Sacred Heart

Thursday's Conference Tournament Primer

Raphielle Johnson — Thu, 01 Mar 2012 04:14:40 -0500

Three more conferences begin tournament action on Thursday night, which includes four quarterfinal match ups in the NEC. The higher-seeded teams host all four games, which includes regular season champion and top-seed LIU-Brooklyn hosting a Sacred Heart team they've beaten twice this season. But this isn't your usual 1/8 matchup as LIU head coach Jim Ferry pointed out earlier this week, as both meetings have been close.

LIU won at Sacred Heart by six (87-81) on January 5th and their meeting in Brooklyn was a wild 103-91 overtime track meet. The Blackbirds have a number of weapons on which to rely, led by NEC Player of the Year Julian Boyd, but the first order of business for them on the defensive end will be to slow down Shane Gibson. Gibson ended the regular season with averaging 22.0 points and 4.6 rebounds per game, with the former number ranking fourth nationally and tops in the NEC.

According to Ken Pomeroy's numbers, Gibson is ninth nationally in offensive rating among players who have a possession percentage of 28% or higher. Simply put, when the Pioneers get the ball in his hands good things generally happen. Gibson accounted for 24 points, five steals and four assists in the meeting in Brooklyn, but while he's the feature option the junior guard is not the only player Dave Bike can call on.

Forward Justin Swidowski is averaging 11.1 points and 5.2 rebounds per game, putting up 23 and five against the Blackbirds. Swidowski clearly can be effective inside but he's going to need some help as LIU has not only Boyd but also Jamal Olasewere on which to rely in the paint. Both average at least 17 points per game with Boyd also leading the team with 9.7 caroms per contest, and despite having the ability to step out to the three-point line both shoot better than 50% from the field.

As a team LIU shoots 47.4% from the field, a number that is the best in the NEC. Sacred Heart isn't far behind as they make shots at a 45.9% clip, and with both regular season meetings being high-scoring affairs more of the same is to be expected. If Chris Evans, Evan Kelley and Luis Montes can raise their level of play on the perimeter Sacred Heart is capable of winning. But when you add in the likes of Jason Brickman and C.J. Garner for LIU it's going to be a tough task to say the least.

The one home team that did not manage to sweep their opponent during the regular season is Wagner, who opens tournament play with a visit from Central Connecticut State. The Blue Devils have three of the NEC's best scorers in Ken Horton, Robbie Ptacek and Kyle Vinales, and they did manage to beat Wagner 78-61 in New Britain in the regular season finale for both. The Seahawks, who have an ample supply of scorers themselves, got in trouble by shooting 5-for-24 from the field in the first half. A similar effort from Latif Rivers and company will get them beat again if they aren't careful.

Glen Braica's St. Francis (NY) squad limps into tournament play on a two-game losing streak, but they did sweep the regular season series with Quinnipiac, who they face in the 4/5 game. The second meeting was a 64-56 Terrier victory at QU, with Jalen Cannon leading a balanced offensive effort with 13 points while also pulling down 19 rebounds. QU guard James Johnson can light it up when he gets going, and Ike Azotam grabbed 15 boards in that game to lead the Bobcats.

And lastly three-seed Robert Morris hosts a Monmouth team that's turned some head in year one of the King Rice era. The Hawks have won three straight, most recently blowing out LIU 106-78 in the regular season finale, but they were swept by RMU during the regular season. Jesse Steele is the lone Monmouth player averaging double figures for what's been a balanced attack, and they have to be successful in slowing down Velton Jones if they're to have a chance to win at RMU.

Northeast - Quarterfinals
#8 Sacred Heart at #1 Long Island, 7:00 pm
#7 Central Connecticut at #2 Wagner, 7:00 pm
#6 Monmouth at #3 Robert Morris, 7:00 pm
#5 Quinnipiac at #4 St. Francis (NY), 7:00 pm

America East - First Round
#8 UMBC vs. #9 Binghamton, 8:15 p.m. (AE All-Access Live Video)

These two teams meet for the right to take on regular season champion Stony Brook on Friday and it's a safe assumption that regardless of who wins they'll be a decided underdog against the Seawolves. Binghamton won just one game all season, and that was a stunning home win over Vermont. UMBC won just four games this season but two of the wins came at the expense of Binghamton. There will be some solid players on display, as Chase Plummer (UMBC) and Robert Mansell (Binghamton) are the leading scorers for their respective teams.

Atlantic Sun - Quarterfinals
#4 ETSU vs. #5 North Florida, 2:30 p.m. (ESPN3)
#3 USC Upstate vs. #6 FGCU, 8:30 p.m. (ESPN3)

The other half of the A-Sun bracket will take the floor on Thursday, with a USC Upstate team that's won 20 games this season being the highest-seeded team. Torrey Craig was named league Player of the Year for his efforts, and he'll be a handful for Florida Gulf Coast to say the least. The Spartans won their most recent meeting 87-74, jumping out to a 46-24 halftime lead. Craig scored 30 points and grabbed nine boards and sidekick Ty Greene added 22 and six assists. Sherwood Brown and Bernard Thompson combined to score 44 points but Brown needed 23 shots to score his 24, and he has to be more efficient if the Eagles are to win.

In the other matchup ETSU looks to beat North Florida for the third time this season, and if the Bucs can force the Ospreys into 19 turnovers as they did in the second meeting that's definitely possible. UNF also didn't have an answer for Isiah Brown in the 65-50 result as he scored a game-high 27 points. Parker Smith led UNF with 17 points but no other Osprey scored more than seven, and that cannot happen again.

Big South - Semifinals
#7 VMI vs. #6 Winthrop, 6:00 p.m. (ESPNU)
#1 UNC Asheville vs. #4 Charleston Southern, 8:00 p.m. (ESPNU)

While chalk ruled in the top half of the Big South bracket both two-seed Coastal Carolina and three-seed Campbell fell on Wednesday. In theory that would clear the way for top-seed UNC Asheville, but theory doesn't always hold up especially in March. The backcourt tandem of Matt Dickey and J.P. Primm ranks among the best that doesn't end up on television every week, however one of their two league losses was a 93-88 defeat at home to Charleston Southern on January 19th. Arlon Harper and Saah Nimley scored a combined 48 points to lead the Buccaneers, matching the combined output of Dickey and Primm. If they can do that again don't be surprised if CSU pulls the upset.

VMI knocked down 14 three-pointers in their win over Coastal Carolina and there's no doubt that Stan Okoye and company can score. Winthrop forced 16 Campbell turnovers in their 71-55 win and Reggie Middleton was a tough cover on the other end, pacing the Eagles with 25 points. How they got to this point is of little concern to either VMI or Winthrop, as the winner will find themselves 40 minutes away from the NCAA tournament.

Missouri Valley - First Round
#8 Indiana State vs. #9 Southern Illinois, 7:00 p.m. (MVC TV)
#7 Drake vs. #10 Bradley, 9:30 p.m. (MVC TV)

The question for the four teams kicking off Arch Madness is a simple one: who is best capable of knocking off top seeds Wichita State and Creighton? That answer is a toss-up between Drake and Indiana State, with all due respect to SIU forward Mamadou Seck. Ben Simons and Rayvonte Rice can both put up some points for the Bulldogs while Jake Odum runs the show for the Sycamores. Those two should be the favorites to advance to Friday's quarterfinal round, although SIU did split the regular season series with ISU. Drake was able to sweep their two meetings with Bradley, beating the Braves by eight at home and by seven at Bradley.

Ohio Valley - Quarterfinals
#4 Tennessee Tech vs. #5 Southeast Missouri State, 6:00 p.m. (OVCSports.TV)
#3 Morehead State vs. #7 Jacksonville State, 8:00 p.m. (OVCSports.TV)

The two teams that played for the OVC crown last season look to begin a run at the title on Thursday as defending champ Morehead State and runner-up Tennessee Tech take the floor. Kevin Murphy has lit it up for Tech in conference play, and he's got a 50-point game to his credit to boot. Donnie Tyndall's Eagles won four of their last five games to end the regular season, but the loss of Terrance Hill did take some time to get used to on the offensive end of the floor. SEMO is more than capable of knocking off the Golden Eagles but they did drop the lone regular season meeting by 15, while Morehead and Jacksonville State split their two meetings with the visiting team winning both.

West Coast - Second Round
#5 San Francisco vs. #8 Portland, 9:00 p.m.
#6 San Diego vs. #7 Pepperdine, 11:00 p.m.

Of the four teams playing on Thursday night at Orleans Arena the Dons have the best shot of making some waves should they advance. Angelo Caloiaro is one of the better players in the WCC in regards to versatility and he's one of four San Francisco players averaging double figures in scoring. Eric Reveno's Pilots have had their issues on both ends of the floor, and the hope for Portland is that they play USF as they did in the second meeting (72-71 Dons win at Portland) as opposed to the first (104-70 loss at USF). San Diego won both of its meetings with Pepperdine this season, most recently beating the Waves 70-57 in Malibu on February 9th. Taylor Darby and Corbin Moore will have to take over if Pepperdine is to advance to play BYU on Friday.

Jon Teitel's Coaching Greats Series: Robert Morris' Jarrett Durham

Jon Teitel — Mon, 07 Feb 2011 12:33:50 -0500

In the latest installment in his "Coaching Great" interview series CHN writer Jon Teitel spent some time with former Robert Morris head coach Jarrett Durham. Coach Durham led the Colonials to three NCAA Tournament appearances in Moon Township and remains the school's winningest coach. Durham now works at his alma mater, Duquesne, as a Special Assistant to the Athletic Director in addition to calling the men's basketball games on the radio (WPBG-FM 104.7 in Pittsburgh).

Jon Teitel: In your first year at Duquesne you averaged 21.1 PPG as your freshman squad went unbeaten and you were known as "Jarrett the Jewel". How did you get that nickname, and do you think you could have beaten the varsity team that year?

Jarrett Durham: Of course I think we could have beaten the varsity! The nickname came about because I was being flippant with a news reporter who was asking me about other players. I had just seen Marquette's Dean Meminger play, and I said that if he was "Dean the Dream", then I was "Jarrett the Jewel"! I was just an 18-year old kid who did not realize that the reporter would write it in the paper, and the nickname just stuck.

1969 NCAA Tournament

JT: You beat St. Joseph's in the opening round. How far did you think your team could go that year?

JD: We felt pretty good about our team, and thought we could go pretty far. Beating St. Joe's in Rhode Island was great.

JT: You had a one-point loss to North Carolina after Lee Dedmon scored off of an 85-foot pass in the final minute. Do you think that you should have won that game, and what was the reaction like in your locker room afterwards?

JD: We thought we got hosed when one of the Nelson twins (I forget if it was Barry or Garry) got called for goaltending, and then the ref awarded the Heels a pair of free throws on top of that.

JT: You had a three-point win over St. John's in the third place game. Did you get some measure of satisfaction by winning your final game, or was it just a case of taking out your revenge on St. John's?

JD: We just felt good about winning every time we stepped onto the court.

JT: As a senior you were named Honorable Mention All-American and graduated as the fourth leading scorer in school history. Did you realize at the time how prolific a player you were?

JD: Not really. I just played each game one at a time, and just had fun playing.

JT: What are your memories of the 1971 NCAA Tournament (Bob Morse had 19 rebounds in a five-point Penn victory)?

JD: I did not shoot well in that game. We were very disappointed, as we were always chasing Penn from behind but could not overtake them.

JT: In the summer of 1971 you were drafted in the fourth round by Detroit (four spots behind Tom Owens), but ended up playing one minute for the New York Nets and made it to the ABA Finals. Why did you end up going to the ABA, and what was it like for that one magical minute?

JD: It was great to play in the ABA. The Nets made me an offer, and I waited for an offer from Detroit, but it did not arrive until after I had already decided on New York. I came in for a guy who had fouled out, played for one minute, and that was that.

JT: What are your memories of the 1982 ECAC Metro Tournament final as an assistant coach at Robert Morris (tournament MOP Tom Parks scored 21 points off the bench in a one-point win over LIU)?

JD: We were unbelievably shocked, as we had lost to LIU on the road by 40 points earlier that season. It was one of my career highlights as a coach.

JT: What are your memories of the 1982 NCAA Tournament (Forest Grant scored 25 points in a loss to defending champion Indiana)?

JD: The biggest journey for a small school is just getting to the tourney, as you will probably face a high seed once you get there. Our starting center was only 6'7", which was as tall as Indiana SG Randy Wittman!

