Here's another in the series previewing MAAC teams. Up now ...
SIENA WOMEN
2009-10 RECORD: 8-10 in MAAC play, 11-18 overall.
COACHES' PREDICTION: Picked for eighth in the preseason poll of conference coaches.
KEY RETURNEES: 6-2 senior forward Serena Moore (13.7 points, 7.7 rebounds), 5-9 junior guard Christina Centeno (6.5 points, 4.3 rebounds, 2.4 assists), 5-9 senior forward Cathy Cockrum (3.9 points, 3.8 rebounds), 5-11 junior guard Maja Gerlying (3.0 points, 1.0 rebounds), 6-0 sophomore forward Lily Grenci (2.4 points, 1.7 rebounds).
KEY LOSSES: 5-8 guard Allie Lindemann (11.2 points, 2.7 rebounds, 68 3-pointers), 6-3 center Sarah Fullmer (8.9 points, 6.4 rebounds), 5-6 point guard Merrick Volpe (6.3 points, 4.4 rebounds, 3.3 assists).
NOTES: Three senior starters lost, but all shared a common thread: skilled, but non-athletic. They'll be replaced by a variety of quicker, more-athletic performers and a new playing style will reflect that.
Siena and 21st-year head coach Gina Castelli has had six straight sub-.500 overall records, but has remained in the middle of the pack in the conference. Last year's 8-10 MAAC record could easily have been 10-8. Over the past six years the Saints' conference mark is 48-60. Not great, but not horrendous, either. Before that, though, from 1997-98 through 2003-04, Siena was as nearly as dominant a team in the league as Marist has been in recent years. Over that seven year stretch Siena either won outright or shared the top spot in the league standings six times. From 2000-01 through 2003-04 the Saints' MAAC record was 61-11 and its overall record was 89-32.
Serena Moore is a gifted athlete who has improved some aspect of her game each season. Preseason drills have allowed her to show off a nice mid-range jumper she didn't have previously. She is the No. 3 returning scorer, No. 2 returning rebounder and No. 2 returnee in field goal percentage among MAAC players. She is also one of just two seniors on the preseason first-team all-star squad, as selected by league coaches (Erica Allenspach of Marist is the other one), and is a legit Player of the Year candidate.
Centeno moves to the point full time after playing both guard spots over the past two years. She had 101 assists as a freshman, the only Siena women's player to go over 100 assists in her first season in the program's Division I history.
Grinci and Gerlying, in particular, look ready to step up and step into key roles after being limited by injuries for most of last year.
Gerlying had 11 points (5-of-5 shooting) in last season's opener at Illinois and, then, battled hamstring, groin and ankle injuries for most of the rest of the way.
Grenci (foot woes) was almost never healthy, but she had two eye-opening games: a 14-point, six-rebound effort in 23 minutes in an upset victory at Iona and another 14-point performance (5-of-6 shooting) against Marist.
HOW SIENA WILL SUCCEED: Moore steps up a little more to be the Player of the Year candidate she figures to be. Centeno makes a smooth transition to the point guard spot. Geryling and Grinci both stay healthy and each can extend the flashes they showed last year into consistent, season-long results. There also seems to be considerable depth in plalce, including two other contenders for starting roles, 5-9 senior Cathy Cockrum (3.9 points, 3.8 rebounds), and 5-6 junior guard Brittany Wilwohl (1.6 points), who has a nice offensive game and looks ready to get into the playing group. There are also six freshmen on the roster, with the best of those likely to be athletic 5-7 guard Allie Mullings, 6-1 forward Clara Sole Anglade, a native of Barcelona, Spain, and 6-0 forward Kate Zarotney.
The Saints will certainly need to adapt to a new playing style, some new faces in new roles and some new faces, period. But the potential is definitely there and the team looks like it has a legitimate chance for its first winning record overall since the 2003-04 season.
PREDICTION: Definitely higher than eighth. In the interest of full disclosure ... your blogger is doing radio color commentary work for the Siena women's games this season and has attended a few preseason practices. The feeling here is that league coaches understandably overlooked players like Grinci and Gerlying, whose roles were previously limited by injuries. There is enough in place here for at least the start of a move upward in the standings. Bottom line ... at least middle of the pack.
COACH'S COMMENTS: "What we are really excited about is how much our returning players have stepped up their games since last season. Serena (Moore) has worked on parts of her game every off-season to get better, and has added another dimension in terms of shooing. We've got six freshmen, and they need to lelarn quickly. But, they bring a lot of energy to our program and quite a bit of athleticism."
Thursday, November 4, 2010
Niagara Men's Preview: Many New Roles
Here's another in the series previewing MAAC teams. Up now ...
NIAGARA MEN
2009-10 RECORD: 9-9 in MAAC play, 18-15 overall.
2010-11 COACHES' PREDICTION: In their preseason poll league coaches picked Niagara to finish eighth.
KEY RETURNEES: 6-1 senior guard Anthony Nelson (9.9 points, 4.8 rebounds, 5.0 assists), 6-5 junior forward Kashief Edwards (7.8 points, 3.6 rebounds), 6-8 sophomore forward Scooter Gillette (2.5 points, 1.2 rebounds), 6-8 sophomore forward Eric Williams (2.2 points, 1.6 rebounds).
KEY LOSSES: 6-5 forward Bilal Benn (13.5 points, 9.9 rebounds), 6-2 guard Rob Garrison (10.5 points, 4.2 rebounds), 5-11 guard Tyrone Lewis (17.1 points, 4.7 rebounds).
