Here's another in the series previewing conference teams. Up now ...
LOYOLA MEN
2009-10 RECORD: 6-12 in MAAC play, 13-17 overall.
COACHES' PRESEASON PREDICTION: Picked to finish 6th by coaches in their preseason poll.
KEY RETURNEES: 5-11 senior guard Brian Rudolph (7.3 points, 2.9 rebounds, 3.7 assists), 6-10 junior forward Shane Walker (8.7 points, 6.6 rebounds, 1.5 blocks), 6-7 junior forward Anthony Winbush (7.3 points, 3.8 rebounds), 6-3 senior guard Jamal Barney (12.6 points, 4.6 rebounds), 6-6 sophomore forward Robert Olson (6.4 points, 2.6 rebounds), 6-9 sophomore forward Julius Brooks (3.7 points, 4.1 rebounds).
KEY LOSS: Guard Brett Harvey (12.5 points).
NOTES: Harvey, at his best, ranked with the conference's elite guards. But, he wasn't at his best at all last season due to a variety of injuries. And, the Greyhounds not only have every player of significance returning, but they all appear healthy, which often wasn't the case last year. Besides Harvey, forward Anthony Winbush, off to a very good start, missed the second half of the season with injuries. Barney, the conference's scoring champ two years ago, missed several games to deal with family issues.
Despite those woes, the Greyhounds were close, losing seven conference games by eight points or less. When they were healthy early they earned a 13-point victory over Vermont, the America East's eventual representative to the NCAA tournament, and went on the road for a win at Indiana, arguably the conference's top road victory last season. Although the injuries ensured that success wouldn't continue, the 13 overall victories marked the fifth straight season of double-figure wins for the program, the first time that has happened in its Division I history.
Everone returning also includes the architect of the recent success for the program, Jimmy Patsos who was reportedly considering a return to an assistant's position at Maryland, where he served prior to taking over Loyola. And, the return of the oft-volatile, always entertaining and shrewd Patsos is definitely a good thing.
What's not in place for a potential run at a league title?
Let's see...
Height: Walker is 6-10, and Brooks is 6-9. Not too many other teams have such quality height.
An experienced point guard: Rudolph is a senior and is poised to become the school's all-time assist leader.
Perimeter standouts: Barney is as explosive a scorer as there is in the league and is reportedly back in playing condition after playing much of last season without that benefit.
Depth: Winbush was off to a great start last year and Olson was an all-rookie team member, and both might come off the bench this season.
Incoming help: Erik Etherly, a 6-7 transfer from Northeastern, will have a significant impact according to multiple sources and he had a 19-point, 10-rebound effort in a recent exhibition game. And, Dylon Cormier, a 6-2 freshman guard, is also reportedly ready to contribute.
It sounds like the Greyhounds legitimately can go 10 deep with solid players.
What's not there? This group hasn't done anything yet. Last year's team finished eighth in the conference standings and the 2008-09 squad finished seventh. Only Rudolph was around the last time the Greyhounds had even a little success, finishing fourth in the conference in the 2007-08 season.
HOW LOYOLA WILL SUCCEED: Everyone plays up to their capabilities. Actually, that's not even needed. If even seven of the top 10 players perform at least up to expectations and two or three others contribute anything, this could be a very good team. Rudolph is an indispensible piece, even if he's not an "elite" point guard. But, he's very solid and he's all the team has unless Cormier, a freshman, is ready. Etherly looks like a very nice addition. If Walker can step up just a little, he'll be a real force inside. Still, the only proven scorer on the roster is Barney, who no longer looks like the program's featured player. Etherly, though, seems capable of filling that role. Almost everyone among the program's top 10 players appears capable of approaching double figures in scoring on a given night. Between the size, versatility and depth the Greyhounds should be a very difficult team to contend with.
Then there's this issue: Teams that succeed in the MAAC traditionally have at least one, if not two, truly elite talents. It's hard to figure whether Loyola has one or not. Without having that one player who can make a big play in any given game's crunch time teams at this level rarely contend for league titles.
It should be an interesting season discovering if someone like that steps up for Loyola, and whether the team can contend for a league title.
COACH'S COMMENTS: "We've got two seniors and four guys overall who can really play the guard position, and in this league you need that type of depth," said coach Jimmy Patsos. "Walker has been around a whole year and there are guys who transfer in from a higher level (Walker came in from Maryland) who don't listen to us telling them how good this league really is until they see it. Etherly is going to play. We expect a new approach overall. We've hit a plateau. We want to get past that and to get to the top."
