Loyola MD

MAAC Basketball Preview: 08-09

CHN — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 09:04:06 -0500

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Conference Rank: 15th

10 year average: 17th

All-MAAC Team
Pos.	Player	Team	Yr.

G	Kenny Hasbrouck	Siena	Sr
G	Tyrone Lewis	Niagara	Jr
G/F	Ryan Thompson	Rider	Jr
F	Edwin Ubiles	Siena	Jr
F	Alex Franklin	Siena	Jr
CHN Award Winners		Returning Leaders
Mid-Major All-Americans Kenny Hasbrouck Ryan Thompson Edwin Ubiles		Points: Kenny Hasbrouck 16.2 Rebounds: Alex Franklin 7.8 Assists: Jonathan Han (Fairfield) 6.2

MAAC Standings
Nat'l	Team	League	Tourney

45	Siena**	MAAC	1	NCAA
101	Niagara	MAAC	2
120	Rider	MAAC	3
140	Fairfield	MAAC	4
172	Manhattan	MAAC	5
200	Loyola Md	MAAC	6
235	Iona	MAAC	7
268	Marist	MAAC	8
303	Canisius	MAAC	9
318	St. Peter's	MAAC	10

*Click on links for full Top 144 team preview

** returning conference champion

Poll: Who Do You Think Will Win the MAAC?

Other MAAC Content

Head Coach Q&A's

Fran McCaffery: Siena

Conference Media Poll

Other

Rise & Fall: MAAC

State of 08: New York

State of '08: Maryland

Shawn Siegel — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 12:41:00 -0400

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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.

MARYLAND

MARYLAND - The recent struggles of the Terps under Gary Williams are well documented, but as far as the Crab Cake State goes, Maryland dominates..

LOYOLA - Considering how epically bad Loyola was from about 2000 to 2005, the program has come a long way. Jimmy Patsos deserves credit for turning around a program that was 1-27 the year before he arrived in 2005. The past two seasons, Loyola has won 37 games, and gone 24-12 in MAAC play. The next step is doing some damage in the league tournament.

UMBC - 2008 was a banner season for Randy Monroe and the Retrievers. They won 24 games, dominated the America East with a 13-3 record, rolled through the conference tournament, and faced Georgetown in the NCAA Tournament. Plus, UMBC was 85th in the RPI, just 3 spots behind ACC member Maryland.

MOUNT SAINT MARY'S - The Mount returned to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1999, beating in-state rival Coppin State in the play-in game. This was the culmination of a nice rebuilding job undertaken by 6th year coach Milan Brown. Now that the Mount returns star Jeremy Goode, a return trip is certainly not out of the question.

COPPIN STATE - The Eagles were arguably one of the worst NCAA Tournament teams of all-time last year. They finished under .500 in the lowly MEAC and only had one Top 250 win going into the conference tournament. They also set a record by being the 1st tourney team with 20 losses. But with the exception of a brutal 2002 campaign (316 RPI), Coppin has consistently been one of the better teams in the MEAC since 1997, the year of their epic win over South Carolina in the NCAA Tournament.

6. NAVY - Like many of its Maryland counterparts, Navy has also improved a lot in the past couple of years. When Billy Lange took over, the Midshippmen were struggling to win 5 games a season. Last year though, they won 16 games overall and finished 2nd in the NEC. Lange is trying to return Navy to its former glory days of the 80's and 90's when the program made 8 NCAA Tournaments in 16 seasons between 1985 and 2000.

7. MORGAN STATE - Todd Bozeman has done a solid job in his two years at Morgan State. Last year, the Bears won 22 games, captured the MEAC regular season title and made the NIT. Not bad considering the Bears went 4-26 in 2006. The program still needs a couple more successful seasons before it passes Coppin or Navy on this list.

8.TOWSON - Although Towson plays in a better league (CAA) than many of its in-state counterparts, there's been little success over the last decade. Since joining the CAA in 2002, the Tigers have yet to finish .500 in league play, a trend that I expect to continue in 08-09

9. UMES - The Hawks are in the midst of a horrible dry stretch. They've only won 24 games in the last five seasons. There's nothing positive to add.

