Niagara's Joe Mihalich is not only one of the conference's better coaches, but also often serves as one of the MAAC's top spokesmen.
And, once again, Mihalich put his team's meeting with Canisius, the second of the two annual renewals of long-time and geographically proximitous rivals, in perfect perspective:
"That was one for the ages," Mihalich said. "I know we say it every year, but this is why you play the game. This is what college basketball is all about. There's nothing like it. When Niagara plays Canisius, just throw out the records. Nothing matters. It will probably come down to the wire. ... and I don't know if it can come down closer to the wire than this."
It was this close: Canisius rallied from game-long deficits to tie the score at 65 with 6.4 seconds left. That was enough time for Niagara's freshman guard Marvin Jones to get off a shot that was blocked by the Golden Griffins' Tomas Vazquez-Simmons at the buzzer.
Game officials checked replay monitors and determined there to be four-tenths of a second remaining. It was enough time for Niagara's Anthony Nelson to throw an in-bounds pass to teammate Kashief Edwards, who directed the ball towards the hoop. Canisius' 7-foot-3 reserve center Marial Dhal swatted it away, but Edwards' shot was clearly on its downward trajectory ... goal tending, two points for Niagara and a last-tick-of-the-clock victory for the Purple Eagles.
The outcome denied Canisius of its first victory at Niagara's Gallagher Center home since Nov. 30, 2002 and its first sweep of the series between the Western New York rivals in 16 years.
It also got Niagara out of the conference's cellar. The Purple Eagles are now 4-12 in league play.
Its 7-21 regular-season record with just three games remaining prior to the MAAC's post-season tournament ensures just the second sub-.500 record in Mihalich's 13 years with the program.
But, his team has stamped itself, of late, as a team no one wants to see in the upcoming conference tournament. Niagara has won two of its past three games, a 59-57 decision at Loyola this past Friday and, now, this two-point victory over a Canisius team with much on the line, including an opportunity for sole possession of sixth place in the conference, a position that would keep it out of the so-called play-in round for the MAAC tournament.
Instead, a Niagara team beset by injuries and inexperience, is finding ways to win close late-season games.
And, afterwards, Mihalich told the Buffalo News that there is so much optimism within his program that he wishes his team could start its season over right now.
But, there's a second season on the horizon, the post-season tournament. And Niagara is starting to look like a very formidable opponent once that begins.
Thursday, February 17, 2011
League Promotes Breast Cancer Awareness
In recent years MAAC women's basketball teams have all added a worthwhile and commendable promotion to a selected game annually.
Those are the so-called "Pink Zone" games in which teams often wear pink uniforms and attendees are asked to wear a pink item of clothing. It is all done in recognition of breast cancer awareness. At many of the games there is a pregame ceremony recognizing breast cancer survivors. It is all done, at some schools as part of fund-raising efforts and at other just as reminder to female followers of programs to be examined regularly for breast cancer.
We are reminded of the promotional campaign by the Siena College sports information staff, with details surrounding that school's promotional efforts which appear to be the most-extensive among conference schools.
Included is a Pink Zone special 30-minute television production that will be aired several times over the Times Warner Cable Sports network, Channel 3 in New York's Capital Region beginning on Feb. 17 at 6 p.m.
The show, which is presented by Time Warner Cable and Key Bank, will air multiple times leading up to the 11th Annual Siena Basketball Pink Zone Game on Feb. 25, when the Marist women's team comes in for a game.
The show previews the upcoming event as well as the history of the game at Siena. Additionally, host and local TV sports anchor Marisa Jacques interviews Siena head coach Gina Castelli, student-athletes Brittany Wilwohl and Lily Grenci, Capital Region Action Against Breast Cancer (CRAAB!) President Joan Sheehan and women’s soccer standout Jenna Placke and her mother Dawn, all of whom have had loved ones affected by Breast Cancer.
John Quigley, Area Vice President of Time Warner Cable in the Capital Region, is grateful the company can bring added attention to breast cancer awareness, to an audience across Albany and its surrounding communities.
"We all have family members and friends who have been impacted by breast cancer. It's an unforgiving disease that needs continued focus, awareness and research to work towards finding better treatments and eventually, a cure that will be a gift for so many," said John Quigley, area vice president of TWC in the Capital Region. "We're thrilled to be able to partner with Siena and bring these special athletes' stories to light."
The half-hour special will air a handful of times leading up to the Pink Zone Game. Scheduled broadcasts of the show are Feb. 17, 6 p.m.; Feb. 18, 4 p.m.; Feb. 19, 6 p.m.; Feb. 21, 9 p.m.; Feb. 22, 9:30 p.m.; Feb. 24, 6 p.m.; and Feb. 25 at 6:30 p.m.
