Columbia

NYC Metro Review Part 3: Teams 12-17

Raphielle Johnson — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 07:58:18 -0700

Teams ranked in the 12-17 area of the final rankings are clearly in a position to either move up or down next season. The team with the best chance to make a significant move up the standings in their league would have to be Manhattan (12-19), who return all key contributors next season. Guard Antoine Pearson was a Third Team All-MAAC selection this season, and swingman Devon Austin went a long way in establishing himself as this team’s leader in the MAAC Tournament. Youngsters such as Chris Smith and Rashad Green should be ready to take on more responsibility next season as well.

Army (14-16), Columbia (13-15) and Hofstra (12-18) will all head into the off-season knowing that they’ve got some large shoes to fill in replacing Jarell Brown, John Baumann and Antoine Agudio respectively. But there are some promising returnees for next season, most notably Charles Jenkins (Hofstra) and Josh Miller (Army). Fairleigh Dickinson (8-20) will have to replace guards Manny Ubilla and Bernell Murray, but second-leading scorer Sean Baptiste is slated to return.

Lastly, an Iona (12-20) that went through the season on a virtual roller coaster can look forward to next season, which brings a solid recruiting class along with a pair of four-year transfers (Kashif Pratt from Seton Hall and Jonathan Huffman from Louisville). They’ll have to replace a trio of key contributors in Kyle Camper, Dexter Gray and Devon Clarke, but things are looking up for Kevin Willard’s program. But before ranking these six teams, here is the Third Team All-Metro squad along with some honorable mention choices.

Third Team All-Metro

G Jonathan Han (Fairfield) – 11.7 ppg, 6.2 apg, 44.7% 3PT

The junior from Brooklyn was Fairfield’s most consistent option on offense this year, and yet he still led the MAAC in assists per game. Selected to the conference’s Second Team All-Conference squad, Han was the catalyst for the Stags’ second half run that nearly got them to the top of the MAAC standings. Based on his improvement over the past year, Han should be a candidate for first team honors in 2008-09.

G Jaytornah Wisseh (Long Island) – 15.8 ppg, 5.1 apg, 4.8 rpg

Only a sophomore, Wisseh led the Blackbirds in scoring and was second in the Northeast Conference in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.58). His performance resulted in a selection to the NEC’s Second Team All-Conference squad, and it also played a big role in LIU’s best season in ten years. Like Han, Wisseh should definitely be a candidate for first team honors in his league next season.

G Drew Shubik (Sacred Heart) – 11.0 ppg, 5.8 rpg, 5.5 apg

One of the main reasons as to why the Pioneers once again reached the Northeast Conference final was Shubik, a jack-of-all-trades guard who was also a member of the Second team All-Conference squad. Shubik led Dave Bike’s team in both rebounding and assists, and was second in scoring behind Brice Brooks. The senior from Stoystown, PA leaves the Sacred Heart campus as the program’s seventh all-time assist man, and he also received a pair of academic honors as well. Shubik, named Northeast Conference Scholar-Athlete of the Year, was also named to the ESPN the Magazine District I Academic All-America team.

F Ryan Thompson (Rider) – 15.0 ppg, 6.2 rpg, 3.4 apg, 53.7% FG

Just like Shubik, Ryan was a guy who you could find all over the stat sheet just about every night for the Broncs. Thompson, a Second Team All-MAAC selection, was second on the team in points, rebounds and field goal percentage while leading the team in assists per game. With older brother Jason off to the NBA, Ryan will be expected to be one of the leaders in 2008-09. And he’s more than capable of stepping up to the plate.

F Anthony Mason Jr. (St. John’s) – 14.0 ppg, 4.4 rpg, 2.3 apg

Mason Jr. was Norm Roberts’ best offensive option this season, and he did either off the bench (six games) or in a starter’s (sixteen starts) role. An honorable mention All-Big East selection, Mason Jr. led the Red Storm in scoring and was third on the team in both rebounds and assists per game. Despite missing eight games due to injury, Mason Jr. was second on the team in both field goal and three point attempts, which should underscore just how important he was to his team’s success. His highlight this season may have been the game-winner he hit against Seton Hall on March 1^st.

