Your blogger doesn't pay much attention to computer ratings of college basketball teams early in the season. The belief is that teams don't start falling into a range that provides a decent measure of their levels until at least a third of the way through a season.
Well, we're beyond that point. Just about everyone has played at least 10 games thus far, so we'll start providing some computer ratings of MAAC teams and, on occasion, other teams of note to conference fans, throughout the season.
We'll start with Jeff Sagarin's men's ratings, done via a computer formula. Just a note. Your blogger doesn't perceive Sagarin's ratings to be the truest measure of teams. I prefer Jerry Palm's collegerpi.com as the best measurement. Over the years, Palm's ratings have almost always been closest to ratings compiled by the NCAA. In fact, Palm's formula for rating teams is almost the exact one used by the NCAA.
Anyway, here's how MAAC men's teams rate as of Wednesday morning (although Tuesday's results are not included) in Sagarin's ratings, with records in parentheses:
Rider (8-5) is the highest-rated MAAC team at 83rd of 345 Division I teams nationally. The Broncs currently have won three straight and have early season non-conference wins over Southern Cal, TCU and Loyola-Marymount.
Next is Iona (7-5), at No. 93, followed by Fairfield (8-3), 99; Siena (4-6), 126; Saint Peter's (7-5), 176; Loyola (4-7), 200; Canisius (5-6), 234; Niagara (3-9), 298; Manhattan (2-10), 313; and Marist (2-10), 331.
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
UAlbany Gives Winter Lift To Opponent
This item has nothing to do with the MAAC, except that the University at Albany has played some MAAC teams (Iona and Siena) in non-league games.
But, it has everything to do with the Christmas season, a season of giving, and everything to do with what college basketball is supposed to be about.
It's about a bus trip from Albany to Cincinnati for UAlbany this past Sunday, a 12-hour journey necessitated by winter's grasp on the great northeast that prohibited air travel. But, the Great Danes needed to get there for their game tonight (Tuesday) against Xavier so a bus was hired.
One of Xavier's players, standout sophomore guards, Mark Lyons, also needed to get there.
He was home for Christmas in his native Schenectady, N.Y. And, like UAlbany, discovered that the flight he intended to take to return to Xavier was cancelled and he wouldn't make it back to Cincinnati in time for the game.
That's when Xavier coach Chris Mack reached out to UAlbany and its coach Will Brown and asked if the Danes could add another passenger on the bus ride to Xavier. The extra passenger, of course, was Lyons.
Brown could easily have responded that there was no room at the inn, that he would not allow Lyons to book passage with his team. He could have played the part of the Grinch, and that stance would have been understood.
After all, it would have been a competitive advantage to tell Lyons that it would be uncomfortable for him to be on the bus and leave him behind. Lyons is Xavier's second-leading scorer averaging 13.1 points per game.
Instead Brown embraced the season of giving, and never hesitated in providing transportation for Lyons on the UAlbany bus.
"This speaks volumes about the college basketball community trying to help someone out like this," said UAlbany sophomore co-captain Logan Aronhalt.
It speaks volumes about the season of giving, at atmosphere that, one hopes, exists in college athletics year round. It speaks volumes about college sports being something more than a business, about being something more than a win-at-all-cost situation.
And, it speaks volumes about UAlbany coach Brown, a good guy who did a nice thing.
The story of Lyons' trip with the "enemy" to get back to Cincinnati for tonight's game was widely reported in upstate New York.
One of the best reports seen by this blogger was done by good friend Tim Wilkin of the Albany Times Union newspaper.
Here's a link: http://www.timesunion.com/sports/article/Rider-on-the-snowstorm-923444.php
But, it has everything to do with the Christmas season, a season of giving, and everything to do with what college basketball is supposed to be about.
It's about a bus trip from Albany to Cincinnati for UAlbany this past Sunday, a 12-hour journey necessitated by winter's grasp on the great northeast that prohibited air travel. But, the Great Danes needed to get there for their game tonight (Tuesday) against Xavier so a bus was hired.
One of Xavier's players, standout sophomore guards, Mark Lyons, also needed to get there.