PREDICTION: Get past the bombast and the theatrics and understand that Patsos can really get maximum production out of his teams. Walker got significantly better as the season progressed. There's height, talent and enough experience here. The expectation is that Loyola will definitely finish in the upper half of the standings and if there are expectations of competiting for a regular-season title ... they're not unfounded.
Monday, November 8, 2010
Canisius Women's Preview: New Roles
Here's another in the series previewing conference teams. Up now ...
CANISIUS WOMEN
2009-10 RECORD: 6-12 in MAAC play, 12-19 overall.
COACHES' PRESEASON PREDICTION: Picked for seventh in the coaches' preseason poll.
KEY RETURNEES: 5-9 senior guard Micayla Drysdale (6.7 points, 2.8 rebounds), 5-5 sophomore guard Ashley Durham (6.0 points, 1.8 rebounds, 1.4 assists), 5-10 sophomore guard Allison Braun (4.5 points, 4.3 rebounds), 6-0 sophomore forward Melissa Gardner 91.5 points, 3.0 rebounds), 5-10 redshirt shophomore guard Stephanie McDonald (3.3 points, 3.2 rebounds), 6-2 sophomore forward Whitney Ellenor (3.3 points, 2.9 rebounds).
KEY LOSSES: Guard Brittane Russell (13.0 points, 4.5 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 3.0 steals), 6-0 forward Elle Radke (11.2 points, 6.3 rebounds).
NOTES: The 3-point shootingest team the conference has ever seen ... an NCAA record of 485 consecutive games with at least one made shot from beyond the bonus stripe ... might not have that ame identity this year. Returning players made only 75 of the team's 218 3-pointers last year, and the top two losses, Russell and Radke, are both big ones. The top returnee's scoring average from a year ago is a mere 6.7 points per game, which means several former role players need to step up into featured roles. Drysdale and Durham, a near carbon-copy of Russell, appear to be the two most-likely candidates.
The team's glaring weakness a year ago was rebounding. The Griffs worked to a 4.4 rebound-per-game disadvantage. The early season losses of two promising young players didn't help on the boards, and that was more than enough to turn what might have been a better season into a sub-standard one. Of the Griffs' 12 league losses, five were by five points or less. Had the rebounding been better, some of those close losses would have been close victories.
The good news is that Canisius focus is likely to be a lot closer to the paint of the post rather than the 3-point stripe this season, although coach Terry Zeh's teams have never passed up open shots from the perimeter before, and aren't likely to abandon that strategy entirely this season.
But, back and healthy are redshirt sophomore 5-10 guard/forward Stephanie McDonald (3.3 points, 3.0 rebounds last season), who started six early season games before suffering a season-ending shoulder injury; and 6-0 sophomore forward Melissa Gardner 91.5 points, 3.0 rebounds), who started 10 of the team's first 12 games before a foot injury kept her out the rest of the way.
Then, there's a trio of good-sized newcomers from the north. Jen Lennox is a 6-4 freshman from Kitchener, Ont., Jamie Ruttle is a 6-4 freshman from Burlington, Ont., and Courtney VandeBovenkapm is a 6-1 freshman from Amherstburg, Ont. For once the Griffs will have plenty of height.
Drysdale, Durham and 5-10 ophomore guard Allison Braun (4.5 points, 4.3 rebounds last season) provide a good perimeter trio.
Until last season's dip the Griffs have been one of the more competitive women's programs in the conference in recent years. In fact, Canisius is that last MAAC team prior to Marist's active five-year run to make the NCAA tournament, getting there in 2005.
HOW CANISIUS WILL SUCCEED: It might be a lot to ask two returnees who played a total of 18 games last season (Gardner and McDonald) and two tall freshmen (Lennox, Ruttle and VandeBovenkamp) to solve the team's inside deficiencies from a year ago. But, they have the potential to do that. When Gardner and McDonald both went out early a year ago, it left Radke, an undersized post player, as the primary inside player and that just wasn't enough. And, don't discount another sophomore, 6-2 forward Whitney Ellenor (3.3 points, 2.9 rebounds last season). She had a team-high 22 blocks while playing in just 23 games and an average of 13.5 minutes per contest. There certainly is enough height in place. Now, it's just a matter of letting the redwoods mature. If it happens quickly, the Griffs can once again be a formidable force in the conference.