Honorable Mention All-Metro

G Antoine Pearson (Manhattan)

G Sean Baptiste (Fairleigh Dickinson)

G Harris Mansell (Rider)

F Robert Hines (St. Francis)

F JR Inman (Rutgers)

Final Rankings 12-17

12. Army (14-16)

The Black Knights finished just about where people thought they would in the Patriot League pecking order, taking sixth place. The positive to be taken out of this year includes their second straight trip to the Patriot League semifinals, and the fact that Josh Miller will be back next season. Miller was the only member of the league’s All-Tournament Team who didn’t play for either of the finalists, American and Colgate. But Jim Crews will have to figure out how to replace leading scorer Jarell Brown, but some of the key contributors from this season will be back at West Point in 2008-09.

13. Columbia (13-15)

Head coach Joe Jones will have quite the task ahead of him this off-season as he looks to replace six departing seniors from this year’s team. Led by two-time First Team All-Ivy selection John Baumann, this class is Columbia’s most successful since 1982-83. Key contributors slated to be back include guards Niko Scott and K.J. Matsui, and forward Joe Bova. There will definitely be some growing pains early for Columbia next season, as you don’t come across groups like the departing class every day. But they do have a chance to improve upon their .500 record in conference play next year.

14. Hofstra (12-18)

Well, it took Tom Pecora’s team some time to get acclimated to college basketball, and this young team understandably dealt with some setbacks in the early going. But a viable second option in freshman Charles Jenkins stepped to the plate as teams focused their attention on Antoine Agudio. Jenkins, named CAA Rookie of the Year after ranking tenth in the conference in scoring (15.1 ppg), will shoulder even more of the scoring load with Agudio graduating. Other newcomers who should be ready to go next season include Darren Townes and Nathaniel Lester. The Pride should be better than this season’s 12-18 finish, even with the loss of a player as special as Agudio.

15. Iona (12-20)

The good news in year one of the Kevin Willard era was that all hands were on deck for most of the season after last year’s injury-plagued two win debacle. But for some reason the Gaels just couldn’t maintain positive momentum. Prime example was the way in which they finished the season. An impressive win in the regular season finale over rival Manhattan, followed by a loss to Canisius in the first round of the MAAC Tournament.

But with a few of this season’s contributors (Gary Springer and Milan Prodanovic to name two) slated to return, the combination of transfers Kashif Pratt and Jonathan Huffman becoming eligible along with a solid recruiting class should give Iona a good shot at getting out of the Friday doubleheader in the MAAC Tournament.

16. Manhattan (12-19)

The primary lesson that the Jaspers learned was a rather simple one: when they committed to playing defense they were pretty good. Unfortunately for them the consistency wasn’t there, resulting in an eighth-place finish in the MAAC standings. But all major contributors should be back, led by Antoine Pearson and Devon Austin.

In their two games in Albany, you could sense that Austin was becoming more comfortable in leading this team, and head coach Barry Rohrssen noted as much after their loss to Siena, stating that it was “good to see him step up and emerge as a leader.” Along with these two, Chris Smith, Darryl Crawford and Rashad Green will return, as will interior players Laurence Jolicoeur and Andrew Gabriel. They should be in the top half of the MAAC standings next season.

17. Fairleigh Dickinson (8-20)

While this season didn’t end with a trip to the NEC Tournament, head coach Tom Green can take solace in the fact that Sean Baptiste will be back in Teaneck next season. The sophomore guard averaged 18.5 points and a team-high 6.3 rebounds per contest this season and with Manny Ubilla and Bernell Murray both out of eligibility he should have even more chances to make plays next year. John Galvin and DeJuan Pursley will also have more opportunities to get some things done as three of the team’s top four scorers (Eric Hazard) won’t be around. It remains to be seen who will join the Knights next season, but there’s definitely room for improvement.

NYC Metro Year End Review: Part One

All-Metro Team & Ranking 1-5

NYC Metro Year End Review: Part Two

Ranking 6-11

NYC Metro Year End Review: Part Three

Ranking 12-1

Next: NYC Metro Year End Review: Part Four

All-Rookie & Ranking 18-23

NYC Metro Preview: #6 Columbia

Raphielle Johnson — Mon, 10 Dec 2007 20:29:52 -0800

6. Columbia (2006-07 Record: 16-12, 7-7 Ivy)

Head coach: Joe Jones

Returning Starters: 5- G Brett Loscalzo (senior): 6-0, 180; G Niko Scott (sophomore): 6-3, 200; F Mack Montgomery (senior): 6-5, 195; F John Baumann (senior): 6-8, 220; F/C Ben Nwachukwu (senior): 6-9, 235.

