St Francis NY

NYC Metro Ranking & Report: Season Preview

Raphielle Johnson — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 13:33:14 -0500

Raphielle Johnson's Metro preview & weekly Metro rankings & updates are a staple of fans in NYC's tri-state region. To get things going, here is Raphielle's 23 team NYC Metro preseason ranking and all-Metro teams. Individual team previews will up shortly!

Preseason Metro Ranking

Seton Hall
St. John's
Fairfield
Rutgers
Rider
Hofstra
Manhattan
Sacred Heart
Fordham
Iona
Yale
Columbia
Long Island
FDU
Marist
Wagner
Army
St. Francis (NY)
St. Peter's
Monmouth
Stony Brook
Princeton
NJIT

Preseason Metro Honors

It's time to project some honors in the metropolitan area, which will not be lacking on the perimeter this season. No matter where you turn there seems to be a quality perimeter player on the horizon with the ability to lead their team to a successful season. And given the overall lack of big men, that's a good thing. No players from teams in the poll were selected as their conference's preseason player of the year, but a few did receive preseason honors and could very well lift up that hardware come March. Here are the first-, second-, third- and all-rookie teams for the 2008-09 season.

First Team (Player of the Year in italics)

G Eugene Harvey (Seton Hall)

G Charles Jenkins (Hofstra)

F Anthony Mason Jr. (St. John's)

F Ryan Thompson (Rider)

C Hamady N'Diaye (Rutgers)

Second Team

G Antoine Pearson (Manhattan)

G Jeremy Hazell (Seton Hall)

G Jonathan Han (Fairfield)

F Justin Burrell (St. John's)

F Ross Morin (Yale)

Third Team

G Harris Mansell (Rider)

G Patrick Foley (Columbia)

G Jaytornah Wisseh (Long Island)

F Devon Austin (Manhattan)

F Gary Springer (Iona)

All-Rookie Team (Rookie of the Year in italics)

G Mike Rosario (Rutgers)

G Jordan Theodore (Seton Hall)

G Jiovanny Fontan (Fordham)

F Greg Echinique (Rutgers)

F Miklos Szabo (Hofstra)

NEC Basketball Preview: 08-09

CHN — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 01:29:53 -0500

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Conference Rank: 27th

10 year average: 28th

Conference Page

All-NEC Team
Pos.	Player	Team	Yr.

G	Jeremy Goode	Mt St. Mary's	Jr
G	Sean Baptiste	FDU	Jr
G	Jeremy Chappell	Robert Morris	Sr
F	Ryan Wittman	Cornell	Jr
F	Devin Sweetney	St Francis (PA)	Jr
CHN Award Winners		Returning Leaders
Mid-Major All-Americans Jeremy Goode		Points: Sean Baptist 18.5 Rebounds: Devin Sweetney 7.7 Assists: Jeremy Goode 5.5

Northeast Conference Standings
Nat'l	Team	League	Tourney

135	Mount St. Mary's* **	NEC	1	NCAA
174	Robert Morris	NEC	2
189	Central Conn St	NEC	3
212	Long Island	NEC	4
229	Sacred Heart	NEC	5
244	Quinnipiac	NEC	6
284	Wagner	NEC	7
299	Fair Dickinson	NEC	9
300	Monmouth	NEC	8
315	St. Francis (PA)	NEC	10
335	St. Francis (NY)	NEC	11

*Click on links for full Top 144 team preview

** returning conference champion

Poll: Who Do You Think Will Win the NEC?

Other NEC Content

Conference Media Poll

Other

Rise & Fall: NEC

State of 08: New York

State of '08: New York

Shawn Siegel — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 11:11:24 -0400

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

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

NEW YORK

SYRACUSE - Led by one of the all-time great coaches, Syracuse has been a perennial power under Jim Boeheim. The Orange have missed the last two NCAA Tournaments, but should be back in 2009.

SIENA - Its been a good decade for Siena, with 3 NCAA Tournaments and 2 NIT trips. Last year, the Saints knocked off Vanderbilt in the opening round, and some pundits even think Fran McCaffery's crew has a chance to finish in the Top 25..

NIAGARA - With the exception of a poor 2006 campaign, Niagara has been very solid in the last decade. They've finished over .500 overall and in MAAC play in 9 of 10 seasons, and advanced to the Tournament in 2005 & 2007.

