC, the Greyhounds come in 1-1, with an 89-68 home win over Penn their last time out. Coach Jimmy Patsos shuffled his starting lineup after Loyola dropped its opener at Towson, 83-69, inserting 6-1 sophomore Brett Harvey, last season's starter at the point, along with 5-11 freshman Brian Rudolph and 6-7 forward Michael Tuck, last season's MAAC sixth man of the year.
Rudolph responded by dishing out 9 assists and Tuck put up 18 points against Penn. Marquis Sullivan, a 6-1 junior guard who went to the bench, scored 13 points off the bench. Joe Miles, a 6-0 transfer from Marshall, also moved to the bench. Miles played the same 25 minutes he did in the opener, scoring 9 points off the bench after posting 11 as a starter against Towson. The biggest difference was the diminished role of 6-10 senior center Hassan Fofana, who played just 2 minutes against Penn after starting and playing 14 against Towson.
The Greyhounds will look to play a style fitting their name, pressing full court and running. THe roster is full of athletic guys, including a bunch of transfers from high major programs.
Leading scorer Gerald Brown (22 ppg), last year's MAAC leading scorer, came from Providence. Fofana played at Maryland. Omari Isreal, a 6-8 senior who, along with Brown, has started both games, began his career at Notre Dame.
Sullivan played his high school ball at Archbishop Spalding, the Maryland school that produced Bucknell's Justin Castleberry and Holy Cross' Lawrence Dixon. Associate coach Brian Blaney is the son of former Holy Cross head coach and current UConn assistant George Blaney.
BONUS LINKS:
Loyola preview from The Examiner
Loyola stats
Gametracker
SCOUTING FAIRFIELD: Four players who started for Fairfield in an overtime loss to Holy Cross last season are back in the starting lineup for the Stags this season. Sophomore forward Greg Nero scored a career-high 23 for the Stags in that game, part of a six-game stretch to start the season that Nero led Fairfield in scoring and one of his 16 double figures games last year. Point guard Jonathan Han, who averaged 4.5 assists per game as a sophomore, had a career-high 8 assists against the Crusaders. Forward Anthony Johnson, a 6-8 sophomore and 6-4 sophomore swingman Devin Johnson are also back for the Stags, who start two juniors and three sophomores.
None of the starters reached double figures in Fairfield's season-opening 85-60 loss at Wake Forest. The only Stag to do so in the opener was 6-9 junior Mike Evanovich, who was 6-7 from the field, including 5-5 from the arc in his first game for Fairfield after sitting out a season following his transfer from Iowa State.
Fairfield shot 19 of 49 from the floor against Wake, but were 10 for 16 from 3-point range. Twenty-three turnovers undid any edge the Stags might have gained by outrebounding the DemonDeacons (36-30).
The Stags were picked a tie for sixth in the 10-team MAAC in the league's preseason poll.
BONUS LINKS:
Han ignites Fairfield men (Conn. Post)
Livestats
SCOUTING CANISUS:
In a word, the Griffs are young. Second-year coach Tom Parrotta's roster includes seven true freshmen and just one senior. Add a juco tranfer to the mix, and the fact that its Canisius' first game, and it is tough to get a read on the team, which is picked ninth in the MAAC preseason poll.
Pawel Malesa, the team's lone senior, is a 6-6 guard who averaged 13.2 minutes and 6.3 points per game last season. The native of Poland dropped 40 pounds in the offseason while improving his conditioning and quickness. Malesa is a 3-point shooter. He hit 34.7 percent from the arc last year, which is damned near the only place he shoots from. Of 61 made shots, 52 were treys.
Canisius has a pair of juniors. Shaun James, a 6-8 London, England native by way of Barton Junior College in Kansas. He played in 29 games, starting eight for the Griffs last season. Willie Hassell is a 5-8 shooter recruited from Mineral Area Junior College to be a scorer for the Griffs. Hassell was a third team NJCAA All-American pick last season.