Last: Louisiana - Next: Massachuesetts

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

Northeast non-TV Bracket Busters preview

Raphielle Johnson — Fri, 22 Feb 2008 14:23:55 -0500

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.

Jon's Favorite Performance of 2007: Gerald Brown

Jon Teitel — Wed, 02 Jan 2008 11:52:49 -0500

When I took a road trip to Baltimore over Veteran’s Day weekend, I expected to see a competitive game in the first-ever meeting between my Penn Quakers and the Loyola Greyhounds. What I ended up witnessing was one of the most dominant performances I have ever seen on a basketball court by a “mid-major” player.

The afternoon got off to a somber start with a moment of silence for former Loyola coach Skip Prosser, who passed away over the summer. Each team was playing its second game of the young season, with “young” being the operative word for the Quakers, who only have three seniors on their roster. I had heard of Loyola shooting guard Gerald Brown, a unanimous all-MAAC pick in 2006-2007, but I did not know much else about him. I was about to get an education.

Loyola has several players who grew up in the Maryland area, but Brown’s journey from Frederick Douglass High School in Baltimore did not take him directly to the Loyola campus. Brown began his Big East career by going to the NCAA Tournament with Providence in 2003-2004, while Loyola was in the midst of finishing 1-27. After playing in only 26 games over a 2-year span, Brown decided to transfer to Loyola and sit out the 2005-2006 season due to NCAA rules.

I used to assume that players who transferred from big-time athletic programs to smaller schools did so due to problems with academics, injuries, maturity, good competition, etc. Brown just turned 23 years old in December, but has already overcome more obstacles than most people twice his age. 2005 was the most eventful year of Brown’s life, as his mother Pamela passed away that July, and his son J’Lin Kai was born that November. Brown had a hard childhood, with some instances of fighting and misbehavior, but he seems to have turned his life around quite nicely. After regaining his eligibility, he erupted for 22.2 PPG during his first season at Loyola (4th highest in school history), placing him 8th in the nation in scoring and leading his team to its most wins ever as a Division 1 program.

Brown got off to a poor start against Penn, making only 1 of 6 FG through the first 12 minutes, as Loyola clung to a 5-point lead (18-13). From that point on, it turned into the Gerald Brown Show, as he proceeded to finish off the 1st half by making 5 of 5 FG, 4 of 5 FT, and picking up 3 steals on the defensive end. Right before the halftime buzzer, he sank a 25-footer from well behind the arc, giving him 19 points in 18 minutes, giving his team a 17-point lead (43-26), and giving all the Penn fans in the crowd an excuse to do something with the rest of their afternoon. After helping boost Loyola’s lead to 30 points midway through the 2nd half, Brown finished with a game-high 27 points (including 10 of 11 FT), 8 rebounds, and a career-high 6 steals in 31 minutes of action.

Through the end of December, there were only 3 players in all of Division 1 averaging 19+ PPG, 2+ 3PM/game, and 2+ SPG: Lester Hudson of Tennessee-Martin (the leading scorer in the country), David Holston of Chicago State (the leading 3-PT shooter in the country), and Brown. This combination of scoring, shooting, and defending is a valuable asset, and while there are not a lot of 6’4” shooting guards in the NBA, I think Brown just might have what it takes to sneak onto a summer league roster and make a legitimate push to make it in the pros.

There is a reason Brown wears the number 1 on his jersey (a tribute to Penny Hardaway), but I suspect that it is also a commentary on his ability to play basketball. From what I got to see in person in November, he is #1 in my book.

Daily Poll: Who Will Win the MAAC?

