Opening night for MAAC men's basketball was Friday, and there were some interesting tidbits to be found within the boxscores ...
Here's a quick recap of the openers:
- Fairfield was a 72-60 winner over state rival Quinnipiac. And, an unexpected, unsung starter was the team's top scorer.
The Stags have plenty of star power in eligible transfers Rakim Sanders and Desmond Wade, along with all-league performer Derek Needham and 7-foot-0 center Ryan Olander.
But, on Friday, the best game by a Fairfield player was turned in by 6-foot-5 sophomore forward Maurice Barrow, who shot 8-of-11 from the floor and finished with a game-high 19 points while adding six rebounds.
- Kentucky turned in the expected rout of Marist, 108-58. But, the Red Foxes only trailed by nine, 45-36 at halftime. After that, Kentucky outscored Marist 63-22 in the second half. Freshman point guard Isaiah Morton led Marist with 13 points, but failed to record an assist.
- Loyola provided a good test for Wake Forest of the ACC before the Deacon Demons pulled away for a 75-63 victory. The Greyhounds had the game tied at 48 with 10:38 remaining before Wake went on a 7-0 run to pull away. Center Shane Walker and forward Justin Drummond each had 12 points and nine rebounds for Loyola.
- Buffalo knocked off Saint Peter's, 72-65, but Chris Prescott, a transfer from Saint Joseph's, had a nice debut in the Peacocks' lineup with 23 points, including 5-of-11 shooting from three-point territory. Prescott, though, only made 2-of-8 from inside the stripe.
- And Rider's challenging early season schedule got off to a rough start as the Broncs fell 83-57 at Robert Morris. A banged-up Rider team made the trip to Pittsburgh with only eight scholarship players. Junior swingman Anthony Miles, who averaged 5.9 points per game last season, led the Broncs with 20 points Friday. Rider stays in the Steel City to face Pittsburgh on Sunday night before taking a six-hour bus ride home for a 6 a.m. Tuesday contest at home vs. Drexel as part of ESPN's College Basketball Tip-Off 24-hour marathon.
Saturday, November 12, 2011
Friday, November 11, 2011
Iona's Ford Backs Up Coach's Opinion
The first MAAC college basketball game of the 2011-12 season is now in the books, as of early Friday afternoon, and it makes Iona women's coach Tony Bozzella look like a prophet.
Bozzella's Gaels won with ease, 85-69, over a decent North Carolina A&T (15-14 last season with three of its top six players back) in a first-round tip-off tournament hosted by Iona that started at 11 a.m. Friday.
Bozzella, already widely recognized as a good coach, now looks like a master of the crystal ball, too.
At the MAAC's Preseason Awards Show a couple of weeks ago, Bozzella had this to say about his standout senior forward Kristina Ford: "She's going to be the best player in the league this season," Bozzella said. "I don't care if you quote me as saying that. She deserves to have people know what I think about her. She worked extremely hard in the off-season and the improvement in her game is dramatic."
It's only one game, but Ford backed up her coach's confidence with a career-high 34 points against North Carolina A&T on 13-of-18 shooting from the floor. Her previous single-game best had been 24 points.
It probably didn't hurt to have teammate and senior point guard Suzi Fregosi back in the lineup. Fregosi, one of the league's best true point guards, missed much of last season with hip issues. But she showed she was all the way back in Friday's game, posting a double-double with 12 points and 10 assists.
Bozzella's Gaels won with ease, 85-69, over a decent North Carolina A&T (15-14 last season with three of its top six players back) in a first-round tip-off tournament hosted by Iona that started at 11 a.m. Friday.
Bozzella, already widely recognized as a good coach, now looks like a master of the crystal ball, too.
At the MAAC's Preseason Awards Show a couple of weeks ago, Bozzella had this to say about his standout senior forward Kristina Ford: "She's going to be the best player in the league this season," Bozzella said. "I don't care if you quote me as saying that. She deserves to have people know what I think about her. She worked extremely hard in the off-season and the improvement in her game is dramatic."
It's only one game, but Ford backed up her coach's confidence with a career-high 34 points against North Carolina A&T on 13-of-18 shooting from the floor. Her previous single-game best had been 24 points.
It probably didn't hurt to have teammate and senior point guard Suzi Fregosi back in the lineup. Fregosi, one of the league's best true point guards, missed much of last season with hip issues. But she showed she was all the way back in Friday's game, posting a double-double with 12 points and 10 assists.
Thursday, November 10, 2011
'Early' Games To Give Rider Men Good Test
It is a tough-enough home opener for the Rider men's basketball team, Tuesday's game against regional non-league rival Drexel, a team that won 21 games a year ago and is once again expected to be one of the better teams in the Colonial Athletic Association.
And, then, there is the 6 a.m. starting time as Rider serves as the host team for that time block's portion of ESPN's season-tip off's 24-hour basketball marathon.
But that only begins to hint at the early season challenges faced by the Broncs who, due to some early season injuries, are operating with only eight scholarship players right now.
Before the team even has to start worrying about how much coffee to drink to perk up the senses for basketball before the sun rises on Tuesday, there's the certain matter of two other games this weekend.
The Broncs, later today (Thursday) hit the road for a two-game trip to Pittsburgh to face Robert Morris Friday at 7 p.m. and, then, Pitt Sunday night at 6 p.m.
Nothing like a nice tune-up for Tuesday's eye-opener ... Pitt is widely acknowledged as a Top 10-team nationally.
"I thought that would have been an afternoon game," said Rider coach Tommy Dempsey.
Instead, to accomodate television (the game will be televised on ESPN3), it was recently scheduled for its 6 p.m. starting time.
The Broncs will get on a bus immediately following that game for a 330-mile/6-hour bus ride from Pittsburgh back to their Lawrenceville, N.J., campus.
"We'll probably get home about 2 a.m. Monday morning," noted Dempsey.
That gives the team all of about 28 hours before Tuesday morning's tip-off, time in which team players and coaches will be concerned with Monday classes, a Monday afternoon practice and a drastically altered pre-game schedule in an attempt to accomodate rest and proper nutrition before the 6 a.m. Tuesday contest with Drexel.
On top of everything else, the contest is Drexel's first of the year, meaning the Dragons will have the emotional charge of their season-opener.
"I'm a coffee drinker, and I'll be having some Tuesday morning ... but I'm not the one who has to be awake for the game," said Dempsey. "We have to be sure the players are ready.
"But the school is really embracing the game. There will be a lot of activities on our campus surrounding the game. Between those emotions, playing a regional rival and having a national TV audience watching, I'm sure our guys will get a lift from all of that."
Still, having to play 28 hours after getting back from a meeting with a physical, elite Pitt opponent ....