Three sophomores started at least 13 games last season: Menghe a'Nyam, Jovan Robinson and Frank Turner. Turner averaged 36.1 minutes, tops on the team, and 11.9 points per game, earning co-rookie of the year honors in the MAAC.
Among the freshmen, Elton Frazier, a 6-5 forward, is The Sporting News' pick as the MAAC's top newcomer.
BONUS LINKS:
Canisus season preview (GgGriffs.com)
Read Full Post
SCOUTING LOYOLA: Picked as co-favorites in the MAAC, the Greyhounds come in 1-1, with an 89-68 home win over Penn their last time out. Coach Jimmy Patsos shuffled his starting lineup after Loyola dropped its opener at Towson, 83-69, inserting 6-1 sophomore Brett Harvey, last season's starter at the point, along with 5-11 freshman Brian Rudolph and 6-7 forward Michael Tuck, last season's MAAC sixth man of the year.
Rudolph responded by dishing out 9 assists and Tuck put up 18 points against Penn. Marquis Sullivan, a 6-1 junior guard who went to the bench, scored 13 points off the bench. Joe Miles, a 6-0 transfer from Marshall, also moved to the bench. Miles played the same 25 minutes he did in the opener, scoring 9 points off the bench after posting 11 as a starter against Towson. The biggest difference was the diminished role of 6-10 senior center Hassan Fofana, who played just 2 minutes against Penn after starting and playing 14 against Towson.
The Greyhounds will look to play a style fitting their name, pressing full court and running. THe roster is full of athletic guys, including a bunch of transfers from high major programs.
Leading scorer Gerald Brown (22 ppg), last year's MAAC leading scorer, came from Providence. Fofana played at Maryland. Omari Isreal, a 6-8 senior who, along with Brown, has started both games, began his career at Notre Dame.
Sullivan played his high school ball at Archbishop Spalding, the Maryland school that produced Bucknell's Justin Castleberry and Holy Cross' Lawrence Dixon. Associate coach Brian Blaney is the son of former Holy Cross head coach and current UConn assistant George Blaney.
BONUS LINKS:
SCOUTING FAIRFIELD: Four players who started for Fairfield in an overtime loss to Holy Cross last season are back in the starting lineup for the Stags this season. Sophomore forward Greg Nero scored a career-high 23 for the Stags in that game, part of a six-game stretch to start the season that Nero led Fairfield in scoring and one of his 16 double figures games last year. Point guard Jonathan Han, who averaged 4.5 assists per game as a sophomore, had a career-high 8 assists against the Crusaders. Forward Anthony Johnson, a 6-8 sophomore and 6-4 sophomore swingman Devin Johnson are also back for the Stags, who start two juniors and three sophomores.
None of the starters reached double figures in Fairfield's season-opening 85-60 loss at Wake Forest. The only Stag to do so in the opener was 6-9 junior Mike Evanovich, who was 6-7 from the field, including 5-5 from the arc in his first game for Fairfield after sitting out a season following his transfer from Iowa State.
Fairfield shot 19 of 49 from the floor against Wake, but were 10 for 16 from 3-point range. Twenty-three turnovers undid any edge the Stags might have gained by outrebounding the DemonDeacons (36-30).
The Stags were picked a tie for sixth in the 10-team MAAC in the league's preseason poll.
BONUS LINKS:
SCOUTING CANISUS:
In a word, the Griffs are young. Second-year coach Tom Parrotta's roster includes seven true freshmen and just one senior. Add a juco tranfer to the mix, and the fact that its Canisius' first game, and it is tough to get a read on the team, which is picked ninth in the MAAC preseason poll.
Pawel Malesa, the team's lone senior, is a 6-6 guard who averaged 13.2 minutes and 6.3 points per game last season. The native of Poland dropped 40 pounds in the offseason while improving his conditioning and quickness. Malesa is a 3-point shooter. He hit 34.7 percent from the arc last year, which is damned near the only place he shoots from. Of 61 made shots, 52 were treys.
