He's taking over a team that won 21 games last season, didn't have to move out of his home he was living in before taking over at Iona this past April and appears to have had some immediate success with his first recruiting class with the Gaels.
Doesn't sound like much of an adjustment at all for Tim Cluess, who is one of two new men's coaches in the MAAC this season. Siena's Mitch Buonaguro is the other, but Buonaguro is not only a former Division I head coach (at Fairfield in the late 1980s/early 1990s) but has been on the sidelines for more than 1,000 Division I games.
This season will be Cluess's first in a D-I program since his own playing days with three years at St. John's and one at Hofstra in the early 1980s.
An adjustment?
"The biggest thing has been having to cross the (Throgs Neck) bridge every day and dealing with the traffic driving to and from Iona," said Cluess.
Of course, that's a nice attempt at downplaying a relatively rare move from being a Division II coach (Cluess ran C.W. Post's program for the past four years) to becoming one on the Division I level.
It's not without precedent, though, not even in the MAAC. Joe Frager coached at Division II Southern Connecticut State before becoming the Fairfield women's coach in 2007 and didn't find the transition that difficult. Frager has averaged 20 victories a season (60-36) in three years with the Lady Stags thus far.
And, what the heck, basketball is basketball, right?
Not necessarily. Traditionally one of the biggest differences involves recruiting.
Then again, maybe the adjustment isn't that great.
Cluess is working the same recruiting areas he did when he was at C.W. Post. And, he claims the level player he's recruiting for Iona now isn't any different than those he brought to Post.
"I didn't recruit Division II players to C.W. Post," he said. "I brought in players who could have been at the Division I level, and some of them at a pretty high level."
Indeed, he had one of the better Division II programs in the east over the past four seasons, compiling a 98-23 record.
Cluess acknowledges the biggest adjustment he faces is learning about what's already in place at Iona.
"It's always an adjustment moving to a new place, learning about the talent that's there and what guys can and cannot do," he said.
Cluess has started learning about the players who turned in a 21-10 record last season with NCAA-allowed individual workouts in his first two weeks on the job in April. He gets more direct contact with players during allowed individual and conditioning work when school begins next week.
In between, he has watched a lot of film of his players. But, he admits that's no substitute for seeing what he's got in person.
"It's hard to tell from watching film," he said. "You don't know if a player had an injury, was sick or whatever. It's important to watch film to look for patterns, but I'm not holding anything I see against anyone. There's an open slate on everyone here when we start working with the players."
Cluess also benefits from something not all new coaches have. As often as not new coaches take over programs in turmoil. But he replaces not a fired coach, but one (Kevin Willard) who got the opportunity to move on because of good work done at Iona.
Willard left behind a program in good shape with, among others, three all-conference caliber players coming back in junior point guard Scott Machado, senior power forward Alejo Rodriguez and sophomore forward Kyle Smith. The Gaels, in fact, return all five starters from last year and are widely accepted as one of this coming season's top three conference teams.
"The program is coming off a good year, but not necessarily a winning tradition yet," Cluess said. "The two previous years they had losing records. We've got to make sure we establish that winning attitude. We've got to ensure we're on the right path. But there's something here we can build on."
On the court, Cluess can build on a strong returning nucleus that paid a little extra attention on the defensive end last season.
"The guys have a lot of pride on the defensive end," said Cluess. "When you talk defense to them their eyes light up. That's great to see. We probably won't change much on that end. But, we'll be significantly different on the offfensive end.
"We'll go up and down the floor a little more, run more of an open offensive. We'll do more attacking the basket right from the get-go."
He's got one of the conference's better ball-handlers in Machado to help put those offensive changes in motions, and the player and coach already have some shared familiarity.
Before Cluess got into college coaching he coached at St. Mary's High School in Manhasset. While there, he got a look at Machado who was a freshman in the school's program during Cluess's last season there.
If all goes well, if Cluess can bring the type success to Division I that he had at lower levels of college and high school basketball, it could be a very good season for Iona.
"I want us to be competitive, but I've got the same goals as every coach," he said. "I'm here to win championships, to have the best team in the MAAC and the best team in the Metro area. They didn't bring me here to do anything other than that."
Cluess has had success at every previous level (264-78 in the high school ranks, a 22-10 record in one season at Suffolk County Community College and the 98-23 ledger at C.W. Post).
He's got a roster of quality veteran players coming off a 21-victory season and a strong five-player recruiting class coming aboard at Iona.
Maybe there's a seamless transition from Willard, who moved on to Seton Hall after three seasons at Iona, to Cluess.
Maybe the toughest part of the job will indeed be that daily commute over the Throgs Neck Bridge.
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Sunday, August 29, 2010
A look at Niagara's Non-League Schedule
Here's a look at Niagara's non-league basketball schedule.
The Purple Eagles will play home games on Nov. 17 (Milwaukee), Nov. 22 (Mount St. Mary's), Dec., 22 (Quinnipiac) and on Feb. 19 when it hosts a BracketBusters contest.
Road games include four contests in the "Legends Classic" beginning with a Nov. 19 contest at Georgia Tech. Other games in that tournament will all be at the University of Detroit including (vs. Detroit), Nov. 27 (Bowling Green) and Nov. 28 (UAlbany).
