Please pardon the recent interruption to Keepin' Track of the MAAC. Your blogger took a brief hiatus to recharge the batteries, while doing considerable research.
The results will be a full compliment of team-by-team previews for both men's and women's programs beginning before the weekend is out.
But before we get to that, it's time for the latest installment of "ATM," otherwise known as "Around The MAAC"
- JUST WHEN YOU think it's save to start believing that this might be the year someone (finally) other than the Marist women's team wins the conference's regular-season title which the Red Foxes have owned for the past seven years, things begin reverting to accepted normality once again.
Marist started 1-2 against non-conference opponents, losing to Villanova and Princeton, both solid teams. Since then it won two games in Cancun (over Drake and South Dakota State) and another over a good Hartford (5-2) squad.
The Red Foxes, though, clearly don't have the offensive firepower of a year ago. Scoring replacements for departed Player of the Year Erica Allenspach (graduation) and forward Kate Oliver (transfer) have yet to emerge on a consistent basis. Senior guard Corielle Yarde (15.5 points per game) is the team's only double-figure scorer to date. Kristina Danella, a 6-1 forward and a transfer from UMass, looked to be the best option to provide a little extra offense but she is only averaging 5.3 points per game through the team's first six games. And Allenspach's replacement at point guard, Kristine Best, runs the team well (18 assists against just 6 turnovers), but isn't much of a scoring threat (3.2 points per game thus far).
- SOME THINGS NEVER CHANGE ... Rider's senior guard Ali Heller led all conference women in 3-point shooting percentage (.433) last season, and is off to an even faster start this year. Through five games she is shooting .571 percent from beyond the bonus stripe, the 10th-best percentage nationally of all Division I players. She has made 16-of-28 tries, including a career high six (6-of-10 shooting) in the team's 68-48 victory over St. Francis (N.Y.) on Wednesday.
- THE BEST FRESHMAN in the league so far among women's players so far is 5-7 guard Damika Martinez of Iona, whose 13.0 points per game is ninth-best in the MAAC and best for all freshmen. Her addition makes an already strong Iona team a better candidate to be among the potential teams seeking to dethrone Marist. The Gaels have the requisite "star" player in 6-1 senior forward Kristina Ford (she leads the conference in scoring with 19.1 points per game, and is second in rebounds at 8.4) and a terrific point-guard in fifth-year senior Suzi Fregosi, who not only leads the MAAC in assists (6.0 per game), but in free-throw percentage (.947, having missed just one charity stripe attempt thus far).
- THE SIENA MEN'S team continues to forge on with limited numbers, playing its recent games (including a 51-44 loss at Saint Peter's on Thursday) with just seven healthy scholarship players. Four of those are freshmen, and one of those (forward Marcus Hooper) saw just three minutes of action. Expected senior contributor Owen Wignot continues to sit out after suffering a head injury in the team's season-opener, and remains in a day-to-day situation. The Saints do expect 6-6 sophomore forward Trenity Burdine (foot injury) to return around Christmas.
- ONE OF THE TOP individual games by a women's player to date was turned in by Siena's senior forward Lily Grenci, who had 23 points and 18 rebounds (the highest rebound total to date by a women's player this season) in a 75-63 loss to a solid North Carolina A&T squad on Thanksgiving. Grenci, who only had 139 points and 104 rebounds combined over her first two years due to a variety of foot and ankle injuries, is healthy this season and is the league's second-leading scorer and third-leading rebounder.
- THE BEST CANISIUS MEN'S TEAM might be the one the current starters have to face every day in practice. The practice unit includes three transfers who are ineligible this season due to NCAA transfer rules, but figure to play prominent roles a year from now. Freddie Asprilla, a 6-10, 28-pound center, transferred to the program from Kansas State; Jordan Heath, a 6-10 forward, came to the team from Robert Wesleyan; and, 6-3 guard Isaac Sosa transferred in from Central Florida.
"We've got two guys close to seven feet, and Sosa to practice against every day," said Canisius coach Tom Parrotta. "Those three are tough for our starters to practice against every day."
Until next season, though, the Golden Griffins will try to overcome a size deficiency this season. Four of its top five players are 6-foot-2 or smaller, and its fifth (sophomore Chris Manhertz) is only 6-foot-6.
