Holy Cross

State of '08: Massachusetts

Shawn Siegel — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 08:51:45 -0700

HTML clipboard

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.

MASSACHUSETTS

BOSTON COLLEGE - No other team in Massachusetts can boast of a Sweet Sixteen trip or multiple Top 25 finishes in the past decade. While BC is by no means a BCS power, the Eagles finished.500 or better in the ACC or Big East (prior to 06) from 2001 to 2007.

HOLY CROSS - From 2001 to 2007, Holy Cross was one of the nation's best mid-major programs, as the Crusaders made 4 NCAA Tournaments and were a close 4-point loss away from making a 5th. While there are definite signs of slippage, it will take another couple of bad seasons before they move down from this position.

UMASS - It's been a decade since UMASS last made the NCAA Tournament in 1998. That team was still a remnant of John Calipari's tenure, and there's only been minimal success in the following years. Travis Ford did a great job getting the program back on track in just three seasons, winning an A10 regular season title in 2007, and almost making the Big Dance last year with an RPI of 42. But Ford has bolted for T Boone's Oklahoma State money, so the future is once again a bit murky.

NORTHEASTERN - Ron Everhart did a solid job transforming Northeastern basketball, as the program won at least 19 games from 04 to 06. While Everhart never led the Huskies to the postseason, he helped them move up to the more competitive CAA, and put the program in position for future success. Current third year coach Bill Coen might finally get the Huskies over the postseason hump, as this year's squad should be one of the better teams in the conference (according to CHN'd preview).

BOSTON UNIVERSITY - After enjoying a nice stretch from 2002 to 2005, BU has fallen on lean times. Since that run of four postseason trips in a row (including one AE title in 02), the Terriers have failed to finish above 200th in the RPI. This year's team should be a little better, but a return to the postseason will have to wait.

6. HARVARD - Harvard hasn't been good in forever, and the odds of Tommy Amaker making a huge turnaround are slim. The program's biggest accomplishment in the past decade is merely finishing .500 in Ivy play (in 99,00,01,02 & 05). There's a good chance the 2009 squad will match that feat.

Last: Maryland - Next: Michigan

State of '08: The Introduction (& State list/links)

Former Crusader Tim Clifford to Play in Germany

Press Release — Sun, 10 Aug 2008 00:17:09 -0700

WORCESTER, Mass. - Former Holy Cross basketball standout Tim Clifford (Walpole, Mass.) has signed a one-year contract to play professional basketball in Germany. Clifford will play for Telekom Baskets Bonn, who compete in the Basketball Bundesliga, and are located in the city of Bonn. He will be an opponent of former Holy Cross teammate Keith Simmons, who signed with the Deutsche Bank Skyliners earlier this summer.

A first team All-Patriot League selection last season, Clifford averaged 18.0 points, 5.4 rebounds and 2.3 blocked shots per game for the Crusaders, while shooting 57.1 percent from the floor (205 of 359) and 78.2 percent at the foul line (97 of 124). He finished the season ranked first in the league in field goal percentage and blocked shots, fourth in scoring and sixth in rebounding. Clifford led the team in scoring 24 times in 29 games played last year, including each of Holy Cross' last 15 contests. He also scored in double figures 27 straight times to end the season, while going for at least 20 points in 12 of those games.

Over the course of his career as a Crusader, Clifford totaled 1,246 points, 514 rebounds and 210 blocked shots. He is Holy Cross' all-time leader in career blocks, while standing 20th all-time in scoring.

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: Best Team in New England?

Shawn Siegel — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 07:22:43 -0800

Poll: Who Will Win the Patriot League?

Shawn Siegel — Mon, 08 Oct 2007 20:50:36 -0700

2007-08 Holy Cross Basketball Preview

Joel Welser — Thu, 06 Sep 2007 08:05:27 -0700

Holy Cross Crusaders

Overall Rank: #73

Conference Rank: #1 Patriot

2006-07: 25-9, 13-1, 1^st (t)

2006-07 postseason: NCAA

Holy Cross put an end to the Bucknell dominance in the Patriot League last year by knocking them out of the conference tournament in the finals. It was not just one lucky day in March that made the Crusaders successful. Coach Ralph Willard’s squad went 13-1 in conference play, with the one loss coming at Bucknell. The two teams could not have been more even last year, but it is the Crusaders who have the upper hand heading into the 2007-2008 campaign.

