Niagara

MAAC Basketball Preview: 2009-10

CHN — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 15:49:03 -0500

The MAAC race should be quite exciting with Niagara, Rider, and Siena all legitimately pushing for the conference title. Expect all three to consistently appear in mid-major rankings.

Conference Rank: 15th

10 year average: 17th

MAAC Conference Page

All-MAAC Team
Pos.	Player	Team	Yr.

G	Ronald Moore	Siena	Sr
G	Tyrone Lewis	Niagara	Sr
G/F	Ryan Thompson	Rider	Sr
F	Edwin Ubiles	Siena	Sr
F	Bilal Benn	Niagara	Sr

Player of the Year - Ryan Thompson Freshman of the Year - Derek Needham (Fairfield)
CHN Award Winners		Leaders
Mid-Major All-Americans Ryan Thompson (3rd Team) Edwin Ubiles (3rd) Tyrone Lewis		Best Scorer Ryan Thompson Best Rebounder Bilal Benn Assists: Ronald Moore

MAAC Standings
Nat'l	Team	League	Tourney

34	Siena	MAAC	1	NCAA
65	Niagara	MAAC	2	NIT
84	Rider	MAAC	3	CBI/CIT
143	Fairfield	MAAC	4
182	Manhattan	MAAC	5
209	St. Peter's	MAAC	6
214	Iona	MAAC	7
227	Loyola Md	MAAC	8
259	Canisius	MAAC	9
287	Marist	MAAC	10

*Click on links for full Top 144 team preview

Poll: Who Do You Think Will Win the MAAC?

College Basketball Preview - 348 Team Ranking - Alphabetical Ranks/Previews

Poll: Who Will Win the MAAC?

Shawn Siegel — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 11:54:04 -0400

Niagara Basketball Preview: #65

Joel Welser — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 09:05:19 -0400

Overall Rank: #65

Conference Rank: #2 MAAC

2008-09: 26-9, 14-4

2008-09 postseason: NIT

Coach: Joe Mihalich (205-132 at Niagara, 205-132 overall)

For winning 26 games, Niagara had a pretty quiet season that ended with a first round loss to Rhode Island in the NIT. The reason for the lack of respect was because Metro Atlantic rival Siena was garnering all the national attention. Yet, the Purple Eagles will have another chance to unseat Siena atop the conference pecking order.

Key Losses: C Benson Egemonye

Key Newcomers:

Niagara pretty much ran a four guard lineup with Benson Egemonye in the middle and now Egemonye is gone. Thus, the newcomers will have to help fill that void and Coach Joe Mihalich has a few decent options. Scooter Gillette, Luuk Kortekaas and Eric Williams are all big men who must be ready to play as freshmen. Gillette might be the most talented, but Williams and Kortekaas were at least on the sidelines last year and have a year in the system.

Backcourt:

Few teams have as much experience on the perimeter as Niagara. It all starts with junior point guard Anthony Nelson. Not only did he dish out 5.5 assists per game and only turned it over 2.1 times, Nelson also tallied 8.1 points and 4.5 rebounds per game. Rob Garrison is another quality ball handler who can score in a multitude of ways. He might take a few too many outside shots, but Garrison has a great mid-range game and should once again eclipse the ten point per game mark. However, it is Tyrone Lewis who is the pure scorer on this team. Lewis connected on nearly three three-pointers per game last season and the 5-11 guard should be in for a huge senior season.

Frontcourt:

The biggest question is who is going to replace Egemonye? Demetrius Williamson won the conference’s sixth man award last year after averaging 7.6 points and 3.0 rebounds. But at 6-6 and 195 pounds, he is not exactly the type of player you want creating space under the basket. Kashief Edwards is only 6-5, so he will only provide depth at the forward spots and not under the basket. Kamau Gordon could be the answer. At 6-7 and 260 pounds, the senior has the size and the experience to be a decent player under the basket, but he only averaged 8.1 minutes per game last year and will need help from the newcomers.

Who to Watch:

It is the skills of Bilal Benn that allowed the Purple Eagles to play small last year. Benn is only 6-5, but he simply dominated the glass with his 9.3 rebounds per game. He is also a quality outside shooter and a great scorer. Against bigger defenders he will simply use his speed to get to the basket. Having a player like Benn made it possible for Niagara to be a good team on the glass despite being undersized.

Final Projection:

Can Williamson play the five? Can anybody play the five? If this team does not want to get dominated on the glass and in the paint on the defensive end, a few players have to step up and fill Egemonye’s role. Somebody has to score in the paint so the shooters can get space on the perimeter. Somebody has to block some shots under the basket and somebody has to help Benn on the glass. If nobody can, it is another trip to the NIT for Niagara.

Projected Post-season Tournament: NIT

Projected Starting Five:

Anthony Nelson, Junior, Guard, 8.1 points per game

Tyrone Lewis, Senior, Guard, 16.2 points per game

Rob Garrison, Senior, Guard, 10.9 points per game

Bilal Benn, Senior, Guard, 13.8 points per game

Demetrius Williamson, Senior, Forward, 7.7 points per game

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Niagara: 2009 NIT

Joel Welser — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 04:55:39 -0400

Niagara Purple Eagles

Metro Atlantic (26-8, 14-4)

NIT Seed: #3

RPI: 49

Big Wins: 2/14 at Fairfield (83-76), 2/20 Illinois State (70-56), 2/27 Siena (100-85)

Bad Losses: 12/30 at Chattanooga (84-99), 1/11 at Marist (68-86), 1/15 Iona (65-71)

Coach: Joe Mihalich

Probable Starters:

