A look, and some initial thoughts on the opening weekend of the season by the MAAC's women's teams...
- Fairfield looks much the same in earning tournament title
The Stags got off to a 2-0 start, winning games Friday and Saturday to earn the championship of the Emerald Beach Hotel Classic tournament in Corpus Christi, Tex.
In the opener, the Stags rallied from a 46-44 deficit late in the game with a 15-8 closing run to knock off UAB in an opening-round game of the Islander Tournament in Corpus Christi, Tex. 59--54.
As usual, it was tough defense that helped Fairfield. UAB only got scoring from four players, and only three scored more than two points.
Fairfield was much more balanced, with five players scoring points in the late-game 15-8 run.
Senior Katie Cizynski showed why she was a first-team all-MAAC preseason pick, getting 14 points and four rebounds in the first game and, then, adding 18 and 8 in Saturday's championship game, a 58-55 victory over host A &M Corpus Christi.
Cizynski was named the event's MVP.
She got plenty of help as sophomore teammate Kristin Schatzlein showed she's on the verge of a breakout season with 10 points in Friday's game. In Saturday's championship game, junior guard Alexys Vazquez had a game-high 20 points and displayed her usual long-range accuracy by making 6-of-9 from beyond the three-point stripe. Kristin Miller, a 6-1 freshman forward, chipped in with 11 points and 9 rebounds off the bench in the title contest.
Fairfield was clinging to a three-point lead late in the championship game, and forced the host to miss their final four shots over the last 26 seconds.
- Quinnipiac wins first as MAAC program
Quinnipiac won 30 games last season and advanced to the NCAA tournament. Friday, it got its first victory since joining the MAAC in the off-season, a decisive 77-63 over a good, veteran North Carolina A&T team.
Quinnipiac has four starters back from a year ago, and was picked to finish third this season by the coaches in their preseason poll.
Jasmin Martin, a 5-8 junior guard, led all scorers for the winners with a near-perfect game. She scored 22 points, making all seven shots she took from the field (5-for-5 on three's). Her only miss in the game was on a free throw (3-for-4).
- Siena meets tough foe in opening game
Siena trailed by as many as 30 points late in the first half before it started to play a little better after the intermission while suffering a lopsided, 69-42, loss to UAlbany.
The Great Danes went unbeaten in America East play last season and went to the NCAA tournament. They lost four starters from that team, but two of last year's reserves were picked to be first-team all-league players this season.
Siena coach Ali Jaques gave extensive minutes to the team's three healthy freshmen, and got a game-high 13 points from 6-2 first-year player Meghan Donohue. Junior guard Tehresa Coles added 12 points for Siena.
- Iona beats Arizona, loses to Bowling Green
The Gaels got plenty of late-game heroics in earning an 82-75 overtime victory against high-major opponent Arizona in the opener of their own Tip-Off Classic in New Rochelle, N.Y. And, then, they couldn't get a closing seconds' roll on a shot while falling to tough Bowling Green in the championship game.
Bowling Green earned a 51-50 decision over Iona in Saturday's championship contest. The Gaels had a chance to win, but a jumper by Damika Martinez with eight seconds remaining did not fall.
Martinez did little else wrong over the weekend. The league's leading scorer the past two seasons and defending MAAC Player of the Year, had 35 points in the opener against Arizona and 22 against Bowling Green, a team that went to the WNIT a year ago.
Joy Adams, last year's conference Rookie of the Year, had 22 points and 12 rebounds in the victory over Arizona.
In that one, Martinez hit a trey with eight seconds remaining to tie things up at the end of regulation. And, then, she had eight points in overtime as Iona outscored the visitors, 14-7, in the extra session.
Good News at Rider, despite loss to Lafayette
The Broncs went on the road, dropping a 67-62 contest at Lafayette, but were within a point with 1:22 remaining (and, only scored one more point the rest of the way). Still, there was some good news.
the best was that former standout swingplayer Shereen Lightbourne was back on the court for the first time after missing two full seasons with knee injuries. She only played four minutes, but she did play.
Otherwise, Player of the Year candidate MyNeshia McKenzie had a big game with 24 points and 12 rebounds. And, 6-foot-3 junior center Marritta Gillcrease appears ready to step to help replace an otherwise decimated front line from a year ago. She had a nice game with five points, eight rebounds and three blocked shots.
Marist can't quite hang with big-time foe
Marist might well be the best team in the MAAC once again, but without much height it struggled against No. 7 ranked Kentucky on Friday, losing 75-61.
Still, a nice treat for Marist fans to bring one of the best teams nationally to Poughkeepsie where a sell-out crowd of 3,200 was on hand.
Marist, basically, started four perimeter players alongside forward Emma O'Connor (10 points, 7 rebounds). Kentucky held a decisive 47-32 edge on the boards with a lineup that included a 6-3 senior center and a standout 6-1 forward. The Wildcats had three other players 6-2 or taller who saw action in the game.
Guard Leanne Ockenden led Marist with 16 points and four steals, while freshman forward Kat Fogarty came off the bench to play 27 minutes and get 11 points and three rebounds in her college debut.
Niagara struggles in loss to Lehigh
Niagara, decimated by early player defections since last season, was behind by 12 at halftime before suffering a 93-73 loss at home against Lehigh.
Still, some bright moments. Junior guard Meghan McGuinness, one of the league's top snipers, poured in a career-high 25 points including a 7-for-12 effort from beyond the three-point stripe.
Highly touted freshman forward Victoria Rampada also had a strong college debut with 15 points and five rebounds, despite foul trouble. And, sophomore guard Taylor McKay, who only averaged 1.2 points playing in just 13 games last season, broke loose for 10 points in the contest.
Could this be the year for Canisius?
The Golden Grifins, with an experienced squad that is looking to improve over a 6-12 MAAC finish last season, opened up non-league play with a solid 77-67 victory over Detroit, powered by some old hands.
Senior forward Jamie Ruttle led the way with 19 points, while another senior, guard Jen Morabito, chipped in with 13. And, returning sophomore starter point guard Tiahana Mills had nine points, six assists and just three turnovers.
Freshman Lauren D'Hont, a 5-11 guard, also broke in with a nice game, scoring 12 points in 25 minutes.
Monmouth arrives in MAAC with a loss
The Hawks, making their debut in the conference, sufferd a 64-54 setback at the hands of a solid Yale team.
The Yalies played tough defense, particularly against third-team preseason all-MAAC pick Chavannah Paalvast, a senior guard, who was held to five points on 2-of-14 shooting.
Junior 6-4 center Sara English also found the going tough on the offensive end, scoring just two points while contributing 12 rebounds. Shira Shecht led all scorers for Monmouth with 13 points, the team's only double-digit total.
Sunday, November 10, 2013
Some Opening Opinions on Men's Opening Games
The college basketball season is here. MAAC teams begin play on Friday, and we can start making some early judgments.
So, here are some "opening volleys," from your Hoopscribe, men's version.