Canisius has a pair of juniors. Shaun James, a 6-8 London, England native by way of Barton Junior College in Kansas. He played in 29 games, starting eight for the Griffs last season. Willie Hassell is a 5-8 shooter recruited from Mineral Area Junior College to be a scorer for the Griffs. Hassell was a third team NJCAA All-American pick last season.
Three sophomores started at least 13 games last season: Menghe a'Nyam, Jovan Robinson and Frank Turner. Turner averaged 36.1 minutes, tops on the team, and 11.9 points per game, earning co-rookie of the year honors in the MAAC.
Among the freshmen, Elton Frazier, a 6-5 forward, is The Sporting News' pick as the MAAC's top newcomer.
BONUS LINKS:
Labels: American, Colgate, Holy Cross, previews
Read Full Post
Monday, November 12, 2007
Holy Cross moves up two spots in this week's Mid-Major Top 25.
The Crusaders check in at No. 14 in the latest voting following their win over Hofstra. Bucknell, which received 61 points in the preseason balloting, dropped completely off the radar this week, receiving no mention.
Read Full Post
The Crusaders check in at No. 14 in the latest voting following their win over Hofstra. Bucknell, which received 61 points in the preseason balloting, dropped completely off the radar this week, receiving no mention.
Labels: Bucknell, Holy Cross
Read Full Post
The season's first Hoop Time Notebook takes a look at the opening weekend that was.
SIZE MATTERS: In the first half of American's win at Saint Francis, 5-11 (on his tiptoes) Garrison Carr was en fuego, going 5 for 7 from the arc and scoring 17 points. In the second, Carr was 0 for 3 from 3-point range, scoring just 4 points. The difference? Saint Francis coach Bobby Jones subbed for the 5-10 guy guarding Carr (Marquis Ford), putting 6-foot-3 junior Kyle Jackson on Carr.
“(Jackson) is athletic and big enough physically and he was able to pose some problems for Carr,” said Jones.
Patriot League coaches already know the kid is a stone-cold sniper when he gets an open look. But with Carr playing limited minutes the last two seasons, that might not have shown up in the Red Flash scouting report. Expect Carr to see a lot of that sort of treatment once film of his first half show in Loretto gets around.
LINEUP SURPRISES: Phil Anderson was a starter most of last season for Lehigh, filling in at center for Jason mgebroff after Mgebroff went down with stress fractures in his leg. But it was sophomore Zahir Carrington who got the starting nod at center against Cornell. Anderson, who averaged almost 19 minutes per game last season, played just 10 against the Big Red. That's less than half the time immoblie 7-footer John Gourlay got off the Lehigh bench.
Other Lehigh rotation notes -- freshman Rob Keefer started on one wing for the Mountain Hawks, finishing with 6 points on 3 for 8 shooting in 25 minutes of action. Freshman Prentice Small also saw 25 minutes of action, scoring 13 points before fouling out.
GETTING DEFENSIVE: Even by Holy Cross' high defensive standards, what the Crusaders did against Hofstra's offense was mighty impressive. The Crusaders held the Pride to a 13 of 49 (26.5 percent) night from the field. Even more impressive: take away Hofstra star Antoine Agudio's 28 points and the rest of the Pride lineup was 4 for 26 (15.4 percent. During one stretch the Crusaders held Hofstra without a field goal for over 18 minutes.
WELL SAID: From Cormac Gordon's Staten Island Advance story on Friday night's Wagner-Lafayette game: . . . just in case you had forgotten what level of collegiate sports we're talking about here, the game was pushed from a 7 p.m. start to an 8:30 start to make room at Kirby for a women's volleyball game. Think that happens in the ACC?
BIG NUMBER GUYS: Top performances on the season's opening weekend:
Scoring: Greg Sprink, Navy, 28 vs. Longwood; Derrick Mercer, American, 22 and garrison Carr, American, 21 both vs. St. Francis (Pa.)