Anthony Nelson, Sophomore, Guard, 7.9 ppg, 5.4 apg, 4.5 rpg

Tyrone Lewis, Junior, Guard, 16.3 ppg, 4.7 rpg, 2.6 spg

Rob Garrison, Junior, Guard, 11.0 ppg, 2.6 apg

Bilal Benn, Junior, Guard, 13.9 ppg, 2.6 apg, 9.4 rpg

Benson Egemonye, Senior, Center, 12.7 ppg, 7.0 rpg

Key Roleplayers:

Austin Cooley, Freshman, Guard, 2.5 ppg, 1.3 rpg

Kashief Edwards, Freshman, Forward, 3.0 ppg, 1.4 rpg

Kamau Gordon, Junior, Forward, 2.3 ppg, 1.9 rpg

Demetrius Williamson, Junior, Forward, 7.8 ppg, 3.0 rpg

Why They Can Surprise:

Only VMI and Missouri force more steals than Niagara. The Purple Eagles will pressure the ballhandler at just about every opportunity and that leads to a boatload of turnovers and easy buckets for Coach Joe Mihalich’s squad. This is a team that can get under the skin of any point guard, especially an inexperienced one. Tyrone Lewis and Bilal Benn both rank in the top 20 in the nation in steals and those two spearhead the defensive effort. They are also the team’s top two scorers. Lewis has developed into one of the most prolific three-point shooters in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference and hits nearly three per contest.

Sophomore Anthony Nelson is in his second year of running the point for Niagara. As a freshman last year his turnover numbers were a little high, but this year he has cut them down to a mere 2.2 per contest. His effort has turned the Purple Eagles from a team that would commit as many turnovers as they would create into a team that will almost always get more possessions than their opponents by taking care of the ball and creating turnovers.

Why They Can Disappoint:

However, Niagara will lose out on some possessions due to their lack of rebounding. Benn, a 6-5 wing who usually plays the four spot, is a great rebounder and leads the team with 9.4 boards per contest. Benson Egemonye is the starter at the five spot and has emerged as a solid scoring threat in the paint and a decent rebounder. But the lack of size outside of Egemonye’s 6-10 frame makes it difficult for the team to effectively hit the glass. Demetrius Williamson is the only other forward who averages more than ten minutes per game, but he is not an effective rebounder.

Who To Watch:

Rob Garrison often gets overlooked on this team. He is not a great passer like Nelson or a superb shooter like Lewis or a rebounding machine like Benn. Yet, Garrison, a 6-2 transfer from Connecticut, does bring a lot to the table. He averaged 11.0 points per game during the regular season and can get to the basket or shoot the long ball, although his outside shooting has been very inconsistent this season. If his outside shot starts falling in March, he can be just as dangerous as Lewis in the scoring department. And that would give Niagara four great scorers and that is always tough for an opponent to defend.

By the Numbers:

Scoring Offense: 76.8 (41^st in nation, 2^nd in conference)

Scoring Defense: 67.4 (156, 5)

Field-Goal Percentage: 42.0 (246, 4)

Field-Goal Defense: 40.4 (41, 2)

Three-Point Field Goals Per Game: 7.4 (65, 1)

Three-Point Field-Goal Percentage: 31.4 (253, 8)

Free-Throw Percentage: 70.9 (106, 2)

Rebound Margin: -0.4 (191, 5)

Assists Per Game: 14.2 (92, 2)

Turnovers Per Game: 13.0 (91, 1)

Joel’s Bracket Says: Elite Eight loss to Providence

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College Basketball Odds: March 9

Shawn Siegel — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 13:34:21 -0400

Odds On.. is a place for you to discuss the night's feature lines. Think some of the lines are misguided? Have upset picks to announce? Discuss tonight's lines below.

March 9th: Conference Finals Galore

St. Mary's
vs Gonzaga

Favorite

Gonzaga by 7.5

Over/Under

138.5

George Mason
vs VCU

Favorite

VCU by 4

Over/Under

122.5

Niagara
vs Siena

Favorite

Siena by 3.5

Over/Under

153.5

Charleston
vs Chattanooga

Favorite

Charleston by 2.5

Over/Under

154

North Texas
vs Western Kentucky

Favorite

WKU by 3.5

Over/Under

146.5

South Alabama
vs Arkansas-Little Rock

Favorite

UALR by 2

Over/Under

126.5

- Lines as of 11:30 am (from SportsBetting.com)

Post your thoughts on tonight's lines below:

MAAC Tournament: Preview & Odds

Evan Dorey — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 21:13:35 -0500

This is one in a series of conference tournament previews, in which I run down all the teams involved, give a brief statistical review and present the log5 projections, using in-conference offensive and defensive efficiency. The basic log5 methodology comes from Bill James, and this is an area Ken Pomeroy has looked at in the past as well. I claim nothing new in the application, but obviously with slightly different methodologies, these numbers may differ from others you find. I don’t claim to be an expert on any particular conference, and I’m sure there are some mis-characterizations on some players I’ve seen sparingly at best, so please add your thoughts in the comments. Anyway, with no further ado, the preview follows below:

MAAC

The MAAC tournament gives first round byes to the top two teams, with all games hosted in Siena’s home building, the Times Union Center in Albany.

#	Team	QF	SF	F	W
1	Siena	100.00%	93.01%	84.81%	57.87%
2	Niagara	100.00%	88.73%	73.51%	34.06%
3	Rider	100.00%	65.54%	16.42%	3.50%
4	Manhattan	100.00%	48.97%	5.81%	1.21%
5	Fairfield	100.00%	51.03%	6.25%	1.34%
6	St. Peter's	100.00%	34.46%	5.47%	0.76%
7	Iona	72.09%	9.69%	4.23%	0.66%
8	Loyola MD	64.81%	5.35%	2.58%	0.52%
9	Canisius	35.19%	1.64%	0.55%	0.07%
10	Marist	27.91%	1.58%	0.37%	0.03%

A pretty clear two-horse race sees the hometown team being the favorites, and a good Siena-Niagara final looks awfully likely.