- The Siena men should be entertaining this year, despite a 74-62 loss to UAlbany.
Your blogger was there to see the Saints get out to a 16-point lead late in the first half against a very good UAlbany team before the Danes' experience and power game took over to outscore Siena, 58-30 over the last 25 minutes, or so.
Siena ran well for the first 15 minutes, but couldn't compete with Albany once the Danes were able to enforce a half-court style on the contest.
Four of Siena's freshmen played 107 of the available 200 minutes, and they all looked like quality young players. They also looked like they will go through some growing pains this year, but future years, finally, look bright for the program.
Still, while fans thought Siena's play was more exciting than it had been under previous coach Mitch Buonaguro, there's this cautionary fact: Siena's 62 points against a team picked to finish third in the America East Conference, was just two more than the per-game average of a year ago.
- Newcomer Monmouth gets off on right foot.
The Hawks' first game as a MAAC member came against one of the conference's legendary former coaches, Joe Mihalich who is now at Hofstra.
Monmouth earned an 88-84 victory, indicating that Mihalich has brought his up-tempo style of play from Niagara to Hempstead, Long Island.
Monmouth, picked to finish last in the MAAC, had six players score eight or more points, led by 22 from Deon Jones, a transfer from Towson.
The victory came with two freshmen in Monmouth's starting lineup, 6-10, 260-pounder Zac Tillman and 5-8 point guard Justin Robinson. It looks like, as predicted many times in past blog items, that Robinson is going to be a very good MAAC-level point guard. He had 11 points and five assists, against a single turnover, in his college debut.
- Marist drop opener to Stony Brook
The first game of coach Jeff Bower's era at Marist resulted in a 16-point, 71-55, loss at Stony Brook.
But, that's far from an embarrassment. Stony Brook is a strong America East team, picked to finish second in that league's preseason poll ... a spot higher than the UAlbany team that handled Siena.
Good and bad on one front for Marist. Isaiah Morton, who rarely looked for his own shot as the Red Foxes' point guard last season, led Marist in scoring vs. Stony Brook with 15 points, while taking 12 shots (the most by any Marist player).
The bad news? He had just one assist against five turnovers.
- Saint Peter's falls to LIU-Brooklyn.
Another tough opener for a MAAC team against a team better than MAAC followers might think.
LIU, which won this game, 88-81, has won the Northeast Conference's championship for the past three seasons, although is picked fourth this year, in the preseason coaches' poll.
Good news for Saint Peter's ... the usually defensive-minded, offensively challenged Peackocks put up 80 points, matching the program's single-best point production of the past two seasons. The last time the team scored more than 80 was an 85-point outburst in a game against Marist midway through the 2010-11 season.
Marvin Dominique, a 6-7 transfer from Fordham, had a huge game with 32 points and 14 rebounds.
- Iona drops opener at Cleveland State
Not that surprising since Iona is again adjusting to some newcomers, a situation it went through a year ago as it didn't seem to put things together until late in the season while making its eventual run to the NCAA tournament.
Iona now needs to adjust to playing without last season's Player of the Year, Momo Jones. It looked good in the first half while building a 15-point lead at the intermission and, then, got outscored, 44-25 over the final 20 minutes (shooting just 24.3 percent from the field) in losing, 73-69.
Returnees did much of the work for the Gaels. Forward David Laury had 19 points and 10 rebounds, senior guard Sean Armand had 17 points and Tre Bowman, coming off the bench, chipped in with 14 points.
- Big victory for Manhattan
The Jaspers, who used a slow-down offense and smothering defense to advance to last season's MAAC championship game after it lost top scorer George Beamon after four games a year ago, are offensively challenged no more.
The Jaspers put up 99 points in a 99-90 victory over La Salle (an NCAA tournament team a year ago), albeit in a two-overtime contest played in Philadelphia.
La Salle needed a three-pointer late in regulation to force overtime.
Manhattan then got a basket by Rhamel Brown with five seconds left in the first extra session to tie the score and, then, survived as Brown blocked a shot by La Salle at the buzzer.
La Salle then grabbed an 86-85 lead in the second overtime before Manhattan went on a 14-4 run to close it out.
Beamon, who led the way with 24 points, and Alvarado (16 points, eight rebounds, six assists) combined for 11 of those final 14 Jasper points.
- Quinnipiac also gets first MAAC victory
Quinnipiac joined Monmouth as MAAC newcomers getting a season-opening victory, nipping intra-state rival Hartford, 82-77.
Senior forward Ike Azotam, a third-team all-MAAC preseason selection, certainly lived up to the hype with a big game, a 20-point, 13-rebound double-double.
- Tough opener for Niagara
First-year Purple Eagles' coach Chris Casey faced one of the tougher openers for a MAAC team, having to play at Seton Hall, which knocked off Niagara, 83-72.
Those who thought Niagara would have rebounding woes, though, were proven wrong as it held a 41-36 edge on the boards in the game.
Scoring? Who else? Junior guard Antoine Mason had a 34-point explosion and those who thought he very well might lead the nation in scoring this year (your Hoopscribe believes that) saw him take a step in that direction.
Another unexpectedly strong game came from freshman 6-foot-5 forward Ramone Snowden who had a game-high 15 rebounds.
Monmouth transfer Marcus Ware, a 6-8 senior forward, also had a nice game with 10 points and seven rebounds.
- Newcomer Gilbert helps Fairfield
Malcolm Gilbert, at 6-11, is one of the conference's biggest players. And, in Fairfield's season opener, a 67-54 victory over intra-state rival Sacred Heart, he had the biggest hand in the result.
With Fairfield trailing by 10 early in the first half, Gilbert came off the bench to restore order for Fairfield with four blocked shots over the next nine minutes to end Sacred Heart's early run.
Gilbert, a transfer from Pitt, came off the bench to score five points, grab 11 rebounds and block eight shots in 24 minutes of court time.
It was mostly all good for the winners, except for an up-and-down debut for freshman point guard K.J. Rose. He did have nine points (3-of-5 shooting), but also committed nine turnovers.
So, here are some "opening volleys," from your Hoopscribe, men's version.
- The Siena men should be entertaining this year, despite a 74-62 loss to UAlbany.
Your blogger was there to see the Saints get out to a 16-point lead late in the first half against a very good UAlbany team before the Danes' experience and power game took over to outscore Siena, 58-30 over the last 25 minutes, or so.
Siena ran well for the first 15 minutes, but couldn't compete with Albany once the Danes were able to enforce a half-court style on the contest.
Four of Siena's freshmen played 107 of the available 200 minutes, and they all looked like quality young players. They also looked like they will go through some growing pains this year, but future years, finally, look bright for the program.
Still, while fans thought Siena's play was more exciting than it had been under previous coach Mitch Buonaguro, there's this cautionary fact: Siena's 62 points against a team picked to finish third in the America East Conference, was just two more than the per-game average of a year ago.
- Newcomer Monmouth gets off on right foot.