Those are the so-called "Pink Zone" games in which teams often wear pink uniforms and attendees are asked to wear a pink item of clothing. It is all done in recognition of breast cancer awareness. At many of the games there is a pregame ceremony recognizing breast cancer survivors. It is all done, at some schools as part of fund-raising efforts and at other just as reminder to female followers of programs to be examined regularly for breast cancer.
We are reminded of the promotional campaign by the Siena College sports information staff, with details surrounding that school's promotional efforts which appear to be the most-extensive among conference schools.
Included is a Pink Zone special 30-minute television production that will be aired several times over the Times Warner Cable Sports network, Channel 3 in New York's Capital Region beginning on Feb. 17 at 6 p.m.
The show, which is presented by Time Warner Cable and Key Bank, will air multiple times leading up to the 11th Annual Siena Basketball Pink Zone Game on Feb. 25, when the Marist women's team comes in for a game.
The show previews the upcoming event as well as the history of the game at Siena. Additionally, host and local TV sports anchor Marisa Jacques interviews Siena head coach Gina Castelli, student-athletes Brittany Wilwohl and Lily Grenci, Capital Region Action Against Breast Cancer (CRAAB!) President Joan Sheehan and women’s soccer standout Jenna Placke and her mother Dawn, all of whom have had loved ones affected by Breast Cancer.
John Quigley, Area Vice President of Time Warner Cable in the Capital Region, is grateful the company can bring added attention to breast cancer awareness, to an audience across Albany and its surrounding communities.
"We all have family members and friends who have been impacted by breast cancer. It's an unforgiving disease that needs continued focus, awareness and research to work towards finding better treatments and eventually, a cure that will be a gift for so many," said John Quigley, area vice president of TWC in the Capital Region. "We're thrilled to be able to partner with Siena and bring these special athletes' stories to light."
The half-hour special will air a handful of times leading up to the Pink Zone Game. Scheduled broadcasts of the show are Feb. 17, 6 p.m.; Feb. 18, 4 p.m.; Feb. 19, 6 p.m.; Feb. 21, 9 p.m.; Feb. 22, 9:30 p.m.; Feb. 24, 6 p.m.; and Feb. 25 at 6:30 p.m.
Monday, February 14, 2011
ATM: Some Cases For Late-Game Defense
Welcome back to ATM, otherwise known as "Around The MAAC," and this version takes a look at more crazy occurances in the wild and crazy world of recent conference games.
Sunday's games gave some insight to the question of whether it's best to have possession at the end of a close game, or to be on the defensive and attempting to hold a lead.
The two closest games on Monday provided evidence for the defense:
- Siena trailed by 14 points with 2:23 remaining when a furious rally got it back to within 82-81 at Manhattan with 22 seconds remaining.
At that point, the Jaspers' Demetrius Jemison missed two free throws and the Saints' O.D. Anosike grabbed the rebound but had it quickly stolen away by Mohamed Koita. Kidani Brutus then made two free throws to make it a 3-point game.
And, Siena still had more chances. Its Jon Breeden missed a drive off the glass, but the ball went out of bounds off Manhattan. The Saints' final gasp was a 3-point attempt by Ryan Rossiter from the corner that bounced off the top of the backboard. Anosike got the rebound and put up a jumper from the baseline that fell short as the buzzer sounded and Manhattan held on for its third conference victory of the season.
- Meanwhile, Saint Peter's failed to convert its last-second opportunity to pull out a win when Nick Leon’s shot as time expired in overtime fell short Fairfield held on for a 70-69 over the Peacocks in Jersey City, N.J.
Saint Peter's did make shots at the end of regulation to rally from a 59-55 deficit with under a minute left. Forward Steve Samuels converted for the Peacocks with 55 seconds remaining. And, then, after a Fairfield turnover, senior guard Wesley Jenkins tied it with a driving layup with 18 seconds remaining.
Fairfield missed a shot to win the game in regulation, offering a little more support for the defense in this debate.
The Stags held a 70-67 lead in the closing seconds of overtime before Leon sank two foul shots with seven seconds remaining. Jenkins then stole the in-bounds pss to give Saint Peter's a final shot, but Leon's shot at the buzzer failed to fall.
The victory pushed Fairfield's conference record to 13-2 with three games remaining, ensuring it of no worse than a tie for a regular-season championship. Its closest rivals, Saint Peter's, Rider and Iona, all have five losses.
Elsewhere .... sometimes the Keepin' Track of the MAAC blog inflicts its "Sports Illustrated"-type jinx on those it highlights, and sometimes it doesn't.
In a recent blog, we reminded league coaches not to overlook Niagara's senior guard Anthony Nelson for first-team all-league honors. Nelson not only leads the country in steals, but entered Sunday's game at Rider as the conference's No. 4 scorer, the No. 3 assist man and with double the steals' total of any other MAAC player.
