If you're a basketball fan ... a real "gym rat," so to speak ... then there's no better place to be this Memorial Day weekend than in New York's Capital Region for the GymRat Challenge boys' AAU tournament.
The event is the largest of its kind in the east. This year an event record 240 teams with close to 2,700 players will be in town and, if past years are any indication, more than half those here will play at some level in college.
There are usually several dozen high-major prospects here annually, and this year looks no different. Beyond that, several hundred of this weekend's participants will wind up at the mkd-major level, and MAAC teams are stocked with GymRat alums.
Champions will be crowned in five age brackets: 13-under, 14-under, 15-under, 16-under and 17-under.
For Albany area fans, there are 14 local teams with about 150 Capital Region players represnting close to 40 high schools from the upstate New York area. In all, 11 states and Canada will send teams here.
The event has Emeka Okafer, a No. 1 overall draft pick in the 2004 NBA draft played here, as did Michael Beasley, the No. 2 pick in the 2009 draft.
The GymRat has also had alums play key roles for the last two NCAA national championship teams. Cole Aldrich (the starting center on Kansas' national championship team) played here as did Shabazz Napier, a key player on this past season's UConn title team.
Also, this year's national player of the year Jimmer Fredette (Brigham Young) played here, as did Talor Battle (a 2,000-point career scorer at Penn State).
Much of Siena's current and past rosters includes players who have displayed their talent in the GymRat event, including current Saints Owen Wignot, Trenity Burdine. Your blogger also recalls other current or former MAAC standouts having been here, including Greg Nero of Fairfield, Tomas Vazquez-Simmons of Canisius, George Beamon of Mannhattan and Candon Rusin, formerly of Marist, just to drop a few names.
The tournament will be played Saturday from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. and, then, on Sunday from 8 a.m. until Sunday evening. Championship games will be contested Sunday evening. About 26 hours of basketball will be contested, almost non-stop, over the two days.
Yes, indeed, a basketball junkie's paradise. In about 400 games will be played at five different sites in New York's Capital Region. Those are: the University at Albany, Skidmore College in Saratoga, Union College in Schenectady, Schenectady High School and the Saratoga Recreational Center.
Single-day admission is $10 and two-day admission is $15. Fans can see any game at any venue. Multiple games are contested simultaneously at each site.
Your blogger will be in attendance and taking notes, as will a "talent evaluation" staff that picks players for tournament all-star honors. That staff gets some input from the better players in attendance about their college interst, and, as one of the talent evaluators for the event, I'll have access to that material.
When the tournament concludes, this blog will have a lengthy report about the tournament with as much recruiting information that pertains to the MAAC that I can acquire, which will be plenty.
More information about this year's event, the playing schedule and past histories of previous years' tournaments (including all-star selections and much information about the better players here from past years) is all available on the tournament's website, which is: www.gymratchallenge.com
So ... attend the event; and, if you can't attend, then keep following this forum for post-tournament information. early next week.
Thursday, May 26, 2011
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
Off-Season Report: Transition at Canisius
Here's another in the series looking at conference programs.
Up now ...
CANISIUS MEN
2010-11 RECORD: 9-9 in MAAC play, 15-15 overall.
2010-11 RECAP: For a program that has been "down" moreso, maybe, than any other program in conference history a .500 record is progress. It marked the first time the Golden Griffins didn't finish with a sub-.500 overall record since the 2000-01 season, when it turned in a 20-11 mark. The proverbial bottom never really came, except for a 6-25 finish in 2007-08 when many of this season's players were freshmen. Otherwise Canisius has won at least nine games in every season of the last 10, with four 15-victory or better seasons. The past season was notable also because the Griffs finished sixth in the MAAC's regular-season standings, avoiding the play-in round of the conference's post-season tournament for the first time in 11 years. The relative success came without a signature star, but with plenty of balance. The five leading scorers averaged between 8.9 and 12.5 points per game. The team went legitimately seven deep, which is as good as most conference programs. And, the two top reserves made significant contributions.
WHAT WENT RIGHT: A confluence of veteran players who had been together for the past four seasons, and their progress can be charted by the program's record during their time in Buffalo; 6-25 in 2007-08, followed by 11-20, 15-17 and this year's 15-15 record. That type of heavy veteran presence usually is accompanied by success. Whether a .500 record qualifies as a major success is debatable, but it's success here considering the nine preceding seasons. And, it came without a single contributor taller than the 6-foot-7 Tomas Vazuez-Simmons, a fifth senior who came off the bench this year and was the team's third-leading rebounder. The balanced attack was probably a plus, too.. The only non-senior starter was sophomore point guard Gaby Belardo, a transfer from South Florida, who had a nice first season in the MAAC (10.3 points, 3.9 assists0, including making several late-game, game-winning shots. He is the top returnee and looks like a future conference all-star.