He was home for Christmas in his native Schenectady, N.Y. And, like UAlbany, discovered that the flight he intended to take to return to Xavier was cancelled and he wouldn't make it back to Cincinnati in time for the game.
That's when Xavier coach Chris Mack reached out to UAlbany and its coach Will Brown and asked if the Danes could add another passenger on the bus ride to Xavier. The extra passenger, of course, was Lyons.
Brown could easily have responded that there was no room at the inn, that he would not allow Lyons to book passage with his team. He could have played the part of the Grinch, and that stance would have been understood.
After all, it would have been a competitive advantage to tell Lyons that it would be uncomfortable for him to be on the bus and leave him behind. Lyons is Xavier's second-leading scorer averaging 13.1 points per game.
Instead Brown embraced the season of giving, and never hesitated in providing transportation for Lyons on the UAlbany bus.
"This speaks volumes about the college basketball community trying to help someone out like this," said UAlbany sophomore co-captain Logan Aronhalt.
It speaks volumes about the season of giving, at atmosphere that, one hopes, exists in college athletics year round. It speaks volumes about college sports being something more than a business, about being something more than a win-at-all-cost situation.
And, it speaks volumes about UAlbany coach Brown, a good guy who did a nice thing.
The story of Lyons' trip with the "enemy" to get back to Cincinnati for tonight's game was widely reported in upstate New York.
One of the best reports seen by this blogger was done by good friend Tim Wilkin of the Albany Times Union newspaper.
Here's a link: http://www.timesunion.com/sports/article/Rider-on-the-snowstorm-923444.php
Monday, December 27, 2010
Alabama Transfer Jemison Joins Jaspers,
The Manhattan men's basketball team got an early Christmas present that came in a sizeable package.
How big? Try 6-foot-8, 240-pounds. Whew.
That's the size of Demetrius Jemison, a transfer from the University of Alabama who played three seasons there and, then, sat out what would have been his senior season with an injury.
Johnson got his undergraduate degree and, then, transferred to Manhattan to attend graduate school. NCAA rules allow for students transferring for graduate courses to play immediately at the new school, rather than sit out the usual one-year requirement, if the previous school's graduate division does not (and the new school does) offer the course of study the student intends to pursue.
Jemison, though, was forced to stay off the court until the NCAA was satisfied with the conditions of his transfer waiver. That favorable ruling didn't come in until just prior to the Jaspers' game at Binghamton on Dec. 11.
Jemison was immediately used as a starter and had 13 points and 7 rebounds in his first game. He followed that up with games of 7 points and 13 rebounds (vs. Hofstra) and 10 points and 7 rebounds (vs. Bowling Green).
Jemison's addition to the roster couldn't have come at a better time as the Jaspers have been left woefully thin on the front line after a season-ending Achilles injury to forwards Roberto Colonette and a sprained MCL suffered by Robert Martina, which kept him out of several games earlier this month.
Jemison, a native of Birmingham, Ala., averaged four points and four rebounds in his three active seasons with the Crimson Tide. After being named co-winner of the Tide's Defensive Award in his freshman season, Jemison averaged 5.6 points and 5-3 rebounds with 20 blocks in his sophomore season while also earning Academic All-SEC honors. He played a more limited role as a junior in 2008-09 before sitting out last season with an injury.
Jemison earned his bachelor's degree in consumer science from Alabama last spring with a season of eligibility remaining. He will complete his eligibility at Manhattan while pursuing a master's degree in the school of education.
Even with Jemison in the lineup, though, the Jaspers are struggling. After opening the season with victories over Penn and NJIT Manhattan has lost 10 straight to fall to a 2-10 overall record.
How big? Try 6-foot-8, 240-pounds. Whew.
That's the size of Demetrius Jemison, a transfer from the University of Alabama who played three seasons there and, then, sat out what would have been his senior season with an injury.
Johnson got his undergraduate degree and, then, transferred to Manhattan to attend graduate school. NCAA rules allow for students transferring for graduate courses to play immediately at the new school, rather than sit out the usual one-year requirement, if the previous school's graduate division does not (and the new school does) offer the course of study the student intends to pursue.