And, then, a day after that blog item appeared Nelson threw up probably the all-time clunker of his career, going 1-for-9 from the field, 0-for-4 from 3-plint range and 4-for-8 from the foul line for just six points in 40 minutes in a 61-50 loss to the Broncs. Nelson also had five turnovers in the contest.
One game, though, shouldn't matter. Unless Nelson falls flat in Niagara's final three contests his season's performance to date are still worthy of first-team post-season honors.
And, he wasn't alone in his woes in that game. The Purple Eagles, just two days after a optimism-inspiring upset at Loyola, shot 0-for-17 from 3-point range in the loss to Rider.
But ... maybe the jinx isn't in effect after all. In a recent item prophesizing future success for a young, but talented Manhattan team your blogger cited Jaspers' sophomore George Beamon as a major point producer and a potential future conference scoring leader.
Beamon, a 6-foot-4 sophomore swing man, made this blogger look good on that opinion by putting up a career game on Sunday, scoring 35 points against Siena. Beamon made 12-of-19 shots from the floor (1-for-2 from 3-point territory) and all 10 of his free throws.
Sunday's effort pushed his season's socring average from 14.9 to 15.7 and into fourth place among the conference's individual scoring leaders.
Beamon's work was the second-highest single-game scoring total by a conference player this season. Only Mike Glover's 39 points in a game against Canisius earlier this season has been higher.
Sunday's games gave some insight to the question of whether it's best to have possession at the end of a close game, or to be on the defensive and attempting to hold a lead.
The two closest games on Monday provided evidence for the defense:
- Siena trailed by 14 points with 2:23 remaining when a furious rally got it back to within 82-81 at Manhattan with 22 seconds remaining.
At that point, the Jaspers' Demetrius Jemison missed two free throws and the Saints' O.D. Anosike grabbed the rebound but had it quickly stolen away by Mohamed Koita. Kidani Brutus then made two free throws to make it a 3-point game.
And, Siena still had more chances. Its Jon Breeden missed a drive off the glass, but the ball went out of bounds off Manhattan. The Saints' final gasp was a 3-point attempt by Ryan Rossiter from the corner that bounced off the top of the backboard. Anosike got the rebound and put up a jumper from the baseline that fell short as the buzzer sounded and Manhattan held on for its third conference victory of the season.
- Meanwhile, Saint Peter's failed to convert its last-second opportunity to pull out a win when Nick Leon’s shot as time expired in overtime fell short Fairfield held on for a 70-69 over the Peacocks in Jersey City, N.J.
Saint Peter's did make shots at the end of regulation to rally from a 59-55 deficit with under a minute left. Forward Steve Samuels converted for the Peacocks with 55 seconds remaining. And, then, after a Fairfield turnover, senior guard Wesley Jenkins tied it with a driving layup with 18 seconds remaining.
Fairfield missed a shot to win the game in regulation, offering a little more support for the defense in this debate.
The Stags held a 70-67 lead in the closing seconds of overtime before Leon sank two foul shots with seven seconds remaining. Jenkins then stole the in-bounds pss to give Saint Peter's a final shot, but Leon's shot at the buzzer failed to fall.
The victory pushed Fairfield's conference record to 13-2 with three games remaining, ensuring it of no worse than a tie for a regular-season championship. Its closest rivals, Saint Peter's, Rider and Iona, all have five losses.
Elsewhere .... sometimes the Keepin' Track of the MAAC blog inflicts its "Sports Illustrated"-type jinx on those it highlights, and sometimes it doesn't.
In a recent blog, we reminded league coaches not to overlook Niagara's senior guard Anthony Nelson for first-team all-league honors. Nelson not only leads the country in steals, but entered Sunday's game at Rider as the conference's No. 4 scorer, the No. 3 assist man and with double the steals' total of any other MAAC player.
And, then, a day after that blog item appeared Nelson threw up probably the all-time clunker of his career, going 1-for-9 from the field, 0-for-4 from 3-plint range and 4-for-8 from the foul line for just six points in 40 minutes in a 61-50 loss to the Broncs. Nelson also had five turnovers in the contest.
One game, though, shouldn't matter. Unless Nelson falls flat in Niagara's final three contests his season's performance to date are still worthy of first-team post-season honors.
And, he wasn't alone in his woes in that game. The Purple Eagles, just two days after a optimism-inspiring upset at Loyola, shot 0-for-17 from 3-point range in the loss to Rider.
But ... maybe the jinx isn't in effect after all. In a recent item prophesizing future success for a young, but talented Manhattan team your blogger cited Jaspers' sophomore George Beamon as a major point producer and a potential future conference scoring leader.
Beamon, a 6-foot-4 sophomore swing man, made this blogger look good on that opinion by putting up a career game on Sunday, scoring 35 points against Siena. Beamon made 12-of-19 shots from the floor (1-for-2 from 3-point territory) and all 10 of his free throws.
