Keepin' Track of the MAAC

Mid-Season Report Card: Women's Stars Selected

2012-01-28T08:24:00.000-08:00

Mid-season honor time for the women ...

First team:

- Lily Grenci, Siena (15.3 points, 7.6 rebounds). Leads the league in scoring, No. 4 in rebounds.

- Corielle Yarde, Marist (15.2 points, 6.8 rebounds, 4.5 assists). No. 2 in scoring, No. 2 in assists, No. 6 in rebounding.

- Miriam McKenzie, Loyola (15.2 points, 8.1 rebounds). No. 2 in scoring, No. 3 in rebounding.

- Katie Sheahin, Loyola (14.5 points, 6.4 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 3.6 steals). League's most-versatile player; Top eight in the league in points, rebounds, assists and steals. Ranks 15th nationally in steals.

- Taryn Johnson, Fairfield (13.0 points, 8.2 rebounds, 53.3 FG percentage): No. 2 in rebounding, No. 1 in FG%, and in top 30 nationally in that statistic.

Player of the Year

Contenders: A case can be made for any of the five, although Loyola's record to date (a far-below-expected 3-6) will hurt the candidacy of its two players. Siena's sub-.500 record (4-5) will also hurt Grenci's hopes. Johnson is having a very nice year, particularly in league play. But, Yarde was the preseason pick and has done nothing to hurt her chances.

The pick: Yarde of Marist. She is the only player in the league to be leading her team in scoring, rebounding and assists. And, Marist remains the MAAC's best team with its 8-0 league record.

Rookie of the Year

Contenders: Like the men, another strong year for first-year players, among them Iona's tandem of Damika Martinez and Aleesha Powell, Siena's Tehresa Coles, Loyola's Kara Marshall and Canisius' Kayla Hoohuli ... and, that's probably the all-rookie team roster right now.

The pick: This one is as clear cut as any award thus far ... Martinez of Iona. Her scoring average is second in the conference, and no freshman has ever finished higher than fifth in the women's scoring statistics. She is also the top rebounding freshman in the league, as well as the freshman leader for FG%.

Coach of the Year

Contenders: Marist's Brian Giorgis, for keeping his team unbeaten in a season of personnel turnover and injuries unlike any his program has had before; Iona's Tony Bozzella; Fairfield's Joe Frager. Those three teams are the only ones with better-than-.500 records in conference play thus far.

The pick: Whew ... might be the toughest of any selection, men or women. All three have strong cases to be made. And, this individual race will ... and, should ... go right down to the final game of the regular-season. But, until now ... we'll go with Iona's Bozzella. Not only was his team not expected to be this strong (picked for fifth in the preseason poll), but he lost Player of the Year candidate Kristina Ford for seven games earlier this season with a knee injury. His team not only survived, but excelled with the focus of the offense falling to freshmen Damika Martinez and Aleesha Powell.

Men's Mid-Season Report Card: Top Picks Made

2012-01-28T07:55:00.000-08:00

This weekend marked the mid-way point of the conference season, as good a time as any to give one Hoopscribe's opinion on the conference's best so far:

At the mid-way point, here are my choices for top conference honors, with reasoning when applicable ...

FIRST-TEAM PICKS:

- Mike Glover, Iona (18.8 points, 8.9 rebounds). He leads the conference in scoring, and is No. 2 in rebounds. His 66.8 field-goal percentage is fourth-best nationally.

- Scott Machado, Iona (13.3 points, 10.0 assists). Not only leads the MAAC in assists, but is No. 1 nationally.

- George Beamon, Manhattan (18.0 points, 5.7 rebounds). Conference's second-leading scorer after a career-high 33-point effort vs. Canisius on Friday. My preseason choice as the MAAC's top scorer this season, and he still might get there.

- O.D. Anosike, Siena (15.2 points, 12.7 rebounds). Mr. Automatic Double-Double, a school-record 16 straight and approaching the league's record of 19. Leads not only the conference, but the country in rebounding.

- Rakim Sanders, Fairfield (16.3 points, 8.2 rebounds). Fifth in the league in scoring, fourth in rebounding. One of just two league players in the top five in both categories (Glover is the other).

TOP AWARD PICKS

Player of the Year

Contenders: Anosike is a rare inside force. His double-double streak is just three short of the league's all-time record; Glover, the preseason pick for the award, leads the league in scoring and is No. 2 in rebounding. And, Machado leads the country in assists.

The pick: Machado ... for now. Having seen Iona several times, when Machado plays well so does the Gaels and when he has a rare off-night, the Gaels struggle. His position is the most-important at the college level, and the MAAC hasn't had a better point guard in many, many years ... if ever.

Rookie of the Year

Contenders: A year for great rookies, and we won't begin to try to name them all except to say that this scribe can't remember the last time so much first-year talent ... true freshmen ... came aboard all at once.

The Pick: Juan'ya Green, Niagara. His 17.2 ppg. average is third-best in the MAAC, and second-best nationally among all freshmen.

Coach of the Year

Contenders: Tim Cluess, Iona; Steve Masiello, Manhattan; Jimmy Patsos, Loyola; Mitch Buonaguro, Siena.

If either Manhattan or Loyola wins the regular-season title, its coach is the likely post-season pick. Masiello becomes an obvious choice for keeping Manhattan in contention at the end. Cluess's team, Iona, would probably need to run the table. The preseason pick already has two losses in its first 10 league games. And, Buonaguro's Saints are 5-5 in MAAC play with wins over Iona, Fairfield and Rider, and are playing with, basically, a six-man rotation. No one expected this. If Siena finishes over .500 in conference play, Buonaguro definitely deserves consideration.

The choice: Masiello of Manhattan. His team is 8-2 in the league and in a three-way tie for the top spot. It's 15-7 overall. Last year the Jaspers finished 3-15 and 6-25 but, now, are poised for potentially the best turnaround by any team nationally. Masiello, a first-year coach, had to get a team to adjust to a new style, new roles, etc. To now, no coach has done more, and no team has exceeded expectations more so than Manhattan.

Much-Traveled PG Lindsey Makes Rider Next Stop

2012-01-24T09:11:00.000-08:00

The Rider men's basketball program will replace one-year transfer senior guard Jeff Jones (formerly at Virginia) with another potential impact transfer next season.

Former St. John's point guard Nurideen Lindsey will be joining the Broncs, according to Rider coach Tommy Dempsey, who confirmed the transfer earlier this week after receiving the requisite paperwork.

The 6-foot-3 Nurideen averaged 11.8 points and 2.9 assists in nine games for St. John's this year, before leaving the team to seek another school He originally indicated that he would transfer to Arkansas, before optig instead for Rider. Prior to turning up at St. John's he played a year at Redlands CC in Oklahoma where he averaged 22.3 points per game.

Nurideen, according to traditional transfer rules, would become eligible for the 2012-13 season's second semester and have one-and-a-half seasons of eligibility remaining. However, internet sources indicate that the player will seek to obtain a waiver in order to be eligible at the start of next season.

Lindsey has a history of complicated family issues, including the murder of a younger brother, and there is some thought that he may be able to obtain a waiver to become eligible at the start of the 2012-13 season.

Lindsey was a highly touted recruit as a standout at Overbrook High School in Philadelphia, scoring at a pace that threatened Wilt Chamberlain's records at that school.

Lindsey, though, admitted that academic apathy and homesickness derailed his career as he bailed out of a Connecticut prep school in the fall of 2008 without ever playing there and he went without playing in an organized setting for two seasons.

Lindsey averaged closer to 38 points per game as a high school junior and initially made a verbal commitment to play at La Salle.

Leaving prep school though, meant that Lindsey would never play at La Salle, whose coach John Giannini remains one of the player's staunchest supporters.

Giannini, in a 2010 story that appeared in the New York Times, said Lindsey has traces of Allen Iverson's game and mental makeup.

If you were going to pick one player with toughness and tenacity whose emotions can get the best of them and who has the supreme confidence and quickness to score, that's the best comparison, Giannini said in the article.

As for Lindsey's character, Giannini said that if people looked past the player's tattoos, they would find someone with the intelligence of an Ivy League philosopher.

The Broncs surely will welcome the infusion of scoring ability Lindsey appears capable of eventually providing. The program, after this season, will lose Jones (12.8 points per game), along with forwards Brandon Penn (12.9) and Novar Gadson (9.2).

Biggest Surprise Yet: Siena Upends Mighty Iona

2012-01-23T19:47:00.000-08:00

This season's Iona team was supposed to be one for the MAAC ages, possessing a perimeter group maybe as deep and talented as the conference has ever seen, and also having the requisite inside beast.

Its scoring average prior to play Monday night was second-best nationally. It had the national leader in assists (senior guard Scott Machado) and an inside scorer (senior forward Mike Glover) so effective that his field-goal percentage was second-best nationally.

On Monday it played against an opponent that it just demolished, 95-59, 20 days earlier and started Monday's game by taking a 20-2 lead after the game's first 4:33.

So, how did this happen Monday night at the Times Union Center in Albany, N.Y. ... Siena 65, Iona 62?

It happened when Machado picked up three first half fouls (one a technical when he stood up and woofed from the bench), was limited to 25 minutes and dished out just three assists.

It happened when the Gaels were held to 34.4 percent shooting and just 23 second-half points.

And, it happened when Siena went on a 19-5 run over the game's final nine minutes to turn an 11-point deficit into a three-point victory.

It also happened to be the most-surprising result in the conference this season, by far, a team with a 3-5 league record entering play Monday night knocking off the supposed team-for-the-ages.

It happened when Siena got a lot of basketball from almost everyone on its depleted roster, not the least of it coming from junior forward O.D. Anosike (17 points, 15 rebounds for a national-best 15th straight double-double), senior guard Kyle Downey (16 points, including 10 in the final 10 minutes) and freshman swingman Rob Poole (14 points, 6 rebounds, 6 assists and one turnover).

It happened when the usually offensively gifted Gaels managed to shoot just 21-of-61 (34.4 percent) in the game, just 9-of-31 (29 percent) in the second half and just 2-of-12 (16.7 percent) in the final nine minutes.

"This is my best and the team's best win since I've been head coach here," said Saints' second-year head coach Mitch Buonaguro. "Our resiliency is something I'm really proud of. Everyone counted us out. Very few people thought we'd win this game, but I did and so did our players.

"For our team to bounce back after two difficult road losses (at Loyola and at Manhattan) and play and beat arguably a top-30 team ... I'm very proud of our guys."

Said Iona coach Tim Cluess: "Siena out-executed us all night. We missed layups, foul shots, jump shots. They made their shots and we didn't. They just outplayed us."

Down the stretch, Siena also made plays and Iona didn't, particularly the one that mattered most.

Down 63-62 with 26 seconds left, Iona got its hands on the ball when the Saints committed a violation trying to in-bounds the ball.

But, the Gaels' designed play never came to pass as junior guard Momo Jones drove into the teeth of Siena's defense and missed badly.

"That wasn't the shot we wanted ... Momo driving the lane into three defenders," admitted Cluess. "But sometimes kids are kids. He needed to know there was a lot of time left when he shot (about 13 seconds), and he didn't need to rush. It's a learning experience for him.

"We've also got to learn that if the other team is on a roll we can't catch the first catch and just throw it up. It's getting late in the season, and if we don't figure that out pretty quickly we can be in trouble."

What does the loss mean for Iona? Within the framework of the season, not that much. At the halfway point the Gaels are still 7-2 in MAAC play and 15-5 overall. They're still in first place, albeit in a three-way tie with Loyola and Manhattan.

But it also means this: Iona's weaknesses are showing. When the Gaels don't hit perimeter shots and aren't looking for 6-7 inside presence Mike Glover enough, they're vulnerable.

It also means that, with five overall losses already and 10 more regular-season games remaining, the Gaels probably need to run the table until the conference tournament's championship game in order to retain a chance for an NCAA at-large berth should it fail to capture the league's automatic berth.

And, it means that these Gaels probably have likely lost their chance to claim a spot on the throne of MAAC royalty in a historical sense. Two conference losses at the halfway mark don't get you into the conversation with the 1989-90 La Salle team (16-0, 30-2 overall), or the Siena teams of 2009-10 (17-1,, 27-7), and 2008-09 (16-2, 27-8) or, probably. even with the 2003-04 Manhattan team (16-2, 25-6).

For Siena?

"It shows that we're a force to be reckoned with," said the Saints' Downey. "Down 18 to Iona early ... it was real hard to come back from that. But I think this will have people realizing that we can play with anyone."

Coach's Take: Saint Peter's Not There Yet

2012-01-23T16:24:00.000-08:00

Here's another in the series looking at conference teams thorugh te eyes of their respective head coach.

Up now,

SAINT PETER'S

"Our group is getting better," said coach John Dunne, whose team, as of Monday, was 3-6 in the MAAC and 4-16 overall.. "I'm not overly concerned with our overall record right now. We're getting better. We're light years ahead of where we were a month ago. But, we're still a group trying to find ourselves. We're still trying to set rotations and game-playing awareness. It's not where you want to be this late in the season, but we're getting there."

The Peacocks are extremely young and inexperienced, particularly after losing four senior starters from last year's team. One of the bright spots has been 5-foot-9 freshman guard Lamin Fulton, who averages 9.9 points per game.

"He has been scoring well recently, but he still defers way too much," added Dunne. "Still, early in the season he wasn't even looking at the rim ... not even in practice. He's starting to come along playing off the guard. He played with a ton of Division I guys in high school, and was a pass-first point guard, even though he had a knack for scoring the ball. But, he doesn't mind deferring. He's a great teammate.

"Still, we brought him here to fill a void, and that's to put points on the board. Some times he worries too much about upperclassmen's feelings. He's got mental toughness. If he can put the ball in the basket, I don't care what size you are."

Dunne is reminded that his program, before his arrival, had no problem putting the scoring load on another undersized guard, one Keydren Clark, who at 5-8 finished with more than 3,000 career points and twice led the nation in scoring.

"Both small, scoring guard's, but no parallel there," admitted Dunne. "Lamin is a good player in his own right, but Keydren is one of the best of all time to have played in the MAAC."

Anosike, Saints Meet NBA Legend Wes Unseld

2012-01-21T12:03:00.000-08:00

A fortuitous decision by the Siena men's basketball team to have a team dinner at one of Baltimore's finest Italian restaurants on its recent trip there to play Loyola brought about a meeting between one of the NBA's greatest rebounders and the current Division I rebounding leader.

When the Saints were dining at Sabbatino's, in Baltimore's Little Italy section earlier this week, a sports-minded staff member mentioned that basketball Hall of Famer Wes Unseld, who resides in the area, was also dining in another part of the facility.

A meeting was arranged, Unseld spent about 10 minutes with the Siena players and staff, and specifically posed for a photo with Siena's O.D. Anosike, whose 12.5 rebound-per-game average leads all Division I players.

The photo, which can be found on Siena's facebook page, is a bit of a shock to the eyes since Anosike, who measures about 6-foot-7 1/2, physically towers over Unseld.

But, height wasn't what made Unseld a five-time NBA all-star, one of just two players in league history to be the league's MVP and Rookie of the Year in the same season (Wilt Chamberlain is the other) and a career 14-rebound per game inside force.

After all, Unseld, a bruising player, was generously listed as being 6-7, but most inside sources claim he was much closer to being 6-5. The photo with Anosiki is proof that, at least these days, Unseld isn't anywhere near his listed height from his playing days.

Anosike towers over the former NBA star, who played for the old Baltimore Bullets from 1968-69 through 1981-82. Over that time he pulled in 13,769 rebounds, almost every one of them secured in the vicinity of taller, more-athletic inside players. In his best year he averaged 18.2 rebounds per game, and brought down 42 in one particular game.

"When you played against Wes Unseld you abused your body," said contemporary Willis Reed, in a tribute found on YouTube.

"He wasn't the biggest, the most athletic or most talented player out there, but no one ever got more out of what he had," said another contemporary, Rick Barry, in the YouTube tribute.

And so it is, in a relative sense, with Anosike, who is certainly a little undersized to be a national rebounder in rebounding. But Anosike, like Unseld, uses the force of his will to secure rebounds as much as his physical ability.

Anosike said he knew Unseld was an NBA great, but didn't know much about him before meeting, which is natural since Unseld's career was over almost a decade before Anosike was born.

"I haven't looked him up, but the coaching staff told me a little about him," said Anosike. "I knew he was a great outlet passer, and he told me he had 42 rebounds in one game.

"He talked to me for a couple of minutes, just to say to keep up the good work and that it's pretty impressive to be leading any level in rebounding. He just told me that rebounding isn't just about ability, but it's also about heart and desire."

And Unseld also displayed a nice sense of humor.

"He asked me how many rebounds a game I averaged," said Anosike. "When I told him that I was getting almost 13 a game, he responded that he used to get that many in a game just with his left hand."

Former Jasper Coach Sharp Fired at Kean

2012-01-20T09:45:00.000-08:00

It's not always positive news we can pass along about individuals with past conference connections, and so it is with former Manhattan women's basketball coach Michele Sharp, who was just relieved of her duties at Division III program Kean University of New Jersey.

A story in the Newark Star-Ledger reports that Sharp's program at Kean has been charged with numerous NCAA violations in the last year, and she was forced to leave her coaching position an has been re-assigned within the athletic department. Her team, a perennial Division III power, was 15-3 overall prior to her re-assignment.

School officials declined comment, except to confirm that Sharp was fired as its coach.

The school, in September, received notice from the NCAA that it must answer to five violations uncovered by the infractions committee, four of which occurred within Sharp's program. Among them were providing "extra benefits" to players in connection with a team trip to Europe, changing grades for one of the team's top player, and awarding more than the allowed scholarship aid.

When reached by a Star-Ledger reporter for comment, Sharp was brusque and said, "You guys don't really want the truth, so I have nothing to say to you. No comment is my comment," and, then, she hung up.

Sharp had coached six seasons at Manhattan (1992-93 through 1997-98) where she compiled a 66-104 record before she was dismissed there.

In 14 and-a-half seasons at Kean, she built a strong program that went to three Division III Final Fours in the past eight seasons and had a 251-129 overall record.

Mason-JMU Game Has MAAC Sideline Connections

2012-01-14T12:08:00.000-08:00

When George Mason travels to Harrisonburg, Va., for a Colonial Athletic Association meeting with in-state rival James Madison tonight (7 p.m.), there will be more than a little MAAC history on the respective sidelines.

George Mason is coached by former Siena head man Paul Hewitt, midway through his first season with the Patriots.

James Madison is coached by Matt Brady, who coached four seasons at Marist and played at Siena. One of Brady's assistants is Rob Driscoll, who worked MAAC sidelines as an assistant for 12 years at three different programs.

Hewitt's team is currently 12-5 overall and 3-1 in the CAA (losing to Drexel).

Brady's team is 8-8 overall and 1-4 in the CAA.

The backgrounds ...

Hewitt's MAAC connection is from his three years at Siena (1997-98 through 1999-00). He took over a program that struggled in the three years before his arrival and turned things around immediately. His 66-27 record over his three seasons accounts for the highest winning percentage (.710) is the best ever in the Siena program. His Siena teams went to the NCAA tournament in 1998-99 and to the NIT in 1999-00.

After Siena, Hewitt coached 11 seasons at Georgia Tech (190-162) before the school bought out his contract. But, he wasn't out of work long, taking over at George Mason shortly after his dismissal from Georgia Tech.

Brady coached four seasons at Marist (2004-05 through 2007-08) where his teams accumulated a 73-50 record. Before he was at Marist, he was a Division I assistant for 17 seasons, two at Rhode Island, four at Wagner and 11 at St. Joseph's. He currently has a 63-55 record at JMU.

Brady's Siena connection comes from playing there from 1983-84 through 1986-87),as an all-league level point guard before the school joined the MAAC.

Brady's top assistant at James Madison is O'Driscoll, formerly a familiar sight on MAAC sidelines. O'Driscoll was a Manhattan assistant for two seasons (1996-97, 1997-98) under John Leonard, for six seasons at Iona under Jeff Ruland and for four years under Brady at Marist.

Take A Look at Andujar's Game-Winner

2012-01-14T11:44:00.000-08:00

A couple of blog items below is a piece about the new instant replay system in place at all MAAC venues, and how well it worked at the end of the recent Manhattan upset victory over Iona.

Here's a link to a couple of photos, sent along by conference officials, directly from the replay system that show Emmy Andujar's game-winning three-pointer against te Gaels.

http://www.maacsports.com/fls/17400/image_lib/AndujarBuzzer.jpg#maachoops

Manhattan Enjoys Improbable Upset of Iona

2012-01-13T12:14:00.000-08:00

The early season hype portrayed the Iona men's basketball team as potentially the best Division I squad in the New York metropolitan area.

But, for now, the Gaels would be hard pressed to claim being the Big City-area's best even in their own conference.

Oh, Iona still has the conference's best record at 5-1. But, for a night anyway, an upstart, vastly improved Manhattan program has reawakened the echoes of its glory days earning a shocking 75-72 victory over the Gaels, at Iona's home court before a packed house in New Rochelle, no less.

Manhattan rallied from an 18-point deficit early in the second half and still faced a 17-point hole with 7:53 left to play.

Before the Jaspers' rally, it looked like one of those nights. Heck the team even struggled getting to the game as its team bus broke down on the Major Deegan highway in rush-hour traffic en route to the contest. But, players piled into a dozen taxis to get to the contest, and the unlikely happenings continued upon their arrival.

Like the rally from 17 down with 7:53 remaining to be tied (after Iona's Momo Jones made a floater with 3.3 seconds left), to needing an improbably game-deciding play to pull it out.

And, it came this way: After Jones' shot, Manhattan got the ball to half court, where coach Steve Masiello quickly called a time out.

"I didn't like how it was setting up, so I called the time out," Masiello said. "We designed a play for (sophomore guard) Mike Alvarado to in-bound the ball (from near half court). Our first three options were to get it inside to Rhamel Brown, or to the corner to George Beamon."

Pretty far down on the list of options was the if-all-else-failed pass to freshman forward Emmy Andujar, but that was what was available.

Andujar needed to jump to receive the pass while facing away from the basket had to quickly turn around and get back off his feet to launch a 22-footer over the top of Iona defender Scott Machado's outstretched hands.

Replays clearly showed that Andujar's shot beat the final buzzer, and it banked in for the game-winner.

And, suddenly, an Iona team that many thought had a chance to get through conference play without a loss has had two disappointing results (the other a Dec. 29 non-league setback at Hofstra) in less than three weeks.

"If you told me the game was going to end in regulation and who deserved to win ... it's Manhattan," said Iona coach Tim Cluess. "This wasn't a wake-up call (for Iona). This is a disgrace."

But it was a thing of beauty for Manhattan, which only won five total games all of last season and, now, stands 4-2 in MAAC play and 11-7 overall.

"The one constant thing for us is that there's no quit in our effort," said Masiello, a day after his team's upset victory. "Our resiliency is very high. We believe in our selves that we're never out of any game. Whether we're down 18, or 17 with eight minutes to play, we find a way to get back in games."

While the league season is only one third over, things are going very well for the Jaspers.

"I think we're the only team in the conference that, so far, has played the five teams picked to finish in the upper half of the division already (in order, Iona, Fairfield, Loyola, Rider and Saint Peter's)," said Masiello, whose team has played Rider twice and the other four once apiece.

"I told my guys that this early stretch would show how we stand. If we were still near the top of the standings after that, then we'd know we have a good team.

"I think we thought that we could have a good season, but (with the recent run of success), we know now that we can play with anyone on a given night.

"Anytime you win a game like that (Thursday's upset of Iona), you want to enjoy it a little. But, now (Friday afternoon), we're back at work and that game is behind us."

But, the benefits of that game remain, and so does the evidence that a program that has struggled in recent years is not only enjoying success once again but has proven that on a given night, it not only can play with anyone but can also lay claim, for a night, about being the MAAC's top metropolitan-area team.

Replay System's Test in Manhattan Win Scores "A"

2012-01-13T10:34:00.000-08:00

The new "toy" available at every men's and women's MAAC game more often than not goes unused, unneeded.

But, the end of Thursday's stunning Manhattan upset of Iona on a last-second shot by Jaspers' freshman Emmy Andujar, the toy was consulted and it's nice to know that it works.

The toy is GamePlan SIFT, and your Hoopscribe will readily admit that he doesn't know what the acronym stands for. Suffice to say that it is a replay system that has five cameras, two at each end of the court (one from each side) plus one on the game clock, that is used as a tool for game officials to watch replays of certain situations.

The system allows officials to watch replays of, mostly, whether shooters were on or behind the three-point stripe and on timing calls (did a shot beat the shot clock or halftime/game-ending buzzer).

And, Thursday night at Iona, was the perfect test. With the score tied at 72 with slightly more than a second remaining, Manhattan in-bounded the ball from near half court.

A pass from Manhattan guard Mike Alvarado found Andujar a few steps beyond the three-point stripe. Andujar turned and fired and his shot banked in for the game-winning margin in the Jaspers' 75-72 victory.

Did it beat the final buzzer?

In the days prior to the installation of the replay system in every MAAC playing venue this season, there would have been no way to tell. Officials did have replay capabilities for games that were televised, either by networks or the MAAC's own productions. But, Thursday's Iona-Manhattan game was not part of any TV package.

A year ago, game officials would have made an on-court decision and that would have been it.

Thursday, though, they were able to take several minutes to view the replay, from two different angles, to ensure they got it right.

And, they did. Andujar's shot was clearly well out of his hands, probably about a third of the way toward the basket, when the game clock buzzed and the backboard lighting system, that is timed coordinated with the game clock, became visible.

The MAAC, justifiably, is proud that it is one of several mid-major conferences nationally to mandate the replay system, that also requires a courtside operator and a touch-screen monitor at the scorer's table.

"If at any point a ref wants to review a play, he can zero in on whatever he's looking for," said the conference's assistant commissioner Ken Taylor, who oversaw the system's installation at venues around the conference. "Every inch of the court is covered every second of time.

"This is something we made a decision on two years ago. We just thought that the way technology is going that it was an opportunity for us to improve the set up at all our schools to have consistency as much as possible and give officials and game staff the tools to get calls correct."

Cost of the systems, which went well into six figures for the entire league, was split between the league and member institutions.

"Some of the bigger conferences that televise every game don't need this because the telecasts already allow for a second look via replay," added Taylor. "But, for us, if the game wasn't televised we didn't have that luxury. We wanted to make sure we put the best product out there and to do everything we can to make sure there's a level playing field at every game.

"This ensures that there's no `smoking gun' play, no questionable call that might determine the outcome of a game without the opportunity to check to see if it was right, or to correct it. We wanted to be proactive on this. That's not to say we haven't had some issues on calls, but I don't think we've ever had one where you could say definitely altered a game. But, as technology evolves this makes a lot of sense to make sure we never have that issue. At the end of the day, we want to walk away doing everything possible to get it right."

And, when a shot that barely beat the buzzer determined a Manhattan upset victory over Iona on Thursday night, the league's new replay system left no doubt about whether the shot counted.

Players, coaches and fans alike might have been stunned by the outcome, but everyone knew that game officials had gotten the game-deciding call right.

No Suprise, Marist Women Still MAAC's Best

2012-01-13T05:57:00.000-08:00

Just when you thought it might be possible for a women's team, other than Marist, to capture the conference crown this year ...

Well, think again.

Marist looked like it might be a little vulnerable when it started with an uncharacteristic 5-6 record in non-conference play. The naysayers pointed to graduation losses of two-thirds of last season's backcourt (Erica Allenspach and Elise Caron), and the unexpected transfer out of 6-foot-4 forward Kate Oliver. And, then, the team lost it's floor general, point guard Kristine Best, for the season after six games with a knee injury.

Wouldn't this be the year to take down the Red Foxes, winners of the last seven MAAC crowns?

As it appears now ... probably not.

First, the non-league schedule. One computer-generated rating placed Marist's pre-conference slate as the 10th-best nationally with losses coming to Virginia, Princeton Boston University, St. Bonaventure, Hofstra and Kansas State. Together those six teams, as of Friday morning, have a 15-2 record in their respective league games and a 74-22 overall ledger.

And since the start of MAAC play ... well, things have reverted to normal. That is: death, taxes, sunrises in the east and the Marist women winning games.

The Red Foxes are 5-0 in conference play, and the last remaining unbeaten team in the MAAC after traveling to previously unbeaten Fairfield's home court (the Webster Bank Arena in Bridgeport, Conn.) and earning a decisive 59-47 victory.

Overall domination? It was the 29th consecutive victory over a MAAC opponent for Marist.

"Right now, Marist is the best team in the league and everyone else is trying to catch them ... that's a fact," said Fairfield coach Joe Frager. "Do we think we could have played better? No doubt, but you have to give a lot of credit to Marist. They made us do a lot of that stuff."

Marist opened league play with an uncharacteristically close 56-54 victory over still-winless Saint Peter's, but has followed that with wins by margins of 12, 26, 20 and 12 points. The two-point victory over the Peahens marked just the second time since the end of the 2009-10 regular season that the Red Foxes haven't beaten a conference opponent by at least double figures.

Marist is doing it this year with the requisite star in Corielle Yarde, but not yet getting as much support elsewhere as in past seasons.

Yarde leads the team in scoring (15.6 points), rebounding (6.4) and assists (4.5), the only MAAC player to lead a team in those three statistics.

The next leading scorer is 6-2 forward Brandy Gang who only recently got her season scoring average (10.6) over double figures. No one else averages over 8.7 points per contest.

But Marist has never been about who scores how many. Head coach Brian Giorgis has consistently been more concerned about how his teams limit opponents on their offensive end. And, with the loss of so many players who were well-versed in that philosophy in recent years, well the questions about Marist's continued superiority earlier were legitimate.

"The biggest question mark on our team heading into this season was our defense," admitted Giorgis, after Thursday's victory over Fairfield. "But, we've played it pretty well in the last two games."

Indeed, Marist has only given up 41 (to Manhattan) and 47 (to Fairfield) in its last two contests and currently is allowing an average of just 51 points in its five league contests.

"Kids are starting to see that if you don't play it (defense), you're not going to play," added Giorgis.

On Thursday Fairfield held an early 10-2 lead and, misfired on 13 of its last 17 shots of the first half and went without a basket over the half's final 7:53 to trail, 29-21 at the intermission.

"I think we ticked them off ... I think we angered them," said Frager. "That's the challenge when you play them, it's sustaining an offense because they don't give you too much inside. They collapse down and when you kick the ball out you have to knock down shots."

Fairfield didn't. After leading 10-2 early the Stags made just 14 of their final 47 shots, a less-than-stellar 28.7 percent.

"They hit some shots early, and we had to pick up the intensity and trust the scouting report," added Giorgis, in post-game comments. "Trust in the things we do, and once we started doing that we forced some tough shots and we saw that they weren't going to make every shot, and we were slowly able to creep back."

And, Marist has slowly been able to creep back to dominating conference play yet again this season.

Canisius Report: Washington, Team Adjusting

2012-01-12T16:18:00.000-08:00

Here's another in the series looking at men's programs through the eyes of their respective coach ...

Up now ...

CANISIUS

The Golden Griffins are 0-5 in league play and 3-12 overall.

"This is a crazy league," said Tom Parrotta. "We feel that we can be a contender when all things shake out. We've had some issues to overcome, not the least was an early (back) injury to Gabby Belardo (the team's lone returning starter from a year ago), and that has stunted our growth and experience. We've been in games with chances to win at times but haven't been able to punch through on a consistent basis.

"That said, there are some good things going on. We've got a good and dynamic player in (junior) Harold Washington (a junior college transfer). (Alshwan) Hynes is doing an admirable job, although our turnovers are up and that's a concern. Chris Manhertz, Kevin Bleecker and Josiah Heath are doing a real good job considering their limited experience. But Gabby's back injury caught us at an inopportune time. He's going to have to play through it. You can see he's laboring ... he's about 60 percent right now, and I don't know if it will get anywhere near 100 percent this year. But he's our most-experienced player and he's got to find a way to get through it."

"Washington is a fantastic basketball player. The bad news is that he's also a wonderful kid, and we need him to be more of a guy who's a little selfish in a good way. He can take over games, but he's a new guy who defers to others. He has to turn into the guy on nights when we're laboring to score. We simply want him to be more aggressive from an offensive standpoint. He can score a lot of points.