With Penn recovering from heavy losses due to graduation, and Princeton once again welcoming in a new head coach, the race for the Ivy League crown is wide open. And who’s to say that the Columbia Lions, with all five senior starters returning, can’t be the team that snatches up the automatic bid? It all starts with first team All-Ivy selection John Baumann (13.3 ppg, 6.5 rpg) up front, who also pulled off the rare double of leading the conference in both field goal percentage (57.8%) and three-point percentage (50.9%). Baumann is joined up front by classmates Mack Montgomery (5.6 ppg, 3.4 rpg) and Ben Nwachukwu (8.8 ppg, 5.2 rpg).

While Montgomery is a heady player who finished second on the team in minutes played last season, Nwachukwu could best be described as the enforcer who does all the dirty work in the paint. Also looking to contribute in the frontcourt are junior Jason Miller (2.2 ppg, 1.7 rpg), sophomore Joe Bova (4.2 ppg, 2.7 rpg), and freshmen Zack Crimmins (Arlington, VA) and Asenso Ampim (Accra, Ghana). Crimmins, who was also recruited by Virginia and Notre Dame, is seven feet tall but is a candidate to redshirt this season thanks to the returning experience.

The backcourt also welcomes back a wealth of experience, beginning with Loscalzo (4.9 ppg, 2.5 apg). The senior also shot 44.8% from behind the arc last season, which helps takes some attention away from Baumann on the block. While Niko Scott started eleven of the Lions’ fourteen conference games last season, the man to watch could be sophomore Patrick Foley (8.9 ppg, 2.5 apg). Despite only starting one game last season, Foley was the team’s second leading scorer and assist man. Another contributor who can add something to the lineup when healthy is senior Justin Armstrong (3.7 ppg, 3.5 rpg), who dealt with health issues all last season.

While Anderson would best be described as a “wild card”, sophomore Kevin Bulger and junior K.J. Matsui are also back for the Lions. While neither put up big numbers last season, they are both capable of contributing. Bulger had a 2.0 assist to turnover ratio in 06-07, and Matsui averaged five points per game last season. Neither Daniel Trepanier nor Kashif Sweet saw much playing time last season, and that stands to be the case yet again this year.

In regards to the schedule, the Lions kicked off 2007-08 with a loss at Fordham, who should contend in the Atlantic 10. Other games of note include taking part in the Columbus regional of the NIT Season Tip-off (November 12^th-13^th), and non-conference games on the road against Albany (November 17^th), Sacred Heart (November 30^th) and Villanova (December 22^nd). Ivy League play opens with back-to-back games against the preseason favorite to win the conference, Cornell (January 19^th, 26^th). While the conference schedule’s Friday/ Saturday format emphasizes academics, a small skid can turn into something big if you’re not careful thanks to the quick turnaround.

2007-08 Prospects

Plain and simple, the Lions should contend in the Ivy League this season. And with two games against Cornell to open conference play, the answer as to whether or not they can actually win the league should become apparent quite early. Just how good this team is will depend on how much each player has improved in the off-season, as the amount of returnees made a large recruiting class impractical. The Lions turned the ball over 14.6 times per game last season, and getting that number down to twelve or so could mean an extra two or three wins. And given how competitive the top of the Ivy stands to be this season, which could be the difference between the NCAA Tournament and staying home in March.