Rebounds: Alex Vander Baan, HC, 15 vs. Hofstra; Stephen Tyree, BU, 13 vs. Albany; Bryan White, Lehigh, 12 vs. Cornell
Assists: Andrew Brown, Lafayette, 7 vs. Wagner
Double-Doubles: Vander Baan (10 points, 15 reb.); White (16 points, 12 reb.)
REMATCH: The Bucknell-Albany game was the last in a two-year contract between the two schools, which have a combined four NCAA Tournament appearances in the last three seasons. Bucknell's win avenged an opening night loss at Albany last season and gave the Bison a 4-2 series lead all-time against the Danes.
"I don't know if we will start a new (series). That is up to (Bucknell coach) Pat (Flannery). I'd like to continue it," said Albany coach Will Brown after the game.
Flannery sounded amenable to that suggestion. "I don't know why not. Albany is not too bad of a trip," he said.
The Bison mentor did suggest a few changes, though, most notably the idea that the next contract start with a game in Sojka Pavilion. Flannery might also prefer the game to be a week or two later in the season.
"If these two teams are going to be as good as they have been, it's a tough opener," Flannery said.
POINT OF VIEW::
“In the first half, we did not have the defensive focus that we should have.”
St. Francis coach Bobby Jones, after his team fell behind 27-7 at the start of its home loss to American
““In the first half, we were like we were in a boxing match, and we stunned them.””
AU coach Jeff Jones, same game
CONFERENCE VS. CONFERENCE
Patriot League teams went 5-3 against non-conference foes over the weekend. Here are the results vs. other conferences played, with the Patriot's 2006-07 record against that conference.
America East: 1-0 (3-3)
Independents: 1-0 (5-1)
Ivy League: 0-1 (8-11)
Big Ten" 0-1 (0-3)
CAA: 1-0 (5-2)
Northeast Conference: 2-1 (8-2)
TOGETHER AGAIN: Keith Simmons and Torey Thomas, stars of last season's Holy Cross league championship team, are sticking together as they begin their professional careers overseas. The two are teammates on Turkish first division club Kepez Bld. Thomas joined his old running mate in Turkey after starting his pro career with Kormand, a Hungarian club. Kepez is 2-4 overall, 1-1 since Thomas joined the roster. Simmons is the team's second-leading scorer, averaging 16 ppg. You can follow the club in English here.
GETTING HIS KICKS: Lafayette recruit Ryan Willen of Missouri's Cape Girardeau Notre Dame has a state championship on his resume . . . in soccer. Willen, a 6-8 frontcourt type who helped Notre Dame to a second place finish in the state basketball playoffs last season, scored two goals and assisted on another to lead ND to a 4-1 win over Smithville in Saturday's Class II state championship game in St. Louis.
Read Full Post
SIZE MATTERS: In the first half of American's win at Saint Francis, 5-11 (on his tiptoes) Garrison Carr was en fuego, going 5 for 7 from the arc and scoring 17 points. In the second, Carr was 0 for 3 from 3-point range, scoring just 4 points. The difference? Saint Francis coach Bobby Jones subbed for the 5-10 guy guarding Carr (Marquis Ford), putting 6-foot-3 junior Kyle Jackson on Carr.
“(Jackson) is athletic and big enough physically and he was able to pose some problems for Carr,” said Jones.
Patriot League coaches already know the kid is a stone-cold sniper when he gets an open look. But with Carr playing limited minutes the last two seasons, that might not have shown up in the Red Flash scouting report. Expect Carr to see a lot of that sort of treatment once film of his first half show in Loretto gets around.
LINEUP SURPRISES: Phil Anderson was a starter most of last season for Lehigh, filling in at center for Jason mgebroff after Mgebroff went down with stress fractures in his leg. But it was sophomore Zahir Carrington who got the starting nod at center against Cornell. Anderson, who averaged almost 19 minutes per game last season, played just 10 against the Big Red. That's less than half the time immoblie 7-footer John Gourlay got off the Lehigh bench.