HOFSTRA - After the amazing job Jay Wright did at Hofstra around the turn of the century, Tom Pecora's tenure has been a bit more pedestrian (but still good for NY standards). The Pride did ride the shooting stroke of Loren Stokes to the 2007 NIT (their 3rd in a row), but were disappointing last year despite the return of Antoine Agudio.

MANHATTAN - Bobby Gonzalez led Manhattan to four postseason trips between 2002 and 2006. Barry Rohrssen hasn't been able to maintain that high standard, though this year's team has potential.

6. ST. JOHN'S - Once one of the game's top programs, St. John's still isn't close to getting out of the mess created by Mike Jarvis. The Storm haven't finished in the RPI Top 100 since 2003, and that futility should continue in 2009.

7. MARIST - Although the Red Foxes haven't had much success in the MAAC tournament the past three seasons, the team has been consistently dangerous and was invited to the 2007 NIT.

8. ALBANY - Unlike Binghamton and Stony Brook, who joined D1 and the AE around the same time, Albany has had some success in recent years. Will Brown, the Great Danes coach for pretty much their entire D1 existence, deserves credit for the job he's done. Brown led the team to the 2006 & 2007 NCAA Tournaments.

9. CORNELL - The Big Red have come a long way under Steve Donahue. When he took over in 2001, the program was one of the worst in the Ivy League. But their RPI has improved every season since 01 (from 311th to 65th in 08), and their Ivy League record has improved each season as well (though you can't top last year's perfect 14-0 run). Most expect Cornell to repeat as Ivy champs in 2009.

10. FORDHAM - Although Dereck Whittenburg has done a nice job getting Fordham back on track since taking over in 2003, there's still been no postseason trips and last year's team failed to meet lofty expectations.

11. WAGNER - With 23 wins last year, the Seahawks set a new record, although they missed out on the postseason. The program had accomplished little in the previous four seasons, unable to follow up on a good 02-03 run that culminated in a Tourney bid.

12. IONA - The Gaels have been all over the place in recent seasons. Great in 2006, with 23 wins and an NCAA bid. Horrendous in 2007 with just a 2-28 record. And then very mediocre last year.

13. BUFFALO - Long one of the country's worst programs, Buffalo is back to their losing ways after a rare winning spike from 2004 to 2006. In 2005, the Bulls were a few points from making their first NCAA Tournament in program history.

14. COLGATE - The Raiders are coming off their best season since 2002, an 18-win campaign that included two wins in the Patriot League tournament. 1996 was the last time they reached the conference finals.

15. BINGHAMTON - Less than a decade into their D1 existence, Bingamton is still looking for a breakthrough on the hardwood. 2nd year coach Kevin Broadus will be relying on a lot of transfers to push the Bearcats up the America East standings.

16. CANISIUS - 2001 was the last time Canisius was any good. 2009 should be another losing season, though fans are at least hopeful some of last year's young talent improves.

17. LIU - There hasn't been much to cheer about in the last decade as last year's 15 wins were the best in a decade. Since taking over in 2002, Jim Ferry's teams have won just one NEC Tournament game.

18. ST. FRANCIS - 2004 was the last time the Terriers were decent, and 2001 was the last time they were good. Last year was one of the worst in the program's history, with an RPI of 313 and a 4-14 NEC record.

19. ST. BONAVENTURE - Early in the decade, the Bonnies had a good run, until a string of poor choices, rules violations, and bad luck destroyed the program. Some progress has been made since the low of 2005 (2 wins), but Mark Schmidt and crew still have a long way to go.

20. COLUMBIA - I'm sure Columbia's good teams at some point in the past, but they were just before my time. Back to back 7-7 Ivy League seasons have been the peak of Joe Jones' five year tenure.

21. STONY BROOK - The Seawolves haven't won 10 games since 2005, and have never finished above 200th in the RPI. Most publications project a finish near the bottom of the AE in 2009.

22. ARMY - From 2003 to 2006, Army was not only the worst team in New York, but arguably the worst team in the country. They won just 11 D1 games in those four seasons, but have since returned to a more mediocre standard. Another sub-.500 season is a lock in 08-09.

