Wagner

Wagner Basketball Preview: 2008-09

Raphielle Johnson — Sat, 22 Nov 2008 18:39:32 -0500

2008-09 Wagner Basketball Preview

Seahawks look to duplicate last season's success

Expectations for the Wagner Seahawks were pretty high heading into the 2007-08 campaign, with the head coaches in the NEC picking them third in the preseason. And Wagner didn't disappoint, going 15-3 to finish second in the league. The twenty-three wins on the season were the most in the history of the program. Now Mike Deane's team has to replace three starters from that group, most notably forward Durell Vinson. One area that may have cost the Seahawks an NCAA Tournament berth: foul shooting. Wagner was a putrid 59.9% from the charity stripe, with Vinson being one of the main culprits (32.5%). Other than that department and three-point shooting the Seahawks were one of the better teams in the NEC. If guys like Jamal Smith and Joey Mundweiler can produce more on the offensive end Wagner should once again be a tough out in the NEC.

General Information

2007-08 Record: 23-8 (15-3 NEC; 2^nd)

Head coach: Mike Deane (74-73 in five years at Wagner; 417-291 in 24 seasons)

Assistant coaches: Kenyon Spears, John Pugliese, Shawn Postiglione

Home Court: Spiro Sports Center

Website: www.wagnerathletics.com

Leading Returnees

PPG: Jamal Smith (11.0)

RPG: Smith (5.4)

APG: Joey Mundweiler (1.8)
FG%: Llewchean Radford (53.2%)

3PT%: Mundweiler (33.9%)

FT%: Smith (67.2%)

Assist/TO ratio: Mundweiler (1.3)

Backcourt

As important as Durell Vinson was to the team last season, you can't overlook the effect that the graduation of Mark Porter could have on this team. Porter led the Seahawks in both points and assists, and was one of the top point guards in the NEC. Who replaces him and how well they perform will have a direct effect on Wagner's record come season's end. Freshman Tyler Murray (Toronto, Ontario) and junior T.J. Czeski will look to earn the position, but Czeski is playing football so he won't be available for another few weeks. Murray is a pass-first lead guard who will need to set up guys like Jamal Smith and Joey Mundweiler.

Mundweiler is a capable perimeter shooter who could stand to expand his offensive repertoire in his final campaign if he's to be a starter. 227 of his 295 field goal attempts came from beyond the arc last season, so if there's more of the same then he could possibly be a guy that Coach Deane brings off the bench. Freshman Chris Martin (Sicklerville, NJ) is another option in the backcourt in the quest to replace Porter. Martin averaged six assists per game last season and should see time at both guard positions. Freshman Josh Thompson (Richland, NJ), junior Llewchean Radford and senior Doug Elwell will also figure into the equation this season, with Radford averaging five points per game last season. The experience of Radford and Elwell could give them a leg up in the race for minutes.

Frontcourt

Jamal Smith is the most likely option to fill in for Vinson up front this season, averaging eleven points and just over five boards per game last season. Smith can score from just about anywhere on the floor but is at his best when driving to the basket. Senior Justin Drummond, who played sixteen minutes per game last season, should see an increase in playing time this season. The same goes for junior Michael Orock, who only played four minutes per game. Orock has to up his production for the Seahawks to exceed expectations this season. Sophomores Clayfell Harris and Clifton Spiller will also look to contribute after playing sparingly in 07-08.

Two freshmen will also look to crack the rotation up front: redshirt Brian Sczczpanski and true frosh Ryan Schrotenboer (Ft. Myers, FL), both of whom have the size to make things happen down low. Sczczpanski stands at 6-11 and sat out last season, but he needs more time to develop into a serviceable big man for the Seahawks. Schrotenboer is a 6-8 forward that will need some time for his body to mature. This all means that the Seahawks could go small early in the season with the hope that some of the bigs lacking in experience progress leading into NEC play.

It would be a bit too much to ask the Seahawks to duplicate their record of a season ago, but they should be right in the middle of the NEC this season. Picked in the preseason to finish eighth in the conference, there isn't much separating fourth place from eighth. But Wagner has to have a solid answer at the point, and someone other than Jamal Smith needs to step up in the frontcourt. Do those things and they should once again play in the NEC Tournament in March.

