Appalachian St

Northeast non-TV Bracket Busters preview

Raphielle Johnson — Fri, 22 Feb 2008 11:23:55 -0800

Here’s a quick preview of the ESPNU O’Reilly Bracket Busters games this weekend that will not be shown on television involving northeast teams. In most cases, the organizers of this event have done a better job of limiting the travel for non-television games, with the exception of UC Davis visiting Loyola (MD) among games involving northeast leagues. Bracket Busters, originally put together to provide schools in non-BCS leagues one last opportunity to add to their resume, now involves some 100 schools from sixteen conferences. Niagara @ Appalachian State (Saturday, 1 PM) The nation’s leading scorer, Charron Fisher, takes his act on the road as the Purple Eagles visit the Mountaineers of the Southern Conference. Fisher has eclipsed the forty point mark in two of his last three games, including 45 and nine rebounds against Loyola (MD). Niagara (with help from Tyrone Lewis, Stanley Hodge and an improving Benson Egemonye) will look to run and put up a lot of points, but the Mountaineers are also capable of scoring some points. Six players score at least seven points per game, led by senior forward Donte Minter. I’ll take the Mountaineers due to the home court advantage. Northeastern @ Holy Cross (Saturday, 4 PM) The Huskies make the short trip to Worcester to take on a Crusader team still trying to recover from a slow start in Patriot League play. Tim Clifford is Holy Cross’ best offensive option, but it’s been the health of PG Pat Doherty that has been the concern. His Achilles injury at San Francisco was the catalyst for a five-game skid early in 2008, and the team has been up and down ever since. Northeastern, looking to end their two-game skid, will counter with a balanced scoring attack led by wing Matt Janning. Normally, I’d go with the home-court advantage, especially with an environment as hostile as the one awaiting NU’s arrival. But I’m going to take the Huskies due to the fact that they’re a more balanced team on offense. Bucknell @ Old Dominion (Saturday, 7 PM) The Bison, like their Patriot League rivals, have uncharacteristically struggled in league play this year. But given the number of losses due to graduation over the last two seasons, you can understand why this team isn’t in its usual perch atop the conference standings. Guards John Griffin, Justin Castleberry and Stephen Tyree are the main men on the offensive end of the floor, and they’re going to have their hands full in Norfolk. Forward Gerald Lee leads the Monarchs in scoring, but they have seven players averaging at least six points per game. In their last four games, all wins, three different Monarchs have led the team in scoring (Lee twice, Brian Henderson and Abdi Lidonde once apiece). I like the Monarchs to win this one. Vermont @ UNC-Wilmington (Saturday, 7 PM) If you’re looking to find a candidate for the most improved player in the country (yes, country), look no further than Vermont’s Marqus Blakely. After averaging 5.8 points and 3.1 rebounds per game last season, the sophomore forward is up to 19.8 and 10.8 this year. And only two players have a 30/20 game to their credit this season: Michael Beasley and…Marqus Blakely. Mike Trimboli and Kyle Cieplicki are also more than capable of scoring from the perimeter. As for the Seahawks, four players average at least twelve points per game, led by senior guard T.J. Carter’s 15.8. Possessing a home record of 11-2, UNCW comes into this one riding a four-game win streak. Expect this one to be a close one, but I like the Seahawks to come out on top. UC Davis @ Loyola-Maryland (Saturday, 1 PM) Well, this one could get ugly as the Greyhounds host the Aggies. UC Davis, currently dead last in the Big West, has lost their last nine and are the league’s worst defensive team (opponents shoot 48.1% from the field). And when you’ve got to stop a player like G Gerald Brown, that could be bad news for the Aggies. Brown will have some help on the offensive end, supplied by Michael Tuck and Marquis Sullivan. The Aggies are led by guards