Last: New Jersey - Next: North Carolina

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

NYC Metro Ranking & Report: Hofstra Improves

Raphielle Johnson — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 11:34:14 -0500

Team of the Week: St. Francis-NY

Results: W 67-64 @ Long Island, W 74-70 vs. Fairleigh Dickinson

Well, the Terriers are at it again. Last season saw SFNY finish the regular season with a three-game win streak to nudge their way into the eighth seed in the Northeast Conference Tournament. And with their current two-game run the Terriers find themselves within striking distance of that final slot once again. With one game left in their season, SFNY is 4-13 in conference play, a half-game behind their namesakes from Pennsylvania. They’ll need a win over rival LIU on Thursday along with some help if they are to get into the tournament, but there’s a chance.

The three-point win at LIU last week was spearheaded by guards Kayode Ayeni (18 points off the bench) and Marcus Williams (15 and 10), a game won by the Terriers thanks to the advantage at the charity stripe. SFNY didn’t set the world on fire with their 16-for-27 effort, but they did outscore the Blackbirds by five from the line. Four players finished in double figures for Brian Nash’s club, ending a nine-game losing streak in the process. Two days later the Terriers won their final home game thanks in large part to senior forward Robert Hines, who went for twenty-three points and seven rebounds. Jamaal Womack (15 points) and Ricky Cadell (13 points, 4 assists) also reached double figures for SFNY, who also won the battle on the boards by a 41-22 margin. This can help you make up for a 9-for-20 effort from the foul line.

I’m not too sure if the Terriers can get into the NEC Tournament, as their fate will be out of their hands following the finale at LIU on Thursday. But to simply have a chance at a berth is something that I didn’t see happening a couple of weeks ago.

Honorable Mention: Fairfield (won games against Marist and Drexel to move their win streak to six); Hofstra (followed up a key CAA win over Towson with an impressive effort against Iona); Sacred Heart (conference win over Quinnipiac has them just one game back of Robert Morris and Wagner in the NEC).

Player of the Week: Charles Jenkins (Hofstra)

Numbers for the week: 17 points, 5 rebounds vs. Towson; 28 points, 10 rebounds and 4 assists @ Iona.

If you’re looking for a reason as to why the Pride are riding a three-game win streak, look no further than the play of this redshirt freshman guard from Queens. While his game against Towson has become par for the course of late, Jenkins was phenomenal in Hofstra’s Bracket Busters’ game at Iona. Jenkins scored eighteen of his career-high 28 points in the first stanza, and the double-double was also a career first. 11-for-20 from the field in the Pride’s 81-63 win, Jenkins made three of his four attempts from behind the arc as well. Thanks to the improved play of Charles Jenkins, Tom Pecora’s squad has a chance to play themselves into better seeding for the CAA Tournament in their last two contests.

Honorable Mention: Brian Laing (Seton Hall): 22 points and 6 rebounds in a win over DePaul for Laing, who should be first-team All Big East; Drew Shubik (Sacred Heart): 10 points, 10 assists and 9 rebounds in win over Quinnipiac; Marcus Stout (Fordham): 31 points in a win over Temple after scoring just ten against St. Louis.

-- Other Notes from the Past Week

- Rutgers will not be playing in the Big East Tournament this season. But the youngsters will continue to gain experience for next season.

With three games remaining in the season, the Scarlet Knights have been eliminated from contention. While they could catch DePaul with a three-game win streak, the Blue Demons own the head-to-head tiebreaker thanks to their 75-73 win back on January 19^th. But thanks to an excellent incoming class headlined by guard Mike Rosario coming in to help the returnees, Rutgers should experience more success in 2008-09.

- After a 2-0 start to conference play, Princeton has now lost seven straight games.

The problem for the Tigers, led by first year head coach Sydney Johnson (a one-time Ivy Player of the Year for Pete Carill), has been offense. Averaging a paltry 57.1 points per game, the Tigers are last in scoring offense and turnover margin (-2.42 per game). When you play an offensive system like the Princeton, it puts a premium on field goal percentage (on both ends of the floor) due to the number of possessions. Princeton shoots 42.6% from the field (6^th in the Ivy League) while allowing opponents to shoot 46.7% (7^th in the conference). That’s not going to get it done.

- Manhattan goes cold in a 66-56 loss to Binghamton, ending their three-game win streak.

In conference wins over Canisius, Marist and Siena, the Jaspers shot no worse than 48.3% from the field in any of those games. But in their Bracket Busters loss to Binghamton on Saturday, Manhattan hit only one third of their shots (16-for-48). Essentially, the game was a microcosm of the season for Barry Rohrssen’s team, as they shot poorly while allowing the Bearcats to make 49% of their shots. Manhattan ranks last in the MAAC in field goal percentage defense and seventh in field goal percentage. This is still a young team that could be a tough out in Albany, but only if they buckle down on the defensive end of the floor.