But, more needs to happen besides that. Durham, who could follow Russell's lead on the court a year ago, needs to step up and take over primary ball-handling duties. Drysdale needs to probably double her scoring average from a year ago as the featured offensive performer.
That's asking a lot. Canisius is asking some very young frontcourt players to be effective very quickly, and several other players to step up to new, more-important roles.
That's the world of college basketball: players leave, new players step up. But, in this case, every role on the team seems to be undergoing a makeover.
COACH'S COMMENTS: "We've got four freshmen and four sophomores on the roster, so we're doing more teaching of things and learning how to be successful than we have in the past," said coach Terry Zeh. "We're trying to fit our system to our players. Drysdale is our captain and really took on a leadership role in the off-season. She really analyzes things we do and really incorporates that with her work with our young players."
PREDICTION: The coaches probably have this one right. There's a lot of potential here, but much of it looks like it needs to vine ripen for a season. There are good days ahead for the team in the future, particularly with so many potentially strong but young frontcourt players. Teams so young, though, rarely contend for a MAAC title, and the likelihood is that this one won't this year. Expect Canisius to occasionally cause better teams some problems when things fall into place on certain nights, but don't expect that on a regular basis. Finishing higher than the seventh-place prediction would be nice, but even a fall to eighth or ninth, if the younger players show improvement, wouldn't be a disaster.
CANISIUS WOMEN
2009-10 RECORD: 6-12 in MAAC play, 12-19 overall.
COACHES' PRESEASON PREDICTION: Picked for seventh in the coaches' preseason poll.
KEY RETURNEES: 5-9 senior guard Micayla Drysdale (6.7 points, 2.8 rebounds), 5-5 sophomore guard Ashley Durham (6.0 points, 1.8 rebounds, 1.4 assists), 5-10 sophomore guard Allison Braun (4.5 points, 4.3 rebounds), 6-0 sophomore forward Melissa Gardner 91.5 points, 3.0 rebounds), 5-10 redshirt shophomore guard Stephanie McDonald (3.3 points, 3.2 rebounds), 6-2 sophomore forward Whitney Ellenor (3.3 points, 2.9 rebounds).
KEY LOSSES: Guard Brittane Russell (13.0 points, 4.5 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 3.0 steals), 6-0 forward Elle Radke (11.2 points, 6.3 rebounds).
NOTES: The 3-point shootingest team the conference has ever seen ... an NCAA record of 485 consecutive games with at least one made shot from beyond the bonus stripe ... might not have that ame identity this year. Returning players made only 75 of the team's 218 3-pointers last year, and the top two losses, Russell and Radke, are both big ones. The top returnee's scoring average from a year ago is a mere 6.7 points per game, which means several former role players need to step up into featured roles. Drysdale and Durham, a near carbon-copy of Russell, appear to be the two most-likely candidates.
The team's glaring weakness a year ago was rebounding. The Griffs worked to a 4.4 rebound-per-game disadvantage. The early season losses of two promising young players didn't help on the boards, and that was more than enough to turn what might have been a better season into a sub-standard one. Of the Griffs' 12 league losses, five were by five points or less. Had the rebounding been better, some of those close losses would have been close victories.
The good news is that Canisius focus is likely to be a lot closer to the paint of the post rather than the 3-point stripe this season, although coach Terry Zeh's teams have never passed up open shots from the perimeter before, and aren't likely to abandon that strategy entirely this season.
But, back and healthy are redshirt sophomore 5-10 guard/forward Stephanie McDonald (3.3 points, 3.0 rebounds last season), who started six early season games before suffering a season-ending shoulder injury; and 6-0 sophomore forward Melissa Gardner 91.5 points, 3.0 rebounds), who started 10 of the team's first 12 games before a foot injury kept her out the rest of the way.
Then, there's a trio of good-sized newcomers from the north. Jen Lennox is a 6-4 freshman from Kitchener, Ont., Jamie Ruttle is a 6-4 freshman from Burlington, Ont., and Courtney VandeBovenkapm is a 6-1 freshman from Amherstburg, Ont. For once the Griffs will have plenty of height.
Drysdale, Durham and 5-10 ophomore guard Allison Braun (4.5 points, 4.3 rebounds last season) provide a good perimeter trio.
Until last season's dip the Griffs have been one of the more competitive women's programs in the conference in recent years. In fact, Canisius is that last MAAC team prior to Marist's active five-year run to make the NCAA tournament, getting there in 2005.
