Rutgers

2008-09 Rutgers Basketball Preview: #132

Joel Welser — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 08:26:35 -0700

Rutgers Scarlet Knights

Overall Rank: #132

Conference Rank: #13 Big East

2007-08: 11-20, 3-15, 15^th

2007-08 postseason: none

Rutgers is slowly improving under Coach Fred Hill, but it is a long way from a 20 loss season to a 20 win season. The recruiting is looking great, but it will take some time for that to turn into wins. The Scarlet Knights have the talent to cause some trouble to the perennial powers in the Big East right now, but if things continue as they have been on the recruiting front, Rutgers could become one of those perennial powers in the not-so-distant future.

Who’s Out:

Byron Joynes played an important role off the bench during his senior campaign. The 6-9 center was never much of a scorer, but he was a solid rebounder and could block a shot or two. Justin Sofman will not suit up for the Scarlet Knights this year after seeing limited action as a freshman.

Who’s In:

With seven players returning who started nearly every game, Rutgers does not need a lot of help from the newcomers. But they could use an influx of talent; and they got it. Shooting guard Mike Rosario, a McDonald’s All-American, could step into the starting lineup right away. Rosario is a superb shooter from long range and that is good news for a team that has some decent outside shooters, but nobody who will consistently knock down shots from beyond the arc. Patrick Jackson might not be ready to make as big of an impact as Rosario, but the 6-6 wing has good size and plenty of potential. Gregory Echenique will do to the frontcourt what Rosario will to the backcourt. The 6-9, 260 pound Echenique was ranked as one of the top center prospects in the class of 2009, but was able to join this year’s class after finding some transferable credits. The Venezuelan is a smart and poised player well beyond his years and that will be enough to earn some quality minutes as a freshman. Power forward Christian Morris is full of potential and Mike Kuhn and Tomasz Kokosinski will add some emergency depth to the roster.

Who to Watch:

The backcourt was young and relatively inexperienced last year. Many underclassmen will be major contributors, but the lack of experience is not an issue anymore. Corey Chandler, Mike Coburn and Earl Pettis all saw significant playing time last season. Chandler led the way with 11.5 points per game and was the team’s most prolific three-point shooter. Coburn garnered 20 starts, but could very well be relegated to the bench this year. That says something about the new found depth Coach Hill has to work with. At 6-5, Pettis has the potential to develop into a solid wing who can help out the team on the glass. He only averaged 13.2 minutes per game last year, so he never really got the chance to show his stuff. However, if he can continue to develop his game, Pettis could play a bigger role this year. Luckily, there is a senior to lead the group on the perimeter. Point guard Anthony Farmer saw his assist numbers decrease last season, but he is a solid ballhandler who is also the most consistent shooter on the team. Jaron Griffin, another senior, started all 31 games on the wing last year, but could lose his starting job to some of the youngsters. Whether he starts or not, Griffin is a decent slasher who can score and help on the glass.

Final Projection:

The other upperclassmen that will make an impact on this team are in the frontcourt. J.R. Inman led the squad with 12.2 points and 7.2 rebounds per game and Hamady N’Diaye is one of the best shot blockers in the nation. Chemistry may be the only thing keeping this team from the 2009 postseason. The seniors have talent, but they also get most of the blame for the past failures of the program. If things start going bad, the fans and the coaches might just give up on their seniors and look towards the future instead. That might be good for next season, but it will be very bad for this year’s record.

Projected Post-season Tournament: none

Projected Starting Five:

Anthony Farmer, Senior, Guard, 10.2 points per game

Corey Chandler, Sophomore, Guard, 11.5 points per game

Mike Rosario, Freshman, Guard, DNP last season

J.R. Inman, Senior, Forward, 12.2 points per game

Hamady N’Diaye, Junior, Center, 5.2 points per game

Complete Top 144 Ranking | 2008-09 Preview & Awards | Coach Interviews | Discuss the Preview

Lots of changes at Marist...and some other Northeast news

Raphielle Johnson — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 09:41:33 -0700