Who’s Out:

However, there are some major concerns in Worcester. With the departures of Keith Simmons and Torey Thomas, the strength of the team moves to the frontcourt. Simmons was more than just a great scorer, although he was definitely that as well. To go along with his 16.9 points per game, the 6-5 guard added 5.8 rebounds. Thomas ran the show and contributed 13.7 points per game. His turnovers were a little high, but there is no question that Thomas was an effective floor leader.

Who’s In:

It is likely that Andrew Beinert will earn some time at both guard positions this year. The 6-3 Floral Park, New York native is a smart floor leader, an excellent passer and a more than capable scorer. It may be hard to keep Beinert off the floor and Holy Cross could definitely use his versatility on the perimeter. Josh Jones may find it difficult to find minutes in a loaded frontcourt, but the 6-8, 220 pound freshman is a good athlete and will be a solid foundation for the future in the frontcourt.

Who to Watch:

It is 6-11 center Tim Clifford who will dominate the paint after averaging 11.7 points and 4.6 rebounds last season. However, Alex Vander Baan may be the most important player. Vander Baan averaged 6.4 points and 5.3 rebounds last season starting at the power forward position. This year he may be asked to play the small forward spot. He has the outside shooting ability and the ball handling skills to play the three, but how it works out on the defensive end remains an issue. The reason for moving him to the three is due to the bevy of talent up front with Andrew Keister, Adam May, Greg McCarthy and Eric Meister. Keister, a freshman, only saw action in a few games last year and received a medical redshirt, but he did show some potential. It is Meister who would most likely step into the starting power forward spot if Vander Baan can indeed successfully move to the small forward position. Meister did not put up big numbers in the scoring column, but he will be a force on the defensive end and an effective rebounder. In the team’s last game, Meister had his coming out party, scoring 14 points and grabbing eight rebounds against Southern Illinois in the NCAA Tournament. If he can keep up that offensive production, Holy Cross will be in great shape.

Final Projection:

The perimeter group may not be the strength of the team and replacing Simmons and Thomas will not happen any time soon, but there is plenty of potential and experience. Pat Doherty provided the spark off the bench last year and will step into the starting point guard role this season. Nagging injuries have been a concern, but now is the time for the junior to step up and become a team leader. Kyle Cruze is not your typical shooting guard. His numbers do not show it, averaging 5.3 points and 2.2 assists, but Cruze started the last 25 games of the season. Barring some unexpected consistent scoring, Cruze is not the long term answer this season. At 6-6, Colin Cunningham will add some size to the perimeter. He is a decent shooter and will be able to show off his skills now that the team needs him to look for his shot more often. Lawrence Dixon missed over half of the games last season with an injury. The 6-5 wing is a tough, hardworking defender and, if the injury bug does not strike again, the junior will be a solid contributor.

Projected Post-season Tournament: NCAA

Projected Starting Five:

