FDU

State of '08: New Jersey

Shawn Siegel — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 08:13:42 -0700

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Duke or Carolina? BC or UMASS? Gonzaga or Washington.. or Washington State? What is the best program in each state? While there's not much competition in Hawaii.. there are great debates to be had in loaded regions like California, North Carolina, and Texas. The State of '08 is a ranking of every program in every state.. based mostly on recent success (the last five years) mixed in with subjective factors such as conference prestige, historical success, and overall program direction.

For more info, check out the State of '08 introduction.

NEW JERSEY

SETON HALL - Despite producing legendary prep talent, New Jersey has never been a collegiate powerhouse. Seton Hall is tops in the state, but the Pirates are in the midst of a very mediocre run. Louis Orr led the Pirates to NCAA Tournaments in 2004 & 2006 (and the NIT in 2003). Despite that decent record, Orr was sacked after five seasons and replaced by Bobby Gonzalez. In two years, Gonzalez does not have a postseason trip under his belt, but an NIT bid is possible in 2009. If the Hall miss out on the NIT, which is more likely than not, Gonzalez might be writing for Collegehoops.net next year..

RUTGERS - Like Bobby Gonzalez above, Fred Hill has done little to quiet the skeptics. Gary Waters led Rutgers to three NIT trips, but like Orr, he was sacked after five years. Rutgers has finished below 200th in the RPI the previous two years (60 spots worse than any of Waters' teams), and has just six Big East wins combined. The Knights lost to in-state rivals Saint Peter's & Rider, and barely avoided an embarrassing loss to lowly Dartmouth. But hope seems to spring eternal at Rutgers, and fans are hoping highly rated freshmen Rosario and Echenique actually pan out.

MONMOUTH - Like NEC rival FDU, Monmouth is coming off a down season with just 7 wins and a 4-14 league record. But from 2001 to 2006, this was the NEC's best team with tourney trips in 01, 04, and 06.

RIDER - The Broncs set a record with 23 wins in 07-08, and advanced to the newly created CBI, losing to Old Dominion. Now that Jason Thompson has graduated, a more typical 10-8 type finish in the MAAC should be expected. Rider hasn't been to one of the long-time postseason tournaments since the 1998 NIT.

FAIRLEIGH DICKINSON - Veteran head coach Tom Green is still chugging along. Every few seasons, when you least expect it, FDU makes a serious run in the Northeast Conference. Last year, unfortunately, was not one of those good runs, as the Knights limped to a 4-14 league record (the 2nd worst in Green's 20+ year career). In 2005 FDU made the Tournament, which was followed up by the program's first NIT trip in 2006.

6. PRINCETON - Its amazing to think that Princeton dominated the Ivy League up until a few short seasons ago. The Tigers finished 331st in the RPI last year, the 2nd season in a row they finished at the bottom of the conference. Second-year coach Sydney Johnson will have a hard time cleaning up the mess left by Joe Scott.

7. SAINT PETER'S - Outside of Keydren Clark's legendary career which peaked from 2004-2006, Saint Peter's has been one of the country's worst programs in the last decade. The last two seasons have been particularly bad, with just 11 combined D1 wins (though they did beat Rutgers as noted above). Unfortunately, many expect SPC to finish near the bottom of the MAAC once again.

* NJ Tech is not included, as all provisionals were not included in the State of '08 articles.

Last: Missouri - Next: New York

State of '08: The Introduction (& State list/links)

NYC Metro Preview: #17 Farleigh Dickinson

Raphielle Johnson — Sun, 02 Dec 2007 11:22:33 -0800

17. Fairleigh Dickinson (2006-07 Record: 14-16, 9-9 NEC)

Head coach: Tom Green

Returning Starters: 2- G Cameron Tyler (junior): 6’0”, 190; G Manny Ubilla (senior): 6’2”, 185

Roster

FDU Team Info

In recent years, it seemed as if the Knights were always in the thick of the NEC title race. Even in 2006-07, FDU had a shot to host a quarterfinal, but they limped into the NEC Tournament on a three-game skid to end the regular season. From there, it was off to Quinnipiac in hopes of winning their second game of the year on the Bobcats’ home court. But it wasn’t meant to be, with Quinnipiac ending their season with a one-point win (78-77). Now with three starters gone, all in the frontcourt no less, 2007-08 could be a year in which the Knights take a step back in the NEC. Then again, I predicted as much last year, only to see them finish .500 in conference play.

Luckily for Coach Green, he will have some capable guards (including both starters) back in Teaneck this season. Junior Cameron Tyler (14.3 ppg, 5.1 apg, 4.4 rpg) is FDU’s leading returning scorer, assist man and rebounder, but he could move over to the two guard spot if the Knights decide to go with three guards. Senior guard Bernell Murray, a solid bench contributor last season, could move into the starting backcourt, forming a three-pronged attack with Tyler and classmate Manny Ubilla (11.9 ppg, 4.3 rpg). Murray was third on the team in total assists, starting the eleven games that Ubilla did not last season. Sean Baptiste, who played in twenty-nine games last season, should also see more than the 12.7 minutes per game he logged in 06-07. Incoming freshman Jordan Stasyszyn (Carlisle, PA), a serious threat from behind the arc, could also play a role in the Knights’ plans this season.