NOTES: Eighth place? Let's put that in some historical perspective. Head coach Joe Mihalich has coached 12 years at Niagara and has had one losing season (11-18 in 2005-06). Basically, the prediction by league coaches is that this could be the worst Purple Eagles' season in Mihalich's tenure. I'll believe that when I see it. Mihilach has a 223-147 record in the MAAC. Starting with the 2003-04 season his teams have been to two NCAA tournaments and two NITs. It's certainly not a stretch to consider Mihalich the conference's best coach.
That said, his coaching ability is likely to be tested some this season. He loses four players who each started at least 21 games last year and combined for 63.9 percent of the tean's scoring and 56.9 percent of its rebounding. And, last year wasn't one of the program's best, not with an unsatisfying 18-15 overall record caused in no small part due to season-long nagging injuries to 2009-10's two best players, Benn and Lewis. Still, there were some good moments, including a national TV victory at the Taps Gallagher Center over Siena that ended the Saints' 14-0 start to MAAC play.
This year's team is hardly devoid of talent. Senior point guard Anthony Nelson (his 5.0 assist-per-game average is second-best among returning conference players) has been an easy-to-overlook player in past seasons. This year, though, MAAC fans are likely to develop a greater appreciation for Nelson, who needs to take on an even bigger role. There are also three promising front-court players, all likely to start, in 6-5 junior Kashief Edwards (7.8, 3.6), and 6-8 sophomores Scooter Gillette (2.5, 1.2) and Eric Williams (2.2, 1.6).
There are also some touted freshmen on hand, and the best guess here is that Antoine Mason, a 6-3 guard and the son of former NBA standout Anthony Mason; and 6-5 Skylar Jones, who comes out of the rugged Mount Vernon (N.Y.) program, will be the best.
HOW NIAGARA WILL SUCCEED: Don't worry, Mihalich will figure something out. It seems like he always does. Will he figure out a way to win the league title? Probably not, but getting into the upper half of the standings isn't out of the realm of possibility, which would be a nice building block for a future that has just about everyone returning for 2011-12. Besides four decent returnees and some touted freshmen there's also Keon Moore, a 6-2 transfer guard from UNC Wilmington where he averaged 9.1 points and 4.1 rebounds per game as a freshman in the 2008-09 season. Moore was with Niagara's program last year for practices, and could step into a key role this season.
If Nelson steps up a little and Moore's stats are just a little better than when he was at UNC Wilmington, then Niagara has a more-than-competitive backcourt. The big question is the front court where Edwards started 20 games last year, but Williams only started four and Gillette none. Some freshmen will also have to step up, but none will likely need to be a significant factor.
COACH'S COMMENT: "Anthony Nelson has to have a great year for us, and we need some guys to follow him," said Mihalich. "Whatever Anthony Nelson does or says something, our younger guys need to follow his lead. We do have some guys coming back in Edwards, Williams and Gillette and they have to play like they've got a year under their belt. We've got new faces, and it's hard to say which ones are going to play, but some of them are going to have to play."
PREDICTION: It's hard to envision a Mihalich team finishing as low as eighth, as is the coaches' poll prediction. The guess here is that there's an adjustment period early and, then, a greater comfort level as the season progresses. There's a very good chance for Niagara to finish higher than predicted.
NIAGARA MEN
2009-10 RECORD: 9-9 in MAAC play, 18-15 overall.
2010-11 COACHES' PREDICTION: In their preseason poll league coaches picked Niagara to finish eighth.
KEY RETURNEES: 6-1 senior guard Anthony Nelson (9.9 points, 4.8 rebounds, 5.0 assists), 6-5 junior forward Kashief Edwards (7.8 points, 3.6 rebounds), 6-8 sophomore forward Scooter Gillette (2.5 points, 1.2 rebounds), 6-8 sophomore forward Eric Williams (2.2 points, 1.6 rebounds).
KEY LOSSES: 6-5 forward Bilal Benn (13.5 points, 9.9 rebounds), 6-2 guard Rob Garrison (10.5 points, 4.2 rebounds), 5-11 guard Tyrone Lewis (17.1 points, 4.7 rebounds).
NOTES: Eighth place? Let's put that in some historical perspective. Head coach Joe Mihalich has coached 12 years at Niagara and has had one losing season (11-18 in 2005-06). Basically, the prediction by league coaches is that this could be the worst Purple Eagles' season in Mihalich's tenure. I'll believe that when I see it. Mihilach has a 223-147 record in the MAAC. Starting with the 2003-04 season his teams have been to two NCAA tournaments and two NITs. It's certainly not a stretch to consider Mihalich the conference's best coach.
That said, his coaching ability is likely to be tested some this season. He loses four players who each started at least 21 games last year and combined for 63.9 percent of the tean's scoring and 56.9 percent of its rebounding. And, last year wasn't one of the program's best, not with an unsatisfying 18-15 overall record caused in no small part due to season-long nagging injuries to 2009-10's two best players, Benn and Lewis. Still, there were some good moments, including a national TV victory at the Taps Gallagher Center over Siena that ended the Saints' 14-0 start to MAAC play.
This year's team is hardly devoid of talent. Senior point guard Anthony Nelson (his 5.0 assist-per-game average is second-best among returning conference players) has been an easy-to-overlook player in past seasons. This year, though, MAAC fans are likely to develop a greater appreciation for Nelson, who needs to take on an even bigger role. There are also three promising front-court players, all likely to start, in 6-5 junior Kashief Edwards (7.8, 3.6), and 6-8 sophomores Scooter Gillette (2.5, 1.2) and Eric Williams (2.2, 1.6).
There are also some touted freshmen on hand, and the best guess here is that Antoine Mason, a 6-3 guard and the son of former NBA standout Anthony Mason; and 6-5 Skylar Jones, who comes out of the rugged Mount Vernon (N.Y.) program, will be the best.