The Hawks' first game as a MAAC member came against one of the conference's legendary former coaches, Joe Mihalich who is now at Hofstra.
Monmouth earned an 88-84 victory, indicating that Mihalich has brought his up-tempo style of play from Niagara to Hempstead, Long Island.
Monmouth, picked to finish last in the MAAC, had six players score eight or more points, led by 22 from Deon Jones, a transfer from Towson.
The victory came with two freshmen in Monmouth's starting lineup, 6-10, 260-pounder Zac Tillman and 5-8 point guard Justin Robinson. It looks like, as predicted many times in past blog items, that Robinson is going to be a very good MAAC-level point guard. He had 11 points and five assists, against a single turnover, in his college debut.
- Marist drop opener to Stony Brook
The first game of coach Jeff Bower's era at Marist resulted in a 16-point, 71-55, loss at Stony Brook.
But, that's far from an embarrassment. Stony Brook is a strong America East team, picked to finish second in that league's preseason poll ... a spot higher than the UAlbany team that handled Siena.
Good and bad on one front for Marist. Isaiah Morton, who rarely looked for his own shot as the Red Foxes' point guard last season, led Marist in scoring vs. Stony Brook with 15 points, while taking 12 shots (the most by any Marist player).
The bad news? He had just one assist against five turnovers.
- Saint Peter's falls to LIU-Brooklyn.
Another tough opener for a MAAC team against a team better than MAAC followers might think.
LIU, which won this game, 88-81, has won the Northeast Conference's championship for the past three seasons, although is picked fourth this year, in the preseason coaches' poll.
Good news for Saint Peter's ... the usually defensive-minded, offensively challenged Peackocks put up 80 points, matching the program's single-best point production of the past two seasons. The last time the team scored more than 80 was an 85-point outburst in a game against Marist midway through the 2010-11 season.
Marvin Dominique, a 6-7 transfer from Fordham, had a huge game with 32 points and 14 rebounds.
- Iona drops opener at Cleveland State
Not that surprising since Iona is again adjusting to some newcomers, a situation it went through a year ago as it didn't seem to put things together until late in the season while making its eventual run to the NCAA tournament.
Iona now needs to adjust to playing without last season's Player of the Year, Momo Jones. It looked good in the first half while building a 15-point lead at the intermission and, then, got outscored, 44-25 over the final 20 minutes (shooting just 24.3 percent from the field) in losing, 73-69.
Returnees did much of the work for the Gaels. Forward David Laury had 19 points and 10 rebounds, senior guard Sean Armand had 17 points and Tre Bowman, coming off the bench, chipped in with 14 points.
- Big victory for Manhattan
The Jaspers, who used a slow-down offense and smothering defense to advance to last season's MAAC championship game after it lost top scorer George Beamon after four games a year ago, are offensively challenged no more.
The Jaspers put up 99 points in a 99-90 victory over La Salle (an NCAA tournament team a year ago), albeit in a two-overtime contest played in Philadelphia.
La Salle needed a three-pointer late in regulation to force overtime.
Manhattan then got a basket by Rhamel Brown with five seconds left in the first extra session to tie the score and, then, survived as Brown blocked a shot by La Salle at the buzzer.
La Salle then grabbed an 86-85 lead in the second overtime before Manhattan went on a 14-4 run to close it out.
Beamon, who led the way with 24 points, and Alvarado (16 points, eight rebounds, six assists) combined for 11 of those final 14 Jasper points.
- Quinnipiac also gets first MAAC victory
Quinnipiac joined Monmouth as MAAC newcomers getting a season-opening victory, nipping intra-state rival Hartford, 82-77.
Senior forward Ike Azotam, a third-team all-MAAC preseason selection, certainly lived up to the hype with a big game, a 20-point, 13-rebound double-double.
- Tough opener for Niagara
First-year Purple Eagles' coach Chris Casey faced one of the tougher openers for a MAAC team, having to play at Seton Hall, which knocked off Niagara, 83-72.
Those who thought Niagara would have rebounding woes, though, were proven wrong as it held a 41-36 edge on the boards in the game.
Scoring? Who else? Junior guard Antoine Mason had a 34-point explosion and those who thought he very well might lead the nation in scoring this year (your Hoopscribe believes that) saw him take a step in that direction.
Another unexpectedly strong game came from freshman 6-foot-5 forward Ramone Snowden who had a game-high 15 rebounds.
Monmouth transfer Marcus Ware, a 6-8 senior forward, also had a nice game with 10 points and seven rebounds.
- Newcomer Gilbert helps Fairfield
Malcolm Gilbert, at 6-11, is one of the conference's biggest players. And, in Fairfield's season opener, a 67-54 victory over intra-state rival Sacred Heart, he had the biggest hand in the result.
With Fairfield trailing by 10 early in the first half, Gilbert came off the bench to restore order for Fairfield with four blocked shots over the next nine minutes to end Sacred Heart's early run.
Gilbert, a transfer from Pitt, came off the bench to score five points, grab 11 rebounds and block eight shots in 24 minutes of court time.
It was mostly all good for the winners, except for an up-and-down debut for freshman point guard K.J. Rose. He did have nine points (3-of-5 shooting), but also committed nine turnovers.
Saturday, November 9, 2013
Preview: Siena Women A Blend of Vets, Freshmen
Here's another in the series previewing conference teams for this season.
Up now ...
SIENA WOMEN
2012-13 RECORD: 8-10 in the MAAC, 13-18 overall.
KEY LOSSES: Forward Lily Grenci (15.9 points, 9.5 rebounds), forward Kate Zarotney (4.8, 4.6).
LIKELY STARTERS: 6-2 freshman center Meghan Donohue, 6-1 senior forward Clara Sole-Anglada (8.8, 4.6), 5-9 senior guard Kanika Cummings (4.8, 1.6), 5-9 junior guard Tehresa Coles (9.1, 4.3, 2.9 steals), 5-7 senior guard Ciara Stewart (3.7, 1.9).
KEY NEWCOMERS: Donohue, 5-6 freshman guard Brianna Logan, 5-6 freshman guard Emia Willingham.
