Here's another in the series previewing MAAC teams.
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FAIRFIELD MEN
2011-12 RECORD TO DATE: 2-0 in MAAC play, 7-6 overall.
2010-11 RECORD: 15-3 in MAAC play, 25-8 overall.
COACHES' PRESEASON PREDICTION: 2nd in MAAC.
KEY RETURNEES: 5-11 junior guard Derek Needham (11.8 points, 2.6 assists), 7-0 senior center Ryan Olander (11.8 points, 4.6 rebounds, 1.9 blocks), 6-5 sophomore forward Maurice Barrow (8.6 6.4, 2.6 assists).
KEY LOSSES: Forwards Yorel Hawkins (10.0, 5.3), Warren Edney (6.7, 3.3).
NOTES: Much talent, but also much transition. Former coach Ed Cooley, who oversaw the program's turnaround, left for Providence and was replaced by former Princeton coach Sydney Johnson. The 7-6 start isn't terrific, but somewhat understandable considering the opposition, including losses against Providence, Minnesota, Dayton, Indiana State, UConn and Drexel ... Things haven't fully clicked yet for the Stags. More ball movement is being emphasized, but the leading assist players are Needham and Barrow at 2.6 per game, surprisingly low figures ... Rakim Sanders, a 6-5 senior transfer from Boston College, has become the go-to-guy on offense and has taken 42 more shots than the nearest teammate, while averaging team highs of 16.6 points and 7.6 rebounds. The other newcomer to the starting lineup is point guard Desmond Wade (3.7, 2.4, 2.4 assists). Wade, a transfer from Houston, has moved Needham off the point and to shooting guard, where his numbers are down considerably. Needham looked like a future MAAC Player of the Year as a freshman (16.4 points, 5.2 assists), but now looks like merely a solid player (11.8, 2.6) ... Others have seen their roles change, too. Junior Colin Nickerson, who had a strong freshman year, is only averaging 2.3, 1.2 as a junior ... The team has almost no front-court depth as 6-8 freshman Adam Jones is the top reserve, yet hasn't played more than nine minutes in a game in the last six contests ... Clearly, there's an adjustment period going on here as only two role-playing seniors were lost from last year's team that set a program record for victories with a 25-8 finish, while winning the conference's regular-season title.
WHAT FAIRFIELD NEEDS TO DO TO SUCCEED: Get more experience playing together. Find some front-court depth. There's plenty of talent here, but the transition from an entirely new coaching staff to two key transfers becoming eligible and moving into the starting lineup to a new playing style has all taken some time to adjust to.
PREDICTION: There's still plenty of time to go, and the barely over .500 record to date is attributable to a very difficult non-league schedule. Clearly, though, Iona has emerged as the MAAC's best team, and it looks like it will be Fairfield and Loyola battling for second place.
Saturday, December 31, 2011
Rider Women's Pre: Contend? Why Not?
Here's another in the series previewing MAAC teams.
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RIDER WOMEN
2011-12 RECORD TO DATE: 8-3 overall.
2010-11 RECORD: 5-13 in MAAC play, 5-25 overall.
COACHES' PRESEASON PREDICTION: 8th in MAAC.
KEY RETURNEES (This season's statistics): 5-11 sophomore forward MyNeshia McKenzie (11.6 points, 10.1 rebounds), 5-8 senior guard Ali Heller (10.9), 6-2 junior forward Caitlin Bopp (7.7, 5.7), 6-0 junior forward Carleigh Brown (5.6, 4.4), 6-3 senior center Sarah Homan (5.8, 4.9), 5-4 senior guard Alyssa Parsons (4.5, 2.7 assists).
KEY LOSSES: 5-10 junior guard Sheree Lightbourne (9.6 points) to injury.
NOTES: The program has not had a better-than-.500 overall finish since joining the MAAC in 1997, so the early start (including an active five-game winning streak) is extremely encouraging ... But, head coach Lynn Milligan is preaching that the team's record is 0-0 in MAAC play (which begins with a game vs. Manhattan on Monday) ... It wasn't hard to predict this kind of turnaround (and, this Hoopscribe did just that, identifying the Broncs to be the positive surprise team in a preseason posting), but that was before Lightbourne, last season's leading scorer, was lost for the year with a preseason injury ... Still, a lot of talent is in place and the pieces fit well together ... McKenzie has emerged as an elite player at this level, and leads the conference in rebounding... Heller is arguably the MAAC's best long-range shooter (26 three's so far) ... Bopp, Homan and Carleigh Brown give the team more than enough height to contend with any conference team inside ... Junior college transfer Sironda Chambers (9.5, 4.7) provides a dose of athleticism and is the team's third offensive option ... Alyssa Parsons, a senior point guard is very easy to overlook, but she has become a steadying veteran influence as the floor general ... And, Emily Fazzini, a 5-10 freshman guard, has made a nice transition and is in the playing group. ... The start is the best for Rider since the 1982-83 season ... But, there were signs from a year ago. Even after an 0-14 start, the team continued to play hard and had a semblance of success (5-11) in the second half of the season. It seemed to have been enough to vault the program into this season. The year opened with back-to-back victories, the confidence level rose and, well, the results are evident so far.