"It will be a challenge, and I don't have a magic formula for how to proceed," said Dempsey. "We'll just try to do what we think is best."
Dempsey will encourage his team to get as much rest upon its return from Pitt, attend classes on Monday and, then, will have a light walk-through late Monday afternoon. After that the team will have a big meal around 8 p.m. Monday night and, then, will stay off campus as it tries to get a little more sleep for Tuesday morning's game.
"We'll try to get them to bed at 10 p.m. (Monday), and up at 4 a.m. on Tuesday to let them have something real light ... oatmeal, maybe some eggs ... prior to the game," said Dempsey.
The Broncs are no strangers to early mornings on the court. Dempsey had his players arrange class schedules to facilitate twice-weekly 7 a.m. practices twice a week.
"But practicing at 7 a.m. isn't like playing a game at 6 a.m.," admitted the Rider coach
His team will be further hampered by some nagging preseason injuries, limiting it to eight scholarship players for the two-game trip to the Pittsburgh area. The only starter who won't play there, though, is point guard Jonathan Thompson, who is finishing a five-game suspension imnpossed late last season. Thompson will be able to play in Tuesday's morning contest with Drexel.
"We know it's a big thing for our university to get the national television exposure," said Dempsey. "And you look at the time slot. A lot of people are up getting ready for the day that early and turn on ESPN to watch SportsCenter. Instead, our game will be on. We'll get a lot of people watching who might not normally watch. If it's a good, exciting game maybe they'll keep watching. It's great publicity for our school."
But, it's a challenge that goes beyond just having to get up early for a game.
"Basically, we're on the road for two games and, then, home for the morning game ... three games in about four-and-a-half days," said Dempsey. "I told our guys that if we're ever going to win a MAAC tournament, we have to play three days in a row, so this is good preparation for us if we get into that post-season situation."
And, it might happen. Rider was picked to finish fourth in the coaches' preseason poll and has a strong returning cast from a year ago.
Just how good will Rider be? It's upcoming season-opening three games might tell plenty.
"These early games will test our team's toughness, our character and our resolve," said Dempsey. "I'll have a pretty good idea about our team very early ... by about 8:30 a.m. on Tuesday."
And, then, there is the 6 a.m. starting time as Rider serves as the host team for that time block's portion of ESPN's season-tip off's 24-hour basketball marathon.
But that only begins to hint at the early season challenges faced by the Broncs who, due to some early season injuries, are operating with only eight scholarship players right now.
Before the team even has to start worrying about how much coffee to drink to perk up the senses for basketball before the sun rises on Tuesday, there's the certain matter of two other games this weekend.
The Broncs, later today (Thursday) hit the road for a two-game trip to Pittsburgh to face Robert Morris Friday at 7 p.m. and, then, Pitt Sunday night at 6 p.m.
Nothing like a nice tune-up for Tuesday's eye-opener ... Pitt is widely acknowledged as a Top 10-team nationally.
"I thought that would have been an afternoon game," said Rider coach Tommy Dempsey.
Instead, to accomodate television (the game will be televised on ESPN3), it was recently scheduled for its 6 p.m. starting time.
The Broncs will get on a bus immediately following that game for a 330-mile/6-hour bus ride from Pittsburgh back to their Lawrenceville, N.J., campus.
"We'll probably get home about 2 a.m. Monday morning," noted Dempsey.
That gives the team all of about 28 hours before Tuesday morning's tip-off, time in which team players and coaches will be concerned with Monday classes, a Monday afternoon practice and a drastically altered pre-game schedule in an attempt to accomodate rest and proper nutrition before the 6 a.m. Tuesday contest with Drexel.
On top of everything else, the contest is Drexel's first of the year, meaning the Dragons will have the emotional charge of their season-opener.
"I'm a coffee drinker, and I'll be having some Tuesday morning ... but I'm not the one who has to be awake for the game," said Dempsey. "We have to be sure the players are ready.
"But the school is really embracing the game. There will be a lot of activities on our campus surrounding the game. Between those emotions, playing a regional rival and having a national TV audience watching, I'm sure our guys will get a lift from all of that."
Still, having to play 28 hours after getting back from a meeting with a physical, elite Pitt opponent ....
"It will be a challenge, and I don't have a magic formula for how to proceed," said Dempsey. "We'll just try to do what we think is best."
Dempsey will encourage his team to get as much rest upon its return from Pitt, attend classes on Monday and, then, will have a light walk-through late Monday afternoon. After that the team will have a big meal around 8 p.m. Monday night and, then, will stay off campus as it tries to get a little more sleep for Tuesday morning's game.
"We'll try to get them to bed at 10 p.m. (Monday), and up at 4 a.m. on Tuesday to let them have something real light ... oatmeal, maybe some eggs ... prior to the game," said Dempsey.
The Broncs are no strangers to early mornings on the court. Dempsey had his players arrange class schedules to facilitate twice-weekly 7 a.m. practices twice a week.
"But practicing at 7 a.m. isn't like playing a game at 6 a.m.," admitted the Rider coach
His team will be further hampered by some nagging preseason injuries, limiting it to eight scholarship players for the two-game trip to the Pittsburgh area. The only starter who won't play there, though, is point guard Jonathan Thompson, who is finishing a five-game suspension imnpossed late last season. Thompson will be able to play in Tuesday's morning contest with Drexel.
"We know it's a big thing for our university to get the national television exposure," said Dempsey. "And you look at the time slot. A lot of people are up getting ready for the day that early and turn on ESPN to watch SportsCenter. Instead, our game will be on. We'll get a lot of people watching who might not normally watch. If it's a good, exciting game maybe they'll keep watching. It's great publicity for our school."
But, it's a challenge that goes beyond just having to get up early for a game.
"Basically, we're on the road for two games and, then, home for the morning game ... three games in about four-and-a-half days," said Dempsey. "I told our guys that if we're ever going to win a MAAC tournament, we have to play three days in a row, so this is good preparation for us if we get into that post-season situation."
And, it might happen. Rider was picked to finish fourth in the coaches' preseason poll and has a strong returning cast from a year ago.
Just how good will Rider be? It's upcoming season-opening three games might tell plenty.
"These early games will test our team's toughness, our character and our resolve," said Dempsey. "I'll have a pretty good idea about our team very early ... by about 8:30 a.m. on Tuesday."
Wednesday, November 9, 2011
Siena's PG Brookins To Miss Season
Must be too many black cats crossing in the path of the Siena men's basketball team, too many ladders gone under, too many mirrors broken.
What else can explain what's going on in Loudonville, N.Y., these days where the only luck the Saints have had this off-season has been of the bad-luck variety?
Early Wednesday afternoon the school disclosed that sophomore point guard Rakeem Brookins, who started the majority of the Saints' games as a freshman and was the team's leading scorer (9.0 per game) among returnees, would miss the entire upcoming season.