Sunday's effort pushed his season's socring average from 14.9 to 15.7 and into fourth place among the conference's individual scoring leaders.
Beamon's work was the second-highest single-game scoring total by a conference player this season. Only Mike Glover's 39 points in a game against Canisius earlier this season has been higher.
Saturday, February 12, 2011
Go West, Young Fan, For Friday Upsets
For a night everything was good in Western New York's version of MAAC basketball, at least for the teams from that region, even if Friday's results didn't occur near the land of the world's best chicken wings.
Niagara and Canisius, teams that had struggled through much of the early part of the season, got victories on the same night. And they weren't exactly beating lower-division teams to do so.
Both the Purple Eagles and the Golden Griffins went on the road Friday night for wins, knocking off teams playing for standings' position near the upper portion of the conference hierarchy.
Niagara went to Loyola for a 59-57 victory over the Greyhounds. Purple Eagles' guard Anthonly Nelson made a layup with about 15 seconds remaining to give the winners a one-point lead and freshman guard Marvin Jordan made one of two free throws with 10 seconds remaining for the final margin. Loyola missed two shots in the final 15 seconds.
Nelson had 20 points while adding to his nation-leading steal total with five.
(And, an editor's note here to league coaches: Do not forget about Mr. Nelson when casting your post-season first-team all-conference ballots. Nelson might be the most-versatile player in the MAAC, as well as one of its best. He already is the first player in Niagara history to produce 1,000 points, 500 rebounds, 600 assists and 200 steals over a career. If you need further evidence, Nelson leads the entire country in steals this season.)
The victory was the second straight for Niagara, which previously won at Marist on Super Bowl Sunday.
Loyola fell to 8-6 in MAAC play and into fifth place. Fairfield is still first at 12-2, followed by Saint Peter's (10-4) and, then, Rider and Iona (each 9-5).
Rider had what looked like a nice opportunity to stay tied with St. Peter's for second place, but saw that slip away against resurgent Canisius, which has now won its last three games.
The Golden Griffins, at Rider, knocked off the Broncs, 67-65 when sophomore guard Gaby Belardo sank a jumper with 7.8 seconds remaining and a Rider 3-point attempt bounced off the rim at the buzzer.
(Editor's Note: Belardo's game-winner was his third of the season, and league coaches should not forget him, either, when filling out all-MAAC ballots, at least for a second-, or third-team mention.)
Canisius is now 7-7 overall, moving it into a tie for sixth with Siena (which lost at Iona on Friday night) as it attempts to earn a first-round bye in the MAAC's post-season tournament for teams that finish in the top six spots in the final standings.
Think that's not big news on the Buffalo school's campus?
Let's put sixth place, and an above-.500 overall record (the Griffs are now 13-11 overall) in historical perspective.
Canisius has been in the post-season tournament's play-in round in every season since 1998-99, when it finished 11-7 in conference play. That is an unprecedented 11-year run of play-in round appearances.
And, the Griffs haven't been over .500 in regular-season play since a 20-11 record (but a 9-9 conference mark, which had them in 7th place) in the 2000-01 season.
Friday's victory at Rider was the first for Canisius at the Lawrenceville, N.J., campus since the series began in 1932. Of course the teams didn't begin playing regularly until Rider joined the MAAC in 1997, but the Broncs were 14-0 against Canisius over the years in their home games in the series.
It all reinforces the well-used, but perfect-fitting cliche that "On any given night..." which bodes well for an exciting stretch run to the regular-season and an interesting post-season tournament.
"There's nobody in the league as good as we were the last three or four years and there's no one as good as Siena was the last three or four years," Niagara coach Joe Mihalich told the Buffalo News earlier in the week. "If that's going to upset [Fairfield coach] Ed Cooley or [Iona coach Tim Cluess], that's OK."
"There's some really good teams in this league, I think there's four teams in this league who everyone thinks is going to win it," Mihalich added.
And, Mihalich's counterpart in Western New York, Canisius coach Tom Parrotta, agrees.
"I think Joe makes a valid point," Parrotta said. "There's a lot of teams out there capable of winning."
In truth, there are probably seven or eight teams harboring semi-legitimate dreams of winning the post-season tournament.
And after Friday's upset road victories, two of those teams call Western New York their home base.
Niagara and Canisius, teams that had struggled through much of the early part of the season, got victories on the same night. And they weren't exactly beating lower-division teams to do so.
Both the Purple Eagles and the Golden Griffins went on the road Friday night for wins, knocking off teams playing for standings' position near the upper portion of the conference hierarchy.
Niagara went to Loyola for a 59-57 victory over the Greyhounds. Purple Eagles' guard Anthonly Nelson made a layup with about 15 seconds remaining to give the winners a one-point lead and freshman guard Marvin Jordan made one of two free throws with 10 seconds remaining for the final margin. Loyola missed two shots in the final 15 seconds.
