A weekly round-up of Atlantic 10 men’s basketball.
Fordham signs two to Men’s Basketball Letters of Intent for 2011-12
Bronx, N.Y. – Fordham University men’s basketball head coach Tom Pecora announced the signing of Bryan Smith (Brooklyn, N.Y./Midwood) and Luka Zivkovic (Belgrade, Serbia/Traders Point Christian Academy) to National Letters of Intent for the 2011-12 season. They will join Ryan Canty (Danvers, Mass./Brimmer & May), Devon “Fatty” McMillan (Brooklyn, N.Y./Newburgh Free Academy (Notre Dame Prep)) and Jeffrey Short (Bronx, N.Y./John F. Kennedy (Notre Dame Prep)), who all signed letters of intent in the fall, on the 2011-12 Fordham roster.
Smith, a 6’2″, 195-pound combo guard, wrapped up his senior year at Midwood High School by leading the team to its first city title since 1968.
On the year, Smith averaged 28 ppg, nine rpg and seven assists/game. He set the school’s scoring record with a 68-point outburst in Midwood’s league-opening win over James Madison on December 1st. He scored 38 points in the first half and shot 9-for-11 from behind the arc in that game while also grabbing ten rebounds and dishing out eight assists.
Fordham’s Chris Gaston named second team All-Met
Bronx, N.Y. – Fordham University sophomore forward Chris Gaston (Union City, N.J./St. Anthony) was named Second Team All-Met at the 78th Haggerty Awards Dinner, presented by the National Invitation Tournament and the Met Basketball Writers Association, on Tuesday night at the Westchester Marriott.
It is the second postseason accolade for Gaston who was also named Honorable Mention All-Atlantic 10 in voting conducted by the league’s 14 head men’s basketball coaches last month.
Gaston led the 2010-11 Fordham squad in both scoring and rebounding for the second straight year, averaging 15.9 ppg and 11.3 rpg. He also recorded 41 blocks, 38 assists and a team-high 26 steals. Gaston led the Atlantic 10 in rebounding and in defensive rebounding (7.9/game) and ranked ninth in the conference in scoring, seventh in blocked shots and third in offensive rebounding.
Fordham’s Haynes leads Iowa to NBDL finals
New York, N.Y. – Former Fordham University standout Michael Haynes is enjoying a successful first year in the NBA Development League (NDBL), helping his Iowa Energy squad advance to the NDBL finals, scoring 18 points on Sunday night to help the squad take a 1-0 lead in the best of three championship series. Game two of the finals is on Wednesday night at and will be televised live on VERSUS.
The top-seeded Iowa Energy outscored the defending NBA Development League champion and third-seeded Rio Grande Valley Vipers 29-9 in the third quarter to take the lead and pull away for the 123-106 win in Game 1 of the best of three Finals on Sunday at State Farm Arena.
UMass scheduled to compete at 2011 Battle 4 Atlantis
AMHERST, Mass. – The UMass men’s basketball team will compete in the 2011 Battle 4 Atlantis during Thanksgiving weekend in the Bahamas. Also scheduled to play in the tournament is National Champion Connecticut, Florida State, Harvard, Utah, Central Florida, College of Charleston and North Carolina-Asheville.
The tournament will limit participation to one team per conference each year and require teams to wait four years before returning. Games will be played on a temporary court inside an ornate ballroom that can hold up to 5,000 spectators.
Boston Globe’s feature on Anthony Gurley’s NBA bid
Anthony Gurley fell in love with basketball as a 7-year-old, playing ball in the Pee Wee league at the Roxbury YMCA.
“I’ve never looked back since then,” said Gurley, a fifth-year senior at the University of Massachusetts Amherst who was recently honored with the George “Trigger” Burke Award as the team’s MVP.
“There’s always room for improvement, and I’m working hard every day to reach my dream . . . the NBA,” he said.
This winter, Gurley paced the Minutemen in scoring in 23 of 30 games, and hit double figures in the first 22 contests.
A Metco student who teamed up with Corey Lowe to power Newton North High School to Division 1 state championships in 2005 and 2006, Gurley realizes that making the transition to the pro game will require change.
The Mullins Militia
The UMass basketball student fan club known as the Mullins Militia seems to be off to a good start. After all, one guy sits in the student section dressed as a referee. Another is suited up as one of the Teletubbies.
