Lafayette

Jon Teitel's "Forgotten Legends": Lafayette's Tracy Tripucka

Jon Teitel — Mon, 21 May 2012 22:23:45 -0700

Recently CHN writer Jon Teitel spent some time with Lafayette great Tracy Tripucka, who is still the school's all-time leading scorer. Most basketball fans should be familiar with his younger brother Kelly, but Tracy was a three-time All-American who finished his collegiate career with 1,973 points.

Jon Teitel: Your dad Frank was an All-American QB at Notre Dame and later threw the first TD pass in the history of the AFL. What was it like to grow up as the son of a pro athlete, and did you ever consider going into football?

Tracy Tripucka: It was fun. The AFL had just been founded and my brother Mark and I were old enough to be ballboys and stand on the sideline for the games. I remember that DT Ernie Ladd from San Diego made a tackle near us one time. I had never seen such a large human being in my life. He was scary, especially to a skinny 11-year old! I was a little too thin to play football and really disliked like the monotony of the practices. Basketball practices (probably more than most sports) resemble actual games, and that was more fun.

JT: In 1969 you scored 37 points (16-22 FG) in your varsity debut in a win at Moravian. How were you able to come in and contribute from the start?

TT: Lafayette had been sort of on cruise control for several years before I got there. There was no real recruiting program and the talent level was below that of the other schools in our league. Coach Hal Wissel got the job in 1967 and began to recruit in earnest. My class had at least seven players who were better than the players that were already in the program, even the seniors. After we played together in freshman ball we were ready as a unit to play as sophomores and started to turn around the program.

JT: In 1969 you scored a career-high 41 points vs. Syracuse, and in 1975 your brother Todd scored a career-high 42 points vs. St. Joseph's. Was it just one of those scenarios where every shot you put up seemed to go in because you were "in the zone", and what was it like to see your brother beat you out by a single point?

TT: I do not know if shooters get in a "zone" as much as the opponent gives you openings and your teammates find you in the right spot and are willing to share the ball. My brother Todd and I competed not as much on total points but more on my team against his team. I am convinced to this day that we had a better team, even though the teams that he was on played very well.

JT: What are your memories of the 1972 NIT (you scored a game-high 25 points and Jay Mottola made a free throw with three seconds left in a one-point upset win over nationally-ranked Virginia)?

TT: It was really "David vs. Goliath" when we played Virginia in the NIT. They had won the ACC regular season title but lost in the ACC tournament so they ended up in the NIT. As I remember we were not intimidated by them, although we probably should have been because they had some great players! The real story of the game was Mottola, who outplayed All-ACC guard Barry Parkhill and hit the winning free throw. In the next round we gave Jacksonville a little bit of a run, but they were just too big for us.

JT: You are still the all-time leading scorer in school history despite playing only three years on the varsity and playing before the three-point line was instituted. Did you realize at the time how prolific a player you were, and how untouchable do you think your scoring record would be if you had another year and to play and an arc to shoot behind?

TT: As I said before great shooters/scorers need to have teammates who are willing to find them, and I had that. Another year would have been nice but I would not have been a very good three-point shooter because I did not have the range for that. I shot mostly short jumpers inside the top of the circle. You do not see this "middle" game that much anymore in basketball. Everything is either a drive to the hoop or a kick-out for a three.

JT: In the summer of 1972 you were drafted in the seventh round by the Knicks, but after not making the team you went to play in Switzerland. Were you thrilled to realize your dream of getting drafted or disappointed that you got cut, and what did you learn from your time overseas?

TT: I knew with my size and position that I would not be drafted high but it was nice to at least be drafted. I spent two summers trying out and got to meet and play with guys like Willis Reed, Walt Frazier, Bill Bradley, and all the other greats from the 1970 and 1973 championship teams. That is an experience that I will never forget. Switzerland was great but I only stayed for one year. Looking back on it I should have stayed longer.

JT: In 1978 you got to coach your brother TK for Fordham in a loss to your brother Kelly's Notre Dame team at MSG. What was it like to have such a family reunion, and what are your memories of that night?

TT: That night was great. A coach and two brothers on opposite teams: it was fun. We actually had them nervous (especially in the first half), but their size and talent took over in the second half. We still talk about that game within the family. There was a great shot on the back cover of the NY Post with all three of us on the court and my parents watching. A friend gave me the photo, and I still have it.

JT: Kelly led Notre Dame in scoring during each of his four years there, was a two-time NBA All-Star, and was later named New Jersey Boy's Basketball Player of the Century. When could you 1st tell that he was going to be the best player in the family, and how proud are you of all his success?

TT: Kelly was bigger and stronger and a better athlete than any of us at comparable ages. When I was in college he was still in grade school but he used to play with us all the time, usually when we need another guy to fill in. He got a heck of a basketball education beginning at a very young age. As he grew bigger and stronger his fundamentals and game experience that began in grade school helped him immensely in developing as a player. He did very well and our whole family was very proud of him. We had an enormous amount of fun watching him play at Notre Dame and in the pros.

JT: After retiring you worked as an assistant coach at several schools (including Navy, Fordham, and Utah). Which school did you like the most, and how what effect did being a great player have on your ability to be a great coach?

TT: I think I enjoyed my time at Navy the most. The head coach there was a man named Dave Smalley. He was wonderful to work with and we became great friends even after our coaching days. He passed away in 2007 and they named the court at Navy after him. I was never a great coach because I did not have the necessary passion. I had the passion to become as good a player as I possibly could, but somehow I could never summon up the same passion for the game as a coach. When I realized this I knew it was time to try something else, so I did.

JT: You currently work as a VP at Kearny Federal Savings Bank. How do you like the job, and what do you hope to do in the future?

TT: I enjoy commercial lending very much. We lend money to small businesses, but as you know it has become a very difficult and challenging business in this environment. In terms of the future, retirement is gaining ground very rapidly. I would someday like to have grandkids who are interested in all sports (and basketball in particular) so that I can watch them develop and enjoy the game as much as I do.

Tracy is also on Jon's list of best players in Patriot League history.

American: Russell Bowers (1981) 2056 PTS (#1), 54.5 FG% (#4)
Army: Kevin Houston (1987) 2325 PTS (#1), 379 AST (#3), 126 STL (#2), 86.9 FT% (#2), 47.7 3P% (#1), 2-time All-American, conference POY
Bucknell: Mike Bright (1993) 1670 PTS (#3), 206 3PM (#3), 120 BLK (#3), 286 STL (#1), conference POY
Colgate: Adonal Foyle (1997) 1776 PTS (#2), 1103 REB (#1), 492 BLK (#1), 54.7 FG% (#2), 2-time All-American, 2-time conference POY
Holy Cross: Ron K. Perry (1980) 2524 PTS (#1), 88.5 FT% (#2), 4-time All-American, conference POY
Lafayette: Tracy Tripucka (1972) 1973 PTS (#1), 83.4 FT% (#5), 3-time All-American
Lehigh: Daren Queenan (1988) 2703 PTS (#1), 1013 REB (#1), All-American, conference POY
Navy: David Robinson (1987) 2669 PTS (#1), 1314 REB (#1), 516 BLK (#1), 160 STL (#3), 61.2 FG% (#1), 2-time All-American, 3-time conference POY, national POY

Semifinals Predictions: Horion, MVC, Patriot, WCC

Greg Mengelt — Sat, 03 Mar 2012 10:16:07 -0800

Our g ame prediction guru Greg Mengelt has been on fire this year. He'll be picking every conference tournament game over the next 2 weeks. Read more about Championship Week at CollegeHoops.net.

HORIZON LEAGUE SEMIFINALS: AT VALPARAISO, IND.

(2) Cleveland State (22-9, 12-6) vs. (3) Detroit (20-13, 11-7)

Tipoff: 6 p.m. TV: ESPN3. Regular-season meetings: Dec. 3 – Cleveland State 66-61*; Feb. 23 – Cleveland State 77-64. RPI: Cleveland State 82, Detroit 157. Analysis: With D’Aundray Brown expected to make his return tonight, stay away from this one. He may light up the Titans and he may cause a rift in chemistry – as newly returning players often do for a game or two. Line: Cleveland State -1. Pick: Cleveland State 64, Detroit 62.