THE TOP SCORING men's team nationally is Iona, averaging 94.3 points per game through Thursday's contests. And those points come, in no small part, because the Gaels have the top assist-distributor on the Division I level in Scott Machado, whose 12.8 dishes-per-contest is slightly rivaled only by North Carolina's Kendall Marshall (10.8).
Machado's "signature" game thus far was a 15-assist, zero-turnover performance in a 26-point rout of Maryland in the Puerto Rico Tip-Off Classic.
"When I saw the stat sheet, I thought that was a misprint," said Iona coach Tim Cluess. "He (Machado) is as good as anyone in the country at point guard right now."
ESPN's Doug Gottleib, serving as color commentator for the Iona games televised from the Puerto Rico event, opined on the air that Machado was playing himself into a late first-round position in the next NBA draft.
NOTE: Check back tomorrow (Saturday) for more ATM ...
Friday, December 2, 2011
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
Loyola's Sheahin Perfects Art Of The Steal
Growing up in an athletic family, Loyola's junior guard Katie Sheahin had the requisite driveway basketball hoop.
The driveway court drew players from around the neighborhood, mostly friends of her two older brothers.
"I always played, but my brothers and their friends were older and bigger," said Sheahin. "A lot of my shots got swatted back into the yard."
If Sheahin wanted to be able to contribute in the driveway games, she had to find some other method besides than putting the ball in the basket.
She found defense.
From the driveway to the courts both in high school and, now, at Loyola, Sheahin has been a standout defender.
"I feel like that's how I grew up, never backing down against an opponent, never backing down on the defensive end," she said in a recent telephone interview.
Followers not only of Loyola basketball, but of play in the MAAC know Sheahin to be much more than a defensive specialist.
In the 2010-11 season the 5-foot-10 guard averaged 13.1 points, 6.0 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 1.1 blocks per game. Throw in defense and she is arguably the conference's most-versatile player.
Throw in defense and she is one of the best. She averaged 3.5 steals per game last season, the second-best per-game average nationally.
And, she's already showing, as a junior, that last year's prodigious steal-per-game rate was anything but a fluke.
She had three swipes in a season-opening loss to Maryland, seven in a victory over Navy and, then, a career-high eight in a six-point defeat against Pittsburgh. That's an average of 6.0 per game, and while the NCAA doesn't begin tabulating statistical leaders until next week, Sheahin will surely be atop the steal list when the first national statistics are released.
It's just the continuation of her defensive work from a year ago when her 116 steals set Loyola's single-season record. Her defensive work last season captured the conference's Defensive Player of the Year award in voting by league coaches. She already has 184 career assists, prior to Tuesday's game against UMBC, only 66 away from the school's career record just three games into her junior season.
If Robin Hood was the "Prince of Thieves," then Sheahin is the "Princess" of that particular activity on a basketball court.
"I just pride myself on my defensive play," said Sheahin. "I get into the passing lanes pretty well. With me it's more about timing than it is athleticism."
"She has great anticipation skills, particularly as the game goes on and she starts to recognize what the opposing team is trying to do," said Loyola coach Joe Logan. When she sees the same play a couple of times she knows where a pass is going to go and is ready to make a move on it.
"The other thing is that she has particularly strong hands. Whether she's going after a rebound, tipping a pass or making a steal ... when she gets her hands on it she's going to get it.
"Having grown up playing against older guys really toughened her up. She is a great competitor. And, she takes pride in her game on the defensive end.
By now, it would seem opposing coaches would game-plan specifically for Sheahin. Her ability to create turnovers often turns games in Loyola' favor.
It would seem that, like a great defensive back in football, her presence should be accounted for and, often, avoided by opposing offenses.
"There are some good defensive players in our league, and as a coach you have to be aware of them," said Logan. "But nine out of 10 times Katie is going to be guarding the other team's best player, and teams want to get the ball to their best players, so you can't avoid her.
"Katie has all the tools. She has strength, sheer competitiveness and height. She blocks a lot of shots. Because of her, teams often have to loft passes a little higher to get it over her when they pass it inside and it enables our post players to get some steals.
"We were fortunate that she had that type of defensive mind-set when she arrived here. She played at a high school (Our Lady of Good Counsel in Brookeville, Md.), and for an AAU program where defense was stressed. So, she came in with that and we've built on it.
"The rest of our team sees that, sees how hard she plays on defense, and emulates it. We try to make someone make a different pass than they might want, try to make a tip, a deflection or a steal. The way Katie plays has become contagious within our team."