HOW NIAGARA WILL SUCCEED: Don't worry, Mihalich will figure something out. It seems like he always does. Will he figure out a way to win the league title? Probably not, but getting into the upper half of the standings isn't out of the realm of possibility, which would be a nice building block for a future that has just about everyone returning for 2011-12. Besides four decent returnees and some touted freshmen there's also Keon Moore, a 6-2 transfer guard from UNC Wilmington where he averaged 9.1 points and 4.1 rebounds per game as a freshman in the 2008-09 season. Moore was with Niagara's program last year for practices, and could step into a key role this season.
If Nelson steps up a little and Moore's stats are just a little better than when he was at UNC Wilmington, then Niagara has a more-than-competitive backcourt. The big question is the front court where Edwards started 20 games last year, but Williams only started four and Gillette none. Some freshmen will also have to step up, but none will likely need to be a significant factor.
COACH'S COMMENT: "Anthony Nelson has to have a great year for us, and we need some guys to follow him," said Mihalich. "Whatever Anthony Nelson does or says something, our younger guys need to follow his lead. We do have some guys coming back in Edwards, Williams and Gillette and they have to play like they've got a year under their belt. We've got new faces, and it's hard to say which ones are going to play, but some of them are going to have to play."
PREDICTION: It's hard to envision a Mihalich team finishing as low as eighth, as is the coaches' poll prediction. The guess here is that there's an adjustment period early and, then, a greater comfort level as the season progresses. There's a very good chance for Niagara to finish higher than predicted.
St. Peter's Women Preview: Cut TOs
Here's another in the series previewing conference teams. Up now ...
SAINT PETER'S WOMEN
2009-10 RECORD: 7-11 in MAAC play, 11-19 overall.
PRESEASON PREDICTION: Peahens are picked to finish ninth by league coaches in their preseason poll.
KEY RETURNEES: 6-2 Junior forward Quiana Porter (4.1 points, 6.1 rebounds), 6-0 senior forward Charlene Riddick (9.1 points, 6.5 rebounds), 5-10 junior forward Jynae Judson (11.0 points, 5.5 rebounds).
KEY LOSSES: 5-8 guard Nathasha Morris (12.2 points, 3.5 rebounds), 5-7 guard Alena Ali (8.3 points, 2.3 rebounds).
NOTES: There haven't been many good times in recent years for the once-dominant program. Saint Peter's has only had one better-than-.500 season (19-12 in 2007-08) in the last eight. And, it wasn't real good last year as evidenced by double-digit losses in 8 of its 11 MAAC setbacks.
But, the program has potentially one of the stronger front courts, led by 6-2 junior Quiana Porter (6.7 points, 10.2 rebounds in her last nine games), 6-0 senior Charlene Riddick (9.1 points, 6.5 rebounds) and 5-10 junior forward Jynae Judson (11.0 points, 5.5 rebounds). And then, there were some decidedly negative statistcs from that trio: They conspired to shoot .361 percent from the floor. And, as the individuals who handled the ball the most, they had 346 turnovers against just 163 assists. Judson, the team's primary ball-handler last year had 160 TOs vs. 74 assists, an abysmal rate. Chalk much of that up to not having a legitimate point guard last season. A better point guard will get teammates the ball in better shooting positions and, theoretically, cut down on the turnovers that averaged a too-high 20 per game last season.
The team did have some success elsewhere. Its 5.1 per-game rebounding edge was the best by a conference team. But, its 54.2 point-per-game average was better than only one conference team.
HOW SAINT PETER'S WILL SUCCEED: This one is simple: Find a point guard. There appears to be a good one in place in 5-3 freshman Aziza May of Charles F. Brush High School in South Euclid, Ohio. May was a 4-year high school starter at the point, and averaged 10.2 points, 5.0 assists and 2.0 steals per game as a senior. Reports indicate that she is quick and capable of going past defenders. Still ... she'll only be a freshman and first-year players rarely have the type impact the Peahens will need from the position to make a significant improvement.
But if May can help trim the turnovers to a more manageable total, and the front line takes a step forward, Saint Peter's could easily move up a couple of spots and, maybe, even approach a .500 record.
There's more help than May coming in. Aminah Davis, a 5-6 guard sat out last season after playing her freshman year at Monroe Community College where she averaged 17.8 points, 4.9 rebounds and 4.3 steals per game. She should also be a valuable perimeter piece.
COACH'S COMMENT: "Jynae Judson has really expanded her game," said coach Stephanie DeWolfe. "Until this point she relied on her athleticism. We're hoping she can build on that this year. The biggest thing about this team is that we've got really good leadership. We've got four freshmen coming in and we have high expectations for the point guard (May), who can make our team go quick. She can really push the ball."
PREDICTION: It was a reasonable prediction by the coaches to pick the Peahens to finish ninth, but there really isn't much difference between teams that figure to finish third or fourth through ninth. If things come together, and the team gets better guard play and takes care of the ball a lot better than year ago, moving up several spots in the standings isn't out of the question.
SAINT PETER'S WOMEN
2009-10 RECORD: 7-11 in MAAC play, 11-19 overall.
PRESEASON PREDICTION: Peahens are picked to finish ninth by league coaches in their preseason poll.
KEY RETURNEES: 6-2 Junior forward Quiana Porter (4.1 points, 6.1 rebounds), 6-0 senior forward Charlene Riddick (9.1 points, 6.5 rebounds), 5-10 junior forward Jynae Judson (11.0 points, 5.5 rebounds).
KEY LOSSES: 5-8 guard Nathasha Morris (12.2 points, 3.5 rebounds), 5-7 guard Alena Ali (8.3 points, 2.3 rebounds).
NOTES: There haven't been many good times in recent years for the once-dominant program. Saint Peter's has only had one better-than-.500 season (19-12 in 2007-08) in the last eight. And, it wasn't real good last year as evidenced by double-digit losses in 8 of its 11 MAAC setbacks.