#1 – Siena Saints (23-7, 16-2) ; Efficiency Margin: +0.127

Last NCAA Tournament bid: 2008 (2^nd Round)

After beating Vanderbilt to make the 2^nd round of the tournament last year, there were high hopes for a Siena team that returned the majority of that team. The Saints took some losses in non-conference play, but largely cruised thorough their conference schedule, with only a couple of tough road defeats blemishing their record. The Saints have had the MAAC’s best offense, playing a fast style that depends on getting a lot of high-percentage two-point chances on the break, while managing to control their turnovers. Siena’s defense, though, hasn’t been as good, just 4^th in the league. It forces a lot of turnovers, and rarely fouls, but gives up a lot of chances in transition, and has the worst defensive FG% in the conference.

Players to watch:

6-9 SO Ryan Rossiter, 9.6 PPG, 7.4 RPG, 1.3 SPG, 2.0 BPG, 62.7 eFG% - Rossiter probably won’t be the guy who gets the most plaudits on a strong Siena team, but he’s a player I’d like to see in a slightly larger role, as his current play has been exemplary. He doesn’t necessarily score a lot of points, but his 63% shooting from the field and 82% from the free throw line means he takes his chances very effectively. He’s also an excellent rebounder and shot-blocker who does a lot of important things for the Saints.

6-5 JR Alex Franklin, 13.8 PPG, 7.4 RPG, 56.6 eFG% - Franklin and Rossiter aren’t the names you’ll hear first when Siena is mentioned (those will probably be Ubiles and Hasbrouck), but they are the two most efficient players on the team. Franklin shares the team lead in rebounding with Rossiter, and is a 57% shooter who gets to the line very often, though his percentage from the stripe is not too good.

#2 – Niagara Purple Eagles (24-7, 14-4) ; Efficiency Margin: +0.142

Last NCAA Tournament bid: 2007 (1^st Round)

Don’t look now, but while Siena has the league’s best record, Niagara has been the best in efficiency margin, just slightly better than the Saints, and if the conference tourney were held on a neutral court, it’d be the favorite. The Eagles have had the conference’s best defense, despite struggling to stop the three-point shot. They’ve managed to get opponents to take most of their shots inside, where they’ve hit just 42%, and lead the league in forcing turnovers. Offensively, they don’t make a really high percentage of shots, but get a lot of chances, with an excellent record on the offensive glass and in holding onto the ball.

Players to watch:

6-5 SR F Bilal Benn, 14.1 PPG, 9.1 RPG, 2.5 SPG, 49.4 eFG% - Benn isn’t a huge offensive threat, but is a fairly solid scorer who leads the conference in rebounding. His shooting is right at the level it needs to be to keep him an efficient player, with his chances coming primarily inside, but also having the ability to hit the long-range shot.

5-11 JR Tyrone Lewis, 16.3 PPG, 4.6 RPG, 2.7 SPG, 44.4 eFG% - Lewis hasn’t been a very good shooter, struggling from inside the arc, but has made up for it with his defensive play, as he leads the conference in steals. Still, he’s the team’s leading scorer, as he takes a lot of shots and does a decent job.

#3 – Rider Broncs (18-11,12-6) ; Efficiency Margin: +0.022

Last NCAA Tournament bid: 1994 (1^st Round)

Besides the top two, Rider is the only other team in the MAAC that has a positive efficiency margin on the season, and the only other team to score more than a point per possession. Unfortunately for the Broncs, one of the conference’s worst defenses has really held them back. They are the MAAC’s best three point shooters, hitting just more than 40%, and while their poor performance on the boards keeps them from being equal to the leading pair, they can still put up a lot of points. Their defense has allowed opponents to shoot well from behind the arc, and has been below average in most other areas as well.

Players to watch:

6-6 JR Ryan Thompson, 17.7 PPG, 6.3 RPG, 3.3 APG, 1.7 SPG, 57.9 eFG% - The league’s top two teams may have separated themselves from the pack, but the conference’s top player plays on the #3 team in Thompson. He leads the Broncs in points, assists and steals, and is also an excellent rebounder. He’s one of the conference’s best shooters, able to put up a lot of points inside and also shows a good touch from behind the arc.

6-3 SR Harris Mansell, 11.4 PPG, 3.6 RPG, 52.0 eFG% - Mansell is the closest thing his team has to a three-point specialist, and he does a good job of it, hitting 36% of long-distance shots, and has averaged 16 points over the last four games

#4 –Manhattan Jaspers (16-13, 9-9) ; Efficiency Margin: -0.023

Last NCAA Tournament bid: 2004 (2^nd Round)

Now, things begin to get difficult in the MAAC, as teams 4-8 all finished within .014 of each other in EM, and there isn’t much to separate them. Manhattan, which finished the season with a couple of disappointing road losses, has had a very solid defense, led by the conference’s best rebounding. It’s not great at forcing missed shots, but does grab most of those that do miss. Rebounding is also one of the offense’s few strengths, and the Jaspers get a lot of practice, hitting under 40% of their attempts. They also get to the free throw line quite often, but a 66% showing there sets them back.

Players to watch:

6-4 JR Darryl Crawford, 14.2 PPG, 4.3 RPG, 1.4 SPG, 47.2 eFG% - An excellent three point shooter, Crawford is peaking at the right time, scoring a career-high 33 in the Jaspers’ final regular season game.

6-3 SO Chris Smith, 13.4 PPG,5.6 RPG, 41.9 eFG% - Smith can put up a lot of points, and is a good rebounder, but his sub-30% on three-pointers, and barely-40% on two-pointers mean that he’s a pretty inefficient player.