Pat Doherty, Junior, Guard, 5.3 points per game

Kyle Cruze, Senior, Guard, 2.1 points per game

Colin Cunningham, Junior, Forward, 1.8 points per game

Alex Vander Baan, Junior, Forward, 6.4 points per game

Tim Clifford, Senior, Center, 11.7 points per game

Complete Top 144 Ranking | 2007-08 Preview | Discuss the Preview

Interesting interpretation of "bench decorum" in Omaha

Raphielle Johnson — Sat, 17 Feb 2007 22:52:28 -0800

Am I the only person watching the Drexel/Creighton game tonight that was confused about the emphasis on "bench decorum"? Each head coach, Bruiser Flint of Drexel and Dana Altman of Creighton, was T'd up in this BracketBusters game that the visiting Dragons eventually won 64-58. Altman's technical, in which he was called for being about six inches outside of the coaches box, brought back memories of Dean Smith getting a T for the same offense in the 1991 Final Four. Coach Altman said nothing to the official to warrant this call, just happened to do something that coaches throughout the nation have been doing for years. Drexel went on a run after this, and things seemed to be going well for the Dragons until Coach Flint found himself on the wrong side of the whistle when yelling at his player for a foolish reach-in foul. Jumping into the air and yelling at his guy wouldn't have been a problem (nor should it be) had an official not been right next ot Flint. Luckily for Drexel, they were able to hold on despite some horrific foul shooting (at one point they had missed five straight from the charity stripe). The actual turning point? Anthony Tolliver picking up his fourth foul with the Blue Jays firmly in control halfway through the second half. From there Frank Elegar took over inside, and Dominic Mejia knocked down some shots from the outside. Can Drexel grab an at-large out of the Colonial? This result definitely helps, but I think they need to at least win out in the regular season then make a decent run in the CAA Tournament. But while the Dragons helped themselves out in terms of an at-large resume, conference bretheren VCU did some serious damage to their hopes by losing to Bradley at home. VCU doesn't have the non-conference resume that shots "at-large", so getting that win at home on Saturday would have been huge. But thanks to Jeremy Crouch (22 points) and Daniel Ruffin (19 points), a chance to add a solid non-conference win to their credentials escaped VCU. Holy Cross and Hofstra got together on the Island and played an exciting game that was decided by Carlos Rivera in the end. The third memeber of the vaunted Hofstra attack (you don't hear his name as much as that of Loren Stokes and Antoine Agudio) knocked down two free throws with 1.7 seconds remaining, then blocked a Keith Simmons jump shot as time expired. Take nothing away from the Pride, but you have to wonder how this game would have gone had Holy Cross big man Tim Clifford not fouled out with nearly seven minutes left in the game. Both teams head back to conference play with hopes of winning an automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament. I like Holy Cross' chances in the Patriot League, especially if they can get the top seed, ensuring home court throughout the tournament. While all this was going on with BracketBusters, two things happened in the NEC. 1. Fairleigh Dickinson knocked off Central Connecticut State 66-60, ending the Blue Devils' 12-game win streak. It was a tale of two half, with CCSU sprinting out to a 34-21 halftime lead. FDU, led by Cameron Tyler, outscored the Blue Devils 45-26 in the second half. Of course it's too late for anyone to catch CCSU atop the conference standings, but at least this game puts to rest the idea that CCSU would go unchallenged for the league's automatic bid. They'll have home court throughout, but FDU moved within one game of Quinnipiac for second place, and that position would guarantee two home games. Next week is the end of the regular season for that conference, so we'll see what happens there. Happening #2 in the NEC: St. Francis (NY) 102, Robert Morris 97 in double overtime. After their disappointing effort at St. Francis (PA) on Thursday, you'd have a hard time convincing me that the Terriers would be able to knock off the Colonials, but behind Jamaal Womack's 31 points SFNY got it done. It's probably too late for the Terriers to get to eighth place in the NEC (only the top eight qualify for the conference tournament), but they look a lot better than they did last season. Look for SFNY to make a move in 2007-08. Lastly, Dwight Howard was robbed. If height is going to be the determining factor in how the judges view a dunk then they should put a height limit in the rules. If I were a talented big man in the NBA like Howard, I'd most likely sit out the dunk contest at this point. Good night. And Charles Barkley has a little gas left in the tank, but I'm not so sure about Michael Cooper.

Hofstra Escapes Holy Cross in BracketBusters

Press Release — Sat, 17 Feb 2007 21:06:44 -0800

Hempstead, NY - Senior guard Carlos Rivera (San German, PR) celebrated Senior Day by hitting the game winning foul shots with 1.7 seconds left and adding a blocked shot at the buzzer to lead the Hofstra Men's Basketball team to a 65-64 win over Holy Cross in an O'Reilly's ESPNU Bracket Buster game on Saturday afternoon at the Mack Sports Complex.

With the win, the Pride improves its record to 20-8 on the season, marking the third year in a row that Hofstra has won 20 games, and its eighth time in 34 years at the NCAA Division I level. Holy Cross slips to 20-8 overall with the loss.

Rivera and junior guard Antoine Agudio (Huntington Station, NY) tied for team-high honors with 19 points, while senior guard Loren Stokes (Buffalo, NY) added 16. Senior guard Keith Simmons led all scorers with 22 points for Holy Cross.