Other road cotests will be Dec 8 (UBuffalo), Dec. 11 (St. Bonaventure), Dec. 19 (Central Connecticut), Dec. 28 (Drexel) and Dec. 30 (UMBC).
Game by Game Anaylsis
- U-Wisconsin/Milwaukee: Picked for 5th in the 10-team Horizon Conference. Finished 20-14 last season. Brian Bidlingmyer, a former Siena player, is an assistant coach. Top Player: Guard Tone Boyle (13.2 points in the 2008-09 season), missed last year with a back injury.
- Georgia Tech: Picked for 10th in the 12-team Atlantic Coast Conference. Finished 23-13 last year, but lost two players early to the NBA, including Derrick Favors, the No. 3 pick overall by the New Jersey Nets in this past season's draft. Best player; Guard Iman Shumpert (10.0 points, 4.0 assists).
- Mount St. Mary's: Picked for 6th in the 12-team Northeast Conference. Its new head coach is Robert Burke, who has been an assistant on the Division I level for more than 20 years including three at Siena. Top player: 6-7 senior forward Shawn Atupem (10.7 points, 3.6 rebounds).
- Detroit: Picked for 2nd in the 10-team Horizon League. Finished 20-14 last season. Top players: 6-6 junior guard Chase Simon (14.0 points, 5.1 rebounds), 6-10 junior center Eli Homan (11.5 points, 8.9 rebounds; led the Horizon League in rebounding last season).
- Bowling Green: Picked for 5th in the 6-team East Division of the Mid-American Conference. Finished 14-16 last season. Best Player: 6-7 junior forward Scott Thomas (13.2 points, 6.3 rebounds).
- UAlbany: UAlbany: Picked to finish 8th in the 9-team America East Conference. Finished 7-25 last season. Best Player: 6-0 senior guard Tim Ambrose (12.4 ppg.).
- Buffalo: Picked for 6th in the 6-team East Division of the Mid American Conference. Finished 18-12 last season. Lost all five starters and top six scorers from last season. Top player: 6-7 junior forward Titus Robinson (5.8 points).
- St. Bonaventure: Picked for 14th in the 14-team Atlantic 10 Conference. Finished 15-16 last season. Best player: 6-9 junior forward Andrew Nicholson (16.4 points, 7.1 rebounds).
- Central Connecticut: Picked for 3rd in the 12-team Northeast Conference. Finished 12-17 last season. Best player: Senior guard Shamik Thompson (13.0 points, 3.3 assists).
- Quinnipiac: Picked for 1st in the 12-team Northeast Conference. Finished 23-10 last season. Top Player: Senior forward Justin Rutty (15.3 points, 10.9 rebounds, the NEC's leading rebounder last season).
- Drexel: Picked for 6th in the 12-team Colonial Athletic Association. Finished 16-16 last season. Best player: 6-5 junior forward Samme Givins (8.6 points, 8.3 rebounds).
- UMBC: Picked for 9th in the 9-team America East Conference. Finished 4-26 last season. Best player: 5-10 senior guard Chris De La Rosa (11.3 points, 5.1 rebounds, led the conference in assists last season). De La Rosa played his freshman season at Siena before transferring.
The Purple Eagles will play home games on Nov. 17 (Milwaukee), Nov. 22 (Mount St. Mary's), Dec., 22 (Quinnipiac) and on Feb. 19 when it hosts a BracketBusters contest.
Road games include four contests in the "Legends Classic" beginning with a Nov. 19 contest at Georgia Tech. Other games in that tournament will all be at the University of Detroit including (vs. Detroit), Nov. 27 (Bowling Green) and Nov. 28 (UAlbany).
Other road cotests will be Dec 8 (UBuffalo), Dec. 11 (St. Bonaventure), Dec. 19 (Central Connecticut), Dec. 28 (Drexel) and Dec. 30 (UMBC).
Game by Game Anaylsis
- U-Wisconsin/Milwaukee: Picked for 5th in the 10-team Horizon Conference. Finished 20-14 last season. Brian Bidlingmyer, a former Siena player, is an assistant coach. Top Player: Guard Tone Boyle (13.2 points in the 2008-09 season), missed last year with a back injury.
- Georgia Tech: Picked for 10th in the 12-team Atlantic Coast Conference. Finished 23-13 last year, but lost two players early to the NBA, including Derrick Favors, the No. 3 pick overall by the New Jersey Nets in this past season's draft. Best player; Guard Iman Shumpert (10.0 points, 4.0 assists).
- Mount St. Mary's: Picked for 6th in the 12-team Northeast Conference. Its new head coach is Robert Burke, who has been an assistant on the Division I level for more than 20 years including three at Siena. Top player: 6-7 senior forward Shawn Atupem (10.7 points, 3.6 rebounds).
- Detroit: Picked for 2nd in the 10-team Horizon League. Finished 20-14 last season. Top players: 6-6 junior guard Chase Simon (14.0 points, 5.1 rebounds), 6-10 junior center Eli Homan (11.5 points, 8.9 rebounds; led the Horizon League in rebounding last season).
- Bowling Green: Picked for 5th in the 6-team East Division of the Mid-American Conference. Finished 14-16 last season. Best Player: 6-7 junior forward Scott Thomas (13.2 points, 6.3 rebounds).
- UAlbany: UAlbany: Picked to finish 8th in the 9-team America East Conference. Finished 7-25 last season. Best Player: 6-0 senior guard Tim Ambrose (12.4 ppg.).