HOW RIDER CAN SUCCEED: Keep playing like it has so far. Easy to say, and we'll see how that goes. Egos need to be kept in check, but that's likely not a problem. Heller and Homan, two players who could start for most conference programs, are content to come off the bench where both have been major contributors so far and give the Broncs the type of firepower/strong play from reserves that no other conference team has. The team also needs to stay healthy. Bopp missed several games recently, but has returned and is likely to get better as the season progresses. The confidence level needs to remain high, and the team needs to remember what it has done so far to get to its current level of play.
PREDICTION: A lot better than the 8th-place prediction. After being a relative league doormat for so many years, can Rider actually contend for a league championship? .... Why not? The prediction is that Rider will most certainly finish in the top half of the league standings and may well be a year-long contender for the top couple of spots. Everything appears to be in place, right now, for a very nice season.
Up now ...
RIDER WOMEN
2011-12 RECORD TO DATE: 8-3 overall.
2010-11 RECORD: 5-13 in MAAC play, 5-25 overall.
COACHES' PRESEASON PREDICTION: 8th in MAAC.
KEY RETURNEES (This season's statistics): 5-11 sophomore forward MyNeshia McKenzie (11.6 points, 10.1 rebounds), 5-8 senior guard Ali Heller (10.9), 6-2 junior forward Caitlin Bopp (7.7, 5.7), 6-0 junior forward Carleigh Brown (5.6, 4.4), 6-3 senior center Sarah Homan (5.8, 4.9), 5-4 senior guard Alyssa Parsons (4.5, 2.7 assists).
KEY LOSSES: 5-10 junior guard Sheree Lightbourne (9.6 points) to injury.
NOTES: The program has not had a better-than-.500 overall finish since joining the MAAC in 1997, so the early start (including an active five-game winning streak) is extremely encouraging ... But, head coach Lynn Milligan is preaching that the team's record is 0-0 in MAAC play (which begins with a game vs. Manhattan on Monday) ... It wasn't hard to predict this kind of turnaround (and, this Hoopscribe did just that, identifying the Broncs to be the positive surprise team in a preseason posting), but that was before Lightbourne, last season's leading scorer, was lost for the year with a preseason injury ... Still, a lot of talent is in place and the pieces fit well together ... McKenzie has emerged as an elite player at this level, and leads the conference in rebounding... Heller is arguably the MAAC's best long-range shooter (26 three's so far) ... Bopp, Homan and Carleigh Brown give the team more than enough height to contend with any conference team inside ... Junior college transfer Sironda Chambers (9.5, 4.7) provides a dose of athleticism and is the team's third offensive option ... Alyssa Parsons, a senior point guard is very easy to overlook, but she has become a steadying veteran influence as the floor general ... And, Emily Fazzini, a 5-10 freshman guard, has made a nice transition and is in the playing group. ... The start is the best for Rider since the 1982-83 season ... But, there were signs from a year ago. Even after an 0-14 start, the team continued to play hard and had a semblance of success (5-11) in the second half of the season. It seemed to have been enough to vault the program into this season. The year opened with back-to-back victories, the confidence level rose and, well, the results are evident so far.
HOW RIDER CAN SUCCEED: Keep playing like it has so far. Easy to say, and we'll see how that goes. Egos need to be kept in check, but that's likely not a problem. Heller and Homan, two players who could start for most conference programs, are content to come off the bench where both have been major contributors so far and give the Broncs the type of firepower/strong play from reserves that no other conference team has. The team also needs to stay healthy. Bopp missed several games recently, but has returned and is likely to get better as the season progresses. The confidence level needs to remain high, and the team needs to remember what it has done so far to get to its current level of play.
PREDICTION: A lot better than the 8th-place prediction. After being a relative league doormat for so many years, can Rider actually contend for a league championship? .... Why not? The prediction is that Rider will most certainly finish in the top half of the league standings and may well be a year-long contender for the top couple of spots. Everything appears to be in place, right now, for a very nice season.
Rider Men's Preview: Start will Reverse
Here's another in the series previewing MAAC teams.
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RIDER MEN
2011-12 RECORD TO DATE: 0-2 in MAAC play, 3-11 overall.
2010-11 RECORD: 13-5 in MAAC play, 23-11 overall.
COACHES' PRESEASON PREDICTION: 4th in MAAC.