- Fairleigh Dickinson and Monmouth have played in the last four NEC Tournaments. If either one of them wants to make it five, they need to win out.

Both the Knights and Hawks find themselves in serious danger of missing the conference tournament, as only one spot remains for four teams. Both play St. Francis (PA) this coming week, and the Red Flash currently hold the eighth position. The two teams are the exact opposite of each other as well. FDU has a hard time stopping people from scoring (last in points allowed per game and eleventh in field goal percentage defense), while Monmouth has difficulty putting the ball in the basket themselves (last in both points per game and field goal percentage). With their next games coming against Wagner (FDU) and St. Francis-PA (Monmouth respectively), we should have our answer as to postseason plans on Thursday.

-- Games to keep an eye on

- #16 Connecticut @ Rutgers (Tuesday 7:30 PM, ESPN Full Court)

Even with their Big East Tournament hopes shot, the Scarlet Knights can play spoiler the rest of the way. First up is a UConn team fresh off of its first loss in eleven games hoping to stay in contention for the Big East regular season crown. Another storyline in this one is the return of G Jerome Dyson for the Huskies, and the RAC can be an unforgiving place for visitors if they’re not careful.

Lastly, while he may not possess the same height as Hasheem Thabeet, you can’t help but look at the strides already made by Hamadi N’Diaye and think that he can make the same kind of progress as Hasheem this off-season.

- Hofstra @ Delaware (Wednesday 7 PM)

With the Blue Hens just one game ahead of Hofstra in the CAA standings, this one is huge when it comes to seeding for the upcoming conference tournament. Thanks to a combined 46 points from Antoine Agudio and Charles Jenkins, Hofstra won the first meeting 64-58 back on February 2^nd. A win here would give the Pride a shot at finishing .500 in conference play, something that seemed far-fetched after their 1-5 start to league play.

- Long Island @ St. Francis-NY (Thursday 7 PM)

The Blackbirds should be hungry for revenge after losing the first meeting between the two last Thursday. And after missing out on the NEC Tournament last season, what better way for LIU to head into the tournament this year than to make sure St. Francis doesn’t qualify? There will be some good guards on display, with Jaytornah Wisseh (LIU), Marcus Williams and Jamaal Womack (SFNY) looking to close out their season on a positive note.

- Manhattan @ Fairfield (Friday 7:30 PM)

“Senior Night” for Stags Marty O’Sullivan, Mamadou Diakhate and Geoff Middleton, with O’Sullivan being one of the key catalysts to Fairfield’s current six-game win streak. With some help along with two wins, Fairfield can get themselves at least a share of the MAAC regular season title, if not more. PG Jonathan Han, who should be up for consideration in regards to one of the all-conference teams, has been solid all year long for Ed Cooley. With the amount of talent returning for both teams in this one, the future is bright.

- Seton Hall @ St. John’s (Saturday 4 PM, ESPN Full Court)

By the time Saturday rolls around, the Red Storm could be fighting for their lives when it comes to simply qualifying for the Big East Tournament. And despite the season-ending injury to Paul Gause, the Pirates find themselves two games clear of thirteenth place in the conference standings. For the Johnnies to have a chance in this one, they’ll have to dominate the glass and limit their turnovers against the Seton Hall pressure. With so many players on both teams having New York roots, this one shouldn’t lack passion.

- Central Connecticut State @ Sacred Heart (Sunday 4 PM, ESPNU)

By the time this game rolls around, a share of the regular season title could be on the line for the Pioneers. The two teams are about even when you look at the stats, but the difference can be found in two categories: rebounding margin (CCSU +1.9, SHU -3.5) and turnover margin (SHU +2.41, CCSU -1.04). It’s almost like splitting hairs, even when it comes down to scoring as both rely on a committee instead of a couple of headliners to get the job done. The final game of the regular season gets a national audience, and it shouldn’t disappoint.