Vince Oliver and Shane Hanson, but they have a road record of 1-11 for the season. I like Loyola to win this one. Hofstra @ Iona (Saturday, 2 PM) The Gaels host one of the nation’s best scorers in Hofstra’s Antoine Agudio, and with Iona preferring to quicken the pace this could be a game in which Agudio puts up some points. But the trend all season has been that the Pride are only as successful as Agudio’s supporting cast, and a group led by Charles Jenkins has become more confident as the season has progressed. On the other side, Kevin Willard’s first year as head coach has been streaky in regards to results, with a three game win streak followed by a short losing spell. Iona ended a two-game skid with a win at Canisius on Monday night, and five players averaging about eight points per game (Kyle Camper averages 7.8 to be exact). The key to this one will be how well Hofstra takes care of the basketball, something they haven’t done well on the road this season (3-9 away from home). I’ll take Iona by a basket. Fairfield @ Drexel (Saturday, 4 PM) The Stags, winners of five in a row, take their on one of the CAA’s worst offensive teams in the Dragons of Drexel. Center Frank Elegar leads Drexel in both scoring and rebounding, but the points have been few and far between for a team looking to replace the likes of Bashir Mason and Dominic Mejia from last season’s team. Fairfield, on the other hand, has received a boost from the likes of seniors Marty O’Sullivan and Mamadou Diakhate, two players who weren’t expected to see much playing time throughout the remainder of the season. But the team runs based on the play of PG Jonathan Han, the MAAC’s assist leader. With six road wins already to their credit, I like the Stags to pick up a seventh. Youngstown State @ Buffalo (Saturday, 4 PM) With two of the bottom feeders in their respective leagues on display, you have to dig a little deeper to figure out who to watch in this one. How about guards Andy Robinson (Buffalo) and Byron Davis (Youngstown State)? Both lead their teams in scoring, but truth be told each team has a couple of places from which the points can come. I’m taking Buffalo for one simple reason: The Penguins are 1-11 on the road this season. Binghamton @ Manhattan (Saturday, 4 PM) One of three matchups between America East and MAAC schools, this one will be an interesting affair due to the age difference between the backcourts. Manhattan, led by Antoine Pearson and Devon Austin (Austin’s a wing), rely primarily on sophomores while Binghamton’s backcourt is manned by seniors Mike Gordon and Richard Forbes. The Bearcats’ leading scorer, however, is sophomore forward Lazar Trifunovic (14.3 ppg, 7.3 rpg). I like the Jaspers to move their three-game win streak to four due to the fact that they’re at home (Binghamton is 3-10 on the road this season). Albany @ Canisius (Saturday, 7:30 PM) There’s no Jamar Wilson, but the Great Danes are still in third place in America East. The leader this season is Brian Lillis, a wing currently averaging sixteen points per game. In all, five Great Danes are averaging at least 7.7 points per game. Their opponent has one of the quickest guards in the MAAC in Frank Turner, but little has gone right this year for the 4-22 Golden Griffins. Losers of five straight games, I don’t think Canisius plays good enough defense (allowing 73.1 points per game) to end the skid in this one. Boston University @ St. Peter’s (Saturday, 2 PM) The Terriers have won six of their last seven, while the Peacocks have lost eleven of thirteen. SPC has one of the toughest competitors in the MAAC in senior Todd Sowell, but as a team they simply don’t defend well enough or take good enough care of the basketball (averaging sixteen turnovers per game). When you have four players scoring in double figures, turnovers are a sure way to keep your win total low. Corey Lowe, one of the best guards in America East, leads BU with eighteen points per game, but the improved play of freshman John Holland has been the catalyst for their recent run of good play. I like the Terriers to get a road win in this one.

