CAA Basketball

Friday Afternoon Conference Tournament Happenings

Raphielle Johnson — Fri, 04 Mar 2011 14:37:11 -0800

You know it's March where there's midday college basketball to be discussed. Friday afternoon delivered just six games (one in progress) but there hasn't been a lack of drama. The Colonial, Missouri Valley and Southern conferences all had afternoon doubleheaders in their tournaments, with the MVC in the quarterfinals while the other two leagues are playing first round games today.

Colonial

(8) Georgia State 58, (9) UNC Wilmington 52

The collegiate career of UNC Wilmington guard Chad Tomko came to a tough end in the first game of the day in Richmond. Tomko led the Seahawks with 19 points but he shot 7-for-21 from the field and finished with four turnovers, the last of which came with just over a minute remaining and UNCW trailing by five (54-49). As a team UNCW shot a season-worst 29.5% from the field, and they could never get into a groove offensively. It also didn't help that the Seahawks made just 10 of 20 from the foul line. Josh Micheaux led the Panthers, who earn the honor of facing regular season champion George Mason at noon tomorrow, with 14 points while Eric Buckner added 12 and Jihad Ali grabbed 11 rebounds to go along with his nine points. And the play of Marques Johnson shouldn't be overlooked either as he dished out seven assists to just one turnover on the day. George Mason beat Georgia State 66-51 in their lone meeting on January 15th.

(5) Drexel 75, (12) Towson 69

Considering the fact that Towson went into today's game winless in CAA contests this season, many expected Bruiser Flint's Dragons to simply run through the Tigers on their way to a matchup with VCU on Saturday. But that wasn't the case as Pat Kennedy's squad remained competitive throughout, but they couldn't take advantage of an opportunity to tie the game late due in part to some bad foul shooting by Drexel. The Dragons survive with Samme Givens leading the way, scoring 22 points and grabbing 14 rebounds for his 10th double-double of the season. Chris Fouch added 15 points of the bench while CAA All-Rookie Team member Frantz Massenat scored 13 and handed out five assists. Dartaye Ruffin, who had a rough time at the charity stripe late, grabbed 12 rebounds while also scoring eight points. Josh Brown led four Tigers in double figures with 18 points but they were whipped on the boards by a 43-26 margin.

Missouri Valley

(1) Missouri State 58, (8) Southern Illinois 56

Southern Illinois got out of the gates quickly, outscoring the regular season champion Bears 11-3 over the first 2:53 of the game and led 32-24 at the half. But despite those facts and a 56-47 lead with 2:49 remaining, the Salukis went out in heartbreaking fashion as a Kyle Weems basket with 1.4 seconds to go capped an 11-0 run to end the game. Adam Leonard led Missouri State with a game-high 20 points while Weems added 14, making up for a 5-for-18 afternoon from the field with the late-game heroics. Mamadou Seck led SIU with 15 points and 14 rebounds and Kendal Brown-Surles and Justin Bocot scored 11 apiece. Rebounding (38-28 edge) and points from the foul line (15-6 advantage) helped out Cuonzo Martin's club, who has to come out with more energy to start in tomorrow's semifinal against Creighton if they're to get to Sunday's final.

(5) Creighton 70, (4) Northern Iowa 67

The Blue Jays survived some suspect play late, most notably a missed layup that would have sealed the game by Jahenns Manigat, to beat the Panthers in the second quarterfinal of the day. Kwadzo Ahelegbe tried to draw a foul on the final shot of the game but Manigat stayed on the ground, not falling for the shot fake and forcing the senior to put up a challenged shot that fell short. Forwards Doug McDermott and Kenny Lawson, Jr. were the difference for the Blue Jays, with McDermott scoring 16 points (including nine of the first 11) to go along with seven rebounds and Lawson dropped in 18 off the bench. UNI took away the inside play that hurt them in the first half, but all that did was allow the preseason MVC Player of the Year to do damage via Creighton's pick-and-pop game. Antoine Young scored 11 points and racked up seven assists, being every bit the problem for the Panthers that he was in the regular season. Ahelegbe finished with 14 points and four assists, and Anthony James added 10 for UNI.

Southern

UNC Greensboro 71, Davidson 64

To say the least it's a bit weird to talk about Davidson in March with the subject being their loss in the first round of the conference tournament. But that's exactly what happened to Bob McKillop's team, as UNCG sent them home in the first game of the day in Chattanooga. It doesn't help matters when you shoot 24% from the field, as the Wildcats made just 18 of 75 shots on the day. Freshman Trevis Simpson led the Spartans with 15 points and 10 rebounds and teammates Brandon Evans (12) and Kyle Randall (11) each reached double figures as they won their seventh game of the season. Brendan McKillop led Davidson with 14 points and J.P. Kuhlman added 11. Next up for UNC Greensboro is a matchup with the top seed in the North Division, Western Carolina.

Appalachian State 65, Georgia Southern 57

Donald Sims led three Mountaineers in double figures with a game-high 20 points to go along with four rebounds and two assists in the win over Georgia Southern. Neither team shot well from beyond the arc (combined 3-for-19) but Appalachian State scored 27 of their 65 points from the foul line in the win. Ben Drayton III led the Eagles with 16 points but it wasn't enough to prevent the end of their season. Next up for Appalachian State is defending tournament champion Wofford in the second quarterfinal tomorrow.

Tonight's Games

Atlantic Sun Semifinals (ESPN3)
(1) Belmont vs. (5) Mercer
(2) East Tennessee State vs. (6) North Florida

CAA First Round (CAASports.com)
(10) Northeastern vs. (7) Delaware (29-27 Northeastern at halftime)
(11) William & Mary vs. (6) James Madison

Horizon Quarterfinals (ESPN3)
(6) Wright State vs. (3) Cleveland State (31-27 Cleveland State at halftime)
(5) Detroit vs. (4) Valparaiso

MAAC First Round (MAACSports.com)
(8) Niagara vs. (9) Marist
(7) Siena vs. (10) Manhattan

Missouri Valley Quarterfinals (FSN Midwest)
(7) Bradley vs. (2) Wichita State
(6) Evansville vs. (3) Indiana State

Ohio Valley Semifinals (ESPNU)
(4) Tennessee Tech vs. (1) Murray State
(3) Austin Peay vs. (2) Morehead State

Southern Conference First Round (SoConSports.com)
(N6) Samford vs. (S3) Furman
(S5) The Citadel vs. (N4) Elon

WCC First Round (ESPN3)
(8) Loyola Marymount vs. (5) Portland
(7) San Diego vs. (6) Pepperdine

Other Games (regular season)
Brown at Cornell
Princeton at Dartmouth
Penn at Harvard
Yale at Columbia
Akron at Kent State
Ohio at Miami (OH)

HOOPS TALK LIVE SATURDAY 11am-NOON

MAAC Hoops

Schedules for NYC Area Teams Released

Raphielle Johnson — Fri, 17 Sep 2010 23:44:34 -0700

An eventful offseason for New York metropolitan area college basketball is steadily transitioning into the 2010-11 season, with individual workouts and team lifting sessions leading into the start of practice in four weeks. That also means the official release of schedules for most of the team, and you can find them here.