KEY RETURNEES (This season's statistics): 6-7 sophomore forward Daniel Stewart (13.4 points, 7.1 rebounds), 6-8 senior forward Brandon Penn (10.9, 5.3), 6-5 sophomore guard Anthony Myles (9.5, 2.9), 6-7 senior forward Novar Gadson (7.6, 2.6), 6-7 junior guard Jonathan Thompson (7.6, 3.2).
KEY LOSSES: 6-4 guard Justin Robinson (15.2, 3.9 assists), 6-7 forward Mike Ringold (12.1, 5.4).
NOTES: Way to much transition to have expected a fast start, and one didn't happen as the Broncs started 1-10 before winning two straight prior to a loss at Stony Brook on Friday ... Still, a lot of talent in place and no reason to believe that coach Tommy Dempsey, one of the conference's better at his job, won't find a way to turn things around ... The primary scorer was expected to be Jeff Jones, a 6-4 guard and a transfer from Virginia, but he has been good some nights and not so good on others, averaging 13.4 points thus far ... Stewart, last year's Rookie of the Year in the conference, has made the next step and is among the league's better forwards... But the team lost its best player (point guard Robinson) and its hardest-working big man (Ringold), any team's two-most important positions and Rider is finding it tough to fill those two roles ... More transition? Thompson missed two games early due to a suspension left over from late last year, and Gadson, an offensive force, isn't yet fully recovered from a knee injury suffered late last season... And, the team has moved 6-0 freshman guard Eddie Mitchell into the starting lineup and he is improving, getting six assists in a recent game... Then, another expected contributor, 6-9 freshman Junior Fortunat wasn't immediately eligible, but has played the last five games and gives the team a nice big man off the bench... The team legitimately goes nine deep, has height inside and talent in the backcourt.
HOW RIDER CAN SUCCEED: By getting experience. The freshmen, Mitchell and Fortunate, will both get better. Gadson, theoretically, will get stronger and better as the year progresses. And, just by playing together, the team should benefit.Just about everyone is playing a new role this year, so it takes some time to adjust. Rider certainly didn't expect to start this slow, but it's somewhat understandable. What won't be so easy to digest, though, will be if the slow start continues.
PREDICTION:Too much talent here for the season to continue the way it has so far. The guess is that once the guards (Mitchell, Thompson particularly) get more experience in their roles, Gadson gets healthier and Jones gets more comfortable, things will get right for Rider. Right now, it would be had to envision the Broncs challenging for the top three spots, but finishing fourth or fifth, considering the slow start, would be a nice result.
Up now ...
RIDER MEN
2011-12 RECORD TO DATE: 0-2 in MAAC play, 3-11 overall.
2010-11 RECORD: 13-5 in MAAC play, 23-11 overall.
COACHES' PRESEASON PREDICTION: 4th in MAAC.
KEY RETURNEES (This season's statistics): 6-7 sophomore forward Daniel Stewart (13.4 points, 7.1 rebounds), 6-8 senior forward Brandon Penn (10.9, 5.3), 6-5 sophomore guard Anthony Myles (9.5, 2.9), 6-7 senior forward Novar Gadson (7.6, 2.6), 6-7 junior guard Jonathan Thompson (7.6, 3.2).
KEY LOSSES: 6-4 guard Justin Robinson (15.2, 3.9 assists), 6-7 forward Mike Ringold (12.1, 5.4).
NOTES: Way to much transition to have expected a fast start, and one didn't happen as the Broncs started 1-10 before winning two straight prior to a loss at Stony Brook on Friday ... Still, a lot of talent in place and no reason to believe that coach Tommy Dempsey, one of the conference's better at his job, won't find a way to turn things around ... The primary scorer was expected to be Jeff Jones, a 6-4 guard and a transfer from Virginia, but he has been good some nights and not so good on others, averaging 13.4 points thus far ... Stewart, last year's Rookie of the Year in the conference, has made the next step and is among the league's better forwards... But the team lost its best player (point guard Robinson) and its hardest-working big man (Ringold), any team's two-most important positions and Rider is finding it tough to fill those two roles ... More transition? Thompson missed two games early due to a suspension left over from late last year, and Gadson, an offensive force, isn't yet fully recovered from a knee injury suffered late last season... And, the team has moved 6-0 freshman guard Eddie Mitchell into the starting lineup and he is improving, getting six assists in a recent game... Then, another expected contributor, 6-9 freshman Junior Fortunat wasn't immediately eligible, but has played the last five games and gives the team a nice big man off the bench... The team legitimately goes nine deep, has height inside and talent in the backcourt.
HOW RIDER CAN SUCCEED: By getting experience. The freshmen, Mitchell and Fortunate, will both get better. Gadson, theoretically, will get stronger and better as the year progresses. And, just by playing together, the team should benefit.Just about everyone is playing a new role this year, so it takes some time to adjust. Rider certainly didn't expect to start this slow, but it's somewhat understandable. What won't be so easy to digest, though, will be if the slow start continues.