#5 – Fairfield Stags (16-14, 9-9) ; Efficiency Margin: -0.021

Last NCAA Tournament bid: 1997 (1^st Round)

The Stags have had the best offense of any team outside the top three, but have also struggled defensively to manage a .500 finish. They are one of the conference’s better teams at defending the three-pointer, but have allowed opponents to score pretty easily inside, and have given opponents a lot of chances with many rebounds and few turnovers. Offensively, Fairfield doesn’t make a lot of its shots, but it manages to do the opposite of its defensive failings, getting a lot of opportunities at the basket by holding onto the ball and getting a lot of rebounds.

Players to watch:

6-7 JR Greg Nero, 12.9 PPG, 6.6 RPG, 57.1 eFG% - Nero is questionable for the Stags’ games in the tournament, and it will be a huge boost to their hopes if he returns and is healthy. He’s an incredibly efficient shooter who leads the team in scoring and is an excellent rebounder.

6-6 SO Yorel Hawkins, 8.5 PPG, 5.5 RPG, 48.2 eFG% - With several Fairfield players facing a variety of injury and disciplinary concerns, Hawkins has been forced to increase his role, and done a decent job in this role. He averaged nearly 15 points in February, though his shooting percentage hasn’t been great and he’s faced a lot of foul trouble.

#6 – St. Peter’s Peacocks (11-18, 8-10) ; Efficiency Margin: -0.033

Last NCAA Tournament bid: 1995 (1^st Round)

St. Peter’s is the worst ranked of the mid-table teams, and is somewhat fortunate to earn the final first-round bye. However, the Peacocks do enter the tournament on good form, winning their last five conference games. They’ve defended the inside pretty effectively, but teams that can shoot threes well can cause them a lot of problems, and they are terrible defensive rebounders, despite playing at quite a slow pace. They make up for it on the offensive glass, and make a lot of threes themselves, but cough the ball up too often for comfort.

Players to watch:

6-7 SO Ryan Bacon, 11.3 PPG, 7.8 RPG, 2.4 BPG, 52.7 eFG% - Bacon is one of the conference’s best big men, third in the MAAC in rebounding and tops in the league in shot-blocking. He doesn’t play a huge role on the offensive end, but he’s a pretty good shooter who really impacts the game defensively.

6-2 SO Wesley Jenkins, 15.8 PPG, 4.3 RPG, 2.1 SPG, 43.5 eFG% - The Peacocks’ leading scorer has shot better from three than two, but his three-point percentage is just 36%, so that’s more an indictment of his inside shooting than anything else.

#7 – Iona Gaels (12-18, 7-11) ; Efficiency Margin: -0.019

Last NCAA Tournament bid: 2006 (1^st Round)

Iona basically has the opposite story to the previous team, St. Peter’s, as the Gaels are the best team in this middle group by EM, but come in on a low, having lost eight of their last ten. This comes despite the conference’s second best defense, a unit that thrives in denying opponents possessions, forcing a lot of turnovers and dominating the glass. The problem for Iona has been holding on to the ball itself, as it is the conference’s worst at committing turnovers. It gets to the free throw line as often as any team in the country, but shoots just 66% at the line, which limits how much benefit it gets from these chances.

Players to watch:

6-9 SR Gary Springer, 12.0 PPG, 7.0 RPG, 58.3 eFG% - Springer was out for much of December, and really gave Iona a big help when he returned to start the new year. He leads the Gaels in scoring and rebounding, and is a 58% shooter, though he has had trouble with fouls.

6-1, FR Scott Machado, 9.1 PPG, 3.3 RPG, 4.8 APG, 1.3 SPG, 43.2 eFG% - Machado may not be a big scorer or a very good shooter, but he has one of the best assist rates in the country, even with a fairly tepid cast of characters to get it to.

#8 – Loyola MD Greyhounds (12-19, 7-11) ; Efficiency Margin: -0.029

Last NCAA Tournament bid: 1994 (1^st Round)

Greyhounds’ coach Jimmy Patsos may have made his team the only one in the country to hold Stephen Curry scoreless, but it hasn’t been causing that much trouble for many opponents in an up-and down 2009 that has seen the team put up both a six-game winning streak and a seven-game losing streak. Loyola is as quixotic a defending team as you’ll see, leading the MAAC in defending three-pointers, but dead last in defending two-point shots. With most of its opponents’ shots coming from inside, that’s not a good thing for the Greyhounds. They have some good shooters at the free-throw line, sitting near the top of the national rankings at 76%, but haven’t translated that into hitting shots on the floor, where they are one of the league’s worst teams.

Players to watch:

6-3 SO Jamal Barney, 18.6 PPG, 5.5 RPG, 1.5 SPG, 44.7 eFG% - For a team that made national headlines for shutting down a dominant scorer, it’s a bit of an interesting coincidence that the Greyhounds have their own dominant player, as MAAC leading scorer Jamal Barney takes nearly 40% of his team’s shots when he’s on the floor. This hasn’t been all good, as he’s hit three-pointers at a woeful 28%.

6-1 JR Brett Harvey, 12.3 PPG, 2.5 RPG, 43.0 eFG% - Harvey has been a terrible shooter from the field, especially from inside the arc, but is an efficient player because he not only gets to the free throw line, but has hit 91% of attempts once he gets there.

#9 – Canisius Golden Griffins (10-19, 4-14) ; Efficiency Margin: -0.079

Last NCAA Tournament bid: 1996 (1^st Round)

The Griffins’ opponents shouldn’t lulled into too much of a sense of security by their record, as they haven’t been too far behind the rest of the league in EM, and finished strongly, winning three of four and pushing Siena in a four-point loss. Canisius has an excellent team at defending shots, especially inside, as it allows opponents under 45% from two-point range. It gets into problems when it comes to the other facets of defense, especially committing fouls, where it is the worst in the league. The Griffins are poor shooters, struggling from three and from the line, and often have trouble putting up points.