JT: What are your memories of the 1983 NCAA tourney (10-points win over Georgia Southern, then Steve Reid made a 23-footer with five seconds left in a two-point Purdue victory)?

JD: It was great to get our first win, as we were very well prepared. I had played for Indiana coach Bobby Knight in an all-star game during my senior year, and he came into our locker room after the 1982 tourney game. He told us that the first time that most teams make it to the tourney they just enjoy getting there, but the second time you make it is when you can really make a difference and win a game. Purdue held the ball at the end because there was no shot clock at the time.

JT: You became head coach at Robert Morris in 1984 and remain the all-time winningest men's basketball coach in school history. How did you get the job, and what made you such a good coach?

JD: I was just fortunate to be in the right place at the right time. My first year as an assistant coach there was the first winning season in RMU history, so that helped a lot. The kids really identified with me because I ran the show on the defensive end, and we used to press a lot.

JT: In 1989 and 1990 you were named NEC Coach of the Year. What did it mean to you to win such outstanding individual honors?

JD: It was the first time that I ever won a big accolade as a head coach, so it meant a lot to me. We had a great group of kids who had great chemistry. We did not have the most talent, but winning meant a lot to them.

JT: What are your memories of the 1989 NEC Tournament final (one-point win over FDU)?

JD: It was really exciting. Anthony Dickens had to sit out the previous year due to reconstructive hip surgery. We kept him around the team to keep his spirits up, and he just kept getting better and better. He ended up becoming captain, and made the winning free throw despite being only a 45% FT shooter.

JT: What are your memories of the 1989 NCAA Tournament (Sean Elliott scored 27 points [8-12 FG] in an Arizona victory)?

JD: I remember thinking that we would never score! They had several first round picks on that team: Elliott, Kenny Lofton, Anthony Cook, etc. I remember the first play of the game was a lob to Lofton, and I told my guys that it was going to be a long night.

JT: What are your memories of the 1990 NCAA Tournament (Rick Calloway scored 22 points [9-10 FG] in an eight-point Kansas victory)?

JD: It was a great experience. We were only down by three points at the half and kept it close throughout the game. Nobody had really ever heard of RMU, but the crowd got behind us as the underdog. My wife went to buy an RMU t-shirt at halftime...but they were all sold out!

JT: What are your memories of the 1992 NCAA Tournament (Tracy Murray scored 20 points [8-11 FG] in a UCLA victory)?

JD: We played them tough for about 30 minutes, and then the roof caved in on us as we just ran out of gas. We were only down by about five points at halftime, but when the big guy keeps hitting you in a boxing match, it is hard to keep your arms up.

JT: You returned to Duquesne as an assistant coach in 2000, then became associate athletic director in 2001, and were recently hired to do color commentary for men's basketball games. What did it mean to you to go back to your alma mater, and how excited are you about the new gig?

JD: I am very excited for the new opportunity, as it was always something that I wanted to do. Coming back to Duquesne was great because I have launched a few different careers here: coaching, administration, and now broadcasting.

Coach Durham is also on Jon's list of best coaches in NEC history.

Central Connecticut State: Howie Dickenman (1996-present) 217-196, 3 NCAA tourneys, 3 conference titles, 4-time conference COY

Fairleigh Dickinson: Tom Green (1983-2009) 407-351, 4 NCAA tourneys, 4 conference titles, 2-time conference COY

Long Island: Clair Bee (1931-1943, 1945-1951) 360-80-2, 2 NIT titles, 1 Helms title

Monmouth: Wayne Szoke (1987-1998) 168-133, 1 NCAA tourney, 1-time conference COY

Mount St. Mary's: Jim Phelan (1954-2003) 830-524, 2 NCAA tourneys, 1 conference title, 16 D-2 tourneys, 1 D-2 title, 2-time national COY, 2-time conference COY

Quinnipiac: Burt Kahn (1960-1991) 459-358

Robert Morris: Jarrett Durham (1984-1996) 157-183, 3 NCAA tourneys, 3 conference titles, 2-time conference COY

Sacred Heart: Dave Bike (1978-present) 478-430, 8 D-2 tourneys, 1 D-2 title, 1-time national COY

St. Francis (NY): Daniel Lynch (1948-1969) 283-237, 2 conference titles

Saint Francis (PA): Skip Hughes (1945-1966) 293-206-1

Wagner: Tim Capstraw (1989-1999) 117-164, 1-time conference COY

NEC: Semifinals Preview & Notes

Press Release — Sat, 07 Mar 2009 18:03:02 -0500

With quarterfinal play now in the books, the 2009 NEC Men's Basketball Tournament resumes with semifinal action on Sunday, March 8. Top-seeded Robert Morris hosts #5 Quinnipiac in a game to air live at 2:00 pm on MSG and Fox College Sports. FSN-Pittsburgh will air the game on delay at 8:30 pm. The second game of the day features a rematch of the 2008 NEC title game as defending champion and #2 seed Mount St. Mary's hosts #3 Sacred Heart. Tipoff is at 7:00 pm. The winners will face off for the NEC championship on Wednesday, March 11 at 8:00 pm on ESPN2.

#1 Robert Morris (22-10, 15-3 NEC)
• Top-seeded Robert Morris raced out to a 22-point first half lead and held off a late St. Francis (NY) charge for a 73-60 win in an NEC quarterfinal matchup in Moon Township on Thursday.

• NEC Player of the Year Jeremy Chappell (Cincinnati, OH/Northwest) led the way for the Colonials with 19 points, five rebounds and six assists, while second team all-NEC performer Rob Robinson (Waldorf, MD/Globe Institute of Technology) chipped in with nine points and 13 rebounds.

• Robert Morris has won nine straight games at home and is 13-2 at the Sewall Center on the year.

• The Colonials will take on #5 Quinnipiac in Sunday's semifinals in a game to air live at 2:00 pm on MSG and Fox College Sports, and on delay at 8:30 pm on FSN-Pittsburgh.

• Robert Morris and Quinnipiac have never met in the postseason. The Colonials swept the Bobcats during the 2008-09 regular season.

• In the two games this season against Quinnipiac, Robinson averaged 18.5 ppg, 9.5 rpg and 4.5 spg.

• The Colonials have now reached the NEC semifinals in three of the last four years.

• Robert Morris claimed its second straight NEC regular-season championship and sixth overall (eight if its 1981-82 and 1982-83 divisional championships are included) with a 15-3 league record.

• In two seasons under Mike Rice, the Colonials are 31-5 (.861) in NEC play, the second-best two year stretch behind Marist's 28-4 (.875) run from 1986-88.

• Robert Morris is 48-18 (.727) overall the last two seasons.

• The Colonials received a vote in the AP Top-25 poll on February 9th and 16th and reached as high as #23 in the CollegeInsider Mid-Major poll on February 16th. During this period, RMU won 13 straight NEC games.

• Robert Morris set a new NEC record with 15 straight road wins over league opponents before the two-year streak was snapped with a three-point loss at Monmouth on February 19th.

• Robert Morris has posted back-to-back 20-win seasons for the first time since 1988-89 (21 wins) and 1989-90 (22 wins) and second time in school history.

• The Colonials have won a league-high five NEC titles, all between 1982 and 1992.

• Robert Morris has won the NEC championship in three of its four previous appearances when seeded first (1989, 1990 and 1992). The top-seeded Colonials were knocked by Mount St. Mary's in the 2008 semifinals.

• Robert Morris is 12-6 all-time in NEC Tournament games at home.

• The Colonials are 9-0 against the second through sixth seeds in the NEC Tournament. The team's three conference losses on the year came to #7 Wagner, #8 St. Francis (NY) and Monmouth, which didn't make the field.

• Junior guard Jimmy Langhurst (Willard, OH/Willard) is second in the NEC in 3PFG% (.423).

• Senior guard Jeremy Chappell (Cincinnati, OH/Northwest) has established a school record with 121 games played and 117 starting assignments. On Thursday, he eclipsed Chipper Harris' (1980-84) program record with 97 double-digit scoring games.

• Chappell (16.7 ppg, second in NEC) is the leading active scorer and ninth in league annals with 1,824 points.

• Chappell is the only player in NEC history with over 1,000 points, 500 rebounds, 250 assists, 250 steals and 200 three-pointers. He enters the postseason with 1,824 points, 661 boards, 330 assists, 261 steals and 235 3PFG.

• Chappell ranks in the NEC top-15 in nine individual categories, including first in steals (2.5 spg, 13th in nation).

• The Colonials lead the NEC in 3PFG percentage (.399) and are second in FG percentage (.476).

#2 Mount St. Mary's (18-12, 12-6 NEC)
• Defending NEC champion and #2 seed Mount St. Mary's held serve at home on Thursday, ousting #7 Wagner by a 72-62 margin in quarterfinal play.

• Sophomore guard Jean Cajou (Fairfax, VA/Paul VI) scored a game-high 21 points against Wagner, including seven points in the last two minutes of the contest. With Mount St. Mary's ahead by two, Cajou nailed a three-pointer to give the Mount a 64-59 leads with 1:35 left on the clock.

• Sophomore forward Shawn Atupem (Newport News, VA/Woodside) scored 16 points off the bench, while junior forward Kelly Beidler (Virginia Beach, VA/Tallwood) added 15 points and seven boards.

• Mount St. Mary's and Sacred Heart have met just once in NEC Tournament competition, with the Mountaineers going on the road to defeat the Pioneers, 68-55, in the 2008 NEC title game.

• The Mount and Sacred Heart split their two regular season games with each team winning on its own home floor.

• The Mount has won nine straight home games and is 11-2 at Knott Arena this season. It is the longest homecourt win streak by the Mount since winning 16 in a row from 1994-96.

• The Mount has qualified for the NEC semis in each of the last three years following a six-year absence.

• The Mount will attempt to become the first NEC program to repeat as champions since Rider in 1993 and 1994.

• Mount St. Mary's captured its three NEC titles in 1995, 1999 and 2008.

• The Mount owns the distinction of being both the lowest (#6 seed in 1999) and second-lowest (#4 seed in 2008) seeded teams to win the NEC Tournament.

• Mount St. Mary's is 16-10 all-time in NEC Tournament games, including 5-3 under Brown. The Mount's .615 winning percentage in the postseason ranks second among current NEC institutions.

• The Mount's #2 seed is the highest for the program since a #1 seed in 1996. That year, the Mount fell to Rider in the semifinals. In 1995, the Mountaineers won their first NEC title as the #2 seed.

• Mount St. Mary's is 9-4 all-time in NEC quarterfinal games with victories in each of the last three years.

• Mount St. Mary's is 18-12 this season, the third-most wins by a Mount team since moving to NCAA Division I in 1988-89. The record is 21 set by the 1995-96 squad (21-7), while the Mountaineers went 19-15 during last year's NEC Tournament run.

• The Mount is 7-2 all-time at home in the NEC Tournament.

• The Mount's 12-6 conference record tied for the second-most league wins in program history. • Mount St. Mary's leads the NEC in scoring defense at 63.3 ppg.

• First team all-NEC guard Jeremy Goode (Charlotte, NC/Providence Day) stands fourth among active NEC players with 1,254 points. Goode ranks 23rd on the NEC's career assist list with 460.

• Cajou is second on the team in scoring with 13.5 ppg. He leads the NEC and is seventh nationally in FT percentage (.891).

• The Mount is one of just four teams in the nation to start the same lineup in every game this year. The others are Butler, Clemson and North Dakota State.

#3 Sacred Heart (17-13, 12-6 NEC)
• In NEC quarterfinal action on Thursday, #3 seed Sacred Heart defeated in-state rival CCSU for the third time this season with a 76-64 win over the sixth seeded Blue Devils in Fairfield.

• Junior guard Chauncey Hardy (Middletown, CT/Xavier), who had missed the previous two games with a wrist injury, scored a game-high 22 points in the victory.

• First team all-NEC forward Joey Henley (Kent, WA/Kentride) recorded a double-double with 15 points and 11 rebounds.

• Sacred Heart now gets a long-awaited rematch with Mount St. Mary's, which beat the Pioneers in last year's NEC championship tilt, 68-55.

• The Pioneers and Mountaineers split their two regular season meetings with each defending its home court.

• A win will give Sacred Heart its third consecutive NEC title game appearance. The Pioneers are 5-3 all-time in the tournament.

• Sacred Heart is now 3-2 against CCSU in NEC Tournament play. The Pioneers have faced the Blue Devils in each of their five NEC Tournament appearances.