Well, today marks the beginning of the Spring Signing Period, and many fans are awaiting the decision of guard Tyreke Evans. The explosive prerimeter player is said to be leaning in the direction of Memphis, and that's who I'd expect him to sign with due to the departure of Derrick Rose. But the school with the most going on in recent days has to be Marist, who will any day be gaining a head coach, but they've already lost two players. - Memphis assistant Jose "Chucky" Martin to be named Marist head coach. Many services have reported that the official announcement is coming any day now. Martin, a native of New York City, has many ties to the area due to both his playing at St. Raymond's in the Bronx and assistant stints at Manhattan and St. John's. That's the good news for fans of the Red Foxes, who head into this critical portion of the offseason with a head coach in place. As for the bad... - Guard Jay Gavin is transferring to VCU. According to Phil Strum of the Poughkeepsie Journal, star freshman guard Jay Gavin will be leaving Marist at the end of the semester to attend Virginia Commonwealth. He'll have to sit out next season due to NCAA transfer rules, but with the coaching change the people most instrumental in getting him to Marist are now gone (the entire coaching staff went with Matt Brady to James Madison). And speaking of James Madison, former Marist verbal commitment Andrey Semenov will follow Brady and his staff to JMU. Coach Martin will have a lot of work to do in regards to filling out his roster for the upcoming season. - G Doug Wiggins has asked to be released from his scholarship in order to transfer. A couple of weeks ago head coach Jim Calhoun talked about some imminent changes that would be coming this offseason for his program. One domino has fallen apparently, that being East Hartford native Doug Wiggins. Some moves were expected in regards to playing time/off-court issues, and Wiggins certainly had to deal with the latter during his two years in Storrs. But the main thing for Wiggins is to find a place in which he'll see a lot of playing time over his final two seasons. - "Christmas in April" for Rutgers? Maybe. Reported on Monday by Stacey Davis of NYCHoops.net, there is the possibility of St. Benedict's Prep forward and Rutgers commit Greg Echinique accelerating his coursework in order to graduate in time to join the Scarlet Knights this fall. A member of the Class of 2009, sources have told Davis that Echinique has entered an accelerated program with hopes of getting this done. If it can happen, look out for RU next season. - Sources say that Travis Ford could be the new head coach at Oklahoma State any day now. According to ESPN.com, UMass head coach Travis Ford is expected to take the same position at Oklahoma State any day now, just about a week after turning down Providence and agreeing to a new deal to stay at UMass. He replaces Sean Sutton, who was let go after two seasons in Stillwater.

NYC Metro Review Part 2: Teams 6-11

Raphielle Johnson — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 08:00:18 -0700

After the top five in the final rankings, there were a few schools that hovered around the .500 mark for most of the season, only to come out on the short end so to speak. But that doesn’t mean that this season was a complete failure for teams such as LIU, Fairfield and Yale. The Blackbirds finished dead even at 15-15, their first non-losing record 1997-98. Jim Ferry’s team, led by guard Jaytornah Wisseh and forward Eugene Kotorobai, will have to replace Kotorobai and Kellen Allen as they look to improve upon this season’s seventh-place finish in the Northeast Conference.

As for the Stags of Fairfield (14-16), head coach Ed Cooley will see key contributors such as Second-Team All-MAAC performer Jonathan Han and backcourt partner Herbie Allen back next season. Yale (13-15), who was expected by some to be more of a player in the Ivy League race (it ended up being everyone try to chase Cornell), has to replace a mainstay at guard in Eric Flato, along with swingman Caleb Holmes and big man Matt Kyle. But some key contributors will be back next season, led by forward Ross Morin.

Also in the group is a pair of Big East schools in St. John’s and Rutgers, and Fordham. Both Big East members were extremely young this season, but a year of seasoning along with some key recruits (especially Mike Rosario at Rutgers) should allow both to be in the top five next year. Fordham, on the other hand, can fall back one no such excuse as their season would have to be regarded as a disappointment. And that word may be kind. But before the ranking of those six teams, here are the members of the Second-Team All-Metro squad.

Second-Team All-Metro

G Manny Ubilla (Fairleigh Dickinson) - 20.8 ppg, 4.8 rpg, 4.9 apg, 42.9% 3PT

A member of the NEC’s Second Team All-Conference squad, Ubilla was one of the few bright spots in an otherwise disappointing year for Tom Green’s Knights. The senior from Freehold, N.J. failed to reach double figures just twice this season, and he also ranked second in the conference in three-point percentage. His best scoring effort this season was the thirty-nine he dropped on Rhode Island back on January 2^nd.