-- Updated Rankings (previous week in parentheses)

1. Sacred Heart (2)

2. Wagner (1)

3. Seton Hall (4)

4. Rider (3)

5. Columbia (5)

6. Fairfield (10)

7. Yale (6)

8. Fordham (8)

9. Army (7)

10. Hofstra (15)

11. Marist (9)

12. St. John’s (11)

13. LIU (13)

14. Iona (12)

15. Rutgers (14)

16. Manhattan (16)

17. FDU (17)

18. Monmouth (18)

19. St. Francis-NY (22)

20. Stony Brook (21)

21. St. Peter’s (20)

22. Princeton (19)

23. NJIT (23)

NYC Metro Ranking & Report

Raphielle Johnson — Mon, 14 Jan 2008 00:06:04 -0500

Team of the week: Wagner
Results: W 77-62 @ Monmouth, W 60-59 vs. St. Francis (PA)

After a sweep of this past week’s foes, the Seahawks are the lone undefeated in the Northeast Conference with a record of 5-0. Overall, Wagner (12-4) has won seven of their last eight with the lone defeat coming at the hands of Michael Beasley and the Kansas State Wildcats. In a conference that many judged to be wide-open by many prognosticators when the season began, the Seahawks may be the closest thing to a clear favorite. Durell Vinson (14.6 ppg, 10.6 rpg) has had the impact many projected for him when he returned after missing 2006-07, and he showed off his versatility against Monmouth by putting up eighteen points and eight boards off the bench.

The second half defense was outstanding in that victory, holding the Hawks to 22% from the field. Two days later, a Justin Drummond three-pointer with 1:06 left gave the Seahawks a home win over the Red Flash. Mark Porter scored fifteen in the win, and averaged 16.5 ppg for the week’s games. Two things that have helped them of late: leading the NEC in field goal percentage defense (42.3%), and ranking behind only Quinnipiac in rebounding margin (+ 4.8). The Seahawks will need to improve upon their free throw percentage (last in the NEC) if they are to close out games throughout the rest of the season, but this team has more than enough to win the regular season crown.

Player of the Week: Jay Gavin (Marist)
Numbers for the week: 23 points, 5 rebounds vs. Manhattan; 21 points, 7 rebounds vs. St. Peter’s; 23 points vs. Fairfield

Need a good reason as to how the Red Foxes are back atop the MAAC standings? You can start with Gavin, a freshman guard from Seat Pleasant, MD who has been on fire of late. The raw point totals are impressive enough, but check out what he did from beyond the arc in the three games, all Marist victories: 6-8 against Manhattan, 5-7 against St. Peter’s and 7-11 against Fairfield on Sunday night. Add that up and you get 18-26, good for an impressive 69.2% clip. And the rebounding numbers show that Gavin is capable of doing more than simply letting fly from behind the arc.

There was a lot of talk about what the addition of players such as Louie McCroskey and David Devezin would mean to a team looking to replace the likes of Jared Jordan and Will Whittington, and rightfully so, but I’m not sure many people expected this kind of shooting from Gavin. Now comes the hard part, as MAAC foes should be well aware of Gavin’s ability to put the ball in the basket. But he’s added another dimension to the Marist attack that could once again be a threat to win the league title.

Other Observations on the week that was
- Seton Hall may lack the interior presence (and depth) needed to get to Madison Square Garden.
The Pirates lost the Big East’s best defender, Paul Gause (once again leading the league in steals), to a broken hand in their win over Morgan State last Saturday. This loss put even more stress on a rotation that already lacks a consistent presence in the paint. While the Hall was able to hang in with Marquette until late on Wednesday, the lack of depth and post play was clearly evident in their 84-70 loss at Pitt.
While it isn’t unreasonable to hope for one man’s contribution from the combo of John Garcia, Mike Davis and Augustine Okosun, I’m not sure if they can combine to make up for that deficiency just yet. And in a league like the Big East, you’ll have a tough time winning games if you don’t have the answers inside, no matter how well your guards play.

- St. Francis (NY) can make a run towards the top of the NEC if they continue their good work on the glass.
The Terriers got two key road wins in conference play last week, thanks in part to their work on the boards. In the 88-83 win at FDU on Saturday, SFNY out-rebounded the Knights 45-22, led by Marcus Williams’ thirteen rebounds. Two nights prior in their win at Sacred Heart, they made up for a relatively small rebounding advantage (33-27) by shooting over fifty percent from the field in the 73-63 victory. They may not be the best shooting team out there, ranking tenth in the NEC in field goal percentage, but they are fourth in the conference in rebounds per game and rebounding margin. Only the top eight teams qualify for the conference tournament, so anything they can do to separate themselves from the pack would be to their benefit.