• The Pioneers have won six straight games by an average margin of 19.3 points.

• Sacred Heart has now posted three straight winning seasons, a first at the Division I level and first time since the 1987-88 (16-13), 1988-89 (22-10) and 1989-90 Division II campaigns (15-14).

• The Pioneers are the NEC's top scoring team, averaging 73.8 ppg. Sacred Heart also paces the league in field goal percentage (.483, 15th nationally) and assists (17.1 apg, 10th in nation).

• Over the last seven games, Sacred Heart is producing 84.5 ppg, while allowing just 67.4 ppg.

• Sophomore forward Mehmet Sahan (Istanbul, Turkey/Tilton School) averaged 14.5 ppg and shot 82.3 percent (14-17) from the floor in two games against the Mount this season.

• Since inserting junior guard Corey Hassan (Merrimack, NH/Merrimack (Boston U.)) into the starting lineup, the Pioneers are 13-4.

• Last year the Pioneers went 7-3 down the stretch and finished 13-5 in conference play. In 2006-07, Sacred Heart finished 12-6 in the NEC and won five of its last six regular season games.

• Graduate student forward Joey Henley (Kent, WA/Kentride) leads the NEC and is sixth nationally in field goal percentage (.621). He is also sixth in the conference in scoring (15.7 ppg), sixth in rebounding (6.8 rpg) and fourth in blocks (1.3 bpg).

• Henley is up to 1,383 career points and 642 rebounds, both second among active NEC competitors.

• Four Sacred Heart players average in double figures: Henley (15.8 ppg), Hardy (11.5 ppg), Hassan (11.2 ppg) and senior forward Ryon Howard (Bronx, NY/Holderness School) (10.6 ppg).

• Bike, now in his 31st year at Sacred Heart, leads all current NEC coaches with 481 career victories.

#5 Quinnipiac (15-15, 10-8 NEC)
• The #5 seeded Bobcats were the only road team to emerge victorious in Thursday's NEC quarterfinals with an 86-78 overtime win at #4 seed Long Island. Quinnipiac swept all three games with LIU on the year.

• Quinnipiac led by 11 points with 2:37 to play, but LIU ended regulation with a 15-4 run, including a three-pointer at the buzzer to send the game into overtime. In the extra session, senior guard Bryan Geffen (Queens, NY/St. Francis Prep (Boston U.)) hit a clutch three-pointer with 2:43 to go to give the Bobcats a four-point lead. Quinnipiac scored the remainder of their points from the line.

• Sophomore forward Justin Rutty (Newburgh, NY/Newburgh Free Academy), a first team all-NEC selection, had a monster game with 18 points and 16 boards. Junior forward James Feldeine (New York, NY/Cardinal Hayes), the winner of the inaugural NEC Most Improved award and a second team all-NEC performer, led all scorers with 22 points.

• The Bobcats last reached the NEC semifinals in 2007.

• Quinnipiac and Robert Morris have never met in the NEC playoffs. The Colonials won both outings against the Bobcats in the regular season.

• The Quinnipiac-Robert Morris game will air live on MSG and Fox College Sports at 2:00 pm.

• Feldeine averaged 21.5 ppg, 5.5 rpg and 3.5 spg versus the Colonials in two games this season.

• The Bobcats are 5-5 in NEC Tournament competition (3-0 at home, 2-5 on the road), including a run to the 2002 title game after entering the tourney as the #7 seed. That year, Quinnipiac knocked off #2 Wagner and #3 UMBC before falling to top-seeded CCSU, 78-71, in the championship.

• The Bobcats have now finished over .500 in NEC play in each of the last three seasons.

• Quinnipiac has been strong on the boards all year long. The Bobcats lead the NEC and rank 25th nationally in rebound margin at +5.7 per game.

• In league play, the Bobcats ranked first on the circuit in FG% defense at 40.7 percent.

• Feldeine is the NEC scoring leader at 17.0 ppg. He has more than doubled his scoring average from last season when he posted 8.3 ppg.

• Feldeine is averaging 21.7 ppg over his last three outings.

• Rutty is first in the league with 9.7 rpg (21st in the nation) and 12 double-doubles.

• Rutty ranks second in the nation with 4.5 offensive rebounds per game, second only to Pittsburgh All-American candidate DeJuan Blair.

• Rutty is also tenth in the NEC in scoring at 15.0 ppg, and sits second in the conference and 10th nationally in field goal percentage (.608).

• NEC All-Rookie guard James Johnson (Brooklyn, NY/Bishop Loughlin) is the league's freshmen leader in three categories with 4.1 apg, 1.6 spg and a 1.53:1 assist-to-turnover ratio.

• Geffen has hit 56 three-pointers on the year to pace the Bobcats.

Northeast Conference Tournament: Preview & Prediction

Evan Dorey — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 19:22:42 -0500

This is one in a series of conference tournament previews, in which I run down all the teams involved, give a brief statistical review and present the log5 projections, using in-conference offensive and defensive efficiency. The basic log5 methodology comes from Bill James, and this is an area Ken Pomeroy has looked at in the past as well. I claim nothing new in the application, but obviously with slightly different methodologies, these numbers may differ from others you find. I don’t claim to be an expert on any particular conference, and I’m sure there are some mis-characterizations on some players I’ve seen sparingly at best, so please add your thoughts in the comments. Anyway, with no further ado, the preview follows below:

NEC Tournament

The NEC Tournament has all game played at the higher seed with 8 of the 11 teams making the quarters.

#	Team	SF	F	W
1	Robert Morris	94.76%	82.61%	64.72%
2	Mount St. Mary's	91.99%	66.85%	22.16%
3	Sacred Heart	91.38%	31.18%	9.09%
4	Long Island	72.84%	12.75%	3.11%
5	Quinnipiac	27.16%	3.76%	0.71%
6	Central Connecticut	8.62%	0.98%	0.06%
7	Wagner	8.01%	0.99%	0.07%
8	St. Francis NY	5.24%	0.88%	0.09%

Robert Morris has separated itself from the rest of the conference all season, and with it hosting every game it plays, it should be on course for the NCAA bid.

#1 – Robert Morris Colonials (21-10, 15-3) ; Efficiency Margin: +0.162

Last NCAA Tournament bid: 1992 (1^st Round)

Besides one bad weekend in which they lost twice on the road, the Colonials have looked untouchable in NEC play. This is mostly thanks to their ability to defend the inside and force a lot of turnovers. They are vulnerable to the outside shot, and foul a lot, both areas that can be exploited. Offensively, they commit a lot of turnovers themselves, but are solid shooters from all over the floor.

Players to watch:

6-3 SR Jeremy Chappell, 16.6 PPG, 6.3 RPG, 3.2 APG, 2.5 SPG, 56.2 eFG% - No player in the conference could replace what Chappell does for RMU, he’s a spectacular player who leads the team in every major category except blocks, and leads the NEC in steals. He’s also a 40% three-point shooter, but he does have a bit of a turnover problem.

5-11 JR Jimmy Langhurst, 10.1 PPG, 2.2 RPG, 60.4 eFG% - Chapell is a good shooter, but Langhurst is lights-out, at 43% from behind the arc. Any opponent focusing too strongly on Chapell will get burned by Langhurst’s scoring ability.

#2 – Mount St. Mary’s Mountaineers (17-12, 12-6) ; Efficiency Margin: +0.115

Last NCAA Tournament bid: 2008 (1^st Round)

The only team that looks to have a serious chance of stopping Robert Morris, the Mountaineers ran off an eight-game winning streak in January that moved them from 0-3 into contention for the league title. Like the Colonials, Mount St. Mary’s relies on its defense, and while it isn’t quite as good as the league leaders in that area, it still has a strong group that forces a lot of turnovers and causes a lot of problems on the outside. When they get the ball, the Mountaineers tend to send it inside, to reasonable success. They are also good offensive rebounders who rarely turn the ball over.

Players to watch:

5-9 JR Jeremy Goode, 15.8 PPG, 3.2 RPG, 4.1 APG, 1.9 SPG, 48.2 eFG% - Goode is the best three-point shooter for the Mountaineers, but takes most of his shots from inside, where he’s not too successful. He leads the team in steals and assists, and is a effective lead guard.

6-3 SO Jean Cajou, 13.2 PPG, 3.3 RPG, 50.3 eFG% - Cajou is another perimeter player, and is most notable for his free-throw shooting, a stellar 84-for-95 on the season. He’s a solid, double-digit scorer who doesn’t make much of an impact on the other lines of the box-score.

#3 – Sacred Heart Pioneers (16-13, 12-6) ; Efficiency Margin: +0.099

Last NCAA Tournament bid: None

The Pioneers, who are the third team that the numbers give a serious chance of making of the final, will hope that the conference’s best offense will help them to make their first NCAA Tournament. They shoot 50% from the field, and do it with a balanced attack that is excellent on both twos and threes. Sacred Heart needs to be efficient with its shots, as it turns the ball over a lot and is one of the nation’s worst teams at getting to the free throw line. The Pioneer defense isn’t as strong, but is a solid unit that does a lot of things well, but nothing really well.

Players to watch:

6-5 SR Joey Henley, 15.8 PPG, 6.7 RPG, 1.3 BPG, 62.0 eFG% - Henley is the perfect fit as an NEC ‘big’ man, leading the team in points, rebounds and blocks, and having the conference’s best field goal percentage. He’s a purely inside player who will cause a lot of problems for opponents.

6-6 SR Ryon Howard, 10.7 PPG, 6.4 RPG, 1.4 SPG, 54.4 eFG% - Howard is also a strong inside player, but while he’s a bit better of a rebounder, he lags well behind in most of the other statistical areas.

#4 – Long Island Blackbirds (16-13, 12-6) ; Efficiency Margin: +0.061

Last NCAA Tournament bid: 1997 (1^st Round)

Long Island may be tied with the two teams above them, but in terms of efficiency margin there is a pecking order, and LIU clearly sits 4^th. The Blackbirds are the last team in the tournament which average more than a point-per-possession, and do it despite a terrible FG%. They manage to be effective by leading the league in turnovers, and doing an excellent job at the free throw line. Long Island’s defense is also a pretty solid unit, thanks to the Blackbirds’ strong rebounding and keeping opponents from scoring much behind the arc or at the stripe.

Players to watch:

6-1 JR Jaytornah Wisseh, 15.2 PPG, 3.7 RPG, 4.5 APG, 1.5 SPG, 41.7 eFG% - Wisseh is one of those odd players that shoots better from three than two, and his 36% from inside the arc is a serious hindrance to his play. Despite this, he’s a pretty good player, as just like his team he shoots very well from the free throw line.

6-4 SR Ron Manigault, 5.7 PPG, 8.7 RPG, 1.9 APG, 47.7 eFG% - Manigault’s offensive play is basically non-existent, but he’s one of the conference’s best rebounders, and for a team that depends so heavily on dominating the glass, he’s plays an important role.

#5 – Quinnipiac Bobcats (14-15, 10-8) ; Efficiency Margin: +0.030

Last NCAA Tournament bid: None

The period between mid-December and mid-January was tough for Quinnipiac, just 2-9 over that stretch. After that, they had a strong finish to battle up to the fifth spot and earn themselves a shot at a semifinal berth. The Bobcats have the best field goal defense in the league, but are somewhat vulnerable to long-distance shooters. Quinnipiac may stop its opponents’ shots, but hits very few of its own, and it depends on some of the nation’s best offensive rebounding to stay above .500.

Players to watch:

6-7 SO Justin Rutty, 14.9 PPG, 9.5 RPG, 1.1 BPG, 60.3 eFG% - Rutty is the closest player in the conference to averaging a double-double, and the NEC’s best rebounder. He’s an excellent player in the paint, shooting 60% from the floor, but his 42% on free throws makes him a bit of a liability in the late game.

6-4 JR James Feldeine, 16.8 PPG, 6.1 RPG, 1.7 SPG, 47.3 eFG% - In addition to having the conference’s leading rebounder, the Bobcats also have the NEC’s top scorer in Feldeine. He takes a lot of shots, and makes just enough of them to remain an efficient player.

#6 – Central Connecticut Blue Devils (13-16, 8-10) ; Efficiency Margin: -0.054

Last NCAA Tournament bid: 2007 (1^st Round)

They may be the #6 seeds, but the Blue Devils are the weakest team in the tournament, hampered by a defense that has struggled. Opponents have been able to dominate the inside with little resistance, shooting a high percentage and picking up a lot of their own misses. CCSU takes very few three-pointers, and with good reason, given its league-worst performance behind the arc, and has put together a decent offense by getting the ball inside.