- Buffalo: Picked for 6th in the 6-team East Division of the Mid American Conference. Finished 18-12 last season. Lost all five starters and top six scorers from last season. Top player: 6-7 junior forward Titus Robinson (5.8 points).
- St. Bonaventure: Picked for 14th in the 14-team Atlantic 10 Conference. Finished 15-16 last season. Best player: 6-9 junior forward Andrew Nicholson (16.4 points, 7.1 rebounds).
- Central Connecticut: Picked for 3rd in the 12-team Northeast Conference. Finished 12-17 last season. Best player: Senior guard Shamik Thompson (13.0 points, 3.3 assists).
- Quinnipiac: Picked for 1st in the 12-team Northeast Conference. Finished 23-10 last season. Top Player: Senior forward Justin Rutty (15.3 points, 10.9 rebounds, the NEC's leading rebounder last season).
- Drexel: Picked for 6th in the 12-team Colonial Athletic Association. Finished 16-16 last season. Best player: 6-5 junior forward Samme Givins (8.6 points, 8.3 rebounds).
- UMBC: Picked for 9th in the 9-team America East Conference. Finished 4-26 last season. Best player: 5-10 senior guard Chris De La Rosa (11.3 points, 5.1 rebounds, led the conference in assists last season). De La Rosa played his freshman season at Siena before transferring.
Thursday, August 26, 2010
A look at Saint Peter's Non-League Sked
Here's a look at Saint Peter's non-league schedule.
The Peacocks play in the Paradise Jam in St. Thomas on the U.S. Virgin Islands with a first-round game on Nov. 19, a second-round contest on either Nov. 20 or 21 and a third game on Nov. 22. They'll meet Old Dominion in the opener, then either Clemson or Long Beach State in the next game and, finally, an opponent from the other bracket of the eight-team event in the final game (the other bracket includes Alabama, Seton Hall, Xavier and Iona).
St. Pete's plays non-league away game on Nov. 13 (Robert Morris), Nov. 29 (Seton Hall), Dec. 11 (Wagner), Dec. 21 (Binghamton0, Dec. 23 (Rutgers) and Dec. 29 (Lehigh).
It plays home games on Nov. 27 (LIU), Dec. 18 (FDU).
It will also participate in a BracketBusters game in mid-February.
Game by game insight:
- Robert Morris: Picked for 4th (by The Sporting News' College Basketball Annual) in the 12-team NEC. It finished 23-12 lasg season and was its league's representative to the NCAA tournament. Best Player: 5-9 sophomore guard Karon Abraham (13.6 points per game last season) was the NEC's Rookie of the Year.
- Old Dominion: Picked for 2nd in the 12-team Colonial Athletic Association. Finished 27-9 last season and played in the NCAA tournament for the first time since 1995. Best player: 6-8 senior forward Frank Hassell (9.2 points, 6.7 rebounds).
- LIU: Picked to finish 2nd in the 12-team Northeast Conference. Finished 14-17 last season. Has four returning starters. Best Player: Senior guard Kyle Johnson (11.5 ppg.) and forward Kenny Onyechi (league-best 2.1 blocks per game).
- Seton Hall: Picked to finish 12th in the 16-team Big East Conference. Finished 19-13 last season. Its new head coach is Kevin Willard, who spent the last three years in the MAAC as the head man at Iona. Best Players: 6-8 junior forward Herb Pope (11.5 points, 10.7 rebounds), 6-5 senior guard Jeremy Hazell (20.4 points).
- Wagner: Picked for 11th in the 12-team Northeast Conference. Finished 5-26 last season. New head coach with former Seton Hall star Danny Hurley. Best player: Junior guard Chris Martin (12.1 points).
- FDU: Picked to finish 8th in the 12-team NEC. Finished 11-21 last season and lost its top scorer and top rebounder to graduation. Top Player: Senior guard Mike Scott (12.6 points, 5.4 assists).
- Binghamton: Picked for 6th in the 9-team America East conference. Finished 11-17 last season. Best player: 6-7 senior forward Greer Wright (15.6 points, 6.0 rebounds).
- Rutgers: Picked for 14th in the 16-team Big East Conference. Finished 15-17 last season. New head coach in Mike Rice, formerly at Robert Morris. Best player: 6-7 senior forward Jonathan Mitchell (11.8 points).
- Lehigh: Picked for 5th in the 8-team Patriot League. Finished 22-11 last season. Best player: 6-2 sophomore guard C.J. McCollum (19.1 points, 5.0 rebounds). He was last season's top-scorer among freshmen nationally.
The Peacocks play in the Paradise Jam in St. Thomas on the U.S. Virgin Islands with a first-round game on Nov. 19, a second-round contest on either Nov. 20 or 21 and a third game on Nov. 22. They'll meet Old Dominion in the opener, then either Clemson or Long Beach State in the next game and, finally, an opponent from the other bracket of the eight-team event in the final game (the other bracket includes Alabama, Seton Hall, Xavier and Iona).
St. Pete's plays non-league away game on Nov. 13 (Robert Morris), Nov. 29 (Seton Hall), Dec. 11 (Wagner), Dec. 21 (Binghamton0, Dec. 23 (Rutgers) and Dec. 29 (Lehigh).