Team Stats (conference ranking in parentheses)

PPG: 71.5 (5^th)

PPG allowed: 70.9 (5^th)

FG%: 44.4% (4^th)

FG% defense: 41.0 (1^st)

3PT%: 31.3% (10^th)

3PT% defense: 32.6% (4^th)

FT%: 59.9% (11^th)

Rebound margin: +5.0 (t-1^st)

Assist/TO ratio: 0.91 (5^th)

Wagner Basketball Schedule: 2008-09

Raphielle Johnson — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 18:14:40 -0500

Schedule (key games in bold)

November 14^th Lafayette (Seahawks won season opener last year by four on the road)

19^th St. Peter's

22^nd @ Stony Brook

24^th Loyola Marymount (last season's game went to overtime with Wagner winning by three)

29^th @ Bucknell

December 3^rd @ Columbia

6^th Yale

13^th Quinnipiac (Seahawks swept both games last season)

21^st Brown (Wagner went 2-1 against the Ivy League last season)

28^th @ NJIT

30^th @ Kansas State

January 3^rd St. Francis (NY)

5^th @ FDU

8^th @ CCSU (Blue Devils blew out Wagner by twenty-six at Detrick Gym)

10^th LIU

15^th @ St. Francis (PA)

17^th @ Robert Morris (first of two games with the defending regular season champs)

22^nd @ St. Francis College (NY)

25^th Sacred Heart (Pioneers ended Wagner's season in the NEC semis 55-49)

29^th CCSU

31^st @ Mount St. Mary's (defending NEC Tourney champs are also preseason favorite to win conference)

February 5^th FDU

7^th St. Francis (PA)

12^th @ Bryant

14^th @ LIU (Blackbirds beat Wagner by twenty in Brooklyn last year)

19^th Mount St. Mary's

21^st Robert Morris

26^th @ Quinnipiac

28^th @ Monmouth (Hawks were swept by Wagner last year with an average margin of victory of eleven points)

March 5^th, 8^th, 11^th NEC Tournament (all games at higher-seeded team)

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

*CHN Top 144 previews by Joel Welser. All other Metro previews by Raphielle Johnson.

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: Year End Review

Raphielle Johnson — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 11:01:55 -0400

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

Player of the Year: Jason Thompson (Rider)

Numbers: 20.4 ppg, 12.1 rpg, 2.7 bpg

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

Coach of the Year: Mike Deane (Wagner)

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

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

Biggest Surprise: Fairfield

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

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

Biggest Disappointment: Fordham

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

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

First-Team All-Metro

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Final Rankings 1-5

1. Rider (23-11)

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

2. Seton Hall (17-15)

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

3. Wagner (23-8)

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

4. Marist (18-14)

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

5. Sacred Heart (17-13)

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

Next: NYC Metro Year End Review: Part Two

Ranking 6-11

NYC Metro Year End Review: Part Three

Ranking 12-1

NYC Metro Year End Review: Part Four

All-Rookie & Ranking 18-23

NYC Metro Ranking & Report: Fordham Rolls

Raphielle Johnson — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 13:23:33 -0500

Team of the Week:
Fordham
Results:
W 76-72 @ Massachusetts, W 53-51 vs. Charlotte

Now, this one was close. Do you go with a team who knocked off the first-place team in their league and got a second win to move into a tie for first (Wagner)? Or do you go with a team that did some serious damage to the postseason hopes of two conference foes? I went with the latter, which is why the Fordham Rams are the team of the week. When the season began, I like many thought that Fordham could be one of the teams competing in the top half of the Atlantic 10, but things haven’t worked out that way in 2007-08. While the two wins certainly don’t get them out of the woods in terms of simply making the Atlantic 10 Tournament, these were two results that the kids desperately needed.