PREDICTION:Too much talent here for the season to continue the way it has so far. The guess is that once the guards (Mitchell, Thompson particularly) get more experience in their roles, Gadson gets healthier and Jones gets more comfortable, things will get right for Rider. Right now, it would be had to envision the Broncs challenging for the top three spots, but finishing fourth or fifth, considering the slow start, would be a nice result.
Iona Women's Preview: Health A Factor
Here's another in the series preview MAAC teams.
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IONA WOMEN
2011-12 RECORD TO DATE: 4-7.
2010-11 RECORD: 7-11 in MAAC play, 11-20 overall.
COACHES' PRESEASON PREDICTION: 5th.
KEY RETURNEES (This year's statistics): 6-1 senior forward Kristina Ford (17.6 points, 7.9 rebounds), 6-0 senior forward Tomica Bacic (6.2, 5.6), 5-6 senior guard Suzi Fregosi (5.1, 4.4 assists), 5-7 junior guard Diana Hubbard (4.7, 2.4), 6-3 sophomore center Sabrina Jeridore (4.5, 4.5, 1.7 blocks).
KEY LOSS: Forward Anda Ivkovic (11.5, 5.6).
NOTES: After a five-year stretch averaging 18.8 wins per season came last season's 11-20 record caused, in no small part, by the early season loss of standout point guard Fregosi. She's back, but the wins haven't yet come as the Gaels have played a difficult non-conference schedule with losses coming to, among others, Rutgers, Marquette, Miami, Toledo and Villanova. And, then, came a surprising 75-50 setback on Thursday against Colgate, which now has a 3-11 record. But, Iona played that game without Ford, who leads the conference in scoring and is second in rebounds. She was on crutches for that game with an undisclosed leg injury and her return date, for now, is uncertain ... With Ford, who coach Tony Bozzella opined would be the conference's Player of the Year, Iona is an above-average team. Without her, the Gaels are obviously something less ... Fregosi has returned nicely from last season's hip injury and is second in the MAAC in assists ... Jeridore, a tall inside presence, is second in the conference in blocks ... But, the team will struggle to score without Ford. A freshman guard, Damica Martinez (12.2) is the only other team member who averages more than 6.2 points per game ... Without Ford, rebounding becomes even more of an issue for a team that is already at a 9.1 per-game disadvantage, worst in the MAAC.
HOW IONA CAN SUCCEED: The team's ability to succeed will depend almost entirely on Ford's injury situation. If she comes back, then Iona can be a very good team. Without her, it will be a struggle. At its best, Iona can succeed because it has a stellar floor general in Fregosi, a strong scoring option with Ford and a No. 2 option in Martinez. It has an inside presence with Jeridore.
PREDICTION: Iona, if healthy, is more than capable of finishing in the top three or four spots, maybe even contending for league honors if all goes well. But, if Ford is out for an extended period ten the Gaels will be playing to avoid the bottom four spots and the post-season tournament's play-in round.
Up now ...
IONA WOMEN
2011-12 RECORD TO DATE: 4-7.
2010-11 RECORD: 7-11 in MAAC play, 11-20 overall.
COACHES' PRESEASON PREDICTION: 5th.
KEY RETURNEES (This year's statistics): 6-1 senior forward Kristina Ford (17.6 points, 7.9 rebounds), 6-0 senior forward Tomica Bacic (6.2, 5.6), 5-6 senior guard Suzi Fregosi (5.1, 4.4 assists), 5-7 junior guard Diana Hubbard (4.7, 2.4), 6-3 sophomore center Sabrina Jeridore (4.5, 4.5, 1.7 blocks).
KEY LOSS: Forward Anda Ivkovic (11.5, 5.6).
NOTES: After a five-year stretch averaging 18.8 wins per season came last season's 11-20 record caused, in no small part, by the early season loss of standout point guard Fregosi. She's back, but the wins haven't yet come as the Gaels have played a difficult non-conference schedule with losses coming to, among others, Rutgers, Marquette, Miami, Toledo and Villanova. And, then, came a surprising 75-50 setback on Thursday against Colgate, which now has a 3-11 record. But, Iona played that game without Ford, who leads the conference in scoring and is second in rebounds. She was on crutches for that game with an undisclosed leg injury and her return date, for now, is uncertain ... With Ford, who coach Tony Bozzella opined would be the conference's Player of the Year, Iona is an above-average team. Without her, the Gaels are obviously something less ... Fregosi has returned nicely from last season's hip injury and is second in the MAAC in assists ... Jeridore, a tall inside presence, is second in the conference in blocks ... But, the team will struggle to score without Ford. A freshman guard, Damica Martinez (12.2) is the only other team member who averages more than 6.2 points per game ... Without Ford, rebounding becomes even more of an issue for a team that is already at a 9.1 per-game disadvantage, worst in the MAAC.
