Sacred Heart

State of '08: Connecticut

Shawn Siegel — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 08:44:40 -0700

HTML clipboard

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.

Up today: Connecticut. For more info, check out the State of '08 introduction.

CONNECTICUT

UCONN - Not much thought involved in making this pick. Outside of a dismal 2007 campaign, Jim Calhoun's Huskies have always hovered around the Top 25, and this year's crew has Elite Eight potential. UCONN blows away their in-state competition.

CENTRAL CONNECITCUT STATE - Despite coming off a down year (208 RPI), CCSU is consistently one of the best teams in the NEC. The other Blue Devils have made three NCAA Tournaments under Howie Dickenman, including 2000, 2002, and 2007.

FAIRFIELD - With the exception of a weak 2006 campaign, Fairfield is almost always competitive in the MAAC. In fact, except for '06, the Stags have won 10+ league games every season since 2003 and should once again reach that mark in 2009 (CHN projects they'll finish 4th in the league). But despite this consistency, the program hasn't made the big dance since 1997.

YALE - After taking over in 1999, James Jones has done a good job giving Yale basketball some needed respect. While the 2002 NIT trip (Yale won their only postseason game in 107 years that season) seems like a bit of an aberration, at least the Bulldogs are now consistently mediocre. Yale has gone .500 or better in the Ivy League in every season since 2001.

SACRED HEART - After joining D1 in 1999, Sacred Heart was one of the worst teams in the country (3 wins in 2000 with a 308 RPI for example), but long-time head coach Dave Bike has finally found some success at the top level. The Pioneers have won 18 games each of the last two years, and won 2 NEC Tournament games each season as well

6. HARTFORD - Since a horrible 2005 campaign (300 in the RPI), Hartford has improved each season. Now under the guise of Dan Leibovitz, the Hawks are coming off an 18-win season in which they finished 2nd in the America East (their best ever AE finish) and are our preseason pick to win the league in 08-09.

7. QUINNIPIAC - The Bulldogs are coming off of one of their bests seasons in years, winning 15 games and going 11-7 in the NEC. But that's not saying much considering from 2004 to 2006, they were one of the worst programs on the East Coast..

Last: Colorado - Next: Washington, D.C.

State of '08: The Introduction

NYC Metro Ranking & Report: Year End Review

Raphielle Johnson — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 08:01:55 -0700

Well, another season is in the books, and it was a quiet postseason for metropolitan area schools as only Rider played in a postseason tournament. Alas, their season ended in the CBI with a loss at Old Dominion, but that shouldn’t take away from a season that saw them finish one game away from an NCAA Tournament bid. The injury bug, something that the Broncs didn’t have to deal with all season, came up and bit them during the MAAC Tournament, but they got to the final nonetheless. It was also a good year for Mike Deane’s Wagner Seahawks, who won twenty-three games and finished second in the Northeast Conference. But other than these two, no one else really had a good chance at qualifying for a postseason tournament, something they all look to work on changing as they head into the off-season. Now it’s time to hand out some awards.

Player of the Year: Jason Thompson (Rider)

Numbers: 20.4 ppg, 12.1 rpg, 2.7 bpg

The senior forward from Mount Laurel, N.J., who also won MAAC Player of the Year honors for his efforts, was the centerpiece of the Broncs’ run to a share of the regular season title and a spot in the MAAC Tournament final. Thompson improved both his scoring and rebounding numbers from last season, which is saying something given the fact that he was college basketball’s lone returnee to average “twenty and ten” in 2006-07. Now come the pre-draft workouts for a young man thought by many to be a first-round draft pick, but Rider fans certainly won’t forget the impact that the 2,000-point scorer had on their program.

Coach of the Year: Mike Deane (Wagner)

Record: 23-8 (15-3, 2^nd NEC)

This was a tough one, as Tommy Dempsey of Rider has a strong case as well. But Coach Deane’s Seahawks were a factor in the NEC all season long, holding onto first place in the league for most of the first half of the conference slate. Of course, it doesn’t hurt to regain the services of forward Durell Vinson, but this was an excellent coaching job after last season’s 11-19 showing. But 2008-09 brings about the challenge of replacing three double figure scorers in Vinson, Mark Porter and James Ulrich.

Biggest Surprise: Fairfield

Record: 14-16 (11-7, t-5^th MAAC)

After watching the Stags wrap up a 7-14 start with an 88-60 pasting suffered at the hands of Canisius (who finished 6-25 on the season), it looked like Ed Cooley’s bunch was headed in the wrong direction. But from there they won seven straight and put themselves right in the thick of the MAAC title race heading into the season’s final week. Of course the loss at Rider ended any shot of getting a piece of the title, but it shouldn’t negate the way in which the Stags recovered from their start. I’ll be honest; after the Canisius loss I didn’t expect them to get up off the mat…but they did.

Biggest Disappointment: Fordham

Record: 12-17 (6-10, 12^th Atlantic 10)

For a few seconds I thought about St. Francis (NY), who returned a good amount of talent from last season yet failed to qualify for the NEC Tournament. But there’s no contest for what the Rams did this season. A preseason pick to finish fifth in the Atlantic 10, with five senior starters returning, Dereck Whittenburg’s team struggled to even qualify for the Atlantic 10 Tournament. Not really known as an explosive team on the offensive end of the floor to begin with, the Rams had their trouble on the defensive end of the floor in allowing opponents to shoot 45.5% from the field. Last season, teams shot 43.2% from the field, and Fordham led the A-10 in scoring defense (12^th in 2007-08). With the renaissance experiences by the Atlantic 10, the Rams had all the makings of a team that should have been right in the middle of such positive vibes. But they weren’t.

First-Team All-Metro

G Antoine Agudio (Hofstra) - 22.7 ppg, 3.9 rpg, 2.9 apg

Every opponent of the Pride knew who their primary scoring option was, but it didn’t seem to matter as Agudio paced Tom Pecora’s team in scoring this season and was a member of the CAA’s All-Conference Team (First Team). With Loren Stokes and Carlos Rivera both out of eligibility, the target was squarely on his chest every night. Out of the twenty-seven games Agudio played this season, he eclipsed twenty points in eighteen of those games and failed to reach double figures just once (six points in a win at Drexel). Antoine leaves Hofstra as the program’s all-time leading scorer with 2,276 points.

G Jarell Brown (Army) – 18.2 ppg, 3.9 rpg, 40.1% 3PT

A member of the Patriot League’s First-Team All-Conference squad, Brown received about as much attention from opponents as Agudio every night. His scoring average was nearly ten points per game more than the next highest Black Knight (Josh Miller- 8.4). A more than capable perimeter shooter throughout his career at West Point, Brown was able to become a more versatile offensive option, helping Jim Crews’ team reach the Patriot League Tournament semifinals for the second consecutive season.