The win at UMass, nationally televised at that, featured another double-double for Bryant Dunston (15 and 12), and twenty-two points from guard Marcus Stout. Sebastian Greene chipped in with thirteen points and eleven rebounds in Fordham’s first win in Amherst since 1999. It was Stout’s free throws with eight seconds remaining that put the game away, fitting given the disparity in foul shots in the contest. Fordham went 22-31 from the charity stripe while the home-standing Minutemen went 8-11. Sunday’s two-point win over the 49ers came primarily because of the defense applied to guard Leemire Goldwire. Goldwire, averaging 20.2 points per game on the season, was held to twelve on 4-16 shooting from the field, 1-7 from behind the arc.

Bryant Dunston went for 14 and 13 (his tenth double-double this season), and Michael Binns was the only other Ram in double figures with ten points. Two good wins for a Ram team that will need all the help it can get in the final few weeks to ensure a trip to Atlantic City. But more importantly, they did some serious damage to the NCAA Tournament hopes of two league foes.

Honorable Mention:
Columbia (earned a road sweep of Harvard and Dartmouth); Manhattan (twenty-one point home win over Marist on Friday night); Wagner (wins over Sacred Heart and Monmouth to move into a tie for first in the NEC).

Player of the Week:
Durell Vinson (Wagner)
Numbers for the week:
17 points, 14 rebounds vs. Sacred Heart; 19 points, 19 rebounds vs. Monmouth.

Vinson, who’s averaging a double-double for the season (13.6 ppg, 10.8 rpg), has indeed been the difference-maker people expected him to be in his final season after missing all of 2006-07. In two games last week, both Seahawk wins, Vinson averaged 18 points and 16.5 rebounds per game. Another stat to pay attention to with Vinson is his field goal percentage, 57.0%, the highest of his career. The play of Vinson is the primary reason why Mike Deane’s team has a good shot to not only win the regular season title but also the NEC Tournament crown, which would mean a trip to the NCAA Tournament. The one issue for Durell, however, has been the foul line. He’s only a 33% shooter from the “charity” stripe. But as long as he controls the boards, Wagner’s got a shot to win some games down the stretch.

Honorable Mention:
John Baumann (Columbia): 25 points, 9 rebounds @ Dartmouth and 20 points, 12 rebounds @ Harvard; Jeremy Hazell (Seton Hall): 24.0 ppg, 3.5 rpg in two games; Nesho Milosevic (NJIT): 21 points, 11 rebounds @ La Salle and 22 points, 13 rebounds vs. Chicago State.

Other Notes from the past week

Stony Brook ends their ten-game losing streak with a 71-70 overtime win over Vermont.

Granted, the Vermont team they beat Sunday afternoon won’t be mistaken for the Coppenrath/ Sorrentine squads that made annual appearances in the NCAA Tournament a few years back. But in Mike Trimboli and Marquis Blakely there’s still some talent in Burlington. So the win should provide the Seawolves with some much-needed positive momentum heading into their last three games.

With the next two coming against New Hampshire and Maine, they could even make a move out of the America East cellar and possibly out of the 8/9 game on the first night of the conference tournament. And given just how far Stony Brook had fallen during their losing skid, which would be a good accomplishment in an otherwise disappointing season.

Once again inept on offense, St. John’s manages just 43 and 42 points in two double-digit losses.

Last week, I made the note of pointing out how the Red Storm took better care of the basketball in going on their three-game win streak. But when you barely manage to make a quarter of your field goals, it doesn’t matter how many times you give the ball to your opponent you won’t win. And that’s just what happened in losses to Cincinnati and Villanova, with the Johnnies shooting a putrid 25-for-98 (25.5%) in the two games.

When you rank fifteenth in the conference in field goal percentage and dead last in scoring, your margin of error is miniscule. The road to the Big East Tournament will get even tougher, with Marquette coming to town fresh off of a beating of Pittsburgh on Friday.

Youth will be served…just not this year.

The above statement would apply to both St. John’s and Rutgers, but the way in which the Scarlet Knights lost to Notre Dame on Sunday simply baffles the mind. With Luke Harangody missing the front end of a one-and-one (after Rutgers waited fifteen seconds to commit their sixth team foul, no less), all that either Byron Joynes or Earl Pettis had to do was grab the rebound. Miscommunication…ball goes out of bounds and back to the Irish. So instead of having to settle for a three to tie the game, Rutgers could have had a chance to win the game in the final seconds.