Jemison, though, was forced to stay off the court until the NCAA was satisfied with the conditions of his transfer waiver. That favorable ruling didn't come in until just prior to the Jaspers' game at Binghamton on Dec. 11.
Jemison was immediately used as a starter and had 13 points and 7 rebounds in his first game. He followed that up with games of 7 points and 13 rebounds (vs. Hofstra) and 10 points and 7 rebounds (vs. Bowling Green).
Jemison's addition to the roster couldn't have come at a better time as the Jaspers have been left woefully thin on the front line after a season-ending Achilles injury to forwards Roberto Colonette and a sprained MCL suffered by Robert Martina, which kept him out of several games earlier this month.
Jemison, a native of Birmingham, Ala., averaged four points and four rebounds in his three active seasons with the Crimson Tide. After being named co-winner of the Tide's Defensive Award in his freshman season, Jemison averaged 5.6 points and 5-3 rebounds with 20 blocks in his sophomore season while also earning Academic All-SEC honors. He played a more limited role as a junior in 2008-09 before sitting out last season with an injury.
Jemison earned his bachelor's degree in consumer science from Alabama last spring with a season of eligibility remaining. He will complete his eligibility at Manhattan while pursuing a master's degree in the school of education.
Even with Jemison in the lineup, though, the Jaspers are struggling. After opening the season with victories over Penn and NJIT Manhattan has lost 10 straight to fall to a 2-10 overall record.
Sunday, December 26, 2010
Peacocks Suffer Loss of Jenkins, Again
It's the day after Christmas in upstate New York, a blizzard is approaching and at least some games in the New York Metropolitan area are being postponed due to inclement weather there. Among those is the Fordham women's tournament, in which Siena is scheduled to compete, which has been pushed back a day to this Wednesday and Thursday, instead of Tuesday and Wednesday.
But those are the inconveniences of sports in the great Northeast in the winter. No big deal.
The holiday season, though, wasn't very kind to one MAAC member, the Saint Peter's men's basketball team.
The Peacocks' standout guard, 6-2 senior Wesley Jenkins, a first-team preseason all-star selection, might miss the rest of the season after reinjuring his knee in a 61-55 victory at Binghamton on Dec. 21. The victory was Saint Peter's fifth straight (giving it a 7-4 overall record) and appeared to have it poised for chasing the conference's regular-season title.
Instead it appears that the team could be without its top player for the remainder of the season.
Jenkins underwent an MRI just before Christmas (no results yet), and there have been reports concerning speculation that he has sprined the MCL and ACL in the same knee that he injured in the preseason. If the preliminary diagnosis is correct, he would be lost for approximately six weeks, effectively ending his season.
SPC has won five straight and six of seven since Jenkins returned from his preseason injury. There have been signs that SPC was beginning to hit its offensive stride. It was a welcome sign just as heavy league action is set to begin in January.
If there is a bright side to this mishap, it would be that the injury happened when it did. Jenkins is eligible for a medical redshirt under NCAA rules if he wishes to return next season. There is also a slim possibility that the injury is not as bad as originally feared and he could be back sooner and not lost for this season.
And, that's not all.
Senior 6-7 forward Ryan Bacon, the team’s best big man, was also injured late in the Binghamton contest and he is expected to be out a minimum of two weeks with a sprained foot. There's a chance he could return for the resumption of league competition next week.
Even without Jenkins, Saint Peter's is likely to be competitive this year. But with him it was a legitimate championship contender.
In its first game without Jenkins since the injury it lost a 55-52 decision to Rutgers. The Peacocks return to action against Lehigh in a non-league game on Wednesday before resuming conference competition on Monday when they host Canisius.
With the strong orientation for defense that Dunne has preached since his arrival, I expect SPC to hang tough and remain the type of team no one wants to play, with or
But those are the inconveniences of sports in the great Northeast in the winter. No big deal.
The holiday season, though, wasn't very kind to one MAAC member, the Saint Peter's men's basketball team.