(1) Valparaiso (21-10, 14-4) vs. (5) Butler (20-13, 11-7)

Tipoff: 8:30 p.m. TV: ESPNU. Regular-season meetings: Dec. 3 – Valparaiso 77-71 (OT)*; Feb. 24 – Valparaiso 71-59. RPI: Valparaiso 95, 112. Analysis: Oh-oh! Butler’s getting hot again at the right time. The Bulldogs haven’t lost a game in March since 2009. Still, tough to take them in Valpo. Line: Even. Pick: Valparaiso 60, Butler 52.

MISSOURI VALLEY SEMIFINALS: AT ST. LOUIS

(1) Wichita State (27-4, 16-2) vs. (4) Illinois State (19-12, 9-9)

Tipoff: 2:30 p.m. TV: Fox Sports Midwest/MVC TV. Regular-season meetings: Jan. 10 – Wichita State 65-62; Feb. 22 – Wichita State 68-55*. RPI: Wichita State 12, Illinois State 124. Analysis: Illinois State wins with toughness, rebounding and defense. Guess what. The Shockers are tough, they rebound and play defense – and much, much more. Line: Wichita State -12. Pick: Wichita State 68, Illinois State 52.

(2) Creighton (26-5, 14-4) vs. (3) Evansville (16-14, 9-9)

Tipoff: 5 p.m. TV: Fox Sports Midwest/MVC TV. Regular-season meetings: Feb. 7 – Evansville 65-57; Feb. 21 – Creighton 93-92 (OT). RPI: Creighton 25, Evansville 135. Analysis: Creighton will use a little better shot selection than Missouri State did against the Aces and pull away in the second half. Line: Creighton -6. Pick: Creighton 80, Evansville 71.

PATRIOT LEAGUE SEMIFINALS: AT CAMPUS SITES

(3) American (20-10, 10-4) at (2) Lehigh (24-7, 11-3)

Tipoff: 2 p.m. TV: CBS Sports Network. Regular-season meetings: Jan. 11 – Lehigh 71-60; Feb. 9 – American 71-62. RPI: Lehigh 117, American 150. Analysis: It is games like this in which Hawk star C.J. McCollum takes over, but the line seems way too high. Line: Lehigh -9½. Pick: Lehigh 64, American 58.

(5) Lafayette (13-17, 7-7) at (1) Bucknell (23-8, 12-2)

Tipoff: 4:30 p.m. TV: CBS Sports Network. Regular-season meetings: Jan. 14 – Bucknell 79-65*; Feb. 11 – Bucknell 90-78. RPI: Bucknell 92, Lafayette 199. Analysis: Bucknell’s Mike Muscala has scored 51 points against the Leopards in two outings. He’ll do it again on Saturday. Line: Bucknell -11½. Pick: Bucknell 83, Lafayette 65.

WCC SEMIFINALS: AT LAS VEGAS

(1) Saint Mary’s (25-5, 14-2) vs. (5) San Francisco (20-12, 8-8)

Tipoff: 9 p.m. TV: ESPNU. Regular-season meetings: Jan. 9 – Saint Mary’s 87-72; Feb. 25 – Saint Mary’s 67-60*. RPI: Saint Mary’s 37, San Francisco 142. Analysis: The Dons are playing well, including a 7-point loss at Saint Mary’s just a week ago. And the Gaels are still a little banged up, so USF should keep it close. Line: Saint Mary’s -7½. Pick: Saint Mary’s 71, San Francisco 66.

(2) Gonzaga (24-5, 13-3) vs. (3) BYU (24-7, 12-4)

Tipoff: 11 p.m. TV: ESPNU. Regular-season meetings: Feb. 2 – BYU 83-78; Feb. 23 – Gonzaga 74-63. RPI: Gonzaga 24, BYU 52. Analysis: Interesting matchup featuring strong front lines and good shooters, but the Bulldogs have the better overall talent. Line: Gonzaga -1½. Pick: Gonzaga 69, BYU 62.

Greg Against the Spread This Season: 100-69-2

Afternoon Upsets in the Big South: Wednesday's Quick Hitters

Raphielle Johnson — Wed, 29 Feb 2012 23:14:27 -0800

The biggest development on Wednesday night were the wins picked up by Cincinnati, Colorado State and USF, as all three strengthened their arguments for an NCAA tournament bid.

1. Two of the top three seeds in the Big South saw their seasons come to an end in the quarterfinals.
The beginning of an almost nonstop afternoon basketball got underway on Wednesday, and from an upset standpoint the Big South certainly didn't disappoint. But if you're a fan of either Coastal Carolina or Campbell it wasn't a good day, as both saw their seasons come to an end (unless selected for a postseason tournament) despite entering the conference tournament as the two and three seeds. CCU ran into a VMI team that got hot from three, knocking down 14 of their 28 attempts from beyond the arc on the way to an 85-68 victory. Starters Keith Gabriel (20 points) and Stan Okoye (15) played well, but the 17-point outing from Jordan Weethee (5-6 3PT) off the bench was just as important. CCU didn't help themselves by turning the ball over 16 times either.

As for Campbell turnovers were a problem for them as well in their 71-55 loss to six-seeded Winthrop. The Camels turned the ball over 16 times to just eight for the Eagles, who are looking to rid themselves of the bad taste left in their mouths following a disappointing regular season. Campbell also couldn't slow down Reggie Middleton, who scored a game-high 25 points (5-10 3PT) and dished out four assists to lead the way for Winthrop. Darren White led Campbell with 15 points but no other Campbell player reached double figures, and when combined with the turnovers that proved to be too much to overcome. On the other side of the bracket top seed UNC Asheville and four-seed Charleston Southern advanced, and the key for UNCA at this point is to remain focused on the task at hand instead of worrying about how the bottom half of the bracket opened up. Do that and Eddie Biedenbach's team could make a return trip to the Big Dance.

2. Miami follows up their big win over Florida State with...a loss at NC State.
What the Hurricanes have done over the last four days is exactly why concrete verdicts shouldn't be rendered in regards to the tournament prospects of teams based on one game. On Sunday Jim Larranaga's team looked very good as they beat Florida State with Reggie Johnson out of the lineup. But with Johnson back the Hurricanes were unable to build on the positive momentum as they fell to the Wolfpack 77-73. And if not for their 22 offensive rebounds the margin of defeat could have been even larger for Miami, who shot just 35.6% from the field while NC State made half of their field goal attempts.

C.J. Leslie led four NC State players in double figures with 21 points while also grabbing 11 boards as the Pack snapped their four-game losing streak. Rion Brown led the Hurricanes with 15 points off the bench but with Kenny Kadji and Durand Scott shooting a combined 6-for-24 from the field Miami couldn't counter NC State scoring 43 second-half points. With a home game against Boston College being the regular season finale, it's likely that Miami will need to make some noise in the ACC tournament to further state their case.

3. It was also a bad night for bubble teams in the Atlantic 10 as both Dayton and Saint Joseph's fell.
One day after Xavier fell hard at Saint Louis two more teams suffered defeats that could have the A-10 sliding toward being a two-bid league. Phil Martelli's Hawks were unable to build on their win over Temple in Olean as they fell to St. Bonaventure 98-93 in double overtime. Andrew Nicholson, who is a candidate for A-10 Player of the Year, scored 32 points and grabbed 14 rebounds to lead the Bonnies to a win that locked up a first-round bye in next week's conference tournament. The Hawks got themselves in trouble by getting out-rebounded 49-30, with the Bonnies grabbing 20 offensive rebounds.