"It's a daily thing trying to get him to that point. We have to pull him asie regularly, tell him how much we need him. It speaks to his character. I'm not sure if he's comfortable in that role at this time, but I state our expectations for him clearly. Everyone on our team knows what they're supposed to do, but Harold comes from the junior college ranks and gets thrust into a very good conference with a lot of good guards. It's something we'll continue to work on, but I don't want to understate what he's done for us so far, and his best days are to come. There are games when you don't think he's done enough, and you look at the stat sheet ... 24 points, 6 assists and just 2 turnovers and he's been out there for 34 minutes ... and I still think his best days are to come."

Iona Men: On Track After Hofstra Loss

2012-01-12T15:52:00.000-08:00

Here's another in the series looking at men's teams through the eyes of their respective head coaches.

Up now ...

IONA

The Gaels are 5-0 in league play, 13-3 overall and look like one of the conference's more-dominant teams in recent years. Since a lackluster 83-75 loss at Hofstra in late December, Iona has won three straight league games by margins of 36, 12 and 24 points.

"I don't know how much that loss (to Hofstra) opened the eyes of our players ... it's just that Hofstra played very well," said Iona coach Tim Cluess. "We were sloppy with the ball. We ave to be careful not to push the issue too much."

In the Gaels next game, they demolished Siena, 95-59 at Madison Square Garden.

"It was awesome to play there," said Cluess. "The players we're thrilled. I grew up, as a kid, watching college games there. To bring a team there ... it was great for the Iona community. I hope there are, eventually, more opportunities for teams in our league to play there.

"Our backcourt (point guard Scott Machado, who leads the country in assists at 10.1 per game, and Arizona transfer Lamont "Momo" Jones) has been pretty good together. Momo is fitting in and fining his way more and more each game. Scott has been solid, for the most part, but the game at Hofstra (10 assists, six turnovers) was a tough one for him. Overall, I'm happy with the way he's played, but we have high expectations for him. The turnovers he had in that game were unusual for him. He made uncharacteristic passes, things that weren't available. I think he got caught up in the pace of the game."

After the Hofstra game, several Iona players hinted that they might have gotten caught up in all the publicity the program had been receiving. Cluess, though, claims he's not affected.

"It's a bigger stage now (than his previous coaching position at Division II C.W. Post), but I live in the same house in the same community. I am happy for the players, though. It's more about them getting recognition and, maybe opportunities. Maybe all the extra attention gets them more looks from NBA scouts, or opportunities to play overseas, or even, job opportunities from alums.

"Some of our guys aren't used to the notoriety we've been getting. We have to get them to understand that all the media attention is great, but they can't get false ideas that they're better than they are. In this league if you're not ready to play anyone can drill you on a given night. That's what we're going through right now. We're enjoying our early season success, but you have to put it in perspective."

Cluess also touched on his standout senior forward Mike Glover's loss of about 10 pounds since the start of the year.

"He put on a little extra weight in the off-season to be stronger, but he lost a little quickness. He's in a lot better shape now and back to the athletic level he was a year ago. I like the way he's taking the ball to the hoop, attacking from the perimeter and shooting it. We just have to do a better job of getting him more touches."

Men's Report: Niagara's Green A Find

2012-01-08T16:45:00.000-08:00

Here's another in the series looking at conference men's teams through the eyes of their respective head coach.

Niagara is now 1-4 in league play and 6-11 overall. The leading scorer for Joe Mihalich's team is Juan'ya Green, who currently averages 19.1 points per game. Green entered the game against Siena, a 72-60 loss, as the nation's leading scorer among freshmen. Green, though, only scored 11 against the Saints and the Purple Eagles made only 3-of-21 three-point attempts against Siena's zone defense.

"We play four guards," said Mihalich, about the Siena game. "We aren't going to beat anybody shooting 3-for-21 from three."

Niagara's top players eventually figure to be Green, and another freshman, 6-5 Josh Turner.

"Turner is showing signs for us," said Mihalich. "He's a talented kid, but still rusty. He couldn't even practice with us in the first semester (due to eligibility issues), and he didn't play at all last year when his prep school closed down. He's rusty, but every once in a while he shows how talented he is.

"Green has been terrific. I don't keep track, but every once in a while someone will bark it out that he's either the leading, or second-leading freshman scorer in the country, and I'm not even sure that scoring is the best part of his game. He's also a great passer.

"To do well at this level you have to get guys who could play somewhere else (a higher level). Iona has three guys who could play in any league in the country. Fairfield has at least two. Juan'ya is a guy who could play at a lot of different places, and that's what makes him different. He had a foot injury between his junior and senior year, but still played on the AAU circuit and didn't look as good as he is. We're just fortunate that a lot of schools that were interested maybe backed off a little, got someone else or whatever ... and he ends up being a Purple Eagle."

Men's Report: Big Weekend For Siena

2012-01-08T16:34:00.000-08:00

Here's another in the series examining men's teams, through the eyes of each's head coach.

The Siena men are now 2-3 in MAAC play and 7-8 overall after a 73-60 upset victory over Fairfield and, then, a 72-60 victory over Niagara Sunday afternoon. The Saints' junior forward O.D. Anosiki posted another double-double (27 points, 14 rebounds). He entered the game leading the nation in rebounding and in consecutive double-doubles.

The Saints shot extremely well over the weekend, hitting 47.2 percent of their shots against Niagara and an incredible 63,4 percent Friday against Fairfield, just three nights after connecting on just 36.5 percent in a 95-59 drubbing at the hands of Iona.

"Fairfield was our best game of the year," said Siena coach Mitch Buonaguro. "We only used six guys (Siena has only seven healthy players who started the year on scholarship), and all six played well. We played zone defensive exclusively. We have to, to keep guys out of foul trouble (Siena entered Sunday's game with the fewest fouls committed of any team nationally).

'What it comes down to is making shots. Against Fairfield we made them and they didn't. We made about 35 percent of our shots against Iona. If we shot 65 percent against them, like we did against Fairfield, now it's a close game."

Buonaguro also had some positive comments for his freshman point guard Evan Hymes, who averages 14.9 points per game and is on pace to be just the second freshman in program history to lead the Saints in scoring (Jack McClinton did it in the 2004-05 season).

"I didn't expect this from him," said Buonaguro. "I expected the quickness, but I didn't expect the scoring and the clutch shots and everything else he has given us in clutch moments. His season so far is a credit to him and his ability."

Eye-Opener: Siena In Upset Win Over Fairfield

2012-01-07T08:02:00.000-08:00

Maybe the most eye-opening result of the young conference season was the Siena men's 73-60 defeat of Fairfield Friday night at the Times Union Center in Albany N.Y.

Unexpected? The Saints were three days removed from a 95-59 demolition at the hands of the MAAC's preseason No. 1 pick Iona, and, then, here came preseason No. 2 Fairfield.

Instead Siena's zone defense gave every Stag except junior point guard Desmond Wade (7-of-11 shooting from 3-point range and a career-high 27 points) significant problems. Other than Wade, who mad 9-of-15 shots overall, Fairfield shot 11-of-54, an abysmal 20.4 percent.

Siena, on the other hand, had its best shooting performance in some time, making 26-of-41 shots. The Saints' iron-man six-player lineup all shot at least 50 percent from floor with five players scoring in double figures.

Fairfield is now 3-1 in MAAC play, while a depleted Siena squad, although just 1-3 in the conference, continues to play well (6-8 overall) with wins this season over some fairly strong opponents including Albany, Princeton, Florida Atlantic and, now, Fairfield.

It just shows that in the MAAC, on a given night ... although that assessment might not pertain to an Iona team that looks like it might have a chance to be the first team to run through an 18-game conference schedule unbeaten.

Reaction ...

"The result speaks for itself," said Fairfield coach Sydney Johnson, whose team is now 8-7 overall. "I am immensely disappointed. We probably didn't have our finest effort here. We were humbled tonight. They (Siena) just played a little harder than us."

Siena stymied Fairfield with its balanced play. When the Stags overloaded its defense inside to slow Saints' junior forward O.D. Anosike, the perimeter attack took over.

Anosike went scoreless in the first half, but Siena's perimeter players shot 13-of-21 from the field including 6-of-9 from 3-point range.

"When we adjusted to come out on their shooters, he (Anosike) got going (making 5-of-6 second-half shots to finish with 13 points and 15 rebounds)," added Johnson.

"It was an unbelieavable game for us," admitted Siena coach Mitch Buonaguro. "We could not play any better. This was our first game all year when all six of our guys played played well. We've been resilient all year.

"This team continues to overachieve. But, does any of what we've done surprise me? No ... we've overachieved all year."

All six Siena players were on the court for at least 23 minutes. Two starters, the backcourt of Kyle Downey (19 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists) and Evan Hymes (10 points, 3 assists) played all 40 minutes. The Saints' starters, as a group, lead the nation in minutes played and the team has the fewest per-game minutes by reserves nationally.

"Our key is that we've got the best chemistry of any team I've been on here," said Downey, a senior. "We all hold each other accountable. It was a good win for us, because we bounced right back after a lopsided loss (to Iona).

"It just shows that we can beat anyone on a given night."

Coach Report: Marist Men Making Strides

2012-01-06T15:58:00.000-08:00

You've got questions about your team?

We have, hopefully, answers.

The questions went to coaches of men's teams, who provided the answers.

We'll do team-by-team reports, through the eyes of the respective coaches, over the next few days, in no particular order.

We'll start with Marist, and its head coach Chuck Martin, whose team is off to a 2-1 in MAAC play and 7-7 overall and already has more victories than last year's team that finished 6-27 overall (and, 3-15 in the MAAC).

"Are we excited? Absolutely. Winning makes you feel good and we've won six in a row at home. The kids feel really good about where we're at, but we're still taking baby steps to get there, and we're getting there, slowly but surely.

"Our success so far is chemistry more than anything else. We've brought in kids from winning high school programs. When you have that, the kids don't run away (from tough in-game situations).

"Also, the talent has gotten a little better. We went out in the last off-season and brought in four really good players. This program is on the rise. The group we have here is capable, in the future, of being one of the better groups in the MAAC.

"Have we turned the corner? We're better than last year, but we haven't completely turned the corner. We haven't swept a team yet. But we're better and excited about being 7-7 considering where we came from. Still, we've got a lot to learn and a lot to improve on."

Iona's Armand Plans On More Big Nights

2012-01-05T14:38:00.001-08:00

The 10 3-pointers made by Iona's Sean Armand's in the Gaels' 95-59 victory over Siena on Tuesday at Madison Square Garden matched the season's single-game best nationally (also accomplished by Lafayette's Jim Mawer).

But Armand claims he has had better nights.

"I think I might have had more than 10 in a game in high school," said Armand, who we spoke to after an Iona practice the day after his big game. "I know I had some big nights in high school."

Indeed he might have, having averaged 28 points per game his senior season at Central Jersey Each One Teach One Academy (CJEOTOA).

But, no one has had a bigger night for perimeter shooting on the college level this year.

Certainly no one has had a bigger night on a bigger stage, with Armand doing it in Madison Square Garden.

And, no one has had a bigger night in so few minutes, as he played just 22 minutes.

But, the big night for Armand, who had started just four games all year and came off the bench against Siena, seemed to set up perfectly.

For sure the Gaels, and Armand, were as focused as they had been at any time all season for a number of reasons.

Not the least of which was a loss to Hofstra in the now 11-3 team's previous game, an outing the Gaels universally agreed included a lackluster effort.

Then, there was Siena's junior forward O.D. Anosike's comments several days prior to the game that his team, which had won the MAAC's automatic NCAA berth for three straight years recently (2007-08 through 2009-10) was still the "Cadillac" team of the conference.

(Afterwards, Iona point guard Scott Machado had a response to the automobile theme: "We're like a Bentley program. We're known, but not very well advertised.")

There was the Madison Square Garden stage, not far from Armand's Brooklyn home and proximitous enough for dozens of family members and friends to attend.

But, mostly, there was a zone defense played exclusively for 40 minutes by a Siena team that has limited numbers and only used six players for more than nine minutes.

"We knew they would play zone against us, and I knew I'd have my chances because of that," Armand said. "Any team that wants to play zone against our team is going to be in trouble,. We've got a bunch of shooters."

And none better them himself, a 6-foot-3 sophomore with the sweetest shooting touch the MAAC has seen in some time.

Armand set a program freshman record in 2010-11 with 61 three-pointer, connecting on an impressive .421 percent last season. He's even more effective so far this year, making 32-of-64 from bonus land, his .500 percent rate the 28th-best nationally.

His output against Siena set a MAAC record for treys in a game, surpassing the previous best of nine hit five times (twice by Saint Peter's Keydren Clark and once each by Loyola's Andre Collins, Manhattan's Bruce Seals and Siena's Jim Secretarski).

Coincidentally, Secretarski's nine three-pointer night came against Iona.

"Guess I got a little payback," joked Armand.

And, only once has there been more three-pointers in a game against Siena. Before the Saints joined the MAAC, a 5-9 guard from Niagara, Gary Bossert, went 11-of-13 against the Saints midway through the 1987-88 season. Bossert still holds the NCAA record for consecutive treys without a miss (all 11, after missing his first two tries) from that game.

"I didn't know I was setting a league record," said Armand. "Kyle Smyth (his teammate) told me during a time out at one point that I had eight, and I went back in and hit the two more. I didn't know I set the conference record until after the game."

He didn't know of Bossert's 11 treys against a Siena team until a day later, a statistic he got a laugh about.

"Hey, if I knew someone had dropped 11 on them, I'd have tried to get back in the game to get that," he said, laughing.

But he had already done plenty when he came out late in Tuesday's game, after making 10-of-19 three-point tries for a game-high 32 points in just 22 minutes.

The court time was one of his most-extended periods of play thus far. Despite his ability to score (Armand says he prefers to be known as a "scorer who can shoot" rather than just as a shooter), he only averages 14 minutes of playing time per contest.

He is part of one of the most-talented backcourt groups ever assembled in the MAAC's 31-year history, deferring to starters senior Scott Machado, the nation's assist leader, and junior Lamont "Momo" Jones, a starter at Arizona prior to his transfer to Iona who is currently the MAAC's eighth-leading scorer. Iona's perimeter group also includes Smyth as a starter and Jermel Jenkins (16 points vs. Siena) and Ra'Shad James. The Gaels' three backcourt reserves (Armand, Jenkins and James) would likely start for the majority of MAAC teams.

"I've started some games, and come off the bench in others, and that doesn't bother me," said Armand. "I know I'm going to get time every game and I go in and try to ignite things with my scoring. But, I'm trying to give the team more than that ... I'm trying to get some rebounds, play some defense and get some steals, too."

For sure he has become a nice part of one of the most-potent offensive forces the conference has ever seen. The Gaels are currently fourth nationally with their per-game scoring average of 85.8. Only four MAAC teams in history have ever finished a season with a higher scoring average.

"I know that some day I'll look back at this and appreciate my night, which I was able to accomplish before a lot of people who support me, and that I did it at Madison Square Garden," added Armand.

"But I don't plan to look back at this as my one big night. I've got a lot of time left in college and, hopefully, I'll have more big nights before I'm through."

Top Women's Frosh Make Big Impression

2012-01-05T12:56:00.000-08:00

Two games in three nights and your Hoopscribe saw the future of MAAC women's basketball.

The games, Canisiius at Siena and Siena at Iona, allowed your scribe to see what has to be the best of the best women's freshmen on conference rosters this season.

The players ...

- Kayla Hoohuli, a 5-foot-7 guard for Canisius. Your scribe saw her play at Siena on Monday. Hoohuli, believed to be the first MAAC player ever selected for Parade magazine's prestigious 40-player All-America team, lived up to her billing with 13 points on 5-of-6 shooting from the floor, including 3-of-3 from three-point range. The last trey, coming with her team trailing by five with about 30 seconds left came from all of 30 feet out, in perfect rhythm and touched nothing but net. She is an intelligent court presence, can handle the ball and definitely as long-range ability. On the year Hoohuli is averaging 8.1 points, 3.1 rebounds and has 19 assists against 20 turnovers.

- Tehresa Coles, a 5-9 guard for Siena. She has been a starter for just four games, and has used that time to be the conference's Rookie of the Week for the past two weeks. She is arguably the quickest end-to-end player in the conference, and her stats don't begin to measure her impact as a defensive pest and high-octane offensive catalyst. In her four starts she averages 9.0 points, 4.0 rebounds, 3.0 steals and has 10 assists against 10 turnovers.

- Damika Martinez and Aleesha Powell, a tag-team backcourt from Iona. Your scribe saw their game against Siena on Wednesday in New Rochelle and they combined for 48 points (28 by Martinez and 20 by Powell). The guess here is that no two MAAC freshmen teammates, men or women, have ever combined for more points in a game. Please let me now if it has ever happened before.

Martinez is a 5-7 guard who not only is the MAAC's leading scorer among freshmen but is fifth on the conference scoring list for all players. She averages 13.4 points, 5.0 rebounds and 1.4 steals per game. Powell, a 5-6 guard, has only been getting extended minutes in the absence of senior forward Kristina Ford (minor knee injury). In Iona's last three games she has averaged 14.3 points, 3.3 rebounds and 4.0 steals per game. Both Martinez and Powell are extremely quick, have long-range shooting ability and turn the corner against defenders and get to the basket with regularity.

It's still very early in the league season and much can still happen. But, this blogger would be highly surprised if these four young ladies don't comprise four of the five-member All-Rookie team when post-season honors are announced.

Record-Setting Night For Iona's Armand

2012-01-04T10:31:00.000-08:00

A record setting long-range shooting performance came on one of the sport’s grandest stages from a somewhat unlikely source in Iona’s 95-59 victory over Siena in a men’s game played Tuesday night at Madison Square Garden.

In that game, Iona’s Sean Armand made 10 three-pointers (10-of-19) on his way to a game-high 32 points in just 22 minutes of playing time. The 3-pointer barrage by the 6-foot-3 sophomore guard is a MAAC record, surpassing the previous best of nine in a game.

Previous record-holders were St. Peter’s Keydren Clark, who twice made nine trifectas in a game, Loyola’s Andre Collins, Manhattan’s Bruce Seales and Siena’s Jim Secretarski.

Armand’s big night, though, wasn’t a total surprise. He had established himself as one of the league’s better marksmen as a freshmen when he set an Iona rookie record with 61 treys last season, making 42.1 percent of his attempts from beyond the arc.

This season Armand already has 32 treys, converting 50% of his attempts beyond the bonus line, in an average of just 14 minutes of playing time through Iona’s first 14 contests.

Armand’s limited minutes is testimony to Iona’s depth, particularly in the backcourt which has a starting duo of all-league caliber performers point guard Scott Machado, who leads the nation in assists (10.3 per game) and Lamont “Momo” Jones, a transfer from Arizona who averages 15.6 points per game.

But it was Armand, who continually riddled Siena’s zone defense with his long-range effort Tuesday night.

Afterwards he expressed his pleasure at having the big night so close to home.

"That’s something I’m really happy about,” said Armand, a Brooklyn native. “My friends and family were here at Madison Square Garden. There is no better place to do this.”

Armand, who was averaging 6.8 points per game prior to his big night, had 20 points in the first half alone, all coming in the final 6:13 of play on 6-of-9 shooting from long range. Armand had four more three-pointers in the second half on his way to the MAAC’s one-game record.

“I felt good,” Armand said afterwards. “Someone told me on the bench when I hit the one that tied the record, but you have to keep going.”

He did, getting one more to break the conference’s record for most three-pointers in a single game.

Surprisingly, it was not the most three’s ever made against a Siena team. That came when Gary Bossert of Niagara made 11 on just 13 attempts in a game against the Saints in the 1986-87 season. At the time, though, both programs were members of the North Atlantic Conference.

New Year''s Predictions for MAAC Teams

2012-01-01T15:06:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year.

The New Year, kind of like the beginning of baseball's spring training, brings fresh hope for athletic teams. That's the sense within the MAAC where women's teams begin league play on Monday and where men's teams have 16 of their 18 conference games still to play.

So, for now, hope beats eternal.

And, rather than make New Year's resolutions for conference teams, we'll concentrate on each team's expectations for the rest of the way.

MEN

IONA: No more nights off like its most-recent game, a loss at sub-.500 Hofstra. Games like that serve as a reminder of how hard a team needs to play. The expectation here is great, a potential 18-0 conference record.

FAIRFIELD: A season of transition as new players continue to find chemistry with returnees and everyone adjusts to a new coach, resulting in its best play down the stretch and.

LOYOLA: A continued season of positive surprises, the continued emergence of sophomore guard Dylon Cormier as one of the conference's best perimeter players and the potential to legitimately challenge either for the regular-season or post-season titles.

RIDER: Like Fairfield, a season of transition as the Broncs adjust to key losses, new personnel and a sluggish start. But the talent here is too good for Rider not to eventually get at least to .500 overall and cause some late-season damage.

SAINT PETER'S: Another team in transition, after losing four starters. The regular-season record might not wind up being pretty, but there's a good chance things start coming together as the year progresses and the Peacocks earn some impressive late-season victories.

SIENA: The expectations with just six healthy scholarship players right now aren't very high, but the Saints are far exceeding those. Wins over Albany, Princeton and Florida Atlantic, three pretty good mid-major teams, are early eye-openers. Siena won't contend for a league title, but will be better than expected.

NIAGARA: An abundance of talent, but very young. A growing-pains season this year, but on some nights, particularly as freshman Josh Turner gets up to speed, the Purple Eagles will be very good and will be even better in subsequent seasons.

CANISIUS: More transition with the loss of four starters from last season, and even more ahead with three talented transfers currently practicing and becoming eligible a year from now. Still good enough to upset a few teams, but the best days begin next season.

MANHATTAN: A continuation of new confidence, new pride and a new culture within the program. The team's early season success is no mirage. Young players from past seasons have matured rapidly, and Manhattan is poised to return to the upper half of MAAC teams very soon.

MARIST: Yet another very young team that has had some eye-opening early season results that aren't a mirage. Marist should be fun to watch mature this year and move back to being a very solid team and possibly better than that next season.

WOMEN

MARIST: Even head coach Brian Giorgis admits his team isn't as good as last season, but he still believes it's good enough to win the conference title, and we haven't seen any real strong evidence to believe otherwise. It won't go 18-0 in the MAAC like last year, but we'd be surprised if it didn't win at least 14 conference contests.

LOYOLA: Year-long contention for the regular-season title, particularly since Miriam McKenzie, it's top scorer, returned after missing three games with a shoulder issue. If she and do-everything Katie Sheahin stay healthy the Greyhounds are poised to overtake Marist if the Red Foxes falter at all.

FAIRFIELD: A way to overcome early season rebounding issues, mostly through hard work which has been the program's calling card in recent years. Don't expect the Stags to drop below the top four positions in the standings.

SIENA: Much better than the 2-7 start thus far. Like a year ago, when the Saints started 1-8 before going 11-7 in league play, the current team is poised to go on a similar run.

RIDER: An 8-3 mark so far after winning just five games all last season. It has all the parts in place to continue to be strong. It would not be a surprise to see the Broncs finish in the top four this year.

SAINT PETER'S: A struggle right now with a young roster that's only going to get better as the season progresses.

CANISIUS: It might not be this year but Canisius is waiting in the wings to capture a league title if Marist slips at all. The Golden Griffs are the league's only team without a senior on the roster, but still look strong.

NIAGARA: A strong non-conference schedule (Niagara is currently 3-9) has toughed this team up for conference play. Won't contend this year, but will cause some problems.

IONA: It all depends on the health of senior forward Kristina Ford, who missed the team's last game with a leg injury. If she comes back healthy Iona can contend for league honors. If not, then the Gaels will fall back some.

MANHATTAN: An active four-game winning streak is no mirage. The Jaspers need to rebound better, but have more than enough offensive firepower to cause problems in the league this season.

Fairfield Women's Pre: Strong Once Again

2012-01-01T13:40:00.000-08:00

Here's another, and the final, in the series previewing MAAC teams.

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FAIRFIELD WOMEN

2011-12 RECORD TO DATE: 7-4.

2010-11 RECORD 10-8 in MAAC play, 17-13 overall.

COACHES' PRESEASON PREDICTION: 3rd in the MAAC.

KEY RETURNEES (This season's statistics): 5-8 sophomore guard Katelyn Linney (10.2 points, 1.8 rebounds), 5-10 sophomore guard Alexis Vazquez (5.6, 2.2), 5-6 senior guard Desiree Pina (11.0, 4.5, 3.5 assists), 5-11 senior forward Taryn Johnson (11.5, 7.3, 1.8 blocks), 6-2 sophomore forward Kate Cizinski (6.3, 4.3).

KEY LOSSES: Joelle Nawrocki (5.5, 3.2).

NOTES: Four non-conference losses against solid opponents Vermont, Quinnipiac, Providence and UConn. To date, the Stags have won all the games they have been "supposed" to win ... Just about everyone back, but last year's problems, primarily rebounding, remain unsolved. Opponents average 6.4 more rebounds per game than Fairfield ... Johnson, who missed three games recently but has returned, leads the league in blocks and field-goal percentage and is second in rebounding. She is one of the top players in the conference and any chance Fairfield has to legitimately contend for a regular-season crown rests on her continued good health. Pina remains at point guard, where she is somewhat misplaced, but is having a strong senior year. She already has more than 1,000 career points and Johnson and Linney will likely join that club later this season ... Junior forward Brittany MacFarlane (3.9, 5.1) is strong off the bench. Freshman guard Felicia DaCruz looks like she will develop into a nice player, but isn't there yet ... Linney is one of the league's top long-range shooters, and currently leads the MAAC with 2.5 treys per outing... The team doesn't score a lot of points, scoring only more than 56 just twice all year. But, that's not their style. Stags remain one of the better defensive units in the MAAC.

HOW FAIRFIELD CAN WIN: Get just a little more help on the boards. Otherwise the Stags are a team that can be highly competitive, particularly since its best two players are seniors and since Pina is playing much better than a year ago. The Stags are a difficult team to prepare for based strongly on dozens of offensive play sets. Over the last few years, between their strong defense and half-court precision offense they have been a methodical force, and will remain so this year as long as everyone stays healthy. They just need, mostly, to keep doing what they've done in recent years.

PREDICTION: The likelihood is that Marist's sub.-.500 non-league record to date is a product of an extremely challenging schedule. But, if the Red Foxes fall back a little, then Fairfield is one of the teams that will challenge. Otherwise, the Stags will contend for one of the top four spots with a chance to finish as high as second.

Fairfield Men's Preview: Fightning For 2nd

2011-12-31T10:04:00.001-08:00

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FAIRFIELD MEN

2011-12 RECORD TO DATE: 2-0 in MAAC play, 7-6 overall.

2010-11 RECORD: 15-3 in MAAC play, 25-8 overall.

COACHES' PRESEASON PREDICTION: 2nd in MAAC.

KEY RETURNEES: 5-11 junior guard Derek Needham (11.8 points, 2.6 assists), 7-0 senior center Ryan Olander (11.8 points, 4.6 rebounds, 1.9 blocks), 6-5 sophomore forward Maurice Barrow (8.6 6.4, 2.6 assists).

KEY LOSSES: Forwards Yorel Hawkins (10.0, 5.3), Warren Edney (6.7, 3.3).

NOTES: Much talent, but also much transition. Former coach Ed Cooley, who oversaw the program's turnaround, left for Providence and was replaced by former Princeton coach Sydney Johnson. The 7-6 start isn't terrific, but somewhat understandable considering the opposition, including losses against Providence, Minnesota, Dayton, Indiana State, UConn and Drexel ... Things haven't fully clicked yet for the Stags. More ball movement is being emphasized, but the leading assist players are Needham and Barrow at 2.6 per game, surprisingly low figures ... Rakim Sanders, a 6-5 senior transfer from Boston College, has become the go-to-guy on offense and has taken 42 more shots than the nearest teammate, while averaging team highs of 16.6 points and 7.6 rebounds. The other newcomer to the starting lineup is point guard Desmond Wade (3.7, 2.4, 2.4 assists). Wade, a transfer from Houston, has moved Needham off the point and to shooting guard, where his numbers are down considerably. Needham looked like a future MAAC Player of the Year as a freshman (16.4 points, 5.2 assists), but now looks like merely a solid player (11.8, 2.6) ... Others have seen their roles change, too. Junior Colin Nickerson, who had a strong freshman year, is only averaging 2.3, 1.2 as a junior ... The team has almost no front-court depth as 6-8 freshman Adam Jones is the top reserve, yet hasn't played more than nine minutes in a game in the last six contests ... Clearly, there's an adjustment period going on here as only two role-playing seniors were lost from last year's team that set a program record for victories with a 25-8 finish, while winning the conference's regular-season title.

WHAT FAIRFIELD NEEDS TO DO TO SUCCEED: Get more experience playing together. Find some front-court depth. There's plenty of talent here, but the transition from an entirely new coaching staff to two key transfers becoming eligible and moving into the starting lineup to a new playing style has all taken some time to adjust to.

PREDICTION: There's still plenty of time to go, and the barely over .500 record to date is attributable to a very difficult non-league schedule. Clearly, though, Iona has emerged as the MAAC's best team, and it looks like it will be Fairfield and Loyola battling for second place.

Rider Women's Pre: Contend? Why Not?

2011-12-31T07:08:00.001-08:00

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RIDER WOMEN

2011-12 RECORD TO DATE: 8-3 overall.

2010-11 RECORD: 5-13 in MAAC play, 5-25 overall.

COACHES' PRESEASON PREDICTION: 8th in MAAC.

KEY RETURNEES (This season's statistics): 5-11 sophomore forward MyNeshia McKenzie (11.6 points, 10.1 rebounds), 5-8 senior guard Ali Heller (10.9), 6-2 junior forward Caitlin Bopp (7.7, 5.7), 6-0 junior forward Carleigh Brown (5.6, 4.4), 6-3 senior center Sarah Homan (5.8, 4.9), 5-4 senior guard Alyssa Parsons (4.5, 2.7 assists).

KEY LOSSES: 5-10 junior guard Sheree Lightbourne (9.6 points) to injury.

NOTES: The program has not had a better-than-.500 overall finish since joining the MAAC in 1997, so the early start (including an active five-game winning streak) is extremely encouraging ... But, head coach Lynn Milligan is preaching that the team's record is 0-0 in MAAC play (which begins with a game vs. Manhattan on Monday) ... It wasn't hard to predict this kind of turnaround (and, this Hoopscribe did just that, identifying the Broncs to be the positive surprise team in a preseason posting), but that was before Lightbourne, last season's leading scorer, was lost for the year with a preseason injury ... Still, a lot of talent is in place and the pieces fit well together ... McKenzie has emerged as an elite player at this level, and leads the conference in rebounding... Heller is arguably the MAAC's best long-range shooter (26 three's so far) ... Bopp, Homan and Carleigh Brown give the team more than enough height to contend with any conference team inside ... Junior college transfer Sironda Chambers (9.5, 4.7) provides a dose of athleticism and is the team's third offensive option ... Alyssa Parsons, a senior point guard is very easy to overlook, but she has become a steadying veteran influence as the floor general ... And, Emily Fazzini, a 5-10 freshman guard, has made a nice transition and is in the playing group. ... The start is the best for Rider since the 1982-83 season ... But, there were signs from a year ago. Even after an 0-14 start, the team continued to play hard and had a semblance of success (5-11) in the second half of the season. It seemed to have been enough to vault the program into this season. The year opened with back-to-back victories, the confidence level rose and, well, the results are evident so far.

HOW RIDER CAN SUCCEED: Keep playing like it has so far. Easy to say, and we'll see how that goes. Egos need to be kept in check, but that's likely not a problem. Heller and Homan, two players who could start for most conference programs, are content to come off the bench where both have been major contributors so far and give the Broncs the type of firepower/strong play from reserves that no other conference team has. The team also needs to stay healthy. Bopp missed several games recently, but has returned and is likely to get better as the season progresses. The confidence level needs to remain high, and the team needs to remember what it has done so far to get to its current level of play.

PREDICTION: A lot better than the 8th-place prediction. After being a relative league doormat for so many years, can Rider actually contend for a league championship? .... Why not? The prediction is that Rider will most certainly finish in the top half of the league standings and may well be a year-long contender for the top couple of spots. Everything appears to be in place, right now, for a very nice season.

Rider Men's Preview: Start will Reverse

2011-12-31T06:34:00.000-08:00

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RIDER MEN

2011-12 RECORD TO DATE: 0-2 in MAAC play, 3-11 overall.

2010-11 RECORD: 13-5 in MAAC play, 23-11 overall.

COACHES' PRESEASON PREDICTION: 4th in MAAC.