Complete NYC Metro Preview & Ranking

Three Stars of the Day: December 11th

Shawn Siegel — Mon, 10 Dec 2007 20:22:30 -0800

Three Stars of The Day

We handpick the best performances of the day, whether it be stat lines that make you drool, or clutch performances. Either way, its our way of showing the love:

Ben Nwachukwu - Columbia

Easily his best game of the season, the senior had 21 points and 16 rebounds as the Lions cruised to a win against SFNY

Sean Baptiste - Farleigh Dickinson

Hitting double-digits for the 7th time in 7 games, Baptiste had 23 and 9 as FDU put away Norfolk State

Tywain McKee - Coppin State

Even though they lost to Ohio State, McKee scored almost 50% of his team's points (19 of 39) and added 9 rebounds

Other Top Performers

Kyle Johnson - LIU - Coming off the bench, the Canadian freshman had 16 points and 10 rebounds in a win over New Hampshire

Reggie Williams - VMI - Playing a D2 opponent, the high-scoring Keydets put up 112 points, so Williams' 43 is no surprise

* Aaron Baynes - Washington State - The Cougars wrapped up a win over Portland State late Sunday night, so I missed his 23 and 9 effort

Previous Stars of the Day

December 9th - Dane Watts, Creighton

December 5th - Drew Lavender, Xavier

December 4th - Luke Harangody, Notre Dame

December 3rd - DJ White, Indiana

December 2nd - Jerryd Bayless, Arizona

December 1st - George Hill, IUPUI

November 30th - Craig Brackins - Iowa State

November 29th - Ryan Anderson, California

November 28th - James Powell, UCSB

November 27th - Stephen Curry, Davidson

November 26th - Michael Bramos, Miami (OH)

November 22nd - Michael Beasley, Kansas State

November 21st - Kyle Singler, Duke

November 20th - Patty Mills, Saint Mary's

November 19th - Matt Causey, Georgia Tech

November 18th - Daniel Hackett, USC

November 17th - Chris Douglas-Roberts, Memphis

November 16th - JJ Hickson, NC State

November 15th - Jon Brockman, Washington

Top 144 Previews | 2007-08 Preview & Awards | Interviews | Discuss the Preview

Final Metro Ranking Part II: Bottom Half

Raphielle Johnson — Thu, 05 Apr 2007 07:21:41 -0700

Another season of college basketball in the New York City area is complete, and it’s another year of teams from leagues other than the Big East carrying the flag. Marist, who won the MAAC regular season crown outright for the first time in school history, got over the disappointment of not winning their conference tournament by winning at Oklahoma State in the MasterCard NIT. Hofstra, predicted by many as a team with a chance to be “this year’s George Mason”, wasn’t able to make the NCAA Tournament but they did notch their second straight postseason bid. After that, the area schools had to put the balls away until next season.

As of right now, Iona is the only school looking for a new head coach, and this due primarily to the fact that a few programs have recently made new hires. Look for the next head man in New Rochelle to have some significant connections to the area in order to help out with recruiting, something that a school can fall behind on the longer they go without a head coach. 2006-07 was a down year for many of the schools, but due to the amount of young talent slated to return, 2007-08 should be a much better year for New York City college basketball.

2006-07 Final Rankings (Part II)

10. Columbia (11): Coming into the season, I thought that the Lions had a good chance to challenge for the Ivy League title. And they did get off to a good start, winning their conference opener against Princeton. But they lost their next three league contests, and while they were competitive all season they didn’t have a significant impact on the title race until they knocked off Yale February 24^th. The good news in this 16-12 season: not one senior was on this roster in 2006-07, meaning that the Lions have a very good chance to compete at the top of the standings in 2007-08.

Leading scorer John Baumann, a first team all conference selection, is one of ten Lions that played at least 12.8 minutes per game this year. Experience will be plentiful, so don’t be surprised if Joe Jones’ squad wins the Ivy’s automatic bid next year. Stock heading into 2007-08: up.

11. Wagner (10): Once again I drank the Wagner “Kool Aid” heading into 2006-07, and I once again consider myself to be let down by the results. Despite returning numerous key contributors from 2005-06, the Seahawks went 11-19 this season, 8-10 in the competitive Northeast Conference. Only Matt Vitale will be lost due to graduation, so maybe this group was a little too young to compete for the NEC title. Youth will not be an excuse next year with the number of key components returning next season, including leading scorers Mark Porter and James Ulrich.

The Seahawks lost six of their last eight games, including blowouts at the hands of Central Connecticut and Sacred Heart to end their season. A lack of scoring from the bench is what did this team in, so hopefully the year in experience will bring about some welcome contributions from the reserves. Stock heading into 2007-08: up (hopefully).