G Mark Porter (Wagner) - 16.3 ppg, 4.8 rpg, 5.5 apg, 1.9 spg

One of the keys to the success enjoyed by the Seahawks was the play of the senior guard from Atlantic City, also named First Team All Conference in the NEC. His 5.5 assists per game ranked behind only Robert Morris’ Tony Lee in the NEC, and he led a team with five players averaging double figures in points per game. The senior will definitely be missed on the Staten Island campus next season. Porter, who averaged thirty-seven minutes per game this season, had three games in which he reached double digits and assists and two double-doubles.

F John Baumann (Columbia) – 16.1 ppg, 6.7 rpg, 51.4% FG

The main cog in the Lions’ attack, Baumann was named to the Ivy League’s First Team All-Conference squad due to his efforts. Baumann, who leaves Columbia as the number six scorer in the history of the program, ranked second in the Ivy League in all three categories listed above and first in scoring in Ivy League games. For the second straight season Columbia finished at .500 in conference play, something that wouldn’t have been possible if not for the hard work of Baumann.

F Todd Sowell (St. Peter’s) – 12.7 ppg, 10.4 rpg, 2.2 bpg

To describe the senior forward from Brooklyn as a warrior would be appropriate, given the fact that he gave his all each and every night out on the floor for the Peacocks. Named to the MAAC’s Second Team All-Conference squad for his effort, Sowell averaged the second double-double of his career (he also did this as a sophomore). They may not have won many games, but the Peacocks may have done even worse than their six wins if not for Todd Sowell. He’ll definitely be missed in Jersey City.

F Durell Vinson (Wagner) – 13.6 ppg, 11.5 rpg, 55.8% FG

Vinson, like Mark Porter (they’ve been teammates in both high school and college), was named to the Northeast Conference’s First Team All-Conference squad and was the difference-maker this season for Mike Deane’s Seahawks. Last season Wagner sputtered without the services of their most dependable big, but this year they finished in second place in the NEC. How dominant was Vinson on the glass this season? His average was tops in the NEC by four rebounds per game.

Final Rankings 6-11

6. Fairfield (14-16)

The Stags, after getting off to a slow start for the second consecutive season, were able to fight their way back into the thick of the MAAC regular season race by season’s end. Alas, they fell short of the top spot and ended up finishing in fifth place, losing to Loyola (MD) in a close MAAC quarterfinal. While they do lose seniors such as Marty O’Sullivan and Mamadou Diakhate, the bulk of this team will be back in forwards Greg Nero and Anthony Johnson, and guard Jonathan Han and Herbie Allen. They’ve got a shot to make some noise in the MAAC next season.

7. Fordham (11-17)

Heading into the season, you would have thought that the Rams would have a better shot at finishing 17-11 instead of 11-17. But even with five senior starters returning, they found a way to plummet from the preseason prognostication of fifth in the Atlantic 10 to twelfth, barely qualifying for the conference tournament. Bryant Dunston once again did the job inside, and as a team Dereck Whittenburg’s squad did improve offensively. But they weren’t consistent enough on defense, or when it came to taking care of the basketball. It’ll be interesting to see what this team can do next year with a recruiting class led by guard Jio Fontan arriving on campus.

8. St. John’s (11-19)

The Red Storm certainly went through their share of growing pains, hitting rock bottom in the blowout loss to Georgetown in the Garden, a place in which the two charter members of the Big East have staged many memorable battles. The 74-42 was one for the books as well, and not for good reasons either. The only key contributor who won’t be back is senior guard Eugene Lawrence, which should mean that Norm Roberts’ team is ready to make a move up the Big East standings. Forwards Anthony Mason Jr. and Justin Burrell will be the headliners in 2008-09.

9. Long Island (15-15)

The Blackbirds head into the off-season with optimistic thoughts following their best season in ten years, along with the fact that a few of the key contributors are slated to return. Guard Jaytornah Wisseh was one of the NEC’s best by season’s end, and he’ll be back along with two members of the league’s All-Rookie Team in guards David Hicks and Kyle Johnson. Pairing those two with Wisseh will make the Blackbirds quite dangerous in 2008-09.