Other Lehigh rotation notes -- freshman Rob Keefer started on one wing for the Mountain Hawks, finishing with 6 points on 3 for 8 shooting in 25 minutes of action. Freshman Prentice Small also saw 25 minutes of action, scoring 13 points before fouling out.
GETTING DEFENSIVE: Even by Holy Cross' high defensive standards, what the Crusaders did against Hofstra's offense was mighty impressive. The Crusaders held the Pride to a 13 of 49 (26.5 percent) night from the field. Even more impressive: take away Hofstra star Antoine Agudio's 28 points and the rest of the Pride lineup was 4 for 26 (15.4 percent. During one stretch the Crusaders held Hofstra without a field goal for over 18 minutes.
WELL SAID: From Cormac Gordon's Staten Island Advance story on Friday night's Wagner-Lafayette game: . . . just in case you had forgotten what level of collegiate sports we're talking about here, the game was pushed from a 7 p.m. start to an 8:30 start to make room at Kirby for a women's volleyball game. Think that happens in the ACC?
BIG NUMBER GUYS: Top performances on the season's opening weekend:
Scoring: Greg Sprink, Navy, 28 vs. Longwood; Derrick Mercer, American, 22 and garrison Carr, American, 21 both vs. St. Francis (Pa.)
Rebounds: Alex Vander Baan, HC, 15 vs. Hofstra; Stephen Tyree, BU, 13 vs. Albany; Bryan White, Lehigh, 12 vs. Cornell
Assists: Andrew Brown, Lafayette, 7 vs. Wagner
Double-Doubles: Vander Baan (10 points, 15 reb.); White (16 points, 12 reb.)
REMATCH: The Bucknell-Albany game was the last in a two-year contract between the two schools, which have a combined four NCAA Tournament appearances in the last three seasons. Bucknell's win avenged an opening night loss at Albany last season and gave the Bison a 4-2 series lead all-time against the Danes.
"I don't know if we will start a new (series). That is up to (Bucknell coach) Pat (Flannery). I'd like to continue it," said Albany coach Will Brown after the game.
Flannery sounded amenable to that suggestion. "I don't know why not. Albany is not too bad of a trip," he said.
The Bison mentor did suggest a few changes, though, most notably the idea that the next contract start with a game in Sojka Pavilion. Flannery might also prefer the game to be a week or two later in the season.
"If these two teams are going to be as good as they have been, it's a tough opener," Flannery said.
POINT OF VIEW::
“In the first half, we did not have the defensive focus that we should have.”
St. Francis coach Bobby Jones, after his team fell behind 27-7 at the start of its home loss to American
““In the first half, we were like we were in a boxing match, and we stunned them.””
AU coach Jeff Jones, same game
CONFERENCE VS. CONFERENCE
Patriot League teams went 5-3 against non-conference foes over the weekend. Here are the results vs. other conferences played, with the Patriot's 2006-07 record against that conference.
America East: 1-0 (3-3)
Independents: 1-0 (5-1)
Ivy League: 0-1 (8-11)
Big Ten" 0-1 (0-3)
CAA: 1-0 (5-2)
Northeast Conference: 2-1 (8-2)
TOGETHER AGAIN: Keith Simmons and Torey Thomas, stars of last season's Holy Cross league championship team, are sticking together as they begin their professional careers overseas. The two are teammates on Turkish first division club Kepez Bld. Thomas joined his old running mate in Turkey after starting his pro career with Kormand, a Hungarian club. Kepez is 2-4 overall, 1-1 since Thomas joined the roster. Simmons is the team's second-leading scorer, averaging 16 ppg. You can follow the club in English here.