And the way she plays has put her near (last year) and likely at (this season) the top of the national leaders for steals.
"I couldn't do it without my teammates," said Sheahin, modestly. "I know if I go for a steal and don't get it my teammates are there to cover for me.
"It was nice to be recognized as our league's top defensive player last season. It was definitely a boost of confidence. But, to be honest, I usually don't have any idea about my statistics. We're just trying to win games."
The driveway court drew players from around the neighborhood, mostly friends of her two older brothers.
"I always played, but my brothers and their friends were older and bigger," said Sheahin. "A lot of my shots got swatted back into the yard."
If Sheahin wanted to be able to contribute in the driveway games, she had to find some other method besides than putting the ball in the basket.
She found defense.
From the driveway to the courts both in high school and, now, at Loyola, Sheahin has been a standout defender.
"I feel like that's how I grew up, never backing down against an opponent, never backing down on the defensive end," she said in a recent telephone interview.
Followers not only of Loyola basketball, but of play in the MAAC know Sheahin to be much more than a defensive specialist.
In the 2010-11 season the 5-foot-10 guard averaged 13.1 points, 6.0 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 1.1 blocks per game. Throw in defense and she is arguably the conference's most-versatile player.
Throw in defense and she is one of the best. She averaged 3.5 steals per game last season, the second-best per-game average nationally.
And, she's already showing, as a junior, that last year's prodigious steal-per-game rate was anything but a fluke.
She had three swipes in a season-opening loss to Maryland, seven in a victory over Navy and, then, a career-high eight in a six-point defeat against Pittsburgh. That's an average of 6.0 per game, and while the NCAA doesn't begin tabulating statistical leaders until next week, Sheahin will surely be atop the steal list when the first national statistics are released.
It's just the continuation of her defensive work from a year ago when her 116 steals set Loyola's single-season record. Her defensive work last season captured the conference's Defensive Player of the Year award in voting by league coaches. She already has 184 career assists, prior to Tuesday's game against UMBC, only 66 away from the school's career record just three games into her junior season.
If Robin Hood was the "Prince of Thieves," then Sheahin is the "Princess" of that particular activity on a basketball court.
"I just pride myself on my defensive play," said Sheahin. "I get into the passing lanes pretty well. With me it's more about timing than it is athleticism."
"She has great anticipation skills, particularly as the game goes on and she starts to recognize what the opposing team is trying to do," said Loyola coach Joe Logan. When she sees the same play a couple of times she knows where a pass is going to go and is ready to make a move on it.
"The other thing is that she has particularly strong hands. Whether she's going after a rebound, tipping a pass or making a steal ... when she gets her hands on it she's going to get it.
"Having grown up playing against older guys really toughened her up. She is a great competitor. And, she takes pride in her game on the defensive end.
By now, it would seem opposing coaches would game-plan specifically for Sheahin. Her ability to create turnovers often turns games in Loyola' favor.
It would seem that, like a great defensive back in football, her presence should be accounted for and, often, avoided by opposing offenses.
"There are some good defensive players in our league, and as a coach you have to be aware of them," said Logan. "But nine out of 10 times Katie is going to be guarding the other team's best player, and teams want to get the ball to their best players, so you can't avoid her.
"Katie has all the tools. She has strength, sheer competitiveness and height. She blocks a lot of shots. Because of her, teams often have to loft passes a little higher to get it over her when they pass it inside and it enables our post players to get some steals.
"We were fortunate that she had that type of defensive mind-set when she arrived here. She played at a high school (Our Lady of Good Counsel in Brookeville, Md.), and for an AAU program where defense was stressed. So, she came in with that and we've built on it.
"The rest of our team sees that, sees how hard she plays on defense, and emulates it. We try to make someone make a different pass than they might want, try to make a tip, a deflection or a steal. The way Katie plays has become contagious within our team."
And the way she plays has put her near (last year) and likely at (this season) the top of the national leaders for steals.
"I couldn't do it without my teammates," said Sheahin, modestly. "I know if I go for a steal and don't get it my teammates are there to cover for me.
"It was nice to be recognized as our league's top defensive player last season. It was definitely a boost of confidence. But, to be honest, I usually don't have any idea about my statistics. We're just trying to win games."
Siena's Overlooked Hymes Is Noticed Now
The MAAC's second-leading scorer among men's players might not only be the smallest starting player in the conference, but was all but unrecruited by Division I programs and might not have joined his current team were it not for a late transfer that opened up a scholarship spot.