10. Yale (13-15)

The Bulldogs finished .500 in conference play, the eighth straight season in which they’ve completed Ivy League play with at least seven league wins. And in another dose of good fortune, they’ll return a pair of Second Team All-Conference Team members in forwards Travis Pinick and Ross Morin. Both led the conference in a statistical category (in Ivy League games), with Pinick averaging 8.9 rebounds per game and Morin shooting 64.2% from the field. But unfortunately for head coach James Jones, he’ll have to replace a quartet of seniors led by team captain Eric Flato.

11. Rutgers (11-20)

It was a tough way for the young Scarlet Knights to learn what playing in the Big East is all about, but they should all be back next season and they head into 2008-09 on a positive note. JR Inman hit a shot at the buzzer to defeat bitter rival Seton Hall in the season finale, and with McDonald’s All-American Mike Rosario on his way Fred Hill should have a pretty good team in 2008-09. Freshmen Corey Chandler and Mike Coburn were two of the team’s top four scorers, and Hamady N’Diaye got even more experience inside. Not sure just how far they can move up the Big East standings next season, but look out for these guys.

NYC Metro Year End Review: Part One

All-Metro Team & Ranking 1-5

NYC Metro Year End Review: Part Two

Ranking 6-11

Next: NYC Metro Year End Review: Part Three

Ranking 12-1

NYC Metro Year End Review: Part Four

All-Rookie & Ranking 18-23

Cheerleader of the Day: Rutgers #3

Shawn Siegel — Sun, 23 Mar 2008 09:13:14 -0700

Thanks to our friends over at Icon Sports Media, we now have access to thousands of great college basketball photos to use on the site. Each day, along with our Picture of the Day, we'll be featuring a Cheerleader of the Day. We'll be mixing up the schools & cheerleader so check back daily!

Rutgers #3

- Check out past Cheerleaders of the Day!

- Also check out the Picture of the Day!

Cheerleader of the Day: Rutgers #2

Shawn Siegel — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 08:31:10 -0700

Thanks to our friends over at Icon Sports Media, we now have access to thousands of great college basketball photos to use on the site. Each day, along with our Picture of the Day, we'll be featuring a Cheerleader of the Day. We'll be mixing up the schools & cheerleader so check back daily!

Rutgers

- Check out past Cheerleaders of the Day!

- Also check out the Picture of the Day!

Cheerleader of the Day: Rutgers

Shawn Siegel — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 23:09:25 -0800

Cheerleader of the Day

Thanks to our friends over at Icon Sports Media, we now have access to thousands of great college basketball photos to use on the site. Each day, along with our Picture of the Day, we'll be featuring a Cheerleader of the Day. We'll be mixing up the schools & cheerleader so check back daily!

Rutgers Scarlet Knights

- Check out past Cheerleaders of the Day!

- Check out recent Pictures of the Day!

Which of Monday's calls was worse?