GETTING HIS KICKS: Lafayette recruit Ryan Willen of Missouri's Cape Girardeau Notre Dame has a state championship on his resume . . . in soccer. Willen, a 6-8 frontcourt type who helped Notre Dame to a second place finish in the state basketball playoffs last season, scored two goals and assisted on another to lead ND to a 4-1 win over Smithville in Saturday's Class II state championship game in St. Louis.
Labels: American, Bucknell, Holy Cross, Lafayette, Lehigh, Navy, notebook, recruiting
Read Full Post
Sunday, November 11, 2007
Folks who figured as goes Tim Clifford so goes Holy Cross found out the Crusaders are not a one-man gang this season. The pre-season Patriot League Player of the Year was barely a factor in HC's 61-47 win over Hofstra.
Clifford played only 20 minutes, managing just 6 points, 3 rebounds and a pair of blocks before fouling out. He was hardly missed.
With Alex Vander Baan posting a 10-point, career-high 15 rebound double-double, the Crusaders still managed to cruise in their opener.
Vander Baam, Eric Meister (9 reb.) and Adam May (8 reb>( cleaned up on the boards, staking HC to a 45-34 edge on the glass. And junior Point guard Pat Doherty (career-high 18) and senior guard Kyle Cruze (10) joined Vander Baan in double figures in the points column.
Even though Holy Cross shot 35.3 percent from the field (18-51) as a team, that was more than enough to put away Hofstra, which got 28 points from Antoine Agudio and next to nothing from everybody else. Nine other guys saw action for the Pride; none managed more than 5 points against a Holy Cross defense that limited its guests from Long Island to 13 field goals (on 49 shots, 26.5 percent) all night. Nine of those makes came from Agudio, who put it up 23 times.
Add in an edge at the foul line (HC was 20-28, Hofstra 15-26) and you get the 'Saders fifth straight opening game win.
Box score | Telegram & Gazette | Newsday | AP
Read Full Post
Clifford played only 20 minutes, managing just 6 points, 3 rebounds and a pair of blocks before fouling out. He was hardly missed.
With Alex Vander Baan posting a 10-point, career-high 15 rebound double-double, the Crusaders still managed to cruise in their opener.
Vander Baam, Eric Meister (9 reb.) and Adam May (8 reb>( cleaned up on the boards, staking HC to a 45-34 edge on the glass. And junior Point guard Pat Doherty (career-high 18) and senior guard Kyle Cruze (10) joined Vander Baan in double figures in the points column.
Even though Holy Cross shot 35.3 percent from the field (18-51) as a team, that was more than enough to put away Hofstra, which got 28 points from Antoine Agudio and next to nothing from everybody else. Nine other guys saw action for the Pride; none managed more than 5 points against a Holy Cross defense that limited its guests from Long Island to 13 field goals (on 49 shots, 26.5 percent) all night. Nine of those makes came from Agudio, who put it up 23 times.
Add in an edge at the foul line (HC was 20-28, Hofstra 15-26) and you get the 'Saders fifth straight opening game win.
Box score | Telegram & Gazette | Newsday | AP
Labels: games, Holy Cross
Read Full Post
Saturday, November 10, 2007
(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 snowy Ithaca, N.Y. to take on Ivy favorite Cornell. The Big Red went 16-12 last season, playing with a roster full of talented freshmen. That young, but experienced Big Big Red roster is bolstered by the return of star guard 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 trio of transfers 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:
Cornell basketball blog
Lehigh depending on a Hall of a player (Morning Call)
Lehigh walking into the unknown (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 losing two all-league players, including one of the best in school history. The longer version: The Danes are bigger than last year, with nine guys 6-5 or taller, stronger and more athletic. 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 right here.