Holy Cross had taken a 64-63 lead with 1:36 left on a put-back from forward Eric Meister. After Stokes was called for a charge, the Pride earned a stop when senior guard Torey Thomas tried to drive baseline, but sophomore forward Chris Gadley (Buffalo, NY) deflected the ball off Thomas' head and out of bounds.

Sophomore forward Zygis Sestokas (Vilnius, Lithuania) missed a three-pointer in the corner that Meister rebounded, but Meister missed both foul shots with 18 seconds left. Rivera grabbed the defensive rebound, and after a time-out, he forced a shot up under pressure as he was fouled by Thomas with 1.7 seconds left. Holy Cross called timeout to try to ice him, but Rivera swished both foul shots to give the Pride the lead. Holy Cross then threw a pass the length of the court that Simmons caught inside the three-point line, but Rivera blocked his 17-footer as time expired.

Hofstra led by as many as eight points in the second half at 56-48, but the Crusaders crawled back in it and pulled even at 59-59 with 3:39 left on a three-point play from Thomas. Pat Doherty hit a three-pointers with 2:54 left to give Holy Cross its first lead of the second half at 62-61, but Agudio answered with a jumper for Hofstra before Meister gave the Crusaders their final lead.

Stokes and Rivera picked up their 81st win of their four-year careers, including their third straight with 20 or more wins. The 81 wins is the second most for any class in the Pride's Division I history, behind only the Class of 2001 (91 wins). Thomas had 16 points and six steals for Holy Cross, while Tim Clifford added 11 before fouling out.

- Hofstra Media Relations -

Metro Ranking & Northeast BracketBusters Preview

Raphielle Johnson — Thu, 15 Feb 2007 09:36:53 -0800

Due to a winter storm, some games involving metropolitan area teams were postponed until Thursday, most notably the matchup between Manhattan and Marist. The Red Foxes currently have a half-game lead over Siena, Niagara and Loyola (MD), making this game even more important. Also postponed was the game between Iona and St. Peter’s, two teams in desperate need of any kind of positive momentum at this point in the season.

Unfortunately for Seton Hall, Fairfield and Army, their games went on as scheduled, with the Pirates falling 67-55 at Connecticut and Fairfield losing at home in a close one to Siena 69-64. Army, now on a six-game losing skid, fell to American 64-49. And with their next game being at rival Navy, the Black Knights are in danger of falling into the seven or eight seed, meaning a trip to either Holy Cross or Bucknell for the Patriot League quarterfinals.

Other than the mid-week games in the MAAC and NEC, the event that gets the attention of fans throughout the nation is the O’Reilly ESPNU BracketBusters weekend, with 102 schools representing 16 non-BCS conferences. Whether or not you think this is overkill (I, for one, think that too many teams are taking part), the games are here and a few New York area teams will be taking part. Below is a preview of each game involving metropolitan area schools this weekend.

Holy Cross @ Hofstra (Saturday, 3:00 PM EST ESPNU)

This one here may not be the marquee pairing that fans of Hofstra and the Colonial were hoping for, but guess what? Holy Cross will arrive in Hempstead with a very good chance to leave with a win. The Crusaders, currently tied atop the Patriot League with perennial favorite Bucknell, had a twelve-game win streak going before losing at Bucknell last week.

At 19-7, Holy Cross has played a solid non-conference schedule, facing the likes of Syracuse, Duke, Providence and Dayton on the road. Against the CAA this season, the Crusaders are 2-1, with wins over William & Mary and Delaware while losing to George Mason. Hofstra’s backcourt can match up with guards Keith Simmons and Torey Thomas, but how well Mike Davis-Sabb and Chris Gadley perform against 6’10” Tim Clifford may be the difference in this one. At 3-2 in their last five games, the Pride can use this non-conference game as a springboard into the last week of the regular season and the CAA Tournament.

William & Mary @ Fairfield (Saturday, 4:00 PM EST)

After winning seven in a row, Fairfield hit the tough part of their conference schedule and went 1-2 against Marist, Loyola and Siena. Now they welcome the Tribe to The Arena at Harbor Yard in a game that will be played in the half court, and truth be told both teams would prefer that to be the case. William & Mary, currently tied for fifth in the CAA with George Mason and Towson, are led by the tandem of guard Adam Payton and forward Laimis Kisielius and currently have a three-game win streak. In their last game, a 60-47 win over Drexel, the Tribe held the Dragons to 33% form the field, including 1-for-11 from downtown.