Raphielle Johnson — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 09:45:16 -0800
Alright, the following two days have brought a litany of opinions concerning the end of game calls in the Villanova/Georgetown and Rutgers/Tennessee contests. But is it really cut and dry when it comes to determining which was the worse of the two? I say no, with some of the circumstances surrounding the games (and the plays themselves) needing to be considered before rendering a decisions. Here's my attempt (I assume you've seen the video of both plays, so I won't go into too much detail in describing them). The foul call itself: Edge Villanova You can essentially say this about the two plays: one was a foul, the other was questionable at best. To call a touch foul eighty feet away from the basket with :00.1 seconds left is absolutely ridiculous. Watching the play, did Jonathan Wallace really look as if he was getting ready to uncork a desperation heave? Or did it look more likely that he was trying to get the ball away from Villanova's basket, thus getting the game to overtime? I say the latter. To call Corey Stokes for that "foul" was simply amazing, and not in a good way. As for the foul on Kia Wright: that was indeed a foul. A borderline horsecollar tackle that would make Dallas Cowboys safety Roy Williams proud is in fact illegal in the game of basketball. But that's not the question in regards to this particular game. "Other" Issues: Edge Rutgers Now, I've heard the idea that maybe Villanova should have been afforded one full second, but you can't really fault the officials on the clock in that one. As for the clock stoppage in Knoxville, someone needs to be reprimanded (or even docked pay) for that disgrace. With the clock down to :00.2 seconds and the ball in Nicky Anoskie's hands, the clock stopped for approximately 1.3 seconds (according to ESPN). In this time, Anosike had the ability to go up for a shot. Now, the standard is that you need :00.3 seconds to attempt an actual shot; anything less can only be tipped. I've heard it all in regards to this one. The immediate offering on Monday night's "SportsCenter" that maybe an inadvertant whistle stopped the clock. OK if so, who restarted it, and why didn't play stop RIGHT THERE once they realized that the clock was stopped? Tennessee stated that the system they use can only be controlled by the game officials, a charge the inventor of the device refutes (see http://www.nj.com/rutgers/ledger/index.ssf?/base/sports-0/1202880997300230.xml&coll=1 for his response). In fact, the device that Tennessee uses has been upgraded, purchased by many schools including, ironically, Rutgers. Tennessee has yet to make that purchase. Hmmm. And the inventor offers in the aforementioned article that in cases such as the one in Knoxville, officials are instructed to watch the replay with a stopwatch to figure out how much time elapsed during the stoppage. Witnesses say that no such protocol was followed. Had they done this, I would think that Rutgers would have been awarded the win. So, who stopped the clock? I doubt we'll find out for a long time. Remember the Oklahoma/Oregon football game a couple of years ago when people found out who the man was in the replay booth? Things got so bad for him, with the hate mail and even a few death threats, that he quit his job. Therefore, we won't know who, beyond the three officials, was "responsible" for these...hijinks. Team Situation (and verdict): Edge Villanova Let's be honest here: as bad as that loss feels for the Scarlet Knights, they're well on their way (unless a massive collapse occurs) of being either a 1 or 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament. Their robbery occured in a non-conference game. The Wildcats, on the other hand, are currently in 12th place in the Big East. This is the final year of only twelve teams going to MSG, so they really could have used the overtime. Would they have won? Maybe, maybe not, but they should have at least gotten the chance to find out. This why I say that overall the Villanova call was worse. Lesson learned by both: the old coaching adage that when on the road you need to be ten points better than your opponent rings true, even in 2008.

Poll: What Was the Worst Call This Season?

Shawn Siegel — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 07:59:13 -0800

NYC Metro Ranking & Report: New Teams Added

Raphielle Johnson — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 09:35:05 -0800
After last week’s article I received an email from a Rutgers fan who wanted to know why his Scarlet Knights weren’t in the poll. Fair enough, but we’ll just ignore the fact that my inbox was empty with these requests when RU was 0-6 in Big East play. A home win over then-#18 Villanova will do that to people, and rightfully so. But to be fair, Rutgers is not the only team added. Say hello to Monmouth, Princeton and Rider, which rounds this list out at twenty-three teams. I hope that’s all, but if there’s someone else, email me at raphiellej@aol.com. Now, let’s move on to the week that was in the New York metropolitan area.

Team of the Week: Rutgers

Results: W 80-68 vs. #18 Villanova, W 77-64 @ #17 Pittsburgh

After looking as if they would go through the first month of conference play without a Big East win, the Scarlet Knights beat ranked teams in back-to-back games for the first time since the 2001-02 season when RU beat Connecticut and Syracuse. The more impressive effort has to be Saturday’s win in front of the “Oakland Zoo”, one in which five Scarlet Knights reached double figures, led by Corey Chandler’s eighteen. Against a program that is traditionally one of the Big East’s best on the defensive end of the floor, RU shot 53.7% from the field, helping to offset their nineteen turnovers. The Panthers, on the other hand, shot a mere 38.6% for the game in what turned out to be the worst margin of defeat at home in the Jamie Dixon era.

The Pitt win followed a home victory over a Villanova team that to be fair has been scuffling of late. Guards Mike Coburn and Anthony Farmer both scored twenty-three, clearly outperforming Nova’s talented backcourt unit in the process. The wins move Rutgers to 2-6 in league play, still leaving them on the outside looking in when it comes to the Big East Tournament. But you can’t ignore what two wins over ranked teams can do for the growth of Fred Hill’s young program.

Honorable Mention: Marist (wins over Niagara, Iona and Canisius to move into a tie for first in the MAAC with Rider); Rider (3-0 week to move to 8-2 in the MAAC); Seton Hall (2-0 week to move to 4-3 in the Big East).