Meet Siena's Evan Hymes, generously listed at 5-foot-8, 147 pounds, who was brought in to back up returning starter Rakeem Brookins and, suddenly, got thrust into the starting lineup when Brookins was lost for the season with a preseason back injury.
All Hymes has done through three games has been to score 10 points in his college debut, 30 in the Saints' second game and, then, 18 against Saint Bonaventure on Monday night. That adds up to a 19.3 points-per-game average, second so far in the conference only to the 21.0 ppg. average of Harold Washington, a junior guard at Canisius.
Hymes' 30-point performance that came in a Siena win at Mount Saint Mary's last week, was the first time a Saints' freshman hit the 30-mark in a game since Jack McClinton did it late in the 2004-05 season. The freshman record for a Siena player since the program moved to the Division I level was turned in by Jim Secretarski, who had a 36-point effort against Iona during the 1994-95 season.
Both Secretarski and McClinton, though, were prized recruits, highly-touted incoming players.
Siena didn't even have a scholarship to offer Hymes until this past spring when former reserve point guard Jonathan Breeden opted to leave the program, and Siena didn't offer the scholarship until late June at which time Hymes accepted it. By then the perceived "quality" recruits have all signed to play at college program and what's left is, basically, left-overs or players Division I programs don't perceive as being able to have an impact at that level.
Until Siena became interested the slender guard's only offer was from UC-Davis, and it was one he turned down with the intention of attending prep school in hopes of showcasing his ability to attract more interest in the coming season.
"Then, Siena made the offer," Hymes said. "They had the open scholarship (when Breeden departed), and my high school coach reached out to coach (Craig) Carter (a Siena assistant), and I guess that's how it happened."
Still Hymes got no playing-time promises other than he would compete for the back-up point-guard role behind Brookins.
"I hope Rakeem's rehab is going well and that he returns to us 100 percent for next year," Hymes said, after his 18-point effort against the Bonnies. "But when he went down, I realized that I had gone from almost being unrecruited to being a starting point guard for a good Division I program.
"What I've done so far feels pretty good. I just have to stay focused and keep improving."
His three-game start might be the best ever by a Siena freshman. The school's all-time leading scorer Marc Brown, who averaged 13.6 points in his first season, had 45 points (15.0 ppg. average) in his first three games. Secretarski averaged 8.7 point in his first three college games.
Hymes' 30-point effort was even better than any personal best. He said his best scoring effort in a high school game was a 28-pointer.
No one is saying that the precocious, undersized player's career will eventually resemble Brown's, but what he has done so far is a revelation, a combination of good three-point shooting and lightning-quick drives to the basket.
"His scoring is his biggest surprise to me so far," said Saints' coach Mitch Buonaguro, who had originally pencilled Hymes in for 10-to-12 minutes per game as the team's back-up point guard. "We knew he was extremely fast, and that he could run the team, but we didn't expect this kind of scoring."
No one really knew what to expect from Hymes, who might have been more highly recruited had he not missed most of his high school junior year after breaking both his tibula and fibula bones in his left leg.
"I came back for that summer's AAU season and played well enough to attract some interest, but the only offer came from UC-Davis," he said.
And, then, Breeden left Siena.
"When that happened, we started looking for someone we could bring in to back up the point guard position," added Buonaguro. "We were able to find Evan. I give all the credit to Craig Carter ... he's the one who found him."
And, through three games thus far, Hymes has been a real "find" for Siena.
Meet Siena's Evan Hymes, generously listed at 5-foot-8, 147 pounds, who was brought in to back up returning starter Rakeem Brookins and, suddenly, got thrust into the starting lineup when Brookins was lost for the season with a preseason back injury.
All Hymes has done through three games has been to score 10 points in his college debut, 30 in the Saints' second game and, then, 18 against Saint Bonaventure on Monday night. That adds up to a 19.3 points-per-game average, second so far in the conference only to the 21.0 ppg. average of Harold Washington, a junior guard at Canisius.
Hymes' 30-point performance that came in a Siena win at Mount Saint Mary's last week, was the first time a Saints' freshman hit the 30-mark in a game since Jack McClinton did it late in the 2004-05 season. The freshman record for a Siena player since the program moved to the Division I level was turned in by Jim Secretarski, who had a 36-point effort against Iona during the 1994-95 season.