MAAC Schedules
NEC Schedules

Columbia
Fri, Nov 12 at La Salle
Mon, Nov 15 MARYLAND EASTERN SHORE 7 p.m.
Wed, Nov 17 at St. John's
Sat, Nov 20 at Longwood
Tue, Nov 23 COLGATE 7 p.m.
Sun, Nov 28 at American 2 p.m.
Wed, Dec 1 at Bucknell 7 p.m.
Sat, Dec 4 STONY BROOK
Tue, Dec 7 WAGNER 7 p.m.
Sat, Dec 11 BRYANT
Thu, Dec 30 at Maine 7 p.m.
Sun, Jan 2 ELON 4 p.m.
Wed, Jan 5 at Lafayette 7 p.m.
Sat, Jan 8 UNION
Sat, Jan 15 CORNELL * 7 p.m.
Sat, Jan 22 at Cornell *
Fri, Jan 28 at Harvard * 7 p.m.
Sat, Jan 29 at Dartmouth * 7 p.m.
Fri, Feb 4 at Brown * 7 p.m.
Sat, Feb 5 at Yale * 6 p.m.
Fri, Feb 11 PRINCETON * 7 p.m.
Sat, Feb 12 PENN * 7 p.m.
Fri, Feb 18 DARTMOUTH * 7 p.m.
Sat, Feb 19 HARVARD * 7 p.m.
Fri, Feb 25 at Penn * 7 p.m.
Sat, Feb 26 at Princeton * 6 p.m.
Fri, Mar 4 YALE * 7 p.m.
Sat, Mar 5 BROWN * 7 p.m.
* Conference Games

Fordham
Fri. Nov. 12 BROWN 8:00 p.m.
Mon. Nov. 15 SACRED HEART 7:00 p.m.
Fri. Nov. 19 HAMPTON 7:00 p.m.
Tues. Nov. 23 LONG ISLAND 7:00 p.m.
Sat. Nov. 27 HARTFORD 1:00 p.m.
Wed. Dec. 1 at Harvard 7:00 p.m.
Sat. Dec. 4 at Lehigh 7:30 p.m.
Wed. Dec. 8 MANHATTAN 7:00 p.m.
Sat. Dec. 11 ST. JOHN'S 7:00 p.m.
Wed. Dec. 22 KENNESAW STATE 7:00 p.m.
Mon. Dec. 27 at Georgia Tech 4:00 p.m.
Wed. Dec. 29 vs. American# 11:00 p.m.
Thurs. Dec. 30 vs. Santa Clara/Delaware# 9/11:00 p.m.
Wed. Jan. 5 TEMPLE * (Izod Center) CBSCR
Wed. Jan. 12 at George Washington*
Sat. Jan. 15 at Charlotte*
Wed. Jan. 19 SAINT LOUIS* (Izod Center)
Sat. Jan. 22 at Dayton*
Wed. Jan. 26 DUQUESNE* 7:00 p.m.
Sat. Jan. 29 ST. BONAVENTURE* 1:00 p.m.
Wed. Feb. 2 at Rhode Island*
Sat. Feb. 5 RICHMOND* 1:00 p.m.
Wed. Feb. 9 at Temple*
Sun. Feb. 13 SAINT JOSEPH'S* (Izod Center) CBSCR
Sat. Feb. 19 at Xavier*
Wed. Feb. 23 at St. Bonaventure*
Sat. Feb. 26 RHODE ISLAND* (Izod Center) CBSCR
Wed. Mar. 2 at La Salle*
Sat. Mar. 5 MASSACHUSETTS* 1:00 p.m.
Tues. Mar. 8 Atlantic 10 Championship - First Round TBA TBA
Fri. - Mar. 11- at Atlantic 10 Championship
Sun. Mar. 13 (Quarterfinals, Semifinals & Finals) Atlantic City, N.J. TBA
* - Atlantic 10 game

Hofstra
Sat, Nov 6 Molloy College (Exh.) 4:00 p.m.
Sat, Nov 13 Farmingdale State 4:00 p.m.
Puerto Rico Tip-Off
Thu, Nov 18 North Carolina 5:00 p.m. ESPN2
Fri, Nov 19 Minnesota/Western Kentucky
Sun, Nov 21 TBA
Fri, Nov 26 Wagner 7:00 p.m.
Mon, Nov 29 at Rider
Sat, Dec 4 Towson* 4:00 p.m.
Wed, Dec 8 at Binghamton 7 p.m.
Sat, Dec 11 Florida Atlantic 4 p.m.
Sat, Dec 18 at Manhattan
Wed, Dec 22 Holy Cross 7 p.m.
Wed, Dec 29 at Iona 7:30 p.m.
Mon, Jan 3 at Drexel*
Wed, Jan 5 George Mason*
Sat, Jan 8 at Northeastern*
Wed, Jan 12 at Towson*
Sat, Jan 15 Old Dominion*
Wed, Jan 19 North Carolina-Wilmington *
Sat, Jan 22 at William & Mary *
Mon, Jan 24 James Madison*
Wed, Jan 26 at Virginia Commonwealth *
Sat, Jan 29 Drexel*
Wed, Feb 2 at George Mason*
Sat, Feb 5 Northeastern*
Wed, Feb 9 at Georgia State*
Sat, Feb 12 at Delaware *
Tue, Feb 15 William & Mary *
Sat, Feb 19 ESPN Bracket Buster
Wed, Feb 23 at North Carolina-Wilmington *
Sat, Feb 26 Delaware *
Mar 4-7 CAA Tournament (Richmond, VA)
* Conference Games

NJIT
11/13/2010 Manhattan 2:00pm
11/15/2010 NYU-Poly 7:00pm
11/18/2010 Army 7:00pm
11/27/2010 at Vermont 1:00pm
12/1/2010 at Rutgers 7:30pm
12/4/2010 St. Joseph's (NY) 2:00pm
12/8/2010 at Lafayette 7:00pm
12/19/2010 at Seton Hall
12/22/2010 at Maryland 8:00pm
12/28/2010 Long Island
12/30/2010 at St. Francis (NY) 7:00pm
1/4/2011 Lehigh 7:00pm
1/8/2011 Marywood 2:00pm
1/12/2011 Texas-Pan American* 7:30pm
1/15/2011 Houston Baptist* 4:00pm
1/18/2011 at Longwood* 7:00pm
1/22/2011 at Chicago State*
1/24/2011 City Tech (NY) 5:00pm
1/29/2011 at Utah Valley*
2/1/2011 at Fairleigh Dickinson 7:30pm
2/5/2011 Longwood* 2:00pm
2/10/2011 North Dakota* 7:30pm
2/12/2011 South Dakota* 4:00pm
2/17/2011 at Houston Baptist*
2/19/2011 at Texas-Pan American*
2/24/2011 at South Dakota* 8:00pm (CT)
2/26/2011 at North Dakota*
3/3/2011 Utah Valley* 7:30pm
3/5/2011 Chicago State* 4:00pm
3/10-12/2011 Great West Conference Tournament (Orem, UT)
*- Conference game