F Brian Laing (Seton Hall) – 18.6 ppg, 6.9 rpg, 45.5% FG

Laing, a senior forward from the Bronx, was named to the Big East’s First-Team All-Conference squad this season due to his hard work on both ends of the floor. While he was the Pirates’ most consistent offensive option, he also had to pick up the slack on the glass due to their lack of size. In each of his four seasons in South Orange, his scoring and rebounding averages improved, and it became quite clear to opponents that if they wanted to beat the Pirates then slowing down Laing was a must.

F Bryant Dunston (Fordham) - 15.5 ppg, 9.8 rpg, 2.0 apg

In an otherwise disappointing season for the Rams, Dunston put up his best rebounding average of his career. If you want to round up the rebounds and give him the season double-double then I’ve got no problem with that; the man has earned it. He also improved his scoring by three points per game, making second-team All-Atlantic 10 in the process. Although five seniors are leaving Fordham, there should be no mistaking who the linchpin of that program has been: Dunston.

F Jason Thompson (Rider) – 20.4 ppg, 12.1 rpg, 2.7 bpg

Player of the Year for these rankings as well as the MAAC, Thompson was the focal point for the Broncs this season. Even when injuries to key contributors during the MAAC Tournament threatened to derail their run towards an NCAA Tournament berth, it was JT who led the way to the MAAC final. Yes, they lost to Siena with the automatic bid on the line, but it’s safe to say that they’re nowhere near that position without Jason’s efforts.

Final Rankings 1-5

1. Rider (23-11)

The Broncs, who were in the top spot for most of the season once they were added in January, finish the year atop the polls. They’re going to have to replace Jason Thompson (along with classmates Kam Warner and Kevin Hickman), but with player such as Ryan Thompson, Harris Mansell and Mike Ringgold slated to return Tommy Dempsey’s team should be in the middle of things in the MAAC.

2. Seton Hall (17-15)

It was an interesting ride for the Pirates, with a five-game winning streak and the resulting optimism giving way to the harsh reality that this team lacked the depth inside needed to make a move up the Big East standings. Add to this the suspension of head coach Bobby Gonzalez for next season’s conference opener due to his behavior during and after the home loss to Rutgers and you’ve got a program with some questions to answer in the off-season. Jordan Theodore is an outstanding guard who should help…but he’s a guard. Look for the Pirates to go after some size in the final days before the spring signing period ends.

3. Wagner (23-8)

Coach Mike Deane will have to replace a pair of first-team All-NEC honorees in Durell Vinson and Mark Porter, but he will have some others returning, such as Joey Mundweiler and Jamal Smith. I would peg this team as middle of the pack candidate right now, but you never know, especially when you factor in the drop Wagner took last year when they were without Vinson.

4. Marist (18-14)

So, who’s the head coach going to be next year? Matt Brady moved on to take the job at James Madison, immediately taking two assistants with him. The third, Rob O’Driscoll, will join him if he’s not chosen to take over the reigns of the Marist program. Besides changing coaches, they’ll have to figure out how to replace mainstays Ryan Stilphen, Spongy Benjamin and Ben Farmer. But there is a talented backcourt slated to be back in the form of MAAC Co-Rookie of the Year Jay Gavin and David Devezin.

5. Sacred Heart (17-13)

A team predicted by some to be the best that Dave Bike has coached in Sacred Heart’s Division I era (they won a national title at the Division II level) fell one game short of the NCAA Tournament for the second straight season. Four seniors leave the program; most notably guards Drew Shubik and Brice Brooks, and forward Luke Granato. Joey Henley was granted an additional season by the NCAA, making him a prime option in 2008-09. But has the window closed on the Pioneers? We’ll have to see about that.

Next: NYC Metro Year End Review: Part Two

Ranking 6-11

NYC Metro Year End Review: Part Three

Ranking 12-1

NYC Metro Year End Review: Part Four

All-Rookie & Ranking 18-23

NYC area preview for Wednesday

Raphielle Johnson — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 01:54:15 -0700

