Surveying the comings and goings in the Atlantic 10, MAAC and the MCC Tribunes.
Wilson and Anthony claim A-10 weekly honors
NEWPORT NEWS, Va.—The Atlantic 10 Conference has named Jamal Wilson of Rhode Island Men’s Basketball Player of the Week while Richmond’s Kendall Anthony was tabbed Rookie of the Week the league announced Monday. The awards are for game played from Nov. 9-13, the first week of the 2011-12 season.
Wilson scored 38 points at George Mason, the third most by an A-10 player in the past four seasons and the highest point total in the league total since St. Bonaventure’s Andrew Nicholson tallied 44 on Dec. 18, 2010. A Norristown, Pa. native, Wilson went 13-of-22 from the field, including 3-of-4 in overtime. The senior guard also was nearly perfect at the charity stripe (11-of-12) and grabbed seven rebounds in the two-point overtime loss to a Patriot team that is ranked in the Mid-Major Top 25 and receiving votes in the AP poll.
Barrow and Kates earn MAAC lauds
Maurice Barrow scored a game-high 19 points by making 8-of-11 field goal attempts to lead the Stags to a 72-60 win over Quinnipiac University. He also tied for the team-high with six rebounds, and added a team-best three steals. Barrow established a career-high for scoring with his effort, and tied his personal best in steals.
In case you missed it: Runnin’ Rams drop OT thriller at George Mason
Rhode Island drops its season opener, 92-90, in overtime at George Mason as an Orion Outerbridge potentially game-winning 3-pointer rattled in-and-out as time expired. URI has dropped its last two openers – last year at #5/4 Pittsburgh.
Fairfield opens with a triumph
UNCASVILLE, Conn. — Maurice Barrow scored a career-high 19 points, one of four Fairfield starters in double figures as the men’s basketball team opened the season with a 72-60 win over Quinnpiiac University. The game was part of the Connecticut 6 Classic which was played at the Mohegan Sun Arena.
The Stags never trailed in this game, opening the game by scoring eight of the first nine points of the game. After Derek Needham started the season with a three-point shot, Rakim Sanders scored the team’s next five points to grab the early lead. Ryan Olander showed his outside shooting ability by hitting a three pointer at the 13:31 mark which pushed the lead to eight points at 11-3. Fairfield would eventually increase its advantage to double digits, taking a 15-point advantage at 25-12 after Sanders laid the ball in the basket at the 5:53 mark.
Richmond downs American in opener
UNIVERSITY OF RICHMOND, Va. – Freshman Kendall Anthony scored 20 points in his collegiate debut as Richmond defeated American 66-56 Friday night in the Robins Center.
In a night when Richmond honored its 1988 Sweet 16 team led by Ken Atkinson and its 2011 Sweet 16 team led by Kevin Anderson, KA3 made 4-of-9 field goals and 11-22 free throws to score 20 points.
Picking up where they left off
Ron Everhart’s Duquesne Dukes led the nation in three categories last year: assists (17.8), steals (9.9) and turnover margin (+6.7). After two games this season Duquesne is continuing the same style of play. The Dukes amassed 20 dimes along with 9 steals and turnover margin of +10 in their 84-66 victory over Green Bay. This came after the Dukes handed out 9 assists, created 8 steals and compiled a +10 turnover margin in a 67-59 loss to Arizona.
Return to Sender
Stingy. That is one word to describe the defense of the Monroe Community College Tribunes. Through four games opponents are hitting 34.1 percent (86-252) from the field against the Black and Gold (you can trim that number even more when Monroe consistently executes on offense and limits the easy layups).
The Tribs played particularly stingy on Saturday when they held Cuyahoga CC without a field goal for more than 10 minutes. Cuyahoga went the last eight minutes of the first half managing just five free throws and two points coming from goaltending. The Challengers finally scored on their sixth possession of the second half. This after Isaiah Jefferson and Algeron Torrance blocked shots on consecutive possessions. Another trip down the floor and Mike Wilson got a rejection of his own for three swats in four trips. In all the Tribs blocked nine shots on the day including five by Obumneme Francis. That’s not counting the number of shots Obumneme affected and arrived at “no such number, no such zone.”
The Tribunes also manage to maintain possession after blocks. Something not easily done. Rather than wildly swatting the ball out of bounds, the Black and Gold use the opportunity for a quick bucket in transition.
Rob Norris and the National Coaches’ Diary Series
Believe it or not, our team managers make our world go round and round.
Earlier this week, our 6-foot-4 redshirt-sophomore wing David Santiago left his book bag in the cafeteria during his lunch break. He was petrified knowing that he was going to have to tell head coach Tom Parrotta that he had misplaced his books. Santiago knew the headache he was going to cause and he also knows that coach Parrotta does not like distractions during the season, especially a week before we tipoff the year.
Explorers dominate Lafayette in opener
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Balanced scoring, rebounding pace Loyola past Coppin State
BALTIMORE – Dylon Cormier scored a team-high 20 points, and Erik Etherly tallied a double-double with 15 points and 11 rebounds, as five Loyola University Maryland players scored 10 or more in the Greyhounds’ 78-68 victory over visiting Coppin State University on Monday night in Reitz Arena.