It plays home games on Nov. 27 (LIU), Dec. 18 (FDU).
It will also participate in a BracketBusters game in mid-February.
Game by game insight:
- Robert Morris: Picked for 4th (by The Sporting News' College Basketball Annual) in the 12-team NEC. It finished 23-12 lasg season and was its league's representative to the NCAA tournament. Best Player: 5-9 sophomore guard Karon Abraham (13.6 points per game last season) was the NEC's Rookie of the Year.
- Old Dominion: Picked for 2nd in the 12-team Colonial Athletic Association. Finished 27-9 last season and played in the NCAA tournament for the first time since 1995. Best player: 6-8 senior forward Frank Hassell (9.2 points, 6.7 rebounds).
- LIU: Picked to finish 2nd in the 12-team Northeast Conference. Finished 14-17 last season. Has four returning starters. Best Player: Senior guard Kyle Johnson (11.5 ppg.) and forward Kenny Onyechi (league-best 2.1 blocks per game).
- Seton Hall: Picked to finish 12th in the 16-team Big East Conference. Finished 19-13 last season. Its new head coach is Kevin Willard, who spent the last three years in the MAAC as the head man at Iona. Best Players: 6-8 junior forward Herb Pope (11.5 points, 10.7 rebounds), 6-5 senior guard Jeremy Hazell (20.4 points).
- Wagner: Picked for 11th in the 12-team Northeast Conference. Finished 5-26 last season. New head coach with former Seton Hall star Danny Hurley. Best player: Junior guard Chris Martin (12.1 points).
- FDU: Picked to finish 8th in the 12-team NEC. Finished 11-21 last season and lost its top scorer and top rebounder to graduation. Top Player: Senior guard Mike Scott (12.6 points, 5.4 assists).
- Binghamton: Picked for 6th in the 9-team America East conference. Finished 11-17 last season. Best player: 6-7 senior forward Greer Wright (15.6 points, 6.0 rebounds).
- Rutgers: Picked for 14th in the 16-team Big East Conference. Finished 15-17 last season. New head coach in Mike Rice, formerly at Robert Morris. Best player: 6-7 senior forward Jonathan Mitchell (11.8 points).
- Lehigh: Picked for 5th in the 8-team Patriot League. Finished 22-11 last season. Best player: 6-2 sophomore guard C.J. McCollum (19.1 points, 5.0 rebounds). He was last season's top-scorer among freshmen nationally.
A look at Iona's Non-League schedule
Non-league schedules for conference teams are being released, and we'll pass those along to you as they come in.
Here's the non-league schedule for the Iona men's team. ..
The Gaels open up with a 3-game/3-day appearance at the World Vision Classic hosted by Cleveland State on Nov. 12, 13 and 14. They play Kent State on the 12th, Bryant on the 13th and Cleveland State on the 14th.
Iona hosts non-league games on Nov. 18 (Richmond), Dec. 11 (Fairleigh Dickinson), Dec. 22 (Vermont) and Dec. 29 (Hofstra).
It plays away games on Nov. 23 (at the University at Albany), Nov. 30 (Norfolk State, Virginia), Dec. 8 (LIU), Dec. 18 (Syracuse), and in a "BracketBusters" game against a to-be-determined appointment on either Feb. 18 or 19.
No times have yet been set for those games.
Game-by-Game Insight:
- Kent State: Picked 3rd in the Mid American Conference (by The Sporting News' College Basketball Preview Issue). Has 11 20-victory seasons in the last 12 years. Finished 24-10 last season). Best players: 6-8 forward Justin Greene (13.6 points, 6.9 rebounds last season), 6-2 guard Rodriguez Sherman (10.6 points).
-Bryant: Picked to finish 12th in the 12-team Northeast Conference. Recently moved up from Division II and still two years away from being eligible to qualify for the NCAA tournament. Finished 1-29 overall last season. Best player: 6-8 sophomore Vladyslav Kondratyev (8.9 points).
- Cleveland State: Picked to finish 6th in the 10-team Horizon League. Finished 16-17 overall last season. Best Player: 6-2 senior point guard Norris Cole (16.3 ppg., 4.8 assists last season).
- Richmond: Picked for 4th in the 14-team Atlantic 10 Conference. Finished 26-9 last season. Best player: 6-0 senior guard Kevin Anderson (17.8 ppg.), who was named the A-10's Player of the Year last season.
- UAlbany: Picked to finish 8th in the 9-team America East Conference. Finished 7-25 last season. Best Player: 6-0 senior guard Tim Ambrose (12.4 ppg.).
- LIU: Picked to finish 2nd in the 12-team Northeast Conference. Finished 14-17 last season. Has four returning starters. Best Player: Senior guard Kyle Johnson (11.5 ppg.) and forward Kenny Onyechi (league-best 2.1 blocks per game).
- FDU: Picked to finish 8th in the 12-team NEC. Finished 11-21 last season and lost its top scorer and top rebounder to graduation. Top Player: Senior guard Mike Scott (12.6 points, 5.4 assists).
- Syracuse: Picked to win the 16-team Big East Conference. Finished 30-5 last season, but lost forward Wesley Johnson to the NBA. Top Players: 6-7 junior forward Kris Joseph (10.8 points, 5.5 rebounds), who was the Big East's Sixth Man of the Year last season. Also, 6-9 senior forward Rick Jackson (9.7 points, 8.0 rebounds) and 6-4 sophomore Brandon Triche (8.1 points).