The questions lie in the frontcourt, which has the task of replacing starters Andre Harris (first team All-NEC), Michael Peeples (probably the Knights’ most versatile player) and Jordan Ingram. All three started all thirty games in 06-07, and experience behind them is scarce to say the least. The only returnee with a credible amount of game experience last season is senior forward Eric Hazard (5.3 ppg, 2.3 rpg), who averaged eighteen minutes per game. Although the 6-6 Hazard is no banger inside, he can shoot the three, done at a clip of 41.2% in 06-07. The other frontcourt returnees, sophomores Brian Lytle and Lawrence Brown averaged seven minutes per game or less last year, and Brown only played in five games. Luckily for FDU, Brown is a seven-footer who at the least should be able to change some shots inside. 6’8” John Galvin (Weston, CT) should also get some playing time, but look for the Knights to go small if they can.

Although five players join the program this season, only Galvin and Stasyszyn are available this season with the other three being either transfers or medical redshirts. Anthony Jeune (Camden, NJ) will sit out this season after suffering a serious injury in his senior year of high school while Eric Moore (Buffalo) and Alvin Mofunanya (St. Joseph’s) will sit out per NCAA transfer rules.

Schedule-wise, FDU tips things off in the NIT Season Tip-Off (November 12^th-13^th) against St. Joseph’s in the Syracuse regional. The following night brings either the host school (Syracuse) or Siena depending on the results. Other non-conference games include trips to Rider (November 19^th), St. John’s (November 25^th) and Charlotte (December 30^th) mixed in amongst home dates with the likes of Florida Atlantic (November 23^rd), Stony Brook (December 15^th) and St. Peter’s (December 22^nd). Conference play will bring a tough three-game road swing in mid-January: Sacred Heart (17^th), Central Connecticut State (19^th) and Monmouth (24^th).

2007-08 Prospects

Well, the FDU guards can hold their own with just about anyone in the NEC and New York metropolitan area, but the key to their season is how much the inexperienced frontcourt develops. They’ll be a small team (save Brown, of course), but without much height last season they were only out-rebounded by 0.7 rebounds per game. Coach Green is one of the best in the NEC, and he usually finds a way to make sure the Knights contend, but the order could be too tall this season. They’ll be competitive, but it could be a struggle to qualify for the conference tournament until season’s end.

Complete NYC Metro Preview & Ranking

All-Metro Team and Final Awards

Raphielle Johnson — Thu, 05 Apr 2007 23:39:39 -0700

First Team All-Metro Area
G Jared Jordan (Senior-Marist)
G Loren Stokes (Senior-Hofstra)
G Antoine Agudio (Junior-Hofstra)
F Bryant Dunston (Junior-Fordham)
F Andre Harris (Senior-Fairleigh Dickinson)

Second Team All-Metro Area
G Carlos Rivera (Senior-Hofstra)
G Will Whittington (Senior-Marist)
F Robert Hines (Junior-St. Francis-NY)
F Anthony Mason, Jr. (Sophomore-St. John’s)
F Todd Sowell (Junior-St. Peter’s)

Third Team All-Metro Area
G Eugene Harvey (Freshman-Seton Hall)
G Michael Van Schaick (Senior-Fairfield)
F Brian Laing (Seton Hall)
F John Baumann (Junior-Columbia)
C James Smith (Senior-Marist)

All-Freshman Team
G Eugene Harvey (Seton Hall)
G Darryl Crawford (Manhattan)
G Chauncey Hardy (Sacred Heart)
F Greg Nero (Fairfield)
F Anthony Johnson (Fairfield)

Honorable Mention: G Brenton Butler (Fordham), F Qa’rraan Calhoun (St. John’s)

Coach of the Year: Matt Brady (Marist)
Honorable Mention: Tom Pecora (Hofstra), Dereck Whittenburg (Fordham), Dave Bike (Sacred Heart)

Player of the Year: Jared Jordan (Marist)
Honorable Mention: Loren Stokes (Hofstra), Andre Harris (FDU), Antoine Agudio (Hofstra)

Freshman of the Year: Eugene Harvey (Seton Hall)
Honorable Mention: Greg Nero (Fairfield), Darryl Crawford (Manhattan), Chauncey Hardy (Sacred Heart)

Biggest Surprise: Sacred Heart
Honorable Mention: Fairleigh Dickinson
Biggest Disappointment: Iona
Honorable Mention: St. John’s, St. Peter’s

Northeast Conference Tournament Preview

Raphielle Johnson — Thu, 01 Mar 2007 00:00:00 -0800

In what has been a topsy-turvy season for the majority of the Northeast Conference, it’s fitting that seeds along with who would play in the league’s conference tournament were not fully decided until the season’s last day. In a turn of events similar to the good fortunes experienced by the Kansas City Chiefs, St. Francis (NY) snagged the eight seed in the tournament by combining a win over Fairleigh Dickinson with losses by both Monmouth and Long Island. Sacred Heart got the two seed thanks to a win over Quinnipiac on the final day of the season, dropping the Bobcats to the three spot. And in a three-way tie for fourth in the league standings, Robert Morris was able to get the important quarterfinal home game over both Mount St. Mary’s and Fairleigh Dickinson. The only two teams that knew where they would be seeded were Wagner (seventh) and regular season champ Central Connecticut State. Just like the regular season, expect some surprises in this conference tournament.

