UNH Holds Off Quinnipiac

Wildcats Hang Tough, Hold Off Quinnipiac

by Sam Perkins

DURHAM, N.H. – Dane DiLiegro opened and closed the game with authority, but it took a team effort during his absence to overcome a tenacious Quinnipiac team and earn a 77-70 victory.

With the win UNH improved to 3-1 on the season. Eric Gilchrese scored 20 points, while Mike Christensen added 17 and Alvin Abreu came off the bench for 14, as the Wildcats overcame 25 points each from Quinnipiac’s combo of DeMario Anderson and Evann Baker.

The local media might still be ignoring the Wildcats, but it’s apparent to everyone who’s seen them play that this New Hampshire team is for real. The Wildcats opened the season with a near upset of Boston College and haven’t lost since, improving every game. This years team isn’t the pushover that UNH has been in the past, and opponents are taking notice, as Wildcats’ Coach Bill Herrion reflected after the win.

“The more games you play, the more tapes get out, and in the first couple of games you can catch people off guard, maybe people don’t know you that well,” said Herrion. “Well guess what, were 3-1, were not going to be surprising people anymore.”

Quinnipiac’s game plan was to attack the Wildcats in the post, as head Coach Tom Moore stated, “Initially what we wanted to do was try to score inside on those guys.” However, this strategy seemed futile early on, as DiLiegro continued to make his presence felt in the middle for New Hampshire.

After winning the opening tip, the freshman ripped down the rebound of an errant shot over two defenders, flashed a nifty spin move in the post and finished off despite hard contact from Quinnipiac’s Justin Rutty. DiLiegro quickly established himself on the defensive end, as on the ensuing possession he first deflected Rutty’s jumper, and then annihilated Louis Brookins’ lay up, eliciting a road from the crowd.

His early performance won the respect of the opposing coach, as after the game Moore raved about the young freshman, saying, “DiLiegro is an aggressive player, he’s a good defender, he’s a really aggressive rebounder, he has great strength and great energy for a freshman. He’s going to be a terrific player for these guys.”

Unfortunately for the Wildcats, DiLiegro also picked up two offensive fouls within the first three minutes, and was forced to the bench for the rest of the first half.

“He’s still really learning how to play,” said Herrion, “He plays very hard. His fouls were just ticky-tack fouls that he doesn’t need to commit. He’s got to learn how to play without fouling, but he’s a big, strong, physical kid, and he plays hard.”

Without DiLiegro on the floor, what had been advantage in the post for UNH quickly became a disadvantage as they got much smaller and much less physical in a hurry. New Hampshire could normally count on sophomore captain Radar Onguetou to step in and provide physicality and smart, tough-nosed defense, but Onguetou has been dealing with a persistent leg injury early in the season, and his effectiveness has been greatly limited. “Radar is banged up,” said Herrion, “he’s hobbling, but he gives you terrific effort. He’s just struggling offensively.”

The injury to Onguetou, and DiLiegro’s foul trouble affected the Wildcats the most on the defensive end, as Quinnipiac immediately began to have success scoring around the basket. UNH was forced to play freshmen James Valladares and Rony Tchatchoua extensively, and while their efforts were admirable, the absence of DiLiegro was apparent.

“Losing Dane was big,” said junior guard Tyrece Gibbs. “It’s always good to know that your shot blocker is behind you when you get posted up. Without him, it was a lot more stressful.”

Quinnipiac’s guards, whom had struggled to shoot over DiLiegro in the first three minutes, began to score at will once he left the floor. DeMario Anderson and Evann Baker each scored twelve points in the first half, coming almost entirely from posting up on the low block, as the Bobcats scored twenty points in the post during the opening period.

The points in the paint were especially troubling to Herrion, as Quinnipiac didn’t make a single first half three-pointer, yet controlled the game twelve minutes in. “We need to get tougher, collectively, defensively around the basket,” said the third-year coach.

Trailing by six with eight minutes to go, UNH was on the verge of letting the game get out of control, but the Wildcats, in what has been a staple of theirs so far this year, dug their heels in and clawed their way back into the game. What was most impressive during the Wildcats run was that they did it largely without the help of their best players, as captain’s Mike Christensen and Gibbs struggled the entire half. Last season, UNH lacked scoring depth, as their offense revolved around getting departed senior Blogoj Janev the ball and getting out of his way. As Janev went, so went the team, and if Janev, and to a lesser extent Christensen and Gibbs, struggled on offense, UNH didn’t stand a chance.

This year’s Wildcats squad has done a complete one-eighty. While Gibbs and Christensen (and starter Tyrone Conley) struggled to find the hoop in the first half, UNH’s bench took over. The Wildcats’ transition from last season was on full display, as New Hampshire’s speed and athleticism combined with their newfound bench depth turned the tide. Valladares scored on a nifty reverse lay up, Alvin Abreu nailed a jumper in transition, and Tchatchoua threw down an acrobatic two-handed slam in traffic, and suddenly it was a two-point game.

Abreu and fellow guard Eric Gilchrese then took over, as they seemed to feed off each other and excel in transition, with Gilchrese scoring several buckets leading the fast break and setting up Abreu for two huge three-pointers. Mike Christensen then got in on the action, nailing a deep three, and Onguetuo finished off a gutsy drive in traffic, and New Hampshire went into the half with a commanding 40-30 lead.

Abreu, who scored eleven first half points, was especially huge for the Wildcats, as his three’s were not only timely, but momentum changing, as they were each from well beyond NBA range. Abreu was fearless shooting over defenders, and played with a confidence and poise rarely displayed by freshmen. Abreu’s play in the first half earned him praise from both his own coach, as well as his opponent’s.

“Alvin Abreu offensively gave us a big lift,” stated Herrion, while Moore added “Alvin Abreu is terrific, in terms of his offensive confidence and his swagger.”

The influx of new talent has been huge for the Wildcats, as they are much more athletic and much more fearless then they have been in years past. But the youth movement has also given Coach Herrion some heartburn in the early going, as they may lack the experience to go for the knockout punch when their opponent is weak.

“I don’t know if we’re old enough yet, or experienced enough yet, to really know how to put people away and run somebody out of the building” commented Herrion.

The Wildcats once again did not put their opponent away when they had the chance, as Quinnipiac’s combo of Andrerson and Baker once again went to work. Anderson scored in the post and found Baker for easy buckets when New Hampshire doubled down on him. New Hampshire’s inability to switch over to the open man when playing zone defense has been a troubling trend this year, and it was evident Sunday as Quinnipiac’s guard duo each scored 25 points.

“Defensively, I’m not real happy, I mean two guys get fifty out of their seventy,” said Herrion. Added Gibbs: “that’s lay ups all around the basket.”

But UNH’s veteran leadership, something that also seemed to be lacking last season, proved to be the difference, as Gibbs and Christensen came up big when it counted the most. With Quinnipiac surging Gibbs finished off a terrific up and under move to put New Hampshire up 59-53. Another Quinnipiac run cut the lead to one with five minutes left, but New Hampshire once again answered back, as Christensen first nailed a jumper in traffic to put UNH up three with five minutes left. The Cougars fired back, again cutting the lead to one, but Christensen once again stopped the bleeding, nailing a deep three to put the Wildcats up 65-61 with four minutes left.

Quinnipiac had one final run in them, but Eric Gilchrese, the America East player of the game, put on a gutsy performance when it mattered most to help seal the game. Gilchrese’s competitive streak had already been on display earlier, when he and Quinnipiac guard Casey Cosgrove got into a verbal dispute that escalated into a shoving match at halftime, resulting in offsetting technical fouls. Gilchrese downplayed the incident, saying, “He was competing, I was competing, we bumped heads, and that’s what happened. When the game gets close like that, I’m not backing down from anybody, and that’s what happens with good competitors.”

As competitive as Gilchrese was in the first half, it paled in comparison to his gutsy performance in the game’s closing minutes. He has battled bad cramps often during the young season, but here he took a hard foul near the three-minute mark, and was visibly limping on his way to the free throw line before icing both chances from the charity stripe. A minute later, Gilchrese picked Evann Baker’s pocket and took it coast to coast for a lay up, pushing the score to 72-63. After once again converting in traffic, Gilchrese was limping badly as he got back on defense, and after an awkward attempt to block Cosgrove’s three, Gilchrese lay sprawled on the ground clutching his leg in obvious pain.

But with less than two minutes left, and Quinnipiac within six, leaving the game was not an option for Gilchrese, whom hobbled back onto the court to gut the rest of the game out.

“It was really my call,” said Gilchrese, “I looked up the clock and it said a minute fifty-four seconds left, and I just wanted to tough it out… when I got back over to the bench, I told Coach that I was ready and wanted to tough it out.”

Gilchrese’s physical abilities have given New Hampshire something that they have been sorely lacking in recent years, as he is a true point guard who can score in transition as well as set his teammates up by getting them the ball in scoring position. But it’s his toughness and leadership that may be the most beneficial to the young Wildcats. After his refusal to come out, New Hampshire put the game away, as Mike Christensen sank two free throws to put New Hampshire up 74 to 67.

In a true “statement game” for New Hampshire, DiLiegro closed it out with a statement of his own, as he corralled a half court pass from Christensen, and threw down an emphatic two-handed dunk right over Anderson while being fouled. DiLiegro completed the three-point play by icing his free throw and giving New Hampshire a 77-70 win.

The win was huge for New Hampshire, as the Wildcats are now riding a three-game winning streak, and the benefits of getting off to a good start are not lost on their coach.

“At UNH, we’re just trying to win games, we’re going to respect and appreciate every win that we get,” said Herrion. “Winning early in the year helps your confidence and it helps you’re practice.”

Herrion even joked that, “When you win early, you can keep their attention every day in practice, you can keep them motivated, and they will really listen to what you say.”

Just being able to joke after a game was an accomplishment of its own for Herrion, whom came under fire from fans early and often last season, as the Wildcats seemed unmotivated, and disorganized, and by the end of the season some fans were even calling for Herrion’s head. But fans need to understand that its not easy to turn around any program, especially one with the history of ineptitude that New Hampshire has. Turning around this program is one of the hardest jobs in college basketball, as it’s an incredibly tough sell on recruits, and fans need to temper their expectation. It will take time for Herrion to bring in a team full of players whom will play in his system.