The Peacocks' standout guard, 6-2 senior Wesley Jenkins, a first-team preseason all-star selection, might miss the rest of the season after reinjuring his knee in a 61-55 victory at Binghamton on Dec. 21. The victory was Saint Peter's fifth straight (giving it a 7-4 overall record) and appeared to have it poised for chasing the conference's regular-season title.
Instead it appears that the team could be without its top player for the remainder of the season.
Jenkins underwent an MRI just before Christmas (no results yet), and there have been reports concerning speculation that he has sprined the MCL and ACL in the same knee that he injured in the preseason. If the preliminary diagnosis is correct, he would be lost for approximately six weeks, effectively ending his season.
SPC has won five straight and six of seven since Jenkins returned from his preseason injury. There have been signs that SPC was beginning to hit its offensive stride. It was a welcome sign just as heavy league action is set to begin in January.
If there is a bright side to this mishap, it would be that the injury happened when it did. Jenkins is eligible for a medical redshirt under NCAA rules if he wishes to return next season. There is also a slim possibility that the injury is not as bad as originally feared and he could be back sooner and not lost for this season.
And, that's not all.
Senior 6-7 forward Ryan Bacon, the team’s best big man, was also injured late in the Binghamton contest and he is expected to be out a minimum of two weeks with a sprained foot. There's a chance he could return for the resumption of league competition next week.
Even without Jenkins, Saint Peter's is likely to be competitive this year. But with him it was a legitimate championship contender.
In its first game without Jenkins since the injury it lost a 55-52 decision to Rutgers. The Peacocks return to action against Lehigh in a non-league game on Wednesday before resuming conference competition on Monday when they host Canisius.
With the strong orientation for defense that Dunne has preached since his arrival, I expect SPC to hang tough and remain the type of team no one wants to play, with or
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
Hewitt Well-Appreciated Around Siena
It was a very non-descript women's non-conference basketball game the morning of Wednesday, Dec. 22, at Siena's Alumni Recreation Center. UC Santa Clara was in town to play against Siena.
And, so was Paul Hewitt, the former Siena men's coach who now is the head man at Georgia Tech. His team was also in town for a men's game this night against his former team.
But, not long after the 11 a.m. start of the women's contest, Hewitt quietly entered the ARC to watch the women's team of the school he coached at for three seasons just short of a decade ago.
And, that pretty much says all you need to know about Hewitt. The words loyalty and the phrase "remembering where you came from come to mind."
So does the word "class," and Hewitt has it in large doses.
Remembering where you came from?
Hewitt graduated from St. John Fisher's College, a small school in the Rochester, N.Y., area in 1985. That was 25 years ago. But there Hewitt was this past May as the commencement speaker of that school's 2010 graduation ceremonies.
But Hewitt isn't just on hand for the highly publicized events. He spends a couple days up there every summer helping out at the school's summer basketball camp, and does so without compensation. And coaches there ... often ones who have never yet met Hewitt personally ... tell how he calls their office a few times annually just to check on the program, and to offer advice and encouragement.
When he was at Siena, Hewitt was a regular attendee of women's games, offering his support. Even 10 years after his absence, a secretary in the Siena athletic office remembers that her professional relationship with Hewitt was the best she has ever had with any coach in any sport at that school.
For sure he is well-remembered at Siena for reasons beyond treating people well. He turned around a program that had fallen on hard times prior to his arrival into an NCAA tournament team in his second season and an NIT appearance in his third year. In three years with the Saints he recorded a 66-27 record.
But college sports are ... or, at least, should be ... about far more than mere wins. And, even if Hewitt's teams did not have that kind of success at Siena, there would still be positive feelings about him around that school.
Which leads us to his current position at Georgia Tech, where he has been since leaving Siena after the 1999-00 season.
A quick glance at a fan message board dedicated to the school's basketball program is filled with vitriol against Hewitt, filled almost entirely with displeasure at his work there and hopes that the school will replace him immediately, if not sooner.
And, it's not just fan boards. A columnist, who shall remain unidentified so as not to give him further credibility, for a major Atlanta newspaper wrote this recently about Hewitt: "If Paul Hewitt isn’t the worst basketball coach in the country, it’s only because ours is a mighty big country."