Shawn Siegel — Sun, 21 Oct 2007 21:00:43 -0400

2007-08 Loyola (MD) Basketball Preview

Joel Welser — Wed, 08 Aug 2007 12:12:40 -0400

Loyola (MD) Greyhounds

Overall Rank: #101

Conference Rank: #2 Metro Atlantic

2006-07: 18-13, 12-6, 3^rd (t)

2006-07 postseason: none

Under Coach Jimmy Patsos, Loyola has seen a drastic improvement. And the short term rebuilding will culminate with the 2007-2008 season where the Greyhounds are expected to compete for a MAAC title. Not too shabby for a team that had just one win the year before Coach Patsos took over. With the top four scorers returning and a host of others, this is no longer a team that will be content with a middle of the pack conference finish, and they will end up a lot closer to the top than the middle when all is said and done.

Who’s Out:

The lone lost starter is Josko Alujevic. The forward, who averaged 8.6 points and 4.8 rebounds as senior, could battle on the inside and step outside and hit the long ball. Replacing the numbers will not be a problem, but finding somebody else with the ability to stretch the defense will cause some problems. Shane James, a versatile part-time starting guard, has also run out of eligibility.

Who’s In:

Depth will not be much of a concern anyway, but the Greyhounds have a few newcomers who will battle for quality minutes. Joe Miles averaged 11.0 points per game two years ago for Marshall before opting to transfer to his home state of Maryland. The sharpshooter may have to be relegated to the bench, but he has enough talent to be starting. Point guard Brian Rudolph and redshirt freshman off guard Tony Lewis will likely have to wait their turn to crack the regular rotation, but both have the potential to be too impressive to leave on the bench as freshman. The most intriguing prospect is small forward Isaac Reid. The 6-5 Angleton, Texas native is a great athlete and a superb scorer and rebounder. While he can play either forward spot, Reid will probably spend the 2007-2008 season being groomed to replace Gerald Brown next season at the three spot.

Who to Watch:

Luckily for Greyhound fans, they have a year before they have to worry about replacing Brown. The 6-4 senior lit up the MAAC during his first year with the program, scoring 22.2 points per game. The former Providence Friar is not just a great scorer, but he will get on the glass, dish out his fair share of assists and be a pesky defender. While Brown will take all the big shots and can hit from long range, the best outside shooter on the team is Marquis Sullivan. The 6-1 junior knocked down 2.8 long balls per game at a 42.9 percent clip. Getting the ball to Brown and Sullivan will be the job of Brett Harvey. The 6-0 New City, New York product had a pleasantly surprising freshman campaign and proved to be a quality ball handler and scorer. The 4.2 assists and 2.4 turnovers per game are great numbers for a freshman and should get even better this year.

Final Projection:

The frontcourt is in good hands with Omari Isreal, Michael Tuck, Hassan Fofana and Jawaan Wright. Isreal, a 6-8 and 225 pound senior, averaged 9.1 points and 5.7 boards last year and is a big presence in the paint on both sides of the floor. Tuck’s role in the frontcourt has been one of mostly doing the dirty work until last season when the 6-7 forward became much more dynamic. Tuck can step outside and hit the outside jumper, but will do some scoring inside as well. Even after spending most of last year on the bench, Tuck is ready for a full-time starting gig and breakout season. Hassan Fofana has yet to reach his full potential, but the 6-10, 270 pound senior is at least a big body who will help on the glass and be a presence under the basket on the defensive end.

Projected Post-season Tournament: none

Projected Starting Five:

Brett Harvey, Sophomore, Guard, 7.4 points per game

Marquis Sullivan, Junior, Guard, 13.1 points per game

Gerald Brown, Senior, Guard, 22.2 points per game

Michael Tuck, Senior, Forward, 9.1 points per game

Omari Isreal, Senior, Forward, 9.1 points per game

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

Joel Knows: Weekend Review

Joel Welser — Sun, 04 Feb 2007 00:37:10 -0500

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 Michigan State’s unbalanced conference schedule will come back to haunt them. In the Big Ten, each team plays four opponents just one time. The Spartans randomly drew Northwestern, Penn State, Purdue and Minnesota. With all due respect to the Boilermakers, it’s hard to argue that those aren’t the four worst teams in the Big Ten. To make matters worse, of the four, the Spartans get Northwestern and Minnesota at home. Not having a game at Northwestern is like not having a home game. It could be worse though, we could be talking about the Big East scheduling.