Fordham, Sacred Heart and Seton Hall on tap With the MAAC Tournament now complete and many of the other area teams either finished for the season or waiting for Sunday to find out whether or not they’ll be playing postseason basketball (Rider), three teams in the area still have games to play in Wednesday. Fordham and Seton Hall begin play in the Atlantic 10 and Big East tournaments, respectively, while the Pioneers of Sacred Heart host Mount St. Mary’s in the Northeast Conference title game. Here’s a preview of each game, along with my picks (the games will be listed in chronological order based on their start time). Atlantic 10 Tournament First Round #12 Fordham vs. #5 St. Joseph’s (Boardwalk Hall, Atlantic City, NJ) Wednesday 2:30 PM, CSTV Category (conf. rank) Fordham St. Joseph’s Points per game 64.9 (11th) 74.3 (6th) PPG allowed 66.7 (5th) 68.6 (8th) Field goal % 42.3 (11th) 47.6 (2nd) FG % defense 45.1 (13th) 43.8 (10th) 3 PT % 32.5 (13th) 39.1 (3rd) 3 PT % defense 34.5 (6th) 37.9 (14th) Rebound margin - 2.7 (13th) - 0.2 (7th) Turnover margin + 0.32 (8th) + 1.72 (4th) Category Fordham St. Joseph’s Points per game Bryant Dunston (15.5) Pat Calathes (17.8) Rebounds per game Dunston (10.0) Calathes (7.7) Assists per game Marcus Stout (2.9) Tasheed Carr (5.8) FG percentage Dunston (52.5) Calathes (44.6) 3 PT percentage Stout (35.3) Rob Ferguson (42.2) Assist/Turnover ratio Kevin Anderson (2.1) Carr (2.09) Regular season meeting: St. Joseph’s 70-55 (February 2nd at St. Joseph’s). Make no mistake about it: this season has been a serious disappointment for the Rams and anyone who would have thought that a team returning five senior starters would be able to make some waves in conference play. But things don’t always work out as planned, meaning that this bunch barely squeaked into the Atlantic 10 Tournament to face an opponent that should have no problem getting up for this game. The Hawks are in desperate need of wins in order to strengthen their case for the NCAA Tournament, and with this game and a quarterfinal against Richmond, St. Joe’s could very well find themselves in a semifinal opposite league champ Xavier if things go according to plan. Pat Calathes has been the jack-of-all-trades guy for Phil Martelli this season, leading the Hawks in both scoring and rebounding. Even though he stands at 6-10, Calathes possesses the guard skills that you’d normally associate with players standing six inches shorter. The man who runs the show is Tasheed Carr, who led the team in assists per game and ranks behind only UMass’ Chris Lowe with 5.8 assists per game (rounded up from 5.76). The most entertaining individual matchup between the two teams could be between senior big men Bryant Dunston and Amhad Nivins. Nivins has been the anchor in the middle for the Hawks over the past couple of seasons, and St. Joe’s also has Rob Ferguson coming off the bench to contribute as well. Six players (five of whom average double figures in scoring) see the majority of the minutes, with Darrin Govens and Garrett Williamson rounding out the rotation. As for Fordham, the offense has basically boiled down to two components: Dunston and Marcus Stout. Dunston is once again averaging a double-double, earning Second-Team All-Conference and All-Defensive honors as a result. Stout is just behind him with his average of 15.2 points per contest, and also leads the team in assists per game. The other Ram averaging double figures is sophomore guard Brenton Butler, who has reached double digits in scoring in each the Rams’ last five games. Kevin Anderson, Mike Moore, Michael Binns and Herb Tanner also see playing time, but none of those four have proven to be serious offensive threats. St. Joe’s clearly has the advantage on that end of the floor, and if the Rams don’t control the tempo they could be in serious trouble. Both teams are middle of the pack clubs when it comes to defense, and they both do a decent job of taking care of the basketball. But to be frank, the Hawks have more talent. Fordham will give them a run, especially with five seniors possibly playing their last game, but sometimes you get the feeling that a team’s better off simply ending their season right now instead of delaying the inevitable. I like St. Joe’s in this one. Northeast Conference Tournament final #4 Mount St. Mary’s @ #3 Sacred Heart Wednesday 7 PM, ESPN2 Category (league rank) Mount St. Mary’s Sacred Heart Points per game 69.1 (8th) 72.4 (3rd) PPG allowed 66.9 (1st) 71.6 (7th) Field goal % 44.7 (4th) 44.6 (5th) FG % defense 41.9 (2nd) 44.6 (t-5th) 3 PT % 37.0 (3rd) 34.9 (6th) 3 PT % defense 32.7 (4th) 34.1 (6th) Rebound margin - 1.3 (8th) - 4.1 (9th) Turnover margin + 0.65 (4th) + 2.42 (1st) Category Mount St. Mary’s Sacred Heart Points per game Chris Vann (14.7) Brice Brooks (12.6) Rebounds per game Markus Mitchell (5.9) Drew Shubik (5.8) Assists per game Jeremy Goode (5.6) Shubik (5.6) FG percentage Sam Atupem (51.7) Ryon Howard (52.0) 3 PT percentage Vann (39.4) Ryan Litke (38.0) Assist/Turnover ratio Goode (1.62) Shubik (1.54) Regular season meetings: Sacred Heart 67-59 (January 19th at The Mount). Tournament Results: Mount St. Mary’s beat #5 Quinnipiac (80-70) and #1 Robert Morris (83-65). Sacred Heart defeated #6 Central Connecticut State (84-71) and #2 Wagner (55-49). On paper the Mountaineers have the clear advantage when it comes to defense. But the Pioneers are coming off of their best defensive effort of the season, one in which they held Wagner to forty-nine points and thirty percent shooting from the field. Dave Bike’s team is a balanced group led in scoring by Brice Brooks, but anyone from Corey Hassan to Drew Shubik to Ryan Litke to Ryon Howard can victimize the opponent on any given night. After getting off to a slow start to the season, the Pioneers were in the thick of the NEC race until about a week left in the season. The only negative that came out of Sunday’s win at Wager were the fifteen turnovers committed by Sacred Heart, a surprising number given the fact that they led the NEC in turnover margin this season. But they were still able to overcome a rough shooting night (Hassan went 1-10 from the field on his own) to make it to Wednesday’s final. Another piece of good news for Pioneer followers: only twice has the road team won the conference title game this decade. Monmouth was the winner on each occasion as they knocked off FDU in 2006 and St. Francis (NY) in 2001. As for the Mountaineers, they’ll show up with one of the conference’s best defenses. The Mount gave up the fewest points per game this season and finished second in field goal percentage defense. On offense, this is a team that prefers to play a half-court style and won’t shoot themselves in the foot. Point guard Jeremy Goode leads the way, distributing the ball to players such as leading scorer Chris Vann and Will Holland while not being afraid to put up some shots himself (Goode is second on the team in scoring). Both teams tend to rebound by committee, but neither has been particularly dominant in that area, ranking near the bottom of the NEC in rebound margin. While this is a tricky game to pick, I like Sacred Heart and Dave Bike to make their first appearance in the Division I tournament (remember, this school as a Division II title to its credit). Big East Tournament First Round #12 Seton Hall vs. #5 Marquette Wednesday 9:30 PM, ESPN Category Seton Hall Marquette Points per game 77.4 (4th) 76.2 (5th) PPG allowed 77.6 (16th) 64.0 (4th) Field goal % 42.5 (13th) 45.3 (8th) FG % defense 45.1 (15th) 41.2 (5th) 3 PT % 34.2 (10th) 35.9 (4th) 3 PT % defense 37.5 (15th) 29.3 (2nd) Rebound margin - 3.7 (16th) + 1.3 (11th) Turnover margin + 3.55 (3rd) + 4.17 (2nd) Category Seton Hall Marquette Points per game Brian Laing (19.0) Jerel McNeal (13.6) Rebounds per game John Garcia (7.1) Lazar Hayward (6.4) Assists per game Eugene Harvey (4.81) Dominic James (4.33) FG percentage Garcia (61.7) Ousmane Barro (55.1) 3 PT percentage Jamar Nutter (38.8) Maurice Acker (41.2) Assist/Turnover ratio Harvey (1.3) James (1.88) Regular season meetings: Marquette won both meetings, 61-56 (January 8th at Marquette) and 89-64 (February 12th at Seton Hall). For all the talk about Tom Crean’s guards (and rightfully so), the major difference between the Pirates hanging around in the first meeting and getting blown out of their own gym a month later could be the play of Lazar Hayward. In the five-point win in Milwaukee, Hayward only had seven points and six rebounds. In the return meeting, Lazar went for twenty-three points and nine rebounds as the Hall had no answer for the sophomore forward. Another key to this one could be the matchup between Ousmane Barro and John Garcia. I predicted the same heading into the second meeting, only to have Hayward play one of his best games of the season. The Pirates give up nearly forty rebounds per game, something that isn’t shocking considering their style of play and lack of size. But if they want to have any shot at hanging around in this one, they’re going to need to hold their own on the glass if not win the category. The leading scorer for Seton Hall has been Brian Laing, recently named to the conference’s first team. Other options include point guard Eugene Harvey and guards Jamar Nutter and Jeremy Hazell (named to the All-Rookie Team). A trio of big men occupies the pivot in Bobby Gonzalez’s “small ball” system, with John Garcia coming on of late. As for Marquette, the Golden Eagles can boast a triumvirate of second-team All-Conference players in Hayward, McNeal and James. But they’ve also got some depth, with roles players such as David Cubillan, Dan Fitzgerald and Maurice Acker also able to burn an unsuspecting opponent. And you can’t forget about the third guard in Marquette’s three-guard attack, Wesley Matthews. Matthews may be Coach Crean’s best perimeter defender, but all of the guards do a solid job of containing their opponent. While Seton Hall’s pressing style can give them a chance in this one, something has been missing from this group on the defensive end of the floor ever since Paul Gause tore his ACL a few weeks ago. There’s no longer a ball-hawking defender who can force teams to throw the ball away and rush things on offense, leading to better shot opportunities for the Pirates. And without Gause the lack of size becomes even more apparent. I like Marquette to win this one.