But, the program has potentially one of the stronger front courts, led by 6-2 junior Quiana Porter (6.7 points, 10.2 rebounds in her last nine games), 6-0 senior Charlene Riddick (9.1 points, 6.5 rebounds) and 5-10 junior forward Jynae Judson (11.0 points, 5.5 rebounds). And then, there were some decidedly negative statistcs from that trio: They conspired to shoot .361 percent from the floor. And, as the individuals who handled the ball the most, they had 346 turnovers against just 163 assists. Judson, the team's primary ball-handler last year had 160 TOs vs. 74 assists, an abysmal rate. Chalk much of that up to not having a legitimate point guard last season. A better point guard will get teammates the ball in better shooting positions and, theoretically, cut down on the turnovers that averaged a too-high 20 per game last season.
The team did have some success elsewhere. Its 5.1 per-game rebounding edge was the best by a conference team. But, its 54.2 point-per-game average was better than only one conference team.
HOW SAINT PETER'S WILL SUCCEED: This one is simple: Find a point guard. There appears to be a good one in place in 5-3 freshman Aziza May of Charles F. Brush High School in South Euclid, Ohio. May was a 4-year high school starter at the point, and averaged 10.2 points, 5.0 assists and 2.0 steals per game as a senior. Reports indicate that she is quick and capable of going past defenders. Still ... she'll only be a freshman and first-year players rarely have the type impact the Peahens will need from the position to make a significant improvement.
But if May can help trim the turnovers to a more manageable total, and the front line takes a step forward, Saint Peter's could easily move up a couple of spots and, maybe, even approach a .500 record.
There's more help than May coming in. Aminah Davis, a 5-6 guard sat out last season after playing her freshman year at Monroe Community College where she averaged 17.8 points, 4.9 rebounds and 4.3 steals per game. She should also be a valuable perimeter piece.
COACH'S COMMENT: "Jynae Judson has really expanded her game," said coach Stephanie DeWolfe. "Until this point she relied on her athleticism. We're hoping she can build on that this year. The biggest thing about this team is that we've got really good leadership. We've got four freshmen coming in and we have high expectations for the point guard (May), who can make our team go quick. She can really push the ball."
PREDICTION: It was a reasonable prediction by the coaches to pick the Peahens to finish ninth, but there really isn't much difference between teams that figure to finish third or fourth through ninth. If things come together, and the team gets better guard play and takes care of the ball a lot better than year ago, moving up several spots in the standings isn't out of the question.
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
Manhatten Men Preview: Growing Pains
Here's another in the series previewing conference teams. Up now ...
MANHATTAN MEN
2009-10 RECORD: 4-14 in MAAC play, 11-20 overall.
2010-11 PREDICITION: Picked to finish 9th by conference coaches in their preseason poll.
KEY LOSSES: 6-4 guard Rico Pickett (17.7 points), 6-4 guard Darryl Crawford (14.8 points), 6-2 guard Antoine Pearson (7.9 points), 6-6 forward Brandon Adams (7.0 points, 5.0 rebounds).
KEY RETURNEES: 6-6 senior forward Andrew Gabriel (4.8 points, 2.7 rebounds), 6-4 sophomore guard George Beamon (3.6 points, 1.9 rebounds), 6-4 sophomore guard Mohamed Kaito (3.9 points, 3.0 rebounds).
NOTES: No conference team lost more than the Jaspers, including its top four scorers and six of its top seven. Gabriel, mostly an inside role player for his first three seasons, is the only returnee who started more than four games last season...
So, it only stands to reason that no team has a bigger infusion of incoming talent than the Jaspers. Fans will need a scorecard to keep track of all the newcomers for the better part of the season. Overall there are three freshmen joining the program and four other players who previously played some level of college ball, either in junior college or at a four-year school, who will be eligible. Head coach Barry Rohrssen has a reputation as a terrific recruiter. The fruits of that, though, have yet to pay dividends at Manhattan, but the large incoming group is certainly intriguing. And, maybe, good enough to justify the coach's recruiting rep...
Manhattan finished ninth last year in the conference, but was one of the better ninth-place teams the conference has seen in many years. It lost six of its games by three points or less and 13 games by single figures...
Pickett, who led the conference in scoring last season after transferring from Alabama, left a year early to pursue professional opportunities. He and the team's second-leading scorer, graduated senior Darryl Crawford, were notorious trash talkers and not well liked by foes or friends. For Manhattan, the losses of those two might well be addition by subtraction in terms of overall team chemistry and certainly in team decorum...
The key newcomers have all played post high school, including 6-8, 240-pound forward Demitrius Jemison, a transfer from Alabama where he played three seasons. Jemison sat out last season with an injury and came to Manhattan in July, but he's eligible to play this season under NCAA rules that allow a graduate student who transfers to play right away if his former school doesn't offer the graduate-level program he enrolls in at his new school. Jemison started 30 games as an Alabama sophomore in the 2007-08 season (5.6 points, 5.3 rebounds), but saw his role diminish as a junior in 2008-09 (only two starts).
Other post-h.s. newcomers are 6-1 junior guard Kidani Brutus (8.7 points, 3.2 rebounds, 2.6 assists at Oklahoma's Cal Abert State junior college last season), 6-7 junior forward Roberto Colonette (12.5 points, 9.7 rebounds, 2.5 blocks at ASA Institute in Brooklyn), and 6-6 junior forward Robert Martina (5.0 points, 3.0 rebounds at Miami Dade Junior College).
Between them and the four incoming freshmen, Rohrssen has some sorting out to do during the preseason.