As for the Flyers, their loss was even more damaging as they fell 82-71 at Richmond. Darien Brothers led the Spiders with 30 points and Kendall Anthony added 20 off the bench as Richmond dropped Dayton into a three-way tie for sixth. Chris Johnson scored 22 points and grabbed seven rebounds to lead Dayton, who was outscored 19-9 at the charity stripe. Richmond held the edge in bench points (29-15) thanks in large part to Anthony, and they were also able to score 21 second-chance points to just 13 for the Flyers. A win over George Washington won't do much for Dayton's profile and Saint Joseph's regular season is done, meaning that both are looking at the prospect of likely needing the automatic bid to go dancing.

Quick Hitters

1. The top two seeds took the floor in the Atlantic Sun quarters, and while Mercer had to work a bit harder than anticipated both the Bears and Belmont advanced. Jake Gollon led Mercer to their 61-53 win over Lipscomb with 19 points and eight rebounds, and as a team the Bears made up for committing twice as many turnovers (16) as Lipscomb by making nine three-pointers. Belmont beat Jacksonville 76-62 behind Kerron Johnson's 19 points, five rebounds and five assists.

2. Three of the four quarterfinals in the Patriot League went according to seed on Wednesday. The lone exception: Lafayette's 84-76 win at Holy Cross in the 4/5 game. Rob Delaney (25 points) and Jim Mower (18) combined to score 43 points for the Leopards, who will visit top-seed Bucknell in the semifinals on Saturday.

3. Mitchell Watt scored 22 points and grabbed six rebounds to Buffalo to a 74-70 win at Akron in a key MAC battle. The win moves the Bulls to within a game of the Zips for first place in the MAC East with one game remaining, and just as importantly they're a game up on Ohio in the race for second place.

4. Sheldon McClellan scored 24 points and J'Covan Brown 22 as Texas avoided what would have been a rough loss to have on their resume, as they beat Oklahoma 72-64 in Austin. The Longhorns end the regular season with a trip to Kansas, and an upset in Lawrence would undoubtedly punch their ticket.

5. Brian Williams scored all 18 of his points in the second half, and his three-pointer with 33 seconds remaining gave Jacksonville State the lead for good in their 75-70 win over Austin Peay in an OVC first round matchup. In the other OVC tournament game Southeast Missouri State beat Eastern Kentucky 75-65.

6. A rough run through WCC play mercifully came to an end for Santa Clara in Las Vegas as they fell 74-70 to Portland in the first round of the WCC tournament. Losing Marc Trasolini on the preseason trip to Canada with a torn ACL was hard enough to deal with, but once Kerry Keating had to suspend Kevin Foster the Broncos seemed destined for a winless league campaign.

7. Northwestern had a golden opportunity to pick up a signature win, but Jared Sullinger's bucket in the final seconds gave Ohio State the 75-73 win in Evanston. Drew Crawford and John Shurna combined to lead the Wildcats with 45 points but that wasn't enough as the Buckeyes had four players put up double figures. The Northwestern storyline is going to be one of the interesting stories to keep an eye on in Indianapolis next week.

Wednesday'sTournament Predictions: Atlantic Sun, Big South, Patriot

Greg Mengelt — Tue, 28 Feb 2012 21:18:38 -0800

Our g ame prediction guru Greg Mengelt has been on fire this year. He'll be picking almost conference tournament game over the next 2 weeks.

BIG SOUTH TOURNAMENT AT ASHEVILLE, N.C.

(2) Coastal Carolina (19-10, 12-6) vs. (7) Virginia Military (15-15, 8-10)

Tipoff: Noon. TV: Big South Network. Regular-season meetings: Dec. 1 – Coastal Carolina 87-78; Feb. 25 – Coastal Carolina 81-64*. RPI: Coastal Carolina 179; VMI 287. Analysis: The Chanticleers struggled late in the regular season. With a game under its belt, VMI should be able to keep this game close. Line: Coastal Carolina -6. Pick: Coastal Carolina 73, VMI 64.

(3) Campbell (17-14, 11-7) vs. (6) Winthrop (11-19, 8-10)

Tipoff: 2 p.m. TV: Big South Network. Regular-season meetings: Jan. 17 – Campbell, 54-51*; Feb. 9 – Campbell, 67-58. RPI: Campbell 201; Winthrop 274. Analysis: Campbell really faded down the stretch. This could be the first conference tournament upset. Line: Campbell -1½. Pick: Campbell 61, Winthrop 60.

(1) UNC-Asheville (21-9, 16-2) vs. (8) High Point (11-19, 6-12)

Tipoff: 6 p.m. TV: Big South Network. Regular-season meetings: Jan. 14 – Asheville, 86-79*; Jan. 26 – Asheville, 90-70. RPI: Asheville 123; High Point 276. Analysis: High Point has more talent than its record indicates and has a chance to keep this game close. Line: Asheville -8½. Pick: Asheville 80, High Point 73.

(4) Charleston Southern (18-11, 11-7) vs. (5) Liberty (14-17, 9-9)

Tipoff: 8 p.m. TV: Big South Network. Regular-season meetings: Dec. 31 – Charleston Southern, 81-76*; Feb. 9 – Liberty 75-74*. RPI: Charleston Southern 178; Liberty 282. Analysis: CSU is the higher seed and has the better record, but Liberty is playing better behind do-everything Jesse Sanders. Line: Charleston Southern -3½. Pick: Liberty 72, Charleston Southern 65.

PATRIOT LEAGUE AT CAMPUS SITES

(8) Navy (3-25, 0-14) at (1) Bucknell (22-8, 12-2)

Tipoff: 7 p.m. Regular-season meetings: Jan. 28 – Bucknell 66-51*; Feb. 25 – Bucknell 64-55. RPI: Bucknell 83, Navy 328. Analysis: It would take the return of David Robinson for Navy to stay in this game. Line: Bucknell -21½. Pick: Bucknell 80, Navy 51.

(7) Colgate (8-21, 2-12) at (2) Lehigh (23-7, 11-3)

Tipoff: 7 p.m. Regular-season meetings: Jan. 24 – Lehigh 78-56*; Feb. 11 – Lehigh 89-69. RPI: Lehigh 109, Colgate 300. Analysis: The Hawks will roll into the title game. Line: Lehigh -21½. Pick: Lehigh 75, Colgate 53.

(5) Lafayette (12-17, 7-7) at (4) Holy Cross (15-13, 9-5)

Tipoff: 7 p.m. Regular-season meetings: Jan. 19 – Lafayette 54-43*; Feb. 22 – Holy Cross 70-63*. RPI: Holy Cross 165, Lafayette 210. Analysis: The Crusaders win the rubber match with their seventh straight win. Line: Holy Cross -6½. Pick: Holy Cross 60, Lafayette 55.

(3) American (19-10, 10-4) at (6) Army (12-17, 5-9)

Tipoff: 7:30 p.m. Regular-season meetings: Jan. 21 – American 67-55; American 74-50*. RPI: American 152, Army 300. Analysis: American has won 6 of 8 and the hot play with continue Wednesday. Line: American -13. Pick: American 73, Army 52.

ATLANTIC SUN TOURNAMENT AT MACON, GA.

(1) Belmont (24-7, 16-2) vs. (8) Jacksonville (8-21, 6-12)

Tipoff: 2:30 p.m. TV: ESPN3. Regular-season meetings: Jan. 4 – Belmont 75-63*; Jan. 28 – Belmont 85-51. RPI: Belmont 61, Jacksonville 263. Analysis: Belmont’s explosive offense has led the Bruins to 11 straight wins. Make it 12. Line: Belmont -16. Pick: Belmont 90, Jacksonville 64.

(2) Mercer (21-10, 13-5) vs. (7) Lipscomb (13-17, 8-10)

Tipoff: 8:30 p.m. TV: ESPN3. Regular-season meetings: Dec. 1 – Mercer 79-72*; Feb. 23 – Mercer 63-54. RPI: Mercer 125, Lipscomb 219. Analysis: Mercer has had a nice season, but the Bears aren’t playing well late in the season. Line: Mercer -10. Pick: Mercer 68, Lipscomb 62.