Both Secretarski and McClinton, though, were prized recruits, highly-touted incoming players.
Siena didn't even have a scholarship to offer Hymes until this past spring when former reserve point guard Jonathan Breeden opted to leave the program, and Siena didn't offer the scholarship until late June at which time Hymes accepted it. By then the perceived "quality" recruits have all signed to play at college program and what's left is, basically, left-overs or players Division I programs don't perceive as being able to have an impact at that level.
Until Siena became interested the slender guard's only offer was from UC-Davis, and it was one he turned down with the intention of attending prep school in hopes of showcasing his ability to attract more interest in the coming season.
"Then, Siena made the offer," Hymes said. "They had the open scholarship (when Breeden departed), and my high school coach reached out to coach (Craig) Carter (a Siena assistant), and I guess that's how it happened."
Still Hymes got no playing-time promises other than he would compete for the back-up point-guard role behind Brookins.
"I hope Rakeem's rehab is going well and that he returns to us 100 percent for next year," Hymes said, after his 18-point effort against the Bonnies. "But when he went down, I realized that I had gone from almost being unrecruited to being a starting point guard for a good Division I program.
"What I've done so far feels pretty good. I just have to stay focused and keep improving."
His three-game start might be the best ever by a Siena freshman. The school's all-time leading scorer Marc Brown, who averaged 13.6 points in his first season, had 45 points (15.0 ppg. average) in his first three games. Secretarski averaged 8.7 point in his first three college games.
Hymes' 30-point effort was even better than any personal best. He said his best scoring effort in a high school game was a 28-pointer.
No one is saying that the precocious, undersized player's career will eventually resemble Brown's, but what he has done so far is a revelation, a combination of good three-point shooting and lightning-quick drives to the basket.
"His scoring is his biggest surprise to me so far," said Saints' coach Mitch Buonaguro, who had originally pencilled Hymes in for 10-to-12 minutes per game as the team's back-up point guard. "We knew he was extremely fast, and that he could run the team, but we didn't expect this kind of scoring."
No one really knew what to expect from Hymes, who might have been more highly recruited had he not missed most of his high school junior year after breaking both his tibula and fibula bones in his left leg.
"I came back for that summer's AAU season and played well enough to attract some interest, but the only offer came from UC-Davis," he said.
And, then, Breeden left Siena.
"When that happened, we started looking for someone we could bring in to back up the point guard position," added Buonaguro. "We were able to find Evan. I give all the credit to Craig Carter ... he's the one who found him."
And, through three games thus far, Hymes has been a real "find" for Siena.
Friday, November 18, 2011
More Newcomers Making Early Impact
And, two more newcomers from the women's side with big games of late ...
Loyola's freshman guard Kara Mitchell made her first college start a memorable one, scoring a team-high 19 points in the Greyhounds' 65-59 loss at Pittsburgh on Friday. Marshall had come off the bench previously, scoring five and four points in her first two contests.
And, there was also Ashley Wilkes of Canisius, a 5-11 junior forward, whose debut game was a 13-point, 7-rebound effort in the Golden Griffins' season-opener against Saint Bonaventure. Wilkes previously played at Miami Dade Junior College where she averaged 20.8 points and 10.5 rebounds per contest last season.
Let's not overlook the continued strong work by another women's newcomer, 6-2 sophomore center Lauren Gatto of Niagara, who dropped a game-high 21 points in Niagara's 67-52 loss to Yale tonight (Friday). Gatto, a sophomore, is playing her first season with the Purple Eagles after transferring from the University of Illinois-Chicago, where she played as a freshman in 2009-10.
Loyola's freshman guard Kara Mitchell made her first college start a memorable one, scoring a team-high 19 points in the Greyhounds' 65-59 loss at Pittsburgh on Friday. Marshall had come off the bench previously, scoring five and four points in her first two contests.
And, there was also Ashley Wilkes of Canisius, a 5-11 junior forward, whose debut game was a 13-point, 7-rebound effort in the Golden Griffins' season-opener against Saint Bonaventure. Wilkes previously played at Miami Dade Junior College where she averaged 20.8 points and 10.5 rebounds per contest last season.
Let's not overlook the continued strong work by another women's newcomer, 6-2 sophomore center Lauren Gatto of Niagara, who dropped a game-high 21 points in Niagara's 67-52 loss to Yale tonight (Friday). Gatto, a sophomore, is playing her first season with the Purple Eagles after transferring from the University of Illinois-Chicago, where she played as a freshman in 2009-10.