Daily Poll: Who Will Win the Southern Conference?

Shawn Siegel — Mon, 08 Oct 2007 06:12:54 -0700

A stunner in Ann Arbor, and other happenings on the season's first Saturday

Raphielle Johnson — Sat, 01 Sep 2007 22:44:29 -0700

Well, by now you know that two-time Championship Subdivision champ Appalachian State went into Michigan and left with a 34-32 win, closing it out with a blocked field goal with six seconds remaining. How does this happen? For one, the Mountaineers didn't go into the Big House with their collective tail between their legs. Secondly, the Michigan defense continued its sieve-like performance for the third straight game. To be honest, the offense minus Mike Hart didn't show too much either. Without Hart's 188 yards and three scores, this one could have been worse than it actually was. Lastly, the Michigan players may have focused more on the "1-AA" part of the opponent rather than the fact that the Mountaineers can play some football. So where do the Wolverines go from here? Oregon comes to town next week in a game that has all the looks of an 0-2 start when you compare the offensive styles of Oregon and Appalachian State. Both teams like to spread out defenses and use their speed on the perimeter. If Michigan and defensive coordinator Ron English can't take care of their issues in the coming week of practice and film study, things could go from bad to worse for Lloyd Carr as far as job security is concerned. Two other games that caught my eye were a pair of wins for Mountain West schools at home. Naturally, the two games were part of a doubleheader on Versus, making the wins by Wyoming and BYU all the more important for the conference. Wyoming held Virginia to three points in a 23-3 win that in all honesty wasn't that close. The Cavs, who some liked to make a move in the ACC Coastal, did very little on offense, and Jameel Sewell didn't look 100% recovered from off-season left wrist surgery. And BYU handled Arizona in Provo, 20-7. Two players making their first appearance on the college stage, QB Max Hall and RB Harvey Unga played extremely well, and a defense that made huge strides a year ago in winning the MWC held Arizona scoreless until the game's final minute. For fans of the Cats who were hoping that the hiring of Sonny Dykes to run the offense would mean an explosive attack, slow down the thinking. When your playmakers don't have a history of consistently making plays (that's a big difference from simply having talent), a new system doesn't turn an average attack into the Indianapolis Colts. Have patience, there's still a long way to go. A great scene in Blacksburg this afternoon as well, but I wouldn't read too much into the final score (17-7) too much for two reasons. One, the emotion of the day was something that no other football team has had to deal with. Secondly, ECU is pegged as one of the better teams in CUSA this season, meaning that they're no slouch. Of course, there were some turnovers that could be deadly in Baton Rouge next weekend, but the Hokies will work out those kinks throughout the week. With all the attention being paid to "Bowden Bowl IX" on Monday, people had better pay more attention to Boston College, who beat Wake Forest 38-28 in Chestnut Hill. Matt Ryan threw for 408 yards and five scores, and corner DeJuan Tribble had three picks on the afternoon. The most important development in this one could actually be the separated throwing shoulder of Wake QB Riley Skinner. Redshirt sophomore Brett Hodges played well in Skinner's stead, but you know that the Deacs will need Skinner if they want to repeat as ACC champs. Right up there with the Michigan game in terms of excitement was Colorado's comeback win over CSU in overtime. Cody Hawkins performed well in his first start for the Buffs, taking some pressure off of the head coach had things not gone so well. Oh, the head coach is his father, which could make for an interesting dynamic in terms of fan opinion if Cody struggles. But with Cody at the helm, the future looks bright in Boulder. Lastly, not to take anything away from Auburn and their comeback win over Kansas State, but the Tigers had no business winning that game. But thanks to 18 penalties and a seeming unwillingness to give left tackle Alesana Alesana consistent help with All-American defensive end Quentin Groves in his first college start. Groves wreaked havoc on the KSU offense in the fourth quarter, pressuring Josh Freeman countless times and forcing the fumble that was returned for the game-clinching touchdown. Auburn is a young team overall, so they should be able to work out the kinks as the season progresses. Almost forgot, don't ever...ever kick the ball to Cal's DeSean Jackson. If you decide to out of bravado and end up getting burned as Tennessee's Britton Colquitt did tonight, you essentially dug your own grave. Not too smart.

Joel Knows: New Weekly Column

Joel Welser — Sun, 21 Jan 2007 11:22:00 -0800

Does Joel know everything? Anything? Or does Joel simply know nothing? Find out every Sunday in Joel Welser’s new weekly column: Joel Knows

Joel knows.. that the Pac-10 will have six teams dancing and Washington won’t be one of them…or be even close to being one of them. Sorry Cal, despite the decent start, the absence of DeVon Hardin will have the Bears on the outside looking in as well.

Joel knows.. that Appalachian State has the leg up on the journey to represent the Southern Conference in the NCAA Tournament. The Mountaineers knocked off Davidson on the road Saturday thanks to D.J. Thompson’s 19 points. This was the only regular season game between the two squads and, if they meet again in March, a lot more will be on the line.

Joel knows.. that the Mid-Con isn’t just about Ned Flanders’ Alma mater Oral Roberts. Oakland, which boasts non-fictional attendees such as David Hasselhoff, “Freddie Krueger” and “Booger” from ‘Revenge of the Nerds,’ is now 5-0 in conference play, including wins over perceived contenders Valparaiso and IUPUI. The true test comes on Thursday when the Golden Grizzlies head to Tulsa, Oklahoma to take on the other golden animal of the conference.

Joel knows.. that Oregon deserved to be a lot higher than #9 or #10 in the polls last week and deserves to be in the top five this week, but won’t be.