Format: The top eight teams in the NEC qualify for this event, with the higher seeds hosting each game. After the quarterfinals, the four remaining teams are “re-seeded” so the highest remaining team plays the lowest remaining team in terms of seeding.

Dates: March 1^st, 4^th, 7^th

Quarterfinal Matchups: #8 St. Francis (NY) @ #1 Central Connecticut State (7 PM)

#7 Wagner @ #2 Sacred Heart (7 PM)

#6 Fairleigh Dickinson @ #3 Quinnipiac (7 PM)

#5 Mount St. Mary’s @ #4 Robert Morris (7:30 PM)

Semifinals (March 4^th): Lowest remaining seed @ highest remaining seed (time TBA)

3^rd Highest remaining seed @ 2^nd highest remaining seed (time TBA)

Final (March 7^th): At highest remaining seed (7 PM, ESPN2)

St. Francis (NY) @ Central Connecticut State

The Terriers found a way into the NEC Tournament when it looked like Brian Nash’s group was doomed to another year of missing out. They got some help in qualifying, but that would take away from the fact that the Terriers have been playing some good basketball down the stretch. They are the best rebounding team in the conference, something that they will need to rely on in order to compete with the tenacious Blue Devils. Forward Robert Hines has been one of the best players in the NEC over the past month, and the coaches took note of this in voting him second team all conference. The Terriers are the deeper team, but they’re going to have a tough time leaving New Britain with a win, but they did manage to go 4-5 on the road in league play.

CCSU boasts the league’s player of the year (Javier Mojica), two other members of the league’s first-team all conference squad (Tristan Blackwood, Obie Nwadike), as well as the coach of the year in the NEC (Howie Dickenman). As the top seed in the NEC Tournament, the Blue Devils are a perfect 6-0 all-time, and they went 9-0 at home during conference play this season. You don’t see much from this team in terms of sheer numbers when it comes to their depth, but they get quality out of each player expected to contribute. That’s why they’re the regular season champions. SFNY’s chances will hinge on how they contain Blackwood and Mojica, as well as the Terriers dominating the boards.

Wagner @ Sacred Heart

Wagner and Sacred Heart had two close encounters during the regular season with the home team winning both. This isn’t good news for a Wagner team that went 3-6 on the road in NEC play. Matt Vitale is the only member of the Seahawks to have won this tournament, but junior forward James Ulrich has been the team’s bell cow of late, and he averaged a double-double against the Pioneers this season. Wagner is a better rebounding team than the Pioneers, and this is an area that they will have to take advantage of if they want to have a chance to win.

Sacred Heart is the NEC’s best offensive team, leading the league in points per game (77.9) and three-point percentage (38.3%) while finishing second in the conference in field goal percentage (47.6%). First-team all conference selection Jarrid Frye has led the team in scoring, but he’s received help from freshman backcourt partner Chauncey Hardy. In their last game, and 87-84 win over Quinnipiac on Monday night, five Pioneers scored in double figures. SHU is a very gifted team on the offensive end with a plethora of options to turn to when they need a bucket. The Seahawks will have their hands full on the defensive end, but they should be able to score some points.

Fairleigh Dickinson @ Quinnipiac

In one of two games that are rematches of quarterfinals in last season’s tournament, FDU visits the Bobcats in a game that should go down to the wire like last season’s affair. A Gordon Klaiber bucket saved the Knights, but they head into this one as the underdog as opposed to the tournament’s top seed. Senior forward Andre Harris, a first-team All NEC selection, has scored in double figures in every game this season, so look for the Bobcats to focus their defensive efforts on him. Although head coach Tom Green lost the likes of Klaiber and Andrea Crosariol from last season’s regular season champs, he does have some experience on this team. Guard Cameron Tyler, third in the NEC in assists this season, was a part of last season’s success as well.

Quinnipiac has a pair of high-octane guards in senior Adam Gonzalez and junior DeMario Anderson, but they also receive notable contributions from forward Chris Wehye and center Victor Akinyanju. Head coach Joe DeSantis has gone about ten deep throughout the season, so foul trouble shouldn’t be too much of an issue for the Bobcats. Their issue will be finding points outside of Gonzalez and Anderson if those two have trouble hitting their shots. The two teams are about even on the glass, but Quinnipiac tends to turn the ball over more at a clip of sixteen per game. Turnovers and how much each team scores off their opponents mistakes will decide which team moves on.

Mount St. Mary’s @ Robert Morris

These two teams will meet for the sixth time in the past two seasons, and the games tend to be close affairs, including a 67-66 win for Robert Morris in last season’s NEC quarterfinals. Mount St. Mary’s went a putrid 3-14 on the road this season, with their only two road wins in the NEC being over two teams (LIU, St. Francis-PA) that didn’t qualify for the conference tournament. Senior guard Mychal Kearse is the team’s leader, and he scored twenty-one in their 81-78 loss at RMC earlier this season. Kearse, who was voted the league’s co-defensive player of the year, has help in the backcourt in the form of freshman Jeremy Goode. The question for the Mount will be how they do rebounding the basketball; they were the third worst team in the NEC in that category.