Thursday, November 17, 2011
Iona Proves It Can Contend With Purdue
Midway through the second half of Iona's game against Purdue in the opening round of the Puerto Rico Tip-Off tournament, ESPN3's color commentator Doug Gottlieb attempted to put the competitiveness of the game in context.
"This is like a 5 (seed) playing a 12 (seed) in a first-round NCAA tournament game," said Gottlieb.
The guess here is that Gottlieb meant the analogy to be complimentary to Iona. In truth, though, it was more like a snub. By the time it was over it looked a lot closer than that, like a No. 8 vs. a No. 9.
Purdue, expected to contend in the high-major Big 10 Conference and rated 27th nationally in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches' Poll, snuck past the Gaels, 91-90, and needed a big play on its part and a mistake by Iona in the closing seconds to survive.
The Boilermaker led 88-84 wit two minnutes left, and the Gaels were playing without their superb senior point guard Scott Machado (14 points, 11 assists), who fouled out at the 2:51 mark.
And, then, Iona came back to take a 90-88 lead when LaMont "Momo" Jones converted a fast beak 12-footer with 33 seconds left.
Purdue countered with some solid screening that freed its All-America candidate Robbie Hummel for a three-point bucket that gave it a 91-90 edge with 15.1 seconds left.
Without Machado to run things, the ball went back to Jones for Iona's last chance. The junior transfer from Arizona drove the right side, hounded by a double-team of defenders. When his route to the basket was cut off, he made an off-balance and dangerous baseline pass from one side of the lane to the other.
It was an easy steal fo Purdue. Iona was forced to foul, and even though the resultant two foul shots were both missed, there were just 2.2 seconds remaining wen Iona in-bounded the ball, leaving just enough time to get it near half court where Kyle Smythe put up an under-pressure one-hander that was wide at the buzzer.
Mostly the Gaels did everything but win, proving themselves on par, on a neutral court, with an opponent that is on the cusp of a national Top 25 ranking.
On a local note, Doug Sherman, who does TV sports in the Albany area and also serves as the play-by-play voice of MAAC basketball, called the game for ESPN3 and exhibited an expert's grasp of the Gaels, as would have been expected.
Gottlieb, on the othe hand, made one noteable slip. Midway though the second half, after a successful pick-and-roll play from Machado to forward Mike Glover, Gottlieb said "They've made a living on that play in their previous three years together."
Although Machado and Glover are both seniors, this is only Glover's second season as a Gael after two years playing on the junior college level.
Sherman graciously waited several minutes before eventually noting that "Glover is playing just his second season at Iona."
ALSO OF NOTE: Machado's 11 assists against Purdue made him Iona's career leader in that statistic. He passed Iona Hall of Famer Rory Grimes (Class of 1985), who had been No. 1 on that list with 558 career assists. Machado, who finished second nationally in assists-per-game average (7.6) last season, now has 564 for his Iona career.
"This is like a 5 (seed) playing a 12 (seed) in a first-round NCAA tournament game," said Gottlieb.
The guess here is that Gottlieb meant the analogy to be complimentary to Iona. In truth, though, it was more like a snub. By the time it was over it looked a lot closer than that, like a No. 8 vs. a No. 9.
Purdue, expected to contend in the high-major Big 10 Conference and rated 27th nationally in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches' Poll, snuck past the Gaels, 91-90, and needed a big play on its part and a mistake by Iona in the closing seconds to survive.
The Boilermaker led 88-84 wit two minnutes left, and the Gaels were playing without their superb senior point guard Scott Machado (14 points, 11 assists), who fouled out at the 2:51 mark.
And, then, Iona came back to take a 90-88 lead when LaMont "Momo" Jones converted a fast beak 12-footer with 33 seconds left.
Purdue countered with some solid screening that freed its All-America candidate Robbie Hummel for a three-point bucket that gave it a 91-90 edge with 15.1 seconds left.
Without Machado to run things, the ball went back to Jones for Iona's last chance. The junior transfer from Arizona drove the right side, hounded by a double-team of defenders. When his route to the basket was cut off, he made an off-balance and dangerous baseline pass from one side of the lane to the other.