Let's see, Hewitt's Georgia Tech teams have a 177-144 record over the past nine years and this year's team, despite the early loss of two now-NBA front-court players, is 6-4.
Georgia Tech values academics ... there are no easy majors there in which to "hide" athletes. The school competes in the Atlantic Coast Conference, arguably the best basketball conference in the country.
Yet, Hewitt's teams there have been to the NCAA tournament in five of his nine seasons, went to the NCAA championship game in 2004 and, as recently as last season, beat eventual national champion Duke in its final regular-season contest, advanced to the ACC's post-season tournament's championship game before losing there and, then, won an NCAA contest before its season ended.
And this makes a columnist wonder if Hewitt isn't the worst coach in the country?
Seems to me the columnist has his thought process reversed. Hewitt should be the one wondering if a columnist who comes to such a wild conclusion might just be the worst newspaper columnist in the country.
As a newspaper guy who covered Hewitt's Siena teams, it was clear that Hewitt not only brought winning to Siena but turned around an entire program.
Players were required to attend every class, sit in the front row of classes and participate in discussions. Players were not allowed to wear T-shirts to classes, instead required to wear shirts with collars. Players were required to be neatly groomed ... no mustaches, beards or long hair.
Hewitt's intention was not just to prepare players for life on the court, but life off it.
At the start of one particular winter road trip a player arrived with a multi-colored wool cap with tassels, something that looked like it might have come directly from a clown's head. After Hewitt had a short discussion with the player, the offending hat was never to be seen again.
When asked what was said, Hewitt revealed: "I told the player that if the hat made the trip, then he wouldn't."
The very strong guess here is that Hewitt's philosphy of basketball and life at Georgia Tech is the same as when he was at Siena.
Players attend classes, dress respectfully, are well-groomed, treat others with respect. That Hewitt has the respect of those whose lives he touches within the school and within the community.
And, yes, Georgia Tech wins. Maybe not as much as Siena did when Hewitt was there. Still, a 177-144 won-loss record through nine seasons entering this year isn't exactly cause for concern let alone cries for his dismissal.
Worst coach in America?
A comment like that says something about a columnist would offer that opinion and about a knee-jerk fan base who would believe it, and what it says isn't very positive.
Those who know Hewitt a little better than that know he's a lot closer to the other end of the coaching spectrum.
And to see Hewitt attend a late-morning Siena women's basketball game is the perfect reminder.
And, so was Paul Hewitt, the former Siena men's coach who now is the head man at Georgia Tech. His team was also in town for a men's game this night against his former team.
But, not long after the 11 a.m. start of the women's contest, Hewitt quietly entered the ARC to watch the women's team of the school he coached at for three seasons just short of a decade ago.
And, that pretty much says all you need to know about Hewitt. The words loyalty and the phrase "remembering where you came from come to mind."
So does the word "class," and Hewitt has it in large doses.
Remembering where you came from?
Hewitt graduated from St. John Fisher's College, a small school in the Rochester, N.Y., area in 1985. That was 25 years ago. But there Hewitt was this past May as the commencement speaker of that school's 2010 graduation ceremonies.
But Hewitt isn't just on hand for the highly publicized events. He spends a couple days up there every summer helping out at the school's summer basketball camp, and does so without compensation. And coaches there ... often ones who have never yet met Hewitt personally ... tell how he calls their office a few times annually just to check on the program, and to offer advice and encouragement.
When he was at Siena, Hewitt was a regular attendee of women's games, offering his support. Even 10 years after his absence, a secretary in the Siena athletic office remembers that her professional relationship with Hewitt was the best she has ever had with any coach in any sport at that school.
For sure he is well-remembered at Siena for reasons beyond treating people well. He turned around a program that had fallen on hard times prior to his arrival into an NCAA tournament team in his second season and an NIT appearance in his third year. In three years with the Saints he recorded a 66-27 record.
But college sports are ... or, at least, should be ... about far more than mere wins. And, even if Hewitt's teams did not have that kind of success at Siena, there would still be positive feelings about him around that school.
Which leads us to his current position at Georgia Tech, where he has been since leaving Siena after the 1999-00 season.