Players to watch:

6-6 SO Ken Horton, 16.6 PPG, 5.9 RPG, 1.6 BPG, 54.6 eFG% - There can’t be much doubt that Horton is the team’s most important player, as he leads it in points, rebounds and blocks, and is also the Devils’ most efficient offensive weapon. He’s a good inside scorer who can complement it with a good outside shot, one of the few guys on the team who can hit a three.

6-0 SO Shemik Thompson, 11.6 PPG, 3.3 RPG, 4.9 APG, 2.0 SPG, 42.6 eFG% - Thompson has some decent averages, but is a player that ends up wasting a lot of possessions. He’s really struggled with his shooting, and while he does put up good steal and assist numbers, he also commits a lot of turnovers.

#7 – Wagner Seahawks (16-13, 8-10) ; Efficiency Margin: -0.039

Last NCAA Tournament bid: 2003 (1^st Round)

Wagner looked destined for the bottom three after entering February 3-and-9 in conference play, but a stirring finish to the season, including wins over Mount St. Mary’s and Robert Morris, saw them get into a tournament spot. During its streak, Wagner has improved its shooting percentages both offensively and defensively, especially in its ability to hit threes. The Seahawks cause a lot of turnover trouble for opponents, which generally manages to cover its own problems holding onto the ball.

Players to watch:

6-4 SR Llewchean Radford, 11.2 PPG, 7.5 RPG, 52.8 eFG% - Radford is a very good rebounder who has actually seen his scoring diminish somewhat as the team has started to string together victories, but has kept up his rebounding numbers. His biggest trouble has been avoiding foul trouble, as his time on court is limited in a number of games in which he manages to pick up four or five fouls.

6-2 SR Joey Mundweiler, 14.0 PPG, 1.6 RPG, 57.0 eFG% - Mundweiler is basically a three-point shooting specialist, and at nearly 40% from behind the arc, he’s a good one. His game against Monmouth to close out the regular season was a stellar one, as he set an NEC record by making 11 three-pointers.

#8 – St. Francis (NY) Terriers (10-19, 7-11) ; Efficiency Margin: -0.031

Last NCAA Tournament bid: None

Despite grabbing the last seed in the tournament, St. Francis has actually been slightly better than both of the teams just above it in the seedings. The Terriers are the NEC’s most three-dependent team, and thus have a fairly low FG% relative to their eFG%. However, they face the problems we might expect from a perimeter heavy team, struggling on the glass and not getting to the free throw line much. A couple of other weaknesses are less typical, poor free throw shooting and a lot of turnovers. Defensively, they hold opponents to a low percentage from the outside, but don’t do well inside, and commit the most fouls in the league.

Players to watch:

6-2 SO Ricky Cadell, 15.1 PPG, 3.3 RPG, 1.1 SPG, 55.6 eFG% - Cadell is a player who has really developed into a bigger scoring threat over the season, averaging 21 points a game in the month of February. He’s an excellent three-point shooter, but also does a lot of damage inside.

5-8 SR Jamaal Womack, 10.1 PPG, 2.8 RPG, 4.1 APG, 41.7 eFG% - Womack is a solid point guard when it comes to distributing the ball, but when a possession ends with him shooting, the Terriers don’t typically benefit. His long-distance shot is close to being decent, but he is a disaster when he takes shots inside.

My statistical all-NEC team:

Robert Morris SR G Jeremy Chappell, 16.6 PPG, 6.3 RPG, 3.2 APG, 2.5 SPG, 56.2 eFG%

Mount St. Mary’s JR G Jeremy Goode, 15.8 PPG, 3.2 RPG, 4.1 APG, 1.9 SPG, 48.2 eFG%

Central Connecticut SO F Ken Horton, 16.6 PPG, 5.9 RPG, 1.6 BPG, 54.6 eFG%

Sacred Heart SR F Joey Henley, 15.8 PPG, 6.7 RPG, 1.3 BPG, 62.0 eFG%

Quinnipiac SO F Justin Rutty, 14.9 PPG, 9.5 RPG, 1.1 BPG, 60.3 eFG%

NEC Player of the Year (Jeremy Chappell) & All-Conferencee

Press Release — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 17:51:45 -0500

Somerset, NJ -- Robert Morris senior guard Jeremy Chappell (Cincinnati, OH/Northwest) was unanimously selected as the 2008-09 Northeast Conference Men’s Basketball Player of the Year in a vote conducted by league head coaches. Long Island freshman forward Julian Boyd (San Antonio, TX/William H. Taft) was named NEC Rookie of the Year, while Robert Morris senior guard Bateko Francisco (Paris, France/Fort Scott JC) was voted NEC Defensive Player of the Year. Quinnipiac junior forward James Feldeine (New York, NY/Cardinal Hayes) was the recipient of the inaugural NEC Most Improved Player award. Jim Phelan Coach of the Year honors went to Robert Morris head coach Mike Rice for the second year in a row. The honorees were announced on a media teleconference this morning to promote the 2009 NEC Men’s Basketball Tournament, which begins on Thursday with quarterfinal play at four campus sites.

Chappell follows in the footsteps of former teammate Tony Lee to make it back-to-back NEC Player of the Year award winners for the Colonials, who head into the NEC Tournament as the top seed after winning their second straight regular season crown. After sharing the offensive load with fellow all-stars Lee and A.J. Jackson the last two years, the 6’3” Chappell became the focal point of the Robert Morris attack this season and was more than up to the task. With the ability to shoot from long range, attack the rim, sweep the boards, distribute the ball to teammates and defend the perimeter, Chappell ranks in the NEC top-15 in nine different categories. The two-time Choice Hotels NEC Player of the Week leads the conference and ranks 13th nationally with 2.6 steals per game. Chappell is also third in scoring (16.6 ppg), made three pointers (73, 2.4 per game) and free throw percentage (.854), eighth in rebounding (6.3 rpg) and ninth in three-point percentage (.403). The former NEC Rookie of the Year and two time all-star will also be remembered as one of the top all-around performers in the history of the league. With career totals of 1,805 points, 656 boards, 324 assists, 259 steals and 232 three-pointers, Chappell is the only player in NEC history to compile 1,000 points, 500 rebounds, 250 assists, 250 steals and 200 three-pointers in his career. A Cincinnati, OH native, he is the third-leading scorer in school history and tenth on the NEC career chart. He also ranks seventh all-time in the conference in steals. In Chappell’s four years in Moon Township, the Colonials have compiled a 79-41 record and he will graduate as the school recordholder for games played (120) and games started (116). Chappell is the first unanimous NEC Player of the Year selection since FDU’s Chad Timberlake in 2005-06. Other Robert Morris players to earn NEC Player of the Year include Lee in 2007-08, Chipper Harris in 1983-84, Vaughn Luton in 1988-89 and Myron Walker in 1991-92.

Boyd stepped into the void left by the graduation of Kellen Allen and gave the Blackbirds a legitimate threat on the low block and workhorse on the offensive glass. On Monday, the 6’7” forward earned his league-leading sixth Choice Hotels NEC Rookie of the Week honor, the most in a season since Saint Francis (PA)’s Darshan Luckey was honored on eight occasions in 2002-03. Boyd, who hails from San Antonio, TX, enters the postseason ranked first among NEC freshmen in rebounding (6.3 rpg) and second in scoring (10.3 ppg) despite coming off the bench all 29 games and averaging just 22.6 mpg. Per 40 minutes, Boyd is averaging 18.3 ppg and 11.1 rpg for the Blackbirds, who posted their best conference record (12-6) since 2000-01 and are assured of their first winning season since 1997-98. Additionally, Boyd ranks second in the league in offensive boards (3.0 rpg) and ninth in field goal percentage (.508). Boyd is the third Long Island recipient of the NEC Rookie of the Year award, joining James Williams (2004-05) and Richie Parker (1996-97).

A terrific perimeter defender for Robert Morris, Francisco helped anchor one of the NEC’s stingiest defenses in 2008-09. Teaming with NEC steals leader Jeremy Chappell in a formidable backcourt, the Colonials allowed a conference-low 62.8 ppg in league play, ranked second overall during the regular season in scoring defense at 66.4 ppg and yielded less than 70 points in 12 of their last 13 games against NEC competition. Individually, the native of Paris, France has compiled 39 steals and is tenth in the league with 1.3 spg.

Feldeine’s steady rise at Quinnipiac culminated with his selection as the inaugural winner of the NEC Most Improved Player award. A seldom used freshman, Feldeine became a key contributor as a sophomore in 2007-08, then developed into a full-fledged star for the Bobcats this past season when he effortlessly stepped into the role formerly held by all-conference standout DeMario Anderson. Picture-perfect jump shot aside - the 6’4” forward has hit 46 shots from three-point range - Feldeine can score in a variety of ways from converting in transition to attacking the basket in traffic. With double-digits in all but one game this season, the New York City native leads the NEC with 16.8 ppg. He is also a strong rebounder with 6.1 per game (10th in the NEC) and has posted three double-doubles on the year. The Mid-Majority Baller of the Week on December 22 and two-time Choice Hotels NEC Player of the Week, Feldeine has more than doubled his scoring average from last season when he averaged 8.3 ppg.

In leading Robert Morris to its second consecutive NEC regular season championship, Rice joins Rider’s Kevin Bannon as the only coaches in NEC history to be voted Jim Phelan Coach of the Year in each of their first two years in the conference. Despite the loss of 2007-08 NEC Player of the Year Tony Lee and three-time NEC all-star A.J. Jackson, Rice kept the Colonials playing at a high level by emphasizing defensive effort on the floor, adding newcomer Rob Robinson to the front line and turning the keys on offense over to Jeremy Chappell, the latest Robert Morris standout to earn NEC Player of the Year plaudits. The Colonials are an astounding 31-5 in NEC play over the last two years, the second-best two year stretch behind Marist’s 28-4 (.875) run from 1986-88. Overall, Robert Morris has posted a 47-18 record in his tenure and back-to-back 20-win seasons for the first time since 1988-89 (21 wins) and 1989-90 (22 wins). Other notable achievements in Rice’s short time with the program include an NEC record 15-game road winning streak against conference opposition that was just recently snapped, a school record 26 wins in 2007-08 and a win over ACC opponent Boston College last season. Robert Morris has also received votes in the Associated Press Top-25 poll in each of the last two years. Heading into the NEC Tournament as the top seed, the Colonials have clinched a berth in the Postseason NIT for the second straight year. Last season, the Colonials nearly pulled off the upset in the NIT with an 87-81 setback at Syracuse. Former Robert Morris coaches Matt Furjanic (1982-83) and Jarrett Durham (1988-89 and 1989-90) have also won this award.

Two of the five players that comprise the all-NEC first team were second team all-stars a year ago, led by Robert Morris senior guard Jeremy Chappell (Cincinnati, OH/Northwest), the league’s Player of the Year. Long Island junior guard Jaytornah Wisseh (Brooklyn, NY/Banneker Academy) was also a second-team honoree in 2007-08, while Sacred Heart graduate student forward Joey Henley (Kent, WA/Kentride) was voted to the second team in 2004-05. Mount St. Mary’s junior guard Jeremy Goode (Charlotte, NC/Providence Day) and Quinnipiac sophomore forward Justin Rutty (Newburgh, NY/Newburgh Free Academy) are both first time award recipients.

A fleet-footed 5’9” point guard who has started 90 games since his arrival in Emmitsburg in 2006, Goode immediately transformed Mount St. Mary’s into a title contender and led an improbable Mount run from the #4 seed to the program’s third NEC title last season. Serving as the indispensable hub of the offense, Goode powers the Mount’s transition game and directs the team’s halfcourt attack with equal aplomb. Throw in an improved shot from long range - he has boosted his three-point shooting from 29.9 percent as a sophomore to 39.8 percent this season - and you have one of the most dynamic performers in the conference. A two-time Choice Hotels NEC Player of the Week, Goode is sixth in the NEC in scoring at 15.8 ppg, and also ranks second in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.74:1), third in steals (1.9 spg), seventh in assists (4.1 apg) and tenth in three-point percentage (.398). In three years, the Charlotte, NC native has already moved into 24th place on the NEC career list with 457 assists and is the fourth-leading active scorer on the circuit with 1,249 points.