Robert Morris, preseason pick to win the NEC, has won the most conference tournament titles of any team in the league with five. Unfortunately for the Colonials, however, none of which have come after 1992. Sophomore guard Jeremy Chappell was the hero in last season’s quarterfinal win over the Mount with a three pointer late in regulation. But it was forward A.J. Jackson and guard Tony Lee who were voted onto the conference’s second team due to their play this season. Of the two teams, the Colonials do a much better job of holding onto the ball, and this along with having home court should help them out.

Metro Basketball Report: Tight Races

Raphielle Johnson — Fri, 09 Feb 2007 10:45:44 -0800

With one month remaining in the regular season, metropolitan area teams find themselves right in the thick of conference races. For some, this final month will determine whether or not they can win a conference title. Others are merely looking to get a good seed in their conference tournament. And there’s also the group that needs win in order to qualify for their conference tournament period. Here is a breakdown of each league and the position that the New York area teams find themselves in.

America East: Stony Brook looking to get out of the cellar

While the suspense for this league involves Vermont and Albany at the top of the league, the Stony Brook Seawolves find themselves in a three-way tie for last place in America East with Binghamton and Hartford. The eight and nine seeds play in the opening game of the conference tournament, so there is still something at stake for SBU. And given the fact that they’re only two games out of fifth place in the league, a hot streak to end the year could do wonders for both their seeding and their confidence.

Atlantic 10: Fordham in the middle of the title hunt

Barring a monumental collapse, Fordham should be taking part in the Atlantic 10 Tournament in Atlantic City next month. The question for the Rams is whether or not they can stay in the hunt for the regular season crown. Fordham finds themselves in a tie with Xavier and George Washington for third, one game behind Rhode Island. The top four seeds don’t play on the first day, so a high seed would make a run to the tournament title a little less taxing (note that Xavier won four games in four days last season, however). A win in tonight’s game at Dayton would be a huge confidence boost for Dereck Whittenburg’s squad, especially when you consider the fact that Dayton is undefeated at home this season.

Big East: St. John’s and Seton Hall looking to punch tickets to New York

The outlook for the Red Storm and Pirates isn’t as clear, with both teams being part of the logjam in the Big East standings. Two games separate fourteenth place from seventh, and with only the top twelve teams being eligible for the Big East Championship, every game from here on out will be of added importance. St. John’s, who will be without the services of Daryll Hill for a few weeks due to injury, needs to find consistency on the offensive end of the floor. The Red Storm have South Florida at home tonight and a return trip to Syracuse coming up, and both games are winnable.

Seton Hall’s problems lie on the other end of the court, especially when it comes to rebounding due to their lack of size. The next four for the Pirates are Villanova, at Connecticut, at West Virginia, and Pittsburgh at home. These four games could be their “last stand” when it comes to a Big East Championship berth.

Colonial: Hofstra one game out of first place in the CAA

With five games left in conference play, the Pride find themselves one game behind Virginia Commonwealth in the race for the regular season title. Hofstra won home games over VCU and Northeastern last week, and host Drexel on Thursday before hitting the road for George Mason and Old Dominion. At the least, Hofstra needs to stay in the top four in order to assure themselves of a first-round bye. VCU has George Mason and ODU coming up as well, so anything can happen in the regular season race.

Ivy: Columbia two games out of first place

After six games, the Lions find themselves two games behind Yale in the conference standings. And with the Ivy not having a conference tournament, any run for the league’s automatic berth needs to start now. They’ve won their last two games since being swept by Cornell, but when the season ends those two losses to the Big Red could be what this teams looks back on if they do not win the conference. Pennsylvania has two games in hand on the rest of the contenders, but the Lions will get them at the Palestra next weekend.

Metro Atlantic: Marist and Manhattan tied for first, but Fairfield is on fire

In the MAAC, Marist finds themselves in the spot that the league coaches thought they would be, in first place. But no one expected them to have company in the form of Loyola (MD) and Manhattan at the top. In recent games the Red Foxes have had trouble on the defensive end, something that they need to improve upon down the stretch. Marist has one of the nation’s better backcourts in Jared Jordan and Will Whittington, and guard play usually has a direct effect on which team wins and who heads home come March.

Manhattan, led by first-year head coach Barry Rohrssen, finds themselves in a position that few outside of the program expected the Jaspers to be in when the season began. Devon Austin and Arturo Dubois have done a good job of leading this team, and look for the disappointment of losing in last season’s MAAC Semifinals to be a motivating force for this group. Manhattan visits Marist on Valentine’s Day in a game that few people expected would have a major impact on the conference title race.

The hottest team in the MAAC? That would be Fairfield, which will host the MAAC Tournament in a couple of weeks in Bridgeport, CT. The Stags, also led by a first-year head coach (Ed Cooley), have won seven straight and are in a three-way tie just one game behind the leaders. While senior guard Michael Van Schaick leads the team in scoring, it’s been a pair of freshmen forwards (Greg Nero and Anthony Johnson) that have carried to load inside. Fairfield has games at Marist (Thursday) and Loyola (Sunday) back-to-back, but even with two losses look out for the Stags next month.

At the bottom of the standings lie St. Peter’s and Iona. Iona got their first win of the season last weekend, and St. Peter’s has lost their last fifteen. It’s safe to say that these two will be playing on the first day of the MAAC Tournament, but who they will play is still up for discussion. On that Friday night (March 2nd), seven (seed) plays ten and eight plays nine with the winners moving on to Saturday. Which one of these two has a better chance to shock the world? Right now, I’ll go with the Gaels.