Nelson had 20 points while adding to his nation-leading steal total with five.
(And, an editor's note here to league coaches: Do not forget about Mr. Nelson when casting your post-season first-team all-conference ballots. Nelson might be the most-versatile player in the MAAC, as well as one of its best. He already is the first player in Niagara history to produce 1,000 points, 500 rebounds, 600 assists and 200 steals over a career. If you need further evidence, Nelson leads the entire country in steals this season.)
The victory was the second straight for Niagara, which previously won at Marist on Super Bowl Sunday.
Loyola fell to 8-6 in MAAC play and into fifth place. Fairfield is still first at 12-2, followed by Saint Peter's (10-4) and, then, Rider and Iona (each 9-5).
Rider had what looked like a nice opportunity to stay tied with St. Peter's for second place, but saw that slip away against resurgent Canisius, which has now won its last three games.
The Golden Griffins, at Rider, knocked off the Broncs, 67-65 when sophomore guard Gaby Belardo sank a jumper with 7.8 seconds remaining and a Rider 3-point attempt bounced off the rim at the buzzer.
(Editor's Note: Belardo's game-winner was his third of the season, and league coaches should not forget him, either, when filling out all-MAAC ballots, at least for a second-, or third-team mention.)
Canisius is now 7-7 overall, moving it into a tie for sixth with Siena (which lost at Iona on Friday night) as it attempts to earn a first-round bye in the MAAC's post-season tournament for teams that finish in the top six spots in the final standings.
Think that's not big news on the Buffalo school's campus?
Let's put sixth place, and an above-.500 overall record (the Griffs are now 13-11 overall) in historical perspective.
Canisius has been in the post-season tournament's play-in round in every season since 1998-99, when it finished 11-7 in conference play. That is an unprecedented 11-year run of play-in round appearances.
And, the Griffs haven't been over .500 in regular-season play since a 20-11 record (but a 9-9 conference mark, which had them in 7th place) in the 2000-01 season.
Friday's victory at Rider was the first for Canisius at the Lawrenceville, N.J., campus since the series began in 1932. Of course the teams didn't begin playing regularly until Rider joined the MAAC in 1997, but the Broncs were 14-0 against Canisius over the years in their home games in the series.
It all reinforces the well-used, but perfect-fitting cliche that "On any given night..." which bodes well for an exciting stretch run to the regular-season and an interesting post-season tournament.
"There's nobody in the league as good as we were the last three or four years and there's no one as good as Siena was the last three or four years," Niagara coach Joe Mihalich told the Buffalo News earlier in the week. "If that's going to upset [Fairfield coach] Ed Cooley or [Iona coach Tim Cluess], that's OK."
"There's some really good teams in this league, I think there's four teams in this league who everyone thinks is going to win it," Mihalich added.
And, Mihalich's counterpart in Western New York, Canisius coach Tom Parrotta, agrees.
"I think Joe makes a valid point," Parrotta said. "There's a lot of teams out there capable of winning."
In truth, there are probably seven or eight teams harboring semi-legitimate dreams of winning the post-season tournament.
And after Friday's upset road victories, two of those teams call Western New York their home base.
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Marist Women Add More Strong Pieces
Here's another look at players signed during fall's early period who will be joining MAAC programs next season.
Up now ... Marist women.
- Natalie Gomez-Martinezm a 5-foot-6 guard from Andover (Mass.) H.S.
Gomez-Martinez has scored 1,035 points and accumulated 358 points in three seasons entering her senior year.
"Natalie is one of the top combo guards in the northeast," said Marist coach Brian Giorgis, in a press release issued by the school. "She was heavily recruited by major and mid-major schools cross the country. She is a player with great breakdown ability and (is) a tremendous scorer who sees the floor well and has tremendous confidence."
- Briana Holmes, a 5-7 guard from Brookhaven H.S., Columbus, Ohio.
Holmes averaged 8.9 points and 3.4 assists as a junior last season.– Guard – 5-7 – Columbus, Ohio/Brookhaven
“Briana is a pass-first point guard with tremendous defensive skills, as well as the ability to break down opposing defenses," said Giorgis. "She comes from Brookhaven High School, one of the best high school programs in the Columbus area, and that won the city championship last year. She is and will be a great leader both on and off the floor and I see her as a steal in the class of 2011."
Marist has another player who will be eligible next season:
- Kristina Danella, a 6-1 swing player who transferred to Marist after two seasons at UMass.
Danella, who is at Marist now and can practice with the Red Foxes, becomes eligible to play next season and has two remaining seasons of eligibility. At UMass, she was an Atlantic 10 Conference all-Rookie Team selection as a player and, then, averaged 11.6 points and 5.6 rebounds per game as a sophomore.
Danella's presence will help ensure Marist will remain strong in for the foreseeable future.