A grizzled veteran who was a second team all-NEC performer back in 2004-05, Henley has been the face of Sacred Heart basketball for the better part of the decade. Now a sixth-year graduate student, Henley shook off the second major knee injury of his career to make a triumphant return to the hardwood this season and reclaim his spot as one of the top interior players on the circuit. One of the great athletes in NEC annals - he has also competed at high levels in both football and track and field at Sacred Heart - the 6’5” Henley’s quickness, leaping ability and tenacity on the block make up the size differences he often faces in the paint. As he attempts to lead the Pioneers to their first NEC title, the Kent, WA product enters the postseason as the league’s leading field goal shooter with a 62.0 percent conversion rate. That figure is good for seventh nationally. The two-time Choice Hotels NEC Player of the Week is also seventh in the conference in scoring (15.8 ppg), sixth in rebounding (6.7 rpg) and fourth in blocks (1.3 bpg). Henley is now up to 1,368 career points and 631 rebounds, both marks second among active NEC competitors.

Rutty’s emergence as a dominant interior force in his sophomore campaign helped keep Quinnipiac afloat in the NEC playoff race despite a rash of injuries playing havoc with the team’s rotation. One of the few players in the conference with the ability to change the course of a game through his work on the glass, the burly 6’7, 250 lb. Rutty currently sits first in the league with 9.5 rpg (24th in the nation) and 11 double-doubles as the leader of the NEC’s top rebounding team. His work on the offensive glass has earned him recognition as he ranks second in the nation with 4.4 offensive rebounds per game, second only to Pittsburgh All-American candidate DeJuan Blair. Rutty also refined his post game, developing a reliable jump hook that made him nearly impossible to defend in the paint. To that end, the Newburgh, NY native is tenth in the NEC in scoring at 14.9 ppg and ranks second in the NEC and 14th nationally in field goal percentage (.603).

Wisseh is one the quickest players to emerge from the NEC ranks in recent years and his unique ability to create plays off the dribble sets him apart from most guards in the region. Virtually unguardable one-on-one or in transition, the 6’1” Wisseh can work his way into the paint at will and gets to the line more than any other player in the league. His unselfish nature also leads to drive-and-dish opportunities for teammates, who often find themselves unguarded as opposing defenses collapse on the Brooklyn native. In leading the Blackbirds to a #4 tournament seed, Wisseh emerged as the fourth-leading distributor in the conference with 4.5 apg, and also ranks eighth in scoring (15.3 ppg), sixth in free throw percentage (.813), and eighth in steals (1.5 spg) and assist-to-turnover ratio (1.46:1). With 1,168 career points, he enters the postseason as the seventh-highest scorer among active NEC players. A second team all-NEC honoree a year ago, Wisseh’s 371 career assists ranks fourth among the current crop of NEC competitors and 41st all-time in the league.

The all-NEC second team features five first-time honorees, all of whom will all be back in the fold next season. Along with Quinnipiac’s James Feldeine (New York, NY/Cardinal Hayes), the NEC’s Most Improved Player award winner, the second team is comprised of Fairleigh Dickinson junior guard Sean Baptiste (North Brunswick, NJ/St. Joseph’s of Metuchen), St. Francis (NY) sophomore guard Ricky Cadell (New York, NY/The Patterson School (NC)), Central Connecticut State sophomore forward Ken Horton (Ossining, NY/Ossining) and Robert Morris junior forward Rob Robinson (Waldorf, MD/Oxon Hill (Globe Institute)).

Baptiste has evolved into a complete offensive package for the Knights. A prolific scorer with an NEC-best five 30+ point outings on the year, he has the ability to shake defenders in the halfcourt, create mid-range shot opportunities, shoot with accuracy from three-point territory (48 this season) and is strong enough in the air to finish around the hoop. He finished his junior season ranked fourth in the NEC with 16.3 ppg, but led the conference in league play with 18.6 ppg. His nose for the ball and aggressive nature around the hoop led to the 6’3” guard pulling down a team-high 5.9 rpg, the 11th-best mark on the circuit. Baptiste, a North Brunswick, NJ product, cracked the 1,000-point mark in February and will enter his senior year with 1,034 career points.

Cadell took his game to another level during the second half of the season and helped keep the Terriers in contention for an NEC playoff spot after leading scorer and rebounder Kayode Ayeni went down with a season-ending injury. A tough player to defend due to his quick first step and ability to slice into the lane and finish, the 6’2” Cadell keeps defenders honest with his long distance shooting skills. Over the last 11 games, the New York City native has averaged 19.5 ppg, including a career-high 33-point explosion last Thursday against Sacred Heart. The scoring surge lifted Cadell’s season average to a team-best 15.1 ppg, the ninth-best mark in the NEC. He ranks second among conference guards and 14th overall in field goal shooting at 47.0 percent. Cadell is also eighth in the league in three-point accuracy (.406) and ninth in made three-pointers (1.9 per game).

Following a terrific rookie campaign for CCSU in 2007-08, Horton continued to hone his skills and led the NEC in scoring for much of the 2008-09 campaign. Playing longer than his lanky 6’6” frame would indicate, his versatility hails a new breed of forward who can effectively play a number of positions on the floor. Horton is an effective post player whose range extends out to three-point territory where he has hit 29 shots this season. Currently ranked second in the NEC with 16.6 ppg, his 13 games of 20+ points are four more than any other player in the conference. He is also third in the league with 1.6 blocks per outing and ranks eighth in free throw accuracy (.807), 11th in field goal percentage (.502) and 12th in rebounding (5.9 rpg).

By giving the Colonials a solid post presence and interior defender, the 6’8”, 215 lb. Robinson helped fill the hole left in the Robert Morris frontcourt after the graduation of A.J. Jackson. A terrific athlete who can fill the lane on the break and finish above the rim, Robinson excelled in league play where he averaged 12.9 ppg, 6.1 rpg and shot 56.9 percent from the floor. Overall, he finished the regular season fourth in the league in field goal percentage (.545) - including a 9-9 game against Wagner on January 17th and a 7-7 performance on Saturday against Mount St. Mary’s - and ranked second on the Colonials in scoring (11.9 ppg) and rebounding (5.3 rpg).

A terrific freshman crop is led by Long Island’s Julian Boyd (San Antonio, TX/William H. Taft), the NEC Rookie of the Year. He is joined by a pair of Monmouth players in Will Campbell (Willingboro, NJ/Paul VI) and Travis Taylor (Union, NJ/Union). After averaging 4.2 points over his first 20 collegiate games, Campbell was switched to the off-guard position in late January, a move that resulted four straight 20+ point outings to close the season and 11 consecutive double-digit efforts. Over those 11 games, he averaged 18.1 ppg to lift his season average to 9.1 ppg and was twice honored as Choice Hotels NEC Rookie of the Week. A 5’10” sharpshooter from long range, Campbell ranked second on the Hawks with 42 three-pointers. Taylor, an athletic 6’8” power forward with an already refined post game, was a three-time Choice Hotels NEC Rookie of the Week honoree and closed out his freshman campaign ranked first among league freshmen with 12.4 ppg and 54.2 percent shooting from the floor (fifth overall in the NEC). He also pulled down a team-high 5.8 rpg. Renowned for his unlimited shooting range and high arcing three-point shots, St. Francis (NY) forward Stefan Perunicic (Belgrade, Serbia/Dimitrije Tucovic) has set an NEC freshman record with 86 treys this season, including a 7-11 display from downtown in a December win over Robert Morris and a 7-9 effort in a victory over Bryant in February. Perunicic is second among NEC freshmen with 11.0 ppg and a 38.7 percent success rate from beyond the arc. He also ranks in the NCAA top-30 in both made three-pointers and three-point percentage. Immediately assuming the starting role at the point, James Johnson’s (Brooklyn, NY/Bishop Loughlin) game no longer resembles that of a typical freshman after averaging 32.8 minutes per game for playoff bound Quinnipiac during the regular season. An unselfish player who is contributing 10.0 ppg, Johnson also paces NEC first year competitors with 4.2 apg, 1.6 spg and a 1.54:1 assist-to-turnover ratio.

2008-09 NEC Men’s Basketball Award Winners
Player of the Year 
Jeremy Chappell     Robert Morris       G   6-3 210 Sr  Cincinnati, OH/Northwest
Rookie of the Year 
Julian Boyd     Long Island     F   6-6 220 Fr  San Antonio, TX/William H. Taft

Defensive Player of the Year 
Bateko Francisco    Robert Morris       G   6-1 185 Sr  Paris, France/Fort Scott JC
Most Improved Player
James Feldeine      Quinnipiac      F   6-4 190 Jr  New York, NY/Cardinal Hayes

Jim Phelan Coach of the Year 
Mike Rice       Robert Morris 
2008-09 NEC Men’s Basketball First Team All-Conference
Name            School          Pos     Ht  Wt      Yr      Hometown/High School 
Jeremy Chappell     Robert Morris       G   6-3 210 Sr  Cincinnati, OH/Northwest
Jeremy Goode        Mount St. Mary’s    G   5-9 170 Jr  Charlotte, NC/Providence Day
Joey Henley     Sacred Heart        F   6-5 210 Gr  Kent, WA/Kentride
Justin Rutty        Quinnipiac      F   6-7 240 So  Newburgh, NY/Newburgh Free Academy
Jaytornah Wisseh    Long Island     G   6-1 180 Jr  Brooklyn, NY/Banneker Academy
2008-09 NEC Men’s Basketball Second Team All-Conference
Name            School          Pos     Ht  Wt     Yr   Hometown/High School 
Sean Baptiste       Fairleigh Dickinson G   6-3 185 Jr  North Brunswick, NJ/St. Joseph’s of Metuchen
Ricky Cadell        St. Francis (NY)    G   6-2 180 So  New York, NY/The Patterson School (NC)
James Feldeine      Quinnipiac      F   6-4 190 Jr  New York, NY/Cardinal Hayes
Ken Horton      Central Connecticut St. F   6-6 185 So  Ossining, NY/Ossining
Rob Robinson        Robert Morris       F   6-8 215 Jr  Waldorf, MD/Oxon Hill (Globe Institute)
2008-09 NEC Men’s Basketball All-Rookie Team
Name            School          Pos     Ht  Wt     Yr   Hometown/High School 
Julian Boyd     Long Island     F   6-6 220 Fr  San Antonio, TX/William H. Taft
Will Campbell       Monmouth        G   5-10    170 Fr  Willingboro, NJ/Paul VI
James Johnson       Quinnipiac      G   6-0 183 Fr  Brooklyn, NY/Bishop Loughlin
Stefan Perunicic    St. Francis (NY)    F   6-6 195 Fr  Belgrade, Serbia/Dimitrije Tucovic
Travis Taylor       Monmouth        F   6-8 200 Fr  Union, NJ/Union

2009 NEC Tournament Schedule/Seeding

Press Release — Sun, 01 Mar 2009 11:32:18 -0500

Somerset, NJ -- With the conclusion of the regular season, the field is now set for the 2009 NEC Men's Basketball Tournament. Robert Morris has earned the league's regular season crown, top seed and home court advantage throughout the tournament with a 15-3 conference record.

Robert Morris (21-10, 15-3 NEC) captured its second straight regular season title and eighth in program history, finishing three games ahead of Mount St. Mary's, Sacred Heart and Long Island. The Colonials, who finished the year 11-2 at home and recently had a league-record 15-game road win streak against conference opponents snapped, will now take up residence in the Sewall Center for as long as they remain alive in the NEC Tournament.

The Colonials are 31-5 in NEC play and 46-18 overall the last two seasons under Mike Rice. Robert Morris has won a league record five NEC Tournament championships, all between 1982 and 1992.

The Colonials will host #8 St. Francis (NY) (10-19, 7-11 NEC) in Thursday's quarterfinal round in Moon Township, PA. The Terriers return to the postseason following a one-year absence and have the distinction of being the only NEC team to defeat the Colonials in the Sewall Center this season with an 87-79 victory on December 4. In search of its first conference title, St. Francis (NY) has hopes of becoming the first #8 seed to knock off the top seed in NEC tournament history. The two schools have faced off three times in NEC Tournament play with the Terriers holding a 2-1 edge.