Fairfield will look to Michael Van Schaick and freshman forwards Greg Nero and Anthony Johnson to lead the Stag attack. But if Nero gets in foul trouble like he did last night against Siena, the Stags will be in trouble. Both teams could use a win heading into the stretch run, especially a Fairfield team that will have the MAAC Tournament on their home court in a couple of weeks.

Manhattan @ Eastern Michigan (Saturday, 4:00 PM EST)

Heading into their game at Marist on Thursday night, the Jaspers have lost two in a row, meaning that this game could be between two teams limping into the month of March. The Eagles have lost seven of their last nine, so at least Barry Rohrssen’s team had some momentum going for themselves before the two-game skid. The Eagles have some large bodies inside, but they tend to lean on their perimeter players, such as Carlos Medlock and Jesse Bunkley, for scoring. The statistic to watch in this one will be turnovers. While Manhattan averages nearly fifteen per game, EMU averages 17.6 per contest. Those numbers alone may explain why both teams are currently below .500.

Iona @ Delaware (Saturday, 7:00 PM EST)

When lamenting the glut of games in this event, a spotlight hit this one. The last two teams in Division I college basketball to record a win this season get together in a game that doesn’t set up to be an affair for the instructional videos. The Blue Hens, currently 5-22, found a way to knock off Hofstra at home, so look for them to take care of the young and banged-up Gaels at home.

Colgate @ Marist (Saturday, 7:30 PM EST)

No offense to the Raiders, but you have to think that Marist supporters were hoping for a higher-profile opponent to make the trip to Poughkeepsie. But the game will take place and the Red Foxes need to make sure that they don’t come out sluggish for this one. Marist has to win the MAAC Tournament to get into the NCAAs regardless, but a loss in a game like this could have a serious effect on what their seed could be. Colgate uses a lot of players, with eleven averaging at least thirteen minutes per game. The one constant? Senior point guard Jon Simon, who leads the team in points and is second in assists. He will have his hands full with Jared Jordan and Will Whittington, however. Two New York schools get together, and with the weather being as bad as it is that may be good for travel reasons. But expect the Red Foxes to take care of business.

St. Peter’s @ Tennessee-Martin (Saturday, 8:00 PM EST)

Just like Iona/Delaware, a game that really has no business being played when you take into consideration the goal of this event. These two teams, both in last place in their respective conferences (if you didn’t know, UT-Martin is from the Ohio Valley Conference), have a combined record of 10-44. The Skyhawks, thanks primarily to the inside tandem of Gerald Robinson and Cleve Woodfork, have seven of those ten wins. It’s been a tough year for John Dunne’s Peacocks as well, having lost seventeen straight games. This one could get sloppy, so it may be a good thing that there’s no television for the game.

Other Games of Note:

Rutgers @ St. John’s (Thursday, 7:30 PM EST)
Massachusetts @ Fordham (Thursday, 9:00 PM EST)
Columbia @ Pennsylvania (Friday, 7:00 PM EST)
Central Connecticut St. @ Fairleigh Dickinson (Saturday, 7:00 PM EST)
Marist @ Fairfield (Monday, 7:30 PM EST)
Pittsburgh @ Seton Hall (Monday, 8:00 PM EST)
Sacred Heart @ Fairleigh Dickinson (Tuesday, 7:00 PM EST)

Here are the updated rankings.