Princeton
Fri, Nov 12 Rutgers 7 p.m.
CBE Classic
Sun, Nov 14 at Duke 5 p.m. ESPNU
Mon, Nov 22 at James Madison 7 p.m.
Tue, Nov 23 Bucknell (at JMU) 4:30 p.m.
Wed, Nov 24 Presbyterian (at JMU) 4:30 p.m.
Sun, Nov 28 Siena 2 p.m.
Tue, Nov 30 at Lafayette 7 p.m.
Sun, Dec 05 Saint Joseph's (PA) 5 p.m.
Wed, Dec 08 at Monmouth 7 p.m.
Sun, Dec 12 at Tulsa 1 p.m. CT
Fri, Dec 17 at Wagner 7 p.m.
Wed, Dec 22 at Towson
UCF Holiday Classic
Wed, Dec 29 Northeastern 5 p.m.
Thu, Dec 30 Furman/Central Florida 5 p.m./7:30 p.m.
Wed, Jan 05 Marist 7 p.m.
Sun, Jan 23 The College of New Jersey 3 p.m.
Fri, Jan 28 Brown * 7 p.m.
Sat, Jan 29 Yale * 6 p.m.
Fri, Feb 04 Harvard * 7 p.m. ESPNU
Sat, Feb 05 Dartmouth * 6 p.m.
Tue, Feb 08 Penn * 7 p.m.
Fri, Feb 11 at Columbia * 7 p.m.
Sat, Feb 12 at Cornell * 7 p.m.
Fri, Feb 18 at Yale * 7 p.m.
Sat, Feb 19 at Brown * 7 p.m.
Fri, Feb 25 Cornell * 7 p.m.
Sat, Feb 26 Columbia * 6 p.m.
Fri, Mar 04 at Dartmouth * 7 p.m.
Sat, Mar 05 at Harvard * 7 p.m.
Tue, Mar 08 at Penn *
* Conference Games

Rutgers
Mon. Nov. 1 McGill (exhibition) 7:30 p.m.
Fri. Nov. 12 at Princeton 7:00 p.m.
Mon. Nov. 15 Fairfield# 7:30 p.m.
Sun. Nov. 21 Miami (Fla.) 4:00 p.m.
Tue. Nov. 23 Norfolk State# 7:30 p.m.
Fri. Nov. 26 vs. St. Joseph's# (The Palestra)
Wed. Dec. 1 NJIT 7:30 p.m.
Tue. Dec. 7 Marist 7:30 p.m.
Sat. Dec. 11 vs. Auburn% (Consol Energy Center (Pittsburgh)) 12:30 p.m. ESPN2
Tue. Dec. 14 Fairleigh Dickinson 7:30 p.m.
Sat. Dec. 18 at Monmouth 7:00 p.m.
Thurs. Dec. 23 St. Peter's 7:30 p.m.
Tue. Dec. 28 vs. North Carolina (MSG) 9:00 p.m. ESPN2
Sun. Jan. 2 at Villanova* 1:00 p.m. ESPNU
Wed. Jan. 5 Marquette*
Sat. Jan. 8 Providence*
Tue. Jan. 11 at Connecticut*
Sat. Jan. 15 Georgetown* 12 noon ESPNU
Thu. Jan. 20 USF* 7:00 p.m. ESPN/ESPN2
Sat. Jan. 22 at Seton Hall*
Wed. Jan. 26 at Cincinnati*
Sat. Jan. 29 Pittsburgh* 8:00 p.m. ESPN2
Wed. Feb. 2 at St. John's*
Sun. Feb. 6 at Notre Dame*
Wed. Feb. 9 Villanova*
Sat. Feb. 12 Seton Hall* 7:00 p.m. ESPNU
Sat. Feb. 19 at Syracuse*
Tue. Feb. 22 Louisville* 9:00 p.m. ESPNU
Sun. Feb. 27 West Virginia*
Wed. March 2 at DePaul*
Sat. March 5 at Providence*
# - Philly Hoop Group Classic. % - DIRECTV SEC/BIG EAST Invitational. *-BIG EAST Conference game.

St. John's
Sat. Nov. 6 WESTMONT (Exh.) (Carnesecca Arena)
Tue. Nov. 16 at Saint Mary's 2 a.m. ESPN
Wed. Nov. 17 COLUMBIA (CA)
2010 Carrs/Safeway Great Alaska Shootout
Thurs. Nov. 25 vs. Ball State
Fri. Nov. 26 vs. Southern Utah/Drake
Sat. Nov. 27 Championship
Wed. Dec. 1 WAGNER (CA)
Tues. Dec. 7 ST. BONAVENTURE (CA)
Sat. Dec. 11 at Fordham
Madison Square Garden Holiday Festival
Mon. Dec. 20 Northwestern vs. St. Francis
DAVIDSON
Tues. Dec. 21 Consolation
Championship
Wed. Dec. 29 at West Virginia*
Sat. Jan. 1 at Providence*
Mon. Jan. 3 GEORGETOWN* (MSG) 7 p.m. ESPN2
Sat. Jan. 8 at Notre Dame* 8 p.m. ESPNU
Wed. Jan. 12 SYRACUSE* (MSG) 7 p.m. ESPNU
Sun. Jan. 16 NOTRE DAME* (MSG)
Wed. Jan. 19 at Louisville*
Sat. Jan. 22 CINCINNATI* (CA)
Wed. Jan. 26 at Georgetown*
Sun. Jan. 30 DUKE (MSG) 1 p.m. CBS
Wed. Feb. 2 RUTGERS* (CA)
Sat. Feb. 5 at UCLA 1 p.m. CBS
Thurs. Feb. 10 CONNECTICUT* (MSG) 7 p.m. ESPN/ESPN2
Sun. Feb. 13 at Cincinnati*
Tues. Feb. 15 at Marquette* 9 p.m. ESPNU
Sat. Feb. 19 PITT* (MSG) Noon ESPN
Wed. Feb. 23 DEPAUL* (CA)
Sat. Feb. 26 at Villanova* 2 p.m. ESPN
Thurs. March 3 at Seton Hall* 7 p.m. ESPN/ESPN2
Sat. March 5 USF* (CA)