Up now ... Marist women.
- Natalie Gomez-Martinezm a 5-foot-6 guard from Andover (Mass.) H.S.
Gomez-Martinez has scored 1,035 points and accumulated 358 points in three seasons entering her senior year.
"Natalie is one of the top combo guards in the northeast," said Marist coach Brian Giorgis, in a press release issued by the school. "She was heavily recruited by major and mid-major schools cross the country. She is a player with great breakdown ability and (is) a tremendous scorer who sees the floor well and has tremendous confidence."
- Briana Holmes, a 5-7 guard from Brookhaven H.S., Columbus, Ohio.
Holmes averaged 8.9 points and 3.4 assists as a junior last season.– Guard – 5-7 – Columbus, Ohio/Brookhaven
“Briana is a pass-first point guard with tremendous defensive skills, as well as the ability to break down opposing defenses," said Giorgis. "She comes from Brookhaven High School, one of the best high school programs in the Columbus area, and that won the city championship last year. She is and will be a great leader both on and off the floor and I see her as a steal in the class of 2011."
Marist has another player who will be eligible next season:
- Kristina Danella, a 6-1 swing player who transferred to Marist after two seasons at UMass.
Danella, who is at Marist now and can practice with the Red Foxes, becomes eligible to play next season and has two remaining seasons of eligibility. At UMass, she was an Atlantic 10 Conference all-Rookie Team selection as a player and, then, averaged 11.6 points and 5.6 rebounds per game as a sophomore.
Danella's presence will help ensure Marist will remain strong in for the foreseeable future.
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
Siena's Rossiter Keeps Coming Up Big
The memory is one of meeting a tall, skinny high school player early in the 2006-07 season who was identified as a signed Siena recruit, and wondering how this bone-thin individual would ever withstand the physical pounding related to playing close to the basket at the college level.
The individual was Ryan Rossiter, who was about 6-9 and weighed all of about 180 pounds at that meeting when Siena played a non-conference game at NJIT and Rossiter made the short trip from his Staten Island home to watch his future team.
And the worries were verified during Rossiter's freshman season when, at a few pounds heavier than his high school weight, he would regularly set up on the low block and, then, be subsequently pushed several feet further from the basket when he did not have enough lower-body strength to hold position.
Fast forward ahead to this season. Rossiter now weighs close to 260 pounds, has alleviated any early concerns about his ability to operate around the block, where he does his best work, and is effective enough to be the nation's No. 2 rebounder.
He averages 13.1 rebounds per contest, after pulling down 20 missed shots in the Saints 76-69 loss to Loyola Monday night. The only player rebounding more than Rossiter is Morehead State's Kenneth Faried, who averages 14.2 per contest.
In between Rossiter became the blue-collar inside presence, over the previous two years, that served as the perfect complement to high fliers Edwin Ubiles and Alex Franklin.
It has all been testament to Rossiter's work ethic, not only on the court but in the school's weight room ... work that has enabled him to add more than 70 pounds to his once too-slender fame since that first viewing five years ago.
It has enabled him to advance from being a player limited, due to his physical limitations, to just 11 minutes of playing time per game as a freshman to arguably the best "big" to ever play at Siena.
And, certainly, one of the better inside players the MAAC has ever seen.
Rossiter's work on the boards Monday night pushed his career rebound total to 1,045, notable because it pushed him past Lee Matthews (Class of 1993) as Siena's all-time leading rebounder.
And, already, Rossiter is now the conference's fifth all-time leading career rebounder. He trails only Lionel Simmons (La Salle, Class of 1990), with 1429; Jason Thompson (Rider, 2008), 1,171; Drew Henderson (Fairfield, 1993), 1080; and Juan Mendez (Niagara, 2005), 1053.
Siena has six remaining regular season games and a minimum of one in the MAAC tournament. Figure Rossiter to continue to average 13 rebounds per game for seven more contests (91 more) and that lifts his career total to 1,136, which would be the MAAC's third-best career total in its 30-year history.
If Siena can make a run to the post-season tournament's championship game, playing an additional two games to get there, Rossiter could approach the No. 2 mark on the conference's rebounding list.
Not bad for a formerly too-skinny kid who only saw enough court time to get 97 total rebounds as a freshman.
"He was phenomenal tonight (against Loyola)," said Saints' coach Mitch Buonaguro, about Rossiter. "There's not much more you can say about him. He's getting double-teammed the whole night and to have 23 points and 20 rebounds ... that's a phenomenal game."
For sure, Rossiter's work is being recognized by Buonaguro's peers around the league who are all but certain to make the Siena center this season's Player of the Year in the MAAC.