*Road win

Wednesday Recap: Pittsburgh May Have Hit Rock Bottom

Raphielle Johnson — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 21:04:45 -0800

It was thought that Pittsburgh's loss at DePaul last week was the epitome of "rock bottom" for Jamie Dixon's program, which is still without injured point guard Tray Woodall. But in hindsight that high-scoring defeat at the hands of the Blue Demons was nothing compared to what happened at the Petersen Events Center on Wednesday night. Pitt scored the fewest points in their history as a Big East member, falling 62-39 at Rutgers in front of a stunned crowd.

The Panthers shot 21.1% from both the field and from three in the loss, which moved their overall losing streak to five games. Also Pittsburgh is off to their first 0-4 Big East start since the 1999-2000 campaign, when they dropped their first five conference games. J.J. Moore scored ten points off the bench to lead Pittsburgh in scoring, and with Ashton Gibbs making just two of eleven shots and Lamar Patterson faring even worse (1-for-7) Moore's points went for naught.

"Honestly it seemed like they knew our plays," said Gibbs of the Scarlet Knights' defensive effort. "Coach Rice did a good job of scouting us and it led to them making great switches off of screens. We have to do a better job executing our offense."

Eli Carter led the Scarlet Knights, who were coming off of a 67-60 win over Connecticut, with 14 points while Dane Miller showed off the skills that can make him one of the more versatile producers in the Big East when he's fully engaged with 11 points and 12 rebounds. Rutgers out-rebounded Pittsburgh 51-35 on the night and while the shooting woes definitely played a role in that discrepancy, Rutgers did grab 19 offensive rebounds (22 second-chance points).

"It was the most disappointing thing about the game because that is our main focus," said Nasir Robinson, who finished with four rebounds and no points. "We have to do a better job boxing out and we can't let [teams] out-hustle us."

Execution is a without a doubt a huge part of winning games, but sometimes what happens on the floor boils down to toughness and how a team responds when hit in the mouth. Pittsburgh didn't respond well when that happened on Wednesday night, and that's the most concerning aspect of the loss going forward. Pitt has long be one of the toughest teams in the Big East, and they need to get that confidence back in order to turn things around.

Other Notable Happenings

1. Michigan outlasts Northwestern in overtime, moving to 4-1 in Big Ten play.
Facing a team that plays a similar style of basketball, Northwestern was presented with a great opportunity to bolster their resume with a win at #13 Michigan. But unfortunately for the Wildcats they fell just short, losing 66-64 in overtime. Drew Crawford and John Shurna did what they could, combining for 41 points and 13 rebounds while Crawford added seven assists, but they didn't get much help from their teammates. Dave Sobolewski (nine points) and Reggie Hearn (seven points) both managed to exceed their scoring averages on Wednesday night.

But with Alex Marcotulio scoring just one point and Luka Mirkovic scoring two it was going to be tough for the Wildcats to make that play offensively to get over the hump. Michigan, despite shooting 7-for-30 from three, had better scoring distribution with Tim Hardaway Jr. and Trey Burke scoring 19 apiece and Stu Douglass adding ten off the bench. Turnovers were ultimately the biggest killer however, as Northwestern turned the ball over a season-high 16 times. To say the least the Wildcats, who have lost their last two games by a combined three points, could have used a few of those lost possessions in the end.

2. Missouri survives a quiet night from Marcus Denmon to win at Iowa State.
Entering the Tigers' game at Iowa State Denmon averaged 18.7 points per game to lead Frank Haith's team, meaning that anyone told that he made just one field goal would likely expect Missouri to leave Ames with a loss. But despite his off night, and 5-for-21 shooting from three, Missouri won 76-69 thanks in large part to their offensive balance. The other six players to see the floor for Missouri all scored in double figures, with Matt Pressey scoring a team-high 14 and three others scoring 12 points apiece.

And Missouri, generally accepted to be the smallest team in the Big 12, out-rebounded the Cyclones 36-25 and outscored them 40-20 in the paint. Missouri also did a better job defensively in the second half, challenging more looks as ISU shot 4-for-11 from three after making eight of twelve in the first half. Iowa State doesn't have the size that teams such as Kansas State and Baylor possess, but they were a good challenge for the Tigers on the heels of their first loss of the season. And with their leading scorer having an off night, Denmon's teammates stepped up their play and earned an important victory as a result.

3. Temple rebounds from their loss to Dayton, winning at Saint Louis.
One important aspect of league play when looking to contend for a conference title is to make sure losses don't turn into losing streaks. Temple was able to do that as they went to Saint Louis and won 72-67. Khalif Wyatt led the way with 22 points and Ramone Moore added 18 as the Owls moved to 1-1 in Atlantic 10 play. Kwamain Mitchell knocked down some big shots late in hopes of pulling the Billikens ahead, but Temple did a good job of limiting his quality looks (6-for-16 FG) for much of the night.

The three-point shot, or SLU's inability to knock the shots down, proved to be the difference as Saint Louis shot 6-for-16 while Temple made five of their seven. Fran Dunphy's team did a good job of not settling for deep shots, shooting 56.6% from the field. With Xavier looking like a team that's starting to return to form, this was a critical game for both Temple and Saint Louis in regards to winning the A-10 crown. Thanks in large part to their solid shot selection, Temple picked up a nice result on the road.

Quick Hitters

1. The top two teams both won games by margins that would fool the casual observer. Syracuse was far more dominant in their 79-66 win over Villanova than that score would indicate, and Kentucky closed their 68-53 win at Auburn with a 23-6 run.

2. With all the consternation surrounding the ACC's lack of depth, NC State losing 82-71 to Georgia Tech at home won't help matters. Four Yellow Jacket starters reached double figures and Glen Rice Jr. scored 22 off the bench, and the visitors also made nine of fifteen deep. The Wolfpack shot 5-for-19 from deep, and that's essentially where the game was lost.

3. No matter how talented they are, Southern Miss just can't seem to get over the hump in their series with Memphis. The Tigers won their 18th straight in the series, 60-58, with Chris Crawford's two free throws being the difference. Cedric Jenkins, who committed the foul that sent Crawford to the line with 31.6 seconds left in a tie game, missed a three as time expired.

4. While Temple did a good job of bouncing back from their loss to Dayton, the Flyers didn't do a great job of dealing with prosperity as they lost 81-73 at St. Bonaventure. Andrew Nicholson led the Bonnies with 30 points and 13 rebounds and the home team made 24 of 28 free throws as well, while Dayton shot 11-for-30 from three.

5. Old Dominion didn't shoot well as they made just 36.4% of their shots, but the Monarchs made up for it by grabbing 20 offensive rebounds in a 68-66 overtime win at Delaware. Kent Bazemore scored 27 points and grabbed 12 rebounds to lead the way for ODU, who moved to 4-1 in CAA play.

6. After dropping their MAC opener at Bowling Green on Saturday, Ohio rebounded with a 60-52 win over Buffalo in Athens. D.J. Cooper led the way with 15 points, seven rebounds and five assists while Buffalo's Javon McCrea made just four of thirteen shots from the field.

7. They were picked in the preseason poll to finish 4th in the Patriot League by the coaches but Lafayette is off to a good start, moving to 2-0 in conference play with a 75-63 win over Army. Rob Delaney scored a career-high 19 points and grabbed six rebounds for the Leopards while Levi Giese scored ten off the bench. Does Fran O'Hanlon's team have enough firepower to hang with preseason favorite Bucknell? We'll find out on Saturday when they host the Bison.

8. Out west, Colorado State picked up a nice win as they beat Denver 79-75 in Fort Collins. Wes Eikmeier scored 22 points while Greg Smith (17 points, seven rebounds) and Dorian Green (15 points) also played well. CSU now moves into conference play, where they have the ability to be a factor in the league race.

Three Notable Performances

1. F/C Andrew Nicholson (St. Bonaventure)
30 points and 13 rebounds in the Bonnies' 81-73 win over Dayton.

2. G Kent Bazemore (Old Dominion)
27 points and 12 rebounds in the Monarchs' 68-66 overtime win at Delaware.

3. F Davante Gardner (Marquette)
22 points, 15 rebounds and two blocked shots in the Golden Eagles' 81-63 win over St. John's.