“We missed the whole first year, we didn’t recruit anybody the first year when we got the job,” Herrion reflected. “And we only want kids who want to be here. I think we have kids right now that are really competitive, that love to play, and that want to be here and appreciate the opportunity. It’s not going to be a quick fix turning this around… and it’s not going to happen over night.”

The Wildcats still have a long way to go before they are truly contenders for a conference title, and dreams of an NCAA birth are still a long ways away, but it is easy to get excited about this team, as they are easily the best squad that New Hampshire has fielded in the past five years. And while the Wildcats have struggled on the defensive end, the positives far outweigh the negatives at this point, as UNH already can boast several things that have been lacking in the past, the first being a team which doesn’t need to rely on one player to provide most of the scoring.

“The nice thing about our team is that Tyrece Gibbs, who was huge versus BC, wasn’t a huge factor offensively today, and we won the game,” said Herrion. “Last week at Central Connecticut he gets three fouls five minutes into the game, he only plays like twenty minutes and we win the game, that’s positive.”

And while New Hampshire has struggled to put teams away, perhaps even more importantly they haven’t gotten rattled like many most teams have, and they have displayed the ability to recover from their mistakes and still come out on top. Said Herrion: “The nice thing is, in the Central game last Saturday and today, we had control of both games in the second half, then both teams made runs at us and we withstood it. That’s positive.”

But perhaps the biggest gain this season is simply the Wildcats’ ability to give everything they have day in and day out. Last season’s squad seemed to quit on Herrion half-way through the year, but there is absolutely no let up in these Wildcats.

“It’s clearly about us out there this year, we just come together as a team when things get rough and stick it through,” said Gibbs. “Heart is the biggest thing right now, because when it got late in the game, we could either fold or pull through, and we pulled through pretty well.”

MEAC Notebook

Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Notebook

by Michael T. Lyle, Jr.

The season maybe a little over three weeks old, but Howard and North Carolina A&T have already posted some impressive victories against powerhouse teams from the Big East, Ivy League and the Patriot League.

Recently, the Aggies picked up perhaps their biggest win in school history thanks to a breakout night from First Team All-MEAC guard Steven Rush. His career-high 40 points and personal record for three-pointers made (10) helped the Aggies to their best start in 16 seasons with a 96-93 come-from-behind upset of DePaul.

NCAT had to work hard for this one, as the Blue Demons used a 12-4 run to cut into a big deficit late in the contest. Then, Rush took matters into his hands as he converted on a three-pointer, then sealed the win with a pair of free-throws. Teammate Austin Ewing chipped in with 21 points, also a career-best.

As for Howard, they followed up their surprising win at Penn a couple of weeks ago with a victory at home against Navy, thanks to a collective team effort led by Eugene Myatt and Kandi Mukole. They each scored 10 points but keyed a 7-1 run with some critical buckets down the stretch to extend a 49-48 cushion into a 68-62 advantage.

Having shown that they can play with the “big boys”, the remainder of the out-of-conference schedule looks like this for both teams, first with Howard:

12/4 – @ American
12/8 – @ VMI
12/20 – @ Northwestern
12/22 – @ UIC
12/28 – @ St. Mary’s (CA)

Meanwhile, the Aggies will face some stiffer competition to close out December:

12/17 – @ Missouri
12/19 – @ Akron
12/23 – @ Miami (FL)
12/28 – @ Washington State

The contest at American will be the continuation of a long, six-game (and perhaps favorable) road trip for Howard, which begins against MEAC foe Hampton in the second-annual Big Apple Classic at New York’s Madison Square Garden. A win would cap what was nonetheless an impressive start for the Bison, considering they had to overcome the injury bug to a few key reserves early on.

The Aggies could put up a fight against Missouri and Akron, but will undoubtedly need another standout performance from Rush to pull off more upsets.

Maybe beating the likes of Navy, Penn and DePaul won’t give the Bison and Aggies a substantial boost in their RPI. But it will show that, come conference play in January, they would’ve had a great tune-up for what should be a fierce and competitive two months of action in the MEAC.

NIT Season Tip-Off News & Notes

NIT Season Tip-Off Notes

by Ray Floriani

NEW YORK – The NIT Season Tip-Off served as a reminder not to write off Texas A&M. Acie Law is gone, and Billy Gillespie is roaming the sidelines in the Bluegrass State. Regardless, there is talent, coaching and a defense certain to give opponents fits. As was the case here.

Semifinals

Texas A&M 77, Washington 63
The Game began with Washington taking an early double-digit lead. Washington pushed the pace early before A & M made the adjustment of sending two players rather than one back on shots for defensive balance. Jon Brockman (21) points battled inside for the Huskies. Unfortunately no one could step up and help Brockman in the paint. Joseph Jones led A & M with a 17 point 6 rebound effort while Donald Sloan added 18 points.

Ohio State 79, Syracuse 65
It was close in the early going before Ohio State established their superiority inside. On this night Ohio State was simply a better team. A lot of that had to do with seven-foot freshman Kosta Koufos, who was just too much for Syracuse to handle inside. Koufos scored 24 points, grabbed 9 rebounds and was also was able to move outside (2-3 beyond the arc) and knock down a few jumpers.

Consolation

Syracuse 91, Washington 85
The Orange showed a lot of character for a young team by bouncing back in less than 48 hours with the win. Washington looked to push the pace and Syracuse was willing to oblige. Syracuse handled the full court pressure very well and took advantage of transition opportunities. The Huskies, meanwhile, struggled on offense as chief threat Jon Brockman was saddled with foul trouble. Brockman was limited to 20 minutes (10 points) and wasn’t the factor he was in the semifinal. Syracuse freshman Donte’ Greene led all scorers with 25 points.

Texas A&M 70, Ohio State 47
This one was going to be a close one – at least on paper. On the floor, forget it. OSU was close at the half, but even there you felt A&M had the upper hand. In the second half the Buckeyes couldn’t hit a thing. They had looks that didn’t fall. On the other hand the Aggies executed and the OSU deficit swelled. Coach Thad Matta noted that the shots were there and didn’t fall. Still, he was quick to compliment A&M’s defense with having a lot to do with his club’s abysmal offensive (14 of 57, 25% shooting) effort.

All-Tournament Team

• Donte’ Greene – Good long 6’11″ frosh earned all-tournament honors and scored 21 and 25 (both team highs) respectively. He likes to shoot the perimeter shot but despite a slim build is effective inside.
• Kosta Koufos – He had a rough going in the final, but the entire Ohio State team struggled in that one. The great semifinal performance alone merited selection.
• Jamar Butler – Had 14 against Syracuse and led the Buckeyes with 17 in the final. The senior guard was OSU’s lone offensive threat against the Aggies.
• DeAndre Jordan – My media pick for MVP. The seven-foot freshman is a little on the thin side but battles well, especially on the boards. He was very steady both nights and had an 11-point, 8-board final. Now if he could consistently hit free throws, the scoring numbers would leap considerably.
• MVP – Joseph Jones, A&M’s 6’9″ senior forward, was tough inside both nights. A scorer and rebounded, Jones played no small part in helping shut down Ohio State’s Koufos in the championship.

Of added note

• Johnny Flynn – Struggled at times against OSU but bounced back in excellent fashion against Washington. Flynn had an excellent 16-point (10 of 13 form the line), 2-assist, 2-turnover outing in the consolation.
• Jon Brockman – The foul riddled consolation kept the 6’7″ senior from earning honors. He did a great job battling two big men in the semifinal. In fact, no individual player gave Texas A&M as much trouble here in new York as he did.
• Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim was pleased after the consolation to exit the Garden with a win and 3-1 overall showing in the tournament. “If there are much tougher games in the Big East we may not win much,” Boeheim said. “This was a tough tournament and our first two rounds we faced two tough teams Siena and St. Joe’s. We opened the tournament with Siena and I’m telling you they are tough.”
  Boeheim was especially happy to get four players (Greene, Flynn, Paul Harris and Eric Devendorf) in double figures. “We will need balance like that,” he said, “to be successful.”
• Scouts Honor: Think the trip to the Pre-Season NIT is all fun? Oh, you are in New York during Thanksgiving Week, but for the teams there’s hardly a moment to even see the famous parade. And that holds especially true for coaches.
  During the semifinals I had the opportunity to sit courtside next to assistant coaches involved in advance scouting. Each school had already broken down every one of the three or four games played by opposition in this “final four”. Tournaments, under NCAA rules, are the only times coaches can perform live scouting. “There is nothing like scouting a team live,” says Ohio State assistant John Groce. In between discussing the game Groce is calling out keys like “high screen”, “double low” and the like – all tendencies in the Washington offense that Archie Miller, another Buckeye assistant, is jotting down notes on.
  Following their game the Ohio State staff will have little time to reflect or wind down. It’s back to the hotel and review game tape while going over the scouting report with coach Matta.
  All four schools have similar agendas. Texas A&M assistant Pooh Williamson said Thanksgiving Day would call for a practice and a detailed scouting report with the team. Any parade time? “Not at all,” he says with a laugh. “It’s preparation and business but we will have (Thanksgiving) dinner together as a team.” Then maybe one more look at tapes.
• The final loomed as a barnburner but turned out to be an Ohio State nightmare. The talk leaving MSG on Wednesday was that Ohio State was a top 20 team. They may in time be one but were humbled in the finals by a Texas A&M team that just defended them to death. Defense is a paramount in the Aggie program. “This is a team built for defense,” A&M coach Mark Turgeon said. “It’s fast, athletic and defense was programmed by coach Gillespie before I got here. As a team the guys think defense first. But they like offense too.”
• Senior guard Dominique Kirk believes the Aggies are now in the nation’s consciousness. “We came here to stay focused not worry about national attention,” Kirk said after the final. “We just felt if we played hard eventually we would get noticed.”
  Kirk, who enjoyed playing at the Garden, was asked his choice of the Big Twelve’s toughest venue. “Kansas,” he said. “Allen Fieldhouse is a one of a kind place like the Garden plus you deal with not only the crowd but the (Kansas) talent.”

On The Baseline

• Texas A&M brought a dance team. During halftime of the championship I asked one member what the cheer during the last time out was. “You mean beat the hell out of Ohio State,” she said. Not that one. “Oh, Army.”
  The Army cheer is in reference to the school’s military division. Courtney Martin, the team’s coach, noted the team appeared on the Today Show earlier that morning.
• Ohio State cheerleaders, still smiling after the football win over Michigan, hit the sights in New York. They included Macy’s, Rockerfeller Center, Ground Zero, Central Park, Times Square and shopping. “I got about 8 handbags in SOHO,” exclaimed sophomore Aliison Humbert. Coach bags? “Yes, mostly,” she said. “One is for me the rest are gifts.” Let’s see if shopping in Pasedena can top that.