NYC Metro Ranking & Report: Seton Hall Wins a Pair

Raphielle Johnson — Tue, 22 Jan 2008 06:24:38 -0800

Team of the Week: Sacred Heart

Results: W 87-82 vs. Fairleigh Dickinson, W 67=59 @ Mount St. Mary’s

Now I know what you’re probably thinking: didn’t Seton Hall win two league games as well last week? Yes, they did, but that only made them 2-3 in Big East play. Sacred Heart, thanks to their two wins, now sits only a half-game behind Quinnipiac in the Northeast Conference standings, somewhat unexpected due to their early-season struggles. In the home win over FDU, four Pioneers reached double figures in scoring (led by Ryon Howard with 20) and Sacred Heart scored twenty-five points off of FDU turnovers. So even though Sean Baptiste and Manny Ubilla combined to score sixty-one points, Sacred Heart did just enough to escape with the win.

Two days later, the Pioneers won at Mount St. Mary’s thanks to a game-clinching 16-5 run late in the second half. Forward Brice Brooks led the team in scoring with nineteen, and their defense made the trip as well, holding the Mountaineers to 37.5% shooting from the field. So even with the loss of Joey Henley before the season began, Sacred Heart has a good shot at winning what has become a wide-open conference. Their games this week are both home contests, LIU (who blew out Wagner last week) on Thursday and Quinnipiac on Saturday.

Player of the Week: Jeremy Hazell (Seton Hall)

Numbers for the Week: 22 points, 4 steals vs. South Florida; 29 points vs. Louisville

For the second straight week, a freshman sharpshooter gets the honor. Hazell, in two wins for the Pirates, went 13-for-25 from behind the arc and scored a combined fifty-one points. While the 6-5 freshman from the Bronx may not have the most impressive numbers in other areas (0.7 assists per game, 2.5 rebounds per game), Hazell can flat-out score from just about anywhere on the floor. While the win over the Bulls was rather routine, Saturday night Hazell (and Brian Laing) help the Pirates overcome a fourteen-point hole in the second half to move to 2-3 in Big East play. With Paul Gause out due to a broken hand, Bobby Gonzalez will need everything Hazell can give him and then maybe a little more if Seton Hall is to have a shot at getting to MSG. This past week was definitely a good start for Hazell.

Have a pick for player or team of the week? Feel free to email your choice to me at: raphiellej@aol.com .

Other Observations on the week that was

- Fairleigh Dickinson may have one of the better backcourt tandems in the area in Manny Ubilla and Sean Baptiste.

Even though the Knights lost by 22 at Central Connecticut State on Saturday, this should not take away from the seasons being had by the senior Ubilla and sophomore Baptiste. Ubilla currently leads the NEC in scoring, averaging 21.4 points per game, which is an improvement of almost ten points per game from last season (11.9 ppg). Baptiste has stepped into a larger role this season, averaging 18.8 points per game after only putting up 4.6 in 2006-07. But the Knights are still 1-5 in the NEC and 5-11 overall, thanks in large part to their defense, which is dead last in the conference (80.4 points allowed per game). If the Knights can pick it up on the defensive end of the floor, then these two should have more opportunities to get FDU into the winner’s circle.

- Antoine Agudio has his worst outing of the season…and Hofstra still gets a road win.

If you thought that Hofstra would be able to win a game this year with Antoine Agudio scoring six points, raise your hand. Yeah, I didn’t think they could either. But they got the job done on Saturday, winning 67-58 at Drexel thanks to 21 from Charles Jenkins, 17 from Dane Johnson and 15 from Greg Johnson.

But it wouldn’t be fair to talk about the Pride’s second CAA win without mentioning the improved defensive effort, holding the Dragons to 38.2% shooting from the field and out-rebounding Drexel 33-26. All in all, this is a good confidence boost for some guys who didn’t look to be eager to step up offensively at times. And it comes just in time, as first-place VCU will visit Hofstra Wednesday night.

- Iona blows out Fairfield to move to 3-4 in the MAAC.

A good win for the Gaels on Friday night, one that also managed to split the MAAC standings in half. Another positive was Milan Prodanovic snapping out of a shooting slump to lead the team with twenty-one points. Dexter Gray (fourteen points) and Rashon Dwight (eleven) also reached double figures in a game that saw Fairfield turn the ball over twenty times and head coach Ed Cooley get ejected.

Monday night brings Iona a serious test: at Rider, featuring preseason MAAC Player of the Year Jason Thompson. But you get the feeling that this Iona team can give people fits throughout the remainder of the regular season as well as in the MAAC Tournament due to their skill level.

- Army holds Holy Cross to thirty-nine points on Wednesday, but can’t maintain that momentum on Sunday.

It wouldn’t be fair to not mention that Holy Cross was without point guard Pat Doherty for all but one minute of the game due to an Achilles injury, but for Army to go on the road and force twenty-two turnovers is quite the achievement. But the difference between teams who compete for conference titles and those who stay in the middle of the pack is one thing: consistency.

Following up arguably their best effort of the season with a 21-point second half in a 57-52 home loss to Lehigh isn’t the best way to throw your hat into the Patriot League race. Next up is American, who is currently 2-1 in the Patriot League and also has a road win over Maryland to its credit. If the Knights are to have any designs on competing with the likes of Bucknell and Lafayette for the crown, they need to win this one.