BONUS LINKS:
TU columnist Mark (not the steroids slugger) McGuire on Albany's scheduling
Bison adjust on the run (Daily Item)
Danes testing their bite and fight (Times Union)
New year, same goals (Bucknellian)
SCOUTING ST. FRANCIS (PA.): After finishing last in the Northeast Conference the past two seasons, the Red Flash are expected to move 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 8-21 season 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 Devin Sweetney and junior Chris Berry. 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:
St. Francis game notes
SFU radio broadcast
SCOUTING MINNESOTA: Minnesota has a new coach and new optimism after going a miserable 9-22 last season. Tubby Smith 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. McKenzie, 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 Gophers' site on the status of McKenzie for the Army game.
BONUS LINKS:
Army aiming high in hoops (Times Herald-Record)
Gophers tread long road back (Detroit Free Press)
Gophers feeling good, aiming high under Tubby's tutelage (Minneapolis Star-Tribune)
Tubby's time is here, but how fast can Gophers get better?... (AP)
SCOUTING HOFSTRA: With 6-4 backcourt recruit Ameer Brown watching from the Hart Center bleachers, Holy Cross will open with its BracketBusters rematch against Hofstra. Picked to finish fifth in the tough Colonial Athletic Conference, Hofstra fell 10 points shy of earning a spot in the preseason Mid Major Top 25, 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 bigger and deeper than they were a year ago, according to NY Daily News writer Sean Brennan. Hofstra will be led by high-scoring 6-3 guard Antoine Agudio, a returning first team all league and preseason player of the year pick who averaged over 20 ppg last season. Agudio put up 25 points last week in Hofsta's exhibition win 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 Greg Washington 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:
Hofstra game notes | CAA Zone
CAA Insider
A couple of big pieces gone (Boston Globe)
Read Full Post
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 snowy Ithaca, N.Y. to take on Ivy favorite Cornell. The Big Red went 16-12 last season, playing with a roster full of talented freshmen. That young, but experienced Big Big Red roster is bolstered by the return of star guard 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 trio of transfers 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 losing two all-league players, including one of the best in school history. The longer version: The Danes are bigger than last year, with nine guys 6-5 or taller, stronger and more athletic. 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 right here.
BONUS LINKS:
SCOUTING ST. FRANCIS (PA.): After finishing last in the Northeast Conference the past two seasons, the Red Flash are expected to move 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 8-21 season 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 Devin Sweetney and junior Chris Berry. 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 new coach and new optimism after going a miserable 9-22 last season. Tubby Smith 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. McKenzie, 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 Gophers' site on the status of McKenzie for the Army game.
BONUS LINKS:
SCOUTING HOFSTRA: With 6-4 backcourt recruit Ameer Brown watching from the Hart Center bleachers, Holy Cross will open with its BracketBusters rematch against Hofstra. Picked to finish fifth in the tough Colonial Athletic Conference, Hofstra fell 10 points shy of earning a spot in the preseason Mid Major Top 25, 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 bigger and deeper than they were a year ago, according to NY Daily News writer Sean Brennan. Hofstra will be led by high-scoring 6-3 guard Antoine Agudio, a returning first team all league and preseason player of the year pick who averaged over 20 ppg last season. Agudio put up 25 points last week in Hofsta's exhibition win 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 Greg Washington 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
Read Full Post
Help Hoop Time
Recent Items
• Fast start carries American• Mountain Hawks in a romp
• HC gets A. May-zing OT win
• Bison lose in final prep
• Road catches up to Lafayette
• Navy uses 2nd half run to down Longwood
• Brown delivers for Army again
• Saturday readaround
• American falls at Brown
• Technical difficulties update
Archive
• Nov. 2004-Oct. 2005• November 2005
• December 2005
• January 2006
• February 2006
• March 2006
• April 2006
• May 2006
• June 2006
• July 2006
• August 2006
• September 2006
• October 2006
• November 2006
• December 2006
• January 2007
• February 2007
• March 2007
• April 2007
• May 2007
• June 2007
• July 2007
• August 2007
• September 2007
• October 2007
• November 2007
• December 2007
• January 2008
Feeds
©2006 Hoop Time. All rights reserved.