Brookins has been out of practice for close to a month with back issues. A recent examination by orthopedic surgeons at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania have diagnosed Brookins with a bulging disk at L3-L4, and a herniated disk at L4-L5. Based on the estimated recovery time for those injuries, it was determined that Brookins would not be able to participate in basketball related activities this season, according to a press release issued by the school.
Brookins will remain home in Philadelphia for the remainder of the fall semester where he continues to undergo physical therapy, and focus on his academic pursuits. No surgery is planned right now. He plans on returning to Siena in January, and taking a full academic course load in the spring semester as he continues his recovery.
"It's obviously disappointing news, but our focus is on Rahk returning to full health and enjoying a successful Siena career on and off the court," head coach Mitch Buonaguro said. "He has the complete support of our coaching staff, his teammates, and all of the great support services available to him as a Siena student athlete."
Brookins' loss means the Saints will be starting a freshman at point guard for the second straight season. Both the 6-2 Davonte Beard and the 5-8 Evan Hymes have been playing the position in practices since Brookins went down. Sources within the program indicated that it would probably Hymes in the starting lineup for the team's Nov. 16 opener against Navy.
Broookins' loss was just the latest setback in an unkind stretch for Siena since the end of last season that started when 6-9 junior Davis Martens, who might have started at forward this season, was loss for the year after August hip surgery.
Then came the double loss of much-hyped 6-8 freshmen forwards Lionel Gomis and Imoh Silas, both natives of Africa, who will sit out this season due to relatively new NCAA legislation that players must compete their high school playing careers within a specific time frame. Both players failed to attend high school for at least a year due to personal situations while in Africa.
And, then, sophomore forward Trenity Burdine, who had some strong efforts as a freshman, has battled foot issues since this past summer and has yet to get on the court.
And, now, Brookins.
Burdine, according to Siena coaches, is expected to begin working out with the team, possibly later this week.
But, for now, Siena is down to eight scholarship players, including four freshmen.
What else can explain what's going on in Loudonville, N.Y., these days where the only luck the Saints have had this off-season has been of the bad-luck variety?
Early Wednesday afternoon the school disclosed that sophomore point guard Rakeem Brookins, who started the majority of the Saints' games as a freshman and was the team's leading scorer (9.0 per game) among returnees, would miss the entire upcoming season.
Brookins has been out of practice for close to a month with back issues. A recent examination by orthopedic surgeons at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania have diagnosed Brookins with a bulging disk at L3-L4, and a herniated disk at L4-L5. Based on the estimated recovery time for those injuries, it was determined that Brookins would not be able to participate in basketball related activities this season, according to a press release issued by the school.
Brookins will remain home in Philadelphia for the remainder of the fall semester where he continues to undergo physical therapy, and focus on his academic pursuits. No surgery is planned right now. He plans on returning to Siena in January, and taking a full academic course load in the spring semester as he continues his recovery.
"It's obviously disappointing news, but our focus is on Rahk returning to full health and enjoying a successful Siena career on and off the court," head coach Mitch Buonaguro said. "He has the complete support of our coaching staff, his teammates, and all of the great support services available to him as a Siena student athlete."
Brookins' loss means the Saints will be starting a freshman at point guard for the second straight season. Both the 6-2 Davonte Beard and the 5-8 Evan Hymes have been playing the position in practices since Brookins went down. Sources within the program indicated that it would probably Hymes in the starting lineup for the team's Nov. 16 opener against Navy.
Broookins' loss was just the latest setback in an unkind stretch for Siena since the end of last season that started when 6-9 junior Davis Martens, who might have started at forward this season, was loss for the year after August hip surgery.
Then came the double loss of much-hyped 6-8 freshmen forwards Lionel Gomis and Imoh Silas, both natives of Africa, who will sit out this season due to relatively new NCAA legislation that players must compete their high school playing careers within a specific time frame. Both players failed to attend high school for at least a year due to personal situations while in Africa.
And, then, sophomore forward Trenity Burdine, who had some strong efforts as a freshman, has battled foot issues since this past summer and has yet to get on the court.
And, now, Brookins.
Burdine, according to Siena coaches, is expected to begin working out with the team, possibly later this week.
But, for now, Siena is down to eight scholarship players, including four freshmen.
Monday, November 7, 2011
Quesions, Answers About Women's Teams
You've got questions, we've got answers, women's division.
Here are some burning questions as the MAAC women's season approaches, and your hoopscribe's attempt at answers.
What team will win the regular-season championship?
Hard to go against a team that has won every year since gas prices were under $1.50 a gallon. Of course that would be Marist, also the unanimous choice of league coaches in their annual preseason poll. But, it says here, Marist isn't quite as strong as it was when it went through the league season with a perfect 18-0 record last season. Not only did it lose Player of the Year Erica Allenspach, but suffered an unexpected loss with the transfer departure of 6-4 forward Kate Oliver. The Red Foxes replace Oliver with another transfer, 6-1 Kristina Danella from UMass, who had 22 points in the program's annual Red/White scrimmage recently.
The better question might be what team has the best chance to, potentially, end Marist's string of regular-season titles? The answer here is Loyola, with two all-league caliber players in junior point guard Katie Sheahin and senior swingperson Mariam McKenzie as well as emerging 6-1 forward junior Alyssa Southerland.
The thing Marist has over everyone else, though, is talented depth. The Red Foxes legitimately went nine or 10 players deep last season and appear to have that kind of bench firepower again this year.
Can the MAAC send two teams to the NCAA tournament?
Not likely, since it has only happened once. But, it could. Last year, for instance ... if Marist had lost in the conference tournament, the MAAC would have had an automatic qualifier other than Marist and, then, the Red Foxes would have been rated high enough in the Ratings Percentage Index to have gotten an at-large situation. Marist, by now, has a strong enough national reputation and plays a strong enough non-league schedule to ensure a high RPI rating that it would get strong consideration for an at-large berth provided it finishes something like 24-6 in regular-season play.
EDITOR'S NOTE: This original post mistakenly indicated that there has never been an at-large NCAA team from the MAAC. A loyal and educated follower, Mid-Major Fan, was kind enough to point out that the 2000-01 season's Fairfield team, which suffered a 70-68 loss to Siena in the conference tournament's championship game, also received a much-deserved at-large invitation that season.
Will there be a surprise team in the conference?
We'll go with two, Iona and Siena.
The Gaels had five straight seasons of at least 18 overall victories before finishing 11-20 last season. Place much of that on the early season loss of point guard Suzi Fregosi, for whom the program had no replacement. Fregosi is back at full strength this year, surrounded by a talented cast, and there's no discounting how important Fregosi is in terms of leadership and running the team on the floor.