Games to keep and eye on this week

- Iona @ Rider (Monday, 7 PM ESPN Full Court)

This is a good chance to see how well the Gaels match up with one of the MAAC’s better teams. Jason Thompson is an outstanding post player and the league’s best NBA prospect as well, but be sure to keep an eye on his younger brother Ryan. Ryan leads the Broncs in assists and is second to his older brother in both scoring rebounding and is probably one of the conference’s most versatile players. Iona has a number of options as well, which should make for a good game.

- Niagara @ Marist (Monday, 7:30 PM)

A good night on the MAAC schedule, and this game is the most important when it comes to the conference standings. Thanks to their upset loss at Canisius on Friday night, the Purple Eagles (5-2) arrive in Poughkeepsie needing a win to stay within shouting distance of Siena (6-1) for first place. Marist (5-2) finds themselves in the same predicament, but given the nature of this league it’s premature to refer to this game as an “elimination game”. But a loss won’t help either team’s chances in regards to winning the regular season title.

- #16 Pittsburgh @ St. John’s (Wednesday, 7 PM ESPN Full Court)

Thanks to their loss at Cincinnati on Saturday, the Panthers will not be ranked sixteenth when they show up at Madison Square Garden. But this is still a good opportunity for a young St. John’s team to get a big win after coming close in their last two games, losses to DePaul and West Virginia. With Seton Hall being the only Big East team with two wins, the 1-4 Red Storm need a win to keep within shouting distance of the logjam of schools with three league wins. If not, they may find themselves shut out of the Big East Tournament once again before it includes all sixteen teams in 2008-09.

- Seton Hall @ Providence (Thursday 7 PM ESPN2)

If you like watching guards fire away from just about anywhere inside of thirty feet then this is the game for you. The Friars lit up Connecticut last Thursday to the tune of fourteen three pointers, and are more than capable of a repeat performance at home. Seton Hall also has some capable shooters, but they’ll need to have an answer for the versatile Geoff McDermott. Providence may not be a physical team in the traditional sense, but they’ve got enough bodies down low (McDermott, Randall Hanke, Jonathan Kale and if needed, Ray Hall) to test the Pirates lack of size. Rest assured both teams would like to run, making for an entertaining contest.

- Fairleigh Dickinson @ Monmouth (Friday, 7 PM)

In a league that only invites its top eight to the postseason tournament, this is an extremely important game for both the Knights and Hawks. While FDU is the league’s worst defensive team, in Monmouth they take on the worst offense in the NEC, averaging a paltry 56.4 points per game. Something’s got to give in this one, and it’s a game that could set the tone for the remainder of the year for both teams.

- Yale @ Brown (Saturday, 3 PM)

These two Ivy League rivals went to overtime on Friday, with the home-standing Bulldogs getting the 66-63 win. Now comes the rematch in Providence, and Yale needs to take better care of the basketball if they are to leave with a win (nineteen turnovers on Friday). Ross Morin dropped twenty-four on the Bears, who are led by one of the best guards in the Ivy, Mark McAndrew. If anything, this is the last opportunity we’ll have to see McAndrew and Eric Flato face off on the court, so expect another tight contest.

Updated Rankings (last week’s ranking in parentheses)

1. Seton Hall (4)

2. Marist (2)

3. Yale (6)

4. Wagner (1)

5. Sacred Heart (9)

6. Army (5)

7. St. John’s (3)

8. Fordham (8)

9. Long Island (10)

10. Columbia (7)

11. Iona (13)

12. Fairfield (11)

13. Fairleigh Dickinson (12)

14. Manhattan (14)

15. Hofstra (18)

16. St. Francis-NY (15)

17. Stony Brook (16)

18. St. Peter’s (17)

19. NJIT (19)

NYC Metro Preview: #14 Sacred Heart

Raphielle Johnson — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 06:23:25 -0800

14. Sacred Heart (2006-07 Record: 18-14, 12-6 NEC)

Head coach: Dave Bike

Returning Starters: 2- G Drew Shubik (senior): 6-4, 205; C Liam Potter (junior): 7-0, 230.

Team Stats & Info

Roster

OK, I know what you’re thinking. Where’s Joey Henley? Well. Henley was lost in the preseason to a knee injury, ending his 2006-07 campaign. And while losing your leading returning scorer (11.1 ppg, 4.5 rpg) and one of the best athletes in the NEC is a serious blow, Sacred Heart can still be competitive in the wide-open NEC this year. So we may as well begin in the frontcourt when looking at the Pioneers in 2007-08. Three returnees who stand to contribute this season are seniors Brice Brooks and Luke Granato, and junior Ryon Howard. Brooks (9.9 ppg, 6.0 rpg) is Sacred Heart’s leading returning rebounder and has the ability to score inside as well. Granato (8.8 ppg, 39.9% 3PT) is a capable offensive threat who hit eight from behind the arc in a game against North Carolina last season. Howard, who only played two games last season due to a knee injury, got the season off to a good start with 15 and 14 against Yale. Also looking to help make up for the loss of Henley are junior Liam Potter (65.9% FG, 7-0 tall), redshirt freshman Joshua Marshall (Woodmere, NY) and true freshman Mehmet Sahan (Istanbul, Turkey).

The backcourt also has to replace some players, but the graduation of Jarrid Frye and Tavio Hobson was expected. Drew Shubik (9.8 ppg, 4.1 apg), who was second in the NEC in steals last season, will once again start in the backcourt. The other half of the starting equation is sophomore Chauncey Hardy (10.6 ppg, 43.8% 3PT), a member of the NEC All-Rookie Team in 2006-07. Hardy takes over at the point for the departed Frye. Boston University transfer Corey Hassan, a member of the America East All-Rookie Team in 05-06, will also see a lot of playing time this season. The first guard off the bench will most likely be sophomore Ryan Litke (8.4 ppg, 43.1 3PT), a long range specialist who averaged 13 ppg in the Pioneers’ run to the NEC Tournament final. Freshman Jerrell Thompson (Plainfield, NJ) also has the ability to crack the guard rotation in a backup role.

The non-conference schedule, while it possesses its fair share of challenges, could get the Pioneers to January with a record above .500. After the opener at Yale, Sacred Heart has games against the likes of Fairfield (November 18^th), St. John’s (November 20^th), Providence (December 18^th), Boston College (December 28^th) and Holy Cross (December 30^th). Only the Holy Cross game is at home, but the road games will provide the Pioneers with some good tests heading into NEC play. Conference play begins with back-to-back road games (Monmouth, CCSU) in early December. In total, eight of SHU’s first nine games are away from home.