- Despite having four players averaging double digits in scoring, St. Peter’s is still 4-12, having lost ten of their last eleven games.
Todd Sowell is an absolute warrior in the paint, and players such as Wesley Jenkins and Raul Orta have also contributed for the Peacocks, but they’re ninth in the MAAC in scoring defense (73.1 ppg allowed). The following week offers them opportunities to improve upon this, as Loyola (6th in scoring offense) and Fairfield (9th) have both struggled at times to put the ball in the basket. But rest assured SPC will have their hands full with Gerald Brown and Marquis Sullivan (depending on which Sullivan shows up) on Saturday.

- Until Hofstra takes better care of the basketball and plays better defense, they will stay at or near the bottom of the CAA standings.
No one said it would be easy to replace Loren Stokes and Carlos Rivera, both of whom are now playing professionally in Europe, but did anyone really think the Pride would be 3-11? Other than Antoine Agudio and Charles Jenkins, no one has provided a consistent scoring option to Tom Pecora’s team. But if you can’t score, it is possible to win games on the other end. They’re not doing that, giving up seventy-two points per game and ranking dead last in the CAA in scoring margin (- 7.3 ppg). Add to that the league’s worst turnover margin (- 3.5 per game) and you have all the makings of a 3-11 team. Agudio will be the man every opponent looks to take out, so someone else will have to step up and make some plays.

Games to keep an eye on this week
- Long Island @ Central Connecticut State (Monday, 7:30 MSG, Fox College Sports)
In the midst of a crowded middle of the Northeast Conference are the Blackbirds and the Blue Devils, two teams in serious need of a league win. While Central won their lone game last week against St. Francis (PA), LIU lost to Sacred Heart last Monday. In regards to individuals, Jaytornah Wisseh and Tristan Blackwood should be a good matchup to keep an eye on.

- George Washington @ Fordham (Wednesday, 7 PM Atlantic 10 Network)
This one is essentially a must-win for the Rams if they want to entertain any thoughts of competing for a top-four spot in the Atlantic 10 after their 0-2 start to conference play. But their opponent hasn’t exactly been a power this season either, despite their “holding” St. Louis to twenty points last week. Not really sure what’s going to happen in this one, due to the inconsistency of both teams, but it sure would help Fordham if Bryant Dunston were to go off.

- Marist @ Loyola-MD (Thursday, 8 PM)
The Red Foxes have the unenviable task of figuring out a way to contain G Gerald Brown. Brown averages 18.7 points per game, down a couple points from his torrid pace of 2006-07. But the key to slowing down the Greyhounds could actually be Marquis Sullivan. When he’s a capable second option to Brown in the Greyhound attack, Loyola can give teams a tough time. When he disappears, most recently in their home loss to Fairfield, they can struggle as a team on offense. Both teams have players capable of putting up big offensive numbers, so this should be an entertaining affair.

- Fairfield @ Iona (Friday, 7:30 PM)
Both Fairfield and Iona will need a win in this game, and for slightly different reasons. The Stags, 3-3 in MAAC play to begin this week, are stuck in the middle of the conference with a chance to head in either direction during the next couple weeks of play. Iona, on the other hand, needs a conference win to get closer to avoiding the first Friday of the conference tournament.
Fairfield may have the better league mark, but the Gaels have more weapons from which to choose on offense. While Devon Clarke is second in the MAAC in field goal percentage, players such as Dexter Gray, Milan Prodanovic and Gary Springer Jr. have also shown the ability to score. And don’t forget about Kyle Camper, either. Fairfield will have to defend like they did last season (best scoring defense in the MAAC) if they want to get a key road win.

- Louisville @ Seton Hall (Saturday, 8 PM ESPN Full Court)
The race to New York is now on for the Pirates, and what’s a short trip geographically could become more distant if they don’t get a win here. Louisville has been an enigma for most of the season, but it was about this time last year when the Cards made their run to a top four spot in the Big East. They certainly have the talent, but will they bring the effort to “The Rock”? With some area natives on the team (Edgar Sosa, Derrick Caracter and Earl Clark), that should not be a problem. As for the Pirates, they’ll need to force turnovers and hold their own on the glass if they want to get their first conference win. If not, they may only be spectators in MSG come March.