HOW CANISIUS WILL SUCCEED: It might be a lot to ask two returnees who played a total of 18 games last season (Gardner and McDonald) and two tall freshmen (Lennox, Ruttle and VandeBovenkamp) to solve the team's inside deficiencies from a year ago. But, they have the potential to do that. When Gardner and McDonald both went out early a year ago, it left Radke, an undersized post player, as the primary inside player and that just wasn't enough. And, don't discount another sophomore, 6-2 forward Whitney Ellenor (3.3 points, 2.9 rebounds last season). She had a team-high 22 blocks while playing in just 23 games and an average of 13.5 minutes per contest. There certainly is enough height in place. Now, it's just a matter of letting the redwoods mature. If it happens quickly, the Griffs can once again be a formidable force in the conference.
But, more needs to happen besides that. Durham, who could follow Russell's lead on the court a year ago, needs to step up and take over primary ball-handling duties. Drysdale needs to probably double her scoring average from a year ago as the featured offensive performer.
That's asking a lot. Canisius is asking some very young frontcourt players to be effective very quickly, and several other players to step up to new, more-important roles.
That's the world of college basketball: players leave, new players step up. But, in this case, every role on the team seems to be undergoing a makeover.
COACH'S COMMENTS: "We've got four freshmen and four sophomores on the roster, so we're doing more teaching of things and learning how to be successful than we have in the past," said coach Terry Zeh. "We're trying to fit our system to our players. Drysdale is our captain and really took on a leadership role in the off-season. She really analyzes things we do and really incorporates that with her work with our young players."
PREDICTION: The coaches probably have this one right. There's a lot of potential here, but much of it looks like it needs to vine ripen for a season. There are good days ahead for the team in the future, particularly with so many potentially strong but young frontcourt players. Teams so young, though, rarely contend for a MAAC title, and the likelihood is that this one won't this year. Expect Canisius to occasionally cause better teams some problems when things fall into place on certain nights, but don't expect that on a regular basis. Finishing higher than the seventh-place prediction would be nice, but even a fall to eighth or ninth, if the younger players show improvement, wouldn't be a disaster.
Sunday, November 7, 2010
Canisius Men's Preview: This Is The Year
Here's another in the series previewing MAAC teams this season. Up now ...
CANISIUS MEN
2009-10 RECORD: 8-10 in MAAC play, 15-17 overall.
2010-11 COACHES' PREDICTION: Picked for seventh in the preseason poll of conference coaches.
KEY RETURNEES: 6-4 senior guard Julius Coles (13.6 points, 4.6 rebounds), 6-7 senior forward Greg Loggins (10.2 points, 6.1 rebounds), 6-6 senior forward Elton Frazier (8.8 points, 5.7 rebounds), 6-7 senior forward Tomas Vazquez-Simmons (6.8 points, 6.7 points, 74 blocked shots).
KEY LOSSES: 5-10 point guard Frank Turner (16.2 points, 5.1 rebounds, 5.9 assists).
NOTES: Their best player of recent vintage, 5-10 point guard Frank Turner, has graduated but everyone else returns. The bad news is that this group has never had much success, although it keeps getting closer. Four seniors are almost certain starters and, together, they have been 2-16 in league play as freshmen, 4-14 as sophomores and 8-10 as juniors. Overall, after a 6-25 record as frosh, they improved to 11-20 two years ago and 15-17 last season.
But, this program has been down for some time. The last time it had a winning record in conference play? Remember Kevin Worley and Jamie Cammaert? Those were the two best players in 1998-99, the last time the Golden Griffins (11-7) were above .500 against MAAC competition. Since then their record in league play has been 67-131. Whew.
If there were ever a year where all that could be expected to change, this is it. And, it better be because so many players who will play so many minutes won't be back after this season.
How do your replace Turner? Most likely with Gaby Belardo, a 6-2 transfer from South Florida where he played 18 games as a freshman in the 2008-09 season but only averaged 0.7 points and 0.5 rebounds. Still, he is perceived as a point guard who will take care of the ball a little better than Turner did yet is still capable of scoring double figures on a regular basis. His development is almost assuredly the key aspect to the Griffs' hopes to move forward this season.
Otherwise, they might be a little small, relatively, but there have been enough cases of teams with 6-7 and 6-6 forwards having success at this level. And, the Griffs did outrebound opponents by an average of 1.5 per game a year ago.