Texas Tech: Bob Knight Channeling Dick Cheney?

Bob Knight Channeling Dick Cheney?: Two people said Texas Tech basketball coach Bob Knight or his hunting companion hit them with hunting pellets twice last month. Mary Ann Chumley and James Simpson, who did not require medical treatment or press criminal charges against Knight, said they were struck by the birdshots. Chumley said the incident was an accident and received an apology from the coach. Simpson, however, said he thought he was shot purposely. Simpson, 51, said he yelled at Knight and his companion to not hunt near his home. He was struck on the neck shortly after. Chumley had been hit on her foot the day before. Knight dismissed Simpson’s allegations, saying they are ridiculous. Lubbock police said they did not plan to press charges against the coach.
[11/29/07]

Iowa State: Iowa State Will Miss German Standout This Season

Iowa State Will Miss German Standout This Season: Iowa State’s German guard Lucca Staiger will have to sit out the 2007-08 season after the NCAA decided that he violated rules regarding amateurism. The 19-year-old freshman had played in Germany for a team, Ehingen, that the NCAA ruled a professional squad because it paid two of its players beyond their expenses. Although Staiger said he did not receive additional payments, he will have only three full seasons of collegiate basketball. Staiger, 6-5, is a top prospect and was a member of the German national team that participated in the 2006 FIBA U20 European Championship.
[11/29/07]

Air Force: Air Force Coach Reprimanded Over Criticism of Officials

Air Force Coach Reprimanded Over Criticism of Officials: The Mountain West Conference issued a reprimand to Air Force coach Jeff Reynolds Wednesday for criticizing officials after his team’s 59-57 loss to Montana at a weekend tournament in Spokane, Wash. Reynolds’ criticism targeted an official who changed a call that would have given the Falcons the ball and a chance at tying the game in the final seconds. He also questioned a carry call and said Montana players were not called for some violations the way his players were.
Reynolds was not available for comment.
[11/29/07]

Clemson: Clemson Senior to Miss Purdue Game

Clemson Senior to Miss Purdue Game: James Mays, a senior forward for Clemson, fell hard on his hip during the Tigers’ win against Gardner-Webb, only briefly returning to the game. He will sit out tonight’s game against Purdue in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge. He is averaging almost 15.5 points and 7.3 rebounds per game.

Update: Clemson coach Oliver Purnell said Mays could be back in action before the end of December after learning that the senior’s hip is not fractured, only sprained. Bone scans revealed the encouraging news and Purnell hopes Mays will be able to play in the Puerto Rican San Juan Shootout, beginning Dec. 20. The Tigers have only two games before the tournament starts. [11/29/07]

Northeast Notebook

Northeast Conference Notebook

by Zach Smart

Blackbirds A Pleasant Surprise, Pioneers Freefalling

In a conference that’s about as predictable as a Mike Tyson interview, the clear favorite has abruptly sunk to the bottom-echelon while the team that the skeptics figured would be flattened due to the loss of their go-to, do-it-all combo guard has emerged on top.

Sacred Heart, the pre-season favorite, fell to 0-6 after suffering losses to Yale, Fairfield, Army, Hartford, Albany, and St. John’s, the latter three being blowouts. The Pioneers suffered a strong off-season blow when they lost veteran forward Joey Henley, who averaged 17 points and seven boards in the post-season last year, to a season-ending injury. But their shooters have been below freezing, hitting just eight of their first 43 three-point attempts, and they are averaging 10 assists to 19 turnovers. The Heart is shooting a meager 36 percent from the floor, 66 percent from the line and has failed to find a leader or go-to-guy.

After getting blitzed 82-50 by the Big East’s Notre Dame, Long Island (3-1) finds itself riding a three-game winning streak with victories over Army, Columbia, and Canisius. A year after failing to qualify for the post-season and losing their franchise player in James Williams (a three-time All-NEC selection who averaged 16.2 points last season and the school’s fourth all-time leading scorer with 1,710 points), the Blackbirds have turned heads early. Freshman guard Kyle Johnson and senior forward Kellen Allen have formed a sublime inside-outside tandem, averaging 14 points apiece. Eugene Kotorobai, an experienced senior, also deserves some of the credit. Kotorobai is averaging 12 points and six boards while playing around 31 minutes per game.

Robert Morris (3-2) has also come out of the gates strong, registering non-conference wins over Iona, Navy, and Howard, and nearly upsetting the Big East’s Seton Hall in an overtime thriller. Wagner is also 3-2 and has defeated Patriot League teams.

Porter Named Player of the Week: Wagner guard Mark Porter registered his second career Player of the Week award on Nov. 26, as was announced by the league office. The senior earned the accolades after scoring 22 points and kicking in 10 assists for his third career double-double as Wagner scored a 88-81 victory over William & Mary last week. In two home wins last week, Wagner averaged 17 points, nine dimes, 4.5 boards, and 2.5 steals while shooting 50 percent from the floor.

Cats Struggle Early, Fall to UNH

Despite a pair of dragon-slayer, 25-point performances from DeMario Anderson and freshman Evann Baker – the latter of who hit on all nine of his field goal attempts – the Quinnipiac Bobcats couldn’t muster a victory, as New Hampshire edged out the Bobcats for a 78-70 home victory on Sunday.

With the much-anticipated and well-hyped arrival of Tom Moore, Quinnipiac has jumped out of the gates of the 2007-2008 campaign in typical fashion.

They more accurately resemble the Quinnipiac team of last year, which slipped into an 0-9 free-fall while then-coach Joe DeSantis was constantly the target of boos in their home arena. That Bobcat team would resuscitate itself after following this ultra-weak start, tearing through the meat of the Northeast Conference schedule before garnering a berth in the NEC semifinals.

The Bobcats, a team still searching for an identity, are 1-3 and in desperate need to sew some serious holes before they meet the UConn buzz-saw on Dec.16. Their first taste of conference play comes next week, as they’re slated for a date with St. Francis (N.Y.) on Dec. 6.

Nightmarish foul shooting and problems patrolling the paint have been significant factors in the Bobcats’ turtle-slow start. The Bobcats are a paltry 53-for-88 from the charity stripe this season. In their lone victory – a wild, 85-79 double overtime outlasting of Hartford – the ‘Cats went a God-awful 11-for-26, going 3-for-14 down the final stretch.

While the Hartford game on its own ravaged the Bobcats majorly in this category, freshman bigs Ed Zajac and Justin Rutty were a combined 1-for-8 in the loss at New Hampshire. Freshmen will be freshmen, but this shorthanded team – senior center Karl Anderson is still nursing an injury, James Feldeine has been nicked a bit lately, and JUCO transfer Jeremy Baker is still waiting for clearance from the NCAA – needs them to be more like juniors or seniors at this juncture.

Though Quinnipiac has out-rebounded opponents by a 109-99 margin in their three losses, Moore called his team’s toughness into question following a 64-59 loss to Maine at the TD Banknorth Sports Center in Hamden, Conn.

Behind Anderson, the Bobcats reeled off a 14-0 spurt towards the end of the second half. But it was too little, much too late. The Black Bears had disposed of the Bobcats throughout the second half, leading 55-36 after a 15-4 run with nine minutes remaining.

Moore’s frustration compounded as matador perimeter defense gave Maine lefty Mark Socoby a career-night. Socoby, a 6-foot-6 homegrown product who flew under the radar in high school, looked more like a blue-chip prospect against the Bobcats. He scored 29 points and nailed 5-of-10 from beyond the arc.

When the smoke clears, Moore will realize that conference action is essentially going to be the biggest determinant of post-season fate. The University bigwigs shelled out bloated numbers on both the arena and Moore, who they’re counting on to lead Quinnipiac on a rapid ascension to the NEC’s top stratum.

Anderson, despite being saddled with foul trouble during the club’s first two games, has been every ounce of the explosive scorer Quinnipiac will groom him as. Anderson is averaging 21.5 points to lead Quinnipiac, which will need to avoid putting too much weight on the swingman’s broad shoulders.

In order for them to make some waves this season, a more well-oiled offensive machine needs to surface.

Amidst the sloth start, however, some bright spots have been evident.

Blink-quick point guard Casey Cosgrove emerged as a dual-threat the first two games, handing out eight assists against Hartford and scoring a team-high 16 at Binghamton. The sophomore has been quiet on both fronts lately, however, and the Bobcats will need the manager of their running game to bounce back.

Louis Brookins, a junior transfer via Maryland-Eastern Shore, has provided the Bobcats with a scoring option down low. Brookins scored 14 and 15 against Binghamton and Maine, respectively, and has displayed a feathery mid-range game.

Evann Baker’s 25 points on Sunday are the most by a Quinnipiac freshman in recent memory. The off guard from Washington, D.C. bounced back in a major way with this scoring outburst, as Moore and company had issued a search warrant out for his game. Baker totaled seven points on 2-for-11 shooting in back-to-back losses to Binghamton and Maine.

Florida A&M Loses At UConn

FAMU loses in first-ever meeting with UConn

by Michael T. Lyle, Jr.

HARTFORD, Conn. – Florida A&M’s first ever tangle with UConn didn’t go the way Rattlers head coach Eugene Harris envisioned.

FAMU got a game-high 18 points from Jermonte Bush, but a sloppy first-half that included offensive miscues and lackluster defense resulted in a 93-54 setback to the Huskies at the Hartford Civic Center.

“They’re a very good basketball team,” said Harris of UConn. “They’re very physical, got good outside shooters and got the seven-foot-three (Hasheem Thabeet) who’s hard to match up with.”

Thabeet wasn’t the only problem the Rattlers faced early on. Instead, the story of this game was the slow start for FAMU. They didn’t score their first points of the game until Oliver Price converted on a putback with 11:47 left in the first half, fell behind by as many as 18, and looked out of sync on a few of their possessions.

UConn used it all to their advantage as Husky guard Jerome Dyson fueled an 11-0 start with a short bucket midway through the half. Each time the Rattlers tried to gain some momentum, the Huskies used both their inside and outside game to keep FAMU off balance.