Northeast: Traffic jam in the middle of the NEC

After Central Connecticut State, it’s hard to make sense of the Northeast Conference standings. Fairleigh Dickinson and Sacred Heart are tied for third with 7-4 conference records, but the two teams seem to be headed in opposite directions. The Knights, thanks to a nail-biting win over Monmouth on Monday, have won three straight. The Pioneers, on the other hand, have lost three of their last four, most recently an 80-76 defeat at Wagner. Unlike most conference tournaments that are played at neutral sites, the NEC rewards the higher seeds by allowing them to host tournament games. Also, only the top eight teams qualify for the conference tournament. Both the Knights and Pioneers would like to do their best to finish on the side of the bracket opposite the league-leading Blue Devils.

Wagner, who just a couple of weeks ago was struggling to make sure that they would qualify for the conference tournament, is only one game behind FDU and SHU thanks to their current three-game win streak. The Seahawks have done a much better job of sharing the basketball of late, with at least four players reaching double figures in points in each of their last three games. If they can keep this up, look out. LIU and St. Francis (NY) find themselves on the outside looking in when it comes to the conference tournament, with both teams being three games behind Monmouth in the loss column. It will take a lot for both of these squads to make an appearance in the NEC Tournament.

Patriot: Army in a dogfight for fourth

While there is still a chance that the Black Knights could catch Lehigh and take third in the Patriot League, their primary concern right now should be to hold onto fourth place and the final home court slot in the conference tournament. Like the NEC, the Patriot will reward the higher seeds with home court advantage throughout the tournament. No one will catch either Holy Cross or Bucknell at this point in the season, but one game in the loss column separates Army from last place (Navy). At the very least they need to avoid falling to either seventh or eighth, spots that will result in a trip to either Holy Cross or Bucknell for the quarterfinals.

Here are a few games to keep an eye on in the next couple of days.

• South Florida @ St. John’s, Wednesday 7:30 PM EST
The Bulls, fresh off an upset of Notre Dame in Tampa this past weekend, visit Carnesecca Arena in a game that will have a major impact on the tournament hopes of both teams. No, not the NCAA Tournament, but the Big East Tournament. St. John’s is coming off of a win at Cincinnati in what was the best performance of the season for freshman forward Qa’rraan Calhoun (18 points, 5 rebounds). And if you haven’t seen USF forward McHugh Mattis play this season, check this game out. Mattis is currently averaging 13 points, 7.3 rebounds and 3.9 blocks per contest.

• Fairfield @ Marist, Thursday 7:30 PM EST
The first of two meetings between these two, and only one game separates the Stags from the Red Foxes atop the MAAC. How Michael Van Schaick does against the Marist backcourt will have a say in which direction this game goes. In the frontcourt, Marist is the more experienced of the two teams, but Fairfield’s freshman duo of Greg Nero and Anthony Johnson have been playing better of late. Marist has the home court advantage, but the Stags have won seven straight, so confidence won’t be lacking on their side. Also, take some time to watch a little of the Drexel/Hofstra and Monmouth/Wagner games, two matchups that will have a big impact on seeding in their respective conference tournaments.

• Yale @ Columbia, Friday 7:00 PM EST
Columbia gets their shot to put a dent in the Bulldogs’ lead atop the Ivy League standings in this showdown between coaching siblings, Yale’s James Jones and Columbia’s Joe Jones. Columbia’s John Baumann is coming off of a 21 and 14 effort in the Lions’ win at Dartmouth on Saturday. Yale has won their last four games, most recently a 77-68 home win over league favorite Penn. Eric Flato and Casey Hughes have been playing some good basketball of late, so look for the Lions’ backcourt to have their hands full in this one. Also, keep an eye on St. Francis (NY)/Fairleigh Dickinson and Manhattan/Rider.

• Hofstra @ George Mason, Saturday 4:00 PM EST
Depending on what happens in games Thursday, Hofstra could find themselves in first place when the get to Fairfax to take on the Patriots. George Mason has alternated wins and losses in their last six games (not counting their game against VCU on Thursday), and it’s been a rather inconsistent year for Mason other than their five-game win streak in January. Hofstra will have to hope that Mike Davis-Sabb and Chris Gadley show up for this one because forward Will Thomas is a beast in the paint. Also, take some time out in your day to catch some of the Villanova/Seton Hall and Wagner/Sacred Heart games.

• Hartford @ Stony Brook, Sunday 2:00 PM EST
Although these two teams are among the three at the bottom of America East, this game is a matchup between two of the better young coaches in the league, Dan Leibovitz (Hartford) and Steve Pikiell (SBU). However, neither team would be described as on a roll at this time, with Hartford riding an eight-game losing skid and SBU having lost six of their last eight. Both would like to avoid that 8/9 nine game on the opening day of the America East Tournament, and a win in this one would go a long way in making sure that the winner does just that. Also, check out St. John’s/ Syracuse and Fairfield/Loyola (MD).

Here are the updated rankings.