HOW MANHATTAN WILL SUCCEED: Teams with so much transition rarely succeed at this level, which is why the coaches surely picked the Jaspers to repeat their ninth-place finish. The list of junior college transfers who have been significant contributors to MAAC programs is also extremely short. And, players transferring in from other schools usually bring considerable baggage along. All that said ... the transfers and the freshmen do bring a sense of hope with them. They can't be any worse than what was here previously, can they?
Hopefully, the egos coming in are considerably easier to deal with for Rohrssen than was Pickett's.
It should be interesting to see what pieces step up and how all the new pieces fit in. Returnee George Beamon had 13 points in a MAAC tournament game last season and looks capable of really emerging in the coming year. Again, though, his role could change depending on the newcomers.
The best of the freshmen might be 6-2 guard Mike Alvarado of All Hallows High School who plays point guard, a position the team needs to fill.
A successful season would be the be even more competitive than a year ago and to get back over the .500 record. And, there seems to be at least a chance to do that, depending on how quickly the new pieces fit in and step up.
PREDICTION: We'll agree with the coaches here. Probably another ninth-place finish, but no conference team has the potential to finish higher than predicted than the Jaspers if everything falls into place. Still, it's rare that a team with so many newcomers plays well, and the thought here is that this team will have chemistry issues for much of the season.
MANHATTAN MEN
2009-10 RECORD: 4-14 in MAAC play, 11-20 overall.
2010-11 PREDICITION: Picked to finish 9th by conference coaches in their preseason poll.
KEY LOSSES: 6-4 guard Rico Pickett (17.7 points), 6-4 guard Darryl Crawford (14.8 points), 6-2 guard Antoine Pearson (7.9 points), 6-6 forward Brandon Adams (7.0 points, 5.0 rebounds).
KEY RETURNEES: 6-6 senior forward Andrew Gabriel (4.8 points, 2.7 rebounds), 6-4 sophomore guard George Beamon (3.6 points, 1.9 rebounds), 6-4 sophomore guard Mohamed Kaito (3.9 points, 3.0 rebounds).
NOTES: No conference team lost more than the Jaspers, including its top four scorers and six of its top seven. Gabriel, mostly an inside role player for his first three seasons, is the only returnee who started more than four games last season...
So, it only stands to reason that no team has a bigger infusion of incoming talent than the Jaspers. Fans will need a scorecard to keep track of all the newcomers for the better part of the season. Overall there are three freshmen joining the program and four other players who previously played some level of college ball, either in junior college or at a four-year school, who will be eligible. Head coach Barry Rohrssen has a reputation as a terrific recruiter. The fruits of that, though, have yet to pay dividends at Manhattan, but the large incoming group is certainly intriguing. And, maybe, good enough to justify the coach's recruiting rep...
Manhattan finished ninth last year in the conference, but was one of the better ninth-place teams the conference has seen in many years. It lost six of its games by three points or less and 13 games by single figures...
Pickett, who led the conference in scoring last season after transferring from Alabama, left a year early to pursue professional opportunities. He and the team's second-leading scorer, graduated senior Darryl Crawford, were notorious trash talkers and not well liked by foes or friends. For Manhattan, the losses of those two might well be addition by subtraction in terms of overall team chemistry and certainly in team decorum...
The key newcomers have all played post high school, including 6-8, 240-pound forward Demitrius Jemison, a transfer from Alabama where he played three seasons. Jemison sat out last season with an injury and came to Manhattan in July, but he's eligible to play this season under NCAA rules that allow a graduate student who transfers to play right away if his former school doesn't offer the graduate-level program he enrolls in at his new school. Jemison started 30 games as an Alabama sophomore in the 2007-08 season (5.6 points, 5.3 rebounds), but saw his role diminish as a junior in 2008-09 (only two starts).
Other post-h.s. newcomers are 6-1 junior guard Kidani Brutus (8.7 points, 3.2 rebounds, 2.6 assists at Oklahoma's Cal Abert State junior college last season), 6-7 junior forward Roberto Colonette (12.5 points, 9.7 rebounds, 2.5 blocks at ASA Institute in Brooklyn), and 6-6 junior forward Robert Martina (5.0 points, 3.0 rebounds at Miami Dade Junior College).
Between them and the four incoming freshmen, Rohrssen has some sorting out to do during the preseason.
HOW MANHATTAN WILL SUCCEED: Teams with so much transition rarely succeed at this level, which is why the coaches surely picked the Jaspers to repeat their ninth-place finish. The list of junior college transfers who have been significant contributors to MAAC programs is also extremely short. And, players transferring in from other schools usually bring considerable baggage along. All that said ... the transfers and the freshmen do bring a sense of hope with them. They can't be any worse than what was here previously, can they?
Hopefully, the egos coming in are considerably easier to deal with for Rohrssen than was Pickett's.
It should be interesting to see what pieces step up and how all the new pieces fit in. Returnee George Beamon had 13 points in a MAAC tournament game last season and looks capable of really emerging in the coming year. Again, though, his role could change depending on the newcomers.
The best of the freshmen might be 6-2 guard Mike Alvarado of All Hallows High School who plays point guard, a position the team needs to fill.
A successful season would be the be even more competitive than a year ago and to get back over the .500 record. And, there seems to be at least a chance to do that, depending on how quickly the new pieces fit in and step up.
PREDICTION: We'll agree with the coaches here. Probably another ninth-place finish, but no conference team has the potential to finish higher than predicted than the Jaspers if everything falls into place. Still, it's rare that a team with so many newcomers plays well, and the thought here is that this team will have chemistry issues for much of the season.
Rider Women's Preview: Getting Better
Here's another in the series previewing MAAC men's and women's teams. Up now ...
RIDER WOMEN
2009-10 RECORD: 2-16 in MAAC play, 4-26 overall.
2010-11 PREDICTION: Picked to finish 10th in the coaches' preseason poll.