Players to watch:

5-10 JR Frank Turner, 15.5 PPG, 4.3 RPG, 4.0 APG, 43.5 eFG% - Turner leads the MAAC in minutes played, and while he also leads the team in scoring, he’s a very inefficient player, shooting just 41% from the field and offsetting his good assist numbers with a lot of turnovers.

6-4 FR Julius Coles, 11.9 PPG, 4.0 RPG, 46.7 eFG% - Coles is the best three-point shooter for Canisius, but since he’s barely at 33%, that’s hardly a ringing endorsement. He comes into the tournament hot, averaging more than 16 points in his last four games.

#10 – Marist Red Foxes (9-22, 4-14) ; Efficiency Margin: -0.100

Last NCAA Tournament bid: 1987 (1^st Round)

Marist sits at the bottom of the conference in both offense and defense, and while it has been somewhat unlucky to have such a poor overall record, it should still expect to be drummed in the first round. Marist has been able to defend shots well, but its inability to force turnovers and its trouble on the boards have meant that it hasn’t mattered much. The Foxes have also been decent at making shots on the offensive end, but have again seen their inability to get possessions go against them.

Players to watch:

6-7 SR Ryan Schneider, 16.1 PPG, 8.2 RPG, 1.4 SPG, 49.0 eFG% - While his team has struggled, there can be little doubt that the Foxes’ leader in scoring, rebounding, steals and shot-blocking has been one of the league’s better players. He hasn’t been all that efficient, but he’s clearly the best option on a team that has struggled.

6-6 JR David Devezin,10.2 PPG, 2.4 RPG, 4.1 APG, 48.3 eFG% - Devezien has had a couple of stretches during the season in which he’s has been a pretty good scorer, but hasn’t shown a whole lot during the last month. He’s a good percentage shooter, who has one of the best assist rates in the country while attempting very few three-pointers.

My statistical all-MAAC team:

Niagara JR G Tyrone Lewis, 16.3 PPG, 4.6 RPG, 2.7 SPG, 44.4 eFG%

Siena SR G Kenny Hasbrouck, 14.8 PPG, 3.3 RPG, 2.8 APG, 48.0 eFG%

Rider JR F Ryan Thompson, 17.7 PPG, 6.3 RPG, 3.3 APG, 1.7 SPG, 57.9 eFG%

Marist SR F Ryan Schneider, 16.1 PPG, 8.2 RPG, 1.4 SPG, 49.0 eFG%

Niagara SR G/F Bilal Benn, 14.1 PPG, 9.1 RPG, 2.5 SPG, 49.4 eFG%

BracketBusters: Friday Preview

Blake Hofstad — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 11:29:56 -0500

In the seventh annual ESPNU BracketBusters, the country's strongest mid-majors do battle in thirteen televised games. Although most of these games are played on ESPNU, a few get big-time exposure on ESPN and ESPN2, a rarity for these publicity starved teams. For some, it might be their only remaining shot to impress America, and have basketball fans keeping them in the back of their mind in March. Here's a complete rundown of the televised games. Keep in mind that 38 games will not be on TV; however these matchups feature teams less likely to go dancing (or even NIT'ing or CBI'ing) than the "premier" televised games. All non-televised games take place on February 21.

Friday

Illinois State @ Niagara, ESPN2

BracketBusters commences with a battle between MVC tourney hopeful Illinois State (11-5, 22-5) traveling to upstate New York to square off with MAAC giant Niagara (12-4, 21-7). Both teams are fighting for conference supremacy. The Redbirds are one game out of first in the Valley. They were one of the last remaining undefeated teams in college basketball and still maintain a good record, but a weak SOS may keep them out of the Tournament without a conference championship. Niagara is well behind Siena in the MAAC, but still has one more showdown with the Saints. A win at South Florida won't hurt, but trumping Illinois State looks a lot nicer on a Tournament resume.

The Redbirds backcourt is the obvious strong-point with four guards averaging double digits. The unit is led by Champ Oguchi, a senior who did not play last year after transferring from Oregon, and preseason favorite for Conference Player of the Year, Osiris Eldridge. Both are taller guards who make up for the lack of true forwards in the Redbird starting attack. Lloyd Phillips and Emmanuel Holloway round out the Redbirds four-guard attack. All four can absolutely light it up from three and pick your pocket on the other end (each averages over 1 spg, and shoots over 35% from three). Dinma Odiakosa leads the conference in offensive rebounds; in the height-deprived Valley, Odiakosa has his way. Brandon Sampay is another guy who can rebound. Bottom line, Illinois State is home to some of the coolest names in the country (Champ Oguchi, Dinma Odiakosa, Osiris?), but they are also a very dangerous shooting team. When hot, they can play with just about anyone.

Niagara is a much more balanced team in terms of point distribution. Guard Tyrone Lewis heads the attack, but the next two high scorers are forwards. Lewis is a short guard, but can haul down rebounds as well as hit from deep. Bilal Benn, a forward, hauls down 8.9 rebounds a game and has good range on his jumper, extending past three point range. Benson Egemonye stands 6-10 and is a good bet for a double double against the short Redbirds. Rob Garrison and Demetrius Williamson throw up a bunch of threes. Both are guards, and both may have trouble getting involved. They rely a lot on their three point shot. In a four guard lineup, they may not get the same looks. Williamson is not a starter, rounding out the unit is do it all guard Anthony Nelson. Nelson is a good rebounder, good passer and adequate scorer, Niagara's answer to Illinois' Chester Frazier. He needs to play well and penetrate the lane for the Purple Eagles to win.