The other potential weakness is the lack of a go-to player, which Turner definitely was for most of his career. But, 6-4 Julius Coles could step into that role this year, and the other three seniors - Loggins, Frazier and Vazquez-Simmons - are all above average "support" players. Considering the fact that the four seniors have played together for the past three years should almost ensure team chemistry and smart play. It doesn't hurt that Belardo practiced with the team all of last season and, according to some observers, was often the best player on the floor.
Depth? That's here, too, particularly if Reggie Groves, a 6-2 redshirt freshma guard, makes a full recovery from a torn ACL suffered last December. He did appear in seven games a year ago, averaging 18.6 minutes and 2.4 points per game, and looked capable of providing much more. Then, there's another 6-2 guard, sophomore Alshwan Hymes, who averaged 4.4 points per game last season and should take a step forward this year.
Finally, there's the MAAC's all-time tallest player, 7-3, 225-pound Marial Dhal, a native of Uganda and a transfer after playing at hillsborough (Fla.) Junior College where he averaged 3.0 points, 6-0 rebounds and 5.1 blocks per game last season. Dhal, though, is strictly a shot-blocking specialist who remains greatly offensively challenged.
HOW CANISIUS WILL SUCCEED: Veteran teams traditionally do well in this conference, and there's no team with more contributing seniors than the Golden Griffins. That alone brings significant optimism. If Belardo is a reasonable replacement for Turner, and the team's depth holds up ... why isn't another step forward a reasonable expectation? This very easily could be the year Canisius not only gets over .500, but gets over that standard by a considerable amount. An improvement of even four wins from last season gets the team pretty close to 20 overall victories, which isn't out of the realm of possibility. It's easy to see why coaches wouldn't pick Canisius higher. It's tough to lose a player of Turner's abilities. But if Belardo is the real deal, then the coaches' pick is way too low. However, if Belardo doesn't perform as the Canisius faithful hope, then the Griffs will probably struggle to get over the .500 mark.
The team appears to have everything else. Solid, rugged front-court play, depth and some playmakers at perimeter positions. But, at this level, the point-guard position is as important as it gets, so Belardo's emergence is the big key here.
COACH'S COMMENTS: "We've got one of the most-experienced rosters in the country, which is a lot different than having one of the youngest just a few years ago," said Canisius coach Tom Parrotta. "I like where we are right now. We've got five seniors (the fifth is 6-1 guard Robert Goldsberry, who started 24 games a year ago), and when one of those five say something the young bucks tend to follow. We've also got five newcomers to the program. Three years ago we would have been forced to play those young guys. Now, we only need them to fill roles. This is going to be a senior-driven team and I'm pretty confident that we can continue our growth process. We've gone from 6 to 11 to 15 overall victories , and we're aiming high this season."
PREDICTION: Tough call because so much rides on whether Belardo can be a factor at the point, and no one knows the answer to that for certain right now. If he plays well ... and all he has to do, really, is be an effective distributor who takes care of the ball ... there's enough in place for the team to get into the upper half of the league standings. And, maybe, be even better than that. If, however, the point guard situation is an issue, then no matter how solid the surrounding players are, Canisius won't get above .500. The expectation here, for now, is an optimistic one. Expect at least a couple more wins than a year ago, and maybe more.
CANISIUS MEN
2009-10 RECORD: 8-10 in MAAC play, 15-17 overall.
2010-11 COACHES' PREDICTION: Picked for seventh in the preseason poll of conference coaches.
KEY RETURNEES: 6-4 senior guard Julius Coles (13.6 points, 4.6 rebounds), 6-7 senior forward Greg Loggins (10.2 points, 6.1 rebounds), 6-6 senior forward Elton Frazier (8.8 points, 5.7 rebounds), 6-7 senior forward Tomas Vazquez-Simmons (6.8 points, 6.7 points, 74 blocked shots).
KEY LOSSES: 5-10 point guard Frank Turner (16.2 points, 5.1 rebounds, 5.9 assists).
NOTES: Their best player of recent vintage, 5-10 point guard Frank Turner, has graduated but everyone else returns. The bad news is that this group has never had much success, although it keeps getting closer. Four seniors are almost certain starters and, together, they have been 2-16 in league play as freshmen, 4-14 as sophomores and 8-10 as juniors. Overall, after a 6-25 record as frosh, they improved to 11-20 two years ago and 15-17 last season.