College Hoops Tuesday Recap: Missouri Blows Out Golden Bears

Raphielle Johnson — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 21:24:04 -0800

On paper the matchup between Missouri and California looked to be a good matchup, with both teams fresh off of big wins in the semifinals of the CBE Classic in Kansas City. On the floor however, things got out of hand quickly for the Golden Bears as the Tigers rolled in front of a pro-Missouri crowd. Kim English scored 19 points and tournament MVP Marcus Denmon finished with 18 points and six rebounds as the Tigers won 92-53, and it could be argued that the 39-point margin doesn't do this result justice. Six Missouri players finished in double figures in what arguably is the best showing of any team in the country at this early point in the season, considering the opponent.

Frankly the Golden Bears, one of three teams expected to contend in the Pac-12, looked overwhelmed. Cal trailed by just five shortly after the halfway point of the first half, but that would be as close as Mike Montgomery's team would be the remainder of the night. Missouri went on a 12-2 run to set things in motion, and they led 45-26 at the break. But instead of being able to play the Tigers even in the second half California fell further behind as they were outscored 47-27 in the second half. The final nail in the coffin came with 11:12 remaining as Jorge Gutierrez, who led the Bears with 11 points, committed his fifth foul out of frustration. Mizzou's aggression made it seem as if they had more than the legal number of players on the court, and Cal couldn't adjust at all.

"It starts with us playing as a team," said Denmon. "Everybody passing up the good shot for a better shot, and that's what we did as a unit. It allowed us to have California playing on their heels, and that's something I felt if we did as a team, we would be hard to guard."

Missouri shot 58.8% from the field and finished with an effective field goal percentage of 68.6%, nine percentage points above their season average. California couldn't get much of anything done as they shot 29.8% from the field, and their 34-27 rebounding edge was more a result of them missing more shots than Missouri than any exploitation of the Tigers' lack of interior depth. But even that turned out to be of little issue for Missouri, with Steve Moore scoring ten points off the bench to account for Ricardo Ratliffe's foul trouble.

While some may cite this loss as another piece of evidence that the Pac-12 is once again "down" that would be misguided. Frank Haith's got an experienced team that's not only adjusting well to a new system, but one that has no problem sharing the accolades. Should this continue, Missouri will definitely be a factor in what's expected to be a wide-open Big 12 race.

Other Notable Happenings

1. Duke and Kansas advance to the title game of the Maui Invitational.
The semifinals of the Maui Invitational produced the results many expected to see on Tuesday night, with Duke beating Michigan and Kansas withstanding a second half UCLA rally to advance to Wednesday's title game. Austin Rivers led four Duke starters in double figures with 20 points in their 82-75 win over the Wolverines in a game that opened up offensively in the second half. Duke performed well defensively in the first half, limiting the Wolverines to 22 points and 34.5% shooting from the field. The biggest problem for Michigan: ten assists for the game with freshman Trey Burke having nine of them. Michigan's assist percentage (32.3%) was nowhere near their season average (50.8%) as the Blue Devlls did a good job of taking away the passing lanes that make John Beilein's offense so tough to guard.

As for the Jayhawks they had a far different challenge on their hands, and an unpredictable one at that given the fact that few people know which UCLA will show up on a nightly basis. Kansas took on the Bruins who lost to Loyola Marymount and Middle Tennessee for much of the first half, taking a 43-26 lead into the locker room. But then the Bruins woke up, cutting the Kansas lead to as few as five points but it wasn't enough to wrestle the game away from the Jayhawks. Elijah Johnson got going for Kansas on the perimeter, scoring a game-high 23 points while Thomas Robinson added 15 points and 10 rebounds. Kansas controlled the boards against the deeper Bruins to the tune of a 34-21 rebounding edge, and UCLA made just 26.6% of their two-point shots. Both finalists will encounter far different tests on Wednesday, meaning that the team best able to adjust will likely leave the island with the title.

2. A greatly improved Meyers Leonard leads Illinois to a win over Richmond in Cancun.
With the departures of Demetri McCamey, Mike Davis and Mike Tisdale there was ample room for players to step up for Bruce Weber's Fighting Illini. And on the heels of a successful summer with USA Basketball center Meyers Leonard has looked capable of making the move, and his play on Tuesday night was the difference in Illinois' 7-061 win over Richmond in the Cancun Challenge.

Leonard finished with 22 points, 12 rebounds and five blocks to lead the undefeated Fighting Illini while Bradley transfer Sam Maniscalco added 19 and was the man Weber called on to initiate the offense in crunch time. The emergence of Leonard and the amount of trust that Weber has in Maniscalco are two things to watch with Illinois beginning with their matchup with Illinois State in Wednesday's final. Can Leonard build on his best performance of the season? If so, a championship is a definite possibility.

3. Memphis survives a virtuoso performance by Tennessee's Jeronne Maymon to beat Tennessee in double overtime.
Memphis absolutely caught fire about halfway through the first half in the first game of the day from Maui on their way to 55 first-half points. However there was an issue for the Memphis big men that some may not have expected: no one could guard Jeronne Maymon. Tarik Black had to sit early with two fouls, and the slender Stan Simpson really didn't have much of a chance in slowing down Maymon, who finished with 32 points and 20 rebounds. But despite the fight from Cuonzo Martin's team the Volunteers didn't have enough to grab the win, falling 99-97 in double overtime.

Will Barton bounced back from a poor performance against Michigan to score 25 points and Adonis Thomas added 19 and Antonio Barton 21 off the bench. Tennessee is going to go toe-to-toe with many of the teams on their schedule due to the mindset that their head coach has instilled in them. The Vols will back down from no one, regardless of the margin. As for Memphis, the win highlighted the need for Black to remain on the floor and out of foul trouble. The Tigers were out-rebounded 49-34 on the afternoon, and while they got away with it against Tennessee there will be games where they aren't as fortunate.

Quick Hitters

1. Danny Hurley's Wagner Seahawks picked up a solid win on the road as they beat Penn 71-65 at The Palestra. Guards Latif Rivers and Tyler Murray, one of the better guard tandems in the NEC, combined to score 32 points and Chris Martin addel 11.

2. One-time Clemson head coach Cliff Ellis returned to Littlejohn Coliseum, and his Coastal Carolina Chanticleers won 60-59 on a Chris Grandingo followed his own miss and scored as time expired. Grandingo finished with 21 points and Anthony Raffa scored 22 for the Chanticleers, who are 5-0 and looking to win another Big South regular season title.

3. Wisconsin rolled to a 77-31 win over UMKC as they limited the Kangaroos to 30.2% shooting on the night. UMKC made just 12.9% of their shots in the second half, and Jared Berggren led the Badgers with 21 points and Ben Brust added 12 off the bench. Those two outscored UMKC by themselves.

4. Mike Anderson's Arkansas Razorbacks are down to just nine scholarship players after receiving the news that forward Marshawn Powell was out for the season with a knee injury. Will the Hogs have the size and experience needed to navigate the ACC without Powell? That remains to be seen.

5. This will likely be a long season for USC, who survived their matchup with winless Morgan State 65-62. Maurice Jones played all 40 minutes and scored 18 points and dished out six assists. For the Trojans to win games Jones will have to be at his best, but will he be able to shoulder the load without help?

Three Notable Performances

1. F Jeronne Maymon (Tennessee)
32 points and 20 rebounds in the Volunetters' double-overtime 99-97 loss to Memphis.

2. G Velton Jones (Robert Morris)
38 points, four rebounds and two assists in the Colonials' 82-77 win over James Madison.