KEY RETURNEES (This season's statistics): 6-7 sophomore forward Daniel Stewart (13.4 points, 7.1 rebounds), 6-8 senior forward Brandon Penn (10.9, 5.3), 6-5 sophomore guard Anthony Myles (9.5, 2.9), 6-7 senior forward Novar Gadson (7.6, 2.6), 6-7 junior guard Jonathan Thompson (7.6, 3.2).

KEY LOSSES: 6-4 guard Justin Robinson (15.2, 3.9 assists), 6-7 forward Mike Ringold (12.1, 5.4).

NOTES: Way to much transition to have expected a fast start, and one didn't happen as the Broncs started 1-10 before winning two straight prior to a loss at Stony Brook on Friday ... Still, a lot of talent in place and no reason to believe that coach Tommy Dempsey, one of the conference's better at his job, won't find a way to turn things around ... The primary scorer was expected to be Jeff Jones, a 6-4 guard and a transfer from Virginia, but he has been good some nights and not so good on others, averaging 13.4 points thus far ... Stewart, last year's Rookie of the Year in the conference, has made the next step and is among the league's better forwards... But the team lost its best player (point guard Robinson) and its hardest-working big man (Ringold), any team's two-most important positions and Rider is finding it tough to fill those two roles ... More transition? Thompson missed two games early due to a suspension left over from late last year, and Gadson, an offensive force, isn't yet fully recovered from a knee injury suffered late last season... And, the team has moved 6-0 freshman guard Eddie Mitchell into the starting lineup and he is improving, getting six assists in a recent game... Then, another expected contributor, 6-9 freshman Junior Fortunat wasn't immediately eligible, but has played the last five games and gives the team a nice big man off the bench... The team legitimately goes nine deep, has height inside and talent in the backcourt.

HOW RIDER CAN SUCCEED: By getting experience. The freshmen, Mitchell and Fortunate, will both get better. Gadson, theoretically, will get stronger and better as the year progresses. And, just by playing together, the team should benefit.Just about everyone is playing a new role this year, so it takes some time to adjust. Rider certainly didn't expect to start this slow, but it's somewhat understandable. What won't be so easy to digest, though, will be if the slow start continues.

PREDICTION:Too much talent here for the season to continue the way it has so far. The guess is that once the guards (Mitchell, Thompson particularly) get more experience in their roles, Gadson gets healthier and Jones gets more comfortable, things will get right for Rider. Right now, it would be had to envision the Broncs challenging for the top three spots, but finishing fourth or fifth, considering the slow start, would be a nice result.

Iona Women's Preview: Health A Factor

2011-12-31T05:26:00.000-08:00

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IONA WOMEN

2011-12 RECORD TO DATE: 4-7.

2010-11 RECORD: 7-11 in MAAC play, 11-20 overall.

COACHES' PRESEASON PREDICTION: 5th.

KEY RETURNEES (This year's statistics): 6-1 senior forward Kristina Ford (17.6 points, 7.9 rebounds), 6-0 senior forward Tomica Bacic (6.2, 5.6), 5-6 senior guard Suzi Fregosi (5.1, 4.4 assists), 5-7 junior guard Diana Hubbard (4.7, 2.4), 6-3 sophomore center Sabrina Jeridore (4.5, 4.5, 1.7 blocks).

KEY LOSS: Forward Anda Ivkovic (11.5, 5.6).

NOTES: After a five-year stretch averaging 18.8 wins per season came last season's 11-20 record caused, in no small part, by the early season loss of standout point guard Fregosi. She's back, but the wins haven't yet come as the Gaels have played a difficult non-conference schedule with losses coming to, among others, Rutgers, Marquette, Miami, Toledo and Villanova. And, then, came a surprising 75-50 setback on Thursday against Colgate, which now has a 3-11 record. But, Iona played that game without Ford, who leads the conference in scoring and is second in rebounds. She was on crutches for that game with an undisclosed leg injury and her return date, for now, is uncertain ... With Ford, who coach Tony Bozzella opined would be the conference's Player of the Year, Iona is an above-average team. Without her, the Gaels are obviously something less ... Fregosi has returned nicely from last season's hip injury and is second in the MAAC in assists ... Jeridore, a tall inside presence, is second in the conference in blocks ... But, the team will struggle to score without Ford. A freshman guard, Damica Martinez (12.2) is the only other team member who averages more than 6.2 points per game ... Without Ford, rebounding becomes even more of an issue for a team that is already at a 9.1 per-game disadvantage, worst in the MAAC.

HOW IONA CAN SUCCEED: The team's ability to succeed will depend almost entirely on Ford's injury situation. If she comes back, then Iona can be a very good team. Without her, it will be a struggle. At its best, Iona can succeed because it has a stellar floor general in Fregosi, a strong scoring option with Ford and a No. 2 option in Martinez. It has an inside presence with Jeridore.

PREDICTION: Iona, if healthy, is more than capable of finishing in the top three or four spots, maybe even contending for league honors if all goes well. But, if Ford is out for an extended period ten the Gaels will be playing to avoid the bottom four spots and the post-season tournament's play-in round.

Some Eye-Catching Non-League Results

2011-12-30T12:05:00.001-08:00

Some games that caught this Hoopscribe's eye of late, in no particular order of importance ...

- Siena men win at Florida Atlantic.

The interest goes beyond a team that uses just six players (Siena) beating an expected contender from the Sun Belt Conference, on FAU's home court for two reasons.

First, FAU coach Mike Jarvis did a Rex Ryan imitation before the game, getting quoted saying this: “I think we should get a win,” Jarvis said Tuesday to Owl Access, a website which covers Florida Atlantic. “I think we should beat Siena at home. So it’s very important that we get a win. You should beat the teams you are supposed to beat. We are suppose to beat Siena at home. We’re a better team than they are.”

Jarvis has never been afraid to speak his mind, a inclination this scribe has been familiar with back into the mid-1980's when he coached at Boston University and the Terriers and Siena both were members of the old North Atlantic Conference.

To his credit, Jarvis had this to say after Siena's victory: "We were the team that played like it only had six players."

Secondly, Siena had two national-championship ring wearers in its locker room before the contest..

Coaching great Rollie Massimino spoke to the team before Wednesday's game in Boca Raton, Fla. Massimino, the head coach of Villanova's 1985 national championship, is now the head coach at Northwood Institute in West Palm Beach, Fla.

“(We) were very lucky to have Rollie Massimino stop by,” Tyler Simms, Siena’s director of basketball operations, said on Twitter. “The legendary coach gave a great speech."

Massimino, 77, is in his fifth season at Northwood, an NAIA school. He has 633 career victories at five schools.

The other ring-wearer is current Siena coach Mitch Buonaguro, who served as Massimino’s assistant at Villanova for eight seasons, including that memorable 1985 title run, and for seven more at Cleveland State. Buonaguro prepared the scouting report for the 1985 championship game in which Villanova upset Georgetown.

- Iona Men Lose To Hofstra

It's no shame to lose. The 10-3 Gaels had already lost twice previously, to Purdue of the Big 10 and to 9-3 Marshall (whose losses include ones to Ohio State and Syracuse).

But, Iona's 83-75 setback at Hofstra on Thursday night was a little bit of a stunner. Iona entered the game with a 9-2 record while Hofstra came in with a 5-7 mark.

The Gaels, though, committed an uncharacteristic 23 turnovers in the game, after averaging just 14.4 miscues per outing entering the contest.

Said Iona's senior forward Mike Glover (20 points, 13 rebounds, 3 blocks): "I think we ad zero perent effort. we played worse than what the score said.

"We have to do a better job of not listening to what's being said about us by (the media)," said Iona's junior guard Momo Jones. "We have to understand that with glitz and glamour comes big stages and publiity that people may not have had before. We have to do a better job of handling that."

Said Iona coach Tim Cluess: "It looked like it meant more to them (Hofstra)."

- Rider Women Defeat Mount St. Mary's, 53-44

The Broncs are on a five-game winning streak as they end non-conference play.

The significance? The team only won five games, total, for all of the 2010-11 season. Its current 8-3 record accounts for the program's best start since the 1982-83 season.

Rider, which has never finished with an above-.500 overall record since joining the MAAC in 1997, is certainly the rags-to-riches, feel-good story of women's basketball in the conference so far this season.

- Marist Women Lose to Kansas State, 57-56

No shame here, either, in losing to a now 9-3 opponent from the Big 12 conference.

But, Thursday's results included losses by the two teams (Iona men and Marist women) picked as runaway preseason choices to dominate conference play this season.

The loss dropped Marist to a 5-6 overall record, its first sub-.500 mark this late since the 2002-03 season.

The loss was the second straight for the Red Foxes, who dropped a two-point decision to Hofstra in its previous contest.

“We’re kind of tired of being close,” Giorgis said, whose team arguably played the most-difficult non-conference schedule (as usual) of any conference women's team. “We’re not last year’s team, but we’re a good team and we can play with a lot of people. But playing with a lot of people and beating people are two different things. The kids were frustrated, because moral victories don’t do much for you. Everybody has something they need to work on.

“This one, more than the others, bothered them. It’s at home and you have a chance to beat a very good basketball team.”

St. Peter's Women's Preview: Tough Times

2011-12-27T17:54:00.001-08:00

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SAINT PETER'S WOMEN

2011-12 SEASON TO DATE: 0-9.

2010-11 SEASON: 5-13 in MAAC play, 6-25 overall.

KEY RETURNEES (This season's statistics): 5-9 senior forward Jynae Judson (17.8 points, 7.6 rebounds), 5-3 sophomore guard Aziza May (8.3, 3.0), 6-2 senior center Quiana Porter (6.2, 5.0), 5-5 senior guard Aminah Davis (5.7, 2.3).

KEY LOSS: Forward Jessica Coles (5.7, 3.3).

COACHES' PRESEASON PREDICTION: Tied for 8th.

NOTES: Judson missed the first four games, but has come back strong. Still, she can't do it by herself and isn't getting a lot of help. May, an undersized sophomore, is emerging as a solid point guard and has more assists than turnovers (37-31). But, everyone else is basically a role player ... Porter, always solid inside, remains so. Jessika Holmes, a 6-0 junior forward, adds a little height and leads the team in rebounding at 5.8 per game ... Other than Judson, one of the league better players, the Peahens are offensively challenged and only score an average of 51 points per game. Opponents, mostly mid-major programs, are scoring 66.1 per game against Saint Peter's ... Manigrasso, who was one of the MAAC's better freshmen last season (7.5 points per game), is only getting 8.5 minutes per contest this year ... There's depth as the team goes 10 deep on most nights, but other than Judson most of the pieces to date are interchangeable parts.

HOW SAINT PETER'S CAN SUCCEED: What it usually does best is create havoc with defense, pressure and athleticism, but it hasn't been real successful at doing that yet. It needs a second and, probably, a third offensive option to step up.

PREDICTION: If the non-league results to date are any indication, then the Peahens are destined for the post-season tournament's play-in round once again. But, last year's team, despite an 0-11 start, was resilient enough to go 6-14 the rest of the way while winning its last three regular-season games. Judson's presence alone, could account for a few wins, but don't expect the program to do any better than to steal a few wins along the way to a finish in the bottom four spots this season.

St. Peter's Men Preview: Tough Transition

2011-12-27T17:14:00.000-08:00

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SAINT PETER'S MEN:

2011-12 RECORD TO DATE: 2-10.

2010-11 RECORD: 11-7 in MAAC play, 20-14 overall.

COACHES' PRESEASON PREDICTION: 5th in the MAAC.

KEY RETURNEES: 6-7 junior forward Darius Conley (13.2 points, 8.7 rebounds), 6-3 junior guard Yvon Raymond (8.9, 5.1).

KEY LOSSES: Guard Wesley Jenkins (12.6, 4.8), forward Jeron Belin (11.6, 5.2), guard Nick Leon (10.4, 2.2, 3.2 assists), forward Ryan Bacon (10.0, 7.4).

NOTES: Conley is the team's only returning starter, and has played well to date leading the team in scoring and rebounding. His rebound average is the conference's second-best thus far. And, he is getting better with three 20-point games in his last five, including a 22-point, 12-rebound effort in the Peacocks' last outing ... Two teams lost four starters from a year ago, Saint Peter's and Canisius. And, not coincidentally, those are the two programs with the worst records to date. Saint Peter's is 2-10 and Canisius is 2-9 ... Head coach John Dunne, who molded a defense-first, well-working team in every sense of the word last season, knew this season's squad would be a work in progress and hoped things would come together by tournament time. To date, though, there has been much inconsistency ... Karee Ferguson, a 6-7 junior college transfer who was expected to provide some much-needed offense, is only averaging 5.6 points ... Chris Prescott, a touted transfer from St. Joseph's, is averaging 11.7 points, but probably was expected to do more scoring ... Markese Tucker, a 6-5, 240-pounder, has been a pleasant surprise, averaging 9.0 points ... Jack Hill, a 6-9 senior forward who hardly played in past year, has been effective but missed the team's last game with a shoulder issue and is day-to-day ... Lamin Fulton, the likely point guard of the future, is playing like a freshman and junior Yvon Ramond (8.9 points, 5.1 rebounds), is the current starter at the point ... Right now there isn't a lot of date and things haven't yet come together as Dunne had hoped ... The non-league schedule, too, has been difficult and losses have come against Minnesota, Seton Hall, Utah State and Buffalo.

HOW SAINT PETER'S CAN SUCCEED: By getting healthy, by getting experience playing together and by getting better. There's some talent here. Conley is emerging as one of the MAAC's better inside forces. Prescott can be an offensive force, as can Ferguson. Fulton will eventually emerge as a strong point guard. But, it hasn't happened yet. But, no one expected a program that graduated four senior starters to make a seamless transition. There's enough talent in place to at least be respectable eventually this season. And, for the program to hope for better days. None of the top six scorers are seniors.

PREDICTION: Hard to see Saint Peter's repeating as the post-season tournament champion, and maybe even fulfilling the preseason prediction for fifth. But, your Hoopscribe perceives Dunne to be one of the MAAC's best coaches, and he'll eventually get things going in the right direction. A .500 finish in the MAAC would be a reasonable goal, with much better ahead next season.

Loyola Women's Preview: Could Contend

2011-12-27T05:18:00.000-08:00

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LOYOLA WOMEN:

2011-12 RECORD TO DATE: 4-6 overall.

2010-11 RECORD: 15-3 in MAAC play, 21-13 overall.

KEY RETURNEES (This season's stats): 5-10 senior forward Miriam McKenzie (14.4 points, 7.0 rebounds), 5-10 junior guard Katie Sheahin (14.2, 6.0, 3.4 assists, 3.6 steals), 6-0 sophomore guard Nicole Krusen (6.9, 1.9), 6-1 sophomore forward Nneka Offodile (6.5, 4.8), 6-1 junior forward Alyssa Sutherland (5.0, 5.3).

KEY LOSSES: Guard Erica DiClemente (11.7, 4.0), forward Meredith Tolley (7.6, 5.6).

COACHES' PRESEASON PREDICTION: 2nd in the MAAC.

NOTES: The Greyhounds didn't have much depth last year, and are woefully thin again this year, going mostly with a seven-member playing group, and that was before McKenzie was injured. She has missed the last three games and her return date is uncertain. The team also lost another key reserve in senior point guard Candice Walker (knee) after the first two games ... Sheahin, in this Hoopscribe's opinion, is the league's best player but she can't do it by herself. McKenzie's return to health will be a key ... Three youngsters have stepped up this year, Marshall, Krusen and Offodile. Krusen leads the conference in 3-point shooting percentage at .512 (21-of-41) and has hit five treys twice already, only the third Loyola player to ever hit five threes in a game twice .... Offfodile is a rugged inside player while Marshall, having some success as a freshman, is a tall guard who often handles the ball ... Coach Joe Logan currently has 100 career wins at Loyola, the most ever by a women's coach at the school ... Sheahin leads the conference in steals and ranks 20th nationally in that statistic. She led the country in steals a year ago. She has averaged 23 points per game in McKenzie's absence ... Tough non-league slate has included losses to Maryland and Pitt ...

HOW LOYOLA CAN SUCCEED: By getting McKenzie back quickly. She has the combination of athleticism and skill most teams at this level don't have in a player. The team definitely needs to stay healthy. It also needs a little more inside play (McKenzie and Sheahin, both 5-10, are the team's top two rebounders). Sheahin is the other key. Keeping her healthy and fresh is an absolute must.

PREDICTION: Looked like a potential contender to Marist's supremacy until McKenzie's injury. Without McKenzie, who is clearly one of the conference's top five players, Loyola drops off considerably both in terms of talent and depth, which was already lacking. If McKenzie returns to full strength soon Loyola will battle Marist and, likely finish no worst than third in the conference.

Loyola Men's Preview: Top Title Contender

2011-12-26T10:26:00.001-08:00

Here's another in the series preview MAAC teams.

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LOYOLA MEN

2011-12 RECORD TO DATE: 2-0 in MAAC play, 8-3 overall.

2010-11 RECORD: 10-8 in the MAAC, 15-15 overall.

COACHES' PRESEASON PREDICTION: 3rd Place.

KEY RETURNEES (This season's statistics): 6-2 sophomore guard Dylon Cormier (16.5 points, 4.7 rebounds), 6-7 junior forward Erik Etherly (12.5, 7.5), 6-4 sophomore guard Justin Drummond (11.5, 6.5), 6-10 senior forward Shane Walker (11.1, 6.5), 6-4 junior guard Robert Olson (9.0, 2.8).

KEY LOSSES: Brian Rudolph (6.5, 4.4).

NOTES: Clearly one of the conferences top three teams, particularly after an 8-1 start and an eight-game winning streak after a season-opening loss at Wake Forest that were both the program's best since moving to the Division I level in 1981 ... The other two losses were also to quality opponents, St. Bonaventure and Kentucky. And, against Kentucky, Loyola was within four points early in the second half before a very respectable 87-63 final score ... More depth than any other MAAC team, the Greyhounds legitimately go eight deep, and that's without senior guard J'hared Hall, the conference's Sixth Man of the Year award winner last season. Hall has been battling early season injuries, but has returned to action recently ... Head coach Jimmy Patsos, who recently went over the 100-win plateau at the school, has brought the program from just an abysmal state (1-29 the year before he came aboard) to respectability. Late last season, he talked about making the next step, going beyond respectability to legitimately contending for league honors, and it looks like that could happen this season ... Just about everything appears to be in place. Sophomore guard Dylon Cormier is the requisite standout, becoming one of the league's elite guards. And Cormier is getting plenty of backcourt help from another sophomore, Justin Drummond, who had 26 points in the loss to St. Bonaventure...There is more than enough height in the 6-10 Walker and tough 6-7 Etherly inside, backed up by 6-8 workhorse Jordan Latham, a sophomore transfer who previously played at Xavier and has been getting more time of late. Balance? Four players average at least 11.1 points per game, and a fifth averages 9.0. Coaching? Your Hoopscribe has long been a Patsos admirer, recognizing that the coach consistently gets the most out of his players and teams ...The only minor question is replacing graduated point guard Brian Rudolph and that job, for the most part, has fallen to freshman R.J. Williams (3.9 points, 2.3 rebounds), who started for much of the year to date but has seen his playing time diminish of late. But, if Williams can be a significant contributor the Greyhounds have just about everything covered.

HOW LOYOLA CAN SUCCEED: Getting a little better play from Williams would be a boost, but even with a freshman running things and with just one senior in the top eight players (Walker), Loyola is still a team that values the ball committing a very reasonable 14.5 turnovers per contest. The Greyhounds will succeed just by continuing to do the things they've done so far: Remain balanced, remain under control and remain healthy. With its depth, it would appear as capable as any conference team of holding up while playing on consecutive nights, which bodes well for the post-season tournament.

PREDICTION: Early returns indicate that Iona is the best team in the league, but Loyola ranks right up there with Fairfield as the most-legitimate contenders. The guess here is that Loyola will battle for second or third place this season.

Canisius Women's Preview: Bright Future

2011-12-26T04:48:00.000-08:00

Here's another in the series previewing MAAC teams.

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CANISIUS WOMEN

2011-12 RECORD TO DATE: 5-5 overall.

2010-11 RECORD: 6-12 in the MAAC, 11-20 overall.

COACHES' PRESEASON PREDICTION: 6th.

KEY RETURNEES (This season's statistics): 6-4 sophomore center Jamie Ruttle (10.8, 5.2), 5-9 sophomore guard Jen Morabito (9.5, 2.4), 5-5 junior guard Ashley Duram (7.6, 3.8, 4.3 assists), 6-4 sophomore Jen Lennox (5.6, 2.5), 5-10 junior forward Allison Braun (5.0, 4.4), 6-1 sophomore forward Courtney VandenBovenkamp (3.8, 2.7).

KEY LOSSES: Guard Micayla Drysdale (9.0, 4.0), swingperson Steph McDonald (6.6, 5.2).

NOTES: The 2008-09 season was one of the best in the program's history, resulting in a 24-9 record. The Golden Griffs subsequently failed to match that single-season win total in the past two years combined (12-19, 11-20), but this looks like the year the cycle reverses itself. Three of the five losses have come to quality opponents, St. Bonaventure, Ohio State and Buffalo. And, Canisius as currently won its last two ... The biggest team in the MAAC with 6-4 reigning Rookie of the Year Jamie Ruttle and 6-4 reserve Jen Lennox ... Also, one of the youngest MAAC teams. It has no senior on the roster, the only conference team without at least two seniors ... The team is also getting healthy. Starting 6-1 forward VandeBovenkamp missed several games early in the season with an injury, and highly touted freshman guard Kayla Hoohuli was still recovering from a knee injury early in the season, but both are close to 100 percent now, particularly VandenBovenkamp, who had a team-high 14 points in her last game ... The team has great depth, legitimately eight or nine deep. Guard Ashley Durham has been coming off the bench lately, and her assist average of 4.3 is third-best in the MAAC ... There's also much balance. Seven players average between 5.0 points and 10.8 points per game. Eight players average between 2.4 and 5.2 rebounds and seven players average more than an assist per game ... Morabito, an all-Rookie team pick a year ago, is one of the league's best long-range shooters and has hit at least three 3-pointers in five different games this year. The team also shares well, and its 14.4 assists per game average leads the conference.

HOW CANISIUS CAN SUCCEED: Continue to gain experience. With its height, Canisius will cause smaller teams problems, even though it currently operates by getting 4.1 fewer rebounds per game than opponents, but VandeBovenkamp's return should help. There were signs last year that the young team improved as the season progressed and, now, last year's strong freshman class is a year older. It probably wouldn't hurt to have a true go-to player in key situations, although both Ruttle and Morabito are both more than capable. And, the team's overall balance makes it difficult for opponents to concentrate on stopping specific Canisius players.

PREDICTION: Very, very good days ahead. Midway through last season your Hoopscribe predicted that once Canisius got experience it would be the most-likely team to eventually dethrone long-time league power Marist, and that opinion hasn't changed. It probably won't happen this season, although Canisius is more than capable of upsetting some of the perceived stronger teams. A very good chance the Griffs will finish higher than the prediction for sixth place this season and, then, much higher in subsequent years.

Canisius Men's Preview: Better Days Ahead

2011-12-25T06:08:00.000-08:00

First a very Merry Christmas to all ...

Your Hoopscribe is hard at work, early Christmas morning, while awaiting a college-aged son to awake. And, please accept the reminder that the Holiday season is about more than receiving gifts. It's about family and friends, too, so give thanks for those you have ... and give a special hug to those you love.

And, now, back to the series previewing MAAC teams.

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CANISIUS MEN

2011-12 RECORD TO DATE: 0-2 in MAAC play, 2-9 overall.

2010-11 RECORD: 9-9 in MAAC play, 15-15 overall.

COACHES' PRESEASON PREDICTION: 9th in the MAAC.

KEY RETURNEES (This season's statistics): 6-2 junior guard Gaby Balardo (9.2, 2.4), 6-2 junior guard Alshway Hymes (15.2, 2.2), 6-6 sophomore forward Chris Manhertz (7.3, 7.6), 6-2 sophomore guard Reggie Groves (7.1, 2.6).

KEY LOSSES: forwards Greg Loggins, Elton Frazier, Tomas Vazquez-Simmons, and guards Julius Coles and Robert Goldsberry.

NOTES: Canisius lost four starters and its best bench player from last season. That group finished with a .500 overall record, the first non-losing season for the program since 2000-01 and avoiding the play-in round of the MAAC tournament for the first time in 11 seasons ... Despite the losses, the Golden Griffins still have talent, just young talent. There is no senior in the playing group. Belardo is the only returning starter, and he missed three games with a back issue and is not yet 100 percent. Everyone else in the playing group either came off the bench last season, or is a program newcomer ... The Griffs have staked much of their success, not only now but for future years, on transfers. Junior Harold Washington, a 6-1 guard, came to the program after two seasons at Cecil (Md.) Junior College, and he averages 18.2 points per game, third-best in the MAAC ... Then there's the program's "scout" team that includes three strong future pieces in transfers 6-10 Freddie Aspirilla (Kansas State), guard Isaac Sosa (Central Florida) and 6-10 Jordan Heath (Robert Weslyan), all sitting out this season due to transfer rules but eligible for 2012-13 and all are expected to be impact players for Canisius ... Hymes is possibly the MAAC's top long-range threat and currently leads the conference with 32 three-pointers through 11 games ... Manhertz, who barely played last season, is sixth in the league in rebounding (7.6 per contest) ... Josiah Heath, a 6-9 freshman, was the MAAC's most-recent Rookie of the Week for averaging 16.5 rebounds over two games last week.

HOW CANISIUS CAN SUCCEED: Take care of the ball. The Griffs have a league-low 110 assists, and a league-worst assist-to-turnover ratio (110 assists against 181 turnovers). And, that's surprising since four of the team's top five players are guards. But Belardo, the only true point guard on the roster, has been less than his best physically so far, and Groves, primarily a shooting guard to date, is the back-up at the point and leads the team in assists ... There's also the issue of inside play. Manhertz, the best inside player, is onlly 6-foot-6. There are two other "bigs" contributing, the 6-9 Josiah Heath and the 6-10 Kevin Bleeker, but both are slender freshmen ... A season of experience will help. If the young big players can continue to improve, and the ball-handling improves, Canisius can cause some problems as the season progresses.

PREDICTION: This probably won't be the year the Griffs finish with a better-than-.500 record. A good season would be one of noticeable progression. And, then, much better days are ahead with the return of every key player, along with the addition of the three transfers to next season's team.

Siena Women's Preview: Seeking Reversal

2011-12-23T06:23:00.000-08:00

Here's another in the series previewing conference teams.

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SIENA WOMEN

2011-12 RECORD TO DATE: 1-7.

2010-11 RECORD: 11-7 in MAAC play, 14-16 overall.

COACHES' PRESEASON PREDICTION: 7th in the MAAC.

KEY RETURNEES (This season's statistics): 6-0 junior forward Lily Grenci (13.3 points, 7.0 rebounds), 5-8 senior guard Christina Centeno (11.3, 5.6, 4.1 assists), 5-11 senior guard Maja Gerlyng (11.3, 2.0).

KEY NEWCOMER: 5-9 freshman guard Tehersa Coles (3.1, 1.9).

KEY LOSSES: 6-2 center Serena Moore (14.8, 8.7), 5-9 forward Cathy Cockrum (5.0, 5.0), 5-6 point guard Missy Ramsey (2.5, 2.6).

NOTES: Once again, another slow start against a difficult non-conference slate. Last year's team started 1-8 before league play began and, then, went 13-8 the rest of the way ... And, like last year's team, there is much transition here. Three starters are gone from a year ago, including Moore, who led the MAAC in scoring and rebounding a year ago ... This year's team had three new starters and, eight minutes into the season, lost one when point guard Allie Mulligs was lost for the year with a torn ACL ... With Mullins gone, Siena has tried three other players at the point thus far with little success ... The team, though, has shown signs of improvement, losing its last two games by four (to Central Connecticut) and five (to UMass) ... Grenci has shown signs of being one of the league's better inside players, and Centeno and Gerlyng are both capable perimeter players ... Kate Zarotney, a 6-0 post player, has moved into the starting lineup recently and has played well, as has freshman Coles, whose older sister played at Saint Peter's ... The graduation loss of Moore and the lack of a true point guard has really inhibited the offense, which has scored more than 53 points just twice through the first eight games ... Like this time a year ago, the capability for better appears to be there, it's just a matter of adjusting to a full starting five of players in new roles ... The team has also been hindered by injuries with Denmark native freshman Ida Krogh (one game, due to plantar fasciitis), Mullings and another freshman, Kim Lisius-Cote (ankle problems) unavailable.

HOW SIENA CAN SUCCEED: Find a competent point guard. Right now Centeno, who has played the position at times in the past, is the latest to try. The team also just needs to make shots. Against UMass, there were at least four missed wide-open inside shots, those missing costing the Saints an opportunity to beat a decent Atlantic 10 opponent. The team also needs consistent production. Every member of the playing group has had some strong games, but just not on a night-to-night basis. Gaining experience as the year goes on will, theoretically, pay dividends later as the Saints only have two seniors and one junior on the roster.

PREDICTION: The similarity to last season are evident ... a slow start in terms of wins and losses, but signs things are coming together. At some point, a couple wins have to come to create more confidence. But, it came a year ago and could come again this season. There is much young talent on the roster, although some of it is injured, and there is a standout future point guard in place in George Washington transfer Janine Davis, who becomes eligible next season. For this year, though, avoiding the post-season tournament's play-in round would be a nice achievement.

Rider Womens' Fast Start Is No Fluke

2011-12-20T14:41:00.000-08:00

The best record to date among women's teams in the MAAC?

Two teams currently have 6-3 non-league starts to the 2011-12 season, and one of them is Rider.

The Broncs share that status with Fairfield, an occurrence seemingly unlikely as Marist (currently 4-4) not having a winning record to date.

Actually, Rider's rise is one of the more-surprising, feel-good stories not only of this season but of many seasons.

To say times have been tough for the school's women's program is an understatement. The Broncs have never finished a season with an overall record above .500 since joining the MAAC in 1997. Over that time, they've had one winning season in league play, a 10-8 mark in 1999-00. Since that season Rider has been 41-157 in MAAC play and 67-253 overall for a stretch of the past 11 seasons.

No MAAC women's team has been any worse over that time.

And, now, at least for the start of the 2011-12 season, no women's team is any better than Rider.

The 6-3 start has understandably been a source of considerable pride and enjoyment for fifth-year coach Lynn Milligan and her players. But, there's also a strong understanding that this is just the beginning, that the Broncs aren't willing to be satisfied by a strong early start.

"We told the kids for years winning is fun, no doubt about it," said Milligan. "And, now we're winning. But the good thing is that our players understand where we are and what have to do to get where we want to be.

"Early success success is terrific, a tangible result for hard work. But we've got a very balanced team off the court. They're consistent day to day. They know enough not to look behind us, and not to look any further ahead than our next practice. They know this is a day-to-day process, that there are things we have to do every day. It's still only December, and no one has even played a MAAC game yet. We're doing everything we can to prepare ourselves for conference play."

The preparation for MAAC play this year, though, has involved tangible results ... real success and an ever-growing sense of confidence within the team that comes from success.

That began with two season-opening victories over Lafayette and Bucknell. The only losses to date have come against two strong Ivy League teams (5-2 Penn and 8-4 Princeton) and Georgetown (9-2) of the Big East.

The best win to date might have been 66-56 victory at Binghamton, one of the better teams in the America East Conference, on Saturday.

It has all helped build a confidence level that could propel Rider into the early January start of conference play.

"Getting those first two victories right away really helped give us the confidence we needed," added Milligan. "It showed our team that this process will work. It showed that if we do what have to do every day, good things will happen for us,:

Turning Rider around has been a process ongoing at Rider since long before Milligan was hired, but had its roots in early recruiting classes when she brought in current seniors 6-foot-3 forward Sarah Homan, and guards Ali Heller and Alyssa Parsons. Homan, the team's third-leading rebounder, and Heller, the reigning MAAC's Sixth Player of the Year honoree, come off the bench. Parsons has been a steadying influence as the starting point guard.

"One big difference this year is our senior class," said Milligan. "We didn't have a senior on last year's team ... no one last year understood the sense of urgency we talk about, that their time here is going to be over soon and that you don't want to leave with regrets. This year's seniors understand that. They want to leave their mark on our program. We've got an excellent senior class who has been here with us every step of the way and they understand how important is is to work hard. They're a good bunch of leaders."