Seton Hall
Fri. Nov. 5 William Paterson (Exh. - Walsh Gym) 7:00 p.m.
Fri. Nov. 12 at Temple
Sun. Nov. 14 CORNELL
2010 Paradise Jam (US Virgin Islands)
Fri. Nov. 19 vs. Alabama ^ 6:00 p.m.
Sat/Sun Nov. 20/21 vs. Iowa or Xavier ^ TBD
Mon. Nov. 22 vs. TBD ^ TBD
Mon. Nov. 29 SAINT PETER'S
Wed. Dec. 8 vs. Arkansas # 7:00 p.m. ESPN2
Sat. Dec. 11 at Massachusetts
Mon. Dec. 13 LONGWOOD
Sun. Dec. 19 NJIT
Wed. Dec. 22 DAYTON
Sun. Dec. 26 RICHMOND
Tue. Dec. 28 USF*
Fri. Dec. 31 at Cincinnati* 8:00 p.m. ESPN2
Wed. Jan. 5 at Louisville* 7:00 p.m. ESPNU
Sat. Jan. 8 SYRACUSE*
Wed. Jan. 12 at DePaul*
Sat. Jan. 15 at Pittsburgh*
Tue. Jan. 18 GEORGETOWN*
Sat. Jan. 22 RUTGERS*
Tue. Jan. 25 at Syracuse*
Sun. Jan. 30 PROVIDENCE*
Wed. Feb. 2 at West Virginia*
Sat. Feb. 5 CONNECTICUT* 7:00 p.m. ESPNU
Sat. Feb. 12 at Rutgers* 7:00 p.m. ESPNU
Tue. Feb. 15 VILLANOVA*
Sat. Feb. 19 at Marquette*
Sat. Feb. 26 at Notre Dame* 5 or 7:00 p.m. ESPNU
Thu. Mar. 3 ST. JOHN'S* 7:00 p.m. ESPN/ESPN2
Sat. Mar. 5 MARQUETTE*
Tue.-Sat. Mar. 8-12 at BIG EAST Championship (Madison Square Garden)
* - BIG EAST game
^ - 2010 U.S. Virgin Islands Paradise Jam
# - 2010 DIRECTV SEC/BIG EAST Invitational in Louisville, Ky.

Yale
Nov. 13 vs. Quinnipiac @ Mohegan Sun Arena
Nov. 15 at Providence 7:00 PM
Nov. 18 at Boston College 7:00 PM
Nov. 23 at Illinois (ESPNU) 9:45 PM
Nov. 27 Army 2:00 PM
Nov. 30 Hartford 7:00 PM
Dec. 4 at Vermont 1:00 PM
Dec. 6 Albany 7:30 PM
Dec. 8 at Bryant 7:00 PM
Dec. 19 Sacred Heart 2:00 PM
Dec. 28 at Stanford
Dec. 31 Lehigh 2:00 PM
Jan. 5 at Holy Cross 7:00 PM
Jan. 8 Baruch 2:00 PM
Jan. 15 at Brown * 2:00 PM
Jan. 22 Brown * 2:00 PM
Jan. 28 at Penn *
Jan. 29 at Princeton * 6:00 PM
Feb. 4 Cornell * 7:00 PM
Feb. 5 Columbia * 6:00 PM
Feb. 11 at Harvard * 7:00 PM
Feb. 12 at Dartmouth * 7:00 PM
Feb. 18 Princeton * 7:00 PM
Feb. 19 Penn * 7:00 PM
Feb. 25 Dartmouth * 7:00 PM
Feb. 26 Harvard * 6:00 PM
Mar. 4 at Columbia * 7:00 PM
Mar. 5 at Cornell * 7:00 PM
* = Conference game

NYC Metro Hoops

Met Basketball Writers Association Honors Announced

Raphielle Johnson — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 17:01:22 -0700

The Met Basketball Writers Association announced their annual honors on Wednesday, naming Hofstra junior guard Charles Jenkins the winner of the Haggerty Award (Player of the Year). Winning the award for the second consecutive year, Jenkins joins the following list of players to have won the Haggerty two or more times in their collegiate careers:

Dick McGuire, St. John's (1944, 1949)
Sid Tannenbaum, NYU (1946-47)
Ed Conlin, Fordham (1954-55)
Jim McMillan, Columbia (1968, 1969, 1970)
Phil Sellers, Rutgers (1975-76)
Chris Mullin, St. John's (1983, 1984, 1985)
Malik Sealy, St. John's (1991-92)
Luis Flores, Manhattan (2003-04)

The other individual winners were Stony Brook's Steve Pikiell (Peter A. Carlesimo Coach of the Year) and Fordham freshman forward Chris Gaston (Rookie of the Year). The three All-Met teams are (seniors in bold; NBA Draft early entrants in italics):

First Team
G Charles Jenkins (Hofstra)
G Jeremy Hazell (Seton Hall)
G/F D.J. Kennedy (St. John's)
G Ryan Thompson (Rider)
G Jaytornah Wisseh (LIU)
G Muhammad El-Amin (Stony Brook)

Second Team
C Hamady Ndiaye (Rutgers)
G Mike Rosario (Rutgers); transferring to Florida
F Anthony Johnson (Fairfield)
F Herb Pope (Seton Hall)
G Scott Machado (Iona)
F Chris Gaston (Fordham)

Third Team
G Rico Pickett (Manhattan)
G Derek Needham (Fairfield)
G Sean Baptiste (FDU)
G Norwua Agho (Columbia)
G Wesley Jenkins (Saint Peter's)
F Travis Taylor (Monmouth)

Thoughts: No real complaints. You can definitely make a case for Herb Pope being on the First Team. But I agree with the guys over at Gonzo Ball in the idea that Pope may have been penalized for his behavior in games at St. John's (backhanded slap to Malik Boothe's groin that was missed by officials) and against Texas Tech in the NIT (two punches to the groin of an opposing player that resulted in his ejection). Also, I'd swap Rosario with Needham; you could even swap the MAAC Rookie of the Year with Scott Machado but I would leave Scott due to his role in the team's overall success. And given how many of the players named All-Met are due to return next year should be a pretty good season.

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Conference Honors

America East: Despite their loss at Binghamton on Monday night it was a good week for Stony Brook, who won games at Air Force and defending America East champ UMBC. Junior Muhammad El-Amin shared the conference Player of the Week award with New Hampshire's Alvin Abreu, and freshman Bryan Dougher was named America East Rookie of the Week. While El-Amin accounted for 19.5 points and 4.0 rebounds in the two wins, Dougher averaged 20.5 points per game.

Big East: St. John's guard Paris Horne was named to the league's honor roll for his play in a 1-1 week for the Red Storm. In their upset of #10 Notre Dame on Saturday Horne scored fourteen points, and he averaged fifteen per game along with three steals for the two games.

Ivy League: Columbia freshman Norwua Agho was named Ivy League Rookie of the Week for his play in two tough losses for the Lions. In games against Sacred Heart and Lehigh Agho averaged 14.5 points, 2.5 rebounds and 2.0 steals. Area players named to the conference's Honor Roll include Columbia guard Kevin Bulger, Princeton guard Dan Mavraides and Yale forward Ross Morin.

