UMBC

America East Basketball Preview: 08-09

CHN — Sun, 02 Nov 2008 22:04:35 -0500

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Conference Rank: 24th

All-America East Team
Pos.	Player	Team	Yr.

G	Joe Zeglinski	Hartford	Jr
G	Mike Trimboli	Vermont	Sr
G	Corey Lowe	Boston U.	Jr
F	Darryl Proctor	UMBC	Sr
F	Marqus Blakely	Vermont	Jr
CHN Award Winners		Returning Leaders
Mid-Major All-Americans Marqus Blakely Mike Trimboli		Points: Marqus Blakely 19.0 Rebounds: Marqus Blakely 11.0 Assists: Jay Greene 7.2

America East Standings
Nat'l	Team	League	Tourney

114	Hartford	Am East	1	NCAA
155	Vermont	Am East	2
180	Boston U	Am East	3
192	Albany	Am East	4
208	UMBC	Am East	5
226	Binghamton	Am East	6
258	New Hamp	Am East	7
323	Maine	Am East	8
332	Stony Brook	Am East	9

*Click on links for full Top 144 team preview

Poll: Who Do You Think Will Win the America East?

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Rise & Fall: America East

Daily Conference Poll: Who Will Win the America East?

Shawn Siegel — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 11:55:35 -0400

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)

Bracket Tactics: Sunday's Tip of the Day

Jon Teitel — Sun, 16 Mar 2008 23:23:39 -0400

Leading up to the 2008 NCAA Tournament, we'll be presenting daily tips to help you fill in your bracket.

Today's Bracket Tactic

FACT: While #15 seeds are 4-88 in the 1^st round of the NCAA Tournament since 1985, and 0-4 in the 2^nd round, the 4 Cinderellas who did win a game each entered the tourney having gone 9-1 in their last 10 games, and had an overall winning percentage of 80% or less.

BRACKET TIP: American, Austin Peay, and UMBC each fit these criteria, while Belmont exceeds it by virtue of winning each of their last 13 games.

So, if you are feeling lucky, feel free to pick 1 of these 4 teams to wear the glass slipper in round 1, but under no circumstances should you pick any of them to advance to the Sweet 16.

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Team of the Moment: UMBC

Raphielle Johnson — Sat, 15 Mar 2008 14:22:57 -0400

UMBC 24-8 (13-3 America East) Computer numbers (through Friday courtesy of kenpom.com): RPI 91, SOS 270. Result today: Defeated Hartford 82-65 to win the America East Tournament. In a game matching two programs who had never even played in a conference tournament final, the homestanding Retrievers rode 59% shooting from the field to wrap up their first-ever NCAA Tournament bid. Four players reached double figures, led by Darryl Proctor's 23 points. How hot were the Retrievers in this one? They outrebounded the Hawks 29-15, which underscores just how well they shot the ball. So where does this leave UMBC in regards to seeding tomorrow? I'd say a 15, with an outside shot at a 14 depending on what happens in the Big West, for example. If UC Irvine upsets Cal State Fullerton, that could create an opportunity for a team like UMBC to slide up a seed line. But hey, enjoy the moment. Congrats to the Retrievers on their title. One the clock: Virginia Tech. The Hokies are currently locked up with North Carolina in the day's first ACC semifinal. Tech currently leads 38-36 with about a minute left in the first half. Win and you're in. Lose...who knows what happens.

2008 NCAA Tournament Capsule: UMBC

Shawn Siegel — Sat, 15 Mar 2008 13:30:08 -0400

Maryland Baltimore County Retrievers

America East (24-8, 13-3)

Big Wins: 11/17 at Richmond (70-68), 11/29 Morgan State (84-76), 12/1 at American (83-68)

Bad Losses: 12/11 at Central Connecticut State (54-58), 1/12 Maine (74-77), 1/19 at Binghamton (59-62)

Last NCAA Appearance: none

Coach: Randy Monroe (First NCAA appearance)

Probable Starters:

Jay Greene, Junior, Guard, 8.8 ppg, 7.3 apg

Ray Barbosa, Senior, Guard, 16.9 ppg, 2.1 apg, 4.1 rpg

Matt Spadafora, Sophomore, Guard, 6.0 ppg, 3.0 rpg

Darryl Proctor, Junior, Forward, 15.1 ppg, 8.4 rpg

Justin Fry, Sophomore, Forward, 4.0 ppg, 2.7 rpg

Key Roleplayers:

Brian Hodges, Senior, Guard, 14.1 ppg, 3.4 rpg

Cavell Johnson, Senior, Forward, 13.2 ppg, 6.8 rpg

Why They Can Surprise:

Much of UMBC’s success can be attributed to one simple number. The Retrievers commit just 9.5 turnovers per game. Of course everybody must contribute to keep the turnovers that low, but it all starts with point guard Jay Greene. The junior dishes out 7.3 assists and only turns it over 2.0 times per game. That is one of the best assist-to-turnover ratios in the nation. As long as that remains the case in March, UMBC will at least hang around even in games against much more talented competition.

Greene will not score too much, although he does average nearly nine points per game, but most of the scoring out of the backcourt will be done by Ray Barbosa and Brian Hodges. The wings average about five long balls per game between the two of them and will consistently score over 30 points per game.