Good enough that neither Homan nor Heller mind coming off the bench.

"On most teams in the MAAC they would start," said Milligan. "But they come off the bench and give us a spark. They both seem better sitting for a couple of minutes, watching how things are progressing and coming off the bench ready to play. It's a great advantage for us to make substitutions wit those two who arguably can better than players they come in for."

The team also had other talented starters returning, particularly 6-3 junior forward Caitlin Bopp and sophomore 5-11 forward MyNesia McKenzie. Bopp averages 9.0 points and 6.5 rebounds and McKenzie, last year's Rookie of the Year in the Conference, is even better this season averaging close to a double-double (13.1 points, 9.6 rebounds).

The playing rotation was also fortified by newcomers 5-7 guard Sironda Chambers (8.6, 4.9), a junior college transfer, and freshman guard Emily Fazzini (5.1, 2.7), this past week's conference Rookie of the Week. Returnee 6-0 junior forward Carleigh Brown has also been effective, averaging 5.8 points and 4.3 rebounds in 17.4 minutes of playing time per contest.

Milligan is far from alone in enjoying the team's early run of success. Her team's seniors, who had a 19-71 overall record over the past three seasons, are finally able to think about leaving a winning season as their mark.

"This feels good, just knowing all the hard work we've gone through ... all the summers we put in at school and the effort we put in during preseason is finally paying off," said Heller.

"We have a lot of good leadership. The team is a lot more cohesive this year than in the past. And, starting off the season with those two wins right away was a confidence builder. It was important, coming off last season (5-25 overall) that we see things turn around right from the start.

"Still, we've got to keep the big picture in mind. This start doesn't mean anything when MAAC play begins, and we know when that first game is ... we've got it circled on the calendar.."

But, the big picture goes beyond what success Rider might have this season. Not only is there a solid group of senior leaders in place, but the program also has enough young talent to indicate that this year's team won't be a one-year anomaly.

And, if things continue to go well for the Broncs this year and in the future?

"I think we're going to surprise a lot of people this year," said Heller. "And, it will be nice to be able to look back and say that we were the ones who started the turnaround."

Siena Men's Preview: Much Bad Luck

2011-12-19T16:37:00.000-08:00

Here's another in the series previewing MAAC teams.

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SIENA MEN

2011-12 RECORD: 0-2 in MAAC play, 3-7 overall.

2010-11 RECORD: 8-10 in the MAAC, 13-18 overall.

COACHES' PRESEASON PREDICTION: 6th in the MAAC.

KEY RETURNEES (Stats from this season): 6-8 junior forward O.D. Anosike (13.1 points, 12.1 rebounds), 6-3 senior guard Kyle Downey (12.7, 4.5, 2.4 assists), 6-8 senior forward Brandon Walters (6.6, 6.2), 6-6 senior forward Owen Wignot (2.8, 1.8).

KEY LOSSES: Forward Ryan Rossiter (18.7, 13.2), guard Clarence Jackson (14.7).

NOTES: After losing three of the program's all-time better players after the 2009-10 season, the expected drop-off occurred last season. And, then, more graduation losses (particularly Player of the Year Rossiter) have been joined by some bad luck. Before the season started, the program had two freshmen forwards declared ineligible for the season due to a new NCAA rule mandating players finish high school within a specific time frame. And, then, returning starting point guard Rakeem Brookins was lost to the season with a back issue and potential starting forward Davis Martens was also lost for the season after hip surgery. It has left the team in the hands of 5-7 freshman point guard Evan Hymes, who has performed admirably (14.3 points, 3.2 assists). Anosike has also made the expected step forward, and is the No. 3 rebounder nationally. Downey, fully healthy for the first time in three years, is having a strong season thus far ... The team has played short-handed through the early portion and, then, had freshman guard Davonte Beard (22.7 minutes per game) opt to leave the program, citing homesickness ... And, returning senior Owen Wignot, expected to be a major contributor, has been dealing with a head injury, missed several games and has yet to be effective since his return. The team basically plays seven each night. Beard's defection will be off-set by the return of 6-6 sophomore Trenity Burdine later this week.

HOW SIENA CAN SUCCEED: By avoiding more personnel losses, and even that won't be enough for the program to remotely think it will return to the recent glory days of three straight NCAA appearances (2008, '09, '10). But recruiting with an all-but-set starting five in place during that run was difficult and the program is paying the price right now. The team needs to be more consistent, not only game-by-game, but within games. A big win over cross-town rival Albany was indicative of what the Saints can do on their best night. But, shortly thereafter came a lopsided loss to Fordham, picked to finish last in the Atlantic 10. Siena's best nights will come when most of its players are having strong games, but that doesn't happen every night.

PREDICTION: Saint fans, never patient during down seasons, seem to be enthused by the team's relatively strong play even in most of its losses thus far. But, the predicted (by coaches) sixth-place finish was made before all the preseason personnel losses and, now, looks optimistic. But, with expected return of the two ineligible front-court players, the return from injuries of Brookins and Martens and the experience gained by younger players bodes well for the future.

Niagara Women's Preview: Getting Better

2011-12-19T16:14:00.000-08:00

Here's another in the series previewing conference teams.

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NIAGARA WOMEN

2011-12 RECORD: 3-8.

2010-11 RECORD: 0-18 in MAAC play, 1-29 overall.

COACHES' PRESEASON PREDICTION: 10th in the MAAC.

KEY RETURNEES (statistics are from this season): 5-5 sophomore guard Kayla Stroman (8.5 points, 2.7 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 2.1 steals), 5-11 sophomore forward Shy Britton (7.0, 2.4), 5-8 senior guard Ali Morris (6.9, 3.4), 5-10 senior forward Meghan Waterman (4.5, 2.3).

KEY LOSS: Forward Liz Flooks (10.7, 5.1).

NOTES: A 3-8 start, coming against some decent non-league opponents thus far, isn't reason to rejoice yet, but it's much better than a year ago when the Purple Eagles became the first team since the 2002-03 Iona team to go 0-18 in conference play and won just a single game overall. Need a reason for the improvement? How about finding good players at the two key positions, point guard and center. Niagara had a point guard for a short time last year in Stroman, but she was lost for the season in the eighth game. She is back at 100 percent of her do-everything offensively, ball-hawking pest defensively best. And, then, the team has one of the league's better centers in 6-2 sophomore Lauren Gatto, a transfer from the University of Illinois at Chicago, who had to sit out last season ... Gatto leads the team in points, rebounds and minutes played ... The team, though, does not have a signature star. No player averages double figures in points, or more than 5.9 rebounds per game ... Then, there's also the left-over turnover issue. Niagara averaged an astronomical 21.5 turnovers per game a year ago (against 9.2 assists). Those numbers are only a little better this season (19.6 turnovers, 10.3 assists) ... The team also lacks eight, besides Gatto, although 6-0 freshman Val McQuade has been playing well early ... There's also an experience issue as just two players, guard Ali Morris and forward Meghan Waterman are seniors. Both are role players, although Waterman's best work, on the defensive end, doesn't show up on the stat sheet.

HOW NIAGARA CAN SUCCEED: Cut down on the turnovers and find more consistent scoring. Sophomore forward Shy Britton looks like she can develop into a better scorer than her 7.0 ppg. average thus far. Stroman is also capable of more scoring as is Gatto. Someone, though, needs to step up to become the team's go-to player in key situations. As with most young teams, the experience of just playing will help Niagara develop as the season progresses. And things are likely to be better once league play begins, as many of the Purple Eagles' opponents thus far are as good as many of the MAAC teams. A win over Binghamton, one of the better teams in the America East Conference, earlier this month might be a harbinger of good things ahead.

PREDICTION: Clearly better than last year. Probably won't climb into the top six positions (avoiding a post-season tournament play-in game), but if the youngsters mature quickly it's not out of the realm of possibility. Anything will be better than last season, but there's enough young talent in place to think this year will be considerably better, and the future is bright beyond that.

Niagara Men's Preview: Growing Pains

2011-12-18T18:05:00.000-08:00

Here's another in the series previewing conference teams.

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NIAGARA MEN

2011-12 RECORD TO DATE: 0-2 in MAAC play, 4-7 overall.

2010-11 RECORD: 5-13 in the MAAC, 9-23 overall.

COACHES' PRESEASON PREDICTION: 7th in the MAAC.

KEY RETURNEES (this year's statistics): 6-3 freshman forward Antoine Mason (14.0 points, 5.2 rebounds), 5-11 sophomore guard Marvin Jordan (11.6, 3.4, 2.9 assists), 6-8 junior forward Scooter Gillette (5.6, 3.0), 6-8 junior forward Eric Williams (1.7, 1.8).

KEY LOSSES: Guard Anthony Nelson (15.4, 5.0 assists, 3.4 steals), forward Kashief Edwards (12.4, 6.2).

NOTES: Niagara will be trying to avoid just the third losing season in head coach Joe Mihalich's 14 seasons in the program ... Although Mason is technically a "returnee," he only played three games last season before foot issues kept him out after that. The team's top four scorers include three freshmen and a sophomore. Of the team's top seven scorers, only one (Jordan) played more than three games in the program a year ago ... The key newcomer and the team's top scorer is 6-3 freshman guard Juan'ya Green, whose 19.9 points-per-game average is 2nd best nationally among freshman players, best of all conference players and 27th-best nationally ... He should be getting help soon as 6-5 swingman Josh Turner is expected to join the program for the second semester, and Mihalich says Turner could quickly become the team's best player ... The program suffered a huge graduation loss in do-everything guard Anthony Nelson, who averaged 5.0 assists and a nation-leading 3.4 steals per game. The Purple Eagles haven't' replaced his ball-handling skills. Green leads the team with 3.3 assists per game, but the entire team only averages 10.5 assists per contest ... With youth comes inconsistency. In its first weekend of MAAC play, it only lost to Fairfield by four points and, then, dropped a 96-62 decision against Iona ... The team also lacks consistent inside production, a point recently made by Mihalich. It hurt that Kashief Edwards left the program a year early, and that 6-8 junior Eric Williams hasn't been able to even match his 4.1 points, 3.2 rebounds production of last season.

HOW NIAGARA CAN SUCCEED: Find the reverse of the Fountain of Youth. There's plenty of talent on board, but it's extremely young and prone to the mistakes of youth. On some nights, particularly when Green, Mason and Jordan are making outside shots, the team will look very good. On other nights, when shots don't fall, the team won't look so good. Turner will also have to come in, get acclimated quickly and provide help not only with scoring but on the boards. The team also needs its inside players to improve as the year goes on. All that might be a lot to ask.

PREDICTION: Mihalich isn't trying to fool anyone. He's on record as saying this isn't a year his team will compete for a league title. He'll be happy going through a building year as long as year-long improvement is evident. When Turner comes aboard, it will likely mean the team's top five players include four freshmen and a sophomore, not exactly a recipe for success at the mid-major level. The team, right now, appears destined for one of the bottom four spots in the league standings, unless there's a drastic maturation of the youthful roster. But the talent level is high enough to think that Niagara might be capable of flirting with a .500 overall record and, then, be looking at much better days ahead in future seasons.

Masiello's Words Draw Scribe's Approval

2011-12-17T12:41:00.000-08:00

Your Hoopscribe admits that he has only met Steve Masiello once and that hardly qualifies as getting to know the first-year Manhattan men's coach.

But, a couple of phone conversations had me liking what I heard. He said all the right things about creating a new culture within the basketball program, and speaking about how high he wanted his program to climb.

To some, all the preseason talk might have been just bragging ... unfounded bravado, if you will. But, your scribe took it as coming from a confident coach who had a real idea about what he wanted to do and how he wanted to do it.

We've heard it before in the MAAC. Both Paul Hewitt and Fran McCaffery, coaches who took over at Siena at times that program was at its depths, both had similar things to say. There might not have been many believers that things would turn around right away when Hewitt and McCaffery took over that program after struggling times, but they did. And the proof, they say, is in the pudding.

And, so it is with Masiello, whose Manhattan team is off to a 7-4 start and already has more wins through 11 games than the program had in all of the 2010-11 season.

There's a reason the Jaspars struggled a year ago under former head coach Barry Rohrssen. Two key players were freshmen,, adjusting to the college level. Two highly touted recruits wound up missing the entire season. Another key player (Demetrius Jemison), a graduate student who played three seasons previously at Alabama, didn't get cleared by the NCAA until the second semester, causing chemistry issues. There was a lot of new faces struggling to get acclimated a year ago, and one could sense that the program would turn around pretty quickly.

And, it has under Masiello as last year's freshmen (Mike Alvarado and Rhamel Brown) have made the expected step forward; and, as one of the injury issues from a year ago (Roberto Colonette) has come back healthy and has become a rebounding force. Masiello's team also has the requisite standout in junior George Beamon, one of the MAAC's top players and another Rohrssen recruit. And, of course, Masiello is living up to his reputation as a strong recruiter with a solid first-year group that includes recent conference Rookie of the Ween Emmy Andujar.

Which leads us to one other reason why we've grown to admire Masiello from afar. There's this particular quote found on the cbssports website, in a short piece about his team's success so far, and about what Rohrssen, one of the nicest individuals ever to grade a MAAC sideline, left behind ...

"(Barry) did a terrific job evaluating talent," Masiello said. "We have some very good pieces. I'm fortunate to step into a situation like this, and that's a credit to Barry."

We could tell that Masiello would be a good coach, and there was considerable evidence about his ability to recruit. But, now we know something else about Manhattan's first-year coach.

His expressed sentiments about his predecessor exude nothing but class.

Manhattan Women's Preview: Slow Start

2011-12-17T12:04:00.000-08:00

Here's another in the series previewing MAAC teams.

Up now ...

MANHATTAN WOMEN

2011-12 RECORD SO FAR: 2-6 overall.

2010-11 RECORD: 13-5 in MAAC play, 24-10 overall.

COACHES' PRESEASON PREDICTION: 4th in the MAAC.

KEY RETURNEES (including this season's statistics): 6-0 senior forward Lindsey Loutsenhiser (13.0 points, 6.8 assists), 6-0 sophomore guard Monica Roder (11.5, 3.5) 5-11 senior forwrd Schyanne Halfkenny (8.1, 5.0), 6-1 senior forward Nadia Peters (6.3, 6.3), 5-11 junior forward Toni-Ann Lawrence (5.5, 3.3), 5-10 junior guard Mggie Blair (3.4, 1.6), 5-8 senior guard Alyssa Herrington (1.9).

KEY LOSS: Point guard Abby Wentworth (13.9, 4.2, 4.2 assists, 2.9 steals).

NOTES: Need proof about the benefits of a superb point guard? Manhattan had one in Wentworth last season and put up 24 victories overall. Wentworth is the only loss from last year's team ... the next best seven players are back ... and the Jaspars are off to a 2-6 start, against exclusively mid-major level competition. And, five of the six losses have come by double-figure totals ... Junior Maggie Blair has stepped into Wentworth's role, and she's providing a similar number of assists (4.3 per game), but isn't anywhere near the scorer/rebounder/defender Wentworth was. And, for that matter, who is? Wentworth was one of the conference's top three or four players a year ago ... The Jaspars appear handicapped by having a roster full of swing players or front-court performers. Of the top seven players, only Blair and Herrington are true guards, and Herrington, primarily a shooter, is struggling this season (5-of-24 on three-point shots after making 41-of-128 last season). Wentworth also spearheaded last season's defense that permitted just 50.9 points per game. Through the first eight games this season Manhattan gives up 59.2 per outing.

WHAT MANHATTAN NEEDS TO SUCCEED: It's easy to say better ballhandling, but the assist-to-turnover ratio is pretty much the same as a year ago. The returnees are all playing at about the same level as a year ago, but losing that signature star has left a huge void for this program. It certainly wouldn't hurt if Herrington became the offensive weapon she had been in the past, but even that won't cure all the early season woes to date. Manhattan also needs to tighten things up on the defensive end, but the feeling here is the team won't match last year's success until it can develop more quality perimeter players.

PREDICTION: This team, as it looks so far, will be hardpressed to meet the coaches' preseason prediction for fourth place. Then again, it's still early and Manhattan does have a deep and solid inside game, and some standout shooters, particularly Roeder who has 16 3-pointers trough eight games. Still, the feeling here is that Manhattan's quest won't be to contend for one of the top two or three spots like it did a year ago, but avoid finishing below sixth place and the post-season tournament's play-in round.

NBA Warriors Have Two Saints in Camp

2011-12-17T05:03:00.001-08:00

It's a rare happening when a former MAAC player lands on an NBA roster, but there have been a few. If memory serves, former La Salle standouts Doug Overton (11 NBA seasons) and Lionel Simmons (seven NBA seasons), and former Rider standout Jason Thompson (entering his fourth NBA season with the Sacramento Kings) are the most prominent.

But, has there ever been a time when two former MAAC players are on the same NBA roster?

Not yet, but there's a chance. Two former Siena players, swingman Edwin Ubiles and guard Tommy Mitchell, are both on the Golden State Warriors' preseason roster.

The team currently has 21 players in preseason camp, preparing for the Christmas Day beginning to the NBA season. It's anyone's guess as to whether both former Saints will make the final cut, but there they are for now.

It's not much of a surprise to see Ubiles surface in an NBA camp. The 6-foot-6 swingman has a versatile game that could make him an effective performer.

At Siena he became the program's third all-time leading scorer (1,939 points). After finishing his four-year Siena career after the 2009-10 season, he had a variety of injuries that kept him off the court for much of the next season.

Late in the 2010-11 season, though, he played several games professionally in Puerto Rico and, this summer, was a key player on that country's team that won the gold medal in the Pan American Games.

Since then Ubiles played five games for the Dakota Warriors, Golden State's entry in the NBA Developmental League. There he averaged 18.6 points, 8.2 rebounds and 4.6 assists per game before getting the invitation to the NBA preseason camp.

Mitchell, while possessing the necessary athleticism to play beyond the college level, never truly was an elite player even at the mid-major level while at Siena. While he did score 1,115 points (29th best in school history), his best year was as a sophomore in 2002-03 when he averaged 13.6 points per game. As a senior in 2004-05, albeit playing through some minor injuries, he only averaged 8.2 points per game.

Mitchell subsequently bounced around in a number of low-level professional leagues since graduating from Siena in 2005. Before joining the Warriors' training camp he was playing for the Quebec entry in the National Basketball League of Canada where he was averaging 11.7 points per game.

Mitchell is currently 29 years old, hardly the typical age for a player getting his first real look by an NBA team.

But, there they are. Preseason exhibition games begin today (Saturday) for the Warriors, and it bears watching by MAAC fans to see if either Ubiles or Mitchell ... or, potentially, both ... can make it to the regular-season's roster.

Siena has had just one player make a regular-season roster. Former standout Kenny Hasbrouck signed several 10-day contracts with the Miami Heat two years ago, but never appeared in a regular-season contest.

Manhattan Men's Preview: Quick Start

2011-12-15T12:57:00.001-08:00

Here's another in the series previewing conference teams.

Up now ...

MANHATTAN MEN

2011-12 RECORD: 2-0 in MAAC play, 7-4 overall.

2010-11 RECORD: 3-15 in the MAAC, 6-25 overall.

COACHES' PRESEASON PREDICTION: 8th in the league.

KEY RETURNEES (including this season's stats): 6-4 junior swingman George Beamon (15.8 points, 5.3 rebounds), 6-2 sophomore guard Mike Alvarad0 (8.9, 2.4, 2.5 assists), 6-4 senior guard Liam McCabe-Moran (7.0, 1.8), 6-6 sophomore forward Rhamel Brown (6.6, 5.4), 6-1 senior guard Kidani Brutus (6.5, 3.0, 2.5 assists).

KEY LOSSES: 6-8 forward Demetrius Jemison (10.4, 8.6).

NOTES: First-year head coach Steve Masiello promised to change the program's culture, and if 11 games is any indication then consider the culture changed. This year's team already has more overall victories than last season's six-victory total. Of course, it doesn't hurt that the trio who comprised the nucleus of last season's team (then freshmen Alvarado and Brown, and sophomore Beamon) all all a year older. Nor does it hurt that freshman forward Roberto Colonette is healthy after missing all of last season with injuries ... Beamon leads the team in scoring, and Colonette averages 6.4 rebounds in just 19.2 minutes of playing time per game. Alvarado continues to provide a steady hand in the backcourt, and while Brown's minutes are down (18.0 per game), he still averages 5.4 rebounds and is incredibly 18th nationally in blocks (2.91 per game) ... Plus, there's considerable depth. Brutus came back 30 pounds lighter and is a factor, freshman forward Andujar is making a case for conference all-Rookie Team selection and Liam McCabe-Moran, a 6-4 senior guard who got into just eight games last season, is the team's fifth-leading scorer. The team has nine players averaging at least 12.5 minutes per contest ... Also, the team has an active four-game winning streak, the second-longest among all MAAC teams. The win streak is the program's longest since it won six straight midway through the 2006-07 season, and the 7-4 start is the best since a 7-4 start to the 2008-09 season. All of it has happened no seniors among the top four scorers and only two among the top nine.

HOW MANHATTAN WILL SUCCEED: By doing exactly what it has done so far, which is play at a faster tempo and keeping bodies fresh by employing at least a nine-man playing group ... It will also have to continue to rebound by committee. Four players average between 5.3 and 6.4 rebounds per game. Amazingly without a single player than 6-7 in the regular playing rotation, the Jaspers outrebound opponents by an average of 5.5 per game, after being outrebounded by an average of 2.5 per outing a year ago. The team also scores 7.5 more points (67.6 compared to 60.1) than last year's squad. The positive vibes, or as Masiello calls it "a culture change," has to continue. But, there's no reason to believe that it won't.

PREDICTION: Unless things go south in a hurry, there's no reason to think Manhattan won't do considerably better than the preseason prognostication for eighth. Provided everyone stays healthy and the young cast continues to mature, very good things are ahead for the program. Finishing in the top six, thus avoiding the post-season tournament's play-in round, certainly is a realistic possibility. An upper-division finish, maybe even contention for a league title, isn't that far off, although that probably won't happen this year.

Siena's Beard Leaves, Cites Homesickness

2011-12-15T12:28:00.000-08:00

Touted as one of Siena's top men's recruits when he committed to Siena this past spring, freshman guard Davonte Beard is already leaving the program.

Beard, on Thursday, informed Siena head coach Mitch Buonaguro and director of athletics John D’Argenio of his desire to transfer to a school closer to his Akron, Ohio home. Beard has filed paperwork with the athletic department’s compliance office, and the college is processing his request.

Through Siena's first 10 games, Beard showed a considerable amount of promise, averaging 5.2 points, 1.8 rebounds and 1.6 assists playing an average of 22.7 minutes per contest.

“This was a very difficult decision for me,” Beard said Thursday. “I would rather be close to home, close to my mother and my two brothers. It is hard not having them come to see my play. I would rather transfer to a school close to home so my friends and family can come to the games.”

Beard “I’m disappointed Davonte felt this was the direction he needed to move in,” Buonaguro said. “He told us he wasn’t comfortable being this far away from his family. I respect his decision, and really hope everything works out for him. He is a good person, who we had high hopes for as a Saint. The reality is he was home sick.”

Marist Women's Preview: Not The Same

2011-12-12T16:49:00.001-08:00

Here's another in the series previewing conference teams.

Up now ...

MARIST WOMEN

2011-12 THUS FAR: 4-3 overall.

2010-11: 18-0 in MAAC play, 31-3 overall.

COACHES' PRESEASON PREDICTION: Unanimous pick to finish first in league play.

KEY RETURNEES: 5-8 senior guard Corielle Yarde (14.6 points, 6.9 rebounds, 4.0 assits, 2.0 steals ... all stats are this season's), 6-2 senior forward Brandy Gang (9.1, 4.1), 5-10 sophomore guard Leanne Ockenden (7.9, 3.6), 5-4 senior guard Kristine Best (3.2, 3.0 assists).

KEY LOSSES: 5-8 guard Erica Allenspach (13., 4.7, 3.0 assists), 6-4 forward Kate Oliver (8.0, 4.1), 5-6 guard Elise Caron (6.1, 4.0, 3.1 assists).

KEY NEWCOMER: 5-7 freshman Natalie Gomez (1.4, 1.4).

NOTES: Last year's team started 4-2 and, then, won 27 in a row before losing in the second round of the NCAA tournament. This year's team started 4-2 and, then, lost a 49-36 decision to Boston University, a solid America East team, at best ... A relatively slow start could have been expected after losing its top two ballhandlers, Allenspach (the MAAC's Player of the Year last season) and Caron, a steadying force on the offensive end and one of the top perimeter defenders in the league a year ago ... Not expected, though, was the defection/transfer of the 6-4 Oliver, who looked ready to step into a starring role ... And, then, the program lost this year's point guard, Kristine Best, to an ACL injury that will force her to redshirt and to come back a year from now as a fifth-year senior. The loss is a tough one as Best was leading the league in assist-to-turnover ratio when she was hurt ... Yarde is certainly playing up to the coaches' prediction that she will be this season's Player of the Year, but a legitimate and consistent second option has yet to emerge, let alone a third offensive option ... The difference from a year ago is particularly noticeable on the offensive end where Marist has scored more than 57 points just once all season ... Senior forward Brandy Gang might yet increase her production (9.1 so far), as might UMass transfer Kristina Danella (6.3, after averaging 11.7 points as a sophomore for the Minutemen two years ago), but neither one is there yet ... Marist might still be the best team in the conference, but right now that's not the usual foregone conclusion.

HOW MARIST WILL SUCCEED: By finding offense from players other than Yarde on a consistent basis, for without that Marist will be hardpressed to add to its string of seven straight league titles. There appear to be a number of candidates ranging from Gang and Danella to sopomore guard Leanne Ockenden (7.0) and Casey Dulin (7.0) ... The Red Foxes will also have to overcome a relative height deficiency that had head coach Brian Giorgis worried as far back as the start of preseason workouts ... Freshman point guard Natalie Gomez (1.4) has been moved into the starting lineup as Best's replacement, and will need to grow into the role quickly. But, she is talented and Giorgis is outstanding at developing young players.

PREDICTION: First place again ... probably. In the recent past, though, that predicition would have been followed by "definitely." With the graduation/transfer/injury losses of late, Marist isn't quite as dominant as it has been. A 30-victory overall season certainly isn't likely, nor is another unbeaten MAAC season. Loyola, Fairfield and Iona all look capable of challenging Marist this year. For once, Marist will have a legitimate challenge to its league superiority.

Marist Men's Preview: Promising Start

2011-12-12T16:06:00.000-08:00

And so it begins ...

Yes, the holiday season. But, also, the season of previews as we approach the early January resumption of league play for men and its beginning for women.

We'll review MAAC teams from the bottom of from last year's men's standings. After each men's team previewed we'll also preview the corresponding school's women's team.

So, let's get started. Up now ...

MARIST MEN

2010-11 RECORD: 3-15 in MAAC play, 6-27 overall.

COACHES' PRESEASON PREDICTION: 10th in the MAAC.

KEY RETURNEES: 6-1 senior guard Devin Price (13.3 points, 2.4 rebounds, 2.4 assists ... all statistics from this season), 6-10 sophomore forward Adam Kemp (8.2, 6.4, 2.4 blocks), 6-5 sophomore forward Jay Bowie (6.6, 3.7), 6-6 sophomore forward Anell Alexis (4.7, 2.9), 6-6 junior forward Dorvell Carter (11.7, 2.0).

KEY LOSSES: Sam Prescott (11.4 points), Candin Rusin (7.8 points), Menelik Watson (4.7, 3.3).

TOP NEWCOMERS: 6-5 freshman swingman Chavaugn Lewis (13.0, 3.3), 5-8 freshman guard Isaiah Morton (8.7).

NOTES: The 4-5 start is encouraging, and is already within two victories of the program's entire total from a year ago and a noticeable improvement over 2009-10 when the Red Foxes only won a single game ... Carter, a much-needed veteran presence, averaged 11.7 points in two-and-a-half games before suffering a knee injury and hasn't returned ... In Carter's absence, Alexis has moved into the starting lineup and presents the possibility of an offensive explosion (he had 22 points in a game against Siena last season) ... The team lost three key players from a year ago, including 2010-11's leading scorer, Prescott, but doesn't seem to have felt the effects ... Kemp, who had a promising 16 games as a freshman before missing the rest of the year with an injury is becoming an inside force, as evidenced by his 21 blocks through nine games. ... Lewis is off to a strong freshman-year start and in some years would be an early candidate for the MAAC's Rookie of the Year were it not for the presence of Harold Washington at Canisius ... Another frosh, Isaiah Morton, is making a reasonable transition from high school to college point guard and only has two more turnovers than assists thus far ... The team's conference victory came over Rider (picked for fourth in the conference) by an impressive 95-75 score ... The season looks promising, and the future extremely bright. There's only one senior on the roster and that's a light-playing walk-on.

HOW MARIST CAN SUCCEED: By avoiding a key injury. Kemp is pretty much the lone post presence, and the Red Foxes can't afford to lose him this year ... The program has to view this season as part of the growing process, particularly with two freshmen and three sophomores among the top six players. But, there's no reason why the growth can't mean the Red Foxes can cause some problems as the season progresses. If there's another key player the team can't afford to lose it is its most-experienced performer, junior guard Devin Price, who leads it in scoring and shares ball-handling duties with Morton. Much rests on his shoulders this season, but he has consistently delivered so far.

PREDICTION: This isn't a team that will contend for the league title this year, but with continued maturity it's not a stretch to think positively about better things a year from now. Its fans should be content with watching a young, exciting team mature as the year goes on. And, maybe, unexpectedly upset a higher-regarded team, or two, along the way. It would be a significant achievement for Marist to finish in the final standings' top six to avoid a post-season tournament play-in game. But, it's not out of the realm of possibility. Marist certainly isn't the almost automatic victory for opponents that it was two years ago and for much of last season.

Honor Roll of Program Builders Created

2011-12-10T04:55:00.000-08:00

The MAAC has just announced a nice feature, the creation of a conference "Honor Roll," in which honorees will be enshrined in the MAAC Experience exhibit at the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Mass.

The exhibit will remain on display for the duration of the league's affiliation with the city, which will host the MAAC's post-season men's and women's tournament for the next three years.

For the inaugural honorees the league selected one men's player and one women's player from each of the 10 current league members. Those selected aren't necessarily the best players from their respective programs, although in many cases they are that, but are being recognized as individual who helped build programs at each of the current league schools.

"By clebrating the past, the MAAC ensures that our current student-athletes have the proper role models as they navigate their way toward success in the classroom and on the court," saiid Rev. Jeffrey P. von Arx, president of Fairfield University and president of the MAAC Council of Presidents.

A private dinner event will be held on Friday, March 2 at the Hall of Fame, and the honorees will also be recognized and introduced at halftime of a men's preliminary-round game that begins at 7:30 p.m. that night.

Here's a link to the story about the Honor Roll that appears on the MAAC website. There is also video available to be viewed: http://www.maacsports.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=17400&ATCLID=205344610

And, if you'll permit one suggestion. With the MAAC now in its 31st year, your hoopscribe believes there is enough history and enough superb players that have come through the conference for the creation of a league Hall of Fame, honoring the best individual players.

Large plaques could be created and displayed in Springfield and, later, at other sites of future MAAC tournaments.

Another Marist Hit: Best Out For Season

2011-12-08T09:18:00.000-08:00

The Marist women's team's chances to continue its streak of seven consecutive conference titles became a little more challenging this week with news that starting senior point guard Kristine Best will be lost for the season with a knee injury suffered in a recent practice.

Best reportedly tore her left anterior cruciate ligament at a practice on Monday and the program received that official diagnosis on Tuesday.

He coach Brian Giorgis indicate that Best, the team's point guard, would receive a medical red-shirt waiver for this season and return for 2012-13.

She had played in the team's first six games, averaging 29.3 minutes, 3.2 points, 3.0 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game. Best, when healthy, is a prototypical protect-the-ball, pass-first point guard who had 18 assists against just six turnovers before her injury.

Best's loss is likely to be filled by freshman guard Natalie Gomez, a highly touted recruit, who had been on the fringe of this season's Marist playing group. She has seen action in all of the team's first six games, averaging 10.8 minutes along with 1.5 points and 1.3 rebounds per contest.

“Our freshmen are going to have to grow up faster than we had wanted them to,’’ said Giorgis, when talking about the situation to reporters recently. "But, they’re up for the task. If we’re going to be the team that we hope to be, then we have to handle adversity like this.’’