The Greyhounds also dominated on the boards, outrebounding Coppin State, 47-25. Loyola allowed just five Eagles’ offensive rebounds, and Coppin State (1-1 overall) did not score a second-chance point.
SBU’s Gathers tries to shoulder a beautiful legacy
The story in the young man’s mind starts not at death but in the last moments of life, with Hank Gathers frozen in the air that distant March evening, hands above the rim and the No. 44 stretched across his back. It’s an image both beautiful in the power of a dunk and haunting in the knowledge that when he comes down his heart will stop and he will tumble to the floor of Loyola Marymount University’s Gersten Pavilion. A life barely lived will be finished at 23.
Simmons to miss remainder of season
Redshirt junior forward Marquise Simmons of the St. Bonaventure men’s basketball team suffered a torn right Achilles tendon in Friday night’s season-opening victory over Cornell and will not return this season.
Mark Schmidt and the Reilly Center Revival
“There’s a commitment from the community and the university to men’s basketball,” Schmidt explained. “The average fan, that is not a big basketball fan, those people have no idea what the Reilly Center is to Bonaventure or to college basketball. Basketball is everything in Olean. You saw it first hand at the Duquesne game. You can’t get a better environment. You may get a bigger venue, but you’re not going to get a more lively college environment than the Reilly Center.”
Broncs mourn loss of Laurence Young
The Rider University basketball family is mourning the tragic loss of Laurence Young ’04, who passed away this weekend at the age of 30.
Young played in 105 games for the Broncs, compiling 755 points, 319 rebounds and 148 assists.
“The news of Laurence’s death has deeply saddened and shocked the Rider basketball family,” said Rider Director of Athletics Don Harnum, who recruited and coached Young at Rider. “He was a good player for us, but an even better human being.”
Owls open with OT thriller
PHILADELPHIA — After knocking down the game-tying free throw in regulation, senior Ramone Moore dropped a daggering three-pointer with 1:18 remaining in overtime to put Temple (1-0) in front of its Big 5 rival the Penn Quakers (1-1) for good, en route to a 73-67 victory in its 2011-12 season-opener on Monday night at The Palestra.
In the earliest city series game ever to be played, fellow senior Juan Fernandez posted a team-high 19 points for the Owls on 7-of-14 shooting, including a team-high three three-pointers, while fifth-year forward Micheal Eric finished just short of a double-double with 10 rebounds and nine points. Junior T.J. Leo had a career-high 10 point night in a career-most 38 minutes off the bench, while forward Rahlir Hollis-Jefferson impacted the Owls in a big way, as he also reached double figures with 10 points and tied his career-high in steals with three.
Niagara season preview
SLU rolls past Tenn. St. in opener
ST. LOUIS – Junior forward Cody Ellis led Saint Louis with 13 points and six rebounds in a convincing 71-37 Billiken victory against Tennessee State Friday night in the season opener for both teams. The Billikens, who led wire-to-wire, shot 52 percent from the field and 50 percent from beyond the arc in the 34-point victory.
Anosike excited to be Siena’s go-to guy
LOUDONVILLE — Siena junior forward O.D. Anosike is serving as a mentor to his freshman teammates, which includes driving them to Walmart to go shopping.
“Anything I can do to help them out,” he said. “They really look up to me, so that’s my job.”
While gestures like that one are appreciated, Siena needs his leadership even more on the basketball court, where he’ll play a prominent role in trying to lead the Saints back from a disappointing 13-18 record last season.
LOUDONVILLE — A season that already carried modest outside expectations just became a lot more challenging for the Siena men’s basketball team.
The Saints announced Wednesday that sophomore point guard Rakeem Brookins will miss the season because of back problems, stripping the team of its leading returning scorer.
AMHERST, Mass. – Redshirt sophomore Chaz Williams recorded his first double-double, tying career-highs with 20 points and 10 assists to lead UMass (2-0) to a 83-67 victory over Northeastern (1-1) on Monday night at the Mullins Center. Terrell Vinson (14) and Sampson Carter (12) each reached double-figures for the second game in a row.
Williams, a transfer from Hofstra playing just his second game in a Minuteman uniform, fueled a strong UMass second half scoring 15 of his 20 points.
While the turnover of players at the mid-major level isn’t anywhere near what happens at elite program, where far too often key players are one-and-dones, the annual transition remains interesting. Players finish their four years of eligibility and roles change.
Usually, though, its understudies who have paid their proverbial dues before stepping into lead roles.
But the early games of a new season have indicated that a lot of newcomers, mostly on the men’s side, will have significant impact on their respective teams this season. Not all the newcomers are freshmen, but they are newcomers nonetheless.
We fired questions at Andre Walker, Travis Taylor and Jeff Robinson at Friday’s press conference, and they all had interesting things to say about their progress and outlook for the season. Here’s some of the Q&A:
Tu Holloway rebounds from grief of loss with renewed focus
Seven months ago Tu Holloway sat on Xavier’s bench and sobbed.