HOW IONA CAN SUCCEED: The team's ability to succeed will depend almost entirely on Ford's injury situation. If she comes back, then Iona can be a very good team. Without her, it will be a struggle. At its best, Iona can succeed because it has a stellar floor general in Fregosi, a strong scoring option with Ford and a No. 2 option in Martinez. It has an inside presence with Jeridore.
PREDICTION: Iona, if healthy, is more than capable of finishing in the top three or four spots, maybe even contending for league honors if all goes well. But, if Ford is out for an extended period ten the Gaels will be playing to avoid the bottom four spots and the post-season tournament's play-in round.
Friday, December 30, 2011
Some Eye-Catching Non-League Results
Some games that caught this Hoopscribe's eye of late, in no particular order of importance ...
- Siena men win at Florida Atlantic.
The interest goes beyond a team that uses just six players (Siena) beating an expected contender from the Sun Belt Conference, on FAU's home court for two reasons.
First, FAU coach Mike Jarvis did a Rex Ryan imitation before the game, getting quoted saying this: “I think we should get a win,” Jarvis said Tuesday to Owl Access, a website which covers Florida Atlantic. “I think we should beat Siena at home. So it’s very important that we get a win. You should beat the teams you are supposed to beat. We are suppose to beat Siena at home. We’re a better team than they are.”
Jarvis has never been afraid to speak his mind, a inclination this scribe has been familiar with back into the mid-1980's when he coached at Boston University and the Terriers and Siena both were members of the old North Atlantic Conference.
To his credit, Jarvis had this to say after Siena's victory: "We were the team that played like it only had six players."
Secondly, Siena had two national-championship ring wearers in its locker room before the contest..
Coaching great Rollie Massimino spoke to the team before Wednesday's game in Boca Raton, Fla. Massimino, the head coach of Villanova's 1985 national championship, is now the head coach at Northwood Institute in West Palm Beach, Fla.
“(We) were very lucky to have Rollie Massimino stop by,” Tyler Simms, Siena’s director of basketball operations, said on Twitter. “The legendary coach gave a great speech."
Massimino, 77, is in his fifth season at Northwood, an NAIA school. He has 633 career victories at five schools.
The other ring-wearer is current Siena coach Mitch Buonaguro, who served as Massimino’s assistant at Villanova for eight seasons, including that memorable 1985 title run, and for seven more at Cleveland State. Buonaguro prepared the scouting report for the 1985 championship game in which Villanova upset Georgetown.
- Iona Men Lose To Hofstra
It's no shame to lose. The 10-3 Gaels had already lost twice previously, to Purdue of the Big 10 and to 9-3 Marshall (whose losses include ones to Ohio State and Syracuse).
But, Iona's 83-75 setback at Hofstra on Thursday night was a little bit of a stunner. Iona entered the game with a 9-2 record while Hofstra came in with a 5-7 mark.
The Gaels, though, committed an uncharacteristic 23 turnovers in the game, after averaging just 14.4 miscues per outing entering the contest.
Said Iona's senior forward Mike Glover (20 points, 13 rebounds, 3 blocks): "I think we ad zero perent effort. we played worse than what the score said.
"We have to do a better job of not listening to what's being said about us by (the media)," said Iona's junior guard Momo Jones. "We have to understand that with glitz and glamour comes big stages and publiity that people may not have had before. We have to do a better job of handling that."
Said Iona coach Tim Cluess: "It looked like it meant more to them (Hofstra)."
- Rider Women Defeat Mount St. Mary's, 53-44
The Broncs are on a five-game winning streak as they end non-conference play.
The significance? The team only won five games, total, for all of the 2010-11 season. Its current 8-3 record accounts for the program's best start since the 1982-83 season.
Rider, which has never finished with an above-.500 overall record since joining the MAAC in 1997, is certainly the rags-to-riches, feel-good story of women's basketball in the conference so far this season.
- Marist Women Lose to Kansas State, 57-56
No shame here, either, in losing to a now 9-3 opponent from the Big 12 conference.
But, Thursday's results included losses by the two teams (Iona men and Marist women) picked as runaway preseason choices to dominate conference play this season.
The loss dropped Marist to a 5-6 overall record, its first sub-.500 mark this late since the 2002-03 season.
The loss was the second straight for the Red Foxes, who dropped a two-point decision to Hofstra in its previous contest.
“We’re kind of tired of being close,” Giorgis said, whose team arguably played the most-difficult non-conference schedule (as usual) of any conference women's team. “We’re not last year’s team, but we’re a good team and we can play with a lot of people. But playing with a lot of people and beating people are two different things. The kids were frustrated, because moral victories don’t do much for you. Everybody has something they need to work on.