- Vermont: Picked to finish 4th in the 9-team America East. Finished 25-10 last season, but graduated top player forward Mike Blakely and three other starters. Best Players: 6-8 senior forward Evan Fjeld (10.7 points, 6.1 rebounds) and 6-8 junior forward Matt Glass, a transfer from UMass where he made 28-of-63 3-point attempts in the 2008-09 season, getting 84 of the 102 points he scored that season from beyond the bonus stripe.
- Hofstra: Picked to finish 7th in the 12-team Colonial Athletic Association. Finished 19-15 last season. This game would have been more attractive had former Iona coach Tim Welsh been at the helm of the Pride. Instead, several weeks after his hiring by Hofstra Welsh resigned after a a DWI arrest. Best Player: Senior guard Charles Jenkins (20.6 points), the CAA's Player of the Year lasat season.
Here's the non-league schedule for the Iona men's team. ..
The Gaels open up with a 3-game/3-day appearance at the World Vision Classic hosted by Cleveland State on Nov. 12, 13 and 14. They play Kent State on the 12th, Bryant on the 13th and Cleveland State on the 14th.
Iona hosts non-league games on Nov. 18 (Richmond), Dec. 11 (Fairleigh Dickinson), Dec. 22 (Vermont) and Dec. 29 (Hofstra).
It plays away games on Nov. 23 (at the University at Albany), Nov. 30 (Norfolk State, Virginia), Dec. 8 (LIU), Dec. 18 (Syracuse), and in a "BracketBusters" game against a to-be-determined appointment on either Feb. 18 or 19.
No times have yet been set for those games.
Game-by-Game Insight:
- Kent State: Picked 3rd in the Mid American Conference (by The Sporting News' College Basketball Preview Issue). Has 11 20-victory seasons in the last 12 years. Finished 24-10 last season). Best players: 6-8 forward Justin Greene (13.6 points, 6.9 rebounds last season), 6-2 guard Rodriguez Sherman (10.6 points).
-Bryant: Picked to finish 12th in the 12-team Northeast Conference. Recently moved up from Division II and still two years away from being eligible to qualify for the NCAA tournament. Finished 1-29 overall last season. Best player: 6-8 sophomore Vladyslav Kondratyev (8.9 points).
- Cleveland State: Picked to finish 6th in the 10-team Horizon League. Finished 16-17 overall last season. Best Player: 6-2 senior point guard Norris Cole (16.3 ppg., 4.8 assists last season).
- Richmond: Picked for 4th in the 14-team Atlantic 10 Conference. Finished 26-9 last season. Best player: 6-0 senior guard Kevin Anderson (17.8 ppg.), who was named the A-10's Player of the Year last season.
- UAlbany: Picked to finish 8th in the 9-team America East Conference. Finished 7-25 last season. Best Player: 6-0 senior guard Tim Ambrose (12.4 ppg.).
- LIU: Picked to finish 2nd in the 12-team Northeast Conference. Finished 14-17 last season. Has four returning starters. Best Player: Senior guard Kyle Johnson (11.5 ppg.) and forward Kenny Onyechi (league-best 2.1 blocks per game).
- FDU: Picked to finish 8th in the 12-team NEC. Finished 11-21 last season and lost its top scorer and top rebounder to graduation. Top Player: Senior guard Mike Scott (12.6 points, 5.4 assists).
- Syracuse: Picked to win the 16-team Big East Conference. Finished 30-5 last season, but lost forward Wesley Johnson to the NBA. Top Players: 6-7 junior forward Kris Joseph (10.8 points, 5.5 rebounds), who was the Big East's Sixth Man of the Year last season. Also, 6-9 senior forward Rick Jackson (9.7 points, 8.0 rebounds) and 6-4 sophomore Brandon Triche (8.1 points).
- Vermont: Picked to finish 4th in the 9-team America East. Finished 25-10 last season, but graduated top player forward Mike Blakely and three other starters. Best Players: 6-8 senior forward Evan Fjeld (10.7 points, 6.1 rebounds) and 6-8 junior forward Matt Glass, a transfer from UMass where he made 28-of-63 3-point attempts in the 2008-09 season, getting 84 of the 102 points he scored that season from beyond the bonus stripe.
- Hofstra: Picked to finish 7th in the 12-team Colonial Athletic Association. Finished 19-15 last season. This game would have been more attractive had former Iona coach Tim Welsh been at the helm of the Pride. Instead, several weeks after his hiring by Hofstra Welsh resigned after a a DWI arrest. Best Player: Senior guard Charles Jenkins (20.6 points), the CAA's Player of the Year lasat season.
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
St. Peter's Men/Women Recruiting Recap
Here's the latest in the series looking at incoming recruits to conference teams.
Up now ...
SAINT PETER'S
MEN
Chris Burke, 6-5 forward, Willingboro (N.J.) High School.
Senior season statistics not available, but he averaged 14 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists as a junior.
A number of internet reports indicate that Burke is an athletic, multi-talented player.
Xavier Brown, 5-10 point guard, Paul Robeson H.S. of Philadelphia
No senior season stats available.
Brown is a recipient of a Gates Milenium Scholarship and does not count against the Peacocks' 13 athletic scholarship. Reports are that he is a prototypical point guard.