KEY RETURNEES: 6-2 sophomore forward Caitlin Bopp (8.4 points, 9.6 rebounds), 6-3 junior center Sarah Homan (4.5, 4.6), 6-0 sophomore forward Carleigh Brown (4.3, 5.2), 5-6 sophomore guard Dior Brown (3.6, 4.3), 5-4 sophomore guard Alyssa Parsons (missed 2009-10 with a knee injury).
KEY LOSSES: guard Amanda Sepulveda (11.5 points, 3.3 rebounds), forward Cintella Spotwood (10.2, 4.7).
NOTES: Clearly one of the youngest teams nationally, and the only team in the MAAC without a senior on the roster, comprised of three juniors, five sophomores and three freshmen. And, one of the juniors is an incoming junior college transfer...Sepulveda was a do-everything point guard, who graduated. Spotwood, an athletic front-court player, would have been the team's top returning scorer but she is no longer at Rider and school officials will not divulge a reason for her departure...
Bopp won Rookie of the Week honors five times last season, and finished third nationally among all freshmen in rebounds. She was 41st nationally in rebounds among all players and is the youthful piece around which the program can grow in future years...
The incoming JC transfer is Aisha Varnadore, a 5-6 guard who averaged 15.4 points last season at Burlington County College. She should provide some much-needed perimeter scoring...And, then, there's Parsons' return from a torn ACL suffered last preseason. Parsons, a 5-4 point guard, averaged 19.5 minutes per game in the 2008-09 season, while scoring 2.9 points and handing out 1.8 assists per contest. She should take over at the point and provide a little experience...
The Riders haven't won more than seven conference games since the 1999-00 season, and have yet to break the .500 mark in its 13-year affiliation with the MAAC....
How important is Bopp to the team? She missed the MAAC tournament's opening-round game with an ankle injury last season and without her Rider lost, 43-25, to Siena. The 25 points scored is the lowest total by any team, men or women, in the tournament's history.
HOW RIDER CAN SUCCEED: By getting older quick. Teams with so many young players rarely win in the MAAC, and Rider probably won't this season, not without a single senior. The team also lacks depth (only 11 players on the roster), and the likely starting backcourt of Parsons and Varnadore didn't play a minute on the Division I level last season. But, there isn't any place to go but forward after a 2-16 conference finish a year ago and the Broncs looked poised to make at least a little progress. Success here will be measured in small increments, however. An increase of even a couple of conference wins would be a nice step forward and a building block considering that the entire roster will be back for 2011-12, too. There are definitely some nice pieces in place. Bopp is poised to become one of the conference's top four or five inside players this season and, potentially, much better than that in the future. Homan, at 6-3, showed some signs last year and gives the team some nice height inside. Varnadore and Parsons, theoretically, should eventually become an effective backcourt pair, but they'll need some experience first to get there. The loss of Spotwood, a tough player to defend, will hurt. But, the good news is that a lot of young players got a lot of minutes last year which should help a little this season. Carleigh Brown (4.3, 5.2), a 6-0 sophomore forward; and, Dior Brown (3.6, 4.3), a 5-6 sophomore guard, should also be in the playing group.
Still, there's way too much youth here for anyone to think the Broncs will move up much, if at all, from last season's last-place finish. But, there is definitely some signs that things are getting better and there's considerable hope for future seasons.
COACH'S COMMENTS: "Our expectations are high," said coach Lynn Milligan. "Caitlin Bopp has really progressed this preseason. She has the "it" factor. She wants to work hard ... she wants to be great. And, that kind of example rubs off on a young team. Sarah Homan had a terrific sumer. She's bigger and stronger and she's ready to make a big leap forward."
PREDICTION: Very likely to finish last again this season, but probably with a few more victories than a year ago. It should still be interesting to watch the young team grow. At least there's some sense of a future here. Bopp and Homan could cause some opponents trouble with their length inside. And, if the backcourt matures, there's a legitimate chance to exceed expectations.
RIDER WOMEN
2009-10 RECORD: 2-16 in MAAC play, 4-26 overall.
2010-11 PREDICTION: Picked to finish 10th in the coaches' preseason poll.
KEY RETURNEES: 6-2 sophomore forward Caitlin Bopp (8.4 points, 9.6 rebounds), 6-3 junior center Sarah Homan (4.5, 4.6), 6-0 sophomore forward Carleigh Brown (4.3, 5.2), 5-6 sophomore guard Dior Brown (3.6, 4.3), 5-4 sophomore guard Alyssa Parsons (missed 2009-10 with a knee injury).
KEY LOSSES: guard Amanda Sepulveda (11.5 points, 3.3 rebounds), forward Cintella Spotwood (10.2, 4.7).
NOTES: Clearly one of the youngest teams nationally, and the only team in the MAAC without a senior on the roster, comprised of three juniors, five sophomores and three freshmen. And, one of the juniors is an incoming junior college transfer...Sepulveda was a do-everything point guard, who graduated. Spotwood, an athletic front-court player, would have been the team's top returning scorer but she is no longer at Rider and school officials will not divulge a reason for her departure...
Bopp won Rookie of the Week honors five times last season, and finished third nationally among all freshmen in rebounds. She was 41st nationally in rebounds among all players and is the youthful piece around which the program can grow in future years...
The incoming JC transfer is Aisha Varnadore, a 5-6 guard who averaged 15.4 points last season at Burlington County College. She should provide some much-needed perimeter scoring...And, then, there's Parsons' return from a torn ACL suffered last preseason. Parsons, a 5-4 point guard, averaged 19.5 minutes per game in the 2008-09 season, while scoring 2.9 points and handing out 1.8 assists per contest. She should take over at the point and provide a little experience...
The Riders haven't won more than seven conference games since the 1999-00 season, and have yet to break the .500 mark in its 13-year affiliation with the MAAC....