MAAC: Marist guard R.J. Hall was named the league's Rookie of the Week for his play in games against Binghamton and Rider. Hall averaged 15.5 points per game and shot 55.6% from behind the arc.

NEC: Area players snagged both honors in the NEC this week, with FDU guard Sean Baptiste taking Choice Hotels NEC Player of the Week and Long Island's Julian Boyd being named Choice Hotels NEC Rookie of the Week. Baptiste averaged 25.3 points per game last week, while Boyd posted averages of eight points and six rebounds per game.

Weekly Honors

Team of the Week: Stony Brook

What they did: Road wins at Air Force (67-64) and UMBC (69-61)

Head coach Steve Pikiell has this team headed in the right direction, even with a loss on Monday night to a hot Binghamton team on the road. But for the Seawolves to get out of this three-game stretch on the road with a record of 2-1 is something that needs to be acknowledged. Winning in Clune Arena is tough for Mountain West teams, so for Stony Brook to go out west and pull out a close win is pretty impressive. Combine this with their win in Baltimore over the defending conference champions on Saturday and you've got two pieces of evidence that this program is moving up in the America East pecking order.

Newcomers Muhammad El-Amin and Bryan Dougher were both honored by the conference for their play, but the two wins were also results of solid defense (holding UMBC to 35.9% from the field) and rebounding (33-23 edge on the boards at Air Force helped counteract the Falcons shooting 52.8%; Stony Brook attempted nineteen more shots as a result). If the Seawolves can keep this effort up they'll have a serious shot at moving into the middle of the pack in America East.

Also deserving praise for their play last week are Long Island (home wins over Central Connecticut State and Sacred Heart moved the Blackbirds to 3-1 in the NEC), Rider (wins over Iona and Marist have the Broncs at 3-0 in the MAAC) and St. John's (recovering from a serious beating at Providence to knock off then-#10 Notre Dame at MSG).

Player of the Week: Sean Baptiste (Fairleigh Dickinson)

While he didn't start off the week in the best form, scoring just eight points in a loss to Rhode Island, Baptiste more than made up for that in the Knights' win over Quinnipiac on Saturday. 37 points and eight rebounds on 12-18 shooting from the field; simply put the junior guard was in a zone that some would have a hard time believing to be true. FDU may be 2-11 overall, with the newcomers still struggling to mesh in head coach Tom Green's system, but Baptiste has had a major role in both wins that also have the Knights right in the middle of the NEC standings at 2-2. One of the better guards in the metropolitan area, don't let his efforts get lost in the shuffle like the exploits of Manny Ubilla did last year.

Other players who should be mentioned (besides those honored by their conferences) include Rutgers' Mike Rosario (19.3 ppg in losses to North Carolina, Pittsburgh and Connecticut), Seton Hall's Jeremy Hazell (26 ppg in losses to Syracuse and West Virginia) and St. John's D.J. Kennedy (20 points, 10 rebounds in the Red Storm's 71-65 win over Notre Dame).

Schedule (January 6th-12th)

Tuesday January 6th

7 PM: Fairfield @ Army
8 PM: #17 Villanova @ Seton Hall The Pirates weren't done any favors in regards to their conference schedule, and they could be in serious jeopardy of starting Big East play 0-4. Visit a ranked Syracuse, host a West Virginia team that should have been ranked a few weeks ago...and follow those two blowout losses with Villanova. The backcourt matchups should be entertaining, but that's not the area of concern for the Pirates. John Garcia will have to work himself back into shape due to the time he missed with a knee injury, and neither Mike Davis or Brandon Walters have stepped up to fill that void. 6-6, 180-pound Robert Mitchell is playing the four, and while some may cite the fact that Brian Laing played that role at times last season you have to keep in mind that the now-departed Laing was much stronger than Mitchell is. Bobby Gonzalez needs this win in the worst way if the Pirates are to keep alive fleeting hopes of a postseason bid.

Wednesday January 7th

7 PM: St. Bonaventure @ Fordham
Delaware @ Hofstra This sets up to be a key game in the CAA with both teams sporting 1-2 league records. Hofstra was ice-cold from the field in their loss to Drexel on Saturday, but they take on a Delaware team that has allowed 72.6 points per game on the year. That could be enough to snap Tom Pecora's team out of their current slump, but the Blue Hens have a trio of outstanding guards in Jawan Carter, Alphonso Dawson and Marc Egerson, all of whom average at least fifteen points per game. Even with George Mason and Northeastern leading the CAA with 3-0 records, this conference is shaping up to be an absolute dogfight, especially in the middle of the standings.
Bryant @ LIU
Yale @ NJIT
7:30: #15 Marquette @ Rutgers

Thursday January 8th

7 PM: FDU @ Mount St. Mary's
Wagner @ Central Connecticut State
St. Francis (PA) @ Sacred Heart
Maine @ Stony Brook This one sets up to be a test for how much the Seawolves have improved given the fact that on paper they should beat the Black Bears at home. Winning games you're expected to win is another step in going from also-ran to a player in your conference race. If Muhammad El-Amin and Bryan Dougher can continue their solid play of late, look for Stony Brook to pick up another conference win in their first America East home game of the year.

Friday January 9th

7 PM: NJIT @ Columbia
Fairfield @ Loyola (MD)
Marist @ Manhattan
Rider @ Siena Rider is just a half-game behind overwhelming favorite Siena in the MAAC standings, but a look at their three league wins (Manhattan, Iona and Marist) may have some wondering of the Broncs are once again a contender. Ryan Thompson is up to his usual tricks, filling just about every column imaginable on a stat sheet and he's been helped by senior guard Harris Mansell and sophomore forward Mike Ringgold. The individual matchup between Thompson and Siena's Edwin Ubiles should be worth the price of admission itself, and the Broncs may still be smarting over the blowout they suffered in last year's MAAC Tournament final. Rest assured we'll know a lot more about Tommy Dempsey's team after this game.
Niagara @ St. Peter's
Canisius @ Iona

Saturday January 10th

Noon: Hofstra @ VCU
2 PM: Seton Hall @ #13 Notre Dame
Hartford @ Yale
4 PM: Colgate @ Army
Robert Morris @ Sacred Heart While neither team was picked to win the NEC, both are expected to be in the race throughout the season. And with preseason pick (and defending tournament champ) Mount St. Mary's sitting at 0-3 right now the winner stands to pick up some important separation in what should be a hotly-contested race. The Pioneers will have to account for Colonials' guard Jeremy Chappell, who's currently averaging just over seventeen points per game and also leads the team in rebounding. With four players averaging double digits Dave Bike's team is more balanced that Robert Morris, and they'll have to use that to their advantage in this one.
4:30: Mount St. Mary's @ St. Francis (NY)
7 PM: FDU @ Central Connecticut State
LIU @ Wagner
7:30: #9 Syracuse @ Rutgers