3. G Jim Mower (Lafayette)
37 points and three rebounds in the Leopards' 85-74 win over Fairleigh Dickinson.

College Hoops Friday: Your Commentary

Raphielle Johnson — Fri, 11 Mar 2011 08:50:12 -0800

Friday offers up some big matchups but none may be bigger than Georgia and Alabama in the first game of the day at the SEC Tournament. Both can still use wins (to be honest, who can't?) with the winner today keeping alive the ability to state their case on the floor while the loser has to hope their resume is good enough to warrant an NCAA Tournament bid. And the scouting reports should be fresh as the Bulldogs and Crimson Tide met in Saturday's regular season finale, a 65-57 Alabama victory in Tuscaloosa. The difference: turnovers. Georgia finished with 16 to Alabama's eight, allowing the Crimson Tide to make up for their 39.3% shooting on the afternoon.

JaMychal Green (19 points, nine rebounds) and Tony Mitchell (13 and 11) were a collective handful for Georgia, who despite their size with Trey Thompkins and Jeremy Price had trouble with the athletic Mitchell. Add in guard Charvez Davis scoring 17 points for Alabama and Gerald Robinson Jr. making just two of his twelve shots from the field and it isn't too difficult to see what has to change for the Bulldogs today. Georgia holds the edge in many of the major offensive categories on paper, but that means nothing if their guards aren't effective.

Robinson Jr., Travis Leslie and Dustin Ware will all need to be at their best as defensively Anthony Grant's team allows opponents to shoot 37.9% from the field, forces nearly 16 turnovers per game and limits teams to an offensive efficiency of just 89.0. Who needs the game more from a resume standpoint? That's debatable, as the two teams have the same number of wins against Top 25 (1) and RPI Top 50 (3) teams. But the difference is what the two teams have done against teams they're supposed to beat. Georgia is 15-0 against teams with an RPI of 101 or worse while Alabama has three losses to teams below that line. The advice to both: leave no doubt.

That same message can be applied to Boston College and Clemson, who meet in the second game of the day at the ACC Tournament. The Tigers won their lone regular season meeting 77-69 in February 8th, with Reggie Jackson and Joe Trapani combining for 49 points but receiving little help from their teammates. Clemson by comparison finished with four players in double figures, shooting 52.9% from the field and limiting the Eagles to 9-for-30 from beyond the arc. Boston College has been the better offensive team from a numbers standpoint but players such as Jerai Grant and Demontez Stitt have helped the Tigers limit opponents to 39% shooting.

How efficient the Eagles are at finding good looks for Jackson and Trapani in addition to Corey Raji off the bench will determine the outcome, but it's possible both teams hear their names called on Sunday regardless of this result. Big games are on tap for Maryland (Duke) and Virginia Tech (Florida State) as well, with the Hokies in much better position to feel good about their tournament chances with a win than Maryland.

One more will be officially punched today with Lafayette, who knocked off two-seed American in the Patriot League semis, visiting regular season champ Bucknell. The Leopards lost both regular season meetings with the first being a 75-56 whipping at Sojka Pavilion, with Bucknell winning the battle on the boards (37-25) and shooting a far superior percentage on two-point shots (54.8% to Lafayette's 35.2%). And when a team breaks even in points from three in addition to the aforementioned numbers, the end result is usually a blowout.

That didn't happen in the rematch, a 74-69 Bucknell win on February 16th that saw the Leopards hold their own for 45 minutes. They'll need a similar performance from Jim Mower (19 points), and Jared Mintz and Ryan Willen have to shoot better from the field (combined 4-for-17) despite combining for 26 points if they're to win. In Darryl Shazier the Bisons have one of the best point guards in the Patriot League (5.7 apg). Player of the Year Mike Muscala will be a handful for Lafayette as well, but having already won two tournament games on the road Fran O'Hanlon's Leopards at least have a puncher's chance of winning the crown.

Also in important bubble matchups are a pair of quarterfinals in the Atlantic 10, with Duquesne likely needing to win the entire tournament to merit an NCAA bid and Richmond looking to avoid an early exit that would likely mean an NIT bid. But in seniors Kevin Anderson and Justin Harper the Spiders have two outstanding players capable of taking the team to Sunday's final. Illinois/Michigan is an important game in the Big Ten Tournament especially for the Wolverines, who could use one more solid victory to feel comfortable with their prospects. And in the evening session both Michigan State and Penn State look to pick up one more resume-building victory (the Nittany Lions need a run this weekend).

The Conference USA semis should also be fun with Memphis, Tulsa and UTEP all in play at this stage with the latter two playing each other. Doug Wojcik's Golden Hurricane have been overlooked by many but with Justin Hurtt leading the way it wouldn't be a major surprise if they were to win the title. New Mexico can revive their hopes with a third win over BYU and the same goes for USC out west as they take on Pac-10 regular season champion Arizona.

The Big East and Big 12 semifinal rounds should both be entertaining, with Notre Dame and Louisville looking to build off of impressive wins last night. And the early game matches Connecticut and Syracuse, who in their last Big East Championship meeting went six overtimes two years ago. In Kansas City the expectation is that Kansas and Texas advance to the title game, but in Colorado and Texas A&M there are two opponents who have played well of late.

The problem for the Aggies is that they don't match up well at all with the Longhorns, but the Buffaloes could knock off Kansas if the Jayhawks play as they did against Oklahoma State. Semifinals in the Big West, Great West, MAC, MEAC, SWAC and WAC are also on the slate for tonight.

10:00 PM Weber State at Saint Mary's

Atlantic 10 Quarterfinals (Atlantic City)
12:00 PM Dayton vs. Xavier
2:30 PM Saint Joseph's vs. Duquesne
6:30 PM La Salle vs. Temple
9:00 PM Rhode Island vs. Richmond

ACC Quarterfinals (Greensboro)
12:00 PM Miami (FL) vs. North Carolina (ESPN2)
2:30 PM Boston College vs. Clemson (ESPN2)
7:00 PM Maryland vs. Duke (ESPN2)
9:30 PM Virginia Tech vs. Florida State

Big 12 Semifinals (Kansas City)
7:00 PM Colorado vs. Kansas (ESPN3)
9:30 PM Texas A&M vs. Texas (ESPN3)

Big East Semifinals (New York City)
7:00 PM Connecticut vs. Syracuse (ESPN)
9:00 PM Louisville vs. Notre Dame (ESPN)

Big Ten Quarterfinals (Indianapolis)
12:00 PM Northwestern vs. Ohio State (ESPN)
2:00 PM Illinois vs. Michigan (ESPN)
6:30 PM Michigan State vs. Purdue (BTN)
8:55 PM Penn State vs. Wisconsin (BTN)

Big West Semifinals (Anaheim, CA)
9:30 PM UCSB vs. Long Beach State (ESPNU)
12:00 AM UC Riverside vs. Cal State Northridge

Conference USA Semifinals (El Paso)
4:00 PM UTEP vs. Tulsa (CBS College)
6:30 PM East Carolina vs. Memphis (CBS College)

Great West Semifinals (Orem, UT)
7:00 PM Houston Baptist vs. North Dakota
9:30 PM South Dakota vs. Utah Valley

MAC Semifinals (Cleveland)
7:00 PM Akron vs. Western Michigan (ESPN3)
9:30 PM Ball State vs. Kent State (ESPN3)

MEAC Semifinals (Winston-Salem, NC)
6:00 PM Norfolk State vs. Hampton
8:00 PM Morgan State vs. Bethune-Cookman

Mountain West Semifinals (Las Vegas)
9:00 PM New Mexico vs. BYU (CBS College)
11:30 PM UNLV vs. San Diego State (CBS College)

Pac-10 Semifinals (Los Angeles)
9:00 PM USC vs. Arizona (FSN)
11:30 PM Oregon vs. Washington (FSN)

Patriot Final (Lewisburg, PA)
4:45 PM Lafayette at Bucknell (ESPN2)

SEC Quarterfinals (Atlanta)
1:00 PM Georgia vs. Alabama (ESPN3)
3:30 PM Mississippi vs. Kentucky (ESPN3)
7:30 PM Tennessee vs. Florida (ESPN3)
10:00 PM Vanderbilt vs. Mississippi State (ESPN3)

SWAC Semifinals (Garland, TX)
3:30 PM Grambling State vs. Jackson State
9:00 PM Alabama State vs. Texas Southern

WAC Semifinals (Las Vegas)
9:00 PM San Jose State vs. Utah State
12:00 AM New Mexico State vs. Boise State (ESPN2)

Patriot League Tournament: Preview & Prediction

Evan Dorey — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 14:09:29 -0800

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:

Patriot League Championship

The Patriot League Tournament features all league teams, with all games being hosted at the higher seed.