Marist (2): Marist is back on top of the MAAC, but the games with Manhattan and Fairfield will go a long way in determining whether or not they stay there.
Hofstra (1): The Pride’s defense didn’t make the trip down to Old Dominion. That cannot happen if they expect to compete for the CAA Tournament crown.
St. John’s (6): The Red Storm lost a tough one at Syracuse, but they look to be headed in the right direction. They can help themselves out immensely as far as the Big East Tournament is concerned with a win at Providence on Saturday.
Fairfield (5): The Stags jump over Fordham and Manhattan because of their win over Loyola (MD).
Fordham (3): Three straight losses put the Rams into “must-win” territory against UMass tonight if they want to have an impact on the Atlantic 10 race.
Manhattan (4): Two straight losses for the Jaspers, but their game at Easterm Michigan is more than winnable. And they still can have an impact in the MAAC Tournament.
Fairleigh Dickinson (7): The Knights have won four of their last five, and a solid win at Monmouth has them in a good position to get home court for their NEC quarterfinal.
Sacred Heart (8): The good news in the Pioneers’ game against CCSU last week was that they outscored the Blue Devils 47-39 in the second half. If only they weren’t down 41-19 at the half.
Seton Hall (9): They hung around for a while against UConn, but two things happened: The Huskies started to block shots, and Seton Hall forgot to guard Jerome Dyson on three triples that changed the momentum of the game.
Columbia (11): The Lions recovered from their 85-71 loss to Yale by taking care of Brown the following night. Who’s next? First-place Penn on the road.
Wagner (10): The Seahawks still have some breathing room when it comes to the eighth and final spot in the NEC Tournament, but they need a split of the Pennsylvania schools (Robert Morris and St. Francis-PA) in order to keep that advantage.
St. Francis-NY (13): Tough loss to LIU, but the Terriers have shown improvement throughout the season. Games at the Pennsylvania schools this weekend could be the end of their NEC Tournament hopes, however. Or the beginning.
LIU (15): The Blackbirds got a key win at St. Francis-NY this past week, but they’re still two games behind Wagner for that final spot with five games to go. And Wagner swept the Blackbirds.
Army (12): At a time in the season when teams are supposed to be rounding into form, the Black Knights are headed in the wrong direction. They’ve lost six straight heading into the game at Navy.
Stony Brook (14): The Seawolves, one game after holding UMBC to 39 points, found out what it’s like to have nothing go in the basket against Hartford on Sunday in their 56-44 loss.
NJIT (16): The Highlanders beat South Dakota State, but North Dakota State made sure they didn’t sweep the Dakotas by the final of 80-57.
Iona (17): The Gaels and Peacocks get together on Thursday to find out who will most likely occupy last place in this poll next week.

Bucknell Beats Holy Cross, Now Tied Atop PL

Press Release — Sat, 10 Feb 2007 00:00:00 -0800

LEWISBURG, Pa. – A national television audience and a boisterous, standing-room-only crowd watched the Bucknell’s men’s basketball team outlast Holy Cross 48-45 in a classic defensive struggle on Friday night. The win was Bucknell’s eighth in a row overall and 32nd in a row over a Patriot League opponent at home, and more importantly it tied the Bison with the Crusaders atop the conference standings with three regular-season games remaining.

Justin Castleberry led the way offensively with 10 points for the Bison, who are now 16-8 and 10-1 in the Patriot League. Holy Cross (19-7, 10-1), whose 12-game winning streak coming in was the second-longest active run in the nation behind only No. 1 Florida’s 15-game streak, received 15 points from Keith Simmons and 12 from Torey Thomas.

Both teams came in with defenses ranked in the top 17 nationally, and they lived up to their billing, as baskets were hard to come by all night. The Crusaders had it going early, making five of their first six attempts en route to a 12-2 lead just four minutes in, but the Bison held them to only nine more baskets the rest of the way, including only four in 18 attempts in the second half.

Bucknell whittled that early deficit to five by halftime, then took its first lead since 2-0 when Abe Badmus exploded out of the locker room with the team’s first seven points of the second half. Badmus, who was scoreless in the first half after also being held off the board in Holy Cross’ 65-60 win over Bucknell back on Jan. 12, first drove to the basket for a layup, then made a jumper just inside the arc and a 3-pointer from the deep right corner to put Bucknell ahead 29-28.

Five points from Colin Cunningham helped put the Crusaders back up by four at 35-31 with 12:22 left, but the Bison responded with eight straight points to take their first multi-possession lead of the night. Freshman Patrick Behan started the run with two straight finishes near the basket, then John Griffin, who would hit the biggest shot of the night a little later, snapped a 35-all tie with a short bank shot. At the 8:16 mark, Holy Cross starting power forward Alex Vander Baan drew his fifth foul on a scramble on the perimeter, and Darren Mastropaolo hit two free throws to make it 39-35.

Thomas canned an open 3-pointer to halt the run, then Thomas and Simmons made two free throws each to put Holy Cross back in front 42-39 with 5:32 to play. That is when Bucknell’s defense really stiffened. The Bison came up with six consecutive defensive stops, enough to allow the offense to surge ahead.