Sunday January 11th

Noon: St. John's @ #1 Pittsburgh
1 PM: #18 Xavier @ Fordham
2 PM: Loyola (MD) @ St. Peter's
Iona @ Rider
3 PM: Canisius @ Fairfield
4 PM: Siena @ Manhattan the Jaspers, my pick to be a sleeper in the MAAC this season, get a shot at the defending champs in Draddy Gymnasium. Both Chris Smith and Darryl Crawford have stepped up on the scoreboard this season, but this is a game in which head coach Barry Rohrssen will need outstanding performances from his two established stars (Antoine Pearson and Devon Austin) in order to pull off the upset. The frontcourt will also have to play to its full capability, with Siena having one of the league's best power forwards in Alex Franklin.
Niagara @ Marist

Updated Ranking (previous week in parentheses)

1. St. John's (10-4; 2)
2. Seton Hall (9-5; 1)
3. Rider (8-5; 8)
4. Fairfield (8-6; 3)
5. Rutgers (9-6; 5)
6. Hofstra (9-5; 4)
7. Wagner (9-4; 7)
8. Stony Brook (8-6; 9)
9. Manhattan (8-6; 6)
10. Marist (6-10; 10)
11. Iona (6-9; 11)
12. LIU (6-7; 14)
13. Sacred Heart (4-9; 12)
14. Columbia (4-9; 13)
15. Princeton (3-8; 16)
16. Yale (3-9; 15)
17. Army (4-9; 18)
18. Monmouth (4-12; 20)
19. St. Francis (NY) (3-10; 17)
20. St. Peter's (4-10; 21)
21. FDU (2-12; 19)
22. Fordham (2-10; 22)
23. NJIT (0-14; 23)

NYC Metro Hoops

Drexel wins at Hofstra 63-56

Raphielle Johnson — Sat, 03 Jan 2009 13:31:01 -0800

NYC Metro Hoops

CAA play starts this weekend

Andrew Parente — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 17:07:54 -0800

CAA Basketball

Metro Ranking and Report: Update #5

Raphielle Johnson — Mon, 29 Dec 2008 22:23:13 -0800

The final days of 2008, for most of the teams in the area (save the Ivies and NJIT), mean a transition into full-time conference play. Some schools still have a game or two outside of conference play later in the season, but for the most part it's all about focusing on the direct way of getting to the NCAA Tournament. Big East play begins early this week, and despite a big win over FDU Seton Hall fans have to wonder what the opener at Syracuse will bring for a team that lacks bodies inside. St. John's has been juggling injuries of late, which has forced some youngsters to step into expanded roles. And Rutgers is making some history, becoming the first school to take on the nation's top three teams in consecutive games. Pitt at home on Wednesday, and then a trip north to take on UConn Saturday.

But that's not the only league that'll require metropolitan area schools to run the gauntlet, with the NEC looking to be wide-open and the MAAC possibly being a deeper league than many expected with the preseason "Siena and the rest of them" prognostications. Hofstra has won nine of their last eleven games and have the look of a serious contender in the CAA, while Steve Pikiell has a much-improved Stony Brook squad looking to make a move up the standings in America East. Can any of these teams, at the least, set themselves up for a run come conference tournament time? That remains to be seen, but these early conference games will set the tone for 2009.

Team of the Week: Marist

The Red Foxes were one of the few teams in the area to play two games last week, and they went ahead and won both while snagging a pair of individual honors in the MAAC as well. Marist was competitive last week while going 0-2 in the Aeropostale Holiday Festival, but it was painfully obvious how important injured point guard David Devezin is. Head coach Chuck Martin will definitely need Devezin back for the lion's share of MAAC play, but he had to be encouraged by the play of freshman R.J. Hall at the point in wins over Delaware and Bucknell. Five and a half assists per game and an assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.57 is a good way to play heading back into conference play.

And don't forget the stellar play of senior Ryan Schneider, who has taken off in Coach Martin's offensive system. It was known that Schneider can put the ball in the basket, but for him to rebound the ball as well as he has this season (9.3 rpg) and last week (14.0 rpg) could mean that the Red Foxes won't finish in the MAAC cellar. And he'll earn postseason honors as well. There were some growing pains for this program early on, but Marist could very well be a dangerous team for some of the MAAC favorites in the coming weeks.

Player of the Week: G Jeremy Hazell (Seton Hall)

The sophomore from Harlem is at it again, cementing his reputation as one of the best scorers in the Big East while also expanding his game. In a 101-70 win over Fairleigh Dickinson on Saturday, Hazell went for 35 points and six rebounds. He currently leads the Big East in scoring at a clip of 22.4 points per game. But despite his scoring prowess, he can still improve as a ballhandler. He had five turnovers and no assists on Saturday, numbers that could make things very difficult for both himself and his team in conference play. Syracuse has played more man-to-man this season than in years past, and that may be a good thing for them heading into Tuesday's conference opener. This man is capable of hanging thirty on just about anyone.

Other outstanding performers last week include FDU's Sean Baptiste, Marist's Ryan Schneider, Rutgers' Mike Rosario and Stony Brook's Muhammad El-Amin.

Conference Honors

America East: Stony Brook juinor Muhammad El-Amin was honored as one of "The Best of the Rest" by the conference following last week's action. In a win over St. Peter's El-Amin tallied twenty-seven points, twenty of which came in the first half.

Atlantic 10: Fordham freshman guard Jio Fontan was named conference Co-Rookie of the Week following his eighteen point performance in the Rams' 60-56 win over New Hampshire on the 23rd. It's the second time winning the award for Fontan, who knocked down the gamewinning shot against the Wildcats.

Big East: Rutgers freshman guard Mike Rosario was named Big East Rookie of the Week due to his play in a 1-1 week for the Scarlet Knights. Rosario followed up a 24-point performance in a win over NJIT with twenty-six in a loss last night at #1 North Carolina. Rosario leads conference freshmen with an average of 17.5 points per game and leads the entire conference in free throw percentage (88.0%).

Ivy League: A pair of Yale Bulldogs were honored by the league for their play in a hard-fought 66-63 loss at Alabama last week. Senior Travis Pinick was named Player of the Week by the Ivy League for his seventeen points and eleven boards, while classmate Ross Morin was named to the Honor Roll for his twenty points against the Crimson Tide.

MAAC: Marist took home a pair of honors due to their 2-0 week. Senior forward Ryan Schneider, who averaged 25.5 points and 14.0 rebounds per game in wins over Delaware and Bucknell, was named Player of the Week. Freshman guard R.J. Hall, who averaged 8.5 points and 5.5 assists in the two wins, was named MAAC Rookie of the Week.