According to masslive.com, the group is made up of 80 students and just finished its first season. The fan club is composed of mostly freshmen who are looking to build something after the school wanted to improve turnout.
Through initiatives on campus, the Mullins Militia has tried to increase attendance at men’s basketball games. [Coach] Derek Kellogg worked with the group by asking students to attend basketball games while swiping meal cards at the school’s dining commons.
Richmond Sweet 16 celebration Video
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sZNY166eO4U]
Temple’s Matt Langel head men’s basketball coach at Colgate
PHILADELPHIA – Matt Langel, who helped lead Temple to four straight NCAA appearances, has been named the the 20th head coach in the 111-year history of Colgate basketball, the University’s Director of Athletics David Roach announced today. Langel will be formally introduced at a press conference on Thursday (April 28) at 11:30 a.m. EST. Live video of the press conference will be available on www.livestream.com/colgateuniversity.
“We are pleased to announce the hiring of Matt Langel,” said Roach. “I’m excited about the future of Colgate basketball with Matt as our head coach. We all look forward to the Langel’s joining the Colgate Athletic family.”
Langel worked under the tutelage of Fran Dunphy, who was recently named the Eastern College Coach of the Year for the third time in the last four seasons at the Philadelphia Big Five Banquet tonight.
Temple to play in Puerto Rico Tip-Off Classic
PHILADELPHIA – The annual destination event of the Puerto Rico Tip-Off has secured all eight teams for the 2011 field to be held Thursday, Friday and Saturday, Nov. 17, 18 & 20, at the Coliseo de Puerto Rico, in the cosmopolitan Hato Rey district of San Juan.
Temple highlights the field for the fifth annual Puerto Rico Tip-Off which includes Alabama, Colorado, Iona, Maryland, Purdue, Western Michigan and Wichita State. Both Temple and Purdue reached the second round of the NCAA Championship. Wichita State topped Alabama in the NIT championship game, while Colorado was a semifinalist. Iona earned a berth to the CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament, advancing to a title game, while Western Michigan reached the second round.
Dunphy, Temple continue success
Ain’t no stopping us now.
That’s the title of the famous McFadden & Whitehead song, but it also could be the mantra for Temple men’s basketball.
The Owls recently completed their fifth season under coach Fran Dunphy with a recurring theme: success.
Temple went 26-8 overall and 14-2 in the Atlantic 10. The Owls saw their run of three straight A-10 tourney titles end in the semifinals against Richmond, but made it four consecutive NCAA tournament appearances. After Juan Fernandez’s memorable game-winning shot in Temple’s opening-round victory over Penn State, the Owls fell to San Diego State in double-overtime in their second-round game.
Phil Martelli to serve as chair of the National Coaches vs. Cancer Council
PHILADELPHIA – Saint Joseph’s men’s basketball coach Phil Martelli has been selected to serve as Chair of the Coaches vs. Cancer® National Council. The Coaches vs. Cancer Council brings together members of the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC), American Cancer Society volunteers, and business leaders from across the country to explore new and innovative ways to fund the fight against cancer and send the powerful message that we can win. Martelli’s appointment is open-ended in length of term.
It’s never too early to start making plans for next year…
Xavier will play 16 home games in 2011-12
CINCINNATI — Xavier University announced a slate of 16 regular season home games for the 2011-12 men’s basketball season.
“We are excited about this impressive home schedule and I know that our fans will be too,” said Xavier head coach Chris Mack. “The non-conference home slate is arguably the best we’ve ever had, including games against 2010 NCAA Tournament teams Georgia, Gonzaga, Cincinnati and Purdue.”
Xavier’s non-conference home schedule includes Georgia, Gonzaga, Purdue and the Skyline Chili Crosstown Shootout against Cincinnati. XU also hosts local rival Miami (Ohio), IPFW, Morgan State and Oral Roberts.
Wake Forest off schedule for 2011-12
The only bit of that press release that is unquestionably true is that the game will not occur in 2011-12. The rest may well be PR face-saving fluff. The Prosser Classic was endangered from the second Dino Gaudio bemoaned the emotional nature of the first meeting in December 2009 (won by Wake in double-OT at Winston-Salem) and suggested a doubleheader with Wake and Xavier taking on other foes.