Joel knows.. that Louisville is actually a decent team when Juan Palacios is at full strength, physically and mentally. Some more consistent production out of David Padgett would help too. At least then the Cardinals won’t feel obligated to jack up as many three’s.

Joel knows.. that Drexel’s blasé performance against a bad and depleted Delaware team moves the CAA one step closer to returning to a one-bid conference. The second step is having the top teams beat up on each other, which the 14^th ranked conference in the RPI cannot afford if the association dreams of having a dance partner come March.

Joel knows.. that a few years of Dick Bennett worship has been in vain. Tony Bennett, with a slightly disappointing slightly faster tempo, has done a lot more at Washington State…with a little more talent…than the elder Bennett ever could have hoped.

Joel knows.. Saint Louis is in trouble, but not as much as fellow A-10er Richmond, after scoring a whopping two points in the first 17 minutes against Dayton on Saturday.

Joel knows.. that watching 41 games on TV in one day, not to mention another half dozen or so on the internet, is the best way to spend a Saturday…besides sitting courtside at Hinkle…preferably at least a couple seats away from CigarBoy.

Daily Dribble: 12/20

Shawn Siegel — Tue, 19 Dec 2006 21:02:05 -0800

I wouldn't say Tuesday was a wacky day of colege basketall.. but it was certainly an odd day. Appalachian State over Virginia is certainly the day's shocker. Virginia was 6-1, including a win over Arizona, heading into the matchup with then 7-3 Appalachian State in Puerto Rico. Perhaps inspired by the football team's good run in the 1-AA Football Tournament.. the Mountaineers basically controlled Virginia from the tip. App State comes out of the game with an 8-3 record.. but don't be deceived, this team hadn't done anything before Tuesday. 3 of their wins were against non-D1 teams and they had losses of 30 against Clemson and 32 against Virginia Tech. This is not just the most shocking win of the day, but arguably the most shocking win of the year. North Dakota State over Marquette got some headlines, but this is twice as surprising. Half as surprising is Syracuse falling to Drexel at the Carrier Dome. Frank Elegar scored a career high 27 in the Dragons big win. Elegar, a junior out of New York has been playing the best ball of his career in recent weeks, scoring 20+ in 3 of 4 games. Drexel was supposed to be a contender for the CAA title, but they faltered out of the gates with early losses to Rider and Penn. But back to back road wins at Villanova and Syracuse put the Dragons right back in the thick of the NCAA Tournament watch. For the overrated Cuse, its now losses in 3 of 5, none of which were road games. Without Gerry Mac around to save them in the Big East tournament.. the only thing that can save them now is a Big East biased selection committee. Atlantic Sun favorite Belmont gave Michigan State a battle up in Lansing. The Bruins led at the half, before Drew Neitzel scored 18 in the second stanza to pull of the 9 point win. Belmont had a similar result last game at Illinois, where they kept it close for a half before faltering.. but mostly these games are learning experiences for the Bruins. For MSU, its the same old Drew Neitzel show.. there's only so far they can go as a one man team. Omni Smith came out of nowhere to score 33 points to keep Kent State alive against Duke until the last seconds. Smith had never broken 20 before Tuesday.. talk about stepping up in a big game. Still, ultimately Duke prevailed in Cameron.. as they've barely managed to do against inferior opponents all year. I still think the Blue Devils will do not but improve as the season goes on.. but they have to be one of the country's most overrated team. Mark Tyndale, who recently became eligible from academic issues, score 18 to lead Temple to a 5 point win at Ball State. With Tyndale back in the mix and Dionte Christmas playing well, the Owls have a chance to be a surprise team in the A-10. How bout North Carolina scoring 65 points in the first half against FAU. What I'd like to see is UNC's third group of 5 (Alex Stephenson, Surry Wood, Mike Copeland, Quentin Thomas, and Dewey Burke) start playing teams. That five could probably beat a third of the teams in the country. Very good game between Illinois and Missouri in Saint Louis. The Illini eventually pulled out a 73-70 victory in a game that was back and forth most of the way. The game reminded me of a quality mid-major affair. It was mostly quality half-court basketball between two teams that don't really have dominant individual talent, but are solid all-around teams. The improving Shaun Pruitt scored a season high 19 points in the win. The 6-10 big man has improved substantially each season, and showed off some nice footwork in the post. That's all for now.. - During the holiday season, don't forget about the Dribble -