Updated Rankings (last week’s ranking in parentheses)
1. Wagner (3)
2. Marist (2)
3. St. John’s (3)
4. Seton Hall (1)
5. Army (7)
6. Yale (8)
7. Columbia (10)
8. Fordham (5)
9. Sacred Heart (12)
10. Long Island (6)
11. Fairfield (11)
12. Fairleigh Dickinson (9)
13. Iona (15)
14. Manhattan (13)
15. St. Francis-NY (18)
16. Stony Brook (14)
17. St. Peter’s (16)
18. Hofstra (17)
19. NJIT (19)

Some weekly honors in the Northeast

Raphielle Johnson — Mon, 10 Dec 2007 23:59:03 -0500

Team of the Week: Rhode Island Results: Providence (W: 77-60), @ Syracuse (W: 91-89) These two key wins put the Rams at 10-1 on the season, and truth be told they should have been ranked in both polls this week. But for the critics who pointed to their schedule as a reason to overlook their start, here are two impressive "resume" wins. Jim Baron, who has to rank up there with some of the more underrated coaches in the country (in terms of the mainstream), took a chance last season by letting these Rams run. The end result there was a trip to the Atlantic 10 final, and more success has come this season. Guard Jimmy Baron and forward Will Daniels lead a solid group of offensive options, one that would make Frank Keaney and his "two points a minute" teams quite proud. Overlooked in the polls, but people had better keep tabs on the Runnin' Rams. Player of the Week: G/F Charron Fisher (Niagara) Stats: 36 pts, 8 rebounds against Rider (W: 89-77); 31 pts, 12 rebounds at Towson (L: 75-72) To be frank, Fisher, a senior from Pennsauken, NJ was a man among boys this past week. In their MAAC opener, Rider had no answer for his versatility. The same goes for Towson, but they were able to get the hard-fought win. Think being 230 pounds relegates Fisher to being an undersized banger inside? Well, he went 8-12 from behind the arc against Rider. Teams within the MAAC have known for a couple of seasons that they've got their hands full with Fisher. Let's see if St. John's is up to the challenge on Saturday. Surprising Score of the Week: Iona 92, Loyola (MD) 68 Iona, in their first season under Kevin Willard, was expected to be an improved team. Well, when you only win two games the previous season, there really isn't anywhere to go but up. But to drop this kind of beating on a team picked by many to contend for the MAAC title is an eye-opener. Four Gaels reached double figures, led by Dexter Gray's 18 off the bench, and Iona shot 59% from the field while limiting the Greyhounds to 32.7%. Besides Gerald Brown, who put up 31, not much went right for Loyola in a game that got out of hand in the first half (halftime score: 49-24). Loyola went the first 4:49 without a field goal, and then topped that with a 5:46 drought to start the second half. One question to think about: what if Loyola doesn't go 27-33 from the charity stripe? Ouch. This win along with their close loss at Siena two days later (81-76) shows that Coach Willard has this program headed in the right direction, despite their 2-7 record. Some other notes on teams in the Northeast: - St. Francis (NY) has been relying too much on the three point shot. Heading into their game at Columbia tonight, the Terriers were 64-for-202 from distance, good for 31.7%. All of last season, SFC attempted 440. With a player the caliber of forward Robert Hines, there should not be this many attempts from beyond the arc. But Hines isn't absolved of any guilt in this either. In 06-07, Hines attempted 106 three-pointers. Through ten games, he's already attempted 52...and made 15. Until the Terriers as a whole commit to attacking the basket, they will have a hard time ending their four-game losing skid. - LIU has replaced the scoring of James Williams by committee. Quite a few people, yours truly included, didn't expect much from the Blackbirds with the graduation of James Williams. But after a win tonight at New Hampshire, LIU is 6-3. Four Blackbirds are averaging at least 10.6 points per game, led by senior forward Kellen Allen at 12.1. Last season, Allen averaged a meager 4.4 points per game. While it's too early to expect LIU to contend for the NEC crown, the wide-open nature of the league combined with their early start means that we shouldn't rule this team out just yet. - Also, keep an eye on Maryland- Baltimore County. The Retrievers have gotten off to a good start this season, possessing a record of 7-2 heading into their game at Central Connecticut State tomorrow night. UMBC holds wins over the likes of Richmond, George Washington and Morgan State, and while that may not be an impressive list, keep in mind that they won twelve games all of last season. Four Retrievers average at least fourteen points per game, led by guard Brian Hodges (18.8 ppg). Also, it doesn’t hurt to shoot 44.4% as a team from behind the arc. It’ll be interesting to see if they average of 79.7 points per game holds up in America East play as well.