Jeff Adrien’s dunk with under nine minutes to go in the period increased the host’s lead to 25-7. That came after Connecticut coach Jim Calhoun called a second consecutive 30-second timeout to help keep his troops from losing focus.

That didn’t seem to be an issue for the Huskies, especially in the second half, as consecutive buckets from Adrien and Stanley Robinson extended a 43-15 lead to a 52-21 advantage. Thabeet’s dunk with 14:25 left put UConn in cruise control en route to a tough loss for FAMU.

Adrien and Robinson each scored 16 points for UConn while Dyson added 15. Leslie Robinson contributed eight points in a losing cause for the Rattlers.

Despite the win, Calhoun wasn’t all that impressed with his team’s effort.

“I don’t know if our team’s mood was into it early,” he said. “You get a big lead, you relax a little. That’s human nature. But we did do a better job with our focus in the second half.”

The Rattlers got a scare in the first half as Lamar Twitty had to leave the game at the 12:40 mark with a leg injury. He later returned in the period and finished with seven points.

“He banged his knee a little bit, but he’s okay,” said Harris.

The Rattlers head back to the Sunshine State to open conference play at Bethune-Cookman before traveling to Gainesville to battle the defending national champion Florida Gators.

Harris believes this contest gave his team some much-needed “training” for when they head into January.

“It’ll help us out down the road and get us ready for our conference games,” said Harris. “I have nothing but praise for UConn basketball.”

St. Peter’s Knocks Off Rutgers

St. Peter’s Scores Big Win in Battle of New Jersey

by Phil Kasiecki

JERSEY CITY, N.J. – Back in July, John Dunne had a feeling this could be a long season. His team at St. Peter’s has nine freshmen and sophomores, so there’s plenty of youth, and the Peacocks were fresh off a 5-25 campaign.

Such a season could still result, but Dunne has to be feeling a little more optimistic after his team pulled off a 65-58 win over Rutgers on Sunday in a game that was all about New Jersey basketball and had the feeling of a neighborhood battle.

One could spend a few hours drawing connections between the two teams as well as the game setting. It was the first game played in the Jersey City Armory, located just a few blocks from the campus of St. Peter’s, since 1975. Several of the players had previously played there, as among other things it is home to games at the highly competitive Hamilton Park Summer League. But that’s just the beginning.

A few items of note:

• Jersey City is home to high school powerhouse St. Anthony’s. Current Friar guard Mike Rosario, who was in attendance on Sunday, signed with Rutgers.
• A number of the players in this game, like Rosario, played for the Playaz Basketball Club in high school. Playaz program director Jimmy Salmon was among those in attendance on Sunday.
• St. Peter’s assistant Kyle Anderson had a long career with the Playaz before joining the staff last year.
• St. Peter’s freshman guard Wesley Jenkins and Rutgers junior guard Courtney Nelson both played high school ball at Bloomfield Tech.

Suffice it to say, the building had the feeling of a family affair. The end result could provide a boost for the underdog that goes beyond this game.

“It’s big for our program,” said Dunne. “It’s big for our players, especially the three seniors and the two other returning guys. To go through the season we went through last year, and for them to stay loyal to the program and work hard in the spring and summer and come back. It’s just a great win for us, and hopefully we have no letdowns because we have another game on Wednesday.”

Dunne knows that the Peacocks could just as easily take this win and feel like they can now win games just by showing up. That’s why his optimism is cautious at this point. The hope is that what they take out of this game is that they can beat any given opponent if they come to play.

“You tell them to be confident, because there are upsets all over,” said Dunne. “You’ve just got to believe that you can make it happen.”

Jenkins had a breakout game to lead St. Peter’s, scoring a career-high 26 points on 6-7 shooting from long range. A senior, Todd Sowell, made his share of clutch plays as well in amassing a double-double with 22 points and 11 rebounds.

Jenkins is one of three freshmen who start for the Peacocks. Nick Leon starts alongside him in the backcourt, and Ryan Bacon starts at a forward spot. Darrell Lampley also sees time off the bench, as does John Hogga. That’s five freshmen who play significant minutes, evidence of the youth on the team.

Young though they are, the Peacocks won the game the way they will have to win games all season. They just kept playing, capitalized on opportunities, and made key plays down the stretch much like the way a veteran team does. They withstood runs by the Scarlet Knights at various points during the game, times where it looked like Rutgers might be a play or two away from breaking the game open. The young players were certainly part of that.

“I think Lampley and Nick Leon, who didn’t have their best games, stayed mentally tough and kept scratching and fighting,” said Dunne. “I think those two guys can step up and play better.”

Rutgers head coach Fred Hill, who had no problem playing this game, saw this as well.

“They were hungry, I thought that they rebounded the ball extremely well, especially on the offensive end, and I thought they were very scrappy,” said Hill.

The Peacocks not only got their first win over a Big East team in about 12 years, but they also got what should be a confidence booster. They aren’t likely to be contenders in the MAAC this season, but what they showed in getting this win is reason to believe that this team will grow during the season no matter what the final win-loss numbers look like. It wouldn’t be a surprise if they won a few more games they probably shouldn’t before the season is over.

Sunday’s win is also a sign that Dunne has recruited some players who are capable of moving the program forward in the next few years. It may also be a sign that the veterans Dunne alluded to have been able to get their work ethic and dedication to rub off on the young players. In short, it is potentially as big for the program as Dunne described, and not just in the win-loss column.

Horizon Notebook

Horizon League Notebook

by Nick Dettmann

Player of the week: Mike Green, Butler Bulldogs. Green was named the MVP of the Great Alaska Shootout after averaging 20 points, 6.7 assists and four rebounds a contest.

Butler Bulldogs (6-0 overall)
Week record: 3-0
Recap
Nov. 21 vs. Michigan, Great Alaska Shootout – W 79-65
Nov. 23 vs. Virginia Tech, Great Alaska Shootout – W 84-78 (OT)
Nov. 24 vs. Texas Tech, Great Alaska Shootout – W 81-71
For the second straight year, the Bulldogs won a major in-season tournament by taking the Great Alaska Shootout. Last year, the Bulldogs won the NIT Season Tip-Off, beating Notre Dame, Indiana, Tennessee and Gonzaga along the way to win that title.
Butler broke the Great Alaska Shootout record with 49 3-pointers for the tournament, and broke the single game mark with 17 against Michigan.
Mike Green had an outstanding tournament, garnering MVP honors. He averaged 20 points, 6.7 assists and four rebounds per game. He had 23 points in the semifinal against the Hokies.
Pete Campbell was 17-of-31 from 3-point range for the tournament, and averaged 18.7 points a contest. Campbell, Green and A.J. Graves were selected to the All-Tournament team.
Graves scored 52 points in the three games, moving him into 10th place all-time on the school’s scoring record list.
Upcoming games:
Dec. 1 vs. Ohio State

Cleveland State Vikings (4-2)
Week record: 1-0
Nov. 24 vs. John Carroll – W 67-57
The Vikings continued a strong start to the season with a victory over John Carroll. Last season, Cleveland State finished last in the Horizon League in rebounding margin (minus-3.5). This year, it’s the other way around (plus-4.0).
Junior J’Nathan Bullock is off to a good start as well, ranking eighth in the league in scoring (16.8 points per game).
Cedric Jackson is averaging 19.2 points per game through six games, which ranks him third in the league.
CSU is averaging just over 11 turnovers per game in the four victories, but more than 20 in the two losses.
The Vikings will continue a three-game homestand this week, which includes a rematch of last season’s ESPN BracketBusters game with Cal State Northridge.
Upcoming games:
Nov. 28 vs. Cal State Northridge
Dec. 1 vs. Geneva

Detroit Titans (3-2)
Week record: 2-1
Recap
Nov. 19 vs. Western Michigan – L 60-59
Nov. 21 vs. Chicago State – W 77-66
Nov. 24 vs. Rochester – W 67-51
After a close loss to the Western Michigan Broncos, the Titans bounced back with victories against Chicago State and Rochester – all at home.
The Titans shot at least 50 percent from the field in each game, and also got 16 steals against Rochester, the team’s highest total in more than three years (Feb. 28, 2004 vs. Youngstown State).
Junior forward Chris Hayes posted his first collegiate double-double with a 16-point, 12-rebound effort against Chicago State. He also had six assists in the game.
Senior Jon Goode scored a season-high 24 points in the loss to the Broncos. He leads the team in scoring with 15.6 points per game.
Upcoming games:
Nov. 28 at Eastern Michigan
Dec. 1 vs. Central Michigan

Illinois-Chicago Flames (2-3)
Week record: 0-1
Recap
Nov. 19 vs. Wichita State, Paradise Jam – L 67-60
Wichita State, a 2006 NCAA Sweet 16 participant, withstood all it could from the Flames in the Paradise Jam, which was held in the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Junior Scott VanderMeer scored 10 points, grabbed a team-high seven rebounds and blocked five shots. VanderMeet set the league’s single-season shot block record with 111 last year. He already has 21 this season (4.2 per contest), and could shatter that record at his current pace.
Josh Mayo leads the team in scoring at 17.2 points per game, good for seventh-best in the league.
Upcoming games:
Nov. 28 at Central Michigan
Dec. 1 at Illinois State

Loyola Ramblers (2-2)
Week record: 0-1
Recap
Nov. 24 at Purdue – L 84-53
It was never close against the Boilermakers. The 31-point loss was the worst defeat for Loyola since a 90-57 loss to San Diego in 2005. In addition, the Ramblers lost consecutive games for the first time in 10 months. The last time that happened was a Jan. 25 and 27 when Loyola lost to Butler and Wright State, respectively.
Junior J.R. Blount scored a team-high 17 points against Purdue. He is the only Rambler in double figures in all five games this season. He ranks fifth in the league in scoring (18.5 points per game) and is also fourth in steals at 2.5 per game.
After averaging 10 turnovers in the first three games, the Ramblers had 19 against Purdue.
Upcoming games:
Nov. 28 vs. Bradley
Dec. 1 at Northern Iowa