Schedule (December 30th-January 5th)

Tuesday 12/30

7 PM: Seton Hall @ #11 Syracuse this is the first game that will give us an idea of how the lack of size will affect the Pirates within the Big East. In Arinze Onuaku the Orange have one of the better big men in the conference; if it becomes apparent that they forget that and ignore him the look for the Hall to make this game very interesting. Eric Devendorf will also be back for Syracuse after missing time due to a university-imposed suspension. The Pirates will have to force turnovers and get the Orange to play faster than they want to if they're to steal the win on the road.
Rhode Island @ FDU
Princeton @ Lafayette
Marist @ Binghamton
Yale @ Hampton
St. Francis (NY) @ Ohio
Army @ Florida Gulf Coast
7:30: LIU @ Charlotte
8 PM: Wagner @ Kansas State

Wednesday 12/31

2 PM: #3 Pittsburgh @ Rutgers
Sacred Heart @ Boston College
Lehigh @ NJIT
4 PM: Manhattan @ La Salle
St. John's @ Providence Rutgers may be playing the higher-profile opponent on this night, but it's the Red Storm who find themselves in a far more important game within the Big East. No one is suggesting that either the Johnnies or Friars will crack the elite of the Big East, but any slim hopes of postseason play for either can be either helped or hurt in a big way in this game. Freshman TyShawn Edmondson will have to play well on the road against a solid backcourt led by Jeff Xavier.
5 PM: Stony Brook @ Air Force

Thursday 1/1

2 PM: Rider @ Iona
Fairfield @ Siena while most of the nation will focus on the bowl games being played, the top two teams in the MAAC preseason poll will meet in the Times Union Center. The Saints finally picked up a solid non-conference road win this weekend, beating St. Joseph's by a single point. But for as powerful as Fran McCaffrey's team remains, Ronald Moore has been inconsistent at the point thus far which could mean a big game for senior Jonathan Han. Individual matchup to watch: Fairfield's Warren Edney and Siena's Edwin Ubiles, two of the best swingmen in the league.

Friday 1/2

4 PM: Yale @ Bryant
7 PM: Columbia @ Lehigh
7:30: St. Peter's @ Marist these two were picked to finish in the MAAC cellar, but unlike the Peacocks Marist has shown signs recently of exceeding those expectations. As of right now it's unknown if David Devezin will be able to play, but if R.J. Hall can play like he did last week then Marist will be in good shape. St. Peter's has one of the better guards in the area that few people talk about in sophomore Wesley Jenkins.

Saturday 1/3

1 PM: NJIT @ Vermont
2 PM: #10 Notre Dame @ St. John's
Fordham @ Bowling Green
MIT @ Yale
UNC Greensboro @ Princeton
Drexel @ Hofstra the Dragons have struggled this season, but Bruiser Flint's team should still be respected as a possible spoiler in the CAA. As for Tom Pecora's Pride, they'll be looking to build on their win over Towson last month and stay on top of the league standings. Charles Jenkins will have his hands full with a defense that can make hunting for shots as fun as a root canal at times.
CCSU @ LIU
4 PM: West Virginia @ Seton Hall
7 PM: Army @ Dartmouth
St. Francis (NY) @ Wagner
Quinnipiac @ FDU
Manhattan @ Niagara The Purple Eagles are armed with the deepest backcourt in the MAAC, a good reason why they were picked to finish third in the conference. But the Jaspers aren't bad in that area either, with Chris Smith, Antoine Pearson and Darryl Crawford leading the way. The key to this one could be the frontcourt, where Benson Egemonye has been one of the league's best for Joe Mihalich's squad. As for Manhattan, Devon Austin will have to make some things happen for the Jaspers to pull off the win on the road.
Sacred Heart @ Monmouth
7:05: Stony Brook @ UMBC

Sunday 1/4

2 PM: St. Peter's @ Siena
3 PM: Marist @ Rider
3:30: Fairfield @ Iona the Gaels are still looking to find their way as a team, especially with Kyle Smyth and Gary Springer both missing time due to injury in recent weeks. While Springer is expected back soon, this is a key weekend for Smyth since he's only played in one game, leaving head coach Kevin Willard with arguably his best perimeter shooter. Scott Machado has played well recently, and he'll have to bring more of the same in this one.

Monday 1/5

7 PM: Hofstra @ Northeastern
Stony Brook @ Binghamton this game will give a clearer picture in regards to just how improved the Seawolves are this season. The Bearcats were picked to finish fifth in America East despite losing their top three scorers from a season ago, while Stony Brook found themselves in last yet again. The newcomers have played well for Coach Pikiell's team so far, most notably Muhammad El-Amin. This is a winnable game for Stony Brook, but a tight loss could tell us just as much as a win would: this team has improved.
Sacred Heart @ LIU
CCSU @ Monmouth
7:30: Manhattan @ Canisius
Columbia @ American
8 PM: Wagner @ FDU

Updated Rankings (previous in parentheses)

1. Seton Hall (9-3; 2)
2. St. John's (9-3; 1)
3. Fairfield (8-4; 3)
4. Hofstra (9-3; 4)
5. Rutgers (9-4; 5)
6. Manhattan (7-4; 7)
7. Wagner (7-3; 8)
8. Rider (6-5; 6)
9. Stony Brook (6-5; 11)
10. Marist (5-8; 13)
11. Iona (5-8; 9)
12. Sacred Heart (4-6; 10)
13. Columbia (4-7; 12)
14. LIU (4-6; 14)
15. Yale (2-7; 15)
16. Princeton (2-7; 16)
17. St. Francis (NY) (3-8; 17)
18. Army (3-8; 18)
19. FDU (1-9; 19)
20. Monmouth (2-12; 20)
21. St. Peter's (4-8; 21)
22. Fordham (2-9; 22)
23. NJIT (0-12; 23)

NYC Metro Hoops

Metro Ranking and Report: Update #4

Raphielle Johnson — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 10:32:09 -0800

With the end of 2008 just over a week away, it isn't too hard to figure out the main storyline for metropolitan area teams in the first half of the 2008-09 season: injuries. It's as if the run that began with Monmouth's Whitney Coleman going down for the season in the first nine minutes of the Hawks' season opener hasn't stopped, with teams all over the area being hit with key injuries. In fact, you could have a rather formidable six-man rotation with guys currently sitting out. At the guards, go with Marist's David Devezin (heel), Coleman (knee) and St. John's Anthony Mason Jr. (foot). Columbia's Patrick Foley (knee) can come off the bench, with St. John's Justin Burrell (hairline fracture to his face) and Seton Hall's John Garcia (knee) up front.

All six are either out for the year or have missed extensive time in recent weeks, with Devezin and possibly Burrell (he will play against Miami, but Malik Boothe won't) due back the quickest. Foley and Garcia seem to have the most time left in their recovery processes, while Mason Jr. and Coleman are both medical redshirt candidates due to their season-ending injuries. So which one is the most important? Judging by their last two games, it would go to Seton Hall's Garcia. Two games out, two losses to IUPUI (at the buzzer) and James Madison last night. And with the NCAA not clearing freshman Melvyn Oliver (he can practice and receive a scholarship this season, however), head coach Bobby Gonzalez will have to lean on Mike Davis and Brandon Walters inside.