1. Hofstra (2): The Pride are back on top after Fordham’s loss to Rhode Island.
2. Marist (3): The Red Foxes are in a three-way tie for first in the MAAC, despite their inconsistent play of late.
3. Fordham (1): Rhody 45, Fordham 44. This was one of the uglier nail-biters of the 2006-07 season, but the Rams are still in the title hunt.
4. Manhattan (4): This team just keeps getting better as the season goes on. Can they turn this improvement into an NCAA bid? Who knows?
5. Fairfield (9): The Stags are on fire right now, but let’s see if they can keep that up with their next two on the road (Marist, Loyola (MD)).
6. St. John’s (7): Who’s going to help shoulder some of the load with Daryll Hill out of action? Meet Qa’rraan Calhoun, but Larry Wright has a chance to step up and gain more minutes in the backcourt.
7. Fairleigh Dickinson (8): The Knights have won three in a row, and their home win over Monmouth (despite trailing by double digits) was impressive.
8. Sacred Heart (5): The Pioneers have struggled of late, but they still control their own destiny when it comes to hosting a quarterfinal in the NEC Tournament.
9. Seton Hall (6): A tough stretch coming up could mean the end of the Hall’s Big East Tournament chances. Or it could be the start of a big-time run. It all depends on how well they can hit the boards.
10. Wagner (11): The Seahawks are putting it together at the right time. Maybe they can make a run in the NEC Tournament.
11. Columbia (13): Road sweep of Harvard and Dartmouth put the Lions back on the right track. Now they get first-place Yale at home in a chance to make a dent in the conference standings.
12. Army (10): Losing at home to Holy Cross is one thing, but only scoring 38 at home in a loss to Colgate? Ouch.
13. St. Francis (NY) (12): Brian Nash’s team has improved, but it looks like they’re destined to spend another March watching the NEC Tournament.
14. Stony Brook (14): Just like SFNY, you can’t just measure improvement in wins and losses. Steve Pikiell’s team has gotten better, but they still make some of the same mistakes that cost them games last season.
15. Long Island (15): Seven straight losses have put the Blackbirds on the wrong side of the NEC Tournament “fence”. And with their next two on the road, it looks like it will stay that way.
16. NJIT (16): No conference tournament for this first-year independent, but the Highlanders will concentrate on improving for 2007-08.
17. Iona (18): Their first win of the season, along with St. Peter’s fifteen game losing streak moves the Gaels up a spot.
18. St. Peter’s (17): Thanks to Iona’s win on Saturday, the Peacocks now have the area’s longest current losing streak.

NEC Player & Rookie of the Week

Press Release — Mon, 05 Feb 2007 00:00:00 -0800

Choice Hotels/NEC Player of the Week

Andre Harris, Fairleigh Dickinson
Sr., F, 6-8, 233 lbs., Detroit, MI/Robichaud

Harris, who scored his 1,000th career point on Thursday, picks up the first Choice Hotels/NEC Player of the Week award of his career for his work in leading the Knights to a pair of road victories last week. He averaged 25.0 points, 8.5 rebounds and shot 62.1 percent from the floor and 80.0 percent from the charity stripe. The 6’8” forward also hit 2-2 shots from beyond the arc. In a 91-88 win over Sacred Heart on Tuesday, he was one of five FDU players in double figures with 16 points and seven rebounds as the Knights handed the Pioneers their first home setback of the season. Harris then put on a dominating performance two nights later, scoring 28 of his career and NEC single-game season-high 34 points in the second half to lift FDU to an 84-79 victory over Robert Morris. He scored the first 11 points after intermission and 19 of the first 21 as the Knights won for the third time in their last four road tilts. Harris, who needed 33 points entering the game to reach 1,000, hit 12-18 from the field and snared 10 boards in his eighth double-double effort of the season. The Detroit, MI product has a commanding lead in the race for the NEC scoring crown at 19.0 ppg, and also ranks second on the circuit with 7.7 rpg. Harris is the lone player in the league to score in double-digits in each game this season.

Choice Hotels/NEC Rookie of the Week

Jaytornah Wisseh, Long Island
Fr., G, 6-1, 180 lbs., Brooklyn, NY/Banneker Academy

Wisseh’s first Choice Hotels/NEC Rookie of the Week honor of the season comes after two terrific performances off the bench for the Blackbirds last week. For the week, he averaged 20.0 points, 6.5 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 2.0 steals while shooting 57.9 percent from the field and 84.2 percent from the line. Wisseh began his week on Tuesday with 11 points, a career-high seven rebounds, seven assists and two steals in an 80-77 setback to Wagner. On Friday, the Brooklyn, NY native exploded for a career-best 29 points and added six boards, two assists and two steals as the Blackbirds dropped an 80-72 decision at Sacred Heart. He drilled 7-11 shots from the floor - including 2-3 from long range - and hit 13-16 from the line. The 29-point outing marked the most points by an NEC freshman since St. Francis (NY)’s John Quintana hit for 31 on February 22, 2003. Wisseh has now boosted his season scoring average to 8.3 ppg and leads the Blackbirds with 2.7 apg and 1.2 spg.