It was an easy steal fo Purdue. Iona was forced to foul, and even though the resultant two foul shots were both missed, there were just 2.2 seconds remaining wen Iona in-bounded the ball, leaving just enough time to get it near half court where Kyle Smythe put up an under-pressure one-hander that was wide at the buzzer.
Mostly the Gaels did everything but win, proving themselves on par, on a neutral court, with an opponent that is on the cusp of a national Top 25 ranking.
On a local note, Doug Sherman, who does TV sports in the Albany area and also serves as the play-by-play voice of MAAC basketball, called the game for ESPN3 and exhibited an expert's grasp of the Gaels, as would have been expected.
Gottlieb, on the othe hand, made one noteable slip. Midway though the second half, after a successful pick-and-roll play from Machado to forward Mike Glover, Gottlieb said "They've made a living on that play in their previous three years together."
Although Machado and Glover are both seniors, this is only Glover's second season as a Gael after two years playing on the junior college level.
Sherman graciously waited several minutes before eventually noting that "Glover is playing just his second season at Iona."
ALSO OF NOTE: Machado's 11 assists against Purdue made him Iona's career leader in that statistic. He passed Iona Hall of Famer Rory Grimes (Class of 1985), who had been No. 1 on that list with 558 career assists. Machado, who finished second nationally in assists-per-game average (7.6) last season, now has 564 for his Iona career.
More 1st-year Players Have Nice Openers
Add three more names to the list of impressive starts by first year MAAC players, all from Siena's season-opening 65-56 victory over Navy at the Times Union Center in Albany, N.Y., on Wednesday night.
Three Saints' freshmen were instumental in Wednesday's victory. Evan Hymes, a 5-foot-8 point guard pressed into stating duties due to back woes that will keep sophomore Rakeem Brookins out for the season, had 10 points and thee assists in 24 minutes before leg cramps forced him out of the game midway through the second half.
Another freshman, 6-2 guard Davonte Beard, took over for Hymes at the point and finished with seven points and four assists. And, 6-5 frosh swingman ob Poole had nine points and two assists, playing 32 minutes.
Saints' coach Mitch Buonaguro used the word "elated" over and over afterwards to describe the court debut of his freshmen players.
It was all much needed Wednesday by the Saints, who currently only have eight scholarship players, and lost senior starter Owen Wignot after just six minutes when he fell to the floor and suffered a cut on is head. And, then, Hymes went out with more than 10 minutes left to play leaving Siena with just six scholarship bodies, including three freshman (the other frosh, 6-7 forward Marcus Hopper had three points and two rebounds in seven minutes), for the remainder of the game.
For sure no conference team will need production from its freshmen more than Siena. And, for a night ... well, Buonaguro had good reason to be elated.
AND, ONE MORE ...
On the women's side, Kristina Danella had a nice debut game for Marist, getting 11 points and 9 rebounds in the Red Foxes' season-opening loss against Villanova on Wednesday night.
Danella is a junior transfer from UMass, where she averaged 12.7 points per game as a sophomore in the 2009-10 season before leaving that program for Marist. She came off the bench on Wednesday and still led Marist in rebounding and was its second-leading scorer.
Three Saints' freshmen were instumental in Wednesday's victory. Evan Hymes, a 5-foot-8 point guard pressed into stating duties due to back woes that will keep sophomore Rakeem Brookins out for the season, had 10 points and thee assists in 24 minutes before leg cramps forced him out of the game midway through the second half.
Another freshman, 6-2 guard Davonte Beard, took over for Hymes at the point and finished with seven points and four assists. And, 6-5 frosh swingman ob Poole had nine points and two assists, playing 32 minutes.
Saints' coach Mitch Buonaguro used the word "elated" over and over afterwards to describe the court debut of his freshmen players.
It was all much needed Wednesday by the Saints, who currently only have eight scholarship players, and lost senior starter Owen Wignot after just six minutes when he fell to the floor and suffered a cut on is head. And, then, Hymes went out with more than 10 minutes left to play leaving Siena with just six scholarship bodies, including three freshman (the other frosh, 6-7 forward Marcus Hopper had three points and two rebounds in seven minutes), for the remainder of the game.
For sure no conference team will need production from its freshmen more than Siena. And, for a night ... well, Buonaguro had good reason to be elated.
AND, ONE MORE ...
On the women's side, Kristina Danella had a nice debut game for Marist, getting 11 points and 9 rebounds in the Red Foxes' season-opening loss against Villanova on Wednesday night.