How important is Bopp to the team? She missed the MAAC tournament's opening-round game with an ankle injury last season and without her Rider lost, 43-25, to Siena. The 25 points scored is the lowest total by any team, men or women, in the tournament's history.
HOW RIDER CAN SUCCEED: By getting older quick. Teams with so many young players rarely win in the MAAC, and Rider probably won't this season, not without a single senior. The team also lacks depth (only 11 players on the roster), and the likely starting backcourt of Parsons and Varnadore didn't play a minute on the Division I level last season. But, there isn't any place to go but forward after a 2-16 conference finish a year ago and the Broncs looked poised to make at least a little progress. Success here will be measured in small increments, however. An increase of even a couple of conference wins would be a nice step forward and a building block considering that the entire roster will be back for 2011-12, too. There are definitely some nice pieces in place. Bopp is poised to become one of the conference's top four or five inside players this season and, potentially, much better than that in the future. Homan, at 6-3, showed some signs last year and gives the team some nice height inside. Varnadore and Parsons, theoretically, should eventually become an effective backcourt pair, but they'll need some experience first to get there. The loss of Spotwood, a tough player to defend, will hurt. But, the good news is that a lot of young players got a lot of minutes last year which should help a little this season. Carleigh Brown (4.3, 5.2), a 6-0 sophomore forward; and, Dior Brown (3.6, 4.3), a 5-6 sophomore guard, should also be in the playing group.
Still, there's way too much youth here for anyone to think the Broncs will move up much, if at all, from last season's last-place finish. But, there is definitely some signs that things are getting better and there's considerable hope for future seasons.
COACH'S COMMENTS: "Our expectations are high," said coach Lynn Milligan. "Caitlin Bopp has really progressed this preseason. She has the "it" factor. She wants to work hard ... she wants to be great. And, that kind of example rubs off on a young team. Sarah Homan had a terrific sumer. She's bigger and stronger and she's ready to make a big leap forward."
PREDICTION: Very likely to finish last again this season, but probably with a few more victories than a year ago. It should still be interesting to watch the young team grow. At least there's some sense of a future here. Bopp and Homan could cause some opponents trouble with their length inside. And, if the backcourt matures, there's a legitimate chance to exceed expectations.
Monday, November 1, 2010
Marist Men's Preview: Better Days Coming
MARIST MEN
2009-10 record: 1-17 in MAAC play, 1-29 overall.
2010-11 Preseason Poll: League coaches pick Marist to finish 10th in the 10-team conference.
KEY RETURNEES: 6-4 sophomore guard Candon Rusin (9.5 points, 1.9 rebounds), 6-1 sophomore guard Devin Price (9.1 points, 1.9 rebounds, 2.6 assists), 6-9 senior forward Korey Bauer (7.8 points, 6.5 rebounds), 6-3 sophomore guard Sam Prescott (7.5 points, 2.1 points0, 6-2 senior guard Dejuan Goodwin (5.1 points, 2.5 assists), 6-7 sophomore forward Rob Johnson (6.6 points, 3.2 rebounds).
KEY LOSSES: 6-5 guard Daye Kaba (8.7 points, 5.0 rebounds).
NOTES: The 1-17 finish matches the worst conference record in history. Only Loyola's teams of 2002-03 and 2003-04 also had 1-17 records. The 1-29 overall record is the worst ever recorded by a conference team. The only other MAAC team to go through a season with a single overall victory was the 2003-04 Loyola team, which finished 1-27. It is not a stretch to rank the 2009-10 Marist team as the worst ever in the conference's 29-year history. The team's only victory was on Jan. 2 over Manhattan. It enters the 2010-11 season with an 18-game losing streak....
Marist was the only Division I team nationally whose top two scorers (Rusin and Price) were freshmen...
Kaba, a transfer from Boston College who only played one season for the Red Foxes, left school to seek professional opportunities overseas despite a remaining year of eligibility. But, by midseason, he was coming off Marist's bench. He's the team only key loss, and his role was diminished in the second half of the season.
Prescott, an athletic wing performer, might have been the team's best freshman but he only appeared in 18 games before academic difficulties forced him to sit out the second half of 2009-10.
HOW MARIST CAN SUCCEED: Success is relative here. The Red Foxes aren't going to compete for the league title, and improvement is likely to come in small steps for now. If it can even approach double figures for overall victories it would be a significant improvement. But, things are getting better. Last year's three good freshmen (Rusin, Price and Prescott) are now sophomores. The year's experience will help. If they stay together, they'll eventually comprise one of the conference's better perimeter groups. But, mid-major programs rarely get finished products, and there aren't any here. Players mature, emerge and improve as their careers progress. Last year Marist force fed its freshmen into action against older, better players. The team's best players will be sophomores this season, but still be facing older and better players at their respective positions most nights. Then there's the reality that there isn't much else on hand yet. Bauer is a 6-9 banger who is a career role player. Rob Johnson, a 6-7 forward entering his sophomore year, averaged 6.6 points and 3.2 rebounds this year. He'll be needed to make a significant jump for Marist to compete up front against conference opponents. But, like the perimeter youth, he'll only be a second-year player competing against veteran foes. Marist got outrebounded by an astronomical 6.5 per game, and needs to find a way to trim that deficit. Freshmen Adam Keefe and Peter Prinsloo are both 6-10, but also considered to be projects for now and neither is expected to contribute immediately. There's also 6-8, 270-pound Menelik Watson, who redshirted last year. He might also help, but he'll be getting his first taste of the college level this season, too. There is some buzz for 6-5 freshman Jay Bowie, who might get into the playing group.
