By Paul Gotham
Ah, a weekend of college basketball is in the books. It feels good to let it air out. Surveying the Atlantic 10, Metro Atlantic Athletic and Patriot League for some lessons learned this past weekend.
Bucknell is more than Mike Muscala
A collective “we told you so” can be heard coming from the denizens of Lewisburg, PA. Forgive the rest of us for getting caught up in the Mike Muscala = NBA prospect hype. But there is obviously more to the Bucknell men’s basketball team than their prodigious post man. Cameron Ayers poured in a game-high 18, and Ryan Hill ran a solid point as the Bison went into West Lafayette, IN and knocked off Purdue, 70-65. Of course, Muscala notched his 25th career double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds in the win, but Ayers and Hill sparked the road win over a Big Ten foe. Worth noting that the Bison come to Western New York when Niagara’s Purple Eagles host Bucknell Friday (November 16th) for a 7 p.m. tipoff at the Gallagher Center. Your scribe is looking forward to Friday as well as February 18th and a chance to catch Bucknell at Lehigh in a battle of NBA prospects. Did someone mention C.J. McCollum?
Rotnei Clarke and Vee Sanford know no rust
One year removed from game action didn’t stop Vee Sanford and Rotnei Clarke from busting out this weekend. Both sat out last season per NCAA transfer rules. Sanford hit 7-10 shots from the floor including 3-5 behind for a game-high 18 as Dayton opened the season with a 74-61 victory over Arkansas State. Sanford averaged more than six minutes and two points per game with Georgetown during his freshman and sophomore seasons.
Clarke went 8-16 for a game-high 21 as Butler downed Elon, 74-59. He transferred to Butler from Arkansas where he was the team’s leading scorer his junior year with 15.2 a game. Clarke earned second team All-SEC honors. The 6-0 guard scored 1,306 points and ranks second all time on the school’s list with 274 three-point shots made. When speaking about Clake, Butler head coach Brad Stevens commented in the pre-season: “He gets one year at Butler. I told him you’re going to get two years of opportunities and take and make the most of them.”
Speaking of shaking off the rust – Monroe Community College’s Dallas Gary showed a redshirt season doesn’t have to be a bad thing. Gary scored 46 points in two games this weekend. The 6-5 G/F hit 7-10 including 5-5 behind the arc as MCC knocked off Sullivan County CC, 86-76.
Youssou Ndoye might challenge C.J. Aiken at the top of the A-10 charts
C.J. Aiken, the Atlantic 10’s pre-season defensive player of the year, averaged 3.5 blocks per game last year. His closest competition, Darrius Garrett (Richmond) graduated as did Fordham’s Kevin Bristol – third in conference blocks. Aiken better not get comfortable. Youssou Ndoye looked completely in his wheel house as he swatted away five shots Friday night. The 7′ center from Senegal has a scary combination of size, length and mobility. Not to mention that SBU’s pressure on the perimeter funnels ballhandlers into the middle.
Phil Martelli can see into the future
During the pre-season, Phil Martelli emphasized his team’s need for execution. With a ranking atop the A-10, the St. Joseph’s Hawks have the possibility for a special year, but Martelli cautioned that his team’s execution both on and off the court will be the difference. News came out late last week, that Hawks’ starting point guard, Tay Jones is suspended for his team’s first three games. Without a doubt Martellis knows his team’s strengths and weaknesses.
Manhattan without Beamon is like Art without Paul
Take away the MAAC’s leading scorer, George Beamon, and the Manhattan Jaspers look or sound like Art Garfunkel after the break up – yeah the talent is there, but direction is lacking. Beamon, who scored 19 a game last year, rolled his ankle recently. Bad timing with the Jaspers scheduled for a trip to Louisville. Steve Masiello’s club has plenty of talent: Rhamel Brown, Michael Alvarado and Rashawn Stores to name a few. But Beamon plays the important role of being a finisher. The Jaspers looked collectively indecisive on Sunday afternoon.
Gabe Knutson is not on the same level with Beamon as far as scoring goes, but pull the senior forward out of Lehigh’s lineup and a 20-point loss at #19/18 Baylor happens. Manhattan and Lehigh probably weren’t winning those games with Beamon and Knutson in their respective lineups (especially on the road), but with them on the floor both of those games get a whole lot closer.
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