“This one, more than the others, bothered them. It’s at home and you have a chance to beat a very good basketball team.”
- Siena men win at Florida Atlantic.
The interest goes beyond a team that uses just six players (Siena) beating an expected contender from the Sun Belt Conference, on FAU's home court for two reasons.
First, FAU coach Mike Jarvis did a Rex Ryan imitation before the game, getting quoted saying this: “I think we should get a win,” Jarvis said Tuesday to Owl Access, a website which covers Florida Atlantic. “I think we should beat Siena at home. So it’s very important that we get a win. You should beat the teams you are supposed to beat. We are suppose to beat Siena at home. We’re a better team than they are.”
Jarvis has never been afraid to speak his mind, a inclination this scribe has been familiar with back into the mid-1980's when he coached at Boston University and the Terriers and Siena both were members of the old North Atlantic Conference.
To his credit, Jarvis had this to say after Siena's victory: "We were the team that played like it only had six players."
Secondly, Siena had two national-championship ring wearers in its locker room before the contest..
Coaching great Rollie Massimino spoke to the team before Wednesday's game in Boca Raton, Fla. Massimino, the head coach of Villanova's 1985 national championship, is now the head coach at Northwood Institute in West Palm Beach, Fla.
“(We) were very lucky to have Rollie Massimino stop by,” Tyler Simms, Siena’s director of basketball operations, said on Twitter. “The legendary coach gave a great speech."
Massimino, 77, is in his fifth season at Northwood, an NAIA school. He has 633 career victories at five schools.
The other ring-wearer is current Siena coach Mitch Buonaguro, who served as Massimino’s assistant at Villanova for eight seasons, including that memorable 1985 title run, and for seven more at Cleveland State. Buonaguro prepared the scouting report for the 1985 championship game in which Villanova upset Georgetown.
- Iona Men Lose To Hofstra
It's no shame to lose. The 10-3 Gaels had already lost twice previously, to Purdue of the Big 10 and to 9-3 Marshall (whose losses include ones to Ohio State and Syracuse).
But, Iona's 83-75 setback at Hofstra on Thursday night was a little bit of a stunner. Iona entered the game with a 9-2 record while Hofstra came in with a 5-7 mark.
The Gaels, though, committed an uncharacteristic 23 turnovers in the game, after averaging just 14.4 miscues per outing entering the contest.
Said Iona's senior forward Mike Glover (20 points, 13 rebounds, 3 blocks): "I think we ad zero perent effort. we played worse than what the score said.
"We have to do a better job of not listening to what's being said about us by (the media)," said Iona's junior guard Momo Jones. "We have to understand that with glitz and glamour comes big stages and publiity that people may not have had before. We have to do a better job of handling that."
Said Iona coach Tim Cluess: "It looked like it meant more to them (Hofstra)."
- Rider Women Defeat Mount St. Mary's, 53-44
The Broncs are on a five-game winning streak as they end non-conference play.
The significance? The team only won five games, total, for all of the 2010-11 season. Its current 8-3 record accounts for the program's best start since the 1982-83 season.
Rider, which has never finished with an above-.500 overall record since joining the MAAC in 1997, is certainly the rags-to-riches, feel-good story of women's basketball in the conference so far this season.
- Marist Women Lose to Kansas State, 57-56
No shame here, either, in losing to a now 9-3 opponent from the Big 12 conference.
But, Thursday's results included losses by the two teams (Iona men and Marist women) picked as runaway preseason choices to dominate conference play this season.
The loss dropped Marist to a 5-6 overall record, its first sub-.500 mark this late since the 2002-03 season.
The loss was the second straight for the Red Foxes, who dropped a two-point decision to Hofstra in its previous contest.
“We’re kind of tired of being close,” Giorgis said, whose team arguably played the most-difficult non-conference schedule (as usual) of any conference women's team. “We’re not last year’s team, but we’re a good team and we can play with a lot of people. But playing with a lot of people and beating people are two different things. The kids were frustrated, because moral victories don’t do much for you. Everybody has something they need to work on.
“This one, more than the others, bothered them. It’s at home and you have a chance to beat a very good basketball team.”
Tuesday, December 27, 2011
St. Peter's Women's Preview: Tough Times
Here's another in the series previewing MAAC teams.
Up now ...
SAINT PETER'S WOMEN
2011-12 SEASON TO DATE: 0-9.
2010-11 SEASON: 5-13 in MAAC play, 6-25 overall.
KEY RETURNEES (This season's statistics): 5-9 senior forward Jynae Judson (17.8 points, 7.6 rebounds), 5-3 sophomore guard Aziza May (8.3, 3.0), 6-2 senior center Quiana Porter (6.2, 5.0), 5-5 senior guard Aminah Davis (5.7, 2.3).
KEY LOSS: Forward Jessica Coles (5.7, 3.3).