WHAT WENT WRONG: The lack of height didn't matter much as the team used its overall athleticism to hold its own on the boards. It even led the conference in blocked shots and finished 37th nationally in that statistical category. But the lack of a signature "star" player probably did. The Griffs suffered six of their nine conference losses by nine or fewer points, a sure sign that it didn't have a go-to player down the stretch. The closest wasn't one of the seniors, but Belardo, who made three game-winning shots during the season.
WHAT'S AHEAD: Program sales are likely to skyrocket next year as the program undertakes a personnel turnover that is probably unprecedented in conference history. Nine scholarship players are coming aboard, including three transfers who won't be eligible until the 2012-13 season. The backcourt should be among the better ones in the MAAC with the return of current sophomores Belardo, sharpshooter Alshwan Hymes (69 3-pointers) and Reggie Groves, who missed most of the 2009-10 season with a knee injury and showed signs of returning to full health this past season. After that, though, no returnee played more than seven minutes per game. It's hard to tell how good the incoming freshmen will be, although at least one new player, 6-1 guard Harold Washington, has previous collegiate experience having played at Cecil Community College. The best players joining the program look to be 6-10 center Freddie Asprilla, a transfer from Kansas State; 6-10 center Jordan Heath, a transfer from Robert Weslyan; and 6-3 guard Isaac Sosa, a transfer from Central Florida, but those three will merely be practice players having to sit out the year due to transfer rules. It means better days are ahead for the Griffs, but probably not until the 2012-13 season.
PREDICTION FOR 2011-12: Canisius fans will need to enjoy watching team and individual development this coming season because the loss of the team's top three scorers and five of its top six players doesn't bode well for on-court success. The Griffs' appear destined to drop back below .500 and, likely, will return to the post-season tournament's play-in round. But that situation should be short-lived, provided the transfers turn out to be as good as expected two years from now and the heavy influx of freshmen progress throughout the coming year.
Up now ...
CANISIUS MEN
2010-11 RECORD: 9-9 in MAAC play, 15-15 overall.
2010-11 RECAP: For a program that has been "down" moreso, maybe, than any other program in conference history a .500 record is progress. It marked the first time the Golden Griffins didn't finish with a sub-.500 overall record since the 2000-01 season, when it turned in a 20-11 mark. The proverbial bottom never really came, except for a 6-25 finish in 2007-08 when many of this season's players were freshmen. Otherwise Canisius has won at least nine games in every season of the last 10, with four 15-victory or better seasons. The past season was notable also because the Griffs finished sixth in the MAAC's regular-season standings, avoiding the play-in round of the conference's post-season tournament for the first time in 11 years. The relative success came without a signature star, but with plenty of balance. The five leading scorers averaged between 8.9 and 12.5 points per game. The team went legitimately seven deep, which is as good as most conference programs. And, the two top reserves made significant contributions.
WHAT WENT RIGHT: A confluence of veteran players who had been together for the past four seasons, and their progress can be charted by the program's record during their time in Buffalo; 6-25 in 2007-08, followed by 11-20, 15-17 and this year's 15-15 record. That type of heavy veteran presence usually is accompanied by success. Whether a .500 record qualifies as a major success is debatable, but it's success here considering the nine preceding seasons. And, it came without a single contributor taller than the 6-foot-7 Tomas Vazuez-Simmons, a fifth senior who came off the bench this year and was the team's third-leading rebounder. The balanced attack was probably a plus, too.. The only non-senior starter was sophomore point guard Gaby Belardo, a transfer from South Florida, who had a nice first season in the MAAC (10.3 points, 3.9 assists0, including making several late-game, game-winning shots. He is the top returnee and looks like a future conference all-star.
WHAT WENT WRONG: The lack of height didn't matter much as the team used its overall athleticism to hold its own on the boards. It even led the conference in blocked shots and finished 37th nationally in that statistical category. But the lack of a signature "star" player probably did. The Griffs suffered six of their nine conference losses by nine or fewer points, a sure sign that it didn't have a go-to player down the stretch. The closest wasn't one of the seniors, but Belardo, who made three game-winning shots during the season.
WHAT'S AHEAD: Program sales are likely to skyrocket next year as the program undertakes a personnel turnover that is probably unprecedented in conference history. Nine scholarship players are coming aboard, including three transfers who won't be eligible until the 2012-13 season. The backcourt should be among the better ones in the MAAC with the return of current sophomores Belardo, sharpshooter Alshwan Hymes (69 3-pointers) and Reggie Groves, who missed most of the 2009-10 season with a knee injury and showed signs of returning to full health this past season. After that, though, no returnee played more than seven minutes per game. It's hard to tell how good the incoming freshmen will be, although at least one new player, 6-1 guard Harold Washington, has previous collegiate experience having played at Cecil Community College. The best players joining the program look to be 6-10 center Freddie Asprilla, a transfer from Kansas State; 6-10 center Jordan Heath, a transfer from Robert Weslyan; and 6-3 guard Isaac Sosa, a transfer from Central Florida, but those three will merely be practice players having to sit out the year due to transfer rules. It means better days are ahead for the Griffs, but probably not until the 2012-13 season.