2007-08 Prospects

The loss of Henley is a huge one indeed, one that makes a run at the NEC title an even tougher chore. But since the league is pretty wide-open as a whole, it is a definite possibility. Sacred Heart, who hasn’t played well to start the season, looks to be more or less in the middle of the pack in the conference. If Henley were healthy, then I’d pick them to finish in the top three. But Coach Bike does have a good amount of experience back this season, so you never know what can happen.

Complete NYC Metro Preview & Ranking

Preseason Poll: Who Will Win the Northeast Conference?

Shawn Siegel — Thu, 11 Oct 2007 20:42:07 -0700

2007-08 Sacred Heart Basketball Preview

Joel Welser — Sat, 23 Jun 2007 12:21:33 -0700

Sacred Heart Pioneers

Overall Rank: #141

Conference Rank: #1 Northeast Conference

2006-07: 18-14, 12-6, 2^nd

2006-07 postseason: none

Sacred Heart had seven players that averaged over eight points per game during the 2006-2007 campaign. Only one of them is gone and two more are ready to cover the loss, and then some. A talented backcourt, led by Drew Shubik, has the Pioneers the favorites to win the NEC. Shubik is a great passer, but his shooting and defense will make him a superstar in the conference. With the versatile Chauncey Hardy and sharpshooters Luke Granato and Ryan Litke manning the perimeter, Sacred Heart has the best backcourt in the NEC…and there is even more talent that will be eligible to play in Fairfield, Connecticut this year.

Who’s Out:

Jarried Frye was the leading scorer last year, averaging 13.3 points per game. He was not a terrific shooter, but played an important role getting to the basket and helping out the frontcourt on the glass. Tavio Hobson, the only other player besides Frye to start all 32 games, has also run out of eligibility. The former walk-on at Boston College never put up big numbers, but he ran the offense smoothly and was a shut down defender.

Who’s In:

The best newcomer is Corey Hassan. The 6-4 sophomore averaged 11.9 points per game two years ago as a freshman at Boston University. He is a prolific long range shooter and will add even another scoring punch to the Sacred Heart offense. Incoming freshman Jerrell Thompson and redshirt freshman Josh Marshall will have a tough time finding minutes in the crowded backcourt. Forward Ryon Howard began to show his potential early last season, averaging 10.0 points and 4.0 rebounds, before going down with a knee injury in the second game of the season. The most intriguing newcomer is power forward Mehmet Sahan. The 6-9, 245 pound Turkey native is unusually polished for a player his size and age. He is coming off a good year at prep school and has experience on the Turkish National Team.

Who to Watch:

However, the Pioneers will not need to depend on Sahan this year and will have plenty of time to groom him into a quality big man. Seniors Joey Henley and Brice Brooks have the experience to lead the frontcourt. Henley is undersized for a power forward at 6-4, but the football player does not lack any toughness. He has developed into a solid scorer, but his rebounding and ability to do the dirty work will keep him in the lineup. Brooks has a little more size and led the squad in rebounding in 2006-2007. He will float out to the perimeter and becomes a very dangerous weapon when the mid-range jumper is falling. Liam Potter dwarfs the rest of the frontcourt. The seven-footer is still developing as a basketball player, but has the potential to contribute more than his 4.6 point and 3.1 rebound averages of a year ago.

Final Projection:

It will not be easy to find a better backcourt in the conference and the frontcourt has plenty of returning talent and potential of its own. Coach Dave Bike, a former catcher in the Detroit Tigers organization, has successfully transitioned Sacred Heart from a Division II powerhouse to a Division I contender over his long career. It all culminates this year with Sacred Heart the favorites to reach the NCAA Tournament, albeit likely the play-in game.

Projected Post-season Tournament: NCAA

Projected Starting Five:

Drew Shubik, Senior, Guard, 9.8 points per game

Chauncey Hardy, Sophomore, Guard, 10.6 points per game

Corey Hassan, Sophomore, Guard, DNP last season

Joey Henley, Senior, Forward, 11.1 points per game

Ryon Howard, Junior, Forward, 10.0 points per game

Complete Top 144 Ranking | 2007-08 Preview | Discuss the Preview

Metro Basketball Report: NEC Championship

Raphielle Johnson — Wed, 07 Mar 2007 00:00:00 -0800

In tonight’s Northeast Conference championship game, Central Connecticut State and Sacred Heart will get together to determine who will represent the league in the NCAA Tournament. While the regular season champion Blue Devils have been in the position before, having won two of their previous four (2000, 2002) championship games, this is all new to the Pioneers. While Sacred Heart, led for the past 29 years by Dave Bike, has made thirteen appearances in the Division II NCAA Tournament, the two wins in this year’s NEC Tournament were the first two ever for the program at the Division I level. The game, which starts at 7 PM EST, will be broadcast nationally on ESPN2 form Detrick Gymnasium in New Britain, CT as a result of CCSU winning the regular season crown.

Game: #2 Sacred Heart vs. #1 Central Connecticut State

The Road to the Championship: Sacred Hart defeated Wagner 100-68 in the quarterfinals and Quinnipiac 83-6 in the semis. Central defeated St. Francis (NY) 79-61 and Mount St. Mary’s 74-68 to reach this point.

Previous Appearances: CCSU is 2-2 all-time in NEC title games with wins in 2000 (Robert Morris) and 2002 (Quinnipiac), and losses in 1999 (Mount St. Mary’s) and 2004 (Monmouth). Tonight is Sacred Heart’s first appearance in the NEC title game.

Team Leaders: Sacred Heart: Points (Sr. G Jarrid Frye-13.2 ppg); Rebounds (Jr. F Brice Brooks-6.2 rpg); Assists (Drew Shubik-4.0 apg). CCSU: Points (Jr. G Tristan Blackwood-17.2 ppg); Rebounds (Sr. F Obie Nwadike-10.9 rpg); Assists (Blackwood-4.1 apg).

SHU is the deeper of the two teams, going with a rotation of nine or ten players as opposed to CCSU, who goes seven deep. With a league-high average of 78.8 points per game (81.2 in conference games), the Pioneers will look to get out and run at any opportunity in order to take advantage of their number of contributors. While CCSU has guys more than capable of putting the ball in the basket in Blackwood, Nwadike and senior guard Javier Mojica (NEC Player of the Year), they would much rather play this game in the half court and rely on their tough defense. Blackwood was also name Co-Defensive Player of the Year in the NEC, and the aforementioned Blue Devil trio made CCSU the first team ever to place three players on the league’s first team all-conference squad.