NYC Metro Preview: #11 St Francis (NY)

Raphielle Johnson — Thu, 06 Dec 2007 10:49:15 -0500

12. St. Francis (NY) (2006-07 Record: 9-22, 7-11 NEC)

Head coach: Brian Nash

Returning Starters: 4- G Jamaal Womack (senior): 5-8, 170; G Marcus Williams (senior): 6-3, 220; F Robert Hines (senior): 6-5, 250; C Bassith Yessoufou (senior): 6-9, 218.

St. Francis Stats & Info

Roster

Heading into the season’s first two weeks, it appeared as if all was lost for Brian Nash’s team after a road loss to St. Francis (PA). But no one within the program accepted mailing it in as an option. The result was a three-game win streak to end the regular season, which got the Terriers into a tie for eighth and the final spot in the NEC Tournament. And although they dropped the quarterfinal to the eventual NCAA Tournament representative Central Connecticut State, the end of last season is a good place to begin their progression to bigger and better things.

How good can this team be, with four senior starters returning, could very well depend on the play of second team All-NEC selection Robert Hines (16.5 ppg, 5.9 rpg). The senior forward led the Terriers in scoring last season and is their leading rebounder as well. How well the frontcourt as a whole performs will depend on which players step up to help offset the graduation of Allan Sheppard (10.8 ppg, 5.1 rpg). At center, seniors Bass Yessoufou and Sami Pekkola will split time at center. Yessoufou, who started 25 games last season, shot 53.2% from the field but can be foul prone as well, averaging slightly more than three per game. Pekkola only played in six games last season, but will need to step into a larger role. Three other players up front who can provide a serious spark are junior John Gooden (48.1% FG, 3.9 rpg) and sophomores Kayode Ayeni and David Burton. All three are capable athletes that can do a variety of things on the floor.

The backcourt situation looks to be a bit more stable for the Terriers, who return both Jamaal Womack (10.6 ppg, 2.6 rpg) and Marcus Williams (8.2 ppg, 5.1 rpg, 1.7 spg). Womack finished seventh in the conference in three-pointers made, and Williams was also the team’s leading assist man with 2.8 helpers per game. And four players who will be seeing their first action as Terriers this season should be able to contribute as well, beginning with junior Otis Campbell. Campbell, a teammate of Williams at famed St. Anthony in Jersey City, redshirted last season due to a back injury. If he’s recovered, Campbell will add the ability to hit the three to the Terriers offense.

Three freshmen from the NYC area will also be counted on to contribute, beginning with lead guard Ricky Cadell (New York, NY). Cadell, who averaged 15.0 ppg and 7.0 apg at The Patterson School last year, will allow Womack to play off the ball more this season. Also coming into the fold is sharpshooter Rocco Rubino (Brooklyn, NY) and point guard Lateef Willis (Bronx, NY). Rubino, in fact, may already be SFNY’s best perimeter shooter, so look for him to get some time early at the two coming off the bench. This will be a guard-heavy team, but given the number of returnees and the talent of the newcomers, that may not be such a bad thing.

In regards to the schedule this season, the Terriers don’t have to worry about an opener along the lines of last year’s debut at Syracuse. Non-conference games against St. John’s (November 14^th), Hofstra (November 21^st), Ohio (December 2^nd), Columbia (December 10^th) and South Florida (December 22^nd) highlight an early-season slate that could have SFNY sitting above .500 come January. Within the NEC, there is a three-game road swing in late January that will have the Terriers visiting St. Francis (PA), Robert Morris and Mount St. Mary’s. The season ends with back-to-back home games against FDU and LIU.

2007-08 Prospects

Even though the coaches picked SFNY to finish eighth in the NEC this year, a finish in the top half of the standings is indeed there for the taking. While they struggled as a team from behind the arc last season (29.1% in 06-07), additions such as Rubino and Campbell could help get that number up to a more acceptable level. And given the lighter schedule load this season, don’t expect another 0-12 start to the season. In addition to improving the outside shooting, a third scoring option will be needed to give Hines and Womack a hand as well as offset the loss of Sheppard. In Hines, Coach Nash will have one of the best players in the NEC at his disposal, and the other returning seniors should be able to provide a helping hand this year.

Complete NYC Metro Preview & Ranking