NOTABLE: Saints lost their first regular-season game, 69-42, to cross-rival University at Albany on Saturday, trailing by as much as 30 points before the first half was over ... Loss of Grenci, considered by this blogger the MAAC's best player last season, is a huge loss. Then, couple that with premature end (shoulder issues) to the career of Zarotney, a rugged inside player, and it left Siena woefully thin up front ... Donahue lookd good in the preseason and carried that into her first game with a 13-point, 6-rebound effort. At 6-2, she is a legitimate presence in the post and looks like she'll be an effective player at this level ... Two other freshmen, point guard Logan and off-guard Willingham each got extended minutes in the opener (29 and 21, respectively) and had some good moments, and some bad ones as can be expected from freshmen ... Logan is a second cousin of Marc Brown, the Siena men's all-time leading scorer, any expectations for her to play like him aren't fair ones ... It seems pretty clear that the freshmen will play a lot this season ... A fourth frosh, Halee Adams, has knee issues and is out until January. She's a 5-10 guard who was a big scorer at the high school level ... Coles is the best returnee. She ranked 28th nationally in steals last year and is, by far, the best player left off a pre-season all-star squad ...Sole-Anglada has some unorthodox, yet effective, front-court moves and can also step out and hit three-pointers ... Stewart, a senior, got the start at the point in the opener, but only played 11 minutes ... The team is comprised entirely of former role players as Grenci was the go-to individual almost every trip down court a year ago ...The team struggled from the field last season. Its 33.3 field-goal percentage was only better than 10 other Division I teams nationally. And, then, the Saints shot 26.2 percent from the floor against UAlbany, albeit an NCAA team a year ago that still looks strong ... Junior guard Ida Krogh, (5.2 points and a team-best 2.7 assists last season), and senior guard Allie Mullings, who started the last seven games a year ago, did not play vs. the Great Danes ... This is the second season for coach Ali Jaques, who took over after the school fired 23-year coach Gina Castelli.
STRENGTHS: Based on one game, Donanhe looks like she'll be effective in the MAAC, particularly on the offensive end. There's a solid group of upperclassmen that includes four seniors who got playing-group minutes last season, plus four juniors on the roster. Coles is the league's top defensive disruptor, and is effective enough on the offensive end, particularly in transition. She could easily be a post-season all-star pick. Logan and Willingham look to have the skills to eventually be contributors.
WEAKNESSES: The team struggled to score points last season when it had Grenci. This year looks like more of the same. The veterans have all been role players in the past. It looks like the three healthy freshmen will get major minutes, and that's usually not a recipe for success at this level.
REASONABLE EXPECTATIONS: League coaches predicted Siena to finish seventh, and that was before it was known Zarotney wouldn't play. Hard to judge after one game, particularly against a strong opponent. But, this looks like a building year for the Saints and a finish in the seventh/eighth/ninth-place range seems about right.
Up now ...
SIENA WOMEN
2012-13 RECORD: 8-10 in the MAAC, 13-18 overall.
KEY LOSSES: Forward Lily Grenci (15.9 points, 9.5 rebounds), forward Kate Zarotney (4.8, 4.6).
LIKELY STARTERS: 6-2 freshman center Meghan Donohue, 6-1 senior forward Clara Sole-Anglada (8.8, 4.6), 5-9 senior guard Kanika Cummings (4.8, 1.6), 5-9 junior guard Tehresa Coles (9.1, 4.3, 2.9 steals), 5-7 senior guard Ciara Stewart (3.7, 1.9).
KEY NEWCOMERS: Donohue, 5-6 freshman guard Brianna Logan, 5-6 freshman guard Emia Willingham.
NOTABLE: Saints lost their first regular-season game, 69-42, to cross-rival University at Albany on Saturday, trailing by as much as 30 points before the first half was over ... Loss of Grenci, considered by this blogger the MAAC's best player last season, is a huge loss. Then, couple that with premature end (shoulder issues) to the career of Zarotney, a rugged inside player, and it left Siena woefully thin up front ... Donahue lookd good in the preseason and carried that into her first game with a 13-point, 6-rebound effort. At 6-2, she is a legitimate presence in the post and looks like she'll be an effective player at this level ... Two other freshmen, point guard Logan and off-guard Willingham each got extended minutes in the opener (29 and 21, respectively) and had some good moments, and some bad ones as can be expected from freshmen ... Logan is a second cousin of Marc Brown, the Siena men's all-time leading scorer, any expectations for her to play like him aren't fair ones ... It seems pretty clear that the freshmen will play a lot this season ... A fourth frosh, Halee Adams, has knee issues and is out until January. She's a 5-10 guard who was a big scorer at the high school level ... Coles is the best returnee. She ranked 28th nationally in steals last year and is, by far, the best player left off a pre-season all-star squad ...Sole-Anglada has some unorthodox, yet effective, front-court moves and can also step out and hit three-pointers ... Stewart, a senior, got the start at the point in the opener, but only played 11 minutes ... The team is comprised entirely of former role players as Grenci was the go-to individual almost every trip down court a year ago ...The team struggled from the field last season. Its 33.3 field-goal percentage was only better than 10 other Division I teams nationally. And, then, the Saints shot 26.2 percent from the floor against UAlbany, albeit an NCAA team a year ago that still looks strong ... Junior guard Ida Krogh, (5.2 points and a team-best 2.7 assists last season), and senior guard Allie Mullings, who started the last seven games a year ago, did not play vs. the Great Danes ... This is the second season for coach Ali Jaques, who took over after the school fired 23-year coach Gina Castelli.
STRENGTHS: Based on one game, Donanhe looks like she'll be effective in the MAAC, particularly on the offensive end. There's a solid group of upperclassmen that includes four seniors who got playing-group minutes last season, plus four juniors on the roster. Coles is the league's top defensive disruptor, and is effective enough on the offensive end, particularly in transition. She could easily be a post-season all-star pick. Logan and Willingham look to have the skills to eventually be contributors.
WEAKNESSES: The team struggled to score points last season when it had Grenci. This year looks like more of the same. The veterans have all been role players in the past. It looks like the three healthy freshmen will get major minutes, and that's usually not a recipe for success at this level.
REASONABLE EXPECTATIONS: League coaches predicted Siena to finish seventh, and that was before it was known Zarotney wouldn't play. Hard to judge after one game, particularly against a strong opponent. But, this looks like a building year for the Saints and a finish in the seventh/eighth/ninth-place range seems about right.
Thursday, November 7, 2013
Preview: Inexperience Likely To Plague Siena Men
Here's another in the series previewing conference teams for the upcoming season.
Up now ...
SIENA MEN
2012-13 RECORD: 4-14 in the MAAC, 8-24 overall.
KEY LOSSES: Forward O.D. Anosike (13.3 points, 11.4 rebounds), guard Rakeem Brookins (11.3), forward Trenity Burdine (8.2, 4.0).
LIKELY STARTERS: 6-5 junior forward Rob Poole (11.8, 4.7), 5-8 junior guard Evan Hymes (10.6, 3.7 assists), 6-0 freshman guard Marquis Wright, 6-6 freshman forward Lavon Long, 6-8 freshman forward Javion Ogunyemi.
KEY NEWCOMERS: Wright, Long, Ogeunyemi, 6-9 freshman forward Michael Wolfe, 6-2 freshman guard Maurice White.