Marist is off to a 4-2 start with an active three-game winning streak including a 57-51 victory over a strong Hartford squad in its last game. Against Hartford Best did not score but dished out four assists without committing a turnover. Gomez played eight minutes in that game, scored two points and did not record an assist.

Siena Wins "Super Bowl" Match vs. UAlbany

2011-12-06T12:08:00.000-08:00

Former Siena men's basketball coach Paul Hewitt really never wanted to play geographic rival University at Albany, and didn't have to.

The series that began in 1939 and was played continuously until Siena moved to the Division I level in the mid-1970s (when Albany was still Division II), was finally resumed in 2001 after a 25-year absence.

Once one of the most-heated rivalries New York's Capital Region has ever had (think a small-town version of Army-Navy or Red Sox-Yankees), nary an iota of intensity was was lost in its absence.

It became such that former Siena coach Rob Lanier, under whose watch the series resumed, recognized the overabundance of anticipation and interest throughout the region and sarcastically referred to the meetings with UAlbany as "Super Bowls."

The upstate New York's version of basketball's Super Bowl was held Monday night at Albany's Times Union Center, and current Saints' coach Mitch Buonaguro might be justified in referring to this year's renewal as, simply, "Super."

Super for the undermanned Saints (only six players saw more than seven minutes of action), who overcame a 31-12 deficit with 5:41 remaining in the first half to make a total reversal for a 64-60 victory over the Great Danes.

It wasn't even a MAAC contest, but Buonaguro justifiably called the outcome the best win for his program since he took over as its head coach prior to last season.

Siena, a team with only eight healthy scholarship players, including four freshmen, won its first two games before a five-game losing streak with each of those following a similar script: a big early deficit, followed by an inspired comeback that just fell short.

Against UAlbany, though, the comeback got over the proverbial hump as Buonaguro shrewdly changed defenses that prohibited the Danes' perimeter players from continuing the penetration that worked so well early while using his team's edge in inside athleticism to great effect.

It resulted in Saints' 6-foot-8 forward O.D. Anosike having the best game of his career with a monster 21-point, 18-rebound effort.

No wonder Buonaguro was pumping his first towards the court, towards the crowd and towards the crowd as the game ended.

"I acted like that for the kids (players)," said Buonaguro, who is no stranger to big victories ... as a Villanova assistant in 1985, he was responsible for the game-plan that knocked off Georgetown in that season's NCAA tournament championship game.

"We've been hearing a lot of things like that we've had a lot of adversity and injuries, and that we're not a good team. We proved a lot of people wrong."``

And Siena proved that it can win games with a depleted roster.

Mostly, though, the game was a confidence boost for a team that needed one.

"Did we need this win? In my own mind we needed this pretty badly," added Buonaguro. "We've been right there in just about every game (in four of the five recent losses), but without much success. You need to win one of those to boost your confidence."

And, Siena did before a crowd of 8,252, almost assuredly the largest turnout that will see a MAAC team's home game this season.

"After our last five games ... if we continued to dig our way back and give up up again, it becomes a long, long season," said Saints' senior guard Kyle Downey. "We can build on this, and hope it snowballs."

More ATM, News & Notes From The MAAC

2011-12-04T09:10:00.000-08:00

Time for more "ATM," better known as "Around The MAAC."

- YOUR HOOPSCRIBE GOT A FIRST-HAND look at the Loyola men in their 66-59 victory over Siena at Albany, N.Y.'s Times Union Center, and was very impressed.

For much of the early season, almost all speculation about this year's regular-season title contenders have centered on Iona or Fairfield. But, what about Loyola? The Greyhounds are now 6-1 overall this season, their only loss coming against Wake Forest. And, they're off to their first 2-0 beginning in MAAC competition in 23 years.

Loyola coach Jimmy Patsos was asked about the focus on Iona and Fairfield, so far, and whether his team is being overlooked ...

"I hope everyone continues to overlook us," said the always quote-worthy Patsos. "I definitely think we have a team that can contend for the league title. But, I thought we had one last year, too, until some things happened. If nothing else, our guys can deal with adversity after having to deal with having me on the sidelines every day."

Of course that last personal dig comes with tongue firmly in cheek. It's hard to find a coach that drives his players harder than Patsos, but the results are clearly positive. And, now, he has arguably the most talent at Loyola since the 1993-94 team coached by the late Skip Prosser went to that season's NCAA tournament.

Having seen both teams, the 1993-94 squad and this one, the current group (it says here) has more overall talent and much more depth. Against Siena, Loyola used nine players. Three of the reserves have been starters at one time in their careers and the fourth is a transfer from Xavier.

The only question coming in to the season was whether a young backcourt, one that needed to replace graduated point guard Brian Rudolph, would be good enough. And, it is. Sophomore Dylon Cormier had a career-high 22 points (5-of-6 on three-pointers) against Siena, and if he plays like that consistently he'll eventually emerge as one of the MAAC's best guards. And, Rudolph's replacement is freshman point guard R.J. Williams, who operates like a true floor general at both ends. He only had six points against Siena, but with his cast he doesn't need to score. He also had four assists (against just two turnovers) and five steals.

The bottom line is this: The conversation for this season's potential regular-season champion goes beyond Iona and Fairfield. It most definitely includes Loyola.

- THE SIENA MEN continued to be inspirational, now playing with just eight scholarship players that include four freshmen. The Saints continue to play well (there was scattered applause for their effort after Saturday's loss to Loyola), but it appears that wins might be slow in coming.

The setback against the Greyhounds was Siena's fifth straight, making the program's first five-game losing streak since it also dropped five in a row late in the 2004-05 season. The program's longest stretch of negative results before that was an eight-game losing streak midway through the 2004-05 season.

- JUST EIGHT GAMES INTO the season the Manhattan men have already won four games, just two fewer than last season's victory total when the program finished with a 6-25 overall ledger.

Much of the improvement can be credited to the maturation process of current sophomore Mike Alvarado and the return from injury of power forward Roberto Colonette, who missed all of last season. Alvarado currently has more assists than turnovers and Colonette is one of the most-effective rebounders in the conference, averaging 6.8 per game in an average of 19.8 minutes of playing time.

Credit some of the improvement, too, to first-year head coach Steve Masiello, who has changed playing styles, team philosophy and just about everything within the program.

"We're learning to improve as a team, but everything is new to everyone here," said Masiello, whose team earned a 71-55 upset victory over Rider on Friday. "I feel like we've got an entire roster of freshmen. I'm trying to install a new system that's very complicated. We understand there's going to be some growing pains as we try to change the culture. Everything is different for them now."

- GO WEST, YOUNG MAN ... At least to Western New York, if you want to find the conference's leading men's scorers. The two players atop the league's scoring chart share another trait, as well. Both are in the MAAC for the first season.

Harold Washington, a 6-foot-1 junior guard at Canisius, leads the MAAC in scoring at 19.0 points per game. He joined the Golden Griffins after playing two seasons at Cecil (Md.) Junior College.

"He has been very good at times (including a 30-point outburst against Longwood College in his second game at Canisius), and at other times he has looked like a guy who has only played five Division I games," said Canisius coach Tom Parrotta. "But, according to our sports information director, he's the first guy here in 25 years who has been in double figures for scoring in his first five games in our program."

Juan'ya Green, a 6-3 freshman guard at Niagara, is the MAAC's second-leading scorer (after Saturday's games), averaging 18.7 points per outing.

His average got a significant boost when he scored 35 points, a school record by a Niagara freshman, in Friday's 79-75 loss to Fairfield.

"It's going to be a real challenge for him, playing against Derrick Needam (Fairfield's standout junior guard)," said Niagara coach Joe Mihalich, prior to Friday's contest. "Juan'ya is still adjusting to the college game. It's hard to be a freshman, and it's hard to be a point guard so that means it's doubly tough for him."

Green, who leads the conference in minutes per game (37.6) was up for the challenge. In addition to his 35 points, he had six rebounds, three assists and three turnovers. Needham had 12 points, 2 1 rebound, two assists and four turnovers.

- WHAT THE HECK IS GOING ON AT RIDER? The Broncs, one of the conference's most-consistent teams of recent vintage, currently possess the worst overall record this season of any MAAC team.

The Broncs' 1-7 start through Saturday's games is far below expectations for the team picked to finish fourth by the coaches in their preseason poll.

But, the beginning is somewhat understandable. The team's first loss came to a tough Robert Morris squad. Another came against a decent Penn team. Four others have been in "up" games, losses to Pitt, James Madison, La Salle and Drexel.

And, then, came Friday's clunker, a 71-55 loss against Manhattan, picked to finish eighth this season according to the coaches' preseason poll.

Even though the competition to date has been challenging, much more is expected from Rider, which had winning records for the past five seasons, including two 23-victory years (it was 23-11 just last season).

"Yes, I'm discouraged a little," admitted coach Tommy Dempsey. "We took some chances in scheduling. The league encourages you to take some chances, to schedule some `up' games, and we took some chances. With that type of schedule you get exposed a little. I think we have a very good offensive team, but we're not a very good defensive team right now."

Neither is Rider a good rebounding team yet, averaging a league-worst 28.6 rebounds per game.

It hasn't helped that the Broncs lost two of their best players from a year ago, inside force Mike Ringold and point guard Justin Robinson, from any team's prime two positions. Nor has it helped that 6-9, 220-pound freshman forward Junior Fortunate (Roman Catholic H.S. in Philadelphia), who was expected to contribute significantly, has yet to get NCAA clearance to begin playing.

And, then, senior forward Novar Gadson, a first-team all-MAAC preseason pick, is not yet fully recovered from off-season knee surgery and is only averaging 9.9 points and 2.9 rebounds per game after averages of 13.7 and 5.8 a year ago.

"It has been a little bit of a perfect story working against us so far," said Dempsey. "But, we're going to be OK."

- IT TOOK A LITTLE TIME, but it appears that defending post-season tournament champion Saint Peter's has begun playing Saint Peter's-type basketball again this season.

That means bruising, in-your-face defense, as Fairfield and Iona, the two teams the Peacocks upset in the semifinal and championship post-season tournament games last season, can attest to.

How much did defense carry last year's team? It finished second nationally among all Division I teams in opponents' field-goal percentage (.376) and 12th nationally in points allowed (60.1).

But, the Peacocks allowed point totals of 72, 69 and 73 in their first three games this season.

"Defense has been our calling card, and it looked like we took the first three games off," said head coach John Dunne.

But, the defense has been back on the job lately, allowing point totals of 43, 63 (against Seton Hall) and 44 in its last three games.

"We've got a lot of new guys learning that playing intense defense in college involves a whole other level of toughness," added Dunne. "We've definitely started seeing that in the last week, or so."

That the Peacocks are going through an early season adjustment period can be expected. They lost four senior starters off last year's squad and the team's roster is dominated either by players eligible to play in the program for the first year (transfers and freshmen), or adjusting to new roles.

Dunne, though, is urging his team to forge its own identity.

Last year?

"We don't go there at all," said Dunne. "Last year was magical for Saint Peter's and the community, but that's a thing of the past. We're moving forward. We unveiled the tournament championship banner before our first home game, and I honestly didn't want to do that. We had a two-minute ceremony and moved on."

But, moving on also involves returning to its roots ... a defensive style that has become the program's trademark in recent years.

News, Notes From Around The MAAC

2011-12-02T16:36:00.000-08:00

Please pardon the recent interruption to Keepin' Track of the MAAC. Your blogger took a brief hiatus to recharge the batteries, while doing considerable research.

The results will be a full compliment of team-by-team previews for both men's and women's programs beginning before the weekend is out.

But before we get to that, it's time for the latest installment of "ATM," otherwise known as "Around The MAAC"

- JUST WHEN YOU think it's save to start believing that this might be the year someone (finally) other than the Marist women's team wins the conference's regular-season title which the Red Foxes have owned for the past seven years, things begin reverting to accepted normality once again.

Marist started 1-2 against non-conference opponents, losing to Villanova and Princeton, both solid teams. Since then it won two games in Cancun (over Drake and South Dakota State) and another over a good Hartford (5-2) squad.

The Red Foxes, though, clearly don't have the offensive firepower of a year ago. Scoring replacements for departed Player of the Year Erica Allenspach (graduation) and forward Kate Oliver (transfer) have yet to emerge on a consistent basis. Senior guard Corielle Yarde (15.5 points per game) is the team's only double-figure scorer to date. Kristina Danella, a 6-1 forward and a transfer from UMass, looked to be the best option to provide a little extra offense but she is only averaging 5.3 points per game through the team's first six games. And Allenspach's replacement at point guard, Kristine Best, runs the team well (18 assists against just 6 turnovers), but isn't much of a scoring threat (3.2 points per game thus far).

- SOME THINGS NEVER CHANGE ... Rider's senior guard Ali Heller led all conference women in 3-point shooting percentage (.433) last season, and is off to an even faster start this year. Through five games she is shooting .571 percent from beyond the bonus stripe, the 10th-best percentage nationally of all Division I players. She has made 16-of-28 tries, including a career high six (6-of-10 shooting) in the team's 68-48 victory over St. Francis (N.Y.) on Wednesday.

- THE BEST FRESHMAN in the league so far among women's players so far is 5-7 guard Damika Martinez of Iona, whose 13.0 points per game is ninth-best in the MAAC and best for all freshmen. Her addition makes an already strong Iona team a better candidate to be among the potential teams seeking to dethrone Marist. The Gaels have the requisite "star" player in 6-1 senior forward Kristina Ford (she leads the conference in scoring with 19.1 points per game, and is second in rebounds at 8.4) and a terrific point-guard in fifth-year senior Suzi Fregosi, who not only leads the MAAC in assists (6.0 per game), but in free-throw percentage (.947, having missed just one charity stripe attempt thus far).

- THE SIENA MEN'S team continues to forge on with limited numbers, playing its recent games (including a 51-44 loss at Saint Peter's on Thursday) with just seven healthy scholarship players. Four of those are freshmen, and one of those (forward Marcus Hooper) saw just three minutes of action. Expected senior contributor Owen Wignot continues to sit out after suffering a head injury in the team's season-opener, and remains in a day-to-day situation. The Saints do expect 6-6 sophomore forward Trenity Burdine (foot injury) to return around Christmas.

- ONE OF THE TOP individual games by a women's player to date was turned in by Siena's senior forward Lily Grenci, who had 23 points and 18 rebounds (the highest rebound total to date by a women's player this season) in a 75-63 loss to a solid North Carolina A&T squad on Thanksgiving. Grenci, who only had 139 points and 104 rebounds combined over her first two years due to a variety of foot and ankle injuries, is healthy this season and is the league's second-leading scorer and third-leading rebounder.

- THE BEST CANISIUS MEN'S TEAM might be the one the current starters have to face every day in practice. The practice unit includes three transfers who are ineligible this season due to NCAA transfer rules, but figure to play prominent roles a year from now. Freddie Asprilla, a 6-10, 28-pound center, transferred to the program from Kansas State; Jordan Heath, a 6-10 forward, came to the team from Robert Wesleyan; and, 6-3 guard Isaac Sosa transferred in from Central Florida.

"We've got two guys close to seven feet, and Sosa to practice against every day," said Canisius coach Tom Parrotta. "Those three are tough for our starters to practice against every day."

Until next season, though, the Golden Griffins will try to overcome a size deficiency this season. Four of its top five players are 6-foot-2 or smaller, and its fifth (sophomore Chris Manhertz) is only 6-foot-6.

THE TOP SCORING men's team nationally is Iona, averaging 94.3 points per game through Thursday's contests. And those points come, in no small part, because the Gaels have the top assist-distributor on the Division I level in Scott Machado, whose 12.8 dishes-per-contest is slightly rivaled only by North Carolina's Kendall Marshall (10.8).

Machado's "signature" game thus far was a 15-assist, zero-turnover performance in a 26-point rout of Maryland in the Puerto Rico Tip-Off Classic.

"When I saw the stat sheet, I thought that was a misprint," said Iona coach Tim Cluess. "He (Machado) is as good as anyone in the country at point guard right now."

ESPN's Doug Gottleib, serving as color commentator for the Iona games televised from the Puerto Rico event, opined on the air that Machado was playing himself into a late first-round position in the next NBA draft.

NOTE: Check back tomorrow (Saturday) for more ATM ...

Loyola's Sheahin Perfects Art Of The Steal

2011-11-22T17:17:00.000-08:00

Growing up in an athletic family, Loyola's junior guard Katie Sheahin had the requisite driveway basketball hoop.

The driveway court drew players from around the neighborhood, mostly friends of her two older brothers.

"I always played, but my brothers and their friends were older and bigger," said Sheahin. "A lot of my shots got swatted back into the yard."

If Sheahin wanted to be able to contribute in the driveway games, she had to find some other method besides than putting the ball in the basket.

She found defense.

From the driveway to the courts both in high school and, now, at Loyola, Sheahin has been a standout defender.

"I feel like that's how I grew up, never backing down against an opponent, never backing down on the defensive end," she said in a recent telephone interview.

Followers not only of Loyola basketball, but of play in the MAAC know Sheahin to be much more than a defensive specialist.

In the 2010-11 season the 5-foot-10 guard averaged 13.1 points, 6.0 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 1.1 blocks per game. Throw in defense and she is arguably the conference's most-versatile player.

Throw in defense and she is one of the best. She averaged 3.5 steals per game last season, the second-best per-game average nationally.

And, she's already showing, as a junior, that last year's prodigious steal-per-game rate was anything but a fluke.

She had three swipes in a season-opening loss to Maryland, seven in a victory over Navy and, then, a career-high eight in a six-point defeat against Pittsburgh. That's an average of 6.0 per game, and while the NCAA doesn't begin tabulating statistical leaders until next week, Sheahin will surely be atop the steal list when the first national statistics are released.

It's just the continuation of her defensive work from a year ago when her 116 steals set Loyola's single-season record. Her defensive work last season captured the conference's Defensive Player of the Year award in voting by league coaches. She already has 184 career assists, prior to Tuesday's game against UMBC, only 66 away from the school's career record just three games into her junior season.

If Robin Hood was the "Prince of Thieves," then Sheahin is the "Princess" of that particular activity on a basketball court.

"I just pride myself on my defensive play," said Sheahin. "I get into the passing lanes pretty well. With me it's more about timing than it is athleticism."

"She has great anticipation skills, particularly as the game goes on and she starts to recognize what the opposing team is trying to do," said Loyola coach Joe Logan. When she sees the same play a couple of times she knows where a pass is going to go and is ready to make a move on it.

"The other thing is that she has particularly strong hands. Whether she's going after a rebound, tipping a pass or making a steal ... when she gets her hands on it she's going to get it.

"Having grown up playing against older guys really toughened her up. She is a great competitor. And, she takes pride in her game on the defensive end.

By now, it would seem opposing coaches would game-plan specifically for Sheahin. Her ability to create turnovers often turns games in Loyola' favor.

It would seem that, like a great defensive back in football, her presence should be accounted for and, often, avoided by opposing offenses.

"There are some good defensive players in our league, and as a coach you have to be aware of them," said Logan. "But nine out of 10 times Katie is going to be guarding the other team's best player, and teams want to get the ball to their best players, so you can't avoid her.

"Katie has all the tools. She has strength, sheer competitiveness and height. She blocks a lot of shots. Because of her, teams often have to loft passes a little higher to get it over her when they pass it inside and it enables our post players to get some steals.

"We were fortunate that she had that type of defensive mind-set when she arrived here. She played at a high school (Our Lady of Good Counsel in Brookeville, Md.), and for an AAU program where defense was stressed. So, she came in with that and we've built on it.

"The rest of our team sees that, sees how hard she plays on defense, and emulates it. We try to make someone make a different pass than they might want, try to make a tip, a deflection or a steal. The way Katie plays has become contagious within our team."

And the way she plays has put her near (last year) and likely at (this season) the top of the national leaders for steals.

"I couldn't do it without my teammates," said Sheahin, modestly. "I know if I go for a steal and don't get it my teammates are there to cover for me.

"It was nice to be recognized as our league's top defensive player last season. It was definitely a boost of confidence. But, to be honest, I usually don't have any idea about my statistics. We're just trying to win games."

Siena's Overlooked Hymes Is Noticed Now

2011-11-22T08:55:00.000-08:00

The MAAC's second-leading scorer among men's players might not only be the smallest starting player in the conference, but was all but unrecruited by Division I programs and might not have joined his current team were it not for a late transfer that opened up a scholarship spot.

Meet Siena's Evan Hymes, generously listed at 5-foot-8, 147 pounds, who was brought in to back up returning starter Rakeem Brookins and, suddenly, got thrust into the starting lineup when Brookins was lost for the season with a preseason back injury.

All Hymes has done through three games has been to score 10 points in his college debut, 30 in the Saints' second game and, then, 18 against Saint Bonaventure on Monday night. That adds up to a 19.3 points-per-game average, second so far in the conference only to the 21.0 ppg. average of Harold Washington, a junior guard at Canisius.

Hymes' 30-point performance that came in a Siena win at Mount Saint Mary's last week, was the first time a Saints' freshman hit the 30-mark in a game since Jack McClinton did it late in the 2004-05 season. The freshman record for a Siena player since the program moved to the Division I level was turned in by Jim Secretarski, who had a 36-point effort against Iona during the 1994-95 season.

Both Secretarski and McClinton, though, were prized recruits, highly-touted incoming players.

Siena didn't even have a scholarship to offer Hymes until this past spring when former reserve point guard Jonathan Breeden opted to leave the program, and Siena didn't offer the scholarship until late June at which time Hymes accepted it. By then the perceived "quality" recruits have all signed to play at college program and what's left is, basically, left-overs or players Division I programs don't perceive as being able to have an impact at that level.

Until Siena became interested the slender guard's only offer was from UC-Davis, and it was one he turned down with the intention of attending prep school in hopes of showcasing his ability to attract more interest in the coming season.

"Then, Siena made the offer," Hymes said. "They had the open scholarship (when Breeden departed), and my high school coach reached out to coach (Craig) Carter (a Siena assistant), and I guess that's how it happened."

Still Hymes got no playing-time promises other than he would compete for the back-up point-guard role behind Brookins.

"I hope Rakeem's rehab is going well and that he returns to us 100 percent for next year," Hymes said, after his 18-point effort against the Bonnies. "But when he went down, I realized that I had gone from almost being unrecruited to being a starting point guard for a good Division I program.

"What I've done so far feels pretty good. I just have to stay focused and keep improving."

His three-game start might be the best ever by a Siena freshman. The school's all-time leading scorer Marc Brown, who averaged 13.6 points in his first season, had 45 points (15.0 ppg. average) in his first three games. Secretarski averaged 8.7 point in his first three college games.

Hymes' 30-point effort was even better than any personal best. He said his best scoring effort in a high school game was a 28-pointer.

No one is saying that the precocious, undersized player's career will eventually resemble Brown's, but what he has done so far is a revelation, a combination of good three-point shooting and lightning-quick drives to the basket.

"His scoring is his biggest surprise to me so far," said Saints' coach Mitch Buonaguro, who had originally pencilled Hymes in for 10-to-12 minutes per game as the team's back-up point guard. "We knew he was extremely fast, and that he could run the team, but we didn't expect this kind of scoring."

No one really knew what to expect from Hymes, who might have been more highly recruited had he not missed most of his high school junior year after breaking both his tibula and fibula bones in his left leg.

"I came back for that summer's AAU season and played well enough to attract some interest, but the only offer came from UC-Davis," he said.

And, then, Breeden left Siena.

"When that happened, we started looking for someone we could bring in to back up the point guard position," added Buonaguro. "We were able to find Evan. I give all the credit to Craig Carter ... he's the one who found him."

And, through three games thus far, Hymes has been a real "find" for Siena.

More Newcomers Making Early Impact

2011-11-18T19:26:00.000-08:00

And, two more newcomers from the women's side with big games of late ...

Loyola's freshman guard Kara Mitchell made her first college start a memorable one, scoring a team-high 19 points in the Greyhounds' 65-59 loss at Pittsburgh on Friday. Marshall had come off the bench previously, scoring five and four points in her first two contests.

And, there was also Ashley Wilkes of Canisius, a 5-11 junior forward, whose debut game was a 13-point, 7-rebound effort in the Golden Griffins' season-opener against Saint Bonaventure. Wilkes previously played at Miami Dade Junior College where she averaged 20.8 points and 10.5 rebounds per contest last season.

Let's not overlook the continued strong work by another women's newcomer, 6-2 sophomore center Lauren Gatto of Niagara, who dropped a game-high 21 points in Niagara's 67-52 loss to Yale tonight (Friday). Gatto, a sophomore, is playing her first season with the Purple Eagles after transferring from the University of Illinois-Chicago, where she played as a freshman in 2009-10.

Iona Proves It Can Contend With Purdue

2011-11-17T15:16:00.000-08:00

Midway through the second half of Iona's game against Purdue in the opening round of the Puerto Rico Tip-Off tournament, ESPN3's color commentator Doug Gottlieb attempted to put the competitiveness of the game in context.

"This is like a 5 (seed) playing a 12 (seed) in a first-round NCAA tournament game," said Gottlieb.

The guess here is that Gottlieb meant the analogy to be complimentary to Iona. In truth, though, it was more like a snub. By the time it was over it looked a lot closer than that, like a No. 8 vs. a No. 9.

Purdue, expected to contend in the high-major Big 10 Conference and rated 27th nationally in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches' Poll, snuck past the Gaels, 91-90, and needed a big play on its part and a mistake by Iona in the closing seconds to survive.

The Boilermaker led 88-84 wit two minnutes left, and the Gaels were playing without their superb senior point guard Scott Machado (14 points, 11 assists), who fouled out at the 2:51 mark.

And, then, Iona came back to take a 90-88 lead when LaMont "Momo" Jones converted a fast beak 12-footer with 33 seconds left.

Purdue countered with some solid screening that freed its All-America candidate Robbie Hummel for a three-point bucket that gave it a 91-90 edge with 15.1 seconds left.

Without Machado to run things, the ball went back to Jones for Iona's last chance. The junior transfer from Arizona drove the right side, hounded by a double-team of defenders. When his route to the basket was cut off, he made an off-balance and dangerous baseline pass from one side of the lane to the other.

It was an easy steal fo Purdue. Iona was forced to foul, and even though the resultant two foul shots were both missed, there were just 2.2 seconds remaining wen Iona in-bounded the ball, leaving just enough time to get it near half court where Kyle Smythe put up an under-pressure one-hander that was wide at the buzzer.

Mostly the Gaels did everything but win, proving themselves on par, on a neutral court, with an opponent that is on the cusp of a national Top 25 ranking.

On a local note, Doug Sherman, who does TV sports in the Albany area and also serves as the play-by-play voice of MAAC basketball, called the game for ESPN3 and exhibited an expert's grasp of the Gaels, as would have been expected.

Gottlieb, on the othe hand, made one noteable slip. Midway though the second half, after a successful pick-and-roll play from Machado to forward Mike Glover, Gottlieb said "They've made a living on that play in their previous three years together."

Although Machado and Glover are both seniors, this is only Glover's second season as a Gael after two years playing on the junior college level.

Sherman graciously waited several minutes before eventually noting that "Glover is playing just his second season at Iona."

ALSO OF NOTE: Machado's 11 assists against Purdue made him Iona's career leader in that statistic. He passed Iona Hall of Famer Rory Grimes (Class of 1985), who had been No. 1 on that list with 558 career assists. Machado, who finished second nationally in assists-per-game average (7.6) last season, now has 564 for his Iona career.

More 1st-year Players Have Nice Openers

2011-11-17T05:29:00.000-08:00

Add three more names to the list of impressive starts by first year MAAC players, all from Siena's season-opening 65-56 victory over Navy at the Times Union Center in Albany, N.Y., on Wednesday night.

Three Saints' freshmen were instumental in Wednesday's victory. Evan Hymes, a 5-foot-8 point guard pressed into stating duties due to back woes that will keep sophomore Rakeem Brookins out for the season, had 10 points and thee assists in 24 minutes before leg cramps forced him out of the game midway through the second half.

Another freshman, 6-2 guard Davonte Beard, took over for Hymes at the point and finished with seven points and four assists. And, 6-5 frosh swingman ob Poole had nine points and two assists, playing 32 minutes.

Saints' coach Mitch Buonaguro used the word "elated" over and over afterwards to describe the court debut of his freshmen players.

It was all much needed Wednesday by the Saints, who currently only have eight scholarship players, and lost senior starter Owen Wignot after just six minutes when he fell to the floor and suffered a cut on is head. And, then, Hymes went out with more than 10 minutes left to play leaving Siena with just six scholarship bodies, including three freshman (the other frosh, 6-7 forward Marcus Hopper had three points and two rebounds in seven minutes), for the remainder of the game.

For sure no conference team will need production from its freshmen more than Siena. And, for a night ... well, Buonaguro had good reason to be elated.

AND, ONE MORE ...

On the women's side, Kristina Danella had a nice debut game for Marist, getting 11 points and 9 rebounds in the Red Foxes' season-opening loss against Villanova on Wednesday night.

Danella is a junior transfer from UMass, where she averaged 12.7 points per game as a sophomore in the 2009-10 season before leaving that program for Marist. She came off the bench on Wednesday and still led Marist in rebounding and was its second-leading scorer.

MAAC Newcomers Have Early Impact

2011-11-16T16:26:00.000-08:00

While the turnover of players at the mid-major level isn't anywhere near what happens at elite program, where far too often key players are one-and-dones, the annual transition remains interesting. Players finish their four years of eligibility and roles change.

Usually, though, its understudies who have paid their proverbial dues before stepping into lead roles.

But the early games of a new season have indicated that a lot of newcomers, mostly on the men's side, will have significant impact on their respective teams this season. Not all the newcomers are freshmen, but they are newcomers nonetheless.

Here's an early look at first-time conference players having big games so far.

- Harold Washington of Canisius, a 6-1 junior guard who came to the Golden Griffins after two seasons at Cecil Junior College in Maryland, is the conference's top scorer thus far, averaging 26.5 points over two games. He had 23 in his Division I debut in a loss at James Madison, followed by 30 in a victory over Longwood College.

- Juan'ya Green of Niagara, a 6-3 guard and a true freshman, had 23 points in his college debut against Central Connecticut. He and sophomore teammate Marvin Jordan who also had 23 points against Central Connecticut, are tied for second among conference scorers to date.

- Rakim Sanders of Fairfield, a senior, is fourth in the league in scoring after producing point totals of 16 in a win over Quinnipiac in is first game playing for a conference team and, ten, 25 (along wit nine rebounds) in a loss to Providence. Sanders, a 6-5 forward played three seasons at Boston College where e accumulated more than 1,000 career points, before transferring to Fairfield.

- Another true freshman, point guard Isaiah Morton of Marist, had double figures in his first two college games, getting 13 against Kentucky and 11 against South Florida.

- Manattan's Roberto Colonette, a 6-7 redshirt freshman, has come off the bench in his first three games, with strong results in two of them ... an 11-point, 8-rebound effort in a win over NJIT and 7 points and 7 rebounds in a victory over Brown. Colonette looked good last preseason before an injury kept him out for all of 2010-11.

The women haven't yet had as many newcomers make an immediate impact, but one who did was 6-2 center Lauren Gatto of Niagara, who had 7 points and 10 rebounds in her team's opener, a loss to Buffalo. Gatto is a sophomore who transferred to Niagara after a season at Illinois-Chicago.

Rider Women Off To Quick Beginning

2011-11-14T05:34:00.000-08:00

Readers of this blog might remember that your hoopscribe picked the Rider women as a potential positive surprise team for this season, and the Broncs have made me look good so far.

Rider improved to 2-0 with a 63-43 win over Bucknell University on Sunday in Alumni Gymnasium. That came two days after a 64-56 victory over Lafayette.

It's the first 2-0 start by the program since the 1982-83 season.

Against Bucknell Rider got double-doubles from superlative sophomore swingperson MyNeshia McKenzie (16 points, 12 rebounds) and tough inside 6-3 junior center Caitlin Bopp (14 points, 10 rebounds).

"We truly 100 percent want to win," Bopp said, in a release issued by Rider's sports information office. "In previous years, we wanted to win but really didn't take the initiative to do it. I can honestly say to a player that we are all working together to win."

Trailing 38-34 three minutes into the second half against Bucknell, Rider went on a 27-1 run, nine points by senior Ali Heller as the Broncs opened up a 61-39 lead with 4:22 left in the game.