Tonight’s game will be a classic matchup between the league’s best offensive and defensive teams, but the game may hinge on what Sacred Heart can do defensively to slow down Central. The Pioneers had the worst scoring defense in the NEC in conference games, giving up an average of 77.4 points per game. But since this number is just as much a product of their up and down style, the more important number to look at would be the 46.7% that they allowed opponents to shoot in conference games. These are also the two best three-point shooting teams in the NEC in terms of percentage. This should be an exciting affair, but in the end I like Central’s defense and the home court advantage to carry the day. Blue Devils by 7.

Big East First Round: #11 St. John’s vs. #6 Marquette

Time: Approx. 9 PM EST (ESPN)

Team Leaders: St. John’s: Points (Lamont Hamilton-13.4 ppg); Rebounds (Hamilton-6.5 rpg); Assists (Eugene Lawrence-5.4 apg). Marquette: Points (Dominic James-14.9 ppg); Rebounds (Ousmane Barro-7.0 rpg); Assists (James-4.9 apg).

Two teams who did not meet in the regular season get together in the final opening round game of the day at the Big East Tournament in New York. Both come off home wins in their season finale, with Marquette getting twenty from reserve guard David Cubillan in their 75-71 win over Pitt, and St. John’s dealing a significant blow to Providence’s NCAA hopes with a 77-64 win on Sunday. When senior guard Daryll Hill was lost to a knee injury a month ago, it was thought that the Red Storm would have a tough time scoring sixty points on a consistent basis. But players like Avery Patterson and Qa’rraan Calhoun have stepped up for head coach Norm Roberts of late. Calhoun, a freshman from Hazlet, NJ scored twenty-one in the regular season finale. This team still has offensive issues, but how they defend the Marquette guards will be the story of this game.

Marquette counters with one of the deeper backcourts in the nation, led by a banged-up Dominic James. But in their win over Pitt last Saturday night, it was David Cubillan who came in and stole the show. Cubillan dropped twenty off the bench to supplement the twenty of Wesley Matthews, but it’s the health of Jerel McNeal that’s of the utmost importance to Tom Crean’s Golden Eagles. Due to a thumb injury in practice last Friday, McNeal missed the Pitt game and will most likely be out for the first round matchup tonight. Getting James untracked to go along with contributions from other players will have a major impact on how far Marquette can go in this tournament as well as their seeding for the NCAA Tournament.

Turnovers and rebounding will tell the story in this one. Marquette is second in the Big East in steals (9.3 spg); while St. John’s ranks thirteenth in the league in assist to turnover ratio (0.94). And despite their overall lack of height, the Golden Eagles rank second in the conference in offensive rebounds, pulling down 14.5 per game. With St. John’s ranking fourteenth in rebound margin, the Red Storm must control the defensive glass if they want to move on to Thursday. The winner will face the three seed Pittsburgh on Thursday. I like Marquette by 8.

Atlantic 10 First Round: #12 Richmond vs. #5 Fordham

Time: Approx. 2:30 PM EST

Team Leaders: Richmond: Points (Dan Geriot-11.3 ppg); Rebounds (Gaston Moliva-4.0 rpg); Assists (Brian Morris-2.8 apg). Fordham: Points (Marcus Stout-15.5 ppg); Rebounds (Bryant Dunston-7.4 rpg); Assists (Kevin Anderson-4.0 apg).

Fordham looks to avoid a letdown in the first round of the Atlantic 10 Tournament in Atlantic City, taking on a young Richmond club that gave the Rams all they wanted in a 58-55 Fordham win back on January 6^th. Both teams are relatively young, but the difference for Fordham is that the guys they’ve relied on all year are primarily juniors, while the top four scorers for the Spiders are freshmen. Leading scorer Dan Geriot was named to the league’s All-Rookie Team. Knowing this, it would be easy o count this as a win for the Rams, but keep in mind that over the last month Richmond has knocked off Duquesne, St. Joseph’s and Rhode Island. But all those games were at home, so it remains to be seen what a young team that’s gone 2-11 away from home this year can do in a tournament setting.

Fordham arrives in Atlantic City with the school’s highest seed ever for the Atlantic 10 Tournament, getting the five seed. Neither team is very proficient when it comes to rebounding, but while the Rams finished 12^th in that category (32.4 rpg), the Spiders were dead last with their 24.0 boards per game. If Fordham can take advantage of Bryant Dunston on the block, they should move on to face Rhode Island on Thursday. But then again, you never know what can happen this time of the year. I like Fordham by 12.

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 Review: Hofstra Back on Top

Raphielle Johnson — Wed, 24 Jan 2007 09:43:00 -0800

During their struggles earlier in the season, St. Francis (NY) head coach Brian Nash made the statement that their problems were on the offensive end, in that they had a hard time putting the ball in the basket consistently. While they aren’t going to challenge VMI or North Carolina among the nation’s offensive leaders, the Terriers found a solid mix of efficient offense and stifling defense in their last two games, wins over Wagner and Monmouth. The Terriers won these two contests by an average score of 67.5-54.0, moving up to ninth place in the NEC in the process. It remains to be seen if SFNY can qualify for the conference tournament, but at least their improvement is starting to result in victories.

At the top of the poll you will find Hofstra, back to the top after wins last week over Towson and William & Mary. Thanks to Marist’s loss at Canisius the Pride were able to move back to number one. Unfortunately for Hofstra, however, they still find themselves behind red-hot Virginia Commonwealth in the Colonial. After their split (they beat Niagara in overtime) in the Buffalo area, the Red Foxes got back on the right track with a home win over slumping St. Peter’s. Although Jared Jordan hasn’t shot well the past two games, Marist is only a half-game behind MAAC leader Loyola (MD), and the two teams get together in Poughkeepsie February 3rd.

For the other metropolitan area MAAC schools, this has been a year to forget for the most part. St. Peter’s hasn’t won since December 8th, and Iona is still winless after their overtime loss to Fairfield Tuesday night. At least Fairfield is on a three-game win streak, getting some separation between themselves and the bottom two teams in the league in the process. Sacred Heart still leads the Northeast, tied with Central Connecticut State at 6-1, and Fairleigh Dickinson is right behind these two in second place. Wagner and Long Island find themselves fighting it out with St. Francis for the final two spots in the Northeast Conference tournament, positions that may go down to the last weekend of the season undecided.