NEC Players of the Week

Press Release — Mon, 08 Jan 2007 00:00:00 -0800

Choice Hotels/NEC Player of the Week

Manny Ubilla, Fairleigh Dickinson
Jr., G, 6-2, 185 lbs., Freehold, NJ/Freehold (Lackawanna JC)

In a game in which Fairleigh Dickinson rallied from an 18-point second half deficit, it was Ubilla’s late-game heroics on Saturday that sparked the Knights to a 96-95 overtime win over Wagner. Making just his second start of the season, Ubilla scored a career-high 25 points in the contest, hitting 8-14 from the field, 3-7 from outside the arc and 6-7 from the line. He also grabbed six rebounds and added two steals, an assist and a blocked shot as the Knights improved to 2-0 in NEC play. Ubilla scored six points in a 12-0 run that cut Wagner’s lead to 67-66 with just under six minutes to play, then tallied seven points in overtime. Trailing 91-86, he drilled a three-pointer with 2:29 remaining in the extra session, then sank a jumper to pull the Knights to within 93-91 at the 1:32 mark. Ubilla went on to convert the go-ahead layup with :46 left on the clock to give FDU its first lead in the overtime session. The Freehold, NJ native has now averaged 17.0 ppg, 7.3 rpg and 2.7 apg over his last three outings. Ubilla currently ranks second on the Knights in scoring (11.6 ppg) and leads the club with 25 three-pointers.

Choice Hotels/NEC Rookie of the Week

Kelly Beidler, Mount St. Mary’s
Fr., F, 6-5, 205 lbs., Virginia Beach, VA/Tallwood

Beidler has come on strong for Mount St. Mary’s and was a key figure last week when the Mount posted a 1-1 record, including a 78-76 win in quadruple overtime at Long Island on Thursday. For the week, he averaged 12.5 points, 6.0 rebounds and 1.5 blocks, while hitting at a 60.0 percent clip (9-15) from the floor. Beidler, whose dunk with 1:02 left in regulation pulled the Mount to within two points of Long Island, scored nine of his 15 points in the overtime sessions. He finished the contest - which matched the longest game in NEC and Mount history - 6-8 from the floor and added seven rebounds. Two days later, the Virginia Beach, VA product tallied 10 points, five rebounds and two blocks in a 62-56 setback at defending NEC champion Monmouth. After scoring 21 points over the first eight games of his career, Beidler has posted double figure scoring efforts in each of the last four, averaging 13.3 ppg and 6.8 rpg. For the season, he has upped his scoring average to 6.2 ppg.

Merry Christmas to all...

Raphielle Johnson — Tue, 26 Dec 2006 19:47:43 -0800

Saturday signaled the beginning of the Christmas break for college basketball, with everyone pretty much taking off the following three days for time with family and friends. One result from Saturday that surprised me was Kansas 84, Boston College 66. The result wasn't a surprise, but the margin was, as the Jayhawks took over from the start. But the biggest loss for the Eagles may have been the services of star forward Jared Dudley, who aggravated a lingering left foot injury in the loss. Dudley may sit out BC's next two games, Duquesne and Northeastern, in order to regain his health in time for then ACC schedule. Add this injury to those of John Oates and Akida McLain, and you have a frontcourt that's paper-thin behind Sean Williams and Shomari Spears. Also, the injury bug puts even more emphasis what I think is the key to the Eagles' success this season: the shot selection of guard Tyrese Rice. Is it too early to ask if the Colonial is a two-bid league? The team responsible for this question is Drexel, and when you look at the Dragons' schedule you know why. Drexel owns road wins over St. Joseph's, Villanova, Temple and Syracuse to this point in the season, giving them a ranking of seven in Ken Pomeroy's most recent RPI ranking. While some of the teams in the Colonial are ranked low enough to do some damage to that ranking, there are enough quality wins within the league to put Drexel in a good position come Selection Sunday. The comeback of the weekend? Rider over Fairleigh Dickinson 74-72. The Broncs trailed FDU 56-35 with thirteen minutes remaining, but came back thanks to a 25-7 run that tied the score at 70 with 1:26 to go. Harris Mansell provided the heroics, nailing a three to give Rider a 73-72 lead with 33 seconds to go. Most people ignored this result, but it should be seen as a good road win for a Rider team that isn't expected to do much in the MAAC (Blue Ribbon picked the Broncs to finish 9th in a ten-team league). One question: with forward Greg Washington sitting out at Hofstra (they can definitely use this 6-10 freshman's size right now) and Rhode Island forward Delroy James doing the same, can the NCAA Clearinghouse find a way to speed up the process in determining whether or not players not yet cleared can play? I'm sure that there are other cases, but at what point do the coaching staffs say "we won't have this player available this year"? And the players can practice all they want, but at some point the longevity of the process gets to them as well. I know that there are a lot of new athletes to check before the season begins, but there has to be a better way to go about this. Providence will be without the services of guard Sharaud Curry for their non-conference tilt with Florida State due to a violation of team rules. The interesting thing about this development is the life that this news took on various fan sites, something that the Providence Journal-Bulletin compared to that of chats on SEC football fan pages. Some posters put up that Curry and forward Geoff McDermott would be out 7-10 games each, but that was inaccurate to say the least. McDermott is OK, and head coach Tim Welsh hasn't decided how long Curry will be out. With or without Curry, this is a game to keep an eye on because both teams could use a win over a team from a marquee conference before they head into league play. In America East, keep an eye on Binghamton. Yes, Albany is the league favorite and Vermont won at Boston College, but the Bearcats are 6-4 after going 2-0 in the State of Florida. North Florida is North Florida (no disrespect) and Miami has been disappointing so far this year (is it me or have Dennis Clemente and Anthony Harris regressed this season? Or was Robert Hite that good?), but those are two good wins on the road for Binghamton. Next up for the Bearcats is an appearance in the Comcast Lobo Invitational in Albuquerque, opening up with Pepperdine. The other matchup is between host New Mexico and Alcorn State. Hope you all enjoyed your holiday, and Happy New Year.