COACH'S COMMENT: "I like what our kids have been doing in preseason practices," said coach Chuck Martin. "We're young, but our young guys played a lot of minutes last year ... in some cases too many minutes. But, hopefully, that will begin to pay off this year and in years to come.
PREDICTION: A likely last-place finish again, but a chance maybe to move up a notch. Anything more than six or seven victories overall should be a satisfactory result, but the Red Foxes will be considerably more competitive than a year ago and fans of the program should enjoy watching the growing process.
2009-10 record: 1-17 in MAAC play, 1-29 overall.
2010-11 Preseason Poll: League coaches pick Marist to finish 10th in the 10-team conference.
KEY RETURNEES: 6-4 sophomore guard Candon Rusin (9.5 points, 1.9 rebounds), 6-1 sophomore guard Devin Price (9.1 points, 1.9 rebounds, 2.6 assists), 6-9 senior forward Korey Bauer (7.8 points, 6.5 rebounds), 6-3 sophomore guard Sam Prescott (7.5 points, 2.1 points0, 6-2 senior guard Dejuan Goodwin (5.1 points, 2.5 assists), 6-7 sophomore forward Rob Johnson (6.6 points, 3.2 rebounds).
KEY LOSSES: 6-5 guard Daye Kaba (8.7 points, 5.0 rebounds).
NOTES: The 1-17 finish matches the worst conference record in history. Only Loyola's teams of 2002-03 and 2003-04 also had 1-17 records. The 1-29 overall record is the worst ever recorded by a conference team. The only other MAAC team to go through a season with a single overall victory was the 2003-04 Loyola team, which finished 1-27. It is not a stretch to rank the 2009-10 Marist team as the worst ever in the conference's 29-year history. The team's only victory was on Jan. 2 over Manhattan. It enters the 2010-11 season with an 18-game losing streak....
Marist was the only Division I team nationally whose top two scorers (Rusin and Price) were freshmen...
Kaba, a transfer from Boston College who only played one season for the Red Foxes, left school to seek professional opportunities overseas despite a remaining year of eligibility. But, by midseason, he was coming off Marist's bench. He's the team only key loss, and his role was diminished in the second half of the season.
Prescott, an athletic wing performer, might have been the team's best freshman but he only appeared in 18 games before academic difficulties forced him to sit out the second half of 2009-10.
HOW MARIST CAN SUCCEED: Success is relative here. The Red Foxes aren't going to compete for the league title, and improvement is likely to come in small steps for now. If it can even approach double figures for overall victories it would be a significant improvement. But, things are getting better. Last year's three good freshmen (Rusin, Price and Prescott) are now sophomores. The year's experience will help. If they stay together, they'll eventually comprise one of the conference's better perimeter groups. But, mid-major programs rarely get finished products, and there aren't any here. Players mature, emerge and improve as their careers progress. Last year Marist force fed its freshmen into action against older, better players. The team's best players will be sophomores this season, but still be facing older and better players at their respective positions most nights. Then there's the reality that there isn't much else on hand yet. Bauer is a 6-9 banger who is a career role player. Rob Johnson, a 6-7 forward entering his sophomore year, averaged 6.6 points and 3.2 rebounds this year. He'll be needed to make a significant jump for Marist to compete up front against conference opponents. But, like the perimeter youth, he'll only be a second-year player competing against veteran foes. Marist got outrebounded by an astronomical 6.5 per game, and needs to find a way to trim that deficit. Freshmen Adam Keefe and Peter Prinsloo are both 6-10, but also considered to be projects for now and neither is expected to contribute immediately. There's also 6-8, 270-pound Menelik Watson, who redshirted last year. He might also help, but he'll be getting his first taste of the college level this season, too. There is some buzz for 6-5 freshman Jay Bowie, who might get into the playing group.
COACH'S COMMENT: "I like what our kids have been doing in preseason practices," said coach Chuck Martin. "We're young, but our young guys played a lot of minutes last year ... in some cases too many minutes. But, hopefully, that will begin to pay off this year and in years to come.
PREDICTION: A likely last-place finish again, but a chance maybe to move up a notch. Anything more than six or seven victories overall should be a satisfactory result, but the Red Foxes will be considerably more competitive than a year ago and fans of the program should enjoy watching the growing process.
Coming Up: Individual Team Previews
It's November, the month in which college basketball begins.
So, what better time to start previewing MAAC teams than right now?
We'll do comprehensive previews on every conference program for both men and women. We'll produce the previews in reverse order of the coaches' preseason polls. In other words, from the bottom up.
This should be as competitive a conference season as there has been in recent memory. There doesn't appear to be a dominant team as Siena had been for the past three seasons.
In fact, three different men's teams - Fairfield, Siena and Saint Peter's - received first-place votes in this year's preseason poll.
On the women's side? Like death and taxes, some things are certain: Marist is the unanimous pick to win this season's regular-season crown. But Marist might not be quite as dominant as it has been in recent years.
So, keep reading in coming weeks as we take a look at every conference team. And, we hope you enjoy not only the previews but a highly anticipated season of highly competitive mid-major level basketball.
So, what better time to start previewing MAAC teams than right now?
We'll do comprehensive previews on every conference program for both men and women. We'll produce the previews in reverse order of the coaches' preseason polls. In other words, from the bottom up.
This should be as competitive a conference season as there has been in recent memory. There doesn't appear to be a dominant team as Siena had been for the past three seasons.
In fact, three different men's teams - Fairfield, Siena and Saint Peter's - received first-place votes in this year's preseason poll.
On the women's side? Like death and taxes, some things are certain: Marist is the unanimous pick to win this season's regular-season crown. But Marist might not be quite as dominant as it has been in recent years.
So, keep reading in coming weeks as we take a look at every conference team. And, we hope you enjoy not only the previews but a highly anticipated season of highly competitive mid-major level basketball.
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