PREDICTION FOR 2011-12: Canisius fans will need to enjoy watching team and individual development this coming season because the loss of the team's top three scorers and five of its top six players doesn't bode well for on-court success. The Griffs' appear destined to drop back below .500 and, likely, will return to the post-season tournament's play-in round. But that situation should be short-lived, provided the transfers turn out to be as good as expected two years from now and the heavy influx of freshmen progress throughout the coming year.
Monday, May 23, 2011
Another Transfer Should Benefit Loyola
Within the next month or so we'll do a full recruiting update on every conference program. But, occasionally, an incoming player catches the eye of this blogger.
The most recent one is Jordan Latham, a 6-foot-8, 245-pound forward who played limited minutes at Xavier this past season and, recently, announced that he's transferring back to his home-area to attend Loyola.
Players returning home after not having success at a higher level have had hit-and-miss results at MAAC schools. But, Latham looks like the type who can be a "hit" for Loyola, a program that has considerable success with transfers in the past.
In fact, transfers have helped keep Loyola's program solid in recent years, moreso than any MAAC program. That's not to put any judgment on the team's proclivity for attracting transfers, just pointing out a trend.
But, it's a trend that began back in the late 1990's when Virginia transfer Mike Powell moved to the Baltimore school, and has continued under the direction of current coach Jimmy Patsos, who is entering his eighth year with the Greyhounds.
In fact, the school's top three players in terms of career scoring average, Andre Collins (from Maryland), Gerald Brown (Providence) and Powell have all been transfers. Another transfer, Jamal Barney, led the MAAC in scoring in the 2008-09 season, but personal problems caused him to leave the program at midseason in each of the last two years.
This past year's team, though, also relied on transfers. Center Shane Walker (Maryland) and forward Erik Etherly (Northeastern) were No. 1 and 2 in scoring and rebounding for the Greyhounds.
And, now, Latham, a highly touted Baltimore high school player prior to moving on to Xavier, comes aboard and will be eligible for the 2012-13 season.
Latham averaged 17 points and nine rebounds per game as a senior at Baltimore's City High School, and led that program to a state championship in each of his last two seasons there. He was rated the 20th-best power forward nationally during his senior high school season by one rating service, but was behind some established veterans at Xavier and only averaged 4.8 minutes of playing time this past season.
The transfer route has been used by several conference programs, almost always those from a metropolitan area, and the reason is easy to comprehend.
Larger cities like Baltimore and the New York metropolitan area produce considerably more high-major Division I performers than smaller areas (upstate New York, for instance). Almost always when a high-major player is disatisfied with a basketball situation he transfers back to a "home area" school.
And, no school has benefitted more from the opportunity derived from bringing in good transfers than Loyola.
The most recent one is Jordan Latham, a 6-foot-8, 245-pound forward who played limited minutes at Xavier this past season and, recently, announced that he's transferring back to his home-area to attend Loyola.
Players returning home after not having success at a higher level have had hit-and-miss results at MAAC schools. But, Latham looks like the type who can be a "hit" for Loyola, a program that has considerable success with transfers in the past.
In fact, transfers have helped keep Loyola's program solid in recent years, moreso than any MAAC program. That's not to put any judgment on the team's proclivity for attracting transfers, just pointing out a trend.
But, it's a trend that began back in the late 1990's when Virginia transfer Mike Powell moved to the Baltimore school, and has continued under the direction of current coach Jimmy Patsos, who is entering his eighth year with the Greyhounds.
In fact, the school's top three players in terms of career scoring average, Andre Collins (from Maryland), Gerald Brown (Providence) and Powell have all been transfers. Another transfer, Jamal Barney, led the MAAC in scoring in the 2008-09 season, but personal problems caused him to leave the program at midseason in each of the last two years.
This past year's team, though, also relied on transfers. Center Shane Walker (Maryland) and forward Erik Etherly (Northeastern) were No. 1 and 2 in scoring and rebounding for the Greyhounds.
And, now, Latham, a highly touted Baltimore high school player prior to moving on to Xavier, comes aboard and will be eligible for the 2012-13 season.
Latham averaged 17 points and nine rebounds per game as a senior at Baltimore's City High School, and led that program to a state championship in each of his last two seasons there. He was rated the 20th-best power forward nationally during his senior high school season by one rating service, but was behind some established veterans at Xavier and only averaged 4.8 minutes of playing time this past season.
The transfer route has been used by several conference programs, almost always those from a metropolitan area, and the reason is easy to comprehend.