NOTABLE: Poole and Hymes are the only returning starters from a year ago. Poole was a preseason third-team pick by league coaches, and will be counted on to do much of the scoring this year. He's likely to add a minimum of five or six points to last year's scoring average, if not more ... Hymes played at the point last season and tended to be turnover prone. He's moving over to the off-guard spot this season where his quickness and outside shooting skills should serve him well ... There's much new at Siena, including coach Jimmy Patsos, who spent the last nine seasons as Loyola's coach. When that school left the MAAC (for the Patriot League), Patsos got involved with Siena's opening and, eventually, was hired. He has promised a faster pace than what the Saints played (often by necessity) in recent years under former coach Mitch Buonaguro. So far through preseason and an exhibition game, Siena seems to be doing just that ... The team doesn't have a single senior on the roster and is extremely young, particularly after unexpected losses of two of last year's starters Brookins (breaking school policy) and Burdine (opted to leave school) ... It means that, at least for opening night (Friday against UAlbany), Siena will have three freshmen in its starting lineup ... In all, there are five freshmen on the roster, four of them initially ticketed to attend Loyola, or at least involved in the recruiting process, who opted to follow Patsos to his current location. Wright, an under-control and clever ball-handler, has earned the starting spot at point guard. Ogunyemi, a Buonaguro recruit from nearby Troy High, has looked strong in the post so far. And, Long is a multi-talented big-body forward. A fourth freshman, 6-2 guard Maurice White, was also in contention for a starting spot at off-guard until a groin injury forced him to miss several weeks of practice. Even the raw but athletic Wolfe appears part of the playing group... Siena's biggest loss is Anosike, who led the nation in rebounding in each of the last two years, the only MAAC player ever to accomplish that ... There's certainly height in place, particularly off the bench in the form of 6-8 junior Imoh Silas, 6-8 sophomore Brett Bisping, and the 6-9 Wolfe, a freshman... Siena had been hoping that 6-5 Patrick Cole, an explosive, attacking wing player who transferred in from Coppin State after a strong freshman year, would get an NCAA waiver to play right away. But that was recently denied.
STRENGTHS: Poole is looking like an all-league caliber player during the preseason, and Hymes looks considerably more comfortable not having to handle the ball as much. There's much to like about the team, particularly in terms of talent. Patsos intends to go eight, or nine deep most nights, a necessity with an up-tempo style, and hopes the depth will wear down opponents.
WEAKNESSES: Experience. There's just not much. Of the returnees, only Poole, Hymes and forward Imoh Silas (16.4 minutes per game last year) saw any extended court time. Inexperienced teams rarely have success at this level, and Siena, with three freshmen in the starting lineup and, potentially, two more getting some key minutes, is as young a team as there is in the league.
REASONABLE EXPECTATIONS: League coaches pick Siena to finish 10th, which is believed to be the lowest pre-season prediction since the days when Bob Beyer coached the Saints nearly two decades ago. And, no one is arguing about the prediction, not even Patsos. But, the talent that's in place creates some optimism, and the new playing style should excite the program's fan base. Your blogger has seen Siena practice a four times and saw its exhibition game, and I'd be hardpressed to make an accurate prediction. Siena won't compete for the top three spots, but it wouldn't be a surprise if the team finished as high as fifth, or as low as 10th. Still, unless the freshmen learn on the job more rapidly than freshmen are prone to do, a ninth- or 10th-place finish is the likelihood this season.
Up now ...
SIENA MEN
2012-13 RECORD: 4-14 in the MAAC, 8-24 overall.
KEY LOSSES: Forward O.D. Anosike (13.3 points, 11.4 rebounds), guard Rakeem Brookins (11.3), forward Trenity Burdine (8.2, 4.0).
LIKELY STARTERS: 6-5 junior forward Rob Poole (11.8, 4.7), 5-8 junior guard Evan Hymes (10.6, 3.7 assists), 6-0 freshman guard Marquis Wright, 6-6 freshman forward Lavon Long, 6-8 freshman forward Javion Ogunyemi.
KEY NEWCOMERS: Wright, Long, Ogeunyemi, 6-9 freshman forward Michael Wolfe, 6-2 freshman guard Maurice White.
NOTABLE: Poole and Hymes are the only returning starters from a year ago. Poole was a preseason third-team pick by league coaches, and will be counted on to do much of the scoring this year. He's likely to add a minimum of five or six points to last year's scoring average, if not more ... Hymes played at the point last season and tended to be turnover prone. He's moving over to the off-guard spot this season where his quickness and outside shooting skills should serve him well ... There's much new at Siena, including coach Jimmy Patsos, who spent the last nine seasons as Loyola's coach. When that school left the MAAC (for the Patriot League), Patsos got involved with Siena's opening and, eventually, was hired. He has promised a faster pace than what the Saints played (often by necessity) in recent years under former coach Mitch Buonaguro. So far through preseason and an exhibition game, Siena seems to be doing just that ... The team doesn't have a single senior on the roster and is extremely young, particularly after unexpected losses of two of last year's starters Brookins (breaking school policy) and Burdine (opted to leave school) ... It means that, at least for opening night (Friday against UAlbany), Siena will have three freshmen in its starting lineup ... In all, there are five freshmen on the roster, four of them initially ticketed to attend Loyola, or at least involved in the recruiting process, who opted to follow Patsos to his current location. Wright, an under-control and clever ball-handler, has earned the starting spot at point guard. Ogunyemi, a Buonaguro recruit from nearby Troy High, has looked strong in the post so far. And, Long is a multi-talented big-body forward. A fourth freshman, 6-2 guard Maurice White, was also in contention for a starting spot at off-guard until a groin injury forced him to miss several weeks of practice. Even the raw but athletic Wolfe appears part of the playing group... Siena's biggest loss is Anosike, who led the nation in rebounding in each of the last two years, the only MAAC player ever to accomplish that ... There's certainly height in place, particularly off the bench in the form of 6-8 junior Imoh Silas, 6-8 sophomore Brett Bisping, and the 6-9 Wolfe, a freshman... Siena had been hoping that 6-5 Patrick Cole, an explosive, attacking wing player who transferred in from Coppin State after a strong freshman year, would get an NCAA waiver to play right away. But that was recently denied.
STRENGTHS: Poole is looking like an all-league caliber player during the preseason, and Hymes looks considerably more comfortable not having to handle the ball as much. There's much to like about the team, particularly in terms of talent. Patsos intends to go eight, or nine deep most nights, a necessity with an up-tempo style, and hopes the depth will wear down opponents.
WEAKNESSES: Experience. There's just not much. Of the returnees, only Poole, Hymes and forward Imoh Silas (16.4 minutes per game last year) saw any extended court time. Inexperienced teams rarely have success at this level, and Siena, with three freshmen in the starting lineup and, potentially, two more getting some key minutes, is as young a team as there is in the league.
REASONABLE EXPECTATIONS: League coaches pick Siena to finish 10th, which is believed to be the lowest pre-season prediction since the days when Bob Beyer coached the Saints nearly two decades ago. And, no one is arguing about the prediction, not even Patsos. But, the talent that's in place creates some optimism, and the new playing style should excite the program's fan base. Your blogger has seen Siena practice a four times and saw its exhibition game, and I'd be hardpressed to make an accurate prediction. Siena won't compete for the top three spots, but it wouldn't be a surprise if the team finished as high as fifth, or as low as 10th. Still, unless the freshmen learn on the job more rapidly than freshmen are prone to do, a ninth- or 10th-place finish is the likelihood this season.