2008-09 meetings: SFNY 87, RMU 79 (12/4 at RMU), RMU 61, SFNY 54 (2/5 at SFNY)

Mount St. Mary's (17-12, 12-6 NEC) locked up the #2 seed on Saturday and will entertain #7 Wagner (16-13, 8-10 NEC) at Knott Arena on Thursday. The defending champion Mountaineers finished in a three-way tie for second place and will attempt to become the first NEC team to repeat since Rider turned the trick way back in 1993-94. Wagner enters the postseason riding a wave of momentum having clinched the final NEC playoff spot on Saturday with a 91-60 road conquest of Monmouth. In an all-or-nothing game, senior guard Joey Mundweiler (Olathe, KS/Olathe East) established a new conference record with 11 three-pointers as part of a career-high 39-point performance. The Seahawks, who have won four straight and six of their last seven games, won their lone NEC championship in 2003. Mount St. Mary's has collected three league titles in 1995, 1999 and 2008. The two teams have met just once in NEC Tournament play, a 65-48 semifinal win for the Seahawks in 1993.

2008-09 meetings: MSM 65, WC 51 (1/31 at MSM), WC 70, MSM 65 (2/19 at WC)

After ending the regular season in a three-way tie for second place, Sacred Heart (16-13, 12-6 NEC) will be the tourney's #3 seed and entertain #6 seed Central Connecticut State (13-16, 8-10 NEC) in the quarterfinals for the second straight season. Dating back to the 2006 season, it will mark the fourth straight year the two Constitution State rivals will face each other in the postseason and fifth time since 2002 (the Blue Devils are 4-1 in the series). The Pioneers, who swept CCSU this season and enter the playoffs red hot, having won five straight games by an average margin of 20.8 points, reached the NEC title game in each of the last two years and will be looking for their first conference title. The Blue Devils have captured the league crown three times (2000, 2002 and 2007) since joining the league in 1997.

2008-09 meetings: SHU 77, CCSU 69 (1/31 at SHU), SHU 101, CCSU 67 (2/19 at CCSU)

Finishing in a three-way tie for second place, Long Island (16-13, 12-6 NEC) earned the #4 seed and will host its first NEC Tournament game since 2005. The Blackbirds are a league best 12-2 at home this season at the Wellness, Recreations and Athletic Center, but one of the two losses came to Quinnipiac (14-15, 10-8 NEC), which claimed the #5 seed with a 69-55 win over CCSU on Saturday. It will be the first-ever postseason meeting between the two programs. The Bobcats, who swept the season series from the Blackbirds, are seeking their first NEC championship, while the Blackbirds are two-time winners of the title (1984, 1997).

2008-09 meetings: QU 69, LIU 63 (1/31 at QU), QU 78, LIU 73 (2/21 at LIU)

The 28th Annual NEC Basketball Tournament will consist of an eight-team playoff format with all games played at the home of the higher seed. After the quarterfinals, the teams will be reseeded so the highest remaining seed plays the lowest remaining seed in the semifinals.

NEC Men's Tournament quarterfinal play commences on Thursday, March 5, followed by the semifinal round on Sunday, March 8. The championship game, to be televised by ESPN2, will be contested on Wednesday, March 11 at 8:00 pm.

The NEC's return to a playoff format in 2005 came after an eight-year absence that saw the league's annual postseason tournament contested at one campus site (1999), at a municipal arena (2000-01) and at a single campus site for the quarterfinals and semifinals, followed by the highest remaining seed hosting the championship game (1998, 2002-04). The conference had previously employed a high-seed hosting format from 1991-97, though teams were not reseeded after the quarterfinals as the tournament is currently constructed.

Quarterfinals
Thursday, March 5

#8 St. Francis (NY) at #1 Robert Morris, 7:00 pm
#7 Wagner at #2 Mount St. Mary's, 7:00 pm
#6 Central Connecticut State at #3 Sacred Heart, 7:00 pm
#5 Quinnipiac at #4 Long Island, 7:00 pm

Semifinals
Sunday, March 8

Lowest Remaining Seed at Highest Remaining Seed, Time TBA
3rd Highest Remaining Seed at 2nd Highest Remaining Seed, Time TBA

Championship
Wednesday, March 11

8:00 pm on ESPN2

Thursday's NEC lineup

Raphielle Johnson — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 17:45:39 -0500

For those of you not looking forward to the BCS National Championship Game there is a full slate of games in the NEC (LIU is off after beating future NEC member Bryant the other night) that'll most likely do more to muddle the conference picture than provide clarity. Monmouth may be the league's hottest team after impressive wins over Sacred Heart and CCSU over the weekend, and they'll head north to take on a struggling St. Francis (NY) club. Four teams are tied for first place in the loss column (LIU and Robert Morris are 3-1; Wagner and Quinnipiac 2-1), and the Colonials will visit Tom Moore's Bobcats tonight in what should be a good game. Wagner will take on CCSU in New Britain, FDU visits a Mount St. Mary's team looking for its first league win and St. Francis (PA) visits a Sacred Heart team that has lost six of their last seven games. All games will begin at 7 PM EST, and feel free to add your thoughts on tonight's schedule.

Fairleigh Dickinson @ Mount St. Mary's

You've got five teams in the NEC who sit just a game out of first place in the loss column with two losses apiece, and surprisingly the Knights are one of those teams despite a 2-11 overall record. Sean Baptiste is one of the best guards in the NEC, but truth be told he hasn't received much help thus far. Head coach Tom Moore is also trying to work in some four-years transfers and the adjustment has been a little tougher than some anticipated heading into the season. Also, even with those newcomers they've got to improve on the defensive end of the floor. Allowing teams to shoot 48.8% from the floor (last in the NEC) is inexcusable even with their tough early-season schedule. But for as tough as the early going has been for FDU, did anyone expect to see the preseason favorites alone in the cellar at 0-3? Two of the losses, to Sacred Heart and Robert Morris, can be blamed on the lack of defense played by Milan Brown's team. But with five of their next six NEC games at home, the Mountaineers could be poised to get back into the race. My pick: Mount St. Mary's.

Wagner @ CCSU

The Seahawks have gotten it done on the offensive end of the floor with balance; Justin Drummond (9.8 ppg), Llewchean Radford (13.1), Jamal Smith (13.3) and Joey Mundweiler (14.4) have all been solid options for head coach Mike Deane. Howie Dickenman's Blue Devils, on the other hand, have struggled offensively (62.3 ppg) and have lost five of their last six. Ken Horton, Robby Ptacek and Shemik Thompson will not only have to produce themselves but get something from their supporting cast in order to make a serious run at the NEC title. Central is the NEC's best when it comes to defending the three pointer (29.7%), which could serve them well in a game against the league's best three-point shooting team (Wagner shoots 38.6% from distance). My pick: Wagner.

Robert Morris @ Quinnipiac

Arguably the game of the night in the NEC with two of the conference's best players meeting in Hamden. Quinnipiac's James Feldeine leads the NEC in scoring (19.2 ppg) but RMU's Jeremy Chappell isn't too far behind, with his 17.4 ppg ranking third. The difference in this one could be the guys who won't find their names on the marquee in this game, most notably Quinnipiac's Justin Rutty and James Johnson along with Robert Morris' Rob Robinson. The Bobcats are also the best rebounding team in the NEC, besting opponents on the glass by an average of 7.6 boards per game. Robert Morris is third in the NEC with a margin of +1.5, and they'll have to win that battle if they're to win this game on the road. Even with the unpredictable nature of this race tonight's game could be a preview of the championship game to be played in March. My pick: Quinnipiac.

Monmouth @ St. Francis (NY)

For some it may be difficult to categorize a 4-12 team as "hot", but the Hawks are just that after winning three of their last four games (including back-to-back wins over Sacred Heart and CCSU by double digits). But Dave Calloway's team may be finding its way with the youngsters getting more and more comfortable with his system, and some mainstays getting healthier. And even with that unimpressive overall record, don't be so quick to write them off in the NEC; their last tournament team (2005-06 season) started out 1-7 before righting the ship. Six players are averaging between seven and eleven points per game, with the "scoring by committee" philosophy looking good in making up for the loss of Whitney Coleman in the season opener. Things are far from rosy in Brooklyn for the Terriers who have lost their last five. But keep this in mind: their two NEC losses (St. Francis (PA) and Wagner) came on the road by a combined six points and they did win at Robert Morris. But their defense has left something to be desired in recent weeks, and the Terriers are allowing opponents to shoot 44.5% from the field and 38.9% from behind the arc. My pick: Monmouth.

St. Francis (PA) @ Sacred Heart

Neither team comes into this game in good shape, with Red Flash losing their last four and Sacred Heart dropping three straight. St. Francis' problem has been their offense (tied for last in the NEC in scoring offense) and their defense (9th in scoring defense, 10th in field goal percentage defense). Sacred Heart has performed better on the defensive end despite giving up 74.6 points per game; their issue has been turning the ball over. Dave Bike's Pioneers average more than eighteen turnovers per game (18.3 TPG) this season, the worst number in the NEC (FDU is pretty close with 18.3 TPG). Four Pioneers are averaging double figures in scoring, while the Red Flash will counter with the versatile Devin Sweetney. Neither team takes great care of the basketball, so this could be a game in which someone gives it away as opposed to someone taking control of it. My pick: Sacred Heart.

Northeast Conference

Metro Ranking and Report: Update #6

Raphielle Johnson — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 02:05:38 -0500

Conference Honors

America East: Despite their loss at Binghamton on Monday night it was a good week for Stony Brook, who won games at Air Force and defending America East champ UMBC. Junior Muhammad El-Amin shared the conference Player of the Week award with New Hampshire's Alvin Abreu, and freshman Bryan Dougher was named America East Rookie of the Week. While El-Amin accounted for 19.5 points and 4.0 rebounds in the two wins, Dougher averaged 20.5 points per game.

Big East: St. John's guard Paris Horne was named to the league's honor roll for his play in a 1-1 week for the Red Storm. In their upset of #10 Notre Dame on Saturday Horne scored fourteen points, and he averaged fifteen per game along with three steals for the two games.

Ivy League: Columbia freshman Norwua Agho was named Ivy League Rookie of the Week for his play in two tough losses for the Lions. In games against Sacred Heart and Lehigh Agho averaged 14.5 points, 2.5 rebounds and 2.0 steals. Area players named to the conference's Honor Roll include Columbia guard Kevin Bulger, Princeton guard Dan Mavraides and Yale forward Ross Morin.

MAAC: Marist guard R.J. Hall was named the league's Rookie of the Week for his play in games against Binghamton and Rider. Hall averaged 15.5 points per game and shot 55.6% from behind the arc.

NEC: Area players snagged both honors in the NEC this week, with FDU guard Sean Baptiste taking Choice Hotels NEC Player of the Week and Long Island's Julian Boyd being named Choice Hotels NEC Rookie of the Week. Baptiste averaged 25.3 points per game last week, while Boyd posted averages of eight points and six rebounds per game.

Weekly Honors

Team of the Week: Stony Brook

What they did: Road wins at Air Force (67-64) and UMBC (69-61)

Head coach Steve Pikiell has this team headed in the right direction, even with a loss on Monday night to a hot Binghamton team on the road. But for the Seawolves to get out of this three-game stretch on the road with a record of 2-1 is something that needs to be acknowledged. Winning in Clune Arena is tough for Mountain West teams, so for Stony Brook to go out west and pull out a close win is pretty impressive. Combine this with their win in Baltimore over the defending conference champions on Saturday and you've got two pieces of evidence that this program is moving up in the America East pecking order.

Newcomers Muhammad El-Amin and Bryan Dougher were both honored by the conference for their play, but the two wins were also results of solid defense (holding UMBC to 35.9% from the field) and rebounding (33-23 edge on the boards at Air Force helped counteract the Falcons shooting 52.8%; Stony Brook attempted nineteen more shots as a result). If the Seawolves can keep this effort up they'll have a serious shot at moving into the middle of the pack in America East.

Also deserving praise for their play last week are Long Island (home wins over Central Connecticut State and Sacred Heart moved the Blackbirds to 3-1 in the NEC), Rider (wins over Iona and Marist have the Broncs at 3-0 in the MAAC) and St. John's (recovering from a serious beating at Providence to knock off then-#10 Notre Dame at MSG).

Player of the Week: Sean Baptiste (Fairleigh Dickinson)

While he didn't start off the week in the best form, scoring just eight points in a loss to Rhode Island, Baptiste more than made up for that in the Knights' win over Quinnipiac on Saturday. 37 points and eight rebounds on 12-18 shooting from the field; simply put the junior guard was in a zone that some would have a hard time believing to be true. FDU may be 2-11 overall, with the newcomers still struggling to mesh in head coach Tom Green's system, but Baptiste has had a major role in both wins that also have the Knights right in the middle of the NEC standings at 2-2. One of the better guards in the metropolitan area, don't let his efforts get lost in the shuffle like the exploits of Manny Ubilla did last year.