Larger cities like Baltimore and the New York metropolitan area produce considerably more high-major Division I performers than smaller areas (upstate New York, for instance). Almost always when a high-major player is disatisfied with a basketball situation he transfers back to a "home area" school.
And, no school has benefitted more from the opportunity derived from bringing in good transfers than Loyola.
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
Coaches Treasure Yankee Stadium Honor
Even Division I basketball coaches remain fans of other sports, and still get that kid-in-a-candy-store feeling at certain special sports situations.
Such was the visit of 10 coaches, including three from the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference, who took part in pre-game ceremonies at Yankee Stadium recently to honor their work with the Coaches vs. Cancer campaign.
John Dunne of Saint Peter's, Tommy Dempsey of Rider and Mitch Buonaguro of Siena were the conference coaches who attended, by invitation, the 15-minute ceremony just behind home plate, got to spend a few minutes with Yankee manager Joe Girardi and, then, watched the game from a luxury box.
Buonaguro has been particularly active with the charity that encourages coaches to help raise money and increase the awareness for the fight against the disease.
The opportunity for the Siena coach arose because of the work he does, including his participation in an annual "Basket Ball," dinner in the Albany, N.Y., area every year with proceeds directed to the American Cancer Society.
All coaches, as have just about anyone in any walk of life, have been directly affected by the disease in some form.
Buonaguro lost his mother to brain cancer 10 years ago.
“I went through how tough it was on her,” he said. “It affects everyone and I think we have all come together in the coaching fraternity to fight it.”
Dunne's mom is a two-time cancer survivor.
"She had breast cancer in 1984 and 1988 and went through years of chemo and radiation treatments," said Dunne. "I saw how tough that was for her, but she's a cancer survivor and she's still with us. But, it makes you realize that every one, in some way, is affected."
Dempsey said he lost a good friend, who was in his early 20's at the time, to cancer.
"When that happened I started to become a little more aware of what we can do to help," said the Rider coach. "Until it affects you on a personal level you probably don't pay as much attention to it as you need to. Losing my friend was an eye opening experience for me, and I try to do anything I can to help out."
Dempsey is part of a group at Rider that takes a full table at the annual "Jimmy V. Foundation" dinner to raise money for cancer research.
The Jimmy V Foundation, which has raised more than $100 million in the past 18 years, was instituted after Jim Valvano, who won a national championship at North Carolina State (and had also coached at Iona) came to be to honor his memory after he was claimed by cancer in the early 1980s.
Valvano's brother, Nick, is the Chief Executive Officer of the Jimmy V Foundation and is a Rider graduate and close friend of Dempsey.
Coaches who attended the Yankee game also took part in fund-raising activities the following day by working the phones to call hedge fund investors and businessmen to raise money for the fight against cancer. They also helped close the New York Stock Exchange last Thursday.
"It's a great thing to see so many coaches want to get involved," said Dunne. "Not all of us have the high profile of a Jim Boeheim (the Syracuse coach, who has long been one of the program's more-visible participants). We all don't have the same opportunities that he does to raise money.
"But even if we're not in that position, we understand that people in our own communities, fans of our programs, will follow our lead. Sometimes the best thing we can do is just raise awareness of the program and the need to contribute to the fight."
All three coaches expressed the enjoyment they felt at being included in the Yankee Stadium ceremony.
"Even though it took place just a few minutes before the game, a couple of Yankee players came by to shake our hands," said Dempsey. "And, when we were sitting in the luxury box for the game, Carmello Anthony and Lamar Odom spent some time with us."
"It was a personal treat for me, having grown up a Yankee fan," said Dunne. "My dad was killed in a work-related accident when I was still in college, and some of my best memories of him involved going to watch Yankee games together.
"I mean, I really enjoyed being there (as part of the ceremony), but I also had to smile a little because I know how much of a thrill it would have been for my dad to know that I was there, too."
Such was the visit of 10 coaches, including three from the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference, who took part in pre-game ceremonies at Yankee Stadium recently to honor their work with the Coaches vs. Cancer campaign.
John Dunne of Saint Peter's, Tommy Dempsey of Rider and Mitch Buonaguro of Siena were the conference coaches who attended, by invitation, the 15-minute ceremony just behind home plate, got to spend a few minutes with Yankee manager Joe Girardi and, then, watched the game from a luxury box.
Buonaguro has been particularly active with the charity that encourages coaches to help raise money and increase the awareness for the fight against the disease.
The opportunity for the Siena coach arose because of the work he does, including his participation in an annual "Basket Ball," dinner in the Albany, N.Y., area every year with proceeds directed to the American Cancer Society.
All coaches, as have just about anyone in any walk of life, have been directly affected by the disease in some form.
Buonaguro lost his mother to brain cancer 10 years ago.
“I went through how tough it was on her,” he said. “It affects everyone and I think we have all come together in the coaching fraternity to fight it.”