With 1:46 left in the sixth-seeded Musketeers’ NCAA Tournament game against 11th-seeded Marquette in Cleveland, Holloway subbed out for the last time as a junior. The game was practically over, decided by a Golden Eagles team that had stymied Holloway and an XU team that had dreamed much bigger.
It was more than just a 66-55 loss to Holloway.
XU signs four
All four players from the Class of 2012 have filed their paperwork and Xavier has confirmed it has received their National Letters of Intent. Three of the newcomers shared the news on Twitter.
“Officially a Musketeer!” James Farr Tweeted an hour ago.
UD announces fall recruiting class
University of Dayton men’s basketball coach Archie Miller has announced the signing of three top high school players to letters of intent. They are 6-foot-9 high school teammates Jalen Robinson and Devon Scott from Ohio powerhouse Columbus Northland High School, and coveted 5-foot-11 point guard Jevon Thomas from Queens, N.Y. by way of Quality Education Academy in Winston-Salem, N.C.
Rose Hill featured on ESPN
D1’s oldest active basketball facility, Rose Hill hasn’t missed a season in 86 years, save for its stint as a World War II barracks. It’s the same stone building where in 1966 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (then known as Ferdinand Lewis Alcindor Jr.) played his final high school game.
Gaston rebounds both on and off the court
The tattoo on Chris Gaston’s chest reads “God Blessed.” The scars on his right elbow and the knot on his shoulder are the physical manifestations of the night that won’t leave him.
The scars escape the cover of his basketball jersey, reminders of a decision he never should have made, and vows never to make again.
Brockport grad Ryan Hage to play at Syracuse
Ryan Hage may wear Fordham maroon, but he has bled Syracuse orange his entire life. He was 2 when he first set foot in the Carrier Dome and was a regular after that.In the summer he would attend the basketball camp his dad, longtime Brockport High coach Charlie Hage, helped coach. In the winter, he’d go to watch his beloved Orange take on the likes of Georgetown, UConn and Villanova.
Flyers embracing Miller’s passing game offense
University of Dayton basketball players have been talking about their unselfish mentality this season, and they showed how committed they are to creating shots for their teammates during an 87-58 win over Western Illinois on Saturday.
They had 25 assists on their 37 baskets. Point guard Kevin Dillard had nine assists (and no turnovers) despite being limited to 19 minutes because of foul trouble. Running mate Josh Parker had six assists while coughing the ball up just once.
“Easy” Ed passes away
Ed Macauley, who began a Basketball Hall of Fame career in his native St. Louis and Saint Louis University, passed away Tuesday, Nov. 8.
Best known as simply “Easy Ed,” Macauley is easily the greatest Billiken basketball player in the history of the program and one of the most beloved. A third team All-America center in 1945-46, he was a first team All-American in 1947-48 and 1948-49. Macauley led SLU to the 1948 NIT championship and was named MVP. He was the 1948-49 Associated Press Collegiate Player of the Year. Macauley still ranks tenth on the Bills’ all-time scoring list with 1,402 points.
GW signs three to NLIs
WASHINGTON – George Washington men’s basketball coach Mike Lonergan announced today that Patricio Garino (G/F, 6’5″, 200 lbs.), Kyprianos “Paris” Maragkos (F, 6’9″, 220 lbs.) and Kethan Savage (G, 6’3″, 190 lbs.) have signed National Letters of Intent to play for George Washington University beginning in 2012.
“We’re very excited about the three recruits we’ve signed,” said Coach Lonergan. “They’re all different types of players and we think they will all make immediate contributions to our program as freshmen.”
Non-conference schedule analysis: A-10
Ron Everhart has put together a nice challenge for a team that will be without its best player this season. The Dukes open at Arizona, plus face city rival Pitt in the Penguins’ downtown arena. What really adds teeth to this schedule are the mid-majors Duquesne has added — Western Michigan will be on most sleeper lists this season, fellow MAC squad Akron will challenge for another NCAA bid and George Mason is George Mason.
Non-conference schedule analysis: Iona and Fairfield
Yes, the Gaels face Purdue and then either Temple or Western Michigan in Puerto Rico. But the real difficulty is in scheduling eight consecutive road games for their entire December slate. Going to Marshall, Richmond and Vermont in consecutive games certainly won’t be easy, and to end November, Iona hosts defending Northeast champion Long Island. Big things are expected of the Gaels this season. We’ll see right away whether the hype is justified.
Humpty Hitchens
Yes, I know Humpty Hitchens plays for James Madison University. And, yes, I know James Madison is part of the Colonial Athletic. No, I am not lobbying for coverage of the CAA (maybe I am). I could not resist when I read of the Dukes’ victory over the Golden Griffs.
Humpty Hitchens – my new favorite name in college basketball. I am regretting not making the trip to Virginia this past weekend. It would have been worth it to hear that named announced over the loud speaker. Apologies to my Canisius friends as I am sure they heard his name enough.
I would be indebted to anyone who can get Humpty to take some time and Ride the Pine here at Pickin Splinters. While you are at it, ask him to bring along all the king’s horses and all the king’s men.
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