12. St. Francis (NY) (13): The Terriers were able to double their win total from 2005-06 (nine, up from four in 2005-06), but to measure their progress solely in wins and losses would be unfair. Head coach Brian Nash got his players to commit to the defensive end while improving their offensive output. You’d never think that this team would score 102 points in a game, something they accomplished in their win over Robert Morris February 17^th. The three-game win streak to end the regular season meant their first NEC Tournament appearance in four years, where the fell to eventual champion CCSU in the quarterfinals.

Forward Robert Hines came onto the scene and was one of the better players in the NEC, garnering second team All-NEC honors. The Terriers will have to find a way to replace swingman Allan Sheppard, but this is a young team that has a lot of talent returning in 2007-08. Look for the Terriers to have more of a say in who wins the Northeast Conference next year. Stock heading into 2007-08: up.

13. Army (15): After a horrid stretch in the later stages of the season that saw the Black Knights lose seven straight and eight of their last nine, Army won their Patriot League quarterfinal over Lehigh. They eventually fell to Bucknell in the semifinals, but at least they didn’t see the Bison or Holt Cross in the first round. Despite playing a number of players each game, the fortunes of the Black Knights depended on the backcourt of Jarell Brown and Matt Bell. This wasn’t a particularly strong offensive team, but they certainly didn’t lack in the effort department.

In order for this team to compete next season, they need to find a replacement for Bell on the offensive end. Or at least hope that Jarell Brown becomes one of the nation’s best scorers. No offense, but I don’t see that happening next year. This will be a more balanced team out of necessity, and with heavy personnel losses at Bucknell, American and Lehigh, the opportunity to move up in the Patriot League pecking order is there. Stock heading into 2007-08: steady.

14. Long Island (12): At 3-2 in NEC play heading into their game with Central Connecticut State on January 15^th, the Blackbirds seemed to be in good shape when it came to qualifying for the NEC Tournament. Well, they then lost their next seven league games to put themselves in a hole they couldn’t find their way out of. LIU went 3-10 in to end the season, missing out on the eight-team conference tournament. Five contributing seniors, led by leading scorer James Williams, leave Brooklyn due to graduation, and you have to wonder where the points will come from next season.

Look for incoming freshman Jaytornah Wisseh (Brooklyn, NY) to have a chance to put up some points. Wisseh, despite being 5’11”, is a point guard with a nose for the basket, something that the Blackbirds will need desperately in 2007-08. Stock heading into 2007-08: down.

15. Stony Brook (14): Like St. Francis, the Seawolves improved their win total from 2005-06 by five games, winning nine this season. But unlike the Terriers, this improvement didn’t mean a rise in the conference standings, once again bringing up the rear in America East. Four key seniors, led by leading scorer Ricky Lewis, move on with the end of this season, so it remains to be seen which youngsters step into larger roles in 2007-08. The good news is that head coach Steve Pikiell played a lot of his younger players this season, giving them valuable experience. How they do next year will depend on who steps into new roles and produces, but this program is headed in the right direction, slowly but surely. The departures due to graduation may slow the progress down some, however. Stock headed into 2007-08: down.

16. NJIT (16): In their first season of Division I college basketball, the Highlanders won five games. Of course, it’s tough to find a) games you can win and b) games period when you’re an independent. Among the departures due to graduation are the team’s leading scorer, guard Clayton Barker, along with forward Marc Milbourne Shaw. Head coach Jim Casciano will have a tough time recruiting to a small school that can’t dangle the carrot of a possible NCAA Tournament bid due to their lack of a conference affiliation. The Highlanders will be a program to watch in the near future due to the recent nature of college athletics (conference shuffling), so to get into a league at some point would definitely be a positive for the school. Stock heading into 2007-08: down.

17. St. Peter’s (17): In year one after Keydren, the Peacocks found out just how tough the adjustment would be without their four-year star. Add to this a new coaching staff and you have all the makings of a really tough season in Jersey City. On the positive side of things, only forward/ center Kinzey Reeves leaves the program, and he wasn’t counted on for much of a tangible contribution other than leadership. Forward Todd Sowell and guards Raul Orta and Kevin Spann will look to help lead John Dunne’s squad up the MAAC standings, and incoming freshmen Jordan Costner (West Orange, NJ) and Wesley Jenkins (Bloomfield, NJ) will have an opportunity to contribute as well. Yes they only won five games this season, but I look for the Peacocks to be much improved in 2007-08. Stock heading into 2007-08: up.