Preview: Monmouth Women To Rely on Vets, Youth
Here's another in the series previewing MAAC teams.
Up now ...
MONMOUTH WOMEN
2012-13 RECORD: 15-15 overall, 12-6 in the Northeast Conference.
KEY LOSSES: Guard Alysha Womack (14.2 points, 2.7 rebounds per game), guard Carly Thibeault (8.7, 3.5), forward Abby Martin (7.2, 3.5), guard Gabby Singer (5.1, 4.0), forward Betsy Gadziala (4.1, 5.0).
LIKELY STARTERS: 6-0 senior forward/guard Chevannah Paalvast (11.0, 4.9), 6-4 junior center Sara English (4.8, 4.4), 6-0 senior forward Shira Shecht (3.0, 1.8), 5-7 sophomore guard Kasey Chambers (1.7, 1.2), 6-0 redshirt freshman guard India Dotson.
KEY NEWCOMERS: Dotson, 6-4 freshman Sophie Beaudry, 6-4 freshman Christina Mitchell, 5-5 freshman guard Helena Kurt, 5-10 freshman Mia Hopkins.
NOTABLE: First year in the MAAC and the Hawks come in after losing four of their top five scorers from a year ago ... the key returnee is Paalvast, a multi-talented wing, originally from New Zealand, who was picked as a third-team preseason all-MAAC player ... Monmouth played small last year, but that could change as it will have the tallest roster in the league with three 6-4 players ... The best "big" is junior Sara English, who averaged 4.8 points and 4.4 rebounds last season in a limited role. She also averaged 1.4 blocked shots per game, while playing an average of just 14 minutes per contest. She came to Monmouth after a year at UMass, and flashed her potential with a 13-point/12-rebound/4-block effort in the Hawks' final game last season, a 59-57 loss to Mount St. Mary's in the quarterfinal round of the NEC's post-season tournament ... Shecht also appears set to take on a bigger role. She averaged 3.4 points as a sophomore, but injuries set her back last season ... Chambers was the team's back up at the point last season, so she appears the likely starter at the position this year, but will have to hold off incoming freshman Helena Kurt, a native of Sweden who has played on that country's 20U national team ... The team's fifth starting position could come down to redshirt freshman India Dotson or true frosh Mia Hopkins. Dotson averaged 9.0 points, 6.5 rebounds as a junior at Frederick (Md.) H.S. and, then, came to Monmouth a year early. She redshirted last year, which allowed her to participate in practices, and is an athletic wing player. Hopkins, a tall (5-10) guard had a huge high school career, averaging 20.3 points, 14.0 rebounds and 5.0 assists per game. She had a career best 39 points in a game ... The team plays in the 4,100-seat Multipurpose Activities Center, which will be one of the conference's better on-campus facilities ... The Hawks' roster includes 5-8 junior Sarah Olson, a transfer from NJIT who has to sit out this season. When she can play next year she'll be one of the league's top long-distance shooters. She had six three-pointers three different times at NJIT last season.
STRENGTHS: Some veteran presence, mostly with Paalvast and Shecht, both seniors. Paalvast is a multi-talented performer who will be a handful for MAAC teams to contend with this season. English seems ready to have a big season on the front court for the Hawks. The team's size should cause some match-up problems, and the incoming players all seem to have plenty of talent.
WEAKNESSES: Way too many graduation losses (four starters and a key reserve) from a year ago to seriously contend. The guard spot will be handled by last year's reserves and/or freshmen. All that youth never translates well, initially, at the mid-major level
REASONABLE EXPECTATIONS: Picked to finish last in the preseason coaches poll, anything higher would be positive movement. But, it's not out of the realm of possibility. If English has a big year and some of the newcomers can make positive contributions, Monmouth could move up a couple of spots above the preseason prediction.
Up now ...
MONMOUTH WOMEN
2012-13 RECORD: 15-15 overall, 12-6 in the Northeast Conference.
KEY LOSSES: Guard Alysha Womack (14.2 points, 2.7 rebounds per game), guard Carly Thibeault (8.7, 3.5), forward Abby Martin (7.2, 3.5), guard Gabby Singer (5.1, 4.0), forward Betsy Gadziala (4.1, 5.0).
LIKELY STARTERS: 6-0 senior forward/guard Chevannah Paalvast (11.0, 4.9), 6-4 junior center Sara English (4.8, 4.4), 6-0 senior forward Shira Shecht (3.0, 1.8), 5-7 sophomore guard Kasey Chambers (1.7, 1.2), 6-0 redshirt freshman guard India Dotson.
KEY NEWCOMERS: Dotson, 6-4 freshman Sophie Beaudry, 6-4 freshman Christina Mitchell, 5-5 freshman guard Helena Kurt, 5-10 freshman Mia Hopkins.
NOTABLE: First year in the MAAC and the Hawks come in after losing four of their top five scorers from a year ago ... the key returnee is Paalvast, a multi-talented wing, originally from New Zealand, who was picked as a third-team preseason all-MAAC player ... Monmouth played small last year, but that could change as it will have the tallest roster in the league with three 6-4 players ... The best "big" is junior Sara English, who averaged 4.8 points and 4.4 rebounds last season in a limited role. She also averaged 1.4 blocked shots per game, while playing an average of just 14 minutes per contest. She came to Monmouth after a year at UMass, and flashed her potential with a 13-point/12-rebound/4-block effort in the Hawks' final game last season, a 59-57 loss to Mount St. Mary's in the quarterfinal round of the NEC's post-season tournament ... Shecht also appears set to take on a bigger role. She averaged 3.4 points as a sophomore, but injuries set her back last season ... Chambers was the team's back up at the point last season, so she appears the likely starter at the position this year, but will have to hold off incoming freshman Helena Kurt, a native of Sweden who has played on that country's 20U national team ... The team's fifth starting position could come down to redshirt freshman India Dotson or true frosh Mia Hopkins. Dotson averaged 9.0 points, 6.5 rebounds as a junior at Frederick (Md.) H.S. and, then, came to Monmouth a year early. She redshirted last year, which allowed her to participate in practices, and is an athletic wing player. Hopkins, a tall (5-10) guard had a huge high school career, averaging 20.3 points, 14.0 rebounds and 5.0 assists per game. She had a career best 39 points in a game ... The team plays in the 4,100-seat Multipurpose Activities Center, which will be one of the conference's better on-campus facilities ... The Hawks' roster includes 5-8 junior Sarah Olson, a transfer from NJIT who has to sit out this season. When she can play next year she'll be one of the league's top long-distance shooters. She had six three-pointers three different times at NJIT last season.
STRENGTHS: Some veteran presence, mostly with Paalvast and Shecht, both seniors. Paalvast is a multi-talented performer who will be a handful for MAAC teams to contend with this season. English seems ready to have a big season on the front court for the Hawks. The team's size should cause some match-up problems, and the incoming players all seem to have plenty of talent.