Blaise Ffrench, 6-1 guard, transfer from UTEP
French averaged 0.3 points and 0.4 assists playing an average of 4.7 minutes per game at UTEP in the 2008-09 season. He practiced with the Peacocks last season and is has three remaining seasons of eligibility. He is a graduate of Holy Cross H.S. in New York City.
Chris Prescott, 6-2 guard, transfer from St. Joseph's
Prescott transferred after the 2009-10 season so he is not eligible until the 2011-12 season. He will practice with the Peacocks this season. He is a graduate of Northwest Catholic H.S. in West Hartford, Conn.
ANAYLSIS: French will be an immediate contributor, capable of playing either guard spot and will likely be the first guard off the bench in support of seniors Nick Leon and Wesley Jenkins. Brown is likely to get into the playing group as a back-up point guard in preparation for a bigger role two years from now. Burke will provide bench support behind returning starters but is likely to have a bigger role after the current season. Prescott is a nice piece who had offers from larger programs coming out of high school. He and Ffrench appear to be the team's potential starting backcourt in 2011-12.
WOMEN
Teresa Manigrasso, 5-7 guard, St. John Vianney H.S. of Atlantic Highlands, N.J.
No senior season statistics available. Manigrasso was a key performer on a strong high school team as a shooting guard, but suffered a knee injury in January and missed the remainder of the season.
Bianca Martinez, 6-3 center, Christ The King H.S. in New York City
No senior season statistics available. She is reportedly a much-needed inside presence for a program that has lacked height in recent years.
Aziza May, 5-3 point guard, Brush H.S. of South Euclid, Ohio
She averaged 10.2 points per game as a senior and was a four-year starter at point guard for her high school program. Reports indicate she is a quick player with good point-guard skills.
Khadjah Young, 5-3 point guard, Revere H.S. of Copley, Ohio
No senior season statistics available. Reports indicate she is extremely quick with a good long-range shooting touch.
Brittany Howes, 6-2 forward/center, Colts Neck (N.J.) High School.
No senior season statics available. Howes broke a foot early in her senior season but returned in January and played well the rest of the season. A strong defender and good rebounder who averaged double figures in rebounds last season.
ANALYSIS: A strong recruiting class that bodes well for the Peahens' future. Martinez and Howes will provide the height and inside play, eventually, that most MAAC teams lack. May and Young have the type quickness that the program has relied upon on both ends of the court in recent years. And Manigrasso should be a nice piece at the shooting guard spot. This class's impact might not be evident immediately, but it will be at some point.
Up now ...
SAINT PETER'S
MEN
Chris Burke, 6-5 forward, Willingboro (N.J.) High School.
Senior season statistics not available, but he averaged 14 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists as a junior.
A number of internet reports indicate that Burke is an athletic, multi-talented player.
Xavier Brown, 5-10 point guard, Paul Robeson H.S. of Philadelphia
No senior season stats available.
Brown is a recipient of a Gates Milenium Scholarship and does not count against the Peacocks' 13 athletic scholarship. Reports are that he is a prototypical point guard.
Blaise Ffrench, 6-1 guard, transfer from UTEP
French averaged 0.3 points and 0.4 assists playing an average of 4.7 minutes per game at UTEP in the 2008-09 season. He practiced with the Peacocks last season and is has three remaining seasons of eligibility. He is a graduate of Holy Cross H.S. in New York City.
Chris Prescott, 6-2 guard, transfer from St. Joseph's
Prescott transferred after the 2009-10 season so he is not eligible until the 2011-12 season. He will practice with the Peacocks this season. He is a graduate of Northwest Catholic H.S. in West Hartford, Conn.
ANAYLSIS: French will be an immediate contributor, capable of playing either guard spot and will likely be the first guard off the bench in support of seniors Nick Leon and Wesley Jenkins. Brown is likely to get into the playing group as a back-up point guard in preparation for a bigger role two years from now. Burke will provide bench support behind returning starters but is likely to have a bigger role after the current season. Prescott is a nice piece who had offers from larger programs coming out of high school. He and Ffrench appear to be the team's potential starting backcourt in 2011-12.
WOMEN
Teresa Manigrasso, 5-7 guard, St. John Vianney H.S. of Atlantic Highlands, N.J.
No senior season statistics available. Manigrasso was a key performer on a strong high school team as a shooting guard, but suffered a knee injury in January and missed the remainder of the season.
Bianca Martinez, 6-3 center, Christ The King H.S. in New York City
No senior season statistics available. She is reportedly a much-needed inside presence for a program that has lacked height in recent years.
Aziza May, 5-3 point guard, Brush H.S. of South Euclid, Ohio
She averaged 10.2 points per game as a senior and was a four-year starter at point guard for her high school program. Reports indicate she is a quick player with good point-guard skills.
Khadjah Young, 5-3 point guard, Revere H.S. of Copley, Ohio
No senior season statistics available. Reports indicate she is extremely quick with a good long-range shooting touch.
Brittany Howes, 6-2 forward/center, Colts Neck (N.J.) High School.
No senior season statics available. Howes broke a foot early in her senior season but returned in January and played well the rest of the season. A strong defender and good rebounder who averaged double figures in rebounds last season.