18. Iona (18): One year after the Gaels represented the MAAC in the NCAA Tournament, the sky practically fell on the program, going winless until their win over Rider February 3^rd. The end result of the 2-28 season was the decision by the program and head coach Jeff Ruland to go their separate ways, buying out the final two years of his contract. You can blame injuries and a lack of experience for the majority of healthy contributors for this season. Do not expect the Gaels to play this poorly in 2007-08 regardless of who the next head coach is. I look for someone with strong ties to the New York metropolitan area to get the job.

Redshirts Gary Springer (injury) and Younes Idrissi (Georgia) should be available next year; while we should probably wait and see about Dexter Gray (academics limited the St. John’s transfer to four games). How much the Gaels improve will undoubtedly depend on who gets the head coaching job and what they can do during the summer in terms of recruiting. Stock heading into 2007-08: undecided.

Metro Ranking Part One: Top Half

2006-07 NYC Metro Preview: Columbia

Raphielle Johnson — Fri, 20 Oct 2006 10:26:23 -0700

10. Columbia Lions

2005-06 Record: 11-16 (4-10 Ivy)

Last season’s final ranking (NY Metro poll): 12^th

Head Coach: Joe Jones (4^th year @ CU, overall; 33-48)

Leading Returnees: Points (John Baumann-13.7 ppg); Rebounds (Baumann-6.0 rpg); Assists (Brett Loscalzo-3.1 apg)

Returning Starters: 4 (G Brett Loscalzo (Jr. 6’0, 180), G Mack Montgomery (Jr. 6’5, 195), F John Baumann (Jr. 6’8, 220), C Ben Nwachukwu (Jr. 6’9, 235))

Key Losses: G Dalen Cuff, F Dragutin Kravic

Team Preview

Columbia enters the 2006-07 season without a senior on its roster…and could still challenge the powers that be (Penn, Princeton) in the Ivy League for the automatic bid. Before you dismiss that statement, remember that on consecutive days in mid-February, the Lions knocked off both the Quakers and Tigers at home. Of the top seven scorers from last season, seven return, including leading scorer and rebounder John Baumann. Baumann will be joined in the paint by fellow junior Ben Nwachukwu and sophomore Jason Miller.

While the bigs will be counted on for the muscle on the inside, the Lions are loaded on the perimeter. Point guard Brett Loscalzo returns, as do Justin Armstrong, K.J. Matsui and Mack Montgomery. The guards will tell the story as to whether or not the Lions can finish near the top of the Ivy this year, since both Penn and Princeton return a wealth of performers as well. What the Lions need to work on is their play away from Levien Gymnasium, but an improvement at home in league play wouldn’t hurt either. While going 3-4 at home, Columbia struggled mightily on the road with a record of 1-6 in Ivy play.

The death knell for Columbia’s hopes of finishing at or above .500 was a five-game skid in the middle of February, with three of the losses coming at home. Turnovers were a major issue, including a high of twenty-eight in their overtime loss at Princeton last year. Poise and sound decision-making wins games, especially during league play, and an improvement can mean a top-half finish for Columbia in the Ivy League.

Schedule at a Glance

Well, the Lions will find some things out about themselves from the start, with the opener being a trip to Cameron Indoor Stadium to take on Duke in the first round of the College Basketball Experience Classic on November 12^th. The next night will bring either Georgia Southern or UC-Davis. That will be followed by their in-season tournament, the Tyler Ugolyn Columbia Classic. Columbia will take on the New Jersey Institute of Technology in the opening round, moving on to face either Kennesaw State or St. Peter’s the next night. Other key games in the non-conference schedule include trips to Providence and St. John’s, and home games against the likes of LIU, Stony Brook, and Wagner. The Lions will close their non-conference schedule with a game against Marywood on January 6^th.

Conference plays opens the following Friday (January 12^th) with a home game against Princeton. Pennsylvania enters Levien Gymnasium the next night, so Coach Jones will have a good idea of where his team stands in the Ivy League pecking order after that weekend. Since league games are on a Friday/Saturday rotation, there are essentially four two-team groups, with Columbia’s “partner” being Cornell. Two meetings with the Big Red, a home-and-home rotation, follow the visit from the two perennial powers. The key for Columbia, given their road woes in 2005-06, will be how they navigate the two road swings in league play: Cornell-Harvard-Dartmouth (January 20^th-February 3^rd) and Penn-Princeton-Brown-Yale (February 16^th-24^th). Go 4-3 or better in these seven games, and an impressive performance at home could mean taking the Ivy League race down to the wire.