WEAKNESSES: Way too many graduation losses (four starters and a key reserve) from a year ago to seriously contend. The guard spot will be handled by last year's reserves and/or freshmen. All that youth never translates well, initially, at the mid-major level
REASONABLE EXPECTATIONS: Picked to finish last in the preseason coaches poll, anything higher would be positive movement. But, it's not out of the realm of possibility. If English has a big year and some of the newcomers can make positive contributions, Monmouth could move up a couple of spots above the preseason prediction.
Tuesday, November 5, 2013
Preview: Young Monmouth Men Face Building Season
College basketball is set to begin at the end of this week ... can it be here that quickly?
It's sooner than ever before, and that means it's preview time.
If you're a MAAC fan you've probably already read the previews packages that appeared in The Sporting News, and whatever other national magazine preview issues that abound on area newsstands.
But, be advised that those all not only are far too brief but all done in mid-summer in order to meet magazine publishing deadlines.
The best information is available right now, which makes the world of blogging your best place to get the absolutely most up-to-date information available. And, what better place for that than right here?
This blog will do an extensive preview on every conference team, both men's and women's.
We'll do them in order of predicted finish for the men's teams (the predictions of league coaches), which means we'll start with the Monmouth men and work our way up. When a men's team is previewed, we'll immediately follow with that program's women's team.
So, without further adieu .... here's the first in the series of men's basketball team previews.
Up now ...
MONMOUTH MEN
2012-13 RECORD: 5-13 in the Northeast Conference (NEC) last season, 10-21 overall.
KEY LOSSES: Guard Jesse Steele (12.2 points, 3.6 assists per game), guard Dion Nesmith (8.1, 2.3 rebounds), guard Steve Spinella (7.8 points, 4.1 rebounds), forward Ed Waite (8.4 points, 6.8 rebounds), forward Marcus Ware (6.4 points, 4.0 rebounds).
LIKELY STARTERS: Junior 6-foot-6 forward Andrew Nicholas (13.9 points, 3.6 rebounds), 6-9 junior forward Khalil Brown (3.9, 1.8), 6-6 sophomore guard Deon Jones (7.0, 4.5 as a freshman at Townson in the 2011-12 season), 5-8 freshman guard Justin Robinson, 6-10 freshman center Zac Tillman.
KEY NEWCOMERS: Zac Tillman, a 6-10 freshman center, Greg Noack, a 6-8 freshman forward, Justin Robinson, a 5-8 freshman guard, Deon Jones, a 6-6 sophomore guard and a transfer from Towson.
NOTEABLE: The Hawks lost their preseason exhibition game, 75-66, to Division II Le Moyne. But, that's no embarrassment. Le Moyne is a very good D-II program and, a few years back, similarly shocked Syracuse in an exhibition contest ... Nicholas, a smooth left-yande and the team's top returning player, is certainly an all-MAAC quality player and appears to be 100 percent right now after foot injuries limited him to 18 games last season ... Few programs suffered the personnel losses as Monmouth has since last season, with the graduation of five players who averaged between 6.4 and 12.2 points per game. Two of them are still playing, 6-8 forward Marcus Ware graduated with a year's eligibility remaining and is now at Niagara. Dion Nesmith also graduated with a year left and is at Hofstra ... Tyrone O'Garro, a 6-5 sophomore forward, had a solid freshman year and could easily get into the starting lineup. He had 10 points, 10 rebounds vs. Le Moyne. Other reserves freshman Greg Noack (8 points on 4-of-5 shooting vs. Le Moyne) and junior guard Max DiLeo (9 points in 19 minutes in the exhibition contest) also played well in the preseason tune-up ... It appears Justin Robinson (9 points, 7 assists vs. Le Moyne) will start at point guard ... Tillman, the biggest newcomer (6-10, 275 pounds) started in the post in the exhibition contest ... Without a doubt, it will be a season of watching young players grow up. There are eight freshmen on the roster, most of them very big. Five of the first-year players are 6-8 or taller. Monmouth might have the most size of any MAAC team. The development of those front-court players will determine how quickly Monmouth can improve, not only this season but in the future.
STRENGTHS: A few solid veterans, led by Nicholas, O'Garro and junior forward Khalil Brown, who battled through injuries last year and should have a good season (although he only played six minutes vs. Le Moyne). Jones, with a year of college play at Towson, should also be a strong contributor. Right now, Noack and Robinson look like the best of the freshmen. Robinson should be a very good point guard at this level and Noack has a high motor and is skilled for a player his size.
WEAKNESSES: Far too many youngsters to expect championship contention. Freshmen at this level are rarely finished product and almost always take a couple of years to develop into the type players that make a difference. Monmouth could have two freshmen starters and several more in the playing group. There just don't seem to be enough experienced players in place for the Hawks to do much better than last season's record in the NEC.
REASONABLE EXPECTATIONS: Picked for last by league coaches, and no disagreement here. Anything higher than that in the standings would be positive. But, there is a strong group of young players in place, and watching this year's team grow should still make for enjoyable viewing.
It's sooner than ever before, and that means it's preview time.
If you're a MAAC fan you've probably already read the previews packages that appeared in The Sporting News, and whatever other national magazine preview issues that abound on area newsstands.
But, be advised that those all not only are far too brief but all done in mid-summer in order to meet magazine publishing deadlines.
The best information is available right now, which makes the world of blogging your best place to get the absolutely most up-to-date information available. And, what better place for that than right here?
This blog will do an extensive preview on every conference team, both men's and women's.
We'll do them in order of predicted finish for the men's teams (the predictions of league coaches), which means we'll start with the Monmouth men and work our way up. When a men's team is previewed, we'll immediately follow with that program's women's team.
So, without further adieu .... here's the first in the series of men's basketball team previews.
Up now ...
MONMOUTH MEN
2012-13 RECORD: 5-13 in the Northeast Conference (NEC) last season, 10-21 overall.
KEY LOSSES: Guard Jesse Steele (12.2 points, 3.6 assists per game), guard Dion Nesmith (8.1, 2.3 rebounds), guard Steve Spinella (7.8 points, 4.1 rebounds), forward Ed Waite (8.4 points, 6.8 rebounds), forward Marcus Ware (6.4 points, 4.0 rebounds).
LIKELY STARTERS: Junior 6-foot-6 forward Andrew Nicholas (13.9 points, 3.6 rebounds), 6-9 junior forward Khalil Brown (3.9, 1.8), 6-6 sophomore guard Deon Jones (7.0, 4.5 as a freshman at Townson in the 2011-12 season), 5-8 freshman guard Justin Robinson, 6-10 freshman center Zac Tillman.
KEY NEWCOMERS: Zac Tillman, a 6-10 freshman center, Greg Noack, a 6-8 freshman forward, Justin Robinson, a 5-8 freshman guard, Deon Jones, a 6-6 sophomore guard and a transfer from Towson.