Winner: Illinois State Margin: 4-7 points

VCU @ Nevada, ESPN

The second Friday night game features the first place CAA team against the second best the WAC has to offer. VCU (12-4, 19-8) travels west to take on Nevada (8-4, 15-10). The Rams gained mid-major notoriety in 2007 when the bested Duke in the first round. A solid road win would be an excellent cushion in the case of a CAA Tournament flop. Nevada is out unless they win the WAC Tournament, but this game would be a huge win in terms of seeding.

VCU's star guard, Eric Maynor, is one of the nation's best players. He throws up 23 a game to accompany his 6.1 assists per. His game features, but does not revolve around the three ball. 1.8 steals on the other end prove he's a complete player. His backcourt mates include defensive ace Joey Rodriguez, who is also one of the conference's top shooters. Bradford Burgess, a 6-4 guard, uses his lanky frame to snag rebounds and shoot over shorter defenders, but he also has a quickness advantage over many of his defenders, who are occupied with Maynor (6-2) and Rodriguez (5-10). Also getting minutes at the guard slots are Brandon Rozell and Ed Nixon. At forward, 6-9 Larry Sanders hauls in 8 rebounds a game and swats 2.6 shots per contest. Kirill Pishchalnikov joins him in the starting lineup, where he is utilized primarily for his height. TJ Gwynn will also see time.

The Wolfpack is led by big frosh Luke Babbitt, whose game is all about versatility. He has deep range, hitting 43% from three, which makes him a matchup nightmare. Guard Armon Johnson scores, rebounds, passes and steals. On a weak passing team, Johnson accounts for over a third of the team's assists. Malik Cooke joins Babbitt in the frontcourt. He leads the team in steals and is second in rebounds. Joey Shaw and Dario Hunt rack up minutes in the forward slots as well. Hunt doesn't score often, but rebounds at a much higher clip. Brandon Fields joins Armon Johnson in the "Nevada guards who can't shoot" category. Neither hits 23% of their threes, but rely on other facets of their games to get baskets, which is why Johnson is one of two players under 6-2 in the WAC's FTA leaders.

Winner: VCU Margin: 6-10 points

3 Players to Watch on Friday

F Dinma Odiakosa, Illinois State - Odiakosa is the Redbird's leading rebounder, as well as a monster on the offensive end. Standing only 6-8, he won't have a height advantage over most big centers from bigger schools. If he can have his way against Niagara, a solid rebounding team, it may foreshadow a potential Tournament performance. He will have to play well for Illinois State to advance in the Big Dance.

G Anthony Nelson, Niagara - As mentioned above, Nelson is the Chester Frazier of the CAA. Both players don't score often, but are players who do everything well. Watch for the ways he helps his team that don't include scoring. Adam Emmenecker was the MVC Player of the Year last year despite not even scoring in double digits. Nelson impacts the Purple Eagles in a similar way; he's the catalyst of the team.

G Eric Maynor, VCU - Easily one of the best players in any mid-major conference, perhaps the best, Eric Maynor and his team went down in NCAA Tournament history when they knocked off Duke. Maynor had 22 points, including the game winner with 1.8 seconds left. The lightning-quick guard is one of the NCAA's most electrifying players. If you're not familiar with him, watch this game.

GameNight: Niagara vs Illinois St

Evan Dorey — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 00:40:05 -0500

Start: Feb 20 2009 - 7:00pm

Preview & Prediction: By Evan Dorey

Season:

36-18

-- This year’s slate of BracketBusters games may only have a couple of games with any serious NCAA Tournament implications, but there are still a number of less-hyped games that should be fun to watch. The one I’m most interested in features #41 Niagara (21-7, 12-4) hosting #31 Illinois St. (22-5, 11-5).

Illinois St. ran through its very weak non-conference schedule undefeated, and had a promising 3-0 start to Valley play, before dropping tough games at Bradley and at Indiana St. After that, it picked up some good victories, but had troubles maintaining a consistent level. The Redbirds have managed to find some form recently, 5-1 in their last six games, but face a brutal stretch to end the season, with this game followed by games against the co-conference leaders, Northern Iowa and Creighton. Niagara didn’t really have any notable non-conference results; it lost at Villanova and beat USF in its only two power-conference games. Some early stumbles against Marist and Iona in the MAAC season put the Purple Eagles out of the conference race, and they saw a seven-game win streak snapped on Wednesday at Rider. They can’t catch Siena for the MAAC title, but are pretty safely locked into second place.

The Redbirds’ offense is one of the nation’s most three-dependent: Illinois St. takes more than 40% of its attempts from behind the arc, and hits over 38% of these attempts, one of the Valley’s best percentages. It’s reasonably effective inside as well, but when the outside shot isn’t going in, the Redbirds have trouble scoring. They aren’t great on the offensive glass, but they will have a lot of chances to get rebounds against Niagara, as the Purple Eagles are among the country’s worst on the defensive boards. Despite this weakness, Niagara boasts one of the MAAC’s best defenses, as it forces a lot of turnovers and does a very good job defending the inside. It doesn’t defend the three-point shot that well, which could be a big help to the Redbirds’ chances.

Niagara is an excellent example of an offense that doesn’t make a high percentage of its shots, but still manages to be efficient. The Purple Eagles shoot quite poorly from behind the arc, and not very well inside either, but they get back 39% of their own misses, easily the MAAC’s best. Niagara also avoids turnovers, again the best in the conference at this, and gets to the free throw line quite often, where a respectable 71% success rate earns it a lot of points. The battle on the boards should be an interesting one, as Illinois St. is 7^th in the nation in defensive rebounding, and will cause a lot of problems for Niagara’s ability to get second chance baskets. The Redbirds keep opponents off the free throw line effectively, which will cause more trouble for the Purple Eagles. Illinois St. also defends the three-point shot better than any other Valley team, though it won’t make a huge difference in this game.