Holloway on All-Jesuit Team
Xavier guard Tu Holloway was among 10 players named to the national All-Jesuit basketball team. Holloway was joined by Zach Ashworth (Scranton), Ryan Brock (Loyola New Orleans), Kevin Foster (Santa Clara), Austin Freeman (Georgetown), Reggie Jackson (Boston College), Darius Johnson-Odom (Marquette), Doug McDermott (Creighton), Derek Needham (Fairfield) and Chris Wright (Georgetown).
Xavier lands power forward James Farr from Illinois
CINCINNATI — The Xavier’s men’s basketball team has landed a commitment for its Class of 2012.
James Farr, a 6-foot-8 forward from Evanston, Ill., chose the Musketeers over Ball State, Bradley and Indiana.
Read more and to see video highlights…
Miller fills out his staff
DAYTON — University of Dayton basketball coach Archie Miller reportedly has completed his initial staff.
Arkansas assistant Tom Ostrom and Hofstra assistant Allen Griffin have agreed to join the Flyers, according to Rivals.com. New hires typically must complete the human resources process before they are officially announced.
Miller did not return calls seeking comment and said through a spokesman that he could not talk about the hires.
Former UD guard Staten picks Penn State
Juwan Staten apparently has found a new home, and it’s in the Big Ten.
Late Thursday, the former University of Dayton point guard wrote on his Twitter account, “Ima cool dude and i plan on playing basketball at Penn State University.”
Staten recently announced he was transferring from UD after one season because coach Brian Gregory’s system did not fit his talents. Shortly thereafter, Gregory left for Georgia Tech but Staten, a Dayton native, remained adamant that UD wasn’t for him.
Commentary: Athletes should pick a school, not just a coach
This drama over where two University of Dayton basketball recruits are going to go to school since Brian Gregory has left to coach Georgia Tech is not uncommon, but it’s unsettling.
It means two more kids made a school decision primarily on who’s coaching and not because they really wanted to be part of the Flyers.
It happens all the time in NCAA Division I basketball and football, as if guaranteed happiness rests just on who’s yelling in your ear and how much you get to play.
Veteran URI assistant Clark moving on
Kevin Clark, the senior assistant on Jim Baron’s staff in terms of coaching experience, is leaving URI to take a job on Pat Skerry’s staff at Towson University.
Clark and Skerry worked together under Baron before Skerry moved to Providence College for two years, and last season to Pittsburgh. He was appointed head coach at Towson this month.
GW announces release of head men’s basketball coach Karl Hobbs
WASHINGTON, DC – The George Washington University today announced the release of Karl Hobbs as head men’s basketball coach. The university will begin immediately a nationwide search for his successor, led by incoming athletics director Patrick Nero.
“The university determined that now is the time for new leadership of GW’s men’s basketball team. On behalf of the university, I thank Karl Hobbs for his dedicated service and the many successes he achieved during his tenure,” said Senior Vice Provost and Senior Vice President Robert Chernak, who as part of his portfolio oversees the university’s athletics programs.
Mescheriakov returns to GW to finish what he started
WASHINGTON, DC – He first arrived in Washington during the Fall of 1995 with a 10-word English vocabulary. He took nonstop English classes along with study halls and meetings with tutors. He even took part in preseason karate practices that began at 7 a.m. followed by more classes and three-hour basketball practices.
Fans who attended George Washington basketball games during the late 1990s will tell you he was one of the best players to ever don the Buff & Blue. In fact, he is the youngest member of GW’s All-Century Team, an unofficial list of the best players in GW basketball history that was compiled in 2001.
Coming soon
Stay tuned for the first annual Pickin’ Splinters rundown of the A10′s incoming class. Fans can get an in-depth look at the new student-athletes to play next season in the Atlantic 10.
Pass it on
Pickin’ Splinters wants to build its readership. Please forward this article on to any basketball and/or A10 fans. Make sure you don’t miss any updates – join the Pickin’ Splinters email list by commenting on this article or by emailing Paul at caseysclipboard@gmail.com.
Interesting that Wake Forest would want out of the Skip Prosser Classic. Doesn’t send a very good message.
Gotta like Marc Katz article. You would think more players would consider the school just as much as the coach they will be playing for. Seems like common sense.
Smitty,
I knew you would like the Katz article. “I’m leaving to follow the coach” can be a convenient excuse.
As for Wake – I remember reading Gaudio’s comments after the first Skip Prosser Classic and thinking the two schools wouldn’t play ten games. Thing is, I didn’t think it would be the result of Waking backing out altogether.