UW-Green Bay Phoenix (3-2)
Week record: 1-0
Recap
Nov. 24 vs. North Dakota State – W 85-77
The Phoenix shot 51 percent from the field, including 62.5 in the second half in the victory over North Dakota State. Green Bay also scored 51 points in the second.
Junior Mike Schachtner is off to the hottest start in the league, averaging a league-best 20.4 points per game. Against NDSU, he scored 24 points for his third 20-point game of the season.
Terry Evans had a solid all-around game, scoring 15 points, grabbing eight rebounds, dishing out six assists and getting three steals. He is second in the league in rebounding (7.8 per game).
The Phoenix, through five games, lead the league in scoring at 75.4 points per game.
When the Phoenix play at South Dakota State, it will be the start of a four-game road trip, and they have only one home game in December (Dec. 22 vs. Northern Illinois).
Upcoming games:
Nov. 27 vs. Eastern Illinois
Dec. 1 at South Dakota State

UW-Milwaukee Panthers (3-2)
Week record: 1-1
Recap
Nov. 20 vs. South Dakota State – W 89-80
Nov. 24 vs. Drake – L 80-59
Paige Paulsen scored 27 points, and Torre Johnson added 22 in the Panthers’ victory over SDSU. Paulsen, a former Mr. Basketball in South Dakota, tied his collegiate-high in the game and added seven rebounds and five steals. He is averaging 15 points per game thus far this season.
Johnson, a transfer from Oklahoma State, is the league-leader in rebounds at 9.4 per game, and is fourth in scoring at 19.0 points per game.
After closing a three-game homestand with Sam Houston State, the Panthers will play a much-anticipated in-city rivalry game with Marquette. The two last played each other in 1998. The campuses are located about 10 minutes from each other.
Upcoming games:
Nov. 27 vs. Sam Houston State
Nov. 30 at Marquette

Valparaiso Crusaders (4-1)
Week record: 2-1
Recap
Nov. 20 at Vanderbilt – L 87-78
Nov. 23 vs. Maryland-Eastern Shore, South Padre Island Invitational – W 66-55
Nov. 24 vs. Austin Peay, South Padre Island Invitational – W 61-47
The Crusaders nearly pulled off a big upset over NCAA Sweet 16 participant Vanderbilt in Nashville. But they did take two games at the South Padre Island Invitational in Texas.
Shawn Huff earned a spot on the all-tournament team, scoring seven points late in the game against Austin Peay. For the week, Huff averaged 11.3 points and 7.7 rebounds.
Against Maryland-Eastern Shore, Bryan Bouchie scored a season-high 23 points.
Valparaiso has won four of its first five games for the first time since the 1998-99 season.
Upcoming games:
Nov. 28 vs. Western Michigan
Dec. 1 vs. Ball State

Wright State Raiders (1-0)
Week record: 1-0
Recap
Nov. 19 vs. Coastal Carolina – W 71-48
After a long-awaited debut, the defending league tournament champion Raiders finally took the floor against Coastal Carolina.
The Raiders forced 24 turnovers in the game, and led by as many as 29 points in the second half.
Sophomore forward Todd Brown led the way with a game-high 20 points, along with four rebounds and four assists. He also four 3-pointers, and the Raiders hit nine as a team.
Vaughn Duggins added 16 points and six rebounds, and Scottie Wilson scored 14 points.
Jordan Pleiman collected six rebounds, giving him more than 500 for his career. He is the 17th player in Raiders history to achieve that milestone.
Upcoming games:
Nov. 28 vs. Marshall
Dec. 1 at Marist

Youngstown State Penguins (2-2)
Week record: 0-1
Recap
Nov. 24 at Notre Dame – L 87-75
The Penguins hung tight with the Fighting Irish, who have now won 23 straight home games after beating Colgate on Monday night.
Four players were in double figures for the Penguins. That continues a streak of at least three players in double figures in every game so far this season.
Senior John Barber scored a collegiate-high 19 points and tied his collegiate-best with 12 rebounds to notch his fifth collegiate double-double.
Byron Davis added 14 points for YSU, and leads the team in scoring with 15.8 points per game.
YSU hit 11 3-pointers in the game, making it the second time this year it hit at least 10 3-pointers in a game.
On tap this week is a rematch from last year’s ESPN BracketBusters with Eastern Kentucky.
Upcoming games:
Nov. 28 at St. Francis (Pa.)
Dec. 1 at Eastern Kentucky

Indiana: Hoosiers Suspend Crawford for Three Games

Hoosiers Suspend Crawford for Three Games: Indiana slipped past Georgia Tech 83-79 in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge without freshman guard Jordan Crawford. Coach Kelvin Sampson announced before the game that Crawford will miss three games because he violated team rules. Sampson did not specify the nature of the violations. Crawford has played well as a freshman, averaging 12.6 points per game off the bench.

[11/27/07]

Arizona: Olson Watches Wildcats Practice

Olson Watches Wildcats Practice: Arizona coach Lute Olson, three weeks into a leave of absence, returned to watch the Wildcats practice today. He did not lead the practice and mostly watched from the sidelines. However, he did step onto the court to provide direction a few times. Olson stepped away for personal reasons that are not related to his health, he said. Under assistant coach Kevin O’Neill, the Wildcats are 3-2 and pushed No. 4 Kansas to overtime Sunday before losing by four. Olson has been Arizona’s coach for more than 24 seasons. [11/27/07]

LSU: LSU’s Mitchell to Have Surgery

LSU’s Mitchell to Have Surgery: LSU’s Tasmin Mitchell, a junior forward, has a stress fracture in his left ankle that will require surgery. He should be out six to eight weeks. Mitchell was an All-SEC Freshman Team member two years ago, when he averaged 14 points and 11 boards per game.
[11/26/07]

St. Bonaventure: St. Bonaventure Freshman Not Eligible

St. Bonaventure Freshman Not Eligible: The NCAA has ruled that St. Bonaventure freshman forward Da’Quan Cook will not be eligible this year, without specifying a reason why. Cook, who attended high school in Virginia, will retain his scholarship and should be able to play next year.
[11/26/07]

Philly Classic News And Notes

Inaugural Philly Classic a Bright Sign of Things to Come

by Phil Kasiecki

PHILADELPHIA – The inaugural Philly Hoop Group Classic can be called a success, and it can also be called the start of something potentially special. The event has some ingredients to become one of the premier preseason events each season, and the Hoop Group, known for its high school camps and tournaments, has every intention of doing just that. This is their first foray into college basketball, and it looks like they have something good.

The event will feature Philadelphia both in terms of at least one school from the city being there each year (host Penn and nearby Drexel were participants this year) and having a site there serve as the host for the bracket rounds. The brackets are pre-determined, so the preliminary games at campus sites do not matter with it. There may not be a better city for such an event, given the history of college basketball in Philadelphia with the Big Five and the Palestra as a facility.

The Hoop Group has already received commitments for the next three years, including several Big East schools. It will be an exempt event, meaning that the four-game slate will only count as two games against a team’s limit of 29 games.

With this event sure to grow, along with the NIT Season Tip-Off taking place in New York and the Legends Classic now taking place in Newark, N.J., the northeast will continue to be a good place to see top-notch college basketball. Thanksgiving weekend has gotten just a little better now.

Notes

• Howard is eagerly awaiting the return of two injured players, Randy Hampton and Kyle Riley. Hampton, a transfer from Drexel, has a broken finger that might be more serious. If it isn’t serious, he could play in about another week, according to head coach Gil Jackson. Riley is battling an ankle injury, and may be ready for next Saturday’s MEAC opener against Hampton in the Big Apple Classic in New York. Jackson added that inside play is his biggest personnel concern, as he feels fine with his perimeter play.
• Loyola (Md.) head coach Jimmy Patsos had nothing but good things to say about the event and talked about the newness of this for his team. He also emphasized that while his program his come alive since he took the reigns, they still have more growing to do.
  “We are trying to attempt to become a mid-major program that’s successful,” said Patsos. “We have beaten Vermont, American University and Penn – those are the programs we are trying to be. This was our toughest test of the year because Drexel epitomizes what we are trying to be: a mid-major team that wins on the road, goes to the postseason, gets guys drafted.”
• Drexel continues to win games with their defense, which is sure to be the case all season long. The Dragons don’t look as strong at the guard spot, and they turned the ball over 16 times on Saturday, with ten of those turnovers coming from the three starting guards. They aren’t lacking talent at the position, especially with freshmen Jamie Harris and Gerald Colds having impressed right away, so there is reason to believe they will get better at that position as the season goes along.
  On the plus side, Boston College transfer Evan Neisler contributed nicely in the first half while Frank Elegar (21 points) was on the bench with foul trouble. He also made a couple of key plays late in the game.
  “I told the team we’ve just got to continue to get better,” said head coach Bruiser Flint. “We’ve been pulling these games out, so there’s nothing wrong with learning from that.”
• For Navy, the big issue on Saturday was just not making shots. Head coach Billy Lange was satisfied with his team’s effort, which included forcing 22 Penn turnovers, but they needed to make shots. They shot just 30.6 percent from the field and made just 5 of 28 three-pointers.
• Virginia has started the season well, but on Saturday night they were completely out-played. The Cavalier offense seemed to be out of sync and they took a number of shots very early in the possession, and when Seton Hall broke the game open with a few three-pointers, they seemed to come with Cavalier defenders losing their man off the ball.
  While Adrian Joseph had 16 rebounds, he had five turnovers and was 2-7 from the field, and generally was not a positive factor for the Cavaliers.
  “To whom much is given, much is expected,” said head coach Dave Leitao. “We’ve given him the opportunity to be one of the leaders of this team, and he and all the rest of the older guys have got to do a better job of stabilizing us.”
• The best thing about the win for Seton Hall on Saturday is how they did it. They didn’t directly speed the game up, although Virginia did seem to get caught up in playing faster. Rather, the Pirates won a game that had lower scoring and where they were out-rebounded. Those are good signs for this team, one who last year had to have things go their way if they were to win.

ACC Notebook

Atlantic Coast Conference Notebook

by Michael Protos

For the ninth consecutive year, the Big Ten and ACC will square off in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge, a made-for-TV, head-to-head battle royale. Despite the fanfare and several thrilling games in past years, the ACC has taken the challenge out of winning the event with a perfect 8-0 mark. And win No. 9 will come this week.

This year’s Big Ten/ACC Challenge smacks of contrived match ups and forced story lines. For example, Duke and Wisconsin will meet for the first time ever. Ohio State and North Carolina will play a rematch of last season’s 98-89 thriller, in which Greg Oden missed the game in Chapel Hill with a broken hand. It’s also the dream Final Four match up from last season if Georgetown hadn’t spoiled North Carolina’s run in the Elite Eight. Meanwhile, Georgia Tech will play Indiana for the first time in nearly 40 years.