Dunne's mom is a two-time cancer survivor.
"She had breast cancer in 1984 and 1988 and went through years of chemo and radiation treatments," said Dunne. "I saw how tough that was for her, but she's a cancer survivor and she's still with us. But, it makes you realize that every one, in some way, is affected."
Dempsey said he lost a good friend, who was in his early 20's at the time, to cancer.
"When that happened I started to become a little more aware of what we can do to help," said the Rider coach. "Until it affects you on a personal level you probably don't pay as much attention to it as you need to. Losing my friend was an eye opening experience for me, and I try to do anything I can to help out."
Dempsey is part of a group at Rider that takes a full table at the annual "Jimmy V. Foundation" dinner to raise money for cancer research.
The Jimmy V Foundation, which has raised more than $100 million in the past 18 years, was instituted after Jim Valvano, who won a national championship at North Carolina State (and had also coached at Iona) came to be to honor his memory after he was claimed by cancer in the early 1980s.
Valvano's brother, Nick, is the Chief Executive Officer of the Jimmy V Foundation and is a Rider graduate and close friend of Dempsey.
Coaches who attended the Yankee game also took part in fund-raising activities the following day by working the phones to call hedge fund investors and businessmen to raise money for the fight against cancer. They also helped close the New York Stock Exchange last Thursday.
"It's a great thing to see so many coaches want to get involved," said Dunne. "Not all of us have the high profile of a Jim Boeheim (the Syracuse coach, who has long been one of the program's more-visible participants). We all don't have the same opportunities that he does to raise money.
"But even if we're not in that position, we understand that people in our own communities, fans of our programs, will follow our lead. Sometimes the best thing we can do is just raise awareness of the program and the need to contribute to the fight."
All three coaches expressed the enjoyment they felt at being included in the Yankee Stadium ceremony.
"Even though it took place just a few minutes before the game, a couple of Yankee players came by to shake our hands," said Dempsey. "And, when we were sitting in the luxury box for the game, Carmello Anthony and Lamar Odom spent some time with us."
"It was a personal treat for me, having grown up a Yankee fan," said Dunne. "My dad was killed in a work-related accident when I was still in college, and some of my best memories of him involved going to watch Yankee games together.
"I mean, I really enjoyed being there (as part of the ceremony), but I also had to smile a little because I know how much of a thrill it would have been for my dad to know that I was there, too."
Sunday, May 15, 2011
Off-Season: A Look at Niagara Women
Here's another in the series looking at conference programs.
Up now ...
NIAGARA WOMEN
2010-11 RECORD: 0-18 in MAAC play, 1-29 overall.
2010-11 RECAP: The 0-18 conference record marked just the second time a MAAC team went through league play without a win since the expansion to an 18-game schedule in 1996 Iona also finished 0-18 in the 2002-03 season. Niagara's woes are easy to sum up: Not enough mature talent, not enough height and, by the end of the season, not enough bodies. Still, the Purple Eagles didn't give up. Against Rider, in a Feb. 18 game, Niagara pushed the contest into a third overtime before losing its best chance for a conference victory. The Purple Eagles, due to injuries and foul disqualifications, played the last two minutes with four players on the court. Junior point guard Grace Cunningham played the game's entire 55 minutes. Niagara did get one regular-season victory, a 52-51 decision over Penn of the Ivy League in its sixth game. After that, though, there came 24 straight losses.
WHAT WENT RIGHT: Two years ago Niagara got off to a slow start before turning things around, a sign of team resiliency. This past season the Purple Eagles showed similar grit, but just couldn't duplicate the results. Those who saw Niagara play late in the season, though, attest that there was no `quit' in the team, that it was playing as hard in the final weeks as it had played at the season's start. But, the program had lost its top post players to graduation after 2009-10, and the primary replacement was up-and-down freshman Katie Gattuso who was eventually dismissed from the program (and she left school) with four games remaining. Otherwise the team's tallest player was 5-11. But, the experience of this past season should be invaluable. There is just one graduation loss, and the nine top returnees all played at least 14 minutes per game.. Freshmen Chanel Johnson, who had a 20-point/11-rebound performance against Iona in one game; and Shy Britton, who had a 16-point outburst against Saint Peter's, both look like promising young players who could make a nice step forward in the future.
WHAT WENT WRONG: It started early when standout sophomore point guard Kayla Stroman (12,0 points, 4.4 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 2.4 steals) suffered a severe foot injury and didn't play again after mid-December. A month later junior guard Ali Morris, who had taken over for Stroman, also suffered a season-ending injury. Then, Gattuso caused some problems and was eventually dismissed. Had everything gone right there still probably wasn't enough in place this season to seriously contend. But, Stroman's presence alone would have meant, maybe, a half-dozen more victories. Senior Liz Flooks was the team's top player, but the lack of consistent offense elsewhere meant she faced extra defensive attention every night.