As for Siena, it finished 11-7 in league play last year and lost three starters. But replacements are all but unknown around the conference, for now. Junior post player Lily Grinci has had an impact when healthy, but has rarely been at full strength her first two seasons. She's healthy now and has been exceptional in the preseason. Another post, 6-1 sophomore Clara Sole-Anglada, has also been a positive revelation in the preseason after getting limited minutes last season. The Saints have more depth and more athleticism than in recent years and should at least duplicate last season's record.
Best Player?
It's easy to pick Marist's Corielle Yarde, a senior guard who had a big-time breakout game in the NCAA tournament's second round last season when she scored 25 points and had 12 rebounds in a 71-66 loss to Duke. And, Yarde is the league's preseason Player of the Year.
Your hoopscribe, though, has a preference for Loyola's Sheahin, the do-everything point guard who not only led the conference in assists last seson but was No. 2 nationally in steals per game and, like Yarde, played her best late in the season against strong opponents.
Surprise Player?
We'll go with Fregosi, one of our favorites to watch. She is as good a true pass-first point guard as we've seen in the league in several years. In a recent exhibition game she had 11 assists against just two turnovers. She is often overlooked because she rarely scores, but all she does is run the offense and make teammates better. If Iona returns to 18+ victories again this season, Fregosi will be the primary reason.
Who makes the post-season all-star team?
Based on last-year's performances, this is pretty easy right now: Corielle Yarde of Marist, Katie Sheahin and Miriam McKenzie of Loyola, Taryn Johnson of Fairfield and Kristina Ford of Iona.
What transfer will have the most impact this season?
While men's teams in the conference have enough quality all stars to fill an all-star team, it's a relative rarity for women's teams to attract quality transfer players. But, Marist has a good one in Kristina Danella, a 6-1 forward who played two seasons as a starter at UMass where she averaged more than 12 points per game.
Top incoming freshman?
It would be easy to designate guard Kayla Hoohuli of Canisius, who is believed to be the first Parade Magazine All-American to attend a MAAC school. But, Hoohuli isn't all the way back from a high school injury and may be limited early in the season.
So, we'll go with Fairfield freshman Felicia DaCruz, a 5-7 point guard who not only has drawn raves so far for her passing ability but for a long-range shooting touch. DaCruz is expected to crack the Lady Stags' starting lineup and allow senior Desire Pina to move back to off-guard.
Here are some burning questions as the MAAC women's season approaches, and your hoopscribe's attempt at answers.
What team will win the regular-season championship?
Hard to go against a team that has won every year since gas prices were under $1.50 a gallon. Of course that would be Marist, also the unanimous choice of league coaches in their annual preseason poll. But, it says here, Marist isn't quite as strong as it was when it went through the league season with a perfect 18-0 record last season. Not only did it lose Player of the Year Erica Allenspach, but suffered an unexpected loss with the transfer departure of 6-4 forward Kate Oliver. The Red Foxes replace Oliver with another transfer, 6-1 Kristina Danella from UMass, who had 22 points in the program's annual Red/White scrimmage recently.
The better question might be what team has the best chance to, potentially, end Marist's string of regular-season titles? The answer here is Loyola, with two all-league caliber players in junior point guard Katie Sheahin and senior swingperson Mariam McKenzie as well as emerging 6-1 forward junior Alyssa Southerland.
The thing Marist has over everyone else, though, is talented depth. The Red Foxes legitimately went nine or 10 players deep last season and appear to have that kind of bench firepower again this year.
Can the MAAC send two teams to the NCAA tournament?
Not likely, since it has only happened once. But, it could. Last year, for instance ... if Marist had lost in the conference tournament, the MAAC would have had an automatic qualifier other than Marist and, then, the Red Foxes would have been rated high enough in the Ratings Percentage Index to have gotten an at-large situation. Marist, by now, has a strong enough national reputation and plays a strong enough non-league schedule to ensure a high RPI rating that it would get strong consideration for an at-large berth provided it finishes something like 24-6 in regular-season play.
EDITOR'S NOTE: This original post mistakenly indicated that there has never been an at-large NCAA team from the MAAC. A loyal and educated follower, Mid-Major Fan, was kind enough to point out that the 2000-01 season's Fairfield team, which suffered a 70-68 loss to Siena in the conference tournament's championship game, also received a much-deserved at-large invitation that season.
Will there be a surprise team in the conference?
We'll go with two, Iona and Siena.
The Gaels had five straight seasons of at least 18 overall victories before finishing 11-20 last season. Place much of that on the early season loss of point guard Suzi Fregosi, for whom the program had no replacement. Fregosi is back at full strength this year, surrounded by a talented cast, and there's no discounting how important Fregosi is in terms of leadership and running the team on the floor.
As for Siena, it finished 11-7 in league play last year and lost three starters. But replacements are all but unknown around the conference, for now. Junior post player Lily Grinci has had an impact when healthy, but has rarely been at full strength her first two seasons. She's healthy now and has been exceptional in the preseason. Another post, 6-1 sophomore Clara Sole-Anglada, has also been a positive revelation in the preseason after getting limited minutes last season. The Saints have more depth and more athleticism than in recent years and should at least duplicate last season's record.
Best Player?
It's easy to pick Marist's Corielle Yarde, a senior guard who had a big-time breakout game in the NCAA tournament's second round last season when she scored 25 points and had 12 rebounds in a 71-66 loss to Duke. And, Yarde is the league's preseason Player of the Year.
Your hoopscribe, though, has a preference for Loyola's Sheahin, the do-everything point guard who not only led the conference in assists last seson but was No. 2 nationally in steals per game and, like Yarde, played her best late in the season against strong opponents.
Surprise Player?
We'll go with Fregosi, one of our favorites to watch. She is as good a true pass-first point guard as we've seen in the league in several years. In a recent exhibition game she had 11 assists against just two turnovers. She is often overlooked because she rarely scores, but all she does is run the offense and make teammates better. If Iona returns to 18+ victories again this season, Fregosi will be the primary reason.
Who makes the post-season all-star team?
Based on last-year's performances, this is pretty easy right now: Corielle Yarde of Marist, Katie Sheahin and Miriam McKenzie of Loyola, Taryn Johnson of Fairfield and Kristina Ford of Iona.
What transfer will have the most impact this season?
While men's teams in the conference have enough quality all stars to fill an all-star team, it's a relative rarity for women's teams to attract quality transfer players. But, Marist has a good one in Kristina Danella, a 6-1 forward who played two seasons as a starter at UMass where she averaged more than 12 points per game.
Top incoming freshman?
It would be easy to designate guard Kayla Hoohuli of Canisius, who is believed to be the first Parade Magazine All-American to attend a MAAC school. But, Hoohuli isn't all the way back from a high school injury and may be limited early in the season.