The Redbirds are led by junior guard Osiris Eldridge, who plays the second-most minutes in the conference. Eldridge is a solid shooter, 36% from behind the arc, who also chips in around six assists and a steal-and-a-half a game. He isn’t the leading scorer, though, that honor goes to senior Chamberlain ‘Champ’ Oguchi, who’s also a solid three-point shooter, and does well on the defensive glass. Eldridge is joined in the backcourt by Emmanuel Holloway, another good shooter who can distribute the ball effectively. He’s needed to step up in his duties of late, as junior college transfer Lloyd Phillips, who led the team in assists and was the best three-point shooter, has not played since taking a leave of absence last week. Phillips returned to the team before its Wednesday game, but didn’t play, and it’s not clear if he’ll play tonight. In his place, Landon Shipley has stepped into a starting role, and so far has done pretty well, shooting and distributing as well as Phillips. Dinma Odiakosa is the fifth starter, and the Nigerian may be the Redbirds’ most efficient player, hitting 64% from the floor and leading the team in rebounding. Brandon Sampay also gets a lot of minutes inside, and while his shooting isn’t great, Sampay does provide another good option on the boards.

Niagara features a strong one-two combo in junior Tyrone Lewis and senior Bilal Benn. Lewis, a 5-11 guard, leads the team in scoring, and is one of the national leaders in steals, but struggles with his shot from two-point range, where he hits just 35%. The 6-5 Benn is more of an inside force, leading the MAAC in rebounding, but is also the team’s best three-point shooter, though at 33.7% that’s not exactly high praise. The most effective Purple Eagle, however, is neither Lewis nor Benn, but 6-10 senior Benson Egemonye. Egemonye shoots 56% from the field, and is a strong rebounder. He’s also the Eagles’ primary shot-blocker, but his real value lies at the free throw line; Egemonye is among the national elite in getting to the stripe, and makes a solid 71% once there. Niagara’s starting five is rounded out by a couple of guards that have struggled with their shots, Rob Garrison and Anthony Nelson. The bench doesn’t provide many minutes, with the primary contributor being forward Demetrius Williamson, a decent scorer who rarely turns the ball over.

I haven’t had a great record in recent days, especially with road teams, but I’ll pick another to win this one; Illinois St.’s three-heavy offense will cause Niagara trouble, while the Purple Eagles won’t do a great job of generating the offensive rebounds they need to keep their scoring going.

Winner: Illinois St. Margin: 2-6

-- Evan Dorey's game previews & rankings are based on Elo Ratings. Elo Ratings are fairly simple, all teams are assigned an initial number of points, which is the same for all teams, eliminating preseason bias. Then, as the season progresses, when a team wins it gains points, and when it loses it drops points. The amount of points that are gained or lost depend on the level of the opponent (beating a cupcake gets you little, beating #1 will be a big increase), the scoring margin of the game (which is capped), and the game’s location. To take a look at Evan's College Basketball Elo Ratings, visit his website or blog where he discusses the rankings along with other statistical observations about big games and interesting teams.

Non-BCS Top 25: Streaking Siena

Shawn Siegel — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 18:24:48 -0500

The Non-BCS Top 25 is a new weekly follow-up to the popular CHN Top 50 ranking. Using the non-BCS teams ranked in the CHN Top 50 as a base, a complete non-BCS Top 25 is pieced together. The Non-BCS Top 25 will be released every Monday.

Non-BCS Top 25: January 19th

by Shawn Siegel: Collegehoops.net Editor

	Team	Record	Last	T50
1	Memphis	14-3	1	16
2	Butler	16-1	2	17
3	Xavier	15-2	3	18
4	Gonzaga	12-4	4	20
5	Saint Mary's	17-1	5	26
6	Dayton	16-2	6	28
7	BYU	14-3*	7	34
8	Davidson	14-3	8	35
9	UNLV	14-4*	9	41
10	Utah State	17-1	10	42
11	Illinois State	16-2	12	45
12	Siena	14-5	14	49

T50 = Ranking in CHN Weekly Top 50

Not in CHN Top 50

13	Utah	12-6	13	*
14	San Diego State	12-3	11	*
15	George Mason	14-3	23	*
16	VCU	13-5	21	*
17	Rhode Island	12-6	17	*
18	Creighton	14-5	16	*
19	Charleston	14-3	18	*
20	Western Kentucky	12-6	19	*
21	Drake	13-6	15	*
22	Green Bay	13-5	NA	*
23	Miami	9-6	25	*
24	Niagara	14-5	24	*
25	Temple	9-7	20	*

Next: Tulsa, Northern Iowa, Evansville, UAB, TCU

Agree/Disagree? Post Your Thoughts Below! Check the archives for older Non-BCS Top 25 Rankings

Friday Night in the MAAC

Raphielle Johnson — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 13:09:10 -0500

A full slate in the MAAC on tap tonight, with a showdown for first place being the marquee event. A week after Fairfield went to Albany and failed to take down the defending chanmps, 3-0 Rider gets their shot at the Times Union Center in a rematch of last year's MAAC Tournament final. Of course two of the main characters in that chapter are gone (Rider's Jason Thompson and Siena's Tay Fisher) but both teams stand to be a factor in the title chase until the end of the regular season. Fairfield, who lost two league games last weekend, finds themselves in need of a win tonight at Loyola (MD) and the Greyhounds haven't been much better in losing seven of their last ten games.