WHAT'S AHEAD: There's no doubt that the team's continued spirited play despite its record bodes well for the program when more talent either comes aboard or develops. And, it looks like it's coming soon. Lauren Gatto, a 6-2 sophomore center who transferred to Niagara from the University of Chicago-Illinois (she averaged 3.8 points, 2.8 rebounds there as a freshman) becomes eligible for this coming season. Stroman should be back at full strength, and Johnson and Britton both have a year's experience. There are also plenty of quality role players returning, including Jess Flamm (5.5 points, 3.9 rebounds), Meghan Waterman (4th in the conference in steals), and Cunningham.
PREDICTION FOR 2011-12: Don't expect Niagara to battle Marist for the MAAC's top spot, but the Purple Eagles could make the most positive progress next season of any conference team. Gatto should help solve some of the team's post problems, Stroman will help with ball control for a team that averaged more than 21 turnovers per contest. The maturation of the young players and the presence of quality role players and depth could mean the program could claw its way toward the .500 level this year, which would be a considerable improvement.
Up now ...
NIAGARA WOMEN
2010-11 RECORD: 0-18 in MAAC play, 1-29 overall.
2010-11 RECAP: The 0-18 conference record marked just the second time a MAAC team went through league play without a win since the expansion to an 18-game schedule in 1996 Iona also finished 0-18 in the 2002-03 season. Niagara's woes are easy to sum up: Not enough mature talent, not enough height and, by the end of the season, not enough bodies. Still, the Purple Eagles didn't give up. Against Rider, in a Feb. 18 game, Niagara pushed the contest into a third overtime before losing its best chance for a conference victory. The Purple Eagles, due to injuries and foul disqualifications, played the last two minutes with four players on the court. Junior point guard Grace Cunningham played the game's entire 55 minutes. Niagara did get one regular-season victory, a 52-51 decision over Penn of the Ivy League in its sixth game. After that, though, there came 24 straight losses.
WHAT WENT RIGHT: Two years ago Niagara got off to a slow start before turning things around, a sign of team resiliency. This past season the Purple Eagles showed similar grit, but just couldn't duplicate the results. Those who saw Niagara play late in the season, though, attest that there was no `quit' in the team, that it was playing as hard in the final weeks as it had played at the season's start. But, the program had lost its top post players to graduation after 2009-10, and the primary replacement was up-and-down freshman Katie Gattuso who was eventually dismissed from the program (and she left school) with four games remaining. Otherwise the team's tallest player was 5-11. But, the experience of this past season should be invaluable. There is just one graduation loss, and the nine top returnees all played at least 14 minutes per game.. Freshmen Chanel Johnson, who had a 20-point/11-rebound performance against Iona in one game; and Shy Britton, who had a 16-point outburst against Saint Peter's, both look like promising young players who could make a nice step forward in the future.
WHAT WENT WRONG: It started early when standout sophomore point guard Kayla Stroman (12,0 points, 4.4 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 2.4 steals) suffered a severe foot injury and didn't play again after mid-December. A month later junior guard Ali Morris, who had taken over for Stroman, also suffered a season-ending injury. Then, Gattuso caused some problems and was eventually dismissed. Had everything gone right there still probably wasn't enough in place this season to seriously contend. But, Stroman's presence alone would have meant, maybe, a half-dozen more victories. Senior Liz Flooks was the team's top player, but the lack of consistent offense elsewhere meant she faced extra defensive attention every night.
WHAT'S AHEAD: There's no doubt that the team's continued spirited play despite its record bodes well for the program when more talent either comes aboard or develops. And, it looks like it's coming soon. Lauren Gatto, a 6-2 sophomore center who transferred to Niagara from the University of Chicago-Illinois (she averaged 3.8 points, 2.8 rebounds there as a freshman) becomes eligible for this coming season. Stroman should be back at full strength, and Johnson and Britton both have a year's experience. There are also plenty of quality role players returning, including Jess Flamm (5.5 points, 3.9 rebounds), Meghan Waterman (4th in the conference in steals), and Cunningham.
PREDICTION FOR 2011-12: Don't expect Niagara to battle Marist for the MAAC's top spot, but the Purple Eagles could make the most positive progress next season of any conference team. Gatto should help solve some of the team's post problems, Stroman will help with ball control for a team that averaged more than 21 turnovers per contest. The maturation of the young players and the presence of quality role players and depth could mean the program could claw its way toward the .500 level this year, which would be a considerable improvement.
Saturday, May 14, 2011
Off-Season: Siena Women's Future Bright
Here's another in the series looking at conference programs.
Up now ...
SIENA WOMEN
2010-11 RECORD: 11-7 in MAAC play, 14-16 overall.