2006-07 Metro Preview: Fairleigh Dickinson

Raphielle Johnson — Mon, 16 Oct 2006 10:58:42 -0700

Raphielle Johnson Previews the 14-team NYC Metro Region.

14. Fairleigh Dickinson Knights

2005-06 record: 20-12 (14-4 NEC; regular season champions)

Last season’s final ranking (in my NYC Metro area poll): 7th

Head coach: Tom Green (378-292 at FDU, overall)

Leading Returnees: Points (Michael Peeples-9.4 ppg); Rebounds (Peeples-4.7 rpg); Assists (Bernell Murray-3.4 apg)

Returning Starters: 2 (Sr. F Michael Peeples (6’6, 205), Jr. G Bernell Murray (5’9, 173))

Key Losses: G Chad Timberlake, F Gordon Klaiber, C Andrea Crosariol (all starters)

Team Preview

Do not take this ranking as a sign that the Knights aren’t going to be a good team this season because they very well could be. Head coach Tom Green’s issue is that he lost so much in the form of Timberlake, Klaiber, and Crosariol. While the loss of the first two was expected (graduation), Crosariol deciding to sign a professional contract to play in Europe was a loss that the program wasn’t necessarily planning on. However, they have replaced one seven-footer for another, with Lawrence Brown joining the program by way of Portsmouth, England. To expect him to be a major contributor would be unfair, with there being a need to add some muscle to his 210-pound frame. That responsibility falls on the shoulders of the only two returnees to have averaged more that twenty-six minutes per game, Peeples and Murray.

Peeples, a senior wing player from Detroit, was a solid contributor last season and will have more opportunities to create offense in an expanded role. Murray was the distributor last season and should see his role expand some, allowing him to create a little more offense for himself. Murray is a solid decision maker, noted in his 1.83-to-1 assist to turnover ratio. But the triumvirate that may hold the key to the Knights’ prospects this year are guards John Blackgrove (Sr. 6’2, 190) and Cameron Tyler (So. 6’0, 190), and forward Andre Harris (Sr. 6’7, 228). The most important of these three has to be Harris, who will be counted on for scoring inside. Tyler played well last season off the bench for the Knights, so he should do well in an expanded role. Blackgrove, in his first year at FDU after transferring from Fordham, had back trouble last season, limiting his effectiveness.

As for the newcomers, look for freshman Sean Baptiste and junior college transfer Manny Ubilla, both guards and New Jersey natives, to contribute right away. Lawrence Brown, a seven-footer from England who played at Millersburg Military Institute in Kentucky last year, is a work in progress.

Schedule at a Glance

The Knights have a tough start this season, opening with games at Providence and Seton Hall to begin the year. Providence will be the greater test of the two games, with their interior depth and young but talented backcourt. Seton Hall, however, could be a chance for this team to get a road win against an opponent from a glamour conference. The Pirates lost two key contributors in Donald Copeland and Kelly Whitney, and they also bring in a new coach in Bobby Gonzalez. FDU has home non-conference games against St. Peter’s, Wisconsin-Green Bay, and Canisius, then another tough road test at Drexel. They will also take part in the College of Charleston Tournament, with College of Charleston, Radford, and IUPUI also taking part.

Conference play offers up an 18-game slate, beginning with a trip to Quinnipiac December 9^th. One interesting aspect of the schedule is that FDU will have five straight home games in February, before finishing up the regular season with visits to Wagner and St. Francis (NY). If they can take care of business at home in those five games, look for the last two to decide seeding in the NEC Tournament, opposed to whether or not they will qualify (only the top eight teams qualify for the conference tournament).

Interesting note: FDU has participated in postseason play the last two years. They were the NEC’s representative in the NCAA Tournament in 2005, and went to the NIT last season.

2005-2006 Team Averages

· Points per game: 74.3 - Points per game allowed: 70.8 - Points per game margin: + 3.5

· Rebounds per game: 36.8 - Rebounds per game allowed: 38.3 - Rebounding margin: -1.5

· Assists per game: 15.9 - Turnovers per game: 14.6 - Assist-to-turnover ratio: 1.1:1

· Field goal percentage: 45.6% - FG Percentage allowed: 41.5%

· 3-Point Percentage: 35.5% - 3-PT Percentage Defense: 35.0%

· Free Throw Percentage: 64.5%

2005-06 Streaks

· Longest winning streak: 11 (St. Francis-NY, Sacred Heart, @ St. Francis-PA, @ Robert Morris, LIU, @ Wagner, Robert Morris, @ LIU, Mount St. Mary’s, @ Sacred Heart, @ Wisconsin-Green Bay) January 20-February 18

· Longest losing streak: 3 (Drexel, @ St. Peter’s, @ then #10 Louisville) December 17-December 28

· FDU lost their last two games of the season: Monmouth in the NEC title game, then Manhattan in the opening round of the Postseason NIT.

Complete NYC Metro Preview