The other two teams in that 2-2 logjam will meet in Riverdale tonight, with Marist taking on Manhattan. R.J. Hall has gotten better as the season has progressed and Coach Martin has a forward in Ryan Schneider who's played some very good basketball this season. Another bonus for Marist is the return of point guard David Devezin, who will be playing in his fourth game since sitting out five due to injury. But the Red Foxes will have their hands full with Barry Rohrssen's Jaspers, a team that has one of the conference's better quartets (Chris Smith, Antoine Pearson, Devon Austin and Darryl Crawford). Rounding out the schedule is Joe Mihalich taking one of the best backcourt rotations in the MAAC to Jersey City, and an interesting point guard matchup in New Rochelle between quick junior Frank Turner and freshman Scott Machado. With the exception of the Canisius/Iona game (7:30 start) all games are at 7 PM and the Rider/Siena game can be seen on ESPNU.

Rider (8-5, 3-0) @ Siena (10-5, 4-0) on ESPNU

The game of the night in the MAAC, and the individual matchup between two of the conference's most versatile (and best) players will be an entertaining one to watch. Rider's Ryan Thompson and Siena's Edwin Ubiles are outstanding basketball players on the wing for their respective teams, and neither has failed to show why they were preseason All-MAAC selections. I know that some pundits have been quick to note the Saints as a disappointment due to their inability to get a headline non-conference win, but those people need to be honest in regards to the level of that schedule.

Three games in Orlando against teams that should make a run at postseason play, as well as trips to Pitt and Kansas (the Jayhawks may be young, but it's tough to win at Allen Fieldhouse) doesn't look like a lineup of cupcakes to me. Siena has had some trouble in two areas this season: rebounding and three-point shooting. The former can be explained by that schedule for the most part, while Tay Fisher was a key ingredient when it came to accuracy from behind the arc. Another individual matchup to keep an eye on is Mike Ringgold and Alex Franklin inside. Both are a bit undersized for their positions, but they can get the job done inside. These are also two of the best in the MAAC in turnover margin (Siena 2nd, Rider 3rd), and Tommy Dempsey has some capable shooters in his stable as well, most notably senior Harris Mansell. My pick: Siena.

Fairfield (9-6, 2-2) @ Loyola (MD) (5-10, 1-3)

Reigning MAAC Player of the Week Jamal Barney will lead the Greyhounds into battle against a talented Fairfield team looking to end its two-game conference skid. Last year's game was an exciting affair, with the Stags winning it in the final minute. But then Loyola knocked them out of the MAAC quarters for the second year in a row. Ed Cooley's got some very good players to choose from, most notably perimeter mainstays Jonathan Han and Warren Edney, along with forwards Greg Nero and Anthony Johnson. Normally this isn't a team that's going to rack up a lot of points, even though they did score 81 in a loss at Siena. But tonight could offer an opportunity to snap out of their recent shooting doldrums, with the Stags making less than forty percent of their shots in three of their last four games. Loyola is dead last in the MAAC in both field goal and three-point percentage defense, and they also are ninth in rebounding margin. The issue for both teams has to be taking care of the basketball since both rank in the bottom half of the league in turnover margin. My pick: Fairfield.

Canisius (5-9, 0-4) @ Iona (6-9, 1-3)

While the aforementioned Turner vs. Machado matchup should captivate those in attendance at the Hynes Center, Canisius needs this game simply to pick up their first conference win of the season. Last year the Golden Griffins struggled on the defensive end, with their youth routinely being punished by teams all year long. But this year it's been the offense that's to blame, with Coach Parrotta's team ranking ninth in field goal percentage and tenth in three-point percentage. Newcomers Chris Gadley and Julius Coles have helped, but this is a team that quite frankly struggles to consistently get quality looks from the field. The Gaels aren't exactly going to light up the scoreboard either, but they've been a bit more consistent when it comes to knocking down shots. Senior Gary Springer is back in the lineup after missing seven games with an ankle injury, and his double-double against Fairfield last week was instrumental in Iona picking up their first league win. This one should be tight, expecially if Canisius can play well on the offensive end. My pick: Iona.

Niagara (12-3, 3-0) @ St. Peter's (4-10, 1-3)

This could be painful to watch for fans of the Peacocks, a team that is right there with Canisius when it comes to the worst offensive team in the MAAC. St. Peter's is averaging just over fifty-six points per game, and they rank tenth in field goal percentage and ninth in three-pont percentage. But they've got one of the better sophomores in the conference in Wesley Jenkins, and classmate Nick Leon isn't too bad either. This group, however, willl have its hands full with a versatile lineup rotation that can come at you in waves. The talk has been about transfers Bilal Benn and Rob Garrison, but there's also returnees Tyrone Lewis and Anthony Nelson. And I'm willing to bet that I'm leaving someone out, but that's to mention Benson Egemonye inside. Look for this game to provide the largest margin of victory on the schedule tonight. My pick: Niagara

Marist (6-10, 2-2) @ Manhattan (8-6, 2-2)

This one should be a good matchup, fitting for two teams tied in the standings. Marist has won three of their last four with the lone defeat being a two-point decision at Binghamton, and all the Bearcats are doing right now is leading a conference in America East that's better than most people think. Ryan Schneider has been the man, even with the dribble drive motion system that tends to favro guards. Why is that? His versatility, with the ability to score either inside or behind the arc, has been the key for the senior who started out his career at Vermont. Add to his team-high sixteen points per game nine rebounds per contest and you've got a guy who could make a serious run at league honors after not being named to any of the preseason teams. Manhattan's got a versatile forward of their own in senior Devon Austin, but the emergence of guards Chris Smith and Darryl Crawford has meant that he hasn't had to shoulder the offensive load. This game should go down to the final minutes, and it's anyone guess who will win. My pick: Manhattan.

MAAC Hoops