Saturday, December 5, 2009

Early Look: Canisius is Much Improved

The conference season began earlier this week, so it’s a good time to get an early look at how MAAC teams, in order of standings’ position. We’ll do so on a team-by-team breakdown. First up ….

CANISIUS (1-0, 4-2)

The Golden Griffins have picked off right where they left off a year ago. They were 4-2 in their final six games of the 2008-09 season and have duplicated that record with their start to date, including a victory over Loyola on Friday.

The start befits a veteran team that returned all five of its starters from a year ago. Early results indicate that the Griffs are no longer the “one-man band” (read Frank Turner) it has been in the past. Turner shares the team’s scoring lead with emerging junior standing Julius Coles. Both average 17.7 points per contest. Coles has scored 27 (vs. Howard), 26 (vs. UBuffalo) and 18 (vs. Loyola) in his last three games.

Turner and Coles not only lead the Griffs in scoring, but are currently the top two individual scorers in the conference thus far.

Insight: The Griffs look to have turned the corner from its recent mediocrity to being a solid, dangerous team that could contend for the upper half of the league standings.

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