Who cares?

North Carolina vs. Ohio State is so last year. There are plenty of schools Duke hasn’t played that would be compelling TV. And if the Yellow Jackets and Hoosiers waited another 10 years to hook up, would you notice?

This event should set up the ACC’s best team against the Big Ten’s best team, the ACC’s second-best team against the Big Ten’s second-best team, and so on. That would give far more meaning to the event if the top game could conceivably play a factor in determining a No. 1 seed in March. And the middle games could become pivotal in deciding the final bids to the NCAA Tournament. Forced story lines should only occur on occasion and only when the match ups remain competitive. Georgia Tech at Indiana? Come on.

This year, the Big Ten’s best, Indiana and Michigan State, play Georgia Tech and North Carolina State, respectively. The Big Ten schools are at home. The Wolfpack might challenge the Spartans, but it seems like the event’s organizers tossed a couple freebies to the Big Ten to make sure the conference doesn’t get skunked in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge standings. It might not matter.

Ideally, North Carolina would play Indiana, and Duke would play Michigan State. Those match ups would generate plenty of intrigue and would have plenty of meaning come March. Ohio State vs. Florida State and Georgia Tech vs. Ohio State could have pit four potential bubble teams.

But instead, we have these games. I offer my picks for each game. ACC: 7, Big Ten: 4.

Nov. 26
Wake Forest at Iowa, Pick: Wake Forest

Nov. 27
Wisconsin at Duke, Pick: Duke
Clemson at Purdue, Pick: Clemson
Northwestern at Virginia, Pick: Virginia
Minnesota at Florida State, Pick: Florida State
Georgia Tech at Indiana, Pick: Indiana

Nov. 28
North Carolina at Ohio State, Pick: North Carolina
Boston College at Michigan, Pick: Boston College
North Carolina State at Michigan State, Pick: Michigan State
Illinois at Maryland, Pick: Illinois
Virginia Tech at Penn State, Pick: Penn State

Duke Blue Devils (6-0, 0-0)

Duke won the EA Sports Maui Invitational championship for the fourth time and avenged a loss to Marquette in the CBE Classic championship game last season. Led by freshman forward Kyle Singler’s 25 points, the Blue Devils outlasted the Golden Eagles 77-73 in Lahaina to give Duke a big early season victory against a highly ranked opponent.

In addition to Singler, freshmen Nolan Smith and Taylor King have joined a veteran Duke core that appears ready to return to the top of the conference. Duke has blasted its first six opponents by an average of 27.3 points. Singler leads four Duke players who score double figures with 15.8 points per game. He also is second on the team with 6.6 rebounds per game. Singler, King and Smith average 28.6 points per game, giving Duke a potent 10-man rotation.

With upcoming games against Wisconsin, Davidson and Michigan, the Blue Devils aren’t likely to continue averaging nearly 90 points per game. However, coach Mike Krzyzewski has Duke playing vintage Blue Devil basketball – high tempo, high pressure, frequent scoring bursts en route to big wins. If Duke wins those three games and can beat Pittsburgh in Madison Square Garden, the Blue Devils will likely enter 2008 undefeated.

Up Next:
Nov. 27 vs. Wisconsin
Dec. 1 vs. Davidson (in Charlotte)
Dec. 8 vs. Michigan

North Carolina Tar Heels (5-0, 0-0)

The Tar Heels remain undefeated after five games, but it hasn’t been easy. Davidson led most of the second half in the season opener before North Carolina escaped with a 72-68 victory. In the Las Vegas Invitational, the Tar Heels needed another late run to dispatch BYU. The Cougars upset Louisville a day earlier, spoiling the lone top 10 match up North Carolina could have faced in non-conference play.

Coach Roy Williams doesn’t mind the close games, however, because they force the Tar Heels to play their best against talented, upset-minded opponents. Junior forward Tyler Hansbrough has risen to the challenge, scoring more than 20 points in four of North Carolina’s five games. The pre-season All-American is averaging 23 points and nine rebounds per game. Guard Wayne Ellington has started his sophomore season on fire, shooting 55.2 percent from the field and 48 percent from three-point range to average 17 points per game.

The Tar Heels will await word on sophomore point guard Ty Lawson, who injured his ankle against BYU in the opening minutes of the Las Vegas Invitational championship game. He could not run full speed on the ankle, forcing him to miss the rest of the game. If Lawson misses extended time, junior Bobby Frasor and senior Quentin Thomas would likely share time at point guard, but neither has Lawson’s explosive abilities. He set a career high against Old Dominion with 23 points in only 21 minutes.

North Carolina will continue its longest road trip in Williams’ tenure with games at Ohio State and Kentucky this week. The journey includes games at Pennsylvania and Rutgers before the Tar Heels return to Chapel Hill to play Nicholls State Dec. 19.

Up Next:
Nov. 28 at Ohio State
Dec. 1 at Kentucky
Dec. 4 at Pennsylvania

Clemson Tigers (5-0, 0-0)

Clemson has not faced big-name foes yet this season, but the Tigers can take pride in beating Mississippi State, Old Dominion and Gardner-Webb, all of which have played well this season. The Tigers also should be happy that they are scoring at will with nine players making significant contributions. Like last year, the key to Clemson’s success is its talented, deep backcourt.

In the team’s toughest game so far, an 84-82 victory at Mississippi State, freshman guard Terrence Oglesby scored 17 points to lead the team to victory. Oglesby has had a strong start to his career with the Tigers, averaging 9.6 points per game in only 14.6 minutes per game. Coach Oliver Purnell has the luxury of bringing Oglesby off the bench for instant offensive production.

Meanwhile, junior swingman K.C. Rivers continues to prove that he’s one of the best players in the conference. He is averaging 15 points and 6.4 rebounds per game while shooting 53.8 percent from three-point range. Rivers’ energy is critical on defense because Purnell’s perimeter-oriented game plan relies on smaller players swarming to collect rebounds and loose balls. Defensively, the Tigers’ pressure forces 14 steals per game, and no opponent has shot better than 44 percent from the field.

Last season, the Tigers started 17-0 by beating up on a bunch of weaker opponents. After a 3-0 start in the ACC, Clemson lost nine of its next 11 games. Why won’t this team fade like last year’s version? Obviously, only time will tell. But the Tigers’ backcourt strength is vastly superior to many other ACC squads, which should help Clemson thrive in conference play. The Tigers must continue to take care of business during the next few weeks with potentially challenging games against Purdue and South Carolina.

Up Next:
Nov. 27 at Purdue
Dec. 1 vs. South Carolina
Dec. 5 at East Carolina

Miami Hurricanes (5-0, 0-0)

The Hurricanes surprised many experts who figured Virginia Commonwealth, Arkansas or Providence would leave Puerto Rico with a championship. But Miami beat the Rams and Friars en route to the Puerto Rico Tip-Off title. Sophomore guard James Dews came off the bench to lead Miami with 17 points against Providence in the championship game. The Hurricanes needed his production with scoring sensation Jack McClinton limited by foul trouble.

Miami might need Dews to continue to deliver more consistent offensive production because McClinton missed the Hurricanes’ game against Morgan State with a sprained left thumb. Without McClinton, Miami struggled offensively, shooting 39.6 percent from the field and squeaking past the Bears 55-51. Senior center Anthony King, known for his prowess on defense more than his offensive abilities, led the team with 11 points. Junior guard Lance Hurdle helped seal the victory with two free throws late in the game. He was the only reliable Hurricane from the line as the rest of the team made only 6-of-19 free throw attempts.

Despite the victories in Puerto Rico, Miami is overachieving. The Hurricanes play a weak schedule for the next month, with games against Alabama State, Florida International, Stetson, North Florida and North Carolina A&T. If Miami hopes to earn any national acclaim, the Hurricanes need to win all those and beat the respectable opponents – St. John’s, Mississippi State and Winthrop.

Up Next:
Nov. 28 vs. Alabama State
Dec. 2 vs. St. John’s
Dec. 8 at Florida International

Boston College Eagles (4-0, 0-0)

Boston College is moving on with life without Jared Dudley, Sean Marshall and a host of other Eagles who had been central to the team’s success in recent seasons. After four games, Eagles fans must like what they see from the latest version of their team, even though it hasn’t been easy. Boston College has overcome second-half deficits in all but one game. In the opener against New Hampshire – with Tyrese Rice and Shamari Spears suspended for playing in an unsanctioned summer game – freshmen Rakim Sanders and Biko Paris delivered in the clutch. Against Rhode Island, Rice and Sanders combined for 45 points to help the Eagles hand the Rams their first loss of the season.

For the Eagles to continue their early success, Rice and Spears will need to remain effective even when teams try to minimize their contributions, forcing the younger, inexperienced Eagles to step up. After four games, Rice is averaging 21.3 points and 7.7 assists per game. Spears is averaging 14 points and 11 rebounds. They probably won’t be able to maintain that production level throughout the season, especially in conference play, but coach Al Skinner needs them to deliver in clutch moments.

The Eagles will leave home for the first time this season with upcoming games at Michigan and Providence. Boston College also has St. Louis and Maryland coming up in the next two weeks. The Eagles need to win three of four to prove that they will be able to compete with the ACC’s heavyweights.

Up Next:
Nov. 28 at Michigan
Dec. 1 at Providence
Dec. 4 vs. St. Louis
Dec. 9 at Maryland

Wake Forest Demon Deacons (3-0, 0-0)

Fairfield, North Carolina Central and Winston-Salem State aren’t Duke, North Carolina and North Carolina State, but the Demon Deacons looked impressive in routing those three opponents. Wake Forest honored coach Skip Prosser, who died of a heart attack this past summer, by crushing Fairfield 85-60 in the season opener. Freshman James Johnson and sophomore Harvey Hale each scored 17 points, and the Demon Deacons forced 23 turnovers to fuel the rout. With five games in the next two weeks, including road trips to Iowa, Charlotte, Vanderbilt and Georgia, the Demon Deacons will have several opportunities to prove that the early start is indicative of a surprisingly strong season.

Against three overmatched opponents, Wake Forest’s defensive pressure has forced at least 20 turnovers in each game. The Demon Deacons smothered Winston-Salem State, allowing the Rams to shoot only 26.3 percent from the field. Freshman guard Jeff Teague had five steals in each of the first two games, and sophomore guard L.D. Williams has seven after three games. Wake Forest’s backcourt has flourished, and coach Dino Gaudio will need the guards to continue to lead the team through the upcoming tough stretch and into conference play.