A quick glance at a fan message board dedicated to the school's basketball program is filled with vitriol against Hewitt, filled almost entirely with displeasure at his work there and hopes that the school will replace him immediately, if not sooner.
And, it's not just fan boards. A columnist, who shall remain unidentified so as not to give him further credibility, for a major Atlanta newspaper wrote this recently about Hewitt: "If Paul Hewitt isn’t the worst basketball coach in the country, it’s only because ours is a mighty big country."
Let's see, Hewitt's Georgia Tech teams have a 177-144 record over the past nine years and this year's team, despite the early loss of two now-NBA front-court players, is 6-4.
Georgia Tech values academics ... there are no easy majors there in which to "hide" athletes. The school competes in the Atlantic Coast Conference, arguably the best basketball conference in the country.
Yet, Hewitt's teams there have been to the NCAA tournament in five of his nine seasons, went to the NCAA championship game in 2004 and, as recently as last season, beat eventual national champion Duke in its final regular-season contest, advanced to the ACC's post-season tournament's championship game before losing there and, then, won an NCAA contest before its season ended.
And this makes a columnist wonder if Hewitt isn't the worst coach in the country?
Seems to me the columnist has his thought process reversed. Hewitt should be the one wondering if a columnist who comes to such a wild conclusion might just be the worst newspaper columnist in the country.
As a newspaper guy who covered Hewitt's Siena teams, it was clear that Hewitt not only brought winning to Siena but turned around an entire program.
Players were required to attend every class, sit in the front row of classes and participate in discussions. Players were not allowed to wear T-shirts to classes, instead required to wear shirts with collars. Players were required to be neatly groomed ... no mustaches, beards or long hair.
Hewitt's intention was not just to prepare players for life on the court, but life off it.
At the start of one particular winter road trip a player arrived with a multi-colored wool cap with tassels, something that looked like it might have come directly from a clown's head. After Hewitt had a short discussion with the player, the offending hat was never to be seen again.
When asked what was said, Hewitt revealed: "I told the player that if the hat made the trip, then he wouldn't."
The very strong guess here is that Hewitt's philosphy of basketball and life at Georgia Tech is the same as when he was at Siena.
Players attend classes, dress respectfully, are well-groomed, treat others with respect. That Hewitt has the respect of those whose lives he touches within the school and within the community.
And, yes, Georgia Tech wins. Maybe not as much as Siena did when Hewitt was there. Still, a 177-144 won-loss record through nine seasons entering this year isn't exactly cause for concern let alone cries for his dismissal.
Worst coach in America?
A comment like that says something about a columnist would offer that opinion and about a knee-jerk fan base who would believe it, and what it says isn't very positive.
Those who know Hewitt a little better than that know he's a lot closer to the other end of the coaching spectrum.
And to see Hewitt attend a late-morning Siena women's basketball game is the perfect reminder.
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
Marist Women Capture Tourney Title
Just when teams might have been thinking the waters of MAAC women's basketball were becoming relatively safe the "shark" of the contest has made its presence known again.
That, of course, would be Marist which showed some signs of having cracks in its proverbial armor earlier this season.
And, then, it went to Las Vegas for the Dual in the Desert Tournament and, you could say, ran the table.
It won the event against somem pretty high-powered opponents, including a 78-70 victory over Houston in Monday's championship game. The Cougars fell to an 8-2 overall record. Marist is now 9-2.
To get to Monday's championshiop contest the Red Foxes had to beat first-round opponent Louisville and, then, second-round for and 19th-ranked Nebraska.
Senior guard Erica Allenspach, the MAAC's Preseason Player of the Year, played up to that billing in leading Marist over Houston by scoring a career-high 34 points and adding eight rebounds. Allenspach also scored 20 points against Nebraska in Sunday's game, and was named the event's Most Valuable Player.
"She played the way most people felt she could play," Marist head coach Brian Giorgis said. "She led us in everything. (She) just did a tremendous job."
Allenspach said the three-day tournament performance said a lot about how ready her team is to compete for another championship in league play.
"A lot of people got a lot of experience in this tournament," she said. "And it shows we can play with anyone."