Interesting Note: Columbia’s only Ivy League title came in 1967-68, when they split the top spot with Princeton.

2005-06 Team Averages

· Points per game: 64.0 - Points per game allowed: 67.4 - Scoring Margin: -3.4

· Rebounds per game: 34.2 - Opp. Rebounds per game: 29.7 - Rebounding Margin: + 4.5

· Assists per game: 12.6 - Turnovers per game: 16.9 - Assist-to-Turnover Ratio: 0.7:1

· Field Goal Percentage: 44.2% - FG Percentage Defense: 43.6%

· 3-Point Percentage: 36.8% - 3-Point Percentage Def.: 35.4%

· Free Throw Percentage: 73.5%

2005-06 Streaks

· Longest winning streak: 5 (New Hampshire, Troy, @ LIU, @ Stony Brook, @ Sacred Heart) November 11^th-30^th

· Longest losing streak: 5 (Cornell, Dartmouth, Harvard, @ Brown, @ Yale) January 28^th-February 10^th

· After knocking off Penn, Princeton and Brown, Columbia lost their last three games of the season to lose any chance of finishing .500 in Ivy League play.

Complete NYC Metro Preview

Ivy Interview: Columbia's Joe Jones

Jon Teitel — Thu, 05 Oct 2006 10:37:24 -0700

Jon Teitel chats with Columbia head coach Joe Jones as part of an interview series with all eight Ivy League coaches.

1. What are your team’s goals for this season?

A: As always, we hope to win the Ivy title.

2. What facet of the game is most important to your team’s success this season?

A: I think we need to concentrate on limiting our turnovers and playing better defense.

3. Who do you think will be your team’s most improved player this season?

A: Guard Mack Montgomery: he has had a great summer, and is maturing very well.

4. Which non-conference opponent do you think will be your biggest challenge this year?

A: I don’t know if there is any opponent tougher than Duke, so starting our season out in Durham will probably be our hardest game of the year.

5. After being named All-Ivy 2^nd-team as a sophomore, how high is the ceiling for John Baumann?

A: John is just starting to tap into his abilities, and I see nothing but great things in his future.

6. Which of your 5 incoming freshmen (Patrick Foley, Kevin Bulger, Wesley Matthews, Michael Gately, and Niko Scott) do you expect to make the biggest impact this season?

A: Since the backcourt is where we need the most improvement, I think the best chance for an immediate impact is with our 3 freshman guards: Scott, Foley, and Bulger.

7. In light of the play of former player Dragutin Kravic (from Serbia) and current player Ben Nwachukwu (from Nigeria), do you think it is crucial to continue to specifically recruit foreign-born players, or do you just try to get the guys who can best help your team win?

A: I just try to get the best available players, no matter where they live.

8. Do you consider this season to be the usual two-team race between Penn and Princeton, or do you think another team can win the conference title this season?

A: I think Penn is clearly the favorite, despite losing Eric Osmundson and David Whitehurst, and Princeton brings back everyone except Scott Greenman. However, I think that some of the other schools can make a run at them.

9. With zero seniors on your team this season, do you feel your team is ready to contend for an Ivy title right now, or are you gearing towards next year when you return your entire roster?

A: Despite being very young, I believe in my players and don’t want to put any limitations on them. The ones who have been here a couple of years know what to expect, and we want to win right now.

10. After working for Jay Wright at Hofstra and Villanova, is the success he had last year any surprise to you?

A: Not at all: Jay has got the whole package. He is bright, hard-working, a good coach and a great person.

11. What are the best and worst parts about coaching against your brother (Yale coach James Jones)?

A: The best part is that I get to see him, and a lot of our family/friends show up for the games. The obvious worst part is that one of us has to lose, but another hard part is recruiting against him.

12. Who do you consider to be the favorite for Ivy Player of the Year?

A: Penn’s Ibby Jaaber, with my guy John Baumann having an outside shot at it.