So, we'll go with Fairfield freshman Felicia DaCruz, a 5-7 point guard who not only has drawn raves so far for her passing ability but for a long-range shooting touch. DaCruz is expected to crack the Lady Stags' starting lineup and allow senior Desire Pina to move back to off-guard.
Saturday, November 5, 2011
Questions, Answers For Upcoming Season
Can you believe college basketball season is upon us ... less than a week away?
As the season approaches, you've got questions and we've got answers. We'll start with the men, and give the ladies the same treatment in a future post.
Who will win the MAAC's regular-season championship this season?
The easy answer is Iona. And if all goes well, if playing styles mesh, the Gaels' season could be one for the ages. The talent assembled might account for a group that ranks only slightly behind the great La Salle teams of the late 1980's and pretty close to the Siena group of recent vintage.
That said ... it's not a foregone conclusion. Don't forget about Fairfield, which lost two solid players to graduation and bring in two transfers that, talent-wise, are better than their predecessors. And everyone else on the roster has an extra year's experience.
And, then, there's Loyola. In most years the talent Loyola has on this year's roster would be good enough to be considered a potential regular-season champion.
If you want an answer ... we'll go with Fairfield.
Is this the year the conference sends two teams to the NCAA tournament?
League commissioner Rich Ensor thinks it is. The only time it has happened in the 30-year history of the MAAC was 1995 when Manhattan (25-4) won the regular-season title and got beat by Saint Peter's in the post-season tournament's championship game. The Jaspers then went on to win a first-round NCAA tournament game to finish 26-5.
For that to happen one team would need to dominate in regular-season play and, then, get upset in the post-season tournament. Easy to say that could be the case with Iona this season.
But, the belief here is that there's not that significant a gap between Iona, Fairfield, Loyola, Rider and, potentially, Saint Peter's. This hoopscribe does not believe any one team will distance itself from the pack and finish regular-season conference play with just one, or two, losses.
If that doesn't happen, the MAAC won't get an at-large team to the NCAA event. Clearly, we hope that it happens, but the feeling here is that it won't.
Surprise team?
We'll go with two: Saint Peter's and Niagara.
The Peacocks lost four starters from last season's NCAA team, but bring in quality replacements. It's a matter of how well the newcomers mesh. If all goes well, Saint Peter's could be a dangerous team by season's end.
The Purple Eagles have most of their roster back, along with two highly touted freshmen, Ja'Juan Green and Josh Turner. Green, according to sources who have seen practices, might be the team's best guard. Turner, who won't be eligible to play until the second semester, is a 6-5 swingman who drew recruiting interest from higher-level programs. Like Saint Peter's, Niagara should be at its best by season's end and capable of doing some late-season damage.
Surprise Player?
It's always fun to watch the maturation process as young players blossom into talented standouts.
That should have been the progression of current Siena senior guard Kyle Downey, who had some flashes as a freshman that indicated he would eventually become a solid contributor, at the very least.
And, then, the 6-3 guard battled a series of foot, ankle and leg injuries through his sophomore and junior season but continued to play at far less than 100 percent.
For the first time since his freshman season Downey is now completely healthy and has even lost 10 pounds, in an effort to be quicker, since last season.
He is likely to start at off-guard for the Saints, and head coach Mitch Buonaguro believes Downey might wind up as Siena's leading scorer this season and gain post-season all-star honors.
Post-season all stars?
Forward Mike Glover and Scott Machado of Iona, guard Derek Needham of Fairfield, forward Novar Gadson of Rider and guard George Beamon of Manhattan.
Toughest to omit; Center Ryan Olander of Fairfield.
Biggest non-league game?
Two stand out. Iona meets Purdue on Nov. 17, on a neutral court in Puerto Rico. A Gaels' victory over the Boilermakers would add considerable credibility to Iona's hopes for a post-season tournament berth should it not be the conference's automatic entrant to the NCAA's.
The other might have the potential for a similar impact, but is more attractive based on past connections. That would be when Providence plays Fairfield in Bridgeport, Conn., on Nov. 14. Providence's coach is Ed Cooley, who coached the Stags for the past five seasons.
Top incoming freshman?
We'll go with three here: Niagara's Green, Marist's 6-5 swingman Chevauagn Lewis and Siena's 6-5 swingman Rob Poole.
All three will get significant playing time, and all three, according to a variety of sources, have had outstanding preseasons.
Top incoming transfer?
The memory banks cannot recall so many talented transfers all becoming eligible at once. The best of the bunch might be Fairfield's Rakim Sanders, a 6-5 swingman who already has more than 1,000 career points from three seasons at Boston College. But, the transfer with the most impact could easily be Chris Prescott (previously at St. Joseph's) at Saint Peter's. The Peacocks lost plenty of offense since last year, and Prescott can score, and will probably do plenty of that this season.
MAAC Tournament expectations?
You're on your own for figuring out the eventual winner. The debate here is whether the event will be a success, operating on a neutral court for the first time since 1989.
The tournament will be in Springfield, Mass. (the MassMutual Center) for the first time this year, the first on a three-year contract. Closest MAAC school? About 90 miles away, which means lengthy day trips for schools like Fairfield Marist and Siena, and, likely, overnight stays for fans of any other program.
This, though, is what administrators ... those above athletic departments ... at conference schools wanted. The publicity and prestige gained from having a school participate in the NCAA tournament goes far beyond athletic benefits. The interest generated by an NCAA team results in larger alumni donations, larger application pools and any number of other benefits.
The bottom line is that league administrators wanted the proverbial level playing field. The perception is that a neutral court gives everyone a better chance in the post-season than they would have by playing on one team's home court.
So, back to the question of whether it will succeed?
League commissioner Ensor indicates the best judgment probably can't be made until at least after the second year of the marriage with Springfield. It will take time for the event to be established there.
Will crowds rival the big nights of more than 10,000 that traditionally came to Albany's Times Union Center? That can't happen, since the MassMutual Center's capacity is approximately 7,400. But, crowds of, say, 4,500 in that facility will create a far better atmosphere than when a similar number turned out a year ago in the 12,000-seat Arena at Harbor Yard in Bridgeport, Conn.
And, there's much more than mere basketball now to attract fans. Downtown Springfield appears better suited in terms of very proximitous hotels, restaurants and pubs than either Albany or Bridgeport.
And, then, there's the Basketball Hall of Fame in downtown Springfield, a wonderful way to spend a day examining the sport's history. The league has seized upon the connection, using the Hall's facility's for its preseason Awards Show, and also for the announcement of the post-season award winners just prior to the tournament.
Those who purchase all-session passes for the MAAC tournament will also receive free admission to the Hall.