Heller finished with 14 points in the game, making four shots from three-point range. Last season, as the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference 6th Player of the Year, Heller was 10th in the nation in three-point field goal percentage.

Rider held Bucknell to one field goal (1-for-21 shooting) and seven points in the second half and held the Bison without a three-point field goal in the game (0-for-8).

"I told the team in the locker room that I don't remember being more proud of a defensive effort in a half than I was today, in my 20-years of coaching," said Rider coach Kim Milligan. "We bought into a defensive adjustment in the second half and executed it perfectly. That level of perfection just doesn't happen. Holding a team to seven points is impressive."

Rider's bench out-scored the Bison 23-6.

"That means we finally have depth," Milligan said. "When you have Homan and Heller coming in off the bench and giving the team a spark, that's huge. They would be starting for most teams. Ali is about as confident you can be with her shot and Sarah came off a 20 point, nine rebound game Friday night. We have balance and players who understand their roles."

Rider tries to keep its early run going when it travels to the Palestra in Philadelphia on Saturday to face the Penn Quakers at 3:30pm.

"This is still just two wins," Milligan said. "We get to enjoy this until Monday at 3:15pm when we start preparing for Pennsylvania. We are getting right back at it and our eyes are forward onto that game. This is a long, long season and this is only second of many steps to come."

Cooley's Game Vs. Stags An Emotional Tug

2011-11-13T16:49:00.000-08:00

One of the most-emotional non-league games one can imagine takes place tomorrow (Monday) night at the Webster Bank Arena at Harbor Yard in Bridgeport, Conn.

It's the night Providence comes to town to play Fairfield.

The emotions will be flowing with the return of Providence coach Ed Cooley to courtside, albeit the other end of the scorer's table from the seat he so capably occupied over the previous five seasons at the arena arena.

Cooley ran the Fairfield sideline from 2006-07 through the 2010-11 season, a tenure that will go down as one of the school's most-successful in its lengthy history. He took a team mostly mired in mediocrity for years, one with a 9-19 record before his arrival, and built the Stags into a unit that finished 25-8 last year, the program's single-season best victory total.

This year could be every bit as good, but Cooley's only first-hand look will come tonight when he's coaching Providence against his former team,, one made up almost exclusively of his former players.

Coaches are always grateful for their first chance to be a head coach, and Fairfield gave that to Cooley.

But once they move on coaches aren't so quick to bring their new team back to their former locale for a game.

John Beilein never brought any of his teams back to Buffalo to play Canisius, Tim Welsh never brought Providence back to Iona for a game and it took Paul Hewitt 11 years before he brought the Georgia Tech team he once coached back to the Albany, N.Y., area to play against Siena. And, even 11 years removed from being on the Saints' sideline, Hewitt emotions were tugged considerably when the Yellow Jackets played at the Times Union Center in Albany last season.

And so it is magnified all the more for Cooley, whose last game as Fairfield's coach was less than eight months ago, a March 20 loss to Kent State in the second round of the NIT.

Two days later Cooley was introduced as Providence's new coach.

And, now, in his second game coaching the Friars Cooley gets to deal with the fresh emotions of a game not only against his former team and players but on the Fairfield home court where he coached 80 games over the past five seasons.

No coach wants to return "home" that quickly, but Cooley had no choice.

To get Fairfield to agree to release Cooley from a contract that still had years remaining, Providence had to agree to play a game at Fairfield this season. So it is that Cooley returns home Monday night.

"To be perfectly honest, I didn't want this to happen," said Cooley, in a recent telephone interview. "Those kids ... I'm not even a year removed from being in their living rooms. It's tough ... I love those guys. I'll always have a life's relationship with them, and them with me.

"I'll be very happy to go back to Fairfield, and very happy afterwards. But, for those 40 minutes ... those will be tough."

Cooley said he has nothing but fond feelings for his former school.

"I have nothing but happy memories," he said. "You always look back fondly at the first place that allowed you to be a head coach."

Certainly no one begrudges Cooley, or any mid-major level coach, from moving on, particularly when a Big East program comes calling. And, most particularly, when the one calling is truly home.

Cooley was born and raised in Providence, and aspired to play there before attending college at Stonehill and, then, beginning the rise through the coaching ranks with a year at UMass-Dartmouth, a year at Stonehill, a year at Rhode Island and nine years as an assistant at Boston College before becoming Faifrield's head coach.

And, now, he's back home.

“I love Providence College,” he said. “I always wanted to be here as a player, but I wasn’t good enough. Hopefully, I do a great job as their head coach.”

If he can duplicate at Providence what he did at Fairfield he will indeed be doing a great job.

And while Cooley love for Providence is strong, his emotions for Fairfield are similar, which makes the return to his former home a difficult one.

At Fairfield he recruited every player but one on the current roster, convinced high-profile transfers Rakim Sanders (from Boston College) and Desmond Wade (Houston) to join him there. He developed relationships with players there, became their surrogate father and mentor, coached them every day in practice, became their advisor, their confidant. Their friend.

They are relationships hard to break, and certainly hard to forget less than eight months removed.

And, now, he has to coach against all of that. He is trying to do at Providence, what he did at Fairfield. Trying to take a program that has struggled in recent years (14-17 last season) and turn things around. In the second game of that project he has to go against his former team, one that he built into something grand, and one against which he'll have a tough time getting a victory.

His old program, he knows, is in good hands.

"Sydney Johnson (Cooley's successor) is a great coach ... one of the best in the country, and I'm very happy for him," said Cooley.

The old Fairfield coach is reminded that Johnson will probably have considerable success on the sideline this season because Cooley left plenty behind there.

And Cooley chuckled, the deep bass-timbered laugh coming through the telephone wires.

"They're a good group, and they're lucky, too, to have a coach of Sydney's caliber coaching them this season," added Cooley.

Cooley, now, gets to see just how good his former program remains, less than eight months after his move to Providence.

It should be a nice night all around, a reunion of sorts for Cooley, his former players and hundreds of others within the Fairfield community who became close to the former coach over the past five years.

Cooley will surely enjoy all the trappings ... except for those 40 minutes when he has to coach against his former players.

Men's Openers ... Inside The Boxscores

2011-11-12T06:20:00.000-08:00

Opening night for MAAC men's basketball was Friday, and there were some interesting tidbits to be found within the boxscores ...

Here's a quick recap of the openers:

- Fairfield was a 72-60 winner over state rival Quinnipiac. And, an unexpected, unsung starter was the team's top scorer.

The Stags have plenty of star power in eligible transfers Rakim Sanders and Desmond Wade, along with all-league performer Derek Needham and 7-foot-0 center Ryan Olander.

But, on Friday, the best game by a Fairfield player was turned in by 6-foot-5 sophomore forward Maurice Barrow, who shot 8-of-11 from the floor and finished with a game-high 19 points while adding six rebounds.

- Kentucky turned in the expected rout of Marist, 108-58. But, the Red Foxes only trailed by nine, 45-36 at halftime. After that, Kentucky outscored Marist 63-22 in the second half. Freshman point guard Isaiah Morton led Marist with 13 points, but failed to record an assist.

- Loyola provided a good test for Wake Forest of the ACC before the Deacon Demons pulled away for a 75-63 victory. The Greyhounds had the game tied at 48 with 10:38 remaining before Wake went on a 7-0 run to pull away. Center Shane Walker and forward Justin Drummond each had 12 points and nine rebounds for Loyola.

- Buffalo knocked off Saint Peter's, 72-65, but Chris Prescott, a transfer from Saint Joseph's, had a nice debut in the Peacocks' lineup with 23 points, including 5-of-11 shooting from three-point territory. Prescott, though, only made 2-of-8 from inside the stripe.

- And Rider's challenging early season schedule got off to a rough start as the Broncs fell 83-57 at Robert Morris. A banged-up Rider team made the trip to Pittsburgh with only eight scholarship players. Junior swingman Anthony Miles, who averaged 5.9 points per game last season, led the Broncs with 20 points Friday. Rider stays in the Steel City to face Pittsburgh on Sunday night before taking a six-hour bus ride home for a 6 a.m. Tuesday contest at home vs. Drexel as part of ESPN's College Basketball Tip-Off 24-hour marathon.

Iona's Ford Backs Up Coach's Opinion

2011-11-11T12:31:00.001-08:00

The first MAAC college basketball game of the 2011-12 season is now in the books, as of early Friday afternoon, and it makes Iona women's coach Tony Bozzella look like a prophet.

Bozzella's Gaels won with ease, 85-69, over a decent North Carolina A&T (15-14 last season with three of its top six players back) in a first-round tip-off tournament hosted by Iona that started at 11 a.m. Friday.

Bozzella, already widely recognized as a good coach, now looks like a master of the crystal ball, too.

At the MAAC's Preseason Awards Show a couple of weeks ago, Bozzella had this to say about his standout senior forward Kristina Ford: "She's going to be the best player in the league this season," Bozzella said. "I don't care if you quote me as saying that. She deserves to have people know what I think about her. She worked extremely hard in the off-season and the improvement in her game is dramatic."

It's only one game, but Ford backed up her coach's confidence with a career-high 34 points against North Carolina A&T on 13-of-18 shooting from the floor. Her previous single-game best had been 24 points.

It probably didn't hurt to have teammate and senior point guard Suzi Fregosi back in the lineup. Fregosi, one of the league's best true point guards, missed much of last season with hip issues. But she showed she was all the way back in Friday's game, posting a double-double with 12 points and 10 assists.

'Early' Games To Give Rider Men Good Test

2011-11-10T12:27:00.000-08:00

It is a tough-enough home opener for the Rider men's basketball team, Tuesday's game against regional non-league rival Drexel, a team that won 21 games a year ago and is once again expected to be one of the better teams in the Colonial Athletic Association.

And, then, there is the 6 a.m. starting time as Rider serves as the host team for that time block's portion of ESPN's season-tip off's 24-hour basketball marathon.

But that only begins to hint at the early season challenges faced by the Broncs who, due to some early season injuries, are operating with only eight scholarship players right now.

Before the team even has to start worrying about how much coffee to drink to perk up the senses for basketball before the sun rises on Tuesday, there's the certain matter of two other games this weekend.

The Broncs, later today (Thursday) hit the road for a two-game trip to Pittsburgh to face Robert Morris Friday at 7 p.m. and, then, Pitt Sunday night at 6 p.m.

Nothing like a nice tune-up for Tuesday's eye-opener ... Pitt is widely acknowledged as a Top 10-team nationally.

"I thought that would have been an afternoon game," said Rider coach Tommy Dempsey.

Instead, to accomodate television (the game will be televised on ESPN3), it was recently scheduled for its 6 p.m. starting time.

The Broncs will get on a bus immediately following that game for a 330-mile/6-hour bus ride from Pittsburgh back to their Lawrenceville, N.J., campus.

"We'll probably get home about 2 a.m. Monday morning," noted Dempsey.

That gives the team all of about 28 hours before Tuesday morning's tip-off, time in which team players and coaches will be concerned with Monday classes, a Monday afternoon practice and a drastically altered pre-game schedule in an attempt to accomodate rest and proper nutrition before the 6 a.m. Tuesday contest with Drexel.

On top of everything else, the contest is Drexel's first of the year, meaning the Dragons will have the emotional charge of their season-opener.

"I'm a coffee drinker, and I'll be having some Tuesday morning ... but I'm not the one who has to be awake for the game," said Dempsey. "We have to be sure the players are ready.

"But the school is really embracing the game. There will be a lot of activities on our campus surrounding the game. Between those emotions, playing a regional rival and having a national TV audience watching, I'm sure our guys will get a lift from all of that."

Still, having to play 28 hours after getting back from a meeting with a physical, elite Pitt opponent ....

"It will be a challenge, and I don't have a magic formula for how to proceed," said Dempsey. "We'll just try to do what we think is best."

Dempsey will encourage his team to get as much rest upon its return from Pitt, attend classes on Monday and, then, will have a light walk-through late Monday afternoon. After that the team will have a big meal around 8 p.m. Monday night and, then, will stay off campus as it tries to get a little more sleep for Tuesday morning's game.

"We'll try to get them to bed at 10 p.m. (Monday), and up at 4 a.m. on Tuesday to let them have something real light ... oatmeal, maybe some eggs ... prior to the game," said Dempsey.

The Broncs are no strangers to early mornings on the court. Dempsey had his players arrange class schedules to facilitate twice-weekly 7 a.m. practices twice a week.

"But practicing at 7 a.m. isn't like playing a game at 6 a.m.," admitted the Rider coach

His team will be further hampered by some nagging preseason injuries, limiting it to eight scholarship players for the two-game trip to the Pittsburgh area. The only starter who won't play there, though, is point guard Jonathan Thompson, who is finishing a five-game suspension imnpossed late last season. Thompson will be able to play in Tuesday's morning contest with Drexel.

"We know it's a big thing for our university to get the national television exposure," said Dempsey. "And you look at the time slot. A lot of people are up getting ready for the day that early and turn on ESPN to watch SportsCenter. Instead, our game will be on. We'll get a lot of people watching who might not normally watch. If it's a good, exciting game maybe they'll keep watching. It's great publicity for our school."

But, it's a challenge that goes beyond just having to get up early for a game.

"Basically, we're on the road for two games and, then, home for the morning game ... three games in about four-and-a-half days," said Dempsey. "I told our guys that if we're ever going to win a MAAC tournament, we have to play three days in a row, so this is good preparation for us if we get into that post-season situation."

And, it might happen. Rider was picked to finish fourth in the coaches' preseason poll and has a strong returning cast from a year ago.

Just how good will Rider be? It's upcoming season-opening three games might tell plenty.

"These early games will test our team's toughness, our character and our resolve," said Dempsey. "I'll have a pretty good idea about our team very early ... by about 8:30 a.m. on Tuesday."

Siena's PG Brookins To Miss Season

2011-11-09T13:50:00.001-08:00

Must be too many black cats crossing in the path of the Siena men's basketball team, too many ladders gone under, too many mirrors broken.

What else can explain what's going on in Loudonville, N.Y., these days where the only luck the Saints have had this off-season has been of the bad-luck variety?

Early Wednesday afternoon the school disclosed that sophomore point guard Rakeem Brookins, who started the majority of the Saints' games as a freshman and was the team's leading scorer (9.0 per game) among returnees, would miss the entire upcoming season.

Brookins has been out of practice for close to a month with back issues. A recent examination by orthopedic surgeons at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania have diagnosed Brookins with a bulging disk at L3-L4, and a herniated disk at L4-L5. Based on the estimated recovery time for those injuries, it was determined that Brookins would not be able to participate in basketball related activities this season, according to a press release issued by the school.

Brookins will remain home in Philadelphia for the remainder of the fall semester where he continues to undergo physical therapy, and focus on his academic pursuits. No surgery is planned right now. He plans on returning to Siena in January, and taking a full academic course load in the spring semester as he continues his recovery.

"It's obviously disappointing news, but our focus is on Rahk returning to full health and enjoying a successful Siena career on and off the court," head coach Mitch Buonaguro said. "He has the complete support of our coaching staff, his teammates, and all of the great support services available to him as a Siena student athlete."

Brookins' loss means the Saints will be starting a freshman at point guard for the second straight season. Both the 6-2 Davonte Beard and the 5-8 Evan Hymes have been playing the position in practices since Brookins went down. Sources within the program indicated that it would probably Hymes in the starting lineup for the team's Nov. 16 opener against Navy.

Broookins' loss was just the latest setback in an unkind stretch for Siena since the end of last season that started when 6-9 junior Davis Martens, who might have started at forward this season, was loss for the year after August hip surgery.

Then came the double loss of much-hyped 6-8 freshmen forwards Lionel Gomis and Imoh Silas, both natives of Africa, who will sit out this season due to relatively new NCAA legislation that players must compete their high school playing careers within a specific time frame. Both players failed to attend high school for at least a year due to personal situations while in Africa.

And, then, sophomore forward Trenity Burdine, who had some strong efforts as a freshman, has battled foot issues since this past summer and has yet to get on the court.

And, now, Brookins.

Burdine, according to Siena coaches, is expected to begin working out with the team, possibly later this week.

But, for now, Siena is down to eight scholarship players, including four freshmen.

Quesions, Answers About Women's Teams

2011-11-07T15:47:00.001-08:00

You've got questions, we've got answers, women's division.

Here are some burning questions as the MAAC women's season approaches, and your hoopscribe's attempt at answers.

What team will win the regular-season championship?

Hard to go against a team that has won every year since gas prices were under $1.50 a gallon. Of course that would be Marist, also the unanimous choice of league coaches in their annual preseason poll. But, it says here, Marist isn't quite as strong as it was when it went through the league season with a perfect 18-0 record last season. Not only did it lose Player of the Year Erica Allenspach, but suffered an unexpected loss with the transfer departure of 6-4 forward Kate Oliver. The Red Foxes replace Oliver with another transfer, 6-1 Kristina Danella from UMass, who had 22 points in the program's annual Red/White scrimmage recently.

The better question might be what team has the best chance to, potentially, end Marist's string of regular-season titles? The answer here is Loyola, with two all-league caliber players in junior point guard Katie Sheahin and senior swingperson Mariam McKenzie as well as emerging 6-1 forward junior Alyssa Southerland.

The thing Marist has over everyone else, though, is talented depth. The Red Foxes legitimately went nine or 10 players deep last season and appear to have that kind of bench firepower again this year.

Can the MAAC send two teams to the NCAA tournament?

Not likely, since it has only happened once. But, it could. Last year, for instance ... if Marist had lost in the conference tournament, the MAAC would have had an automatic qualifier other than Marist and, then, the Red Foxes would have been rated high enough in the Ratings Percentage Index to have gotten an at-large situation. Marist, by now, has a strong enough national reputation and plays a strong enough non-league schedule to ensure a high RPI rating that it would get strong consideration for an at-large berth provided it finishes something like 24-6 in regular-season play.
EDITOR'S NOTE: This original post mistakenly indicated that there has never been an at-large NCAA team from the MAAC. A loyal and educated follower, Mid-Major Fan, was kind enough to point out that the 2000-01 season's Fairfield team, which suffered a 70-68 loss to Siena in the conference tournament's championship game, also received a much-deserved at-large invitation that season.

Will there be a surprise team in the conference?

We'll go with two, Iona and Siena.

The Gaels had five straight seasons of at least 18 overall victories before finishing 11-20 last season. Place much of that on the early season loss of point guard Suzi Fregosi, for whom the program had no replacement. Fregosi is back at full strength this year, surrounded by a talented cast, and there's no discounting how important Fregosi is in terms of leadership and running the team on the floor.

As for Siena, it finished 11-7 in league play last year and lost three starters. But replacements are all but unknown around the conference, for now. Junior post player Lily Grinci has had an impact when healthy, but has rarely been at full strength her first two seasons. She's healthy now and has been exceptional in the preseason. Another post, 6-1 sophomore Clara Sole-Anglada, has also been a positive revelation in the preseason after getting limited minutes last season. The Saints have more depth and more athleticism than in recent years and should at least duplicate last season's record.

Best Player?

It's easy to pick Marist's Corielle Yarde, a senior guard who had a big-time breakout game in the NCAA tournament's second round last season when she scored 25 points and had 12 rebounds in a 71-66 loss to Duke. And, Yarde is the league's preseason Player of the Year.

Your hoopscribe, though, has a preference for Loyola's Sheahin, the do-everything point guard who not only led the conference in assists last seson but was No. 2 nationally in steals per game and, like Yarde, played her best late in the season against strong opponents.

Surprise Player?

We'll go with Fregosi, one of our favorites to watch. She is as good a true pass-first point guard as we've seen in the league in several years. In a recent exhibition game she had 11 assists against just two turnovers. She is often overlooked because she rarely scores, but all she does is run the offense and make teammates better. If Iona returns to 18+ victories again this season, Fregosi will be the primary reason.

Who makes the post-season all-star team?

Based on last-year's performances, this is pretty easy right now: Corielle Yarde of Marist, Katie Sheahin and Miriam McKenzie of Loyola, Taryn Johnson of Fairfield and Kristina Ford of Iona.

What transfer will have the most impact this season?

While men's teams in the conference have enough quality all stars to fill an all-star team, it's a relative rarity for women's teams to attract quality transfer players. But, Marist has a good one in Kristina Danella, a 6-1 forward who played two seasons as a starter at UMass where she averaged more than 12 points per game.

Top incoming freshman?

It would be easy to designate guard Kayla Hoohuli of Canisius, who is believed to be the first Parade Magazine All-American to attend a MAAC school. But, Hoohuli isn't all the way back from a high school injury and may be limited early in the season.

So, we'll go with Fairfield freshman Felicia DaCruz, a 5-7 point guard who not only has drawn raves so far for her passing ability but for a long-range shooting touch. DaCruz is expected to crack the Lady Stags' starting lineup and allow senior Desire Pina to move back to off-guard.

Questions, Answers For Upcoming Season

2011-11-05T05:42:00.000-07:00

Can you believe college basketball season is upon us ... less than a week away?

As the season approaches, you've got questions and we've got answers. We'll start with the men, and give the ladies the same treatment in a future post.

Who will win the MAAC's regular-season championship this season?

The easy answer is Iona. And if all goes well, if playing styles mesh, the Gaels' season could be one for the ages. The talent assembled might account for a group that ranks only slightly behind the great La Salle teams of the late 1980's and pretty close to the Siena group of recent vintage.

That said ... it's not a foregone conclusion. Don't forget about Fairfield, which lost two solid players to graduation and bring in two transfers that, talent-wise, are better than their predecessors. And everyone else on the roster has an extra year's experience.

And, then, there's Loyola. In most years the talent Loyola has on this year's roster would be good enough to be considered a potential regular-season champion.

If you want an answer ... we'll go with Fairfield.

Is this the year the conference sends two teams to the NCAA tournament?

League commissioner Rich Ensor thinks it is. The only time it has happened in the 30-year history of the MAAC was 1995 when Manhattan (25-4) won the regular-season title and got beat by Saint Peter's in the post-season tournament's championship game. The Jaspers then went on to win a first-round NCAA tournament game to finish 26-5.

For that to happen one team would need to dominate in regular-season play and, then, get upset in the post-season tournament. Easy to say that could be the case with Iona this season.

But, the belief here is that there's not that significant a gap between Iona, Fairfield, Loyola, Rider and, potentially, Saint Peter's. This hoopscribe does not believe any one team will distance itself from the pack and finish regular-season conference play with just one, or two, losses.

If that doesn't happen, the MAAC won't get an at-large team to the NCAA event. Clearly, we hope that it happens, but the feeling here is that it won't.

Surprise team?

We'll go with two: Saint Peter's and Niagara.

The Peacocks lost four starters from last season's NCAA team, but bring in quality replacements. It's a matter of how well the newcomers mesh. If all goes well, Saint Peter's could be a dangerous team by season's end.

The Purple Eagles have most of their roster back, along with two highly touted freshmen, Ja'Juan Green and Josh Turner. Green, according to sources who have seen practices, might be the team's best guard. Turner, who won't be eligible to play until the second semester, is a 6-5 swingman who drew recruiting interest from higher-level programs. Like Saint Peter's, Niagara should be at its best by season's end and capable of doing some late-season damage.

Surprise Player?

It's always fun to watch the maturation process as young players blossom into talented standouts.

That should have been the progression of current Siena senior guard Kyle Downey, who had some flashes as a freshman that indicated he would eventually become a solid contributor, at the very least.

And, then, the 6-3 guard battled a series of foot, ankle and leg injuries through his sophomore and junior season but continued to play at far less than 100 percent.

For the first time since his freshman season Downey is now completely healthy and has even lost 10 pounds, in an effort to be quicker, since last season.

He is likely to start at off-guard for the Saints, and head coach Mitch Buonaguro believes Downey might wind up as Siena's leading scorer this season and gain post-season all-star honors.

Post-season all stars?

Forward Mike Glover and Scott Machado of Iona, guard Derek Needham of Fairfield, forward Novar Gadson of Rider and guard George Beamon of Manhattan.

Toughest to omit; Center Ryan Olander of Fairfield.

Biggest non-league game?

Two stand out. Iona meets Purdue on Nov. 17, on a neutral court in Puerto Rico. A Gaels' victory over the Boilermakers would add considerable credibility to Iona's hopes for a post-season tournament berth should it not be the conference's automatic entrant to the NCAA's.

The other might have the potential for a similar impact, but is more attractive based on past connections. That would be when Providence plays Fairfield in Bridgeport, Conn., on Nov. 14. Providence's coach is Ed Cooley, who coached the Stags for the past five seasons.

Top incoming freshman?

We'll go with three here: Niagara's Green, Marist's 6-5 swingman Chevauagn Lewis and Siena's 6-5 swingman Rob Poole.

All three will get significant playing time, and all three, according to a variety of sources, have had outstanding preseasons.

Top incoming transfer?

The memory banks cannot recall so many talented transfers all becoming eligible at once. The best of the bunch might be Fairfield's Rakim Sanders, a 6-5 swingman who already has more than 1,000 career points from three seasons at Boston College. But, the transfer with the most impact could easily be Chris Prescott (previously at St. Joseph's) at Saint Peter's. The Peacocks lost plenty of offense since last year, and Prescott can score, and will probably do plenty of that this season.

MAAC Tournament expectations?

You're on your own for figuring out the eventual winner. The debate here is whether the event will be a success, operating on a neutral court for the first time since 1989.

The tournament will be in Springfield, Mass. (the MassMutual Center) for the first time this year, the first on a three-year contract. Closest MAAC school? About 90 miles away, which means lengthy day trips for schools like Fairfield Marist and Siena, and, likely, overnight stays for fans of any other program.

This, though, is what administrators ... those above athletic departments ... at conference schools wanted. The publicity and prestige gained from having a school participate in the NCAA tournament goes far beyond athletic benefits. The interest generated by an NCAA team results in larger alumni donations, larger application pools and any number of other benefits.

The bottom line is that league administrators wanted the proverbial level playing field. The perception is that a neutral court gives everyone a better chance in the post-season than they would have by playing on one team's home court.

So, back to the question of whether it will succeed?

League commissioner Ensor indicates the best judgment probably can't be made until at least after the second year of the marriage with Springfield. It will take time for the event to be established there.

Will crowds rival the big nights of more than 10,000 that traditionally came to Albany's Times Union Center? That can't happen, since the MassMutual Center's capacity is approximately 7,400. But, crowds of, say, 4,500 in that facility will create a far better atmosphere than when a similar number turned out a year ago in the 12,000-seat Arena at Harbor Yard in Bridgeport, Conn.

And, there's much more than mere basketball now to attract fans. Downtown Springfield appears better suited in terms of very proximitous hotels, restaurants and pubs than either Albany or Bridgeport.

And, then, there's the Basketball Hall of Fame in downtown Springfield, a wonderful way to spend a day examining the sport's history. The league has seized upon the connection, using the Hall's facility's for its preseason Awards Show, and also for the announcement of the post-season award winners just prior to the tournament.

Those who purchase all-session passes for the MAAC tournament will also receive free admission to the Hall.

The build up for the event's move to Springfield began even before last season's tournament. Marketing and promotion has been heavy since then. The preseason Awards Show last month in Springfield was the best of its kind that your hoopscribe has ever attended, dating back to 1989. Not that a preseason event will be any indication of how successful the post-season tournament will be, but the organizational/promotional skills required for success are clearly in place.

The guess here is that the eventual crowd count will more closely resemble the mid-20,000 total of last year's tournament in Bridgeport than the 50,000-plus count from 2010 in Albany.

But, considering the neutral site and the need to establish itself as a presence in Springfield, those type crowds should be considered a success.

The feeling here is similar to Ensor's, that the best judgment will come after the event's second year in Springfield. But, based on the type effort we've already seen within that community, your blogger thinks the tournament will be just fine in its new neutral setting.

MAAC Teams Have Key Non-League Games

2011-11-03T16:01:00.001-07:00

Although there is probably no way to chart this definitively, the opinion here is that non-league schedules facing conference teams this season are among the most-demanding your hoopscribe can remember ... and, I've been covering the MAAC in some form since 1989.

Is that a good thing? Coaches will universally speak about the benefits of playing "up" once or twice in non-league games, opportunities for their respective teams to play tougher competition and, theoretically better themselves in preparation for conference play.

But we've been seeing more times when mid-major teams, MAAC teams included, have snuck away with a victory when playing "up."

It's a by-product of mid-major teams getting better, lessening the gap between themselves and the high majors.

And, that gap has probably never been smaller between some of the better opponents facing certain MAAC teams this season and more than a few teams from our favored conference.

Realistically, even the best MAAC teams would struggle to match up with the true elite of college basketball. But, the outcome isn't so certain when teams below, say, the top 10 or 15 nationally meet the best conference teams.

How good will some MAAC teams be this season?

Consider this ... the preseason favorite, Iona, not only has a preseason Wooden Award candidate (senior forward Mike Glover), a list limited to 50 players nationally, but also has an immediately eligible transfer (junior guard LaMont "Momo" Jones) who started for Arizona last year, a team that advanced to the NCAA tournament's Elite Eight round. And the team's best player just might be senior guard Scott Machado, who was No. 2 nationally in assists last season. Iona is truly loaded this year, and has two or three reserves who would be starters, potentially standouts, for just about any other conference team.

And, then, there's Fairfield, the defending regular-season league champion. The Stags lost two players to graduation from a year ago but the replacements, incoming transfers, are both arguably better than the departees.

The team picked to finish third this year? It's Loyola, which has four returning starters and an incoming immediately eligible transfer from a higher-level conference. In most years, that kind of firepower would get a team preseason consideration to be the conference winner.

Let's not forget Rider, which knocked off two "up" opponents last season and should be every bit as good this season.

How important is it to have success against higher-rated opponents? It's probably as important as it has ever been for MAAC teams this season.

League commissioner Rich Ensor has speculated that this might be the year a conference team gets at-large consideration for the NCAA tournament (the only time that ever happened was in 1995 when Manhattan was awarded an at-large berth).

That kind of consideration gets a significant boost with a victory over an "up" opponent, and one of the conference's teams with a real chance for an at-large berth, if it doesn't get the league's automatic spot in the NCAA's, gets that kind of opportunity immediately.

Iona's first game is Nov. 17 when it meets Purdue in a tournament in Puerto Rico. The Boilermakers, a perennial NCAA participant, coincidentally has knocked MAAC teams (Siena in 2010, Saint Peter's in 2011) out of the NCAA's first round in the past two seasons.

"That would be a great boost for us," said Glover, about the potential of beating Purdue. "We know they're a real good team, but we think we've got a real chance."

While Purdue has racked up 55 total victories over the past two seasons, it lost its two best players from a year ago -- center JaJuan Johnson and guard ETwaun Moore, the first- and second-round picks, respectively, of the Boston Celtics in this past spring's NBA draft.

Still, Purdue has All-American candidate 6-8 forward Robbie Hummel, whose knee injury forced him to miss last season.

"He's terrific ... he'll be tough for us," said Iona's Glover, who is likely to spend a lot of time in Hummel's vicinity when the teams meet.

Here's a look at some other non-league games of note on the schedules of MAAC teams this season:

- Siena meets two opponents with familiar faces on the opposing sidelines. On Nov. 19 the Saints travel to Mount Saint Mary's of Emmitsburg, Md., coached by Robert Burke, who not only was a Siena assistant during Paul Hewitt's tenure there in the late 1990's, but was a serious candidate in Siena's search for a coach that resulted in its hiring of Fran McCaffery. Siena also plays at Florida Atlantic on Dec. 28, a program coached by Mike Jarvis, whose Boston University teams were a league rival of Siena's when both programs were members of the old Northeast Athletic Conference (NAC) before Siena joined the MAAC.

- Canisius opens its season on Nov. 13 when it travels to James Madison University, whose coach is former Marist College head coach Matt Brady, whose playing career took place at Siena. The Golden Griffins also have a tough contest on Nov. 17 at UNLV, a team picked to finish second (by The Sporting News) in the Mountain West Conference.

- Fairfield has a Dec. 22 meeting with defending national champion UConn, the preseason favorite to win the Big East this year. UConn has five players back who started games at various times last season, including forward Jeremy Lamb, who averaged 16.2 points per game in last season's NCAA tournament. But, an even more-intriguing Fairfield game takes place on Nov. 14 when Providence comes to Bridgeport, Conn., to play the Stags at the Arena at Harbor Yard. The Friars are coached by former Fairfield coach Ed Cooley.