"I'll be surprised if Ryan Rossiter is not in the NBA next season," said Maryland coach Jimmy Patsos. "He's (likely to be) a second-round draft pick. I've seen guys like Brian Scalabrini (a former Boston Celtic now with the Chicago Bulls) have a lengthy career, and so could Rossiter. I'm not saying he's going to be a star in the NBA, but that guy (Rossiter) is just a terminator close to the ball. There's always a place on an NBA team for a guy like that."
"I try to go into every game with the mentality of getting every rebound that comes off,” said Rossiter, who was given a standing ovation by the 6,549 in attendance when it was announced, during a stoppage in play, that he had become Siena's all-time leading rebounder.
Rossiter, though, has become more than just an overly proficient rebounder this season. He currently averages 18.9 points per contest, which is the second-best average (to the 19.1 of Iona's Mike Glover) in the MAAC, and 40th-highest scoring average nationally.
And, on Monday night, Patsos recognized that, too.
"When we were in a time out and down eight or nine (Loyola was behind, 58-50 at the media time out with 11:19 remaining), everyone was looking at me like I would have some magic play," said Patsos.
"I just told them on't let Ryan Rossiter score. You don't let Kobe Bryant score. Don't let Dwight Howard score. Don't let Kyle Singler score. Don't let Jimmer Fredette score. That's my play."
Rossiter got five more points after Patsos delivered that message, but the rest of the Saints didn't help out enough on this night as Siena let its late-game lead slip away.
But what didn't slip away was the final statistical evidence that the once too-skinny Rossiter had become Siena's all-time best big man and one of the best ever to patrol the paint in MAAC history.
The individual was Ryan Rossiter, who was about 6-9 and weighed all of about 180 pounds at that meeting when Siena played a non-conference game at NJIT and Rossiter made the short trip from his Staten Island home to watch his future team.
And the worries were verified during Rossiter's freshman season when, at a few pounds heavier than his high school weight, he would regularly set up on the low block and, then, be subsequently pushed several feet further from the basket when he did not have enough lower-body strength to hold position.
Fast forward ahead to this season. Rossiter now weighs close to 260 pounds, has alleviated any early concerns about his ability to operate around the block, where he does his best work, and is effective enough to be the nation's No. 2 rebounder.
He averages 13.1 rebounds per contest, after pulling down 20 missed shots in the Saints 76-69 loss to Loyola Monday night. The only player rebounding more than Rossiter is Morehead State's Kenneth Faried, who averages 14.2 per contest.
In between Rossiter became the blue-collar inside presence, over the previous two years, that served as the perfect complement to high fliers Edwin Ubiles and Alex Franklin.
It has all been testament to Rossiter's work ethic, not only on the court but in the school's weight room ... work that has enabled him to add more than 70 pounds to his once too-slender fame since that first viewing five years ago.
It has enabled him to advance from being a player limited, due to his physical limitations, to just 11 minutes of playing time per game as a freshman to arguably the best "big" to ever play at Siena.
And, certainly, one of the better inside players the MAAC has ever seen.
Rossiter's work on the boards Monday night pushed his career rebound total to 1,045, notable because it pushed him past Lee Matthews (Class of 1993) as Siena's all-time leading rebounder.
And, already, Rossiter is now the conference's fifth all-time leading career rebounder. He trails only Lionel Simmons (La Salle, Class of 1990), with 1429; Jason Thompson (Rider, 2008), 1,171; Drew Henderson (Fairfield, 1993), 1080; and Juan Mendez (Niagara, 2005), 1053.
Siena has six remaining regular season games and a minimum of one in the MAAC tournament. Figure Rossiter to continue to average 13 rebounds per game for seven more contests (91 more) and that lifts his career total to 1,136, which would be the MAAC's third-best career total in its 30-year history.
If Siena can make a run to the post-season tournament's championship game, playing an additional two games to get there, Rossiter could approach the No. 2 mark on the conference's rebounding list.
Not bad for a formerly too-skinny kid who only saw enough court time to get 97 total rebounds as a freshman.
"He was phenomenal tonight (against Loyola)," said Saints' coach Mitch Buonaguro, about Rossiter. "There's not much more you can say about him. He's getting double-teammed the whole night and to have 23 points and 20 rebounds ... that's a phenomenal game."
For sure, Rossiter's work is being recognized by Buonaguro's peers around the league who are all but certain to make the Siena center this season's Player of the Year in the MAAC.
"I'll be surprised if Ryan Rossiter is not in the NBA next season," said Maryland coach Jimmy Patsos. "He's (likely to be) a second-round draft pick. I've seen guys like Brian Scalabrini (a former Boston Celtic now with the Chicago Bulls) have a lengthy career, and so could Rossiter. I'm not saying he's going to be a star in the NBA, but that guy (Rossiter) is just a terminator close to the ball. There's always a place on an NBA team for a guy like that."
"I try to go into every game with the mentality of getting every rebound that comes off,” said Rossiter, who was given a standing ovation by the 6,549 in attendance when it was announced, during a stoppage in play, that he had become Siena's all-time leading rebounder.