Tournament Odds

#	Team	SF	F	W
1	American	99.07%	97.22%	86.03%
2	Holy Cross	93.81%	80.21%	12.37%
3	Navy	85.31%	17.26%	1.28%
4	Army	66.79%	1.75%	0.16%
5	Lehigh	33.21%	0.83%	0.08%
6	Colgate	14.69%	1.39%	0.04%
7	Bucknell	6.19%	1.14%	0.03%
8	Lafayette	0.93%	0.19%	0.01%

Between their domination of the league and the home court advantage, American is the single most dominant favorite in any conference tournament of the season. Holy Cross seem to have the only serious chance of stopping the Eagles’ run.

#1 – American Eagles (21-7, 13-1) ; Efficiency Margin: +0.219

Last NCAA Tournament bid: 2008 (1^st Round)

After earning its first NCAA Tournament berth last season, American doesn’t seem like it’ll take long to get its second, having lost just once since late December, and entering the tournament on a 10-game winning streak. It might be easier to list what American doesn’t do better than anyone else in the league, it’s so dominant. The Eagles are excellent shooters, 47% overall and at nearly 40% from behind the arc. They take a lot of threes, and play a slow, deliberate offense that focuses on ball control. They are also the best at defending shots in the PL, allowing opponents the same percentage from two that they shoot from three themselves. The Eagles also dominate the defensive glass, so opponents have a lot of one-miss-and-out possessions.

Players to watch:

5-11 SR Garrison Carr, 17.6 PPG, 3.0 RPG, 50.7 eFG% - Carr leads the Eagles in scoring, and is basically the only guy who takes threes on the team, his 251 attempts about the same as the rest of the team combined. He’s made nearly 38% of them, nearly as good a percentage as his two-point attempts. He’s a typical sort of high-usage player, providing solid efficiency over a large number of possessions, and freeing up other players into smaller, more effective roles.

6-8 SR Brian Gilmore, 11.8 PPG, 5.5 RPG, 60.7 eFG% - Gilmore is the main option for American inside, a very good inside scorer with a great touch from outside as well. He leads the team in rebounding, but his rates on the boards aren’t particularly good. While he doesn’t often put up a big number, he chips in with effective shooting down low.

#2 – Holy Cross Crusaders (16-13, 11-3) ; Efficiency Margin: +0.114

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

Holy Cross had a poor non-conference season, picking up a number of bad losses (including three against the Ivy), but turned it on when Patriot play started, and were the only team to beat American. The Crusaders dominated the rest of the league as well, and have the second best offense and defense, behind only the Eagles. Holy Cross depends on getting the ball inside to score, and going 50% on two-point shots makes up for struggles with long-distance shots and free-throws. It’s a good offensive rebounding team, and distributes the ball well, but turns the ball over too often to be really efficient. Defensively, the word is possessions. The Crusaders are decent at stopping shots, but really shine at denying opponents chances with turnovers and rebounds.

Players to watch:

6-9 SO Andrew Keister, 9.0 PPG, 6.5 RPG, 59.6 eFG% - Keister may not be the Crusaders’ first option, but he’s the most efficient offensive player by a wide margin. That tends to happen when you lead the team in rebounding and shoot a better percentage from the field (60%) than from the stripe (56%).

6-4 SR Colin Cunningham, 8.6 PPG, 4.8 RPG, 3.6 APG, 1.8 SPG, 47.1 eFG% - If Cunningham were a half-decent three point shooter, he’d be an excellent player. However, his 29% mark from beyond the arc really drags him down. Beyond that, he’s a good ball distribution guard who leads the league in steals.

#3 – Navy Midshipmen (19-10, 8-6) ; Efficiency Margin: +0.030

Last NCAA Tournament bid: 1998 (1^st Round)

Navy first came to my attention when it shot 71% from the field in beating Texas San Antonio, but it couldn’t keep that level of play when conference play came around, and ended up hanging just above .500 the whole season. The Midshipmen are a step down from the two leading teams on the offensive end, but are still clearly better than the teams below them. They play a fairly quick style that depends on avoiding turnovers, where they are best in the conference, and making long-distance shots, where they are only average. Navy is a pretty good team at defending the perimeter, but get beaten out inside, and are only an average league defense.

Players to watch:

6-4 SR Kaleo Kina, 17.9 PPG, 5.6 RPG, 3.8 APG, 1.4 SPG, 44.4 eFG% - Kina leads the Midshipmen in scoring, rebounds, assists and steals, and when his shooting touch is on, he’s as dangerous a scorer as there is in the league. The problem comes when his shots aren’t falling, as he is capable of some frightening lines, especially from three, where he shoots just 25%.

6-2 JR Chris Harris, 15.7 PPG, 2.5 RPG, 1.4 SPG, 48.3 eFG% - Harris is the team’s second leading scorer, and takes the majority of his shots from behind the arc, where he makes a better percentage than he shoots inside.

#4 – Army Black Knights (10-18, 6-8) ; Efficiency Margin: -0.052

Last NCAA Tournament bid: None

Army has had one of the nation’s worst offenses, and the worst in the Patriot League, so its 6-8 final record is a testament to its ability to defend. The Black Knights are decent shooters, 41 % overall, but struggle inside, and lose so many possessions with poor rebounding and turnovers that that their shooting doesn’t really matter. Army defends shots well, and forces a lot of turnovers, good enough for the Patriot’s third-best defense, but not good enough to keep up with the conference leaders.

Players to watch:

6-3 JR Cleveland Richard, 11.8 PPG, 3.4 RPG, 1.6 SPG, 53.9 eFG% - Richard is the Black Knights’ main threat from behind the arc, and the team’s leading scorer. The team is quite deep, using a lot of players, but Richards’ shooting ability clearly sets him apart.

5-11 JR Josh Miller, 9.2 PPG, 3.3 RPG, 3.4 APG, 45.5 eFG% - The team’s best ball distribution guard, Miller doesn’t score much, and his two point shooting is a weakness at just 43%.

#5 – Lehigh Mountain Hawks (15-13, 5-9) ; Efficiency Margin: -0.057

Last NCAA Tournament bid: 2004 (Play-In)

There’s not much separating the teams in slots 4-7, and the Mountain Hawks’ trip to Army to open the tournament should be a good one, if the triple overtime game the two played in the regular season is any indication. Lehigh’s in-conference inconsistency can be blamed, for a large part, on their shooting, which is among the worst in the nation, and easily the worst in the PL. It especially struggles from two, where it takes the majority of its shots, and even good rebounding and interior defense weren’t enough to get it to the .500 mark.

Players to watch:

5-11 JR Marquis Hall, 14.1 PPG, 5.1 RPG, 4.0 APG, 1.7 SPG, 44.7 eFG% - Hall is the first part of Lehigh’s inside-outside duo, and is a good guard in every area but his shot. He’s a decent rebounder, and has a very good assist rate, but his shooting inside the arc is quite weak, and is the major failing in his game.

6-7 JR Zahir Carrington, 14.0 PPG, 8.4 RPG, 44.2 eFG% - The conference’s leading rebounder, Carrington’s 44% from the floor is pretty disappointing, and really reduces his effectiveness as an offensive option. He does get a good number of points at the free throw line, where he makes fairly frequent appearances.

#6 – Colgate Red Raiders (9-19, 5-9) ; Efficiency Margin: -0.060

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

Colgate sat at 5-5 with two-and-a-half weeks left in the season, but a disastrous end to the season that included a tough series of road games saw them slump into the bottom portion of the conference. The Red Raiders are an average offensive team, though their slow pace makes them seem less potent then they are. They sit fifth in FG% and turnovers, so the middle-of-the pack overall efficiency fits with a balanced, mediocre unit. Defensively, they manage to hold opponents to a reasonable percentage, but have trouble stopping opponents from getting a possession advantage, with their rebounding a major culprit.