And, that's not good news for the rest of the MAAC.
That, of course, would be Marist which showed some signs of having cracks in its proverbial armor earlier this season.
And, then, it went to Las Vegas for the Dual in the Desert Tournament and, you could say, ran the table.
It won the event against somem pretty high-powered opponents, including a 78-70 victory over Houston in Monday's championship game. The Cougars fell to an 8-2 overall record. Marist is now 9-2.
To get to Monday's championshiop contest the Red Foxes had to beat first-round opponent Louisville and, then, second-round for and 19th-ranked Nebraska.
Senior guard Erica Allenspach, the MAAC's Preseason Player of the Year, played up to that billing in leading Marist over Houston by scoring a career-high 34 points and adding eight rebounds. Allenspach also scored 20 points against Nebraska in Sunday's game, and was named the event's Most Valuable Player.
"She played the way most people felt she could play," Marist head coach Brian Giorgis said. "She led us in everything. (She) just did a tremendous job."
Allenspach said the three-day tournament performance said a lot about how ready her team is to compete for another championship in league play.
"A lot of people got a lot of experience in this tournament," she said. "And it shows we can play with anyone."
And, that's not good news for the rest of the MAAC.
Sunday, December 19, 2010
Glover's Strong Play Goes On vs. Orange
Just when it appeared that Iona's Mike Glover couldn't play much better he turns in a double-double against Big East power Syracuse ... by halftime.
The 6-foot-7, 240-pound junior playing his first season in the MAAC had 14 points and 10 rebounds at the intermission before finishing with 25 points and 16 rebounds in 'Cuse's 83-77 victory over the Gaels Saturday night.
The outcome ended Iona's seven-game winning streak, much of it driven by Glover who now averages 22.1 points and 10.2 rebounds per game. He is one of just two conference players averaging a double-double on the season. Siena's senior center Ryan Rossiter (20.3, 13.3) is the other. And, it has become fairly clear already that Glover and Rossiter are head and shoulders the two prime contenders for the 2010-11 season's Player of the Year honors.
Glover, who originally signed to play at another Big East school, Seton Hall, prior to the 2007-08 season (academic issues never allowed him to play there), showed Saturday that he is a high-major level player plying his trade at the mid-major level.
Said Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim, after Saturday's contest: "We couldn't contain Glover; that was our biggest problem."
"He (Glover) had a lot of movement," added Syracuse center Baye Moussa Keita. "He was on the baseline and, before you know it, he got the ball."
Glover, after the Syracuse contest, heaped some credit on teammate and junior point guard Scott Machado for his (Glover's) early season success.
Glover said that he and Machado have already developed a certain chemistry this season. Glover said that he signals Machado to “lob it up there,” then chases the ball when Machado directs it toward the rim.
The 6-foot-7, 240-pound junior playing his first season in the MAAC had 14 points and 10 rebounds at the intermission before finishing with 25 points and 16 rebounds in 'Cuse's 83-77 victory over the Gaels Saturday night.
The outcome ended Iona's seven-game winning streak, much of it driven by Glover who now averages 22.1 points and 10.2 rebounds per game. He is one of just two conference players averaging a double-double on the season. Siena's senior center Ryan Rossiter (20.3, 13.3) is the other. And, it has become fairly clear already that Glover and Rossiter are head and shoulders the two prime contenders for the 2010-11 season's Player of the Year honors.
Glover, who originally signed to play at another Big East school, Seton Hall, prior to the 2007-08 season (academic issues never allowed him to play there), showed Saturday that he is a high-major level player plying his trade at the mid-major level.
Said Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim, after Saturday's contest: "We couldn't contain Glover; that was our biggest problem."
"He (Glover) had a lot of movement," added Syracuse center Baye Moussa Keita. "He was on the baseline and, before you know it, he got the ball."
Glover, after the Syracuse contest, heaped some credit on teammate and junior point guard Scott Machado for his (Glover's) early season success.
Glover said that he and Machado have already developed a certain chemistry this season. Glover said that he signals Machado to “lob it up there,” then chases the ball when Machado directs it toward the rim.
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