The build up for the event's move to Springfield began even before last season's tournament. Marketing and promotion has been heavy since then. The preseason Awards Show last month in Springfield was the best of its kind that your hoopscribe has ever attended, dating back to 1989. Not that a preseason event will be any indication of how successful the post-season tournament will be, but the organizational/promotional skills required for success are clearly in place.
The guess here is that the eventual crowd count will more closely resemble the mid-20,000 total of last year's tournament in Bridgeport than the 50,000-plus count from 2010 in Albany.
But, considering the neutral site and the need to establish itself as a presence in Springfield, those type crowds should be considered a success.
The feeling here is similar to Ensor's, that the best judgment will come after the event's second year in Springfield. But, based on the type effort we've already seen within that community, your blogger thinks the tournament will be just fine in its new neutral setting.
As the season approaches, you've got questions and we've got answers. We'll start with the men, and give the ladies the same treatment in a future post.
Who will win the MAAC's regular-season championship this season?
The easy answer is Iona. And if all goes well, if playing styles mesh, the Gaels' season could be one for the ages. The talent assembled might account for a group that ranks only slightly behind the great La Salle teams of the late 1980's and pretty close to the Siena group of recent vintage.
That said ... it's not a foregone conclusion. Don't forget about Fairfield, which lost two solid players to graduation and bring in two transfers that, talent-wise, are better than their predecessors. And everyone else on the roster has an extra year's experience.
And, then, there's Loyola. In most years the talent Loyola has on this year's roster would be good enough to be considered a potential regular-season champion.
If you want an answer ... we'll go with Fairfield.
Is this the year the conference sends two teams to the NCAA tournament?
League commissioner Rich Ensor thinks it is. The only time it has happened in the 30-year history of the MAAC was 1995 when Manhattan (25-4) won the regular-season title and got beat by Saint Peter's in the post-season tournament's championship game. The Jaspers then went on to win a first-round NCAA tournament game to finish 26-5.
For that to happen one team would need to dominate in regular-season play and, then, get upset in the post-season tournament. Easy to say that could be the case with Iona this season.
But, the belief here is that there's not that significant a gap between Iona, Fairfield, Loyola, Rider and, potentially, Saint Peter's. This hoopscribe does not believe any one team will distance itself from the pack and finish regular-season conference play with just one, or two, losses.
If that doesn't happen, the MAAC won't get an at-large team to the NCAA event. Clearly, we hope that it happens, but the feeling here is that it won't.
Surprise team?
We'll go with two: Saint Peter's and Niagara.
The Peacocks lost four starters from last season's NCAA team, but bring in quality replacements. It's a matter of how well the newcomers mesh. If all goes well, Saint Peter's could be a dangerous team by season's end.
The Purple Eagles have most of their roster back, along with two highly touted freshmen, Ja'Juan Green and Josh Turner. Green, according to sources who have seen practices, might be the team's best guard. Turner, who won't be eligible to play until the second semester, is a 6-5 swingman who drew recruiting interest from higher-level programs. Like Saint Peter's, Niagara should be at its best by season's end and capable of doing some late-season damage.
Surprise Player?
It's always fun to watch the maturation process as young players blossom into talented standouts.
That should have been the progression of current Siena senior guard Kyle Downey, who had some flashes as a freshman that indicated he would eventually become a solid contributor, at the very least.
And, then, the 6-3 guard battled a series of foot, ankle and leg injuries through his sophomore and junior season but continued to play at far less than 100 percent.
For the first time since his freshman season Downey is now completely healthy and has even lost 10 pounds, in an effort to be quicker, since last season.
He is likely to start at off-guard for the Saints, and head coach Mitch Buonaguro believes Downey might wind up as Siena's leading scorer this season and gain post-season all-star honors.
Post-season all stars?
Forward Mike Glover and Scott Machado of Iona, guard Derek Needham of Fairfield, forward Novar Gadson of Rider and guard George Beamon of Manhattan.
Toughest to omit; Center Ryan Olander of Fairfield.
Biggest non-league game?
Two stand out. Iona meets Purdue on Nov. 17, on a neutral court in Puerto Rico. A Gaels' victory over the Boilermakers would add considerable credibility to Iona's hopes for a post-season tournament berth should it not be the conference's automatic entrant to the NCAA's.
The other might have the potential for a similar impact, but is more attractive based on past connections. That would be when Providence plays Fairfield in Bridgeport, Conn., on Nov. 14. Providence's coach is Ed Cooley, who coached the Stags for the past five seasons.
Top incoming freshman?
We'll go with three here: Niagara's Green, Marist's 6-5 swingman Chevauagn Lewis and Siena's 6-5 swingman Rob Poole.
All three will get significant playing time, and all three, according to a variety of sources, have had outstanding preseasons.
Top incoming transfer?
The memory banks cannot recall so many talented transfers all becoming eligible at once. The best of the bunch might be Fairfield's Rakim Sanders, a 6-5 swingman who already has more than 1,000 career points from three seasons at Boston College. But, the transfer with the most impact could easily be Chris Prescott (previously at St. Joseph's) at Saint Peter's. The Peacocks lost plenty of offense since last year, and Prescott can score, and will probably do plenty of that this season.
MAAC Tournament expectations?
You're on your own for figuring out the eventual winner. The debate here is whether the event will be a success, operating on a neutral court for the first time since 1989.
The tournament will be in Springfield, Mass. (the MassMutual Center) for the first time this year, the first on a three-year contract. Closest MAAC school? About 90 miles away, which means lengthy day trips for schools like Fairfield Marist and Siena, and, likely, overnight stays for fans of any other program.
This, though, is what administrators ... those above athletic departments ... at conference schools wanted. The publicity and prestige gained from having a school participate in the NCAA tournament goes far beyond athletic benefits. The interest generated by an NCAA team results in larger alumni donations, larger application pools and any number of other benefits.
The bottom line is that league administrators wanted the proverbial level playing field. The perception is that a neutral court gives everyone a better chance in the post-season than they would have by playing on one team's home court.
So, back to the question of whether it will succeed?
League commissioner Ensor indicates the best judgment probably can't be made until at least after the second year of the marriage with Springfield. It will take time for the event to be established there.
Will crowds rival the big nights of more than 10,000 that traditionally came to Albany's Times Union Center? That can't happen, since the MassMutual Center's capacity is approximately 7,400. But, crowds of, say, 4,500 in that facility will create a far better atmosphere than when a similar number turned out a year ago in the 12,000-seat Arena at Harbor Yard in Bridgeport, Conn.
And, there's much more than mere basketball now to attract fans. Downtown Springfield appears better suited in terms of very proximitous hotels, restaurants and pubs than either Albany or Bridgeport.
And, then, there's the Basketball Hall of Fame in downtown Springfield, a wonderful way to spend a day examining the sport's history. The league has seized upon the connection, using the Hall's facility's for its preseason Awards Show, and also for the announcement of the post-season award winners just prior to the tournament.