2010-11 RECAP: The Saints were picked to finish eighth in the coaches' preseason poll and, then, turned in a season of surprises finishing in fourth in the regular-season and giving Marist its best game in the post-season tournament. It might even have been a little surprising for Siena, too, as it started with a 1-8 record against non-conference opponents before going 13-8 after that, including victories in 5 of its last 7 contests. The conference record was the once-dominant program's first better-than-.500 performance since the 1993-94 season, and it appears that result is a sign of a team on the verge of returning to its glory days rather than a one-year anomaly. Individually, senior center Serena Moore made her mark as one of the better players the conference has seen, leading the MAAC in scoring and rebounding and finishing second in Player of the Year balloting to Marist's Erica Allenspach in a voting that could have gone either way. Moore also became just the 13th player in MAAC history to finish with career totals of more than 1,000 points, 600 rebounds and 100 blocks. Overall, a better-than-expected season that included a relatively close conference tournament semifinal-round game against Marist when the Saints were within three points early in the second half before the Red Foxes wound up winning by 15.
WHAT WENT RIGHT: The huge season by Moore, who became the conference's best post player by far. Her consistently productive presence inside also helped open things up for two emerging perimeter players, juniors Maja Geryling (10.0 points per game) and Christina Centeno (9.5 points). The team also got a boost when senior "glue" player point guard Missy Ramsey recovered enough from a knee injury to get into the starting lineup and the team's other senior, Cathy Cockrum provided tough play and defensive intensity inside. The team also exhibited considerable resiliency after a 1-8 start. It began with a holiday tournament victory over Fordham of the Atlantic 10 in a non-league meeting and carried into MAAC play. The Saints had their best success against fifth-place finisher Fairfield, beating the Stags twice during the regular season and, then, again in the quarterfinals of the league tournament by a 36-33 score in which Siena scored an amazingly low seven points in the first half. Siena often struggled to produce points, but thrived with a defense that wound up 12th nationally for fewest points allowed per game.
WHAT WENT WRONG: The slow start kept the team from a winning record overall, and Marist's continued domination ended Siena's season in the post-season tournament's semifinal round. The team went through its share of injuries, too, as four of the five starters played through a variety of physical woes, top inside reserve Lily Grenci suffered a severe ankle sprain and missed eight late-season games and highly-touted freshmen forward Kate Zarotney and guard Kanika Cummings were hindered all season while recovering with pre-Siena injury situations. Still, hard to find too much to fault when the season far surpassed early expectations.
WHAT'S AHEAD: Finding a reasonable replacement for Moore will be the key. Other personnel losses are role players, and there appears to be a slew of young talent ready to step in. The problem, though, is just that: the talent will mostly be young. Next year's team will only have two seniors (Gerlyng and Centeno) and one junior (Grenci). Otherwise ... six sophomores and four freshmen. But, that bodes well for the program's future. Five of the six sophomores-to-be gained considerable experience this past season and all five will be expected to play key roles in the future. Stewart looks like a more-than-capable replacement at the point, Zarotney and Clara Sole-Anglada both showed reasons, as first-year players, to get into the playing group in the post and Cummings and Mullings are both explosive, athletic perimeter players. And, Grenci has proven to be an effective inside player when healthy and could make a major step up. Couple that with another very strong incoming group of four recruits and there are even better days ahead for Siena.
PREDICTION FOR 2011-12: For at least one more season, it will still be Marist's league and everyone else is playing for second place. But like this past season, when at least four teams, including Siena, were pretty well bunched behind Marist, there doesn't appear to be a sure-thing runner-up to the Red Foxes. If the current freshmen step up as expected, and one of two of the incoming recruits contribute, then Siena will have a strong playing group and likely be able to at least approximate this past season's success. Expect an even bigger step forward in following years as the young players continue to mature. Siena's talented youth brigade certainly merits designation as a team ready to step up when (if?) Marist ever takes a step backwards.
Up now ...
SIENA WOMEN
2010-11 RECORD: 11-7 in MAAC play, 14-16 overall.
2010-11 RECAP: The Saints were picked to finish eighth in the coaches' preseason poll and, then, turned in a season of surprises finishing in fourth in the regular-season and giving Marist its best game in the post-season tournament. It might even have been a little surprising for Siena, too, as it started with a 1-8 record against non-conference opponents before going 13-8 after that, including victories in 5 of its last 7 contests. The conference record was the once-dominant program's first better-than-.500 performance since the 1993-94 season, and it appears that result is a sign of a team on the verge of returning to its glory days rather than a one-year anomaly. Individually, senior center Serena Moore made her mark as one of the better players the conference has seen, leading the MAAC in scoring and rebounding and finishing second in Player of the Year balloting to Marist's Erica Allenspach in a voting that could have gone either way. Moore also became just the 13th player in MAAC history to finish with career totals of more than 1,000 points, 600 rebounds and 100 blocks. Overall, a better-than-expected season that included a relatively close conference tournament semifinal-round game against Marist when the Saints were within three points early in the second half before the Red Foxes wound up winning by 15.