- Both Marist (No. 11) and Loyola (Dec. 22) play games at Kentucky this season. The Wildcats got to last season's NCAA Final Four, and are likely to have a legitimate opportunity to get that far again behind sophomore forward Terrence Jones (15.7 points, 8.8 rebounds per game). Kentucky also brings in 6-10 freshman forward Anthony Davis, the top-rated recruit nationally according to several scouting services.

- Manhattan plays at Syracuse on Nov. 14 in a preseason NIT contest. The Orangemen are ranked behind only UConn in the Big East and have four starters returning from last year's team that finished 27-8 overall. The Jaspers also have a Dec. 23 game at George Mason, a program now directed by former Siena coach Paul Hewitt.

- Rider gets tested early when it travels to Pitt for a Nov. 13 game. The Panthers are picked to finish third in the Big East this season. Pitt's top player is 6-2 senior guard Ashton Gibbs, who has led the team in scoring the past two seasons.The Panthers also bring in 6-9 freshman forward Khem Birch, a consensus top-10 recruit. The Broncs also see a familiar faces on Nov. 25 at James Madison (coached by Matt Brady), and face another elite-level foe on Dec. 9 when it plays at Florida, the No. 2-rated team in the SEC.

- Niagara gets a look at a high-powered foe when it plays at Missouri on Nov. 17. The Tigers have all five starters back from a team that won 23 games last season.

And those games feature merely the cream-of-the-crop non-league opponents facing MAAC teams this season. It seems that every conference team's non-conference schedule includes more than a couple games against higher-level opponents.

It means good early season basketball for MAAC teams and, theoretically, good preparation for the upcoming league season.

Former Saint Ubiles Wins Pan-Am Gold

2011-10-31T05:35:00.000-07:00

A former MAAC player now owns a gold medal as a member of the Puerto Rico team that captured the men's basketball championship of the just-completed Pan American Games.

Former Siena College standout 6-6 swingman Edwin Ubiles was a key member of the Puerto Rico team that captured its title with a 74-72 victory over Mexico Sunday.

Ubiles scored six points, had seven redounds, two steals, two assists, blocked a shot and had only one turnover in 34 minutes.

Ubiles played at Siena from 2006-07 through 2009-10, helped the Saints advance to the NCAA tournament in his last three seasons and is the program's third all-time leading scorer with 1,939 career points.

Ubiles was Puerto Rico's fourth-leading scorer in the Pan-Am games, averaging 9.8 points (22 of 41 shooting), and its second-leading rebounder (5.2) while playing an average of 26.4 minutes per game.

Two of his Puerto Rico teammates are current NBA players. J.J. Barea, a graduate of Northeastern,, was a key reserve for last season's Dallas Mavericks' team that won the 2010-11 NBA title. Also, Renaldo Balkman (28 points, 12 rebounds in the Pan-Am championship game) is on the New York Knicks' roster.

Ubiles had hoped to be drafted, either by the NBA or the USDBL, after his Siena career. Instead, he suffered a stress fracture in his right shin in June, 2010, and asked that his name be withdrawn from the USDBL's draft list.

Ubiles was slow to recover from the injury, but resumed workouts earlier this year culminating with his selection to the Puerto Rico team for the Pan Am Games.

Although he was born in Brooklyn and grew up in Poughkeepsie, he was eligible for the Puerto Rico team because his paternal grandparents are Puerto Rican.

"I feel it's a great opportunity," Ubiles said, prior to the Games. "I've been out for pretty much a year now. I think it'll be a good opportunity for me to showcase my talent and get back on my feet. I think there'll be a lot of people watching."

Ubiles has indicated he would be open to playing in Europe this year, but hopes to get an invitation to play in an NBA preseason camp next season.

Around The MAAC ... News And Notes

2011-10-26T14:15:00.000-07:00

News, notes and thoughts from Tuesday’s MAAC Preseason Awards Show … or, otherwise known as ATM (Around The MAAC).

-THE NIAGARA men might not contend for a league title this year, but head coach Joe Mihalich believes a return to that level isn’t too far off for his team. He has plenty of reasons to be otpmistic, particularly with 6-foot-3 Juan'ya Green, a freshman guard looking good in the preseason; and Josh Turner, a 6-5 freshman swingman who was recruited at a higher level, becoming eligible after the first semester.

- THE RIDER men, consistently solid in recent years, are picked for fourth place in this season’s preseason poll of coaches, and coach Tommy Dempsey doesn’t mind that at all. “I like being under the radar a little,” said Dempsey. The program has three starters returning, along with transfer Jeff Jones (Virginia), who Dempsey thinks is going to have a significant impact for the Broncs this season. One of the starters is 6-7 forward Novar Gadson, a preseason first-team all-MAAC pick. And, another is 6-7 forward Danny Stewart, last year's conference Rookie of the Year.

- TWO TRANSFERS to MAAC programs had their “hardship” waivers approved by the NCAA recently and are immediately eligible this season without having to sit out the traditional year required for a transfer. That situation applies to Iona’s Lamont “Momo” Jones, a guard who played two seasons at Arizona previously, and Jordan Latham, a forward who played his freshman season at Xavier. Jones has already had considerable success at a high levely and is widely hyped as he joins the Gaels. But, Latham? While he had a limited role for his Atlantic 10 Conference team a year ago, Loyola coach Jimmy Patsos believes Latham will help his program immediately. “He’s not going to be a big scorer for us this year, but he’s a true center (6-foot-8, 245 pounds). He’ll be our version of Kendrick Perkins.”

- CORIELLE YARDE of Marist is the women’s preseason player of the year, and this blog touts Loyola’s Katie Sheahin as a potential contender for that post-season honor. But Iona coach Tony Bozzella has another candidate, his own senior forward Kristina Ford. “She’s going to be the best player in the league this season,” said Bozzella. “I know Yarde is good, but you can’t believe how much better Kristina has gotten since last season. I feel strongly that she’ll be the league’s best player.” Ford, a first-team preseason all-MAAC pick, was pretty good last season as a junior, averaging 12.0 points and 6.2 rebounds per game.

- THE IONA women look to return to the upper echelon of the conference’s standings, not only because Ford but also with the return of fifth-year senior point guard Suzi Fregosi, a true pass-first floor general, who suffered an early season hip injury last year and never returned. “She has looked great in the preseason,” said Bozzella. “She looks like she did before she got hurt.” Iona finished 11-20 overall last season after five straight years of at least 18 overall victories.

- THIS BLOG blog has already made several references about the possibility of Manhattan’s junior swingman George Beamon leading the conference in scoring this year, and support for that belief came from his coach, Steve Masiello. “He is absolutely ready to have a break-out season,” said Masiello, about Beamon.

- THERE IS at least some optimism around the Marist men's program, which has suffered through some tough times of late, including a 7-27 finish last season. It might not happen this year, but an exciting young backcourt has head coach Chuck Martin thinking positively about the program’s future. That would be a pair of incoming freshmen, 6-5 swingman Chavaughn Lewis and 5-8 point guard Isaiah Morton, both of whom should get plenty of playing time this season. And, Marist also has an emerging big man in 6-10 sophomore Adam Kemp, who was off to a good first season last year before an injury ended his year after 16 games. Kemp is one of the league’s few true centers.

- A QUICK assessment from Marist women’s coach Brian Giorgis about his team’s preseason as it chases its seventh straight league title: “We’re not nearly as big as we have been in the past,” said Giorgis. “But, except for Canisius, there aren’t a lot of big teams in the league.” Marist lost 6-4 forward Kate Oliver, who transferred out of the program, and essentially replaces her with 6-1 transfer Kristina Danella (from UMass). “She started slow for us in the preseason, but has really come on in our last few practices.”

- ONLY ONE coach didn't attend Tuesday's Preseason Awards Show in Springfield, Mass., and she had a good excuse. Niagara coach Kendra Faustin gave birth to a baby this weekend.

- SAINT PETER'S men's coach John Dunne sounded optimistic about his team's chances to be competitive again this season, despite the loss of four starters from the squad that advanced to the NCAA tournament a year ago. "We've got some nice players coming in," said Dunne. "We'll need Karee Ferguson (a 6-7 junior college transfer) and Chris Prescott (a transfer from St. Joseph's) to pick up a lot of our scoring." The Peacocks might also be using 6-11 freshman center Gaetano Spero extensively this season. "He only weights 200 pounds right now, and there are some things he can't do yet," said Dunne. "But, he's not a `project.' He can rebound and block shots right now."

And, Add Patsos as Another Ring-Holder

2011-10-26T05:10:00.000-07:00

And, yes, it was astutely pointed out to your hoopscribe that yet another national championship ring-holder was overlooked in recent postings about current MAAC connections who have been involved with titles on the sport's highest levels.

The latest oversight is Loyola coach Jimmy Patsos, who was an assistant coach with the 2001-02 Maryland team that captured that season's national championship. Thanks to Ryan Eigenbrode, Loyola's director of athletic communications, for bringing that omission to our attention.

And, we'll pause for a moment while the hoopscribe slaps himself in the back of the head, since a portion of Patsos' route to that season's national championship was personally witnessed.

That year Maryland's path through the NCAA tournament included a first-round victory over Siena, which yours truly attended and took note of Patsos via game programs/press notes. And, yes, your hoopscribe had certainly written in past bloggings and in stories elsewhere about Patsos and his Greyhound program that he was on the staff for a national championship.

His omission this time was merely a momentary brain cramp, if you will. And, thanks to Ryan Eigenbrode for jogging the memory banks.

For those keeping track, it means Loyola has a national championship winner (Patsos) directing its men's program and an NBA champion (Keith Booth) serving as an assistant within its women's program.

And, the very strong feeling here is that having such high-level ring-holders in a specific school's men's and women's MAAC programs has never before occurred.

Add Masiello To List of Title Ring Holders

2011-10-25T16:12:00.000-07:00

Add one more major "ring-holder" to the MAAC's list of former champions.

That would be first-year Manhattan coach Steve Masiello, who earned a national championship ring as a member of the 1997-98 national championship team at Kentucky as a reserve guard. This blogger had overlooked Masiello when writing about ring winners.

Earlier this week, in a post about Keith Booth joining the staff of the Loyola women's team, we noted that Booth is the possessor of an NBA championship ring from the 1997-98 season when he was a member of the Chicago Bulls.

In that post we noted that two others currently on MAAC sidelines also had NCAA championship rings. Siena coach Mitch Buonaguro has one from his work as a Villanova assistant coach from the 1984-85 season.

And, Manhattan assistant coach Scott Padgett has one from when he played at Kentucky in the 1997-98 season.

Ironically, Padgett and Masiello were teammates on the 1997-98 national championship Kentucky team and, now, they are reunited as coaches at Manhattan.

MAAC Men's Pre-Season Stars Picked

2011-10-25T14:28:00.000-07:00

Here's how coaches voted for the preseason men's all-star teams:

FIRST TEAM

- Derek Needham, guard, Fairfield
- Ryan Olander, center, Fairfield
- Mike Glover, forward, Iona
- Scott Machado, guard, Iona
- Novar Gadson, forward, Rider

SECOND TEAM

- Gaby Belardo, guard, Canisius

- Rakim Sanders, forward, Fairfield

- Erik Etherly, forward, Loyola

- Shane Walker, center, Loyola

- George Beamon, forward, Manhattan

THIRD TEAM

- Kyle Smyth, guard, Iona

- Jeff Jones, guard, Rider

- Danny Stewart, forward, Rider

- Darius Conley, forward, Saint Peter's

- O.D. Anosike, forward, Siena

PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Mike Glover, forward, Iona

ANALYSIS: No debating here about the Player of the Year choice in Glover, who could be the conference's first player since former Rider standout Jason Thompson, to eventually have a meaningful NBA career.

All star picks? I get the impression that Manhattan's George Beamon, this blogger's pick for the MAAC's leading scorer this season, is going to make conference coaches sorry they left him off the first team.

The all-star teams could easily have a decidedly different look after the season. Fairfield's Sanders (a 1,000-point career scorer in three seasons at Boston College) has the talent to move up to first team.

And, there are several other quality transfers, more than, it seems, any time in conference history, that will probably inhabit post-season all-star squads: Saint Peter's guard Chris Prescott (from St. Joseph's), Fairfield's point guard Desmond Wade (Houston) and maybe even Loyola's forward Jordan Latham (Xavier) all appear poised to make significant contributions.

Women's Preseason All-Stars Picked

2011-10-25T13:55:00.000-07:00

Here's how MAAC women's coaches voted for preseason all-star selections:

FIRST TEAM
- Taryn Johnson, forward, Fairfield
- Kristina Ford, forward, Iona
- Miriam McKenzie, forward, Loyola
- Katie Sheahin, guard, Loyola
- Corielle Yard, guard, Marist

SECOND TEAM
- Jamie Ruttle, forward, Canisius
- Brandy Gang, forward, Marist
- Christina Centeno, guard, Siena
- Lindsey Loutsenhizer, forward, Manhattan
- Kate Linney, guard, Fairfield

THIRD TEAM
- Desiree Pina, guard, Fairfield
- Monica Roeder, guard, Manhattan
- Kayla Stroman, guard, Niagara
- Jynae Judson, forward, Saint Peter's
- Maja Gerlyng, guard, Siena

PRESEASON PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Corielle Yard, Marist.

ANALYSIS: It's a very talented top five, and no arguments here. Yard is a semi-obvious choice for Player of the Year, but it's not a clear-cut situation. Sheahin, a do-everything point guard at Loyola, should be a strong contender as might be much-improved Kristina Ford at Iona.

We will point to two players who, in this blogger's opinion, will crack the post-season all-star teams: Iona's Suzi Fregosi and Siena's Lily Grinci.

Fregosi, a pass-first true point guard, missed most of last season with an injury. She is said to be at full strength once again, and no player is better at directing an offense than she has been in the past.

Grinci had a big summer on Siena's trip to Italy and Denmark, averaging 17.5 points and 8.5 rebounds in four games. She has flashed all-league ability in her first two seasons at Siena, just not enough of them as she has battled injuries. If she stays healthy all year, she has all-league talent.

Men's Preseason Poll: Iona, then Fairfield

2011-10-25T13:28:00.001-07:00

Here's how MAAC coaches predicted the order of finish for men's teams, first-place votes in parentheses, with total point count (10 for a first-place vote, one for a 10th-place vote):

1. Iona (8) 97
2. Fairfield (2) 92
3. Loyola 76
4. Rider 71
5. Saint Peter's 52
6. Siena 44
7. Niagara 42
8. Manhattan 33
9. Canisius 25
10. Marist 18

ANALYSIS: No surprise here, either, about the league's top pick. And, coaches did their voting before the recent NCAA ruling that granted Arizona transfer guard Lamont "Momo" Jones immediate eligibility at Iona.

But the race shouldn't be a runaway. Defending regular-season champs Fairfield has three starters returning, plus replacements via the transfer route that could surpass the accomplishments of the two players lost to graduation from a year ago.

It's enough for league commissioner Rich Ensor to be justifiably speculating that this could be a rare year that the conference has an at-large invitee to the NCAA tournament, along with its automatic representative.

But the sentiment here is that the gap between the top two teams and the next two, if not the next three, teams isn't as large as the voting indicates. Iona and Fairfield ot every first- or second-place vote except one by league coaches.

The lone second-place vote that didn't go to Iona or Fairfield went to preseason No. 3 Loyola, which recently got a positive NCAA ruling on power forward Jordan Latham, a 6-8 bruiser, who becomes immediately eligiblel and joins an already strong front line.

Rider, too, has a strong returning class plus a much-hyped transfer in guard Jeff Jones, formerly at Virginia.

Surprise teams? There could be a few, most-notably Rider, Saint Peter's and, eventually, Niagara.

Jones should give Rider some much needed firepower on a team that already had pretty much everything else it needed.

Saint Peter's, which won last season's post-season tournament to advance to the NCAA's, has some quality new pieces in place, including offensive-minded junior college transfer 6-7 forward Karee Ferguson and a quality transfer in guard Chris Prescott (formerly at St. Joseph's).

And, Niagara has just about everyone of significance returning, including redshirt freshman guard Antoine Mason, who averaged 16.7 points through three games last season before a foot injury kept him out the remainder of last season. And, two of the team's better players are just joining the program. Coach Joe Mihalich raves about freshman guard Juan'ya Green. And, then, there's 6-5 freshman swingman Josh Turner, who was recruited by several A-10 programs, who was a late addition to Niagara but doesn't become eligible, due to academic issues, until after the first semester. If the Purple Eales can handle the transition of several new players, they could be a late-season factor.

Preseason Women's Poll: Marist ... Again

2011-10-25T13:07:00.001-07:00

Tuesday marked the MAAC's newly named "Preseason Awards Show," formerly known as media day. While the format was redesigned to accomodate a telecast, and the venue (the Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Mass.) was new, the news that came from the event was similar ... the release of the preseason polls by the conference's men's and women's coaches.

So, without further delay, we'll start with the coaches' predictions for how women's teams will finish.

In order, first-place votes in parenthesis and including total points based on 10 points for a first-place vote to one for a last-place vote....

1. Marist (10) 100
2. Loyola 84
3. Fairfield 78
4. Manhtattan 64
5. Iona 59
6. Canisius 55
7. Siena 46
T8. Saing Peter's 23
T8. Rider 23
10. Niagara 18

ANALYSIS: Hard to argue against six-time defending league champion Marist winning once again, but the thought here is that it has gotten too easily just to automatically vote the Red Foxes No. 1 and, then, move on.

The league appears far more balanced, with Marist getting a greater challenge from any number of teams ... on a given night your hoopscribe believes teams picked from No. 2 to No. 7 can be competitive this season.

Marist not only lost last year's Player of the Year (Erica Allenspach to graduation), but saw emerging 6-4 star Kate Oliver transfer out of the program. The Red Foxes won't be as tall as in recent seasons, and they'll be relying on several former role players to step up.

The belief here is that Loyola, with two of the better players in the confere3nce in junior point guard Katie Sheahin and senior small forward Miriam McKenzie, is the most-likely team to be able to seriously challenge Marist this coming season.

Surprise teams? We'll go with Iona (picked for fifth place) and Siena (picked for seventh).

The Gaels not only have one of the conference's best players in forward Kristina Ford, but also can count on the return to form of senior point guard Suzi Fregosi (out most of last season with a hip injury), who might be the best pass-first floor general in the conference.

Siena has standout perimeter seniors in Christina Centeno and Maya Gerlyng, a potential all-league caliber player in junior forward Lily Grinci, who battled injuries her first two seasons, and a six-member sophomore class that appears to have made major strides since a year ago.

Keith Booth Joins Women's Staff at Loyola

2011-10-24T06:29:00.001-07:00

Another champion has joined the MAAC.

Keith Booth, a former All-American at Maryland, has joined the coaching staff of the women's team at Loyola, and becomes one of just a select few on conference sidelines that can show off a championship ring.

Booth's is an NBA World Championship ring earned when he was a member of the 1997-97 Chicago Bulls' team that was led by Michael Jordan.

Booth joines second-year Manhattan assistant Scott Padgett as players with championship rings on MAAC sidelines. Padgett played at Kentucky where he was a member of the Wildcats' 1998 national championship team.

And, there's one conference coach with a national championship ring earned for his sideline work. Second-year Siena coach Mitch Buonaguro was an assistant on Villanova's staff when that program won the 1985 national championship. Buonaguro actually devised the scouting report Villanova used to upset Georgetown in that memorable championship ame.

Booth, though, is believed to be the only former NBA title winner currently on a MAAC sideline.

"We are ecstatic to have Keith Booth join our Loyola women's basketball program and excited that he is able to return home to Baltimore to continue his coaching career," said Joe Logan, head coach of the Greyhounds' women's program.

Booth, a Baltimore native, spent the last seven seasons as an assistant coach with the men's basketball team at the University of Maryland under Head Coach Gary Williams, who retired after last season.

In his time at Maryland from 2004-2011, the Terrapins won no fewer than 19 games and reached the NCAA Tournament three times. Booth assisted with the daily operations of the men's basketball program, including recruiting, advance scouting, player development and game preparation.

"Keith brings with him a unique perspective, which I am looking forward to and I know our whole program will benefit from," Logan said.

As a player at the University of Maryland, Booth led the Terrapins to four NCAA Tournaments, including a pair of Sweet Sixteen appearances, and in 1994 began Maryland's streak of 11 consecutive NCAA berths that ran from 1994 to 2004.

Current Loyola head men's basketball coach, Jimmy Patsos, was an assistant coach at Maryland and helped in the recruiting of Booth.

In his senior season at Maryland, Booth led the Terps in scoring (19.5 ppg), rebounding (7.9 rpg) and steals (2.0 spg) and is still Maryland's all-time leader in free throws made (576). Booth finished his impressive career at Maryland among the Terps' all-time leaders in scoring (9th, 1,776 points), rebounding (6th, 916 points), steals (5th, 193) and is one of 15 players to have his jersey honored above the Terps' home court at Comcast Center.

In October 2008, Booth was inducted into the University of Maryland Athletics Hall of Fame. In 2010, Booth represented Maryland as one of the ACC Basketball Legends honored at the ACC Tournament in Greensboro, N.C.

After his career at Maryland, Booth was a first round draft pick of the Chicago Bulls in 1997, taken as the 28th selection overall. Booth was a member of the 1998 Chicago Bulls NBA World Championship team led by Michael Jordan.

"Keith's accomplishments speak for themselves," said Logan. "He has won at every level and we are looking forward to him developing our players into winners both on and off the court."

Adding Jones Could Lift Iona To New Level

2011-10-21T05:08:00.001-07:00

The rich just got richer with news that likely preseason conference favorite Iona got a positive ruling on the hardship waiver of transfer junior guard Lamont "Momo" Jones, who becomes eligible to play this coming season.

And, now, the question becomes just how good can Iona become?

We'll speculate a little on that, below.

Jones played the last two seasons at Arizona and averaged 9.7 points and 2.4 assists per game there last year. The Wildcats advanced to the NCAA tournament's round of eight before losing to eventual national champion UConn.

Arizona gave the Huskies their toughest match in the tournament, a 65-63 decision. Jones played 27 minutes in that game and had eight points, two assists and zero turnovers.

"I'd like to thank the tireless work of many people at Iona including my staff and our compliance administrators for their assistance in preparing the waiver," said second-year head coach Tim Cluess, in a release issued by Iona. "The NCAA is also to be commended for its due diligence in the decision making process to allow Momo to play."

Jones transferred from Arizona to be nearer to his Harlem, NY home, his family and his ailing grandmother.

"Family comes first," said Jones, in the Iona press release. "I'm excited to have the opportunity to play at Iona College this year with some tremendous players that I've known for a while, but in the end, I'm happy to be home and happy to be able to help my family through this tough time. I'm grateful to the NCAA for granting the waiver which allows me to be nearer to my family and to be able to complete my degree in two (more) years instead of three."

How good is Jones? He was ranked as the No. 68 overall prospect in the country and the No. 11 point guard by rivals.com to go with a scout grade of 88 by ESPN when he was a senior at Oak Hill Academy. There, he averaged 21.3 points and 8.0 assists per game as a senior in leading Oak Hill Academy to a 41-1 record.

Jones certainly is an "elite" caliber player with the type individual talent that rarely appears on the roster of a MAAC team. And, Iona was already loaded before the NCAA ruled that he could play this year.

The Gaels already were the preseason pick to win the MAAC's regular-season championship of every national college basketball preview publication. Their top two players, forward Michael Glover and point guard Scott Machado, are among the conference's top performers.

Another transfer, 6-1 junior Ra'shad James (from Division II St. Thomas Aquinas) was said to often be the best guard on the court for Iona during practices last season as he sat out the traditional redshirt year.

Also back is 6-4 senior sniper Kyle Smyth, 6-3 sophomore guard Sean Armond and 5-11 senior Jermel Jenkins, although Jenkins' role is in question as he recovers from a hand injury.

In addition to Glover up front, the Gaels added 6-7 junior forward Nyandigisi "Digs" Moikubo, a transfer from Cochise (Ariz.) Junior College, where he averaged 15.3 points and 9.3 rebounds last season; and, 6-7 junior forward Taaj Ridley, a 6-7 transfer from Lawson State (Ala.) Junior College where he averaged 15.3 points and 8.3 rebounds per game.

Iona was already expected to be the best team in the conference this year, but the addition of Jones raises the bar even more.

And, maybe, it's time to look at how good Iona can be not only this season but historically.

The talent in place has the potential to lift the Gaels into a MAAC stratosphere occupied only by two programs in the previous 30 years of the conference, former league member La Salle of 1989-90 vintage and Siena of 2009-10.

The 1989-90 La Salle team is universally viewed as the best team the MAAC has ever had. Hard to argue that point considering the Explorers had three future NBA players in 6-7 forward Lionel Simmons (a senior that season), 6-3 guard Doug Overton (a junior) and 5-11 guard Randy Woods (a sophomore). It also had an underrated 6-6 small forward in Jack Hurd (a sophomore).

That team finished 30-2 with its only losses to Loyola Marymount early in the regular season and, then, a 79-75 setback to Clemson in the second round of the NCAA tournament.

Simmons finished with 3,217 career points and 1,429 rebounds and became the first college player to eclipse career totals of 3,000 points and 1,100 rebounds. Woods finished with 1,811 career points, Overton with 1,795 and Hurd with 1,661.

That team was also the only one to complete a perfect MAAC season, compiling a 16-0 record since the league's schedule expanded to at least 16 games in 1989 (the 1987-88 La Salle team was also perfect with a 14-0 league record).

How dominant was La Salle in 1989-90? It was an achievement for a conference opponent to lose by a single-digit margin, and only two (Holy Cross and Saint Peter's) managed it. In regular-season play the Explorers won league games by an average margin of 20.1 points, and followed that up with three MAAC tournament wins of 30, 16 and 10 points.

The only team in this blogger's memory that remotely compared was the 2009-10 Siena team that finished 17-1 in conference games. But, those Saints were a very good mid-major level team. The 1989-90 La Salle squad was talented enough to rank with nearly anyone on a national level.

So, how good is the current Iona team?

Let's start in the backcourt. Its combination of Machado and Jones could potentially be the second-best pairing in league history behind only, in this hoopscribe's opinion, La Salle's guard tandem of Overton and Woods.

Overall, adding James, Armond, Smyth and, possibly, Jenkins if he's healthy ... no team in conference history has had such a deep, talented perimeter group.

Iona's advance to the upper level of all-time MAAC teams will depend on the contributions of its inside players. Glover, arguably the conference's best player, is a given. How much Moikubo and Ridley can contribute will eventually determine just how good Iona can be.

But, there's little doubt right now that Iona, with the addition of Jones, is even more a clear-cut preseason favorite as this year's best MAAC team.

And, now begins a quest for more ... a season that could rank among the conference's best of all time.

A Look at Siena's Non-League Schedule

2011-10-20T06:00:00.001-07:00

Here's another in the series looking at non-conference schedules of men's teams.

Up now ...

SIENA MEN

11/16 Navy

The Midhipmen were 6-8 in the Patriot League last season and 11-20 overall. They are picked for sixth in the eight-team conference this season. Top players are 6-4 senior swingman Jordan Sugars (16.0 points, 6.0 rebounds) and 6-7 sophomore forward J.J. Avila (11.5, 5.3). Sugars needs 11 more rebounds to become the ninth player in the program's history with career totals of 1,000 points and 500 rebounds. Avila was last season's Rookie of the Year in the Patriot League. Navy also has a new coach in former Penn State head man Ed DeChellis.

11/19 at Mount St. Mary's (Md.)

The Mountaineers finished 9-9 in the Northeast Conference last season and 11-21 overall. They're picked for sixth in the 12-team conference this season. Six of the team's top seven players return, including point guard Lamar Trice (13.3 points, 2.9 assists) and off-guard Julian Norfleet (9.2 points). Head coach is Robert Burke, a former Siena assistant under Paul Hewitt (1997-98 through 1999-00).

11/21 St. Bonaventure

The Bonnies finished 8-8 in the Atlantic 10 Conference and 16-15 overall last season. They are picked to finish fifth in the 14-team conference this season. Top players include 6-9, 250-pound forward Andrew Nicholson (20.8 points, 7.3 rebounds). Three other starters return, including 6-5 guard Michael Davenport (11.1, 5.9) and 6-6 forward Demitrius Conger (10.0, 5.5).

11/23 at Georgia Tech

The Yellow Jackets finished 5-11 in the Atlantic Coast Conference and 13-18 overall last season. They're picked for 10th in the 12-team conference this year. Top player is guard Glen Rice Jr. (12.9). The series with Georgia Tech was meant to bring Brad Sheehan (Latham, N.Y.'s Shaker High School) back to New York's Capital Region for a game last season, but Sheehan graduated before his eligibility ended and opted not to continue playing. Last year's game did feature a return to the area for former Siena coach Paul Hewitt, who was not retained (he is now at George Mason) and has been replaced by Brian Gregory, formerly at Dayton.

11/26 at Vermont

The Catamounts finished 13-3 in the America East Conference, 23-8 overall and played in last season's NIT. They're picked for fourth in the nine-team league this season. Although Vermont lost its top two scorers to graduation it did start three sophomores and two freshmen in the NIT appearance. Its top player is 6-8 forward Matt Glass. Vermont also has a new coach in former program assistant John Becker, who took over after Mike Lonergan moved to George Washington.

12/5 Albany

The Great Danes finished 9-7 in the America East Conference and 16-16 overall last season. They're picked to finish second in the nine-team league this season. Top returnees are guards Logan Aronhalt and Mike Black.

12/9 vs. UMass at Springfield, Mass.

The Minutemen finished 7-9 in the Atlantic 10 Conference last season and 15-15 oerall. Top returnees are 6-7 junior forward Terrell Vinson (6.5, 4.4) and 6-5 junior guard Freddie Riley (8.0).

12/12 Fordham

The Ram finished 1-15 in the Atlantic 10 last season, 7-21 overall and are picked for 14th in the 14-team conference. Fordham's lone league victory ended a 41-game losing steak in the A-10. Its top players are 6-7 junior forward Christ Gaston (15.9 points, 11.3 rebounds, fourth-best nationally in rebounding), and 6-3 sophomore guard Branden Frazier (11.0, 3.3 assists).

12/22 Princeton

The Tigers finished 12-2 in the Ivy League last season and 25-6 oerall, including a trip to the NCAA tournament. They're picked for second in the eight-team league this season. Top returnees are 6-7 Ian Hummer (13.8 points) and 5-11 Douglas Davis (11.9). Former coach Sydney Johnson is now at Fairield. Princeton grad Mitch Henderson is now the head coach.

12/28 at Florida Atlantic

The Owls finished 13-3 in the Sunbelt Conference last season and 21-11 overall, the best finish in the program's history. They're picked to finish first in the conference's six-team East Division this season. Four starters return, led by junior guards Greg Gantt (14.0, 3.9) and Raymond Taylor (11.6, 3.5). Top forward is 6-8 junior Kore White (8.2, 5.0). The team's coach is Mike Jaris, most recently at St. John's who coached against Siena for several years when he was at Boston University and the two teams were in the same conference (the old North Atlantic Conference).

Live Viewing For Preseason Awards Show

2011-10-20T05:16:00.000-07:00

What used to be called the MAAC's annual Media Day is now known as its Basketball Preseason Awards show. And, that's not the only change.

For the first time in the league's history, the show (Tuesday, Oct. 25) can be viewed live via MAAC.TV, direct from the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Mass.

The free live coverage begins at 9:30 a.m.

The program begins with interviews of all 20 MAAC basketball head coaches (10 men, 10 women). The interviews will be conducted by Doug Sherman and Rob Kennedy on the men's side and Vin Parise and Julianne Viani on the women's side.

At 11:15 a.m. the program shifts to the Hall of Fame's renowned Center Court for the unveiling of the Preseason Coaches' Polls and Preseason All-MAAC teams.

The event concludes with the unveiling of the conference's exhibit, The MAAC Experience, in the Hall of Fame and its signature "A Day in the Life" video featuring 10 MAAC Basketball student-athletes. Check MAACSports.com on Monday for more information on the exhibit.

Follow the MAAC on Facebook (facebook.com/MAACSports) and Twitter (@MAACSports) for complete coverage and a behind-the-scenes look of the Preseason Awards Show and the 2011-12 season. Use hashtag #maachoops to join the conversation.

And, of course, check in here at "Keepin' Track of the MAAC "for a full analysis of the preseason predictions to be up for your reading pleasure by mid-Tuesday afternoon.