Player of the Week: Brian Laing (Seton Hall)

Numbers for the Week: 23 points, 8 rebounds in win at Providence; 22 points, 13 rebounds in win over Cincinnati.

Yes, I picked a Pirate last week as well, going with Jeremy Hazell last week. But Laing, who has been one of the mainstays for Bobby Gonzalez all year, had an outstanding week. On a team that lacks consistent frontcourt help from its actual big men, Laing took on all comers this past week, playing all eighty minutes in the Pirates’ two wins. Thanks in large part to Laing, a team that when conference play began had the look of a team destined to miss the Big East Tournament is right in the middle of a logjam in the conference standings. And at 14-6 overall, who knows what another six or seven wins could get them at season’s end. But for now, it’s time to acknowledge the effort put forth by the senior from the Bronx, one of the Big East’s most versatile players.

Honorable Mention: Sean Baptiste (FDU): 23 and 10 @ Monmouth, 23 and 5 vs. Wagner; Jarell Brown (Army): 24 points vs. American, 35 and 7 @ Navy; Jamar Nutter (Seton Hall): 19 and 4 @ Providence, 20 and 4 vs. Cincinnati.

The “Where Did That Come from” Performance of the Week: Lamar Johnson (Rider) vs. Manhattan (23 points in 21 minutes)

With the addition of teams to the poll, I decided to add this category after checking out the stats in Rider’s last three victories. To say the least, the stat line for Johnson caught my eye. Sandwiched in between scoreless efforts against Iona and St. Peter’s was a scoring outburst against Manhattan on Thursday night. Johnson, a junior guard from Scranton, PA who ranks fifth on the Broncs in points per game (6.3 ppg), went 8-for-9 (7-for-8 on threes) from the field in the win over the Jaspers. You know what you’re going to get from the likes of Jason and Ryan Thompson, as well as long-range threat Harris Mansell. But if Tommy Dempsey can get this kind of help from his bench, they’ll be a tough out in Albany during the MAAC Tournament.

Other Observations from las

Jason Thompson has been named one of the “Midseason Top 30” candidates for the John R. Wooden Player of the Year award.

Thompson, who is arguably the best big man in the nation not talked about every waking moment on ESPN, is on the recently released list of the thirty midseason candidates for the prestigious award given out at the end of the season. The primary reason why the Broncs have won seven in a row and currently lead the MAAC with an 8-2 record (15-6 overall), Thompson currently averages 19.9 points and 11.2 rebounds per game, putting him on pace to duplicate (if not exceed) his 20-and-10 numbers from a year ago.

The natives are beginning to get restless at St. John’s.

Late in the Red Storm’s 81-57 loss to Pittsburgh on Wednesday night, there were chants of “Fire Norm” overheard in the near-empty Madison Square Garden. Fans seem to have heard enough about rebuilding and want some tangible results, which is fair. However, with eight newcomers on the roster, maybe giving Roberts an “honor” recently bestowed upon Isiah Thomas is a little harsh.

Justin Burrell has played well inside for St. John’s, but he hasn’t had much help and that’s one of their key issues right now. Rob Thomas hasn’t provided the lift many expected of him when he became eligible, and Tomas Jasiulionis doesn’t have the talent required to get it done on a nightly basis in the Big East. This season could end up being more about building for the future (most importantly 2008-09), which isn’t fair to vets such as Eugene Lawrence and Anthony Mason Jr., and the fans won’t care for it much either. But it may be the only way to go about finishing out the year at this point, as it is starting to become painfully clear that the Red Storm don’t have enough to make a run at a Big East Tournament berth.

This coming week is a big one for Hofstra if they want to turn their season around.

The Pride went 1-1 last week, losing by seventeen at home to VCU, then winning at Northeastern on Saturday 70-65. This coming week brings three games, all of which are winnable games for this team despite their struggles. First up is Longwood on Monday night, a young Division I program that has lost seven in a row. A trip to Towson follows, and the Tigers are a team that is currently only one game better than the Pride in CAA play at 4-5. The final contest of the week may be the toughest, but luckily for the Pride they get Delaware at home.