Players to watch:

6-6 JR Ben Jonson, 10.2 PPG, 5.1 RPG, 49.7 eFG% - The junior forward is Colgate’s best option inside, and has really upped his level of play while taking on a larger role. He’s a solid rebounder, and is a good scorer from the floor who puts up a lot of points at the free throw line.

6-1 SO Mike Venezia, 10.6 PPG, 2.5 RPG, 44.5 eFG% - Venezia leads the Red Raiders in scoring, but his shot needs a lot of work, especially with his 41% inside. Considering that he doesn’t contribute many steals or assists, he’s a very inefficient player when his shots aren’t falling, which is fairly often.

#7 – Bucknell Bison (7-22, 4-10) ; Efficiency Margin: -0.055

Last NCAA Tournament bid: 2006 (2^nd Round)

Just three years removed from the second of their pair of memorable NCAA runs, the Bison have shown just how fleeting success can be, slipping to a spot just above the Patriot League cellar. The Bison are good shooters, and don’t turn the ball over much, but are woefully outclassed inside, putting up one of the nation’s worst two-point percentages. Likewise, they defend the three well, but allow opponents to score with relative ease inside. A couple of things don’t quite fit with this profile; Bucknell forces very few turnovers, but is excellent at defensive rebounding, despite playing at a fairly high pace.

Players to watch:

6-8 JR Patrick Behan, 13.8 PPG, 6.7 RPG, 45.8 eFG% - Behan fits with what we’ve seen from several Patriot League forwards, a good rebounder who takes a lot of his team’s shots, but doesn’t shoot a particularly good percentage.

6-1 SR Justin Castleberry, 11.5 PPG, 3.8 RPG, 44.5 eFG% - Castleberry has a good scoring average, but not much else; he put up a good steal rate, and he’s a decent three-point shooter, but his sub-40% shooting from two means he’s a pretty inefficient player.

#8 – Lafayette Leopards (8-21, 4-10) ; Efficiency Margin: -0.117

Last NCAA Tournament bid: 2000 (1^st Round)

When I’ve been describing some of the teams above as relatively poor defensively, this has been within the context of the Patriot League, where the average team has scored well below a point-per-possession. Lafayette is the only team that allows more than that, and have been easily the worst team in the conference. The Leopards’ opponents shoot 47% from the field, and manage to score inside and outside with equal impunity. Lafayette also commits a lot of fouls, giving opponents even more high-percentage chances. Offensively, Lafayette are about average in the conference, a three-heavy offense that doesn’t shoot a great long distance percentage, but is effective inside and at the line.

Players to watch:

6-2 SR Jeff Kari, 10.6 PPG, 3.8 RPG, 2.7 APG, 48.2 eFG% - Kari is 2^nd on the team in scoring, but he’s not a particularly effective guard, having an even assist/turnover ratio and a below average shot inside and outside.

5-11 SR Andrew Brown, 13.6 PPG, 1.8 RPG, 3.1 APG, 43.6 eFG% - Lafayette’s leading scorer and assist man, Brown is another player who’s struggled to make shots, below 30% from three and under 35% overall.

My statistical all-Patriot League team:

American SR G Garrison Carr, 17.6 PPG, 3.0 RPG, 50.7 eFG%

Navy SR G Kaleo Kina, 17.9 PPG, 5.6 RPG, 3.8 APG, 1.4 SPG, 44.4 eFG

Navy JR G Chris Harris, 15.7 PPG, 2.5 RPG, 1.4 SPG, 48.3 eFG%

Army JR G Cleveland Richard, 11.8 PPG, 3.4 RPG, 1.6 SPG, 53.9 eFG%

American SR F Brian Gilmore, 11.8 PPG, 5.5 RPG, 60.7 eFG%

Patroit League Tournament: Quarterfinals Preview

Press Release — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 07:28:21 -0800

Center Valley, Pa. - The quest for the 2009 Patriot League Men's Basketball Championship begins with the quarterfinal round on Wednesday, with defending champion American playing as the No. 1 seed and hosting No. 8 Lafayette. No. 2 Holy Cross hosts No. 7 Bucknell, No. 3 Navy takes on No. 6 Colgate and No. 4 Army hosts No. 5 Lehigh in the other three contests.

Patriot League Quarterfinal Preview

It's win or go home time in Patriot League men's basketball, as the League Tournament tips off with the quarterfinal round on Wednesday. The evening's action begins at 7 p.m. with No. 7 seed Bucknell at No. 2 Holy Cross, No. 6 Colgate at No. 3 Navy and No. 5 Lehigh at No. 4 Army. The No. 1 seeded American Eagles begin defense of their League title at 7:30 p.m. at Bender Arena against No. 8 Lafayette. The winner of the Lehigh/Army game plays the winner of Lafayette/American in the semifinals on Sunday, with the winners on the other side of the bracket also facing off that day. All Patriot League Tournament games are played at the site of the higher seed, with the Championship on March 13

The Eagles won the Patriot League with a 13-1 mark in the regular season, claiming the top seed in the Tournament for the second year in a row. They are led by senior guards Derrick Mercer and Garrison Carr. Mercer was named Patriot League Player of the Year on Monday, while Carr earned his second consecutive First-Team All-League award. The Eagles are tied for third in the nation with a 10-game winning streak, and have victories in 16 of their last 17 games. Lafayette is led by senior guard Andrew Brown, who averages 13.6 points per game.

The Mountain Hawks and Black Knights play in the quarterfinals for the third year in a row. Lehigh is led by First-Team All-League selection Marquis Hall and Second-Team All-League choice Zahir Carrington. Army places 34th in the country in scoring defense, and has Patriot League Defensive Player of the year Marcus Nelson and Second-Team All-League pick Cleveland Richard on its side.

Bucknell and Holy Cross are meeting in the Patriot Leaguue Tournament for a record 12th time, with the Bison holding a 6-5 edge thus far. Bucknell is led by Second-Team All-League choice Patrick Behan, who has five consecutive 20-point games. Holy Cross boasts First-Team All-League pick Andrew Keister and Patriot League Rookie of the Year R.J. Evans for a team that went 11-3 in Patriot League action.

Colgate and Navy face off in Annapolis after just playing on Saturday in a game won by the Mids. The Raiders have lost five consecutive games coming into action, but do have three players scoring around 10 points per contest. Navy boasts First-Team All-Patriot League choice Kaleo Kina and Second-Team All-League pick Chris Harris, who each finished in the top three in overall and League only scoring in 2008-09.

Patriot League Notebook

American Enters Exclusive Company in League Annals

By clinching the No. 1 seed in the Patriot League Tournament, American become the first team since Lafayette in 1998-00 to earn the top seed in consecutive seasons. The Leopards are the only program to earn three straight No. 1 seeds, with Colgate (1995-96)?and Fordham (1990-91) the others to do it in consecutive years. American is also the first team in League annals to earn sole possession of the regular-season title for two straight seasons. The Eagles will play as the No. 1 seed in the Tournament for the third time in eight years as a League member, with the other instance in 2002. American has captured a top four seed in each of its League seasons.

No. 1 Usually Ends Up No. 1

If history rings true, American has to like its chances as the No. 1 seed with home court throughout the Patriot League Tournament. The top seed has won 14 of the 18 League Tournaments, and has advanced to the title game every season. American continued that trend by winning the Championship as the No. 1 seed last year.

Repeat Is No Unusual Feat

Also in the Eagles' favor is the history of repeat champions in the Patriot League. There have already been six repeat champions in League annals, with just four champions earning only a single crown. Lehigh is the only Patriot League program to win one title but never repeat as a champion, a distinction the Eagles will try to avoid joining this season.

-- From PatriotLeague.org

Daily Conference Poll: Who Will Win the Patriot League?

Shawn Siegel — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 08:40:36 -0800