As for Seton Hall and St. John’s, it was a weekend of mixed results for the Pirates and positives for the Red Storm. St. John’s upset Syracuse and Notre Dame at home, winning the second game on a Larry Wright three-pointer with 9.9 seconds remaining on Tuesday. Seton Hall survived a Geoff McDermott layup attempt on Wednesday in knocking off Providence, but lost senior center Grant Billmeier in the process to a torn ACL. His presence was sorely missed in their loss to Georgetown on Friday, a game in which the Hall was out-rebounded 39-11 by the taller Hoyas. John Garcia is back and able to play, but it’s not fair to expect major contributions from him at this time. Whatever help Bobby Gonzalez can get inside will be appreciated greatly at this point in the season.

Here are some games to pay close attention to over the next few days.

• Manhattan @ Loyola (MD), Wednesday 7:00 PM EST
A short time ago I wrote in this column that it was hard to tell whether or not Manhattan was a serious challenger to win the MAAC due to their league schedule at the time. Well, this is one of those games where the Jaspers can show that they’re in this race for the remainder of the season. But they will have their hands full with the league’s leading scorer, Gerald Brown. Manhattan watched their win streak come to a screeching halt on Sunday with an 80-69 home loss to Siena, but they’re still only a game out of first place. If the Jaspers want to entertain any thoughts of winning the regular season title, then they need this road win.

• Quinnipiac @ Fairleigh Dickinson, Thursday 7:00 PM EST
The Bobcats and Knights find themselves part of a serious logjam in the middle of the Northeast Conference, where 2.5 games separate third place from tenth. Quinnipiac, led by guards Adam Gonzalez and DeMario Anderson, have won their last four league games. FDU has four players that average double figures in scoring, led by senior forward Andre Harris, and ended a two-game skid with a 74-73 nail biter over Long Island on Saturday. The Knights are only 3-3 at home this year, so don’t assume that there will be a huge home court advantage.

• Niagara @ Marist, Friday 7:30 PM EST
Only eight days after these two got together for an overtime thriller, won by the Red Foxes 91-86, the Purple Eagles visit Poughkeepsie. Expect Niagara to pay close attention to Marist guard Will Whittington, who burned NU for ten points in the extra session. Performing well in defeat for the Purple Eagles were forwards Charron Fisher (16 points, 16 rebounds) and Clif Brown (18 points, 11 rebounds). Niagara won the rebounding battle 46-39, which allowed them to stay in the game. If this one goes another five minutes, give the edge to the Red Foxes, who are undefeated in overtime this season (3-0). Niagara is 0-2 in such contests.

• Sacred Heart @ Central Connecticut State, Saturday 2:00 PM EST
In-state rivals get together with first place on the line in this one. People expected CCSU to be at or near the top of the NEC when the season began, but Sacred Heart? The Pioneers have done a good job of taking the lessons learned in their tough non-conference slate and applying them to conference play. Their primary goals will be to keep Obie Nwadike off the glass and slow down leading scorer Javier Mojica. Both teams rely on offensive balance to lead the way to victory, so this one could be decided by an unsung hero down the stretch.

• St. John’s @ #9 Pittsburgh, Saturday 4:00 PM EST
The Red Storm’s reward for winning back-to-back home games is a trip to the Oakland Zoo to take on the Pitt Panthers. Lamont Hamilton and Aaron Gray are two of the better big men in the Big East, and their matchup will have a lot to do with how much of a chance the Red Storm have in this one. While both teams are solid on the defensive end, Pittsburgh has an easier time of putting the ball in the basket. And even though they’ve looked better in their last two games, St. John’s is capable of putting together some brutal stretches of offensive basketball. After looking like they were doomed to another year of missing the Big East Tournament, the Red Storm find themselves in the thick of the race for that twelfth and final invite. A win in Pittsburgh would go a long way in making that a reality.

Here are the updated rankings.

1. Hofstra (last week: 2): The Pride hit the road for three straight, and look like they’ll need every one of them to keep up with VCU.
2. Marist (1): That two-game road swing through the Buffalo area can be tough on any MAAC team, so the Red Foxes should be happy that they’re only a half game out of first place.
3. Fordham (3): Don’t look now but the Rams are only one game out of first place in the Atlantic 10. If UMass beats Rhode Island on Wednesday, a Fordham win over La Salle would put them in a tie for first.
4. Sacred Heart (5): The Pioneers look like they will be a contender for the NEC crown for the remainder of the season. Their game at CCSU should be a thriller.
5. St. John’s (7): The Red Storm have their first two-game win streak since wins over Columbia and Boston University at the end of December.
6. Seton Hall (3): There’s no shame in losing to Georgetown, but the way in which the Pirates were handled on the glass shows that Grant Billmeier’s injury will hurt this team more than many may have thought.
7. Army (6): The Cadets got to hear their alma mater played last after the game against Navy on Sunday. In case you didn’t know, that means that they won. Let’s see if they can build on the momentum in games at Lafayette and Bucknell this week.
8. Fairleigh Dickinson (8): The Knights were able to rebound from their loss to CCSU and defeat LIU on Saturday.
9. Manhattan (9): Their loss to Siena was disappointing, but the Jaspers are still in the MAAC title hunt. And none of the teams behind them did much either last week.
10. St. Francis (14): When you win two games in a row the way in which SFNY did, you move up. When you combine this with the play of some of the teams ahead of them, the Terriers move up four spots in the poll.
11. Columbia (10): The Lions only drop one spot following their loss to Cornell, primarily because neither of the next couple of teams showed enough to move up.
12. Fairfield (15): The Stags have won three straight, placing themselves right in the middle of a four-team traffic jam behind the MAAC’s top four teams.
13. Wagner (11): The Seahawks lack of consistency has shown me exactly why the NEC coaches weren’t as high on this team in the preseason as I way. Bad loss to SFNY followed with a good win over LIU. There’s talent on this team, but why can’t they put together night in, night out?
14. Stony Brook (13): The Seawolves ended a two-game skid with an overtime win against Boston University. But they followed that effort with a loss at New Hampshire.
15. Long Island (12): The Blackbirds, losers of their last three, would have dropped further had the three teams behind them not been so bad.
16. NJIT (16): The Highlanders are in the middle of a four-game road trip, so it will be a mighty task for this team that’s winless on the road to get their fourth win of the year.
17. St. Peter’s (17): The Peacocks losing streak hit eleven with their loss at Marist on Tuesday night. Yet their last win came December 8th at Loyola (MD). Go figure.
18. Iona (18): Iona hasn’t won since last year’s MAAC Tournament final over…St. Peter’s. The Gaels are getting close, but close doesn’t get it done. Loyola (MD) and Canisius visit New Rochelle the next two games.