Why They Can Disappoint:

Most of the time UMBC will get outrebounded by their opponents. At 6-4, Darryl Proctor is an undersized forward, but he does his part by grabbing 8.4 rebounds and adding 15.1 points per contest. Justin Fry, a 6-9 forward, may start at the five spot, but senior Cavell Johnson sees more minutes than Fry. Johnson can be an explosive scorer off the bench when he is not starting. He is also a solid rebounder. With no other frontcourt options, it is difficult to blame Proctor, Johnson or Fry for the rebounding concerns. As a team, the Retrievers will just have to want the ball more than an opponent who will likely have much more height than them.

Who To Watch:

If rebounding becomes a major problem, 6-5 wing Matt Spadafora might find himself on the floor a little more than his usual 24 minutes per game. The team would need him to add another rebounding threat on the wing, but he does play at the four as well. However, that would do little to help in the rebounding department. Spadafora is not a great scorer, but he can knock down the long ball and his importance doing the dirty work cannot be underestimated.

By the Numbers:

Scoring Offense: 74.9 (68^th in nation, 1^st in conference)

Scoring Defense: 68.6 (162, 5)

Field-Goal Percentage: 45.0 (131, 2)

Field-Goal Defense: 7.5 (92, 4)

Three-Point Field Goals Per Game: 7.5 (92, 4)

Three-Point Field-Goal Percentage: 39.0 (28, 1)

Free-Throw Percentage: 73.0 (60, 2)

Rebound Margin: -1.2 (220, 6)

Assists Per Game: 15.4 (50, 1)

Turnovers Per Game: 9.5 (1, 1)

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Some weekly honors in the Northeast

Raphielle Johnson — Mon, 10 Dec 2007 23:59:03 -0500

Team of the Week: Rhode Island Results: Providence (W: 77-60), @ Syracuse (W: 91-89) These two key wins put the Rams at 10-1 on the season, and truth be told they should have been ranked in both polls this week. But for the critics who pointed to their schedule as a reason to overlook their start, here are two impressive "resume" wins. Jim Baron, who has to rank up there with some of the more underrated coaches in the country (in terms of the mainstream), took a chance last season by letting these Rams run. The end result there was a trip to the Atlantic 10 final, and more success has come this season. Guard Jimmy Baron and forward Will Daniels lead a solid group of offensive options, one that would make Frank Keaney and his "two points a minute" teams quite proud. Overlooked in the polls, but people had better keep tabs on the Runnin' Rams. Player of the Week: G/F Charron Fisher (Niagara) Stats: 36 pts, 8 rebounds against Rider (W: 89-77); 31 pts, 12 rebounds at Towson (L: 75-72) To be frank, Fisher, a senior from Pennsauken, NJ was a man among boys this past week. In their MAAC opener, Rider had no answer for his versatility. The same goes for Towson, but they were able to get the hard-fought win. Think being 230 pounds relegates Fisher to being an undersized banger inside? Well, he went 8-12 from behind the arc against Rider. Teams within the MAAC have known for a couple of seasons that they've got their hands full with Fisher. Let's see if St. John's is up to the challenge on Saturday. Surprising Score of the Week: Iona 92, Loyola (MD) 68 Iona, in their first season under Kevin Willard, was expected to be an improved team. Well, when you only win two games the previous season, there really isn't anywhere to go but up. But to drop this kind of beating on a team picked by many to contend for the MAAC title is an eye-opener. Four Gaels reached double figures, led by Dexter Gray's 18 off the bench, and Iona shot 59% from the field while limiting the Greyhounds to 32.7%. Besides Gerald Brown, who put up 31, not much went right for Loyola in a game that got out of hand in the first half (halftime score: 49-24). Loyola went the first 4:49 without a field goal, and then topped that with a 5:46 drought to start the second half. One question to think about: what if Loyola doesn't go 27-33 from the charity stripe? Ouch. This win along with their close loss at Siena two days later (81-76) shows that Coach Willard has this program headed in the right direction, despite their 2-7 record. Some other notes on teams in the Northeast: - St. Francis (NY) has been relying too much on the three point shot. Heading into their game at Columbia tonight, the Terriers were 64-for-202 from distance, good for 31.7%. All of last season, SFC attempted 440. With a player the caliber of forward Robert Hines, there should not be this many attempts from beyond the arc. But Hines isn't absolved of any guilt in this either. In 06-07, Hines attempted 106 three-pointers. Through ten games, he's already attempted 52...and made 15. Until the Terriers as a whole commit to attacking the basket, they will have a hard time ending their four-game losing skid. - LIU has replaced the scoring of James Williams by committee. Quite a few people, yours truly included, didn't expect much from the Blackbirds with the graduation of James Williams. But after a win tonight at New Hampshire, LIU is 6-3. Four Blackbirds are averaging at least 10.6 points per game, led by senior forward Kellen Allen at 12.1. Last season, Allen averaged a meager 4.4 points per game. While it's too early to expect LIU to contend for the NEC crown, the wide-open nature of the league combined with their early start means that we shouldn't rule this team out just yet. - Also, keep an eye on Maryland- Baltimore County. The Retrievers have gotten off to a good start this season, possessing a record of 7-2 heading into their game at Central Connecticut State tomorrow night. UMBC holds wins over the likes of Richmond, George Washington and Morgan State, and while that may not be an impressive list, keep in mind that they won twelve games all of last season. Four Retrievers average at least fourteen points per game, led by guard Brian Hodges (18.8 ppg). Also, it doesn’t hurt to shoot 44.4% as a team from behind the arc. It’ll be interesting to see if they average of 79.7 points per game holds up in America East play as well.