The question, as it has been all season long, is who will step up on the offensive end when opponents try to eliminate Antoine Agudio. Charles Jenkins scored eighteen against VCU, but there was little help elsewhere. And to be frank, the Rams are a far superior club at this point. Against Northeastern, Agudio was unstoppable, putting up thirty-two points in the Pride’s second road win of the year. If Tom Pecora can get something of consequence from Darren Townes or Nathaniel Lester, Hofstra can win all three. But it’ll be tough sledding if the burden rests solely upon the shoulders of Agudio and Jenkins.

Monmouth has the same issue as Hofstra on the offensive end of the floor and it could very well leave them watching the NEC Tournament in March.

In what has to be an amazing stat, the Hawks are 1-13 in games in which they’ve allowed at least sixty points. Not seventy, sixty. The Hawks currently rank dead last in the NEC in points per game, scoring a meager 56.9 points per contest. So, even though they lead the league in scoring defense (66.3 ppg allowed), it doesn’t mean a whole lot because other than Jhamar Youngblood (13.7 ppg) and Whitney Coleman (11.6 ppg) there isn’t a player who can consistently reach double figures.

In what could be a positive sign for the Hawks, R.J. Rutledge scored fifteen in their loss to FDU Friday night. With two of the best offensive teams in the NEC next up on the schedule (Robert Morris and Long Island rank second and third in scoring offense), they’d better hope they can achieve some offensive consistency.

Games to keep and eye on this week

-          Loyola-MD @ NJIT (Tuesday 7 PM)

I’m surely not going to tell you that the Highlanders will get their first win of the season in this one. But you will get a chance to check out Loyola’s Gerald Brown, one of the best guards in the MAAC. Plus, no one else in the area is playing.

-          Rider @ Marist (Wednesday 7:30 PM)

This has to be the game of the week in the area, as the combatants enter this game in Poughkeepsie tied atop the MAAC standings. While both were expected to compete in the top half of the league, most expected the top spot to belong to Siena, Niagara or Loyola (MD). Two good individual matchups in this one as well: Jason Thompson vs. Ryan Stilphen, and Ryan Thompson vs. Louie McCroskey. And pay close attention to Jay Gavin of Marist coming off the bench, a shooter who has shown an ability to put up points in quick bursts.

-          Seton Hall @ Rutgers (Wednesday 9 PM, ESPN Full Court)

A rivalry game that will have an impact on more than just the Big East standings, as the recruiting advantage in the Garden State may also be up for grabs. Fred Hill already as commitments from St. Anthony guard Mike Rosario, and Bobby Gonzalez has a verbal from Paterson Catholic’s Jordan Theodore. But after last week’s results, both teams have designs on making a move up the conference standings this season, and this game will have a serious say in regards to that. The key players: Hamadi N’Diaye (Rutgers) and John Garcia (Seton Hall). Whichever starting big man gives his team more of a lift will be the winner.

-          Temple @ Fordham (Thursday 8 PM)

Both teams head into this one lodged in the middle of the Atlantic 10 standings. And strangely, Fordham is one loss away form becoming part of a dogfight to simply get to Atlantic City for the conference tournament, something that would have been unthinkable back when the season began. The Rams will need to slow down Temple’s high-scoring tandem of Dionte Christmas and Mark Tyndale if they are to move to .500 in conference play.

-          Columbia @ Yale (Friday 7 PM)

Two of the more experienced teams in the Ivy League come into this one with hopes of competing for the conference title. With traditional powers Penn and Princeton struggling this season, there is a chance. But Columbia has already lost twice to preseason favorite Cornell, and Yale split in their first two conference games (both against Brown). Two of the league’s better players (Columbia’s John Baumann and Yale’s Eric Flato) will also be on display in this one. Oh yeah, the head coaches also happen to be siblings.

-          Seton Hall @ #9 Georgetown (Saturday Noon, ESPN Full Court)

The Pirates follow up the rivalry tilt with a visit to the Big East’s best team in Georgetown. Roy Hibbert will pose quite a challenge inside, and guards Jonathan Wallace and Jesse Sapp have enough experience to handle any pressure the Pirates send their way. Should be a good indicator of just how good Seton Hall can be this season.