ANALYSIS: A strong recruiting class that bodes well for the Peahens' future. Martinez and Howes will provide the height and inside play, eventually, that most MAAC teams lack. May and Young have the type quickness that the program has relied upon on both ends of the court in recent years. And Manigrasso should be a nice piece at the shooting guard spot. This class's impact might not be evident immediately, but it will be at some point.
Sunday, August 22, 2010
Memorable MAAC Players Move to Pros
Marist's matchless women's forward Rachel Fitz, and Siena men's standouts forward Alexander Franklin and point guard Ronald Moore are certainly among the most-memorable players your blogger has had the pleasure of watching and writing about in recent years.
And, now, they share something else. That talented trio is set to embark on post-college professional careers.
Franklin, a 6-foot-5 forward, has signed to play in Tarragona, Spain, in that country's professional league.
Moore, a 5-10 point guard, has signed a contract with BK Casta SPU Nitra, located in Nitra in the western part of Slovokia at the foot of Zobor Mountain.
Fitz, a 6-0 forward, signed to play for Kozachka-Zalk Zaporozhye, a professional basketball organization in Ukraine.
Memorable? Fitz's place in MAAC basketball's hierarchy is well established. She is the conference's only female three-time MAAC player of the year (2008, 2009, 2010), is No. 2 in career scoring in the conference (2,447 points) and is the only player in Marist women's basketball history with more than 2,000 career points and 1,000 rebounds.
During her time at Marist the program ran up a 116-21 record, a winning percentage of .847. Her teams also won three NCAA tournament games and, in the 2007-08 season became the first conference team, men's or women's, to win two NCAA tournament games in the same season.
Her new team, Kozachka-Zalk Zaporozhye, competes in UPBL which is a league in EuroBasket. The team finished the regular season in fourth place last seasonand advanced to the semifinals. Kozachka-Zalk Zaprozhye’s season came to a close when it fell to eventual champion Dnipro on April 24, suffering a 79-66 defeat.
Fitz was a highly touted high school player recruited by schools that played in higher conferences than the MAAC. During this past season's MAAC tournament your blogger asked Fitz how she came to chose Marist and the response flashed the sense of humor and engaging personality that made Fitz so popular on her school's Poughkeepsie, N.Y., campus.
"I wanted to major in fashion design, and Marist was the only school recruiting me that had that program ... so, I guess coach (Brian) Giorgis got lucky," she said. "Oops ... don't tell him that I said he got lucky. Well, I guess you can tell him that if you want, since I've only got a couple more games to play for him."
Siena's Franklin leaves for Spain today (Aug. 22) to begin preseason workouts for a season that begins on Oct. 1. Franklin's Tarragona team is based about 60 miles south of Barcelona on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea. Servindustria plays in Adecco Gold, the second level in the Spanish League.
“I know it’s a very good league and I’m excited to get over there and play for them and help them win games,” Franklin said, in a release from Siena College.
Franklin spent the summer training and improving his strength at Impact – one of the top NBA training facilities for professional basketball players located in Las Vegas.
Your blogger remembers Franklin as the least touted of a four-person recruiting class that included Moore, Edwin Ubiles and forward Cory Magee.
But Franklin played far bigger than his 6-5 (barely) frame, improved his game annually and became arguably the most unstoppable inside force in the conference this past season.
If memory serves Franklin was not in the starting lineup early in his freshman season, but exhibited his ability immediately. His first Siena game was in a non-league contest at Stanford, a team touted as a top-10 program that year. Although Siena lost in that meeting Franklin came off the bench to score 20 points and to show he would be a force on the court even against bigger players.
How good did Franklin become? He was this past season's Player of the Year in the MAAC.
Moore is headed for Nitra, the fifth-largest city in Slovokia. It’s described as a culture rich city and it has played a key role in the country’s evolution since its settlement in the fifth century.
“I know it’s a historic city, a small city,” Moore said. “Everything is within walking distance. Temperature was one thing I was worried about, but it doesn’t get too cold or too hot there. I talked to some people who played there and they really liked it.”
Moore will be leaving for Nitra within a week.
Your blogger remembers covering a Siena game at Vermont midway through the 2005-06 season when a call came from Moore's high school coach to say that the guard had made a verbal commitment to Siena.
A call was made to Moore and the most-memorable thing the diminutive guard said during a 10-minute coversation was this: "I'm coming to Siena to win championships," he said.
"What kind of championship?" he was asked.
"I want to win a national title," he said.
National titles aren't won by mid-major level teams, but Moore was the floor general behind winning titles at his playing level. Siena won the conference's regular-season and post-season championships of the past three years becoming only the conference's second men's team to do that for three straight years and the first to win NCAA tournament games in successive seasons (2008, 2009).
And, Moore added one more "title" of sorts. He was the nation's assist leader this past season.
And, now, they share something else. That talented trio is set to embark on post-college professional careers.
Franklin, a 6-foot-5 forward, has signed to play in Tarragona, Spain, in that country's professional league.
Moore, a 5-10 point guard, has signed a contract with BK Casta SPU Nitra, located in Nitra in the western part of Slovokia at the foot of Zobor Mountain.
Fitz, a 6-0 forward, signed to play for Kozachka-Zalk Zaporozhye, a professional basketball organization in Ukraine.