Up Next:
Nov. 26 at Iowa
Nov. 29 at Charlotte
Dec. 1 vs. South Carolina-Upstate
Dec. 5 at Vanderbilt
Dec. 8 at Georgia

Virginia Cavaliers (5-1, 0-0)

Virginia won’t win if Sean Singletary has to do everything. That simple observation will apply to every Cavalier game this season. In six games so far, Virginia has stunned Arizona in Tempe and lost to Seton Hall in Philadelphia in the Philly Hoops Classic. Singletary had 24 points, eight assists and four rebounds against the Wildcats, and 23 points, seven assists and seven rebounds against the Pirates – nearly identical lines. He turned the ball over five times in each games, so he wasn’t forcing the issue in one game more than he was in the other.

The difference is that Singletary’s dominance allowed other Cavaliers to deliver significant contributions in the Arizona win, but Singletary’s teammates failed to deliver in Philly. Freshman guard Jeff Jones hit five three-pointers in the desert to score 15 points. Senior forward Jamil Tucker provided 12 points off the bench. But against Seton Hall, only junior swingman Mamadi Diane joined Singletary in double figures.

For Virginia to take full advantage of Singletary’s talent, the Cavaliers need some reliable scoring options to emerge behind Diane and junior swingman Adrian Joseph. Those three count for nearly 55 percent of the team’s production. And teams like Seton Hall have proven that you can let Singletary score at will if you shut down everyone else.

Virginia will have an opportunity to find more offensive balance against Northwestern before hosting Syracuse in a big non-conference clash in Charlottesville.

Up Next:
Nov. 27 vs. Northwestern
Dec. 5 vs. Syracuse
Dec. 7 vs. Longwood

Florida State Seminoles (5-2, 0-0)

Florida State picked up a critical road victory at Florida after dropping games to Cleveland State and South Florida in the Glenn Wilkes Classic. To build a better résumé for the NCAA Tournament, the Seminoles need to avoid more losses to opponents they are supposed to beat, like the Vikings and Bulls. In the next few weeks, Florida State will have big games against Minnesota, Butler and Providence – with the last two on the road. A three-game sweep would make the Seminoles a more viable NCAA Tournament candidate entering ACC play.

For Florida State to build a long winning streak in December, the Seminoles need to copy their performance in Gainesville. Florida State opened a 25-9 lead in the first half with stifling defense. For the game, the Seminoles held the Gators to 38.9 shooting from the field. Florida State dominated the boards, out-rebounding Florida 37-22. Jason Rich, a 6-3 senior guard, led the Seminoles with 20 points and 11 rebounds.

Florida State’s guards are the strength of this team. Seniors Isaiah Swann, Ralph Mims and Rich join junior Toney Douglas as four of the team’s top five scorers. Swann leads the group with 16.6 points per game. At 6-2, he’s third on the team in rebounding with 4.4 per game. The guards’ athleticism helps them overcome the height differential they usually face in the post. But the height disadvantage also means the Seminoles cannot afford a lackluster effort. They cannot commit lots of turnovers or allow open shots.

Coach Leonard Hamilton is still working on the right starting combination. For the past three games, sophomore forward Ryan Reid has started in the frontcourt alongside Uche Echefu. He replaced freshman forward Julian Vaughn, who started three of the first four games of the season.

Up Next:
Nov. 27 vs. Minnesota
Nov. 30 vs. Stetson
Dec. 2 vs. Samford
Dec. 8 vs. Maine

North Carolina State Wolfpack (4-1, 0-0)

North Carolina State’s lone loss made headlines because New Orleans’ T.J. Worley collected a loose ball and banked in a winning three-pointer at the buzzer. The lucky shot is the only difference between a perfect 5-0 record and a one-loss, unranked start. All of a sudden, the Wolfpack are underrated and dangerous entering games against Michigan State, Davidson, Cincinnati and Seton Hall in December. North Carolina State beat South Carolina and Villanova in the Old Spice Classic by a combined three points to leave Orlando with the tournament’s championship. The Wolfpack are learning how to win – and lose – in the final seconds, which is invaluable experience when home losses to schools like New Orleans can be excusable by March.

During the rash of close games, North Carolina State fans have watched a star emerge. Freshman forward J.J. Hickson has made it clear that he will challenge Duke’s Kyle Singler for the title of ACC Rookie of the Year. Hickson is averaging 18.8 points and 8.5 rebounds per game, immediately becoming one of the Wolfpack’s best offensive weapons.

While Hickson has become a force to reckon with, junior forward Ben McCauley has been disappointing through five games. He is averaging 5.2 points and 2.8 rebounds per game after averaging 14.4 points and 6.9 rebounds per game last season. With Hickson and Brandon Costner in the frontcourt, McCauley needs to play well or risk losing his starting job.

Up Next:
Nov. 28 at Michigan State
Dec. 8 at East Carolina

Maryland Terrapins (4-2, 0-0)

Maryland whiffed on two opportunities to beat high-profile opponents when the Terrapins dropped games against UCLA and Missouri in the CBE Classic. There’s no shame in losing to the Bruins, but Maryland needed the game against the Tigers. Missouri’s nonstop pressure forced 23 turnovers, and Maryland shot only 41.4 percent from the field, including a dismal 1-of-15 from three-point territory. Heroics by senior forward James Gist prevented an embarrassing loss to Northeastern. Gist scored 27 points and hit free throws in overtime to help the Terrapins pull away for a 74-72 victory.

With an inexperienced lineup, coach Gary Williams is playing Gist, Eric Hayes and Greivis Vasquez more than 32 minutes per game. Senior forward Bambale Osby is averaging 28 minutes per game. For Maryland to be successful, some of the less experienced Terrapins – Adrian Bowie, Braxton Dupree or Cliff Tucker – need to mature quickly. One of the higher scoring ACC teams last season, Maryland is scoring only 70.7 points per game after six games. Vasquez leads the team with 17.7 points per game while adding 5.5 rebounds and five assists per game. To add to the team’s offensive woes, the Terrapins are struggling with free throws and three pointers, shooting 68.5 percent from the free throw line and 27.4 percent from behind the arc.

Illinois and Virginia Commonwealth are on deck, and the Terrapins must win at least one of those games because they are Maryland’s final opportunity to pick up any kind of a quality non-conference victory.

Up Next:
Nov. 28 vs. Illinois
Dec. 2 vs. Virginia Commonwealth
Dec. 6 vs. Morgan State
Dec. 9 vs. Boston College

Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (3-2, 0-0)

The Yellow Jackets dropped their season opener to UNC-Greensboro 83-74, the team’s first loss to open a season in nearly 15 years. Georgia Tech was cold from the field, shooting only 38.2 percent. Junior guard Lewis Clinch was especially off, making only 2-of-13 shots. Coming off a suspension to end his sophomore season, Clinch has started slowly. He is shooting only 40.8 percent from the field and averaging 11 points per game. In eight fewer minutes per game last season, Clinch averaged 13.2 points per game before his suspension. For Georgia Tech to be successful, Clinch must be more consistent.

Senior guard Anthony Morrow has picked up the slack in the first few games, averaging 19 points and 6.4 rebounds per game. But if Morrow struggles, the Yellow Jackets are in trouble. Against Winthrop, Morrow was 3-of-17 and scored only 10 points, and the Eagles beat Georgia Tech 79-73. To remedy off nights from their leading guards, Georgia Tech needs to improve its defense. Opponents are averaging 78.6 points per game. That doesn’t allow for a large margin of error on offense.

Georgia Tech has a brutal schedule ahead, with games against Indiana, Vanderbilt and Kansas coming in the next three weeks.

Up Next:
Nov. 27 at Indiana
Dec. 1 at Vanderbilt
Dec. 5 at Georgia State

Virginia Tech Hokies (2-2, 0-0)

Virginia Tech figures to have a difficult season rebuilding with lots of youth. But based on the Hokies’ performance in the Great Alaska Shootout, Virginia Tech will remain competitive and could surprise teams that aren’t prepared to give a complete effort. Freshman forward Jeff Allen has been critical in the early games, averaging 14.5 points and seven rebounds per game. He’s also collected nine steals in three games. Allen stepped into graduated senior Coleman Collins’ spot in the frontcourt and has played well, despite getting into foul trouble in the Hokies’ loss against Gonzaga. He had 21 points and nine rebounds against Butler, helping force overtime before the Bulldogs could emerge with an 84-78 victory.

In addition to Allen, Virginia Tech has received strong play from junior swingman A.D. Vassallo, who is leading the team with 16.8 points per game. He also is shooting 50 percent from beyond the arc. Senior swingman Deron Washington needs to be more productive, although his 12.3 points and 6.5 rebounds per game is a good start.

Virginia Tech has a mostly soft schedule coming up in the next few weeks, which will give the younger Hokies an opportunity to mesh with one another some more before entering conference play. This team will likely struggle against most teams in the ACC, but coach Seth Greenberg will make sure his team plays hard from start to finish.

Up Next:
Nov. 28 at Penn State
Dec. 1 vs. UNC-Asheville
Dec. 4 vs. UNC-Greensboro
Dec. 9 vs. George Washington

Penn Starts Slow, Has Promise

Young Quakers Have Potential During Slow Start

by Phil Kasiecki

PHILADELPHIA – Before the season, much was said about this year’s Penn team not being the Penn team we’ve known over the years. Much has been said about how wide-open the Ivy League appears to be and how this could be the first time in 19 years that a team other than Penn or Princeton took home the Ivy League title.

The Quakers are off to a 2-4 start with a lineup that includes two freshmen guards. Harrison Gaines and Tyler Bernardini both look impressive and have a chance to be excellent players, but it’s not going to happen right away although Bernardini was quite effective in the Quakers’ 71-67 win over Navy on Saturday. He was very active and showed some good ball skills. Gaines has the physical tools to be a good player, but looks a bit erratic right now, although no more than your average freshman point guard.

Although the youth is visible in the backcourt, it’s up front that one would find the biggest questions entering the season. Departed starters Mark Zoller and Steve Danley were major keys to the team’s success last season, and the holdovers were unproven. The early games haven’t answered many questions, save for the Quakers being out-rebounded by more than four per game.