Other players who should be mentioned (besides those honored by their conferences) include Rutgers' Mike Rosario (19.3 ppg in losses to North Carolina, Pittsburgh and Connecticut), Seton Hall's Jeremy Hazell (26 ppg in losses to Syracuse and West Virginia) and St. John's D.J. Kennedy (20 points, 10 rebounds in the Red Storm's 71-65 win over Notre Dame).

Schedule (January 6th-12th)

Tuesday January 6th

7 PM: Fairfield @ Army
8 PM: #17 Villanova @ Seton Hall The Pirates weren't done any favors in regards to their conference schedule, and they could be in serious jeopardy of starting Big East play 0-4. Visit a ranked Syracuse, host a West Virginia team that should have been ranked a few weeks ago...and follow those two blowout losses with Villanova. The backcourt matchups should be entertaining, but that's not the area of concern for the Pirates. John Garcia will have to work himself back into shape due to the time he missed with a knee injury, and neither Mike Davis or Brandon Walters have stepped up to fill that void. 6-6, 180-pound Robert Mitchell is playing the four, and while some may cite the fact that Brian Laing played that role at times last season you have to keep in mind that the now-departed Laing was much stronger than Mitchell is. Bobby Gonzalez needs this win in the worst way if the Pirates are to keep alive fleeting hopes of a postseason bid.

Wednesday January 7th

7 PM: St. Bonaventure @ Fordham
Delaware @ Hofstra This sets up to be a key game in the CAA with both teams sporting 1-2 league records. Hofstra was ice-cold from the field in their loss to Drexel on Saturday, but they take on a Delaware team that has allowed 72.6 points per game on the year. That could be enough to snap Tom Pecora's team out of their current slump, but the Blue Hens have a trio of outstanding guards in Jawan Carter, Alphonso Dawson and Marc Egerson, all of whom average at least fifteen points per game. Even with George Mason and Northeastern leading the CAA with 3-0 records, this conference is shaping up to be an absolute dogfight, especially in the middle of the standings.
Bryant @ LIU
Yale @ NJIT
7:30: #15 Marquette @ Rutgers

Thursday January 8th

7 PM: FDU @ Mount St. Mary's
Wagner @ Central Connecticut State
St. Francis (PA) @ Sacred Heart
Maine @ Stony Brook This one sets up to be a test for how much the Seawolves have improved given the fact that on paper they should beat the Black Bears at home. Winning games you're expected to win is another step in going from also-ran to a player in your conference race. If Muhammad El-Amin and Bryan Dougher can continue their solid play of late, look for Stony Brook to pick up another conference win in their first America East home game of the year.

Friday January 9th

7 PM: NJIT @ Columbia
Fairfield @ Loyola (MD)
Marist @ Manhattan
Rider @ Siena Rider is just a half-game behind overwhelming favorite Siena in the MAAC standings, but a look at their three league wins (Manhattan, Iona and Marist) may have some wondering of the Broncs are once again a contender. Ryan Thompson is up to his usual tricks, filling just about every column imaginable on a stat sheet and he's been helped by senior guard Harris Mansell and sophomore forward Mike Ringgold. The individual matchup between Thompson and Siena's Edwin Ubiles should be worth the price of admission itself, and the Broncs may still be smarting over the blowout they suffered in last year's MAAC Tournament final. Rest assured we'll know a lot more about Tommy Dempsey's team after this game.
Niagara @ St. Peter's
Canisius @ Iona

Saturday January 10th

Noon: Hofstra @ VCU
2 PM: Seton Hall @ #13 Notre Dame
Hartford @ Yale
4 PM: Colgate @ Army
Robert Morris @ Sacred Heart While neither team was picked to win the NEC, both are expected to be in the race throughout the season. And with preseason pick (and defending tournament champ) Mount St. Mary's sitting at 0-3 right now the winner stands to pick up some important separation in what should be a hotly-contested race. The Pioneers will have to account for Colonials' guard Jeremy Chappell, who's currently averaging just over seventeen points per game and also leads the team in rebounding. With four players averaging double digits Dave Bike's team is more balanced that Robert Morris, and they'll have to use that to their advantage in this one.
4:30: Mount St. Mary's @ St. Francis (NY)
7 PM: FDU @ Central Connecticut State
LIU @ Wagner
7:30: #9 Syracuse @ Rutgers

Sunday January 11th

Noon: St. John's @ #1 Pittsburgh
1 PM: #18 Xavier @ Fordham
2 PM: Loyola (MD) @ St. Peter's
Iona @ Rider
3 PM: Canisius @ Fairfield
4 PM: Siena @ Manhattan the Jaspers, my pick to be a sleeper in the MAAC this season, get a shot at the defending champs in Draddy Gymnasium. Both Chris Smith and Darryl Crawford have stepped up on the scoreboard this season, but this is a game in which head coach Barry Rohrssen will need outstanding performances from his two established stars (Antoine Pearson and Devon Austin) in order to pull off the upset. The frontcourt will also have to play to its full capability, with Siena having one of the league's best power forwards in Alex Franklin.
Niagara @ Marist

Updated Ranking (previous week in parentheses)

1. St. John's (10-4; 2)
2. Seton Hall (9-5; 1)
3. Rider (8-5; 8)
4. Fairfield (8-6; 3)
5. Rutgers (9-6; 5)
6. Hofstra (9-5; 4)
7. Wagner (9-4; 7)
8. Stony Brook (8-6; 9)
9. Manhattan (8-6; 6)
10. Marist (6-10; 10)
11. Iona (6-9; 11)
12. LIU (6-7; 14)
13. Sacred Heart (4-9; 12)
14. Columbia (4-9; 13)
15. Princeton (3-8; 16)
16. Yale (3-9; 15)
17. Army (4-9; 18)
18. Monmouth (4-12; 20)
19. St. Francis (NY) (3-10; 17)
20. St. Peter's (4-10; 21)
21. FDU (2-12; 19)
22. Fordham (2-10; 22)
23. NJIT (0-14; 23)

NYC Metro Hoops

Metro Ranking and Report: Update #5

Raphielle Johnson — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 01:22:50 -0500

The final days of 2008, for most of the teams in the area (save the Ivies and NJIT), mean a transition into full-time conference play. Some schools still have a game or two outside of conference play later in the season, but for the most part it's all about focusing on the direct way of getting to the NCAA Tournament. Big East play begins early this week, and despite a big win over FDU Seton Hall fans have to wonder what the opener at Syracuse will bring for a team that lacks bodies inside. St. John's has been juggling injuries of late, which has forced some youngsters to step into expanded roles. And Rutgers is making some history, becoming the first school to take on the nation's top three teams in consecutive games. Pitt at home on Wednesday, and then a trip north to take on UConn Saturday.

But that's not the only league that'll require metropolitan area schools to run the gauntlet, with the NEC looking to be wide-open and the MAAC possibly being a deeper league than many expected with the preseason "Siena and the rest of them" prognostications. Hofstra has won nine of their last eleven games and have the look of a serious contender in the CAA, while Steve Pikiell has a much-improved Stony Brook squad looking to make a move up the standings in America East. Can any of these teams, at the least, set themselves up for a run come conference tournament time? That remains to be seen, but these early conference games will set the tone for 2009.

Team of the Week: Marist

The Red Foxes were one of the few teams in the area to play two games last week, and they went ahead and won both while snagging a pair of individual honors in the MAAC as well. Marist was competitive last week while going 0-2 in the Aeropostale Holiday Festival, but it was painfully obvious how important injured point guard David Devezin is. Head coach Chuck Martin will definitely need Devezin back for the lion's share of MAAC play, but he had to be encouraged by the play of freshman R.J. Hall at the point in wins over Delaware and Bucknell. Five and a half assists per game and an assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.57 is a good way to play heading back into conference play.

And don't forget the stellar play of senior Ryan Schneider, who has taken off in Coach Martin's offensive system. It was known that Schneider can put the ball in the basket, but for him to rebound the ball as well as he has this season (9.3 rpg) and last week (14.0 rpg) could mean that the Red Foxes won't finish in the MAAC cellar. And he'll earn postseason honors as well. There were some growing pains for this program early on, but Marist could very well be a dangerous team for some of the MAAC favorites in the coming weeks.

Player of the Week: G Jeremy Hazell (Seton Hall)

The sophomore from Harlem is at it again, cementing his reputation as one of the best scorers in the Big East while also expanding his game. In a 101-70 win over Fairleigh Dickinson on Saturday, Hazell went for 35 points and six rebounds. He currently leads the Big East in scoring at a clip of 22.4 points per game. But despite his scoring prowess, he can still improve as a ballhandler. He had five turnovers and no assists on Saturday, numbers that could make things very difficult for both himself and his team in conference play. Syracuse has played more man-to-man this season than in years past, and that may be a good thing for them heading into Tuesday's conference opener. This man is capable of hanging thirty on just about anyone.

Other outstanding performers last week include FDU's Sean Baptiste, Marist's Ryan Schneider, Rutgers' Mike Rosario and Stony Brook's Muhammad El-Amin.

Conference Honors

America East: Stony Brook juinor Muhammad El-Amin was honored as one of "The Best of the Rest" by the conference following last week's action. In a win over St. Peter's El-Amin tallied twenty-seven points, twenty of which came in the first half.

Atlantic 10: Fordham freshman guard Jio Fontan was named conference Co-Rookie of the Week following his eighteen point performance in the Rams' 60-56 win over New Hampshire on the 23rd. It's the second time winning the award for Fontan, who knocked down the gamewinning shot against the Wildcats.

Big East: Rutgers freshman guard Mike Rosario was named Big East Rookie of the Week due to his play in a 1-1 week for the Scarlet Knights. Rosario followed up a 24-point performance in a win over NJIT with twenty-six in a loss last night at #1 North Carolina. Rosario leads conference freshmen with an average of 17.5 points per game and leads the entire conference in free throw percentage (88.0%).

Ivy League: A pair of Yale Bulldogs were honored by the league for their play in a hard-fought 66-63 loss at Alabama last week. Senior Travis Pinick was named Player of the Week by the Ivy League for his seventeen points and eleven boards, while classmate Ross Morin was named to the Honor Roll for his twenty points against the Crimson Tide.

MAAC: Marist took home a pair of honors due to their 2-0 week. Senior forward Ryan Schneider, who averaged 25.5 points and 14.0 rebounds per game in wins over Delaware and Bucknell, was named Player of the Week. Freshman guard R.J. Hall, who averaged 8.5 points and 5.5 assists in the two wins, was named MAAC Rookie of the Week.

Schedule (December 30th-January 5th)

Tuesday 12/30

7 PM: Seton Hall @ #11 Syracuse this is the first game that will give us an idea of how the lack of size will affect the Pirates within the Big East. In Arinze Onuaku the Orange have one of the better big men in the conference; if it becomes apparent that they forget that and ignore him the look for the Hall to make this game very interesting. Eric Devendorf will also be back for Syracuse after missing time due to a university-imposed suspension. The Pirates will have to force turnovers and get the Orange to play faster than they want to if they're to steal the win on the road.
Rhode Island @ FDU
Princeton @ Lafayette
Marist @ Binghamton
Yale @ Hampton
St. Francis (NY) @ Ohio
Army @ Florida Gulf Coast
7:30: LIU @ Charlotte
8 PM: Wagner @ Kansas State

Wednesday 12/31

2 PM: #3 Pittsburgh @ Rutgers
Sacred Heart @ Boston College
Lehigh @ NJIT
4 PM: Manhattan @ La Salle
St. John's @ Providence Rutgers may be playing the higher-profile opponent on this night, but it's the Red Storm who find themselves in a far more important game within the Big East. No one is suggesting that either the Johnnies or Friars will crack the elite of the Big East, but any slim hopes of postseason play for either can be either helped or hurt in a big way in this game. Freshman TyShawn Edmondson will have to play well on the road against a solid backcourt led by Jeff Xavier.
5 PM: Stony Brook @ Air Force

Thursday 1/1

2 PM: Rider @ Iona
Fairfield @ Siena while most of the nation will focus on the bowl games being played, the top two teams in the MAAC preseason poll will meet in the Times Union Center. The Saints finally picked up a solid non-conference road win this weekend, beating St. Joseph's by a single point. But for as powerful as Fran McCaffrey's team remains, Ronald Moore has been inconsistent at the point thus far which could mean a big game for senior Jonathan Han. Individual matchup to watch: Fairfield's Warren Edney and Siena's Edwin Ubiles, two of the best swingmen in the league.