Memorable? Fitz's place in MAAC basketball's hierarchy is well established. She is the conference's only female three-time MAAC player of the year (2008, 2009, 2010), is No. 2 in career scoring in the conference (2,447 points) and is the only player in Marist women's basketball history with more than 2,000 career points and 1,000 rebounds.
During her time at Marist the program ran up a 116-21 record, a winning percentage of .847. Her teams also won three NCAA tournament games and, in the 2007-08 season became the first conference team, men's or women's, to win two NCAA tournament games in the same season.
Her new team, Kozachka-Zalk Zaporozhye, competes in UPBL which is a league in EuroBasket. The team finished the regular season in fourth place last seasonand advanced to the semifinals. Kozachka-Zalk Zaprozhye’s season came to a close when it fell to eventual champion Dnipro on April 24, suffering a 79-66 defeat.
Fitz was a highly touted high school player recruited by schools that played in higher conferences than the MAAC. During this past season's MAAC tournament your blogger asked Fitz how she came to chose Marist and the response flashed the sense of humor and engaging personality that made Fitz so popular on her school's Poughkeepsie, N.Y., campus.
"I wanted to major in fashion design, and Marist was the only school recruiting me that had that program ... so, I guess coach (Brian) Giorgis got lucky," she said. "Oops ... don't tell him that I said he got lucky. Well, I guess you can tell him that if you want, since I've only got a couple more games to play for him."
Siena's Franklin leaves for Spain today (Aug. 22) to begin preseason workouts for a season that begins on Oct. 1. Franklin's Tarragona team is based about 60 miles south of Barcelona on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea. Servindustria plays in Adecco Gold, the second level in the Spanish League.
“I know it’s a very good league and I’m excited to get over there and play for them and help them win games,” Franklin said, in a release from Siena College.
Franklin spent the summer training and improving his strength at Impact – one of the top NBA training facilities for professional basketball players located in Las Vegas.
Your blogger remembers Franklin as the least touted of a four-person recruiting class that included Moore, Edwin Ubiles and forward Cory Magee.
But Franklin played far bigger than his 6-5 (barely) frame, improved his game annually and became arguably the most unstoppable inside force in the conference this past season.
If memory serves Franklin was not in the starting lineup early in his freshman season, but exhibited his ability immediately. His first Siena game was in a non-league contest at Stanford, a team touted as a top-10 program that year. Although Siena lost in that meeting Franklin came off the bench to score 20 points and to show he would be a force on the court even against bigger players.
How good did Franklin become? He was this past season's Player of the Year in the MAAC.
Moore is headed for Nitra, the fifth-largest city in Slovokia. It’s described as a culture rich city and it has played a key role in the country’s evolution since its settlement in the fifth century.
“I know it’s a historic city, a small city,” Moore said. “Everything is within walking distance. Temperature was one thing I was worried about, but it doesn’t get too cold or too hot there. I talked to some people who played there and they really liked it.”
Moore will be leaving for Nitra within a week.
Your blogger remembers covering a Siena game at Vermont midway through the 2005-06 season when a call came from Moore's high school coach to say that the guard had made a verbal commitment to Siena.
A call was made to Moore and the most-memorable thing the diminutive guard said during a 10-minute coversation was this: "I'm coming to Siena to win championships," he said.
"What kind of championship?" he was asked.
"I want to win a national title," he said.
National titles aren't won by mid-major level teams, but Moore was the floor general behind winning titles at his playing level. Siena won the conference's regular-season and post-season championships of the past three years becoming only the conference's second men's team to do that for three straight years and the first to win NCAA tournament games in successive seasons (2008, 2009).
And, Moore added one more "title" of sorts. He was the nation's assist leader this past season.
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Gonzo, Seton Hall Settle Financially
The last connection between former Manhattan coach Bobby Gonzalez and college basketball has finally been severed.
Seton Hall University, the most-recent stop for Gonzalez, has settled a wrongful termination lawsuit brought by its former coach.
Gonzalez claimed that he had been owed two years of salary upon his termination for a variety issues. Terms of the settlement are confidential.
Gonzalez is known for his brash, aggressive style and was fired March 17 after Seton Hall lost in the opening round of the NIT. School officials referred to off-court problems when they announced his firing.
Readers of this forum know that your blogger has heaped considerable criticism on Gonzalez in the past. In more than 35 years of covering college basketball, Gonzalez was without question my least favorite coach to deal with. And, yours truly wasn't alone in that assessment. The bombastic, control-freak coach wore out relationships wherever he has been in the profession.
His recent woes, though, all but ensure he won't ever coach again at the college level and the sport is the better for that.
Seton Hall University, the most-recent stop for Gonzalez, has settled a wrongful termination lawsuit brought by its former coach.
Gonzalez claimed that he had been owed two years of salary upon his termination for a variety issues. Terms of the settlement are confidential.
Gonzalez is known for his brash, aggressive style and was fired March 17 after Seton Hall lost in the opening round of the NIT. School officials referred to off-court problems when they announced his firing.
Readers of this forum know that your blogger has heaped considerable criticism on Gonzalez in the past. In more than 35 years of covering college basketball, Gonzalez was without question my least favorite coach to deal with. And, yours truly wasn't alone in that assessment. The bombastic, control-freak coach wore out relationships wherever he has been in the profession.
His recent woes, though, all but ensure he won't ever coach again at the college level and the sport is the better for that.
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