Over a week ago, the Quakers sure looked the part of a vulnerable team in losing at home to Howard, coached by former long time Penn assistant Gil Jackson. That dropped the Quakers to 0-3, an unthinkable start for a program that has played tough non-conference schedules but has had a great deal of success over the years in non-conference play.

A look at statistics shows that the defensive end has some troubling numbers. Entering Saturday’s game, opponents were shooting 47 percent from the field against the Quakers, including an astonishing 49 percent from three-point range. Opponents were averaging over 82 points per game against them, with Virginia dropping 100 on them Friday night.

Those numbers are a big reason why Saturday’s effort against Navy could be a key step forward for them. They held the Midshipmen to 30.6 percent shooting, including 5-28 from long range. They also got some run-outs from misses and turnovers, which led to a few easy baskets that helped them take the lead in the second half.

“I was very satisfied because they’re a very difficult team to defend,” said head coach Glen Miller of their defensive effort. “I thought our guys paid attention in practice today, paid attention in the pregame talk and carried that on the floor and executed it to perfection.”

The Quakers have talent, notably the aforementioned freshmen guards. Senior Brian Grandieri is the veteran leader who has been through the wars and has the look of a go-to guy, as the Quakers at times seemed to make a concerted effort to get him the ball to try and score. The key for this team will be the young players growing up and dependable players emerging in the frontcourt. The intangibles will take a little time to fully come around, but Saturday’s win might be a step in the right direction.

“It was an ugly game, but it’s nice to win one of those ugly games because there’s a certain amount of toughness that’s required to win those games,” said Miller. “We need to be a tougher team physically and mentally, so there’s progress in those areas.”

Since the Howard loss, the Quakers have played some better basketball, winning two of the three games thus far. There are still concerning points, like the 22 turnovers they committed against Navy, and defense won’t become a strength overnight. The young players, particularly the guards, have talent, but need experience and to learn from their experience.

“They’ve really grown up in the stretch of the last two or three games. They’re not hesitating to shoot, they’re giving the ball up when guys are open,” said Grandieri of the freshmen. “The two times that we’ve played as a team and given that extra pass, we’ve been able to get a win.”

The big question is if they will develop well enough by the time Ivy League play rolls around. They will be tested plenty, as the remainder of non-conference play includes a home date with North Carolina, a road date with Miami and their Big Five opponents – Villanova and Temple on the road, La Salle and Saint Joseph’s at home. And the rest of the Ivy League hasn’t exactly set the world on fire in non-conference play, as only Cornell has a winning record and Brown is the only other team with a .500 record. So the Quakers are in good company, and they might be in a much better place once Ivy League play rolls around.

Robert Morris Focused on NEC Championship

Robert Morris is Focused on a Conference Title in November

by Phil Kasiecki

PHILADELPHIA – Mike Rice is a realist. He knows that the Northeast Conference simply doesn’t produce at-large bids to the NCAA Tournament. So when talking about what his team is trying to do in their non-conference schedule, it all leads to one thing: a Northeast Conference championship.

That is the focus for the first-year head coach and his team, who leave Philadelphia with a 1-1 mark after they took third place in the Liberty bracket by cruising to a 72-53 victory over Howard. His reflections on Saturday’s game demonstrate that focus.

“These days are days where you now build and get better,” said Rice, a Pittsburgh native. “You’re not going to have an at-large team in the NEC, so every time you play a non-conference opponent, they’ll do different things, they’ll have different looks. I told them, this is another step in winning a conference championship.”

They haven’t played any NEC games yet, but the Colonials will play their NEC opener in less than two weeks. Aside from that, however, Rice recognizes the goal for this team, one that has the talent and experience to contend in the NEC. He knows that the path to the NCAA Tournament is through the conference.

Rice was across town last season as an assistant at Pittsburgh, so he knows the landscape. He knows that last season, the Colonials went 8-1 in non-conference play and appeared to validate projections by many that they were among the favorites in the Northeast Conference, before a so-so conference showing changed that. They went 9-9 and lost to Mt. St. Mary’s in the quarterfinals of the Northeast Conference Tournament.

It’s possible that he also takes a cue from what happened at Wagner two years ago. That year, the Seahawks impressed in non-conference play with a 7-2 mark that included a win at Rhode Island and a close loss at UCLA. But they fall apart in NEC play with a 6-12 mark that left them out of the conference tournament.

“If you’re going to be a great defensive team, you can’t have Tony Lee, Jeremy Chappell, A.J. Jackson playing over 30 minutes,” said Rice, who added that he feels his team isn’t there yet on the defensive end. “Then you get last year’s results, which was an 8-1 non-conference season. They just wore down, and they took defensive possessions off in the NEC.”

A good non-conference showing doesn’t necessarily mean a team will wear down, but Rice is cautious of that and is trying to build depth with his team. To that end, the Colonials currently have eight players who average at least 11 minutes per game. Only Chappell, a junior guard, averages over 30 minutes per game, checking in at 31.2.

Rice mentioned three players that are a big reason the Colonials can contend in the NEC. Chappell is the leading scorer and also averages over four steals per game. Jackson will put up his share of double-doubles, as will Lee, a senior who plays bigger than his size. The Colonials appear to have the personnel to go deep as Rice wants to, with players like 6’8″ sophomore Dallas Green and 6’4″ sophomore guard Mezie Nwigwe off the bench. Freshman Gary Wallace is also getting minutes, and it doesn’t hurt that he comes from a winning program as he played at Seton Hall Prep in New Jersey.

Any competitive athlete wants to play every minute, but it’s not always practical. Rice understands that and knows it’s part of his challenge in trying to manage the team for the bigger goal.

“I’m trying to build depth, and sometimes it’s frustrating,” said Rice. “It’s hard to take out Jeremy Chappell and Tony Lee, they’re tremendous offensive players, but you’ve got to do it defensively.”

As the Colonials continue to build depth while trying to win games, the focus is clear. For Rice and his team, everything is supposed to lead to a Northeast Conference championship, even while not playing conference opponents.

Mountain West Notebook

Mountain West Notebook

by Brad Best

The Mountain West Conference men’s basketball is off to a solid start in early non-conference play, with a combined record of 36-10. Going into Saturday, five teams were undefeated, but that got trimmed to two teams as BYU, San Diego State and Air Force each lost for the first time. Even so, in a year that many saw as rebuilding for the future, the conference looks to be competitive, especially considering BYU’s showing against North Carolina.

The New Mexico Lobos lead the pack with their 6-0 start. The have easily won their five home games by an average of more than 30 points per game. The only competitive contest was a seven-point victory over Colorado in Boulder. Southern Utah and Mississippi are next up on the schedule. Junior Chad Toppert and Senior J.R. Giddens are the leading scorers so far, each averaging 13 points per game. Toppert is averaging 9 points per game from beyond the arc and is shooting 53% percent from long range. Giddens is an athletic guard who can break down defenses and score inside and out, and thus far he’s doing just that.

The TCU Horned Frogs are an improving team that is off to a quick 4-0 start. With two seniors and three juniors in the starting lineup, this veteran bunch should be able to move up the standing this season. They’ve had an easy time of it so far, but they will travel to Lubbock to square off against Bobby Knight’s Red Raiders next week.

BYU has breezed through its first four opponents as expected. Then came Louisville as part of the Las Vegas Invitational. The Cardinals were minus center David Padgett, who suffered a knee injury last week as well as senior forward Juan Palacios, so BYU had a timely opportunity to face a top 10 opponent on a neutral site and made the most of it with a two-point victory. Then on Saturday night they got a chance to play No. 1 North Carolina. Junior Trent Plaisted impressed a national audience with 24 points and 17 rebounds but it was not enough to upset the Tar Heels.

Next in line is San Diego State, where freshman and transfers are making an immediate impact in the Aztecs 5-1 start. They could field a pretty solid squad simply by starting their two transfers (Ryan Amoroso and Kelvin Davis) and three true freshmen (Tim Shelton, Billy White and D.J. Gay). With that lineup, they would have three guys averaging in double figures and a fourth averaging 9 points per game. Returning players Lorenzo Wade and Kyle Spain lead the team in scoring. The Aztecs got their first real test against Cal and came up short in the second half, after holding a seven-point edge at the break.

Air Force is a bit of a surprise to be at 5-1, as Tim Anderson is the only returning starter. But with all their games at home so far and no marquee opponents, it’s hard to determine how they’ll do against tougher foes. Andrew Henke, last year’s sixth man, and Anderson are the only two scorers in double figures, but Air Force likes to control the clock and limit possessions. Most recently they knocked off winless Mississippi Valley State. Montana handed the Falcons their only defeat in the Cougar Hispanic College Fund Challenge. The real test will come next against Washington State.

The UNLV Runnin’ Rebels had a pretty easy time in their first three contests, leading to a 3-0 start. But Louisville came to town, and even without two of their starters, they handed UNLV a 20-point defeat. This broke a 19-game home win streak for the Rebels. Wink Adams and Curtis Terry are the two most proven returning players from last season and lead the team with 12 points apiece per game. Only Matt Shaw scored in double figures for the Rebels in their loss to Louisville. UNLV rebounded nicely in defeating arch-rival Nevada by 13 on Saturday, after leading by only a point lead at the half.

The Colorado State Rams stumbled in their first game at Montana, losing by 36 points in their first game. Then they surprised Pac-10 opponent Oregon State by beating them by 13 and went on to win the Top of the World Classic. They were 3-1 going in to the Stanford on Saturday, but had a miserable first half and ended up losing by 20.

Wyoming is 2-2, having played just one game at home. Saturday night they squared off against a tough Wichita State team from the Missouri Valley Conference. At half it was a one-point game, but the Shockers’ three-point shooting helped them coast to a 12-point victory over the Cowboys. As expected, guards Brandon Ewing and Brad Jones lead the team in scoring, but it has to be disconcerting that Jones is also the leading rebounder. The Cowboys big men need to step up at least on the defensive end if the team is going to succeed.

Utah is at the bottom of the conference with a 2-2 mark. They lost on the road against Washington and then fell by 15 points at home to Santa Clara. Johnnie Bryant is leading the team in scoring with 14 points per game and is playing a valuable sixth man role. Luke Nevill is averaging 13 points and 7 rebounds per game. More was expected of returning starter Shaun Green, who is averaging 28 minutes per game but only producing 2 points per game. Next up is Weber State.