Updated Rankings (last week’s ranking in parentheses)

Seton Hall (1)

Marist (2)

Rider (-)

Wagner (4)

Sacred Heart (5)

Yale (3)

Rutgers (-)

Army (6)

Fordham (8)

St. John’s (7)

Long Island (9)

Columbia (10)

Iona (11)

Fairleigh Dickinson (13)

Fairfield (12)

Hofstra (15)

Monmouth (-)

St. Francis-NY (16)

Manhattan (14)

Stony Brook (17)

Princeton (-)

St. Peter’s (18)

NJIT (19)

Daily Dribble: Weekend Report Card

Shawn Siegel — Mon, 28 Jan 2008 08:21:21 -0800

The Report Card

A new series, the Daily Report Card tells you all you need to know about the day in college hoops. From good to bad and bad to worse, I'll be laying down the law.

A - Rutgers

I like giving good grades to teams that I've ripped throughout the year. If Oregon State simply wins a game I might give them an A. Rutgers winning two in a row against Big East opponents, Villanova at home and Pittsburgh on the road, is absolutely shocking. Neither of those teams are playing lights-out basketball.. but both have been ranked during the year, and this is Rutgers we're talking about. The same Knights that had lost their previous 6 league games, 9 of 10 overall, and whose best win all year was against Lafayette. I'm not sure what's changed outside of the shooting prowess of freshman Mike Coburn, averaging 20 ppg in the wins compared to 6 on the rest of the year. Lets be honest, the Knights could lose 6 straight now.. but for now, they're at the top of the class.

B - Nick Calathes

For whatever reason, Calathes is quietly going on the radar so far. Which is odd considering he was a Top 15 recruit playing at the back-to-back National Champions. I don't think he minds though, because whatever he's doing is working. The Orlando-region native has been doing it all for the 18-3 Gators.. scoring, passing, and rebounding. He made a triple-double run against Vandy, putting up 15, 10 dimes, and 7 boards in the blowout victory. On the season, he's averaging 16, 6 assists, and 5 rebounds. Turnovers were an issue early in the season, but in the last 5 games he has a great 32/10 ratio. Challenging road games await at Arkansas and Tennessee.. but the Gators seem to be improving every week.

C - Purdue Fans

On the one hand, they deserve an A for boisterous support of the Boilermakers against Wisconsin.. and really they've been good fans all season. But rushing the court after you beat the Badgers.. acting like you just pulled off the biggest upset of all-time? Whatever happened to acting like you've been there before? After all, Purdue is tied with Wisconsin in the standings.. and with Wisconsin facing Indiana next, the Boilers might very well end up ahead by next Sunday. The next time the fans rush the court, the Big Ten title better be on the line.

D - Vanderbilt

All the good vibes that Vandy built up by going 16-0 to start the season seem to have disappeared. I guess that's what happens when you finally play challenging road games.. at UK, Tennessee, and Florida. Their 86-64 loss to the Gators was their 2nd in a row by 20 or more. Now, the Commodores head to Mississippi, a ranked squad that is 10-0 at home. Don't get me wrong, Vandy isn't bad.. but at this pace they're destined for an early-round tournament loss.

F - Doris Burke

Burke, who I usually don't mind, was doing color for the Purdue/Wisconsin game. But one thing I do mind is repetition.. it's a pet peeve of mine. If you say it once, I'll hear you.. you don't have to repeat it again. However, Doris must of had a small notecard with 4 checkpoints that she repeated over and over throughout the exciting game. Yes, E'Twaun Moore has a mature game.. he never gets too fast.. I heard you the first 12 times you mentioned that. Yes, good things happened when Brian Butch touched the ball.. I heard you the first 25 times you said that. You get the point.

Previous Best / Worst

January 25th - Ron Hunter / Princeton Offense

January 23rd - Kentucky / Archbishop Burke

January 22nd - DJ Augustin / Scott Sutton

January 21st - New York Giants / Marquette

January 20th - Maryland / ESPN.com editors

January 18th - Cleveland State / Marquette

January 17th - Drake / HP Laptops

January 14th - Roy Hibbert / Michigan State

January 10th - Tony Bennett / Saint Louis

January 9th - DJ White / CSTV

January 8th - Robert Morris / Schedule Makers

January 7th - Wayne Ellington / Illinois

January 6th - Herb Sendek / Kentucky