COACHES' PRESEASON PREDICTION: Tied for 8th.
NOTES: Judson missed the first four games, but has come back strong. Still, she can't do it by herself and isn't getting a lot of help. May, an undersized sophomore, is emerging as a solid point guard and has more assists than turnovers (37-31). But, everyone else is basically a role player ... Porter, always solid inside, remains so. Jessika Holmes, a 6-0 junior forward, adds a little height and leads the team in rebounding at 5.8 per game ... Other than Judson, one of the league better players, the Peahens are offensively challenged and only score an average of 51 points per game. Opponents, mostly mid-major programs, are scoring 66.1 per game against Saint Peter's ... Manigrasso, who was one of the MAAC's better freshmen last season (7.5 points per game), is only getting 8.5 minutes per contest this year ... There's depth as the team goes 10 deep on most nights, but other than Judson most of the pieces to date are interchangeable parts.
HOW SAINT PETER'S CAN SUCCEED: What it usually does best is create havoc with defense, pressure and athleticism, but it hasn't been real successful at doing that yet. It needs a second and, probably, a third offensive option to step up.
PREDICTION: If the non-league results to date are any indication, then the Peahens are destined for the post-season tournament's play-in round once again. But, last year's team, despite an 0-11 start, was resilient enough to go 6-14 the rest of the way while winning its last three regular-season games. Judson's presence alone, could account for a few wins, but don't expect the program to do any better than to steal a few wins along the way to a finish in the bottom four spots this season.
Up now ...
SAINT PETER'S WOMEN
2011-12 SEASON TO DATE: 0-9.
2010-11 SEASON: 5-13 in MAAC play, 6-25 overall.
KEY RETURNEES (This season's statistics): 5-9 senior forward Jynae Judson (17.8 points, 7.6 rebounds), 5-3 sophomore guard Aziza May (8.3, 3.0), 6-2 senior center Quiana Porter (6.2, 5.0), 5-5 senior guard Aminah Davis (5.7, 2.3).
KEY LOSS: Forward Jessica Coles (5.7, 3.3).
COACHES' PRESEASON PREDICTION: Tied for 8th.
NOTES: Judson missed the first four games, but has come back strong. Still, she can't do it by herself and isn't getting a lot of help. May, an undersized sophomore, is emerging as a solid point guard and has more assists than turnovers (37-31). But, everyone else is basically a role player ... Porter, always solid inside, remains so. Jessika Holmes, a 6-0 junior forward, adds a little height and leads the team in rebounding at 5.8 per game ... Other than Judson, one of the league better players, the Peahens are offensively challenged and only score an average of 51 points per game. Opponents, mostly mid-major programs, are scoring 66.1 per game against Saint Peter's ... Manigrasso, who was one of the MAAC's better freshmen last season (7.5 points per game), is only getting 8.5 minutes per contest this year ... There's depth as the team goes 10 deep on most nights, but other than Judson most of the pieces to date are interchangeable parts.
HOW SAINT PETER'S CAN SUCCEED: What it usually does best is create havoc with defense, pressure and athleticism, but it hasn't been real successful at doing that yet. It needs a second and, probably, a third offensive option to step up.
PREDICTION: If the non-league results to date are any indication, then the Peahens are destined for the post-season tournament's play-in round once again. But, last year's team, despite an 0-11 start, was resilient enough to go 6-14 the rest of the way while winning its last three regular-season games. Judson's presence alone, could account for a few wins, but don't expect the program to do any better than to steal a few wins along the way to a finish in the bottom four spots this season.
St. Peter's Men Preview: Tough Transition
Here's another in the series previewing conference teams.
Up now ...
SAINT PETER'S MEN:
2011-12 RECORD TO DATE: 2-10.
2010-11 RECORD: 11-7 in MAAC play, 20-14 overall.
COACHES' PRESEASON PREDICTION: 5th in the MAAC.
KEY RETURNEES: 6-7 junior forward Darius Conley (13.2 points, 8.7 rebounds), 6-3 junior guard Yvon Raymond (8.9, 5.1).
KEY LOSSES: Guard Wesley Jenkins (12.6, 4.8), forward Jeron Belin (11.6, 5.2), guard Nick Leon (10.4, 2.2, 3.2 assists), forward Ryan Bacon (10.0, 7.4).