Those who purchase all-session passes for the MAAC tournament will also receive free admission to the Hall.
The build up for the event's move to Springfield began even before last season's tournament. Marketing and promotion has been heavy since then. The preseason Awards Show last month in Springfield was the best of its kind that your hoopscribe has ever attended, dating back to 1989. Not that a preseason event will be any indication of how successful the post-season tournament will be, but the organizational/promotional skills required for success are clearly in place.
The guess here is that the eventual crowd count will more closely resemble the mid-20,000 total of last year's tournament in Bridgeport than the 50,000-plus count from 2010 in Albany.
But, considering the neutral site and the need to establish itself as a presence in Springfield, those type crowds should be considered a success.
The feeling here is similar to Ensor's, that the best judgment will come after the event's second year in Springfield. But, based on the type effort we've already seen within that community, your blogger thinks the tournament will be just fine in its new neutral setting.
Thursday, November 3, 2011
MAAC Teams Have Key Non-League Games
Although there is probably no way to chart this definitively, the opinion here is that non-league schedules facing conference teams this season are among the most-demanding your hoopscribe can remember ... and, I've been covering the MAAC in some form since 1989.
Is that a good thing? Coaches will universally speak about the benefits of playing "up" once or twice in non-league games, opportunities for their respective teams to play tougher competition and, theoretically better themselves in preparation for conference play.
But we've been seeing more times when mid-major teams, MAAC teams included, have snuck away with a victory when playing "up."
It's a by-product of mid-major teams getting better, lessening the gap between themselves and the high majors.
And, that gap has probably never been smaller between some of the better opponents facing certain MAAC teams this season and more than a few teams from our favored conference.
Realistically, even the best MAAC teams would struggle to match up with the true elite of college basketball. But, the outcome isn't so certain when teams below, say, the top 10 or 15 nationally meet the best conference teams.
How good will some MAAC teams be this season?
Consider this ... the preseason favorite, Iona, not only has a preseason Wooden Award candidate (senior forward Mike Glover), a list limited to 50 players nationally, but also has an immediately eligible transfer (junior guard LaMont "Momo" Jones) who started for Arizona last year, a team that advanced to the NCAA tournament's Elite Eight round. And the team's best player just might be senior guard Scott Machado, who was No. 2 nationally in assists last season. Iona is truly loaded this year, and has two or three reserves who would be starters, potentially standouts, for just about any other conference team.
And, then, there's Fairfield, the defending regular-season league champion. The Stags lost two players to graduation from a year ago but the replacements, incoming transfers, are both arguably better than the departees.
The team picked to finish third this year? It's Loyola, which has four returning starters and an incoming immediately eligible transfer from a higher-level conference. In most years, that kind of firepower would get a team preseason consideration to be the conference winner.
Let's not forget Rider, which knocked off two "up" opponents last season and should be every bit as good this season.
How important is it to have success against higher-rated opponents? It's probably as important as it has ever been for MAAC teams this season.
League commissioner Rich Ensor has speculated that this might be the year a conference team gets at-large consideration for the NCAA tournament (the only time that ever happened was in 1995 when Manhattan was awarded an at-large berth).
That kind of consideration gets a significant boost with a victory over an "up" opponent, and one of the conference's teams with a real chance for an at-large berth, if it doesn't get the league's automatic spot in the NCAA's, gets that kind of opportunity immediately.
Iona's first game is Nov. 17 when it meets Purdue in a tournament in Puerto Rico. The Boilermakers, a perennial NCAA participant, coincidentally has knocked MAAC teams (Siena in 2010, Saint Peter's in 2011) out of the NCAA's first round in the past two seasons.
"That would be a great boost for us," said Glover, about the potential of beating Purdue. "We know they're a real good team, but we think we've got a real chance."
While Purdue has racked up 55 total victories over the past two seasons, it lost its two best players from a year ago -- center JaJuan Johnson and guard ETwaun Moore, the first- and second-round picks, respectively, of the Boston Celtics in this past spring's NBA draft.
Still, Purdue has All-American candidate 6-8 forward Robbie Hummel, whose knee injury forced him to miss last season.
"He's terrific ... he'll be tough for us," said Iona's Glover, who is likely to spend a lot of time in Hummel's vicinity when the teams meet.
Here's a look at some other non-league games of note on the schedules of MAAC teams this season:
- Siena meets two opponents with familiar faces on the opposing sidelines. On Nov. 19 the Saints travel to Mount Saint Mary's of Emmitsburg, Md., coached by Robert Burke, who not only was a Siena assistant during Paul Hewitt's tenure there in the late 1990's, but was a serious candidate in Siena's search for a coach that resulted in its hiring of Fran McCaffery. Siena also plays at Florida Atlantic on Dec. 28, a program coached by Mike Jarvis, whose Boston University teams were a league rival of Siena's when both programs were members of the old Northeast Athletic Conference (NAC) before Siena joined the MAAC.
- Canisius opens its season on Nov. 13 when it travels to James Madison University, whose coach is former Marist College head coach Matt Brady, whose playing career took place at Siena. The Golden Griffins also have a tough contest on Nov. 17 at UNLV, a team picked to finish second (by The Sporting News) in the Mountain West Conference.
- Fairfield has a Dec. 22 meeting with defending national champion UConn, the preseason favorite to win the Big East this year. UConn has five players back who started games at various times last season, including forward Jeremy Lamb, who averaged 16.2 points per game in last season's NCAA tournament. But, an even more-intriguing Fairfield game takes place on Nov. 14 when Providence comes to Bridgeport, Conn., to play the Stags at the Arena at Harbor Yard. The Friars are coached by former Fairfield coach Ed Cooley.
- Both Marist (No. 11) and Loyola (Dec. 22) play games at Kentucky this season. The Wildcats got to last season's NCAA Final Four, and are likely to have a legitimate opportunity to get that far again behind sophomore forward Terrence Jones (15.7 points, 8.8 rebounds per game). Kentucky also brings in 6-10 freshman forward Anthony Davis, the top-rated recruit nationally according to several scouting services.
- Manhattan plays at Syracuse on Nov. 14 in a preseason NIT contest. The Orangemen are ranked behind only UConn in the Big East and have four starters returning from last year's team that finished 27-8 overall. The Jaspers also have a Dec. 23 game at George Mason, a program now directed by former Siena coach Paul Hewitt.
- Rider gets tested early when it travels to Pitt for a Nov. 13 game. The Panthers are picked to finish third in the Big East this season. Pitt's top player is 6-2 senior guard Ashton Gibbs, who has led the team in scoring the past two seasons.The Panthers also bring in 6-9 freshman forward Khem Birch, a consensus top-10 recruit. The Broncs also see a familiar faces on Nov. 25 at James Madison (coached by Matt Brady), and face another elite-level foe on Dec. 9 when it plays at Florida, the No. 2-rated team in the SEC.