Joel knows that all of Corvallis should be embarrassed. The Bruins of UCLA absolutely annihilated Oregon State 82-35 on Saturday. The good news is OSU already beat Arizona State on the road. The Beavers and the Sun Devils square off again next weekend and Oregon State could end up 2-16 in conference…a full two games ahead of the winless ASU squad. Yet, some props need to be given to ASU for nearly beating a ranked Washington State squad on Saturday.

Joel knows the SEC West is messed up. The West leader heading into the weekend was Auburn at just 4-4. The Tigers got beat bad by Ole Miss 59-82, leaving the top spot even more wide open than it was before. A struggling Alabama team has taken the lead after a nail biting win over South Carolina. Even many prognosticators favorite LSU has lost five in a row and is a surprising 2-6 in conference.

Joel knows Colorado really needed a big win. With Ricardo Patton a lame duck coach and the Buffaloes heading into the weekend with a dismal 5-13 record, nobody would have had a second thought if the Buffs finished out the season without winning another game. Yet, when #12 Oklahoma State came to town, CU held onto their 15 point halftime lead to win 89-77. Dominique Coleman tied a career high with 21 points and achieved a career high with 15 rebounds. This could be a spark for Colorado to turn around the program…or it could be more of an indication that Oklahoma State will never win a conference game on the road.

Joel knows Indianapolis won the precursor to the Super Bowl over Chicago. IUPUI, that’s Indiana University, Purdue University at Indianapolis, narrowly escaped with a victory over Chicago State 79-77 on Thursday. If it is any indication, the Colts will beat the Bears, but at least it will be close.

Joel knows Texas A&M Corpus Christi will dominate the Southland conference in five years. This time last year the Islanders were without a conference, and we were still talking about a potential NIT berth. Now TAMU CC is 7-1 in the Southland with their only losses on the season coming at the hands of Oklahoma State, Mississippi State, UNLV, Purdue and conference favorite Sam Houston State.

Joel knows the Big West Conference Tournament is going to be fun. For the first time in a while, there is not a dominant team in the conference. Utah State is gone and Pacific is very far from a conference power this year. I wrote up a blurb about everybody but UC Riverside having a chance to take home the conference tournament championship, but then the previously 0-7 Highlanders went and did something crazy like beat top team Cal State Fullerton 82-76. Now it will be even crazier in Anaheim come March and with a free trip to the semifinals for the top two seeds and a bye to the quarterfinals for the next two seeds, jockeying for position down the stretch is of the utmost importance.

Joel knows that Loyola (MD) can make the NCAA Tournament since their first and only trip in 1994. Despite Saturday’s loss at Marist, the Greyhounds remain atop the Metro Atlantic standings at 9-3. A couple of Big East transfers in Gerald Brown (Providence) and Omari Israel (Notre Dame) are leading the way. Brown averages 22.5 points, 5.3 rebounds and 2.8 assists, while Israel adds on 9.2 points and 5.7 boards per contest. Throw in the long range shooting of Marquis Sullivan and the point guard play of Brett Harvey, and you have yourself a dangerous team come MAAC tourney time.

Joel knows just a few years ago Western Illinois looked like a team that could be competitive in the Mid-Continent Conference. Now the Leathernecks, which boast one of the coolest nicknames in all of division I hoops, are in a downward spiral. Coach Derek Thomas brought in a renewed sense of hope, mostly thanks to sharpshooter T.J. Gray, but that disappeared very quickly. After going 3-25 in 2003-2004, Gray, despite a decrease in playing time his sophomore season, led the Leathernecks to an 11-17 record the following year. Gray then transferred and is now starting at Illinois-Chicago, leaving WIU back in the basement of the Mid-Con. This year, the Leathernecks have three wins over division I teams and five overall in an amazingly weak schedule. It would be a surprise if they win another game, but we’ll give them a legitimate shot on senior night against Southern Utah.

Joel knows that he will eat too much chip dip while watching the Super Bowl.