NOTES: Conley is the team's only returning starter, and has played well to date leading the team in scoring and rebounding. His rebound average is the conference's second-best thus far. And, he is getting better with three 20-point games in his last five, including a 22-point, 12-rebound effort in the Peacocks' last outing ... Two teams lost four starters from a year ago, Saint Peter's and Canisius. And, not coincidentally, those are the two programs with the worst records to date. Saint Peter's is 2-10 and Canisius is 2-9 ... Head coach John Dunne, who molded a defense-first, well-working team in every sense of the word last season, knew this season's squad would be a work in progress and hoped things would come together by tournament time. To date, though, there has been much inconsistency ... Karee Ferguson, a 6-7 junior college transfer who was expected to provide some much-needed offense, is only averaging 5.6 points ... Chris Prescott, a touted transfer from St. Joseph's, is averaging 11.7 points, but probably was expected to do more scoring ... Markese Tucker, a 6-5, 240-pounder, has been a pleasant surprise, averaging 9.0 points ... Jack Hill, a 6-9 senior forward who hardly played in past year, has been effective but missed the team's last game with a shoulder issue and is day-to-day ... Lamin Fulton, the likely point guard of the future, is playing like a freshman and junior Yvon Ramond (8.9 points, 5.1 rebounds), is the current starter at the point ... Right now there isn't a lot of date and things haven't yet come together as Dunne had hoped ... The non-league schedule, too, has been difficult and losses have come against Minnesota, Seton Hall, Utah State and Buffalo.
HOW SAINT PETER'S CAN SUCCEED: By getting healthy, by getting experience playing together and by getting better. There's some talent here. Conley is emerging as one of the MAAC's better inside forces. Prescott can be an offensive force, as can Ferguson. Fulton will eventually emerge as a strong point guard. But, it hasn't happened yet. But, no one expected a program that graduated four senior starters to make a seamless transition. There's enough talent in place to at least be respectable eventually this season. And, for the program to hope for better days. None of the top six scorers are seniors.
PREDICTION: Hard to see Saint Peter's repeating as the post-season tournament champion, and maybe even fulfilling the preseason prediction for fifth. But, your Hoopscribe perceives Dunne to be one of the MAAC's best coaches, and he'll eventually get things going in the right direction. A .500 finish in the MAAC would be a reasonable goal, with much better ahead next season.
Up now ...
SAINT PETER'S MEN:
2011-12 RECORD TO DATE: 2-10.
2010-11 RECORD: 11-7 in MAAC play, 20-14 overall.
COACHES' PRESEASON PREDICTION: 5th in the MAAC.
KEY RETURNEES: 6-7 junior forward Darius Conley (13.2 points, 8.7 rebounds), 6-3 junior guard Yvon Raymond (8.9, 5.1).
KEY LOSSES: Guard Wesley Jenkins (12.6, 4.8), forward Jeron Belin (11.6, 5.2), guard Nick Leon (10.4, 2.2, 3.2 assists), forward Ryan Bacon (10.0, 7.4).
NOTES: Conley is the team's only returning starter, and has played well to date leading the team in scoring and rebounding. His rebound average is the conference's second-best thus far. And, he is getting better with three 20-point games in his last five, including a 22-point, 12-rebound effort in the Peacocks' last outing ... Two teams lost four starters from a year ago, Saint Peter's and Canisius. And, not coincidentally, those are the two programs with the worst records to date. Saint Peter's is 2-10 and Canisius is 2-9 ... Head coach John Dunne, who molded a defense-first, well-working team in every sense of the word last season, knew this season's squad would be a work in progress and hoped things would come together by tournament time. To date, though, there has been much inconsistency ... Karee Ferguson, a 6-7 junior college transfer who was expected to provide some much-needed offense, is only averaging 5.6 points ... Chris Prescott, a touted transfer from St. Joseph's, is averaging 11.7 points, but probably was expected to do more scoring ... Markese Tucker, a 6-5, 240-pounder, has been a pleasant surprise, averaging 9.0 points ... Jack Hill, a 6-9 senior forward who hardly played in past year, has been effective but missed the team's last game with a shoulder issue and is day-to-day ... Lamin Fulton, the likely point guard of the future, is playing like a freshman and junior Yvon Ramond (8.9 points, 5.1 rebounds), is the current starter at the point ... Right now there isn't a lot of date and things haven't yet come together as Dunne had hoped ... The non-league schedule, too, has been difficult and losses have come against Minnesota, Seton Hall, Utah State and Buffalo.
HOW SAINT PETER'S CAN SUCCEED: By getting healthy, by getting experience playing together and by getting better. There's some talent here. Conley is emerging as one of the MAAC's better inside forces. Prescott can be an offensive force, as can Ferguson. Fulton will eventually emerge as a strong point guard. But, it hasn't happened yet. But, no one expected a program that graduated four senior starters to make a seamless transition. There's enough talent in place to at least be respectable eventually this season. And, for the program to hope for better days. None of the top six scorers are seniors.
PREDICTION: Hard to see Saint Peter's repeating as the post-season tournament champion, and maybe even fulfilling the preseason prediction for fifth. But, your Hoopscribe perceives Dunne to be one of the MAAC's best coaches, and he'll eventually get things going in the right direction. A .500 finish in the MAAC would be a reasonable goal, with much better ahead next season.
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