But, this program has been down for some time. The last time it had a winning record in conference play? Remember Kevin Worley and Jamie Cammaert? Those were the two best players in 1998-99, the last time the Golden Griffins (11-7) were above .500 against MAAC competition. Since then their record in league play has been 67-131. Whew.
If there were ever a year where all that could be expected to change, this is it. And, it better be because so many players who will play so many minutes won't be back after this season.
How do your replace Turner? Most likely with Gaby Belardo, a 6-2 transfer from South Florida where he played 18 games as a freshman in the 2008-09 season but only averaged 0.7 points and 0.5 rebounds. Still, he is perceived as a point guard who will take care of the ball a little better than Turner did yet is still capable of scoring double figures on a regular basis. His development is almost assuredly the key aspect to the Griffs' hopes to move forward this season.
Otherwise, they might be a little small, relatively, but there have been enough cases of teams with 6-7 and 6-6 forwards having success at this level. And, the Griffs did outrebound opponents by an average of 1.5 per game a year ago.
The other potential weakness is the lack of a go-to player, which Turner definitely was for most of his career. But, 6-4 Julius Coles could step into that role this year, and the other three seniors - Loggins, Frazier and Vazquez-Simmons - are all above average "support" players. Considering the fact that the four seniors have played together for the past three years should almost ensure team chemistry and smart play. It doesn't hurt that Belardo practiced with the team all of last season and, according to some observers, was often the best player on the floor.
Depth? That's here, too, particularly if Reggie Groves, a 6-2 redshirt freshma guard, makes a full recovery from a torn ACL suffered last December. He did appear in seven games a year ago, averaging 18.6 minutes and 2.4 points per game, and looked capable of providing much more. Then, there's another 6-2 guard, sophomore Alshwan Hymes, who averaged 4.4 points per game last season and should take a step forward this year.
Finally, there's the MAAC's all-time tallest player, 7-3, 225-pound Marial Dhal, a native of Uganda and a transfer after playing at hillsborough (Fla.) Junior College where he averaged 3.0 points, 6-0 rebounds and 5.1 blocks per game last season. Dhal, though, is strictly a shot-blocking specialist who remains greatly offensively challenged.
HOW CANISIUS WILL SUCCEED: Veteran teams traditionally do well in this conference, and there's no team with more contributing seniors than the Golden Griffins. That alone brings significant optimism. If Belardo is a reasonable replacement for Turner, and the team's depth holds up ... why isn't another step forward a reasonable expectation? This very easily could be the year Canisius not only gets over .500, but gets over that standard by a considerable amount. An improvement of even four wins from last season gets the team pretty close to 20 overall victories, which isn't out of the realm of possibility. It's easy to see why coaches wouldn't pick Canisius higher. It's tough to lose a player of Turner's abilities. But if Belardo is the real deal, then the coaches' pick is way too low. However, if Belardo doesn't perform as the Canisius faithful hope, then the Griffs will probably struggle to get over the .500 mark.
The team appears to have everything else. Solid, rugged front-court play, depth and some playmakers at perimeter positions. But, at this level, the point-guard position is as important as it gets, so Belardo's emergence is the big key here.
COACH'S COMMENTS: "We've got one of the most-experienced rosters in the country, which is a lot different than having one of the youngest just a few years ago," said Canisius coach Tom Parrotta. "I like where we are right now. We've got five seniors (the fifth is 6-1 guard Robert Goldsberry, who started 24 games a year ago), and when one of those five say something the young bucks tend to follow. We've also got five newcomers to the program. Three years ago we would have been forced to play those young guys. Now, we only need them to fill roles. This is going to be a senior-driven team and I'm pretty confident that we can continue our growth process. We've gone from 6 to 11 to 15 overall victories , and we're aiming high this season."
PREDICTION: Tough call because so much rides on whether Belardo can be a factor at the point, and no one knows the answer to that for certain right now. If he plays well ... and all he has to do, really, is be an effective distributor who takes care of the ball ... there's enough in place for the team to get into the upper half of the league standings. And, maybe, be even better than that. If, however, the point guard situation is an issue, then no matter how solid the surrounding players are, Canisius won't get above .500. The expectation here, for now, is an optimistic one. Expect at least a couple more wins than a year ago, and maybe more.
Thursday, November 4, 2010
Siena Women's Preview: Moving Ahead
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."
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."
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.
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