- Niagara gets a look at a high-powered foe when it plays at Missouri on Nov. 17. The Tigers have all five starters back from a team that won 23 games last season.
And those games feature merely the cream-of-the-crop non-league opponents facing MAAC teams this season. It seems that every conference team's non-conference schedule includes more than a couple games against higher-level opponents.
It means good early season basketball for MAAC teams and, theoretically, good preparation for the upcoming league season.
Is that a good thing? Coaches will universally speak about the benefits of playing "up" once or twice in non-league games, opportunities for their respective teams to play tougher competition and, theoretically better themselves in preparation for conference play.
But we've been seeing more times when mid-major teams, MAAC teams included, have snuck away with a victory when playing "up."
It's a by-product of mid-major teams getting better, lessening the gap between themselves and the high majors.
And, that gap has probably never been smaller between some of the better opponents facing certain MAAC teams this season and more than a few teams from our favored conference.
Realistically, even the best MAAC teams would struggle to match up with the true elite of college basketball. But, the outcome isn't so certain when teams below, say, the top 10 or 15 nationally meet the best conference teams.
How good will some MAAC teams be this season?
Consider this ... the preseason favorite, Iona, not only has a preseason Wooden Award candidate (senior forward Mike Glover), a list limited to 50 players nationally, but also has an immediately eligible transfer (junior guard LaMont "Momo" Jones) who started for Arizona last year, a team that advanced to the NCAA tournament's Elite Eight round. And the team's best player just might be senior guard Scott Machado, who was No. 2 nationally in assists last season. Iona is truly loaded this year, and has two or three reserves who would be starters, potentially standouts, for just about any other conference team.
And, then, there's Fairfield, the defending regular-season league champion. The Stags lost two players to graduation from a year ago but the replacements, incoming transfers, are both arguably better than the departees.
The team picked to finish third this year? It's Loyola, which has four returning starters and an incoming immediately eligible transfer from a higher-level conference. In most years, that kind of firepower would get a team preseason consideration to be the conference winner.
Let's not forget Rider, which knocked off two "up" opponents last season and should be every bit as good this season.
How important is it to have success against higher-rated opponents? It's probably as important as it has ever been for MAAC teams this season.
League commissioner Rich Ensor has speculated that this might be the year a conference team gets at-large consideration for the NCAA tournament (the only time that ever happened was in 1995 when Manhattan was awarded an at-large berth).
That kind of consideration gets a significant boost with a victory over an "up" opponent, and one of the conference's teams with a real chance for an at-large berth, if it doesn't get the league's automatic spot in the NCAA's, gets that kind of opportunity immediately.
Iona's first game is Nov. 17 when it meets Purdue in a tournament in Puerto Rico. The Boilermakers, a perennial NCAA participant, coincidentally has knocked MAAC teams (Siena in 2010, Saint Peter's in 2011) out of the NCAA's first round in the past two seasons.
"That would be a great boost for us," said Glover, about the potential of beating Purdue. "We know they're a real good team, but we think we've got a real chance."
While Purdue has racked up 55 total victories over the past two seasons, it lost its two best players from a year ago -- center JaJuan Johnson and guard ETwaun Moore, the first- and second-round picks, respectively, of the Boston Celtics in this past spring's NBA draft.
Still, Purdue has All-American candidate 6-8 forward Robbie Hummel, whose knee injury forced him to miss last season.
"He's terrific ... he'll be tough for us," said Iona's Glover, who is likely to spend a lot of time in Hummel's vicinity when the teams meet.
Here's a look at some other non-league games of note on the schedules of MAAC teams this season:
- Siena meets two opponents with familiar faces on the opposing sidelines. On Nov. 19 the Saints travel to Mount Saint Mary's of Emmitsburg, Md., coached by Robert Burke, who not only was a Siena assistant during Paul Hewitt's tenure there in the late 1990's, but was a serious candidate in Siena's search for a coach that resulted in its hiring of Fran McCaffery. Siena also plays at Florida Atlantic on Dec. 28, a program coached by Mike Jarvis, whose Boston University teams were a league rival of Siena's when both programs were members of the old Northeast Athletic Conference (NAC) before Siena joined the MAAC.
- Canisius opens its season on Nov. 13 when it travels to James Madison University, whose coach is former Marist College head coach Matt Brady, whose playing career took place at Siena. The Golden Griffins also have a tough contest on Nov. 17 at UNLV, a team picked to finish second (by The Sporting News) in the Mountain West Conference.
- Fairfield has a Dec. 22 meeting with defending national champion UConn, the preseason favorite to win the Big East this year. UConn has five players back who started games at various times last season, including forward Jeremy Lamb, who averaged 16.2 points per game in last season's NCAA tournament. But, an even more-intriguing Fairfield game takes place on Nov. 14 when Providence comes to Bridgeport, Conn., to play the Stags at the Arena at Harbor Yard. The Friars are coached by former Fairfield coach Ed Cooley.
- Both Marist (No. 11) and Loyola (Dec. 22) play games at Kentucky this season. The Wildcats got to last season's NCAA Final Four, and are likely to have a legitimate opportunity to get that far again behind sophomore forward Terrence Jones (15.7 points, 8.8 rebounds per game). Kentucky also brings in 6-10 freshman forward Anthony Davis, the top-rated recruit nationally according to several scouting services.
- Manhattan plays at Syracuse on Nov. 14 in a preseason NIT contest. The Orangemen are ranked behind only UConn in the Big East and have four starters returning from last year's team that finished 27-8 overall. The Jaspers also have a Dec. 23 game at George Mason, a program now directed by former Siena coach Paul Hewitt.
- Rider gets tested early when it travels to Pitt for a Nov. 13 game. The Panthers are picked to finish third in the Big East this season. Pitt's top player is 6-2 senior guard Ashton Gibbs, who has led the team in scoring the past two seasons.The Panthers also bring in 6-9 freshman forward Khem Birch, a consensus top-10 recruit. The Broncs also see a familiar faces on Nov. 25 at James Madison (coached by Matt Brady), and face another elite-level foe on Dec. 9 when it plays at Florida, the No. 2-rated team in the SEC.
- Niagara gets a look at a high-powered foe when it plays at Missouri on Nov. 17. The Tigers have all five starters back from a team that won 23 games last season.
And those games feature merely the cream-of-the-crop non-league opponents facing MAAC teams this season. It seems that every conference team's non-conference schedule includes more than a couple games against higher-level opponents.
It means good early season basketball for MAAC teams and, theoretically, good preparation for the upcoming league season.
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