At the 5:03 mark Griffin grabbed an offensive rebound and stuck back a short baseline jumper to bring Bucknell within a point. On the ensuing possession, point guard Badmus got caught guarding 6’10”, 270-pound center Tim Clifford in the low post, but he did enough to force Clifford to miss a jump hook, and Chris McNaughton grabbed one of his game-high 10 rebounds.

Bucknell, which outrebounded Holy Cross 18-10 in the second half and 29-24 overall, grabbed two offensive rebounds on its next possession, the latter leading to two more Mastropaolo free throws. He again made them both to put the Bison ahead 43-42.

Bucknell missed its next three shots, but the Bison kept the lead by holding Holy Cross to one shot on each of its three ensuing possessions.

Then with 1:04 left, Badmus fired a diagonal pass through traffic to Griffin in the right corner, and with Simmons charging hard at him, Griffin ignored his 0-for-5 3-point shooting ledger to that point and drained a high-arcing 3-pointer that put the Bison ahead 46-42 and sent the crowd into a frenzy.

At the other end Thomas missed a jumper, and Badmus ran down the loose ball near the top of the key and was fouled with 38 seconds left. Badmus made both for a 48-42 lead, but Bucknell’s rock-solid free-throw shooting departed down the stretch, ultimately giving Holy Cross a final shot to tie.

McNaughton came up with a tough rebound in traffic after a Thomas missed 3-pointer with 20 seconds left, but McNaughton missed both from the line. Simmons then hit a 3-pointer from the top of the arc to make it 48-45 with 12 seconds left. After a timeout, Bucknell inbounded to Castleberry, who had been 2-for-2 in the game and 27-for-32 on the season from the line, but he also missed both.

The Crusaders then found Thomas, who had a good look at a 3-pointer from the deep left corner, but it rimmed out as time expired.

The win was Bucknell’s 16th in its last 20 games and made it 35-4 in Patriot League play since the start of the 2004-05 season. The eight-game winning streak is now tied for the third-longest in the Pat Flannery era (since 1994-95).

Castleberry scored all 10 of his points in the first half and finished as Bucknell’s only double-figure scorer. Badmus and Griffin both did all of their scoring in the second half, ending up with nine and seven points, respectively. McNaughton also had nine along with his 10 rebounds. It was his fourth double-figure rebounding effort of the season, all coming since Jan. 17. Mastropaolo was again an unsung hero with seven points, five rebounds and two assists, and Behan’s six points off the bench were a career high.

Bucknell went without the services of injured all-league candidate Donald Brown for the third straight game, but it has found a way to win them all in his absence.

In addition to his nine second-half points, Badmus also spent much of the final 20 minutes matched up with the bigger Simmons, who came in averaging a league-best 17.9 points per game. Simmons had only one second-half field goal, the 3-pointer with 12 seconds left.

Holy Cross shot 34.1 percent from the field overall after the 4-for-18 second-half showing. The Crusaders were 5-for-15 from 3-point range. Bucknell finished at 39.5 percent from the floor, 4-for-12 from the arc.

Bucknell has now won five games this season when trailing by 10 or more points at some point in the game, and it has won six times this season and 13 since the start of last year when trailing at the half.

The crowd of 4,209 was the fourth-largest in Sojka Pavilion history. The 93 combined points were the second-fewest in Sojka Pavilion history, behind only the 91 scored in Bucknell’s 53-38 win over Army on Jan. 24, 2003, and it was also the lowest-scoring game in series history. It was the first time the Bison won a game when scoring less than 50 points since a 44-43 victory over Lafayette on Feb. 19, 1986.

Bucknell’s three remaining Patriot League games are against Lafayette at home and Lehigh and Army on the road. Holy Cross plays at Navy and Lehigh, and home against Colgate. Both teams break from conference play for BracketBusters games on Feb. 17, Bucknell at home against Towson and the Crusaders at Hofstra.

Bucknell’s next appearance will be at Sojka Pavilion on Wednesday against a Lafayette team that gave the Bison fits in Easton last month. Bucknell rallied for a 67-61 victory at the Kirby Center in the first of what is now eight straight wins.