NOTEABLE: The Hawks lost their preseason exhibition game, 75-66, to Division II Le Moyne. But, that's no embarrassment. Le Moyne is a very good D-II program and, a few years back, similarly shocked Syracuse in an exhibition contest ... Nicholas, a smooth left-yande and the team's top returning player, is certainly an all-MAAC quality player and appears to be 100 percent right now after foot injuries limited him to 18 games last season ... Few programs suffered the personnel losses as Monmouth has since last season, with the graduation of five players who averaged between 6.4 and 12.2 points per game. Two of them are still playing, 6-8 forward Marcus Ware graduated with a year's eligibility remaining and is now at Niagara. Dion Nesmith also graduated with a year left and is at Hofstra ... Tyrone O'Garro, a 6-5 sophomore forward, had a solid freshman year and could easily get into the starting lineup. He had 10 points, 10 rebounds vs. Le Moyne. Other reserves freshman Greg Noack (8 points on 4-of-5 shooting vs. Le Moyne) and junior guard Max DiLeo (9 points in 19 minutes in the exhibition contest) also played well in the preseason tune-up ... It appears Justin Robinson (9 points, 7 assists vs. Le Moyne) will start at point guard ... Tillman, the biggest newcomer (6-10, 275 pounds) started in the post in the exhibition contest ... Without a doubt, it will be a season of watching young players grow up. There are eight freshmen on the roster, most of them very big. Five of the first-year players are 6-8 or taller. Monmouth might have the most size of any MAAC team. The development of those front-court players will determine how quickly Monmouth can improve, not only this season but in the future.
STRENGTHS: A few solid veterans, led by Nicholas, O'Garro and junior forward Khalil Brown, who battled through injuries last year and should have a good season (although he only played six minutes vs. Le Moyne). Jones, with a year of college play at Towson, should also be a strong contributor. Right now, Noack and Robinson look like the best of the freshmen. Robinson should be a very good point guard at this level and Noack has a high motor and is skilled for a player his size.
WEAKNESSES: Far too many youngsters to expect championship contention. Freshmen at this level are rarely finished product and almost always take a couple of years to develop into the type players that make a difference. Monmouth could have two freshmen starters and several more in the playing group. There just don't seem to be enough experienced players in place for the Hawks to do much better than last season's record in the NEC.
REASONABLE EXPECTATIONS: Picked for last by league coaches, and no disagreement here. Anything higher than that in the standings would be positive. But, there is a strong group of young players in place, and watching this year's team grow should still make for enjoyable viewing.
Sunday, November 3, 2013
Siena Exhibition Game Includes Look at Past, Present
It was an interesting confluence of a program's past, it's present and even possibly it's future.
And, how often does that happen?
It happened Saturday night at Siena when the Saints played a preseason exhibition contest against New Jersey City University of the Division III ranks, and close to 1,100 paying customers came out to the school's Alumni Recreation Center to watch.
The biggest ovation of the night came during public address introductions for the visiting team's coach.
That would be Marc Brown, now in his seventh season as head coach of NJCU, and still universally acknowledged as the best player in the Division I history of the Siena program.
Brown is still the program's all-time leading scorer and ranks No. 1 on its assists-per-game average list, even though it has been more than two decades since his graduation from Siena.
Brown's team gave a good accounting of itself, rallying from a 16-3 early deficit to pull within five late in the first half.
But, bigger, stronger, faster Siena, traits almost every D-I team would have over a D-III counterpart, took over in the second half and the Saints won by a score of 88-56.
The score, though, was inconsequential to those in attendance who had come out for two reasons: To cheer for Brown and to get the first semi-competitive glance at the new-look Saints.
That would be the "present" aspect of the evening.
New coach Jimmy Patsos, at Loyola the past nine seasons, has been promising a pressing, up-tempo style of play and he delivered Saturday night. A 48-point second half, the last seven minutes of it coming with reserves, including two walk-ons, playing, was close to what teams of the last three seasons scored for a full game.
"I'll tell you what, Marc Brown can coach," said Patsos, who indicated he'd like to bring Brown's team in for an exhibition every couple of years, if not annually. "He's got a good team. I know that. I'm a Division III guy (from his playing days at Catholic University). That's a good Division III team."
Brown appears to be a very good Division III coach. His team, as per D-III rules, could not begin practicing until Oct. 21. It had 11 days of practice prior to Saturday's exhibition while Siena had more than twice that many.
Which brings us to the "future" aspect of the exhibition contest.
Division I coaches, particularly those at Siena, don't stay in place forever. In the program's Division I history, no coach has stayed at Siena longer than eight seasons.
At some point, Patsos will move on. Clearly, we're a little ahead of things since Patsos has yet to coach a regular-season game for the Saints and will almost surely be in place for several years.
But, when he does eventually move on ... could there be a better candidate to return to Siena as the school's head coach than Marc Brown?
And, how often does that happen?
It happened Saturday night at Siena when the Saints played a preseason exhibition contest against New Jersey City University of the Division III ranks, and close to 1,100 paying customers came out to the school's Alumni Recreation Center to watch.
The biggest ovation of the night came during public address introductions for the visiting team's coach.
That would be Marc Brown, now in his seventh season as head coach of NJCU, and still universally acknowledged as the best player in the Division I history of the Siena program.
Brown is still the program's all-time leading scorer and ranks No. 1 on its assists-per-game average list, even though it has been more than two decades since his graduation from Siena.
Brown's team gave a good accounting of itself, rallying from a 16-3 early deficit to pull within five late in the first half.
But, bigger, stronger, faster Siena, traits almost every D-I team would have over a D-III counterpart, took over in the second half and the Saints won by a score of 88-56.
The score, though, was inconsequential to those in attendance who had come out for two reasons: To cheer for Brown and to get the first semi-competitive glance at the new-look Saints.
That would be the "present" aspect of the evening.
New coach Jimmy Patsos, at Loyola the past nine seasons, has been promising a pressing, up-tempo style of play and he delivered Saturday night. A 48-point second half, the last seven minutes of it coming with reserves, including two walk-ons, playing, was close to what teams of the last three seasons scored for a full game.
"I'll tell you what, Marc Brown can coach," said Patsos, who indicated he'd like to bring Brown's team in for an exhibition every couple of years, if not annually. "He's got a good team. I know that. I'm a Division III guy (from his playing days at Catholic University). That's a good Division III team."
Brown appears to be a very good Division III coach. His team, as per D-III rules, could not begin practicing until Oct. 21. It had 11 days of practice prior to Saturday's exhibition while Siena had more than twice that many.
Which brings us to the "future" aspect of the exhibition contest.
Division I coaches, particularly those at Siena, don't stay in place forever. In the program's Division I history, no coach has stayed at Siena longer than eight seasons.
At some point, Patsos will move on. Clearly, we're a little ahead of things since Patsos has yet to coach a regular-season game for the Saints and will almost surely be in place for several years.
But, when he does eventually move on ... could there be a better candidate to return to Siena as the school's head coach than Marc Brown?
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