Friday 1/2

4 PM: Yale @ Bryant
7 PM: Columbia @ Lehigh
7:30: St. Peter's @ Marist these two were picked to finish in the MAAC cellar, but unlike the Peacocks Marist has shown signs recently of exceeding those expectations. As of right now it's unknown if David Devezin will be able to play, but if R.J. Hall can play like he did last week then Marist will be in good shape. St. Peter's has one of the better guards in the area that few people talk about in sophomore Wesley Jenkins.

Saturday 1/3

1 PM: NJIT @ Vermont
2 PM: #10 Notre Dame @ St. John's
Fordham @ Bowling Green
MIT @ Yale
UNC Greensboro @ Princeton
Drexel @ Hofstra the Dragons have struggled this season, but Bruiser Flint's team should still be respected as a possible spoiler in the CAA. As for Tom Pecora's Pride, they'll be looking to build on their win over Towson last month and stay on top of the league standings. Charles Jenkins will have his hands full with a defense that can make hunting for shots as fun as a root canal at times.
CCSU @ LIU
4 PM: West Virginia @ Seton Hall
7 PM: Army @ Dartmouth
St. Francis (NY) @ Wagner
Quinnipiac @ FDU
Manhattan @ Niagara The Purple Eagles are armed with the deepest backcourt in the MAAC, a good reason why they were picked to finish third in the conference. But the Jaspers aren't bad in that area either, with Chris Smith, Antoine Pearson and Darryl Crawford leading the way. The key to this one could be the frontcourt, where Benson Egemonye has been one of the league's best for Joe Mihalich's squad. As for Manhattan, Devon Austin will have to make some things happen for the Jaspers to pull off the win on the road.
Sacred Heart @ Monmouth
7:05: Stony Brook @ UMBC

Sunday 1/4

2 PM: St. Peter's @ Siena
3 PM: Marist @ Rider
3:30: Fairfield @ Iona the Gaels are still looking to find their way as a team, especially with Kyle Smyth and Gary Springer both missing time due to injury in recent weeks. While Springer is expected back soon, this is a key weekend for Smyth since he's only played in one game, leaving head coach Kevin Willard with arguably his best perimeter shooter. Scott Machado has played well recently, and he'll have to bring more of the same in this one.

Monday 1/5

7 PM: Hofstra @ Northeastern
Stony Brook @ Binghamton this game will give a clearer picture in regards to just how improved the Seawolves are this season. The Bearcats were picked to finish fifth in America East despite losing their top three scorers from a season ago, while Stony Brook found themselves in last yet again. The newcomers have played well for Coach Pikiell's team so far, most notably Muhammad El-Amin. This is a winnable game for Stony Brook, but a tight loss could tell us just as much as a win would: this team has improved.
Sacred Heart @ LIU
CCSU @ Monmouth
7:30: Manhattan @ Canisius
Columbia @ American
8 PM: Wagner @ FDU

Updated Rankings (previous in parentheses)

1. Seton Hall (9-3; 2)
2. St. John's (9-3; 1)
3. Fairfield (8-4; 3)
4. Hofstra (9-3; 4)
5. Rutgers (9-4; 5)
6. Manhattan (7-4; 7)
7. Wagner (7-3; 8)
8. Rider (6-5; 6)
9. Stony Brook (6-5; 11)
10. Marist (5-8; 13)
11. Iona (5-8; 9)
12. Sacred Heart (4-6; 10)
13. Columbia (4-7; 12)
14. LIU (4-6; 14)
15. Yale (2-7; 15)
16. Princeton (2-7; 16)
17. St. Francis (NY) (3-8; 17)
18. Army (3-8; 18)
19. FDU (1-9; 19)
20. Monmouth (2-12; 20)
21. St. Peter's (4-8; 21)
22. Fordham (2-9; 22)
23. NJIT (0-12; 23)

NYC Metro Hoops

Metro Ranking and Report: Update #4

Raphielle Johnson — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 13:31:46 -0500

With the end of 2008 just over a week away, it isn't too hard to figure out the main storyline for metropolitan area teams in the first half of the 2008-09 season: injuries. It's as if the run that began with Monmouth's Whitney Coleman going down for the season in the first nine minutes of the Hawks' season opener hasn't stopped, with teams all over the area being hit with key injuries. In fact, you could have a rather formidable six-man rotation with guys currently sitting out. At the guards, go with Marist's David Devezin (heel), Coleman (knee) and St. John's Anthony Mason Jr. (foot). Columbia's Patrick Foley (knee) can come off the bench, with St. John's Justin Burrell (hairline fracture to his face) and Seton Hall's John Garcia (knee) up front.

All six are either out for the year or have missed extensive time in recent weeks, with Devezin and possibly Burrell (he will play against Miami, but Malik Boothe won't) due back the quickest. Foley and Garcia seem to have the most time left in their recovery processes, while Mason Jr. and Coleman are both medical redshirt candidates due to their season-ending injuries. So which one is the most important? Judging by their last two games, it would go to Seton Hall's Garcia. Two games out, two losses to IUPUI (at the buzzer) and James Madison last night. And with the NCAA not clearing freshman Melvyn Oliver (he can practice and receive a scholarship this season, however), head coach Bobby Gonzalez will have to lean on Mike Davis and Brandon Walters inside.

Hopefully Garcia will be back in time for Big East play, maybe missing the opener next week at Syracuse, but even with him back navigating that loaded league with a limited number of bodies inside could be a serious problem. But despite the recent injury woes, it wasn't all doom and gloom for the area this past week, as another Manhattan player earned some MAAC recognition and some hot shooting sparked a Columbia run past Marist at the Aeropostale Holiday Festival.

Honors earned last week

- Manhattan guard Darryl Crawford was named MAAC Co-Player of the Week due to his twenty-nine point performance in the Jaspers' win over Binghamton last week. Also honored by the conference was Iona guard Scott Machado, who was named MAAC Rookie of the Week.

- The Ivy League named three area players to its weekly honor roll. Princeton guard Doug Davis, who could be well on his way to winning the league's Rookie of the Year award, and Columbia's Joe Bova and Norwua Agho were all pegged for the distinction.

- St. John's forward Sean Evans was named to the Big East Honor Roll, thanks to his averaging a double-double in two games at the Aeropostale Holiday Festival.

- Stony Brook freshman forward Danny Carter was named conference Rookie of the Week after he posted twenty points and six rebounds in the Seawolves 91-57 loss at Connecticut.

- St. John's D.J. Kennedy and Sean Evans, along with Columbia's K.J. Matsui, were named to the All-Tournament team at the Aeropostale Holiday Festival. Virginia Tech's Malcolm Delaney (MVP) and A.D. Vassallo rounded out the squad.

Team of the Week: Manhattan

The Jaspers picked up a pair of wins last week, knocking off Binghamton on Saturday and then turning around to beat a pesky LIU team on Monday night. While it was the aforementioned Crawford who was the catalyst for Barry Rohrssen's team against the Bearcats, leading scorer Chris Smith got the job done in the second half of Manhattan's 65-61 win over the Blackbirds last night. Smith scored twenty points in the second half, knocking down five three pointers in the run. What's encouraging about this team is that they can go to Crawford for scoring off the bench, and even though their numbers may not be that impressive at first glance people know what Devon Austin and Antoine Pearson are capable of. Sleeper in the MAAC? Why not.

Player of the Week: Darryl Crawford (Manhattan)

It was a lean week on the schedule for the area, so this honor may as well go to a guy who earned conference distinction for his effort. The numbers for Crawford in Manhattan's win over LIU weren't as impressive as the 29 points against Binghamton, but if he can give the Jaspers ten points and five rebounds per night then they could finish higher than their predicted sixth place (having seen Loyola, they should at least finish fifth). Other players with solid games last week included Danny Carter of Stony Brook (20 pts vs, UConn), Monmouth's Yaniv Simpson (25 pts against Lehigh) and the Rutgers freshman tandem of Mike Rosario (18 pts vs. Bryant) and Gregory Echinique (11 pts, 11 boards vs. Bryant).

Schedule (December 23rd-29th)

Tuesday 12/23

7 PM: Marist @ Delaware
Sacred Heart @ Penn State
Rider @ Binghamton
New Hampshire @ Fordham
Iona @ Hofstra The best game in the final day of games before Christmas break in the area, as the Pride will look to begin another win streak after falling at UMass on Saturday. The Gaels return to the area following a loss at ranked Ohio State, and they need a win following the road losses to the Buckeyes and before that Western Michigan. Keep an eye on both Iona's backcourt (especially Scott Machado) in how they deal with Charles Jenkins and Cornelius Vines, and a Hofstra frontcourt that has received better contributions from Greg Washington and Dane Johnson of late.
FDU @ St. Peter's
7:30: NJIT @ Rutgers

Friday 12/26

Fairfield @ #2 Connecticut no one will expect the Stags to win this game, but they've got the depth to make this one interesting for a little while. A very good test for Ed Cooley's team heading into MAAC play next week, and it could also be a preview of the type of team they could run into early in the NCAA Tournament should they earn the league's automatic bid in March. If Warren Edney and Jonathan Han can hold their own in the backcourt and forwards Anthony Johnson and Greg Nero avoid foul troubl, look for Fairfield to hang around. But it would be a little much to expect them to win this game.

Saturday 12/27

Noon: Miami (FL) @ St. John's there's no such thing as overstating the importance of this game to the Red Storm. They've been tested twice this season, and of course those games against Boston College and Virginia Tech are their only blemishes on the season. Now Jack McClinton and a Miami offense that can put some points on the board visits MSG, but unfortunately for the Red Storm Malik Boothe is out due to injury, but Justin Burrell will be available for this one. A final test before Big East play begins next week.
3 PM: Drexel @ Rider
4 PM: Hofstra @ New Hampshire
7 PM: FDU @ Seton Hall
Iona @ USF I'm not even going to lie to you about this game: this is very winnable game for the Gaels. The Bulls have had some moments of ineptitude this season, and working in transfers Mike Mercer and Augustus Gilchrist is still a work in progress. If Iona can force players other than Jesus Verdejo to rely too much on the perimeter shot they can leave Tampa with the win. Sorry, but USF frankly cannot shoot the ball with consistency from either behind the arc or at the foul line.

Sunday 12/28

2 PM: Stony Brook @ St. Peter's
Wagner @ NJIT
4 PM: Bucknell @ Marist
7 PM: Tennessee-Martin vs. Fordham The Rams are taking part in an in-season tournament at FIU, and they could be running into a buzz saw in this game. Lester Hudson is one of the nation's best perimeter scorers, and the Skyhawks are averaging just under seventy-seven points per game. Fordham doesn't have that kind of offensive punch, so they'll have to rely on their defense to win this one.

Monday 12/29

2 PM: Fordham @ Florida International
7 PM: Sacred Heart @ Columbia
American @ Manhattan the Jaspers host the defending Patriot League champs and the backcourt matchup should be entertaining at the least. Garrison Carr and Derrick Mercer have been through it all during their careers at American, and the same can be said for the Jasper backcourt of Antoine Pearson, Chris Smith and Darryl Crawford. The wild card: Devon Austin. I think he can have a big game in this one.

Updated Ranking (previous ranking in parentheses)

1. St. John's (9-2; 2)
2. Seton Hall (8-3; 1)
3. Fairfield (8-3; 4)
4. Hofstra (8-2; 3)
5. Rutgers (8-3; 5)
6. Rider (6-3; 6)
7. Manhattan (7-3; 7)
8. Wagner (6-3; 10)
9. Iona (4-7; 9)
10. Sacred Heart (3-4; 9)
11. Stony Brook (5-5; 12)
12. Columbia (4-6; 14)
13. Marist (3-8; 11)
14. LIU (4-6; 13)
15. Yale (2-6; 16)
16. Princeton (2-7; 15)
17. St. Francis (NY) (3-7; 17)
18. Army (3-8; 19)
19. FDU (1-7; 20)
20. Monmouth (2-12; 22)
21. St. Peter's (3-7; 18)
22. Fordham (1-7; 22)
23. NJIT (0-10; 23)

NYC Metro Hoops