WHAT WENT RIGHT: The huge season by Moore, who became the conference's best post player by far. Her consistently productive presence inside also helped open things up for two emerging perimeter players, juniors Maja Geryling (10.0 points per game) and Christina Centeno (9.5 points). The team also got a boost when senior "glue" player point guard Missy Ramsey recovered enough from a knee injury to get into the starting lineup and the team's other senior, Cathy Cockrum provided tough play and defensive intensity inside. The team also exhibited considerable resiliency after a 1-8 start. It began with a holiday tournament victory over Fordham of the Atlantic 10 in a non-league meeting and carried into MAAC play. The Saints had their best success against fifth-place finisher Fairfield, beating the Stags twice during the regular season and, then, again in the quarterfinals of the league tournament by a 36-33 score in which Siena scored an amazingly low seven points in the first half. Siena often struggled to produce points, but thrived with a defense that wound up 12th nationally for fewest points allowed per game.
WHAT WENT WRONG: The slow start kept the team from a winning record overall, and Marist's continued domination ended Siena's season in the post-season tournament's semifinal round. The team went through its share of injuries, too, as four of the five starters played through a variety of physical woes, top inside reserve Lily Grenci suffered a severe ankle sprain and missed eight late-season games and highly-touted freshmen forward Kate Zarotney and guard Kanika Cummings were hindered all season while recovering with pre-Siena injury situations. Still, hard to find too much to fault when the season far surpassed early expectations.
WHAT'S AHEAD: Finding a reasonable replacement for Moore will be the key. Other personnel losses are role players, and there appears to be a slew of young talent ready to step in. The problem, though, is just that: the talent will mostly be young. Next year's team will only have two seniors (Gerlyng and Centeno) and one junior (Grenci). Otherwise ... six sophomores and four freshmen. But, that bodes well for the program's future. Five of the six sophomores-to-be gained considerable experience this past season and all five will be expected to play key roles in the future. Stewart looks like a more-than-capable replacement at the point, Zarotney and Clara Sole-Anglada both showed reasons, as first-year players, to get into the playing group in the post and Cummings and Mullings are both explosive, athletic perimeter players. And, Grenci has proven to be an effective inside player when healthy and could make a major step up. Couple that with another very strong incoming group of four recruits and there are even better days ahead for Siena.
PREDICTION FOR 2011-12: For at least one more season, it will still be Marist's league and everyone else is playing for second place. But like this past season, when at least four teams, including Siena, were pretty well bunched behind Marist, there doesn't appear to be a sure-thing runner-up to the Red Foxes. If the current freshmen step up as expected, and one of two of the incoming recruits contribute, then Siena will have a strong playing group and likely be able to at least approximate this past season's success. Expect an even bigger step forward in following years as the young players continue to mature. Siena's talented youth brigade certainly merits designation as a team ready to step up when (if?) Marist ever takes a step backwards.
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
MAAC Coaches Honored for Cancer Fight
A very nice, and a well-deserved honor for three conference coaches who are among 10 regional coaches who will be recognized for their affiliation with the Coaches vs. Cancer campaign during pregame ceremonies at Yankee Stadium tonight prior to the Yanks' game against the Kansas City Royals.
Siena's Mitch Buonaguro, Saint Peter's John Dunne and Rider's Tommy Dempsey are the MAAC coaches will will be recognized at the ceremony.
Coaches vs. Cancer is a nationwide collaboration between the American Cancer Society and the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) that empowers basketball coaches, their teams, and local communities to make a difference in the fight against cancer.
The other coaches who will be recognized are Jim Boeheim (Syracuse University), Mo Cassara (Hofstra University), Matt Doherty (Southern Methodist University), Mitch Henderson (Princeton University), Steve Lavin (St. John’s University), Mike Lonergan (George Washington University) and Mike Rice (Rutgers University).
Again, quite an honor that three MAAC coaches will be recognized for their above-and-beyond work to help support the fight against cancer.
Siena's Mitch Buonaguro, Saint Peter's John Dunne and Rider's Tommy Dempsey are the MAAC coaches will will be recognized at the ceremony.
Coaches vs. Cancer is a nationwide collaboration between the American Cancer Society and the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) that empowers basketball coaches, their teams, and local communities to make a difference in the fight against cancer.
The other coaches who will be recognized are Jim Boeheim (Syracuse University), Mo Cassara (Hofstra University), Matt Doherty (Southern Methodist University), Mitch Henderson (Princeton University), Steve Lavin (St. John’s University), Mike Lonergan (George Washington University) and Mike Rice (Rutgers University).
Again, quite an honor that three MAAC coaches will be recognized for their above-and-beyond work to help support the fight against cancer.
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