Danella is a junior transfer from UMass, where she averaged 12.7 points per game as a sophomore in the 2009-10 season before leaving that program for Marist. She came off the bench on Wednesday and still led Marist in rebounding and was its second-leading scorer.
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
MAAC Newcomers Have Early Impact
While the turnover of players at the mid-major level isn't anywhere near what happens at elite program, where far too often key players are one-and-dones, the annual transition remains interesting. Players finish their four years of eligibility and roles change.
Usually, though, its understudies who have paid their proverbial dues before stepping into lead roles.
But the early games of a new season have indicated that a lot of newcomers, mostly on the men's side, will have significant impact on their respective teams this season. Not all the newcomers are freshmen, but they are newcomers nonetheless.
Here's an early look at first-time conference players having big games so far.
- Harold Washington of Canisius, a 6-1 junior guard who came to the Golden Griffins after two seasons at Cecil Junior College in Maryland, is the conference's top scorer thus far, averaging 26.5 points over two games. He had 23 in his Division I debut in a loss at James Madison, followed by 30 in a victory over Longwood College.
- Juan'ya Green of Niagara, a 6-3 guard and a true freshman, had 23 points in his college debut against Central Connecticut. He and sophomore teammate Marvin Jordan who also had 23 points against Central Connecticut, are tied for second among conference scorers to date.
- Rakim Sanders of Fairfield, a senior, is fourth in the league in scoring after producing point totals of 16 in a win over Quinnipiac in is first game playing for a conference team and, ten, 25 (along wit nine rebounds) in a loss to Providence. Sanders, a 6-5 forward played three seasons at Boston College where e accumulated more than 1,000 career points, before transferring to Fairfield.
- Another true freshman, point guard Isaiah Morton of Marist, had double figures in his first two college games, getting 13 against Kentucky and 11 against South Florida.
- Manattan's Roberto Colonette, a 6-7 redshirt freshman, has come off the bench in his first three games, with strong results in two of them ... an 11-point, 8-rebound effort in a win over NJIT and 7 points and 7 rebounds in a victory over Brown. Colonette looked good last preseason before an injury kept him out for all of 2010-11.
The women haven't yet had as many newcomers make an immediate impact, but one who did was 6-2 center Lauren Gatto of Niagara, who had 7 points and 10 rebounds in her team's opener, a loss to Buffalo. Gatto is a sophomore who transferred to Niagara after a season at Illinois-Chicago.
Usually, though, its understudies who have paid their proverbial dues before stepping into lead roles.
But the early games of a new season have indicated that a lot of newcomers, mostly on the men's side, will have significant impact on their respective teams this season. Not all the newcomers are freshmen, but they are newcomers nonetheless.
Here's an early look at first-time conference players having big games so far.
- Harold Washington of Canisius, a 6-1 junior guard who came to the Golden Griffins after two seasons at Cecil Junior College in Maryland, is the conference's top scorer thus far, averaging 26.5 points over two games. He had 23 in his Division I debut in a loss at James Madison, followed by 30 in a victory over Longwood College.
- Juan'ya Green of Niagara, a 6-3 guard and a true freshman, had 23 points in his college debut against Central Connecticut. He and sophomore teammate Marvin Jordan who also had 23 points against Central Connecticut, are tied for second among conference scorers to date.
- Rakim Sanders of Fairfield, a senior, is fourth in the league in scoring after producing point totals of 16 in a win over Quinnipiac in is first game playing for a conference team and, ten, 25 (along wit nine rebounds) in a loss to Providence. Sanders, a 6-5 forward played three seasons at Boston College where e accumulated more than 1,000 career points, before transferring to Fairfield.
- Another true freshman, point guard Isaiah Morton of Marist, had double figures in his first two college games, getting 13 against Kentucky and 11 against South Florida.
- Manattan's Roberto Colonette, a 6-7 redshirt freshman, has come off the bench in his first three games, with strong results in two of them ... an 11-point, 8-rebound effort in a win over NJIT and 7 points and 7 rebounds in a victory over Brown. Colonette looked good last preseason before an injury kept him out for all of 2010-11.
The women haven't yet had as many newcomers make an immediate impact, but one who did was 6-2 center Lauren Gatto of Niagara, who had 7 points and 10 rebounds in her team's opener, a loss to Buffalo. Gatto is a sophomore who transferred to Niagara after a season at Illinois-Chicago.
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