Hopefully Garcia will be back in time for Big East play, maybe missing the opener next week at Syracuse, but even with him back navigating that loaded league with a limited number of bodies inside could be a serious problem. But despite the recent injury woes, it wasn't all doom and gloom for the area this past week, as another Manhattan player earned some MAAC recognition and some hot shooting sparked a Columbia run past Marist at the Aeropostale Holiday Festival.

Honors earned last week

- Manhattan guard Darryl Crawford was named MAAC Co-Player of the Week due to his twenty-nine point performance in the Jaspers' win over Binghamton last week. Also honored by the conference was Iona guard Scott Machado, who was named MAAC Rookie of the Week.

- The Ivy League named three area players to its weekly honor roll. Princeton guard Doug Davis, who could be well on his way to winning the league's Rookie of the Year award, and Columbia's Joe Bova and Norwua Agho were all pegged for the distinction.

- St. John's forward Sean Evans was named to the Big East Honor Roll, thanks to his averaging a double-double in two games at the Aeropostale Holiday Festival.

- Stony Brook freshman forward Danny Carter was named conference Rookie of the Week after he posted twenty points and six rebounds in the Seawolves 91-57 loss at Connecticut.

- St. John's D.J. Kennedy and Sean Evans, along with Columbia's K.J. Matsui, were named to the All-Tournament team at the Aeropostale Holiday Festival. Virginia Tech's Malcolm Delaney (MVP) and A.D. Vassallo rounded out the squad.

Team of the Week: Manhattan

The Jaspers picked up a pair of wins last week, knocking off Binghamton on Saturday and then turning around to beat a pesky LIU team on Monday night. While it was the aforementioned Crawford who was the catalyst for Barry Rohrssen's team against the Bearcats, leading scorer Chris Smith got the job done in the second half of Manhattan's 65-61 win over the Blackbirds last night. Smith scored twenty points in the second half, knocking down five three pointers in the run. What's encouraging about this team is that they can go to Crawford for scoring off the bench, and even though their numbers may not be that impressive at first glance people know what Devon Austin and Antoine Pearson are capable of. Sleeper in the MAAC? Why not.

Player of the Week: Darryl Crawford (Manhattan)

It was a lean week on the schedule for the area, so this honor may as well go to a guy who earned conference distinction for his effort. The numbers for Crawford in Manhattan's win over LIU weren't as impressive as the 29 points against Binghamton, but if he can give the Jaspers ten points and five rebounds per night then they could finish higher than their predicted sixth place (having seen Loyola, they should at least finish fifth). Other players with solid games last week included Danny Carter of Stony Brook (20 pts vs, UConn), Monmouth's Yaniv Simpson (25 pts against Lehigh) and the Rutgers freshman tandem of Mike Rosario (18 pts vs. Bryant) and Gregory Echinique (11 pts, 11 boards vs. Bryant).

Schedule (December 23rd-29th)

Tuesday 12/23

7 PM: Marist @ Delaware
Sacred Heart @ Penn State
Rider @ Binghamton
New Hampshire @ Fordham
Iona @ Hofstra The best game in the final day of games before Christmas break in the area, as the Pride will look to begin another win streak after falling at UMass on Saturday. The Gaels return to the area following a loss at ranked Ohio State, and they need a win following the road losses to the Buckeyes and before that Western Michigan. Keep an eye on both Iona's backcourt (especially Scott Machado) in how they deal with Charles Jenkins and Cornelius Vines, and a Hofstra frontcourt that has received better contributions from Greg Washington and Dane Johnson of late.
FDU @ St. Peter's
7:30: NJIT @ Rutgers

Friday 12/26

Fairfield @ #2 Connecticut no one will expect the Stags to win this game, but they've got the depth to make this one interesting for a little while. A very good test for Ed Cooley's team heading into MAAC play next week, and it could also be a preview of the type of team they could run into early in the NCAA Tournament should they earn the league's automatic bid in March. If Warren Edney and Jonathan Han can hold their own in the backcourt and forwards Anthony Johnson and Greg Nero avoid foul troubl, look for Fairfield to hang around. But it would be a little much to expect them to win this game.

Saturday 12/27

Noon: Miami (FL) @ St. John's there's no such thing as overstating the importance of this game to the Red Storm. They've been tested twice this season, and of course those games against Boston College and Virginia Tech are their only blemishes on the season. Now Jack McClinton and a Miami offense that can put some points on the board visits MSG, but unfortunately for the Red Storm Malik Boothe is out due to injury, but Justin Burrell will be available for this one. A final test before Big East play begins next week.
3 PM: Drexel @ Rider
4 PM: Hofstra @ New Hampshire
7 PM: FDU @ Seton Hall
Iona @ USF I'm not even going to lie to you about this game: this is very winnable game for the Gaels. The Bulls have had some moments of ineptitude this season, and working in transfers Mike Mercer and Augustus Gilchrist is still a work in progress. If Iona can force players other than Jesus Verdejo to rely too much on the perimeter shot they can leave Tampa with the win. Sorry, but USF frankly cannot shoot the ball with consistency from either behind the arc or at the foul line.

Sunday 12/28

2 PM: Stony Brook @ St. Peter's
Wagner @ NJIT
4 PM: Bucknell @ Marist
7 PM: Tennessee-Martin vs. Fordham The Rams are taking part in an in-season tournament at FIU, and they could be running into a buzz saw in this game. Lester Hudson is one of the nation's best perimeter scorers, and the Skyhawks are averaging just under seventy-seven points per game. Fordham doesn't have that kind of offensive punch, so they'll have to rely on their defense to win this one.

Monday 12/29

2 PM: Fordham @ Florida International
7 PM: Sacred Heart @ Columbia
American @ Manhattan the Jaspers host the defending Patriot League champs and the backcourt matchup should be entertaining at the least. Garrison Carr and Derrick Mercer have been through it all during their careers at American, and the same can be said for the Jasper backcourt of Antoine Pearson, Chris Smith and Darryl Crawford. The wild card: Devon Austin. I think he can have a big game in this one.

Updated Ranking (previous ranking in parentheses)

1. St. John's (9-2; 2)
2. Seton Hall (8-3; 1)
3. Fairfield (8-3; 4)
4. Hofstra (8-2; 3)
5. Rutgers (8-3; 5)
6. Rider (6-3; 6)
7. Manhattan (7-3; 7)
8. Wagner (6-3; 10)
9. Iona (4-7; 9)
10. Sacred Heart (3-4; 9)
11. Stony Brook (5-5; 12)
12. Columbia (4-6; 14)
13. Marist (3-8; 11)
14. LIU (4-6; 13)
15. Yale (2-6; 16)
16. Princeton (2-7; 15)
17. St. Francis (NY) (3-7; 17)
18. Army (3-8; 19)
19. FDU (1-7; 20)
20. Monmouth (2-12; 22)
21. St. Peter's (3-7; 18)
22. Fordham (1-7; 22)
23. NJIT (0-10; 23)

NYC Metro Hoops