But that’s been the way the ball has bounced for the young Scarlet Knights, who should be commended for the fight they showed in the second half. Anthony Farmer led the charge back from an eight-point halftime deficit, but the end result all but assured Rutgers of not going to the Big East Tournament, even with four conference games remaining. But this is a young team that has to learn how to win tight games; a painful experience now that should pay dividends later.

NJIT has two chances left to get their first win of the season.

After a first half in which Chicago State and NJIT combined for fifty-nine points (34-25 CSU at the half), you wouldn’t think that both teams would come close to matching that number on their own in the second half. But that’s exactly what happened on Saturday, with the Cougars outscoring the Highlanders 52-51 in the second stanza. The 86-76 loss leaves NJIT with just two games on the schedule, both of which are on the road.

Longwood on Monday night and Utah Valley State on Saturday are the only games left between the Highlanders and a winless season. Unfortunately, the lack of success has overshadowed the recent play of forward Nesho Milosevic, who has recorded seven double-doubles this season, the last two coming in back-to-back games.

Games to keep an eye on

Marist @ Fairfield (Monday 7:30 PM, ESPN Full Court)

With both teams sporting 9-6 conference records, this game is huge when it comes to seeding for the rapidly approaching MAAC Tournament. Fairfield, less than .500 for the season at home (5-6), is coming off of an impressive home win over first-place Rider. Marist, on the other hand, will be looking to perform better on the boards after falling apart in the second half at Manhattan. And it’s not out of the realm of possibility that the winner of this one could find themselves one game out of first place.

Towson @ Hofstra (Wednesday 7 PM)

These two teams couldn’t be any more different when it comes to the offensive end of the floor. While the Pride relies upon Antoine Agudio and Charles Jenkins for the majority of their points, Towson has three players averaging at least twelve points per game, and another not too far behind them with nine. Neither team scores a lot of points (Towson- 64.3, Hofstra- 65.4), but this one could be entertaining, especially when you take into consideration the fact that the two are tied with 6-9 records in the CAA. One thing working in Hofstra’s favor: Towson’s record of 1-11 on the road.

St. Francis (NY) @ Long Island (Thursday 7:30 PM)

A light night on the schedule means that a game between one team holding onto NEC Tournament hopes by a thread will visit a team in the driver’s seat for the eighth and final slot. Last year the Terriers were able to make a late push into the tournament, and any repeat will have to begin in this short trip to LIU. The matchup in the backcourt between SFNY’s Jamaal Womack and LIU’s Jaytornah Wisseh should be an entertaining one to watch.

Brown @ Columbia (Friday 7 PM)

The Lions are a long shot to win the Ivy League, thanks to their two losses to first-place Cornell. But with a win over the Bears, they would move into a tie for second place in the conference. As for individuals, you’ve got a chance to check out two of the Ivy’s best players in Brown G Mark McAndrew and Columbia F John Baumann.

Navy @ Army (Saturday 2 PM, CBS)

Army G Jarell Brown and Navy G Greg Sprink are two of the Patriot League’s best scorers, and they’ll face off for the second time this season. Brown and the Black Knights got the better of the meeting in Annapolis, with his thirty-five points (and game-winning shot) taking down the Midshipmen. But there may be a little more than bragging rights on the line for Navy, as they’re only one game back in the loss column for the Patriot League lead.

Look for a preview of area teams taking part in the BracketBusters even later in the week.

Updated Rankings (last week’s ranking in parentheses)

1. Wagner (4)

2. Sacred Heart (1)

3. Rider (2)

4. Seton Hall (3)

5. Columbia (8)

6. Yale (5)

7. Army (6)

8. Fordham (11)

9. Marist (7)

10. Fairfield (12)

11. St. John’s (9)

12. Iona (10)

13. LIU (14)

14. Rutgers (13)

15. Hofstra (15)

16. Manhattan (19)

17. FDU (16)

18. Monmouth (17)

19. Princeton (18)

20. St. Peter’s (20)

21. Stony Brook (22)

22. St. Francis-NY (21)

23. NJIT (23)