News & Notes From Around The MAAC

2011-10-19T05:39:00.000-07:00

Thinking out loud about the upcoming season, or what can also be considered the latest installment of "ATM," or Around The MAAC....

- Best non-conference game of the upcoming season?

There are some good ones ... Iona at Purdue (Nov. 17), Marist at Kentucky (Nov. 11), Manhattan at Syracuse (Nov. 14) ... but, my personal preference is on Nov. 14 when Providence comes to Bridgeport, Conn., to play at Fairfield in the Arena at Harbor Yard. The Friars are coached by former Fairfield coach Ed Cooley. It was part of his release agreement from his contract with Fairfield that he bring his new team in for a Fairfield home game. Cooley, whose work took a struggling program to last season's regular-season MAAC championship, is on record as saying the game isn't one he is looking forward to ... but the rest of us await with great anticipation.

- Not much doubt that the expectations are that Iona's 6-foot-7 senior forward Mike Glover will be the conference's best player this season. How good is he? Your hoopscribe saw him play four times in person last year and several other times either on TV or through the magic of video streaming via the internet. It says here (with the backing of at least one other conference coach) that Glover will be the next player from the conference to have a meaningful NBA career.

- Surprise players in the MAAC this season? We'll take two on the men's side: Iona's Ra'Shad James, a 6-1 guard, and Siena's Kyle Downey, a 6-2 guard. James, a junior, sat out last season after transferring from Division II St. Thomas Aquinas. By more than one account he was often the best guard on the floor at Iona practices last season, and that's saying a mouthful considering the team also has first-team all-MAAC preseason pick Scott Machado in place. Downey, a senior, has played through a string of injuries the past two seasons, but has shown flashes of his ability. No one works harder, and he returned this season fully healthy and in great condition. Siena needs to find some offense, and Downey is more than capable.

- Surprise women's player? We'll just name one, based on some preseason practice observations: Siena's 6-1 sophomore forward Clara Sole Anglada. She did flash her skills with a 12-point, 8-rebound effort in one game last year, but otherwise was a very lightly used reserve as she spent much of the year adjusting to cultural, language and athletic differences (she came to Siena from Spain). But your hoopscribe has rarely seen the level of improvement she has made from freshman to sophomore season, and she will be a significant factor for the Saints this year.

- Just when you thought it would be a two-team (Iona, Fairfield) race for the men's regular-season championship ... Loyola got an unexpected boost that very well could push the Greyhounds from being a solid team into legitimate contention. That came with last week's NCAA ruling that 6-foot-8, 240-pound power forward Jordan Latham, a Baltimore native and transfer from Xavier, would not have to sit out this season as per traditional transfer rules but that his "hardship" application had been accepted. Latham is the type athletic big man that rarely lands in the MAAC, and if he is indeed a significant contributor, Loyola might have the conference's best front line as he joins 6-10 center Shane Walker and 6-7 forward Erik Etherly.

- Best women's player this season? It would be hard to discount Corielle Yarde of Marist, but your hoopscribe will opt for Loyola's Katie Sheahin, a 5-10 junior guard. Sheahin, originally a shooting guard, got moved to the point late in her freshman year and played the position full time for the first time last season. Did she handle it well? How about 13.1 points, 6.0 rebounds, 4.0 assists, 1.2 blocks and a per-game steal average of 3.4 that was second-best nationally? If nothing else, she is the conference's most-versatile player.

- It is a year of transfers joining men's teams, for the upcoming season and one of them could very easily lead the conference in scoring. The guess here is that Rakim Sanders of Fairfield, who played three seasons at Boston College previously, will have the highest scoring average among first-year eligible transfers. But the choice here to be the conference's top scorer is junior swingman George Beamon of Manhattan, whose entire career thus far has been with the Jaspers.

- Biggest surprise team on the women's side? It would be easy to identify Canisius or Siena, both with emerging young players, to exceed expectations. but the choice here is that Rider will show considerable improvement off last season's 5-23 overall record. The Broncs have nearly every player of significance returning, although they'll be without last year's top scorer, small forward Shereen Lightbourne (knee injury) for the season. Rider does have the conference's biggest front line, and have emerging standout to fill Lightbourne's role in sophomore McNeshia McKenzie. It needs either senior Alyssa Parsons, who played there last year after two major knee injuries earlier in her career, to step or for incoming international freshman Kornelija Valiuskyte of Lithuania to contribute early.

- Look for the Canisius women to also rebound after a down season a year ago. The Golden Griffins endured having four freshmen play considerable minutes last season (all four won at least one Rookie of the Week award), and the conventional wisdom about freshmen is that they eventually become sophomores. That maturity should help the Griffs greatly, along with a much-hyped incoming first-year player, 5-7 guard Kayla Hoohuli, one of 40 players nationally last season picked as a Parade Magazine All-American. The Griffs might not win this year's conference title, but they'll be a strong contender in the subsequent two seasons.

- The Saint Peter's men's team finished fourth in last season's standings and, then, won the conference's post-season tournament to advance to the NCAA tournament. It was a storybook year for the program, one that returned a considerable level of interest to the men's team. But, four senior starters are gone from a year ago. Still, don't expect the Peacocks to fall too far, if at all. A strong group of incoming players, and some returning reserves whose minutes were limited by injuries a year ago, should help out. Look for Chris Prescott, a 6-2 guard transfer from St. Joseph's, to pick up much of the scoring load with other newcomers 6-7 junior college transfer Karee Ferguson and 5-9 freshman point guard Lamin Fulton to be strong contributors. And, Blaise Ffrench and Chris Burke, both sophomore guards who battled injuries last season, should be in the playing group. But, it didn't help that 6-4 guard Steven Samuels, one of the league's better defenders last season, was recently dismissed from the program.

A Look at Manhattan's N-L Schedule

2011-10-17T14:38:00.000-07:00

Here's another in the series looking at the non-league schedule of men's teams.

Up now ...

MANHATTAN MEN

11/12 NJIT

It finished with a school-record 15 wins last season (15-15) and 9-3 in the Great West conference, and is picked to finish second in the league this season. The Highlanders have only been a Division I program for five seasons. They return four starters, including 6-3 guard Isaiah Wilkerson who led the team in scoring and rebounding last season.

11/14 at Syracuse

The meeting with the Big East power comes in the first round of the preseason NIT. The Orange finished 12-6 in the league, 27-8 overall and advanced to the second round of the NCAA tournament where it lost to Maruette, 66-62. Syracuse is picked to finish second in the 16-team conference this season. Its top players are 6-7 senior forward Kris Joseph (14.3 points, 5.2 rebounds), 6-2 senior point guard Scoop Jordine (12.5 points and a league-best 5.9 assists).

11/15 either University at Albany or Brown, second round of the preseason NIT

12/26 Columbia

Lions were 6-8 in the Ivy League, 15-13 overall and are picked to finish 6th in the 8-team league this season. Top player is forward Noruwa Agho (16.8 points last season), the only player in the league to finish in the top 10 in scoring, rebounding and assists.

11/29 at Penn

The Quakers were 7-7 in the Ivy League, 13-15 oerall last season and picked to finish third in the league this season. Their best players are Senior forward Tyler Bernardini (1,079 career points thus far), and senior point guard Zack Rosen (14.3, and 152 total assists last season, the fourth-highest single-season total in the program's history).

12/7 Fordham

The Ram finished 1-15 in the Atlantic 10 last season, 7-21 overall and are picked for 14th in the 14-team conference. Fordham's lone league victory ended a 41-game losing steak in the A-10. Its top players are 6-7 junior forward Christ Gaston (15.9 points, 11.3 rebounds, fourth-best nationally in rebounding), and 6-3 sophomore guard Branden Frazier (11.0, 3.3 assists).

12/10 at Hofstra

It finished 14-4 in the Colonial Athletic Association last season, 21-11 overall and is picked for 6th in the 12-team conference this season. Top players are 6-7 senior foreward Mike Moore (14.9 points), 6-8 forward David Imes (7.7, 6.8) and guard Dwan McMillan (6.8 points).

12/20 at Towson

The Tigers finished 0-18 in the Colonial Athletic Association and 4-26 overall last season and are picked for 12th in the 12-team conference this season. Towson lost its final 19 games last year and, then, had its leading scorer (guard Isaiah Philmore) transfer to Xavier. Its top returnee is 6-2 senior guard RaShawn Polk (11.6 points).

12/22 at George Mason

The Patriots won the CAA last season with a 16-2 league record and finished 26-6 overall. They are picked to finish third in the 12-team conference this season. Additions include new head coach Paul Hewitt (Siena's coach from 1997-98 through 1999-2000), who has been at Georgia Tech for the past 11 seasons. Returning are three starters including senior forward Ryan Pearson, who already is the 15th player in school history to eclipse career totals of 1,000 points and 500 rebounds. Also back is guard Andre Cornelius (9.5 points) and forward Mike Morrison (6.8 points).

12/30 at Binghamton

The team finished 4-12 in the America East Conference last season and 8-23 oerall. It is picked to finish ninth in the 9-team conference this season. The programs' top three scorers from last year are gone. Top returnee is 6-9 forward Kyrie Sutton.

Baseball's NL Closers Came from MAAC

2011-10-16T05:21:00.000-07:00

Basketball is certainly the dominant sport of the MAAC, and it's also the focus of this blog. But, right now, the most-prominent athletes to come out of the conference are still active in baseball's postseason, and one of them could easily determine the National League's representative to this year's World Series.

Amazingly, the closers of the teams playing in the NLCS both have ties to the MAAC.

Jason Motte of the St. Louis Cardinals, who attended Iona for three seasons before he was drafted by the Cards in in 2003, and John Axford of the Milwaukee Brewers, who attended Canisius as a senior, are the NL team's closers.

It's amazing to think that a mid-major level baseball league with its membership almost entirely located in the Northeast's snowbelt has produced two of this post-season's most-prominent major league players.

Motte has been particularly dominant, having appeared in three post-season games thus far. He has earned two saes while pitching eight total innings, allowing just one hit and striking out six without giving up a walk.

Axford has made five appearances and has pitched a total of six innings while allowing just four hits, one run two walks and striking out seven.

Surprisingly Motte, who throws in the mid-90 mph range, never pitched at Iona. There, he was a catcher and drafted in the 19th round of the 2003 baseball draft. But, after three years of minor-league struggles as a catcher he was approached by Cardinals' officials to consider a switch from to pitching.

"When they turned me into a pitcher, I wasn't thinking that, in a year-and-a-half, I was going to do well enough to make the 40-man roster," Motte told the Springfield (Mo.) News, several years ago. " I just went out there and worked hard."

Motte struggled in the minors in three-plus years as a catcher before converting to a pitcher in 2006. He batted only .190 and drove in 54 runs in 219 games.

As a junior at Iona, Motte batted .279 while setting career marks in games played (44), at-bats (154), runs scored (27), home runs (5) and walks (14). He was a Second Team All-MAAC selection in 2002 and 2003. Motte started 115 career games at Iona behind the plate, batting .277 with 11 home runs and 72 RBI.

Axford, a native of Ontario, Canada, spent three college seasons at Notre Dame before transferring to Canisius. He pitched for the Golden Griffins in 2006 and had 76 strikeouts in 70 innings there, but went undrafted by major league teams.

Shortly after the 2006 draft, though, he was signed as a free agent by the New York Yankees, released by the Yanks after the 2007 season and, then, signed by the Brewers early in spring training of the 2008 season.

He emerged as a full-time closer for Milwaukee in 2010 when former all-time saves' leader Trevor Hoffman struggled. Axford stepped in and finished the 2010 season with an 8-2 record and a 2.48 ERA and 24 saves in 27 chances. Axford voluntarily stepped aside for a late-season save opportunity so that Hoffman could step in and get career save No. 600.

He has been even better this season, recording a 1.95 ERA and an NL-best 46 saves during the 2011 regular season.

EDITOR'S NOTE: Both MAAC-produced closers appeared in Sunday night's NLCS-deciding contest, but the St. Louis Cardinals already had a 12-6 lead by then.

Axford pitched the top of the ninth, allowing one hit and striking out two.

Motte pitched the bottom of the ninth, struck out one and did not allow a hit..

The Cardinals moe on to face the Texas Rangers in the World Series that begins on Wednesday.

NCAA Rules Latham Eligible for Loyola

2011-10-14T12:58:00.000-07:00

The race for the men's basketball championship in the conference just got a little tighter with news announced today (Friday) that the NCAA has ruled that Jordan Latham, a 6-foot-8, 245-pound forward, will be eligible to play for Loyola this season.

That report, citing an unnamed source close to the situation, appeared in recent editions of the Baltimore Sun newspaper. Latham played as a freshman at Xavier last season before opting to return closer to home (he is a graduate of Baltimore's City High School) after the 2010-11 season.

It was initially believed that Latham would sit out this season due to transfer rules, but the Loyola applied for a waiver of the transfer rule in Latham's behalf, and the waiver was approved recently. No explanation of the NCAA's ruling was cited in the report.

Latham was a Baltimore Sun first-team All-Metro selection after the 2009-10 season. He appeared in 16 games for the Musketeers as a freshman, playing an average of just 4.8 minutes per contest. As a high school senior he averaged 17 points and nine rebounds per game.

He becomes active just as preseason practices are set to tip off and joins a program perceived by many as the the third-best in the conference, behind Iona and Fairfield, as the season approaches. Latham was ranked the 94th best high school player nationally by one recruiting service when he was at Baltimore City.

Latham's eligibility, though gives the Greyhounds a considerable boost, particularly on a front line that was already strong with returnees 6-10 center Shane Walker and 6-7 forward Erik Etherly, both double-figure scorers last season.

A Look at Marist's Non-League Schedule

2011-10-13T12:36:00.000-07:00

Here’s another in the series looking at non-league schedules of MAAC teams.
Up now …

MARIST MEN

11/11 at Kentucky

A highly ambitions beginning against an opponent picked to win the Southeast Conference and finish among the best teams nationally (The Sporting News ranks the Wildcats No. 2 nationally in the preseason), despite the loss of three players picked in this year’s NBA draft. Kentucky finished 10-6 in the SEC, 29-9 overall and advanced to the NCAA tournament’s Final Four last season where it lost to national champion Connecticut in a semifinal-round contest. Top returnees are 6-9, 250-pound sophomore Terrence Jones (15.7 points and an SEC-best 8.8 rebounds) and 6-4 sophomore guad Doron Lamb (12.3 points.

11/14 at South Florida

The Bulls finished 10-23 overall and 3-15 in the Big East last season. They are picked to finish 15th in the 16-team conference this year. The team does return six of its top seven scorers, including 6-10 senio forward Augustus Gilchrist (13.4 points, 6.0 rebounds).

11/19 Vermont (Hall of Fame Tip-off Tournament game to be played in Uncasville, Conn.)

The Catamounts finished 13-3 in the America East Conference, 23-8 overall and advanced to last season’s NIT. Top returnees are junior wing Brendan Bald and point guard Brian Voelkel, last season’s America East Rookie of the Year. Former program assistant John Becker became the program’s head coach when Mike Lonergan moved to Geoge Washington University.

11/20 vs. either LIU or Radford (Haoo of Fame Tip-off Tournament in Uncasville, Conn.)

11/22 Bucknell

Finished 25-8 last season and 13-1 in the Patriot League and advanced to the NCAA tournament. Top retunees are 6-11 center Mike Muscala (14.9 points, 7.3 rebounds), who was only the third sophomore to be named the Patriot’s Player of the Year. Also back is guard Bryson Johnson (11.7 points).

11/26 Colgate

Colgate finished 4-01 in the Patriot League last season and 7-23 overall after losing its first 11 games top stat the season. A new coach, 33-year old Matt Langel, is in place. Only one player graduated since last season. Picked to finish seventh in te eight-team league, the top returning players are 6-5 forward Yaw Gyawu (12.6 points, 4.5 ebounds) and 6-10 center Nick Pascale (7.3, 6.6, 43 blocks).

12/7 Army

The Cadets finished 3-11 in the Patriot League and 11-19 overall, and are picked to finish last in the 8-team league. They did hand league champion Bucknell a 90-70 defeat on Jan. 29, Bucknell’s only league defeat, but Army then lost its final eight games afterwards. For Marist, the meeting with Army is the third straight against a Patriot League opponent. Army’s top players are guard Julian Simmons (12.5 points, 68 3-pointers) and forward Ella Ellis (14.5, 5.3 and 53 treys).

12/17 at New Hampshire

The Wildcats finished 6-10 in the America East conference and 12-18 overall and are picked to finish fifth in the 9-team conference this season. The top returning player is expected to be senior guard Alvin Abreu, who missed last season with a torn ACL, and 6-6 forward Jeron Trotman, a transfer from Centenary.

12/21 Hartford

The Hawks finished 7-7 in America East and 11-20 overall, and are picked to finish 6th in the 9-team conference this season. Their top player is expected to be point guard Andres Torres, who missed last season with an injury.

12/23 at Penn

The Quakers finished 7-7 in the Ivy League and 13-15 overall last season, and are picked to finish third in the 8-team conference this season. Top players are guard Tyler Bernardini, who enters the season with 1,079 career points, and senior point guard Zack Rosen (14.3 points last season), who also surpassed the 1,000-point career mark late last season.

12/28 Columbia

The Lions finished 6-8 in the Ivy League last season and 15-13 overall, and are picked to finish sixth in the 8-team league. Top players are forward Noruwa Agho (16.8 points last season), the only player in the league to finish in the top 10 in scoring, rebounding and assists.

MAAC, ESPN Set New TV Contract

2011-10-10T09:07:00.000-07:00

The MAAC continues to expand the ability to be seen of its basketball programs, and an announcement earlier today of a new six-year arrangement for games to be televised over ESPN not only proves that, but shows league games are attractive commodities.

Here are some highlights:

- In total, the deal features a record 80 national appearances over 40 scheduled contests, an increase of 25% from last year’s schedule and the most ever for the MAAC. All 10 member institutions will receive a minimum of three men’s basketball and one women’s basketball appearances this year over multiple national platforms of ESPN networks.

“I personally believe in the ESPN brand and its ability to place the MAAC above many of its mid-major competitors,” said MAAC Commissioner Richard J. Ensor, Esq. “The ability to have extensive nationally televised opportunities across ESPN platforms is important to the growth and recognition of the MAAC with college basketball fans in a time when schools are looking to their respective conferences to provide such exposure.”

- The agreement continues to include the men’s championship game on ESPN or ESPN2 and the women’s championship game on ESPNU, two men’s basketball appearances on ESPN or ESPN2, and continuation of a weekly game on ESPNU. The agreement features a new National MAAC Game of the Week on ESPN3, ESPN’s multi-screen network available through an affiliated Internet or video provider online via WatchESPN.com, on smartphones and tablets via the WatchESPN app and on ESPN on Xbox LIVE.

- This season, ESPNU will air eight league games on seven dates starting on Jan. 6 with the Iona men hosting Niagara. A 2011 women’s championship game rematch between Loyola and Marist at the newly renovated McCann Arena will tipoff a MAAC doubleheader at 6 p.m. ET on Jan. 20 with a Rider at Iona men’s contest scheduled to follow at 10 p.m. on the network.

- ESPN3 will be the home of the conference’s new National MAAC Game of the Week, beginning with defending champion Saint Peter’s hosting Canisius at the Yanitelli Center in Jersey City on Jan. 5. ESPN3 will carry at least 10 MAAC Game of the Week games over seven days. A total of 21 regular season games will be carried exclusively on ESPN3 – 14 men’s and 7 women’s games.

- The agreement also features extensive coverage of the MAAC Men’s and Women’s Basketball Championships with 10 games set for air on one of the ESPN platforms during the annual joint championships to be hosted for the first time at the neutral site MassMutual Center in Springfield, Mass. from March 1-5, 2012.

“The MAAC’s new six-year agreement with ESPN further cements the relationship between the conference and the network that extends the MAAC’s package on ESPNU, the league’s hosting of the Old Spice Classic at ESPN Wide World of Sports, full-in status for the ESPN BracketBusters weekend and now an exciting tourney package on ESPN3,” notes Ensor. “The branding of ESPN has proven very beneficial to the league and the addition of a National MAAC Game of the Week format on ESPN3 similar to what the league currently has on ESPNU on Friday will enhance the MAAC’s branding and visibility on a national level.”

- Games on ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPNU are also accessible through WatchESPN, ESPN’s authenticated networks service. The networks are currently available to Time Warner Cable, Verizon FiOS TV and Bright House Networks video customers online at WatchESPN.com and on smartphones and tablets via the WatchESPN app. Once users visit WatchESPN, they will receive instructions to enter the appropriate cable subscriber credentials to begin accessing ESPN content from their PC, laptop, smartphone or tablet device.

Here's a link to the MAAC site that lists the coming season's entire national television schedule for conference games:

http://www.maacsports.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=17400&ATCLID=205313647

Iona's Glover A Preseason Wooden Pick

2011-10-05T12:37:00.000-07:00

News of a very prestigious and very deserving honor came through earlier this week when Iona's senior 6-foot-7 forward Michael Glover was picked on the Preseason Top 50 list of players under consideration for the John R. Wooden Award as picked by the Los Angeles Athletic Club.

The list is based on a preseason poll of national college basketball media members and is based on last year's individual performance and team runners. Transfers, freshmen and medical redshirts are not considered for the preseason list. Howeer, the National Ballot, which will eventually consist of approximately 20 top players to be determined later during this coming season, will include first-year Division I players.

To be eligible for both the preseason top 50 and the eventual season-ending ballot players must have proen that they are making progress toward graduation and be maintaining at least a 2.0 GPA. The final Wooden Award All-American Team, consisting of the nation's top 10 players, will be announced the week of the "Elite Eight" round of the NCAA tournament, and the nation's top player will also be announced at that time.

This is the 36th year of the Wooden awards.

Glover is the first player from the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference named to the preseason top 50 list since Rider's Jason Thompson was selected prior to the 2007-08 season.

It is indeed a rarity for players from mid-major level conferences to earn even the preseason honor.

Of the 50 players picked this preseason 10 come from the Big East, nine from the Big 10, seven from SEC and four from the ACC, Big 12 and Pac 12. The Atlantic 10, Big West and Conference USA have two picks each. Conferences with one player named include the Horizon League, the Ivy League, the Missouri Valley Conference, the Mountain West Conference and the WCC, along with the MAAC.

Glover led Iona in scoring (18.4 points) and rebounding (10.1) last season, the first player in that program's history to average a double-double since Jeff Ruland in the 1979-80 season.

He is also likely to be the MAAC's preseason Player of the Year pick when those awards are announced later this month.

Your blogging hoopscribe has been a first-hand MAAC observer as far back as the late 1980's, and the perception here is that Glover will eventually be recognized as one of the conference's top 10 players of all time, and one of the top three or four front-court players ever to play for a MAAC program.

It might still be a little early to make assessments, since Glover has only played one season so far for Iona. But, if his performance at least duplicates last season's, then he'll be recognized with the likes of La Salle's Lionel Simmons and Rider's Thompson as being among the best front-court players in league history.

A MAAC coach, who will remain unidentified here, recently spoke about his belief that Glover is the next MAAC player with a legitimate chance at a meaningful NBA career.

That's in the future. But Glover, based on his preseason selection to the Top 50 List for the Wooden Award, is already in good company.

A full list of the 50 preseason selectees can be found at a number of internet sites, including the Iona athletic website.

A Look at Canisius Men's N-L Schedule

2011-10-02T08:40:00.000-07:00

And, so we begin the look at every non-league schedule of conference men’s teams for the coming season. Each will include a little bit about opponents.

Up now …

CANISIUS MEN

11/13 at James Madison University.
JMU, which finished 21-12 overall and 10-8 in the Colonial Athletic Association last season, is coached by former Siena standout Matt Brady, who also coached four seasons at Marist. The Dukes are picked to finish fourth in the 12-team CAA (all predictions come from The Sporting News’ College Basketball preview issue).

JMU’s top players are Devon Moore, a point guard whose 137 assists last season set a school conference record. Small forward Julius Wells , a senior, already ranks 12th at JMU in career points (1,311) and third in career 3-pointers.

11/15 at Longwood College (Farmville, Va.)
The Lancers finished 12-19 as an independent last season. The team’s top player is 6-8 senior center Antwan Carter, who averaged 18.2 points and 9.5 rebounds per game last season, and three other starters return.

11/17 at UNLV
The Rebels finished 24-9 last season, 11-5 in the Mountain West Conference and advanced to the NCAA tournament, losing a first-round game to Illinois, 73-62. UNL Is picked to finish second in the MWC and has a new coach in Dae Rice, a member of the program’s 1990 Runnin’ Rebels national championship team. Top players are 6-8 senior forward Chace Stanback (13.0 points per game) and 6-2 senior point guard Oscar Bellfield (11.2 points, 3.7 assists).

11/22 at Buffalo
Canisius has to travel all of about five miles for this “away” game against the Bulls, who finished 20-14 overall last season and 9-8 in the Mid-American Conference. Buffalo is picked to finish fourth in the MAC’s six-team East Division. Top players are 6-3 senior guard Zach Fitzen (15.1 points) and 6-6 sophomore forward Javon McCrea (11.8 points, 6.5 rebounds).

12/8 South Dakota
South Dakota finished 10-8 in the Summit League and 19-12 oerall last season and is picked to finish 9th in the 10-team conference this year. Top players are senior guards Charlie Westbrook (16.2 points) and Louie Krogman (14.8). The team also has highly reguarded freshman Nimrod Hilliard IV, who was Wisconsin’s Mr. Basketball last season.

12/10 at Saint Bonaventure
The Bonnies finished 8-8 in the Atlantic 10 Conference last season and 16-15 overall. The program has either equaled or improved on the previous year’s victory total every year since the 2006-07 season. This marks the 160th meeting between the programs. The Bonnies are picked for fifth in the 14-team conference. Top players are 6-9, 250-pound senior forward Andrew Nicholson (20.8 points, 7.3 rebounds) and 6-5 senior forward Michael Davenport (11.1 points, 4.9 rebounds). Four starters return along with incoming junior college transfer Eric Mosely, who is expected to start at point guard.

12/16 UMKC

The Universiuty of Missouri at Kansas City finished 9-9 in the Summit League last season, 16-14 oerall and are picked to finish 8th in the 10-team league. Top player is senior guard Reggie Chamberlain (10.6 points).

12/18 at South Dakota
Completes a rare home-and-home in-season series with a non-league opponent.

12/28 Binghamton
Binghamton finished 4-12 in the America East Conference, 8-23 overall and are picked to finish last in the 9-team league. The team’s top three scorers graduated. Key returnees are guard Jimmy Gray and 6-9 forward Kyrie Sutton with two freshmen and a junior college transfer expected to get significant minutes.

News and Notes, from Around The MAAC

2011-09-24T05:24:00.000-07:00

MAAC news, notes and disjointed thoughts from a cluttered mind ...

IMPRESSIVE NEW COACHES

Your hoopscribe is very impressed with the two new men's coaches entering the league this season, Manhattan's Steve Masiello and Fairfield's Sydney Johnson.

Johnson has already been identified as one of the better mid-major level coaches nationally, for his previous work at Princeton, by one college basketball guru. Johnson fits the recent method of conference schools of hiring former head coaches from elsewhere.

Masiello, though, doesn't. He has never been a head coach before, but appears to have the necessary apprentice work, not only as an assistant in the program he now directs (he served under Bobby Gonzalez from the 2001-02 through the 2004-05 seasons), but also as a Louisville assistant under Rick Pitino. And, it would be difficult to find a coach anywhere with the enthusiasm and optimism of Masiello.

TRANSFER GROUP IS STRONG

Moreso than any time in recent memory will transfer players have an impact in the conference this season.

The initial thought here is that Rakim Sanders, the 6-5 senior swingman at Fairfield, will be the best of the incoming group with previous experience at other schools. Sanders already has more than 1,000 career points through three seasons at Boston College and has drawn raves from his coach, Sydney Johnson, for his work ethic and on-court intelligence. He also joins a program that will benefit from his ability to score points, so look for him to be among the conference's leading scorers as well.

But, he's not alone, not even on his own team. Point guard Desmond Wade (formerly at Houston), a junior, was in the starting lineup for the Stags' summer trip to Italy and is likely to get significant minutes during the upcoming regular season.

Then, there's Chris Prescott (St. Joseph's) at Saint Peter's, a 6-2 guard who will likely be among the conference scoring leaders this season.

Also, there's Jeff Jones (Virginia), at Rider who scored 555 points in his previous three seasons and is likely to be an impact player for the Broncs.

And, Ra'Shad James, a 6-1 guard (St. Thomas Aquinas), at Iona who one practice observer claims might have been the Gaels' best guard in practices last season.

The strong incoming group will be followed up by a similarly strong, if not better, group the following year.

Among those will be Freddie Asprilla, a 6-10, 275-pound center (Kansas State) at Canisius, Jordan Latham, a 6-8, 245-pound power forward (Xavier) at Loyola, Desi Washington, a 6-1 guard (Delaware State) at Saint Peter's, and Lamont "Momo" Jones, a 6-0 guard (Arizona) at Iona.

Iona is awaiting a hardship ruling by the NCAA on Jones that would allow him to play this coming season. The thought here is that Jones won't get early eligibility and won't be allowed to play games for the Gaels until next season. But, one never knows.

ANTICIPATING COOLEY'S RETURN TO FAIRFIELD

The best non-conference game this season? Pencil in Nov. 14 at the Arena at Harbor Yard in Bridgeport, Conn., when Providence comes to town to play Fairfield.

That game marks the return of Ed Cooley, the Fairfield coach for the past five seasons whose resume there includes this past season's regular-season title.

Cooley is now Providence's coach, but as part of the buyout agreement to be released from his Fairfield contract there was an agreement that Cooley had to bring his new team in for a game this season.

STAGS HAVE EXPERIENCED STAFF

Among the most-experienced staffs in the league is the new one in place at Fairfield. Not only does new head man Sydney Johnson have successful work in his previous position at Princetown, but brought in two highly regarded assistants, both with past MAAC connections, Tony Newsome and Brian Nash.

Newsome, a 1993 graduate at Niagara, also served as an assistant in the conference at Siena (two seasons) and Rider (six years). He has also coached at Holy Cross (two years) and or seven years at Princeton.

Nash only spent one season in the MAAC as a Siena assistant 2000-01, but also brings to Fairfield experience as a head coach from five seasons running the program at St. Francis of N.Y.

DESPITE LOSSES, PEACOCKS WILL SURPRISE

Don't expect Saint Peter's, last season's representative from the conference to the NCAA tournament, to fall off too far this year despite the loss of our significant seniors from 2010-11.

There are some nice role players, ready to step into bigger roles, returning. And, then, there is one of the conference's strongest groups of incoming players, led by Prescott. Also joining the program and expected to make significant contributions will be junior college transfer 6-7 forward Karee Ferguson and 5-9 freshman point guard Lamin Fulton, who has drawn high praise for his work there so far.

And, in a league of strong coaches, the Peacocks' John Dunne is among the best.

ACCOLADES FOR IONA'S GLOVER

The likelihood is that Iona's 6-7 forward Mike Glover will be the conference's choice as its preseason Player of the Year, but the player nicknamed "Optimus Prime" is getting notice on a national level, too.

Glover has been rated the seventh-best power forward nationally by Lindy's College Basketball Preview issue.

Glover has only been in the league for one season so far, but based on what we've seen he might be the conference's best true forward since Lionel Simmons' days at La Salle.

SPORTING NEWS MAGAZINE AVAILABLE

And, of course, it's time for a commercial announcement: The top college hoops preview magazine of its kind is now available at newsstands everywhere. That would be The Sporting News' preview issue, which includes a comprehensive look at the MAAC, written by your blogger. The MAAC preview also includes my choices for how the league will finish, top players, best newcomer and best coach. A sneak look: I picked Iona to win the regular-season title, followed by Fairfield. Glover was my choice as the league's top player.

For more ... you'll have to buy the magazine.

PREVIEW OF WHAT'S UP NEXT

And, there's this preview of coming attractions ... Schedules are out. You can find every team's full 2011-12 schedule on each's individual website, or on the MAAC's website.

But, if you're looking for a detailed look at every team's non-conference list of opponents, then Keepin' Track of the MAAC is your perfect destination. We'll start providing that later this month and into early October.

And, early October means the start of preseason practices. Not long after that (late October, early November) we'll provide our team-by-team preseason previews for both men's and women's programs.

The college basketball season, the best time of the year, is almost here.