Rossiter, though, has become more than just an overly proficient rebounder this season. He currently averages 18.9 points per contest, which is the second-best average (to the 19.1 of Iona's Mike Glover) in the MAAC, and 40th-highest scoring average nationally.
And, on Monday night, Patsos recognized that, too.
"When we were in a time out and down eight or nine (Loyola was behind, 58-50 at the media time out with 11:19 remaining), everyone was looking at me like I would have some magic play," said Patsos.
"I just told them on't let Ryan Rossiter score. You don't let Kobe Bryant score. Don't let Dwight Howard score. Don't let Kyle Singler score. Don't let Jimmer Fredette score. That's my play."
Rossiter got five more points after Patsos delivered that message, but the rest of the Saints didn't help out enough on this night as Siena let its late-game lead slip away.
But what didn't slip away was the final statistical evidence that the once too-skinny Rossiter had become Siena's all-time best big man and one of the best ever to patrol the paint in MAAC history.
Monday, February 7, 2011
Niagara Women Down, But Future Bright
Midway through the second half of the Niagara women's team's game at Siena on Sunday the Purple Eagles' on-court lineup consisted of four freshmen and a junior who had only played in 11 of the squad's first 22 games.
Is it any wonder that Niagara remains the conference's only winless team (0-12 in league games) and has a 1-22 overall record that includes an active 17-game losing streak?
The team's plight wasn't helped by the early season loss of point guard Kayla Stroman, last season's conference Rookie of the Year, and this year's leading scorer before a knee injury shut her down after eight games.
And one of Stroman's replacements, junior Ali Morris, is also out for the season after recent shoulder surgery.
The result of losing two veteran ball-handlers and having to rely extensively on not-yet-ready freshmen isn't exactly a recipe for success.
But MAAC opponents better give Niagara its lumps this season becaus a closer look indicates the Purple Eagles won't be anyone's doormat in the very near future.
Freshmen 6-2 center Kate Gattuso, 5-11 forward Shy Britton and 5-10 guard Chanel Johnson are all getting valuable playing experience this season and have all had some strong games that indicate what should come on a more consistent bases in the future.
Stroman and Morris should both be back at full health next season and the team will also return solid role players current sophomore Jessica Flammn and junior Meghan Waterman, one of the league's better defensive players.
And, there's more help coming from a transfer who is currently in the program and practicing with the team but unable to play until next season. That would be 6-foot-2 center Lauren Gatto, who played a season at the University of Illinois at Chicago where she averaged 3.8 points and 2.8 rebounds before transferring to Niagara.
Gatto, and the continued emergence of Gattuso, should solve one problem for Niagara, its rebound struggles (opponents outrebound the Purple Eagles by more than six per game).
The return to health of Stroman and Morris should help the current ball-handling deficiencies (Niagara averages more than 22 turnovers per contest).
And, the natural maturation process of Britton and Johnson, exciting young players who look capable of developing into productive scorers ... it all means better days are ahead for the Niagara women's program. And those days aren't far off.
Is it any wonder that Niagara remains the conference's only winless team (0-12 in league games) and has a 1-22 overall record that includes an active 17-game losing streak?
The team's plight wasn't helped by the early season loss of point guard Kayla Stroman, last season's conference Rookie of the Year, and this year's leading scorer before a knee injury shut her down after eight games.
And one of Stroman's replacements, junior Ali Morris, is also out for the season after recent shoulder surgery.
The result of losing two veteran ball-handlers and having to rely extensively on not-yet-ready freshmen isn't exactly a recipe for success.
But MAAC opponents better give Niagara its lumps this season becaus a closer look indicates the Purple Eagles won't be anyone's doormat in the very near future.
Freshmen 6-2 center Kate Gattuso, 5-11 forward Shy Britton and 5-10 guard Chanel Johnson are all getting valuable playing experience this season and have all had some strong games that indicate what should come on a more consistent bases in the future.
Stroman and Morris should both be back at full health next season and the team will also return solid role players current sophomore Jessica Flammn and junior Meghan Waterman, one of the league's better defensive players.
And, there's more help coming from a transfer who is currently in the program and practicing with the team but unable to play until next season. That would be 6-foot-2 center Lauren Gatto, who played a season at the University of Illinois at Chicago where she averaged 3.8 points and 2.8 rebounds before transferring to Niagara.
Gatto, and the continued emergence of Gattuso, should solve one problem for Niagara, its rebound struggles (opponents outrebound the Purple Eagles by more than six per game).
The return to health of Stroman and Morris should help the current ball-handling deficiencies (Niagara averages more than 22 turnovers per contest).
And, the natural maturation process of Britton and Johnson, exciting young players who look capable of developing into productive scorers ... it all means better days are ahead for the Niagara women's program. And those days aren't far off.
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